The other day while driving with my 20-year-old son, I noticed an electric car I had never seen before. As we drove by the bright light blue sedan, we were unable to identify its make and model until we reached the front and saw its iconic emblem. Both of us responded with similar quizzical expressions: “I guess it’s a Mustang.” What followed was a long conversation about why … [Read more...] about Review of The Griswolds’ Broadway Vacation at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre
TELEPATHETIC TRUMP (CARTOON, COLUMN AND VIDE0)
Part of Trump’s defense for having classified government documents at Mar-a-Lago is that he declassified all of them. That doesn’t explain why he took the documents and worked so hard not to return them to the government. It doesn’t explain why he obstructed justice to keep them. It doesn’t explain why documents on the nuclear capabilities of our allies or the personal life of … [Read more...] about TELEPATHETIC TRUMP (CARTOON, COLUMN AND VIDE0)
Name-calling in politics grabs headlines, but voters don’t like it – and it could backfire in the 2022 midterm elections
A voter and her child cast a ballot during the midterm primary elections in Virginia in June 2022. Alex Wong/Getty Images Beth L. Fossen, Indiana University Spending on political advertising is setting records in the midterm elections. But evidence shows that negative messages might discourage voters from casting ballots altogether. As the 2022 … [Read more...] about Name-calling in politics grabs headlines, but voters don’t like it – and it could backfire in the 2022 midterm elections
THINKER TRUMP (CARTOON)
Just 1/3 of Americans back Republican migrant flights – Reuters/Ipsos
Published by ReutersBy Jason Lange WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Only a third of Americans - including half of Republicans and one in six Democrats - say it's OK for state officials to fly or bus migrants to other states, a sign the push by Republican Southern governors to ship foreigners north could backfire with some voters, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. Republican leaders, … [Read more...] about Just 1/3 of Americans back Republican migrant flights – Reuters/Ipsos
As Books Come Increasingly Under Attack, a Story of How They Were Treasured, Protected, in One of Hitler’s Death Camps
If you thought that book burnings were a barbaric relic of the Middle Ages, think again. In the 1930s, in Nazi Germany, Austria and, later, in occupied territories, the Nazis conducted massive burnings of books they felt contained anti-Nazi ideology – including books written by Jewish authors, one of them Sigmund Freud. Perhaps most infamous were the massive, May … [Read more...] about As Books Come Increasingly Under Attack, a Story of How They Were Treasured, Protected, in One of Hitler’s Death Camps
Trump: On and On and On
Donald Trump has been out of office now for almost two years, yet he continues to dominate the news. We can’t get rid of him from the front pages of our newspapers or the lead segments of our news programs. He sticks around like a piece of gum on your shoe that you can’t get off. Most of the news regarding the Donald is negative at this time, with him involved in multiple … [Read more...] about Trump: On and On and On
Oops! MAGA GOP Cat Accidentally Let Out Of The Bag
Apparently, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy doesn't understand that things posted on the Internet can be preserved for all to see. Now, Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Press Office is letting the world know what McCarthy's office accidentally revealed before trying to hide it. From the Speaker's Press Office, 21 September 2022: "OOPS. Looks like Leader McCarthy fumbled … [Read more...] about Oops! MAGA GOP Cat Accidentally Let Out Of The Bag
Ron DeSantis dropping migrants off on Martha’s Vineyard may be illegal – an immigration lawyer explains why
An immigrant mother and child stand outside a church on Martha’s Vineyard on Sept. 15, 2022. Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Jean Lantz Reisz, University of Southern California The unexpected arrival of approximately 50 Colombian and Venezuelan migrants on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, on Sept. 14, 2022, has prompted legal … [Read more...] about Ron DeSantis dropping migrants off on Martha’s Vineyard may be illegal – an immigration lawyer explains why
BROKEBACK WATERS (CARTOON, COLUMN AND VIDEO)
As this article in The Tempest points out, right-wingers have been upset over a black Little Mermaid since at least 2019. Some conservatives are using the term “blackwashing,” stealing the term “whitewashing,” which is when a white actor plays a non-white character. I saw a few posts saying Disney should now do live remakes of Princess and the Frog and Moana, but cast white … [Read more...] about BROKEBACK WATERS (CARTOON, COLUMN AND VIDEO)
One way to prevent the next coup | Editorial
Published by NJ.comMore than likely, Mike Pence’s final public act will be remembered as a seminal display of political courage, despite his better-known four-year stint as a cowardly lickspittle for a despotic movement. Motivated by Donald Trump’s lies about a stolen election, the Jan. 6 mob at the Capitol tried to drive steel flagpoles through the skull of our democracy while … [Read more...] about One way to prevent the next coup | Editorial
Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott pull from segregationists’ playbook with their anti-immigration stunts
An undocumented immigrant from Venezuela kisses the forehead of another immigrant on the island of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. Dominic Chavez for The Washington Post via Getty Images Greta de Jong, University of Nevada, Reno As a historian of racism and white supremacy in the United States, I’ve become accustomed to callous actions like those … [Read more...] about Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott pull from segregationists’ playbook with their anti-immigration stunts
Conspiracy theories are dangerous even if very few people
Lies don’t have to spread far to cause problems. numismarty/iStock/Getty Images Plus Keith Raymond Harris, Ruhr University Bochum There is an open question among pundits and researchers: Do more Americans believe in conspiracy theories now than ever before? But as a scholar of conspiracy theories and their believers, I am concerned that focusing on … [Read more...] about Conspiracy theories are dangerous even if very few people
More Than 1,600 Different Books Banned In Districts Across America Last Year: Report
Published by KnewzBy Alex Lang New York (Knewz) — There were more than 2,500 instances of books being banned across the nation during the last school year, according to a report. That included 140 school districts in 32 states issuing books bans, according to Pen America. That group works to protect literature and free expression in the U.s and across the world. Pen American … [Read more...] about More Than 1,600 Different Books Banned In Districts Across America Last Year: Report
Trump’s new threat of a civil war makes him an ‘imminent danger to our nation’: lawmaker
Published by Raw StoryBy Tom Boggioni During an appearance on MSNBC's "The Katie Phang Show," Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) dropped the hammer on Donald Trump over the wording in a new fundraising email which he claimed is encouraging another insurrection or civil war. Speaking with the host the morning after Trump gave an over-the-top speech in Youngstown, Ohio that was described by … [Read more...] about Trump’s new threat of a civil war makes him an ‘imminent danger to our nation’: lawmaker
Ukraine’s rapid advance against Russia shows mastery of 3 essential skills for success in modern warfare
An abandoned and disabled Russian tank. Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images Benjamin Jensen, American University School of International Service Ukrainian forces, aided by Western firepower, have upset traditional military logic once again. Advancing deep into Ukrainian territory seized by Moscow earlier in its invasion, a counteroffensive launched … [Read more...] about Ukraine’s rapid advance against Russia shows mastery of 3 essential skills for success in modern warfare
Cheetahs return to India after 70-year absence
Published by ReutersBy Gloria Dickie and Tanvi Mehta LONDON/NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Eight radio-collared African cheetahs step out on to the grassland of Kuno National Park in central India, their final destination after a 5,000-mile (8,000 km) journey from Namibia that has drawn criticism from some conservationists. The arrival of the big cats - the fastest land animal on Earth - … [Read more...] about Cheetahs return to India after 70-year absence
Political Human Trafficking. Does the End Justify the Means?
po·lit·i·cal hu·man traf·fick·ing : the vile stunt of conning and transporting human beings in order to score political points, typically in the form of relocating them to notable places with the false promise of work, housing and food. (Author’s take) As an immigrant to this great country, nothing offends me more than to see the mistreatment, abuse and, more recently, … [Read more...] about Political Human Trafficking. Does the End Justify the Means?
Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbot Revert to Old Racist Reckless Disregard for Children, Mothers, Fathers seeking Asylum
As a Latina/ Mexican American I am shocked at these two wealthy, beyond wealthy men ::: Greg Abbott of Texas, and Ron DeSantis of Florida. My people are from Mexico, Texas and Florida. NEVER have we seen the likes of these two men who appear to be besotted, larded with cruelty toward the poor: it seems they hate anyone who is unlike themselves, they who live in the lap of … [Read more...] about Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbot Revert to Old Racist Reckless Disregard for Children, Mothers, Fathers seeking Asylum
DOES MAGA REALLY MEAN MAKE AMERICA GO AWAY?
by Don Hermann A question from a Cranky Old Man. I’m 88 and this question keeps me up at night. Listening as the Republicans keep talking about a variety of issues and what they would do if they had the keys to the White House and Congress is enough to give nightmares to the calmest of us. It’s bothersome to me. I’d love to have some clarification. Is it their … [Read more...] about DOES MAGA REALLY MEAN MAKE AMERICA GO AWAY?