Columnists

I don’t remember the exact circumstance, but when I was probably 6-7 years old I had a little money to spend and a Walmart toy aisle in front of me. My dad helped me spot a good deal—a Knight Rider racetrack with a powered K.I.T.T. (that was the talking car from the series). I snatched…

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on our blessings and to share memories with our loved ones. During this holiday season and throughout life’s journey, we are here to help provide you and your family with services, benefits, and information about our programs. Social Security is more than just a retirement program. We provide services…

The interim between the Biden regime and the Trump administration offers opportunity for reflection. Much will change starting in January but permanence is doubtful. Our politics are cyclical, you see, and mercurial; therefore, the opportunity for reform is brief. Let’s ponder a few outrageous proposals, so identified because they are unlikely to take hold but…

I have yet to figure out how to get trailer lights to work. I have four different boat trailers, which I have wired up, and none of them work like any of the others. One works fine when the pickup lights are on, but the turn signals don’t work at all. Another one has the…

Are you getting remarried? If so, we can help you with Social Security related questions regarding your remarriage. You may be wondering how your new marriage affects your Social Security benefits now or in the future. Remarrying may affect your benefits if you receive (or expect to receive) any of the following: 1. Supplemental Security…

I at times choose to write this column on the ‘eve’ of some special or unique event. I write it intentionally before I know of the outcome of something — in this case, the results of the 2024 vote for U.S. President. It’s about 6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5, and I don’t know how…

Lhakpa Sherpa was born in a small village in Nepal in 1973. She remembers taking her little brother to school and having to wait outside because she wasn’t allowed an education. As a woman born in Nepal she was expected to cook, clean, care for her siblings and that’s it. No working outside the home.…

Our progress against lung cancer is something to celebrate. Millions of lives have been saved in the U.S. alone since rates of smoking began to drop in the mid-1960s. And as smoking continues to become less common and treatment improves, we expect to gain even more ground against the disease. One key tool helping to…

By the time this column goes to press, the national election will be over. From that standpoint, it serves no purpose to continue battle with Karen Fulton over points that are moot, but I will defend what I have already written. Otherwise, I am content to wait for final election results before moving on. Fulton…

When we pulled into Canada’s Lake of the Woods country in early October, it was 70 degrees under a bright sun. Five days later it was still that way and it hadn’t changed much in the entire week we were there. In all the Octobers I have fished in northwest Ontario, I have never seen…