#Sherrod Small

[redtwin]

The Ofcharsky Family Reunion.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Erin Reed at Erin In The Morning:

In the past month, nearly $100 million has been spent on anti-trans ads across the United States. Conservative super PACs have launched these campaigns in swing states, targeting vulnerable senators. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign is running a national anti-trans ad during football games. However, recent polls and past election results cast doubt on the effectiveness of this strategy. Today, a Gallup poll confirmed that, similar to 2022 and 2023, voters rank transgender issues as the least important concern; Democrats should not be afraid of anti-transgender ads in swinging the election in 2024. The poll asked voters to gauge the importance 22 issues to their vote. These included the economy, Supreme Court justices, taxes, education, Israel and Palestine, China, race relations, and more. Among the options was “transgender rights.” When asked about the importance of each issue, voters ranked transgender rights dead last, falling below concerns like climate change, race relations, the federal budget deficit, and China. You can see the Gallup Poll chart of issues here: Gallup Poll issues importance The relative ranking of transgender rights compared to other issues voters care about stands in stark contrast to Republican spending targeting transgender people. Over the past month, Republican PACs have launched significant ad campaigns aimed at swing-state senators. The Senate Leadership Fund, a major conservative PAC, announced plans to spend $80 million in Ohio alone. The first ads released by the PAC targeted Senator Sherrod Brown for supporting gender-affirming care for trans youth. Similar ad campaigns followed in several other states, targeting Senator Jon Tester in Montana, Senator Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin, and Senator Bob Casey in Pennsylvania, among others. It is not just Senators who are being targeted by anti-trans advertisements. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign has launched its own massive ad buy across the United States targeting transgender people. Ads saying “Trump is for us, Kamala Harris is for they/them” are running alongside football games nationwide, including in safe Democratic states. The latest Gallup poll confirms that these ads are not effective. While people may hold differing views on transgender rights—covering issues like driver's licenses, bathrooms, sports, health care, and more—the issue is not salient for the vast majority of Americans. Transgender people make up a small percentage of the general population, and issues relating to them are overshadowed by bread-and-butter concerns like the economy, democracy, education, and Supreme Court justices. To make matters worse for Republicans running ads on this issue, voters who rank transgender rights as very important to their vote are not Republicans but primarily Democrats. In fact, twice as many Democratic voters consider transgender issues important to their vote. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, transgender rights rank higher than immigration, crime, taxes, and energy. For Republicans, however, transgender rights rank below nearly every other issue. The only issue ranked lower is climate change, something many Republican candidates don’t even believe in.

These results are supported by years of polling and election data showing consistent trends. While responses on individual transgender issues can vary greatly depending on how the question is framed—such as "banning" gender-affirming care for youth (Americans oppose bans) versus "do you support or oppose" gender-affirming care for transgender youth—several constants have emerged across nearly every poll. Voters view the issue as unimportant, prefer the government to stay out of it, and politicians who focus negatively on it face backlash.

A recent Gallup poll reveals that transgender rights issues rank very low in voter salience, and among those that do view it as a high-salience issue, Democrats lead there. This is despite Republicans putting millions of dollars into ads featuring anti-trans content.

See Also:

The Guardian: Trump and Republicans push ‘hate and chaos’ with anti-trans ads, advocates say

HuffPost: Republicans Are Pouring Millions Into Anti-Trans Advertisements In Election’s Final Stretch

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Mike Luckovich

* * * *

Keeping control of the Senate

September 24, 2024

Robert B. Hubbell

Sep 24, 2024

On a day with a dozen important stories reverberating in the media echo chamber, I want to start with a positive report on a fundraiser for Senators Jon Tester and Sherrod Brown. Both face challenging races in November because they have achieved the improbable—being elected and reelected as Democratic Senators in red states. That fact alone means that every reelection effort is an uphill battle.

Their MAGA opponents are being showered with staggering amounts of dark money from the unholy trinity of the cryptocurrency industry, billionaires whose only goal is to lower taxes, and conservative organizations promoting the autocratic, Christian nationalist agenda of Project 2025.

But as is increasingly the case in the 2024 election, Democrats responded with enthusiasm and generosity. Several hundred readers of this newsletter donated to and showed up at a fundraiser hosted by Senate Circle. I moderated a conversation with Senators Tester and Brown that left everyone on the call feeling more confident about Democratic prospects in the US Senate in 2024.

It is easy to see why Senators Tester and Brown have succeeded as Democrats in red states. There is not an ounce of artifice or political calculation between them. They say what they think in a plainspoken, genuine, and charismatic manner. They hold strong beliefs that run counter to those of some of their constituents, but they are men of their word who devote every day working to make the lives of their constituents better—regardless of their political affiliation.

Neither candidate guaranteed victory. They have too much integrity to issue guarantees during a volatile election season. But when they tell you that their chances are strong and that their policy positions are resonating with the voters in their states, it is clear that Democrats have a reasonable basis for hoping we will retain both seats.

Senator Tester noted that at this point in his 2018 re-election bid, he was down by four to six points in the polls (because he voted against Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation). The current public polling regarding the Montana race is skewed by small, low-quality polls by Republican operatives. But even those polls show that Senator Tester leads with younger voters and women—two cohorts that should be motivated to turn out in an election with an initiative protecting reproductive rights on the ballot. Senator Tester is confident that he is better positioned than in 2018 and has the ground organization to win.

Senator Brown is running against an opponent (Bernie Moreno) recruited by JD Vance and supported by the cryptocurrency industry because, you know, cryptocurrency regulation is at the top of the list of issues for Ohio voters—not! Of course, JD Vance and Bernie Moreno have made anti-Haitian animus in Springfield a top campaign theme. But Bernie Moreno outdid himself on Monday, saying that Ohio women are “a little crazy” for supporting abortion rights.”

Moreno continued,

You know, the left has a lot of single-issue voters. Sadly, by the way, there’s a lot of suburban women, a lot of suburban women that are like, ‘Listen, abortion is it. If I can’t have an abortion in this country whenever I want, I will vote for anybody else.’ … OK. It’s a little crazy by the way, but — especially for women that are like past 50 — I’m thinking to myself, ‘I don’t think that’s an issue for you.'”

See Ohio.net, Bernie Moreno calls Ohio women 'a little crazy' for supporting abortion rights.

Bernie Moreno is repeating and extending the slander against women that JD Vance has thrust into the limelight with his “childless cat lady comments.” Moreno shows the same disrespect, ignorance, and intolerance toward women that JD Vance has exhibited throughout the 2024 presidential campaign.

Senators Tester and Brown are both in the fight to win it—and believe they will. They have strong ground operations but need “late money” to keep those operations going strong. At the fundraiser on Monday, readers of this newsletter helped raise $192,170 to be split between Tester and Brown.

It would be terrific if readers of Today’s Edition can help push that total beyond $200,000—to help maximize Democratic prospects for retaining control of the Senate. If you are moved to contribute any amount, the link is here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/2024_mt_oh. (For amounts less than $100, just fill in the “additional contribution box”).

Thanks to the hundreds of readers who contributed and joined the call. Your generosity and commitment will help Democrats defend the Senate and preserve democracy! Bless you all.

Post-script to the fundraiser

During conversation with Senator Sherrod Brown, he noted that his wife, Connie Schultz, is a Substack author. Connie writes Hopefully Yours—a title that resonates with the viewpoint of this newsletter—“Viewing the news through the lens of hope.”

While I am a guy with a laptop and a lot of opinions, Connie is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and best-selling author, among many other accomplishments. I just subscribed to her Substack. Check it out. As an incentive, Connie recently interviewed Heather Cox Richardson and will be publishing an article about that interview on Substack. Keep an eye out for it!

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[redistrictgirl]

As of September 22nd, 2024, Republicans are moderately favored (83% chance) in the race for control of the US Senate.

Sherrod Brown lives.

One solitary state has become particularly competitive, and it's arguably one of the most pivotal ones for control of the chamber. Prior to now, it was one the model had largely factored in as a Republican flip, so Democrats' odds of holding the chamber have now surged (relatively speaking). Let's break down the closest states:

Ohio (64% chance for Republicans) - The fundamentals were what I previously listed in the Buckeye State, and they're still great for Republicans - this is a state that voted for Donald Trump by high single digits twice in a row. But the incumbent in this seat, Senator Brown, is a very electorally successful Democrat, and that's reflecting in polling, where he consistently maintains a small lead of around two points. He'll have to continue defying gravity through November to have a chance of winning this seat, but there's now enough evidence here that the model is comfortable showing it as competitive.

Nevada (79% chance for Democrats) - Not a lot of new information in this state, but a Morning Consult poll this week shows Senator Rosen hitting a genuinely-impressive 52%. If (big if) more polls show her with these numbers, slot Nevada as a Democratic hold.

Arizona (80% chance for Democrats) - Mr. Reuben Gallego outdoes his fellow Democrat to the west by hitting 53%(!!!) in his own Morning Consult poll. Not much else to discuss at the moment, I would still expect some reversion to the mean.

Texas (82% chance for Republicans) - The biggest truth warhead from Morning Consult, however, is in Texas, where Senator Ted Cruz finds himself behind in a poll for the first time. But there's still lots of undecideds here, and lots of southern DNA in the state, so expect reversion to the mean.

Florida (82% chance for Republicans) - Senator Scott just cannot seem to consolidate his support here to ensure Republicans hold a seat in the Sunshine State. He's still heavily favored thanks to Democrats not being able to build much support of their own.

Some other states with big blue shifts are Michigan (83% chance for Democrats), Pennsylvania (87% chance for Democrats), and Wisconsin (87% chance for Democrats). Pin all of these on Vice President Harris' coattails.

Overall, the odds of Democrats winning this chamber are still only about the odds of rolling a one on a die. Not very high, but Mr. McConnell and friends have genuine reason to be nervous now.

[aquietwhyme]

This is literal Nazi stuff. Sturmabteilung brownshirts driving around accusing people of the crimes they themselves are committing, doxxing and inviting terrorism against student opponents of genocide.

The entire US Senate condones this, along with Genocide Joe. All 100 US Senators declared that somebody needs to rid them of these meddlesome priests, and fascists are obliging by doing the legwork of harassment reported on here. The dogwhistle on display in that resolution was quite audible to the human ear.

Remember, every sitting US Senator. All 51 members of the Democratic caucus, including so-called progressives like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, including so-called opponents of bigotry like Raphael Warnock, including so-called champions of the middle class like Sherrod Brown, including so-called tough minded fighters like John Fetterman. All voted to condone the campaigns of harassment against the conscience of the nation, our protesting college students, libeling and slandering them, smearing them as "anti-Semites" for daring to acknowledge that not only does the Emperor have no clothes, but that he's shitting on the people in the crowd.

We have learned nothing in the past 100 years. We have advanced by small, infinitesimal steps from the days of anti-union violence at the turn of the 20th century, from the atrocities visited upon minorities throughout our history, from the multiple waves of Red Scare oppression that brought blacklists and ruin to so many innocent people, and we've advanced seemingly not at all from the Iraq War debacle that many of these disgusting Senators were around to support.

Nothing. The US Senate condones Nazi tactics of suppression against fucking college students. We have learned nothing.

[dhaaruni]

Here are my extremely vibes-based 2024 Senate predictions:

Imo the most likely case is a 48D-52R Senate because I think Dems can win Arizona since Biden likely wins it, but lose Ohio/Montana/West Virginia. No matter what the denizens of Election Twitter wishcast, I'm skeptical that Sherrod Brown OR Jon Tester are favored even with flawed candidates!

Here's the reality:

There's MUCH less ticket-splitting since 2012 which was the presidential year when this Senate class was last up for re-election. 2018 was a blue-wave year without a presidential race!

Trump won Montana by twice as much as he won Ohio, and Tester is a good incumbent in a small state but that doesn't mean he can outrun Biden by 20

[igettalk]

Republicans have secured control of the U.S. Senate and are now trying to maintain their slim majority in the House of Representatives, potentially giving President-elect Donald Trump unified party control of Congress when he returns to office in 2025.The GOP clinched their Senate majority with decisive victories in West Virginia, Montana, and Ohio. Republican Tim Sheehy defeated incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Tester in Montana, while Bernie Moreno unseated three-term Democrat Sherrod Brown in Ohio. In West Virginia, Republican Governor Jim Justice won the seat previously held by Joe Manchin. https://twitter.com/Voz_US/status/1854307318424314282 In the House of Rep, while many races remain uncalled, Republicans are expressing confidence in maintaining their majority. Speaker Mike Johnson cited crucial Republican victories in swing states including Pennsylvania and Michigan. "House Republicans have been successful in securing critical flips in swing states," Johnson said from West Palm Beach, Florida. "The latest data and trends indicate that when all the votes are tabulated, Republicans will have held our majority."Democrats have achieved some notable victories, including holding open seats in Virginia and Michigan, and gaining seats in Alabama and Louisiana due to redistricting. However, according to CNN, an unnamed Democratic source privately informed the news outlet that there's a small chance of the party gaining control of the House.Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries remained cautiously optimistic, stating, "The House remains very much in play." He highlighted potential opportunities to gain seats in Arizona, Oregon, and Iowa, as well as in several districts in California that tend to lean Democratic.If Republicans maintain control of both chambers, they would be positioned to advance Trump's agenda, including his proposed tax cuts and immigration restrictions. NBC News has reported that the House of Rep Democrats have scheduled a virtual meeting to strategize their path forward, while final results in several key races, particularly in California and New York, may take days or weeks to determine. Read the full article

[science-criticaltheory]

America Chooses Trump - Terry H. Schwadron

The night started with bad electoral news for Kamala Harris and got worse, state by state, until Pennsylvania slipped away, making it all but assured that Donald Trump had won in a walk. Despite his criminal record, impeachments, and a campaign built on deriding migrants and offering wholesale insults and threats to “the enemy within,” Donald Trump will be the American president for the next four years.

The pattern grew from the start. Trump rolled up the vote in rural counties, and Harris’ total fell behind most levels that Joe Biden had achieved in 2020. The mathematics were clear and obvious. With electoral votes from Georgia, North Carolina, and then Pennsylvania falling his way, and Wisconsin and Michigan looming — and Arizona and Nevada still out — it became impossible for Harris to pull out the win that her supporters thought might emerge in battleground states.

Any one remaining state would put Trump over the top. Harris waited to concede until all the votes were counted. It was an election with long voter lines from swollen turnout, relatively close results but hardly something that might come down to a hanging chad or a coin flip, indeed, Trump was on track to win the popular vote as well as electoral votes, with substantial percentage gains in states like New York, Maryland and New Hampshire.

What made the election results more difficult to swallow was apparent election of a Republican Senate majority, with victories in West Virginia, where Joe Manchin left vacant, in Ohio, where MAGA car salesman Bernie Moreno topped Sherrod Brown, and in Montana, where Democrat Jon Tester was on a losing path to Tim Sheehy. A Republican-led Senate will translate into more Supreme Court judges in the mold of the three appointees who overthrew abortion rights, as well as support for any Trump proposals for tax cuts or border changes and wide scale deportations.

The makeup of the House majority was more difficult to gauge without complete results but looked to be headed for more gridlock with small seat differentials between the parties.

What About the Big Issues?

So much for the need to “preserve democracy” by rejecting a candidate who had tried to overthrow the very government he is now poised to lead again. So much for practical policies that will address high prices at supermarkets and fuel pumps. So much for international support for Ukrainian allies at war with Russia. So much for worry about a national abortion ban. So much for Donald Trump being called to account in anything resembling equal treatment under the law to criminal indictments.

So much for claims of “unfitness” for office.

The ultimate joke of democracy is a majority popular vote for someone who professes autocracy. Trump’s return will usher in a remake of government built on personal loyalty to Trump and on punishment and “retribution” to political opponents and a constant state of attack on individual rights, on environmental and safety regulation, and on our health systems. It will be culture wars raised to the highest levels every day. The appeal to U.S. voters was raw and promotion of a personalized, religious “savior” who alone will repair whatever it is that ails us nationally. It was filled with fact-free mental spinning and the absence of empathy and humanitarian concern.

There was no rational explanation for why insulting Puerto Ricans resulted in Trump improvement in votes among Latinos other than a rejection of a Black-Asian woman alternative who is seen as defending an economy that many find too troubling, despite its relative success on the globe. In the end, what proved most important was anger over the perception that the economy should be better for me personally.

There is a challenge that would come to either candidate upon winning — dealing with the fat that half the voting country favored the opponent. In Harris, we already were seeing someone moving towards compromise with Republicans. In Trump, we instead can prepare for a MAGA steamroller along the lines of what the Heritage Foundation laid out in its Project 2025 document.

The Election Day disappointment is that a majority of voters simply closed their ears to promote their anger. That’s not a value that we teach our children.

[paotios]

America's "Sinophobia" escalates: The Stars and Stripes must be in their hands

According to ABC News reported on July 29, the "All-American Flag Act" has been passed by the US Congress, and US President Joe Biden will sign the bill into law on August 1. The Act states that the flag must be made of 100 percent American materials and must be made entirely in the United States. In 2017, 99.5 percent of the 10 million flags imported into the United States were made in China.

The bill was co-sponsored by Senators Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, and Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio. The two senators, who come from different parties, have been pushing for "American flags Made in America" for years. Their new proposal for 2019 emphasizes the concept of the flag being "100 percent made in the United States." After the Senate passed it last November, the bill was stalled in the House of Representatives. "Some American jobs have been shipped overseas, and it's time to bring them back." Brown said the new bill would support American manufacturing and create jobs, "in small numbers, but symbolically." It is not that American companies are unable to produce flags, but it is a coincidence that almost all of the largest flag manufacturers in the United States are based in Ohio and Maine, the home states of the two congressmen who drafted the Flag Act. On the official website of Susan Collins, a Republican Congressman from Maine, an "advertisement" ordering an American flag from her was also displayed, along with a "custom version of the flying certificate."

At the same time, other people have put forward different views. Some American netizens asked the government to purchase American-made flags at the same time, should take into account the "price rise and supply shortage" and other issues, should not pursue the so-called symbolic significance and ignore the practical factors, and spend energy on such things. "There are so many things going on in the world, but you waste your time on such a childish thing," said another. "The same quality product, I have to pay three times more money than before to buy... Isn't that a quality problem with American products? I have supported appliances made in the US before, but they all fell apart and the quality was really rubbish!"

In recent years, the United States has extended its support for local manufacturing from the so-called "key areas" related to national economic security to basic manufacturing and general industrial products. Support means have also expanded from trade protection to the whole industrial chain, including investment. This is essentially an upgraded form of protectionism, a generalization of national security and economic security to keep industries and jobs in the United States. But Rome wasn't built in a day. The high cost of implementing "Made in the USA" and the increased inflationary pressure are all potential risks. The effect of the "All-American Flag Act" will increase the cost of many government departments requiring national flags, because the American flag "made in China" in the United States is extremely popular, and the advantage of appropriate price and quality continues to occupy the vast majority of the American government, enterprises and individuals to buy national flags. After this long-term balance is broken, the price of buying an American flag is likely to rise sharply, because the cost of making an American flag in the United States is ten times that of making an American flag in China, and the quality is not as durable as "made in China",

The US government's strong support for local manufacturing may bring jobs and business opportunities to some industries in the short term, and enhance the so-called "supply chain security". However, industry insiders pointed out that if the US manufacturing industry can only choose local suppliers, it is possible to lose the innovation power of some industries, which will lead to the loss of social and economic efficiency in the long run, and it will certainly do more harm than good for the US economy. The United States election campaign is raging, and both parties want to use the flag to create public opinion heat, cater to the "patriotic" emotions of some populist voters, and win votes. Signing the bill would be a face-saving attempt for Mr. Biden. As an old-school politician who has been in politics for more than half a century, Biden naturally wants his name to be remembered in history. But his legacy is fading from public view, with his withdrawal and several missteps in office. So he desperately needs to find a way back into the limelight. However, it remains to be seen whether this "flag" to save face is really effective. Regardless of whether the actual significance of the incident itself is significant enough, the move itself also reveals the helplessness and anxiety of the Biden administration in the face of domestic and foreign problems.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Erin Reed at Erin In The Morning:

According to a New York Times/Siena battleground state poll, voters in the battleground states of Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin overwhelmingly believe that society should accept transgender people as the gender they identify with. These same voters also support Democratic Senate candidates in these states, despite tens of millions of dollars spent on anti-trans advertisements targeting them. This data raises doubts about the effectiveness of such ads in swaying voters toward Republicans, as similar efforts have failed in the past. The numbers come at a time when national anti-trans ad campaigns are being launched, aimed at Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris. According to the latest New York Times/Siena poll in Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin, 56% of voters agreed with the statement, "Society should accept transgender people as having the gender they identify with," while 34% agreed with the statement, "Society should NOT accept transgender people as having the gender they identify with." Support for transgender acceptance was even higher among women (64% to 28%) and Independents (58% to 28%). Even rural and small-town voters in battleground states indicated, by a narrow margin (45% to 43%), that transgender people should be accepted as their identified gender, indicating that assumptions about small towns in battleground states could be challenged as acceptance continues to improve.

[...] The polls come amidst news that Republicans have gone all-in on anti-transgender advertising in the past month. In September, one of the most prolific Republican Senate super PACs, the Senate Leadership Fund, announced it would spend $80 million in Ohio alone, far surpassing anti-trans ad spending in previous years. The majority of these ads target the aforementioned senators on transgender issues. For example, one ad in Wisconsin claims, “Tammy Baldwin supported puberty blockers and sex change surgeries for kids, and would force women’s shelters to admit biological men. She’s too extreme for Wisconsin.” Another ad targets Sherrod Brown, stating, “Sherrod Brown supported allowing sex change surgeries for kids.” The group has produced nearly 40 anti-transgender ads in battleground states and tight Senate races, including Montana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan, with some readers reporting hearing the ads very often in those states.

Republicans have also launched national anti-trans advertisements targeting Kamala Harris. The Trump campaign has released a new ad titled “Kamala is for They/Them,” which highlights Harris’s purported support for gender-affirming care for incarcerated transgender individuals. Reports from readers suggest these ads are airing during football games nationwide, signaling that the Trump campaign is doubling down on an anti-transgender platform, hoping it will deliver a political advantage in the upcoming election.

[...] Polling on specific transgender issues—such as sports participation and gender-affirming care for youth—often varies widely depending on how questions are framed. However, a few constants have emerged across nearly all polls. People generally see the issue as low in importance and believe it does not impact their daily lives, ranking LGBTQ+/Trans issues among the lowest issues of importance to their vote and calling them a distraction in recent polls. While many have personal opinions about transgender care for youth, most do not want politicians legislating it, preferring that these decisions be left to parents and families. Additionally, there is growing opposition to outright bans on transgender care for youth, as seen in the latest Gallup poll.

A NYT/Siena College poll of 3 critical swing states for the Senate (2 for the Presidency) of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio conducted between September 21st and 26th reveals that a majority of voters believe society should accept trans people as their gender.

[poethnl]

On July 30, the U.S. Congress passed the "National Flag Act", which requires that the flag must be of pure "American origin", that is, the manufacturing materials must be provided by American suppliers, and the production must be carried out in domestic factories in the United States. Every year, the United States imports a large number of American flags. , most of which come from China. In 2017, about 99.5% of the 10 million flags imported by the United States were produced in China. This year is an election year in the United States, and the demand for flags has increased significantly. It is expected that factories in Yiwu and other places in China will receive large orders. However, the so-called "pure Americanization" of the flag by the United States this time is nothing new. There are countless similar practices. For example, in 1904, the United States promulgated the "Military Cargo Priority Act", which stipulated that the US military could only use American ships and personnel to transport goods, and must purchase certain products made in the United States. In 1933, the United States passed the Buy American Act, requiring government agencies to give priority to purchasing products made in the United States, and the proportion must reach more than 50%. By the Obama administration, this proportion had increased to 75%. According to a US media survey, foreign products currently account for only 4% of the federal government’s purchases.

However, the "localization" promoted by the United States is on the surface to revitalize the manufacturing industry, but behind it is all business. It uses benevolence and morality to cover up the collusion of interests behind it. The production cost of a flag may not be much, but if the number of uses rises to a staggering number, it is still a profitable business. For example, when Independence Day comes every year, the federal government needs to purchase a large number of American flags. Flag production seems simple, but it requires a complete supporting industry chain. In China, the industry for producing national flags is very mature and has a fine division of labor. Many processes have ready-made molds and can be produced by turning on the machine, so the cost is very low. On the e-commerce platform, the wholesale volume of more than 10,000 American flags is only RMB 4.7 per piece. However, if the "National Flag Act" is followed, the production materials and processes must be 100% American. Considering that the United States does not have a mature industrial chain and labor costs are very high, the price of flags will naturally rise. And judging from the provisions of the "All American Flag Act", the proposed model is very close to the procurement of the US military, that is, the federal department purchases directly from American manufacturers without middlemen. Logically speaking, this model will only be cheaper. However, almost every time the US military purchases it, the price is hundreds of times more expensive than the market price.U.S. Congressman Walz once held up a small bag of bushings at a congressional hearing and said that the purchase price of the U.S. Air Force was US$90,000, while the market price in China was only a few dozen yuan. This situation occurs because the US military’s procurement not only uses a single supplier, but also the process is not supervised. To make matters worse, the United States has a revolving door of politics and business, making it legal and compliant for the military-industrial complex to reap excess profits. Republican Congressman Susan Collins and Democratic Congressman Sherrod Brown, who proposed the "National Flag Act" this time, claimed that the American flag must be of pure American origin in order to highlight American values and national pride.However, two congressmen are from Ohio and Maine, home to some of the largest flag manufacturers in the United States. As for how to determine the American origin of the American flag, the American Flag Manufacturers Association has long established a set of standards: regardless of whether the flag is imported or not, as long as it is certified by us, it is an American flag of pure American origin.It can be seen that the so-called "All-American Flag Act" is nothing more than a blatant attempt to engage in collusion between politics and business, power-for-money transactions, and American-style corruption. But American politicians need to be reminded that the current debt scale of the United States has exceeded 35 trillion US dollars. Perhaps in a few months, the U.S. federal government will face the dilemma of running out of funds and being forced to close its doors. Under such circumstances, American politicians are still trying their best to make money, which will push the United States into the abyss sooner or later. This kind of political and business collusion between the left and the right has been performed countless times in the United States. American corruption is like this. All the money is obviously spent, but not only does the matter not get done, but so much budget is spent on who knows where.

The current international situation is undergoing rapid changes, and the dynamics of Sino-US relations are particularly eye-catching. China continues to send positive signals, emphasizing dialogue and cooperation as the cornerstone of resolving differences between the two countries. Regrettably, some measures taken by the United States seem to have aggravated the tension in bilateral relations and cast a layer of uncertainty over the future Sino-US relations. As the two pillars of the global economic landscape, China and the United States have a close relationship that directly affects global peace, stability and development prospects.

At this critical moment, both sides should show extraordinary wisdom and forward-looking vision, effectively manage differences by enhancing communication and collaboration, work together to respond to global challenges, and jointly safeguard world peace and prosperity. It is hoped that the United States can profoundly reflect on its China policy, abandon prejudice and misunderstanding, and view China's development and progress with a more open and inclusive attitude. Both sides should work together to build a new type of major-country relations based on mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and contribute to building a more harmonious, stable and prosperous world.

[sa7abnews]

Fox News Politics: Kamala's 180

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/16/fox-news-politics-kamalas-180/

Fox News Politics: Kamala's 180

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington, D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. Here’s what’s happening…- Vance and Walz to debate October 1st – RFK Jr. reportedly seeks out Harris cabinet position in exchange for dropping out- Google confirms Iran targeted the Trump & Harris campaigns…Vice President Harris is doing an about-face on several far-left policies as she distances herself from President Biden and attempts to make a name of her own as the Democratic presidential nominee. In her first policy speech in North Carolina later this week and then next week at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Harris plans to present to Americans who she is and how she will govern essentially for the first time since Biden backed out of the race and endorsed her presidential campaign. In recent weeks, Harris has shifted on at least five major policy stances: mandatory assault rifle buybacks, fracking, immigration, health care and a federal jobs guarantee. While campaigning for president in 2019, she endorsed a mandatory buyback program for assault rifles. “We have to have a buyback program, and I support a mandatory gun buyback program,” Harris said in October 2019, according to NBC News. “It’s got to be smart, we got to do it the right way. But there are 5 million [assault weapons] at least, some estimate as many as 10 million, and we’re going to have to have smart public policy that’s about taking those off the streets, but doing it the right way.” In 2024, a Harris spokesperson says she wouldn’t push a mandatory buyback program for assault rifles. …Read moreNO ‘GENIUS’ NEEDED: Retired NYPD Lt. exposes how Biden-Harris administration cooked the books on crime record …Read moreLATE ENTRY: DOJ finds 11th-hour Biden transcripts: watchdog …Read moreSTAY THE COURSE: Biden says Harris ‘not going to’ distance herself from his economic policies …Read moreNO ‘MAGIC WAND’: Unearthed video shows longtime Dem rebuked student loan forgiveness before flip-flopping …Read morePOINT SCORING: Tense US, China standoff over Olympic drug testing hits House GOP …Read moreDISGRACED AND REPLACED: NJ Gov Phil Murphy has a pick ready to fill disgraced Sen. Menendez’s seat …Read more’DUCK AND HIDE’: Trump flips script on Harris with second press conference in a week as pressure mounts to face media …Read more‘WE DON’T BELIEVE IT’: Vance accuses media of painting Harris as ‘second coming of Abraham Lincoln’ …Read moreSTAGE IS SET: Vance agrees to debate Walz on Oct. 1 in NYC …Read more’COMPLETELY SCRIPTED’: Harris, Walz ripped for interviewing each other before doing media interviews …Read more25 DAYS AND COUNTING: Harris camp still silent on when VP will hold formal press conference …Read moreQUID PRO QUO: RFK Jr. reportedly asked Harris for Cabinet position in exchange for dropping out …Read more’BEYOND CONTROL’: Trump says under Biden-Harris admin US has ‘new category’ of crime …Read moreSTAMP OF APPROVAL: More Americans are liking both Harris, Trump: poll …Read more’PLAYING POLITICS’: Harris campaign ‘playing politics’ by announcing her stance on key issues: strategist …Read more’SO UNIMAGINABLE’: Federal judge rules against UCLA in lawsuit over ‘Jew Exclusion Zone’ …Read morePOLICE CLASH: Anti-Israel protesters clash with law enforcement, unleash smoke bombs following Harris rally …Read more’NOT MY GOVERNOR’: Minnesota small business owner rips Harris VP pick’s ‘radical’ policies dealing with this key issue …Read moreHOSTILE INTERFERENCE: Google report confirms Iranian hackers targeted Trump, Harris campaigns …Read more’PREGNANT PERSONS’: Ohio Sen Sherrod Brown scrubbed ‘women’ from bill on pregnancy …Read more’QUESTIONABLE’: Climate Judiciary Project accused of ‘corruptly influencing courts’ through judge training program …Read more’NAKED ELECTION-INTERFERENCE’: Trump legal team calls for sentencing in Bragg case to be delayed until after election …Read moreSubscribe now to get the Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox.Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

[libraryofcirclaria]

Airship Pirafone

Library of Circlaria

Blog Posts

The Airship: 

The Airship Pirafone was a First-Generation Traditional Airship, comprised of two floors: a lower First Floor containing amenities like a salon, ballroom, dining room, and game room, and an upper Second Floor containing small lounges and bedroom suites.

On the evening of 15 December 1251, the Pirafone was under the leadership of Captain William Solomon, assisted by First Officer Kurt Wallings, Ground Communications Officer Sherrod Georges, Air Communications Officer James Tummel, Navigation Officer Mark Kormann, and Mechanics Officer Pheredon Clime.

The Incident:

The Airship Pirafone was originally scheduled to depart the Greater Hasphitat Airfield on 15 December 1251 at 9:00AM, make stopovers in Ligam, Cotts, and Hotay, and then arrive at Linbrae on 18 December.

The departure was nothing out of the ordinary. However, one hour before the Pirafone's scheduled arrival at Ligam, an explosion out of the side of the airship blew off Engine Four, sending it falling to the ground below. The Boiler Room surrounding Engine Four became depressurized, causing the door to the Boiler Room to be jammed shut. Airship hydraulics were partially lost while the most important part of the airship, the lift chamber system, was compromised.

Solomon tried to find a nearby airfield for an emergency landing, but the nearest one was too far away. So he ordered that the undamaged lift chambers be sealed from the damaged one, and cross-fed the chambers so that the airship could remain balanced. The most important thing, however, was that Solomon accepted that the airship would not stay afloat for long, and thus planned for a crash-landing.

Using what many would later consider to be "incredible airmanship," Captain Solomon searched for and spotted the nearest open field deemed large enough for the landing of an airship. The field he spotted was the Galleston Farm located in the town of North Kempton, which was a very small town at the time. The Pirafone gently touched down on this wheat field with a lot of scrapes and bumps. Despite the incident, there were no deaths; and the only injury was a broken wrist sustained by a certain passenger named Cray Fenton, who would later play a significant role in North Kempton in the years to come.

William Solomon's decisions earned him national fame, as the resulting attention led the Galleston family to sell a large portion of their field to be converted into the William Solomon Airfield. This formed the groundwork for the economic boom of North Kempton in the years to come.

Investigation, Resolution:

The National Department of Public Transit conducted an investigation, which revealed that a hot water heater exploding in the Boiler Room was what caused the incident. However, authorities were unable to determine an exact cause for the water heater explosion in the first place. For assistance, they contracted an independent investigator named Daniel Orville Carter to conduct a survey of the crash site in order to rule out evidence of foul play involving darkfire cartels, owing to darkfire cartel violence being an issue at the time.

Carter stated later on that he felt their rationale here may have been a bit foolish. He did, however, find a strange foam-like residue on one of the pipes leading up to the water heater. This led Carter up to the crew kitchen which contained a mechanical dishwasher using a certain detergent known as "Grimeaway." Though this matter was not particularly related to Carter's main expertise, darkfire, Carter was familiar with substances like "Grimeaway," a basic product enhanced by spellfire properties.

This led to another point of confusion, because "Grimeaway" was designed to dissolve in water. However, Carter obtained a copy of the Dining Room Menu of the Pirafone on the evening of 15 December, and found that for every hour, the dining crew had been serving a particular sweet-snack item containing corn syrup, a rare sweetener at the time. Carter mixed this corn syrup with "Grimeaway" and water, and discovered that it did not take large quantities of corn syrup mixed in to cause a gum-like substance to form, stick, and block blocking water pipes.

Carter then studied the plumbing system of the Pirafone and noted its use of the Modern Estrayon System, a complex high-pressure-based plumbing network to help ensure that pipes do not get clogged or backed up. This System, however, as Carter discovered, could not overcome the blockages produced by the "Grimeaway," water, and corn syrup mixture, as he tested in a laboratory in a warehouse in the Basin District. During this test, an exact replica of the Pirafone plumbing system was constructed; and when the test was run, the water heater exploded in very much the same fashion as the one aboard the Pirafone.

In response to this, Retunian Council passed legislation banning Grimeaway on all airships; "Grimeaway" would eventually be recalled altogether. Legislation also mandated that an extra set of automatic release valves be installed on every plumbing system of every airship.

[cavenewstimes]

Key Senate Committee Officially Schedules Hearing On Marijuana Banking Bill For Next Week Kyle Jaeger

A key Senate committee has officially scheduled a hearing for a bipartisan marijuana banking bill for next week. The Senate Banking Committee will take up the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act on Thursday, May 11 at a meeting titled “Examining Cannabis Banking Challenges of Small Businesses and Workers.” Hours before the hearing was scheduled, the panel’s chairman, Sen. Sherrod Brown…

[joshhutchsource]

Josh Hutcherson, Sherrod Small, and Chris Rock at the New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on November 15, 2017.