Booker

 Senator Cory Booker just finished his 25 hour speech, standing the entire time. He is courageous and wise. And he listens. What a speaker, what a leader!

ME and Long COVID

 The Office of Long COVID Research and Practice at the Department of Health and Human Services is closing this week. This office included research on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, the chronic illness with which I have lived for many decades. , “Long COVID and ME impacts every facet of somebody’s life — their ability to go to school, their ability to take care of their children, their ability to go to work and get health care…So it’s not just clinical trials that need to happen. How does somebody who can no longer take care of themselves, and there’s no medical solution yet, how do they live a life?”

The decisions being made by the Department of Health and Human Services (RFK Jr) are affecting so many of us. Funding for research on many diseases is being halted. Sad, very sad. 

Mother 125

Today my mother would have been 125 years old. My father died 75 years ago this year.  I lived with my mother in Des Moines and Mason City, Iowa, until I finished college. Then I lived in Missouri, Indiana, Michigan, and Connecticut for 20 years. Our family moved back to Iowa in 1979 one year after Mother died.

Post Office Support

 Save the U.S. Post Office! People in Mason City, Iowa, who are able will be gathering at Central Park this Sunday at 1:00 to show support for the United States Postal Service with signs, and then move to the Post Office a few blocks away.  This is a National movement. The Post Office serves everyone as it has since 1775. Benjamin Franklin was appointed our first Postmaster General.  

Spring

Spring has begun.

 

Names erased

 Arlington Cemetery website has erased all information on Navajo, Black, Hispanic and Female honors and burial sites.

White men only remain.

1/3 to 1/2 people killed

One third to one half of all people killed by police in the US have a disability. Often this is because police are not trained in what to do when someone with autism, of someone having a seizure is having a problem in public. A friend of mine has an adult son with schizophrenia. My friend is glad they live in a town of only 12,000 people because the police know Jason. They see him around town, and have regular encounters with Jason. They know what to do. They do not call for more police, force him to the ground, or shoot him. The police simply calm Jason down, and either let him go on his own or take him home. All law enforcement people need to be trained, so people with a neurological disability do not die.

Voice of America

 For the first time in 83 years, the Voice of America is being silenced," The Trump administration has placed on leave virtually the entire staff of Voice of America—more than 1,300 journalists, producers and support staff. The VOA is especially critical today, when America's adversaries, like Iran, China, and Russia, are sinking billions of dollars into creating false narratives to discredit the United States."

VOA first began broadcasting in 1942 and reaches an audience of 361 million worldwide in 49 languages. This is another example of the U.S. "losing soft power" to Russia and China. VOA is the best way to explain official policies and why democracy is the best political system to foreign audiences who do not understand English." 

March Madness

 Basketball! Great!  But we have a new kind of March Madness this year. Thousands being fired, many from very important federal jobs. The madness of sending troops to take over Panama. The plan to own Greenland and make Canada the 51st U.S. state. The hurtful madness of stopping USAID, and medicaid, and reducing Social Security recipients. What will you do this second half of March? Enjoy the basketball, and work to stop the new March Madness!

Girls' Basketball

It's Iowa High School Girls' Basketball time! The first Iowa state tournament was held in 1920, 52 years before Title IX. The tradition held in Des Moines each year is wonderful. Each year h.s. boys in tuxedos sweep the floor at half-time. There are 5 classes depending on school size. Friday night we saw the Class 5A and 3A. Today will be Classes 1A, 2A and 4A beginning at 2:30 on Iowa Public Television.

Leader of the Free World

 It's not just about avocados. (We love avocados). It's about health care, medicaid, social security, and so much more. It about whether this country will continue to be a democracy or become an authoritarian dictatorship. We can't wait for elections in 2026 and 28. We must stop this complete turn about now. We will no longer be the leader of the free world. Perhaps we are no longer that now. It's about our being one nation about all nations--United Nations.

AP Banned

 In a free country, leaders must not be able to choose their own press corps! The Associated Press has been banned from the White House and Air Force One. Why? Because they refused to call The Gulf of Mexico "The Gulf of America" A press that is allowed to use only the words the president allows them to use is like the Kremlin. The First Amendment says that Congress shall pass no law "abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press."