On his first day in office, President Again issued a sweeping pardon of the January 6 rioters who brought terror to the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to keep Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. Psychology professors seeking a case of projection can now use Trump’s pardons as a classic … Continue reading Head Case: Trump’s pardon of Jan. 6 attackers is pure projection, and exactly what a dictator would do
Domestic Policy: Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Now what?
Can we agree that there are too many commemorative T-shirts in the world? My theater group is a purveyor of T-shirts — “Dad,” my daughter said, “you gotta sell merch!” — but I recognize that a lot of people have had their fill of T-shirts and have declared an indefinite moratorium on buying them. Many … Continue reading Domestic Policy: Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Now what?
JFK’s very cold inauguration, Robert Frost’s regrettable poem
In 2024, more than 77 million Americans elected an old man to be their president again, so it should not shock anyone to hear that the 78-year-old Trump will take his oath — Trump and oath, quite the joke! — indoors because of the weather forecast. As we get older, the cold seems colder. So … Continue reading JFK’s very cold inauguration, Robert Frost’s regrettable poem
Hoping for the end of the ‘endless nightmare’ in Gaza: Bassam Nasser is heard from again
Bassam Nasser’s holiday message from Gaza arrived late — on January 11, just before news of a possible ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. I was glad to learn that Bassam is still alive. ... (He has grown a beard since I first met him; the screen shot above is from a video posted last … Continue reading Hoping for the end of the ‘endless nightmare’ in Gaza: Bassam Nasser is heard from again
Respect for smarts and science even as Trump nominates a dangerous quack to lead public health policy
I have a much smarter brother named Joe. He’s a scientist. In fact, he’s an expert on toxicology and risk assessment who has lectured about public health policy around the world. He wrote a book, called “Calculated Risks: The Toxicity and Human Health Risks of Chemicals in our Environment,” that has been widely used as … Continue reading Respect for smarts and science even as Trump nominates a dangerous quack to lead public health policy
A Bridge Too Far in Western Maryland; the fight for hemlocks and history continues
In the far western corner of Maryland, Steve Storck (photo above) keeps fighting for the old hemlocks in Swallows Falls State Park. As I reported a couple of months ago, the plan to replace a single-lane bridge over the Youghiogheny River, near the entrance to the park, with a wider parallel span would cut into … Continue reading A Bridge Too Far in Western Maryland; the fight for hemlocks and history continues
Mitch McConnell, the greatest enabler in U.S. history, kept Trump out of prison
I'll employ a legal metaphor -- "fruit of a poisonous tree" -- to trace the path of one of the worst failures in U.S. history: The failure to hold Trump criminally responsible for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and Congress, a failure that kept Trump eligible to run for president a third time. … Continue reading Mitch McConnell, the greatest enabler in U.S. history, kept Trump out of prison
Don’t be fooled by black & white images; it’s happening here and now
This old photograph of Nazi propaganda minister Goebbels addressing his deputies makes it seem like something from ancient times -- gone with the winds of history, an image from a lost world. The Western nations supposedly learned a severe lesson from Germany in World War II: Never, in the post-war alliance, would a fascist dictator … Continue reading Don’t be fooled by black & white images; it’s happening here and now
Snow was no problem for Eddie and Pete
You might not believe it — and sometimes I can’t believe it myself — but this is how the sidewalks in my hometown in Massachusetts were plowed all through my boyhood and at least until after I left East Bridgewater for college. The winters were long, snowy, rainy and gray and, for what seemed interminable … Continue reading Snow was no problem for Eddie and Pete
Trump lies, Andy Harris amplifies
Bad enough that Fox "News" and Trump spread the lie that the attacker in the New Orleans horror had driven to Bourbon Street from Mexico, suggesting that the crime was the result of Biden border policy. It was a lie, of course. The killer of 14 was an American citizen and Army veteran. He crossed … Continue reading Trump lies, Andy Harris amplifies
Dan Rodricks 