Thursday, June 18, 2020

And another day of rulings, increases, Trump ads with Nazi symbols, mask requirements, radical shifts, criminalized protests, returning to classrooms in the fall, and Mitch McConnell destroying America comes to a close:

"The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it." — George Orwell

Deaths

US: 120,688 (+747)

World: 456,284 (+5021)

Countdown: 138 days.

Supreme Court Rules Against Trump Administration In DACA Case. The Supreme Court has upheld DACA — handing a dramatic victory to immigration advocates and allowing the program that has permitted about 650,000 "Dreamers" to stay and work in the U.S. legally to continue.

As of June 17: 24 states and territories have seen a greater than 25% increase in COVID-19 cases in the last two weeks.

Covid-19: 13-day-old baby becomes one of England's youngest victims.

Trump campaign runs ads with marking once used by Nazis to designate political prisoners. -- They are not even trying to hide it. They are broadcasting it loud and clear. Listen.

Facebook takes down Trump ad for including a banned hate group's symbol.

US States Have Spent the Past 5 Years Trying to Criminalize Protest. Over the past half-decade, a wave of bills that criminalize civil disobedience has swept state legislatures across the country—particularly those controlled by Republican lawmakers. According to a new report by PEN America, a nonprofit advocating for First Amendment rights, 116 such bills were proposed in state legislatures between 2015 and 2020. Of those, 23 bills in 15 states became law.

Black people have long suffered from persistent inequality in the U.S. due to centuries of racism, discrimination and the long-lasting effects of slavery. This has created conditions that make it difficult for Black Americans to get ahead. -- All by design.

From Juneteenth to the Tulsa massacre: What isn't taught in classrooms has a profound impact. A Connecticut fourth grade social studies textbook falsely claimed that slaves were treated just like “family.” A Texas geography textbook referred to enslaved Africans as “workers.” In Alabama, up until the 1970s, fourth graders learned in a textbook called "Know Alabama" that slave life on a plantation was "one of the happiest ways of life." -- Jesus fucking Christ.

"White Lives Matter" spray-painted across Arthur Ashe statue in Virginia.

California Is Requiring Everyone To Wear Face Masks In Public Now.

Germany reports 650 new coronavirus cases in a meat processing plant. — The virus doesn’t give a shit if we think/want it to be over. 

The Anti-Vax Movement’s Radical Shift From Crunchy Granola Purists to Far-Right Crusaders. The transition is supercharged by Trump and the coronavirus.

Gov. Abbott of Texas tells lawmakers students will be able to return to classrooms in-person this fall. -- Mmm hmm.

U.S. lawmakers offer bill to block Trump from German troop withdrawal.

“I did something good: I made Juneteenth very famous,” Trump told the Wall Street Journal. “It’s actually an important event, an important time. But nobody had ever heard of it.” -- Which, of course, just means he had never heard of it.

Remember the N95 mask shortage? It's still a problem.

Trump is about to land his 200th judge, a lasting legacy poised to reshape U.S. law. -- Mitch McConnell has done more damage to this country than anyone else.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Stay safe and stay sane. Good night.