|
As President Trump continues to inflame racial tensions and threaten peaceful protesters with violence, he’s increasingly fighting against not only public opinion, but Congress and the U.S. military, too.
- Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, publicly apologized for participating in Trump’s walk across Lafayette Square for a photo op facilitated by the tear-gassing of peaceful protestors. “I should not have been there. My presence in that moment and in that environment created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics.” Trump was reportedly already furious with Milley for talking him out of sending active-duty troops to quell the protests, and Defense Department officials say they’re unsure how long he or Defense Secretary Mark Esper (who publicly opposed deploying troops within the U.S.) will last in their jobs.
- The military’s discomfort with Trump’s use of force isn’t limited to top officials. A number of National Guardsmen have told reporters that their role in the protest response ran contrary to their sworn oath to uphold the Constitution. Here’s one Guardsman who was involved in the Lafayette Square fiasco: “A lot of us are still struggling to process this, but in a lot of ways, I believe I saw civil rights being violated in order for a photo op...What I saw was just absolutely wrong.” Unbeknownst to most of us, the original plan was even worse. National Guard units from around the country had stockpiled weapons and ammunition in the DC Armory, in preparation to shoot protesters.
- Already at odds with the military over whether attacking American citizens is Good or Bad, Trump has now picked a fight with Congress over the renaming of military bases that currently honor Confederate officers. Today the GOP-led Senate Armed Services Committee approved an amendment to the annual defense policy bill, proposed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), that would require the Pentagon to rename those bases. Pentagon leaders have already indicated they’re open to this. On Wednesday White House Press Secretary Kaighyleighy McEnaneighney (think that’s right) said Trump would veto the bill if it included such an amendment, and whimsically added that either you honor these historical traitors or you hate our troops.
|
|
|
Top military officials publicly backing away from him hasn’t stopped Trump from continuing to threaten protesters with federal force.
- In Seattle, WA, protesters have established the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ): an area outside Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct with no police, free food, and evening documentary screenings. On Wednesday night Trump deemed those protesters “Domestic Terrorists,” and threatened local leaders with federal action: “Take back your city NOW. If you don’t do it, I will.” Both Gov. Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan quickly told Trump to shove it, Durkan with an elegant “Go back to your bunker.”
- Lest there be any confusion about why Trump is defending Confederate traitors and calling Black Lives Matter protesters “terrorists,” he’s made sure to work some racist dog whistles into his campaign schedule. In addition to scheduling his first major rally on Juneteenth in Tulsa, OK, Trump is now set to accept the GOP presidential nomination in Jacksonville, FL, on the 60th anniversary of Ax Handle Saturday, a day when a white Jacksonville mob organized by the KKK (and joined by some of the city’s police officers) attacked peaceful civil rights protesters.
It’s stunning to see the top military official in the country publicly denounce the president’s actions. It’s also a sobering reminder of just how far Trump has gone off the rails, and the scale of what’s at stake. As Joe Biden warned bluntly on The Daily Show on Wednesday night, “This president is going to try to steal this election.” Trump’s racist, authoritarian slide is part of that effort, and underscores the reality that we’ll need all hands on deck →
|
|
|
NEW POD ALERT! Introducing Unholier Than Thou, our new podcast from journalist Phillip Picardi that seeks to find answers from above for whatever the hell is going on down here.
Picardi will take listeners on his quest to better understand his relationship with spirituality by learning how faith plays a role in other people’s lives, and with the help of the spiritual, religious, and agnostic, Picardi will guide listeners through the ethereal and worldly problems of the day, informed by his own on-and-off relationship with God.
The first two episodes drop Friday 6/12. Listen to the trailer & subscribe wherever you get your podcasts →
|
|
|
Police in Louisville, KY, released a virtually blank incident report on Breonna Taylor’s death. In their report on the night they shot Taylor, a 26-year-old black woman, in her own home in March, officers listed her injuries as “none.” Police also checked “no” next to the form’s “forced entry” box, but witnesses and crime scene photos show they used a battering ram to enter Taylor’s apartment while she was asleep. In the “notes/narrative” section where officers were meant to explain how the events of the night unfolded, they wrote only “PIU investigation” (Public Integrity Unit). The three officers involved have been placed on administrative reassignment, but none have been arrested and charged in Taylor’s death. Let’s rectify that: Here’s where to sign the petition demanding justice, then scroll down to find the contact information of Louisville officials.
|
|
- Newly released body camera footage from a 2019 arrest in Oklahoma City shows Derrick Scott, a 42-year-old black man, saying “I can’t breathe” as officers pinned him to the ground. “I don’t care,” one officer replied. Scott was pronounced dead at a hospital an hour later.
- Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin indicated that the Trump administration won’t disclose the recipients of more than $500 billion in bailout funding delivered through the Payroll Protection Program. The Small Business Administration has also withheld PPP loan data that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requested.
- The Biden campaign will circulate a petition urging Mark Zuckerberg to change Facebook’s indefensible policies governing political speech. Seems like if Zuckerberg were susceptible to widespread public pressure he would at least have a different haircut by now, but it’s certainly worth a shot.
- New voter registration numbers have plummeted in several states during the pandemic, as the usual venues where most voters register for the first time were closed. Who needs the DMV when you’ve got votesaveamerica.com/register? Spread the word! (We can’t help with car stuff.)
- A QAnon conspiracy theorist won her GOP primary in Georgia, and is now poised to be elected to the House of Representatives. Sure, Georgia's election was a terrifying clusterfuck of voter suppression, but at least it also yielded very scary results.
- Starbucks plans to close up to 400 stores in North America and expand its pickup-only business, cruelly pivoting away from its core function as a public bathroom.
- The country group Lady Antebellum has changed its name to Lady A, saying it had never before considered the associations with slavery connected to that word. Makes sense.
- Read this one real fast like you’re ripping off a Band-Aid: Sean Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt are dating.
- Alas, the celebs (excruciating pause) are at it again.
|
|
|
State officials from both parties have rejected the idea of reimposing lockdowns as coronavirus cases spike. Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) has plowed ahead with plans to let virtually all business reopen by the end of the week in Texas, where total cases have shot up by two thirds in the past two weeks. In North Carolina, which is reporting its highest-ever rates of infection and hospitalization, Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) said putting restrictions back in place would be a last resort. Utah is the one state to have paused the next phase in its reopening plan, but thanks to President Trump, it’s unable to shut down a meat plant linked to hundreds of cases. Helpfully, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has proclaimed that “we can’t shut down the economy again.” If we’ve learned one thing, it’s that putting off difficult safety measures for short-term economic reasons absolutely works and is the right way to go.
|
|
|
If there is one thing that health experts agree on, it’s that the perfect diet doesn’t exist.
Even when we eat super well, our daily nutritional needs are constantly changing due to depleted nutrients in the food we eat, stress, environmental toxins and more.
As a result our digestive systems may be compromised and struggle to absorb as efficiently as they should in order to support our immune system, gut health and energy levels.
Enter a multivitamin Athletic Greens.
Developed from a complex blend of 75 vitamins, minerals and whole food sourced ingredients, Athletic Greens is a comprehensive all-in-one greens powder formulated to help fill the nutritional gaps in your diet.
Packed with adaptogenic herbs for recovery, pre- and probiotics and digestive enzymes for gut health, Vitamin C and zinc citrate for immune support, a high quality B vitamin complex for energy, and much more - Athletic Greens is an easy, nutritional insurance to help your body meet its nutritional needs.
When you use Athletic Greens, you know you’re putting the highest quality ingredients in your body that exclude any synthetic ingredients or nasty fillers. And–unlike a lot of green drinks–Athletic Greens actually tastes good (just ask our PSA hosts)!
Building a consistent health routine doesn’t get any easier. Try Athletic Greens now and receive 20 free servings with your first purchase delivered straight to your door.
|
|
|
Blue Apron will make election day a paid day off for employees.
Army scientists have developed a promising potential coronavirus vaccine, and could begin human trials this summer.
Microsoft said it will not sell facial recognition technology to police, until there’s a federal law regulating its use.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called for the removal of nearly a dozen Confederate statues in the Capitol.
|
|
|
|
|
