Author: George Thomas Jr.

George Thomas Jr.

George Thomas Jr. is a former newspaper reporter who has covered politics, science and the arts, as well as an award-winning filmmaker.

Can California really secede? It won’t be easy

While the seemingly unlikely election of Donald Trump has prompted reactions spanning the emotional spectrum, it has spawned yet another interesting—if not altogether surprising—result: talk of California seceding from the United States. But could such a “Calexit” succeed? And, if so, at what cost?

How do we know the election wasn’t “rigged”?

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump continues to warn the election is rigged against him, and now implies he’ll only accept the final results “if I win.” His claims are clearly provocative, possibly designed to change the conversation (which was previously focused on accusations of sexual harassment), and perhaps even potentially destabilizing for the American system of democracy. But does he have a point?

Do you own the rights to your life story?

While the law mainly protects against libel and slander, the ownership of the story of your life depends on a variety of factors. How much of your life is private if you’re involved in a major news event that receives wide publicity? If you hold public office, to what degree can you expect a degree of privacy?

Your rights under our perpetual state of emergency

What may surprise you is the Constitution is officially, at this moment, irrelevant. Why? Because the United States is currently under a state of national “emergency.” In fact, the country has been perpetually under numerous states of national emergency since 1979, when President Jimmy Carter declared one during the Iranian hostage crisis.