Saturday, March 14, 2026

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

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Viewpoints

I WITNESS: Other duties as assigned

In short, the woman who cannot decide whether she is GI Jane, Calamity Jane, or Amelia Earhart is a despicable freak whose removal was both justified and overdue.

A friendly reminder from your neighborhood surgeon

Colon cancer screening may not be exciting, but it can detect and prevent cancer before symptoms ever appear.

Where are the unifiers?

Historically, the leaders most admired are those who unified deeply divided societies. Today, however, division has become a tool of mobilization.

BRIGHT SPOTS: Week of March 11, 2026

Standing up for the law, the Constitution, and accountability!

The Suburban Imperative:  A Democratic strategy for the 2026 midterms grounded in the K-shaped economy’s electoral geography

This article translates the empirical findings of a companion white paper into an integrated campaign strategy and governing agenda for Democratic candidates, campaign organizations, and allied groups operating in this environment.

Why should second-home owners in Great Barrington subsidize well-off full-time residents?

Even if they won't be receiving a reduction, primary residents of means would still benefit from a system that levies higher taxes on second-home owners but not on them.

PETER MOST: Avoiding the fiscal death spiral

What follows are some ideas raised around the table at Rubi’s, other ideas that deserve consideration, and at least one wisely rejected.

I WITNESS: Of surgical lethality and window dressings

There is nothing "surgical" about the operation, nothing "surgical" about chaos, destruction, and death. In medical terms, if the patient doesn't survive the surgery, it was not quite surgical enough.

Bard College President Botstein’s continued leadership is no longer tenable

When someone has held power for nearly half a century, it can become easy to confuse longevity with legitimacy, or position with immunity. But tenure is not a substitute for trust.

Why’d he do it? A chronological rundown of the Trump administration’s explanation for its attacks on Iran

"We heard this attack was defensive in nature," said Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York. "Then Rubio said it was preemptive. Which one is it? Regime change? Nuclear weapons? Missiles? An imminent threat to the homeland? Or a preemptive strike to stop future attacks on the region?"

To those who attended the Lee Greener Gateway Committee’s free Repair Fair, this is why we live in the Berkshires

In these troubled times, it was refreshing to bask awhile in this generous sharing of time, talent, and good will.

PETER MOST: The new Community Preservation Act

A new state designation under the Affordable Homes Act could give Great Barrington voluntary tools to preserve year-round housing for essential workers—but only if voters say yes at Annual Town Meeting.

An empty chair by Section 9 at Tanglewood

Although Lou’s Section 9 chair will be occupied by others in coming seasons, for us who loved him, we will always remember it as the seat of the “Mayor of Tanglewood.”

STEPHEN COHEN: Now that he has admitted he violated the Constitution, it is time to take back our country

Let’s make this easy: We have an admission from the defendant, the president of the United States, that he knowingly violated the Constitution and started a war without the constitutionally mandated approval. He has assumed the powers of a king gladly and knowingly.

The Olympics should be about more than chasing medals

Making your national team should be what it is about—while winning a medal of any color is just icing on the cake.

The digital erosion of childhood

When children spend their formative years staring at glass screens instead of human faces, they miss out on the critical development of mirror neurons, which are responsible for empathy.

I WITNESS: Fate of the union

One could sense the nationwide surge of gratitude as we learned that President Lies-a-Lot had fixed, in record time, everything that had plagued us in the past.