Weekend reader comments.

July 30, 2022

          Hi, everyone! This edition of the newsletter opens the Comment section to all readers this weekend. Given the torrent of events over the last week, please join the discussion with other readers to express your views. (The Comment section is always available for review by everyone, but only paying subscribers can contribute on a regular basis.) The Comment section is well worth reading daily to see what other readers are thinking.

          Please be respectful, use paragraph breaks to help readability, and include links to resources and references where appropriate. If someone writes something you believe deserves attention from other readers, use the “heart” / “like” icon to promote that comment to the top of the list.

           A few quick notes for the weekend:

How to help victims of floods in Kentucky.

          The Governor of Kentucky has set up a disaster relief fund for victims of flash floods in that state. See Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund.

Join forces with other readers of this newsletter to help win critical state legislative races.

          Several months ago, I encouraged readers to participate in The States Project / Giving Circles. I interviewed Melissa Walker, Head of Giving Circles for The States Project, on Today’s Edition Podcast: The States Project with Melissa Walker.

          The States Project is focused on supporting candidates in winnable state legislative races that can, in turn, break up Republican “trifectas” (control of both chambers of the legislature and the governorship). Republicans can outlaw reproductive choice and restrict other individual liberties only where they have a trifecta, so breaking up those trifectas is critically important for Democrats, Independents, and every American who values their freedom.

          The States Project achieves its goal, in part, by asking like-minded people to come together in “giving circles” to pool donations and direct them to state legislative races, thereby leveraging smaller donations into smart, targeted, and impactful contributions. Giving circles can meet in person or virtually; either way; you will form a community with people who share your goals and values. It doesn’t get any better than that!

          After the podcast with Melissa aired in January of this year, readers of this newsletter formed more than two dozen giving circles and have raised more than $160,000 for critical state legislative races! Thanks to all of the Today’s Edition readers who have stepped up to support this important initiative.

          Melissa Walker is arranging an online event in August or September in which she, I, and my Managing Editor will meet and thank the readers of this newsletter who have formed giving circles. I look forward to meeting with those readers!

          There is still time to form a giving circle with other “Today’s Edition” newsletter readers. Just email Melissa Walker at melissa@statesproject.org and tell her you would like to join a giving circle with other "Today’s Edition” newsletter readers.

          Corrections to yesterday’s newsletter.

          Yesterday, I wrote that the Secret Service is part of the Treasury Department. That is wrong. The USSS was transferred from the Treasury Department to the Department of Homeland Security in 2003. Thanks to the many readers who wrote alerting me to the error. With that clarification, this story published in WaPo on Friday makes the text destruction look even more sinister: Homeland Security watchdog halted plan to recover Secret Service texts. Unbelievable! Again, the DOJ cannot open a criminal investigation quickly enough. Let’s hope it already has done so!

          One reader wanted me to clarify that the $2,000 “cap” on Medicare costs under the Inflation Reduction Act applies only to prescription drugs, not all health services covered under Medicare. The text of the Act has been released and is here: Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

Have a good weekend, everyone!