What will China discover on the far side of the moon? BeeBright/Shutterstock.com Wendy Whitman Cobb, Cameron University China became the third country to land a probe on the Moon on Jan. 2. But, more importantly, it became the first to do so on the far side of the moon, often called the dark side. The ability to land on the far side of the moon is a … [Read more...] about Will China’s moon landing launch a new space race?
Now is the time for Democrats to be the grown-ups voters want
WASHINGTON -- I watched from the House gallery Thursday afternoon when the Democrats' socialist sensation, Rep. , in suffragist white, rose to announce her vote for speaker. "Nancy Pelosi," the 29-year-old firebrand declared. From the Republican backbenches came boos and derisive groans. Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., later complained about being singled out. "Over 200 members … [Read more...] about Now is the time for Democrats to be the grown-ups voters want
Trump’s perilous withdrawal from Syria
by David Ignatius Washington Post Writers Group Columnist WASHINGTON -- Asked to describe U.S. policy toward Syria after President Trump's sudden decision on Dec. 19 to withdraw U.S. troops from that country, several key officials use the same two words: "total chaos." There's another phrase that comes to mind in assessing Trump's move: snatching defeat from the jaws of … [Read more...] about Trump’s perilous withdrawal from Syria
Facebook tables new feature aimed at promoting civil political discourse
Few people deny today's political climate has grown increasingly hostile. Across social media platforms, people post divisive content that incites flame wars, destroys friendships and even creates rifts between family members. Social media giant Facebook originally planned to help return a bit of civility to online political discourse by launching their Common Ground … [Read more...] about Facebook tables new feature aimed at promoting civil political discourse
Pelosi will show Trump he’s not the only one in Washington with power
By EUGENE ROBINSON WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Capitol really was "the people's house" on Thursday. The sky may have been overcast and the temperature chilly, but still there was the feeling of dawn. The new Congress was being sworn in and the building was thronged with friends and family who came to fill the galleries. Because of the unprecedented diversity of the incoming … [Read more...] about Pelosi will show Trump he’s not the only one in Washington with power
So where is the government shutdown headed?
Where is the government shutdown headed? Keep a few things in mind here. First, Trump promised his supporters a wall that Mexico would pay for. Ridiculous or not, that's what he promised over and over. The $5 billion requested for the wall comes from US taxpayers, not Mexico (and not via the USMCA deal either). Second, Trump took ownership of the shutdown on December 11. … [Read more...] about So where is the government shutdown headed?
Cartoon: Shutdown’s Parks and Wreck
After Xmas Gift Wish List
Raging Moderate by Will Durst It's way past time to congratulate the baby Jesus on the anniversary of his birth. While all those annoying unending ads for the Christmas sales have blessedly come to an end, they've been replaced by all those annoying unending ads for the after-Christmas sales. The only major difference is there are much fewer jingle bells on the … [Read more...] about After Xmas Gift Wish List
Nancy Pelosi victorious – why the California Democrat was reelected speaker of the House
Nancy Pelosi of California, once more Speaker of the House. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite Kathryn L. Pearson, University of Minnesota Despite some brash and not insignificant opposition, California’s Nancy Pelosi is returning to her previous role as speaker of the House. She will preside over a chamber that is 77 percent male and a Democratic Caucus … [Read more...] about Nancy Pelosi victorious – why the California Democrat was reelected speaker of the House
Cartoon: Dr. Pimple Popper
No. I did not pull this out of my butt. Doctor Pimple Popper is actually a thing. If you haven’t heard about it before, now you will. Anytime something new enters the pop culture lexicon, political cartoonists think, “Can I use this for a cartoon”? It’s something I had to train my brain to do when I first started cartooning, and I’m still working on it. Sometimes, I have to … [Read more...] about Cartoon: Dr. Pimple Popper
The EPA has backed off enforcement under Trump – here are the numbers
Oil refiners are fined for exceeding air pollution limits when rules are enforced. AP Photo/David J. Phillip Marianne Sullivan, William Paterson University; Chris Sellers, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York); Leif Fredrickson, The University of Montana, and Sarah Lamdan, CUNY School of Law The Trump administration has sought to … [Read more...] about The EPA has backed off enforcement under Trump – here are the numbers
Tough Love from Nancy Pelosi
WASHINGTON -- Incoming speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to be clear about what the new Democratic House majority will (BEG ITAL)not(END ITAL) be: They will not, she insists, act like the Republicans. "We believe that we will not become them," she said in a New Year's Day phone interview during a visit to her native Baltimore. "We're not going to do to them what they did to … [Read more...] about Tough Love from Nancy Pelosi
Cartoon: Requiem for Earth
“Green” New Deal Not So Green
That Green New Deal being promoted by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez happens to be a light shade of green. From The Hill, 2 January 2019: "House Democrats have formally proposed creating a new committee on climate change, without many of the main factors that progressives wanted in the panel’s structure. . . It also is not being explicitly charged with developing Green New Deal … [Read more...] about “Green” New Deal Not So Green
Book Review: “The Colors of Eden: Memories of a Runaway Boy” by Fernando Romero
(My dear friend, veteran journalist and author Fernando Romero is seriously ailing. For the life of me, I can't understand why his truly important and amazing book has not been turned into a screenplay and movie by now. My warmest wishes and most profound prayers for Fernando, his wife Denise, and their son, Dennis Romero, who is a journalist in Los Angeles. This was originally … [Read more...] about Book Review: “The Colors of Eden: Memories of a Runaway Boy” by Fernando Romero
Common refrain of those leaving White House: Don’t blame me
WASHINGTON -- One by one they leap -- or are pushed -- from the foundering USS Trump, each offering a variation of the same plea: Don't blame me. Comes now retired Gen. John Kelly, the second of President Trump's chiefs of staff to be discarded. Days before departing, he paused for a two-hour telephone interview with the Los Angeles Times. It was an extended exercise in … [Read more...] about Common refrain of those leaving White House: Don’t blame me
Only 1 out of 36 newly elected female representatives in Congress is Republican – here’s why it matters
Carol Miller of West Virginia is the only newly elected Republican woman joining the 116th Congress. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster Malliga Och, Idaho State University and Shauna Shames, Rutgers University The 116th Congress will be the most diverse in U.S. history: 126 women will take office, including 43 women of color. Yet, as many have noted, this new … [Read more...] about Only 1 out of 36 newly elected female representatives in Congress is Republican – here’s why it matters
Cartoon: Warren and Trump
A look into the crystal ball for Jan. 1, 2020
[facebook] by DAVID IGNATIUS Washington Post Writers Group WASHINGTON -- Bill Safire, the late, great New York Times columnist, made a tradition over 35 years of publishing a year-end "office pool," a multiple-choice quiz in which, as he liked to say, "every reader becomes a pundit" because nobody knows the right answers. The office pool died with Safire in 2009, … [Read more...] about A look into the crystal ball for Jan. 1, 2020
Double-crossing the Kurds
If Turkey uses the possible American troop withdrawal from Syria to destroy the Kurdish enclaves in the northern part of the country, the United States will have lost the opportunity to create our only consistent Islamic ally in the Middle East. In spite of our inconsistent support of the Kurds, they truly seem to like Americans. Who are these people, and why is their fate … [Read more...] about Double-crossing the Kurds