Private property is private property, even if it is a statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest. Sure, the guy made a living selling slaves and fought to preserve the enslavement of black Americans. None of that matters when it comes to a piece of private property located on private property, such as the statue now at the center of a story coming out of Nashville. The Tennessean … [Read more...] about Give Nathan Bedford Forrest A Break
More retirees flock to U.S. states for pot
By Chris TaylorNEW YORK (Reuters) - When choosing retirement locales, a few factors pop to mind: climate, amenities, proximity to grandchildren, access to quality healthcare.Chris Cooper had something else to consider - marijuana laws.The investment adviser from Toledo had long struggled with back pain due to a fractured vertebra and crushed disc from a fall. He hated powerful … [Read more...] about More retirees flock to U.S. states for pot
Obama’s Late Surge
Ezra Klein on vox.com and Josh Marshall on Talking Points Memo make similar comments on the strengthening close to the Presidency of Barack Obama. Klein: Presidents often turn more moderate to make gains in their final years. Think of Bill Clinton's 1997 budget deal, or George W. Bush's 2007 (failed) immigration reform effort, or Ronald Reagan's 1986 tax reforms. Second … [Read more...] about Obama’s Late Surge
Scott Walker Versus Science
Scott Walker Versus Science By Dick Polman Scott Walker, the alleged Wisconsin wunderkind and newly declared presidential candidate, was buried in the news last week by Donald Trump and the Iran nuclear deal. No biggie. He rebooted this week by pandering to the Republican voters who abhor actual science. Mindful of his need to win the Iowa caucuses - the … [Read more...] about Scott Walker Versus Science
From Russia, With Love
Two days in St. Petersburg and speaking with a small sample of Russian citizens (who know English) has led me to a few conclusions. Russians love Putin (as the polls suggest) and are pleased that he has made the nation a powerful presence again in world affairs. They agree with his grabbing of the Crimea as they believe it is really Russian territory and should have never been … [Read more...] about From Russia, With Love
Woman Beheaded For ‘Witchcraft’
It is sad when a culture still engages in such savagery. From Sky News: "Villagers in the northeastern Indian state of Assam have attacked, killed and beheaded a woman accused of practising witchcraft. Mother-of-five Moni Orang was grabbed from her home by machete-carrying locals after priests accused her of casting spells. The 63-year-old was then hacked to death." It is … [Read more...] about Woman Beheaded For ‘Witchcraft’
Politix Update: The Republicans Flail While Trump Sails & Jeb! Gets Caught Out
DONALD TRUMP IS THE PERFECT REPUBLICAN. NO WONDER HE EMBARRASSES THEM. ~ Jim Wright We won't know until early next week whether Donald Trump's slander of John McCain will slow if not derail his seemingly improbable rise to the top of the Republican presidential polls, but early indications are that the bloviating gadzillionaire's criticism of the war hero for having … [Read more...] about Politix Update: The Republicans Flail While Trump Sails & Jeb! Gets Caught Out
Cartoon: Trump Picks Nose
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: Trump Picks Nose
EPIC! Earth like you’ve never seen it before
STEAM Register Staff In this new Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) image, you can see what the sunlit Earth looks like from one million miles away. The satellite's Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) CCD camera and telescope captured this color image of Earth on July 6, 2015, showing North and Central America. According to NASA, the… … [Read more...] about EPIC! Earth like you’ve never seen it before
Sandra Bland’s Arresting Officer: ‘I Will Light You Up!’
This dashcam video is highly disturbing. Sandra Bland clearly understood her rights and resisted the officer's attempts to bully her, but the one thing she is not is suicidal. The purpose for the traffic stop had ended, but he arrested her anyway, probably unlawfully, according to MSNBC commentators. The Texas Department of Public Safety on Tuesday… … [Read more...] about Sandra Bland’s Arresting Officer: ‘I Will Light You Up!’
Sanders Draws Record Crowds, O’Malley Addresses Issues and Engages The Press, and Hillary Clinton Answers Questions on Facebook
Bernie Sanders continued to draw big crowds over the weekend. In Phoenix Sanders was once again forced to move to a larger venue, drawing twice the number originally anticipated: Bernie Sanders drew more than 11,000 people to a rally Saturday night in downtown Phoenix -- the largest crowd to date for a presidential candidate whose audiences have been swelling in recent … [Read more...] about Sanders Draws Record Crowds, O’Malley Addresses Issues and Engages The Press, and Hillary Clinton Answers Questions on Facebook
What former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford can teach us about Donald Trump
Since the only thing going on in domestic politics over the last few days is the Donald Trump story, I'll bite. I'll try to say something useful about it. Here goes: I am American living in Toronto. I have lived here for decades, and worked in politics for much of that time, including a stint at Toronto City Hall as a political staffer. That means I got to witness, up … [Read more...] about What former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford can teach us about Donald Trump
The Real Hell On Earth
After more than four weeks of very hot temperatures here in the Pacific Northwest the wind has shifted and we are getting some much cooler air off the Pacific ocean. Even that air is not as cool as it used to be as the Pacific ocean is not as cool as it used to be. In a post a few days ago, Hell on Earth, I talked about nuclear weapons but suggested that uranium and plutonium … [Read more...] about The Real Hell On Earth
Josh Marshall on Donald Trump
Josh Marshall puts Donald Trump's recent attack on John McCain as well as his candidacy into perspective on Talking Points Memo. Trump's shooting for 20% of the GOP primary electorate in a very crowded field where no other candidate beside Bush (with whom there is likely zero overlap in support) has shown any ability to break out from the pack. He's a jerk and a clown and … [Read more...] about Josh Marshall on Donald Trump
Fareed Zakaria on the Iran Deal
Fareed Zakaria says the Iran deal is a necessary step in The Washington Post. When making up their minds about the nuclear deal with Iran, people are properly focused on its details. But to figure out whether an agreement that limits and inspects Iran’s nuclear program is acceptable, one has to consider seriously the alternatives to it — and there are really only … [Read more...] about Fareed Zakaria on the Iran Deal
Donald the fire-breathing dragon
WASHINGTON -- Don't be sure the McCain episode is the beginning of the end of Donald Trump's bizarre presidential campaign. Don't even be sure it's the end of the beginning. Attacking him with censure and shame is like trying to destroy Godzilla with electricity: It might just make him stronger. Why should anyone pay the slightest attention to the Trump circus? Because … [Read more...] about Donald the fire-breathing dragon
Cartoon: Fake News Panic
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: Fake News Panic
‘Ant-Man’ box office: How does it measure up to Marvel’s mightiest?
One of Marvel Studios' more obscure superheroes made the leap to the big screen this past weekend in "Ant-Man," the story of a reformed thief (played by Paul Rudd) who dons a shrinking suit and communicates with insects to save the day from a mad scientist (Corey Stoll). When the dust settled, the Peyton Reed-directed action-comedy… … [Read more...] about ‘Ant-Man’ box office: How does it measure up to Marvel’s mightiest?
Cartoon: Flagging Trump
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: Flagging Trump
Two Gawker Editors Resign over objections to story’s removal
(Reuters) - Two editors at Gawker resigned on Monday in protest at the online media group's decision to pull a story about a married male media executive seeking to pay for sex with a gay escort.Tommy Craggs, executive editor of Gawker Media, and Max Read, editor-in-chief of Gawker.com, told staff and management in memos published on Gawker that the story's removal violated … [Read more...] about Two Gawker Editors Resign over objections to story’s removal