Merry Christmas + Happy Hannukah

Good morning from upstate New York, where I’ve traveled with daughter and dog to celebrate the holidays with grandparents in the frigid climes of my birth. I hope you and yours are warm, dry, and safe on this morning. To everyone celebrating today, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah. May

Why we need more sunshine in government, and less Daylight Saving time in the USA

Good afternoon from Washington, where I’ve been holding down the fort for a tween, two dogs, and a growing end-of-year checklist. I hope you and yours are well. If you’re receiving this message, it’s because you subscribed to CivicTexts: thank you! If you can, please consider upgrading

As Mexico & the USA autocratize, South Korea faces an attempted coup.

Good afternoon from Washington, soaking up sun while I can. If you’re reading this, you’ve subscribed to Civic Texts from yours truly. Thank you!  Please consider upgrading to a paid membership, if you can. Your support means I can continue to make CivicTexts free and open to all,

On pardons, smartglasses, an authoritarian administration, and a case of the Cyber Mondays

Good morning from suburban Maryland, where I am starting the week after a holiday break. I hope this message finds you well after Thanksgiving. I cooked up a storm, including a memorable pie and applesauce for the ages. If you’re reading this, you’ve subscribed to a newsletter from

🦃 🇺🇸 On the true origins of Thanksgiving in the USA

Good morning from rainy Washington, where I am drinking eggnog coffee and getting ready to travel. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone celebrating in the United States. I wanted to share a reflection about the origins of this national day that depart from the mythic harvest dinner of centuries past. Our National

On transitions, “fake jobs”, corruption, secrecy, and managing grief

Good afternoon from Washington. I hope you and yours are safe and well, wherever this message finds you. If you’re reading this, you’ve subscribed to a newsletter from yours truly. Thank you! Please consider upgrading to a paid membership and, if you can, directly support both this work

The rule of law is already being undermined in the presidential transition

Good afternoon from Washington! Thank you for subscribing. Please upgrade to a paid membership and, if you can, directly support both this work and my family as I continue to figure out what’s next.  Your support means I can continue to make CivicTexts free and open to all, not

Senate confirms Director of Office of Government Ethics just in time to be a bulwark against corruption

Good afternoon from Washington, where I’ve been spending much of the past week reflecting on what has happened and what’s yet to come. Thanks to everyone who has subscribed and become a member. I wanted to make sure you were aware of some important, good news that is

Why we now have more to fear than fear itself

Good afternoon from the Georgetown waterfront, where I watched Washingtonians run, ride, skate, cycle, and row by the Potomac. I’ve increased my outdoor exercise since Monday to mitigate the cortisol levels in my body and sense of foreboding in my soul. Sun, nature, movement, and getting to work help.

American winter is coming

Good morning from Washington, where I am making sense of a new political landscape amidst the graven monuments, memorials, and institutions. These civic spaces make our nation’s Capitol a unique environment to write about government, technology, and policy. There’s sunlight and shadows everywhere. Today, I’ll be focusing

Keep calm, and vote on

Good morning from Capitol Hill in Washington. Thanks to everyone who has subscribed to Civic Texts sonce my last message. I expect this won’t be the last time you hear from me today. It’s Election Day here in the United States. You may have heard about it on

Equal rights and equal justice under law, not injustice under lawlessness

Good afternoon from Capitol Hill, where I’m putting the final touches on our Halloween decorations and the sounds of hammers ring in the fall air as the inauguration stands rise again on the west lawn. Last night, my daughter and I joined restless multitudes of Americans in Washington to