47.2K
Downloads
548
Episodes
Activism, politics, and beer from PA-based Raging Chicken Press
Episodes
Monday Mar 22, 2021
Monday Mar 22, 2021
The Chancellor of the PA State System of Higher Education, Dan Greenstein, has dropped a few bombshells this week about the future of the 14 state owned university system. Public higher education in PA is facing an uncertain future now. We'll be taking your calls about PASSHE and the future of public higher ed.
Sound from this week's PA State Senate higher ed appropriation hearings, unpacking the rhetorical strategy of PASSHE Chancellor, and so much more.
A special shout out to Jonathan Mann who wrote our intro song, “There Are No People in the Future.” Check out all is great stuff on his YouTube page and follow him on Twitter @songadaymann
Friday Mar 19, 2021
Friday Mar 19, 2021
On Tuesday, 8 people were killed in an anti-Asian, misogynist attack on three spas in Atlanta. Six of the eight people killed were Asian women. The killer was arrested. Cherokee County Sheriff’s Officer Capt. Jay Baker held a news conference on Wednesday and said that the shooter had a “sex addiction” and was just “having a bad day.” It was later revealed that Capt. Baker had been pushing anti-Asian t-shirts with the slogan: “COVID-19 imported virus from CHY-NA.”
Philadelphia Councilmember Helen Gym called the shootings “the latest escalation in the nation’s history of systemic racism and violence against Asian immigrants, fostered by a culture of white supremacy and misogyny that has long devalued the lives of immigrants, Black women, and women of color.” See Helen Gym’s Twitter thread on history of AAPI organizing in Philly.
Proud Boys leaders in four states were arrested this week. One of the four leaders arrested was Philadelphia native Zach Rehl. Rehl became a figurehead in the organization over the last three years. He was photographed at the insurrection leading the Proud Boys to the capitol and smoking a cigarette inside Senator Merkley’s office while wearing a Temple Owls schoolbag the whole time.
This comes on the heels of a report of how federal, state and local agencies ignored the Proud Boys over the last four years while they were committing acts of political violence at Trump events and far right rallies.
Deb Haaland was confirmed as the first Native American cabinet secretary. Haaland will lead the Department of the Interior - the department with a long and strained history with indigenous communities. The agency manages over 500 million acres of public land, much of it stolen from indigenous people. The agency also houses the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The filibuster appears to be on life-support as President Biden and key Democratic senators come out in reforming it. This prompted Mitch McConnell to throw a temper tantrum on the Senate Floor where he promised to go “scorched Earth,” and Democrats responded by saying that McConnell already went “scorched Earth.”
Spain may become the first country to move to a four-day workweek. That follows the launch of a pilot project for companies in the country interested in the concept. Spain has a long history of leading on shorter working hours. Following a 44 day strike in Barcelona in 1919, for example, Spain became one of the first countries in Europe to move to an eight-hour day. As reported in the Guardian, “From New Zealand to Germany, the idea has been steadily gaining ground globally. Hailed by its proponents as a means to increase productivity, improve the mental health of workers and fight climate change, the proposal has taken on new significance as the pandemic sharpens issues around wellbeing, burnout and work-life balance.” The pilot program will see a reduction of working hours with no loss of salary or jobs.
This won’t come as a surprise, but the Guardian reports that “The oil industry knew at least 50 years ago that air pollution from burning fossil fuels posed serious risks to human health, only to spend decades aggressively lobbying against clean air regulations.” Their report is based upon a pile of internal document obtained by the Guardian, including internal memos and reports.
The CDC is exploring whether 3 feet of social distancing - instead of 6 feet - is safe for schools. The distancing guidelines are a key part of determining the most effective way to reopen schools while keeping students, faculty, staff, and the community safe.
21 states with Republican Attorneys General are suing the Biden administration for putting the kibosh on the Keystone XL pipelines.
Moderna begins to study the safety and effectiveness of its vaccine for kids between the age of 6 months to 12 years old. The study will enroll about 6.750 children in the U.S. and Canada.
Graduate Student Workers at Columbia University are on strike after failing to achieve their first contract after over two years of negotiations with the administration.
Bucks County Assistant District Attorney Matt Weintraub was caught moonlighting as a Door Dash driver while working out of the District Attorney’s office. The Bucks County District Attorney only demoted from his position while the DA called it “an incredibly poor decision.”
The Pennsylvania Capitol is scheduled to reopen to the public this Monday. It will be open to the public for the first time since the fall. Guests must wear masks unless you are Republican legislators who still don’t believe in the pandemic.
The Commonwealth Foundation went in front of the House Commerce Committee last week and defended their positions on why there shouldn’t be a minimum wage. Representative’s Malcolm Kenyatta and John Galloway shut that nonsense down and forced the Commonwealth Foundation’s representative to explain that they support a zero dollar minimum wage.
Two men were arrested this week for taking part in the assault on Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick during the January 6 insurrection. Sicknick later died from his injuries. And, once again, a Pennsylvanian was one of those arrested. Julian Khater, a 32 year old many from State College, was seen spraying bear spray directly into the face of Officer Sicknick during the assault.
Yes, of course, Sen. Pat Toomey blocked a bill that would have prevented debt collectors from taking stimulus checks. When asked why he voted for the bill he blamed Democrats for not including it in the original bill and compromised with Republicans to pass a bill with 60 votes. He defended debt collectors and said it’s too late anyway as 90 million checks have already been sent to Americans. Way to stick up for working families.
At the State Senate budget hearings yesterday, PASSHE Chancellor Dan Greenstein issued a threat. If his plans for reorganizing the 14 state-owned university system are not followed - including the mergers of three universities in the Northeast and three universities in the West - he told lawmakers: “I will be recommending to the board that we come back to the Senate next year with a legislative package to dissolve the state system.” Senator Joe Pittman of Indiana County, the home of IUP, said he would be happy to introduce the legislation. APSCUF President Jamie Martin said she was flooded with texts and emails from faculty who were watching the hearings. “It was reckless, at the very least it was reckless,” Martin told PennLive.
NASA finally had a successful test of the Space Launch System or SLS rocket on Thursday. The SLS rocket is the one planned to be NASA’s workhorse for Artemis Moon missions.
SpaceX’s launch of 60 Starlink Internet Satellites was seen over large areas of the Eastern U.S. including Central, PA and Bucks County.
Some scientists now think that the large amount of water that flowed on Mars billions of years ago, may have become trapped in the planets outer crust. The findings published in the the journal Science, suggest that between 30% and 99% of the water on Mars may have been incorporated into minerals and buried in the planets crust.
Elon Musk fulfills a childhood dream and changed his official title to “TechnoKing of Tesla. Tesla’s chief financial officer, Zach Kirkhorn, will also get a new title. He’ll be Tesla’s “Master of Coin.”
Kevin has his vaccine appointment!
Free Will releases Personified - DDH Double IPA 8.4% ABV. This Sunday is Free Will’s annual release of their Barrel Aged Flowers series, featuring six different bottles and for the first time ever, draft pours of each.
Wednesday Mar 17, 2021
Wednesday Mar 17, 2021
I welcome Kristina Marusic to the show to talk about her new devastating, investigative series for Environmental Health News, “Fractured: The Body Burden of Living Near Fracking.” Fractured lays bear their scientific findings from a 9-week pilot study in Southwestern Pennsylvania where families are exposed to harmful chemicals and the failure of local, state, and federal officials to protect communities’ physical, mental, and social health. The series focuses on five families, three in Washington County, PA and two in Westmoreland County, PA. The study finds not only high levels of toxic chemicals in the air and water - but inside the bodies of these families, with children frequently showing the highest levels of toxins. The study also explores how the explosion of fracking in Southwestern PA has also led to significant costs on the mental health of residents and a breakdown in the social well-being of communities.
Kristina Marusic covers environmental health and justice issues in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. She has received recognition or awards from the Society of Environmental Journalists, the Association of Health Care Journalists, the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Institute of Health Care Management, the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania, the Carnegie Science Center, and the Pittsburgh-based Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) for her reporting on these topics.
Prior to joining EHN, Kristina covered issues related to environmental and social justice as a freelancer for a wide range of digital media outlets including Slate, Vice, Women's Health, MTV News, The Advocate, CNN, and Bustle. She is also the co-president and co-founder of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Association of LGBTQ Journalists. She is also working on a new book called, The New War on Cancer, about the doctors, researchers, and activists leading a nationwide movement to rethink cancer prevention strategies through the lens of toxic exposures, to be published by Island Press in 2022.
She lives in Pittsburgh, where she spends much of her free time kayaking the city's iconic three rivers, consuming coffee and eating adventurously. Reach her at kmarusic@ehn.org. And, make sure to check out all the awesome reporting over at Environmental Health News, https://www.ehn.org/.
- Read the series: “Fractured: The Body Burden of Living Near Fracking.”
- Follow Kristina Marusic on Twitter: @KristinaSaurusR
- Follow Environmental Health News: @EnvirHealthNews
Monday Mar 15, 2021
Monday Mar 15, 2021
We’re talking about the PA State System of Higher Education Chancellor Dan Greenstein’s plans to merge three state universities - Bloomsburg University, Mansfield University, and Lock Haven University - the university at which tonight’s guests teach and work. As you might recall, Chancellor Greenstein is also forcing mergers on three additional campus in Western PA - California, Clarion, and Edinboro.
Just at Lock Haven, the Chancellor wants to cut 30% of the faculty; slash 56 custodial and grounds keeping jobs; end 12 academic programs; and, send a small PA town into economic uncertainty.
On tonight's show I welcome:
Peter Campbell: is the president of the Lock Haven chapter of the faculty union APSCUF. Campbell is a professor in the Sport Administration program at Lock Haven. He teaches courses in the undergraduate and graduate programs including: Contemporary Issues and Problems in Sport Administration, Sport Law and Ethics, Governance of Sport, Sport Facility Management and Operation, Sport Administration Professional Field Experience, and Legal and Policy Issues in Sport.
Shawn O’Dell: President of AFSCME Council 13, Local 2360 which includes many employees at Lock Haven University including custodians, grounds keepers, maintenance, mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, painters, HVAC, electricians, secretaries, and support staff. As she puts it, AFSCME members are the backbone of the LHU community, without them, LHU could not exist. O’Dell is also a graduate LHU with a BA in English. She was a nontraditional student and graduated at age 41 and then was given an opportunity to work with the Upward Bound program. That opportunity opened the way to move to the Center for Global Engagement and the Global Honors Program where I work as their secretary.
Matt Girton: Professor and Chair in the Department of Communication at Lock Haven University. He is also a former president of the Lock Haven chapter of APSCUF. On the State APSCUF Exec Council. The State System Universities have been part of his entire life. He grew up 10 miles from Bloomsburg where, swam in the old Centennial Gym pool and went to Celebrity Artist Series productions in Haas Auditorium. His high school band director took Matt and other students to Mansfield for weekly music lessons. He returned to BU in the mid-90’s for his MA in Communication, and while finishing his doctorate at Florida State University, he worked as an adjunct for a year at Shippensburg.
How to stay involved and help with the fight:
- Follow Lock Haven APSCUF on Facebook
- Follow Lock Haven APSCUF on Twitter
- Follow Save Our State Schools on Twitter and click the "Get Involved" button on the Save Our State Schools website
- If you are in the Lock Haven area, join the Rally to Save Lock Haven University Jobs, this Saturday, March 20 @ 10:00 am
- Find your state legislator and write and/or call them. Let them know you do not want to see Lock Haven merged
- Call the PASSHE Board of Governors @ 717-720-4010 or fax them @ 717-720-4011 and tell them to "Save the Haven"
- Share this interview on all your social media
A special shout out to Jonathan Mann who wrote our intro song, “There Are No People in the Future.” Check out all is great stuff on his YouTube page and follow him on Twitter @songadaymann
Friday Mar 12, 2021
Friday Mar 12, 2021
The American Recovery Act is now law. President Biden signed the bill into law a day ahead of schedule and some people will start receiving deposits in their bank accounts as early as this weekend. The American Recovery Act is a real game changer and is raising the prospect that the Reagan Era is finally coming to an end.
The House of Representatives passed the PRO Act, one of the most significant pieces of pro-labor legislation in decades. AFL-CIO president RIchard Trumka called the legislation “a game changer.” The PRO Act would effectively undercut so-called right-to-work (for less) lawes in more than two dozen states; prevent employers from forcing workers to attend anti-union “captive audience” meetings; allow newly certified unions to seek arbitration and mediation for first contracts; prevent employers from using an employee’s immigration status against them when determining the terms of their employment; and; establish financial penalties for companies, executives, corporate directors, and other company officials who violate workers’ rights. The bill faces a fight in the Senate, which may push Democrats to finally end the filibuster.
The House also passed gun legislation that would strengthen background checks.
Oklahoma’s Republican dominated state house passed a bill to give immunity to drivers who run over protesters. If signed into law, the legislation would shield from liability any driver who “unintentionally” injures or kills a protester while “fleeing a riot” as long as they had a “reasonable believe” that they were in danger. Yep, that would be qualified immunity to run down protesters. The bill also calls for $5000 in fines and jail time for protesters who “unlawfully obstruct” traffic.
John Carroll University in Cleveland now says it can fire individual tenured faculty members without cause in cases of “budgetary hardship.” Several faculty have already been fired and programs are slated to be eliminated at the stroke of the pen. Look out higher ed.
Biden’s dogs get kicked from the White House.
And what’s this about Little Marco supporting Amazon workers union organizing drive?
A majority of New York’s Democratic Delegation to the United States House has called on Governor Cuomo to resign in the wake of his growing scandal. This includes Jerry Nadler, Mondaire Jones, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, Carolyn Maloney and more.
The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center has a complete rundown on what Pennsylvanians can expect from the American Rescue Package. 5.9 million Pennsylvanians will receive $14.8 billion in direct payments. Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians will see their healthcare premiums decrease and a quarter of Pennsylvania’s uninsured are now eligible for free bronze or low-cost silver packages.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will be receiving $7.2 billion from the American Rescue Package, which will help plug the state’s $2.5 billion budget deficit and county and municipal governments from around the state will receive an extra $5 billion dollars.
Bucks County Republican Party uses “Johnson & Johnson” for its caller ID to trick residents who are hoping to get the vaccine only to hear a Republican Party message about attending a petition-signing event before next week’s signature deadline.
The York-based convenience store company, Rutter’s, said that the $2/hour “hazard pay” they provided employees during the pandemic will now be permanent. That means that the starting wage will be $12.50/hr, increased to $13/hr after three months.
PASSHE Chancellor Greenstein was at a Zoom town hall with faculty and staff at Kutztown University. When pressed on a series of problems at the university including lack of access to mental health services and racism in the campus police, Greenstein said that the solution is to do what they do in the tech industry, wildly experiment
NASA named the landing site of the Perseverance rover, “Octavia E. Butler Landing,” after the celebrated African American science fiction writer. Butler’s novels include Kindred, Parable of the Sower, and her Xenogenesis or “Lilith’s Brood” series. Her dystopian novels explore themes of racism, exploitation, global warming, and women’s rights. She died Feb. 24, 2006.
The Navajo Nation is working with NASA’s Perseverance Rover team to name new features identified on Mars. The President of the Navajo Nation, Jonathan Nez said that “The partnership that the Nez-Lizer Administration has built with NASA will help to revitalize our Navajo language. We hope that having our language used in the Perseverance mission will inspire more of our young Navajo people to understand the importance and the significance of learning our language. Our words were used to help win World War II, and now we are helping to navigate and learn more about the planet Mars.” Among the words chosen to be used for Mars formations, are Navajo words for “red rock,” “diligence,” and “amongst the sand,” and “Máaz” – the Navajo word for “Mars.” One of the Perseverance mission scientists, Aaron Yazzie, is Navajo and said they worked hard to come up with translations that resemble Navajo spellingsPresident Jonathan Nez and a team of advisors came up with a list of 50 names for the NASA team to start with and plan to keep adding more. According to a news release, the team had some suggestions like, “tséwózí bee hazhmeezh,” or “rolling rows of pebbles, like waves.”
China and Russia sign an agreement to build a Moon base. According to a Russian statement, the station "is a complex of experimental research facilities created on the surface and/or in the orbit of the Moon, designed to carry out multidisciplinary and multipurpose research work." The move suggests that Russia is moving away from its long collaboration with the U.S. and may chart a new path once the International Space Station as the program is scheduled to end at the end of the 2020s. Russia also notably did not sign the Artemis Accords, calling the rules too “U.S. centric.” Are you ready for Moonraker the sequel?
Thanks to my friend Stu in Northern Ireland, I’ll be watching Galician Noir this weekend. Stu’s wife is from Galicia, the Northwestern corner of Spain that feels like your in the Northwest corner of Ireland.
If we want a progressive future, we need progressive media. Support pull-no-punches, homegrown progressive media today by becoming a patron of Raging Chicken for as little as $5/month. Simply go to Patreon.com/RCPress. We got rid of Trump, now the hard work of building a progressive future begins. We’re here for the fight and we need you. Become a patron for the price of a good beer once a month. Help keep the media in the movement and the movement in the media. Become a patron for as little as $5/month by going to Patreon.com/RCPress. Not ready to become a patron? Drop us a one time donation at PayPal.me/rcpress.
Monday Mar 08, 2021
Monday Mar 08, 2021
On today’s show I am thrilled to welcome State Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler and State Sen. Nikil Saval to the show. Rep. Fiedler represents District 184 in South Philadelphia, a seat she won against a deep-pocketed Democratic machine. Let’s face it, in significant sections of Philly, the Democratic Primary is where all the action is. She ran a strong general election campaign with two other members of PA’s own squad, Rep. Summer Lee and Rep. Sara Innamorato, who also won huge upset victories against Democratic machine politicians.
In 2020, State Sen. Nikil Saval won his election to represent the First State Senate District in Philadelphia. Sen. Saval’s district hugs the Delaware River from the Philly airport in the south to Sections of Port Richmond in the north. His election win set a new round of shock waves through the Democratic party establishment and state politics. Yes, Democratic party voters will elect an open socialist to office.
In a remarkable short period of time the progressive left is on the rise in PA and that’s made a huge difference in the political discourse - but perhaps more importantly, what we might call our political horizons. Suddenly things seem possible. What was once PA’s own progressive squad is becoming a battalion.
I wanted to have Rep. Fiedler and Sen. Saval on the show this week because it’s budget season in Harrisburg and they are both part of a renewed push for a People’s Budget along with the great folks at We the People - PA. This time around, however, progressives are exercising their muscles and pushing the political discourse. And not just in the State Capitol. They continue to work with the movements that they have been part of for years. So, it’s a progressive budget and progressive-left movements on the table tonight. Welcome to the show.
Monday Mar 01, 2021
Monday Mar 01, 2021
I welcome Sean O’Leary, Senior Researcher with the Ohio River Valley Institute. We’re going to be talking about ORVI’s new report, “Appalachia’s Natural Gas Counties: The Natural Gas Fracking Boom and Appalachia’s Lost Economic Decade.” The report examines 22 counties in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia at the center of Appalachia’s natural gas boom. While the boom did wonders for the national GDP and fossil fuel companies bottom lines, those 22 counties did significantly worse. The promises of an economic rebirth for these economically strapped regions never came to pass.
The Ohio River Valley Institute is an independent, nonprofit research and communications center—a think tank—founded in 2020 and based in Johnstown, PA. The Institute equips the region’s residents and decision-makers with the policy research and practical tools needed to advance long-term solutions to some of Appalachia’s most significant challenges. Their work includes in-depth research, commentary, and analysis, delivered online, by email, and in-person to policy champions, emerging leaders, and a range of community partners. And, they just released another report last week, “The Failure of Fossil Fuel Subsidies in Pennsylvania.” Looks like I’ll be reaching out again for a future Out d’Coup LIVE!
O’Leary is a native of Wheeling, West Virginia and has written about coal, natural gas, and their role in the economies of Appalachia in a book, a newspaper column, and blog titled, “The State of My State”. Previously, Sean served as communications director at the NW Energy Coalition in Seattle, Washington. He is also a playwright who has won numerous awards presented by the National Endowment for The Arts, the National Arts Club, and the West Virginia Commission on the Arts among others.
A special shout out to Jonathan Mann who wrote our intro song, “There Are No People in the Future.” Check out all is great stuff on his YouTube page and follow him on Twitter @songadaymann
Friday Feb 26, 2021
Friday Feb 26, 2021
Democrats who have been luke-warm about passing a $15 minimum wage got the cover they needed yesterday as the Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, advised that the $15 minimum wage cannot be included in a reconciliation package.
Those Democrats who have been pushing for the $15 minimum wage have urged that Vice President Harris overrule the parliamentarian’s ruling, which is within her authority. On Twitter, Representative Ro Khanna wrote, “I’m sorry - an unelected parliamentarian does not get to deprive 32 million Americans the raise they deserve. This is an advisory, not a ruling. VP Harris needs to disregard and rule a $15 minimum wage is in order.”
It’s time to dump the filibuster and, as David Dayen argued this morning, it’s time to put the $15 minimum wage bill on the floor.
And while the Biden administration and conservative Democrats are willing to throw up their hands and say there is nothing they can do when it comes to the minimum wage, they’re willing to roll out the tanks in support of Neera Tandem’s appointment to the Office of Management and Budget.
Release the hawks. Biden orders air strikes in Syria against two Iranian-backed militias on the border with Iraq. The administration claims to have targeted and destroyed “multiple facilities located at a border control point used by a number of Iranian-backed militant groups.” The strikes were said to be in response to recent attacks on American contractors and properties in Iraq by militants.
And the pandemic rages on. Even as cases began to drop, the U.S. passed the 500,000 COVID-19 deaths mark this week.
A new report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences warns that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) sea currents are slowing faster than expected and may lead “tipping point” in climate change if swift action is not taken. Scientists have warned that the slowing or stopping of the AMOC will lead to large-scale impacts affecting live on the panet.
New York City police deployed Boston Dynamics creepy and frankly dystopian robot dog to a live crime scene this week. The New York Post released footage of the robot dog to a home invasion crime scene in the Bronx. It wasn’t the first time, either. Back in October, the NYPD sent another robot dog into a building where a gunman had barricaded himself. According to the Post, the robot dog is in its test phase, equipped with lights and a camera. “This robot is able to use its artificial intelligence to navigate things, very complex environments,” according to NYPD’s Technical Assistant Response Unit’s Deepu John. Yeah, what could go wrong.
The Delaware River Basin Commission lifted their moratorium and has banned fracking in the Delaware River Watershed. This will protect the drinking water for tens of millions of residents living in New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania House and Senate Republicans threw a temper tantrum this week after the Dept of State released their ballot question on a constitutional amendment limiting the Governor’s powers on emergency declaration orders. Apparently, the question was too straight forward and not confusing enough for Republicans.
Kendra Brooks, from Philly’s city council, is joining with Astra Taylor from the Debt Collective in calling bullshit on Biden’s claim that he can’t cancel $50,000 in student loan debt.
Pennsylvania Republicans failed to cancel Pat Toomey after spending hours debating his vote to convict Donald Trump.
The Mars Perseverance rover sent back amazing footage of the February 18 landing in Jezero crater. Just amazing. A couple days later we got the first full-color, 360 degrees view of what Perseverance sees. Gotta admit, I was in awe.
Researchers are making a case that NASA should begin studying nuclear propulsion systems for future missions to Mars.
Columbian County woman becomes one of NASA’s newest flight directors. Chloe Mehring grew up in Mifflinberg and started working with NASA in 2008 in the Flight Operation’s Propulsion Systems group.
Put that sixpack back in the cooler. Molson Coors Beverage Company has locked out 300 workers at its Toronto brewery after workers overwhelmingly rejected the company’s “best and final offer” during contentious contract negotiations. Molson Coors had prepared for this move by posting ads for scab workers three weeks before their lockout.
Sean has whiskey recommendations.
Free Will Releases: Sputnik 36 and Soul Supper. https://freewillbrewing.store/
Wednesday Feb 24, 2021
Wednesday Feb 24, 2021
Out d'Coup LIVE welcomes Jordan Hopkins to the show. Hopkins is a 23-year old writer, editor, and independent journalist located in Philadelphia, PA. He's been covering PA's right-wing extremists and the grift at the core of the emerging Patriot Party. We’ll be digging into his latest article, “A Party of Grifters,” and the rise of extremism in PA more broadly. You can check out all his great reporting at https://www.itsalienmuse.com and you can follow him on Twitter @jhop_phl.
A special shout out to Jonathan Mann who wrote our intro song, “There Are No People in the Future.” Check out all is great stuff on his YouTube page and follow him on Twitter @songadaymann.
For the gamers: Check out The Game Inn and follow them on Twitter @thegameinn. Got a question about a game? Looking for something hard to get? Message them on FB, drop them an email thegameinnpa@gmail.com or give them a call at (267) 424-2535. https://thegameinn.com/.
Friday Feb 19, 2021
Friday Feb 19, 2021
Rush Limbaugh died. That is all.
Devastation in Texas as a climate change, supercharged winter storm causes loss of power and water for millions. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott doesn’t waste any time to blame green energy and frozen windmills for the crash of their power grid. That’s one way of trying to avoid accountability. Scratch the surface to expose the awful truth of the GOP death cult’s market fundamentalism and climate change denialism.
Senator Ted Cruz from Texas stepped up to show how you take charge of a disaster and solve problems. He packed up his family and flew to Cancun, while leaving the family's poodle, named “Snowflake,” inside their freezing home.
In more WTF Texas news, the Mayor of Colorado City, Texas Tim Boyd topped even Ted Cruz. When residents started posting to a community Facebook group in search of help and answers about power and water, the Mayor chimed in and said: “No one owes you or your family anything...I’m sick and tired of people looking for a damn handout.”
Meanwhile, Texas-based reporters from the Texas Tribune and the Houston Chronicle, are exposing decades of deregulation, free market fundamentalism, and climate change denialism led directly to the current deadly crisis.
Impeachment is over. And the Republicans voted to support insurrection and their Dear Leader.
Nancy’s not letting go. After the Republicans gave Trump a free pass on sedition and inciting an insurrection in the nation’s Capitol, Nancy Pelosi announces plans for a 9/11-style commission to study the January 6 attack.
In the latest move in the Divest from Police and Invest in Communities movement, the Los Angeles School Board cuts a third of its police force and reinvests in educating black students. According to the LA Times, “The unanimous decision comes after a yearlong campaign by students activists and community members to reimagine the school police force, which they maintain disproportionately targets Black and Latino children.”
Let the campaign for the PA Senate begin! Last night, Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta announced that he will be running for the Democratic Party nomination for the U.S. Senate. Right out of the gate he’s got endorsements from the Philadelphia Federation for Teachers, the American Federation of Teachers, and the Working Families Party. Earlier this month, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman announced his campaign for the same office. It will be a battle for the soul of progressivism in the Democratic Primary.
Yesterday was the deadline for Judicial Gerrymandering to make it onto the May Primary ballot, which it did not. Progressives in Pennsylvania are celebrating this victory and continuing the fight to make sure it stays off the November ballot.
Harrisburg Area Community Colleges are organizing a union. This past Saturday, faculty members held rallies on the Lancaster and Harrisburg campuses. Full-time and adjunct faculty have been working with PSEA for over a year on their campaign. HACC is the only community college in the Commonwealth without faculty union representation.
Budget hearings are underway and progressives are ramping up the pressure for a People’s Budget.
Pennsylvania Budget Summit Registration.
Tango Delta Nominal for NASA’s Perseverance rover. Perseverance safely landed on Mars yesterday at 3:55 pm. And, yes, I watched it live and celebrated with a can of Free Will’s Under Dawn’s Red Sun.
Looks like NASA’s acting chief, Steve Jurczyk, used yesterday’s focus on the Mars landing to bury the news that he broke on Wednesday that 2024 is no longer a realistic deadline to safely return to the Moon.
China is assembling its new Long March 5B heavy-lift rocket in preparation of sending the first module to what will be China’s first space station. China plans to construct the space station through 11 launches in 2021 and 2022.
Sean is basking in his recent camera gear haul.
Free Will Brewing: closed today because of the weather, but they’ll be open back up in no time. I’ll have some recommendations from their online store: https://freewillbrewing.store/