36 Comments
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Stu Weiss's avatar

Start off with some good news in the War on Science - The Ocean Observing Initiative system has been saved (with some initial vandalism) for now

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/climate/trump-ocean-observatories-initiative.html?unlocked_article_code=1.rVA.EE8M.V_es2hR_d6TP&smid=url-share

Pushback works! The Senate used unanimous consent to stop the new NSF from dismantling the system. Now maybe we can get something similar with the odious OMB rules changes.

Made You Look's avatar

Relieved this was NOT abolished and gives us hope for other environmental rollbacks and cancellations of renewables investments

Susan Wagner's avatar

The fate of the Reflecting Pool was preordained by Trump's experience with Wollman Rink in Central Park. We can only imagine what our Capitol will look like with the Arch and the rebuild of the East Wing. We in this community must STOP these projects.https://grassrootsconnector.substack.com/p/the-true-story-behind-wollman-trump?r=9976n&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Marliss Desens's avatar

Thank you for posting this link.

93clementine's avatar

We probably won’t need to tear down all his vanity projects when he’s gone. They will just fall down on their own from the cheap shoddy construction.

Made You Look's avatar

HUGE tactical mistake here on Israel with Vance pushed out as the fall guy

Mami Sautter's avatar

Does anybody here remember this ad by Playskool (now Hasbro, I think)?

"Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down."

Well, this Weeble --- the Iran deal --- is already wobbling. Question is, when will it fall down? :)

BeeBeeinNYC's avatar

First thing I did this morning was tell Chuck Schumer that no way/no how is my hard-earned $ going to go to Iran, and that I didn't appreciate it going to the defilement of our public spaces/monuments in DC, either.

I suggested Trump, the billionaire, and his friends - all of whom likely pay less in taxes than I do- can pony up $ for all this since they're the only ones who enjoy it.

Lucy Johnson's avatar

Simon, how can I reach members of Congress other than my own? Both Senators and my rep in the House are Democrats, and can be counted on to vote against virtually everything the dumphuck and the oligarchs are planning.

KBH's avatar

Here's a list from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_United_States_representatives

Once you identify whom you'd like to contact, you can google their names to get office addresses, emails and phone numbers. Hope this helps.

93clementine's avatar

Just having the contact info doesn’t help and wiki is usually woefully out of date anyway. They only take calls from their own constituents, ie, voters who live in their states. If you want to contact your own reps and senators go to the official website.

https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

93clementine's avatar

You probably can’t. All that I’ve tried to email or call only accept messages from their own constituents and you have to identify yourself as such. Tell your Democratic Congress critters to do some arm twisting on the moronic republicans.

KBH's avatar

How ironic for Senator Cotton to opine that Iran wouldn't spend the $4.5-6 billion a month they'll now reap from the unfettered, unsanctioned sale of their oil on the open international market to "pay for daycare or hospitals." As if Trump and his pernicious enablers would use those sums of money to pay for daycare or hospitals?! Really? Did Cotton read The One Big Ugly Bill before he voted for it?

Go, Obamas! Go, Ukraine! Go, USMNT! Go ALL OF US!

Mingo's avatar

That's what I thought too. Tom Cotton is a sanctimonious hypocrite. When I read that statement I thought neither would the GOP want to spend money on day care or hospitals. They decided to throw our money at ICE goons to arrest immigrants and murder US citizens. Tomorrow morning I'll be at an intersection protesting ICE. We here in Maricopa County have to do it early because by 10am it's already 90 degrees.

KBH's avatar

Way to go, Mingo! Thanks for the ongoing ICE protests--especially in Maricopa County, where we have to make our voices heard. Loud and proud!

Kent Boyer's avatar

The US has a lot of practice being sanctimonious, don't we? The gall of voting to cut funding for SNAP, ACA subsidies, Medicaid, etc. etc. and then try to disparage Iran's healthcare or childcare system! And they either don't see the hypocrisy themselves or think we're so stupid that we don't.

Michael G Baer's avatar

I figured Iran was going to take the money first, before pulling out and closing Hormuz based on Lebanon.

I've heard from a couple sources that gas prices have remained relatively steady for the last few weeks because Trump has been using up the strategic reserves to keep soaring prices in check, but they will be gone before end of July. That is why he is SO desperate to make a deal.

So, our missile supply is nearly empty and now our oil supply as well.

What a stable genius we have, eh?

karenwestcoast's avatar

Trump has really jumped the shark! No one thinks Iran should get a dime by any means. I’m directing my activism toward delegitimizing Vance. Trump is sabotaging him, so head start. Also, not sleeping on Tucker Carlson, he’s busy amassing support against JD, Rubio and Pence. Silverlining? At least there appears a post-trump period coming.

93clementine's avatar

Post trump will be a power vacuum / blood bath, which we can all hope is not literal but who knows with these idjit yahoos? All of them have delusions of grandeur. The possible contenders who will scramble for the ’crown’:

jd

jr

eric

ivakna

melania

barron

jared

petey

marco

tucker

bovino

caine

musk

thiel

limitless unknown creeps

Elizabeth T.'s avatar

I'd add George Santos and Mark Robinson (failed GOP nominee for NC governor last year, who lost not because he called himself the Black Nazi but because he was found to have watched, and presumably enjoyed, transsexual porn)

Patrick's avatar

Highly Enriched Uranium (HEI) <> Highly enriched Iranians (HII).

- From a member of "The Black Man Spy" Substack

“[I]f it were up to [Stephen] Miller, there’d only be 100 million people in this country, and they’d all look like Miller.” - Donald J. Trump (2024)

Folks:

Here is a great take on Juneteenth from a White female professor who only learned about the “Holiday” in her 50s: https://barbarafwalter.substack.com/p/the-most-important-american-holiday. We can all learn and grow at any age. Yes, African-American history is American history. How could it be otherwise?

CARTHAGO DELENDA EST (via nonviolence).

P.S.: Do the following now! FIRST, TEACH CIVICS. Second, register voters. THIRD, TEACH CIVICS. Rinse. Repeat.

Fisher's avatar

couldn't get a usa jersey this morning, but settled for some generic usa t's on sale for the 4th....usa can clinch with a win, something they haven't done yet in a wc first round, two wins in a row. australia turns out to be a tough side and will be faster and more physical then paraguay; they are also talking a lot of smack. this game has tie score written all over it.....as for our neighbors, mexico eked out a lucky win against a tough s korea who were unlucky on a goalkeeper error, and canada scored more goals in the wc than any other team in concacaf history. a little bit of fun news is watching tourists talking about american fast food and buc-ees. day off for the wife and son. looking forward to the game; had the colombia celebration the other night....

James Utt's avatar

Several political observers and ex-members of Congress state that an overlooked yet within-reach Senate race is Mississippi where a quality Democratic candidate (Scott Colom) is challenging the unpopular (across Mississippi) incumbent, Cindy Hyde-Smith. Mississippi is one of the least expensive media markets. Donations to Colom could be of large marginal value. Should he be considered among the “possibles” worthy of Hopium support? A Senate flip is a Senate flip no matter the state. Could be a backstop to a close but insufficient stand in one of the higher profile states. Or is all this just wishful thinking?

Lisa Iannucci's avatar

I liked Michelle's speech more, I think. I miss them every single day; I miss having a president who cared about people and about this country. (And I so value how BHO and Bruce are buddies, perhaps my two favorite people.) But I know we can get there again, bc we've been through worse. We need to keep demanding better of our fellow citizens, and of our leaders.

Remembering all who came before us today, and hoping for a better tomorrow.

Keep going, y'all!

Thomas's avatar

'We need to keep demanding better of our fellow citizens, and of our leaders.'

Amen to that, on both counts.

Patrick's avatar

Sending out 25 postcards to MI. Signed up for another 25 to OH.

Jason's avatar

I think a succinct, populist and easy to understand message is “Billionaires started and lost this stupid war and now they need to pay for it.”

Liz 🌻's avatar

Can the American people sue Trump to pay for the reflecting pool out of his own pocket?

93clementine's avatar

Nope. But some specific plaintiff with demonstrated harm might be able to sue the Interior Department and the always idiotic sec burgum — who by the way seems not to know about this remarkable invention called a battery. Huh.