ArcaMax

State and local officials play direct and crucial roles in shaping and safeguarding our civil rights and civil liberties, especially amid the Trump administration's ongoing attacks. These offices and officials -- governors, state legislatures, attorneys general and mayors -- influence countless parts of our daily lives but, most importantly, ...Read more

Last week's disclosure that the Trump administration officials responsible for keeping us safe from our enemies resemble reckless frat boys may have been shocking, but it wasn't surprising. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was already regarded by most members of Congress as profoundly unsuited for that position. This was because of his obvious ...Read more

There's much spinning over the grave lapse in national security captured in that group chat outlining a planned bombing raid on the Houthi militia. It goes that it was not that big a deal because the mission was a success. It was not OK. It was lucky.

The late-night comedians and "Saturday Night Live" had a good time turning the event into ...Read more

The White House press secretary accused him of being an "anti-Trump hater," a "propagandist in the mainstream media," and of trying to sell a Signal "hoax." The president called him a "sleazebag."

President Donald Trump was reportedly furious, not at his own team but at the press, calling the investigation a witch hunt and The Atlantic, owned...Read more

American popular culture, ever promoting the myth that we live in the land of the free and the brave, wants us to believe that we stand up to bullying. Even if bravery is in short supply at times, like during McCarthyism, someone like attorney Joseph Welch ultimately comes to the rescue. Breaking the spell, the First Amendment hero stands strong...Read more

Mercury Stardust visited my local library last weekend to talk about her New York Times No. 1 bestselling book "Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair." The TikTok star and "Trans Handy Ma'am" is a transgender woman and home repair expert who serves her video tutorials with a side of social justice and humor. I'm glad I got to ...Read more

Two days ago, I went out to get trash bags because I needed trash bags, a prescription because I needed a prescription and cookies because I like cookies.

The kind young woman behind the drugstore counter handed me my prescription in a little white bag, stapled shut.

"Do you want a receipt?" she asked.

I go to one of those drugstores where ...Read more

Thomas Jefferson referred to the U.S. government as a "common house" that provided the people protection and stability. Donald Trump is trying to evict Americans from that comfy home by making it hard to get benefits that should be thought of as a right.

Witness the slashing of basic government services in the name of deficit reduction, or ...Read more

The news came via email, without further explanation, from Ian Simon, the head of the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice. The email, obtained by Politico, says this:

"We are writing to let you know that the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice will be closing as part of the administration's reorganization coming this week. We ...Read more

The grand terrace of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts overlooks the river, where you can catch a breeze and mingle at intermission. The first April symphony is a sweet Mozart and Mendelssohn concert.

Please tell me the center will still be open.

Along with the skilled federal workforce, the 47th president is murdering a precious ...Read more

Eeeeeek, there's a mouse in the house! Oh wait -- it's just Little Mike Johnson. He's harmless.

Mike is the Speaker of the House of Representatives, which used to be a vital part of America's national government. The Constitution empowers the House to oversee the federal budget, public policies and the actions of presidents. But Johnson has ...Read more

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, the world's richest man, have unleashed global chaos with mass firings and funding freezes as they attempt to eviscerate the U.S. government. Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, has revealed significant problems -- within its own operations, that is. This week, Musk's DOGE team ...Read more

When Franklin D. Roosevelt began his first inaugural address 92 years ago this month by asserting his "firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself," he was rallying his countrymen to overcome the paralyzing fear that had settled in after over three years of the Great Depression. That president wanted to ease Americans' fears. ...Read more

Bernie Sanders can draw a crowd. No doubt about it. And as Democrats continue to feel their way out of the Trumpian swamps, you can't blame them for wanting to vent in large groups. Sanders has amassed them in Nebraska, Iowa and Arizona and has said things ripe for the political moment.

Addressing President Donald Trump: "I'm not going to ...Read more

The government has long claimed that Fourth Amendment protections prohibiting warrantless searches don't apply at the border. The American Civil Liberties Union takes issue with this position generally, especially when it comes to electronic devices such as smartphones and laptops. Our smartphones store detailed accounts of our conversations, ...Read more