*These images are property of the motion picture studio responsible for the related Harry Potter film and/or the intrepid media organisation covering the terrorist insurrection and capitol siege of Jan 6, 2021. ##
News
The Longest Monday
With all its cold, dark hours and lingering gloom at the start of the year, January might be called The Monday of Months. This year, many of our democratic traditions will be reflected in major events taking place during this long month of Mondays. The 117th U.S. Congress is sworn in today. A vote in … Continue reading The Longest Monday
An Indian King from the East
Every year brings new challenges to our myths. This year, astronomers turn our attention to the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn low in the night sky, an event said to have occurred two thousand and twenty years ago at the birth of Jesus Christ. The three wise men, we are made to understand, found … Continue reading An Indian King from the East
Ridin with Biden!
Biden's election takes me back to Mexico City, March 2012. While I worked a presser at the Four Seasons with Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, my sons horsed around with the Veep at the U.S. Embassy. It was a long day. Those who attended the meet-and-greet arrived early, navigating Secret Service protocols and waiting … Continue reading Ridin with Biden!
Don’t Kneel on Me
Who can watch the events in cities across the United States and not hoist a banner of some sort? Either you take a stand against bigotry, hatred, injustice, and division. Or you incite it with violent rhetoric from behind your hooded accounts on social media. ##
Chinese Propaganda
Now why should we doubt a video created by New China TV? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5BZ09iNdvo ##
Freedom! …and a Sammidge
The scene last weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina, a state that has recorded 15,000 COVID-19 cases and over 550 deaths. Armed protesters, organized on a Facebook group called Blue Igloo, paraded through downtown carrying shotguns, pistols, and a sweet AT-4 anti-tank rocket launcher. Thanks Facebook! When they got hungry, they marched into a Subway restaurant (remember former … Continue reading Freedom! …and a Sammidge
No Joking, Dum-Dum
This morning I received the bad news in the form of an email signed, “Sincerely Yours, Dum-Dums.” The disappointment? Dum-Dums lollipops Save Wraps Program is coming to an end! Now, I’m no distinguished and orderly candy wrapper saver (I’m no distinguished or organized anything), but the message did send my already quarantined spirits spiraling ever … Continue reading No Joking, Dum-Dum
Lockdown Countdown
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last night announced a nationwide lockdown, freezing 1.3 billion citizens in place starting at midnight tonight (coinciding with Ugadi, the first day of the New Year on the Hindu calendar). What a relief! For weeks I’ve been grappling with the lack of an end to coronavirus anxiety. Now we know. … Continue reading Lockdown Countdown
The United States Department of State
Referred to as the State Department, State, and DOS, the U.S. Department of State has recently been called by an unfitting new label. I don’t care about the insult. Hearing it called “deep state department” glances off as a meaningless jab. I’ve long inured myself against the public bluster. What concerns me more is the … Continue reading The United States Department of State
Ben East Books 