Help! How do we deal with all this?

Friends,

Good morning, and welcome back to my Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse (executive director of Inequality Media Civic Action), where we examine the highs, lows, and even lower points of the previous week. Please pull up a chair, grab a cup, and join us.

Today we examine:

— The new speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. Who is he? What does his speakership mean? What does it bode for the future?

— The tragedy of Lewiston, Maine. If this can happen in a small Maine city, are any of us safe? Is there any prospect for stricter gun controls?

— The pending ground invasion of Gaza. What’s been delaying it? Beyond the likely loss of lives, is this a suicidal move for Israel? Will it lead to a wider war?

— Trump’s lawyers pleading guilty in the Georgia case. Do they make a Trump conviction more likely? Should they be disbarred?

— Halloween. Why Bob dislikes it, and a terrible trick he once played as a young teenager.

Our thanks to Michael Lahanas-Calderón for his technical help.

P.S. If you didn’t know already, you can also listen to our klatch on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or whatever your favorite podcast app is.

Please consider a paid or gift subscription to receive the whole package, and to help us bring this letter to you each day. (It’s about the cost of a coffee per week.)