Earlier today we reported that three precincts in the Wisconsin county of Outagamie had revised their vote totals downward for Donald Trump by more than a thousand votes combined, with local officials insisting to their local ABC News affiliate that it was a mere arithmetic error. But as more revisions come in throughout the state, a total of nearly five thousand Trump votes in Wisconsin have now been taken off the official board because they apparently never existed to begin with.

At the end of election night the New York Times reported that Donald Trump had won the state of Wisconsin with a total of 1,409,467 votes, giving him a winning margin of 27,257 votes over Hillary Clinton’s total of 1,382,210. These numbers were based on what the individual counties and precincts were reporting that night. But now seventeen days later, based on various Wisconsin precincts revising their own totals, Dave Wasserman of the respected Cook Political Report has updated the totals. Donald Trump now has 1,404,536 total votes in Wisconsin, while Hillary Clinton now has 1,382,011 total votes.

Two things immediately jump out, as first spotted by music critic Dave Greenwald. The first is that, even ahead of the forthcoming recount in Wisconsin, Donald Trump’s lead has already shrunk to just 22,525 votes. That means 18% of his “lead” has already vanished, based on precincts catching some of their own incorrect numbers, and internet gawkers catching others. But the second thing that jumps out is that the revisions have served to erase thousands of votes from Trump, while affirming that Clinton’s vote total was essentially correct to begin with.

On Wednesday, Trump announced Betsy DeVos as the person he wants overseeing education in this country for the next four years. DeVos is a billionaire conservative donor who supports school vouchers and diverted public funds to religious schools, which would be a major violation of the separation of church and state since tax dollars would flow to “Christian” schools.

But DeVos is even more dangerous because of her ties to groups that want to take poor children out of the classroom and stick them straight into the workforce doing dangerous jobs like coal mining.

Acton Institute is funded by DeVos, and it advocates for the end of child labor laws.

The abundant prosperity of the modern age has brought many blessings when it comes to child-rearing and child development, offering kids new opportunities for education, play, and personal development. Yet even as we celebrate our civilizational departure from excessive child labor, we ought to be wary of falling into a different sort of lopsided lifestyle.

Alas, as a day-to-day reality, work has largely vanished from modern childhood, with parents constantly stressing over the values of study and practice and “social interaction” even as they insulate their children from any activity that might involve risk, pain, or boredom. As a result, many of our kids are coming far too late to the arena of creative service and all it brings: dignity, meaning, freedom, virtue, creativity, character, and neighbor love.

Operating out of fear of the harsh excesses of “harder times,” we have allowed our cultural attitudes to swing too far in the opposite direction, distorting work as a “necessary obligation of adulthood,” a gift too dangerous for kids. Working from these same distorted attitudes, the Washington Post recently published what it described as a “haunting” photo montage of child laborers from America’s rougher past.

Are you tired of hearing racists, anti-Semites, xenophobes, and misogynists legitimize their vile hatreds by claiming they merely represent a new ideological movement, the so-called alt-right?

If so, Google Chrome’s “Alt-Right Denormalizer” may be exactly what you need to call out the bigots and all who abet them for what they are, from President-elect Donald Trump to common message board trolls.

If you purchase the Alt-Right Denormalizer from Google Chrome’s web store, it will automatically replace the term “alt-right” with “rebranded white nationalism” wherever it comes up online. The nifty feature is reminiscent of Google Chrome’s “Drumpfinator,” which was launched after talk show host John Oliver encouraged viewers to refer to Donald Trump by his original German surname, Drumpf, as a way of de-mystifying his presidential candidacy.

DISCUSSION GUIDE
Remember:
• All White folks need to talk about racial justice this year, including those of us who see ourselves as progressive. Those
conversation are opportunities to discuss what we can do to address racism in ourselves and our communities, and to
challenge the scapegoating of “other” White people- especially working class White folks and/or White folks living in rural
or rust belt towns.
• Conversations with Trump supporters aren’t about proving yourself right, they are about changing hearts and minds.
• Drop shaming, blaming, and stereotypes.
• Be prepared to listen, especially when you don’t agree. Be sure you aren’t just waiting to plan a response.
• The election just happened, and emotions are high from all perspectives. Check in with yourself, and remember the high
pressure environment we are working in
• Many people will not be reached with a framework of “white privilege” or “systems of oppression,” particularly rural, poor,
and working class people. Use language and references that more people relate to
• Online only goes so far. Once things get tense, take the conversation off of Facebook, email, or text message. Meet in
person or have a phone call.
• Find a stopping point. You are not likely to change someone’s world view in one sitting. End when the conversation is in a
place of agreement, and revisit it again later

Audrey R. Cook, 88, of Alton, is accused of sending in an absentee ballot in her late husband’s name. Cook was a Republican election judge in Madison County. She was charged a few days before the election with two felony counts of election fraud.

Cook and her husband, Vic Cook, served as election judges for many years. She said she knew how he wanted to vote, and after he died, she filled out and sent in his absentee ballot.

Cook pleaded not guilty before Madison County Circuit Judge Kyle Napp on Thursday, represented by attorney Don Weber. She was allowed to turn herself in and is free on a recognizance bond. Weber requested that Cook be permitted to travel outside the state as she waits for trial, and prosecutor Jennifer Mudge said she had no objection.

Cook faces two Class 3 felony charges, one relating to sending in a false ballot, and one for violation of the absentee ballot statute. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

A former army officer and corporate lawyer, Pompeo has represented Kansas' 4th District since 2011. His ties to the Kochs date back before his political career. In the late 1990s, Pompeo founded the private aerospace company Thayer Aerospace with seed money from Koch Venture Capital. In 2011, Pompeo told the Washington Post that the Kochs funded less than 2 percent of the venture. (Details of the deal were never made public.) Pompeo also served as president of the fossil fuel equipment company Sentry International, a company which, Think Progress reported in 2010, works closely with the Koch’s Brazilian distributor.

When Pompeo left the private sector to run for Congress in 2010, the Kochs bankrolled his campaign. He was endorsed by their Super PAC and received more Koch-related donations than any other candidate that cycle. Pompeo then hired Koch industry lawyer Mark Chenoweth to be his chief of staff. Koch Industries is headquartered in Pompeo’s district.

When Pompeo faced a tough primary challenge in 2014, the Koch brothers came to his aid. Koch Industry's Super PAC formally endorsed Pompeo — even though his challenger was another longtime Koch ally, former congressman Todd Tiahrt. Pompeo received over $50,00 from the PAC and from Koch industry employees, and went on to defeat Tiahart in the primary.