Comment on Happy Giving Tuesday! Here are three ways foundations go beyond giving — and influence politics and policy.

My dear wife has asked me to write a short post about the accomplishments of the governor of our home state, J. B. Pritzker, who is receiving a Crooks & Liars Crookie "Good Guy" Award for 2024. Which is impossible. You can either have a short post about J. B., or you can have a tally of his accomplishments, but not both.

California Governor Gavin Newsom continues to be on the best and most skilled voices in the Democratic Party and I predict that he will be a Presidential nominee - in 2028 or 2032. That is why I nominated him as one of my picks for the Crooks and Liars 2024 GOOD GUY of the year.

Gallup: “Majorities of U. S. adults think 2025 will be a year of political conflict, economic difficulty, international discord, increasing power for China and Russia, and a rising federal budget deficit.”

“Unlawful border crossings along the U. S.-Mexico border have dropped to a four-year low, according to U. S. Customs and Border Protection, with 46,610 people stopped between ports of entry in November,” the Los Angeles Times reports. “The number of illegal crossings that month marked an 18% decrease from the previous month, and the lowest level since July 2020.”

It’s a slow news day, and there are some messages that are more important than just reciting the news.

New York should pay oil, gas, and coal companies for greatly improving the economy and quality of life instead of charging them.