We’re not going to badmouth Queen Elizabeth II. She was a graceful, determined leader who served her people admirably for eight decades, going all the way back to World War II. We express our deepest condolences to the British, Bahamian, Jamaican, Belizean, Kittitian, New Zealander, Nevisian, Canadian, Solomon Islander, Australian, and at least 10 other demonyms for people living under her reign in various other commonwealth realms and British territorial possessions.

We enjoy covering international politics. Insight into what’s going on elsewhere in the worldwide fight against fascism, racism, and corruption is important. What happens in the UK, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere certainly has implications for our readership who call those countries home, and it affects us here too, even if that may not always be on our radar.

But the British Royal family is not politics. It’s monarchy. This is over and done with for our purposes. We’ve said what we’re going to say about Elizabeth II already and – unless it’s something really wacky or outrageous we can relate to – we’re finished covering the passing of a 96 year old woman, much as we respected and liked her for who she was and the work she did.

We’re Americans. Our Queen is democracy. She lives for now, but she is threatened everywhere, not just here, and we’re not going to ask for forgiveness for keeping our focus on every minute change in her condition while the other guys do wall-to-wall coverage of the freaking 17-day mourning period for Elizabeth in Britain and elsewhere. We want to know and we want you to know more about Liz Truss than Liz the Queen as Truss takes over. Or this Pierre Poilievre asshole making gains among the Canadian Conservatives. And most importantly, what’s happening right here, under the unblinking eyes of our green queen in New York harbor.