Equal Time with Martha Burk

Trump's throwing a "big beautiful" birthday parade, masquerading as a tribute to the troops.  At a cost of $40 million and counting, what could Americans have instead?

Most people think June weddings are the follow-on to High School or college graduations, but the tradition actually goes back to antiquity.

Official history says the first Memorial Day celebration was held in Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868, where Union and Confederate soldiers from the Civil war are buried.  Nope. The earliest ceremony was years earlier, and the participants not the people you learned about in school.

The world has been all atwitter for the last couple of weeks since the new Pope Leo XIV was installed. The Old Perp has been busy too -- starting with a picture of himself as pope. Let's see how they compare.

We just celebrated Mother's Day, honoring our moms, grandmoms, caretakers, and other women who helped us along the way. But let's not forget some who gave a different kind of birth – the mothers of invention.  Though you've probably never heard of them, their work has advanced society and made life easier. Here are just a few. 

Trump claims to love women. Let's see how the majority of the population, majority of registered voters, and majority of those who actually show up at the polls have fared since his inaugural.

Ever heard (or heard of) honky tonk music? How about the moniker "honky" given to whites by Black folks? Any relation? Listen and find out.

Many people think Earth Day was just a hippie invention that went away with the 1970s. Think again.

 The Trump-caused stock market crash is all over the news, but there's another national disaster going on under the radar at the same time, with senior citizens the on the receiving end.

We're all used to April Fool legends and pranks, but over time A LOT more has happened (and still is happening) than most people know about.

Universal suffrage for women came to the US in 1920. But poet from the 1800s tells a much earlier tale.

The Department of Defense operates 161 schools in 11 foreign countries, Guam and Puerto Rico serving about 65,000 students. The Musk/Trump administration has banned various books in those schools. You know, such dangerous books as No Truth Without Ruth, a children's book about Ruth Bader Ginsburg that are now banned.

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated worldwide, and the day's namesake is honored as green thru and thru. But was he actually Irish?

Women from all over the world are meeting at the U.N. this week in New York.  Where does the good 'ol USA rank?

Same old, same old. Amid the glitz and glam, there's still one category that comes out last every time. Can you guess?

Ever been stiffed by an insurance company or hit with a "resort fee", "processing fee", or other charges you weren't told about? There's been a watchdog bureau on the case to limit these scams and recover money, but TrumpMusk has shut it down.

Our president's through the years have mostly served us well -- along with some notable accomplishments -- and weirdness.

February is Black History Month. Most people think it started when President Gerald Ford issued a proclamation in 1976 honoring the month. Not so -- its origin was way back in 1915, by a man you never heard of.   

It's a brand new Administration, and your new Prez is going to fight for the underdog by eliminating income taxes on tips.  At  a rally in Vegas he promised “If you're a restaurant worker, a server, valet,  bell hop, bartender, one of my caddies, your tips will be 100 percent yours.” Great news? Not exactly.

Betcha didn't know we have an official Chocolate Cake Day. Eat up, it's also a no guilt day.

Donald Trump has named over 50 actions he'll take on Day 1 of his new presidency. It's a tall order -- can he do it?  

President Lyndon Johnson declared the "War on Poverty" over fifty years ago.  Did we win it?  Where does the US stand today?

This week rings in a brand new year.  Will you whoop it up with a wee bit too much champagne, or be a good kid and celebrate at church? Chances are you won't stray far from U.S. tradition – fireworks, the countdown, popping bubbly, or lighting a candle for good luck. Take a tour around the globe to see how other countries mark the changing of the calendar:

December is a time for celebrations, including the eight days of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, and Kwanzaa.  While Americans usually shop till they drop and exchange gifts , traditions around the world, old and new, bring a different twist to the season.

Times are tough all over, but some people are more deserving than others. Here's one that's really in a bind -- and it's someone you may know about, but if not a big surprise. Open your heart and pocketbook. 

In less than two months Joe Biden leaves the presidential stage for good.  He could go out a hero for the majority of the population with a stroke of the pen and make history in the bargain. Will he do it?

Thanksgiving is here, and once again food banks will be helping the poor with the meagerist of meals. Some of our tax money also helps out with  food stamps. But there's a surprise hidden in the rules.

November has been the month for politics in the US since 1845, when Congress passed a federal law designating the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November as Election Day. But maybe there's something mystic (or sinister) about the politics of November, judging from notable political events going WAY before 1845.  

The Civil War was hard fought on both sides. But some of the combatants were special -- in a way you wouldn't guess.

We've been inundated with words, words, and more words for months from Trump and Harris. Whose the most convincing? You decide -- your future depends on it.

It's almost Halloween, when the creepy crawlers come out, along with ghosts, goblins, candy, tricks and treats.  Did it really start as a pagan ritual?  Yes and No.

Unless you live in a cave or under a rock, you've no doubt heard of Project 2025, a conservative manifesto from the Heritage Foundation outlining an ambitious agenda for a second Trump administration.  Trump claims he never heard of it, even though many of its authors came straight out of his administration when he was Prez. It's got something for everyone. 

The U.S. has been celebrating Columbus Day since 1792, after the explorer who sailed from Spain in 1492 and supposedly "discovered America." But he never actually touched land in what is now the United States, landing in Cuba and Hispaniola, mistaking them for China and Japan.

Hispanics are being demonized and terrorized by grandstanding candidates looking to stir up trouble. But their contribution to U.S. history is robust .  (And by the way, we stole Texas from Mexico).

Women no longer have to worry about reproductive freedom -- or anything else. The problems have been solved and females are now protected.

It's September, and school's in in most of the U.S. Readin', writin' and ‘rithmetic as usual, but in some places a new topic will be added to the curriculum: the Bible, with all its gore and mayhem. Parents -- even some Christian ones -- are pushing back.

Abortion access has always been viewed as a woman's problem. Men rarely talked about it, and it didn't seem high on their political priorities. Not any more – since Trump proudly took credit for overturning Roe v. Wade with his anti-woman, anti-choice Supreme Court picks, men are paying attention – particularly in red states with the most restrictive abortion policies.  

The first (and probably only) Prez candidate debate is this week. Will both parties go by the rules? More importantly, will we learn anything we don't already know?

Labor Day became a national holiday in 1894, when President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September a day off for workers. Labor unions had campaigned for years to gain recognition of both the contributions and the mistreatment of workers. History is littered dirty tricks to keep unions out with bullets and billy clubs. Now it's more genteel, but some so called "good guy companies" are still quietly (and illegally) union busting. 

School varies by state and even towns and districts. Some kids get what they need, others get less or nothing -- what gives?

Most people think Vice Presidents don't matter -- just window dressing for low level events. But history shows they could become number one at any minute: Let's look at the best & the worst.

Sports on TV has long been guy heavy. But a new kind of sports bra for both genders may just be the uplift the fans need.

Presidential history was made when President Biden gracefully ended his candidacy for a second term.  He put country over self and very possibly saved our democracy. The crowds are loving his prosecutor replacement. His convicted felon opponent is less than thrilled.

Besides record heat and fireworks on the 4th, July is known for something else: Black Women's Equal Pay Day. The day in 2024 when Black women's wages caught up to what white men made by the end 2023: one hundred and ninety one extra days work, to be exact.

Political conventions always lay out a party's vision for the future if their folks get in power. This year's Republican plan is a doozy for the majority of voters: women.

After President Biden's recent meltdown during a debate with Donald Trump, various factions are calling for him to drop out of the presidential race. He says no -- here's a great solution.

If you remember your junior high history lessons, you know that the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, famously declaring that  “all men are created equal.”  All of the signers were male.  Nevertheless, a woman's name appeared on the official document.  

June 24th marks the  anniversary of the infamous Dobbs  Supreme Court decision, trashing women's right to abortion guaranteed since Roe v. Wade in 1973. Let's inventory  the  damage to women's rights, emboldening states to jump on the anti-woman, anti-abortion, anti-choice bandwagon.

The New York Times Kid Section recently showcased the candidates' answers to kid friendly questions. Listen to their direct quotes and pick your leader for the next four years.

Back in the day Mom stayed home with kids, housework, and runny noses. Dad went to work, plopped down in the evening with the newspaper or TV and did little else. No more -- it's a new world out there for fathers.

June 6 marks the anniversary of D-Day, the day in 1944 when Allied forces in World War II invaded France from offshore. It was the largest seaborne invasion in history. Thousands never made it out of the water, making the landing on Normandy one of the deadliest days of the war. In an all-out push, 150,000 sailors – and one stowaway  -- hit the beaches.