You’ve heard the old joke about the stockbroker showing a friend all the luxuries he’s bought with the commissions paid by his customers — big house, big car, big yacht. And the friend asks, “But where are the customers’ yachts?”

This isn’t a surprise to anyone who knows — or is — a recent college graduate staggering under the weight of huge student loans.

The Supreme Court last week heard oral argument in a case challenging the constitutionality of a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.

Demography is destiny. Demography is the study of population and its characteristics, and is often used to highlight changes in the workforce and economy.

Economically, Maine peaked in the 1850s. We have never been as prosperous since that time. Today, yet another committee is working to — well, to put Mainers back to work.

Each morning at Sinan Road Kindergarten in Shanghai, a child stands in front of the class and tells a story. One morning, I watched as 4-year-old Ziyu told a 10-minute story about a group of animals frightened by a strange sound. When he finished, his teacher asked the class: “Shall we make him Storytelling King? Did he do a good job?”

“The worst-case scenario for us,” a leading anti-budget-cuts lobbyist told The Washington Post, “is the sequester hits and nothing bad really happens.”

What is the penalty if a jury finds a person guilty of a typical first-offense OUI in Maine? The offender pays a $500 fine and his or her driver’s license is suspended.