Gregg Allman, RIP
Gregg Allman is dead at the age of 69. I don’t think anyone is surprised that he did not live into his 90s.
More Trump Budgeting
Another target of the Trump budget is weather forecasting and research. Because who needs to know more about where a tornado might strike, the path of a hurricane, or an oncoming blizzard?
The main U.S. weather forecasting model, which has fallen behind the European model in its accuracy, has been called a “national embarrassment.”
In an inexplicable budget proposal that has floored the weather community, the Trump administration aims to reduce investments in programs that would improve this model and many others aspects of the nation’s weather forecasting.
Released Tuesday, the proposal slashes funding at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the parent agency of the National Weather Service, by 16 percent.
The proposal not only reduces investments in weather forecasting technology but also cuts programs that would enhance understanding of phenomena, such as El Nino, hurricanes and tornadoes. NOAA’s weather satellite programs would see reductions in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
That will show THE DEEP STATE not to mess with Trump!
Trump’s Man in Asia
The thing about Rodrigo Duterte is that for an authoritarian like Trump, he says things that Trump would like to say himself but can’t yet. And you know President Pussy Grabber loves this.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte joked Friday that soldiers could rape up to three women, as he reassured them of his full support under his newly imposed regional martial law.
Duterte, who often peppers his language with man-on-the-street curses, made the comments in jest during a speech at a military base to lift the spirits of troops tasked with quelling what he says is a fast-growing threat of Islamist terrorism.
“For this martial law and the consequences of martial law and the ramifications of martial law, I and I alone would be responsible. Just do your work. I will handle the rest,” he said.
“I will be imprisoned for you. If you rape three (women), I will say that I did it.”
Of course, given that Duterte responded to the rape of his own daughter by calling her a “drama queen,” such horrible inhuman statements are hardly unusual. And this is why Trump loves the guy. Perfect guy to share some sexist jokes and the location of our submarines.
Our Qualified, Intelligent Political Leaders
Mark Meadows, (Lunatic-NC) and critical player in TrumpCare passing the House:
Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), — who played a pivotal role in including state waiver options in AHCA — hadn’t read the full report yet, but initially said he saw it as “good news.”
When reporters pointed out the portion of the CBO report saying individuals with preexisting conditions in waiver states would be charged higher premiums and could even be priced out of the insurance market — destabilizing markets in those states — under AHCA, Meadows seemed surprised.
“Well, that’s not what I read,” Meadows said, putting on his reading glasses and peering at the paragraph on the phone of a nearby reporter.
The CBO predicted:
“…the waivers in those states would have another effect: Community-rated premiums would rise over time, and people who are less healthy (including those with preexisting or newly acquired medical conditions) would ultimately be unable to purchase comprehensive non-group health insurance at premiums comparable to those under current law, if they could purchase it at all — despite the additional funding that would be available under H.R. 1628 to help reduce premiums.”
Republicans insisted in the days after AHCA’s passage that the health care bill would not weaken protections for preexisting conditions, citing the plan’s high-risk pools for sick people.
Critics argue those high-risk pools are not adequately funded, though. The Center for American Progress projected, before House Republicans passed AHCA in May, that its high-risk pools “would fall short by at least $19.7 billion per year, or by about $200 billion over 10 years.”
The CBO analysis was likewise adamant that AHCA’s current high-risk pool funding isn’t enough to cover sick people if states use the mandate waivers.
After reading the paragraph, Meadows told reporters he would go through the CBO analysis more thoroughly and run the numbers, adding he would work to make sure the high-risk pools are properly funded.
Meadows, suddenly emotional, choked back tears and said, “Listen, I lost my sister to breast cancer. I lost my dad to lung cancer. If anybody is sensitive to preexisting conditions, it’s me. I’m not going to make a political decision today that affects somebody’s sister or father because I wouldn’t do it to myself.”
He continued:
“In the end, we’ve got to make sure there’s enough funding there to handle preexisting conditions and drive down premiums. And if we can’t do those three things, then we will have failed.”
Meadows indicated he would support less-conservative changes to provide more funding for high-risk pools in the Senate, if needed.
The man literally has no idea what it is his own bill or how it will affect people, despite people talking about this ever since this horrible idea began. But, hey, those people were liberals. And so are those CBO hippies so I’m sure the magic math behind TrumpCare will totally work. That’s Jesus math right there.
The New Republican Retirement Plan
I know some of you are aware of this comment from new Republithug Greg Gianforte, but I think we have the Republican retirement plan summed up in a nutshell.
Gianforte is a big fan of citing Noah, as it turns out. In a 2015 talk at the Montana Bible College, he told the audience that he doesn’t believe in retirement because Noah was 600 when he built the ark. “There’s nothing in the Bible that talks about retirement. And yet it’s been an accepted concept in our culture today,” Gianforte said. “Nowhere does it say, ‘Well, he was a good and faithful servant, so he went to the beach.’ It doesn’t say that anywhere.”
He added: “The example I think of is Noah. How old was Noah when he built the ark? Six hundred. He wasn’t like, cashing Social Security checks, he wasn’t hanging out, he was working. So, I think we have an obligation to work. The role we have in work may change over time, but the concept of retirement is not biblical.”
I look forward to this justification being used by Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell to destroy Social Security if Republicans manage to hold onto the House and Senate next year.
Blue Slip
Like the filibuster on Supreme Court justices, Republicans destroying the blue slip process by which senators have effective veto power over federal judges from their states will suck at first, but in the end, this is going to be good for Democrats too once they control the Senate and presidency again.
ICE: America’s Fascist Agency
Yesterday, ICE agents ate at a restaurant in Michigan. They then detained 3 of the workers, although it’s not even clear why as they were all released. Presumably they had accents and thus must be here without documentation. There is a term for this sort of behavior. That term is fascism. Below is footage of what these ICE agents did.
ICE is a fascist agency. It needs to be destroyed. These agents are reprehensible people who act in ways that would have made the SS proud.
Gianforte
Greg Gianforte’s physical assault of a reporter this evening may be nearly unprecedented for a Congressional candidate, but it’s hardly atypical for where the Republican Party is going. That his team just doubled down on it, openly lying about what happened makes it even worse, but again, alternative facts.
Gianforte campaign statement on events tonight. pic.twitter.com/PZGEIO8Ao9
— Lauren Fox (@FoxReports) May 25, 2017
Beating up journalists is a hallmark of dictatorships. Combine this with Commerce Secretary Wilber Ross’ wistfully longing for the U.S. to have Saudi levels of political protest and of course Trump demonizing the media and this sort of thing becomes almost inevitable. The question is not whether reporters will continue to be assaulted. Republicans–lunatics in the base if not candidates or office holders–will probably keep doing this as they turn their backs on democratic values. The question is whether voters will hold them accountable. Winning as a Democrat in Montana is tough, but not impossible. Gianforte was probably a little bit ahead. After tonight, if he’s not driven to defeat by Montana voters, then it’s a sign that half the nation basically doesn’t care about assaulting journalists, although I have also heard that probably 2/3 of the votes for the election have already been cast, suggesting one of the problems with early voting systems.
…And here’s more detail.
Fox News crew's report on Montana R Greg Gianforte's thuggery — beating up a reporter — makes a mighty solid case for arresting this thug. pic.twitter.com/dVbjgmUPSv
— John Nichols (@NicholsUprising) May 25, 2017
Gianforte should be arrested. But the sheriff is a Gianforte donor, so of course not.
Mookie
There was a lot of cocaine use on the 86 Mets. That’s all I have to say here.
I'm gonna be thinking about this for months pic.twitter.com/eyKkBFpmFd
— Damn☆ちゃん✨ (@YareYareZawa) May 23, 2017
The End of Fish
As the the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determines whether the bluefin tuna should be listed under the Endangered Species Act (spoiler: under Trump it won’t), it’s worth noting that even without climate change drastically changing the temperature and pH balance of the oceans, humans’ insatiable appetite for fish would ensure that basically every species of saltwater fish at least should be considered endangered or threatened. Add the impact of climate change and unless they like jellyfish, your children will not be eating saltwater fish in their retirements because they will be extinct or extremely endangered. And that probably includes fairly common fish like sardines.
Conservatives Turning on Confederate Statues?
Perhaps my right-wing analysis is weak these days. And the writing in this article is horrendous. But the Daily Howler published an essay arguing to tear down all the Confederate statues because they promote traitors? And you know it’s real because the author has to call the “Black Democrat” from Alabama self-serving since he says the problem with the statues is they represent oppression, which evidently doesn’t matter. But treason does. What am I missing here?
Mr. Hot Air Full of Nothing But Hot Air
The Carrier factory that President Trump convinced owners not to move to Mexico will lay off hundreds of workers just before the holiday season, CNN reported Tuesday.
The Indianapolis furnace plant pledged to stay in the United States late last year after making a deal with President Trump, but announced today that it will lay off more than 600 workers, the final 290 of which will be fired just before the holiday season.
The move isn’t a complete surprise for the company. In their initial announcement last year, the company revealed that while the plant would remain in the U.S., the factory would be cutting down on labor to reduce costs.
Trump took credit for saving 1,100 jobs at the factory in December.
“Here’s what’s going to happen,” Trump told a crowd in Indianapolis last year. “I’ll get a call from the head of Carrier and he’ll say, ‘Mr. President, we’ve decided to stay in the United States.’ That’s what’s going to happen — 100 percent.”
Sure thing dude. Sure thing. MAGA.
