Thoughts for the Day, December 17, 2025: Governor Whitmer is on the case
Literacy in Michigan
Governor Whitmer has announced that attacking child literacy issues in Michigan will be her top priority in 2026. Michigan is facing an “all hands on deck crisis” in literacy, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a speech to education leaders Monday.
“In the 12 months I have left as governor, literacy will remain my No. 1 priority.”
Per Bridge Michigan, Michigan ranked 44th in the nation for fourth grade reading on a national test in 2024, the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Third grade reading scores reached a new low on state tests too. Ron Hall, CEO of Bridgewater Interiors and board member of school reform group Launch Michigan, said the scores are “finally bad enough they’ve gotten everybody’s attention.” This is my Quote of the Day
Michigan ranks 40th of all states in quality of our roads, 49th in state government transparency and 44th in child literacy. It has been seven years since she took office, and this is how we rank.
I will sleep well tonight knowing that this is her top priority, just like “fixing the damn roads” and opening the governor’s office to full transparency have been her top priorities in previous years. If it wasn’t for Granholm, Whitmer would look bad as a governor. Granholm gets my Onion of the Day
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Pirates of the Caribbean
I am trying to understand the latest move to announce a blockade of most Venezuelan oil tankers by President Trump. For a president who claims he has ended eight wars in his second term, this feels like he wants to start a war.
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Jack Smith
As I was reading media reports of Jack Smith’s testimony before the Senate in a closed session, I can’t help but wonder why did AG Garland take so long to let Smith loose in his investigations of Trump? I can’t help but think if the investigation had started immediately following the insurrection of January 6, 2021, rather than nearly two years later, Trump may not be president today. And with Trump out of the way, Biden might have announced he wouldn’t have run for a second term in 2024. If this had happened both parties would have had primaries which might have provided us with much better presidential candidates in 2024.
I will never understand why Garland waited for the House Select Committee to complete their work before Garland named Smith as a special prosecutor. It will never make sense to me why he delayed the process.
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U.S. on track to lose status as nation where measles has been eliminated
From The Hill-Measles outbreaks are spreading across the U.S., and the nation is likely to lose its status as a country where the disease is eliminated, something that infectious disease specialists say is directly related to President Trump’s appointment of Robert F. Kennedy as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
South Carolina this week quarantined at least 254 people after confirming more than two dozen measles cases in the state. It’s the latest in what has been the worst year for measles in the U.S. in recent history.
An outbreak in West Texas this year saw more than 700 confirmed cases since January and the deaths of two children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been 47 reported outbreaks in the country this year.
“This is a very clear example of the damage that the anti-vaccine movement has done in the United States,” said Fiona Havers, adjunct associate professor at the Emory School of Medicine and a former infectious disease staffer at the CDC. This is my Quote of the Day
Higher Energy Costs
Per the NY Times-Higher electricity and natural gas prices coupled with forecasts for unusually cold temperatures across parts of the country are expected to drive up bills as winter takes hold. The average U.S. household is projected to spend nearly $1,000 this winter to heat its home, up 9.2 percent from a year earlier, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, which represents state governments in securing federal money.
I am so glad that Trump has done such a great job of bringing down prices. I notice it every time I go to the grocery store and out to eat. Regardless of what my wallet says, Trump says prices are down, so my wallet must be providing me with fake news.
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Pistons and Red Wings
Don’t look now but the Pistons and Red Wings are both in first place in their respective divisions of the NBA and NHL. It reminds me of the early 2000’s when both teams were strong candidates to become champions and April in the D was major sports month, when the Pistons and Red Wings were in the playoffs and the Tigers season had started.
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Quote of the Day: “This is a very clear example of the damage that the anti-vaccine movement has done in the United States,” said Fiona Havers, adjunct associate professor at the Emory School of Medicine and a former infectious disease staffer at the CDC.
Orchid of the Day: Josh Richter, Casey Powers and Corey May of Boyne Golf for responding to my request for silent auction items for the Michigan Turf Builders. I love working with Boyne.
Onion of the Day: Governor Whitmer-the state’s rankings in roads, transparency. and literacy are embarrassing.
Question of the Day: What is the desired outcome of the blockade of Venezuela?
Lyrics of the Day: And in our world of plenty We can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world At Christmas time But say a prayer Pray for the other ones At Christmas time it’s hard But when you’re having fun
There’s a world outside your window And it’s a world of dread and fear
Where the only water flowing is The bitter sting of tears And the Christmas bells that ring there Are the clanging chimes of doom Well, tonight thank God it’s them instead of you
And there won’t be snow in Africa this Christmas time The greatest gift they’ll get this year is life, ohh Where nothing ever grows No rain or rivers flow Do they know it’s Christmas time at all? Ohh
If you think you know the answer, post your response in the comment section of the blog.
Lyrics of the Day for December 16, 2025. Santa Baby
Video of the Day: Cold Play and Dick Van Dyke
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