Columnists

Yemen is the poorest country in the Arab world, bereft of resources, fractured by tribal divisions and religious sectarianism, and plagued by civil war. And yet this small country tucked into the bottom of the Arabian Peninsula is shattering old alliances and spurring new and surprising ones. As Saudi Arabia continues its air assault on Houthis insurgents, supporters and opponents of the Riyadh monarchy are reconfiguring the political landscape in a way that is unlikely to vanish once the fighting is over. -more-

On April 29th, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders announced he’ll compete with Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination. Although anything can happen between now and the late July 2016 Democratic convention, it appears that Sanders’ intent is not to win the nomination but to influence Clinton on critical domestic policy issues – to move Hillary to the left. -more-

--from The Daffodils. William Wordsworth (1909-14.)

A new study suggests social isolation may harm physical health, even hasten death. People who lived alone were found to have a 32% higher risk of an early death than those who lived with another person. (What is meant by early is not defined, however.)

Lisa Jaremka, University of Delaware in Newark assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences, agrees. People have a very basic and fundamental need to feel connected to and cared for by other people… lonely people are lacking in this area. They aren't fulfilling this basic need, and thus, negative things happen as a result. -more-

Persons with mental illness are likely to have more visits with a general practitioner compared to mainstream people. The medications we have to take cause complications to physical health. Zyprexa and a number of other medications cause extreme weight gain and diabetes. -more-