Doris O'Brien is a retired college Speech teacher and banker. She has published two books of humor (Up or Down With Women's Liberation and Humor Me a Little) and for many years contributed light verse to the Pepper 'n Salt column of the Wall Street Journal. She is an avid writer of letters to the editors.
Doris celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary in the same year she welcomed her first grandchild. She now lives in Pasadena with a great view of the San Gabriel mountains — and the annual Tournament of Roses Parade.
She can be reached by e-mail: witsendob at (@) gmail.com
Compare Proposals to Replace The Affordable Care Act: The Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 vs. The American Health Care Act, as passed by the House May 4, 2017
Editor's Note: We're including a paragraph from The New York Times' coverage of the new bill: "Older people could be disproportionately hurt because they pay more for insurance in general. Both chambers' bills would allow insurers to charge older people five times as much as younger ones; the limit now is three times." The Kaiser FamilyFoundation (not connected to Kaiser Permanente) has compared the two recent plans offered up by the Republican leadership. more »
Older Population and Diversity Still Growing, Census Bureau Reports: Residents age 65 and over grew from 35.0 million in 2000, to 49.2 million in 2016
New detailed estimates show the nation's median age rose from 35.3 years on April 1, 2000, to 37.9 years on July 1, 2016. "The baby-boom generation is largely responsible for this trend," said Peter Borsella, a demographer in the Population Division. more »
Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections: With illicit access, manipulation of voter data or disruptions to their availability may impact a voter’s ability to vote on Election Day
"Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections," captured our assessment of the Russian activity, identifying that “Russian intelligence obtained and maintained access to elements of multiple U.S. state or local electoral boards.” Additionally, "DHS assesse[d] that the types of systems Russian actors targeted or compromised were not involved in vote tallying." more »
From Pittsburgh and Paris, America Collects 18th Century French Painting
On view with works originally held by Joseph Bonaparte and the Marquise de Pompadour, are decorative canvases by François Boucher and Jean Honoré Fragonard, portraits by Jacques Louis David and Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, landscapes by Hubert Robert, and still lifes by Jean Siméon Chardin and Jean-Baptiste Oudry. more »
