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.
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