Sunday, January 16, 2022

And another day of weeks in the making, 11 executive orders, interfering with the 2020 census, Trump spouting more lies, rising deaths and cases in nursing homes, world’s 10 richest men get richer, and a teen creates a Banned Book Club comes to a close:

“Trump is an overt RACIST. Anyone who still supports him is likewise RACIST or at least CONDONES RACISM.” — Jon Cooper

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” — Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Deaths

US: 873,564 (+415)

World: 5,557,742 (+3998)

Cases

US: 66,995,533 (+331,250)

World: 328,803,956 (+1,993,687)

For Oath Keepers and founder, Jan. 6 was weeks in the making. Two days after the election on Nov. 3, 2020, the Oath Keepers were already convinced that victory had been stolen from President Donald Trump and members of the far-right militia group were making plans to march on the U.S. Capitol. “We aren’t getting through this without a civil war,” the group’s leader, Stewart Rhodes, wrote fellow members, according to court documents. “Too late for that. Prepare your mind. body. spirit.”

Republican Glenn Youngkin, a former private equity executive who has never before held public office, signed 11 executive orders on Saturday just hours after he was sworn in as the 74th governor of Virginia.

Trump officials interfered with the 2020 census beyond cutting it short, email shows. Former President Donald Trump's administration alarmed career civil servants at the Census Bureau by not only ending the 2020 national head count early, but also pressuring them to alter plans for protecting people's privacy and producing accurate data, a newly released email shows.

“Folks, even if the DOJ puts every last Trump in jail it will do no good if we let another Republican near the White House, cause they’ll just pardon every last one of ‘em. It’s up to us to save us. We’ve got to fight for votin’ rights, then organize, then vote like never before!” — Tea Pain

Trump seeds race animus with COVID falsehood. Donald Trump falsely declared in a weekend rally that public health authorities are denying the COVID-19 vaccine to white people because of their race. The former president seeded racial resentments in remarks that twisted the facts on public-health policy and exaggerated the effects of racially conscious antiviral treatment guidelines in New York. “The left is now rationing lifesaving therapeutics based on race, discriminating against and denigrating ... white people to determine who lives and who dies. If you’re white you don’t get the vaccine or if you’re white you don’t get therapeutics. ... In New York state, if you’re white, you have to go to the back of the line to get medical health.” -- What a fucking prick. He just says shit without an iota of truth in it, and his cult followers mindlessly go along with it. That’s how democracies are lost. We must fight against his bullshit. Oh, and yeah. He and all of his supporters are fucking white supremacists.

Behind Trump's vaccine boosterism, allies see chance for political payoff. Advisers have privately urged former president to be more full-throated in taking credit for and promoting the shots as he mulls a rematch against Biden.

COVID deaths and cases are rising again at US nursing homes. COVID-19 infections are soaring again at U.S. nursing homes because of the omicron wave, and deaths are climbing too, leading to new restrictions on family visits and a renewed push to get more residents and staff members vaccinated and boosted.

Djokovic deported from Australia. -- Good.

“This clip encapsulates a frustration I think many ppl feel about media coverage of Biden. It's as if Republicans don't have agency. *Biden* is failing by not somehow persuading them to be bipartisan. Republicans are absolved of culpability. Their obstruction is taken for granted.” — Aaron Rupar

World’s 10 richest men see their wealth double during Covid pandemic. Oxfam calls for windfall tax as 99% of world population takes a pay cut while top 10 incomes grow by $1.3bn a day. Oxfam projects that by 2030, 3.3 billion people will be living on less than $5.50 per day. -- This is not sustainable.

Teens come out for newly created Kutztown Banned Book Club. A Kutztown middle schooler created a Teen Banned Book Club to discuss and celebrate challenged stories, discussing both classic novels and current hot topics.

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

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