Mastodon reminder

The ONLY crisis in the US is the violent GOP fascists trying to seize power.

Chicago media scrutiny of unexpected immigrants

I just had a conversation with Mom who was parroting what the “news” is saying about the immigrants unexpectedly sent to our city. Mainly, and incessantly, they are running the story of them not being sheltered and placed.

While I agree that it’s bad, I don’t agree with the vulturous focus on their plight with zero mention of the culprits who created the problem. Federal intervention is needed. Perhaps Biden can issue an executive order preventing the practice? Or Congressional proposals (that won’t advance I know but do it anyway) defunding border state immigration coffers? Or soliciting the establishment of federal shelter opportunities?

From Human Rights Watch:

Epic fail: Roy Cohn was never found guilty*.

Trump can’t even successfully apply what he learned from his most influential litigious mentor.

PS: I know civil cases call finding for the plaintiff “liable” BUT I will call him guilty because it will trigger Republicans. And because he is.

Tin cup SCOTUS

It's not ageism or sexism. It's the judiciary. Why Dianne Feinstein must resign. Now.

ROBERT REICH
MAY 9
 
 
Snip

… Feinstein is 89 years old and is no longer doing her job. I say this with great sadness, as one of her personal friends as well as one of her constituents. She was diagnosed with shingles in late February but has not been back to Washington since. So far, she has missed more than 60 votes. Many of her friends talk openly of her declining mental state.

She has accomplished many worthy things since she was first elected to the Senate in 1992. She took the lead in passing the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994. In 1998, she spearheaded legislation to guarantee humanitarian protections to unaccompanied immigrant children who arrived alone at the U.S. border. She oversaw a six-year review of the CIA’s detention and interrogation program, culminating in the December 2014 release of the report’s executive summary and subsequent anti-torture legislation. She authored the 2016 Transnational Drug Trafficking Act.

Feinstein has said she will retire at the end of 2024, but too much damage is being done in the interim. It is clear she can no longer perform her duties. It is time for her to step down. A few weeks ago, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi suggested that sexism was behind calls for Feinstein to step down now. “I've never seen them go after a man who was sick in the Senate in that way,” Pelosi said. But Feinstein’s situation is vastly different from that of Strom Thurmond or any other senator who can no longer perform his or her duties. The particular duty Feinstein can no longer perform is especially crucial: voting as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which must consider judicial nominees before the full Senate votes on them.

In this era of polarized politics, without Feinstein’s vote the committee is deadlocked and cannot recommend a judicial confirmation to the full Senate. This has put more than 20 Biden nominees in limbo — including, let me add, many women whose careers have been put on hold. Nine percent of federal judgeships remain vacant. … In the past few weeks, Republican-appointed judges have issued rulings that would restrict the distribution of pills used to end pregnancies.

But it’s worse than this. Major parts of the GOP are now actively engaged in dismantling American democracy… from Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, and Neil Gorsuch down through scores of appellate and district court judges — are actively enabling the anti-democracy movement. Republican presidents and senators have been especially aggressive in finding and nominating right-wing judicial candidates and getting them confirmed…. As a result, 51 percent of today’s appeals courts judges were appointed by Republicans, and only 43 percent by Democrats. Feinstein’s absence is tipping this imbalance even further … And as long as Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin aren’t willing to carve out an exception to the filibuster to allow Schumer to make this replacement with just 51 votes, Democrats — and America — are stymied.

Feinstein must resign now. For the good of America.

TX Dem Rep masterfully confronts 10 Commandments in classrooms advocate

Racism explained in 30 seconds

Mastodon: Guest list for tonight's state dinner

Deleted-- dupe thread already on greatest page