Ray Ring

Lots of news this week.

Two of the most urgent crises facing Americans---mental health and homelessness---are inextricably linked. The failure to see this has only made things worse.

For months, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi resisted the mounting calls from her caucus to start impeachment proceedings.

The two international giants are linked in inextricable ways, and yet Americans’ understanding of China consistently lacks nuance.

A last minute cease-fire in Syria; Mick Mulvaney confirms, then quickly denies a quid pro quo; and no one likes billionaires at the Democratic debate, not even the billionaire.

Despite mounting evidence, Republicans in the House and the Senate are defending President Trump or keeping their heads down. Veteran GOP conservatives accuse them of sacrificing morality for short-term political gain. Meantime the Trump Administration calls the impeachment inquiry “unconstitutional,” while legal scholars point out that it’s part of Article II. And how did Ukraine, an obscure former Soviet republic, become so important? Money.

A cartoon on the cover of the Economist says it all: leaders of the world’s two foremost democracies are scrambling to hold on. President Trump is faced with the possibility of impeachment. In the interests of Brexit, Boris Johnson is accused of lying to the Queen and defying Parliament. In both countries, voters are losing trust not just in their elected leaders but in their governments. The UK and the US aren’t alone, as the ideals of western democracy are being challenged by demagogues in other parts of the world.

Today, on All The President’s Jawyers...

Greta Thunberg inspired Fridays for Future--school strikes around the world.  Were the leaders of major polluters paying attention? Not according to what they told the United Nations.