Stephan: One in seven American children have hunger issues, millions have no health insurance because they cannot afford it, we have millions more submerged in student debt. For all of this Republicans have one word: Tough. But the corrupt Republicans in Congress, whores for the military-industrial complex who shovel millions into their campaigns, can't shove enough money to their masters in return. We spend more on our military than the next seven nations in the world.
A C-17 Globemaster takes off as Taliban fighters secure the outer perimeter of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 29, 2021. Credit: Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times
Just as the United States completed its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan on Monday after two decades of war and occupation, House Republicans announced plans to push for a $25 billion increase in annual military spending—a proposal that progressive lawmakers and advocacy groups swiftly rejected.
“Now is the time to shift our investments away from endless wars and toward addressing human needs.” —Rep. Barbara Lee
Led by Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, the GOP intends to pursue a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) amendment that would add $25 billion to President Joe Biden’s $753 billion topline military spending request for Fiscal Year 2022.
The House Armed Services panel—which is awash in donations from weapons makers and other major industry players—is expected to begin marking up Biden’s request on Wednesday.
“Rogers’ amendment would dole out $15 billion to address a spate of military unfunded priorities that weren’t included in the Pentagon’s budget request,” Politico
Stephan: Here is some potentially good news. What is clear to me is that the turnout of younger voters, in spite of everything the Republicans are doing to keep them from voting, who vote Democratic is going to be the fulcrum point upon which the 2022 election with turn.
Young voter activists. Credit: Aaron Jackendoff/SOPA/LIGHTROCKET/Getty
In November 2020, young voters exercised their electoral power by turning out in record numbers to help Democrats win the White House and other key races. In 2021, however, an onslaught of voter suppression measures being enacted in statehouses could have an outsized impact on those young people, according to voting rights advocates.
“We’ve seen some pretty concerted efforts to push back against that new engagement from young voters,” says attorney Sean Morales-Doyle, acting director for Voting Rights and Elections at the Brennan Center for Justice.
The Brennan Center has reported that so far this year at least 18 states have enacted 30 laws to make it harder to vote, and more than 400 bills with provisions that restrict voting access have been introduced in state legislatures.
Advocates say the increasingly burdensome requirements pose challenges for young people who are newer to electoral participation. Some of them, including college students, may not live in the place where they are registered to vote, making them especially vulnerable to new rules around residence requirements, forms of […]
JOSH GERSTEIN, MARC CAPUTO and MATT DIXON, - Politico
Stephan: This is Matt Gaetz's second Republican Scum Award. I really do not know where the Republicans find these people. Would you be friends with such a man? If you make a list of people like this amongst the Republican congressional members in both houses it is depressingly long, the Jordan, Gosar, Beaubart, Gohmert, and on and one. These people are like characters in comic books. That Americans have voted them into office is the most appalling aspect of this whole business.
A Florida developer and fraud convict was arrested Tuesday on a charge that he tried to extort $25 million from the father of Rep. Matt Gaetz in exchange for a presidential pardon that would shut down a high-profile, criminal sex-trafficking investigation into the Republican congressman.
Stephen Alford, 62, of Fort Walton Beach, was indicted on charges of wire fraud and destruction of property subject to a seizure warrant.
A Florida developer and fraud convict was arrested Tuesday on a charge that he tried to extort $25 million from the father of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). | (Patrick Semansky/AP Photo)
A Florida developer and fraud convict was arrested Tuesday on a charge that he tried to extort $25 million from the father of Rep. Matt Gaetz in exchange for a presidential pardon that would shut down a high-profile, criminal sex-trafficking investigation into the Republican congressman.
Stephen Alford, 62, of Fort Walton Beach, was indicted on charges of wire fraud and destruction of property subject to a seizure warrant.
The indictment alleges that in March and April of this year, Alford attempted to […]
Stephan: Roe v Wade functionally died this morning in states controlled by Republicans, and the United States has been thrown back to 1972 before the Row v Wade decision. This law, now tested by the Trump Court, will be introduced and passed in every Red state. Even worse this decision and the way this law in Texas is configured is designed to turn citizen against citizen. It is absolutely despicable, and one of the nastiest legal decisions in American history. I would not live in Texas.
AUSTIN, TX – MAY 29: Pro-life protesters stand near the gate of the Texas state capitol at a protest outside the Texas state capitol on May 29, 2021 in Austin, Texas. Thousands of protesters came out in response to a new bill outlawing abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected signed on Wednesday by Texas Governor Greg Abbot. Credit: Sergio Flores/Getty
A Texas state law that bans abortion after as early as six weeks into the pregnancy could provide the playbook for redstates to pass extreme abortion restrictions — without having to wait for the Supreme Court to revisit Roe v. Wade.The measure — signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in May — prohibits abortion providers from conducting abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected. It would effectively outlaw at least 85% of the abortions sought in the state, according to opponents of the law, since that point is around six weeks into the pregnancy, before some women know they’re pregnant.The law took effect early Wednesday morning after the Supreme […]
Stephan: Here is some excellent news about the transition out of the carbon energy era.
Land-Based Wind Market Report: 2021 Edition
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today released three reports showing record growth in land-based wind energy, significant expansion of the pipeline for offshore wind projects, and continued decline in the cost of wind energy generation — laying the groundwork for significant future gains as the Biden Administration pursues rapid acceleration of renewable energy deployment to reach its goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035.
“These reports contain such terrific news: the U.S. installed a record-breaking amount of land-based wind energy last year. They underscore both the progress made and the capacity for much more affordable wind power to come – all necessary to reach President Biden’s goal of a decarbonized electricity sector by 2035,” said Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “At DOE, we will double down on efforts to deploy more wind energy around the country as we also pursue technologies to make turbines even cheaper and more efficient.”
More wind energy was installed in 2020 than any other energy source, accounting for 42% of new U.S. capacity. The U.S. […]
