House Democrats Need to Lay Down Agenda for Change
With majority control in the House of Representatives, Democrats have an enormous opportunity -- and face a distinct peril.
Time to Strike a Blow Against Hate
Now Americans get to decide. Our democracy is corrupted by big money, scarred by efforts to suppress the vote or to gerrymander districts and stained by scurrilous campaigning, led in this instance from the president himself.
We Must Not Be Bystanders When Darkness Descends
Thirteen pipe bombs were sent to two former presidents and other political and cultural leaders. In Kentucky, a white man shot and killed two elderly African-Americans at random in a Kroger grocery store, after failing to force his way into a black church. In Pittsburgh, in what is believed to be the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history, a gunman walked into the Tree of Life synagogue and massacred 11 during Sabbath services.
Trump Has No Coherent Plan to Make Health Care Affordable
What is this year's midterm election about? President Trump wants it to be about him, stumping the country saying that he's on the ballot. Or that it's about immigrants, or Justice Brett Kavanaugh, or tax cuts, or about hurricanes, droughts and catastrophic climate change, or about an economy featuring low unemployment and stagnant wages. In fact, what is notable about the election amid all the mudslinging and name-calling is that voters are making it increasingly about health care.
Georgia's Gubernatorial Race Soiled By Conflict of Interest
What if Georgia played Alabama in football and the lead referee was playing quarterback for Alabama? Would we assume that the rules would be enforced equally? Would Georgians worry that the fix was in?
Kavanaugh Showed Us Exactly Who He Is
Brett Kavanaugh is now a justice of the Supreme Court. He is there only because he is what he showed himself to be in the Senate hearings: a vicious, partisan operative utterly committed to a right-wing judicial activism that will inevitably lead to a constitutional crisis.
The New NAFTA Gets a Few Things Right, and Falls Short Elsewhere
Donald Trump announced a new NAFTA draft treaty -- renamed for showtime as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
Trump's Stump Speech Is A Con Job
President Donald Trump is back on the stump, promising to campaign "six or seven days a week" until the general election to try to keep Republicans in control of both Houses of Congress.
As World Burns, Trump Adds Fuel to Fire
North Carolina has been hit with a storm of biblical ferocity. Florence has left at least 17 dead there, 500,000 without power, with flash flooding across the state from the coast to the western mountains. Landslides and infectious diseases are predicted to follow. North Carolina is not alone, of course.
Party of Lincoln Wouldn't Recognize Trump's GOP
Last week, President Trump, in a rambling stump speech in Montana, bizarrely compared his oratory to that of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, arguing (incorrectly) that Lincoln was "ridiculed" for the speech.
Kaepernick May Finally See Justice in Collusion Grievance
Colin Kaepernick may yet get his day in court. Kaepernick is the talented former NFL quarterback who in 2016 began a protest against police brutality and institutionalized racial discrimination by kneeling during the playing of the national anthem. Other players joined the protests.
How Trump and Company Are Gutting Protections
Trump's serial scandals -- Stormy Daniels, the Russian investigation, the Paul Manafort verdict, the Cohen guilty plea, the juvenile tweets -- fill the headlines. Beneath the noise, however, Trump's appointees and the Republican Congress are relentlessly pursuing a radical right-wing agenda that is gutting basic protections for workers, consumers and the environment.
There's More Than Enough Evidence of Trump's Bias
Last week, amid the continuing clamor of Trump's chaos presidency, the question of whether Trump had used the n-word became a media sensation.
Democratic Future Lies in Speaking From the Moral Center
The media is now reporting on the debate among Democrats and activists about what the party should stand for, and how it will win elections.
What LeBron James Understands About the Presidency and Trump Doesn't
The run-up to the 2018 congressional elections has begun. With 40 Republican representatives deciding not to run again, the party's majority in the House is at risk. President Donald Trump has announced he plans to stump for Republicans across the country, seeking to make the election a referendum on him. Characteristically, a centerpiece of his approach is to use race as a weapon to divide and distract us.
Trump Is Distorting NFL Players' Messages
As teams gear up for the NFL season, President Trump is reviving his destructive and diversionary attacks aimed at turning fans against players.
Trump Is Lousy General for Trade War He's Started
President Trump has triggered what could be "the largest trade war in economic history," the Chinese Commerce Ministry warns. Trump is threatening tariffs on $500 billion in Chinese goods, virtually all of our imports from China. He's also hit Mexico, Canada and our European allies with punitive tariffs.
Trump Gives Putin a Free Pass
Russian President Vladimir Putin came late to the Helsinki Summit with Donald Trump on Monday and spoke first at the news conference afterward. He handed Trump a soccer ball from the World Cup, but he clearly walked away with the trophy for the World Cup of politics, largely because Trump, in a bizarre and unprecedented performance, kept scoring own goals on Putin's behalf.
Gang of Five Justices Ignore Law, Will of Elected Representatives
We are witnessing an astounding attack on democracy by the five male right-wing majority of the Supreme Court -- "black robed rulers," Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan called them, "overruling citizens' choices" in a series of 5-4 decisions.
This Fall, We Will See Whose America This Is
For President Trump, the campaign never ends. He is on the stump, in full campaign mode now. He is intent on nationalizing this fall's congressional elections. As Steve Bannon put it, "Donald Trump will be on every ballot." The choice will be for Trump or against.
Callous Politicians Turning Backs On Children at Border
The Trump administration has separated 2,000 children from their parents, most of whom have come to the United States seeking asylum.
All Eyes On Trump and Kim, But South Korean Leader Deserves Kudos
Monday was the eve of the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. As the two leaders meet Tuesday morning in Singapore, hopefully they will at least agree to a process that can provide a framework for further negotiations.
Basic Democratic Value Under Attack
The talk shows are filled with the latest rumor about WikiLeaks and Russian interference in our elections. What was done still remains a mystery. But Republican tricky leaks -- the systematic efforts to suppress the vote -- are an established fact, and a far greater threat to free elections.
Reversal Over North Korea Summit Impulsive, Astounding
President Donald Trump torpedoed the summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in a letter he dictated that was virtually incoherent.
To Fulfil Dr. King's Vision, We Must Lift Up the Poor
Dr. Martin Luther King's final mission was to build and launch a Poor People's Campaign across lines of race, religion and region. He called for a "revolution of values" to address the "triplets of evil" -- militarism, racism and economic injustice. People should not die from poverty in the richest nation in the world, he argued. It was time to speak out; silence was a betrayal.
A Royal Wedding That Affirms Truly Noble Values
Prince Harry of Wales, sixth in the line of succession to the British throne, will marry the American actress Meghan Markle on Saturday, with all of the ceremony and global hoopla that the British royalty inevitably attracts. Harry is the son of Charles, the Prince of Wales, and the late Princess Diana. What's notable about Prince Harry, however, is not so much the royal blood that he inherited, but the royal values that he has chosen to express.
Trump's 'New Deal for Blacks' Was Dealt From the Bottom of the Deck
African-American unemployment has reached its lowest levels ever. President Donald Trump boasts about this on the stump, naturally claiming credit for a recovery that began after his predecessor, Barack Obama, saved an economy that was in free fall. Trump says he's delivering on his promised "new deal for blacks." Don't fall for the hype.
Face the Truth to Move Toward Reconciliation
If we don't know the whereas, the therefore doesn't make sense. Witness the ovens in Auschwitz and Treblinka, and then you can understand the creation of Israel.
The Hope of a Way to Peace Through Talks with North Korea
President Donald Trump's decision to meet with North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un opens new possibilities.
Strike Is One More Step Toward Lawless Presidency
"Mission accomplished," announced President Donald Trump after the U.S., France and England unleashed over 100 missiles on Syria in reaction to the regime's alleged use of chemical weapons against its own people.
Winnie Mandela Bore Scars of Battle, Helped Heal Nation
This week, Winnie Madikizela Mandela will be laid to rest and honored at a state funeral in South Africa. To many, she was loved as the "mother of the nation" even in her final days.
We Must Continually Fight to Carry On King's Work
The 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination comes amid a fierce struggle for the soul of America.
The Poverty Crisis 50 Years After King Assassination
April 4 will mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, shot down on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn.
Our Most Vulnerable Live in Poverty
Our news is driven by scandal, crisis, and tragedy. A bridge falls in Florida. Trump insults someone in a tweet. Stormy Daniels sues the president, and his lawyers file motions against her. Facebook allows the personal data of 50 million people to be used without their knowledge. And so on.
Trump Does the Right Thing with North Korea Move
Donald Trump is taking a lot of heat for his snap decision to talk face to face with Kim Jong-un of North Korea. His aides caution that the meeting may never take place, that concrete conditions must be met for it to happen.
Assault On Right to Vote Comes From Home-grown Reactionaries
This past weekend, we once again gathered in Selma, Ala., to commemorate "Bloody Sunday," the March 7, 1965, march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge that was savagely put down by police.
The Janus Case and The Continuing Attack On Workers
On Monday, the Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Janus v. AFSCME; a ruling is expected in a few months. The case is the culmination of a concerted right-wing attack on the unions of teachers, police officers, firefighters, nurses and other public sector workers.
Those Who Do Nothing On Gun Control Fail Our Children
The United States is failing in what surely is the first duty of government -- protecting our children from threats that they cannot deal with themselves. Voters and politicians are failing our children.
Amid Spirit of Games, U.S. Plays Hardball
The picture of Vice President Mike Pence standing stiffly next to the trusted younger sister of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un at the Olympics in South Korea told a thousand words.
The Growing Racial Wage Gap
President Donald Trump keeps boasting about the low black unemployment rate, although African-Americans still suffer nearly twice the unemployment rate as whites do.
Trump’s State of the Stink Address
As he delivers his first State of the Union address tonight, President Donald Trump is looking for approval. He'll brag on the economy, with a likely focus on his Twitter claim that "because of my policies," black unemployment is at its "lowest rate ever recorded."
Shutdown Allowed Trump to Play Poisonous Political Game
Donald Trump had the government shutdown that he wanted. No one should be confused about this.
Trump Doesn't Understand What Makes America Truly Great
"I am not a racist," Donald Trump found it necessary to reassure Americans. It was a revealing echo of when Richard Nixon told us, "I'm not a crook."
Sessions Stands for Outmoded, Unjust Law-and-Order Policies
Attorney General Jeff Sessions gets it wrong. On core issue after core issue -- civil rights, voting rights, women's rights, police reform and particularly mass incarceration -- he is a destructive force.
Let Us Remember, and Rekindle the Spirit of, the Emancipation Proclamation
One hundred forty-five years ago on January 1, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, helping to transform this country from a union of states into a nation, from a country stained by slavery into one moving at great cost closer to "liberty and justice for all."
Race, the South and American Politics
Liberating the South is the key to liberating the nation. The key to liberating the South is the black vote. Recent black turnout in elections in Virginia and Alabama demonstrate this point.
Today Alabama Chooses Between Its Past and Its Future
"The state of Alabama deserves better," said Richard Shelby, the senior U.S. senator from Alabama, in explaining why he chose not to vote for Roy Moore, his party's nominee in Alabama's special election for the Senate today.
The American Plutocracy Gets Its Immoral Tax Bill
"I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep forever."
A New Alabama Is Emerging, And Doug Jones May Ride It to Victory
Can Doug Jones, a Democrat, win a Senate seat in Alabama when voters go to the polls in a special election on December 12?
Donald Trump's Assault On Barack Obama's Legacy Will Fail
Donald Trump defines his administration as against all things Obama. Beneath the current president's insults and outrages, his lies and antics is a remarkably consistent attempt to undo his predecessor's entire legacy.
