PRIORITY SPENDING? Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is an idea in psychology. (A hierarchy is like a pyramid or a ladder.) It explains the parts of life people have to have in place in order to reach their greatest abilities. The first is basic survival needs: Shelter, Food, Water and Warmth. The next step is Safety...
ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL AND THE COUNTY BUDGET Part 2 – FOOD AND NUTRITION As we saw in Part 1 of this article, every budget passed by the US Congress affects our lives in some way. The ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT (OBBBA) is different. OBBA has over $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. Most of...
ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL AND THE COUNTY BUDGET Part 1 – HEALTH CARE Every budget law passed by the US Congress affects our lives in some way. Usually, we don’t see big changes. But the ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT (OBBBA) is different. The law was signed July 4, 2025. OBBBA protects large estates from...
HEALTH INSURANCE Most people in the United States depend on Health Insurance to pay for medical care. But most developed countries don’t use health insurance and still take good care of their people. What is Health Insurance really? Think of it like a betting game. You are expected to place a bet every month –...
COGNITIVE TESTING In January, President Trump bragged he passed a mental ability test. He “ACED” it, “for the third straight time.” He said no other President, or Vice President, would take the test. He said that anyone running for President, or Vice President, should be forced to take a “strong, meaningful, and proven Cognitive Examination.”...
IRON RANGE 1907 Who Benefits from Racism? This is a question that we do not often ask. The huge iron mines of northern Minnesota were the site of many fights between workers and owners. Working conditions were very hard, and the pay was low. Many families were so desperate that striking for better pay and...
WHAT’S WITH RIGHT AND LEFT? Ever wonder why one party is called left-wing and another right-wing? Why are some “leftists” and others from the “far right”? In the early days of the French Revolution in 1789 a French National Assembly was called by the King. From the position of the speaker, people of different perspectives...
THE UNITARY EXECUTIVE THEORY The Unitary Executive Theory is an idea debated in constitutional law. Today, it is supported by far-right legal and political groups. The theory says that Article II of the Constitution gives the President sole authority over the executive branch of government. It allows the president to hire, fire and control all...
COWBOYS The American cowboy didn’t need any help from anyone, surely not the government. He is a symbol of American freedom and individualism. We are told to be like him. Our culture praises people who succeed on their own, who go from “rags to riches”, or who “pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” Is there...
RENEE NICHOLE GOOD Renee Nichole Good was a 37-year-old U.S citizen and a mother of three. She was shot and killed by an ICE agent on a Minneapolis street, January 7, 2026. This is what we know for sure. Video evidence shows that the agent was not “run over” as Donald Trump said. Renee Good...
