This blogaround brought to you by flowers.
Recommended Reading:
Katie: [Content Note: War on agency] Indiana's Anti-Abortion Bill: A Blueprint for Attacks on Rights Nationwide
Sean: [CN: Homophobia] North Carolina Lawmakers Rush Vote to Thwart LGBT Rights
TLC: [CN: Transphobia] After Hearing from Trans Youth, TN Lawmakers Table Anti-Trans Bill
Melissa: [CN: Privilege; bigotry] Privilege Is What Allows Sanders Supporters to Say They'll "Never" Vote for Clinton
Kenrya: Black Women and Girls Now Have a Voice in Congress
Margaret: [CN: Privilege] I Am Unwilling to Relocate Again (and It Will Probably Cost Me My Academic "Career")
Ragen: [CN: Fat hatred; cyberbullying] Amazing Response from Girl Bullied for Her Size
Olga: These Bionic Fingertips Can Actually Feel Touch
Leave your links and recommendations in comments. Self-promotion welcome and encouraged!
The Wednesday Blogaround
Quote of the Day
[Content Note: Class warfare; racist dogwhistling.]
"There was a time when I would talk about a difference between 'makers' and 'takers' in our country, referring to people who accepted government benefits. But as I spent more time listening, and really learning the root causes of poverty, I realized I was wrong. 'Takers' wasn't how to refer to a single mom stuck in a poverty trap, just trying to take care of her family. Most people don't want to be dependent."—Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, in a Capitol Hill speech today.
Despite his claimed conversion, as Alice Ollstein points out at Think Progress: "His most recent poverty plan takes a punitive stance, punishing people who can't find a job by a certain mandated deadline by reducing their benefits. While Ryan did express a willingness in Wednesday's speech to evolve on policies like criminal justice, he offered no changes to this economic model other than more respectful rhetoric regarding the poor."
Typical Republican bullshit. We just need to be more civil in public discussions about our heinous policies!
It must be nice to be a dude so privileged he can make it all the way to a vice-presidential nomination of the Republican Party without ever having felt obliged to explore the root causes of poverty, and can become Speaker of the House before he learns that everyone who needs the social safety net isn't a lazy moocher.
Or so he claims, anyway. I am extremely dubious that this information is really new to Paul Ryan. I expect instead he's feigning this remarkable ignorance to avoid addressing the real reason for this supposed enlightenment—that the Republican Party needs to do everything they can to win white voters if they're going to have a hope in hell of reclaiming the White House, and, since white people actually compromise the majority of people using welfare, he's trying to tone down the classist shit in order to not alienate them.
Daily Dose of Cute
These two. ♥
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
In the News
Here is some stuff in the news today...
[Content Note: War; drones; death] "At least 50 militants were killed in a U.S. air strike on an al Qaeda training camp in the mountains of southern Yemen, medics and a local official said on Wednesday. The attack took place as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) recruits queued for dinner at the camp, west of the port city of Mukalla on Yemen's south coast. The Pentagon said on Tuesday that a U.S. air strike on an AQAP training camp had killed dozens of fighters but it gave no further details. The Yemeni sources said that at least 50 people were killed and 30 wounded. The air strikes set off huge fires inside the camp, residents said. ...The United States has frequently targeted al Qaeda militants across Yemen with drone strikes, killing many prominent leaders of the group over the past few years." It's incredible to me that this isn't major news. Most USians have no idea that this not-war in Yemen is even going on.
[CN: War on agency] Today, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Zubik v. Burwell, which is the second direct challenge to the Affordable Care Act's contraception benefit. Jessica Mason Pieklo has "Everything You Need to Know for the Supreme Court Birth Control Case."
[CN: Police brutality; misogynoir] This fucking guy: "A fired Texas trooper pleaded not guilty to a charge of misdemeanor perjury stemming from his arrest last summer of Sandra Bland, a black woman who was later found dead in a county jail. Brian Encinia entered his plea on Tuesday during a brief appearance before a Waller County judge as protesters gathered outside the courthouse in Hempstead, about 50 miles northwest of Houston. One held a sign that read: 'What happened to Sandra Bland?' About 20 protesters yelled 'Tell the truth' and 'Sandra still speaks,' and at one point directed their chanting at Waller County sheriff Glenn Smith, who stood nearby speaking with reporters. ...Encinia's attorney, Larkin Eakin, said after Tuesday's arraignment that the perjury charge 'represents a fundamental misunderstanding of law enforcement procedures.' He said Encinia acted properly during the July 2015 traffic stop and subsequent arrest of Bland." Bullshit he did.
Winter isn't done with all of us yet: "Heavy snow and howling winds, gusting over 40 mph, brought traffic to a standstill this morning in Denver as a major spring storm wound up in the western Plains. The storm is forecast to unload well over 6 inches of snow in a stripe extending from Denver to Green Bay. In the storm's warm sector in the southern and central Plains, severe thunderstorms may erupt this afternoon and evening." Stay safe, everyone!
In presidential news: Jeb Bush has endorsed Ted Cruz, because of course he has. "Ted is a consistent, principled conservative." Sure. He's got consistently garbage principles.
[CN: Misogyny] And on the other side of the aisle: "Here's Bernie Sanders and a Radio Host Joking About Checking out a Topless Woman." Cool.
Here's a terrific picture of a 101-year-old lady who supports Hillary Clinton, holding two signs: One reading '101 Years Young and Voting for Hillary' and another reading 'Centenarian for Hillary." Can you even imagine?! 101 years old and getting to vote for a female presidential candidate for the first time!
RIP Malik Taylor, aka Phife Dawg, from A Tribe Called Quest. My condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and fans.
If you're a tennis fan, at least you can keep rooting for Andy Murray! "I think there should be equal pay, 100 percent, at all combined events... One of the things Novak said was that if women are selling more seats and tickets they should make more but at a tournament like this, for example, if Serena is playing on centre court and you have a men's match with [Sergiy] Stakhovsky playing, people are coming to watch Serena. The crowds are coming to watch the women as well. The whole thing just doesn't stack up." A+
And finally! A massive two-day ASPCA adoption event resulted in all 524 homeless dogs and cats being adopted: "Owen, an older, heartworm positive dog, was one of the remaining pets. On Saturday, he had the special honor of being the last dog to leave. He was adopted by Angel K. and her 14-year-old daughter, who chose Owen as a companion for Angel's husband, a former police officer and army veteran who served five tours in Iraq. A sea of 170 ASPCA responders—singing, 'For He's a Jolly Good Fellow'—parted as Angel walked Owen through. ...At 1:40 P.M. Saturday, the last available cat, Avocado, went home with Kim and Stewart K. of Sanford, in honor of the couple's twelfth wedding anniversary. 'She's our gift to each other,' said Stewart, as he and Kim posed with responders for a final photo. 'We'll make her feel at home.' The bell rang one last time." I literally just cried my face off. ♥ ♥ ♥
Judge Sarah
Still fighting to stay relevant, Sarah Palin has signed on "to preside over a planned reality court show that would premiere next year, if it gets picked up by stations."
"It's a production deal," the source explains. "What happens next is she'll meet with stations, make a pilot and sell it.""Common sense wisdom." LOL.
Warm Springs first approached Palin with the idea in 2015 and has since put together a team that includes the TV executive who found Judge Judy and Judge Joe Brown.
Unlike the two famous TV judges, Palin does not have a juris doctor degree. But the source notes that the bestselling author has a variety of other qualities that make her perfectly suited to the job.
"Palin's telegenic personality, wide appeal, and common sense wisdom make her a natural for this kind of format and she was Warm Springs' top pick for this project."
I love how she doesn't have a law degree and has never actually served as a judge, but somehow it's a still called a "reality court show." Sure.
Of all the possible vehicles for Sarah Palin to continue her pursuit of infamy, a show designed for her to sit in judgment of other people seems a particularly curious choice to me, given the number of times she has had to ask the public (often fairly) to not judge her family.
But whatever. You do you, Sarah Palin!
Brussels Bombing Update
[Content Note: Terrorism; death; Islamophobia. Please keep this an image-free thread.]
Here are some updates on yesterday's terrorist attack in Brussels, for which the Islamic State has now claimed responsibility:
Via Buzzfeed: The Belgian health minister has said that 10 people were killed in the airport blasts and 21 were killed in the subway station attack. At least 260 people were injured. He also "confirmed Ibrahim el-Bakraoui was pictured in the middle of the CCTV footage released by police and his brother Khalid was the bomber at Maelbeek Metro."
The two brothers who mounted the attacks, both of whom are believed to have died, are "Khalid El Bakraoui, 27, [who] blew himself up in the Belgian capital's subway system while his 30-year-old sibling Ibrahim detonated a bomb at the city's airport. Both had been jailed for violent crimes in the past and had links to one of the Paris attackers."
A third man in the CCTV footage was thought to be 24-year-old Najim Laachraoui, and a massive search is underway for him. There have been reports that Laachraoui is in custody after being detained in Brussels, but there's been no official confirmation.
* * *
[CN: Video may autoplay at third link] As I've mentioned across In the News posts, there have been other terrorist attacks in other parts of the world in the last couple of weeks: An attack by al-Qaeda in Ivory Coast; several attacks by IS in Turkey; and another attack by Boko Haram in Nigeria.
These attacks have not gotten the same amount of attention for a number of reasons, not least of which is because the victims of those attacks are themselves mostly Muslims.
Which doesn't fit into the "clash of civilizations" narrative in which attacks on Western countries are frequently framed.
But it's important to remember that most of the Islamic State's victims are Muslim. And that extremist Islamic attacks on Muslims are a primary cause of the refugee crisis.
So when you hear some fuckhead like Ted Cruz talking about how we can't be sure if refugees are terrorists, and how we need to start policing Muslim communities, note that he is deliberately obfuscating the fact that Muslims are the primary victims of the terrorists he implies any Muslim might be.
Primarily Speaking: Primary Results
Yesterday, the Democrats had primary contests in Arizona, Idaho, and Utah, and the Republicans had primary contests in Arizona and Utah. (The Republicans held their Idaho primary on March 8, which Ted Cruz won.)
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton won Arizona, and Bernie Sanders won Idaho and Utah.
On the Republican side, Donald Trump won Arizona, and Ted Cruz won Utah.
The Democratic contests are still awarding delegates proportionally, so even though Sanders won two and Clinton won one, she won the one with most delegates by a large enough margin that even Sanders winning two by large margins didn't fundamentally change the race. At the end of the night, Clinton came away with 51 delegates, and Sanders came away with 57.
Even without superdelegates, he's trailing by more than 300 pledged delegates, so he needed to win by more than 6 last night to start meaningfully making up the difference.
On the Republican side, where I bet they're wishing they had some superdelegates right about now, the Arizona and Utah primaries were winner-take-all, so Trump walked away with 58 delegates and Cruz with 40.
Cruz trails Trump by 274 delegates, and it's very unlikely that distant second is going to change, even with the Republican establishment coalescing around Cruz. As if he's somehow less horrendo than Trump, anyway.
Next up: On March 26, the Democrats head to Alaska, Hawaii, and Washington state. The GOP, who have already been to Alaska (Cruz) and Hawaii (Trump), and won't go to Washington state until May 24, will rest up until both parties then head to Wisconsin on April 5.
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker Wonder: "Are you a pack rat or a minimalist, or somewhere in the middle? What's the best/worst thing about that from your POV?"
Ted Cruz Urges "Patrol and Secure" of Muslim Communities
[Content Note: Terrorism; Islamophobia.]
Earlier today, I said that Donald Trump's disgusting response to the Brussels bombings was almost certainly the worst from the conservative side of the aisle.
But Ted Cruz, not to be outdone, has given us yet another reminder that "anyone but Trump" really fails to take into account that he's just as bad as the current Republican frontrunner:
Ted Cruz on Tuesday called for a freeze on any new refugees from areas affected by Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, as well as new powers for law enforcement to patrol "Muslim neighborhoods."Because militaristic oppression has historically proven to be an effective strategy to diminish radicalization. Ahem.
"We need to immediately halt the flow of refugees from countries with a significant Al Qaeda or ISIS presence," the Texas senator said in a statement. "We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized."
Which is to say nothing of the fact that treating all Muslims like potential terrorists is a wildly indecent thing to do.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned Cruz's push for new law enforcement powers in Muslim neighborhoods.I believe that, too. And I take up space in solidarity with US Muslims who are being demonized by Ted Cruz and the rest of his contemptible party.
"His proposal is dangerous, hateful, and unbefitting of one of the leading presidential candidates," Nihad Awad, the group's executive director, said in an interview. "We believe that all Americans should condemn that anti-Muslim proposal because it is anti-American and it is unconstitutional."
She added: "We believe that Ted Cruz is a religious zealot running for president in the United States making biased and hateful statements [about] American Muslims because of their faith."
The Walking Thread
[Content Note: Spoilers are lurching around undeadly herein. Descriptions of violence.]
Tara & Doctor Zoey
Everyone is back home at Aarontown and the weather is beautiful and everything is calm. We open with what I think are three different slightly variable universe openings, but only later realize are supposed to be three consecutive days that begin in very similar fashion, showing how boring and routine life is. It is very confusing.
Anyway.
Doctor Mulletsworth now has a ponytail. Rosita Espinosa is having an affair with Spencer, and she's not all that excited about it. Morgan is building a jail cell. Carol is smoking a lot and stroking her rosary.
There isn't even any murder going on, which is refreshing! Even better: There's almost zero Optimus Grimes in this episode and lots of Doctor Zoey! Yay!
I repeat: Merritt Wever is a national treasure. The end.
Speaking of Doctor Zoey, she wants to go to an apothecary she passed once upon a time, so she asks Daryl and Rosita Espinosa to accompany her. They tell her they'll just go and she should stay behind, and she's all NOPE I'M GOING WITH OR WITHOUT YOU, so they sigh and agree.
They hop in a truck, which Daryl drives badly, and drive until they come upon a fallen tree in the road. They get out and walk. Rosita Espinosa says walking the train tracks will be faster, but Daryl says he ain't taking no tracks, so he's taking the longer way via the road. Doctor Zoey goes with him; Rosita Espinosa takes the tracks alone.
Meanwhile, Sgt. Redbull and Doctor Mulletsworth are on their own adventure. They go to an industrial machine shop, where Doctor Mulletsworth says he thinks he can make bullets. A zombie gargles toward him, and he calls "dibs," and tries to kill it himself, because he's a tough guy now or whatever, but he struggles, so Sgt. Redbull steps in and does the job. Doctor Mulletsworth is pissed and demands that Sgt. Redbull apologize. When he won't, Doctor Mulletsworth tells him his "services are no longer required," and Sgt. Redbull storms out, telling him to find his own way home.
Back at the apothecary, Daryl and Rosita Espinosa rummage through the pharmacy, and Doctor Zoey wanders off to confront a trapped zombie and gets freaked out by the grossness. She goes outside and sits on the curb and cries. Daryl and Rosita Espinosa eventually come out and exchange a look about Doctor Zoey crying like a normal human being. They make shitty comments about how she wasn't ready, because that's helpful.
They take off for home, and Daryl, trying to be nice, suggests they take the railroad tracks. BUT EARLIER HE SAID HE AIN'T TAKING NO TRACKS, AND MEN ARE ALWAYS RIGHT, SO OHHHHHH NOOOOO.
They pass a bunch of abandoned cars, and Doctor Zoey sees a cooler in one of them. She says they should raid it to see if they find anything useful (MORE LIKE FIND SODA FOR HER GIRLFRIEND), and Daryl and Rosita Espinosa are all fuck that, and they keep walking. Doctor Zoey lags behind and opens the car door. A zombie springs out at her and they wrestle on the ground. Daryl and Rosita Espinosa run back, but Doctor Zoey orders them to let her handle it. Which she does, stabbing the zombie in the head before it can eat her face off.
She opens the cooler and finds a sixpack of soda. Daryl and Rosita Espinosa are all, "What the fuck?! You risked your life for a couple of sodas?!" And she's all, "Nope! Just this one!"
And then she turns to them and tells them they just don't get it, man. It's not just about the soda. She wanted to come out and confront the zombiepocalypse in order to face down her fears. And just as she starts telling them that they're awesome people who are stronger than they think and they need to wake up—
ZIP! An arrow goes right through her head and out her eye socket. And there goes the one reason I had to continue to want to watch this fucking show.
RIP Doctor Zoey.
(FUCKING FUCK THAT PIRATE CARL SURVIVED A GUNSHOT TO THE EYE BUT DOCTOR ZOEY CAN'T SURVIVE AN ARROW TO THE EYE!)
Naturally, it's that d-bag who stole Daryl's crossbow, and he's got Doctor Mulletsworth held captive on his knees, and they're surrounded. The d-bag tells Daryl that he was aiming for him, and Daryl tells him he should have killed him when he had the chance, and the d-bag is all, "Yep, you prolly shoulda!"
Doctor Mulletsworth spots Sgt. Redbull hiding behind some rusty cans, and tells the d-bad that Sgt. Redbull is an "a-hole" who deserves to die more than they do. He points out where he's hiding nearby, and, when the d-bag tells one of his minions to go investigate, Doctor Mulletsworth bites the d-bag straight in the dick.
No, I'm not joking.
All hell breaks loose, because of course Sgt. Redbull had already flanked around so he could shoot at the d-bag's group from behind. Blah blah shootout. Grimes Gang wins. Doctor Mulletsworth gets grazed by a bullet, but he's okay.
Later, back at Aarontown, Sgt. Redbull finally apologizes to Doctor Mulletsworth for questioning his survival skills. "You know how to bite a dick, Eugene," he tells him. "I mean that with the utmost respect."
Sgt. Redbull then goes over to Sasha's house, and she invites him in. What is the opposite of shipping two characters? I UNSHIP them.
In the final moments, Carol's boyfriend Tobin finds a note that Carol has left, because she can't kill anyone anymore, and she asks that no one comes after her. Tobin takes the note to Optimus Grimes.
I'm sure he'll definitely respect her request to leave her the hell alone.
Next week: More of this garbage.
Quote of the Day
[Content Note: Racism; drug stigma.]
"At the time, I was writing a book about the politics of drug prohibition. I started to ask [John Ehrlichman, the Watergate co-conspirator] a series of earnest, wonky questions that he impatiently waved away. 'You want to know what this was really all about?' he asked with the bluntness of a man who, after public disgrace and a stretch in federal prison, had little left to protect. 'The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I'm saying? We knew we couldn't make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.' I must have looked shocked. Ehrlichman just shrugged. Then he looked at his watch, handed me a signed copy of his steamy spy novel, The Company, and led me to the door."—Dan Baum, in a remarkable read for Harper's on the US' war on drugs, in which he lays out the uncomplicated case for legalization, and the complicated strategy for how best to make legalization work.
[H/T to Shaker Ellie.]
Daily Dose of Cute
This dog, lol.
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
In the News
Here is some stuff in the news today...
"President Obama addressed the Cuban people directly for the first time Tuesday morning, saying he had come 'to bury the last remnant of the Cold War in the Americas.' The address in Havana's newly renovated Gran Teatro, before an audience of invited guests of the U.S. and Cuban governments, represented the keystone event in Obama's 21/2-day visit to the island. Speaking before Cuban President Raúl Castro and other government dignitaries, Obama outlined his vision of the future to ordinary citizens here, and to Cuban Americans at home. Speaking both to his critics in the United States as well as citizens here, Obama acknowledged that when it comes to the thaw in relations between the two former enemies, many are asking, 'Why now?' 'There is one simple answer: What the United States was doing was not working. ...We have to have the courage to acknowledge that truth,' he said. 'We should not fear change, we should embrace it.'"
[Content Note: Climate change] "The current rate of global warming could raise sea levels by 'several meters' over the coming century, rendering most of the world's coastal cities uninhabitable and helping unleash devastating storms, according to a paper published by James Hansen, the former Nasa scientist who is considered the father of modern climate change awareness. The research, published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, references past climatic conditions, recent observations and future models to warn the melting of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets will contribute to a far worse sea level increase than previously thought. Without a sharp reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, the global sea level is likely to increase 'several meters over a timescale of 50 to 150 years,' the paper states."
[CN: War on agency; anti-immigrationism] A must-read piece by Tina Vasquez: "For Undocumented People Seeking Health Care, 'The Barriers Can Seem Endless': 'The fear that accessing [health] services will get you deported is very real in undocumented communities,' said Alma Leyva, a research coordinator at the UCLA Labor Center's Dream Resource Center."
[CN: Video may autoplay at first link] I didn't think anyone besides opportunistic and mendacious conservatives could seriously imagine that Bill Clinton was referring to the Obama administration rather than Republican obstructionism when he said "the awful legacy of the last eight years," but I failed to consider that Bernie Sanders is running against the Democrats.
[CN: Misogyny] Welp! "According to Politico's Glenn Thrush, Jill Abramson, the former New York Times executive editor, said in a recent interview that she agreed with Media Matters founder David Brock that the Times has given an unfair 'level of scrutiny' to Hillary Clinton." That's the same Glenn Thrush who accused Clinton of "shouting" just last week.
[CN: Misogyny] Tell 'em, Serena! "After a tennis tournament director said female pro players 'ride on the coattails of the men' and are 'lucky' and 'don't make any decisions,' Serena Williams called the director's remarks 'very much mistaken and very, very, very inaccurate.' ...[Williams] called Moore's comments a 'disservice' to tennis legend Billie Jean King as well as 'every woman on this planet that has ever tried to stand up for what they believed in and being proud to be a woman. We as women have come a long way. And we shouldn't have to drop to our knees at any point,' Williams said."
RIP Rob Ford, former Mayor of Tornto. My condolences to his friends, family, and admirers.
[CN: Homophobia] "When Matt Bomer signed on to play Montgomery Clift in the upcoming biopic Monty Clift, he immediately felt as though his connection to the Hollywood icon was more than skin-deep. 'I kind of saw myself in him,' Bomer told People on the red carpet for the PaleyFest tribute to his series American Horror Story. ...'He was one of those really early screen icons for me to start with,' Bomer, 38, said. 'Then once I learned the circumstances of his life, I realized how he was someone who did not want to be relegated to the times he lived in and was so progressive in so many ways. ...He had to deal with so many things that we don't have to deal with as much these days,' explained Bomer. 'So I thought it was an important story for people to remember.'"
Even though the public voted to name a new polar research vessel "Boaty McBoatface," its final name will be selected by the Natural Environment Research Council. And apparently they don't love Boaty McBoatface. Boo!
Blub: An animal shelter in New Hampshire was robbed, but then: "Soon after the incident, the shelter's press release about the theft went viral and locals flooded the rescue home with food supplies. [T]he shelter has close to 10 times more food supplies than it had before the incident. Most importantly, many animals got adopted, too! And the supplies keep coming."
And finally! "Stray Kitten Chooses Her New Owner in a Park." LOOOOOOOVE.
Today in Terrible Trumpery
[Content Note: Bigotry; torture; assault.]
Another day, another round of terrible stories about Donald Trump.
There are, as always, a number of terrible conservative responses to the terrorist attack in Belgium, but Donald Trump's is almost certainly the worst.
Yesterday, Trump gave a hot mess of an interview to the editorial board of Washington Post, who have published the complete transcript. If you think he sounds ridiculous while listening to him argle-bargle his way through an interview, it's even more apparent in written text. Here, as but one example, is part of his reply when they asked him about his promise to "open up the libel laws," if elected:
RYAN: My question is not so much why you feel they should be open but how. What presidential powers and executive actions would you take to open up the libel laws?I MEAN.
TRUMP: Okay, look, I've had stories written about me – by your newspaper and by others – that are so false, that are written with such hatred – I'm not a bad person. I'm just doing my thing – I'm, you know, running, I want to do something that's good. It's not an easy thing to do. I had a nice life until I did this, you know. This is a very difficult thing to do. In fact I've always heard that if you're a very successful person you can't run for office. And I can understand that. You'll do a hundred deals, and you'll do one bad one or two bad ones — that's all they read about are the bad ones. They don't read about the one hundred and fifty great ones that you had. And even some of the ones they write that are good, they make them sound bad. You know, so I've always heard that. I've heard that if you're successful – very successful – you just can't run for—
RYAN: But how would you fix that? You've said that you would open up the libel laws.
TRUMP: What I would do, what I would do is I'd – well right now the libel laws, I mean I must tell you that the Hulk Hogan thing was a tremendous shock to me because – not only the amount and the fact that he had the victory — because for the most part I think libel laws almost don't exist in this country, you know, based on, based on everything I've seen and watched and everything else, and I just think that if a paper writes something wrong — media, when I say paper I'm talking about media. I think that they can do a retraction if they're wrong. They should at least try to get it right. And if they don't do a retraction, they should, they should you know have a form of a trial. I don't want to impede free press, by the way. The last thing I would want to do is that. But I mean I can only speak for – I probably get more – do I, I mean, you would know, do I get more publicity than any human being on the earth? Okay? I mean, [Editor's note: Trump points at Ruth Marcus] she kills me, this one – that's okay, nice woman.
In case you were wondering if he again launched into a defense of the size of his hands during the interview, why yes he did!
Also yesterday, Trump referred to Senator Elizabeth Warren as "the Indian," after she called him a loser. I have a piece about that at Blue Nation Review: "The Indian. With two words, Trump hit the trifecta—racism, misogyny, and dehumanization. Throughout the entirety of his campaign, he has relied on precisely those bigotries to attempt to discredit any individual or group with whom he has disagreements. ...When he refers to Warren as 'the Indian,' he's not merely being insulting—although that, too—but he is seeking to to discredit her critique on the basis that she isn't fit to criticize him; isn't his peer; is less than; isn't even deserving of recognition of her complex humanity."
Here are some more cool stories:
TPM: "Trump Made up a Spokesman for Times When He Didn't Want to Give Interviews." Of course he did.
BuzzFeed: "Trump Campaign Manager Faces New Allegations of Pushing, Sexually Suggestive Comments."
Raw Story: "RNC Chair Blames CNN for Trump Rally Clashes: 'We're not a party that believes in violence'." OH REALLY? Because I'm pretty sure you actually are a party that believes in violence. In war, in forcible pregnancy, in police brutality, in violence against inmates and immigrants, and I could go on.
And finally! And at the New York Times: "Most Republicans Feel Embarrassed by Campaign, Poll Says." Huh!
This fucking guy and his entire fucking campaign.
Three Quotes
[Content Note: Racism; misogyny.]
Last night, CNN aired interviews with all five remaining presidential candidates. To be honest, I only watched Clinton and Trump. (And part of Sanders, until I got distracted by a cat who was intent on knocking over a plant STOPPPPPP NOLIVIA!!!)
Most of it was just the usual stuff: Donald Trump argle-bargling a series of hyperbolic superlatives, and Hillary Clinton speaking in complete sentences in a very presidential manner.
But here are three amazing quotes:
1. "I am the least racist person that you'll ever meet."—Donald Trump. Yes, really. He actually said that. Out loud.
2. "Nobody respects women more than I do."—Donald Trump. For real. He actually said that, too.
3. "Let me say I don't hear anybody say that about men and I've seen a lot of male candidates who don't smile very much and who talk pretty loud."—Hillary Clinton, killing it on the question of whether telling her to smile and accusing her of shouting is sexist.
It is with wide-eyed whatthefuck face that I report to you, friends, these two people are very likely to be running against each other for the presidency of the United States of America.
Terror Attack in Brussels
[Content Note: Terrorism; bombing; death and injury. Video may autoplay at link.]
This morning, two bombs were set off at the Brussels airport and on a Metro train, reportedly killing 26 people and injuring more than 50 others.
Explosions, at least one likely caused by a suicide bomber, rocked the Brussels airport and subway system Tuesday, prompting a lockdown of the Belgian capital and heightened security across Europe. At least 26 people were reported dead.I don't even know what to say. My condolences to those who lost friends, family, and/or colleagues in the bombings. My sympathies to those who were injured, and to those who survived without physical injury but will be left with lasting trauma. What an unfathomable thing to experience.
A spokesman for the Brussels Metro said 15 people were killed and 55 injured in an explosion on a train. Belgian media initially reported at least 13 dead in two explosions at the airport, but later decreased that to 11.
"What we feared has happened," Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel told reporters. "In this time of tragedy, this black moment for our country, I appeal to everyone to remain calm but also to show solidarity."
Belgium raised its terror alert to the highest level, diverting planes and trains and ordering people to stay where they were. Airports across Europe immediately tightened security.
European security officials have been bracing for a major attack for weeks, and warned that the Islamic State group was actively preparing to strike. The arrest Friday of a key suspect in the November attacks in Paris heightened those fears, as investigators said many more people were involved than originally thought, and that some are still on the loose.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Tuesday's attacks, and Michel said there was no immediate evidence linking key Paris suspect Salah Abdeslam to them. After his arrest Friday, Abdeslam told authorities he had created a new network and was planning new attacks.
"We are at war," French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said after a crisis meeting called by the French president. "We have been subjected for the last few months in Europe to acts of war."
...Authorities told people in Brussels to stay where they were, bringing the city to a standstill. Airport security was also tightened in Paris, London and other European cities.
In Paris, France's top security official said the country was immediately reinforcing security at airports, train stations, and metros.
I am just so angry and so sad that any human being thinks this is an okay thing to do, no less that it is a heroic thing to do.
[Note: As always, let's keep this thread image-free. Thanks.]
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker Kathy_A: "What is your favorite short story?"
The first one that came to mind is Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery." If you've never read it, it's here (pdf).
