Verses from stories in today's New York Times -- Government Loophole Gave Oil Companies an $18 Billion Windfall -- The Student Vote Is Surging. So Are Efforts to Suppress It. -- Trump Administration Moves to Lift Protections from Delta Smelt and Divert Water to Farms

Drilling an oil well is tricky.

In government waters it's sticky;

so no royalty

is charged, naturally --

in these things you can't be nitpicky.

@HirokoTabuchi

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Republicans are leery of the college student vote;

they usually vote Democrat, which really gets their goat.

And so those sly Republicans are making it too hard

for busy students to depart away from their schoolyard.

It's easier for soldiers who are fighting in Iraq

to vote in an election than for kids with a backpack.

@miwine

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The delta smelt no longer is endangered anymore.

It now is self sufficient and had better learn to roar.

The water that it lives in is now needed to baptize

the orchards of nut farmers for our almond milk supplies.

So if you are a delta smelt and want to keep on living,

I'd recommend to lobbyists a lot of money giving.

@CoralMDavenport