Today’s top political news is largely irrelevant to policy — Did you hear the government is facing a shutdown due to the intransigence of a handful of ultra-right-wing conservatives led by the likes of Matt Gaetz (R-FL)? If not, it is because Donald Trump, his followers, and his allies are dominating the political news. Today’s political news is often free…

Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Shadows” — The unwanted shadow ruined my photograph. It was a gorgeous September evening in the small town of Easton, Maryland. We were walking to dinner before attending a recital of Chopin. All was good. As I walked down the street, the photo opportunities lept towards me. The historic Talbot County Courthouse, once the site of a speech…

One reason Congress and politicians are held in such low regard — I addressed the problem of politicians behaving badly in my weekly column in Spy Community Media’s Maryland Eastern Shore newspapers. Misbehaving politicians are so common that outrageous behavior by Congressional representatives happen daily. Since I wrote the column, for example, Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) had to be removed from a…

Americans need to work harder to make it work — I addressed concerns about democracy in my weekly column published September 6 in the Spy Newspapers of the Eastern Shore. I write that Americans need to work harder at being good voters. I am sharing the column here. Should We Worry About Democracy? What does the rest of the world think of American democracy in…

Ramaswamy is telling us who he is — and it is scary — The 2024 Republican presidential field has already been reduced by one. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez dropped out after failing to qualify for the first GOP presidential debate. Others will follow, but one candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy, is gaining strength. He is running third in most polls, behind Trump and Ron DeSantis…

Has the age of instant art arrived? — If you checked into your room at the Hyatt and found the picture above, lovingly framed, hanging next to the television, would you call the front desk? I’m betting you wouldn’t. And not just because a lot of hotel art is banal, selected by corporate committees not to upset guests. …

We should not need a TV series to demand a response to the opioid epidemic — Tired of hearing 2024 presidential candidates whether Donald Trump is guilty of treason, I watched the Netflix series, Painkiller, last weekend. It prompted me to look at how seriously the candidates are addressing the opioid epidemic, which kills more than 100 Americans each day. Unfortunately, the answer is “not enough.”…

Maria Grant says it’s time to move on from divisive candidates — My special friend Maria Grant has had enough of Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Ron DeSantis, Ramaswamy, and other divisive, compromised or just-too-old candidates running for president. She calls for a “clean slate” as the best means of moving America forward. Ms. Grant’s editorial was published on August 28 in the…

Eight came, two won, four survived, and two are going home — Anticipating anger, disgust, and boredom, I prepared for the August 23rd Republican debate with a glass of wine. I didn’t need it. The “debate” was mildly interesting. I learned more about four candidates and confirmed my worst fears about another. I expected to hear the word “woke” dozens of times…