Opinion news

Obesity's heavy cost

It's no secret that the land of supersized meals has produced supersized people. Two-thirds of American adults are overweight; one-third are obese. That's double the obesity rate from 30 years ago. Among children ages 6 to 11, 19 percent are overweight. It was 4 percent in the 1970s.

With endorsements like this …

Well, at least they didn't kiss.I was bracing myself for the lip-lock Wednesday when John Edwards endorsed Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Pro-choice group chose wrong

A few years ago the National Abortion Rights Action League, as it was then called, or NARAL for short, changed its name to NARAL Pro-Choice America. The idea, as I understood it, was to put the emphasis on "choice" rather than "abortion." This week, the organization announced its own choice in the Democratic primary contest, and as best as I can tell, it had absolutely nothing to do with preserving abortion rights and everything to do with their own sense of self-importance. Many women I know who have given generously to the organization are furious, and I don't blame them.

Smart bombs

What happens to men when they shop for gasoline? How can the same people who ignore grocery store coupons become so maniacal about saving less when filling up the tank? Why is it that they can spend so much time on the Internet mapping out the spots with the lowest prices but can't be bothered with comparison shopping when buying corn chips?

Letters

Master plan doesn't push new jail
What's next for Spokane County Commissioners Mielke and Richard? Like greedy children crossing out items on a birthday wish-list, these enforcers first wanted a jail and then bought a racetrack.

Our view: Tenacity paying off

Robert Scheer: End doesn't justify torture

Rosa Brooks: Children underplayed

Stanley Crouch: Real leadership isn't superficial

Michael Smerconish: Racehorses need human advocates

Letters

Our view: Fighter for justice

Megha Satyanarayana : Join the civic service

Kathleen Parker: The value of American-made

Froma Harrop: Economic sobriety has its upside

Lynn Swanbom: Be prepared to meet the definite article

Letters

Our view: It's about students

Cal Thomas: Fuel costs not going away

Susan Estrich: Friends in low places

David Reinhard: Toll of the broken family

Daoud Kuttab: Israel owes Palestinians right of return

Letters

Our view: A Wild Sky ride

Jim Shea: Bombs to bellhops

Michael Barone: Iraq behind the scenes

Fred Hiatt: United Nations shirks responsibility

David M. Walker: Stump speeches lack real fiscal solutions

Letters

In their words

Stanley Crouch: Obama a threat to defeatism

Our view: Seeing aquifer builds appreciation for water supply

Cal Thomas: Strange definition of 'influence"

Our View: Admit ethanol defeat

Our view: Investment in image

Leonard Pitts Jr.: The uniform states of America

Amy Goodman: Treatment of journalists shameful

Ombudsman: Editorial decisions focus on readers

Letters

Our view: Case closed

Kathleen Parker: Help veterans and mothers

Maria Elena Salinas : Politics gums up trade deal

Smart bombs: Don't look back

Gregory K. Fritz: Kids' mental health care access limited

Letters

Outside views: Calls for concession

Our view: Case for ombudsman

Trudy Rubin: Demography threatens Israel

Lionel Beehner: Name-mangling an American sport

Letters

Our view: Small cost for safety

George McGovern and Bob Dole: Resource distribution

David S. Broder: Victor rising in drag-out fight

Susan Estrich: Video violence squanders potential

Richard Holbrooke: Showdown preceded support for Israel

Accuracy Watch

Our view: Spokane's treasures

Civic Elder: David Rodgers reflects

Paul Mulshine: McCain driving erratically

Froma Harrop: This Jeremiah's a lesser prophet

Kenneth C. Brill: Intelligence reform paying big dividends

Our view: A public matter

Jonathan A. Parker: Give the economy a shot

Kathleen Parker: 'Bad Dads' a bad TV idea

Robyn Blumner: Christian soldiers march over rights

Arlen Specter: Shield law wouldn't sacrifice security

Letters

Our view: Higher ed 'famine'

Leonard Pitts Jr.: Where's justice for blacks?

David Sarasohn: Hope for accountable government

In their words

Our view: Focus must continue

Our view: Yes for mass transit

David S. Broder: Clinton's winning strategy

Rebecca Nappi: Sisters' stories part of Spokane's

Jamie Tobias Neely: Journalist-warriors tell the untold stories

Letters

Our view: Job needs strength

Our view: Step up for children

Trudy Rubin: Making friends to fight jihadis

DeWayne Wickham: States ask too much for voter ID

Smart bombs

Dan Lips: Local control is education's best hope

Letters

Our view: Holiday from reason

Guest opinion: STA lacks accountability

Thomas Sowell: Obama offers change for worse

Susan Estrich: Village let these children down

Guest opinion: Existing revenues should cover upgrades

Letters

Our View: Truth from VA key step toward suicide prevention

Wayne Williams: Buses help business

Trudy Rubin: Carter talks yield little progress

Jill Labbe: Protocol calls for hands on hearts

Guest opinion: Emergency systems upgrade can't wait

Letters

Our view: A sensible decision

Kathleen Parker: The wrongs of Rev. Wright

Outside view: Voting law discriminates

Froma Harrop: Smoking gamblers deserve break

Guest opinion: License proposal taps river's beauty, power

Letters

Dannel Malloy, Robert Duffy, Mark Mallory: Earmarks hit home

Leonard Pitts Jr.: We should be America's team

Elizabeth Sullivan: Spin campaign hurts military, U.S.

Our view: Face the music

Rachel Dissell: Violence prevention a public health issue

Letters

Our view: They never learn

David Reinhard: Don't write off Obama

Joel Stein: Blogs trafficking in trivialities

In their words

Our View: Caring adults a positive force for struggling families

Our view: VA problems run deeper than the leadership

Leonard Pitts Jr.: James Lawson is out of step with modern Christianity

David S. Broder: Republicans need fresh message

Ben Lieberman: Energy future hinges on natural gas

Letters

Our view: Respect the river

Robert Scheer: Hillary keeps sinking lower

Barbara Shelley: From Missouri, a global perspective

Smart bombs

Joel Brinkley: U.N. flounders again on human rights

Letters

Our view: The duh defense

Froma Harrop: The wake-up call of death

Kathleen Parker: Parsing the white male voter

Elizabeth Sullivan: Still life at Guantanamo Bay

Kevin O'Brien: Cult reveals that tolerance has its limits

Letters

Outside view: Chasing a dream

Our view: Vaccinations work

David S. Broder: Democratic race still a mess

Rekha Basu: Spending priorities need revision

Guest opinion: Free-flowing falls are best fit for city

Letters

Our View: Civic jobs should pay more

Trudy Rubin: We need a strategy, not a fight

Sebastian Malloy: Smart fixes in the works for homeowners

Mary Alice Haddad: Election is just start of change

Guest Opinion: Don't forget cops' constitutional rights

Letters

Our view: Water-use revolution

Leonard Pitts Jr.: A black embarrassment

Richard Read: Peace still his maxim

Harold Meyerson: Victory more elusive as war evolves

Guest opinion: Abolish sex-offense statutes of limitation

Letters

Our view: Secession digression

Cal Thomas: Politics no place for God talk

David Sarasohn: Food riots serve as a warning

In their words

Our View: On the right path

Our View: Wrong timing

Kathleen Parker: Pope's adamance comforting

Rebecca Nappi: If you want to help, lend an ear

Guest opinion: Powerless oversight is worse than none

Letters

Our view: Well-deserved fine

Our view: Fuelish behavior

Robert Scheer: McCain support is baffling

John C. Bersia: Candidates should address slavery

Smart bombs

William McKenzie: Bush should hold out for fresher farm bill

Letters

Our view: Judging the courts

Trudy Rubin: Obama on right track on Iran

Froma Harrop: McCain schizophrenic on economy

Dick Polman: Clinton's words laughable

Letters

Our view: Math problem

David S. Broder: Before primary, few are sure

Jonah Goldberg: Obama revives the '80s

Leonard Pitts Jr.: The ugly pursuit of easy fame

Lynn Swanbom: April snow warms up letters debate

Letters