This week, the best news was that Trump is not going to get his Facebook access back soon! But there’s a ‘but’ …
Trump’s Facebook timeout will stick. For a while.
Oversight Board upholds former President Trump’s suspension, finds Facebook failed to impose proper penalty Oversight Board, May 2021
The Board has upheld Facebook’s decision on January 7, 2021, to restrict then-President Donald Trump’s access to posting content on his Facebook page and Instagram account.
However, it was not appropriate for Facebook to impose the indeterminate and standardless penalty of indefinite suspension. Facebook’s normal penalties include removing the violating content, imposing a time-bound period of suspension, or permanently disabling the page and account.
The Board insists that Facebook review this matter to determine and justify a proportionate response that is consistent with the rules that are applied to other users of its platform. Facebook must complete its review of this matter within six months of the date of this decision. The Board also made policy recommendations for Facebook to implement in developing clear, necessary, and proportionate policies that promote public safety and respect freedom of expression.
Well, we get a few months of silence anyway, and Trump isn’t giving any indication he intends to follow site rules, so watch this space. Enough about that guy. He’s irrelevant, he just doesn’t know it yet.
The American Families Act
Vaccinations are going gangbusters. Congratulations to Connecticut, the first state to have more than 50% of adults vaccinated. The Restaurant Revitilization Fund will help struggling restaurants and bars. Biden is showing himself to be a canny politician as well. He sets up the GOP talking points and knocks every one of them down. He also throws some epic shade on the Republicans’ objection about how it is all going to be paid for.
Joe Biden is worried about the Republican Party
This is an excerpt from the end of the link above, but I wanted to link it separately because Joe is such a decent human being.
Joe Biden Laments Disarray in the GOP Ranks, “We Badly Need a Republican Party” Todd Neikirk, Politico May 5th, 2021
Who would have thought we would ever say Bravo, Liz Cheney? But seriously, could any of us have put it better?
When you’ve lost the Wall Street Journal Opinion page ...
Conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board slams House Republicans for efforts to 'purge Liz Cheney'
This should be a hopeful moment for House Republicans. While they’re playing defense in the minority for now, their prospects for picking up the five net seats they need to regain the majority in 2022 are excellent. (ed — at least you know it’s the WSJ speaking now) That is, unless they devolve into internal brawling over the 2020 election.
…
On Monday Mr. Trump issued a statement that “The Fraudulent Presidential Election of 2020 will be, from this day forth, known as THE BIG LIE!”
Ms. Cheney responded on Twitter : “The 2020 presidential election was not stolen. Anyone who claims it was is spreading THE BIG LIE, turning their back on the rule of law, and poisoning our democratic system.”
Bravo, Liz Cheney. She’s killing her career, but she’s acting like a decent American, not a lunatic.
We know Republicans are desperate, but this is something else
Go ahead and hum Yakety Sax while you read:
John Cox (R) lost the CA governorship to Gavin Newsom in 2018. He is considered the GOP’s best hope in the recall election later this year. But threatened with the star power of Caitlyn Jenner in the race, he decided he needed a gimmick. So he got himself a big-ass bear. He travels in his campaign motor home with an adult Kodiak bear. But wait ….
GOP candidate whines that media won't cover his ideas after campaign stunt involving a bear backfires Brad Reed, Raw Story. May 5, 2021
"The coverage yesterday was all about the bear," Cox whined, before saying that the media should be covering the way that Newsom has made California "unlivable and dangerous."
Cox, a businessman who is promising to make "beastly" changes to California if elected and who regularly attacks Newsom as a "pretty boy," brought a 1,000 pound Kodiak bear with him this week during a campaign stop in Sacramento.
As ABC 7 News reports, the move drew swift condemnation from animal rights groups and also a rebuke from Darren Minier, assistant director of animal care at the Oakland Zoo.
Specifically, Minier said that there was no way for Cox to stop the bear from going on a potentially deadly rampage if it got scared by being surrounded by people.
"Truthfully with a bear that's scared, a hot wire is not really going to stop it," he said. "If the hot wire is strong enough to actually stop the bear, it's a danger to be around."
As some wag tweeted — “At least it wasn’t a black bear.”
Yeah, the bear on the California flag is a grizzly. Shouldn’t he have brought an 8-foot grizz? Piker.
Less virus, more safe openings
There was a day when Los Angeles County was leading the country in new Covid cases. Today, they are at less than 3 new cases per 100,000 per day. That is in the yellow opening tier. (Yay!) Furthermore, there were zero deaths from Covid in the 2nd largest city in America on Sunday.
Terrorist organizations need to be identified as terrorists
Proud Boys Canada is now kaput. We need to follow the Canadians’ example.
The Minneapolis Police needs to be disbanded and rebuilt from scratch. It may happen! They’ve advanced to the election anyway.
Good News Confetti
This article shows how the art in the White House reflects the current occupant. Going from Lincoln (Obama) to Jackson (Trump) was sad. But Jackson has been replaced by FDR and RFK! So appropriate for Biden.
The art in the Oval Office tells a story New York Times, Larry Buchanan and Matt Stevens May 5, 2021
My Youtube obsession for this month is Mitch Benn, who is a comedian in the UK. He’s a talented musician and writes original songs with humorous lyrics, usually in a political vein. After I clicked the first link Youtube showed me, I spent the rest of the day listening to his entire catalog and then joined his Patreon. Here is my current earworm. I just change “Scotland” to “Canada” and every line works.
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Disneyland is open! To a So Cal native, this is a BFD. We love our theme parks and life hasn’t been the same without them.
‘May the 4th’ be with you at a reopened Disneyland
That’s it for me for this month. See you in June!