Residents of Florida Coast Increasingly Desperate for Food and Shelter

Source: New York Times

A familiar tension of disasters is emerging throughout the Florida Panhandle: People are increasingly desperate for food, water and shelter, but a sprawling relief operation is confronted with challenging conditions that are delaying the delivery of help.

Emergency workers said they were struggling, two days after the storm made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, to create paths into the hardest-hit communities, limiting their ability to deliver millions of pounds of supplies that were stockpiled ahead of the destruction.

Beyond the formerly picturesque coastline, the Panhandle is a densely wooded region, and many roads are still blocked with debris. The Red Cross said that it had loaded some of its supplies onto National Guard trucks because the terrain was too difficult for some of the nonprofit’s own vehicles.


In April, FEMA said that residents of Puerto Rico should keep 10 days of supplies on hand. But for people in the continental United States, the government recommends a far smaller amount: enough food and water for three days or more. And as the weekend neared, it was becoming increasingly clear that many Panhandle residents were not only left without a habitable home but also without adequate stockpiles of food in the aftermath of the devastating storm.



Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/12/us/looting-stores-hurricane-michael.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Femen co-founder Oksana Shachko found dead in Paris flat

Source: The Guardian

Oksana Shachko, one of the founders of the Femen feminist protest movement, has been found dead in her Paris apartment, the group has said.

The 31-year-old Ukrainian was found on Monday with a suicide note next to her body, according to Femen activists.

-snip-

Shachko was one of four feminist activists who founded Femen in Ukraine in 2008. Exiled in France since 2013, she had since left the group and was working as an artist.

-snip-

Their protests also challenged authoritarianism and racism, with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, a particular target, along with France’s far-right Front National party.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/24/femen-co-founder-oksana-shachko-found-dead-paris-flat

True Power (for Donald Trump) by Emily Elbert

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain
Soak up the scandals, honey, drink up the diversion
Ignore the voices of the poor and sick and hurting
Here's to the one percent, we’re clearly more deserving

Almighty dollar is my lover and my savior
Transport my golden throne to 16 Pennsylvania
Do not believe a thing you’re reading in the papers
The only truth is what is written in my favor

True power can’t be bought or stolen
If you build a wall of hatred, prepare to watch it crumble
We will not be silent, no, can’t you hear the thunder
So listen fear monger, your days are numbered

My daddy told me if I want it I can get it
The world’s my oyster and your body is my business
I put my tiny hands wherever I can fit them
Do not dissent or you’ll be fired like The Apprentice

I’m nothing if I’m not a man of family values
But poor kids go get your education in the drive thru
Don’t drink the water, or see the doctor - you can’t afford to
If you’re not rich, white, cis, and straight, then I don’t serve you

True power can’t be bought or stolen
If you build a wall of hatred, prepare to watch it crumble
We will not be silent, hear our voices roar like thunder
So listen fear monger, your days are numbered

Silence the scientists; I’m sick of their sad opinions
Who needs clean air or soil when you’ve got bigly billions
That Mother Earth’s like all those other nasty women
I try to repress; nevertheless, they are persisting

True power can’t be bought or stolen
If you build a wall of hatred, prepare to watch it crumble
We will not be silent, hear our voices roar like thunder
So listen fear monger, your days are numbered

Orange Floyd

Trump autographed photos of deceased crime victims for White House 'Angel Families' event

Source: CNBC



President Donald Trump appears to have autographed photos of deceased young people that were featured at a White House event Friday highlighting victims of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.

There were 11 photos total being held up by family members who had lost loved ones, and all of the photos bore Trump's unmistakably scrawled signature in large-tipped black pen.

Autographing the photos was an unusual decision, in that it appeared to combine the celebrity element of an autograph with the solemn image of a dead loved one.

It was unclear whether the photos had been produced by the White House, when the president autographed them, or whether this was done at the families' request. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the photos.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/22/trump-autographed-photos-of-dead-crime-victims-for-white-house-event.html

Donald Trump: Stable Nuclear Genius

FLOTUS Melania Trump?

She hasn’t been seen in public going on 17 days now.

Is she seriously ill, recovering from cosmetic surgery, in rehab?

Or, should the American people accept the explanation that a minor medical procedure has her sequestered for over two weeks? Are we owed anything at all concerning the status of the First Lady?

I’m not implying something sinister is going on, but I do know that I don’t believe a single word that comes out of Donald Trump’s mouth...about ANYTHING.

The Constitutional Crisis is Here

Eugene Robinson, from the WaPo: (my bolding)

Trump campaign emails photo of Parkland survivor, asks for donations

Source: CNN

(CNN)President Donald Trump's re-election campaign used a photo of a survivor of the Parkland, Florida, shooting in an email Saturday that asks its recipients to donate money to the campaign.

The email contains a photo of 17-year-old Madeleine Wilford in a hospital bed surrounded by her family, Trump and the first lady. The President visited Wilford on February 16, two days after the attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which left 17 dead.

-snip-

"Trump is taking steps toward banning gun bump stocks and strengthening background checks for gun purchasers," it says. "The President has made his intent very clear: 'making our schools and our children safer will be our top priority.'"

Near the end of the message, there's a link to the campaign's donations page.



Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/25/politics/trump-campaign-email-parkland-photo/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+CNN+-+Top+Stories%29

Is Trump Preparing for War With North Korea? -The Atlantic

Peter Beinart makes the case that, by no longer talking about diplomacy, sanctions, or China, Trump is signaling that he's ready to start some shit.

Particularly chilling is the reported reason that Victor Cha's nomination for ambassador to South Korea was withdrawn.