New York – Politics Plus

Open Thread January 2 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 12:31 am Blog News, Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 022026

Yesterday was, of course, New Year’s Day. I hope yours was both happy and as productive as you wanted it to be. And if that was not at all, that’s great. On New Years Eve, I had it on my calendar to repost “featured images” used by other authors at the end of December so they could be found more easily, and I missed the moment of midnight. As I was cussing myself, it occurred to me that if I temporarily changed the blog time zone from Pacific to whatever they call Alaska and Hawaii, I might be able to put them in in fake December, and them turn the time zone back again and they might stay in December. By golly, it worked. I haven’t tried to use the scheduling feature again to see whether it is working again, but I will again tonight since on Saturdays I get up for the opera – at 9:00 Pacific – so if it’s late it won’t be horribly late.

Joyce Vance explains “Inherent Contempt” and why the House is contemplating using it on Pam Bondi.

Good news for workers in a few blue and purple states – including Colorado, Ohio, and Missouri. Not so good for workers in states who still are stuck with the federal minimums. The article mentions a couple of the amounts by which the minimum changes, but none of the full new amounts. I looked up Colorado, and our new minimum is $15.16, and by law, it increases every year as the CPI increases.

Whether or not this affects you (it doesn’t affect me directly on account of a long series of lucky decisions which turned out to be consequential), it will almost certainly affect someone you care about. Effing Republicans.

Cat

Open Thread December 27 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 10:07 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 262025

Yesterday was a slow news day – I’m glad for the respite, but it makes it tough to fill a column. Here is one article on the big story, an opinion piece, and a book report. I didn’t finish the sweater, but I came very close.

Those of us like me who essentially ignore mainstream media and instead get our news from independent news sources such as The Root learned that, not content with murdering Venezuelan fishermen, the Cantaloupe Caligula bombed Nigeria on Christmas Day. I guess he doesn’t know (or doesn’t care) that it’s New Year’s Day that is the big day for fireworks in the world outside the United States. Seriously, this action is not merely certifiably evil, but it is also tone deaf, which someone who cares about polls as much as he does would normally try to avoid.

Robert Rwich‘s interview with Zohran Mamdani, which happened a week before the election. Reich reprints it as he actually takes office. He’s smart, he has a good understanding of real people’s real problems. and good ideas on how to help. But we knew that. What really struck me in the interview was his courtesy.

Colorado Public Radio has been running a “best books of the year” post for several years now, and the one for 2025 is out. This year’s list looks small to me – or it did until I looked at the two previous years.

Open Thread November 15 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Nov 152025

Yesterday, TPM reported that Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Abency has made a criminal referral to the DOJ of Eric Swalwell for “mortgage fraud” (the same thing James Comey, Tish James, and Adam Schiff have been charged with). Swalwell has been expecting this and ia probably prepared for it. But it’s syill an annoyance, and a huge waste of timw and money, both for Swalwell and for the Government (and that’s our money.)

Somehow, I feel like the Democrats who are retiring should stay while some of the ones who are not – should. OK, Nancy is over 80 and deserves a rest, and I grant Jerry Nadler is 78, but he surely seems younger. It kind of depends on his replacement. Which is why this profile matters. If you’re going to replace someone like Nadler, let’s replace him with someone who has equal potential.-

Perhaps I should have saved this for Sunday – it is good – and it’s easy to grasp the point – but getting there took a whole lot of digging, so much so that just reading it is almost tiring. Besides, good news is welcome any time.

Sheesh. I saw this in The Root’s newsletter, and The Root linked to Law and Crime, which had more medical detail. This happened in Gainesville, Florida (not surprisingly). It appears there aren’t a whole lot of people who can be trusted in Florida, including medical professionals.

Open Thread October 21 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 10:23 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Oct 202025

Yesterday, I was exhausted so slept in. But here’s what I know about the projection project:

This link goes to an Act Blue page with a couple of pix of physical posters. I haven’t yet found pix of any projections..

And here’s what I know about No Kings Day: the initial total participation nationwide was estimated at over 7 million. On the spot estimates are kind of rough, so that may change. I did the math, and to meet the three and a half percent rulr, we would need just under 12 million nationwide. Some events did over perform. Theres a little town in Colorado with 500 population which brought out 150 people. That’s 30%, and impressive.

As for the No Kings Day signs – they were many unique, all creative, and some surprising. Meidas Touch complied a Top 40 List, which needs four links because Substack can only post up to 10 images in one article. I found a couple at Steve Schmidt’s The Warning that made me smile – one said “There will be hell toupée” and the other “They’re eating the Checks, They’re eating the balances.

Here’s Meidas Touch, in reverse order because it was presented as a countdown.
Meidas 31-40
Meidas 21-30
Meidas 11-20
Meidas 1-10\

And here’s Steve Schmidt’s

If you think you have to be brave to go out and protest when you are white – think for a minute about how brave you have to be to go out and protest when you are Black. Or LatinX. The Root shared a list of Black celebrities who took part (not all were physically present, and I get that – but f the regime decides it wants to find them, it will.) I expect Jasmine Crockett will surprise no one.

I enjoy Jeff Tiedrich quotes when I run into them, but generally don’t go to his site. This time I did for his massive, mostly pictorial report on No Kings – and I don’t think I’ll need to tell you which publication referred me.

This is not a “No Kings” report. Harry Litman thinks it might be possible for the State of New York to overturn the commutation of George Santos’s sentence, and I see his point. Unfrotunately, that does not nexesssarily mean it would be easy.

There is less than usual in this about The Week Ahead, and more about last week. But the section on Abrego Garcia caught my eye – and hopefully it will illuminate not just this week but also future court cases – depending on how it is decided, which of course reflects and depends on judicial ethics.

One piece of last-minute good news which shouldn’t have to wait for Sunday.

I clicked the arong button and posted this last night, but am leaving it – it’s long and took more time than usual to put together.

Open Thread April 3, 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:38 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Apr 032024

Yesterday, I looked up on the HRA website to make sure that a payment of $10.84 was sent to one of the providers involved in my hospital and rehab time. Because they keep billing me and billing me – and I paid it. I did find the proof, with all the details- including the date the check was cashed – which was March 27. So I made no attempt to contact them right away. But I did take a screenshot and circled a few details, and saved it, so if it doesn’t (finally) stop now, I’ll be prepared. After the one I was looking for information on yesterday, I think there are now few enough who haven’t billed me to make a separate list of them in one place so I won’t have to go through 9 MSEs for every bill.

The playbook is straight out of the 1930s. Robert Reich spells it out.

Joyce Vance’s weekly “The Week Ahead” is generally useful,and this week’s appears to be no exception, even a couple of days late.

Now this was just revealed yesterday. You should have heard about it – it’s a story large numbers of people will care about (and get angry. I did see it in The Daily Beast – they interviewed Chef Jose Andrés and got an earful.) DU has the story, but they got it from a xeet from World Central Kitchen. A commenter there found it on Yahoo! news.

Open Thread March 27, 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:25 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 272024

Yesterday, one of the stories reminded me of my mother’s Uncle Fred, who died before I was born, so I never met him, but was told a story about him. Fred was a civil engineer, and some people made fun of him because he predicted the Golden Gate Bridge could never be built. Well, he was wrong. But he was also right, because what he meant was that it could not be built as planned without unacceptable loss of life (and to him one life lost was unacceptable. Eleven were lost during construction, and it could have been worse. A safety net saved 19 from certain death.) I think I would have liked Uncle Fred.

Everyone calls this the “hush money” case. But it’s really basically criminal only because it is really an “election interference” case. I did see someone refer to it as the “hush money/election interference” case – probably a good idea.

A new ad from VoteVets. Short, not sweet, but extremely accurate. (I had to turn the sound on, it was muted – you may also. But the CC is perfect so you may not care.

Building bridges is a dangerous business. So is fixing them when they need maintenance. But I doubt whether anyone would have predicted this.

Open Thread March 8, 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:05 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 082024

Yesterday, I learned that Ruby Johnson, a Denver granmother of color, just my age, was awarded $3.76 million, by a jury, in damages after a SWAT team invaded her home in error while she was in the shower. Now if only we can get some compensation for the woman of color in Houston who was evicted from the home she has owned and lived in for fifty years. But I’ll take whatever good news I can get. Also yesterday, at the SOTU, Joe took a page from Harry Truman’s book – He didn’t give ’em hell. He just told the truth and they thought it was hell.

I know we are all frustrated with the mainstream media. And particularly with the New York Times, which has been around for so long, and has declined so badly in such a comparatively short time, that it’s depressing. And it’s scary. Even if we are not ourselves deceived by the slants, others are and many of those who are have guns and short tempers. The Times was on the mind of two writers this week – Lucian Truscott at Salon, and Robert Hubbell on Substack.

Joyce Vance may also be a chicken farmer and a knitter in her spare time, but above all, she is a fine and experienced trial lawyer and a legal analyst. Here are her thoughts on motions and such which are happening prior to the criminal trial in Manhattan.

Open Thread February 29, 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:03 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Feb 292024

Yesterday, apparently, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, and even Mitch McConnell read Mike Johnson the riot act, at the White House. When you are the Republican Speaker of the House and even Mitch gangs up against you, you are not just doing something wrong, you are doing everything wrong, and you are probably also a worm (no offense meant to earthworms, which are vital to plants.) On the personal side, I made a casserole in my crockpot which I had not made for literally decades, and found it as tasty as ever. It was something I threw together after receiving all the food allergy diagnoses of both me and Virsgil. It was a tremendous success thenm and still is.

I rooted for Alvin Bragg to win the election for DA in New York City, probably like everyone here. And also like everyone here, I was disappointed when he did not jump on Trump** immediately. And probably like everyone else, I suspected a lack of courage. Well, if it was, he appears to have grown a spine (or whatever body part you associate with courage. He has, as any same person would do in his position filed for protective and gag orders. With one exception. Joyce Vance writes:
“The threats made against Bragg personally were highly specific and graphic. They include threats to kill him, down to the type of weapon and scenario that would be used. Bragg nonetheless exempts himself from the order, and would permit Trump to continue to attack him, likely leading to more of this abuse and risk. That’s a feature that shows how reasonable Bragg’s approach is.”

Robert Reich writes on Bezos and Musk. Musk is clearly a Nazi. Bezos, I think , is just greedy, but I would not expect him to oppose Naziism if he thought he could make it pay.

I don’t claim that Heather Cox Richardson breaks down all the foreign policy considerations which are important just now – but she does discuss some you probaly didn’t know about. Not trying to be condescending – virtually no one (except professionals and maybe Beau) is ever interested in foreign policy unless something goes sour. And that’s not really the best time to start taking an interest.

(Bonus – this may give you a chuckle. Not that it’s out of character.)

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