Elizabeth Warren is branching out. The Massachusetts senator, who has made a career of unfairly maligning bankers and other alleged capitalist malefactors, is now smearing the criminal justice system, too. In a speech at a historically black college in New Orleans, she declared that “the hard truth about our criminal justice system: It’s racist … […]
opinion
A pastime for everyone, everywhere
All good things must come to an end. And so it was with the 2018 season for the Mamie Johnson Little League baseball team from the District of Columbia. This intrepid group of 12 young ballplayers had captured the city championship on July 24, making it the first predominantly African American team to do so […]
Dereliction of political duty in a tweet
It’s been policy hereabout to ignore presidential tweets of no national consequence. Whether Donald Trump likes Roseanne or dislikes Rosie matters not. But Trump’s tweets about the catastrophic California fires do. They demonstrated remarkable ignorance and cowardice. And in the words that weren’t there, they showed a collapse of the leadership needed to defend this […]
The Democrats' rhetoric is just as dangerous as Trump's
WASHINGTON — This week a New York man, Carlos Bayon, was arrested after leaving threatening messages for House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., and Conference Chairman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., promising to go after their families and “feed them lead.” When police raided his home, they found 200 rounds of ammunition as well receipts for […]
'Nothing that boy did could ever justify what happened to him'
“Nothing that boy did could ever justify what happened to him.” So says Carolyn Bryant Donham in historian Timothy B. Tyson’s 2017 book, “The Blood of Emmett Till.” You keep hoping for more, hoping to hear her wrestle with her crime, explain how she could have done what she did — and how she lives […]
The Matrix at 20
Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the sci-fi movie classic “The Matrix,” which depicts powerful machines attempting to subdue the human race. Sometimes art imitates life, and sometimes it’s the other way around. On occasion, art can be prophetic. “The Matrix” is such a film. It warns of a future in which the power […]
The $247 trillion global debt bomb
WASHINGTON — The untold story of the world economy — so far at least — is the potentially explosive interaction between the spreading trade war and the overhang of global debt, estimated at a staggering $247 trillion. That’s “trillion” with a “t.” The numbers are so large as to be almost incomprehensible. Households, businesses and […]
Yes, the Supreme Court is undemocratic
In an era of partisan polarization, it is rare to get agreement on anything, but about this there should be a consensus: The Supreme Court is an undemocratic institution whose power should be carefully circumscribed. The right has long been of this view, and the left is suddenly and opportunistically partway there. In an essay […]
Trump isn't attacking NATO. He's strengthening it.
WASHINGTON —As President Trump put Germany and other allies on notice for the harm they are doing to NATO with their failure to spend adequately on our common defense, Democrats in Washington came to Germany’s defense. “President Trump’s brazen insults and denigration of one of America’s most steadfast allies, Germany, is an embarrassment,” Senate Minority […]
Kavanaugh is a man — and judge — of quality
President Donald J. Trump has continued to show America, and Maine, that he is doing the right things for our people, our country and our democracy. Our economy is booming and good jobs are at last coming back to our shores. Once again, he has kept a campaign pledge. His appointment of Judge Brett Kavanaugh […]