Glenn Kirschner – Women rise up in Iran, fighting governmental oppression. Their struggle is our struggle.
Meidas Touch – Putin STOOGE Tucker Carlson spreads RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA, blames US for attack on Russian TV
The Lincoln Project – Ginni Smile
MSNBC – ‘This Is The Big One’: Oath Keepers Trial To Set The Tone For Jan. 6 Cases
Shirley Serban – TOP SECRET Trump Parody Song
Beau – Let’s talk about the Cherokee and the Treaty of New Echota….
Yesterday, I was hoping for a sort of calm day – but no such luck. I found out Virgil has been moved again, and did not reach anyone to confirm whether I may visit Sunday (I sent an email, and receuived an automated out-of-office message after 5 pm.) So I’ll need to follow up on that today. We shall see. I worked off some of the frustration by rearranging a couple of small tables,which doesn’t sound like a lot of exertion – but was for me. (one was heavier than it looks.)
Cartoon – (Yes, there’s an offensive term here – but TC’s point was tha Republicans ARE offensive.
Short Takes –
Mother Jones – An Obscure Law Is Sending Oklahoma Mothers to Prison in Droves. We Reviewed 1.5 Million Cases to Learn More.
Quote – In Oklahoma, failure to protect is the only child abuse charge levied predominantly against women, and it is disproportionately charged against women of color. People charged with the crime there are less likely to have a previous felony record than defendants in firsthand child abuse cases—a sign of just how much more dangerous abusers are than those accused of failing to stand in the way of their abuse. Since 2009, when the latest version of the state’s law went into effect, at least 139 women have been imprisoned solely for failure-to-protect charges. At least 55 are still incarcerated.
Click through for details. Actual failure to protect arguably should be punishable. But the way this law is administered appears to me to be proof that, like abortion bans, the law is not about protection of chilren but rather is a tool to control women.
Crooks and Liars – Bannon Goes There: ‘Deep State May Try To Assassinate Trump’
Quote – Steve Bannon … joined the odious Sandy Hook denier Alex Jones’ BannedVideo podcast to “announce” that the deep state may want to try to assassinate Trump. “I do not think it’s beyond this administrative state and their Deep State apparatus to actually try to work on the assassination of President Trump. I think everything’s on the table. I think his security ought to be at the highest it’s ever been,” Bannon said
Click through for story. My instant reaction is “He’s become a liability, so they are going to assassinate him to start a Civil War.” And I didn’t have to go far down the comments before finding another person with a similar thought. So I actally agree with Steve on the security.
Bonus – Mother Jones has the actual warrant here
Food For Thought
Yesterday, reading my emails, I gathered that monsoon season is starting. As weird as it sounds, including to me, it is possible to have a monsoon season in an area which is essentially high desert. And if and when we have one, mid-August to mid-September is when it happens. Of course it wouldn’t be a monsoon season without flooding, and a new underpass on I-70 in the northeastern part of Denver flooded Sunday, confounding traffic. Northeastern Denver is exactly where the faciity is that Virgil is in, and a very short stretch of I-70 is part of the way to get there. It really is a very short stretch, like two exits (maybe half a mile), and I’m pretty sure there are no underpasses in it, but it still got my attention. New Mexico is experiencing monsoons too. Unfortunately, nowhere near enough of this flooding is going into the reservoirs and rivers where we so badly need it.
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
The 19th – Kamala Harris made history — so her husband did, too
Quote – Emhoff is the first second gentleman to the first woman vice president, and for him, tackling gender inequality in ways big and small felt like a natural, and critical, component of creating this role. He is actively attempting to model for others what it means to be an ally in actions, not just words. “I found where I can really make a difference is just trying to use my voice to lift women in leadership up,” Emhoff said.
Click through for this lovely story. At a time when gender equity is under threat in ways we never imagined, lovely stories are welcome. And needed.
The Daily Beast – Brian Kemp Slams Stacey Abrams for Something She Didn’t Do—but He Did
Qute – Kemp and his campaign have recently reupped false attacks on Democratic rival Stacey Abrams, accusing her, erroneously, of promoting a 2021 Major League Baseball boycott in Georgia as a means to pressure conservatives into repealing the new voting law Georgia passed in April 2021. While Abrams did not encourage that boycott—and, in fact, publicly discouraged it—Kemp himself personally called on Georgians to boycott companies when it suited his political agenda, and asked state legislators to take punitive economic action against Georgia-based Delta Airlines over ideological differences.
Click through for details. “From the sublime to the ridiculous” in today;’s short takes.
Food For Thought
Yesterday,I slept in again, due to shoulder issues again, although, because I resomved them a couple of hours earlier than the night before, I also got more sleep than the night before. Hopefyllu I have figures out the frmula and can resolve them earlier still while they last. I al assuing they are arthritis, and arthritis (and sciatica) hae a habit of coming in flare-ups and gong away again after 2-6 weeks, depending. That doesn’t mean they won’t ever come back, but – touching wood – after my knee flareup in February 2020 (which was agonizing), that knee has been fine ever since – unlike some other body parts I could mention. So there can be good long periosof no to minimal pain also.
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
Project on Government Oversight – How to Protect Yourself from Surveillance While Seeking Reproductive Health Care
Quote – Living under an abortion ban in 2022 will not be similar to 1972, before Roe v. Wade. Due to the massive surveillance powers the government now possesses, the consequences of the ban could be much more draconian. Law enforcement not only has powerful tools to monitor individuals, but can capture a stream of sensitive data we produce in our daily lives, often without us realizing it’s happening. And investigating individuals for prohibited abortions will likely direct the government’s immense surveillance powers at the most intimate medical, familial, and sexual details of people’s lives.
Click through for other aspects. I know a lot of readers here will never be pregnant – I won’t myself. But, in addition to at least some of us having people in our lives we care about whoo could, I found reading this made me think about other things I tend to take for granted. You may also.
PolitiZoom – Trump Tops Pumpkin Pie, Kardashians as “worst thing to come from US” In British Poll.
Quote – In a poll of 2,000 Brits conducted by Lottoland.co.uk who are pushing their own lousy U.S. exports, Powerball and Megamillions on an unsuspecting British Public, TFG walked away with the title of “worst thing to come out out of America” handily topping gun culture, the Kardashians and American Football.
Click through for details. Yes, this is fluff Bu it’s cool fluff.
Science alert – The Human Heart Can Repair Itself, And We Now Know Which Cells Are Crucial For It
Quote – Key to the study was the discovery of the role played by macrophages, specialist cells that can destroy bacteria or initiate helpful inflammation responses. As the first responders on a scene after a heart attack, these macrophages produce a particular type of protein called VEGFC, the researchers report. “We found that macrophages, or immune cells that rush to the heart after a heart attack to ‘eat’ damaged or dead tissue, also induce vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGFC) that triggers the formation of new lymphatic vessels and promotes healing,” says pathologist Edward Thorp from Northwestern University in Illinois.
Click through for full info. There’s nothing here that makes any recommendations for current patients – but it’s hopeful that such recommendations may come as we understand more.
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – Federal prosecutors open grand jury probe into Trump’s removal of top secret docs to Mar-a-Lago
The Lincoln Project – Thank you, Jen.
MSNBC – America ‘Needs To Prepare For’ Insider Threats To Elections
Twitter – CNN – White supremacist terrorism
“It’s really important to examine how the media talks about white shooters,” @marascampo says. “There are some predictable patterns. First, there’s almost always this presumption of mental illness that absolves the shooter for any personal responsibility.” Watch the rest pic.twitter.com/0uXWfE7l5i
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 15, 2022
Politics Girl – Quick Civics
Food-Obsessed Cat Has Taught Himself To Open Containers With His Teeth
Beau – Let’s talk about a cliff analogy….
Glenn Kirschner – With Supreme Court misconduct from Thomas to Alito, Congress must hold hearings/impeachment inquiry
Meidas Touch – Texas Paul REACTS to Texas Governor Costing State Billions
MSNBC – Attorney Reacts To Judge Approving Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Re-Election Bid
Robert Reich – Why Republicans are NOT the Party of Freedom
VoteVets – Pete Buttigieg Perfectly Articulates Republican Behavior In 2 Minutes
SNL – Roe v Wade Cold Open
Beau – Let’s talk about why the democrats didn’t codify….
Yesterday, I received the first “gift link” I have ever seen from the Washington Post. (I’ve seen several from the New York Times, and I knew the Post had them too, but had not seen one until now.) It was sent by my cousin in California, who must really have my number. I’ll include it in tomorrow’s short takes, because I agree the story is worthy. And, even better, my new driver’s license arrived. I had verified that the temporary one would be acceptable if it didn’t, but I’m still thrilled to get it in time for tomorrow.(Of course I immediately scanned it and put the scans in my “Credentials” folder. And a copy on my laptop.)
Cartoon
Short Takes –
Democratic Underground (Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin) – Ammon Bundy headed to jail after Idaho judge says he ‘consistently’ defied orders
Quote – The gubernatorial candidate was found guilty of being in contempt of court Thursday after he refused to complete 40 hours of community service related to a July 2021 conviction. Bundy had argued that the stops made during his gubernatorial campaign satisfy his court-mandated community service. Ada County Magistrate Judge Annie McDevitt sentenced Bundy to 10 days in jail along with a $3,000 fine. He was immediately handcuffed and taken to the Ada County Jail on Thursday.
Click through for a little more (including the judge’s chewing out.) This is cited as being from the Idaho Statesman, but only provided a link to Yahoo! News Yeah, ten days is not enough, but it is something.
‘Leaving victims with the bill’: Sexual assault survivors are often charged hundreds of dollars for rape kits
Quote – The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) — reauthorized last month as part of Congress’ omnibus spending bill — requires states to bear full out-of-pocket costs of forensic medical exams to receive federal funds for law enforcement agencies, courts and victim services. Even if victims are fully reimbursed later, states that allow hospitals to charge patients are still violating the requirements laid out for them by the Justice Department to access those funds.
Click through for story. This is not a case of “There oughta be a law.” There IS a law (lapsed for a time, but back again) and it’s being regularly flouted.
The Daily Beast – Two COVID Variants Just Combined Into a ‘Frankenstein’ Virus
Quote – The first subvariant of Omicron, the latest major variant of the novel coronavirus, was bad. BA.1 drove record cases and hospitalizations in many countries starting last fall. The second subvariant, BA.2, was worse in some countries—setting new records for daily cases across China and parts of Europe. Now BA.1 and BA.2 have combined to create a third subvariant. XE, as it’s known, is a “recombinant”—the product of two viruses interacting “Frankenstein”-style in a single host.
Click through for details. I am not a scientist, but do you have to be one to suspect this could have been avoided had the world been taking the pandemic seriously?
Food For Thought:
Glenn Kirschner – Interview with Steven Van Zandt: Rock & Roll Legend AND Justice & Equality Warrior (Part 1)
Lincoln Project – Uh Oh, Donald
Thom Hartmann – Is America’s Militia Problem Growing?
Rebel HQ – Trump Accountant Throws Him Under The Bus
Ring of Fire – Trump’s Candidate Is Failing Miserably In Georgia’s Governor Race
Rocky Mountain Mike – See Karen Whine
Beau – Let’s talk about arbitration, women, and labor….