Laugh at the news from the last week of May 2026 with Jimmy Kimmel for Flashback Friday

Yesterday, I asked "Jimmy Kimmel, anyone?" Not reading anyone respond "no," that's what I'm doing. I'm working backwards through his monologues this week, beginning with last night's Trump’s Approval Rating Hits New Low, America’s 250th Party is a Mess & Iran War May Be Over Soon?

We are now officially 159 days from the midterm elections, Trump’s approval ratings have sunk to an all-time low even though he has “done more” than any President ever, the DOJ is now going after one of Trump’s victims E. Jean Carroll who accused him of sexually assaulting her, in honor of our country’s 250th anniversary the Treasury Department is looking to print special Trump $250 bills, they’re also lining up entertainment for the “Great American State Fair” and the lineup is shaping up to be a real dud, there will be a mass pardoning ceremony as part of the semi-quincentennial celebration, the US and Iran have reportedly reached another tentative deal to potential[ly] end the war he says we won three months ago, the State Department posted a very upbeat message for Secretary of State Marco Rubio, RFK Jr can’t stop picking up snakes, and another edition of This Week in Florida.

That's a good poll result for participation in this November's midterm elections and a bad one for Donald "Pervert Hoover" Trump, whose approval rating is about what I think he deserved all along. Speaking of approval, I don't think a proposed law to allow his face on a new $250 bill would get past the Senate and given how narrow the Republican margin is in the House, it would be a close call there, especially now that Thomas Massie has lost re-nomination. As for "This Week in Florida," "Florida Man" stories usually involve someone doing something criminal, stupid, and outrageous. Not this week — no criminal activity at all and the Florida Man doing something stupid was the cop. Good thing for the woman he pulled over that his body cam was working!

That's the national news. Jimmy K went local the night before at the end of Jimmy Kimmel Breaks Down Spencer Pratt's Run for LA Mayor & Trump Assembles His Cabinet of Clowns.

Trump met with his cabinet amid his war in Iran being a mess and his approval rating being in the toilet, Hegseth got an angry phone call from Trump after he cancelled the deployment of 4,000 troops who were about to leave to be stationed in Poland, Jimmy had a brief back and forth with RFK Jr. online that caught the attention of Fox Business, Senator John Cornyn of Texas lost his primary to a Trump-endorsed Ken Paxton, he will now face off against Democrat James Talarico, and Spencer Pratt is running for the Mayor of LA.

I've only mentioned Pervert Hoover's narcissism twice, but Jimmy mentioning that one out of every six sentences in his Cabinet meetings is either praise or an attack on his enemies reminds me of one of the criteria for narcissistic personality disorder, need for admiration. He displays that and all the other criteria in abundance!

As for Jillian Michaels and Fox Business calling Kimmel not funny, then why does this video have 2,721,170 views, the one above have 1,936,029 and counting, and the one below 3,086,200? Conservatives hate-watching them? Yeah, right.

The one time I mentioned Ken Paxton here, I looked at his name being floated for Attorney General despite his legal troubles and snarked "Jailbirds of a feather flock together." I'm sure I'll have more to say about the Ken Paxton-James Talerico contest for Senate in Texas between now and November, but I only have until Tuesday to comment on the primary elections for California Governor and Los Angeles Mayor. The former has made Drink, because Tom Steyer is running on National Mojito Day 2019 popular again, although that's probably short-lived; Xavier Becerra is now in first with 23%, quite a jump from 2% a year ago, while Steyer is now in third with 15%, with Steve Hilton second at 20%. The top three in the Los Angeles Mayoral Primary is a lot closer.

The latest UC Berkeley-L.A. Times poll of likely voters has the three candidates at the top almost within the margin of error so anything could happen leading up to Election Day. The top two candidates will move on in the race.

In the poll, Mayor Bass is at 26%. Right behind her is Nithya Raman at 25%. Then Spencer Pratt at 22%.

The margin of error for this poll is 3% so this race is wide open with a clear top three.

After hearing Jimmy describe Pratt's reaction to the fake Mayan Apocalypse of 2012, I hope he comes in third so I won't have to mention him again except in defeat.

This week began with Trump Skips Don Jr’s Wedding, Attacks DUMOCRATS on Memorial Day & Claims His Physical Went PERFECTLY.

The Knicks completed a second consecutive sweep to earn a spot in the NBA Finals, Don Jr and his new bride Bettina were married on Saturday on an island in the Bahamas and Trump did not make it, they have begun construction on the arena for the big UFC fight scheduled for Trump’s 80th birthday next month, we are now on week thirteen of Trump’s “little excursion” in Iran, he posted a message to social media for Memorial Day, he gave himself a glowing report about his health after his physical, RFK Jr. decided to pick up snakes at Dr. Oz’s house, and after months of delays the Trump Mobile phone is finally shipping to customers.

Dumentia — hah! I'm keeping it.

Follow over the jump for top shares of posts about Kimmel on social media during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.

Heather Cox Richardson explains 'What is Juneteenth and Why Does it Matter: A Short History'

A joyous Juneteenth 2025! I'm celebrating the newest federal holiday with Heather Cox Richardson explaining What is Juneteenth and Why Does it Matter: A Short History | Journey to American Democracy.


Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith fleeing to Mexico after surrendering is an amusing fact I'd missed in previous tellings of the story. It didn't appear in KPRC 2 Click2Houston's Celebrating Juneteenth In Galveston: Birthplace Of Freedom.

Big celebrations are underway here in Galveston, the birthplace of Juneteenth.

Former President Joe Biden, who signed the law making Juneteenth a federal holiday, coming to Galveston to celebrate, makes for an appropriate closing of the circle. That written, the story of Juneteenth continues, as MSNBC tells in 'History is being challenged': Rev. Al slams DEI attacks on Juneteenth holiday.

Thursday, June 19 marks the Juneteenth holiday, the day in 1865 when enslaved African-Americans in Galveston, Texas learned they were free. The Rev. Al Sharpton and Maura Gay discuss.

The struggle continues.

Stay tuned for American Eagle Day and Seashell Day on the Summer Solstice and World Giraffe Day.

Monstrum on 'La Lechuza: The Shape-Shifting Witch-Owl' for Day of the Dead

Halloween is over, but spooky season continues for one more day with Day of the Dead. Like last year, I'm featuring one of Monstrum's examinations of Mexican monsters. Watch La Lechuza: The Shape-Shifting Witch-Owl | Monstrum from PBS Digital's Storied channel.

You're walking home, a little tipsy, guided only by the moonlight. Suddenly, you sense something watching you: an unnervingly large owl with a human face! This is La Lechuza, a malevolent witch-owl from Tejano and Mexican folklore.

After watching 'The 10 Unspoken Rules of Slasher Movies, Explained' by PBS Storied, where the villains are evil humans, but generally not supernatural monsters, I was glad to return to actual monsters from folklore instead of entertainment for today. I'm also glad Dr. Zarka created a second video about Mexican monsters during the past year so I could use it today. Here's to her and the team at Monstrum on PBS Storied uploading a third video about Mexico for next year's entry!

I didn't find an appropriate drink video for today from Secret of the Booze, but CBS Detroit uploaded Day of the Dead cocktails with Shankar Distillers earlier today. Since my blog is based in Metro Detroit and I enjoy sharing local content, I couldn't resist.

Michigan-based Shankar Distillers has several Day of the Dead cocktail recipes.

I appreciated the decorations that made the table look like an ofrenda. I also now understand why, when I searched YouTube for Day of the Dead cocktails, I retrieved videos for palomas. That was the cocktail made in this video.

So ends this year's spooky season. Stay tuned for non-holiday programming tomorrow. In the meantime, drink responsibly.

Marching music for Super Tuesday, part two

A happy a marching music Super Tuesday! As I promised my readers in yesterday's part one, "Stay tuned for part two tomorrow, when I feature the competitive drum corps and select marching bands from Super Tuesday states west of the Mississippi River." Unlike 2020, when I ended with California, I begin with California starting with Blue Devils | #DCI2022 | Tempus Blue.

Concord, CA | 1st Place | 98.750

Concord, California's Blue Devils perform a segment from the corps' #DCI2022 production, "Tempus Blue," during the 2022 DCI World Championships hosted August 12-14 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

I always wanted a DCI corps to play "Tank!" I got my wish.

Next, Santa Clara Vanguard | #dci2022 | Finding Nirvana.

Santa Clara, CA | 5th Place | 95.000

Santa Clara, California's Santa Clara Vanguard perform a segment from the corps' #DCI2022 production, "Finding Nirvana," during the 2022 DCI World Championships hosted August 12-14 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

SCV didn't field a corps last year, but should return this year.

Continuing with the third DCI finalist from California, Mandarins | #dci2022 | The Otherside.

Sacramento, CA | 10th Place | 90.013

Sacramento, California's Mandarins perform a segment from the corps' #DCI2022 production, "The Otherside," during the 2022 DCI World Championships hosted August 12-14 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Yes, this is the same corps I featured in 'The Year of the Dragon' from The Cadets and Sacramento Mandarins for a drum corps Lunar New Year.

I'm starting to repeat myself with Vanguard Cadets | #dci2022 | Somewhere New.

Santa Clara, CA | 18th Place | 81.050

Santa Clara, California's Vanguard Cadets perform a segment from the corps' #DCI2022 production, "Somewhere New," during the 2022 DCI World Championships hosted August 12-14 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

SCV Cadets didn't tour last year, either, just like their parent corps. I don't know if they'll be on the field this year yet.

Heading to Southern California, it's Pacific Crest | #dci2022 | Welcome to the Void.

Diamond Bar & City of Industry, CA | 19th Place | 80.250

Diamond Bar and City of Industry, California's Pacific Crest perform a segment from the corps' #DCI2022 production, "Welcome to the Void," during the 2022 DCI World Championships hosted August 12-14 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Pacific Crest had a much better 2023, placing 12th at San Antonio and 14th in Indianapolis.

Returning to the Bay Area, it's Blue Devils B | #dci2022 | I Am.

Concord, CA | 22nd Place | 78.375

Concord, California's Blue Devils B perform a segment from the corps' #DCI2022 production, "I Am," during the 2022 DCI World Championships hosted August 12-14 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Now back to Southern California for Guard Girl's reaction video, DCI Open Class : Gold 2022 - The Gift | REACTION | #IllBeTheJudge.


That's just California's competitive drum corps. Follow over the jump for California marching bands that earned finalist status in Metallica's marching band contest and drum corps, Rose Parade bands, and more drum corps and Metallica contestants from Utah, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Minnesota.

'Last Week Tonight' examines abortion rights for Election Day

The headline election in yesterday's FiveThirtyEight's 2023 elections to watch was Ohio's Issue 1, which would keep abortion legal in the Buckeye State. Reproductive rights are also campaign issues in the Virginia's legislative elections and Kentucky's election for Governor. Abortion Rights: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) mentioned all three.

John Oliver discusses the ongoing fallout from the overturning of Roe v. Wade as the November elections approach.

I hope all of you reading this blog in Ohio, Virginia, and Kentucky not only voted, but voted in a way to keep abortion safe and legal. I did that last year, and the candidates and proposals that would do that won in Michigan. I like being a good example.

Stay tuned to see what I blog about tomorrow, whether it's election results, Trump Senior testifying at his organization's fraud trial, or a new holiday, World Urbanism Day. Right now, I have the last one penciled in. See if I keep it.

My favorite bands in the 2022 Rose Parade for New Year's Day

Happy New Year! For 2022, I'm returning to a featuring my favorite bands in the Rose Parade, courtesy of Luis at Music213. I begin with the official band of the Rose Parade, 2022 PCC Tournament of Roses Honor Band & Herald Trumpets (Day 1) - 2022 Pasadena Bandfest.

The 2022 Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band & Herald Trumpets performing their musical selections at the 41st Annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses Bandfest on Wednesday, December 29, 2021.

May everything come up roses for my readers!

Next, the band from the school I am cheering for in the Rose Bowl, University of Utah Marching Utes - 2022 Pasadena Bandfest.

The University of Utah Marching Utes performing their musical selections at the 41st Annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses Bandfest on Thursday , December 30, 2021.

Go, Utes!

Now for the high school bands, beginning with one that probably has been in more Rose Parades than any other southern California high school, Arcadia High School Apache Marching Band - Disneyland December 2021.

Arcadia High School Apache Marching Band performing at Disneyland on New Year's Eve on Friday, December 31, 2021! They will represent the state of California at the 133rd Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on Saturday, January 1, 2022!

This was a drier performance than at Bandfest and more representative of what people will see later today, so I'm using this instead.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the bands I'm featuring today.

Vaccinations approved for children 5-11 and news about COVID-19 antivirals as U.S. passes 750,000 dead and deer are infected, a pandemic update

I have good and bad news about the pandemic to share today. First, two items of good news from CNBC, beginning with CDC endorses Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine for kids age 5 to 11.

The CDC director has signed off on Pfizer's BioNTech-partnered Covid-19 vaccine for young children, making 28 million kids eligible for a shot. CNBC's Meg Tirrell reports.

That's good news that will immediately help to contain the pandemic. CNBC reported more possible good news this morning in Pfizer says oral Covid antiviral cut risk of hospitalization, death by 89%.

Pfizer plans to quickly file its oral Covid-19 antiviral with the FDA for emergency use authorization. CNBC's Meg Tirrell reports.

This might start helping patients later this year, but it still counts as good news.

That's the good news. Follow over the jump for the bad news.

Saturday's Women's March for the first Monday in October

I opened Trevor Noah and Samantha Bee on reproductive rights for today's Women's Marches by noting that "MSNBC reported...Hundreds Of Women's Rights Marches Planned Nationwide Against Texas Abortion Law, but I'm waiting until they're all finished and the news departments of the networks and local stations have digested the story to share videos of the protests." I'm still sharing that video to begin today's entry.

NBC's Stephanie Stanton reports outside of the Texas Capitol where more than 5,000 people are rallying against Gov. Greg Abbot's new law that bans nearly all abortions in the state.

That report focused on Texas, particularly in Austin and Houston, but the important action will took place in Washington, D.C., where the Supreme Court, which begins its session today, will decide on a case involving Mississippi restricting the time period for legal access to abortion. CBS Evening News reported on that demonstration in Thousands gather in D.C. for 2021 Women’s March.

Thousands gathered in the nation’s capital Saturday for the 2021 Women’s March. This year’s march focused on reproductive rights as a response to abortion restrictions implemented in some conservative states. Nikole Killion has more.

Yes, that's Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel being interviewed at the end. Go Dana!

NBC News covered the demonstrations nationwide in As Thousands March, Women’s Reproductive Rights Divide The Nation.

Across the country thousands of women rallied for their reproductive rights, becoming the largest women’s marches since 2017. This comes as Texas recently placed a ban on abortions once a heartbeat is detected.

While I find the circumstances distressing, I'm glad this event had the highest attendance since the first Women's March in 2017. The causes needs that level of popular support.

Attorney General Nessel participating in the Washington, D.C., Women's March wasn't the only Michigan angle to this story. Follow over the jump for two reports from the west side of the state.

Trevor Noah and Samantha Bee on reproductive rights for today's Women's Marches

As MSNBC reported today, Hundreds Of Women's Rights Marches Planned Nationwide Against Texas Abortion Law, but I'm waiting until they're all finished and the news departments of the networks and local stations have digested the story to share videos of the protests. Instead, I'm sharing two "ha-ha, only serious" takes on the issue beginning with The Daily Show with Trevor Noah asking What Happens When a State Bans Abortions? - If You Don’t Know, Now You Know.

Texas’s new abortion law is the most restrictive in the country. Here’s why banning abortions isn’t an effective (or safe) way to lower the abortion rate.

None of this comes as a surprise to me, so I'm saddened but not disappointed. It's also the bad news. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee has some good news for reproductive rights in New Jersey Is Paving The Way For Reproductive Rights.

We love...New Jersey? As shocking as it may be, the Garden State has been planting seeds to ensure that Roe V. Wade always thrives within its borders. Sam breaks out the celebratory pork rolls with NJ Governor Phil Murphy and Kaitlyn Wojtowicz, VP Public Affairs at Planned Parenthood Access Fund of NJ.

This piece was produced by Amber Watson with Annie Kopp and edited by Daphne Gomez-Mena.

I wish Governor Murphy, Planned Parenthood of New Jersey, and all of the bill's sponsors and supporters good luck and success in passing the bill next month so the Governor can sign it.

Enough serious business, even if I filtered it through comedy. Stay tuned for more on the winners of the Primetime Emmy Awards, probably about "Saturday Night Live," the next biggest winner with eight Emmy Awards, as the Sunday entertainment feature.

History of Labor Day plus drinks and marching bands to celebrate the holiday

Happy Labor Day! I'm returning to my pre-pandemic themes of history and drinks for the holiday with some bonus marching band. I begin with history from CBS Mornings Labor day recognizes fight for fair wages, hours from 2014.

Millions of Americans are enjoying the day off work and school, but some may have lost the significance of the national holiday. Kenneth C. Davis, author of "Don't Know Much About History," joins the "CBS This Morning" co-hosts to talk about Labor Day.

Let us not forget that Labor Day is not only a celebration of the end of summer and beginning of fall, but one of work, working people, and their struggle for better working conditions and the ability to enjoy their lives. Workers are still pursuing the latter today, but in a more individualistic fashion through the Great Resignation, a subject I might return to in a future post.

Follow over the jump for the drinks and marching bands.

Kamala Harris talks voting rights and space exploration during dedication of LBJ Monument for Veep Day

Happy National Veep Day! After three posts about Mike Pence interrupted by an entry about the show Veep, I'm dedicating today's entry to Kamala Harris with a serious message followed by a silly skit.

I begin with the most recent video from The White House YouTube account to feature the Vice President, Vice President Harris Delivers Remarks at the Lyndon B. Johnson Monument Dedication.

Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks for the unveiling of the monument to President Lyndon Baines Johnson at Little Tranquillity Park.

In addition to providing the video description I used above, the press release from the City of Houston quoted Vice President Harris's remarks.

“President Johnson led through extremely difficult times—through national grief, through global threats, through deep-seeded injustice. And I believe that there are lessons we can learn from this monument of a man and apply to the moment we're in,” said Vice President Harris.

The press release also summarized LBJ's accomplishments in civil rights.

President Johnson regularly ranks as one of the greatest presidents based on his extraordinary legislative achievements, including the three seminal civil rights bills that after 100 years achieved full legal rights for all Americans. Also included in President Johnson's extraordinary portfolio is the Immigration Act of 1965, which opened legal immigration from all nations equally, based upon family reunification and needed job skills in the United States.

Houston dedicated another monument in Little Tranquillity Park that day.

Also dedicated Friday at Little Tranquillity Park was a memorial to Apollo I astronauts Command Pilot Gus Grissom, Senior Pilot Edward White and Pilot Roger Chaffee, who perished on January 27, 1967, while testing their capsule prior to launch. Little Tranquillity Park has contained for years two small memorials to the astronauts of the Space Shuttles Challenger and Columbia, who perished in service of their country. The memorials include two semicircles of seven Magnolia trees, with each tree representing one of the astronauts. The new Apollo I memorial includes the planting of three additional Magnolia trees, each representing one of the astronauts.

This reminds me that I've blogged about the Challenger disaster, but not about either the end of space shuttle Columbia or Apollo I. Maybe I should do that. It also explains why Vice President Harris talked about LBJ's actions on behalf of space exploration, including the founding of NASA. I'm glad she included those accomplishments in her remarks.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner tied the two monuments together.

"This is a special day for Houston, and I hope people from all walks of life will visit the site honoring President Johnson and the astronauts who gave their lives in service to our country,” Mayor Turner said. “On this date, August 6 in 1965, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act. As we reflect on this historic occasion, it is hard to believe that we are still working to uphold the rights of ALL eligible voters. President Johnson was a Southern white man from Texas fighting for civil rights and during his lifetime changed the course of history both politically and socially."

It is not a coincidence that the dedication fell on the 56th anniversary of LBJ signing the Voting Rights Act, so it is not a coincidence that Vice President Harris said what she did about voting rights, especially while Texas Democratic legislators left the state for D.C. and have been arrested for demonstrating for voting rights.

Since I made fun of former Vice President Pence three years ago, I'm going to do that for Vice President Harris this year with an Emmy-nominated performance by Maya Rudolph, Kamala - SNL.

Vice-President Kamala Harris (Maya Rudolph) and her husband Doug Emhoff (Martin Short) host Ted Cruz (Aidy Bryant) and Joe Biden (Alex Moffat) for a friendly Passover dinner.

Not only couldn't I resist, but I'm glad I saved this video until now. Not only does it feature Rudolph as V.P. Harris, but also Emmy nominees Aidy Bryant, Kenan Thompson, and Cecily Strong. Good luck to all of you!

Once again, happy National Veep Day!

100+ state legislators demonstrated for voting rights in D.C. and several were arrested

In Jane Mayer describes 'The Big Money Behind the Big Lie' on MSNBC, I mentioned state "laws restricting voting rights, which is the reason why Texas Democrats left the state for D.C. last month." CBS News covered that story the past two days. I begin with the most recent report, Lawmakers arrested during voting rights rally in Washington, D.C..

Several lawmakers and activists were arrested while rallying for a federal voting rights bill in Washington. Texas state Representative Ron Reynolds, who was among those arrested, joins CBSN's Lana Zak with more.

I wish Ron Reynolds and the rest of those arrested luck and leniency and also that their sacrifice is not in vain.

CBS News had more about the demonstration in yesterday's State lawmakers rally in D.C. for voting rights.

More than 100 state legislators from over 20 states have joined activists in Washington pushing for voting reform legislation. Representative Anna Eskamani of Florida was one of the lawmakers rallying on Capitol Hill. She joins CBSN's Elaine Quijano with more.

I want to point out two images from Elaine Quijano's interview of Anna Eskamani, both of which show polarization over voting rights, first by party affliation and then by race and ethnicity.



Polarization related to partisanship is much stronger than from race and ethnicity, so while a majority of all Americans and majorities of the races and ethnicities surveyed support federal rules to ensure equal access to voting, Republicans most certainly do not. No wonder laws restricting voting rights are being passed in states with Republican majorities in their legislatures.

Both segments also examined the latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas and Florida. Right now, the two states account for a third of all new cases in the U.S. That deserves a post of its own, so stay tuned.

Seth Meyers and Joy Reid take closer looks at Texas Democrats leaving the state for D.C.

While I've been busy observing holidays, political conflict over voting rights has erupted again in Texas. Late Night with Seth Meyers turned the drama into comedy in last night's Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Threatens to Arrest Democrats Who Fled State: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at the governor of Texas threatening to arrest lawmakers who fled the state to block a draconian new voter suppression law designed to keep Republicans in power.

That's the humorous take on the situation. For a more serious examination, watch Joy Reid's interview, Texas Rep Responds To Governor Abbott’s Arrest Threats.

Voting rights legislation passing on the federal level and what it will take are discussed by Texas St. Rep. Chris Turner and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla. Sen. Padilla tells Joy Reid, ‘Put me in the column of abolishing the filibuster... for the sake of saving our fundamental democracy.’

Sounds like Reid and Alex Padilla are in the mood to play hardball to defend voting rights. I'm with them and the people in this photo from WTOL. I hope my readers are, too.


Activists rally at Sen. Rob Portman's office in favor of voting rights acts.

Drink a martini to Juneteenth becoming a national holiday

Happy Juneteenth! To celebrate, I'm sharing Good Morning America's video clips about the holiday, beginning with Biden signs bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday.

The new national holiday marks the day the last enslaved African-Americans were freed in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865.

On the one hand, yay, a new national holiday. On the other, I can see why this might end up being a victory for symbolism over substance. Just the same, symbols matter and can inspire people to work on the substantive issues. Watch and listen to NAACP president discusses historic Juneteenth holiday to hear about those issues.

Derrick Johnson explains the importance of the day for communities of color across the U.S becoming a federal holiday.

The segment ends with a promotion of a special. Former President Barack Obama talks race, resilience and hope for Juneteenth is a clip from that special.

In a new “Soul of a Nation” special on ABC News, Obama sat down with “GMA’s” Michael Strahan ahead of Juneteenth to talk about its significance while looking toward the future.

I agree with both Obama and Derrick Johnson that lots of work needs to be done about racism, voting rights, and policing. May the activism for those be as successful as the activism to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Meet the ‘grandmother of Juneteenth’ to see the face of that activism.

Civil rights activist Opal Lee started a petition to make Juneteenth a national holiday and “walked thousands of miles” around Texas to promote her cause.

Congratulations to Opal Lee on her success and being an inspiration!

Enough seriousness. How to celebrate Juneteenth shows what to serve for today's celebrations.

Event planner and founder of “While Entertaining,” a magazine that highlights Black culinary creatives, Amber Mayfield gives us her insight on a Juneteenth-inspired meal.

Amber Mayfield ending her presentation with red velvet cake leads directly to the drink to celebrate today's other day, World Martini Day, Tipsy Bartender's Red Velvet Cake Martini.


For red velvet cake lovers everywhere!
That looks fun and delicious, even if I can't indulge because of my diabetes.

I'm just beginning to celebrate an extra-long holiday weekend. Stay tuned for Father's Day, the Summer Solstice, American Eagle Day, and National Seashell Day tomorrow, World Giraffe Day on Monday, World Rainforest Day on Tuesday, and the inaugural National Detroit-Style Pizza Day on Wednesday. With all the talk about UFOs, I might even observe World UFO Day on Thursday. As I wrote yesterday, doom can wait, even when I'm writing about threatened species and biomes.

FiveThirtyEight asks 'Will We See More Celebrities Run For Office In 2022?'

For today's Sunday entertainment feature, I'm sharing FiveThirtyEight asking Will We See More Celebrities Run For Office In 2022?

It’s another episode of Confidence Interval, where we make a persuasive case for a hot take we’ve been hearing … and then reveal how confident we really feel about the idea. This time, we talk about celebrity politicians. FiveThirtyEight politics reporter Alex Samuels explains the rise in the number of celebrities running for political office and argues whether or not they will be successful.

As one of the commenters snarked, I'd bet $20 on the confidence interval response being "I'd bet $20 on this," as it has probably been a more common response than "it makes sense" or "meh." More seriously, celebrities running for office happens often enough to be worth noting. As Alex Samuels mentioned, Caitlyn Jenner is running for Governor of California in the upcoming recall election and Andrew Yang, arguably a celebrity, is running for Mayor of New York City. On the other hand, some candidacies end up being mere publicity stunts, such as Kid Rock for U.S. Senate. That's what I think Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is doing. Matthew McConaughey seems to be more serious, but I don't think he'll get very far if Beto O'Rourke runs for Texas Governor.


The former Texas congressman says he hasn't ruled anything out.
I think Beto will push McConaughey out of the Democratic primary should he run, leaving McConaughey to try to win the Republican primary (good luck with that), mount an independent bid, or drop out and enjoy the free publicity. I'd bet $20 on the last option.

For more on this subject, read Samuel's article Why Americans Can’t Resist A Celebrity Political Candidate on FiveThirtyEight's website. In the meantime, enjoy your Sunday!

The costs of loss and prevention from the Texas polar vortex blackout from Vox and Business Insider

I emphasized the science in The connections among climate change, the wobbling jet stream, and the polar vortex explained by PBS Terra and CBS News over the technological, economic, and human costs of the record-setting cold and snow last month. It's time to reverse the emphasis, starting with Texas's power disaster is a warning sign for the US, which Vox uploaded the day before yesterday.

America's power grid is not ready.
...
In February, extreme cold and an unusual winter storm left millions of Texans in the dark. Many went without power or water, in subzero temperatures, for nearly five days. It was a disaster; dozens died. But even though that storm hit much of the country, the power outages were mostly limited to Texas. That’s because Texas is on its own electrical grid, separate from the rest of the country, which means it can’t easily get power from other states in an emergency.

But Texas's grid itself is not what failed. Power went out across Texas in the first place because energy sources across the state were unprepared for severe weather. And that didn’t have to happen; Texas had been warned about this exact scenario, and had actually experienced versions of it twice in the last 30 years. But they didn’t prepare.

Now the rest of the US faces the same issue. Climate change is making severe weather disasters more and more frequent. And the American energy system is not ready for it.

Vox examined both well even as they reversed the emphasis by featuring how government and industry managed the technology of the electrical grid over the weather event and climate change that exposed its flaws. The report also pointed out that Texas serves as a warning to the rest of the country.

Business Insider looked more at the human and economic cost when it explained Why The Texas Polar Vortex Is So Expensive.

The Texas winter storm is expected to be the most expensive weather event in the state’s history, costing insurers over $20 billion. Why are Texans paying the price for the polar vortex?

This looks like a case where an ounce of prevention would have saved a pound of cure. I'm also wondering if it counts as an externality, "a cost or benefit that is imposed on a third party who did not agree to incur that cost or benefit" and "any difference between the private cost of an action or decision to an economic agent and the social cost." It probably is, although I am neither an economist nor a lawyer, both of whom should be consulted to see if the $20 billion dollar price tag qualifies and to whom.

When I write about blackouts, I usually reference the 2003 blackout in the northeastern U.S. and adjacent parts of Canada. In large part, that's because I ask my students about it in the worksheet for "The End of Suburbia." Now that I've relegated that movie and its associated worksheets to extra credit, I may have to look for newer resources about more recent events, like the blackout and associated death and damage from the Texas blackout. In the meantime, stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment feature.

The connections among climate change, the wobbling jet stream, and the polar vortex explained by PBS Terra and CBS News

I concluded Paczki Day during a pandemic by telling my readers "Speaking of the weather, I plan on writing about the winter storm and its connection to the changing climate tomorrow. Stay tuned." I begin with a general explanation of the phenomenon in PBS Terra asking Why on Earth are Winters Getting Worse if the Planet is Getting Warmer?

In 2015, Boston was brought to its knees by the worst winter on record, receiving an unprecedented 110 inches of snow. And over the last decade, the American Northeast has seen more than a 200% increase in the frequency of large, disruptive snowstorms. This trend surprised nearly everybody, including many of the top experts, as they had been expecting a warming planet to translate into milder winters. But in many locations, we have seen just the opposite. So what’s going on here?

We traveled to Boston to search for answers about these surprising effects of climate change and their connection to the jet stream, the polar vortex, and a phenomenon known as “arctic amplification.” We also discuss some of the most common risks like hypothermia, frostbite, heart attacks, and traffic accidents that make winter weather, far and away, the deadliest natural hazard of them all.

Weathered is a show hosted by meteorologist Maiya May and produced by Balance Media that helps explain the most common natural disasters, what causes them, how they’re changing, and what we can do to prepare.

The story Maiya May told "about these surprising effects of climate change and their connection to the jet stream, the polar vortex, and a phenomenon known as 'arctic amplification'" is one I've told before in Polar vortex and difference between climate and weather explained, Vox explains how a warming Arctic can cause extreme weather, and The polar vortex returns, bringing near-record cold temperatures, so it's not news to me. Still, this blog has gained a lot of new readers in the last two years, so I think it's worth repeating, especially with the new examples and footage in the PBS Terra video.

Speaking of new examples, Dr. Stuart Harris saying "What you thought was normal in Atlanta or Texas or Virginia is not gonna be" turned out to be prophetic. Watch Polar vortex triggering dangerous winter weather across U.S. for both the effects of the record cold weather in Texas and elsewhere and the connection between that weather and climate change, the wobbling jet stream, and the polar vortex.

Millions are without power as temperatures dive to record lows across a huge portion of the United States. CBS News correspondents Omar Villafranca and Jessi Mitchell have the latest on the impact and CBS News meteorologist and climate specialist Jeff Berardelli joins CBSN with the forecast.

I think Jeff Berardelli explained the interconnected weather phenomena and their effects clearly and compellingly, showing how they contributed to the current record cold weather.

CBS This Morning updated the situation in Winter storm kills at least 17 people, millions still without power in frigid Texas.

At least 17 deaths have been attributed to the winter blast blanketing much of the country - and more freezing temperatures are on the way. Meanwhile, Texas continues to experience deep freeze conditions as residents are questioning why the state failed to prepare for such an unprecedented storm. Omar Villafranca reports.

In contrast to Texas, Oklahoma has power. CBS This Morning reported and explained why in Oklahoma conserves energy as another round of snow, cold blanket the state.

Another winter storm in Oklahoma is bringing more snow and keeping temperatures below freezing. But less than 1% of Oklahoma electricity customers are without power compared to Texas, which has 25% of residents without power. Mireya Villarreal is in Oklahoma City with the interruptions the weather is causing.

I could go on about why Texas has its own electric grid and how that's contributed to the situation, but that's a post for another day. In the meantime, stay warm, stay safe, and stay tuned.

NRA files for bankruptcy and announces move from New York to Texas

I found another shiny object related to one of my long-term interests, gun violence and gun control, to distract me from soon to be ex-President Donald Trump's second impeachment.* Watch Reuters report NRA files for bankruptcy, seeks to escape lawsuit.

The National Rifle Association filed for bankruptcy, a sudden development that could help the gun rights group escape a lawsuit by New York's attorney general seeking its dissolution.

This is not all good news from the perspective of fighting gun violence and the effects of big money in politics, which I'll get to later, but it is a setback for an organization that epitomizes the influence of both gun culture and big money in U.S. politics. As for the NRA calling New York State "corrupt," I think it's projecting, something that the next two videos will show. Instead, I will say that New York State in the person of Attorney General Letitia James is hostile to the NRA, not that I disapprove.

Speaking of the next two videos, both show that the problems that led the NRA to declare bankruptcy have been brewing for years, beginning with CNBC's report How The NRA Ended Up On The Verge Of Bankruptcy from August 2019.

The NRA is mired in controversy. With about 5 million members as of July 2019, the NRA is one of the most powerful special interest groups in the U.S. But, claims of financial wrong doing have led to multiple investigations in Congress and in New York State that are threatening the groups survival. And, while the group did have some money problems in the past, 2016 proved to be a devastating blow to its finances. The NRA reported a staggering $46 million loss.

New York State and the federal government have been sniffing around the NRA and its finances for years. CNBC could see that could be a threat to the organization, one that finally resulted in yesterday's strategic bankruptcy. On the other hand, the bigger the threat, the stronger the NRA's revenues become, as gun sales, memberships, and donations all increase after mass shootings and elections of Democratic Presidents. I expect that will happen again with the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, which is one of the reasons why the NRA's bankruptcy doesn't mean the end of the organization.

As an aside, I left the following in a comment to the video, although I added in the hyperlinks here.

I misread the misspelled sign about defending the Second Amendment at 6:58 as "Second Ammoment." On a whim, I performed a Google search for that phrase and "2nd Ammoment"; Google couldn't find any instances of either. Hey, I came up with something original! From now on, I'm going to say that the NRA is defending American's "Second Ammoment" rights. I hope it catches on."

Also, I'm glad to see that CNBC mentioned the role of Maria Butina, the subject of From Russia to the NRA with love. That was embarrassing and added to the narrative of Russian interference in U.S. politics, but it so far hasn't been nearly as big a problem for the NRA as I was hoping for. Too bad, as a Senate Finance Committee report found that the NRA was a 'Foreign Asset' To Russia ahead of the 2016 election, but nothing much as come of it — yet.

More recently, Bloomberg Quicktake uploaded How the NRA Shot Itself in the Foot just last November, which also exposes corruption in the NRA.

The National Rifle Association had long been known as one of the most powerful lobbying groups in America. But at the peak of its power, this well-funded ally of the Republican Party has found itself besieged by scandal and legal challenges that could permanently change how it operates.

After starting off very similarly to the CNBC report, Bloomberg's video went into more depth about the structure of the NRA and reported on the recent challenges the NRA has been facing since the CNBC mini-documentary. It also took a more hostile tone, but I think that comes from the top, as Michael Bloomberg has made fighting gun violence one of his major issues. All of those are reasons why I decided to include this video, despite the duplication with CNBC's report.

By the way, the protestors at the NRA news conference after Sandy Hook were from Code Pink, which started off as an anti-war movement. I'm glad to see that they are working against all kinds of violence, especially since they are one of Coffee Party USA's partners. Maybe I should see what they have to say about the NRA's bankruptcy.

Finally, I did say that "this is not all good news from the perspective of fighting gun violence and the effects of big money in politics" later, so it's time for a reaction from The Young Turks, NRA Goes Bankrupt But Don't Get Too Excited Yet.

The NRA has filed for bankruptcy, but the news is complicated. John Iadarola, Ken Klippenstein, and Jordan Uhl discuss on The Young Turks.

The NRA may be finished as a non-profit operating in New York, but I think it will survive and even thrive in Texas when all is said and done. Still, I'll take the small victory.

That's it for a week of serious news. Stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment feature, when I plan on writing about the winners of the Critics Choice Super Awards.

*The other shiny objects were Former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and others likely to be charged for roles in Flint Water Crisis and 2020 tied with 2016 for warmest year on record, NASA reports, although I could make an argument that both of these should be my main focuses, while impeachment is the real shiny object distracting me. What do you think?

TV news reports on Indigenous Peoples Day plus comedy for Canadian Thanksgiving

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving and Indigenous Peoples Day! For today's celebration, I'm flipping the two around to observe Indigenous Peoples Day, which I used to call Native American Day, with TV news reports about the day first.

I begin with WROC in Rochester, New York, which has the best summary of the issues surrounding the day I've found so far: Celebrating Indigenous People's Day.

Monday is Columbus Day but many people are choosing to celebrate Indigenous People's Day which focuses on the contributions of Native Americans in our society.

When I posted I haven't seen this many statues fall since the end of the Cold War, it struck me that many of the statues were of Christopher Columbus in addition to Confederate monuments. WROC quantified it as seven statues defaced, destroyed, or removed. It's not just Black lives who matter, but indigenous ones, too!

ABC 13 in Houston reported Houston recognizes Indigenous Peoples Day today from the former site of Houston's Columbus statue.

The city council voted last month to recognize the holiday today, in addition to Columbus Day, but the decision was highly debated.

That clip shows small-d democratic government in action, including arguments from all sides. The next video, State Officials To Announce Legislation To Change Columbus Day To Indigenous Peoples' Day from CBS Chicago, shows citizen activism for inclusion in a decision by a democratic government in action at a site where a Columbus statue also stood.

Another is underway in in Arrigo Park, a place that has significance for Italian Americans in Chicago. It's where a Columbus statue once stood.

I'm not surprised the Italian-Americans are objecting; it was their day as well as Columbus's and they can claim that the descendants of immigrants who came centuries after Columbus had nothing to do with the dispossession of the natives. That written, I expected that same reaction in Boston, where I spent two summers, and where there is a large and influential Italian-American community, but that didn't show up in CBS Boston's Rally In Boston Calls For Indigenous Peoples' Day To Replace Columbus Day.  Maybe that shows Italian-Americans' opposition is not universal.

A rally in Boston on Saturday called for the Boston City Council and Mayor Marty Walsh to create Indigenous Peoples' Day to replace Columbus Day. WBZ-TV's Ken MacLeod has the story.

CBS Boston's report is about the support for the change in observance, not the opposition. So is Indigenous Peoples's Day from KTSM 9 News in El Paso, Texas.



The previous videos were more about the opinions and reactions of non-indigenous people than the people the day celebrates. Not this clip, where the local indigenous people are front and center, as they should be.

Now to celebrate the holiday I traditionally do on this day with Brittlestar's Explaining Canadian Thanksgiving To Americans.


HAHAHAHAHA! That comedy makes for a good palate cleanser after all the serious business of Indigenous Peoples Day.

Once again, Happy Indigenous Peoples Day and Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

John Oliver examines coronavirus spreading in prisons and jails while cases spike in Arizona, Florida, and Texas

"Americans may be getting tired of the pandemic, but the pandemic isn't getting tired of us." That's how I concluded '60 Minutes' and Vox on the Tulsa Massacre 99 years later and that, in his own way, is how John Oliver began Coronavirus VIII: Prisons & Jails: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO).

As US prisons and jails see an alarming spike in COVID-19 infections, John Oliver discusses why the virus has spread so rapidly behind bars and what we can do to stop it.

While I've been busy sharing Oliver's videos about police accountability and militarization and Confederate monuments, it's been more than a month since I posted John Oliver and Vox on coronavirus testing. It's about time I did, as the disease is increasing dramatically in the general population in warmer states, which CNN reported this morning in Fauci warns of disturbing trend as Trump ignores viral surge.

Fully half of US states are now seeing rising cases of the disease with the situation especially acute in Texas, Florida and Arizona, which embraced aggressive reopening programs.
...
States like Arizona, Texas and Florida are moving in the wrong direction, and there are increasing warnings that if they remain on their current course that hospitals could be overwhelmed in weeks and months to come, leaving leaders with agonizing choices of whether to reverse openings or to somehow surge medical capacity to deal with an increasing death toll.
...
States like Michigan and California, which has already experienced painful months, have seen their curves begin to rise again. And while states like New York and the Washington metropolitan areas begin to emerge from lockdowns, the worsening data elsewhere offers daunting omens.

As I wrote to open this entry, "Americans may be getting tired of the pandemic, but the pandemic isn't getting tired of us." Because of that, I'm wishing my readers stay safe and healthy.