Lawrence O'Donnell says 'America's Future Is On The Ballot In Pennsylvania'

Lawrence O'Donnell went on a rant about the Electoral College this week in America's Future Is On The Ballot In Pennsylvania on MSNBC.

MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell describes how Republicans are plotting to steal future elections by allowing Republican state legislatures in swing states to subvert the will of the voters with the help of the radical majority on the Supreme Court by a "slow motion coup d’état."

I agree with O'Donnell; the Electoral College is an anti-democratic institution has become a target for manipulation. It's why I wrote "The real election is the Electoral College, which votes on December 14, 2020. That's followed by a joint session of the new Congress on January 6, 2021," followed by "Trump is trying to game those steps to get electors who will vote for him." It's also why I support a patchwork reform: "The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is a work-around that will make the Electoral College more democratic, both upper- and lower-case d, without a constitutional amendment." I'd rather eliminate the Electoral College, but "I consider it extremely difficult, while not impossible. That's a long-term effort that I may not live to see accomplished." Sigh. In the meantime, it's important to elect state and local office-holders that will support fair elections.

On that topic, O'Donnell then brought Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro on his show, who said of his Republican rival, ‘It’s Not Freedom!’: PA Dem Governor Candidate Blast GOP Rival.

Pennsylvania’s Democratic nominee for governor, state attorney general Josh Shapiro, joins MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell to discuss the his Republican rival and to criticize what he believes are the extreme policies of the GOP.

You tell them!

Stay tuned for Piña Colada Day when I update the prospects for Puerto Rican statehood.

NBC News reports 'IRS Audits Of James Comey And Andrew McCabe Under Investigation'

Another story caught my interest before I posted PBS Terra's 'Weathered' explains 'How Hurricane History Has Hidden What's Coming', but I decided to wait for more information as it developed. NBC News rewarded my patience today by reporting IRS Audits Of James Comey And Andrew McCabe Under Investigation.

The IRS is launching a watchdog investigation into two of former President Trump’s well-known foes James Comey and Andrew McCabe after they found themselves under a rare IRS audit. NBC News’ Maura Barrett reports on how questions are being raised about whether the audits were politically motivated.

This story reminds me of a couple of quips about The Former Guy. First, he is worse than Nixon, a sentiment attributed to John Dean and Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, although none of the three said it exactly like that; the headline writers appear to have come up with the phrase. That written, using the IRS to harass perceived political enemies, if that's what actually happened and this isn't just an incredibly unlikely coincidence, is certainly Nixonioan. Second, TFG calling Comey and McCabe traitors only works if, as Roger Cohen of the New York Times wrote, "L'état, C'est Trump." TFG acts as if he thinks he's the state, if not the country, and offenses against him are offenses against the U.S.A. He's no longer President, but, as I wrote in PBS NewsHour and FiveThirtyEight examine the end of the Supreme Court term, "The damage from his maladministration continues, a year and a half after he left office."

NBC News included a clip of McCabe from CNN's 'It defies belief': McCabe reacts to IRS audit. Watch the entire interview followed by one of former IRS Chief John A. Koskinen, who NBC News also showed.

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe said an investigation should be launched into how he and former FBI Director James Comey were both selected by the Internal Revenue Service for an intensive tax audit. The IRS denied any "politically motivated audits" in a statement to CNN.

Both McCabe and Koskinen think this situation is unusual and deserving of investigation. Both got their wish, as Chris Hayes on MSNBC reported Inspector General To Investigate Unusual Audits Of Trump Enemies.

“Because of Donald Trump’s continued harping on these two individuals, it’s hard on the face of it to simply accept that this is random,” says the New York Times’ Michael Schmidt on the IRS audits of James Comey and Andrew McCabe.

Here's to finding out and, if a crime actually happened, the people responsible being held to account.

PBS Terra's 'Weathered' explains 'How Hurricane History Has Hidden What's Coming'

I wrote about the near-term forecast of tropical storms in NOAA predicts another above average hurricane season for 2022 two months ago. PBS Terra looked at the longer-term future as well as the past in How Hurricane History Has Hidden What's Coming.

Both climate models and the laws of physics are clear: more greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere means warmer air and oceans, which means more energy for bigger, stronger hurricanes. So why is it that we haven’t seen a clear signal from climate change in the hurricane record over the last century? This episode explores groundbreaking research on this question and looks ahead at what we can expect in the coming decades.

The research Maiya May presented made the connections among rising carbon dioxide levels, climate change, air pollution, and natural disasters. It also included the historical effects of a natural cycle I've known about for 26 years, the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, which I've found many people ignoring in forecasting trends in hurricanes, particularly Atlantic hurricanes that put the U.S. mainland at risk. On the one hand, decreased aerosols and other particulate matter reduced lightning strikes and deaths from air pollution. On the other, it allows more sunlight to reach the planet's surface, increasing the temperature of the atmosphere and strengthening hurricanes. Welcome to three of Commoner's Laws in action: Everything is connected to everything else, there is no away; everything must go somewhere, and there is no free lunch. In the absence of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing particulates and aerosols comes with a cost of increased warming. Sigh.

May mentioned an earlier PBS Terra video about hurricanes, which asked What Can We Learn From 2020's Record-Breaking Hurricane Season?

Hurricanes are the most powerful and destructive storms on the planet. And 2020 surpassed all expectations, becoming the most active hurricane season on record. Have you ever wondered how they form? Or how climate change is affecting them? And, what can we learn from a lab that creates hurricane-force wind and rain to test the strength of houses?

I hope we do learn from 2020's record-breaking hurricane season. In the meantime, consider this a sequel to Hurricanes, fires, floods, and drought, the top climate and weather stories of 2020 and hope that 2022 doesn't set any new records.

Fulton County Grand Jury subpoenas Graham, Giuliani, Eastman, and others in Georgia election probe

While I have been focused on the January 6th Committee hearings, another level and branch of government has been working on the attempt to overturn the 2020 election, namely Fulton County, Georgia, examining "another perfect call," Trump and his associates' attempts to change the reported vote tally in Georgia. MSNBC broke the story in Giuliani, Sen. Graham, John Eastman Subpoenaed By Fulton County Grand Jury.

The Fulton County special grand jury investigating potential criminal interference with the 2020 election has subpoenaed key members of Trump's inner circle including Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and John Eastman. NBC's Ali Vitali reports.

The video cut off before anchor Hallie Jackson could get to the other two guests for analysis. Luckily, CNN provided some of that in Rudy Giuliani, Lindsey Graham and John Eastman subpoenaed by Fulton County DA in election probe.

An Atlanta-area grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia has subpoenaed a handful of key Trump allies, including his former attorney Rudy Giuliani and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, according to court filings. The subpoenas also cover a handful of Trump's other former legal advisers, including John Eastman, Jenna Ellis, Cleta Mitchell and Kenneth Chesebro. Former federal prosecutor Jennifer Rodgers joins CNN's Alisyn Camerota to discuss what these subpoenas mean in the ongoing Fulton County Grand Jury investigation.

As I wrote at the time, "I've seen this movie before, as it looks like a sequel to the phone call that got Trump impeached." It didn't get The Former Guy impeached a second time, but it could get him in legal trouble. As I wrote about the Trump campaign's lawyers being sanctioned, "'The wheels of justice are grinding slowly in this case, but I expect they will indeed grind exceedingly fine.' May they also grind exceedingly fine for Trump and his seditious supporters, if not as slowly."

CNBC examines 'The Future Of U.S. Gun Reform After Uvalde And Buffalo'

I mentioned that "Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed a gun control bill into law" and called it "good news" in the middle of PBS NewsHour and FiveThirtyEight examine the end of the Supreme Court term on Sunday. CNBC took a closer look at that bill and the latest Supreme Court decision on guns in context when it examined The Future Of U.S. Gun Reform After Uvalde And Buffalo, which it uploaded on Friday.

After two horrific mass shootings in Texas and New York, Congress just passed the most meaningful gun legislation in decades.

The Safer Communities Act will expand background checks in some cases, close the so-called boyfriend loophole to prevent domestic abusers from obtaining or keeping firearms and deal out grants to help prevent gun violence and secure schools.

“Some parts are very promising,” said Alex McCourt, a firearms policy expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. “Other parts? Perhaps less so. It falls short of what President Biden was hoping for, but also falls short of what we might, as researchers, say is the best-case scenario.”

Critics of the bill argue that the Safer Communities Act could be overly restrictive on the definition of a romantic partner, and that increasing scrutiny on those under 21 will infringe on the rights of citizens that can join the military and vote. The Supreme Court also just struck down a New York concealed-carry law, which has left some states searching for new solutions to try to limit the number of guns in public.

How did recent mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, spur gun safety advocates into action? And what does the most meaningful gun legislation in decades mean for Second Amendment supporters and firearm companies? Watch the video above to find out more.

My response to Amy Swearer of the Heritage Foundation at 5:10 is that 18-to 20-year-olds can't legally drink, either, as a matter of public safety. The same can be true of guns for the same reason. Remember, "well-regulated militia" is still part of the Second Amendment, whether the Supreme Court pays attention to it or not.

As for looking at this issue through money, like gun manufacturers' stock prices and legal liability, hey, it's CNBC. I expect nothing more out of them and posted an entire rant about their focus three years ago. Read it there; I'm not repeating it here.

Finally, this is still good news, just not good enough to post Professor Farnsworth, especially not after mass shootings in Highland Park, Illinois, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, yesterday. I may have more to say about those later. Stay tuned.

Patriotic songs by the 1st Marine Division Band and fireworks for 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! Part 1 was one of my traditional drum corps holiday posts. Part 2 celebrates the day at theme parks. For my readers' entertainment, I am sharing seven videos of a concert by the 1st Marine Division Band from Camp Pendleton at the Fantasyland Theater in Disneyland on 4th of July 2018 that Daps Magic finally uploaded yesterday followed by last night's fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

The concert began with "America" as the 1st Marine Division Band Opening Number - 4th of July at Disneyland 2018.

The 1st Marine Division Band from Camp Pendleton opening number on the 4th of July at Disneyland in 2018 at the Fantasyland Theatre.

I expressed my gratitude to Daps Magic in a comment to this video; "Happy 4th of July! Thank you for uploading this series of videos. They were exactly what I was looking for today."

Follow over the jump for more of the concert plus a fireworks show.

Drink to a drum corps 4th of July with the 1988 Velvet Knights

Happy 4th of July! I closed PBS NewsHour and FiveThirtyEight examine the end of the Supreme Court term by asking my readers to "stay tuned for July 4th. Will the theme be drum corps or theme parks? Come back to find out!" I decided to try to do both in consecutive posts, drum corps first. Watch and listen to a funny patriotic moment as George Washington, Lady Liberty & Betsy Ross join the ’88 Velvet Knights’ kick line from Drum Corps International.

The patriotic closing number to the 1988 Velvet Knights' "Magical Mystery Tour - Part II," complete with the Southern California corps' trademark zaniness.

I promised entertainment today to make up for the serious post yesterday, and the Velvet Knights, who I've never mentioned before on this blog, delivered.

For some more holiday silliness, I'm sharing Tipsy Bartender's Firecracker Margarita.

FIRECRACKER MARGARITA
Tequila
Triple Sec
Margarita Mix
Grenadine
Blue Curacao
Island Punch Pucker
Pop Rocks
Popsicle

Drink responsibly and stay tuned for the second part of today's celebration — theme parks!

PBS NewsHour and FiveThirtyEight examine the end of the Supreme Court term

I am in too serious a mood because of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and other decisions about guns, the establishment clause, and West Virgina vs. EPA to posting about entertainment today. Besides, I posted entries about entertainment and pop culture for Canada Day and World UFO Day and will likely post something light tomorrow for July 4th. I'll make up for it.

I begin today's examination with PBS NewsHour's Supreme Court hands down climate change, immigration rulings on final day of historic term.

The U.S. Supreme Court has wrapped up a term that rewrote the law books on abortion, guns, climate change and asylum policy. That, in turn, set the stage for more history, when Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first Black woman on the court. She was sworn in Thursday by Justice Stephen Breyer, who retired. The National Law Journal's Marcia Coyle joins John Yang to discuss.

This has certainly been an eventful term, thanks to the three justices that The Former Guy appointed, which moved the court even more to the right. The damage from his maladministration continues, a year and a half after he left office. At least the Biden Administration can claim victories over immigration and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

I'm continuing with PBS NewsHour's EPA Administrator Michael Regan discusses Supreme Court ruling on climate change.

Many environmental advocates acknowledged Thursday that the Supreme Court's decision in the Environmental Protection Agency’s case is a significant blow in the government's efforts to limit greenhouse gases in the short term. West Virginia won the case after a legal battle over the clean power plan. EPA Administrator Michael Regan joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.

This is indeed bad news for fighting climate change and could be a precedent that constrains regulations by many branches of government. The good news is that hasn't happened yet and greenhouse gas emissions from power plants are decreasing because of market forces, which EPA Administrator Michael Regan mentioned in his interview. May we continue to be so lucky.

Follow over the jump for three of FiveThirtyEight's videos explaining the Supreme Court's decisions about abortion, the establishment clause, and guns.

Monstrum examines aliens for World UFO Day

Happy World UFO Day! For this year's observance, I'm embedding Monstrum on PBS Digital's Storied featuring Josef Lorenzo asking Alien Abduction and UFOs: Why Are Grays So Common?

Grey Aliens, sometimes called Zeta Reticulans, Roswell Greys, or just Grays, are defined by their humanoid forms, long limbs, large black eyes, small noses, thin mouths, and of course, gray skin or gray clothing. They are some of pop culture’s most recognizable representations of extraterrestrial life. But where did this depiction of extraterrestrials come from, and why are Grays the ones mostly responsible for all the abductions?

Special thank you to Josef Lorenzo and the entire Subcultured team for the delightful conversation and invaluable contribution to this episode.

This is a very materialist explanation of a phenomenon with a history that extends much farther into the past than 1947, when the two events commemorated by World UFO Day happened. Dr. Emily Zarka pointing out the similarity of alien encounters to interactions with fairies is one that John Michael Greer has made as well.* In that case, it's an old phenomenon in modern guise.

Part of that modern guise comes from psychological and social forces, including anxieties over social and technological change and foreign competition during the Cold War. Another part came from popular entertainment. This comes as no surprise to me, since I mentioned it last year.

As for science fiction influencing how people interpret what they see, I'm all in favor of examining that. It's one of the reasons why I cover entertainment as much as I do.

I enjoyed Dr. Z doing just that for my readers and me. I hope my readers did, too.

*I'm having trouble finding it on his Ecosophia blog. I suspect I'm remembering a response he made to a comment on one of his Magic Monday posts at Dreamwidth. In that case, good luck finding it.

A happy drum corps Canada Day 2022!

Happy Canada Day! To celebrate the first of three patriotic holidays in July I observe on this blog, I am continuing a tradition I began six years ago with Canadian drum corps for Canada Day, showcasing units from the 1970s to the 2000s. I begin this celebration of Canadian drum corps with this year's pre-DCI corps, 1971 De La Salle Oaklands.


Nationals video, US Open audio
Now for this year's featured drum corps, 1978 Offensive Lions - Canadian Nationals.


I'm recycling my comment to the video at YouTube for my reaction.

I marched in the 1978 Anaheim Kingsmen and we competed against them just once at DCI prelims. They beat us having gone on the day before. Our reaction was "the WHO beat us?" Now that I've finally seen this video, 43 years later, I understand why. Great G.E.!

Thanks to Gelp99 on YouTube for uploading this and other videos of Canadian corps, some of which I'm sharing today.

Follow over the jump for the rest of today's featured Canadian corps from the 1980s to the 21st Century.