This has been a pretty tough week, with Donald and his toadies literally rewriting the laws he’s broken to exempt Donald from them like the worst sort of banana republic, Donald flushing out the Department of Homeland Security to further immigrant-descended Steven Miller’s draconian anti-immigrant agenda, and the Republican Congress continuing to enable and abet the traitor in chief as he freely breaks laws, dismantles our democracy, betrays our country, rampantly breaches standards of ethics and common human decency, and spews lies and ignorance.
But hold your righteous banners high, warriors, and cleave to hope—there are so many things in the works to contain the mentally deranged dotard, and so many good, moral, law-abiding people banding together and working to end this attack on our nation and our democracy.
Donald is clearly panicking as the noose tightens regarding investigations into his business dealings and tax returns and his possible breaches of the law, turning his fire hose of vitriol onto immigration, a dog whistle that has tracked well with his base in the past.
First he withdrew his appointment for the head of ICE by stating he was “going in a tougher direction.” He also apparently sprang a forced resignation on Kirstjen Nielsen, his constant champion and defender for harsh immigration policies like separating families at the border, because she wasn’t cruel enough, and then promptly 180’d on two policies she warned were illegal and a PR nightmare: closing the southern border and transporting and releasing detained immigrants into sanctuary cities. Donny also instructed his acting chief of staff to fire his Secret Service director. Here’s a running list of all this unstable administration’s unprecedented turnovers—66 percent of executive staff!—but at the pace at which the maggots are dropping off the body, it might be out of date by the time you read it.
Meanwhile even some Republicans may be finding the limits of their own personal depravity in enabling the Very Stable Genius (to the surprise of many, who weren’t sure there actually were any limits). Four Republican senators indicated they would not vote to confirm Herman Cain, Donald’s nominee for Federal Reserve. And GOP senator Chuck Grassley warned Donny to stop his purge of immigration officials.
Plano state house Rep. Jeff Leach—a Republican, believe it or not—promised that the appalling bill proposed by Texas GOP Rep. Tony Tinderholt that would criminalize abortion as criminal homicide, and thus potentially carry the death penalty for women who had one in a stunning hypocrisy apparently pro-lifers choose to ignore, would never leave his committee to be put to a vote.
Republicans Against the Law
A federal judge blocked Don John’s efforts to force asylum seekers to remain in Mexico, against U.S. stated policy and the law.
The White House illegally consulted the Treasury regarding Democrats’ request for Donny’s tax returns—a breach of a law designed to prevent White House interference and political involvement into congressional business.
The House Is in the House!
House lawmakers voted to reinstate net-neutrality internet laws that Don John’s administration stripped. (Although Mitch McConnell, of course, has already stated he won’t bring the motion to a vote in the Senate, and Donald has vowed to veto it if it reaches his desk.)
Social and Civil Rights Advances
Illinois joins the other 17 states that are voting to forbid any presidential candidate from being on the ballot unless they release their tax returns.
A female scientist, 29-year-old MIT postdoctorate fellow Katherine Bouman, led the development of the algorithm that led to first photo of black hole.When sexist trolls attacked and impugned her achievements, her fellow scientist they had tried to use to steal credit from her was the one who spoke up loudly to defend Bouman’s groundbreaking accomplishments.
Just days after being accused of penalizing students with immigrant parents, an Austin elementary school principal was removed from her position.
Less than a month after the mass killing in New Zealand, their Parliament passed a law banning most semiautomatic weapons.
Your Feel-good Stories of the Week
Promising results from the first class of LeBron James’s school for children labeled the “worst performers” in their Akron elementary schools, often diagnosed with behavioral problems, indicate that providing a quality education equally to all children can change lives and close the education gap. Kids as young as 8 who were already predicted likely never to graduate excelled: “Ninety percent met or exceeded individual growth goals in reading and math, outpacing their peers across the district.” This read will make you feel good about the world.
In a random bit of hopeful news for our education system, cursive is making a comeback.