The LuLac Edition #5, 682, June 11th, 2026

 

 

LUZERNE COUNTY 

DEMS

REORGANIZE

PICK KOCHER UNANIMOUSLY AS CHAIR 

Plymouth resident Megan Kocher was elected the new Luzerne County Democratic Party chair during Wednesday’s reorganization meeting, representatives said.

A Nanticoke native, Kocher, 27, works as a national distributed field manager with Rural Organizing.

She has bachelor’s degrees in political science and history from Wilkes University and a master’s degree in criminal justice from California Coast University.

Kocher said she started getting actively involved in Democratic campaigns and issues that prioritize working-class values while she was a college student. In September 2025, the county party’s executive committee elected her the committee chair, with a focus on organizing regular meetings, supporting district chairs, and facilitating conversations about party needs, she said. (Times Leader) 

 

PRIOR TO MEETING ATTORNEY SEEKS

 INJUNCTION AGAINST OWN PARTY 

 Earlier an attempt as a democratic county council member and the two highest ranking members of the Luzerne County Democratic Party, along with others, tried to circumvent the will of county democratic voters by demanding the inclusion of 14 illegally unelected people as democratic committee members. A three member panel of Luzerne County Judges said NO!

 

THIS SUNDAY 

TRUMP’S 10 MILLION DOLLAR NAP

The attendance of Donald Trump at the Knicks Spurs game was an act of selfishness, defiance and tone deafness that is emblematic of his Presidency. Trump’s last-minute decision to attend the highly anticipated game resulted in a heavy security operation that saw businesses shutter, events canned and patrons subjected to intense screening.

After passing protests on the way into Madison Square Garden, the President was hit with a loud chorus of boos from fans when he was shown on screens during the national anthem.  He wasn’t wanted, he cost taxpayers tons of money and then fell asleep.  Like any other sensible man of nearly 80. He would have been better off in a recliner watching the game with a friend.

Oh wait………….he has none.

 

SOCIAL SECURITY RETIREMENT TRUST FUND WILL RUN DRY IN 2032 UNLESS CONGRESS ACTS

Tens of millions of retirees and other Americans could see smaller monthly Social Security checks in six years if lawmakers don’t act to shore up the program’s finances, according to an annual report released Tuesday by Social Security’s trustees.

Social Security’s retirement trust fund – which helps support payments to senior citizens and survivors of deceased workers – is expected to be exhausted in late 2032, which is one quarter earlier than previously forecast, according to the trustees. At that time, payroll tax revenue and other income sources will be able to cover only 78% of benefits owed.

That means the next president could be faced with having to address Social Security’s shaky finances, which have long been considered a third rail in American politics. The issue could play a more prominent role in the 2028 presidential campaign if the projected expected insolvency date remains only a few years away. 

The combined Social Security’s retirement and disability trust funds – are expected to be exhausted in 2034, the same as last year’s forecast, according to the trustees. At that time, payroll tax revenue and other income sources will be able to cover only 83% of benefits owed.

Some 62 million people received Social Security retirement and survivors benefits at the end of 2025, while 8 million Americans received disability benefits, according to the program’s trustees. More than 69 million people were enrolled in Medicare last year.

Then there’s wh at the pipsqueak Mike Rogers said:

 

HEY MAGA’S GOOD JOB VOTING FOR THIS GOP

 

 

TRUMP EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO BLACK STUDENTS:

“AND YOU ARE?

 

For generations, the federal government enforced civil rights laws with an eye toward remedying historic, systemic discrimination against Black people and other people of color. The Department of Justice pressed schools to desegregate. The Department of Education worked to promote equal opportunity and held schools accountable for racial bias.

But under the Trump administration, efforts to address deep-rooted inequities for students of color are being cast as discriminatory against white students. Programs that have long withstood legal scrutiny are now quick to be deemed “ illegal DEI ” — diversity, equity and inclusion — by the White House. Schools that do not comply have faced lost grants. 

This is immoral and goes against the basic civil rights of minority students. These Republican thugs never heard of slavery? Never heard of lynching in the south? I guess they figure since the pig President has instructed his wrestler woman to defund the place, they can do what they want.

Civil rights lawyers describe the Republican administration’s actions as a complete inversion of legal history. 

In January, the conservative 1776 Project Foundation filed a lawsuit challenging the designation, describing it as “a program of overt discrimination against a new minority: White students.” The next month, the Justice Department filed its own complaint and asked to join the lawsuit.

I thought the Justice Department was supposed to defend against discrimination. WHITE STUDENTS-A NEW MINORITY?  Are you kidding me?

The district’s “desegregation program has outlived its usefulness to the point of being unconstitutional,” a federal prosecutor said in a news release.

Let’s hope that after this terrible era of Trump and its capitulation by a MAGA Congress, a new administration will get rid of the lawyers there who have “outlived their usefulness”. My hope is that all of them will be unsuccessful ambulance chasers. (AP, Annie Ma, LuLac

GERALD FORD

BICENTENNIAL PRESIDENT

THE EARLY YEARS

Ford was born Leslie Lynch King Jr. on July 14, 1913, at 3202 Woolworth Avenue in Omaha, Nebraska, where his parents lived with his paternal grandparents. He was the only child of Dorothy Ayer Gardner and Leslie Lynch King Sr., a wool trader. His paternal grandfather was banker and businessman Charles Henry King, and his maternal grandfather was Illinois politician and businessman Levi Addison Gardner. Ford's parents separated just sixteen days after his birth and his mother took the infant Ford with her to Oak Park, Illinois, where her sister Tannisse and brother-in-law Clarence Haskins James lived at 410 N. Humphrey Ave. From there, she moved to the home of her parents in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Gardner and King divorced in December 1913, and she gained full custody of their son. Ford's paternal grandfather paid child support until shortly before his death in 1930.

Ford later said that his biological father had a history of hitting his mother.  In a biography of Ford, James M. Cannon wrote that the separation and divorce of Ford's parents was sparked when, a few days after Ford's birth, Leslie King took a butcher knife and threatened to kill his wife, infant son, and Ford's nursemaid. Ford later told confidants that his father had first hit his mother when she had smiled at another man during their honeymoon.

After living with her parents for two and a half years, on February 1, 1917, Gardner married Gerald Rudolff Ford, a salesman in a family-owned paint and varnish company. Though never formally adopted, her young son was referred to as Gerald Rudolff Ford Jr. from then on; the name change, including the anglicized spelling "Rudolph", was formalized on December 3, 1935. He was raised in what is now East Grand Rapids with his three half-brothers from his mother's second marriage: Thomas Gardner "Tom" Ford (1918–1995), Richard Addison "Dick" Ford (1924–2015, and James Francis "Jim" Ford (1927–2001).

Ford was involved in the Boy Scouts of America, and earned that program's highest rank, Eagle Scout in August 1927.He is the only Eagle Scout to have ascended to the U.S. presidency. Ford attended Grand Rapids South High School, where he was a star athlete and captain of the football team.  In 1930, he was selected to the All-City team of the Grand Rapids City League. He also attracted the attention of college recruiters.

 

PAIGE COGNETTI

NEWS

 

Paige Cognetti’s public service career has been about bringing reform, transparency, and accountability to government. “I’m running for Congress to take on corruption and make Washington work as hard as we do. To help reform a broken Washington, I will fight for:

Government should work as hard as the people it serves

A Ban on Congressional Stock Trading. No one should be able to use their public office to enrich themselves.

No Corporate PAC Money. As a candidate and member of Congress I will reject the influence of special interests.

Audit the Federal Government. I’ve been cutting waste, fraud, and abuse in government for nearly a decade, but we need to do it with a scalpel, not a chainsaw.”

With a Democratic majority in the House, you can bet that Cognetti will keep those promises.

 

BRESNAHAN PROMISES TO FIGHT PROPOSED MEDICAID RULES THAT COULD COST SERIOUSLY ILL TO LOSE COVERAGE

Sarah Scinto and Borys Krawczeniuk from WVIA FM News reports that U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan said Friday he plans to fight proposed federal Medicaid rules that advocates say may jeopardize treatment for cancer, HIV and other serious illnesses.

Bresnahan signaled his opposition during a news conference to announce $192 million in long overdue federal COVID-19 relief money that he successfully fought to obtain for Geisinger and other hospitals. The news conference took place at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Twp.

Bresnahan faulted the rules for “shortsightedness.”

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the law will reduce federal Medicaid spending by $911 billion in the next 10 years with work requirements accounting for about $326 billion. The number of uninsured people will rise by 10 million with 5.3 million of that because of the work requirements, according to the CBO.

Bresnahan, who voted for the act, has defended the law as a way of preserving Medicaid “while rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse.”

So after all this time, where is the fraud and abuse?  Both Meuser and Rob are trying to find the abuse? On Tuesday, 48 patient groups, including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association and the Muscular Dystrophy Association, said they are “deeply concerned” about the new rules.

They said the rules do not “protect people with serious or complex health conditions and would instead dramatically and inappropriately increase the number of people who will lose their healthcare coverage.”

So now he’s slapping his forehead in an ”oh shit, it’s 5 months before the general” moment and re-evaluating his position. He was told people on Medicaid were working. He was told that people were sick. He was told Medicaid is a major funder of nursing home. He was told that people had cancer. He was told that people with disabilities would be harmed.

He is not a dumb guy but he went with the weasel Rogers who under the guise of “Christianity” lies for his colleagues.  This is going to be a hard sell for Bresnehan. It might even make him the HJim Nelligan of this century.

 

SHAPIRO ADMINISTRATION, PA TURNPIKE COMMISSION URGE DRIVERS TO PRIORITIZE SAFETY DURING SUMMER TRAVEL AND HIGHLIGHT UPCOMING LAW CHANGE TARGETING HAND-HELD DEVICES

 Beginning June 5, 2026, drivers convicted of using a hand-held device while driving will pay a $50 fine under Paul Miller's Law. Officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike) urge drivers to prioritize safety during summer travel, in Lawn.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike) is urging drivers to put the phone down, drive sober, and drive slower this busy summer travel season.

Every driver will need to do their part for safe roadways this summer, with Pennsylvania taking center stage for several of the nation's most high-profile sporting and cultural events, including the FIFA World Cup 26™, MLB All-Star Game, and America250PA. These events will also bring millions of visitors to Pennsylvania.

"With Pennsylvania poised to become the center of America's biggest moments this summer, it's more important than ever to drive safely," said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. "Pennsylvania is expecting millions of visitors, and many will drive, which is why we all must do our part to encourage safety this summer, and all year. Please put the phone down when you are driving! It's not only dangerous, it's now also illegal. Slow down, be kind, and never drive impaired by any substance."

 

 

MEDIA MATTERS

WVIA NEWS 

WALN

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

You'll hear the program Sunday at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400 am The Mothership and 7:30 am on 105 The River.

 

THE LAURIE CADDEN SHOW

Tune in every Saturday morning at 9am for The Laurie Cadden Show on WILK FM 103.1 and AM 980 and 910. Laurie’s program has been a northeastern Pennsylvania mainstay every Saturday. Tune in to hear her insights and take on local issues as well as entertaining and informative interviews.

 

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SUNDAY NIGHT SOCK HOP

 

BEATLE EDD’S FAB FOUR MUSIC HOUR

Tune in every week to the Home of Rock and Roll for a jam packed, unpredictable hour starting at 9am Sundays. Host Edd Raineri gives you facts and great music from the immortal Fab Four on ROCK 107.

 

THE LULAC TIME MACHINE

June 1976

CARTER SEWS IT UP 

The final presidential primaries for the 1976 U.S. presidential election were conducted, with voting in the states of California, Ohio and New Jersey. Former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter won the Ohio Democratic primary and gained more than 200 delegate votes overall, putting him within 400 votes of the nomination. Carter estimated that he had at least 1,250 of the necessary 1,505 delegates needed for a win on the first ballot[20] and received endorsements from several prominent Democrats the next day, in what The New York Times described as "capping one of the most brilliantly plotted nominations in American political history." In the race for the Republican Party nomination, incumbent U.S. President Gerald Ford had a narrow lead of 105 delegates over former California Governor Ronald Reagan, although the outcome of the nomination depended on "a six-week battle through 11 state conventions."

A day later, Former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter received the endorsements of two of his former opponents in the race for the Democratic Party nomination for the 1976 U.S. presidential race, with Alabama Governor George C. Wallace and U.S. Senator Henry M. Jackson pledging their delegates, and Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley giving his endorsement. The three endorsements were seen as certain to give Carter (who already had at least 1,135 delegates) more than the 1,505 votes needed for the nomination. The prospects for U.S. President Gerald Ford to be nominated as the Republican candidate were less certain, in that he had only a slight (105 delegates) lead over his challenger, former California Governor Ronald Reagan, with Republican conventions in 11 states still to be held over the next six weeks and this week the number one song in LuLac land and America was  “Get  Up and  Boogie” (That’s Right)  by Silver Convention.

 

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The LuLac Edition #5, 681, June 10th, 2026

 

WRITE ON

WEDNESDAY

                                    

Our “Write on Wednesday” logo 

 

This week’s Write on Wednesday is about money, news media, billionaires and trillionaires. Llewellyn King explains it all.

 

THE COLLISION BETWEEN MONEY AND NEWS —THE RICH= 0 FOR US 

 

Trillions, as in trillions of dollars, are being bandied about in the way millions were, then billions. But take a look at 1 trillion expressed numerically: 1,000,000,000,000. Awesome, isn’t it? Twelve zeros.

The national debt stands at $39 trillion, and the interest on that will top $1 trillion this year. Very soon, the first trillionaire will thunder past the post, presumably Elon Musk.

I have nothing against Musk. And I have nothing against successful people being rewarded for their talent.

Musk has done enormous things. An immigrant, he made his first fortune with PayPal. Since then, he has given the United States the solar revolution, the electric car, and a viable heavy-lift rocket that has made space exploration cheaper than when NASA alone was at the controls. His Boring Co. still holds promise.

It is assumed, as so often, that because a person is good at one thing, that same person must be good at everything else. Whoa! Musk’s limits as a manager and a visionary were exposed when he barged about streamlining the government for President Trump.

It was a case of a bridge too far for Musk. A disaster for America that eroded privacy, critically wounded many departments and saved no money.

Whereas much of what Musk has achieved has been beneficial, his purchase of Twitter, rebranded as X, was evidence of the harm that accompanies gigantic wealth. He wanted to control not just the medium, but also the news.

Musk — although it isn’t good that he has taken steps to control the message with X — isn’t the problem facing the media and the public’s right to know. When so much money is floating around, press freedom is in trouble.

The immediate threat comes not from Musk, but from two other men of gargantuan wealth: Larry Ellison, co-founder of the tech firm Oracle Corp., whose personal net worth is estimated at $245 billion, and his son, David.

Together, they are set to control the media to an extent not imagined and never seen. The media titans of yesteryear — Pulitzer, Hearst, Luce, Thompson, Sulzberger, Graham and Murdoch — are knee-high to the fearsome power that the Ellisons have, and which will more than double if (and it is more when than if) the merger of their Paramount Skydance Corp. with Warner Bros. Discovery is approved by regulators.

At present, the Ellisons control the CBS Television Network, CBS Sports, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Paramount Network and BET. They control CBS News, and Paramount+, which has 79 million streaming subscribers.

If the merger goes through, they will control CNN, HBO Max and Warner Bros. Studios — a treasure trove of entertainment.

In short, they will control a huge swath of American broadcast news, information dissemination, and movie and television culture.

Their declared purpose is to incorporate more technology and more AI across their astounding current and probably future empire. That is bad for journalism and worse for movies. The invasion of the bots.

I know how media control works. I have seen it firsthand: It isn’t what is said, but what is implied or what employees feel the owners of the outlet want. A casual remark can become policy; a hint of preference can become a hard rule.

If an Ellison family member were — of course, this is hypothetical — to say they hated rhubarb, you could bet the Food Network wouldn’t do a show episode on rhubarb pie making. If it were known that one of the owners of Paramount was a booster of nuclear power, movies such as “The China Syndrome” and “Silkwood” would never have been made.

In journalism, the story that isn’t covered is as important as the one that is covered. If a disease caused by a common product — asbestos is a good example — isn’t covered because the staff has heard that the media owners love that product or is invested in it, then you can bet it won’t be covered.

Consolidated corporate ownership is antithetical to free speech, creativity and open government. No news is bad news.

News isn’t suited to the corporate world; it isn’t a fit with those whose interest is adding zeros to bottom lines. It is the pursuit by an irregular army of often eccentric individuals, who turn over stones to find out what is beneath.

Likewise, individual ownership furthers the news objective, which for me was summed up by something Dan Raviv said when he was a correspondent for CBS Radio (recently shuttered by the Ellisons): “My job is simple. I try to find out what is going on and tell people.”

Write that in the corporate prospectus.

News organizations need to be owned by news people, like Ted Turner, Bill Paley and, yes, Rupert Murdoch.

Llewellyn King is the executive producer and host of “White House Chronicle” on PBS. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.