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Evening Shade-- Resistance Rising-- Saturday, July 26, 2025 (Regional Shade) [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-07-26
WELCOME
TO THE EVENING SHADE
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
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The regular nonsense...
PostingADiary
Critter Herding (via TCG)
Even when Nanny is back, it would probably be good to give her a break on critter herding on Tuesdays. Volunteers encouraged. The more the merrier. Help make the Shade your own!
The Schedule
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This is a blessedly Trump/Epstein free diary. Although it’s a serious subject and I’m amused as hell about the fallout, I’m at saturation for today. We should absolutely keep up the heat. But not in this diary tonight. Those that want to are encouraged to do it in the comments. It wasn’t popping up in regional news, and I was happy enough to enjoy the momentary peace.
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I mentioned last week that MN state Senator Nicole Mitchell was found guilty of burglarizing her stepmother’s home. She resigned this week, sparing a lot of people a lot of needless headaches. There were irregularities and she will undoubtedly appeal, as she should, but I believe the cops caught her dead to right.
Sen. Nicole Mitchell to resign by Aug. 4, attorney says (Minnesota Reformer)
Sen. Nicole Mitchell, a Woodbury Democrat who was found guilty of first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools Friday, will resign from the Minnesota Senate by Aug. 4, her attorney said in a statement Monday The first-term senator will resign no later than Aug. 4 at 5 p.m., once she finishes four tasks: completes outstanding legislative projects, wraps up ongoing constituent services, transitions legislative staff and obtains health insurance for her son, according to the statement from Dane DeKrey, who helped defend Mitchell during the recent five-day trial. ✂️
Minnesota has three special elections on the horizon for assassinated Melissa Hortman, Nicole Mitchell and Republican Sen. Bruce Anderson, who died unexpectedly in office recently. The parties are expected to hold their respective seats, although Mitchell’s is a closer contest.
Balance of power in St. Paul hangs on 3 special elections — and they aren’t cheap (kstp)
I wasn’t able to find any dates for the elections. Both chambers of congress in Minnesota are closely divided.
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Zinke, Sheehy introduce legislation to increase fees on foreign visitors to national parks (Daily Montanan)
Members of Montana’s congressional delegation have introduced bicameral legislation implementing a presidential order that will charge international visitors to America’s national parks an additional fee. The state’s western congressional Rep. Ryan Zinke, a former Interior Secretary during President Donald Trump’s first term, along with junior U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy, introduced the Protecting America’s Treasures by Raising Inflow from Overseas Tourists in Parks Act (PATRIOT Parks Act), which could address maintenance backlogs at some of the country’s most popular sites. “National Parks are Americas best idea and maintaining that legacy for future generations means making smart investments in the management of the parks,” Zinke said in a press release. “Americans already pay for parks in our tax dollars as well as at the gates. It’s unfair to American taxpayers to foot the bill for millions of foreign visitors. Almost every other country charges foreign visitors more, it’s common sense. President Trump and Secretary Burgum did the right thing directing the National Park Service implement a foreign visitor fee. This legislation will codify the policy and ensure Americans are put First in our own parks.” The idea to raise additional funds from foreign tourists has long been championed by the Property and Environment Research Center, a Bozeman-based a “free market environmentalism” nonprofit think-tank. Sheehy once served on its board. ✂️
It’s a genius move that I would never have thought of: As domestic US policy is destroying foreign (and domestic) tourism, raise the prices for foreign visitors to national parks. 5th dimensional chess! There are lots and lots of other great attractions in Montana, after all. </s>
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States Pass Privacy Laws To Protect Brain Data Collected by Devices (Michigan Advance)
More states are passing laws to protect information generated by a person’s brain and nervous system as technology improves the ability to unlock the sensitive details of a person’s health, mental states, emotions, and cognitive functioning. Colorado, California, and Montana are among the states that have recently required safeguarding brain data collected by devices outside of medical settings. That includes headphones, earbuds, and other wearable consumer products that aim to improve sleep, focus, and aging by measuring electrical activity and sending the data to an app on users’ phones. A report by the Neurorights Foundation, an advocacy group that aims to protect people from the misuse of neurotechnology, found that 29 of 30 companies with neurotechnology products that can be purchased online have access to brain data and “provide no meaningful limitations to this access.” Almost all of them can share data with third parties. In June, the American Medical Association called for greater regulation of neural data. In April, several Democratic members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether companies are exploiting consumers’ brain data. Juliana Gruenwald Henderson, a deputy director of the FTC’s Office of Public Affairs, said the agency had received the letter but had no additional comment. ✂️
It’s an interesting article. In my case, the data footprint would be quite small.
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Probe underway after reports of nude women on Oklahoma state superintendent’s office TV (Oklahoma Voice)
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma’s top Senate leader said an inquiry is underway following “a bizarre and troubling situation” where two board members reported that they saw naked women on State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ office television. Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, said the inquiry is being led by the Office of Management and Enterprise Services and “leadership at the agency is working through proper channels to initiate the investigation.” The Oklahoman and NonDoc reported Friday that board members Ryan Deatherage and Becky Carson said they saw the pictures on a television in Walters’ office during a State Board of Education executive session that was held July 24. “This is a bizarre and troubling situation that raises serious questions about the events and what took place during yesterday’s executive session at the Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting,” Paxton said in a statement. “The accounts made public by board members paint a strange, unsettling scene that demands clarity and transparency. Senator (Adam) Pugh and I appreciate the quick action by OMES to help coordinate through this situation to get details on exactly what happened. More transparency is essential before strong conclusions can be drawn.” ✂️ Walters has been a vocal critic of pornography and sought to ban some books that he said contained it from school library shelves. ✂️
I’m only including this because of the hypocrisy of the R’s trying to micromanage porn sites and their users, while they themselves often enjoy (a-hem) adult entertainment.
x What a surprise that this freak had porn playing in his office during a state school meeting. He also mandated Trump Bibles in every classroom.
[image or embed] — Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) July 26, 2025 at 4:41 PM
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Secretary of State Steve Simon to feds: Nah (Minnesota Reformer)
The Office of Secretary of State Steve Simon is denying a request from the Trump administration to submit Minnesota’s voter registration list to the U.S. Department of Justice. In a letter to the DOJ, Justin Erickson, Simon’s general counsel, writes that the secretary of state’s office “will require clear legal justification for the data and sufficient information to show that the data will be protected and used properly before it can consider whether it is appropriate to share Minnesota’s voter registration list.” The letter is addressed to Maureen Riordan, acting chief, voting section of the DOJ. As Stateline reported recently, the DOJ is seeking the voter registration lists of Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — representing data on millions of Americans — and other election information ahead of the 2026 midterms, raising fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information. Erickson writes that the Trump administration hasn’t provided “any legal basis in its June 25 letter that would entitle it to Minnesota’s voter registration list.” ✂️
I’m an even bigger fan of Steve Simon now.
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Amid federal setbacks, Maine ‘closely tracking’ development of Canadian offshore wind (Maine Morning Star)
With Massachusetts toying with the idea of procuring offshore wind energy from Canada, officials in Maine say they are keeping an eye on opportunities across the border as local development has been stalled. In the first few days of his second term, President Donald Trump hit the breaks on new wind energy development by pausing all new federal permits for on or offshore projects. Just days before, the Maine Governor’s Energy Office released its strategic plan to provide affordable and reliable energy, while also meeting the state’s climate goals. The plan calls for a mix of clean energy sources, but is largely predicated on a goal to develop offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine. Meanwhile, the latest federal tax bill created another roadblock for the clean energy industry by phasing out the tax credits for solar and wind projects that aren’t in service by the end of 2027. Like Maine, Massachusetts is trying to shift its power mix to sustainable sources and has a statutory goal to lock in contracts for at least 5,600 megawatts of offshore wind by 2027. It has one project under construction that’s expected to be completed by the end of the year, but it won’t be enough to meet that objective. ✂️
I will never understand why the right wants to slow down clean energy. The only motivation I can think of is corrupt as hell, so that can’t be it. The good news is that clean energy continues to expand, despite their best efforts.
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I saw a few links to the Scottish reaction to the orange moron visiting their country. It has been pretty righteous. They do have a gift for insults!
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ICE continues to hold Ohio cleric. His defenders say the government’s claims are bogus (Ohio Capital Journal)
The Trump administration is continuing its efforts to deport an Ohio cleric using what the cleric’s defenders say is a shifting, false rationale. Meanwhile, Covington, Ky., authorities are walking back some of their charges against two journalists after police there violently ended a July 17 protest against the cleric’s detention. Ayman Soliman, an Egyptian national, continues to be held in Butler County Jail after being arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on July 9. Under pressure from President Donald Trump to make 3,000 immigration-related arrests a day, officials accused Soliman of providing “material support” to terrorists in Egypt more than a decade ago. Soliman was beaten and tortured by Egypt’s totalitarian government after he worked with western journalists during the Arab Spring uprising, his lawyers said. He later served as a Muslim chaplain at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital after coming to the United States in 2014 and seeking asylum. It was granted in 2018, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. ✂️
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In rush for immigration arrests, a shift by ICE to ‘incredibly aggressive’ tactics, advocates say (Maryland Matters)
Throughout his 2024 campaign to return to the White House, President Donald Trump promised to implement the “largest deportation program” in the nation’s history. And since he assumed office on Jan. 20, that promise has not only led to a surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests, it’s shifted the agency’s tactics as well. New data shows that Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests have more than doubled since the beginning of the second Trump administration. ICE made 1,736 arrests this year in Maryland — 1,683 since Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration — through June 26, according to data compiled by the Deportation Data Project, a research team based in Berkeley, California. That’s an average of about 9.8 arrests per day in Maryland in 2025. For comparison, there were 1,343 arrests in Maryland throughout all of 2024, for an average of about 3.7 arrests per day. Cori Alonso-Yoder, a professor at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law and director of its Immigration Clinic, said the rise in immigration arrest is “a political message,” and part of a larger trend to punish states that aren’t in political alignment with the administration. ✂️
The ICE blowback continues. I hope it succeeds. DEPORT STEPHEN MILLER!!!
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Ethics subcommittee considers harassment allegation against Sen. Mimi Stewart (SourceNM)
Lawmakers deliberated behind closed doors for more than an hour-and-a-half Friday afternoon about whether a high-ranking New Mexico senator will face discipline over alleged harassment of a legislative staffer. Six state senators on the interim Legislative Ethics Committee and a retired New Mexico Supreme Court justice concluded their discussion before 5 p.m., but as of publication had not issued the written order containing its recommendations, according to Chris Nordstrom, a spokesperson for Senate Democrats. Source will update this story when it does. Friday’s hearing centered on whether an email exchange and phone call in February between Senate President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque) and legislative staffer Michelle Jaschke, violated the Legislature’s anti-harassment policy. Jaschke did not respond to messages seeking comment Friday afternoon on the committee’s recommendation. Employment and labor lawyer Lorna Wiggins, who served as special counsel in the matter for the Ethics Committee’s investigative subcommittee, on May 18 issued her report after interviewing Jaschke and Stewart. Source NM requested a copy of the report from the Legislative Council Service but did not receive a copy prior to publication. On Friday, Wiggins summarized her findings to the committee. ✂️
In a nutshell, Stewart is a (D) state senator that lost her shit at a staffer when the staffer made a small mistake. I’m not in a position to say what should be done about it. I debated cutting this item.
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The Jukebox is here. F U RWNJ is the host. The theme is yyy.
This Week in the War on Women will be here or here (the first queries by publishing group, the second by tag). If one doesn’t show you the new diary, try the other. ElenaCarter told me that the team was working on consistency, so they are easier to find. They publish a half an hour after the Shade (8:00 PM Eastern, 5:00 PM Pacific).
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Today is…
National Day of the Cowboy
Following the Civil War, many men moved west looking for ways to work and make a living. One of the attractions of the American frontier was the relative freedom, as well as the option to become cowboys who could access free range cattle. The “Wild West”, beginning in the 1860s through the end of the 19th century, became a time of a bit of chaos on the frontier where gangs of criminals were easily bred. Infamous cowboys, like Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Butch Cassidy and John Wesley Hardin were outlaws who committed various robberies, cattle rustling and even murder. First sponsored in the US Senate in 2005, National Day of the Cowboy was originally brought about by Wyoming’s US Senator at the time, Craig Thomas. Former president Bush said this about the National Day of the Cowboy: “We celebrate the Cowboy as a symbol of the grand history of the American West. The Cowboy’s love of the land and love of the country are examples for all Americans.”
I actually found the cartoon I wanted for this, but I’m sure that it’s not fair use to post Gary Larsen’s copyrighted comic, so I think I can evoke it for you by simply saying “Howdy, howdy, howdy!” This will have to do.
(0:31)
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National Aunt and Uncle Day
National Aunt and Uncle Day is celebrated every July 26. Our aunts and uncles are unique parts of our family; they can be like a second set of parents, or great friends you happen to be related to. Often, they’ve watched us grow up, and are full of stories about things we did in our youth we might not even remember. July is a great month for a cookout, or outdoor activities. Call up your aunts and uncles and ask them to come out and celebrate their special place in your life.
I’ve never been a parent, but I take my uncling VERY seriously, so this is actually my homage to my nieces and nephews. Cheers to the lot of you!
(3:24)
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World Tofu Day
World Tofu Day is annually observed on July 26, in honor of tofu, a plant-based alternative to meat that is manufactured from soybeans. Tofu has seen a surge in popularity as more people switch to a plant-based diet. For vegans and vegetarians, it is particularly appreciated and enjoyed because they can avoid eating meat, but still get some much-needed protein from it. Even if you are not a vegetarian, but you’re curious about tofu, today is a good day to give it a try.
My experience with tofu is that by itself it’s pretty much (literally) a nothing-burger. It’s a good vegetarian protein source, though. You can make it much more appealing by marinating it, frying it, etc. I haven’t cooked it in years, but I don’t shy away from it when I see it on a menu, and as I said a few Shades ago, I tend to look at vegetarian options on the menu first.
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Mick Jagger ’s (wikipedia) birthday.
(3:27)
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