When Cities Try to Limit Guns, State Laws Bar the Way - The New York Times

There is no reason why local governments cannot adopt policies to promote positive actiions. As long as they stop short of imposing laws, requirements, regulations, penalties, etc, what is to stop them? For example, a town policy that says there are too many guns here and we commit ourselves to do all we can to reduce that number.

Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America - Kindle edition by Kathleen Belew. Politics & Social Sciences Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

May be worth reading.

The Global Machine Behind the Rise of Far-Right Nationalism - The New York Times

Extremely troubling.

Opinion | Marianne Williamson Knows How to Beat Trump - The New York Times

I agreee wholeheartedly!

Trump Attacks Congresswomen At N.C. Rally, As Crowd Chants 'Send Her Back' : NPR

Even having a North Carolina address is embarrassing after seeing this.

ELF maker is bankrupt; founder says firm isn’t done | Durham Herald Sun

Sorry that they did not make it.

The Empty Storefront Crisis and the End of the American Dream - The New York Times

Worthy of a lot of understanding.

President Trump Grants Pardon to Conrad Black - The New York Times

Slime and Slime.

The School Photo Industry Is a Master Class in Drama - The New York Times

Imagine the opportunities to photograph an entire town or city! I have a good candidate.

The Last Five Glamour Shots Locations in the United States - The New York Times

Sign of the times.

What the Constitution Means to the Playwright Heidi Schreck | The New Yorker Radio Hour | WNYC Studios

I want to listen to all of this - and see the play!!!

Cartoonist Defends Anti-Semitic New York Times Cartoon | The Daily Caller

I see nothing in this cartoon to merit the response it has gotten or the Draconian actions taken by the Times.

Isn't it as much a part of wide open and robust debate as is this one today?

A Portrait of the White House and Its Culture of Dishonesty - The New York Times

And Democrats are still ditheirng around doing nothing. What a blow to the body politic of America.

Opinion | Does Anyone Collect Old Emails? - The New York Times

What are we going to do about this?

What will you create? | Code.org

Very impressive as reported on 60 Minutes tonight!

Opinion | None of Us Deserve Citizenship - The New York Times

Good piece.

Becoming Greta: ‘Invisible Girl’ to Global Climate Activist, With Bumps Along the Way - The New York Times

What a great story!

Inside Buffalo Springfield's Anthem To The Sunset Strip Curfew Riots : NPR

Great story!

Plus de 12.000 armes à feu fondues à Gand, suite à l'amnistie sur les armes

We ought to collect and destroy guns wherever we can. It is very simple - fewer guns mean fewer injuries and deaths. Any argument to the contrary is not worth hearing.

Opinion | Munich or a Requiem for the West - The New York Times

Can we hope to permanently correct this in coming months? Will it take an election? What it will say about us and our fellow citizens if we blow it and THEY reelect him.

Opinion | No, You Can’t Ignore Email. It’s Rude. - The New York Times

Good. Lots of implications.

US lawmaker says she 'unknowingly' used anti-Semitic trope in Israel criticism | The Times of Israel

I fully support Rep OMAR once again, but I wish she would stop apologizing for criticism that is warranted not because of religion but because of actions.

In this California classroom, students teach each other their home languages — and learn acceptance | Public Radio International

Fabulous!

Ilhan Omar Apologizes for Statements Condemned as Anti-Semitic - The New York Times

I stand in full support of Rep OMAR, and I object to the knee-jerk reaction of so many. It is pitiful.

Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer of ‘Extortion and Blackmail’ - The New York Times

This touches so many issues and I hope BEZOS hangs very tough.

Opinion | Why I Am a European Patriot - The New York Times

I am not sure about this one.

Trump Claims There Is a Crisis at the Border. What’s the Reality? - The New York Times

Thank goodness, once again, for the NYT.

Ocean Warming Is Accelerating Faster Than Thought, New Research Finds - The New York Times

We have to increase our best efforts ten fold.

Coast Guard Members May Have To Work Without Pay During Shutdown : NPR

This is awful and would be even if I was not a former Coast Guard officer.

Democrats Faked Online Push to Outlaw Alcohol in Alabama Race - The New York Times

This is beyond unacceptable.

Trump drums up support for border wall with Tweet storms

I would just ignore all this.

Leona Maguire's Storied Duke Career comes To An End at NCAA Women's Championship | Golf Channel

MAGUIRE and Cavan pride!

Encyclopedia Britannica is turning 250: A history of the handy guide to the world's accumulated knowledge - CBS News

Neat.

The Border Dividing Ireland Has Long Been Invisible. Brexit Threatens to Make It Real. - The New York Times

It is really hard to imagine a solution short of reunification or a new referendum in the UK.

Show 1146: Why You Should Share Your Stories - The People's Pharmacy

Interesting.

Show 1145: Are Big Corporations Hacking the American Mind? - The People's Pharmacy

Great stuff.

Sun AM

I sure missed the NYT and CBS Sunday Morning yesterday, the first due to bad roads and the second due to opportunistic television stations.

Opinion | The War on Truth Spreads - The New York Times

We cannot afford to let the other side win this war.

What These Medical Journals Don’t Reveal: Top Doctors’ Ties to Industry - The New York Times

Sunshine is the best medecine!

Drugs

This is really bad. 

Rex Tillerson just exposed Donald Trump's greatest weakness - CNNPolitics

What an abysnal picture this confirms.

Foist on the rest of the world, but not in our backyard?

This is atrocious!

Donald Trump Says He's Most Thankful for Himself on Thanksgiving

Each TRUMP day outdoes the previous one in its slide straight down hill.

Chief Justice Defends Judicial Independence After Trump Attacks ‘Obama Judge’ - The New York Times

Thank God.

Trump statement on Saudi crown prince and the killing Jamal Khashoggi - CNNPolitics

It is so embarrassing to be a citizen of the country that elected TRUMP.

Matthew Whitaker's Appointment as Acting Attorney General: Three Lingering Questions - Lawfare

Law can be challenging and critical. This needs to be decided clearly and decisively. It will be a supreme, so to speak, test of our judicial system at this awful time in our country's life.

Macron’s Response to Trump: ‘I Do Not Do Policy or Diplomacy by Tweets’ - The New York Times

The sad part of all this is that the facts no longer speak for themselves, and, worse, far too many ignorant people just don't care. Bravo, once again, for the civility and appropriateness of President MACRON. He reminds us of what US democracy elected two years ago and how unclear is the future of US thinking. How do supporters of TRUMP ever get back to embracing historic US values that President MACRON can articulate better than anyone I have heard speak int eh Republican Party. Or is that the Republic Party?

Trump's Paris trip marked by missed moments -- and a dire warning - CNNPolitics

Excellent summary of a disastrous presidential weekend trip to France.

Document : le discours d’Emmanuel Macron à l’Arc de Triomphe

Bravo!

Yesterday

Three words come to mind in the wake of results from voting yesterday:
-selfishness
-ignorance
-racism
These were yesterday's winners when we look at the big picture results.

TRUMP enforcement

This is very disturbing. 

« Guns in America » la Une incroyable du Time - France 2 - 01-11-2018

We have let down the world.

Opinion | I’m a Child of Immigrants. And I Have a Plan to Fix Immigration. - The New York Times

I find this very compelling.

Guns in America: What 245 Americans Think About the Issue | Time

Alas, I cannot seem to make this work. Looks promising but I cannot say for sure.

‘The Simpsons’ and ‘Bob’s Burgers’ adjust up, ‘Madam Secretary’ and ‘Alec Baldwin Show’ adjust down: Sunday final ratings – TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com

Pretty interesting to see how some millions of Americans watch TV.

Washington Post publisher calls Saudi announcement on Khashoggi a 'coverup' - CNN

Thank God the Washington Post continues to fight for our most important principles.

TRUMP, KAVANAUGH and newspapers

I plan to write about what it is that they all share and why newspapers need to commit to showing us all the importance of facts, investigations, proof, etc. 

Opinion | Hit Pause on Brett Kavanaugh - The New York Times

I agree completely!

In Flood-Hit Public Housing, a Reminder That the Poor Bear Brunt of Storms’ Fury - The New York Times

I hope we can refocus ourselves on more than Florence.

In Flood-Hit Public Housing, a Reminder That the Poor Bear Brunt of Storms’ Fury - The New York Times

Our NC shame.

VIDEO. Les six chiffres qui montrent l'ampleur de la pauvreté en France

So triste.

U.S. Has Highest Share of Foreign-Born Since 1910, With More Coming From Asia - The New York Times

This is making America better!

Opinion | Confirmed: Brett Kavanaugh Can’t Be Trusted - The New York Times

Thank God for The New York Times.

A Black Restaurant Owner Says He Tried Assisting a White Patron in Distress. Police Arrested Him. - The New York Times

There is so much more work to be done. We are so far from where we should be. This sounds inexcusable.

Trump blasts Sessions over indictments of GOP congressmen ahead of midterms - CBS News

We need to ignore these narcissitic nothings, and concentrate on why the rule of law is so important. Let us redouble our efforts to explain how our system works, why, and, above all, why it is so critical to our democracy. And then move our thoughts to the next President, leaving this one in the dustbin of posterity.

More Than 9 in 10 People Breathe Bad Air, W.H.O. Study Says - The New York Times

Where are the 92% and how are we all ranked?

‘Overtourism’ Worries Europe. How Much Did Technology Help Get Us There? - The New York Times

I would never have guessed how much this has grown.

Ron DeSantis Tells Florida Not To 'Monkey This Up' By Electing Andrew Gillum | HuffPost

One can only hope that there is some sense of decency among Florida voters and that this candidate will receive the electoral condemnation he merits.

Add, not remove

I think the answer lies in adding a lot more, not tearing down.

Residents: 12. Average Age: 75. Biggest Challenge: Avoiding Extinction. - The New York Times

Fascinating story.

Opinion | School Choice Is the Enemy of Justice - The New York Times

This whole concept of charter and similar "choices" has always bothered me immensely; I cannot reconcile it with a national commitment to everyone's right to the same educational opportunities.

Trump calls Omarosa a 'dog' in latest attack on ex-aide - CNNPolitics

When will we finally see an organized effort to Dump TRUMP? So far, I have seen just a lot of jaw-boning and no clear action plan. It is a lot more important than D v. R. We need to focus on removing him from office, legally and quickly.

Meeting Registration

This sure seems important.

White House Weighs Another Reduction in Refugees Admitted to U.S. - The New York Times

What will it take for us to remove him, legally, from office? Why are we not trying harder?

Israel Passes Controversial Law Reserving National Self-Determination For Jews : NPR

Why we support such segregation and discrimination is clearr; those who claim that the Israeli lobby has a stranglehold on the US have it just about right, however offensive the actions of this country are.

Who Is Bill Browder, Kremlin Foe Singled Out in Putin’s Offer? - The New York Times

It's tough to imagine a more complex picture emerging.

Nights Are Warming Faster Than Days. Here’s Why That’s Dangerous. - The New York Times

We need to make all this a national crisis that demands a crisis response.

Famous Essayists from France | List of Top French Essayists

Compare with this!

Famous Essayists from the United States | List of Top American Essayists

Interesting list.

NBC News poll: Most want vote on Trump Supreme Court nominee before midterms

Unexpected result (for me). Huge split between Republicans and Democrats help explain it, and reinforces fear about how we govern our country in the years ahead.

How do we fix this?

I think this is a much bigger problem than we are ALL willing to admit.

Opinion | Bigoted and Feckless, the Travel Ban Is Pure Trump - The New York Times

It is not the Supreme Court that is most at fault; the wrongdoers are we, and we need to make democracy work by convinvincing our fellow Americans that there is more right in this editorial than in what TRUMP says and does and that the editorial is what we want the US to be, not what TRUMP opines.

Really troubling

This is wrong on every front except making it public and talking about it.

Parents and children

This is from 4 years ago; I sense we have no well-established policy and the country needs one to deal with children of arrested parents at all levels of government and in all jurisdictions.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/31/children-left-behind-parents-arrested/13333909/

Some number of people were focused on this back then at least http://www.theiacp.org/model-policy/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/07/Safeguarding-Children-of-Arrested-Parents-Final_Web_v3.pdf

I continue to believe that this issue of separating children is really two issues and we seem hopelessly unable to resolve either one – either some agreement on how many people we allow into the country each year and how we regulate that process and the other, what our national policy should be when a parent is arrested and detained for any alleged crime.

A good summary.

Who's watching the kids when parents get arrested?

We need to spend a lot more time on this.

White House rips MSNBC's Joe Scarborough for 'Nazi' comment | Fox News

In France, Joe would wind up getting prosecuted for the Nazi reference. But that is not the point; the point is whether we are treating parents and children fairly under all our laws. The White House guy has a point that is getting missed in all this. Bottom line is that we have to come together on a sane immigration policy and enforcement measures. The real fight is over how many people we welcome to the US each year. Everything is "easy" after we reach agreement on that.

Opinion | Seizing Children From Parents at the Border Is Immoral. Here’s What We Can Do About It. - The New York Times

Why has it taken so long for this sort of pro-activist editorial to appear in the Times? I do not recall seeing this previously.

Next in Irish Voters’ Cross Hairs? A Law Banning Blasphemy - The New York Times

There is hope!

Trump torpedoes G7 effort to ease trade spat, threatens auto tariffs

I still have not seen a clear analysis of this.

Samantha Bee Apologizes for a Slur Against Ivanka Trump - The New York Times

This sure gets complicated, but why not as they say, just clean it up a little. Are that many viewers going to walk away if Samantha stays out of the gutter?

Opinion | Roseanne Barr’s Right to Offend and Our Right to Say No - The New York Times

I think this oversimplifies something far more complex and even more frightening: what we don't know about stupidity and mean people. It is a near-deadly mix.

Democratic Candidate Who Criticized Israel Faces Charges of Anti-Semitism - The New York Times

Israel simply does not merit its perceved status. It is just another country with a murky history.

TRUMP

This is good.

Opinion | John Kelly’s Ancestors Wouldn’t Have Fit In Either - The New York Times

I embrace this fully as well.

Meghan Markle Introduces the British Monarchy to the African-American Experience - The New York Times

Super!

Houston Police Chief Says He Has ‘Hit Rock Bottom’ on Gun Rights Arguments - The New York Times

Why do so many people have such trouble embracing this? I surely do not. It is how I feel.

Gina Haspel Portrays C.I.A. Torture as a Bad Idea in ‘Hindsight’ - The New York Times

She should not be confirmed to lead the CIA. Period. She sets an example of moral depravity for all of us and the rest of the world. Who could want that?

Michigan bookstore collects meaningful messages with a typewriter - NBC News

I love it!

96-Year-Old Secretary Quietly Amasses Fortune, Then Donates $8.2 Million - The New York Times

She deserves lots of emulation!

Opinion | A Cheat Sheet to the Trump Circus - The New York Times

All newspapers should do a lot more of this kind of informing.