Summer's scorching heat beats us over the head, taking history's wheel backward.

A sad end to a storied dynasty, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — need I say more?

Oh, and slavery teaches new skills, says Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Take Texas and Alabama, now defying federal law.

Truculent Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott refuses the Justice Department's order to remove a water barrier from the Rio Grande, a drowning hazard for those seeking to cross. "See you in court, Mr. President," Abbott stated.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey says "no" to a Supreme Court order to draw a second majority Black House district in the state.

Hello, Texas and Alabama? The Civil War settled the federal-government-versus-the-states case, with blood and surrender. No state has rights over the federal government; all are bound by laws of the land. Just a fact, ma'am.

They were on the wrong side of history. Slave states of the Confederacy, that kind of ruins your reputation for a while.

So why wake ghosts of yesteryear, like "state sovereignty"? It gives me a summer heat headache. The young Abraham Lincoln opposed admitting Texas into the Union in the first place.

An even larger problem looms over us: "the former president," as they say on cable news. Donald Trump deserves no such deference after the first reference.

President Biden is often called "Joe Biden," without the courtesy of "president," even as the current one.

Yes, the media tiptoes around the Trump tiger. The press spins the narrative that he's the presumptive nominee for the 2024 Republican primary.

But this election is not business as usual.

The public and press might ponder whether Trump should be held without bail, given his veiled threats of more political violence yet to come. We are at an extraordinary crossroads.

The man just announced a third indictment! While not official yet, it's likely for inciting a mob to storm the Capitol and undo the peaceful transfer of power on Jan. 6, 2021.

That throng (bearing bear spray) of thousands answered Trump's call to come to Washington — "will be wild!"

You hear "insurrection" on the airwaves and social media. Clearly it was a conspiracy by a loser desperate to stay in power.

The scariest thing was that it came close to overthrowing the people's house and temple. Lawmakers inside the Capitol were in grave danger. So were the police officers defending them, some of whom died.

That's not long ago, in history time. What's come to light since is the FBI failed to detect or warn about the breach of the Capitol, a major intelligence failure. The attack came as no surprise to those who monitor white supremacy groups.

The FBI has famously been on the Republican side of law and order, with J. Edgar Hoover at the helm for 50 years.

Director James Comey, a Republican named by former President Barack Obama, took an aggressive stance against Hillary Clinton — twice — even after email investigations cleared her in 2016.

House Republicans are flipping the script. They accuse the FBI and law enforcement of being biased against conservatives, even staging a secret role in the Capitol attack.

As Director Christopher Wray, a Republican, responded, that's "somewhat insane."

That describes the mad House, tempers running high. Republicans in Congress bait the Pentagon, too. Usually the military bastion is impregnable, but it's under fire for tolerant gender and reproductive care. Yes, that's right — or wrong.

Five minutes ago, Ukraine was considered too corrupt to join NATO. Now it's nearly in as we lead the alliance in arming its war against Russia.

Remember when the Supreme Court was a beacon for social progress? Now the John Roberts court rules against everyday Americans who are not white, wealthy, straight men.

Since its birth in 1948, Israel was our best friend in a tough neighborhood. Now it's in crisis as people flood the road to Jerusalem, protesting the government's turn to the right.

The pink Barbie craze is electrifying, a doll uniting more women than Clinton's candidacy as the first woman president.

Finally, Robert Oppenheimer, father of the atomic bomb. Very nice. Is he a tragic hero or the bringer to the brink of mankind's madness?

You tell me.

Jamie Stiehm may be reached at JamieStiehm.com. Follow her on Twitter @JamieStiehm. To find out more about Jamie Stiehm and other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit Creators.com.

Photo credit: Unseen Histories at Unsplash