Over at Commonweal, CosticÄ BrÄdÄÅ£an writes about how a year of factory work in the auto industry led French philosopher Simone Weil to Jesus Christ. Here is a taste: As Weil was processing the significance of her factory experience, she […]
Archives for January 2023
Nancy Pelosi on the Speaker of the House mess
Not following what is happening in the House of Representatives? Click here and here and here and here to get up to speed. Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi made a few comments to reporters yesterday: Pelosi also said […]
What if Jesus got teaching evaluations?
Here are a few of my favorites from Amanda Lehr’s piece at McSweeney’s: āHeās nice enough, I guess, but he doesnāt vet his TAs: they all provide completely different, conflicting lecture notes. (TIP: Try to get in Lukeās section.)ā āBy […]
What is popular this week at Current?
Here are the most popular features of the week atĀ Current: Here are the most popular posts of the last week atĀ The Way of Improvement Leads HomeĀ blog:
A bad day for Kevin McCarthy
After eleven votes, the House of Representatives still does not have a Speaker. A few minutes ago the House of Representatives–the people’s house–decided to adjourn for the night. They apparently got tired and hungry. We saw a lot of crazy […]
Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey has prostate cancer. Expects a ‘full recovery.”
Here is J.D. Prose at Penn Live: U.S. Sen. Bob Casey revealed on Thursday that he has prostate cancer and will face surgery āin the coming months.ā āWhile this news came as a shock, I can report that I have […]
In 1855-1856, the Speaker of the House was decided after 133 votes
As I write, the House is completing its eighth ballot for Speaker of the House. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic candidate, continues to get a plurality of the vote. The GOP is still divided, with most Republicans behind Kevin McCarthy and […]
Sam Wineburg explains historical thinking in less then two minutes
Learn more about Wineburg here. How much are historians today “reconciling” contradictory voices and seeking to build “coherence out of a pile of evidence that in some ways is not coherent”?
Rep. Scott Perry references Frederick Douglass from the House floor. Historian David Blight is having none of it.
I have never voted for Scott Perry, but he does represent me in the United States House of Representatives. Perry is the chairman of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus. He refused to cooperate with the House committee investigating January 6th […]
Song of the Day
Today’s Song of the Day is dedicated to California GOP representative Kevin McCarthy as he seeks to win the speakership of the House of Representatives: Listen to the entire song:
“Socialism has been as impossible to separate from the narrative of the nationās history as the capitalist economy itself”
Over at Literary Hub, Georgetown historian Michael Kazin offers a “Brief History of American Socialism.” Here is a taste: āAmerica will never be a socialist country,ā declared Donald Trump in his 2019 State of the Union Address, given to a […]
Evangelical roundup for January 5, 2023
What is happening in Evangelical land? French evangelicals fight for the human dignity of children. Evangelical boomers and the legacy they have left behind. Florida’s Latino Evangelicals and politicized Christianity. The National Association of Evangelicals president on how to fix […]
Two Popes
Contrary to his criticsā claims, Benedict embodied the promise of Vatican II
The fight for Speaker of the House continues
Six ballots and still no Speaker of the House. The House is on break until 8:00pm. The hard-right, anti-McCarthy wing has stayed unified today. CNN is reporting that McCarthy is now meeting with some members of the hard-right group in […]
“My offer is nothing”
As we reported yesterday, Kevin McCarthy gave massive concessions to the right-wing of his party. One of those concessions was a rule change that would allow five members of the House to offer a resolution to remove the speaker. This […]
Donald Trump Jr. is hawking a Bible
Act quickly. I imagine these “We the People” Bibles will sell out faster than the Trump digital trading cards and the Trump-King Cyrus prayer coins. š Here is Donald Jr.: For $69.99 you can buy a King James Version of […]
Evangelical roundup: Damar Hamlin and Speaker of the House edition
Here is what evangelical Christians are saying about Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin and the drama that took place today in the House of Representatives: On Hamlin: This is becoming a popular position on the MAGA-loving Christian Right: Lance Wallnau: […]
When Teaching Maus Becomes an Act of Faith
Sometimes the book thatās banned is the one that must be taught
The enemy of my enemy is my friend
In November 2021, Arizona representative Paul Gosar was censured and stripped of his committee assignments in the House for posting an anime video that showed him killing New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He did not apologize: Here was Ocasio-Cortez’s response: […]
How will the GOP investigate Hunter’s laptop if they can’t even pick a Speaker of the House?
If you haven’t followed this today, get up to speed here. If the GOP members of the House can’t pick a Speaker, how will they advance their agenda? How will they investigate Hunter Biden’s laptop? How will they impeach Joe […]