Category Archives: Government

Amid tensions with Trump administration, Harvard offers free courses on US history, politics

From Goodgoodgood (thanks to Pam P.) This summer, any American can add ‘Harvard University’ to their resume — for free. The university has offered free online courses for several years, but with tensions rising in relation to the Trump administration, more attention … Continue reading

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The Unfolding Catastrophe Emanating From DC and Its Implications for Everyone’s Health – Tuesday at 2:30 PM in the MBR

Paul Pottinger, MD, DTMH, FACP, FIDSA, is a board certified physician and Director of the Infectious Diseases & Tropical Medicine Clinic at UW Medical Center – Montlake and a Professor in UW School of Medicine’s Department of Medicine, Division of … Continue reading

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I’m A Psychologist Who Specializes In Narcissists. Here’s What We Need To Do To Stop Trump.

By Jocelyn Sze in the Huffington Post (thanks to MaryLou P.) The Trump administration is planning a June 14 military parade to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army — and the president’s 79th birthday. When your sense of self-exaltation requires … Continue reading

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Silencing the CDC

A recent study by the CDC showed how to prevent the most common cause of hospitalizations in babies. Why haven’t we heard about it? Paul Offit (thanks to Ed. M) Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of … Continue reading

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Medicaid cuts proposed for 8.6 million people. Impact will differ across states.

From The Epidemiologist A recent study found that, since 2010, Medicaid expansion has reduced the mortality of the low-income adult population by 2.5%. In other words, Medicaid expansion saved more than 27,000 lives. Deaths fell not only among older enrollees (who are … Continue reading

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Bruce Springsteen’s opening comments

May 14, 2025 MANCHESTER (thanks to Pam P.) Tonight, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band opened their Land of Hope & Dreams Tour in Manchester, England. Bruce launched this run of shows with three statements about the situation in … Continue reading

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Corruption, habeas corpus, emoluments and more

Heather Cox Richardson The biggest news over the weekend was silence: the silence of Republicans. They refused to disavow White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller’s statement that the administration is looking at suspending the writ of habeas corpus, … Continue reading

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Josh Hawley: Don’t Cut Medicaid

By Josh Hawley In the NYT. Mr. Hawley is a Republican senator from Missouri. Polls show Democrats down in the dumps at their lowest approval level in decades, but we Republicans are having an identity crisis of our own, and you can see … Continue reading

Posted in Government, Health, Insurance | 1 Comment

The rise of a new form of germ theory denial

Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD There is a growing, concerning movement undermining one of the most well established scientific theories there is: germ theory, the idea that germs—like viruses and bacteria—cause disease. But it’s subtle. Outright denial of germ theory is … Continue reading

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Are we on the cusp of a new religious revival? 

By David Brooks Opinion Columnist in the NYT – article titled “How to Survive the Trump Years With Your Spirit Intact” I had forgotten how exhausting it is to live in Donald Trump’s world. He’s not only a political figure. He … Continue reading

Posted in Essays, Government, happiness, History, Mental Health, Religion | 1 Comment

Try to re-establish the rule of law

commentary by historian Heather Cox Richardson Yesterday I identified incorrectly the messaging app newly fired national security advisor Michael Waltz was using at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday as the unsecure Signal app. Joseph Cox of 404 Media identified the app as … Continue reading

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The fate of NPR and PBS?

Thanks to Mary M. Dear Mary,Late last night, President Trump issued an executive order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s board of directors to “cease federal funding for NPR and PBS.” The order would negatively impact the partnership between PBS … Continue reading

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DOGE and the Peace Corps meet up

Ed note: I just received the sad but expected message below from the National Peace Corps Office. Please note that this beloved creation of President John F. Kenney has a very modest budget. Peace Corps: ~$430.5 million; Department of State … Continue reading

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Liar’s Club

From the Salt Lake Tribune (thanks to Bob P.)

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Down is up – “It’s totally bananas bonkers”

Commentary by Heather Cox Richardson This morning the Bureau of Economic Analysis released a report showing an abrupt reversal in the U.S. economy. Gross domestic product (GDP), which measures the total market value of goods and services, shrank from a … Continue reading

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The making of an oligarchy

Heather Cox Richardson Last night a new club opened in the wealthy Georgetown neighborhood in Washington, D.C. It’s called “Executive Branch,” and it’s an invitation-only club backed by Donald Trump Jr. and megadonor Omeed Malik. Dasha Burns of Politico reported … Continue reading

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“Honest Men Like Me”

Commentary by Heather Cox Richardson Today’s major stories must be seen in the context of President Donald Trump’s dramatic losses in court and his plummeting poll numbers. Yesterday, Trump told the Department of Justice to investigate ActBlue, the platform that … Continue reading

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The Ugly Historical Echoes of Kennedy’s Comments on Autism

By Jessica Grose Opinion Writer in the NYT (thanks to Ed M) Last week Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held his first news briefing as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, to address a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and … Continue reading

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Gov. Josh Shapiro: Finding Moral Clarity After an Arsonist’s Attack

By Josh Shapiro — Mr. Shapiro is the governor of Pennsylvania (thanks to Mary Jane F.) I woke up to yelling in the hallway. A few seconds later, there was a bang on the door. It was just after 2 a.m., … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, Government, Religion | 1 Comment

What is ‘ordo amoris?’ Vice President JD Vance invokes this medieval Catholic concept

Ed note: As reported in the NYT Pope Francis and JD Vance don’t see eye to eye on what loving the neighbor should mean. “Pope Francis on Tuesday harshly criticized President Trump’s policy of mass deportations and urged Catholics to … Continue reading

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Word of the year by the Economist in 2024

from Wikipedia (thanks to Mary M.) A kakistocracy (/ˌkækɪˈstɒkrəsi/ KAK-ist-OK-rə-see) is a government run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens.[1]: 54 [2][3] The word was coined as early as the 17th century,[4] and is derived from two Greek words, kákistos (κάκιστος, ‘worst’) and krátos (κράτος, ‘rule’), with a literal meaning … Continue reading

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First They Came – by Pastor Martin Niemöller

from the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust First they came for the CommunistsAnd I did not speak outBecause I was not a CommunistThen they came for the SocialistsAnd I did not speak outBecause I was not a SocialistThen they came for … Continue reading

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What’s Happening Is Not Normal. America Needs an Uprising That Is Not Normal.

Ed note: This “call to action” by David Brooks is a challenge to us all. What steps strategically will help to slow the tsunami of dysfunctional destructive edits coming from the White House? Doing nothing, thus caving in, isn’t an … Continue reading

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‘This Should Be Shocking:’ Read a Federal Appeals Panel’s Sharp Rebuke of the Trump Administration

By Adam Liptak and Alan Feuer in the NYT Ed note: I hope we all have a chance to read this beautiful 7 page ruling below from the conservative Judge Wilkson. It states in clear language that we all (citizens or not) have … Continue reading

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News Commentary by Heather Cox Richardson

Ed note: Heather Cox Richardson’s newsletter gives context to current events that is more readable and incisive than most commentators. I’ll try to more frequently post her essays because of the need to put the daily chaos into some kind … Continue reading

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