Parent wishes son would call more often

Parent wishes son would call more often

Dec 31, 2025

DEAR HARRIETTE: My son rarely calls me or reaches out to me, and it makes me question whether I did something wrong raising him. He is now a sophomore at a college halfway across the country. I was sad to see him go away, but I assumed he would call me first sometimes. I thought wrong; if I want to hear from him, I need to call him. What hurts me the most is that when we do call, our conversations feel rushed, as if I’m interrupting his life rather than being a part of it. I try not to sound like a needy parent, but I can’t shake the feeling that I care about him way more than he cares about me.

Trump and his pessimism problem

Trump and his pessimism problem

Dec 30, 2025

What’s the economic outlook for 2026? Much depends on the answer, since how voters feel about their financial situation next November will largely determine who controls Congress during Donald Trump’s last two years in office.

Elizabeth Ko, M.D.

Treatment for RMS depends on damage

Dec 24, 2025

Dear Doctors: At age 51, I was diagnosed with severe rheumatic mitral stenosis. After a second round of tests, treatment was changed from open-heart surgery to balloon valvuloplasty. What can I do to help the results last?

TODAY IN HISTORY

Dec 24, 2025

In 1814, the United States and Great Britain signed the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812.

Sister grows distant after woman moves

Sister grows distant after woman moves

Dec 24, 2025

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’m confused and honestly a little heartbroken. My sister and I grew up incredibly close – practically joined at the hip. We talked every day and leaned on each other for everything, and I always felt like no matter what changed around us, we would stay the same.

True conservatives always fight back

True conservatives always fight back

Dec 23, 2025

Alittle more than 10 years ago, Jack Danforth, a former Republican senator from Missouri, wrote a prescient essay in Time that declared, “Today’s Republican Hardliners Aren’t ‘Conservatives’ – They’re Revolutionaries.”

Unemployed friend about to lose apartment

Unemployed friend about to lose apartment

Dec 23, 2025

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a friend who is an immigrant, and he has been out of work for nearly two years. He has cobbled together enough money to scrape by, but if he doesn’t find a job soon, I worry that he will lose his apartment. He has a few close friends, myself included, who have helped him whenever we can, but it’s getting to be too much. I, for one, have a family and am working hard to make sure we have enough resources to take care of each other. I feel horrible, but I can’t continue to finance my friend. I have told him about the SNAP program and other social services that can help him, but he’s too proud to look into it. Honestly, I’m not sure if he is even eligible, but I do know that it’s foolish to let pride keep you from trying to get the help you need. What can I do for him now that I can’t continue to support him financially? – Friend in Crisis DEAR FRIEND IN CRISIS: I’m so sorry for your friend. Sadly, there are many people today who are suffering. Talk to your friend one more time very plainly. Tell him you cannot afford to continue your financial support, but you are worried about him and think he should investigate government aid. The truth is, though, restrictions on who can receive SNAP benefits and Medicaid have tightened for immigrants. If your friend has a valid green card, he should be eligible. Suggest that he reconsider applying for that support – for now. He doesn’t have to use it forever, but it is there to help people when they are in need.

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