August 25, 2020

I don't know if your local stations run that City Furniture ad

where there is a woman swimming in her pool while the pool boy checks out her "patio furniture" (it runs constantly down here in South FL) I just spit out my drink laughing because I realized that ad could be a home video of Falwell, wife Becki & their pool boy they picked up at the Fountainbleau in Miami.....

August 25, 2020

In case of a presidential recount, Florida counties will keep digital images of all votes cast.

https://twitter.com/MiamiHerald/status/1298317580130758659?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

August 25, 2020

U.S. Senate Democrats unveil $400 billion-a-year plan to tackle climate change

(Reuters) Senate Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a wide-ranging plan to tackle climate change that calls for the U.S. government to spend more than $400 billion a year to eliminate U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The plan is the latest in a series of blueprints from congressional Democrats detailing how the United States can combat global warming. None are likely to proceed in the current Republican-controlled Senate but could get traction if the chamber flips in November’s election.

The plan calls for accelerating wind and solar energy deployment, public investment in electric vehicle infrastructure and incentives, and funding public transit.

snip

The Senate Democrats’ plan would target creation of at least 10 million jobs in areas like clean energy manufacturing and research and development for new technologies, the report by the Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis said. (Read More)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-climate-change-democrats/u-s-senate-democrats-unveil-400-billion-a-year-plan-to-tackle-climate-change-idUSKBN25L27P

August 25, 2020

What's so funny 'bout peace, love & understanding...

&fbclid=IwAR04CAPlboWZ4_7bI8OUTb3B8CzYSAbmhEfhEZcOP86XzrVCb4fBj4AwlSc

August 24, 2020

Oh, great: NASA says an asteroid is headed our way right before Election Day

(CNN) Well, 2020 keeps getting better all the time.

Amid a pandemic, civil unrest and a divisive US election season, we now have an asteroid zooming toward us.

On the day before the presidential vote, no less.

Yep. The celestial object known as 2018VP1 is projected to come close to Earth on November 2, according to the Center for Near Earth Objects Studies at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It was first identified at Palomar Observatory in California in 2018.

"Asteroid 2018VP1 is very small, approximately 6.5 feet, and poses no threat to Earth. If it were to enter our planet's atmosphere, it would disintegrate due to its extremely small size," NASA said in a statement. "NASA has been directed by Congress to discover 90% of the near-Earth asteroids larger than 140 meters (459 feet) in size and reports on asteroids of any size."

NASA says that, "based on 21 observations spanning 12.968 days," the agency has determined the asteroid probably -- phew! -- won't have a deep impact, let alone bring Armageddon. The chance of it hitting us is just 0.41%, data show. CNN has reached out NASA for any additional or updated information but has not heard back. (Read More)

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/22/us/asteroid-earth-november-2020-scn-trnd/index.html

August 22, 2020

ACLU: Know Your Rights - How to Deal With Voter Intimidation (pdf)

*I tried to copy and paste, but couldn't so here is the link- sorry

https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_pdf_file/kyr-voterintimidation-v03.pdf

August 20, 2020

Trump Admin Reverses Course, Says CDC WILL Regain Control Of COVID Data Collection

(Talking Points Memo) The Trump administration appears to be reversing course and giving COVID-19 hospital data collection duties back to the the Centers for Disease Control, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing comments from White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Deborah Birx.

For the past month hospitals have been submitting data to TeleTracking, a private firm based in Pittsburgh, rather than the CDC. But the abrupt change to the company and lack of clear communication from the administration led to weeks of chaos, as TPM has reported.

snip

“This decision took some by surprise and raises a lot of questions going forward about how this private company is going to achieve that additional speed,” Kates told TPM when the switch was made.

TeleTracking, and the CDC before it, is collecting data on metrics such as hospital bed use, ICU capacity and patient turnover. Whereas the CDC’s NHSN has a years-old track record with its surveys tracking health-care associated infections, the TeleTracking survey was new and led to some confusion. In Missouri and elsewhere, for example, states lost out on days or weeks of hospitalization because the numbers coming through the TeleTracking survey were not yet reliable enough. (Read More)

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/wsj-admin-reverses-says-cdc-will-regain-control-of-covid-data

August 20, 2020

Elizabeth speaks!

There is something so special about teachers - when they go into public service they bring that beautiful "teacher heart" with them, they really do! Love you and thank you Elizabeth & Jill

August 18, 2020

Post Office Chief Suspends Controversial Changes Until After Election!

(NPR) Updated 2:00 p.m. ET

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has announced he will suspend the controversial changes he instituted to the U.S. Postal Service until after the November election. "To avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail, I am suspending these initiatives until after the election is concluded," DeJoy said in a statement.

He went on to say that between now and Election Day, retail hours at post offices will not change, no mail processing facilities will be closed, mail processing equipment and collection boxes will remain in place and that overtime for workers will be approved when needed. DeJoy also announced he would "engage standby resources" as of Oct. 1 "to satisfy any unforeseen demand."

It's not clear from his statement whether the post office will replace sorting equipment that has already been taken offline or transferred but DeJoy emphasized that existing processing and collection equipment will not be affected until after the election and that the post office will be able to handle the volume of mail expected as many more Americans cast votes by mail this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

DeJoy's statement comes after the news that he will testify Friday before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

(Read More) https://www.npr.org/2020/08/18/903477948/postmaster-general-will-testify-at-senate-hearing-friday

August 18, 2020

Some fantastic, positive & hopeful news!

The Dems are not playing!

This is the official list for my county here in Florida - look at the number of Dems who signed up to be poll watchers today (just a local election not even a major one) so they can fight the repug shenanigans as it happens in real time: over a 100! Compare this to the repugs - only 15.

Repugs are underestimating our strength behind the scenes because they are only eyeballing us on TV or social media.

https://www.browardsoe.org/Portals/Broward/Documents/Election%20Day%20Voting%20Poll%20Watchers%20List.pdf