3.30.21 Dr David Relman, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Stanford, warns that the WHO draft report on the origins of COVID-19 is “somewhat superficial, skewed and incomplete.” The report, which claims that the virus originated in a wildlife market rather than a Wuhan virology lab partly run by the military, is short on data to back up the enthusiastic assertions of the Chinese scientists.
2.13.21 A dark day, as the Senate acquits Trump in his second impeachment trial. Seven Republicans joined with all Democrats in voting to convict Trump of inciting an insurrection (57-43), but their majority fell short of the 67 votes needed for the effort to succeed.
1.21.21 What a difference a day makes! The first full day of the Biden administration features an honest-to-goodness press conference. Biden’s new press secretary, Jen Psaki, is a breath of fresh air.
1.20.21 Joseph R Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. Kamala D. Harris becomes the nation’s first female vice president.
1.19.21 Pro-Trump House Republicans try to punish Liz Cheney for supporting Trump’s impeachment.
1.19.21 The US Senate returns from recess on the last full day of Trump’s presidency. Mitch McConnell declares on the floor, “The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the President and other powerful people. And they tried to use fear and violence to stop a specific proceeding of the first branch of the federal government which they did not like. But we pressed on.”
1.13.21 The US House impeaches president Donald J. Trump for a second time. this time on a single charge of “inciting an insurrection.” The vote is 232 to 197, with four not voting. Ten Republicans join Democrats in support.
1.6.21 Rioters ransack and terrorize the US Capitol and its lawmakers. The attack interrupts but does not deter Congress from certifying Biden’s presidential victory late that night.
1.5.21 The Senate run-offs in Georgia produce victories for the Democratic candidates, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. David Purdue and Kelly Loeffler go down to defeat. Going forward, the US Senate will have 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans.
1.3.21 The new (117th) Congress convenes. New and returning members of the House and Senate are sworn in.
1.02.21 Senator Ted Cruz and 10 other senators announce plans to object to the Electoral College certification, bringing the size of the ‘sedition caucus’ to twelve. In the House, some 140 Republican members also intend to derail Biden’s victory.
1.01.21 Happy New Year!
12.31.20 Thanks to the 12,000 unique visitors who read American Inquiry in 2020!
12.30.20 Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri announces that he will object to the Electoral College certification.
12.3.20 With hospitalizations and deaths from CoV at an all-time high, the next few months are forecast to be the most difficult in the public health history of the US, CDC chief Robert Redfield says.
11.23.20 A pivotal day in politics, as Michigan certifies its election results and GSA chief Emily Murphy at last authorizes the start of the formal transition process for president-elect Biden.
What a beautiful and inspiring photograph…the American, family-made or woman-made quilt is an all-embracing symbol of human richness, accomplishment and freedom. I remember my own Granma’s quilts in my dad’s home in Old Monterrey, Mexico…Thank you Susan and Friends!
God bless the United States of America!!
Claudio–Isn’t it a remarkable picture? I think many of us had grandmothers who made quilts–the labor that went into them is something very few of us could fathom now. Each quilt was the result of a sort of “saving”–the saving of scraps from other sewing projects, until there was enough to make a quilt. Many people toil at similar projects, producing works that are all too unsung. Today is a day to remember them and rejoice!
Thank you for writing in and sharing your memories,
Take care,
Susan
Susan, where are you on the Bernie issue ?
I am glad to see candidates who are out with the voters. Citizens are tired of campaigns mediated by television, consultants, and big budgets–ordinary people want to see leaders who are authentic and ready to give of themselves. This is how I understand the popularity of Bernie Sanders. He is open, knows what his views are, and isn’t afraid of what expressing them may cost.
Hillary does not have the fire in her belly; and, like her husband during the Lewinsky affair, doesn’t seem to realize that, with respect to the email issue, she needs to come out with an exhaustive narrative and accounting. She needs to make a full defense of why she arranged her correspondence as she did, underscoring that it was permitted and most important that NO HARM WAS DONE. The issue is essentially completely silly, since once Hillary made the decision not to have two separate email accounts, she saw that the tech was handled responsibly. There isn’t any evidence that her email was hacked or compromised. But in order to lay the issue, she needs to deal with it exhaustively now.
That done, she needs to stay in one place and take all comers who want to engage with her. She does not have the stamina to go out stumping like a much younger person, nor should she have to. But she is just not exhibiting the drive and passion on issues that many Americans hope to see. There are so many festering issues that people are fed up with–this frustration is driving voters to the outlying candidates. . . .
I have not read up on Bernie Sanders’ views, but I am not surprised that voters are responding to a candidate whose style is spontaneous and unfettered.
Thank you Bill–are you a Sanders man?
Nice historical photo as all of yours are ! The quilt is fun to look at but I also took notice of the very simple looking house in the background, the sandy road that leads to the house, and the very tired-looking picket gate to the house and the rest of the fencing around the home. The quilt maker looks proud.
This is one of a series of photographs that Russell Lee took in Pie Town, New Mexico. The inhabitants were homesteaders, trying to make a go of it by farming in that tough portion of the Southwest. Most worked pretty hard just to make ends meet.
They had chosen to claim the land, even though it wasn’t good for much. Perhaps they had no other prospects.
Thank you, Sam.
Susan