Game Night
Do you like Board Games? Many of them are fun. But I find I keep playing the same ones over and over since so many new ones are so complicated, they take longer to learn than they do to play.
Sometimes simple is good.
Standing Order
I’ve lost track, but I think this was excuse #3 from Trump and his team to explain the documents he said weren’t there, or were planted, or whatever.
Of course it’s a ridiculous statement and no way to manage classified information. That didn’t stop Trump’s team from trying to use it as a diversionary excuse.
But 18 former top Trump administration officials tell CNN they never heard any such order issued during their time working for Trump, and that they believe the claim to be patently false. Including two of Trump’s Chiefs of Staff, John Kelly and Mick Mulvaney.
Which is troubling. Cuz if they won’t let a former President get away with these lies, imagine what they can do to you.
Bye, Liz
So, Liz Cheney has lost her primary. Left unsupported by the GOP. Abandoned by her party. For the offense of a relentless pursuit of the truth behind January 6th and an unwillingness to support the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen.
I disagree with a large number of Liz Cheney’s policy positions. But this is yet another sign that the GOP continues to put support for Trump over the truth and over the country.
And that’s a scary realization.
School Year Fears
Schools are starting back up and kids are trying to figure out what supplies they need or don’t need. Unfortunately some fears are more overwhelming than others.
More children have died from COVID in the past 2 1/2 years than school shootings in the past 50 years.
But shootings bring a visceral reaction and will get a lot more funding and attention, just likely not in the right ways.
Both are complex, scary, low likelihood, and high consequence issues. No easy answers. But we shouldn’t let unfounded fears dominate our actions. We need data and science and research to show us how best to address these issues and make our kids feel safe and secure in school.
And remind ourselves and our kids that for both issues, the overwhelming percentages say they’ll be ok.
GOP Defunds Law Enforcement?
Since the FBI served a warrant to retrieve classified documents from Trump’s house, several GOP members have come out forcefully and vocally calling to remove funding for the FBI.
Trump supporters held an armed rally outside an FBI office in Phoenix. And one Trump supporter in Cincinnati tried to storm the FBI office.
I guess they’re done backing law enforcement?
If you had predicted that GOP Trump loyalists would be calling to defund law enforcement in 2022, ride that prognostication wave and go buy a lottery ticket.
Democrats Deliver
Yesterday the House passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, sending it to President Biden’s desk, where he’s sure to sign it.
While it’s imperfect and, as with all legislation, contains several compromises, it’s a major legislative win for the Democrats. A party that, a few weeks ago, seemed in disarray. The Dems are not used to passing much impactful legislation, unfortunately, so this one will hit them hard.
The name of the bill is a bit misleading, I think, after all the changes. It’s core actions are less about inflation than they are about climate action, health care, and taxes.
Let’s be honest, this is the largest climate legislation passed in the US, with $370B dedicated to climate action and energy. Much needed steps to getting us closer to our carbon reduction goals.
It empowers Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, leveraging huge buying power to drive down drug prices. It also expands health insurance subsidies started under the Affordable Care Act.
All of this is to be funded by changes to minimum corporate tax on companies with book profits over $1B in recent years, funding for the IRS to chase tax dodgers (especially those making over $400k/ year), and a 1% excise tax on stock buybacks.
In all, it’s estimated to drive down the deficit by $120B (CBO rating) - $300B, depending on the estimate.
And what about inflation? Unclear. Penn Wharton Business School predicts it might not help with inflation until 2024, while others disagree. But it won’t have a big impact on inflation, though some say it will help the Fed by having policy aligned with the Fed’s goals.
Is your head swirling yet? I’m sure it is for the Dems trying to figure out what to do with these feeling of passing major, impactful legislation.
But I think it’s progress.
Trump Goes Nuclear?
It’s been reported that the raid on Trump’s home was to retrieve classified documents related to nuclear weapons, among other items.
It’s also been reported that there were previous subpoenas to recover the documents. Merrick Garland says the FBI operation was signed off by him, and not undertaken lightly.
Garland and the DOJ have requested the warrant be unsealed, so we’ll know more details soon enough.
Clearly the former President needs nuclear secrets in his golf resort that’s notably frequented by agents from several other foreign countries.
Yeah. Totally normal.
Awful People
Too frequently these days, I seem to conclude this is the root problem with some people. It’s even more pronounced on social media.
I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but sometimes it’s just not worth it.
On my phone, I have a folder I can Utility Cartoons - cartoons I’ve done that seem to have a lot of reuse as rebuttals or parts of debate online. They’re especially useful on Twitter.
I have a feeling I’ll get a lot of use out of this one.
Lie, My Pretties!
Unsurprisingly, the usual GOP subjects hit the airwaves and internet to decry the FBI raid on Trump’s home. Because why wait to find out the reason behind the raid and investigation? Instead they promote unfounded conspiracy theories, speculate about the FBI planting evidence, and spread baseless accusations about the process to get the federal warrant.
These are many of the same people who still spread lies about the election, January 6th, and believe that no one should be held accountable for January 6th.
Lies and more lies. Oh, and some even decided to publicly announce the home address of the judge who signed the warrant.
Predictably, some of their followers online are already calling for violence.
The lies and conspiracies from elected officials only help to stir up those dark thoughts. It’s irresponsible, at best. And lays bare their intended message that Trump should somehow be exempt from accountability. They’re the GOP version of the Flying Monkeys from the Wizard of Oz; minions sent to do the bidding of the villain pulling the strings.
Award-Winning Cartoon
Honored to have won the Grand Prize in the 2022 Homer C. Davenport International Cartoon Contest! The contest was open to any unpublished political cartoons. Thank you to the judges and festival organizers!
http://tooncon.homerdavenport.com/tc_2022.php
The contest is named for Homer Davenport, a political cartoonist from Oregon in the late 19th and early 20th Century. Davenport worked for William Randolph Hearst, notably at the San Francisco Examiner, Chicago Daily Herald, and New York Morning Journal.
The contest was held in conjunction with the annual Homer Davenport Community Festival in Silverton, OR.
I guess I can now officially say I’m an Award-Winning cartoonist. 😁 And not just for that fire prevention poster contest in third grade. 😉
Trump Raided by FBI
In a surprising move today, the FBI raided the Mar-A-Lago home of former President Donald Trump. Confirmed by Trump himself.
This is a move that doesn’t happen without a clear idea of what they’re after and why, signed off by a federal judge. Likely all the way to the top of the DOJ.
The mind boggles at what they might find.
A Sucker Born Every Minute?
Alex Jones, infamous for his online show InfoWars, just lost a civil lawsuit for damages due to the parents of the children killed in the Sandy Hook school shooting. Alex Jones spread lies on his show about Sandy Hook being faked, that the kids weren’t actually killed, and the families were paid actors. Typical, ugly conspiracy theory bullshit. Alex Jones is free to say these awful things; the First Amendment protects him from the government stopping him. It doesn’t protect him from liability for the damage he caused these private families.
A jury awarded the families $4.1 million in compensatory damages plus $45.2 million in punitive damages. Texas law might cut that way down.
The trial was a train wreck of stupidity, including Jones’s lawyers accidentally turning over a digital copy of Jones’s phone, health records, and text messages without claiming it as privileged information. All of which proved where Jones was lying.
But the real shock came when information was revealed about how much InfoWars was pulling in- at one point up to $800,000 per day.
From spreading lies and conspiracies. Oh, and selling unregulated and unproven “vitamins” and other pills (yes, including “male enhancement” pills). It’s all junk science. 21st Century snake oil.
And so many people bought his crap - both his lies on his show and the crap products - that it brought in millions.
And there are so many others running their own grift. So many people, so many suckers, so eager to give their money to these charlatans.
The approach is modern, but it’s a scam as old as time.
Schools
A county in North Carolina has approved a plan to put AR-15s in all schools for security reasons. Who can imagine anything going wrong with this plan?
Having two kids in public schools, I see every year how desperately underfunded our schools are. I’ve been PTA President; I’ve seen the receipts of what teachers have to self fund for their classrooms.
And that’s on top of teacher salaries that are mostly not near what they should be.
The dearth of public school funding is one of the most short sighted policies in America. Few things will pay off better for our country than investing in education.
So it’s sickening when funding then goes instead to guns or hardening schools. Which statistically has been shown to do more harm than good.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2776515
“The rate of deaths was 2.83 times greater in schools with an armed guard present”
The winner in this, of course, is the gun industry, as people just keep buying more guns. And now schools are, too.
I’m shaking my damn head.
Jobs Report
The US Jobs Report for July smashed all expectations, adding 528,000 jobs in one month.
The US has now recovered the entirety of jobs lost from the start of the traveling in 2020. A much faster recovery than past downturns such as The Great Recession.
The unemployment rate fell to 3.5%, matching the lowest level in 50 years.
Of course Presidents don’t single handedly create jobs. It also means the Fed will be further challenged to manage inflation.
But jobs are good. Though we can expect the politicians to squabble over it still.
Activism
Sometimes it feels as if there are way too many important issues to deal with at once. It’s exhausting to try and keep up.
Women’s Rights
In the aftermath of Roe v Wade being overturned, we see several states legislating near-total bans on abortion. Many not even leaving options in the case of rape or incest.
While many support that, most do not. A recent AP poll shows that 53% of US adults disapprove of the Supreme Court decision. And more, 60% think Congress should pass a law guaranteeing access to legal abortion nationwide.
Elsewhere, NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson, who had been accused by 20+ women of sexual assault and misconduct during massages when he was with the Houston Texans, received his arbitrated ruling yesterday. A former federal judge ruled the preponderance of evidence showed Watson had committed sexual assault. She described Watson’s behavior as “predatory” and “egregious.”
He was suspended for a paltry 6 games.
Largely due to comparisons with past NFL punishments and lack of notice to players.
Watson recently signed a fully guaranteed, 5-year, $230 million contract with the Cleveland Browns. Anticipating the suspension, most of his $46 million guaranteed money for this year was a signing bonus, with only ~$1 million as his game salary.
With a 6 game suspension, Watson will lose ~$345,000.
That’s 0.75% of his 5-year contract.
Absurd. Ridiculous. Offensive. Unjust. Wrong. Those are words that come to mind. Both for the Watson suspension and the abortion bans.
That US society devalues women and their rights and bodies is nothing new. It’s disgusting how much it’s still happening, though.
I can only imagine the restraint women show every day to not just burn down the whole system.
Wake Up!
Lots of people have been wondering when Merrick Garland would wake up and start looking into the January 6th insurrection and the roles key Trump administration members played that day and the plot to decertify the election.
Finally there are more signals that the Department of Justice is looking into it.
Not sure what will come of it. But it’s about time DOJ woke up to the alarm bells going off.
187 Minutes
187 minutes. Over three hours. Trump watched on TV as the crowd he drew to DC, riled up, directed to the Capitol, and encouraged to stop the legitimate certification of the election stormed the Capitol building, violently attacked police, and chanted violent threats at the Vice President and Congress.
His aides tried to get him to say something to stop it. He tweeted about his disappointment in Pence. Pence’s security detail, meanwhile, was contacting their loved ones in case they didn’t make it out alive.
Congress people tried to get the President to stop the crowd. But many knew he wouldn’t disavow the rioters. And he wouldn’t. He said they were special. He wouldn’t even say the election was over the next day.
It was so bad that the acting Secretary of Defense was not getting orders from the President. He was getting orders from the Vice President, who’s not even in the chain of command. But they knew they couldn’t listen to the President at that time. He was dangerous and trying to subvert our democracy for his own power.
Trump just watched. For three hours. As our democracy hung by a thread. He wouldn’t act to stop it.
Even the Uvalde police didn’t wait that long to act.
It’s unfathomable to me that people can still support Trump.
Josh Hawley Running
Tonight’s January 6th Committee hearings presented a cornucopia of damning evidence about the fragility of our democracy.
It also gave us some awesome social media fodder to mock several people who encouraged the Big Lie and the rioters. And I’m all here for that.
Josh Hawley deserves every ounce of mockery heading his way.
