Is it just me, or has it been an even crazier summer, news-wise, than we’ve seen before? So much for the dog days and boredom and lazy-hazy-crazy. Between the shenanigans in Washington and everywhere else, it seems like half the durn country has gone nuts. It’s hard to keep up, but we try.
I keep a list of books read throughout the year, and after noting how appallingly short it was this year, I resolved to double down. I normally read fiction, but found that nothing mid-list would satisfy; I abandoned a Andrea Barrett short-story collection before finding Jordan Harper’s “A Violent Masterpiece,” everything about the book summed up in the title. It’s as noir-y as noir gets, and my only problem now is, I have to find another one.
But never mind that! On to the day’s — not even the week’s — craziness. All links gift unless otherwise noted.
Here in the Macomb County exurb of Romeo, the school board’s gone buck-wild
When teachers in a southeastern Michigan school district decorate their classroom walls this fall, they will be limited to 32 preapproved phrases, part of an effort to “keep non-curricular ideologies and partisan politics out of the classroom,” officials said.
Classrooms can display messages including: “Everyone is welcome,” “You matter,” and “Choose kindness,” according to the list of acceptable statements. They must be printed in red or black ink, the school district’s colors, according to an internal memo obtained by The Washington Post.
Yes, it’s Moms for Liberty on the march up there in Romeo. A similar movement was active for a while in my own school district, but seems to have been soundly defeated in the last board election. However, a Pride parade got them up in their feelings again, and so I’m sure they’ll be back.
The near-death of Mitch McConnell — I’m not 100 percent sure he isn’t lying in a vat of green goo somewhere, illuminated by an eerie light accompanied by disturbing gurgling and hissing sounds — calls for some pre-obituary summing up of a truly smelly legacy:
The first key moment came when Barack Obama was elected in 2008. Though Obama had won a sweeping victory and the country was in the midst of a catastrophic economic crisis, McConnell told his caucus they had a path back to power: Obstruct everything Obama tried to do, regardless of whether Republicans had any substantive objections to it. Only if they forced Obama to fail could they retake power.
If it seemed like the parties were working together, he explained, Obama would get the credit; if all the public saw was gridlock and nasty infighting, the president would get the blame.
“If [Obama] was for it,” said former Ohio Sen. George Voinovich about McConnell’s strategy, “we had to be against it.” Every procedural tactic would be deployed, including turning the filibuster from an occasional tool used to stop major legislation to a weapon fired at almost any legislation the majority party proposed.
Ah yes, I remember it well. And eventually, Obama got tired of banging his head against the wall and started writing executive orders. Oh, how they howled about that. The president isn’t a king or a dictator! Times have changed.
Finally, a short essay getting lots of the wrong kind of attention, in my alma mater, the Columbus Dispatch. Behold, the miseries of the MAGA man:
I recently entered the online dating scene and have met nice women for Columbus-area lunches or dinners in the process. After I thanked one, I got a thanks back with an additional note:
“I never asked you about your political views. I have no problem with Republicans, but if you are a MAGA Republican, it would be difficult for us to develop a friendship.”
Wow. That comment threw me for a loop, but it made me reflect on the bitter divisions within the country. It is literally a civil war.
No, it is not. You’d think a writer identified as a “former college professor” would know what literally means, but I guess not. More:
…I guess I could ask a return question.
“I have no problem with Democrats, but would be difficult for me to develop a friendship with one who has blindly been to a No Kings rally, suffers from Trump Derangement Syndrome, uses the biased legacy media as their only source of ‘truth,’ wants Israel to be put in its place, requires unlimited immigration and voting without an ID, desperately aims to completely abolish ICE, allows biological males in women’s sports, and denigrates all MAGA as fascists or Nazis, without understanding the real meaning of those words.”
Dude, maybe volunteer to pass out leaflets for some candidate? You’d have better luck, but you must also accept that you look like Captain Kangaroo and unless you have a pile of money, you might have to settle for women your own age. WHICH IS FINE. Not all older men can be Jeff Bezos.
The heat wave is unrelenting. About to go out in it in a bit. Pray for me.
Cynthia I Brody said on July 15, 2026 at 10:38 am
It’s nothing new! On Curb Your Enthusiasm Larry got up and walked out of a romantic encounter in an actress’s dressing room when he spied a photo of W on her makeup table!!
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Heather said on July 15, 2026 at 11:17 am
For the last ten years or so I have always put something like “no Republicans” on my online dating profiles. A few years ago, I received a charming note from a man who asked why I was limiting what was already a shallow pool of options, given my age. Yes, because I’m so afraid of being alone that I’m willing to spend my valuable time with someone whose views on immigrants, bodily autonomy, systemic racism, etc., are nauseating to me.
So many guys just don’t get it.
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Jeff Borden said on July 15, 2026 at 11:20 am
Poor, poor Mr. Robinson. If he likes tRump’s policies, he can fuck all the way off. The woman who shared that with him did him a favor. Now he knows how others see him and it stings. Good. Mr. Robinson is part of the problem. All those who support this corrupt, traitorous, rapist dictator wannabe are part of the problem. I hope Mr. Robinson is skilled at the masturbatory arts.
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Pam H said on July 15, 2026 at 11:46 am
This topic came up while speaking to my son and his girlfriend. They both agreed that they would not have dated any Republican, MAGA or otherwise. They are both Democrats and as a bonus, they both have a cat. And interestingly, both of their families inquired about the politics of the new boyfriend/girlfriend. It was the first question.
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alex said on July 15, 2026 at 12:00 pm
Poor MAGA man. His screed amounts to a free personal ad, and one with prominence, so let’s see how much interest it generates for him. Hey, there, crazy ladies, here’s your dreamboat!
Hubby and I went out for pizza last night and struck up a fun conversation with some elderly women at an adjacent table who were nixing vegetable toppings on their pie and in turn excoriating RFK Jr. for likely causing the explosive diarrhea mess. I told them “Vote like your life depends on it, because it does.” It turned into a lovely evening of spirited Trump-bashing with strangers.
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Sherri said on July 15, 2026 at 12:10 pm
The MAGA man is incapable of understanding that women are human beings with agency, not just objects to entertain him. The message he received back from the woman he sent a thank you note to was simply politely telling him she wasn’t interested. She probably knew this at their meeting, but was too nice to just walk out.
My mind immediately turns to malicious compliance with the 32 phrase edict. I’d put up each of the 32 phrases in a language other than English.
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john (not mccain) said on July 15, 2026 at 12:27 pm
Not date magats, hell. In the unlikely event a known magat were to speak to me, I’d just stare at it until it scurried away. They’re too stupid to waste anything more on.
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Deborah said on July 15, 2026 at 12:49 pm
I would find it hard to cope with anyone in my immediate family being MAGA. I’ve already lost my sister and a niece to it and it’s very troubling, I didn’t know before November of 2024 just how immoral and racist they are. I suspected they might be headed that way in some part of my brain but I was being delusional most of the time, that they’d not fall for it all. I always wondered how the German people fell for Hitler, and now I know there is a lot of hate out there. It’s like there’s no common ground, and probably never was.
So why would anyone date someone whose view of humanity was so warped?
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jim said on July 15, 2026 at 1:00 pm
Henry’s in Fort Wayne is closed for the nonce due to cockroaches: https://www.wane.com/news/local-news/henrys-temporarily-closes-downtown-fort-wayne-restaurant/
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David C said on July 15, 2026 at 1:20 pm
Probably a former college professor at Liberty U or Hillsdale who was sacked for being too liberal.
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Sherri said on July 15, 2026 at 2:20 pm
If Hegseth were like other Trump cabinet members, I’d assume that he was invested in a company selling testosterone supplements, after announcing that men in the military 30 and over would be screened for “testosterone deficiency.” But, I don’t think he thinks that many levels, to set up a grift. He’s a true believer, who wants to make the military in his image (or rather, his perception of his image.)
Tell me, what is the appropriate testosterone level for a “warrior”? And what exactly is Hegseth on himself? Whatever it is, he’d be better off getting someone to teach him technique on how to do all the exercises he posts himself doing, so he didn’t look like an idiot. I cringe every time I see him bench. Much like his buddy Brainwork Bobby, he puts on too much weight and does partial reps, rather than getting a weight he could do the full range of motion in and building from there.
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Colleen said on July 15, 2026 at 2:42 pm
Many men can’t seem to grasp that being alone is not the worst thing that can happen to a woman. I’d much rather spend my life with my cats than a MAGA man.
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Sherri said on July 15, 2026 at 2:56 pm
I have a kind of grim fascination with the enshittification of everything around us, and recently discovered a newsletter called Worse On Purpose. The writer does a deep dive in a particular industry every few weeks, showing how and why the brand you used to trust for quality has been enshittified, usually through private equity.
I particularly like today’s deep dive into cookware: https://www.worseonpurpose.com/p/your-cookware-got-worse-on-purpose?utm_source=www.worseonpurpose.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=your-cookware-got-worse-on-purpose&_bhlid=1a536f891f69c43326280ffd039417aaa2af1a41
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Julie Robinson said on July 15, 2026 at 4:17 pm
Oof, I’m sorry to share a last name with the former college prof, who doesn’t know how to use the word literally. No, we are not literally (factually) at civil war, though you are literally (factually) an idiot. Recently entered the online dating scene? Dude got dumped by a previously long-suffering wife who reached her limit when he retired and was around 24/7. Hasn’t updated hair, glasses, or N*zi moustache either. Bet his house is a nasty mess and he wants someone to cook and clean for him. Blech.
Re Henry’s, I’ve become blasé about cockroaches since living in Florida. They’re everywhere, and even the harshest of chemicals struggles to kill them all. Monday a two-incher fell from our trainer’s ceiling as we were working out. She was mortified, but D stomped it down and I just kept exercising.
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Jakash said on July 15, 2026 at 5:04 pm
In my experience, the “Dispatch” has a pretty solid paywall, so thanks for the link, NN!
“I like much of what Trump 45 & 47 has done, dislike a few and scratch my head at others. He has brought pride back to America…”
Trump Derangement Syndrome actually *is* a thing, but should refer to the opposite problem than these folks think. That second sentence could be used in a dictionary definition. How delusional of an old white guy do you have to be to not realize that the orange felon has made the U.S. the laughing stock of the world?
I should have stopped right there, but…
“One even referred to JD Vance as the ‘so-called vice president.’ She was affronted when I disagreed and said, ‘He IS the vice president.’ TDS goes that deep.” Pardon me, while I clutch my pearls. Kinda makes you wonder what he thought when millions of MAGAts, following in their Pied Piper’s footsteps, insisted that the *president* was from Kenya and not an American citizen.
How can all the vile things that his maniacal hero has said, posted, and done that are *so* much worse than that not get through to him? One thing that there can be absolutely *no* argument about is that Obama ran a remarkably “clean” administration for 8 years and that we’re currently witnessing the most openly corrupt one in American history, run by a guy who is objectively the most disgusting, provably dishonest person to ever hold the office.
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Deborah said on July 15, 2026 at 5:33 pm
Supposedly the monsoon season has started in Northern New Mexico. Yesterday and today it has rained in the afternoon and every day for the next week or so rain is predicted, it’s raining right now actually. We’ve been in a drought all year so it’s going to take a lot to make it normal again. Our plants in the condo yard have been suffering even though we’ve been watering. Last year we had a bad monsoon season, I won’t be surprised if this one is bad too. The rain has cooled it down so I’m going to be less crabby, I hope. It was about 80º before and it’s 78º now but because of the wind, feels cooler. Fingers crossed.
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Scout said on July 15, 2026 at 5:50 pm
Deborah, we finally got our first haboob/monsoon Monday night. We need more rain than we got. There are storms predicted for the rest of the week, so my fingers are crossed.
As another commenter observed, WE are not the ones with TDS. As far as I’m concerned, anyone who still can’t (won’t) grok the corruption, grifting, self dealing, lying, rapiness, nastiness, racism, dementia and war mongering is obviously deranged.
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Julie Robinson said on July 15, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Just heard one of the saddest stories ever from my mom. We were talking about how expensive everything is and how the younger generations are struggling with this. She’s worried we’ll go into another depression, and I’m not sure she’s wrong.
Her dad’s family were poor tenant farmers, which in that day and place meant March 1 was Move Day. They had to pack everything they owned in a horse drawn wagon, and somehow herd their animals along to the new place. This also included animal feed they had already bought.
The parents had each been widowed with children and the blended family at that point had six or seven kids, a lot to fit in a small wagon. Aunt Wilma told Mom she had to leave her books behind.
Doesn’t that make you want to weep? I would just like to go back in time 100 years and find a way for Aunt Wilma to keep her beloved books.
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Jeff Gill said on July 15, 2026 at 9:17 pm
Aunt Wilma’s books, & Moll, Christopher Sheels, Richmond, Giles, Austin, Paris, Joe, Hercules, Oney Judge.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker is fighting the federal government, which has ordered the National Park Service to remove panels steps away from Independence Hall, at “The President’s House” where George Washington first lived as chief executive after 1788. She has said again & again it is about keeping their names alive, the nine slaves Washington maintained while in office there, which the current administration would like to sideline, or erase entirely.
We have to remember them, Aunt Wilma included.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Da0XBa9ka1z/
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Brandon said on July 15, 2026 at 10:25 pm
A different Charles Robinson played Mac on Night Court. In fact, the fifth anniversary of his death was four days ago.
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Gretchen said on July 16, 2026 at 3:12 am
Here’s another MAGA man who blames Biden for the poor handling of COVID. Who was President in 2020? Well, that was election year so it must all have been Biden’s fault. It’s amazing how that memory hole works.
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ROGirl said on July 16, 2026 at 7:27 am
I stepped outside this morning and it’s really hazy and smoky. I’ve never seen anything like this.
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Dorothy said on July 16, 2026 at 8:29 am
RO Girl my son is in the midst of his two weeks summer Annual Training (Army National Guard, he’s a Major) and their camp is in very northern Michigan. The smoke is so bad they are sending home any soldiers who are pregnant. A young soldier who has no history of respiratory problems was hospitalized yesterday. He’s 21. This smoke is no joke. Take the cautionary information you’re hearing to heart and stay inside.
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Deborah said on July 16, 2026 at 8:59 am
My niece in Minneapolis has said similar things about the smoke there. Something is very wrong with this picture, do Republicans not see it?
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Heather said on July 16, 2026 at 11:00 am
Was excited to finally turn off the AC and open the windows today as it cooled off but the smoke smell in Chicago is overwhelming. Unhealthy for all populations, and I have asthma to boot. Good times.
Meanwhile Tom Homan is openly threatening “bloodshed” if Democrats don’t let ICE run rampant. Hey Tom, it’s not just the Democrats who don’t want thugs abducting and killing people in public. When they hit some notoriously Republican areas in Chicago, those residents told them to get the F out too.
Can’t breathe the air, can’t eat vegetables or fruit, can’t afford gas or groceries…everything’s going great!
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alex said on July 16, 2026 at 11:22 am
This morning, instead of doom scrolling, I went out into the haze and weed-whacked a bunch of cattails and ground ivy and other junk, sawed down some low-hanging limbs on a mulberry tree, mowed common areas for the HOA (it’s my turn this month) and feel quite accomplished for a change.
So I read that none of the networks, not even Fox, is going to give Tubby any air time for the firehose of election lies he plans to release tonight. So all in all not a bad day in the whole scheme of things.
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tajalli said on July 16, 2026 at 2:41 pm
There are extensive wildfires in Canada again this year? I’ve been moving house (apartment really) so have been on a de facto fast from the news (and tubby antics) since the last third of June. I was even without a phone and internet for about a week, quite a shift but didn’t miss it much, there has been so much to do.
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David C said on July 16, 2026 at 3:46 pm
Over 400 wildfires in Canada according to this tracker.
https://currentwildfires.com/en/wildfires-united-states/
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Julie Robinson said on July 16, 2026 at 4:57 pm
So glad you had a productive day, Alex. I’ve spent most of the last 24 hours doing other people’s jobs for them, dealing with customer service where it takes 10-15 minutes of phone trees to speak with an actual person. Think doctor’s offices and mutual fund companies, and I’m looking at you, Columbia Threadneedle. The moment my mom dies I’m voting with my feet and cashing out. It’s 20 or 25 minutes every single time. We realized she hadn’t set up a beneficiary and after completing all the paperwork, which was a lot and required a trip to get a medallion signature, finally got it accomplished. I went online and couldn’t find it, because that information IS NOT ON the website after you login. You have to call them. I ask you.
My very bad day today was discovering our credit union had deposited the church offerings into our daughter’s account. She dropped them off in a deposit envelope with the church name and account number. Inside the envelope was a deposit ticket with the church name and account number. But they looked at her ID and put it in her account. If you’re still reading I won’t bore you further with all the steps it took to get it fixed, just that my frustration level is sky high.
We changed to this credit union only two years ago because of multiple problems and high fees at out previous bank. I shudder at the idea of starting over.
Anyway, tajalli, I’m imagining all the customer service folks you’ve had to interact with and sending you good wishes for it all, as wekk as settling in to your new place.
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Deborah said on July 16, 2026 at 5:50 pm
I just got some results back from the lab tests for what may be causing my gastrointestinal problems, and so far everything is negative but there’s still one test result I don’t have yet, it’s the one for cyclospora. Now I wonder if it’s all negative what is causing this? It’ll be a week tomorrow since this started. I no longer have abdomen pain but I’m taking a med for that, a muscle relaxer, so I don’t know if the pain is gone because of that or if I’m on the mend from whatever.
I’ve been reading that a lot of people are getting tested for cyclospora now. And more cases are being confirmed.
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Dorothy said on July 16, 2026 at 6:41 pm
More than 3,000 people have tested positive for that illness, Deborah. It’s all over the news and no signs of it slowing down. I’m glad you’re feeling better.
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Deborah said on July 16, 2026 at 10:13 pm
OMG, I see on my weather app that the air quality index in Chicago is 500, which is as high as the chart goes. 500!!!! Because of smoke from Canadian wildfires. How are you Chicagoans coping? Must be awful.
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Mark P said on July 17, 2026 at 12:23 am
I went to my vascular doctor today for an annual ultrasound to see how my spleenic artery aneurysm was doing. After three years of no change, it increased from 1.1 cm to 1.3 cm. The doctor said they don’t do anything until it reaches 3 cm, but there is some concern that it may be growing. He cut my recheck time from annually to 6 months. I’m not worried, but I can’t even talk to my wife about it because her growing dementia will make it hard for her to comprehend. She will spend hours worrying about it. You don’t know how much it helps to talk to a normal person until you can’t.
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Cheez Whiz said on July 17, 2026 at 11:47 pm
I gotta admit the Muslim Menance has me flummoxed. The Trans Menance I get, there’s a deep Ick Factor button that gets pushed by trans women existing (trans men apparantly do not exist for now, and the reason for this is iluminating).
But Muslims forcing Sharia law down Real American’s throats. Do they ever talk about how that is supposed to work? I get it is a reflection on Christian persecution, a cherished grievance, but there’s no there there. Its a pure free-floating grievance attached to nothing in this country. Even the rigged 2020 election was at least a thing that happened, even if the rigging remains invisible and unexplained.
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