Donald Trump on Saturday appeared to cheer on China's Xi Jinping for paving the way to a limitless tenure, while delivering a lighthearted address at a Florida fundraising event. Trump seemed to jokingly muse over making such power consolidation moves himself, according to audio from the closed-door event at his Mar-a-Lago resort published by news outlet… … [Read more...] about Trump praises China’s Xi for lifetime mandate extension
Trying On A Long View
Four years later ... The image is in the Sierras. Gold rush. This image is a couple hundred feet from the Pacific Ocean in Santa Barbara County. There are lots of similarities. Hundreds of miles apart. Like America. When people, places and things push my buttons I work on changing my attitude. The practice involves pausing and remembering our basic … [Read more...] about Trying On A Long View
WATCH: GOP Senator Forced To Apologize After Calling More Than Half Of America ‘Dumbasses’
On Thursday, Utah Republican Orrin Hatch, who is retiring to make room for Mitt Romney in the US Senate, proved once again that anyone who gets praised by Donald Trump publicly is probably an asshole in private. During a speech to the American Enterprise Institute, a right-wing think tank that's bankrolled countless Republican campaigns over the… … [Read more...] about WATCH: GOP Senator Forced To Apologize After Calling More Than Half Of America ‘Dumbasses’
Jared Kushner’s No Good Very Bad Week
By Graham F. West It's been a rough week in Washington for Jared Kushner. Kushner - a senior advisor to his father-in-law, President Trump - has been formally downgraded from his Top Secret security clearance. As of the time of writing, he appears to be staying in the White House, ostensibly continuing work on his massive portfolio via a temporary clearance of a lesser … [Read more...] about Jared Kushner’s No Good Very Bad Week
Pooping on a mountain is even more complicated than it sounds
Our guide to evacuating ethically in the wilderness. Their bags better be full of poop. DepositPhotos Even most casual hikers know to “pack out” their garbage—burying paper products on the trail in the hopes they'll biodegrade and not cause harm is a naive act. Slightly-less-casual hikers will reluctantly admit that this extends even to used toilet… … [Read more...] about Pooping on a mountain is even more complicated than it sounds
Will Trump’s New Tariffs Start a Trade War?
President Donald Trump finally did something that people were expecting since he came to office: incite an international trade war. On Thursday, Trump announced his plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on all steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports. He pledged that the new tariffs would be signed into law next… … [Read more...] about Will Trump’s New Tariffs Start a Trade War?
President Trump is Coming For Your Guns
The gun lobby has long stoked its constituents with the nightmare scenario of a president who'd swipe their God-given right to own weapons. The NRA frequently warned that Barack Obama was "coming for our guns," and that Hillary Clinton would "come for your guns." The group cringed at the prospect of a president saying something like this: "I like taking the guns early ... Take … [Read more...] about President Trump is Coming For Your Guns
Cartoon: Jared LaLaLa
Why is the NRA boycott working so quickly?
By Jerry Davis, Professor of Management and Sociology, University of Michigan. The boycott of the National Rifle Association following its response to the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, came fast and furious. Car rental companies, airlines, trucking businesses, tech firms, insurers and a bank that issued an NRA-branded credit card all severed their relationships with … [Read more...] about Why is the NRA boycott working so quickly?
Using the courts to destroy unions
WASHINGTON -- Many conservatives believe in the untrammeled rights of employers. Consequently, they despise unions. They also can't stand it that organized labor usually backs Democrats and they especially detest public employee unions which, by their very nature, advocate for government. For decades, these same conservatives criticized the politicization of the courts, … [Read more...] about Using the courts to destroy unions
The visual effects pioneer responsible for the original ‘Star Wars’ thinks movies today may rely too much on effects
There’s this old home movie you can find online. Shot on grainy film in the 1970s, it shows a group of young men and women working with cameras and miniature space ships while doing a lot of goofing around in front of the camera. They’re working on the special effects for a film the world doesn’t… … [Read more...] about The visual effects pioneer responsible for the original ‘Star Wars’ thinks movies today may rely too much on effects
Cartoons: Gun Sense
We shouldn’t disregard the ideas that come from teens’ developing brains
Teens may be works in progress, but they help society evolve. They're quite aware of what they're going through. Wikimedia Commons When the students of Stoneman Douglas High School started class on February 14, it seemed to be a Valentine’s Day like any other. But by 2:30 p.m., it was clear it was a day that… … [Read more...] about We shouldn’t disregard the ideas that come from teens’ developing brains
Wing Nuts (Cartoon, Column and Video)
Remember when Republicans used to be pro-national defense and security? Remember when they stood for family values? Remember when they were against huge deficits? Remember when they supported law enforcement? Here’s a new one: Remember when they were pro-business? What? Republicans are no longer supportive of business? Not in Georgia, if the choice is between business and … [Read more...] about Wing Nuts (Cartoon, Column and Video)
Hope Hicks, Trump’s longest-serving aide, resigns from White House
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's communications director and close aide Hope Hicks announced her resignation Wednesday and will leave the West Wing in a few weeks, White House officials said. Her departure comes a day after she refused to answer questions from the House Intelligence Committee and at the end of a rocky month during which… … [Read more...] about Hope Hicks, Trump’s longest-serving aide, resigns from White House
Causes of Polarization and Partisanship
Increased partisanship and polarization of the nation’s political parties and America itself has been a dominant topic in political discussions for a while, the question being how to reduce partisanship to allow government to function better. What is responsible for the growth of polarization and partisanship when polls seem to show that centrists and moderates are the nation’s … [Read more...] about Causes of Polarization and Partisanship
Window On The Russia Scandal: Why Tuesday Was A Large Day Bordering On The Huge
If you are following the Russia scandal, which an increasing number of concerned Americans apparently are, Tuesday was a large day bordering on the huge. In the span of a few short hours, we were provided a window into why the scandal is not going away, is increasingly engulfing the First Family, and further confirmation that the U.S. is basically defenseless as Russia … [Read more...] about Window On The Russia Scandal: Why Tuesday Was A Large Day Bordering On The Huge
Cartoons: Kids v Boomers
Don’t let the absurd ploy to arm teachers distract you
By EUGENE ROBINSON WASHINGTON -- The deliberately outrageous idea of arming classroom teachers is nothing more than a distraction, a ploy by the gun lobby to buy time for passions to cool. Don't get sidetracked. Keep the focus where it belongs -- on keeping military-style assault rifles out of civilian hands. The National Rifle Association and its vassals in the … [Read more...] about Don’t let the absurd ploy to arm teachers distract you
