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Articles by Becky Dem
46,000-Year-Old Worm Possibly Revived from Siberian Permafrost
An international team of scientists says nematodes found in Siberian permafrost are 46,000 years old and survived using techniques similar to those of a modern lab favorite By Meghan Bartels on July 27, 2023 At first glance, nematodes are unassuming roundworms—but don’t underestimate them. In 2018 scientists announced they had discovered and revived two types of microscopic nematodes found in the Siberian permafrost, estimating they may have been 42,000 years old.
Florida woman who stole nearly $3 million from Holocaust survivor gets over 4 years in prison
Fri Jul 28, 2023, 09:29 AM BY LARRY NEUMEISTER Updated 12:37 AM EDT, July 28, 2023 NEW YORK (AP) — A Florida woman who drained an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor’s life savings by posing as a love interest and then lived lavishly off the $2.8 million she got was sentenced Thursday to over four years in prison.
Oh, and by the way, I forgot to mention
Response to PCIntern (Original post) Fri Jul 28, 2023, 08:06 AM 7. Michael Steele is a fine-tuned wind vane. The “former Republican” will criticize whatever the day’s Trump dump offense under discussion and then proceed to add tons of stuff that sounds “neutral” analysis. Like only the professional time waster can, he drones on at length about absolutely side-show irrelevance. Only later, long after the guy’s done talking, do I realize he was just spewing the same-old same-old gopslop.
AS HOLLYWOOD STRIKES, SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN INTRODUCES FOOD STAMPS BILL FOR WORKERS ON PICKET LINE
The legislation would repeal a restriction on striking workers receiving SNAP benefits. Daniel Boguslaw July 27 2023, 9:50 a.m. WITH MORE THAN 150,000 actors and writers on the picket line in Hollywood and other labor actions heating up across the country, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., is introducing legislation to ease the financial toll of their strikes.
Amazon to be broken up? FTC's Lina Khan to reportedly file landmark antitrust lawsuit
Pranav Dixit Updated Jul 27, 2023, 10:38 AM IST The Lina Khan-led Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States is reportedly in the final stages of preparing a substantial antitrust lawsuit against Amazon, a move that could potentially lead to the dismantling of certain parts of the e-commerce giant.
Right-Wing Think Tank's Climate 'Battle Plan' Wages 'War Against Our Children's Future'
Thu Jul 27, 2023, 08:39 AM The Heritage Foundation's Mandate for Leadership would serve as a policy blueprint for the first 180 days if Trumpóor another Republicanówere to gain control of the White House in January 2025. OLIVIA ROSANE Jul 26, 2023 Close down the Department of Energy's renewable energy office. Cut cash flow to the Environmental Protection Agency's office of environmental justice. Stop the nation's electrical grid from expanding to include wind and solar.
Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf 🌏 🦣 @rahmstorf: The tipping point of the Atlantic
Government can't simultaneously continue selling oil and gas leases on public lands and the Gulf of Mexico and declare an emergency unless it is toothless. An emergency declaration should have some objectives, actions, laws, at the very least a massive awareness campaign that is based on realistic numbers. Don't see anything like that.
An Open Letter to the Biden Administration on Popular Constitutionalism
Wed Jul 26, 2023, 02:51 PM Wednesday, July 19, 2023 An Open Letter to the Biden Administration on Popular Constitutionalism Mark Tushnet Aaron Belkin and I have written the following open letter to the Biden administration urging that it endorse and take steps to implement popular constitutionalism as a response to what the President has described as "not a normal" Supreme Court.
Billionaire Leon Black raped autistic teen at Epstein's townhouse, lawsuit says
Response to LakeArenal (Reply #1) Wed Jul 26, 2023, 02:54 PM 4. Not that it'd be acceptable under any circumstances of course ... But a freaking billionaire, who could afford the highest-priced escorts in the world ... decided to sexually assault a teenager with Downs and autism? I mean ... if true, this guy has something seriously, seriously, SERIOUSLY wrong with him. Holy shit that is EVIL Reply to this post Back to top Alert abuse Link here Permalink
In bombing Odesa, Putin cut 'the last thread'
Russia’s strongman is a serial loser. (snip) Established in 1794 on the site of an ancient Greek settlement and a Crimean Tatar fortress, Odesa, like port cities the world over, was always a multiethnic and multiconfessional city that served as a conduit for cultural influence into the Russian Empire. Odesa also developed an identity of its own and, thanks to the vibrancy of its own culture, managed to exert an outsize influence on Ukrainian and Russian literature, music, cinema and the arts.
Jeff Berardelli @WeatherProf: Hollywood or reality? Reality.
Wed Jul 26, 2023, 12:24 PM My poor Sicily is burning. Temperatures have soared to a staggering 49 degrees Celsius. The situation has become extremely dire, with air quality severely compromised, making it difficult to breathe. It's like hell 😨 1 replies, 175 views Thread infoBookmark this threadTrash this thread Reply to this thread Back to top Alert abuse Replies to this discussion thread 1 replies Time Post Jeff Berardelli @WeatherProf: Hollywood or reality? Reality.
women celebrate and embrace as sobbing 64 yr old gynecologist sentenced to 20 years
Ex-Columbia gynecologist Robert Hadden SOBS as he's sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting patients - as his victims cheer outside court Robert Hadden, 64, sexually abused hundreds of patients for over two decades He was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 years in prison by a federal judge Hadden sobbed in court and said he was 'very sorry for all the pain' he caused A gynecologist who sexually abused vulnerable and trusting patients for over two decades at prestigious New York...
The Junk Fee Fight Spreads to Rental Housing
Tue Jul 25, 2023, 01:21 PM Transparency in rental costs and action at the state level are bringing new vigor to attacking landlord rip-offs. BY DAVID DAYEN JULY 25, 2023 While I was on vacation last week, the second anniversary of the White House executive order on promoting competition in the U.S. economy was marked by the release of several important measures.
Breaking: UPS & the Teamsters reach an agreement to avert a strike (if it's voted on and agreed to)
Response to Celerity (Original post) Tue Jul 25, 2023, 01:02 PM 2. here's a link https://teamster.org/2023/07/weve-changed-the-game-teamsters-win-historic-ups-contract/ (WASHINGTON) – Today, the Teamsters reached the most historic tentative agreement for workers in the history of UPS, protecting and rewarding more than 340,000 UPS Teamsters nationwide.
For Emmett Till's family, national monument proclamation cements his inclusion in the American story
Response to BeckyDem (Original post) Tue Jul 25, 2023, 08:54 AM 1. the monument will be shot, smitten and run over by pick up trucks. some people are just nasty, and a lot of them are southerners. and we have no moral standing on the issue because, well, general lee. Reply to this post Back to top Alert abuse Link here Permalink
Cigna Sued Over Algorithm Allegedly Used To Deny Coverage To Hundreds Of Thousands Of Patients
Jul 24, 2023 03:01 pm EDT Cigna, the healthcare and insurance giant, was hit with a lawsuit on Monday that alleges the company systematically rejects claims in a matter of seconds, thanks to an algorithmic system put in place to help automate the process—further raising questions about how technology could harm patients as more healthcare organizations look to embrace AI and other new tools.
'The Earth is screaming at us': Gov. Inslee calls for climate action amid record heat
Tue Jul 25, 2023, 07:22 AM Washington state's leader said voters must reject "climate deniers" like Trump. ByCaleigh Bartash July 23, 2023, 12:32 PM The record-high temperatures recorded around the world show "the climate change bomb has gone off" and Americans must push "further and faster" for solutions -- including voting against "climate deniers" like former President Donald Trump -- Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Sunday.
DeSantis cuts a third of his presidential campaign staff as he mounts urgent reset
https://apnews.com/article/desantis-staff-cuts-republican-presidential-campaign-trump-b331a18c583bd6eb379b56cb957aa025 DeSantis cuts a third of his presidential campaign staff as he mounts urgent reset By STEVE PEOPLES and MICHELLE L. PRICE Published 1:10 PM CDT, July 25, 2023 WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential contender Ron DeSantis is cutting far more campaign staff than previously thought as he works to reset his stumbling campaign amid unexpected financial trouble.
Greta Thunberg fined for disobeying Sweden police at climate protest
Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg was fined on Monday for disobeying police at a rally last month, but said she acted out of necessity due to the climate crisis. https://www.thelocal.se/20230724/greta-thunberg-goes-on-trial-over-swedish-climate-protest The 20-year-old appeared in court in the southern Swedish city of Malmo after 11 am (0900 GMT) on Monday, without responding to questions from reporters.
Inside the Republican effort to force millions of farm animals back into cages
By Kenny Torrella You may not have noticed it, but the grocery store egg aisle has increasingly been going cage-free. In 2015, just a few percent of eggs sold in the US came from hens that weren’t confined in tiny cages. Today, it’s close to 40 percent. That swift change has come in part because eight states have prohibited the sale of eggs from caged hens; some of those states have also prohibited the sale of pork and veal from cruelly confined animals.
DeSantis video w/ Nazi "sonnenrad" symbol sparking outrage
A video which features Ron DeSantis that includes a symbol often associated with neo-Nazi groups has been met with outrage after it was allegedly retweeted by his campaign team.
Black man says he was elected mayor of Alabama town alleges White leaders keeping him from position
BY KERRY BREEN UPDATED ON: JULY 22, 2023 / 1:06 PM / CBS NEWS A Black man who says he was elected mayor of a rural Alabama town but has been kept from taking office by White leaders of the town has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit. Patrick Braxton, 57, is one of several plaintiffs named in Braxton et al v. Stokes et al.
Nearly two years after Texas' six-week abortion ban, more infants are dying...Pro Life???
CNN Texas abortion restrictions some of the strictest in the country may be fueling a sudden spike in infant mortality as women are forced to carry nonviable pregnancies to term. Some 2,200 infants died in Texas in 2022 an increase of 227 deaths, or 11.5%, over the previous year, according to preliminary infant mortality data CNN obtained through a public records request. Infant deaths caused by severe genetic and birth defects rose by 21.6%.
An investigation into a 'staggering' and 'unconscionable' scheme against Oklahomans
Ben Felder Oklahoman July 19, 2023 Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond says he is prepared to file the largest lawsuit in state history to recoup billions of dollars in natural gas costs from a 2021 winter storm, which left Oklahoma ratepayers with significantly higher utility bills. Drummond announced Tuesday he is soliciting bids for outside legal help in pursuing the case.
Dem.Richard Gephardt opposing the effort by the group No Labels (PBS NewsHour @NewsHour )
Mon Jul 17, 2023, 08:15 PM A new organization is opposing the effort by the group No Labels to run a third-party candidate in the 2024 presidential race. @GeoffRBennett spoke to former House Democratic Majority Leader Richard Gephardt who is teaming up against the group.
How Harlan Crow Slashed his Tax Bill by Taking Clarence Thomas on Superyacht Cruises
https://www.propublica.org/article/harlan-crow-slashed-tax-bill-clarence-thomas-superyacht For months, Harlan Crow and members of Congress have been engaged in a fight over whether the billionaire needs to divulge details about his gifts to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, including globe-trotting trips aboard his 162-foot yacht, the Michaela Rose.
Who are more corrupt
Response to malaise (Original post) Fri Jul 14, 2023, 02:25 PM 4. I don't think of corruption as a "more than" situation once corrupted, so same/same as you've questioned - There's not one government branch/agency/institution that works ideally to protect and serve the populations of those we Americans had previously agreed need protection for survival - money's immortal pyramid scheme vs death/legacy and taxes, doncha know. Every single one of us bears some responsibility in pushing THAT button.
Teen and mom plead guilty to abortion charges based on Facebook data
Rebecca [email protected] / 7:08 PM EDT• July 11, 2023 A Nebraska woman has pleaded guilty to helping her daughter have a medication abortion last year. The legal proceeding against her hinged on Facebook’s decision to provide authorities with private messages between that mother and her 17-year-old daughter discussing the latter’s plans to terminate her pregnancy.
How Discrimination Gets Under the Skin
Fri Jul 14, 2023, 11:36 AM How Discrimination Gets Under the Skin: Biological Determinants of Discrimination Associated With Dysregulation of the Brain-Gut Microbiome System and Psychological Symptoms Abstract Background Discrimination is associated with negative health outcomes as mediated in part by chronic stress, but a full understanding of the biological pathways is lacking. Here we investigate the effects of discrimination involved in dysregulating the brain-gut microbiome (BGM) system.
Glad to see Republicans are focusing on the things that really matter and helping the people.
Fri Jul 14, 2023, 11:00 AM Wait, did I say "people"? What I meant to say is "airlines", and by "helping," I mean "allowing them to keep consumers in the dark about the out-the-door price for services until after you've agreed to book your flight and provided them your payment information." As someone who enjoys comparison shopping for travel, I would find this exceedingly annoying. Idiots.
Jim Jordan Misfires in Attacks on Lina Khan
House Judiciary Committee Republicans didnít follow Jordan in his assaults on Khanís ethics. Some Republicans even praised her. BY DAVID DAYEN JULY 14, 2023 As Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan entered the House Judiciary Committee hearing room on Thursday, every expectation was that she would face a grilling, along the lines of what FBI director Christopher Wray experienced the day before. And it did start out that way, with committee chair Rep.
Rep Katie Porter: Today, I invited witnesses to play JeoparDoD, to win oversight
Thu Jul 13, 2023, 05:24 PM BeckyDem (8,221 posts) Rep Katie Porter: Today, I invited witnesses to play JeoparDoD, to win oversight Each year, lawmakers and defense lobbyists play the same game, pouring hundreds of billions into the Pentagon without scrutinizing every dollar—and it's taxpayers who lose. Today, I invited witnesses to play JeoparDoD, to win oversight for the American people. lol ( Is she awesome or what?
Former Sunday School teacher gets life sentence for indecency with child
Thu Jul 13, 2023, 10:07 AM Former Sunday School teacher gets life sentence for indecency with child Not A Drag Queen A Wichita County Jury on Wednesday sentenced a former Wichita Falls postal worker and Sunday School teacher to life in prison for urging a 13-year-old girl to give him a “peep show” and take a shower with him. Daniel James Green, 63, pleaded guilty in 78th District Court Tuesday to Sexual Performance by a Child, a charge that stemmed from an incident in January 2022.
Judge blocks county watchdog's investigation into deputy gangs in LA sheriff's department
Wed Jul 12, 2023, 11:19 AM Wednesday, July 12, 2023 1:47AM LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A judge this week blocked a county watchdog's investigation into deputy gangs in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department - at least for now. The union for sheriff's deputies filed a lawsuit after the Office of Inspector General ordered 35 deputies suspected of being "Banditos" or "Executioners" to answer questions about deputy gangs and show their tattoos.
Pic Of The Moment: He's Making A List And Checking It Twice
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Teacher Accused of Mailing Afro Wig, White Face Paint to Mixed-Race 2nd-Grader
Brooke Leigh Howard Tue, 11 July 2023 at 4:24 pm GMT-4·2-min read A New Jersey family has filed a racial harassment complaint against a school district after the parents said their son’s teacher sent him an unsolicited package that included an afro wig and white face paint in an “act of intimidation.” According to the July 6 complaint, Denise and Kevin Anderson say the package was sent to their seven-year-old son—only referred to as “J.A.”—by Amazon on July 9, 2021, but there was no sender...
Mississippi discriminates against Black residents with appointed judges, Justice Department says
BY EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS Published 6:03 PM EDT, July 12, 2023 JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A new Mississippi law discriminates against residents of the majority-Black capital city of Jackson by requiring the appointment of some judges in a state where most judges are elected, the U.S. Justice Department said in court papers filed Wednesday. The department is seeking to join a federal lawsuit the NAACP filed against the state shortly after Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed the law in April.
Rudy Giuliani faces possible disbarment -- and here's why that matters
Rudy Giuliani faces possible disbarment — and here's why that matters Trump's consigliere faces likely disbarment in D.C. That's not just a technical matter — it's a stand for truth By AUSTIN SARAT PUBLISHED JULY 11, 2023 9:09AM (EDT) (Salon) Facts are stubborn things. That is a lesson that the MAGA crew is learning the hard way. Exhibit No.1: Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump's former consigliere and one of the chief enablers of the Big Lie.
"Don't Say Gay" Florida Republican Accused of Sexually Harassing Two Male Staffers
Mon Jul 10, 2023, 06:28 PM Florida state Representative Fabian Basabe has also been arrested for drunk driving, and accused of calling people the n-word and “a sand negro.” JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES Fabian Basabe used to be known as the “male Paris Hilton” in tabloid circles, a cosmopolitan socialite famous for being famous (being the son of a wealthy Ecuadorian businessman probably helped, too).
What We Can Learn From Falling Crime
The pandemic caused a lot of crime. But police reform can play a part in reducing it as well. BY RYAN COOPER JULY 10, 2023 Serious crime is dropping across most of the United States. Homicides are down by an estimated 12 percent in the first half of 2023; as Jeff Asher writes at The Atlantic, if the trend holds up it would put the country about where it was before the pandemic, and make for one of the largest percentage drops in American history. In New York City, shootings are down by one-quarter.
Harry Styles hit in eye with object while performing on stage at Vienna concert
Harry Styles was hit in the eye by an object thrown at the stage while he was performing in Vienna on Saturday, marking the latest incident in an ever-growing list of similar situations in recent weeks. Video footage posted on social media by concertgoers shows the “As It Was” singer walking on the stage as an object hits him square in the eye during a “Love on Tour” concert.
Biden's Unheralded War on Poverty
By creating a full-employment economy, Biden enabled millions of low-wage workers to raise their pay. BY HAROLD MEYERSON JULY 10, 2023 The Great American Quit Rate (full name: Great American Quit-Your-Stinkin’-Job-for-a-Better-One Rate) has finally subsided. While it lasted, though, it enabled the nation’s low-wage workers to make the first substantial economic gains they’ve made in 40 years.
The Alternative Facts of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Mon Jul 10, 2023, 10:04 AM New Yorker In November, 2007, the junior senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, appeared on ABC News for one of those soft-focus get-to-know-the-candidate segments. Obama admitted that, after he was at Harvard Law School for a while and felt “comfortable” among his hyper-ambitious classmates, he allowed himself to think that maybe he’d run for President someday. “Did you think to yourself, Barack, what kind of hubris is this?” the broadcaster Charlie Gibson said.
An Iowa meteorologist started talking about climate change on newscasts. Then came the harassment
https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/09/20/iowa-man-fined-for-harassing-tv-weatherman-over-climate-change/ Iowa man fined for harassing TV weatherman over climate change By: Clark Kauffman - September 20, 2022 2:00 pm An Iowa man has been fined $150 for sending a string of harassing emails to a television meteorologist concerning climate change. Police and court records indicate that on June 21, Danny H.
Catastrophic climate 'doom loops' could start in just 15 years, new study warns
Mon Jul 10, 2023, 08:04 AM By Ben Turner published 2 days ago Climate "tipping points," such as the loss of the Amazon rainforest or the collapse of the Greenland ice sheet, could come within a human lifetime, scientists have said. Earth's ecosystems may be careering toward collapse much sooner than scientists thought, a new study of our planet's warming climate has warned.
( Fighting racism ) Hotel worker denies woman service after she called him the N-word
Sat Jul 8, 2023, 10:55 AM BeckyDem (8,117 posts) ( Fighting racism ) Hotel worker denies woman service after she called him the N-word ( Love the phrase: "It's above me now." LOL ) ( I understand Twitter has made it harder to see their content without membership...my apologies. ) 3 replies, 79 views Reply to this thread Back to top Alert abuse Replies to this discussion thread
The Rich Are Crazier Than You and Me
Fri Jul 7, 2023, 10:18 AM Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a crank. His views are a mishmash of right-wing fantasies mixed with remnants of the progressive he once was: Bitcoin boosterism, anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, assertions that Prozac causes mass shootings, opposition to U.S. support for Ukraine, but also favorable mention for single-payer health care.
The Leader of the JFK-QAnon Cult Is Dead. His Followers Think It's All Part of the Plan.
Thu Jul 6, 2023, 01:32 PM Members of Michael Protzman’s conspiracy cult abandoned their families and spent their life savings to follow him to Trump rallies around the country. By David Gilbert July 6, 2023, 9:21am The leader of a QAnon cult who convinced thousands of people that former president John F. Kennedy and his son JFK, Jr. are still alive has died, VICE News can exclusively report.
POLITICS & HISTORY: Women Against Women's Suffrage
The fight for women’s suffrage is often depicted as pitting women against men. But some women made it their life’s mission to campaign against it. By: Livia Gershon July 6, 2023 Read a typical textbook account of the US women’s suffrage fight, and you might come away with the impression of a battle of the sexes. But, historian Joe C. Miller argues that that’s a serious distortion.
Senate Republicans fear abortion could derail hopes for majority
BY ALEXANDER BOLTON - 07/05/23 6:00 AM ET Republican senators are looking for a way to avoid the political hit they took on abortion rights in the 2022 midterm election, when they suffered a net loss of one seat, as Senate Democrats ramp up to make it a top issue in 2024. Republicans think they have a great opportunity to recapture the Senate next year, as Democrats must defend 23 seats, including vulnerable incumbents in Arizona, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
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