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TOP OF THE DAY by Howard Polskin

Oct. 31, 2025

Greetings! Required reading: Excellent NY Times editorial asks if our democracy has been lost. (Spoiler alert: not yet, but we’re on the precipice.) What elevates this op-ed is that it outlines a dozen markers that spotlight what the nation has already lost and how much more is still at risk…Donald Trump stoked fears this week when he revealed the United States would resume nuclear tests for the first time since 1992. The likely testing region would be the Nevada Security Site, a huge chunk of federal land larger than Rhode Island, per NPR. The Wall Street Journal and the National Review both support the nuke tests…Dept. of Bad Taste: The official White House website has some new edits with a nasty right-wing slant.  Under the “Major Events Timeline,” some questionable additions have been made.  These include 1998’s Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal, 2012’s Muslim Brotherhood visit and the  discovery of cocaine in the Biden White House in 2023…Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen is creating a Palestine-themed sorbet in the name of Mideast peace. Right-wing Twitter mocked the new flavor and came up with some new ideas Among the suggested names: “Rocky Roadside Bomb,” “Hamas Terror Misu” and “From the River to the Sor-Bay.”  Outkick has the details…Weekend watch: The Hulu miniseries Murdaugh: Death in the Family is a superb character study, based on the true tale of a powerful South Carolina dynasty.  The  eight-parter focuses on Alex Murdaugh who was charged with the murders of his wife Maggie and their son Paul.  It’s a compelling story about a man who acted like he was above the law for decades until he wasn’t….If  you keep reading, I’ll keep Righting. Howard