June 1—In the aftermath of Donald Trump's conviction on 34 felony counts in New York, he and his minions in Congress continue the unforgivable sin, for those committed to America's democracy and the rule of law, of slandering institutions, such as our courts, which ensure the survival of our democratic system.

May 10—With Trump-era tax cuts totaling nearly $4 billion set to expire in 2025, the White House is preparing the ground for the congressional battle certain to ensue over their extension. Lael Brainard, director of the White House National Economic Council, told an audience at the Brookings Institution that the expiration of the cuts will "put tax fairness front and center," adding that the administration will cut taxes for workers while "asking corporations and those at the top to contribute more."

April 25—In a major step to combat global warming, the Biden administration has announced final rules on pollution from power plants that it says will prevent 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2047.

April 23—The Federal Trade Commission has approved a rule banning non-compete clauses in employment contracts. The agreements, which prohibit employees from joining rival companies or launching competing businesses, were deemed by the Commission to illegally restrain trade, limit worker mobility and suppress wages. The rule is scheduled to take effect in August, but business groups are already filing lawsuits challenging the ruling.

April 26—French tire manufacturer Michelin has committed to paying a living wage to all of its 132,000 global employees, including those in U.S. cities like Greenville, SC. Referring to guidelines developed by the United Nations Global Compact, Michelin CEO Florent Menegaux told the New York Times that a living wage should allow a "family of four to live decenlty in the city where they work . . . not running out of money by the end of the month and being able to save and spend modestly on goods and leisure activitives." Michelin's stock is at a five-year peak after the announcement, and CEO Menegaux expects other rewards for the tire giant: "You will have payback," he told the Times, "because when people are paid decently, they are fully engaged and they do better work.”

April 20—California will offer free pre-K to all 4-year-olds in the state as the start of the 2025 school year. TDS applauds California in adding this essential plank to a modern  social democratic society. As the article highlights, however, without wrap-around childcare, many parents are hard-pressed to take advantage of the opportunity.

April 20—After months of delay, House Speaker Mike Johnson finally brought the Biden Administration's security legislation, passed by the Senate two months ago, to a vote in the House, where Democrats joined the relatively small number of still sane Republicans in the chamber to prevail over the Marjorie Taylor Greene wing of lunatics. The aid package comes none too soon for Ukraine which, nearly out of ammunition, is in imminent danger of ceding yet more territory to Russia's unprovoked war of aggression against its peaceful neighbor. According to exiled Russian scholar Serguei Medvedev (in a recent article in L'Express magazine), Russia is now on a war footing, spending 7% of its GDP on its unlawful aggression. Ukraine is devoting 25% of its output to defending itself, but the European Union, with a combined economy 25 times that of Russia's, has thus far contributed only .01% of its output to aiding its beleaguered neighbor and ally. Medvedev states that 100 billion dollars would "put an end do an evil that threatens [the EU's] frontiers" ("metter un terme à un mal qui la menace à ses frontières").

April 20—Sleepy Grants Pass, Oregon, has become the poster child for America's homelessness crisis after the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that issuing criminal citations to homeless who camp in the City's parks and other public spaces constitutes an unconstitutionally "cruel and unusal" punishment unless the City can offer accommodations. In TSD's view, the 9th Circuit far extended its brief: there is no constitutional right to camp in public places, nor is their a constitutional right to have a home: the latter comes as a result of working for a living. The TSD advocates for guaranteed work or training at a living wage for all who are willing to work. Those able to but not willing to work or train are not owed anything by society. Those who, due to physical or psychological handicaps, are incapable of work or training must, in the spirit of the humane society we seek to build, be afforded lives of dignity. See the article, on this site: Guaranteed Work or Training at Living Wage

April 16—Readers may be shocked to learn that as many as one in five coal miners in 21st Century America continue to be afflicted by pneumonconiosis, typically referred to as "black lung disease," including miners in their 30s and 40s. A new rule out of the Biden Administration Labor Department will sharply reduce permissable exposure to cyrstalline silica, the dust responsible for the disease. TSD hails social democracy at work. Elections matter.

April 11—With Congress stymied from solving the nation's gun crisis by a gun-happy, Republican controlled House, President Biden is wielding executive powers to do what he can. The new administrative rule, certain to be challenged in court, will require all gun sellers, including private sellers on the Internet or gun show dealers, to conduct background checks.

April 5—The November presidential election will be determined, experts agree, in six battleground states: the "southern tier" of Nevada, Arizona and Georgia and the "northern, or Great Lakes, tier" of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. The president can win if he takes either the southern or the Great Lakes tier. In this CNN piece, Ronald Brownstein shows why Biden's greatest hopes lie with the northern states.

April 5—The Centrist effort calling itself "No Labels" has dropped its campaign to mount a challenge to President Biden in November. TSD says, "good riddance!"

April 5—The Federal Communications Commission has voted to restore net neutrality to the Internet. Under a framework that sees the Internet as a necessary public good in the digital age, net neurtrality requires Internet providers to provide access to all content and applications. The vote reverses a Trump administration decision to rescind net neutrality.

April 5—Contrary to the constant stream of doom and gloom lies pouring from Trump lackeys and the right-wing media, the Biden economy continues to beat expectations and outperform other developed nations. The unemployment rate has remained below 4 percent for the last 26 weeks, a record not seen since the 1960s, with steady wage gains an added bonus.

March 21—Six Mississippi police officers found guilty of the 2023 torture and sexual abuse of two men in their custody have been sentenced to terms from 10 to 40 years in prison. Justice seems to have been served in this instance, but the case, replete with racist slurs, reminds us that the nation's police forces are still home to too many sick and sadistic officers. TSD advocates for community policing boards with standing legal counsel, subpoena power and absolute authority to dismiss officers they do not want working in their neighborhoods (see, on this site, "Terry v. Ohio, Stop and Frisk and the Making of the American Police State").