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Detroit Needs To Move To EV Future With Haste
While the rest of the world accelerates toward an electric vehicle future, the United States clings to a past powered by gasoline and nostalgia. From Oslo to Shanghai governments, and automakers are investing billions in electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, battery innovation, and clean energy transitions. Yet in Washington, the Donald Trump administration continues to champion… Continue reading
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Chicago Marathon Turned Fearful Due To ICE
This past week while listening to WGN radio I heard a side of the Chicago Marathon that I had not considered. Upon hearing it, I wished to somehow have missed the story. It was just so dispiriting. Another example of what is so wrong in our country today. Sunday, it was reported that more than… Continue reading
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Letter From Home: “Best Bang For The Buck” 10/10/25
There’s a particular kind of magic that happens in a bookstore. It’s not loud or flashy. It doesn’t demand your attention like a movie trailer or a viral video. It’s quieter, more intimate, something that I have always found so fulfilling. There is a sense of unfolding possibilities as my fingers trace the spines of… Continue reading
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Plans For Conservative Alternative Super Bowl Halftime Show Is Simply Un-American. Full Stop.
The primitive side of politics that Charlie Kirk participated with in life continues after his death. News this week of counterprogramming during the Super Bowl half-time show is yet another sign of the dread and fear that a segment of the white population has with the changing racial demographics in our population. Add in disdain… Continue reading
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Local Teenager Facing Financial Nightmare Of Gun Violence
Gut-wrenching is the best word I can find to describe what it felt like to read the Wisconsin State Journal story about Samuel “Samy” Garduno-Martinez. He was one of six students shot at Abundant Life Christian School in December of 2024. Today, that young man has been hospitalized for over nine months, requiring ongoing specialized… Continue reading
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Witnessing A Betrayal Of American Ideals With Trump’s Military On City Streets
One of my favorite reads, The Glory And The Dream by William Manchester, was first read when in high school. (The two-volume treasured hardcover set is on bookshelves above where I now type this column.) The first 20 pages tells the gripping story of President Herbert Hoover ordering the U.S. Army, led by General Douglas MacArthur, to… Continue reading
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MAGA Racism: Bad Bunny, NFL Super Bowl Show Becomes Latest Culture War
Longtime readers know that if sports is mentioned on Caffeinated Politics something truly important has happened that warrants the column. News that Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny will be the star of the Super Bowl halftime show has confirmed that the most racist element in our nation simply does not know how foolish and disgusting… Continue reading
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Trump Needs To Understand Noncitizens Have “Same Free Speech Rights As The Rest Of Us”
This past week was like every other one since Inauguration Day, in that the most absurd actions and dangerous attacks on democracy continued from the Donald Trump Administration. In the midst of headlines about the ludicrous gathering of our top military brass for a dressings down by clown-like figures behind a podium at Marine Corps… Continue reading
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Patricia Routledge Dies At 96, Hyacinth Bucket Is Immortal
As we face hourly reminders of why we must fight for our democracy we are also reminded, perhaps even subconsciously, why we must have places of mental respite and abundant humor. One of those ever-ready smile-educing options for James and myself not only over the past decade, but for the 25 years we have been… Continue reading
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Cruelty Is The Purpose In Trump White House
A Bluesky posting from Adam Kinzinger caught my attention this week. The thing that bothers me so much is not the “we have to enforce our borders and laws.” We do. It’s the giddy joy and celebration they have at the misery of people far less fortunate. Always punching down Since Inauguration Day, there has… Continue reading
