Happy Tuesday, Newsies! I’m gonna just dive right in, but first, another word about the lies and fakery of the authoritarians.
We are the majority and the haters are not only the minority, but they inflate their numbers. I wrote about this in a roundup last year (which I now cannot pinpoint, sorry), and two more recent events underline once more what a scam the MAGA movement is. These people have been inflating their numbers for decades (starting with Nixon’s so-called “moral majority”), so it isn’t new, but what is new-ish is the deployment of bots and trolls and propaganda via social media to amplify their message and to create the illusion of far greater numbers of supporters than actually exist.
We simply must keep in mind that a large portion of the “support” that these right wing extremists tout is, in fact, an illusion. Fake followers, fake MAGAts, fake everything spreads the lie that they are a huge movement representing half or more of the population.
That is a lie. Plain and simple.
But it can be an effective lie in a war against democracy, because once the belief that every other person in the country has somehow become a RWNJ has taken root, good people who are fighting for liberal democracy can become despondent.
The truth is, they are NOT huge in numbers — that illusion has been created by tech malevolence, data misuse, fake “people” — like so much cotton candy. The cold water of truth will reveal that fact once and for all eventually, but in the meantime, look to the evidence that crops up pretty regularly to remind yourself:
9 People Showed Up for a KKK Rally in Dayton, Ohio. They Were Drowned Out by 600 Protestors, Tara Law, TIME, May 26, 2019.
Plans for a Ku Klux Klan rally in Dayton, Ohio set the city on edge and attracted national attention. But only nine people showed up for the rally Saturday, and their slogans were drowned out by 500 to 600 protesters who gathered to show their opposition to the hate-group’s message.
The Dayton police took a number of precautions to keep the protests from getting out of hand. Cara Neace, a Dayton police public information specialist, said that more than 350 police officers were assembled to keep the peace.
The Klan-affiliated group was confined to the courthouse square, and the members were separated from protestors by a fence. In the end, however, the protest remained peaceful and there were “no arrests, no citations and no use of force,” Neace said.
And do you remember the so-called “Million Moms”? The ones who hate LGBTQ people. Recently they have been back in the news protesting the children’s show “Arthur” for featuring a loving marriage between two gay characters. You’d think since the “million moms” have long since been revealed to have fewer than 100k followers, they’d be ashamed to claim to be a “million”, but that is the nature of this big RW con. Lie lie lie and pretend to be the majority.
Texas SOS’s Whitely Lies Didn’t Fly with Texas Senate
In Texas, blatant dishonest voter suppression has been shot down by the state Senate.
Texas Secretary of State David Whitley departs as legislative session ends, Alexa Ura, Texas Tribune, May 27, 2019.
The ill-fated tenure of Texas Secretary of State David Whitley has come to an end.
The Texas Senate gaveled out Monday without confirming the state’s top election official, who served for less than half a year and whose tenure was mired in controversy over a failed attempt to scour the voter rolls for noncitizens — a review that questioned the citizenship of thousands of legitimate voters. ✂️
Senate Republicans were short on votes to confirm Whitley without any Democratic support. Although they are a political minority in the chamber, the Democrats’ block held firm throughout the legislative session in impeding the confirmation of a chief elections officer who needed two-thirds support of the Senate to keep his job.
All 12 Democratic senators went on the record as “nays” on Whitley’s confirmation in February, citing concerns over the fear the review had caused among legitimate voters who were not born in the U.S. and who are more likely to be people of color. During the review, some of those individuals received letters demanding they prove their citizenship to avoid being kicked off the rolls.
"The reality is that Democrats showed solidarity on that issue because of Whitley’s position of voter suppression," state Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, told reporters after the Senate adjourned. "That was the issue.
😄 Tuesday Smile 😄
〽️ Another Crack in the Wall? 〽️
Fox News’ Chris Wallace Challenges Lindsey Graham On His 1998 Claim That Ignoring Subpoenas Is Impeachable, Christina Zhao, Newsweek, May 26, 2019.
During Graham’s appearance on Fox News Sunday earlier today, Wallace challenged the Republican senator on his past comments about impeachment, which appears to contradict his current stance on calls by Democrats to impeach President Donald Trump.
"You call all of what’s going on in Washington a political circus, but you took a different view back when you were leading the impeachment effort against Clinton back in the late '90s. At that time, you said that any president, and you talked specifically about Clinton and Richard Nixon, who defied Congress when it came to subpoenas was in danger of impeachment,” Wallace said, before airing an old clip of Graham’s comments made in Capitol Hill.
“You’re becoming the judge and jury. It is not your job to tell us what we need. It is your job to comply with the things we need to provide oversight over you,” Graham can be seen saying in the December 18, 1998 clip. At the time, he was a member of the House of Representatives and one of the managers — de facto prosecutors — in Clinton's impeachment trial before the Senate.
States Are Great (with Democratic leadership)
The blue wave was so important, especially in state legislatures. In Connecticut and Illinois, the governorships flipped from Republican to Democratic and now those states are beginning to enjoy the positive work that good, liberal Democratic governance can bring.
Connecticut Moves to strengthen Healthcare
Lamont, legislative leaders announce ‘public option’ health care bill as insurance industry withholds support, Stephen Singer, Hartford Courant, May 23, 2019.
Gov. Ned Lamont and Democratic leaders of the General Assembly unveiled legislation Thursday proposing state-subsidized health insurance in Connecticut that quickly drew fire from the industry and Republicans.
The legislation would offer coverage that meets or exceeds what’s provided by health plans and “within available appropriations” provide state-financed subsidies for those who do not qualify for federal health care subsidies. ✂️
Known as the Connecticut Option, it must pass the House and Senate before the General Assembly adjourns June 5. It would be available in 2022, with details such as the number of health plans will will be worked out by the Office of Health Strategy, the comptroller’s office and actuaries.
Illinois preparing to affirm and protect the rights of women
Bill to remove abortion restrictions sent to full Illinois House, Cate Cauguiran, abcNews, May 27, 2019.
The bill would remove abortion restrictions in Illinois, repealing both the state's Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act and the Illinois Abortion Act of 1975. The new bill would removed restrictions on both abortions later in pregnancy and criminal penalties for physicians that perform them. It also would expand insurance coverage for procedures and contraception.
Proponents say the new bill modernizes Illinois' reproductive rights.
"RHA codifies our existing practices and, and this is critical, treats abortion care just like any other health care, because it is," said State Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago).
And more details from the ACLU here:
The Reproductive Health Act includes the following provisions:
- Enact the new Illinois Reproductive Health Act (IRHA).The IRHA provides that every individual possesses fundamental rights with respect to personal decisions about their reproductive health, with limited governmental interference, including the right to choose or refuse birth control, the right to carry a pregnancy to term and give birth, and the right to choose or refuse abortion.
- Repeal the Illinois Abortion Law of 1975 and the long-blocked Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. The Illinois Abortion Law of 1975 establishes criminal penalties for performing an abortion and fails to recognize many of the advances in healthcare. The Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act and many of the provisions of the Abortion Law of 1975 have been enjoined by courts and are unenforceable, but they have not been repealed. The bill repeals both laws and replaces with the Illinois Reproductive Health Act. These changes take regulation of abortion out of the criminal code and affirms that abortion care is health care, not criminal activity.
- Require insurance companies to provide coverage for abortions. The contraceptive coverage requirement in the Illinois Insurance Code does not include services related to abortion. The measure requires private health insurance plans in Illinois to cover abortion. Currently, insurance plans are required to cover contraception, infertility treatments, and maternity care. State employees and Medicaid recipients are guaranteed coverage, and the proposal expands this requirement for private insurance coverage.
While in Nevada…
Voting Rights: Nevada Lawmakers Vote To Reenfranchise Felons, Tierney Sneed, Talking Points Memo, May 27, 2019.
Voting rights activists secured a big win in Nevada, where the legislature on Wednesday passed a bill that would automatically restore the voting rights of ex-felons. It is expected to be signed by Gov. Steve Sisolak and would go into effect on July 1. The bill, which is retroactive, is expected to restore the franchise for some 77,000 Nevadans. Nevada legislators also passed a bill that would have the state join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, where states pledge to award their Electoral College votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote, rather than the popular vote of the state itself. Sisolak has not signaled whether he will sign the bill, but if he does, Nevada will be the 15th state to join the compact and it will have 195 electoral votes total among members. Once the compact has 270 electoral votes, it kicks in, and will in effect end the Electoral College.
⚖ Justice ⚖
The first of many cases that will address the culpability of pharmaceutical companies in the opioid epidemic.
'This Case Will Set A Precedent': First Major Opioid Trial To Begin In Oklahoma, Jackie Fortier, NPRnews, May 27, 2019.
All eyes will be on Oklahoma this week when the first case in a flood of litigation against an opioid drug manufacturer begins on Tuesday.
Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter's suit alleges Johnson & Johnson, the nation's largest drugmaker, helped ignite a public health crisis that has killed thousands of state residents.
With just two days to go before the trial, one of the remaining defendants, Teva Pharmaceuticals of Jerusalem, announced an $85 million settlement with the state on Sunday. The money will be used for litigation costs and an undisclosed amount will be allocated "to abate the opioid crisis in Oklahoma," according to a press release from Hunter's office.
Cool Science!
How a See-Through Fish Is Helping Answer Big Questions about Biology, Tamily Weissman, Scientific American, May 28, 2019.
The skin of the zebra fish, transparent for the first few days of the organism’s life, is helping scientists address deafness, the Zika virus, and much more.
⚡️Lightning Roundup ⚡️
⚡️ Tune out President Trump’s propaganda machine, Eugene Robinson, Washington Post Opinion, May 27, 2019.
⚡️ On Memorial Day especially, let’s remember why and how the U.S. military fights, Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post Opinion, May 27, 2019.
⚡️Euroskeptics won’t be taking over Brussels any time soon. Populist tide rises but fails to flood EU, Matthew Karnitschnig, Politico, May 27, 2019.
⚡️ LOL oh irony: Kentucky Noah's Ark attraction sues over flood damage, CBSNews, May 24, 2019.
⚡️ Handy little summary: READ: Jon Cryer Tweets List of Donald Trump’s Impeachable Offenses, Evan Brechtel, Second Nexus, May 27. 2019.
⚡️ It’s not going away, Republicans: Million Dollar Donation To Trump’s Inaugural Comes Under Scrutiny, Richard Lardner, Huffington Post, May 27, 2019.
⚡️Kiss that sweet out of state tuition good-bye: ‘Scared’ students are rejecting colleges in states with strict abortion laws, Dana Schuster, New York Post, May 25, 2019.
⚡️ It’s true: Rep. Gregory Meeks says Kim Jong-un is ‘playing’ Trump: ‘The real low IQ person is the president’, David Edwards, Raw Story, May 27, 2019.
⚡️ Cool, for real! You Can Help NASA Find Landing Spots on Asteroid Bennu, Stephanie Valera, Geek News, May 27, 2019.
⚡️ Useful! 5 ways we can all help tackle air pollution, Lucy Purdy, Positive News, May 21, 2019.
⚡️ Environmentally friendly ideas for urban planning: Barcelona’s radical plan to take back streets from cars, David Roberts, Vox, May 26, 2019.
💚 Roundup WindDown 💚
That’s it from me today, but before I go I want to give a shout out to Runaway Rose who has provided local good news nearly every day in the comments. Thanks Runaway Rose! 🌟
You, too, could contribute local good news to the daily roundups!
I’ll probably not be around first thing in the day due to needing to sleep — but you all know what to do!!
Happy Tuesday, Everyone!