The day after her fall in the women’s downhill at the Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina, Lindsey Vonn posted a message on Instagram. Not just a medical update,  but a reflection: “I dreamt, I tried, I jumped.” No polish. Just truth. “Life is too short not to take chances on yourself. Because the only failure in life is not trying....

The Great Depression didn’t begin with the crash of ’29. It started earlier—quietly, steadily—beneath the surface of a country convinced the good times would never end. By the start of that year, the warning signs were there. Farmers had been struggling for years, drowning in debt and falling prices. Coal miners were out of work or watching their wages shrink....

Superman—America’s original superhero—once stood tall as a symbol of everything this country aspired to be. Superman—who embodies courage, decency, and fairness. Superman—who fights for the common good, especially those who can’t fight for themselves. What’s wrong with that? A growing movement now seeks to define which heroes—real or fictional—are acceptable, and which are not. They question who deserves legal defense,...

“Are these the shadows of the things that Will be, or are they the shadows of things that May be, only?,” Scrooge asked. Still the Ghost pointed downward to the grave by which it stood. “Men’s courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead,” said Scrooge. “But if the courses be departed from, the ends...

Today, five years after Parisians and the world watched in disbelief as flames engulfed Notre Dame Cathedral, a prayer was answered and the hard work of thousands and faith of millions reopened Notre Dame for the world. Five years ago, the spire collapsed, the vaulted ceilings crumbled, and its interior was scarred by fire and smoke. The devastation was not...

I time-tunneled back to 410 BC to have a conversation with Socrates, the renowned Greek sage, about the greatest challenges we face today. With the help of his A.I. assistant, here is that conversation, (edited for length). Socrates: Greetings, fellow traveler. What’s on your mind? Jim: How can we climb out of the pit of despair and relentless conflict where...

In a Thanksgiving address given in 1944 at London’s Royal Albert Hall, and in the presence of  Winston Churchill, United States Ambassador John Gilbert Winant concluded his speech with these words: “We are grateful that you have joined us on this day of Thanksgiving because, through common sacrifice and a sustaining Providence, we have been able together to preserve our...

Twentieth-century journalist Walter Lippmann’s enduring appeal lies in his staunch commitment to the common good—the idea that society can function in a way that benefits everyone, not just individuals or specific groups. It’s a concept that is as essential today as it was when he first explored it nearly a century ago. Lippmann—whose insights on democracy, media, and morality helped...

We know the darkness—we’re living it—but what about the light? America’s moral conscience reflects our evolving values, shaped by both successes and failures. We’ve seen progress in Civil Rights, Women’s Rights, LGPTQ+ rights, but we’ve also faced dark chapters—slavery, the mistreatment of Native Americans, Japanese internment, McCarthyism, and Watergate. Each of these pivotal moments, both the triumphs and the trials,...

A good friend and I have what we call our “Best Friends Thursday” lunches, where we catch up on the events of the day, primarily local matters. He recently said, “I enjoy your commentaries, but I wish you’d write about something other than Trump.” It’s a fair point, and I try to cover various issues. But this election is so...