Louisiana televangelist Jesse Duplantis said, “I really believe that if Jesus was physically on the Earth today, he wouldn’t be riding a donkey. Think about it for a minute. He’d be in an airplane preaching the gospel all over the world.” With that argument, this jackass wants his followers to buy him a $54 million luxury private plane. But he claims he doesn’t want you to … [Read more...] about Doped up Demons (Cartoon, Column and Video)
With federal funding for science on the decline, what’s the role of a profit motive in research?
Money doesn’t grow in flasks – scientists have to find funds outside the lab. chuttersnap/Unsplash, CC BY David R. Johnson, University of Nevada, Reno What is the place of a profit motive in the production of knowledge at public universities? The Trump administration’s initial budget request presented in 2017 offered one answer to that question. … [Read more...] about With federal funding for science on the decline, what’s the role of a profit motive in research?
Cartoon: Trump Shooting Comey
America First versus American Exceptionalism
My biggest fear when Donald Trump became president was that he was serious about America First, and therefore he would abandon American Exceptionalism. One of his first acts as president was to withdraw the United States from the Trans Pacific Trade Pact, confirming my fear. However, seventeen months into his presidency it is clear that he is not abandoning American … [Read more...] about America First versus American Exceptionalism
King Donald Is Not Above The Law. It’s Past Time For Mueller To Issue That Subpoena
The big takeaway from the "bombshell" confidential memorandum that President Trump's criminal lawyers sent to Special Counsel Robert Mueller is that it is a dud. Trump's lawyers all but conceded that he obstructed justice. But because he is above the law he can do anything he wants, according to their unitary executive pretzel logic, so it is impossible for the president to … [Read more...] about King Donald Is Not Above The Law. It’s Past Time For Mueller To Issue That Subpoena
Mueller Accuses Paul Manafort of Attempted Witness Tampering
A new major twist in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation: Mueller has accused Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, of attempted witness tampering. And many legal experts on cable and Twitter suggest Mueller would not have moved unless he had significant evidence on this charge: Federal prosecutors on Monday accused President Trump’s former … [Read more...] about Mueller Accuses Paul Manafort of Attempted Witness Tampering
D-Day and Juno Beach: The Canadians (UPDATED)
UPDATE: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted the following on the 74th anniversary of D-Day: On the 74th anniversary of #DDay, we remember the Canadian troops who fought with great courage and made the ultimate sacrifice to liberate Europe. #LestWeForget Along with the following photo. In the meantime, the Daily Times, not a Canadian newspaper … [Read more...] about D-Day and Juno Beach: The Canadians (UPDATED)
Why dialogue matters — even in the Trump Era
WASHINGTON -- If President Trump's survival tactics depend upon dividing the country into warring camps, does this mean his opponents have an interest in bringing the country together around shared purposes? If the answer is "yes," then those seeking to replace Trumpism with something better have to discover ways of engaging with voters whose choices in the last election … [Read more...] about Why dialogue matters — even in the Trump Era
The slippery slope of dehumanizing language
The slippery slope of dehumanizing language Roseanne Barr had her sitcom canceled on May 29, after calling former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett the child of an ape. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File Allison Skinner, Northwestern University Comparing people to animals seems to increasingly be a part of our political … [Read more...] about The slippery slope of dehumanizing language
Finding Your Feet (2018)
When your whole world has been turned upside down, who will you turn to for help? Finding Your Feet is the story of Sandra and Bif, sisters who are reconnecting and picking up their relationship from years before. Sandra has just discovered she's been cheated on by her husband and has left the comfortable trappings of her home and life, moving in with her sister. Bif is … [Read more...] about Finding Your Feet (2018)
Cartoon: World School Shooting
Why A Convincing Case Can Be Made That Trump Is A Playboy Model’s Baby Daddy
What do a fat-cat Republican donor, a Playboy model and the 45th president of the United States have in common? Maybe not much if you choose to ignore the fascinating ties that bind them. But when you make those connections, refuse to succumb to what may seem to be mere coincidences and stir in a healthy dose of speculation, you're looking at what may be the Mother of All Sex … [Read more...] about Why A Convincing Case Can Be Made That Trump Is A Playboy Model’s Baby Daddy
“Rise,” Ends On A Bittersweet Note
With the season finale of Rise , we have also been given the series finale due to NBC's cancellation of the show. As a series that started off with uncertainty and filled to the brim with plot and several character storylines, it turned into something that showed promise and excitement, enough to keep you watching week after week. Rise ends on a bittersweet note just as it was … [Read more...] about “Rise,” Ends On A Bittersweet Note
A Vision of ‘A World Where Children Do Not Drown…’
The Austin, Texas, temperatures broke every record this May with several days already in the triple digits. This summer appears to be on its way to be one of the hottest in Austin’s history. That is, after this weekend’s “cold front” passes, a front that will drop the temperatures in the Texas capital down to a cool 97 degrees for a couple of days. It is thus no wonder that … [Read more...] about A Vision of ‘A World Where Children Do Not Drown…’
Trump-Russia: A Grand Unified Theory
The Trump-Russia scandal is difficult to follow because of its complexity. It is hard to understand how the many characters and elements fit together. Two journalists have stood out in their tracking and insightful understanding of this story: Josh Marshall of Talkingpointsmemo.com and Adam Davidson of The New Yorker. Their conversation in the most recent edition of … [Read more...] about Trump-Russia: A Grand Unified Theory
Cartoon: Sad Putin
What’s behind Italy’s crisis and why it matters
What's behind Italy's crisis and why it matters Giuseppe Conte is Italy’s newest prime minister. AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia Bruno Pellegrino, University of California, Los Angeles Editor’s note: Italy managed to form a government after briefly slipping into political crisis, which sent markets around the world into a panic … [Read more...] about What’s behind Italy’s crisis and why it matters
No Point In Trying To Reason With Democrats
"I see no point in trying to reason with Trump voters." That statement comes from Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. in his column No, it’s not the economy, stupid. Trump supporters fear a black and brown America. In the column, Pitts cites a few examples from the fringe of Trump voters in order to proclaim that Trump voters can't be reasoned with. I'd like for Pitts … [Read more...] about No Point In Trying To Reason With Democrats
A deceptive warning about Canadian drugs
by Maryla Król “Importing drugs from Canada puts every US patient at risk” – so says an advertisement recently uploaded to YouTube by the industry-funded Partnership for Safe Medicines. The film broadcasts a stark warning, supported by images juxtaposing a pristine US drugstore with a gloomy Chinese laboratory, manufacturing medicine in what appear to be decidedly … [Read more...] about A deceptive warning about Canadian drugs
Trump Pardon Bingo (Cartoon and Column)
Usually a president takes his power to pardon very seriously. They take recommendations from the Justice Department after they’ve studied a case for at least two years. Typically, pardons come at the end of a presidential term. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama didn’t issue one pardon between them during their first two years. Trump, on the other hand, issues … [Read more...] about Trump Pardon Bingo (Cartoon and Column)