While Graham Platner needed to end his campaign after being accused of rape some progressive commentators handled the story badly, especially the tendency to ignore Platner's PTSD and trauma as part of the context for his earlier behavior. We supported him based on the information available at the time, and we explain why the final set of revelations made continued support for him impossible. We are just disappointed that Platner's trauma was ignored by others.

Also in Maine, another legal fight over public funds for religious schools reached federal court. The state changed its Human Rights Act after the Carson v. Makin US Supreme Court decision in 2022. All schools receiving public money must follow nondiscrimination requirements for students. Religious schools filed a lawsuit.

We re-visit the topic of LifeWise Academy and note that its student enrollment is far below its stated goal. The group’s push for release-time Bible instruction during the school day is not impressing parents who have concerns about the program. Public attention appears to be reducing family participation in the program.

Finally the Trump administration and Fox News framing democratic socialists as communists is a reboot of the cold war. We argue that democratic socialism is not the same as communism, and we point to the DSA’s own stated goals, including Medicare for All, expanded democracy, and public ownership of key sectors - they don't support or demand revolution. We end by saying voters should evaluate candidates on their actual proposals rather than on scare labels. We are also disappointed that establishment Democrats are jumping on the bandwagon over the DSA.

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