And another day of war fears, states acting on abortion, Americans and who they trust, a ‘do not hire’ teacher’s list in TX, Christian nationalism, same-gender pay gaps, carjackings, and giving two thumbs up with one hand comes to a close:
"Post-truth is pre-fascism." — Prof. Timothy Snyder
“They might as well call the ‘March for Life’ what it really is, ‘March for forced Birth’. They don't give a fuck what happens after birth. Pro-Life my ass!” — Amy Lynn
Deaths
US: 889,167 (+1554 over two day)
World: 5,614,528 (+10,962 over two days)
Cases
US: 71,925,931 (+531,352 over two days)
World: 352,046,185 (+5,078,070 over two days)
US draws down Ukraine embassy presence as war fears mount. The U.S. State Department has ordered the families of all American personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine to leave the country amid heightened fears of a Russian invasion.
Russia toughens its posture amid Ukraine tensions. With tens of thousands of Russian troops positioned near Ukraine, the Kremlin has kept the U.S. and its allies guessing about its next moves in the worst security crisis to emerge between Moscow and the West since the Cold War.
Biden presented with options to bolster troop levels in Europe as Russian troops mass on Ukraine's borders. One option under consideration is moving between 1,000 to 5,000 troops, according to a senior defense official, and is intended both to shore up Eastern European and Baltic allies and to have them available to help get American citizens out, if necessary.
Dozens of Chinese warplanes fly near Taiwan after US-Japan show of naval might. The flights by the People's Liberation Army aircraft came a day after the United States and Japanese navies put on a massive show of force in the Philippine Sea, putting together a flotilla that included two US Navy aircraft carriers, two US amphibious assault ships and a Japanese helicopter destroyer, essentially a small aircraft carrier.
With Roe in doubt, states act on abortion limits, expansions. The activity in state legislatures was anticipated after the U.S. Supreme Court, with its conservative majority, signaled it was ready to make seismic changes to the nationwide right to abortion that has stood for nearly half a century. If the court overturns Roe v. Wade entirely, the decision on whether to keep abortion legal would fall to the states. More than 20 states already have laws on the books to ban or dramatically restrict abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned. As legislative sessions begin, several are considering new bans. — Remember, banning abortions will not stop abortions. It’ll stop safe abortions.
Jan. 6 Committee Confirms it’s Already Spoken to Former AG Barr About Trump’s Plan to Seize Voting Machines. “We’ve had conversations with the former attorney general already,” Thompson told Margaret Brennan, the show’s host. “We’ve talked with Department of Defense individuals. We are concerned that our military was part of this big lie on promoting that the election was false. So if you are using the military to potentially seize voting machines, even though it’s a discussion, the public needs to know.”
Newt Gingrich said this morning that people serving on the J6 Committee are going to go to jail if Republicans take over Congress after the next election. — They are telling us who they are and what they plan to do. We should listen.
“A former Speaker of the House is threatening jail time for members of Congress who are investigating the violent January 6 attack on our Capitol and our Constitution. This is what it looks like when the rule of law unravels.” — Rep. Liz Cheney
"That's just bizarre. I think Newt has really lost it. You know, it leaves me speechless. I mean, unless he is assuming that the government does get overthrown and there's no system of justice." — Rep. Zoe Lofgren responding to Gingrich comments
“Here's the deal: Of course it sounds absurd to hear these right-wing shitheels say that a GOP Congress will arrest 1/6 committee members or Biden. But they're gonna do it if they get power. They will shred every fucking thing. Smearing shit in the Capitol will seem quaint.” — The Rude Pundit
On Covid, Americans can be stingy with their trust. The latest poll numbers paint a new picture about whom Americans trust about Covid-19. And on the whole, it's not the CDC. Aside from partisanship, however, those numbers paint a remarkable picture. On the whole, the public is more likely to trust the non-experts that employ them and those who teach their children than they are to trust the government agency that is studying the virus. — We are doomed.
Study finds vaccination doesn't reduce fertility for women, but men catching COVID might. Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 does not reduce the chances of successfully becoming pregnant for couples who are trying to conceive, suggests data from a study by researchers at Boston University. However, men in the study who tested positive for the virus appeared to have at least "a short-term decline in fertility."
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott introduces 'Parental Bill of Rights' targeting state education system. The governor proposed a bill that would allow parents to decide if their children had to repeat failed courses and potentially place teachers on a 'do not hire' list for providing students with materials deemed 'obscene' by the state. — Fascism has already arrived in Texas.
Christian nationalism is still thriving — and is a force for returning Trump to power. Christian nationalists believe, in general, that America is Christian, that the government should keep it that way, and that Trump was —and is— their best hope to accomplish that. — Christian nationalists abuse religion in their quest for absolute power. Stand against them.
Arizona Democratic Party board votes to censure Sinema after pro-filibuster vote. The Arizona Democratic Party executive board voted Saturday to censure Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a rare rebuke from her own party that could complicate her political future. "While we take no pleasure in this announcement, the ADP Executive Board has decided to formally censure Senator Sinema as a result of her failure to do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our democracy," Arizona Democratic Party Chair Raquel Terán said in a statement.
Women in same-gender relationships face larger pay gap than men. LGBTQ+ women are subject to at least two wage gaps: one based on their sexual orientation and one based on their gender. On average, the combined income of married men in same-gender relationships is 31 percent higher than that of married women in same-gender relationships and 27 percent higher than the income of married opposite-gender couples, according to the report. Unmarried men in same-gender partnerships also take home more pay than women in same-gender relationships or opposite-gender couples.
Carjackings have risen dramatically over the past two years in some of America's biggest cities. Experts warn the pandemic's impact on minors is part of the reason why. "The majority of it is young joyriders. They're not keeping the cars. They're jacking cars to commit another crime, typically more serious robberies or shootings, or joyriding around for the sake of social media purpose and street cred," said Christopher Herrmann, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. "It's a disturbing trend."
How to give two thumbs up with one hand: — It’s a video showing new science. It’s pretty cool.
Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.
Until next time, my friends. Stay safe and stay sane. Good night.
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