Good Day Good Newsies!
The proverb I started off with today is a representation of how we, as Dem’s, think about the world and the people. The rethugs on the other hand have to keep sucking the swamp they live in, attempting to to dry it out until they have nothing left but dirt to meander in. I question their strange obsession and their craven desire to destroy civility, laws, rules and norms, sucking that pond water with all of their cruelty. They will also be affected by these choices no matter how much moola they have. Their children and grandchildren will feel it too, so why, why drink from the pond until it is dry? That is most definitely the million dollar question and we may never be able to answer it (greed). But what I can answer is that we are the fighters for the pond. We will not let it dry out, we will fight to keep our pond full and fair to all it’s inhabitants. We know and understand that the full pond leads to the greatest outcome for all.
Onward!
You know me by now I have to start out with some Wonkette:
Relax, Everybody: Congress About To Kick The Sh*t Out Of Trump In 5, 4, 3, 2 …
Shit's goin' down for real in the House of Representatives. Miss Nancy is still pumping the brakes on impeachment, but the committee chairs are full speed ahead, with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Whip James Clyburn champing at the bit to start kicking Trumpland in the nuts over its illegal stonewalling. Yes, we know it looks like nothing's happening as the White House gives a giant middle finger to Congress. But it is!
I am just going to give the headlines here, read it all:
Contempt Motion for Barr and McGahn: Full House
Contempt Motion for Barr and Ross: Oversight Committee
Hope Hicks and Annie Donaldson Blow Off Judiciary Subpoenas
White House Lawyer Emmet Flood Nopes Out
TL, DR?
Congress is moving to shift enforcement of congressional Oversight to the courts, and probably moving inexorably toward impeachment. Also, Steny Hoyer, Elijah Cummings, and NancyD'Alesandro Pelosi are badasses who get shit done, and they all hail from Maryland.
Which just goes to show you!
You know I really want the idiot out of OUR house but I can get carried away sometimes. Then I see they are still working for us, even though they are stymied by the do nothing Senate:
House Democrats just passed a bill to give DREAMers a pathway to citizenship
The US House of Representatives passed a bill that would give permanent citizenship to 2.5 million undocumented immigrants on Tuesday, on a final vote of 237-187. Like most of the rest of the Democratic agenda, it’s likely headed to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s dustbin.
House Democrats’ Dream and Promise Act, introduced in March, is an attempt to give a pathway to citizenship to two major groups of immigrants whose legal status President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened: unauthorized immigrants who were brought to the US as children (known as DREAMers) and immigrants with temporary humanitarians protections.
“Dreamers and those with TPS (Temporary Protected Status) and DED (Deferred Enforced Departure) status are contributing to our country and to our economy, and deserve to have certainty that they will be able to stay with their families in the place they call home,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer wrote in a Dear Colleague letter to the Democratic caucus this week.
We will always fight:
Progressives want the must-pass defense budget to tie Trump’s hands with Saudi Arabia
Progressive lawmakers and activists are plotting their next move to hold President Donald Trump accountable over his relationship with Saudi Arabia, hoping to tie the president’s hands with the national defense funding bill.
In April, Congress passed a historic War Powers Resolution directing Trump to remove troops involved in “hostilities” in Yemen, a Saudi-led war that’s killed more than 50,000 and left tens of millions in need of humanitarian aid. Trump vetoed it, committed to the US’s long-standing alliance with the Saudis — not to mention his personal relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (the same MBS who called for Saudi Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s killing).
Now, as the House prepares to tackle the annual national defense budget — a massive spending bill that will likely amount to more than $700 billion in military funding — progressives see an opening to force Trump’s hand in the Middle East. On Tuesday, a coalition of more than 40 activist groups sent every House lawmaker a letter demanding they include provisions to ban the transfer, sale, or export of any defense materials that would be used in the war in Yemen for a minimum of two years, and end all US aid — from intelligence to logistical support — to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in the war.
Senate rethugs must be having some kind of amoeba in their brain:
Senate Republicans Consider Blocking Trump On Mexico Tariffs: Reports
Senate Republicans are considering taking legislative action against President Donald Trump’s planned new tariffs on Mexico, laying the foundation for potentially explosive infighting between the president and his party, reported The Washington Post, Politico and Bloomberg.
Trump has threatened to impose a 5% tariff on Mexican goods on June 10 if Mexico doesn’t do more to stop the massive flow of migrants crossing its northern border into the U.S.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told reporters Monday that the proposed tariffs “calls into question our ability to pass” within Congress the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement trade pact pushed by the White House.
He said he doesn’t “even want to think about” the economic ramifications if Trump eventually increases the tariffs to 25% as he has threatened.
“We need to put our heads together and try to come up with a solution,” Cornyn said.
And this:
Republicans ready to quash Cuccinelli
Ken Cuccinelli has spent years attacking Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans. Now, it’s time for payback.
President Donald Trump wants Cuccinelli, who most recently led the anti-establishment Senate Conservatives Fund, to be director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. But there may be nobody in Washington whom McConnell and his allies would take more pleasure in defeating, and the bottom line is Cuccinelli has little chance of getting approved for the job, Republican senators said.
Hahahahahahahahaha. Okay that is enough I suppose. Gosh mocking them is so much fun.
Well, well, well:
Adam Schiff Calls William Barr ‘Second Most Dangerous Man In The Country’
In a pointed rebuke of Attorney General William Barr, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, called him “the second most dangerous man in the country.”
“We find ourselves, I think, for the first time with an attorney general who really is the president’s defense lawyer and spokesperson, and who’s quite good at it and has the veneer of respectability to camouflage what he’s doing,” the congressman said Tuesday, speaking before the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington.
Schiff said he was particularly concerned about Barr’s argument that President Donald Trump could have ended the special counsel investigation at any time ― which the congressman said put the president “truly above the law.”
Before I move on to mocking the tangerine toupee, let us look at some other good news:
Oregon bill cracks down on racially motivated 911 calls
Oregon moved to crack down on racially motivated 911 calls on Monday, responding to a series of publicized incidents across the country where predominantly white civilians called the police on black people going about everyday activities like napping or barbecuing.
Victims of those police calls would be able to sue the caller for up to $250, under a measure overwhelmingly approved by the state Senate.
The move is a joint effort by the Oregon Legislature's only three black lawmakers and is meant to "shine a spotlight on an issue African Americans have known for far too long," according to sponsoring Rep. Janelle Bynum.
A St. Louis circuit judge sided with Planned Parenthood on Tuesday afternoon, ruling that the testimony of non-employees was an "undue burden" and that the state's subpoena to interview them "should be quashed." The testimonies are the lynchpin of an impasse between Planned Parenthood of St. Louis, which operates Missouri's last abortion clinic, and the state health officials, as first reported by CBS News.
Just days after a gunman armed with two semi-automatic handguns opened fire at a government building, killing 12 of his former co-workers and wounding several other people, Virginia governor Ralph Northam on Tuesday called for a special legislative session, citing what he called an urgent need for common-sense gun laws in the state.
The Virginia Beach massacre, whose perpetrator had resigned from the state government just hours before returning to wreak havoc, is only the latest gun-related horror Virginians have experienced in recent days.
Northam, who has a background as a pediatrician and army doctor and who has treated children and soldiers wounded by guns, has been a very outspoken advocate for gun reform. The issue was among his top concerns during his 2017 gubernatorial campaign.
The New York Privacy Act goes even farther than California's privacy legislation
New York State Senator Kevin Thomas introduced The New York Privacy Act in May, which binds over all tech companies to serve as "data fiduciaries," with a legal requirement to use your data in ways that benefit you -- and not ways that benefit themselves at your expense (lawyers, doctors and other professionals have similar fiduciary duties); specifically, companies must not use your data in ways that would be "unexpected and highly offensive to a reasonable consumer."
I think every week I say the youth are our future:
Teen activists face US government in crucial hearing over climate trial
Twenty-one youth activists faced off with the US government in an Oregoncourthouse on Tuesday, where their attorneys petitioned a panel of judges to let their climate case go to trial. Until it does, their attorneys argued, fossil fuel development should be halted on public lands.
The case of Juliana v the US charges the federal government with violating the constitutional rights of youth by perpetuating systems that contribute to climate breakdown. Those young people – who range in age from 11 to 23 and hail from all corners of the nation – argue that the constitution gives them and future generations a right to an environment free of climate catastrophe.
More than 30,000 youth signed an amicus brief filed by Zero Hour in support of the plaintiffs petition to move the case to trial. An additional 10,000 adults also signed.
“I don’t want to be picking these fights. The youth don’t want to be picking these fights. And, honestly, it’s exhausting to be in the streets all the time,” said Zero Hour’s executive director, Jamie Margolin, who is 17. She added she doesn’t see another choice when other efforts have failed. “Our childhoods are being spent begging them to stop ruining our adulthoods, and our adulthoods are going to be spent dealing with the consequences of their actions,” she said.
I watched the Central Park Five documentary When They See Us on Netflix and I was rightly disgusted. Now this:
Central Park Five prosecutor resigns from organizations amid backlash after Netflix series
Former Manhattan prosecutor Linda Fairstein resigned from Vassar College's board of trustees Tuesday amid a new wave of backlash over her role in the infamous Central Park Five case.
Fairstein — played by Felicity Huffman in "When They See Us" — ran the district attorney's sex crimes unit at the time of the case. The Netflix series prompted the #CancelLindaFairstein hashtag on social media and calls for her prior cases to be re-examined.
As well they should be.
I will admit this may not qualify as good news as Rikers is a terrible prison, but could it not happen to better guy?
Paul Manafort Is Headed To Rikers Island, Likely Faces Solitary Confinement
Posted without further comment. I do not agree with solitary or the treatment at Rikers but…..
Moving on:
Larry the Cat, UK’s “chief mouser,” caused a brief headache for Trump’s security team
President Donald Trump has just encountered the first real complication of his important London visit: a sleepy cat.
During Trump’s Tuesday visit to 10 Downing Street, which serves as the office and residence of UK Prime Minister Theresa May, a cat decided to lie down underneath the president’s limo, known as “the Beast.”
But it wasn’t some ordinary cat — it was Larry, the “chief mouser” of Downing Street, who has lasted longer in the building than some British leaders.
Larry’s main role, I kid you not, is to catch mice in the area and to look cute before, during, and after official remarks on the steps of the residence. And according to the British government’s website, he’s clearly one of the most respected officials working on behalf of the people.
Bahaha! Outdone by a kitteh.
What else was he out done by, oh let us begin….
Here is one awesome link to so many hilarious protest signs (of which there were no protests):
The Funniest Protest Signs From Trump’s Visit To The UK
This is priceless. I will just post the link so I do subject you to the orange arse unless you want to look:
Low-Energy Trump Falls Asleep During Queen's State Dinner Speech He couldn't even stay awake for the sake of the nation.
Oh, they do not just hate him:
Here Is Ivanka Trump Getting Viciously Booed In England
Oh come on….they are the best:
Thousands of Brits Protest Trump’s Visit Alongside 16-Foot Farting Presidential Robot
Thousands of Brits took to the streets here Tuesday, where they marched alongside a 16-foot farting robot of Donald Trump and held aloft huge photos of John McCain in an attempt to trigger the president.
Laughing is the best medicine!
Oh and this, almost done I swear:
William, Harry and Kate Deny Trump What He Wanted Most: a Photo Op
Prince Harry and his brother Prince William have successfully denied Donald Trump the opportunity of appearing in a photo with either of them or their glamorous and popular wives during his state visit to the U.K., which would have been invaluable PR for his 2020 re-election campaign, after the president used the word “nasty” while discussing Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle.
Harry appeared to be escorting Trump’s daughter Ivanka; however, when the prince appeared to realize the walkthrough of the exhibit was being filmed, he quickly ducked out of the event.
Lawyers, Guns and Money has a caption contest, holy funnyness ( I know not a word):
CAPTION CONTEST
Enjoy that!
Now I cannot end today, before my usual ending, without this:
17 Pictures That Changed The Course Of LGBT History
"Our society didn’t just change naturally, it changed because people got politically active."
Your weekly Indivisible To Do’s:
Your 5 weekly to-dos
- Tell your MoC to vote for the Dream and Promise Act, and oppose any motion to recommit. H.R. 6, the Dream and Promise Act, will get a final vote in the House on Tuesday. The Republicans are certain to offer a “motion to recommit” before the final vote, which is a last-minute, bad-faith procedural maneuver to try to split the Democratic caucus and sabotage the bill. Democrats need to hold strong, reject the motion to recommit, and pass H.R. 6!
- Show up for a day of action on June 15th to demand an impeachment inquiry. Robert Mueller made it clear in his remarks last week: if Trump is going to be held accountable, Congress is going to have to meet its obligation as a co-equal branch of government. That’s why we’re joining with MoveOn and other partners for a June 15 day of action to demand an impeachment inquiry—if Congress doesn’t hold him accountable for his abuses of power, no one will.
- Demand that your MoC sign on in support of cutting funding for Trump's deportation machine. Under Trump, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have received billions in additional funding to tear gas, separate, and cage families, and to terrorize communities. Members of Congress should sign the letter led by Reps. Jayapal, Pocan, Castro, and Chu calling on the House Appropriations Committee to #DefundHate by cutting funding to the agencies that carry out Trump’s racist immigration policies.
- Tell your MOC to co-sponsor H.R. 1046 to stand up to Big Pharma and cut drug prices. Drug companies charge people more for medicines in the U.S. than they do anywhere else in the world, but Congress has a chance to act to rein them in. House Democrats should co-sponsor H.R. 1046, which would allow Medicare to negotiate prices with drug companies to ensure that people don’t have to choose between their medicine and other necessities.
- Sign up for the National Call on Thursday. June 6 is the next monthly Indivisible National Activist Call! All group leaders, group members, and other Indivisible activists are welcome. We’ll be rolling out our 2-year strategy to defeat Trump and defund hate. You won’t want to miss this.
Do not forget to follow Yosef52 for all the ways we can participate to win in 2020 and beyond.
Just because:
Peace!
And an LOL...
You know what to do from here. I am sorry my work has been very busy so I may not be able to respond. I love you all (for real I do) and know you will converse as you want.