By DARRELL EHRLICK | Editor-in-Chief
"The Bipartisan Transparency for American Taxpayers Act ensures federal funds cannot be used for this fund without the transparency, oversight, and legal safeguards the American people deserve. Taxpayer dollars will not become a discretionary payout fund. Transparency is not optional. Accountability is not negotiable.” – Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Pennsylvania who said that payouts to victims using the ‘Trump slush fund’ will not be done without transparency and oversight.
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez headlines rally to turn out Dems for Sam Forstag ahead of primary
by Micah Drew
MISSOULA – Last year progressive politicians U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont stopped in Missoula as part of their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour. That rally drew a large crowd to the Adams Center at the University of Montana, and Ocasio-Cortez was introduced by a local Missoula smokejumper. On Thursday, the roles […]
A look at the candidates running for Montana’s western U.S. House seat
by Micah Drew
Two-term Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke made political waves when he announced he would not run for re-election — just days before the state’s filing deadline. In what was expected to be a referendum on a popular, longtime lawmaker from the Flathead Valley, the race for Montana’s western district has turned into an open […]
Election math: Two PSC districts have five Republican candidates
by Keila Szpaller
Five Republican candidates are running for two Public Service Commissioner seats. The primary Tuesday will determine which candidates compete against the one Democrat who has filed to run in each open district. The PSC regulates monopoly utilities in Montana, meaning it has a hand in how high Montanans’ power bills go. The board is made […]
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Many Americans had put the politics and the events of Jan. 6, 2021 behind them. Most would agree that the Capitol disturbance, a weak insurrection, was unjustifiable. And most thought of the violence and life loss as tragic, and left as one of the more negative chapters in American history. However, just as the debate about the event — and if it was justified — had died down, the discussion has been renewed with vigor as President Donald Trump creates a massive $1.7 billion fund to compensate “victims” of federal lawfare, including many of those who were successfully prosecuted for their participation in the riot.
Even though applications for the “slush fund” have begun to pour in, they will have to wait a bit longer because a federal judge has halted the fund — its creation and processing requests — for now.
The United States Postal Service has produced new guidelines for voting by mail. The new guidelines were spurred by an executive order by President Donald Trump. Many have said the order would curb mail-in voting, and decrease voter participation. The USPS said that it took the order and tried to smooth over some of the rough edges. Nevertheless, the new guidelines — as well as the concept of eliminating voting by mail — are likely to end up before the courts.
Congress has been at a stalemate when it comes to how to structure payments to university athletes whose name, image or likeness is used for promotion in sports. A new bipartisan deal could pave the way for the rules, as college sports begins to look more and more like professional sports.
Former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi visited Congress again last week to testify about the release — or withholding — of some files and information related to the Epstein files. The behind-closed-doors meeting was transcribed, but most of the Congress members who attended described the meeting as combative, and others said that she placed the blame for the slow release at the feet of Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche.
THE HOOK
A few days ago, I was reaching far back into some of the folk music I had. There is probably a healthy debate about the start of folk music, because it is, in part, a discussion about popular music in general. Music was often a collection of folk tunes — or songs that were nearly universally known — more than they were anything. There was a belief among early record producers that people would only buy music they knew, which wasn’t necessarily wrong.
The origins of folk music as a movement happen with folks like Woody Guthrie and Jimmie Rodgers, some of the biggest stars of early record sales. Folk music got a large boost by World War II, which featured people like Pete Seeger and Guthrie singing patriotic tunes about beating Adolf Hitler. Though popular music continued to overtake it as a genre, it didn’t die, and groups like the Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul and Mary became popular, often incorporating folk music into their acts and onto their albums.
Today’s “The Hook” is from some of Peter, Paul and Mary’s early days. “Very Last Day” dates from 1960, where most of this music was confined to the east coast and New York City’s Greenwich Village and other coffee shops.
With all the war, the discord and uncertainty, it can sometimes feel like the end times — and this song captures that fear that we may be our own worst enemy.
VERY LAST DAY
(written by Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey)
Everybody gonna pray on the very last day
Oh, when they hear that bell a-ring the world away
Everybody gonna pray to the Heavens on the judgement day
Oh-well, you can sing about the great king David
And you can preach about the wisdom of Saul
But the judgement falls on all mankind when the trumpet sounds the call
All equal and the same, when the Lord, He calls your name
Get ready, brother, for that day
Everybody gonna pray on the very last day
Oh, when they hear that bell a-ring the world away
Everybody gonna pray to the Heavens on the judgement day
Well, one day soon all men will stand
His word will be heeded in all the land
Men shall know and men shall see
We all are brothers and we all are free
Mankind was made of clay
Each of us in the very same way
Get ready, brother, for that day
Everybody gonna pray on the very last day
Oh, when they hear that bell a-ring the world away
Everybody gonna pray to the Heavens on the judgement day
Oh-well, the law is given and the law is known
The tale is told and the seed is sown
From dust we came into dust we'll go
You the know the Lord once told us so
Each brother takes his hand
Heed the meaning of the Lord's command
Get ready, brother, for that day
Everybody gonna pray on the very last day
Oh, when they hear that bell a-ring the world away
Everybody gonna pray to the Heavens on the judgement day
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