Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude: 2025

3/19/2025

grab bag

hope you read ava and c.i.'s 'MEDIA: Taylor Lorenz doesn't do analytics or journalism (at least not in any meaningful manner)',

it's great. i really can't believe it. both because it's so good and because they did a piece on sunday so they wouldn't be writing at the last minute. c.i.'s having surgery tomorrow. i wouldn't have spent hours writing something new for 3rd.

she is able to do anything. i've known her forever and a day and still marvel over her ability to push on past every thing and to stay focused and get things done.

i just got off the phone with her and was wishing her well with the surgery and she said she needed to remember to mention it in the snapshot for later this morning. she gave a heads up in the community newsletters last week. but she plans to mention it in the snapshot for non-community members. otherwise i wouldn't be writing about it.

she's not worried - or say she isn't - but i am. i'm praying everything goes well.

and i'm not that focused, sorry.

'FORBES on Welfare Queen Musk, TABITHASPREAKS on FAFO' is mike covering welfare queen alien musk who's been on the dole his entire business life.

'Bruce Springsteen and Diana Ross' is kat covering bruce and diana. i'm glad diana's no where near retiring. she's still delivering amazing concerts and while i loved 'thank you' back when it was released, i've grown to love it even more and think it may be her finest studio album ever. 'all is well,' 'if the world just danced,' 'i still believe' and 'count on me' are my favorites but i love all the tracks. here's 'count on me.'

'The accomplishments of Jill and Rashida' is betty noting more palestinians were killed in gaza and that rashida tlaib and jill stein need to show some accountability for their election nonsense that put chump back in the white house and ensured the deaths of so many more palestinians.

let me note the 'tabitha speaks politics' video that betty did.

'Words is hard for Chump The Chump' - please read ruth immediately. she sneaks in 1 of those 1 liners that leaves you laughing.

'Liars and hypocrites' is marcia talking about how another maga exposed themselves as a child molester. ruth covered a different mage creep in 'Donald Chump's spiritual advisor is booked for pedophilia' on monday.

'Grifter Nancy Mace needs to be kicked out of Congress by the voters' is elaine calling out the always creepy and untruthful nancy mace. also check out elaine's monday post 'Olivia Newton-John' because olivia really was an amazing singer. i loved olivia and 'grease' is my favorite musical of all time and 1 of my 10 favorite movies of any genre of all time. but even i don't give olivia her due. she could really sing and her body of work stands up to this day.

in 'Vegetarian Mexican Tortilla Casserole in the Kitchen,' trina's not just serving up a new recipe, she's also explaining how those who helped put chump back into the white house need to stop expecting us to feel sorry when a foreign born gaza freak gets deported. this is what you wanted, you wanted kamala to lose. so now chump's deporting the gaza freaks in this country who are not u.s. citizens. well i guess that's him giving you what he said would give you. but you were too stupid to listen. you were too stupid. and now you're getting deported. again, gaza freaks, you put him back in the white house. i've worked on the issue of palestinians since college. unlike you idiots who just discovered gaza in the last few years, i was smart enough to know kamala was our best chance for a peace and for a homeland. so go cry to some 1 else because i don't care that syrian-born is being deported.

'Why, Gal Gadot, why?' is stan pointing out that gal doesn't belong in this country and doesn't need a star on the hollywood walk of fame. he also corrects the stupids who are lying that a woman of color beat demi moore at the oscars. no, that bad actress is white, in fact, she's jewish.

'Musk's family was just as bigoted as he is ' is ann calling out alien musk. that's her beat - the grifters. don't know she can post every day on these crooks. it's got to leave her depressed.

so that's going to be my post. again, i'm worried about my friend so this is all i can manage at this time.

let's close with c.i.'s 'The Snapshot:'

Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Chuck Schumer's become part of the problem, if he can't lead, he needs to step aside -- especially with Chump's plans for a Constitutional Convention.

Singer-songwriter Laura Nyro performing her song "Save The Country" from her NEW YORK TENDABERRY album.

There's so much wrong in Chump Land and that, sadly, includes an inability on the part of some to fight him. In my opinion, that includes the governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, who is far too close to Donald Chump for a Democrat. She gave a good interview -- not great -- about a month ago but she wasn't able to show wisdom on the Eric Adams issue -- he should have been removed immediately and failure to do so should have come with something better than we're-reviewing it -- and she wasn't all that strong in her presentation to begin with. Now she's just looking pathetic.

My opinion and it may be a minority opinion in the Democratic Party. Another disappointment is the Senate Minority Leader and that call is probably one that those of us who are Democrats can all agree on. Last week, Robert Kuttner (TAP) explained:

For three days, Senate Democrats privately debated whether to support a House-passed continuing resolution (CR) keeping the government funded through September 30, or to block it with a filibuster, thus letting the government temporarily shut down.

At midweek, it looked as if Chuck Schumer had devised a deft plan: Propose an alternative resolution to keep the government open for 30 days and send that back to the Republican House. That way, if the House did not go along, the shutdown would be on the Republicans.

On Wednesday, Schumer emerged from two days of meetings to declare that the caucus was unified against the Republican six-month resolution and supporting the 30-day plan instead.

But it turned out that he was simply floating the idea to keep Senate progressives happy. He was confident that the more centrist Democrats would reject the idea and vote cloture to end a filibuster and send the six-month continuing resolution to President Trump. In a more sinister maneuver, he would allow Republicans to end debate on their CR in exchange for a vote on the 30-day resolution—a vote that would fail, leaving Republicans able to pass their bill by majority vote.

Sam Rosenthal (ZNET) explains:

On Friday, with another government shutdown looming, Senate Democrats, and their feckless leader, Chuck Schumer, fully folded to the Republican Party’s bullying tactics. Late Thursday, Schumer announced, first in a closed-door caucus meeting and then in a floor speech, that he would be voting to advance the GOP spending bill to the Senate. While no Senate Democrats actually voted for the spending bill once it hit the floor, all that was needed for it to pass was for Democrats to take their hands off the last point of leverage they had to disrupt Republicans’ agenda: the Senate filibuster threat.

These moves are sure to tank Senate Democrats’ already flagging popularity with their constituents. House Democrats, usually publicly united with their Senate brethren, have been openly critical of their feeble capitulation to the GOP agenda. Recent reporting even revealed that some House Democrats are privately encouraging House member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to primary Schumer in his re-election bid in 2028.

There are a thousand reasons why Senate Democrats should have done everything within their power to stop this bill from passing. Voters have been clamoring for months for the party to do something, anything, to stop the onslaught of chaos induced by Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE catastrophe. Democrats have repeatedly said that they are helpless to do anything to combat Trump’s agenda; this would have been a clear sign to voters that, despite their minority status in Congress, Democrats would use any opportunity they can muster to throw sand in the gears. The GOP spending bill also includes cuts to health care and social programs while somehow incorporating an increase in the military budget, spending preferences that Democrats should oppose on principle.

Marin Scotten (THE NEW REPUBLIC) reports:

Democrats are turning on Chuck Schumer, and Nancy Pelosi is leading the charge.

Schumer announced Thursday he would vote to pass Trump’s disastrous budget bill to avert a government shutdown, flipping on his own party just 24 hours after he signaled he would vote against the bill. Pelosi issued a statement the next day urging Senate Democrats not to follow his lead.

“Donald Trump and Elon Musk offered the Congress a false choice between a government shutdown or a blank check that makes a devastating assault on the well-being of working families across American,” Pelosi said in a statement.

“Let’s be clear: neither is a good option for the American people. But this false choice some are buying instead of fighting is unacceptable,” Pelosi continued, referencing Schumer’s betrayal. “I salute Leader Hakeem Jeffries for his courageous rejection of this false choice, and I am proud of my colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus for their overwhelming vote against this bill.”

The GOP bill would gut funding for health care, increase military spending, and fund mass deportation. It narrowly passed the Republican-led House, with just one Democrat voting to pass. Schumer argued that a government shutdown would give Trump and Elon Musk a “carte blanche” to gut federal services. Pelosi disagreed.

There is no excuse for caving. Not in these times. Every day, Democrats get up and fight for this country -- that's every day actions by everyday Democrats. And they need to see their officials doing the same damn thing.

Prior to her uncommitted nonsense, I liked Rashida Tlaib and I defended her here and we reposted anything her office sent. I don't care for her now, you don't stab a party in the back. She is responsible for Donald Chump getting back in the White House.

And THE DAILY SHOW made fun of her recently.

It didn't go up here. Would have loved for it to but it didn't.

They made fun of her and others for using the auction paddles during Chump's speech.

I was not a fan of the auction paddles. But that 'joke' or 'commentary' didn't go up here because it was a few Democrats trying to do something. Maybe it would work, maybe it wouldn't.

But they tried it and I will applaud them for that -- even Rashida.

Americans need evidence that there's a point, a reason, to keep fighting.

I can sit outside all day by the pool. Someone else can lose themselves in books or watching television or just tuning out. If we're on our own, if our officials aren't going to do a damn thing, that's probably what we should do for our own sanity.

And the minute we do that right now, the republic has ended.

So we don't need Democratic officials selling us out or doing nothing.

Try something and make a mistake? Fine. We all learn that didn't work and then try something else.

But if you're actually trying something, I'm not going to throw eggs and rotten fruit at you.

Chuck did nothing, he tried nothing. He just collapsed and he does need to go.

At 74, his mind may be going.

What he did was not good for the country. But the reason I'm questioning his mental abilities is because it was awful for him. Riley Beggin (USA TODAY) reports:

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is postponing several book tour events this week amid the ongoing Democratic backlash to his vote last week to approve a GOP-led government funding bill.

Schumer had events planned in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. to promote his book "Antisemitism in America: A Warning."

To avoid protests, he's cancelling events to promote the book. That makes it less likely people will buy the book. And the message of the book is lost.

At THE NEW REPUBLIC, Michael Tomasky has an essay. I don't agree with it. It's why we opened today with Chuck. I get what he's saying and he's completely correct in some ways. But Chuck doesn't get a pass on this. Tomasky lists things Donald Chump's done in the last days and then writes:

This, Democrats, is what you need to focus on. You had a bad week. Check that—a horrible week. It was mostly Chuck Schumer’s fault, and people are quite rightly furious at the Senate minority leader for caving to Republicans in the government funding fight. Now you are collectively polling below 30 percent—just about your worst approval number ever. But the country needs you to fight Trump, not each other.

I would like to have seen the Senate Democrats vote “no” to the GOP’s continuing resolution and force a shutdown. This was just one of those moments when history was grabbing them by the lapels, shaking them, and saying, “Do something dramatic!” That’s the bottom line here. They should have taken a stand.

And, if they weren’t going to take a stand, Schumer certainly should have signaled as much earlier in the week. If he hadn’t been so emphatic in saying he was voting “no,” his 180 last Thursday wouldn’t have been such a shocker (indeed, by definition, it wouldn’t have been a 180). So he really blew the politics of this, in a way he normally doesn’t.

But having said all that: There is in fact a case for wanting to avoid a shutdown. And it’s not a political case. It’s a substantive case.

Schumer’s critics, from what I can see, are focused almost wholly on the politics of the situation—public perception, and who’d be blamed. Much was made of that Quinnipiac poll last week showing that 32 percent of respondents would blame Democrats while a combined 53 percent would blame Republicans (31 percent the GOP Congress and 22 percent Trump).

Democrats could have won the politics. So why on earth should they have had any hesitation at all? Because aside from politics, there’s substance, and I became convinced over the weekend through some things I read and conversations I had that, as bad as Trump and Elon Musk are now, and as bad as this funding bill is, a shutdown could potentially give them vastly more power.

Convicted Felon Chump's the enemy, no question, he is the threat.

But Chuck Schumer isn't just any elected official. He is a US senator. In terms of prestige, that's only below the president -- and, in the past, a Supreme Court justice.

And he's not just any senator, he's the Minority Leader.

He is the face of Democratic leadership and he failed and he demoralized.

This is not a minor issue. You inspire the troops, not enrage them.

Now let's move over to Chump.

Ahmad Austin Jr. (MEDIAITE) reports:

President Donald Trump’s White House on Monday was harshly criticized for welcoming Irish UFC star Conor McGregor for Saint Patrick’s Day.

On Monday morning, the official X/Twitter account of the White House posted a short video of McGregor walking out of a door with his patented strut. When he got close to the camera, McGregor said, “Happy Patty’s Day, America.”

McGregor later joined Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in the briefing room and took question. Leavitt confirmed that McGregor would be meeting Trump in the afternoon and that “we couldn’t think of a better guest to have with us on Saint Patrick’s Day.”

In normal times, when a Convicted Felon wasn't in the White House, that would be enough for a week's worth of chatter on cable programs and to fill the op-ed pages.

With the crook in the White House, it's already a blip that's over.

Phoebe Petrovic (WISCONSIN WATCH) reports:

A behind-the-scenes legal effort to force Congress to call a convention to amend the Constitution could end up helping President Donald Trump in his push to expand presidential power.

While the convention effort is focused on the national debt, legal experts say it could open the door to other changes, such as limiting who can be a U.S. citizen, allowing the president to overrule Congress’ spending decisions or even making it legal for Trump to run for a third term.

Wisconsin Watch and ProPublica have obtained a draft version of a proposed lawsuit being floated to attorneys general in several states, revealing new details about who’s involved and their efforts to advance legal arguments that liberal and conservative legal scholars alike have criticized, calling them “wild,” “completely illegitimate” and “deeply flawed.”

The endeavor predates Trump’s second term but carries new weight as several members of Trump’s inner circle and House Speaker Mike Johnson have previously expressed support for a convention to limit federal government spending and power.

Article V of the Constitution requires Congress to call a convention to propose and pass amendments if two-thirds of states, or 34, request one. This type of convention has never happened in U.S. history, and a decadeslong effort to advance a so-called balanced budget amendment, which would prohibit the government from running a deficit, has stalled at 28.

Despite that, the lawsuit being circulated claims that Congress must hold a convention now because the states reached the two-thirds threshold in 1979. To get there, these activists count various calls for a convention dating back to the late 1700s. Wisconsin’s petition, for example, was written in 1929 and was an effort to repeal Prohibition. The oldest petition they cite, from New York, predates the Bill of Rights. Some others came on the eve of the Civil War.

“It is absurd, on the face of it, that they could count something that had to do with Prohibition as a call for a constitutional convention in 2025,” said Russ Feingold, a former Democratic senator from Wisconsin who co-wrote a book critical of convention efforts like this one. “They’re just playing games to try to pretend that the founders of this country wanted you to be able to mix and match resolutions from all different times in American history.”

That should scare us all. It should inspire us to fight.

But what's the point in fighting if our elected leaders are going to betray us?

That's the message Chuck has sent and that message must be pushed back and refused. If Chuck can't lead, he needs to get the hell out of leadership. Senators Patty Murray, Elizabeth Warren, Ron Wyden and Sheldon Whitehouse are just four US senators that could easily step in as Minority Leader right now and demonstrate true leadership which could inspire us continue our attempts to save the country.

Now.

That's The 5th Dimension and their hit version of Laura's song.

If Chuck can't lead, he needs to step aside. Now.

The following sites updated:

3/18/2025

it just gets worse

rashida tlaib, can you step down from congress already? each day your effort to destroy kamala harris is demonstrated to be an effort to destroy the country. faith bugenhagen ('houston chronicle') reports:

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Monday that a Houston-area midwife had been arrested on allegations she performed illegal abortions, marking the first time criminal charges have been brought forth under Texas' near-total abortion ban.

Paxton detailed the accusations against Maria Margarita Rojas, a 48-year-old midwife who operates a chain of clinics in Waller, Cypress, and Spring, in a press release. Rojas allegedly "unlawfully employed unlicensed individuals who falsely presented themselves as licensed medical professionals."

Additionally, Paxton claims she provided illegal abortion procedures at the clinics she ran. Rojas faces a second-degree felony and up to 20 years in prison.

According to the Texas Tribune, Waller County District Attorney Sean Whittmore invited the state to handle Rojas' prosecution. Whittmore said additional charges against Rojas will likely come in the following days, and her case will go before a grand jury to consider indictment.

there will be no pushback to that on the federal level because donald chump is in the white house.

f**k you, rashida. f**k you for destroying out country.

oh, are you getting yet that the u.s. was your country too?

because you sure as hell didn't when you let your petty bulls**t lead you to attack kamala and work towards defeating her.

yes, it was petty bulls**t because you're a petty little bitch.

you destroyed our country.

and any 1 with a brain knew that palestinians would be better off under kamala harris. if you missed it, rashida, 'your people' - as your cult loves to say - are under assault in gaza still.

you stupid bitch.

you've got that huge, ugly honker on your face but you couldn't even smell the truth with it.

you have condemned us all.

you need to announce that you're not seeking re-election.

you've done enough damagae and, we have all noticed, you have refused to apologize for what you did.

you're useless, you're an idiot and you have blood on your hands.

let's close with c.i.'s 'The Snapshot:'

Monday, March 17, 2025. We focus on one important action that took place in DC and across the country -- and your spoon of sugar is some gossip about an actor who's got another scandal that might be about to come out.

Borrowing from The Hollywood Kids, GUESS WHO, DON'T SUE. His career imploded and, despite serious p.r. spin last summer, it has not recovered. Though many insiders are fearful over what the wife may be about to do as a result of a recent high profile exhibition, they're fretting over the wrong one. The real threat to Implosion's career right now is coming from the bi-sexual man once caught pounding Implosion. Bi was happy in the closet -- where he'd been for years -- until recently. Age and an open relationship with a woman have Bi finding more comfort and security in who he is. He also needs money. When the whispers started back up about that decades old pounding he'd given Implosion, Implosion got him a job that was supposed to last for years but didn't. After Bi was let go from that job, Implosion kept insisting that he'd get the job back for Bi or find him another. Implosion didn't or couldn't keep his word. Bi's current woman contacted a friend in publishing and this led to a big offer for an autobiography. But the offer is time sensitive as the editor with the publishing house explained, "Kelly McGillis could have gotten a ton of money writing about the romantic triangle she was in with Jodie Foster and Whitney Houston but she got too old and too ugly. If you're going to write this book, we'd need to release it in no less than three years."

When we do a blind item, we do it for two reasons -- one, to get a little more attention for the news in the snapshot and, two, someone (in this case Implosion) has harmed a friend of mine. Community members will be able to figure out exactly who Implosion is. That's hot gossip by the way that started making the industry rounds Saturday morning. Both Bi's current female partner and the editor at the publishing house are whispering about it.

Now let's get to the big news, the National Mall. The DC landmark contains many landmarks such as the Smithsonian, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of African Art and the National Museum of Natural History. As the official government website notes, some call it "America's Front Yard" and, "For more than 200 years, the National Mall has symbolized our nation and its democratic values, which have inspired the world. The National Mall -- the great swath of green in the middle of our capital city and stretching from the foot of the United States Capitol to the Potomac River -- is the premiere civic and symbolic space in our nation."

That was made clear on Friday, as thousands took part in Now DC's Stand With America rally. Now DC explained the action:

The United States is under siege from within -- hijacked by an illegitimate president and administration and protected by a system unwilling to uphold our constitutional safeguards.

The system refuses to act. Now, the people must.

#14thNOW, the historic movement that stood in the breach to stop this authoritarian coup before it started, extends this movement to ALL, calling for immediate action against the destruction of our democracy on March 14th with #NowDC.

If you are a veteran, this movement is for you. If you stand with Ukraine and the Free World, this movement is for you. If you are a federal worker, this movement is for you. If you don’t want to lose Social Security, this movement is for you. If you were deprived of your vote in 2024, this movement is for you. If you’ve changed your mind since the election, this movement is for you. If you don’t want to lose your rights, your safety, your freedom, and your country, this movement is for you. #NowDC is for everyone.

On March 14, 2025, We the People will change the course of history.

Linda F. Hersey (STARS AND STRIPES) reports, "

Disabled veteran Don Carter rode shotgun in his son’s Chevy pickup truck for 11 hours from Illinois to the nation’s capital to take part in a political protest for the first time in his life.
Carter, a 92-year-old Korean War veteran, and his son, Larry, joined a crowd of nearly 3,000 for a two-hour national veterans’ rally Friday on the National Mall to protest cuts by President Donald Trump to veterans’ federal jobs, services and benefits.
The pair watched as fellow veterans waved American flags and speakers rallied support for the 30,000 federal workers fired by Trump’s administration. With chants of “Lock him up,” the crowd called for Trump to be removed from office for his actions.
Similar protests were held at state capitols across the nation, according to Fourteenth Now, the event organizer.
“Two billionaires, Trump and Musk, are gutting the VA and purging veteran employees — bankrupting war heroes while cashing in on their sacrifice,” said Michael Embrich, a Navy veteran and political commentator for Rolling Stone, who rallied protesters from a small stage.

DC NEWS NOW notes that the protest "comes after Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins indicated the agency is looking to cut 80,000 jobs to slim its workforce" and that "More than 25% of the VA’s workforce is comprised of veterans."

Lionel Donovan (WUSA 9) notes:

Rallygoers called out the harm that’s come from mass firings at federal agencies, especially on the veteran community, many of whom are now out of a job. Chris Yeazel, an Army veteran who lives in D.C., said he’s seen this harm firsthand.

“I get my healthcare from DCVA,” Yeazel said. “I was up there about a week ago, and wait times are longer, half the offices are shut down, lights out, and you can hear veterans talking about it, they’re not blaming the workers, by the way.”

Speakers and attendees also touched on the GOP’s spending bill, which keeps the government funded, but at the expense of deep cuts to D.C.’s budget and government programs many veterans rely on.

Paul Wagner (DC NEWS4) adds:

Protesters on the National Mall — many of them veterans — called for the impeachment of President Donald Trump Friday.

Homemade signs denouncing Trump and Elon Musk and demanding the president be removed from office were everywhere — “No kings! No DOGE! No cuts to VA!” “Stop the coup,” and “I serve no kings.”

For well over an hour, they listened to speakers point out what they called Trump’s abuse of the office of the presidency.

They included Harry Dunn, a former Capitol Police officer who fought the mob Jan. 6 and ran for Congress in Maryland.

“Donald Trump has referred to Jan. 6 as a day of love,” he said. “This right here is love. I feel this; I love you all. And you all make me, you all give me whatever the hell I’ve got inside of me that makes me want to keep going and not stop.”

Rebecca Kheel (MILITARY.COM) explains:

The veterans who joined Friday's protest ranged from ones who have been frequent protesters to first-timers, from Vietnam veterans to Global War on Terrorism veterans, and from those who have personally been hit by the cuts to those who simply felt it was their duty to speak out as veterans.

"I think it's wrong that veterans such as myself, as well as everyone across the country, has to go through this autocracy, this oligarchy that we live in today," said Vincent Camacho, who added he served in the Air Force for 24 years from 2000 until last year.

Camacho, who said this was his first-ever protest, said he was fired from the Department of Agriculture recently as the Trump administration purged thousands of probationary employees from the federal government. Probationary employees are ones who were hired or promoted within the last couple of years and were targeted by the Trump administration first because they do not have as many employment protections as longtime employees.

The action took place as Convicted Felon Donald Chump's approval ratings continued to be miniscule. Joe DePaolo (MEDIAITE) notes, "According to a new poll from NBC News out Sunday, Trump’s performance on economic matters is not being well received. In all, 54 percent of voters disapprove of Trump on the economy, while 44 percent approve. And the split is similar on Trump’s handling of inflation and the cost of living -- 55 percent disapprove, and 42 percent approve. And a mere 18 percent of voters believe the economy is 'excellent' or 'good'." The negative views about Trump on this issue are a first in the NBC poll -- which has never previously found a majority of voters opposed to his handling of the economy."

USA TODAY offers a photo essay of the DC action here. UPI offers a Bonnie Cash photograph of the rally here and another photo here. Jimmy Alexander (WTOP NEWS) notes:

One of the veterans who made his voice heard was combat veteran, MSgt. Rig. The Northern Virginia resident served nearly 23 years in the Army.

"We paid for this with our blood, sweat and tears, and Elon Musk is out here destroying federal agencies with a stroke of a pen," he said. "It's completely illegal, and I don't know why the hell that these senators can't get off their ass and defend our democracy."

[. . .]

One person that made sure she attended the march was Rebecca Logan. She told WTOP that her husband drove her up from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Asked why she wanted to attend the massive protest, Logan said, "To help save my country."

The attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, motivated Logan to join the Air Force after she graduated from high school.

Logan needed the help of a walker as she made her way to the National Mall. As she crossed Independence Avenue, she said she had a message for her fellow veterans: "I know a lot of the veterans voted for Trump. You were lied to, and it's OK to stand up and say, 'Hey, this is not OK'."

Again, that was the DC action and actions took place Friday afternoon in other US cities.

Actions took place in Austin, Texas.

In Iowa.

They protested in Columbus, Ohio and (below) in Springfield, Illinois..

In West Springfield, MA.

They protested in Sacramento, California.

In Olympia, Washington.

In Fayetteville, North Carolina.

In New Mexico.

In Indiana.

PENN LIVE's Megan Lavey-Heaton notes that they protested in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and KTSP reports:

A large group of veterans gathered Friday afternoon on the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul in solidarity with a similar march in Washington, D.C.

[. . .]

Protesters in St. Paul could be seen holding signs titled “America: Fight for Veterans,” “We Love the VA,” “Thank You Vets,” and others.

It was a major action across the country. Americans pulled together to fight back against efforts to harm veterans and federal workers. It was about people pulling together to help others. Plural. Not navel gazing. Not tunnel vision. Not 'single issue voters.' It was about the power of pulling together to fight for all. And it was a huge success in that the actions were felt and noted in every community that they took place.

The following sites updated:

3/14/2025

gretch the wretch and other things that stink

gretch the wretch. remember her. the governor who's husband tried to break the rules during the pandemic and tried to intimidate the police by insisting his wife was the governor? gretch the wretch just got more wretched. gabe whisnant ('newsweek') reports:

Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan said she was "grateful" to speak with President Donald Trump on Thursday for a "productive meeting" that included discussions about jobs and tariffs.

Since taking office for his second administration, Trump has pursued an arguably chaotic economic policy, which is reflected by the steep drop in the stock market in recent weeks: The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which was $44,873 at the start of February, had fallen to $40,813 by the close of business on Thursday.

the corruption queen wants to be president, if you didn't know. what's hilarious is that she wants to run as a democrat. she's as big a backstabber as chuck schumer. if you missed it, hold-the-line dems didn't hold the line on the budget. chuck went along with chump. chuck and chump got into bed together. don't know who brought the lube but it was the american people who got screwed.

no accountability from chuck. on the topic of the lack of accountability, chump and his mercenaries who carried out treason in order to destroy our country. those pardons of the january 6th traitors. an oopsie in the road.

sean o'driscoll ('newsweek') reports:

Friedrich said on Thursday that she wants answers about the "extraordinary" broad pardon that the Trump administration is now offering January 6 rioters.

She was told three weeks ago that Kentucky electrician Dan Wilson was pardoned for any crimes he committed at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 but he was not pardoned for illegally storing guns at his home.

Wilson was jailed for five years after a court heard that he was a member of the Gray Ghosts Partisan Rangers militia group and had plotted an attack on the Capitol with other militias for weeks before the January 6 riot.

The U.S. Attorney's office in Washington, D.C. announced on March 11 that it has "received further clarity" that Trump had intended to pardon Wilson for the gun possession charge also.

On March 12, Friedrich demanded answers in her court, Politico reported.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Blackwell told Friedrich that Trump has expanded his definition of the pardon to include crime not directly related to January 6 and, in recent days, the Justice Department has dropped federal charges against Jan. 6 defendants for crimes unrelated to the attack on the Capitol.

This includes Jeremy Brown, who was serving a seven-year prison term in Florida for possessing grenades and classified information; Elias Costianes, who was serving a two-year sentence for possessing illegal guns and drugs; and Daniel Ball, who was facing firearms charges in Florida.

All three men were charged as a result of raids on their homes by FBI officers investigating the January 6 attacks and are therefore now pardoned for those crimes also. Friedrich said the sudden broad interpretation of Trump's pardon was "just extraordinary."

"It can't be the case that a pardon can be issued in vague terms and months later, the president can make a determination of what it means," Friedrich said. "It's not my job to craft the pardon language."

She said the Justice Department could clarify Trump's pardon by 5 p.m. on March 14 and she would later issue an opinion.

The court may refuse to accept the Wilson pardon if it is not properly clarified, which would have ramifications for the other defendants indicted for crimes unrelated to January 6.

let's close with c.i.'s 'The Snapshot:'

Friday, March 14, 2025. We're putting MSNBC on pause, Chump continues his war on education, propaganda is not news coverage, and much more.

We're starting with that CNN video for a number of reasons. First the reaction -- negative reaction -- to US House Rep Chuck Edwards is news.

This is happening around the country and it is news.

Second, it's CNN.

Not MSNBC.

Lawrence O'Donnell was off last night and won't be back until two Mondays from now. Had he been on last night, we would have highlighted him if he'd covered the above but we would have most likely highlighted him on something.

You're not going to find MSNBC in today's snapshot. You won't find it later in the day up here.

Maybe back on Monday.

The community shapes this site and always has.

Too many of you are furious with MSNBC right now. I get it. I really do and we'll go into that in a moment.

11:30 pm EST is the last time we noted them. If I'd known the objection when I was queuing up videos before the roundtable for the gina & krista round-robin, that video would not have gone up here.

Let's go back to the CNN video.

A veteran is loudly calling out a US House Rep who is failing We The People.

If you've missed it, House Conversion Queen Mike Johnson has insisted that the people -- all these people -- showing up at rallies to demand that their Congressional reps do their jobs and stop serving Musk and Chump and start serving the people -- he's insisted these are paid agitators and George Soros or someone else has paid them.

If tomorrow we find out that the veteran in the video above was paid off or was not who he presented as, we'd have every reason in the world to be upset. Every reason.

That's not going to be the case with the veteran above. But if it had been, we'd have every right to be outraged.

A number of you are outraged about a similar issue around protests and you're sick of MSNBC trying to shove it down your throat while lying.

Yes, I agree with the community, it is lying.

When the genocide in Gaza began (or this wave), we covered the protests and supported the protesters on campuses across the country. Good for American students for using their voices. We covered it here. We bought in some of the activists that Ava and I met with on campuses for roundtables.

And when the corporate media, not just FOX "NEWS," would lie, we'd call them out. We're the only ones that called out some of that garbage. We'd point out that this average student, 'voice of the people' that was denouncing other students for protesting was, in fact, a paid member of the right-wing media. FAIR didn't do it. We did. It was a story of lies, a story of media bias and a story of media conglomeration (the country's largest owner of stations across the country broadcast the same lie filled 'report on every station they owned for example).

Those liars that we called out? They're still liars. They received money from right-wing media and that wasn't disclosed in the 'reports' they were featured in.

But one thing that they said often was that these student protests were being led by non-students and/or foreigners.

The charge is often made. And it's made because no one wants someone sticking their nose in our country's business. So if it's a foreigner leading this, then it is a lot different.

I've denounced this here for the whole week -- we're talking about the Syrian-born Palestinian activist who, turns out, pretty much led, organized and spoke for the Columbia University-based protests.

In the CNN video above, we hear what the veterans is saying. And, sure, we applaud him partly because we agree with him. But we also applaud him because of the integrity he's bringing to his remarks.

If FOX "NEWS" does an expose Sunday morning revealing that the veteran isn't who we've been led to believe he was, we're going to feel ripped off.

(Again, that's not going to happen. The man's a veteran and he wasn't paid by anyone.)

So a lot of you are angry about the Syrian-born activist and, again, I get it.

It helps out FOX "NEWS" and that's bad enough. But we also got lied to and that's equally bad.

The problem you're having with MSNBC is that they won't shut up about it.

Excuse me, they don't cover what we're talking about.

They cover the Syrian-born activist as a martyr and a noble person and they're not doing coverage -- as Keesha pointed out in last night's roundtable, "They are putting their thumbs on the scales and misinforming to shape our opinions." She's exactly right.

MSNBC has yet to grapple with the fact that the US-led campus protests were not all US-led and that the activist in question makes us all look like fools because we defended against the charges that this was a foreign influenced movement.

MSNBC doesn't want to inform you of that.

They do want to try to tell you what to think.

And, here's the thing, they're not succeeding.

Syrian-born is a liar. And a lot of us feel betrayed.

They are trying to create a news story -- there has been no news there since he was arrested, it's now a matter for the courts. But MSNBC has decided to stake their brand on this bulls**t.

You're doing the right thing when they start doing that and you turn off the TV or change the channel. I spoke with a friend in management and they're also getting a lot of complaints about this coverage -- as they should be. But turning off the TV or changing the channel will send a much stronger message.

Again, there's no story there. There was no reason, for example, for Chris Hayes to cover it last night -- I didn't watch, I only became aware during last night's round table.

There are no new developments and MSNBC isn't being honest.

We defended those students, we defended the movement and now Syrian-born is making FOX "NEWS" look like the truth teller.

So, yes, I get the anger. And when Lawrence comes back, we'll highlight him. Other than that, I'm going to have wait on the community's decisions.

I also heard -- and agree -- during the roundtable that the attack on school breakfasts and lunches is 100% more important than any one person -- certainly more than the Syrian-born activist. This is going to take place in over forty states if the administration gets away with it. Over forty states. And, as we've noted this week, this is going to mean that farmers are going to be struggling even more because the cuts are going to harm them. But they're also going to harm our country's children.

A growling stomach? You can't learn on that. If a child is going hungry, their basic needs aren't being met and, yes, it does effect education.

Now you may be the biggest sack of s**t MAGA idiot. But I would think even that person who hates the world and thinks all adults are welfare cheats would have the brains not to blame a child. We're supposed to protect the children. We're adults. That's our job. And cutting the food program is not protecting them. Again, you may hate their parents for example if you're MAGA but I think you'd have to agree that the children themselves haven't done anything wrong. The gutting that's going on right now is appalling and inhumane and destroying the economy. That's across the board.

But the attacks on children's meals -- like the attacks on science -- are much worse because they will do long lasting damage and, again, we're the adults, we're supposed to protect the children.

In the roundtable, a number of you made clear that MSNBC isn't interested in this story.

They're flooding the zone on the Syrian-born activist but America's children apparently don't have enough disposable income to interest MSNBC so they'll instead bore us all with another story about the Syrian-Born activist.

We need to take back at least one house of Congress in the mid-terms -- I want both. And MSNBC's coverage isn't helping with that.

The protests were divisive. Actions can be. Didn't bother me. Didn't bother me that we lost some readers (and about 40 community members) by covering the protests.

It was news and I still applaud the American students on campuses who spoke out -- the Americans.

But the b.s. that soon overtook everything cost us the election. And now we live in horror each day.

So, I hear you, you're not in the mood for MSNBC and their ignoring of real stories that impact the American people and could impact the mid-terms to instead do another whine about Syrian-born.

We got enough propaganda on him before he was arrested. We don't need anymore.

Repeating from last night, a permanent resident? That's a status and it doesn't mean it can't be revoked. You're getting liars telling you all sorts of things there. My favorite is: It has to be proven in court!

Where the f**k have you lived since 9/11?

That's why community members are so angry at MSNBC, they're doing propaganda.

The courts have bent over backwards to take the government's word on terrorism. Over and over since 9/11 -- and they weren't all that reluctant prior to that.

There's also the reality that he may in fact be part of terrorism. I don't know. I don't know him. I thought Columbia's protests were being led by American students at Columbia. He's duped the public once already so, no, I'm not staking my word on his claims.

They also don't seem to understand immigration. You can't lie on paperwork. If you do, you can lose a visa or a green card. That's reality. Reality is also that most of us will lie on a form. Especially if it's a lengthy form. And it might be a lie of omission, it might be you short handing something, but it happens all the time. And that's their out -- the government's out -- when they want to revoke whatever they granted to a foreigner.

We have serious issues to address in this country. We all have to figure out what they are and cover what we need to cover -- what we feel we need to cover.

MSNBC could argue that this is the story that they feel that they need to cover. Fine. But they need to accept the fact that viewers are already tuning out on them and that will only increase as more air time is wasted on this non-story.

Non-story!!! He could be deported!!!

He could be. Hasn't happened yet. The only news was that he was taken into custody over the weekend and the plan is to deport him. That headline has been more than conveyed. You're no longer doing news, you're doing propaganda for his defense attorney.

And you're doing that while you're ignoring American children.

In the mid-terms, other than a few freaks, no one's going to basing their vote on what happened to the Syrian-born activist. What Chump's doing to America's children? That's going to be an issue. The measles outbreak that continues to spread because we have anti-science fools in Chump's administration? That's going to be an issue.

I said this last night in the roundtable but let me repeat it here:

I do not live in front of the TV. I do not know every thing that is said or done on MSNBC. I do leave the TV on these days because I'm a Nielsen viewer but I really am not a TV person. So I was not aware that this non-story -- it's a headline at this point -- about one person was taking up so much TV real estate on MSNBC. I understand the anger I'm hearing [in the roundtable] and this matter's addressed. We'll put a halt on including MSNBC for the time being except for Lawrence O'Donnell. We'll continue to asses this as a community.

So, again, my apologies. It was my ignorance completely. And I am sorry.

This is an important topic so the time above was not wasted but let's wrap up with a few other things. Aimee Picchi (CBS NEWS) reports:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is cutting two federal programs that provided about $1 billion in funding to schools and food banks to buy food directly from local farms, ranchers and producers, part of what the agency said was a decision to "return to long-term, fiscally responsible initiatives."

The move cancels about $660 million in funding this year for the Local Food for Schools program, which is active in 40 U.S. states, as well as about $420 million for a second program called the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement, which helps food banks and other local groups provide food to their communities.

The decision comes as the Trump administration and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, say they are slashing federal spending to reduce government waste. The USDA programs were funded through the agency's Commodity Credit Corporation, a Depression-era fund created to buy products directly from farmers.

I have no idea why this isn't getting more coverage. We noted it this week. This an attack on America's children. This will impact so many and it's bread-and-butter issue so you'd think politicians and news outlets would be running with this story. It's also impacting farmers:

One farmer in Massachusetts told CBS News Boston that she was concerned the funding cut could hurt her business. Katie Carlson, president of Carlson Orchards in Harvard, Massachusetts, said the Worcester Regional Food Hub, which connects school districts with food from local farmers through the USDA program, had been a reliable customer.

"We know that this time of year we can count on the Worcester Food Hub," Carlson said. "They may not be huge orders every week, but we know that they're coming to take something every week, so if that were to all of a sudden drop off [...] It's just not, not good."

So children and farmers will suffer in order for Convicted Felon Donald Chump to deliver tax breaks to his wealthy and crooked friends. That's our nation priority when trash occupies the White House: Tax breaks for the wealthy and attack the working class and America's future. In news of Chump's other attacks on education, ABC NEWS reports:

The Department of Education's far-reaching layoffs have decimated a small statistical agency considered to be the "authoritative and trusted source" of information on the education system in the United States, four former employees familiar with the situation told ABC News.

Since the 1860s, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has collected and analyzed data on education across the country, which has been used by policymakers and the public to measure academic success, teacher productivity and crime and safety in schools, among other topics.

It issues a congressionally mandated test called the National Assessment of Education Progress -- better known as the "Nation's Report Card" -- which, since 1969, has been considered the gold standard of testing to compare the academic performance and progress of students across all 50 states in math and reading across several grades.

Since 1860 . . . But, of course, idiot Chump knows better.

Chump declares war on education because, as a deeply stupid person, he's always railed against the notion that people could improve their lives via education. So he attacks and attacks and attacks. Another example, Erin Hudson and Sophie Alexander (BLOOMBERG NEWS) reports:

The US Department of Education’s sweeping cuts Tuesday included staff that oversee schools’ efforts to help millions of students learn English.

Employees from the Office of English Language Acquisition, or OELA, are being eliminated as part of the Education Department’s reduction in force this week, according to the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, the union representing the agency’s employees. The wider Education Department cuts aim to eliminate half of its more than 4,000 employees. A spokesperson for the department said OELA’s work will continue in another division.

[. . .]

At least a dozen OELA staff were cut including those who worked on the Title III program, which provides federal funding for states to improve education for students learning English, as well as the National Professional Development Program and the Native American and Alaska Native Children in School program, which train teachers to support those students, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be named and a document seen by Bloomberg.

On the Native American issue, CRONKITE NEWS adds:

The National Council of Urban Indian Health issued a press release deeming “federal layoffs targeting essential tribal programs … catastrophic for Indian Country.”

“DEI requires context,” said Tempe Chief Diversity Officer Velicia McMillan Humes. “You have to understand that this is addressing a greater, longer, pervasive issue.”

Diversity training began with affirmative action after President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order in 1961 that required federal contractors to create equal employment for all.

“You have to learn how to create strategies to engage individuals who don’t feel safe or comfortable or don’t feel like they’ll be heard,” Humes said. “But the first thing we need to do is recognize that we have played a role in that inequity.”

Everyone is under assault in Chump Land. Thomas Kika (CNET) observes:

President Donald Trump and his administration appear to be ramping up plans to abolish the Department of Education, a long-promised move that has prompted as much alarm as it has uncertainty.

The Department of Education has been around in some form since the mid-19th century, with its current cabinet-level form being created when a law passed by Congress and signed by President Jimmy Carter spun it off from the broader Department of Health, Education and Welfare in 1979. Over the decades, it's frequently come under fire from conservative lawmakers, including from President Ronald Reagan, Carter's successor, but the calls have usually been for it to be stripped back, not shut down outright.

This pushback was supercharged, however, when Trump pledged during his 2024 campaign to do just that: shutter the department completely. That threat took another step forward in early March, when Trump's former Small Business Administration head Linda McMahon (yes, that Linda McMahon) was sworn in as the new secretary of education and quickly sent a memo to department workers claiming that they would be carrying out its "final mission." Recent reports also indicate the Trump administration was working on an executive order directing the secretary to prepare for the end of the department, and on March 11 it was announced that half of its staff was being cut as part the planned shutdown.

Senator Patty Murray's office issued the following regarding Chump's attacks on education:

Murray: “Families want help to get students’ math and reading scores up and ensure their kids can thrive—instead, Donald Trump is taking a wrecking ball to the Department of Education and robbing our students and teachers of the resources and support they need.”

ICYMI: Ahead of Confirmation Vote, Senator Murray Blasts Linda McMahon’s Nomination: “We Cannot Have a Secretary of Education Who Doesn’t Believe in Having a Secretary of Education”

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued the following statement on President Trump’s mass firings at the Department of Education.

“Families want help to get students’ math and reading scores up and ensure their kids can thrive—instead, Donald Trump is taking a wrecking ball to the Department of Education and robbing our students and teachers of the resources and support they need, so that Republicans can pay for more massive tax cuts for billionaires.

“Donald Trump and Linda McMahon know they can’t abolish the Department of Education on their own but they understand that if you gut it to its very core and fire all the people who run programs that help students, families, and teachers, you might end up with a similar, ruinous result.

“Ultimately, what they want to do is clear: fire the people who help our kids and gut funding for our students, teachers, and schools. This is about breaking government for working families—and enriching billionaires like themselves in the process.

“Students, families, and teachers in every part of the country will pay the price for Trump’s slash and burn campaign to destroy public education in America. When you rip tax dollars from public schools, it is working and middle class families who suffer. When you fire the people who hold predatory for-profit colleges accountable and who help students get financial aid, it is students who pay the price for years to come.

“Fewer teachers, less accountability, less resources for students, and more chaos—it’s the last thing students and schools need, but it’s exactly what Trump is delivering.”

Senator Murray has been calling out the Trump administration’s devastating plans to worsen public education in America. She’s pressed the Trump administration on its plans to shutter the Department, blasted its dismantling of its research arm, and forcefully opposed Linda McMahon’s nomination and plans to execute Trump’s disastrous agenda.

Senator Murray has championed students and families at every stage of her career—fighting to help ensure every child in America can get a high-quality public education. Among other things, Senator Murray negotiated the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), landmark legislation that she got signed into law, replacing the broken No Child Left Behind Act. As a longtime appropriator, she has successfully fought to boost funding to support students and invest in our nation’s K-12 schools, and she has secured significant increases to the Pell Grant so that it goes further for students pursuing a higher education. Senator Murray also successfully negotiated the FAFSA Simplification Act, bipartisan legislation to reform the financial aid application process, simplify the FAFSA form for students and parents, and significantly expand eligibility for federal aid.

In March 2020, Senator Murray introduced the Supporting Students in Response to Coronavirus Act to support students as COVID-19 spread, and she proceeded to work across the aisle to deliver resources to schools to support students in the CARES Act in March 2020 and in December 2020 through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA). In March 2021, Senator Murray helped secure critical resources for K-12 schools in the American Rescue Plan, which was passed without any Republican votes. She also worked to require a portion of the resources are specifically used to address learning loss—and has pushed to ensure the resources are being used effectively to help students get back on track. In the years since, Senator Murray has fought to renew federal investments in our schools, ensure resources are used effectively and consistent with federal laws, and successfully defeated House Republicans’ efforts to gut federal educational funding as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee in the 118^th Congress.

###

Let's wind down with some good news, Lloyd Lee (BUSINESS INSIDER) notes:

Tesla has lost so much value in such a short period of time that JPMorgan analysts said they couldn't think of another comparable moment in automotive history.

"We struggle to think of anything analogous in the history of the automotive industry, in which a brand has lost so much value so quickly," they wrote, adding that the closest example was when Japanese and Korean car brands lost sales amid "diplomatic disputes" with China in 2012 and 2017, respectively.

The JPMorgan analysts wrote in a note on Wednesday that those historical cases were "confined to a single market, whereas the decline in Tesla sales in 2025 is not specific to any one nation or geography."

JPMorgan analysts cut their price target on Tesla by about 41% from $230.58 to $135, lowering guidance on vehicle deliveries for the first quarter of 2025 to about 355,000 — an 8% year-over-year decrease from the first quarter of 2024.

From December to Wednesday after trading hours, Tesla lost nearly 49% of its market cap, seeing its peak value of $1.54 trillion from the end of last year fall to about $777 billion.

ADDED 20 minutes after post published:

The Black Commentator Issue #1032 is now Online

March 13, 2025