When late CBS newsman Daniel Schorr was asked about his move from radio to television, he reportedly observed, "If you can fake sincerity, you've got it made." It's in that spirit, and mindful of her declining poll numbers, that Hillary Clinton is getting tweaked again. The effort has been brilliantly satirized by my friend and …
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Iran nuclear deal better than doing nothing
Figuring out how I feel about the Iran deal has been a struggle. But, as I have read more about it and talked with informed people over the summer, I come to the conclusion that, while the deal is far from perfect, it is a worthwhile step to take. Opponents complain that the deal leaves open a …
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Richard Berman for President?
Federal Judge Richard Berman nullified Tom Brady's four-game suspension Thursday, and suddenly all was right with the world. Signs at the final preseason game declared with relief "Tom Brady is Free" and "Richard Berman for President." Why not? Even if there was no clear exoneration of Brady or declaration of the Patriots' innocence, and even if …
Getting to yes on the Green Line extension
It would be very tempting to leap to support the Green Line extension through Somerville to Medford. After all, anything that modernizes our nation's oldest mass transit system is a good thing, and this particular plan was promised years ago to environmental advocates as part of the deal that brought us the Big Dig. Somerville …
Summer reading: there’s still time, pt. 2 – fiction
Summer reading 2015 would not be complete without Go Set a Watchman, the book that Harper Lee reportedly wrote before she published To Kill a Mockingbird. It is told from the perspective of Atticus Finch's daughter Scout (now Jean Louise) some 20 years after the time frame of To Kill a Mockingbird. The Guardian and other critics …
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Kerry Havana speech: clear-eyed, optimistic
Friday morning, a glorious day in Havana with the sun sparkling on the water along the Malecon sea wall, marked an historic event for the United States and Cuba. After 54 years of enmity, the U.S. Interests Section (for half a century under the auspices of Switzerland) was once again the American Embassy. The three marines who …
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Fox big winner in the debate
The big winner in last night's "big boy" (top ten Republicans in polls, all male) debate was Fox News itself. While the network isn't my default choice, the moderators, stalwart defenders of Republican orthodoxy, and the format wrung the most out of the sometimes unruly lot and provided some illuminating moments. Megyn Kelly, flanked by Chris Wallace …
David Mofenson stood tall, reached down to help others
Most weekend mornings, a small group of men gathers at the front table of Peet's coffee in Newton Center to gab about breaking news, politics and whatever else catches their fancy. It's hard to imagine the gathering without one of its regulars, former State Representative David Mofenson, who died suddenly on Sunday morning just steps away from Peet's. …
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What kind of animal would kill this lion for sport?
Walter Palmer's pleasure in life is apparently hunting and killing large animals, legally or illegally. In the last few days, millions of people around the world have come to know that the American "sportsman" has slain Zimbabwe national treasure Cecil, a magnificent 13-year-old black-maned lion, whom tourists came from far and wide to see. Palmer's guides illegally strapped …
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Walsh stands tall: now how about Boston 2030?
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, who has long seemed in thrall to the Boston 2024 Olympic bid, said at a press conference this morning that he refuses "to mortgage the future of the city away." He added, "I will not sign a document that puts one penny of taxpayers' money on the line for Olympics cost …
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Marjorie Arons-Barron 