Bits & Pieces

Shop Closings: Yesterday we mentioned store closings and why they are happening. It is not because sales have shrunk; no, they have increased but this is due mainly to internet transactions increasing. Now headlines are screaming about bank closures. That is not technically true. Closing branch bank sites is what they are referring to, and the reason why branches may dwindle in number for a while is because customers are doing their banking over the internet more and more. Thus, fewer branch locations are needed.

In the old days, banks increased their reach for new customers by building branches in more locations, mainly in commuter hubs and suburbs. This tactic worked quite well. The opposite is true when customer banking habits change to lessen the traffic at branches. Online banking is one of those habits.

Cancelling Elections? Trump gas casually mentioned cancelling the mid-term elections. Then he retracted the statement. Even if he had the power to do so, he wouldn’t cancel the elections. Too much is at stake with the mid-terms, and MAGA stands to gain and lose with the elections. Gaining means keeping the elections; losing suggests eliminating the elections. However, the President does not have the power to eliminate elections. Agencies, courts and political parties have some power in the decision process.

In fact, there are MAGA team members who suggest the presidency has more power than it actually does. This is a power play in and of itself. The Constitution defines presidential power and its limits. The Constitution defines the power of the three coequal branches of the federal government. The Supreme Court has much to say in defining the specifics of the Constitution’s language. So, no, the president does not have unlimited power. Besides, Congress increasingly does not feel comfortable with the liberties Trump has taken to assert his power. They are right and he is wrong. The court system will trump Trump on this accord as well. Congressional defiance is well sorted as we speak.

Climate and Planet Realities: Planet Earth provides most everything we need to survive. We can abuse these assets or preserve them. We can over use water availability and create droughts. We can drain water from some populations to benefit others. We can dirty the soil and air we breathe by dumping garbage in unhealthy ways, smogging the air with avoidable exhaust methods, and generally poison our environment if we don’t care enough. Some of these actions also change the planet’s structural integrity; think about removing too much water from subterranean sites as well as mining ore without considering consequences. Leaving spaces in Earth’s structure and unsettled fault lines making earthquakes more probable and frequent. There is much we can do to prolong Earth’s bounty and health. We need to plan for it and act responsibly. The Environmental Protection Agency is one of those government entities that does hard work for our long term benefit. Underfunding it or thwarting its professionalism bodes ill for the health of our planet as well as our own survival. Beware and be kind to the planet. She is our home.

January 12, 2026

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