Posted October 05, 2023in Morain
Congress kicked the can down the road again. But that was better than the alternative. Last Saturday, Sept. 30, the absolute deadline before failure to act would have “shut the government down,” the House and then the Senate finally approved a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep federal spending going for
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Posted September 21, 2023in Morain
Republican Speaker of the U.S. House Kevin McCarthy last week announced an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Democrats should reply, “Bring it on.” It’s no secret how McCarthy’s announcement came about. The hard-right wing of his party in the House had threatened to depose him as speaker if he
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Posted September 14, 2023in Morain
In last week’s column I discussed whether age limits are appropriate for federal officials: the President, members of Congress, and judges. This week it’s term limits: should the nation change its current laws governing the length of terms for those officials? The short answer is “yes,” but you’ll have
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Posted September 07, 2023in Morain
It’s Labor Day Week; maybe a time to take a break from the regular routine and do a little dreaming. No requirement for actual success of any given suggestion — just a chance to chew over a few ideas. For instance, how about the idea of age limits for federal
Read More →It will all come down to 12 folks shut up in a room by themselves. No observers, no attorneys, no media, no cameras, and no judges present. Former President Donald Trump’s legal fate in the four jurisdictions where he is indicted will, in the final analysis, rest with the juries
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Posted August 24, 2023in Morain
In weeks like this, it’s not hard to recognize that AAC life is certainly more comfortable than BAC life. That’s After Air Conditioning and Before Air Conditioning. The dividing line occurred about 125 years ago, when inventor Willis H. Carrier created the first modern electrical air conditioning unit. He installed
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Posted August 18, 2023in Morain
Some inventions blow the mind. Medical science develops wonder drugs and precise instruments that leave us stunned with their diagnostic and curative powers. The harnessing of nuclear power rivals the creation of raw matter and energy themselves. Deep-sea exploration equipment conquers the enormous pressures thousands of feet down and lets
Read More →Ever wonder why our Midwestern rural layout consists of 36 one-mile-square sections per township? Or where the Midwest’s emphasis on public education comes from? Or why slavery never gained a foothold here? Or why so many of the federal Bill of Rights protections were guaranteed in the Midwest even before
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Posted August 03, 2023in Morain
I may never write a column again. The other day my sister Deb in Sioux City emailed me about ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence application that writes stuff in the style requested. You may have seen demonstrations of it on TV. (The abbreviation for artificial intelligence, of course, is AI. In
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Posted July 06, 2023in Morain
An insidious word has been worming its way into America’s political lexicon. It’s the loaded word “unelected.” It’s a useful word. When appointed public officials take steps with which someone disagrees, it’s increasingly common to hear them tarred with being “unelected.” Well, duh. Exactly how should the millions of government
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