IMPORTANT READS

CONTROLLING THE MESSAGES-Last year, representatives of Facebook, Twitter, and Google were instructed on the U.S. Senate floor that it is their responsibility to “quell information rebellions” and adopt a “mission statement” expressing their commitment to “prevent the fomenting of discord.” 

MY TURN-The image of the average American, living in a world of oblivion and self-absorption is playing out in a sad truth.

ABORTION POLITICS-Alarm over the future of reproductive rights is at a fever pitch in the USA.

LEANING LEFT-There is no boundary for greed, and when it comes to conservatives, there never seems to be enough money to make them happy.

THE MID EAST FOR CITYWATCH--Last week, the Israeli Knesset passed a new basic law which in the main enshrines “Israel [as] the historical homeland of the Jewish people in which the State of Israel was established …

RELIGION POLITICS--Reversing long-held church doctrine and aligning himself with progressive Catholic advocates, Pope Francis said Thursday that the death penalty is "inadmissable" in all cases.

CONSIDER THIS-For the record, I am against foreign interference in free elections.

GUEST WORDS--“We need to know the full extent of Senator Obama’s relationship with ACORN,” said Senator John McCain in his third presidential debate with Barack Obama in October 2008.

MY TURN-“The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” -- George Orwell.

FIRST PERSON--The most leading-edge research, which will hopeful find a cure for cancer now starts out with the surprising realization that all human beings are normally exposed to cancer cells already within their own bodies daily.

THE BIZ OF PRESIDENT--President Donald Trump is subject to the Constitution’s emoluments clause, and any profit, gain or advantage that his hotel in Washington, D.C., obtains from a foreign or domestic government would implicate the clause, according to a ruling by a federal court on Wednesday.

GUEST COMMENTARY--Sigh. In this week's circus act of gonzoanti-diplomacy, our imbecilic Peacock-In-Chief has cited as the next great danger to world peace the newly proud member of NATO:

CONSIDER THIS-On both sides of the political aisle, Trump’s summit with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki has been cast as an utter failure. 

BY ANY NAME, A PROBLEM--My father and I always had a tacit agreement: “We will never speak of That Part of the World.”

NEW YORKER--Sitting in a stuffy, overpacked hall at the Presidential Palace, in Helsinki, watching Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump give a joint press conference after their meeting today, I was shocked but not surprised.

CORRUPTION WATCH-Aside from the fact that The Donald is upset with virtually everyone in the world except Vlady, why is he so mad at the courts?  

NEW YORKER--The latest indictment produced by the special counsel Robert Mueller is a brisk read.

TALKING THE TALK-Guys sometimes ask me for relationship advice.

YOUR EXCELLENCY--As an American, I believe I can speak for a great many of us who were appalled, embarrassed, and humiliated by the recent behavior exhibited by our so-called leader. 

A HISTORY OF INHUMANITY-When Donald Trump recently accused  “illegal immigrants” of wanting to “pour into and infest our country,” there was an immediate outcry.

MELTING ICE--Progressive mid-term election candidates like Cynthia Nixon(photo above)  and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have roused constituents with campaign trail promises to work to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement.