Thanks for always being here for us, Nerdy! Hope everyone celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Solstice has/is having a marvelous holiday season. Having a 9 month old to celebrate with has been incredible.
Michelle and I send our best wishes to families celebrating Kwanzaa this holiday season. Today begins a week-long celebration of African-American heritage and culture. As folks gather to light the Kinara, we hope you have a happy Kwanzaa. pic.twitter.com/zgsyugVPYE
Advisor Jake Sullivan on the Four Year Anniversary of Paul Whelan’s Wrongful Detention
Today marks four years of wrongful detention in Russia for American Paul Whelan and, as the President and I have told the Whelan family, we will not stop, we will not relent, we will not cease until all Americans can celebrate Paul’s return. Paul and the Whelan family recently showed the entire country the meaning of generosity of spirit in celebrating a fellow American’s return while Russia continues its deplorable treatment of Paul as a bargaining chip. I am grateful for the partnership of the Whelan family as we work to reunite them with Paul. And I am thinking about them, and about Paul, on this day, especially.
Why artificial intelligence needs to be on your mind in 2023
The world is rapidly becoming more reliant on artificial intelligence, and the implications for society are both exciting and worrying.
“The best advice I can give you for 2023 is to familiarize yourself with the concept of “artificial intelligence” and its impact on our everyday lives.”
“My love and solidarity go out to other families managing cancer or any other health condition in this holiday season—and all the doctors, nurses and medical personnel who provide us comfort and hope.”
Pelé was one of the greatest to ever play the beautiful game. And as one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, he understood the power of sports to bring people together. Our thoughts are with his family and everyone who loved and admired him. pic.twitter.com/urGRDePaPv
BREAKING: Pelé, the exuberant Brazilian king of soccer who won a record three World Cups and as standard-bearer of “the beautiful game” was one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century, died on Thursday. He was 82. https://t.co/2fP0AqqSVPpic.twitter.com/C4ILiba3VG
The standard-bearer of “the beautiful game” had undergone treatment for colon cancer since 2021. He had been hospitalized for the last month with multiple ailments.
⚽️ 1279 goals 🏆 3 FIFA World Cups 🏆 6 Brazilian league titles 🏆 2 Copa Libertadores 🎖️ FIFA Player of the Century 🎖️ TIME 100 Most Important People of the Century
Chuck Schumer
“This Senate Democratic Majority confirmed a historic slate of 97 diverse, well-qualified judicial nominees.
We will keep going, and our democracy will unquestionably be better for it!”
“For the first time in nearly a decade, this omnibus bill expands funding for the National Labor Relations Board to help them fight for workers and the right to unionize.
We’ll never stop fighting for working families and people.”
The past year undoubtedly brought its share of daunting challenges—from Putin’s brutal war in Ukraine, to devastating hurricanes along the Atlantic Coast and fires in the West, to stubbornly high inflation around the globe.
Yet, 2022 also yielded remarkable progress for the American people. Under President Biden’s leadership, the economy continued its historic run, creating more than 10.5 million jobs since President Biden took office. Inflation has shown signs of moderating. Thanks to the landmark American Rescue Plan, we’ve continued to deploy $122 billion in funding to enable schools to hire teachers, combat pandemic-related learning loss, and support students’ mental health. We expanded and strengthened the Affordable Care Act, making it possible for four out five people who sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act to find health care coverage for $10 a month or less and helping to drive the uninsured rate to 8 percent—the lowest ever.
Dozens of people have tragically died from the historic blizzard that hit Buffalo, New York this week. In response, WCK is getting freshly prepared meals—like tonight’s hot chicken & broccoli Alfredo—to people who have been isolated and need urgent support. #ChefsForBuffalopic.twitter.com/ycxSta0tYA
I had to take my daughters to visit my friends at the amazing @DisfrutarBCN in Barcelona! Get a sneak peek of our unforgettable experience and see more clips on my YouTube channel.
AI TECH
Dem Rep. Don Beyer goes back to college to learn about AI tech
“House Democrat Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), member of the Congressional Artificial Intelligence Caucus, is back in college again working towards a master’s degree to learn more about the growing field of AI tech, its benefits, and its challenges. He joins Alicia Menendez to discuss his return to campus.”
From lowering costs to creating millions of new jobs, it’s been a big year at the White House. Watch as @WHCOS breaks down five major Biden-Harris Administration accomplishments from 2022. pic.twitter.com/3qMLhNIICm
2022 was a strong year for feature films, documentaries and shorts produced by Native filmmakers, as well as those that relied on Native talent or focused on Native issues.
ABC’s “Alaska Daily” takes on the serious real life inequities that lead to high rates of unsolved sexual assaults, disappearances, and deaths for Alaska Native women. And unsung gems like the documentary “Daughter of a Lost Bird” paint a poignant portrait of adoption and identity.
‘Christmas Mubarak’: For many South Asian Americans, the holiday is a cultural celebration
Many Hindus, Muslims, Jains, Sikhs and other non-Christian South Asian Americans say they get wrapped up in the Christmas spirit, finding ways to fold in their own cultural traditions.
This has been one of the most productive legislative sessions in U.S. history. From the American Rescue Plan to the Inflation Reduction Act and more, we've passed historic, life-changing legislation #ForThePeople.
“A sheaf of sweetgrass, bound at the end and divided into thirds, is ready to braid. In braiding sweetgrass – so that it is smooth, glossy, and worthy of the gift – a certain amount of tension is needed. As any little girl with tight braids will tell you, you have to pull a bit. Of course you can do it yourself- by tying one end to a chair, or by holding it in your teeth and braiding backwards away from yourself – but the sweetest way is to have someone else hold the end so that you pull gently against each other, all the while leaning in, head to head, chatting and laughing, watching each other’s hands, one holding steady while the other shifts the slim bundles over one another each in its turn.
Linked by sweetgrass, there is reciprocity between you, linked by sweetgrass, the holders as vital as the braider. The braid becomes finer and thinner as you near the end, until you’re breading individual blades of grass, and then you tie it off.”
(Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer)
—-Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.
As I reflect on the work of @wckitchen this year, I'm humbled & grateful. Over & over again, we see the power of a freshly prepared plate of food.
In a year where I saw incredible bravery & dedication from so many around the world, I want to thank everyone making WCK possible🙏 pic.twitter.com/xbi5YWkm8P
Join me looking back on what @WCKitchen teams responded to this year—from wildfires, hurricanes, volcano eruptions, to the invasion of Ukraine, we've worked with incredible people showing up for their neighbors in the times of greatest need. Read more at https://t.co/NGJgKn1fo5. pic.twitter.com/ZpMgVFykr2
A Pivotal Year for the Health of the Planet and its People
MONICA MEDINA
ASSISTANT SECRETARY
BUREAU OF OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS
As this year ends, we will look back on 2022 as one of the most pivotal years for the health of the planet and its people. Just like fifty years ago, when the historic United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm kicked off the modern environmental movement, in recent months we have experienced a surge of global environmental activism. I believe we will remember this year as the point when we rededicated ourselves to a sustainable future – one in which we live more in harmony with nature.
The Biden Administration has led the way – we have restored America’s leadership addressing such global challenges as climate change, the ocean, biodiversity conservation, plastic pollution, and nature crimes. We have reinvigorated space and science diplomacy. And throughout this year, we elevated the voices of indigenous leaders, frontline communities, youth, and women.
.@SecBlinken: Climate action is not about sacrifice. It’s about opportunity. It’s about innovation. It’s about prosperity. It’s about justice. And it’s about building a future that we can all be proud of and the future that our children and grandchildren deserve. pic.twitter.com/XWalPS7cWa
A year can go by pretty fast when you’re traveling 17,500 mph. 😎 In case you missed any of the action, here are some of the memorable moments of 2022. Happy New Year! 🛰️🗓️🎆 pic.twitter.com/VKQAZDYRV0
Thank you to all of the hard-working Members and staff of these Select Committees. Your important contributions over the last two years have made a difference to the Congress and to our Country.
.@COVIDOversight conducted extensive investigative work into the use of pandemic relief funds. Its recommendations will strengthen our ability to prevent and respond to future public health emergencies. https://t.co/nw80qosvBm
.@ModernizeCmte's final report marks the culmination of a four-year effort to strengthen the Congress’ ability to fulfill our Constitutional roles – making over 200 recommendations for reform while serving as a model of collaborative, bipartisan lawmaking. https://t.co/yZogltkSBm
The @FairGrowthCmte dutifully studied America’s crisis of inequality in their final report and unique film @GritandGrace. By visiting communities across the country, it has helped chart a path toward a fairer, more prosperous economy for all. https://t.co/0ana6KIK7k
The @January6thCmte has brought clarity of conscience in our work to defend Democracy. With painstaking detail, they uncovered important conclusions about the plot to subvert the Congress, shred the Constitution and halt the peaceful transfer of power. https://t.co/BUnSKoRmup
Nancy Pelosi
This Congress, it was my privilege as Speaker to establish several powerful House Select Committees – which have brought leadership, transparency and actionable insight to guide our work #ForThePeople.
Ronald Klain
I’m often asked: Why don’t more people know about the progress @potus has made on X, Y or Z?
One answer, from @nytimes (!) today:
“The news media tends to have a bad news bias … That bias warps people’s perceptions of the world.”
Ginni Thomas Transcript Shows Justice Thomas Should Have Recused Himself Says Lofgren
“It did strike me as wrong behavior. I think based on this that Justice Thomas would be well advised to recuse himself,” says Rep. Zoe Lofgren discussing the newly released Ginni Thomas Jan. 6 interview transcript. “He should have done so for the other cases.”
Wajahat Ali
“Folks, it’s happening. Gonna be on a super anti-fascism panel for the first time with @ruthbenghiat and Jason Stanley and @MariaTeresa for @mehdirhasan’s show. We will hopefully piss off all the right people.” (today)
Paul and I join our fellow Catholics in mourning the passing of Pope Benedict XVI: a leader whose devotion, scholarship and message stirred the hearts of people of all faiths.
It was my privilege to visit His Holiness in the Vatican and to welcome him to our nation’s capital. pic.twitter.com/CP3LLykYa4
His Holiness Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI dedicated his life to serving his faith. He was an accomplished theologian and scholar, and he was an inspiration to millions. My thoughts are with Catholics around the world and all those who are mourning his passing.
All native New Yorkers knew Donald John Trump was always a broke bum. It’s sad the majority of this country didn’t care to see this and voted for him (especially 53% of White Women).
Our department will continue to support the traveling public. If your Southwest flight was delayed or canceled, and you are denied compensation for flights not taken or expenses like meals, hotels, and ground transport, please submit a complaint to DOT ➡️ https://t.co/V7aIX9IFW1pic.twitter.com/pHzEioLvOc
Every state legislature controlled by Democrats should enact at least one comprehensive set of pro-voting laws in 2023. Then, they should do it again in 2024.https://t.co/5VpK0yWgYp
On Chris Hayes (last night) the brilliant NY Times tax reporter, Susanne Craig,
said she was disappointed today’s IRS documents apparently did not include information about the quickie refund and its basis in the years 2005-2010.
Janet Wright
@JanetWr15336713
Job well done! THANK YOU, DR.FAUCI !!!
Quote Tweet
Carmen Goodwin, PhD😷☕🌶 💛🇺🇦 🚫by@MorningAnswer
@TCRG2012
·
3h
I always had the feeling of wanting to serve people.
…and I could not think of a better way to serve others than by being a physician or a scientist.
Senator Reverend Warnock Delivers Major Wins for Georgia in Omnibus Government Funding Bill
On Thursday, the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus government funding bill by a vote of 68-29. The omnibus package now goes to the House of Representatives, then to the President to be signed into law
Senator Reverend Warnock secured major victories for Georgia in the legislation, including full funding for the Savannah CRTC, a provision to help combat corruption, and additional investments for housing, health care, workforce development, national security, education and more
Senator Reverend Warnock: “I came to Washington to deliver for Georgia, and the annual government funding package is a major win for Georgians in every corner of the state”
Extraordinary leaders reflect on their legacies and share messages of courage, compassion, humility, hope and generosity. Inspired by the iconic legacy of Nelson Mandela, Live to Lead highlights the fundamental values, daily disciplines and guiding principles that leaders employ to motivate others and create meaningful change.
Live to Lead premieres globally on December 31, only on Netflix.
Featured interviews include: former U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; climate change activist Greta Thunberg; social justice attorney and advocate Bryan Stevenson; New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern; South Africa’s national rugby union team captain and social inequality campaigner Siya Kolisi; feminist icon and social justice activist Gloria Steinem; and anti-apartheid activist and former Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa Albie Sachs. Live to Lead is a Nelson Mandela Foundation project created and directed by Geoff Blackwell, and executive produced by Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Happy New Year to all including you Nerdy, the one that helps to keep me sane. I never make New Year’s resolutions, this year making a New Year’s wish. I wish for the government to make a requirement that one MUST release taxes if they choose to be a candidate for ANY office, including SCOTUS. We the people they serve deserve full transparency. I would not hesitate to release my taxes and have no interest in holding office of any kind, even local. I believe we would be just as shocked if the truth about some of those supreme court taxes were released as we are with donald’s.
Whether you’re in need of a fresh start or looking to keep rolling on, may the new year bring you and yours all good things and more! Happy New Year! 🎉🎊🥳🍾🥂❤️✨ pic.twitter.com/zfVQEeDyQD
— THEE Dudette 👑 – Vaxxed & Still Masked 😷💛🐝 (@Dudette9t9) January 1, 2023
Epic Midnight fireworks display on the Chicago River, Parties, Restaurants, Hotels and More!
Tonight, a blast of fireworks. Tomorrow, a blast of snow. Some will just get blasted this weekend. Happy New Year! #chicago#nyepic.twitter.com/7n4KRcBmXC
In 2022, people around the world helped change their communities for the better. Let's keep it up in 2023. We’ve still got a lot of work to do, but I’ll be right there with you.
Here's to a happy, healthy, and peaceful new year.
Watch President @BarackObama recount all the ways 2022 gave him hope.
Our work wouldn't be possible without the generosity of our supporters. If you're able, chip in now to help us continue to invest in the next generation of leaders: https://t.co/dVZGLv0i0jpic.twitter.com/SwcwtRJRmm
Nikisha Fogo debuted as the first Black principal ballerina in the San Fransisco ballet! This was a long time coming for Nikisha — she says she’s happy that she can serve as a role model for younger Black ballerinas & show them they too can be a principal ballerina one day! pic.twitter.com/BSH5C6TPKl
Our mission is to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world. That mission starts on the South Side of Chicago and extends to our global network of leaders. We can't wait to see what we accomplish together in 2023.
“It’s 2023 and America remains poised at the precipice of democratic crisis. We bought some time in 2022, but we are by no means out of the woods. That is why we cannot afford to let up in 2023.
For the past six months I have turned my attention to completing a book about how America’s unfinished confrontation with race has brought us to this moment of democratic peril. The book, more importantly, maps out the rigorous and immediate work we must do if we are take advantage of the narrow window of opportunity we have to create a stronger, healthier democracy. As I write, my anxiety grows. Not only because the gravity of the moment demands a level of engagement and focus I fear we do not have in this country, but principally because so much of the American public and political class have been trained to think in four and two-year political increments. In the in-between years, we are invited to return to the sidelines of observing political speculation and polling, rather than engaging in the rigorous and necessary work of citizenship.”
No sooner had the 2022 general election concluded than media outlets moved on to begin an obsessive focus on speculation about potential presidential candidates for 2024. That meant a return to questions about Trump as the potential Republican nominee. About a potential challenge from Gov. DeSantis or former Vice President Pence. About whether President Biden would run again, and whether Vice President Harris would remain on the ticket. In short, Americans were once again being led away from engagement with the real work of citizenship and democracy, and driven towards the next political media moment. This is a disastrous course for us at this critical time.
First, there are elections every year. In 2023 for example, there are governor races in states like Kentucky and Louisiana. Several states, including the critical political states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania will hold elections for judges of their state supreme courts. There are school board elections across multiple states.
And it’s not just about voting. As has become increasingly apparent, the building blocks of the foundational integrity of our democracy, and the most intense threats to it, are unfolding at the local level – on school boards, county commissions, among so-called “constitutional sheriffs,” and among state court judges. It is precisely in these “in-between years” that we fail – fail to organize, to attend political and town hall meetings; to register new voters, to lay the groundwork for new legislation – that we have such a tenuous hold on the reins of democracy in this country. And this is why our demand in major election years, that people “just vote” falls so hollow on the ears of young people and others who want real, consequential change in their own communities. Voting should not be treated as an isolated act of citizenship. It should be the culminating expression of our political will.
And so, as 2023 unfolds it is my fervent hope that we will not allow ourselves to be led away from the work that should and must occupy us this year if we are to not only save, but make healthy our deeply flawed democracy. In times like these – times of democratic crisis, we have no time to waste. Every citizen must use their power to demand and steward the core elements that will allow us to build our way towards the kind of democracy so many of us dream of and have devoted our lives to building.
We must fight for transparency, accountability, fairness, equality and justice. That may mean deciding that in 2023 you will attend a city council meeting in your city. Or that you will educate yourself about sheriff or district attorney candidates and vote knowledgeably in those elections – both the primary and the general. Or that you will work to register to voters this year. Or that you will write to your representative and demand that they hold a town hall in your community. That you will call your Senator once a month and tell them what you want for voting rights, health care, foreign policy, social media regulation, and to strengthen transparency and ethics on the Supreme Court. Get a library card and tell your local commission that you want your librarians protected from intimidation. Ask your church or temple to demand a meeting with your local district attorney and ask about their policies on prosecuting low level drug crimes, prosecuting police brutality, or prosecuting doctors or women who seek abortions in states with harsh abortion laws. It may mean joining an existing grass-roots group committed to racial justice and equality, women’s rights or tenants rights.
It is this work that will lay the foundation for real change and transformation of our country. If we diligently work in the “in-between” years – indeed every year – we will work for democracy, rather than solely for candidates or political parties. And when we do this work, the candidates and the issues that form the basis of our elections in major election years will be more readily shaped by our substantive priorities and demands. My hope for this year is that we will refuse to go to the sidelines. That we will reject the invitation to become distracted by 18 months of political punditry, and instead get our hands dirty with the work of being truly engaged citizens. We are in a fight for our democracy, and there is real work for us to do. That is our assignment for 2023.”
2022: The year Taliban cracked down on women’s rights
The year 2022 saw the Taliban imposing restrictions on women’s rights, bringing back the memory of its past rule.
“The Western sanctions mean that the country’s economy has virtually collapsed, worsening the humanitarian situation in the country.
People have been forced to sell their babies and young girls to survive.
“More than 90 percent of 38 million people are at risk of poverty and about 23 million people faced acute hunger as the Taliban has struggled to turn around the economy due to its financial isolation.”
imho, understood there are problems with Taliban proximity to cash with which they’ll buy weapons and how difficult it is. But our Brothers and Sisters starving when there are billions$$ in the coffers cannot be. Please can our international community put their heads together?
For the children.
How Black Women die…women bleeding to death due to the end of Roe…in Louisiana 4 Black women die for every white woman who dies in childbirth. 49th in child well-being, should you be lucky enough to survive. (ReidOut)
National Museum of African American History and Culture To Observe 160th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation Issued by President Lincoln
Dec 30, 2022
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is recognizing the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. In honor of this important moment, the museum encourages visitors to reflect on the words featured in early copies of a handheld pamphlet of the Emancipation Proclamation, an original signed copy of President Abraham Lincoln’s Executive Order and an original handwritten signed copy of the 13th Amendment, all on display in the museum’s “Slavery and Freedom” exhibition. The Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment are two of the most important documents in the nation’s history. They helped the country
fulfill the highest ideal of liberty by ensuring a more inclusive manifestation of freedom.
Workers in half the country will see major pay increase in 2023
“Washington, D.C., and over half the states in the United States are raising their minimum wage this year, with residents of the nation’s capital getting the biggest boost.
Beginning this past Sunday, D.C.’s living wage will increase to $16.50 an hour. This amount will later increase to $17 an hour on July 1, making it the highest minimum wage within the U.S., according to a news release from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office.”
Rachel Maddow Explains The Giant Ramifications Of Republicans If Kevin McCarthy Fails To Be Elected Speaker
Rachel Maddow explained that there is more on the line than embarrassment for Kevin McCarthy:
“Maybe more than that and the problem with that isn’t just that, oh, this is embarrassing for Kevin McCarthy and this is going to be a time suck for Kevin McCarthy and the Republicans, oh, this is bad optics, no, if he doesn’t get elected speaker if somebody doesn’t get elected speaker that means there is no congress.
A Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives. Until someone is elected speaker there isn’t a presiding officer and that means nothing else can happen including swearing in the new members of congress. I mean, on the calendar technically all the new members of congress are supposed to be sworn in tomorrow at noon when the old congress expires.
But if there aren’t enough votes to elect somebody speaker, if there aren’t 218 votes to elect Kevin McCarthy or somebody else to be speaker by that time nobody is getting sworn in. No new congress will start. There will be no House business, no votes, no committees, no nothing until a speaker is chosen. If they don’t get 218 votes when they vote on it, when they take their first ballot tomorrow, the only thing they can keep doing in the congress is just keep taking that vote over and over and over again doing nothing else until someone finally succeeds.”
15 years ago today, our campaign won the Iowa caucuses. I’ll always be grateful to the people who organized across the state, and built the relationships that made it all possible.
I recently sat down with six organizers to talk about that time and what they’ve been up to since. pic.twitter.com/2fghTvMdLn
Ex-Pope Benedict XVI, a Staunch Anti-LGBTQ+ Pontiff, Dies at 95
“His antigay dogma led many Catholic churches to close their doors to the LGBTQ+ Catholic group Dignity.”
In his Christmas homily of that year, he denounced transgender and gender-nonconforming people, saying the concept of being transgender was a denial of God.
The Pope Emeritus called same-sex marriage a product of the Antichrist and said society has become so hostile to Christian doctrine that it will shun anyone who opposes equal marriage rights in 2020.”
Also “condemning abortion and assisted reproduction…”
(Grew up in devoted Catholic home and no one ever used (or thought) to use the term “Anti-Christ”.)
This year was one for the books, with historic award wins along with movie and TV firsts. Here’s a look back at the biggest moments in LGBTQ+ pop culture for 2022.
Stories that defined the US and Canada in 2022
The year 2022 saw former US President Trump facing legal action, Pope Francis apologising in Canada and several mass shootings.
Small businesses are the engines of our economy. Under our Administration’s economic plan, more Americans have applied to start small businesses last year than ever before.
Small businesses are the engines of our economy. Under our Administration’s economic plan, more Americans have applied to start small businesses last year than ever before. https://t.co/qPL9AfqXzF
“Tired of the Apologies”: Workers, Flyers Say Southwest Airlines Meltdown Was Decades in the Making
The U.S. Department of Transportation says it will investigate cancellations and delays by Southwest Airlines after the airline canceled about two-thirds of its flights since a Christmas snowstorm. The unprecedented operational meltdown left thousands of travelers stranded, causing scenes of chaos at airports across the country during one of the busiest travel seasons in the year. Corliss King, vice president of TWU Local 556 representing Southwest flight attendants, says the union has warned the company for years about the technical issues that contributed to this week’s chaos. We also speak with Paul Hudson of FlyersRights, the largest nonprofit airline passenger rights organization in the U.S., who blames decades of cost-cutting and chasing profits for the deteriorating service in the airline industry. “It’s more profitable to have bad service than good service,” says Hudson.
(https://www.democracynow.org/2022/12/28/southwest_airlines_cancels_flights_strands_travelers
The updated COVID vaccine is widely available and conveniently located. Get yours as soon as possible to stay protected this winter.https://t.co/S2DQV6MlBv
“Let’s take a deep breath and slowly read the text from Ginni Thomas. The wife of a sitting Supreme Court justice claimed that Biden, his family, journalists, and others had been arrested and were being detained on military barges outside of GITMO so that they could face a military tribunal for sedition.” (Easley)
The Invention of Elise Stefanik
To rise through the Trump-era G.O.P., a young congresswoman gave up her friends, her mentors and her ideals. Will it be enough?
VP Harris
Last year, I launched a call to action to extend Medicaid postpartum coverage from two months to one year.
This week, @POTUS signed an omnibus bill that enables a permanent one-year extension for states, and provides new investments in maternal health that will save lives.
The Obama Diary 
Thanks for always being here for us, Nerdy! Hope everyone celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Solstice has/is having a marvelous holiday season. Having a 9 month old to celebrate with has been incredible.
Ditto to what Judith said…….except I don’t have a 9 month old to celebrate. But, Judith knows I love all the pictures she posts! He is adorable.
Thanks a million, NW, for keeping our doors open. 🙂
Love the President’s lists! Thanks, Nerdy darlin’ !!!
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾💖
Democrats Deliver! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Advisor Jake Sullivan on the Four Year Anniversary of Paul Whelan’s Wrongful Detention
Today marks four years of wrongful detention in Russia for American Paul Whelan and, as the President and I have told the Whelan family, we will not stop, we will not relent, we will not cease until all Americans can celebrate Paul’s return. Paul and the Whelan family recently showed the entire country the meaning of generosity of spirit in celebrating a fellow American’s return while Russia continues its deplorable treatment of Paul as a bargaining chip. I am grateful for the partnership of the Whelan family as we work to reunite them with Paul. And I am thinking about them, and about Paul, on this day, especially.
(wh.gov)
Why artificial intelligence needs to be on your mind in 2023
The world is rapidly becoming more reliant on artificial intelligence, and the implications for society are both exciting and worrying.
“The best advice I can give you for 2023 is to familiarize yourself with the concept of “artificial intelligence” and its impact on our everyday lives.”
Ja’han Jones: (https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/artificial-intelligence-bias-society-rcna63353)
Rep. Jamie Raskin has diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Here’s what to know.
Thompson: (https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/12/29/raskin-lymphoma-faq/)
–wishing you full recovery Congressman Raskin, with so much love.
Praying for healing grace and strength for Rep Raskin! 🙏🏾
STATEMENT OF CONGRESSMAN JAMIE RASKIN TO THE PEOPLE OF MARYLAND’S 8TH DISTRICT
(https://raskin.house.gov/press-releases?ID=DFBEC38A-AF04-4D40-80BE-1F18B2ABE870)
“My love and solidarity go out to other families managing cancer or any other health condition in this holiday season—and all the doctors, nurses and medical personnel who provide us comfort and hope.”
Rest in peace, King Pelé! 👑⚽️
Pelé did it first! ⚽️🐐
Wonderful tributes to Pele. What a contribution to our world.
thanks and peace to the stunning O Rei.
Wow! Incredible shot!
The 7 Most Important Athletes of 2022
Will Leitch: (https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/12/messi-griner-and-the-other-most-important-athletes-of-2022.html)
Chuck Schumer
“This Senate Democratic Majority confirmed a historic slate of 97 diverse, well-qualified judicial nominees.
We will keep going, and our democracy will unquestionably be better for it!”
Chuck Schumer
“For the first time in nearly a decade, this omnibus bill expands funding for the National Labor Relations Board to help them fight for workers and the right to unionize.
We’ll never stop fighting for working families and people.”
Senate Passes Massive Spending Bill That Closes January 6 Loophole
By Ed Kilgore
(https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/12/senate-passes-spending-bill-that-closes-january-6-loophole.html)
2022 in Review
By Ambassador Susan E. Rice
I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling ‘22.
The past year undoubtedly brought its share of daunting challenges—from Putin’s brutal war in Ukraine, to devastating hurricanes along the Atlantic Coast and fires in the West, to stubbornly high inflation around the globe.
Yet, 2022 also yielded remarkable progress for the American people. Under President Biden’s leadership, the economy continued its historic run, creating more than 10.5 million jobs since President Biden took office. Inflation has shown signs of moderating. Thanks to the landmark American Rescue Plan, we’ve continued to deploy $122 billion in funding to enable schools to hire teachers, combat pandemic-related learning loss, and support students’ mental health. We expanded and strengthened the Affordable Care Act, making it possible for four out five people who sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act to find health care coverage for $10 a month or less and helping to drive the uninsured rate to 8 percent—the lowest ever.
Full: (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/blog/2022/12/29/2022-in-review/)
Western New York is still digging out from a punishing holiday blizzard that has taken nearly 30 lives.
(https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/27/nyregion/buffalo-western-new-york-winter-storm.html)
AI TECH
Dem Rep. Don Beyer goes back to college to learn about AI tech
“House Democrat Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), member of the Congressional Artificial Intelligence Caucus, is back in college again working towards a master’s degree to learn more about the growing field of AI tech, its benefits, and its challenges. He joins Alicia Menendez to discuss his return to campus.”
congrats on your science journey Congressman Beyer !!
George Takei
“It honestly still blows my mind today that Santa isn’t Asian. I remember seeing him in the internment camps, and dude was def Japanese.”
Good West Coast Friday, December 30, 2022 morning Nerdy & TOD family. The year is winding up.
The year in Native film
2022 was a strong year for feature films, documentaries and shorts produced by Native filmmakers, as well as those that relied on Native talent or focused on Native issues.
ABC’s “Alaska Daily” takes on the serious real life inequities that lead to high rates of unsolved sexual assaults, disappearances, and deaths for Alaska Native women. And unsung gems like the documentary “Daughter of a Lost Bird” paint a poignant portrait of adoption and identity.
Indianz.com
Daughter of a Lost Bird | Trailer | America ReFramed
‘Christmas Mubarak’: For many South Asian Americans, the holiday is a cultural celebration
Many Hindus, Muslims, Jains, Sikhs and other non-Christian South Asian Americans say they get wrapped up in the Christmas spirit, finding ways to fold in their own cultural traditions.
Zoya Wazir: (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/christmas-mubarak-many-south-asian-americans-holiday-cultural-celebrat-rcna61777)
Stardate: Friday, Dec 30, 2022.
Happy New Year’s Eve Eve !!
-w/love.
“A sheaf of sweetgrass, bound at the end and divided into thirds, is ready to braid. In braiding sweetgrass – so that it is smooth, glossy, and worthy of the gift – a certain amount of tension is needed. As any little girl with tight braids will tell you, you have to pull a bit. Of course you can do it yourself- by tying one end to a chair, or by holding it in your teeth and braiding backwards away from yourself – but the sweetest way is to have someone else hold the end so that you pull gently against each other, all the while leaning in, head to head, chatting and laughing, watching each other’s hands, one holding steady while the other shifts the slim bundles over one another each in its turn.
Linked by sweetgrass, there is reciprocity between you, linked by sweetgrass, the holders as vital as the braider. The braid becomes finer and thinner as you near the end, until you’re breading individual blades of grass, and then you tie it off.”
(Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer)
—-Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.
Lapalux – ‘Limb To Limb (feat. Lilia)
José Andrés, WCK.
A Pivotal Year for the Health of the Planet and its People
MONICA MEDINA
ASSISTANT SECRETARY
BUREAU OF OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS
As this year ends, we will look back on 2022 as one of the most pivotal years for the health of the planet and its people. Just like fifty years ago, when the historic United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm kicked off the modern environmental movement, in recent months we have experienced a surge of global environmental activism. I believe we will remember this year as the point when we rededicated ourselves to a sustainable future – one in which we live more in harmony with nature.
The Biden Administration has led the way – we have restored America’s leadership addressing such global challenges as climate change, the ocean, biodiversity conservation, plastic pollution, and nature crimes. We have reinvigorated space and science diplomacy. And throughout this year, we elevated the voices of indigenous leaders, frontline communities, youth, and women.
(https://www.state.gov/a-pivotal-year-for-the-health-of-the-planet-and-its-people/)
Nancy Pelosi
Thank you to all of the hard-working Members and staff of these Select Committees. Your important contributions over the last two years have made a difference to the Congress and to our Country.
Nancy Pelosi
This Congress, it was my privilege as Speaker to establish several powerful House Select Committees – which have brought leadership, transparency and actionable insight to guide our work #ForThePeople.
Speaker Pelosi Enrolls H.R. 7776, the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for 2023
Ronald Klain
I’m often asked: Why don’t more people know about the progress @potus has made on X, Y or Z?
One answer, from @nytimes (!) today:
“The news media tends to have a bad news bias … That bias warps people’s perceptions of the world.”
A Continuing Drop in Murders
The situation changed for the better in 2022.
(https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/30/briefing/crime-murders-us-decline.html)
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren
Ginni Thomas Transcript Shows Justice Thomas Should Have Recused Himself Says Lofgren
“It did strike me as wrong behavior. I think based on this that Justice Thomas would be well advised to recuse himself,” says Rep. Zoe Lofgren discussing the newly released Ginni Thomas Jan. 6 interview transcript. “He should have done so for the other cases.”
There Is No Mary Problem in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
George’s vision of his wife without him is essential to the film, but critics continue to miss its true—and profound—meaning.
Clare Coffey: (https://www.thebulwark.com/there-is-no-mary-problem-in-its-a-wonderful-life/)
“I represent a @SouthwestAir hub at Burbank. It’s clear Southwest has failed its customers and workers.
Southwest must make amends. That means fairly compensating passengers for their cancelled flights, incurred expenses and ruined holidays.
Don’t be a Scrooge. Make this right.”
Wajahat Ali
“Folks, it’s happening. Gonna be on a super anti-fascism panel for the first time with @ruthbenghiat and Jason Stanley and @MariaTeresa for @mehdirhasan’s show. We will hopefully piss off all the right people.” (today)
Peace and good health to you and your family Prime Minister Trudeau.
President Biden
Just 12 hours until many of the cost-saving provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act kick in for millions.
Goodbye to the 117th Congress, bookended by remarkable events
The 2022 roundups: Congress’s year in review
(https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/12/29/congress-year-review/)
Susanne Craig
On Chris Hayes (last night) the brilliant NY Times tax reporter, Susanne Craig,
said she was disappointed today’s IRS documents apparently did not include information about the quickie refund and its basis in the years 2005-2010.
More: (https://www.dailyk(os.com/stories/2022/12/30/2144592/-Donald-Trump-s-Other-Quickie)
Janet Wright
@JanetWr15336713
Job well done! THANK YOU, DR.FAUCI !!!
Quote Tweet
Carmen Goodwin, PhD😷☕🌶 💛🇺🇦 🚫by@MorningAnswer
@TCRG2012
·
3h
I always had the feeling of wanting to serve people.
…and I could not think of a better way to serve others than by being a physician or a scientist.
— Dr. Fauci
Today’s his last day @NIAIDNews. 54 years…38 as director
https://theguardian.com/us-news/2022/dec/25/fauci-interview-covid-trump-biden
Thank you🙏🏽
#FreshResists
2:50 PM · Dec 31, 2022
Senator Reverend Warnock Delivers Major Wins for Georgia in Omnibus Government Funding Bill
On Thursday, the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus government funding bill by a vote of 68-29. The omnibus package now goes to the House of Representatives, then to the President to be signed into law
Senator Reverend Warnock secured major victories for Georgia in the legislation, including full funding for the Savannah CRTC, a provision to help combat corruption, and additional investments for housing, health care, workforce development, national security, education and more
Senator Reverend Warnock: “I came to Washington to deliver for Georgia, and the annual government funding package is a major win for Georgians in every corner of the state”
(https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-reverend-warnock-delivers-major-wins-for-georgia-in-omnibus-government-funding-bill/)
That’s My Senator! 😁
Live to Lead | Official Trailer | Netflix
Extraordinary leaders reflect on their legacies and share messages of courage, compassion, humility, hope and generosity. Inspired by the iconic legacy of Nelson Mandela, Live to Lead highlights the fundamental values, daily disciplines and guiding principles that leaders employ to motivate others and create meaningful change.
Live to Lead premieres globally on December 31, only on Netflix.
Featured interviews include: former U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; climate change activist Greta Thunberg; social justice attorney and advocate Bryan Stevenson; New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern; South Africa’s national rugby union team captain and social inequality campaigner Siya Kolisi; feminist icon and social justice activist Gloria Steinem; and anti-apartheid activist and former Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa Albie Sachs. Live to Lead is a Nelson Mandela Foundation project created and directed by Geoff Blackwell, and executive produced by Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
PREMIERS TODAY ON NETFLIX.
–Giant congrats and Happy New Year to Harry, Meghan and little wans.
—their love wins.
🙌🏾
Happy New Year’s Eve, wonderful TOD friends – and our dear Nerdy!
Happy 2023! to you j’ob and thank you.
Happy 2023, brp! ❤
Happy New Year, J! 🤗😘❤️🍾🥂
and happy NY to you too Dudette!! 🐽★☆🐽
Happy New Year brp!!🤗😘❤️🍾🥂
Happy New Year, D! Hope it’s a great one!
Happy New Year to all including you Nerdy, the one that helps to keep me sane. I never make New Year’s resolutions, this year making a New Year’s wish. I wish for the government to make a requirement that one MUST release taxes if they choose to be a candidate for ANY office, including SCOTUS. We the people they serve deserve full transparency. I would not hesitate to release my taxes and have no interest in holding office of any kind, even local. I believe we would be just as shocked if the truth about some of those supreme court taxes were released as we are with donald’s.
Happy New Year to my TOD Family! Love you! 🥳❤️🍾🥂✨
Epic Midnight fireworks display on the Chicago River, Parties, Restaurants, Hotels and More!
Good West Coast New Year day 2023 morning Nerdy & TOD family.
Wishing blessing and love to all.
America that looks like us
The America that wasn’t “ready” for a woman President was okay for a “jack-azz” President
Happy New Year TOD! 🎉
Happy New Year TOD family! I hope this will be the year of healing and accountability.
Released 2022-12-02
https://freemovieswatch.tv/watch-movie/watch-the-boy-the-mole-the-fox-and-the-horse-free-online-91783.9250342
The Harry and Megan ‘Live To Lead’ series is superbly moving and compelling, wow pls don’t miss.
Correction: (fire this computer!) Meghan, Meghan, wonderful Meghan.
Wishing America a happy loving New Year 2023, let there be peace in our hearts.
May we bring Trump and his associates in crime to justice. May we stop fascism. And light up the world our compassion and beauty.
And light up the world with our compassion and beauty.
Yes!!!
love to you Jo’b
New Year’s Day
dawns clear, and sparrows
tell their tales
(Hattori Ransetsu, 1654-1707)
Sherrilyn Ifilll
2023 – The Work We Must Do
Don’t Leave the Field
“It’s 2023 and America remains poised at the precipice of democratic crisis. We bought some time in 2022, but we are by no means out of the woods. That is why we cannot afford to let up in 2023.
For the past six months I have turned my attention to completing a book about how America’s unfinished confrontation with race has brought us to this moment of democratic peril. The book, more importantly, maps out the rigorous and immediate work we must do if we are take advantage of the narrow window of opportunity we have to create a stronger, healthier democracy. As I write, my anxiety grows. Not only because the gravity of the moment demands a level of engagement and focus I fear we do not have in this country, but principally because so much of the American public and political class have been trained to think in four and two-year political increments. In the in-between years, we are invited to return to the sidelines of observing political speculation and polling, rather than engaging in the rigorous and necessary work of citizenship.”
No sooner had the 2022 general election concluded than media outlets moved on to begin an obsessive focus on speculation about potential presidential candidates for 2024. That meant a return to questions about Trump as the potential Republican nominee. About a potential challenge from Gov. DeSantis or former Vice President Pence. About whether President Biden would run again, and whether Vice President Harris would remain on the ticket. In short, Americans were once again being led away from engagement with the real work of citizenship and democracy, and driven towards the next political media moment. This is a disastrous course for us at this critical time.
First, there are elections every year. In 2023 for example, there are governor races in states like Kentucky and Louisiana. Several states, including the critical political states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania will hold elections for judges of their state supreme courts. There are school board elections across multiple states.
And it’s not just about voting. As has become increasingly apparent, the building blocks of the foundational integrity of our democracy, and the most intense threats to it, are unfolding at the local level – on school boards, county commissions, among so-called “constitutional sheriffs,” and among state court judges. It is precisely in these “in-between years” that we fail – fail to organize, to attend political and town hall meetings; to register new voters, to lay the groundwork for new legislation – that we have such a tenuous hold on the reins of democracy in this country. And this is why our demand in major election years, that people “just vote” falls so hollow on the ears of young people and others who want real, consequential change in their own communities. Voting should not be treated as an isolated act of citizenship. It should be the culminating expression of our political will.
And so, as 2023 unfolds it is my fervent hope that we will not allow ourselves to be led away from the work that should and must occupy us this year if we are to not only save, but make healthy our deeply flawed democracy. In times like these – times of democratic crisis, we have no time to waste. Every citizen must use their power to demand and steward the core elements that will allow us to build our way towards the kind of democracy so many of us dream of and have devoted our lives to building.
We must fight for transparency, accountability, fairness, equality and justice. That may mean deciding that in 2023 you will attend a city council meeting in your city. Or that you will educate yourself about sheriff or district attorney candidates and vote knowledgeably in those elections – both the primary and the general. Or that you will work to register to voters this year. Or that you will write to your representative and demand that they hold a town hall in your community. That you will call your Senator once a month and tell them what you want for voting rights, health care, foreign policy, social media regulation, and to strengthen transparency and ethics on the Supreme Court. Get a library card and tell your local commission that you want your librarians protected from intimidation. Ask your church or temple to demand a meeting with your local district attorney and ask about their policies on prosecuting low level drug crimes, prosecuting police brutality, or prosecuting doctors or women who seek abortions in states with harsh abortion laws. It may mean joining an existing grass-roots group committed to racial justice and equality, women’s rights or tenants rights.
It is this work that will lay the foundation for real change and transformation of our country. If we diligently work in the “in-between” years – indeed every year – we will work for democracy, rather than solely for candidates or political parties. And when we do this work, the candidates and the issues that form the basis of our elections in major election years will be more readily shaped by our substantive priorities and demands. My hope for this year is that we will refuse to go to the sidelines. That we will reject the invitation to become distracted by 18 months of political punditry, and instead get our hands dirty with the work of being truly engaged citizens. We are in a fight for our democracy, and there is real work for us to do. That is our assignment for 2023.”
Resources:
(https://sherrilyn.substack.com/p/2023-the-work-we-must-do?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email)
Sherrilyn Ifill.
2022: The year Taliban cracked down on women’s rights
The year 2022 saw the Taliban imposing restrictions on women’s rights, bringing back the memory of its past rule.
“The Western sanctions mean that the country’s economy has virtually collapsed, worsening the humanitarian situation in the country.
People have been forced to sell their babies and young girls to survive.
“More than 90 percent of 38 million people are at risk of poverty and about 23 million people faced acute hunger as the Taliban has struggled to turn around the economy due to its financial isolation.”
w/photos: (https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2022/12/31/afghanistan-2022)
imho, understood there are problems with Taliban proximity to cash with which they’ll buy weapons and how difficult it is. But our Brothers and Sisters starving when there are billions$$ in the coffers cannot be. Please can our international community put their heads together?
For the children.
Wishing Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills a complete recovery.
Best wishes to all of his family and teammates.
Bleeding and in pain, she couldn’t get 2 Louisiana ERs to answer: Is it a miscarriage?
Rosemary Westwood:
(https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/12/29/1143823727/bleeding-and-in-pain-she-couldnt-get-2-louisiana-ers-to-answer-is-it-a-miscarria
How Black Women die…women bleeding to death due to the end of Roe…in Louisiana 4 Black women die for every white woman who dies in childbirth. 49th in child well-being, should you be lucky enough to survive. (ReidOut)
National Museum of African American History and Culture To Observe 160th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation Issued by President Lincoln
Dec 30, 2022
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is recognizing the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. In honor of this important moment, the museum encourages visitors to reflect on the words featured in early copies of a handheld pamphlet of the Emancipation Proclamation, an original signed copy of President Abraham Lincoln’s Executive Order and an original handwritten signed copy of the 13th Amendment, all on display in the museum’s “Slavery and Freedom” exhibition. The Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment are two of the most important documents in the nation’s history. They helped the country
fulfill the highest ideal of liberty by ensuring a more inclusive manifestation of freedom.
For more details and to learn more, visit nmaahc.si.edu/emancipation.
(https://nmaahc.si.edu/about/news/national-museum-african-american-history-and-culture-observe-160th-anniversary)
Workers in half the country will see major pay increase in 2023
“Washington, D.C., and over half the states in the United States are raising their minimum wage this year, with residents of the nation’s capital getting the biggest boost.
Beginning this past Sunday, D.C.’s living wage will increase to $16.50 an hour. This amount will later increase to $17 an hour on July 1, making it the highest minimum wage within the U.S., according to a news release from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office.”
Asher Notheis: (https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/workers-minimum-wage-increase-2023-dc-$17)
Rachel Maddow Explains The Giant Ramifications Of Republicans If Kevin McCarthy Fails To Be Elected Speaker
Rachel Maddow explained that there is more on the line than embarrassment for Kevin McCarthy:
“Maybe more than that and the problem with that isn’t just that, oh, this is embarrassing for Kevin McCarthy and this is going to be a time suck for Kevin McCarthy and the Republicans, oh, this is bad optics, no, if he doesn’t get elected speaker if somebody doesn’t get elected speaker that means there is no congress.
A Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives. Until someone is elected speaker there isn’t a presiding officer and that means nothing else can happen including swearing in the new members of congress. I mean, on the calendar technically all the new members of congress are supposed to be sworn in tomorrow at noon when the old congress expires.
But if there aren’t enough votes to elect somebody speaker, if there aren’t 218 votes to elect Kevin McCarthy or somebody else to be speaker by that time nobody is getting sworn in. No new congress will start. There will be no House business, no votes, no committees, no nothing until a speaker is chosen. If they don’t get 218 votes when they vote on it, when they take their first ballot tomorrow, the only thing they can keep doing in the congress is just keep taking that vote over and over and over again doing nothing else until someone finally succeeds.”
Jason Easley: (https://www.politicususa.com/2023/01/02/rachel-maddow-next-house-speaker.html)
A Failed Speaker Vote for Kevin McCarthy Would Be a Historic Event
by Brendan Buck
Mr. Buck worked for the past two Republican speakers of the House.
(https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/02/opinion/kevin-mccarthy-speaker-vote.html)
Ex-Pope Benedict XVI, a Staunch Anti-LGBTQ+ Pontiff, Dies at 95
“His antigay dogma led many Catholic churches to close their doors to the LGBTQ+ Catholic group Dignity.”
In his Christmas homily of that year, he denounced transgender and gender-nonconforming people, saying the concept of being transgender was a denial of God.
The Pope Emeritus called same-sex marriage a product of the Antichrist and said society has become so hostile to Christian doctrine that it will shun anyone who opposes equal marriage rights in 2020.”
(https://www.advocate.com/news/2022/12/31/ex-pope-benedict-xvi-staunch-anti-lgbtq-pontiff-dies-95)
Also “condemning abortion and assisted reproduction…”
(Grew up in devoted Catholic home and no one ever used (or thought) to use the term “Anti-Christ”.)
12 ways Marjorie Taylor Greene has demonized LGBTQ+ people
Greene is an eternal font for anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry, disinformation, and conspiracy theories.
(https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/12/12-ways-marjorie-taylor-greene-demonized-lgbtq-people/)
–note her claim that being trans is the same as thinking you’re a cat.
–and that being trans is somehow stopping cis women from being women,
7 international LGBTQ+ rights advances in 2022
From New Zealand to Greece to Zimbabwe, LGBTQ+ people worldwide gained key rights in 2022.
(https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/12/seven-international-lgbtq-rights-advances-2022/)
2022: President Joe Biden’s LGBTQ-History-Making Year
(https://www.advocate.com/voices/2022/12/30/2022-president-joe-bidens-lgbtq-history-making-year)
8 major queer pop culture moments of 2022
by Sarah Prager
This year was one for the books, with historic award wins along with movie and TV firsts. Here’s a look back at the biggest moments in LGBTQ+ pop culture for 2022.
(https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/12/8-major-queer-pop-culture-moments-2022/)
T’is 2023…all year !!!
Congrats America !
Stories that defined the US and Canada in 2022
The year 2022 saw former US President Trump facing legal action, Pope Francis apologising in Canada and several mass shootings.
More: (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/31/stories-that-defined-the-us-and-canada-in-2022)
Greta Thunberg ends year with one of the greatest tweets in history
Thunberg’s funny exchange is a reminder of the connection between machismo, misogyny and hostility to climate action
Rebecca Solnit: ((https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/31/greta-thunberg-andrew-tate-tweet)
David Axelrod: In a lifetime of politics, this one sublime moment shines through
(https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/03/opinions/iowa-caucuses-barack-obama-15th-anniversary-axelrod/index.html)
imho, just wanted to go the extra mile on this thread in honor of TOD, the end of 2022, and the incredible Biden and Obama White Houses.
New post.
Nasa top photos 2022
Small businesses are the engines of our economy. Under our Administration’s economic plan, more Americans have applied to start small businesses last year than ever before.
Georgia is a perfect example of the growing power of Asian American voters
Asian American voters, once again, had strong turnout — a sign that 2020 was no anomaly.
Li Zhou:
(https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/12/28/23519123/georgia-asian-american-voters-turnout-warnock)
“Tired of the Apologies”: Workers, Flyers Say Southwest Airlines Meltdown Was Decades in the Making
The U.S. Department of Transportation says it will investigate cancellations and delays by Southwest Airlines after the airline canceled about two-thirds of its flights since a Christmas snowstorm. The unprecedented operational meltdown left thousands of travelers stranded, causing scenes of chaos at airports across the country during one of the busiest travel seasons in the year. Corliss King, vice president of TWU Local 556 representing Southwest flight attendants, says the union has warned the company for years about the technical issues that contributed to this week’s chaos. We also speak with Paul Hudson of FlyersRights, the largest nonprofit airline passenger rights organization in the U.S., who blames decades of cost-cutting and chasing profits for the deteriorating service in the airline industry. “It’s more profitable to have bad service than good service,” says Hudson.
(https://www.democracynow.org/2022/12/28/southwest_airlines_cancels_flights_strands_travelers
WH update vaccine available
Exposing Ginni Thomas Is One Of The Last Great Patriotic Acts Of The 1/6 Committee
The 1/6 Committee showed the state of mind of Ginni Thomas by releasing text messages that can at best be described as conspiratorial.
Thomas texted to Mark Meadows:
Jason Easley: (https://www.politicususa.com/2023/01/02/1-6-committee-ginni-thomas-texts.html)
“Let’s take a deep breath and slowly read the text from Ginni Thomas. The wife of a sitting Supreme Court justice claimed that Biden, his family, journalists, and others had been arrested and were being detained on military barges outside of GITMO so that they could face a military tribunal for sedition.” (Easley)
The Invention of Elise Stefanik
To rise through the Trump-era G.O.P., a young congresswoman gave up her friends, her mentors and her ideals. Will it be enough?
By Nicholas Confessore
(https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/31/us/politics/elise-stefanik.html)
VP Harris
Last year, I launched a call to action to extend Medicaid postpartum coverage from two months to one year.
This week, @POTUS signed an omnibus bill that enables a permanent one-year extension for states, and provides new investments in maternal health that will save lives.