Tweeter in Chief
The Trump Budget
Trumpcare: In 53 seconds
The President's Weekly Address, April 14
The President's Weekly Address
Reading between the lines
Thomas Jefferson, father of the Declaration of Independence and ranked among the top five U.S. presidents, once said this about the press: “The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers and be capable of reading them.” President Donald Trump has a very different opinion of the press. He describes them as “the dishonest media,” and “liars." But what can we say? Jefferson was no Trump. And Trump will never be Jefferson.
5 Gifts
The income divide: A tipping point
We've reached a tipping point, according to Oxfam, an international anti-poverty organization. In 2014, the richest 1 percent of the world's population owned 48 percent of global wealth. This year -- 2016 -- the share owned by the wealthiest 1 percent is expected to exceed 50 percent. But it's actually worse than it sounds. Of the half of global wealth remaining, most is owned by those included in the richest 20 percent, leaving 5.5 percent for the remaining 80 percent of the world's population. [See the report on Oxfam's website.
Caucus or primary? Election season begins
Once every four years all political life focuses on the Iowa caucuses. Most of us vote in primaries, but the caucus process sounds interesting -- and more involved. By the way, Iowa isn't the only state with the caucus system. See this article by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
Counting the children of war
Last week, Senate Democrats blocked a bill that would have effectively stopped U.S. resettlement of refugees from Syria and Iraq. The fate of the Syrian refugees, in particular, has become a political football during the presidential election. But at least half of the refugees are children, according to numbers compiled by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
5 ways to know it is time to end your campaign
Oct. 23, 2015--Anyone with the guts to run for president deserves a certain measure of respect. But let's face it: respect is hard to come by in the cutthroat universe of presidential elections.
Lincoln Chafee, who was, at best, a long shot in his bid for the presidency, called it quits this morning. He is not getting any respect, by the way, even on the way out. Consider this headline: "Mercifully, Chafee's quest is over."
Actually, Chafee has impressive credentials. Often, presidential candidates have served either as a governor or U.S. senator. Chafee was both governor of Rhode Island and a U.S. senator for that state. He was also a Democrat who used to be an Independent, and before that, he was an Independent who used to be a Republican. In fairness, it could be argued that if elected, he could bring everyone together. But frankly, it was just too weird.
The Lonesome Ranger hits the trail
Scott Walker is another drop-out. He had a tumultuous record as governor of Wisconsin. At one point, it was impossible to turn on television news without seeing live shots of angry protestors bundled in heavy coats screaming about collective bargaining. Republican consultants somehow saw him as a strong candidate for the presidency. He never gained traction.
And then there was Rick Perry, the silver-tongued governor of Texas. Remember the time he said that Juarez was "the most dangerous city in America," and the time he forgot which three governmental departments he wished to eliminate? We could go on, but well, enough said. We're going to miss him. We're going to miss them all.
Election Nightmare
That 3 o'clock call
It's 3 o'clock in the morning and a phone is ringing in the White House. ...Everyone remembers the famous Hillary Clinton ad from the 2008 campaign. Here's an update.
He Arrives
Orlando United
The income divide: A tipping point
We've reached a tipping point, according to Oxfam, an international anti-poverty organization. In 2014, the richest 1 percent of the world's population owned 48 percent of global wealth. This year -- 2016 -- the share owned by the wealthiest 1 percent is expected to exceed 50 percent. But it's actually worse than it sounds. Of the half of global wealth remaining, most is owned by those included in the richest 20 percent, leaving 5.5 percent for the remaining 80 percent of the world's population. [See the report on Oxfam's website.
Caucus or primary? Election season begins
Once every four years all political life focuses on the Iowa caucuses. Most of us vote in primaries, but the caucus process sounds interesting -- and more involved. By the way, Iowa isn't the only state with the caucus system. See this article by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
Everyone loves the Donald, or do they?
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has an interesting narrative --but a troubled history.
The SuperDonald
Windier than a turbo-powered blow-dryer, it's SuperDonald.
Coming Clean
There's a reason some people don't want to admit that humans contribute to climate change: It would mean more environmental regulations -- and paying to clean things up. But as tough as that is, it's better than the alternative.
Epic Gaffes
The road to the White House is paved with bloopers. It is election season, and once again, politicians are perspiring heavily in the foot-in-mouth spotlight.
Getting to Yes
Often, we know what political candidates are against. But running for office isn't just about dismantling programs. (Or is it?)
A Killer Returns
Despite 1,000 years of research -- and an effective vaccine -- researchers are still coping with an outbreak of the measles. It's a disease that should be history. See story: How the measles made a comeback.
A Pop Test
Will our country's students be equipped to tackle the high-tech jobs of tomorrow? The question often leads to a discussion of test scores, particularly international assessments that show our students lagging. But students are getting mixed signals.
Potholes
Ever wonder how you will get around if America's troubled roadways aren't fixed? For our first edition of Cartoon Truth, we cogitated upon this question. Well, OK, cogitate is too strong a word for a one-minute animation, but still.
Bring home the Bacon
It seemed likely that 2014 would be a pivotal year for low-income workers. That's what we thought, anyhow, but we were wrong. While voters in four states voted to raise the minimum, wages remain well below whateconomists say families need to live.
Living Minimum
More than 1.5 million Americans earn the minimum wage. While some states and cities have raised the rate higher, the federal minimum remains $7.25 an hour. Those workers earn approximately $1,160 per month.