Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis leads a tour of the new Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention facility for President Donald Trump and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Andrew Cabellero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images Mark Schlakman, Florida State University The state of Florida has opened a migrant detention center in … [Read more...] about Florida is fronting the $450M cost of Alligator Alcatraz — a legal scholar explains what we still don’t know about the detainees
Trump: Redraw Texas Districts to Give GOP Five More Seats
Donald Trump told reporters he wants Texas to redraw its districts so the GOP can pick up five more seats -- and said this could also be done in some other states as well. California Gov. Gavin Newsom then responded: two can play that game. Will this start a new red and blue state battle to redraw districts? What isn't a question is that Trump feels the GOP has a need to get … [Read more...] about Trump: Redraw Texas Districts to Give GOP Five More Seats
RE: Texas Flash Flood Disaster of 4 July 2025
Regarding the Texas Flash Flood Disaster of 4 July 2025: Why the hell was a summer camp operating in a flash flood zone in the first place? That is a question that Associated Press personnel Ryan J. Foley and Christopher L. Keller are trying to get an answer to. Here are excerpts from the Associated Press article written by Foley and Keller: "Federal regulators … [Read more...] about RE: Texas Flash Flood Disaster of 4 July 2025
‘Superman’ is everything a Superman story should be — caring and kind — with a sprinkling of humor
Writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Schuster, children of Jewish immigrants who had fled Europe, published the first Superman comic in 1938. In an interview with Den of Geek, Siegel said: “What led me into creating Superman in the early ’30s? Hearing and reading of the oppression and slaughter of helpless, oppressed Jews in Nazi Germany… seeing movies depicting the … [Read more...] about ‘Superman’ is everything a Superman story should be — caring and kind — with a sprinkling of humor
Epstein Client List (Cartoon and Column)
The Justice Department posted a memo saying there is no evidence that the late pedophile and Trump party buddy Jeffrey Epstein was murdered or that he kept anything amounting to a much-anticipated “client list.” A DOJ spokesgoon told CNN that the department does not plan to release any new documents on the matter. If you’re not surprised that there’s not a list of Epstein’s … [Read more...] about Epstein Client List (Cartoon and Column)
How citizenship chaos was averted, for now, by a class action injunction against Trump’s birthright citizenship order
Protesters support birthright citizenship on May 15, 2025, outside of the Supreme Court in Washington. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin Julie Novkov, University at Albany, State University of New York and Carol Nackenoff, Swarthmore College Legal battles over President Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship continued on July … [Read more...] about How citizenship chaos was averted, for now, by a class action injunction against Trump’s birthright citizenship order
If the death of kids in Texas won’t wake MAGA up, nothing ever will
When Trump was first inaugurated back in 2017, I wrote with full confidence that he would “get a lot of people killed.” Anyone with a functioning brain knew what would happen. And so it did. The Lancet, a prominent medical journal, concluded in a 2021 report Trump’s “appalling response” to the pandemic “expedited the spread of Covid. ” As a result, roughly 40 percent of the … [Read more...] about If the death of kids in Texas won’t wake MAGA up, nothing ever will
Grok’s antisemitic rant shows how generative AI can be weaponized
Someone altered the AI chatbot Grok to make it produce antisemitic text and a debunked conspiracy theory. Cheng Xin/Getty Images James Foulds, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Phil Feldman, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Shimei Pan, University of Maryland, Baltimore County The AI chatbot Grok went on an antisemitic … [Read more...] about Grok’s antisemitic rant shows how generative AI can be weaponized
Trump’s Big, Beautiful Load of B.S.
What Trump has been trumpeting as a “Big, Beautiful, Bill” is really a load of B.S. While it is beneficial for his billionaire buddies, it is not good for America, especially the lower middle class and poor Americans. It is also bad for the future of the nation, saddling coming generations with a mountain of debt. Trump has a glib tongue and is a master of deception, and he has … [Read more...] about Trump’s Big, Beautiful Load of B.S.
What MAGA means to Americans
A Trump supporter holds up a MAGA sign during a rally in Green Bay, Wis., on April 2, 2024. AP Photo/Mike Roemer Jesse Rhodes, UMass Amherst; Adam Eichen, UMass Amherst; Douglas Rice, UMass Amherst; Gregory Wall, UMass Amherst, and Tatishe Nteta, UMass Amherst A decade ago, Donald Trump descended the golden escalator at Trump Tower in New … [Read more...] about What MAGA means to Americans
One ‘big, beautiful’ reason why Republicans in Congress just can’t quit Donald Trump
The U.S. Capitol is seen shortly after the Senate passed its version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 1, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Charlie Hunt, Boise State University As the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic tax and spending package, many critics are wondering how … [Read more...] about One ‘big, beautiful’ reason why Republicans in Congress just can’t quit Donald Trump
Mirror Mirror On The Wall, Who Is the Most Woke One Of All
Disney CEO Bob Igor has called to re-evaluate Disney’s values and focus on entertaining, and refrain from messaging. Disney’s latest re-action remake has inspired some backlash over apparent “wokeness” in Snow White. There is a resistance movement that works to take things for the people-Snow White meets Occupy Wall Street anyone? There are some elements of “woke” in the … [Read more...] about Mirror Mirror On The Wall, Who Is the Most Woke One Of All
AI’s threat to Democracy
Political chicanery with lies and fake news about opposition candidates have been part of the democratic process as long as there have been democracies. You can bet that in ancient Greece and Rome during their democratic periods, candidates and their supporters spread false stories about their opponents to tarnish them in the eyes of the voters. That’s always been considered … [Read more...] about AI’s threat to Democracy
The Bloated Billionaire Bill is class warfare
What’s most important to remember about the monstrous “big beautiful” bill ginned up by Trump’s Reichstag is that Republicans are just being themselves. They’ve always pined to fatten the fat cats and screw the average citizen – to take from the needy and give to the rich, like Robin Hood in reverse. None of this is new. What’s different now is the sheer scale of the … [Read more...] about The Bloated Billionaire Bill is class warfare
From the marriage contract to breaking the glass under the chuppah, many Jewish couples adapt their weddings to celebrate gender equality
The ketubah is a binding document in Jewish law that traditionally spells out a groom’s responsibilities toward his wife ? but that many couples adapt to be more egalitarian. PowerSiege/iStock via Getty Images Plus Samira Mehta, University of Colorado Boulder Traditional Jewish weddings share one key aspect with traditional Christian … [Read more...] about From the marriage contract to breaking the glass under the chuppah, many Jewish couples adapt their weddings to celebrate gender equality
PRAYER FOR AMERICA
Kristi Noem Secretly Took a Cut of Political Donations
Kristi Noem Secretly Took a Cut of Political Donationsby Justin Elliott, Joshua Kaplan and Alex MierjeskiProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.In 2023, while Kristi Noem was governor of South Dakota, she supplemented her income by secretly accepting a cut of the money … [Read more...] about Kristi Noem Secretly Took a Cut of Political Donations
What the Supreme Court ruling against ‘universal injunctions’ means for court challenges to presidential actions
A journalist runs out of the U.S. Supreme Court building carrying a ruling on the last day of the court’s term on June 27, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Cassandra Burke Robertson, Case Western Reserve University When presidents have tried to make big changes through executive orders, they have often hit a roadblock: … [Read more...] about What the Supreme Court ruling against ‘universal injunctions’ means for court challenges to presidential actions
Honoring Gary––An Alternative to a Traditional Memorial Service
As you know, my brother, Gary passed away on January 4, 2025. Before he died, Gary expressed his strong feelings that he did not want a traditional funeral. He wasn’t religious, and he was not connected to a church. He wanted to be cremated. Gary wanted his ashes buried in the garden of the home where he lived for many years and where his son, Ryan, now lives. Gary’s planning … [Read more...] about Honoring Gary––An Alternative to a Traditional Memorial Service
BOMBS OVER BROADWAY
I gotta be honest with you. I didn’t think Trump’s F-bomb was anything unique or scandalous in the New Normal. Sure, it’s not presidential for a president to say, “They don’t know what the fuck they’re doing” to reporters while standing in the White House driveway, but none of this has been presidential. So, I didn’t think it was cartoon worthy, but then I saw one yesterday, … [Read more...] about BOMBS OVER BROADWAY