#he was also the first president of texas but that's not the reason i started researching him so that's not important really

[qqueenofhades]

I just read an article on The Conversation that states: "Today, most data has Trump narrowly beating Biden in the national popular vote, albeit within the statistical margin of error." (Source for that data: https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/)

In your opinion, is that true? How can that be possible after everything Trump has done? After the Insurrection? I'm terrified 😕

(For reference, the original article can be found at https://theconversation.com/five-reasons-why-trumps-republican-opponents-were-never-going-to-beat-him-223288?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Weekend%20Conversation%20-%202888329325&utm_content=The%20Weekend%20Conversation%20-%202888329325+CID_fceedfd21410eb8a7b6fd6e1124d9d54&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk&utm_term=five%20reasons)

Short answer: no, I don't think it's true.

Long answer: no, I really don't think it's true. Here's why.

Broader context. A Republican has won the popular presidential vote only twice in the 21st century, and in the first of those occasions -- 2000 -- I use "won" very advisedly. We all know, or at least we should, about all the fuckery that went down in Florida with Bush vs. Gore and SCOTUS stepping in to stop the recount (which almost surely would have gone to Gore) and handing Florida, and thus the presidency, to George Dubya Bush by a mere 537 votes. Dubya then did win re-election and the popular vote/EC in 2004, in the throes of patriotic war fervor and the GOP's Swiftboating of John Kerry (who was a pretty terrible candidate to start with). Other than that? None. Zip. Nada. None. Even in 2016 when Trump squeaked out a win (and thus the presidency) in the Electoral College, he lost nationwide to HRC by over 3 million votes. He lost to Biden by 7 million votes nationwide last time. Also, the reason the GOP loves the antidemocratic Electoral College is that it always works in their favor, and because red states with relatively scant population are given the same power in the Senate. That's why California, with 40+ million people, gets two (Democratic) senators, and Wyoming, with 400,000 people, gets two (Republican) senators. There is just no way that red states can get the actual raw numbers to win the popular vote against heavily blue urban population centers. The only one that comes close is Texas, and while it's something of a white whale for Democrats who think fondly that it'll surely turn blue this election cycle (and then it doesn't), it's not giving all its votes popular-vote-wise to Republicans. So yeah. The numbers aren't there. Biden is about 99% certain to win the popular vote, but because this is America, the question is whether the EC will follow.

(Although, I gotta say. In the deeply unlikely event that Biden loses the popular vote but wins the Electoral College -- i.e. the exact same thing Trump did in 2016 -- the right wing would lose their fucking minds and it would be incredibly hilarious. Also, we might finally get some red states willing to sign up to the National Popular Vote Compact, which is just a few ratifications away from going into effect. As noted, the Republicans will cling onto the Electoral College with their last dying breath because it's the only thing that makes them competitive in nationwide elections. If it fucked Trump, they might finally listen to ideas about changing it.)

The media are incredibly biased, and so is Nate Silver. Silver first rose to prominence as an independent geeky Data Guy elections whiz-kid, and was relatively good at being unbiased. That is not the case anymore. He's now affiliated with the New York Times and has started echoing the smugly anti-Biden framework of both that paper and the mainstream media in general. I'm not necessarily saying his data is total bunk, but he's extremely eager to frame, narrate, and explain it in ways that artificially disadvantage Biden (in the same way the NYT itself is all in on "BUT HIS AGEEEEE," just as they were with "BUT HER EEEEEEMAILS" in 2016) And that's a problem, because:

The polls are shit. Like, really, really shit. Didn't we just go through this in 2022, where everyone howled about how All The Data pointed to a Red Wave and then were /shocked pikachu face when this was nothing more than a Red Dribble of Piss (and frankly, the best midterm election result for the ruling party since like, the 1930s?) We've also had major, real-time proof that the polls are showing a consistent pro-Trump bias of 10 or more points, which is a huge error and keeps getting corrected whenever people actually vote, but the media will never admit that, because TRUMP IS WINNING WE ARE ALL DOOMZED!! We heard about how Biden might lose New Hampshire because he wasn't even on the ballot and that would be a critical embarrassment for him. He cruised easily with 68% (all write-in votes and FAR more than any other Democratic "candidate.") Meanwhile, Trump won New Hampshire by about 15% under what the polls had predicted for him (after doing the same and barely squeaking over 50% in Iowa, one of the whitest, most rural, most Trump-loving states in the nation). The number ballparked for Biden in the NV Democratic primary was something like 75%; he got over 90% (and twice as many votes as any candidate in the Republican Primary/Caucus/Whatever That Mess Was). The number for what he was supposed to get in the SC primary was in the high 60% (driven by the media's other favorite "Black voters are abandoning Biden" canard); he absolutely crushed it at 97% statewide. When Biden is winning by whopping margins and Trump is underperforming badly, in both cases by gaps of ten percent or more, it means the polls are simply not showing us an accurate state of the race. This could be because of media bias, bad data, selective polling, inability to actually connect with voters (especially young voters, who are about as likely to eat a live scorpion as to pick up an unsolicited phone call from an unknown number). This also shows up in:

Special elections. We've heard tons of Very Smart Punditry (derogatory) about how Democrats kicking ass in pretty much every competitive election since Roe was overturned in 2022 totally means nothing for the general election. (Of course, if the situation was reversed and Republicans were cleaning up at the same rate, we would be hearing nothing except how we're all destined for Eternal Trumpocracy... wait. no... we're still only hearing this. Weird.) In the last special election in early February, Democrat Tom Suozzi won back his old U.S House seat (NY-03) by over eight points, after polls had given him at most a two- or three-point edge. (Funnily, once again a Democrat did far better than the media is determined to insist, so Politico hilariously called a thumping eight-point win "edging it out.") This represents almost a 16-point blue swing from even just 2022, when The Congressman Possibly Known as George Santos won it by 7 points. On that same night, a Democratic candidate in a Trump +26 district in deep, deep red Oklahoma only lost by 5 points, marking another massive pro-blue swing. This has been the case in every special election since Roe went down. Apparently blah blah This Won't Translate to the General Election, because the media is very smart. Even when Democrats (historically hard to motivate and muster in off-year election cycles, or you know in general) are turning up in elections that don't involve Trump to punish terrible Trumpist policies, we're supposed to think they won't be motivated to actually vote against the guy himself? And not just them, because:

Trump is a terrible candidate. Which we know, and have always known, but now it's really true. We've had up to half of Haley voters stating they will vote for Biden over Trump if that is the November matchup (which it will be). Haley, amusingly, actually outraised Trump in January, because it turns out that the Trump Crime Family's open promise to send every single donor or RNC dollar to pay El Trumpo's legal fees hasn't been a terribly effective message. We had Republicans in NY-03 telling CNN that they voted for the Democrat Suozzi because they're so fed up with the GOP clown show in the House and don't think Republicans can govern (which uh. Yeah. Welcome to reality, we all knew that ages ago too). We have had up to a third of Republican voters saying they won't vote for Trump if he's convicted of a felony before the election (and technically he already has been, but we're still hoping for the January 6 trial to go ahead). Now, yes, Republicans are a notoriously cliquey bunch and might change their minds, but for all the endless bullshit BIDEN SHOULD STEP DOWN BECAUSE DEMOCRATS ARE DISUNITED narrative the media has been pushing like their kidnapped grandmothers' lives depend on it, Democrats aren't actually disunited at all. Instead, Trump is in chaos, the GOP is in chaos, sizeable chunks of Republican voters are ready to vote for someone else and in some cases have already done so, and yet, do we hear a peep about how Trump should step down? Nah. In related news, did you hear that Biden is old?!?! Why isn't anyone writing about this?!?!

Now, I want to make it clear: Trump's chances of winning are not zero, and they are not inconsiderable. We need to face that fact and deal with it accordingly. Large chunks of the country are still willing to vote for white Christian nationalist fascism. Trump still has plenty of diehard cultists and the entire establishment Republican party in his pocket, and it's been made very clear that Putin is bringing the full force of his malevolent Russian fascist machine to bear on this election as well. Case in point: we spent four years hearing about HUNTER BIDEN HUNTER BIDEN SECRET CORRUPTION GIANT SECRET BUSINESS SCANDAL, and it turns out that the GOP's "star informant" has been actively working with Russian spies the whole time and fed them complete bullshit disinformation, which they were eager to repeat so long as it might hurt Joe Biden. (And it would hurt Ukraine, so, twofer! I cannot emphasize enough how much it was all a deliberate collaboration by some of the worst people on earth.)

In 2016, people naively assumed that Trump could never win, and so they were especially willing to throw away, spoil, or otherwise not exercise their vote, or throw purity hissy fits over HRC (likewise fed at the toxic teat of Russian disinformation). That was exactly what allowed Trump to squeak out a win in the EC and put us in the mess we are currently in. If people act in the same way in 2024 that they did in 2016, Trump's chances of winning are drastically increased. So once again, as I keep saying, it's up to us. If we all vote blue, and we get our networks to vote blue, Biden is very likely to win. If we don't, he won't, and Trump will win. It's that simple. We had better decide what we're doing. The end.

[firstsprinces]

My day for the New Traditions: Red, White, & Royal Blue Advent Calendar Event Collection (2023) has finally arrived!

I hope you've been enjoying everyone’s works for this collection so far!

When the discussion of the Christmas tree had started, Henry had already come to the comfortable conclusion they’d continue to use the fake pre-lit tree they’ve used their last couple of years in the Brownstone. For their farmhouse in Texas, Alex wants to go all out and get a real Christmas tree that will reach the high ceiling of the living room, right in front of the large front window, and off to the side of the fireplace. He also wants a second or third tree to put in their conservatory and the study.

Part of the reason is because going out to a tree farm and picking their own tree reminds Alex of childhood Christmases before his mother’s presidency and his parents’ divorce. It brings him back to when Christmas had been nothing but innocent and magical for him and his family, and now that Henry’s part of his family, he wants to create the magic all over again and in a new way, one that’s completely and organically theirs.

- or, Alex and Henry pick out a Christmas tree for their first Christmas at the Texas farmhouse.

[midshines]

So there have already been posts from @quite-actually-a-nacho and @nemoneynicket , but a public university cancelled a drag show despite that action violating both the student contract and the first amendment.

Here’s the petition and the explanation from the poster of said petition.

“The student body of West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) is calling for the reinstatement of the charity performance "A Fool's Drag Race" to be held on campus. The shunning of this performance constitutes an indirect attack on the LGBT+, feminist, and activist communities of the WTAMU student body by targeting an event that is meant to support an LGBT+ charity.

Several of West Texas A&M University's student organizations have been actively working for several months on a drag show production called "A Fool's Drag Race". The main aim of the drag show was to raise funds for the Trevor Project, an organization that addresses suicide prevention for LGBT+ youth. All proceeds from the show would be going towards the Trevor Project.

On March 20, 2023, the president of WTAMU, Dr. Walter Wendler, canceled this show. In an email addressed to the WTAMU student body, titled "A Harmless Drag Show? No Such Thing", the reasons he gave for canceling the show were that he viewed drag as something that promoted "derisive, divisive and demoralizing misogyny", citing religious texts and personal religious beliefs (in an email which was addressed to a public, non-religiously affiliated university), and comparing drag to blackface performances and other derogatory works. Not only is this a gross and abhorrent comparison of two completely different topics, but it is also an extremely distorted and incorrect definition of drag as a culture and form of performance art. Furthermore, as Section 1.3 of Rule 08.99.99.W1 WTAMU Expressive Activity on Campus states, "The university may not take action against a student organization or deny the organization any benefit generally available to other student organizations at the university on the basis of a political, religious, philosophical, ideological, or academic viewpoint expressed by the organization or any expressive activities of the organization." By suspending this drag show, Dr. Wendler is violating university policy.

We, the students of WTAMU, hope to bring this issue to Dr. Wendler's attention and urge him to reinstate the drag show on-campus. We are holding this drag show whether we have his support or not, but his extreme lack of compassion for the LGBT+ and activist student population on campus shows with this latest e-mail.

The university president’s statement can be read below.

As a prospective student of this university, I cannot express how disappointed I was when I heard about this. To compare drag shows to blackface is appalling, and to cite religious beliefs when you are the head of a public university is embarrassing at best.

Though the petition has already reached its original goal, we still need more support, especially because an opposing petition was started.

[mrcowboysmovieroom]

Compañeros (1970)

Directed by: Sergio Corbucci Genre: Western

CW: None

I love a movie that can get me to say things like, "And then they torture him with a guinea pig who's claws are reportedly strong enough to dig through solid ground."

Like what an interesting thought to have while watching a movie! It's exactly what happens in it. If that sounds too silly to be enjoyable- fear not! You are in good hands.

Compañeros starts at the end with Lola (Iris Berben) running through a mostly empty looking town to its train station where two men face off. Between them, a statue. One of them calls the other Penguin. Interesting. It's a good place to start. It has made me adequately curious.

The movie is set during the Mexican Revolution and right after the flash forward, we see one of our two men, Vasco (Tomas Milian), celebrating with his men in town after a successful revolt. They are drinking and shooting effigies of the president. Lola is there as well though she has much more hair than she did in the intro scene. She meets Vasco first and he assaults her which I must say felt completely unnecessary. She doesn’t need a reason to dislike him. She doesn't subscribe to his use of violence to win the revolution, and we later find out she leads a different band of rebels. Not to mention the fact that Vasco will soon cut off her hair which feels a far more appropriate reason for her to immediately dislike him.

Of note here is that I watched a slightly shorter version of this movie. I only know this because there is a boot shining scene where Mongo (José Bódalo), one of the antagonists, hires Vasco to his cause at about this point in the movie. It was not in the version I watched on Tubi. All things considered, I do think that such a scene is unnecessary for establishing the characters of Vasco and Mongo. I don't know if there were any other changes between the two versions but the difference in runtime was just about 5 minutes so I don't suspect a whole lot got cut.

At the train station a Polish mercenary is arriving in the same town. His name is Yodlaf Peterson (Franco Nero) but you probably won't remember that and it's frankly unimportant because his real name is the pet name Vasco gives him- Penguin.

Vasco and Penguin do not hit it off, in fact it seems Vasco was soon to kill Penguin if not for Mongo showing up shortly thereafter. Penguin is here to sell guns to Mongo after all.

Of course would you look at that? The money he's to be paid is being kept in a safe that no one can get into and the only man who knows the combination is another revolutionary named Xantos (Fernando Rey) who is currently in Texas. Xantos practices a no violence approach and it's implied at this point that Mongo really only cares about the money he could make from the revolution and not its values.

Penguin resolves that he will track down this Xantos entirely with the intention of charging Mongo more and Mongo makes Vasco go with him. So, now about thirty minutes in, our two have teamed up. I really like the beginning of this movie for the most part. In particular, Penguin has a lot of charming scenes where he worsens his relations with Vaso and is just generally entertaining.

Which on that- this movie is a very homoerotic western. It’s not Catlow (1971) levels of homoeroticism but by god it’s close! Granted, this genre is sort of built for homoeroticism. Your leads are almost always men so all your most important scenes and moments of character development are about, for, and between men. It’s incredibly easy to project a romantic interpretation onto that. But Compañeros seems unusually romantic at some points. For example, in the beginning of the movie Penguin gives a dollar to Vasco, and Vasco proceeds to wear it as a necklace the whole rest of the movie. And the coin comes back a lot! There is also the fact that save one another frequently. It does one well to remember that if this were any other genre and one of the two was a woman, they would be falling in love by the end of the movie.

Vasco and Penguin start their journey on horseback and then switch to the train. The scene is a little cute actually because they're just nestled together in the seat. Unfortunately these two cannot escape trouble for long and that comes in the way of Lola and her rebels. The pair get away and back on the train but then Penguin disconnects the cars from the engine, leaving Vasco on his own.

Now the meat and potatoes of this movie is a lot of fun! I haven’t encountered a western villain this hokey in awhile and I must say that Jack Palance as John, the man with a wooden hand, is utterly brilliant. He’s slimy, conniving, and somehow as sinister as he is silly. He wears a cape and has a falcon named Marsha as a familiar.

Him and Yodlaf have history. In a biblical sense you might say. And I mean that as both a suggestive joke about their relationship, but also as a pun on the actual events that transpired between them.You see, on their last job together Penguin left John for dead and John was literally crucified. He only managed to get away because Marsha ate through his hand. What a backstory!

Once Penguin gets off the train he sees Marsha and John. It’s here we learn of his amazing backstory and John leaves Penguin precariously hung from a post where he must balance on a barrel or choke to death. Marsha stands nearby waiting to eat him or something. So of course, because this is a movie, Vasco shows up in time to gloat and then save his life.

I really love this scene. It was used in some iterations of the posters. Giving very Spider-man and MJ. Vasco even comments on how beautiful and like the sky Penguin's eyes are.

Now without a train we have an excuse for this bumbling journey to last longer and for more chaos to ensue. This is your Midnight Run of cowboy movies if you will. The actual goal is straightforward but the progress our leads make is bumbling because of their clashing personalities and outside forces (John and both Mexican and American armies) wanting to thwart their efforts. I have a soft spot for movies like this.

In town, Penguin meets with a prostitute he knows. She helps them get into a military camp to break out Xantos but before she does that, Penguin suggests she sleep with Vasco. When Penguin goes to find Vasco later, he’s in a state of shock lying on the bed with his boots off and lipstick on his face muttering about how she’s blonde everywhere. When Penguin asks what happened, the prostitute replies, “It’s too much of a shock, I guess.” I do not know if Vasco will beat the allegations…

But hey, neither is Penguin because while saving Xantos he announces himself by saying “I’m the Swede, but they call me Penguin.”

Saving Xantos is an easier task than some of the other events that befall our leads and so about an hour in we are on our way back to Mongo. Xantos is very steadfast in his beliefs and during their ride repeatedly tries to talk to Vasco and convince him that Mongo doesn’t have his best interests at heart.

Xantos doesn’t try to convince Penguin because Penguin will literally join anyone’s side for whichever slice of the pie is bigger. He’s consistent to say the least, and in a way perfectly reliable because of it.

Penguin tries to abandon Vasco overnight and this time it seems to work! Vasco gets caught by John and this is where we see the vile, contemptible guinea pig that is said to render flesh. It is put in a basket tied to Vasco’s bare chest. At first Vasco laughs because it’s ticklish, but then he begins to scream and call out for Penguin. Xantos refuses to go onward without saving Vasco and so Penguin goes to get him back.

Back on the road again, Xantos finds baby turtles. He remarks how unusual it is for this breed of turtle to be here and begins to collect them all. This seems like a really odd scene but actually it is hilariously relevant because when Xantos gets captured by John while running away from our two boys, he starts to leave the turtles like bread crumbs. This movie has a lot of things in it that are so beyond expectations.

Now with the aid of Lola, our team goes to get Xantos. Following that, John makes a move on Mongo and suggests they team up and bait Xantos in to kill him. John is hoping to get the Penguin with him.

So thus we are led into our final confrontation! Or well sort of. It sort of feels like this movie ends ten times but we’ll get to that. Xantos goes alone to confront Mongo and Penguin and Vasco both follow. Penguin takes a different route so he can spot John’s trap for Xantos and fires on the supports of the tower he’s in. Mongo’s men come all running out and basically Vasco and Penguin take down the lot of them. During this scene Vasco gets fatally shot, but what do ya know? THE BULLET HIT THE DOLLAR COIN HE WEARS AROUND HIS NECK.

Something about this scene is like what I imagine seeing a unicorn would be like. Rapturous and euphoric, and at the same time I cannot believe it’s happening and that my eyes and ears beheld it.

At the end of the fight Mongo gives up. He’s alone anyway so, yeah he better. Xantos convinces Vasco not to kill him, though the effort is moot because Mongo proves to be treacherous again. He’s about to kill Xantos when he is fired upon by all of Xantos’ other rebels who've finally shown up. Xantos then gives Penguin the combination for the safe and it turns out it didn’t have any money in it. Just the promise of money. Penguin looks like he’s about to finally snap but he soon reconciles the loss in a different way.

You see all the while Vasco and Lola have been falling in love. Or I mean I guess? Vasco is suddenly far more appealing when he’s on the write side of the revolution and yeah it sucked when he cut off her hair, but it was really romantic when he revealed he’d been storing it under his hat to remind him of her.

I expected this turn of events from the movie, but it doesn’t really justify it. I think the actors do fine together and convince me this matters, but the events that transpire between them leave a lot to be desired. I mentioned how Vasco and Lola meet and that’s sort of a huge vibe killer for their relationship to me. I really think the movie would have made way more sense if that scene just wasn’t in there at all. Vasco doesn’t really seem the type of person to act that way for the entire rest of the film and his removing her hair worked better on its own.

But I digress, they are in love now and Lola will only be with him if they get married. They have no priest but they instead will use a statue of San Bernardino. As they are finishing their vows, from the roof Penguin steals the statue and cackles. You see, it was the only thing of value in the town and he could never leave empty handed and now we see our character back in the beginning. They are about to have a duel but then John and his couple remaining men catch up to them, and Vasco and Penguin shoot them instead of each other.

Xantos is killed by John and Vasco invites Penguin to fight with him. Penguin declines but as he’s leaving he sees the Mexican army on its way so he rides back into town to join them for an incoming fight, shouting “Compañeros! Vamos a mator, Compañeros!” Vasco smiles, beautifully I might add, and the movie ends.

Really good stuff. Really great stuff! This was an absolutely blast of a good time. I did enjoy myself a lot while watching it. I don’t know if the movie will hold up as well on rewatches though. This movie is just under two hours and sometimes you can really feel that runtime. Most of the time you don’t feel it, but it does have moments that drag. Like the ending. Additionally some of the scenes, as mentioned already, are unnecessary. They don’t destroy my overall enjoyment of the movie but they are things I might skip when I rewatch it.

I really loved the acting, especially from Nero, Milian, and Palance. They are a blast to watch and captivated me the whole way through. The interactions between Vasco and Penguin are just full of chemistry and are very entertaining.

The score was done by Ennio Morricone whom I generally always love. This was not my favorite score by him. I liked the main theme but not so much some of the other tracks. They reminded me of scores of his I liked better from My Name is Nobody (1973) and Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970).

All in all I’m feeling this movie has earned a 6.7/10.

[usafphantom2]

July 24, 1964

The selection of Crewmembers started on the very same day that the SR 71 was announced. President Johnson did not reverse the letters. RS when he announces the SR-71!

For years I had heard that President Johnson became dyslexic when he announced for the first time that the United States had developed a Mach 3 reconnaissance aircraft, the SR-71. The story was that President Johnson was supposed to name the Blackbird the “RS-71” and that he confused the letters, reversed them, and said “SR-71.” I always thought what a waste of time and money they have to change the lettering to protect the mistake of a President. It was SR-71 pilot Rich Graham that investigated and got the true story.

The very same day, July 24, 1964, when President Johnson announced that there was an SR-71, the interviews started. They were not wasting any time.

Doug Nelson went to Carswell Air Force Base in Texas; this is where half of the B 58’s were stationed. B- 58’s had many similarities to the SR-71, it was fast capable of going Mach 2, and use the stars as navigation .The first men selected for the interview, a computer actually selects them! Colonel Nelson later told my Dad that he was so relieved when he said yes. The first crew’s ( pilot and navigator) for this spectacular new airplane were picked to go to Brooks for the Astronaut physical. They had to pass the physical. They also ran a risk; If they found anything wrong with the candidate, they might be grounded. My Dad, Butch Sheffield, wrote in his unpublish Book that my parents had talked over and decided to leave the B-58 program for this new airplane if the opportunity came. Dad told my mom (Rosie)that this new plane would be safer than B-58:approximately 1/4 of all the B 58’s crashed!

During the 1964 presidential campaign, Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater repeatedly criticized President Lyndon B. Johnson and his administration for falling behind the Soviet Union in developing new weapons.

The media transcript given to the press at the time still had the earlier RS-71 designation in place, creating the story that the President had misread the aircraft's designation. Not true. It was Curtis LeMay who wanted a different name. Strategic Reconnaissance is what the SR stood for.

Originally designated RS-71, the Skunk Works was forced to change about 29,000 blueprints to SR-71 when Lyndon Johnson turned the letters around during his 1964 announcement acknowledging the existence of the airplane.

But the official transcript shows it wasn't a flub by President Johnson. Supposedly Air Force Chief of Staff General Curtis LeMay preferred the SR (Strategic Reconnaissance) designation and wanted the RS-71 to be named SR-71. Before the July speech, LeMay lobbied to modify Johnson's speech to read SR-71 instead of RS-71.

No matter the reason, in July 1964, President Johnson announced the existence of the SR-71 Strategic Reconnaissance airplane. Selection started with my father, Richard “Butch” Sheffield on that very same day.

Also chosen from the B 58 program, Robert “Gray” Sowers, Hal Confer, Al Hichew, John Storrie, Dale Shelton, and Earle Boone were selected to be Pilots. The RSO’s’s that were chosen beside my father, Coz Mollozzi, Tom Schmittou, Larry Boggess, and Dewain Vick. They all were the finest man that I was privileged to know.

Written by Linda Sheffield

source, SR 71 blackbird thesr71blackbird.com

’The Very First” unpublished book by Butch Sheffield

@Habubrats71 via Twitter

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

BY MATT LEWIS

In case you missed her, Marjorie Taylor Greene is back. It didn’t take long either.

After backing establishment Republican Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become Speaker in January, she is now safely ensconced in the committees that her loyalty earned, which means the old MTG has returned with a vengeance—in all her QAnon-adjacent glory.

It started with the silly balloon stunt before the State of the Union, picked up when Rep. Greene wore a white fur-trim coat to the event and heckled President Joe Biden (whom she calls a “coward”), and continued Thursday in a classified briefing about the Chinese spy balloon.

It sounds like the hearing was off the hook. “When she got to ask questions,” one fellow member of Congress said, “she was yelling out saying ‘bullshit,’ and, you know, ‘I don’t believe you… Just screaming and yelling, irrational in my estimation,” the lawmaker continued.

“I chewed them out just like the American people would’ve,” Greene told The Hill. “I tore ’em to pieces.”

Look Marge, I wanted to shoot down the balloon sooner, too, but there’s such a thing as decorum. I mean, WTF, MTG?

But that’s not even the end of her return-to-crazy week. During an entirely different Oversight Committee hearing, Greene told former Twitter executives: “I’m so glad that you’re censored now, and I’m so glad you’ve lost your jobs.” A kinder, gentler, MTG, this was not.

I’ve always been skeptical that Greene’s support of McCarthy meant she was trying to do a heel-face turn from Tonya Harding to Nancy Kerrigan, but there was a reason to believe she might at least try. After all, Greene’s support for McCarthy coincided with a larger rebranding effort that included her explaining away her penchant for QAnon conspiracy theories as (absurdly) something in her very distant past.

The fantasy that she had matured wasn’t just an MTG creation; it was pushed by her more mainstream Republican colleagues in the House, too. “She realizes she’s got to go toward the McCarthy side to be successful—if she hangs out with the bomb-throwers all the time, she’s not going to be able to get much done,” said Rep. Kasey Carpenter of Georgia.

“I will tell you she has matured,” Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas said last month on ABC’s This Week. “I think she realizes she doesn’t know everything. And she wants to learn and become I think more of a team player.”

Today, those words sound even more absurd than when he first uttered them.

No, I don’t think that Greene, now sitting on prestigious committees, will embrace the awesome responsibility of leadership à la Thomas Becket. But it’s worth asking whether her support for McCarthy was always a strategic one-off, or whether she simply fell off the rebranding wagon.

I think it’s the former.

For one thing, Greene clearly believes in what she is doing right now.

You can hear it in her rhetoric—“I chewed them out just like the American people would’ve,” Greene said, referring to the administration officials who briefed her on the balloon.

She sees herself as the hero of her own story and as a Paraclete for the American public.

And why not? Everywhere she goes (from her very conservative Georgia district, to Sean Hannity’s show on Fox News, to Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast), Greene hears MAGA Republicans praise her for voicing their concerns and saying the things that other people are afraid to say.

Yes, the spy balloon was eventually popped, but the conspiracy bubble in which Greene floats appears to be shatterproof.

It’s also possible that she is overcompensating in an attempt to get back in the far right’s good graces.

Remember when Rep. Andy Biggs accused her of “crossing the Rubicon,” and Nick Fuentes and Laura Loomer attacked her? She also reportedly had a bathroom fight with Rep. Lauren Boebert, and Rep. Matt Gaetz mocked her theory about “Jewish space lasers” starting wildfires.

If peer pressure isn’t enough to get her to return to the madness caucus, perhaps she fears losing some of her market share.

When infamous bank robber Willie Sutton was asked why he robs banks, legend has it that he responded, “Because that’s where the money is.” Likewise, Greene’s brand—her unique selling proposition—requires her to keep her fans (and small-dollar donors) happy.

If politics is about “dancing with the one who brung ya” to “climb the greasy pole,” then MTG is once again dancing her ass off on that pole.

Now, maybe she can afford to dip her toes into a leadership battle and occasionally side with the establishment. That not only earns her rewards, it also garners her attention and ups her eccentricity factor. But let’s be honest: MTG is a rock star, and rock stars do dumb things like throwing TVs out of hotel windows. If she starts behaving like, you know, a normal politician, her star value goes out the window, too.

MTG, in my mind, is a combination of a true believer who guzzles the Kool-Aid and a savvy political operator who realizes that going straight is going nowhere. Maybe someday it will be in her best interest to reinvent herself as a normie. But if that day ever comes, I’m not sure she could even stick to it.

You can take the girl out of Q, but you can’t take Q out of the girl.

[beardedmrbean]

ST. ALBANS, Vt. (AP) — Authorities in Vermont say Ugandan activist who fled his home country after he says he was repeatedly tortured for his human rights work and would fear for his life if he was deported can stay another year.

Steven Tendo, a 37-year-old pastor, was granted a one-year stay on deportation or removal on Tuesday. After a meeting at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Office in northern Vermont, he thanked the two dozen advocates and friends who gathered outside the building to show their support. The newspaper VTDigger first reported on his case from Vermont.

“You mobilized, you spoke on my behalf, you poured out your hearts,” Tendo said to the small crowd. “I mean, I can't express how I feel but I am so happy and I promise I am going to be a very successful Vermonter."

In Uganda, Tendo started the nonprofit Eternal Life Organization International Ministries, that he says, among other things, helped youths to vote, incarcerated youths and those calling for reforms to express themselves in a legal and organized manner. The Ugandan government eventually saw the organization as a threat and targeted him, he said. Starting in 2012 he says he was repeatedly tortured and that government operatives severed the tips of two of his finger. He was arrested multiple times on trumped up charges but never convicted, he said.

Emails were sent to the Embassy of the Republic of Uganda in Washington, D.C., seeking comment.

Uganda's human rights environment has declined markedly over the past year, according to the 2022 World Report from Human Rights Watch. In the spring of 2021, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the election in which longtime President Yoweri Museveni won a sixth term “was neither free nor fair." In announcing some visa restrictions, Blinken said “opposition candidates were routinely harassed, arrested, and held illegally without charge. Ugandan security forces were responsible for the deaths and injuries of dozens of innocent bystanders and opposition supporters.”

Tendo fled Uganda and in late 2018 sought asylum in the United States and protection under the Convention Against Torture. For a little over two years, he was detained at the Port Isabel Service Processing Center in Texas where a judge did not find him credible and denied him asylum. During his detention — which Tendo said was worse than the torture he endured in Uganda — his health declined. He said he was denied a diet to manage his diabetes, was not allowed to check his sugar levels and he became blind because of his uncontrolled sugar levels.

In August of 2020, 44 members of Congress wrote a letter to the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security urgently requesting that Tendo's deportation be halted and that he be released for “life-threatening medical reasons.” Amnesty International and other organizations also called for his release, which happened in February of 2021. An email was sent to ICE seeking comment.

After his release, Tendo was invited by the Central Vermont Refugee Action Network to live in Vermont, where he now works at the DREAM Program Inc., a nonprofit that helps youth, and he has a separate night job. He had an operation to correct the vision in one eye.

DREAM Program founder Michael Foote described Tendo as “fantastic," as he stood with others outside the immigration office on Tuesday to support him.

“He exudes charisma, and leadership and so he’s been a real asset on the fundraising side, which is where he is focused, but also an important bridge to the new American community in the Chittenden County area,” he said.

Dian Kahn, a member of the Central Vermont Refugee Action Network, who helped Tendo for about nine months when he first arrived in Vermont, also stood outside the building.

“Steven is a brilliant, caring, very special person that really wants to bring community good and in Vermont those are our values here for a lot of us,” she said.

State officials have also taken on his cause. In November, Vermont's congressional delegation and Lieutenant Gov. Molly Walsh wrote letters to acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement asking her to “exercise prosecutorial discretion in Mr. Tendo’s case." Amnesty International also sent a letter saying his “removal would constitute a grave injustice and a clear breach of U.S. obligations not to return a person to possible persecution or torture.”

Tendo appealed the judge’s decision denying his asylum to the Board of Immigration Appeals and was denied, then lost his appeal for a review of that decision in federal court. He says he plans to talk with lawyers about what to do next. He is intensively grateful for all the support and says he loves Vermont and being a Vermonter.

“I have a passion to help people in need and become a solution,” he said.

[p4557]

Inside the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ push that’s perplexing health leaders - The Washington Post

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HEALTH BRIEF

Inside the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ push that’s perplexing health leaders

By Dan Diamond and McKenzie Beard

October 18, 2024 at 7:42 a.m. EDT

The Washington Post’s essential guide to health policy news

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Welcome to the start of another October weekend — or as I think of it, another perfect weekend to rewatch “The Hunt for Red October.” (And if it’s one of your favorite movies too, might I suggest this retrospective on Tom Clancy, written by a familiar health reporter?) Send your tips and own weekend rewatchables to dan.diamond@washpost.com.

Today’s edition: Texas is suing a doctor for allegedly providing gender-affirming care to minors in violation of state law. Tobacco use among U.S. youths hit a 25-year low. But first …

The MAHA moment

When Robert F. Kennedy Jr ended his presidential bid, he endorsed Donald Trump. He cited shared interest in health issues as one reason. (Tom Brenner for The Washington Post)

The Donald Trump-Robert F. Kennedy Jr. political alliance has an official brand: MAHA.

“Don’t you want a president that’s going to make America healthy again?” Kennedy said to Trump supporters at an Arizona rally two months ago, winning cheers as he officially endorsed his onetime rival. The slogan riffs off Trump’s own “Make America Great Again” pledge, or MAGA.

Expect to hear more about MAHA as the Trump campaign tries to make it part of their closing message, hoping to win over voters who are skeptical about Trump but are worried about childhood obesity, chronic disease and other bipartisan problems. Kennedy, Trump and several health experts are set to hold a virtual town hall on Tuesday, further focusing attention on their still-developing plan.

🏛️

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In The Washington Post today, Rachel Roubein, Lauren Weber and I delve into the mechanics of MAHA — where it came from, how it emerged and the skepticism, even among former Trump officials, that Trump and Kennedy can deliver on what they’re promising.

There’s widespread consensus: We’re too sick. Experts have long complained that the U.S. health system is skewed toward treating illnesses rather than addressing its root causes. A Post series last year found that too many Americans were dying too soon.

But there’s also little political will to make transformative changes around diet, fitness and other factors contributing to America’s poor health, because it would involve fighting industry and making long-term investments that might not pay off for years, as The Post detailed.

“We’re paying for the cost of inaction on issues such as chronic disease prevention,” said J. Nadine Gracia, the president of Trust for America’s Health, a nonpartisan public health policy, research and advocacy organization.

MAHA represents a political shift.

While some politicians like Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have demanded big government actions on chronic disease, Republicans hadn’t really elevated it as a national issue. Until now.

“This traditionally has been much more a concern on the left,” said Helena Bottemiller Evich, a journalist who writes Food Fix and has covered the politics of food policy for 15 years. “What I think we’re seeing now is a real realignment, and it’s happened really fast.”

Kennedy, who initially ran for president as a Democrat before pivoting to an independent run, has long been fixated on the risks of chemicals in the environment. When he threw his support to Trump, he received assurances from Trump that he’d play a role shaping personnel and policy in the next administration, Kennedy has said.

Now the two men are trying to rebrand themselves as champions of public health. Experts are happy that chronic disease has suddenly become a presidential campaign priority — but not sure how to feel about the message coming from Trump and Kennedy.

Kennedy gained national attention as an anti-vaccine activist, alarming the public health community for years. And as president, Trump oversaw a rollback of environmental protections — which Kennedy himself repeatedly criticized as a public health threat and called “despicable” as it was happening.

The MAHA ambitions are big — and may not be feasible.

The movement is calling for changes that are far more aggressive than policymakers typically propose.

For instance, Trust for America’s Health released a blueprint this month that lays out recommendations for the next administration, whether Democrat or Republican. It’s a collection of ideas that are generally endorsed by prominent health leaders on both sides of the aisle, such as calling on the next administration to invest in the nation’s public health agencies as part of a plan to combat chronic disease.

Compare that to an op-ed by Kennedy that lays out the MAHA agenda, which calls for gutting those agencies and transforming how the Food and Drug Administration is funded.

Even some former Trump officials predict that MAHA would run into roadblocks, given the workings of Washington and Trump’s history of making sweeping promises, like his 2016 campaign vow to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and his failure to fulfill them.

One more takeaway from our reporting: There’s agreement that dramatic action is needed but little confidence that Trump and Kennedy are the right people to lead it.

State scan

Paxton accuses doctor of providing gender-affirming care unlawfully

The lawsuit by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appears to be the first of its kind. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is suing a Dallas pediatrician, alleging she provided hormone replacement therapy to 21 minors in violation of the state’s gender-affirming care ban.

The lawsuit, which appears to be the first of its kind, accuses May C. Lau of misleading pharmacies, insurance providers and patients by falsifying records to indicate that her testosterone prescriptions were for purposes other than gender transition. Lau is an adolescent medicine physician at Children’s Health Center Dallas and an associate professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

“Our top priority is the health and well being of our patients,” Children’s Health said in a statement, emphasizing that the health-care system “adheres to all state health care laws.” Neither Lau nor UT Southwestern responded to a request for comment.

Next steps: Paxton is asking the Collin County district court for a temporary injunction against Lau and is pushing for fines of $10,000 for each alleged violation. If found guilty of violating the state’s ban, she could also lose her medical license.

Meanwhile …

A federal judge ordered Florida to stop threatening television stations with criminal charges if they run a political ad calling for the repeal of the state’s six-week abortion ban, The Post’s Lori Rozsa reports.

Key context: Proponents of Amendment 4, which would enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday after the Florida Department of Health sent cease-and-desist letters to stations demanding they pull the advertisement.

Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker called the demand “unconstitutional coercion” by the state, which he said violates the First Amendment. He issued a temporary injunction against the state, which lasts until Oct. 29 — a week before the Nov. 5 election.

The view from abortion rights advocates: “This critical initial victory is a triumph for every Floridian who believes in democracy and the sanctity of the First Amendment,” said Lauren Brenzel, campaign director of Yes on 4.

The view from the state: “The ads are unequivocally false and put the lives and health of pregnant women at risk,” said Julia Friedland, deputy press secretary for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who criticized the decision as “another order that excites the press.”

Agency alert

Survey: Tobacco use among young people hits lowest level in 25 years

E-cigarettes remained the most commonly used tobacco product among young people, followed by nicotine pouches. (Steven Senne/AP)

In 2024, 2.25 million U.S. middle and high school students reported using a tobacco product in the past month, down from 2.8 million in 2023, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Federal health officials said the decline is mainly due to a notable drop in e-cigarette use, which fell from 2.13 million in 2023 to 1.63 million in 2024. Cigarette smoking also hit a record low, with just 1.4 percent of students reporting current use.

Yes, but: Despite the overall decline, e-cigarettes remain the most commonly used tobacco product among youths for the 11th consecutive year. This comes as the federal government has tightened its regulation of the vaping industry and ramped up its efforts to crack down on illegal distribution and sales.

Dr. Robert M. Califf

@DrCaliff_FDA

·

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We’re encouraged to see youth use of any tobacco product is at all-time low since the NYTS survey started 25 years ago, however there is still more work to be done. Keeping tobacco products out of the hands of youth remains a top priority for the FDA.

FDA Tobacco

@FDATobacco

7:13 PM · Oct 17, 2024

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From our notebook

Scott Gottlieb calls for a ‘refocus’ of CDC role

Dan also sent this update: Writing in JAMA Health Forum, the Trump-era FDA commissioner concludes that the CDC’s “sprawling mandate” is creating bureaucratic inefficiency, slowing down public health responses and harming the agency’s image.

Gottlieb cites an example from his time trying to crack down on e-cigarettes, when he says FDA’s enforcement efforts were delayed by CDC dawdling on data collection. “Allowing certain activities to be transferred to other agencies in exchange for a strengthened infectious-disease control budget could set the stage for a revitalization of CDC,” Gottlieb argues.

The piece got some attention on CDC’s Atlanta campus, where Gottlieb is not universally popular after criticizing elements of the agency’s covid-19 response. But some CDC officials conceded he had a point about the value of streamlining the agency’s bureaucracy, even if they were skeptical about winning budget increases for infectious-disease control.

Scott Gottlieb, MD

@ScottGottliebMD

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My latest article in @JAMA_current Forum: To reform the CDC, we should refocus the agency on core disease control mission, making sure this principal mission is properly resourced and empowered; while handing more prevention work to sister agencies

Is it Time to Refocus the Role of the CDC?

This JAMA Forum discusses the responsibilities of public health agencies that overlap with those of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and argues that the role of the CDC could...

7:31 PM · Oct 17, 2024

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Industry Rx

The big business that opposes wiping medical debt from credit reports

Vice President Kamala Harris has made easing the burden of medical debt a cornerstone of her economic plan in her presidential campaign. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The booming medical debt collection industry is warning that a proposal championed by Vice President Kamala Harris would threaten their work, The Post’s Peter Whoriskey reports.

Key context: Private equity firms and others have poured millions into debt collection companies, which chase payments from insurers and patients on behalf of doctors and hospitals, taking a cut of what they recover.

The Harris-led initiative, currently undergoing review by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, would remove medical debt from credit reports used for mortgages, car loans and credit cards — a key pillar of her presidential campaign’s economic agenda.

The response: Supporters say the new rules would help people facing unexpected medical bills, but the nation’s debt collectors argue it would make it too easy for patients to shirk their financial responsibilities. Bankers, who rely on the credit reports to make decisions on loans and other transactions, are also opposed.

If finalized, collections industry executives predict that more debt collectors would file lawsuits against patients and lenders would reduce offerings due to a lack of information. They also warn the move could hurt the finances of struggling hospitals and medical practices.

Health-care providers appear split on the topic. Some favor the proposal, saying the burden of the debts prevents the sick from seeking necessary treatment; while others worry it could shrink their revenue.

Quote of the week

“If you turn off a hospital supply of IV fluids, it’s like turning off the water supply to your house.”

— Chris DeRienzo, chief physician executive at the American Hospital Association, on the shortage of intravenous products affecting hospitals nationwide."

https://archive.is/2024.10.18-145821/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/18/inside-make-america-healthy-again-push-thats-perplexing-health-leaders/#:~:text=Accessibility%20statement,affecting%20hospitals%20nationwide.

[dankusner]

Texas DPS racial discrimination suit can go to trial, judge says

Special Agent Jari McPherson hoped he could make change within the Department of Public Safety in 2019 by calling out what he called a “racially hostile” environment at the Temple office where he worked.

But after filing an internal complaint that went nowhere, he requested a transfer to the agency’s Austin office.

His problems only continued to mount there, says McPherson, who is Black.

Before he even arrived, his supervisor spoke poorly of him, citing the internal complaint, and seemed to treat white colleagues better.

McPherson was later passed over for a different job that was given to a white employee with less experience, he says, and ultimately placed in a minority-only unit that was given “more difficult and onerous tasks, work, and assignments and given less days off” than other units containing only white employees.

McPherson, 42, is one of three former and current troopers who sued the agency in 2020, saying they were subjected to years of racial discrimination and that the agency failed to properly investigate their concerns.

Their lawsuit recently cleared a major hurdle when a federal judge ruled it could go to trial this summer.

The case is on hold while the state, which has denied the troopers’ allegations, appeals to the conservative 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

In his February opinion, U.S. District Judge David Ezra, an appointee of former President Ronald Reagan, wrote that McPherson and a co-plaintiff, Jerald Sams, who is also Black, had sufficiently proven that they were subjected to discrimination and retaliation while working at DPS.

McPherson and Sams experienced “hostile” work environments due to their race,” Ezra wrote, and the state failed to take “prompt remedial action for every instance of harassment.”

McPherson said he started seeing a therapist for the first time for the anxiety and depression this situation brought for him, and it caused problems at home as well.

"Your body is tired, you're mentally and physically tired," he said in an interview. "You feel like you're fighting all day at work, so you get home, and you don't want to do anything. You don't want to play with your kids; you don't want to watch a movie with your wife."

Sams, who had grown up with horses and helped develop the written manual for operational procedures for the agency’s horse-mounted patrol unit, alleges in the suit that a white lieutenant once accused him of trying to turn it into a “Buffalo Soldiers Unit” – a nod to historically Black U.S. Army regiments in the 19th Century.

According to the suit, a commander had also asked him, “Can’t you see what the perception is with all of these African Americans that are on the mounted unit?”

The complaint alleges that another coworker, a captain over the mounted unit, also allegedly took a picture of Sams while he was trimming a horse’s hooves and texted it to a friend, then read the friend’s response out loud while laughing: “I have never seen a Black man doing that before.”

Other incidents outlined in the complaint include a white male lieutenant circulating a photo of himself with a “Hitler mustache” to co-workers on his work phone during work hours and white co-worker wearing clothing that mocked the Black Lives Matter movement that at the time was leading protests across the country over the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who was killed by Minneapolis police in May 2020.

The attorney general’s office, which represents state agencies in court, did not respond to a request for comment. A DPS spokesperson said the agency does not comment on pending litigation.

Lawyers for the state had argued in court filings that there are legitimate reasons why the plaintiffs were not promoted, and the employees did not meet the legal standard of proof showing they faced a hostile working environment.

Specifically, they alleged McPherson and a third co-plaintiff, Daniel Martinez, had lied at points to supervisors and Sams presented “leadership and communications concerns.”

“Each plaintiff is a well-regarded employee who at some point made an error in judgment, and thus they have had a harder time competing for a promotion,” their response to the suit reads. “The plaintiffs, however, blame race discrimination and retaliation, and claim they are subject to a hostile working environment.”

Martinez and McPherson, who have served the agency for more than 15 and 20 years, respectively, are still employed by DPS. Sams recently retired in February after more than 26 years of service because of the severe toll the work environment took on his mental health.

Leonard Mungo, who is representing the plaintiffs and also serves as general counsel for the National Black State Troopers Coalition, disputed the state’s characterization of the plaintiffs. He said the suit is part of a broader effort by the organization to implement reform that will make the nation’s state policing agencies more diverse and inclusive.

Mungo's coalition has asked agencies across the country to perform a diversity gap analysis, identify practices that may undermine diversity and come up with new ones that will enhance it, allocate the necessary resources for those changes and create an accountability system that will enable them to track their progress.

Mungo said very few agencies responded to the request, which was first issued about three years ago, and DPS was not one of them.

Still, Mungo said Ezra’s ruling was a major victory, as cases like this one often do not make it past this stage.

In their lawsuit against DPS, the plaintiffs are seeking unspecified financial damages and other compensation, as well as whatever relief the judge “deems just and equitable” for the harm they’ve faced.

Ezra threw out all but one count filed by Martinez, 39; the one that survived alleges that DPS failed to accommodate his physical and psychological disabilities, including a PTSD diagnosis.

He claims they did so by declining his request to transfer to a different DPS office “to remove himself from the discriminatory and retaliatory circumstances he was in” that he said was hurting his mental health.

The agency “fail(ed) to consider that being closer to relatives and away from a stressful workplace, even if the discrimination against Martinez were only perceived, could help alleviate symptoms of PTSD,” Ezra wrote. “His employer failed to even engage in discussion of this accommodation.”

Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and court precedent, a plaintiff must be able to show that they were discriminated against and treated less favorably than their peers outside their racial group.

The burden then shifts to the employer to show it had a nondiscriminatory reason for that adverse employment action.

The onus then returns to the plaintiff to prove that the reason provided by the employer is “pretext for a discriminatory purpose.”

Sams said he felt compelled to join the lawsuit because his son had always dreamed of becoming a trooper and was nearing the age he could apply to become one.

Sams had filed internal complaints, he said, but they improved nothing, and he was still passed over for promotions by less qualified and less experienced people.

“I felt like there is no way I can leave this department and allow him to come in without any type of change,” said Sams, who is 55. “And I just felt like if I didn’t try to do something, I’d be doing him an injustice.”

McPherson et al v. Texas Department of Public Safety

Tuesday, April 02, 2024

68 appeal Notice of Appeal Tue 04/02 4:13 PM

Cross Appeal of Order entered by District Judge63 by Daniel Martinez, Jari McPherson, Jerald Sams. ( Filing fee $ 605 receipt number ATXWDC-18600700) (Notzon, Robert) appeal Notice of Appeal - Interlocutory Wed 04/03 6:50 AM NOTICE OF CROSS INTERLOCUTORY APPEAL as to63 Order on Motion for Summary Judgment, by Daniel Martinez, Jari McPherson, Jerald Sams. Filing fee $ 605, receipt number ATXWDC-18600700. Per 5th Circuit rules, the appellant has 14 days, from the filing of the Notice of Appeal, to order the transcript. To order a transcript, the appellant should fill out[LINK:(Transcript Order)] and follow the instructions set out on the form. This form is available in the Clerk's Office or by clicking the hyperlink above. (klw) Thursday, March 28, 2024 67 appeal Transcript Request (Appeal) Thu 03/28 4:00 PM TRANSCRIPT REQUEST by Texas Department of Public Safety. Proceedings Transcribed: no hearings.. (Harris, Drew) 66 1 pgs order Order ~Util - Terminate Deadlines and Hearings Thu 03/28 3:45 PM ORDER Cancelling Trial and deadlines. Signed by Judge David A. Ezra. (klw)

Hi, Leonard,

Just read about McPherson v DPS. Congrats on the Ezra ruling. 

DPS hired me 3 times. They also busted my supervisor for discrimination — sex/gender. 

Lt. Thomas Williams was the investigator.

Williams gave me his trial transcripts — when Williams won.

I also have my investigation files. 

Would be happy to share them with you. 

The internal investigations are interesting because Williams and DPS’ internal EEO went the distance in their investigation efforts. 

Also, Francesa DiTroia represented DPS in my filing. 

Again, congrats. 

[rabbitcruiser]

National Tamale Day

We celebrate National Tamale Day on March 23 every year. It is a day where all kinds of tamales are appreciated — from the meat-filled ones to the cheesy ones. Tamales are a traditional Latin American dish that is made using corn dough, called masa, and a variety of fillings. The corn dough forms the outer pocket and the fillings make up the soft bit inside the pocket. Each tamale is wrapped in a corn husk or a banana leaf and is usually steamed or boiled before eating. One bite into it, and you can taste the pillowy taste of corn mingling with the delicious fillings.

History of National Tamale Day

Tamales originated in 7000 B.C. They were first introduced in the Aztec empire. All those years ago, corn had not been discovered yet. The outer layer was called ‘teocintle,’ the precursor to modern maize. The ‘teocintle’ was popular for its sweet-tasting stalks. Once it was pollinated by the natives, the sweet and juicy corn was discovered inside. This was not the same as the modern corn we consume today.

In 1612, Captain John Smith claimed that tamales were made by Native Americans belonging to Virginia. He went on to talk about the process he had seen of making tamales, “Their corne they rost in the eare greene, and bruising it in a mortar of wood with a Polt; lappe it in rowles in the leaves of their corne, and so boyle it for a daintie.”

In the 1800s, the Mexican bourgeoisie began to associate the word “tamal” with poverty. This food dish was looked down upon by the upper classes due to its wide availability and for being a reason for ill health in peasants. The Mexican revolution caused an overturn of judgment when the bourgeoisie class sentiments were wiped out and the tamal was reborn as the symbol of Mexican cuisine.

In the 19th century, tamales traveled across the border into the U.S. and became very popular in America. The big Spanish-speaking communities in places like California, Texas, and Arizona had put up tamale stands everywhere. Tamales were all over the streets of Los Angeles to the point that the government had to fight to remove their spread. The locals had already fallen in love with this delightful dish however and such attacks on Mexican culture and cuisine were not tolerated.

National Tamale Day timeline

7000 B.C.

The Earliest Origins of Tamales

Tamales are first introduced in the Aztec empire with the outer layer made using ‘teocintles.’

1612

Tamales Made by Native Americans From Virginia

Captain John Smith claims that tamales are made by Native Americans in Virginia.

1800s

Tamales are Looked Down On

The Mexican bourgeoisie begins to associate the word ‘tamale’ with poverty.

19th Century

Tamales Come to America

They become popular in Spanish-speaking communities in California, Texas, and Arizona.

National Tamale Day FAQs

Are tamales good for you?

Tamales have healthy micronutrients, including vitamin A, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, and iron. Corn also provides fiber.

How long do tamales steam for?

Tamales are usually steamed for 20 to 30 minutes. Steaming is necessary for them to turn soft.

How do I know when my tamales are ready?

The tamales are done when the corn dough around the filling feels firm to touch. You see no more remaining bits of uncooked dough.

National Tamale Day Activities

Make your own tamale: Tamales might take some time to make but the result of your effort will be great. Try finding an easy-to-make tamale recipe on the internet.

Visit a place that sells tamales: If you want to try authentic tamales, visit any of the local tamale stalls put up by Latin American communities in your area. There are a variety of fillings so choose the one you like the best.

Post on social media: Don’t forget to post about this delicious day on social media. Make your followers drool with a picture of your tamale!

5 Facts About Tamales

The Great Tamale Incident: Former President Gerald Ford started eating tamales without even removing the husks.

Tamales all day every day: In Mexico, tamales are served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner..

Tamale means ‘wrapped’: The word comes from the ancient Aztec word ‘tamalli,’ which means ‘wrapped.’

Corn is the basic ingredient: All tamales are made with corn dough and wrapped in an outer layer then they’re steamed.

Tamales can be desserts too: That is when they are cooked with sugar and have raisins, jam, or fruit inside.

Why We Love National Tamale Day

They’re delicious: Do we need a reason to celebrate tamales when they are so delicious? They are simply drool-worthy.

Food brings us closer: Food has the ability to surpass borders and boundaries. It brings us all together in a shared appreciation.

It is an important cultural heritage. Tamales are a sign of Latin American heritage. There is also evidence about their origins as far back as the Aztec empire.

Source

[casspurrjoybell-33]

Wreckless - Double Dealings

*Warning Adult Content*

Finnegan

I go into headquarters on Friday to talk with Dad... I booked a meeting and I'm wearing a suit.

Yes, I could have done this on the couch at home but if I want to be taken seriously it needs to happen here.

He's my father but today I need him to treat me like a Vice-President.

"Hello Mr. Walker," I say, heading in after having a quick catch-up and  getting the go-ahead from Betty.

He squints his eyes, takes off his glasses and rubs the bridge of his nose, then smiles.

"Good day Mr. Walker. Have a seat," I do, sitting in one of the comfortable chairs across from his desk.

"How can I help you?"

Okay, this is weird... still, if it works it'll be worth it.

"I don't know how to start. You know me, that's rarely a problem. I have no problem speaking to you or anyone else."

"True, that's why I make you do all the talking. You're well-spoken and have a way of making other people think that your ideas and plans were actually theirs."

He's hitting the nail on the head.

"Thank you. Dad, I have two contracts sitting in Baltimore. Large contracts worth millions."

He leans back.

"I'm gonna need more than that, Finnegan."

"I want to sign them and go back to rebuild."

"Slow down. Why Baltimore? We can do them here."

He's right and if not here than surely in Texas. We'd need some upgrades but either place would be easier than rebuilding in Baltimore.

"I thought you hated it there. Friction with department heads, issues with City Hall, the city itself?"

All true but I've worked most of that out."

He pops a mint into his mouth... I have no doubt that my father's piss tastes like mint because he eats them almost constantly. 

Apparently they helped him quit smoking and now he's all Brokeback and can't quit them. 

He smacks the table.

"Finnegan. Did you meet a young man?"

He passes me a mint... I liked it better when he kept LifeSavers in his desk for me.

"I'm not making business decisions based on a relationship." 

Not completely, anyway.

"You're not answering the question either so that's a yes? Please tell me he's young, Finnegan. I see the way my colleagues drool over you, creeps me out a little to be honest."

The poor guy.

"He's young, well my age, yes."

"Good. And does he have a name? This your-age man?"

"Emmett."

He nods and then relaxes.

"Tell me about these contracts. Am I supposed to know what you're talking about?"

"No, no." 

Here goes. 

"I submitted two bids to the Department of Defense and we won."

My dad does this thing where he inhales and then his face doesn't change even when he exhales.

It just stays raised and stern.

"We don't have to sign them but will you hear me out?"

"Of course."

I tell him all the reasons I think the Department of Defense contracts and getting a piece of their huge pie is a win for the company.

I spoon it on a bit thicker, telling him that someone is going to make the boards and I feel better knowing they're accurate and well made, that we can try to prevent deaths by building a quality product.

I tell him that being in Baltimore makes it much easier to work with them.

I can drive down when necessary, see people face to face.

I remind him of all the reasons we picked Baltimore in the first place.

We were right, port cities are great to do business in and shipping is easier.

There is still a huge need for good, entry level jobs and we can help lift people by providing them a good work environment and livable wage.

It's convenient not only to DC but also to Philadelphia and I can be in New York by 10:30 if necessary.

I sit back and give him time to think.

I've thrown a lot at him and my father has always been a 'think first, respond later' kind of guy.

"I have a question. If Emmett lived here in Michigan, would you still want to get Baltimore up and running?"

It's valid.

"Yes. I wouldn't stay there, I'd get it up and running and come back here. Would probably have to fly out pretty often but it would be worth it. Baltimore is a good move for Walker."

It's true... Whether he believes me or not is up to him.

"Finnegan, do you know why Walker Industries started making PCBs?"

"I know I'm glad we did but no... I don't know the story."

"It was my decision. I wasn't much older than you and the company had been struggling. This was in the late 1980s and years of Reaganomics had taken their toll. I decided we needed to diversify. Your grandfather, may he rest in peace, wanted to stay the course. Thought computers were too expensive of an investment and would never amount to much."

It's hard for me to imagine a world without computers.

"But he let you?"

He snorts and grabs another mint.

"No. Told me sit down and shut up and when he was dead in his grave, then I could run the company into the ground."

My grandpa was always tough but

"Wow. Harsh. But you didn't wait, did you? We were doing circuit boards when he was alive"

I think.

"I waited two years. Moved you kids and your mother into a crappy mobile home and banked my wages. Bought into a start-up and once that was up and running I gave your grandfather my notice."

He's smiling but I can tell it was hard for him.

"He wasn't happy and bought out all my partners and became my boss again. But he let me try, he said that if I wanted it that bad, he'd give me chance.  He gave me a year to make the start-up solvent and if I failed, he'd sell it. Condition was that I had to promise to come back if I failed."

I'm listening and glad he's telling me all this but I'm not sure quite what to take from it.

I still don't know what he's going to say.

"I made a fortune and the rest is history. He was wrong then and maybe I'm wrong about the Defense Department now. Look, I trust you... I trust your heart, I trust your head and I trust your gut. If you want to do this I won't stand in your way but there's some negotiating to be done."

I can't believe it... I will agree to almost anything, even if he only gives me a year... I can do it.

"Thanks dad."

"Thank you son, for growing into a smart, hardworking, well-spoken young man. I was going to golf this afternoon but it looks like we have a lot to discuss. I hate working with the lawyers. I want you to head up the new company and I don't want the Walker name on it, not yet. You'll be a subsidiary. Think of a catchy name, Finnegan... this is your baby."

Before we head out to see his Betty, I give him a hug.

"This means so much to me."

"Finnegan, you'll run this entire company one day. You'll call all the shots. Until then, get as much experience as you can. Baltimore sounds like a good one."

"It Is."

"And son."

"Yes, dad?"

"I'd like to meet this Emmett... even if it is on a stupid screen."

He cracks me up... I've never met anyone who hates teleconferencing as much as he does.

"Your mother is going to flip, she's been worried about you for years. I keep telling her you have time but..."

"Mom," I answer because that's just the way she is.

I get a familiar nod in response as he steals a mint off Betty's desk before telling her to summon half the company into the boardroom. 

It's going to be a long afternoon. 

I thank her and tell her I'm sending my dad copies of the contracts so that they can be printed out. 

Poor Betty, she probably expected a quiet afternoon with my dad out of the office... Oops.

[qqueenofhades]

I hate to rain on today’s much needed joy parade, but do you think the USA is headed for civil war in the near future? It’s increasingly feeling like 2024 is going to be a make or break year and with division at an all time high it feels like there’s going to be complete chaos in the streets even if we avoid crisis at the polls. Like, even though I’m in a “safe state” (for now) I’m seriously considering strategies of fleeing the country, just in case. Don’t know what I’m asking for, help? Reassurance maybe? Advice?

I think my answer to that is... yes but also no, and no but also yes, and yes but also no. Which I realize is not entirely helpful and not as clear as anyone would like, but let me try to explain:

The far-right has always been militant, violent, and prone to apocalyptic and fascist rhetoric. This isn't a new thing in American history, and it's come to the fore at moments of particular stress and division. Trump's presidency obviously gave much-unwanted oxygen to them, right when people were starting to claim that Obama's election meant that America was in a "post-racial era" (LOL), but they themselves are not new. We had the Civil War itself, we had the lynchings and racial terror and Jim Crow/Ku Klux Klan era, we had the Bund (the American Nazis) holding huge public gatherings in the run-up to WWII and enjoying substantial domestic support, etc etc etc. This is all scary and unsettling, and most of us don't have a personal memory of dealing with it before, because we're not old enough. But that doesn't mean it hasn't happened before, and that we haven't survived it.

Let's take yesterday, for instance. Trump spent all week promising fire and death and vengeance and playing literal videos of January 6th at his campaign rally in Waco, Texas (famed as the site of the Waco Siege of 1994; look it up). He insisted his supporters would rain vengeance on anyone who dared to arrest him and otherwise threatened mass-scale disturbances and the other tools of public violence that fascists use to enforce their will. And what happened? It's 12+ hours since the first indictment went through (30 counts of business/document fraud, which is not a piddling charge) and we've had bupkis. We've had a lot of Republican politicians tweeting their performative hypocritical outrage, yes, but we haven't suddenly had the country explode in fire and flame either. I'm sure there have been localized protests, but I haven't heard about major anything. And one set of indictments has gone through, others will be empowered to follow. In a way, I think it's a good thing that non-political crimes went first? Yes, the Republicans are screaming about a political witch hunt because that's literally the only thing they can do, but starting by nabbing Trump for relatively low-level (but still extensive) business fraud and then moving onto the treason sets a pattern and makes it easier to comprehend.

The thing is: Nazis, at heart, are cowards. They like to paint themselves as bold and valiant soldiers fighting for the Right Way of Life, but it's all fantasy, delusion, and cosplay. They were empowered to do January 6th because Trump was literally the sitting president and told them to do it, but that's no longer the case, and they're shit scared of facing anyone who might enforce real consequences on them. (Once again, if you take nothing else from following me: Nazis are punk-ass fucking pissant cowards who think they're tough and are in fact a bunch of asshole morons, the end.) The mantra of "Make Racists Afraid Again" is working, to an extent. Yes, we have hellholes like Missouri, Florida, Texas, and Tennessee where the state GOP is working as hard as they can to enforce the worst and most regressive laws imaginable, but that's still not universal. As I also say a lot, the reason Republicans attack, discredit, and outlaw voting so much is because they can never win a fair election on the merits. Their ideas suck, and on some level they know that. They just care about being cruel, fascist, and stupid, and while that's certainly a troubling and significant minority in America, it's not as big as anyone thinks.

Almost 60% of Americans think both that "woke" is a good thing and the cases against Trump should permanently disqualify him from holding any office again. Yet again: the GOP is in the minority, and that's why they use so many dirty tricks to establish and enforce their power. Also, I can guarantee you that not one of the keyboard warriors fulminating about how The Democrat Party Is Being So Mean To President Trump is ever going to actually go out and start an actual civil war. They have established interests, money, benefits from the system, and they don't want to overturn that. They want the masses angry and stupid, yes, but they want them angry and stupid in support of keeping discriminatory structures and systems in place. That can't work if there are no systems at all. Yes, we will still have white supremacists and fascists committing ongoing individual acts of violence, i.e. school shootings, and it's hard to argue that this doesn't constitute a civil war of some sort, or at least ongoing stochastic terrorism. But while you have people like Marge Two Names Greene out there blabbing about a National Divorce, I can guarantee you that if it ever came to actually DOING it, Marge and Brave Brave Sir Kevin would be nowhere to be found. Again: they want to derive power and money from the operation of an unfair system, not the end of that system. It sucks, but still.

Honestly, I want the Dominion lawsuit to keep going on, and dragging all of Fox News' hypocrisy, deception, and disinformation into the public eye. Fox is the biggest cancer on this country, as is the case with Rupert Murdoch's global disinformation empire overall (when, WHEN will HE fucking die, if we're talking death lottery wishlists?) But the lawsuit and its subsequent publicity has had an effect: a small but significant number of Fox viewers (26%) realized the network was lying to them, and 13% said that they no longer believed the 2020 election was stolen after reading about the Fox efforts to lie about it and then cover up their lies. So while the right-wing media bubble is huge and terrible, it's also not impenetrable, and taking Fox down/substantially discrediting it would have a major effect on the pay-for-play misinformation media sphere.

This is getting long, so let me try to sum up: the far-right advocating separatist fantasies of violence/war/fascist domination is not new, and has been a thing in American history for as long as there has been America. But at least in the current moment, it is not the majority, it is not widely popular, it will never be embraced by ordinary mainstream Americans and not just the insane cultists, its so-called devoted soldiers yell on Twitter and cable news and will never once be spotted actually fighting for it, and it's the cynical last gasp of a hate movement that is seeing its institutional and generational hold on America (and the world) finally on the brink of permanently shifting. So of course it's trying to make itself look as big and scary as possible, like any wounded animal, but it's on the back foot, and we have a chance to really kill it. Not permanently or forever, since that's the nature of human history, but at least for now and buy us some more time, and despite everything, I remain cautiously optimistic about our likelihood of doing so. I know it's scary, I know it's awful, I know it feels overwhelming, but it is still not winning, and it won't. As long as we do our part.

Hugs. Hang in there.

[firstsprinces]

Thank you @anincompletelist for all your wonderful works you shared this past year. I can't wait to finally indulge myself with all of your fics! I hope you feel so proud of all the writing you've been able to do this year and here's to all the exciting things to come in your next writing year! (bridesmaidsbridesmaidsbridesmaids)

I've joined the fandom/fanfic writing during the end of October this year, so I don't have an impressive catalog. I even saved this tag until the very last minute to I could have more than one work credited for this year. One is to be posted January 1st but I technically completed it in 2023. Both of these are for exchanges, but 2024 will be a year where I'll finally be posting more works!

Thank you to everyone's who's cheered me on or has any interest in reading what comes out of my brain!

🤍 Kia

Take This House and Make it a Home (T, 4.9K)

When the discussion of the Christmas tree had started, Henry had already come to the comfortable conclusion they’d continue to use the fake pre-lit tree they’ve used their last couple of years in the Brownstone. For their farmhouse in Texas, Alex wants to go all out and get a real Christmas tree that will reach the high ceiling of the living room, right in front of the large front window, and off to the side of the fireplace. He also wants a second or third tree to put in their conservatory and the study. Part of the reason is because going out to a tree farm and picking their own tree reminds Alex of childhood Christmases before his mother’s presidency and his parents’ divorce. It brings him back to when Christmas had been nothing but innocent and magical for him and his family, and now that Henry’s part of his family, he wants to create the magic all over again and in a new way, one that’s completely and organically theirs. - or, Alex and Henry pick out a Christmas tree for their first Christmas at the Texas farmhouse. Written for the RWRB New Traditions Advent Calendar Event

Here We Stand Worlds Apart (E for later chapters, 5K)

Lips part from the other man and Henry’s eyes glance down to his throat, watching as the column of his neck constricts and expands to the intake of oxygen. Then when the man speaks, what comes out isn’t something Henry’s expecting. The voice, if Henry can even call it that, sounds like the cinematic mix of the raptors from Jurassic World with a little extra hissing undertone to it. He pushes his glasses up his nose, his eyes squinting as if that’s going to help him focus on his ability to hear. He’s unsure if he’s experiencing vocal damage from the crashing or not, or if this could possibly be his real voice. The man’s – if Henry can even call this Jurassic sounding thing a human at all – nostrils start to flare, his head turning to one side as if he’s studying Henry closely. His tongue pushes through his closed lips, and Henry notices that it’s ever so slightly split at the front, as it wriggles and tastes the air. - an Alien! Alex AU Written for the RWRB New Year's Gift Exchange

I'm leaving this tag open for all! I hope everyone can look back at their year of writing, no matter how big or small, and are proud of what you've accomplished! Here's to you!

[to-be-a-dreamer]

I was planning on answering a bunch of asks and writing up that au I was talking about into an official post but I got distracted and, long story short, it's been four hours and I now have an 11-page Google Doc about the 7th Governor of Tennessee, Sam Houston (6th, depending on who you ask)

[joshscorcher]

3 Misconceptions about Americans and non-Americans

After interacting with many different people around the globe, especially on social media, I notice that Americans have very big misconceptions about the world outside, and non-Americans have big misconceptions about the USA. Most of it is just simple ignorance and not malicious racism, so I thought I’d try to clear some of it up.

3 Big Misconceptions that Americans have about the world outside the US.

1. Most other countries, especially non-Western ones, are not developed.

Many Americans don’t realize other countries are developed that we might realize., especially in countries that are described as “third-world.” One of Kenya’s biggest pastimes is cyber cafes, and they’re really cheap. Malaysia has a big (some locals would say internationally untapped) market for electronic entertainment.

Yes, there are countries that still need help and there’s a reason America is the biggest monetary contributor of foreign aid in the world, but take a step outside the continent and you’ll realize that things are not so different depending on where you are.

2. Other developed countries, especially in Europe, are paradises with more rights and better quality of life.

I’m not trying to poo-poo on other countries out of spite; I’m simply calling attention to facts. You know how you can’t be evicted in the U.S. for no reason? Australia doesn’t have that protection and they have a housing crisis now! You know how you can’t be fired in the U.S. if you get sick? You can in the UK! What many Americans assume are standard protections and rights that developed nations have? Other countries may not actually have them, even European ones!

I’ve noticed that Americans (and to a lesser extent all countries) have a bit of “grass is greener” syndrome when it comes to other countries. It’s fair to believe that other countries have some benefits that we don’t and it’s fine to want to implement them, but don’t automatically assume that moving to them will be “everything I have now +1.”

3. Other countries hate your country or consider you the laughingstock of the world.

Sorta. Many of them do, but in my experience, if you get non-Americans in a neutral setting and ask them about their own country’s politics, economics, and/or social issues? Oh ho, brace yourself for a RANT. I’ve also noticed that many make fun of the U.S. as a form of “punching up” humor, and this is often fueled by a little resentment that U.S. culture and news constantly permeates modern news and entertainment discourse.

People like to make fun of the U.S., but there are just as many people who see the U.S. as a bastion, just ask protesters who are sick of their regimes like Hong Kong and Cuba. It’s easy to believe that America is hated everywhere, but much of that comes from a very American-centric perspective of the world and social media. It’s not as bad as you think.

3 Big Misconceptions that non-Americans have about the US.

1. All states have the same culture.

Because the U.S. is so large, it has so many different geographical areas and so many different cultures who have called this place home. Louisiana is very different from Oregon. California is different from Texas. New York is different from Florida. Kansas is different from Massachusetts. Heck, even adjacent states like Idaho and Washington are wildly different! Or even in States like California, you’ll find that the coast and southern areas of the state are have completely different cultures from the northern and eastern areas. The State of New York? The New York you see in the movies is just the tiny little island of Manhattan and the rest of the state is almost nothing like it! 

There are rivalries between states that you might see echo rivalries like Scotland and England, Sri Lanka and India, Sweden and Denmark, or Tanzania and Kenya.

Financially, there’s a lot of disparity as well. A poor person in America is statistically better off than a poor person in many other countries, but don’t let that fool you. There is a lot of income and lifestyle disparity in the U.S. between the rich and the poor. Heck, the minimum wage and standard of living varies depending on which state you’re in! A studio apartment in New York City is MUCH more expensive than a two-storey house in Nebraska!

Point is, there is no “average” American.

2. The President is the leader of our country and can make laws and declare war.

This idea that the president is our leader is a misconception that started with Teddy Roosevelt, arguably our first “celebrity president.” (Some argue it was Lincoln, but I digress.) The president is merely the leader of our executive branch of government. We have an executive branch, a legislative branch, and a judicial branch. Each has checks and balances towards the other.

What powers does the president have? Check here. The office more limited than you might think. Many powers you think he has are actually delegated to the other branches of government or even the states themselves.

3. We are refused treatment or bankrupted by medical bills because we do not have socialized healthcare.

I’m not trying to defend our healthcare system as perfect (oh HELL no, it needs some big improvements), but the idea that we can get bankrupted by an accident is simply untrue. In fact, it is ILLEGAL for a hospital to charge a person more than they can afford or refuse them treatment for a medical emergency. It’s gotten to the point that even many Americans don’t realize they have this right!

Side note, this is an annoying thing about our culture and laws. Because we have been granted so many freedoms and protections, you see some people like landlords and hospitals try to get you to waive those freedoms and protections in contracts which is why it’s so important to read the fine print before you sign anything.

[uwmspeccoll]

JUNETEENTH

The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued September 22, 1862 wherein President Abraham Lincoln freed enslaved Americans in the states of rebellion. It was not until December 1865, however, when the 13th Amendment was ratified, that slavery in the United States became illegal. The reason we celebrate on June 19 is because not all enslaved people in the states of secession were free until Union troops regained control of Texas in June 1865, and on June 19 the last slaves in Galveston, Texas were emancipated. Juneteenth first became a day of celebration in Galveston, where the final Proclamation announcement was made, and was originally called Jubilee Day. It became nationally recognized in 1996 as “Juneteenth Independence Day,” and just this week, on June 17, 2021, Juneteenth became the eleventh American federal holiday. The day is celebrated with learning about African-American heritage, reading of works by noted African-American writers, singing traditional songs, making and eating soul food and barbeque, and taking part in recitations of the Emancipation Proclamation. Go here for a transcript.

Our recognition of the holiday begins with sharing the children’s book Forever Free: The Story of the Emancipation Proclamation by Dorothy Sterling, illustrated by Ernest Crichlow, and published in Garden City, N.Y., by Doubleday & Co. in 1963. The book is a middle-grade collection of educational stories about the history of American slavery and the path to freedom. The author thanks the University of Chicago Press and Benjamin A. Botkin for permission to reprint excerpts from slave stories, originally published in Botkin’s American folklore book Lay My Burden Down: A Folk History of Slavery, originally produced for the Federal Writer’s Project in 1945.

Dorothy Sterling (1913-2008), a Jewish-American author, was a prolific author for both children and adults. She started out in the Federal Writers’ Project with lifestyle photo essays but quickly moved to black history.

“I was excited, but also bewildered and angry,” she wrote. “Why had I never heard of Harriet Tubman or Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass or William Lloyd Garrison? Here was a wealth of information, dozens of inspiring stories to tell to young readers.”

Ernest Crichlow (1914-2005) was a black American social realist artist in the Works Project Administration, notable for paintings, murals, illustrations, and prints, including the 1939 lithograph Lovers. He worked in fine arts and illustration with a goal to show the "indomitable inner strength, intrinsic beauty, dignity and essential humanity that exists in the African American community." Go here for the NPR obituary tribute.

View more Black History Posts.

View more Juneteenth Posts.

-Claire, Special Collections Graduate Intern