Friday, November 04, 2016

Um...thank Atheist God it's Friday? And VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!!!

Greetings, fellow Dot Calm Readers, Freedom Fighters, and Truth Crusaders!

Friends, we are down to the wire on this election.

I hope to Atheist God (as Bill Maher would say) that, by this time next week, we can all take a deep breath and relax in the knowledge that we have a safe and sane Madame President Elect in Hillary Rodham Clinton.

If you're still on the fence, please remember: you are going to get Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton as president. Your actions will contribute to one or the other winning the White House. Whether you vote or stay home or vote third party or write-in, you are helping to elect the winner.

If you are anything other than a rich white man, a Trump presidency will strip you of your rights and defraud you of your hard-earned money. Don't believe me--go look it up for yourself. If you don't believe that Donald Trump will strip you of your rights, just look up everything he has ever said...read about how he treats others and how he perceives himself. He wants to be dictator, not president. If you don't believe that Donald Trump will rob you blind, go read about how all of his business dealings have turned out. Read about how he takes on and "manages" debt--by NOT paying his bills. Bills he deliberately incurred and legitimately owes. Donald Trump has run every business venture he's ever touched right into the ground, and that's what he wants to do to this country. Why? Because he always manages to skim what he wants off the top before letting his ventures crash and burn. There are plenty of great articles in Newsweek, The Washington Post, and The New York Times if you don't want to backtrack through this blawg for proof.

If you think that eight years of baby bush were bad, Donald Trump will make chimpie look like FDR, and he'll make the Great Recession look like the Golden Age. What he does to his contractors and employees, he wants to do to YOU. Here's just one example:

A lot of Americans are angry with our government--rightfully so--and are attracted to Donald Trump's candidacy because they expect him to blow everything up. The problem is that Donald Trump is NOT going to blow everything up. He's only going to blow up what's good, what works, and what helps us ordinary Americans. The rest of it--the authoritarianism, crony capitalism, kleptocracy, oligarchy, race to the bottom, outsourcing, robbing the poor to pay the rich, and everything else that angry Americans hate--he is going to keep and put on steroids.

Got that?

Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, is a solid, capabile candidate despite thirty years of media attacks screaming at us otherwise. Oh sure, she's "flawed"--show me a politician who isn't. But even Bernie isn't more honest than Hillary! I've been following all the breathless reporting behind the WikiLeaks and Comey stuff, and I just don't see anything disqualifying there. Don't forget: Hillary can change how she works--like e-mail. I'd bet a year's salary she won't have any more problems like she had with her e-mail--she would never allow it. She can and will pickle off her Foundation to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest. But Donald Trump's fuckery is baked right in to that wrinkled, unattractive, fat orange lard cake. Hillary has proven time and time again that she listens and learns--she can be bent to the will of The People. That's why Donald Trump never got any traction trying to tie her back to policies that Bill Clinton tried that didn't work. She's moved on, m'kay? But Republicans don't know how to change their minds, listen, learn, or move on. Once an opinion, always the opinion. If that weren't true, why then, you'd hear Donald Trump acknowledge fault and apologize instead of double down and triple down, duh. Like any other Republican, Donald Trump will never change--he couldn't if he wanted to...and he sure as fuck doesn't want to. And that includes policies...even the ones that have been proven failures...like pissing on our heads and telling us it's trickle down...which Republicans insist on doing again and again and again and again. Just ask Kansas.

Republicans are like the incidental characters in Groundhog Day, running on their little rails without analyzing cause and effect; Democrats are like the Bill Murray character, imperfect but able to analyze cause and effect and learn from their mistakes. Hopefully, the American public will be like the Andie MacDowell character, eventually waking up to reality and moving forward. Not like that jerk in accounting. (I made up that last line, but you get the point...even if it is a stretch of a shitty but hopefully funny analogy.)

It's no exaggeration to say that Hillary Clinton is the most qualified presidential candidate in living memory. If, like my Tea Party Christian friend, you needed surgery, who would you rather have cut you open: a man off the street who can't even spell "surgery" and who thinks modern medicine--about which he proudly and demonstrably knows nothing--is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese to keep us from praying to the nonexistent biblegod to cure us with empty magical spells and quack incantations? Or a highly trained, experienced surgeon who has kept up on all the new techniques and who has been doing the exact procedure you need all day every day for the better part of the past thirty years?

Now that there is whatcha call a real equivalency. And definitely not a shitty analogy.

Ok, so you hate Donald Trump, and you hate Hillary. So, do you like O'Bama? Do you think he did a good job? Is your life better now than it was eight years ago? Would you like to see his legacy continue, even if it does need some refinement? Yes to all of the above? Then your choice is simple: haul ass to the polls and vote for Hillary because, otherwise, you'll get Trump, who will dismantle O'Bama's entire legacy before his first 100 days are out. That's his team's own claim--I did not make it up. They're already writing up the executive orders for him to sign. On the chopping block: access to birth control and abortion, positive immigration reform, gun safety, LGBTQ+ rights, marijuana legalization, and more. If you value any of that shit, kiss it goodbye if Trump gets in.

Got it?

Good--then please go vote, early if possible, and take as many Hillary-supporting friends with you as you can. Atheist God save us, but it really is that close. I can't believe that a race between a decent, upstanding, honest candidate and a fraudulent, freeloading, abusive demagogue is as close as it is. But there it is. And it's up to all of us to do everything we possibly can to save the country and the world by electing Hillary.

Now...if you hate Donald Trump, and you hate Hillary, and you hate O'Bama, then bless your little heart for reading this far...I love ya, friend, but I can't help ya much. If you lean right, maybe write in Bill Weld for president (poor Gary Johnson is an embarrassment, poor dear...but his fake heart attack during a pot debate was hilarious); if you lean left, maybe write in Bernie or Elizabeth Warren--but not Jill Stein because the Green Party supports Donald Trump...d'oh!

In other n00z...

Police have been violently attacking the water protectors trying to stop DAPL from shredding sacred land, burial sites, and water sources. Please write to O'Bama and your other elected officials to stop the pipeline...

...if they do reroute it, it MUST be FAR, FAR AWAY from anywhere it can poison the water WHEN it leaks...

...or explodes.

Also...

Scott Michael Greene, the man who was arrested for ambushing and murdering those two Iowa policemen, is a white supremacist and proud Trump supporter. If the allegations are true, then Mr. Greene is about as deplorable as you can get. I wrote last time "isn't it possible that this might be a case of actions having consequences?" Maybe these reprehensible assassinations were the consequences of Donald Trump's actions of legitimizing, empowering, and emboldening the deplorables.

There's so much more n00z...so much more to tell...but I have had the week from hell. Forgive me for having run out of time and energy to discuss the broader world beyond the all-encompassing election today. And be sure to read the headlines and check out todaze m00bies if you do nothing else. There's a crap-ton of good information in there. Like Randi Rhodes's video on whether the FBI has gone rogue (alas, methinks the answer is yes). And Keith Olbermann's video on whether it's already time to reclassify ourselves as a fascist state.

Don't forget to read Dot Calm's shadow's favorite independent sources of news and information:

Daily Kos
AlterNet

Peas, friends. Take care of yourselves and your elder friends and rellies for me--drive someone to the polls on Tuesday if you can. Oh, and have some chocolate and some red wine Fireball as a reward for surviving the week. Trust me--you're worth it!
  
- Dot Calm's shadow

Consider the preemptive Blogger phuqued-up phormatting disclaimer to be in effect. Grrr.
-- Dot Calm's shadow

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 Hey, Republicans! You listening?
 
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Headlines
    
A word from POLITICO
    
...Friends, this is a very important article. Read it if you read nothing else.
   
...About what you'd expect: a whole lot of loyal yes men and not much actual knowledge or experience
    
...Also about what you'd expect: faithful veterans with a broad array of expertise and appropriate background
   
What It Took: Hillary Clinton's Uphill Road to the White House
...In short, Hillary leans left but is a total pragmatist. I fall into the same category. Like her, I can look back at my life and assess the times and the reasons I've had to compromise my ideals to get somewhere when doubling down would have gotten me nowhere. Although the article is worded neutrally, I see it as being very flattering for Hillary--it shows just how willing she is to take information on board and use it. Try that with a Republican!
    
A word from FiveThirtyEight
...Friends, this is no laughing matter. This election quite literally could go either way.
    
The Economic Recovery Is Finally Bringing Pay Raises
...THANKS, OBAMA. Want the positive trends to keep gaining momentum? Then VOTE FOR HILLARY AND VOTE BLUE ALL THE WAY DOWN!!!!!
  
A word from Vox
  
...Not the real issues facing all Americans. Not Trump's disqualifying statements, associations, business practices, lawlessness, etc. No. It's been all-Clinton-e-mail all the time. This is how the media manufacture consent for a Trump presidency.
    
...Aww, I love this story so much! Definitely a great big warm fuzzy you should treat yourself to. Oddly enough, NOBODY EVER talks about Donald Trump as being a good person...a kind person...a compassionate person...a generous person. Sad!
    
...Be afraid...be VERY afraid...and then GO VOTE FOR HILLARY AND VOTE BLUE DOWN THE LINE!!!!!
    
...If she wins, and I hope to FSM she does, it will be a miracle given what bullshit is being thrown at her. Last time, I posted Republicans and Russian hackers have made Hillary Clinton the most transparent candidate in history. It's troo!
   
2 ex-Christie aides were just convicted in Bridgegate. Christie is still running Trump's transition.
...Because of course he is! Republicans demand that Democrats be so clean their sphincters squeak, but anything goes for Republicans--as far as they're concerned, they can do no wrong. Fucking hypocrites.
    
...Ugly, ugly, ugly. Stone only proves that Republicans are completely divorced from reality. However, he makes one observation that I hate but know is true: Trumpism--meaning anarchy, open bigotry, bullying, reality-denial, and fraud--is here to stay.
    
...In other words, be safe, vote early if at all possible, and, whatever you do, suck it up and go vote for Hillary!!!!! Don't let the bastards win!!!!!
   
Civil rights leaders fought to make voting easier. An Alabama Republican didn't get the memo.
...That's ok, hon--North Carolina didn't get the memo, either: North Carolina Republicans are using one shameful trick after another to keep Democrats from voting...and when they say "Democrats," they mean "Blacks."
   
Journalist covering Standing Rock captures video of police shooting her point blank with rubber bullet
...Disturbing. And police wonder why they're so hated right now--so mistrusted.
   
The simple reason black early voting is down, and why it shouldn't worry Democrats too much
...In short, Blacks know that our collective ass is on the line, and they are gearing up to go vote. They just don't always do the early voting thing. Who knew? I hope more do early voting this year in case there's trouble from the Teanderthal Trumpists on Tuesday.
    
...The irony is just priceless. Awww, isn't she just pweshush? Maybe she thinks that everyone will be too distracted by her boobs to realize that her own husband is the worst offender in the "mean and rough" category of social media. What's more amusing is that, this time, she cribbed not only from Michelle Obama but also Hillary Clinton!! Knowing Donald Trump, he'll accuse Michelle and Hillary of pre-stealing Melania's speech--just like Tea Party Christians accuse Hammurabi of pre-stealing the ten commandments (except that the Code of Hammurabi actually does exist and is in some ways more sophisticated than the ten commandments, even though it is quite a bit older). Of course, The Independent thinks Melania plagiarized from Marla Maples, too: Melania Trump caught plagiarising again – this time from one of Donald Trump's ex-wives. Does Melania even have an identity of her own? Things that make you go "hmm."
     
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Mailbag
   
Bold Democrats poll: should James Comey resign for tampering with the election?

Some other questions in the poll:

Did you know that in 2013, when Comey was appointed to the FBI, the Wall Street Journal criticized him for the "worst prosecutorial excesses of the last decade?"

Democrat Harry Reid has slammed Director Comey for possibly breaking the law by tampering with the election. Do you believe Comey should be investigated?

Reid also accused Comey of sitting on shocking information tying Trump to Russia. If this is true, do you believe Comey should be forced to release the information before Election Day?
 
     
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Friends of Bernie Sanders


How important are your contributions? This article shows just how critical small-dollar donations are to people running for down ballot offices. Sabrina Shrader is running for West Virginia legislature, and she received $12,000 from thousands of small contributions. It completely changed her campaign.
"When Sabrina Shrader was growing up in McDowell County, she was taught not to talk about poverty. She was discouraged from discussing problems in her life. She definitely wasn’t pushed to run for political office...
"The additional funding has been a huge boost to Shrader’s limited campaign. It’s allowed her to pay for yard signs, some political mailers, several billboards around town and a couple of large campaign magnets for the side of her orange Chevy sedan — advertising that elicits more than few honks as she drives through town.
"On the first day of early voting, Shrader was back at the local radio station to record one of her last advertisements before Election Day. It took her one take to deliver the message that she had written out with the help of her family — her public-speaking practice obviously coming in handy.
"'I wouldn’t have been able to get any of this,' Shrader said, as she stood in the small studio dressed in blue jeans, a blazer and a string of plastic pearls. 'I probably would have just had some fliers.'"
Even if you contribute just a few dollars, you can shake up whole elections. And tonight is the best chance for your contributions to make a difference in congressional and local elections. That's why we are asking you now:
Please split a contribution between Pramila Jayapal, Nanette Barragan, Morgan Carroll, Tom Nelson, Rick Nolan, Jane Kim, and Peter Jacob:


Thank you for all you're doing to continue our political revolution. Add your contribution now and you can help make a difference in these seven races.
In solidarity,
Team Bernie
     
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Friends, if you can contribute to Hillary, NOW is the time!

We are up against Very Big Money here--Sheldon Adelson has already given Donald Trump $25 MILLION and may give him ANOTHER $25 MILLION this week! If you like how O'Bama ran his administration...if you felt safe and comfortable having him in the White House...if you're happier and better off now than you were 8 years ago...then please pull out all the stops to get Hillary elected with the most Democrats possible in the House and Senate!
-- Dot Calm's shadow
P.S.--I just donated $30 to Hillary, which means that I now have to figure out which $30-worth of stuff I can go without. Ouch. But it's all hands on deck time, friends. The last thing any of us wants to do is look back on a Trump victory and think about what more we could have done today. Tomorrow and Sunday, I will be calling on behalf of MoveOn to GOTV. Please consider doing the same--thank you!

     
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Just Foreign Policy






Urge Obama & Congress to press FCC & DoJ to investigate whether police at Standing Rock are jamming communications or conducting unconstitutional surveillance.

Take Action

Protestors at the Standing Rock #NoDAPL protest have alleged that police have jammed their cell phone communications [1] and have spied on their communications. [2] Cell phone jamming by state or local authorities is illegal, and general surveillance of protesters without probable cause violates the Fourth Amendment.

Urge President Obama & Congress to ask the FCC & DoJ to investigate by signing our petition at MoveOn.
Proving or disproving allegations about jamming is very difficult for anyone except the Federal Communications Commission [FCC]. Only the FCC can work with wireless providers, protesters, and local law enforcement to find out definitively what’s going on. The FCC is the only expert agency with authority to require law enforcement to disclose their use of any wireless devices and the only agency with the expertise to assess what is actually happening. If the FCC investigates and finds there is no illegal jamming happening, it can settle this concern. If the FCC discovers there is illegal jamming happening, it has an obligation to expose the jamming and use its power under federal law to order local law enforcement to stop interfering with First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and freedom of the press. [3]

Congress and the President may request the FCC to take appropriate action to determine whether illegal jamming is taking place, and whether law enforcement have violated the terms of the FCC license to use IMSI Catchers ("Stingrays") by expressly requiring local law enforcement to use IMSI Catchers in accordance with due process. The Administration can order the Justice Department to investigate whether local law enforcement have violated the civil rights of the protesters through unlawful surveillance and illegal disruption of their freedom to communicate and freedom of the press under the First Amendment.

Urge President Obama & Congress to act to protect the First and Fourth amendment rights of #NoDAPL protesters at Standing Rock by signing and sharing our petition.

Thanks for all you do to help make U.S. foreign policy more just,

Robert Naiman, Avram Reisman, and Sarah Burns
Just Foreign Policy

Help support our work!
If you think our work is important, support us with a $15 donation.

References:

 
Please support our work. Donate for a Just Foreign Policy
     
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Friends, we HAVE to have Hillary in the White House for Bernie and Elizabeth to fight effectively for us!

PLEASE do all you can to make it happen--please and thank you!
-- Dot Calm's shadow


We're teaming up with Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to demand that the Justice Department investigate Wells Fargo executives and prosecute all illegal behavior they find. Will you chip in $5?
Wells Fargo got caught red-handed defrauding their customers, and now they think they can let their CEO retire with tens of millions of dollars, issue a lame apology, and call that "accountability"?1

No way, and we're teaming up with Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to demand that the Justice Department investigate Wells Fargo executives and prosecute all illegal behavior they find.2

Wells Fargo ran a company-wide scam, charging fees on millions of secret phony accounts—and then tried to cover it up by firing 5,300 low-level employees.3 We can't let them get away with it.


If a bank teller pocketed $25, they'd go to jail. But Wall Street executives make off with billions and nothing happens.

That's why Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are teaming up to finally make sure that Wall Street executives are held accountable.

First, Senator Warren tore into Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf in front of the Senate Banking Committee, creating a firestorm of media coverage and pressure on Stumpf to step down.4

With tens of thousands of Rootstrikers members speaking out to back her up, Sen. Warren proved that Wall Street isn't above the law. But forcing a CEO to retire with tens of millions of dollars isn't real accountability. Not even close.

That's why we're redoubling our efforts to hold Wells Fargo accountable. Will you chip in $5?


Thanks for standing with us,

Kurt Walters and the Rootstrikers Team




Sources:

1. New CEO at Wells Fargo tells workers: "We're sorry for the pain", CBS News, October 26, 2016

2. Sanders, Senate Democrats Call for Justice Department to Hold Wells Fargo Executives Accountable, Bernie Sanders United States Senator for Vermont, October 5, 2016

3. The Obama Administration Must Prosecute Wells Fargo, New Republic, September 21, 2016

4. Wells Fargo Chief Abruptly Steps Down, The New York Times, October 12, 2016


     
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WOMEN'S HEALTH
Policy Report
Weekly Top 10

Video round up: Fla. court hears arguments over injunction on mandatory delay law; Texas abortion-rights supporters rally against funeral requirements

In today's clips, NBC2 News covers a hearing regarding a temporary injunction against a Florida abortion delay law. Elsewhere, CBS Austin's Adela Uchida reports from a rally against a Texas proposal that would require fetal remains to be buried or cremated. More »

VRU.11-3.Florida.jpg

Read More




Research shows millions of women lack 'reasonable access' to full range of contraception

Many low-income women lack "reasonable access" to contraception, according to new research released Tuesday by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, The Atlantic reports. More »

Read More




Study finds TV shows often portray abortion providers as safe, effective

Television shows tend to depict abortion providers as safe and competent, according to a new study from the University of California-San Francisco's (UCSF) Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, the Huffington Post reports. More »

Read More




Abortion access could have contributed to relatively low rate of Zika-related microcephaly in Colombia

There is evidence that access to abortion care helped curb the rate of Zika-related microcephaly in Colombia, the New York Times reports. More »

Read More




Medication abortion becoming as common as abortion procedures

Medication abortion is now about as common as abortion procedures, Reuters reports. More »

Read More




Blogs comment on court decisions striking down two Ala. antiabortion-rights law, Utah law targeting abortion providers and more

Read the week's best commentary from bloggers at the American Civil Liberties Union's "Speak Freely," Slate's "XX Factor" and more. More »

Read More



Fla. Supreme Court hears arguments over injunction against mandatory delay law

The Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday heard arguments over whether to maintain an injunction on a state law (HB 633) that imposes a 24-hour mandatory delay before an abortion, the News Service of Florida/News 4 Jax reports. More »

Read More



States increasingly trying to facilitate LARC access

State Medicaid programs increasingly are implementing a policy that allows women to receive long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) immediately after giving birth, the New York Times reports. More »

Read More



Federal judge blocks two Ala. antiabortion-rights laws

A federal judge last week issued a preliminary injunction that blocks two Alabama antiabortion-rights measures from taking effect, Reuters reports. More »

Read More



Ariz. postpones enforcement of antiabortion-rights law pending implementation rules

Attorneys representing Arizona have temporarily agreed not to enforce a new state law (HB 2599) targeting funding for abortion providers, the Capitol Media Services/Arizona Daily Star reports. More »

Read More



Blogs comment on eased Va. clinic regulations, one woman's breast cancer experience and more

Read the week's best commentary from bloggers at Mother Jones, Huffington Post blogs and more. More »

Read More

     
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Congress returns from recess in just 11 days. The very first thing on their docket?
Sanctioning discrimination against women and LGBTQ workers.
Some members of Congress are hijacking the National Defense Authorization Act to push sweeping discrimination that targets women, LGBTQ people and religious individuals in the workplace—and it's one of the first votes they'll take up when they return from recess.
We're partnering with the Center for American Progress, ACLU, CREDO, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, URGE, the National Women's Law Center and our friends at several other organizations to #RejectRussell.
If we collect enough signatures by the time Congress is back in session on November 14, we can kill this poisonous amendment. Sign the petition to tell Congress to stand against sanctioned discrimination against workers.
If this new language becomes law, employers could:
  • Fire an unmarried mother
  • Fire a woman who's had premarital sex
  • Fire an LGBTQ person because of who they love or how they identify
  • Fire a woman for having an abortion
  • Fire someone for using birth control
The Russell Amendment would jeopardize existing non-discrimination policies that protect 28 million workers—one-fifth of the country's workforce. It would also allow religiously-affiliated organizations that receive federal grants and contracts (like hospitals and universities) to discriminate against a broad swath of our society.
Take action right now: Add your name to our petition calling on Congress to reject the Russell Amendment and reject sanctioned discrimination against workers.
Thank you for all you do for reproductive freedom.

Sasha Bruce
Senior Vice President, NARAL Pro-Choice America

 
DONATE NOW
     
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Civil Rights Icon John Lewis is fighting for common sense solutions to gun violence across America.

He’s asked you twice to stand up against gun violence. With Election Day just 5 days away, he now needs you more than ever.

Please rush $5 right away to answer his call-to-action >>
Join John Lewis and chip in to our Alliance today >>
If you've saved payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
TRIPLE MATCH: $5 >>
TRIPLE MATCH: $35 >>
TRIPLE MATCH: $50 >>
TRIPLE MATCH: $100 >>
TRIPLE MATCH: $250 >>
Triple Match another amount >>
http://action.gunresponsibility.org/John-Lewis
       
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President Obama’s Treasury Department has proposed an important rule that would close a loophole in the Estate Tax, but special interests are trying to block it. We need you to send comments by TOMORROW’S deadline at day’s end – telling them to stay strong.
The rule would generate up to $18 billion in new tax revenue over ten years from the wealthiest American families – and would allow us to invest in our country’s future. The Estate Tax, which curbs extreme family wealth, only affects the wealthiest 0.2% of estates.

Click here to send a comment to the U.S. Treasury Department in support of this proposed rule that would strengthen the Estate Tax and generate billions in new tax revenue.
Americans for Tax Fairness will deliver your comment directly to the Treasury Department. Please, submit your comment today.
Together, let’s ensure the wealthiest families are paying their fair share in taxes.
Thank you,
Nick Trokel
Americans for Tax Fairness



As the Obama Administration nears the end, the President is using his executive authority to finalize one more rule that will close a tax loophole – this time to strengthen the Estate Tax.
We really need your help to get this past the finish line as virtually all conservatives in Congress, the Chamber of Commerce and other wealthy interests are trying to block it.
Click here to send a comment to the U.S. Treasury Department in support of a proposed rule that would strengthen the Estate Tax. The wealthiest 0.2% of families must pay their fair share of taxes.
One hundred years ago, the U.S. Congress established the Estate Tax to curb the passing down of extreme family wealth from one generation to the next. Dynastic wealth was a major concern then, as it is today.
Today, the Estate Tax affects just the wealthiest 0.2% of estates – those worth more than $5.5 million.
Over the years, the Estate Tax has been riddled with loopholes that allow the wealthiest families to pay, on average, an effective tax rate of just 17%.
The Treasury Department’s proposed rule would close just one of these loopholes and generate up to $18 billion over 10 years. This could be used to end family homelessness ($11 billion over 10 years) and help one million young people get their first jobs ($3.5 billion).
Comments from the public in support of rules like this really make a difference. Federal agencies look to the public record of support or opposition when determining whether to move forward or trim their sails. We say full steam ahead, and we need you to as well.
So please join Americans for Tax Fairness in calling on the Treasury Department to use its executive authority to close this Estate Tax loophole that only benefits the wealthiest 0.2% of families.
Together, let’s create a tax system that works for all Americans, not just the wealthy few.
Thank you,
Frank Clemente
Executive Director
     
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CREDO action
Congress must investigate sexual assault allegations against Clarence Thomas
Tell Republican leaders in the House:
“Immediately launch a thorough, transparent investigation and hold emergency Congressional hearings about the allegations of sexual assault by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.”
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►
     
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Update from Greg Palast on Crosscheck racist interstate voter suppression program

Thanks for taking action and urging the Department of Justice to investigate the Interstate Program. I have some good news and some bad news.

The good news:

Since you signed the petition to call upon the Justice Department to investigate Crosscheck, Congressman Alcee Hastings of Florida has brought Crosscheck to the attention of the Loretta Lynch and the DOJ. In addition to 18MillionRising, joining our campaign are

Congressman Alcee Hastings, Congressional Black Caucus
Hon. Keith Ellison, US Congressman
Martin Luther King III
Santiago Juarez, AMPARO Legal Services
Dr. Wilmer Leon, Sirius FM
Bill Gallegos, Climate Justice, Communities for a Better Environment
Mimi Kennedy, People Demanding Action
Medea Benjamin, Code Pink

We need to keep up the pressure on the DOJ to put an end to Crosscheck and racist voter theft tactics. To do so we need your support. 28,000 of you have signed so far. Please share this petition to help us reach the goal of 50,000 signatures.

Now for the bad news:

Millions of Americans have already been targeted to be removed from the voter rolls because of Crosscheck. I met one of them recently in Dayton, Ohio. Donald Webster, a 73 year old former auto worker, has voted in every election and primary for over 50 years. Now, because of Crosscheck, his vote on November 8th may not count. Donald's story and the full investigation into Crosscheck can be seen in the new documentary, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, where I expose this racist voter theft and the greedy billionaires who fund it for their own personal gain.

You can see the film here streaming and on DVD and get all the facts at GregPalast.com.

Please share the petition and let's put an end to Crosscheck.


All the best,

Greg Palast
     
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Trending petition
There's a new petition taking off on Change.org, and we think you might be interested in signing it.
Petitioning Wyoming Highway Patrol

Withdraw Wyoming Highway Patrol from Standing Rock

Petition by Christiane Dechert
Laramie, Wyoming
8,333
Supporters
Dear Governor Mead,
As concerned citizens of the State of Wyoming, we express our urgent objection to the Wyoming Highway Patrol’s sending of six troopers to Standing Rock and participating in the despicable display of violence against Native Americans in their defense of life and water. We hereby stand in solidarity with Wyoming's Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes and express our support not for “protesters” but for the Native American protectors of water in North Dakota. Dean Goggles, chairman of Northern Arapaho Business Council, clearly outlined the intent of the protectors: “The North Dakota tribes and tribal members from around the nation are attempting to protect both the environment and sites which have ceremonial, religious and cultural significance to the tribes. ” Jason Baldes, a member of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe and staff member at the Wind River Native Advocacy Center, has also expressed his concern that troopers are in North Dakota to support the DAPL company. “It kind of sheds light on really who’s running the show here,” Baldes said. “The oil and gas industry really has the final say, and has the politicians and our elected leaders in their pockets.”
The planned oil pipeline threatens the access to clean water for the North Dakota Sioux tribe, and for all people who live along the Missouri River. The same company that is behind the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, Sunoco Logistics, has a track record of pipeline leaks in other parts of the country. Only last Friday, 55,000 gallons of gasoline were leaked into the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. As you, Governor Mead stated, Wyoming has not taken a position on the pipeline controversy. Wyoming should not be part of the violence against Native Americans and human rights violations against the protectors at Standing Rock.
We urge you to withdraw the troopers immediately.
     
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Democracy Now!

Stories


With the U.S. election only days away, Michael Moore has released a surprise new film about Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton titled Michael Moore in TrumpLand. ... Read More →

With just days until the election, we spend the hour with the Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore and talk about his surprise new movie, Michael Moore ... Read More →

Headlines →

     

Stories


Many musicians, including Emily Saliers and Amy Ray, better known as the folk duo the Indigo Girls, are now banding together to confront Energy Transfer Partners ... Read More →

President Obama says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is considering rerouting the $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline, amid months of resistance ... Read More →

When Kelcy Warren of Energy Transfer Partners is not building pipelines, he runs a small record label that puts out folk music. In December 2013, Warren’s record label, ... Read More →

We turn now to look at the Texas billionaire behind the Dakota Access Pipeline: Kelcy Warren, the CEO of Energy Transfer Partners. Described by Bloomberg as ... Read More →

We end today's show looking at another pipeline. In Alabama, at least one worker has died and five have been hospitalized after a section of the Colonial pipeline ... Read More →

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Daily Kos
     
  • Sources feeding FBI rumors to Fox News and Trump campaign are spreading bad fiction
  • Gov. Chris Christie's former aides guilty on all charges in Bridgegate scandal
  • WATCH Mark Halperin melt on live TV after his ridiculously partisan predictions get called out
  • A slew of good results for Clinton, Senate Democrats from PPP
  • Let’s make some history! Sign up to call swing state voters from home, and help make Hillary Clinton the first woman elected President of the United States.
  • Putin loves Trump because Trump is weak, Putin fears Clinton because ... Clinton has his number
  • Matt Yglesias: The real Clinton email scandal is that a bullshit story has dominated the campaign
  • 'Florida! As of this morning, Democrats have overtaken Republicans in votes cast so far!'
  • There's a war inside the FBI. Who are the generals?
  • RNC conference call gives more proof of RNC/Trump collusion on voter intimidation
  • Keep calm, and get out the vote. Democracy for America has a nifty tool to help you call voters in crucial House and Senate races from the comfort of your home. Sign up for a shift now.
  • Texas Republican women pained by an outbreak of Trump-mouth in their state party
  • 'Can I get a ride?' Probably not if you're Black and want to use Uber
  • As if you needed more motivation for GOTV ...
  • Want to hit Arpaio, Trump and David Duke with a sandal? Thanks to Bazta Arpaio, now you can
                 
  • I stopped worrying today
  • Here's a WikiLeaks email you aren't hearing about from Trump or anyone else for that matter
  • Polling worker injured after trying to remove Trump campaign sign boobytrapped with razor blades
  • Sign up with the PCCC and Daily Kos to help key progressive Democrats running for Congress by making Get Out the Vote phone calls to voters in their districts.
  • Don’t want to talk to voters? Chip in $3 to the Daily Kos Get Out The Vote Fund to help us sign up more volunteers to get Democrats to the polls.
  • All hell breaks loose at Dillard University debate with David Duke
  • Fraud Trump's income is a fraction of what he claims
  • Melania's surreal speech, Trump's Putinesque policies and more
  • Republican National Committee caught in a lie in voter intimidation case
  • Dan Rather: 'I believe that we as a nation will make the right decisions'
  • Must-watch: The Today Show's segment on voter ID laws and how they could swing an election
  • A President Donald Trump would be able to launch nuclear weapons whenever he wanted. Period. Please, sign up with MoveOn to call swing state voters from home, and make sure that never even remotely happens.
  • Clinton has historic lead among Latinos in Florida poll, 'Downright terrifying for Republicans'
  • Why yes, our discourse does seem to be getting a bit coarse lately
  • A reminder as we sprint to the finish: Geography matters
           
  • Get a load of who Melania Trump is plagiarizing now!
  • Trump targets yet another woman for abuse: NBC's Katy Tur
  • The FBI is launching an investigation into the FBI, investigating its own Twitter account
  • Donald Trump is also a moron about baseball and the Cubs
  • November 8th can be a blue wave to elect progressive Democratic women to Congress. Democracy for America has a nifty tool to help you call voters in crucial districts from the comfort of your home.
  • USC math professor holds infant for student so she can take class
  • Outrage in VA after a high school principal and secretary dressed as Trump and 'prison Hillary'
  • Cartoon: Do you have an Antisocial Personality Disorder?
  • Mississippi official: 'Calm down,' arson, pro-Trump graffiti at black church probably not political
  • Five days to go and these 11 races will give you the most bang for your buck. Chip in $1 to each now to help Get Out The Vote for Democrats.
  • Four years after opening, the Trump International Hotel in Toronto is in bankruptcy court this week
  • An apolitical 'relentlessly fair' FBI was always a fiction
  • Expect us: Latino Decisions predicting record turnout—Clinton up 79-18, +17 gain over 2012
  • Democrats' Senate chances are peaking at the right time
  • White nationalists plan to attack American democracy on Election Day
                  
  • The woman who accused Trump of raping her when she was 13 cancels press conference due to threats
  • White nationalists plan to attack American democracy on Election Day
  • Sean Hannity apologizes for reading fake news story about Michelle Obama/Hillary Clinton live on air
  • Election Day is fast approaching, and we need all hands on deck. With the PCCC and Daily Kos, you can call key voters in districts where progressive Democrats are in tight races.
  • Can't make calls? Chip in $3 to the Daily Kos Get Out The Vote Fund to help get Democrats to the polls.
  • FBI investigation fails to find evidence, but relies on alt-right propaganda
  • A new poll questions assumptions about early voting
  • FBI needs to investigate why the FBI is suddenly so leaky
  • Jim Messina: It is neither public polls nor big data
  • During a fundraiser for veterans, Jon Stewart recalls his bizarre Twitter battle with Donald Trump
  • White nationalist election over in less than a week
  • We are less than a week away from electing the first woman President. Will you help these five Democratic women win their House & Senate races, and give Hillary the support she needs in Congress? Click to sign up for a phone-banking shift.
  • House Freedom Caucus holding secret meeting, which isn't so secret since someone blabbed to Politico
  • A few more minutes of hate
  • Stories from Standing Rock—how YOU can keep the Black Snake out of our water. You can't drink oil.
  • Another Donald Trump recording emerges ... and this time it's a mob connection
  • Watch Hillary slam heckler: 'I'm sick & tired of ... behavior of people who support Donald Trump'
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    Please, friends--MAKE THIS HAPPEN Tuesday!
     
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    AlterNet
    By Janet Allon, AlterNet
    The destruction of every political norm started well before Donald Trump. READ MORE»


    By Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet
    Tens of millions have already voted, with many more women than men in key states. READ MORE»


    By Kurt Eichenwald, Newsweek
    Although there have been times when even Putin has considered Trump too unstable to be president.  READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    Melania railed against cyber bullying, which seems ironic.... READ MORE»


    By Chauncey DeVega, Salon
    Sean Hannity & Co. will not abandon the upside-down zone of disinformation, which the mainstream media amplifies. READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    "No one knows what's true anymore!" READ MORE»


    By Travis Gettys, Raw Story
    It's not surprising when getting to know someone with a severe character pathology. READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    Years before she met the Donald, fashion campaigns cast Melania Trump in a presidential role.  READ MORE»
           
    By Adele M. Stan, AlterNet
    When an official FBI Twitter account that had been dormant for a year sprang to life with old documents about the Clintons, Jonathan Hutson took action. READ MORE»


    By Heather Digby Parton, Salon
    This guy is a one man bomb squad.  READ MORE»


    By Jeff Cohen, Norman Solomon, AlterNet
    Let's not kid ourselves. He could still win. READ MORE»


    By April M. Short, AlterNet
    The Beckley Foundation director discusses science, psychoactive substances and the state of humanity. READ MORE»


    By Jenny Pierson, AlterNet
    Warning: While some answers shed light on the women's decision-making process, most will make your head explode. READ MORE»


    By Linda Bonvie, Bill Bonvie, Skyhorse Publishing
    It's one elaborate con job.  READ MORE»


    By Robert Kuttner, The American Prospect
    The latest Clinton email controversy threatens to upend an already disappointing campaign. READ MORE»


    By Sarah Anderson, Josh Hoxie, AlterNet
    On November 8, voters in many states will have the opportunity to weigh in on a wide variety of inequality-related issues, from taxing the wealthy to price-gouging on drugs.  READ MORE»


    By Vijay Prashad, AlterNet
    There is little serious criticism of the Israeli state, including from Hillary Clinton's camp. READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    "Blood on the Mountain" uncovers West Virginia's true history. READ MORE»


    By Brad Reed, Raw Story
    The former Fox exec offered to advance Kelly's career in exchange for sexual favors. READ MORE»


    By Lizette Borreli, Medical Daily
    The inability to orgasm could be triggered by several issues that range from physiological to psychological. READ MORE»
           
    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    The Trump boys' attempt to connect with younger voters was just as obnoxious and inaccurate as you can imagine. READ MORE»


    By Chauncey DeVega, Salon
    Two policemen murdered in Iowa, allegedly by a white man. Where's the outrage over white men killing cops? READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    Hmmmm, someone who incites violence, scams people, says countless racist, sexist, xenophobic, deplorable things, or... READ MORE»


    By Alyssa Ritch, AlterNet
    Don't sit back and assume the candidates you're voting for will be victorious. READ MORE»


    By Mark Sumner, DailyKos
    Our nation's law enforcement turned dangerous gossip factory. READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    Times are getting tough at Trump Tower. READ MORE»


    By Tom Tomorrow, AlterNet
    The monster feeds on your anxiety.  READ MORE»


    By Jeff Fox, AlterNet
    Tea partying New Jersey congressman uses his faith as a cover for bigotry. READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    "Corporate America doesn't need lube." READ MORE»


    By Erin Corbett, Raw Story
    It's not the first time Gov. Nathan Deal has made racist remarks in public.  READ MORE»


    By Brian Bienkowski, Environmental Health News
    A new study looks at the economic toll of common chemicals found in pesticides, food packaging, makeup, toys and detergents that interfere with the body’s hormones. READ MORE»
         
    By Phillip Smith, AlterNet
    A frightening mix of cruel and superficial. READ MORE»


    By Eric Boehlert, Media Matters
    Laura Ingraham: "Talk radio continues to thrive while moderate Republicans like John McCain and to some extent Mitt Romney continue to lose presidential elections." READ MORE»


    By Sophia Tesfaye, Salon
    In a candid profile in the campaign's last days, manager Kellyanne Conway dishes on how she deals with Trump READ MORE»


    By Adele M. Stan, The American Prospect
    Making a conservative case against Trump, Ross Douthat descends into denial about anti-choice violence. READ MORE»


    By Sarah Lazare, AlterNet
    The Overseas Contingency Operations fund allows the military to sidestep budget caps and political debate. READ MORE»


    By Thom Hartmann, AlterNet
    The race for the White House is shockingly close. READ MORE»


    By Franziska Spritzler, Authority Nutrition
    Having high levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease. READ MORE»


    By Josh Balk, AlterNet
    Massachusetts voters have a chance to significantly help the most abused animals in agribusiness. READ MORE»


    By Alexandra Rosenmann, AlterNet
    The Vermont senator is doing everything in his power to get Hillary Clinton elected. READ MORE»


    By Teesta Setalvad, AlterNet
    Who guards Indian patriotism and public space? READ MORE»


    By David Edwards, Raw Story
    Her husband could barely park the car before the baby arrived.  READ MORE»


    By Nora Jacques, AlterNet
    Despite the challenges of poverty and crime, Barry Farm residents have developed a sense of community. READ MORE»


    By Meteor Blades, Daily Kos
    This all started in 2011 when Texas passed a strict voter ID law. READ MORE»


         
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    Movies!

    Speaking of trying to hold Hillary to standards he has no hope of meeting himself, here's a video from MSNBC on Hypocrite Donald Trump's e-mail woes--including deleting e-mails against court orders, which is against the law last time I checked.

    Do NOT miss this video from TYT: which religion is Donald Trump coming after next? Hint: "Jew-S-A." FUX Noise and the Republicans have destroyed all the rules, so there are no holds barred any more. Sheldon Adelson has already dumped $25 million into a Trump super-PAC and may dump another $25 million to swing the election--so please donate to Hillary if you can! This video will make your hair on end--we are watching the American equivalent of Nazi Germany. This is for real, friends--not Godwin's law.

    Keith Olbermann on Donald Trump's ascent...not unlike Hitler's. I mentioned this video to my dad, and he said that one reason Hitler got in and was able to make himself dictator was that the German government had become gridlocked, too stultified to accomplish anything to help the people. Sound familiar? Having grown up with air raid drills, Dot Calm was fascinated--the way you might be if you were to witness a train wreck--with Hitler's rise. How could the Germans, who were clearly good and decent people, ever allow it? I remember wondering whether it must've been like that old adage about boiling a frog: you don't just dump him into boiling water because he'll hop right out; instead, you put him in cool water and turn up the heat on him degree by degree until he's cooked. Dot Calm referred me to Sinclair Lewis's 1935 classic "It Can't Happen Here" and Joe Conason's modern take based on George W. Bush's authoritarianism, "It Can Happen Here," which I heard about on "Democracy Now!" but haven't yet read. Sinclair Lewis brought us the chillingly prescient phrase, "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross." I need to get me both of these books and read them. Maybe you should, too.

    Keith asks whether we should reclassify our government as a fascist state--and the FBI has gone rogue and is definitely out of Director James Comey's control. This video has too much good information to miss!

    Samantha Bee with, like, a totally valid theory for realz: Donald Trump can't read! That sure would explain a lot. The video is funny AF, but think about it for a minute: if he should win, Donald Trump's closest advisors would be the ones telling him what the various bills etc. say--it would be like M*A*S*H's  "Radar" O'Reilly getting Henry Blake to sign paperwork sight unseen. They could tell Trump that the paperwork he was signing was for Mexico to pay for the wall when it was really nuclear authorization to blow up Crimea to save Putin the effort. This means that Donald Trump is even more easily manipulated than Hillary Clinton proved him to be with her "dance, monkey--dance!" jabs during the debates. Donald Trump is one sad little man.

    Another Samantha Bee--this time, she interviews a couple of Russian trolls. Holy shit.

    Seth Meyers on Donald Trump's whinging about all the scrutiny he's had to rebuff since campaigning for president. Like getting dimed out for pretending to be a donor for a children's center for AIDS but leaving as soon as the photographers were done--without offering as little as an actual penny. Shoulda stayed home if you didn't want everyone and their brother trying to look up your butt crack, Donnie. You're only butthurt because Hillary has bigger bawls about it than you do.

    Seth Meyers on the tightening polls and on how Donald Trump pockets his campaign donations. Funny, but Donald "like a bitch" Trump, who was bitching about the polls being "rigged"--what, a week ago?--is now celebrating the polls. Seth also takes on the false equivalency the media creates between Hillary and Donald Trump.

    Stephen Colbert on Donald Trump telling early voters to change their votes and vote for him. News flash, Donald Trump: you're an idiot. I know you think everyone is as stupid as you are, but only your Teanderthal base is.

    Don't miss this video by Keith Olbermann on StateTV TrumpTV and Donald Trump's dangerous attacks on the media--to the point that individual journalists, like Katy Tur, have had to seek police protection against violent threats from Trump supporters. And here's the difference between independent media, like Secular Talk and TYT and Dot Calm's blawg, and Donald Trump: while we point out the issues and offer solutions, Donald Trump makes personal attacks against individuals, incites violence against them, and wants to shut down the media and revoke the first amendment. Want your hair to stand on end? Then read this: TrumpTV is not the consolation prize for if/when Trump loses but the propaganda mechanism to shut down the rest of our media if he wins. Friends, Keith should have posted this video for Halloween--it's about as scary as it gets!! Good luck sleeping tonight.

    Randi Rhodes opens this important video with an excerpt from Obama speaking in Florida Wednesday. Remember what I said about Donald Trump's cruel, hateful characteristics being baked into the cake? Obama expands on that point and reminds us what a horrific combination those traits would be when mixed with the power of the presidency. Oh sure, you may think you're safe from Trump--but what will you do when he comes for YOU? And he WILL come for you...it's just a matter of time. How much have you heard about the FBI's intent to investigate the Clinton Foundation? I've been hearing vague whisperings--have you? Randi Rhodes tells you where those rumblings are coming from--a repeatedly debunked hit piece book called "Clinton Cash." It sounds like the FBI has been thoroughly politicized--and Randi opines that James Comey has gotten caught in the crossfire while trying to avoid it, especially since the aftermath of the election could get ugly because of the Trumpist Teanderthals if/when Clinton wins. Hm.

    Another important video from Randi Rhodes--this time on white nationalist plans for voter intimidation

    TYT on how Republicans crushed a medical student doing outstanding research. Why? Because he was using fetal tissue that would otherwise be discarded because he wants to help end the human organ donor shortage. Dot Calm was up in arms about the reproductive rights that Republicans so rabidly lust to kill. I agree, and I'm also up in arms about the Republican War on Science...not to mention the Republican War on Truth. A very dear friend of mine--the only analytical medical student her professors had seen in over twenty five years of teaching--went into medicine because her first daughter was a "hypoplast"...having hypoplastic left heart syndrome, the baby was born without a left ventricle (the lower, larger chamber of the heart that pumps blood through the aorta and out to the rest of the body). The baby died soon after she was born because, at the time, there was no treatment. Now, some forms of cardiac hypoplasia can be treated surgically...but not all. Dr. Gu would like to be able to grow organs to save those patients, but Republicans won't stand for it. They'd prefer to see fetal tissue discarded rather than used to save lives. Why? Because, as we all knew all along, they were never pro-life to begin with. Ever. They are anti-women's-autonomy. They are anti-truth. And, let's be honest, they are anti-life. But if you read your Bible, so is God! If God had actually wanted to cure people, He'd have told His people about germs and given them medicines and surgery...or He would have simply created them not to need any of that shit in the first place. No...God likes suffering. He created it; He inflicts it; and He'll smite you for trying thwart His will by stopping it. So suck on that, Dr. Gu!

    Trevor Noah envisioning Donald Trump's first term. Dafuq--didn't know he was doing reality TV all of a sudden!! Hey, Donald--your new national anthem makes me want to ask you a few questions, like do your bawls hang low? Can you swing 'em to and fro? Can you tie 'em in a knot--can you tie 'em in a bow?

    'Til next time, check out these great channels:
    ...or, if you just want something mindless and fun, try Tested
      
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     Just one little goodie for tizzert today:
    "If Congress was your co-worker"