Human Interest

I love my morning newspaper.  It’s a ritual.  I love retrieving it from my front porch, unfurling it, opening it up and being greeted by the headline the editor has chosen for his daily flagship masthead’s vindication.  It sets my tone and attitude for the day.  I depend on his judgement for this important psychological setting and he seldom disappoints.  He knows me.  I appreciate him far more than he can imagine. 

   Last week's column discussed the highly publicized university corruption scheme wherein wealthy parents bought admission at prestigious universities for their children. That is dishonest and gives an unfair advantage to those young people but won't destroy the missions of the universities. There is little or no attention given by the mainstream media to the true cancer eating away at most of our institutions of higher learning.

Eight in ten Americans think prescription drugs cost too much. To drive down drug costs, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar proposed sweeping changes to Medicare.

The proposal isn't the solution patients have been waiting for. The reform would lower drug costs, but only by making it harder for underserved patients to secure the best treatments.

Congress promised to protect and expand access to health care. It should honor that pledge by pressuring Sec. Azar to shelve the proposal.

SLC GALLERY STROLL ANNOUNCES AN EVENING WITH MARK TWIGHT PHOTOGRAPHS & GALLERY RECEPTION – Featuring his NEW book REFUGE with overarching themes of Effort, Environment and Emotion

The FDA just issued draft guidance that would expedite the development of groundbreaking cures by empowering drug makers to utilize "adaptive trial designs."

These designs significantly speed up the traditional drug research and testing process, making it "more efficient and less costly."

America's most vulnerable populations should welcome the news. Adaptive trial designs can increase access to drugs that treat cancer, Alzheimer's, and other chronic diseases.

In the United States, greenhouse gas emissions are plummeting.

And the credit, surprisingly, goes to the Trump administration.

Of course, environmentalists would have you believe this White House is accelerating climate change and hurling us toward planetary disaster. But just the opposite is the case: Since 2016, emissions have dropped almost 3 percent, marking the ninth time this century that the United States has led the world in annual CO2 reductions. 

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah wildlife often struggles to find food during winters that have heavy snow. By spring, many animals are vulnerable and weak. So if you are planning to take your dog on hikes this spring and summer, make sure your pet doesn’t chase or harass any wildlife.

Dogs that are off-leash in nature may act on their instincts to chase deer and other big game animals they see. However, that is harmful for the deer because by the end of winter, they are usually in survival mode.

Governor Signs 119 Bills, Vetoes 1