#Indian/Pakistani Conflict - "In the early hours of August 5, the Indian government shut down the Internet as well as landline and cell networks in Kashmir, as part of an unprecedented bid for greater control of the disputed Himalayan territory, which both Pakistan and India claim and over which they have gone to war three times." Some 7 million people in the region were left with no way to contact the outside world. [1]
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government said it would revoke two crucial articles of India's constitution that have guaranteed Kashmir's citizens the right to their own flag, constitution and near autonomy for seven decades. And while Modi's government stokes tension between Hindus and Muslims elsewhere, unrest in Kashmir has been steadily growing.
#New Freedom for S.A. Women - "Saudi Arabia has announced sweeping reforms to its system of 'wilajah,' or guardianship -- a jumble of regulations that dictate what women can and can't do on their own." "On July 31, Saudi Arabia's Council of Ministers approved new regulations indicating that women over the age of 21 will soon be able to obtain passports without requiring a close male relative's permission." [2]
#Reconstruction Betrayed - "Although Reconstruction had been rolled back across much of the South before 1877, the withdrawal of federal troops is recognized as the end of the period." "The emphasis today on Reconstruction as an era of African American political and social power, snuffed out by white supremacy across America, is not just important because historians have treated it as such for decades now. It is also because many African Americans see their nation as one that has betrayed, over and over again, its greatest promises -- to them as well as to the very idea of American democracy." [3]
#Lost in Translation - "This time, the Republicans are engaging in an even more dangerous delusion. The pretense is that, as long as they keep talking about mysterious professors and British spies, they aren't ignoring the threat that Russia and other foreign powers continue to pose to the integrity of American elections. Hillary Clinton is, once again, their excuse for inaction." "It's not clear that the Republican Party can still conceive of a definition of the country's interests -- or of itself -- that does not include support for Trump." [4]
Footnotes:
[1] Naine Bajekal, "India takes Kashmir," TIME, August 19, 2019.
[2] Joseph Hincks, "New freedoms for women in S.S...." TIME, August 19, 2019.
[3]Robert Greene II, "Vigilant Struggle," The Nation, August 26/September 2, 2019.
[4] Amy Davidson Sorkin, "Lost in Translation," The New Yorker, August 12, 2019.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Friday, August 23, 2019
TIME Magazine's Interview With President Trump
The following is the published June 17, 2019 interview of TIME with President Trump.
IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM
TIME: Iran overnight said it was considering enriching uranium at levels that would violate the 2015 nuclear agreement...Are you considering military action?
TRUMP: I wouldn't say that. I can't say that at all. It would be inappropriate. But they would be making a big mistake if they enriched.
TIME: Are they calling your bluff on this?
TRUMP: Time will tell.
IRAN'S ALLEGED ATTACKS ON OIL TANKERS
TIME; Are you concerned about Iran's attacks?
TRUMP: So far it's been very minor.
TIME: Does that mean that strategically you would go to war over nuclear weapons but not over passage through the Strait of Hormuz?
TRUMP: I would certainly go over nuclear weapons, and I would keep the other a question mark.
HONG KONG PROTESTS
TIME: What is your message to the demonstrators in Hong Kong right now?
TRUMP: They're obviously having a big impact, and I think they've been very effective in their dealings with China.
TIME: Do you support the demands of the protesters against the extradition bill?
TRUMP: I'm going to let the protesters speak for themselves. I have our own argument with China, and I think it's going to work out.
THE BORDER WALL
TIME: At your rallies, there are signs that say, "Promises Made, Promises Kept." At the current rate, it's very unlikely that your wall will be built by Election Day.
TRUMP: We're building the wall right now. People don't understand. We are building the wall right now. It is under major construction.
TIME: There's 654 miles.You have 61 miles of fencing and barriers.
TRUMP: Well, there's 550 miles, and we will have over 450 miles built by the end of next year. We're renovating and fixing. Areas that didn't have wall, we're putting temporary walls in.
TIME: Why are the numbers of people coming across now at a 13-year high then?
TRUMP: Because they're trying to come in because the economy is so good.
FAMILY SEPARATIONS
TIME: Do you know how many [immigrant] kids were separated from their parents under your Administration?
TRUMP: They have very accurate lists, actually.
TIME: Would you consider reinstating [the policy]?
TRUMP: I don' know. I don't like the concept of separation. I'd rather keep them from coming up. I got such a bad rap on that.
THE 2020 CAMPAIGN
TIME: Who do you think your toughest opponent would be?
TRUMP: I've done more in 2 [and one-half] years than any President in the history of this country. You look at the tax cuts, you look at ANWR [opening the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling]. You look at the [rescission of the Obamacare] individual mandate. You look at right-to-try [a law allowing terminally ill patients to try experimental drugs.]
TIME: Your own campaign polling is showing a disconnect, people who are feeling the benefits of the economy but not giving you credit.
TRUMP: I agree with that. I'm not getting the full credit.
ABORTION LAWS
TIME: Do you support the Alabama abortion law that was recently passed [making abortion a felony in all cases except to prevent a "serious health risk" to the mother]?
TRUMP: I've always been for the exceptions [of rape, incest and protecting the life of the mother], and I think that's very important.
TIME: What about fetal heartbeat bills, like in Georgia, which do have those exceptions?
TRUMP: We're studying it.
THE MUELLER REPORT
TIME: [Many of your former aides] testified under oath, at risk of prison time, that in the words of the Mueller report, you tried to "influence" and "control" the Mueller investigation.
TRUMP: I don't think they did that.
TIME: They did. I can give you the citations.
TRUMP: I could have ended that -- Mueller -- immediately under Article II, if I wanted to. I could have ended the whole thing very quickly. Very easily. I said let it play out, and the bottom line was no collusion, and subject to a review of the documents, no obstruction by the Attorney General.
TIME: For the record,sir, the report does say [that it] "does not exonerate" you.
TRUMP: On obstruction. There was no crime.
TIME:You can obstruct justice without there being an underlying crime.
TRUMP: I'll go a step further. It was a crime committed by the other side.
TIME: Why would you try to limit the investigation?
TRUMP: I didn't try to limit the investigation.
TIME: You dictated a letter to Corey Lewandowski telling him to tell [former Attorney General Jeff] Sessions to limit the investigation [to future Russia meddling].
TRUMP: I could have told Sessions myself if I wanted to.
FOUR MORE YEARS
TIME: What are the new goals you want to take up in your second term?
TRUMP: We're rebuilding the military, which is creating jobs. We're doing some really good things in health care. If we get back the House, we get the Senate, we get the presidency, we will have a great health care plan.
IMPEACHMENT
TIME: Do you think impeachment would actually help you?"
TRUMP: It might. I mean a lot of people say it would. Most people say it would. But I think it's inappropriate. The only thing I did wrong was winning an election. By winning an election, I made them so angry. I'll tell you what, winning an election and building a great economy.
THE ECONOMY
TIME: You could reach out some, beyond the base, and maybe get more credit for that economy.
TRUMP: It might happen. But I'm not sure that I have to do that. But I'd like to do it. Just as President, I'd like to do it. Not for political reasons. I'd like to do it as President.
IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM
TIME: Iran overnight said it was considering enriching uranium at levels that would violate the 2015 nuclear agreement...Are you considering military action?
TRUMP: I wouldn't say that. I can't say that at all. It would be inappropriate. But they would be making a big mistake if they enriched.
TIME: Are they calling your bluff on this?
TRUMP: Time will tell.
IRAN'S ALLEGED ATTACKS ON OIL TANKERS
TIME; Are you concerned about Iran's attacks?
TRUMP: So far it's been very minor.
TIME: Does that mean that strategically you would go to war over nuclear weapons but not over passage through the Strait of Hormuz?
TRUMP: I would certainly go over nuclear weapons, and I would keep the other a question mark.
HONG KONG PROTESTS
TIME: What is your message to the demonstrators in Hong Kong right now?
TRUMP: They're obviously having a big impact, and I think they've been very effective in their dealings with China.
TIME: Do you support the demands of the protesters against the extradition bill?
TRUMP: I'm going to let the protesters speak for themselves. I have our own argument with China, and I think it's going to work out.
THE BORDER WALL
TIME: At your rallies, there are signs that say, "Promises Made, Promises Kept." At the current rate, it's very unlikely that your wall will be built by Election Day.
TRUMP: We're building the wall right now. People don't understand. We are building the wall right now. It is under major construction.
TIME: There's 654 miles.You have 61 miles of fencing and barriers.
TRUMP: Well, there's 550 miles, and we will have over 450 miles built by the end of next year. We're renovating and fixing. Areas that didn't have wall, we're putting temporary walls in.
TIME: Why are the numbers of people coming across now at a 13-year high then?
TRUMP: Because they're trying to come in because the economy is so good.
FAMILY SEPARATIONS
TIME: Do you know how many [immigrant] kids were separated from their parents under your Administration?
TRUMP: They have very accurate lists, actually.
TIME: Would you consider reinstating [the policy]?
TRUMP: I don' know. I don't like the concept of separation. I'd rather keep them from coming up. I got such a bad rap on that.
THE 2020 CAMPAIGN
TIME: Who do you think your toughest opponent would be?
TRUMP: I've done more in 2 [and one-half] years than any President in the history of this country. You look at the tax cuts, you look at ANWR [opening the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling]. You look at the [rescission of the Obamacare] individual mandate. You look at right-to-try [a law allowing terminally ill patients to try experimental drugs.]
TIME: Your own campaign polling is showing a disconnect, people who are feeling the benefits of the economy but not giving you credit.
TRUMP: I agree with that. I'm not getting the full credit.
ABORTION LAWS
TIME: Do you support the Alabama abortion law that was recently passed [making abortion a felony in all cases except to prevent a "serious health risk" to the mother]?
TRUMP: I've always been for the exceptions [of rape, incest and protecting the life of the mother], and I think that's very important.
TIME: What about fetal heartbeat bills, like in Georgia, which do have those exceptions?
TRUMP: We're studying it.
THE MUELLER REPORT
TIME: [Many of your former aides] testified under oath, at risk of prison time, that in the words of the Mueller report, you tried to "influence" and "control" the Mueller investigation.
TRUMP: I don't think they did that.
TIME: They did. I can give you the citations.
TRUMP: I could have ended that -- Mueller -- immediately under Article II, if I wanted to. I could have ended the whole thing very quickly. Very easily. I said let it play out, and the bottom line was no collusion, and subject to a review of the documents, no obstruction by the Attorney General.
TIME: For the record,sir, the report does say [that it] "does not exonerate" you.
TRUMP: On obstruction. There was no crime.
TIME:You can obstruct justice without there being an underlying crime.
TRUMP: I'll go a step further. It was a crime committed by the other side.
TIME: Why would you try to limit the investigation?
TRUMP: I didn't try to limit the investigation.
TIME: You dictated a letter to Corey Lewandowski telling him to tell [former Attorney General Jeff] Sessions to limit the investigation [to future Russia meddling].
TRUMP: I could have told Sessions myself if I wanted to.
FOUR MORE YEARS
TIME: What are the new goals you want to take up in your second term?
TRUMP: We're rebuilding the military, which is creating jobs. We're doing some really good things in health care. If we get back the House, we get the Senate, we get the presidency, we will have a great health care plan.
IMPEACHMENT
TIME: Do you think impeachment would actually help you?"
TRUMP: It might. I mean a lot of people say it would. Most people say it would. But I think it's inappropriate. The only thing I did wrong was winning an election. By winning an election, I made them so angry. I'll tell you what, winning an election and building a great economy.
THE ECONOMY
TIME: You could reach out some, beyond the base, and maybe get more credit for that economy.
TRUMP: It might happen. But I'm not sure that I have to do that. But I'd like to do it. Just as President, I'd like to do it. Not for political reasons. I'd like to do it as President.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
McGahn Accepts Bullying
I. McGahn Accepts Bullying
President Trump accused Don McGahn, former White House counsel, of lying under oath before the Mueller Special Counsel team. So, from a hero as one who may have saved the Trump presidency by refusing the order to fire Mueller, McGahn has morphed into a person who has allowed himself to be bullied by Trump, and won't even be willing to save his own good name, by obeying an order to not testify before Congress, thus facilitating Trump's ability to escape any penalties for his unlawful behavior.
Kellyanne Conway has not paid any price for her many violations of the Hatch Act. She has denigrated many Democratic candidates, and promoted the candidacies of Republicans. She has also used a Fox appearance to make a televised pitch for Ivanka Trump's products.
II. Conflicting Views on Notre Dame Rebirth
'Within France itself, the Notre Dame fire laid bare another, more complicated fragility: a tension rippling through the country, pitting the urge to preserve the past, and traditions of an exceedingly proud nation, against the need to overhaul its hidebound ways and modernize its system." "Although among the Yellow Vest protesters there is a sense of injustice that the Notre Dame fire has brought huge generosity, while their own struggles have not." [1]
Although donations have come from around the world, much money is from the French themselves, in a country where philanthropy is not commonplace, and is only partly tax-deductible.
III. Handing the Enemy an Ax
In the July 29/August 5, 2019 issue of The Nation, letter-writer Peter McRobbie believes that the Democratic primary field will "sort itself out." He cautions, however, that "let us not hand the enemy an ax." "The alternative is four more years of white supremacy, climate denial, nuclear brinksmanship, rampant corruption, Constitution trampling, immigrant trashing, and much more."
ADDENDUMS:
*One database shows that since August 1, 1966 when a student sniper fired from a tower of the University of Texas to the present, at least 1,196 people have been killed in mass shootings, defined as four or more being killed.
*The Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism has found that nearly 75 percent of extremist murders committed in the U.S. over the past decade were carried out by people espousing white extremist ideology.
*A new Hill-Harris X poll found that 51 percent of Republicans; 50 percent of Democrats; and 58 percent of independents responded that the federal deficit must be dealt with immediately.
*Attorney General William Barr has said that the DoJ will throughly investigate the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in New York City. He warned that alleged co-conspirators "should not rest easy."
*Kellyanne Conway argued that the Trump retweet of a post that the Clintons may have been involved in the suicide of Jeffery Epstein was simply the President wanting "everything to be investigated."
*The U.S. is threatening to leave the New START Treaty.
Footnote:
[1[ Vivienne Walt, "Rising from the ashes..." TIME, August 5, 2019.
President Trump accused Don McGahn, former White House counsel, of lying under oath before the Mueller Special Counsel team. So, from a hero as one who may have saved the Trump presidency by refusing the order to fire Mueller, McGahn has morphed into a person who has allowed himself to be bullied by Trump, and won't even be willing to save his own good name, by obeying an order to not testify before Congress, thus facilitating Trump's ability to escape any penalties for his unlawful behavior.
Kellyanne Conway has not paid any price for her many violations of the Hatch Act. She has denigrated many Democratic candidates, and promoted the candidacies of Republicans. She has also used a Fox appearance to make a televised pitch for Ivanka Trump's products.
II. Conflicting Views on Notre Dame Rebirth
'Within France itself, the Notre Dame fire laid bare another, more complicated fragility: a tension rippling through the country, pitting the urge to preserve the past, and traditions of an exceedingly proud nation, against the need to overhaul its hidebound ways and modernize its system." "Although among the Yellow Vest protesters there is a sense of injustice that the Notre Dame fire has brought huge generosity, while their own struggles have not." [1]
Although donations have come from around the world, much money is from the French themselves, in a country where philanthropy is not commonplace, and is only partly tax-deductible.
III. Handing the Enemy an Ax
In the July 29/August 5, 2019 issue of The Nation, letter-writer Peter McRobbie believes that the Democratic primary field will "sort itself out." He cautions, however, that "let us not hand the enemy an ax." "The alternative is four more years of white supremacy, climate denial, nuclear brinksmanship, rampant corruption, Constitution trampling, immigrant trashing, and much more."
ADDENDUMS:
*One database shows that since August 1, 1966 when a student sniper fired from a tower of the University of Texas to the present, at least 1,196 people have been killed in mass shootings, defined as four or more being killed.
*The Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism has found that nearly 75 percent of extremist murders committed in the U.S. over the past decade were carried out by people espousing white extremist ideology.
*A new Hill-Harris X poll found that 51 percent of Republicans; 50 percent of Democrats; and 58 percent of independents responded that the federal deficit must be dealt with immediately.
*Attorney General William Barr has said that the DoJ will throughly investigate the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in New York City. He warned that alleged co-conspirators "should not rest easy."
*Kellyanne Conway argued that the Trump retweet of a post that the Clintons may have been involved in the suicide of Jeffery Epstein was simply the President wanting "everything to be investigated."
*The U.S. is threatening to leave the New START Treaty.
Footnote:
[1[ Vivienne Walt, "Rising from the ashes..." TIME, August 5, 2019.
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
New Mexico Environmental Issues
I. Zero-Waste Lead
By a 3-1 vote, Bernalillo County commissioners passed an ordinance banning plastic bags and styrofoam takeout containers that will go into effect in January 2020. The ordinance is stronger than the one in the City of Albuquerque, which doesn't ban styrofoam takeout containers. [1]
II. Reducing Coal Power
"On March 22, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the Energy Transition Act (ETA, SB 489) into state law, mandating 50% renewable energy generation by 2030 and 100% carbon-free by 2045." "The first part requests the PRC's permission to abandon the San Juan Generating Station, and get out of dirty coal, which currently supplies 30% or 490 MW of PNM's energy." PNM already has 140 MW of solar pending before the commission as part of a prior request. It is currently at 13% of renewable energy. [2]
III. Tide Turns Chaco's Way
"New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard signed an executive order establishing a four-year moratorium on new oil and gas leases on 72,776 acres of state trust lands within 10 miles of Chaco Park. Unfortunately, the BLM Rio Puerco Field Office recently leased 37,000 acres at the June 20th on-line lease sale -- an area larger that the Park itself." [3]
Chaco has cave dwellings built into a cliff.
IV. New Mexico Methane
According to the Sierra Club's partner organization, Environmental Defense Fund, the 1 million metric tons of methane wasted by the New Mexico oil and gas industry has the same short-term impacts as 22 coal-fired power plants, or 28 million automobiles. [4]
"More than 130,000 New Mexicans live within a half mile of oil and gas developments."
Footnotes:
[1] Anni Hanna, Bernalillo takes zero-waste lead," Sierra, July/August/September 2019.
[2] Brittany Fallon, "PNM filing to drop San Juan coal power." Same as above.
[3] Miya King Flaherty, "Tide finally turning Chaco's way." Same as above.
[4] Camilla Feibelman, "Signs of progress on clearing up methane." Same as above.
By a 3-1 vote, Bernalillo County commissioners passed an ordinance banning plastic bags and styrofoam takeout containers that will go into effect in January 2020. The ordinance is stronger than the one in the City of Albuquerque, which doesn't ban styrofoam takeout containers. [1]
II. Reducing Coal Power
"On March 22, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the Energy Transition Act (ETA, SB 489) into state law, mandating 50% renewable energy generation by 2030 and 100% carbon-free by 2045." "The first part requests the PRC's permission to abandon the San Juan Generating Station, and get out of dirty coal, which currently supplies 30% or 490 MW of PNM's energy." PNM already has 140 MW of solar pending before the commission as part of a prior request. It is currently at 13% of renewable energy. [2]
III. Tide Turns Chaco's Way
"New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard signed an executive order establishing a four-year moratorium on new oil and gas leases on 72,776 acres of state trust lands within 10 miles of Chaco Park. Unfortunately, the BLM Rio Puerco Field Office recently leased 37,000 acres at the June 20th on-line lease sale -- an area larger that the Park itself." [3]
Chaco has cave dwellings built into a cliff.
IV. New Mexico Methane
According to the Sierra Club's partner organization, Environmental Defense Fund, the 1 million metric tons of methane wasted by the New Mexico oil and gas industry has the same short-term impacts as 22 coal-fired power plants, or 28 million automobiles. [4]
"More than 130,000 New Mexicans live within a half mile of oil and gas developments."
Footnotes:
[1] Anni Hanna, Bernalillo takes zero-waste lead," Sierra, July/August/September 2019.
[2] Brittany Fallon, "PNM filing to drop San Juan coal power." Same as above.
[3] Miya King Flaherty, "Tide finally turning Chaco's way." Same as above.
[4] Camilla Feibelman, "Signs of progress on clearing up methane." Same as above.
Friday, August 2, 2019
A Variety of Issues From My Writer's Notebook
#Go Fund Me - "A third of the money raised on GoFundMe in 2017 was for medical expenses. This isn't surprising, given that the United States has the highest over-all health-care costs in the developed world. Since 2008, health-insurance deductibles have increased eight times as quickly as wages." "A study in the American Journal of Medicine last fall found that 42.4 per cent of the 9.5 million diagnosed with cancer between 2000 and 2012 had depleted their assets within two years." [1]
"The advantages of crowdfunding still go to the people who arrive with the most powerful connections and the best networks." "The risk in giving medical aid on the basis of stories is that the theatre of change trumps actual systemic reform; the group with resources helps a ailing friend or donates to a stranger whose experience resonates, and believes that its done its part. Meanwhile, the causes of problems go untouched."
#Iran's Plummeting Exports - "Iran's exports have plummeted -- from 3.2 million barrels a day to some half a million." "(Instead of building on the deal with allies), the Administration is scrambling alone militarily in the waters through which thirty per cent of the world's seaborne energy flows. The irony is that the United States no longer needs much oil from the Gulf. The hypocrisy is that Trump vowed to bring American forces from the Middle East, after 18 years of multiple wars. The tragedy is that another war may be on the horizon." [2]
#Dyslexia Kids - "This year alone, according to the website Dyslexia, more that 75 dyslexia-related bills are expected to be introduced in state legislatures." "By 2015, there were chapters in all 50 states and in Canada, agitating for laws that provide screening to detect the condition at a younger age." [3]
"Studies find that [those with] dyslexia -- about 5% to 15% of the population -- have a particular neurological condition, and idiosyncrasy in the sounds, but some educators are opposed to any emphasis on phonics." Even so, disability advocates are uneasy about the broader impact of Decoding Dyslexia's success. " ' Illiteracy is a huge problem nationally. But dyslexia does not equal illiteracy,' says [Jaswine] Harris, an English professor, who points to such socioeconomic factors as hunger and health issues that affect children's learning."
#Prosecuting Kindness - Scott Warren is a member of No Mas Muertes (No More Deaths). As such, he regularly left water, casual foods, blankets, and clothes along migration corridors in Arizona's Sonoran desert. He faces up to 20 years in prison on felony charges of harboring and conspiring to transport undocumented immigrants. The jury deadlocked in his first trial, and he may face another trial. [4]
Warren has said: "Since my arrest in January 2018, at least 88 bodies were recovered from the Ajo corridor of the Arizona desert, The government's plan in the midst of this humanitarian crisis? Prosecutions to criminalize humanitarian aid, kindness and solidarity."
#Border Funding - When the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $4.5 billion border funding bill on a 230-195 vote, it added provisions to require Customs and Border Protection to enact health standards for individuals in custody, including implementing standards for both adults and children for "medical emergencies," nutrition and facilities standards, and personnel training. The HHS Secretary was also required to submit a plan to ensure translation services are accessible to immigrants; alert Congress when there is insufficient space at state-licensed facilities; and place a time limit on the length of time unaccompanied minors can spend in an influx shelter. All of these provisions were then dropped, because Senate Democrats had agreed to a Senate-passed bill that did not contain these provisions. Needless to say, dropping these standards for detention facilities angered those House Democrats who felt these standards were vital.
#Border Patrol "Above and Beyond" - President Trump credits the Border Patrol with doing a great job and going "above and beyond." He blames Democrats for conditions at the border. He has said illegals (aliens) are living far better than they came from and in far safer conditions." The DHS Office of Inspector General described squalid and overcrowded conditions at detention centers.
#Fourth of July Dandies - In the most controversial part of President Trump's Fourth of July speech, he said that the Army "took over the airports, it had everything it had to do, and at Fort McHenry under the rocket's red glare it had nothing to do but victory. And when dawn came, their star-spangled banner waved defiant." There were no airports during the Revolutionary War, and Fort McHenry wasn't built until 1798.
#Trump's Undocumented Workers - When Trump was asked about his undocumented workers at his clubs, Trump said" "Well, that I don't know. Because I don't run it." "But I would say this, probably every club in the United States has that, because it seems to me, from what I understand, a way that people did business." He added: "We've ended whatever they did, and the rules are now very strict."
ADDENDUM:
*According to a study by Yale and George Mason universities, 92 percent of Democrats and 64 percent of Republicans are in favor of a Green New Deal.
Footnotes:
[1] Nathan Heller, "Tell Us What You Need," The New Yorker, July 1, 2019.
[2] Robin Wright, "Belligerence," The New Yorker, July 1, 2019.
[3] Belinda Luscombe, "How parents of Dyslexia kids..." TIME, July 22, 2019.
[4] Isabel Cristo, "Prosecuting Kindness," The Nation, July 15/22, 2019.
"The advantages of crowdfunding still go to the people who arrive with the most powerful connections and the best networks." "The risk in giving medical aid on the basis of stories is that the theatre of change trumps actual systemic reform; the group with resources helps a ailing friend or donates to a stranger whose experience resonates, and believes that its done its part. Meanwhile, the causes of problems go untouched."
#Iran's Plummeting Exports - "Iran's exports have plummeted -- from 3.2 million barrels a day to some half a million." "(Instead of building on the deal with allies), the Administration is scrambling alone militarily in the waters through which thirty per cent of the world's seaborne energy flows. The irony is that the United States no longer needs much oil from the Gulf. The hypocrisy is that Trump vowed to bring American forces from the Middle East, after 18 years of multiple wars. The tragedy is that another war may be on the horizon." [2]
#Dyslexia Kids - "This year alone, according to the website Dyslexia, more that 75 dyslexia-related bills are expected to be introduced in state legislatures." "By 2015, there were chapters in all 50 states and in Canada, agitating for laws that provide screening to detect the condition at a younger age." [3]
"Studies find that [those with] dyslexia -- about 5% to 15% of the population -- have a particular neurological condition, and idiosyncrasy in the sounds, but some educators are opposed to any emphasis on phonics." Even so, disability advocates are uneasy about the broader impact of Decoding Dyslexia's success. " ' Illiteracy is a huge problem nationally. But dyslexia does not equal illiteracy,' says [Jaswine] Harris, an English professor, who points to such socioeconomic factors as hunger and health issues that affect children's learning."
#Prosecuting Kindness - Scott Warren is a member of No Mas Muertes (No More Deaths). As such, he regularly left water, casual foods, blankets, and clothes along migration corridors in Arizona's Sonoran desert. He faces up to 20 years in prison on felony charges of harboring and conspiring to transport undocumented immigrants. The jury deadlocked in his first trial, and he may face another trial. [4]
Warren has said: "Since my arrest in January 2018, at least 88 bodies were recovered from the Ajo corridor of the Arizona desert, The government's plan in the midst of this humanitarian crisis? Prosecutions to criminalize humanitarian aid, kindness and solidarity."
#Border Funding - When the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $4.5 billion border funding bill on a 230-195 vote, it added provisions to require Customs and Border Protection to enact health standards for individuals in custody, including implementing standards for both adults and children for "medical emergencies," nutrition and facilities standards, and personnel training. The HHS Secretary was also required to submit a plan to ensure translation services are accessible to immigrants; alert Congress when there is insufficient space at state-licensed facilities; and place a time limit on the length of time unaccompanied minors can spend in an influx shelter. All of these provisions were then dropped, because Senate Democrats had agreed to a Senate-passed bill that did not contain these provisions. Needless to say, dropping these standards for detention facilities angered those House Democrats who felt these standards were vital.
#Border Patrol "Above and Beyond" - President Trump credits the Border Patrol with doing a great job and going "above and beyond." He blames Democrats for conditions at the border. He has said illegals (aliens) are living far better than they came from and in far safer conditions." The DHS Office of Inspector General described squalid and overcrowded conditions at detention centers.
#Fourth of July Dandies - In the most controversial part of President Trump's Fourth of July speech, he said that the Army "took over the airports, it had everything it had to do, and at Fort McHenry under the rocket's red glare it had nothing to do but victory. And when dawn came, their star-spangled banner waved defiant." There were no airports during the Revolutionary War, and Fort McHenry wasn't built until 1798.
#Trump's Undocumented Workers - When Trump was asked about his undocumented workers at his clubs, Trump said" "Well, that I don't know. Because I don't run it." "But I would say this, probably every club in the United States has that, because it seems to me, from what I understand, a way that people did business." He added: "We've ended whatever they did, and the rules are now very strict."
ADDENDUM:
*According to a study by Yale and George Mason universities, 92 percent of Democrats and 64 percent of Republicans are in favor of a Green New Deal.
Footnotes:
[1] Nathan Heller, "Tell Us What You Need," The New Yorker, July 1, 2019.
[2] Robin Wright, "Belligerence," The New Yorker, July 1, 2019.
[3] Belinda Luscombe, "How parents of Dyslexia kids..." TIME, July 22, 2019.
[4] Isabel Cristo, "Prosecuting Kindness," The Nation, July 15/22, 2019.
Thursday, August 1, 2019
Trump's False Claim for Drops in Unemployment Rate
President Trump recently repeated his claim that he has lowered the African American (A-A) unemployment rate more than anyone else in the nation's history. He has also claimed significant reductions in the Hispanic's and women's unemployment rates.
The A-A unemployment rate has been declining since 2010. After the first year of Trump's presidency, the A-A unemployment rate had declined by an additional one percent. This unemployment rate has decreased by ten percent since 2010, and nine percent of that decrease occurred while Obama was president. Thus, Trump's claim is nine-tenths a lie.
The unemployment rates for Hispanics and women has also been declining since 2010. Given that Trump has not created a specific program to decrease these rates, the decrease in the respective rates was just part of the overall decrease in the unemployment rate.
President Trump has also claimed to be a greater job creator than Barack Obama. According to Department of Labor statistics, Obama created 4.3 million jobs in his first 20 months in office, compared to Trump's 3.8 million jobs in his first 20 months. Obama's average monthly increase in jobs was 187,000 in 2016, versus Trump's average of 171,000 jobs in 2017. The economy added more jobs in every year of Obama's second term than it did in Trump's first year.
The overall unemployment rate has decreased by about 6.3% since it hit a peak in Obama's first term. About 5% of that decrease occurred in the Obama era, and about 1.3% has occurred under Trump up to this point in time.
Looking ahead, economists have long advised the public that if the national government appropriated $1 billion with the primary purpose of creating jobs, it will create significantly more jobs in education and health care than if added to the Pentagon's budget. There are several factors contributing to this imbalance, but two are of particular importance: 1.) the Pentagon needs components from other countries for its military machine, and money goes overseas to pay for them; and 2.) foreign nationals service and maintain our far-flung overseas military bases, and they are paid out of the Pentagon's budget.
The Pentagon's budget was $611 billion when Trump took office. The FY 2020 budget for the Pentagon is $738 billion. Since the Pentagon and the domestic sector compete for discretionary spending dollars, shoveling much more money into the Pentagon's maw lessens the funding for domestic programs, which are greater job creators, will be reduced.
The A-A unemployment rate has been declining since 2010. After the first year of Trump's presidency, the A-A unemployment rate had declined by an additional one percent. This unemployment rate has decreased by ten percent since 2010, and nine percent of that decrease occurred while Obama was president. Thus, Trump's claim is nine-tenths a lie.
The unemployment rates for Hispanics and women has also been declining since 2010. Given that Trump has not created a specific program to decrease these rates, the decrease in the respective rates was just part of the overall decrease in the unemployment rate.
President Trump has also claimed to be a greater job creator than Barack Obama. According to Department of Labor statistics, Obama created 4.3 million jobs in his first 20 months in office, compared to Trump's 3.8 million jobs in his first 20 months. Obama's average monthly increase in jobs was 187,000 in 2016, versus Trump's average of 171,000 jobs in 2017. The economy added more jobs in every year of Obama's second term than it did in Trump's first year.
The overall unemployment rate has decreased by about 6.3% since it hit a peak in Obama's first term. About 5% of that decrease occurred in the Obama era, and about 1.3% has occurred under Trump up to this point in time.
Looking ahead, economists have long advised the public that if the national government appropriated $1 billion with the primary purpose of creating jobs, it will create significantly more jobs in education and health care than if added to the Pentagon's budget. There are several factors contributing to this imbalance, but two are of particular importance: 1.) the Pentagon needs components from other countries for its military machine, and money goes overseas to pay for them; and 2.) foreign nationals service and maintain our far-flung overseas military bases, and they are paid out of the Pentagon's budget.
The Pentagon's budget was $611 billion when Trump took office. The FY 2020 budget for the Pentagon is $738 billion. Since the Pentagon and the domestic sector compete for discretionary spending dollars, shoveling much more money into the Pentagon's maw lessens the funding for domestic programs, which are greater job creators, will be reduced.
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