China will create a bastion for giant pandas three times the size of Yellowstone National Park to link up and encourage breeding among existing wild populations of the notoriously slow-reproducing animal, state media reported Thursday. At least 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) has been secured over the next five years for construction of the Giant Panda… … [Read more...] about China plans panda park that will dwarf Yellowstone
Finally, Trump does something Republicans can’t stomach
WASHINGTON -- What would it take for Republicans to turn against Donald Trump? Now, finally, we know. For nearly three years, Republican lawmakers have stood with Trump, offering only isolated protest, through all manner of outrage. Disparaging Mexican immigrants. Videotaped boasts about sexually assaulting women. Alleging that his predecessor put a wiretap on him. … [Read more...] about Finally, Trump does something Republicans can’t stomach
That ridiculous voice we use to talk to dogs? They actually love it, paper shows
A high-pitched voice and exaggerated emotion when interacting with a dog will get you a long way, science says. Image credits Besno Pile. University of York researchers say that the way we speak to our dog-friends is a key relationship building element between pet and owner. The effect is similar to how ‘baby-talk' helps adults bond… … [Read more...] about That ridiculous voice we use to talk to dogs? They actually love it, paper shows
Team Trump Braces for More Stormy weather
[twitter name="name"] It's surely the dream of every red-blooded American kid to grow up and be sued by a porn star. Remember a million years ago, when right-wing moralists assailed President Obama for diminishing the dignity of the office by putting a foot against his desk and wearing a tan suit? Good times, good times. We can't begin to imagine what they would've said … [Read more...] about Team Trump Braces for More Stormy weather
Cartoon: Trump Chaos
No, Cowboys And Cowgirls, Texas Is Not Turning Blue
Stop buying the hype. Stop drinking the Kool-Aid. Stop paying attention to the fake news from liberal media sources. Texas is Red, Red, Red! And that likely won’t change in 2018. It’s not going blue. It’s not going purple. It’s red. Yep, Pardner, Democrats increased their participation in yesterday’s primaries by roughly 105%, while Republican participation increased only … [Read more...] about No, Cowboys And Cowgirls, Texas Is Not Turning Blue
Cartoon: Collusion
Twitter Laughs Its A$$ Off When Trump Says ‘Everybody Wants To Work’ At The White House
Donald Trump held a joint press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven Tuesday afternoon, and at one point when he was asked about all of the turnover in the staff at the White House and attracting suitable replacements, Trump commented: "Everybody wants to work in the White House. Everybody wants to be there, and they… … [Read more...] about Twitter Laughs Its A$$ Off When Trump Says ‘Everybody Wants To Work’ At The White House
The “Pure Madness” of Our Vigilante President
Trump and the NRA leadership’s disdain for schools as “gun free zones”—as if the idea of an educational safe haven is somehow ludicrous—is equally abhorrent, like an arsonist cynically making fun of a flameproof building and simultaneously passing out lighter fluid to show how to make it burn. by Michael Winship Trying to write about the current resident of the White … [Read more...] about The “Pure Madness” of Our Vigilante President
US to Allow Limited Import of Trophy-Hunted Elephants
The Interior Department has opened the door for trophy hunters to again bring back elephant parts from Zimbabwe, even while President Donald Trump calls elephant hunting a "horror show." With no fanfare, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke issued a letter saying officials will review requests to import elephant parts on a "case-by-case" basis. The Obama administration banned… … [Read more...] about US to Allow Limited Import of Trophy-Hunted Elephants
Very Bad News For Trump: Maximum Bob Can Walk & Chew Gum At The Same Time
One of the few certainties about the Russia scandal is that the news media keeps misunderestimating (to use one of Dubya's favorite words) what Special Counsel Robert Mueller is going to do next and to whom. Exhibit A in this regard is Donald Trump's vulnerability. It is widely assumed that Mueller can go after Trump for obstruction of justice, and some pundits correctly … [Read more...] about Very Bad News For Trump: Maximum Bob Can Walk & Chew Gum At The Same Time
What Trump is breaking will take long to repair
WASHINGTON -- As the saying goes, you don't miss the water until the well runs dry: This deeply aberrant presidency threatens to cost the nation much more than even some of Donald Trump's harshest critics may realize. From 1988-1992, I was The Washington Post's correspondent in Buenos Aires, covering all of South America. It was a time when countries such as Argentina, … [Read more...] about What Trump is breaking will take long to repair
Great Music – Chapter 10
In this week’s Chapter of Great Music, I picked an iconic song, HALLELUJAH by Canadian singer-songwriter, Leonard Cohen, and a fairly unknown singer by the name of K.D. Lang. I’ve heard numerous versions of this song performed by Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright and others but K.D. Lang’s version captures the emotion of the song better than anyone. Unfortunately, this song would … [Read more...] about Great Music – Chapter 10
Nunberg Meltdown (Cartoon, Column and Video)
This week, we got a full dose of a prime example of the best people Donald Trump hires. I woke up to Sam Nunberg talking to Katy Tur on MSNBC. I thought to myself, is this being taken seriously? Then, I found out it wasn’t his first appearance on MSNBC or with Tur, as he had done a phone interview earlier in the day. He also appeared on CNN, MSNBC again, and then CNN again. … [Read more...] about Nunberg Meltdown (Cartoon, Column and Video)
Is Devin Nunes Just Dangerous, Or Is He Dirty As Well?
By Blair Bess Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), the unintelligent chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, continues to pose a clear and present danger to America. Nunes babbles on, divulging delicate information and claiming there is no evidence to support a Russian plot to influence the 2016 presidential election and American public opinion in general. This … [Read more...] about Is Devin Nunes Just Dangerous, Or Is He Dirty As Well?
Economists warn Trump’s policies will start a 1930s-era trade war
Many economists are sounding alarm bells over President Donald Trump's apparent push toward protectionism and an all-out retaliatory trade war. They say history is clear: It's a bad idea. The Great Depression pushed millions of Americans into catastrophic poverty — which lasted for years. Savings were wiped out. Unemployment reached 25 percent, and in an age… … [Read more...] about Economists warn Trump’s policies will start a 1930s-era trade war
Gary Cohn, Trump’s top economic advisor, is quitting
The Trump administration not-so-Merry Go Round continues: Gary Cohn, who has served as President Donald Trump’s chief economic adviser since last year, is quitting. Reports say it's over a)general frustration b)Trump's refusal to ditch Trump’s planned tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Trump is ignoring his own advisers and many GOPers on his plan, which many predict will … [Read more...] about Gary Cohn, Trump’s top economic advisor, is quitting
President Trump is blessedly weak
WASHINGTON -- In the category of small mercies, let us file this one: As strongmen go, President Trump has proved to be blessedly weak. It isn't, apparently, for lack of ambition. The president, who has never been stingy in praising the world's dictators, engaged in that favorite pastime again Saturday night before a friendly audience in what was supposed to be a private … [Read more...] about President Trump is blessedly weak
The cost of our war on public life
NEW YORK -- We didn't fully realize just how hard it was to be president until we had one with no idea of what it takes to do the job. We didn't appreciate having a government that was relatively honest and free of venality until we had one riddled with corruption. And we didn't know how wildly irresponsible Republican criticisms of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were … [Read more...] about The cost of our war on public life
Will the United States ever get back on a bipartisan ‘Middle Way?’
By Lou Galambos, Professor of History, Johns Hopkins University. Bipartisan laughter: Eisenhower with GOP Sen. William Knowland and Democratic Sen. Lyndon Johnson. Our nation has been ripped apart by political discord, ad hominem attacks and deep rifts between the dominant political parties. But history provides a lesson about how the United States can return to bipartisanship… … [Read more...] about Will the United States ever get back on a bipartisan ‘Middle Way?’