Wednesday, May 31, 2023

And another day of debt ceiling bills, tapes of Trump discussing docs, the earth being ‘really quite sick now,’ plastics recycling being worse than we thought, the CEO and average worker pay gap, and businesses requiring teens to be chaperoned comes to a close: 

"I don't want to pretend that I'm interested in what you're interested in, because I'm not." — Ed Bain

House OKs debt ceiling bill to avoid default, sends Biden-McCarthy deal to Senate. Veering away from a default crisis, the House approved a debt ceiling and budget cuts package late Wednesday, as President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy assembled a bipartisan coalition of centrist Democrats and Republicans against fierce conservative blowback and progressive dissent.

Reports: Prosecutors have tape of Trump discussing holding onto classified doc after leaving office. Justice Department prosecutors have obtained an audio recording of former President Donald Trump from after he left office in which he talks about holding onto a classified Pentagon document related to a potential attack on Iran, according to media reports.

Florida elections officials quietly made it easier for Ron DeSantis to fund his 2024 bid. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has quietly changed state guidelines, essentially giving its blessing for a state-level political committee he previously ran to move millions of dollars to a super PAC helping his presidential campaign. For years, elections officials said such a transfer to federal super PACs would not be allowed. But in March — just months before DeSantis formally launched his bid for president — officials at the Florida State Department, the DeSantis administration entity that regulates state elections, changed its handbook to assert that such moves are allowed. The timing is notable because a state-level political committee DeSantis led for the past five years, known as Friends of Ron DeSantis, is widely expected to transfer $80 million to a federal super PAC called Never Back Down that is supporting his just-launched bid for president.

Jan. 6 rioters are raking in thousands in donations. Now the US is coming after their haul. Dozens of defendants have set up online fundraising appeals for help with legal fees, and prosecutors acknowledge there's nothing wrong with asking for help for attorney expenses. But the Justice Department has, in some cases, questioned where the money is really going because many of those charged have had government-funded legal representation.

Earth is ‘really quite sick now’ and in danger zone in nearly all ecological ways, study says. Earth has pushed past seven out of eight scientifically established safety limits and into “the danger zone,” not just for an overheating planet that’s losing its natural areas, but for the well-being of people living on it, according to a new study. The study looks not just at guardrails for the planetary ecosystem but for the first time it includes measures of “justice,” which is mostly about preventing harm for countries, ethnicities and genders.

Plastics Recycling Is Far Worse Than We Thought. The plastics industry has long hyped recycling, even though it is well aware that it’s been a failure. Worldwide, only 9 percent of plastic waste actually gets recycled. In the United States, the rate is now 5 percent. Most used plastic is landfilled, incinerated, or winds up drifting around the environment. Now, an alarming new study has found that even when plastic makes it to a recycling center, it can still end up splintering into smaller bits that contaminate the air and water…In other words, recyclers trying to solve the plastics crisis may in fact be accidentally exacerbating the microplastics crisis, which is coating every corner of the environment with synthetic particles. — Earth will soon get rid of us.

Asian Americans do not have access to abortion information, survey finds. Cultural stigmas against conversations about sexual and reproductive health and a lack of in-language information on abortion has stifled knowledge of abortion care among Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians, researchers found. In a survey of AANHPIs released on Tuesday, 47% of respondents said they did not know where to access medication abortion – commonly referred to as abortion “by the pill” – if they needed it...About a third of respondents had never heard of medication abortion, which accounts for the majority of abortions in the United States. That is higher than the national average: in an April survey, 21% of Americans said they had never heard of medication abortion, according to Pew.

Nevada Republican governor approves abortion protections in cross-party move. Nevada’s Joe Lombardo on Tuesday became one of the first Republican governors to enshrine protections for out-of-state abortion patients and in-state providers, adding the western swing state to the list of those passing new laws to solidify their status as safe havens for abortion patients.

CEOs got smaller raises. It would still take a typical worker two lifetimes to make their annual pay. The typical compensation package for chief executives who run S&P 500 companies rose just 0.9% last year, to a median of $14.8 million, according to data analyzed for The Associated Press by Equilar. That means half the CEOs in the survey made more and half made less. It was the smallest increase since 2015...The median pay for workers at companies included in the AP survey was $77,178, up 1.3% from $76,160 the previous year. That means it would take that worker 186 years to make what a CEO making the median pay earned just last year. At the same group of companies in 2021, it would have taken 190 years. -- Yeah, that’s where we are. Fucking bullshit.

Top AI executives warn of 'risk of extinction'. A collection of AI researchers, executives, experts, and other personalities put their names to a single-sentence statement published on Tuesday by the Center for AI Safety (CAIS) umbrella group. "Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war," the statement said, in its entirety.

Sick workers tied to 40% of restaurant food poisoning outbreaks, CDC says. Although 85% of restaurants said they had policies restricting staff from working while sick, only about 16% of the policies were detailed enough to require workers to notify managers and to stay home if they had any of the five key symptoms — including vomiting, diarrhea, and sore throat with fever.

In Canada, each cigarette will get a warning label: ‘poison in every puff’. Canada will soon become the first country in the world where warning labels must appear on individual cigarettes...The warnings — in English and French — include “poison in every puff,” “tobacco smoke harms children” and “cigarettes cause impotence.” Health Canada said the strategy aims to reduce tobacco use below 5% by 2035. New regulations also strengthen health-related graphic images displayed on packages of tobacco. Bennett’s statement said tobacco use kills 48,000 Canadians every year.

Stop requiring college degrees for jobs that don’t need them. The moves are the result of a concerted effort, backed by staggering research and a multi-million-dollar advertising campaign, to educate employers on broken hiring practices that have needlessly locked two-thirds of the workforce out of higher-paying American jobs. For decades, more and more job postings have reflexively required college degrees. Now it’s finally being recognized this was a mistake…By analyzing over 51 million job postings dating back to 2014, the researchers found that between 2017 and 2019 roughly 46 percent of “middle-skill” and 37 percent of “high-skill” occupations no longer asked for a bachelor’s degree, and instead had job postings listing technical and social skills instead. The report concluded that based on the trends they were observing, an additional 1.4 million jobs could open to workers without college degrees in the next five years. “Jobs do not require four-year college degrees,” the report’s authors wrote. “Employers do.”

More businesses require teens to be chaperoned by adults, curbing their independence. Many praise chaperone policies as a way to reduce disruptions to business and create a safer shopping environment. But some critics say the new parental controls hurt teens’ independence and social development already curbed by pandemic-induced lockdowns.

Life Is About to Come With Subtitles. Automated live captions used to be terrible. But they’re becoming transformative for people who can’t hear.

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter has dementia, The Carter Center says. Carter, now 95, remains at home with former President Jimmy Carter, 98, who has been at home receiving hospice care since early this year.

The shape of your brain may strongly influence your thoughts and behavior, study finds. But a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature challenges that idea, suggesting instead that the shape of the brain — its size, curves and grooves — may exert a greater influence on how we think, feel and behave than the connections and signals between neurons...Pang said his research doesn't discount the significance of communication between neurons; rather, it suggests that the geometry of the brain plays a more essential role in brain function.

People have joined a waiting list to dine at a restaurant in Taipei that is serving a 14-legged giant isopod. The restaurant steams the isopod for 10 minutes before adding it to the top of a bowl of ramen with thick chicken and fish broth. Each bowl costs 1,480 Taiwan dollars ($48).

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

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

Saturday, May 27, 2023

And another day of tentative agreements, impeachments, Rs calling for a dictatorship, rolling back child labor protections, no home insurance for new customers in CA. brain implants, marijuana, and invisible stars in 20 years comes to a close:

“It’s become a routine occurrence to see media personalities, think tankers, and others whose large platforms give their rhetoric weight, call for a dictatorship in America.” — Hayes Brown

“Imagine how corrupt you have to be as a Republican Attorney General to get impeached by a Republican legislature in TEXAS.” — Judd Legum

Biden, GOP reach tentative deal to raise debt ceiling, avoid calamitous US default. However, the agreement risks angering both Democratic and Republican sides with the concessions made to reach it. Negotiators agreed to some Republican demands for increased work requirements for recipients of food stamps that had sparked an uproar from House Democrats as a nonstarter. Support from both parties will be needed to win congressional approval next week before a June 5 deadline.

GOP-controlled Texas House impeaches Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, triggering suspension. Texas’ Republican-led House of Representatives impeached state Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday on articles including bribery and abuse of public trust, a sudden, historic rebuke of a GOP official who rose to be a star of the conservative legal movement despite years of scandal and alleged crimes.

Conservatives keep calling for an American dictator. Believe them. The words “fascism” and “authoritarian,” once relegated to commentary from and on the fringe, have returned to mainstream political discourse. In many cases, according to scholars who study extremism, they are accurate descriptors for many of the most troubling actions on display from the right-wing’s leading figures. It’s not ideal that it’s become a routine occurrence to see media personalities, think tankers, and others whose large platforms give their rhetoric weight, call for a dictatorship in America…And yet, conservatives like Kelly are not shy at all about sharing their beliefs at this point: They are not being metaphorical when they are saying that dictatorship is in America’s future. It may come across as a lament, but in their eyes it is still a viable prescription for the supposed “woke mind virus” that has infected the country.

What the 2020 census can — and can't — tell us about LGBTQ+ people. States along the West Coast and in the Northeast have the highest shares of households with same-sex couples, according to the latest 2020 census results released Thursday…But many other LGBTQ+ people, including those who are not living with a partner or are in different-sex relationships, remain invisible in this key national dataset that's used to determine political representation, enforce civil rights protections, inform research and policymaking, and guide an estimated $1.5 trillion a year in federal money for public services in local communities.

Presidential hopeful DeSantis inspires push to make book bans easier in Republican-controlled states. As he vies for the Republican presidential nomination, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is touting a series of measures he has pushed that have led to an upswing in banned or restricted books — not just in Florida schools but in an increasing number of other conservative states. -- Fascists ban books. Ron DeSantis is a fascist.

Iowa governor signs bill rolling back child labor protections into law. Under the newly signed law, 14- and 15-year-olds are allowed to work two additional hours per day when school is in session, from four to six hours. They are also able to work until 9 p.m. during most of the year and until 11 p.m. from June 1 to Labor Day, two hours later than previously allowed. Sixteen- and 17-year-olds are now permitted to work the same hours as an adult. The law also allows teens as young as 16 to serve alcohol in restaurants during the hours food is being served if their employer has written permission from their parent or guardian. It also requires that two adults be present while the teen serves alcohol and for the teen to complete “training on prevention and response to sexual harassment.” — Exploitation soon to follow.

Florida mother behind ban on Amanda Gorman poem has Proud Boys links. The parent behind Amanda Gorman’s poem ban in a Florida school appears to have attended Proud Boys rallies and has previously posted antisemitic memes online.

Republican bill would mandate teaching about 'Christian foundations' of U.S. A Republican-backed bill introduced in the Michigan House Thursday would require school districts to ensure history and civics classes include instruction on what the proposal described as "the Christian foundations of the United States.”…In an interview, Fox said said the separation of church and state is not specifically mentioned U.S. and Michigan Constitution. He said he doesn't believe in the separation as it is usually taught.

Noem calls for South Dakota college board to ban drag shows, remove preferred pronouns. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) called on the board that oversees the state’s public colleges and universities to prohibit drag shows on campus and remove references to pronouns that do not match a person’s gender assigned at birth in school materials…As well as the drag show ban and the removal of “preferred pronouns,” the steps include eliminating any policy or procedure that prevents students from exercising their right to free speech and raising the graduation rate from the current 47 percent to at least 65 percent by 2028. Noem also called on the board to take more steps to partner with businesses on registered apprenticeship programs, find ways to make college more affordable, require courses in American government and U.S. history and review all funding for university centers and donations to ensure no money is coming from China.

EU official says Twitter abandons bloc’s voluntary pact against disinformation. The decision to abandon the commitment to fighting false information appears to be the latest move by billionaire owner Elon Musk to loosen the reins on the social media company after he bought it last year. He has rolled back previous anti-misinformation rules, and has thrown its verification system and content-moderation policies into chaos as he pursues his goal of turning Twitter into a digital town square.

Disgusted by racism targeting soccer’s Vinícius, his Brazilian hometown rallies to defend him. The chants of “monkey!” at the Spanish soccer stadium echoed across the Atlantic, reaching the ears of people on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. That’s where Vinícius Júnior, who is Black, grew up and launched his soccer career. Now, despite his global fame and millions, he was again the target of crude European racism. His city in multiracial Brazil was sickened, and has rallied to his defense.

New York man indicted on murder charge after 20-year-old woman was shot and killed when car turned in wrong driveway. Kevin Monahan, 65, has been charged with murder in the second degree, reckless endangerment and tampering with physical evidence, according to the indictment.

State Farm will no longer offer home insurance to new customers in California amid growing wildfire concerns. State Farm will no longer offer home insurance to new customers in California, citing "historic" construction cost increases and "rapidly growing catastrophe exposure." Beginning Saturday, State Farm General Insurance Company will stop accepting new applications including all business and personal lines property and casualty insurance, the company said in a news release. The changes do not affect personal auto insurance.

Berlin police investigate Pink Floyd rocker Roger Waters over Nazi-style costume worn during concert. Waters said that the part of his May 17 show being criticized was meant to be “a statement in opposition to fascism, injustice, and bigotry in all its forms.” "Attempts to portray those elements as something else are disingenuous and politically motivated," he wrote.

Elon Musk’s brain implant company Neuralink says it has US approval to begin trials in people. The company made the announcement on Twitter Thursday evening but has provided no details about a potential study, which was not listed on the U.S. government database of clinical trials. -- After his cars catching fire, and his rockets exploding, I’m not sure it’s a good idea to have his technology implanted in your brain.

New York City outlaws discrimination on the basis of weight, height. New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed legislation Friday that will ban discrimination based on body size by adding weight and height to the list of protected categories such as race, sex and religion.

US study finds 1 in 10 get long COVID after omicron, starts identifying key symptoms. About 10% of people appear to suffer long COVID after an omicron infection, a lower estimate than earlier in the pandemic, according to a study of nearly 10,000 Americans that aims to help unravel the mysterious condition.

Marijuana linked to mental health risks in young adults, growing evidence shows. And the evidence is growing of marijuana’s association with psychiatric disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, especially in young men…Because research to date has been observational and doesn’t directly prove cause and effect, the connection between marijuana and psychiatric disorders is controversial. It’s unclear whether people who already have or are developing psychiatric conditions are more likely to turn to cannabis as a way to self-medicate or whether cannabis use triggers mental problems…Marijuana consumed decades ago had concentrations of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient, of 2 to 3%, but cannabis products today can have THC levels as high as 90%. “That’s not even the case for alcohol as you cannot put more than a certain percent alcohol into liquor,” she said. “The same thing with tobacco cigarettes, you regulate how much nicotine they have. Here, we have no regulation.” Research has shown that the human brain is the last organ to fully develop and doesn’t finish until the mid-to-late 20s. That makes adolescents and young adults particularly vulnerable to the effects of cannabis as their brains continue to mature. “Really, the ideal time to consider using weed — if you’re going to use it — is 26 or later,” Sultan said. People who wait until at least age 26 are much less likely to become addicted or develop mental disorders.

Stars could be invisible within 20 years as light pollution brightens night skies. In 2016, astronomers reported that the Milky Way was no longer visible to a third of humanity and light pollution has worsened considerably since then. At its current rate most of the major constellations will be indecipherable in 20 years, it is estimated. The loss, culturally and scientifically, will be intense…“A couple of generations ago, people would have been confronted regularly with this glittering vision of the cosmos – but what was formerly universal is now extremely rare. Only the world’s richest people, and some of the poorest, experience that any more. For everybody else, it’s more or less gone.” Nevertheless, the introduction of only a modest number of changes to lighting could make a considerable improvement, Kyba argued. These moves would include ensuring outdoor lights are carefully shielded, point downwards, have limits placed on their brightness, and are not predominantly blue-white but have red and orange components.

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

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

Thursday, May 25, 2023

And another day of understanding DeSantis, moving boxes, 20 articles of impeachment against Paxton, SCOTUS curtailing EPA’s power, R’s pushing for child labor, accountability for the climate apocalypse, and our immune systems out of practice comes to a close:

“fuckin ashamed of humanity” — God

Ron DeSantis Is All In—on Creating an American Autocracy. DeSantis, in his telling, had removed a tyrant to benefit the less powerful. But what happened is a stark example of the opposite: an autocratic governor overturning the will of the people to punish his enemies for political gain. It was DeSantis who had placed himself above the law…The episode showcased DeSantis’ disregard for the democratic process, his use of the state to punish political opponents, and his mission to install loyal allies across positions of power. While Donald Trump shares these authoritarian tendencies, DeSantis is much more methodical, though no less ruthless. Trump’s appeal relied on charisma, but DeSantis compensates for his lack of it with staged attacks and appearances that score points with GOP voters. DeSantis has proven his “willingness to routinely use the machinery of the state to punish rivals,” explains Harvard government professor Steven Levitsky. “That’s authoritarianism at its core. That’s what authoritarians do.”…He’s booted school board members, an election supervisor, and a sheriff—all Democrats. DeSantis has turned the power of the state against political opponents, businesses that transgress his orthodoxy, and the education system and universities that serve as liberal bulwarks against illiberal rulers. DeSantis breeds fear of vulnerable groups for political advantage. As part of this politics of reprisal, he is imposing a uniform ideology upon Florida: anti-queer, anti-Black, anti-immigrant, and patriarchal, through laws banning discussion of gender identity, systemic racism, and sexism. The “Free State of Florida,” he likes to say, “is where woke goes to die.” But his rhetoric scrambles reality. In fact, DeSantis has stoked a fear of wokeism to strip freedoms and amass power…But what connects each conflagration is “a belief that freedom is designed for some people, not all people. It’s a belief that democracy is not an institution worth defending, but rather an obstacle.”…DeSantis calls his agenda the “Florida blueprint,” and it’s no secret that he dreams of replicating his authoritarian experiment at the national level. But even if DeSantis doesn’t become the GOP’s 2024 presidential nominee, he has already demonstrated that further abandoning democratic norms can bring great success in the Republican Party. His governing style is the logical evolution of Trumpism, from a chaotic politics of reprisal to a calculated system of repression and power-grabbing. “This really is what’s coming to the country,” says Anders Croy, communications director at Florida Watch, a progressive group. “Florida, essentially, is a laboratory of authoritarianism right now.”…“Most politicians, you gain respect from your colleagues and your peers by working with them, by not being a jerk, by having good conversations and good relationships,” says Fried, who now chairs Florida’s Democratic Party. “He cannot do that. So the only way that he’s going to be able to move his agenda is through fear and intimidation.”…“People who come from the realm of bureaucracy…don’t necessarily have to be charismatic because they want to be feared and not loved. Now, somebody like Trump needs to be loved as well as feared, but DeSantis just wants to be feared. His remoteness, actually, is a shield, where it helps him be ruthless and dominant.”…Such power grabs are “a cornerstone of authoritarianism,” explains Ben-Ghiat, and “create a climate where you can more efficiently transform everything.”…The law authorizing secret recordings also mandated that faculty and students fill out an annual “intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” survey, just one of many new oversight tools DeSantis and his legislative allies have imposed…The effort calls to mind a surveillance state, where snitching is encouraged, the government keeps enemies lists, and free speech is censored. “Almost invariably, universities are bastions of opposition to autocratic parties, government parties, movements, leaders—and so they’re their targets.”…DeSantis’ attack on academic freedom has already taken a toll. Despite years of growth in the center’s graduate program, Morse says, this fall enrollment will go down by more than half, as many admitted students declined offers, usually citing Florida’s political climate. And departments without enough enrollment get closed. “As long as they just scare people away and make Florida a hostile area for this kind of work, that can achieve the same goal as an outright ban,” Morse warns. The onslaught of rules, surveillance, lawsuits, lists, and bans has created an atmosphere of chaos and fear on Florida campuses…DeSantis, by contrast, strategically deploys chaos to advance his political priorities. “This is part of using the law for repressive purposes, but in vague ways,” says Ben-Ghiat. “You create confusion, you create discouragement, and ultimately, you create silence and inaction.”…“DeSantis, we need to remember, is a product of Harvard Law,” says University of Miami law professor Mary Anne Franks. “His attempts to punish Disney, for instance, his attempts to restrict what private employers are doing—he knows that that violates the First Amendment,” she adds. “What he is trying to figure out is, can he remake the law? Can the new, far-right conservative movement, which seems to be a kind of might-makes-right movement, can he put that into effect?”…DeSantis’ decision to take on Disney was a shot across the private sector’s bow: fall in line or the state will come knocking…But in 2018, on the same day DeSantis narrowly won election, Floridians overwhelmingly approved Amendment 4, which restored voting rights to most people who had completed their sentences. After taking office, DeSantis and Republicans in the legislature immediately set out to undermine the amendment, adding a requirement that the new voters must first pay all their legal fines, fees, and restitution. But the state never made it possible for its citizens to find out if they have any such debts; experts believe records are so scattered, error-riddled, and incomplete that creating a trustworthy database would be impossible. “It’s designed to fail.”…Meanwhile, FRRC was hearing from people who had decided it wasn’t worth voting—even individuals who had never been found guilty of a crime. Coming less than a week before the 2022 primary and the start of the general election, the arrests were well timed to suppress turnout, and seemed to have an obvious political motivation. “The state registered these people, these former incarcerated felons,” says Shaw, the former state lawmaker. “DeSantis goes and arrests them for voter fraud, because they should not have been allowed to register to vote. And if you don’t think that depressed turnout amongst Black people, then I got another thing to tell you.”…This year, Florida exited an interstate compact that helps ferret out double voting, leaving the state much less likely to catch a kind of intentional fraud that Republicans have been more likely to commit in recent years. “He likes to call us the Free State of Florida,” adds Shaw. “But that freedom only applies to people that look like him and that think like him. And if you don’t, then this state is not free at all.” Voter suppression is a widely practiced authoritarian strategy. It’s also an American pastime…But even if DeSantis’ national ambitions don’t take him to the White House, his authoritarian style, far from withering, is likely to be embraced by fellow Republicans seeking to emulate his success. DeSantis has demonstrated a path to power based on circumventing the democratic process and preying on fear of minorities—a template that is already being adopted by GOP legislatures around the country. But if DeSantis becomes president in two years, critics warn, his brand of authoritarianism could take hold from Washington. “If you’re uncomfortable with the book banning, imagine giving him the keys to the US Department of Education,” says Wolf. “If you’re uncomfortable with the migrant flights dumping people in a deserted parking lot somewhere, imagine giving him the keys to Border Patrol and ICE. If you’re uncomfortable with the way he goes after voting rights, imagine the same conversations that Donald Trump was having with Georgia election officials [demanding they “find” votes he needed], but it’s Ron DeSantis on a call that’s not being recorded.” “DeSantis would finish what Trump started,” says Ben-Ghiat, “which is wrecking our democracy.” -- I know this is long. I know the article is very long. But it is so important to understand who DeSantis is and what he’s been doing in Florida. He’s an authoritarian, and he will only get worse--much worse--if he takes the presidency. Share this with everyone you know. Everyone must know who Ron DeSantis is.

Florida groups warn America of danger from ‘dictator’ DeSantis. “It will only get worse if Governor DeSantis gets anywhere near the White House,” said Anna Eskamani, who represents central Florida. “We’re here to not only hold the line and fight back, but to be that canary in the coalmine, reminding the people of this great country how dangerous Ron DeSantis really is.”

DeSantis pushes past embarrassing campaign start, raises $8.2M ahead of early state blitz. For the doubters, the campaign confirmed Thursday night that it had raised $8.2 million in the 24 hours since entering the race, a massive sum that far exceeded the amount raised by President Joe Biden over the same period.

“Why do I have a feeling that an ever-accelerating number of caveats and footnotes will attach to this number, once it's legally reported and not just assertion by the campaign itself?” -- David Frum

Trump workers moved Mar-a-Lago boxes a day before FBI came for documents. Two of Donald Trump’s employees moved boxes of papers the day before an early June visit by FBI agents and a prosecutor to the former president’s Florida home to retrieve classified documents in response to a subpoena — timing that investigators have come to view as suspicious and an indication of possible obstruction, according to people familiar with the matter. Trump and his aides also allegedly carried out a “dress rehearsal” for moving sensitive papers even before his office received the May 2022 subpoena, according to the people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a sensitive ongoing investigation. 

Prosecutors in addition have gathered evidence indicating that Trump at times kept classified documents in his office in a place where they were visible and sometimes showed them to others, these people said.

Texas lawmakers issue 20 articles of impeachment against state Attorney General Ken Paxton. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton teetered on the brink of impeachment Thursday after years of scandal, criminal charges and corruption accusations that the state’s Republican majority had largely met with silence until now. In an unanimous decision, a Republican-led House investigative committee that spent months quietly looking into Paxton recommended impeaching the state’s top lawyer on 20 articles, including bribery, unfitness for office and abuse of public trust. The House could vote on the recommendation as soon as Friday. If it impeaches Paxton, he would be forced to leave office immediately.

Supreme Court delivers blow to wetlands protections in win for Idaho landowners. The ruling is another example of the court's conservative justices powering a decision that curbs broad power of federal agencies, a consistent theme in recent years.

Supreme Court limits EPA's regulatory control over certain wetlands. The Supreme Court limited the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ability to oversee certain bodies of water on Thursday, determining that the agency cannot regulate wetlands isolated from larger bodies of water.

Kids could fill labor shortages, even in bars, if these lawmakers succeed. Lawmakers in several states are embracing legislation to let children work in more hazardous occupations, longer hours on school nights and in expanded roles including serving alcohol in bars and restaurants as young as 14. The efforts to significantly roll back labor rules are largely led by Republican lawmakers to address worker shortages and in some cases run afoul of federal regulations. Child welfare advocates worry the measures represent a coordinated push to scale back hard-won protections for minors. “The consequences are potentially disastrous,” said Reid Maki, director of the Child Labor Coalition, which advocates against exploitative labor policies. “You can’t balance a perceived labor shortage on the backs of teen workers.” — The Republican Party is actively trying to bring back child labor.

Inside the Florida group pushing to slash food stamp rolls nationwide. More than 42.5 million Americans were enrolled in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as of February, the latest data available, receiving an estimated $6 per day for help buying groceries. That tally was up 3.2% from a year earlier but reflects the month before enhanced pandemic-era benefits expired for millions…Some critics of these moves see less of a locally tailored policy approach than a partisan campaign for a long-standing conservative goal. “We had national Republican Party politics playing out in our legislative agenda this year,” said Michelle Book, CEO of the Food Bank of Iowa. “They continue to say, ‘We’re going to beat down unemployment benefits, we’re going to beat down SNAP benefits, because this will produce more workers,’ and we’ve not seen it.”…Several studies have found work requirements decrease participation in SNAP, but only a few have found them to increase employment…“We have a lot of people who are working but not earning enough money to get out of poverty,” said Jonathan Coppess, one of the report’s authors. “So what is the point of policy built around work requirements when it isn’t an unemployment issue?”…Most families receiving SNAP benefits are already working…A lot of workers are in and out of the labor market through no fault of their own.

Where is the Accountability for the Killers Ushering in the Climate Apocalypse? For over 50 years, the top executives of that industry have known their products would produce this exact result: a crisis that is killing an average of around 7,500 Americans a year (and over a million worldwide) and promises to kill hundreds of millions within a decade or two. But instead of doing anything of consequence to mitigate the damage of their operations, they instead funded a massive, 50-year-long campaign to lie to the American people, cloud the science, and buy off Republican politicians…In essence, Hansen is proposing that the world will soon see both a collapse of the Gulf Stream that keeps Europe’s climate capable of growing crops and a worldwide 60-meter rise in sea levels. Possibly in our children’s or grandchildren’s lifetimes. As Thomas dryly notes in God’s Spies: “For Americans, 60 meters is about 200 feet.”…Today’s climate crisis dwarfs the threat of Nazism in the 1940s, Bin Laden’s 9/11 attack, or the massive bank robberies that took place during the Reagan and Bush administrations. It literally threatens all life on Earth.

Supreme Court rules in favor of 94-year-old woman who got nothing when county took her condo. A unanimous Supreme Court on Thursday gave a 94-year-old Minneapolis woman a new chance to recoup some money after the county kept the entire $40,000 when it sold her condominium over a small unpaid tax bill. The justices ruled that Hennepin County, Minnesota violated the constitutional rights of the woman, Geraldine Tyler, by taking her property without paying “just compensation.”

Body-cam footage shows indicted ex-police officers laughing at man who died in their custody. Three former police officers who were indicted by a Mississippi grand jury joked around about a Black man who died in their custody, with one of them questioning whether to call an ambulance for the man immediately, body-camera footage shows.

Keep getting sick? Your immune system is out of practice after COVID, experts say. Many people say they’ve suffered back-to-back common illnesses in recent months that seem both more frequent and more severe than what is typical for springtime. Although data on common infections is not collected on a large scale outside of the winter respiratory virus season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a recent surge in strep throat — even among adults, who are usually less susceptible — and outbreaks of norovirus, sometimes called the “stomach flu.” The timing of the onslaught — in the wake of a three-year, once-in-a-generation pandemic followed by a winter virus season for the record books — makes it all the more painful to endure. People are left wondering what could be going on, and when will we all catch a break?…The body’s more sluggish response makes people feel like they’re getting sicker from common illnesses than they used to, said Dr. Niharika Khanna, primary care physician at the University of Maryland Medical Center and professor of family medicine at the university’s School of Medicine. “That’s kind of upsetting a lot of people,” she said, especially when they’re getting sick more often as well.

Experimental drugs aim to surpass weight-loss stars like Ozempic and Wegovy. Next-generation options now in development may be easier and more convenient to take, turbo-charge weight loss and offer additional health benefits.

ChatGPT-maker warns it might leave EU over planned AI law. The boss of the company behind ChatGPT has said it might consider leaving the EU if it fails to comply with a planned law on artificial intelligence (AI). The EU's planned legislation could be the first to specifically regulate AI. And it could require generative AI companies to reveal which copyrighted material had been used to train their systems to create text and images.

Saturn’s iconic rings are disappearing. “We have shown that massive rings like Saturn’s do not last long.”

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

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

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

And another day of DeSantis’ agenda, TX AG Paxton breaking laws, a FL school banning Gorman’s poem, MT banning drag performers, brain and spine implants enable paralyzed man to walk, and the world loses a music legend comes to a close:

“You're simply the best.” -- Holly Knight / Mike Chapman (and sung by Tina Turner)

What’s on DeSantis’ agenda? A look at the laws he passed as Florida governor, from abortion to guns. DeSantis signed a bill banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, but it won’t take effect unless the state’s current 15-week ban is upheld in an ongoing legal challenge that is before the state Supreme Court, which is controlled by conservatives...The DeSantis administration expanded the controversial law that critics call “Don’t Say Gay” to cover all grades, banning classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools...DeSantis signed a bill that prevents school staffers or students from being required to refer to people by pronouns that don’t correspond to the person’s sex...DeSantis has signed two major death penalty bills this year. The first ends a unanimous jury requirement in death penalty sentencing, allowing capital punishment with jury recommendation of at least 8-4 in favor of execution...The other death penalty bill DeSantis signed allows the death penalty in child rape convictions, despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that banned capital punishment in such cases...Floridians will be able to carry concealed guns without a permit under a bill DeSantis signed this session. The new law will allow anyone who can legally own a gun in Florida to carry one without a permit. It means training and a background check will not be required to carry concealed guns in public. It takes effect July 1...Another new law bans colleges from using state or federal funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs, a consistent target of DeSantis. -- DeFascist aims to turn America into Florida. Never, ever vote for Ron DeFascist. 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton likely broke laws, Republican investigation finds. A Republican-led investigation on Wednesday accused Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton of committing multiple crimes in office — including felonies — during an extraordinary public airing of scandal and alleged lawbreaking that plunged one of the GOP’s conservative stars into new political and legal risk. For more than three hours, investigators presented findings alleging Paxton sought to hide an affair, misused his office to help a donor, skirted protocols “grossly outside” norms and built a culture of fear and retaliation in his office. Investigators told the GOP-led House General Investigating Committee that there was evidence that Paxton repeatedly broke the law over the years, including by misusing official information, abusing his official capacity and retaliation. -- Ken Paxton belongs in prison.

Amanda Gorman’s poem for Biden’s inauguration banned by Florida school. A poem written for President Joe Biden’s inauguration has been placed on a restricted list at a South Florida elementary school after one parent’s complaint.

Montana governor signs bill banning drag performers from reading to children in public schools, libraries. HB359, which went into effect when Gianforte signed it on Monday, prevents children from attending “sexually oriented shows” and from being present at obscene performances on public property. It specifically targets drag story hours, which it defines as “an event hosted by a drag queen or drag king who reads children’s books and engages in other learning activities with minor children present.”

Yellowstone baby bison put to death after visitor picks it up, leading herd to reject it. A man who picked up a bison calf in Yellowstone National Park caused it to be shunned by its herd, prompting park officials to kill the animal rather than allow it to be a hazard to visitors...Park officials’ options for dealing with the animal were limited, according to the statement, which said bison must be quarantined before being sent to conservation herds outside the park. A bison calf abandoned and unable to care for itself is not a good candidate for quarantine, the statement said. -- Look, I understand wanting to help the struggling calf reunite with its herd, but the rule of thumb should always be “don’t touch the wildlife.”

Brain and spine implants enabled a paralyzed man to climb stairs and walk on rough terrain, study shows. When Oskam thinks about moving his legs, the implant in his brain sends a signal to an external computer, which Oskam wears as a backpack. The computer then processes and relays that signal to a pacemaker in Oskam's abdomen, which in turn sends electrical pulses to the older implant that was already in his spinal cord. That prompts Oskam's legs to move. A helmet with two antennas helps the implants stay connected to the computer. -- That is freaking amazing!! Science rules!!

RIP Tina Turner. She was 83.

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

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