Barry Burden

The irony of Indiana’s magical football season while politicians and university leaders are destroying its academic greatness (see www.indystar.com/story/opinio...)

Donald Trump says claim of US affordability crisis is a ‘hoax’ President insists prices have come down despite voter frustration over high cost of living

Dems will have more success in 2026 elections spotlighting Trump’s dismissal of affordability, his Epstein connection, & corruption (& connecting the 3) than bait such as the fake peace prize, renaming DOD, & bulldozing part of the White House www.ft.com/content/1b46...

National parks change prioritizes Trump birthday over days honoring Black people Free entrance days at national parks no longer include MLK Day and Juneteenth.

The Trump administration has changed which holidays qualify for free entrance to national parks, removing two holidays celebrating Black people and adding the president’s birthday.

via @thatsmohrlikeit.bsky.social
www.sfgate.com/national-par...

So it IS possible for the Speaker to swear in a new member just days after their election. The TN special election results have not even been certified yet.

Not sen or gov, but Evers tried for superintendent twice before winning in 2009

Everything in this administration is arbitrary and usually involves boot-licking

Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes joins race for Wisconsin governor Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes has entered Wisconsin's 2026 race for governor, joining a crowded Democratic primary field and vowing to "get things done the Wisconsin way" if elected.

If Barnes or Rodriguez is successful next year, it would the first time in more than half a century that a Wisconsin lt gov got elected as governor www.wpr.org/news/mandela...

An independent effort says AI is the secret to topple 2-party power in Congress Using artificial intelligence to identify congressional districts where independent candidates could win, an organization called the Independent Center is aiming to disrupt the two-party system.

Using AI makes it even less likely this scheme will work www.npr.org/2025/12/01/g...

I think that parade is happening 365 days from now but have heard nothing about it

Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics - Latest News, Schedules & Result Welcome to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games website. Follow the world's top athletes as they go for gold in Italy (Feb 6 - 22, 2026).

Have you seen any mention that the Winter Olympics take place 70 days from now? That hype train must start soon. www.olympics.com/en/milano-co...

This will be such a loss for public engagement & government transparency Wisconsin. I hope a creative team can come up with a solution to keep the public affairs video flowing.

You read that right. The President of the United States has called for execution of legislative opponents .

Insight from Trump on this week’s SNL

www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/...

I specifically tracked the phrase “November Rain lyrics” in GoogleTrends. A fair placebo test would presumably compare to searches for just the word “November” or your suggestion.

Searches for Guns N’ Roses song “November Rain” have fallen over time but always tick up this month

Comparing the legal ages for driving a car, voting, and drinking alcohol:

the one that most obviously needs to change (is raising) the driving age.

Johnson faces multitude of challenges in House vote to reopen government House Republican leaders will announce in the next day or two that they’re bringing the chamber back into session for the first time in more than 50 days.

Return of House presumably means finally swearing in member-elect Grijalva and opening the door the Epstein files when she signs the discharge petition punchbowl.news/article/hous...

If we're being truthful, people are saying 'honestly' all the time The popularity of the word honestly online and in conversation has soared in recent years. TBH, we'd like to know what's going on.

Let’s put a cap on the use of “honestly,” “literally,” and “perfect” www.npr.org/2025/11/07/n...

Password to Louvre’s video surveillance system was 'Louvre', according to employee According to an employee with knowledge of the system, the password to the Louvre's video surveillance system was simply "Louvre" at the time of the robbery last month.

Smooth move, Louvre abcnews.go.com/Internationa...

Terrific new research on US political parties being shared at the 2025 State of the Parties conference

An interesting combo of: (1) Trump’s unique appeal compared to rest of GOP, (2) inherent swinginess of the group, (3) different *kinds* of Hispanics who vote in state v. pres elections

Looking bake to Trump’s first term: in 2017 Dems also won gov races in NJ & VA by healthy margins, so yesterday is not unique. But Dems went on to a romp in the 2018 midterms

Mamdani getting more votes just on the Working Families line than Sliwa is getting in total

Folk wisdom is that women are the swing voters but tonight provides even more evidence that it’s men #Election2025

Two vice presidents have Madison in common Kamala Harris and Dick Cheney don’t have much in common, as they’re on different sides of the political spectrum. Except one thing: The new vice president and the former vice president both lived in M...

Kamala Harris arrived in Madison just as Dick Cheney was leaving news.wisc.edu/two-vice-pre...

This timeline could have been prevented by Trump condemning rather than enabling the Charlottesville mob & Proud Boys

Opinion | Are We Losing Our Democracy? (Gift Article) Donald Trump has wielded power as no previous president has.

And (2/2):

Attacking universities
Creating a cult following
Profiting personally
Not giving up power

This has to stop if America is to fulfill its promise as a beacon of democratic government.

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Opinion | Are We Losing Our Democracy? (Gift Article) Donald Trump has wielded power as no previous president has.

A dozen ways US has shifted toward authoritarianism under Trump: (1/2):

Curbing free speech
Using gov against opponents
Ignoring Congress
Using military inappropriately
Defying courts
Faking emergencies
Marginalizing groups
Controlling media

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

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