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20+ Reasons to be Optimistic and Kansas! [1]
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Date: 2022-08-03
Good Day to all the gnus in Gnuville! Happy Wednesday!
Apparently, an optimistic mindset is not the norm amongst humans. For some (probably very good evolutionary) reason, most of us are inclined to get stuck in negative thoughts (see Ted Talk below) and it’s been my experience that people who tend to look on the bright side are often accused of not seeing how serious things are/not paying attention/ whistling past the graveyard, etc. There’s an article in the Lightning Roundup which discusses a kind of cheerfulness that capitalizes on a sort of “chin up” external pressure which may be what those who dismiss genuine optimism are really objecting to.
But genuine optimism is not ignoring reality. It is assessing reality and really believing that things can get better. Human history actually bears out the truth of that belief, too!
Having hope and optimism are psychological tools that can propel us toward progress. You can be horrified by what’s going on around you and still feel optimistic that better times will come. You can be mad as hell about what Republicans are doing — and have done — and still believe that you have the power to make a difference. Horror and anger without optimism and hope will wear you down and could even destroy you. Hope and optimism without a little injection of anger can lead to the shallow kind of ignoring reality that critics say “bright siders” do.
So, what can you do if you are like the majority of humankind — more attentive to (and worried about) bad news reports and less trusting of good news? I looked into this and I understand that optimism can be self-taught! There’s an article in the Lightning Roundup if you’re interested. One quick way to bolster your sense of optimism is to read the GNRs frequently and other good news resources, to remind yourself of all the good things humans are accomplishing, even in a world plagued by war, famine and...er...plagues.
In spite of everything we deplore about the state of the world right now, that spark of optimism inside of us has to acknowledge that it’s a better world now than it has ever been before in human history. Read on for news that will definitely help boost your optimistic spirit today!
🎶 Music for Us Cock-Eyed Optimists 🎶
🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨
Here’s a great reason to be optimistic about the country:
Abortion rights win in Kansas! This is a very big deal not only because Kansas is a very conservative state, but also because it was in Kansas that the anti-abortion culture war weapon was honed by the far right.
Kansas voters protect abortion rights, block path to ban, John Hanna and Margaret Stafford, AP, August 2, 2022.
Postcards to Voters ensured that Kansans knew they could vote on the ballot measure, even if they would not normally be allowed to vote in the primary. PTV made a difference! The referendum in the conservative state was the first test of U.S. voter sentiment about abortion rights since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. It was a major victory for abortion rights advocates following weeks in which many states in the South and Midwest largely banned abortion. Voters rejected a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution that would have added language stating that it does not grant the right to abortion. A 2019 state Supreme Court decision declared that access to abortion is a “fundamental” right under the state’s Bill of Rights, preventing a ban and potentially thwarting legislative efforts to enact new restrictions. The referendum was closely watched as a barometer of liberal and moderate voters’ anger over the June ruling scrapping the nationwide right to abortion. The measure’s failure also was significant because of how conservative Kansas is and how twice as many Republicans as Democrats have voted in its August primaries in the decade leading up to Tuesday night’s tilt.
Kansas Voters Just Rewrote the Script for the Midterm Elections, Daniel Strauss, The New Republic, August 2, 2022.
The common refrain was that the outcome would be razor thin and come in the latest minutes of Tuesday night or the earliest hours of Wednesday morning. But at 9:26 p.m., Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report—the most authoritative voice on early election results in America, whose Twitter feed is monitored by many thousands on nights like this—announced he had “seen enough,” his signature catchphrase for an election outcome. In record-level turnout for a primary that reached presidential-election levels, Kansans overwhelmingly voted down the effort to strip the state constitution of abortion rights, which would have cleared the way for the GOP-controlled state legislature to pass strict anti-choice legislation. It was, Wasserman tweeted, a “huge victory for the pro-choice side.” What Kansas voters also just did was to dramatically reshape the midterm elections this November. It’s hard to interpret results this overpowering in this red a state any other way. ✂️ Still, Democrats are also loath to say even there’s a silver lining in the highest court in the land striking down a law protecting abortion across the country. Still, the returns on Tuesday were encouraging for Democrats. In Johnson County, Kansas at 10:48 p.m. ET, the tally was about 72 percent voting no on the referendum and 28 percent voting yes. Johnson County is the most populous one in the state. By comparison, Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in Johnson County with about 53 percent of the vote to Trump’s 44 percent. That the referendum ran so much more strongly than Biden is a sign that there may well be a hidden army of voters out there who are going to make reproductive rights the issue of these midterms. As former Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill said on MSNBC Tuesday night: “This should be a big flashing signal to every Democratic candidate out there.”
😁 20+ More Reasons to be Optimistic 😁
Having government run by Democrats — even with our razor-thin majorities in Congress — is truly something to feel optimistic about. Joe Biden and the Democrats have brought us:
1. American Rescue Plan
2. Infrastructure Bill
3. Inflation Reduction Act (Manchin-Schumer Budget Reconciliation Bill)
together will
4. invest more in America’s future than the New Deal and the Interstate Highway System bills combined! Yes, you read that correctly — we can see the enormous benefits to society (and to people) of those older initiatives after 50-70 years. Give the Biden accomplishments a little time to ripen and this administration will go down in history for having moved this country forward in a BFD way.
x What have we done?
With the American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure bill, and the climate/drug bill, in 2 years Dems have invested 2 1/2 to 3 times as much as the ENTIRE New Deal AND Interstate Highway System COMBINED.
1/7 — DCPetterson (@dcpetterson) July 30, 2022
5. Ended our longest war
6. Fastest job growth in history (and only 3.6% unemployment!)
7. Recovered from the worst recession in a century
8. Gave every American access to free life-saving vaccines
x .. united the world against Russia's attack on Ukraine, is running Congressional and criminal investigations into the largest conspiracy and worst attack on American democracy ever, appointed the first black woman to the Supreme Court, rebuilt the entire Executive Branch ...
3/7 — DCPetterson (@dcpetterson) July 30, 2022
9. Restored NATO, thanks to Joe’s quiet leadership and because he...
10. United the world against Russia’s attack on Ukraine
11. Made sure that Congressional and criminal investigations into the January 6th insurrection and ongoing coup attempt are run well and people will be held accountable
12. Appointed the first black woman to SCOTUS
13. Rebuilt the Executive Branch of government which had been deliberately hollowed out by the Rs.
x And that's just off the top of my head.
Oh, and the biggest firearms legislation in 30 years.
This is already one of the most effective and consequential Administrations in American history. And it's just getting started.
5/7 — DCPetterson (@dcpetterson) July 30, 2022
14. Restored America’s standing in the world.
15. Helped bring Sweden and Finland into NATO
16. Reduced the deficit faster than any time in American history.
17. Passed the biggest gun control legislation in 30 years.
18. Passed the CHIPS and Science Bill, to rebuild American industries, manufacturing and R&D.
19. Joe Biden issued Executive orders to support women’s reproductive rights
20. Biden also issued dozens of EOs to undo TFG’s fascist EOs.
21. Cut child poverty in half (and a plan to keep that statistic from falling back due to R obstruction of BBB).
22. Nearly 100 new federal judges.
x The idea that we "haven't done anything" is uneducated at best.
Yes, there is always more to do. Democrats have proven they're up to it -- IF we give them big enough majorities to get things done.
7/7 — DCPetterson (@dcpetterson) July 30, 2022
All of that is only the highlight reel! So much more has been going on under the radar and out of the glare of media obsession with a few “top” stories — as your Friday GNR White House updates from chloris creator illustrate every week.
Think how much Joe and the Democrats could accomplish with REAL majorities in the House and Senate.
Let’s focus on that and do everything we can to GOTV! Here are some ways you can play a part:
💗 How Can You Help Build Our Democracy Back Better? 💗
x Here's the plan to win the House:
https://t.co/Vo1TA2IwSj — Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) July 18, 2022
Here’s a visual to help us keep our eyes on the prize:
Let’s do this!
Getting stuck in the negatives happens to most of us sometimes, and most of us can train ourselves to turn that frown upside down! 😁 (I’m kidding around because that’s how I roll — being of the optimistic persuasion — but in all seriousness, it really is possible to temper our natural pessimism by exercising mindful optimism):
Democrats in Array 💙🏋🏾♀️
Here’s an example of looking at the reality — acknowledging the disappointing parts — and applying the optimistic belief that- with effort- it will still make things better:
The Manchin-Schumer Deal Could Pay Off—if Congress Acts, Charles Komanoff, the Nation, August 2, 2022.
The Inflation Reduction Act likewise marks a turning point, at least for the time being, on long-running, world-damaging US climate helplessness. True, modeling by the Rhodium Group found that the legislation will only deliver a 7 to 9 percent carbon reduction relative to ongoing trends—far short of the massive cuts required for the United States to credibly claim global climate leadership. But by letting millions more Americans experience wind, solar, and energy efficiency—not as abstractions but as palpable engines of economic advancement—the bill opens paths to expansive climate gains going forward. The omnibus legislation also burnishes green energy investments by packaging them with other popular but less contentious reforms such as affordable prescription drugs and higher taxes on big corporations. Not to mention the chef’s kiss of the bill’s name, the Inflation Reduction Act, signaling Democrats’ attentiveness to this year’s hot-button issue. Admittedly, this is a lot to hang on a bill that doesn’t directly tackle the entrenched, intertwined systems that have long locked in Americans’ profligate carbon consumption: massively overbuilt roads, decrepit public transit, low-density zoning, anti-urban bias, rampant inequality, and artificially cheap fossil fuels. But, to borrow from Auden, such are our low, dishonest politics. No bill addressing even one of those matters was ever going to pass this Congress, with the modest exception of a fee on “excess” methane leaks from oil and gas wells and pipelines, starting in 2024. x Today, a group of 126 leading economists wrote a letter to Congressional leaders calling for swift passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.
They all say the same thing:
Our bill will lower costs, reduce inflation, and help fight climate change.
https://t.co/XAWmTjfsAP — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) August 2, 2022 “If the deal between Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer and West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin survives more or less intact, it will upend two deeply debilitating narratives: US climate helplessness and Biden–Democratic Party haplessness.”
Senate Republicans Fold, Help Pass Veterans Health Bill After Blocking It, Jennifer Bendery, HuffPost, August 2, 2022.
It should have passed the Senate last week. A similar version of the PACT Act passed the Senate in June, in an 84-14 vote. It’s not particularly controversial: It would allow soldiers, sailors and airmen exposed to pits of burnt waste in combat zones to be covered by the Veterans Affairs health care system for related illnesses. Many of these vets got sick from exposure to burn pits during the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. But last Wednesday, right after the news broke that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) had struck a deal on a massive tax and climate change package, 25 Republicans unexpectedly blocked the PACT Act despite previously voting to advance it. It made no sense, except in the context of Republicans having a full-blown tantrum about a Democratic deal they didn’t like and taking out their anger on a totally unrelated veterans bill. ✂️ But on Tuesday, Republicans folded and agreed to move forward on the bill on the condition that they could get votes on three GOP amendments. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) wanted to reduce aid to other countries to help pay for the PACT Act. Toomey wanted to classify funding for the PACT Act as discretionary versus mandatory. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) wanted to shift veterans care into private community care. All of the amendments failed. x Schumer locks in an agreement with GOP to pass burn pits bill tonight, ending a standoff with Rs after 25 blocked the bill last week amid demands for amendment votes. Three amendment votes now at 60-vote threshold, and they will fail. GOP wanted amendments at 51-vote threshold — Manu Raju (@mkraju) August 2, 2022
Nancy Pelosi is amazing. She is not just a masterful Speaker and legislator, but she is as brave as all get out, too. She faced down TFG, she has faced down rioters and insurrectionists and carried on with the peoples’ business and now she is facing down the wrath of Xi and China in order to demonstrate US support for democracy and freedom in Taiwan:
US House Speaker Pelosi arrives in Taiwan, defying Beijing, HUIZHONG WU and EILEEN NG, AP, August 2, 2022.
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday night despite threats from Beijing of serious consequences, becoming the highest-ranking American official in 25 years to visit the self-ruled island claimed by China. Pelosi’s visit has triggered increased tension between China and the United States. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, to be annexed by force if necessary, and views visits by foreign government officials as recognition of the island’s sovereignty. ✂️ Pelosi said in a statement just after her arrival that the U.S. delegation’s visit “honors America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant democracy.” “Our visit is one of several Congressional delegations to Taiwan -– and it in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy,” she said. x “Speaker Pelosi was right,” Roy Blunt says, noting he rarely says those words, referring to her decision to go to Taiwan — Manu Raju (@mkraju) August 2, 2022 (Roy Blunt is the retiring R senator from Missouri)
Nancy Pelosi has been brave for a long time and unflinching in her support for human rights. This story at NPR tells a lot more than I am quoting here (and I am quoting more than usual since it is public media) — go read it (and please support public radio and television!):
Pelosi has landed in Taiwan. Here's why that's a big deal, Barbara Sprunt, NPR, August 2, 2022.
Pelosi has a decades-long record of being hawkish on China and an outspoken advocate for human rights. In 1991, Pelosi joined a small congressional delegation in Tiananmen Square, two years after the violent protests. She helped unfurl a banner that read: "to those who died for democracy in China." Pelosi, along with two other members of Congress, was subsequently pulled aside for questioning by Chinese police. "She played a active role in trying to create a path for Chinese political prisoners and dissidents to be able to come to the United States," Hass said. "She has been a longtime champion of Tibet and the Dalai Lama and she rarely misses opportunities to make her views known on Chinese actions that she feels violate American values or American interests." Pelosi has met with Hong Kong pro-democracy protestors and has been vocal in her support of ethnic Uyghurs, who U.S. officials say have been subjected to a genocide in China's Xinjiang region. ✂️ Hass said he thinks Beijing is "triggered" by Pelosi's longstanding record along with the "symbolism" of her visiting Taiwan as the person second in the line of presidential succession. The last major crisis in the Taiwan Strait came in 1995 and 1996, when Taiwan's leader at the time, Lee Teng-hui, sought to visit his alma mater in the U.S. Ultimately, Lee did make the visit, an outraged China retaliated by firing missiles into the waters around Taiwan, and then-President Bill Clinton ordered aircraft carriers into area. "The argument was 'Chinese communists can't tell the United States who they can grant a visa to,'" Hass described. "Today, the argument is 'Chinese Communists can't tell the speaker of the house where she can travel or who she can meet with.' So we're hearing echoes of the last cross strait crisis." x .@SpeakerPelosi to concern over Taiwan trip: "It's important for us to show support for Taiwan. I also think that none of us has ever said we're for independence when it comes to Taiwan. That's up to Taiwan to decide."
https://t.co/EGSNESJgPo pic.twitter.com/4PUEAdedXO — The Hill (@thehill) July 21, 2022
🎶 Music for Democrats with High Hopes 🎶
😤💔😩 Republicans in Disarray 😫💔😡
People standing up for abortion rights blew the doors off turnout expectations in Kansas and yes you can be sure that the same will happen across the nation in November! “Conventional wisdom” won’t work for these midterm elections. With Republicans ripping away women’s rights, all bets are off.
Kansas upset shows how abortion may backfire on the GOP in 2022 midterms, Bob Brigham, Raw Story, August 2, 2022.
"The anti-abortion movement has long claimed that voters would reward Republicans for overturning Roe," Stern wrote. "Conservative lawyers and many GOP politicians convinced themselves this was true. They are now discovering how delusional that conviction has always been." "Remember that Republicans scheduled the Kansas abortion referendum for the primary rather than the general election because there are many more registered Republicans in the state than Democrats and unaffiliateds can’t vote in primary races," Stern said. "Abortion rights still won handily." ✂️ NBC News correspondent Dasha Burns noted Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab said turnout, "could be almost 50%. And at that point, you're looking at general election numbers...it's looking a lot like the 2008 turnout for the Obama Presidential race. So it's incredibly high turnout." Burns' analysis was, "THIS. IS. BIG."
Here’s how Leader Schumer’s masterful handling of the PACT Act passage looked from the wrong side:
x LOL what a loser.
"My immoral gambit completely blew up in my face and I was forced to give my adversary everything he wanted. Let's see if he takes it!" — Ben Yelin (@byelin) August 2, 2022
Republican extremism is costing Georgia $$
Atlanta’s canceled Music Midtown festival puts lax gun laws under scrutiny, Sonia Rao and Kim Bellware, Washington Post, August 2, 2022.
According to Billboard and Rolling Stone, both of which cited industry sources, legal liabilities stemming from Georgia’s expansive pro-gun laws were to blame for the cancellation. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution cited officials who also attributed the decision to “ongoing legal fallout.” In 2014, Gov. Nathan Deal (R) signed a sweeping package of bills that expanded where people could carry concealed firearms to include spaces such as bars, parks, parts of airports and some churches. The Safe Carry Protection Act, also referred to as the “Guns Everywhere” bill, gave the state more power to preempt local gun restrictions. ✂️ The cancellation of Music Midtown isn’t the first time figures in the entertainment industry have drawn attention to controversial Georgia laws. In 2019, after Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed a “heartbeat bill” into effect that effectively banned most abortions, Hollywood filmmakersannounced their intention to boycott Georgia. Studios didn’t follow through on the threats, likely because of the state’s generous tax credit. Most studios again kept quiet last year after Kemp signed into law voting restrictions that, as CNBC noted at the time, drew criticism from major corporations such as Coca-Cola and Delta. As backlash continued to build, Major League Baseball moved its All-Star Game from Atlanta in protest. Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate up against Kemp for the Georgia governor seat, tweeted a lengthy statement Monday evening condemning his “dangerous and extreme gun agenda.” The nixed festival “is proof that his reckless policies endanger Georgia’s economy as well,” the statement reads, later noting that the incident would “cost Georgia’s economy a proven $50 million.” Phoebe Bridgers, a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter who was scheduled to perform at Music Midtown, retweeted Abrams’s post.
Some thoughts on the MAGA effect
Whether TFG succeeds or fails in turning voters against reasonable Rs who wouldn’t bow to him, he is causing chaos and disarray in the R party, which will continue to weaken them — which is good news for democracy:
In GOP primaries, Trump’s record in purging Republicans guilty of this and other assorted treacheries has been decidedly mixed. But Tuesday’s primary contests highlight, in a particularly ugly way, the bet that Trump is making on the true character of the GOP primary electorate. ✂️ What’s at stake here is whether it’s possible to tell GOP voters the truth about Trump and his 2020 loss, and then live to tell the tale. As Post reporter Paul Kane notes, some Republicans say these primaries will test whether it’s still possible to “provide voices inside a House Republican conference that are not in lockstep with the former president.” Analysts think Herrera Beutler and Newhouse will likely win. If so, chalk that up alongside the primary victories of the GOP governor and the secretary of state in Georgia, both of whom Trump sought to punish for refusing to steal the election for him. While standing up for democracy and leveling with voters about Trump’s loss are not always disqualifiers among GOP primary voters, that’s very small consolation. Meijer looks like he’s in trouble. And as of now, only one thus far of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump will go on to face general-election opponents in November. The others were defeated or retired. And if Herrera Beutler does lose after being a leading Republican voice telling hard truths about Trump’s depraved, venal, insurrectionist intentions, that would be sobering.
Nifty’s Take: You might be wondering if the story above is actually NOT good news. Some people find the prospect of reasonable Rs being voted out by MAGA primary voters very upsetting and I could not agree more that if these primaries reveal that the rot in the R party goes that deep, it will be upsetting. And it means there is a whole lot more work to do.
But here’s the thing, Gnusies. We cannot fight an evil we don’t fully see or understand. The presence of “reasonable” Rs has allowed large swathes of the population (the reliable mainstream R voters) to continue to turn a blind eye to all the damage the party has done to this country and the world, while telling themselves they’ve just been voting their “conscience” on abortion or religious convictions or perhaps their financial self-interest (suburbia). It may very well take a Republican purge of these so-called “reasonable” Republicans (the majority of whom nevertheless supported every ugly Republican legislative, judicial and social initiative over the past decades) to strip away the veil of plausible deniability behind which so many have hidden for too long.
If this Republican rot is deep enough to radicalize the entire party and put viciously bigoted, misogynistic white supremacists on the ballot all across the country, then hadn’t we better face up to that reality, instead of joining our Republican denialist neighbors in pretending that there is a reasonable Republican center who keep that lunatic fringe in check? They do not keep the fringe in check and in fact have not done so for many years — but they’ve kept the fiction of Republican moderation alive to grease the electoral rails as Republican after Republican has slid into the peoples’ houses to shred and burn nearly our entire social safety net.
Time for the majority in this country to look at what that party has done to us with clear eyes. If it turns out, horribly, that a majority of current Republican voters will still vote for the extremists who replace the reasonable Rs they used to vote for, well then that is information we need to have on board, too. We have to know what we are up against before we can fight it effectively! Tippy-toeing around reality and hoping against hope to keep a fragile house of cards in place so we can all hold on to our belief that 40% of our neighbors are not in fact white supremacist religious zealots is a fool’s cop out and destined for failure.
I am still hoping they are not. But if — when the veil is pulled off and they have to openly choose between extremism and centrism, authoritarianism and anti-authoritarianism, theocracy or democracy, regression or progress— the supposedly nice, apple pie suburbanite, church-going, PTA-supporting lifelong Republicans still vote for the extremists, then we will know what we are up against.
They won’t be able to pretend any more and neither will we.
On the flip side, if the mask of “reasonableness” is removed from the R party and the majority of the lifelong Rs who have been kidding themselves finally acknowledge the truth — and vote against the extremists — then we can come together as a huge majority to fight this threat to our democracy and our country.
Either way, we will win — it will just take longer to right the ship if the rot goes all the way through the “moderate” middle of American Rs.
I am rooting hard for the second scenario, but I think we need to understand all that is possible in order to be ready for whatever challenges may lie ahead. I like our chances, because we are the majority and if (as I suspect) a majority of “lifelong (read habitual)” Rs wake up in horror to what that party really is and joins us to fight authoritarianism, we may very well be part of a huge majority. A majority that even the most violent and vicious of extremist movements will not be able to overcome. The end of the current uprising of right wing extremism will then happen very fast. And good riddance.
We all know we are in the middle of a turning point in this nation’s history. I think it’s going to be a turning point toward a far better future. But like all major historical turning points, it has been and will be marked by violent outbursts and truly shocking revelations about the depths and depravity of some humans in their thirst for power. We will get through it together, sooner or later. Sooner — maybe even astonishingly quickly — if the moderate Rs join the rest of our majority and help bring a huge blue wave this autumn and in 2024. Later if they do not. But whether we have the support of moderate Rs or not, we are going to get there.
Count on it, Gnusies!
Let’s take our cue from our courageous Speaker of the House — stand with each other and be not afraid. Stand with those who are fighting for democracy, human rights and progress.
⚖️ Justice ⚖️
DOJ subpoenas Pat Cipollone in ‘dramatic escalation’ of Trump coup investigation: report, Bob Brigham, Raw Story, August 2, 2022.
"The sources told ABC News that attorneys for Cipollone -- like they did with the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol -- are expected to engage in negotiations around any appearance, while weighing concerns regarding potential claims of executive privilege," ABC News reported. "The move to subpoena Cipollone signals an even more dramatic escalation in the Justice Department's investigation of the Jan. 6 attack than previously known, following appearances by senior members of former Vice President Mike Pence's staff before the grand jury two weeks ago." In July, the House Select Committee Investigating the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol played testimony from Cipollone's deposition. Attorney Tristen Snell, who prosecuted Trump University for the New York attorney general's office, said the subpoena was a sign that the Department of Justice "is almost caught up with the January 6 committee."
Federal judge upholds House Republicans’ fines for dodging metal detectors, Jacob Fischler, Florida Phoenix via Raw Story, August 2, 2022.
A federal judge threw out a lawsuit Monday from three U.S. House Republicans challenging fines they incurred for violating a post-Jan. 6 requirement that members pass through metal detectors before coming to the House floor. U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly dismissed the suit brought by Reps. Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania and Louie Gohmert of Texas — all of whom were fined for entering the House chamber without being screened. Kelly, a judge in D.C. federal court, said the fines were an internal House matter that federal courts don’t have the authority to rule on.
👀 Paging Gen. Mike Flynn (Ret):
DC Circuit finds court-martial of military retirees constitutional, Kelsey Reichmann, Courthouse News, August 2, 2022.
WASHINGTON (CN) — In a 2-1 vote, the D.C. Circuit ruled on Tuesday that it is constitutional for the military to court-martial retired servicemembers for post-retirement crimes. ✂️
x Merrick Garland Strikes Back As DOJ Sues Idaho Over Abortion Ban
https://t.co/rTxVif8VFO — Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) August 2, 2022
🐩💙 CG’s Picks 💙🐩
Hello Everybody! It’s me, Curlygirl! The first thing I want to show you today is this nice white dog who looks a little bit like a polar bearwolf (shiver!). But he is a nice white dog! I am surprised that he finds the warm weather hard to bear (snort! chuckle!) because I thought only dark-coated dogs like me suffer in warm weather!
But no, this fellow does not like hot weather and he prefers winter and snow — just like me!
x Dog hates this summer heat, so Mom does something that makes him light up ❄️ pic.twitter.com/qDf7omGqO5 — The Dodo (@dodo) July 29, 2022
Me and Mama like sea turtles and think they are fascinating. Here is a story about a turtle who has had a LOT of scary accidents and problems with other sea creatures — but he is still going strong! Hooray for the humans who helped him (and some other turtles, too!)
World’s toughest turtle? Survivor among 8 returned to ocean, Wayne Parry, AP, August 2, 2022.
POINT PLEASANT BEACH, N.J. (AP) — If what doesn’t kill you truly makes you stronger, then Titan is the strongest turtle in the ocean. The juvenile Loggerhead turtle has been gashed by a boat propeller, had part of his front flipper bitten off by a shark, and was being attacked by a different shark when two New Jersey fishermen intervened, saved him and called Sea Turtle Recovery, a group that rescues and rehabilitates turtles before returning them to the ocean. Tuesday morning, Titan was among eight turtles returned to the sea after being nursed back to health over the winter and spring. “To see Titan go back into the ocean after being hit by a boat, bitten by a shark and fighting off another shark is just amazing,” said Brandi Biehl, co-executive officer of the group. “There truly is no tougher turtle in the world than him.”
🍦 In Other News 🍦
I mentioned the imminent and much-lamented retirement of Choco Taco in last week’s GNR. Well, here’s an update AND the beloved treat has a few words to say (lol):
The Choco Taco might not be discontinued after all, Chris Morris, Fortune, July 29, 2022.
The online eulogy for Choco Tacos has been something even the most beloved statesman or actor would envy. And that’s making the parent company of the ice cream novelty reconsider its decision. While Unilever-owned Klondike insists that the announcement that it would discontinue Choco Tacos wasn’t a publicity stunt, a post on the treat’s Twitter page (yes, of course Choco Taco has its own Twitter feed) now says “stay tuned.” ✂️ Unilever, when it announced the move, said that a “unprecedented spike in demand” and supply chain issues forced it to discontinue the Choco Taco and other products. But after the backlash from fans, it is already “exploring options to bring it back,” says the Wall Street Journal. x I want to address the rumors: I’m really being discontinued, it’s not a PR stunt. I knew you loved me, but not THIS much. While I reflect on this outpouring of support, we are discussing next steps, including what to do with the last 912 (we counted) tacos at HQ. Stay tuned… pic.twitter.com/7tswyPVb5c — Choco Taco (@Klondikebar) July 28, 2022
🎶 Music for Ordinary Optimists 🎶
⚡️ Lightning Roundup ⚡️
⚡️ Optimism can be self-taught! How to Be More Optimistic, Susan Shain, New York Times, March 23, 2020.
⚡️ Today’s GNR theme is genuine optimism and hope, NOT this shallow stuff: The Dark Side of American Cheerfulness, Ian Beacock, the Atlantic, August 2, 2022.
⚡️ The Democrats’ Surprise Chance to Snatch Victory From the Jaws of Defeat, Michael Tomasky, the New Republic, August 1, 2022.
⚡️ Self-compassion makes you a better person. Here’s how to practice it. Sigal Samuel, Vox, August 2, 2022.
⚡️ NP: In her own words: Nancy Pelosi: Why I’m leading a congressional delegation to Taiwan, Washington Post, August 2, 2022.
⚡️ The backlash to Christianity: Republicans are now panicked — but they only have themselves to blame, Amanda Marcotte, Salon, July 29, 2022.
⚡️ The January 6 Hearings Are Changing Republicans’ Minds, Sarah Longwell, the Atlantic, July 28, 2022.
⚡️ “What counts as ‘the life of the mother’?” AMERICAN MOTHERHOOD, Annie Lowrey, the Atlantic, August 1, 2022.
⚡️ The GOP will never be the "Parents Party": Republicans don't think raising children is real work, Amanda Marcotte, Salon, August 2, 2022.
💙 RoundUp WindDown 💙
That’s it from me and CG for another week!
As always, Gnusies, take good care of yourself and the ones you love. we’ve got a ton of work still to do and you’re needed.
But I don’t mind saying — I think the probability of success for Democrats is rising steadily and our chances of seeing noticeable progress in the near future are rising, too.
I’m an optimist — I can't help it! 😁
Get some rest, eat nutritious food and get out in the fresh air if you can.
I’m up late after the primary and hopefully this GNR has no really big typos or left out bits — haha!
Happy Wednesday, Gnuville!
Edited to fix mistake on video above. Earlier I mistakenly linked a video with a picture of Bob Marley. SORRY ABOUT THAT! Nifty.
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