James Earl Carter is nearing the end. In an extraordinary press conference last week, the 39th president discussed his impending death from metastasizing liver cancer, with a grace, humor, and wisdom the rest of us can only hope to emulate when our own time comes. Soon will come the eulogies: then, the assessments. Forgive […]

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  In April 2013, an explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, killed 15 people and decimated a community. This tragedy prompted President Obama to issue an Executive Order (EO) on August 1, 2013, directing federal agencies to establish new chemical-plant safety regulations. Two years later, serious questions remain about when the rules will […]

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  For Ted Cruz, it’s the second issue listed on his website. It’s in Rand Paul’s top 10. Same with Huckabee. Donald Trump exploited it to instantly ascend in the polls and Scott Walker is veering sharply right to make up for loose words about citizenship. For Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush, it’s been a […]

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  In July 16, the Wisconsin Supreme Court shut down the second of two investigations that had resulted in guilty pleas of six Scott Walker appointees who had disregarded the line between civil servant and political operative. “To be clear, this conclusion ends the John Doe investigation because the special prosecutor’s legal theory is unsupported […]

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Update: This article has been changed to include an apology from the writer and a response from the editor. The change begins at the end of the article. You know that flag? The one that supposedly honors history but actually spreads a pernicious myth? And is useful only to venal right-wing politicians who wish to […]

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