Columns

All along, Google’s been Googling me

I thought Facebook knew too much about me, but it turns out Google is even worse. Google, like Facebook, makes its money by targeting ads at us that reflect our interests and needs. The more both know about us, the better they’re able to target us with ads we’re likely to click.

​Worthy asylum seekers – or not?

Earlier this week I was at an event that honored Malala Yousafzai. Malala, in case you don’t recall, is the brave young school girl from a village in Pakistan who was nearly killed in 2012 by the Taliban.

A strategy for giving

In the emergency room and on the battlefield it’s easy to appreciate the wisdom of a triage system: those with the greatest need are helped first. But few of us, particularly the wealthy, apply that same type of thinking when it comes to making donations to charities.

Will Trump listen to Lindsey Graham?

What got into Lindsey Graham? Maybe it was the wave of nostalgia for an old school Washington brought on by the funeral of former President George H.W. Bush this week.

Public Notices Threatened

Print newspapers are still the primary way that tens of millions of Americans receive information about their communities and the world. They are also the way that many people find out about job opportunities.

State budget fight: Politics vs. priorities

The recent financial clash between Gov. John Bel Edwards and House Republican leaders over the Revenue Estimating Conferences $43 million of revenue projections has generated intense scrutiny from the Edwards administration, legislators,and even the media.

Garth Brooks and me in Louisiana!

Did you see the Garth Brooks televised concert at Notre Dame Stadium last week? Over 85,000 country music fans packed the South Bend football field for one of largest concerts ever viewed.

Christmas gifts for bosses: Let the stress begin!

Does your workplace have a tradition of employees giving a Christmas gift (er, holiday gift … um, scrupulously secular seasonal transfer of goods) to the boss?

Shop local to grow your economy

You can’t go online or watch TV without seeing ads about Black Friday sales, but I’m more excited by what comes next. The next day, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, is Small Business Saturday.

Beating the stuffing out of Thanksgiving

Editor Note: A prior version of this column was distributed by Cagle Cartoons in 2011. This year I can’t think of Thanksgiving without thinking of Barry Manilow’s melancholy song “Tryin’ To Get The Feeling Again.