Michael Gerson: Hello, my name is Mike Gerson. I’m a contributor at Newsweek, a columnist at the Washington Post and a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. I’ve written a new book called Heroic Conservatism, and I’m happy to take your questions. _______________________ Madison, WI: How can we begin drawing lessons from a war that is still ongoing? And how will the way in which the war ends change what we draw from it?...

But if you thought that this would spell the end of liberal COVID virtue signaling, the of the tarring of conservatives as anti-vaxxers and anyone who spoke up against the mixed messaging and closed schools as vectors of disease and death, you would be wrong. The morality tale superimposed onto the virus persists. As people in blue states get infected with Omicron, they seem to be following a script in which they go out of their way to prove that their infection was not due to misbehavior, God forbid—they got the vaccines and the booster and wear their masks everywhere they go and regularly get tested....

The Third World should have been abolished long ago. From the very beginning, the concept swept vast differences of culture, religion and ethnicity under the rug. How much did El Salvador and Senegal really have in common? And what did either share with Bangladesh? One of the bloodiest wars since Vietnam took place between two Third World brothers, Iran and Iraq. Many former colonies remained closer to erstwhile European metropoles than to their fellow “new nations....

“Oh my god, this is a dream come true!” Brown yelled during his post-race interview on NBC. Brown likely expected that would be the lasting image of his first-ever victory in a NASCAR race. Little did he know that something else entirely would take center stage. The “Let’s Go Brandon” expression originated as a result of Brown’s win. What exactly does that harmless-sounding slogan mean? Here’s an explanation of how a NASCAR interview unknowingly created the anti-Joe Biden phrase....

title: “Let S Not Go To The Videotape” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-13” author: “Brandon Knuckles” THE COMPANY THAT HELPED revolutionize video editing is now taking the tape out of videotape. Avid Technology’s recently unveiled CamCutter digital video camera records 20 minutes of broadcast-quality images directly to its FieldPak, a removable 2.4 gigabyte hard disk that, unlike tape, can be reused thousands of times. No longer will cameramen be forced to return to the editing room to assemble their footage; the CamCutter allows them to do so in the field....

Steve Taylor Lake Oswego, Ore. Before the silicon invasion crowded out all the available orchard and farmlands, the area was well known for its apricots, prunes, pears and other fruit. It is now Death Valley, as evidenced by the congestion, pollution and population density that kill the spirits of its residents. Chesta E. Bauer Salem, Ore. Your cover story doesn’t mention that key elements in the Bush White House ignored Enron’s role in the California energy crisis last summer, thereby risking delay in a Silicon Valley recovery....

friend ceiling, a company spokesperson told me, and has no plans to raise the limit in the immediate future. But the episode evoked a lot of questions about the nature of “friendship” when it comes to sites like Facebook and MySpace. How many friends is too many? And how friendly do you have to be with someone to become an online friend? While Facebook doesn’t want to dictate rules of friending behavior to its users, the company is explicit in stating that the purpose of maintaining a list is not to see whose friend belt has the most notches....

The Polish star scored a hat-trick in Bayern’s Bundesliga clash with Hamburg to take his total goal tally to 142 goals in 182 games across all competitions. His triple helped Bayern to a dominant 6-0 victory, keeping them 20 points clear of nearest challengers Schalke in the Bundesliga table. Having started the day level with Elber in Bayern’s all-time record books, Lewandowski’s treble means he now holds the distinction outright....

Members of the public could be heard erupting in cheers as the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council moved to approve the ban by a vote of 10-5 on Thursday evening, according to local NBC affiliate WLEX. “The decision has been made and now it’s time for our community to come together,” Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton, who had previously imposed a limited moratorium on the warrants, reportedly said after the vote....

“We’re excited to bring the Eternals partnership to life through these custom-wrapped Lexus vehicles,” said Vinay Shahani, Lexus vice president of marketing. “Just as each Eternals character has a distinct style and set of capabilities, so does each character-themed Lexus.” The roster of nearly a dozen vehicles features custom wraps inspired by the individual armor design, iconography and super powers of the film’s 10 super heroes. Additionally, the grilles and underbodies are illuminated in a reflection of the characters’ energy, according to a release from Lexus....

Tip: You’ll have fun tinkering with the electronics.

Cerpa never had the chance to make good on his threat. Shortly after 3 that afternoon, Pando was lying on his mattress, engrossed in the last chapters of Flaubert’s “Madame Bovary.” Bolivian Ambassador Jorge Gumucio Granier suddenly appeared at the door. “They’re coming for us in a few moments,” he said softly. “Be calm.” Pando glanced nervously at the other hostages in the room, including Juan Julio Wicht, a Roman Catholic priest who was hunched over a plastic chess set....

The first thing that strikes you about the IRA library is its breadth and range. Far more than their loyalist rivals (whose collection was much smaller), IRA prisoners used prison to read, to engage in political debate. Previous generations of IRA men in other lockups had done the same; prisons seem, at times, like an alternative version of university. The course here appears, unsurprisingly, to have been left-of-center. There are shelf after shelf of books by Lenin, Marx, Engels, Trotsky....

To many Americans – gay and straight – the Greenwich Village riot sparked by a few drag queens outside the Stonewall Inn a generation ago marked the beginning of modern gay life in America. That’s why last week’s was the longest, largest and most elaborate celebration of gay life ever held. And it should put to rest all doubts about the community’s diversity, its growing clout inside mainstream American institutions – or its legendary ability to party....

After three executions last week, the federal death penalty has provoked an avalanche of criticism. Opponents attack it as arbitrary—we can neither define nor determine who make up the worst of the worst. Besides, death penalty critics claim, life without parole (LWOP) offers a much better, morally satisfying alternative—punishment as bad, or even worse, than death itself. Yesterday’s opinion piece rebutted the first attack. Now for the second. Let the punishment fit the crime....

The powerful thunderbolt was filmed in Gypsum, Colorado, on July 20. In the footage, the woman stands by her porch as the lightning strike hits the ground, sending up a huge puff of smoke, sparks, and dust. As she jumps into the air in shock, a loud bang can be heard. The woman then covers her ears and puts her hand to her chest apparently in fright. She seems so disturbed she staggers on the steps and cannot even seem to find her way to her front door....