Trump says he “won affordability,” frames it as a “Biden-created” problem in lieu of offering real policy to tackle it.
President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address, Tuesday, February 24, 2026, on the House floor of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)
Beneath the words “In God We Trust” etched on the wall behind him and amid the lowest ratings of his second presidency, Donald Trump delivered his annual State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol Tuesday night to a divided House floor and a polarized America.
Tightly gripping the sides of the rostrum in front of him, Trump told lie after lie sandwiched between glowing review after review of himself. Sowing as much division as he could in two hours, surpassing his prior record at the mic on the floor of the House of Representatives, Donald Trump fed a public hungry for accountability over affordability his usual menu of noting burgers. The self-proclaimed “Affordability president” said he had “won affordability,” blaming former President Joe Biden for the problem he previously labeled a Democratic “hoax.”
Outside of a shouting match with Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich) and seeing Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) escorted out of the House chamber for carrying in a sign Trump pretended to ignore that said, “Black People Aren’t Apes” in protest of Trump’s racist post at the top of Black History Month of former President and first lady Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, there was nothing new. It was the same old circuitous smoke and mirrors of the circus most people expect from the 47th president by now.
Never providing any details regarding policies designed to help Americans with rising costs or giving any remarks regarding his promise to end the war in Ukraine on day one (last year he made the claim that it was all a joke), Donald Trump managed to stand ten toes down on the dais that his only interest is in playing in our faces.
The political pugilist stays enamored in the grift of being recognized as the only one who can do it, even if he didn’t do it. Trump wants all the accolades that come with solving problems that he doesn’t solve.
Donald Trump wants so badly to be a king, a god, someone in total control of everyone and everything. And if we don’t do something soon, something quickly, Trump’s sleight of hand to treat Americans badly while trying to convince us that we’re winning when it comes to his failed economic and immigration polices is going to get more seriously and scarily out of hand.
If there are any takeaways from the political theater on display, it should be that Trump is hellbent on the takeaway: the taking away of the inalienable rights of all Americans via his diabolical and systematic dismantling of our democracy. It should be that Trump’s intent is to take as much out of our pockets and from America’s coffers as he can as he steadily works to enrich himself. And it should be that this man will stop at nothing to get exactly what he wants at any cost and by any means necessary.
Cast photo from the television program All In the Family. Back: Rob Reiner (Mike Stivic). Front, from left: Jean Stapleton (Edith Bunker), Carroll O’Connor (Archie Bunker), Sally Struthers (Gloria Bunker Stivic). Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
More than two weeks later, many of us are still shocked and remain deeply saddened over the horrific news that Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were brutally murdered inside their Brentwood, Los Angeles home on December 14.
Even more horrifying was the revelation that the unspeakable crime occurred at the hands of their son, Nick Reiner.
After Nick’s arrest for the double murder of his parents, reports soon emerged that the 32-year-old middle child of Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70, who has battled drug addiction for years, had been diagnosed with Schizophrenia years ago. It is being widely reported that the medication administered to manage Nick’s mental illness had been “changed or adjusted” not long before he killed his parents.
Nick Reiner has since been charged with two counts of murder in the first degree. His arraignment was continued until January 7, 2026.
Helping a family member or loved one navigate the ins and outs of mental illness compounded with substance addiction is a surfeit of struggle for any family, money or no money. Coming to surface are the tireless lengths The Reiner’s went through to help their son combat his mental issues and drug addiction. Multiple stays at pricey rehabilitation facilities that are said to have cost $70,000-a-month, rendering Nick at times no better than he was before and at other times much worse, shedding light on rehab facilities that increasingly fail at helping people manage their mental illness and addictions in the name of profits.
Rob Reiner co-wrote a screenplay with his son for the movie, “Being Charlie” that he also directed. The semi-autobiographical film was a collaborative effort between father and son: directed by Rob, Nick co-wrote the screenplay. The film follows the struggles of a character named Charlie (modeled after Nick) who attempts to find balance managing his heroin addiction, his bouts with homelessness, and his relationship with his family, namely his father, a gubernatorial hopeful (modeled after Rob).
Though the movie was a box office failure, Rob Reiner succeeded at gaining what he considered to be valuable insight into his son’s addiction issues. Rob noted in an interview his regret for listening to people with “diplomas on their wall” over his son instead of trusting his parental instincts. The movie functioned as a catharsis for both Nick and Rob, with Nick getting the opportunity to tell his story about what was going on inside. For Rob, the film functioned as a salve, bringing into focus a clearer yet still cloudy picture of what his son was going through in the hopes of conquering the demons Nick persistently battled that got in the way of creating the perfect Hollywood ending the famed director wanted to write for his family.
The parasocial sense of loss is astronomically strong with this tragic news. Knowing that the creative force that is Rob Reiner, that his voice for the voiceless via his political activism and advocacy has been stifled, continues to leave millions of his fans, myself included, feeling bereft. We grieve as if we’ve lost a very dear friend. We may not have known Rob Reiner. But we loved him. We loved his work. We loved the passion he exhibited every moment he was on screen and in the numerous hours he spent behind it. And we concur that it is not hyperbole to say that the world does indeed feel darker with the absence of someone who offered so many so much light.
Rob Reiner was a brilliant filmmaker who made us laugh and made us think. Beyond the huge cultural impact of his films, he appeared to be a fun, funny, loving, and compassionate man who loved his family and whose towering contributions as a creator and actor brought much joy to many of us.
The critically acclaimed filmmaker, activist, and humanitarian used his platform to advocate for LGBTQ rights and marriage equality, early childhood health and education, environmental protections, and First Amendment Rights. Rob met his wife, Michele, a film producer and photographer who most notably snapped the image of Donald Trump for the front cover of his 1987 book, The Art of the Deal, on the set of When Harry Met Sally. Their relationship inspired the director to change the ending of the film from Harry and Sally going their separate ways as friends to Harry professing his amorous feelings for Sally at a New Year’s Eve party.
In the 35 years that the late Hollywood couple were together, both were true blue in their unwavering efforts to help others through the humanitarian causes they believed in.
An outspoken critic of Donald Trump, news of the late couple’s heinous murder only added fuel to Trump’s fiery beef with the Hollywood director. The Donald’s false and demented claim on Truth Social that the late couple’s death was due to Rob suffering from TDS, Trump Derangement Syndrome, revealed the heart of the 47th President of the United States to be even smaller than that of the Grinch pre-Whoville Christmas Day carving of the roast beast.
Even podcaster Joe Rogan, who voted for Trump in 2024 and helped him win the “bro vote,” called Trump “heartless” and “crazy” for his outlandish and empathy void comments.
It should go without saying that the Reiner’s deserved to be remembered for their activism, empathy, and their love and belief in people, not demeaned and villainized for what side of the political isle they stood on.
Rob Reiner had an incredible run as a director, showcasing a catalog of movies that depicted the depth of his range in addition to the aforementioned WhenHarry Met Sally that include Stand By Me, Princess Bride, Misery, Ghosts of Mississippi, and A Few Good Men.
Reiner’s acting roles left their mark with memorable performances from Reiner giving hilarious dating advice to a hesitant widower played by Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle to playing the mystified father to Leonardo DiCaprio’s portrayal of Jordan Belfort in The Wolf ofWallstreet to a recent guest role on Season 4 of F/X’s, “The Bear.”
For me, the creme de la creme of Rob Reiner’s storied career was his Emmy-winning iconic role as the bleeding-heart liberal Michael/Mike/ “Meathead” Stivic in the groundbreaking 1970’s TV sitcom, All inthe Family. Mike’s run-ins with his bigoted father-in-law, Archie Bunker (played masterfully by Carroll O’Connor), remain indelible in my hippocampus, as does the entire run of the mega hit CBS sitcom. The entire cast of All in the Family, brilliant. The writing, deliciously mixed with funny bits that buoyed the sting of biting social commentary that make the show as culturally relevant then as it is today.
I fondly remember watching All in the Family as a kid with my family on Saturday nights. Later, the show moved to Monday nights. As an adult, it never left my watchlist. The groundbreaking sitcom is still my favorite TV show. I watch it on Tubi in the evening, and I have videos cued at the ready on YouTube to watch while lying in bed. I was a self-proclaimed super fan of the show before being a super fan was a thing.
But why All in the Family is my favorite show goes beyond shaping my funny. It’s for what it taught me about humanity. The magnificent writing intersected with how I was carefully taught by my own family, namely my mother, to have empathy and to treat all people with respect and kindness. The show brilliantly helped underpin the importance of love, understanding, and having an open mind amid the laugh out loud absurdity of Archie’s constant barrage of bigoted stereotypes and insults.
While Rob Reiner played the empathetic character of Michael to such passionate perfection, Rob Reiner’s empathy in real-life was no performance. He truly believed in the unifying idea of loving thy neighbor. By all accounts he and his wife were kind, supportive, and genuinely empathetic people who cared enough to use their platforms to advocate for others, fearlessly pushing back against fascism, bigotry, racism, and homophobia.
Rob Reiner needn’t have worried whether or not he took up space. His storytelling and spirit of unity and community via his advocacy resonated with so many of his fans around the world who feel a collective sense of loss over the devastating news. The death of a loved one is difficult any time it happens. Speaking from experience, the overwhelming sense of loss can feel extremely acute when it is sandwiched between the holidays. The violent killing of the late couple complicates the emotional impact even more so. May Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner’s family, friends, and the millions who loved them without knowing them find comfort. May their untimely deaths serve as a reminder that there is always room to take up space any way that we can in the name of helping others.
As the media tries to satisfy the public’s appetite for the latest details regarding Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner’s gruesome murder, we can take the time to remember to always find the humanity and to have compassion and understanding for one another as we continue to digest such a brutal ending to such a prolific filmmaker’s life.
Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, I can express with unapologetic joy how much I look forward to the days after the mega food holiday.
But not because of Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Because of the leftovers.
The joys of cooking, in by book, continue well after Thanksgiving. You see, I’m one of those people who loves to cook all the live long day from scratch. And I love everything about the entire process of cooking from scratch: the shop, the prep, the cooking, and even the cleanup (I love the soothing mise en place of it all, knowing that everything is rightfully back in its place.)
What I love just as much as cooking food is eating the food that I cook. And that includes the leftovers. After putting all of that love into what I just cooked for myself and for my family, I do my best to minimize how much of it goes to waste.
Eating leftovers after Thanksgiving is always the highlight of my busy food year. I can’t say enough how much I love, love, LOVE sweet potato pie. (Sorry, not sorry to pumpkin pie!) One of my favorite food things, I hold dear delicious memories of eating my mother’s sweet potato pie every Thanksgiving as a kid. I remember thinking so many times between delectable bites that hers had to be the best sweet potato pie in the whole wide world.
Because I seldom eat sweet potato pie during the year, I look forward to having a warm slice of it, or two, with a generous dollop of whipped cream after my big meal, even more than I look forward to watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the National Dog Show. (A big CONGRATS to thisyear’s winner, Soleil, the elegantly beautiful Belgian Sheepdog!)
Later on, I rejoice, knowing I will wake up the next day to savor another piece of luscious sweet potato pie, or two, for breakfast. Whipped cream at the ready.
The homemade stuffing I make using masa instead of cornmeal, giving it a delicate, silky mouthfeel, and collard greens with smoked turkey are always waiting on deck as tasty chasers soon after the pie.
I happily eat holiday leftovers as is. But to spice things up, I do more than just settle for making turkey sandwiches.
One of the first dishes on my holiday leftovers menu: a huge pot of turkey enchilada soup, an easy detour from the chicken enchilada soup I prepare pretty frequently. Making soup is a great way to use up a good portion of turkey meat. I normally use the breast meat, but meat from the thighs works just fine. Sometimes both end up in the soup. So does the flavorful stock that I make from the turkey carcass, with plenty left over that I store in the freezer for later use.
Some of my other go-to meals after Thanksgiving are turkey fried rice, turkey pot pie, and turkey enchiladas, each meal again offering an easy protein swap for meals that I regularly make and eat.
Leftovers aren’t any less flavorful, despite what some might think. More often than not, leftovers are even more delicious the second time around. Or third. Or fourth.
It’s unfortunate that so much of the food we eat, including leftovers, goes to waste.
According to a recent segment on CBS Sunday Morning about leftovers, approximately 320 million pounds of food was wasted this Thanksgiving. This shockingly high number equates to 267 million meals that could have been given to people who really needed it.
Think about that.
Think about how many hungry people right here in America we could feed, not only on Thanksgiving Day but every day from the tons of food we throw away without a second thought.
Among those featured in the segment were Chris Morocco, food director of Bon Appetit and Epicurious. Morocco loves leftovers for the same reasons as I do: For the magic of it. For the transformation. For the satisfaction of making something out of nothing. Cooking has always felt magical to me, from watching my mother cook with wide-eyed amazement as a young girl to working my magic in the kitchen cooking for my own family.
For those of us with refrigerators as stuffed as our bellies from all of the food, glorious food left over from our Thanksgiving feasts, there is a very important reminder regarding how long leftovers should be kept in the fridge. In these inflationary times with affordability high on the menu, that old saying “Waste not, want not” couldn’t be more timely.
Affordability is not a “hoax” nor is it a “con job.” Prices keep rising. People are hurting. For some, the possibility of having to stretch leftovers for as long as possible to ensure food is on the table is not a stretch of the imagination by any means.
That being said, hip-hop artist Piles was right. There is an expiration on leftovers.
According to the CDC and the USDA, the guideline for leftovers is to consume food within three-to-four-days after storing them in the refrigerator. You can also freeze your leftovers for up to four months. Your homemade stock, too. Just be sure to use clean, air-tight containers to keep your food as fresh as possible to prevent contamination.
The simple act of not throwing away our leftovers can only serve to serve us all well. Whether we reheat them to stretch a meal, create tasty new dishes, rehash old food memories while whipping up new ones, or donate them so that others can eat, there is always a place for leftovers at the table.
