9/03/2018
Some fun new categories this week, starting with…
Elections
Florida’s GOP governor nominee Ron DeSantis, who has been bleating loudly that he didn’t mean anything racist by telling supporters not to “monkey this up” when speaking of his African American opponent, negated his own denials Thursday by being outed as a moderator and administrator for a Tea Party Facebook group that propagates racist messages and conspiracy theories, which among other delightful behavior refers to black people as “ghetto scum” and mocks and demeans the Parkland survivors, John McCain, Muslims, and immigrants. I don’t know how often I can say this, but keep it classy, GOP.
One pinpoint of light that the GOP may not have gone entirely off the rails—in Arizona House Rep Martha McSally handily defeated challengers Joe “Pardoned Criminal” Arpaio and Kelli “John McCain announced he was ceasing treatment for his brain cancer to spite me” Ward.
Beto is within a single point of Teddy. Meanwhile, as if trying to make him seem cooler, especially by comparison with awkward Ted Cruz, the GOP ran ads ostensibly against Beto showing his younger days in a rock band—a strategy that backfired tremendously on Twitter.
In a direct rejection of the Republican administration’s gutting of net-neutrality rules, California lawmakers voted for the country’s most stringent state restrictions against internet providers against hindering or favoring specific websites. The legislation requires the governor’s signature to be signed into law, and the FCC will no doubt fight it, sending the issue all the way to the Supreme Court.
Donald’s Lies
Donald baselessly claimed that China hacked Hillary Clinton’s emails. The FBI swatted that nonsense down.
Donald baselessly claimed that Google censored search results to show mostly unfavorable stories about him. Google rebutted that idiocy.
Donald baselessly and out of nowhere claimed that NBC “fudged” Donald’s interview in which he stated he fires Comey because of the Russia investigation. Somebody’s panicking.
Republicans Against the Law
A panel of three federal judges has ruled that North Carolina unconstitutionally gerrymandered its districts to advantage Republicans over Democrats, and the court may require that new districts be drawn before the midterm elections.
A federal judge shot down a lawsuit brought by Texas and six other conservative states to try to block DACA.
A federal judge blocked publication of 3-D printed blueprints for firearms, effectively criminalizing publication of the 3-D designs for guns.
Donny’s administration will pay Minnesota and New York nearly half a billion dollars as a result of both states suing for lost federal funding for ACA programs that provide health care to low-income residents.
Gun control, teacher, and civil rights groups are prepared to sue Betsy DeVos’s Education Department if DeVos carries through with her proposal to use federal funds to arm teachers.
Kushner and Co. was cited by the city of New York and fined for permit violations and submitting false information to try to evict tenants in their rent-controlled buildings.
Republican Corruption
Yet another of Donald’s staff—this one a former Homeland Security official—was found to have ties to white nationalists.
A top student loan watchdog, an ombudsman with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has resigned, stating that Donald and the Republican administration are siding with predatory lenders.
An American political consultant pleaded guilty to steering $50K in illegal foreign contributions to Donald’s inauguration fund.
Social and Civil Rights Advances
Wisconsin voted to overturn an earlier policy and will offer insurance coverage for transgender state employees seeking hormone therapy and gender confirmation surgery.
Mollie Tibbitt’s family speaking out against the politicization of her death to attack immigration.
WTF
Holy fuckballs, the president of the United States doesn’t appear to know what the American flag looks like. (Maybe he was trying to draw a rainbow flag…?)
Yet another Donald staffer with ties to white supremacist groups has crawled out from under his rock—Ian Smith, a Homeland Security analyst, resigned Tuesday when he was questioned about personal emails to white supremacists/racists.
Your Feel-good Stories of the Week
More than 60 percent of Americans disapprove of Don John, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll, a new high. The same poll showed that majorities of Americans support Mueller’s investigation and oppose Donald firing Sessions.
A decorated soldier was forced out of the army because of her immigration status, though she was promised a path to citizenship; thanks to a federal judge and the ACLU, now she’s being sworn in as a citizen.
Donald raised the flag from half-mast two days after John McCain’s death, lowering again at public outcry (after nixing White House advisers’ advice to hail him as a hero. McCain has the last word, though, with his lovely and inspiring final letter (in which he takes clear swipes at Donny), and the speakers at his memorials, including Barack Obama, Joe Biden, an NFL player, and a Russian dissident. Notably absent from the guest list: the commander of cheese and Sarah Palin, McCain’s ill-advised running mate in his 2008 presidential bid.
Please enjoy this photo gallery of things that Ted Cruz looks like.