It is strange to still hear about political “firsts” in 2017. The immediate reaction is often, “How did it take this long for [fill-in-the-blank] to happen?” Last month’s elections created about half-a-dozen significant political firsts in municipal and statewide elections that ranged from totally unexpected to “Wait, …

A Portland, Ore., man is giving me a particular type of joy after breaking down crying and expressing his heartfelt “regret” after being charged with a hate crime earlier this week for allegedly hurling slurs and intimidating a black Muslim couple.