​The so-called Mueller Report was submitted to Attorney General William Barr on March 22, 2019.  A significantly redacted version of the report compiled by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his team was released to the public on April 18, 2019.  The 448-page document, released as volume one and volume two, was supposed to establish whether or not members of President Donald Trump’s campaign colluded with agents of Russia to manipulate the 2016 US Presidential Election.  It was supposed to shine a light on a political dark area.  It was supposed to satisfy the outrage of those who want to see Trump impeached and those who see the investigation as nothing more than a witch-hunt.  Instead of offering Americans the satisfaction of impartial judgment, the report has become just another source of partisan bickering.  Trump supporters interpret the lack of evidence for criminal wrongdoing as a sign of Trump’s innocence.  Trump critics interpret the lack of charges amid evidence of Russian interference and connections between the Trump campaign and Russia as a sign of a conspiracy to protect the US President.  

​Innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit fuel businesses growth, wealth creation, and economic development.  By supporting individuals who can provide these key ingredients, public policymakers can cultivate strong and stable economic growth.  Making it easier for enterprising individuals from all socioeconomic backgrounds to start and maintain businesses is part of the equation.  Another part of the equation is tapping the talents, skills, and intellectual capital of inventive individuals.  Because the educated tend to be a massive and largely under-tapped reservoir of intellectual capital, public policymakers would be wise to focus their attention on the college graduate.  To that end, US Senator and Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has released a proposal that would provide relief for nearly 75% of Americans who shoulder the crushing burden of massive student loan debt. 

​Tobacco use has become a priority of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s legislative agenda.  Through the so-called McConnell Bill, the Republican Senator is poised to tackle tobacco use by young Americans.  His plan is to raise the minimum age required by the Federal government to buy tobacco from 18 to 21.  The idea is to discourage young adults from developing the hazardous habit of tobacco use after they turn 18 and to prevent them from exposing their younger peers to tobacco.  Facing an e-cigarette epidemic among teenagers, which primes users to use tobacco by addicting them to nicotine, there is growing support for action.  The fact that a pro-industry, anti-regulation Republican is willing and easily able to lead the charge against the once-highly influential tobacco industry is truly a sign of how much cultural attitudes toward tobacco use have changed.  The cause is truly noble, but the approach is far more dangerous than most Americans may realize.

​The Second Amendment allows for gun control, or at least, according to Presidential candidate Eric Swalwell.  During an interview on CNN’s “State Of the Union,” the Democratic Congressman attempted to frame himself and his Party as defenders of gun rights by saying “…the greatest threat to the Second Amendment is doing nothing….”  He went on to say “…just like free speech…you can't shout fire in a theater or lie about the products you are selling.  You can't own a bazooka, you can't own a tank, you can't own rocket-propelled grenades.“  Swalwell essentially rebranded the classic, and Constitutionally-faulted, argument for gun control.  By doing so, he blunted radical demands to strip away the Second Amendment rights of Americans and made gun control sound more palatable to those on the fence, but he did nothing to appeal to hardened gun supporters who fear any and all restrictions on gun rights.  He also excluded more balanced solutions by limiting his thinking.

​April 15th is Tax Day for US taxpayers.  It is the last day when the American People can file their tax returns with the IRS.  Some will always owe money, others will owe nothing, and still others will receive a significant sum.  With the continued implementation of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, however there is a lot of discussion in 2019 as to whether or not the American People saw a reduction in their tax bills.  Overall, tax returns actually fell 1.1% while Middle Class taxpayers saw a decrease of about $20 per week in their tax burden.  Tax benefits for individuals will, of course, disappear after an eight-year period.  Businesses, which now permanently pay about half as much in taxes thanks to a reduced corporate tax rate of 20%, and the affluent are seeing the greatest direct benefits.  These benefits come at the cost of a 17% increase in the US Federal Deficit.  With little to no direct benefit going to the American People, it should be obvious why the American People are dissatisfied with the Republican tax plan.