Did you know that both Mother's and Father's Days are national holidays?  Of course they are always celebrated on Sundays, so they are not a federal holiday.  President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation in 1914 designating  Mother's Day  as the second Sunday in May.  Of course motherhood has long been cherished, and the ancient Greeks and Romans held festivals in honor of mother godesses Rhea and Cybele. Mind you, the Greeks and Romans also honored fathers, and in Catholic Europe, St. Joseph's Day ( March 19 ) is a feast day dedicated to Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus.  But Father's Day in the USA had a rather startling beginning that few know. First, Father's Day did not become a national holiday until 1972. The reason why has everything to do with civil rights movements in the 1960s. The story starts in 1964 when a middle-aged father and mid-level federal appointee, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, dreamt a solution to America's racial conflict in his sle...

But first, the House passed President Donald Trump's Big, Beautiful Bill by one vote.  The Senate will debate and adjust the details, and weeks from now, something to lower taxes for the rich and lower lifestyles for the poor will ultimately pass.  Republicans do run the White House, Congress, country and maybe world.   Democrats are powerless to do much, and worse, there is nothing they can do to prevent Donald Trump from becoming a dictator, the story of this posting today. The World Health Organization ( WHO ) this week adopted a  Pandemic Agreement  to make the world more equitable and safer from future pandemics. It took three years to get to this stage. Member nations will share information about the coming pandemic, and will provide 20% of vaccines to WHO.  The logic is that the entire world will need to prevent the advance of virus. It is no great surprise that the USA is not participating.  We are great, getting greater, and don't need to...

But first, more Trump madness, bribery and assorted hijinks: His  diversity equity inclusion (DEI) attack  is more and more alienating those misguided middle to low class voters who previously supported him.  His cabinet met for the first time today. Elon Musk was the first speaker.  That says a lot.   EPA secretary Lee Zeldin plans to cut 65% of his agency. According to Trump, President Zelenskyy has caved-in to one Trump piece of blackmail.  Ukraine has agreed to "share" their rare earth minerals with the USA.  What this means will be disclosed on Friday when Zelenskyy meets with Trump in the White House.   Ukraine has   deposits of nearly half   of the 50 minerals the U.S. Geological Survey lists as critical for America’s economic development, including titanium and lithium .   Trump said that while he wants to expand his immigration program, nothing wrong with selected individuals entering the country, and predicted hi...