Charles Allen The President taking over local control of MPD & putting the US military onto the streets of DC under the guise of public safety is wrong. It’s an extreme, outrageous, and dangerous move for our city....

www.facebook.com/100057936497...?

The House Budget Framework has me seeing Red There are many reasons to be concerned about the House Budget Framework (H.

My second Substack post!

corinnesw.substack.com/p/the-house-...

Why Social Security is in the worst crisis since its founding in 1935, and what you can do about it Hint: Not because it's running out of money, nor fraud, nor administrative costs.

open.substack.com/pub/robertre...

Could you fill your belly on $6 day? Consider the SNAP challenge and advocate to keep funding that combats food insecurity in the federal budget.

frac.org/snap-challen...

Messmer's office wanted Boonville library to call police on constituents; director said no Rep. Mark Messmer’s office asked the Boonville Library to call the police on residents during an office hours event, the library's director confirmed.

Posted by a friend of mine who grew up nearby. I love the constituents’ plan to hold their own “Messmer’s Missing” rally if he won’t hold a town hall.

Fixing Social Security is Easy! Bottom Line up Front

My first Substack post!

open.substack.com/pub/corinnes...

Opinion | There Is a Liberal Answer to Elon Musk (Gift Article) Right-wing populism thrives on scarcity. The answer is abundance. But a politics of abundance will work only if Democrats confront where their approach has failed.

Ezra Klein hits the nail on the head again.

More reasons for modest optimism This week’s ten

open.substack.com/pub/robertre...

It’s a familiar look…

Elon Musk’s business empire is built on $38 billion in government funding Government infusions at key moments helped Tesla and SpaceX flourish, boosting Musk’s wealth.

I found a place to save the government some money. wapo.st/41uIOJ4

Opinion | A sample of the government webpages Trump doesn’t want you to see Dozens of government webpages disappeared as part of his plan to reshape the U.S. government to his liking. Not even NASA was spared.

Your gift article for today:

wapo.st/4hPMU3A

As expected: GOP thinks they can do a better job picking up my garbage than my elected Mayor and Councilmembers can.

www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...

I think the appropriate strategy right now is to flood the zone. Email, call, postcard your congresspeople, congressional leadership, the White House. Constant and continuous. On every action you find objectionable and illegal. Flood the zone.

YouTube video by All Souls Church, Unitarian DC The 23rd Psalm

I listened to Bobby McFerrin’s 23rd Psalm on my way home from Tai chi silent practice this morning, and it seemed timely to share our Virtual Choir’s rendition from 4 years ago after a difficult week.

youtu.be/xeppAb9yNJU?...

To Pay for Trump Tax Cuts, House GOP Floats Plan to Slash Benefits for the Poor and Working Class — ProPublica A menu of options being circulated by congressional Republicans also includes new tax cuts for corporations and the ultrawealthy.

My favorite GOP idea cited in this Probublica article: eliminate Head of Household as a tax category. Because really, shouldn’t single parents pay more to help billionaires?

stocks.apple.com/AOjaN_d5yToe...

Senior U.S. official to exit after rift with Musk allies over payment system A top Treasury career staffer is expected to depart. Surrogates of Musk’s DOGE effort had sought access to sensitive payment systems.

This is scary stuff:

wapo.st/4jH7XYa

Trump's first week: The Real Story Let it be known

Worth a read.

open.substack.com/pub/robertre...

Opinion | What I’m Thinking at the End of 2024 (Gift Article) Ezra Klein answers listener questions about fatherhood, ‘normalizing’ Trump and his outlook on 2025.

“Twitter makes me dislike people I like, and podcasts make me like people I dislike.” - Ezra Klein

www.nytimes.com/2024/12/24/o...

Just to be clear: Musk and Ramaswamy are acting as volunteer lobbyists. Since they are not being paid, they have no disclosure requirements. I suspect this is why they are asking for more volunteers, and not paying staff, to help them.

December 3, 2024 For an astonishing six hours today, South Korea underwent an attempted self-coup by its unpopular president, Yoon Suk Yeol, only to see the South Korean people force him to back down as they reasserte...

HCR gives a great synopsis of what happened in South Korea, and gives me hope for democracy.

John Fetterman Has a Message for Democrats in New Interview (Gift Article) “Buckle up and pack a lunch, because it’s going to be four years of this,” the Democratic senator from Pennsylvania said.

“If you have a choice to freak out, you know, on the hour, then that’s your right. But I will not. I’m not that dude, and I’m not that Democrat. I’m going to pick my fights. If you freak out on everything, you lose any kind of relevance.” - Sen John Fetterman

Tao Te Ching 49:
The Master….is good to people who are good.
She is also good to people who aren’t good.
This is true goodness.

I follow news orgs that are high fact/middle bias:
guides.library.harvard.edu/newsleans/th...
Most don’t watch cable news at all…
www.thewrap.com/msnbc-cnn-fo...
I can’t force Americans to follow politics as closely as I do. At some level, I have to accept that *I* am the freakish anomaly here.

Thanks, great tip!

PBS and NPR top my list. I’m starting to read ProPublica, which has done excellent investigative journalism.

Autumn Meadowhawk

Autumn Meadowhawk (sympetrum vicinum) observed at Chesapeake Natives Nursery yesterday.

www.inaturalist.org/observations...

A Third Woman Died Under Texas’ Abortion Ban. Doctors Are Avoiding D&Cs and Reaching for Riskier Miscarriage Treatments. Thirty-five-year-old Porsha Ngumezi’s case raises questions about how abortion bans are pressuring doctors to avoid standard care even in straightforward miscarriages.

I had a D&C when I was 46, because I was hemorrhaging due to perimenopause . I worry about the impact of abortion bans on women’s heath care writ large. I don’t think the (mostly male) lawmakers have any idea of what sound medical practice is for women.

www.propublica.org/article/pors...

These images will help you see coral reefs in a whole new way A scuba diver until age 79, Georgette Apol Douwma photographed reefs around the world and then transformed her images into dazzling kaleidoscopic designs.

Very cool coral photos.