Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
babylonsister
babylonsister's Journal
babylonsister's Journal
October 29, 2021
Biden’s Hidden Win
October 29, 2021 at 6:45 am EDT By Taegan Goddard
Biden's Hidden Win
https://politicalwire.com/2021/10/29/bidens-hidden-win/Biden’s Hidden Win
October 29, 2021 at 6:45 am EDT By Taegan Goddard
Playbook: “Just when it looked like the day would end in embarrassment for Democrats, the Congressional Progressive Caucus issues a surprise endorsement of the president’s compromise plan — removing one of the last big obstacles in its way.”
“The CPC’s decision to back the new BBB framework got drowned out by the group’s refusal to allow a BIF vote Thursday before full text was drafted. That deprived Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the vote she was determined to hold on BIF, and yielded lots of headlines about Democrats’ failure to clinch the win.”
“But the dispute over sequencing masked a major achievement for the president: Hill progressives now appear ready to swallow this deal — and that means it’s likely a matter of when, not if, it passes.”
“The fact that the group isn’t making demands for major changes is quite something given that many of their priorities were significantly scaled back as moderates got most of what they wanted.”
“The CPC’s decision to back the new BBB framework got drowned out by the group’s refusal to allow a BIF vote Thursday before full text was drafted. That deprived Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the vote she was determined to hold on BIF, and yielded lots of headlines about Democrats’ failure to clinch the win.”
“But the dispute over sequencing masked a major achievement for the president: Hill progressives now appear ready to swallow this deal — and that means it’s likely a matter of when, not if, it passes.”
“The fact that the group isn’t making demands for major changes is quite something given that many of their priorities were significantly scaled back as moderates got most of what they wanted.”
October 29, 2021
more...
https://www.npr.org/2021/10/28/1050013664/texas-lawmaker-matt-krause-launches-inquiry-into-850-books
A Texas lawmaker is targeting 850 books that he says could make students feel uneasy
Uneasy??? As an avid reader, this pisses me OFF! Cut out the censoring; if any book is too much for delicate sensibilities, don't freakin' read it! 
A Texas lawmaker is targeting 850 books that he says could make students feel uneasy
October 28, 20211:00 PM ET
Bill Chappell
A Texas state lawmaker is asking schools statewide to tell him whether they currently hold any of around 850 books on a list he has compiled, explaining that he is targeting materials that "might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress because of their race or sex."
The inquiry by state Rep. Matt Krause, a Republican, quickly set off alarm among the books' authors and the state teachers association. The unusual request, which was first reported by the Texas Tribune, also triggered confusion in school districts over how to comply with such a wide-ranging query.
Krause sent a letter on Monday to the Texas Education Agency and superintendents of school districts around the state, asking each official to confirm whether their schools possess any books on his list, along with a detailed accounting of where they are and how much money was spent on them.
snip//
The inquiry is a "disturbing and political overreach into the classroom" — and it might be illegal, said Ovidia Molina, the president of the Texas State Teachers Association.
"Nothing in state law ... gives a legislator the authority to conduct this type of witch hunt," Molina said in a statement. She added, "This is an obvious attack on diversity and an attempt to score political points at the expense of our children's education."
more...
https://www.npr.org/2021/10/28/1050013664/texas-lawmaker-matt-krause-launches-inquiry-into-850-books
October 29, 2021
https://www.politicususa.com/2021/10/28/u-s-lawmaker-to-issue-subpoenas-to-oil-firms-for-documents-on-climate.html
Posted on Thu, Oct 28th, 2021 by Reuters
U.S. lawmaker to issue subpoenas to oil firms for documents on climate
U.S. lawmaker to issue subpoenas to oil firms for documents on climate
https://www.politicususa.com/2021/10/28/u-s-lawmaker-to-issue-subpoenas-to-oil-firms-for-documents-on-climate.html
Posted on Thu, Oct 28th, 2021 by Reuters
U.S. lawmaker to issue subpoenas to oil firms for documents on climate
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney said on Thursday she intends to issue subpoenas to four major oil companies for documents on what their internal scientists have said about climate change and any funding they are doing to mislead the public on global warming.
Maloney made the remark at the end of a House hearing on climate disinformation in which lawmakers grilled the heads of Exxon Mobil, Shell Oil, BP America and Chevron.
“We need to get to the bottom of the oil industry’s disinformation campaign with these subpoenas,” Maloney said, adding she had draft subpoenas ready.
Maloney made the remark at the end of a House hearing on climate disinformation in which lawmakers grilled the heads of Exxon Mobil, Shell Oil, BP America and Chevron.
“We need to get to the bottom of the oil industry’s disinformation campaign with these subpoenas,” Maloney said, adding she had draft subpoenas ready.
October 29, 2021
Posted on Thu, Oct 28th, 2021 by Jason Easley
AOC Gets Exxon CEO To Admit Sabotaging Climate Change Provisions In Build Back Better
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) got the CEO of ExxonMobile to admit that he talked to members of Congress about climate change provisions in the reconciliation bill.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1453799544559308816
The CEO admitted that he has participated in calls regarding infrastructure and climate change legislation. It doesn’t take a detective to figure out who he has been lobbying to get rid of climate change provisions that would impact Big Oil in the legislation.
Joe Manchin is the chair of the Senate committee that conducts oversight on the fossil fuel industry. Sen. Manchin was also the member who demanded that climate change provisions that would have impacted the fossil fuel industry be removed from the bill.
Build Back Better looks like it is on the passage, but the process of getting there has made it clear that Big Oil still has its greasy hands in the back pockets of some members of Congress.
The White House wanted stronger climate change provisions. Almost all Democrats in Congress supported the climate change provisions, but Big Oil had Joe Manchin and probably a few others who they used to keep America from doing everything possible to protect the planet.
AOC Gets Exxon CEO To Admit Sabotaging Climate Change Provisions In Build Back Better
https://www.politicususa.com/2021/10/28/aoc-gets-exxon-ceo-to-admit-sabotaging-climate-change-provisions-in-build-back-better.htmlPosted on Thu, Oct 28th, 2021 by Jason Easley
AOC Gets Exxon CEO To Admit Sabotaging Climate Change Provisions In Build Back Better
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) got the CEO of ExxonMobile to admit that he talked to members of Congress about climate change provisions in the reconciliation bill.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1453799544559308816
The CEO admitted that he has participated in calls regarding infrastructure and climate change legislation. It doesn’t take a detective to figure out who he has been lobbying to get rid of climate change provisions that would impact Big Oil in the legislation.
Joe Manchin is the chair of the Senate committee that conducts oversight on the fossil fuel industry. Sen. Manchin was also the member who demanded that climate change provisions that would have impacted the fossil fuel industry be removed from the bill.
Build Back Better looks like it is on the passage, but the process of getting there has made it clear that Big Oil still has its greasy hands in the back pockets of some members of Congress.
The White House wanted stronger climate change provisions. Almost all Democrats in Congress supported the climate change provisions, but Big Oil had Joe Manchin and probably a few others who they used to keep America from doing everything possible to protect the planet.
October 28, 2021
Federal Judge Blasts Prosecutors for Going Easy on Capitol Rioters
GET IT TOGETHER
Blake Montgomery
Reporter/Editor
Published Oct. 28, 2021 6:47PM ET
Alex Wong/Getty
Federal Judge Blasts Prosecutors for Going Easy on Capitol Rioters
https://www.thedailybeast.com/federal-judge-beryl-howell-blasts-justice-department-prosecutors-for-going-easy-on-capitol-rioters?ref=homeFederal Judge Blasts Prosecutors for Going Easy on Capitol Rioters
GET IT TOGETHER
Blake Montgomery
Reporter/Editor
Published Oct. 28, 2021 6:47PM ET
Alex Wong/Getty
A judge in Washington read Justice Department lawyers the riot act Thursday. During a sentencing hearing for a man who breached the Capitol on Jan. 6, Judge Beryl Howell took the federal government attorneys to task over their prosecution of Capitol rioters, saying they were failing the American people by allowing defendants to take plea deals for minor offenses. Howell said, “No wonder parts of the public in the U.S. are confused about whether what happened on January 6 at the Capitol was simply a petty offense of trespassing with some disorderliness, or shocking criminal conduct that represented a grave threat to our democratic norms. Let me make my view clear: The rioters were not mere protesters.” The lawyers had come to an agreement with Jack Jesse Griffith, a Tennessee video game developer, to plead guilty to parading in the Capitol.
October 28, 2021
‘Crying Nazi’ Reportedly Watched Tucker Carlson in Prison to Prep for Charlottesville Trial
SHOCKER
AJ McDougall
Breaking News Intern
Published Oct. 28, 2021 12:36PM ET
Stephanie Keith/Reuters
Read it at Buzzfeed News
'Crying Nazi' Reportedly Watched Tucker Carlson in Prison to Prep for Charlottesville Trial
https://www.thedailybeast.com/neo-nazi-christopher-cantwell-reportedly-watched-tucker-carlson-in-prison-to-prep-for-charlottesville-trial‘Crying Nazi’ Reportedly Watched Tucker Carlson in Prison to Prep for Charlottesville Trial
SHOCKER
AJ McDougall
Breaking News Intern
Published Oct. 28, 2021 12:36PM ET
Stephanie Keith/Reuters
Christopher “Crying Nazi” Cantwell, one of two dozen white supremacists and their affiliated groups being sued for their participation in the deadly 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, prepped for his trial by watching Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, according to a report. A man who shared a prison unit with Cantwell told BuzzFeed News that a group of “the whites” would regularly gather to watch Carlson’s evening diatribes together.
Cantwell, according to the source, felt a kinship with the TV host, whose messages he reportedly found emboldening. In a 2019 filing related to the Charlottesville case, Cantwell—who is incompetently representing himself after being dumped by his disgusted lawyers—specifically wrote of sharing the same views as Carlson “on the pressing issues of our time.”
BuzzFeed News also reported that Cantwell has been receiving free legal advice from two other inmates, including a prominent white supremacist known for founding “one of the largest neo-Nazi groups in America,” according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Matthew Hale, the SPLC has said, earned a law degree and passed the bar, but “the Illinois State Bar Association deemed Hale unfit for practice due to his racial activism.”
Cantwell, according to the source, felt a kinship with the TV host, whose messages he reportedly found emboldening. In a 2019 filing related to the Charlottesville case, Cantwell—who is incompetently representing himself after being dumped by his disgusted lawyers—specifically wrote of sharing the same views as Carlson “on the pressing issues of our time.”
BuzzFeed News also reported that Cantwell has been receiving free legal advice from two other inmates, including a prominent white supremacist known for founding “one of the largest neo-Nazi groups in America,” according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Matthew Hale, the SPLC has said, earned a law degree and passed the bar, but “the Illinois State Bar Association deemed Hale unfit for practice due to his racial activism.”
Read it at Buzzfeed News
October 28, 2021
Burr Called His Brother-in-Law Before Stock Dump
October 28, 2021 at 12:43 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard
Burr Called His Brother-in-Law Before Stock Dump
https://politicalwire.com/2021/10/28/burr-called-his-brother-in-law-before-stock-dump/Burr Called His Brother-in-Law Before Stock Dump
October 28, 2021 at 12:43 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard
“After Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) dumped more than $1.6 million in stocks in February 2020 a week before the coronavirus market crash, he called his brother-in-law,” ProPublica reports.
“They talked for 50 seconds. Burr, according to the SEC, had material nonpublic information regarding the incoming economic impact of coronavirus.”
“The very next minute, Burr’s brother-in-law, Gerald Fauth, called his broker” and “dumped stock the same day Burr did.”
“They talked for 50 seconds. Burr, according to the SEC, had material nonpublic information regarding the incoming economic impact of coronavirus.”
“The very next minute, Burr’s brother-in-law, Gerald Fauth, called his broker” and “dumped stock the same day Burr did.”
October 28, 2021
The Rude Pundit
Proudly lowering the level of political discourse
10/26/2021
Note to Anxious Progressive Democrats in Congress: Take the Deal (And Then Fuck Up the Party)
snip//
What the delay in passage means is that there's a delay in implementing the genuinely paradigm-shifting aspects of the bill, which, of course, were much greater back then. And the delay in implementation means a delay in the very real people affected by the bill seeing their lives improved by its very real benefits. And that delay can have an effect in the perception of the bill and the Democrats come the 2022 midterms.
That's why I'm saying that progressive Democrats should vote for whatever bastardized, moderated-to-an-inch-of-its-sad-life version of the reconciliation bill comes out of finally bringing Manchin and Sinema the orgasmic release they obviously desire. Yes, it's criminal to reduce in any way efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change. Yes, it's fucked beyond fucked that massively popular measures like prescription drug price negotiation or paid family leave or expanded Medicare benefits are being bargained down or out. All of that is so fucking true. It is like eating a shit sandwich with a piss shake.
Progressives need to suck it all up and vote for the goddamn bill because most of the things that will remain come from a progressive viewpoint on the role of government. We need to be able to show voters that the federal government can actually act to improve their lives. That's how this is supposed to work. If you do shit for people and they can tell that you've done shit for them, then maybe they'll connect you with the shit you've done and vote for you. (Of course, you have to make sure they know you did that shit. See the Affordable Care Act.) We're obviously not talking about MAGA voters here suddenly turning Democratic because they actually can intellectually connect Biden with the $300 a month they're getting to help them raise their families. No, we're talking about motivating Democratic voters and, especially, those "independents" who don't normally vote in midterms to get off their asses and vote.
I fucking hate saying all this. But I've got two other reasons why:
First, there's the looming threat of a Republican takeover of the House and, perhaps, the Senate. If that happens, 2024 is going to be a fucktastrophe, on top of nothing getting done except endless investigations of Hunter Biden and fake voter fraud. It will be MAGA up your asshole for years.
Second, if something gets passed, then it's time for progressive and liberal Democrats to parlay that into electoral strength. "Oh, you like 4 weeks of paid maternity leave at 85% of your pay? How about 12 week at 100%?" we can say. You can make the case that bigger benefits are possible with a bigger majority. Don't be stupid about it: no Democrat is going to win in Marjorie Taylor Greene's district. And, in West Virginia, Joe Manchin's about all we've got. But, fuck yeah, we can go after Sinema's seat. Democrats in Arizona are fucking pissed at her. And, yeah, we can challenge in Pennsylvania, Nevada, perhaps Texas, and other places.
more...
https://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2021/10/note-to-anxious-progressive-democrats.html
Rude One: Note to Anxious Progressive Democrats in Congress: Take the Deal...
https://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2021/10/note-to-anxious-progressive-democrats.htmlThe Rude Pundit
Proudly lowering the level of political discourse
10/26/2021
Note to Anxious Progressive Democrats in Congress: Take the Deal (And Then Fuck Up the Party)
snip//
What the delay in passage means is that there's a delay in implementing the genuinely paradigm-shifting aspects of the bill, which, of course, were much greater back then. And the delay in implementation means a delay in the very real people affected by the bill seeing their lives improved by its very real benefits. And that delay can have an effect in the perception of the bill and the Democrats come the 2022 midterms.
That's why I'm saying that progressive Democrats should vote for whatever bastardized, moderated-to-an-inch-of-its-sad-life version of the reconciliation bill comes out of finally bringing Manchin and Sinema the orgasmic release they obviously desire. Yes, it's criminal to reduce in any way efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change. Yes, it's fucked beyond fucked that massively popular measures like prescription drug price negotiation or paid family leave or expanded Medicare benefits are being bargained down or out. All of that is so fucking true. It is like eating a shit sandwich with a piss shake.
Progressives need to suck it all up and vote for the goddamn bill because most of the things that will remain come from a progressive viewpoint on the role of government. We need to be able to show voters that the federal government can actually act to improve their lives. That's how this is supposed to work. If you do shit for people and they can tell that you've done shit for them, then maybe they'll connect you with the shit you've done and vote for you. (Of course, you have to make sure they know you did that shit. See the Affordable Care Act.) We're obviously not talking about MAGA voters here suddenly turning Democratic because they actually can intellectually connect Biden with the $300 a month they're getting to help them raise their families. No, we're talking about motivating Democratic voters and, especially, those "independents" who don't normally vote in midterms to get off their asses and vote.
I fucking hate saying all this. But I've got two other reasons why:
First, there's the looming threat of a Republican takeover of the House and, perhaps, the Senate. If that happens, 2024 is going to be a fucktastrophe, on top of nothing getting done except endless investigations of Hunter Biden and fake voter fraud. It will be MAGA up your asshole for years.
Second, if something gets passed, then it's time for progressive and liberal Democrats to parlay that into electoral strength. "Oh, you like 4 weeks of paid maternity leave at 85% of your pay? How about 12 week at 100%?" we can say. You can make the case that bigger benefits are possible with a bigger majority. Don't be stupid about it: no Democrat is going to win in Marjorie Taylor Greene's district. And, in West Virginia, Joe Manchin's about all we've got. But, fuck yeah, we can go after Sinema's seat. Democrats in Arizona are fucking pissed at her. And, yeah, we can challenge in Pennsylvania, Nevada, perhaps Texas, and other places.
more...
https://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2021/10/note-to-anxious-progressive-democrats.html
October 28, 2021
The Biggest Problem In American Politics
October 28, 2021 at 10:00 am EDT By Taegan Goddard
The Biggest Problem In American Politics
https://politicalwire.com/2021/10/28/the-biggest-problem-in-american-politics/The Biggest Problem In American Politics
October 28, 2021 at 10:00 am EDT By Taegan Goddard
Jonathan Bernstein: “One of the most important facts of U.S. politics right now is the terrible shape the Republican Party is in. It has been dysfunctional for more than a decade, and more recently the mainstream of the party has been acting as if they live in a fantasy world.”
“I attended the American Political Science Association’s annual conference in Seattle last month and heard nothing but a string of pessimism about the Republican Party — something that simply was not the case even 10 years ago. Of course, not everyone was pessimistic about the future of the republic. But no one seems to be able to imagine how the Republicans can turn themselves around, and I can’t remember the last political scientist I’ve spoken with (yes, Republicans included) who didn’t see serious problems here.”
“I attended the American Political Science Association’s annual conference in Seattle last month and heard nothing but a string of pessimism about the Republican Party — something that simply was not the case even 10 years ago. Of course, not everyone was pessimistic about the future of the republic. But no one seems to be able to imagine how the Republicans can turn themselves around, and I can’t remember the last political scientist I’ve spoken with (yes, Republicans included) who didn’t see serious problems here.”
October 28, 2021
Freethink
Merck is making its COVID-19 antiviral pill more affordable to low-income countries
The deal could help bring the drug to more than 100 low- and middle-income nations.
By Kristin Houser
October 28, 2021
Drugmaker Merck has agreed to license a promising COVID-19 treatment to manufacturers in low- and middle-income countries for free — a move that could greatly expand access to the potentially life-saving antiviral pill.
The challenge: The only FDA-approved COVID-19 treatment is remdesivir, and it’s an antiviral medication that must be administered intravenously, over the course of several days, which largely limits its use to people who are already hospitalized.
An antiviral pill would be easier to administer before a COVID-19 patient requires hospitalization, which is when antivirals are most effective. It would also have the benefit of being easier to manufacture, store, and distribute than an IV drug.
Merck’s antiviral pill: While several companies are developing antiviral pills, Merck’s (molnupiravir) is one of the most promising, reducing high-risk COVID-19 patients’ chances of hospitalization or death by 50% in a phase 3 trial.
more...
https://www.freethink.com/health/mercks-antiviral-pill
Props! Merck is making its COVID-19 antiviral pill more affordable to low-income countries
Freethink
Merck is making its COVID-19 antiviral pill more affordable to low-income countries
The deal could help bring the drug to more than 100 low- and middle-income nations.
By Kristin Houser
October 28, 2021
Drugmaker Merck has agreed to license a promising COVID-19 treatment to manufacturers in low- and middle-income countries for free — a move that could greatly expand access to the potentially life-saving antiviral pill.
The challenge: The only FDA-approved COVID-19 treatment is remdesivir, and it’s an antiviral medication that must be administered intravenously, over the course of several days, which largely limits its use to people who are already hospitalized.
An antiviral pill would be easier to administer before a COVID-19 patient requires hospitalization, which is when antivirals are most effective. It would also have the benefit of being easier to manufacture, store, and distribute than an IV drug.
Merck’s deal with the MPP could cut the per-course cost of the antiviral pill to just $8.
Merck’s antiviral pill: While several companies are developing antiviral pills, Merck’s (molnupiravir) is one of the most promising, reducing high-risk COVID-19 patients’ chances of hospitalization or death by 50% in a phase 3 trial.
more...
https://www.freethink.com/health/mercks-antiviral-pill
Profile Information
Gender: FemaleHometown: NY
Home country: US
Current location: Florida
Member since: Mon Sep 6, 2004, 09:54 PM
Number of posts: 171,065
