All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!(Part II)

[Tami]

Dem senator unveils ‘Stop STUPIDITY Act’ to prevent all shutdowns

Congressional offices often invest considerable time and energy into crafting the perfect name for legislation. Bills that have memorable acronyms tend to get more attention, while hopefully conveying the purpose of the underlying idea.

One of my personal favorites was an infrastructure bill from a few years ago called the Generating Renewal, Opportunity, and Work with Accelerated Mobility, Efficiency and Rebuilding of Infrastructure and Communities throughout America Act (the GROW AMERICA Act). I can almost picture Capitol Hill aides giving each other high-fives after coming up with that one.

Yesterday, a new gem was unveiled when Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who represents a whole lot of federal workers adversely affected by the government shutdown, introduced a bill called the “Stop STUPIDITY Act.” The Washington Post reported:

The measure …would automatically keep all of the federal government running in the case of a future funding standoff – with the exceptions of the legislative branch and the Executive Office of the President.

“The Stop STUPIDITY Act takes the aggressive but necessary step of forcing the president and Congress to do the jobs they were elected to do,” Warner said in a statement. “Workers, business owners and tax payers are currently paying the price of D.C. gridlock and my legislation will put an end to that.”

In this case, the “Stop STUPIDITY” in the bill’s title stands for “Stop Shutdowns Transferring Unnecessary Pain and Inflicting Damage in the Coming Years Act.” (Some might quibble about leaving out the “c” in “coming,” but let’s be generous and say Warner and his team were close enough.)

Of course, far more important than the name is the substantive point behind the bill, and in this case, the Virginia Democrat’s proposal has real merit.

[Kirby101]

Student tackled by police for 'stealing' own car settles suit for $1.25M

I was very surprised when I clicked the link to find out he was black. Shocker!

[WestPhillyPunisher]

4 Arrested and 23 Guns Seized in Plot Against Muslim Enclave in Upstate N.Y.

Just another day...... *sigh*

So, let's flush billions down the toilet on a wall at the southern border to keep those malevolent, brown skinned devils out of the country while thuggish, homegrown WHITE punks, armed to the teeth plot to shoot up a Muslim enclave. That makes a hell of a lot of sense. What are the chances this story will get much airplay on Faux News? Precious little, that wouldn't suit Trump's anti-Latino agenda which his propaganda network is duty bound to support.

[Tami]

Here is disturbing (and insane) news of a different sort

Google, Facebook, and Microsoft Sponsored a Conference That Promoted Climate Change Denial

Google, Facebook, and Microsoft have publicly acknowledged the dangers of global warming, but last week they all sponsored a conference that promoted climate change denial to young libertarians.

All three tech companies were sponsors of LibertyCon, the annual convention of the libertarian group Students for Liberty, which took place in Washington, DC. Google was a platinum sponsor, ponying up $25,000, and Facebook and Microsoft each contributed $10,000 as gold sponsors. The donations put the tech companies in the top tier of the event’s backers. But the donations also put the firms in company with some of the event’s other sponsors, which included three groups known for their work attacking climate change science and trying to undermine efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

Among the most notable was the CO2 Coalition, a group founded in 2015 to spread the “good news” about a greenhouse gas whose increase in the atmosphere is linked to potentially catastrophic climate change. The coalition is funded by conservative foundations that have backed other climate change denial efforts. These include the Mercer Family Foundation, which in recent years has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to right-wing think tanks engaged in climate change denialism, and the Charles Koch Institute, the charitable arm of one of the brothers behind Koch Industries, the oil and gas behemoth.

In the LibertyCon exhibit hall, the CO2 Coalition handed out brochures that said its goal is to “explain how our lives and our planet Earth will be improved by additional atmospheric carbon dioxide.” One brochure claimed that “more carbon dioxide will help everyone, including future generations of our families” and that the “recent increase in CO2 levels has had a measurable, positive effect on plant life,” apparently because the greenhouse gas will make plants grow faster.

[Iron Maiden]

Anti-nepotism bill introduced in South Dakota after governor appoints daughter to staff

Speaking of which....

Are Melania and Ivanka doing their best impressions of Sue Richards, the Invisible Woman? We know Melania took a military plane back to Mar a Lago. But does Ivanka still work in the West Wing somewhere?

[InformationGeek]

And here we go.

NEW: Elijah Cummings announces "in-depth investigation" of the WH and Trump transition team security clearance processes, citing breaches at the highest levels of government, including with Michael Flynn. Cummings sends letter to WH asking for an array of documents.

Letter seeks documents about Flynn, Flynn Jr., McFarland, Bolton, Kushner, Rob Porter, Townley, McEntee, Gorka

[BeastieRunner]

And here we go.

Mueller is also pressing for NRA contacts since Russia has been funneling money into the NRA, which then gives it to people they want ...

[worstblogever]

And here we go.

Congressman Cummings is COMING FOR YOUR PUNK ASSES.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Speaking of which....

Are Melania and Ivanka doing their best impressions of Sue Richards, the Invisible Woman? We know Melania took a military plane back to Mar a Lago. But does Ivanka still work in the West Wing somewhere?

In my humble opinion, the less we see of Melania and Ms. Complicit, the better.

And here we go.

Sounds like Rep. Cummings is gearing up to tear this White House a new one. Grab your popcorn, boys! The show's about to start!

[Jack Dracula]

General question for the board.

Do you think the Democrats should give in on the Wall simply because it will demonstrate that they care more about the people being hurt? Oh not to the Trump supporters but to the swing voters.

Do you think this is a case where whoever appears to lose in the short term by giving in will be the winners in the long term at the next election?

1. No, they should not. But I will add that, If there's any way to negotiate an end to the current harsh treatment of asylum seekers and DACA kids, they should not stop giving Trump chances to capitulate.
2. No, the next election is too far away with too much potential for the Mueller investigation to upend Trumps chances.

[Tazirai]

[Robotman]

Man yells racial slurs and pulls gun in confrontation with black teens protesting for fair housing on MLK day.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...=.d1a52e332dbb

I wonder which side supporters of the MAGA hat teens will take on this issue? Hmmm.

[Tami]

Trump recognizes Venezuela opposition leader as interim president amid mass protests against Maduro

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president on Wednesday, while hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans poured onto the streets to demand an end to the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro.

In a statement minutes later, U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate interim president.

Trump recognizes Venezuela opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president

President Donald Trump officially recognized Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president on Wednesday after Guaidó declared himself the country's leader amid cheers from thousands who were protesting in the streets of the capital, Caracas.

"In its role as the only legitimate branch of government duly elected by the Venezuelan people, the National Assembly invoked the country’s constitution to declare Nicolás Maduro illegitimate, and the office of the presidency therefore vacant," said Trump in a statement. "The people of Venezuela have courageously spoken out against Maduro and his regime and demanded freedom and the rule of law."

In response, Maduro declared on live television that he is breaking relations with the United States, and gave diplomatic personnel 72 hours to leave the country.

[Tazirai]

[jetengine]

Trump recognizes Venezuela opposition leader as interim president amid mass protests against Maduro




Trump recognizes Venezuela opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president

This is the simplest reason why the man shouldn't be President. He doesn't understand world stage diplomacy and causes issues.