Content warning: This is a post about an actual child suicide. You may well prefer to stop reading here. I've resisted writing about this for some time. I don't want to appear to trade on the tragedy that befell Adam Raine and his family. And, frankly,
Beginning more than a month ago, Donald Trump sent the US Marines and National Guard into Los Angeles. He claimed that they were necessary to protect immigration agents working for ICE, rounding up and jailing people who may or may not have been in the country illegally. Last week, he
Hey gang, Every August, I visit DonorsChoose to find some schoolteachers to help out. Lots of educators post there about projects they want to do or things they need for their classrooms as kids come back to school. I pick a few and fund them up in gratitude for how
Swinging the spotlight, for a moment, from politics to big tech. I upgraded my mother-in-law's internet service recently. As part of that upgrade, I installed a new wifi access point with better security. That meant changing the network name, which of course meant all the stuff in the
I've been, in recent elections, a pretty reliable supporter – donor, canvasser, voter – for Democratic candidates running for office locally and in state and national races. About four months ago, I adopted a new policy: I will make no more contributions, of my time or my votes or my
Quick comments on two issues of the moment before I get into the post I mean to write this morning. One: Molly White maintains an up-to-date digest of all the payments made by, and favors done for, cryptocurrency players interacting with the Trump administration. The PAC donations bug me but
The 27th season of the animated television show South Park premiered on Wednesday night. The show has always been, uh, edgy. I don't watch it regulary, but the new season opener has gotten so much attention that I streamed it last night. The backdrop to the episode is
My abiding patriotism struggled, yesterday, with my deep disappointment in the American politicians and institutions of the moment. I began my day by re-reading the Declaration of Independence, as I do every year (and boy, are the charges against King George III germane just now!). I gathered with friends and
We interrupt the budget drama to bring you this immigration update: Allison Gill has published a story on the Mueller, She Wrote blog on an amended filing by lawyers for Kilmar Garcia Abrego, alleging widespread torture of inmates at the facility, including Abrego himself. I wrote about Abrego's
The Senate released its version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act at midnight on Friday, into the weekend news graveyard, hoping it would attract less attention in the news and on social media. It remains an Outrageous Budget-Busting Bullshit Abomination, thanks to an extension of the 2017 tax cuts
I was invited to attend the college graduation ceremonies of two relatives this past week. I cry at weddings and graduations. These were both uplifting and moving in exactly the right way. My nephew completed the undergraduate work for an engineering degree at Santa Clara University. While taking the coursework,
Tomorrow, Saturday June 14, President Trump is planning a massive parade of military hardware to celebrate his birthday and that of the US Army. It's an embarrassing display worthy of the Soviet Union and North Korea. It demeans the institutions and the soldiers it claims to celebrate by