Good Day, Gnusies! It’s me, Nifty, sitting in for chloris creator today as she is winging her way halfway around the world. I’d like to thank chloris for subbing for me on Wednesday and I am pleased to be able to return the favor so quickly!
Well, everyone, there’s a lot for which to be thankful as the holiday season approaches, and of course, still plenty to keep us concerned. I’ve decided to remind myself (on the days when the news seems relentlessly worrying) that human history is full of examples where people have been faced with challenges much like ours. We look back on earlier events and marvel at how sure-footedly we — and our leadership — seemed to navigate very treacherous waters. But at those times, success was never a foregone conclusion. Progressive people have always had to fight other people who were as determined to win as today’s conservative extremists. I saw some stuff today about people back during the 1918 flu epidemic crying hoax and refusing to take precautions. During WW2, we had nazi sympathizers in the USA in surprising numbers and with surprising levels of influence.
Nothing worth fighting for comes easily and there is always a ferocious minority fighting back against progress. Sometimes they gain ground (sometimes a lot of ground! like the religious right currently), but they are still a minority and eventually the majority is aroused to put a stop to it and reverse the damage.
I believe we are at a turning point right now as the majority of Americans have begun to perceive the very real danger that rightwing extremism presents to humanity. It is perhaps the only silver lining of the covid pandemic — but that terrible plague did strip bare most of the hypocrisy, inequality and inhumanity that our societies have been tolerating for far too long.
President Biden is experienced and smart. Even though the Rs will do their utmost to obstruct the progress and justice that he and his administration are trying to bring, I am feeling confident that things are turning around.
Come see the news items that support my optimism!
Building Back Better under Biden Leadership
Joe Biden is restoring our ally relationships
Back from Europe, where he worked hard at shoring up our important relationships with NATO allies and other global partnerships, President Joe is now building on the work he did in the spring to revive US relations with Canada and Mexico.
World affairs are complicated and challenging, and experienced, competent leadership is vital to US interests and to global interests. Our neighbors to the north and south face a variety of challenges politically and otherwise just like in US politics/governance, and that complicates our relationships with them. Thankfully, Joe Biden wasted no time restarting trilateral summits with our crucial North American allies after TFG’s neglect and incompetence (and outright hostility).
Differences endure as Biden brings back North America summit, Mahdani, Gillies and Verza, AP, November 18, 2021.
Thursday’s meetings at the White House will be the first trilateral get-together for North American leaders since a June 2016 gathering of Trudeau, Barack Obama and Enrique Peña Nieto in Ottawa. The gatherings took a hiatus under President Donald Trump, who feuded with Trudeau and Nieto during his tenure. ✂️
Biden has made some progress in repairing relations with U.S. neighbors after the turbulent Trump years. But many significant strains remain — and some new ones have emerged. ✂️
Biden has already held separate virtual meetings with Trudeau in February and López Obrador in March.
BBB working its way through congress: Dems optimistic
An excerpt from Thursday morning’s free Punchbowl newsletter (worth subscribing for the inside scoops, but be prepared for a strong “Dems in disarray” bias that seems to turn up every day or two). I find this newsletter to be informative and helpful in gaining perspective on what’s going on at the Capitol. When these guys have positive things to say about how things are going for Dems, I believe them — since they are usually eager to point out problems, discord and even when they report a win for Dems, it’s almost always served up with a big BUT (lol):
House Democratic leaders are increasingly optimistic about their chances for passing the massive $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act. But the question remains as to whether that happens today or tomorrow. We still think Friday is more likely, but the Thanksgiving recess is looming large, and lawmakers want to get out of town as quickly as possible.
What is clear is that the House will begin the debate on BBB today, kicking off the most important stretch of Joe Biden’s presidency so far. It’s also a critical time for House Democratic leaders. If there’s any chance of preserving their majority in 2022, House Democrats have to get BBB passed and over to the Senate. They will then deal with whatever is sent back their way.
So let’s recap where things stand. CBO released its analysis of the Education and Labor Committee title for BBB on Thursday night. This is a big deal. That title, along with the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means titles, are the heart of the BBB package and are being scrutinized very closely by Democratic moderates, who want to see if the CBO estimates match up with preliminary White House revenue and spending projections.
If the Energy and Commerce and Ways Means titles become available today, and they’re in line with Democrats’ expectations, the House could vote on BBB late tonight. But again, this is just speculation at this point. CBO’s deadline for completing its work is Friday.
According to CBO, the Democrats’ plan for universal preschool for three and four-year-olds will cost $109 billion during the 2022 to 2031 period. And the proposal for capping child care costs for families making $300,000 or less has a $273 billion price tag. Democrats had estimated these two high-profile initiatives would cost a combined $390 billion. That means the cost of the programs came in at more than $8 billion lower than expected.
Other important Education and Labor Committee provisions include expanded Pell Grants for college students; a new “Civilian Climate Corps” to help address climate change; and providing more funding for child nutrition programs.
Education and Labor Committee Chair Bobby Scott (D-Va.) was clearly pleased by the CBO findings. “This proposal will make child care affordable for families, secure universal preschool, help more students access healthy school meals, lower the cost of life-saving prescription drugs, and expand opportunities by investing in higher education and high-quality job training programs,” Scott said in a statement.
Note → this ^^ is yesterday morning’s newsletter. I will try to update as late as possible with what actually went down through the day Thursday. For now (typing Thursday morning for this section) I’ve got 🤞.
Edited to add: OK, Kevin McCarthy has been holding forth for more than an hour (talk about panic! That guy is scared about his future)…. and I am still really tired after yesterday’s road trip from HE🏒🏒, so I may have to finish up this GNR before the actual vote. I’m not 100% certain, but I have a strong hunch that we will have something BBBig to celebrate! 😃
Update (3 Hours Later...) I ❤️ Democrats:
I ❤️ Nancy!
Love that Dem confidence!
Last update: Looks like the vote will be at 8AM---stay tuned! We can discuss in the comments!
Labor and Economy
Great News! John Deere Strikers successful! Strike Over
More details:
DK diarist explains President Biden’s move re Gas price hiking
This diary breaks down how the math doesn’t add up and gives some thoughts on how this could affect regular people (and the way they vote):
The Math Didn't Add Up: The Reason President Biden Asked The FTC To Investigate Gas Gouging!, Rule of Claw, DailyKos, November 18, 2021.
As you might have heard, yesterday the President asked FTC Commissioner Lina Khan to investigate anti-consumer pricing at the gas pumps.
The President’s letter is significant, in that he is attempting to get to the bottom of numbers that this time, do not add up.
"FTC has authority to consider whether illegal conduct is costing families at the pump...
...I believe you should do so immediately”
-President Biden
These words from the President signal an almost unprecedented intervention into energy markets, and the President has the math to back it up. While in the past when gas prices were skyrocketing crude prices were high enough to mathematically justify the pricing at the pump, that is not the case today.
Bigger Picture Take on the Inflation Scare-mongering
No, Thanksgiving Dinner Will Not Cost You 14 Percent More! Marian L. Tupey and Gale Pooley, Human Progress, November 18, 2021.
The time price of Thanksgiving dinner in 2021 will be 7 percent higher than it was in 2020, 2.4 percent lower than it was in 2019, and 37 percent lower than it was in 1986.
Meanwhile, I am still waiting on Kevin! ⌛️
⚖️ Law and Courts ⚖️
Here is a bit of good news from Michigan, where a new program is a sign of much-needed progress in community policing.
How Michigan State Police troopers are learning to respond better to people with autism, Nick Monacelli, Channel 4 Detroit, November 15, 2021.
“I got dispatched to a family trouble complaint in the Holly area. A 17-year-old male with a 9-year-old mentality, and he was irate with his parents because he wasn’t getting something he wanted,” said Trooper Daniel McLaughlin.
McLaughlin said he thought about the training and the new techniques and the bag in his trunk.
“And I gave it to him and told him how important it was to me that he had it. And the way I look at it, I would want to be treated the same way he would want to be treated, so I look at it from a different perspective,” said McLaughlin.
He said the violent episode quickly cooled down.
11th hour reprieve for Julius Jones
Public pressure works.
Okla. governor grants clemency to Julius Jones hours before he was set to be executed, Jaclyn Diaz and Rachel Treisman, NPR, November 18, 2021.
Stitt reduced Jones' sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, intervening before his scheduled lethal injection but falling short of the state parole board's recommendation. ✂️
Questions over Jones' role in Howell's murder led the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board to recommend this month that his death sentence be commuted to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Stitt's Thursday order states that Oklahoma law does not permit the parole board to recommend that a death sentence be commuted to life with the possibility of parole, citing a specific article in the state constitution. ✂️
Students from several area schools took part in a walkout on Wednesday to protest Jones' impending execution. The Oklahoma City Public Schools told The New York Times that more than 1,800 students across 13 schools participated in the demonstration.
Yes, plenty is happening
If you, like me, have been wondering “whatever happened to that Cambridge Analytica scandal and anyway what in tarnation was that even all about? This thread is an EXCELLENT explainer!
Good!
Big news for more than the obvious reason (criminals indicted) — click on the blue bird to read the thread if you’ve been waiting and waiting for action… (the Rs — desperate to avoid prosecution and/or defeat — have been blocking Biden’s nominees!)… there are signs that the logjam is beginning to loosen:
And remember this case…?
We haven’t seen enough public acknowledgement that justice is coming for many of the criminals we feel have been blatantly criming (and continue to do so), but the truth is this is how it works under the rule of law. A DOJ or administration that sweeps in and rounds people up is what FASCISTS do, not Democrats. It’s frustratingly slow, grinding work, but real law-based justice takes time and care.
💉 Health News 💉
First, here’s a thread of the good news for healthcare in the BBB:
It appears that President Biden has negotiated with Pfizer and Merck to pay for a supply of these treatments for USA, in exchange for them making the drugs more easily available and more affordable for developing countries. I’m drawing this conclusion reading between the lines a bit here, but it does seem to fit with Joe’s stated commitment to helping the global community beat this virus:
Pfizer, US ink $5.29B deal for possible COVID-19 treatment, Tom Murphy, AP, November 18, 2021.
President Joe Biden said in a statement that his administration is taking steps to ensure that the treatments “will be easily accessible and free.”
“This treatment could prove to be another critical tool in our arsenal that will accelerate our path out of the pandemic,” Biden said, adding that vaccines protecting against the virus remain the strongest tool.
Pfizer has started rolling submissions for approval in several other countries and there are advanced purchase agreements with other governments as well.
On Tuesday, Pfizer signed a deal a with U.N.-backed group to allow generic drugmakers to produce low-cost versions of the pill for certain countries. Merck has a similar deal for its pill, which was authorized in Britain earlier this month.
Teaching the Immune System to Attack Cancer with Greater Precision, Dr. Francis Collins, NIH.gov, November 12, 2021.
When the researchers vaccinated the mice with one of those neoantigens, the otherwise suppressed T cells grew in numbers and better targeted the tumor. What’s more, the tumors shrank by more than 25 percent on average.
Research on this new strategy remains in its early stages. The researchers hope to learn if this approach to cancer vaccines might work even better when used in combination with immunotherapy drugs, which unleash the immune system against cancer in other ways.
It’s also possible that the recent and revolutionary success of mRNA vaccines for preventing COVID-19 actually could help. An important advantage of mRNA is that it’s easy for researchers to synthesize once they know the specific nucleic acid sequence of a protein target, and they can even combine different mRNA sequences to make a multiplex vaccine that primes the immune system to recognize multiple neoantigens. Now that we’ve seen how well mRNA vaccines work to prompt a desired immune response against COVID-19, this same technology can be used to speed the development and testing of future vaccines, including those designed precisely to fight cancer.
Experimental vaccine for Alzheimer’s in early trials
Brigham and Women’s Hospital is testing a nasal vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease, Diti Kohli, Boston Globe, November 16, 2021.
The experimental vaccine uses Protollin, an immune modulator made of proteins, to activate white blood cells found in lymph nodes on the sides and back of the neck. Those then travel to the brain and trigger clearance of the plaque, according to Tuesday’s announcement. ✂️
It’s a different approach from Aduhelm, the controversial Alzheimer’s drug launched by Cambridge-based Biogen earlier this year. A monoclonal antibody made from the immune cells of older people, the drug has drawn harsh critique from the medical community, who have questioned whether it works.
Mass General Brigham, the health care provider that includes Brigham and Women’s, opted against offering monthly infusions of Aduhelm in September.
The Brigham-tested vaccine could be different, Weiner said, with “a new mechanism of action.”
“Many of the other drugs work by giving an antibody — they infuse it into the bloodstream to go into the brain,” he said. “This [vaccine] is exciting because it uses the body’s own immune system to fight the disease.”
Planning tips for the Holidays
Here’s a reasonable and balanced approach to figuring out how to celebrate with covid still a potential threat. (National Geographic allows 3-4 free article views per month if you give them your email address — possibly worth it to read the good article below):
How to have a COVID-safe Thanksgiving gathering, Emily Sohn, National Geographic, November 18, 2021.
As the country’s second COVID-19 Thanksgiving approaches, experts say the landscape of risk has changed. New variants have emerged, and tens of thousands of new infections are still occurring every day in the United States. Vaccines are available for everyone age 5 and older, but only 59 percent of people in the U.S. are currently fully vaccinated, and some populations remain at risk due to underlying conditions or compromised immune systems. ✂️
Still, experts say that people can mitigate their risk this year in a variety of ways while enjoying the holiday. Among the possible steps to take: vaccination, rapid testing, checking local caseloads, and strategic ventilation.
“At this point of the pandemic, there's really no such thing as a zero-risk activity, and that should not be our goal,” says Leana Wen, an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. “We need to figure out how we can live with COVID-19 in a way that allows us to enjoy the activities that we most value while trying to reduce risk as much as is reasonable.”
UPDATED to add the story I omitted last night 😁:
Pritzker signs electric vehicle legislation, aims to make Illinois a leader in ‘clean transportation revolution’, Rachel Hinton, Chicago Sun✶Times, November 16, 2021.
The Reimagining Electric Vehicles in Illinois Act provides incentives for electric vehicle production across Illinois to help reach a 2030 goal of putting one million electric cars on the road.
The new law includes tax credits and exemptions for electric vehicle manufacturers and projects ranging from income tax withholding to credits for training costs and allowing local jurisdictions to ease property taxes for projects focused on electric-powered cars.
The legislation also offers incentives for employers to locate their facilities in communities that have faced disinvestment historically. ✂️
“Not only can we lead in the fight against climate change, we can also create thousands of jobs for hardworking Illinoisans in the process,” Pritzker said. “The Reimagining Electric Vehicles Act is about acknowledging that there doesn’t need to be a trade-off between a cleaner environment and more jobs. We can do both, and today we take a giant leap forward in that quest.”
International News
What goes around, comes around
Lukashenko’s attempt to use human beings as weapons against neighboring countries and the EU has backfired on him.
Belarus’s Lukashenko tried to use migrants as a weapon. That’s now turned against him. Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, November 18, 2021.
Lukashenko’s regime is now struggling over what do with thousands of stranded people he lured from the Middle East and beyond — and the man often called Europe’s last dictator is trying to save face after trying to punish his neighbors over sanctions.
A first possible crack in Lukashenko’s defiance came Wednesday, when buses took away migrants from an encampment on the Polish border. That came after Lukashenko spoke by phone Monday with Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel, the first E.U. leader to have direct contact with Lukashenko since last year. ✂️
Lukashenko claims to have “resolved” the crisis in his conversation with Merkel — without detailing how. But thousands of migrants are left within his borders. That puts Lukashenko in the difficult spot of dealing with a problem of his own making while also trying to protect his self-crafted image as the country’s only guarantor of stability and safety.
🐩💙 CG’s Picks 💙🐩
Hello, Everybody! It’s me, Curlygirl! Mama is extra tired right now after a looooooooooooooooonnnnggg car trip this week (which I couldn’t go on, phooey! I LOVE road trips! But apparently this one was not a good one for dogs 🤨), so anyway, she asked ME to provide more good news stories! YAY! First up, I love this lady!
She created a network of neighbors to ensure no one loses their pets due to hardship, Tod Perry, Upworthy, November 5, 2021.
Maria Ducasse of Brooklyn is an inspiring example of how one person can unite a community to ensure no one loses their pet because of hardship.
Three years ago, she founded East New York Dog Lovers a nonprofit that has grown to have 29 foster homes, 200 volunteers, and helped reconnect more than 50 dogs with their people. It's a safety net where struggling pet owners get emergency fostering, help with medical bills, and food for their fur babies. ✂️
Maria has arranged for people struggling with homelessness, domestic violence, and medical emergencies to connect with fosters who care for their pets until they're back on their feet. Her hard work keeps families intact and pets safe.
I would like to go to a “yappy hour”! Maybe it looks something like this! (Though I guess this is more like a “cool hour”)
And here is another OwlKitty video for the cat lovers amongst us!
⚡️ Lightning RoundUp ⚡️
⚡️ Maybe Joe knows things: Joe Biden still believes — but in the face of deepening cynicism, is that enough? Brian Karem, Salon, November 18, 2021.
⚡️ How Progressives Can Mobilize to Win, DaMareo Cooper and Analilia Mejia, the Nation, November 18, 2021.
⚡️VAINGLORY DAYS: A FOREMOST EXPERT ON RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE OFFERS CLUES TO HOW QANON MIGHT END, Mark Juergensmeyer, Religion Dispatches, January 2022 ed.
⚡️ Seven amazing trends the media ignores that'll make you feel great about the future, Tod Perry, Upworthy, November 18, 2021
⚡️ The pendulum is swinging back: Now evangelicals want to depict "social justice" as un-Christian: I hope God will forgive them, Nathaniel Manderson, Salon, November 13, 2021.
⚡️ Let them fight: The Federalist Society’s newest enemy: Corporate America, Ian Millhiser, Vox, November 18, 2021.
⚡️ LOL let them fight, too: RUPERT MURDOCH TELLS TRUMP TO STFU ABOUT 2020, Bess Levin, Vanity Fair, November 2021.
⚡️ Call your cable provider; public pressure works: Tucker Carlson's Fox News host salary is bankrolled by you, Dean Obeidallah, MSNBC, November 17, 2021.
⚡️ Did you see it? How you can see the nearly total lunar eclipse Friday morning, Joe Hernandez, NPR, November 18, 2021.
⚡️ Disappointed Jeopardy fans rejoice! Who will be hosting a new Trivial Pursuit game show? LeVar Burton! Sharon Pruitt-Young, NPR, November 18, 2021.
⚡️ A guide to the must-read 2021 National Book Award winners and finalists, Vox Staff, November 17, 2021.
⚡️ What Winter-Haters Get Wrong, Arthur C Brooks, The Atlantic, November 4, 2021.
⚡️ Yer Wonkette: Kristi Noem's Daughter Quitting Real Estate Appraising Forever, Y'ALL HAPPY NOW? Evan Hurst, Wonkette, November 17, 2021.
💗 How Can You Help Build Our Democracy Back Better? 💗
Put your beautiful bleeding liberal heart into it! 🥰
Democratic litigation hero, Marc Elias was the legal eagle behind the 60 Big Lie losses after the election. Here’s his website, Democracy Docket. You can find information about current cases he is fighting to defend voting rights around the country, as well as actions you can take to help fight voter suppression at the link!
Write to voters around the country with Postcards to Voters. Progressive Muse usually posts an update on current campaigns in the comments and you can also check out the website. It’s easy, fun and it really works to GOTV!
🎩 Also, Goody posted a great list of links and I am going to borrow it because it’s great! 🎩
The only way they can win is by keeping people from voting. They are working like heck to make that happen and we need to do all we can to keep 2022 from being a year when they grab the Senate and House back from us.
How do we do that? Fight voter suppression!
What can you do?
HERE’S HOW TO CONTACT CONGRESS:
U.S. House of Representatives:* Telephone: 202-225-3121
* Website: http://www.house.gov/
U.S. Senate:* Telephone: 202-224-3121
* Website: http://www.senate.gov/
Find your member of Congress and contact him or her:
Contact your Representative
Contact your Senator
And remember, all politics is local and personal! Let’s work to flip state and local elected positions Democratic!
Sister District Project — organization that is working to help Dems win state legislature races.
Finally, whenever you feel your hope fading, read this again:
The 3.5% rule: How a small minority can change the world — and recall that we are a majority.
Also check this out:
The Albert Einstein Institution’s 198 Methods of Non-Violent Action
There’s a multitude of people all over this country — in both so-called “red” states and “blue” — who feel just as strongly as you do about this world and its future. We can do this!
💙 RoundUp WindDown 💙
That’s it from me and CG for this Friday. Sorry no music today — did I mention the road trip from you know where that I just endured? I listened to Christmas music for most of the 15+ hours I was on the road (only turned it off when the downpour hit and I needed every ounce of concentration to stay on the road). IT was the only thing I could put on that was both company and not too energizing (I love holiday music) and I seem to have burnt out my music bulb for now. More music next week, never fear!
I’ll leave you with some nice Friday morning easy listening sounds, though!
Happy Friday, Gnuville!