BANGKOK, Thailand -- In a stunning decision which tosses Thailand's government into a scramble for leadership, The Constitutional Court on August removed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin for an ethical violation after he appointed a convicted criminal to his cabinet.

"I'm sorry that I'd be considered as a prime minister who is unethical, but that's not who I am," the toppled prime minister Srettha said after the court's ruling.

The judges focused on his appointment of Pichit Chuenban, who had been busted for contempt of court for allegedly attempting to bribe a court official with thousands of dollars in a paper bag, and was imprisoned for six months in 2008.

After 19 days of outrage about Mr. Pichit's appointment was expressed in local media and among opposition politicians and their supporters, he quit the cabinet.

The Constitutional Court's final verdict also resulted in Mr. Srettha's entire cabinet of ministers transforming into temporary caretakers.

After the Democrat in the White House decided not to run for reelection, the vice president got the party’s presidential nod -- and continued to back the administration’s policies for an unpopular war. As the election neared, the candidate had to decide whether to keep supporting the war or speak out for a change.

 Hubert Humphrey faced that choice in 1968. Kamala Harris faces it now.

 Despite the differences in eras and circumstances, key dynamics are eerily similar. The history of how Vice President Humphrey navigated the political terrain of the war in Vietnam has ominous parallels with how Vice President Harris has been dealing with the war in Gaza.

 *****     *****     *****

 For millions of liberals, during the first half of the 1960s, Hubert Humphrey was the nation’s most heroic politician. As the Senate majority whip, he deftly championed landmark bills for civil rights and social programs. By the time President Lyndon B. Johnson put him on the Democratic ticket in 1964, progressive momentum was in high gear.

It took the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission (OGLMC) just 22 minutes Monday to rubber stamp fracking under Keen Wildlife Area and four Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) parcels.

The four-member, unelected commission appointed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ignored shouted questions and concerns from Save Ohio Parks audience members about the harms of fracking under Ohio’s state parks and public lands, and did not allow the public to speak either before the meeting or afterward.

EOG Resources, Inc. of Houston, Texas was selected to frack 84 acres of Keen Wildlife Area in Harrison County. The lease bonus is expected to bring in $211,650 to the state, plus royalties of 12.5 percent and an additional amount of 5.5 percent of production, according to an Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) press release.

WHEN:   Sunday September 1st, 4 pm – 5:30 pmWHERE: Columbus Mennonite Church, 35 Oakland Park Avenue, Columbus 43214.(Free parking along Oakland Park and in nearby lots, owned by North Broadway Methodist Church)
Let’s put some meaning back into the Labor Day holiday this year by singing the praises  -- literally -- of all the workers who make our lives richer by doing their everyday jobs--- farmers, truckers, factory workers, teachers, doctors, white collar workers, miners, and more.

Join Bill Cohen as he sings songs made famous by a wide variety of folks: Woody Guthrie, Sam Cooke, Dolly Parton, Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Alabama, James Taylor, etc.

Powerful vocal harmonies will be added by veteran Columbus musicians Phil Hart and Teresa Schleifer.

Plus, we’ll recall how, decades ago, labor unions won historic reforms that many of us take for granted today – the 8-hour workday, improved workplace safety, a guaranteed minimum wage, and an end to child labor.