President Joe Biden is trying to model a normal presidency as he stabilizes the nation after the drama of the past four years, rebuilds from the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic, and deals with crises around the world. Today, Biden signed into law a bill to combat hate crimes, especially against Asian Americans, sparked by Covid-19. After former president Trump began blaming China for the coronavirus pandemic—calling the virus the “kung flu” for example—hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders spiked to more than 6600 between March 2020 and March 2021. “Hate has no place in America,” Biden tweeted.
A good description of today's Treason & Trump Party, formerly known as the Republican Party:
"It was almost no trick at all, he saw, to turn vice into virtue and slander into truth, impotence into abstinence, arrogance into humility, plunder into philanthropy, thievery into honor, blasphemy into wisdom, brutality into patriotism, and sadism into justice. Anybody could do it; it required no brains at all. All it required was no character."
The utter disengagement from the reality of January 6th by the GOP is puzzling. I am reminded of an old lawyer adage, "never ask a question you don't already know the answer to". Is their fear the fact that they know who was involved and when that is uncovered they won't beable to twist the narrative to their advantage ?
Texas seems to be hell bent on taking away all they possibly can from women's rights to their own bodies to the weekly $300 additional unemployment funds. I thought yesterday's photo op of signing away women's rights a.k.a. abortion bill was particularly biting with the token women smiling in the front row surrounded by the men that did the bidding. What's the word I'm looking for 🤔 ......disgusting.
Time for full-page ads in the NYT, WaPo, WSJ, USAToday, etc., with the January quotes by Cornyn, McCarthy, et. al., compared to what they are saying now. The lack of integrity is appalling, but also disheartening. But at least I know what I'll say when I call Cornyn's office tomorrow: Do you not have the courage to stand by your words?
As with the former president, if they have nothing to hide, why are they working so hard to hide it?
All of this says more about the Republican constituancy than the lawmakers themselves. Are the phones of Republican lawmakers burning up with Republican voters calling for an investigation? Had Hillary Clinton been president on January 6th they would be.
Had January 6th been a BLM demonstration that got out of control the bodies would haqve been stacked like cordwood and the 3rd or 4th investigation would have been started by now.
As far as I'm concerned, the Republican Party at the national level has become an ongoing criminal enterprise, and not one of them gives a damn who knows it.
Americans are getting to see the true stripes of the Republican Party. Post-Trump, they can’t say with a straight face that the party is for fiscal responsibility or even law and order. They may claim that the January 6th insurrection was by Antifa and BLM, but if they really believed that they would have been hollering for hearings and a guillotine months ago. My congressperson happens to be Jaime Herrera Beutler, whose testimony was read into the second impeachment trial as witness to the conversation Qevin McCarthy had with Trump. McCarthy’s response to Trump was allegedly, “Who the f—- do you think you’re talking to?” Now, with his gaslighting and denials, a lot of us could be asking McCarthy the same question.
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! Regarding the perceived labor shortage being due to federal stimulus payments, one journalist highlights a fix that could solve the dilemma. Unfortunately, I forgot to copy the link from which these quotes came. But I thought the solution was so simple, I just had to share:
“When a company is struggling to find enough labor, it can solve the problem by offering to pay a higher price for that labor — also known as higher wages. More workers will then enter the labor market. Suddenly, the labor shortage will be no more.
“Corporate profits, on the other hand, have been rising rapidly and now make up a larger share of G.D.P. than in previous decades. As a result, most companies can afford to respond to a growing economy by raising wages and continuing to make profits, albeit perhaps not the unusually generous profits they have been enjoying.
“Sure enough, some companies have responded to the alleged labor shortage by doing exactly this. Bank of America announced Tuesday that it would raise its minimum hourly wage to $25 and insist that contractors pay at least $15 an hour. Other companies that have recently announced pay increases include Amazon, Chipotle, Costco, McDonald’s, Walmart, J.P. Morgan Chase and Sheetz convenience stores.”
For those who want a break from the news, here's a news story that should lift everyone's spirits. Some may want to save this for later reading...after you've had your fill of the heavy. Spoiler Alert: Who remembers Simon Says; Red Light Green Light; or Mother, May I? Smiles all around on this one!
Texas is one of the states ending the extra $300 for unemployment. But as my son previously restaurant worker put it, his friends are finding other jobs. More stable with benefits.
It’s all a roller coaster ride with crazy loops and plunges. I like to hope some day it’ll be more like a train ride. I use to tell my kids I’m not getting on your roller coaster, let me know when you come back to the station.
Thanks for the info! EOY elementary teacher with a full moon on the last day. Just keeping my head above water! Lol!
I'm shocked -- shocked! -- that Republican senators are protecting Antifa, the organization that they claim is *really* responsible for the events of January 6th.
We should always remember the classic quote from "Stone's Fall"
> A company is a moral imbecile. It has no sense of right or wrong. Any restraints have to come from the outside, from laws and customs which forbid it from doing certain things of which we disapprove. But it is a restraint that reduces profits. Which is why all companies will strain forever to break the bounds of the law, to act unfettered in their pursuit of advantage. That is the only way they can survive because the more powerful will devour the weak. And because it is the nature of capital, which is wild, longs to be free and chafes at each and every restriction imposed upon it.”<
Thank you Dr. Richardson. It is breathtaking that the Republicans appear to be on the brink of denying our country a non partisan investigation into the coup on 1/06. I don’t know if their resistance is strong enough to last though. I think Biden and his team can outsmart them but then I may be too optimistic. How can we not get to the bottom of that horrible day?
Ms. Richardson. Well done as always. But what grabbed me was the phrase you used in ordinary course, to begin your piece: "President Joe Biden." Very occasionally, during commercial breaks on Rachel Maddow's MSNBC broadcast, I flip to Sean Hannity on Fox. I have never been able to tolerate the Hannity narrative, whatever it is, for longer than a minute or two. No explanation needed on that front. As relevant here, however, this the point: I have never once heard Hannity refer to the President as "President Biden." Or as "The President" Or even "Biden." It is always some variant of "Corrupt Joe." or "Sleepy Joe" or "Feeble Joe" or "Out of Control Joe" or simply, at best, "Joe." Am I confident that Hannity never refers to the President by his title or in any way respectfully? No, I'm listening to the Hannity narrative less than 5 minutes a week, if that. But sawbucks to sawdust, my supposition is correct. The point here is trivial, I recognize, in part because it is a point about rhetoric. But underneath the word play is the deepest of antipathy and absence of ordinary decency that Hannity shares with the the huge majority of the Republican base; it will never be meaningfully ameliorated.
I am amazed at how can write so many letters of such high quality, Professor. Thank you. Democrats and Independents must wake uo the the Retrumplicans using entropy as a weapon to attack their own country and their people. 20 STATES turning down the $300 for extra unemployment because it is a disincentive for people to return to work. That is appalling and disgusting!
What a short-sighted game those loyal to the twice-impeached, one-term former president play. His criminality is drawing national attention, and indictments are soon to follow. His loyalists surely have given this thought; so, what happens when the object of their affection is unable to run for office? One of the loyalists will claim the crown and scepter, despite lacking the ‘can’t look away from the car crash’ appeal that the grifter/con man exudes. That person will try to rise to the bar, but will fail and the cult begins to wither.
Yes, it's breathtaking that Republicans will prevent a bi-partisan investigation into one of our nation's most troubling events, despite overwhelming public approval. When it gets right down to it, Republicans will do anything to stay out of the 1/6 spotlight, fearing what may be revealed about the insurrection and insiders who ignited it. This is what desperation looks like.
A good description of today's Treason & Trump Party, formerly known as the Republican Party:
"It was almost no trick at all, he saw, to turn vice into virtue and slander into truth, impotence into abstinence, arrogance into humility, plunder into philanthropy, thievery into honor, blasphemy into wisdom, brutality into patriotism, and sadism into justice. Anybody could do it; it required no brains at all. All it required was no character."
-- Joseph Heller, "Catch 22"
Thank you Heather.
The utter disengagement from the reality of January 6th by the GOP is puzzling. I am reminded of an old lawyer adage, "never ask a question you don't already know the answer to". Is their fear the fact that they know who was involved and when that is uncovered they won't beable to twist the narrative to their advantage ?
Texas seems to be hell bent on taking away all they possibly can from women's rights to their own bodies to the weekly $300 additional unemployment funds. I thought yesterday's photo op of signing away women's rights a.k.a. abortion bill was particularly biting with the token women smiling in the front row surrounded by the men that did the bidding. What's the word I'm looking for 🤔 ......disgusting.
You left us too soon Ann Richards.
Be safe, be well.
Time for full-page ads in the NYT, WaPo, WSJ, USAToday, etc., with the January quotes by Cornyn, McCarthy, et. al., compared to what they are saying now. The lack of integrity is appalling, but also disheartening. But at least I know what I'll say when I call Cornyn's office tomorrow: Do you not have the courage to stand by your words?
Something to hide, indeed.
After all the back-pedaling, these folks must be 5 years younger! The absence of integrity and ethics is stunning.
Write letters. Make phone calls. Take action.
Filibuster has to go.
As with the former president, if they have nothing to hide, why are they working so hard to hide it?
All of this says more about the Republican constituancy than the lawmakers themselves. Are the phones of Republican lawmakers burning up with Republican voters calling for an investigation? Had Hillary Clinton been president on January 6th they would be.
Had January 6th been a BLM demonstration that got out of control the bodies would haqve been stacked like cordwood and the 3rd or 4th investigation would have been started by now.
As far as I'm concerned, the Republican Party at the national level has become an ongoing criminal enterprise, and not one of them gives a damn who knows it.
Americans are getting to see the true stripes of the Republican Party. Post-Trump, they can’t say with a straight face that the party is for fiscal responsibility or even law and order. They may claim that the January 6th insurrection was by Antifa and BLM, but if they really believed that they would have been hollering for hearings and a guillotine months ago. My congressperson happens to be Jaime Herrera Beutler, whose testimony was read into the second impeachment trial as witness to the conversation Qevin McCarthy had with Trump. McCarthy’s response to Trump was allegedly, “Who the f—- do you think you’re talking to?” Now, with his gaslighting and denials, a lot of us could be asking McCarthy the same question.
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! Regarding the perceived labor shortage being due to federal stimulus payments, one journalist highlights a fix that could solve the dilemma. Unfortunately, I forgot to copy the link from which these quotes came. But I thought the solution was so simple, I just had to share:
“When a company is struggling to find enough labor, it can solve the problem by offering to pay a higher price for that labor — also known as higher wages. More workers will then enter the labor market. Suddenly, the labor shortage will be no more.
“Corporate profits, on the other hand, have been rising rapidly and now make up a larger share of G.D.P. than in previous decades. As a result, most companies can afford to respond to a growing economy by raising wages and continuing to make profits, albeit perhaps not the unusually generous profits they have been enjoying.
“Sure enough, some companies have responded to the alleged labor shortage by doing exactly this. Bank of America announced Tuesday that it would raise its minimum hourly wage to $25 and insist that contractors pay at least $15 an hour. Other companies that have recently announced pay increases include Amazon, Chipotle, Costco, McDonald’s, Walmart, J.P. Morgan Chase and Sheetz convenience stores.”
For those who want a break from the news, here's a news story that should lift everyone's spirits. Some may want to save this for later reading...after you've had your fill of the heavy. Spoiler Alert: Who remembers Simon Says; Red Light Green Light; or Mother, May I? Smiles all around on this one!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/school-recess-outdoor-pandemic-games/2021/05/19/002beefa-b7e1-11eb-a5fe-bb49dc89a248_story.html?utm_campaign=wp_afternoon_buzz&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_buzz&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F3272d21%2F60a56f919d2fdae302568fa7%2F5e865b08ade4e21f59b0a68d%2F18%2F48%2F60a56f919d2fdae302568fa7
Texas is one of the states ending the extra $300 for unemployment. But as my son previously restaurant worker put it, his friends are finding other jobs. More stable with benefits.
It’s all a roller coaster ride with crazy loops and plunges. I like to hope some day it’ll be more like a train ride. I use to tell my kids I’m not getting on your roller coaster, let me know when you come back to the station.
Thanks for the info! EOY elementary teacher with a full moon on the last day. Just keeping my head above water! Lol!
Thanks, Heather!
Celebrating signing of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act:
Spunky Chinese American girls call out "Racist Sexist Boy."
https://twitter.com/elisewho/status/1395511990299217927?s=20
Then back to work, Stop AAPI Hate:
https://stopaapihate.org/
I'm shocked -- shocked! -- that Republican senators are protecting Antifa, the organization that they claim is *really* responsible for the events of January 6th.
We should always remember the classic quote from "Stone's Fall"
> A company is a moral imbecile. It has no sense of right or wrong. Any restraints have to come from the outside, from laws and customs which forbid it from doing certain things of which we disapprove. But it is a restraint that reduces profits. Which is why all companies will strain forever to break the bounds of the law, to act unfettered in their pursuit of advantage. That is the only way they can survive because the more powerful will devour the weak. And because it is the nature of capital, which is wild, longs to be free and chafes at each and every restriction imposed upon it.”<
Thank you Dr. Richardson. It is breathtaking that the Republicans appear to be on the brink of denying our country a non partisan investigation into the coup on 1/06. I don’t know if their resistance is strong enough to last though. I think Biden and his team can outsmart them but then I may be too optimistic. How can we not get to the bottom of that horrible day?
Ms. Richardson. Well done as always. But what grabbed me was the phrase you used in ordinary course, to begin your piece: "President Joe Biden." Very occasionally, during commercial breaks on Rachel Maddow's MSNBC broadcast, I flip to Sean Hannity on Fox. I have never been able to tolerate the Hannity narrative, whatever it is, for longer than a minute or two. No explanation needed on that front. As relevant here, however, this the point: I have never once heard Hannity refer to the President as "President Biden." Or as "The President" Or even "Biden." It is always some variant of "Corrupt Joe." or "Sleepy Joe" or "Feeble Joe" or "Out of Control Joe" or simply, at best, "Joe." Am I confident that Hannity never refers to the President by his title or in any way respectfully? No, I'm listening to the Hannity narrative less than 5 minutes a week, if that. But sawbucks to sawdust, my supposition is correct. The point here is trivial, I recognize, in part because it is a point about rhetoric. But underneath the word play is the deepest of antipathy and absence of ordinary decency that Hannity shares with the the huge majority of the Republican base; it will never be meaningfully ameliorated.
I am amazed at how can write so many letters of such high quality, Professor. Thank you. Democrats and Independents must wake uo the the Retrumplicans using entropy as a weapon to attack their own country and their people. 20 STATES turning down the $300 for extra unemployment because it is a disincentive for people to return to work. That is appalling and disgusting!
What a short-sighted game those loyal to the twice-impeached, one-term former president play. His criminality is drawing national attention, and indictments are soon to follow. His loyalists surely have given this thought; so, what happens when the object of their affection is unable to run for office? One of the loyalists will claim the crown and scepter, despite lacking the ‘can’t look away from the car crash’ appeal that the grifter/con man exudes. That person will try to rise to the bar, but will fail and the cult begins to wither.
… or, so I hope!
Yes, it's breathtaking that Republicans will prevent a bi-partisan investigation into one of our nation's most troubling events, despite overwhelming public approval. When it gets right down to it, Republicans will do anything to stay out of the 1/6 spotlight, fearing what may be revealed about the insurrection and insiders who ignited it. This is what desperation looks like.