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.

While I’ve somehow managed to live as a white person for more than five decades without once feeling persecuted over the color of my skin, the 24/7 White Grievance Media sees an America (or, rather, a dwindling majority of very concerned white folks) under existential threat. In other words, it’s easy to sell grievance to conspiracy-primed racists who greedily swallow performative nonsense like a flock of deranged pelicans scarfing down perilously over-microwaved Hot Pockets.

Many of us who maintain a social media presence have at least one acquaintance, “Facebook friend” or real-life, actual friend who has in the past year shared some type of official-sounding, medical jargon-laden post questioning the value of the COVID-19 vaccines—or worse, directly asserting or implying that such vaccines are ineffective, harmful, deadly, or will lead to untold health problems.

According to the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a U.S.

Ever feel like you gave out a bunch of beer koozies dissing your own family for nothing? Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush may have an inkling of what that’s like following Donald Trump’s Monday night endorsement of scandal-tarred incumbent Ken Paxton, whom Bush is hoping to unseat in next year’s Republican primary for state attorney general.

As Daily Kos continues to cover, anti-trans legislation popping up around the nation focuses on trans and nonbinary youth. Unsurprisingly, a lot of this discrimination would impact how students are treated at school; for example, the Republican effort to ban transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports teams.