Politics Plus

It was supposed to be cloudy today, but the sun is on the wall.  61° outside.  78° in my chair.  ARGH!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 4:57 (average 5:58).  To do it click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Media Matters Channel): Things conservatives blame for mass school shootings instead of guns

Barf Bag Alert!!

It’s the guns, STUPID! RESIST!!

From Reuters: U.S. President Donald Trump’s cancellation of a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatens further strain on U.S.-China ties amid a trade dispute that had been intertwined with Beijing’s pressure on isolated Pyongyang.

The United States and China are also increasingly at odds in the disputed South China Sea. The Pentagon this week withdrew an invitation for China to take part in a major naval exercise in Hawaii, and Beijing has ramped up pressure on self-ruled Taiwan, armed by Washington but claimed by Beijing.

Trump on Thursday released a letter to Kim announcing his withdrawal from the planned June 12 meeting in Singapore, which would have been the first between leaders of the two countries.

Although Chinese state media called for continued engagement between Washington and Pyongyang, Trump’s move could mark a split between China and the United States over how to deal with North Korea and its nuclear weapons, experts said.

It also risks adding fuel to simmering trade tensions, just days after China and the United States pulled back from the brink of a full-blown trade war.

The Fuhrer never was never willing to negotiate and Kim knows it. Bolton’s Libya plan was clear. Trump mistakenly cancelled, because he thought Kim would, leaving Kim, another mad man, but smarter than Trump, the moral high ground. RESIST!!

From Think Progress: Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) just tried to set gay rights back 20 years, lost a major endorsement as a result — and then made it clear he didn’t care.

“Every homeowner should be able to make a decision not to sell their home to someone [if] they don’t agree with their lifestyle,” Rohrabacher told members of the Orange County Association of Realtors last week when asked about extending federal protections to the LGBTQ community. It was a blatant endorsement of anti-LGBTQ housing discrimination, which has been illegal in California for nearly two decades.

The National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals expressed outrage over the remarks, prompting the 1.3 million-member National Association of Realtors (NAR) to rescind its endorsement of Rohrabacher. The NAR code of ethics prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Kudos to the NAR. Discrimination of all kinds is standard for the Republican Reich, especially the ones with a wide stance! RESIST!!

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When will the next Bankster be convicted?

It’s another hot, busy day here at the CatBox.  I’m waiting for Store to Door to deliver my grocery order.  They are due any time now.  After I unpack and stow them, I’ll have lunch and finish here.  Next, I have a letter to write to the Parole Board on behalf of one of my guys.  This evening WWWendy comes to destink a very needy TomCat.  Happy Hump Day to all, but be warned.  The Psychiatrist General has determined that Trump Humping is hazardous to your brain.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:22 (average 5:16).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (Inequality Media Channel): Beyond Trump: A Federal Jobs Guarantee

The Reich on the Left is right. The Reich on the Right is Republican. We need either Robert’s plan, or a guaranteed living minimum income. RESIST!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Stacey Abrams Makes History With Georgia Win

Excellent! Not only is she a true progressive and an authentic Democrat, but also, she has the balls to RESIST!!

From The New Yorker: Donald J. Trump said on Monday that he is “a-hundred-per-cent positive” that an F.B.I. informant infiltrated his 2016 campaign but that he has “absolutely no idea” who that mole might be.

“I’ve been trying to figure out who would have the opportunity and the motive to do something like this,” he said. “But I keep coming up empty.”

“Opportunity-wise, you’d need to be someone who’s in my inner circle and who could get close to me without raising suspicions,” he said. “But, then again, the person would have to be able to suddenly disappear for periods of time and report back to the F.B.I. I can’t think of anyone in a position to do that.”

Andy has a guess!

RESIST!!

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We’re moving into a couple days of hot weather.  It’s cool now, but the sun just hit the wall, so I’ll have to button up and go to AC before long.  I like fresh air so much better.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 6:03 (average 7:30).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

For our secretive Canadian friends:

Short Takes:

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): The greatest, growing threat to America

China had no trouble getting around the Republican Reich. All it took was an investment in a Trump business for Trump to switch to ‘Make China Great Again." RESIST!!

From Media Matters: Today, senators voted on a resolution to undo a 2017 move by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to end net neutrality regulations, but major television and print media outlets have devoted little more than a few mentions to the issue.

This dearth of coverage may stem in part from the distraction of President Donald Trump, as since his election, media outlets have been laser-focused on his statements and actions. Several significant Trump–relatedstories did break today, but it’s nonetheless obvious that media outlets have done little to address their Trump obsession and prioritize the many other issues that matter to Americans.

Net neutrality requires internet service providers (ISPs) like Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon to give their users equal access to all internet content. Upending these rules means that, for a fee, ISPs can prioritize certain websites, allowing them to load more quickly on their users’ devices, and slow down or even block other sites. As Wired’s Klint Finley explained, “Well-established services from deep-pocketed companies like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft will likely remain widely available. But net-neutrality advocates argue that smaller companies that don’t have the money to pay for fast lanes could suffer. In other words, protecting net neutrality isn’t about saving Netflix but about saving the next Netflix.”

The FCC, led by Trump-nominated Ajit Pai, decided last year to end net neutrality rules in a move that voters across the political spectrum largely opposed. Leading up to the FCC’s vote, though, many media outlets were shockingly silent on the repercussions of upending consumer protections on internet access.

As Democratic senators made a last-ditch effort to salvage net neutrality rules — which passed in the Senate — coverage by many media outlets is still nowhere to be found.

I did not know the bill had passed. I hope that enough Republicans will side with Democrats in the house to pass it, but I doubt it. RESIST!!

From Alternet: Before the theocratic government of today’s Iran, there was the brutal Shah. Before the Shah, the CIA overthrew a pro-Western government that had been democratically elected. Mohammad Mossadegh was the prime minister and his US-backed downfall in 1953 was the spark that set in motion the conflict with Iran today. In this interview, Medea Benjamin sheds light on this seminal incident with Iran. She also explores the nation’s history and politics.

Click through for a fascinating read. We need to remember that much of the third world opposition we face today stems directly from right-wing imperialism, RESIST!!

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Between tech issues and a bunch of work for my volunteer organization, I’ve been busier today that a long-tail TomCat in a rocking chair factory.  I hope you’re enjoying a peaceful, weekend.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:17 (average 5:17).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): Donald Trump Toys With Abuse Of Office In Beef Against Washington Post (22 min.)

The comparison between Nixon’s and Trump’s abuse of power is fascinating. Trump’s use of government agencies to harm enemies financially is an impeachable offense. RESIST!!

From YouTube (Oregonian Channel): Texas lt. governor says fewer doors could prevent school shootings

What a vile Republican idiot! It’s the guns, Stupid! As a former volunteer firefighter, my first thought is that single entrances to and from high schools would soon lead to crispy kids. Also, such a choke point would make it harder for kids to get away from a shooter. RESIST!!

From UPI: European Union members meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria, prepared a united front against U.S. decisions to exit the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and impose steel and aluminum tariffs.

The European Commission, the EU executive branch, announced Friday it "launched the formal process to activate the Blocking Statute by updating the list of U.S. sanctions on Iran falling within its scope."

The blocking statute, created in 1996 to evade the U.S. embargo of goods to Cuba, will be remodeled to reflect Iran-related sanctions that were reinstated after President Donald Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the accord on May 8. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javas Zarif met with his British, French and German counterparts in Brussels earlier this week.

"What we demand is no conditions and no limits and to go back to the situation before," French President Emmanuel Macron said at the summit meeting Thursday. "The condition for all talks is to lift all threats and tariffs, without mention of a time limit."

Even Russia is getting in on this deal, as a signer od the Iran pact. It took a Republican Reich to force the EU into siding with Iran and Russia against the US. RESIST!!

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