For more than two centuries, Americans who enter public service — from soldiers and police officers to members of Congress — begin their duty with a solemn promise. It is an oath to support and defend the United States Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That promise is not symbolic. It is the foundation of public service in a constitutional republic and the bedrock of Western culture itself. The requirement dates back to the earliest days of the nation. W

Mystery fans will love this one. Frieda McFadden’s, The Inmate (2024, 332 pages in softcover) has more twists and turns than a Dutch cruller. And there are two timelines, eleven years apart. But the author makes it easy for us to follow. The characters are the same. In the earlier period, they’re teenagers; in the later years, they’re in their late twenties. [Before going on, let me answer a question, asked by a reader. I don’t use the terms “paperback” and “softcover” interc

California’s energy reality: fewer refineries, more imported oil, and some of the highest fuel taxes in America are driving the cost at the pump. Every time tensions rise in the Middle East, many Californians assume that global conflict is the main reason gasoline prices spike at home. While world events can influence oil markets, the reality is that California’s gasoline prices are driven far more by the state’s own energy structure and policies than by events overseas. Cali

When I was growing up, there were many automobile manufacturers in the United States, some of their names will not be familiar to most people who are reading this column. But even those of us who were not raised in a car culture knew that the “Big Three” were General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. Over the years, smaller companies like Nash, Packard, Studebaker, Kaiser-Frazer, and American Motors folded their tents and disappeared. It was probably around 1955 when I first saw a

Every time I go biking or walking around my area in Bass Lake, I have to live through the decay of each street, of what used to be a place much like Oakhurst; a hub for people to live at. My hands itch from vibrations, not from allergies; the roads are in almost complete ruin. The original 1940s infrastructure is slowly wasting away into oblivion. These old houses that people remember are either becoming a “Jenga” style of rebuilding, or just wasting away. So many people left

The California Retired Teachers Association (CalRTA) proudly joins communities across the state in celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week, May 4-8; National Teacher Day on May 5; and California Day of the Teacher on Wednesday May 13. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all educators for their tireless work, creativity, and unwavering commitment to educating future generations. Today and everyday, we thank them for the lasting difference they make in the lives of countless stu

David Baldacci has written some of the most interesting novels that I’ve read, and I’ve read thousands of novels since my teen years. Only a few have kept me up all night because I had to see how they ended. The first, as I recall, was Herman Wouk’s, The Caine Mutiny, which I read when I was 16. I had to work that day at Lucky Stores, where I was a carry-out boy, but that didn’t matter. The book was that good. As I ate my breakfast, I told my mother the story. Then I took a s

In a time when many have forgotten the threat of infectious diseases like polio, I feel a duty as a Rotary member to remind the public that polio anywhere is a threat everywhere. I have a personal story about polio that happened to my oldest brother and another man who was my roommate in college. My brother’s case was only a mild one that left one leg slightly shorter than the other. My college roommate was paralyzed from the waist down. Both cases were before the vaccine was