October 13, 2022

Jan. 6 Committee's fact-finding and bipartisanship will lead to an impact in coming decades........

Jan. 6 Committee’s fact-finding and bipartisanship will lead to an impact in coming decades, if not tomorrow
Published: October 13, 2022 8.21am EDT

Claire Leavitt
Assistant professor of government, Smith College


The committee formed to investigate the role of former President Donald Trump and key aides in last year’s Capitol insurrection faces high stakes as it holds its 10th and possibly last public hearing on Oct. 13, 2022.

Since the committee debuted its evidence in prime time on June 9, 2022, Vice-Chair Liz Cheney of Wyoming, one of two Republicans on the committee, lost her House seat in a primary election. The other GOP committee member, Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, announced last year that he isn’t running for reelection.

Should Republicans regain the House majority in November’s midterm elections, presumptive Speaker Kevin McCarthy could disband, or reconstitute, the committee. Some GOP House members have indicated that they might use their newfound control over investigations to probe the committee members themselves over how they have conducted their work.

Thus, the committee faces a ticking clock as it wraps up its hearings and finalizes its report, which may recommend criminal charges against Trump and crucial election security reforms. However, it is possible that there will be no immediate legal, policy or political ramifications of the committee’s work.

....(snip)....

Courting the public

Political scientist Paul Light argues that the most “high impact” investigations over the course of American history achieved their success “through a mix of fact-finding, bipartisanship, and strong leadership.” The Jan. 6th Committee took an approach that emphasized facts in presenting its case to the American people.

It dampened charges of partisanship leveled by Trump and his GOP supporters by granting Republicans Cheney and Kinzinger prominent roles. Cheney chaired the committee’s final prime-time hearing this past summer. And the committee showcased extensive testimony from officials whose Republican bona fides are unimpeachable, such as former Attorney General William Barr, former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. ..............(more)

https://theconversation.com/jan-6-committees-fact-finding-and-bipartisanship-will-lead-to-an-impact-in-coming-decades-if-not-tomorrow-192324

October 13, 2022

Stevie Nicks Shares Poem and Teases New Song Ahead of Midterms: "They'll Take Your Soul"

Stevie Nicks Shares Poem and Teases New Song Ahead of Midterms: “They’ll Take Your Soul”
"The disintegration of Roe v. Wade will change your life in an unfathomable way"




Stevie Nicks is marking deadlines for registering to vote in the 2022 midterm elections with her new poem, “Get It Back.” The twice-inducted member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame said she will be releasing the poem as a song at a later date.

“At 74 years old, I can honestly say that I am worried about every one of you,” she wrote in a social media statement. “Worried about health care, and just in general, worried about your God given rights. You must gather together now. You must register to vote as soon as you can (for many of you the deadline is tomorrow, October 11th!) and you must vote!”

Nicks also warned, “The disintegration of Roe v. Wade will change your life in an unfathomable way,” a position likely informed by her own 1979 abortion. “You will not have control of what your beautiful dreams want for you.” She added, “I watched what happened to women from 1966 (I was 18) to 1973 when I was 25 and 2 years away from joining Fleetwood Mac. Believe me when I tell you, you don’t want that world to come back.” ............(more)

https://consequence.net/2022/10/stevie-nicks-poem-midterms-get-it-back/

October 13, 2022

Why Climate Change Is Keeping an Amtrak Train from Running On Time

Oct. 7—Two or three times a week for the last decade or so, Susan Forsburg, a molecular biologist at the University of Southern California, has taken the train from her home in San Diego to her lab in Los Angeles and back again. The line she rides is Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner. It's about a two-and-a-quarter-hour trip one way; it's comfortable; it has Wi-Fi so she can get work done during the commute; and "Oh my god, yes, it's better than driving," Forsburg says.

A self-professed nerd, she's spent so much time walking through Union Station, where she catches the train in L.A., that she can tell what model of locomotive is idling on the rails just by listening to it hum.

So it was stress-inducing but not entirely unexpected when Amtrak announced late last month that it was suspending service indefinitely on a portion of the Surfliner between San Diego and Irvine, Calif., because of some dangerous conditions on the tracks near San Clemente.

The issue isn't new. At several points along the Surfliner's route, the tracks run right up to the edge of the coastal cliffs, giving riders dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean, but leaving the tracks vulnerable to instability and slippage as the cliffs slowly erode. Service was disrupted for three weeks last September while the tracks were stabilized after heavy storms.

More intense storms are contributing to faster erosion at the cliffs' edges, and bigger waves on the rising seas are chipping away at them from below. Over the years, local authorities and rail-service operators have completed a series of projects meant to keep passenger and freight trains from slipping into the sea. ................(more)

https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/news/21283236/ca-why-climate-change-is-keeping-an-amtrak-train-from-running-on-time

October 12, 2022

Judge concerned that juror is flirting with defendant in Whitmer kidnap trial

(Detroit Free Press) A juror in the third Gretchen Whitmer kidnap trial is under scrutiny over concerns she is flirting with one of the defendants, smiling at him from the jury box and looking at him frequently — so frequently that the judge said he's going to keep an eye on her.

"I see her looking directly at your client, and a number of times I've seen smiles coming out of her face. It's enough that it's drawing my attention," Jackson County Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson told the defendant's lawyer, adding "I'm going to be paying close attention. ... I don't know if I'm going to kick her off or not."

The defendant at issue is 22-year-old Paul Bellar of Milford, the youngest defendant charged in the sensational domestic terrorism case that is now playing out in state court after four defendants were previously convicted, and two others acquitted in federal court.

Smiles and Skittles

A prosecutor raised the issue during a trial break on Wednesday, telling the judge that not only is the juror flirting with Bellar, but it appears he may be flirting back. They smile and nod at each other, the prosecutor said, adding that Bellar at one point clenched both his fists and shook them in an affirmative way while the juror was looking at him.

"We're very concerned about this juror," the prosecutor said.

Bellar's attorney conceded that he, too, had seen the two exchange glances. But he had an explanation for why Bellar was seen shaking his fists. ............(more)

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/10/12/whitmer-kidnap-plot-juror-flirting-defendant/69558976007/

October 12, 2022

America's most effective fascism enforcers are bored boomers, not youthful brawlers

America's most effective fascism enforcers are bored boomers, not youthful brawlers
Ending democracy is less about cracking skulls and more about having time to harass election workers all day

By AMANDA MARCOTTE
Senior Writer
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 11, 2022 1:00PM (EDT)


(Salon) According to the media and the House committee investigating January 6, the face of rising fascism has been a young one. Or young-ish, anyway, especially in a graying country like the United States. A lot of attention has been paid to the incel and 4chan communities, or other places where young men in their teens and early 20s are being radicalized. The 2017 "Unite the Right" riot in Charlottesville, Virginia crystallized the image of modern fascists as college-aged men with floppy haircuts and polo shirts. A number of authoritarian groups have grown up under Trump, but by far the most attention has been paid to the Proud Boys, whose name and manner of dress cast an image of youthful streetfighters. In the American imagination, "fascists" are young men, such as Hitler's Brownshirts, who are believed to have the energy and stomach for the skull-cracking necessary to impose their will to power.

As demonstrated by January 6 and the years of street fights in Portland, Oregon, this threat of relatively youthful violence should not be ignored. But there's a quieter, more pernicious threat to democracy: Older, retiree-aged Trump fanatics.

To understand the threat, it's crucial to look at how elections are being undermined in 2022 and ahead to 2024. As January 6 showed, violence may make a big splash, but it's harder to actually hijack elections that way in the high-tech 21st century. For that, you need systematic breakdowns. The GOP has long used red tape regulations to gerrymander and suppress voter turnout. Even Trump, despite his fascination with violence, first tried to get the courts to steal the 2020 election for him, before resorting to inciting the Capitol riot. Even then, the violence of January 6 ultimately revolved paperwork: Preventing electoral votes from being counted in hopes of invalidating the election.

What you need, in other words, are people who have the time and resources to engage in bureaucratic meddling. Trump is very fortunate in that regard — by far his largest and most robust vein of support comes from people of retirement age. (People over 65 turned out for Trump in greater numbers than any other group of voters.) A veritable army of Fox News-drunk grandparents is forming, ready to interfere every step of the way with the systems that turn out, collect and count votes. ...........(more)

https://www.salon.com/2022/10/11/americas-most-effective-fascism-enforcers-are-bored-boomers-not-youthful-brawlers/

October 11, 2022

DTE Energy donates to nearly every Michigan lawmaker as it seeks rate hike

(Detroit Metro Times) As DTE Energy pushes for an 8.8% rate hike, the utility giant and it executives and lobbyists have donated to the campaigns of nearly every state legislator in Michigan.

Of the state’s 148 senators and representatives, 138 have received campaign contributions tied to DTE Energy, totaling more than $1 million, according to the Energy and Policy Institute, a fossil fuel industry watchdog group.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also received $235,900 from DTE Energy and its executives and lobbyists, dating back to when she was a state lawmaker. In a July fundraising blitz, Whitmer received nearly $40,000 from DTE executives.

....(snip)....

The donations come at a time when environmental justice activists, consumer groups, and clean energy advocates are calling out DTE Energy for its high rates, chronic power outages, and reliance on fossil fuels.

State Rep. Yousef Rabhi, D-Ann Arbor, has called for a ban on political donations from regulated utilities like DTE Energy. Rahbi returned a total of $400 in donations from DTE’s political action committee in 2017 and 2019 and hasn’t received any contributions since. ................(more)

https://www.metrotimes.com/news/dte-energy-donates-to-nearly-every-michigan-lawmaker-as-it-seeks-rate-hike-31303175

October 11, 2022

Fishing Nets Being Recycled to Help Save the Sea

October 11, 2022

Ukraine's victory "almost a done deal": Military expert on how Russia's invasion imploded

Ukraine's victory "almost a done deal": Military expert on how Russia's invasion imploded
Retired U.S. Army officer and author John Spencer on the "dying breath of a giant" — Russia's historic collapse

By CHAUNCEY DEVEGA
Senior Writer
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 11, 2022 6:30AM (EDT)


(Salon) Eight months ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, describing it as a "special military operation." Most military analysts expected an easy victory. The Russians had a significant numerical advantage in personnel and equipment, much greater firepower, air and naval superiority and seemingly bottomless resources with which to impose its will. It was reasonable to believe that Russia would conquer Ukraine rapidly and then replace the existing government before declaring "victory".

Of course, that did not happen.

The Ukrainians had been preparing for this eventuality since at least 2014, when the Russian military and its allied forces invaded eastern Ukraine and illegally occupied and annexed Crimea. With the help of the U.S. and other Western allies, the Ukrainians put in place an extremely effective system of total resistance, in which nearly the entire society was mobilized to defend the nation.

....(snip)....

Russia's military has suffered numerous setbacks and been exposed as a hollow force, poorly equipped and even more poorly led. Russian forces have suffered heavy losses in Ukraine, with the Ukrainian government claiming that 50,000 Russian soldiers have died, although U.S. estimates are around half that number. Experts have concluded that it will take years to rebuild the Russian military.

....(snip)....

John Spencer is a retired U.S. Army major who is chair of urban warfare studies at the Madison Policy Forum. He also consults for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the UN and other military and national security organizations. Spencer's essays and other writing have been featured by the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy and other leading publications.

....(snip)....

It has been about eight months since the beginning of Russia's war in Ukraine, and matters have changed a great deal, both on the ground and in terms of the larger strategic picture. How do you assess the situation now?

War is the true test of the human soul. We can compare militaries by their numbers, the amount of land they currently control and other metrics. But as we have seen with the war in Ukraine, numbers don't tell the whole story. The Ukrainian military and other forces are not really the underdog anymore. In terms of quality of their forces, leadership, doctrine, how they deploy their weapons, morale and other measurements, they surpass Russia. Most importantly, the will of the Ukrainian soldiers and the population more generally to fight surpasses that of Russia. ...........(more)

https://www.salon.com/2022/10/11/ukraines-victory-almost-a-done-deal-military-expert-on-how-invasion-imploded/

October 10, 2022

Sorry, fellow Italian-Americans: Columbus was a thug. But the church was the big problem

Sorry, fellow Italian-Americans: Columbus was a thug. But the church was the big problem
Christopher Columbus was a criminal. But the vicious Catholic doctrine that empowered him has never been revoked

By CELIA VIGGO WEXLER
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 10, 2022 10:00AM (EDT)


(Salon) Despite my Italian heritage, I don't understand the adulation that some Italian-Americans continue to bestow on Christopher Columbus, who, as history demonstrates, was less a hero than a thug, exploiting and enslaving indigenous peoples.

But the real culprit behind the subjugation of non-European peoples across the globe wasn't an individual, or even a monarch. It was the Roman Catholic Church. It's time the church owned that grievous mistake.

As early as the 15th century, as European nations were making voyages of discovery, Catholic popes gave them permission to subjugate and steal. The most significant of these papal permission slips was the Doctrine of Discovery. A decree Issued in 1493 by Pope Alexander VI, it essentially told Catholic countries that any lands they "discovered" were theirs to keep and exploit, provided the inhabitants were not Christians but heathens ripe for conversion.

Popes issue lots of decrees, but this one stuck. The Doctrine of Discovery proved to be very popular with monarchs across Europe, Catholic and Protestant alike. Its impact has been felt in Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Americas. The idea was simple and attractive: Plant a flag and a cross on a land not claimed by any other Christian ruler, and it's yours.

The doctrine also served to legitimize the seizure of lands by white American settlers. In considering an Illinois property dispute that came before the Supreme Court in 1823, Chief Justice John Marshall referred to the discovery doctrine to rule that Native Americans couldn't sell their lands — since they hadn't "owned" them in the first place. ...........(more)

https://www.salon.com/2022/10/10/sorry-fellow-italian-americans-columbus-was-a-thug-but-the-church-was-the-big-problem/

October 9, 2022

Why bees love weed -- and why it might even be good for them

Why bees love weed — and why it might even be good for them
New research shows the cannabis extract CBD can improve the health of honeybees, which is good news for farmers

By TROY FARAH
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 8, 2022 2:00PM (EDT)


(Salon) "Isn't it beautiful?" a friend once asked me as we shared a joint in The Netherlands. "We're only smoking flowers."

She was right. Marijuana, the dried and processed product of Cannabis sativa plants, is the flowery part, as opposed to tobacco or tea leaves. When people say they enjoy smoking "bud," it's meant literally. Despite how obvious this may seem, it's always struck me as quietly awe-inspiring.

While humans clearly love these flowers, so do insects, especially bees, albeit for different reasons. And just like medical marijuana has been shown to improve human health by effectively treating epilepsy, chronic pain, chemotherapy nausea and more, insects can benefit from cannabis as well.

Honeybee health is extremely important to farmers who rely on the flying little workers to pollinate more than 100 different crops, which provides about $6.4 billion in annual economic value. But against a backdrop of catastrophic insect decline, driven by the overuse of pesticides and unchecked urbanization, honeybee populations are suffering.

....(snip)....

So these Polish researchers, Patrycja Skowronek, Łukasz Wójcik and Aneta Strachecka, have turned to hemp extracts. Hemp is cannabis that is low in THC, the chemical responsible for the stoney, "high" feeling. In contrast, hemp is high in CBD, a chemical largely associated with the medical benefits of cannabis.

Previous research by this team has shown that hemp extracts increased the lifespan of honeybees and could "help them with the fight against environmental pollution and the increase of oxidative stress." ............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2022/10/08/why-bees-love-weed--and-why-it-might-even-be-good-for-them/