by jpitney | Dec 21, 2025 | Civility, Polarization
On her “Reasonably Optimistic” podcast, Megan McArdle recently interviewed Colorado governor Jared Polis. ( The Dreier Roundtable gave him its Civility Award this past year.) At 31:20, the governor discusses civility and his friendship with Utah’s...
by jpitney | Dec 20, 2025 | Europe, Foreign Policy, Russia
Ron Nehring at FlashReport: There is an active effort underway, amplified daily by our foreign adversaries, to split the Western alliance by driving wedges between the United States and Europe. This is not new. Since NATO’s founding in 1949, Russia’s central...
by jpitney | Dec 19, 2025 | Economic Policy, Taxes, Trade
Don Wolfensberger: It was one thing to think that tariffs on foreign imports was a foreign policy issue, not directly affecting average Americans. It was quite another to realize it was really a tax on goods purchased by U.S. businesses and consumers. While both...
by jpitney | Dec 18, 2025 | California Politics, Infrastruture, Los Angeles, Transportation
The American Society of Civil Engineers: On December 3, 2025, ASCE Region 9, which encompasses the state of California released the 2025 Report Card for California’s Infrastructure, giving the state an overall grade of C-, consistent with the grade it received in...
by jpitney | Dec 17, 2025 | California Politics, Local Government, Los Angeles
David Zahniser at LAT: The setting looked almost cozy: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and a podcast host seated inside her home in two comfy chairs, talking about President Trump, ICE raids, public schools and the Palisades fire. The recording session inside the library...
