I was 14 when I saw "The Fountainhead" with Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal. I saw the film on a Saturday afternoon at the North Park Theater in the San Diego community by that name (a 10 cents trolley ride from our home on Redwood Street).

I did not go because "The Fountainhead" was playing, but rather because that’s what kids did on Saturday afternoons when the Pacific Coast League Padres were not playing at Lane field, we took in a flick.

On Wednesday, at 2 pm CST, law enforcement started clearing the main camp of the on-site protesters of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The encampment has been a central hub for the protesters for the last six months.

Not all protesters left the federal land willingly. AP reports that some were arrested in their final stand against President Donald Trump's executive order that cleared the way for the construction of the pipeline.

https://twitter.com/AP/status/834535510706180097

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrauFjR3x08

Marine Le Pen is, some say, the face of alt-right in France. Political commentators on the left point to her anti-immigrant and anti-globalist rhetoric to brand her as a racist, à la Donald Trump.

Ironically, feminists and/or liberal politicians on the left have recently and increasingly been wearing headscarves to show solidarity with muslim countries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRtznPEc4RA

January 13, 2017 -- Rep. Tulsi Gabbard argued on the floor of the House for support of the bipartisan Stop Arming Terrorists Act (H.R.608).

On Wednesday's episode of MSNBC's Morning Joe, Mika Brzezinski made a comment that is currently making its rounds on conservative-leaning news outlets and news aggregation sites like Drudge Report:

Following the Executive Order that was released on January 25, 2017 regarding Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements, the Department of Homeland Security released documents detailing how the administration plans to combat what they consider an “illegal immigration problem.”

When political leaders discuss tax reform, they often refer to "progressive taxation." What does this term mean? What pros and cons does this type of tax structure offer today?

I'm Joe Pickering Jr, representing Mainers for Open Elections, a new corporation. We support LD 78. Maine Voters should vote in any election without the label "unaffiliated voter." We the people should own our election system. Political parties have the right of Free Association but NO right to FEE association. Taxpayers shouldn't fund any private organization's primaries. Public funds should only be used for open elections. Mainers deserve choices. Please support LD 78.

Governor Brown has taken critically important action to potentially boost water supply and provide better flood protection in California. He signed Senate Bill 758, The Atmospheric Rivers Research, Mitigation and Climate Forecasting Act, and set aside funds in the current state budget to implement this bill.  His action will accelerate what may be the lowest cost, nearest term, and most likely to succeed effort to increase surface water supply and improve flood protection in our state.

Many independent-minded voters turned to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders during the 2016 presidential election for his populist, anti-establishment message. To them, he represented the kind of statesman who was willing to put people over party interests.

Now, these same voters may have a new politician to get behind, one that doesn't always toe the party line, and is willing to challenge the partisan elite that is out of touch with the American people: U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii).