Drug price gouging — an American story

July 17, 2019

To be American is a wonderful thing most of the time. There are moments, however, when it is downright humiliating. Can you imagine a more pitiful scene than a busload of Americans traveling 815 miles from Minneapolis to a Walmart in London, Ontario, Canada, to buy insulin at a 10th — a 10th! — of the price charged in the United States? Dollar-wise, the difference is not modest. In the U.S., one vial of insulin costs around $300. In Canada, it’s $30. From 2012 to 2016, drugmakers nearly doubled the U.S. price of a medication that was invented almost a century ago. Type 1 ...

Jumping from job to job

July 17, 2019

Dear Annie: I’m freshly moved out of my parents’ house. It’s a really exciting time for me! I’m gaining so much long-awaited independence. I’m thrilled to have this opportunity for self-growth and exploration. I live with a few friends, too, which is an awesome bonus. But what I’m struggling with is managing bills. While I’m experienced at having jobs, especially in food service, I have a tough time keeping any one job for more than a few months. I’m not sure why that is. I put 100% effort into any job I have, but I just get this sort of “itch” and feel the need to ...

Jeffrey Epstein — Justice delayed

July 16, 2019

We live in a country where justice is supposed to be blind. Citizens expect that people who do bad things will be caught and arrested and spend an appropriate period behind bars. Not so if you are an uber-wealthy guy named Jeffrey Epstein. He got away with a lot. Until now. Jeffrey Epstein is a suspected serial pedophile who was allowed to dodge allegations that he sexually abused some 40 girls (from mostly troubled or low-income families) with only minimal punishment. An award-winning Miami Herald series puts the number of Epstein·s victims at 80. Only now, 14 years after ...

Boiling like a tea kettle

July 16, 2019

Dear Annie: I am a grandmother who is seeking your advice about my married granddaughter. Her father is my son. Her parents divorced when the children were quite small. My son was awarded custody of my granddaughter and her brother. We did our best to provide help to our son and the children. The mother has a drug addiction. We provided monetarily, we babysat, took them food and did other similar things to help out. My granddaughter is now grown and married. During her childhood, she was exposed to a good many things she should not have had to endure. As a result of a lot of pent-up ...

Democrats need broader mission than just beating Trump

July 15, 2019

WASHINGTON — The obvious unifying element for Democrats looking ahead to the 2020 presidential election is their imperative to oust Donald Trump from the Oval Office. They desire it for a multitude of reasons, starting with his glaring incompetence for the job and the rampant corruption in his regime. But if the campaign comes off as only a bitter vendetta against Trump, it will fail to identify the deep damage he has already inflicted on our constitutional brand of self-government with his autocratic ways. His war on Congress in conflict with America’s separation of powers among ...

Wanting a walking partner

July 15, 2019

Dear Annie: My husband and I are very close. We have been married for 27 years and agree on most things and share many common interests. There is only one issue where we differ, and I’d like to hear suggestions for how I can help him to change, so he will join me in my daily walks. I love to walk, and I make it a point to walk at least two miles every day. My parents walked together every night after dinner, and they lived into their 80s and had a very close marriage. My brother and I joined them many nights when we were younger, and I have great memories of that family time ...