Chris Conzen

Tell Students the Truth About American History We owe it to Americans of all ages to be honest about the country’s past, including its contradictions.

“A democracy whose citizens operate with fundamentally different understandings of the past and its implications cannot sustain itself. Americans desperately need a shared story, with all its complexities and contradictions. Without that, this American experiment, as we understand it, will end.”

New Jersey bishops join Catholic Church rebuke of Trump's 'mass deportation' policies Newark Cardinal Joseph Tobin and Paterson Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney were among more than 200 bishops to back the statement. Here's what they said.

I have to admit I’m surprised to see Trenton Bishop O’Connell here. He was the president of CUA my senior year and was definitely taking it in a more politically conservative direction.

Critics warn Florida's new teaching standards rehabilitate aspects of the anti-communist Red Scare Critics are warning that Florida's new social studies standards rehabilitate aspects of McCarthyism and the anti-communist Red Scare.

“The standards for high school students, approved Thursday by the Florida Board of Education, include instruction on the use of the word ‘McCarthyism' as an insult and how the use of the terms ‘red hunter and red scare’ is identified with ‘slander against anti-communists.’”

All MAGA Wanted Was the Epstein Files. Now They're Ignoring Them For years, MAGA influencers demanded the release of the Epstein files. Now that 20,000 documents have been released, many raising questions about Donald Trump, they're shrugging.

“For years, MAGA influencers demanded the release of the Epstein files. Now that 20,000 documents have been released, many raising questions about Donald Trump, they're shrugging.”

Meme of Anakin and Padme from Attack of the Clones. Panel 1 Text is TRUMP ORDERED THE DOJ TO INVESTIGATE HIGH PROFILE PEOPLE CONNECTED TO EPSTEIN Panel 2 text is:SO THAT MEANS THE DOJ WILL INVESTIGATE TRUMP TOO, RIGHT? Panel 3 is a blank look Panel 4 text is: RIGHT??

Trump briefed this week on options for military operations in Venezuela | CNN Politics President Donald Trump was briefed this week on options for military operations inside Venezuela as he continues to mull a path forward in the country, four sources told CNN.

That “in” is important. It means they’re looking at options for invading another country. Didn’t he promise the opposite when he ran?

Millionaire Tax That Inspired Mamdani Fuels $5.7 Billion Haul in Massachusetts A millionaire levy in Massachusetts that New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani holds up as a model for taxing the rich has generated $3 billion more in revenue than expected without forcing...

NEW: The first two years of Massachusetts' millionaire tax has raised $3 billion more than expected.

And rather than driving the rich away, IPS researchers found that the number of millionaires has *increased.*

Tax the rich. Greg Ryan in @bloomberg.com:

They cared for NJ's sick and elderly. Now they are facing deportation Immigrant caregivers for the sick and elderly are losing legal status, deepening a labor shortage in NJ health care fields.

“A federal immigration crackdown is worsening New Jersey’s health care labor crisis, forcing thousands of immigrant workers out of jobs, and putting the state’s most vulnerable residents at risk.”

"Work funded by the canceled grants included technical support for farmers using climate-friendly practices like planting cover crops, local food purchases for schools and improving nutrition for people receiving federal food aid." www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...

Trump’s Military Occupations of U.S. Cities Cost $473 Million and Rising Trump’s campaign to quell dissent by deploying the American military to U.S. cities comes at an immense price.

The current $473 million price tag now includes $172 million spent in LA, almost $270 million for the occupation of D.C. nearly $15 million for Portland, Oregon; and more than $3 million for Memphis, Tennessee, and almost $13 million for Chicago, which both began last month.

Trump Administration Expected to Drastically Cut Housing Grants

“The Trump administration has developed plans for a shift in homelessness policy that would slash support for long-term housing programs, and critics say it could quickly place as many as 170,000 formerly homeless people at risk of returning to the streets.”

Autism rates are rising. Rutgers aims to strengthen special education leadership. Rutgers University is launching a new federally funded program to prepare the next generation of special education administrators amid rising autism rates.

“As the number of children diagnosed with autism rises in New Jersey, Rutgers University is launching a new federally funded program to prepare the next generation of special education administrators.”

Autism rates are rising. Rutgers aims to strengthen special education leadership. Rutgers University is launching a new federally funded program to prepare the next generation of special education administrators amid rising autism rates.

Rutgers University is launching a new federally funded program to prepare the next generation of special education administrators amid rising autism rates.

For parents, cost biggest hurdle to child care | NJ Spotlight News Survey says nearly all parents have difficulty enrolling children in programs

"Four in five New Jersey parents who want afterschool child care can’t enroll their children, according to a new survey."

New Jersey weighs biggest update of charter school rules in 30 years • New Jersey Monitor A bill in the Legislature would ban for-profit charter schools and require them to post a range of documents online, among other things.

This is long overdue. Charter school governance is the Wild West and there needs to be greater transparency and accountability.

Prominent anti-abortion group announces $80 million midterm investment The investment is the latest example of the anti-abortion movement’s resiliency in the face of repeated ballot box losses after Roe v. Wade was overturned.

“The $80 million campaign aims to contact 10.5 million voters nationwide, through canvassing, digital advertising, voter contact mail and an early vote campaign. That includes knocking on 4.5 million doors across four Senate battleground states — Iowa, Georgia, Michigan and North Carolina.”

Voter turnout in New Jersey sets high watermark • New Jersey Monitor More New Jerseyans cast ballots in this year's elections than they did in any non-presidential race since at least 1998.

“Nearly 3.6 million New Jerseyans cast ballots in last week’s Nov. 4 election—representing approximately 54% of registered voters—the highest turnout for a non-presidential election in the state since at least 1998.”

Opinion | There Is No Cease-Fire in the West Bank Violence in the occupied territories continues even if hostilities in Gaza have cooled.

A U.S., European or Arab policy that says no to formal annexation but does nothing to stop de facto annexation will be interpreted by Israel as an invitation to continue apace. Israel has made life in the West Bank increasingly unbearable for the approximately three million Palestinians living there

Trump administration declares CFPB funding illegal The decision, disclosed in a court filing, puts the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on track to shut down in ‘early 2026’ when its remaining cash runs out.

Yet another reminder that this administration does not care about everyday people.

Trump administration declares CFPB funding illegal www.politico.com/news/2025/11...

NJ Rider University to Lay Off 25% of Faculty as Financial Crisis Deepens Rider University faces a financial crisis, laying off 25% of faculty, cutting salaries by 14% and ending tuition benefits.

“Alongside the faculty reductions, all Rider employees will see a 14% pay cut starting December 1. The university is also suspending retirement contributions indefinitely and requiring remaining faculty to teach more classes per semester.”

Florida college goes broke—but at least it’s not woke Perhaps you recall that Florida has its own mini Department of Government Efficiency, because Gov. Ron DeSantis is the most juiceless man alive—so maladapted to actual governance that he does ...

“Despite having shed all sorts of woke baggage like qualified faculty, library books, and gender studies, New College somehow costs the state much more. Much, much more. In the 2020-2021 school year, New College’s total spending was $53 million. Now? $93 million.”

Really cant understand how badly the Dems messaged this fold. The easy out was to say "we never expected Trump would illegally starve children and when SCOTUS stepped in to illegally help him we couldn't put kids at risk."

No, no, no. Senate Democrats secured the concepts of a plan for a handshake for a promise to hold a vote they will lose.

Just utter abject failure. Unbelievable.

Senate Democrats Just Made a Huge Mistake The shutdown was hurting Trump. Ending it helps him.

“Democrats may have been more surprised than anybody to discover their shutdown strategy was actually drawing political blood. Their instinct was to withdraw the knife anyway.”

Where’s the states rights folks on this one?

Schiff: "The president -- 'I'm going out to play golf.' One thing that is so shocking to me is that they're appealing to the Supreme Court for the right to cut off food from people. Who does that? Who works so hard to cut food from people who need it right now? The cruelty is part of the policy."

Andy Borowitz (@borowitzreport) It’s unfair that Trump gets to sleep through his presidency and the rest of us have to be awake for it

substack.com/@borowitzrep...

Trump’s Hatred of EVs Is Making Gas Cars More Expensive Trump’s anti-climate agenda is making it more expensive to own a car, period.

“Energy Innovation found that repealing tailpipe standards could cost households an extra $310 billion by 2050, mainly through more spending on gasoline. Undoing standards would also increase air pollution & shrink the job market for US electric vehicle manufacturing due to lower demand.”

So, I ran for my local BOE. We lost to the M4L backed candidates. The difference was, they were more stealth about it. They stayed behind the scenes and were only more overt in their safe circles.