Deborah Simmons

Los Angeles: ‘Capital of Latin America’

Every city that puts in a bid to hold the Olympics tries to put itself in the best possible light. Los Angeles has outdone itself. Published September 15, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: Homeless in D.C. and the livin’ ain’t easy

The D.C. homeless problem is once again out of control -- at least that's what the government, experts and poverty pimps tell us. Published September 14, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: Who’s who at Freddie Gray trial

There are several key players in the case of six Baltimore Police officers charged in the death of Freddie Carlos Gray Jr., who was arrested on April 12 and declared dead of a spinal injury on April 19. Published September 10, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: Democrats offer no answers to inner cities

Davon Wade was only 22 years old. Tall, tan and cute as a button, he was minding his own business in his own neighborhood on Friday night, when he was gunned down. Two friends of his were shot, too. Published September 7, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: Synthetic drugs in D.C.: Public safety and public health on collision course

The facts: "The DC Prevention Center reports that K2/Spice or fake weed use among youth has increased significantly since 2008. The average age of a fake weed user in DC is 13 years old." Published September 3, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: Bed bugs biting seniors out of affordable house, home

What is being done for seniors who live in affordable but unhealthy housing? The question was brought to me by family and friends of residents in Fort Lincoln, the "New Town" community in Northeast that was conceived during 1960s when Lyndon Johnson was president and is now home to more senior citizens than another other D.C. community. Published August 27, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: Foreign-language learning void in U.S. schools

America's education policies have been stuck on stupid for decades. Published August 24, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: D.C. officials blasted at Baptist church forum

'The devil is on the loose, and we need to lock it back up." Those words fittingly summed up the cultural earthquake that is rocking the nation's capital, where Official D.C. can't seem to acknowledge the city's problem -- let alone get a handle on it. Published August 20, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: Donald Trump, D.C. in the tourism lap of luxury

Donald Trump is planting his footprint firmly in the nation's capital. Published August 17, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: Facts you need to know about ‘school’ spending

I couldn't believe my eyes when I read that the ninth annual Huntington Bank Backpack Index, which said that parents with three kids in elementary school can expect to spend $1,947 on supplies and extracurricular activities come the new school year. Published August 13, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: Metro rail, bus passengers get what they pay for

Whew! Last week proved to be a midsummer's nightmare for the D.C. region's chief mass transit agency and daily commuters who use it. While the colorful maze of current and future rail routes gives the appearance of thoughtful deliberations, the reaction to rail mishaps, including derailments and power outrages, means something is terribly wrong. Published August 10, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: Wake up, don’t ring bell for later school start times

The feds are at it again, donning their nanny uniforms. They do it far too often, telling us what to eat, which light bulbs to use and, for all practical purposes, outlawing top-loading washing machines. Published August 6, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: Back to school for military kids is not always an easy time

Back to school. For teachers, those three words can bring shouts of hip-hip-hooray, because it means continued employment. For students and parents, those words can bring dread and anxiety -- especially so if the students and the parents are military families. Published August 3, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: Parents trigger school reform; Congress plays footsie

Don't expect a massive education bill to reach President Obama's desk anytime soon. Published July 23, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: Quiet the D.C. noisemakers, not the noise

Know anyone who moved near a hospital and then began complaining about sirens blaring night and day? Published July 20, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: Synthetic drug chemists outsmart courts and cops

Oops! Maybe the kids were paying attention in chemistry class. Published July 16, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: Baltimore’s heroin problem and problematic rhetoric

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake on Monday unveiled a strategy to combat heroin overdoses, a problem that isn't confined to Charm City or the state of Maryland. Published July 13, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: Hullabaloo over Donald Trump isn’t PC

The mini-Cain-raiser stems from the fact that The Donald, a non-Hispanic, spoke his truth about the Mexican government, border crossers, illegal immigration and how America has become as soft as a worn-out La-Z-Boy. The PC crowds want to publicly crucify Mr. Trump, nail him to a stake in Freedom Plaza for all to see. Published July 9, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: Please, Obama, Pelosi, others: Stop blaming Republicans and guns

A man identified as Francisco Sanchez isn't a suspect in the spate of killings and violence that checkered the country over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Published July 6, 2015

DEBORAH SIMMONS: Celebrate America’s independence on July Fourth, every other day

Liberty has an utterly profound definition, and the revolutionary winds shaking the very foundation of this nation prove it needs our full time and attention. Published July 2, 2015