Glenn Kirschner – Trump lashes out at Jack Smith’s understanding of the law. Here’s why Trump is yelling into the void
PoliticsGirl – What we can Learn from the Titan Sub Tragedy
The Lincoln Project – Same Case
Randy Rainbow for President! (2023-2024 Tour Announcement)
Cat Hides From Her Foster Mom For A Year — Then She Does This
Beau – Let’s talk about Biden, the rails, and sick days….
Yesterday, I overslept – slept through my alarm, I think, although I haven’t yet checked to make sure I actually set it to come on; it took me a whle to set it to the time I wanted because the clock zeroed out. It does that sometimes, which is annoying, but it keeps good time otherwise, and it really doesn’t take long to set, especially considering how many functions it has. I did manage to arrive just at the time I had said I would, but a lot of things I normally do were not done. I did greet Virgil for everyone here, as well as for my frosted sister in Florida, who dropped me an email to letmeknow that hew new hurricane windows, ordered in August, which arrived in October, were finally installed, and that her daughter had done some interior painting for her. (My response to her had included my taking offense on her behalf about the water being slandered, and she replied to that with some highly negative evaluation of her governor, along with a greeting for Virgil.) Of course he returns all greetings with appreciation. They have not yet replaced their lone deck of cards, but I found a Scrabble set, and that’s something we can play (we would both prefer UpWords, but they don’t have that.) We had to be told that visitation was over – and that’s a good thing. So it’s going to be Scrabble unless their game inventory changes.
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The Daily Beast – Kids Do Better In Schools With Teachers Unions
Quote – Research shows that teachers unions are positively associated with student achievement. Researchers Eunice Han and Jeffrey Keefe found that this effect is particularly strong for Hispanic and Black students. And economists Eric Brunner, Joshua Hyman, and Andrew Ju have found that districts with strong teachers unions increased spending on public education, which leads to larger increases in student achievement.
Click through for story. Just off the top of my head, I can think of many reasons why this would be so, and very few why it might not. (Customers aldo do better when dealing with businesses whose workers have unions. CEOs may not get quite such huge bonuses, though.)
Robert Reich – Psst! An urgent message for Jerome Powell
Quote – You and your colleagues on the Fed’s Open Market Committee are considering pushing interest rates much higher in your quest to get inflation down to your target of 2 percent. You believe higher interest rates will reduce consumer spending and slow the economy. With due respect, sir, this is unnecessary, and it would be unjust. Over the past year, you’ve raised interest rates at the fastest pace since the 1980s, from near zero to more than 4.5 percent. But consumer spending isn’t slowing. It fell slightly in November and December but jumped 1.8 percent in January, even faster than inflation.
Click through for full opinion – yes, opinion, but 100% fact based. After the shellacking Elizabeth Warren gave to Powell in committee (it was in a video thread here) perhaps this shouldn’t be necessary. But it probably is.
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – DOJ will resist Jim Jordan’s subpoenas prying into criminal investigation of the insurrection
Robert Reich – The Republican Party’s Worst Nightmare
Farron Balanced – Trump Blames Evangelical ‘Disloyalty’ For All Of His Problems
Armageddon Update – Biden Did It Too! (I can’t wait to tell Virgil that Joe owns a pristine ’67 Corvette.)
Husky Becomes Obsessed With Man Living On The Street In Paris- (different rescue story)
Beau – Let’s talk about “just asking questions”….
Glenn Kirschner – Georgia DA Fani Willis takes important next step toward indicting Donald Trump for election crimes
The Lincoln Project – Presidential Citizens Medal Ceremony
MSNBC – Supreme Court hears case threatening workers’ rights
Farron Balanced – George Santos Paid Someone To Impersonate A Kevin McCarthy Staffer To Swindle Donors
Senior Pittie Gives Birth In Foster Mom’s Hand
Beau – Let’s talk about 2 years, Trump’s lawsuit, and medals….
Yesterday, to be honest, I concentrated on getting posts ready for today, tomorrow, and Monday – which means all three days will contain a lot of fluff.That’s probably fine – this is supposed to be a season of peace. If something horrendous (or stupendous) breaks, I’ll squeeze it in somehow. But I’ll be content if it ddoesn’t.
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Common Dreams – Record Number of US Cities, Counties, and States to Raise Minimum Wage in 2023
Quote – By the end of 2023, additional increases are planned in five states and 22 localities—with 21 reaching or topping $15 an hour—bringing the total for next year to 86: 27 states and 59 cities and counties, says the report, Raises From Coast to Coast in 2023. The totals take into account that multiple increases are planned in Michigan and four local jurisdictions. “The raises we are seeing are a true testament to the power of organizing,” said Yannet Lathrop, senior researcher and policy analyst at NELP, in a statement. “These raises were achieved in a variety of ways, from ballot initiatives to statehouses to workers making their demands to employers directly.”
Click through for details. At least it is something.
The Grio – McClellan wins Democratic nomination for Virginia US House seat
Quote – McClellan won the nomination with 23,661 votes in Tuesday’s firehouse primary over [State] Sen. Joe Morrissey, who netted just 3,782, and two other candidates. She will be the overwhelming favorite in the heavily Democratic 4th Congressional District when a special election is held Feb. 21.
Click through. The special election is February 21. No, this wouldn’t give us the House. But it couldn’t hirt.
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – January 6 committee debates criminal referrals for Trump, Meadows, Eastman, Clark and Giuliani
Robert Reich – UC Workers in Richest State in Richest Country Strike For Living Wages
MSNBC – Russia Providing ‘Unprecedented’ Support To Iran, Biden Administration Says
Mrs Betty Bowers – The War on Christmas 2022
This Little Kitten Cannot Miss Out On An Adventure With Her Pittie Brother
Beau – Let’s talk about the Committee’s referrals….
Yesterday, I visited Virgil – I passed all greetings on to him, and he returns them all. The deck of cards was in use when I got there, but tat visitor left after a while and I acarfed them up. I got home safely ithout incident … but without a whole lot of energy. So I’m being brief.
Cartoon 05 Charlemagne loaded
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Robert Reich – The one thing you need to know about the railroads
Quote – Let me be clear. A strike and shutdown of the nation’s railroads would be terrible for the economy. It would worsen inflation. But legislation effectively prohibiting a strike would impose unfair working conditions on employees in one of the most profitable industries in America — further tilting the nation’s economic imbalance toward large corporations and Wall Street, and against working people. Here, a concentrated industry has gained record profits by understaffing — squeezing its workers to the breaking point. Prodded by Wall Street, the big rail companies have intentionally gutted their own spare capacity.
Click through for full opinion. Well, it’s done now. I do hope it comes back to bite railroad owners and executives. It would be nice if it were to happen in some way that doesnt hurt all the American people. But I don’t know whether that’s possible.
HuffPost – Three Ways The New Primary Calendar Could Change The Nominating Process
Quote – The proposed changes come from President Joe Biden, although they have the support of a large chorus of party leaders, activists and officials — all of whom have grown frustrated with the outsized influence of Iowa and New Hampshire, which have traditionally gone first and second. Under the plan, South Carolina would go first, replacing Iowa. New Hampshire would still have its primary one week later, but it would share its day with Nevada. Two larger states, Georgia and then Michigan, would be next.
Click through for more specifics. If you read down on why this is desired, you will see one word – diversity. I hope it goes through in all the states.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/epz7ej/is-cocaine-bear-really-based-on-a-true-story
Vice – Is ‘Cocaine Bear’ Really Based on a True Story?
Quote – The upcoming Cocaine Bear movie does what it says on the tin: it’s all about a bear getting high on cocaine. [NSFW]
Click through for more. Apparently the short answer is yes. Poor thing.
Food For Thought
Yesterday, I got an email from Adam Frisch concerning the mandatory recount. In it, he cast some serious shade at the Republican PArty which would (if they had any shame) leave a mark (but they don’t.) Just one paragraph:
While I am fully supportive of the recount process, based on the history of Colorado recounts, I could not, in good faith, perpetuate false hope that there is a good chance of the recount changing the outcome of this election. That is why on November 18th, I publicly conceded this race to my opponent. When I launched this campaign, I promised to run this race with integrity because that is who I am. I could not look people in the eye and raise money when the votes were already cast, ballots cured, and the final election results were in the hands of Colorado’s competent Secretary of State – and no amount of money could change them.
I also received a grocery order. The weather was windy, and will be today, so I was glad I hadn’t put the carts out – it doesn’t take much to knock them over or sling them around, and I didn’t have enough in them to stabiize them.
Finally, Joyce Vance put out a quick newsletter to discuss the combination alsp in the face and kick in the gron which was the 11th Circuit’s response to Trimp** and Ailees Cannon. One short quote: “Trump’s “task was to show why he needed the documents, not why the government did not.'” Well, gee – surely they didn’t expect that he would tell the truth, that he wanted them to seel to the highsest bidders?
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Colorado Public Radio – The mother of the Club Q shooting suspect was arrested and charged the morning of the shooting
Quote – Laura Lea Voepel, 45, was charged with a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest and a petty charge of disorderly conduct by Colorado Springs Police between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. on Nov. 20, according to court documents. Records show she was arrested on North Union Boulevard for making “unreasonable noise” near a private residence just hours after the shooting at Club Q…. Police records say Voepel used physical force and violence against officers during her arrest. Further details are unavailable at this time.
Click through if you like. There’s not much more detail, though there is a link to an earlier incident. File this under “Tha apple doesn’t fall far…” (Unless you prefer the NSFW version.)
HuffPost – House Votes To Impose Union Contract With Paid Sick Leave To Avoid Rail Strike
Quote – The measure now heads to the Senate where a vote is expected in the coming days…. The House also approved a resolution that would give rail workers seven paid sick days per year, but that separate measure seems unlikely to make it through the Senate and to President Joe Biden’s desk.
Click through for more. IThe House is somewhat between a rock and a hard place here. If we could run this by the current House and next year’s Senate,we might get it through (with the extra seat in the Senate we might be able to dodge the filibuster.) But there isn’t the time for thaat, even if it were legally possible. The best we can do is make it clear that cutting the sick leave is not the work of the Democrats. And, if the cartoons I’m seeing are any indication, that fact may be met with disbelief anyway. (Update – Looks like the Senate did vote testerday and killed the sick leave.)
Food For Thought
