President Biden made an unvarnished case for taxing the rich on Wednesday, facing reporters steeped in decades of anti-tax dogma.
In another surprise move, Biden came out in favor of suspending patents for vaccine makers in order to make the vaccine more readily available to the world. However, Germany is pushing back against waivers, which will lead to a global showdown over access to the life-saving shots.
India’s COVID cases continued to climb this week to more than 412,000 cases in on...
President Biden made an unvarnished case for taxing the rich on Wednesday, facing reporters steeped in decades of anti-tax dogma.
In another surprise move, Biden came out in favor of suspending patents for vaccine makers in order to make the vaccine more readily available to the world. However, Germany is pushing back against waivers, which will lead to a global showdown over access to the life-saving shots.
India’s COVID cases continued to climb this week to more than 412,000 cases in one day. Only about 2% of Indians have been vaccinated and hospitals continue to face oxygen shortages as the Modi government faces charges of fumbling or actively worsening conditions.
More than 25 people are dead in Colombia after more than a week of protests over a tax plan put forward to cover costs of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Colombia is has also been hit by mass unemployment due to lockdowns.
Right-wing Republican Liz Cheyney is on the verge of losing her House leadership position because she won’t tow the party line that Trump actually won the election. New York’s morphing power-Trumpista, Elise Stefanik looks like she may take over Cheyney’s leadership position.
Texas Republican’s pass more voter suppression legislation. Good thing the Texas GOP dominated Senate passed legislation the day before allowing concealed carry without a permit.
A Trump appointed federal judge, Dabney Friedrich, struck down the CDC’s eviction moratorium on Wednesday, spreading that much more concern among tenants hit hard by the pandemic.
Irish Republican’s remembered the IRA’s Bobby Sands this week on the 40th anniversary of his death in the Maze prison in Northern Ireland. Check out my friend Stu’s amazing book on the hunger strikes, Smashing H-Block: The Popular Campaign against Criminalization and the Irish Hunger Strikes 1976-1982, from Liverpool University Press.
Ski Patrollers at Breckenridge Resort in Colorado voted to unionize with the Communications Workers of America. Breckenridge Resort is part of Vail Resorts which has seen a string of union drives over the past few years as patrollers point to declining wages and working conditions.
Trump launched a new blog.
And births fall to a 42-year low in the U.S. due largely to pandemic social distancing. However, if you follow calls for a “Hot Vax Summer” on social media, we just might see a new boom in little ones by next spring.
Governor Wolf fired every member on the Charter Appeals Board and sent nominations to the Pennsylvania Senate. One of the nominees include former state senate candidate and music teacher, Shanna Danielson. The Charter Appeals Board was filled with holdovers with expired terms from the Corbett administration.
The race for Philadelphia District Attorney is getting underway and Philly politics is showing everyone what they got. Late last week, the Philadelphia FOP was handing out Mr. Softee ice cream cones in front of Larry Krasner’s offices.
In response to this stunt, Ben Cohen from Ben and Jerry’s put Mr Softee on blast. In a press release, Mr. Cohen stated:
“The FOP is out of control, regularly lashing out at anyone who threatens their unquestioned power,” “To be clear, Mr. Softee isn’t even ice cream. It is pumped up with a lot of hot air, which is somehow frozen in a limp sort of way. It is chock full of artificial ingredients. In short, it’s fake ice cream. Just like the lies that the FOP has been telling about a courageous fighter for true justice and one of the best D.A.’s in the U.S.”
Then following Wednesday’s debate, Krasner’s opponent, Carlos Vega tried taunting Krasner once the debate finished. The taunting was caught on a hot-mic and Vega said “I’m your worst nightmare” and “I’ve been in your head for a long time.” Krasner responded by saying “Sure Carlos.”
Vega claims to be living “rent-free” in Krasner’s head, but Vega filed a bullshit lawsuit trying to sue Krasner and his supporters from social media because of “mean tweets.”
Will Bunch wrote a scathing column writing that moves to dismantle the PA State System of Higher Education are actively turning the American Dream into a nightmare. He lays the bulk of the blame at the feet of GOP legislators who have been beating the drum of austerity since the 1980s.
Oh, and thanks to Rep. Russ Diamond. Russ decided to troll us after our Monday show and, as a result, we’ve got a whole bunch of new listeners!
An 18 ton Chinese rocket segment is set to come crashing down to Earth most likely this weekend and no one knows where exactly it will land. Normally a piece of equipment that large would reenter the atmosphere in a controlled descent. Not the case here. After delivering the first module of China’s first space station to orbit, the booster started to fall back to Earth in an uncontrolled descent. So, as they say, heads up this weekend.
SpaceX finally sticks a Starship landing. The SN15 Starship rocket made a successful high-latitude test on Wednesday - this time without the explosive landing.
Pennsylvania House is taking up a critical question that’s on everyone’s post-pandemic mind: will we still be able to get our cocktails to-go? Well, we have an answer - at least part of an answer: on Tuesday, the PA House Liquor Control Committee voted 23-0 to approve Republican Rep. Kurt Masser’s legislation to make drinks-to-go a permanent part of living the PA life.
Free Will Brewing releases: Spruce - Barrel Aged Saison with Spruce Tips; Tentacle - Pale Ale hopped with EXP10416, Amarillo, and Huell Melon; and, Safeword - Imperial IPA with Mangoes and Habanero Peppers.
Sean is turning to wine for the next chapter of his lifestyle channel.
