Category Archives: Government

“Honest Men Like Me”

Posted on April 26, 2025 by Jim deMaine

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

Posted on April 25, 2025 by Jim deMaine

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

Posted on April 24, 2025 by Jim deMaine

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

Posted on April 21, 2025 by Jim deMaine

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

Posted on April 20, 2025 by Jim deMaine

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

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Jim deMaine

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.

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Jim deMaine

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

Posted on April 17, 2025 by Jim deMaine

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

Posted on April 15, 2025 by Jim deMaine

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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The tragic story of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia

Posted on April 14, 2025 by Jim deMaine

by Heather Cox Richardson (thanks to MaryLou P. and others) This evening, lawyers for the Department of Justice told a federal court that the administration does not believe it has a legal obligation to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to … Continue reading →

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‘Don’t Fight the Stupidity’ and Other Relevant Bonhoeffer Advice

Posted on April 13, 2025 by Jim deMaine

by Tim Snyder in Sojourners (thanks to Mary Jane F.) As a theologian, I get nervous when reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer becomes all too relevant. I’m the kind of theologian who would rather not find myself in what some scholars refer … Continue reading →

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View Historic City Council Meeting – Unanimous Approval of Skyline’s Skybridge!

Posted on April 9, 2025 by Jim deMaine
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The tariff question

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Jim deMaine

David J. Lynch – Washington Post (thanks to Mary M.) The tariff barrage that President Donald Trump unleashed this week on the world economy marks a decisive end to an era of freewheeling globalization that was shaped by American policymakers, … Continue reading →

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Trump Just Bet the Farm

Posted on April 5, 2025 by Jim deMaine

By Thomas L. Friedman Opinion Columnist in the NYT (thanks to Marilyn W.) Donald Trump is not known for doing his homework — he’s more of a go-with-my-gut kind of guy. What I find most terrifying about what Trump is doing … Continue reading →

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Connecticut Senator Murphy explains the real purpose of Trump’s tariffs

Posted on April 5, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Mike C.

Posted in Economics, Government | 1 Comment

“The Trump Tariff Tax is the largest peacetime tax hike in U.S. history,” former Vice President Mike Pence

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Jim deMaine

by Heather Cox Richardson – posted yesterday April 2nd as the anticipated fallout began Just five months ago, on October 19, 2024, The Economist ran a special report on America’s economy. That economy was, the magazine said, “the envy of … Continue reading →

Posted in Finance, Government | Comments Off on “The Trump Tariff Tax is the largest peacetime tax hike in U.S. history,” former Vice President Mike Pence

“Perfect Storm” at the University of Washington

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Ann M. This message is being sent to all staff, faculty and academic personnel across the University of Washington. Dear colleagues, Over the past two months, we have been tracking and responding to a range of policy changes … Continue reading →

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The signal app snafu

Posted on March 27, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Heather Cox Richardson Mar 27 Monday’s astounding story that the most senior members of President Donald Trump’s administration planned military strikes on Yemen over an unsecure commercial messaging app, on which they had included national security reporter and editor in … Continue reading →

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Violation of the Espionage Act?

Posted on March 25, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Heather Cox Richardson Mar 25 Today the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, dropped the story that senior members of the Trump administration planned the March 15 U.S. attack on the Houthis in Yemen over Signal, a widely available encrypted … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Government, Media, War | 1 Comment

Skybridge proposal goes to City Council’s Transportation Committee today

Posted on March 18, 2025 by Jim deMaine

The City Council’s transportation committee meets today at 9:30 AM. The second item on the agenda is a vote of approval for Skyline’s skybridge. Three residents are slated to give a brief supportive statement during the public comment period. If … Continue reading →

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Happy Birthday, Maine

Posted on March 15, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Heather Cox Richardson March 15 is a crucially important day in U.S. history As the man who taught me to use a chainsaw said, it is immortalized by Shakespeare’s famous warning: “Cedar! Beware the adze of March!” He put it … Continue reading →

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NIH to ax grants on vaccine hesitancy, mRNA vaccines

Posted on March 11, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Ed M. A UW  colleague who has published multiple studies on immunization hesitancy received this notice from NIH today: [All your] federally funded vaccine research projects terminated today effective immediately. In the termination letter, the NIH says this: … Continue reading →

Posted in Government, Health | Comments Off on NIH to ax grants on vaccine hesitancy, mRNA vaccines

Trump Is Nero While Washington Burns

Posted on March 9, 2025 by Jim deMaine

‘Trump’s message is that being his ally serves no purpose, because he will not defend you.’ By Claude Malhuret in The Atlantic (thanks to Mary Jane F.) March 8, 2025, 7 AM Editor’s Note: On Tuesday, the French senator Claude Malhuret gave … Continue reading →

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Telephone Town Hall

Posted on March 8, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Rick B and Mary Jane F. You’re Invited: March 11th Telephone Town Hall! people Update from Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal  – If you weren’t able to make it to my last town hall, where we had 1,000 people come … Continue reading →

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From Churchill to Trump – a terrifying transition

Posted on March 6, 2025 by Jim deMaine

Commentary by Heather Cox Richardson (thanks to Mary M.) In the gym of Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, on March 5, 1946, former and future prime minister of the United Kingdom Winston Churchill rose to deliver a speech. Formally titled … Continue reading →

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