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Fine Art Comics of Canada: Sixties to Seventies - Heart of London, Snore & More by Robert Dayton

Part Two: Scraptures, Snore, and more

The Canadian comic book history book Invaders From the North by archivist John Bell writes “However the first comic book of the period, Scraptures, originated not with the underground press, but rather, Toronto’s literary avant-garde.” Scraptures was by legendary innovative poet bpNichol. Admittedly, writing about this national treasure is a daunting task. If I am so much as a smidge off, people will be on me. bpNichol expanded the boundaries of poetry going into sound poetry, concrete poetry, early computer text, and beyond. Concrete poetry was very concerned with typography and the layout of words and letters on the page, utilizing design and the spaces between the words and the page, even sliding off into other disciplines. Working in sound poetry, bpNichol was part of the collaborative group The Four Horsemen who performed and released a few rare recordings.

Besides being an editor at Coach House Press, the prolific bpNichol co-founded Ganglia Press which published the long-running literary journal grOnk. It ran for 126 issues in a variety of formats, including cassettes, and used various technologies including mimeographs and rubber stamps. It was in grOnk, a publication often mailed out free of charge, that bpNichol released some of his Scraptures.

These Scraptures would turn up in various places besides grOnk and they weren’t always in comics form, the first one that appeared in the lit mag Alphabet in 1966 seems to be concrete poetry. The third one (or ‘sequence’ as he called it) featured spare typewritten text and granite looking shapes, the fifth sequence was a sound poem on a record released by Coach House Press. Later sequences, though, oh my! The eleventh sequence from grOnk 8: August 1967 depicts a frog-like character with his arm in a second panel; characters use panels as an almost peek-a-boo, turning them into a jungle gym as they stretch and contort, speech balloons containing letters from a classic typeset font. bpNichol also released a cartoon study of the frog from Scraptures: ninth sequence, appropriately printed in green ink. One issue of grOnk from 1969 called Pope Leo: El Elope, a tragedy in four letters was written by poet John Riddell with various configurations of those letters typed out, with “puerile drawings” by bp Nichol. This comic book narrative shows Pop Elo assassinating Pope Leo with a knife.

Various issues of grOnk would feature his super-hero Captain Poetry, a fusing of two of his loves, but with the head of a chicken. Captain Poetry would appear on the cover of the concrete poetry anthology The Cosmic Chef, holding up a mound of granite. Turn the page, he has collapsed under its weight.

bpNichol’s first issue of Greaseball Comics came out as series 8 of grOnk in 1970. Blank eyed characters seemingly rendered in felt marker make statements like, “all that is insubstantial and cursed by GOD who divided out tongues!!” ending with a character trapped in a comic panel floating away in multiples. Issue two came two years later, crudely stapled together on long horizontal sheets, replicating the newspaper strip format, this issue featured “Milt the Morph as Lonely Fred.” Morph is an apt name, everything feels free-wheeling and fluid in his comics. Quickly drawn and only four pages yet with immense depth, the letter H floats by (an important letter highlighted often in his oeuvre, the collection An H In The Heart has a poem where he explains that his H obsession may have begun with The Harvey Comics logo and slogan “look for the big H!”) as a bearded character devolves into a single line gently spiraling around the page. There was also the more text-based Grease Ball (note the slight title differentiation from Greaseball Comics) from 1972 with a cover image by Chester Gould of someone being choked, most likely a panel from Dick Tracy and probably used without Gould’s knowledge. This issue reads like a comics fanzine with Nichol getting into the works of Spain, Crumb, Harold Gray, and the violence in Gould’s comics.

In a grOnk mailout he promised another issue of Greaseball Comics featuring “THE TRUE TALE OF TOMMY THE TURK.” Did it ever materialise? In that same mailout he devoted a paragraph to important Canadian comic archivist Captain George’s comic fanzine Captain George Presents, making note of the E.C. Segar Thimble Theater and Frazetta issues. Some issues of grOnk were devoted to being massive full-scale reproductions of Winsor McCay’s gorgeous comics, including Little Nemo and Terror Of The Tiny Tads, printed using Coach House’s own printing press and other tools.

Milt The Morph appears in many of bpNichols’ Allegories which function as single-panel conceptual comics (or, if the word ‘comics’ causes you dismay, visual poems). Poet Donato Mancini describes it as bpNichol’s finest comic work and what he thinks of as being some of his best work overall. Though they may appear crudely drawn, they are quite complex.

Andromeda was a black and white science-fiction comic book magazine published by Silver Snail, which today exists as a much more mainstream Toronto comic shop, that bpNichol would regularly contribute his own writing to along with adapting short stories to the comic book medium. Walter M. Miller’s “The Big Hunger” about space colonization, religion, and longing was adapted in Andromeda issue 5 with art by Tony Meers rendered in a realistic style with monochromatic ink washes. bpNichol’s own “The Bellergon Version”, drawn by Tom Nesbitt in a slightly more cartoony style, uses the fairy tale influences of The Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson. Mike Borkent’s chapter Post/Avant Comics in the book Avant Canada, notes that Comic Book Confidential by Ron Mann, a comic book documentary with a focus on underground and alternative comics, is dedicated to bpNichol for helping make the movie happen.

A 320-page collection of bpNichol’s comics was released in the 2000’s by Talon. This collection’s reproductions occasionally cause me to wonder if I need bifocals. Paul Dutton, Nichol’s sound poet cohort in The Four Horseman, wrote a scathing review of the book for Books In Canada stating that they focused too much on scraps, works barely in progress and abandoned, and juvenilia; that there wasn’t material like the hard-to-find Fictive Funnies, Nichol’s comic collaboration with grOnk co-editor and poet Steve McCaffery as well as noting that the “brilliant and sophisticated” Allegories being out-of-print “…is enough to make some of us gnash our teeth.” It certainly isn’t the best introduction to this aspect of bpNichol’s work. For that it would be better to go on a quest to seek out the Allegories printed in love: a book of remembrances, also published by Talon, way back in 1974. As well as An H in the Heart: a reader (McLelland & Stewart), a dense collection put together by poet George Bowering and Michael Ondaatje in 1994 which does contain a couple of the Fictive Funnies, including one where the main character falls through a comic book panel or “…a hole in the narrative sequence...”

In the introduction Bowering wanted the collection to show as much of bpNichol’s range as possible, bemoaning the fact that he couldn’t include the work that didn’t adhere to the printed page. bpNichol wanted to convey (not capture -convey) as much of the world as possible (no, it didn’t all work but hey, it’s a risk) in his short life. One comic selected for the book asks, “What is Can Lit?” as a figure wades through a myriad of overlaid panels with the names of authors Gerry Gilbert, Sheila Watson, James Reaney, and Margaret Avison appearing. In the final panel he answers, “It’s just a question of survival.” This collection contains the playful fumetti comic NARY*A*TIFF featuring photos by Marilyn Westlake of bpNichol and Steve McCaffery with hand lettered word balloons in a bookstore arguing over semiotics and philosophy to the point of physical violence, jokes about government grants and the Western Front are included.

In 2002, some of bpNichol’s comic work was shown at Owen’s Art Gallery in Sackville with cartoonist Marc Bell delivering the opening remarks. bpNichol was a big influence on Jason Mclean’s text zines and Jason was honoured to be included in a group show with bpNichol’s work at The Vancouver Art Gallery. Further, Greg Curnoe’s collection of bpNichol art and poetry booklets were given to Jason by Sheila Curnoe.

bpNichols’ comics fit in quite easily with the rest of his enormous and diverse body of work, only becoming anomalous when compared with the works of other artists. Many of these comics are freely available on his archive bpnichol.ca, funded and run by his estate, Coach House, and Intelligent Machines. Website curator Gregory Betts sees comics as a central aspect of bpNichols’ creative writing noting that his “…concrete poems start as typewriter works (ideopomes he called them), but then become increasingly hand drawn. If you look at a book like Love: A Book of Remembrances (where his Allegories series lives) you see that drawing is major part of his writing. The comics and the concrete become indivisible at a certain point, or at least become manifestations of the same sense of play that he brought to letters, lines, words, and form. His work on cartoon and puppet TV shows (Fraggle Rock, The Raccoons, etc.) all starts to connect, too, rather than just standing as one-offs for money.”

A ‘lost’ sequence of Scraptures (#13) appeared in Snore Comix #2, a comic book anthology released by Coach House in Toronto. In this sequence bpNichol’s interlocking panels grow more and more elaborate with one character crawling its way through the gutters. In another segment, negative space cartoon figures dissolve a dense block of the repeated typeset word ‘lost.’

There were a few contributors to this little red book, perhaps even children. Snore Comix is definitely an art comic. It is so arcane, the reader is given little info, not even the issue number. Issue two’s cover shows two stamped hands pointing fingers at each other: these hands would frequently show up in other issues. The first issue of Snore Comix is from the previous year, 1969, and I am unsure who the contributors for this issue even were, to be honest. A total mystery. Three issues of Snore Comix were released in total.

The Centre For Canadian Contemporary Art website notes that the first two issues of Snore Comix were edited by Jerry Ofo. He was a frequent collaborator of bpNichol’s, having designed the covers to volumes one and two of Nichol’s life-long poem The Martyrology, released by Coach House Press. With issue 3, Michael Tims aka AA Bronson of General Idea took over. Entitled “Bright Things” it featured a ridiculously bright, fake lofty, monarchical-themed cover. This issue channels closely with correspondence art, a movement that Bronson was quite active in.

Many mail artists contributed to this issue of Snore, including Dr. Brute who contributed an enigmatic self-portrait in a leopard print frame. The mail art movement of the 1960’s and 70’s really connected people from all across Canada, normally a large land mass of isolated pockets where East and West rarely meet. A lot of the mail art that was sent definitely had a cartoony element, stemming from the works of the original Master of mail art, Ray Johnson. Artist collective General Idea’s FILE Magazine started as listings for these mail artists to connect, but once FILE became more archly immersed in Glamour and “the global downtown”, Anna Banana took the baton with VILE Magazine. Image Bank in Vancouver (co-founded by Vincent Trasov, Gary Lee-Nova, and Michael Morris, there is an incredible Image Bank exhibit at The Belkin Gallery, Vancouver, running from June 18th to August 22nd, 2021) was literally about exchanging ideas and images through the postal system with artists’ image request lists printed in earlier issues of FILE. These mail artists often went into deep persona embodying names that became signifiers. Anna Banana held a Bananalympics featuring all things banana; Vincent Trasov aka Mr. Peanut dressed as the mascot and ran for Mayor of Vancouver in 1974 garnering over 1,000 votes; Dr. Brute and Lady Brute wore leopard spots and distributed leopard spots through the mail art network. These mail artists from across the nation eventually all converged at the 1974 Hollywood DeccaDance, a mail art awards show done up as an Academy Awards spoof at a glorious Elks Hall in Los Angeles.

Dr. Brute aka Eric Metcalfe went to UVIC in the 1960’s where one of his profs was a part of the Bay area underground comix movement (alas, dear readers, I was unable to get the Prof’s name from him, it’s this Pandemic, I can’t even see the complete collection of Snore Comix alas alas alas). At that time Eric was doing his own Dr. Brute comix featuring much crime and fetishism. With these comix, the panels voyeuristically crop the figures, extreme close-ups of faces, hints of lingerie, odd limbless doctors. Eventually Eric started performing as the persona of Dr. Brute. Along with a few other artists, Metcalfe was a co-founder of The Western Front artist-run centre in Vancouver. For a time, important video artist Kate Craig was Lady Brute and their leopard spots became a part of their performances and installations. Like a virus, these leopard spots were turning the world into Brutopia, being painted on to such places as The Vancouver Art Gallery. When Metcalfe made seminal early video art, his drawings were seamlessly incorporated into his videos such as Sax Island, either as stills or even as settings for the live-action characters. These videos currently reside in the MOMA and NAT gallery collections. As my instructor and mentor at Emily Carr Art College in the Nineties, Metcalfe really believed in interdisciplinary practice and collaboration. For one of my comic zines Bunyon, he encouraged the class to collaborate on a page and even drew a panel himself. My seemingly disparate influences were encouraged in his class.

Other contributors to issue 3 of Snore Comix included Greg Curnoe (who mailed a signed copy with his address on the front to Hairy Who member Art Green), Art Rat aka Gary Lee Nova, Box Arnold aka Bob Arnold, and Ace Space aka Dana Atchley. With a lack of attribution to each piece, it can be tough to parse exactly who did what in Snore, but a few pages feature shark fins swimming around waves of water. This is most probably a reference to The New York Corres Sponge Dance School Of Vancouver (a reference to Ray Johnson’s mail art New York Correspondence school). Formed by Glenn Lewis (aka Flakey Rose Hips who previously did one of the first, if not the first, performance art pieces in Vancouver), these particular mail artists, many of whom would come to form artist-run centre The Western Front, met every week at The Vancouver Aquatic Centre to do synchronized swimming.[1] Humourously, they donned shark-fin bathing caps created by Kate Craig, thus adding an element of playful danger. These caps were later worn by the tuxedo clad male chorus at The Hollywood Decca Dance.

from Snore Comix #3

A few pages feature cardboard boxes talking about art. These were a collaborative effort between Art Rat and Box Arnold, who would do performances in Vancouver using cardboard boxes, sometimes with a cardboard box covering his head. At that time, Art Rat aka Gary Lee-Nova was in regular contact with Coach House founder Stan Bevington with Bevington having printed postcards out of Lee-Nova’s collages.

from Snore Comix #3

When Gary Lee-Nova was invited to be a guest artist/artist-in-residence at The University of Minnesota he brought his colleague artist Bob Arnold along to help with the film and lighting tech. One night, they were smoking a lot of pot and sipping bourbon. Bob asked Gary a lot of questions, including, “What do you think of when you think of America?” Gary replied, “Peanut butter.” Lee-Nova elaborates, “It went on like that. And Bob was doing drawings of just funny things that were in his head, I guess and then I decided to do some drawings of his questions, my answers. And because we're dealing with corrugated cardboard as a way to create quick, easy, inexpensive movie sets. We had some opportunities to draw about cardboard, just silly things. I might have put the drawings and sketches we made in a folder and brought them home and it’s anybody's guess how they ended up at Coach House. I mean, I think I was smoking pot all day every day for most of five years. I quit when I decided to get married and that was ‘72 or ‘73. But all through the late 60’s and into the 70’s we were just constantly bombed.” I asked Gary, “You have no idea how they got into Snore?” and he replied, “I have no idea how they got into Snore.” Furthermore, “I got a copy. It’s just so twisted.”

But why the name Art Rat? “When the correspondence thing, the mail art thing happened. I didn't want to put my Gary Lee-Nova identity out into that. So, I just came up with Art Rat. I'd already experienced enough of the art world to see the impacts that institutionalism was having on the communities. And I was starting to feel like a rat in the corporate maze. And I thought, ‘Wow, a rat -that’s an anagram of art and tar, hmmm what can I do with that?’ So, I made a signature out of it- a rubber stamp signature.”

This persona fit in well with the correspondence art world. “It was just the way that period played out. People were experimenting with identity and exploring identity, realising in some cases that artists really have no identity at all. But they can manufacture identities at will and then drop them at will. So, for me, that's what that was all about.”

Besides contributing to Snore under his Art Rat persona, another of the many parts of artist Gary Lee-Nova’s practice for decades has been making work inspired by Ernie Bushmiller’s Nancy comic strip. Both Marshall Mcluhan and William S. Burroughs inspired Lee-Nova deeply, going so far as calling them father figures, he had even corresponded with Burroughs. With the Nancy strip, Gary Lee-Nova used the cut-up technique that Burroughs mastered, a technique previously used by The Dadaists as a party game. “But with Mr. Burroughs it was no game. He was really serious.”

Uncanny Nancy by Gary Lee-Nova, courtesy of the artist

Gary started collecting Nancy strips since the 60’s but it was after being the victim of a car accident in the late 70’s that he used the time to start work on the cut-ups. He elaborates on this escape from the painful after-effects of the accident, “…I was quite content just to sit with comic strip panels and scissors and glue and explore the structure of Bushmiller's realm at that paradigmatic and syntagmatic level where things come together on a horizontal axis, the syntagmatic. And the paradigmatic is on the vertical axis… I was experiencing, like in my face, the linguistic concept of what we call discursive language, speech and dialogue.” Discursive? “Discursive: discourse, conversation. And in linguistics, they give that a special name. It's called syntagm. And the other polarity -it is binary, but it describes two different realms. The other one is, is where all the signifiers are, when we're not using them. Obviously, they're in memory somewhere, and they're organised in terms of things that mean the same, like, education and learning. And things that sound the same, like when I got to Italy, I was able to roam Rome. Things sounding the same, homophones. That's also known as the paradigmatic in contrast with the syntagmatic. In other words, the linear and the mosaic. I was looking at the cut-ups of the Bushmiller panels and finding syntagmatic links that were coming out of various paradigmatic conditions. If I found anything that could be read, even if it was just silly, I acknowledged that this syntagmatic thing was real. And so was the paradigmatic. I just explored it on those terms: linguistics. Charles Schultz had a comic strip about little kids. Bushmiller had a comic strip about comic strips.”

Nancy as a character feels like an icon, a symbol. Even using this cut-up technique, Lee-Nova’s series called “Uncanny Old Gags” -an anagram of “Nancy And Sluggo”- it still seems to get to the punchline. Gary explains, “In terms of learning as much as I could about Ernie the artist, I learned that that he always drew the last panel first. And then worked backward in order to fill in ‘how do I arrive at the gag in this panel?’ It's a very interesting way to work. I think McLuhan had a lot to say about that in terms of detective stories and all those writers in the 18th and 19th century that McLuhan studied, because they are the history of literature. And they had a particular heft in language that other periods didn't have. But McLuhan pointed out that you start with the setup, you get into the setup and because you're able to read, you'll end up untangling something which comes together which should have been clear from the first page, but it isn't clear until the last page, techniques of making use of the discursive.” Ernie Bushmiller worked with precision and clarity. Gary responds, “Absolutely minimalist clarity. They look simple, but they’re not.”

One large silk-screened collage Uncanny Nancy is hanging in the home of underground cartoonist and publisher Denis Kitchen, whose Kitchen Sink Press published five volumes of Nancy, helping to renew interest in Bushmiller’s work. With the working title Uncanny Nancy Can't See Chomsky, Can She?, this piece stemmed from Gary’s teaching of language and semiotics at Emily Carr. “In order to explain some of Chomsky’s ideas about surface and deep structure, I found this weekend strip of Bushmiller's. And it was a magical strip. I actually got busted at one point, I was going out late at night to the newspaper boxes and throwing in a couple of quarters, and then dashing off with a big bundle of Vancouver Sun weekend papers into my arm. This went on for most of the weekend. But late one night, I think I was at 14th and Granville I hadn't pulled them out and bundled them under my arm, but I had the door open. And the Sun truck drives up and said, ‘Are you the guy that's been taking all these?’ ‘Yeah, what are you gonna do about it?’ He said, ‘Well, I don't want you to take those. You put those back. And I'll give you the address of the press place, you go down there and ask for archived material and they'll charge a little bit for each thing that you want.’ -so I got about a hundred. What it involved was cutting out little Nancy's from this particular strip and then exploring how Nancy's from other strips as well as characters from other strips could be placed into very strategic locations in the basic strip and show how a surface structure in its arrangement forced the deep structure to the surface. It really blew my mind and I was able to make slides of all those and walk through it with students and explain how deep and surface structure work in language and speech. And they were pretty pleased. I had some good times with lecture courses around language and semiotics. Most of it was new to them.”

I had heard rumours that Gary Lee-Nova is a member of a mysterious organisation called The Secret Bushmiller Society. Intrigued, I asked him about it. He quietly revealed a pin on his lapel with their logo, Nancy’s face in the center, matching well with his silk Nancy tie. He then regaled me with how he once found an online remembrance page for someone and added to it a made-up story of how the deceased was a member of The Secret Bushmiller Society to the point that some people were playing Five Card Nancy at the memorial service. What is Five Card Nancy? “It's cut up panels. And instead of cut up comic strips in terms of art, it's a game like poker. And you're each dealt about five panels. And then someone who I guess is next to the dealer puts down a panel and then someone else if they got something they think it's a match, they put down a panel and ultimately a strip emerges and some of them are pretty funny. So, I actually fictionalised this for this place where you pay your respects to someone who's passed on. And I said, ‘Anyway, he caught these guys playing five card Nancy and noticed that some of them were palming panels.’ I went on and on and on about what a horrendous screw up this was at this ceremony.”

For years Gary felt alone in his love of Nancy. Believe it or not, there used to be a time where people would openly mock Nancy and its readership! Why????? “They just couldn't read it. They could not understand how to read it. It does look simplistic. But once you dig into, oh, things like prime numbers, things like rebuses, things like anagrams. I mean, Bushmiller was saturated with all that kind of exposure he got in the newspaper industry before he started drawing. And that's what I love about Mark and Paul’s book (How To Read Nancy). It's the kind of thing I'd been dreaming about for years, ‘I wish somebody would put together a really comprehensive study of this man's life because I'm sure it’s fucking fascinating.’”

Mentioning an edition of Art News of artists inspired by Nancy, Gary says, “This little survey pointed out that these people were really touched by Bushmiller’s work and I guess I'm just another one of those artists that were touched by his work.”

A survey exhibition of Gary Lee-Nova’s work was recently held at The Burnaby Art Gallery from January-April 2021 and it included many of his “Uncanny Nancy” works. Four years in the making, this exhibition truly was something special.

Now, where were we? Oh yes. Later editions of Snore Comix went unreleased, including a flip book of drawings depicting Mr. Peanut tap dancing, which eventually came out independently of Snore. Out in the world Mr. Peanut did love to tap dance, often to the accompaniment of Dr. Brute’s leopard print kazoo sax stylings. In 2017, New Documents released a book of Vincent Trasov’s Mr. Peanut Drawings; within this peanut textured book there are over a hundred line-drawings placing Mr. Peanut as a part of ancient art history by having him become a Sphynx, as well as popping up into many wonders of the world.

General Idea’s Shoe Journal by George Saiai was eventually released by Toronto art book space Art Metropole in 2007 and is, alas, now sold out. According to Art Metropole’s website, this ‘consecutive series of drawings and images’ was already printed by Coach House back in 1971 as an issue of Snore, but did not bear Snore’s name when it was released decades later. One of the images in Shoe Journal was from Ernie Bushmiller’s Nancy where she is firing a squirt gun at a leg shaped hosiery shop sign. The Centre For Canadian Contemporary Art website states that Snore Comix #6 was to be Vancouver based multimedia artist Gerry Gilbert’s Slug Book. Gilbert often wrote about slugs in his poems, including “The Slug Liberation Act” and even described himself as a slug in his poetry book From Next Spring. As well, he made slug stickers for artist Ace Space’s (Dana Atchley) 1971 Space Atlas. Apart from the topic of slugs, it is uncertain what exactly was going to be in Snore Comix #6.

Snore Comix #7 was to be The Coach House Nose Who’s Who by Jim Lang, who later did the photos for the Coach House poetry book Incognito by David Young. According to 10 Four by Nick Drumbolis, a proof was actually made, containing a photographic print, under the name Some Have Great Nez Thrust Upon Them. A guide to the works of Gerry Gilbert entitled The Gerry Gilbert Gift Catalogue, states that this book contained “11 mounted nose shots.” Writing on an underground comix thread on the cgc comics site, someone named Reverend states that Snore Comix #8 may have supposed to have been IRATA by Arthur Cravan, which was eventually released in 1994. One found internet image of the cover even states that it is “Snore Comix 8” rubber stamped with the ever-present pointing hand telling us to continue. In a Globe and Mail feature on Nicky Drumbolis, who ran Letters, a Toronto bookshop which also functioned as a gallery and publishing house, it is revealed that he was Arthur Cravan, further in keeping with Snore mysteries and guises. Hopefully this does not fully close the door on Snore and that more will be revealed.

Another Coach House curio is Anthropomorphiks by artist Robert Fones. This 1971 book features a whole lot of cartoon drawings and collages of mascots, including Liquorice All-Sorts humanoids purposefully playing tennis, angels surrounding a bipedal Crisco package with halo, The Michelin Man hanging out with tires like he is attending an anatomy lesson, a speech balloon exclaiming, “Mother! May I have another dish of puffed wheat- it’s swell!”, along with original poems by Fones. Featured on the cover is the red and white striped candy mascot Can-D-Man tipping his hat while walking through a collaged backdrop of Canadian nature. Fun fact: Robert Fones would dress up as Can-D-Man and hang out with Mr. Peanut and Art Rat in Queen Elizabeth Park. But, I mean, who wouldn’t? It was a nice day. Fones has done other books of collage, drawings, prose and poetry for Coach House and more.

Some of the earliest graphic novels were published by Coach House before they were even called such things, they released three by Martin Vaughn-James. His first, Elephant, published by new press in 1970, has been called the first graphic novel in Canada but was described on the back cover as ‘a boovie’, presumably a book-movie hybrid. Originally from England, he and his wife Noddy (who all his books are dedicated to), lived in Toronto from 1968 to 1977 until they returned to Europe. All of his graphic novels, along with his cartoons and comic strips for Saturday Night Magazine were from this Toronto period and they all had a very surrealist bent. In fact, the graphic novels often begin with a quote from Andre Breton, the co-founder of Surrealism and author of a couple of Surrealist Manifestos where he defined Surrealism as “pure psychic automatism.” These graphic novels certainly feel that way, though they are obviously elaborately planned and detailed, like vivid dream recollections. Elephant is wordless for many pages, opening with pages within pages, a container of ink enveloping everything until we drift down to a landscape of irons, the speech balloons are filled with typewritten words of what feels like eavesdropping in on conversations, eggs crack open on to lightbulbs and through all this a bald, bespectacled man works a seemingly mundane desk job until it, too, cracks open. His second graphic novel -or ‘visual-novel’ as Vaughn-James describes it, The Projector, is more refined and effective than the first. Printed on crisp, brown paper, the pen lines are thinner, more delicate, savouring every detail, making everything more life-like as a horse crashes through an elaborate geranium and plummets off a massive skyscraper, soundless yet we feel everything, hand-lettered captions seemingly describing unrelated actions. The bald-headed bespectacled desk-jobber appears again occasionally transforming into a cartoon dog as distorted Disney’s Three Little Pigs linger menacingly nearby. He seems to want escape after a projector speeds by, violet colour injects itself into the black and brown book as a mass of unearthly flowers blossom.

Tiny and more intimate, Vaughn-James’ third graphic novel The Park is more comic book-like with its soft cover. Described as a mystery with its Art Deco font and gold and rose colour scheme, it is indeed mysterious, the two sides of the brain are pushed far apart as the text seem to be disengaged from the imagery, gorgeously rendered scenic exteriors lead to tumultuous interiors -crashing armchairs- and out again as a pterodactyl flies off.

Following that was his most epic and renowned work The Cage from 1975, reprinted by Coach House in 2013. Started in Toronto, much of it was done in Paris, he also writes that, “Visits to the archeological ruins in Yucatan and central Mexico inspired sequences in The Cage.” With a slow zoom of pages peering through a chain-link fence these ruins soon become apparent, he then restores them to their former grandeur shifting back and forth until shifting focus entirely to a small apartment filling with sand. Like a neutron bomb, The Cage contains not a single living being, other than foliage growing in buildings, like Last Year At Marienbad but without characters. One can almost hear the wind howl. The text, properly typeset, is more descriptive, writerly. This truly is his most controlled and breath-taking work. Inside the cover Vaughn-James writes his own manifesto stating, “My purpose is not so much to illustrate reality (as if reality was an object and merely an aesthetic flashlight) but to re-invent it in a narrative form.” The book’s inside cover also states that Vaughn-James was working on a new visual-novel for 1976 but sadly, it seems that never transpired. Vaughn-James later switched to painting and also wrote two novels of prose. He died in 2009.

Many thanks to Jason Mclean, Marc Bell, Judith Rodger, Donato Mancini, Gregory Betts, and Jennifer Cane for their immense help with this piece.

- Robert Dayton

www.robertdayton.com

www.patreon.com/CanadianGlam

#comicjournalism #canadiancomics #scraptures #snorecomix #bpnichol #robertfones #garyleenova #uncannynancy #robertdayton #vancaf #vancouvercomicartsfestival

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go-scottishgal14 · 4 years ago

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Megxit review is CANCELLED: Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William are satisfied new arrangement is working and there's 'no need' to revisit one year on, royal expert claims

Duke and Duchess of Sussex unlikely to have planned review with royal family

While Prince Harry is unable to travel from the US because of Covid restrictions, it's thought a video call will also not now take place to review commercial roles

Royal expert Katie Nicholl told True Royalty TV's Royal Beat that 'there has been communication with the Queen, Prince Charles, and with William as well'

Queen has yet to make the decision on Prince Harry keeping his military title

The Cambridges and the Sussexes are set to reunite in July to unveil Diana statue

By JO TWEEDY FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 12:30, 15 January 2021 | UPDATED: 15:12, 15 January 2021

story published as above, now 4:45pm, already over 1300 comments, many negative against such a decision...as this has NOT come from BP, could this story just be more MM PR bullshit???

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anonymoushouseplantfan · 4 years ago

Note

Katie Nicholl earning her keep lol dailymail,co,uk/femail/article-8800863/Prince-Harry-Meghan-Markle-not-ready-return-UK-Christmas-source-claims,html Btw Queen's announcement cancelling all big events at BP/Windsor + new "Rule of 6" there won't be any photo ops anyway, aside from BRF less than welcoming. Though Harry could use a trip to the UK for tax purposes!

Thanks!

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/10/why-harry-and-meghan-wont-be-spending-christmas-with-the-queen?

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rabbitcruiser · 4 years ago

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Millennium Park, Chicago (No. 2)

Millennium Park is a portion of the 319-acre (1.3 km2) Grant Park, known as the "front lawn" of downtown Chicago, and has four major artistic highlights: the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Cloud Gate, the Crown Fountain, and the Lurie Garden. Millennium Park is successful as a public art venue in part due to the grand scale of each piece and the open spaces for display. A showcase for postmodern architecture, it also features the McCormick Tribune Ice Skating Rink, the BP Pedestrian Bridge, the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Wrigley Square, the McDonald's Cycle Center, the Exelon Pavilions, the AT&T Plaza, the Boeing Galleries, the Chase Promenade, and the Nichols Bridgeway.

Millennium Park is considered one of the largest green roofs in the world, having been constructed on top of a railroad yard and large parking garages. The park, which is known for being user friendly, has a very rigorous cleaning schedule with many areas being swept, wiped down or cleaned multiple times a day. Although the park was unveiled in July 2004, some features opened earlier, and upgrades continued for some time afterwards. Along with the cultural features above ground (described below) the park has its own 2218-space parking garage.

Source: Wikipedia

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harry-sussex · 5 years ago

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It also has to do with the way Kensington Palace dealt with stories about Kate v. Meghan. We can’t pretend to be blind. They denied that Kate was mad at Meghan for yelling at her staff but didn’t deny that Meghan actually yelled at her staff. Or that Meghan made Kate cry. They deny stories about Kate wearing extensions fgs. Meghan was simply not as protected and so I understand why her friends spoke out. On the flip side, there’s already been 2 denials to come out of BP so things are looking up.

I need more than “a palace source says” before I decide whether or not KP was leaning too far one way or another. I need official statements, quoted representatives, that sort of thing. Not “allegedly” or a “royal source” or “Kate Nicholl, royal correspondent.” That’s not evidence. That’s not proof. Until I see that, I’m not going to comment on what they did or did not deny. I need it straight from the horse’s mouth before I’ll talk about it, you know?

The palaces need to come up with a set standard for what they will address and what they will not. I don’t claim to have the magic answer, but if they’re going to address something, they better do it across the board. Likewise, if they’re going to refuse comment on something, then they better maintain that whenever it comes up.

Meghan is relatively well-protected by the establishment that is the Royal Family especially in the wake of the publication of their social media standards and guidelines. We know that she doesn’t read anything that’s said about her, but that doesn’t make it okay for people to continue to say it. There is undoubtedly room for improvement on both sides of the table and I hope they’re in the process of developing better protocols to protect the women in their family, but for right now, she’s alright. I hope William’s cyberbullying taskforce will resonate with social media developers to render such online cruelty obsolete in the interim.

I think Meghan’s friends were sweet to do what they did and I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same if it was my friend - protocol and propriety be damned. I just think that they may not have thought out entirely what the fallout would look like. People have come at Meghan for it even though she clearly had nothing to do with it. I think they were anticipating the bullshit to die down, but it really just made it worse. Their hearts were undoubtedly in the right place and I really respect that as someone who would do the same for my friends but their idea could have been executed differently, imo.

#ask #anonymous #queue #catching up whoops #meghan markle #duchess of sussex #Anonymous

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givemearmstopraywith · 6 years ago

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this is part of my reading for poetry class and i just had to share it (from bp:beginnings by bp nichol)

#p #my mum asked if it was pepe the frog

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sounmashnews · 2 years ago

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[ad_1] Optus is going through as much as 5 years of reputational harm and a success to its backside line price hundreds of thousands of dollars as prospects abandon it attributable to a cyber assault which noticed the info of practically 10 million Australians accessed by hackers. Outraged prospects and the federal government have slammed the telco over the incident, notably over the time taken to tell the general public of the assault. The threats to Optus‘ subscriber base are serious, according to associate professor in regulation and governance at the UNSW business school Rob Nicholls.“The immediate hit to subscribers is likely to be significant, and I‘m saying that because it’s been vital with public failures up to now,” Prof. Nicholls stated. The public outcry over the incident on social media and from the federal government presents a “high level of peer pressure” which is able to nudge prospects away. “For people looking at their social media feeds and the news, they will be asking themselves, ‘Should I stay with Optus?’” Prof. Nicholls stated. He stated it may take as much as three years and a big effort from Optus to regain Australians’ belief, however others say it may take even longer for the telcos’ model to recuperate.“People are quite forgiving in the long term, but that can take a couple of years,” University of Sydney affiliate professor of narratology Tom Van Laer stated. Prof. van Laer in contrast the potential fallout from the hacking scandal to that of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, saying individuals “skipped” BP service stations afterwards and that it took the corporate between three and 5 years to get again to its regular stage of enterprise. Not solely is Optus going through years of reputational harm, it is usually staring down the barrel of hundreds of thousands of dollars of remedial prices to prospects. “The internal cost is going to look something like $140 per record that was lost, as well as the remediation costs,” Prof. Nicholls stated. Those remediation prices are set to balloon, with Optus to foot the invoice of recent passports and drivers licences for round 2.8 million individuals, in line with the federal and a few state governments. “Optus has responded to my request that I made each within the parliament and that Senator Wong made in writing to Optus; they are going to cowl the price of changing affected prospects‘ passports,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. Affected customers will not have to fork out the $193 cost for a replacement passport, nor the licence replacement fee of $29 in NSW and $42.60 in the ACT. “The cost to replace your drivers licence is $29 and will be charged by Service NSW at the time of application – reimbursement advice will be issued by Optus to customers in the coming days,” said NSW Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello on Twitter. Affected customers will have their licences replaced for free in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and Western Australia, however, it’s unclear if Optus or the state governments can pay. “They will need very significant support from Singtel as their parent company; that will be as a mix of financial and technological support,” Professor Nicholls stated. On high of these prices, Optus is anticipated to be “overgenerous” to maintain prospects from abandoning ship, in line with UTS affiliate head of selling Ofer Mintz. “They need to be proactive and give customers more things than they would usually,” he stated.“Little refunds, even vouchers for $25 as a token of appreciation, are needed to regain trust.” Prof. Mintz says the way in which Optus has responded hasn‘t done any favours with the public. “They are waiting a bit too long, so the bad news is sticking around,” he said. The telecommunications giant is facing the task of not being branded as the “bad guy” in the debacle. “If what people in parliament have been saying becomes the story – that Optus is ‘playing fast and loose with

people’s knowledge’ – then Optus has a complete different concern,” Professor van Laer stated. “It‘s not so much about what happened, it’s what story gets told.“Is Optus the bad guy here or are they the unlucky victim alongside customers?” [ad_2] Source link

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theloniousbach · 6 years ago

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A Listener’s Y/ear in Jazz

WGTE’s Jazz Spectrum’s Best of 2018 list has been a guide for this week at least and, I suspect, longer.

I’m not ready to offer my own list, but I’ve been listening and exploring enough to have opinions, familiarity with your choices, and favorites. But these recommendations remain helpful and formative.

I do think they missed one though. The Sons of Kemet’s “My Queen is a Reptile” is remarkable. Shabeka Hutchings, the leader of a vibrant scene in London where the rich cultures of the Empire enrich one another, in front of a churning rhythm section of two drummers anchored by a tuba, is raucous, riffy, and fun.

Another list had Tia Fuller’s “Diamond Cut” which has more than a few moments, including several cuts with a Dave Holland/Jack DeJohnette rhythm section, but I won’t lobby for it. I am seeing Fuller at our venue so I want to know her playing better going into that show (a “workshop” which seems to mean a collection of compatible players together but not a working band) with Sean Jones and Warren Wolf. She chose to work with Adam Rogers on guitar rather than a pianist and one tune the first time through was a bit too smooth. But she’s a smart player with some grit, but there are better this year.

I also listened to Jure Pukl’s “Doubtless” during a survey of pianoless/guitarless quartets, not the least of which is that Melissa Aldana is the other tenor player. It’s worthy of consideration, but I won’t go to the mat to add it to the list.I saw Aldana with her quartet last season and look forward to seeing her with Marquis Hill and Emmet Cohen in another workshop gig at our venue. I value her playing very much for the invention and the way she fills space with focused tone. That is, she sounds big without honking.

I will think about women players for a more developed essay but have already homed in on some of those albums and discuss them here.

Allison MIller and Carmen Staaf’s “Science Fair” is a favorite as Miller’s drumming is a prime example of what I’ve noticed at shows of drummers playing accompaniment not just rhythm. She has a short “Jazz Night in America” video on melodic drumming that helped me understand and frame what’s going on under my nose. Her tunes are fascinating little puzzles for musicians to solve. Staaf is a welcome contributor too. But Miller has also worked in Boom Tic Boom with Myra Melford so her Snowy Egret band was another first one to check out this week. She has a strong bracing vision, but I’m learning her language and so finding her work increasingly appealing and accessible. She commands attention but she gives you a way in without compromising or watering down.

Similarly, the Andrew Cyrille/Wadada Leo Smith/Bill Frisell album is rigorous but inviting with layers of conversation. I’ve found all three somewhat intimidating in the past but I’m growing into the challenges and becoming more familiar with conventions. I heard Cyrille first with Cecil Taylor who viewed his instrument as 88 drums, so his actual drummer had lots to keep up with. Here he can be more subtle and his intelligence as a musician is more accessible. Frisell, it seems to me, has tics and has been a taste that I haven’t fully acquired. But here his shadings work. It is probably Smith who makes it work as, though his is the lead voice, he listens empathetically to the others. There are some wonderful duo albums on the list.

I am surprised at how much I like Mark Turner with Ethan Iverson. I regret not knowing more of Turner’s tone, fluidity, and taste. It’s warm and intimate, well suited to the setting with Iverson. While late to the game with The Bad Plus, I am more fond both of what Reid Anderson and Dave King bring to that band and now the earthiness that Orrin Evans has injected as the new piano guy (so, see Never Stop II from the list). Iverson here is a good conversationalist (not surprising given the ethic of The BP) without some of the tics or maybe it was just fatigue at the end of The BP.

I wish Charlie Haden and Brad Mehldau hadn’t started with such a slow “Au Privave” on their duo album. It’s all medium tempo and that mostly works because they are both such masters of the craft. Perhaps Mehldau was still growing as a protege of Haden’s at the time, but he was always promising. The rest of the set are tunes to savor, particularly in these thoughtful readings. But “Au Privave” should be more of a bebop burner. I will see Mehldau and his trio to wrap up the season and “Seymour Reads the Constitution” fascinates me as he mixes pop tunes old and new (“Almost Like Being in Love” with a vintage Beach Boys song and some latter day Paul McCartney), some under covered jazz composers (Elmo Hope and Sam Rivers), and his own tunes. It’s quite a trio.

I already knew and treasured the Anat Cohen/Fred Hersch set from its release. Hersch is our current quintessential pianist with an unerring sense of tunes (that he features at least one Monk compostions a set is telling), including his own which are finely etched puzzles. It all reflects taste, insight, and a deep game. Cohen is part of the Renee Rosnes led Artemis (with Allison Miller, Ingrid Jensen, and Melissa Aldana) which has shaped my listening this year. She and Ben Goldberg have made the clarinet a modern instrument, not just a relic of Dixieland and swing, bringing a wood-y tonality. The set with Hersch is a smart exchange of musical ideas over some favorites from the canon (“The Peacocks” is exquisite, but also “Jitterbug Waltz”), including Hersch’s contribution. I get to see Cohen this season and see it as a highlight.

If this year’s releases give us the chance to hear two different iterations of the Fred Hersch Trio separated by 21 years, we get to mark a very special development. First, the 1997 set—from the first run at the Village Vanguard—is already quite a mature work. Hersch was 18 years into his New York career by then, so the playing is compelling and fascinating. Having Tom Rainey on drums shows that Hersch’s vision of the role of the rhythm section was as full partners and his current working band is telepathic. “Live in Europe” begins and ends with signature Monk excursions with two Shorter compositions too. I don’t know if I could pass a blindfold test to pick between the two, but that “Swamp Thang” is on the first album and “The Big Easy (for Tom Piazza)” is on the new one would be a place to explore the differences. Hersch’s rhythm has always been impeccable but I don’t reflexively associate him with the Second Line and that part of the tradition. But neither of these tunes is forced or artificial.

The absolute highlight though is Frank Kimbrough’s encyclopedic “Monk’s Dreams,” all 70 compositions in one place thoughtfully curated. It is not though a museum display as the band makes this canon their own. Rufus Reid and Ray Drummond are masterful, Kimbrough has fresh ears to evoke Monk while having his own voice (his work on the Herbie Nichols Project is similarly respectfully inventive), and Scott Robinson is just amazing on countless horns, mostly reeds but trumpet too. Hearing him take two solos and two different instruments is stunning. I sip at this collection so that I hear the compositions and the interpretations as the exquisite gems they always have been.

There are more treasures to explore, even as 2019 brings us new ones.

#jazz #jazz spectrum #2018 #listener's journal

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m58 · 4 years ago

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four poems by Stephen Bett

Tom Pickard: Oop norf, fook sake

bulimia oblivia

[h] ate

bulimia oblivia―Tom Pickard (w/ nods to Basil Bunting, the Newcastle poets, Liverpool “beat” poets, George Harrison, bp Nichol) bulimia oblivia

don’t woof yr cookies (Newcastle Brown Ale)

purge yourself, sunflower

say somebody’s lil’ bunting

here’s I me mine in yr eye

oop norf, fook sake, you bet

Yorks Bete beat the Pool

[h] ate

not to get all cocky

h’8 no ’aitch 4 bp concrete

viz, getting all visual

ate me (’arf-time) so don’t be

telling porkies, pie-head

magpie caught in a barcode

Jeremy Prynne: Paratactic Procedures

Here I saw… telescopic to the field inside the mouth

where speech parts of separation had been swallowed

in foreground… fricative was the advice and

to palate by adhesion said to be forward

Kazoo Dreamboats―Jeremy Prynne (with a nod to Gerald Bruns)

Here I saw… telescopic to the field inside the mouth

chokeberries on the line rotten beyond description

chomp by field ate down to baby letter shivers, bottle

our mal du doute upchuck trick, there’s a good chap

where speech parts of separation had been swallowed

by black holes, do not interrupt his moment of disconnect

at all / anyway / whatever / even so / rubbish

goes down whoosh it’s got some teeth in it

in foreground… fricative was the advice and

couple disjunct blimeys in a row pick & prune a’miss

near scurvy them ballsy labiodental f’n fearsome

feckful avant swine, dey do dis da joint

to palate by adhesion said to be forward

by outward tastes like collage glued on the tongue

you can only “be” in the moment, just out Near/Miss

meets Gordon Lish meets Lewis Black, well done old son

Tom Raworth: gifted

a present

that

fits me

to a t

Ace ― Tom Raworth (with a nod to old Stones… & stoners)

a present

gifted, & at arms (rah-rah)

shabby old cardigan, slippers, &c.

― the real raw deal!

that

’s worth a lotta r…

She corrects / x-ray

muse in my devices

fits me

sting or other wrays

Rae-worth, Raw-worth let’s call

the whole thing off ?

to a t

Om boy… pleased to meet’cha

full steam a head

top speed, them ol’ rollers

Jack Spicer: No One Listens to Poetry

No one listens to poetry. The ocean

Does not mean to be listened to. A drop

• • •

It pounds the shore. White and aimless signals. No

One listens to poetry.

Language―Jack Spicer (with nods to Robin Blaser)

No one listens to poetry. The ocean

rolls over us ― these coastal people

nothing’s out beyond this last gasp edge

serial decoder of breakers

Does not mean to be listened to. A drop

drip drip on little green transceivers, whatever

comes in from that darkness around us

you were the real outsider, honest angel

It pounds the shore. White and aimless signals. No

jolts or jive, so okay dictate something, anything…

Nothing, you said, Deserves to live

& I heard that, crystal clear

One listens to poetry.

It’s difficult to get the news

No one listens to radio anymore,

not even Martians

Stephen Bett is a widely and internationally published Canadian poet with 24 books in print. His personal papers are archived in the “Contemporary Literature Collection” at Simon Fraser University. His website is stephenbett.com

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xtruss · 3 years ago

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Russophobia at It’s Peak! The Case for More Companies to Keep Pulling Out of Russia

WHEN US, UK, GERMANY, FRANCE, AUSTRALIA AND NORTH ATLANTIC TERRORIST ORGANIZATION (NATO) AND THEIR PUPPET ALLIES ATTACKED AND DESTROYED “IRAQ, SYRIA, LIBYA, PALESTINE AND AFGHANISTAN” ON THE BASES OF “FAKE WARS ON TERROR, WMD AND IMPLEMENTING OF FAKE DEMOCRACY, ALL LIARS, HYPOCRITES, TERRORISTS, IGNORANTS, CONSPIRATORS AND FAKE DEMOCRACY PREACHERS WERE SILENT TO THEIR FILTHY CORES

Many corporations have already announced plans to divest from the country. If yours still hasn’t, here’s what experts argue you should consider.

— March 04, 2022 | Fast Company | By Adele Peters

Photo: Serge Kutuzov/Unsplash

After Russia attacked Ukraine, companies started to respond to the aggression within days. BP and Shell said that they would pull out of oil and gas investments in Russia worth billions. General Motors, Volvo, and Volkswagen stopped selling cars in Russia. Apple stopped selling iPhones and other products, limited access to Apple Pay, and banned Russian propaganda apps. Nike and Ikea closed stores. Disney and WarnerMedia paused the release of new movies. Norway’s $1.3 trillion sovereign wealth fund said it would divest shares of 47 Russian companies and Russian government bonds. And the list goes on.

Some of the decisions could have a clear impact on the war. The Russian economy relies on fossil fuels, and as Western oil companies end partnerships, some funding for the war will begin to dry up. Oil companies pulling out, “combined with other financial measures, will make it much more difficult for the Russian petroleum industry to raise funding,” says Philip Nichols, a professor of social responsibility and ethics in business at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania who has worked in both Russia and Ukraine. “And oil and natural gas exploration are very capital intensive industries. We’re going to start feeling the effects of that relatively soon.” Other decisions may not have significant impacts on either the companies or Russian policy; GM, for example, sells only 3,000 cars annually in Russia out of the 6 million it sells worldwide.

What does it mean if Russians can’t buy iPhones now? It’s clear that some Russian citizens were already resisting the invasion even without any additional incentive—thousands have been protesting in streets. The war is especially unpopular with young people in Russia. It’s less clear that Putin cares. So far, more than 7,000 people in Russia have been arrested for protesting the war. Putin is reportedly considering a new law that would punish anyone who publishes “fake” news about the Ukraine invasion—e.g., anything that criticizes it—with 15 years in prison. As companies make life harder for Russian citizens, adding to the pressure from sanctions, the hope is that it could erode support for Putin further, but it’s not obvious how much it might take to make Putin change course.

“In the past decade, Putin’s administration has undertaken a lot of things that either insulate the administration from public opinion or manipulate public opinion,” Nichols says. “So when the Russian people are hurt by all of these things, it kind of dulls the effect that that will have inside of the Kremlin. On the other hand, just because it dulls it doesn’t mean it is not felt.”

Many experts argue that every company has an ethical responsibility to cut ties with Russia now. “Ordinary companies should make a decision,” Fiona Hill, the Russian policy expert who gained a global profile during the first Trump impeachment, told Politico. “This is the epitome of ‘ESG’ that companies are saying is their priority right now — upholding standards of good environmental, social and corporate governance. Just like people didn’t want their money invested in South Africa during apartheid, do you really want to have your money invested in Russia during Russia’s brutal invasion and subjugation and carving up of Ukraine?” Pension funds should also pull out of Russian investments, she says, since many major Russian companies are tied to the Kremlin.

“In a time of war, decisions have to be made quickly and not all considerations can be taken into account,” says Marjella Lecourt-Alma, the CEO and co-founder of Datamaran, an ESG risk management platform. “At present, it is about prioritizing the most important question: which side are you going to be on, and do you want to be seen as contributing to Russia’s war chest?”

Consumers expect companies to act. “We’ve seen an uptick in expectations of companies from consumers, and in particular of CEOs, to step up on all manner of social issues,” says Martin Whittaker, CEO of Just Capital, a nonprofit that studies corporate social responsibility and is tracking how companies are responding to the Russian invasion. In the past, Just Capital has polled consumers on other issues, including how companies should respond to challenges like climate change and racial inequality. “We haven’t been thinking about war,” he says. “It just adds a whole new context to this and it really quite begins to question, what is the role of business in supporting healthy democracies? That’s the deeper question here.”

Nichols says that each company will need to consider its own response in Russia. “Someone who provides critical medicines or basic foodstuffs is in a different position than a firm that provides high-end handbags,” he says. As every company decides what to do, “they need to take into account the extent to which they are abetting or propping up a regime that’s doing bad things,” he says. “A business cannot excuse itself simply by saying we’re a business firm. Business is not distinct from the rest of society.”

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eustorebattery-blog · 4 years ago

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Harris

After being elected, Harris declared her office would not defend the marriage ban, leaving the task to Prop 8's proponents.[149] In February 2013, Harris filed an amicus curiae brief, arguing Prop 8 was unconstitutional and that the initiative's sponsors did not have legal standing to represent California's interests by defending the law in federal court.[15Sony SVE171G12M keyboard

0] In June 2013, the Supreme Court ruled, 5–4, that Prop 8's proponents lacked standing to defend it in federal court.[151] The next day Harris delivered a speech in downtown Los Angeles urging the Ninth Circuit to lift the stay banning same-sex marriages as soon as possible.[152] The stay was lifted two days later.[153] Sony SVE171B11M keyboard

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Gay and trans panic defense ban

In 2014, Attorney General Kamala Harris co-sponsored legislation to ban the gay and trans panic defense in court,[154] which passed and California became the first state with such legislation.[citation needed] Sony SVE151J11M keyboard Sony SVE151J11V keyboard Sony SVE151J11W keyboard Sony SVE171C11M keyboard

Michelle-Lael B. Norsworthy v. Jeffrey Beard et. al.

In February 2014, Michelle-Lael Norsworthy, a transgender inmate at California's Mule Creek State Prison, filed a federal lawsuit based on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's failure to provide her with what she argued was medically necessary sex reassignment surgery (SRS). Sony SVE151D11V keyboard Sony SVE151E11L keyboard Sony SVE15AA11V keyboard [155] In April 2015, a federal judge ordered the state to provide Norsworthy with SRS, finding that prison officials had been "deliberately indifferent to her serious medical need".[156][157] Harris, representing CDCR, appealed the order to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals,[158] arguing that psychotherapy, Sony SVE151D11M keyboard Sony SVE151E11M keyboard Sony SVE151C11V keyboard [159] as well as the hormone therapy Norsworthy had been receiving for her gender dysphoria over the preceding fourteen years, were sufficient medical treatment,[160] and there was "no evidence that Norsworthy is in serious, immediate physical or emotional danger".[16Sony SVE151E12W keyboard Sony SVE151C11U keyboard0] While Harris defended the state's position in court, she said she ultimately pushed the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to change their policy.[161] In August 2015, while the state's appeal was pending, Norsworthy was released on parole, obviating the state's duty to provide her with inmate medical care[162] and rendering the case moot.[1Sony SVE17 keyboard Sony SVE151B11W keyboard Sony SVE151C11M keyboard63] In 2019, Harris stated that she took "full responsibility" for briefs her office filed in Norsworthy's case and others involving access to gender-affirming surgery for trans inmates.[164]

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Public safety

Anti-truancy efforts

Visiting Peterson Middle School in 2010

In 2011, Harris urged criminal penalties for parents of truant children as she did as District Attorney of San Francisco, allowing the court to defer judgment if the parent agreed to a mediation period to get their child back in schoolSony SVT151A11M keyboard

Sony SVT151B11M keyboard Sony SVS131A11M keyboard. Critics charged that local prosecutors implementing her directives were overzealous in their enforcement and Harris's policy adversely affected some families.[ Sony SVS13AA11M keyboardIn 2013, Harris issued a report titled "In School + On Track", which found that more than 250,000 elementary school students in the state were "chronically absent" and the statewide truancy rate for elementary students in the 2012–2013 school year was nearly thirty percent, 165] Sony SVF15AA1QM keyboard at a cost of nearly $1.4 billion to school districts, since funding is based on attendance rates.[166]

Environmental protection

Harris prioritized environmental protection as attorney general, first securing a $44 million settlement to resolve all damages and costs associated with the Cosco Busan oil spill, in which a container ship collided with San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge and spilled 50,000 gallons of bunker fuel into the San Francisco Bay.[167] Sony SVF15NA1GM keyboard Sony SVF15NA1YM keyboard Sony SVF154B17M keyboardIn the aftermath of the 2015 Refugio oil spill, which deposited about 140,000 gallons of crude oil off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, Harris toured the coastline and directed her office's resources and attorneys to investigate possible criminal violations.[168] Thereafter, operator Plains Sony SVF15NB1GM keyboard Sony SVF15NB1YM keyboard Sony SVF154B1EM keyboard All American Pipeline was indicted on 46 criminal charges related to the spill, with one employee indicted on three criminal charges.[169] In 2019, a Santa Barbara jury returned a verdict finding Plains guilty of failing to properly maintain its pipeline and another eight misdemeanor charges; they were sentenced to pay over $3 million in fines and assessments.[170] Sony SVF152C29M keyboard Sony SVF153A1YM keyboard Sony SVS151C1HM keyboard

From 2015 to 2016, Harris secured multiple multi-million-dollar settlements with fuel service companies Chevron, BP, ARCO, Phillips 66, and ConocoPhillips to resolve allegations they failed to properly monitor the hazardous materials in its underground storage tanks used to store gasoline for retail sale at hundreds of California gas stations.[171] Sony SVF153B1YM keyboard Sony SVF152A29M keyboard [172][173] In summer 2016, automaker Volkswagen AG agreed to pay up to $14.7 billion to settle a raft of claims related to so-called Defeat Devices used to cheat emissions standards on its diesel cars while actually emitting up to forty times the levels of harmful nitrogen oxides allowed under state and federal law.[ Sony SVS131B11M keyboard Sony SVS131B12M keyboard Sony SVS131C24M keyboard Sony PCG-71D14M keyboard174] Harris and the chair of the California Air Resources Board, Mary D. Nichols, announced that California would receive $1.18 billion as well as another $86 million paid to the state of California in civil penalties.[1Sony SVS131C25M keyboard Sony SVS131E1DM keyboard Sony PCG-71911M keyboard74]

Law enforcement

California's Prop 69 (2004) required law enforcement to collect DNA samples from any adult arrested for a felony and from individuals arrested for certain crimes. In 2012, Harris announced that the California Department of Justice had improved its DNA testing capabilities such that samples stored at the state's crime labs could now be analyzed four times faster, within thirty days. Accordingly, Sony SVS131C1DM keyboard Sony SVS131C1EM keyboard Sony PCG-61813M keyboard Sony PCG-71811M keyboardHarris reported that the Rapid DNA Service Team within the Bureau of Forensic Services had cleared California's DNA backlog for the first time).[175] Harris's office was later awarded a $1.6 million grant from the Manhattan District Attorney's initiative to eliminate the backlogs of untested rape kits.[176] Sony PCG-91111M keyboard motherboard Sony PCG-91112M keyboard motherboard Sony PCG-71511M keyboard

In 2015, Harris conducted a 90-day review of implicit bias in policing and police use of deadly force. In April 2015, Harris introduced the first of its kind "Principled Policing: Procedural Justice and Implicit Bias" training, Sony PCG-91211M keyboard motherboard Sony PCG-91311M keyboard motherboard Sony PCG-71C11M keyboarddesigned in conjunction with Stanford University psychologist and professor Jennifer Eberhardt, to help law enforcement officers overcome barriers to neutral policing and rebuild trust between law enforcement and the community. All Command-level staff received the training. The training was part of a package of reforms introduced within the California Department of Justice, Sony PCG-61712M keyboard Sony PCG-71614M keyboard which also included additional resources deployed to increase the recruitment and hiring of diverse special agents, an expanded role for the department to investigate officer-related shooting investigations and community policing.[17Sony PCG-61713M keyboard Sony PCG-61714M keyboard Sony PCG-71613M keyboard7] The same year, Harris's California Department of Justice became the first statewide agency in the country to require all its police officers to wear body cameras.[178] Harris also announced a new state law requiring every law enforcement agency in California to collect, report, Sony PCG-31111M keyboard Sony PCG-31112M keyboard Sony PCG-31113M keyboard

Sony PCG-41213M keyboard Sony PCG-41214M keyboard Sony SVS131G22M keyboard and publish expanded statistics on how many people are shot, seriously injured or killed by peace officers throughout the state.[179]

Harris and LAPD chief Charlie Beck celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Sony PCG-31114M keyboard Sony PCG-31311M keyboard

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Later that year, Harris appealed a judge's order to take over the prosecution of a high-profile mass murder case and to eject all 250 prosecutors from the Orange County district attorney's office over allegations of misconduct by Republican D.A. Tony Rackauckas. Rackauckas was alleged to have illegally employed jailhouse informants and concealed evidence.[18Sony PCG-81312M motherboard Sony PCG-81313M motherboard Sony PCG-81412M motherboard Sony PCG-81111M motherboard Sony PCG-81311M motherboard Sony PCG-81112M motherboard Sony PCG-71211W keyboard motherboard

Sony PCG-4121EM keyboard0] Harris noted that it was unnecessary to ban all 250 prosecutors from working on the case, as only a few had been directly involved, later promising a narrower criminal investigation. The U.S. Department of Justice began an investigation into Rackauckas in December 2016, but he was not re-elected.[181] Sony PCG-71212M keyboard motherboard

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In 2016, Harris announced a patterns and practices investigation into purported civil rights violations and use of excessive force by the two largest law enforcement agencies in Kern County, California, the Bakersfield Police Department and the Kern County Sheriff's Department.[182Sony PCG-61211M keyboard motherboard

Sony PCG-81212M keyboard motherboard] Labeled the "deadliest police departments in America" in a five-part Guardian expose, a separate investigation commissioned by the ACLU and submitted to the California Department of Justice corroborated reports of police using excessive force.[183] Sony PCG-71213M keyboard motherboard

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Planned Parenthood

In 2016, Harris's office seized videos and other information from the apartment of an antiabortion activist who had made secret recordings and then accused Planned Parenthood doctors of illegally selling fetal tissue. Sony PCG-71311M keyboard motherboard

Sony PCG-71312M keyboard motherboard Sony PCG-71211M keyboard motherboard Sony PCG-71313M keyboard motherboard Harris had announced that her office would investigate the activist in the summer of 2015. She was facing increasing criticism for not taking public action by the time Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit against the activist.[184][18Sony PCG-4121EM keyboard

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Sex crimes

In 2011, Harris obtained a guilty plea and a four-year prison sentence from a stalker who used Facebook and social engineering techniques to illegally access the private photographs of women whose social media accounts he hijacked. Harris commented that the Internet had "opened up a new frontier for crime".[Sony PCG-41414M keyboard Sony PCG-41311M keyboard Sony SVF14NA1EM keyboard186] Later that year, Harris created the eCrime Unit within the California Department of Justice, a 20-attorney unit specifically targeting technology crimes.[187] In 2015, several purveyors of so-called revenge porn sites based in California were arrested, charged with felonies, Sony PCG-41314M keyboard Sony SVF142C29M keyboard Sony SVF14AA1QM keyboardand sentenced to lengthy prison terms.[188][189] In the first prosecution of its kind in the United States, Kevin Bollaert was convicted on 21 counts of identity theft and six counts of extortion and sentenced to 18 years in prison.[1Sony SVP132A1CM keyboard Sony SVF152A29M keyboard90] Harris brought up these cases when California Congresswoman Katie Hill was targeted for similar cyber exploitation by her ex-husband and forced to resign in late 2019.[191] Sony SVP132A2CM keyboard Sony SVF13NA1UM keyboard

In 2016, Harris announced the arrest of Backpage CEO Carl Ferrer on felony charges of pimping a minor, pimping, and conspiracy to commit pimping. The warrant alleged that 99 percent of Backpage's revenue was directly attributable to prostitution-related ads, many of which involved victims of sex trafficking, Sony SVE15AA11V battery Sony SVE151J13M battery Sony SVE151B11W batteryincluding children under the age of 18.[192] The pimping charge against Ferrer was dismissed by the California courts in 2016 on the grounds of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, but in 2018, Sony SVE151L11W battery Sony SVE171A11M battery Sony SVE171A11V battery Sony SVE17 batteryFerrer pleaded guilty in California to money laundering and agreed to give evidence against the former co-owners of Backpage.[193] Ferrer simultaneously pleaded guilty to charges of money laundering and conspiracy to facilitate prostitution in Texas state court and Arizona federal court.[193][194] Under pressure, Backpage announced that it was removing its adult section from all its U.S. sites.[ Sony SVE171B11W battery 195] Harris welcomed the move, saying, "I look forward to them shutting down completely."[196] The investigations continued after she became a senator, and, in April 2018, Backpage and affiliated sites were seized by federal law enforcement.[194] Sony SVE171B11V battery Sony SVE171C11L battery Sony SVE151E12W battery

Transnational criminal organizations

AG Harris announces the arrest of 101 gang members in Los Banos, California.

During her term as attorney general, Harris's office oversaw major investigations and prosecutions targeting transnational criminal organizations for their involvement in violent crime, fraud schemes, drug trafficking, Sony SVE171C11V battery Sony SVE171E11L battery Sony SVE151E11M batteryand smuggling. Significant arrests and seizures (of weapons, drugs, cash, and other assets) under Harris targeted the Tijuana Cartel (2011),[197] the Nuestra Familia, Norteños, and the Vagos Motorcycle Club (2011),[198][199][200] the Norteños (2015),[201][202] the Crips (2015),[203] the Mexican Mafia (2016),[ Sony SVE171E11M battery Sony SVE151D11M battery204] and businesses in the Los Angeles Fashion District accused of operating a major money-laundering hub for Mexican narcotics traffickers (2014).[205]

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In summer 2012, Harris signed an accord with the Attorney General of Mexico, Marisela Morales, to improve coordination of law enforcement resources targeting transnational gangs engaging in the sale and trafficking of human beings across the San Ysidro border crossing. The accord called for closer integration on investigations between offices and sharing best practices.[206Sony SVE171E13M battery Sony SVE171G11L battery Sony SVE151D11V battery] In 2012, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law two bills advanced by Harris to combat human trafficking.[207] In November, Harris presented a report titled "The State of Human Trafficking in California 2012" Sony SVE171G11M battery Sony SVE151G11L battery Sony SVE151J11W battery at a symposium attended by U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Attorney General Morales, outlining the growing prevalence of human trafficking in the state, and hSony SVE151G11M battery Sony SVE151G11V battery Sony SVE151J11V batteryighlighting the involvement of transnational gangs in the practice.[208][209]

In early 2014, Harris issued a report titled, "Gangs Beyond Borders: California and the Fight Against Transnational Crime",[210] addressing the prominent role of drug, weapons, and human trafficking, money laundering, Sony SVE151G12W battery Sony SVE151G13L battery Sony SVE151G13M battery Sony SVE151G13W battery Sony SVE151J11M batteryand technology crimes employed by various drug cartels from Mexico, Armenian Power, 18th Street Gang, and MS-13 and offering recommendations for state and local law enforcement to combat the criminal activity.[211dell G7 15-7588 battery

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] Later that year, Harris led a bipartisan delegation of state attorneys general to Mexico City to discuss transnational crime with Mexican prosecutors.[212] Harris then convened a summit focused on the use of technology to fight transnational organized crime with state and federal officials from the U.S., Mexico, and El Salvador.[213] dell G3 17-3779 battery

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U.S. Senate (2017–2021)

Election

Main article: 2016 United States Senate election in California

Senate campaign logo, 2016

After more than 20 years as a U.S. Senator from California, Senator Barbara Boxer announced in January 2015 that she would not run for reelection in 2016.[214] Harris announced her candidacy for the Senate seat the following week.[214] Harris was a top contender from the beginning of her campaign.[215] dell G3 15-3579 battery

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The 2016 California Senate election used California's new top-two primary format where the top two candidates in the primary would advance to the general election regardless of party.[215] In February 2016, Harris won 78% of the California Democratic Party vote at the party convention, allowing Harris's campaign to receive financial support from the party.[216] Three months later, Governor Jerry Brown endorsed her.[217dell T0TRM battery

· dell 99NF2 battery] In the June 7 primary, Harris came in first with 40% of the vote and won with pluralities in most counties.[218] Harris faced congresswoman and fellow Democrat Loretta Sanchez in the general election.[219] It was the first time a Republican did not appear in a general election for the Senate since California dell C4K9V battery

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On July 19, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden endorsed Harris.[221] In the November 2016 election, Harris defeated Sanchez, capturing over 60% of the vote, carrying all but four counties.[222] dell JD25G battery

· dell T54F3 battery Following her victory, she promised to protect immigrants from the policies of President-elect Donald Trump and announced her intention to remain Attorney General through the end of 2016.[223][224] dell G5M10 battery

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Tenure and political positions

See also: Political positions of Kamala Harris

2017

On January 28, after Trump signed Executive Order 13769, barring citizens from several Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. for ninety days, she condemned the order and was one of many to describe it as a "Muslim ban".[22dell GJKNX battery

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· dell TRM4D battery5] She called White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly at home to gather information and push back against the executive order.[226]

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Harris was sworn into the Senate by then-Vice President Biden on January 3, 2017.

In February, Harris spoke in opposition to Trump's cabinet picks Betsy DeVos, for Secretary of Education,[227] and Jeff Sessions, for United States Attorney General.[228] In early March, she called on Sessions to resign, after it was reported that Sessions spoke twice with Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak.[ dell WD52H battery

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In April, Harris voted against the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court.[230] Later that month, Harris took her first foreign trip to the Middle East, visiting California troops stationed in Iraq and the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, the largest camp for Syrian refugees.[231] dell 6MT4T battery

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In June, Harris garnered media attention for her questioning of Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, over the role he played in the May 2017 firing of James Comey, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.[232] The prosecutorial nature of her questioning caused Senator John McCain, an ex officio member of the Intelligence Committee, and Senator Richard Burr, the committee chairman, Sony SVT131A11M battery

Sony SVS131C1DM battery Sony SVS131C1EM battery to interrupt her and request that she be more respectful of the witness. A week later, she questioned Jeff Sessions, the attorney general, on the same topic.[233] Sessions said her questioning "makes me nervous".[234] Burr's singling out of Harris sparked suggestions in the news media that his behavior was sexist, with commentators arguing that Burr would not treat a male Senate colleague in a similar manner.[235] Sony SVT131B11M battery Sony SVT151A11M battery

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In December, Harris called for the resignation of Senator Al Franken, asserting on Twitter, "Sexual harassment and misconduct should not be allowed by anyone and should not occur anywhere."[236]

2018

Harris (center) at the 2018 commemorations of Bloody Sunday in Selma, where she was invited to speak by John Lewis (right).[237] Sony SVF15AA1QM battery

In January, Harris was appointed to the Senate Judiciary Committee after the resignation of Al Franken.[238] Later that month, Harris questioned Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen for favoring Norwegian immigrants over others and claiming to be unaware that Norway is a predominantly white country.[239][240]

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In May, Harris heatedly questioned Secretary Nielsen about the Trump administration family separation policy, under which children were separated from their families when the parents were taken into custody for illegally entering the U.S.[2Sony SVF15NA1YM battery Sony SVF15NB1GM battery Sony SVS131C25M battery41] In June, after visiting one of the detention facilities near the border in San Diego,[242] Harris became the first senator to demand Nielsen's resignation.[243]

In the September and October Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Harris questioned Brett Kavanaugh about a meeting he may have had regarding the Mueller Investigation with a member of Kasowitz Benson Torres, the law firm founded by the President's personal attorney Marc Kasowitz. Kavanaugh was unable to answer and repeatedly Sony SVF15NB1YM battery Sony SVS131C24M batterydeflected.[244] Harris also participated in questioning the FBI director's limited scope of the investigation on Kavanaugh regarding allegations of sexual assault.[245] She voted against his confirmation.

Harris was a target of the October 2018 United States mail bombing attempts.[246]

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In December, the Senate passed the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act (S. 3178), sponsored by Harris.[247] The bill, which died in the House, would have made lynching a federal hate crime.[248] Sony SVF153A1YM battery Sony SVS131B11M battery

2019

Harris at SF Pride Parade 2019

In March 2019, after Special Counsel Robert Mueller submitted his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, Harris called for U.S. Attorney General William Barr to testify before Congress in the interests of transparency.[249] Two days later, Barr released a four-page "summary" of the redacted Mueller Report, which was criticized as a deliberate mischaracterization of its conclusions.[25Sony SVF153B1YM battery Sony SVS131A12M battery0] Later that month, Harris was one of twelve Democratic senators to sign a letter led by Mazie Hirono questioning Barr's decision to offer "his own conclusion that the President's conduct did not amount to obstruction of justice" and called for an investigation into whether Barr's summary of the Mueller Report and his statements at a news conference were misleading.[251] Sony SVF152A29M battery Sony SVS131A11M battery

On May 1, 2019, Barr testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[252] During the hearing, Barr remained defiant about the misrepresentations in the four-page summary he had released ahead of the full report.[2Sony SVS151C1HM battery Sony SVS13AA11M battery53] When asked by Harris if he had reviewed the underlying evidence before deciding not to charge the President with obstruction of justice, Barr admitted that neither he, Rod Rosenstein, nor anyone in his office reviewed the evidence supporting the report before making the charging decision.[25Sony SVF154B1EM battery Sony SVF154B17M battery4] Harris later called for Barr to resign, and accused him of refusing to answer her questions because he could open himself up to perjury, and stating his responses disqualified him from serving as U.S. attorney general.[255][ Sony PCG-61813M battery Sony PCG-71911M battery Sony PCG-71D14M battery256] Two days later, Harris demanded again that the Department of Justice inspector general Michael E. Horowitz investigate whether Attorney General Barr acceded to pressure from the White House to investigate Trump's political enemies.[257]

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In July, Harris teamed with Kirsten Gillibrand to urge the Trump administration to investigate the allegations of Uyghur genocide by the Chinese Communist Party; in this question she was joined by colleague Marco Rubio.[258]

In November, Harris called for an investigation into the death of Roxsana Hernández, a transgender woman and immigrant who died in ICE custody.[259][260] Sony PCG-91111M battery Sony PCG-91112M battery Sony PCG-91211M battery

In December, Harris led a group of Democratic senators and civil rights organizations in demanding the removal of White House senior adviser Stephen Miller after emails published by the Southern Poverty Law Center revealed frequent promotion of white nationalist literature to Breitbart website editors.[261Sony PCG-91311M battery Sony PCG-61712M battery Sony PCG-71511M battery]

2020

Harris with Congressional Black Caucus women

Before the opening of the impeachment trial of Donald Trump on January 16, 2020, Harris delivered remarks on the floor of the Senate, stating her views on the integrity of the American justice system and the principle that nobody, including an incumbent president, is above the law. Harris later asked Senate Judiciary chairman Lindsey Graham to halt all judicial nominations during the impeachment trial, to which Graham acquiesced.[262][ Sony PCG-61713M battery Sony PCG-71C11M battery263] Harris voted to convict the president on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.[264]

Harris has worked on bipartisan bills with Republican co-sponsors, including a bail reform bill with Senator Rand Paul,[265] an election security bill with Senator James Lankford,[266] and a workplace harassment bill with Senator Lisa Murkowski.[267] Sony PCG-61714M battery Sony PCG-71613M battery Sony PCG-71614M battery

Harris had been considered a top contender and potential frontrunner for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president.[274] In June 2018, she was quoted as "not ruling it out".[275] In July 2018, it was announced that she would publish a memoir, a sign of a possible run.[276] On January 21, 2019, Harris officially announced her candidacy for president of the United States in the 2020 United States presidential election.[27dell Latitude E7420 battery

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· dell 4RXFK battery7] In the first 24 hours after her candidacy announcement, she tied a record set by Bernie Sanders in 2016 for the most donations raised in the day following an announcement.[citation needed] More than 20,000 people attended her formal campaign launch event in her hometown of Oakland, California, on January 27, according to a police estimate.[278] dell Inspiron 15-7557 battery

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During the first Democratic presidential debate in June 2019, Harris scolded former vice president Joe Biden for "hurtful" remarks he made, speaking fondly of senators who opposed integration efforts in the 1970s and working with them to oppose mandatory school bussing.[279] Harris's support rose by between six and nine points in polls following that debate.[28

· dell RRCGW battery0] In the second debate in August, Harris was confronted by Biden and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard over her record as Attorney General.[281] The San Jose Mercury News assessed that some of Gabbard's and Biden's accusations were on point, such as blocking the DNA testing of a death row inmate, while others did not stand up to scrutiny. In the immediate aftermath, Harris fell in the polls following that debate.[282dell Inspiron 17-7737 battery

· dell F7HVR battery][283] Over the next few months her poll numbers fell to the low single digits.[284] At a time when liberals were increasingly concerned about the excesses of the criminal justice system, Harris faced criticism from reformers for tough-on-crime policies she pursued while she was California's attorney general. For example, in 2014, she decided to defend California's death penalty in court.[285] dell Inspiron 15-7537 battery

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Prior to and during her presidential campaign an online informal organization using the hashtag #KHive formed to support her candidacy and defend her from racist and sexist attacks.[286][287][288][289] According to the Daily Dot, Joy Reid first used the term in an August 2017 tweet saying "@DrJasonJohnson @ZerlinaMaxwell and I had a meeting and decided it's called the K-Hive."[290] dell XPS 15-9550 battery

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On December 3, 2019, Harris withdrew from seeking the 2020 Democratic nomination, citing a shortage of funds.[291] In March 2020, Harris endorsed Joe Biden for president.[292]

Vice presidential campaign

Main articles: Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign and 2020 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection

Campaign logo for the Biden–Harris ticket

In May 2019, senior members of the Congressional Black Caucus endorsed the idea of a Biden–Harris ticket.[293] In late February, Biden won a landslide victory in the 2020 South Carolina Democratic primary with the endorsement of House whip Jim Clyburn, with more victories on Super Tuesday. In early March, Clyburn suggested Biden choose a black woman as a running mate, commenting that "African American women needed to be rewarded for their loyalty".[294] In March, Biden committed to choosing a woman for his running mate.[295]

On April 17, 2020, Harris responded to media speculation and said she "would be honored" to be Biden's running mate.[296] In late May, in relation to the death of George Floyd and ensuing protests and demonstrations, Biden faced renewed calls to select a black woman to be his running mate, highlighting the law enforcement credentials of Harris and Val Demings.[297]

On June 12, The New York Times reported that Harris was emerging as the frontrunner to be Biden's running mate, as she was the only African American woman with the political experience typical of vice presidents.[298] On June 26, CNN reported that more than a dozen people close to the Biden search process considered Harris one of Biden's top four contenders, along with Elizabeth Warren, Val Demings, and Keisha Lance Bottoms.[299]

On August 11, 2020, Biden announced that he had chosen Harris. She was the first African American, the first Indian American, and the third woman after Geraldine Ferraro and Sarah Palin to be picked as the vice-presidential nominee for a major party ticket.[300]

Harris became the vice president–elect following the Biden-Harris ticket's victory in the 2020 United States presidential election.[301] After the major networks called the election for Biden/Harris, Kamala Harris was recorded calling Biden, saying, "We did it! We did it, Joe. You're going to be the next President of the United States." The quote became one of the top 10 tweets of 2020.[302]

Vice president (2021–present)

Harris being sworn in as vice president on January 20, 2021

Following the election of Joe Biden as U.S. president in the 2020 election, Harris assumed office as vice president of the United States on January 20, 2021.[303] She is the United States' first female vice president, the highest-ranking female elected official in U.S. history, and the first African-American and first Asian-American vice president.[304][30dell Latitude E7404 battery

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· dell 93FTF battery5] She is also the second person of color to hold the post, preceded by Charles Curtis, a Native American and member of the Kaw Nation, who served under Herbert Hoover from 1929 to 1933.[306] She is the third person with acknowledged non-European ancestry to reach one of the highest offices in the executive branch, after Curtis and former president Barack Obama.[citation needed] dell XPS 14 L421X battery

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Harris resigned her Senate seat on January 18, 2021, two days before her swearing-in as vice president. Her first act as vice president was swearing-in her replacement Alex Padilla and Georgia senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, who were elected in the 2021 Georgia runoff elections.[307] dell XPS 13-L321X battery

Harris cast her first of two tie-breaking votes on February 5, 2021. Harris' tie-breaking vote in her role as President of the Senate was crucial in passing the American Rescue Plan stimulus package proposed by President Biden.[308] dell Latitude E7270 battery

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Awards and honors

Harris at Howard University in 2017

In 2005, the National Black Prosecutors Association awarded Harris the Thurgood Marshall Award. That year, she was featured along with 19 other women in a Newsweek report profiling "20 of America's Most Powerful Women".[309] A 2008 New York Times article published later that year also identified her as a woman with potential to become president of the United States, highlighting her reputation as a "tough fighter".[310] dell 546FF

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In 2013, Time named Harris as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World".[311] In 2016, the 20/20 Bipartisan Justice Center awarded Harris the Bipartisan Justice Award along with Senator Tim Scott.[312]

Harris met her husband, attorney Doug Emhoff, through a mutual friend who set up Harris and Emhoff on a blind date in 2013.[319] Emhoff was an entertainment lawyer who became partner-in-charge at Venable LLP's Los Angeles office.[319][3dell V79Y0 battery

· dell 90V7W battery20] Harris and Emhoff were married on August 22, 2014, in Santa Barbara, California.[321] Harris is a stepmother to Emhoff's two children, Cole and Ella, from his previous marriage to the film producer Kerstin Emhoff.[322] As of August 2019, Harris and her husband had an estimated net worth of $5.8 million.[323] · dell PW23Y battery

Harris is a multiracial American[304] and a Baptist, holding membership of the Third Baptist Church of San Francisco, a congregation of the American Baptist Churches USA.[324][325][326][327] Her sister, Maya, is a lawyer and MSNBC political analyst; her brother-in-law, Tony West, is general counsel of Uber and a former United States Department of Justice senior official.[328] Her niece, Meena, is the founder of the Phenomenal Women Action Campaign and former head of strategy and leadership at Uber.[329]

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