Today, on a day when at least nine more young lives were snuffed out suddenly, horrifically and way prematurely by “humans” with guns in my home state, I – I am sure along with thousands of others – received this heartfelt letter from two persons who know the horror of gun fire. Instead of offering the now-perfunctory “thoughts and prayers,” I would like to share their words … [Read more...] about Another School Shooting: ‘Thoughts and prayers are not nearly enough.’
A Tsunami of Evil
It's tough to even know where to begin. But let's start here: Trump personally pushed postmaster general to double rates on Amazon, other firms Washington Post President Trump has personally pushed U.S. Postmaster General Megan Brennan to double the rate the Postal Service charges Amazon.com and other firms to ship packages, according to three people familiar … Heck, … [Read more...] about A Tsunami of Evil
U.S. Politics: Everyone’s Gone Cuckoo
A scene in an American cartoon summarizes the current state of U.S. politics. In the scene, the show's main protagonist declares, "Everyone's gone cuckoo," while running through mayhem. I have witnessed so much political lunacy coming from all sides that I want to do as SpongeBob does: I want to say to every politician and political pundit . . . The … [Read more...] about U.S. Politics: Everyone’s Gone Cuckoo
The Profiteer- in-Chief Goes belly Up for China
The U.S. Constitution has been reduced to a scrap of parchment, rendered irrelevant by the profiteer-in-chief. President Trump relentlessly railed against China on the campaign trail ("It's the greatest theft in the history of the world, what they've done to the United States, they've taken our jobs!"), but days ago he suddenly tweeted his desire to save ZTE, China's … [Read more...] about The Profiteer- in-Chief Goes belly Up for China
Politicians aren’t as dumb as we think
WASHINGTON -- Let's posit three rules of political analysis. First, data are better than presuppositions. Second, actual votes cast can tell us more than the polls. Third, even when we carefully examine the facts, we're all vulnerable to seeking confirmation of what we believed in the first place. On the basis of these rules, some widely accepted assumptions about our … [Read more...] about Politicians aren’t as dumb as we think
Maximum Bob Mueller Indictment Watch: Fredo Sinks Deeper In The Collusion Cauldron
Practically from the moment we learned of the infamous June 9, 2016 Trump Tower sitdown convened by Donald "Fredo" Trump Jr. to get dirt on Hillary Clinton from a lawyer with close Kremlin ties, it has been less a meeting than a big smoking gun and on its face ample proof that the Trump campaign was delighted to collude with Russia in its cybersabotage of the Hillary Clinton … [Read more...] about Maximum Bob Mueller Indictment Watch: Fredo Sinks Deeper In The Collusion Cauldron
What Happened Near Tongo Tongo, Niger, the Night of October 4? (UPDATED)
UPDATE: A video produced by DoD and used to brief members of Congress on the October 2017 Niger ambush that killed four US soldiers has been released to news media. The video includes extensive details about the mission and the attack on the 12-member team and their partner Nigerien force, according to CNN. CNN shows part of the video here. The part shown by CNN is … [Read more...] about What Happened Near Tongo Tongo, Niger, the Night of October 4? (UPDATED)
Hey, Democrats, what’s the big idea? No, really. What’s the big idea?
WASHINGTON -- A dozen possible Democratic presidential candidates assembled at a downtown Washington hotel Tuesday for one of the first cattle calls of the 2020 campaign. The good news: There were, on that stage, all of the personal qualities and policy ideas needed to defeat President Trump. The bad news: These qualities and ideas were not in any one person. The perfect … [Read more...] about Hey, Democrats, what’s the big idea? No, really. What’s the big idea?
Studying poop samples, scientists find clues on health and disease
Though examining poop samples scientists working on the American Gut Project are getting a new perspective on the microbes in our guts. By Christos Georghiou/Shutterstock.com Daniel McDonald, University of California San Diego Have you ever wondered what’s going on in your poop? Perhaps not. But this is precisely what we think about every day at the … [Read more...] about Studying poop samples, scientists find clues on health and disease
Cartoon: Trump, Sadler and Loyalty
Mike Slosberg is a cartoonist and novelist. He lives with his wife and hundreds of drawing pens on the Upper Westside of Manhattan, New York. You can see more of his cartoons and learn about his books by going to: mikeslosbergbooks.com … [Read more...] about Cartoon: Trump, Sadler and Loyalty
The Gaza Strip – What Next?
Most of you have encountered news and vivid photos of the recent Israeli-Gaza violence. It is a difficult issue to try to explain to anyone not intimately involved in the conflict. Most news and commentary boils down to it is all Israel’s fault or all Hamas’s fault. It is a conflict that cries out for rational mediation but such an effort may be a long time coming. It has … [Read more...] about The Gaza Strip – What Next?
US embassy in Jerusalem opens amid violence: 4 essential reads
Palestinian protesters evacuate a wounded youth in the Gaza Strip. AP Photo/Adel Hana Danielle Douez, The Conversation On May 14, the day the U.S. embassy in Israel moved to Jerusalem, at least 55 Palestinians were killed and 2,700 wounded by Israeli soldiers amid protest at Israel’s border, according to The New York Times. What began as … [Read more...] about US embassy in Jerusalem opens amid violence: 4 essential reads
Hush Money
Copyright 2018 David Donar. All rights reserved. Copyright Donar, Political Graffiti … [Read more...] about Hush Money
Malaria Is One of the Most Serious Public Health Crises Facing the World
When many people think of malaria, they form a mental picture of people in Panama hats hacking through the jungle way back in colonial times. Many Americans assume malaria is a disease of the past, or at least of a faraway somewhere. However, this could not be further from the truth. Indeed, malaria remains a major public health threat endangering the lives of millions of … [Read more...] about Malaria Is One of the Most Serious Public Health Crises Facing the World
U.S.-Russia Relations: The More Things Change The More They Remain The Same
There has been one drearily reliable constant in U.S.-Russian relations over the past 25 years: The Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations have come into office committed to improving relations with Moscow and each has not merely failed, but failed spectacularly, while the Trump administration also is well on the way to going off the rails with America's former Cold War … [Read more...] about U.S.-Russia Relations: The More Things Change The More They Remain The Same
I, too, am a real American
WASHINGTON -- The most offensive and corrosive idea in our politics today is that some Americans are more "real" than others. Don't you dare buy it. Republicans are cynically peddling this un-American conceit. "Real Americans" elected and continue to support President Trump, they claim, in defiance of snooty "coastal elites" who are hopelessly out of touch with the country. … [Read more...] about I, too, am a real American
Cartoon: Embassy
Why bullshit hurts democracy more than lies
Why is bullshit so harmful? Ted Eytan, CC BY-SA Michael Blake, University of Washington Since the inauguration of Donald Trump as president, members of his administration have made many statements best described as misleading. During the administration’s first week, then-press secretary Sean Spicer claimed that Trump’s inauguration was the most well … [Read more...] about Why bullshit hurts democracy more than lies
Stop with Demands for Trump to Apologize (With a ‘Non-Edit’)
“Non-Edit” A book by Major A. J. Straley refers to George Washington as an “Exemplar-in-Chief” because of the “indelible influence on the nature and character of the early Continental Army [Washington had], an influence that set the precedence and affected how the United States military would interact with civil authority under the new institution of a democratic … [Read more...] about Stop with Demands for Trump to Apologize (With a ‘Non-Edit’)
Dissing McCain (Cartoon, Column and Video)
In a White House meeting on Thursday, Trump aide Kelly Sadler reacted to news that Senator John McCain opposed Gina Haspel for CIA Director by saying, “he’s dying anyway.” Three sources confirmed Sadler’s comment to the press. The White House has refused to deny the comment was made. They’ve also refused to discipline or fire Sadler, or even apologize for the comment. And … [Read more...] about Dissing McCain (Cartoon, Column and Video)