Passing the budgetary problem to local governments may be an easy way out for our state’s elected leaders. But make no mistake. Such action will hit close to home, not just in our three cities but in cities, counties and schools of all sizes throughout the entire state.
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Democracy in Crisis: ‘Bloodsport’ and our president’s dickpunching politics
It makes cosmic sense that “Bloodsport” — which was released 30 years ago on Feb. 26 — would be Trump’s favorite movie. It says something about political discourse too: The turning point involves its hero, Frank Dux (Van Damme), proudly punching someone squarely in the dick.
Posted inOpinion
Democracy in Crisis: ‘Law and Order: SVU’ echoes Trump’s problematic ‘both sides are bad’ narrative
Contrary to a recent Law and Order: SVU episode, the Anglo-American tradition of law enforcement touted by Jeff Sessions has been one of white supremacy — and police departments and sheriff’s offices around the country are still trying to grapple with that.
Posted inOpinion
Democracy in Crisis: Memo hysteria and a Baltimore corruption trial highlight the state of law enforcement in 2018
The national media was largely silent about the vast police misconduct revealed in the Baltimore trial, even though they dovetailed in some uncomfortable ways with the Memo Watch hysteria.
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Workplace rules against body modifications are a violation of employees’ autonomy
Because employers are not comfortable with people who “look different,” they are missing out on a huge potential workforce that would bring tremendous positive change and growth to their companies.
Posted inOpinion
Democracy in Crisis: Citizens are left to address the opioid overdose crisis on their own
Trump’s 24-year-old frat-boy drug czar is out, and we’re left with a vindictive DOJ. So, around the country, advocates of a harm-reduction approach to the drug overdose crisis are taking matters into their own hands.
Posted inOpinion
U.S. Attorney’s Office drops some charges against Inauguration Day protesters, but continues prosecuting others
On Thursday, federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C. dropped charges against 129 of the remaining 188 people facing rioting charges during the DisruptJ20 protests on Donald Trump’s inauguration last January. The decision comes after a jury found all six of the defendants in the first round of trials not guilty on all charges on Dec. 21.
Posted inOpinion
Democracy in Crisis: Fire and ‘Fire and Fury’
Steve Bannon is the antihero of Fire and Fury, Michael Wolff’s ribald and riveting account of the early days of the Trump regime. Even if you read the bestseller with a grain of salt, it’s clear Trump, Bannon and his motley crew of enablers all believed the American people would never elect President Trump.
Posted inOpinion
Democracy in Crisis: The state of protest in 2018
Donald Trump’s second year in office begins like every new Star Wars movie: with the Resistance in tatters, trying to rebuild. There is plenty of internet #Resistance, ranging from insane conspiracy theories to serious commentary and organizing — but this online profusion has resulted in IRL confusion.
Posted inCommunity/News
Friends and supporters celebrate as Mazahir Salih takes oath of office
On Friday night, Dec. 29, friends and supporters of Mazahir Salih came together to celebrate victory. They gathered to share in the official taking of the oath of office for the Iowa City Council. Mazahir is the first ever elected Sudanese woman to any public office in the U.S. She won a resounding victory for city council in November.
Posted inOpinion
Democracy in Crisis: How Screwed Are We in 2018?
At the beginning of 2017, we were in purgatory. Remember the interregnum, after we elected Trump but before he took office? We knew it would be bad, but we also had no idea how bad or what to expect. Then Trump took office. Hundreds of people were arrested on Inauguration Day. Tens of thousands came out for the Women’s March. People spontaneously stormed airports when Trump’s first travel ban went into effect.
Posted inOpinion
Democracy in Crisis: 10 of Trump’s insane tweets
I got drunk recently and read all 2,735 tweets that Donald Trump had written since the election in the hopes that Trump’s Twitter feed, collected and searchable on trumptwitterarchive.com, might be a good way to get a sense of the horrors we’ve endured.
