Opinion

The Indianapolis (Ind.) Star, on the Aliahna Lemmon murder (Dec. 28) — Aliahna Lemmon was only 9 years old and it was only three days before Christmas when she was murdered in a series of acts so horrific that it strains the bounds of good taste to describe them in even general terms.

Police say a neighbor in a Fort Wayne mobile home park — entrusted to care for Aliahna and her younger sisters because their mother was sick — has confessed to beating to death the little girl and then dismembering her body.

Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader on free trade gains (Dec. 9) — A free-trade agreement signed by President Barack Obama in October and by his counterpart in South Korea late last month is already paying off in Kentucky.
Toyota has announced it will begin exporting Camrys made in Georgetown to South Korea in January.

The automaker initially plans to ship about 6,000 Camrys a year from Kentucky to South Korea.

The free trade agreement, which had been held up for years, came at an opportune time for Toyota. ...

The Burlington (Vt.) Free Press on medical marijuana (Dec. 2) — A formal federal recognition of marijuana as a prescription drug is the logical approach to the medical marijuana debate. The current state-by-state approach that challenges federal drug laws only invites confusion for doctors, patients, dispensaries and law enforcement agencies.