More insurrectionists are breaking the GOP Loyalty Test as the Jan. 6th commission is given a major gift. (Runtime 5 mins 45 secs)

Sources: 

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/judge-questions-why-prosecutors-arent-more-aggressive-with-jan-6-insurrectionists

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/08/09/trump-doj-revelations-jan-6-investigation/

The GOP's Loyalty Test for their base has spawned a wave of vaccine avoiders, not to mention the Jan. 6th attack on the Capitol.  Denying reality became a tool to combat the environmental movement's work to stop global warming/climate change.  Denial now is being used to obstruct COVID vaccinations, masks, social distancing and Biden's Presidential Election victory and it's descending the party into The Deep.

Source:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/09/opinion/climate-denial-covid-denial.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

Hopelessness is not a plan but it is often expressed in the more progressive leftwing media, which is sad because at the same time, these same writers are pushing the boundaries of political discourse on the left.   It's good that they demand bold change, it's good that they want it now but it's bad that when it doesn't come to pass they throw in the towel and make readers want to slip into a hot bath with a sharp object.

What's missing is admitting that while big change can come rapidly, it doesn't happen very often and it's almost always achieved when Democrats have veto proof majorities.  It's understandable, I used to feel that way too.

Instead of beating up on Democratic members of Congress, more energy should be directed at states where Democrats could have been elected but weren't.   Now that's a plan.


Sources:

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/biden-is-having-his-cake-and-eating-it-too

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/06/opinion/senate-infrastructure-bill-bipartisan.html

For sure, there is no shortage of news pro and con about COVID-19 anti-vaxxers.  It makes for controversial and emotional stories the cable news networks and mainstream media love because it generates clicks and views.  If you didn't know better, you'd think anti-vaxxers where a majority of the unvaccinated Americans.  They're not.  Who makes up the majority of the unvaccinated and why they've waited is the topic of this podcast.

Sources:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/covid-vaccine-us-antivaxx-jab-b1896231.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/06/opinion/covid-delta-vaccines-unvaccinated.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

How much bad news can one man stand?  While reality for him only exists on TV, our thankfully ex-president has been dealt two more shots to the body.  First a couple of lawyers who tried to overturn the election with arguments made from vapors are going to have to pay for their sins, big time.  Second, the Second Coming of the orangutan in chief has been postponed again.  Mr. Pillow is having to admit it's gonna be a long, cold, lonely summer in Mar-a-lago.

Sources: 

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/federal-judge-slaps-two-lawyers-with-sanctions-over-big-lie-lawsuit

https://www.thedailybeast.com/mypillow-guy-mike-lindell-punts-timeline-for-trump-retaking-power-as-august-conspiracy-theories-get-wackier

Covidiot deniers have become the new pandemic.  The time has come to pull the plug on catering to the false notion about people's freedoms being infringed regarding masks and vaccines. Freedom is a new code word for people who have been largely marginalized by GOP policies but have been convinced by the GOP  the boogeyman is the Democratic Party.   It's not about "freedom", freedom is just a convenient code word that can't really be challenged but serves as a good cover for sticking it to the election stealing liberals.

Source:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/02/opinion/Covid-Florida-vaccines.html?

News days like today can be a bit stressful for some, OK for everyone who believes in democracy.  It can be difficult to be hopeful when you are bombarded with news that goes from bad to worse.  For some it's so overwhelming they are ready to roll up in a ball in the corner with their security blanket, but I'm here to tell you avoidance is rarely a good strategy.

This podcast covers a certain trust fund baby to a TV dinner dynasty and conservative billionaires bankrolling the attempt to undermine the integrity of our elections.

The late Senator John McCain liked to joke "It's always darkest before it goes pitch black", but he was joking.  While it may not feel to you were on the cusp of a new dawn doesn't mean it isn't so.

Sources:

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/august-2-2021

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/08/09/the-big-money-behind-the-big-lie

This week on BlueRootsRadio Podcast:  2021-04-18

• Anand Giridharadas on the New Progressive era
• The mouth from Ohio is told to "shut up"
• Can Substack save local news?
• Matt Taibbi and Katie Halper fired from Rolling Stone

Sources:

https://the.ink/p/newprogressiveera

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/jordan-fauci-waters-house-hearing-coronavirus

https://www.vox.com/recode/2021/4/15/22384314/substack-local-news-newsletters

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mick-jagger-anti-vaxxers_n_607674a8e4b0e554e818a364?ncid=engmodushpmg00000004

https://youtu.be/MN9YLLQl7gE

https://usefulidiots.substack.com/p/new-useful-idiots-interview-with

The Declaration of Independence tells us "all men are created equal" but the Southern Democrats of the 1800's who are now today's Republican Party, believe we are not all equals and the business of government should be left to a few who know better than the rest of us.

Abraham Lincoln didn't agree with their assessment and said instead it's the government's job  to protect equality of access to resources and equality before the law for everyone. Lincoln stressed That when everyone has a voice in deciding how the country should be run only then will the best outcomes come to pass.

This podcast connects the attempts of today's Republican Party to restrict voting to those in the 1800's, 1960's to limit the vote to a minority of people unable to accept we're all equal under the law.

Sources:

• https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/april-7-2021
• https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/april-8-2021?r=9kpps&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&utm_source=copy

See if you can tell in 30 seconds which of these sites is real and which is a single interest hate group?

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Pediatricians

Unless you're a professional fact checker you probably couldn't tell in just 30 seconds but after hearing this podcast you will be able to do just that.

This podcast covers the S.I.F.T method of verifying sources, finding better ones and tracing content back to its original source.

Here's some helpful links:

Some short tutorials on the S.I.F.T. process:

https://lib.lavc.edu/information-evaluation/siftmethod

Background on neutralizing fake news:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/18/opinion/fake-news-media-attention.html