Intro: Like many (most?) of the DK community, I was shaken- and then enraged- by the CNN Presidential “debate” and the SCOTUS rulings on immunity and the power grab under the Chevron Decision. Like nifytwriter, in her very good, strong, and clear GNR Tues., linked here: www.dailykos.com/…, I feel very much the same. I do think that the dynamics of the election have changed. Though it appears at first blush to be a big TDFG advantage, I believe that Dems and Inds. thinking about the campaign will swing largely toward the Biden-Harris team. If anyone believes in “liberty and justice for all” , it’s no contest. Ditto on the “rule of law”. Ditto on democracy vs any other form of government. Other than the MAGA voters, how many voters want any President, especially the loathsome TDFG, anointed as King Trump?? We’ll find out in about 4 months and 2 days, on Roevember/Nov. 5th.
I also agree with her wholeheartedly that we need to fight a little harder!! It’s a good time to reassess a personal commitment to fight the Rep Party in every way possible, within the law. Think about raising your/our financial contributions; time contributions, incl .volunteering time to Dem. or affiliated groups: writing or speaking abilities, and finding more creative ways to fight back and share those ideas. This is a marathon, and the ‘24 election is only rest stop in the marathon. Trust me, I think the next 4 months are going to see some teeth-gnashing and stomach-churning events. But we cannot give up when so much is at stake.
So, we all noticed the Joe Biden had an “off” day on debate night. That’s life. Then Joe picks himself up and keeps on trucking. He’s a short message from his niece, Mary Trump. I was proud to be a surrogate for team Biden/Harris tonight but was deeply disheartened by the egregious abdication of journalistic responsibility we saw on that debate stage. Donald doesn't need any favors." She went on to say this:
"I'm in Atlanta tonight to remind everyone who Donald is as a person and how he would rule as a president because the stakes are far too high for us to get this wrong—we cannot afford to allow Donald Trump anywhere near the levers of power again," she wrote.
Finally, this also from Mary Trump: She believes that Donald Trump "cannot be trusted and we must recognize that his last administration was simply a warm-up for much worse to come," warning that he speaks of "revenge" and "retribution." Sure, I still concur with her dour and authoritative opinion of the BLOAT (Biggest Loser & Liar of All Time)!
www.bing.com/… Mary Trump on DJ Trump
*** Regular Scheduled Programming (H/T to chloris creator)
No one here is naïve; we are aware of the many who are fighting to destroy our country. Some of us expected it: the cheating, the lying, the chaos, and yes, even the attempts to cling to power despite the clear will of the people. But we are here to read the efforts and the positive results of those (including us and our fellow gnus) who are working so hard to save our country from those very bad people. We are furious with them for what they are doing and we are letting them know. Remember:
💙 There are more of us than there are of them.
💛 They are terrified when we organize. THERE IS LOTS OF EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE TERRIFIED!
💔 They want us to be demoralized. The best way to keep up your spirits is to fight. So, take the time to recharge your batteries, but find ways to contribute to the well-being of our country and our world.
****************************************************************************
*** Quotes on Optimism & Hope: It’s a good time to read these carefully!!
“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so.” – Noam Chomsky
The essence of optimism is that it takes no account of the present, but it is a source of inspiration, of vitality and hope where others have resigned; it enables a man to hold his head high, to claim the future for himself and not to abandon it to his enemy.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“True hopefulness and optimism are what leads one to dare. It is also what lifts one back up to dare again after a failed attempt.” – Bibi Bourelly
“What is hope but a feeling of optimism, a thought that says things will improve, it won’t always be bleak, there’s a way to rise above the present circumstances. Hope is an internal awareness that you do not have to suffer forever and that somehow, somewhere there is a remedy for despair that you will come upon if you can only maintain this expectancy in your heart.” – Wayne W. Dyer
One more: As you & I and many Kos writers & commentators noted, TDFG is his own worst enemy. He gave us 34 reasons (all felonies) to run against him, and roughly 30 lies in his “debate” performance alone with which to attack him. So let’s attack him — early and often & hard!!!
*************************************
NOTE: If you are experiencing anxiety about the recent news, here’s a link to an earlier GNR re: Coping w/ Anxiety www.dailykos.com/… I think I need it myself (no snark).
*************************************************
News Re: DJ Trump sentencing:
www.msn.com/… “Prosecutors in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial were expected Monday to recommend how long the MAGA leader should serve in prison”. But the recommendation will be kept secret for now. I am hoping for some prison time- even if the time of serving it is delayed till (potentially) after TDFG serves his second term.
Steve Bannon Imprisoned
www.msn.com/… Trump aide S. Bannon reports to the federal prison in Connecticut. Hallelujah, hallelujah!! Yes, it’s only 4 months in jail, but it does affirm the rule of law, and the power of a Congressional subpoena. FAFO in action can be a beautiful thing.
FAFO for Rudy Giuliani
www.msn.com/… Finally, R. Guiliani is disbarred in New York for repeated lying about the 2020 vote!!
News Re: SCOTUS Ruling on Presidential Immunity
www.msn.com/… Legal experts say SCOTUS ruling could backfire on Trump. “There is, however, a silver lining — or rather, a consolation prize: When the Supreme Court shredded the rule of law on behalf of a man who tried to overturn democracy, Chief Justice John Roberts and the gang told another judge to figure out whether inciting an insurrection on Jan. 6 to upend an election is part of a president’s official duties.”
The other element of the silver lining is probable pushback from both Biden himself as well as prominent allies- and voters. Let’s help elevate that pushback to a round-robin scream!!
www.rawstory.com/… Eric Swalwell says “This is not a Trump victory”.
Swalwell says that jack Smith can work around the immunity ruling.
"Don't panic on Trump immunity case," Swalwell wrote on X. "Jack Smith will argue Trump's actions were not 'official acts.' There's precedent on this from a J6 civil case *that I know a thing or two about* that was unanimously upheld by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals."
"This is not a Trump victory," he observed.
Swalwell acknowledged that the case would not go to trial before the November election.
News Forward Re: DJ Trump, convicted felon on 34 counts, sentencing on July 11th, 2024.
“Trump was scheduled to be sentenced on July 11. Judge Juan Merchan said the former president will now be sentenced on September 18, “if such is still necessary.”
”The delay in sentencing means that the former president is likely to escape any concrete punishment for his felony conviction during the summer, at the same time that Trump’s election bid has been boosted by President Joe Biden’s debate flop that has Democrats wondering whether to replace their nominee.” [Reported by CNN, Updated 3:11 PM EDT, Tue July 2, 2024]
News Forward Re: Republican National Convention in Milwaukee (Not a horrible city), July 15-18, 2024
Election Issues:
1) REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
No one will be surprised that abortion rights/reproductive rights continues to be the top issue of the 2024 election. Special elections since the Dobbs Decision have all proven the power of this issue. Voter polls have also confirmed it. Despite the post-debate political rattling, nothing has yet moved its dominance. Though TDFG has been unusually evasive on his position, it’s well known that he considers his 3 conservative justices on SCOTUS as his biggest political victory.
I added/copied this cartoon by Mike Luckovich . It seems to me a perfect fit with the actions of SCOTUS to date. Thank you Mike L!!, and a Hat Tip
2) DEMOCRACY V AUTHORITARIANISM aka KAKISTOCRACY (in this case w/ TDFG)
I know, I know it’s early in the campaign season. Yes, I was a bit shaken & stirred by Bidens severe underperformance in the debates. But I’m still assuming he’s my guy/ our guy in the election. I’m also assuming that Biden will be much more active on the attack mode vs TDFG- because he has to be. The BLOAT/TDFG got away (so far) with a large number of lies in the debate. He also made some self-inflicted gaffes about “Black jobs” and “Hispanic jobs”.
While I fully expect Biden & Harris to swing harder, and to pull out more allies in the attack on TDFG, it’s not enough yet. We still need more influential people, and any allies in the US press/media, to join the offensive.
PART 2- SCOTUS CORONATES DJ TRUMP (The BLOAT- Biggest Liar/Loser of All Time)
I am not naive, but I was surprised (gobsmacked; flabbergasted) by how far the Supremes went in adding to their powers (the Chevron Decision, for example) and in giving TDFG all he wanted- and more, with their Presidential Immunity ruling. I’m going to keep this brief for now, because the decision was remanded to a lower court. In addition, I do not fully understand the scope of the ruling yet. But at the moment, it appears that TDFG got the Presidential Immunity that he sought. I.e., actions he takes that are part of his “fulfilling the duties of his office” are immune from prosecution.
I am neither amused by the decision, nor comforted by the wording. Even if TDFG or any other RWNJ was fully rational and in their right mind, the concept is deeply disturbing. Here is our current “Conservative” SCOTUS, sometimes referred to (incorrectly) as “Originalists”. Yet they have wrongly decided a case by ignoring the Constitution- which Does Not grant any immunity to the US President!!!
3) Sane leadership in the office of the President.
This is an important but still (mainly) overlooked aspect of the campaigns in 2024. A significant number of psychiatric and psychological experts are weighing in on it. For the MSM, it’s still a horserace- even hotter than a week ago. But TDFG is, I believe, unhinged. Need evidence? I am happy to oblige.:
1) www.msn.com/… Donald Trump has three mental disorders.
Top psychologist John D. Gartner has suggested that Donald Trump suffers from three distinct mental disorders, which he believes are evident in the behavior of the Republican frontrunner. Gartner, a psychologist, psychotherapist, author, activist, and former assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University Medical, shared his insights exclusively with The Mirror.
He posits that Trump is afflicted by "malignant narcissistic personality disorder, hyper manic temperament, and dementia." "His hyper-manic temperament is where his anger comes to the fore. The 40 tweets in one night.. even on holidays. His tweets are always filled with rage, constantly labeling people as losers. Trump is up at 3am on a holiday, ranting about how anyone who doesn't idolise him is a loser," Dr Gartner explained to The Mirror.
Finally, Gartner revealed: "I believe that he's showing unquestionable signs of dementia, and that's the diagnosis.. we have over 500 signatures from licensed mental health professionals on a petition asking for Trump's removal," reports the Mirror. (OK, I stretched the fair use standard in this case, but I needed a little more info to make an extremely important point. TDFG is Not Sane!!
2) www.salon.com/… Forensic psychiatrist on physical signs of Trump's mental decline: "Changes in movement and gait"
“In an attempt to better understand what we are witnessing with Donald Trump’s behavior, I recently spoke with Dr. Elisabeth Zoffmann, a forensic psychiatrist and an Associate Clinical Professor of Forensic and General Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Zoffmann shares her evidence-based preliminary conclusion that Donald Trump is displaying a range of behaviors that suggest cognitive challenges if not impairment. The former president appears to be suffering from Behavioral Variant Fronto-Temporal Dementia, Dr. Zoffmann concludes, and needs to be evaluated by neurologists who specialize in the condition.”
The abbreviated interview has a wealth of information bearing on the contender for the Presidency.
3) www.msn.com/… Let’s talk about Trumps gibberish
“Perhaps the greatest trick Donald Trump ever pulled was convincing millions of people—and the American media—to treat his lapses into fantasies and gibberish as a normal, meaningful form of oratory. But Trump is not a normal person, and his speeches are not normal political events.”
”For too long, Trump has gotten away with pretending that his emotional issues are just part of some offbeat New York charm or an expression of his enthusiasm for public performance. But Trump is obviously unfit—and something is profoundly wrong with a political environment in which he can now say almost anything, no matter how weird, and his comments will get a couple of days of coverage and then a shrug, as if to say: Another day, another Trump rant about sharks.”
4) www.msn.com/... Trump’s mental acuity questioned on Fox News!!!
“Donald Trump’s mental acuity was questioned on Fox News by Democratic strategist, Jessica Tarlov, during a segment of The Five on Wednesday night.
Co-host Jeanine Pirro said, “You know, Jessica, Trump took a mental acuity test and aced it – why won’t Biden?”
“Well, this mental acuity test, which included identifying animals and counting backwards by a factor of seven, is something to give to people who have been in traumatic accidents... it’s embarrassing when Trump says that and when he did ‘man, person, woman, camera, whatever he said to [former Fox anchor] Chris Wallace,” Ms Tarlov said.”
***************
** I focused on this set of personal flaws, and the growing dementia and psychiatric conditions, because I think it will seize the public conscience when his legal culpability is Not relevant to enough of the voting public. I am venturing a guess that wide knowledge of TDFGs mental state will force much more of the MSM, and the voting public, to acknowledge the risks of a demented (and convicted felon) man serving as President. If you think I am wrong, or too naive that it’s a viable option to bring the MAGA leader to his knees, just say so.
***Note: Stay tuned to this topic, because it will become more common and more hotly debated in the coming months. Perhaps even behind the scenes at the RNC in Milwaukee. Less likely, though possible, it may be debated in the NYTimes newsroom and/or editorial offices.
***Note: While there are several other issues key to the election, I’ll cover them in a future GNR. For now, I need to see a clearing of the air on the chaos now enveloping the Dem. Party.
********************************
Good News Bits::::::::::::::::::::::
H/T to Jessiestaf
Each year, US cities lose an estimated 36 million trees to development, disease and old age, many of which ultimately end up in landfills. Losing these urban trees — known to help cool their neighborhoods, lower carbon emissions and improve mental health, among other benefits — costs an estimated $96 million annually.
In Philadelphia, a partnership is giving the City of Brotherly Love’s fallen trees new life. Philadelphia Parks & Rec joined forces with Cambium Carbon, a Washington, D.C.-based startup that repurposes waste wood, and PowerCorpsPHL, a local nonprofit that creates job opportunities for unemployed and under-employed 18- to 30-year-olds, to launch the Reforestation Hub in late May.
Rather than sending trees straight to the landfill or the city’s organic recycling center to simply become mulch or wood chips, the Reforestation Hub (which is co-located in the city’s organic recycling center) will salvage as many trees as it can. As many as possible will be turned into Cambium’s Carbon Smart Wood, which stores 5.23 pounds of carbon in each board foot, before going on to become everything from desks and tables to fences and even decking and siding.
Note: I loved this for two reasons; first because many cities waste huge amounts of biomass/trees due to fears of ruining sawmill blades from embedded nails and metal fixtures embedded in urban trees, and second, it’s a big opportunity for more urban jobs and small businesses.
www.bing.com/… Gen Austin announces $2 Billion in aid to Ukraine
“Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a $2.3 billion security assistance package for Ukraine ahead of a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Tuesday.
The package will include critical air defense interceptors and other weapons. A spokesperson for the Pentagon said more details on the package would be made available soon.”
** For anyone following the war In Ukraine, this is a BFD. Much-need military assistance for their fight for survival against Russia!
Good news: Deforestation in Earth's largest rainforest continues to plummet despite a rise in fires www.goodgoodgood.co/…
— Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon dropped to its lowest level since March 2018, according to new data from the Brazilian government.
— Deforestation for the year to date is down 40% compared to 2023, with expectations for a significant annual decline when the “deforestation year” concludes on July 31.
— Despite declining deforestation in the Amazon, the region is experiencing a rise in forest fires due to a severe drought.
www.goodnewsnetwork.org/… The Vatican Goes Green: Pope Francis Announces New Suburban Solar Plant to Power Vatican City
“There’s no country anywhere on Earth that’s entirely powered by renewable energy every day, but that’s soon to change.
In a letter released on June 21 entitled “Brother Sun” Pope Francis announced his intention to transition Vatican City onto 100% renewable energy using solar panels.
The apostolic letter issued “motu proprio,” or on his own initiative, detailed the pontiff’s plan to use the Vatican’s multi-purpose land holdings 11 miles outside of Rome in an area called Santa Maria di Galeria.” Will wonders never cease!! Thanks to Pope Francis!!!
www.goodnewsnetwork.org/… New Safer RNA Insecticide Can Target Only the Devastating Potato Beetles and No Other Bugs
“A genetically specific pesticide has shown to be lethal to the destructive Colorado potato beetle while leaving all other tested species, even the beetle’s close relatives, unharmed.
Every year, this native of the Rocky Mountains causes $500 million or more in damages across the Northern Hemisphere—all across which it’s now found as an invasive species.
The company GreenLight Biosciences has developed a spray marketed as Calantha in the USA that uses RNA interference technology to target a gene called PSMB5 that codes for part of the cellular machinery that removes damaged proteins. If removed or inhibited, these dead or broken proteins build up and the larvae die within 6 days.” What an amazing advance in science- and safety!!
www.positive.news/... Scientists showed how to avoid a sixth mass extinction
”Conserving just 1.2% of the Earth’s land would be enough to prevent the extinction of the world’s most threatened species, a study has found.
Researchers identified 16,825 sites that they say should be prioritised for conservation in the next five years to prevent the extinction of animals and plants that aren’t found anywhere else.
“Our study shows how these unprotected pockets of rarity are highly concentrated, covering a shockingly small area — roughly 1.2% of the Earth’s terrestrial surface,” said Dr Eric Dinerstein, of the environmental organisation Resolve, and lead author of the study.
California already gets some of its clean electricity from geothermal power plants, which harness the heat and steam found naturally near the earth’s surface. Now, the state is poised to add hundreds more megawatts of geothermal to its overall energy mix — only instead of drawing from local geysers and hot springs, the power will come from a cutting-edge project in Utah.
On Tuesday, Fervo Energy announced that it secured power purchase agreements with the utility giant Southern California Edison (SCE). The geothermal startup uses oil-and-gas drilling techniques to tap heat from deep underground. Fervo began construction last fall on an “enhanced geothermal” project in Beaver County, Utah, which is expected to generate nearly 400 MW of around-the-clock electricity when it reaches full production in 2028.
Note: I repeated this story because I believe this is (for the moment) a vastly underutilized source of power. Much more in future GNRs on this topic!
www.msn.com/… Biden administration provides $504 million to support 12 technology hubs nationwide
“WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Tuesday that it was providing $504 million in implementation grants for a dozen technology hubs in Ohio, Montana, Nevada and Florida, among other locations.
The money would support the development of quantum computing, biomanufacturing, lithium batteries, computer chips, personal medicine and other technologies.”
**So, good news in terms of jobs, new technology, and business investment.
A court-appointed bankruptcy trustee has indicated plans to sell off right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars media empire to pay some of the $1.5b (£1.18b) he owes to families of the Sandy Hook school shooting victims.
In a court filing filed on Sunday, the trustee, Christopher Murray, said he was planning to close operations of Infowars' owner Free Speech Systems and "liquidate its inventory".
The news comes a week after a bankruptcy judge decided Mr Jones' personal assets would be liquidated to pay back the victims for spreading misinformation about the deadly 2012 shooting at a suburban Connecticut school.
Finally!!! Thank dogs and courts!!
**** That’s all folks. While this author & night-owl will post as usual, I will return to dreamland. I’ll awaken and respond to comments as usual. Any and all comments will be welcomed- as long as they obey the DK Rules of the Road.
I am happy to be in this with you all! Let’s buckle up; I think the road will be a little bumpy