464 Comments

I think the mainstream media will be only too gleefully covering the antics of the treason party--after all, if it bleeds, it leads--so I applaud your inclination to cover the really meaningful issues for us, Professor.

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It's just been so frustrating and disappointing that there never seems to be consequences for all the lying, cheating, stealing, and overall corruption in the Republican governing body and so it just continues while we patiently wait for justice to prevail.

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Jan 12, 2023·edited Jan 12, 2023

It was difficult for me to get through this excellent Letter because my mind had a dangerously high temperature. That HCR suspects she will not always report on the extremely destructive Republican party is a fine idea. In addition to focusing on Climate Change/Catastrophe, the health of the American people demands attention. Drug addiction, alcoholism, obesity--mortality rates; gun violence; mental health issues; our children's health, education and welfare require sustained reporting and treatment. What a picture we are -- in the wealthiest country on earth! That so many of our elected officials are unfit, traitors of democracy and party to America's unwellness is the investigative reporting that will wise up Americans to who is doing what to whom.

If we care about democracy, we will work toward an informed citizenry.

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So Republican officials in New York’s Nassau County think "...there is a part of our public that is cynical about politicians and public officials.” I wonder where they got that idea?

Yes, swimming here in Northern California, but the mushrooms are everywhere, and waterfalls I haven't seen in years. It was supposed to be another dry winter (we don't normally get any summer rain), but most of us wished for more rain.... If only it will pack the mountains with snow and also fill the man made reservoirs.

How about some great news from California? Katie Porter, USRep from Orange County has declared her candidacy for Senator in 2024! Follow Nancy's lead, Dianne.

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To my California/Pacific Northwest Friends: Wishing you better days sooner rather than later.

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Man, and I thought the winter of 1969 in San Francisco was bad.

And LA's doing a pretty good job getting soaked. I may even have my lawn back. :-)

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"The warming climate is intensifying both droughts—which feed fires—and storms like those currently creating such destruction. "

Not to mention that: In Rochester, NY where the historical average snowfall per year was 140 inches per year when I arrived in 1987 and by the end of December all of the Finger Lakes were frozen over, today Rochester has received around 2" of snowfall so far, profoundly under normal, and not a single Finger Lake has ice on it.

Ask any ice fisherman if climate change is real and you will hear an hour of stories about how it used to be but now it is not.

Last but not least, the spring feeding my pond dried up in August. It remains dry at this time, a historic observation since normally there is a full creek running away from it this time of year.

Bad things are happening and we, right here in America, are going to run out of water. And? I am living in an area that once was awash in water.

In the meantime, Republicans are making sure the big donors can add more damage to the climate.

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Performative; like multiple Benghazi investigations, like what, 40? 50? going nowhere, certain-to-be-vetoed votes to repeal ACA. Performative is an apt characterization of the clown show of the Republican congressional caucus.

I’m sure it’s merely coincidental that there wasn’t a Republican peep about George Santos’ resumè “embellishments” until after he voted for House speaker 15 times, sitting all alone in the House chamber, treated as if he had leprosy by his fellow Republicans. His crime? Getting caught.

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Writing from Woodland, CA, although it would be nice to get rain and snow delivered in a less intense manner, we’ll take whatever we get. Still a VERY long way from breaking the drought.

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Jan 12, 2023·edited Jan 12, 2023

Thank you Heather.

Republicans are performing exactly as expected. They will get their key issues out on the table quickly with the main objective to please their base. Regardless of the outcome of their tee-ups, these howler monkeys just want to hear the sound of their own voice.

Not mentioned, but should be is the ultimately stupid move on the part of whomever left classified documents in Biden's office. This action may very likely be the silver platter the GOP were looking for to nullify Trump's responsibility for his theft of documents and crucify Biden. Is it the same thing? Yes and no. Will the GOP have a field day with it? Absolutely. They already are.

The level of explosive this gave the GOP can't even be registered. I rarely say this, but how fucking stupid is the person/people be responsible for this.

Disappointed and disgusted.

Be safe. Be well.

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Jan 12, 2023·edited Jan 12, 2023

ESG

Your letter touches on all 3 elements. Extreme weather events (Environment); culture wars without a basis in actual policy debate (Social) and

unevenly applied tax policy /inadequate resources for processing and compliance (Governance). Without actual Governance, it is tough to focus policy on resiliency, adaptability from extreme weather events. I am truly saddened that policy debate is deemed too boring for TV news programming.

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Today in the NYT when they discussed The Republican Party turning on Santos, my comment was like most of the others. He is perfectly in keeping with what they stand for. If he has committed a crime charge him, but otherwise, why are they not going after Trump who is the biggest liar of all. They are a bunch of hypocrites. Also, the Republican Party members in Congress need to take a class in government. They seem to think that instead of legislating they are supposed to be in charge of oversight. That is the job of the Justice Department. I am looking at what the Republicans are doing and I feel that we need to be taking to the streets like the women in Iran and the people of China. On January 22, there will be actions organized by The Women's March on the 50th anniversary of Roe v Wade. The National March is on Madison Wisconsin because they will be voting for their Supreme Court on February 21. It is close.

https://action.womensmarch.com/events/national-march-on-madison-bigger-than-roe

If that is too far, there are marches all over the country. You can find one here.

https://action.womensmarch.com/local?page=4

Please join and bring signs for every cause that we need to be supporting right now. Ideally we would be protesting every day, so that the people in government who are misbehaving would get uncomfortable. While the people in Iran and China are getting arrested for protesting and even some are being killed, they also have brought about change because they are relentless. We can peacefully protest and that will let them know that we are not going to just accept their lying, grifting ways as business as usual. That is going on in Germany right now. There are people protesting the plans to dig up of brown coal in Lützerath when coal is supposed to be phased out. That is going on in Vienna right now. There are people protesting the building of a highway into Vienna. In both places they have been setting up camp. The government removed the camps, and the camps come back. In fact, I heard Greta Thunberg is going to be joining the protesters in Germany on Friday. This is our Standing Rock and we need to fight!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Onyk7guvHK8

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Your commentary on which of these deliberately disturbing initiatives are solely performative helps me sleep, at least I hope so as it is now almost 4AM. Unfortunately, writing about these provocative but very dangerous antics must be a terrible drag, and exhausting. I wanted you to know that your sorting through at that level, even briefly, helps this furious woman in Maineville Ohio. A lot.

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Indeed, the oxygen has been sucked by evil for oh, so long. But evil is persistent and powerful. May we be also…

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I hope the Republican plan is to rush through their never-pass wish list so we can stop hearing about the current stupidity in the GOP.

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Santos cannot use the argument that he was elected by the people therefore he can't be ejected by his fellow politicians. The people voted for the fake person he presented to them. Apparently, the political parties don't do any background checks on their candidates. It's ridiculous that people like Santos can get this far in our government. What the heck is happening in this country?

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