More Republicans Than You Think Support Action on Climate Change

This is encouraging:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/29/opinion/sunday/republicans-climate-change-polls.html

How Donald Trump Lost More Than Just the Shutdown

I hope this perspective prevails:

http://time.com/5513459/donald-trump-nancy-pelosi-shutdown-congress/

How is the psychology of conservatives different from that of liberals?

An interesting post from a conservative that does a pretty good job of explaining the overall differences between liberals and conservatives:

https://www.quora.com/How-is-the-psychology-of-conservatives-different-from-that-of-liberals/answer/Obinna-Onwuchekwa-2?ch=99&share=779cb364&srid=piGp

My meeting with Donald Trump: A damaged, pathetic personality — whose obvious impairment has only gotten worse

An interesting perspective from someone who's met the Tangerine Turd:

https://www.alternet.org/2019/01/my-meeting-with-donald-trump-a-damaged-pathetic-personality-whose-obvious-impairment-has-only-gotten-worse/

Evangelical Foster Agency Gets Federal Waiver To Reject LGBTQ Or Non-Christian Parents

Using federal funds to promote a religion rather than working in the best interest of the kids:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/miracle-hill-south-carolina-foster-care_us_5c49d498e4b0287e5b88b91d

Trump administration quietly changes definition of "domestic violence" and "sexual assault"

Yet another reason to despise the Trump administration:

https://www.salon.com/2019/01/23/trump-administration-quietly-changes-definition-of-domestic-violence-and-sexual-assault/

Extreme Weather Is Preventing Plants From Processing Carbon

More bad news....

https://futurism.com/the-byte/co2-plants-processing-carbon

More Americans Believe in Global Warming Than Ever Before

Good to hear it's going in the right direction:

https://futurism.com/the-byte/global-warming-survey-americans

'A Tipping Point.' Greenland's Ice Is Melting Much Faster Than Previously Thought, Scientists Say

Ice melting on land is much more problematic than ice melting at sea, since it raises the sea level much more. And Greenland has a LOT of ice:

http://time.com/5509148/greenland-ice-melting-four-times-faster/

Chris Wallace presses Pence: "You could open the government tomorrow"

I LIKE it when the Fox News dog bites its owner:

https://twitter.com/mattshuham/status/1087018774153310211

This Engineer Is An Actual Wall Expert And She Just Destroyed Trump’s Wall Proposal In One Post

Add to this the fact that 90% of drugs come through legal ports of entry and that almost two thirds of undocumented people simply enter the country on a legal visa and then overstay the deadline, and it's pretty clear the wall is a boondoggle:

https://www.boredpanda.com/actual-engineer-wall-explanation-amy-patrick/

Collusion Isn't a Specific Crime. But These Four Things Are Against the Law

This spells out the legal problems brought out by Trump allegedly telling Cohen to lie to Congress:

http://time.com/5506815/collusion-crime-obstruction-finance-trump-cohen/

US Undocumented Population Continued to Fall from 2016 to 2017, and Visa Overstays Significantly Exceeded Illegal Crossings for the Seventh Consecutive Year

Yet another reason why building an expensive wall is a boondoggle:

http://cmsny.org/publications/essay-2017-undocumented-and-overstays/

Exactly How Bad Is Trump At Making Deals? Even Worse Than You Think.

I've yet to see any good defense of anything to do with this mouth-breather:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/harvard-law-negotiation-bad-trump-deal-making-donald_us_5c3e42cee4b0e0baf541d979

Trump's strategic planning inspiration: Mike Tyson

More insight into the Planner in Chief:

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-am-9e0942a3-c61e-4e89-91e3-4ae4197d0878.html

A Complete Psychological Analysis of Trump's Support

This clarifies a few things:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mind-in-the-machine/201812/complete-psychological-analysis-trumps-support

How marginal tax rates actually work, explained with a cartoon

A useful explanation anyone can understand...even a conservative:

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/1/7/18171975/tax-bracket-marginal-cartoon-ocasio-cortez-70-percent

'Scary': Warming of Oceans Is Equivalent to 1.5 Atomic Bombs Every Second Over Past 150 Years

Put in these terms, it's alarming:

https://www.ecowatch.com/ocean-warming-atomic-bombs-2625539789.html

President Trump says he's cutting off FEMA money for California fires

This is a pretty dickish move:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/01/09/donald-trump-fema-california-wildfires/2523581002/

Is Frum right that if conservatives become convinced they can not win by democratic means at the ballot box, then they will give up on democracy?

I've generally thought the Electoral College was a bad idea, but this gives some credible reason for it (although I think we can do better):

https://www.quora.com/Is-Frum-right-that-if-conservatives-become-convinced-they-can-not-win-by-democratic-means-at-the-ballot-box-then-they-will-give-up-on-democracy/answer/Jon-Davis-10?ch=99&share=b893686e&srid=piGp

Why Trump’s Generals Have Abandoned Ship

This makes a lot of sense. Not just why generals have abandoned Trump, but why Trump abandoned generals:

http://time.com/5492636/donald-trump-generals/

Where climate change will hit the U.S. hardest

Good to know if you're planning to move for good:

https://www.axios.com/where-climate-change-will-hit-the-us-hardest-1513303282-6566eea4-6369-4588-88cc-c2886db20b70.html

Demand for Combustion Engine Cars May Have Peaked in 2018

Encouraging news, if true:

https://futurism.com/the-byte/combustion-engine-cars-peaked-2018

If you want to spot a narcissist, look at the eyebrows

Just sayin'...

https://bigthink.com/matt-davis/if-you-want-to-spot-a-narcissist-look-at-the-eyebrows

Latino support for GOP steady despite Trump immigration talk

This is both amazing and disheartening to me:

https://www.apnews.com/d7b5b923883141d99a5c0da768a5e59a

Fact checking fibbing politicians works, study finds

Great to hear this works...but it may not in the US:

https://www.geo.tv/latest/222692-fact-checking-fibbing-politicians-works-study-finds

The Tucker Carlson Boycott Isn’t Censorship. It’s Fighting Speech With Speech.

Good point:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/opinion-tucker-carlson-boycott-censorship_us_5c1c1a65e4b05c88b6f68c5c

While Paris and Washington Battled Over Climate Measures, Costa Rica Went 300 Days on Renewable Energy Alone

This is encouraging, although they're a small country and evidently have abundant alternative energy resources:

https://www.newsweek.com/while-paris-and-washington-rejected-climate-measures-costa-rica-went-300-days-1251147

CBO Dismisses Costs Of Global Warming, Posing Hurdle For Climate Legislation

On what basis is the CBO making such a contradictory claim?

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/congressional-budget-office-climate-change_us_5c1a735de4b01059bfc62b8c

Green New Deal Has Overwhelming Bipartisan Support, Poll Finds. At Least, For Now.

This should be a winning platform...and it's critical!

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/green-new-deal-poll_us_5c169f2ae4b05d7e5d8332a5

Creator Of Floating Garbage Collector Struggling To Capture Plastic In Pacific

Well this is disappointing:

https://www.npr.org/2018/12/18/677663325/creator-of-floating-garbage-collector-struggling-to-capture-plastic-in-pacific

17 holes, rats everywhere

A summary of 17 known investigations into Trump. 17!

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-am-b7b32462-96fe-4743-a9a1-806c1356f73b.html

COP24 Climate change deal to bring pact to life

Very interesting interactive chart. Notice that from 1880 until 1940, temperatures were almost entirely below the average for the entire 20th century:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46582025

Mountain of Evidence Confirms: Climate Change Is Really, Really Bad for Human Health and Well-Being

A good summary of the bad effects:

https://www.livescience.com/64300-climate-change-endangers-human-health.html

Wisconsin’s Scott Walker Signs Bills Stripping Powers From Incoming Governor

What a dick move. The courts had better rule against this:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/us/wisconsin-governor-scott-walker.html

Once Again, House Republicans Are Trying to Repeal the Johnson Amendment

How I despise the religious right:

https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2018/12/12/once-again-house-republicans-are-trying-to-repeal-the-johnson-amendment/

Green New Deal Gains Key Support At Home As Trump Undercuts UN Climate Talks Abroad

At least the non-Trumpian parts of America are providing some good ideas:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/green-new-deal-democratic-support_us_5c117be8e4b0449012f65edf

NIH says cancer study also hit by fetal tissue ban

Yet another Trump fuck you to evidence-based policy:

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/12/trump-administration-has-quietly-barred-nih-scientists-acquiring-fetal-tissue

Trump EPA Proposes Major Rollback Of Federal Water Protections

More Trumpfuckery:

https://www.npr.org/2018/12/11/675477583/trump-epa-proposes-big-changes-to-federal-water-protections

Following Trump lead, Republicans avoid "climate change"

This is reason enough to kick out Republican lawmakers, since they avoid even talking about climate change:

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-am-aca76f69-2982-4b0e-a36c-512c21841dc2.html

Trump's "reality tremor"

Cracks are forming in Trump's support base:

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-am-aca76f69-2982-4b0e-a36c-512c21841dc2.html

America's BIG problem

Liberals will get richer and stronger with more advantages, while conservatives will have fewer opportunities:

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-am-3430f387-eb2f-4406-ae57-93965ade736b.html?chunk=0&utm_term=emshare#story0

How the U.S. Became the Top Climate Leader — Despite Trump’s Denialism

I did not expect this...but it's actually somewhat depressing because it means we're the best among a sorry bunch:

http://time.com/5473013/cop24-climate-change-europe-eu-trump/

Why We Don't Need a Moonshot to Solve Climate Change

The painful global politics of responding to the looming climate change disaster:

http://time.com/5473167/climate-change-katowice-poland-conference/

Family Separation

A good John Oliver take on the immigration issue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygVX1z6tDGI&feature=youtu.be

Republicans Around The Country Are Working To Declare Democrats Unconstitutional

This is how democracy dies:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/wisconsin-michigan-north-carolina-lame-duc_us_5c0b4c42e4b0ab8cf693737b

Don't Expect Mueller to Charge a Grand Conspiracy

Perhaps a more realistic assessment of how things will likely roll out:

http://time.com/5472317/mueller-investigation-results/

EPA Moves To Roll Back Coal Plant Rule In A Stunning Rebuke Of Global Climate Talks

And this is another step...backwards. Deliberately ignoring scientific warnings is tantamount to treason:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/epa-coal_us_5c096995e4b0b6cdaf5d16ba

California Now Requires Solar Panels on All New Homes

I think this is a good step:

https://futurism.com/california-first-state-require-solar-panels-new-homes

Scary Map Shows Where Animal Poop Is Turning into Deadly Ammonia Pollution

Another huge reason to eliminate the existing meat industry and move to lab-grown meat or meatless meat:

https://www.livescience.com/64244-scary-map-shows-where-animal-poop-is-turning-into-deadly-ammonia-pollution.html

Greenland's ice sheet melt has 'gone into overdrive' and is now 'off the charts'

If the Greenland ice sheet completely melts, that'll raise sea levels by 20'. How many coastal communities can handle that?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/12/05/greenland-ice-sheet-melting-unprecedented-rate-off-charts/2216223002/

Global Carbon Emissions Reached New High In 2018, Scientists Say

Despite all the warnings, we continue to barrel toward disaster:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/global-carbon-emissions-record-high_us_5c081770e4b0bf813ef38742

Sir David Attenborough Predicts the ‘Collapse of Civilization’ at UN Climate Summit

It IS a risk we should be working our asses off to prevent:

https://www.livescience.com/64219-david-attenborough-warns-climate-change.html

Save millions of lives by tackling climate change, says WHO

Yet another reason to move away from fossil fuels ASAP:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/05/save-millions-of-lives-by-tackling-climate-change-says-world-health-organization

Trump Emoluments Case: A Blast Of Subpoenas And A Politically Risky Schedule

This doesn't include Trump's personal tax returns, unfortunately, but it does include all the tax documents of the Trump Organization...and it could hit when Trump starts gearing up for re-election:

https://www.npr.org/2018/12/05/673464251/trump-emoluments-case-a-blast-of-subpoenas-and-a-politically-risky-schedule

How Devin Nunes Helped Robert Mueller

Karma?

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/11/michael-cohen-lying-to-congress-plea-deal-devin-nunes.html

House Democrats unveil their first bill in the majority: a sweeping anti-corruption proposal

This sounds like a good plan to put the Republican Senate on the defensive:

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/11/30/18118158/house-democrats-anti-corruption-bill-hr-1-pelosi

Why the U.S. Can’t Solve Big Problems

I guess this is what to expect from the country that inspired the quote, "Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing...after they have exhausted all other possibilities":

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/11/us-bad-big-problems-like-climate-change/576802/

Unfortunately, by that time it will be too late....

Trump Administration’s Climate Report Raises New Questions About Nuclear Energy’s Future

Nuclear power uses a LOT of water. That's a problem for many parts of the world:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nuclear-energy-climate-change-report_us_5bfdb9cae4b0a46950dce58f

Donald Trump Gets Fact-Checked By Reporter Right To His Face, Walks Away

Immediate fact-checking is probably the best way to deal with Trump, since he doesn't get the clean, authoritative soundbites he wants:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-fact-checked-by-reporter_us_5bfd0cb8e4b0771fb6bda02e

President Trump Says He’s Too Intelligent To Believe In Climate Change

The most severe case of Dunning-Kruger effect I have ever seen:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-climate-change-denial_us_5bfde067e4b0d23c21379349

The Right-Wing Intellectual Abyss

"No matter how racist, how bigoted, how offensive, how obviously fake we get, people keep coming back."

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/daylightatheism/2018/11/the-right-wing-intellectual-abyss/

'I Don't Believe It': Trump Rejects His Administration's Dire Warning About Economic Impact of Climate Change

Your job is to protect US citizens, numb-nuts, not kill them and destroy their economy and environment. That's TRE45ON:

http://time.com/5463846/trump-rejects-climate-change-economic-report/

GOP Shrugs Off Bombshell Climate Report

Climate change is potentially more catastrophic than a nuclear war...and it's inevitable unless we act to counter it now. So politicians ignoring the threat is literally treason:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/climate-change-report-gop_us_5bfab61de4b0771fb6b9bf48

Federal Climate Report Predicts At Least 3 Degrees Of Warming By 2100

Doesn't ignoring an existential threat to our citizens count as treason?

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-climate-assessment_us_5bf5b31fe4b0771fb6b57ccb

Digital Authoritarianism Is Rising. Here’s What That Means

Democracy is on the decline:

https://singularityhub.com/2018/11/23/digital-authoritarianism-is-rising-heres-what-that-means/

Trumpism Is A Dangerous Death Rattle, But The Midterms Showed Us How To Beat It

A thoughtful opinion piece:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/opinion-2018-midterm-results_us_5bf58b84e4b03b230f9dd461

Like it or not, Jesus was a liberal

Just in case you run into a Republican who conflates conservative principles with Christianity:

http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20171022/like-it-or-not-jesus-was-liberal

Troops Sent To U.S.-Mexico Border Under Anti-Caravan Push To Start Heading Home

The whole caravan panic was so obviously purely an election ploy:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/us-mexico-border-troops-caravan_us_5bf337d2e4b0376c9e67e213

The country is hopelessly split. So why not make it official and break up?

A detailed "what if" scenario for splitting up the US:

http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/11/maybe-its-time-for-america-to-split-up.html

Trump's mood takes a foul turn: 'He's pissed -- at damn near everyone'

More Trump misery. :-)

https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/14/politics/donald-trump-mood-pissed-white-house-intrigue/index.html

Trump, stung by midterms and nervous about Mueller, retreats from traditional presidential duties

This is the feel-good post of the day:

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-absent-20181113-story.html

Schadenfreude!

Wildfires Are Getting More Frequent and More Destructive. There Are No Easy Ways to Prevent Them

How CA is dealing with climate change:

http://time.com/5453907/california-wildfires-adaptation/

Urging Florida To Ignore Military Votes Fits Trump’s True Pattern With The Troops

Trump has a long history of disparaging and disrespecting the military, something that SHOULD lose him more than a few military votes:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-military-disrespect-cemetery-florida_us_5be9f43ae4b044bbb1a783bf

Can Donald Trump fight back the House's subpoena for IRS to hand-over his tax returns?

According to this post, it's unlikely getting hold of Trump's tax returns will show much, unfortunately:

https://www.quora.com/Can-Donald-Trump-fight-back-the-Houses-subpoena-for-IRS-to-hand-over-his-tax-returns/answer/Nikita-Rogozin-2?ch=99&share=987de949&srid=uBhZO

Wins By Democratic Attorneys General Threaten To Multiply Climate Suits Against Big Oil

Corporations may be able to dump a lot of money into elections and buy off politicians, but that doesn't stop inexorable trends in public opinion:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/midterms-democrats-attorney-general-climate-lawsuits_us_5be5f199e4b0e8438897aa58

Democrats Are Going To Investigate Trump’s Corruption And His Nativist Immigration Policies

Another good line of attack on the Trump administration:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/house-democrats-trump-investigations_us_5be31530e4b0dbe871a5eba8

2018 was a WAY better election for Democrats than most people seem to think

https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/09/politics/2018-democrats-midterms/index.html

A big fight is coming over Trump’s tax returns

Damn it, there is a possibility that Trump will keep his tax returns hidden:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/big-fight-coming-trumps-tax-returns-181055217.html

What the Artist Behind a Comics-Style History of Anti-Fascist Resistance Thinks You Should Know About Antifa

Some useful points:

"Nazism was finally defeated through the terrible destruction of World War II, if that’s what people want to go to because they think it’s not right to confront fascists when they’re in the streets. Confronting fascists in the streets when they’re a much smaller movement is a lot better than waging a world war to shut down a fascist state."

"Antifa wouldn’t exist if there weren’t these fascist and far-right groups mobilizing and carrying out attacks. If you look at the last couple of years, there’s been over two dozen people killed by far-right and fascist groups and individuals, and antifa hasn’t killed anybody."

http://time.com/5437204/antifa-history-comic/

We now know it’s folly to rage against Trump

"A central problem is that, while the right traditionally thinks the left is wrong, the left thinks the right is immoral. Thus the anti-Trump, anti-Brexit champions have found it easier to abandon reason for moral damnation."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/09/trump-us-president-the-left

Why the Midterm Results Should Concern You Regardless of Which Party You Support

The danger of gerrymandering:

http://time.com/5449459/midterm-elections-2018-results-gerrymandering/

Democrats Are Going To Investigate Trump’s Corruption And His Nativist Immigration Policies

"House Oversight Committee Democrats already had a list of 50-plus subpoenas they want filed prior to the election." Yeah, THAT'S what I want to see:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/house-democrats-trump-investigations_us_5be31530e4b0dbe871a5eba8

Most Americans Are Liberal, Even If They Don’t Know It

This is highly encouraging:

http://prospect.org/article/most-americans-are-liberal-even-if-they-don%E2%80%99t-know-it

U.S. Election Rules Doomed Democrats’ Chances Of Taking The Senate

Gerrymandering and lightly populated rural states make it tough to win the Senate:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/us-election-rules-doomed-democrats-chances-of-taking-the-senate_us_5be0a33be4b04367a87f786f

“I Don't Like Her. Should I Vote for Her?”

Women are judged more critically than men, and the characteristics people like in men are often a liability in women. I hope this doesn't hurt their election chances...but I'm sure it factors in:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/i-dont-like-her-should-vote-rachel-schall-thomas/

Noam Chomsky says Trump and allies are "criminally insane"

If you're ignoring climate change, you're ignorant, stupid or insane:

https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/chomsky-says-trump-is-criminally-insane

As Trump Spreads A Fog Of Falsehoods, His Fans Believe Them And Make Excuses For Him

The human capacity for self-deception is disheartening:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-lies-supporters-midterm-elections_us_5bdf78dde4b04367a87dacf5

Democracy in Crisis

The US is not doing well, thanks to Trump and the Republicans:

https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2018

Nigerian Army Uses Trump’s Words to Justify Fatal Shooting of Rock-Throwing Protesters

Oh for fuck's sake!

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/02/world/africa/nigeria-trump-rocks.html

12 Young People on Why They Probably Won’t Vote

I have to say I hate these idiots:

http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/10/12-young-people-on-why-they-probably-wont-vote.html

What billionaires want: the secret influence of America’s 100 richest

And Trump supporters think Trump really wants to help them?

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/30/billionaire-stealth-politics-america-100-richest-what-they-want

Taking the Oceans’ Temperature, Scientists Find Unexpected Heat

What does it take to cause politicians to wake up?

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/31/climate/ocean-temperatures-hotter.html

The Reasons Why Right-Wing Terror Is Rising in America

And of course Trump doesn't think he's to blame for the large increase in attacks against minorities:

http://time.com/5438443/tree-of-life-attack/

What Are Americans Most Afraid Of? Corrupt Government Officials & Global Warming.

Nailed it, at least from my perspective:

https://www.livescience.com/63896-top-american-fears-2018.html

And considering 60% of animal populations have been wiped out since 1970, it's no surprise animal extinction is on the list:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/30/humanity-wiped-out-animals-since-1970-major-report-finds

What would happen if everyone voted? Researchers suggest big changes

The US would become much more progressive if voting were required:

https://bigthink.com/politics-current-affairs/what-if-everyone-voted

How to get everyone to vote? Hmm, how about doubling the cost of vehicle registrations for non-voters?

The Fight For The Supreme Court Is Just Beginning

I still think progressives tend to lose all the battles and then win the war, and this appears to be shaping up the same way:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/opinion-supreme-court-progressives_us_5bd09cd4e4b0a8f17ef34d1c

No Wonder America Is Divided. We Can't Even Agree on What Our Values Mean

Disheartening...although perhaps agreeing on definitions would reveal more similarities? Wishful thinking:

http://time.com/5435825/divided-america-values-language-meaning/

Trump: We won’t have ‘peace and harmony’ until I get better press coverage

I just hope Trump's bullshit only backfires against him:

https://shareblue.com/trump-peace-and-harmony-better-press-coverage/

Why a 'Strong, Charismatic' Leader Is Not the Solution to America's Tumultuous Times

Good point, and coming from a military leader:

http://time.com/5434629/win-at-all-costs-politics-stanley-mcchrystal/

Not that Trump is strong. He's a thin-skinned bully.