“Together, we can break decades of political stalemate, we can bridge old divisions, heal old wounds, build new coalitions, forge new solutions and unlock the extraordinary promise of America’s future.” – President Trump, State of the Union speech, Feb. 5, 2019 Despite all his bluster, I thought President Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday left open the possibility...

It’s time for Congressional Republicans to take a hard look in the mirror and ask themselves one critical question: Will you act in the best interests of the country or the interests of President Trump? You can’t do both. Here’s why. On January 29, FBI Director Christopher Wray, CIA Director Gina Haspel and Director of National Security Dan Coats –...

This is a story of two kids: one who does the right thing and another who, well… you decide. When a sixth-grade student at Houghton Academy near Buffalo, New York noticed that the bus driver had accidentally hit a parked car, then left the scene, this student jumped into action, leaving a note on the car of Canisius College student...

Last Friday (Jan. 25), when Trump announced that he would temporarily end the government shutdown without funding for his wall (for now), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi offered the right response: no gloating, no victory lap, no expressions of, “we won, you lost!” Trump likes to define his actions in terms of winning and losing, and his remarks on Friday, despite...

In our last episode, Mitch McConnell, (you remember him, he’s the one in the pinstriped suit and the clueless look playing the part of the Senate Majority Leader), was bringing two bills to the floor of the U.S. Senate (that’s the chamber of Congress where serious reflection and decision-making takes place), to reflect and decide on two very different plans....

The lack of trust in institutions vital to our health, welfare and security continues to grow in the age of Trump. I have written about the serious threat to both children and communities when parents willingly deny vaccinations for their children. Nonetheless, the risk has grown more dangerous. The New York Times Editorial Board writes (Jan. 19) that “The World...

Every week, shameful actions in our nation’s capital seem to surpass those of the previous week. Thursday (Jan. 17), House representatives – individuals who are supposed to act responsibly and represent the best interests of the country – almost came to physical blows. “Republicans accused Democrats of trying to steal a vote,” The Washington Post reported (Jan. 19), “Democrats accused...

Day 28 of a partial government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history. Politifact reports (Jan. 16), “…shuttered federal departments and agencies employ more than 800,000 people, or roughly 40 percent of the federal workforce. … About 380,000 of the have been furloughed, meaning they cannot come to work and are not being paid. Another 420,000 aren’t being paid but are...

No sooner had I written that I could not find any evidence of a single furloughed federal worker who supports the president in shutting down the government in favor of a southern border wall, (Faces from the Crisis, Jan. 14), then The New York Times reported late Monday (Jan. 14), that there are some federal workers – in Parkersburg, West...

“ ‘Right now, I can go get a bunch of loans, but if I’m not going to get paid, when am I going to pay those back?’ said Kerri Woodridge, a furloughed Office of Personnel Management employee.” WBAL-TV reported. “Freda McDonald, who’s furloughed from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, brought up health care costs. She has an incurable neuromuscular disease,...