Politics

A mural painted on an alley wall this month in Springfield, Ohio. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press) Hello, and happy Thursday. There are 39 days until the election and today we are talking about falsely shouting “fire” in a crowded theater. That, of course, was the analogy coined in 1919 by Supreme Court Justice Oliver … Read more

There is a long history of presidents misleading the public, sometimes unwittingly and other times on purpose. Here are six occasions in recent history when occupants of the Oval Office proved less than truthful. Lyndon B. Johnson and the Gulf of Tonkin incident Late on the night of Aug. 4, 1964, President Johnson delivered a … Read more

Politicians have been using migrants as props for decades. Republicans visit the Southwest border and declare that immigration is out of control. During the Trump administration, Democrats made their way to detention centers to decry the treatment of children locked in cages. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas took the tactic to a new level … Read more

People hold LGBTQ+ flags outside the Supreme Court in December during oral argument on whether states can ban certain gender transition medical treatments for young people. (Roberto Schmidt / AFP via Getty Images) Alexia Nunez presumed “things were going to be pretty bad” for transgender people under President Trump, given his campaign rhetoric, but had … Read more

Laura Bush will take a rare walk onto center stage Thursday, hosting a White House “summit” on early childhood development. Her ambitious aim for this two-day session with top researchers and policy leaders is “to make sure that every child has the opportunity to learn and grow.” Advancing young children’s early reading skills is something … Read more

This has been a week in which someone at the Republican National Committee must have said, “Send in the clowns!” Michele Bachmann, Rush Limbaugh and lesser jesters in the GOP circus were just a few fake noses and a seltzer bottle short of performances worthy of Ringling Bros. Bachmann was the premier buffoon. The Minnesota … Read more

The congressman who heckled President Obama during a televised address found that while the president accepted his apology Thursday, the furor over his outburst did not let up. “I’m a big believer that we all make mistakes,” Obama said in acknowledging the apology from Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.). The lawmaker’s shout of “You lie!” during … Read more

To travel and spend time around George Bush is to recognize the presence of two men. There is the full-dress, by-gosh George Herbert Walker Bush. As a public speaker, his stage presence is awkward and his voice pitched. Whiny, they call it. The camera somehow makes him smaller than he is. He is streaked with … Read more

The donations to the Carol DiMaiti Stuart Foundation Inc. have come in small increments, often as little as $5. With the checks come prayers and letters that tear at the emotions of a family that has already seen its heart ripped to shreds. “I am 70 years old and living on a fixed income, otherwise … Read more

A euphoric post-summit President Reagan today backed away from his earlier description of the Soviet Union as an “evil empire,” saying, “I meant it when I said it (but) there seems to be an entirely different relationship now.” Reagan reported on his talks with Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev at a White House meeting with … Read more