For those with enough cash on hand, collectibles offered a more enduring, if less edible, hedge against inflation. Coins, stamps, baseball cards, antiquarian books, gemstones, antique furniture and presidential autographs all became popular hedges in the 1970s. Some also became the focus of speculative bubbles, though these invariably collapsed by the early 1980s.

A while ago, the respected Supreme Court watcher Tom Goldstein wrote that if “the measure of a Justice’s greatness is his contribution of new and thoughtful perspectives that enlarge the debate, then Justice Thomas is now our greatest Justice.”

This year the Legislature has the opportunity to expand school oral health services to all students across Maine. LD 1501, “An Act to Protect Oral Health for Children in Maine,” opens eligibility for the School Oral Health Program so that all schools can participate.

No one can give justice to the 4,743 men and women Congress failed. Any meaningful chance to do so long ago turned to dust. Yes, people of color still suffer racially motivated killings, and this bill (the Emmett Till Antilynching Act) provides a new tool to hold perpetrators accountable. That’s an undeniably good thing.

It is now up to Republicans. They should not just point out the obvious failures of the Biden presidency, but propose solutions that will reverse disastrous foreign and domestic policies. Maybe they could call it “walk forward better.”

Sometimes the chosen kin or friend’s kin has fine qualifications. But the sense that their inside track gives them advantages over others with equally fine qualifications leaves a bad taste. It’s also un-American.

If you ever need to call the helpline, please know that the advocate on the other end will believe you, support you and provide you with the best possible advocacy they can. We will also never make you report or do anything that you are not ready for. It is about you and what your needs are at that time.

All told, the Ukrainians’ collective bravery and the tactical actions of their fighting forces have exposed major tactical, operational and logistical deficiencies in Russia’s army and air force and — big deal — grievous strategic miscalculations by Vladimir Putin and his Kremlin cronies.

It says something about the shallowness of our national life that the specter of World War III couldn’t keep the Washington clown show out of our field of vision. Americans were again dragged from heroics to histrionics. Will we never be liberated from these humiliating split screens?

Joe Biden is engaged in the most extensive test of whether an American president can survive elevated levels of inflation since Jimmy Carter, and it’s not going well.