COVID Schadenfreude Journalism

A new story archetype is all too common.

President Joe Biden, joined by Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky and Merck CEO Ken Frazier, delivers remarks on COVID-19 vaccine production Wednesday, March 10, 2021, in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz) President Joe Biden, joined by Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky and Merck CEO Ken Frazier, delivers remarks on COVID-19 vaccine production Wednesday, March 10, 2021, in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

Biden Urges Others to Impose Vaccine Mandates

The President is looking for any leverage he can to get refuseniks vaccinated.

Joseph Galloway, 1941-2021

A legendary journalist is gone.

Today in Awful Covid Headlines

Part of the ongoing, slow-motion tragedy.

Evidence of Voter Fraud in Georgia?

Could it be?

It’s all Fine in Texas

Two stories tell, well, a story about Texas and the pandemic.

Scapegoating Immigrants

Whataboutism about a visit to Whataburger (and other tales of obfuscation).

41.8%

Florida has a lot of cases.

Who Decides American History?

Legislatures and school boards politicize what our kids are taught.

Dusty Hill, 1949-2021

ZZ Top’s longtime bass player is gone.

College Conference Chaos

Texas and Oklahoma have reopened Pandora’s Box.

Is Ben Shapiro NPR in Reverse?

Oh, FFS.

Quick Hits

Tab clearing time.

The Reality Show Party?

Another R/D cleavage?

The Stupid, Evil Party

It’s not getting any better, folks.

More Intra-Party Manuevers

This time: the Alaska GOP.

An Example of Illegal Voting

An arrest underscores what the problem isn’t.

West’s Final Days as Texas GOP Chair

Not surprisingly, it has been a bit contentious.

Could America’s Next Election be Stolen?

Some Democratic election observers think so.

Allen West Announces Gubernatorial Bid

He will challenge Greg Abbott for the GOP nomination.

‘Conservatives’ and Critical Race Theory

New York Times columnists are not a representative sample.

NC State DQ’d from College World Series

Stupid is as stupid does.

Friday Tab Clearing

Stories, links, and brief observations from the week that never grew into posts.

Educational Diversity and Structural Racism

Critical race theory rears its ugly head yet again.

Tab Clearing Friday

Quick takes from the week.

Juneteenth to be National Holiday

It passed the Senate unanimously.

May Inflation Higher than Expected

The question is: for how long and ultimately how much?

No, Flynn Shouldn’t be Court-Martialed

Retired generals are no longer in the military.

Here’s a Cult

Brought to you by the son of Moon.

Start the Steal?

Cries that American democracy is in jeopardy are not hyperbole.

Texas Democrats Deny Quorum, Delay Elections Bill

A special session looms. (And how this is not like the filibuster in the US Senate).

Shown is a portion of a wall that is covered with policemen's patches donated by visitors from all over the world, especially the USA & Europe. Shown is a portion of a wall that is covered with policemen's patches donated by visitors from all over the world, especially the USA & Europe.

SCOTUS Declines Qualified Immunity Challenge

Federal police officers continue to be immune from lawsuits.

Republicans and the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act

A third of the party’s Members of Congress voted against a popular bill.

The Importance of Time Horizons in Politics

And general considerations on mid-term elections.

The Broadband Gap

Huge swaths of the country are underserved.

Conservatives and Critical Race Theory

The latest bogey man is likely not well understood.

The Politicization of Math Class

The least controversial subject in school is suddenly controversial.

Competitive Pressures and Party Behavior

Assessing Republican strategic positioning (and the incentives in our system).

More Census 2020 Takeaways

The trends over the last half century are really something.

Census Results Likely a Boost for GOP

The long shift of population from the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt continues—with the unusual exception of California.

Voter Suppression in Texas

Let’s call it what it is.

Maxine Waters Under Fire

The latest variant of the “No Justice, No Peace” threat is unhelpful.

Governor McConaughey?

A new poll from Texas give us a chance to think about parties and nominations in the US.

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Masking Outdoors

Science, politics, and social norms intersect in some really strange ways.

Apple Saving the Environment by Being Cheap

A credulous report on the tech giant’s altruism.

Vaccine Mandates and Education

The politics and the science are in conflict.

Joe Manchin’s Weird Filibuster Defense

It doesn’t work like the movies, Senator.

Some Thoughts on Representation

How well do single-seat districts lead to representation? (And of what?)