Opinion

The Trump administration continued its head-scratching appointments by anointing billionaire Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education — even though he had campaigned on a pledge to abolish the department. The president has expressed his hope that McMahon would eventually “put herself out of a job.”

She has been part of the president’s inner political circle, but is best known as president and co-founder, with her husband, of World Wrestling Entertainment. McMahon used to be a wrestler herself. Her only K-12 experience was a brief stint on the Connecticut Board of Education, although she feels wrestling showed her what all students should learn about respect, leadership and such.

Democrats in the Colorado Legislature might finally succeed in passing groundbreaking restrictions on semiautomatic firearms.

They have introduced a bill that would ban the sale of semiautomatic rifles and shotguns that can accept detachable magazines. Numerous lawmakers have signed on, and the bill already cleared its first hurdle when it passed a Senate committee vote last week.

This weekend I was driving through Central Florida on U.S. 301, so I just HAD to stop at the Orange Shop in Citra. It was as if my car was pulled into their parking lot by one of those giant magnets that Wile E. Coyote always used for his harebrained schemes.

The Orange Shop has been selling citrus in Citra since 1936, aided by a series of pun-filled billboards that say things like “Make Us Your Main Squeeze.” It used to have a lot more competition for us drive-by customers but most of those other citrus stands have disappeared, along with the groves that supplied them.

There is no question that the Democratic Party, once the party of the working class, is now the party of the professional managerial class.

Workers have been voting with their feet, while the Democrats have been marching in the other direction:

“It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” – James Baldwin

Whatever policies Republicans conjure up nationally under Donald Trump, they will be building on the work of Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Republicans, who have burnished the vehicles of petty revenge and retribution.

Minnesota House Republicans’ refusal to guarantee they’ll seat the fairly elected Rep. Brad Tabke, DFL-Shakopee, should be viewed for what it is: an undemocratic power grab. Democratic-Farmer-Labor lawmakers are right to do everything they can to thwart it.

Thankfully, on January 24, the Minnesota Supreme Court backed the DFL House caucus, ruling that Republicans’ attempt to seize control of the the Minnesota House without a quorum violated the state Constitution, with the six justices ruling unanimously that 68 members of the House must be present in order to conduct business.

Matthew Kriner, Middlebury Institute of International Studies

Once again, a presidential administration headed by Donald Trump is in the spotlight over allegations of hidden fascist sympathies. This time, it’s precipitated by what one observer called a “stiff-armed salute” that presidential supporter and adviser Elon Musk did twice during inauguration festivities.

Ron DeSantis is spittle-spouting, white boot-stamping, holding-his breath-till-he’s-blue, screaming-till-he’s-sick mad.

He’s toddler mad, Elmer Fudd mad: like, vewy, vewy angwy.

Everything is all Trump, all the time. His overwhelming presence has blotted out the sun.

But I still like to keep an eye on the lesser lights. And so, in this consequential moment, I’ve been looking for news on the senior U.S. senator from Missouri.