Tag Archives: politics

Memorial Day . . . I am sure everyone is out cooking burgers and hot dogs except in the desert where the temperature is triple digit. And what is this old Marine Sergeant gonna do? Certainly not get out in the heat. I will drink a beer to honor the friends I lost and in the silence of my home. No parades, no John Wayne movies, just silence and thinking of the times I drank a beer with them. Robert Reich has an interesting commentary up about...

Tom Dispatch site commentary suggested by Dale Coberly . . . Tom: It’s not complicated. This country, as TomDispatch regular and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign Liz Theoharis makes clear today, is simply unprepared — unprepared, that is, to keep all too many Americans even reasonably healthy and well. It matters little that this may be the wealthiest country on the planet . . . The Great Unwinding by Liz Theoharis TomDispatch.com...

Some history: For the longest time Michigan districts were gerrymandered in favor of Republicans. Since the 1980s, Republicans had control of the Michigan Senate. On and off, Republicans had control of the House for 22 times. A trifecta in favor of Republicans was in place 14 times. It was not until voting districts were decided by Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. made up of citizens were the districts competitive. For the first time in...

by Ten Bears Homeless on the High Desert Mormon Militia Moves To Take Over Central, Eastern Oregon Government Note that the link is to an article in The Guardian, a British publication that is to my observation the straightest, least bias / most honest reporting today. Bear in mind as you read these happenings out on the Oregon High Desert that people are reading about them in England, and around the English-speaking world Sometimes...

SUMMARY: The 2024 presidential election has turned into a crash course in gerontology. On Election Day, former president Donald Trump will be 78 years old, and President Biden will be a couple weeks shy of 82. Never have two people of such advanced age been the nominees of the major political parties, nor has there been a campaign so rife with suspicions and allegations that candidates are showing signs of age-related cognitive decline. The...

Let’s be very clear: in vitro fertilization (IVF) results in far more zygotes than will ever be implanted. Further, pre-implantation testing means that some zygotes will be rejected. In the end, this means that millions of fertilized eggs will be discarded. That was always baked in the IVF cake. For reasons that escape me as a PhD geneticist, some people believe that the cluster of cells that we call “zygotes” are the moral equivalent of a fully...

Excellent piece by one of CEPR’s Domestic Program Interns . . . Alex Richwine. That name rings a bell with me. I am sure you will find this piece to be an excellent report detailing university investment returns. Quite apropos . . . give todays circumstances. ~~~~~~~~ University Endowment Returns Don’t Measure Up by Alex Richwine and Dean Baker CEPR Of the many demands made by student protestors in recent weeks, the demand to divest...

Nice Evening Read. I am not a big believer in tariffs. However, as it is today and from the seventies, domestic companies have relocated to countries to escape avoid associated Labor and Domestic costs prevalent in the United States. Cost such as healthcare, OT, work conditions, Workman’s Comp, SS, etc. and there are issues such as child labor, etc. It is purposeful avoidance I am hoping the tariffs will apply to those companies as well as...

 – by New Deal democrat To reiterate my Big Picture theme for this year, now that the supply chain tailwind has ended, will the effects of the 2022-23 Fed rate hikes drag the economy down towards recession at last, or will there be a “soft landing” (or no landing at all) instead, because interest rates have not increased in the past 12+ months? As a result, I am focusing most heavily on the leading sectors of manufacturing production and...

by Lloyd Alter Carbon Upfront! Llyod discusses the changing needs of the largest retirement population to be occurring in the next decade or baby boomers. Baby Boomers are on the verge of requiring smaller living spaces in close proximity to transportation, shopping, and healthcare. Easier and greater accessibility is paramount going forward.as they will not be as mobile as they once were. Cars may be out of the question. Living quarters...