In It to Win It
In It to Win It's Journal3 killed, 6 hurt in shooting at Michigan high school
https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1465774425660436488I just hope that people learn to make better choices
Kyle Rittenhouse could have avoided being put on trial and the possibility of spending a good chunk of his life behind bars. The McMichaels and Mr. Bryan could have been at home right now instead of awaiting a sentence in which they could very well spend the rest of their lives in prison.
All they had to do was leave their guns right where they were and mind their own business. Instead they chose to insert themselves in a situation that lead to people losing their lives. All they had to do was make better choices. Having a gun doesn’t make them invincible. It doesn’t make them Superman.
Rittenhouse in particular decided to add more fuel to an existing fire by going to an area where tensions were already high. The ironic part is that because of the gun, he was also very close to leaving Wisconsin in a body bag with that AR-15 strapped to his chest. That “protection” was close to being the causation leading to his own death. His “protection” only escalated an already bad situation before anyone was shot.
Rittenhouse, the McMichaels, and Bryan all made stupid decisions. In their particular moments, they were all stupid people with guns that made stupid decisions. That’s not responsible gun ownership. It’s not something to celebrate or cheer on or parade on TV or parade in pictures.
As the saying goes play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
There may not be a next time for the McMichaels or William Bryan, but I certainly hope Kyle Rittenhouse will make better choices next time there’s an opportunity to do something stupid.
The lame excuses NC Republicans had for opposing the infrastructure bill
The Raleigh News & Observer via YahooIt is also notable that not one of them is from North Carolina.
North Carolina’s Republican senators, Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, joined 17 other Republicans in backing the bill in the Senate. But their eight House GOP counterparts said a collective “no” in the late Friday vote that sent the bill to President Biden. They opposed an infrastructure package that will bring nearly $9 billion to North Carolina over the next five years. North Carolina’s five House Democrats voted in favor of the bill.
This familiar partisan split in the state’s U.S. House delegation should remind North Carolina voters what is at stake as Republican state lawmakers have passed new congressional redistricting maps that could give Republicans an 11-3 advantage. Gerrymandering has given ideologues and blind followers of former President Trump a lopsided advantage in the state’s U.S. House delegation to the disadvantage of North Carolina.
Reps. Ted Bud, Dan Bishop, Virginia Foxx, David Rouzer, Patrick McHenry, Madison Cawthorn, Greg Murphy and Richard Hudson opposed spending that will repair the state’s roads and bridges, expand broadband, improve mass transit, take lead out of drinking water and make the state more resilient to flooding related to climate change.
And why did these N.C. honorables object?
Singapore Will Stop Covering COVID Costs for Those Who Decline to Be Vaccinated
NYT via Yahoo“We will begin charging COVID-19 patients who are unvaccinated by choice,” starting Dec. 8, the ministry said in a statement Monday. Those who are not eligible for the shots will be exempt from the rule, it said, including children under 12 and people with certain medical conditions.
The announcement came as the number of severe cases, which have been mainly among unvaccinated people, has stabilized but remains high, the ministry said. Of about 280 intensive-care beds for COVID patients, 134 are occupied, and most are among those not vaccinated, a senior minister of state, Janil Puthucheary, said at a news conference.
The Squad defends infrastructure "no" vote, AOC fact-checks Biden claims
Axios via YahooWhy it matters: AOC, the rest of The Squad and two other progressives were the only Democrats to vote against the bill. That prompted criticism from their colleagues and social media followers, since the road-and-bridge spending will so directly impact their constituents. Thirteen Republicans helped cover their lost votes.
“We did not fund the replacement of every child’s [lead water] pipe & we shouldn’t tell people we did," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted about Biden.
The other five Democrats who voted against have released their own statements and explanations on Twitter.
The placed blame on other factors — like the president, "corporate polluters," conservative Democrats, procedural issues and agreements, as well as a refusal to "choose" between supporting union workers or childcare and health care workers.
Democrats Campaigned Against The GOP Tax Law But Are Barely Touching It
HuffPost via YahooDemocrats campaigned on taxes almost as aggressively as they ran on saving the Affordable Care Act. But now that they’re in power — and working on a major domestic policy bill funded by tax hikes on the rich — Democrats are barely touching the changes Republicans made with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act under President Donald Trump.
“The irony of a Democratic president, Democratic House, Democratic Senate, if we don’t deal with rates?” said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.). “An implied endorsement of the Trump tax cuts. It’s pretty wacky.”
The party’s reversal is largely due to one lawmaker: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.). The senator has not addressed the issue publicly, but her office released a statement last month saying she thought increasing tax rates “will not in any way address the challenge of tax avoidance or improve economic competitiveness.”
Sinema’s position against raising rates ― even a little ― put Democrats in a real bind. She and other moderate members of her party have insisted the Build Back Better Act not add to the budget deficit. Democrats need her vote to pass the social spending and climate package, so they need to find other ways to help pay for the bill and make it deficit neutral.
Biden Plans Flagship Projects to Challenge China's Belt-and-Road
Bloomberg via YahooThe “Build Back Better World” program will look to counter Chinese influence by offering funding for projects with higher labor standards, a focus on climate considerations and helping disadvantaged groups like female entrepreneurs. It takes its name from President Joe Biden’s campaign slogan and was launched by the leaders of the world’s richest democracies at the G-7 summit earlier this year.
Since then, White House officials including deputy national security adviser Daleep Singh have visited nations in South America and Africa for discussions on potential launch projects, with an additional trip to Asia scheduled in the coming weeks.
Kansas' Democratic governor said it was 'too late' for Biden to issue a vaccine mandate, siding with
Kansas' Democratic governor said it was 'too late' for Biden to issue a vaccine mandate, siding with Republicans against itBusiness Insider via Yahoo
Kelly issued a statement applauding Biden's intentions but signaling Kansas will go in a different direction.
"While I appreciate the intention to keep people safe, a goal I share, I don't believe this directive is the correct, or most effective, solution for Kansas," Kelly said in a Friday statement on Twitter.
"States have been leading the fight against COVID-19 from the start of the pandemic. It is too late to impost a federal standard now that we have already developed systems and strategies that are tailored for our specific needs," Kelly continued.
"I will seek a resolution that continues to recognize the uniqueness of our state and builds on our on-going efforts to combat a once-in-a-century crisis," she wrote.
What are the issues that gets you to the polls? Anything
I thought about this because someone told I should run for something... and I'm not selfless enough to run for public office and it looks miserable.
For me, my biggest issues are local. When I go to the polls and cast my vote, I don't think about me. I think about what would be good for other people because I think I'll be fine no matter what happens.
1) Affordable housing - I live in South Florida, born and raised. The cost of living is ridiculous. One of the things that worry me is the possibility of the local government letting real estate development run rampant with luxury developments, effectively making it too expensive for working class people. I think Miami is a prime example of letting luxury development get out of control. It becomes a city for the wealthy and everyone else trying to stay above water. Developers and local politicians like to tout how much investment there will be and the jobs it will bring... and it's usually all bullshit.
2) Militarization of the police - I don't want my local police to look like the US Army Special Forces. I don't think local law enforcement should have military grade equipment. This is an issue I would think is an issue the right can also get behind but apparently I thought wrong. I think gives the image that police have too much power, and in reality they do, and is essentially letting your local government have too much power via the police.
3) Access to affordable healthcare and affordable food options - There are many working class communities in my city and county that have no clinics close by or no affordable grocery stores close by (or no grocery stores at all) so people have to take time to commute via public transit to go to an affordable clinic for medical care or for affordable prescription drugs. This one breaks my heart most of all.
I see these Dems in Disarray headlines "Democrat in tears" and laugh
You win some and lose some. That’s the nature of the game. I’m already thinking about the next election and taking all 3 statewide positions back in Virginia. I’m already thinking about winning the midterms next year and the difficult uphill battle along the way.
I’m not seeing my fellow Democrats melt down. We’re not in tears. Sure, they won but that win is temporary. We’ll be back even better than last time.
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