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icarusbetide · 6 months

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my odyssey with the shitshow that is legends and lies, the patriots

i'm watching bill o'reilly's show legends and lies, the patriots and it is wild. 💀 for a show that claims to disperse legends and myths it sure does feed into a lot of narratives. it's actually impressive, how it dramatizes these events and people to the point where every single figure is inaccurate and somehow less entertaining than their actual selves. didn't get to every episode because not all of them are online.

up to the war it's mostly a lot of dramatization that doesn't really add anything and is still horrendously awkward. but the constitutional convention onwards is where i sat there and went. oh, this is bad.

it's obviously not equipped to handle the jefferson-hamilton rivalry and the resulting political factions because it dilutes both figures so bad lmao.

jefferson is just pouting 24/7. they have the actor say the quote from the letter he sent washington about the dinner bargain where he went " hamilton tricked me sirrr he literally duped me into a compromise" without any context. and when washington later calls him out on his sneaky newspaper bullshit he just sits there sulking. like give the guy some credit, he could scheme! he was a far better politician than hamilton! if you're going to try to break down the mythological image of jefferson as the holy patron of the common man then do it all the way! he wasn't like "but sir :(" and then gracefully concede defeat wtf. they make it seem like jefferson lost to hamilton and then later suddenly won (?) without delving into the attacks on hamilton's reputation and how it was a very effective campaign.

also, there is a lot to explore in jefferson's arguments themselves. it would be worthwhile to delve deeper into why exactly he opposed hamiltonian policies, how he thought it would affect the union, etc. to be fair the show does talk about how he thought hamilton would create a monarchy, which is true - but it's just barebones, you know? maybe a bit more detail to actually strengthen both sides' argument if your goal here is objectivity and truth.

i'm a little lad who wants berries and cream!

and you could probably guess this from what i just said about jefferson but hamilton is exactly the ambition-crazed machiavellian schemer you would expect him to be. what's worse is that they don't go into his actual actions that can be critiqued all that much. like why exactly did he want the whiskey tax? what consequences did it have? there's a lot of complexity to dig into, both in how he reasoned he was taxing a luxury, how the farmers reacted, etc. or how there was speculation (duer) that strengthened jefferson's concerns; none of that's really addressed properly. once again, just barebones. this man did not conceal his thoughts, there's a lot of ammunition and yet.

it's hilarious because from his very first appearance as aide-de-camp they kept doing these sneaky cuts to his face where he's just side-eyeing with this deadpan expression. at the time i was like "wtf is wrong with this editing" but i think they were trying to foreshadow 😭. for the rest of the show he's always sitting in corners, smoking and staring at jefferson/washington.

and the quasi-war is so bad. so bad. they address hamilton wanting to use the war as an opportunity to establish a standing army but go about it so heavy-handedly it just becomes wack. in the show, hamilton is so crazed by his jealousy towards adams that he'll do anything to take power (his ambition did have a role in it but it's weird that they don't say anything about what the french were doing at this point, why americans were divided? not even sure if non-history buffs will immediately realize that this war with france is due to the french revolution and la dih dah.) and this what he says after mchenry claims that adams will want washington as general again:

"But His Excellency is far too old to command from the field. He will give his command to a trusted friend. Someone...perhaps...he once thought of as a son. *smirk with McHenry*."

the last part? "someone he once thought of as a son" BITCH if you did any research you would know that hamilton was screaming crying throwing up at the mere THOUGHT of being considered washington's son. you can hear the villain music in the background. no, literally, you can actually hear villain music. i love this show so much.

then it tells us "yeah hamilton took power" but where is washington in all this? the guy who insisted on hamilton being his 2nd apparently out of love for his "son" (lafayette found dead in a ditch). dying in bed according to the next scene lmao.

so yeah hamilton is a shitshow but that also ruins washington because he's in that weird position of being idolized and also diminished. "yesss slay washington you are so talented as a spymaster and spotting talent but also you were manipulated by hamilton! but also you fully supported hamilton's agenda! you were such a good president i love you."

and john adams is so weak it's an insult to the man. at least show us that hater energy. wdym adams went "i had thought you had stopped this obsession of yours" to jefferson when jefferson was complaining about hamilton? maybe he didn't hate hamilton as much at that point if that's what they're implying? but the show makes him into this affable guy, who didn't want an army (the man longed for military glory) and only dismantles it because he realizes that jefferson was 100% right and it was all hamilton's quest for power. the french are nonexistent in this french-american war, which is my biggest grievance.

and aaron burr...the less i say about this show's aaron burr the better. didn't even try for historical accuracy. didn't try for anything besides "mwahahaha i am a politician! with no ideas! and i will say that to your face hamilton" so yeah the hamilton that they portrayed as crazed for power (in the same 40 minute episode i tell you) is suddenly a great judge of character. maybe at the end they did make him slightly sympathetic? it talks about his public fall from grace after the duel so some points for that.

and look at this shit y'all. can't make this up.

sigh. a historian says "jefferson insisted on seeing hamilton as a power-hungry monarchist" but then the show makes it seem like that's the truth. all the historians are saying things and then the show's scenes are saying something completely different so the entire thing is ???? wtf is the goal of this thing?

besides all of this, it's a wild ride based purely on the absolutely terrible hair. you will not believe how bad the hair is. i shit you not i screamed ten times wondering where the hell they got wigs that can look that bad. watch it just for the hair actually.

and of course the strange, awkward editing and flashbacks that are probably confusing to people who are normal and don't keep historical dates/events marked up with these people's lives. washington dies and comes back to life in flashbacks like 3 times.

it sucks! it's not even entertaining but there are moments of humor and ridiculousness; the bad hair really saved this thing. i might be harsh, given that i just defended hamilton the musical for its relative inaccuracy, but i find it fundamentally different because this show claims superior historical accuracy. it looks and feels like a low-budget documentary and it's just. wrong. at certain points. if it wants to get real into the nitty-gritty of these complex people then you have to commit! it couldn't quite abandon the common impression a lot of americans have towards jefferson, couldn't abandon that perspective of hamilton. but then it doesn't delve into the actual mistakes and darker actions of these people. maybe it was in a different episode but i saw no mention of the reynolds pamphlets, jefferson's relationship with sally hemings, diplomatic deals, or whatnot.

not only is it a ultimate failure at clearing up legends and lies, it probably created some new ones instead. only part that was relatively okay was benedict arnold's i think.

#alexander hamilton #george washington #aaron burr #thomas jefferson #john adams #historical hamilton #amrev #legends and lies #tale of the shitty docu-series #wtf is this thing

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grumpycakes · 2 years

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TO CATCH ANYONE UP that doesn't wanna read the fucking novel of yesterdays post (sorry) a break down of what happened last night

They met at 10pm, McCarthy looking smug and assuming he had the votes

Nomination speeches as per usual, McCarthy's BESTIE (apparently) McHenry came up and nominated him. Tried to be a jokey dude but the jokes almost all fell flat, haha. Dems sent up Aguilar for the 9th time, basically insinuated the Repubs. can't lead cause of the infighting. No Far Rights came up.

with all Representatives present he needs 218

Round 14 of voting, only votes that went to not Jeffries or McCarthy were

Biggs - voting for Jordan

Boebert - Voted Present (lowering the needed votes for McCarthy)

Crane - Voting for Biggs

Gaetz - Did not vote when called first round. Did vote Present on second call (with two Presents the count needed lowers by 1)

Good - Voted for Jordan

Rosendale - Voted for Biggs

SO with the two present votes the threshold for winning is 217. BUT with the 4 holdouts that still voted for others McCarthy only has 216.

While tallying of the votes occurs, all hell breaks loose. Republicans have realized they still wont win.

You CAN change your vote, if you voted in error, while they are tallying and before they announce the official results.

THIS MEANS a group of Republicans DESCEND on Gaetz and Boebert to desperately try to convince them to switch to voting for McCarthy. McCarthy himself goes up to talk to them. Gaetz does some aggressive pointing and McCarthy walks away. Alabama Rep, Mike Rogers, who is most likely CRANKY and TIRED and feels like they've been yanked around by a small group of people, goes to, I'M HOPING, lean in and yell at Gaetz and possibly Boebert. North Carolina Rep, Richard Hudson, may have misinterpreted, may have actually thought violence was incoming, and GRABBED ROGERS and COVERED HIS MOUTH (hopefully by fucking accident??) No injuries have been reported and no one technically came to blows, but it is TECHNICALLY a physical altercation, news goes WILD about it.

Tallying ends, McCArthy loses. McHenry (McCarthy Bestie) Moves to adjourn. Shouts seem inconclusive, they gotta button vote.

Button vote is going as expected and then suddenly McCarthy, Gaetz and a few other Republicans run down to change their votes w cards. Suddenly the WAIT NO DOn'T LEAVES win.

Nomination again, blissfully short from Republicans. Normal from Dems w a cheeky remark to just flip sides and vote for Jeffries. No Far Right nominations.

Round 15, 218 to win, here we go. Of the problem voters

Biggs - Flips to Present (lower win number)

Boebert - Present (2 Presents, number lower by 1)

Crane - Flips to present and immediately flees the room

Gaetz - Present (2 Presents, number lower by 1)

Good - Flips to Present

Rosendale - Did not vote when called, clear that McCarthy won before he was called a second time, Flipped to Present (2 Presents, number lower by 1)

Winning number would be 215 but McCarthy got 216 so it doesn't matter.

ofc celebrating from Repubs. Tallying finishes, it's official.

There were ceremonial speeches. Jeffries was fine, did get this huge dig section where he compared what the dems were to the repubs. Very sassy, highly recommend watching that part.

Gavel is handed over to McCarthy

LONG ASS SPEECH ensues. Acts like it doesn't matter what happens just that you won. But like nah brah, this was crazy and bad. Goes into far right conspiracy theory talking points. Basically promising to just be obstructionists and time wasters to look good to their constituents. Then goes into a buck wild analogy fever dream about paintings in the capitol???? Pretends he's gonna be bi-partisan. Thanks his family. Ends the speech.

He is sworn in, he FINALLY SWEARS ALL THE REPRESENTATIVES IN AFTER 4 DAYS. They do basic shit and like electing clerks and workers and etc etc.

They can't make bills until the Rules of the House are agreed to. But it was also 1 AM their time. McCarthy tells them to adjourn till monday and the night finally ends.

TAKEAWAYS

McCarthy won by promising wild things that will make his speakership shitty for himself

Republicans have some serious infighting issues that may effect how they make laws and run the country

This was an absolute embarrassment and don't let McCarthy pretend otherwise

The final Present voters looked absolutely MISERABLE when doing so

If they can get together to send things they want into action, it's gonna be a shitty time, so be prepared (ie investigations and spending bills)

This may weaken peoples belief in Republicans and effect voting, but it's TWO YEARS before anyone can vote again so don't hold out hope

#political o'clock #politics #us politics #speaker of the house vote 2023 #a shit show #sorry this is long as well #but i feel bad about how long the other one was #irl shit #mel babbles #mel hyperfocuses

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beardedmrbean · 2 years

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A vote on language condemning the "horrors of socialism" split House Democrats on Thursday, which one Republican said reveals a soft spot some Democrats have for a political philosophy that has resulted in impoverishment and death for hundreds of millions of people.

Republicans called up the resolution as a way to remind the public that socialist policies – which they fear have been creeping into American life after two years of Democrat control in Washington – go against the values on which America was founded. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said Thursday that socialism is "one of the most destructive ideologies in world history."

As expected, the resolution split Democrats, as some have openly described themselves as adherents of "democratic socialism." As a group, Democrats narrowly voted in favor of the resolution by a 109-86 tally, even though every Democrat who debated the bill spoke against the resolution.

In another sign of how the bill split the party, 14 Democrats voted "present." The resolution passed 328-86 thanks to unanimous Republican support.

WHERE DO THE SQUAD, DEMOCRATS STAND ON SOCIALISM? GOP WILL PUT THEM TO THE TEST THIS WEEK

Democrats justified their vote by saying while they oppose socialism, the decision to call up the measure is a warning shot that Republicans are looking to cut Social Security, Medicare and other social welfare programs, an assertion Republicans have rejected for weeks.

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., went further by accusing Republicans of calling up a resolution that is an indictment of major elements of the federal government that helped millions of people during the pandemic.

"Americans know better than the fearmongering we see here today," Waters said. "They know, for example, that when the pandemic hit and people were dying all across this country, it was the federal government that stepped in to provide trillions of dollars of support to small businesses, workers, ranchers, students, seniors, and would you believe it, even Republican members of Congress."

"Historically, Republicans have tried to label as socialist any Democratic actions that improve the lives of Americans," added Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y. "This is what Republicans call socialism. From climate action and public education to affordable care and Social Security, Republicans classify popular government programs to help working families as socialism."

Republicans said Democrats were over-complicating the issue.

"Despite my Democratic colleagues’ claims, there’s nothing in this resolution about entitlement programs or banning social services or anything of the like," said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C.

After Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., pointed out several historical political leaders who were socialists and argued that not all forms of socialism deserve condemnation, McHenry thanked him for acknowledging that Democrats so have a soft spot for this system of government.

"If this resolution would just simply draw out my Democrat colleagues to just say, yes, they are in favor of socialism, maybe this is a worthwhile endeavor," McHenry said.

Socialism is broadly understood to be an economic and political theory that calls for putting the means of production into the hands of a public collective, and "democratic socialism" is seen as a philosophy that calls for a heavier government hand that might approach the governing styles of some European nations.

The resolution approved by the House says history shows that any move toward socialism "necessitates a concentration of power that has time and time again collapsed into Communist regimes, totalitarian rule, and brutal dictatorships."

It says socialist policies have led to "famine and mass murders, and the killing of over 100,000,000 people worldwide," along with some of the "greatest crimes in history" committed by Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Pol Pot and others.

"[B]etween 15,000,000 and 55,000,000 people starved to death in the wake of famine and devastation caused by the Great Leap Forward in China," the resolution notes. "[T]he socialist experiment in Cambodia led to the killing fields in which over a million people were gruesomely murdered."

#nunyas news #no you don't understand #this time it will be different

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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 1 year

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Illinois is set to become the first state in the nation to eliminate cash bail after the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a landmark criminal justice reform law did not violate the state’s constitution.

The opinion was released more than six months after the Pretrial Fairness Act was halted by the Justices just hours before it was to go into effect Jan. 1 in response to legal challenges. The high court said the law should now go into effect in September.

In its 5-2 ruling, the court said the state’s constitution “does not mandate that monetary bail is the only means to ensure criminal defendants appear for trials or the only means to protect the public. Our constitution creates a balance between the individual rights of defendants and the individual rights of crime victims. The Act’s pretrial release provisions set forth procedures commensurate with that balance.”

The majority rejected claims that the Legislature had overstepped its authority by eliminating bail through the Act, writing that “the legislature has long regulated the bail system.”

The court’s only two Republican Justices dissented, saying “the legislature’s abolishment of monetary bail is in direct violation of the plain language of our constitution’s bill of rights and, more specifically, the vested rights of crime victims. ... This court has an absolute obligation to declare the pretrial release provisions of the Act to be invalid and unenforceable no matter how beneficial the abolishment of monetary bail may be.”

The bail system overhaul was one of the most controversial provisions of the widely scrutinized SAFE-T Act, a major bill that mandated wide-ranging reforms to policing, court proceedings and victims’ rights in the state.

The court’s ruling stems from a flurry of lawsuits last year brought by roughly 60 sheriffs and state’s attorneys who argued that eliminating cash bail would reduce public safety, put law enforcement in harm’s way and violate the state’s constitution.

In December, Kankakee County Chief Judge Thomas Cunnington agreed with the groups and ruled the cash bail provision unconstitutional, though his ruling would have only applied to counties that had sued.

An appeal by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul sent the matter to the state Supreme Court, and the Justices ordered that the entire Pretrial Fairness Act wouldn’t go into effect until further notice “in order to maintain consistent pretrial procedures throughout Illinois.”

In the ruling Tuesday, Chief Judge Mary Jane Theis said Cunnington’s decision ignored the plain language of the bail clause in the state’s constitution, which never included the term “monetary, so does not cement the practice of monetary bail, however long-standing and prevalent across Illinois, into our constitution.”

Raoul released a statement Tuesday morning saying “someone’s experience with the criminal justice system should not vary based on their income level. The SAFE-T Act was intended to address pervasive inequalities in the criminal justice system, in particular the fact that individuals who are awaiting criminal trials — who have not been convicted of a crime and are presumed innocent — may spend extended periods of time incarcerated because they cannot afford to pay cash bail.”

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, who supported the bail reform, said the ruling “is a monumental milestone toward achieving equal justice for all in Cook County and Illinois. ... Ending cash bail is in line with our values and is a critical step toward economic and racial justice in Cook County and Illinois.”

But McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally, an opponent of the bail act, called the ruling “a sad reflection of state of ideological capture in our three branches of government. ... We at the state’s attorney’s office will continue to do everything within our power to ensure that dangerous offenders remain behind bars pre-trial or that other measures, such as electronic monitoring, are in put in place to minimize risk.”

Despite a two-year ramp-up before bail reform was to go into effect, opponents waited until late last year to mount a serious effort to overturn the law, as well as a political pressure campaign before last year’s statewide elections.

In the weeks before the election, opponents derided the SAFE-T Act as a “purge law” and claimed it would make the state — with a particular focus on Chicago — less safe by releasing more violent criminals to prey on the public.

Supporters of the Pretrial Fairness Act said its provisions would simply remove cash bail as a condition that could be set by a judge when considering whether someone was likely to return to court for their hearings or posed a danger to the public.

Studies of jurisdictions that have nearly eliminated cash bail have shown no significant increase in crime generally, nor by defendants released while awaiting trial. In some cases, defendants were more likely to return to court.

The elimination of cash bail does not mean people charged with crimes cannot be held in custody pending trial.

Under the act, the courts will continue to hold detention hearings for people accused of serious crimes to determine whether someone poses a safety risk if released and whether someone is likely to show up for their hearings — the same considerations that now often determine cash bail.

People charged with misdemeanors and other minor offenses will be released without bail or pretrial conditions. In more serious cases that meet standards where a person can be held in custody, prosecutors will be required to request a person be detained and make arguments on public safety and the risk of flight.

In cases where prosecutors seek to hold a person in custody, the defendant’s attorneys will be given more time to prepare for the hearing. The decision on whether a person should continue to be held in custody pretrial can also be revisited by the court at future hearings.

Cook County had planned to move forward with bail reform on Jan. 1 until the Justices halted its implementation. “I feel very confident that we will be ready to go in 60 days,” Pretrial Division Presiding Judge Marubio said Tuesday.

Until Sept. 18, judges will continue to set bail in cases in Cook County, just as they had been doing up until Dec. 31, Marubio said.

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin, the lone Republican appointee on a state Senate panel that recommended revisions to the bail reforms in the SAFE-T Act last fall, said changes adopted in the December veto session largely addressed “glaring deficiencies” and expanded judges’ discretion to detain defendants who might pose a danger to the public if released.

Berlin did not join the lawsuit that led to Supreme Court case because of the potential conflict with his role on the panel.

“At this point, I would say (the public) shouldn’t be panicked,” Berlin told the Sun-Times. “With the amendment (passed in December) I am confident that violent criminals are going to be detained.”

Berlin said he expected an influx of defendants seeking hearings when the law takes effect, and that his office will petition judges to hold any person his office deems a threat to public safety.

He also noted that even multimillion-dollar bail amounts are not a guarantee of safety. “I have seen people put up $200,000 and walk out of jail on a $2 million bond,” he said.

Berlin said he and his fellow state’s attorneys planned a conference call Tuesday afternoon to discuss options, but personally he felt that another lawsuit was not likely. “I think we need to move forward with the General Assembly and use the legislative process,” he said. “At this point, I’m not sure legally what else there is to do.”

Berlin said he would advocate for changes that would make the Act resemble bail statutes in New Jersey, which largely did away with cash bail in 2017. New Jersey’s laws allow judges to set a cash bail when prosecutors show “clear and convincing evidence” people are likely to flee, threaten or intimidate others if set free before trial, or otherwise pose a threat to safety.

Harold Krent, a professor at IIT-Kent Law School who has studied the separation of powers, agreed there likely is no path for further challenges in the courts.

“There is no traditional injury they can point to that is going to get them through the doors of federal court,” he said. “This is a case where a state law was found constitutional under the state constitution. I’m not sure what their federal claim would be.”

The bail reforms were just one part of the SAFE-T Act, some of which have already taken effect. Other measures include requiring all police departments to equip officers with body-worn cameras by 2025, expanding services for victims of crimes and changing how people who are incarcerated are counted for redistricting maps.

Many Republican candidates made the SAFE-T Act a focus of law-and-order campaigning last year, but Democrats held off most challengers in what was expected to be a bruising midterm election for the party across the country and even expanded their majority on the state Supreme Court.

The elections of Justices Elizabeth Rochford and Mary Kay O’Brien were believed to be significant to preserving Illinois’ strong abortion protections, as well as the future of the SAFE-T Act. Both Justices sided with the majority of the court.

Justices Lisa Holder White and David Overstreet, the high court’s only Republicans, joined in the dissent.

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 1 year

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LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

October 3, 2023

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

Wow.

Today, House Republicans made history by being the first to throw out their own Speaker of the House, while the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination made history by being the first candidate to be gagged by a judge after threatening one of the judge’s law clerks by posting a lie about her on social media.

Ever since Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) made a deal with the extremists in his conference to win the speakership after Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in January 2023, he has catered to those extremists in an apparent bid to hold on to his position. From the first, he gave them key positions on committees, permitted them to introduce extreme measures and load up bills with poison pills that meant the bills could never make it through Congress, and recently to open impeachment hearings against President Joe Biden.

But the extremists have continued to bully him, especially since they opposed a deal he cut with Biden before McCarthy would agree to raise the debt ceiling, threatening to make the United States default on its debt for the first time in U.S. history. When their refusal to pass either appropriations bills or a continuing resolution to buy more time to pass those bills meant the U.S. was hours away from a government shutdown, McCarthy finally had to rely on the Democrats for help passing a continuing resolution on Saturday.

A shutdown would have hurt the country and, in so doing, would have benefited former president Trump, to whom the extremists are loyal. Led by Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, they were vocal about their anger at McCarthy’s pivot to the Democrats to keep the government open,

Yesterday, Gaetz challenged McCarthy’s leadership, apparently with the expectation that the Democrats would step in to save McCarthy’s job, although it is traditionally the majority party that determines its leader. According to Paul Kane of the Washington Post, McCarthy did reach out to Democrats for votes to support his speakership. But Democrats pointed to McCarthy’s constant caving to the MAGA Republicans—as recently as Sunday, McCarthy blamed the threat of a shutdown on the Democrats—and were clear the problem was the Republicans’ alone.

“It is now the responsibility of the [Republican] members to end the House Republican Civil War. Given their unwillingness to break from MAGA extremism in an authentic and comprehensive manner, House Democratic leadership will vote yes on the pending Republican Motion to Vacate the Chair,” minority leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote to the Democratic caucus.

And so, when the House considered blocking Gaetz’s motion to vacate the chair, the measure failed by a vote of 208 to 218. Eleven Republicans voted against blocking it. And then, on the voting over the measure itself, 216 members voted to remove McCarthy while 210 voted to keep him in the speaker’s chair. Eight Republicans abandoned their party to toss him aside, making him the first speaker ever removed from office.

The result was a surprise to many Republicans, and there is no apparent plan for moving forward. House Rules Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK), who released a statement supporting McCarthy, called the outcome “simply a vote for chaos.”

Speakers provide a list of people to become temporary speakers in case of emergency, so the gavel has passed to Representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC), who has power only to recess, adjourn, and hold votes for a new speaker. McCarthy says he will not run for speaker again. The House has recessed for the rest of the week, putting off a new speaker fight.

Until then, Republicans seem to be turning their fury at their own debacle on the Democrats, blaming them for not stepping in to fix the Republicans’ mess. One of McHenry’s first official acts was to order former speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to vacate her private Capitol office by tomorrow, announcing that he was having the room rekeyed. Pelosi was not even there for today’s votes; she is in California for the memorial services for the late Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).

McHenry’s action is unlikely to make the Democrats more eager to work with the Republicans; Pelosi noted that this “sharp departure from tradition” seemed a surprising first move “[w]ith all the important decisions that the new Republican Leadership must address, which we are all eagerly awaiting….” Pelosi might have been sharp, but she is not wrong. The continuing resolution to fund the government runs out shortly before Thanksgiving, and funding for Ukraine has an even shorter time frame than that. The House cannot do business without a speaker, and each day this chaos continues is a victory for the extremists who are eager to stop a government that does anything other than what they want from functioning, even as it highlights the Republicans’ inability to govern.

Phew. But that was not the end of the day’s news.

Jose Pagliery of The Daily Beast, who is watching the New York trial of Trump, his two older sons, two of his associates, and the Trump Organization, wrote that New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur F. Engoron said today that he had warned Trump’s lawyer that Trump must not continue his attacks on the justice system. Rather than heed the warning, Trump today went after Engoron’s own law clerk, posting a lie about her with a photo on social media. “Personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable, inappropriate, and I will not tolerate them under any circumstances,” Engoron said.

Engoron ordered Trump to delete the post, and the former president did so. Engoron forbade “all parties from posting, emailing, or speaking publicly about any members of my staff” and warned there would be “serious sanctions” for those who did so.

The New York case strikes close to Trump’s identity as a successful businessman by showing that he lied about the actual value of his properties, and by dissolving a number of his businesses by canceling their licenses. Adding to Trump’s troubles today is that he fell off Forbes’ list of the 400 wealthiest Americans, a status that in the past he has cared deeply about.

In the midst of the Republican chaos, the Biden administration announced that the manufacturers of all the ten drugs selected for negotiation with Medicare to lower prices have agreed to participate in the program, although they are pursuing lawsuits to stop it. Several of the pharmaceutical companies have complained of being “essentially forced” to sign on; one says it is participating “under protest” but feels it has no choice given the penalties their products would bear if they are unwilling to negotiate prices.

According to the White House, the ten drugs selected for negotiation accounted for a total of $3.4 billion in out-of-pocket costs for an estimated 9 million Medicare enrollees in 2022. The negotiations were authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed without any Republican votes.

The Department of Justice announced eight indictments against China-based companies and their employees for crimes relating to street fentanyl and methamphetamine production, distribution of synthetic opioids, and sales resulting from precursor chemicals used to make street fentanyl. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) administrator Anne Milgram noted that the supply chain that brings street fentanyl to the U.S. starts in China, from which chemical companies ship fentanyl precursors and analogues into our country and into Mexico, where the chemicals “are used to make fentanyl and make it especially deadly.” Milgram promised that the “DEA will not stop until we defeat this threat.”

Finally, while the Republicans were making history on the House side of the U.S. Capitol, the Democrats were making history on the Senate side. Vice President Kamala Harris swore into office Senator Laphonza Butler to complete the term of Senator Dianne Feinstein, which ends next year. Before her nomination, Butler was the president of EMILYs List, a political action committee dedicated to electing Democratic female candidates who back reproductive rights to office, and has advised a number of high-profile political campaigns, including that of Harris in 2020.

Butler is the first Black lesbian in the Senate. She and her wife, Nenike, have a daughter.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#letters From an american #heather cox richardson #Kevin McCarthy #USHouse of Representatives #corrupt GOP #radical GOP #governance #TFG #gag order

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brianmchenry · 11 months

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After Peter Seddon: Memories construct a different picture

In the 1980 the artist Peter Seddon created a series of large scale pastel drawings based on the Highland Clearances that explored themes such as history, memory and cultural difference.

These were included as part of the 1986 exhibition ‘As an Fhearann/ From the Land’ organised by An Lantair Gallery in Stornaway to mark the centenary of the Crofting Act. I visited the exhibition when it first came to Glasgow and it had a huge impact on not only my practice but also how I was to view the Highlands and Islands of Scotland that I would be living in for the next fifteen or so years of my life.

The following images and notes are the start of an attempt to explore the themes that I first came across in Peters work and to place them in a personal context.

Essie Stewart is playing the accordion again for Richard Burton'

The drawing takes it’s subject matter from Tim Neats’ book ‘The Summer Walkers’ about the pearl fishers and travelling families of Scotland.

‘Bill Travers is looking across the Firth of Lorne again’

There’s a point in the film ‘Ring of Bright Water’ when the main character first travels north and gets off the old Calmac bus to look across the Firth of Lorne towards Mull in the distance.

Of course the movie takes vast liberties with both the book and the story of Gavin Maxwell himself but somehow for me, with that scene it all gets forgotten.

Ben Buie, Sgur Dearg, Dùn da Ghàoithe are in front of him like incomplete notes, each a hesitant beginning to something that isn’t there anymore.

Each a grace note

and I am sitting there in Fishnish all those years later.

#bill travers #brian mchenry #artists on tumblr #illustration #pencil drawing #art #sketch #memories construct a different picture #mull #the sound of Lorne

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deanwasalwaysbi · 1 year

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23 Republican Senators & 124 Congressmen signed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court asking for a 50 state ban on mifepristone, a drug safer than tylenol that is standard treatment for abortion & miscarriages, "due to safety concerns". The brief DARES to argue that banning the life saving drug would save women from 'reproductive control'. (x) These 147 people would rather have women die of sepsis than let women control their own bodies. If your representatives are on this list, call them and tell their office you will be voting against them in the next election because they asked SCOTUS to throw the US medical drug system into chaos at the cost of American lives.

United States Senate

Lead Senator: Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS) John Barrasso (WY) Mike Braun (IN) Katie Britt (AL) Ted Budd (NC) Bill Cassidy (LA) Kevin Cramer (ND) Mike Crapo (ID) Ted Cruz (TX) Steve Daines (MT) Josh Hawley (MO) John Hoeven (ND) James Lankford (OK) Mike Lee (UT) Cynthia Lummis (WY) Roger Marshall (KS) Markwayne Mullin (OK) James Risch (ID) Marco Rubio (FL) Rich Scott (FL) John Thune (SD) Tommy Tuberville (AL) Roger Wicker (MS)

United States House of Representatives

Lead Representative: August Pfluger (TX–11) Robert Aderholt (AL–04) Mark Alford (MO–04) Rick Allen (GA–12) Jodey Arrington (TX–19) Brian Babin (TX–36) Troy Balderson (OH–12) Jim Banks (IN–03) Aaron Bean (FL–04) Cliff Bentz (OR–02) Jack Bergman (MI–01) Andy Biggs (AZ–05) Gus Bilirakis (FL–12) Dan Bishop (NC–08) Lauren Boebert (CO–03) Mike Bost (IL–12) Josh Brecheen (OK–02) Ken Buck (CO–04) Tim Burchett (TN–02) Michael Burgess, M.D. (TX–26) Eric Burlison (MO–07) Kat Cammack (FL–03) Mike Carey (OH–15) Jerry Carl (AL–01) Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA–01) John Carter (TX–31) Ben Cline (VA–06) Michael Cloud (TX–27) Andrew Clyde (GA–09) Mike Collins (GA–10) Elijah Crane (AZ–02) Eric A. “Rick” Crawford (AR–01) John Curtis (UT–03) Warren Davidson (OH–08) Monica De La Cruz (TX–15) Jeff Duncan (SC–03) Jake Ellzey (TX–06) Ron Estes (KS–04) Mike Ezell (MS–04) Pat Fallon (TX–04) Randy Feenstra (IA–04) Brad Finstad (MN–01) Michelle Fischbach (MN–07) Scott Fitzgerald (WI–05) Mike Flood (NE–01) Virginia Foxx (NC–05) Scott Franklin (FL–18) Russell Fry (SC–07) Russ Fulcher (ID–01) Tony Gonzales (TX–23) Bob Good (VA–05) Paul Gosar (AZ–09) Garret Graves (LA–06) Mark Green (TN–07) Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA–14) H. Morgan Griffith (VA–09) Glenn Grothman (WI–06) Michael Guest (MS–03) Harriet Hageman (WY) Andy Harris, M.D. (MD–01) Diana Harshbarger (TN–01) Kevin Hern (OK–01) Clay Higgins (LA–03) Ashley Hinson (IA–02) Erin Houchin (IN–02) Richard Hudson (NC–09) Bill Huizenga (MI–04) Bill Johnson (OH–06) Mike Johnson (LA–04) Jim Jordan (OH–04) Mike Kelly (PA–16) Trent Kelly (MS–01) Doug LaMalfa (CA–01) Doug Lamborn (CO–05) Nicholas Langworthy (NY–23) Jake LaTurner (KS–02) Debbie Lesko (AZ–08) Barry Loudermilk (GA–11) Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO–03) Tracey Mann (KS–01) Lisa McClain (MI–09) Dr. Rich McCormick (GA–06) Patrick McHenry (NC–10) Carol Miller (WV–01) Mary Miller (IL–15) Max Miller (OH–07) Cory Mills (FL–07) John Moolenar (MI–02) Alex X. Mooney (WV–02) Barry Moore (AL–02) Blake Moore (UT–01) Gregory F. Murphy, M.D. (NC–03) Troy Nehls (TX–22) Ralph Norman (SC–05) Andy Ogles (TN–05) Gary Palmer (AL–06) Bill Posey (FL–08) Guy Reschenthaler (PA–14) Mike Rogers (AL–03) John Rose (TN–06) Matthew Rosendale, Sr. (MT–02) David Rouzer (NC–07) Steve Scalise (LA–01) Keith Self (TX–03) Pete Sessions (TX–17) Adrian Smith (NE–03) Christopher H. Smith (NJ–04) Lloyd Smucker (PA–11) Pete Stauber (MN–08) Elise Stefanik (NY–21) Dale Strong (AL–05) Claudia Tenney (NY–24) Glenn Thompson (PA–15) William Timmons, IV (SC–04) Beth Van Duyne (TX–24) Tim Walberg (MI–05) Michael Waltz (FL–05) Randy Weber, Sr. (TX–14) Daniel Webster (FL–11) Brad R. Wenstrup, D.P.M. (OH–02) Bruce Westerman (AR–04) Roger Williams (TX–25) Joe Wilson (SC–02) Rudy Yakym (IN–02)

If your representatives are on this list, call them and tell their office you will be voting against them in the next election because they asked SCOTUS to throw the US medical drug system into chaos at the cost of American lives.

Help to patients who have to cross state lines to get medical care by donating to your local abortion fund here. (x)

#scotus #abortionpill #state of the uterus #abortion rights are human rights #us politics #miscarriage #vote blue #nnaf #yellowhammer

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cutmytaxes1 · 2 months

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How to pay McHenry County property tax bill?

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#mchenry county #mchenry county tax #mchenry county property taxes #property taxes #property tax bill #property tax protection program

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oconnor2023 · 7 months

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Reduce your McHenry tax bill | O'Connor Tax Reduction Experts

Is your tax bill is realistically too high? We are here to help you with the tax reduction experts, appeal and get reduced your tax bill and see how much you can save. Visit us https://www.cutmytaxes.com/illinois/mchenry-county-property-tax-reduction/

#mchenry tax bill #mchenry property taxes #property taxes #cut my taxes #tax bill #tax reduction experts

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thetouringtest · 2 years

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The last (and first) time I shaved my head was when I was 15. I figured it was time for another buzz (Peep Stories for a timelapse shaving) . Come see my buzzed head at any of my upcoming shows with my band Pocket Vinyl . 3/17 - McHenry, MD Moon Shadow Restaurant & Cafe 3/18 - Appomattox, VA Baines Books and Coffee 3/19 - Fredericksburg, VA The House FXBG - College & Young Adult Ministry 3/21 - Crossville, TN Ozone Cafe & Market 3/22 - Nashville, TN The Cobra Nashville 3/23 - Cleveland, MS Hey Joe's 3/24 - Beaumont, TX The Logon Cafe 3/25 - Houston, TX Super Happy Fun Land 3/26 - Denton, TX @ DIY space 3/29 - Siloam Springs, AR Ivory Bill Brewing 3/30 - Kansas City, MO Bushranger Records 3/31 - Kirksville, MO AORTA 4/6 - Providence, RI Dusk 4/7 - Westerly, RI Savoy Bookshop and Cafe 4/15 - Greenfield, MA Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center 4/22 - New London, CT The Telegraph 5/16 - Hoosick Falls, NY Unihog . #shavedhead #shavedhair #shorthair #funnycomic #comic #autobiocomics #autobio #shavedheadgirl

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kp777 · 2 years

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By Jake Johnson

Common Dreams

Oct. 20, 2022

The conservative-dominated Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's funding structure is unconstitutional, a decision that Sen. Elizabeth Warren—one of the agency's architects—decried as "lawless and reckless."

"The CFPB has returned billions of dollars to Americans by doing its job, and its funding is clearly constitutional," Warren (D-Mass.) wrote on social media. "Extreme right-wing judges are throwing into question every rule the CFPB enforces to protect consumers and businesses alike."

"If it stands, it will go down in history as one of the most anti-consumer court rulings in history."

The 39-page ruling was handed down by a Fifth Circuit panel composed entirely of judges selected by former President Donald Trump, who pulled the already-conservative appeals court even further to the right during his four years in the White House. The court is often actively sought out by right-wing lawyers and corporate interests looking for a friendly audience.

Wednesday's decision, which stems from a case brought by payday lending groups, deems the CFPB's structure unconstitutional because it receives funding through the Federal Reserve System rather than Congress, a design that was aimed at ensuring the watchdog agency's independence.

"Congress' decision to abdicate its appropriations power under the Constitution, i.e., to cede its power of the purse to the Bureau, violates the Constitution's structural separation of powers," the three-judge panel wrote.

While the case focused specifically on the bureau's Payday Lending Rule, the panel's decision could have sweeping implications for the CFPB's ability to issue any rules aimed at shielding consumers from corporate abuses.

As Public Citizen president Robert Weissman said in a statement Wednesday, the "dangerously misguided and outrageous decision jeopardizes the most important consumer protection agency created in the last 50 years and the rules, guidelines, enforcement actions, and consumer education that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has issued and undertaken."

"The Fifth Circuit's decision ignores the long-established and long-accepted practice of funding financial regulatory agencies, and the prior review of many other courts, in order to decree that the funding mechanism of the CFPB is unconstitutional," Weissman continued. "If upheld, this decision is a gift to scammers and rip-off artists, payday lenders, and big banks."

"If it stands," he added, "it will go down in history as one of the most anti-consumer court rulings in history."

Wall Street-friendly Republicans who have been hostile to the CFPB since its inception in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis predictably hailed the Fifth Circuit's ruling.

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), the top Republican on the House Financial Services Committee and a major recipient of bank cash, said he was "glad to see" the decision and said he hopes to bring the consumer bureau "under the appropriations process," where it would be vulnerable to cuts from a hostile GOP.

The CFPB, currently led by consumer champion Rohit Chopra, is expected to appeal the decision. In a statement to Politico, bureau spokesperson Sam Gilford said that "there is nothing novel or unusual about Congress' decision to fund the CFPB outside of annual spending bills."

"Other federal financial regulators and the entire Federal Reserve System are funded that way, and programs such as Medicare and Social Security are funded outside of the annual appropriations process," said Gilford. "The CFPB will continue to carry out its vital work enforcing the laws of the nation and protecting American consumers."

The Fifth Circuit ruling comes as Chopra is facing a corporate onslaught over his actions as CFPB chief, which have included fines against big banks and policy changes aimed at challenging unlawful discrimination in the consumer finance market.

In late June, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce—the nation's largest corporate lobbying organization—launched a campaign to thwart what it described as Chopra's "ideologically driven agenda to radically change the nature of America's financial services industry."

Vishal Shankar, a researcher at the Revolving Door Project, said last month that "America's biggest corporate lobbying group is furious that its lawbreaking members are no longer getting a free pass for predatory and illegal behavior."

"The Chamber is spending six figures to lie to consumers about Chopra's record, without being upfront about their own executives' ties to corporate criminals," Shankar added. "They think the American people love surprise fees and hate seeing white-collar crooks held accountable. They are dead wrong on both counts."

#consumer financial protection bureau #cfpb

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