What kids in school need most
Noted author Jonathan Kozol recently indicated that he was shocked at Gov. Andrew Cuomo's comment that the "death penalty" should be aimed at failing schools in the state. Kozol stated, "You improve a...
View ArticleLetter: Keep diplomacy moving with Iran
The nuclear deal brokered by the United States and Iran in Geneva is historic. Just as the agreement to peacefully disarm Syria of its chemical weapons demonstrated, diplomacy makes the world a safer...
View ArticleA glimmer of good sense on Guantanamo in Senate vote
The following appeared in an editorial in The New York Times:The Senate voted last Tuesday to give President Barack Obama new leeway to move toward closing the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.In recent...
View ArticleLetter: Good police work undone by judge
Chris Churchill puts his finger on a serious problem in his Advocate column on the case of Officer Brian Lutz ("Decision reeks, beyond a reasonable doubt," Nov. 24). If police can't police their own,...
View ArticleDowd: A tale of the locker room, via Austen
Washington I dreamed of Peyton Manning.In my dream, I was trying to shield him from the bitter wind in Foxborough. But he still looked like a frozen block of ice, with a red nose and watery eyes.Yet...
View ArticleLetter: Valuing cars more than pedestrians
Our neighborhood association has major concerns with Albany Medical Center's proposed Park South garage. The huge structure with entrances and exits only onto Myrtle Avenue will create safety issues...
View ArticleEditorial: Tackling the concussions
THE ISSUE:A bill to ban tackling in youth football is being criticizedTHE STAKES:We must come up with ways to make contact sports safer for children. Just as high school sectional playoffs are under...
View ArticleCameron: Longing for what never was
Today is one of the most dangerous driving days. Not because of drinking or texting or even tiredness. No, I suspect that on the day after Thanksgiving the greatest cause of distracted driving is...
View ArticleBeware LNG lobby's bait, switch tactics
The average house fire — the sort I fought as a former volunteer firefighter — burns at 1,292 to 1,652 degrees Fahrenheit. A fire caused by a spill of liquefied natural gas (LNG) burns around twice as...
View ArticleSmith: It's that time of the year to take it easy
'Tis the season of things we do but once a year — which is good, because we let ourselves get away with stuff in the holidays that we wouldn't tolerate year around.My job today is to tell you not to...
View ArticleEditorial
Please text, don't talkThe good news: The Federal Aviation Administration has lifted the ban on air passengers using Kindles, iPads and laptops during takeoffs and landings. The bad news: It's...
View ArticleBrodsky: Proposals for limiting state's legal corruption
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Moreland Commission on public corruption is careening toward release of its initial recommendations. What seemed a good idea at the outset has stalled. The commission can still...
View ArticleCommentary: When thanks is enough
If you want to get into an argument with a woman, compliment her.Say she did an excellent job on her project, on her assignment or with her fundraiser, then watch what happens. Whether you're...
View ArticleSeiler: Bruised, hurting and dirty
We don't know much about Julian of Norwich, who during an illness in 1373 experienced religious visions that prompted her to write an enduring book that includes the line, "All shall be well, and all...
View ArticleParker: Of food stamps, holiday turkey tales
Washington If you peruse the news on any given day, the farm bill/food stamp debate produces two general impressions: Republicans are heartless turkey thieves; Democrats are spendthrift welfare...
View ArticleFriedman: More Twitter, need for legitimacy in the gulf
There are the radical revolutions you've read about in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Yemen and Libya, none of which yet have built stable, inclusive democracies. But then there are the radical evolutions...
View ArticleEditorial: It's reform time, governor
THE ISSUE:An upcoming election year presents an opportunity to change New York's money-laden political system.THE STAKES:Will a governor who ran on campaign reform fight for the changes he preached?...
View ArticleLetter: Lock up knockout game participants
I was watching CBS News as it reported on this new phenomenon of random knockout punches. Those were graphic videos; some people have died. These are cowardly people committing atrocities against...
View ArticleLetter: JFK conspiracy theories ignored
Fifty years on, I was riveted to hear again live broadcasts of President John F. Kennedy's murder replayed on local stations. Many did a fine job in taped and live memorial tributes to JFK and...
View ArticleLetter: A clear exchange of coverage data
While New York's health reform implementation efforts have far surpassed the federal government's, physicians are concerned that patients may experience difficulties in seeking to use their newly...
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