Catalan separatists are devising nonviolent plans to resist the imposition of direct rule by Madrid. With days to go before the Spanish government secures parliamentary approval to curb Catalonia’s semi-autonomy, separatist leaders are promising to disrupt Madrid’s efforts to shutter their regional government, which could start by the end of the week. Separatists stand firm … [Read more...] about Who Will Blink First — Barcelona or Madrid?
(UPDATED) Donald Trump Didn’t Remember Sergeant La David T. Johnson’s Name, But We Will
It was axiomatic long before Donald Trump became president that anyone who falls into his orbit is cheapened by the experience. And now it is General John Kelly’s turn. By all accounts an exemplary career Marine, Kelly's final act of service to his country — trying to bring order to the dysfunctional West Wing of a White House run by a man deeply unqualified to be … [Read more...] about (UPDATED) Donald Trump Didn’t Remember Sergeant La David T. Johnson’s Name, But We Will
Why patriots can’t serve Trump
WASHINGTON -- The United States is in the middle of a very unfortunate experiment in how disoriented a great nation can become before it loses its moorings entirely. At times, politics seems fairly conventional with Republicans and Democrats arguing about health care and tax cuts, as they long have done. But former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama reminded us last … [Read more...] about Why patriots can’t serve Trump
Australia’s Bad Flu Season Has American Health Officials Worried
Flu season is almost upon us — signs have started appearing in grocery store pharmacies advertising flu shots, and everyone has started stocking up on vitamin C and hand sanitizer. Australia, on the other hand, is currently in the grips of the worst flu season experts have ever seen. If what’s happening there is any indication of what’s to come, the United States better prepare … [Read more...] about Australia’s Bad Flu Season Has American Health Officials Worried
Cartoon: Facists in Florida
What kind of nation have we become that now when we hear George W. Bush speak, we think, how enlightening and refreshing it is. It has become the kind of nation where the current president calls black athletes protesting racism “sons of bitches” and folks marching among Nazis “good people.” When Bush spoke last Thursday, what he said was what our current president is … [Read more...] about Cartoon: Facists in Florida
Catalonia weighs options as Spain ups the stakes
Catalonia's separatists were planning their response Sunday after Spain took drastic steps to stop the region from breaking away by dissolving its separatist government and forcing new elections. Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and his regional executive -- who sparked Spain's worst political crisis in decades by holding a banned independence referendum on October 1 -- will… … [Read more...] about Catalonia weighs options as Spain ups the stakes
Many Americans are broken. Most respond with dignity and patience.
It was just the other morning that I saw and heard the anguished yet determined report of a mother whose soldier-son was killed in that ambush in Niger. The news media, which drowns us with equal parts information and hyperbole, was trying to extract a statement from her—a woman reeling from fresh grief—about whether or not the current president had phoned her. (He … [Read more...] about Many Americans are broken. Most respond with dignity and patience.
Choosing mastectomy as breast cancer treatment
Once upon a time - back in Betty Ford days and earlier - a breast cancer diagnosis had one surgical option: mastectomy, the complete removal of the affected breast. There was no choice. However longevity averages are not improved by mastectomy, single or double, for all but a small percentage of women. Today, breast conserving surgery, a lumpectomy, is usually … [Read more...] about Choosing mastectomy as breast cancer treatment
Donald Dearest:
By KATHLEEN PARKER Washington Post Writers Group Columnmist WASHINGTON -- George W. Bush's speech last week at a forum hosted by his eponymous institute might as well have been titled "Dear Donald." The 43rd president all but called out the current president by name as he lamented the tone and character of today's political rhetoric. "Bigotry seems emboldened," said … [Read more...] about Donald Dearest:
Trump’s the one who didn’t know ‘what he was signing up for’
WASHINGTON -- One person who obviously didn't know "what he was signing up for" is President Trump. Others include Trump voters who believed they were electing a decent human being to be commander in chief. What Trump reportedly said to the grief-stricken widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, who gave his life for his country, is not some kind of minor miscue or media-fueled … [Read more...] about Trump’s the one who didn’t know ‘what he was signing up for’
The enablers of a debased politics
WASHINGTON -- Permit me to confess: I am one of the very last people in the United States who does not consider the word "politician" to be an insult. On the contrary, the work politicians do is important because politics is a good and essential thing in a free society. It's the degradation of politics in the Trump era we need to worry about, not politics itself. "The … [Read more...] about The enablers of a debased politics
Cartoon: Me too part two
Americans are justly outraged over the revelations that Harvey Weinstein spent decades sexually harassing, and maybe, raping actresses. The anger has only intensified as more and more of his victims speak out. It’s even worse now that it’s been revealed his company had clauses in his contract regarding sexual harassment. In Weinstein’s contract, there were stipulations that … [Read more...] about Cartoon: Me too part two
Kelly, who lost son in combat, gives emotional defense of Trump’s calls to military families
WASHINGTON — White House chief of staff John F. Kelly on Thursday gave an emotional defense of Trump's calls to the families of soldiers killed earlier this month in Niger, and assailed a Democratic congresswoman who was among the president's chief critics. Kelly said he was "stunned" and "broken hearted" to see a member of Congress,… … [Read more...] about Kelly, who lost son in combat, gives emotional defense of Trump’s calls to military families
George W. Bush accuses Trump of promoting falsehoods and prejudice
In an extraordinary — albeit veiled — attack, former President George W. Bush delivered a scathing assessment Thursday of President Donald Trump and his policies, suggesting he has promoted bigotry and falsehoods to the detriment of the country and its values. Speaking at a policy seminar in New York, the nation's 43rd president never mentioned Trump… … [Read more...] about George W. Bush accuses Trump of promoting falsehoods and prejudice
Infographics on Xi Jinping’s plans to change the world
Here are the infographics about Xi Jinping’s ideas as published by the Xinhua news agency. Please go to this site: Xi Jinping speech infographics … [Read more...] about Infographics on Xi Jinping’s plans to change the world
China’s Xi Jinping highlights plans to change the world
Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined his plan to change the world away from US and Europe-led ideas towards a home-grown version of Marxist socialism that would be best for global peace and prosperity. Potentially, this is the most potent challenge to Western thought leadership of the global order at a time when American political leaders fight relentlessly among … [Read more...] about China’s Xi Jinping highlights plans to change the world
On the Road, On Opiates
by Thomas Hoffman Tiger Woods was recently featured in a video after being pulled over. He displayed classic symptoms of an intoxicated driver. Woods was unable to walk a straight line, focus on the police officer’s light or perform any of their tests. However, Woods was not under the influence of alcohol. He was under the influence of Vicodin (Hydrocodone), a powerful … [Read more...] about On the Road, On Opiates
Cartoons: Trump Comforter in Chief
Trump: Congresswoman ‘totally fabricated’ my response to Miami Gardens soldier’s widow
MIAMI — President Donald Trump accused a Miami-Dade Democratic congresswoman Wednesday morning of lying about his response to a fallen soldier's widow — that "he knew what he signed up for" — and said he had proof of the conversation. U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, who represents Miami Gardens, "totally fabricated what I said to the wife… … [Read more...] about Trump: Congresswoman ‘totally fabricated’ my response to Miami Gardens soldier’s widow
Trump’s Phone Call To Widow Of Fallen Soldier So ‘Insensitive’ It ‘Made Her Cry’ (VIDEO)
After the stunning silence from Donald Trump over the deaths of the four U.S. soldiers who were ambushed in Niger earlier this month, the so-called president finally called the families of the fallen soldiers. Trump called U.S. Army Sgt. La David Johnson's grieving widow on Tuesday and said that "he knew what he signed up for… … [Read more...] about Trump’s Phone Call To Widow Of Fallen Soldier So ‘Insensitive’ It ‘Made Her Cry’ (VIDEO)