Opinion

Hard as it is to believe in this age of helicopter parents hovering protectively over their child’s every waking moment, there once was a time when youngsters enjoyed far more personal freedom than they experience today. Yet the story you’re about to read was extraordinary, even for that era of parental permissiveness.

Quick, what’s the name of Taylor Swift’s latest album? Too easy? Try this: What’s the name of her most popular album? If you were born after 1981, you probably got these right. “Tortured Poets Department” came out in mid-April; “1989” is the best seller.

As we recognize those who serve our nation during Military Appreciation Month (May), we must also focus on a longstanding issue demanding urgent action: the scourge of veteran homelessness. Amid the parades and tributes, including on Armed Forces Day, we must confront the reality that those who have served are disproportionately affected by homelessness.

As so many commencement addresses haven’t been delivered this year, I thought I would share what I would have said to graduates if I had been invited by a college or university to be a speaker. “The first thing to know is that you are graduating at a propitious time in human history — for example, think of how artificial intelligence is enabling medical breakthroughs.

CBS News recently ran a weeklong series titled “Anything for Love,” focusing on romance scams on dating sites and dating apps that turn users into victims of human trafficking. Laura Kowal, a 57-year-old widow in Galena, Illinois, was targeted on a dating site by a trafficker who coerced her into giving him money and laundering the funds of other victims for his benefit.

I wouldn’t know Taylor Swift if she sat beside me on an airplane, which is unlikely because she travels by private jet. If she were to take a commercial flight, she wouldn’t be sitting in the economy seats, which the airlines politely call coach.

Our cat, Felix, has a new home. We adopted Felix in Mexico while we were staying there.