Deborah Simmons

SIMMONS: Thanksgiving is about much more than gobble, gobble

There is more to Thanksgiving Day than gobble, gobble and football. Published November 27, 2013

SIMMONS: Effects of raising D.C.’s minimum wage are murky

Vincent C. Gray may not have said whether he will or will not run for a second term as mayor, but he certainly dipped his toes into the murky Democratic pool on Friday by proposing to raise the minimum wage. Published November 24, 2013

SIMMONS: What would Kennedy the aging statesman do?

Had the sturdy New England stock that coursed through the Irish bloodlines of John Fitzgerald Kennedy not been drained by an assassin's bullet, imagine what he would be thinking about world affairs. Published November 20, 2013

SIMMONS: Sex education reform — do it for Ryan White

With children being infected with the HIV virus because of ignorance and promiscuity, it's high time we re-educate ourselves and sit down with our young children and young adults to have "the talk" — about the birds, bees and abstinence. Published November 17, 2013

RAP building more beds for those living with HIV

Before the ground fully thaws from whatever wintry weather Mother Nature may be in the mood for, RAP Inc. will continue moving heaven and earth to help people diagnosed with HIV. Published November 15, 2013

SIMMONS: Paging Mayor Gray in search of a decision

Several of the people who have announced their candidacy for mayor of the District are more worthy of vooters' attention that others. But first, I'd like to shout out to our current mayor, Vincent C. Gray, who is being a bit coy about his decision to run for a second term. Published November 13, 2013

SIMMONS: Soldiers’ portraits finally find their way home

It's simply too easy to forget the women of the Greatest Generation who helped the men as we pay homage this Veterans Day. One group of such women was with the American Red Cross, and one such woman was named Elizabeth Black. Published November 10, 2013

SIMMONS: Ban Miami’s man-child from NFL

One of the players in the NFL's ongoing outside-the-lines bullying controversy was nicknamed Moose. Published November 6, 2013

SIMMONS: Concussion report stands as cautionary tale for parents

Two, sometimes three evenings a week, just down the block from my home, the sounds of intermittently blown whistles pierce the air, followed by either cheering or booing for the littlest of the little ones playing football. Published October 30, 2013

SIMMONS: Wind shifting on marijuana debate, but outcome still hazy

Find a corner, pull out a joint and fasten your seat belts. The battle of the potheads is on, and from the looks of things, it's going to be a bumpy coast-to-coast ride. Published October 27, 2013

SIMMONS: IRS earns scorn from tax credit debacle

Who is minding the IRS? That is the first and most logical question to ask after a front-page story in The Washington Times on Wednesday revealed that the Internal Revenue Service wasted more than $13 billion on bogus claims for the Earned Income Tax Credit over the past decade. Published October 23, 2013

SIMMONS: Free blacks kidnapped, sold into slavery in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol

By now you've probably read or heard the critically acclaiming reviews of "12 Years a Slave," the riveting, revealing and wrenching tell-it-like-it-was drama that opened nationwide this weekend. Published October 20, 2013

SIMMONS: Something is rotten in first lady’s garden now

First lady Michelle Obama's edible garden is turning into a weed garden, and that which isn't turning as brown as her thumb is being eaten by animals — of the four-legged nature. Published October 16, 2013

SIMMONS: Schools and children caught in D.C.’s political crossfire

Haste makes waste, you know. Lots of folks are mighty anxious to end the federal government shutdown, but apparently not those who usually speak on behalf of children. Published October 13, 2013

SIMMONS: Bias, prejudice and discrimination come in many forms

Sometimes, human conditions get the best of us. Take the LGBT movement's precondition propositions, the railings against Condoleezza Rice joining a traditional all-boys club or school budget policies that are tilted against level playing fields for children. Published October 9, 2013

SIMMONS: Trinity D.C. still empowering women for life

Chavonne is a full-time employee with a security firm, involved in the church and a single mother. She and Trinity Washington University are a perfect fit. Published October 6, 2013

SIMMONS: Education now global, schoolyard fight on tap

It's time to look again at how the United States stacks against other countries in education now that Education Secretary Arne Duncan blew it on Monday. Published October 2, 2013

SIMMONS: Shutdown looms, but I say, I say there, Mr. Mayor, y’all ain’t funny in D.C.

D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray is promoting cockiness instead of confidence as Americans become nervous Nellies over whether the White House and Congress will avert a government shutdown. Published September 29, 2013

SIMMONS: Some things to think about before a shutdown cometh

When you live and work in the nation's capital, you're often on automatic pilot when it comes to reading and learning about what's going on inside the Beltway. Elsewhere in America, real life carries on despite our D.C.-centric views. Published September 25, 2013

SIMMONS: Cantor turns up heat in debate for school choice

If you want to know where school choice stands today, the No. 2 leader in the U.S. House of Representations gave a pretty clear indication Monday by opening a new battlefront and throwing an obvious lifeline to Republicans, moderates and conservatives. Published September 23, 2013