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Happy Labor Day US federal civil servants
US President Donald Trump has canceled 2.1 percent across-the-board pay raises scheduled to start 1 January 2019 for “most civilian federal employees,” reports Darlene Superville writing for the AP,...
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Obadiah Gamble has advice for Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter
It’s state fair time up here on the far edge; in Minnesota, that’s a very big deal. It’s the largest state fair in the US (by total attendance), but more importantly, it’s that time of year when the...
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Willie Nelson: “Vote ‘Em Out”
Beto O’Rourke is running a pretty wild US Senate political campaign in Texas. His opponent is the incumbent, Ted Cruz (R‑Texas). Here’s the Dallas, TX debate clip that was heard around the world...
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Ry Cooder: Better Not Shake It No Mo
Yesterday, the latest supreme sexual abuser was installed (yay, now we have a matching pair of them). You just know Clarence was biting his nails for a while there. The court itself is reeling, having...
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Questioning value of increased public education spending
The mythical perception that Minnesota spends considerably more than other states on public education per-pupil spending is a crumbling artifact of the “Minnesota Miracle.” In the early 1970s, Governor...
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Mac Collins
Have you ever wondered if you would, or could, donate back a Social Security payment to the government? Donate your pension back to the company for which you worked so that it might continue to prosper...
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The immigrants are coming! The immigrants are coming!
Since so many of us are so blooming passionate regarding immigration, I thought I would share a few notes from my desk. Hunter Hallman writing for the Bipartisan Policy Center, explains the mechanics...
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Municipalities: Stop buying pigs in pokes
Wikipedia says that people have been hoodwinked into buying pigs in pokes since the Middle Ages. It originated as a con game during times when meat was scarce. The con worked by passing off a dog or...
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The DCCC’s last gasp
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) better known as the corporate Democrats — the vestiges of reactionary old white men holding on desperately to what they think is political power...
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Before Barr delivers Mueller summary, AOC offers precise assessment of US’s...
A few hours before US Attorney General William Barr delivered his four-page summary of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report, US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC, D‑New York) provided a...
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I dream of Skink with four mobile phones, a laptop, a hard drive, and a thumb...
In a fitful sleep, I’m enjoying a raucous dream about the inimitable Skink stealthily trying to gain access to anyone in the Trump family at Mar-a-Lago. The former governor of Florida was loaded for...
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Sometimes, the truth comes out
One good thing that comes from having the only divided state legislature in the US is that sometimes the politicians up here on the far edge slip up and let their true feelings seep out. And it makes...
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Sometimes, to move forward, we have to go back
US Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders (I‑Vermont) and US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC; D‑New York) have introduced the Loan Shark Prevention Act (.pdf; 27KB) that seeks...
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A policy wonk wrapped in a comedian
Well the first days are the hardest days, don’t you worry any more, Cause when life looks like easy street, there is danger at your door. Think this through with me, let me know your mind, Whoa, oh,...
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A turning point is a national crisis
Turning from a nation filled with the greedy, the racist, and the radical with desires of returning to the industrious, compassionate, and reasonable people we once were hailed to be around the world...
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The Ranks
We will fight no more wars Wealth power wishes have brought Our children to their deaths – As another one joined the ranks We will fight no more wars Mother’s tears and children’s blood have wet greedy...
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US Director of National Intelligence refuses to disclose whistleblower complaint
On 9 September 2019, the office of the US Inspector General of the Intelligence Community (ICIG; Michael Atkinson), within the office of the US Director of National Intelligence (DNI; Joseph Maguire),...
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Adam Schiff and Joseph Maguire continue their dance of the whistleblower...
The stare-down between US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Joseph Maguire and US Representative Adam Schiff (D‑California), chair of the US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence over...
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Trump tosses word salad admitting discussing Biden with Zelensky
Earlier today, US President Donald Trump admitted discussing former US Vice President Joe Biden in a 25 July 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Full stop. Reread that opening...
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A serious impeachment question
When I woke up this morning, it was pretty clear that US President Donald Trump would be impeached by the US House of Representatives and subsequently acquitted by the US Senate. I really, really don’t...
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The ballad of Bob Fletcher
Bob Fletcher’s first brush with fame as Ramsey County, MN sheriff lasted 15 years. Here’s hoping this one is shorter. Way shorter. And with less destruction and unnecessary cost to county taxpayers....
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Political hat-tip to Dave Winer
I find myself disagreeing, quietly, with lots that Dave Winer has to say these days. But, he’s absolutely nailed it with his three priorities for the next government: My priorities for the next...
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Disappointed
I’ve supported Bernie Sanders for what seems like forever. That hasn’t changed and probably won’t. Nonetheless, I am terribly disappointed that Sanders has not challenged the Nevada Culinary Workers...
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What I need to hear Bernie say to Trump re: “How will you pay for your...
“We’re going to tax people like you at a fair and progressive rate and not allow anyone, regardless of who they are, to hide their tax returns! We’re paying out billions right now in oil subsidies....
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YES! Medicare for all infographic
YES! has published the clearest Medicare for all infographic I’ve come across. Citing data from the Urban Institute study of Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for all plan, YES! reports the cost to be US$32...
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Why I’m not voting in the Minnesota primary
Tuesday’s primary in Minnesota will be the state’s fourth in its history and the first since 1992. We generally caucus up here on the far edge, and I very much prefer that system. Here are the reasons...
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Are you now, or have you ever been?
Bernie Sanders’ historic public record has probably been covered more in-depth than any other 2020 candidate for the US presidency. After all of that spilt ink there are still only two Bernie Sanders...
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Wake up to find out
Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the World but the heart has its beaches its homeland and thoughts of its own Wake now, discover that you are the song that the morning brings but the heart...
View ArticleTrump administration trashes CDC reopening guide
Shortly after the Trump administration sent the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) reopening guide back to the agency for “revision” and allegedly saying it “would never see the...
View ArticleFormer President Barack Obama addresses graduates
On 16 May 2020, Former President Barack Obama virtually addressed some 27,000 graduates of US historically black colleges and universities during a two-hour event hosted by Kevin Hart. “More than...
View ArticleThe US is officially an oligarchy
A study from Princeton and Northwestern researchers concluded that the US government represents the interests of its “economic elite:” one-percenters, and large special interests not the “interests of...
View ArticleThe pandemics of racism and COVID-19
As an editor for nurse practitioners seeking their clinical doctorate, I’ve come to realize just how necessarily intimate healthcare providers are with systemic conditions in many areas of our society....
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Alfred Hitchcock presents TRUMP
Ah, what the hell. It’s Independence Day here in the US.… I laughed when Donald Trump announced his candidacy. I laughed when he was nominated by the Republicans. I laughed when Hillary Clinton was...
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Trump’s flurry of paper-pushing: The Saturday massacree
Nothing like today’s Trump memorandums and executive order dump has taken place since, well… since Arlo Guthrie’s infamous Alice’s Restaurant Massacree. At least not to my way of thinking. The big...
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Trump has already stolen the US 2020 election
US Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (D‑California) told Democrats earlier today that she would call “upon the House to return to session later this week to vote on Oversight and Reform Committee...
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