Welcome 🌻 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News!
Gnusies, I’m having a really busy week with people and projects, so instead of relying on my attempt to come up with something new gnu, let’s turn to the words of others:
- “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” —Winston Churchill
- “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” —Henry David Thoreau
- “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” —Dale Carnegie
- “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” —Calvin Coolidge
- “There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.” —Mister Rogers
- “I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” —Estée Lauder
So, keep at it — the saving of the world, I mean — and come in and see how the good guys are persisting and are sometimes succeeding.
Regular Scheduled Programming
No one here is naïve; we are aware of the many who are fighting to destroy our country. Some of us expected it: the cheating, the lying, the chaos, and yes, even the attempts to cling to power despite the clear will of the people. But we are here to read the efforts and the positive results of those (including us and our fellow gnus) who are working so hard to save our country from those very bad people. We are furious with them for what they are doing and we are letting them know. Remember:
💙 There are more of us than there are of them.
💛 They are terrified when we organize. THERE IS LOTS OF EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE TERRIFIED!
💔 They want us to be demoralized. The best way to keep up your spirits is to fight. So, take the time to recharge your batteries, but find ways to contribute to the well-being of our country and our world.
🗽 Biden as President! 🗽
Biden, Harris and their administration have been hard at work. Here are the last week’s posts at the White House briefing room.
- Thursday, May 23, 2024: Statement from President Joe Biden on the Historic Union Contract in Georgia
- Thursday, May 23, 2024: Statement from Vice President Kamala Harris on the Supreme Court Ruling in Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP
- Thursday, May 23, 2024: White House Releases State Dinner Guest List
- Thursday, May 23, 2024: President Biden Announces Key Appointments to the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council
- Thursday, May 23, 2024: Statement from President Joe Biden on the Supreme Court Ruling in Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of NAACP
- Thursday, May 23, 2024: Nominations Sent to the Senate
- Thursday, May 23, 2024: Remarks by President Biden and President William Ruto of the Republic of Kenya at Arrival Ceremony
- Thursday, May 23, 2024: President Biden Announces Nominees
- Thursday, May 23, 2024: Remarks by President Biden and President William Ruto of the Republic of Kenya Before Bilateral Meeting
- Thursday, May 23, 2024: Statement from President Joe Biden on Senate Vote on the Bipartisan Border Security Agreement
- Thursday, May 23, 2024: The Nairobi-Washington Vision
- Thursday, May 23, 2024: President Biden Names Fiftieth Round of Judicial Nominees
- Thursday, May 23, 2024: Statement by President Joe Biden on Vesak
- Thursday, May 23, 2024: FACT SHEET: Kenya State Visit to the United States
- Wednesday, May 22, 2024: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves West Virginia Disaster Declaration
- Wednesday, May 22, 2024: Readout of White House Meetings on the U.S.-UK Atlantic Declaration
- Wednesday, May 22, 2024: Remarks by President Biden and President William Ruto of the Republic of Kenya During Arrival Welcome
- Wednesday, May 22, 2024: Readout of White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention Convening of Local Offices of Violence Prevention
- Wednesday, May 22, 2024: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan
- Wednesday, May 22, 2024: Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives on Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Amendments
- Wednesday, May 22, 2024: Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at the Kenya State Dinner Media Preview
- Wednesday, May 22, 2024: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Kentucky Disaster Declaration
- Wednesday, May 22, 2024: Statement from President Joe Biden on Confirming 200 Federal Judges
- Wednesday, May 22, 2024: Statement from President Joe Biden on $7.7 Billion in Student Debt Cancellation for 160,000 Borrowers
- Tuesday, May 21, 2024: Remarks by President Biden on the PACT Act | Nashua, NH
- Tuesday, May 21, 2024: Remarks by Vice President Harris at the Service Employees International Union Quadrennial Convention
- Tuesday, May 21, 2024: Readout of Vice President Kamala Harris’ Meeting with Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada
- Tuesday, May 21, 2024: A Proclamation on National Maritime Day, 2024
- Tuesday, May 21, 2024: Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre En Route Merrimack, NH
- Tuesday, May 21, 2024: FACT SHEET: President Biden to Announce 1 Million PACT Act Claims Approved, Benefits Delivered to Veterans in all 50 States and U.S. Territories
- Monday, May 20, 2024: First Lady Jill Biden to Host Kenya State Dinner Media Preview and Spousal Program Events with First Lady Rachel Ruto
- Monday, May 20, 2024: On-the-Record Press Gaggle by White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby
- Monday, May 20, 2024: Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Meetings in Israel
- Monday, May 20, 2024: Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Meeting with Palestinian Officials
- Monday, May 20, 2024: Statement from President Joe Biden on the Warrant Applications by the International Criminal Court
- Monday, May 20, 2024: Message to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Stabilization of Iraq
- Monday, May 20, 2024: Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Stabilization of Iraq
- Monday, May 20, 2024: Statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Senate Plans to Vote on the Bipartisan Border Security Agreement
- Sunday, May 19, 2024: Remarks by President Biden at a Campaign Event | Detroit, MI
- Sunday, May 19, 2024: Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Meetings in Saudi Arabia and Israel
- Sunday, May 19, 2024: Remarks by President Biden at the Morehouse College Class of 2024 Commencement Address | Atlanta, GA
- Saturday, May 18, 2024: Remarks by President Biden at a Campaign Reception | Atlanta, GA
- Saturday, May 18, 2024: Remarks by President Biden at a Campaign Event | Atlanta, GA
- Saturday, May 18, 2024: Statement from NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Travel to Saudi Arabia and Israel
- Friday, May 17, 2024: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Texas Disaster Declaration
- Friday, May 17, 2024: Remarks by President Biden at the National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Friday, May 17, 2024: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby
- Friday, May 17, 2024: Readout of President Biden’s Meeting With Brown v. Board Plaintiffs and their Families
- Friday, May 17, 2024: Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at a Community Listening Session on Tribal Health Care
- Friday, May 17, 2024: FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Actions to Ensure Environmental Protections of the Antarctic Region
- Friday, May 17, 2024: A Proclamation on Armed Forces Day, 2024
- Friday, May 17, 2024: A Proclamation on National Hepatitis Testing Day, 2024
- Friday, May 17, 2024: A Proclamation on World Trade Week, 2024
- Friday, May 17, 2024: A Proclamation on National Safe Boating Week, 2024
- Friday, May 17, 2024: A Proclamation on National Emergency Medical Services Week, 2024
- Friday, May 17, 2024: National Security Memorandum on United States Policy on the Antarctic Region
- Friday, May 17, 2024: FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces New Actions to Advance Racial and Educational Equity on 70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education
- Friday, May 17, 2024: Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Meeting with Foreign Minister Diana Mondino and Chief of Cabinet Nicolás Posse of Argentina
- Friday, May 17, 2024: Statement from President Joe Biden Marking International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
👎 Out with the Bad, In with the Good 👍
👎 Most Iranians want to celebrate the death of Raisi Deepa Parent The Guardian
Activists in Iran have said there is little mood to mourn the death of the country’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash near the border with Azerbaijan on Sunday.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, announced a five-day public mourning period after the deaths of Raisi, the foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other passengers on the helicopter. However, Iranians who spoke to the Guardian have refused to lament the death of a man who they say was responsible for hundreds of deaths in his four-decade political career.
It was during Raisi’s tenure that protests swept the country after the death of the 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody after being arrested by police under Iran’s harsh hijab laws. More than 19,000 protesters were jailed, and at least 500 were killed – including 60 children – during the Woman, Life, Freedom protests. The police continue to violently arrest women for refusing hijab rules.
I don’t follow the politics of Iran, but Raisi is an obituary we can read with satisfaction.
👍 mr creator and I just installed some solar panels! We’re doing other upgrades in other ways. It’s so satisfying to watch the energy counter NOT move because we’re using the power of the sun.
👎 Out with some high prices:
💣 Republicans: Party of Crimes and Chaos 💣
Campaign filings show how legal fees are costing tRump Travis Getys, The Daily Beast
Even before his criminal hush money trial began last month, former President Donald Trump’s leadership PAC was burning through hundreds of thousands of dollars every day.
Now, according to Trump’s Save America leadership PAC’s most recent filings with the Federal Election Commission, the former president started this month at least seven figures in debt to his lawyers.
Trump’s Save America leadership PAC—which he has used as a legal slush fund—owes $1.1 million to five different law firms. That’s in addition to the nearly $3.3 million the committee doled out last month on legal consulting.
Rep Andy Ogles (R Tennessee) lied in his campaign filings Steve Benen, MSNBC, Maddow Blog
When it comes to congressional mendacity, former Rep. George Santos is a special case, though it’d be a mistake to suggest the New York Republican has no competition.
Take Republican Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee, for example.
Last fall, WTVF, the CBS affiliate in Nashville,
reported that Ogles’ finance reports showed that he’d made a $320,000 personal loan to his campaign. That was difficult to believe, since the congressman’s financial disclosures suggested he didn’t have $320,000.
As the local outlet reported this week, Ogles has now effectively conceded that his earlier claims weren’t true.
In case you wonder why he lied, it’s because when a campaign raises a certain amount, the RNC adds support. So he was stealing from the GOP.
tRump had a rally in the Bronx. But it did not get so many people: In a city of over 8 million people, Trump drew 4,000 tops. That’s with a lot of people from out of state.
Here’s an analysis of the grifty op:
*
We have been disgusted by how Tim Scott sold his dignity to tRump. But he’s doing his best to grift off him: A Tim Scott fundraising ad asks supporters to donate to “President Trump’s campaign.” But when you go to donate, it turns out 95% of the money goes to Tim Scott and only 5% to Trump.
One thing tRump has accelerated in the GOP is the growth of hate and anger, even amongst themselves. Here the AZ GOP is literally fighting:
*
Ugh. They’re all awful. And I think it’s because they sense their pie may be shrinking and they want to steal as much as they can before the others do.
🚚 💙 Democrats Deliver 💙 🚚
Biden campaign meets quietly with Haley supporters Jake Lahut The Daily Beast (exclusive, sorry)
A group of Nikki Haley supporters from Vermont to Arizona met with President Joe Biden’s campaign on Wednesday night almost immediately after she announced her plan to vote for Donald Trump, The Daily Beast has learned.
In the previously unreported meeting, a Biden campaign representative listened to the concerns of top Haley supporters from various states as part of Bidenworld’s ongoing outreach to win over Haley voters.
“The fact they actually sent someone last night to speak to a small group … I think that’s a good signal that they’re aware there are huge numbers of Haley voters out there,” Robert Schwartz, founder of the Haley Voters For Biden PAC, told The Daily Beast. Schwartz said the meeting was highly encouraging, and likened it to other listening sessions the Biden campaign has done with the pro-Palestinian uncommitted vote.
Guns are such a big problem in our country. The Biden-Harris administration is doing what it can about it. White House Briefing Room
Today, the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention convened over 80 leaders from state and local Offices of Violence Prevention (OVPs), representing 50 cities from across the country. The convening brought together key violence prevention leaders to:
- Share common challenges that their offices face;
- Identify what collaboration with local, state, and federal offices can and should look like;
- Discuss the importance of raising awareness around gun violence prevention work; and
- Receive information on federal resources available to the OVPs.
Today’s conversations build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s long record of empowering grassroots leaders, who know their communities, to intervene against and prevent crime.
Representatives from across the federal government highlighted the resources their agencies offer to support the work that local OVPs do. Job training and reentry services grants from the Department of Labor, funding for law enforcement to support the basic needs of victims in underserved communities from the Department of Justice, awards from the Department of Education to increase the number of qualified mental health service providers in schools, and much more. The White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention amplified these resources to make them readily accessible for community leaders nationwide.
Fani Willis wins her primary in Georgia Brett Bachman The Daily Beast
Fani Willis, the embattled Georgia prosecutor handling an election interference case against former President Donald Trump, won her Democratic primary election handily on Tuesday, the Associated Press projects.
The Fulton County District Attorney now heads to November’s general election, where she is set to face off against Republican Courtney Kramer, a former intern in the Trump White House who was involved in the efforts to overturn the state’s results in 2020.
The judge presiding over the case, Scott McAfee, also won his own election Tuesday, according to the AP—his first full term after being appointed last year.
💜 Unity? 💜
🎩 T Maysle How Biden is courting corporations behind closed doors Rebecca Piccioto CNBC News
Despite the public-facing hostility, relations between the White House and the business community are cozier behind closed doors.
“The people in the Biden administration overwhelmingly are incredibly professional,” Bradley said. “They take meetings, return calls, they engage with stakeholders across the spectrum with a wide variety of views.”
Earlier this month, Biden and his cabinet members hosted eight executives at the White House for a private roundtable where they talked about infrastructure investment, geopolitical issues and the U.S. economy’s performance relative to the rest of the world, according to people who attended the meeting.
Among the attendees were United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser and Marriott International CEO Anthony Capuano — leaders in industries that have been targets of the White House’s regulatory crackdown over the past several years.
The following day, Biden visited the battleground state of Wisconsin to tout a $3.3 billion investment to build an artificial intelligence data center from Microsoft, a company that the FTC has sued to block its closed acquisition of video game maker Activision.
“Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, thank you for your partnership and for showing how we get things done — and big things done — in America,” Biden said in a speech during the Wisconsin visit. “And thank you for your friendship. I really mean it.”
Those warm words don’t quite fit with Biden’s regular corporate antagonism and are examples of the current balancing act between the president and corporate America.
Biden, who has built a pro-labor, pro-consumer economic brand, needs the help of industry leaders to make private infrastructure investments and could use their support to pitch the effectiveness of his approach as the November election nears.
The White House has a broader plan to stoke collaboration with the business community, even while maintaining its hawkish regulatory approach.
Top White House officials devised that plan at a dinner in early February, according to a senior administration official.
Cabinet members like Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard decided that each would set up a call or meeting with 10 CEOs to talk about how the private sector can help implement Biden’s key infrastructure investments from policies like the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS Act, the official said.
I have this in the unity section because if Biden and Harris can get enough of corporate America on their side, it’s over for team tRump. And, CEOs have many reasons to like Biden and Harris: the soaring stock market, all the infrastructure, a healthy population instead of one shut down due to covid — and if we can get something done about immigration, more people in the labor force. Most of all, they have to appreciate the competence instead of chaos. A stable environment is good for business.
tRump offers tax cuts and he panders to egos — but he also threatens to run the country like putin, which means taking away money. And the rich people have more money, making them tempting targets.
🚗 🚚 And, look, an example! Ford supports tailpipe regulations Cristen Hemingway Jaynes EcoWatch
The Ford Motor Company said on Monday that it supports the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) new regulations to reduce passenger vehicle tailpipe emissions by 49 percent over 2026 levels by 2032, reported Reuters.
Ford is the second-largest automobile manufacturer in the country.
“Complying with emissions regulations requires lengthy advance planning, and Ford has taken steps to transform its business to ensure compliance with stricter emissions standards,” the Michigan-based automaker said, as Reuters reported.
Ford said the new rule would provide regulatory stability to the industry.
Alliance for Automotive Innovation — a trade group representing most major automakers, including Ford, Toyota Motor, General Motors, Honda Motor, Hyundai Motor and Volkswagen — said it approved of two of the regulations’ key provisions.
Even auto company executives need to breathe.
Governor DeWine a voice of reason in Ohio, demanding that Joe Biden be put on the November ballot:
Note this is why some of the liberal SCOTUS justices may have been reluctant to ban tRump: they feared retaliation.
📥 Actions You Can Take 📤
Tax-exempt organization complaint referrals. 13909. You can fill this out for the NRA and lots of other organizations. How about if some of us white folk go into some of the MAGA churches and video record what they’re saying?
Voting rights. This may be the biggest issue threatening our democracy right now. Besides contacting your representatives at the state and federal level to do the right thing (depending on who they are), you can support and contact these organizations:
ACLU — American Civil Liberties Union
Democracy Docket — founded by Marc Elias, so important in fighting the challenges after the last election.
Fair Fight — founded by Stacey Abrams
🌱Grass roots. Biden and Harris can do the top-down stuff, but we have to support from the bottom. I don’t know how to deprogram 75 million people, but some things have been written about, such as deep canvassing, and lots of people are talking about this. If you know someone (who did not storm the Capitol), then see if you can be pleasant. Instead of trying to reason with them (logic is obviously not their strong point) distract them with something else. We need to remove the sources of lies and to take down the temperature. If we get more of the Rs to wear masks and to get vaccinated and to vote for Ds, the country will be a better place. We need to coax some of them out of the rabbit holes and diffuse the anger and the crazy.
🏃 Run for something. If you want to run for something, but have no idea what to do, these people will help you. They also like money and volunteers to help those people who are running, so even if you’re not in a position to stand for office, you can help. Note: they are especially planning to target the 57 Rs in local governments who participated in the insurrection.
👎 Defund the seditionists. Defund the seditionists. This is a list with companies that sometimes have donated to the seditionists. The list is long. You will recognize many of the corporations, and you probably have a relationship with some — either you are a customer, a shareholder, or maybe even an employee. Contact them and compliment or complain, but let them know you are watching. Forward it to others.
🔎 Want to check out what’s going on with campaign contributions? Check out this diary. 👀
🐍 Schadenfreude 😈
🔔 Hecklers drown out the bootlicking brigade for tRump Justin Baragnona The Daily Beast via Yahoo News
A cadre of MAGA loyalists who had gathered to show their support for Donald Trump during his hush-money trial was shouted down by a bevy of cowbell-clanging anti-Trump protesters on Monday when they tried to speak outside a lower Manhattan courthouse.
In what has become a familiar scene, several of the former president’s allies appeared in New York City on Monday to rail against Trump’s prosecution and demonstrate their utter devotion to the 2024 White House hopeful. In recent days, a number of wannabe vice-presidential candidates and MAGA lawmakers have made the trek to curry favor with Trump and help him circumvent the judge’s gag order.
The group that flanked the twice-impeached ex-president this time around included South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, former New York police commissioner Bernie Kerik, ex-Trump administration official Kash Patel, Trump senior adviser Jason Miller, and Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA). All but Patel, meanwhile, were customarily decked out in Trump’s standard red tie and navy suit combo.
When the Trump brigade gathered on Monday morning to speak to the press and deliver their statements of support for the former president, the boisterous crowd of protesters showered them with jeers and heckled them as “liars” and “traitors.”
I love this. Although the MSM keeps trumpeting the fake crowds at tRump’s rallies and bodega visits, this is real. This shows the anger and disgust the people have for tRump and his minions.
Do the crime, do the time. Peter Navarro’s appeal is denied. Bannon next, please.
djt media company had a bad quarter Ed Carson Investors Business Daily
Trump Media & Technology (DJT), parent of Truth Social, reported another quarterly loss while revenue once again failed to hit $1 million. DJT stock fell solidly Tuesday.
Majority owned by former President Donald Trump, Trump Media reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of $12.1 million, with just over half of that one-time payments related to the closing of its SPAC merger with Digital World Acquisition Corp.
Revenue was just $770,500, the second straight quarter below $1 million.
Trump Media reported a GAAP loss of $327.6 million. That was largely due to $311 million in non-cash expenses from converting promissory notes and eliminating previous liabilities.
They say they have enough money to keep going, but why believe what they say?
FAFO! Scott MacFarlane: Judge *rejects* request for early release from probation for Jan 6 defendant Logan Grover, "Defendant came to Washington, D.C., prepared for violence on Jan 6. He brought w/ him, among other things, body armor, tactical gloves, broken scissors & two hairbrushes w/ pointed ends"
Guys, this is why we need to fund the IRS. 🌵 Arizona tax preparer pleads guilty Department of Justice press release
sorry about the spacing!
An Arizona man pleaded guilty on Friday to two counts of assisting in the preparation of false tax returns for individuals who used an abusive-trust tax shelter to underreport their income and tax liabilities.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2017 to 2023, Kent Ellsworth operated Ellsworth Stauffer P.C., a return preparation business. During that time, Ellsworth participated in a scheme to defraud the IRS that involved the promotion, sale and implementation of a fraudulent tax shelter. Ellsworth participated by preparing and filing over 500 false tax returns for approximately 60 clients nationwide who used the tax shelter to conceal income from the IRS and not pay tax. Ellsworth intentionally caused more than $60 million in income to be fraudulently sheltered from the IRS, which resulted in a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $17 million. ✂️
Ellsworth is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 14. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of preparing and filing false tax returns. Ellsworth also faces a maximum fine of $250,000, a period of supervised release and the costs of prosecution for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Special Agent in Charge Andy Tsui of IRS Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Denver Field Office made the announcement.
IRS-CI is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Amanda R. Scott and Lauren K. Pope and Senior Litigation Counsel Corey J. Smith of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Hey, this time James Comey is talking to the FBI:
probably belonged in the Unity section, but I’m too lazy to move it
📣 Let’s Honor Truth ☀️️
This week I want to honor Michael Cohen, tRump’s former fixer.
Yes, he is problematic. He served, actually revered, tRump for years. He enabled him to do many crimes.
Moreover, Michael Cohen did not turn to the side of truth and goodness until he was spurned by tRump. This is what is said by Michael A. Cohen, another MC, who wrote in The Daily Beast
After all, this is a guy who spent years working for Trump, doing his dirty work, covering up his multiple sins, and only turned against him after he got in legal trouble.
In Cohen’s recent book, a whiny, self-serving jeremiad against his former boss, which I reviewed last year, he asks himself, “Would I still be in the Donald Trump cult if I hadn’t paid for my experience with time in prison?” He admits, “Had I not been thrown under the bus, I cannot, with any honesty, say that I would be out of the cult of Trump.”
But Michael Cohen was spurned. So, Michael Cohen decided to start telling the truth. It has come at a cost. I don’t include in the cost his imprisonment for his part in the hush money scheme — that is a result of his crimes. But Cohen, by choosing to tell the truth, was remanded to prison, put in solitary for many weeks, lost his position, and has been subject to harassment and death threats on a regular basis. He’s also given up much of his time to testifying in many venues: Congress, the grand jury, with prosecutors and at tRump’s civil and criminal trials.
He’s also monetized it. Now, in a way, I don’t blame him for this. Telling the truth against Donald tRump is a full-time job, and it’s not like he has many other ways to earn money. He was deservedly disbarred; even when he was released early from prison (covid), he had home confinement (in a way, of course, we all did).
But: truth is truth, no matter who speaks it. And in the last week or so, Cohen has testified truthfully, including admitting his own faults in his personal history. He even admitted (something he admitted before) how he had double-billed tRump for some money, which is essentially stealing (note that Tim Scott is doing something similar, although in a legal manner, see the Republican section above).
Michael Cohen enabled tRump for years, which was wrong. But he has also been working to take tRump down for years. Compare his record to the record of the many tRump enablers currently in office.
I also want to uphold Rep Jim McGovern, who fought for the truth in the House (he did not win, though) Washington Post
“I know you’re trying to do your job and follow precedent,” McGovern told Carl. “But frankly, at some point, it’s time for this body to recognize that there is no precedent for this situation. We have a presumptive nominee for president facing 88 felony counts, and we’re being prevented from even acknowledging it.”
Unfortunately, the words were stricken from the record. However, they were on CSPAN and they are being played over and over.
🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love ❤️
This is such a beautiful gesture:
Other ways to use extra flowers: hospitals and nursing homes.
📎Odds & Ends 📎
Colleges to start paying athletes Jesse Dougherty, Washington Post
The NCAA and its five power conferences have approved a deal that paves the way for schools to pay athletes directly, a change that would crush any last notions of amateurism in major college sports.
The agreement, which settles three antitrust cases and was voted on throughout this week, includes almost $2.8 billion in damages. That money will be distributed to current and former athletes, who sued in House v. NCAA over not being compensated for the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL) on television broadcasts.
In a joint statement Thursday night, the NCAA and its conferences announced that they had agreed to the settlement terms. And no matter how high the damages are, the most far-reaching component is a new revenue-sharing model, which would pay athletes a cut of money their schools generate from broadcast rights deals, ticket sales and sponsorships, among other streams.
I’m glad that student athletes will get some money, but I’m a little sad at the idea of college sports turning so professional. I did track and cross-country, and although I was not especially good, the exercise and the friendships were really good for me.
France celebrates the baguette with a scratch and sniff stamp. Andy Corbley Good News Network
The French postal service has released a scratch-and-sniff stamp that will fill your letter room or office with the aroma of freshly baked bread as it honors the classic baguette.
The best thing since sliced bread, the baguette was recently honored by UNESCO with the status of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage,’ or in other words, a standout element in the story of humanity that can’t be pinned down to the words on a page, the outcome of a battle, or the bricks making up a monument.
The stamp was unveiled last Thursday by La Poste on the occasion of Sant-Honore’s feast day—the patron saint of bakers.
My husband adores baguettes, and we bought one for him in France on Thursday. Alas, I am gluten intolerant.
Story sent by niftywriter at the insistence of Curly Girl 🐩 (imagine black poodle): love among the birds
CHICAGO — One of Chicago’s most eligible bachelors might have finally found someone to settle down with.
Imani the piping plover returned to Montrose Beach in late April. But the bird — a son of the famously romantic duo Monty and Rose, whose tale stole Chicago’s heart — has had trouble finding his own happy ending, as no female plover had been spotted at Montrose.
Or that was the case until Wednesday, when a piping plover called Sea Rocket touched down at the beach. Sea Rocket is believed to be female.
Already, Sea Rocket and Imani have been seen cavorting, and local birders are hopeful Imani might have finally met his mate.
Major breakthrough: Kendric Cromer, a 12-year-old treated at Children’s Nationa Hospital in DC, stands a chance at becoming the first person cured of sickle cell disease with gene therapy.
🐦 I do a lot of other writing. A recent offering: the Crow Nickels (chronicles), a trilogy about crows who want to save birdkind from extinction: Hunters of the Feather, Scavengers of Mind and Familiars of the Flock (They’re really good! They’re really cheap! Buy and review or rate positively! And Hunters is also available on Audible!) Other stories, based on Jane Austen novels — such as The Meryton Murders — and others based on history and Greek mythology, such as Jocasta: The Mother-Wife of Oedipus, can be found here. All titles are available through Kindle Unlimited, but I only get paid if you turn the pages.
💙 What You Can Do to Rescue Democracy 💙
It turns out that participation in democracy is not just an every-four-years event but requires active participation, like, whenever you can find time.
Current projects:
Look in the comments for Progressive Muse’s report on Postcards to Voters
And some other ideas:
You can relax and recharge.
You can join protests and freeway blog.
You can help register new voters.
You can smile.
You can say something nice to friend or a stranger.
You can get out the vote for special elections.
You can reach out to upset Republicans. We need to win some back.
You can share your ideas below.
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💙 “Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we all are created equal and the harsh ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear, demonization have long torn us apart. The battle is perennial, and victory is never assured.” 💙
President Joseph R. Biden
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TRUTH MATTERS. LOVE MATTERS.