My old friend Clarinda signs her emails “Hugs, Cl,” which I think is a warm and friendly way of closing a letter to people we like — good friends, specific co-workers, special neighbors — people with whom we have a positive and informal relationship. Since imitation is said to be the sincerest form of flattery, I have taken to signing many of my emails the same way.

Nevertheless, shortly before Joe Biden announced his candidacy for president back in 2020, two women from the past came forward, claiming that Biden touched them — on their head, on their shoulder, “invading their personal space,” and they were angry! Other women came forward, explaining that Biden’s touching them, hugging them, was comforting and supportive.

On the PBS News Hour, New York Times columnist David Brooks, a Repu

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