ArcaMax

“ Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus Papam.”

“I announce to you a great joy: We have a Pope.” On Thursday, May 8, 2025 with that famous Latin formula, the whole world learned that the College of Cardinals had elected a new pope to succeed Pope Francis.

Ending my six-week sabbatical in Europe, I was in St. Peter’s Square that ...Read more

Kafkaesque.

One hears that word a lot in discussions of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

Or, for lowbrows like me, "The Twilight Zone" might be the pertinent reference.

Abrego Garcia is the Maryland man who was wrongly deported and imprisoned without trial in a grim prison in El Salvador. In March, agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ...Read more

From Gulf of America to mass expulsion of “illegals” (people of color) to continuing genocidal complicity in Gaza to whatever the daily news brings us … welcome to Trump America! Welcome to the small-minded, white nation so many long for, free once again from those large, inconvenient values – e.g., the Declaration of Independence – ...Read more

It’s a lesson we all learned a long time ago: no matter what plans we make, unexpected events can pop up and change everything. It’s a lesson I learned again this week.

Here I am in Bologna, Italy, having decided to escape to Italy for a few weeks to study Italian and get as far away from politics as I could. Good plan. But, due to one big,...Read more

I need some help here. The Trump presidency and the “America only” future he’s hawking to the public like the world’s most arrogant snake-oil salesman feels beyond my ability to address right now, even though I consider doing so my life’s work.

But sometimes the news of the day simply feels too absurd, too strange, to seriously ...Read more

Don’t get me wrong. He’s not only the wealthiest man on the planet, he’s also the most obnoxious. If I had a Tesla, I would have dumped it long ago. Nonetheless, I think we owe a big thank you to South African-born, non-elected, non-confirmed, oft-married, father-many-times-over, genuine weirdo, and Shadow President Elon Musk. He made us ...Read more

For a good belly-laugh, there’s nothing better than pulling up clips of that bumbling, incompetent band of policemen created for the silent screen by Mack Sennett who became known as the “Keystone Cops.”

I promise you that you’ll laugh yourself silly – until, about halfway through, you’ll stop in your tracks like I did. OMG, you’...Read more

It’s what everyone is asking today: Having had their clocks cleaned in November 2024 – and with the country facing an existential threat to our democracy – can Democrats ever get back on top? And if so, how?

First, two important points. One: No doubt, the Democratic Party will bounce back, as it always has before. As bad as November 2024 ...Read more

We remember the good old days: when we had the strongest and best economy in the world. America was firing on all cylinders. Wages, consumer spending and corporate profits were up. Unemployment was at a record low. The stock markets were at a record high. The labor market added 7.9 million new jobs. And inflation, which popped up for a few ...Read more

News outlets scrambled to find the right words to describe Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress this week. CNN: “unapologetic.” Politico: “raucous.” New York Times: “rowdy.” The Hill: “campaign rally-like.”

All of which are true. But I think The Bulwark summed it up better: “childish, silly, and unimpressive...Read more

No wonder the American people are confused. At first, it’s hard to know who’s actually running the country these days, the elected President Donald Trump or the unelected, unconfirmed “Shadow” President Elon Musk.

But take a closer look and there’s no doubt about it. Who stood alongside the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office last week ...Read more

As bad as it is, there are parts of the country where the damage already done by Donald Trump has not yet sunk in. But, as I discovered, Washington, D.C., is not one of them.

On Presidents’ Day, walking down the Capitol Mall, I came across a huge crowd, out in freezing weather, protesting the firing of federal employees. On the Metro a couple...Read more