Donald Trump has lost his legal team a week before his impeachment trial in the Senate. According to CNN, the lawyers left when Trump insisted his defense should be re-litigating the "big lie" that he won the election rather than on constitutional grounds. This isn't really surprising. It was clear this is what would happen. Now that it looks 99.99% certain that Senate … [Read more...] about Trump loses his impeachment legal defense team
Top Trump donor funded rally that preceded U.S. Capitol riot – WSJ
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -An heiress to the Publix Super Markets chain donated about $300,000 to fund a rally that preceded the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol this month by supporters of former President Donald Trump, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. The Journal said the funding from Julie Jenkins Fancelli, a prominent donor to Trump's 2020 campaign, was … [Read more...] about Top Trump donor funded rally that preceded U.S. Capitol riot – WSJ
Getting the COVID Vaccine ‘Deep Down in Texas’
Many of us “Group 1B seniors” ("down in Texas," 65 or over), and especially those in “higher risk” categories have been struggling for weeks to “pre-register” with Austin Public Health in order to – “eventually” – receive an appointment to get the first dose of the coveted COVID-19 vaccine. The process has not been “pretty.” One hears horror stories of seniors hammering … [Read more...] about Getting the COVID Vaccine ‘Deep Down in Texas’
REPUBLICANON PARTY (Cartoon)
Biden says action on COVID-19 stimulus needed ‘now’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday that Congress needs to take immediate action on his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief proposal, adding that most economists believe additional economic stimulus is needed. "We have to act now," Biden told reporters at the White House. "There is an overwhelming consensus among economists ... that this is a unique moment … [Read more...] about Biden says action on COVID-19 stimulus needed ‘now’
Russia moves to isolate Navalny allies, shut part of central Moscow ahead of protests
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian court ordered on Friday that the brother and several allies of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny be put under house arrest while Moscow police said they would close metro stations and streets near the Kremlin ahead of planned protests. The court rulings are part of a crackdown targeting Navalny's allies after tens of thousands of people joined … [Read more...] about Russia moves to isolate Navalny allies, shut part of central Moscow ahead of protests
Green hell: Taking the jungle trek to Colombia’s ‘Lost City’
The route from the mountain village of Machete Pelao to the Ciudad Perdida - the Lost City - is a four-day hike through dense jungle. Early treasure hunters who fought their way to the site, Teyuna, the ancient Tayrona city in the Sierra Nevada, cursed it as a "green hell" beset with snakes, mosquitoes carrying Yellow Fever, scorpions and jaguars. It's only around 25 kilometres … [Read more...] about Green hell: Taking the jungle trek to Colombia’s ‘Lost City’
Biden talks the talk in first 10 days — but can he deliver?
Washington (AFP) - Normal is the new extraordinary under President Joe Biden. "It's been a busy week," he said in the Oval Office on Thursday. Biden was referring to the cascade of executive orders he has signed since taking power on January 20, overturning rules enacted by Donald Trump on everything from immigration to health care. But Biden's most dramatic achievement in 10 … [Read more...] about Biden talks the talk in first 10 days — but can he deliver?
North America’s largest cemetery struggles to cope with COVID deaths
WHITTIER, Calif. (Reuters) - Rose Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary in Whittier, California, may be the biggest cemetery in North America but the 1,400-acre park is struggling to cope with the number of bodies awaiting funeral services due to an increase in COVID-19 deaths. Despite the numerous facilities at Rose Hills, there is about a month's delay before families can receive … [Read more...] about North America’s largest cemetery struggles to cope with COVID deaths
Is MAGA A Death Cult? If Trump’s Jonestown-Like Followers Drink The Kool-Aid, Who Gets Hurt?
Fittingly, it was the CBS comedian Stephen Colbert who first suggested that MAGA is a death cult. And Colbert made that fateful prediction seven full days before election day in 2020. “Alright children of MAGA: Put on your Nikes, fill your thermos with Kool-Aid and go vote,” Colbert opined on October 27, 2020. “Then, I promise, we all board the spaceships to the comet. … [Read more...] about Is MAGA A Death Cult? If Trump’s Jonestown-Like Followers Drink The Kool-Aid, Who Gets Hurt?
Mike Pence Is Not ‘Homeless’ In Indiana, He Is Vacationing In St. Croix
ST. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands — The now-former vice president could have gone anywhere. But to get away and just feel safe, Mike Pence — who left office eight days ago — chose St. Croix. News that the 2016 and 2020 running mate of Donald Trump was in the territory came less than a day after MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough said Pence is “in fear for his life.” Pence and his … [Read more...] about Mike Pence Is Not ‘Homeless’ In Indiana, He Is Vacationing In St. Croix
THERE IS HOPE
After a year like 2020 it is very easy to think that the world is going to hell in a hand basket. The pandemic, the very contentious presidential election, various events provoking protests and riots, natural disasters, Brexit and other troubling events from out in the world, and the media coverage of all these events can easily lead to the conclusion that every thing in the … [Read more...] about THERE IS HOPE
Death threats and intimidation of public officials signal Trump’s autocratic legacy
Rioters storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, seeking to intimidate politicians into overturning the presidential election. AP Photo/John Minchillo Shelley Inglis, University of Dayton As the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump approaches, federal officials are investigating threats to attack or kill members of Congress. This comes in … [Read more...] about Death threats and intimidation of public officials signal Trump’s autocratic legacy
The Son of a Holocaust Survivor Remembers
“I have to stay alive to tell all of this, to tell everyone about it, to convince people that it was true…” — Auschwitz survivor, Eddy de Wind, in his “Last Stop Auschwitz.” Melcher de Wind, my distant cousin, has mixed feelings about “herdenkings,” or commemorations. To him, Holocaust Remembrance Day 2021 marks the end of a year full of commemorations of the Holocaust and … [Read more...] about The Son of a Holocaust Survivor Remembers
Transition reveals extent of COVID vaccine mismanagement in the US
I was surprised to receive a call from Seattle Cancer Care Alliance about 5 pm last Wednesday, asking me if I’d like to be vaccinated. In what seemed like a snap, I had an appointment for Friday morning. This isn't what I usually mean when I say breast cancer is the "gift that keeps on giving." The quasi-mass vaccination process at the Fred Hutchinson Research Center in … [Read more...] about Transition reveals extent of COVID vaccine mismanagement in the US
Want to filibuster a bill? Go to the floor and talk. And talk. Until 51 Senators kick you off.
When I figured out that the modern filibuster is first cousin to the three-fifths clause and the Electoral College, its use by the 21st century GOP and Mitch McConnell made so much sense. Follow along; I'll show you how I got here. And in the process, how I evolved from someone who has historically honored norms to someone who sees clearly how the contemporary Senators have … [Read more...] about Want to filibuster a bill? Go to the floor and talk. And talk. Until 51 Senators kick you off.
The neo-Confederate flag’s real name: the Flag of White Supremacy
The neo-Confederate flag that insurrectionists carried through the Capitol on 06 January 2021 was not the official flag of the Confederate States of America. Surprised? The chosen symbol of segregationists, White supremacists, and the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) as well as many Donald Trump devotees, today's neo-Confederate flag is based upon the battle flag of “an army raised to … [Read more...] about The neo-Confederate flag’s real name: the Flag of White Supremacy
President Biden’s first approval rating 63 percent
President Donald Trump has gotten a high approval rating for his first days in office, higher than Donald Trump during the first days of his presidency. The Hill: HarrisX poll's first presidential job approval rating for Joe Biden comes in at 63 percent support among registered voters. Only 37 percent of respondents in the Jan. 21-22 survey said they disapprove of … [Read more...] about President Biden’s first approval rating 63 percent
Biden administration to purchase millions more vaccine doses to curb virus
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Biden administration will purchase 200 million more coronavirus vaccines and funnel more to states now, in a bid to deliver on the U.S. president's promise to curb the pandemic, a senior administration official said on Tuesday. Biden, who took office last week, is in a race to contain the virus as faster-spreading variants threaten to increase the … [Read more...] about Biden administration to purchase millions more vaccine doses to curb virus
Biden overturns ban on transgender people serving in the U.S. military
By Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden on Monday overturned a controversial ban by his predecessor on transgender individuals serving in the U.S. military, a move that fulfills a campaign promise and will be cheered by LGBTQ advocates. Former Democratic President Barack Obama in 2016 allowed trans people to serve openly and receive … [Read more...] about Biden overturns ban on transgender people serving in the U.S. military