Seventy years after its publication John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men continues to stimulate debate, pro and con, about the death penalty. But justifying capital punishment was the last thing on the mind of the author, a liberal thinker who created the character of Lennie to increase our understanding of the mentally challenged and the American underclass. As a defense attorney … [Read more...] about Off Limits: Of Mice and Men and the Death Penalty Today
Republicans are the Masters of Not Getting Over Things
And now a few choice words for all Republicans advising Democrats to "stop whining about the election and get over it." Oh, really. Get over losing a presidential election to a high-strung petulant flake soon to be in possession of the nuclear codes? Get over a man destined to be leader of the Free World tweeting frivolous 3 am insults at Alec Baldwin? Exactly how does one … [Read more...] about Republicans are the Masters of Not Getting Over Things
Cartoons: Inauguration Day
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Cartoons: Inauguration Day
Drum: Clinton E-mail Scandal was BS
Kevin Drum goes through a detailed timeline of the Clinton e-mail scandal and concludes it was overblown bullsh*t on Mother Jones. As near as I can tell, Hillary Clinton did nothing wrong. Period. No shilly shallying, no caveats. It's true that the optics were sometimes bad, and the whole affair showed off Clinton's political instincts at their worst. But that's it. Both … [Read more...] about Drum: Clinton E-mail Scandal was BS
News Blues in a New World
This communication is not fake. But how would you know. My claiming it’s real means nothing. In fact, even the president claiming that what he says, or tweets, is real, means nothing. However, a large percentage of people in the United States believe the president’s declarations. Why not? In normal times, that would be reasonable. But these are not normal times, and this is … [Read more...] about News Blues in a New World
U.S. government loses to Russia’s disinformation campaign: advisors
By Joseph Menn (Reuters) - The U.S. government spent more than a decade preparing responses to malicious hacking by a foreign power but had no clear strategy when Russia launched a disinformation campaign over the internet during the U.S. election campaign, current and former White House cyber security advisers said. Far more effort has gone into plotting offensive … [Read more...] about U.S. government loses to Russia’s disinformation campaign: advisors
Cartoon: Ambassador Assassination
Ambassador Assassination by Clay Jones On Monday a Turkish police officer posing as a member of a security detail walked up behind the Russian ambassador to Turkey and shot him in the back at an art gallery in Ankara. As ambassador Andrei Karlov lay dying on the floor the gunman shouted “Don’t forget Aleppo! Don’t forget Syria!” The image was captured in photos and video … [Read more...] about Cartoon: Ambassador Assassination
Ethanol Program Fuels Unintended Consequences for Wildlife
Ethanol Program Fuels Unintended Consequences for Wildlife by Eric Galatas DENVER – U.S. farmers have plowed under more than seven million acres of wildlife habitat, mostly to grow corn needed to produce ethanol gasoline, according to a new report by the National Wildlife Federation. David DeGennaro, an Agriculture Policy Specialist and the report's author, said the … [Read more...] about Ethanol Program Fuels Unintended Consequences for Wildlife
SYRIAN CHILD WHO TWEETED AMID BOMBING SURVIVES
Syrian child who tweeted amid bombing survives by Miriam Raftery SAN DIEGO'S EAST COUNTY -- Seven-year-old Bana Alabed’s tweets during the fall of Aleppo, Syria, have drawn global attention to the plight of people trapped in the city in recent weeks, drawing comparisons to the diary of Anne Frank. An anguished plea during recent bombings, followed by days of silence, led … [Read more...] about SYRIAN CHILD WHO TWEETED AMID BOMBING SURVIVES
Trump on Dope: legal and psychological thoughts on the future of marijuana laws.
Trump on Dope: legal and psychological thoughts on the future of marijuana laws by David Anderson During the madness of last month, other things happened. One was a partial retreat in the War on Drugs, marijuana division. A quick review of recent changes from voter actions – Locally (where most laws effecting our lives are made) in North Dakota, Montana, Alabama, … [Read more...] about Trump on Dope: legal and psychological thoughts on the future of marijuana laws.
Trump’s Broken Promise Will Doom Thousands Of His Voters
Not long ago, Americans learned that the average life expectancy for white people in this country - those most likely to have voted for Donald Trump - actually declined for the first time in many years. The pathologies and frustrations believed to have driven that decline may have motivated the tiny handful of votes that gave… … [Read more...] about Trump’s Broken Promise Will Doom Thousands Of His Voters
Bill Clinton’s Bitter Blather
Ex-POTUS Bill Clinton is bitter about the fact that he won't be moving back into the White House. From Politico: "The editor of the Bedford-Pound Ridge Record Review recently ran into Bill Clinton at a local bookstore in Katonah, a town in Westchester. Of course, Clinton held court." From Fox News: "The Man from Hope apparently offered little optimism, telling the crowd … [Read more...] about Bill Clinton’s Bitter Blather
Worried About Fake News Online? Here’s How to Tell If It’s Legit
Worried About Fake News Online? Here’s How to Tell If It’s Legit By Mark Grabowski Did you hear that President Obama signed an executive order banning fake news sites? Or that Donald Trump claims the Earth is flat? Or that Russians discovered a vaccine to cure homosexuality? All of the above were recent popular fake news stories — a growing epidemic online, which … [Read more...] about Worried About Fake News Online? Here’s How to Tell If It’s Legit
Who in the Republican Party will stand up to Trump?
WASHINGTON -- President-elect Donald Trump's victory tour was more than just an opportunity to strut and preen around the country like a peacock with a comb-over. It was a warning to Republican leaders in Congress that Trump intends to be in charge -- and that there will be consequences if the party establishment does not fall in line. The post-election rallies also … [Read more...] about Who in the Republican Party will stand up to Trump?
Cartoon: Hacked Santa
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Cartoon: Hacked Santa
Democrats – Not Russians – Sunk Clinton
Dear Democrats: If you want to find who is responsible for Donald Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton, then look inside your own political party. Democrats - not Russians - sank Clinton's presidential campaign. Yes, the federal government says that it has evidence that Russians hacked into the DNC - just as Russians tried to hack into the RNC the same way. Yet, the … [Read more...] about Democrats – Not Russians – Sunk Clinton
Cartoon: Carolina Crybabies
Carolina Crybabies by Clay Jones “Political opposition is a normal part of democracy. Stripping your opponent of power is a normal part of fascism.” -Jennifer Victor. Associate professor at George Mason University. Fascism seems to be all the rage with Republicans lately. While Donald Trump wants to limit press freedoms, defile the Constitution, and bully anyone who … [Read more...] about Cartoon: Carolina Crybabies
Russian Ambassador to Turkey Shot in Ankara
Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov has been shot at an art exhibition in the Turkish capital of Ankara, according to reports in several Turkish media outlets. Images showing Karlov on the ground have spread on social media after he was apparently shot, reported Turkish news site Hurriyet. The site quoted a statement from the Russian… … [Read more...] about Russian Ambassador to Turkey Shot in Ankara
What Faith Built in a Place Called Shell
Life is full of coincidences. Or perhaps it is all pre-ordained, destined to happen. Let the reader decide. As a young child in the late 1940s, I spent some of the most idyllic and memorable times of my life in a little town called Shell Mera -- today called Shell -- at the edge of the Amazon rain forest basin in Ecuador and on the banks of the Pastaza, part of the … [Read more...] about What Faith Built in a Place Called Shell
It’s a Wonderful Life, Unless You’re a Man (Guest Voice)
It's A Wonderful Life Unless You're a Man by Daniel Sherman Real men and the women who knew their place are a dying species these days. Decades of a feminizing culture have led to American decline and decay. Or so a fair chunk of the aggrieved white male block on the right would have it. We’re not talking about troglodytes like Alex Jones and Steve Bannon. Nor the … [Read more...] about It’s a Wonderful Life, Unless You’re a Man (Guest Voice)