Photo is from a kayak on Copenhagen’s harbor. Copenhagen’s harbor is a strait connecting the Baltic Sea to the North Sea. It’s shallow and brackish – a mix of salt and fresh water – and perfect for urban paddling. It was partly sunny when we put in but got progressively colder as rain came in. Copenhagen in June is between 60 and 75 degrees so it’s never warm on the water but this was downright cold. We’ve done quite a bit of urban paddling and my favorite trip is still in and around Detroit. Go with a guide who can give you a history of Detroit and environs- new perspective on the city from the water.

I wrote about Hawaii’s new law restricting corporations from buying elections and there is now (of course!) a lawsuit from the Koch billionaire family hiding behind a wingnut welfare org called The Institute for Free Speech, challenging the law. The news stories on the lawsuit are so similar in language I am convinced the Koch PR operation submitted whole paragraphs for publication and dissemination, but maybe everything is AI slop now and that explains the sameness.

It’s a First Amendment challenge. You-all may remember the Right (and some particularly gullible liberals who yearn for approval from the Right) sold Citizens as a triumph for free speech. Of course, now we know that all Citizen’s did is sell the US to nine billionaires – it’s been an absolute disaster for good government and democracy and has effectively silenced ordinary people who cannot compete with Elon Musk’s money and Musk’s admirers in media. But prepare yourself – Bari Weiss and the rest of the “free speech” bootlickers will be running a full court press to defend the rights of the billionaires who pay them. The Hawaii law ( and the Montana Plan) are a real threat and the multimillionaire media celebrities will do whatever they can to shut it down.

Ordinary people know money in elections is out of control and a direct cause of the rampant corruption we see throughout all levels of American government. Billionaires and media can fight anti corruption efforts, but it has the feel to me of snowballing issue, much like Gaza was (and continues to be). Some Democrats are absolutely running anti corruption campaigns, led by Jon Ossoff. If Ossoff wins in Georgia watch every bashful (or bought) Democrat jump on the anti corruption bandwagon, but good for Ossoff for leading instead of waiting for public demand. He’s a risk taker and we need them now.