Category Archives: Government

A Blue Wave

Posted on October 12, 2026 by Jim deMaine

David Remnick, Editor, The New Yorker (thanks to Charlotte Lin) Signs of a midterm blue wave are everywhere, and yet it would be journalistic malpractice not to attach some nervous caveats to any prediction. Polls are sketchy. Campaigns have never … Continue reading →

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Heather Cox Richardson’s Commentary

Posted on October 7, 2026 by Jim deMaine

From historian Heather Cox’s Letter From An American Judging from his social media posts, Trump is panicking. Shortly after noon yesterday, he posted that it was “no longer the Strait of Hormuz” driving up gasoline prices, but Ukraine’s strikes on … Continue reading →

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Smoke Jumper turns politician and may help to flip the House

Posted on September 30, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Submitted by Ed Harrison

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The dangers of AI and why regulations are needed

Posted on September 27, 2026 by Jim deMaine
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Medicare for All: Separating the slogan from the substance

Posted on September 23, 2026 by Jim deMaine

by Katelyn Jetelina and Hayden Rooke-Lev in Your Local Epidemiologist People are fed up with the U.S. health care system, and rightfully so. Medical premiums and debt are rising, clinicians are burned out, and patients have less access to care. … Continue reading →

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Patagonia Offers $100 to Customers Who Help Others Plan to Vote

Posted on September 23, 2026 by Jim deMaine

The outdoor apparel brand, which sued the Trump administration this month, is ramping up its environmental activism before the midterm elections. By Kim Bhasin in the NYT (thanks to Pam Peterson) Patagonia is offering customers a financial incentive to encourage … Continue reading →

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The Kennedy Center — This Building Belongs to American History

Posted on September 21, 2026 by Jim deMaine

by Deborah Cardona (thanks to Charlotte Lin) I don’t think people understand what we are talking about when we say the Kennedy Center needs to be protected. This isn’t just a theater. It isn’t an old building somebody can gut, … Continue reading →

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JD Vance, Here’s a Catholic Politician You Should Get to Know

Posted on September 16, 2026 by Jim deMaine

By David Gibson who is the director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University. (in the NYT) Andy Burnham, Britain’s new prime minister, is exactly the kind of Catholic that America needs. That might sound odd, especially given … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, Government, Homeless, Housing, Justice, Kindness, Law, Love, Morality, Religion, Social justice | Leave a comment

Gloria Steinem

Posted on September 4, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Pearl McElheran We’re all old enough to remember these women, aren’t we? Gloria Steinem (1934 – 2026)  Just a few years ago she said, “I hope I live to be 100.  There’s so much work to be done.”  … Continue reading →

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The Measles-Stricken Mother Who Lost Her Newborn Son

Posted on September 3, 2026 by Jim deMaine

The family at the center of Pennsylvania’s measles controversy tells their story. By Tom Bartlett in The Atlantic (thanks to Ed Marcuse) When the Amish man emerged from his barn to greet me, he had no idea that his newborn son’s … Continue reading →

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MapQuest’s app surges to No. 1 in Navigation after refusing to rename Lake Ontario

Posted on September 3, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Pam Peterson (source from Techcrunch.com) MapQuest stood up to President Donald Trump, and now its app is reaping the rewards. The “OG of online mapping,” as the company calls itself, announced on Thursday that it would not change the name of … Continue reading →

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From Louise Penny’s Newsletter

Posted on September 3, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Mary Montgomery

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The Cities That Said Yes to Drugs

Posted on August 30, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Policies that gave addicts clean needles and places to use drugs were intended to reduce harm. They created a “zombie apocalypse.” By Michael Powell in The Atlantic Photographs by Dana Golan Late last year, I walked roughly a mile from downtown … Continue reading →

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Is it still Lake Erie?

Posted on August 30, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Submitted by friend John Roper Even the sportscasters now mock Trump for his lunacy. Last night Al Michaels, narrating an aerial shot of the Cleveland Browns’ waterfront stadium during the first quarter of last night’s Browns-Patriots preseason NFL game, pointed … Continue reading →

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Getting to the bottom of our bizarre war with Canada

Posted on August 26, 2026 by Jim deMaine

By Danny Westneat Seattle Times columnist It won’t go down as one of the higher moments in foreign diplomacy. It did hint, though, at how low relations with our northern neighbors might go. At a news conference, Ontario provincial premier, Doug Ford, … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Essays, Geography, Government, Kindness, Mental Health, Morality, Politics, protests, Satire, Shopping, Social justice, Traffic, Travel, War | Comments Off on Getting to the bottom of our bizarre war with Canada

Switzerland’s doomsday law

Posted on August 25, 2026 by Jim Tanner

Submitted by Bob Peterson

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Think about it! Words of Pete Buttigieg

Posted on August 24, 2026 by Jim deMaine

On August 17, former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg recorded a video to assure those Americans who oppose the Trump administration that they are in the large majority. He noted that the strategy Republicans are pursuing shows how unpopular they are. … Continue reading →

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The White House Freak-Out Over Natalie Harp

Posted on August 20, 2026 by Jim deMaine

The West Wing’s explosive response to a fleeting jab didn’t kill the story. It enabled days of coverage. By Jonathan Lemire in The Atlantic. You are reading this story only because the White House didn’t want you to. I’ll explain. This past … Continue reading →

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Woodrow Wilson by Patricia O’Toole

Posted on August 18, 2026 by Jim deMaine

Inspiring words can carry a leader to the loftiest heights. Then what? “I doubt if there is any man in America,” the muckraking journalist Ida Tarbell said of President Woodrow Wilson, “that can talk… with such precision and at the … Continue reading →

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William Howard Taft by John G. Roberts, Jr.

Posted on August 12, 2026 by Jim deMaine

In Pursuit with Colleen Shogan, Maintaining your dignity and principles through defeat can pave the road for future success William Howard Taft holds the distinction of being the only person in the history of our Nation to have served as … Continue reading →

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First mRNA flu shot gets FDA approval, raising hopes for a more effective vaccine

Posted on August 9, 2026 by Mike Cory

Submitted by Ed Marcuse Sarah Boden August 6, 2026 Influenza VaccineA first-of-its-kind flu shot using mRNA technology has been approved for adults 50 years of age and older by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  Moderna’s mFlusiva is the company’s … Continue reading →

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Posted on August 9, 2026 by Mike Cory

Submitted by Mary Jane Francis

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Men of Mt. Rushmore

Posted on August 1, 2026 by Jim Tanner

Thanks to MJ Francis

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The Four Living Presidents

Posted on July 29, 2026 by Jim Tanner

Thanks to Mary Jane “MJ” Francis

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Mount Rushmore…or Less?

Posted on July 18, 2026 by Jim deMaine

We the People must act quickly on an issue that’s absolutely rocking America… by Parker J. Palmer (thanks to Mary Montgomery) Mount Rushmore as created by God, Geology and Gutzon Borglum“Life is a hard battle anyway. If we laugh and … Continue reading →

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