The Biden-Harris Administration should be congratulated for changing and expanding the rules about the Child Tax Credit (CTC): eligible parents will now receive actual payments to support their children, as opposed to claiming a one-time credit on their taxes during tax season. This change has come about as part of the COVID-19 relief bill, which […]
Earlier posts have looked at quality-of-life statistics of the United States compared to other advanced democracies, especially in the European Union. As we have noted, a number of European nations have far higher standards of living than the US. By many measures, Finland consistently ranks as having one of the best education systems in the […]
While recent national elections in the United States and some other democracies have taken a turn toward the right and authoritarianism, three nations that were once part of the Soviet Union are cutting ties with Russia and its ally Belarus in a courageous, significant way. As of February 8, 2025, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have […]
Health care and our healthcare system are always major issues for Americans, and they have been especially front-and-center in the past few months – in almost the worst possible way. The issue is complicated, but the short version is that, over decades, Republican and other right-wing legislators and power brokers have refused to seriously entertain […]
We are all painfully aware of the demoralizing – even dangerous, illegal, and egregious – political situation in the United States, thanks in large part to President Donald Trump (convicted felon) and his enablers. Some analysts are suggesting that we are truly in the midst of a constitutional crisis thanks to Trump’s and others’ actions. […]
Conservatives, Republicans and commentators on the right have been fond – for decades – of claiming that they are the true American patriots. Donald Trump (our President who is also a convicted felon, has been impeached twice, has been indicted in three other jurisdictions, and has been found liable for sexual assault) has followed in […]
Millions of Americans are in an uproar over the “chainsaw” that the Trump Administration has taken not only to federal departments and employees but also to the Constitution and the rule of law. Lawmakers all over the country are fielding thousands of calls asking their Senators and Representatives to “do something” to stop the carnage. […]
Millions of us in the United States are deflated, demoralized and even scared after the 2024 presidential election has been called for Donald Trump. How do those of us who not only voted for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz but also may have supported them financially cope with this tremendous loss? How do we move […]
Tiny Vermont (population 647,000) has taken a big step: to use legislation to make giant oil companies accountable for a significant amount of damage that has been done to the earth’s environment by climate change. According to VTDigger, Republican Governor Phil Scott let the legislation, S.259, the “Climate Superfund Act,” go into effect without his […]
Donald Trump – twice impeached, once defeated for the presidency, four-times indicted in four different jurisdictions, facing 91 felony counts, and found liable in several civil cases – is on his way to becoming the presidential nominee of one of our two major parties. He has spoken openly, and often, about his desire to be […]