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As if you didn't have anything else to worry about, The Washington Post has a timely warning for the anxiety-prone (and who isn't these days?): Anti-Anxiety Drugs Raise New Fears.

"Benzodiazepines, often prescribed to manage anxiety, panic and sleep disorders, include Xanax, Ativan, Valium and Klonopin. Originally pushed as an alternative to barbiturates, their use has grown rapidly in the past 30 years. But critics say their long-term effects have gone largely unaddressed. Health professionals and consumers are increasingly recognizing that taking the drugs for more than a few weeks can lead to physical dependence, often ending with a grueling withdrawal.

"The benefits of the drugs have been heralded by both physicians and patients. On Askapatient.com, a Web site where consumers can rate medicines, one person wrote in April that Xanax was the "best thing that ever happened to me." Another wrote in March, "This drug saved my life."

As the adage goes: Moderation in all things ...

Well, it should be all over except the shouting, or the whimpering from Republicans.

The Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously declared Al Franken the winner in last November's Senate race and said he was entitled to the certificate of election that will allow him to be sworn in as Senator.

Monday's Supreme Court reversal of an appeals court decision joined by Judge Sonia Sotomayor will make thin gruel if conservative Republicans hope to dish it up to argue against Senate approval of President Obama's high court nominee. In fact, in an editorial to run later in the week, we'll argue that another of Monday's court actions makes it imperative that the Senate act quickly on her confirmation. Along with carving out new law in ruling for white firefighters ina job discrimination lawsuit against New Haven, Conn., the high court signaled that it is set to reverse longstanding precedents limiting corporate campaign spending in the weeks leading up to an election. The court is to hear a second round of arguments on Sept. 9. It should be at full strength by then.

Today marks a very important milestone in Iraq: U.S. troops officially withdrew from the nation's city and towns, clustering on forward operating bases where they'll be available if called upon. Day-to-day security now rests with the Iraqi military and police force.

It's a huge step forward for Iraqis who want to take charge of their own destiny. But it's also a dangerous time, both for Iraqis and U.S. troops, as the withdrawal may embolden insurgents, who have been ratcheting up violence in recent weeks.

We'll discuss all this in an editorial we're working on for tomorrow.

Members of the General Assembly on Monday grilled the state's information technology chiefs, and things are even worse that people thought. Data breaches, secret meetings, missed deadlines, poor inventory management and weak service all came out during hte hearings.

We're writing an editorial for later in the week in which we will urge lawmakers not to let up. Something stinks with this deal, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources demands that it be fixed.

Testing the tests

Third-graders still will take a history SOL test; the state will examine full testing burden.

Texting crosses the legal line

A new law against texting while driving shouldn't be needed, but it is.

Waking from our collective dream

Gregg Lewis
Lewis, of Salem, is an architect, father and executive MBA candidate at Wake Forest University.

An article in the June 4 issue of "The Economist" titled "Detroitosauras Wrecks" describes in economic and political terms the tendency to protect the status quo. This tendency is most clearly exemplified with the failure of GM as it spent millions of dollars lobbying Congress to maintain laughable fuel standards for decades -- dollars that would have been better spent on innovation and pursuing the next generation of solutions. Why do we hold on to what we have with such a delusional sense of what it means for the future? If nature's rules reserve the most ferocious animal reactions to threats to the young of any given species, why have we failed so miserably to ferociously protect our children's future on this planet? Why have we decided that our principal obligation to our young is to fill their closets, bedrooms and playrooms with the latest games and gadgets?
Read more.

Letter writers discuss the need to oust incumbents, the Korean War, traffic problems and more in Tuesday's letters to the editor.

Are these times contagious?
I've never been this bored before
Is this the prize I've waited for?

What are you waiting for today?