Embed from Getty Images Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who many consider a likely candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, has been trying to square the circle in her relations with President Trump. Early reports are that it's not going well, at least judging by some critics. On the one hand, keeping in mind the massive role the federal government can play in … [Read more...] about What’s in a hug? A lot, and nothing
Canadian Election: The Liberals secure a fourth mandate
Embed from Getty Images As of Tuesday morning Mark Carney and the Liberal Party of Canada are projected to win another term in federal Parliament - their fourth in a row. The only outstanding issue is whether they will lead a minority or majority government, with a majority requiring 172 seats. Currently they have won or are leading in 168 ridings. While they may pass the … [Read more...] about Canadian Election: The Liberals secure a fourth mandate
NEGATIVE CRIMINALS (CARTOON AND COLUMN)
One reason Donald Trump will never be a good negotiator is that he cares about the polls too much. Before he shut down the government in his first term, he boasted to Nancy Pelosi that he would take the blame. After he shut down the government and the polls blamed him, he couldn’t take it, and he caved. He got none of his demands, and Nancy played him like a cheap pair of … [Read more...] about NEGATIVE CRIMINALS (CARTOON AND COLUMN)
Trump and the IRS: All Politics
For a man whose companies have been convicted on multiple charges of criminal tax fraud, for falsifying records to evade taxes, and found guilty on 17 counts, it seems preposterous for Trump to go after his enemies using the IRS to try and ferret out discrepancies in their tax returns. There were also civil cases of Trump defrauding banks where he was found guilty and ordered … [Read more...] about Trump and the IRS: All Politics
Election Day in Canada
Canadians go to the polls today to choose a prime minister, which could mean sticking with the one they have or taking a chance on a new guy. Whatever happens, this will be one of the strangest elections in the country's history due to the polling swing that has taken place over the past several months. You might wonder if such instability in a Canadian election is for the same … [Read more...] about Election Day in Canada
WHAT THE ANCIENT WORLD CAN TEACH US ABOUT DEATH
By Robert Garland I first became fascinated by death when I was 8 and my mummy took me to the British Museum to look at the mummies. When, at a slightly older age, I began to study death and the ancient world—first the Egyptians, then the Greeks, then the Romans, the Mesopotamians, and so on—what struck me most, despite many fascinating cultural variants, was the uniformity, … [Read more...] about WHAT THE ANCIENT WORLD CAN TEACH US ABOUT DEATH
Trump’s first hundred days and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad polls
There are stories everywhere this weekend around the theme, as a CNN headline has it, that "Trump's approval at 100 days is lower than any president in at least seven decades." If you want to dig through some of the numbers, in addition to the CNN poll conducted by SSRS, there is an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, an Associated Press/NORC Centre for Public Affairs poll, … [Read more...] about Trump’s first hundred days and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad polls
Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho- Its Away From Woke We Go
The Snow White live action movie is the straw that broke the camel's back for some critics who feel Disney is becoming too woke. It has left a poisoned apple taste in the mouths of some critics. This moment of realization for Disney has been a long time coming. Disney CEO Bob Iger released a statement saying their mission is "to entertain not send messages". This epiphany for … [Read more...] about Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho- Its Away From Woke We Go
Fear, love and the limits to Trump’s power
There is a story today, widely distributed, that residents of Arkansas made homeless by recent tornados have been denied federal recovery aid by President Trump because he rejected the request from the state that impacted regions be designated major disaster areas. Interestingly, the request was made by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders after devastating storms and tornados … [Read more...] about Fear, love and the limits to Trump’s power
Memes and conflict: Study shows surge of imagery and fakes can precede international and political violence
AI tools reveal how images have been manipulated. William Theisen et al. Tim Weninger, University of Notre Dame and Ernesto Verdeja, University of Notre Dame Imagine a country with deep political divisions, where different groups don’t trust each other and violence seems likely. Now, imagine a flood of political images, hateful memes and … [Read more...] about Memes and conflict: Study shows surge of imagery and fakes can precede international and political violence
A conservative judge’s dire warning
While sunning myself the other day at a Phillies game, I was tempted to pivot to two bros sitting behind me and say: “How about that awesome federal court ruling from J. Harvie Wilkinson! Is that guy eloquent or what?” The scoreboard said 45,045 fans had flocked to the game. But rest assured that 45,044 didn’t sit there thinking about J. Harvie Wilkinson, the right of due … [Read more...] about A conservative judge’s dire warning
Be careful about who you vote for. You just might get him.
Be careful about who you vote for. You just might get him. This is especially true if you voted for Donald Trump in 2024. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is learning that lesson the hard way. On 18 April 2025, Gov. Sanders wrote a letter to President Donald Trump, in which she asks the POTUS to reverse his administration's decision to NOT declare the state of … [Read more...] about Be careful about who you vote for. You just might get him.
A warning for Democrats from the Gilded Age and the 1896 election
Chief Justice Melville Weston Fuller administers the oath of office to William McKinley during his presidential inauguration in 1897, as outgoing President Grover Cleveland looks on. AP Photo/Library of Congress Adam M. Silver, Emmanuel College More than five months after President Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris, Democrats are still … [Read more...] about A warning for Democrats from the Gilded Age and the 1896 election
DEAF RUBIO’S STATE DEPARTMENT (CARTOON)
The Trump Administration’s War on Children
The Trump Administration’s War on Childrenby Eli HagerProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.The clear-cutting across the federal government under President Donald Trump has been dramatic, with mass terminations, the suspension of decades-old programs and the neutering of … [Read more...] about The Trump Administration’s War on Children
Sarah Palin again, briefly
It is hard to think of anything of value Trump has done since returning to the White House. In a pinch, if I had to pick something, it has been his supremely satisfying decision to deny Sarah Palin a position of authority in his administration and thus deprive her of the kind of public profile she has for so long craved. And to spare us the same. Thank you, Mr. President. … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin again, briefly
The Brown Shirts this time
Embed from Getty Images I suspect many of us are wondering how long it will take, and under what circumstances, for Trump to use the full force of the state and its monopoly of violence to crackdown on dissent. It is terrifying to imagine what national emergency, real or fabricated, could be used to justify abrogating constitutionally guaranteed rights at the point of a … [Read more...] about The Brown Shirts this time
Responding to the fate of Kilmar Abrego Garcia
How should members of Congress respond to the fate of Kilmar Ábrego García? Should they respond with futile demands? What makes a demand futile is this: The one making the demand is unable to punish the target of the demand for refusing to give what is demanded. In order for a demand to be effective, there has to be the ability to punish for failure to comply. Yet, … [Read more...] about Responding to the fate of Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Pope Francis was a decent person.
One does not have to be a member of the Roman Catholic Church in order to acknowledge that Pope Francis was a decent person. Indeed, Francis lived up to the original meaning of the word Pontifex, which translates into English as Bridge Builder. This blogger remembers the stark contrast between Francis and his immediate predecessor that was revealed when Francis assumed the … [Read more...] about Pope Francis was a decent person.
Pope Francis tried to change the Catholic Church for women, with mixed success
Tracy McEwan, University of Newcastle and Kathleen McPhillips, University of Newcastle Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. On Easter Sunday, he used his message and blessing to appeal for peace in Middle East and Ukraine. Pope Francis will be remembered as a pastoral leader who cared deeply about the environment and … [Read more...] about Pope Francis tried to change the Catholic Church for women, with mixed success