30 YEARS AGO
This week the public learned the current operator of our city-owned hospital had decided not to renew its contract that is set to expire at the end of the year.
President Joe Biden’s reelection prospects have seemed doubtful for months now. Many voters think the nation’s oldest president ever – he turns 80 in November – is too old for the job and is certainly too old for a second term. Many others think he’s simply doing a bad job. Many think both. And that includes Democrats who voted for Biden as well as Republicans who didn’t.
In the immortal words of Yogi Berra, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” Even so, I’m willing to go on record as saying people predicting an impending civil war or the imminent breakup of the United States are quite mistaken.
Winston Churchill, determined. Albert Einstein, ethereal. Eleanor Roosevelt, engaging. Andy Warhol, whimsical. Pablo Picasso, intense. Georgia O’Keeffe, pensive.
DEAR HARRIETTE: My daughter went to her prom with one of her girlfriends, and then the two of them hung with her whole friend group and had a blast. We posted really fun photos from pre-prom, but what happened next was not what we expected. Several friends reached out to me to ask if our daughter is gay. Because she went with a girlfriend, they assumed this must be "her girlfriend." They called somewhat tentatively, but clearly concerned.
Dear Doctors: Ticks are a big problem where we live in Pennsylvania. Our family loves being outdoors, so staying away from tick territory isn't an option. One thing I really want to know is the right way to remove a tick when you get bitten.
Donald Trump’s chief of staff’s young aide Cassidy Hutchinson describes this White House scene: It’s December 2020. The president’s former attorney general, Bill Barr, has just given an interview denying that the election had been rigged. Trump is “extremely angry,” Hutchinson told the Congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection – so angry that he throws his lunch against the wall.
Hello, dear readers, and welcome to this midsummer letters column. We hope you're in the habit of protecting yourselves from heat, bugs and sunburn. You've kept our inboxes busy, so onward to your mail.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I went to a private high school that a lot of celebrity children attended. As an adult, I've stayed in contact with many of them and watched them turn into celebrities in their own right.