Vice President JD Vance faced sharp questioning at a White House briefing over whether individuals convicted in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol attack could ever receive taxpayer-funded compensation, prompting a tense exchange with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.The back-and-forth centered on Vance’s past comments that anyone who assaulted police officers during the Capitol riot … [Read more...] about JD Vance Pressed on Jan. 6 Compensation for Convicted Rioters During White House Briefing
San Diego mosque shooting reflects how online rhetoric, media depictions and political discourse contribute to increased Islamophobia
People comfort one another near the scene of a shooting outside the Islamic Center of San Diego on May 18, 2026, in San Diego. AP Photo/Gregory Bull Anisah Bagasra, Kennesaw State University Many Muslim Americans are fearful following a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego that left three worshipers dead. Investigators reportedly … [Read more...] about San Diego mosque shooting reflects how online rhetoric, media depictions and political discourse contribute to increased Islamophobia
5 reasons Stephen Colbert is one of the most important satirists in American history
Stephen Colbert tapes a segment for ‘The Late Show’ at Quicken Loans Arena ahead of the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images Sophia A. McClennen, Penn State Stephen Colbert’s final episode as host of “The Late Show” on May 21, 2026, won’t mark the end of his career. But as a scholar of … [Read more...] about 5 reasons Stephen Colbert is one of the most important satirists in American history
DONALD TRUMP’S GOLDEN AGE OF GRIFT AND CORRUPTION
Is Donald Trump the most corrupt President in U.S. history? There is some debate about that but one thing is certain: he is among the most corrupt chief executives the United States has ever had. The Daily Beast columnist David Rothkopf calls it Trump's golden age of corruption. More accurately, it has been Trump's golden age of grift and corruption and at this point it seems … [Read more...] about DONALD TRUMP’S GOLDEN AGE OF GRIFT AND CORRUPTION
JUDGE ORDERS KARS 4 KIDS EARWORM JINGLE ADS BANNED FROM CALIFORNIA AIRWAVES (ORIGINAL VIDEO)
Kars 4 Kids, the New Jersey non-profit that seeks to get people to donate their cars and get a tax deduction, has been banned from running its earthworm jingle-laced ads in California. An Orange County judge has found the ads misleading. As someone who was plagued with being unable to get the repetitive jingle out of my mind for years, this has been of special interest to … [Read more...] about JUDGE ORDERS KARS 4 KIDS EARWORM JINGLE ADS BANNED FROM CALIFORNIA AIRWAVES (ORIGINAL VIDEO)
When Change Isn’t an Option, Choice Is
by Jane Knox My interest in self-improvement has deep roots that go all the way back to the early 1970’s. I attended the new seminars being offered in New York City by Werner Erhard, the founder of EST, (which stands for Erhard Seminars Training). This morning I happened to remember a core idea I still practice that I acquired in my EST training days. Sometimes EST ideas are … [Read more...] about When Change Isn’t an Option, Choice Is
America’s climate change crisis and the case for a national plan
Last week, The Guardian unleashed a tsunami of consternation with its analysis of a scientific perspective from Nature Sustainability about predicted climate change impacts on the city of New Orleans. The headline summed the assessment as New Orleans being past the “point of no return,” and stated that its “relocation must start now.” In other words, if climate change magically … [Read more...] about America’s climate change crisis and the case for a national plan
Pete Hegseth: The Fox News Defense secretary
There seemingly isn’t a day when Defense secretary Pete Hegseth isn’t pitchforked into the headlines. Hegseth used to be a weekend co-host on Fox News. Previous presidents assembled cabinets from governors, generals, and business leaders. Donald Trump seems to have assembled his by scanning the Fox News green room. Trump put three Fox News personalities into his cabinet. … [Read more...] about Pete Hegseth: The Fox News Defense secretary
Why a growing number of Trump supporters are experiencing voter’s remorse
Phoenix residents watch presidential candidate Donald Trump speak at the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024. AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin Tatishe Nteta, UMass Amherst; Adam Eichen, UMass Amherst, and Jesse Rhodes, UMass Amherst In recent months, some prominent conservatives and erstwhile allies of President Donald Trump – former … [Read more...] about Why a growing number of Trump supporters are experiencing voter’s remorse
In defense of Michael Jackson
by Elwood Watson Even in death, Michael Jackson stokes controversy. Like millions of other people, I decided to see the recent film, “Michael.” Despite abrasively brutal reviews, the film has broken the record for the biggest opening in biopic history and garnered more than $400 million since its release. The film recounts Jackson’s life, from the inaugural pioneering … [Read more...] about In defense of Michael Jackson
MAGA dropouts are finally waking up to reality
Normally I’d rather boil my eyeballs than read a compendium of quotes from MAGA voters. The New York Times, in particular, likes to torture those of us who dwell in factual reality. Every few months there’s another “focus group” of a dozen or so randos, and whenever I try to parse what they’ve opined I am instantly struck with the sensation that I’ve been seat-buckled for a … [Read more...] about MAGA dropouts are finally waking up to reality
Racial gerrymandering may be here to stay
A recent Supreme Court decision is sparking a major push for partisan redistricting. Douglas Rissing, iStock/Getty Images Plus Claire B. Wofford, College of Charleston and Jordan Ragusa, College of Charleston The outrage was swift and severe when the U.S. Supreme Court, by an ideologically divided 6-3 vote, recently struck down Louisiana’s … [Read more...] about Racial gerrymandering may be here to stay
Trump-Xi summit will be no ‘Nixon in China’ moment — that they are talking is enough for now
Xi and Trump: A plastic friendship at best? Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images Rana Mitter, Harvard Kennedy School Meetings between Chinese and American leaders are not exactly routine, but few are historically groundbreaking. The exceptions include the very first visit by a sitting U.S. president to China, when Richard Nixon met with … [Read more...] about Trump-Xi summit will be no ‘Nixon in China’ moment — that they are talking is enough for now
THE MODERATE VOICE CAN USE YOUR DONATIONS (UPDATE 2)
DONATIONS RECEIVED SO FAR: $50 as of 5/12/26 Despite many blogs vanishing, The Moderate Voice is still around. Google News is carrying its posts as is the SmartNews app headquartered in Tokyo. To keep this going The Moderate Voice needs your help. TMV has been blessed with many donations of all kinds over the years. But it has no big corporate donor, no big advertiser, … [Read more...] about THE MODERATE VOICE CAN USE YOUR DONATIONS (UPDATE 2)
SPIKED ELECTION
Lately, it seems that Democrats cannot win, even when they win. The Supreme Court has struck down the Voting Rights Act, ruling that race cannot be a factor in drawing congressional districts, which has now set off southern red states to redraw all their districts to guarantee that their entire congressional delegation will be lily white. And Republicans, who hate fair … [Read more...] about SPIKED ELECTION
Trump is un-questionable
by Peter Funt The great contradiction in Donald Trump’s two terms — at least as far as covering and understanding the man are concerned — is that he is, on the one hand, the most media-accessible president in history, yet he has proved to be the most difficult for journalists to interview. This was demonstrated again the other evening as Trump toured his renovation … [Read more...] about Trump is un-questionable
‘Someone knew what they were doing’
How the DOJ misled the SCOTUS to gut the Voting Rights Act. The Supreme Court's 6-3 decision on April 29 gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act relied in large part on Justice Samuel Alito's claim that racial disparities in voting are no longer a significant problem. To support this argument, he used data from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to assert that Black and … [Read more...] about ‘Someone knew what they were doing’
WILL TRUMP’S CORRUPTION SINK HIM?
Many historians, analysts and politicians now agree that Donald Trump's presidency is the most corrupt in U.S. History. But on the corruption front will Trump again be "Teflon Don?" Will there be consequences and, more importantly, could his corruption actually be the thing that sinks him? The Bulwark's Mona Charen thinks it will. Did you catch the story about Trump … [Read more...] about WILL TRUMP’S CORRUPTION SINK HIM?
The Supreme Court’s war against Black voters
by Elwood Watson I still feel outraged and psychologically spent over the Supreme Court’s decision to dismantle the last vestiges of the Voting Rights Act. A 6–3 decision last week struck down a Louisiana congressional map that had resulted in a new Black-voter majority district. The majority opinion, written by right-wing Justice Samuel Alito, unconvincingly argued they … [Read more...] about The Supreme Court’s war against Black voters
The wave of political Tourette syndrome
A Trump official at a recent hearing gave an answer that had nothing to do with the question asked, offering instead, “Biden…” A senator cut the official off immediately. Trump counselor Peter Navarro , U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Agriculture Secretary Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins recently blamed Joe Biden for current high beef prices. Bessent also … [Read more...] about The wave of political Tourette syndrome