by jpitney | Apr 14, 2020 | civic virtue, Civility, Coronavirus
Jim Elliott at The Missoula Current: In the 1990s I would talk to people who had long memories of hard times in America. They would bemoan, even in the ‘90s, the decline of civility and unity, and inevitably they would recall their lives in the Great Depression and...
by jpitney | Apr 13, 2020 | Journalism, Newspapers
From AP: The Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland has been reduced as an organization to little more than the name atop its front page after owners laid off 10 of its remaining 14 union journalists. The bulk of the stories and photographs that will be published in the...
by jpitney | Apr 12, 2020 | Civility, Coronavirus
Alexandra Hudson at The Tennessean: Calamities such as COVID-19 illustrate that the decisions everyday Americans make with the common good in mind are far more optimal in preventing the virus’ spread, as they keep our freedoms intact. Daily acts of self-restraint for...
by jpitney | Apr 11, 2020 | Congress, Foreign Policy, Oversight
Robbie Gramer and Jack Detsch have an article at Foreign Policy titled “Pandemic Stymies Congressional Check on Trump’s Foreign Policy.” An excerpt: Public health guidance has prevented lawmakers in particular from receiving classified briefings—normally...
by jpitney | Apr 10, 2020 | Congress, Coronavirus, Technology
From the House Rules Committee: The constitutionality of remote voting is an untested principle. As a threshold question, this uncertainty should give the House pause from transitioning wholesale to any remote voting or “virtual presence” scheme of conducting...
