Month: June 2022

Capitol Report (June 27): SCOTUS Rules in Favor of Open Prayer; Pregnancy Centers Under Attack

Group of Seven (G-7) leaders are moving closer to imposing a “price cap” on Russian oil. What would that mean, and will it actually work? Meanwhile, President Joe Biden is committing $200 billion to a global infrastructure plan to counter China. In another high-profile ruling, the Supreme Court sided with a former football coach who…


2000 Mules Team Launches New ‘Sheriffs Initiative’: National Hotline for Election Integrity | Facts Matter

With the recent success of the film “2000 Mules,” a lot of people in the United States have been asking: What’s next? About a week ago, the researchers behind that film (somewhat) answered that question. They just launched a new initiative that will educate people throughout the country about election integrity, equip local sheriffs with the…


Deputy Mayor in Ontario Ousted for Speaking Against COVID Lockdowns Calls for Government Accountability

Steven VanLeeuwen, who was relieved of his position as deputy mayor of an Ontario township after speaking out against COVID-19 lockdowns earlier this year, told panelists at an independent inquiry into Canada’s pandemic response that the country is experiencing a breakdown of communication between the public and government at all levels. He also called for…


Victorian Premier to Take Home $465,000 a Year

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews will retain his position as Australia’s highest-paid state leader after an independent tribunal granted all members of Parliament a 2.75 percent pay boost. Andrews will pocket A$465,000 (US$322,589) a year, including up to $58,435  in expenses and allowances. Victoria’s incoming deputy Jacinta Allan will take home almost $400,000. Meanwhile, all Victorian…


14 Ways to Stretch Your Retirement Savings

When you’re looking at the fast-approaching years of your planned retirement, you may be thinking about how much you’re looking forward to being free from a daily work schedule. But, if you’re like most folks, you’re also thinking about how on earth you’re going to pay for it all with your retirement savings. It’s a rare…


Happy Birthday to Me

I’m submitting this column to the newspapers on my birthday. I was born June 22, 1949. That makes me 73 years old. And I’m kind of surprised I made it this far. Why? Because I didn’t inherit the best of genes. My dad died at the age of 47. He had six brothers. And of…


Big Blues: Heading to the Mountains in Australia

The train wound into a serpentine gully, the small stations feeling increasingly remote and old fashioned, as if time and distance were interlinked. Leaving Sydney’s busy Central Station just a couple hours ago made this feel like a commuter trip. The silver double-decker train slipped past the gleaming skyscrapers of the Central Business District, and…


Can Gardening Make You Happier?

Years ago when we had a big yard, thumbing through gardening catalogs was one way I got through the long Minnesota winters. I dreamed about what I’d plant when the weather warmed up and the ground thawed. I’d look at unusual plants, early bloomers, late bloomers, heirloom tomatoes, and whatever else caught my attention in…


Californians to Receive $1,050 in Inflation Relief

About 23 million Californians will be eligible to receive $1,050 checks under a new inflation relief package, the governor announced June 26. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) agreed to allocate $17 billion from the state’s budget toward inflation relief. Part of that fund,…


The Little Princess (1939)

A little girl is left by her father in an exclusive seminary for girls when her father goes to fight in the Second Boer War. Later, when he is presumed dead, she is forced to become a servant. Directors: Walter Lang, William A. Seiter Writers: Ethel Hill, Walter Ferris Stars: Shirley Temple, Richard Greene, Anita…