I feel so blessed to be able to spend every day with this guy. Happy Valentine's Day, Barack! Here's to all the adventures we have ahead. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/NIYxkO900k
Happy Valentine's Day, Michelle! With a smile that lights up the world, you're truly one-of-a-kind. Today and always, I am thankful to have you in my life. pic.twitter.com/bAiCup2iiY
‘Summer of Soul’ doc directed by Questlove celebrates ‘Black Woodstock’ hidden from history
“Questlove on directing ‘Summer of Soul,’ which is now Oscar-nominated for Best Documentary,
and how the concert featured has been dubbed the ‘Black Woodstock,’ hidden from history until this groundbreaking film. ‘Summer of Soul’ is streaming on Hulu…”
Sesame Street Puppets, a Homemade Marshmallow Gun and More:
Behind the Scenes of Obama’s Museum.
Three of the people tasked with procuring the collection for the forthcoming Obama Presidential Center Museum talk to PEOPLE about what visitors can expect.
“”We’ve been really mindful about building a collection that speaks to the idea of American history
and the connection to the president’s story — thinking about the formative years of the president and Mrs. Obama, thinking about the post-White House legacy and the connection to the ongoing work of the foundation,”
Dr. Louise Bernard, the director of the Obama Presidential Center Museum, tells PEOPLE.”
“”For a lot of donors, it’s a little bittersweet giving these items to the museum — these are things from an important part of their life or something that they created,” Kent says.”
you wouldn't know it from polling or public debate, but the US economy has come through the pandemic remarkably well@MichaelRStrain of the conservative American Enterprise Institute: "For most people, the current economic situation is good" https://t.co/ifgtcq1YLL— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) February 14, 2022
V-Day to Earth Day:
How Women in 70+ Countries Are Rising to End Violence Against Women & Our Planet
“Valentine’s Day kicks off a campaign by feminist leaders in 70 countries across the world to celebrate One Billion Rising, an initiative by V-Day to end violence against women — cisgender, transgender and gender nonconforming — girls and the planet. ”COVID has ushered in a very strange and perplexing time for women.
We are on the frontlines everywhere,” says V-Day founder V (formerly Eve Ensler). The campaign seeks to resist “the broken systems of capitalism and neoliberalism,” as well as the fascist governments upholding these broken systems, says Monique Wilson, global director of One Billion Rising who is based in the Philippines.
The campaign repositions “women from being victims to being active agents in protection of their rights,” says Africa director Colani Hlatjwako, who is helping organize community-based protection sites for women and girls in their home country of Eswatini.”
“Congressmember Ro Khanna
chaired a congressional hearing this week that called out fossil fuel companies
for failing to meet their pledges to reduce emissions
and demanded CEOs of corporations like ExxonMobil
confront their climate change denialism
and correct their record of contradicting statements.
“The goal is to get them to admit that they made mistakes in the past and commit to change going forward,”
says Khanna.”
Trump’s Ex-Accountants Say His Financial Statements Are Not Reliable
The New York Times reported:
In a letter to the Trump Organization on Feb. 9, the accounting firm notified the company of its decision and disclosed that it could no longer stand behind annual financial statements it prepared for Mr. Trump.
The firm, Mazars USA, compiled the financial statements based on information the former president and his company provided. read more:
Conservative Attorney Believes Trump Faces Most Realistic Criminal Charge in His Life
“Trump was so offended by Nancy Pelosi ripping up a courtesy copy of his State of the Union address that he brought up that he believed that it constituted destruction of an official document, noting that to do so was a crime. Pelosi’s copy, one of about 600 in the building that night, did not constitute an official executive document (the original created inside the White House would). But Trump’s pronouncement, that he knew the law and thought she violated it, may come back to haunt him.”
How Manchin used politics to protect his family coal company
“Selling scrap coal has earned Sen. Joe Manchin millions of dollars over three decades, and he has used his political positions to protect the fuel from laws and regulations that threaten his family’s business.”
“It`s called Enersystems. He found it about 30 years ago.
And it has this unique role, in that it just sells waste coal, which is coal left over from decades of coal mining, to the single power plant in West Virginia that still burns this. He formed this business about 30 years ago, and has been delivering this waste coal to this power plant, cleaning up — cleaning it up from abandoned mine lands.
“The West Virginia Public Service Commission, which determines the fate of a lot of coal plants, has actually worked to keep coal on the grid in West Virginia, even though it`s losing tons of money. This power plant in particular — again, it`s called the Grant Town Power Plant — that Manchin sells his coal to has faced bankruptcy many times over the years.”
“In 2006, when Manchin was governor,
his appointee controlled the Public Service Commission.
His chief of staff worked behind the scenes to get a sweetheart deal for this power plant,
which was again on the verge of closing.
And the PSC came back and gave the plant more money,
which comes from the utility customers of West Virginia in their monthly electric bills.
And it also gave it a longer contract, extended its contract until 2035.”
(ReidOut)
Wolves have walked with us for centuries. States are weakening their protections.
Gray wolves are being killed outside Yellowstone again. Some new state laws jeopardize decades of federal and state partnerships that had saved them.
“Since time immemorial, wolves have lived alongside Indigenous peoples and have represented the virtues of healing, strength and familial protection. In many tribes, they are honored in traditional ceremonies and revered in storytelling.
Even today, I feel the embrace of my ancestors reminding me why our nonhuman relatives deserve respect – because the creator put them here to live.”
Twenty-five years after gray wolves returned to Yellowstone National Park,
the predators that some feared would wipe out elk have instead proved to be more of a stabilizing force. New research shows that by reducing populations and thinning out weak and sick animals, wolves are helping create more resilient elk herds.
For the past 12 years, elk numbers in the park’s largest herd have leveled off between about 6,000 and 8,000, instead of extreme boom-and-bust cycles due to climate fluctuations.
“Elk aren’t starving to death anymore,” says Chris Wilmers, a wildlife ecologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
imo, what hunters of wolves refuse to understand:
Wolves are always held up as the bad guys who exist to shoot for fun. But without predators the
ungulates, elk especially, overpopulate and eat all the veg in the riparian areas, stream bank areas.
Stream banks erode, major impacts, destroys fish habitat, goes to loss of bird habitat, destroys riparian areas and habitats for other areas. Hunters think elk are for their exclusive use and they don’t/won’t understand how it works. It’s about the entire ecosystem. And if you remove apex predator the herbivores overpopulate. Means more old and sick individuals and more sickness with less predation. We lose birds and fish and also affect bears = overall unhealthy ecosystem. It is SOLID SCIENCE that when Yellowstone brought wolves back, the ecosystem when through the roof, plants grew back, healthy ungulate populations, plants along streams and rivers, healthy fish and bird populations.
P.S. The aerial shooting of wolves is risky and dangerous, humans are fallible, besides leaving cubs without their Moms but i guess that’s what these hunters want.
Nine families who lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook massacre have reached a $73 million settlement with defunct gunmaker Remington.https://t.co/jn6okIS9A0
Schumer, McConnell, Durbin, Thune, Reed, Inhofe, Brown, Toomey, Menendez, Risch, Warner, Rubio
Message Of Solidarity With The People Of Ukraine
Feb 15 2022
“In this dark hour, we are sending a bipartisan message of solidarity and resolve to the people of Ukraine, and an equally clear warning to Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin.
“Should Vladimir Putin further escalate his ongoing assault on Ukraine’s sovereignty, Russia must be made to pay a severe price. We are prepared to fully support the immediate imposition of strong, robust, and effective sanctions on Russia, as well as tough restrictions and controls on exports to Russia, and we will urge our allies and partners in Europe and around the world to join us.
“In the face of Russian escalation against Ukraine, we will continue to support robust security, economic, and humanitarian assistance for the people of Ukraine. The United States and our partners should also move quickly to ensure that the Government of Ukraine receives sustained emergency assistance to defend against an illegal Russian invasion.
“Make no mistake: the United States Senate stands with the people of Ukraine and our NATO allies and partners most threatened by Russian aggression. Our troops stand ready to reinforce the defenses of our Eastern European allies and we are prepared to respond decisively to Russian efforts to undermine the security of the United States at home and abroad. We also call upon our allies to join us in bolstering NATO’s eastern flank.
“The international order established in the aftermath of World War II has not faced such a grave threat since the Cold War. This order, which protects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, has enabled an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity for the United States and its allies. Unfortunately, Russia is threatening this system, and the United States is prepared to meet this challenge with bipartisan and unified resolve.”
Really excellent speech on the Ukraine crisis by President Biden. Clear. Short. Strong deterrent message on NATO power. Glad he spoke directly to the Russian people. Also relieved that Biden did not stay for Q&A which might have muddled issue.
After decades of Congress reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act, it's now been made clear that voting rights are not a given. Not for Black Americans nor anyone else. We are fighting a battle we never thought we would have to fight again. The racism of this nation is creeping out.— Shirley Weber, PhD (@DrWeber4CA) February 15, 2022
Today in history, 1957: Levar Burton is born in Landsthul, Germany. He won fame for his roles as Kunta Kinte in "Roots" and as Lt. Comdr. Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He hosted the PBS Kids series Reading Rainbow for more than 23 years.#BlackHistoryMonth
Elon Musk’s car company Tesla has been hit with allegations in numerous cases that the company is a
hotbed of racist discrimination. Dr. Jason Johnson and Larry Organ, founder of the California Civil Rights Law Group, an attorney representing Black workers in three cases against Tesla, join Joy Reid to discuss.
Families of Sandy Hook victims reach $73 million settlement with Remington
“Thousands of pages of internal Remington company documents can also now be made public,
according to Koskoff’s law firm.
“This victory should serve as a wake-up call not only to the gun industry, but also the insurance and banking companies that prop it up,” Koskoff said. “For the gun industry, it’s time to stop recklessly marketing all guns to all people for all uses and instead ask how marketing can lower risk rather than court it. For the insurance and banking industries, it’s time to recognize the financial cost of underwriting companies that elevate profit by escalating risk. Our hope is that this victory will be the first boulder in the avalanche that forces that change.”
As children bump each other off with guns they find lying around the house, am remembering the NRA launching pink and blue guns for boys and girls. Also their parents exchanging hoorays about it and congratulating each other on their gifts to their children. How old are these people emotionally and when do we get their counterparts out of Congress?
–Grow up.
Which U.S. communities sent money to support the …….. trucker protests?
Residents in wealthy enclaves across the United States —
from Beverly Hills, Calif., to suburbs of Austin,
to Florida beach communities —
sent millions of dollars
to support trucker convoys that occupied the Canadian capital
and shut down commerce at key border crossings
between the two nations,
according to a Washington Post analysis of leaked fundraising data posted online
over the past 48 hours.
—-Canadian truckers are 90% vaccinated but we’re required to believe that vaccinated Canadians would protest American law? The protest wasn’t organized by the Canadian truckers union – the platform is right here in the U.S. c/o Doom, American conservatives and American conservative media.
Reliable internet is non-negotiable when it comes to closing the digital divide. I’ve secured more than $600M for broadband expansion in Georgia — because everyone needs to be able to access the internet.
.@BubbaWallace tells #TheView why he’s opening up in the docuseries ‘RACE: Bubba Wallace’ about his experience as the only Black full-time driver in #NASCAR’s top series today: “It provides a lot of new insight for people who don’t know about the sport, that don’t know about me.” pic.twitter.com/WsIsiofXkb
Yesterday, we spent an amazing day at the Mānoa Heritage Center in Hawaiʻi. We met with local students who told @MichelleObama about their ambitions, the obstacles they face, and ways they are already leading in their communities. pic.twitter.com/D1stORZHO0
BREAKING: Former U.S. Interior Sec. Ryan Zinke misused his position in the Trump administration to advance a development project in his Montana hometown and lied to an agency ethics official about his involvement, according to government investigators.https://t.co/xiNfbiC23x
16,000 federal student loan borrowers who attended DeVry University, ITT Technical Institute and other for profit colleges will have $415 million in debts erased, according to the U.S. Department of Education.https://t.co/92eLaxPMCS
Thank you for welcoming me to the neighborhood, Elmo! Commander and I are ready for a game of fetch on the South Lawn anytime! 🐾 https://t.co/4S05OzoPkL
Elmo had such a great time with @FLOTUS and Elmo’s puppy Tango today! Elmo thinks we should have a doggy play-date with you and Commander someday! ❤ pic.twitter.com/QBrXbGIjFe
Have you lived in an apartment building that only allowed ONE internet provider?
Thanks to @POTUS Competition agenda, today @FCC voted to crack down on “sweetheart deals" between landlords & service providers. We are helping lower the price of internet for millions of Americans. https://t.co/Ek6NWRvdV2
NEW: @VP Kamala Harris will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. Harris also plans to engage directly with German Chancellor Scholz and other world leaders. Story to come.
Morning everyone:) I spent most of yesterday thinking that it was Thursday, and was so sad to find out that it was only Wednesday….now it’s really Thursday and I feel like it should really be Friday. Anyone else? It’s been a week.
That's why we've created the Red State Fund, which gives our party the resources it needs to organize and mobilize folks in traditionally red areas all year long.
His story wasn’t taught in school books, but nine generations of his family helped keep it alive. Now, the legacy of a decorated Black Revolutionary War soldier will be honored at his former home in New Jersey. https://t.co/GBh7kYkSy6
⏪ #OTD in 2009, @BarackObama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, an economic recovery package that included $90 billion for clean energy projects. Ultimately, U.S. carbon emissions decreased by 9%, while the economy grew 10% during the Obama presidency. pic.twitter.com/PNgfbGmDjY
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is fast-tracking the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, banning discussion of LGBTQ people or issues in classrooms.
He’s called for electronic monitoring of students and teachers as schools are already banning books and removing anti-bullying resources. Help us stop the DeSantis Censorship and Surveillance state agenda
“In the ads, Equality Florida illustrates a dystopian-like classroom
branded by censorship tied to the legislation, likening it to a surveillance state.
The bills, the group said in a news release, “give the government broad license to censor conversations about American history, the origins of racism and injustice, and the existence of LGBTQ people.”
“Not since the days of Anita Bryant have we seen such craven attempts by a leader to build political power by targeting and demonizing LGBTQ people,” Nadine Smith, Equality Florida executive director, said in a statement.
“Gov. DeSantis is pushing legislation to curb free speech,
propagandize school curricula and monitor classroom conversations,
private workplaces, and doctor’s offices —
all in order to outflank Donald Trump to the right and build an on-ramp to run for President in 2024.
As a parent of a 10-year-old, these bills fail to protect my child and our family. It is a tool for the state to censor and that encourages lawsuits against schools as a means of intimidation.”
a small group of parents wants to dictate to other parents, censor and curate information.
—how much more will FL and this country take from criminally negligent DeSantis?
—Stop his plans for cameras in the classroom and banning books.
—No to state surveillance.
How is what he’s doing not a violation of the First Amendment? Why is no one challenging these fascist laws? This is happening in many red states — and not just Florida. Very scary.
Barack Obama has good taste – why Dave is Ivan Reitman’s finest film
Capturing the promise of the Bill Clinton era, the romcom perfectly balanced idealism and satire – but Warren Beatty didn’t get the joke
“The death of Ivan Reitman, at the age of 75, on 12 February, has not only robbed contemporary cinema of one of its kindest practitioners, but it also leaves an artistic legacy of almost unparalleled good cheer.”
I’m not sure what order they’ll do the First Ladies, but will happy to let you know when I find out. Maybe you can sign up for a free trial period or temporary subscription when Mrs. O’s episodes release.
Glimpses of Northern India’s Vanishing Nomads
For centuries, Kharnak nomads have raised livestock in one of the most hauntingly beautiful — and inhospitable — places on earth. Can their traditions outlast a generational exodus?
“Fitting a small stone into a sling made of yak wool, Tsering Stobdan whipped his wrist and let the object fly, sending it soaring across the arid landscape. This, he told me, was how he protects his flock from predators and convinces straggling goats to return — just one of the countless skills he has learned in the last 60 years that allow him to rear his animals in such an unforgiving landscape.
Meanwhile, some 15,000 feet above sea level, I was simply trying to breathe. Here on the Changthang plateau, in a remote region of the Indian Himalayas, the altitude had left me lightheaded and gasping for air.”
SOON: Hillary Clinton Delivers Keynote Address at NY Democratic Party’s Convention I LIVE
Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will deliver a keynote address at the New York State Democratic Party’s convention. Clinton will then introduce NY Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is expected to deliver remarks and accept the party’s nomination for governor.
“When the Republican party officially embraces violent insurrection as ‘legitimate political discourse”.
When storming the Capitol, assaulting police officers, trying to overturn an election are being normalized, we are in uncharted territory. And make no mistake our adversaries around the world are watching. Republicans are defending coup plotters They’re curbing voting rights at precisely the moment when democracy needs championing, when we should be standing together against autocracies like Russia and China. January 6th last year was a gift to them because they know something we need to remember: America is only as strong as our unity and democracy allows us to be.
That’s why New York must be not just the home of the Statue of Liberty, we must be the defenders of liberty. Not just a laboratory of Democracy but a protector of Democracy. And we must reject the Big Lie of about the 2020 Election, and the coverup of the Insurrection of last January 6th!
And we can’t get distracted, whether it’s by the latest culture war nonsense or some new right wing lie
on Fox or Facebook. By the way, they’ve been coming after me again lately in case you might’ve noticed.
It’s funny the more trouble Trump gets into, the wilder the charges and conspiracy theories about me seem to get. So now his accountants have fired him and investigations draw closer to him. And right on cue the noise machine gets turned up, doesn’t it. Fox leads the charge with accusations against me, counting on their audience to fall for it again.”
Donald Trump must answer questions under oath in New York state’s civil investigation into his business practices, a judge rules https://t.co/Yo9mQrZhfh
Bel Air is good, y’all. Once you get past the fact that it’s not a comedy and it’s not Will Smith, you’ll love it. It’s also really dope to see a majority dark-skinned cast. Carlton, Aunt Viv, Jazz, Uncle Phil, Hillary, FINE ASS GEOFFREY…they were intentional about the cast.
We wouldn’t have needed to lay Amir Locke to rest today if Minneapolis PD had followed through on their no-knock warrant ban! He was just #SleepingWhileBlack when MPD shot him! We MUST prevent this tragedy from happening again – our children’s lives depend on it! pic.twitter.com/EtprGH0L8o
An outsize number of Covid-related deaths are occurring in the U.S. among people who are unvaccinated or unboosted, writes @DLeonhardt. Research shows more Republicans than Democrats or independents have needlessly died of Covid in recent weeks. https://t.co/ocY2yWQ6kH
“Fox News viewers accidentally got a dose of the truth
when the network carried Hillary Clinton live calling out the GOP for defending coup plotters.
Hillary Clinton addressed the New York Democratic Party, and Fox decided to carry it live.”
“Fox News probably didn’t expect to broadcast the message that the Republican Party is defending coup plotters to their audience that is regularly told that there was no coup and 1/6 was a peaceful protest.
Fox has gone all-in on the bogus conservative media twisting of the Durham investigation into Clinton spying on Donald Trump, so they probably thought they were going to get a juicy clip.
Instead, they got a dose of cold hard reality delivered to their audience that is not used to it.”
Our commitment to NATO is enduring. Today in my meeting with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, I stressed our continued commitment to our sacred obligations – including our ironclad commitment to Article 5. pic.twitter.com/lzcXVW5xhw
The wild finish to the Olympic women’s figure skating final
“When the dust settled at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing Thursday, presumed favorite Kamila Valieva did not win an Olympic medal for women’s figure skating, setting off a series of extraordinary events. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), probably breathing a sigh of relief, was allowed to conduct a medal ceremony for the top three finishers: Russia’s Anna Shcherbakova (gold) and Alexandra Trusova (silver); and Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto (bronze). Had Valieva qualified for a medal, the ceremony would have been postponed because of an investigation into her failed drug test.”
“Trusova reportedly told Tutberidze, “you knew everything” in the moments leading up to the medal ceremony. Tutberidze has a history of skaters that have talked about her restrictive, even abusive coaching methods — she lectured Valieva after her free skate.”
But there’s another important score that viewers don’t see (but skaters do) and doesn’t get much explanation. It’s called the Program Components Score (PCS) and is considered the presentation and artistry aspect of skating.
“The World Anti-Doping Agency said that because Valieva is a minor,
they will be investigating the adults supervising Valieva — which the skating world has taken to mean coach Eteri Tutberidze and her entourage.
There’s also the matter of Tutberidze not only coaching Valieva but coaching Shcherbakova and Trusova too. The shadow of Valieva’s doping extends to them and their results because of their shared mentors. And this all is punctuated by Trusova’s teary-eyed tantrum about Tutberidze “knowing everything” and Tutberidze reportedly telling Trusova “this is your defeat.””
(Vox)
The ‘win at all costs and everyone else are suckers’ routine sounds familiar.
We all might guess at the underbelly of all this, but if I was Valieva’s parent I would be asking if this was the place/country that will keep her safe. She turned to coaches for solace last night and they apparently chastised her.
IMHO she took the fall for them, taking just the right number of falls to put her in 4th and out of range of contentious medal. Imagine you are a 15 year old genius (like Simone) and Russia trashes you this way.
Stay with us Ms. Valieva, stay with us, sending my love.
The Obama Diary 
Happy Val’s Day to the darling Obamas…wishing you every good thing, every bright day.
Haru-kaze no/ Fuite iru nari/Amezaku
The spring breeze
is blowing.
Happy Valentine’s Day TOD! ❤️
Happy Day After, too! ❤
I love the Obama Love!
‘Summer of Soul’ doc directed by Questlove celebrates ‘Black Woodstock’ hidden from history
“Questlove on directing ‘Summer of Soul,’ which is now Oscar-nominated for Best Documentary,
and how the concert featured has been dubbed the ‘Black Woodstock,’ hidden from history until this groundbreaking film. ‘Summer of Soul’ is streaming on Hulu…”
Oh no. I don’t have Hulu!
ABC may run it again, on last night, hi pkayden!
Ok. Thanks
Sesame Street Puppets, a Homemade Marshmallow Gun and More:
Behind the Scenes of Obama’s Museum.
Three of the people tasked with procuring the collection for the forthcoming Obama Presidential Center Museum talk to PEOPLE about what visitors can expect.
“”We’ve been really mindful about building a collection that speaks to the idea of American history
and the connection to the president’s story — thinking about the formative years of the president and Mrs. Obama, thinking about the post-White House legacy and the connection to the ongoing work of the foundation,”
Dr. Louise Bernard, the director of the Obama Presidential Center Museum, tells PEOPLE.”
“”For a lot of donors, it’s a little bittersweet giving these items to the museum — these are things from an important part of their life or something that they created,” Kent says.”
Virginia Chamlee: (https://people.com/politics/behind-the-scenes-of-obama-presidential-center-museum/)
Happy Valentine’s Day to the Obamas and everyone else.
Thank you, Hilary, and I hope you had a Happy V Day too!
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Ocean of Love
Amma’s 68th Birthday Tribute
—forever valentine.
Watching Smitthson Channel , “One Thousand Years of Slavery”, should be shown in every history class. Very interesting.
The Town That QAnon Nearly Swallowed
Right-wing demagogues tried to take over a small town in the Pacific Northwest. Here’s how concerned citizens stopped them.
by Sasha Abramsky
(https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/sequim-qanon/)
—-They showed up.
V-Day to Earth Day:
How Women in 70+ Countries Are Rising to End Violence Against Women & Our Planet
“Valentine’s Day kicks off a campaign by feminist leaders in 70 countries across the world to celebrate One Billion Rising, an initiative by V-Day to end violence against women — cisgender, transgender and gender nonconforming — girls and the planet. ”COVID has ushered in a very strange and perplexing time for women.
We are on the frontlines everywhere,” says V-Day founder V (formerly Eve Ensler). The campaign seeks to resist “the broken systems of capitalism and neoliberalism,” as well as the fascist governments upholding these broken systems, says Monique Wilson, global director of One Billion Rising who is based in the Philippines.
The campaign repositions “women from being victims to being active agents in protection of their rights,” says Africa director Colani Hlatjwako, who is helping organize community-based protection sites for women and girls in their home country of Eswatini.”
(https://www.democracynow.org/2022/2/14/one_billion_rising_gender_based_violence)
“Congressmember Ro Khanna
chaired a congressional hearing this week that called out fossil fuel companies
for failing to meet their pledges to reduce emissions
and demanded CEOs of corporations like ExxonMobil
confront their climate change denialism
and correct their record of contradicting statements.
“The goal is to get them to admit that they made mistakes in the past and commit to change going forward,”
says Khanna.”
(https://www.democracynow.org/2022/2/10/rep_khanna_on_fossil_fuel_hearings)
Trump’s Ex-Accountants Say His Financial Statements Are Not Reliable
The New York Times reported:
In a letter to the Trump Organization on Feb. 9, the accounting firm notified the company of its decision and disclosed that it could no longer stand behind annual financial statements it prepared for Mr. Trump.
The firm, Mazars USA, compiled the financial statements based on information the former president and his company provided. read more:
(https://www.politicususa.com/2022/02/14/trump-gets-dumped-by-his-own-accountants-as-investigators-close-)
Trump Gets Dumped By His Own Accountants As Investigators Close In
(https://www.politicususa.com/2022/02/14/trump-gets-dumped-by-his-own-accountants-as-investigators-close-in.html)
Conservative Attorney Believes Trump Faces Most Realistic Criminal Charge in His Life
“Trump was so offended by Nancy Pelosi ripping up a courtesy copy of his State of the Union address that he brought up that he believed that it constituted destruction of an official document, noting that to do so was a crime. Pelosi’s copy, one of about 600 in the building that night, did not constitute an official executive document (the original created inside the White House would). But Trump’s pronouncement, that he knew the law and thought she violated it, may come back to haunt him.”
(https://www.politicususa.com/2022/02/14/conservative-attorney-believes-trump-faces-most-realistic-criminal-charge-in-his-life.html)
—that was before Golden ToiletGate
How Manchin used politics to protect his family coal company
“Selling scrap coal has earned Sen. Joe Manchin millions of dollars over three decades, and he has used his political positions to protect the fuel from laws and regulations that threaten his family’s business.”
(https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/08/manchin-family-coal-company-00003218)
He’s so corrupt.
Scott Waldman, Politico:
“It`s called Enersystems. He found it about 30 years ago.
And it has this unique role, in that it just sells waste coal, which is coal left over from decades of coal mining, to the single power plant in West Virginia that still burns this. He formed this business about 30 years ago, and has been delivering this waste coal to this power plant, cleaning up — cleaning it up from abandoned mine lands.
“The West Virginia Public Service Commission, which determines the fate of a lot of coal plants, has actually worked to keep coal on the grid in West Virginia, even though it`s losing tons of money. This power plant in particular — again, it`s called the Grant Town Power Plant — that Manchin sells his coal to has faced bankruptcy many times over the years.”
“In 2006, when Manchin was governor,
his appointee controlled the Public Service Commission.
His chief of staff worked behind the scenes to get a sweetheart deal for this power plant,
which was again on the verge of closing.
And the PSC came back and gave the plant more money,
which comes from the utility customers of West Virginia in their monthly electric bills.
And it also gave it a longer contract, extended its contract until 2035.”
(ReidOut)
Deb HaalandOpinion contributor
Wolves have walked with us for centuries. States are weakening their protections.
Gray wolves are being killed outside Yellowstone again. Some new state laws jeopardize decades of federal and state partnerships that had saved them.
“Since time immemorial, wolves have lived alongside Indigenous peoples and have represented the virtues of healing, strength and familial protection. In many tribes, they are honored in traditional ceremonies and revered in storytelling.
Even today, I feel the embrace of my ancestors reminding me why our nonhuman relatives deserve respect – because the creator put them here to live.”
(https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2022/02/07/interior-gray-wolves-protection/9234169002/?gnt-cfr=1)
Twenty-five years after gray wolves returned to Yellowstone National Park,
the predators that some feared would wipe out elk have instead proved to be more of a stabilizing force. New research shows that by reducing populations and thinning out weak and sick animals, wolves are helping create more resilient elk herds.
For the past 12 years, elk numbers in the park’s largest herd have leveled off between about 6,000 and 8,000, instead of extreme boom-and-bust cycles due to climate fluctuations.
“Elk aren’t starving to death anymore,” says Chris Wilmers, a wildlife ecologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
(https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/yellowstone-wolves-reintroduction-helped-stabilize-ecosystem)
thx NW, for giving the the real estate to rant.
imo, what hunters of wolves refuse to understand:
Wolves are always held up as the bad guys who exist to shoot for fun. But without predators the
ungulates, elk especially, overpopulate and eat all the veg in the riparian areas, stream bank areas.
Stream banks erode, major impacts, destroys fish habitat, goes to loss of bird habitat, destroys riparian areas and habitats for other areas. Hunters think elk are for their exclusive use and they don’t/won’t understand how it works. It’s about the entire ecosystem. And if you remove apex predator the herbivores overpopulate. Means more old and sick individuals and more sickness with less predation. We lose birds and fish and also affect bears = overall unhealthy ecosystem. It is SOLID SCIENCE that when Yellowstone brought wolves back, the ecosystem when through the roof, plants grew back, healthy ungulate populations, plants along streams and rivers, healthy fish and bird populations.
P.S. The aerial shooting of wolves is risky and dangerous, humans are fallible, besides leaving cubs without their Moms but i guess that’s what these hunters want.
So glad they won, but – of course – they’d rather have their family members back.
Schumer, McConnell, Durbin, Thune, Reed, Inhofe, Brown, Toomey, Menendez, Risch, Warner, Rubio
Message Of Solidarity With The People Of Ukraine
Feb 15 2022
“In this dark hour, we are sending a bipartisan message of solidarity and resolve to the people of Ukraine, and an equally clear warning to Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin.
“Should Vladimir Putin further escalate his ongoing assault on Ukraine’s sovereignty, Russia must be made to pay a severe price. We are prepared to fully support the immediate imposition of strong, robust, and effective sanctions on Russia, as well as tough restrictions and controls on exports to Russia, and we will urge our allies and partners in Europe and around the world to join us.
“In the face of Russian escalation against Ukraine, we will continue to support robust security, economic, and humanitarian assistance for the people of Ukraine. The United States and our partners should also move quickly to ensure that the Government of Ukraine receives sustained emergency assistance to defend against an illegal Russian invasion.
“Make no mistake: the United States Senate stands with the people of Ukraine and our NATO allies and partners most threatened by Russian aggression. Our troops stand ready to reinforce the defenses of our Eastern European allies and we are prepared to respond decisively to Russian efforts to undermine the security of the United States at home and abroad. We also call upon our allies to join us in bolstering NATO’s eastern flank.
“The international order established in the aftermath of World War II has not faced such a grave threat since the Cold War. This order, which protects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, has enabled an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity for the United States and its allies. Unfortunately, Russia is threatening this system, and the United States is prepared to meet this challenge with bipartisan and unified resolve.”
(https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/press-releases/schumer-mcconnell-durbin-thune-reed-inhofe-brown-toomey-menendez-risch-warner-rubio-message-of-solidarity-with-the-people-of-ukraine)
So glad to see kudos like this. Finally.
From my old stomping grounds … New Jersey!
Remarks by President Biden Providing an Update on Russia and Ukraine
February 15. 2022
(https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/02/15/remarks-by-president-biden-providing-an-update-on-russia-and-ukraine/)
Statement from President Joe Biden on Sandy Hook Settlement
February 15. 2022
(https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/02/15/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-sandy-hook-settlement/)
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This is awesome!
Today, February 16th is LeVar’s birthday!!!
Here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOCjmHOs9Ls)
Elon Musk’s car company Tesla has been hit with allegations in numerous cases that the company is a
hotbed of racist discrimination. Dr. Jason Johnson and Larry Organ, founder of the California Civil Rights Law Group, an attorney representing Black workers in three cases against Tesla, join Joy Reid to discuss.
Families of Sandy Hook victims reach $73 million settlement with Remington
“Thousands of pages of internal Remington company documents can also now be made public,
according to Koskoff’s law firm.
“This victory should serve as a wake-up call not only to the gun industry, but also the insurance and banking companies that prop it up,” Koskoff said. “For the gun industry, it’s time to stop recklessly marketing all guns to all people for all uses and instead ask how marketing can lower risk rather than court it. For the insurance and banking industries, it’s time to recognize the financial cost of underwriting companies that elevate profit by escalating risk. Our hope is that this victory will be the first boulder in the avalanche that forces that change.”
(https://www.npr.org/2022/02/15/1080819088/sandy-hook-victims-families-settlement-remington)
As children bump each other off with guns they find lying around the house, am remembering the NRA launching pink and blue guns for boys and girls. Also their parents exchanging hoorays about it and congratulating each other on their gifts to their children. How old are these people emotionally and when do we get their counterparts out of Congress?
–Grow up.
“Start Them Young” documents how the gun lobby and firearms industry market guns to children
(https://vpc.org/press/nra-and-gun-industry-target-young-children-as-next-generation-of-customers-and-pro-gun-advocates-vpc-research-shows/)
Which U.S. communities sent money to support the …….. trucker protests?
Residents in wealthy enclaves across the United States —
from Beverly Hills, Calif., to suburbs of Austin,
to Florida beach communities —
sent millions of dollars
to support trucker convoys that occupied the Canadian capital
and shut down commerce at key border crossings
between the two nations,
according to a Washington Post analysis of leaked fundraising data posted online
over the past 48 hours.
(https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2022/02/15/american-donors-freedom-convoy-zipcodes/)
—-Canadian truckers are 90% vaccinated but we’re required to believe that vaccinated Canadians would protest American law? The protest wasn’t organized by the Canadian truckers union – the platform is right here in the U.S. c/o Doom, American conservatives and American conservative media.
Anybody have book banning on their 2022 Bingo card?
WATCH LIVE: White House press secretary Jen Psaki holds news briefing
Mrs. O. in Hawaii! 😍
That administration was one big parade of crooks.
In case you know anyone who might be interested.
FLOTUS Awesomeness!
Democrats Deliver lower internet costs
NW/UTAL, thank you
{{{TOD}}}
Nite nite
Morning everyone:) I spent most of yesterday thinking that it was Thursday, and was so sad to find out that it was only Wednesday….now it’s really Thursday and I feel like it should really be Friday. Anyone else? It’s been a week.
Sorry. Last week for my week to always be a day ahead. Crazy, conusing and weird feeling. Have a ‘decent’ Thursday and THEN it is Friday. 🙂
https://www.instagram.com/p/CaAlT8PPi5e/
My Senator doing the work!
Don’t have to tell you, but you are blessed! Remember, I am stuck with Marsha, Marsha, Marsha………..:(
Sorry. Hope y’all can vote her out soon. 😣
TBT
This is our best candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles.
Don’t let billionaire Rick Caurso and his ads fool you. He just became a Democrat last month.
Be woke Los Angeles!
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, February 16, 2022
(https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2022/02/16/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-jen-psaki-february-16-2022/)
Transcript of Speaker Pelosi’s Remarks at Press Conference with Knesset Speaker Michael Levy
(https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/21622-0)
Pelosi Statement on Meetings with Top Israeli Officials, Visit to Iron Dome
Feb 16 2022
(https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/21622-1)
WATCH LIVE: President Biden gives remarks on infrastructure in Cleveland, OH
My Heroes
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is fast-tracking the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, banning discussion of LGBTQ people or issues in classrooms.
He’s called for electronic monitoring of students and teachers as schools are already banning books and removing anti-bullying resources. Help us stop the DeSantis Censorship and Surveillance state agenda
“In the ads, Equality Florida illustrates a dystopian-like classroom
branded by censorship tied to the legislation, likening it to a surveillance state.
The bills, the group said in a news release, “give the government broad license to censor conversations about American history, the origins of racism and injustice, and the existence of LGBTQ people.”
“Not since the days of Anita Bryant have we seen such craven attempts by a leader to build political power by targeting and demonizing LGBTQ people,” Nadine Smith, Equality Florida executive director, said in a statement.
“Gov. DeSantis is pushing legislation to curb free speech,
propagandize school curricula and monitor classroom conversations,
private workplaces, and doctor’s offices —
all in order to outflank Donald Trump to the right and build an on-ramp to run for President in 2024.
As a parent of a 10-year-old, these bills fail to protect my child and our family. It is a tool for the state to censor and that encourages lawsuits against schools as a means of intimidation.”
(https://floridapolitics.com/archives/496361-equality-florida-launches-ad-campaign-combatting-dont-say-gay-classroom-censorship-legislation/)
I hope Equality Florida and other civil rights groups can push back on this blatant fascism.
a small group of parents wants to dictate to other parents, censor and curate information.
—how much more will FL and this country take from criminally negligent DeSantis?
—Stop his plans for cameras in the classroom and banning books.
—No to state surveillance.
How is what he’s doing not a violation of the First Amendment? Why is no one challenging these fascist laws? This is happening in many red states — and not just Florida. Very scary.
So exciting! On exhibit now thru April.
Barack Obama has good taste – why Dave is Ivan Reitman’s finest film
Capturing the promise of the Bill Clinton era, the romcom perfectly balanced idealism and satire – but Warren Beatty didn’t get the joke
“The death of Ivan Reitman, at the age of 75, on 12 February, has not only robbed contemporary cinema of one of its kindest practitioners, but it also leaves an artistic legacy of almost unparalleled good cheer.”
(https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/barack-obama-has-good-taste-dave-ivan-reitmans-finest-film/)
Woooot! This gon’ be goooood! 😃
Damn it! I don’t HAVE Showtime!
Aww!
I’m not sure what order they’ll do the First Ladies, but will happy to let you know when I find out. Maybe you can sign up for a free trial period or temporary subscription when Mrs. O’s episodes release.
Background Press Call Previewing the Vice President’s Trip to Munich, Germany
February 16 2022
(https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2022/02/16/background-press-call-previewing-the-vice-presidents-trip-to-munich-germany/)
Glimpses of Northern India’s Vanishing Nomads
For centuries, Kharnak nomads have raised livestock in one of the most hauntingly beautiful — and inhospitable — places on earth. Can their traditions outlast a generational exodus?
“Fitting a small stone into a sling made of yak wool, Tsering Stobdan whipped his wrist and let the object fly, sending it soaring across the arid landscape. This, he told me, was how he protects his flock from predators and convinces straggling goats to return — just one of the countless skills he has learned in the last 60 years that allow him to rear his animals in such an unforgiving landscape.
Meanwhile, some 15,000 feet above sea level, I was simply trying to breathe. Here on the Changthang plateau, in a remote region of the Indian Himalayas, the altitude had left me lightheaded and gasping for air.”
Photographs and Text by Ronald Patrick
(https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/14/travel/kharnak-nomads-ladakh-india.html)
SOON: Hillary Clinton Delivers Keynote Address at NY Democratic Party’s Convention I LIVE
Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will deliver a keynote address at the New York State Democratic Party’s convention. Clinton will then introduce NY Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is expected to deliver remarks and accept the party’s nomination for governor.
Secretary Clinton:
“When the Republican party officially embraces violent insurrection as ‘legitimate political discourse”.
When storming the Capitol, assaulting police officers, trying to overturn an election are being normalized, we are in uncharted territory. And make no mistake our adversaries around the world are watching. Republicans are defending coup plotters They’re curbing voting rights at precisely the moment when democracy needs championing, when we should be standing together against autocracies like Russia and China. January 6th last year was a gift to them because they know something we need to remember: America is only as strong as our unity and democracy allows us to be.
That’s why New York must be not just the home of the Statue of Liberty, we must be the defenders of liberty. Not just a laboratory of Democracy but a protector of Democracy. And we must reject the Big Lie of about the 2020 Election, and the coverup of the Insurrection of last January 6th!
And we can’t get distracted, whether it’s by the latest culture war nonsense or some new right wing lie
on Fox or Facebook. By the way, they’ve been coming after me again lately in case you might’ve noticed.
It’s funny the more trouble Trump gets into, the wilder the charges and conspiracy theories about me seem to get. So now his accountants have fired him and investigations draw closer to him. And right on cue the noise machine gets turned up, doesn’t it. Fox leads the charge with accusations against me, counting on their audience to fall for it again.”
Brilliant and moving to see and hear her.
BRAVO
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thx AG James…judge…pls play on loop…make it so.
This is so great!
Rachel Zegler recounts the time Bruce Springsteen, The Obamas, and Maestro John Williams visited the set of West Side Story
FYI
Was hoping to see some of the service earlier, but missed it. Thank you for posting. May he rest with the angels.
DAMN,,, what a statement this is
‘my body, my death’ entry fee…giving up the lives of your family for the cause.
“Fox News viewers accidentally got a dose of the truth
when the network carried Hillary Clinton live calling out the GOP for defending coup plotters.
Hillary Clinton addressed the New York Democratic Party, and Fox decided to carry it live.”
“Fox News probably didn’t expect to broadcast the message that the Republican Party is defending coup plotters to their audience that is regularly told that there was no coup and 1/6 was a peaceful protest.
Fox has gone all-in on the bogus conservative media twisting of the Durham investigation into Clinton spying on Donald Trump, so they probably thought they were going to get a juicy clip.
Instead, they got a dose of cold hard reality delivered to their audience that is not used to it.”
(https://www.politicususa.com/2022/02/17/fox-news-embarrassed-as-hillary-clinton-call-out-gop-coup-defenders-on-live-tv.html)
The wild finish to the Olympic women’s figure skating final
“When the dust settled at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing Thursday, presumed favorite Kamila Valieva did not win an Olympic medal for women’s figure skating, setting off a series of extraordinary events. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), probably breathing a sigh of relief, was allowed to conduct a medal ceremony for the top three finishers: Russia’s Anna Shcherbakova (gold) and Alexandra Trusova (silver); and Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto (bronze). Had Valieva qualified for a medal, the ceremony would have been postponed because of an investigation into her failed drug test.”
“Trusova reportedly told Tutberidze, “you knew everything” in the moments leading up to the medal ceremony. Tutberidze has a history of skaters that have talked about her restrictive, even abusive coaching methods — she lectured Valieva after her free skate.”
But there’s another important score that viewers don’t see (but skaters do) and doesn’t get much explanation. It’s called the Program Components Score (PCS) and is considered the presentation and artistry aspect of skating.
Qs about scoring: (https://www.vox.com/22939271/kamila-valieva-figure-skating-results-olympics-2022)
“The World Anti-Doping Agency said that because Valieva is a minor,
they will be investigating the adults supervising Valieva — which the skating world has taken to mean coach Eteri Tutberidze and her entourage.
There’s also the matter of Tutberidze not only coaching Valieva but coaching Shcherbakova and Trusova too. The shadow of Valieva’s doping extends to them and their results because of their shared mentors. And this all is punctuated by Trusova’s teary-eyed tantrum about Tutberidze “knowing everything” and Tutberidze reportedly telling Trusova “this is your defeat.””
(Vox)
The ‘win at all costs and everyone else are suckers’ routine sounds familiar.
We all might guess at the underbelly of all this, but if I was Valieva’s parent I would be asking if this was the place/country that will keep her safe. She turned to coaches for solace last night and they apparently chastised her.
IMHO she took the fall for them, taking just the right number of falls to put her in 4th and out of range of contentious medal. Imagine you are a 15 year old genius (like Simone) and Russia trashes you this way.
Stay with us Ms. Valieva, stay with us, sending my love.
New post.