From NASA/ ESA, October 21, 2021: The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope celebrates Halloween
this year with a striking observation of the carbon star CW Leonis,
which resembles a baleful orange eye glaring from behind a shroud of
smoke.
CW Leonis glowers from deep within a thick shroud of dust
in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Lying roughly
400 light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo, CW Leonis is a
carbon star — a luminous type of red giant star
with a carbon-rich atmosphere. The dense clouds of sooty gas and dust
engulfing this dying star were created as the outer layers of CW Leonis
itself were thrown out into the void.
"On Halloween you get to become anything that you want to be." -- Poet and author Ava Dellaira, from "Love Letters to the Dead."
"Halloween was the best holiday, in my opinion, because it was all about friends, monsters, and candy, rather than family and responsibility." -- Sociologist Margee Kerr, in "Scream: Chilling Adventures in the Science of Fear."
“There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch.” -- Freelance writer Robert Brault.
“Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask and he'll tell you the truth." Author Oscar Wilde, in "The Critic As Artist."
Here's the cover for The New Yorker's 2017 Halloween issue. Beware the dangerous clown (and his evil trolls) still lurking in the shadows, trying to steal your democracy!
New: As Pence hid from Jan. 6 mob, Trump attorney John Eastman emailed Pence team to say VP’s refusal to block certification caused the riot—then continued to press for Pence to halt the count @jdawsey1 @JaxAlemany @emmersbrown & me https://t.co/0vavxaK8ju
University of Florida barred 3 faculty members from testifying for plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging a Republican voting-restrictions law. The barred are political scientists Dan Smith @electionsmith, Michael McDonald @ElectProject, Sharon Wright Austinhttps://t.co/ZMZv5iwtB9
Jan 6th organizer Ali Alexander, who remains in a self-imposed state of "exile," is calling on his followers to pour "holy water" on kids who are out trick-or-treating and yell at them to scare "demons" away - instead of giving them candy.
In a sign that greater economic power is being exercised by workers, wages for U.S. workers grew by 1.5% from July-September, the largest increase in at least 20 years. The Labor Department reported that the value of benefits also rose by nearly 1%, over double the preceding three month period. From AP's report:
"Workers have gained the upper hand in the job market for the first time in at least two decades, and they are commanding higher pay, more benefits, and other perks like flexible work hours. With more jobs available than there are unemployed people, government data shows, businesses have been forced to work harder to attract staff.
Higher inflation is eating away at some of the wage increases, but in recent months overall pay has kept up with rising prices. The 1.5% increase in wages and salaries in the third quarter is ahead of the 1.2% increase in inflation during that period, economists said."
Keeping inflation in check will be the key to workers seeing the benefits of their growing economic leverage. A surge in spending resulting from economies recovering from the pandemic, and from stimulus money and other Federal programs, has also produced more jobs than workers applying for them.
A listed special purpose acquisition company linked to former
President Donald Trump is on track to post a massive weekly decline.
Digital World Acquisition (DWAC) closed down nearly 7% Friday to just under 68 a share. This means it fell 28% this week.
Indeed, it is on track to finish more than 61% off its all-time high of 175, which it reached last Friday.
Earlier this week Trump outlined his plans for social media site Truth Social. He boasted he will offer a "Big Tent" platform as he locks horns with the likes of Facebook (FB) and Twitter (TWTR). [snip]
Digital World Acquisition skyrocketed last week on the news it will
serve as a vehicle to take the Trump Media & Technology Group public
via a merger.
Beyond the Malignant Loser's magic touch, it's possible DWA's collapse is partially a result of an issue with making the =snicker= "Truth Social" =snicker=software's source code public. If it's not done in 30 days, it'll have its software license revoked, resulting in failure to launch.
That would follow the Malignant Loser's short- lived micro blog attempt "From the Desk of Donald J. Trump" (which folded in less than a month), his failing Jason Miller- fronted social media platform "GETTR," as well as Business Hall of Shame entries Trump University, Trump Steaks, real estate losses associated with his toxic brand, multiple bankruptcies, and serious exposure to criminal and civil charges related to the corrupt shell of the Trump Organization, just to hit the lowlights.
If nothing else comes out of the G20 summit, at least the formal endorsement of a new worldwide minimum corporate tax of 15 percent by the G20 leaders is a good first step in curbing multinational corporations from seeking tax shelters abroad and avoiding taxes at home:
"The new global minimum tax of 15 percent aims to reverse the decades-long decline in tax rates on corporations across the world, a trend experts say has deprived governments of revenue to fund social spending programs. The deal is a key achievement for Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who made an international floor on corporate taxes among the top priorities of her tenure and pushed forcefully for swift action on a deal.
The plan was already endorsed by the finance ministers of each country, but its official approval by the heads of state puts added pressure on the difficult task of turning what remains an aspirational agreement into distinct legislation."
For years, the multinational corporations have been seeking favorable (to them) tax rates to relocate to the lowest bidder, pitting countries against each other, and limiting government revenues to address other economic and social problems.
In democracies, legislatures have a say in tax rates, so this is somewhat aspirational, especially for the U.S., where corporations wield power over legislators with corporate contributions. Hopefully this broad agreement will have some impact, but we'll wait and see.
The man who opened fire at a mall
in Boise, Idaho, on Monday, killing two people and injuring five others
before being fatally wounded by police, was a far-right gun extremist
who had expressed an animus towards Latinos and other minorities—and who
not only carried a gun into the Idaho governor’s office, but also
turned up armed at an April antifascist protest in Boise and menaced
demonstrators, Daily Kos has learned.
Jacob Bergquist, 27, was a convicted felon who had moved to Idaho a
few years ago and had apparently developed an obsession with
establishing his right to carry a firearm under Idaho law, a review of
his social media posts indicates. He died Monday at a Boise hospital
after being shot during the culmination of a shooting rampage inside
Boise Towne Square, the state’s largest shopping mall.
Prior to his rampage, Bergquist was known to local police as someone who stalked an April Antifa demonstrations and always tried to take full advantage of Idaho's lax gun laws:
The result of these laws is an environment in which far-right extremists
are empowered by authorities to use their guns to intimidate their
political opponents, as Bergquist did in April. More insidiously, they
have created an environment in which police forces—which increasingly have been demonstrating their sympathy with such extremists—actually
green-light their threatening behavior, which is invariably directed at
vulnerable minorities and the broader community.
Police? In league with violent right-wing extremists? We're shocked, shocked!
Sadly, two innocent people were sacrificed on the altar of the ammosexuals. A normal day in America.
As he faces criminal contempt of Congress charges, Trumpist goon and derelict impersonator Steve "Loose Cannon" Bannon's statements leading up to the January 6 Trumpist insurrection are building a strong case for his central role in inciting the violent, deadly riot. He clearly thought that January 6 would be the day Trump's violent cult would seize power through a violent assault on Congress, as the ceremonial counting of electoral college votes took place in the Senate. Media Matters has a detailed report on his involvement in coordinating the sedition, using his own unhinged words. We've chosen some representative excerpts:
January 2:
"[Bannon] insisted that the week of January 6 'is more important than November 3' and compared it to the fall of the Roman Republic. He then said, 'We’re at that moment. And that’s what this week is.'
Bannon announced that 'there’s so much going on behind the scenes, a massive fight.'" (our emphasis)
January 4:
"[Bannon] warned that 'starting tomorrow, it is going to be wild.'
He claimed 'We’re hurtling towards a constitutional crisis' that is 'going to be complicated and it’s going to be nasty.' [snip]
Bannon said, 'Live from our nation’s capital, you're in the field headquarters of one of the small divisions of the bloodless coup.'
Bannon guaranteed that 'we’re all going to converge' on January 6 and 'impose our will. It’s like in football. You have to impose your will on the opposition.'” (our emphasis)
January 5:
"Bannon told his audience: 'It’s not going to happen like you think it’s going to happen, OK. It’s going to be quite extraordinarily different. And all I can say is strap in, the War Room posse. You have made this happen, and tomorrow it’s game day.'
He warned of a constitutional crisis that’s 'about to go up, I think, five orders of magnitude tomorrow.'
Bannon claimed, 'We’re going to go through a couple of three very turbulent 24-hour periods.” (our emphasis)
There should be absolutely no hesitation on the part of the Justice Department to act on Congress' criminal contempt order. Bannon is a clear and present danger to our democratic republic as long as he is promoting violent insurrection by the Trump cult, and furthering the "Big Lie" that the 2020 election was "stolen." Lock. Him. Up.
A sick, right-wing astroturfer shows up at a school board meeting in Chandler, AZ --
cw: racist insanity
a woman who went on a conspiratorial anti-semitic rant at Wednesday's Chandler USD Governing Board meeting actually received a smattering of applause https://t.co/2pwjj9Hlzkpic.twitter.com/0oP8YTAenH
Covering politics as sport (also includes editorial cartoonists) --
watch reporters get defensive that they cover politics as sport.
then read and watch their coverage of pending legislation that would transform the lives of millions of children, forever change US climate policy, and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.https://t.co/vIk6ruKQAO
Americana/ folk rocker Christian Lopez released "Sick of Me" as a single over a year ago, and it's now on his just- out album "The Other Side." Seeing the song's title reminded us of Matthew Sweet's 1995 single, "Sick of Myself." So, that's all it took to trigger today's music twofer. Hope you enjoy.
A report from Reuters this morning looks at unhinged demagogue and lying sociopath Donald "Loser" Trump's four years in office and how they have severely damaged his "brand," a brand that he had guarded fiercely through lawsuits and endless braggadocio. Famous for licensing his name to put on buildings and properties he didn't build, Trump borrowed to keep his real estate empire afloat, including potential money laundering (see the Scotland case). When his real estate ventures went belly-up, he hid behind bankruptcy laws, which is why domestic lenders shut him out. Here's some of Reuters reporting:
"Trump’s business brand was once synonymous with wealth and success, an image that now clashes sharply with a political brand rooted in the anger of his largely rural and working-class voter base. His presidency is now associated in the minds of many with its violent end, as supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
Those searing images, along with years of bitter rhetoric, are costing Trump money. Revenues from some of his high-end properties have declined, vacancies in office buildings have increased, and his lenders are warning that the company’s revenues may not be sufficient to cover his debt payments, according to Trump’s financial disclosures as president, Trump Organization records filed with government agencies, and reports from companies that track real-estate company finances.
Prospective tenants in New York are shunning his buildings, one real-estate broker said, to avoid being associated with Trump. Organizers of golf tournaments have pulled events from his courses." (our emphasis)
Trump's habitual problem with lenders explains why he's raising cash by teasing a run at the Presidency, and setting up new scams to fleece his dangerously gullible cult (e.g., "Truth Social"), in order to generate funds for himself.
Despite the Trump family's lies to the contrary, revenue losses from their real estate have been major:
"Financial records show Trump’s real-estate business has declined. Income from the family’s holdings, heavy on golf courses and hotels, took a beating during 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Revenues at his Las Vegas hotel, for instance, fell from $22.9 million in 2017 to $9.2 million during 2020 and the first 20 days of 2021, according to Trump’s financial disclosures."
Trump's personal toxicity and his fascistic politics are making him increasingly a pariah not only in the U.S., but more significantly around the world, as his declining real estate fortunes show.
As the polls in the Virginia gubernatorial race continue to tighten (ed.: WTF, Virginia?!), it bears repeating what the Republican strategy is and who is funding it and carrying it out. Trumpist weasel Glenn Youngkin has made how schools are run and what is taught the closing argument in his demagogic campaign (we won't link to any of his race- baiting/ transphobic/ divisive videos). The strategy follows the successful approach taken by far- right organizations and plutocrats (e.g., the Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity) after Barack Obama's election to create "astroturf" protests against his health care reform ("Obamacare"):
Here are some of the groups providing resources and support to school
board protesters around the country. None have endorsed violence,
threats or incitement. Nor are they all formally connected. What they do
is offer help to parents who have questions or objections about what
their children are learning in school or how schools are run. They issue
press releases, sell T-shirts and lawn signs, produce flyers and
publicize events on social media, supply information and legal advice,
offer template letters, scripts for public testimony, and model
legislation. They put out webinars and trainings to give practical
assistance to those who want to target or disrupt school boards.
--The Manhattan Institute, one of the most established conservative think tanks, published "Woke Schooling: A Toolkit For Concerned Parents" in June.
-- Citizens Renewing America, founded by President Trump's former budget director Russell Vought, published a 34-page guide for activists also in June, dedicated to "combating critical race theory in your community." The toolkit states the following: "CRT holds that racism is not just a belief held by individuals; rather, it is a system of oppression that has been built into the very structure of our society."
Of course, CRT (or transphobia, etc.) is just a buzz phrase intended as a stand-in for another agenda:
The toolkit further says activists don't need any evidence that "critical race theory" is currently being taught in their local schools in order to mount a campaign against it: "It's important to note that whether CRT is currently in your school system is mostly irrelevant to the purpose of this document."
What is relevant to these far- right provocateurs is that, especially in the lead- up to an election, they manufacture issues that produce an angry reaction (and threats of violence), which produces a frenzy of uncritical wall- to- wall media coverage, which promotes turnout at the polls for the candidate (in this case, the weasel), which produces a far- right, reactionary Trumpist government.
In Virginia, purple exurb Loudoun County has become ground zero for weasel Youngkin's campaign to drive his voters to the polls and convince low- information voters that all hell is breaking loose thanks to Democrats, and particularly Terry McAuliffe (who hasn't been governor since 2018). All hell is breaking loose, but it's the Youngkin supporters and their astroturfing organizers who are responsible. Will Virginians get it?
It's called "Build Back Better," not "Build Back Best," and it's still a Big F*cking Deal --
The White House's new framework is out:
*$555 billion on climate *CTC extended a year *Corporate and global min tax *Universal pre-K *Child care funding *Expanded ACA subsidies, including Medicaid in red states
In a country as large and diverse as ours, progress can often feel frustrating and slow, with small victories accompanied by frequent setbacks. But once in a while, it’s still possible to take a giant leap forward. That’s what the Build Back Better framework represents. pic.twitter.com/ouKhRRz6qP
“But it’s not enough!” OF COURSE it’s not enough! Did you expect Manchin to vote for enough? Sorry, enough isn’t on the menu. Change is hard, better is better than worse, you take the progress you can get and then you can push for more.
First Fauci, now Fox News' latest rile- the- rubes villain is ... mild- mannered Merrick Garland? --
fox news this morning literally showing attorney general merrick garland putting parents in the target of gun sights. this channel is beyond sick and twisted. pic.twitter.com/n5tcR4jY4G
A report in Politico gives new evidence that the right-wing fundamentalist Liberty University, founded by the despicable Jerry Falwell, should be stripped of its tax exempt, 501[c][3] status. For those who have watched the Republican-front "University" shill for Republican candidates for years, it should come as no surprise. Now a recording of the school's President, Jerry Prevo, in a conversation with a former official of the school, provides the smoking gun:
"Prevo, a 76-year-old retired pastor of a large Alaskan church, told Scott Lamb, then the university’s senior vice president for communications and public engagement, that he wanted the university’s internal “think tank” — previously the Falkirk Center, now the Standing for Freedom Center — to become more effective at political activity.
'Are they getting people elected? Which is one of our main goals,' Prevo told Lamb during a call that Lamb surreptitiously recorded and provided to POLITICO. 'Are they really motivating our conservative people to really get out to vote? If they are, we ought to be seeing some changes in elected officials — and we are to some extent. All I want to do is to make us more effective.'” (our emphasis)
IRS rules state that organizations like religious schools which claim tax exemption cannot engage in political activities. Prevo obviously knows that, as he arrogantly told Lamb on the recorded call:
"'I have a 501c3 church,' Prevo said in response, according to the recording. 'For 30 years, I’ve known how to handle that and not get into trouble. The homosexual community has tried to take me down for at least 30 years, and they have not been successful because I know how to work the 501c3.'” (our emphasis)
This front for conservative Republican politics should be forced to pay taxes as a non-religious entity engaged in political activities. This will be a good test for the Biden Administration and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellin.
(photo: Jerry Prevo, praying to the Trump Golden Calf)
Investments in Children, Families and Caregiving that Grow the Economy’s Capacity
Universal Preschool for all 3- and 4-year Olds:
Expand access to free high-quality preschool for more than 6 million
children. This is a long-term program, with funding for six years.
Affordable High Quality Child Care:
Limit child care costs for families to no more than 7% of income, for
families earning up to 250% of state median income. It enables states to
expand access to about 20 million children. Parents must be working,
seeking work, in training or taking care of a serious health issue. This
is a long-term program, with funding for six years.
Affordable,
High-Quality Care for Hundreds of Thousands of Older Americans and
People with Disabilities in Their Homes and Communities:
Strengthening an existing program through Medicaid and ending the
existing backlog and improving working conditions for home care workers
Expanded Child Tax Credit:
Extend for one year the current expanded Child Tax Credit for more
than 35 million American households, with monthly payments for
households earning up to $150,000 per year. Make refundability of the
Child Tax Credit permanent.
Investments in Clean Energy and Combatting Climate Change
Clean Energy Tax Credits ($320 billion):
Ten-year expanded tax credits for utility-scale and residential clean
energy, transmission and storage, clean passenger and commercial
vehicles, and clean energy manufacturing.
Resilience Investments ($105 billion):
Investments and incentives to address extreme weather (wildfires,
droughts, and hurricanes, including in forestry, wetlands, and
agriculture), legacy pollution in communities, and a Civilian Climate
Corps.
Investments and Incentives for Clean Energy Technology, Manufacturing, and Supply Chains ($110 billion):
Targeted incentives to spur new domestic supply chains and
technologies, like solar, batteries, and advanced materials, while
boosting the competitiveness of existing industries, like steel, cement,
and aluminum.
Clean Energy procurement ($20 billion):
Provide incentives for government to be purchaser of next gen
technologies, including long-duration storage, small modular reactors,
and clean construction materials.
Affordable Care for Millions of Hardworking Americans
Affordable Care Act Premium Tax Credits:
Extend the expanded Affordable Care Act premium tax credits through
2025. Experts predict that more than 3 million people who would
otherwise be uninsured will gain health insurance. Also make Affordable
Care Act premium tax credits available through 2025 to 4 million
uninsured people in uncovered states.
Allow Medicare to cover the cost of hearing. Establish a hearing benefit in Medicare, a crucial benefit to our seniors for a reasonable cost.
Bringing Down Costs, Reducing Inflationary Pressures, and Strengthening the Middle Class
Housing: $150 billion investment in
housing affordability and reducing price pressures, including in rural
areas. Funds go towards building, preserving, and improving more than 1
million affordable rental and single-family homes, including public
housing, plus rental and down payment assistance.
Education Beyond High School and Workforce Development:
Reduce costs and expand access to education beyond high school by
raising the maximum Pell grant, providing support to Historically Black
Colleges & Universities (“HBCUs”), Hispanic Serving Institutions
(HSIs), Minority Serving Institutions (“MSIs”), and Tribal Colleges and
Universities (“TCUs”), and investing in workforce development, including
community college workforce programs, sector-based training, and
apprenticeships.
Earned Income Tax Credit for 17 Million Low-Wage Workers: Extend for one year the current expanded Earned Income Tax Credit for childless workers.
Equity and Other Investments:
Other targeted investments including maternal health, community
violence initiatives, Native communities, disadvantaged farmers,
nutrition, pandemic preparedness, supply chain resilience, and other
areas.
It totals $1.75 trillion, with an additional $100 billion for improving the immigration system thru the Senate's reconciliation rules.
Clean energy and climate investments represent the largest single outlay at $555 billion.
Now, pass the damn bill (and the $1.2 trillion hard infrastructure bill)! If the Democrats do, it will be transformational, even if not everything everybody wanted. Let's hold the House and get at least 2 more Democratic Senators in 2022 and go for the rest!
During his monologue in last night's "The Late Show," Stephen Colbert showed a clip of President Biden campaigning in Virginia Tuesday with Democrat Terry McAuliffe, wherein the President wondered why the Malignant Loser wasn't invited to campaign for his endorsed candidate, weasel Glenn Youngkin:
“What’s he trying to hide? Is there a problem with Trump being here?” Biden asked. “Is he embarrassed?
Colbert
replied: “Yes, is he embarrassed by the Tang-faced, troop-insulting
fascist with raccoon hair whose signature scent is burger fart?”
In her constant zeal to suck up to her cult leader, the execrable, unhinged gym rat turned Congresscritter Marjorie "Traitor" Greene (Sedition-GA) is reported to have bought stock in Dear Leader's latest scam, a media venture to air his endless grievances and lies:
"Greene, an ardent Trump supporter, on Friday purchased between $15,001 and $50,000 in shares of Digital World Acquisition Corp. The firm is a SPAC, or special purpose acquisition company, created to buy another business and give it a stock-market listing. Digital World trades on the Nasdaq exchange under the ticker 'DWAC.'
Digital World’s stock price swung widely on Friday, opening at $118.79 per share and rising as high as $175 per share. At its lowest, a share in Digital World sold for $67.96 that day. It is not clear what price Greene bought the shares at."
Ever since lying demagogue and seditionist leader Donald "Loser" Trump was banned from Twitter and Facebook, he and his cult have been searching for a platform where they can indulge themselves in conspiracy theories, slander, lies and coup planning. His says he plans to launch a Twitter-like platform called, in very Orwellian fashion, "Truth Social," but his real intention is likely another money-raising scam, using a vehicle called a Special Purpose Acquisition Company. He can raise millions from investors and pocket much of the loot himself.
Let's hope this latest scam falls apart, but not before his grift fleeces investors of their money, among them the ass-kissing Greene.
(photo: A fool and her money are soon parted. AP / Brynn Anderson)
President Biden plans to announce Thursday a revised framework for his
social spending plan that he expects will gain the support of all
Democrats, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation,
marking a potential breakthrough after months of lengthy negotiations
and stalled talks.
The White House plans to detail specific policies it expects to pass
Congress after weeks of whittling down Biden’s agenda, according to one
of the people. Democrats on Capitol Hill were preparing written details
of the revamped proposal for release on Thursday, according to the
second person. [snip]
Biden
will address House Democrats Thursday morning before delivering remarks
from the White House about the plan. Biden’s speech comes ahead of his
planned trip to Rome later in the day to begin a pair of international
summits.
The
specifics of what the president would announce were not immediately
clear, nor was it clear whether he would be prepared to announce the
support of key Democratic holdouts. But Biden recently told congressional Democrats that he thought he could secure a deal for a spending plan between $1.75 trillion and $1.9 trillion. [snip]
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced
Wednesday that the House Rules Committee would hold a key procedural
hearing on Thursday, a move that would allow lawmakers to eventually
bring the measure to the chamber floor.
A
breakthrough in the talks could clear the way for passage of a
companion measure to invest in the nation’s roads, bridges and other
public works. (our emphasis)
Well, we know paid leave won't be included, and we don't know how climate change, Medicare expansion and other Biden priorities will or won't be addressed. And there's still the matter of what revenue deal has been reached. Biden has stated any priority left out of the Build Back Better bill will be addressed in other legislation -- but that will eventually require at least two more Democrats in the Senate after 2022 to dilute the stranglehold of Sinemanchin.
A coalition, not a cult, working on Biden agenda --
Jeffries says Dems are working toward "the highest common denominator"
"We’re a coalition, not a cult. We have people who have different perspectives... At the end of the day, we will land in a matter that brings everybody along."
Republicans complaining about investigations into death threats against educators and school boards kinda gives away that they know exactly who is making those threats. https://t.co/P75iXHMIfe