Transition to t0000 47

[barnswallow]

It’s time to move to the next phase, now that the election is over. To kick it off, the t0000 clown show gums up the transition process, meant to facilitate the change from one administration to the next.

Trump Holds Up Transition Process Over Ethics Code [NYTimes;11.9.24]

Here’s a video that lays out some of the expected repercussions from the choice we’ve made, in this case regarding Russia and Ukraine, an immediate and obvious realignment:


Putin Quickly FORCES Trump into HUMILIATION RITUAL [Meidas Touch ;11.11.24]

Add your own observations as they arise.

 

[barnswallow]

For me, this is an interesting take on the election, what it means about our society, culturally, - who we are. T—— told us exactly what he wants to do and we chose that. I still hope that’s not exactly the case.

Morning Memo Not The Fight We Wanted Or Signed Up For But It’s The One We Got [TPM;11.6.24]

And an interview w David Kurtz, author of the article linked to above.

A Top Trump Ally Just Revealed the Horrors He’ll Unleash on “Day One” [The Daily Blast w Greg Sargent;11.7.24]

The blurb: “After Donald Trump won the election, Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, who is becoming a senior figure in MAGA-world, declared on Fox News that he has a big mandate to govern exactly as he campaigned, while specifically listing what’s coming. This is alarming, since Trump campaigned relentlessly on a platform of explicit threats of authoritarian retribution and violence. We talked to David Kurtz, executive editor of Talking Points Memo and author of a good new piece on the election results. He reflects on how sobering it is that voters chose Trump in full awareness of the cruelties he’s planning to unleash—and discusses the immense task that lies ahead in containing the damage.”

Some friends of mine advise not getting caught up in doom-and-gloom prognosticating. I’m not there yet.

 

[mdiver]

He's refusing to sign the ethics code he signed in to law- fuckwit

 

[barnswallow]

Meidas Touch and Popok deliver an Important and wide-ranging early analysis of the emerging fast-moving phalanx that is t0000 2.0. And what’s to be done.


LIVE: Popok Gives URGENT LEGAL UPDATE [Meidas Touch;11.12.24]

Blurb:
“Michael Popok of Legal AF provides an emergency legal briefing for our community to update on: 1) Trump's unlawful efforts on the way into the presidency to keep the public in the dark about his cabinet picks, federal judges, federal officers and executive orders; 2) whether Trump will ever be sentenced in NY for his 34 count felony conviction; and 3) whether any of his former closest aides will avoid any of their State prosecutions because of Trump's victory.”

 

[barnswallow]

Here’s Michael Popok again with Karen Friedman Agnifolo on their weekly deep-dive and analysis of current developments in the transition. These mid-week shows are long but worth it, if you have the time.

A day after the previous post, there have been more announcements of cabinet appointments/nominations. Other topics addressed include the status of court cases involving t0000, particularly those led by Jack Smith (I.e. the Jan 6 case and the Mar-a-Lago government secret documents case) the Special Prosecutor, appointed by AG Merrick Garland.

LIVE: Trump PSYCHO PICKS Even FREAK OUT His OWN Party | Legal AF [Meidas Touch;11.13.24]

The blurb:
“Michael Popok and Karen Friedman Agnifilo are back with the midweek edition of the Legal AF podcast. On tap? 1. Trump already giving a middle finger to the Rule of Law and the American People with his Attorney General pick of Matt Gaetz; 2. Whether Trump will be sentenced for the 34 felony convictions in NY state court; 3. whether Trump will rush to court to try to stop AG Merrick Garland from releasing Special Counsel Jack Smith's 2 final reports about Trump's crimes; 4. Trump's threat to use his recess appointment power to slam through his unqualified cabinet picks (see Matt Gaetz), 5. Trump's threat to immediately fire all the generals, and so much more at the intersection of law and politics.”

 

[barnswallow]

I hope y’all don’t mind. I’m going to post a bunch of articles or videos with commentary I find interesting even if they are repetitive sometimes. There’s a lot going on.

Here’s a video from Anthony Davis. He’s lamenting that there’s no recount at all. And that Biden is going through the motions, as though this were a ‘normal’ transition. As we see it’s anything but normal. He’s already breaking the law by neglecting to sign an ethics document.

Here’s a post from the comment section below the Davis video:

“I hope Joe orders the WH doors LOCKED for Trump's return. I remember how petty Trump was when he fired all the butlers just before Joe showed up so NOBODY was there to let Joe and Jill in!!!”

G-d. I remember that, too. The way things are going, everyone seems to be falling back on formalities that would accompany a ‘normal’ peaceful transfer of power.

Strange times.


Trump-Biden Meeting Raises RED FLAGS for America [Meidas Touch - Five Minute News w A. Davis;[11.16.24]

Unfortunately, I think the election results are simply the case reflected by the stats: some 10-15 million that voted for Biden in 2020 just stayed home. If there were any other explanation I don’t think the Dems would just roll over and submit. But the incredulity expressed in the video resonates even so. We have every right to request a recount, so why not?

Analysis: Six big lies that won the election: How Donald Trump gaslit America [salon.com; 11.9.24]

 

[barnswallow]

Well. Here’s a calmer voice, Fred P. Wellman, speaking about what Dems need to do differently in our changing media landscape. He shows a few clips of t0000 (maintaining my preference not to write the name - silly, I know, but somehow personally satisfying), to make this point and contrast that with what Harris did (spent gobs on tv ads and even mainstream media interviews like ‘60 Minutes’, which t0000 skipped entirely.

I’ve only listened to the first 10 minutes, which has this interesting perspective. There’s an interview after that which I haven’t listened to.


Top Dem Organizer on Trump’s Cabinet Chaos and How We FIGHT BACK | On Democracy [11.15.24]

 

[barnswallow]

This one is long but gets into some of the nitty gritty legal details, with three lawyers in conversation.


LIVE: Trump Admin THRUST Into LEGAL CHAOS Immediately | MissTrial [MTNetwork;11.15.24]

Blurb beneath the video:
“On this episode of MissTrial, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Kathleen Rice, and Danya Perry break down the post-election landscape as it’s looking more and more like the Republicans will gain control of Congress and Trump moves swiftly to install MAGA loyalists in government roles. They discuss Elon Musk’s surprising role in White House meetings, Trump’s controversial appointees, and the Senate’s resistance under new Majority Leader John Thune. The hosts examine Trump’s use of recess appointments to bypass confirmations, potentially reshaping the Department of Justice, and reflect on the future of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s cases as Trump may soon become the first president with a felony conviction—an unprecedented moment for American democracy.”

 

[barnswallow]

I mentioned I might get repetitive, didn’t I?

Another perspective from 2 psychologists. This links to Apple Podcasts but they are on other platforms:

Post-Election Psychological Landscape: Coping with Grief, and The Resistance Rises

Podcast Episode · Shrinking Trump · 11/15/2024 · 2h 9m

podcasts.apple.com

Post-election Psychological Landscape: Coping with Grief and The Resistance Rises [Shrinking Trump; season 1, Ep. 28 or 29, 11.15.24]

Here’s the blurb and other ways to listen:
“In this all-new session, Dr. John Gartner and Dr. Harry Siegel enlighten us with a raw discussion about the current state of America, following last week’s shocking election results. Along with our guest, renowned psychologist Dr. Drew Weston, we’ll discuss the damaging implications of Trump’s bizarre cabinet picks and look at how it reflects a broader effort by Donald to dismantle our institutions.

 

[barnswallow]

Editor Resigns After Calling Some Trump Supporters ‘Fascists’ [NYTimes; 11.15.24]

Holy factcheck!!!

Is this what you call gaslighting??? The ‘muskmelon’ criticizing the editor of Scientific American for lamenting the return of anti-science players to positions that oversee the NIH and NOAA, to name but 2 important scientifically-based agencies that likely are under threat of de-funding, and likely forbidden from so much as mouthing the words ‘climate change’, which the melon professes to believe in?

Meanwhile he, the strategic swindler, purchased twitter, lauded it as the public square, systematically dismantled it, opened the doors to the most vile, cheapened the internal system for identifying authentic, influential accounts by making the blue checkmark badge nothing more than a purchased commodity, and used it as his own personal propaganda platform, manipulating algorithms to favor his own heavily biased posts, etc etc etc, while at the same time jumping around and roaring like a wild animal at t0000’s campaign rallies? And now, traipses around mar-a-lago 24/7, except when he’s hobnobbing with far right leaders around the globe?

From the NYTimes about the Scientific American’s former editor: “The posts, which have since been deleted, drew outrage from Trump supporters across social media. Many, including Elon Musk, accused her of failing to act as an impartial journalist and instead engaging in political activism. Some demanded her resignation.”

Beware of . . . Something.

 

[uPtoWnNY]

barnswallow, you might be interested in these. Long reads, but it points out what the Democrats need to do. As I told you before, the warning signs were there for years. They need to dump the old guard and bring in new leadership with fresh ideas before the 2026 midterm elections.

Democrats Need to Fundamentally Rethink Everything

The lesson from 2024 is clear: If voters don’t see you as an agent of transformational change, they will turn to someone like Donald Trump.

www.thenation.com

Democrats need to understand being relatable is more important than being right

Democrats approach elections — and communicating with voters — through a lens of how they think the world should be, rather than meeting them in the world as it actually is.

thehill.com

 

[barnswallow]

barnswallow, you might be interested in these. Long reads, but it points out what the Democrats need to do. As I told you before, the warning signs were there for years. They need to dump the old guard and bring in new leadership with fresh ideas before the 2026 midterm elections.

Democrats Need to Fundamentally Rethink Everything

The lesson from 2024 is clear: If voters don’t see you as an agent of transformational change, they will turn to someone like Donald Trump.

www.thenation.com

Democrats need to understand being relatable is more important than being right

Democrats approach elections — and communicating with voters — through a lens of how they think the world should be, rather than meeting them in the world as it actually is.

thehill.com

I'll read them. I expect you're right. Thanks.

 

[barnswallow]

The White House Will Be Shedding Its Union Label [NYTimes;11.16.24]
. . . that's the upcoming t0000 whitehouse to you, folks.

Sub-title: "After gains by organized labor under President Biden, a second Trump administration is likely to change course on regulation and enforcement."

Joseph R. Biden Jr. promised to be the most pro-labor president in history. He embraced unions more overtly than his predecessors in either party, and filled his administration with union supporters.

. . .

“There will be a concerted effort to repeal pro-worker N.L.R.B. precedents,” said Heidi Shierholz, a senior Labor Department official during the Obama administration, referring to the National Labor Relations Board.

Experts like Ms. Shierholz, who is now president of the liberal Economic Policy Institute, said they also expected the Trump administration to ease up on enforcing safety rules, to narrow eligibility for overtime pay and to make it harder for gig workers to gain status as employees.

. . .

A new direction is also expected at the Department of Labor, which enforces minimum-wage, overtime and worker-safety rules. Under Mr. Biden, the department substantially increased [my note: link here - use it while you can b/c it will be gone faster than you can say'delete' after 20 January 2025] the number of salaried workers who are eligible for overtime pay by raising the cutoff — to about $59,000 next year, from about $35,500 under Mr. Trump. It issued a rule making it likelier that gig workers would be classified as employees rather than independent contractors, entitling them to the federal minimum wage and overtime pay, and stepped up enforcement of child labor violations.

The new administration may rein in overtime eligibility and undo the Biden rule on independent contractors, reflecting Mr. Trump’s first-term approach. It is also likely to tamp down enforcement of child labor rules by the Labor Department, which last year instructed officials to seek large monetary penalties from violators.

And, from HuffPost via Yahoo. . .

Trump Judge Blocks Overtime Pay For 4 Million Workers [HuffPost;11.15.24]

 

[barnswallow]

Trump’s Cabinet of Chaos | The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich [11.16.24]
@uPtoWnNY
I think you might like this one.
Especially around minute 25:00 where Reich starts talking about the Democratic Party.

I just love listening to Robert Reich and Heather Lofthouse. Smart with an easy, accessible, dynamic conversational style.

 

[barnswallow]

Here's a history of the Department of Education, written by Heather Cox Richardson and offered in her newsletter on 11.16.24. Her substack is titled, "Letters from an American." She is a historian. She describes herself, "I'm a history professor interested in the contrast between image and reality in American politics. I believe in American democracy, despite its frequent failures." She publishes essays, daily.

November 16, 2024

By way of introduction: "The Department of Education became a stand-alone department in May 1980 under Democratic president Jimmy Carter, when Congress split the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare into two departments: the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education."

"Trump vowed to end the Department of Education (DOE) during his bid for a second term in the White House and has doubled down on his plans since his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, saying in a video message this week that he plans to dismantle the Education Department "very early" into his second administration." From a Newsweek article: Donald Trump's Potential Secretary of Education: Top 5 Contenders [Newsweek;11.13.24]

 

[barnswallow]

I appreciate Jessica Denison for communicating the urgency for certain actions in this very brief moment b4 the t0000 administration takes power. She also points out the several ways that laws are already being broken and the violation of standard procedures as well. None of this is normal, she emphasizes. $$$


LIVE: Trump’s INSANE Moves and How We FIGHT BACK | Lights On with Jessica Denson [MTNetwork;11.15.24]

The blurb: “Lights on! Are we doing everything in our power to defend against Russian-backed felon-elect Donald Trump? Patriotic Americans are refusing to back down as a dystopian second Trump administration takes shape, but this week the Biden administration left us baffled, rolling out the welcome mat for the insurrectionist president-elect at the White House. With a special word from her interview with constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe, Jessica Denson reports on the alarming steps Trump is taking to seize power, and what can and must be done in justice and government before he does.“

 

[barnswallow]

Trump Makes FATAL DECISION before Term Starts [Legal AF Podcast-MTNetwork;11.18.24]

Blurb:
“Well, is Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick to be Director of National Intelligence a turned Russian asset, or not? the fact that we have to ask that question should be a disqualifier, but here we are. Michael Popok closely examines Gabbard’s ties to Russia and Syria, and why leaders are saying out loud that she’s owned by the Russians.”

 

[barnswallow]

I find Noel Casler soothes my soul. He explains our current situation from a unique broad, compassionate perspective. I thought I’d post this episode. I listen on Apple Podcasts but there was a link in there to this podbean platform, which I’ve never heard of before. Hopefully this link will work for you, whatever device you’re on.

The Noel Casler Podcast | noelcasler

Stand-up comedian, podcast host and political commentator Noel Casler is best known for his outspoken commentary on Twitter, and unveiling truths in his weekly Car Rant’s about his 25 years experience behind the scenes in live television and in the music i...

www.podbean.com

Noel Casler podcast, Episode 121, 11.18.24]

 

[uPtoWnNY]

@37:27 - "We ignored the people at the bottom."

barnswallow, haven't I been telling you that for months now? An average middle-class dude like me could see what was going on in the streets, but not the Democratic leadership. You can't make this stuff up.

 

[barnswallow]

Two of my favorite commentators speaking together!: Robert Reich and Lee McGowan (Politics Girl) !!! Lighting the way.


Robert Reich SPEAKS OUT After Election | PoliticsGirl [MTN;11.19.2024]

Blurb: “As today’s guest, Robert Reich reminds us, wishful thinking won’t save us from what’s coming, but neither should we bury ourselves in cynicism. The truth is, the bottom 90% of the country have been ignored for 50 years and while Trump might have spoken to them and swayed them, he will not help them. So this is not the time to give up. This is the time to use every lever of power to stop the worst of authoritarianism from taking over and to stand behind the people and organizations fighting for our country’s integrity, its principles, and our freedoms. Perhaps we can even use this destruction as an opportunity to build something better.”