suffragette
suffragette's JournalSupreme Court denies Trump administration request to immediately enforce new asylum rules
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-denies-trump-administration-request-to-immediately-enforce-new-asylum-rules/2018/12/21/e9cdaf32-03c8-11e9-b6a9-0aa5c2fcc9e4_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.d7f649adc951The Supreme Court on Friday denied the Trump administrations request that it be allowed to immediately enforce a new policy of denying asylum to those who illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border, a change that lower courts declared possibly illegal.
Four justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr., Neil M. Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh would have granted the administrations request to let the order go into effect.
A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit earlier this month kept in place a lower court decision that stopped the policys implementation, saying it was simply a way around specific language in federal law that allows all who enter the United States, regardless of where, to apply for asylum.
I bet Trump is fuming about this.
It's a sad reality': a troubling trend sees a 97% decline in monarch butterflies
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/07/its-a-sad-reality-a-troubling-trend-sees-a-97-decline-in-monarch-butterfliesThe hillside groves of eucalyptus trees that tower over the Santa Cruz shoreline would, not so long ago, be teeming with monarch butterflies at this time of year.
Boughs would be bent under the weight of black and orange clusters, as hundreds of thousands of the magical invertebrates nestled into the leaves, waiting out the frost on the California coast before returning north.
Now, on a sunny December afternoon the boardwalk that weaves through the monarch preserve, at Natural Bridges State Beach, is filled with school children craning necks and straining eyes to catch a glimpse.
~~~
Just two years ago, 8,000 overwintered here, but these days, just more than a thousand are fluttering amidst the Santa Cruz trees. Its part of a troubling trend: over the last two decades monarch numbers in the West have declined by roughly 97%.
Bannon's birthday bash buddies
I was reading through a Guardian live thread that is reporting on a number of political events today and stumbled across this disturbing tweet. Thats one scary gathering.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2018/nov/28/trump-live-latest-news-updates-us-politics-today-nancy-pelosi-white-house-mueller
Yesterday was Steve Bannons birthday and the former top White House aide had some interesting guests at his party.
Edward Luce
✔
@EdwardGLuce
Steve Bannon celebrated his 65th birthday on Monday night at the Breitbart embassy with Erik Prince, Sebastian Gorka - and Eduardo Bolsonaro, the alt-right son of Brazil's president-elect "Trump of the tropics". Call it the pluto-populist internationale... https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/mundo/2018/11/eduardo-bolsonaro-vai-a-aniversario-de-bannon-ex-estrategista-de-trump.shtml
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9:54 AM - Nov 28, 2018
Republicans in Problem Solvers Caucus voted with Trump 93% of time. Bipartisan? Not so much.
Good article about Problem Solvers Caucus from shortly before midterm election.
Of note is that the supposedly bipartisan Republican members of the Caucus voted with Trump the vast majority of the time and that the Caucus created their plan to withhold support for votes for the Speaker and attempt to weaken the House Leadership role this past summer, a time when it was becoming clear that the House majority would likely shift to Democrats.
Pretty clear that their intent is to hamstring Democratic leadership and solid Democratic legislation.
As to the Democratic members of this Caucus, Im starting to think of them as Liebermans Lemmings, since they are taking on his approach of supporting Republicans and Republican policy over the Democratic platform and majority purpose.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2018/11/05/house-problem-solvers-caucus-has-solved-few-problems-bipartisan-critics-allege/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.0c48e1e8ff2d
~~~
The Problem Solvers also expressed faith in a set of proposed House rules changes they unveiled this summer to Break the Gridlock, vowing as a bloc to withhold their votes for any potential House speaker who did not agree to adopt the rules. The rule changes would weaken House leaderships control over which bills get a vote, forcing to the floor bills co-sponsored by more than 290 members.
Thumbs up from Putin as Trump rains on Armistice parade
Article in The Guardian which aptly sums up Trumps weekend trip to France.
Hard to select 4 paragraphs to excerpt since each paragraph makes strong and relevant points. Encourage reading the whole piece.
Some major points from article:
Trump went expecting parade.
No parade, so Trump cancels visit to Belleau.
Trump then goes to more nearby area to pay respects, but even then cant resist inserting comment about how he is getting drenched while veterans have a cover over them.
Wont join other NATO leaders to walk down Champs Élysées together.
Goes from frown to smile only at seeing Putin.
France changed lunch seating from Trump being next to Putin to Trump being next to Macron and across from Putin.
Macron made pointed contrast between patriotism and nationalism.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/11/thumbs-up-from-putin-as-trump-rains-on-armistice-parade
When the French president spoke under the Arc de Triomphe, no one had any doubt whom he was speaking to when he said: Patriotism is the antithesis of nationalism. Nationalism is inherently treasonous. In saying our interests first, and forget the others, we lose the most important part of the nation: its moral values.
Trump looked on grimly throughout. The only moment he brightened up was when he saw Vladimir Putin approach. He flashed a goofy smile, all the more noticeable alongside Macron and Merkel who had switched their demeanour to steel resolve on spotting the Russian leader.
Putin solemnly shook hands with them and then gave Trump a big thumbs up.
"In pictures: Armistice Day events in France." Added video of Kelly in Trump's stead.
A few pictures from the BBC of world leaders paying their respects.
Yes, there is a noticeable absence.
https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-europe-46164928
As part of Saturday's ceremony, the two leaders unveiled a plaque to honour the restoration of friendly relations between their two nations.
Elsewhere in France, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, seen here on the left, visits the Canadian National Vimy Memorial for fallen soldiers in northern France.
The Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial in Belleau, France. Mr Trump was due to visit the site on Saturday but cancelled due to "scheduling and logistical difficulties caused by the weather".
On Friday, Theresa May paid respect in Belgium and France.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-46145199
Edited to add video of John Kelly at Aisne-Marne, which is the place Trump was to visit. Weather difficulties? Cant see any cause for that.
https://m.
Election update on a previous post about Democratic women in and running for office
Back in August, I posted about Republicans attacking Democratic women for their strengths. I highlighted several women who were in office or running for office.
Today, I checked in how they did and thought I should post these results since they are truly inspiring.
We didnt get everything we wanted last night, but what we did was substantive and meaningful and still gives me hope for the future
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210989624
Excerpt from my post:
Rashida Tlaib won.
Sharice Davids won.
Deb Haaland won.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won.
Pramila Jayapal won again with over 84% (bragging on my Rep).
Kamala Harris - Looks to be running for President.
Nancy Pelosi - Back running the House!
Maxine Waters - Chairing the House Financial Services Committee. Oh, yeah!
Barbara Lee - Running to become Chair of the House Democratic Caucus - Im with her.
Elizabeth Warren - Re-elected handily and looks to be running for President.
Tammy Duckworth - Continuing to represent voices too often muted, including women in the military and people with disabilities.
Jan Schakowsky - Re-elected convincingly and still speaking out in her reliably liberal voice.
Patty Murray - Still standing tall in her famous, fighting tennis shoes. She summed it up well here:
https://twitter.com/PattyMurray/status/1060261066679205888
King County WA predicting record 70-75%
voter participation.
Yes!!!
Snohomish and Pierce also strong numbers.
Just heard on local news.
Hope this is the case across the nation!
'We've never seen this': massive Canadian glaciers shrinking rapidly
Source: The Guardian
Scientists in Canada have warned that massive glaciers in the Yukon territory are shrinking even faster than would be expected from a warming climate and bringing dramatic changes to the region.
After a string of recent reports chronicling the demise of the ice fields, researchers hope that greater awareness will help the public better understand the rapid pace of climate change.
The rate of warming in the north is double that of the average global temperature increase, concluded the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in its annual Arctic Report Card, which called the warming unprecedented.
The region is one of the hotspots for warming, which is something weve come to realize over the last 15 years, said David Hik of Simon Fraser University. The magnitude of the changes is dramatic.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/30/canada-glaciers-yukon-shrinking
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Gender: FemaleHometown: Seattle, WA
Member since: Mon Dec 13, 2004, 02:55 AM
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