Sunday July 22, 2018 12:01 AM There are many opinions in the editor's email inbox. One of the things I've learned since taking this job is how much Reading Eagle readers care about their paper. And they are quick to share their feelings with their editor.Some write to tell me how much they enjoy it.Linda Landell of Reading sent me a personal card saying she liked the new weather format: "Much easier to read."Some offer words of encouragement.After I wrote about the shootings at The Capital Gazette in Annapolis, expressing pride in the newspaper staff's determination to publish after a deadly attack, I got an email from Susan Washington that made my month."I just want to say that I think your column was/is right on the money," she wrote.She said she was "very, very concerned" about the disparagement of journalists and the "fake news" mantra. "I think that you & your fellow newspaper people are what is one the most critical roles in saving our democracy. So with much … [Read more...] about Garry Lenton: Readers offer their opinions on the weather, politics and our mistakes
Politics
Lion in winter: Denver’s first African-American mayor talks politics
Wellington Webb stands in the shade on the sidewalk at Commons Park along the South Platte River behind Denver Union Station, joggers loping by on the paths, cars nosing their way toward parking, as a young couple at the base of the distinctive Denver Millennium Bridge across the street calls out and waves.“Mayor! Mayor!” they say, bursting with smiles.Webb nods and waves back, returning the smiles, and then turns his gaze to the park — part of more than 2,000 acres of new parks and open space created in the city during his 12 years as mayor — and then hooks his thumb over his shoulder.“This is a special place for me,” says Webb, Denver’s first African-American mayor, serving three terms beginning in 1991.“Union Station, that’s where I arrived on a train from Chicago, when I was a kid, an asthmatic, 97-pound weakling.” He laughs and shrugs, then spreads his arms wide toward the park. “And here I am, all these years … [Read more...] about Lion in winter: Denver’s first African-American mayor talks politics
MNLARS and the politics of IT in Minnesota
Heard of MNLARS? A year ago, most Minnesotans would have said no. Today, those attuned to state politics would report that they’ve heard a lot about the badly launched new computer system for Minnesota motor vehicle licensure and registration — and maybe add that they wish the topic would fade away. With sympathy for that sentiment, let us advise that MNLARS likely won’t return to obscurity soon. MNLARS’ flaws and the costs and irritation they have caused both deputy registrars and the driving public have considerable utility for Republican candidates who want to accuse Gov. Mark Dayton’s DFL administration of waste and/or ineptitude. Just as was the MNsure health care exchange four years ago, MNLARS will be a Republican campaign talking point. That’s so even though MNLARS’ origin traces to the administration of Dayton’s predecessor, Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is trying for a comeback this year. And even though remedies for the … [Read more...] about MNLARS and the politics of IT in Minnesota
The super rich boost political giving ahead of November’s tough midterm elections
Fredreka Schouten and Christopher Schnaars USA TODAY Published 9:26 p.m. UTC Jul 21, 2018 WASHINGTON – Super-wealthy donors escalated their political giving this spring, led by Republicans racing to protect their party’s hold on Congress in the Nov. 6 midterm elections, a USA TODAY analysis of newly filed campaign reports shows. Donors who have given $1 million or more in this cycle contributed $120.1 million to super PACs in the April-to-June fundraising quarter. That's more than twice the $58.8 million they donated during the previous three-month period. Republicans accounted for six out of 10 of the biggest super PAC donors in the second quarter. The biggest contributors: Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam, who gave a combined $30 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, which is aligned with House Republican leaders. “Our donors are excited with the results that Congress has delivered and the thought of … [Read more...] about The super rich boost political giving ahead of November’s tough midterm elections
Tabloid Company, Aiding Trump Campaign, May Have Crossed Line Into Politics
Sections SEARCH Skip to content Skip to site index Politics Subscribe Log In Subscribe Log In Advertisement Supported by ByJim Rutenberg and Ben Protess July 21, 2018 Federal authorities examining the work President Trump’s former lawyer did to squelch embarrassing stories before the 2016 election have come to believe that an important ally in that effort, the tabloid company American Media Inc., at times acted more as a political supporter than as a news organization, according to people briefed on the investigation. That determination has kept the publisher in the middle of an inquiry that could create legal and political challenges for the president as prosecutors investigate whether the lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, violated campaign finance law. It could also spell trouble for the company, which publishes The National Enquirer, raising thorny questions about when coverage that is favorable to a candidate strays into overt … [Read more...] about Tabloid Company, Aiding Trump Campaign, May Have Crossed Line Into Politics