politics
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Rampant Racism In Trump Administration: Look Who Is Elevated Or Fired
There is no way to consume this news without severe indigestion. In recent days we have read and heard about Donald Trump’s decision to nominate Paul Ingrassia to serve as special counsel of the United States, a role charged in part with safeguarding federal whistleblowers from retaliation. We also know that as Trump elevates confirmed… Continue reading
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Americans Need A National Anchor Like Molly Ivins
Saturday during the highly energetic No Kings Rally in Madison, I looked about at the scores of people and considered what made all of them similar. One of the themes worthy of consideration over the past decade of deep political divisions and ever-increasing cultural rancor is what commonalities still link Americans regardless of where we… Continue reading
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Saturday’s No Kings Protests Were Acts Of Patriotism In Its Purest Form
Saturday was one of those days when the ideals of the nation were forefront from coast to coast. From Bangor, Maine (not far from Corinth where my husband James grew up) to Berkeley, California, Americans gathered not in anger, but in absolute resolve to fight against authoritarianism and fascism. In Madison, like every other place… Continue reading
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Robert Caro Still Working On Final Volume Of Lyndon Baines Johnson Series
Robert Caro is a name often bantered about in our home, especially when victors walk through our rooms with bookcases. The volumes of his work about Lyndon Baines Johnson are noted as they underscore the joy found in the past by an author, incredible researcher, and powerful storyteller. He is what many book lovers and… Continue reading
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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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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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