Thursday, December 26, 2019

Current Events Discussion Topics

An on-line "Zoom" discussion is conducted every Monday morning at 9:30am Chicago time through the North Shore Senior Center hosted by Ron Mantegna. You can enroll in this discussion session at   https://www.nssc.org/

Ron conducts a Northbrook Library zoom discussion every 1st and 3rd and 5th Thursday, 10-11:30am. Open free to all who enroll.  Contact the Northbrook Library to connect with Ron Mantegna.                                                                                      

What was Jesse Jackson’s biggest impact on America’s politics?

 

What’s your biggest take-away from the Olympic Games? Any lessons learned?

 

What drives Nancy Guthrie’s abduction to dominate the news? Any lessons learned?

 

Would regime change in Iran be in America’s best interests? Would attacking Iran facilitate that vs. diplomacy? We are ramping up war plans—yet still holding talks. What targets might be worth the risks of war? How could we assure the results would lead to a U.S. friendly regime? 

 

Is Voter I.D. logical and necessary in today’s high-tech world?  Or does requiring a valid U.S. passport or birth certificate to register create an unacceptable hurdle for too many citizens?

 

The Justice Department refuses to release more Epstein files. Will that put the issue of Accountability to rest? Public interest has grown in recent months. Yet, no Administration did anything for over a decade. Would any new revelations or names disclosed affect today’s politics?

 

Is it OK for America’s Attorney General to unabashedly be a subordinate of the President? Elections have consequences. So long as laws aren’t broken, is it OK to selectively apply Federal Law against “our political enemies”? When might “Political Retribution” step outside Rule of Law? 

 

Will Trump compromise with Dems and change how we execute Deportation? Would it help Republicans if Trump only targeted bad guys, not ALL Undocs—as Miller sees his mission?

 

Stats show Crime falling. But, do you feel Crime is truly on the decrease? Violent crime dropped significantly in 2025. Big cities saw murders down 19-21%. Robberies and aggravated assaults also down, with some metrics, including homicides, falling below pre-pandemic levels to 100-year lows. 

 

Is eliminating all standards for greenhouse gas emissions in our best interests? How smart is it to totally disregard the concerns of scientists vs. moderating how standards are applied?

 

Re: Trans Sports. Do you Agree, or Disagree? Sport already accommodates biological variation. Hormone therapy can mitigates advantage so there is no clear evidence of systemic unfairness, and excluding Trans athletes from women’s sports is inconsistent, unnecessary, and ethically unjustified.

 

Secretary of State Rubio: “The United States and Europe belong together." But has Trump moved away from America’s historic tight relationship with our European allies. Which is it?

 

How important is the TrumpRx pharmacy plan that gives discounts on popular drugs?

 

Can Mayor Mamdani effectively help “the poor” by super-taxing “the rich”?Replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.”

 

What good comes out of raising skepticism about Vaccines? RFK jr.’s new “whole foods pyramid” focuses on Proteins and Fats. (Have you tried Tallow?)

 

How much are Trump’s actions hurting Republicans? Does he care about political pain his polices are causing the GOP? Trump’s 1st Year Report Card: Failure. 39% Approval.  29% with Independents. Most Americans feel he has set the wrong priorities, mostly hurt the economy, and has acquired too much power.

 

Trade deficit soared 94% in November, higher than LY, despite tariffs.

 

$3 meals? Agriculture Secretary  Rollins claims their revamped food pyramid leaves plenty of room for us to maintain a healthy diet for as little as $3 a meal. Just eat “a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli”, “a corn tortilla” and “one other thing”.

 

How big an issue is the stealing of federal funds from public assistance programs in Minnesota?  Does it matter that criminals are mostly Somali?

 

NY Times: Are there any limits to your power? “My own morality. My own mind. That’s the only thing that can stop me.”

 

Might China take steps to acquire Taiwan? Will Trump act to stop them?