NewsFlash

Gerrymandering voting district lines to get more Republican votes in Texas - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/04/us/texas-redistricting.html and https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/03/texas-democrats-quorum-break-redistricting-map/

A bit of backstory - No 2/3rds quorum met, no voting can happen.  If they're not in Texas, it doesn't matter if Governor Abbott sends the Texas Rangers to drag the absent Dems back to the Legislative Chambers to meet quorum and allow a vote. Rangers can't arrest anyone outside of the State of Texas, and the absences in question are not a crime.

Texas Democrats fleeing the state also stopped anti-abortion and anti-trans bills -  https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/texas-democrats-fleeing-state-stopped-161459759.html

"... [Governor] Abbott asked for legislation that would have let private citizens sue health providers for mailing or prescribing abortion medication to patients in Texas — an effort to block health care from groups like Aid Access, an organization through which medical professionals in other states prescribe and mail abortion pills to people living under bans. A similar proposal failed to make it in time to the House floor in the final days of the state’s regular lawmaking session earlier this year."   

Yeehaw..... Guns Up! (TTU)

Ok, I just got my laugh for the day.

The Department of Homeland Security embraces a socialist anthem - https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/05/us/this-land-is-your-land-trump-dhs-cec

Speaking of Woodie Guthrie -  https://www.yahoo.com/news/woody-guthrie-deportee-ode-deported-121833642.html


And

So it's gerrymandering if a Democratic controlled state does it, but not if a Republican controlled state does it? - https://abc13.com/post/trump-says-texas-gop-entitled-more-seats-redistricting-showdown-continues/17440763/

https://bsky.app/profile/barackobama.bsky.social/post/3lvomwim43s27


And, good night and sleep well, with a dash of:

‘How much does it cost for fascism?’: Tensions erupt at Nebraska GOP congressman’s town hall - https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/04/politics/mike-flood-elissa-slotkin-town-halls  [Not too far from pitchforks, torches, and tar & feathers there.]

"mRNA vaccines have been demonstrated as a powerful alternative to traditional conventional vaccines because of their high potency, safety and efficacy, capacity for rapid clinical development, and potential for rapid, low-cost manufacturing."   https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9917162/

So, of course:   https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/rfk-jr-cuts-500-million-mrna-vaccine-contracts-dealing-major-blow-prom-rcna223281
https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-vaccines-mrna-pfizer-moderna-1fb5b9436f2957075064c18a6cbbe3c9 

RFK Jr. pulls $500 million in funding for vaccine development. He's killing 22 research projects on mRNA vaccines - the technology that worked against Ebola and saved so many lives when rolled out for the Covid 19 epidemic - because he thinks it's "not safe".   "Among them [the cancelled funding] is an award to the University of Texas Medical Branch and the biotechnology company Moderna to develop an mRNA-based vaccine for H5N1...." [Bird Flu. Avian Influenza. You know, the influenza we don't have a vaccine to fight.]


"“I don’t think I’ve seen a more dangerous decision in public health in my 50 years in the business,” said Mike Osterholm, a University of Minnesota expert on infectious diseases and pandemic preparations. "



EDIT:  https://www.science.org/content/article/gold-standard-or-appalling-hhs-s-500-million-vaccine-bet-inactivated-viruses-puzzles  “In some circumstances, the older technologies are safer and better,” says Stanley Plotkin, author of the seminal textbook Plotkin’s Vaccines and professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania. “What’s troubling is to have an announcement that this is a revolutionary technology that is going to change the world, and there’s nothing on which to base those statements.” When he saw the HHS announcement, “I thought, ‘Have I missed something in the literature?’” says Plotkin, who now consults for vaccine manufacturers. “Well, no, I haven’t.”"  "Plotkin adds that he finds HHS’s apparent special treatment of Taubenberger and Memoli’s universal vaccine work “appalling.”"

My favorite recent post read on BlueSky:

‪David_j_roth‬ ‪@davidjroth.bsky.social‬
· 4h
As end-of-empire scenarios go it is so much more dignified to get your capital city sacked by the Visigoths than to have a bunch of illiterate rich people in their 70s doing it through a series of incomprehensible tantrums because their brains were defeated by their phones.


Amen, David.

A federal judge in California wants the National Science Foundation (NSF) to explain why its decision last week to freeze 300 grants to scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) isn’t a violation of her earlier ruling in another case that such blanket grant terminations are probably illegal. -  https://www.science.org/content/article/has-nsf-defied-court-order-suspending-300-ucla-grants

Nukes on the moon -  https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/05/nasa-under-trump-aims-to-build-nuclear-reactor-on-moon-before-china-and-russia.html

A few thoughts after just spitting my coffee across the table on reading this headline:

In this country:  we can't afford for everyone who needs it to have healthcare. We can't afford to provide food for all who need it, not even children. We can't afford to have adequate housing for everyone. We can't afford to have universal preschool. We can't afford to pay for the best & brightest to attend Uni. and potentially cure cancer or other great things as outputs (or even really adequately fund primary and secondary schools). We can't afford to develop a good, national public transit system. We can't afford to keep up the maintenance on our crumbling infrastructure. We can't afford to roll out a nation-wide effort for clean energy so we can all breathe cleaner air. We can't afford to clean up the ongoing and intensifying man-made "natural" disasters we've caused - the leaking and uncapped oil and gas wells in Texas, for one. But we have the money to build a reactor on the moon?

The exact words I am thinking right now are so impolite that I will not burden you with them. The least offensive would probably be "BLOODY HELL!!!!!!"

Alt National Park Service
‪@altnps.bsky.social‬  August 6, 2025 at 6:21 PM

Significant portions of Article I of the U.S. Constitution were removed from the version published on Congress’ official Constitution website. Large parts of Section 8 (which outlines the powers of Congress) were deleted, and Sections 9 and 10,  which place critical limits on federal and state power, were removed entirely. These sections include protections such as habeas corpus and the prohibition on the government granting titles of nobility. They claim this was done in error.  Link: constitution.congress.gov/constitution/

Looks like someone noticed and the correct language was uploaded.  I'd like to assume this was incompetence at work.


Source with full language (as far as I know) - https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/full-text

After an ex-DOGE staffer's assault, Trump threatens to federalize D.C. Can he?" -  https://www.npr.org/2025/08/06/nx-s1-5494526/trump-dc-home-rule-police-doge-attack?utm_campaign=npr&utm_source=bsky.app&utm_term=nprnews&utm_medium=social or  https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/05/trump-administration-staffer-known-as-big-balls-assaulted-in-dc-00494990 or https://www.pennlive.com/nation-world/2025/08/ex-doge-worker-known-as-big-balls-assaulted-in-dc-trump-threatens-federal-takeover.html

Backstory -  So "Big Balls", the twenty-something DOGE IT expert, and his girlfriend were out at like 3:00am in DC, going to or leaving their car near Dupont Circle (or Logan Circle, depending on the press source). Online info seems to indicate neither are a particularly high-crime area - although in any big city in the USA, 3:00am demands extra caution. Apparently a gang of teens decided they wanted the car, and BB apparently didn't wish to give it to them.  From the photos I've seen it looks like he got away with a broken nose - no major injuries.  It's hit the news, with Elon and the far right spinning it as BB came onto a scene where a woman was being harassed and gallantly ran to "save" her and was "severely beaten" by a gang.   [The DC police arrested two fifteen year olds over this - an attempted carjacking, no weapons involved.]   

The Orange One now appears poised to use this incident as an excuse to take over control of DC from public authorities, something he's wanted to do for quite some time.  Wonder if he'll use the National Guard again?

If I was a hardcore conspiracy theorist, I'd say someone in the administration who needed to generate an excuse to give to the Orange One and who didn't like BB certainly got two for the price of one here. But it's probably more likely that BB just got mugged during an attempted carjacking.

Still doesn't distract from "RELEASE THE FULL EPSTEIN FILE"

United Farm Workers
‪@ufw.bsky.social‬
Interested media should
RSVP to media @ ufw . org.


https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:53pxyzwrw4zx5ft67czyyjyy/bafkreih4v5fjdtzz5kgsspo3fkzpyex3mlch2ykdyow6qdmcc2suo524la@jpeg

As Texas pushes redistricting plan to add 5 GOP House seats before 2026 elections, other states may follow -  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-redistricting-plan-california-new-york-illinois-indiana/

Democrat who fled Texas over redistricting says "we're willing to face whatever consequences" - https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/democrat-who-fled-texas-over-redistricting-says-were-willing-to-face-whatever-consequences/?intcid=CNR-01-0623

Yeah, it's a big deal. On every level. It directly impacts the mid-terms, which directly impact the current regime remaining in power.  Note the desperation tactics.





EDIT - And this:   President Trump Thursday called for creation of a new census that would count only U.S. citizens despite the Constitution’s edict that all people living in the country should be included. - https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/08/07/trump-census-count-only-citizens-unconstitutional/ 

TikTok faces a potential ban in the U.S. due to national security concerns over its Chinese ownership, with a critical deadline set for September 17, 2025, for ByteDance to divest its U.S. operations. If the deal is not approved by China, TikTok may go dark for American users. (from Search Assist). Originally, Congress outlawed Tik Tok effective 19 January, 2025, but Trump's administration has not enforced the ban.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restrictions_on_TikTok_in_the_United_States

Wikipedia: "On January 20, the first day of his term, Trump signed an executive order that halted enforcement of the ban for a 75-day period while his administration pursues a potential sale of TikTok to American owners. This brought the deadline to April 5. On April 4, Trump signed an executive order to delay the ban's enforcement for another 75 days, to June 19. Then, on June 19, Trump signed yet another executive order, extending the deadline to September 17.[2] With each delay, the Trump administration sent letters to TikTok's service providers, claiming a sweeping power to effectively set aside laws.[3][4]"

Power to set aside laws. Right.

No.

You think it's weird in Texas? Try Utah.

GOP Lawmaker Changes Law to Help Relative Facing Child Rape Charges: State Senator J. Stuart Adams had a relative charged with raping a 13-year-old—so he rewrote the state’s consent laws. -  https://newrepublic.com/post/198855/republican-lawmaker-consent-child-rape-law-relative-charges

FEMA Employees Reassigned to ICE -  Probationary employees who had been on paid leave were told to report to ICE within seven days or lose their jobs. It could signal problems with ICE recruitment. [Ya think?]  - https://prospect.org/labor/2025-08-06-fema-employees-reassigned-to-ice/ or  https://www.rawstory.com/ice-2673863497/

DHS transfers FEMA staff to ICE amid hurricane season - https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/5439715-dhs-fema-ice-hurricane-season-noem-immigration-enforcement/   and  https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/ice-is-now-raiding-fema-for-help-with-recruitment-drive.html

And

ICE Raids Broke Los Angeles’ Economy. Shouldn’t ICE Pay for That? - https://prospect.org/politics/2025-08-05-ice-raids-los-angeles-economy/

And

Tamale lady has a street vendor permit and pays taxes for her well-established, 22-year business. ICE gives the tamale lady a heart attack. Literally. - https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:bwvd55e4hsxpuxa5ikrfgqgo/bafkreibsct5tmxqrnr65tpxoa3pod5u62wwspuc45yqwpn5qqoil2z4ehu@jpeg  Nurse denied permission to render tamale lady aid - https://sanfernandosun.com/2025/06/25/pacoima-tamales-vendor-suffers-a-heart-attack-during-ice-raid/   

And

Border Patrol sector chief asked why Home Depot was targeted during immigration raids, Operation "Trojan Horse," in violation of court order  - https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/09/us/video/immigration-raids-home-depot-border-patrol-chief-bovino-digvid

And

Crops rotting in the fields, nobody to pick them because of ICE - https://www.rawstory.com/ice-farm-workers/ or  https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2025/aug/04/harvesting-arkansas-farmers-fret-over-ice-effects/

Appeals court allows Trump to end collective bargaining for federal workers -  https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/court-allows-trump-to-end-union-bargaining-for-federal-workers/ar-AA1JKHAL

Veterans Administration terminating union contracts - https://www.newsweek.com/va-terminates-federal-union-contracts-what-know-2110035


And


‘Utter betrayal': Air Force revokes approved retirement for trans service members  -  https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/national-international/air-force-revokes-approved-retirement-trans-service-members/3761769/


And

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reposts video featuring pastors saying women shouldn't be allowed to vote - https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/national-international/pete-hegseth-reposts-video-pastors-opposing-womens-right-vote/3761834/