Views on the News from the Couch

Send us a textWhy are Republicans asked to confess but not Democrats?  That is it.  That is the subject for today's podcast.

Send us a textApril 5, 2025 edition of Views on the News from the Couch discusses Trump's tariff proposals.  A quick summary?  They suck.

Send us a textI discuss efforts by DOGE and share my thoughts that government debt is crushing us, DOGE is throwing us a lifeline by trying to attack it, and it is awful that those good people are being attacked.https://youtu.be/uX7xFkYt77k?feature=shared

Send us a textThe March 27, 2025, edition of Views on the News from the Couch addresses the not so burning question, Am I MAGA?  Yep, that is the topic for today.  Is Jeff Cross MAGA?

Send us a textThe March 24, 2025, edition of Views on the News from the Couch covers a Brian Kilmeade talk we went to and answers the question why are Democrats supporting 20 percent issues rather than those with 80 percent popularity.  Good stuff.

Send us a textSurprisingly, I side with the judge in the Tren de Aragua case.  By surprisingly I mean surprising to me.  https://www.npr.org/2025/03/16/nx-s1-5329777/tren-de-aragua-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-venezuelan-gang https://www.npr.org/2025/03/16/g-s1-54154/alien-enemies-el-salvador-trump https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/03/why-trump-doesnt-want-judicial-review-of-his-deportation-of-venezuelans/https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/17/politics/video/stephen-miller-deportation-halt-venezuela-arena-digvid https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/alien-and-sedition-acts 

Send us a textViews on the News from the Couch March 14, 2025 edition discusses bumper sticker discussions and the Department of Education possible elimination. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Educationhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/richardvedder/2020/05/11/after-40-bad-years-the-department-of-education-redeems-itself-a-bit/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardvedder/2020/05/11/after-40-bad-years-the-department-of-education-redeems-itself-a-bit/ https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/2025/02/06/department-of-education-could-be-dissolving-trump-it-means-for-florida-executive-order/78219912007/ https://heytutor.com/how-us-k-12-spending-compares-to-other-countries/

Send us a text The host of Views on the News from the Couch discusses tariffs, the Ukraine war, and the importance for Trump to distinguish between BAM issues and nuanced issues. 

Send us a text More Views on the News from teh Couch of the Oval Office fisticuffs between Presidents Zellensky and Trump. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/uk-prime-minister-lays-out-ukraine-peace-deal-framework-zelenskyy-responds-resignation-calls  https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/international-relations/victor-davis-hanson-10-bad-takeaways-from-the-zelenskyy-blow-up/ar-AA1A58v8 

 I'm back after a 20 month break from offering my Views on the News from the Couch. Could not do it 5 days a week anymore. But I feel I have something to say and have been thinking of jumping back in part time. Nothing like a sh&t show in the Oval office between the US and Ukrainian Presidents to catalyze one to reenter the podcast arena. 

QUICKHITTERS then thoughts on the No Labels movement and on the idea of making misgendering a crime.Jack the Ripper's identity 'revealed' by newly discovered medical records (yahoo.com)https://www.foxbusiness.com/real-estate/san-francisco-real-estate-market-disaster-experthttps://news.yahoo.com/former-equity-chief-sues-antiracist-192222768.htmlhttps://jonathanturley.org/2023/07/16/pronoun-lockdown-almost-half-of-millennials-want-jail-time-for-misgendering/

QUICKHITTERS, more on recent court rulings, and on laws on how minors can be treated with gender affirming therapies, and on the Wagner Group attempted coup in Russia.https://jonathanturley.org/2023/07/09/domestic-abuse-is-a-severe-crime-british-parents-could-be-prosecuted-for-refusing-to-pay-for-transgender-treatments/https://dailycaller.com/2023/06/30/judge-ketanji-brown-jacksons-dissent-debunked-claim-black-doctors/

QUICKHITTERS then thoughts on an ill advised DeSantis video and many thoughts on a District Federal Judge who has placed an injunction on the Biden Administration trying to influence censorship on social media.https://twitter.com/i/status/1674899610379116546https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-appointed-judge-restricts-officials-contact-social-media-giants-rcna92614https://jonathanturley.org/2023/07/06/bidens-orwellian-ministry-of-truth-federal-judge-finds-a-massive-attack-on-free-speech-in-government-censorship-efforts/https://www.wsj.com/articles/judge-rules-biden-administration-likely-trampled-on-free-speech-on-social-media-29334362

QUICKHITTERS and then lots and lots on affirmative action.  One argument I make is that the recent Affirmative Action ruling is very similar to the previous 2 SC AA cases including Bakke.https://www.wsj.com/articles/cancer-drug-shortage-chemotherapy-rationing-fc565eb9https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-02/americans-divided-over-landmark-supreme-court-decisions-in-pollhttps://newsone.com/4624577/history-of-affirmative-action-in-america/

The Supreme court rules we should stop making college admission decisions based on the race of an applicant.  Ok on their experiences, just not as a group.  And abortion, I opine on abortion.  Lastly, I vent that I am tired of the overuse of the word fascism.https://www.huffpost.com/entry/supreme-court-affirmative-action-unconstitutional_n_64789e10e4b0047ed77f8fd4

QUICKHITTERS and thoughts on impeachment efforts of AG Merrick Garland, a college biology professor who allegedly was fired for teaching that sex is determined by chromosomes, and many, many comments on the Durham report.  https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/06/scotus-justices-rack-up-trips/

Did Hunter get a fair deal?  Was it OK for our government to suppress thoughts on the origin of Covid?  Please listen to today's podcast.  #HunterBiden #CovidInquiry

QUICKHITTERS, then thoughts on the Trump indictment including that Trump may not have had the required intent for 31 of the counts and lots of numbers on the Social Security issue.https://jonathanturley.org/2023/06/16/trump-card-the-use-of-the-espionage-act-against-revives-long-standing-concerns/ The Grim Reality of Joe Biden's 4-Point Plan to Change Social Security | The Motley Fool

QUICKHITTERS then some trans stuff, the Trump indictment and the misuse of the word cap relative to the debt ceiling deal. https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-left-whines-about-trump-appointee-cannon-after-forum-shopping-to-reliable-democrat-howell/https://www.yahoo.com/news/democratic-leader-accuses-mccarthy-reneging-164303767.html

QUICKHITTERS then more on the Trump indictment, book banning and the Supreme Court Civil Rights Act decision on redistricting in Alabama.

QUICKHITTERS and the Trump indictment.https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-allies-cite-clinton-email-170539657.htmlhttps://bwcentral.org/2016/09/hillarys-oh-shit-moment-wiping-her-server-with-bleachbit-despite-subpoena/

QUICKHITTERS and then thoughts on California Governor Gavin Newsom's call for a constitutional amendment limiting guns and on the PGA LIV golf merger.

Swing and a miss.  I mistakenly uploaded an episode from a week earlier.  This is the May 31 episode.  QUICKHITTERS, a bit on the Ukraine/Russian war and a deep dive into the debt ceiling deal.

QUICKHITTERS, thoughts on Memorial Day, the possible impact of high youth unemployment in China and India, and more on liberal craziness.https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/us-china-cold-war-deepening-on-collision-course-by-nouriel-roubini-2023-05

QUICKHITTERS, then more views on the debt limit and related proposed work requirements, thoughts on the outrageous requirement that students fund a professor's political views, and too much detail on a Supreme Court ruling on what constitutes navigable waters and the effect that has on use of private property.

QUICKHITTERS, disappointment in a democratic governor who I thought was a moderate but may use emergency powers to try to thwart the legislature on school choice, and more on how we nominate presidents and the abysmal nature of our press and the stories they peddle.https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1660302778093252608.html

QUICKHITTERS, a bit on the Ukrainian war, and more on the NAACP travel advisory issued for  Florida.  I attribute that more to politics and Democrats fear that Governor DeSantis would win the election if he gets the Republican nomination.https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/05/democrats-cook-the-fbis-books-on-domestic-terrorism/https://naacp.org/articles/naacp-issues-travel-advisory-floridahttps://www.cnn.com/2023/02/05/politics/desantis-florida-ap-history/index.html

QUICKHITTERS and then a bit more on the Durham report.  Finally, I take head on the Democratic argument that section 4 of the 14th amendment could be used to violate the debt limit.  My take is it does not say that.  It says if the debt limit is not raised that interests on the national debt HAS to be paid from the revenue and other things will go unpaid.  This puts a lie to Administration arguments that if the debt limit is not raised then we will default on our national debt.  #debtlimit  #14th amendment.

QUICKHITTERS then thoughts on Ukraine, on the Canadian province of Alberta considering seceding and lots and lots on Special Counsel Durham's report.https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/15/politics/durham-report-takeaways/index.htmlhttps://jonathanturley.org/2023/05/16/raw-unanalyzed-and-uncorroborated-durham-releases-report-on-the-russian-collusion-investigation/

QUICKHITTERS and then brief comments on the Trump verdict and lengthy comments on the debt ceiling impasse including strong opinions that we need to cut spending. 

QUICKHITTERS, views on Title 42 and a lot of thoughts on recent presidential candidates and which ones would pass the have a beer with you test or the watch my puppy for the weekend test.  Recent candidates do not fare well.

QUICKHITTERS, then views on Senator Joe Manchin running for Senator or President and I even posit that maybe neither Biden Nor Trump will be on the ticket.  And then lots of views on raising the debt ceiling and how words are bandied about untethered to underlying facts.  https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/gop-wants-keep-pretending-debt-ceiling-real-rcna81798https://rollcall.com/2023/04/26/house-passes-1-5-trillion-debt-limit-increase-spending-cuts/

QUICKHITTERS then a scary bill that might get Minnesotans on a bias registry for normal speech and a lengthy screed on the gobbledygook media relentlessly and mercilessly pushing false narratives.https://nypost.com/2023/04/26/arguing-covid-came-from-china-could-land-you-on-minnesotas-government-bias-registry/https://www.racket.news/p/eleven-minutes-of-media-falsehoods https://youtu.be/xV80AJjfLm0https://flvoicenews.com/duval-county-shuts-down-congressmans-false-claims-that-rosa-parks-book-banned/

QUICKHITTERS then comments on:·       suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story that affected the 2020 election and an article by Jonathan Turley saying the media was compliant.·       a compact to move us closer to a national popular vote for President·       comments on woke.  Lots of comments on woke.  It wanders and gets into trans surgeries for children, gun control, and abortion. https://jonathanturley.org/2023/04/24/antony-blinken-and-the-made-men-of-the-biden-administration/#more-204076https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/woke-conservatives/story?id=93051138

QUICKHITTERS then thoughts on Chile nationalizing Lithium production, framing in headlines, bad management of remote workers and a lot on should the United States defend Taiwan.https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/chiles-boric-announces-plan-nationalize-lithium-industry-2023-04-21/https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/ceo-says-many-remote-workers-182557422.html

QUICKHITTERS, views on press reported problems with Clarence Thomas disclosure forms, teachers who opposed DEI required training, the unintended consequences of Norway's wealth tax, and on the arrest of the alleged leaker of classified information. https://www.foxnews.com/media/teachers-ordered-obama-appointed-judge-pay-300k-opposing-dei-training-unprecedented-rulinghttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/10/super-rich-abandoning-norway-at-record-rate-as-wealth-tax-rises-slightlyhttps://www.npr.org/sections/money/2019/02/26/698057356/if-a-wealth-tax-is-such-a-good-idea-why-did-europe-kill-theirs

Today's podcast includes snarky pro choice abortion comments, bad fact checking, and a review of an article that says raising the retirement age is my morally suspect and then solving the social security deficit.  Yep, I took a stab at it.https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/11/opinions/social-security-medicare-retirement-age-howard/index.html

QUICKHITTERS then views on ChatGPT, the war on Ukraine and a broader comment on the dangerous world in which we live. 

Thoughts on my 1 year anniversary of this podcast and then QUICKHITTERS, the Trump indictment, and the Chinese weather balloon. https://www.bizpacreview.com/2023/03/19/manhattan-da-alvin-bragg-is-known-for-reducing-felonies-to-misdemeanors-flips-script-on-trump-1342240/

A review of the Trump indictment and I do so with comments about Maine lobster rolls. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/04/indictment-donald-trump-new-york-bragg/https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/04/politics/takeaways-donald-trump-indictment/index.htmlhttps://rumble.com/v2g7ktq-my-legal-analysis-of-the-indictment.htmlhttps://jonathanturley.org/2023/04/05/yielding-to-temptation-why-the-trump-case-is-a-test-for-not-just-for-the-president-but-the-legal-system/https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/04/braggs-indictment-even-fails-as-an-indictment/https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/04/04/documents-read-trump-indictment-manhattan-das-statement-of-facts/

QUICKHITTERS, thought on a job offer being withdrawn because he used the term ladies when referring to ladies and a rambling thought that framing or context is key to understanding situations.https://amgreatness.com/2023/04/02/indict-one-and-all/https://jonathanturley.org/2023/04/04/microaggression-goes-macro-in-massachusetts-superintendent-loses-job-after-referring-to-two-individuals-as-ladies/#more-203134

A special Sunday edition of my podcast.  Pretty much all on the Trump indictment.  I'm pissed.  And I don't care about Trump.  I don't want him to run for President.  I want a campaign between two good people neither named Trump, Biden or Clinton.https://jonathanturley.org/2023/04/02/comeys-good-day-how-political-prosecutions-became-ethical-leadership-in-the-pursuit-of-trump/https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/30/politics/clinton-dnc-steele-dossier-fusion-gps/index.htmlhttps://nypost.com/2017/11/14/rep-says-congress-paid-out-15m-to-silence-sex-harassment-victims/

QUICKHITTERS then I make fun of Homeland Secretary Mayorkas over his knowledge of guns and share my a proposal for a constitutional amendment for gun control and abortion, share thoughts on fact checking relative to a story that Fox news leadership did not want Trump fact checked, and on a drug used to trans children that may not be backed up by studies.https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sen-kennedy-surprises-mayorkas-interrupting-testimony-shoulder-pat-handshake-tense-exchangehttps://www.mediaite.com/news/this-has-to-stop-now-new-bombshell-emails-show-fox-news-ceo-warning-fact-checking-trump-is-bad-business/https://thefederalist.com/2023/03/30/pumping-gender-bending-drugs-into-kids-is-even-more-dangerous-than-we-thought/https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj.p382

Lots of QUICKHITTERS and then a bit on Nikki Haley and her views that we have a bipartisan problem of wasting money.https://thefederalist.com/2023/03/29/twitter-bans-federalist-ceo-sean-davis-for-reporting-on-trans-day-of-vengeance-following-nashville-shooting/https://www.nationalreview.com/news/nikki-haley-our-republicans-added-to-our-debt-crisis/?utm_source=recirc-desktop&utm_medium=homepage&utm_campaign=river&utm_content=featured-content-trending&utm_term=first

QUICKHITTERS then thoughts on the New England Patriots, the Trump Manhattan possible indictment, some in the education field saying that parents should have not involvement in what is taught, and the idiocy of teaching that 2 +2 =4 is a form of white supremacy.https://thefederalist.com/2023/03/24/new-mexico-school-boards-association-administrator-parents-have-no-rights-in-public-education/ https://www.nationalreview.com/news/22white-supremacy-how-woke-ideologues-corrupted-canadas-math-curriculum/

QUICKHITTERS and then thoughts on the decline in IQs, and thoughts on a possible wealth tax and finally I suggest the earlier claims that the Jackson Mississippi water system problems were not based on systemic racism as our betters told us but rather was due to stupidity like allowing a 5 million gallon per day leak to continue for years.https://www.sciencealert.com/iq-scores-falling-in-worrying-reversal-20th-century-intelligence-boom-flynn-effect-intelligencehttps://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2023/03/23/jackson-ms-water-pipe-leaks-five-million-gallons-a-day/70041424007/

QUICKHITTERS, a brief thought on a possible Ukrainian counteroffensive at Bakhmut and then lengthy comments on the Federal Government abusing their authority on shaky data over the citing of manufacturing plants.https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2023/03/23/bidens_epa_is_lowering_the_environmental_justice_boom_on_louisianas_disputed_cancer_alley_888605.html

QUICKHITTERS then thoughts on the Iraq war and on a bit of a tussle between DeSantis and Trump.https://thefederalist.com/2023/03/22/for-five-straight-years-the-pulitzer-prizes-have-rewarded-misinformation/https://nypost.com/2023/03/21/ron-desantis-opens-fire-on-trumps-character-chaotic-style/

QUICKHITTERS, thoughts on President Macron increasing the French retirement age, on the Manhattan DA possibly indicting Trump, and Chinese Premier Xi's plan to solve the Russian/Ukraine issue.https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-24/here-s-china-s-12-point-proposal-on-how-to-end-russia-s-war-in-ukraine

QUICKHITTERS then thoughts on too many expensive bureaucrats at colleges and universities and sharing of quite a few perspective numbers on our federal budget and deficit. https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/14/opinions/saddam-hussein-iraq-war-interrogations-george-piro-bergen/index.html https://thefederalist.com/2023/03/15/the-stanford-free-speech-debacle-is-another-reason-universities-need-to-fire-99-9-of-their-administrators/https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/03/09/6-charts-show-crucial-facts-about-spending-taxes-deficits-missing-from-bidens-budget/

First QUICKHITTERS  and then thoughts on recent issues with regional banks, thoughts on a presidential historian comments on Governor DeSantis being like Mussolini, and thoughts on the Governor of California ordering the state not to do business with Walgreens because Walgreen's follows the law in other states relative to abortion pills.https://finance.yahoo.com/news/svb-failure-sparks-blame-game-093000186.htmlhttps://www.huffpost.com/entry/presidential-historian-ron-desantis_n_6406e800e4b0586db70fa0e5https://www.foxnews.com/media/local-media-cut-feed-desantis-book-ban-hoax-stream-explicit-contenthttps://www.al.com/news/2023/03/desantis-i-dont-support-requiring-florida-bloggers-to-register-with-state.htmlhttps://www.cnn.com/2023/03/07/politics/gavin-newsom-walgreens-california-abortion-drug/index.html