Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Gerald “Digger” Moravek was a rancher, an early environmentalist, and a dog killer.  Just like Kristi Noem, but not.

In the summer of 1984, I lived on the ranch of Gerald “Digger” Moravek, just outside Sheridan, Wyoming.  Like many of the ranchers who banded together to establish the Powder River Basin Resource Council, where I was working, Digger was drawn to environmentalism partly for self-interested reasons:  in the early 1970s a coal company was […]

They are Anti-War, Stupid

Reuters says the students are protesting the war in Palestine.  The students say that they are protesting the war — the killing of innocents.  Still and yet, the U.S. media doesn’t get it — says that the protesters are pro-Palestian, or anti-Semitic.  Seems it is about the narrative. To be clear. Netanyahu and ultra-orthodox Jews […]

A Bit of History by a Friend from Slate’s “The Fray”

Queen Claude and Anne Boleyn by Claude Scales self absorbed boomer In my post about the global art market I noted that my given name, Claude, is gender neutral in French. Today, thanks to Tina Brown’s review of Hunting the Falcon: Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and the Marriage that Shook Europe, by John Guy and Julia Fox, I know there was a Queen Claude […]

2024 SOCIAL SECURITY REPORT IS OUT THE MEDIA MISS THE POINT

The 2024 Social Security Trustees Report came out on Monday, May 6. You can find dozens of press reports and other commentary online, most of which are written by people who actually know nothing about Social Security except what they read in the papers. Some are written by people who do know what they are […]

Republican U.S. States Sue EPA over Strict Power Plant Emission Rules

US Republican attorneys general sue to stop EPA’s carbon rule, Reuters, Clark Mindock Republican attorneys general from 27 U.S. states and industry trade groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA on Thursday. They seek to block an EPA landmark rule requiring sweeping reductions in carbon emissions from existing coal-fired power plants and new natural […]

Clawback of money looted by Cerberus, de la Torre, and MPT from Steward Health Care

The third and best source of funds would be a clawback of money looted by Cerberus, de la Torre, and MPT, based on a prosecution for fraudulent conveyance, misrepresentation to shareholders, and other possible criminal charges. As a settlement, restitution would have to be paid to the hospitals, under new ownership. That may yet come, […]

Continuous trump Trials, May 7th Notes, “Stormy”

“The Trial, Ho Hum” – Digby’s Hullabaloo, digbysblog.net If you haven’t been following the trial and Stormy Daniels testimony, you can catch it at Digsby’s Hullabaloo. It is kind of strange what trump says. It is too detailed for Ms. Daniels to make this up. I was reading on this yesterday elsewhere. I imagine this […]

Microsoft is investing $3.3 billion dollars to build a new data center in Racine Wisconsin

by Prof. Heather Cox-Richardson Letters from an American Pres. Joe Biden, Dem Governor Tony Evers, and Microsoft are bailing out Wisconsin from trump’s “eighth wonder of the world” lie in Racine WI with Taiwan’s Foxconn. When this was occurring, Repub. Gov. Scott Walker with Repub legislators committed to a $3.3 billion subsidy and tax incentive […]

Inflation Is Scrambling Americans’ Perceptions of Middle-Class Life

Inflation Is Scrambling Americans’ Perceptions of Middle-Class Life, businessinsider.com, Jennifer Sor Yes, we have inflation. It is a given. Inflation is scrambling the lives of middle-class Americans. Income is not keeping up with the costs of maintaining a Middle-Class Life. I have sat here in AZ watching this play out in the nation — watching […]

Is Life Today Really So Bad?

Kevin Drum doesn’t believe Life is so bad. Kevin poses a number of reasons why things are actually pretty good. Think about it. We weathered a pandemic. For the first time government stepped in biggly and well beyond what was done in 2008 for people. Biden insured people who had no healthcare insurance pre-pandemic, provided […]