Good Day, Gnusies! Welcome to the Wednesday GNR — and we sure could use some of that GN this week, huh? Lucky for us (and thanks to all of our hard work!), we now have a sane, compassionate President and a sane, compassionate Democratic-led congress, so the good news will increase and help to alleviate some of the distress that so many are enduring.
Reading the GNRs and comments in the days between my last effort and today, I had a little revelation.
Joe Biden is like an anti-trump. Joe has brains and experience, where the former guy had imbecility and ignorance. Joe has empathy and compassion, where the previous WH tenant had neither. Joe has nothing to prove, no post-presidency career to protect and zero f*cks left to give for duplicitous Rs, whereas the former guy was obsessed with appearing “great”, fears what’s coming in his post WH years and very much gives a f*ck about his legal exposure.
In every way that we suffered under the previous administration, Joe Biden is working to reverse those policies and alleviate suffering. Before, Rs rode roughshod over D’s and Dem POTUS’s were hamstrung trying to work across the aisle with people who laughed at the concept. President Joe Biden is open to R participation, but he is getting things done with or without them.
Joe Biden is going to be a transformational president and a great one at that. And the reason why is even simpler than his long list of qualifications, experience, intelligence and basic decency. The reason (I believe) is that Joe, like the former guy, will not be constrained by the usual concerns that limit the boldness of a president. But unlike the former guy, Joe’s motivation and inspiration is to do good, and as much of it as he possibly can, during his time in office. He’s the anti-trump. If not for the disaster that the previous occupant visited upon this country, I doubt Joe Biden would even have run this time, but the situation cried out for just exactly a guy with his skillset (and yes, his white guy acceptability, a fact not lost on him). I think he has come to the presidency on a sacred mission.
I have a hunch that Joe Biden is going for the biggest, boldest and most progressive agenda this country has seen since FDR. In fact, I think he will exceed FDR’s achievements because Joe is not going to allow marginalized groups of Americans to be excluded from the benefits of his administration’s transformational policies. And Joe will achieve it because he has zero f*cks to give for R gaslighting; zero concern about how what he does today will affect his future career — I’m sure Joe intends to retire from public life after his presidency and leave an amazing legacy for the American people behind him. He has already done so much in his life! Joe has nothing to prove to anyone and has every incentive to go for as much as he can accomplish, fearlessly.
As we have seen, that is exactly what he seems to be doing. Joe Biden is an affable, likeable, decent fellow, but he is no fool. He knows exactly what he’s up against and holds no illusions. You don’t survive and flourish in public life for 40 years without being very perceptive and people smart. Anything we can think of to worry about will not be news to Joe or his team. He is prepared. They are prepared. It won’t be easy, but he and they are ready for the work of a lifetime.
Let’s take a look at some good news!
Here’s the strategy — and it’s a good one!
Opinion: What Joe Biden’s next victory looks like, Paul Waldman, Washington Post, March 23, 2021.
This is the Democrats’ basic plan: Propose something ambitious with benefits spread throughout the public, meant to achieve ends even Republicans say they want. Invite the opposition to help, and listen to their ideas. But rather than chasing them for months, make visible but finite efforts to negotiate with them, while assuming that in the end they won’t support the bill. Do whatever is necessary to pass it, then take all the credit. (bolding nifty’s) While the administration is still formulating this legislation, so far it appears to have two parts. First would be an infrastructure bill spending hundreds of billions of dollars on roads, bridges, waterways, the electric grid, schools, broadband and various climate-related initiatives, including retrofitting buildings and building electric charging stations. Next would be people-focused priorities, including universal pre-K, free community college, health insurance affordability, and making permanent the expanded child allowance included in the ARP. Biden has referred to these priorities as the “caregiving economy.” ✄ And as the ARP revealed, if Biden signs an infrastructure bill that passed with no Republican votes, the public won’t punish him for it. People say they like “bipartisanship” in the abstract, but give them something they want (like big fat stimulus checks or pothole-free roads) and they don’t care how many members of each party voted for it.
This is the Democrats’ basic plan: Propose something ambitious with benefits spread throughout the public, meant to achieve ends even Republicans say they want. Invite the opposition to help, and listen to their ideas. But rather than chasing them for months, make visible but finite efforts to negotiate with them, while assuming that in the end they won’t support the bill. Do whatever is necessary to pass it, then take all the credit. (bolding nifty’s)
While the administration is still formulating this legislation, so far it appears to have two parts. First would be an infrastructure bill spending hundreds of billions of dollars on roads, bridges, waterways, the electric grid, schools, broadband and various climate-related initiatives, including retrofitting buildings and building electric charging stations.
Next would be people-focused priorities, including universal pre-K, free community college, health insurance affordability, and making permanent the expanded child allowance included in the ARP. Biden has referred to these priorities as the “caregiving economy.” ✄
And as the ARP revealed, if Biden signs an infrastructure bill that passed with no Republican votes, the public won’t punish him for it. People say they like “bipartisanship” in the abstract, but give them something they want (like big fat stimulus checks or pothole-free roads) and they don’t care how many members of each party voted for it.
JUST IN: Pres. Biden: "I don't need to wait another minute, let alone an hour...to urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to act" on gun reform measures. https://t.co/QoQX0IQjcU pic.twitter.com/GpOaRKKOFW— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 23, 2021
JUST IN: Pres. Biden: "I don't need to wait another minute, let alone an hour...to urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to act" on gun reform measures. https://t.co/QoQX0IQjcU pic.twitter.com/GpOaRKKOFW
Biden urges action on Gun Control after 2 mass shootings in less than a week, Glenn Thrush, New York Times, March 23, 2021.
Mr. Biden has had a long, and at times frustrating, history of pushing gun control proposals. He was tasked with coming up with a legislative package of gun control measures by President Barack Obama after the Sandy Hook killings of 2012 but the effort resulted in no significant legislative action, and Mr. Obama was forced to enact a handful of relatively modest reform through executive actions. Mr. Biden had not made gun control a legislative priority during the first weeks of his presidency, but his tone on Wednesday seemed to signal a shift. He called on the Senate to quickly pass two House bills, passed earlier this year and first introduced after the 2018 mass shooting at a Parkland, Fla., high school, that extend background checks to private sellers and extend the time limit to conduct checks on purchasers.
Mr. Biden has had a long, and at times frustrating, history of pushing gun control proposals. He was tasked with coming up with a legislative package of gun control measures by President Barack Obama after the Sandy Hook killings of 2012 but the effort resulted in no significant legislative action, and Mr. Obama was forced to enact a handful of relatively modest reform through executive actions.
Mr. Biden had not made gun control a legislative priority during the first weeks of his presidency, but his tone on Wednesday seemed to signal a shift.
He called on the Senate to quickly pass two House bills, passed earlier this year and first introduced after the 2018 mass shooting at a Parkland, Fla., high school, that extend background checks to private sellers and extend the time limit to conduct checks on purchasers.
One of the things mentioned in the “roads and bridges” segment of the plan is RAILROADS and I’m excited because you know how CG and I want high speed or light rail crisscrossing the country! Fingers crossed that this can get done! Go Dems!
Here’s what could be in Biden's massive infrastructure bill, from free community college to upgraded roads and bridges, Ayelet Sheffey and Joseph Zeballos-Roig, Insider, March 23, 2021.
According to documents obtained by the Times, the proposed infrastructure plan would focus first on infrastructure improvements such as upgrading roads and bridges. The second bill would direct spending on other segments of the economy, such as education and childcare. "The point is not to put in all this effort just to get where we where pre- recession or pre-pandemic, that's not what other countries are doing," Ryan Fitzpatrick, director of the climate and energy program at Third Way, a center-left group, said in an interview. "This is to make sure the US has a competitive economy. We can't rest on our laurels." Many of the plan's details, including its funding, remain in flux. White House officials are weighing tax increases on large corporations and the wealthiest Americans to finance at least some portions of the package. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday the administration is "considering a range of potential options" for upcoming spending plans.
According to documents obtained by the Times, the proposed infrastructure plan would focus first on infrastructure improvements such as upgrading roads and bridges. The second bill would direct spending on other segments of the economy, such as education and childcare.
"The point is not to put in all this effort just to get where we where pre- recession or pre-pandemic, that's not what other countries are doing," Ryan Fitzpatrick, director of the climate and energy program at Third Way, a center-left group, said in an interview. "This is to make sure the US has a competitive economy. We can't rest on our laurels."
Many of the plan's details, including its funding, remain in flux. White House officials are weighing tax increases on large corporations and the wealthiest Americans to finance at least some portions of the package. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday the administration is "considering a range of potential options" for upcoming spending plans.
Huh, looks like Doktor Zoom and I were on the same wavelength with the Infrastructure time talk:
Give Joe Biden An Infrastructure Week And He'll Build Back Better For Decades, Doktor Zoom, Wonkette, March 23, 2021.
Biden lengthens Affordable Care Act insurance sign-ups until mid-August, Amy Goldstein and Seung Min Kim, Washington Post, March 23, 2021.
President Biden announced Tuesday that the federal insurance marketplace will remain open for consumers to buy Affordable Care Act health plans through mid-August, doubling the length of an unprecedented extra enrollment period that launched last month. Speaking at a cancer hospital and research institute at Ohio State University, Biden made the announcement as part of a recognition of the ACA’s 11th anniversary. The sprawling health-care law has helped more than 20 million Americans gain coverage through marketplace health plans and Medicaid, and it has altered many other aspects of the U.S. health-care system, even as it has remained a target of vehement Republican opposition. The lengthening of the special enrollment time reflects Biden’s determination to use the 2010 health-care law as a fulcrum to expand the number of Americans who have access to affordable insurance and, as a result, to care.
President Biden announced Tuesday that the federal insurance marketplace will remain open for consumers to buy Affordable Care Act health plans through mid-August, doubling the length of an unprecedented extra enrollment period that launched last month.
Speaking at a cancer hospital and research institute at Ohio State University, Biden made the announcement as part of a recognition of the ACA’s 11th anniversary. The sprawling health-care law has helped more than 20 million Americans gain coverage through marketplace health plans and Medicaid, and it has altered many other aspects of the U.S. health-care system, even as it has remained a target of vehement Republican opposition.
The lengthening of the special enrollment time reflects Biden’s determination to use the 2010 health-care law as a fulcrum to expand the number of Americans who have access to affordable insurance and, as a result, to care.
Obamacare Draws 200,000 New Enrollments as Deep-Red States Eye Medicaid Expansion, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times, March 23, 2021.
More than 200,000 Americans signed up for health insurance under the law during the first two weeks of an open enrollment period created by President Biden — a sign that those who lost insurance during the pandemic remain in desperate need of coverage, according to federal officials and health policy experts. And a provision in the president’s $1.9 trillion stimulus law to make Medicaid expansion more fiscally appealing has convinced deep-red Alabama and Wyoming to consider expanding the program to residents whose incomes are too high to qualify now but too low to afford private health plans. ✄ Expanding access to health care has been a core issue for Mr. Biden, both when he was vice president and during his campaign for the White House. A week after he took office, he ordered the law’s insurance marketplaces to reopen for three months, from February to May 15, to help people struggling to find coverage. In previous years, only those who had “qualifying life events,” including job losses, were eligible to sign up outside of the traditional fall enrollment period, and the current surge in enrollment is more than double the number of people who signed up during the same two-week periods in 2019 and 2020.
More than 200,000 Americans signed up for health insurance under the law during the first two weeks of an open enrollment period created by President Biden — a sign that those who lost insurance during the pandemic remain in desperate need of coverage, according to federal officials and health policy experts.
And a provision in the president’s $1.9 trillion stimulus law to make Medicaid expansion more fiscally appealing has convinced deep-red Alabama and Wyoming to consider expanding the program to residents whose incomes are too high to qualify now but too low to afford private health plans. ✄
Expanding access to health care has been a core issue for Mr. Biden, both when he was vice president and during his campaign for the White House. A week after he took office, he ordered the law’s insurance marketplaces to reopen for three months, from February to May 15, to help people struggling to find coverage.
In previous years, only those who had “qualifying life events,” including job losses, were eligible to sign up outside of the traditional fall enrollment period, and the current surge in enrollment is more than double the number of people who signed up during the same two-week periods in 2019 and 2020.
J&J plant authorization clears way for big boost in U.S. COVID-19 shots, Michael Erman and Carl O’Donnell, Reuters, March 23, 2021.
A large plant being used to manufacture Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine was cleared by U.S. regulators on Tuesday, setting the stage for the weekly U.S. supply to surge more then 20 percent. About 27 million COVID-19 vaccine doses will be allocated to U.S. states and other localities this week, including 4 million from J&J, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters. That is the largest allocation yet, up from 22 million last week. ✄ J&J’s shipments had slowed considerably since the first week of the month, but the new authorization will enable it to ship out millions of doses.
A large plant being used to manufacture Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine was cleared by U.S. regulators on Tuesday, setting the stage for the weekly U.S. supply to surge more then 20 percent.
About 27 million COVID-19 vaccine doses will be allocated to U.S. states and other localities this week, including 4 million from J&J, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters. That is the largest allocation yet, up from 22 million last week. ✄
J&J’s shipments had slowed considerably since the first week of the month, but the new authorization will enable it to ship out millions of doses.
In an interview last week (I am sorry, I don’t recall where, so no link), Dr Fauci mentioned that another important tool to fight the coronavirus would be if we had oral medicines that people could take, instead of needing to be transfused via IV, in the event that they become infected. Well, it looks like we’ve got something in the pipeline!
Pfizer begins early-stage study of oral COVID-19 drug, Reuters staff, March 23, 2021.
Pfizer’s candidate, named PF-07321332, is a protease inhibitor that prevents the virus from replicating in cells. Protease inhibitors have been effective at treating other viral pathogens such as HIV and hepatitis C virus, both on their own and in combination with other antivirals, the company said. ✄ “Together, the two (oral and intravenous candidates) have the potential to create an end-to-end treatment paradigm that complements vaccination in cases where disease still occurs,” Pfizer’s Chief Medical Officer Mikael Dolsten said in a statement.
Pfizer’s candidate, named PF-07321332, is a protease inhibitor that prevents the virus from replicating in cells.
Protease inhibitors have been effective at treating other viral pathogens such as HIV and hepatitis C virus, both on their own and in combination with other antivirals, the company said. ✄
“Together, the two (oral and intravenous candidates) have the potential to create an end-to-end treatment paradigm that complements vaccination in cases where disease still occurs,” Pfizer’s Chief Medical Officer Mikael Dolsten said in a statement.
Senate Confirms Vivek Murthy as surgeon general, Axios, March 23, 2021. (some of the links that Axios put in this article are misdirected. The AP link goes to a February story about another confirmation).
The Senate voted 57-43 on Tuesday to confirm Vivek Murthy as surgeon general. Why it matters: His appointment will allow him to reprise a role he previously held. Murthy served as surgeon general under the Obama administration but was dismissed in 2017, a year before the end of his term, by the Trump administration. The big picture: Murthy is a member of the Biden administration's COVID-19 task force, which is working to combat the spread of the pandemic. As surgeon general he has vowed to bring attention to public health issues that have worsened during the pandemic, namely "the opioid epidemic, mental illness and racial and geographic health inequities," according to AP.
The Senate voted 57-43 on Tuesday to confirm Vivek Murthy as surgeon general.
Why it matters: His appointment will allow him to reprise a role he previously held. Murthy served as surgeon general under the Obama administration but was dismissed in 2017, a year before the end of his term, by the Trump administration.
The big picture: Murthy is a member of the Biden administration's COVID-19 task force, which is working to combat the spread of the pandemic.
The best exercises to lower your blood pressure, even without medication, Gabby Landsverk, Insider, March 23, 2021.
Working out can be as good or better than taking medication to improve your blood pressure, particularly if you choose the right kind of exercise, evidence suggests. Specific types of workouts could benefit different groups of people based on their blood pressure, according to recommendations published March 23 in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology. For high blood pressure, do aerobic exercise like walking, running, or cycling. For blood pressure in the high-normal range, try moves such as squats, push-ups, and lifting weights. To maintain normal blood pressure, do planks, yoga, and wall sits. (check out the full article for details)
Working out can be as good or better than taking medication to improve your blood pressure, particularly if you choose the right kind of exercise, evidence suggests.
Specific types of workouts could benefit different groups of people based on their blood pressure, according to recommendations published March 23 in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology.
For high blood pressure, do aerobic exercise like walking, running, or cycling.
For blood pressure in the high-normal range, try moves such as squats, push-ups, and lifting weights.
To maintain normal blood pressure, do planks, yoga, and wall sits.
(check out the full article for details)
Biden’s Recovery Plan Bets Big on Clean Energy, Lisa Friedman and Jim Tankersley, New York Times, March 23, 2021.
Aides are set to brief Mr. Biden this week on plans to invest between $3 trillion and $4 trillion in spending and tax credits on a wide range of efforts meant to bolster the economy. The money is currently planned to be split between two packages, starting with an infrastructure bill that is rooted in the effort to halt the emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide. Administration officials stress that the details remain in flux. But as currently constructed, accelerating a clean energy transformation underpins nearly every part of the plan, people familiar with it said. It includes building electric power lines that can deliver more renewable energy, building electric vehicle charging stations, capping oil and gas wells to reduce emissions and reclaiming abandoned coal mines. There is money to build a million new affordable, energy-efficient housing units and to make existing structures more energy efficient. Hundreds of billions of dollars would go toward “high-growth industries of the future,” such as advanced battery manufacturing. The underlying message — that the next step of America’s economic recovery is fundamentally tied to countering the climate crisis — represents a major pivot in the way Democrats make the case for tackling global warming. No longer merely an environmental imperative like saving the polar bears, or a side element of a stimulus package like it was under the Obama administration, climate change has become the centerpiece.
Aides are set to brief Mr. Biden this week on plans to invest between $3 trillion and $4 trillion in spending and tax credits on a wide range of efforts meant to bolster the economy. The money is currently planned to be split between two packages, starting with an infrastructure bill that is rooted in the effort to halt the emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide. Administration officials stress that the details remain in flux.
But as currently constructed, accelerating a clean energy transformation underpins nearly every part of the plan, people familiar with it said. It includes building electric power lines that can deliver more renewable energy, building electric vehicle charging stations, capping oil and gas wells to reduce emissions and reclaiming abandoned coal mines. There is money to build a million new affordable, energy-efficient housing units and to make existing structures more energy efficient. Hundreds of billions of dollars would go toward “high-growth industries of the future,” such as advanced battery manufacturing.
The underlying message — that the next step of America’s economic recovery is fundamentally tied to countering the climate crisis — represents a major pivot in the way Democrats make the case for tackling global warming. No longer merely an environmental imperative like saving the polar bears, or a side element of a stimulus package like it was under the Obama administration, climate change has become the centerpiece.
US weather model upgraded to better forecast extreme events, Seth Borenstein, AP News, March 22, 2021.
The National Weather Service has turbocharged its lagging forecast model to better predict extreme weather events such as hurricanes, blizzards and downpours, as well as day-to-day weather. By including much higher layers of the atmosphere, increased factoring of ocean waves and other improvements, the weather service’s update to its Global Forecast System is trying to catch up with a European weather model that many experts consider superior. Tests for the past two years show the upgrade, which kicked in Monday, forecast heavy rains and snowfall 15% better five days out and improved hurricane and tropical storm tracks by more than 10%, better pinpointing storm formation five to seven days in advance.
The National Weather Service has turbocharged its lagging forecast model to better predict extreme weather events such as hurricanes, blizzards and downpours, as well as day-to-day weather.
By including much higher layers of the atmosphere, increased factoring of ocean waves and other improvements, the weather service’s update to its Global Forecast System is trying to catch up with a European weather model that many experts consider superior.
Tests for the past two years show the upgrade, which kicked in Monday, forecast heavy rains and snowfall 15% better five days out and improved hurricane and tropical storm tracks by more than 10%, better pinpointing storm formation five to seven days in advance.
Here are the follow up stories to two stories I wrote about in previous GNRs. Success in both!:
Pritzker to sign bills creating cannabis equity commission, increasing diversity in state contracts, Rachel Hinton, Chicago Sun-Times, March 23, 2021.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker will sign into law a cap on payday loan rates and a measure aimed at increasing diversity in the state’s contracting process Tuesday, two pieces of legislation crafted and shepherded through the General Assembly by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus in January. ✄ SB1792 amends the Farmer Equity Act and creates a cannabis equity commission to ensure the equity goals the state set as part of its legalization of cannabis are met and caps at 36% the annual percentage rate for payday loans, small consumer loans and title-secured loans under the Predatory Loan Prevention Act. ✄ SB1608 increases the state’s goal for contracts awarded to businesses owned by minorities, women or people with disabilities from 20% to 30% and mandates the state’s Department of Central Management Services to establish “committed diversity aspirational goals for state contracts” and “concerted outreach efforts to businesses owned by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker will sign into law a cap on payday loan rates and a measure aimed at increasing diversity in the state’s contracting process Tuesday, two pieces of legislation crafted and shepherded through the General Assembly by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus in January. ✄
SB1792 amends the Farmer Equity Act and creates a cannabis equity commission to ensure the equity goals the state set as part of its legalization of cannabis are met and caps at 36% the annual percentage rate for payday loans, small consumer loans and title-secured loans under the Predatory Loan Prevention Act. ✄
SB1608 increases the state’s goal for contracts awarded to businesses owned by minorities, women or people with disabilities from 20% to 30% and mandates the state’s Department of Central Management Services to establish “committed diversity aspirational goals for state contracts” and “concerted outreach efforts to businesses owned by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities.”
Here’s the excellent video on the developing story I posted a few months ago: How a City in Illinois Made History with Reparations
Near the end of that video, Ald. Robin Rue Simmons says there has to be an action plan. Well, on Monday the Evanston City Council approved a plan, with a pathway to expansion in the future:
Evanston passes first-in-nation reparations, Mitch Dudek and Fran Spielman, Chicago Sun-Times, March 23, 2021.
The Evanston City Council on Monday approved a first-in-the-nation reparations plan that’s been put forth as a blueprint for other municipalities, including Chicago, to use in efforts to make amends for historical wrongs against Black residents. In an 8-1 vote, the council approved a plan to distribute $400,000 to Black residents with ties to the city’s Black community between 1919 and 1969. Eligible applicants will also include residents who suffered from housing discrimination due to the city’s policies after 1969. Under the plan, the money can be used to help buy a home, pay a mortgage or for home improvements.✄ Iva Carruthers, whose father was a Tuskegee Airman, grew up in Evanston and saw firsthand the results of redlining and other discriminatory policies that negatively affected Black families and are the basis of the reparations plan that passed Monday. “The wisdom of the ages says that a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step. I’m so very proud to be an Evanstonian ... I’m confident that my foreparents and the many elders who raised me and paved the way for me are rejoicing because this is a move forward for the nation and the world,” she said.
The Evanston City Council on Monday approved a first-in-the-nation reparations plan that’s been put forth as a blueprint for other municipalities, including Chicago, to use in efforts to make amends for historical wrongs against Black residents.
In an 8-1 vote, the council approved a plan to distribute $400,000 to Black residents with ties to the city’s Black community between 1919 and 1969. Eligible applicants will also include residents who suffered from housing discrimination due to the city’s policies after 1969.
Under the plan, the money can be used to help buy a home, pay a mortgage or for home improvements.✄
Iva Carruthers, whose father was a Tuskegee Airman, grew up in Evanston and saw firsthand the results of redlining and other discriminatory policies that negatively affected Black families and are the basis of the reparations plan that passed Monday.
“The wisdom of the ages says that a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step. I’m so very proud to be an Evanstonian ... I’m confident that my foreparents and the many elders who raised me and paved the way for me are rejoicing because this is a move forward for the nation and the world,” she said.
Part of Wright brothers’ 1st airplane on NASA’s Mars chopper, Marcia Dunn, AP News, March 23, 2021.
NASA’s experimental Martian helicopter holds a small swatch of fabric from the 1903 Wright Flyer, the space agency revealed Tuesday. The helicopter, named Ingenuity, hitched a ride to the red planet with the Perseverance rover, arriving last month. Ingenuity will attempt the first powered, controlled flight on another planet no sooner than April 8. It will mark a “Wright brothers’ moment,” noted Bobby Braun, director for planetary science at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. ✄ The swatch made the 300 million-mile journey to Mars with the blessing of the Wright brothers’ great-grandniece and great-grandnephew, said park curator Steve Lucht. “Wilbur and Orville Wright would be pleased to know that a little piece of their 1903 Wright Flyer I, the machine that launched the Space Age by barely one quarter of a mile, is going to soar into history again on Mars!” Amanda Wright Lane and Stephen Wright said in a statement provided by the park.
NASA’s experimental Martian helicopter holds a small swatch of fabric from the 1903 Wright Flyer, the space agency revealed Tuesday. The helicopter, named Ingenuity, hitched a ride to the red planet with the Perseverance rover, arriving last month.
Ingenuity will attempt the first powered, controlled flight on another planet no sooner than April 8. It will mark a “Wright brothers’ moment,” noted Bobby Braun, director for planetary science at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. ✄
The swatch made the 300 million-mile journey to Mars with the blessing of the Wright brothers’ great-grandniece and great-grandnephew, said park curator Steve Lucht.
“Wilbur and Orville Wright would be pleased to know that a little piece of their 1903 Wright Flyer I, the machine that launched the Space Age by barely one quarter of a mile, is going to soar into history again on Mars!” Amanda Wright Lane and Stephen Wright said in a statement provided by the park.
Mormon Church Accused of Misusing Billions In Member Tithes, Martin Macias Jr, Courthouse News, March 23, 2021.
Huntsman says the church told members their monetary contributions would fund missionary work, temple renovations, education programs, member indoctrination and other efforts. Instead, the church corporation “lined its own pockets” with an estimated $1.5 billion of members’ donations and diverted the funds to commercial real estate projects such as the construction of a shopping mall in Salt Lake City, Utah, according to the complaint. ✄ Huntsman seeks recovery of millions of dollars in donations he claims were fraudulently obtained and diverted by the church. “He will then use the recovered funds to benefit organizations and communities whose members have been marginalized by the church’s teachings and doctrines, including by donating to charities supporting LGBTQ, African-American, and women’s rights,” Huntsman says in his complaint. “Unlike the LDS Corporation, Mr. Huntsman is confident that these charities will actually use his donations for their intended purposes.”
Huntsman says the church told members their monetary contributions would fund missionary work, temple renovations, education programs, member indoctrination and other efforts.
Instead, the church corporation “lined its own pockets” with an estimated $1.5 billion of members’ donations and diverted the funds to commercial real estate projects such as the construction of a shopping mall in Salt Lake City, Utah, according to the complaint. ✄
Huntsman seeks recovery of millions of dollars in donations he claims were fraudulently obtained and diverted by the church.
“He will then use the recovered funds to benefit organizations and communities whose members have been marginalized by the church’s teachings and doctrines, including by donating to charities supporting LGBTQ, African-American, and women’s rights,” Huntsman says in his complaint. “Unlike the LDS Corporation, Mr. Huntsman is confident that these charities will actually use his donations for their intended purposes.”
Check out this article for some great ideas on how to improve your own life satisfaction and resilience:
World Happiness Report is out, with a surprising picture of global resilience, Ryan Bacic, Washington Post, March 23, 2021.
I looked up “happiness” in the DK library and could not resist this bluebird! In a conclusion that even surprised its editors, the 2021 World Happiness Report found that, amid global hardship, self-reported life satisfaction across 95 countries on average remained steady in 2020 from the previous year. The United States saw the same trend — despite societal tumult that yielded a national drop in positive emotions and a rise in negative ones. The country fell one spot, to 19th, in the annual rankings of the report, which was released Saturday. ✄ “We have the most massive changes in social behavior we’ve ever seen in our lifetimes happen during this pandemic,” said Lyubomirsky, author of books such as “The Myths of Happiness” and “The How of Happiness.” “And so I would have expected much, much bigger declines in well-being. And we do not see that.” It’s not so much that people are doing precisely as well as they were before, experts explain, as that many have adapted to their new situations in ways that might have roughly evened out their well-being. “One of the quotes we use is ‘You aren’t traveling the world, but you’re more likely to have met your neighbors this year,’ ” said John Helliwell, another editor of the report and a professor emeritus of economics at the University of British Columbia.
In a conclusion that even surprised its editors, the 2021 World Happiness Report found that, amid global hardship, self-reported life satisfaction across 95 countries on average remained steady in 2020 from the previous year. The United States saw the same trend — despite societal tumult that yielded a national drop in positive emotions and a rise in negative ones. The country fell one spot, to 19th, in the annual rankings of the report, which was released Saturday. ✄
“We have the most massive changes in social behavior we’ve ever seen in our lifetimes happen during this pandemic,” said Lyubomirsky, author of books such as “The Myths of Happiness” and “The How of Happiness.” “And so I would have expected much, much bigger declines in well-being. And we do not see that.”
It’s not so much that people are doing precisely as well as they were before, experts explain, as that many have adapted to their new situations in ways that might have roughly evened out their well-being. “One of the quotes we use is ‘You aren’t traveling the world, but you’re more likely to have met your neighbors this year,’ ” said John Helliwell, another editor of the report and a professor emeritus of economics at the University of British Columbia.
The Latest: Preakness to run in front of 10,000 fans in May, AP News, March 23, 2021.
The Preakness will be run in front of a limited capacity of 10,000 fans at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on May 15. Organizers of the second jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown announced the decision Tuesday. Churchill Downs has said it expects the Kentucky Derby to be run in front of roughly 40-50% of capacity May 1 in Louisville. Typically, the Preakness draws over 100,000 spectators.
The Preakness will be run in front of a limited capacity of 10,000 fans at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on May 15.
Organizers of the second jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown announced the decision Tuesday. Churchill Downs has said it expects the Kentucky Derby to be run in front of roughly 40-50% of capacity May 1 in Louisville. Typically, the Preakness draws over 100,000 spectators.
Also from AP (same link):
Thirteen sports leagues have teamed with Willie Nelson on a PSA encouraging people to get the latest information on COVID-19 vaccinations. Joining with the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative as part of its vaccine education program, the NFL, NHL, MLB, PGA Tour, MLS, NASCAR, NBA, WNBA, American Horse Council, Athletes Unlimited, NWSL, US Open Tennis Championships and WWE participated. The PSA highlights iconic moments in sport accompanied by a new recording of “I’ll Be Seeing You” performed by Grammy Award-winner Nelson. “In the song, I sing ‘I’ll be seeing you in all the old familiar places,’ and that’s exactly what I hope these PSAs will help do; help get Americans informed about the vaccines and one step closer to the people and moments we miss,” Nelson said. “I’m happy to be part of this new campaign with the Ad Council, COVID Collaborative and these sports organizations to empower millions more to get the answers they need and feel confident in getting vaccinated, like I did.”
Thirteen sports leagues have teamed with Willie Nelson on a PSA encouraging people to get the latest information on COVID-19 vaccinations.
Joining with the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative as part of its vaccine education program, the NFL, NHL, MLB, PGA Tour, MLS, NASCAR, NBA, WNBA, American Horse Council, Athletes Unlimited, NWSL, US Open Tennis Championships and WWE participated. The PSA highlights iconic moments in sport accompanied by a new recording of “I’ll Be Seeing You” performed by Grammy Award-winner Nelson.
“In the song, I sing ‘I’ll be seeing you in all the old familiar places,’ and that’s exactly what I hope these PSAs will help do; help get Americans informed about the vaccines and one step closer to the people and moments we miss,” Nelson said. “I’m happy to be part of this new campaign with the Ad Council, COVID Collaborative and these sports organizations to empower millions more to get the answers they need and feel confident in getting vaccinated, like I did.”
Willie Nelson is like Dolly Parton to me — another person who has used his fame for social good. In honor, here is our next musical selection!
I’m replacing my old “Schadenfreude File” with this one. Enjoy!
Bill Barr is the reason some Capitol attackers could be charged with sedition: Mueller prosecutor, Sarah Burris, Raw Story, March 23, 2021.
"I think that's where Merrick Garland will be key in keeping politics out of that equation," Weissmann explained. "The second issue that you raise, though, is one that has to do with civil liberties. Just to be clear, those are concerns whether you're doing foreign terrorism or domestic terrorism, they're still issues that we dealt with, for instance, at the FBI, to make sure that we were adhering to the Fourth Amendment as it applies to overseas. Obviously, there are issues as we domestically. But remember, the DOJ will be looking at is conduct, not speech. It will be important to have leaders who are serious and responsible like Garland and Lisa Monaco to make sure people stay on the straight and narrow, but it is very important to prosecutor domestic terrorism matters, regardless of whether it's happening on the right or the left." But it was his final point that he called "somewhat ironic." "The sedition memo that came out in September of 2020 was penned by the Barr Department of Justice in connection with the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in the summer, but now you're seeing discussion of the sedition statute with a very different group trying to do very different things."
"I think that's where Merrick Garland will be key in keeping politics out of that equation," Weissmann explained. "The second issue that you raise, though, is one that has to do with civil liberties. Just to be clear, those are concerns whether you're doing foreign terrorism or domestic terrorism, they're still issues that we dealt with, for instance, at the FBI, to make sure that we were adhering to the Fourth Amendment as it applies to overseas. Obviously, there are issues as we domestically. But remember, the DOJ will be looking at is conduct, not speech. It will be important to have leaders who are serious and responsible like Garland and Lisa Monaco to make sure people stay on the straight and narrow, but it is very important to prosecutor domestic terrorism matters, regardless of whether it's happening on the right or the left."
But it was his final point that he called "somewhat ironic."
"The sedition memo that came out in September of 2020 was penned by the Barr Department of Justice in connection with the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in the summer, but now you're seeing discussion of the sedition statute with a very different group trying to do very different things."
Sidney Powell is ‘in a whole lot of trouble’ after her latest legal maneuver: attorney, Travis Gettys, Raw Story, March 23, 2021.
A former lawyer for Donald Trump is trying to wriggle out of a massive defamation suit by arguing that no reasonable person could believe her claims of election fraud -- but one legal expert told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that defense was dead on arrival. ✄ "There is no one who has more contempt for their own supporters than the leaders of the MAGA world," he added. "We've seen this before. Steve Bannon's 'Build The Wall' charity that he allegedly stole from, the effort to raise $200 million for the former president's legal fund to fight the election, when much of that money was diverted elsewhere, to even just the policy of taking away your own supporters' health care insurance in exchange for a promise that something bigger and better will come in two years, or two weeks." Aronberg said the response exposed the weakness of Powell's defense. "We've also learned that when it comes to election lies, the best truth serum is a multi-billion-dollar defamation lawsuit," he said, "and if this is the best defense that Sidney Powell can come up with, I think she's in a whole lot of trouble, and to borrow a phrase from Donald Trump, I think the ultimate civil judgment against her will be huge -- Y-U-G-E."
A former lawyer for Donald Trump is trying to wriggle out of a massive defamation suit by arguing that no reasonable person could believe her claims of election fraud -- but one legal expert told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that defense was dead on arrival. ✄
"There is no one who has more contempt for their own supporters than the leaders of the MAGA world," he added. "We've seen this before. Steve Bannon's 'Build The Wall' charity that he allegedly stole from, the effort to raise $200 million for the former president's legal fund to fight the election, when much of that money was diverted elsewhere, to even just the policy of taking away your own supporters' health care insurance in exchange for a promise that something bigger and better will come in two years, or two weeks."
Aronberg said the response exposed the weakness of Powell's defense.
"We've also learned that when it comes to election lies, the best truth serum is a multi-billion-dollar defamation lawsuit," he said, "and if this is the best defense that Sidney Powell can come up with, I think she's in a whole lot of trouble, and to borrow a phrase from Donald Trump, I think the ultimate civil judgment against her will be huge -- Y-U-G-E."
Bah ha ha! Utter chaos over at Parler — the no-holds barred insurrectionist meetup place/ social network — and interesting facts about its financing are coming to light in court! (the former guy’s megadonor pal Rebekah Mercer is behind it and the shady financial arrangements will hopefully interest the courts):
Ex-CEO Sues Parler Over 'Arrogant Theft,' Claims Site Was 'Hijacked', Bobby Allyn, NPR News, March 23, 2021.
The lawsuit adds to the troubles that the conservative social media site has had since the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, which pro-Trump rioters had discussed on Parler. Shortly after the violence, Amazon Web Services refused to continue hosting Parler, and the site went dark. It has since come back online but is not yet fully functional. Matze lost his job after quarreling with Rebekah Mercer, the conservative megadonor who bankrolled Parler. He says Mercer resisted developing policies to crack down on posts about the QAnon conspiracy theory, neo-Nazism, violence and domestic terrorism. Mercer is named as a defendant in the suit. Mercer's stake in Parler initially was listed under a holding company called NDMASCENDANT LLC. That was done to keep her investment secret, according to the suit. The suit for the first time sheds light on the unusual financing of Parler. For instance, the suit says the funding Mercer provided was characterized as a loan that Parler would have to repay eventually. "The very same dollars that were the supposed 60% equity stake were also being claimed as debt," it alleges.
The lawsuit adds to the troubles that the conservative social media site has had since the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, which pro-Trump rioters had discussed on Parler. Shortly after the violence, Amazon Web Services refused to continue hosting Parler, and the site went dark. It has since come back online but is not yet fully functional.
Matze lost his job after quarreling with Rebekah Mercer, the conservative megadonor who bankrolled Parler. He says Mercer resisted developing policies to crack down on posts about the QAnon conspiracy theory, neo-Nazism, violence and domestic terrorism. Mercer is named as a defendant in the suit.
Mercer's stake in Parler initially was listed under a holding company called NDMASCENDANT LLC. That was done to keep her investment secret, according to the suit.
The suit for the first time sheds light on the unusual financing of Parler.
For instance, the suit says the funding Mercer provided was characterized as a loan that Parler would have to repay eventually.
"The very same dollars that were the supposed 60% equity stake were also being claimed as debt," it alleges.
Trump hotels have been dropped by a major luxury travel agency network, Hannah Sampson and David Fahrenthold, Washington Post, March 23, 2021.
Virtuoso, a global network of luxury travel agencies, no longer considers Trump Hotels a preferred partner. The Texas-based company, which includes 20,000 luxury travel advisers, said the change was effective March 8; it applies to the six Trump hotels that were considered partners. ✄ “It’s a big deal because Virtuoso is very well-respected in the industry,” Harteveldt said. “It serves a very elite base of customers and its actions are often studied by others. With Virtuoso doing this, some travel agencies that may have been debating whether or not to do it could decide well, if Virtuoso has done this, we too will end our professional relationship with the Trump hotels.” ✄ Since Jan. 6 — when former president Donald Trump encouraged a mob of his supporters that later attacked the U.S. Capitol — a number of Trump’s former business partners and clients have cut ties with his company. These have included lenders, bankers, insurers, lawyers and the PGA of America, which canceled a major golf tournament planned at one of Trump’s courses.
Virtuoso, a global network of luxury travel agencies, no longer considers Trump Hotels a preferred partner. The Texas-based company, which includes 20,000 luxury travel advisers, said the change was effective March 8; it applies to the six Trump hotels that were considered partners. ✄
“It’s a big deal because Virtuoso is very well-respected in the industry,” Harteveldt said. “It serves a very elite base of customers and its actions are often studied by others. With Virtuoso doing this, some travel agencies that may have been debating whether or not to do it could decide well, if Virtuoso has done this, we too will end our professional relationship with the Trump hotels.” ✄
Since Jan. 6 — when former president Donald Trump encouraged a mob of his supporters that later attacked the U.S. Capitol — a number of Trump’s former business partners and clients have cut ties with his company. These have included lenders, bankers, insurers, lawyers and the PGA of America, which canceled a major golf tournament planned at one of Trump’s courses.
⚡️ Yer Wonkette, now with shiny new polling! Even Republicans Mostly Fine With LGBTQ People Now, So PASS THE DAMN EQUALITY ACT, Evan Hurst, Wonkette, March 23, 2021.
⚡️ An Unusually Optimistic Conversation With Bernie Sanders, Ezra Klein, New York Times (also podcast), March 23, 2021.
⚡️ Garland Is the Last, Best Chance to Uncover Trump’s Role on January 6th, David Rohde, The New Yorker, March 21, 2021.
⚡️ Opinion: China is convinced America is in decline. Biden has a chance to change that. David Ignatius, Washington Post, March 22, 2021.
⚡️ If Biden’s Senile Like They Say, Then Why’s He Running Circles Around the Right?, Michael Tomasky, Daily Beast, March 23, 2021.
⚡️ The New Child Tax Credit Is A Sea Change In How America Treats Her Poor, Kate Riga, Talking Points Memo, March 22, 2021.
⚡️Spoiler: Biden values getting sh*t done: Biden Just Showed Us What He Really Values, David A Graham, The Atlantic, March 23, 2021.
⚡️ Taking Action Can Cure Your Climate Grief, Ellen Airhart, Scientific American, March 23, 2021.
⚡️ Thoughtful informative article: There’s a Reason Biden Has Been Slow to Install Judges, Dahlia Lithwick, Slate, March 23, 2021.
⚡️ The Republican Electoral College Contradiction, Russell Berman, The Atlantic, March 23, 2021.
⚡️ Eye-opening history here: Our diversity is truly America’s strength, and the hateful reaction to it America’s weakness, Jesse Jackson, Chicago Sun-Times, March 22, 2021.
⚡️ On Voting Rights, Ted Cruz Tells the Truth for Once, Joan Walsh, The Nation, March 23, 2021.
⚡️ A difficult but necessary read: The evil within us: How Christian fascist ideology led to the Atlanta killings, Chris Hedges, Salon, March 23, 2021.
Put your beautiful bleeding 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?
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
That’s it from me for another week. I struggled a bit to express the hopeful message I wanted to convey today, but hopefully the good news itself will do that better than I could anyway.
Miss Curlygirl is wondering if I am ever going to bed, so she can go to her favorite bed, too. I’d better get moving. Before I go though, let me encourage you to take very good care of yourself and those you love. Eat nutritious food, get some rest and try to get outdoors every day. I type this out every week, not a copy pasta! Because it is so important that we all stay strong and healthy as we can be to continue the good work that must be done.
A better world is coming. I am so hopeful about the future and proud of our part in the effort to get us there! Thanks, gnusies!
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