When a Republican president replaces a Democratic president, you expect a drastic shift in how America’s antitrust laws are enforced. Specifically, you expect Republicans to be more lax about enforcing them. America’s stable of antitrust laws sprang from the monopolistic abuses of the la[...]
Archive for November, 2024
Oklahoma schools boss wants kids to pray for Trump
Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s controversial schools chieftain who put the Ten Commandments in classrooms, has issued another edict to public schools: Kids have to watch a video infused with politics and religion. In the video, Walters (photo, left) attacks teachers unions, claims religion is under [...]
November 16th, 2024 - 2:15 am § in Russia
Full-length movie: The Edge (2010). In Russian with English subtitles. Train chases! Raging rivers! Collapsing bridges!
Railfans will love this movie. Where else can you see steam locomotives race on side-by-side tracks, ending in a PIT maneuver at a switch junction? The bridge scene strains plausibility, but the plot is interesting, the acting is terrific, and the photography is spectacular. Set in a Siberia labor c[...]
November 16th, 2024 - 12:42 am § in Health
Human bird flu now in Washington, Oregon
Human avian flu has been detected in 8 states as of November 15, 2024, including Washington last month and Oregon this week (see stories here and here). The CDC says (here), “Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) viruses have been detected in U.S. wild aquatic birds, commercial poultr[...]
November 15th, 2024 - 6:15 pm § in Law and Courts
Immigrant parents jailed for honor killing attempt in Washington
Immigrants typically bring their customs, beliefs, and habits with them. But when you’re in another country, you’re subject to its laws. Don’t bring drugs with you to Indonesia, or you might get to visit that country’s notorious “Execution Island” (grisly details [...]
These GOP senators aren’t fit to govern
Following Trump’s re-election, the GOP is rapidly descending from amoral to depraved. By now it’s common knowledge that Trump’s attorney general nominee, ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), has shall we say “background check problems.” Gaetz resigned from Congress a couple days [...]
November 15th, 2024 - 12:16 am § in Law and Courts
Bellevue Pride art vandal arrested
On three separate occasions last summer, a young male BMW driver (photo below) performed “burnouts” on Pride street art (vide0). On Tuesday, November 12, 204, police arrested Ivan Barzul, 21, of Renton, Washington (read story here). Hate crime? Or just being an immature jerk? Barzul is c[...]
November 14th, 2024 - 11:33 pm § in Israel/Palestine, Schools & Colleges
This isn’t how to get sympathy for Palestinians
What’s happening to Palestinians in Gaza, and the West Bank, is a tragedy. Yes, Palestinian militants have a long history of terrorism, and the Oct. 7 terror attacks incited the violent Israeli response. But the only “crime” of the Palestinian children being killed and maimed is un[...]
That was a nice health care system you had there …
… and it’ll be a real shame if something happens to it. Well, something may, because a re-elected Trump will appoint Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services, in effect putting a conspiracy theorist in charge of federal oversight over Americans’ health. This [...]