Good Day, Gnusies — it’s me, Nifty with CG by my side.
On this solemn anniversary, we decided to channel our esteemed Mayor of Gnuville and give you 20 reasons to feel hopeful about the future. Goody, our wonderful founder and bringer of Saturday inspiration and laughs, needs to take a break after posting here for 5 years straight. She hopes to be back soon, after a well-deserved rest. We can’t fill her shoes, but we’ll do our best to start your Saturday with hope and humor.
First, the hope!
1. Joe Biden is going to turn this pandemic around
President Biden is unfazed by the sputtering of negligent GOPer governors. Joe is simply not bothered by them! He knows what is the right thing to do and he is doing it. Our Joe has zero f*cks to give for R whining:
GOP governors threaten to sue over mandates; Biden says, ‘have at it’, Annabelle Timsit, Washington Post, September 10, 2021.
Calm, cool Joe Biden says “Have at it” to cavalier GOPer governors.
Biden took not-so-thinly-veiled swipes at Republican politicians in his address Thursday outlining his plan to mandate immunization for federal employees and contractors, as well as health-care workers in facilities that treat patients on Medicare or Medicaid. Biden aims to require businesses with more than 100 employees to mandate vaccinations or test their employees weekly. ✂️
“I am so disappointed that particularly some Republican governors have been so cavalier with the health of these kids, so cavalier with the health of their communities,” he said after touring a D.C. school.“This is what this is. We’re playing for real here. This isn’t a game. And I don’t know of any scientist out there in this field that doesn’t think it makes considerable sense to do the six things I’ve suggested.”
Asked about the GOP counter-effort, Biden said Friday, “Have at it.”
Even as vaccine mandates become the latest flash point in the coronavirus culture wars, the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of them before.
They may let the story fade away — now that they’ve got in their sound bites and partisan licks — so they can enjoy the benefits of the pandemic turning around, while claiming it was their own doing — but If the R governors actually follow through on their threats and sue the President and it goes to SCOTUS, either outcome will still further progressive goals:
If SCOTUS upholds the EOs, that will confirm that in at least some cases the highest court intends to uphold legal precedent. And of course, it will mean the EOs are upheld and the pandemic turns around quicker.
If SCOTUS strikes down the president’s EOs in direct opposition to precedent and previously settled law, then Joe can appeal to the 75% of the eligible population that is already on board with ending this pandemic and encourage everyone to bring social pressure to bear on the anti-vaxxers. (In fact, Joe has already started that appeal, because after all, the majority has a right to protect themselves from the mad minority).
Meanwhile, the president and Democrats in Congress will have yet more evidence to support the case for reforming the highest court in the land, another issue bubbling just under the surface.
Do not underestimate our President — he isn’t a mere reactionary. He is in no way being caught unprepared and flailing away trying to put out crisis fires (unlike TFG and a lot of inexperienced governors 👀). President Biden knows what he is doing, right to the core of his 45 year public servant’s heart. There are layers of strategy in the actions he takes. A lifetime of Congressional experience is proving to be invaluable.
2. Businesses BACK Joe’s vaccine mandate
Who says Democrats can’t win over big greedy business? (OK sure, lots of us say that, and we are not wrong) BUT, under President Joe’s leadership, look!:
Federal mandate takes vaccine decision off employers’ hands, Barbara Ortutay, AP, September 10, 2021.
Larger U.S. businesses now won’t have to decide whether to require their employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Doing so is now federal policy.
President Joe Biden announced sweeping new orders Thursday that will require employers with more than 100 workers to mandate immunizations or offer weekly testing. The new rules could affect as many as 100 million Americans, although it’s not clear how many of those people are currently unvaccinated. ✂️
“The business community is really going to appreciate this,” said Angela B. Cornell, a clinical professor at Cornell Law School, who focuses on labor law. “This shift will make it a lot easier for employers to push those individuals who have been on the fence or who have been opposed.”
Companies won’t have to worry about being sued, since it’s a government mandate and not one from the employer, she said. It could also help level the playing field for employers of hourly workers, many of which didn’t mandate vaccinations for fear that they could lose employees during a tight job market.
3. Joe Biden is Making Corporations PARTNERS in Progress
Keep friends close and enemies closer, or something like that. But seriously, if we want to make this country work, we have got to get major employers on board with progressive policy. Baby steps are a start, and look what our Joe has been doing!
Looks like they had way too many bogus “religious exemption” claims and decided to put a stop to it:
4. Nancy Pelosi is going to get stuff done
Nancy Pelosi knows what she is doing, is REALLY good at her job and is determined to make a progressive, “transformative difference” in this country. I am so thankful we have her as our Speaker!
Pelosi pushes speedy timeline to pass massive spending package, Susan Ferrechio, Yahoo News, September 10, 2021.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told fellow Democrats in a visual conference call on Friday that she hopes to begin consideration of a $3.5 trillion social welfare spending package as soon as Sept. 20, the day lawmakers return from their summer recess.
The California Democrat outlined the ambitious schedule as the House Ways and Means Committee worked to advance part of the measure over the objections of at least one party centrist who argued the process is moving too quickly for careful consideration. ✂️
“In a couple of weeks, we will have made a transformative difference,” Pelosi told lawmakers.
Senate Democrats are on track to finish writing legislation by Sept. 15, Pelosi told Democrats, which leaves the two chambers in a position to complete the package quickly.
The Senate has already passed a $1.2 trillion hard infrastructure package that Democrats consider part of the overall deal, and Pelosi has promised centrists she will aim to bring up the Senate-passed measure for a vote by Sept. 27.
And the Speaker is not overlooking that other vexing matter:
5. Congressional Dems are serious about building back better
Sneak preview:
6. Dems can do (many) more than 2 things at once
7. AG Garland knows what he is doing
Here’s what some legal luminaries have to say about it:
AG Garland and his DOJ clearly worked speedily yet thoroughly on how to approach the abominable TX law. And he did not miss a single GOPer trick:
8. Covid vaccines work really well
San Francisco Schools Have Had No COVID-19 Outbreaks Since Classes Began Last Month, Deepa Shivaram, NPR, September 10, 2021.
There have been no COVID-19 outbreaks in San Francisco schools since students and educators went back into classrooms on Aug. 16, the San Francisco Department of Public Health announced Thursday, noting that about 90% of children ages 12 to 17 are fully vaccinated. ✂️
Overall, the department said, the numbers of pediatric COVID-19 cases in the city have remained low throughout the pandemic, even during the most recent delta variant surge.
"COVID-19 cases in children under 18 has remained less than 20% of overall cases throughout this pandemic," the department said. "The vast majority of COVID-19 cases have been in adults." ✂️
The San Francisco health department also emphasized that vaccinations "are our best defense to protect children," noting most pediatric cases of COVID-19 in the city came from unvaccinated adults in a household getting the virus and spreading it to unvaccinated children.
And they are safe:
9. The Vast Majority of Americans ARE Getting Vaccinated
And also:
10. Republicans are Losing on First Amendment Suppression
11. Dems are Still fighting for Immigration Reform/DACA
They’re going to try to get it into the Reconciliation Bill — it’s a long shot, but Democrats are going to try:
(more here but click for the whole thread if interested: it explains Democrats’ argument that Immigration/DACA does have big budgetary implications):
12. Right Wingers are Losing the Culture War
Hard to believe with so much noise fear-mongering and gloom&doom talk, but just think about it- or watch at least the first 4 minutes of this video from Joy Reid’s Sept 8 show, where she quickly runs down several fronts in the culture war which RWNJs are losing, badly.
13. Truth is winning
14. Medical Boards are holding members accountable for misinformation
15. Economy is on track to recover and grow
Biden's vaccine mandate could be a shot in the arm for U.S. economy, experts say, Aimee Picchi, CBS, September10, 2021.
President Joe Biden's sweeping vaccine mandate aims to protect more Americans from COVID-19 by requiring that millions of employees at large companies get the shot. Beyond boosting public health, the mandate has another goal: To get the U.S. economic recovery back on track after the Delta variant's spread crimped job growth and consumer confidence. ✂️
"Without a doubt, the main stranglehold on the economy and the labor market is the virus," said Ben Zipperer, an economist at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. "What that means is, if we want to actually increase employment opportunity, increase the size of the economy and get the size of the labor market back to its pre-pandemic level, we need to get control of the virus — and that includes vaccine mandates." ✂️
"One of the most basic rights is to work in a safe environment," said Tom Perez, the former Labor Secretary, about the vaccine mandate. "There is an inextricable link between public health and a vibrant economy."
16. Criminals will be brought to justice
More Capitol rioters plead guilty, including man who threatened to shoot Pelosi, Shawna Chen, Axios, September 10, 2021.
Seven people pleaded guilty to charges related to the Capitol insurrection this week, including an armed man who threatened to shoot House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Why it matters: Over 600 known federal defendants face charges in connection to the deadly riots. About 10% have pleaded guilty, according to CNN. ✂️
The big picture: In recent weeks, the DOJ has worked to resolve lower-level cases involving nonviolent defendants.
- Others have pleaded guilty to more serious felonies, including assaulting police, conspiring with extremist groups or obstructing congressional proceedings.
DOJ and FBI don’t advertise their investigations, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t happening:
Giuliani associate Igor Fruman pleads guilty to campaign finance violations, Brett Bachman, Salon, September 10, 2021.
One of Rudy Giuliani's former associates pled guilty to illegal campaign finance violations Friday.
Igor Fruman, 56, was one of a team of collaborators Giuliani tapped to collect damaging information about the Biden family in Ukraine during last year's contentious presidential election. Fruman, who was born in Belarus, was charged alongside business partner Lev Parnas for covering up an illegal donation of more than $325,000 to Trump's 2020 re-election campaign.
Both men, alongside a third defendant named Andrey Kukushkin, were also charged with soliciting donations for U.S. political campaigns as part of a plot to obtain legal marijuana distribution licenses, according to Reuters.
17. Facebook is finally facing some legal peril for selling user’s data
18. People Persist in Building a Better World
Even in the face of a pandemic, people are persisting in their work to improve lives. Go read the entire inspiring article!
Whatever Happened To ... The Woman Whose Mission Is To Get African Girls In School? Marc Silver, NPR, September 9, 2021.
How has the pandemic affected CAMFED's efforts?
It's not been easy. We work with girls in communities that even pre-COVID were remote and not sufficiently served. COVID exacerbated that, particularly for technology. Governments responded to the pandemic by turning to online learning, but that's not a readily available solution in communities we work with. Most people do not have the hardware to do that.
So what has CAMFED been doing?
Our response is led by the young women who've gone through CAMFED – the 178,000 members of our association CAMA [the CAMFED Alumnae Association]. And they go back and work with local schools to support children. It can be something as simple as printing out content for village study groups that are socially distant.
And they do this as volunteers?
They've got jobs, run businesses, some are in higher education. Some now run schools. But if you've walked this path, you know that even if you can give a packet of pens, that helps support the next generation. ✂️
You've told me about your own struggles to stay in school. Are things any different for today's girls in the communities served by CAMFED?
This generation of girls is lucky. They have seen what happens when you get a chance to go to school. [Many of the CAMFED alumni] were the first in our generation to go this far. Young women are now teachers in their community. In the past, it could be all men teaching. [Today's girls] see the possibilities. There's hope.
19. Dems are working to reform tax code, make it progressive
The Stars Are Aligned For A Once-in-a-Generation Change To A More Progressive Tax Code, Josh Kovensky, TPM, September 10, 2021.
Democrats now are eying proposals, however, which contain elements that go beyond any of those last three. While the corporate tax rate, even in Biden’s plan, would not return to the pre-Trump tax cut level, Biden has asked Congress to consider changes to capital gains taxation that would impose the tax upon the transfer of assets at death, and which would bring capital gains tax rates in line with income taxes.
Coupled with additional moves to beef up IRS enforcement and mandates for more information reporting to the tax authorities, the policies could constitute the biggest increases on wealthy individual taxpayers in generations; an opportunity for progressives to implement a chunk of their vision for economic justice that’s unlikely to return anytime soon. ✂️
But to Marr (senior director of federal tax policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities), the fact that this debate is taking place suggests broader progress. He argued that the overwhelming unpopularity of the 2017 Trump tax cuts had changed how elected Dems view the politics around taxes.
“Here you have Republicans giving away $2 trillion, and it was very unpopular,” Marr told TPM. “It’s natural that congress is going to nip and tuck and make changes, but now is crunch time, and we don’t want the package to be shrunk.”
20. President Biden’s approval has rebounded
21. Bonus reason! Democrats have the best secret sauce ever — YOU!
Liberal, progressive ideas are very popular in the USA and a majority of the American people back everything Democrats stand for. Now our task is to unrig our elections, push back against voter suppression/gerrymandering and GOTV.
How can we do that? I am glad you asked! 😁 Read on!
💗 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!
🐩🐾 CG's Pick 🐾🐩
⚡️ Yer Wonkette: Clearly Fed Up Biden To Take Nation Out Behind Gym, Vaccinate It, Doktor Zoom, Wonkette, September 10, 2021.
⚡️ Good Anxiety Does Exist. Here's How You Can Benefit From It, Meghan Keane and Clare Marie Schneider, NPR, September 9, 2021.
⚡️ 6 Tips For Coping With COVID Anxiety This Fall And Winter, April Fulton, NPR, September 4, 2021.
⚡️ EXPLAINER: Biden administration takes on Texas abortion law, Jessica Gresko and Paul J Weber, AP, September 10, 2021.
⚡️ Analysis: Biden takes fight to unvaccinated in virus battle, Zeke Miller, AP, September 10, 2021.
⚡️ Texas Governor Greg Abbott Pulls Ahead in Race to Determine Biggest GOP Asshole, Bess Levin, Vanity Fair, September 2021.
⚡️ The Justice Department Strikes Back, Elie Mystal, the Nation, September 10, 2021.
⚡️ Biden’s SEC is ready to regulate cryptocurrency, Sara Morrison, Vox, September 9, 2021.
⚡️ Just settle for true love: Stop Waiting for Your Soul Mate, Arthur C Brooks, the Atlantic, September 9, 2021.
Now, the humor!
On the Lighter Side
Most (but not all) of the memes were collected by REDACTED, who forwarded them on to NNNE. Thanks, REDACTED! And thanks, NNNE!
Hey, CG! Whatcha doin;?
(swiped from Sunday’s New Day Café):
💙 RoundUp WindDown 💙
That’s it from me and CG. This may be a tough weekend for a lot of us, so be kind to yourself and try to take it easy, allowing space to think, contemplate and grieve if you need to. It’s OK to put aside a bit of time to process not only the events of 20 years ago, but all that has happened in the interim and all that we are coping with right now. It’s a lot. You’re allowed to pause now and then and just sit with it all.
By allowing ourselves to process and integrate sadness and trauma, we can build strength and resilience. There is so much to feel hopeful about these days — with our skilled and determined Democratic leadership, we have a real chance to make a giant leap toward a better future. It won’t be easy. The forces arrayed against us are also determined — and desperate as their criminality is being uncovered — so we’ve got some pretty ruthless opposition.
But here’s the thing. It’s always been like that. All through human history. Progress is rarely welcomed by those who benefit from the status quo. And yet, progress happens. Because more people want to build a better world than want to preserve inequality and suffering.
We are going to build a better world. It may not happen as quickly as we all want (that would have been yesterday or last year or last decade…!) but it will happen. Right now, with President Joe and our Democratic leadership, both in Washington DC and in states around the country leading the way, I feel more hopeful than I have felt in years.
Thanks for reading and I wish you a quiet and restful weekend.