In the news today: The first COVID-19 vaccine gets full FDA approval—and a truly terrible brand name. A new poll shows near-universal American support for allowing Afghans who aided U.S. war efforts to come to the United States. The fascist pro-violence group Proud Boys continue their violent riots, and Portland, Oregon’s police department continues to assist them in doing it.
In the news today: Donald Trump held an Alabama rally to tell stories and spread COVID … and got promptly booed for asking his loyal audience to get vaccinated. Former British prime minister Tony Blair resurfaced 20 years after his support for invading Afghanistan to criticize Biden for his pullout, because sure, that’s a guy we’ve all been waiting to hear from.
In the news today: Another incident of far-right political terrorism in Washington, D.C., this time from a man claiming to have planted multiple bombs in the city. Republican seditionist Rep. Mo Brooks quickly weighed in to say he “understand[s] citizenry anger directed at dictatorial Socialism,” since “America’s future is at risk.
In the news today: The southern states are in a COVID-19 crisis, and there’s still no apparent sense of urgency from the Republican leaders who helped cause it. In the meantime, it’s every student and teacher for themselves.
Here’s some of what you may have missed:
• The healthcare system is on the edge of a cliff across the South, and Republicans just keep pushing
• Texas school district gets creative to protect students from Gov.
In the news today: One day after attending a crowded Republican fundraising meeting, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tested positive today for COVID-19. As Republicans cast about for a new Afghanistan narrative, Tucker Carlson and the party’s white nationalist base focus their attention on demonizing Afghan refugees fleeing the chaos.
In a statement, the office of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced this evening that Abbott has tested positive for COVID-19. Abbott, who was previously vaccinated, is said to be “currently experiencing no symptoms” but is allegedly “receiving Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment,” an expensive treatment that is in such short supply that doctors “approve the treatment for only those most likely to develop severe” COVID-19 symptoms.
In the news today: President Joe Biden addressed the nation to justify the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. Republicans are quickly scrubbing references to the Trump-led “peace agreement” that led to the withdrawal—and the Trump-ordered release of some of the Taliban leadership now seizing control of that nation. Here at home, America continues to see regular violence from its own reactionary, authoritarian-minded movement.
In the news today: After the U.S. military withdrawal ending two decades of occupation, the Afghanistan capital fell today to Taliban forces. Here in the United States, the Republican-state pandemic surge still continues to grow.
In the news today: There’s now confirmation that former U.S. attorney Byung Pak resigned his post after refusing to go along with Trump team demands that supported Trump’s claims of election “fraud” in Georgia. Trump also intended to fire and replace the acting U.S. attorney general for not supporting the scheme. Republicans lawmakers are again threatening to hold the nation’s finances hostage rather than agree to an increase of the “debt ceiling.
In the news today: A busy day in pandemic news, but special attention should go to the anti-mask parents of Williamson County, Tennessee, for issuing threats to health care workers trying to protect their kids from dying. That’s Williamson County, Tennessee. Make a note of it.
In other news, this new pandemic surge continues to target children—because children are the largest group still unvaccinated.
In the news today: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he would resign rather than fight a likely impeachment vote by state lawmakers. The Senate finally, at long last, passed its $1 trillion version of a “bipartisan” infrastructure bill; it now faces rocky prospects in the House, where Democrats intend to pass a far more ambitious climate and modernization-centered version. Still aggressively blocking pandemic safety mandates within his state, Texas Gov.
In the news today: The newest IPCC climate report paints a bleak picture, with almost certain odds that current catastrophic weather events will not only continue, but will also continue to worsen, thanks in no small part to the world’s past inaction—and the timeframe for dodging catastrophic climate collapse has been so shortened that it may come in as few as 20 years. The only solution? Immediate and overwhelming human action.
In the news today: Trump acting attorney general Jeffrey Rosen testified behind closed doors on Saturday on an effort by Trump and allies to use the Department of Justice to disseminate false claims disputing the results of the U.S. presidential election. A pillow magnate (yes, that’s a thing) continues his role as prolific pro-Trump conspiracy theorist—and these sure don’t seem to be the rantings of someone who’s been getting a good night’s sleep.
In the news today: Top labor leader and AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka has died at age 72. The Florida pandemic surge continues to hold national headlines. Conspiracy crank Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene continues to make violence-stoking statements, this time with a suggestion that southerners use their “Second Amendment rights” against anyone “showing up” at their homes to promote vaccinations.
In the news today: Newly released documents show we came very close to a January coup. Trump administration members battled internally over whether to use the Justice Department to push false information casting doubt on the validity of the U.S. presidential election, and the “yes” team came perilously close to winning. New York Gov.
In the news today: New York and national Democrats are demanding the resignation of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo after an independent investigation concluded that Cuomo engaged in a pattern of sexual harassment, including abusive and retaliatory behavior. A watchdog group alleges that federal immigration officials have deported as many as 70 American citizens in recent years. Another senator is in self-quarantine for a COVID-19 infection.
In the news today: Florida COVID-19 cases soar after state Republicans dismantle pandemic safety measures with sneering “Don’t Fauci my Florida” campaigns: Anyone have a spare “Mission accomplished” banner? Republican members of the Jan. 6 insurrection probe indicate that Rep. Jim Jordan and House minority leader Kevin McCarthy will very likely be subpoenaed to answer questions about their communications with Trump during the violence.
In the news today: COVID-19 cases in Florida are spiking to record levels, and you can pin the blame squarely on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ relentless efforts to sabotage public safety for the sake of politics. Newly released Department of Justice notes once again prove that the Trump White House’s attempts to nullify an American election were pre-plotted, broad in scope, and deadly serious.
In the news today: As COVID-19 cases continue to soar among unvaccinated Americans, President Joe Biden announced new vaccine requirements for federal workers, with a military vaccine mandate likely to follow. The Senate voted yesterday to begin debate on a “bipartisan” infrastructure plan. What’s the bipartisan part? That it’s less ambitious than needed and reeeeeally sketchy about its numbers.
In the news today: The long-awaited “bipartisan” infrastructure bill passed a key Senate vote this evening, thus … allowing debate on the not-yet-finalized proposal to begin on the Senate floor. Republican lawmakers continue to downplay the January 6 insurrection and its violence.
In the news today: The CDC is recommending that vaccinated and unvaccinated Americans wear masks indoors through most of the country as community transmission rates soar. The House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection got underway today with harrowing testimony from four police officers who faced off against the violent mob.
In the news today: As the House select committee formed to investigate the events of the Jan. 6 insurrection prepare to hear first witnesses, House Republicans that stoked insurrectionist claims are demanding retaliation against the two House Republicans appointed to the committee. The attempt to craft a “bipartisan” infrastructure bill continues to be an absolute clown show.
In the news today: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has appointed a second House Republican to the select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection. A Republican lawmaker deleted a tweet comparing government pandemic expert Dr. Anthony Fauci to a deadly cult leader—but not because she regretted the comparison. California is expanding access to health insurance for undocumented residents, and that’s a very good thing: Pandemics don’t care about paperwork.
In the news today: A new pandemic surge among unvaccinated Americans is again threatening to overwhelm regional health systems. A new report suggests that after Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was accused of a pattern of sexual assaults, the resulting FBI investigation of the claims consisted of little to no actual investigation. Ever-ambitious Texas Gov.
In the news today: Not only is the pandemic not over, the nation is in the middle of a new pandemic surge. Wear your masks, and get vaccinated as soon as possible. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today rejected the appointment of two Republicans to a House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection after signals that both of them were appointed to obstruct, rather than assist, the probe.
I had somehow missed that some in the press have been trying to relight the pilot light on the whole “Biden gaffe” narrative after Biden theoretically accidentally noted that Facebook, in becoming a fountain of anti-vaccine, anti-safety conspiracy theories, was “killing people.
In the news today: House Republicans have picked their members for a House probe into the January 6 insurrection and, as expected, the choices appear to be targeted towards discrediting the probe by turning it into a partisan circus. Dr. Anthony Fauci loses patience with Sen. Rand Paul after Paul stinks up yet another Senate hearing with sketchy pandemic claims.
It’s time for another update on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in this country, and the news is … not good.
In the news today: Sen. Ron Johnson now says Republicans won’t agree to increasing IRS funding to go after (wealthy and corporate) tax cheats as part of their “bipartisan” infrastructure negotiations. The Biden administration is vowing to appeal a federal judge’s decision declaring the DACA immigration policy illegal.
