Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced at the end of August that he will retire, capping a remarkable career of domestic and international leadership success.

I was grabbing a couple of sausage biscuits, and witnessed a couple of old codgers arguing over their coffee. One was a bit on the heavy side, with wild hair and a loud voice. The other was silver-haired, more soft-spoken, and would occasionally seem to lose his train of thought.

On hearing that President Trump sat for 18 interviews with Bob Woodward of The Washington Post my first reaction was "what the..." Why Woodward?

It happened a year or two ago that I read a magazine piece that moved me enough to reach out to the writer and compliment him.

I made it through the summer of COVID-19 – though I’m thankful that neither I nor any of my family have contracted the novel coronavirus.

Last week, President Trump vehemently denied the details of an exposé in The Atlantic alleging his disparagement of prisoners of war and dead and disabled soldiers, calling them "suckers" and "losers," though Fox News and the Associated Press have independently confirmed it happened.

In courts of law one has a constitutional right to face one's accusers and to have them cross-examined. In the political court one has no such rights. Slander and innuendo are the norm.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reports the American government will soon reach a debt level equaling its entire gross domestic product.

Here in the Midwest, it's that time of year when many communities celebrate the county fair.

A blessed child is raised up with a solid foundation of teaching that will undergird and carry that child down through that journey of life.

Data collection for the 2020 Census ends soon. This census, the 22nd in U.S. history, has faced its share of challenges and controversies.

The ouster of Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr. over allegations of sexual misconduct and other behavior that falls short of the university's code of conduct -- not to mention Scripture -- is another in a long list of object lessons each generation of Christians seems to have to learn anew.

Mimi Soileau passed away on Aug. 26, from complications of kidney and heart failure. The county, her family and friends are missing this awe-inspiring woman who loved life and never wasted a minute of it.

An open letter to the leaders of the Democratic and Republican parties: We’re giving you four years’ notice.

The two political conventions are finally over. To paraphrase Charles Dickens, one convention promoted the best of times, the other the worst of times.

Mayor Samuel David Ramsey went on to his eternal reward last week. While Our Savior will welcome his faithful servant warmly into His loving arms, we the living will be sorry for our loss.

2020 has been the Edsel of years. For those who are too young to understand that ancient reference, it has been the New Coke of years. Am I still going back too far? Okay, it’s been the Google Glass of years. There, I’ve covered every generation who may read this column. For all of us, the common thread is anger.

American home ownership is soaring, which is good for all of us.

When I was a child, my bedroom was 12 feet down a short hallway from my parents’ room.

TV actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion-designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, recently pleaded guilty to paying $500,000 in bribes to get their two daughters into USC.

Labeling another person has become a popular political pastime. The intent is to use a label that is impossible to disprove no matter the amount of contrary evidence.

If you watched last week's virtual Democratic convention, you heard about an America with which you might not be familiar. Speaker after speaker portrayed America as a failing nation full of misery, poverty and angst that only they can make better.

I posed a question on social media. “What do you miss most about your life BC (Before COVID)?” I have read about a thousand replies, and I have learned so much. Your answers made me laugh, and they made me cry.

A dear friend of mine, Lori, was cleaning out her house, preparing to downsize. She sent a text that she had left some things in my mailbox.

In a new book about her grandfather, Dwight D, Eisenhower, titled "How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower's Biggest Decisions," Susan Eisenhower writes admiringly about Ike's pursuit of what she calls "the middle way."

Joe Biden reminded the world what grace looks like.

Thanks to some stellar research by my cousin Ann Biggums Gonzalez, documents show that my maternal family has been a part of the United States since before 1805.

Anything that reduces tensions in the Middle East and contributes to Israel’s security should be applauded. The agreement between the UAE and Israel to establish diplomatic relations in exchange for Israel’s suspension of settlements and claims to sovereignty over Judea and Samaria (as Israe…

“No one saw this coming.” “Who knew it would be this bad?” “Who could have predicted this?”

Covid-19 is getting old — particularly for employees who’ve been working from home for months.

Trump’s NDAA veto threat puts a lot that our troops need at risk. For all the talk of base names, many of the actual buildings on those bases are falling apart. Reuters recently ran a series called “Ambushed at Home,” detailing the “squalid” conditions of military housing. The NDAA would address that problem. The NDAA would also enable basic safety measures on bases, like fire resistance and cleanup for environmental hazards. These are the day-to-day items that troops really need to keep themselves and their families safe.

Gravel roads, it would appear, are more beloved by people than one might think.

I love Ohio. I love its four seasons, its traditions and the state's place in American history.

What would you think if local politicians decided to cut the size of their fire department while buildings in their city were ablaze? What about a general who orders his soldiers to stop fighting and surrender to the enemy?

I like to point out how often I have been wrong in my career. It humbles me. Lord knows, we reporters have been humbled often recently. When we make mistakes, our readers point it out on social media within seconds. I am okay with that. We get a little high and mighty, so it never hurts to get taken down a notch or two.

I begin with a personal story to make a greater point.

Geoffrey Chaucer’s epic poem "Troilus and Criseyde" conveys the tragic story of two lovers set against the backdrop of the Siege of Troy. Chaucer’s poem is considered to be the source of the phrase: "All good things must come to an end."

When I think of simpler times, I think of that place.

It isn’t picturesque. It stands, unshaded, in a sun that, in the summertime, is unkindly relentless and, in the winter, winks weakly.

A friend of mine can’t for the life of him understand why some Americans are clamoring to replace capitalism with socialism.

There's nothing cuter and more fun than a 19-month-old boy — except maybe two of them.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden appears to have painted himself into a corner with his promise to select a woman -- and apparently from the candidates on his short list, an African-American woman -- to be his running mate. 

Congratulations Tennessee, you’re getting national attention. Out of all the states holding elections this year, you are holding “The Nastiest Primary in the Country,” according to Politico.