The problem isn’t just the policies themselves, which are a mixed bag. It’s the messaging. It’s the air of apology when he does something real to stop illegal border crossing. He seems afraid to displease some progressives in his party who think anyone poor should get in.

After months of ignoring the problem and demonstrably false claims by his Homeland Security secretary that the southern border is “secure,” President Biden finally visited the area this week as part of a trip to Mexico.

Keep an eye on your mailbox, where you can expect to see an upbeat letter from Gov. Mills arrive with your check, but no talk of real change. Mainers can count on more of the same, which means your costs will continue to increase while your elected representatives pat themselves on the back for sending you a $450 check.

Looking back to early American veterans’ demands for access to federal services reveals how individuals who served their country have consistently advocated for themselves and their comrades. Further, when those in power listen and respond, the result can be creative solutions that not only benefit veterans but Americans more broadly.

A work in progress: the destruction of the House of Representatives as a serious, credible, legislative body — unraveling in the context of this week’s embarrassing attempt by House Republicans to elect a new speaker.

The fact is that an anti-authority spirit pervades a portion of the party, and the authority it opposes is that of its own side.

How do we get them back? By starting in the schools with real ideas and concepts being taught by non-woke teachers, or in private schools, or the growing home school movement. Have students read the classics, the Constitution and Federalist Papers, instead of books promoting various cultural fads and political agendas.

Communist China threatens the world. That said, America’s own structural debt is the biggest self-inflicted threat the U.S. faces.