I went down to the demonstration at the Washington Monument, surrounded by a multitude with signs, chants and oh so many causes under the bleak spring sky. In this setting I had a sudden epiphany: Protests are not only to send a message to the ruler golfing in Florida. No, the point of gathering is to know there are others with you, like you, to create cohesion among the thousands who chose the right to […]

On Jan. 6, 2021, Donald Trump sent his thugs to the U.S. Capitol where they proceeded to smash up “the people’s house.” Trump refused to admit that he had lost the 2020 election. He called the assorted vandals “patriots” and surrounded himself with men and women of low character. That should have been enough to disqualify him for another term as president or frankly any other elective office. Never mind his bloodthirsty vows of vengeance […]

Everyone should have known what was about to happen when Donald Trump announced huge global tariffs under the slogan “Make America Wealthy Again.” Like “Make America Healthy Again,” which accompanied the return of deadly measles, the cheery tagline for Trump’s trade war foretold ruin – which has arrived at warp speed. Within hours, the global markets wiped out trillions of dollars in wealth from the balance sheets of retirement accounts and pension plans as well […]

WASHINGTON – Read it and weep. I mean the newspaper. Every single day, it brings tidings of despair to those who cherish the civilian institutions and agencies of this – yes – beloved and beautiful capital. The Institute of Peace was closed, Gestapo-style, within view of the Lincoln Memorial. The Smithsonian, America’s free storyteller, is under siege, including the spectacular bronze-laced African American History and Culture museum. The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, about […]

“Move it back to the states,” Donald Trump says about education, about FEMA and, as will probably happen, about Medicaid. What that would mean to Americans depends on what state they live in. As the federal government moves forward on this, it’s a good bet that high-income states can handle the changes better than low-income ones. Yes, it’s true: Taxpayers in high-income states, largely blue ones, have been subsidizing residents of less wealthy red states. […]