<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-dd6acfeb-7fff-b1d6-c834-00ce54a13ead"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">The Today\u2019s Issues group will meet this Sunday, September 15, 9:30 to 10:50 am, to discuss responses to the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the general state of the Democratic Party and other opposition to the Trump regime.   Should the Democrats oppose passing Trump\u2019s budget, threatening a government shutdown, or is the playing into Trump\u2019s  hands?  Also the Bolsonaro verdict in Brazil and its significance for Trump\u2019s tariff war.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">  .  Here are some suggested readings FYI, but no particular readings are required.</span></p><br><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt" role="presentation"><span style="font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">The decline of the Democratic Party : T</span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/us/politics/democratic-party-voter-registration-crisis.html?unlocked_article_code=1.f08.olU5.DQOBaiAD9yLn&amp;smid=url-share" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">he Democratic Party Faces a Voter Registration Crisis:</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline"> The party is bleeding support beyond the ballot box, a new analysis shows </span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt" role="presentation"><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/09/05/iowa-senate-democrats-turek-scholten-ernst-00542371" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">2 Friends, 1 Senate Race and the Democratic Quest to Win Over \u2018Normal\u2019 People</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">. From Politico.  The Democrats struggle for \u201cauthenticity\u201d   </span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt" role="presentation"><a href="https://religionnews.com/2025/09/10/charlie-kirk-evangelical-trump-supporter-dies-after-shooting-at-utah-campus-event/?utm_source=RNS+Updates&amp;utm_campaign=e57aa02d8b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_09_11_04_20&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_c5356cb657-e57aa02d8b-128764788" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Charlie Kirk , who &#39;plugged in&#39; young Christian conservatives, dies at 31</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">, Religion News Service.    </span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt" role="presentation"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Kv4VSvXHhoPIdEAiU9lB5fy3cAmZqviL-CvghGsy_7A/edit?usp=sharing" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Clinton-Era Lessons for Democrats Confronting Trump, by Jonathan Alter.</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">  This argues that Democrats should oppose the budget, threatening a government shutdown.  </span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt" role="presentation"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hbeKSxFIRB2F7hW18hRKBG6e5Yx1G39h5B07gtzNNB8/edit?usp=sharing" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">Brazil Keeps Telling the United States to get Lost</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">, NYTimes Sept 12, 2025.  Bolsonaro was convicted and sentenced to 27 years, but there may be an amnesty.                           </span></p></li></ul><br><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">The Today\u2019s Issues discussion group meets on occasional Sunday mornings at 9:30  in the parlor of the Religious Education building next to the Unitarian Universalist Church at 232 Third St. in Marietta or you can join us on Zoom. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;vertical-align:baseline">Click on this link if you wish to join the discussion on Zoom. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.728;margin-left:36pt;text-indent:18pt;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://zoom.us/j/92505235702?pwd=RmUyN1FOUjhBVHRYSDBWY2dUZWxFQT09" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-variant-alternates:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline">https://zoom.us/j/92505235702?pwd=RmUyN1FOUjhBVHRYSDBWY2dUZWxFQT0</span></a></p></span><br class="gmail-Apple-interchange-newline"></div></div>