The contributions the working class to American society were first officially and nationally recognized on the first Monday in September in 1894. This recognition did not come easily. In fact, the first unofficial celebrations of Labor Day were one-day protest strikes held on Mondays. The history of the labor movement in this country is a history of brutal working conditions, … [Read more...] about The State of Labor on this Labor Day
Poll: Majority of U.S. Voters Call Climate Change an ‘Emergency’
by Roz Brown, Public News Service - IA DES MOINES, Iowa – A hurricane bearing down on Florida and massive fires in the Amazon rainforest are stark reminders about the changing climate, but a new poll shows party affiliation plays a large role in whether Americans think climate change is an emergency. Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Mary Snow says 56% of registered … [Read more...] about Poll: Majority of U.S. Voters Call Climate Change an ‘Emergency’
Donald Trump and Fox News (Mike Peters Cartoon)
OF RELATED INTEREST: --Trump treats Fox News like state-run television, journalists say --The Fake Feud Between Trump and Fox --Tensions Flare Between Trump and Fox News Mike Peters is recognized as one of our nation’s most prominent cartoon artists for his outstanding work as both a political and comic strip cartoonist. His favorite expression “WHAT A HOOT” certainly … [Read more...] about Donald Trump and Fox News (Mike Peters Cartoon)
Colombia’s peace process under stress: 6 essential reads
Colombia's peace process under stress: 6 essential reads Catesby Holmes, The Conversation Three years after negotiating a landmark peace agreement with the Colombian government, a top commander of the now defunct FARC guerrilla group has called for “a new stage in the armed struggle.” In a 32-minute online video posted Aug. 29, FARC second-in-command Iván Márquez … [Read more...] about Colombia’s peace process under stress: 6 essential reads
This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for American democracy
WASHINGTON -- This is no time to be on the sidelines. Stacey Abrams: Stand up and be counted. "I do not want to serve in the Senate," says the hugely popular former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee. Steve Bullock: Stand up and be counted. "My talents are best suited" to an executive role, says Montana's well-liked Democratic governor. Beto O'Rourke: Stand up … [Read more...] about This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for American democracy
Bret “Bed Bug” Stephens
PRAVDA MEANS TRUTH
“War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength” – George Orwell, 1984 Hermann Göring, creator of Nazi Germany’s Gestapo, hosted a secret meeting at his home in Berlin on February 20, 1933. In attendance were over 20 of Germany’s top businessmen. Hitler addressed the group, all members of the German Herrenklub (Gentlemen's Club), and told them that, with their … [Read more...] about PRAVDA MEANS TRUTH
Don’t Immediately Dismiss Trump’s Republican Challenger
Pop quiz: What did Lyndon Johnson in 1968, Gerald Ford in 1976, Jimmy Carter in 1980, and George H. W. Bush in 1992 have in common? Those incumbent presidents were all seriously challenged - and seriously weakened - by insurgent candidates within their own party. LBJ was so jolted by antiwar Democrat Eugene McCarthy's strong primary showing that he decided to junk his bid … [Read more...] about Don’t Immediately Dismiss Trump’s Republican Challenger
GREAT MUSIC – CHAPTER 47
As I indicated before I wanted to use this Great Music series to introduce some contemporary composers. This week I want to highlight the music of French composer, As I indicated before I wanted to use this Great Music series to introduce some contemporary composers. This week I want to highlight the music of French composer, Yann Tiersen. He was born in 1970 in Brest, France. … [Read more...] about GREAT MUSIC – CHAPTER 47
Why the queen said yes to Boris Johnson’s request to suspend Parliament
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson shakes hands with Queen Elizabeth II. Victoria Jones/Pool via AP Laura Beers, American University When Queen Elizabeth II agreed to suspend Parliament, she gave British Prime Minister Boris Johnson what he wanted. Opponents of Johnson’s move view it as a cynical and perhaps unconstitutional maneuver. Johnson, they … [Read more...] about Why the queen said yes to Boris Johnson’s request to suspend Parliament
‘My Short Little Life’ – Air Force Captain Cole Holloway
The ambition, the dream, of many boys and young men is to become a pilot, preferably a fighter pilot. This is the story of a young man who accomplished his childhood dream, who became an F-15C Eagle fighter pilot (“The coolest jet that man has ever created”) only to have to give it up a few years later because of a disease that presently has no cure or a way to halt its … [Read more...] about ‘My Short Little Life’ – Air Force Captain Cole Holloway
The Chosen One
Our beloved president, Donald Trump, has now started to call himself The Chosen One, intimating that he is the Messiah who has arrived to bring peace and good will to the planet, and salvation to those who believe in him, particularly those who are extremely affluent. Indeed, Evangelicals and Mormons steeped in their religions may perceive him as sort of a Messiah, placing … [Read more...] about The Chosen One
TRUMP BEDBUGS (Cartoon, Column and Video)
When I heard the United States is going to host the G7 Summit in 2020, the first thing I thought was, “that fucker’s gonna try to have it at one of his shitty golf clubs.” I’m sure most journalists in the country thought the same thing so I shouldn’t receive any huge plaudits for my prognostication skills. Grifters are gonna grift. That’s exactly what our Grifter-in-Chief has … [Read more...] about TRUMP BEDBUGS (Cartoon, Column and Video)
Stupid is not Ignorant
Embed from Getty Images by Jay Johnson The Amazon Rain Forest is burning out of control. Smoke from the Amazon fires is turning day to night in cities 1000 miles away. Most of the fires were set deliberately to clear pastures for cattle. The easiest way to clear a Forrest to make a pasture is to set it on fire. For the last 30 years the Amazon has lost an average of … [Read more...] about Stupid is not Ignorant
Hoping Not to Meet ‘Tanya’ This Season (UPDATES)
This stunning photo of the eye of Hurricane Dorian was taken on Sunday, September 1, from a U.S. Air Force hurricane hunter aircraft flying through the eye of Dorian. The photo was tweeted by first lieutenant Garrett Black, an Air Force Hurricane Hunter, or “aerial reconnaissance weather officer.” UPDATE II: Puerto Rico is breathing a sigh of relief as Tropical Storm … [Read more...] about Hoping Not to Meet ‘Tanya’ This Season (UPDATES)
The Amazon Rainforest on Fire, a Global Tragedy
In a nostalgic piece a little more than eight years ago, I wrote: Some of the most idyllic and memorable times of my early youth are the days and weeks I spent in the late 1940s with my parents and sister in El Oriente of my native Ecuador. I was referring to Ecuador’s magnificent jungle region on the East side of the majestic Andes Mountains, the beginning of the … [Read more...] about The Amazon Rainforest on Fire, a Global Tragedy
Trump’s Obama Envy
WASHINGTON -- Is it my imagination, or is President Trump's chronic and debilitating case of Obama Envy getting worse? One of the things that genuinely seems to matter to Trump is comparing himself -- favorably, of course -- to his predecessor, no matter how delusional the rationale. Trump gave an illustration at the end of the G-7 summit, when he insisted to reporters that … [Read more...] about Trump’s Obama Envy
Amazon fires are destructive, but they aren’t depleting Earth’s oxygen supply
Amazon fires are destructive, but they aren't depleting Earth's oxygen supply Fire consumes an area near Jaci Parana, state of Rondonia, Brazil, Aug. 24, 2019. AP Photo/Eraldo Peres Scott Denning, Colorado State University Fires in the Amazon rainforest have captured attention worldwide in recent days. Brazilian President … [Read more...] about Amazon fires are destructive, but they aren’t depleting Earth’s oxygen supply
Temple Shalom: A Love Story
by Michael Ginsberg On October 21, 1961, I finished my bar mitzvah speech at Judea Center Synagogue in Brooklyn, thanking my parents for raising me as a Jew. Six months later, I interrupted our family’s Shabbat candle lighting to announce that I was finished with religion. The next 30 years, I diligently dodged Judaism: Brooklyn to Buffalo, Louisville KY, and points … [Read more...] about Temple Shalom: A Love Story
