Commentary

The sun turns a deep red as it sets beyond the Port of Everett and the Olympic Mountains on a hazardously smoky evening on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022, in Everett, Washington. Following the start of the Bolt Creek Fire and other wildfires in the region, air quality in Snohomish County was seemingly always hazardous through September and October. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Comment: Yours is not your father’s climate change

Your experience of climate change depends on your generation and that of your children and grandchildren.

 

Comment: Hydro remains key to our next ‘Great Electrification’

Moving to a carbon-free electrical grid will rely on all sources of clean energy, especially hydropower.

 

Comment: Lawmakers risk second lawsuit over special education

Legislative funding proposals for special education fall far short of what school districts are due.

 

Comment: Legislation could threaten access to telehealth

A bill to protect consumers’ health data could inadvertently undermine teleheath services.

Comment: Arkansas makes it easier to hire kids at slaughterhouses

When teens as young as 13 were found cleaning meatpacking plants, Arkansas eased its child labor laws.

Comment: Ukraine’s fate may be decided by who leads GOP

A split among Republicans regarding continued support for Ukraine is being closed watched in Europe.

Comment: DeSantis can’t avoid taking side on Trump indictment

He risks alienating MAGA voters, but DeSantis has a slim window to step in front of GOP’s ‘beta wolves.’

Comment: This time, banking crisis won’t wreck the economy

The underlying causes of the Great Recession aren’t in place now. Expect the economy to muddle through.

Comment: Call between Xi, Zelenskyy will be awkward, pivotal

Xi, with hopes for reunification with Taiwan, will have to respect Ukraine’s desire for sovereignty.

Comment: Capitalism denuded Amazon; it can reforest it, too

Using carbon credits, Brazil’s president can help the farmers and ranchers who have been living off the rainforest.

Comment: Election fraud crew turns to polls to push message

Kari Lake asked Rasmussen for its help; they weighted a poll to produce the outcome she wanted.

Comment: Those with disabilities need housing benefit help

People with developmental disabilities often qualify for housing aid, but the process can be daunting.

Comment: Xi, Putin seeking different goals in Moscow meeting

Putin’s focus is on weapons for his war in Ukraine. Xi is looking for stability and global influence.

Comment: Disabled persons can help ease current labor shortage

There are hurdles, but the chief barrier is the attitude of employers reluctant to accommodate them.

Comment: Atmospheric rivers deliver hope for California’s summer

A recharge of reservoirs and snowpack may help the state avoid rolling blackouts during heat waves.

Comment: DOJ’s Trump probes should matter most to nation

A conviction for a hush-money payment won’t keep him from running. Being guilty of insurrection could.

Comment: AI is about to transform childhood; are parents ready?

Its uses — tutor, entertainer, companion — may be hard for parents to resist or look past its drawbacks.

Comment: Why we’re up to our necks in subscriptions

It didn’t end with streaming services. Now we’re subscribing to lunch. And we’re paying more than we know.

Comment: Pence may try to peal evangelics away from Trump

His comments at the Gridiron Club may show a willingness to question Trump’s commitment to faith.

A bus driver steps onto their bus at the Blue Line stop at the Everett Transit Center on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Comment: Humble city bus key to improving public transit

A failure to adequately fund transit has left buses short of their full capacity for moving people.

A bus driver steps onto their bus at the Blue Line stop at the Everett Transit Center on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)