Good Day Gnuville! Let us start right here:
I know it is not the norm to start out with a song, but guess what...time waits for nobody, and we cannot wait. We will build this future together, his point is not all is lost, his point is we must come together now...NOW. Because we do not have time to pause, we must act and we must do and we must come together to save what we have. Plus he is just incredible, right?
Semi-Onward!
Let me start out with some amazing NY news. Local victories can translate to bigger victories, plus elections matter:
NY LAWMAKERS END SESSION WITH LITANY OF LIBERAL VICTORIES
Last year Democrats won one-party control in Albany. This year they put it to use, scoring a litany of liberal victories that will touch every resident of the state.
New rights for immigrants, farmworkers and tenants. The nation's most ambitious goal for reducing carbon emissions. The decriminalization of marijuana and the elimination of a religious vaccine exemption. Early voting. New campaign finance limits and a new legal standard for sexual harassment. A ban on plastic bags and a state law guaranteeing abortion rights.
"This was the most historic and productive legislative session in New York state history, period," Senate Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, said early Friday morning as the Senate adjourned. Stewart-Cousins herself made history this year as the state's first African-American woman to lead a legislative chamber.
For liberals exasperated by President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress, the session was a chance to push back and offer a different vision of government that they say should be a model for other states.
H*ll Yeah!
I know this has been passed around but I still needed to include it.
New York just passed the most ambitious climate target in the country
New York is the fourth most populous state in the US and its third-largest economy. Now it is poised to adopt the country’s most ambitious climate targets, including 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2040 and economy-wide, net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
On Tuesday night, the state Senate passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, and on Wednesday night, the state Assembly passed it. All it requires now is a signature from Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
This is a big deal.
In passing bold climate legislation, New York will follow in the footsteps of Maine, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, New Mexico, California, and New Jersey, all of which have passed substantive clean energy policies in the past year or so. (Hawaii has had its 100 percent renewables target in place since 2015.)
And New York accomplished this feat the exact same way all those other states did it: by electing overwhelming Democratic majorities.
Again, elections matter, let’s fight!
Speaking of fighting I feel like a broken record when I have to state every week how tiresome and anxiety producing the news can be. I fall into the trap at times too, but I want to remind you, (and myself in the process), to take that break you need, take a deep breath, gaze at the sky, pet the dog or snuggle with the cat, kiss the grand kids or have a couple scoops of forbidden ice cream, whatever takes your mind away for a bit. Of course, I am not going to speak of the unspeakable actions occurring in this “administration” here in the good place, but like you I know it is out there, I know we have to fight against the mango maniac and his idiot followers, yet please take your moment. Refreshed to persist, resist and restore our values. I still want you all to fight with me!!
Now Onward...for real!
On that note above I found this at The Guardian a couple of days ago:
Don't give up! How to stay healthy, happy and combative in impossible political times
Every week it seems there is something new to protest about. If we are now in the Anthropocene age – where human effects on the globe take precedence over nature – we are also in the age of activism, one of protesting against our damaging impact on the world. This dissent has moved beyond the fringes of political engagement to packing our streets with people and placards bearing slogans that range from seeking to stave off climate change to stopping Donald Trump and staying in the EU. Protests are increasingly taking in wider age ranges and demographics, too, but for those grassroots organisers for whom this is a long-term mission, the toll of such responsibility can be a heavy one.
Activism comes with all the stresses of any job – long hours, “office” politics and overflowing inboxes. Couple this with the fact that activism is in a sense defined by its marginality and the job sits firmly between a rock and a hard place. How, then, do activists stay motivated when the odds are against them?
Read the whole thing, and come on just take the dog for a walk. :)
How about some good news in looking into the drumpf admin, I mean kindergarten class:
Judge says Democrats can begin collecting Trump financial records in emoluments suit
A federal judge told US House and Senate Democrats they can begin collecting financial evidence this week about Donald Trump's businesses for a lawsuit.
Judge Emmet Sullivan, of the US District Court in Washington, denied an attempt by the Justice Department to stop the Democrats from collecting information from the Trump Organization and to appeal early court decisions in the lawsuit, which tests the constitutionality of Trump's business holdings while he serves as President.
The case is one of several avenues Democrats have to get to Trump's financial records.
Sullivan said the group of more than 200 members can begin collecting evidence June 28 through late September.
On Tuesday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, and Rep. Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat, issued statements applauding Sullivan's direction to begin evidence collection. "In a thoughtful, well-reasoned opinion, Judge Sullivan articulated what the law makes clear: there is absolutely no reason to delay one more day. ... Today, the courts spoke: no longer."
A former top adviser to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross confirmed the secretary lied about his intentions for adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census, according to House testimony made public on Tuesday.
The Trump administration has blocked many of its officials from answering questions for House Democratic investigations. James Uthmeier, who served as senior adviser and counsel to Ross, appeared before the House Oversight Committee earlier this month and refused to answer more than 100 questions. Still, he “confirmed key information” about the changes to the census, according to Democratic members of the committee.
His testimony informs the committee’s recent recommendation for contempt charges against Ross and Attorney General William Barr.
In his appearance before the oversight committee, Uthmeier revealed three facts that, even without additional context, are damning to the administration.
First, Uthmeier confirmed that both Ross and his policy chief Earl Comstock asked him to look into the legal arguments about a citizenship question in early 2017.
Second, Uthmeier confirmed that he had discussed the citizenship question with White House officials.
Third, Uthmeier shared that he had sought advice from John Baker, who he described as a “long-time mentor.” Baker has long advocated for adding the citizenship question, but never because it would help enforce the Voting Rights Act. He very much wants it to skew redistricting...
Mueller could face 2 subpoenas to testify before Congress
The House Intelligence and Judiciary committees are “linking arms” on whether to issue a subpoena to former special counsel Robert Mueller, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said Tuesday.
“We need to resolve this this week. I hope we will. One way or another, he needs to come in and testify. Time is running out,” Schiff (D-Calif.) told reporters. “We want him to come in before the August recess.”
Schiff said he intends to decide this week whether to issue a subpoena to Mueller for his testimony, reiterating a comment he made over the weekend. He added that “we are linking arms in our request” with Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), whose panel has also been in talks with Mueller about testifying on Capitol Hill.
“One way or the another, we expect him to testify,” Schiff said.
That needs to happen. Nough said.
Whoa, update…
Mueller to testify publicly on July 17 following a subpoena
Robert Mueller will testify before Congress on July 17 after House Democrats issued a subpoena for his appearance, a move that paves the way for a reluctant special counsel to answer questions publicly for the first time about his 22-month investigation into President Donald Trump.
The House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees announced Tuesday that Mueller had agreed to testify after they issued subpoenas for his testimony, and Mueller would appear in public before the two panels next month.
"Americans have demanded to hear directly from the Special Counsel so they can understand what he and his team examined, uncovered, and determined about Russia's attack on our democracy, the Trump campaign's acceptance and use of that help, and President Trump and his associates' obstruction of the investigation into that attack," House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler and House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff said in a joint statement.
Okay then.
Of all the crap and cruelty going on I know I should not find this the most satisfying but I would pay to see Carrie Annabell grilled by the House Dem’s over her Hatch Act violations. Does she really even know what those are or even who Hatch was? Okay dumb question she really does not know anything but arse kissing.
House Oversight Committee to vote to subpoena Kellyanne Conway over Hatch Act violations
The House Oversight and Reform Committee will vote to subpoena White House counselor Kellyanne Conway Wednesday, after the White House blocked Conway from testifying before the committee. A federal watchdog recommended President Trump remove Conway from federal service earlier this month for violating the Hatch Act.
In a statement, Democrats on the committee said they are holding a hearing Wednesday "to examine violations of the Hatch Act under the Trump Administration." The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees from engaging in political speech.
"Although Kellyanne Conway was invited to testify at this hearing, the White House sent a letter this week notifying the Committee that Ms. Conway will not appear," the statement said. "The Committee will move forward with a vote to subpoena Ms. Conway to compel her appearance at a future hearing."
She will be like “what, I don’t know, what is the Hatch Act, who is Hatch, screech. I hate her voice. Sorry, moving on.
Let us move on to another section of the good place, a place where news may be political yet less infuriating. Come with me, come on:
House passes measure to give federal contractors backpay for shutdown
The House on Tuesday passed a measure providing back pay to low-wage federal contractors that were barred from working during the 35-day government shutdown that began in late December.
“I’m thrilled the House has passed legislation that would finally provide federal contract workers the back pay," said Rep. Ayanna Pressely (D-Mass.), who, along with District Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, sponsored the proposal that ended up passing as part of a large appropriations bill.
"Our government relies on these hardworking men and women to keep our government buildings running, and we have a moral obligation to make them whole for the pay they lost during the government shut down,” she added.
Pretty much a no brainer right? Ahh, but the Senate, well this is just more proof elections matter because our House is working hard.
Go Maine, Go Maine, you know what you can do Susan Collins……
Democrat Sara Gideon Nabs 3 Key Endorsements In Maine’s 2020 Senate Race
Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon (D) received three key endorsements on Tuesday in her bid to unseat Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in 2020.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and NARAL Pro-Choice America announced their support for Gideon a day after she formally jumped into the race ― as did EMILY’s List, a political action committee that backs female Democratic candidates who support abortion rights.
Gideon, who has served in the Maine House since 2012, announced her candidacy on Monday. She’d been expected to jump into the race after the scheduled June 19 close of Maine’s legislative session, several sources told HuffPost earlier this month.
Over 60 former and current Maine officials have endorsed Gideon in the race so far, including state Attorney General Aaron Frey and former Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree (D).
Oh yeah:
Illinois Legalizes Recreational Marijuana Sales
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) signed a bill on Tuesday legalizing the possession and sale of cannabis, making the state the first in the U.S. to pass a comprehensive legal pot sales measure through the legislature instead of as a ballot initiative.
The state House of Representatives voted 66 to 47 to pass the legislation last month, two days after the Senate approved it, 38-17.
He has been on fire lately, with outlawing private “prisons” for immigrants, working to better lives of the LGBTQ community and keeping kids in school, amazing!
Okay I know the tangerine tool, maybe that is a bad reference for this topic...oh well, has been accused of sexual assault 22 times but I just loved his newest accusers reaction to “it’s” reaction:
E. Jean Carroll Laughs Off Trump’s Criticism: ‘I Love That I’m Not His Type’
Advice columnist E. Jean Carroll laughed off President Donald Trump’s dismissal of her as “not his type” after she publicly accused him of sexual assault.
You go woman!
This is an odd case that got to SCOTUS and TBO I agreed they should get the trademark but you know language…
Supreme court allows FUCT fashion to keep 'vulgar' name
The US supreme court has a message for the federal trademark office: get FUCT.
Justices came to that conclusion after the designer Erik Brunetti’s fashion line ran into trouble with the US patent and trademark office (PTO), which registers product names. Brunetti was seeking a trademark for his brand, FUCT, which he says is pronounced letter by letter. (The brand’s Twitter bio suggests it stands for “friends U can’t trust.) But the trademark office wasn’t thrilled with the branding and turned down Brunetti’s registration, under a law banning “immoral or scandalous matter”. In the words of PTO authorities, FUCT was “a total vulgar” [sic].
But Brunetti battled the PTO decision, and the dispute made its way through the legal system to the highest court in the land.
The law violates the first amendment’s protections for free speech, the court said in its decision, emphasizing that deciding whether trademarks are “immoral” means discriminating “on the basis of viewpoint”. In an opinion delivered by Elena Kagan, the court considered the definitions of “immoral” and “scandalous”, concluding that the law in question, the Lanham Act, “allows registration of marks when their messages accord with, but not when their messages defy, society’s sense of decency or propriety … ‘Love rules’? ‘Always be good’? Registration follows. ‘Hate rules’? ‘Always be cruel’? Not according to the Lanham Act’s ‘immoral or scandalous’ bar.”
I probably overstepped my bounds here, please read it.
This has been making it’s way around the “nets” but in case you missed it:
Nazi Knitters, Fuck Off
Ooops, language. Bahahahaha!
Some things are sacred. Ravelry, the online knitting community that provides space for members to share patterns for everything under the sun is one of them. On Sunday, the website said it would not longer tolerate users trying to distract others from the singular joy of knitting with their implicit support of white supremacism. Get that ish OUTTA HERE.
“We are banning support of Donald Trump and his administration on Ravelry,” the statement begins. Raverly’s tone was firm, but kind—assuring people who might get booted off the site for their support of the Trump administration that they would receive copies of their data.
Well when a freaking knitting group bans you…
Required youth news:
150 young activists to camp out at DNC for climate debate
Activists with the Sunrise Movement, an environmental advocacy group, rallied outside the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) headquarters in Washington Tuesday to demand the organization allow a presidential primary debate focused solely on climate change.
The 150 protesters pledged they would camp out at the building until the DNC allows a debate on the topic, which has emerged as one of the chief concerns for activists and presidential candidates alike.
“Tom Perez is telling us we can’t have a climate debate because that’s not how it’s been done before,” Sunrise co-founder Varshini Prakash said in a press release, referring to the DNC chair.
“Business-as-usual is a death sentence for my generation and the billions of people who are already feeling the damages of the climate crisis. This is an emergency and it’s past time that Tom Perez and the Democratic party start being democratic. Their base, their candidates, and a growing number of state parties are demanding a climate debate.”
The children are our future, hey isn’t that a song?
Love this one, also has been floating around but sharing anyway:
Heartwarming: German town infuriates neo-Nazis by buying up their booze
As the world braces for more threats from the reinvigorated far-right, one German town has come up with an imaginative — and sobering — plan to hit back at the neo-Nazis descending on their community: take away their beer.
Around 600 Nazis descended upon the town of Ostritz, in the region of Saxony, eastern Germany, this weekend for the far-right Schild und Schwert (Sword and Shield) Festival — which conveniently doubles as the “SS Festival.”
Prior to the event, a judge in Dresden noted that the presence of alcohol at the event would likely increase the possibility for violence and banned it. Police were on hand to enforce the decision and confiscated an estimated 4,200 liters of beer on Friday, the first day of the festival, before confiscating another 200 liters on Saturday.
But the booze ban didn’t end there. As the BBC first reported, locals in Ostritz, deducing that the Nazis would likely try to get around the ban by flocking to local supermarkets to pre-drink before heading into the festival grounds, also decided to take things into their own hands.
Members of the community bought up as much beer as possible from area supermarkets. One local, Georg Salditt, banded together with his colleagues to buy more than 200 boxes of beer from one supermarket.
Awww, poor little pr*icks.
One of the things that really gets me through at times is cooking. I love to cook, I love to read recipes, food blogs, watch cooking shows. Hey, I am just an ok cook but the joy it gives me is what matters. On that note, something a little different.
Chefs, fans celebrate #BourdainDay honoring the late travel host
Chefs, celebrities and fans worldwide celebrated the late Anthony Bourdain on social media Tuesday, marking #BourdainDay, June 25.
Chefs José Andrés and Eric Ripert announced the celebration of Bourdain's life last month, urging fans to upload a video or picture of themselves toasting to "Tony" on social media including the hashtag #BourdainDay.
Am I geek because I know all of these chefs from TV and their cooking styles? Don’t answer that, lol.
And this:
This Refugee-Run Catering Company Cures Homesickness With Hummus
On a recent afternoon in a kitchen in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, chef Diaa Alhanoun drizzled olive oil over creamy hummus and garnished it with pita bread.
Diaa grew up in Syria. There, he barbecued meats and crispy kibbeh, or potato croquettes, that are stuffed with minced beef, onion, and spices, alongside his family and friends. He picked up the skills from a cook in his uncle’s restaurant in his hometown of Damascus.
“When I eat or I cook Syrian food I remember when I was young,” he said on this week’s episode of the Bite podcast. “When I was very young my mom cooked Syrian food. When I make it now, I remember all these moments.”
Kahi made her own hummus, based on her grandmother’s recipe. Her brother, Wissam Kahi, encouraged her to sell it. This was in the midst of the Syrian refugee crisis in their home country of Lebanon.
The siblings realized they had an opportunity to share their delicious hummus recipe with New Yorkers and help refugees who are resettled in New York City by providing them with training and employment opportunities.
Manal Kahi’s take on her grandmother’s hummus recipe: “Chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, for sure—that’s important. Salt.”
Food can bring us together.
I want to take a moment to thank BeeD for the ER diary. We all come here to the GNR for our own personal reasons and those who write, we really are writing for our personal reasons. I write to vent, to connect, to encourage and to hopefully spread some cheer and make some readers grin. It gives me such satisfaction and I hope you all enjoy it and it brightens your morning and motivates you to keep coming here and participating or just reading. I also hope all of us inspire you to be a part of the change, to take back what is ours. Remember, though here at the GNR we want you to fight but we want you to smile, to laugh and to engage. That is what makes the world go round...hey is that a song?
Now this:
Your 5 weekly to-dos
- Keep the pressure up on your MoC while they’re home to open an impeachment inquiry. We’ve got all the tools you’ll need to make it clear to your member of Congress (MoC) that they need to use all the power available to them to hold Trump accountable and get to the truth of his administration’s abuses. July 4 recess is your time to shine -- make a call (and write a letter to the editor, and record a video, and more) using the resources in the link above, and keep your eyes peeled for more in the days to come.
- Tell your MoC not to give Trump another dime for his deportation machine. Money for Trump’s DHS is money for increased levels of detention, deportation, and abuse of human rights -- period. Tell your MoC that if they oppose Trump’s attacks on immigrant communities, they also need to oppose his supplemental funding request for DHS.
- Demand that your MoC act to stop a war with Iran. Trump is ratcheting up tensions with Iran, with the members of his war cabinet urging him forward at every opportunity. MoCs are not powerless to stop this, though; call your Representative and Senators and tell them to co-sponsor H.R. 2354 / S. 1039 to explicitly deny him this authority, and make a public statement making clear that Congress has not authorized the use of any military force against Iran.
- Check out our Debate Watch Guide to outline many of the topics you care about. In our guide, you’ll have worksheets to rate and grade candidates on, and a bit of analysis and insider baseball on each candidate/issue from our Political Team. So whether you want to plan your own party, attend one of the many events already on our map, or just follow along at home, you’ll be totally prepared.
- Opt-in to our exclusive Indivisible Focus Group by texting DEBATES to 977-79. We want to capture the Indivisible movement’s take on the debates as soon as they’re over -- which means we’ll need an exclusive focus group that we’ll text right after each debate ends (11pm ET) and ask you how you feel.
As always, follow Yosef52 for all the ways to fight and win in 2020 and beyond.
It has been so crazy at work for me I am thinking about writing up a “what I have my on plate” letter for my boss. I will try really hard to be here but cannot guarantee anything, but I am not worried you know what to do. Take it away peeps!!
Peace!