ArcaMax

"Get a job!" That's the cliched response to panhandlers and anyone else who complains of being broke. But what if you can't?

That dilemma is the crux of an evolving silent crisis that threatens to undermine the foundation of the American economic model.

Two-thirds of gross domestic product, most of the economy, is fueled by personal consumer...Read more

Years before former President Donald Trump seized upon the Big Lie that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen, he insistently promoted another supersized falsehood -- namely that charges of Russian interference in the 2016 election were "a hoax." His minions in the media, from Fox News down to the lowliest web trolls, have incessantly...Read more

The cheap shots are everywhere now that we're in the thick of election season, and it matters. It's everywhere. It's on social media and even on television "news" and commentary shows. People we look to for thoughtful election analysis are wasting valuable time making fun of candidates over things that are not relevant. Whether it's making fun ...Read more

There's been a mini-flap about former President Donald Trump's recently reprehensible conduct at Arlington National Cemetery.

First of all, what the hell did you expect?

Secondly, when is Trump gonna stop with that cheesy "thumbs up" hand sign? No one does that anymore. It makes him look old and out of touch. I grew up with the thumbs up, ...Read more

Presidential elections of yore were not like this one. Would the media kindly get that into their collective skull? Many journalists seem to think that the reluctance of Kamala Harris to sit down for searing in-depth interviews on "the issues" is a major issue.

The one she did with CNN rested on the old gotcha questions. Harris said that she'...Read more

The stakes could not be higher. Tens of millions of people will be watching, hopefully including those who (like me with baseball) tune in just in time for the World Series. Kamala Harris has to do two things: fill in the blanks in her own platform; and let Trump be Trump.

It's hard not to like what you see with Kamala Harris. Since she ...Read more

History repeats itself: first as tragedy, second as farce. That's what the German philosopher said.

Lawless former President Donald Trump is breaking this rule in two, as he does for every other. For him, it's history as farce first, tragedy second. His illegal campaign stunt at Arlington National Cemetery is high tragedy playing out on the ...Read more

Every once in a great while, a major media celebrity comes along who puts his or her talent and -- well, celebrity -- to work for the common good.

Many generous artistic souls support good causes -- and bless them for that! But there are a few who put the public interest at the center of their professional calling, and it's been my joy to ...Read more

Last week ended with a split screen featuring savagery on one side and shame on the other. We woke Sunday with news that hours earlier Hamas had taken six hostages they were holding in the tunnels beneath Rafah, each emaciated after 11 months in captivity, and shot them in the head multiple times, all the while BS-ing a gullible world that they ...Read more

Despite immigrants' contributions to our communities and economy, our current immigration system still fails to provide a way for millions of immigrants to apply for legal status and citizenship.

If elected to the presidency, current Vice President Kamala Harris has an opportunity to chart a new course. At the ACLU, we urge the Harris-Walz ...Read more

"Welcome to MIT!" the flyers being handed out to incoming students announce, next to a drawing of Tim the Beaver, MIT's mascot. The flyers go on to comment on the conflict in the Middle East and the State of Israel in particular, and they list more than 20 additional resources.

One of the "resources" they list is the Mapping Project, a ...Read more

The U.S. government wastes approximately $4.5 trillion each year. "A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money," Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen, an Illinois Republican, famously said, and said often. In this case, you're talking about thousands of billions. (Four and a half trillion dollars is the ...Read more

Try for just a moment to imagine the explosion of anger on the right if a Democratic presidential candidate -- or any Democratic candidate -- barged into Arlington National Cemetery for a campaign photo op. Imagine the fury on Fox News if such a Democrat had then posted video of herself, on TikTok, with an idiotic grin and thumbs-up pose over ...Read more

Some parents like to say, "School is my kids' job." School is important, sure, but I preferred work to school as a teen. It gave me access to a seemingly adult world where I could learn job skills, hone communication skills and build confidence in my abilities.

I'm not cut out for the classroom. I'm more of a learn-by-doing person. This made ...Read more

When I was a kid, we had a spelling bee every week in my class. Me or a kid named William always won.

This did not bother the nuns. They were not in the self-esteem business. The meek might inherit the earth, but only the good spellers were going to win the spelling bee. God hates people who fix fights.

As a prize, they used to give you a ...Read more