Trump has to be taken seriously because he’s about to reoccupy the world’s most powerful office. But fundamentally, he’s a crackpot. Canadian prime minister Trudeau resigned on Monday, January 6, 2025 — the same day Congress certified Trump’s re-election (with no drama,[...]
January 6th, 2025 - 4:09 pm § in Politics
Inside rightwing militia groups
A freelancer infiltrated the Oath Keepers and a militia group called AP3, attended their meetings, secretly recorded conversations, and rifled through their files. He found, among other things, they spied on and doxed journalists and discussed assassinating politicians. But civil rights groups and n[...]
January 5th, 2025 - 8:41 pm § in Environment
Dam removal is the future
The Elwha and White Salmon rivers in Washington, and the Klamath River in northern California and southern Oregon, are free-flowing again. The Condit Dam on the White Salmon River was breached in 2011 (details here, video here). Removal of two obsolete dams on the Elwha was completed in 2014 (detail[...]
Trump’s distorted view of America will haunt him
“To hear President-elect Donald J. Trump tell it, he is about to take over a nation ravaged by crisis, a desolate hellscape of crime, chaos and economic hardship,” the New York Times’ White House correspondent wrote on Sunday, January 5, 2025 (read story here). But the country Trum[...]
January 4th, 2025 - 10:02 pm § in Politics
How Jordan Peterson mastered the art of intellectual dishonesty
Jordan Peterson, a Canadian academic, didn’t figure out how to get rich as a rightwing provocateur. He stumbled into fame and popularity. His appeal to the alt-right happened by accident. It started with a Canadian law against transgender discrimination, and grew from Peterson’s dislike [...]
January 4th, 2025 - 8:55 pm § in Science
What if aliens with right-handed DNA helixes landed?
All life known to us has left-handed DNA. Or, stated technically, “all life on Earth builds proteins only out of left-handed amino acids.” Which “poses a tantalizing scientific puzzle: Couldn’t you, in principle, build ‘mirror life’ — life made out of the right-hand[...]
Why Republicans get no respect, Part 2
Respect is reciprocal. To get respect, you must give respect. I respect you, you respect me. At least that’s how it always worked until the current breed of toxic Republicans came along. Republicans like Nassau County, New York, County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who ordered flags on county buil[...]
January 4th, 2025 - 5:24 pm § in Politics, Republicans
Why Republicans get no respect, Part 1
“A Colorado Republican has apologized after posting on social media that he was celebrating former President Jimmy Carter’s death by popping open a bottle of champagne,” Raw Story reported on Tuesday, December 31, 2024 (read story here). The obnoxious legislator in question is Matt[...]
January 4th, 2025 - 12:19 am § in Misc.
California surfer may have set new “biggest wave” record
A California surfer likely rode the biggest wave ever surfed (photo below) on December 23, 2024, during stormy weather at California’s Half Moon Bay, an area known for large breaking waves. Read story here and watch video here. Return to The-Ave.US Home Page[...]
January 3rd, 2025 - 11:59 pm § in Law and Courts, Politics
Ex-sheriff who harassed black newspaper carrier faces another harassment accusation
Ed Troyer (photo, left), the elected sheriff of Pierce County, Washington whose January 27, 2021, belligerent encounter with a black newspaper carrier (details here) cost the county a $500,000 settlement (see story here), didn’t seek re-election (see story here). His last day in office was Dec[...]