Category Archives: Viva!

Stacey Abrams Wants More Than the Vice Presidency

She wants the Democrats to reach a different kind of swing voter — those who otherwise stay home. And she says she can help Joe Biden do it.

The US Senate voted to let Trump spy on your search history. But all is not lost | Trevor Timm

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The amendment, which 10 Democrats voted in favor of, can still be fought against. And we must

In a shameful vote this week as part of an extension of the dreaded and controversial Patriot Act, the Senate handed William Barr and the Trump administration the ability to spy on Americans’ web browsing and internet search histories without a warrant.

The vote on a bipartisan amendment to protect this information from government surveillance sparked immediate outrage online – and deservedly so. Our web browsing and search histories contain the most intimate personal information. Any administration – let alone the draconian Trump justice department – should be required to comply with the fourth amendment before trawling through it.

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113-year-old coronavirus survivor: ‘The elderly are the forgotten ones of society’ | World news | The Guardian

“This pandemic has revealed that older people are the forgotten ones of our society,” she said in an interview with the Observer. “They fought their whole lives, sacrificed time and their dreams for today’s quality of life. They didn’t deserve to leave the world in this way.”

Branyas offered solutions. “It’s as though those of us who choose to live in a care home have disappeared from society,” she said. “Governments need to pay attention and provide funding and qualified staff in care homes. And, above all, they need to provide much more healthcare in homes.”

Source: 113-year-old coronavirus survivor: ‘The elderly are the forgotten ones of society’ | World news | The Guardian

 

The President Says He “Can’t Get Enough” of His Supporters Harassing the Press

what is it about having your thumb up your butt and thumbing your nose at so-called elites that makes it ok for your elders to needlessly die?

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On Thursday, Kevin Vesey, a TV reporter for News12 Long Island, visited a local protest against the remaining restrictions put in place by New York to stem the spread of the coronavirus, filing a studiously restrained segment for broadcast.

But on Twitter, he decided to share a small piece of raw footage showing how he was harassed by the demonstrators as he went about his job of capturing their demands and relaying them to a wider audience. The footage circulated widely among journalists on Thursday and Friday, often accompanied by laments about the protesters’ targeting of Vesey. In under a minute, the video captures him being called “traitor,” “hack,” “disgusting,””the enemy of the people,” and, inevitably, “fake news.” All are, of course, phrases President Donald Trump has deployed against journalists who cover his administration.

“FAKE NEWS IS NOT ESSENTIAL!”https://t.co/5286zgRVWQ

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 16, 2020

On Friday night, the President himself retweeted the video, mimicking a chant the protestors had shouted: “Fake news is nonessential.” On Saturday morning, he retweeted it again, endorsing his supporters’ harassment by calling them “great people” and claiming that “people can’t get enough of this.” 

Vesey shared the footage with his Twitter followers because it made him alarmed. Trump shared the footage with his Twitter followers because it made him proud. 

H.R. 6878: To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and implement improved, transparent processes for the use and distribution of supplies in the Strategic National Stockpile, and for other purposes.

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Introduced: Sponsor: Rep. Elissa Slotkin [D-MI8]

This bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce which will consider it before sending it to the House floor for consideration.