QUICKIES….

We decided to change the pace from the start by featuring some short blurbs….

• The Department of Justice has announced that it will pay out $139 million of taxpayer money to the victims of Larry Nassar, the gymnastics team doctor who was found guilty of sexual abuse at Michigan State University. This payment is intended to salve the wounds caused by the DOJ’s failure to respond promptly when the abuse was initially reported. To be clear, WE DO NOT CONDONE SEXUAL ABUSE IN ANY FORM. But we do have a problem with this entire payout–both the initial and this subsequent amount. All of these young women were adults when the abuse occurred. They were not children. They were allowed to live away from home and supposedly had been raised to know what to avoid and what not to avoid. So paying adults for abuse they could have avoided or reported seems a bit much. Yes, they were vulnerable. But if that’s the standard for damages we’ll have a huge pot of offenses to consider elsewhere. Adults bear the responsibility for their actions. These gymnasts had been in high school programs and probably were scholarship recipients at MSU. They knew the drill. They knew what was OK and what wasn’t. One transgression should have resulted in blowing the lid off Nassar. But that didn’t happen. He assaulted over 500 women over an extended period of time. The first suspicious action should have sounded the alarm.

• Our list of “managed headlines” continues to grow. These are the latest from Gannett (USA TODAY): (1) GROWTH OF US SERVICES SECTOR SLOWING; FILINGS FOR JOBLESS BENEFITS HIT TWO MONTH HIGH—this was the month after retailers laid off temporary employees who were hired over the Easter holiday. This happens every year after Easter and Christmas. (2) SPOTIFY TO RAISE PRICES AS INFLATION SURGES—this was not an inflation-caused price increase. And it applied only in some markets and the increase was $1. (3) WHY DWAYNE JOHNSON-THE ROCK–WILL NOT ENDORSE BIDEN–the story says that he will not endorse Trump either–but that didn’t get included in the headline.

• The Biden Student Loan Forgiveness plan is again being politicized as an attempt to buy votes. For what we hope is the last time, let’s address this GOP chaos item. Biden first announced this plan during his second full month in office, March, 2021. He wasn’t trying to buy votes for 2024. That argument is insane. Second, by relieving student debt Biden is keeping more money in the generation that will be buying homes, cars, appliances and all kinds of electronics–thereby stimulating the economy and creating jobs. So far the Biden Administration has created millions of more new jobs than Trump. Would you rather have that debt money in a government account or in the hands of consumers who can stimulate the economy? And finally there is the stress reason. Why overburden the next generation by taking a significant portion of their income for years away as they start their working careers? GOP–get over it. This is a win-win program for the individuals and the country. Why are you opposing it?

• Last week we learned that an orangutan applied a healing plant substance to a damaged part of his face and healed it. We constantly hear about domestic animals performing acts we never would have expected. We live on a small lake that is frequently visited by a giant blue heron. The heron stands on the far bank in the morning so his shadow is behind him on the shore. And he stands on our shoreline after noon because his shadow is again on the bank where his fish quarry cannot see. There are always news stories in the media about amazing animals. Maybe we don’t give them enough credit….maybe it isn’t just instinct.

• About a month ago we made an easy prediction. The LA Dodgers would be winning the World Series almost every year because they signed a media contract that allowed them to buy the best players at every position. As of today the Dodgers are leading their division by 5 and a half games. At the current pace they will win their division by nearly 25 games and win more games than any other Major League Baseball team by a ton. MLB Commissioner–where are you? Why didn’t you see this coming and head off the unbalanced talent load? Former Commissioners did not hesitate but you did. Why?