Mark Riley: The Intersection of Politics Culture

we talked about Kanye West and Anti-Semitism last week. Well now, it's Kyrie Irving's turn. Why do these tropes keep coming up? It's become intergenerational. And why do some people spring to the defense and Irving and West? The FBI issues a waning to synagogues in New Jersey. Will Republicans run the table in Wisconsin? Barack Obama joins President Biden in an effort to try to save the midterms for Democrats. And finally, employment goes up by a decent amount, but is it enough?

The midterms are coming up in a hurry, and if the polls are to be believed, I can say I told you so. Are Republicans injecting race into some races across the country? Are Black Americans going to stay home election day? We'll talk about all that, and Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter. A letter in Ukraine has a lot of people upset, and the New York Times has a scary look at life after climate change.

Could Vladimir Putin use nukes to counter losses in Ukraine?

The nation's jobs growth slows, so who wins and who loses?

President Biden pardons stoners...er..I mean, marijuana users caught by the Feds. And we've got two abortion stories: one a judge in Arizona presses pause on a new total ban; and Herschel Walker's ex says he urged her to get an abortion not once, but twice. He denies it, but…..

Vladimir Putin decides Russia has annexed four regions of Ukraine. Trouble is, Russian forces have had to retreat from a major city in one of those same regions. The Conservative government in the UK is under severe pressure, and some in their own party think it's a self-inflicted wound. Back in the day, then congressman Ron DeSantis voted against federal help for New York City in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Now, as Governor of Florida, guess who he's asking for help in the wake of Hurricane Ian? That judge in the Mar-a-Lago probe slaps down the special master she appointed. And then there's Ginni Thomas. What, again? Yup!

New York's Attorney General Leticia James takes center stage as she sues the Trump Organization in an action that could cost $250 million dollars. Meanwhile, Trump says he can declassify documents just by thinking about it. That's right, just by thinking.

Further afield, the referenda on whether some regions of the Ukraine want to be annexed by Russia exposes some fault lines inside the US. This as the fighting goes on and gets more vicious.

Alex Jones goes off again in court. Wait, what? Didn't we talk about this the other day? And is there a right wing resurgence in Italy?

The battle between the Justice Dept. and Donald Trump goes on, while his biggest problem may be in Georgia. Why are Republican governors sending migrants north to cities like New York and now, Martha's Vineyard? Yeah, we know what they're saying, but what's the real reason? Insurance companies are taking police departments to task, we'll tell you why. Can Ukrainian military gains against Russia be maintained or even expanded? And finally, there's the story of Patagonia.

The world watches as HM Queen Elizabeth II passes away and Prince Charles becomes King Charles III.

Will the war in Ukraine throw large parts of the developed world into recession, and will Ukraine's biggest supporters stay the course

Threats of political violence a year and a half after January 6th are now focusing on individual lawmakers. One case in point is Washington State Congresswoman Pramila Jaypal. Bans against abortion by some state legislatures are beginning to be re-thought.

And you didn't think we'd get by without talking about that former president, did you? No, not Barack Obama, who called his wife "fine", another one.

Joe Biden takes the gloves off, guess who his target might be? Donald Trump throws a left jab and the Department of Justice responds with an uppercut. A United Nations report on Chinese mistreatment of Uyghurs is devastating to Beijing. Mississippi, the poorest state in the nation, is a lesson in climate change, and how the effects of aging infrastructure, and a lack of investment can cripple an entire city. And finally, Ginni Thomas. What, again? Yup!

It seems we've got those Old Mar-a Lago Blues again. Donald Trump's supporters can't figure out who to badmouth these days as a redacted version of the affidavit in support of the Mar-a Lago raid is made public. President Biden cancels student loan debt for a huge number of Americans. Some of the people who had their own loans forgiven aren't happy. Democrats are expressing guarded optimism about the upcoming midterm elections. Are they justified, or delusional? California plans to ban the sale of gasoline cars by 2035. And did you hear he one about the partying Prime Minister? No, it's not Boris Johnson #SannaMarin

Trump's former lieutenant pled guilty on tax charges and the success of Trump endorsed candidates (including beating Liz Chaney) is apparently making some Republicans jittery...A pair of abortion stories,(Florida, Nebraska), show some parts of the country are more than a little off the wall on the subject...the Centers for Disease Control throws itself under the bus...and a star quarterback is suspended for 11 games after multiple women accuse him of sexual abuses. Some say it's not enough!