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Tennessee: Governor Lee Pushing Vouchers, Despite Cost, Lack of Accountability, and Bigotry | Diane Ravitch's blog
Governor Bill Lee is determined to enact universal vouchers in Tennessee, and it ought to be a slam-dunk since Republicans control both houses of the legislature. He tried and failed before, because some rural Republican legislators opposed vouchers. But the billionaire money behind vouchers make them tough to resist, so Governor Lee is making vouchers…
AP: Senior Taliban Official Calls for Removing Ban on Women’s Education | Diane Ravitch's blog
The AP reported on a promising development. A Taliban leader says that girls and women should be allowed to get an education. But don't celebrate until there is an actual policy change. A senior Taliban figure has urged the group’s leader to scrap education bans on Afghan women and girls, saying there is no excuse…
Jim Stewartson: The Rise of Trump’s Brownshirts and the Death of the Rule of Law | Diane Ravitch's blog
Trump freed all the J6 insurrectionists, even those convicted and sentenced to 20+ years for insurrection. The Republican Party is not the party of law and order. Read Jim Stewartson and be alarmed. Attacking police officers, trying to stop the peaceful transfer of power is now a sign of patriotism. Even JD Vance said that…
Trump Turns Tech Billionaires into Lap Dogs | Diane Ravitch's blog
At yesterday's indoor inauguration, there were of necessity a limited number of seats. The first row was reserved for Trump and Vance family members. Tech billionaires and their wives and female companions sat in the second row. Trump's choices for his Cabinet sat behind the billionaires. Elected officials were not allowed to bring their wives…
18 States Sue to Block Trump Order to Eliminate “Birthright Citizenship” | Diane Ravitch's blog
On his first day in office, President Trump signed an executive order eliminating birthright citizenship. He intends to amend the Cinstitution of the United States by his order. This is unprecedented. Eighteen state Attorney Generals filed suit today against this action. The Fourteenth Amendment to the constitution begins with these words: AMENDMENT XIV Section 1.All…
Ohio Passes Its Own “Don’t Say Gay” Law | Diane Ravitch's blog
Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio signed a "Don't Say Gay" law, which goes into effect in 90 days. The blog Wonkette reported: Ohio is one of the most gerrymandered states in the nation. Oh, wait. We’ve said that before. And before that. But the point here is that gerrymanders — like fair elections — have consequences, and…
Jeff Tiedrich: Elon Musk’s Nazi Salute | Diane Ravitch's blog
Jeff Tiedrich shows how the media tried to sanitize Elon Musk's Nazi salute at the inauguration ceremonies. Even the ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) issued a statement saying that Elon's salute was merely "an awkward gesture." So Jeff does everyone a favor by inserting two clips, side by side. One shows Elon, the other shows Adolph.…
Media Sanewashes Trump, Fearful of His Vengeance | Diane Ravitch's blog
Oliver Darcy was senior media critic for CNN, when he left to start his own Substack, called Status. There he reports on the latest buzz. Here he writes about the moral collapse of the mainstream media in the Second Coming of the Convicted Felon. Despite the many admonitions by scholars of authoritarianism not to "obey…
First Day Statement by the White House | Diane Ravitch's blog
This statement was released by the White House today after Trump's swearing in. Be sure to read the last two pledges: The first promises to restore the names of Confederate leaders to federal facilities like military bases where they had been changed. They were changed to acknowledge that Confederate leaders were traitors. Trump will once…
Great News! | Diane Ravitch's blog
This is indeed great news! The celebrated Iranian-American author Azar Nafisi will deliver a lecture on freedom, women's rights, democracy, and the power of literature on April 15 at Wellesley College at 7 pm. Admission is free. Dr. Nafisi is the author of many books, most notably Reading Lolita in Teheran, which was on the…
Ann Telnaes: It’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! | Diane Ravitch's blog
Today is a day to celebrate a great man: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. No one spoke about the relevance of our founding ideals more eloquently than Dr. King. He called to account to live up to those ideals. Dr. King called on us to be the very best possible Americans. We are not there…
Heather Cox Richardson: Remembering a Hero, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. | Diane Ravitch's blog
I am always grateful to read Heather Cox Richardon's voice of reason, putting events into perspective, tying together past and present. In this post, she reflects on the heroes among us. You hear sometimes, now that we know the sordid details of the lives of some of our leading figures, that America has no heroes…
Timothy W. Ryback: How Hitler Destroyed Democracy in Germany in 53 Days | Diane Ravitch's blog
Today is a good day to learn about the remarkable rise of one of the most brutal dictators in the 20th century. He destroyed a deeply divided democracy in only 53 days, appealing to fear and hatred. He made utopian promises while pledging to replace government officials who were not loyal to him. He warned…
Andy Borowitz: DC Builds Fence to Keep Sexual Predator Away from Public | Diane Ravitch's blog
Andy Borowitz is one of our very best political humorists. WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—District of Columbia officials confirmed on Tuesday that they are constructing a fence around a federal government building to keep a sexual predator 500 feet away from the public. With a Monday deadline for completion of the barrier fast approaching, the calls…
Greg Olear: What Will Save Us | Diane Ravitch's blog
Greg Olear is simply amazing. Read the post here and perhaps you will agree. He is wise, smart, learned, insightful, and inspiring. I know of no other writer who weaves together politics, literature, and history as seamlessly as Olear. He writes at Substack and charges no fee. Dear Reader, The great British historian Eric Hobsbawm…
Paul Krugman: What Do the Billionaires Really Want? | Diane Ravitch's blog
Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize-winning economist, no longer writes a column for The New York Times. Instead, he has a blog on Substack where he writes whatever strikes his fancy. In this post, he ponders what billionaires want. Why aren't they satisfied to have "only" $500 million? Or "only" $1 billion? I always thought that their…
Andy Borowitz’s Suggestions of What to Watch Instead of the Inauguration | Diane Ravitch's blog
Andy Borowitz is a humorist of the highest order. He used to write for The New Yorker, now he has a blog at Substack. Here is his list of what to watch tomorrow instead of the inauguration of you-know-who. He invites you to submit your ideas. I suggest not only films, but activities. Take a…
Heather Cox Richardson: A New Era of Lies and Corruption Begins | Diane Ravitch's blog
Heather Cox Richardson is wise not to put titles on her posts. They combine several topics. But this day's posting has a common thread: the next four years will see a changed focus: from the public interest to private greed. Please read it all! She writes: Shortly before midnight last night, the Federal Trade Commission…
RFK Jr. Tried to Block COVID Vaccines at Height of Pandemic | Diane Ravitch's blog
Christina Jewett wrote in The New York Times that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tried to block the release of all COVID vaccines in 2121, at the height of the pandemic. In the past, I have referred to Mr. Kennedy as a crackpot. I was wrong. He's more than a crackpot. He's a dangerous man, whose…
Trump Launches One More Grift Before Inauguration | Diane Ravitch's blog
Trump has his eye on what matters most: making more money. MONEY! PROFIT! He can never get enough! The New York Times reported on his latest money-making scheme: President-elect Donald J. Trump and his family on Friday started selling a cryptocurrency token featuring an image of Mr. Trump drawn from the July assassination attempt, a…
Jeff Tiedrich: This Week in Stupid | Diane Ravitch's blog
I'm posting this latest missive from Jeff Tiedrich because it made me laugh out loud. I once again apologize for his generous use of words I don't allow on this site. But he uses the F word to make you laugh and to emphasize his point. The next four years will give him plenty to…
New York Times: Critics Insist that ERA Was NOT Passed | Diane Ravitch's blog
Not everyone agrees that the ERA is now official. The New York Times explained why: President Biden declared on Friday that he believes that the Equal Rights Amendmenthas met the requirements of ratification and therefore is now part of the Constitution, but he declined to order the government to finalize the process by officially publishing it.…
Biden Makes the Equal Rights Amendment Official! | Diane Ravitch's blog
Laurence Tribe and Kathleen Sullivan report in The Contrarian on a momentous event that was ignored by the media: The U.S. Constitution has a new amendment. In one of his last acts as President, Joe Biden made the Equal Rughts Amendment official. Critics claimed that the time limit for the ERA had passed, but Tribe…
Heather Cox Richardson: Republicans Abandoned Democracy to Stay in Power | Diane Ravitch's blog
Heather Cox Richardson wrote the following brilliant article about the machinations of the Republican Party in North Carolina. Since winning control of the General Assembly (legislature) in 2010, the state GOP has gerrymandered Congressional districts and state districts to hold onto power. Democrats win statewide races, as they did in 2024, but the legislature strips…
Jan Resseger: Trump Will Inflict Massive Trauma on Immigrant Children | Diane Ravitch's blog
Jan Resseger, who spent many years as an advocate for children and social justice, reviews the effects of Trump's promise of mass deportations on the children of immigrants. Others look at the economic costs of his promise. Jan considers the human costs. Please open the link to read her post in full. She writes: On…
Sherrilyn Ifill: The Truth | Diane Ravitch's blog
Sherrilyn Ifill is a law professor who holds an endowed chair at Howard University. She is a former president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. In this post, she offers sage advice about how to recharge your batteries and re-engage in the struggle for a better society. She wrote this piece soon after the…
Florida: Professors File Federal Lawsuit Against DeSantis’s Anti-DEI Law | Diane Ravitch's blog
A group of professors in Florida filed a federal lawsuit against the 2023 state law banning teaching about diversity, equity, and inclusion, claiming that it restricts freedom of speech. The law was enacted as part of Governor Ron DeSantis's war on "woke," meaning any teaching about or practice related to DEI. The Orlando Sentinel reported:…
A Corporate Lobbyist Will Run Trump’s White House | Diane Ravitch's blog
During his campaigns, Trump has insisted that he will ban lobbyists from his team and limit their access to him. This was part of his "drain the swamp" pledge. But it is a new day in Trump world. Trump hired corporate lobbyist Susie Wiles as his chief of staff, and she will determine who gets…
James Fallows: Joe Biden’s Surprising Farewell Address | Diane Ravitch's blog
James Fallows is a veteran journalist who has covered national and international politics for decades. In this post, he explains why Joe Biden's farewell address surprised him. He expected the same tone and substance he had heard for years. But the last eight minutes were different. He writes: I turned on Joe Biden’s Oval Office speech last…
Canadian Member of Parliament Offers to Take California, Oregon, and Washington State | Diane Ravitch's blog
Trump has suggested that Canada, a huge and sovereign nation, should become the 51st state of the U.S. Elizabeth Evans May, a member of the Green Party in the Canadian Parliament, suggested instead that California, Oregon, and Washington State should become provinces of Canada. Ben Meiselas of the Meidas Touch blog posted this video. Because…
Doktor Zoom: We Are Going to Miss Joe Biden! | Diane Ravitch's blog
Doktor Zoom writes on the blog Wonkette. This is an excellent commentary on Biden's farewell address. President Biden made mistakes. He was not perfect. But he survived an unprecedented barrage of defamation from the Republications, who did everything possible to portray him as a criminal and to destroy his son. Never mind that the Republican'…
Two of Baton Rouge’s Largest Charters Closing as IDEA Chain Fails and Quits | Diane Ravitch's blog
IDEA is a major charter chain in Texas that has gone through some ugly financial scandals about spending on luxury items (season box seats at a basketball arena, a foiled plan to lease a private jet, other executive perks). It expanded to Louisiana, thanks to a multi-million grant from the federal Charter Schools Program. Things…
400+ Journalists at “Washington Post” Sign Petition to Bezos | Diane Ravitch's blog
For decades, The Washington Post has been one of the nation's premier newspapers, widely admired for its fearless journalism. During the McCarthy era in the 1950s, The Post held the reckless Senator from Wisconsin to account. It took the lead in exposing Watergate. A job at The Washington Post was a prize for any journalist.…
Jennifer Rubin: Media Discovers that Bidenomics Works! | Diane Ravitch's blog
This was one of Jennifer Rubin's last columns for The Washington Post. She resigned on January 13 to start The Contrarian, to be free of the whims of billionaire Jeff Bezos. Bezos wants to be Trump's ally. Rubin wants to be an independent journalist. She writes here about the mainstream media's newfound appreciation for Biden's…
“Democracy”: Billionaire Bezos Abjectly Kisses Trump’s Ring | Diane Ravitch's blog
Our reader who calls him/herself "Democracy" writes here about Jeff Bezos' shameless betrayal of the founding principles of The Washington Post, as well as its recent motto "Democracy dies in darkness." He not only canceled the editorial board's endorsement of Kamala Harris (to avoid taking sides), but he (or David Shipley, editor of the editorial…
The Nation: Linda McMahon’s Very Important Rightwing Think Tank | Diane Ravitch's blog
Trump selected Linda McMahon to be the next Secretary of Education. She is well known for making it rich in the world of wrestling entertainment, in partnership with her husband. Less well known is her role as Chair of the board of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI). Trump is close to AFPI, which promotes…
Guess Who Will Attend Trump’s Inauguration and Sit on the Platform? | Diane Ravitch's blog
Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg will not only attend Trump's Inauguration, they will be seated together on the platform. Trump will show them off like house pets. Which they are. Trump brought out Musk's inner Nazi. He intimidated Zuckerberg by threatening to put him in jail. He humbled Bezos, leading him to censor…
Jeff Tiedrich: The Nasty Pete Hegseth Clown Show | Diane Ravitch's blog
Jeff Tiedrich writes a funny, scatologial post about the Pete Hegseth hearings. As he says, it's going to be a long four years. You should subscribe to his blog so he can continue to write. In the last line of his post, not included here: Donny Convict is what would happen if Dunning and Kruger…
Texas: Moderate Republican Wins as Speaker of the House with Democratic Votes | Diane Ravitch's blog
The top elected leaders of Texas are far-right extremists--Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, and Attorney General Ken Paxton. Abbott is passionate about school vouchers, despite the fact they would harm rural public schools. He called multiple special sessions of the legislature last year specifically to pass vouchers, but failing each time. Gov. Abbott…
Jay Kuo Reports on Pete Hegseth’s Refusal to Answer Questions at His Hearings | Diane Ravitch's blog
Jay Kuo, lawyer, humorist and political consultant, watched the confirmation hearings of Pete Hegseth for the position of Secretary of Defense. Hegseth is notoriously unqualified. His Republican defenders treated his lack of experience and knowledge as a plus, a breath of fresh air. To charges of drunkenness, adultery, and womanizing, the Republican attitude was "Yawn.…