Wildfires are a severe blow to Maui’s tourism-based economy, but other iconic destinations have come back from similar disasters
Destroyed homes and buildings in Lahaina on Aug. 10, 2023, in the aftermath of wildfires on western Maui, Hawaii. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images Rich Harrill, University of South Carolina Major wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui have killed dozens of people and caused heavy damage, particularly in the historic town of Lahaina, as of … [Read more...] about Wildfires are a severe blow to Maui’s tourism-based economy, but other iconic destinations have come back from similar disasters
FORCED-BIRTH REACTIONARIES TRIED AND FAILED TO RIG THE GAME IN OHIO
In a red Ohio referendum this week, forced-birth reactionaries got blown out by a whopping margin of 430,000 votes. No word yet on whether Roe v. Wade killer Donald Trump has aspirationally asked Republican election officials to find 430,001 votes. To fully appreciate what just happened in Ohio – where an anti-abortion ballot gimmick was crushed, 57 percent to 43 percent – … [Read more...] about FORCED-BIRTH REACTIONARIES TRIED AND FAILED TO RIG THE GAME IN OHIO
The Fire Curtain Has Descended
Ex-federal judge and prominent conservative: ‘There is no Republican Party’ Shawna Mizelle / CNN — J. Michael Luttig, a conservative retired federal judge and key adviser to former Vice President Mike Pence, declared on Wednesday that “there is no Republican Party” ... Last weekend, the fire curtain descended across American polity. A safety curtain (or fire curtain in … [Read more...] about The Fire Curtain Has Descended
American Volunteers in the Russo-Ukrainian War: ‘What Shores Know Not Our Blood’ (Update)
“What Shores Know Not Our Blood” is how Marine Corps veteran Grady Kurpasi, killed in Ukraine in May of this year, signed off his emails. UPDATE: Task & Purpose has just reported on what may be the 17th American volunteer killed in the Ukraine War: Army veteran Jeffrey Judd Jones. Please read more here. Original Post: Ever since the beginning of our nation's … [Read more...] about American Volunteers in the Russo-Ukrainian War: ‘What Shores Know Not Our Blood’ (Update)
AI-generated fake news can have devastating impacts, as in India’s Manipur State.
The malign impacts of fake audio and video recordings posted on social media could become a deluge by next year, fueled by the fast-improving capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) to digitally clone voices and images. A foretaste of chaotic political impacts is currently visible in Manipur, a remote State in eastern India with just 3.5 million people. Fake videos … [Read more...] about AI-generated fake news can have devastating impacts, as in India’s Manipur State.
Kindness Makes A Place for Healing
As I walk into the Cancer Center for my daily treatments in West Harrison, I am immediately greeted by a large Welcome to Memorial Sloan Kettering sign. Then, I quickly encounter two more welcoming messages: “Kindness Matters,” and, underneath that, “This is a place for healing.” At Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK), I am discovering that these signs mean exactly what they say. … [Read more...] about Kindness Makes A Place for Healing
FLORIDA BANS (CARTOON)
TRUMP THE PROJECTOR (CARTOON)
Re-imagining democracy for the 21st century, possibly without the trappings of the 18th century
If people were dropped into a new situation tomorrow, how would they choose to govern themselves? Just_Super/iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images Bruce Schneier, Harvard Kennedy School Imagine that we’ve all – all of us, all of society – landed on some alien planet, and we have to form a government: clean slate. We don’t have any legacy systems … [Read more...] about Re-imagining democracy for the 21st century, possibly without the trappings of the 18th century
It Defies Explanation
We live in a nation whose prime institutions are denigrated by large majorities of the population. Gallop surveys have shown a steady drop in Americans’ confidence in virtually all important public institutions, including the military. Small businesses are the most trusted bodies, with 65 percent of the population having faith in them. However, even this is lower than it was 3 … [Read more...] about It Defies Explanation
It is good to not always trust preachers.
It is good to not always trust preachers. That is because too many preachers are toxic. Some of them you should run away from. Way too many preachers say that they were called to preach. Nah, they weren't. If they were called, then the angel in charge of God's telephone called wrong numbers. I have heard preachers say that they have the gift of preaching, when in reality … [Read more...] about It is good to not always trust preachers.
“AMERICA, I DID IT FOR YOU.”
by Don Hermann Columnist (An interpretation of what’s going on in Mr. Trump’s mind currently.) I’m taking a pounding because of how I’m being treated in the media. The lying Democrats are making things up and those low class Republicans who are looking for an opportunity to run for President are not supporting me. I’ve always given you facts. They may have been … [Read more...] about “AMERICA, I DID IT FOR YOU.”
What are Hollywood actors and writers afraid of? A cinema scholar explains how AI is upending the movie and TV business
Hollywood writers picket in front of Warner Bros. Studios. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez Holly Willis, University of Southern California The bitter conflict between actors, writers and other creative professionals and the major movie and TV studios represents a flashpoint in the radical transformation roiling the entertainment industry. The ongoing … [Read more...] about What are Hollywood actors and writers afraid of? A cinema scholar explains how AI is upending the movie and TV business
Can US democracy withstand Trump?
The burning question now is whether US democracy and the world can withstand former President Donald Trump’s obfuscation, incoherence and rage. Stormy electoral conflicts loom between him and Joe Biden in the November 2024 presidential elections alongside ferocious battles with American prosecutors in criminal trials next year. These are early days but the pointers so … [Read more...] about Can US democracy withstand Trump?
Cats first finagled their way into human hearts and homes thousands of years ago – here’s how
Who run the world? Cats! Grace Cary/Moment via Getty Images Jonathan Losos, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis A few years ago, I had the opportunity to go on safari in southern Africa. One of the greatest thrills was going out at night looking for predators on the prowl: lions, leopards, hyenas. As we drove through the darkness, … [Read more...] about Cats first finagled their way into human hearts and homes thousands of years ago – here’s how
LAW-AND-ORDER PRESIDENT (CARTOON, COLUMN AND VIDEO)
One of the topics this morning on the news is whether or not Donald Trump knew he lost the 2020 election. It’s stupid. Donald Trump is not a toddler, dog, canary, or in a vegetative state. The defense here is that he’s a baby who can’t understand very simplistic facts like he lost the 2020 election. In fact, 69 percent of the GOP are toddlers because that’s the percentage … [Read more...] about LAW-AND-ORDER PRESIDENT (CARTOON, COLUMN AND VIDEO)
Trump indictment: Here’s how prosecutors will try to prove he knowingly lied and intended to break the law
Former President Donald Trump makes his way to the stage during a rally in Erie, Pa., on July 29, 2023. Dustin Franz for The Washington Post via Getty Images Ronald S. Sullivan Jr., Harvard University What was Donald Trump thinking when he set about trying to maintain the presidency after losing it to Joe Biden? That’s the key question a jury will … [Read more...] about Trump indictment: Here’s how prosecutors will try to prove he knowingly lied and intended to break the law
LIARS’ CLUB (CARTOON)
Trump avoids Jack Smith’s eye in Washington courtroom
Published by AFPWashington (AFP) - Donald Trump stood with his arms by his sides Thursday as he faced a federal judge in Washington to somberly plead "not guilty" to a variety of charges over attempts to subvert the 2020 US elections. It was a short and solemn moment that contrasted with the noise and hubbub that surrounded his arrival in the federal court surrounded by high … [Read more...] about Trump avoids Jack Smith’s eye in Washington courtroom