Thomas Neuburger has written political analysis for numerous publications for nearly two decades. You might have come across him as his nom de plume, Gaius Publius. He has long been a professional writer, venturing into fiction, poetry, essays and non-fiction books.

(A guest post by Elliott Negin, with Intro by Skip Kaltenheuser) You might already know Elliott Negin, whose writings I worked into with Dance with the One that Brought You — BERNIE! on NPR’s red-baiting of Bernie, and Scott Pruitt’s Doublespeak Clarifies Him, on yet another disastrous industrial strength Trump appointee hellbent on ransacking the environment. If not, it’s never too late.

Even for those already in the climate choir, Jane Fonda’s sermon last month at the National Press Club is well worth your time to read or watch and listen to. I’ve logged loads of press club luncheon speeches over the years. This was one of the finest I’ve heard.

• 9% of Americans have been on vacation without their partner and lied to them about it • Main reasons are to go with friends, drink more heavily and to have a break from each other • More than two fifths got found out by their partner; one in five broke up as a result

Tick Tock. The good folks at the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists have returned to wind their Doomsday Clock. Last Thursday at the National Press Club a group of well-credentialed speakers, including former California governor Jerry Brown and former Secretary of Defense William Perry, underscored the organization’s warning that we have established residence in “the new abnormal.”