May 15, 2022

Republicans Must Answer for 'Great Replacement Theory' Violence

Wajahat Ali

Republicans and the conservative media ecosystem have to answer for the blood on their hands.

Either through innuendo or direct statements, they continue to promote the white supremacist “great replacement theory” which has yet again radicalized a terrorist to commit violence against people of color. And they should be held accountable for their role in it.

We’re still learning more about Payton Gendron, the 18-year-old suspected terrorist who killed 10 people in a racially motivated attack in Buffalo. However, it’s clear from his alleged manifesto that “great replacement theory,” which is now a mainstream GOP talking point, continues to radicalize men to commit violence. And yet some Republican leaders and conservative pundits continue to promote this hate for sake of votes, profit, and ratings.

Enough is enough. Until Republican leaders and conservative media stars explicitly renounce this white supremacist conspiracy, condemn it, and disassociate from its peddlers, it’s fair to conclude they are entirely complicit with its message.

Journalists and reporters must repeatedly hound Republican officials with follow up questions about this national security threat. Recall that Democrats and President Joe Biden still are asked about “defunding the police,” even though it is not a mainstream DNC position, or about critical race theory (CRT) panic even after it was revealed to be a bad-faith trojan horse created by right-wing activists to incite racial panic and anxiety.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/republicans-must-answer-for-great-replacement-theory-violence?ref=home

May 14, 2022

Judge blocks part of Alabama law criminalizing gender-affirming care for trans youth

A federal judge on Friday blocked part of an Alabama law that made it a felony to prescribe gender-affirming puberty blockers and hormones to transgender minors.

U.S. District Judge Liles Burke issued a preliminary injunction to stop the state from enforcing the medication ban, which took effect May 8, while a court challenge goes forward. The judge left in place other parts of the law that banned gender-affirming surgeries for transgender minors, which doctors had testified are not done on minors in Alabama. He also left in place a provision that requires counselors and other school officials to tell parents if a minor discloses that they think they are transgender.

The Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act made it a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, to prescribe or administer gender-affirming medication to transgender minors to help affirm their new gender identity.

Burke ruled that Alabama had produced no credible evidence to show that transitioning medications are "experimental" while, "the uncontradicted record evidence is that at least twenty-two major medical associations in the United States endorse transitioning medications as well-established, evidence-based treatments for gender dysphoria in minors."

"Enjoining the Act upholds and reaffirms the ‘enduring American tradition’ that parents—not the states or federal courts—play the primary role in nurturing and caring for their children,” Burke wrote in the opinion.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/05/13/alabama-transgender-medication-law-state-stoppped-enforcing-ban/9774502002/

May 13, 2022

This Morning at the Shelter, or, Attempted Jailbreak (long, but I'm still laughing)

This morning I went in to do my usual Friday shift among the strays as usual. Things are getting a little busier this time of year, with (usually) moms with kittens, or litters of kittens, or (sometimes) single kittens being brought in, not to mention the usual run of strays and surrenders that we get, although this morning we didn't have any moms with kittens. Did the usual walk-through with Natalie, who runs the stray jail, while she pointed out the potential troublemakers, flight risks, sickies, anyone needing samples to be run to the clinic, etc., plus some colorful backstories on a couple of the inmates. Everything went along in its usual fashion until I went down to the laundry/stockroom for more towels, cleaning rags, and gloves. I had to walk through food storage, which was stacked with bags of dog food where the delivery guy had dumped it on his usual Thursday delivery, leaving only a narrow path, and walking back through there, I nearly lost my full basket of stuff but didn't.

I got to the door of the stray jail and Natalie hollered, "Don't come in with that, there's a cat out. That orange guy." I knew which one she meant. It was the one on the back top row that she'd been suspicious of when we did our walk-through. She said at the time, "Cheyenne said he was nice in Intake, but it took both of us to wrestle him into a box so I could bring him down here." He'd gotten out when she opened his kennel door to clean and headed for a kennel full of kittens to pick a fight. I put the basket down blocking the door and edged my way in (fortunately I'm really small) to help in the capture.

Every time we thought we had him cornered, he went under something or around a corner. We blocked as much "under" as we could and kept trying to head him off, but he is a really smart guy and kept evading us. I tried treats but those didn't work. Then Natalie said, "Get the catnip!" The catnip is in a shaker jar like a spice jar. First I shook some into the carrier we were trying to chase him into, but he wasn't having that. Finally Natalie said "F--- this, I'm getting the feral net." We only use the net as a last resort, but we'd been chasing him for 10+ minutes by then. More catnip. We finally managed to corner him in a place where he just couldn't get away and there was already quite a lot of catnip on the floor. At that point he looked up at me and for some reason, I can't tell you why, I was inspired to just shake catnip down on him. He looked suddenly blissed out and at that moment Natalie snuck up behind him and netted him. Boy, was he PO'd! She carried him in the net back to his kennel and had me put more catnip on his mat before getting him out of the net (which was a job in itself) and slamming the door. We sat down on the floor and laughed ourselves silly.

While we were still laughing, the volunteer coordinator came in to ask us something, saw us laughing and wanted to know why, so we told her. Her only comment was "Why didn't somebody have a video camera?"

May 13, 2022

John Fetterman is redefining how swing-state Democrats campaign

Who will win Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday, May 17, isn’t much of a mystery. John Fetterman, the state’s lieutenant governor, has been leading in polls for months in one of Democrats’ most important races for keeping control of the Senate.

Recent polls show him ahead of his closest challenger, Rep. Conor Lamb — the sort of moderate Democrats typically put forward in Pennsylvania Senate races — by 30 points.

His dominance may seem surprising. But behind it is his success in addressing two pressing problems Democrats have struggled with nationally. That their primary voters tend to favor progressive policies more than general election voters, and their party seems unable to clearly define what it believes and who it’s for: It wants to advance progressive ideas without being branded as leftist, and to strike a balance between elite priorities and blue-collar concerns.

The quirks of his candidacy mean that Fetterman is able to find a balance between extremes. A longtime politician, he’s promoted progressive causes in the state while also bending to practical, populist concerns. And he’s done much of that while wearing Carhartt hoodies and basketball shorts.

That’s not to say Fetterman has a lock on the general election. But if Fetterman wins on Tuesday, he and Democratic voters will be making a bet: An unconventional, but authentic candidate who is progressive enough to win a Democratic primary won’t doom the party in a general election.

https://www.vox.com/23068819/democrats-pennsylvania-senate-primary-progressive-moderate

May 12, 2022

Everything You Need to Know About the Baby Formula Shortage

1. Why is there a shortage of formula now?
There are really two factors that have driven the current shortage. First, we have the supply chain problem, which has affected all manner of goods since the onset of the pandemic. It eased off a little, but then at the beginning of 2022 it became worse.

Then in February a major baby formula manufacturing plant in U.S. went down. The FDA shut down Abbott Nutrition’s factory in Michigan. The closure came after Abbott’s nationwide recall of multiple brands of formula, including routine Similac cow milk-based formulas such as Similac Advance and several specialty formulas for allergic babies, including Similac Alimentum and and Similac EleCare.

Closing the factory had to be done amid an investigation into bacterial infections in connection to powdered formula produced at the plant, and the deaths of at least two babies. The problem is there just isn’t much redundancy in U.S. infant formula production. In other words, there aren’t enough other factories to pick up the slack when one goes down. The Michigan plant is the largest producer in the country, so when it goes down, it put added strain on the entire U.S. formula distribution system, especially for certain formulas for babies with high-risk allergic diseases and metabolic disorders.

Over the last couple of weeks the shortage has gotten worse. I can’t say for sure why this has happened. But I suspect there has been some hoarding going on as parents get anxious. Stores can limit the amount of formula that people can buy, but that doesn’t stop people going online to buy more.

On top of that, the shortage has gained wide publicity in newspapers, on TV and in political speeches. All that publicity feeds into public sense that the system is failing, prompting more panic buying and hoarding.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-baby-formula-shortage?ref=home
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These pediatricians, mostly born after the advent of commercial formula, need to get over the idea that homemade formulas aren't "safe"---signed, a proud Carnation baby

May 11, 2022

Delaware State University 'incensed' after lacrosse team's bus searched in Georgia

Acollege women's lacrosse team feels traumatized after its charter bus was stopped by police while traveling through Georgia, an incident that has left the school's president "incensed."

The Delaware State University women’s lacrosse team was traveling north on I-95 in Liberty County, Georgia, southwest of Savannah, on April 20. The Hornets were returning home after playing their final game of the season at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, on April 19.

Bus driver Tim Jones was initially told he was improperly traveling in the left lane when the bus was pulled over, according to DSU’s student publication The Hornet Newspaper and its website thehornetonline.com. The incident was first detailed there in a story that published Friday written by Sydney Anderson, a sophomore lacrosse player who was on the bus.

Video accompanying the story taken by DSU player Saniya Craft shows an officer saying, "If there is anything in y’all’s luggage, we’re probably gonna find it, OK? I’m not looking for a little bit of marijuana but I’m pretty sure you guys’ chaperones are probably gonna be disappointed in you if we find any."

By that time, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office deputies had begun removing players’ bags from the vehicle’s cargo bay to search after asking Jones to open it. Police had a drug-sniffing dog at the scene.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/more-sports/delaware-state-university-incensed-after-lacrosse-team-s-bus-searched-in-georgia/ar-AAX6xv9

May 11, 2022

The good and bad news about housing for LGBTQ Americans

It’s been a particularly difficult time for Dianne Karon, a 65-year-old transgender woman, as the political vitriol aimed at queer and trans people has escalated.

Despite this, Karon says she still feels lucky because she has safe and secure housing after landing a spot in Stonewall House, a Brooklyn LGBTQ-friendly senior housing development that opened in 2019. Like many queer and trans people, she has struggled to find permanent housing, and having served time in prison certainly didn’t make things easier.

“I would be living on the streets if it wasn’t for [Stonewall House],” Karon said. “It is the best, and I don’t have to hide myself.”

LGBTQ individuals have long faced difficulties finding and maintaining stable housing. Studies have found housing providers favor heterosexual couples over same-sex partners and provide transgender applicants fewer options than cis applicants when they disclose their gender status. Housing searches can be particularly challenging for the roughly 3 million LGBTQ adults over the age of 50, who grew up in a time when being open about one’s identity was far less accepted. And LGBTQ people have had little redress; while housing discrimination based on traits like race and disability status is banned under the Fair Housing Act, a landmark civil rights statute passed 54 years ago, sexual orientation and gender identity weren’t protected until 2021.

It’s a huge shift for the LGBTQ community, though experts say there’s a long way to go before these new rights reach those they’re meant to protect. To get there will require building trust among LGBTQ individuals that their concerns will be taken seriously, and standing up sustained and proactive training and enforcement for all the many gatekeepers involved in the housing market. The government’s track record in these areas is far less than perfect.

Implementation matters because policy changes alone aren’t enough to change behavior. And places like Karon’s Stonewall House, named for the 1969 Stonewall uprising often cited as a turning point for the modern LGBTQ movement, aren’t sufficient. Though it’s one of a handful of queer-friendly federally subsidized housing complexes across the country, experts recognize there will never be enough of those sorts of units to address the need, plus not all LGBTQ people want to live in those communities.

https://www.vox.com/23046516/trans-lgbtq-housing-affordable-rent

May 10, 2022

"Toad poison" hangover treatment reportedly kills Russian oil executive

A former top boss of one of Russia's biggest state-owned oil companies died after receiving a dubious treatment from a "shaman" over the weekend, Russian media say. Lukoil board member Alexander Subbotin, who no longer held a management role at the firm, was found dead in Mytishchi, a town just outside Moscow, in a house owned by a local healer or medicine man known as Magua, according to state news agency TASS.

Online news outlet Mash said Magua and his wife were offering high-paying clients various unorthodox treatments, including a procedure involving poisonous toads.

"They would make an incision on the skin, dripped toad poison there, and after the patient vomited, he allegedly would feel better," Mash claimed, alleging that Subbotin had been a frequent customer who came seeking treatment for hangovers.

"Suddenly, he felt unwell, and his heart ached. The shaman decided not to call an ambulance, gave him some usual heart drops and put the billionaire to sleep in the basement, where he later died," Mash reported, adding: "Whether Alexander got sick from poisonous toads or something else is not clear, but the investigation will soon figure it out."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/toad-poison-hangover-treatment-reportedly-kills-russian-oil-executive/
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And here you thought the Slobfather and his spawn were dumb.....

May 10, 2022

Hochul directs $35 million to abortion providers: 'Don't mess with the State of New York'

Gov. Hochul said Tuesday that she was sending $35 million into a new fund for abortion providers, stepping up efforts to guarantee abortion access as New York girds for the expected end of federal reproductive rights.

Describing the new fund as a “nation-leading response,” the governor promised the state will “do whatever it takes to protect and defend the rights of not just New York women, but women all across this nation.”

“New York will be there,” Hochul, who is isolating in Albany with a COVID diagnosis, said in a virtual news conference. “Don’t mess with the State of New York.”

The state’s first female governor said the fund would be established through the Health Department and would represent the largest allocation of its kind in the U.S.

Hochul’s office said the Health Department would direct $25 million in emergency funds to abortion providers, while another $10 million would be funneled through Division of Criminal Justice Services grants to bolster security at abortion clinics.

In 2019, almost 1-in-10 abortions in New York involved out-of-staters, according to a count by the federal government. The state could face a surge in health care refugees if the Supreme Court follows through on plans to overturn the national right to abortion established in Roe v. Wade.


https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/new-york-elections-government/ny-gov-hochul-35-million-abortion-providers-20220510-746spr7lfffhtpbkdu3yuh5qs4-story.html#nt=pf-triple%20chain~triple-recommender~recommender~automated~nycpolitics-recommender~746SPR7LFFFHTPBKDU3YUH5QS4~1~5~1~3~art%20yes

May 10, 2022

Air Force investigating racist text to airman saying he needed 'white complexion' for assignment

Leaders at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona are investigating an incident where an airman allegedly told another airman that he was not being considered for a position because “the Air Force is looking for somebody of white complexion,” according to a text exchange shared on the popular Facebook page Air Force amn/snco/nco.

“We won’t be sending your name up for [redacted] at the squadron,” a White technical sergeant allegedly texted a Black senior airman at the 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron on Wednesday. When the senior airman asked for a specific reason why, the technical sergeant said, “We personally do not feel as if you are a good choice for the squadron. You currently have a shaving waiver which isn’t a professional image, and I think the air force is looking for somebody of white complexion and with the image that the air force needs.”

“We can talk tomorrow to further discuss,” the text concluded.

While the Air Force prohibits male members from growing beards, waivers are issued to airmen who, for medical or religious reasons, are not able to shave in line with regulations. For example, Air Force doctors can allow airmen to grow well-kept beards if they suffer from painful razor bumps, a skin condition that affects many Black men. However, many airmen with shaving waivers have reported being prejudiced against despite their legitimate condition or religious beliefs.

In response, the senior airman said that “this is the third job that has been held over my head due to my looks, and that’s something based on personal preference.

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-shaving-waiver-racism/