In his first inaugural address, Franklin D. Roosevelt declared, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” At the time, the country was in the depths of the Great Depression, and fear was everywhere—fear of poverty, fear of failure, fear of the unknown. Roosevelt knew that fear, if left unchecked, could paralyze a nation. More importantly, he understood...

In a time when political rhetoric pushes us toward isolation, history reminds us that the greatest leaders understood a fundamental truth: America is strongest when we invest not just in ourselves but in the stability of the world around us. After World War II, Europe was in ruins: Cities were bombed out; economies devastated; and millions faced starvation. Exhausted from...

Near the end of Ken Burns’ documentary on the Statue of Liberty, historian David McCullough reflects on the statue’s symbolism. “She isn’t a warrior. She isn’t bombastic or threatening. She isn’t a symbol of power. The Statue of Liberty is an act of faith.” McCullough emphasizes the core values that have always been essential to America’s growth and resilience in...

In high school, the distinction between right and wrong—more or less—appeared clear. Catholic high school made it unambiguously clear. Thanks to the good brothers of Salesian, you either learned the right path quickly or you were firmly corrected (accent on firmly.) Which brings me to a long-remembered poem whose last lines are frequently quoted. Two roads diverged in a yellow...

Let me get this straight: … the Senate will vote to approve a woman with ties to authoritarian leaders, a man who has pushed vaccine conspiracy theories for years, and a man on the bubble who openly plans to fire thousands of career FBI agents who investigated Trump’s role on January 6, and have the White House oversee the agency....

Today, Congress is set to certify the 2024 election results, officially confirming Donald Trump as president for another four-year term. Vice President Kamala Harris will preside over the certification, a process that former Vice President Mike Pence previously carried out on January 6, 2021. However, History will record that Pence’s role was interrupted when a violent mob of Trump supporters...

Last week, ABC News announced a $15 million settlement to resolve a defamation lawsuit involving the network and news anchor George Stephanopoulos. The lawsuit stemmed from Stephanopoulos’s inaccurate report that president-elect Donald Trump had been found “liable for rape” of writer E. Jean Carroll. In reality, Trump was liable for “sexually abusing” Ms. Carroll, not for rape, as defined under...

What began as a commentary about team Trump’s missed deadline to submit an ethics code—a legally required document meant to reassure the public about transparent and ethical leadership—has morphed into something much darker. Trump has been transparent, but not about an ethics code, but his frightening, self-serving picks for top cabinet posts. Tulsi Gabbard has been chosen to become Director...

Veterans Day is a time to honor the countless men and women who’ve served our country through war and peace, putting the nation’s needs above their own. Their courage and dedication remind us what it truly means to defend our freedom—freedom to speak, worship, assemble, and live in peace and safety. In many schools, each day starts with the pledge...

After all the votes are counted, will the country stand united, committed to overcoming our differences, or will we continue to let division define us? This is a moment to reflect and decide who we want to be and what kind of country we want to build. We can’t allow ourselves to be drawn into anger, to see one another...