As the holiday season approaches and the year comes to a close, it is time to start making our shopping lists and deciding who has been naughty and who has been nice. For this week's "In Focus," various Northern Star columnists assess America's performance...

On Sept. 2, a fire broke out on an oil rig platform 13 miles from the coast of New Orleans. Of the 13 crew members aboard, 12 managed to escape unscathed, with one suffering minor injuries. The following day, a tense anxiety gripped the otherwise Big...