Starting over now once again

 A brand new day, a brand new post, so let's see how far we get this time. 

Last evening, in my sudden panic over the vanished post, I asked a young woman living in the DC area, someone indirectly related to me, to come here right then and there to help fix the problem, since she is pretty savvy on internet and computer issues. But then I realized that was a rather ridiculous request. So I told her: 

 I've now eaten dinner and am feeling much better, also remembering that a blog posting was lost before and simply could not be resurrected, no matter what we tried, so let's just forget.it. I was in a panic right after the blog posting I had worked on for 2 days had just disappeared, poof! But now I remember that it happened before, and simply nothing could be done. It could have been because it was after dark and the internet here doesn't work so well after dark, nor our phone either. It wasn't that important anyway. Compared to so many other losses in my life, this is really nothing so I'm sorry I panicked. Thanks for standing by. 

She then asked me: "Your blog doesn’t have an area where drafts are kept?"

No, the blog itself has no special area for drafts, but after a posting had disappeared before. I began making drafts beforehand, then posting them, but it got confusing between drafts and posts, so now, everything is done right on the blog itself and if it disappears, then it's just gone. It's not an official document, after all.

OK, now back to business.

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 New York Times: Since Congress Let Obamacare Subsidies Expire, Millions Are Dropping Coverage Americans can’t afford the higher health insurance premiums that resulted from Congress’s refusal to extend federal tax credits. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/business/obamacare-enrollment-decline.html?smid=em-share

Wash. Post, How Trump’s attacks on the Fed backfired, frustrating his plans to reshape it

Jerome H. Powell, the outgoing Fed chair, said months of legal pressure had left him “no choice” but to remain as a governor, a move that denies the White House a crucial seat on the board.

We have a new Catholic bishop here in West Virginia, formerly an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador.

On May 1, 2026, 

Pope Leo XIV

 appointed 

Most Reverend 

Evelio Menjivar-Ayala

 as the new Bishop of the 

Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston

, covering all of West Virginia. 

        Ticks are out in force right now, so be sure to check yourselves and your pets.

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I heard Raul Castro speaking in Cuba years ago, and there he still is speaking now at age 94.

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The Iran/US war seems to be at a stalemate. There was no good reason for starting the conflict to begin with, nor any good way of ending it now. What was the objective of the war and has it been achieveed? The US actually started the hostilies by attacking Iran without any provocation and for no apparent reason, unless postponement of Netanyahu's corruption trial is considered a reason. That objective has actually been achieved. His trial on corruption and other charges has now been postponed once again, at least until the fall. Off-and-on, using various rationales, he keeps getting his trial date postponed and, as long as he has not been convicted, he has not been imprisoned. But he dares not leave Israel because there is also a warrant out for him from the Internatioanl Criminal Court.

              Iranians are still out demonstrating in support of their country and its leaders. 

The Trump administration says its war with Iran has "terminated". Just what does that mean? 

         (Mr. Trump doesn't seem to have so much time any more for daytime snoozing.)

Wash. Post, Trump’s fight with Iran is as unpopular as the Iraq and Vietnam wars

A Post-ABC-Ipsos poll shows most Americans call the military action a mistake, even as Republicans remain strongly supportive. Many fear the conflict will lead to a recession.

Here's an event, sponsored by a friend of mine: China’s Persecution: Assault on All Faiths   

May 12 at 1pm

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DC News Now

This photo shows the accused White House Correspondents Dinner gunman moments

before the shooting there, taking a selfie in the hotel mirror. Traveling by train

all the way from California, he had planned ahead, but not far enough ahead.