Dr. ESP Pork barrel, or simply pork, is a metaphor for allocating government spending to localized projects in the representative’s district or for securing direct expenditures primarily serving the sole interests of the representative. ~Wikipedia This afternoon, a revised Senate version of the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB)” was approved on a vote of 51-50, with Vice-president J. D. Vance casting the deciding … Read more
The Trump administration has discussed possibly helping Iran access as much as $30 billion to build a civilian-energy-producing nuclear program, easing sanctions, and freeing up billions of dollars in restricted Iranian funds – all part of an intensifying attempt to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table, four sources familiar with the matter said. ~CNN/June … Read more
My latest guilty pleasure is crime stories. It does not matter whether they are fictional such as the recent Jon Hamm vehicle “Your Friends and Neighbors” or a documentary like “The Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal.” A road trip is not complete without at least one episode of the podcast “Small Town Murders.” My curiosity … Read more
On Saturday, Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) doubled down on remarks she made at Friday’s town hall meeting in Parkersburg when questioned about cuts to Medicaid in the House-passed reconciliation bill. In response to an attendee interrupting her defense of the legislation, shouting “People will die,” Ernst told the audience, “We are all going to die.” … Read more
A change of venue can be illuminating. For the last four weeks, I have been living in Boca Raton, Florida to support my mother’s recovery from a serious, but not life-threatening medical condition. I need not tell you South Florida might as well be halfway around the globe from its Northeast counterpart. This morning, however, … Read more