Workers from the Spanish nonprofit Open Waters rescue 178 migrants from different countries, off the coast of Italy in September 2023. Jose Colon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Tara Sonenshine, Tufts University As record-high numbers of undocumented migrants cross the United States-Mexico border illegally, one key question is how the U.S. got into … [Read more...] about The US is struggling to handle an immigration surge – here’s how Europe is dealing with its own influx
FROZEN (CARTOON, COLUMN AND VIDEO)
There were expectations that the blizzard hitting Iowa would decrease turnout for the Republican caucuses on Monday. The political and weather prognosticators were right. Iowans talk about how tough they are and how they’re used to the cold January weather, but since these particular Iowans are Republicans, they’re liars. The turnout for the caucuses was 110,000 which is … [Read more...] about FROZEN (CARTOON, COLUMN AND VIDEO)
Women presidential candidates like Nikki Haley are more likely to change their positions to reach voters – but this doesn’t necessarily pay off
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley greets supporters on Jan. 3, 2024, at a bar in Londonderry, N.H. Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Shawn J. Parry-Giles, University of Maryland and David Kaufer, Carnegie Mellon University While Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has said that she is “very pro-life,” she has also said … [Read more...] about Women presidential candidates like Nikki Haley are more likely to change their positions to reach voters – but this doesn’t necessarily pay off
Watch: The Lincoln Project’s Brutal Anti-Trump Video Ad: “So God Made a Dictator”
This is the Lincoln Project's brutal new video about Donald Trump: "So God Made a Dictator" which is getting lots of attention on social media and was aired on MSNBC's Morning Joe this morning: >/center> Of related interest: The Ruin That a Trump Presidency Would Mean … [Read more...] about Watch: The Lincoln Project’s Brutal Anti-Trump Video Ad: “So God Made a Dictator”
Fake Immunity (Cartoon, Column and Video)
' It’s very hard to argue that Donald Trump is innocent of trying to steal the 2020 election he lost to Joe Biden. There’s a recording of Trump and Republican National Committee Chairperson Ronna McDaniel pressuring the Wayne County Board of Canvassers in Michigan not to certify the results there despite no evidence of fraud. There’s a recording of Trump pressuring … [Read more...] about Fake Immunity (Cartoon, Column and Video)
DONALD TRUMP’S SLIP IS SHOWING.
by Don Hermann Columnist Maybe he’s spending too much time on his hair. By his own admission he devotes a minimum of an hour a day coiffing his yellow locks. Do the math, that’s 365 days x 60 minutes a day give you 21,900 minutes in a year. That’s a minimum. You don’t think he’s going to short change his goldilocks. Priorities are important, right. Especially for a … [Read more...] about DONALD TRUMP’S SLIP IS SHOWING.
Why is one California bill making waves in the energy industry?
Over the last 20 years, California assembled new committees that have been advancing some impactful, sweeping legislation regarding energy efficiency and environmental progress. The most recent proposals reinforce previous attempts to make the state more carbon-friendly and less taxing on the planet by reducing power consumption and converting to renewables. What are these … [Read more...] about Why is one California bill making waves in the energy industry?
THE AGE PROBLEM (CARTOON)
Misinformation: how fact-checking journalism is evolving – and having a real impact on the world
Peter Cunliffe-Jones, University of Westminster and Lucas Graves, University of Wisconsin-Madison “Fake news” loves a crisis. It’s clear now that false information has played a role in recent events around the world from divisive elections to the COVID pandemic to the conflict roiling Israel and Gaza. It is important to counter false claims and false narratives. And … [Read more...] about Misinformation: how fact-checking journalism is evolving – and having a real impact on the world
Trump passes major election test with easy win in Iowa
Published by AFPDes Moines (United States) (AFP) - Donald Trump romped to a lightning-quick victory Monday in Iowa's caucuses -- the first vote in the US presidential race -- cementing his status as the presumptive Republican standard-bearer to challenge President Joe Biden in November's election. The former president has led polling for more than a year, but the contest was … [Read more...] about Trump passes major election test with easy win in Iowa
What is a nominating caucus? What do Trump’s Iowa supporters think and believe?
Tonight, all across Iowa, Republican voters are gathering in churches, libraries and school gyms to cast their votes for the Iowa Republican Party's nominee for President. We know this as "the Iowa caucus." Caucuses, however, are exclusive meetings for "strategic purposes." That might be legal mediation, or it could be political party discussions, whether involving elected … [Read more...] about What is a nominating caucus? What do Trump’s Iowa supporters think and believe?
Should the Boeing deferred prosecution for 737 MAX 8 fatal crashes be rescinded?
On Friday, 05 January 2024, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 blew out a door plug on an Alaska flight shortly after take off. It may have blown up a deferred prosecution as well. The next day, 06 January 2024, was the three-year anniversary of an illegally negotiated deferred criminal prosecution between the Trump Department of Justice and Boeing. Boeing admitted that it had "deceived" … [Read more...] about Should the Boeing deferred prosecution for 737 MAX 8 fatal crashes be rescinded?
US-UK airstrikes risk strengthening Houthi rebels’ position in Yemen and the region
Houthi supporters rally in Yemen following U.S.-U.K. airstrikes. Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images Mahad Darar, Colorado State University The U.S.- and U.K.-led strikes on the rebel Houthi group in Yemen represent a dramatic new turn in the Middle East conflict – one that could have implications throughout the region. The attacks of Jan. 11, 2024, hit … [Read more...] about US-UK airstrikes risk strengthening Houthi rebels’ position in Yemen and the region
The Republican Party’s Dangerous New Rhetoric Around Immigration
by Chris Jennewein Former President Trump vows to erect giant “deportation camps” if re-elected. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott muses about ordering law enforcement to shoot migrants. The Republican Party’s rhetoric around immigration is growing increasingly vile. Trump tells rallies that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country” in an echo of Nazi rhetoric and plans … [Read more...] about The Republican Party’s Dangerous New Rhetoric Around Immigration
NASA and NOAA agree: 2023 was the hottest year on record
“The heat over the last calendar year was a dramatic message from Mother Nature,” University of Arizona climate scientist Katharine Jacobs told Associated Press. According to NASA, the global average temperature last year was 1.17ºC (ºF) above the 1951-1980 baseline and 1.39ºC (2.5ºF) hotter than the pre-industrial baseline (mid-19th century, 1850, when records … [Read more...] about NASA and NOAA agree: 2023 was the hottest year on record
MAGA’S ROSE ED GLASSES (CARTOON)
TRUMP IS ALREADY WORKING TO UNDERMINE THE NEXT ELECTION
Donald Trump took a break from the campaign trail earlier this week to watch one of his flunky lawyers contend in court that any and all crimes he may have committed in office are hereby magically excused because he was acting in his role as monarch el supremo. I listened to the entire audio of the federal appeals court hearing – no cameras, alas – and it was perversely … [Read more...] about TRUMP IS ALREADY WORKING TO UNDERMINE THE NEXT ELECTION
How Ecuador went from being Latin America’s model of stability to a nation in crisis
Ecuador looks set to entrust its anti-gang fight to the military. Franklin Jacome/Agencia Press South/Getty Images Eduardo Gamarra, Florida International University Ecuador was until relatively recently seen as one of the safest countries in Latin America. That reputation has surely now been destroyed. On Jan. 9, 2024, images of hooded gunmen … [Read more...] about How Ecuador went from being Latin America’s model of stability to a nation in crisis
Where’s Lloyd Austin? (Cartoon, Column and Video)
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin kinda went missing. At first, we were told he was in Walter Reed’s intensive care unit for “complications from an elective procedure.” Then we found out yesterday that the secretary had surgery for prostate cancer on December 22, and had to return on January 1 due to complications. We all wish him the best, well, most of us, and doctors say he’s … [Read more...] about Where’s Lloyd Austin? (Cartoon, Column and Video)
In the ‘big tent’ of free speech, can you be too open-minded?
In the ‘big tent’ philosophy of free speech, the more views, the better. But how does that hold up in practice? imageBROKER/Manuel Kamuf via Getty Images John Corvino, Wayne State University People often extol the virtue of open-mindedness, but can there be too much of a good thing? As a college dean, I regularly observe campus controversies about … [Read more...] about In the ‘big tent’ of free speech, can you be too open-minded?