Around Town: Bill Shipp on the governor’s race, Democrats, Trump and the free press

Around Town paid a call on the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame member this week, finding him in good spirits, though concerned about such things as the future of the free press in this country and the leftward march of the Democratic Party.

If Donald Trump thwarts Russia investigation with pardons, we might never recover: Pascrell & Lieu

If Donald Trump issued pardons to his advisers, his children or himself, that would constitute perhaps the gravest abuse of power in American history. If Donald Trump thwarts Russia investigation with pardons, we might never recover: Pascrell & Lieu If Donald Trump issued pardons to his advisers, his children or himself, that would constitute perhaps the gravest abuse of power in American history.

6commentaryKaren Tumulty: The weakness of Donald Trump’s cruelty

Maybe there are reasons to hope that this nightmare has awakened some Republicans to the fact that they can actually stand up to the president. President Donald Trump gestures as he signs a "Space Policy Directive" during a meeting of the National Space Council in the East Room of the White House, Monday, June 18, 2018, in Washington, as Vice President Mike Pence watches.

LETTERS: “This is a letter I have been waiting years to write.” Jun 20 at

As the Reign of Dinneen draws to a close, I want to commend The News-Journal and reporter Dustin Wyatt for the spot-on discovery and disclosure of the 2-year-old report on impact fees that had been deliberately suppressed by County Manager Jim Dinneen. As a former member of the Volusia Growth Management Commission, I witnessed firsthand the political machinations that brought about the complete moral sell-out of the VGMC several years ago.

A day on the ground with U.S. Sen. Doug Jones

Doug Jones won the Alabama Senate election Tuesday, defeating Republican candidate Roy Moore to become the first Democratic candidate to win a Senate race since the 1990s. Kirsten Fiscus / The Anniston Star Doug Jones won the Alabama Senate election Tuesday, defeating Republican candidate Roy Moore to become the first Democratic candidate to win a Senate race since the 1990s.

Marc A. Thiessen: But her emails? You’re dang right her emails.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks while appearing with First Lady Michelle Obama at a campaign rally at Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Thursday. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks while appearing with First Lady Michelle Obama at a campaign rally at Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Thursday.

Health care is about to get way easier for small businesses and self-employed Americans

Lamar Alexander, a Republican, represents Tennessee in the U.S. Senate and serves as chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Today, if you're a self-employed plumber or a farmer or a waitress at a small restaurant, you likely don't have access to the same kind of lower-cost health insurance, tax breaks and patient protections that employees of bigger companies, such as IBM or Microsoft, enjoy.

Shree Paradkar: U.S. border policy of placing children in cages shows …

The former first lady wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post, castigating the U.S. President's newly enforced zero-tolerance policy towards asylum seekers that in the past several weeks has officially seen more than 2,300 children separated from their parents. The parents are detained in federal facilities, and because children can't be held there, they are being warehoused in cages.

Stephanie Grace: Scalise-Richmond buddy act offers these lessons for Washington, Baton Rouge

Majority Whip Steve Scalise scores on a wild pitch thrown by Cedric Richmond during a Congressional baseball game. Scalise can be seen wearing a uniform from Archbishop Rummel High School, his alma mater.

Kay, are those tax numbers right? Readers respond to Granger

Has anyone fact-checked U.S. Rep. Kay Granger's "estimated savings" for families? She failed to mention which income level will take home the most money. Does anyone really think that a $2,000 increase in take home pay is going to make a significant improvement in the standard of living for a family of four making $73,000? Children are being ripped from the arms of their parents on our southern border, and politicians on both sides are saying this is not right and not America.

Dems Must Stop Picking Foxes to Guard the Financial Hen House

In May, the Revolving Door Project and over 30 other organizations urged Senate Democrats to push for strong progressives for the leadership positions at key financial agencies allocated to Democrats. Democrats now have a chance to demonstrate that they have become the party of the people by whom they choose for open leadership positions at the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation .