True. When those of us in TN talk about how angry and sad we are that our governor and legislature refuse to expand Medicaid, we know that there’s thousands here that have “Obamacare.” Chances are there’s still some that really like their insurance and are grateful for it and have no idea it is “Obamacare.” As you said, millions continue to vote against their own best interest.
Blessed Saturday to all. It is finally sunny here. The dreary rain has stopped for 7 days!!!!!!
Throughout #BlackHistoryMonth we’ll be celebrating the leaders and activists who made @BarackObama's historic path to the White House, and the creation of the Obama Foundation, possible. We’ll also be highlighting #ObamaLeaders in our network who are creating lasting change. pic.twitter.com/csSw4bVxtn
A major police reform bill is back in the spotlight.
The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which targeted racial bias and use of force, stalled in Congress during President Biden’s first year in office.
“We need to get that bill passed,” said RowVaughn Wells, Mr. Nichols’s mother.
“Because if we don’t, the next child that dies — that blood is going to be on their hands.”
After George Floyd was killed I suggested & worked on 6 measures that had the chance of making substantive change in policing. Although a few jurisdictions have adopted one or two measures, none have been widely adopted. Ask elected officials why not. https://t.co/i3AQhHNXWP
College Board ‘bowed to political pressure’ with AP African American Studies changes Kendi says
Black History Month begins as Tyre Nichols was eulogized on Wednesday, and Black history is attacked nationwide. “Today, the war on history is being fought across the red states, with Florida and its governor, Ron DeSantis, acting as the tip of the spear,”
Joy Reid observes. Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, author of ‘How to be an Antiracist,’ joins The ReidOut to discuss.
The College Board Strips Down Its A.P. Curriculum for African American Studies
The official course looks different from a previous draft: No more critical race theory, and the study of contemporary topics — like Black Lives Matter — is optional.
On-the-Record Press Call by Gender Policy Council Director Jennifer Klein and Council of Economic Advisers Member Heather Boushey on the 30th Anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act
I have been taught to yell “stop resisting” and “drop your weapon” after firing a gun, because bystanders will remember you said it and their memory will automatically reverse the order of the events to make it make sense. Their testimony will support yours, because of this.
Tyre Nichols’s Death Proves Yet Again That ‘Elite’ Police Units Are a Disaster
By Radley Balko
)https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/29/opinion/tyre-nichols-police-scorpion.html)
Mr. Balko is the author of “Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America’s Police Forces” and the criminal justice newsletter The Watch.
(https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/coming-soon)
“I hope the goal here is to be forward thinking and prescriptive. Learning and thinking about what we can do better next time, rather than attempting to simply point fingers and put blame on things in the past,” says Rep. Porter on the House Oversight Committee’s Covid agenda
Secret hold restricts DOJ’s bid to access phone of Trump ally Rep. Scott Perry
The decision by a panel of federal appellate judges temporarily blocks a lower-court ruling, escalating the battle over communications related to DOJ’s probe of 2020 election challenges.
Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein:
(https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/30/secret-hold-doj-phone-trump-scott-perry-00080233)
You shouldn’t have to pay an extra $50 to sit next to your child on the plane, pay a surprise “resort fee” for a hotel stay, pay $200 to terminate your cable plan, or pay huge service fees to buy concert tickets.
It’s time for Congress to pass the Junk Fee Prevention Act.
MUST READ essay on what Gov. DeSantis’ campaign against teaching the truth about Black history (American history) is really up to by @JNelsonLDF, the President & Director-Counsel of the @NAACP_LDF, who is deep in the fight. https://t.co/J6zHeLf9nE
“I am a historian of political atrocity, and for me personally number 1 — defeating an ongoing genocidal project — would be more than enough reason to want Ukrainian victory. But every single one of the other fourteen is hugely significant. Each presents the kind of opportunity that generations of policy planners wish for, but almost never get. Much has been done, we have not yet seen and seized the moment.
This is a once-in-lifetime conjuncture, not to be wasted. The Ukrainians have given us a chance to turn this century around, a chance for freedom and security that we could not have achieved by our own efforts, no matter who we happen to be. All we have to do is help them win.”
Ali Velshi after 3 conservative judges on federal bench approved of domestic abusers KEEPING their guns:
“The historical tradition of firearms in this country is related to MUSKETS to fight the redcoats – NOT today’s weapons of war that are readily available to just about any American civilian. Even accused domestic abusers. Even one with restraining orders!
In America half of women who killed by guns are shot to death by an intimate partner.”
(Congresswoman Debbie Dingle who has a terrifying personal story from her childhood about domestic abuse, from their important interview):
“People do not understand what domestic abuse is occurring in this country and how the presence of the gun increases the likelihood of real violence and death.
Daniel Dae Kim says success of ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ has inadvertently hampered
Asian-led films
“If you had a project that spoke to something other than people being super rich and super wealthy and super happy, then they weren’t interested,” the actor said at Sundance.
Black History, Uncensored: Ta-Nehisi Coates can’t be tamed
The GOP’s effort to hide Coates’ work appears to be based in the author’s desire to place whiteness, as an idea, under a microscope.
“I take it as a sign of strength for where the movement is right now,”
says Ta-Nehisi Coates on anti-CRT policies and the backlash from the right.
“It doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous—but it’s also a statement of how threatened they feel and the effect that some of this work has had.”
My daughter just asked my birth year and I said 1976, and she said, "Dang! That's close to the Holocaust." And I was going to object, but it's actually closer to the Holocaust than it is to the present day and now I'm messed up for the rest of the day.
I strongly condemn President Xi’s brazen incursion into American airspace, and I commend President Biden’s leadership in taking down the Chinese balloon over water to ensure safety for all Americans. Now we can collect the equipment and analyze the technology used by the CCP.
A three-judge panel consisting of judges appointed by Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan ruled that domestic abusers should be able to access guns because that’s what the nation’s male founders from the 1700s would want. https://t.co/yieoxotEbB
On this day in 1866 Congressman Thaddeus Stevens succeeded in adding an amendment to the Freedman’s Bureau bill to guarantee each adult formerly enslaved individual “40 acres and a mule.”
And to bring the In Memoriam segment to a close, Mick Fleetwood accompanied Sheryl Crow and Bonnie Raitt for a moving cover of ‘Songbird,’ originally written by his late Fleetwood Mac bandmember, Christine McVie #GRAMMYspic.twitter.com/93bw7XpQU8
I watched these honors roll out this morning one by one holding Evangeline’s hand and screaming! LOL Barely functioning today. I have no words.🤘🏼Congratulations to everyone, what a year for music!!! Thank you to the @RecordingAcad and everyone who voted for us 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/3CaWGzDW3O
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Petras
Trans friend reminding me how beautiful a woman can be if one receives early hormone blockers = no big male muscles, shoulders, facial hair etc. Early treatment prevents suicide epidemic, which gop seems to revel in.
Data indicate that 82% of transgender individuals have considered killing themselves and 40% have attempted suicide, with suicidality highest among transgender youth.
(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32345113/)
The Grammys Celebrate 50 Years of Hip-Hop in a Joyous Performance
The medley, curated by Questlove of the Roots, featured a taste of some two dozen songs from across decades, regions and movements.
By Joe Coscarelli
“In what could be seen as an elaborate mea culpa to rap music after decades of friction and perceived disrespect, the Grammy Awards dedicated an extended, centerpiece performance on Sunday to the forthcoming 50th anniversary of hip-hop, going from Grandmaster Flash to Lil Uzi Vert in about 15 minutes.
Featuring a taste of some two dozen songs from across decades, regions and movements, the medley — curated by Questlove of the Roots and narrated by his bandmate Black Thought, plus LL Cool J and Queen Latifah — included deep cuts, smash hits and fan favorites in a rapid-fire fashion. The performance celebrated the half-centennial of the genre, which many in the industry have dated to Aug. 11, 1973, when DJ Kool Herc threw a back-to-school party with his sister in the rec room of an apartment building at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx.”
Obama White House.gov
The Obama Diary 
Hello everyone and thanks NW. Yes ObamaCare is everywhere, including the red states who continue to vote against their own interest.
True. When those of us in TN talk about how angry and sad we are that our governor and legislature refuse to expand Medicaid, we know that there’s thousands here that have “Obamacare.” Chances are there’s still some that really like their insurance and are grateful for it and have no idea it is “Obamacare.” As you said, millions continue to vote against their own best interest.
Blessed Saturday to all. It is finally sunny here. The dreary rain has stopped for 7 days!!!!!!
Love! Thanks for sharing!
A major police reform bill is back in the spotlight.
The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which targeted racial bias and use of force, stalled in Congress during President Biden’s first year in office.
“We need to get that bill passed,” said RowVaughn Wells, Mr. Nichols’s mother.
“Because if we don’t, the next child that dies — that blood is going to be on their hands.”
Remy Tumin: (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/01/us/george-floyd-act-tyre-nichols.html)
College Board ‘bowed to political pressure’ with AP African American Studies changes Kendi says
Black History Month begins as Tyre Nichols was eulogized on Wednesday, and Black history is attacked nationwide. “Today, the war on history is being fought across the red states, with Florida and its governor, Ron DeSantis, acting as the tip of the spear,”
Joy Reid observes. Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, author of ‘How to be an Antiracist,’ joins The ReidOut to discuss.
The College Board Strips Down Its A.P. Curriculum for African American Studies
The official course looks different from a previous draft: No more critical race theory, and the study of contemporary topics — like Black Lives Matter — is optional.
(https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/01/us/college-board-advanced-placement-african-american-studies.html)
On-the-Record Press Call by Gender Policy Council Director Jennifer Klein and Council of Economic Advisers Member Heather Boushey on the 30th Anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act
(https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2023/02/02/on-the-record-press-call-by-gender-policy-council-director-jennifer-klein-and-council-of-economic-advisers-member-heather-boushey-on-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-family-and-medical-leave-act/
Tyre Nichols’ parents and man who disarmed Monterey Park gunman invited to Biden’s State of the Union
The tragedies have renewed calls for policing and gun control measures.
By Summer Concepcion
(https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/tyre-nichols-parents-man-disarmed-monterey-park-gunman-invited-bidens-rcna68137)
Tyre Nichols’s Death Proves Yet Again That ‘Elite’ Police Units Are a Disaster
By Radley Balko
)https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/29/opinion/tyre-nichols-police-scorpion.html)
Mr. Balko is the author of “Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America’s Police Forces” and the criminal justice newsletter The Watch.
(https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/coming-soon)
President Joe Biden to Kevin McCarthy: “Show me your budget.”
That was one of his finest statements ever!
Republicans’ 2024 Magical Thinking
Lots of Republicans want Donald Trump to disappear from politics. Their main strategy is hope.
McKay Coppins: (https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2023/01/2024-republican-primary-donald-trump-deus-ex-machina/672888/)
Rep. Katie Porter: Congress Covid probe should be ‘forward thinking and prescriptive’
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfyTUk2qfbk)
“I hope the goal here is to be forward thinking and prescriptive. Learning and thinking about what we can do better next time, rather than attempting to simply point fingers and put blame on things in the past,” says Rep. Porter on the House Oversight Committee’s Covid agenda
Gop representatives: “more concerned about hijacking democracy than they are about defending it.”
When Ilhan Omar Asks Questions, Her Colleagues Should Listen
(https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/30/opinion/when-ilhan-omar-asks-questions-her-colleagues-should-listen.html)
“My voice will get louder and stronger.” (Congresswoman Omar)
sleeping otter lie close together so don’t float away
The Life-and-Death Consequences of the Shortage of Black Mental Health Workers
BY AMANDA J. CALHOUN
(https://slate.com/technology/2023/01/black-youth-mental-health-crisis-psychiatrist-shortage.html)
Secret hold restricts DOJ’s bid to access phone of Trump ally Rep. Scott Perry
The decision by a panel of federal appellate judges temporarily blocks a lower-court ruling, escalating the battle over communications related to DOJ’s probe of 2020 election challenges.
Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein:
(https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/30/secret-hold-doj-phone-trump-scott-perry-00080233)
Timothy Snyder
“I am a historian of political atrocity, and for me personally number 1 — defeating an ongoing genocidal project — would be more than enough reason to want Ukrainian victory. But every single one of the other fourteen is hugely significant. Each presents the kind of opportunity that generations of policy planners wish for, but almost never get. Much has been done, we have not yet seen and seized the moment.
This is a once-in-lifetime conjuncture, not to be wasted. The Ukrainians have given us a chance to turn this century around, a chance for freedom and security that we could not have achieved by our own efforts, no matter who we happen to be. All we have to do is help them win.”
(https://snyder.substack.com/p/why-the-world-needs-ukrainian-victory)
“Everything was done with the knowledge and at the direction of Donald Trump.”
(Michael Cohen)
Rep. Ilhan Omar.
–3,000 per cent with you.
I’m with her, too!
From 2017 to 2021:
4,000 children were separated from their parents and put in jails in our country.
Trump and his associates must pay for the injuries, deaths and lifetime damage.
Remarks by President Biden on the Administration’s Efforts to Replace Lead Pipes and Provide Clean Drinking Water for All Americans
Belmont Water Treatment Plant
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
(https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/02/03/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-administrations-efforts-to-replace-lead-pipes-and-provide-clean-drinking-water-for-all-americans/
Ali Velshi after 3 conservative judges on federal bench approved of domestic abusers KEEPING their guns:
“The historical tradition of firearms in this country is related to MUSKETS to fight the redcoats – NOT today’s weapons of war that are readily available to just about any American civilian. Even accused domestic abusers. Even one with restraining orders!
In America half of women who killed by guns are shot to death by an intimate partner.”
(Congresswoman Debbie Dingle who has a terrifying personal story from her childhood about domestic abuse, from their important interview):
“People do not understand what domestic abuse is occurring in this country and how the presence of the gun increases the likelihood of real violence and death.
Indigenous hall of fame announces 2023 class
The list of 75 includes big names as well as those of lesser known athletes
by Kolby Kickingwoman
(https://ictnews.org/news/indigenous-hall-of-fame-announces-2023-class)
Montana American Indian Caucus hits the ground running
The Montana legislature has the highest Indigenous representation than any other state in the country
by Kolby Kickingwoman
(https://ictnews.org/news/montana-american-indian-caucus-hits-the-ground-running)
Daniel Dae Kim says success of ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ has inadvertently hampered
Asian-led films
“If you had a project that spoke to something other than people being super rich and super wealthy and super happy, then they weren’t interested,” the actor said at Sundance.
(https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/daniel-dae-kim-says-success-crazy-rich-asians-hampered-asian-led-films-rcna67476)
Half Moon Bay shooting victims’ families who lived on farms left without homes or income
The tragedy left survivors and victims’ families fearful to return to the farms where they lived and earned their livelihoods.
(https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/half-moon-bay-shooting-victims-families-lived-farms-left-homes-income-rcna68246
Black History, Uncensored: Ta-Nehisi Coates can’t be tamed
The GOP’s effort to hide Coates’ work appears to be based in the author’s desire to place whiteness, as an idea, under a microscope.
(https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/ta-nehisi-coates-black-history-uncensored-rcna69043)
“I take it as a sign of strength for where the movement is right now,”
says Ta-Nehisi Coates on anti-CRT policies and the backlash from the right.
“It doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous—but it’s also a statement of how threatened they feel and the effect that some of this work has had.”
(Fyi: see incredible one-on-one with Ta-Nehisis Coates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWDeBHmxjcs)
Ta-Nehisi.
How to Watch President Biden’s 2023 State of the Union Address
Tuesday, February 7th, 2023, 9 PM ET
(https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/blog/2023/02/04/how-to-watch-president-bidens-2023-state-of-the-union-address/)
🥰
Saw that earlier – it’s so true! #Kids
but isn’t it true that guns are not allowed in the courthouses…one wonders why not
WOW…i do not know what to say!
Many of us are still waiting to receive…
Enjoy your Sunday, sweet TOD buddies!
You too J’OB 💖😘
Thanks, friend!
Hello TOD Fam!💞 Dropping in to share a throwback! Late1960’s had so much promise worldwide. Much love💞
Sharing … This is an interesting take on a classic. Aretha!
Baraye Shervin Hajipour (full version with English lyrics) – برای – Baraye
FIRST LADY JILL BIDEN Presents First Ever Best Song For Social Change Award | 2023 GRAMMYs
Beyoncé Delivers Emotional Speech After HISTORIC Grammys Win
BEYONCE Wins Best R&B Song For ‘CUFF IT’ | 2023 GRAMMYs Acceptance Speech
test
SAMARA JOY Performs “Can’t Get Out Of This Mood” | 2023 GRAMMYs
Samara Joy won the 2023 Grammy Award for Best New Artist,
LIZZO Wins Record Of The Year For ‘About Damn Time’ | 2023 GRAMMYs
BONNIE RAITT Wins Song Of The Year For “JUST LIKE THAT” | 2023 GRAMMYs Acceptance Speech
DR. DRE Wins the Global Impact Award | 2023 GRAMMYs
!st trans woman to win this award, brava.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Petras
Trans friend reminding me how beautiful a woman can be if one receives early hormone blockers = no big male muscles, shoulders, facial hair etc. Early treatment prevents suicide epidemic, which gop seems to revel in.
Data indicate that 82% of transgender individuals have considered killing themselves and 40% have attempted suicide, with suicidality highest among transgender youth.
(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32345113/)
The Grammys Celebrate 50 Years of Hip-Hop in a Joyous Performance
The medley, curated by Questlove of the Roots, featured a taste of some two dozen songs from across decades, regions and movements.
By Joe Coscarelli
“In what could be seen as an elaborate mea culpa to rap music after decades of friction and perceived disrespect, the Grammy Awards dedicated an extended, centerpiece performance on Sunday to the forthcoming 50th anniversary of hip-hop, going from Grandmaster Flash to Lil Uzi Vert in about 15 minutes.
Featuring a taste of some two dozen songs from across decades, regions and movements, the medley — curated by Questlove of the Roots and narrated by his bandmate Black Thought, plus LL Cool J and Queen Latifah — included deep cuts, smash hits and fan favorites in a rapid-fire fashion. The performance celebrated the half-centennial of the genre, which many in the industry have dated to Aug. 11, 1973, when DJ Kool Herc threw a back-to-school party with his sister in the rec room of an apartment building at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx.”
+ see the full set list.
More: (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/05/arts/music/grammys-hip-hop-50th-anniversary-performance.html)
Mary J. Blige delivers powerful performance of “Good Morning Gorgeous” at 2023 Grammys
Ms. Blige also received six award nominations, including for Record of the Year and Album of the Year.
Jon Powell: (https://www.revolt.tv/article/2023-02-05/271077/mary-j-blige-delivers-powerful-performance-of-good-morning-gorgeous-at-2023-grammys/)
—still recovering…brought house down.
New post.