It began with 25 candidates. It’s been reduced by half, yet concern persists among Democrats that the party should look beyond the still standing contenders and seek an individual capable of party unification and persuade him or her to enter the race.
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, “he said, she said” is quickly becoming “she said, he cringed and remained silent.” Another variation is, “she said, he apologized profusely and then resigned.”
The constitutional crisis has officially arrived. To the surprise of nobody with a cognitive intellect, Donald Trump has hauled us to this treacherous precipice. The good news is that the Hous…
We are, once again, approaching the annual switch from daylight saving time back to good old normal regular time, meaning that my bedtime at dark will almost overlap with my supper at 6 p.m. M…
Since President Trump’s first day in office, and from my first day as his health secretary, our country’s opioid crisis has been one of our most challenging missions. But there were always sou…
The trade wars are hitting me where it hurts.
Philadelphia is one step closer to opening a Hotel Heroin in beautiful, downtown Kensington.
The impeachable president whined last week that he missed the good days when the Fourth Estate covered him exactly the way he wanted. In his inimitable words, “I used to be the king of getting…
Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager who has become the face of the climate wars, reminds me of another child I saw dominate international debate: Elian Gonzalez.
There came a point when no one took Fred Sanford seriously when he clutched his chest, looked toward the heavens and cried out, “This is the big one! I’m coming Elizabeth!”
Earlier this year, I spent a few days, all too short, with my mother. At the time, I didn’t know she was dying, or at least I didn’t want to acknowledge it. She was frail, yes, but she was als…
Aside from a brief period nearly 30 years ago when I attended college and resided in the Willamette Valley, I have essentially lived on a farm — or, more accurately stated, three different far…
We dare not contemplate what the Washington Republicans would say if Donald Trump were to actually shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue.
Donald Trump visited enemy territory last week.
Never let the facts get in the way of a good vendetta. Words to live by for politicians and apparently for some news organizations.
Another Round-Up is behind us — a week of beautiful September weather with a dream coming true for 20-year-old Pendleton High School graduate Calgary Smith, who took the team roping championsh…
Open, accessible and accountable government with freedom to public information without interference from governing bodies — or elected officials — is essential to our democratic republic.
What if Beto O’Rourke was right?
In case you haven’t heard, our lawmakers have returned from their six-week summer sabbatical, ready to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty. Among the agenda items for this legislat…
A pal of mine, the daughter of a rancher, recently disclosed that she seldom wore skirts in high school because she feared that during her daily drive to school a mouse would run up her leg. A…
The last three incumbent presidents to lose their re-election bids — Gerald Ford in 1976, Jimmy Carter in 1980, and George H.W. Bush in 1992 — were fatally burdened by a sluggish or recessiona…
It’s too bad for America that CNN’s seven-hour town hall on climate change was such a rating disaster.
As a board member for #TimberUnity Association, a grass-roots group, I recently attended the annual economic summit of coastal legislators in Florence. I wanted to hear firsthand lawmakers’ pl…
You probably haven’t heard about this because no shots were fired.
I was born near the end of my dad’s first year of teaching, and 43 years later, having my birthday on or near the last day of school has always been a gift in itself.
Joe Biden has long been adept at talking with a foot in his mouth, so perhaps it’s no surprise lately he has overdosed on whoppers. Nevertheless, it has unnerved many Democrats to hear their 2…
Friday, Sept. 20, is POW/MIA Recognition Day. This special day and the POW/MIA flag are symbolic of our nation’s resolve to never leave our warriors behind. Our armed forces will look for the …
It’s that time of year again.
Pop quiz: What did Lyndon Johnson in 1968, Gerald Ford in 1976, Jimmy Carter in 1980, and George H. W. Bush in 1992 have in common?
The complaint was a familiar one and flashed across my computer screen recently. Why are there Facebook posts with links to articles on the East Oregonian website that we can’t read because we…
As you shop for back-to-school supplies for your kids or food for the Labor Day cookout, consider this: The clerks, shelf stockers, truck drivers, and factory workers who make that possible ca…
“Sometimes I worry that if I ever can retire and do get Social Security payments, they’ll be a lot less than what I’ve been promised,” I said to my CPA, Louie the Number Cruncher.
Last week, I got an email from my friend Chris Casazza, a partner with the immigration firm Solow, Isbell and Palladino in Philadelphia. He reached out to tell me about something that had happ…
July and August are arguably the two busiest months here on our farm. We generally work seven days a week, 10 or 12 hours a day. We usually start the month of July by putting up our second cut…
When Heidi Wright called me June 3 to suggest that our company should take a look at bidding on Bend’s daily newspaper, The Bulletin, I was at once startled, skeptical and intrigued.
Eastern Oregon Legacy Lands, sponsor of Wallowology Discovery Center, has watched the Lostine River Fuels Reduction project unfold over several years. The conflation of values, science, politi…
When I was invited to contribute a monthly column to the East Oregonian, former news editor Tim Trainor suggested I follow the lead set by other columnists — Matt Wood’s “From the Tractor Seat…
“Fredo has a good heart but he is weak ... and stupid.” — Michael Corleone
Portland may fuel Oregon’s economy, but the city fails to propel its youth toward economic opportunity. Thankfully, Portland officials can learn from other places about giving young Oregonians…
Much has been written, discussed, opined, and debated about the denying of a quorum for nine days, when the 11 Oregon Senate Republicans made the decision to leave. Since I was one of what bec…
It’s been a week since 31 people were murdered in two mass shootings within 24 hours. Despite numerous differences between the two horrific incidents in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, there…
Cowboy Kevin and I were rolling sheep wire off a cliff and into Mazzoni’s draw on the morning of the Fourth of July. The other option was to be around the main ranch house helping the boss and…
If the circumstances weren’t so awful, the predictability of the response would almost be laughable.
Every year, I hold a town hall in every Oregon county. From coast to grasslands, Gorge to high desert, blue to red, there is one consistent issue that Oregonians ask me to address — the price …
Amidst the latest bloodshed — the worst of it triggered by a white racist domestic terrorist whose El Paso manifesto echoes Trump’s racist rhetoric — I bet you’re jonesing for some good news. …
Is it safe for me and my wife to return from our vacation in Eastern Europe?
I’ve never been one for carnival rides, especially the roller coasters. They look, smell, and even feel like fear to me, and as I watch them go up, down and around the tracks that keep the car…
Anyone who has taken a recent drive in America’s western states can see first-hand what we at American Farmland Trust have been saying for years: our farmland is disappearing at an alarming rate.
As an apartment owner in Pendleton I’m not worried about the rent control bill 608 that came out of Salem. The law is predictable, out in the open and applied the same to everyone around the s…
During a recent meeting with the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department and about 20 other representatives from agencies involved in immigration, the Trump administration floate…
“What to buy (and not to buy) at the dollar store,” blared the headline for a Washington Post analysis of retail chains such as Dollar Tree and 99 Cents Only.
After April’s McKay Creek flooding emergency, city leaders promised to take action to reduce the risk of future flooding. Umatilla County is playing a leading role in this effort, so readers c…
The secret’s out. Northeastern Oregon is home to writers.
Despite the accusations, I deny that I carry a man purse.
