A frustrated, seething liberal author, Kevin Baker, recently wrote an essay for The New Republic in which he engaged in an elaborate political fantasy in which Blue States in the Trump era would withdraw from the federal system as much as possible to create their own separate American states. Baker called it a “virtual secession,” or a “Bluexit,” a play on words relating to … [Read more...] about Don’t like the politics in your neighborhood? Move a few blocks away
San Diego Must Put The Brakes on Illegal Marijuana Delivery Services (Guest Voice)
By Monte Jones SAN DIEGO -- The illegal marijuana industry is flourishing under the noses of local lawmakers. The number of illegal marijuana delivery services operating in the City of San Diego has exploded over the past two years. Today, 125 illegal marijuana delivery services are open for business, more than twice the number from April 2014, when 59 were operational. … [Read more...] about San Diego Must Put The Brakes on Illegal Marijuana Delivery Services (Guest Voice)
I WANT MY WAY WEEK: National Health Care Decisions Week (Guest Voice)
I WANT MY WAY WEEK (National HealthCare Decisions Week (nhdd.org), April 16-22) by Kim Mooney Why should you think about getting your way? And why did I put it in all caps? It sounds like I’m yelling. Or at least speaking assertively. I guess I am. We all have probably heard by now that it’s sooooooo important to think about the end of your life now, to have a health … [Read more...] about I WANT MY WAY WEEK: National Health Care Decisions Week (Guest Voice)
Hell To The Chief: Donald Trump’s Disastrous First Hundred Days As President
The first 100 days of the Donald Trump presidency have been an unmitigated disaster. Our penchant for anniversaries dictates a ritualistic pause-and-reflect moment as each president reaches that milestone. Barack Obama and George W. Bush, like their predecessors receding back into the mists of the last century, got mixed marks at 100 days, while Trump's three month-plus … [Read more...] about Hell To The Chief: Donald Trump’s Disastrous First Hundred Days As President
Cartoons: Scenes from a Russian restaurant
I suppose you can argue that one person with a connection to Russian spies is not indicative of the practices of a campaign. OK, two is a coincidence. Oh, look, there’s another coincidence…and another…and, oh c’mon!!! What is it with Trump and Russia? He can’t criticize Putin at all. Even last week when he said our relations with Russia are at an “all-time low,” yet he … [Read more...] about Cartoons: Scenes from a Russian restaurant
Trump’s Backdoor Attempt To De-Fund Social Security
President Trump has sort of scrapped his tax plan that he actually campaigned on, and instead, he and the Republicans are going to kind of go item by item, make individual tax cuts here and there, threatening countless government-sponsored programs, but one program that could take a significant hit, affecting millions of American citizens, is Social… … [Read more...] about Trump’s Backdoor Attempt To De-Fund Social Security
(BREAKING UPDATES) North Korea: An ‘Unpredictable’ Weekend Looms
Note: This post will be updated periodically as events warrant. UPDATE V: In what could be called, ”the plot thickens,” The Salt Lake Tribune reports: China and Russia have dispatched intelligence-gathering vessels from their navies to chase the USS Carl Vinson nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which is heading toward waters near the Korean Peninsula, multiple … [Read more...] about (BREAKING UPDATES) North Korea: An ‘Unpredictable’ Weekend Looms
For Democrats, Georgia’s Sixth Congressional District Offers Test Of Strength Of Trump Backlash
The Spring following a presidential election cycle is usually recovery time for campaign analysts and staff. It is not typically the time for races with potentially national significance to break out. But President Trump's decision to name four House members to his cabinet have created opportunities. This past week saw a special election in Kansas where Democrats lost by seven … [Read more...] about For Democrats, Georgia’s Sixth Congressional District Offers Test Of Strength Of Trump Backlash
Terror won’t win
Rachel Sharansky Danziger A few weeks back, I boarded the light rail train with my 6-year-old son, and thought that nothing captures Jerusalem better than the light rail train. You have to wait for it. Jerusalem is a place of waiting, and yearning, and praying for one redemption or another. (One could even say that waiting… … [Read more...] about Terror won’t win
Daryl Cagle Cartoon: United Airlines
In Defense of George W. Bush (Guest Voice)
98 percent of historians from the History Channel said George W. Bush’s presidency was a failure. 61 percent of these historians said he was the worst president ever in American history. I beg to differ about this. George W. Bush has cut taxes for all, created agencies to protect our homeland from terrorism, and has placed minorities in the shining foyer of American … [Read more...] about In Defense of George W. Bush (Guest Voice)
Wither Turkish democracy: Erdogan wins historic referendum
By Tuvan Gumrukcu and Humeyra Pamuk ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan celebrated what he said was a clear result in a referendum on Sunday to grant him sweeping new powers, but opponents said they would challenge the vote count which gave a narrow 51.3 percent lead to Erdogan's supporters. Nearly all ballots had been opened for counting, state-run … [Read more...] about Wither Turkish democracy: Erdogan wins historic referendum
Cartoon: Russian Hackers
Inside Russia’s Alternate Media Reality
On April 11, the White House released an intelligence report accusing Russia of trying to cover up the use of chemical weapons by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad through a global disinformation campaign replete with “false narratives.” As a professor of Soviet history with an interest in media studies, I’ve been following Russia’s response to the chemical… … [Read more...] about Inside Russia’s Alternate Media Reality
Turkey Votes in Divisive Referendum
Turks are voting in a referendum to turn the country’s government into a powerful executive presidency from the current parliamentary system. The vote has been dubbed the most important in the 84-year republic’s history. The referendum has divided the nation with both supporters and opponents arguing the future of the country is at stake. In the… … [Read more...] about Turkey Votes in Divisive Referendum
Cartoon: Steve Bannon credentials
Enjoy a glorious rainbow of incredible bug photographs
Nature comes in all colors Sam Droge USGSBIML Velvet ants aren't the only bugs to come in a rainbow of colors. Flowers are fantastic, rainbows are ravishing, but bugs are often neglected as being creepy and crawly, when in reality they're remarkably colorful. Enjoy scrolling through a rainbow of bugs. Sam Droge USGSBIML This Chlamisine chrysomelid… … [Read more...] about Enjoy a glorious rainbow of incredible bug photographs
SNL: Alec Baldwin as Trump looking over first 100 days (Video)
Alec Baldwin was back on SNL in the cold opening portraying Donald Trump looking over his first 100 days. Extra bonuses: Beck Bennett as Vice President Mike Pence and Jimmy Fallon as Trump's all-powerful son-in-law Jared Kushner -- and a very special depiction of Steve Bannon (which the real Trump and Kushner may not like in terms of image). All against the backdrop of a spoof … [Read more...] about SNL: Alec Baldwin as Trump looking over first 100 days (Video)
Fate of the Furious review
(Taken from the Chocolate Films blog) I’m not a Fast and Furious fan – I need to be transparent about that fact. I don’t like a single film in the franchise. I honestly can’t even begrudgingly call a single entry in the eight (EIGHT!) deep series good – I just can’t do it. So instead of spending time bitching about F8, I thought I would state five positive things about … [Read more...] about Fate of the Furious review
The futile vanities of Trump’s “mother of all bombs”
President Donald Trump’s “mother or all bombs” – the world’s biggest non-nuclear weapon – dropped on remote mountains in unfortunate Afghanistan has pulverized rocks, shattered local ecology and destroyed the habitat of rare animal and other species. It completely shattered everything in a one-mile radius and has affected life in an almost 30-mile periphery. It may also … [Read more...] about The futile vanities of Trump’s “mother of all bombs”