(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
Evening Shade---Resistance Rising---Saturday, May 31st (regional edition) [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-05-31
A SANCTUARY OF SANITY AFTER A LONG HARD DAY OF FIGHTING FASCISM YOU WILL FIND in the DIARIES a LOT of POLITICS (Or NOT As the CASE MAY BE) AND EVEN MORE CRITTERS THE PERSON who MAKES the FIRST COMMENT WILL GET TWO CRITTERS EVERY PERSON WHO COMMENTS WILL GET A CRITTER RULES IN THE DIARY WHEN YOU FIND SOMETHING in the DIARY that you LIKE YOU CAN REPOST IT AS COMMENT in the DIARY
===
Farewell, sweet May!
===
===
The Canadian province of Manitoba declares a state of emergency over wildfires as thousands flee
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — The Canadian province of Manitoba has declared a state of emergency over a series of wildfires, and Prime Minister Mark Carney has agreed to send in the military to help. “This is the largest evacuation Manitoba will have seen in most peoples’ living memory,” Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said. He said the fires have forced 17,000 people across several communities to flee. “The military is being called for help here because of the sheer scale of the 17,000 folks that we move relatively quickly,” Kinew said. “I’m happy to say that Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed with the request.” The emergency declaration helps officials to safely transport evacuees and provide shelter. The Manitoba city of Flin Flon earlier ordered all 5,000 residents to leave due to an approaching wildfire. Residents were told they should flee south with their essentials and aim to be out by midnight. It had already begun sending out high-needs hospital patients.✂️
Winnipeg is downstream a few hundred miles from where I grew up (The Red River of the North flows north, which is very unusual). I have a warm spot in my heart for Canada, especially Manitoba, and I’m saddened that this is happening.
A caring president would lay out the red carpet to our neighbors to the north (somewhere to go, some financial assistance, etc.) and earn some good will. I don’t think that’s the case for the current occupant of the White House, but perhaps Minnesota will step up in the national government’s absence.
===
Someone Stole A Bizarre-Looking Statue Of Melania Trump—And People Have Hilarious Theories
Social media users shared their hilarious theories after police in Slovenia launched an investigation into the theft of a bronze statue of First Lady Melania Trump, which was removed from its pedestal and taken from the outskirts of her hometown of Sevnica. The bronze statue was erected in 2020 to replace an earlier wooden version that was destroyed in an arson attack. Both versions were intended to honor Trump, who was born Melanija Knavs in Sevnica in 1970. Local officials have not yet identified any suspects, and the motive behind the theft remains unclear.✂️ Funnily enough, not too many people in Sevnica said they would miss the statue. According to The New York Times, Nena Bedek, an art teacher who said she had gone to school with the First Lady, said the statue "was very unesthetic." Similarly, hotelier Bruno Vidmar said "we were all ashamed of the statue when it was first unveiled."✂️
The comments are funny, but you’ll have to click through. Slovenia is a region, right?
===
I’ll be referring back to this dKos post today and using it to curate my BlueSky feed .
10 Gems of Bluesky Today.
I don’t see that option on the posts I open. I’m checking into it.
Screw it! I think it has to show up in your timeline for you to ask for “More like this”. it’s a damned shame. Great diary, please read it. It will make you smile.
===
From my lovely neighbors in Wisconsin…
Evers raises Pride flag over Wisconsin State Capitol
For the seventh time, Gov. Tony Evers ordered the Progress Pride Flag to fly over the Wisconsin State Capitol for LGBTQ Pride Month. This year, Pride Month begins on the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which gave same-sex couples the right to get married in 2015. But Evers’ celebration of LGBTQ pride is occuring as the administration of President Donald Trump attacks the rights of transgender people and a recent Gallup poll found that Republican acceptance of same-sex marriage has fallen to its lowest level in nine years. “When the Pride Flag flies above the People’s House, it sends a clear and unequivocal message that Wisconsin recognizes and celebrates LGBTQ Wisconsinites and Americans,” Evers said in a statement. “Every day, but especially today and this month, we reaffirm our commitment to striving to be a place where every LGBTQ kid, person, and family can be bold in their truth and be safe, treated with dignity and respect, and welcomed without fear of persecution, judgment, or discrimination. I promised long ago that, as governor, I would always fight to protect LGBTQ Wisconsinites with every tool and every power that I have. I will never stop keeping that promise.”✂️
A person can love his own governor (Tim Walz) and still appreciate another governor, right? This doesn’t make me weird?
===
Other governors make me much less happy.
Governor vetoes ‘river census’ bill, sponsor pushes for override
Gov. Greg Gianforte vetoed a “river census” bill, arguing the work to collect data can be done in a “more cost effective manner,” but the sponsor said a special revenue account has the money, and Montana needs clarity about river use. House Bill 762 would require Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to produce a report of all watercraft, from rafts to inflatable flamingoes, along 966 miles of 16 rivers in the state. Rep. Joshua Seckinger, a river guide, said the legislation is necessary because rivers are busy, and attempts have been made to regulate them, but with only anecdotal evidence, not hard data. In his veto letter, however, Gianforte argued the cost of the river census was much too high, and the project too large, although he said the bill is “well intended.” “House Bill 762 drains $2.6 million from the state parks account, which would otherwise be used to address important infrastructure projects at our state parks, including maintenance backlogs,” Gianforte said in his veto letter. The bill had bipartisan sponsorship. It earned 102 approvals altogether in its final votes in both chambers — 29 in the Senate and 73 in the House.✂️
===
News from the States has a “states west of the Mississippi River” bias, which reinforces my own biases, having grown up here. I have to actually go looking for the other half of the country, so please bear with me. I need to read through and close some existing tabs before I hit the eastern states.
===
I always feel like I’m cheating when I highlight Minnesota. “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!”
Pine City Pride 20 years later: a proclamation about being yourself in rural Minnesota
Two decades ago, a quiet but radical act took place in Pine City, Minnesota. It didn’t involve picket signs, marches or sweeping legislative change. It was a picnic. In a park. With a rainbow flag fluttering from a folding table, a handful of brave souls gathered near the Snake River to celebrate who they were — out loud — for the first time in their rural town. That picnic was the beginning of East Central Minnesota Pride. And, unbeknownst to many at the time, it was the first rural LGBTQ Pride event in the United States. This June, Pine City — population 4,200 and growing — will celebrate the 20th anniversary of that event. In doing so, we celebrate more than a milestone. We honor the legacy of a place that chose community over conformity, compassion over silence, and inclusion over fear. The story of rural Pride didn’t begin in a metro center with corporate floats or glitter bombs. It started in a town known more for fishing derbies and Friday fish fries than for progressive firsts. Back in 2005, when rural queerness was still mostly whispered or erased, a small group of LGBTQ locals and allies chose to be visible. Their gathering was met with curiosity, quiet resistance, and eventually, something even more powerful: acceptance.✂️
Pine City isn’t far from the Twin Cities, but it is still VERY rural.
===
===
I tend to focus on red state regional news, because paying attention to that may be the most effective thing to do. I really want to highlight the good news and concerns that are happening there, in order to help our team improve the lives there. So here we are with West Virginia and Alabama.
===
Huntsville Starbucks workers vote to unionize
Workers at a Starbucks in Huntsville voted to unionize earlier this month, becoming the third Alabama store to organize. Ten out of 17 eligible voters cast their ballot. Eight voted to join, while two voted against it. Six baristas led the charge to bring the workers into the Starbucks Workers United (SBWU), which represents over 570 union Starbucks stores, including locations in Scottsboro and Birmingham. “We’re absolutely thrilled to win our union election here in Huntsville,” said organizing member Briar Wolf in a statement. “We can’t wait to sit down at the bargaining table and fight for the respect and security we deserve.”✂️
A unionized Starbucks in Alabama — the third in the state. Let that sink in for a moment.
===
Alabama Legislature only passes two immigration bills despite GOP push on issue
Despite spending a great deal of time on the issue in the 2025 session, the Alabama Legislature only passed two bills targeting those without appropriate authorization to reside in the country. SB 63, sponsored by Sen. Lance Bell, R-Pell City, requires law enforcement in Alabama to take fingerprints and DNA samples of people without the documentation to live in the U.S. and submit them to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Alabama Department of Forensic Science. SB 53, sponsored by Wes Kitchens, R-Arab, made it a crime, a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $15,000 fine, for people to knowingly transport a person without the appropriate documentation to reside in the country into the state. The bill also required county or municipal jail administrators to investigate those placed into custody to determine a person’s immigration status and check with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security if the individual was issued an immigration detainer or warrant. “Many of these bills were created to address problems that don’t exist in Alabama,” said Allison Hamilton, executive director of the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice. “The majority of these bills were copycat bills that were developed at national thinktanks and distributed out to different legislators around the country to implement in their states.” But several other immigration bills stalled before getting a final vote.✂️
The cover photo is of pro-immigration protestors in Alabama. Very nice!
===
New Human Services secretary inherited a broken WV foster care system. He promises improvements.
On a Thursday evening in Parkersburg, a group of local residents gathered to discuss West Virginia foster care — a system that is struggling from top to bottom with thousands of kids in care. A moderator asked foster and biological parents, child welfare workers, judges and others to describe their experience with the system. Their responses: “Challenging.” “Overwhelming.” “Traumatizing.” “Broken.” “Nobody would listen. Nobody would talk to me,” said Lisa Easter, who had more than 50 foster children in her home in 25 years. Julie Jones stopped fostering after Child Protective Services went months without checking on a newborn baby in her care. She was mailed a blank birth certificate and worried if the state was aware of the child’s whereabouts. “I couldn’t do it any longer,” she said. In the corner of the room, new Department of Human Services Secretary Alex Mayer listened as people described a frustrating system riddled with inconsistencies, staffing shortages, an overwhelmed judicial system, limited support and children who have been victims of it all. ✂️
Assuming that you can take him at face value, I’m encouraged.
===
New book ‘Holler’ tells the story of Appalachian climate activists
The Mountain Valley Pipeline transports natural gas through West Virginia and Virginia. But for 10 years, climate activists and worried locals opposed it, even locking themselves to equipment and camping in the pipeline’s path. Many were opposed specifically to the transportation of natural gas, which includes methane, a highly flammable fossil fuel with a large carbon footprint. A new graphic novel, Holler, released in May, tells the story. Denali Sai Nalamalapu, a Southwest Virginia-based climate activist and illustrator, spoke with BPR on what this fight meant for people who were involved and what it means now. Tell us a little about yourself and why you were drawn to the Mountain Valley Pipeline to begin with? I joined the pipeline fight to support, with communications and federal and congressional advocacy. As I started traveling more to the region, I got more connected to the community here that was fighting the pipeline and also to the mountains. I wanted to figure out different ways to tell the stories I was hearing, particularly stories of ordinary people who were just living their lives and then became pipeline resistors. And so I sat down with six people across the region that’s impacted by the pipeline in Central Appalachia, and the book came to life from there. ✂️
Another impressive person and perspective in a very red zone. Thanks to Katie Myers and Blue Ridge Public Radio for sharing it.
===
===
x This is heartbreaking, but Ms Swit brought strong women to the screen.
apnews.com/article/lore... Loretta Swit, Emmy-winner who played Houlihan on pioneering TV series 'M.A.S.H.,' has died at 87
[image or embed] — 🖇️3 Sides🟥🍁🟥🐦⬛ (@3sides.bsky.social) May 30, 2025 at 3:01 PM
CBC…
Loretta Swit, MASH star and 2-time Emmy winner, dead at 87
Read the article. She was amazing.
===
The Jukebox is here . Al Dorado is hosting. The theme is Summertime!
===
Today is…
National Smile Day
Wear your best smile to this party as we celebrate National Smile Day every year on May 31. Founded by dentists Dr. Tim Stirneman and Jim Wojdyla of Compassionate Dental Care in Lake in the Hills, Illinois, this day is meant to, you guessed it, “Share with the world what the power of a healthy smile can do!” The best part, this day heralds the beginning of National Smile Month!✂️
(2:24)
===
World No Tobacco Day
Each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) holds World No Tobacco Day on May 31. Their goal is to spread awareness about the risks of tobacco use and how we can make the world tobacco free. Roughly 6 million people die from tobacco-related ailments every year. And that number is projected to rise to over 8 million by 2030. But this is by no means a guarantee. The Sustainable Development Agenda aims to reduce deaths from noninfectious diseases by a third. Diseases linked to tobacco are on the list, so if we hit the target, 2030 will be a year to celebrate (oh yea!)—not only for our health, but the size of our wallets. Your average smoker drops around $4,000 on cigarettes annually. Imagine all of the other cool holidays you could enjoy with that money (we have a few suggestions, just saying). So let’s use World No Tobacco Day as a launching pad to a brighter and less smokey future!✂️
I’m still looking for a light-hearted way to approach a serious subject. For now, this is a place holder that might get replaced or deleted altogether.
(0:49)
===
National Save Your Hearing Day
End Better Speech and Hearing Month on a high note but at a lower volume — observe National Save Your Hearing Day, which is celebrated each year on May 31. While it is unclear who founded this particular event, what these mysterious people wanted is crystal clear — to protect hearing and stave off hearing loss at all costs.✂️
Another serious subject. This video is genuinely heart-warming.
(1:17)
I don’t think I’ve abused my ears. I don’t really crank music any more than I have to when I’m listening. But years and years of being a (mostly) rock musician and lots of loud noises beyond that does take its toll and I have mild tinnitus. It’s not bad, but it’s better to take precautions.
===
National Utah Day
National Utah Day is observed every year on May 31 and this unofficial holiday allows us to honor the culture and people of this state. Utah is known for its skiing landscapes and Salt Lake City, which is home to the largest saltwater lake in the western hemisphere. Salt Lake City even boasts a rich Native American heritage. On this day, it’s time to dive deeper into the rich history of Utah and celebrate this unique state✂️
Zion National Park left a huge impression on me. I must have been around seven years old when my family went there. To this day, it strikes me as one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.
(8:04)
===
The Shade is open, folks! Enjoy.
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/5/31/2324726/-Evening-Shade-Resistance-Rising-Saturday-May-31st-regional-edition?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=latest_community&pm_medium=web
Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/
