Point Person Q&A: Author S.C. Gwynne on Stonewall Jackson
The Texas journalist’s new book, “Rebel Yell,” brings to light new insights about the Civil War general’s dual personalities.
Yeah, he’s a San Antonio Spur, but ...
Our Kevin Sherrington says Gregg Popovich gets his vote for 2014 Dallas Morning News Texan of the Year.
Which arts and culture figures deserve Texan of the Year consideration?
Nominees from the DMN Arts & Life staff include include a visual artist, pop singers, a chef, theater leaders, a city designer and a homegrown Hollywood star.
Talking Points: Notable quotes from the week’s news
Rawlings’ second campaign, rapping chief justice, police-related deaths, Hillary Clinton and America’s Team
Reihan Salam: It’s time to end birthright citizenship
Only the children of those who are living in the United States as citizens or lawful permanent residents will be granted citizenship at birth, he says.
Alyssa Rosenberg: Meet the faces of America’s new culture wars
This go-round is being waged over whether culture is political, and if so, what its politics ought to be and how they might be expressed, she says.
Heather Mac Donald: College feminists once again making men the guardians of female safety
The new order preserves the sexual revolution's no-strings-attached sex while combining it with legalistic caveats that allow females to revert at will to a stance of offended virtue.
Andrés Martinez: Will Mandarin overtake English? Don’t count on it.
Thanks to the British empire and popular culture, English is likely to remain globally pre-eminent, he says.
Point Person Q&A: Former U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill
The former U.S. diplomat discusses Islamic State jihadists, Iraq, and prickly personalities he’s known in the past.
Danielle Douglas-Gabriel: College degrees shouldn’t be a commodity
Cost containment would go a long way to allowing students to pursue their passions, she says.
Heather Wilhelm: Should humans fear artificial intelligence?
The restless push toward artificial intelligence should raise a bit of skepticism in everyone, the columnist writes.
Talking Points: Notable quotes from the week’s news
The Ferguson decision, Hagel’s departure, Dwaine Caraway’s weight loss, Vladimir Putin’s tiger
Bush's impact in Africa
Administration policies are credited for saving hundreds of thousands of lives.
Susan Evans: How we came to eat turkey at Thanksgiving
The makeup of today’s Thanksgiving meal shows Americans can be whatever we want, she says.
Alina Simone: This is how the world ends?
The good news: We won't see it coming, and there will be no fire. The bad news: It could happen any minute now.
Arthur House: Welcome to the age of cyborgs
Age of the cyborg is here, as natural and artificial combine for better or worse, the author says.
Q&A: David Rothkopf on the right way to do foreign policy
The CEO of Foreign Policy magazine says recent presidents have struggled for the right foreign influence.
Charles D. Ellison: Economists agree recovery helping everyone but blacks
The dipping unemployment rate suggests all is good, but economists say underemployment is being ignored.
Talking Points: Notable quotes from the week’s news
Obama’s immigration edict, Rawlings and Hunt on Trinity toll road, terror in Jerusalem, Mark Cuban’s civic duty
Lawrence Otis Graham: I thought privilege would protect my kids from racism. I was wrong.
Perhaps many feel that racism is inconsequential, if not altogether dead, but experience shows otherwise, the attorney says
Whitney Fogle Lewis: Besting racism requires work
A concerted effort is needed to dismantle the effects of racial divide, the Dallas attorney says.
Q&A: Geohumanist Jared Farmer
The Hiett Prize winner discusses his work as a geohumanist studying human interaction and impact on nature.
Matthew Hennessey: Remembering when smokers weren’t demonized
Once upon a time, you could be a smoker and still be a good person, he says.
Ruben Navarrette: Mexico bought Peña Nieto’s campaign pitch and now pays the price
The people, awakened to the violent history of their president’s party, are taking to the streets, the columnist says.
Jovana Drinjakovic: Moratorium on embryonic stem-cell research, tight regulation left U.S. lagging Japan
Jovana Drinjakovic: Moratorium on embryonic stem-cell research, tight regulation left U.S. lagging JapanIncreased funding and loosened regulatory oversight could help get America back in the race for stem-cell cures.
Talking Points: Quotable quotes from the week’s news
Tweet from space, sorrow in Cowboys locker room, filthy rich divorcee, ‘stupid’ American voters, LeBron’s football ban
Weiss: How the CDC can restore its reputation after Ebola scare
Fear has overwhelmed science, and America’s premier public health agency has suffered, Jeffrey Weiss says
Q&A: Richard Parker on Texas' delay in becoming a purple state
The author of the new book "Lone Star Nation: How Texas Will Transform America" deciphers the election results here and what's in store for the state's future.
Ruben Navarrette: Life isn’t fair and never will be, so get over it
The most troubling four-letter word in America is f-a-i-r.
Megan McArdle: Employers, require your workers to take their vacation days
Unplugging is good for firms as well as workers, she says
Thomas Friedman: Islamic State feeds on nationalism, not faith
In May, I visited Vietnam and met with university students. After a week of being love-bombed by Vietnamese, who told me how much they admire America, want to work or study there, and have friends and...
Michael J. Totten: Our fears fuel zombie craze because we know we’re unprepared for disaster
Our Age of Anxiety was born on 9/11 and led to a fascination with the zombie apocalypse, the author says
Which Texans have had an impact?
Rodger Jones: What unsung Texan should we know about?Attention readers: We need your help in finding a Texan of the Year?
Esther Cepeda: Elizabeth Peña was a small-screen trailblazer for Latinas
The late star didn’t conform to Hollywood’s image of how a Hispanic woman should act, the columnist says.
Carly Okyle: Does my disability define me?
Writer embraces the task of writing about her cerebral palsy while hoping not to be the ‘poster child of disability gone right’
Q&A: Sizing up the Ebola virus
Former WHO chief David Heymann talks about the spread of Ebola in West Africa
Vivek Wadhwa: Soon, humans won’t be trusted to drive cars
Self-driving cars of the near future will do to human drivers what cars did to horses and buggies, the researcher says.
Kathleen Parker: The hope-and-change formula has lost its magic
A ballot cast in the midterms is less a vote for a person than it is a vote against the void in the presidency, she says.
John Dickerson: GOP might take control of Congress, but not with new ideas
The party relies on no great animating idea other than the fear (or avoidance) of the Obama nightmare, the columnist says.
Dr. Adam Brenner: A preventive guide on mental illness
Reaching at-risk families holds promise of aiding kids, he says
Talking Points: Quotable quotes from the week’s news
Last gasps from Abbott-Davis race, Obama on Ebola, Chris Christie on Ebola, Tim Cook’s coming-out, Ted Cruz’s reaction
Kate Greene: Why the first Mars mission should be manned by women
Economically, not to mention in other ways, it makes sense to send women to Mars, but don’t bet on a crew without men, she says
Q&A: Dana Goldstein on what teachers want from us
The education journalist says this embattled profession also needs an adjusted focus on testing, more diversity and leadership stability to succeed.
Charles Lipson: Oppressive walls are closing in on an unpopular president
These days, Obama finds himself welcome only in the palatial homes of Hollywood stars, the professor says
David Brooks: Applaud the low idealist who wants more than hope
Columnist makes a case for political idealism, but not the brand that surrounded Obama’s 2008 campaign
Peniel E. Joseph: A new social justice movement is brewing
Events in Ferguson, St. Louis and elsewhere are signs of a brewing struggle, the columnist says.
Esther Cepeda: In the future, discrimination will be based on class, not race
Right now, it looks like instead of simply transcending race, our future population stands to swap one kind of bigotry for another, she says
Aaron David Miller: The time of great American leadership is over
We can no longer have a truly great president. That’s OK: We seldom need one, and we might not want one, he says
Talking Points: Notable quotes from the week’s news
Monica Lewinsky on empathy, Mike Rawlings on wealth, Jenkins and Trump on Ebola, Hitler appears in Switzerland
Researchers: Malcolm Gladwell was wrong. Practice isn’t perfect.
Many other factors affect genius, sayDavid Z. Hambrick, Fernanda Ferreira and John M. Henderson
Q&A: Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust
The historian and award-winning author discusses the nation’s challenge of affordable higher ed.
Raychelle Burks: Go ahead, drink your pumpkin spice latte
A chemist says no chemical is 100-percent safe, but our fear of chemicals needs to be tempered
Chris Farrell: Baby boomers’ latest revolution is unretirement
Working in golden years, on the whole, is good for the economy, the columnist says.
Kathleen Parker: How unpopular is President Obama?
Desperate Dems are in deep denial over the unpopularity of their president, columnist says
Talking Points: Notable quotes from the week’s news
Ebola in Africa, Ebola in Dallas, Dallas Cowboys shoplifter, Bono’s “oops” moment, “old racehorse” Bill Clinton
Ezekiel Emanuel: Why I want to die at 75
A medical ethicist challenges those who think a long life at any cost is the American way.
Point Person: Former Sen. Bill Bradley on making America better
It starts with early childhood education, and, as the title of his new book says, “We Can All Do Better” in several aspects of life.
Mitch Albom: Should you be able to custom-order a baby from a sperm bank?
‘Wrongful birth’ lawsuit raises a question: Where are we going as a society?
Jamelle Bouie: 'Talking white' at home vs. 'talking white' at the office
When it comes to language and race, audience and setting make a difference.
Heather Wilhelm: Don’t buy pre-packaged feminism
Emma Watson’s recent speech at the U.N. was revealing in what she said and how it was received, the columnist says.
Sol Stern: The Free Speech Movement won, but free speech lost
Fifty years after taking part in the successful Berkeley movement, Sol Stern refuses to celebrate the result.
Talking Points: Notable quotes from the week’s news
Ebola death in Dallas, Ebola threat worldwide, Obama’s critics and fans, milder pot in Denver
Mark Lamster: Dallas needs to heal the broken relationship between the built city and its promise of justice
In Texas, courthouses were once a beacon of justice for all. In Dallas today, the jail complex is a distressed symbol of decline, the critic writes.
Cruel punishment is all too usual in U.S. jails and prisons, attorney says
Trial attorney Martin Garbus asks: Do we really find this kind of prisoner treatment acceptable?
Q&A: SMU President R. Gerald Turner on his university’s place in today’s college athletics
Turner says SMU is dedicated to maintaining athletics at the highest NCAA level.
Kathleen Parker: The silly, selective war on women
Democrats pick their spots to invoke the so-called war, the columnist says.
Ruben Navarrette: Hispanics are taken for granted by Dems, forsaken by GOP
Frustration, disillusionment and anger are growing over having to choose ‘lesser of two evils,’ columnist says
Talking Points: Quotable quotes from the week’s news
Dallas Ebola scare, Abbott vs. Davis, Patrick vs. Van de Putte, Obama vs. jihadists
How letting my kid play alone outside led to a CPS investigation
Kari Anne Roy was confident her 6-year-old could play 150 yards from their front porch. A neighbor disagreed. Then came police. And then CPS.
Q&A: SMU's Robert Lawson on the net positives of immigration
The economics professor says that not only do immigrants boost the economy; they also boost American freedom.
Hispandering Heritage Month
Hispanics are tired of being recognized with empty gestures during one month each year, says columnist Esther Cepeda.
Trading silence for safety
37 percent of Americans think the media should be required to get government approval before reporting on national security issues, says Christopher Ingraham
Can Vladimir Putin be stopped?
His behavior fits Russia's history of expansion, says Michael Khodarkovsky
American's are self-segregating by age
Separating society by how long people have lived sows distrust and robs generations of learning from one another, says Leon Neyfakh
Talking Points: Quotable quotes from the week that was
Obama on jihadists, Sen. Kaine on Obama, the Twitterverse on Obama
Obama and the never-ending war
It is hard to imagine an American president more committed to not deepening involvement in the Middle East. Yet here we are again, says David Rothkopf.
Q&A: The vindication of Jim Foster?
The former Dallas County judge was mocked and abandoned by fellow Democrats after he made allegations against John Wiley Price and others. But he’s not done pushing yet.
Stefan Fatsis: Has Roger Goodell finally lost the media?
With owned media properties, the NFL has muscled league coverage. Until now.
Alex Beam: Is this the world’s ‘inglorious end’? Nah, it’s just people.
There’s a tremendous vanity to assuming the world will end on our watch, the columnist says.
Hey, Texas: Time for a real climate-change debate
Tim Cloward: It’s time to get past deniers for a real debate.
Talking Points: Notable quotes from the week’s news
Obama on ground troops, Cornyn on Obama, Facebook for rich people, Ebola scourge, tumult in the NFL
If you think Big Tobacco was bad, wait till you get a whiff of Big Marijuana
It threatens to create a massive new industry intent on addicting the most vulnerable in society, says Kevin Sabet.
Back to Iraq. What could possibly go wrong?
The former U.S. Central Command chief uses findings from his new book on the mistakes of war to assess the president’s plans.
The Ivy League? It’s not that bad
But elite universities have largely abandoned their mission of providing a moral education, says David Brooks.
The big fat diet myth
Esther Cepeda shares how the power of a few low-fat proponents threw our eating off balance.
Be very wary about new wave of voter restrictions
American history is rife with examples of misguided attempts to fix the system that did nothing to help, says professor Wendy Schiller.
How divorced parents lost their rights
Judges can decide whether your kids play soccer or piano, says Robert Emery. Instead, our legal system should encourage parents to work together for solutions.
Talking Points: The week’s best quotes
War in the Middle East, turmoil in the NFL, angst in the UK, hands-free soon in Cadillacs
Steve Almond: Why I've stopped watching football
After I came face to face with my mother’s dementia, football’s dangers were no longer abstract, says Steve Almond; they were a moral burden.
Rick Gosselin: The redeeming values of football
Mike Rawlings wouldn’t be the mayor of this great city today if it weren’t for the sport’s core values.
Q&A: Jonathan Neerman on the outlook for Texas Republicans
The former Dallas County GOP chair sees another statewide sweep but says his party must moderate its rhetoric to increase its voting base.
Is it hysterical to prepare for all-out war with Russia?
Considering Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and some signals out of the country, it may be naive not to, says Anne Applebaum.
Our national prayer days aren’t what they used to be
We have more than ever before, notes Christine Wicker, but they appeal to a softer, less demanding God.
Are Snowden’s leaks dangerous? Take claims with a pillar of salt
A brief history of the Pentagon Papers shows that fears are overstated, says Stephen Whitfield.
Mike Gonzalez: Lone Star State beats the Golden one for Hispanics
Texas prevails over California in providing a better society for Latinos, says Mike Gonzalez.
Talking Points: The week’s best quotes
Forgiveness for Josh Brent, lecture for Barack Obama, rosy forecast for Southwest Airlines, free pot in Berkeley.
Just how much do you trust Siri?
Smart machines need the right personality to work well, says Leon Neyfakh, and experts are finding the best choice may not always be what we think we want.
Forget ice; ALS challenge pours the guilt on thick
Sure, it’s raising money for a good cause, but that doesn’t make it a good idea, says Tom Keane.
How the Supreme Court protects bad cops
When the police kill or injure innocent people, the victims rarely have recourse, says Erwin Chemerinsky.
We fear alcohol’s bad effects too much, and those of food too little
Obesity-related illnesses cause more deaths, and cost the economy more, notes Mark Bittman. But fat and sugar don’t have the same stigma.
Q&A: Bob Inglis on the conservative case for a carbon tax
The former GOP congressman, now director of the Energy and Enterprise Initiative, says it may be the only way for Republicans to recapture the White House.
Talking Points: The week’s best quotes
Rawlings on future, Obama on Islamic State, Jerry Jones on glitz, Rick Perry’s lawyers on indictment.
The coming disintegration of Iraq
The longer the country’s civil war is allowed to unfold, the less likely a breakup of the country will be stopped, says Joel Rayburn.
Lesson from Rwanda: We’re making the same mistakes in Iraq
The early warning signs of genocide are sounding in Iraq, and the world does little to stop it, says Roméo Dallaire.
Playing the numbers in digital dating
What if more choices only make it harder to find one good match? asks Leah Reich.
Yes, what about black-on-black crime?
The perennial complaint lodged by conservatives is a distraction — and one not based in reality, says Steve Chapman.
Why are teachers unions so opposed to change?
As a former union leader and lifelong Democrat, I am deeply troubled by their rhetoric and strategy, says Antonio Villaraigosa.
Q&A: Barbara Pachter on handling confrontation
The author discusses how to get your point across in a disagreement — and then actually get what you want.
The dangers in taking on too much responsibility
We’re becoming beholden mortgage bankers, insurance companies and home builders and forgetting how to live, says Jonathan Look.
Talking Points: Notable quotes from the day’s news
Missionary beats Ebola, James Foley’s final words, Rick Perry vows fight, Eric Holder on race, Johnny Manziel’s new status
Can the U.S. out-tweet the terrorists?
The State Department is trying to fight jihad on social media? And it just might work, says Jacob Silverman, if they try a little harder.
Q&A: Dr. Ruth Macklin on who should get experimental Ebola drugs first
One of the founders of the field of bioethics helps navigate the issues of life and death officials are facing in West Africa.
Why did African doctors die of Ebola, while Americans got new treatment?
Dr. Jerome Amir Singh, an ethics expert in South Africa, explores the ethical dilemmas on the front lines of the Ebola outbreak.
Can family leave policies be too generous? It seems so
In countries with family-friendly policies, women are likelier to stay in the labor force, but less likely to reach positions of real power, says Claire Cain Miller.
It’s not GOP gridlock; it’s House Republicans doing their job
When House Republicans stand in the way of Obama, it means they’re taking their constitutional duties seriously, says Reihan Salam.
Why Princeton may be abandoning its efforts to curb grade inflation
The university found it wasn’t hurting students’ job or grad school prospects, says Catherine Rampell. Instead, they cite student stress and recruiting.
Talking Points
Talking Points: The week’s best quotesRacial strife in Missouri, cheating in Dallas schools, mourning Robin Williams, Obama on vacation, Rick Perry on the border
The militarization of city police forces
It’s dangerous and wrong to treat Ferguson, Mo., as a war zone, says Jamelle Bouie.
Former Yale professor: Don’t send your kid to the Ivy League
The nation’s top colleges are turning our kids into smart, talented, privileged zombies, says William Deresiewicz.
Q&A: Jonah Berger on making ideas go viral
The author of “Contagious: Why Things Catch On” shares tips on making our messages more cheeseburger, less broccoli.
An Ebola vaccine is not the answer
There’s a lot to be outraged about in the outbreak, but the lack of a vaccine doesn’t make the short list of Africa’s health problems, says Olga Khazan.
With our faith in modern-day government depleted, some lessons from Lincoln
Louis P. Masur says our 16th president wouldn’t advocate for smaller government but for getting back to basics.
We need a student loan fix, just not this one
Allowing people with high medical bills to bankrupt their student loans adds injury to already flawed bankruptcy law, says Megan McArdle.
Jim Landers: I know firsthand the anguish of Iraq’s Yazidis
The Dallas Morning News columnist has reported in Iraq and other violent hot spots of today and heard the pleas of the people: “You have to take our voice to the world.” But is the world listening?
Talking Points: The week’s best quotes
Crisis in Iraq, development in Frisco, immigration in Texas, threats on the Internet, excitement in Brownsville, whip jokes to African leaders.
Houston, middle-class magnet
Lots of new jobs and a low cost of living are turning Houston into a blueprint for urban revival, say Joel Kotkin and Tory Gattis.
Q&A: Elliott Abrams on curtailing military aid to Israel
The former official in the Reagan and George W. Bush administrations says Israel should establish greater independence, for its own good.
Reform primaries, save America
Partisan primaries poison the health of the system and warp its natural balance, says Charles Schumer. We need a ‘top two’ system instead.
The fatal flaw in a free-for-all primary
California may be better off since it ditched partisan primaries, but that’s not the reason why, says Harold Meyerson.
Why ‘compassionate conservatism’ is still dead
Republicans increasingly understand that to win over the middle class, they need to worry less about fighting poverty and more about taxes, health care and higher education.
Opinion: For conservative Christians, it’s the Great Secession
Faced with sweeping social change, they are walling themselves off from secular society. But when religion isolates itself, both sides lose, says Jonathan Rauch.
Talking Points: The week’s best quotes
On domestic violence, who deserves a second chance, the crisis at our southern border and Sen. Ted Cruz’s influence in the other chamber.
Getting to college was the easy part for Sunset High grad
In 2012, William McKenzie profiled Jannet Barrera, a daughter of immigrants, who persevered to get to Texas A&M. Two years later, she’s still in College Station, but the road hasn’t been smooth.
Q&A: When you think your life is a reality show
After treating a series of patients who believed they were living ‘The Truman Show,’ Dr. Joel Gold began examining how much culture shapes madness.
Falling in love with a mug shot
The Jeremy Meeks phenomenon is the latest episode in America’s long romance with the mug shots of criminal suspects, says Megan Abbott.
LeBron James — he's just like you and me
Wrestling between home and opportunity elsewhere is a national tradition, says Gregory Rodriguez.
President of half of America
It’s becoming increasingly difficult for anyone to lead the entire divided U.S., says Ronald Brownstein.
How smuggled U.S. weaponry is being used to kill Americans
John Shiffman lays bare the secret war the U.S. has been fighting against arms smugglers.
Talking Points: The week’s best quotes
On John Wiley Price, border migrants, the Ukraine tragedy, the conflict in the Middle East.
Chris Vognar: What makes celebs so attracted to Scientology?
Celebrities are just like us: They need something to believe in.
Q&A: Margaret Spellings on why she's unhappy with Perry's and Obama's education efforts
Spellings, who helped create Texas’ testing program and No Child Left Behind, isn’t thrilled changes to the accountability system she helped create.
Why would a loving mother abandon her baby on a subway platform?
Doing the unthinkable is not always a symptom of mental illness, says Eboni Marshall Turman.
Turning college into a no-thought zone
Increasing use of free-speech zones on campus are undermining universities’ mission, says Virginia Postrel.
How amusement parks hijack your brain
They’re perfectly engineered to push psychological buttons you didn’t even know you had, says Leon Neyfakh. Here’s how.
Talking Points: The week’s best quotes
Notable quotes from news, including the downing of a Malaysia Airlines jet, the immigration crisis at the Texas border and Israel’s ground offensive into the Gaza Strip.
Debating Scientology and Lawrence Wright's 'Going Clear'
Our annual weeklong book club is in full swing. This year, we're discussing Lawrence Wright's "Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief."
Live webstream. Sickly eaglet. Enraged public.
A drama in an eagle nest reached millions online. Then things got wild, says Jon Mooallem.
Darlena Cunha: Picking up food stamps in my Mercedes
My descent into poverty was swift and mortifying, says Darlena Cunha. Here’s what it taught me.
Q&A: Famed Reagan economist Arthur Laffer
Why illegal immigration is great, why Obamacare is a disaster and why he lumps together the Bush and Obama presidencies.
The boy who was desperate to be an American
Once, a youngster trying to enter the U.S. illegally could be celebrated rather than vilified, says Sam Apple.
Behind the left-right impasse on the Hobby Lobby case
Here’s why both sides believe they are having someone else’s view forced on them, says Megan McArdle
Brutal, uncompromising and wildly successful
Understanding the appeal of the Islamic State’s extreme tactics is the key to countering it, says Thanassis Cambanis.
Talking Points: The week’s best quotes
Notable quotes from news events in the past week, including the immigration crisis and the GOP’s convention choice.
Actually, I don't feel your pain
Emerging research is uncovering some unsettling facts about how it really affects people, says Ruth Graham.
Q&A: CJ Grisham, founder of Open Carry Texas, on what's next
The gun-rights activist talks about his group’s response to criticism of its tactics.
Why don’t we trust the poor enough to give them money?
The evidence suggests that cash programs work. Why do we ignore the data? asks Christopher Blattman.
Super-involved parents, it’s time to land the helicopter
Many kinds of parental help have been found to drive down a kid’s test scores and grades, says Judith Newman.
Five myths about ‘disruption’
Although “disruption” is often use carelessly, it’s here and it’s accelerating, say Larry Downes and Paul Nunes.
Give wedding PDA the kiss-off
Capturing all those makeout moments doesn’t prove anything -- it’s just plain gross, says Ben Mathis-Lilley.
Talking Points: Notable quotes from the week’s news
Rick Perry’s footwear, Hobby Lobby’s victory, migrants’ struggle, Tim Howard’s pain, “Les Miz” in Hong Kong
Point Person: Juliet García, president of UT-Brownsville
The founding chief talks about the new consolidated university in the Valley and demographic challenges.
How do we define ‘American’?
Undocumented journalist has a better understanding than I do of what this country is about — and everyone should see his film, writes Ruben Navarrette.
Originality is overrated
There are new, unprecedented concepts out there; they just happen to be scarce. So better to strive for quality, writes Lillie Lainoff.
Editorial: So it's back in the trunk for Dallas' GOP dreams
We congratulate our friends in Cleveland who, despite lighter wallets, won the Republican convention with a walkable downtown, new hotel rooms and the right dates. Our elephants fell short.
The unfathomable joy of living as ‘crooked timber’
David Brooks explains how people with this mentality understand the intransigence of imperfection.
Bringing the fun back to the woods
Allowing children to run wild, pick flowers and enjoy parks and woods fosters a love and respect for nature greater than rules ever could, says Emma Marris.
Talking Points: Notable quotes from the week’s news
Alamo artifacts, T-shirts for jihadists, drone doubts, GOP convention competition, illegal immigration
The conservative case against the death penalty
Can a few thinkers convince their party that a winning GOP issue is actually a costly, ineffective, anti-life government boondoggle? asks Leon Neyfakh
Death penalty opponents are making capital punishment more gruesome
With drugs and medical supervision stripped away, botched executions are more likely to occur, say Boer Deng and Dahlia Lithwick.
Q&A: Roslyn Dawson Thompson on Texas poverty
The CEO of the Dallas Women’s Foundation talks about the special challenges that exist for women heading households.
America is finally wising up about teacher training
Teachers and their colleges must earn prestige by being the kind of relentless intellectual achievers they’re asking America’s children to be, says Amanda Ripley.
Organic food isn’t cleaner and isn’t toxin-free
The only thing you can know for sure is that it's more expensive, says James Greiff.
Poetry: Who needs it?
To live continually in the natter of ill-written and ill-spoken prose is to become deaf to what language can do, says William Logan.
Luring in the GOP
Party leaders have pared the list to four finalists for the 2016 Republican National Convention. Editorial writers from Dallas, Kansas City, Denver and Cleveland make their cities' best case for the extravaganza.
The case for Dallas
The game was over once they got a gander at Jerry’s World and our checkbook, says Rodger Jones.
The case for Kansas City
Pick the all-American heartland over cities with negative temptations, says Miriam Pepper.
The case for Denver
Breathe in our mountain air and see why the RNC’s decision should come naturally, says Jeremy Meyer.
The case for Cleveland
No place is more critical politically in a presidential year than Ohio, says Elizabeth Sullivan.
Talking Points: Quotable quotes from the week’s news
Facebook disappears, downtown disappoints, crisis at the border, warfare in Iraq, debate over drugs, Aggies rule
Scott Goldstein: Rawlings’ legacy depends on a second term
Dallas mayor has the potential to become the most transformative since J. Erik Jonsson – but only if he runs again.
Q&A: Dallas schools chief Mike Miles
The DISD superintendent talks about his vision for more school choice and reviews gains and challenges from the school year.
We’re turning child athletes into adult athletes
The shift has fostered an epidemic of hyperspecialization that is dangerous and counterproductive, says David Epstein.
Ramesh Ponnuru: Trampling democracy to fight climate change
Officials in all three branches of government have found a way to achieve their policy goals while shielding themselves from accountability, says Ramesh Ponnuru.
The luxury to be unafraid of failure
As entrepreneurship rates tumble in the U.S., one group is defying the trend: young, elite MBAs, says Catherine Rampell. Why? For them, the risk is not so risky.
How America stopped thinking strategically
From the current debates you’d never know what matters more: Russia’s land grab, Iran’s nuclear program, or China’s territorial claims, says Peter Beinart.
Talking Points
Notable quotes from the week’s news -- D-FW employment, Islamist fighters, GOP conventioneers and breast feeders.
Points Summer Book Club: Read an excerpt of this year’s pick
“Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief,” by Dallas-raised author Lawrence Wright, was a National Book Award Finalist last year.
Q&A: Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak
He offers a candid defense of his country’s actions in response to the Ukraine crisis, plus thoughts on Edward Snowden.
Google never forgets
There is no way to get search engine companies to erase information from the Internet, even about you, says Leonid Bershidsky.
No child is a superpredator — ask me, who wore the label
Although I was given that label after my role in a murder when I was 13, I emerged from prison 13 years later with a degree and a changed heart, says Xavier McElrath-Bey.
