Category Archives: Government

M.I.T. Rejects a White House Offer for Special Funding Treatment

Posted on October 11, 2025 by Jim deMaine

By Vimal Patel in the NYT M.I.T. became the first university to reject an agreement that would trade support for the Trump administration’s higher education agenda in exchange for favorable treatment. The proposal, called the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Education, Government | Comments Off

Commentary on the progression toward authoritarianism by Heather Cox Richardson

Posted on September 26, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Today, with the popularity of President Donald J. Trump and his administration dropping, Trump’s disastrous performance at the United Nations, the return of comedian Jimmy Kimmel to the airwaves, and the Tuesday’s election in Arizona of Democratic representative Adelita Grijalva, … Continue reading →

Posted in Government, Justice, Law, Military | Comments Off

Aging sperm: a factor in autism

Posted on September 25, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Dan S. Ed note: We don’t have a quick answer about the multifactorial causes of autism. Tylenol appears to be unproven. Older men appear to be a factor. No doubt there are a number of other reasons as … Continue reading →

Posted in Government, Health | Comments Off

‘Politics of the End’ is a Seattle U class. It could be a study of last week’s news

Posted on September 21, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Police officers detain demonstrators during a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Jacob K. Javits federal building in New York City on Thursday. (Yuki Iwamura / The Associated Press) Police officers detain demonstrators during a protest against Immigration … Continue reading →

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Civil Rights and Liberties

Posted on September 20, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Mary M. The inscription is part of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C. It reflects his commitment to civil rights and liberties during his presidency, emphasizing that oppression, injustice, and hatred undermine the very foundations of … Continue reading →

Posted in Government | 1 Comment

The Era of Dark Passions

Posted on September 19, 2025 by Jim deMaine

By David Brooks in the NYT (thanks to Marilyn W.) Sometimes when I have nothing better to do, I think back on the elections we had in the before times — when, say, Mitt Romney ran against Barack Obama or John … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, Government, Politics | Comments Off

We need more Jon Greens

Posted on September 18, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Pearl McE. who notes, “I was disappointed to see that the flag over Harborview was flown at half mast for someone who denigrated so many.”

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Give an Hour for Democracy

Posted on September 16, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Cindi W. Dear Friends, Our democracy is in jeopardy. The Constitution is being attacked. No branch of government is standing up for our fundamental rights. We invite you to join us in taking a stand. A group of … Continue reading →

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A New Federal Report Links Alcohol With These Alarming Health Conditions — And It’s Being Quietly Buried

Posted on September 16, 2025 by Jim deMaine

by Jillian Wilson in the Huffington Post (thanks to MaryLou P.) How many alcoholic drinks do you have in an entire week? Five, seven, 10? More? If you have one drink a day, your health could be impacted ― but … Continue reading →

Posted in Government, Health, Science and Technology | 1 Comment

Remembering September 15, 1963

Posted on September 15, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Commentary by Heather Cox Richardson At 10:22 on the morning of Sunday, September 15, 1963, a bomb ripped through the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. It was Youth Day in the historic brick church, and five young girls … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Education, Government, History, Race | Comments Off

Photos capture Chicagoans’ protest against ICE and Trump’s intervention plans

Posted on September 9, 2025 by Jim deMaine

By CAROLYN KASTER (thanks to Pam P.) CHICAGO (AP) — Thousands of protesters marched in Chicago on Saturday against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and President Donald Trump’s plan to send National Guard troops and immigration agents to the city. ___ This is … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Government, Justice, Kindness, protests, Race | Comments Off

How the Elite rigged Society (and why it’s falling apart) | David Brooks

Posted on September 6, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Posted in Ethics, Government, History, Justice, Kindness, Politics, Poverty, Religion | Comments Off

The new name for Defense–The Department of War

Posted on September 6, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Commentary by Heather Cox Richardson Today President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War, although the 1947 abandonment of the Department of War name was not simply a matter … Continue reading →

Posted in Government, Law, War | Comments Off

Original Medicare to use AI companies to evaluate need for health care services

Posted on September 5, 2025 by Jim deMaine

By Daily Actions on September 5, 2025 (thanks to Mary M.) Donald Trump and Dr. Oz want to let Artificial Intelligence (AI) choose which procedures Medicare will cover for individual patients — with AI companies being paid based on how … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Finance, Government, Health | Comments Off

Medicare Will Require Prior Approval for Certain Procedures [for those with Original Medicare]

Posted on September 5, 2025 by Jim deMaine

A pilot program in six states [including Washington State] will use a tactic employed by private insurers that has been heavily criticized for delaying and denying medical care. By Reed Abelson and Teddy Rosenbluth in the NYT (thanks to Mary M.) Like millions … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Finance, Government, Health | Comments Off

ACLU Know Your Rights Training

Posted on September 3, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Mary Jane F. Friday, September 5, 2025 8:00 PM ET As we speak, President Trump has deployed thousands of National Guard troops, federal agents, and local police forces to the streets of D.C. to target Black and Brown residents, … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Government, Justice, Law, protests | Comments Off

Okanogan County protests highlight rural impact of Trump policies

Posted on September 3, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Organizers in the north-central Washington Republican stronghold want to call attention to how recent cuts could hurt the region’s poorest residents. Mai Hoang Sep 2, 2025 in Crosscut One recent Saturday morning, Twisp was full of activity, typical for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Government, Immigration, protests | Comments Off

We Ran the C.D.C.: Kennedy Is Endangering Every American’s Health

Posted on September 2, 2025 by Jim deMaine

By William FoegeWilliam, Roper, David Satcher, Jeffrey Koplan, Richard Besser, Tom Frieden, Anne Schuchat, Rochelle P. Walensky and Mandy K. Cohen – in the NYT Opinion Section The authors previously led in the C.D.C., as directors or acting directors under Republican and Democratic … Continue reading →

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‘Damning audit’ begs the question: Who is protecting taxpayer interests in King County?

Posted on September 1, 2025 by Jim deMaine

By The Seattle Times editorial boardIf there was ever a wake-up call for local government, this is it. In a disturbing report released Tuesday, the King County Auditor determined that grant funding from the county’s Department of Community and Human … Continue reading →

Posted in Finance, Government, Housing | Comments Off

DRAINING THE SWAMP: “ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ” SINKS UNDER ITS OWN CRUELTY

Posted on August 31, 2025 by Jim deMaine

From Substack – Thanks to Pam P. For once, Florida’s Everglades delivered something other than corruption, mosquitoes, and humidity that feels like punishment. The notorious immigration detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz” — Trump’s swamp-side monument to cruelty — is finally collapsing. … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime, environment, Government, Immigration, Race | Comments Off

A conversation with Gavin Newsom

Posted on August 29, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Posted in Government, Politics | Comments Off

The carnage in D.C. continues

Posted on August 29, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Commentary by Heather Cox Richardson The image of National Guard troops, some of them from as far away as Louisiana and Mississippi, in Washington, D.C., spreading mulch around the cherry trees at the Tidal Basin and picking up trash, illustrates … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime, Government | Comments Off

The Crazy Comes for Clean Energy

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Jim deMaine

by Paul Krugman (thanks to Diana C.) I do three things every morning: I start a pot of coffee, I feed the cat, and then I fire up my laptop. The first two are calming routines. The third is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, Economics, energy, Government, Mental Health, Politics, Science and Technology | Comments Off

The Nineteenth Amendment

Posted on August 26, 2025 by Jim deMaine

As right-wing Christian nationalists supported by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth are calling for an end to women’s right to vote, it seems crucial to remember the history of the drive for women’s suffrage in the United States of America. … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Government, History, Justice, Law, Voting | Comments Off