Connie Schultz
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Articles by Connie Schultz
And Now You Are Twelve, Franklin
Our dog Franklin is telling us that fall is coming. Every August around this time, the flooring of our home begins to resemble a field full of hay bales as he sheds clumps of his long, thick hair wherever he goes. I understand the impulse to correct me by saying dogs have fur, not hair, but years ago a groomer explained that Franklin, our mixed breed rescue, has both. Fur to keep him warm or cool, depending on the season, topped with a layer of hair that flutters like feathers in the breeze.
Two Dogs and a Skunk Walk Into a Yard
It was 3:39 a.m. Our 12-year-old dog, Franklin, had just awakened me from a sound sleep to go outside, three hours and 28 minutes before sunrise. This is the sort of detail you want to recall for your husband with the precision of the first officer at the scene. You’ll see why. Sherrod was in Washington doing his job. I don’t hold this against him. I just want us to be clear about who had to get up at 3:39 in the morning to take out our beloved elderly dog, and who did not. Franklin had to go potty.
Good prevails when good people refuse to be silent. When we represent, my mom would say. Original
One of my mother’s greatest joys was to be complimented on the manners of her children. She awarded bonus points to anyone who mentioned our clean and pressed clothes. My father saw it differently. We were a working-class family, and when it came to compliments from strangers, he was always looking for clues of motivation. If the praise came from one of our own, he would nod with pride.
Good prevails when good people refuse to be silent. When we represent, my mom would say.
One of my mother’s greatest joys was to be complimented on the manners of her children. She awarded bonus points to anyone who mentioned our clean and pressed clothes. My father saw it differently. We were a working-class family, and when it came to compliments from strangers, he was always looking for clues of motivation. If the praise came from one of our own, he would nod with pride.
You have the power to Defeat the Deception - Kent Wired
Dispatchist News from around the globe in real time Client login News Sources Countries People Categories Organizations Did you see CNN lightened the skin tone of the Memphis police officers who killed Tyre Nichols? Did you hear on the news earth is actually cooling, not heating up? Well you shouldn’t have because these headlines are fake. In a world with a 24-hour news cycle and information overload plaguing people’s minds, it can...
Connie Schultz | USA TODAY
Connie Schultz is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and author of the New York Times bestselling novel, The Daughters of Erietown. She is also a professional in residence in the journalism school of her alma mater, Kent State University.
How do you want to be treated? Start there, please.
New York magazine has published a guide to best practices, and I am here for it. Not because I agree with all 140 rules but because I’m just glad for the conversation. We need a refresher course on how to behave with one another. Reading some of the tips, I realize my worldview is occasionally outdated, and oddly enough, I’m fine with this. Insisting it’s OK to text during meetings, for example, strikes me as odd, but that may be because I’ve been sitting through too many meetings.
Thanks for nothing, Punxsutawney Phil. I take that back. I'm grateful, even for winter.
Within seconds, Phil reportedly spotted his shadow, just as 106 of his predecessors, all of them named Phil, have done over the course of this 137-year tradition. Can’t help but wonder if Phyllis might be a little braver. Anyway, we are in for six more weeks of winter. By “we,” I want to emphasize that we are not talking about those of you living where the palm trees sway. I am referring to people held hostage by the cold, gray days of snowy elsewhere.
Thanks for nothing, Punxsutawney Phil. I take that back. I'm grateful, even for winter. Original
Thanks for nothing, Punxsutawney Phil. I take that back. I'm grateful, even for winter. I don't know how many winters I have left. I hope for many, and so it seems only right that I try to find at least one reason to be glad each day is here. At 7:25 a.m. on the blustery first Thursday of February, groundhog Phil (no last name provided) waddled out at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to the cheers of thousands of humans who were frigid with anticipation of his winter forecast.
The adults in charge failed. And a teacher was shot. By a 6-year-old child. Original
He is a 6-year-old child. That boy who shot his teacher this month in front of his first-grade classmates at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia? He is 6 years old. Do you remember when you were 6? Or maybe you recall loving a child who was that age. Maybe this is you now. You’re a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, a friend or neighbor – a teacher – who loves a 6-year-old child so much that you are willing to do anything to protect them from harm and to prepare them for the world.
What if our reaction to Prince Harry and his book is more about us than him?
He is everywhere right now, and it’s so very American to feel we must have an opinion about that because we have opinions about everything. On Tuesday morning, I sat next to my husband at breakfast as he bemoaned all the coverage of Prince Harry’s new book, "Spare." “I will never understand people’s fascination with celebrities,” he said. “Really,” I said. “Rocky Colavito. Sam McDowell. Leon Wagner.” I live for that grin of surrender on his face.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern leaves legacy even in how she's leaving Original
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has had enough and is willing to say so. “I know what this job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice,” she said Thursday. “It is that simple.” And so, 5½ years into her tenure, she is stepping down in February, eight months before New Zealand’s next election.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern leaves legacy even in how she's leaving
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What if our reaction to Prince Harry and his book is more about us than him?
Kate Middleton’s Reported Reaction to Prince Harry’s Accusations Proves the Royal Family Is Feeling the Sting of His Memoir If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission. The royal family may be keeping a stiff upper lip in public after Prince Harry’s recent round of interviews for his memoir, Spare, but behind the palace walls, they are reportedly reacting to his claims.
What if our reaction to Prince Harry and his book is more about us than him? Original
On Tuesday morning, I sat next to my husband at breakfast as he bemoaned all the coverage of Prince Harry’s new book, "Spare." “I will never understand people’s fascination with celebrities,” he said. “Really,” I said. “Rocky Colavito. Sam McDowell. Leon Wagner.” I live for that grin of surrender on his face. I had just named three of his childhood heroes of Cleveland baseball. We all have our obsessions with high-profile humans. They make us feel things.
Two years after Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Republicans are divided as ever Original
Two years ago this week, a violent mob of thousands attacked our nation’s Capitol. Egged on by Donald Trump in his pathetic attempt to cling to a presidency he had lost, they barreled through barricades and shattered windows to invade the halls of Congress. Roughly 140 police officers were injured on Jan. 6, 2021; five have since died. More than 150 officers have left the Capitol police force since that day.
So, this is Christmas: Embrace the joy and beauty of the season, even when it's hard Original
So, this is Christmas. Russia’s War on Ukraine just passed the 300-day mark. The House of Representatives' Jan. 6 committee made history with its unanimous vote urging the Justice Department to consider criminal charges against former President Donald Trump and his allies. Nearly 34 million Americans, including 9 million children, . This week, for starters. I do this to myself every Christmas season. I have my reasons: My job as a columnist, which requires regularly tracking the news.
So, this is Christmas: Embrace the joy and beauty of the season, even when it's hard
We are called to acknowledge the suffering all around us and do what we can to help. How do I reconcile that with immersing myself in the material celebrations? So, this is Christmas. Russia’s War on Ukraine just passed the 300-day mark. The House of Representatives' Jan. 6 committee made history with its unanimous vote urging the Justice Department to consider criminal charges against former President Donald Trump and his allies. Nearly 34 million Americans, including 9 million children, .
How the Guardians, and SpongeBob, finally made me fall in love with Cleveland baseball Original
How the Guardians, and SpongeBob, finally made me fall in love with Cleveland baseball I was in the stands to watch the Cleveland Guardians pull ahead of the Yankees, briefly, in Game 3 of the American League Division Series. I've never experienced anything like it. Connie Schultz From the minute Sherrod, my husband, had an email address, every version of it has begun with “damnyankees.” The first time I saw it, I thought that meant he hated northerners. He asked me out anyway.
John Fetterman's accommodation request revealed the bias we still have against disabled people
John Fetterman's accommodation request revealed the bias we still have against disabled people In his willingness to be public about his recovery, Fetterman proves he can do the job. He forces us to examine our own beliefs and biases about people with disabilities.
I thought I ruined an LGBTQ wedding anniversary but instead was reminded that 'love is love'
I thought I ruined an LGBTQ wedding anniversary but instead was reminded that 'love is love' After all these years together, my friends – two of the kindest and most gentle people I know – still worry for their safety. Connie Schultz For a moment, I thought I might have ruined dinner with my friends. Jackie, Kate and I had just sat down when our middle-age server arrived to introduce herself as Kris and handed out menus. I started to tell her that I was to receive the bill, but Kate butted in.
Americans want stricter gun safety measures. Gen Z will help us get there.
This is why I usually have little interest in reading yet another survey or poll about what we think about gun violence in our country. What are we doing about it? The numbers fluctuate percentage-wise, but we already know that most Americans want stricter gun safety measures. We also know that, despite the growing number of mass shootings, most elected Republicans in Congress and state legislatures don’t care how much we want to protect ourselves, our families and our communities.
Americans want stricter gun safety measures. Gen Z will help us get there. Original
Americans want stricter gun safety measures. Gen Z will help us get there. According to a new survey, when asked to list their biggest concerns for our country, gun violence comes before climate change and abortion rights for those ages 13 to 25. Connie Schultz This is why I usually have little interest in reading yet another survey or poll about what we think about gun violence in our country. What are we doing about it?
Knowing when it's time to say goodbye, not because I don't love – but because I do Original
Knowing when it's time to say goodbye, not because I don't love – but because I do There is something unbearably sad about a silent piano. It was time to let a new family find music and joy in ours. Connie Schultz In 1998, four years into my life as a single mother, I bought a used upright piano for my daughter. It’s the closest I’ve ever come to feeling like I could fly. For two years, from age 9, Cait had talked about wanting to learn how to play the piano.
COVID-19 is still deadly real. Why do we allow disinformation to persist?
For a few minutes, we were just two drugstore customers sitting next to each other, making small talk. She was waiting for her doctor’s office to confirm a prescription. I was waiting for two scheduled vaccinations: one for the flu and the other an updated COVID-19 booster, which recently became available for free and can offer powerful protection against serious illness. Before she knew why I was there, we talked about the great staff at this pharmacy.
COVID-19 is still deadly real. Why do we allow disinformation to persist? Original
For a few minutes, we were just two drugstore customers sitting next to each other, making small talk. She was waiting for her doctor’s office to confirm a prescription. I was waiting for two scheduled vaccinations: one for the flu and the other an updated COVID-19 booster, which recently became available for free and can offer powerful protection against serious illness.
I was not raised to admire the queen, but Queen Elizabeth inspired me nonetheless.
I was not raised to admire the queen, but Queen Elizabeth inspired me nonetheless. Connie Schultz When I started writing this column, I was in what my mother, a hospice home care worker, used to call the waiting time, when the news looks grim, but hope has yet to make its exit. Queen Elizabeth’s family was gathering at Balmoral Castle, her summer home in Scotland, where doctors were “concerned for Her Majesty’s health.” In Britain, this is gravest of language when it comes to news about the queen.
Dropping a kid at college? Seek out the home-away-from-home mom and bond before you go.
Dropping a kid at college? Seek out the home-away-from-home mom and bond before you go. 'This is go time': Your college kids are ready to fly. Let them. Connie Schultz It’s a scene playing out on college campuses across the country right now. This one started with a fatherly lecture, in a campus coffee shop in Richmond, Virginia. A dad and his son were placing their orders at Margaret Doyle’s Espresso A-Go-Go during the recent move-in weekend for freshmen at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Biden loan forgiveness, Trump Mar-a-Lago search, US Open ... but let's talk zucchini
Holy cannoli, there’s so much going on in the world. President Joe Biden announced his student loan forgiveness plan, which is being celebrated by everyone except for the people who hate it. The Feds served a search warrant at Donald Trump’s Florida home for government documents and he keeps changing his mind as to why he’s mad about it.
'I’m going to put a box around work': That’s a country song waiting to happen
(I’m going to pivot to “we” and “our” here, to be inclusive, sure, but mostly to make clear I am not a boss, nor have I ever aspired to be a boss. Not that there’s anything wrong with being a boss. Sometimes.) Regardless of our commitment to jobs and careers, it turns out we want hours – heck, entire days – not just minutes disconnected from employers who keep demanding more for less.
'I’m going to put a box around work': That’s a country song waiting to happen
'I’m going to put a box around work': That’s a country song waiting to happen Whether people go to work in-person or at home, don't dismiss them as working in jobs, not careers. One size does not fit all workers. Many bosses in the United States are finally discovering that their employees want lives outside of work. In addition to work, is perhaps a better way to put it. Minus their overlords, to be crystal clear.
College goodbyes loom. Be sad but also be grateful for the moments past and future.
College goodbyes loom. Be sad but also be grateful for the moments past and future. Never was I at more of a loss than when the most important role of my life was redefined. Other parents’ lives helped me find perspective, fast. Connie Schultz Well, here we are. It’s August, and I know from reader mail and posts on social media that a lot of parents are bracing to send off their first or last child to college.
A birthday wish for us all: Laugh, sing and live large regardless of the years
Six years ago, I laughed out loud at a friend’s joke. I have no memory of what she said, but I do recall a woman I barely knew pulling me aside to warn me about the hazards of such a big smile. “After a certain age, a woman’s eyes turn into squints when she smiles,” she said in her best ghost story voice. “It makes our face look fat.” I was 59. God, I laughed. I’ve always had a full face. Think Charlie Brown’s sister, Sally, but brunette.
A birthday wish for us all: Laugh, sing and live large regardless of the years
A birthday wish for us all: Laugh, sing and live large regardless of the years I have nothing against those who welcome retirement. But me? I still have too many things left to say. Connie Schultz Six years ago, I laughed out loud at a friend’s joke. I have no memory of what she said, but I do recall a woman I barely knew pulling me aside to warn me about the hazards of such a big smile. “After a certain age, a woman’s eyes turn into squints when she smiles,” she said in her best ghost story voice.
Samaria Rice wants us to remember her son Tamir. I've watched her fight to make sure we do. Original
Samaria Rice wants us to remember her son Tamir. I've watched her fight to make sure we do. Her dream of a butterfly memorial for her son, a paved, quiet place with pollinating flowers and a plaque engraved with the face of her son, had finally come true. What a hard-earned moment of joy. Connie Schultz Samaria Rice floated among the outdoor crowd, the hem of her light, gauzy dress billowing in the breeze like wings.
Here's what happens to a victimized child when the singular focus is on saving babies
Hello from Ohio, where the same Republicans who insist that every pregnancy must result in the birth of a child tried to pretend a 10-year-old child who was raped did not exist. In her time of greatest need – she was pregnant and needed an abortion – they were nowhere to be found. How easy it must be to abandon children you refuse to see.
The definition of true patriotism: We continue the work to make America better
The definition of true patriotism: We continue the work to make America better A framed photo taken at the Lincoln Memorial on the night Barack Obama was elected president hangs in my home office. In it, I see another story of America. Connie Schultz On July 3, around 2 p.m., my friend Matt Mendelsohn shared a holiday post on Facebook: “Don’t concede the Fourth to the folks trying to destroy the nation. It’s our country.
Cassidy Hutchinson may be no hero, but Jan. 6 witness still shows more guts than all the president's men
Cassidy Hutchinson may be no hero, but Jan. 6 witness still shows more guts than all the president's men This young woman was seemingly viewed as harmless, if not invisible, by most of the powerful men around her. At their peril. Connie Schultz Most of us cannot know what it took for Cassidy Hutchinson to sit before the House Jan. 6 committee and become our country’s premier chronicler of the traitorous intentions of President Donald Trump.
Counting fireflies, waiting to see if Roe v. Wade ruling will darken my granddaughters' future Original
Counting fireflies, waiting to see if Roe v. Wade ruling will darken my granddaughters' future We thought our girls would come of age in a better world than the one that, at every turn, had tried to extinguish the dreams of their mothers. Connie Schultz The first firefly of the season greeted me last week at dusk, as I watered the hydrangeas sagging from the heat. It lingered for a moment, flashing here and there, impossible to ignore.
'There’s a diaper need, and I don’t know what to do': A family in need is often just one job loss away
'You need to tell that story, that one in 1 in 3 families cannot afford to keep their babies clean and dry.' A decade ago, Cathy Battle’s husband, the Rev. Philip Battle, came home after his meeting with mothers and grandmothers at New Light Baptist Church in Pittsburgh. All these years later, Cathy can still recount word for word their conversation. Life-changing moments tend to be like that. The pastor had asked women a simple question: What could be done for you that no one else is doing?
How Can a Safari Go Wrong? Let’s Count the Ways.
THE LIONESS, By Chris Bohjalian The film star Katie Barstow thinks she is doing a wonderful thing. She wants to celebrate her honeymoon not just with her new husband, the struggling art gallery owner David Hill, but with a herd of their Hollywood friends. Their party of nine includes her brother and his wife, another actress and an actor, plus her publicist and agent.
Russia invades Ukraine, Black Lives Matter, Trayvon Martin's mother speaks up: ICYMI
It's Saturday and we all know what that means. It's time to turn our newsletter over to the top premium columns we posted this week. These are columns our subscribers loved or that people subscribed specifically to read. Not a subscriber? Do not worry. You can join the cool kid's table by subscribing today to take advantage of our new sale. Already a subscriber? You are the best and may proceed. — USA TODAY Opinion editors 1.
Ohio nurse on COVID-19 patients: 'I can tell you on a hand or two how many lived.'
Two years ago, at age 52, nurse Amy Rosenberg had her first panic attack. She works full time on a COVID-19 unit but this day, she was sitting behind the wheel in a car wash and she felt trapped. “That’s when I realized I now have claustrophobia,” she said. “Because of what I do to people. You get intubated, you get strapped, you get flipped.
Opinion: What a return to 1950s would really mean
In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the Sputnik satellite, Elvis Presley bought Graceland and the Wham-O toy company started selling the Frisbee. In July of that same year, I was born. I’m little hurt this never shows up on those internet timelines of the 1950s, but I’m a woman in America. I’m used to being overlooked.
Memories of Cokie: Tenacious, talented, empathetic, inspiring
"Cokie: A Life Well Lived" by Steven V. Roberts (Harper, $27.99) Soon after my husband, Sherrod Brown, won his 2006 race for the U.S. Senate, many of my fellow journalists — all of them men — wondered out loud if I should keep my job as a newspaper columnist. Why wouldn't I? My opinions were still my own. Sherrod was a congressman when I married him in 2004.
Memories of Cokie Roberts: Tenacious, talented, empathetic and inspiring
Cokie Roberts, right, with Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August 1996. (Photo by Rebecca Roth/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images) Soon after my husband, Sherrod Brown, won his 2006 race for the U.S. Senate, many of my fellow journalists, all of them men, wondered out loud if I should keep my job as a newspaper columnist. Why wouldn't I? My opinions were still my own. Sherrod was a congressman when I married him in 2004.
'He's dying': A teen called 911 for her dad with COVID-19 and watched her life turn upside down Original
Mallory Dunlap thought her father was getting better. Earlier in the week, on a Tuesday in November, he started feeling sick. Her mother, Julie Wallace, was wearing a face of constant concern, so Mallory, 17, was worried, too, although she tried to hide it from her little sister, Camille. Suddenly, everyone in the house was wearing masks, and the girls were told to stay away from their father, who was quarantined upstairs. By Saturday, Mallory sensed that her mother was feeling a bit relieved.
'Devastation is unreal': What life is like when a loved one dies of COVID and some still doubt
Julie Wallace and her daughter Mallory Dunlap are taking medication for anxiety and depression, and they don’t care who knows. Their grief is a testimony to Lewis Dunlap, to their love for him. It also telegraphs to the world what happens to a family when you lose someone to COVID-19. Julie has encouraged their other daughter, 10-year-old Camille, to write down some stories about her father. “So you won’t forget him,” Julie said. Camille has steadfastly refused.
When Texas lawmakers that tell you they hate women, believe them. I do. And then I fight back.
Well, here we are in Texas, except not really, because look what’s happening to women there. My sisters, when they tell you they hate you, believe them. On Tuesday, after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a voter suppression bill into law, a reporter asked him about his other new draconian law that bans abortions for women beyond the sixth week of pregnancy, with no exceptions. “Why force a rape or incest victim to carry a pregnancy to term?” the reporter asked.
Abortion, Afghanistan, COVID-19, the opioid epidemic and climate change: Top opinion reads
In today's fast-paced news environment, it can be hard to keep up. For your weekend reading, we've started in-case-you-missed-it compilations of some of the week's top USA TODAY Opinion pieces. As always, thanks for reading, and for your feedback. — USA TODAY Opinion editors 1.
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