By Gabriella Borter and Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) - Like millions of American children, Brody Cotton has not seen the inside of a classroom in more than a year. As the COVID-19 pandemic left him navigating 7th grade from his couch in Carlsbad, California, Brody's grades dropped from As and Bs to a D and two Fs last semester. One of the Fs was in a "design and modeling" elective … [Read more...] about Another danger for kids in the age of COVID: Failing grades
Republican wave of voting restrictions swells
Voting rights activists worried this year could bring a tsunami of new voting restrictions. It’s arrived. As of last month, Republican lawmakers in 43 states had introduced more than 250 bills that would make it more difficult to vote, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University Law School, up from about 100 in 28 states two months ago. But Democrats … [Read more...] about Republican wave of voting restrictions swells
MEET THE NEW JIM CROWSAME AS THE OLD JIM CROW (Cartoon)
THE ANSWER ON GUNS IS STARING US IN THE FACE
by John L. Micek Where do we go next? What do we do now? Those are the questions I found myself asking after I spoke to a panel of gun violence reduction activists this week. It was two nights after the murders in Boulder, a week after the rampage in Atlanta, and hours after the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee played out a drama so reliably scripted that it felt like even … [Read more...] about THE ANSWER ON GUNS IS STARING US IN THE FACE
HOSED IN GEORGIA (Cartoon and Column)
Georgia went blue in the 2020 elections. The traditionally red state in the deep south gave its 16 electoral votes to Joe Biden and both its Senate seats to Democrats, one Jewish and one black. The changing demographics in Georgia have swung the state, at the very least, purple. Georgia Republicans responded logically to this shift and decided to pay attention to the … [Read more...] about HOSED IN GEORGIA (Cartoon and Column)
Biden calls Draconian Georgia Law “Jim Crow in the 21st century”
President Joe Biden has labeled an extremely restrictive Georgia law "Jim Crow in the 21st century." In what Democrats and some Republicans say is a draconian law aimed at suppressing black voters who turned out in force against Donald Trump and the GOP Senate candidates, Georgia GOPers passed a law with a wide variety of voting restrictions. The one that has drawn the most … [Read more...] about Biden calls Draconian Georgia Law “Jim Crow in the 21st century”
Trump to Biden, a contrast in styles in debut press conferences
Washington (AFP) - Sporting a red tie, Donald Trump -- combative, goading, sometimes angry and insulting. Wearing a blue tie with stripes, Joe Biden -- calm, amiable, sometimes stumbling and hesitant. From February 16, 2017 to March 25, 2021: two debut press conferences at the White House by two presidents of the same generation but with radically different styles. After nearly … [Read more...] about Trump to Biden, a contrast in styles in debut press conferences
Stuck in Traffic? Consider This Traffic Jam (BREAKING NEWS)
BREAKING NEWS: CNN is reporting that the Ever Given that has been blocking the Suez Canal for almost a week has now been dislodged and is now floating. UPDATE III: The latest on the efforts to dislodge the Ever Given, including the interesting view from a hamlet at the place where the ship grounded (population “5,000-ish”): “’Why don’t they pull out one of … [Read more...] about Stuck in Traffic? Consider This Traffic Jam (BREAKING NEWS)
Biden to tackle COVID, immigration in first White House news conference
By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden is expected on Thursday to lay out a new goal for U.S. vaccinations against COVID-19 at his first formal White House news conference, where topics will likely include immigration, infrastructure, gun control and foreign relations. Biden, who has taken questions from reporters in other settings since taking office on Jan. … [Read more...] about Biden to tackle COVID, immigration in first White House news conference
‘What Did Major Biden Gnaw and When Did He Gnaw It’ (Update)
UPDATE: Some good news. First dog Major is out of the dog house and back in the White House after spending some days working with a trainer at the Biden’s home in Delaware. Major and Champ returned to the White House just in time for National Puppy Day, March 23. After going from an animal shelter to the White house, then to the dog house and finally back to … [Read more...] about ‘What Did Major Biden Gnaw and When Did He Gnaw It’ (Update)
POTUS vs. Press Prima Donnas
A 23 March 2021 article by The Hill presents the results of a Hill-HarrisX poll pertaining to presidential press conferences: "Poll: 52 percent say Biden's lack of press conferences isn't hurting transparency" From the article: "Seventy-eight percent of Democratic respondents in the poll said the daily White House briefings and Biden's other media appearances are … [Read more...] about POTUS vs. Press Prima Donnas
BOULDER (Cartoon)
The Coming Vaccine Scandals (Update)
On February 3, I wrote that it was inevitable, given the precious scarcity of the COVID-19 vaccines, that crooks would attempt to steal them for fun and profit. The Coming Vaccine Scandals February 3, 2021 I don't need to remind you of the brewing scandal in Florida with the Governor allegedly redirecting vaccine distribution to rich donors. But we DO have this: … [Read more...] about The Coming Vaccine Scandals (Update)
Colorado supermarket shooter kills 10, including police officer
By Alyson McClaran and Keith Coffman BOULDER, Colo. (Reuters) -A gunman opened fire at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado, on Monday, killing 10 people, including the first police officer to arrive on the scene, before the bloodied suspect was arrested in the second deadly U.S. mass shooting in a week. Police gave few immediate details of the latest shooting and no known motive … [Read more...] about Colorado supermarket shooter kills 10, including police officer
Is Trump’s Trump Card a ‘Pocket Pardon’?
The issue of whether a sitting president can pardon himself was debated ad nauseam by constitutional and legal scholars, by journalists and pundits, during the last few weeks of Trump’s "reign." In “Why a Self-Pardon Is Not Constitutional,” Professor Frank O. Bowman authoritatively argued a president cannot constitutionally pardon himself. In “Can a Turkey Pardon … [Read more...] about Is Trump’s Trump Card a ‘Pocket Pardon’?
A Politico Falsehood About Biden
The editorial staff of Politico has at least one editor who doesn't mind if a Politico headline presents a falsehood about President Joe Biden. Here is the headline in question: "Biden Brings Back Family Separation—This Time in Mexico" It is as if that headline were written by a member of the Republican National Committee. The headline is not stating a fact ,but … [Read more...] about A Politico Falsehood About Biden
Voter Suppression- Who Wins?
If the Republicans cannot win fairly, they will do anything to suppress groups of voters who tend to support the Democrats. This is short term thinking for down the road, the minority groups whose votes they are trying to eliminate will be in the majority and will vote regularly for the Democrats. At the moment, many minority voters are mixing their votes and some are backing … [Read more...] about Voter Suppression- Who Wins?
Racism is behind anti-Asian American violence, even when it’s not a hate crime
Children attend a March 17 vigil at Clemente Park in Lowell, Massachusetts, for the victims of the shooting spree in Atlanta. Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Pawan Dhingra, Amherst College Over the past year, attacks on Asian Americans have increased more than 150% over the previous year, including the March 16 murders of eight people, … [Read more...] about Racism is behind anti-Asian American violence, even when it’s not a hate crime
PAUL’S PECKERS (Cartoon and Column)
Normally, when Rand Paul gets his ass kicked, it’s in a political debate. In 2017, he literally got his ass kicked by one of his neighbors in his gated community in Kentucky. Reportedly, the scuffle was over yard work and Paul claimed he was ambushed from behind right after he got off his riding lawnmower. His attacker was five-foot-six and weighed about 140 pounds (which … [Read more...] about PAUL’S PECKERS (Cartoon and Column)
Editorial: Biden puts Putin on notice
Sparring between Washington and Moscow, a diplomatic, political and military constant since the end of WWII and start of the Cold War, is rightly back after the Trump years of weird and dangerous American subservience to Russian predations. Thank you, Joe Biden, for calling a killer a killer and, yes, thank you Vladimir Putin, for resuming your role as the heavy in the … [Read more...] about Editorial: Biden puts Putin on notice