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Editor's Note: I began listening to baseball when I was five years old on the radio ... there was no television at that time. Being an only child, I went to New York Giants baseball games at the Polo Grounds in the borough of The Bronx with my father regularly. We continued to listen to games if we didn't have a seat in the stands. When I moved to San Francisco in the '60s friends said they knew why I was going there ... to follow my team. Now after many years back East, I am again in the Bay Area and watching Opening Day for the SF Giants on television; we'll be attending some games at the newly named Oracle Park this season. Morris “Moe” Berg (1902-1972) was an American catcher in Major League Baseball from 1926-1939. He later became a spy for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. more »

More than 160 conservation groups sent a letter to US senators urging them to oppose the nomination of fossil fuel lobbyist David Bernhardt as Interior secretary, citing his efforts to enrich corporations at the expense of the environment. Bernhardt's confirmation hearing is set for Thursday before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. “He consistently puts private profit above the public interest, crafting policies to benefit past clients and rolling back longstanding rules to protect habitat, imperiled species and public health. “David Bernhardt’s conflicts of interest, industry ties and questionable judgment make him ill-suited to lead the Department, and his confirmation would place our most cherished natural and cultural resources at even greater risk.” more »

There is no single source of data on political appointees serving in the executive branch that is publicly available, comprehensive, and timely. Political appointees make or advocate policy for a presidential administration or support those positions. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and two nongovernmental organizations collect, and in some cases, report data on political appointees, but the data are incomplete. For example, the data did not include information on political appointee positions within the Executive Office of the President. The White House Office of Presidential Personnel (PPO) maintains data but does not make them publicly available. more »

Thousands of years before books were contained within a hand-held technological tablet or phone, there were cuneiform tablets no bigger than the size of a quarter. On view through May 19, 2019 at the Grolier Club, New York City, are 275 rare diminutive texts and bindings. A collector of miniature books for over thirty years, Pistner’s love for very small tomes began at the age of seven when she began “publishing” tiny books for her first doll’s house. The exhibition represents the history of the book in miniature form.  more »