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By any measure, it was a good night for Dems! - Good News Roundup, Wednesday November 9 [1]
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Date: 2022-11-09
Good Day, Gnuville and thank the stars November 8 is in the rear view mirror!😅 WHAT A NIGHT! But the results will not be fully known for several days — perhaps up to a month with the likely Georgia runoff for the Senate seat. So, take a breather, pour yourself a big cup of your favorite beverage and settle in. There’s lot of good news.
First, the election was nothing like the red wave/tsunami /whatever that all of the pollsters and pundits were predicting. It will be some days before all the votes are tallied but (as of 11:30 PM) it looks like — at best — the Rs may scrape a thin majority in the House, Ds may hold the Senate and Ds have flipped 2 Governorships!
Second, in states, we held our incumbent governors, swept in Michigan, flipped a couple of legislatures and passed a bunch of progressive ballot measures. It may not be technically a blue wave, but I think a blue tidal bore for sure!
1:00Am update: Hold the phone, Gnusies! It could get interesting over the next few days. Not only could we make gains in the Senate, but the House is also still a tossup! Like in 2018, it’s going to take a while for everything to be counted, tallied and revealed and things could really go much better than so many feared! BTW, a Dem just flipped a seat from red to blue here in Illinois’ lucky 13th!
x Trump lost 40 house seats in his first midterm.
Obama lost 63
Clinton lost 52
Reagan lost 26
Carter lost 15
Biden’s house is a dead heat.
OUTSTANDING night for dems 💙💙 — Mueller, She Wrote (@MuellerSheWrote) November 9, 2022
What’s the worst case scenario?
Yes, if the House goes red things will be more difficult for Joe Biden and the Democratic agenda next year — but they won’t have the huge win they hoped for, so it won’t be easy for McCarthy (or whoever) to control that House.
Meanwhile, if Dems hold the Senate, the House cannot pass any horrible legislation on its own, so the Democratic Senate will stop them. Even if the Senate falls, Joe Biden will veto terrible legislation.
Rs willl cause trouble and waste time and do absolutely nothing to serve this country, but they won’t be able to pass anything to actively hurt us, either. That’s not what we hoped for, but it is better than what we were being told to expect.
Better case scenario?
House: Eventual vote tally ends up better for Dems than initially thought (like in 2018), leading to us holding the House or Rs getting just a slim majority in the House. They’ll spend every minute trying to do (bad) stuff, but failing.
x This is the worst of all worlds for Kevin McCarthy; all the responsibility of having the majority but with a majority so small his job is effectively impossible.
https://t.co/LiVuoRyfSN — The Intellectualist (@highbrow_nobrow) November 9, 2022
Senate: Senate stays Democratic controlled and continues to fill judge vacancies, work out some compromise bills (which, with any luck, the House Rs will not be able to stop all of them), and get as much achieved as they can with the cards they’ve been dealt.
Executive: Joe Biden’s ability will be showcased as nearly everything that does get accomplished will take a lot of experienced effort and Joe is the man for that job.
x This is not a red tsunami. In fact, it might be shaping up as the best midterm cycle for an incumbent president's party since the rally-around-the-flag election of 2002. — Tim Alberta (@TimAlberta) November 9, 2022
Bottom Line: it wasn’t the surging blue wave we were all hoping for — we were reaching for the stars — but it is much much better than the “conventional wisdom” insisted would happen. Democrats beat the historical patterns — we stopped a red wave; we held on to most of our seats in a climate that was supposed to be a wipeout, and we flipped seats! - and we live to fight another day. That is a clear sign that large numbers of voters are turning away from rote voting and from authoritarianism. Turnout was way up for a midterm. Young people got out to vote in droves. Women answered the Roe question with a “Hell no!”.
People are waking up to what is most important, even as they are struggling with all of the problems brought to us by R policies over the past several decades. It takes time for people to deprogram themselves, and even so there will always be a faction that embraces authoritarianism. But their power is slipping and this midterm election proved it.
The work of building a better world is slow and difficult and often frustrating. But it is the most important work of humanity. Let’s approach the work with patience.
Take a breather while we await the final results. Allow yourself to savor all of the great news we gathered overnight. It was a really good night for Democrats! So, relax a little — It’s been a long, grueling election season and we all deserve a break.
🎶 Opening Music 🎶
🗳 Election Recap (so far) 🗳
This section is heavy on the tweets, sorry. As you can imagine, the news is so quickly changing as I am writing (Election night), there’s no time to write stuff out.
First some simple pointers. Number 5 especially important. The final result will not be known until ALL votes are counted, which may take several days. Things can change, be patient.
Five Things to Know About Midterm Election Results, Caroline Mimbs Nyce, the Atlantic, November 8, 2022.
1. Some races might not be called on Election Night. That’s normal. 2. Even so, you can still sometimes guesstimate what races will be called when. 3. Americans might have to wait some time before the Senate’s fate is known. 4. That doesn’t mean we won’t know anything. 5. Beware of disinformation. x Steve Kornacki says there is now a nearly equal chance for Democratic or Republican control of the House. This is officially a toss up! The Republican advantage is gone. — MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) November 9, 2022
Ballot measures
Many states had important measures on the ballot this election. CNN made a page to watch the outcomes. These may be some of the biggest wins of the night for the American people. As of midnight, several states have voted to protect abortion rights (Vermont, California, Michigan and looking hopeful in Kentucky) , several more are voting on legalizing marijuana (and at least two look set to approve the measure).
x A ballot measure to codify California’s abortion protections in the state Constitution appeared headed to victory Tuesday, an expected win for a measure placed on the ballot in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
https://t.co/82h5zofkNG pic.twitter.com/FlzrwLB5FT — Los Angeles Times (@latimes) November 9, 2022
Several states have voting rights measures — some to expand rights and access while others are voting on restrictions. The results by midnight are a mixed bag with some states (Michigan, Connecticut and Arizona!) expanding protections while others (Ohio, Nebraska) restricting/suppressing.
x And in Michigan, voters appear on the cusp of approving a significant measure to expand voting access and make it harder for partisan actors to overturn elections. — Sam Levine (@srl) November 9, 2022
Here in Illinois we had a ballot measure to add an amendment to the constitution enshrining worker’s rights. It would be the first state to do so (and also banning so-called “right to work” union busting!). I am looking for info to see if it passed. 🤞 Will try to update!...FOUND IT! YESS!!
x Illinois poised to have a big win for labor tonight!
Amendment 1 would be the first time voters codify collective bargaining via ballot measure, and Illinois would also become the first state with a constitutional ban on “right-to-work” pic.twitter.com/PRACyp0ouG — Rachel Cohen (@rmc031) November 9, 2022
💙 That’s my state!! 💙↑↑
x Missouri legalized weed, Nebraska passed $15 minimum wage, collective bargaining won in Illinois, all the pro-choice ballot initiatives are winning. Democratic policies continue to be extremely popular. — Alex Sammon (@alex_sammon) November 9, 2022
🎶 Musical Break 🎶
Congressional races
Buckle Up: This Could Be a Month-Long Election Night, John Nichols, the Nation, November 8, 2022.
For Americans who were on edge about whether voters would turn against President Donald Trump and his Republican allies, election night 2018 was a nerve-wracking exercise in mixed signals, conflicting indicators, and extended uncertainty. Early on, it still looked like Republicans were holding on in key congressional and statehouse races. It was almost midnight when the results finally confirmed that Democrats had taken control of the House, and hours more passed before it became clear that Republican “superstars,” like Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, were going down to defeat. Only as the days passed did it become clear that Democrats had enjoyed a strikingly successful nightnationwide—enjoying a net gain of 41 seats in the US House, gaining seven governorships, picking up multiple statewide posts, adding roughly 350 state legislative seats, and taking charge of six legislative chambers that had previously been controlled by the GOP. With every day that passed, things got better for the Democrats. It was an example of what political scientists refer to as a “blue shift,” a political science term that explains how Democrats who seem to be down in the early counting ultimately prevail when all the ballots are reviewed. It refers to the phenomenon where Republican votes—which are more likely to be cast on Election Day—tend to be counted earlier, and more quickly, than Democratic votes. That can create an election-night assumption that the GOP is running better than expected, which dissipates as mail-in votes and ballots from high-turnout urban centers are finally counted. ✂️ It’s important to remember this history tonight, as the television networks rush to provide a conclusive picture of where contests for control of the Congress and statehouses stand before most Americans go to bed. That’s a recipe for confusion and, if past is pretext, for Republican claims of victories that have not actually been achieved. That’s one of the reasons savvy observers have proposed to cancel the media spectacular that is “Election Night” and just let the votes be counted in the perhaps slow yet methodical way that best serves democracy. But that’s just wishful thinking. The show will go on tonight. x What we are seeing so far is a close, competitive election.
https://t.co/L75TXzqwGL — Simon Rosenberg (@SimonWDC) November 9, 2022
Senate (full results may not be known for awhile)
Pennsylvania
x MAJOR CALL: NBC News projects Lt. Gov John Fetterman (D) has defeated Dr. Mehmet Oz (R) in the Pennsylvania Senate race.
This is a significant win for Democrats and the first Senate flip of the night. pic.twitter.com/Ox59LKRIqN — The Recount (@therecount) November 9, 2022
x It's official. I will be the next U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania.
We bet on the people of Pennsylvania - and you didn’t let us down
And I won’t let you down. Thank you. — John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) November 9, 2022
LOL!! 🤣
x It’s getting late but I think I’m gonna celebrate with a big plate of crudités! — Nick Mark MD (@nickmmark) November 9, 2022
x Fetterman's win is a huge loss for the right-wing media universe. PA was a top priority. Stars like Hannity pulled out every stop for Oz. Scores of pro-GOP outlets derided Fetterman for months on end. — Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) November 9, 2022
Right on cue...
x “It appears Republicans will not flip a single seat in Pennsylvania” - @FoxNews just now — Matt Laslo (@MattLaslo) November 9, 2022
Georgia 🤞
x The remaining vote that we think is still out there favors Warnock. There are two possibilities in my estimation:
Runoff or Warnock wins outright in a squeaker...
Though we may not know until later today
1:04am — Brendan Keefe (@BrendanKeefe) November 9, 2022
My son is ready to vote in a runoff, if necessary. 💙
🎶 Musical Break 🎶
Notable Representatives
Red to Blue flips
x BREAKING: Democrat Hillary Scholten wins election to U.S. House in Michigan's 3rd Congressional District. #APracecall at 1:55 a.m. EST.
https://t.co/2nlgpjiEZK — AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 9, 2022
North Carolina lucky 13th — flip!
x DEMS PICK UP NC13. WILEY NICKEL DEFEATS TRUST FUND BABY HAND PICKED BY TRUMP BO HINES. pic.twitter.com/a3Pmna5X20 — The Bearded Crank 🗹 (@beardedcrank) November 9, 2022
Maybe Colorado 3?
↓🤞💙🤞↓
x Adam Frisch lead over Lauren Boebert holding strong, with @DecisionDeskHQ estimating 97% of the vote in. Again, this would be a monumental upset. pic.twitter.com/xFVLVi7K0B — Conor McCormick-Cavanagh (@ConorMichael28) November 9, 2022
Lucky 13th flip!
x BREAKING: NBC projects Democrat @Nikki4Congress wins her race in Illinois’ 13th Congressional district. This is a net gain for Democrats and it brings us one seat closer to winning the House. Not the night Republicans we’re hoping for—yikes. — Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) November 9, 2022
IL 17 flip!
x Democrat Eric Sorensen has announced that he HAS WON the House race in the Illinois 17th. This is another FLIP from Republican to Democrat. It's yet another close toss up race that the Democrats needed to win, and did win. — Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) November 9, 2022
New Mexico 2nd — flip!
x Vazquez takes the lead by 1,000 votes, and based on the outstanding votes, I've seen enough ... this looks like a flip for Democrats pic.twitter.com/YwtYXVXOf6 — Michael Cohen (@speechboy71) November 9, 2022
🎶 Music for Flippers 🎶
Florida: first Gen Z representative
x At 25 years old, Maxwell Frost becomes the first Gen Z member of Congress securing his seat at the table winning U.S. House Florida District 10. His mission to be the voice of the poor, working class and young people will echo throughout his term. Congratulations Maxwell Frost! pic.twitter.com/0nevj4MrLw — theGrio.com (@theGrio) November 9, 2022
Rhode Island: underdog Magaziner wins.
x UPDATE: WPRI has called the race for Magaziner, the Democrat.
This was an open race that had typically been rated toss-up (if not tilt R) heading into today, with the GOP ahead in polls.
https://t.co/WhzV4P7PLn — Taniel (@Taniel) November 9, 2022
Pat Ryan wins again in upstate New York
x Democrat Pat Ryan has announced that he HAS WON the House race in the New York 18th, and that his Republican opponent has conceded. This is yet another closely competitive House race that the Democrats needed to win, and did win! — Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) November 9, 2022
Alaska reporting at last (1AM!) Peltola with healthy lead. AK has ranked choice voting, so this will take time unless Mary gets more than 50% in the first round of ballot counting.
x DDHQ Race Update (est. 34% in): AK-At Large
Mary Peltola (D-i): 38,632
(45.02%)
Sarah Palin (R): 24,105
(28.09%)
Nick Begich (R): 21,347
(24.88%)
Follow more results here:
https://t.co/5VrcT896c7 — Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) November 9, 2022
x Ralston says Democrats hold
-> NV-1, Dina Titus [Cook = tossup,
-> NV-3, Susie Lee, [Cook = tossup]
-> NV-4, Steven Horsford [Cook = Lean D]
Don't remember seeing any prediction that Dems would hold all three of these seats. Phenomenal news for the blue team!
https://t.co/kqvGFVzEIZ — Aaron Fritschner (@Fritschner) November 9, 2022
Bellweathers:
x More signs tonight will not be a GOP tsunami.. NBC News projects Dem Sen. Michael Bennett will hold off a real challenge in Colorado to keep his seat.
(FWIW-> The GOP nominee Joe O’Dea did not have Donald Trump’s endorsement) — Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) November 9, 2022
x NBC News projecting Democrat @sharicedavids will be reelected in Kansas-3. Another bellweather House race going Democrats' way. — Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) November 9, 2022
Governors (Red to blue flips)
x BREAKING: @iamwesmoore will be the first Black governor in Maryland history. We look forward to working with Governor-elect Moore on a broad range of progressive issues.
https://t.co/y1ZlZjGMhl — CAP Action (@CAPAction) November 9, 2022
x As a MA native, I am so happy for my home state to have elected its first female governor, @maura_healey, who is also the first lesbian to lead a state.
MA has a weird history with governors (ahem, looking at you Mitt Romney and Bill Weld) so this feels extra awesome. — KSV (@KSVesq) November 9, 2022
Governors (tough races)
x Democrats hold the Wisconsin governor's mansion in a closely watched race as Tony Evers defeats Tim Michels, who recently said that if he won, Republicans would "never lose another election" in Wisconsin. #Election2022
https://t.co/uDub9po42l — Eric Geller (@ericgeller) November 9, 2022
States
Democratic “sweep” in Michigan
x And not just Whitmer.
All three propositions, Benson and Nessel, plus maybe some key U.S. House races and control of the state Senate.
Waiting on a few final races. Tune in tomorrow morning.
But whatever the outcome, this is a Democratic sweep.
https://t.co/xlUxdxDySj — Jonathan Cohn (@CitizenCohn) November 9, 2022
Minnesota House flips GOP → DFL:
x BREAKING: House GOP leader Kurt Daudt tells me he just conceded the House majority to DFL Speaker Melissa Hortman. He tells me he sees this as a “status quo” election with House GOP landing around 63 to 65 seats. Currently at 63. — Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) November 9, 2022
PA leg could flip red → blue!
x So uh, this would be a major, major upset. Control of the PA House is going to be determined by races currently separated by 26 and 17 votes.
https://t.co/wTH6jroyUS — Brian Rosenwald (@brianros1) November 9, 2022
x Democrats need to send a Christmas card to Doug Mastriano
https://t.co/PyjMVbket9 — Michael Cohen (@speechboy71) November 9, 2022
x wow: Another new reform DA incoming, in Texas.
Kelly Higgins, the Dem, flips the DA's race in fast-growing Hays County, which has see a ton of activism.
We reported on this race here: Higgins told us hearing out organizers is showing me new policies:
https://t.co/I5e0XlVWSt — Taniel (@Taniel) November 9, 2022
x Two-time former congressional candidate who held Steve King to 3 points in 2018 is elected to the Iowa state House —>
https://t.co/EDzNBXFGkC — Daniel Marans (@danielmarans) November 9, 2022
x Woah--In Connecticut, Democrats defeat Rep. Kimberly Fiorello, a Republican from Greenwich who is against vaccine requirements and supports tougher abortion laws and "parental rights," Her loss suggests not everyone in lower Fairfield county is comfortable with the MAGA agenda.
https://t.co/hH1NXDNYtl — Daniela Altimari (@capitolwatch) November 9, 2022
x UPDATE:
we held the majority in the Minnesota House
And 🥁🥁
We flipped the:
Minnesota Senate!
https://t.co/4GJVOMEYup — Jessica Post (@JessicaPost) November 9, 2022
Future of Politics
x Michigan college students seem to be showing up
https://t.co/3fOaru7tcY — Michael Li 李之樸 (@mcpli) November 9, 2022
x NEW: In Wisconsin the youth vote is at 360% compared to 2018, the Black vote is at 123% compared to 2018, and the woman vote is at 137% compared to 2018.
Something is happening in Wisconsin. — COURIER (@CourierNewsroom) November 8, 2022
x the youngs understood the assignment
https://t.co/crwgrXTwBc — Jason Linkins (@dceiver) November 9, 2022
Wise words from gnusie DoctorStrange:
DoctorStrange Nov 08, 2022 ... Let’s keep cool, take deep breaths, try not to panic. Whatever happens, we will assess and, win or lose, we will take a beat, enjoy the holiday season and then get back to work. Fighting for Democracy never ends.
⚖️ Legal News ⚖️
It is awful how many judges TFG and Mitch McConnell managed to push through during that maladministration. And it hasn’t been great, but our worst fears have not come true. Turns out, once people have that lifetime appointment, they want to have a record to be proud of. Not all of them (see: loose Cannon), but enough of them. There was never any way that the extremists were going to be able to find that many judges as corrupt and cruel and anti-rule of law as they are. That’s the reassuring thing about humans in a society that has had aspirations to democracy, justice and rule of law for longer than any other nation on earth.
x A federal judge has sharply rejected an effort by Mike Lindell to reclaim his cellphone seized by the FBI.
U.S. District Court Judge Eric Tostrud ruled that the Justice Department easily justified the seizure of Lindell's phone.
https://t.co/NwACBIv5K3 — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 4, 2022
Things are going great for OKs
Oath Keepers’ defense attorneys tried to trick a none-too-bright OK into testifying in defense of Rhodes et al, and in effect taking the fall for the rest of them. Lucky for him (Aquino, the fall guy), his lawyer was more quick-witted and caught the plan before it could be set in motion:
Witness whom Oath Keepers deemed key seeks 5th Amendment shield, Emily Zantow, Courthouse News, No member 8, 2022,
“The break in testimony stunned defense counsel to the point that the presiding judge had to instruct them to get ahold of their emotions.”
WASHINGTON (CN) — A man under investigation for his conduct at the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021, took the stand as a key defense witness Tuesday for five associates of the Oath Keepers, including the leader of the far-right militia. In what the judge called an “unexpected turn,” however, Dario Aquino pleaded the Fifth Amendment to avoid the possibility of self-incrimination. “I have to plead the Fifth under my lawyer’s advice,” Aquino said when defense attorney Phillip Bright asked the witness to confirm that they had met twice before today's proceedings. ✂️ “He communicated to the defense team that he had an attorney — they said to hell with that — and I found out about it while he was on a plane here,” he said. “That’s unbelievable to me.” Aquino’s lawyer said the government did things properly by contacting him before reaching out to his client. The defense meanwhile wants to take the “questionable issue and play it to their favor,” he said, by putting his client in a potentially incriminating situation “for their self-gain."✂️ Judge Mehta tried to calm down the attorneys, telling them to “turn the temperature down” and insisting he believed everybody was acting in good faith and doing their job, “so let’s keep the emotions in check.”✂️ The judge sent the parties out in the hall to try to come up with an agreed upon set of questions. But they returned less than 15 minutes later empty-handed, insisting they could not come to an agreement.
TRUMP SPENT THE WEEKEND GIVING THE DOJ EVEN MORE REASONS TO INDICT HIM, Bess Levin, Vanity Fair, November 7, 2022.
It remains to be seen whether Donald Trump will be indicted by the Justice Department for taking top secret documents with him to Mar-a-Lago and refusing to give them back, or if he’ll continue to get away with what seems to be a very serious crime. One thing the “yes, he will be indicted” column has going for it? The fact that the former president spent the weekend appearing to confess to said crimes. On Sunday, at a rally in Miami, the ex-president ranted to the crowd that the FBI “violated” his “Fourth Amendment rights” when it raided Mar-a-Lago last August, complaining that no other former president has had his for-profit club and private residence searched. He added: “Presidents leave, they take things, they take documents, they take things, they read them. Nobody else has ever gone through this.” In fact, despite Trump’s repeated insistence to the contrary, no other American president has ever taken presidential documents—which are the property of the US government—to their home and refused to give them back despite being ordered to do so on numerous occasions. Which makes Trump’s “everybody does it” line not only BS but, according to legal experts, potential evidence to be used against him in court.
J6 committee
$ 💵 Economic News 💵 $
🎩 to T Maysle for putting some of these stories in yesterday’s (and other day’s) comments! Thanks, T!
Biden’s Economy Is Second Only to One at Midterm, Matthew A Winkler, Bloomberg, November 8, 2022.
As Americans cast their votes near the end of Democrat Joe Biden's second year in the White House, his 42% approval rating and the outcome of such midterm elections historically favoring the party not currently in charge gives the edge to Republicans. But the history of more than a dozen measures of relative prosperity shows Biden outperformed the last six of his seven predecessors and the 46th president has no peers reducing the nation's budget deficit. The reality is that Biden has a credible economic record in the looming showdown with Republicans threatening to cut Social Security and Medicare spending while opposing any increase in the nation's borrowing limit next year. Growth in gross domestic product, jobs created, expanding home equity levels and the strengthening dollar combined to make the Biden economy over his first two years superior to every midterm presidency since Jimmy Carter. As if that’s not enough, the almost 10 percentage-point decline in the federal budget deficit as a percentage of GDP -- to 5.4% from 15.6% -- is unprecedented. Presidents Bill Clinton and Carter reduced the deficit 2.4 percentage points and 1.1 percentage points, respectively, in their first two years while it expanded 1.1 percentage points under Donald Trump, 1.3 percentage points under George H.W. Bush, 1.7 percentage points under Ronald Reagan, 3.7 percentage points under Barack Obama and 4.5 percentage points under George W. Bush, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Reasons Are Adding Up for Optimism on Inflation, John Authers, Bloomberg, November 7, 2022.
The New York Fed goes through a lot of complicated math to calculate an “underlying” rate of inflation
this suggests a turn in inflation is approaching Most manufacturers say prices aren't increasing
it looks as though the peak is in The prices of commodity futures
are making 12-month comparisons look less scary. Wall Street
panic/euphoria index
moved out of panic mode
A Recession Suddenly Looks Like It Can Be Avoided, Conor Sen, Financial Advisor, November 8, 2022.
Higher interest rates are no doubt causing pain to investors and consumers, but the economy has been able to handle them better than anyone thought possible six months ago. The worst-case fear was that the Federal Reserve would move too aggressively to correct inflation caused by pandemic distortions in the supply chain, wages and the housing market, and that as those kinks worked themselves out, rising rates would leave the economy crippled by soaring unemployment while inflation was still too high. Last week’s steady jobs report should now put those fears to rest. The labor market has remained resilient enough to buy time for supply chains to heal and for many of the pandemic-related problems to ease. That’s providing a clearer path for the Fed to target inflation. Should the Fed feel the need to push the economy into recession in 2023, it will be due to an accurate read of structural inflation dynamics rather than data that’s been overly influenced by Covid shutdowns. ✂️ While inflation remains too hot, every month that passes there are signs that the factors influenced by the pandemic are normalizing. Used vehicle prices in the CPI data have been falling modestly since January, in part because automobile production is picking up after the industry has been snarled by supply chain issues. The cost to ship goods by container ship or truck has fallen. Homebuilders expect cost and supply chain relief in the new year as prices of key inputs such as lumber have fallen.
Black and Latino homeownership rates increased during the pandemic, Emily Peck, Axios, November 7, 2022.
What happened: Record low mortgage rates and COVID-era government fiscal support drove up homeownership for white buyers, too — but their increase was relatively smaller. Black homeownership increased two percentage points to 44%, according to data from the ACS. Hispanic homeownership rose 2.5 points to 50.6%.
White homeownership ticked up 1.2 points to 73.3%. ✂️
Go deeper: Stimulus checks and the student loan payment pause helped folks save for down payments.✂️
Meanwhile, other types of pandemic relief — like a forbearance program that allowed a pause on mortgage payments, and expanded unemployment insurance — allowed homeowners to keep their homes.
😄 Chuckle Break 😄
x For my Mom’s birthday, please enjoy her rap video@reynolds_bette pic.twitter.com/t9izSzbfcD — Brittlestar (@brittlestar) November 2, 2022
😫😤 Republicans in Disarray 😡😭
Oh, are they ever in disarray! What a bunch of messed up losers!
MAGA world is 'catatonic' about Tuesday losses — and they're lost about what to do next, Sarah K Burris, Raw Story, November 9, 2022.
Steve Bannon and the far-right have no idea what to do after seeing the so-called "red wave" turn to be a little more constipated than anticipated. Any win at all for a Democrat isn't being believed by the right,according to MSNBC's Ben Collins, who has been watching the right on message boards all night. He first used the word "despondent" but said at one point that the real word was "catatonic." "I don't think they had a plan for this, to be honest with you Rachel," said Collins. "I've been watching all of the most wonderful parts there this evening, InfoWars, and the Steve Bannon-style shows that he is populating this evening. They did not have a plan, and that is kind of interfering with their backup plan."
Trump Threatens to Reveal Unflattering Information About DeSantis if He Runs, Maggie Haberman, New York Times, November 8, 2022.
Several hours before polls opened on Tuesday for Election Day in Florida, former President Donald J. Trump warned the state’s governor, Ron DeSantis, against mounting a challenge to Mr. Trump’s own anticipated presidential candidacy in the 2024 election cycle. ✂️ But Mr. Trump added, in remarks published on Tuesday by The Wall Street Journal, “If he did run, I will tell you things about him that won’t be very flattering. I know more about him than anybody other than perhaps his wife, who is really running his campaign.” The former president, preparing to announce a rare candidacy for the White House after a defeat, was thus openly threatening to smear the person who would be considered his leading rival, should he choose to run. x If you think this Trump-DeSantis fight just happened, think again.@projectlincoln has been engineering this catfight for a year.
https://t.co/XMSK7ZN3bM — Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) November 8, 2022
Look, no matter how messed up things can be sometimes, there’s always Zachary Petrizzo having a wry laugh at goofy GOpers:
x Mike Lindell's election night activities aren't going as planned, as his site keeps crashing. pic.twitter.com/Q2ENZs3Sgw — Zachary Petrizzo (@ZTPetrizzo) November 9, 2022
Every second that orange ignoramus is focused on the Republican party is an eternity of anxiety for Rs. HAHA they deserve it!
TRUMP FREAKS OUT REPUBLICANS WITH THREAT TO ANNOUNCE 2024 BID BEFORE ELECTION DAY, Bess Levin, Vanity Fair, November 7, 2022.
Last Thursday, former White House senior counselor Kellyanne Conwayclaimed that while Donald Trump would make a 2024 announcement “soon,” he has wisely decided not to kick off his candidacy until after the midterms in order to avoid overshadowing the GOP candidates. But new reporting from this week suggests that he may not be able to resist making himself the center of attention for a single day. The Washington Post reveals that Trump “set off a scramble Monday in the Republican Party after he threatened to upend the midterm elections by announcing his 2024 presidential bid on the eve of voting.” According to the outlet, the ex-president told people close to him today that he was thinking of using a Monday night rally in Ohio to announce his long-teased candidacy, three people familiar with the matter said. Which apparently “prompt[ed] a chain of phone calls from party leaders who have tried for months to keep him from announcing until after the midterms,” with some advisers reportedly insisting that “efforts needed to be made to talk him out of announcing.” (Others were said to be “egging him on to jump in.”) x Donald Trump expected to emerge from mid-terms as kingmaker. Looks more likely that he’s been a drag on Republican hopes. Interesting to see if that affects his supposed “major announcement” next week. Or even if it happens. — Andrew Neil (@afneil) November 9, 2022
😄 Another chuckle break 😄
All of my children were pretty mellow babies, but one of them stands out in memory for developing a deep belly laugh at around 4 months old — just like this delightful tot and big brother! 🥰 I dare you not to smile and laugh watching this!
x This is the best sound in the world pic.twitter.com/ODzKwHQYvE — Kelly Canuck🍁 (@KellyCanuckTO) September 27, 2022
🌱 Environmental News 🌱
Joe and the Democrats Deliver — Again
I’m just quoting a little from this fact sheet — go read it for yourself. You will be glad you did!
FACT SHEET: President Biden’s Leadership to Tackle the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad Galvanizes Unprecedented Momentum at Start of U.N. Climate Conference (COP27), White House website, November 7, 2022.
In less than two years since taking office, President Biden’s leadership to tackle the climate crisis has boosted U.S. manufacturing and deployment of cost-cutting clean energy technologies, put the country on a durable path aligned with limiting warming to 1.5 °C, and galvanized global action by partners and the private sector – building unprecedented momentum towards achieving critical climate goals and strengthening global resilience. As more than a hundred countries gather for the 27th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the United States will work with partners to enhance global ambition to accelerate growth of the clean energy economy, avert the most catastrophic impacts of climate change, and help lower- and middle- income countries build resilience to climate impacts. In fact, the President has pledged to work with Congress to increase U.S. international climate finance to over $11 billion a year – which would make the United States the single largest contributor of climate finance. These actions are key to strengthening global security – including energy, water, food, and health security – which has been made all the more urgent following Russia’s war against Ukraine that has disrupted energy markets, strained economies with rising prices, and threatened vulnerable countries with severe food shortages. ✂️ On November 11, President Biden will be at COP27 to build on efforts by the United States to accelerate growth of an equitable clean energy economy that will cut consumer energy costs, reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, advance the global climate fight, and help the most vulnerable build resilience to climate impacts. The United States is leading by example at home and abroad: Leading at Home by Taking the Most Ambitious Climate Actions in U.S. History .
Supporting Vulnerable Countries in Building Resilience to Current and Future Climate Impacts by implementing the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE) .
Leading Global Efforts to Keep the 1.5 °C Goal within Reach .
People power continues to enable human thriving and progress
Chicago’s solar-powered community fridge puts down sustainable roots in Englewood, Mariah Rush, Chicago Sun Times, November 8, 2022.
Risa and Eric Von Haynes, creators of Love Fridge project There are currently 26 fridges scattered around Chicago that are able to be accessed 24/7, but this one in Englewood, at 6344 S. Morgan St., is special. It’s the first to be “off-grid” — powered by solar panels that have a “robust” power bank, Eric Von Haynes says, making it not only sustainable, but more autonomous. According to Eric Von Haynes, this is not only Chicago’s first solar-powered community fridge, but also the first in the Midwest. The only other one he knows of is in Los Angeles. The duo, who call themselves the “spokes” in the Love Fridge wheel, started the mutual aid group in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, to share free, fresh food during a time of increased food insecurity. The Englewood Love Fridge is on land managed by Getting Grown Collective, an Englewood nonprofit focused on aiding food access through agricultural skills. The nonprofit also maintains Libations to the Ancestors Garden — used to teach collective members how to grow medicinal herbs and native plants — at the site. The fridges are refilled by the Von Hayneses and other volunteers multiple times a week. Some sites, like the one in Pilsen, are often emptied just 20 minutes after they are stocked. But it’s not difficult to keep the fridges stocked, the pair says — the pantries, stores and restaurants that supply them often have food to spare. There is a need, though, for more volunteers to distribute food to the fridges.
Endangered Frogs See ‘Population Explosion’ After 422 Ponds Were Built in Switzerland, Andy Corbley, Good News Network, November 8, 2022.
While protection laws in the Swiss canton of Aargau for their suite of frog, newt, and toad species were strong, scientists wanted to see if habitat restoration could kick start their continually-declining numbers. In 1999, in coordination with the Aargau government, non-profits, volunteers, and landholders, a 20-year program of building 422 ponds across five regions of Aargau was started. ✂️ Of the eight endangered species, 52% increased their regional populations and 32% were stabilized. “Habitat loss is one of the main problems, and just by addressing that we could see the difference it made, and begin the recovery of these species,” lead author of the study Dr. Helen Moor told BBC News. “The key message is that it pays to do something, even if it feels overwhelming.”
🐩💙 CG’s Picks 💙🐩
Hello Everybody! It’s me, Curlygirl! I am pleased to be here this morning with some nice stories, but why is Mama so tired? I put MYSELF to bed around 1 AM and I don’t actually know if Mama ever came to bed! Me, I sleep like a rock on my comfy bed in the nook between Mama’s and the window — well, who can tell if anyone else comes into the room once it’s nighty-night? Anyway, she is making a pot of coffee and it looks like she’s going for the full 12 cups, so I expect it’s going to be one of those days! 🤣
SO, where was I? Oh yes, stories about ANIMALS! Read on!
I like how the humans in Gnuville help each other with neat stories! This one was posted by T Maysle in the Sunday comments and I spied it right away! I love beluga whales! And this story is interesting and a great way to help wild animals who have become too used to being around humans (that is bad for wild animals — unlike for dogs and cats — because wild animals lose their sharp survival skills if they spend too much time interacting with humans):
Norway plans sanctuary for ‘spy’ whale Hvaldimir who came in from cold, Helena Horton, the Guardian, November 6, 2022.
Because he seems to be trained by and used to people, he is not functioning well in the wild and is under threat by salmon farmers, conservationists have said, as he spends his time by the nets, eating the fish attracted by the salmon food and annoying fishermen. ✂️ But now his fortunes could be set to change. A British entrepreneur was so touched by his story he is now trying to raise funds to create the world’s first open-water whale sanctuary in the Norwegian fjords. Work on the 500-acre reserve, near the town of Hammerfest, is due to start early next year. Former property mogul Adam Thorpe set up the charity OneWhale, which currently funds the monitoring and protection of Hvaldimir and has financed studies which are allowing the sanctuary to be created. He teamed up with film-maker Regina Crosby, who said she had to act after going to film the distressed whale. ✂️ The reserve would be big enough to take a number of whales that have been trained by humans and are used to captivity. The project hopes to enable the whales to hunt for themselves and interact with one another, and finally to be released back into the wild. Thorpe thinks this would be better than some suggestions from zoologists, that whales such as Hvaldimir be kept in a tank in captivity. ✂️ But while the project began as a small operation, with just Thorpe and Crosby trying to protect Hvaldimir, it has grown into a larger non-profit project, with world-leading scientists, vets and conservationists on its board, working to create the sanctuary. It has even attracted the interest of Netflix, which is in talks with Crosby about a film documenting the whale and his journey from captivity, to danger at sea, to a sanctuary. x YouTube Video
I am tempted to put in Raffi’s song “Baby Beluga” here, but I had that in my section just a few weeks ago, so I guess I’d better not. 🤔
L👀K at this cute little puppy seeing himself in a mirror!
x Puppy seeing himself for the first time in the mirror.. 😊 pic.twitter.com/vfpmR2trTD — Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) November 8, 2022
GASP! Watch this! I want one of those jars!! 🐈🐈⬛
If Mama was a dog, this would be her right now:
That’s all for today. I hope you liked all the clever animals! Bye for now, Luv CG 💙🐾
P.S. Fooled ya! 😄
🥘🍂🥮 Colder, darker season brings its own pleasures 🥘🍂🥮
Whether you prefer DST or standard time, nearly everyone can agree that the biannual changing of our clocks is a right pain in the patootie. The Senate passed a measure to establish permanent DST and banish the clock-changing. Stopping the spring forward/fall back misery was great news to just about everybody, but there remains a fair bit of disagreement about which time to keep permanent.
The Senate’s measure has not been taken up in the House (yet, anyway) and will expire with this congress unless it gets taken up in the lame duck session. Advocates for keeping standard time instead of DST hope that the current bill will expire and a new bill might be introduced in the House. Instead of permanent DST (called the Sunshine Protection Act), they argue that for a host of health benefits, we should have a bill to set permanent standard time and call it the Sleep Protection Act.
Reading the rationale behind this idea, it is pretty convincing. In fact, it makes me wonder if some of the issues that make people long for permanent DST may, in fact, have been partially caused by DST in the first place! The science supports that hypothesis, so there is a lot of food for thought there.
Read the full article at the link. It is fascinating and may even persuade staunch advocates of permanent DST to rethink the matter.
The case for permanent standard time, DR. KARIN JOHNSON AND LYNNE LAMBERG, the Hill, November 5, 2022.
Our minds may tolerate that, but our brains know better. They remain on sun time, which is aligned more closely with standard time. At noon on standard time in the middle of each time zone, the sun is directly overhead. Morning sunlight, the body’s most potent time-setting cue, tethers us to the Earth’s 24-hour day/night cycle. Exposure to sunlight soon after we awaken governs inner clocks that control sleep, alertness, mood, body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, hunger, cell division and hundreds of other bodily functions. When we shift to daylight saving time, our morning light exposure drops. Our biological clocks fall out of sync. We pay a price: Daylight saving time’s lighter, longer evenings make it harder to fall asleep. We sleep less. Darker mornings make it harder to awaken, shrug off drowsiness and feel alert. ✂️ One of us is a sleep specialist and neurologist and can see the consequences of sleep loss in patients. Some struggle to get to school on time, have difficulty focusing at work, find it hard to stay awake for family time, or strive to cope with depression or anxiety. Daylight saving time often makes their problems worse. Achieving better sleep can be life changing.
Comfort foods for the darker months
Follow along with Alvin Zhou as he makes the ultimate winter comfort food — lasagna!
And then, for dessert!
An easy, but decadent, caramel apple cake to herald in cozy, fall evenings, Bibi Hutchings, Salon, November 7, 2022.
(Click on the article to read a fun roadtrip story — great writing and a terrific recipe!) If you've never made homemade caramel before, you are really in for a treat. It puts store bought to shame, and I think the process is so fun. Bringing the milk, butter and sugar up to a certain temperature changes it into caramel. And I'll tell you, there is nothing better than dipping cold apple slices into warm caramel made right on your stove, particularly this time of year. Traditionally, you use canned evaporated milk along with butter, brown sugar, and a little vanilla to make caramel, but I make mine with coconut milk. I prefer it, and if you are interested in trying it my way, see the Cook's Notes section for directions. It is a bit more time consuming but it is not work intensive. You simply allow a can of full fat coconut milk to simmer long and slow until it is reduced by half, and voilà, you have evaporated coconut milk. This cake is without a doubt a great cake to serve at your Halloween party or any fall party for that matter. The caramel frosting makes it, but the cake itself, moist and filled with fresh apples is truly outstanding. Use your choice of apple to make this cake; you can't go wrong with any variety you prefer. Invite a friend over when you make it, someone who loves this time of year and will get excited about dipping apple slices in the caramel as soon as it's ready. Caramel apple cake Yields 16 servings Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 1 hour Ingredients Cake 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 2 tsp cinnamon 4 eggs 1 1/3 cups avocado or other neutral tasting oil 1 tsp vanilla 3 1/2 cups peeled, sliced apples 1 cup chopped pecans Caramel 2 cups brown sugar 1/2 cup evaporated milk 1/2 cup butter 1 tsp vanilla Directions Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients and set aside. Beat eggs and add oil and vanilla then add to dry ingredients.Mix in apples and pecans and allow apple slices to break up a bit as you stir together. Pour batter into an oiled and floured Bundt pan. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool 10 to15 minutes before removing from the pan then allow more cooling time on a rack. Meanwhile, make the caramel. I use a candy thermometer (or a meat thermometer) when I make caramel, but it isn't necessary if you don't have one.Combine sugar, milk, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a low boil and simmer until until it reaches 245 to 250 on your thermometer or until it forms a firm ball when drizzled into a cup of cold water. Add pecans and remove from heat then add vanilla. Stir until it cools and thickens. Once it is only slightly warm, drizzle over cake.
⚡️ Lightning RoundUp ⚡️
⚡️ Whatever happens in the election, our fight for rights and a better America will go on, Meteor Blades, DailyKos, November 6, 2022.
⚡️ Whatever the hell happens in this election, let's commit to facing the truth, Chauncey Devega, Salon, November 8, 2022.
⚡️ What Joe Biden and LBJ Have in Common, Lindsay M. Chervinsky, Washington Monthly, November 7, 2022.
⚡️ The Future of Democracy Requires an Electorate Free From Fear, Katrina vanden Heuvel, the Nation, November 8, 2022.
⚡️ Annual COVID Shots Mean We Can Stop Counting, Katherine J Wu, the Atlantic, November 8, 2022.
⚡️ A sign of the pink wave perhaps! Solar storm smashes hole in Earth's magnetosphere, triggering extremely rare pink auroras, Harry Baker, Live Science, November 8, 2022.
⚡️ Truth Social Is Donald Trump’s Self-made Prison, Margaret Hartmann, New York Magazine, November 8, 2022.
⚡️ Fascinating and omg! so true! Why Did We All Have the Same Childhood? Julie Beck, the Atlantic, November 8, 2022.
💙 RoundUp WIndDown 💙
That’s it from me and CG for Election Week! Wow what a stunning repudiation of the Repugnant party and its deplorable ambitions! We may hold the House! Looks like we’ve saved the Senate and may even increase our majority to 51 or 52! We’ve held all our governorships, flipped a couple of governships, flipped some state legislatures (and broken other R supermajorities) and passed several awesome ballot measures! WOW do Democrats deliver! Democratic VOTERS, I mean! Yes, you! and You and you and you and you and you!!!
x Just a massive, history-defying rejection of MAGA. — Ezra Levin (@ezralevin) November 9, 2022
No “What can you do” section this week. We’ve all earned a bye week.
As always, take good care of yourself. You will be needed as soon as you’ve rested up. Democracy is an ongoing effort LOL darn I thought we could rest on our laurels now! Nope, but we can rest a bit. Then get back to building a better world.
We did good, Gnuville. I am, so proud of us!
Have a very happy Wednesday!
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