The Menendez Saga

The Democratic senator for New Jersey has never been likeable to me…..he is a big business Dem that came to the Congress on the Clinton coattails.

Over the years he has had his problems with corruption and once again he has been caught with his fingers in the cookie jar.

Rep. Andy Kim of New Jersey announced on Saturday that he will run against Sen. Robert Menendez in the state’s Democratic primary for Senate next year, saying he feels compelled to run against the three-term senator after he and his wife were indicted on sweeping corruption charges. Kim’s surprise announcement comes as a growing number of Democrats are calling for Menendez to step down. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman became the first Democratic senator to do so, and several members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation, along with the state’s Democratic governor, have said he should resign, per the AP.

This is not something I expected to do, but I believe New Jersey deserves better,” Kim said. Fetterman, meanwhile, said his Senate colleague is “entitled to the presumption of innocence under our system, but he is not entitled to continue to wield influence over national policy.” Menendez and wife Nadine were indicted on Friday for using his position to aid the authoritarian government of Egypt and also to pressure federal prosecutors to drop a case against a friend. The three-count indictment lists a series of bribes they were paid by three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for the corrupt acts—gold bars, a luxury car, and cash.

It is the second indictment on bribery charges for Menendez—and the second time he has had to relinquish his post as the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations panel. He regained the leadership spot in 2018 after the case ended with a deadlocked jury. Menendez was defiant after Friday’s indictment, saying in a statement Friday evening that “I am not going anywhere.” Authorities who searched Menendez’s home last year found more than $100,000 worth of gold bars, as well as over $480,000 in cash—much of it hidden in closets, clothing, and a safe, prosecutors say. The indictment includes photos of cash stuffed in envelopes in jackets bearing Menendez’s name and of a luxury car that prosecutors say was given to the couple as a bribe from the businessmen.

There calls for Menendez to resign….but mostly from younger Congress people….some of the older and entrenched members think he should stay put.

Add Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to the list of politicians who think Sen. Bob Menendez needs to resign due to his indictment on corruption charges. The Democratic representative said the charges against Menendez, including allegations that he accepted bribes including a Mercedes-Benz, are “very serious,” the Guardian reports. “Consistency matters. It shouldn’t matter if it’s a Republican or a Democrat,” she said, adding that the allegations “involve the nature of not just his but all of our seats in Congress.” Meanwhile, while Sen. John Fetterman and several Democrats in Menendez’s home state of New Jersey say their fellow Dem should step down, NBC News reports other Democrat senators have not been so quick to join that chorus:

Chris Murphy: “No senators should be trading on their position in order to enrich themselves,” he said Sunday on MSNBC. “It is hard for me to believe that Sen. Menendez can be effective in his job given these allegations, but I think I want to get back and talk to my colleagues on the Foreign Relations Committee before I recommend a path forward for Sen. Menendez.”

Mark Kelly: “I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said on CBS Sunday, noting that Menendez stepping down as chair of the Foreign Relations Committee is “a serious step.” Kelly continued, “I think Sen. Menendez is going to have to think long and hard about the cloud that’s going to hang over his service in the United State Senate. He’s got to figure out whether he can adequately serve the people of New Jersey.”

Dick Durbin: “In terms of resignation, that’s a decision to be made by Sen. Menendez and the people of New Jersey,” he said on CNN Sunday. “The person who is accused is entitled to the presumption of innocence, and it’s the responsibility of the government to prove that case. I have said that about Donald Trump. I will say the same thing about Bob Menendez.”

Personally he should resign with a hint of corruption and let the Congress get on with business it really does not need another diversion at this time.

I say if guilty get the slug out of government and tighten the noose around other forms of corruption as well….a good place to start would be SCOTUS.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

History For A Sunday

I like to throw some knowledge in for my regular readers and at the same time try to add a little history to keep in interesting.

But first I saw a report last week about a delivery van in Alaska for Krispy Kreme donuts and 2 bears got in the van and ate 25 cartons of donuts.

And I thought….hey, donut.

Who does not like a cup of coffee and a warm doughnut?

And that is the history lesson for this Sunday…..the doughnut.

Doughnuts, with their rich history dating back centuries, have undergone a remarkable evolution, becoming a cherished part of culinary traditions worldwide. From their humble beginnings to the innovative creations found in artisanal shops today, doughnuts continue to captivate taste buds and bring moments of joy to people around the globe.

Doughnuts are a popular and beloved pastry made from sweet, fried dough, often shaped as a ring or a filled ball, and adorned with various toppings, glazes, or fillings. The origins of doughnuts trace back through centuries and across cultures, from ancient Native American settlements to the Dutch immigrants in America, each contributing to the doughnut’s development. Learning about their history not only sheds light on the ancient traditions of different societies but also highlights the ingenuity and creativity involved in transforming a simple fried dough into an iconic and diverse pastry.

Fried dough has been a part of culinary traditions worldwide for centuries. Evidence of fried dough consumption can be traced back to ancient Native American settlements, while sweetened fried dough was enjoyed by the Romans and Greeks in antiquity. The doughnut’s historical origins are often attributed to Dutch immigrants who arrived in 17th- and 18th-century New York, then known as New Netherland.

These immigrants made fried dough balls known as “olie koeken” or “olykoeks,” which translates to “oil cakes.” The word “donut” is believed to have Dutch roots, coming from the word “oily cakes” or “dough knots” (oliekoeken or oliekoecken). Dutch settlers brought their tradition of frying balls of sweet dough to America in the 17th century. These early American donuts were often made with nuts or fruit inside.

These early treats closely resembled modern-day doughnuts but lacked the iconic ring shape. Instead, they were filled with fruits and nuts in the centre to ensure even cooking, addressing the issue of the dough in the centre cooking more slowly than the outer portions. Doughnuts, with their Dutch and European roots, were brought to America by early settlers.

It was in the United States that these fried dough treats truly found their identity. In the 19th century, Elizabeth Gregory, the mother of a New England ship captain, is believed to have created the iconic doughnut hole by removing the centre of the dough to ensure even cooking. The term “doughnut” gained popularity during this time as well.

https://www.slurrp.com/article/from-dutch-origins-to-wartime-solace-exploring-the-fascinating-history-of-doughnuts-1694092820451

Just a little something brighten your Sunday….a sweet treat and some knowledge….

Enjoy your day and as always….be well and be safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

IST Saturday News Dump–23Sep23

Once again the weekend begins….it comes around once a week (or so)…..Biden made a speech….Zelensky tries his hand at bullying….GOP offers a killer budget….and a partridge in a pear tree.

To open with….there are many ways of predicting the future….tea leaves, bumps in you head, etc….do you know what tyromancy is?

How accurately can that provolone in your fridge predict the future? How good of a soothsayer is that wheel of Stilton? You may not have the answers to those questions, but Jennifer Billock thinks she does. That’s because the Chicago native is a self-proclaimed expert in tyromancy, described by Occultopedia as the centuries-old “art and practice of divining the past, the present, and the future by interpreting omens found in cheese.” “Every piece of cheese has something it can tell you about the cheese itself, and also about you,” the 40-year-old dairy diviner tells Reuters. Billock tells FOX 32 Chicago that she first learned about this unique form of prognostication at the start of the pandemic, “when I was Googling ‘weird ways to tell the future.'”

Billock explains that she can’t use just any old type of cheese to ply her craft, noting, “You want something that has holes or veins or ash or even … a moldy piece” to best deliver a prophesy. Flat Gruyere, for instance, wouldn’t be a great medium. The ideal choices? Blue cheese and Swiss, according to Billock. She says she prefers clients bring their own cheese to her readings, because it’s a cheese they may already “feel a connection to,” but if that’s not possible, Billock is more than happy to tap into her own stash. No one’s a bigger fan of her particular way of fortune-telling than Billock herself. “I really enjoy it, I love cheese,” she tells Reuters. “It’s great, because you get your fortune told and then you get to eat it!” She does tell FOX 32 that she doesn’t get many follow-up calls, however, so she’s not sure how accurate her predictions are.

Does wine come with the cheese?

Let’s stick with the food thingy….how many of us have a bowl of cereal in the mornings?

Eat fast!

Sales trends in breakfast foods suggest that Tony the Tiger and Toucan Sam may be looking for new work in the future. The Wall Street Journal reports that the top players in the cereal industry—Kellogg, Post Holdings, and General Mills—have seen declining sales in recent years, and expect the trend to continue. Other than a significant (5.2%) sales bump in 2020, when more people ate breakfast at home during the pandemic, sales have been on a downward trajectory, falling 8.7% in 2021 and another 3.9% in 2022.

The Journal notes that while people “gorged” on cereal in the ’80s and ’90s due to nutritionists favoring carbs over high-protein, high-cholesterol foods like eggs, experts now warn that the high sugar content found in breakfast cereals may not be the best way to start your day. Barclays analyst Andrew Lazar tells the Journal that more shoppers are picking up frozen food options like breakfast burritos or opting for on-the-go choices such as breakfast shakes or bars. Fewer Americans are eating breakfast, according to a recent poll, Paste Magazine reports, which also contributes to less sales. They note that rebranding cereal as a dessert or snack is another way to restore the appeal of sugary products that perhaps have no business on the breakfast table, like Cookie Crisp.

Now for some news for severely handicapped….

A few months after receiving FDA approval to launch human trials, Neuralink is looking for people willing to let an experimental robot stick an equally experimental device into their brain. Elon Musk’s brain-implant startup is seeking people over the age of 22 with quadriplegia due to vertical spinal cord injury or ALS who have a “consistent and reliable caregiver” to join a six-year trial dubbed “the PRIME Study.” It’s an acronym that “makes no sense” as it “apparently stands for Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface,” the Verge reports. “The initial goal of our [brain-computer interface] is to grant people the ability to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts alone,” aiding communication, Neuralink said in a Tuesday blog post, per CNBC.

The study will test the brain implant device, the robot that surgically implants the device, and a user app whose software turns brain signals into computer actions. Though Neuralink’s implants have only been tested in animals, similar devices have already been inserted into human brains and been shown to help ALS patients communicate through a computer. A video published last month also shows researchers translating brain signals from a paralyzed stroke survivor into text, speech, and facial expressions. Neuralink’s “cosmetically invisible” wireless device will be implanted into “a region of the brain that controls movement intention” and “is intended to record and transmit brain signals wirelessly to an app that decodes movement intention,” the company said.

If successful it could be a boon for the handicapped to live a more productive life.

We are entering a danger zone here on Earth….

It’s not only that we have crossed the line with these boundaries, but that we are doing nothing to reverse most of the damage already caused. In fact, we continue to step further and further from the dividing line, increasing transgression levels and risking the future of humanity.

The scientists did point out that the limit for ozone depletion has reduced slightly, but it is still crossing the line. As for water, it went from barely safe to full-blown unsafe, notes Metro. This is reportedly due to river run-off and improvements in technology leading to a better understanding of the severity of the issue.

The co-author of the study, Johan Rockstrom, said Earth is ‘losing resilience’ and described our planet as a patient that is ‘sick’. Rockstrom, who is the director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, developed these nine markers of Earth’s health and stability back in 2009.

https://www.ohmymag.co.uk/news/humanity-heading-for-self-destruction-as-new-study-reveals-earth-is-in-very-bad-shape_art19134.html

Finally, I know you have heard of people that have a crappy day….well I’ll bet not this crappy!

A woman was rescued Tuesday from an outhouse toilet in northern Michigan after she climbed in to retrieve her Apple Watch and became trapped. The woman, whose name was not released, lowered herself inside the toilet after dropping the watch at the Department of Natural Resources boat launch at Dixon Lake in Otsego County’s Bagley Township, state police said Wednesday. First responders were called when the woman was heard yelling for help, the AP reports. The toilet was removed, and a strap was used to haul the woman out.

“If you lose an item in an outhouse toilet, do not attempt to venture inside the containment area. Serious injury may occur,” state police said in a release. The state police did not say Wednesday if the woman was injured or if the watch was recovered. Bagley Township is about 240 miles northwest of Detroit.

I think I would have mourned my loss and moved on.

Now the feel good story of the week and the reason I am a dog person….

The case of a missing toddler in Michigan had a happy ending earlier this week, but it was how she was found that bolstered, once again, dogs’ status as man’s best friend. Michigan State Police showed up at the home of a 2-year-old girl in Menominee County’s Faithorn area around 8pm local time on Wednesday, after it had been reported that she’d wandered off with the two family dogs, per WLUC. A massive search was soon underway in the rural region, complete with drones, police dogs, volunteers, and law enforcement officers, with helpers even arriving from neighboring Wisconsin to assist.

Around midnight, a collective sigh of relief: A local riding an ATV found the sleeping girl in a wooded area about 3 miles from her home—her two pups not only by her side, but also apparently serving as her protectors. “She laid down and used one of the dogs as a pillow, and the other dog laid right next to her and kept her safe,” Lt. Mark Giannunzio said Thursday, per the AP, calling it a “really remarkable story.” The toddler was examined by medical professionals and was said to be in good condition

Another reason they are called ‘man’s best friend’.

That is my ‘dump’ (no pun intended) for this Saturday…..go out and enjoy the first day of Autumn….

As always….be well and be safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

What About All This “Greenwashing”?

With all the predictions of catastrophic environmental damage being done by corporations a new term has entered into our vocabulary….”Greenwashing”.

But first a definition….

Greenwashing is a term used to describe a false, misleading or untrue action or set of claims made by an organization about the positive impact that a company, product or service has on the environment.

I recall after the Gulf oil spill BP set about giving their logo a more serene look with yellows and greens….but did little to change their disastrous practices.

Researchers have identified the threat greenwashing poses to a “nature positive” world, one where environmental decline halts and biodiversity outcomes improve. The research is published in Nature Ecology & Evolution

The concept of nature positive—often seen as the biodiversity version of a “net zero” climate goal—depicts a planet where nature genuinely improves globally, going beyond current efforts that largely focus on mitigating harm

“As with the term ‘net zero,’ you’ll soon start to see the businesses you buy from, and the governments you vote for, making claims that they are being, doing, or contributing to nature positive. But to be clear, such an achievement is only possible if we fundamentally change how we run our society and economy.

“What we really need are standards, so that it’s clear what constitutes misleading information, and transparency, so that consumers and voters can tell the greenwash from the genuine efforts for change.”

https://phys.org/news/2023-09-greenwashing-threat-nature-positive-world.html

People should be wary of unfounded green credentials of companies whose greenwashing poses a direct threat to the environment, scientists have warned.

Can you think of any corporations that have friendly-up their approaches?

Do not be fooled….they may look environmentally friendly but it is only a mask to preserve their practices and profits….nothing more.

Be Smart!

Learn Stuff!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Ukraine And The Shut Down

It is that time again…the debate over the looming shutdown…..and part of the problem will be our massive infusion of cash into Ukraine…

The Pentagon has said that the government shutdown that will happen if Congress doesn’t pass a funding bill by September 30 could hinder US support for Ukraine.

Pentagon spokesman Chris Sherwood told POLITICO that the Defense Department’s suspension of what is considered nonessential activities expected under a shutdown could interrupt “delivery of defense articles, services and/or military education and training” for Ukraine.

During government shutdowns, the US military typically stops activities that are deemed unnecessary for national security, including training. The Pentagon could issue exemptions for the Ukrainian training, but if not, the programs will be forced to stop, including the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16s that recently started inside the US.

Sherwood said that the Pentagon would still have access to funds to take weapons from military stockpiles for Ukraine, a program known as the Presidential Drawdown Authority. The Pentagon recently claimed billions became available in PDA for Ukraine due to an “accounting error” that overvalued weapons previously sent to the country, and Sherwood said those funds could be rolled into the next fiscal year, which starts on October 1.

But Sherwood said the actual deliveries could be stopped if the activity is suspended during the shutdown, regardless of whether or not there is funds for the weapons. The Pentagon would also not be able to dip into the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, a program that allows the US to purchase weapons for Ukraine.

(antiwar.com)

This could explain the urgency for Zelensky’s visit to the UN and later to the White House and Congress with demands and looking for more hand-outs.

Speaking of Ukraine funding….

Surely you have heard of the Freedom Caucus….you know that bloc of sleazy, lying bigots on the GOP fringe….as I type this portion of my post I feel dirty and in desperate need of a shower….but on this one issue , I repeat this ONE ISSUE, I agree with the Freedom Caucus.

These 50 House members have said there should be no blank check policy toward Ukraine…..

The House Freedom Caucus, the roughly 50-member bloc of Republicans, has voiced strong opposition to a stopgap measure. In August, the group released a list of demands that would be necessary for them to approve the spending bills on the table. Included in the group’s statement from last month — which required the support of 80 percent of its members — is a rejection of “any blank check for Ukraine in any supplemental appropriations bill.”

Punchbowl News reported that McCarthy was considering attaching the disaster relief to a continuing resolution while omitting aid to Ukraine from the short-term spending bill, setting up a potential showdown with the White House and Senate.

McCarthy has sent mixed signals about his position on Ukraine aid since saying that there would be no “blank check” for Kyiv prior to ascending to the speakership. By deciding to separate Ukraine aid from the stopgap funding bill and reportedly instead tying it to controversial immigration policies, McCarthy has leaned closer to the right flank of his party on this question.

This maneuver may open the door for more debate over funding for Ukraine, though the group is not necessarily in agreement over what precisely “no blank check” means.

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/republicans-ukraine-aid/

As I have stated I am NO supporter of the Freedom Caucus under normal conditions but on this issue I am for I am weary of watching tax dollars flying in all directions except to this country.

But not to worry….the Pentragon has stated that if a shutdown occurs it will not effect aid to Ukraine…

The Pentagon will exempt its operations supporting Ukraine in the war against Russia from a government shutdown that will happen if Congress fails to pass a funding bill by September 30.

During government shutdowns, the US military typically suspends activities that are deemed not vital to US national security. But Pentagon spokesman Chris Sherwood told POLITICO on Thursday that US support for Ukraine would not be suspended.

“Operation Atlantic Resolve is an excepted activity under a government lapse in appropriations,” Sherwood said, using the name for US military activities in Europe that have come in response to events in Ukraine since 2014, the year a US-backed coup in Kyiv led to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the civil war in Ukraine’s Donbas region.

US support for Ukraine includes training of Ukrainian forces in the US and in Europe, arms shipments, and providing targeting intelligence. Just two days earlier, Sherwood told POLITICO that US support for Ukraine might be hindered by a shutdown.

The POLITICO report on the Pentagon’s decision to exempt the Ukraine operations came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Washington. The Pentagon said Austin met with Zelensky “to reaffirm the steadfast US support for Ukraine.”

(antiwar.com)

Will military pay be exempt?

I will not apologize for siding with those losers on the Right….but something needs to be done to rein in the waste of American cash.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Biden Pulls An End Run

Dems have been fighting the GOP for decades on this climate change thing and the things we need to do to avert the predicted disaster that is awaiting.

Biden is tired of Congress and their games and has decided to take matters in his own hinds.

After being thwarted by Congress, President Biden will use his executive authority to create a New Deal-style climate initiative that will serve as a major green-jobs training program. In an announcement Wednesday, the White House said the program will employ about 20,000 young adults who will build trails, plant trees, help install solar panels, and do other work to boost conservation and help prevent catastrophic wildfires. As the AP reports, such a program had been proposed in early versions of the sweeping climate law approved last year, but it was jettisoned amid strong opposition from Republicans and concerns about cost. Democrats and environmental advocacy groups never gave up on the plan and pushed Biden in recent weeks to issue an executive order authorizing what the White House now calls the American Climate Corps.

The program is modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps, created in the 1930s by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat, as part of the New Deal. “This summer, our country saw heat waves, wildfires, and floods that destroyed communities, uprooted families, and claimed hundreds of lives,” the Sunrise Movement and other organizations wrote on Monday in a letter to Biden’s White House. “While previous executive orders and legislation under your administration demonstrate tremendous progress toward meeting our Paris climate goals and your campaign promises, this summer has made clear that we must be as ambitious as possible in tackling the great crisis of our time,” the groups wrote.

More than 50 Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also encouraged Biden, saying in a letter that “the climate crisis demands a whole-of-government response at an unprecedented scale.” The lawmakers cited deadly heat waves across the nation, as well as dangerous floods in New England and devastating wildfires on Maui as recent examples of climate-tied disasters. The White House didn’t say how much the program will cost or how it will be paid for, but Democrats had proposed $10 billion. Republicans have largely dismissed it as a do-gooder proposal that will waste money and may even take jobs away from workers displaced by the pandemic. “We don’t need another FDR program, and the idea that this is going to help land management is a false idea,” Arkansas Rep. Bruce Westerman, Natural Resources Committee chair, said in 2021.

Of course the GOP is opposed to anything related to climate change….but they blindly throw cash at the Pentagon and its many tentacles in our society.

Biden is not my favorite but at least he has stepped up to do something….for that I thank him.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Is Support Starting To Wane?

For over a year and half the West through NATO has been a staunch supporter of the forces in Ukraine against their adversary Russia in the conflict.

At times it seemed to me that it was blind support…..support for sake of some unseen reason. And I have been saying that it is time for our cash to go to where it was needed and that Western Europe should be the main entity of support after all they have the most reasons for concern.

It appears that at least one NATO country is pulling out of the coalition of war….Poland.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Wednesday that Poland is no longer arming Ukraine, marking a significant shift as Warsaw has been a staunch supporter of the NATO proxy war with Russia.

Morawiecki’s comments come amid a spat between Warsaw and Kyiv over a Polish ban on Ukrainian grain. When asked if the dispute would impact Polish support for Ukraine, Morawiecki said, “We are no longer transferring weapons to Ukraine, because we are now arming Poland with more modern weapons.”

He insisted that Warsaw had no intention of risking “the security of Ukraine” and that weapons shipments from other countries transiting through Poland would not be interfered with. Poland has become the primary hub for NATO arms shipments into Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion.

Despite all the support, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took a shot at Poland and two other EU countries for maintaining a ban on Ukrainian grain. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the disruption of Black Sea shipping, there’s been an influx of Ukrainian grain shipments into the EU.

Earlier this year, the EU agreed to restrict the import of Ukrainian grain to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia over complaints from farmers about a drop in prices. Last week, the EU said it would lift the restriction, but Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia said they would continue banning Ukrainian grain from their markets.

At the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Zelensky accused the countries of helping Russia. “Alarmingly, some in Europe play out solidarity in a political theater — turning grain into a thriller. They may seem to play their own roles. In fact, they’re helping set the stage for a Moscow actor,” he said.

(antiwar.com)

Maybe trying to bully another country is not the way to win friends and influence people.

Support in the US is also waning?

According to a CNN poll it is…..

Most Americans oppose Congress authorizing additional funding to support Ukraine in its war with Russia, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, as the public splits over whether the US has already done enough to assist Ukraine.

Overall, 55% say the US Congress should not authorize additional funding to support Ukraine vs. 45% who say Congress should authorize such funding. And 51% say that the US has already done enough to help Ukraine while 48% say it should do more. A poll conducted in the early days of the Russian invasion in late February 2022 found 62% who felt the US should have been doing more.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/04/politics/cnn-poll-ukraine/index.html

As this conflict drags on….and according to some belief it will last years and years…..support will dry up but at what cost to American taxpayers?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Rural New Deal

For decades the quality of life in rural America has been on the decline….even much needed health services has had to close….then there is the poverty that infects rural Americans….something needs to be done to help Americans that live in rural areas.

Someone is trying to stop the bleed from rural America…..Progressives in the House have offered up what is being called a “Rural New Deal”….

“A Rural New Deal is urgently needed to build and rebuild local economies across rural America, reverse 40 years of wealth and corporate concentration, restore degraded lands, reclaim land and ownership opportunities for those whose land was taken by force or deceit, and ensure that communities and the nation can and do meet the basic needs of its people.”

That’s the opening line of a report released Tuesday by Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) and the Rural Urban Bridge Initiative (RUBI), which recognizes that “for too long, we’ve neglected, dismissed and underinvested” in rural U.S. communities, and offers “a broad policy blueprint to help steer progressive priorities” in such regions.

“Addressing the problems and concerns of rural America, isn’t just the right thing to do, it is essential for the health of our nation. Progressives have ignored rural for too long,” said PDA executive director Alan Minsky in a statement. “The Rural New Deal will change that.”

…

The RND pillars—which each include up to eight recommendations for primarily federal action—are:

Rebuild farm, forest, and food economies;

Reward work and ensure livable wages;

Dismantle monopolies, empower and support local business;

Invest in community and regional infrastructure;

Rebuild small town centers;

Cultivate self-reliance and resilience;

Invest in rural healthcare;

Fully fund rural schools;

Make rural and small town housing affordable; and

Re-localize rural and small town banks.

Policy proposals include supporting regenerative farm, forest, and fishery businesses; adopting a federal jobs guarantee with a living wage and essential benefits; making broadband access universal; expanding Medicaid and Medicare access; incentivizing installation of solar technology on buildings and non-prime farmland, over parking lots, and in vacant spaces; and enacting reforms to rein in private equity’s “unbridled power,” such as eliminating the carried interest tax loophole.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/progressive-groups-unveil-rural-new-deal-to-reverse-decades-of-economic-decline

Rural America use to be the ‘heart’ of our nation…..now it is a dilapidated dream of the past.

So yes something needs doing….the House and Senate has all the time in the world for Ukraine and the waste of taxpayer money when it could work wonders for rural America.

Get behind this and do some good for your fellow Americans.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Yet Another War Brewing?

We have Ukraine and Russia going at it tooth and nail….we have the whole South China Sea and Taiwan full of dire rhetoric…..all of which just keeps sucking taxpayer dollars away from a country that needs a much needed infusion of cash.

Let’s say these two situations are resolved what then?

Not to worry….there is another bloody conflict in the wings to keep the arms dealers happy.

Two former Soviet republics went to war less than three years ago over a disputed region, and it appears they’re on the brink of another full-scale conflict, reports the AP. The dispute is between Azerbaijan and neighboring Armenia over the region known as Nagorno-Karabakh. As the BBC explains, the latter is located entirely within the borders of Azerbaijan, but it is populated mostly by ethnic Armenians. The two nations have fought previously over the region, first in the early 1990s when Armenia took control of it after the fall of the USSR, and again in 2020, when Azerbaijan reclaimed it. Part of the convoluted mix: Azerbaijan is backed by Turkey, while Armenia is a longtime ally of Russia, though relations have soured of late over the Ukraine war.

Russia’s role: Moscow is supposed to be keeping the peace between the two nations, a pledge it made after the last war, but its own war with Ukraine has “distracted” from that, as the New York Times puts it.

Shelling: On Tuesday, Azerbaijan launched artillery fire onto Nagorno-Karabakh in what it calls an “anti-terrorist” campaign, per CNN. The de facto capital of Stepanakert was hit particularly hard, though details about casualties and damages were scant in the early going. The shelling is the culmination of months of simmering tensions.

Key road: A single road, called the Lachin Corridor, links Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, explains Politico. Russian peacekeepers are supposed to be keeping it open, but an “emboldened Azerbaijan” has largely taken control of it in recent months, per the Times. That leaves Nagorno-Karabakh essentially cut off from supplies of food and fuel, and it’s raising fears of ethnic cleansing.

Diplomacy falters: “It looks like it could be, unfortunately, terrible—war number three, something that people have been fearing but hoping to avoid with diplomacy in the last few weeks and months,” Thomas de Waal, a regional specialist at the Carnegie Europe foundation, tells the AP. Politico notes that the conflict also complicates Europe’s plan to court Azerbaijan as an alternative fuel source to Russia.

Just like Ukraine there is a disputed region….plus it is not far from the trade lanes to Europe….making it very important. (That will be the excuse)

How will the US respond when this turns into a massive cock-up?

A couple of years ago I wrote a post about this very region….

Nagorno-Karabakh?

And ten years ago I predicted this couple happen at any time….

Looking For The Linchpin

Damn! It’s good being insightful!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

In Saner Thought

"It is the duty of every man, as far as his ability extends, to detect and expose delusion and error"..Thomas Paine

Month: September 2023

The Menendez Saga

History For A Sunday

IST Saturday News Dump–23Sep23

What About All This “Greenwashing”?

Ukraine And The Shut Down

Biden Pulls An End Run

Is Support Starting To Wane?

Yet Another War Brewing?