To those who think Climate Change is a fraud, take a look at the link below.

http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/31/africa/cape-town-satellite-images-trnd/index.html

The Dangerous Game the branch of the Russian-Republican party is playing

A President who openly discredits his own intelligence agencies about their findings on Russian meddling in our political affairs and ignores Congressional acts to impose sanctions on that country.

A House Intelligence Chairperson, already caught in questionable activities that forced his recusal from chairing the Russian investigation, at it again in helping, with his staff, create a memo of questionable validity and compromising content in order to publish it and unjustly smear the very people supporting the investigation.

Our President again asking his own Deputy Attorney General whose side he is on. The correct answer is The United States.

This is a Dangerous Game this branch of the Russian-Republican Party is playing. The strength of our union is that the great majority of the people see through this fraud and will not sanction it. We need to continually speak out and participate in the political process so this combined version of 1984 and It Can't Happen Here manifests itself.


https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/31/politics/donald-trump-rod-rosenstein-december-meeting/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/31/politics/nunes-memo-law-enforcement/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/01/31/kth-trump-nunes-fbi-memo-fool-me-once-cooper-ac.cnn

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-sanctions/trump-administration-holds-off-on-new-russia-sanctions-despite-law-idUSKBN1FI2V7

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of RJ Matson

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Patrick Chappatte

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Adam Zyglis

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Jimmy Marguiles

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Stephen Benson

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Clay Bennett

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Matt Wuerker

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Steve Sack

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of RJ Matson

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Jimmy Marguiles

First thoughts on the State of the Union and the Democratic Response

Tonight's State of the Union presented by the President was fairly well delivered, mostly glorified the virtues of and dream that is America, and the tributes to American Heroes sitting with the First and Second Ladies was inspiring. There were even overtures, at least in broad strokes, to Progressives on lowering prescription drugs,  paid family leave, criminal justice reform,  and infrastructure.

However, there were some items our President relayed that we must take issue with. They are:

1) Asking government bureaucrats to ferret out people that do not serve the country and undermine the public trust eerily sound smack out of something you might hear in the old communist block or read about in 1984.

2) Appealing to the nativists out there on immigration by making it seem like all illegals form crime infested gangs.

3) Being short on factual accuracy about how his administration is totally responsible for the economy.

4) Continually clapping about his alleged accomplishments. Clapping for our heroes is perfectly appropriate but patting yourself on the back is not Presidential.


In the Democratic response, we may have seen the next star in the Kennedy Dynasty as Joseph Kennedy III delivered a skilled response in at a good location of a vocational school. Representative Kennedy gave an impassioned speech calling for idealism and to champion the causes of all Americans and not fall for the false choices presented by the President and his party. A star may have been born this evening.

Editorial Video courtesy of Robert Reich on fighting for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security

https://www.facebook.com/RBReich/videos/1844229615589626/

Editorial courtesy of Laurie Roberts: No tax dollars should go to religious schools

https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/laurieroberts/2018/01/30/kochs-doug-ducey-declare-war-arizonas-school-voucher-opponents/1078867001/

Is Donald Trump the first President to ever clap for himself at a State of the Union

Third Party Commentary on the State of the Union courtesy of Vox

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/1/30/16950180/sotu-2018-immigration-russia-health

Fact Checking the President before the State of the Union

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/30/us/politics/fact-check-trump-ahead-state-union-.html?smid=fb-share

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Jack Ohman

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Clay Bennett

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Mike Luckovich

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Adam Zyglis

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Steve Sack

The State of Our Union is strong

The State of Our Union is strong. It is not strong because the President's policies on taxation and deregulation are steps forward for our country. They are not. It is not strong because the President has a unified government with most members of his party willing to back him to the end even as his lies accumulate and possible legal transgressions mount. Our country is strong because the people see through this gimmick and they know, although his economic and deregulatory policies may provide a sugar rush injection, that the tried and failed policies of trickle down supply side Voodoonomics and environmental rule laxness will never work in the long haul. Our country is strong because people in all 50 states have woken up since Hillary Clinton was denied the presidency, despite winning the popular vote, and are finally fighting for progressive values the majority of our people embrace. The elections in 2017 are just a snapshot of what the people can achieve when they are focused and enthusiastic in fighting for social justice, economic, social, and political equality, and prudent policies that make our county one of the envies of the world's populace. As long as the people are informed and participate and work for what is good, our Union will remain strong and the forces of reactionism and nativism will never envelop us. We must never grow numb and desensitized to the moral cesspool stench emerging from the White House. We must never lose sight that our union is strong when we are of all the people, by all the people, and for all the people.

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Jack Ohman

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Kevin Kallaugher

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Walt Handelsman

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of David Horsey

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of David Wayne Fitzsimmons

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Mike Luckovich

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Chan Lowe

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Adam Zyglis

Making the World Safe for China

Two very interesting articles on how China's influence is rising in Asia and around the world. The United States through the Trump Administration is letting it happen through its reckless policies of pulling from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Paris Climate Agreement. Instead of making America Great Again, the Trump Administration, after his family received several name patent deals with the Bejing Government, is making it easier for a global Chinese resurgence. For those that want a strong United States, we need a new policy towards trade and global relations. Nativism, Protectionism, and bilateral agreements are not part of the long-term solutions to making our middle class and vibrant again.


http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/27/asia/asia-trump-us-china-intl/index.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/28/business/davos-trump-china.html?smid=fb-share

Excerpts from GPS with Fareed Zakaria

https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/01/28/fareeds-take-trump-normal-davos-sot.cnn

https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2018/01/27/exp-gps-0128-netanyahu-jerusalem-trump.cnn

https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2018/01/27/exp-gps-0128-arab-history-jerusalem.cnn

Video of SNL cold opening with Will Ferrell as former President George W, Bush

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpkRFHSpvGI

Video courtesy of Protecting Missouri Families on the potential perils of living in Right to Work States.

https://www.facebook.com/ProtectMoFamilies/videos/1660001567390115/

Video courtesy of Robert Reich on reducing drug prices

https://www.facebook.com/RBReich/videos/1839508859395035/

This Week in Science and Technology courtesy of Futurism

https://futurism.com/images/this-week-in-tech-jan-20-26-2018/

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Phil Hands

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Clay Bennett

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Matt Davies

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Jeff Danzinger

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Jack Ohman

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Pat Bagley

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Matt Wuerker

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of David Wayne Fitzsimmons

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Kevin Siers

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of David Wayne Fitzsimmons

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Mitt Priggee

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Phil Hands

Another sign that Climate Change, whatever causes it, has profound consequences we need to address.

Capetown in South Africa is going to become one of the first major cities where its citizens will receive a rationed allotment of water every day. Climate Change is real and we have to come up with ways to combat it whether it is human-made, a natural phenomena or both. We can not keep our heads in the sand any longer. We need to invest in nonfossil fuel forms of energy. There is no denying fossil fuels contribute to this problem. The technology and availability of resources are there and the world is making great strides. Our leaders must not turn back. They have to push forward or there may be more Capetown's.


https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/01/24/climate-bellwether-cape-town-almost-out-water-day-zero-looms

https://www.thenation.com/article/3-strategies-to-get-to-a-fossil-free-america/

Doing investments in infrastructure and green energy intelligently and not wastefully.

A very interesting article from U.S. News below on the need to promote upgrades and modernize our nation's infrastructure. What the article, from a conservative no less,  rightfully indicates is that infrastructure projects should mostly be undertaken that fulfill a lasting and necessary need in the local community and provide long-term stable employment. While there is always a need for once in a while projects, local governments should adopt long-term infrastructure plans that rationally move their communities forward in a sensible way. In that sense, bottom-up is a better prescription than top down.


https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2018-01-26/a-better-infrastructure-policy-needs-careful-investment-not-broad-stimulus?src=usn_fb

Video courtesy of ATTN on the need for children to take classes in Life Skills

https://www.facebook.com/attnlife/videos/1843185669277107/

Video courtesy of ATTN on how people can not afford to live on the Minimum Wage

https://www.facebook.com/attn/videos/1410474915654630/

Real Time with Bill Maher from 1/26/18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD9AYeH_Flc

Shields and Brooks from January 26, 2018

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/shields-and-brooks

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Clay Bennett

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of David Horsey

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Phil Hands

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Steve Breen

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Gary Varvel

Editorial Cartoon of Steve Breen

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Adam Zyglis

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Steve Benson

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Scott Stantis

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Joe Heller

Idea of the Week: Continue the fight forward to a green future

Even though the Trump Administration has adopted more anti-environmental/green energy stances in the last week like a tariff on solar panels (which, in fairness, just might have an effect of maintaining and increasing domestic production) or loosening air pollution guidelines, the American People must continue marching forward to a green future where energy dependency on polluting sources such as coal and oil increasingly become a thing of the past. Green Energy industries have already outpaced the coal sector. History shows that progress, no matter what obstacles are put in front of it, always wins. People prefer a rising sun to a setting one and green energy is on the ascendant. 



http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/370786-epa-loosens-rules-on-some-major-air-pollution-sources

https://www.popsci.com/solar-panel-tariff-effects

Movies of the Week

To commemorate their nominations for Best Picture by the Academy of Motion Pictures, Dunkirk and The Darkest Hour are recommended again.

Book of the Week coming out on January 30

Building the Great Society: Inside Lyndon Johnson's White House by Joshua Zeitz

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Clay Bennett

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of David Horsey

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Stephen Benson

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Steve Sack

Editorial Cartoon courtesy of Rob Rogers