Opinion

Was the passage by the House last Saturday and the Senate on Tuesday of the foreign aid package with money for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan a turning point in American foreign policy? It certainly was a turnabout in rhetoric and in partisan behavior. House Speaker Mike Johnson led the narrowly Republican House to pass by resounding margins bills to aid Ukraine (311-112), Israel (366-58) and Taiwan (385-34), and to sanction Iran and force the sale of TikTok (360-58).

Dear Annie: I’m struggling badly with something that occurred over a week and a half ago. I’m a mom. My son is 15. I’ve been dating a man for two years now, but I’ve known him for over six. He has no kids and has always expressed his interest in becoming a dad.

For those rightly concerned about the timing of Donald Trump’s federal Jan. 6 trial, Thursday’s oral arguments before the Supreme Court gave plenty of reasons for worry. Moreover, the court’s conservative majority seemed inclined to define presidential immunity from prosecution in a way that could undermine some of the charges in special counsel Jack Smith’s indictment.

Public parks belong to the public, right? A billionaire can’t cordon off an acre of Golden Gate Park for his private party. But can a poor person -- or anyone who claims they can’t afford a home -- take over public spaces where children play and families experience nature?

Dear Annie: I’ve always disliked house parties. During the first ones I’d been invited to, I had to leave early due to the loud music, vulgar dancing and drunk classmates an environment that would only make me feel anxious, disgusted and sick.

The leftist “free expression” group PEN America collided with a brick wall of radicals who don’t like anyone who expresses a sympathetic view of Israel after the Hamas slaughter of Oct. 7. Their literary awards ceremony had to be canceled due to a substantial withdrawal of authors striking a “pro-Palestinian” pose.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives last Saturday voted 311 to 112 to approve a bill to spend $60.89 billion on aid for Ukraine. Among House Republicans, this bill lost 112 to 101.

Dear Annie: I am a 45-yearold man, and I was married for 17 years to my lovely wife until her untimely death a year ago. My wife and I have three children, one of whom is from her previous relationship. I love her so much, and when she passed, I was heartbroken and severely depressed.

“Every single member (will) vote their conscience.” Conscience, did you say? House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) words cut cleanly through the House of Representatives noise. Seldom are they told to rise above the partisan rabble.

Public Employees Are NOT Being Cheated by Offsets A month or so ago, I wrote a column about people who mistakenly think they are being cheated by the Social Security Administration out of benefits they believe they are due. But one group I didn’t mention in that column are the biggest complainers of all: public employees such as teachers and police officers in certain states, many of whom don’t even pay into Social Security in the first place.