Politics

In the last few years the hideous state of our politics has often kept me up at night, but until recently I thought I was an outlier. Even when I’ve written about political despair as a problem for Democrats, I assumed it was something that applied to activists and base voters, the sort of people who go through their days silently cursing Joe Manchin. But a striking new study from Kevin B. Smith, chair of the political science department at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, suggests the universe of people who find our politics a torment might be much larger than I’d realized. “Politics is a pervasive and largely unavoidable source of chronic stress that exacted significant health costs for large numbers of American adults between 2017 and 2020,” writes Smith in “Politics Is Making Us Sick: The Negative Impact of Political Engagement on Public Health During the Trump Administration.” “The 2020 election did little to alleviate those effects and quite likely exacerbated them.” … [Read more...] about The mental health toll of Trump-era politics

A video posted on government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana's TikTok account shows Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha singing briefly about never giving up while chairing a meeting at Government House on Friday. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha vowed not to give up fighting for the good of the country on Friday amid speculation that he would face growing political pressure following the departure of 21 MPs led by Capt Thamanat Prompow from the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP). A source said Gen Prayut played an old song called Ya Yom Phae (Don't Give Up) by Sunisa "Aom" Sukboonsang near the end of a meeting of the economic management committee on the impact of Covid-19 at Government House on Friday. Related: Prime Minister Prayut sings Ya Yom Phae (Don't Give Up) He was quoted as telling the meeting that: "I never give up. This song is to give moral support to everyone who has worked together. They should never surrender in the face of obstacles but keep on … [Read more...] about PM upbeat despite threat of new party

Barely started down the path toward the first elections conducted under voting restrictions enacted last year by Republican lawmakers, Texas voters and local election officials have found themselves enveloped in a fog of errors, delays and miscommunications as they navigate new rules for casting votes by mail. Only a small slice of the state's electorate is allowed to cast absentee ballots, and the trickle of requests for mail-in ballots that began in early January is now swelling into the usual pre-election flood. But hundreds of applications are being rejected — in many cases because voters appear to not know the new rules. Local election workers themselves are still deciphering the procedures, and say they've been hampered by a paucity of help and information from the Texas secretary of state's office. Meanwhile, the state is scrambling to provide training under the crush of advising counties on implementing a multitude of election changes. “We are bombarded,” said … [Read more...] about Vote-by-mail rejections are testing integrity of Texas Republicans’ voting law

Igalious “Ike” Mills grew up working his family’s farm in the Piney Woods town of Nacogdoches. His siblings still keep it running, relying on a lot of the same equipment used by their father and grandfather. Mills, who is Black, spends much of his energy trying to connect a dwindling number of Black farmers with state and federal programs that can help them keep their operations running. So it was welcome news last year when Congress passed a law intended to help cover the debts of thousands of “socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers” and correct the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s historic discrimination, long recognized by the agency itself. But Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller stepped in. He is among the many white litigants challenging the law, which a federal judge temporarily blocked as court cases play out. And even though Miller filed the suit in April as a private citizen, Mills says his perch as the state’s agriculture commissioner is stoking frustration … [Read more...] about Texas Agriculture Commissioner helping to stop federal aid for state’s black farmers

Some poor writer and fact-checker at Politifact had to confirm one of the most basic facts about our president. A clip from a debate between then-President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden claims it proves "100% THAT PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN IS NOT A ‘HUMAN’ BEING." HERD IMMUNITY SUMMER: 7 things the girls and I are going to do once we all get that sweet vaccine In case there was any confusion: Biden is a human being. Yes, Biden may look like the slightest gust of wind might blow him right over, but that's only because he's very old, not because he's a husk of a man filled with hundreds of garden snakes. The clip circling Facebook shows something slipping from Biden's sleeve during the Sept. 29 debate, which the narrator claims "looks like live little serpents." "That s--- is alive," the narrator says. "It kind of looks like he’s shaking his head a little bit." "That’s not a human being, people," the narrator says as the camera pans to Biden's face. Politifact's … [Read more...] about President Joe Biden is indeed a human, Politifact helpfully confirms

With freezing weather sweeping into Texas late this week, subsidiaries for a major pipeline company are threatening to cut off natural gas to the state’s largest power generator — which could impact the electricity supply for hundreds of thousands of customers — over a financial dispute stemming from last February’s deadly winter storm. Vistra Corp. subsidiary Luminant on Wednesday asked the Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates the state’s oil and gas industry, to prevent Energy Transfer LP from cutting off fuel to five Vistra power plants, which produce enough electricity to power 400,000 Texas homes, businesses and critical infrastructure such as hospitals and schools. Railroad Commission officials have not responded to questions about whether the agency will act. The companies under Energy Transfer, the pipeline company, have told Vistra that gas will stop flowing to five Vistra power plants on Monday unless Vistra pays Energy Transfer $21.6 million, according to … [Read more...] about 400,000 Texas homes and businesses could lose power over financial dispute between energy companies

Alleged violations of people's rights in the judicial process were the most common form of complaints lodged with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) last year. Of a total of 571 complaints received by the NHRC in 2021, they made up 25.2% or about 144 cases, said Wasan Paileeklee, a member of the NHRC, yesterday. These complaints included alleged assaults by security authorities while criminal suspects were in detention, he said, adding these complaints concerned the Royal Thai Police, the Department of Corrections and the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc). "Complaints over alleged violations of people's rights in the judicial process continue to make up the largest percentage of all complaints, as they have every year over the past several years," he said. The second most common type of complaint last year (18.2%, or about 104 cases) dealt with alleged violations of civil rights including the right to freely express political opinions at a political … [Read more...] about Justice system tops NHRC complaints

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday evening plans to amend the Texas Constitution with a Parent Bill of Rights if he is re-elected. The proposal follows Abbott's introduction of a Taxpayer Bill of Rights this week. Abbott publicly signed the bill at an event hosted by the Founders Classical Academy of Lewisville, where he criticized schools shutting down during the pandemic and issuing mask mandates. He said the bill will help restore parents as the primary decision-makers of their child's education and healthcare decisions. "No government program can replace the role that parents play in the education of their children," Abbott told the audience. "Our focal point is to ensure that parents are put at the forefront, both of education of their children as well as the decision-making for their child's healthcare." Abbott continued to impart that the government often intrudes on parental decision-making and threatens the role guardians have in their child's wellbeing. "Many parents … [Read more...] about Texas Gov. Greg Abbott introduces ‘Parental Bill of Rights’ targeting state education system

Ex-Formula 1 driver Kimi Raikkonen says that he was happy to walk away from the “bullsh*t” of the sport by retiring. Raikkonen , who was famous in the paddock for his laid-back approach to the sport, won 21 grands prix and became Formula 1 World Champion with Ferrari in 2007, having also driven for Sauber, McLaren, Ferrari, and Alfa Romeo over a career spanning 20 years. The Finn spent his final three seasons in Formula 1 with Alfa Romeo alongside Antonio Giovinazzi . Time to say goodbye ❤️ #KiitosKimi #GrazieAntonio pic.twitter.com/B97FfIX4WW — Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN (@alfaromeoorlen) December 12, 2021 As time passed, Raikkonen began to think about what made sense in the sport and, according to him, it wasn’t very much. “There are so many things that are making no sense, at least in my head, what happens here,” Raikkonen said as quoted by Motorsport.com . “All kinds of bullsh*t that goes around. We know it, but nobody says it. Things that I don’t … [Read more...] about Kimi was happy to walk away from F1’s ‘bullsh*t’