Good Morning Gnusies, Good Newsies, Regulars, Newbies and those who just want to read for some comforting words, laughter and escape (I really do not like lurker, although that is the accepted language here). Upfront, I am at the tail end of the flu, I cannot win this season I am telling you, I am unable to get the flu shot so the risk for me each year is there, I have been lucky and have not had a full blown weeks long event in over 10 years, but this one has wore me down. My reason for sharing is this may not be the block buster GNR you are expecting. But as you all know I will do my best. Side note, I have been writing all day at work too, so there is that.
Well, there is Iowa. Yup, there it is. Wait, it’s the app’s fault, nope it is just the Dem’s fault. Look how they behaved, see how they are. Chaos I tell you. It is the Demappocalypse!! First, the caucus’s are just silly IMO, but in real time this is what we have. Is there any sense in ginning up negativity about our candidates, no. Blaming the Democrats, no. The whole media is going bonkers. It is like the Super Bowl Sunday of politics. No offense to Iowa but this is just Iowa and my hope is lesson learned. Do away with this ancient tradition and actually have people vote...on paper possibly, like all day when they can get there? No? Sounds like that would work to me.
So in honor of the great state of Iowa, and I did not mean any insults to the people of that great state just our stupid political processes that will not modernize, this is for you.
Meet Iowa's 400,000-Year-Old Living Fossil
Northeastern Iowa holds a 400,000-year-old time capsule. Rather than vast, flat prairies, this region boasts a rolling landscape of bluffs and ravines spared by the earth-tamping force of the last Ice Age’s glaciers. And nestled in the leaf litter on rubble piles beside the area’s chilly bluffs lives a tightly coiled, quarter-inch endangered snail.
Discus macclintocki, the Iowa Pleistocene snail, was once-common but is now a highly specialized snail that lives in pockets of Illinois and Iowa, where underground ice keeps the ground above 14 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and below 50 degrees Fahrenheit in summer.
Scientists thought that the species of snail whose lineage stretches back 400,000 years was extinct until 1928, when they found it on these algific talus slopes, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It was placed on the federal endangered species list in 1977. Today, it lives on at least 36 known sites across Iowa and Illinois, though research suggests there could be more.
Enough about Iowa for me. Please feel free to discuss the winner/loser/we don’t know in the comments.
Moving onto to the next big elephant in the room. The SOTU. Folks I hope I am long in flu healing slumber when the ever florescent orange egomaniac is speaking his lies, RIGHT IN FRONT OF CONGRESS, I am not upset. I believe NPD did the right thing, she always proves herself the bigger person, the professional, and the wool is never pulled over her eyes. She knows and we know this will be a farce. No matter what was written for him, he will not be able to stick to it. Watch it if you must. Please share our Dem responses in the comments.
But first, and I know when this posts this may be mute, but I still thought it was...well you judge. Read the whole thing!
The Root Got an Early Copy of Trump’s State of the Union Speech
On Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET, President Trump is set to make his third State of the Union speech amid the backdrop of impeachment. Two fictional, yet, still unnamed sources sent parts of Trump’s State of the Union speech to The Root offices.
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, the First Lady of the United States, my fellow Americans, and Madam Speaker.
We meet tonight at a moment of unlimited potential. By unlimited potential, I mean me. I am the great I am. I am the alpha and the omega. In short, I am the great ham. I do not like them with a fork.
Where is Melania? There she is. Isn’t she beautiful? She wouldn’t ride with me tonight so she took an Uber, something about me smelling like beets. She knows that’s what I use for lotion. I don’t get it.
As we begin on the heels of a failed impeachment, which really was stupid, I mean wasn’t that just the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard of? Impeaching a Russian oligarch who didn’t win the election in the first place. I told Vice President Mike Pence, where is Mike? I told him that I was going to come out and yell “Impeach These” and grab my mangina, but he told me not to do that so I won’t but I just want…Is that Lindsey Graham? Lindsey Graham, my favorite anal plug. Good to see you could be here today. Are you wearing the lace briefs I bought you?
Much more bull, much more…
Finally, I’d like to announce that under my leadership, America once again has the world’s greatest economy, the best voter suppression system and the highest rate of white supremacist marches. With the help of my congressional criminal enablers and rabid base of supporters, I can truly say, the state of the union is:
Racist.
Good night. And may God bless the white people of the United States of America.
Did that cover it? I bet it did.
Onward!
My main focus from here on out is to provide some good news that may political in nature or not, some I hope will make fun of the dark lords rethugs, maybe some science or anything that takes us adrift from the sea of wanting to divide is through fear. Oh and that. Do not let them divide us through fear. This is a marathon not a sprint and the work is going to be hard. But the reward will be well worth the Blue Tsunami to come.
Wave of House Democrats Announce Boycott of Trump’s ‘Sham State of the Union’ Address
Eight house Democrats announced Tuesday that they will not attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, citing a lack of trust in the president and the Senate trial that is expected to acquit him of all impeachment charges on Wednesday.
The first five Democrats to announce their boycott were Reps. Al Green (Texas), Steve Cohen (Tenn.), Earl Blumenauer (Ore.), Hank Johnson (Ga.) and Frederica Wilson (Fla.). They were joined later in the day by Reps. Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), and Maxine Waters (Calif.). As the Hill reports, some of the representatives have boycotted Trump’s past addresses in protest against his presidency.
I don’t know has he been reading the Evening Shade?
Oh Jared, we all had such hopes…
Jared Kushner’s Peace Plan Is Now Hated by Everyone
Jared Kushner has spent three years formulating his Middle East peace plan. He had one job: give Bibi Netanyahu everything he wanted and tell the Palestinians to pound sand. Apparently he couldn’t even get that much right:
Supporters of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have grown increasingly frustrated at White House pushback over plans to immediately annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank as envisioned in President Trump’s peace plan, with their ire focused in particular on presidential adviser Jared Kushner.
….David Elhayani, the chairman of the powerful Yesha Council, which oversees more than 150 settlements…told The Washington Post. “Kushner misled the prime minister. He misled everybody. He knew for a long time that Netanyahu wanted to declare sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and northern Dead Sea — he said it many times over the last year. Gentlemen just don’t act this way.”
….Elhayani and other settler leaders also met with a senior U.S. official in Washington who told them that if the Palestinians did not accept the plan within 48 hours, Israel would be allowed to declare sovereignty over 30 percent of the West Bank. “But something happened after that; they changed their minds,” said Elhayani.
Susan, I am a moderate, Collins is pandering to the base whilst still trying to be “concerned”.
A POLITICAL CAREER THAT DESERVES THE SAME FATE AS THE IOWA CAUCUSES
Welcome back to the Susan Collins comedy hour:
Republican Senator Susan Collins announced Tuesday she will vote to acquit President Trump in his Senate trial, telling CBS News she believes the president has learned a “pretty big lesson” from impeachment and will be “much more cautious” about seeking foreign assistance in the future.
“I believe that the president has learned from this case,” Collins said in an exclusive interview with “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell on Tuesday, before a speech on the Senate floor about her decision. “The president has been impeached. That’s a pretty big lesson.”
Voting matters.
Virginia lawmakers vote to block offshore drilling in rebuke to Trump plan
Virginia Democratic-led lawmakers on Tuesday passed a bill to block future oil and gas development off the state's coastline, reflecting opposition to the Republican Trump administration's efforts to open Atlantic waters to fossil fuel exploration.
The bill passed by the state House of Delegates prohibits infrastructure such as pipelines or gathering systems in state waters that could be used to transport oil and gas drilled in federal waters to Virginia's shores. It also repeals a state policy to support U.S. efforts to explore for offshore oil and gas.
Democrats have made huge political gains in Virginia in recent years, buoyed by a backlash against Trump, particularly in suburban areas.
This really warms my flu ridden soul.
Rejecting 'Profoundly Disturbing' Logic That Criminalizes Empathy, Judge Reverses Convictions of Border Humanitarians
In a bench trial last year, U.S. District Judge Bernardo Velasco found all four volunteers guilty of federal misdemeanors for entering the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge without a permit, driving on a restricted-access road, and leaving food and water for migrants. Velasco fined the volunteers $250 each and sentenced them to 15 months of unsupervised probation.
The refuge, located in the Sonoran Desert along the southern border, serves as a common—yet dangerous—route for migrants to cross into the United States. Márquez's opinion noted that the remains of more than 2,800 migrants were found in Pima County between 2000 and 2017, and the actual number of deaths in the area—often tied to dehydration and exposure to the extreme conditions—is believed to be much higher. In an effort to prevent more deaths, humanitarian aid volunteers leave supplies in the desert for those passing through.
Although the four volunteers in Monday's case were not charged with immigration-related offenses, the federal government asserted that it has a compelling interest in "enforcing the border and controlling immigration," and claimed that the volunteers' actions "furthered and encouraged illegal smuggling activity" in the refuge. Addressing that issue, Márquez wrote:
The government seems to rely on a deterrence theory, reasoning that preventing clean water and food from being placed on the refuge would increase the risk of death or extreme illness for those seeking to cross unlawfully, which in turn would discourage or deter people from attempting to enter without authorization. In other words, the government claims a compelling interest in preventing defendants from interfering with a border enforcement strategy of deterrence by death. This gruesome logic is profoundly disturbing. It is also speculative and unsupported by evidence. As discussed above, 32 sets of human remains were recovered from the refuge in 2017 alone, and the government produced no evidence that these fatalities had any effect in deterring unlawful entry. Nor has the government produced evidence that increasing the death toll would have such an effect.
Thus, the judge concluded, "the government failed to demonstrate that it furthered any compelling interest by prosecuting defendants."
I guess this was news a couple of days ago, hello the flu I have been out of it, but this is just touching. When, okay if, I ever get to retire I am going to volunteer at an animal shelter.
Chiefs DT Derrick Nnadi celebrates Super Bowl win by paying off dog adoption fees
The former Florida State defensive tackle was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft. He started for Kansas City on Sunday night as the Chiefs rallied to beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl LIV in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Within hours of winning it all, Nnadi made the most of the moment. In the wake of the win, he announced that he's paying the adoption fees for all of the dogs currently living at KC Pet Project.
Nnadi had been helping KCPP find homes for homeless animals all season through his Derrick Nnadi Foundation, but this commitment takes his pledge to another level.
As of Monday morning, there were a total of 117 dogs listed on KCPP's website as available for adoption. With adoption fees ranging from $75 to $300, that gives an idea of the kind of financial commitment Nnadi is making.
Yup, he can afford it but he could do much worse with his money and fame. Good on him!
Number one fitting news for the moment. And I cannot wait…
Filmed ‘Hamilton’ Musical Is Set for Theatrical Release in 2021
Lin-Manuel Miranda announced on Monday that a filmed version of his award-winning Broadway musical Hamilton will be arriving in theaters in 2021.
Released by Disney, the movie will be filmed onstage at the Richard Rodgers Theater and feature Miranda and the rest of the original Broadway cast. The official release date is October 15th, 2021.
Number 2:
Rosa Parks would have turned 107 today. Here are 5 facts you should know about her.
One of the icons of the civil rights movement, the legacy of Rosa Parks has lived on for generations as a sign of strength and courage amid hostile discrimination.
Parks, who would've turned 107 years old today, is best known for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated Alabama bus, which not only led to her arrest, but sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The galvanizing boycott lasted for over a year, culminating with the Supreme Court's decision to strike down segregation laws on public transportation.
Parks died in 2005 at the age of 92, but the Alabama native's refusal to give up her bus seat on Dec. 1, 1955, lives on as a iconic story in American history. Here are five facts about that moment and the woman responsible for it:
Read it all!
Last but not least. I had no idea some of the Beach Boys were such rethugs:
Brian Wilson boycotts Beach Boys over hunting convention
Brian Wilson and Al Jardine have backed a boycott of their former band the Beach Boys, who are booked to perform at an event organised by hunting group Safari Club International.
Wilson and Jardine are not part of the band currently touring under the Beach Boys name, which features only one founding member, Mike Love. Wilson tweeted: “This organisation supports trophy hunting, which both Al and I are emphatically opposed to. There’s nothing we can do personally to stop the show, so please join us in signing the petition.”
A Change.org petition calls for fans to “stop buying or downloading all Beach Boys music, going to Beach Boys concerts, and purchasing any Beach Boys merchandise” until they pull out of the concert at the Safari Club International Convention, which is held from 5-8 February in Reno, Nevada, and which features Donald Trump Jr as a keynote speaker.
Well my keyboard is accepting my fore face so I guess I am nearing the end. I was all set to have my own version of all the ways to GOTV and all but, well you know by now. I know you will share in the comments.
I still have this:
Your 5 weekly to-dos
- Sign up to text voters for the Payback Project. The Payback Project is launching a new peer-to-peer textbanking campaign to engage voters across nine target states to take action with Indivisibles in their area and mobilize locally to flip their Senate seats. No matter if you're brand-new to this or a long-time leader, we're asking you to sign on right now to commit to do the work to win back the Senate this fall -- sign up and we'll send you everything you need to start reaching key voters!
- Vote on the Payback Project’s first newspaper ad. We’re going to place a full-page newspaper ad in one of our target states, showcasing a senator’s bad vote on impeachment and funneling people directly into our payback plans. Who do you most want to see voted out? Vote and let us know.
- Join a Reject the Cover-Up event near you. Trump's Senate trial cover-up is in progress. Republican Senators have refused to call witnesses for a fair trial-- even though a large majority of Americans want to see witnesses testify. At this moment, it is important to make our voices heard. As the final vote in the Senate trial is scheduled to happen Wednesday, Feb. 5th, on that afternoon, hundreds of thousands of Americans will mobilize with a simple demand: Reject the Cover-Up.
- Register for the National Activist Call on Feb. 6 at 8 p.m. ET. Make sure to join us for an update on impeachment and presidential engagement post Iowa.
- Call your New York State Assemblymember to demand a vote on automatic voter registration. Earlier this month, the New York State Senate passed automatic voter registration (AVR) -- this is great news! The ball is in the Assembly’s court now, and they’ve said that they want to make technical changes to the bill before they pass it. We need to make sure that they stay on track and do their part to turn 1 million New Yorkers into voters. Call 855-973-4252 to demand a vote on AVR.
Please share the good, the funny, the passion and the power in the comments!
And don’t forget my girl Sara. I hope to be writing more about her soon.
As I will do until the primary, I want to do a shout out to a co-worker and good friend, Sara Spezzano, who is running in the Democratic Primary in New York’s 133rd Assembly. She is running to succeed Marjorie Byrnes, who, gosh who would have thought it, stated on the floor of the Assembly that giving sanitary products to girls in public schools would create a black market for the product. Well that should surprise none of us. Sara is a firecracker and would be a representative looking out for her constituents and their best interests. If you live in NY please support her. If you know someone who lives in NY pass the information along. State races matter as we all know.
Her Act Blue: Donate to Friends of Sara
Thank you friends!
Peace!
P.S. do not get the flu...
*apparently we should have been listening to Chloris this whole time, let us read what Gov. Whitmer had to say in her response to the orange one, On impeachment: “The truth matters. Facts matter. And no one should be above the law.”
Think they read the GNR?
**Feeling slightly better, Peace again!