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Mask Freaks Take the L

Authorities in Western Australia say their draconian new vaccine passport scheme, which bars the unvaccinated from most public places, is likely to be in place for “years.”
Premier Mark McGowan announced the new measures, which will go into effect from the end of the month, as “the broadest proof of vaccination requirements in the nation.”
The vaccine passport mandate will now cover “a wider range of venues.”
“From Monday, January 31, 2022, the vaccine passport mandates will cover cafes, restaurants, dine-in fast food joints, pubs, bars, taverns, clubs, nightclubs, and “all hospitality venues,” as well as private and public hospitals and aged-care facilities,” writes Ken Macon.
Entertainment venues such as “play centers, gaming and gambling, theaters, concert halls, museums, cinemas, and live music venues,” will also be off limits for the unjabbbed.
“Life will become very difficult for the unvaccinated…no pubs, no bottle-shops, no gym, no yoga classes, no gigs, no dance floors, no hospital or aged care visits,” said McGowan, adding that the unvaccinated must be “protected from themselves.”
He added that the rules, which will soon only count people who have had three doses as “fully vaccinated,” will ensure the public is “confident in these public settings, and that they are only mixing with other vaccinated people.”
The restrictions “will not be removed anytime soon” and could be in place “for years.”
Australia has become notorious for becoming the developed world leader in inflicting the most draconian COVID control measures on its population.
As we <a href="https://summit.news/2021/12/23/australias-chief-pharmacist-says-public-needs-to-accept-boosters-mask-mandates-for-many-years-to-come/">highlighted</a> last month, Australia’s chief pharmacist Trent Twomey says the public “just need to accept” they will have to take regular vaccine booster shots every six months and continue wearing masks for “many years” to come.
Australia is also <a href="https://summit.news/2021/10/12/australia-building-quarantine-camps-for-ongoing-operations/">building</a> COVID quarantine camps for “ongoing operations,” with one facility at Wellcamp Airport outside Toowoomba not even set to be completed until March.
Citing new strains of COVID and people “who have not had access to vaccination,” Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles told the media outlet, “We anticipate there to be a continuing need for quarantine facilities.”
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source <a href="https://summit.news/2022/01/19/mask-freaks-take-the-l/">https://summit.news/2022/01/19/mask-freaks-take-the-l/</a>

revolution summit Mask Freaks Take the L

Authorities in Western Australia say their draconian new vaccine passport scheme, which bars the unvaccinated from most public places, is li...

Video: CNN’s Lemon Says Unvaccinated “Idiots” Like Novak Djokovic Shouldn’t Be Part Of “Polite Society”

CNN host Don Lemon declared Tuesday that those who choose not to take coronavirus vaccines are “idiots” who need to be ostracised from “polite society” for the “greater good”.
Referring to a viral rant against the unvaccinated by a Mexican news anchor, Lemon stated “He’s right,” further noting “I’ve gotten criticized for saying that we need to stop listening to the people and they should not be part of polite society, so to speak.”
Lemon continued, “the unvaccinated people in the U.S., they’re key to the reason that coronavirus, the variants are emerging. And that the reason – I’m looking at the stats from the CDC – and the reason why it’s replicating and mutating. It’s because of unvaccinated people, who are doing their own research online!”
“I can’t do my own research better than experts who do have devoted their lives to medical and scientific research,” Lemon continued, adding that those who don’t “believe in science” shouldn’t be allowed to travel.
“We have to start doing things for the greater good of society and not for idiots who think that they can do their own research, or that they are above the law and they can break the rules,” Lemon further proclaimed, pointing to tennis champion Novak Djokovic.
Lemon stated that Australia told Djokovic “No, no, no, no, no. We’re going to look at the greater good of everyone in our society, and you’re not part of that. We don’t care that you’re the number one tennis player in the world.”
“And good on them because they are keeping their population and their citizens – people who want to be good citizens – they’re keeping them healthy and safe and alive,” Lemon declared.
Watch:
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"We have to start doing things for the greater good of society and not for idiots who think that they can do their own research, or that they are above the law and they can break the rules." – Don Lemon <a href="https://t.co/wLUOZklmsF">pic.twitter.com/wLUOZklmsF</a>
— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) <a href="https://twitter.com/CalebHowe/status/1483484296916656135?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Lemon <a href="https://summit.news/2021/12/13/video-cnns-lemon-blames-anti-mask-conservatives-for-rise-in-traffic-accident-deaths/">keeps suggesting</a> that it is time to segregate society. Last month he declared that conservatives and people who dislike wearing face masks are to blame for a rise in traffic accident deaths, because they are contributing to a “lack of civility” in society.
Lemon is, of course, another <a href="https://summit.news/2021/11/03/after-pro-mask-anti-florida-rants-don-lemon-takes-a-maskless-vacation-in-florida/">massive hypocrite</a> preaching ‘do as I say not as I do’.
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source <a href="https://summit.news/2022/01/19/video-cnns-lemon-says-unvaccinated-idiots-like-novak-djokovic-shouldnt-be-part-of-polite-society/">https://summit.news/2022/01/19/video-cnns-lemon-says-unvaccinated-idiots-like-novak-djokovic-shouldnt-be-part-of-polite-society/</a>

revolution summit Video: CNN’s Lemon Says Unvaccinated “Idiots” Like Novak Djokovic Shouldn’t Be Part Of “Polite Society”

CNN host Don Lemon declared Tuesday that those who choose not to take coronavirus vaccines are “idiots” who need to be ostracised from “poli...

Parents Outraged As More Schools Push Transgender Materials On THREE-YEAR OLD Kids

Parents watchdog group <a href="https://defendinged.org/incidents/saint-paul-public-schools-promotes-lgbtq-material-partners-with-organizations-that-target-toddlers-with-pride-resources-and-provide-free-chest-binders-to-transgender-individuals/">Parents Defending Education</a> (PDE) has warned that a school district in Minnesota is pushing transgender and “pride” books and materials on to children as young as three years old.
The group warns that Saint Paul Public Schools is allowing two separate organisations, called AMAZE and OutFront Minnesota, to push the materials in their schools.
The PDE shared a <a href="https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Elementary-lessons-on-Gender-Diversity.pdf">document</a> that shows books titled “When Aidan Became a Brother,” (image below) “I Love My Colorful Nails” and “My Princess Boy” being given to pre-schoolers.
 The books are all about young boys and girls transitioning or having feeling that they are different to their biological gender.
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The handout created by AMAZE, also contains suggested activities for children labelled “Social-Emotional Learning and Anti-Bias Education.”
A further <a href="https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Gender-Inclusion.pdf">handout</a> (image below) advises teachers to “Ask Students for Name and Pronouns” and to “Refer students to the Name/Gender Change Request Form.”
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="" class="wp-image-148330" src="https://api-assets.infowars.com/2022/01/DCNF-SPPS-Gender-1.png" /></figure>
In addition, OutFront Minnesota’s <a href="https://www.outfront.org/free-chest-binder-programs-0">website</a> is promoting schemes that provide free “chest binders” for “folks 24 and under” or for “any trans person who needs one and cannot afford or safely obtain one.”
Erika Sanzi, director of outreach for PDE stated that “It is especially egregious that after more than a year of disruptions and closures, the district is pushing ideologically driven content and resources on students and families.”
Sanzi further noted that “In the most recent round of state testing, 33 percent of St Paul students tested proficient in reading — down 6 points from 2019 — and 21 tested proficient in math, down 9 points.”
“It is one thing to treat all students with the dignity they deserve; it is quite another to be so far out of your lane that you are partnering with outside organizations that think it is appropriate to engage toddlers in conversations about gender identity and sexual orientation,” Sanzi added.
“How can a school district even defend spending time and money on this ideological garbage when 2/3 of their students can’t read on grade level and 80 percent aren’t proficient in math?” the PDE director urged.
As we have <a href="https://summit.news/2021/11/16/videos-parents-accuse-school-board-of-promoting-suicide-with-creepy-corporate-run-social-emotional-learning-scheme/">previously noted</a>, the so called ‘Social Emotional Learning’ agenda is obsessed with encouraging kids that it is normal to have and to openly discuss mental health illnesses and to feel like they were born as the wrong gender.
Concerned parents across the country have slammed school officials for “promoting suicide” among children by amplifying the agenda.
Parents have also warned that “profiteer consulting groups” are being brought in by schools to replace traditional school counselors, prompting accusations that the SEL programmes have evolved into creepy corporate run indoctrination schemes.
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This is some of Panorama Ed user guide explaining SEL is a bunch of touchy-feely unlicensed mental health surveys replete w Critical Race Theory verbiage like "systemic forces of racism and racial bias" and "lived experience" and "equitable." All RI schools data mine ur kids. <a href="https://t.co/eBgb2dEs9j">pic.twitter.com/eBgb2dEs9j</a>
— Nicole Solas Domestic Terrorist! (@Nicoletta0602) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nicoletta0602/status/1457776945291165700?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://summit.news/2021/11/17/documents-reveal-kindergarteners-being-forced-to-learn-about-transgenderism/">PDE perviously noted</a> that children as young as kindergarten age in other areas, specifically Connecticut, are being forced to learn about ‘social justice standards’ including transgenderism and gender identity.
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source <a href="https://summit.news/2022/01/19/parents-outraged-as-more-schools-push-transgender-materials-on-three-year-old-kids/">https://summit.news/2022/01/19/parents-outraged-as-more-schools-push-transgender-materials-on-three-year-old-kids/</a>

revolution summit Parents Outraged As More Schools Push Transgender Materials On THREE-YEAR OLD Kids

Parents watchdog group Parents Defending Education (PDE) has warned that a school district in Minnesota is pushing transgender and “pride” ...

Democrats’ voting rights debacle

Sometimes there is no plan.
Democrats’ big voting rights push is headed for a brick wall in the Senate — again. To get their bill past the filibuster, they need all 50 Senate Democrats to support changing the chamber’s rules. And Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) still refuse to do so.
With failure imminent, finger-pointing and second-guessing about Democrats’ voting rights strategy has become rampant. “Has there ever been a legislative campaign this dumb, doomed and disastrous from the beginning?” one Democratic campaign professional griped to me, speaking anonymously to more freely criticize his party’s strategy.
It’s become clear that the party never had a plausible plan for success on voting rights. Congressional leaders, activists, and outside groups have mostly been in lockstep trying to unite Democrats around a sweeping legislative package, then charging full steam ahead into a filibuster. The hope was, apparently, that persuasion or pressure would spur Manchin and Sinema to abolish or weaken the filibuster, even though they’d repeatedly vowed they wouldn’t.
All along, some Democrats have been quietly skeptical on both tactical and substantive grounds, as <a href="https://www.vox.com/22346812/voting-rights-bill-hr1-for-the-people-act">I wrote last year</a>. They argued that the likely impact of the bills for “saving democracy” <a href="https://www.vox.com/22879991/election-subversion-voting-rights-us-elections-democracy">was exaggerated</a>, and that their chances of success were far lower than leaders were admitting. An adviser to a prominent Democratic donor worried that discussions on the topic were becoming “exercises in unreality,” per <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/22/democratic-megadonor-adviser-blasts-voting-rights-bill-495519">an email obtained by Politico</a>.
President Biden’s White House at times seemed to side with the skeptics: He kept his distance from the voting rights push through much of 2021, giving the occasional speech or statement, but not making it a top priority compared to the Build Back Better Act, which seemed to have a greater chance of success. But activists intensely criticized Biden for his inaction, and then Build Back Better stalled, so he finally got engaged in the voting push this month — to no effect on Manchin or Sinema.
Barring a startling turnaround, Democrats will head into the midterms having failed to pass the bills they touted as so urgently necessary. It’s a big mess. Of course, the failure of one strategy does not mean there was an obviously better option. Still, it’s natural to ask whether there were some roads not taken — and whether the alliance of congressional leaders and outside groups steering this effort has steered into a ditch.
<figure class="e-image"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1642631453_1706_8210" data-cdata='{"asset_id":23179238,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6S7qsdXO8mZYnl-0MzmBXZmwmcM=/0x0:5528x3678/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/35ukt58g1hiaj7r7FX_TtayBNBg=/0x0:5528x3678/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KesSTjs8nbvN9j346Zml7_qGmeU=/0x0:5528x3678/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/blc6z0oJY3BNUEbbB17ya6VRMv0=/0x0:5528x3678/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FzopwaROI5wzN_clgZIsRB_kueE=/0x0:5528x3678/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WbbDkrrE_HD_kaUS5bpu4-QwTfM=/0x0:5528x3678/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3zeIyZIGuOREOCejVBqQ8L5Yfcw=/0x0:5528x3678/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/AYwUiaTNLLEuEXdM_V1er8MNufs=/0x0:5528x3678/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Yf65ecUX99zCyQ-LbS8iYsAgR4k=/0x0:5528x3678/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="" data-upload-width="5528" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WXzA-4jlN3TcTrNJclmbFbIOBfU=/0x0:5528x3678/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KoNzGjVYA5pAjman225nel6pofA=/0x0:5528x3678/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9gSNz3s8pAEMe4pMjDtrwtN0NrY=/0x0:5528x3678/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MwyiQshw8Kum0k2zxyryoYQIvZ4=/0x0:5528x3678/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7vShwh9G68qNuSPrvSdVglr7auI=/0x0:5528x3678/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/v3HcI6MAay9QMJMfE-WfBhSyuvI=/0x0:5528x3678/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TmfjorpAbxAwVm8_mBKyXMVHjBs=/0x0:5528x3678/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CamcSHZGir_OEJx6ysAdmG8pLHk=/0x0:5528x3678/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/72x0lCa07TI-Cg8ETq8uiHAOy7Y=/0x0:5528x3678/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/bozLKZSyBtWmO3EPx8rwvC6yBWA=/0x0:5528x3678/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5528x3678):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179238/GettyImages_1237815327.jpg 1920w" /></picture>
<figcaption>Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks at a news conference following the Senate Democrats caucus meeting on voting rights and the filibuster on Tuesday, January 18.</figcaption>
<cite>Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images</cite></figure>
The strangeness began early last year. Donald Trump had just made an unprecedented effort to overturn the presidential election results, resulting in chaos and violence at the Capitol on January 6. Then Republican-led state legislatures started moving toward passing restrictions on voting. The moment, it seemed, demanded a response.
So Democratic congressional leaders put forward a bill: the <a href="https://www.vox.com/22346812/voting-rights-bill-hr1-for-the-people-act">For the People Act</a>. It was a “mega-bill” containing dozens of proposals that good government reformers had supported for years, on topics ranging from voting accessibility standards to redistricting reform to small donor campaign financing. There was no hope of getting any Republican support for this bill, as it was crafted as a kind of a Democratic wish list and, in its initial version, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/23/us/politics/voting-rights-bill.html">didn’t really address Trump’s schemes</a> to steal the election at all.
Then there was the problem of passing it — 60 votes would be required to get it past the Senate filibuster. That could be circumvented if Democrats rammed through a rules change with just a majority. But in January 2021, Manchin and Sinema both publicly pledged to keep the filibuster intact.
Still, Democratic congressional leaders and their allies pressed onward with an apparent two-part plan: first, brand the bill as crucial to saving democracy, and second, pressure or persuade Manchin, Sinema, and other moderates to change Senate rules, so the bill could pass.
Some of the details have changed in the ensuing year. The For the People Act was replaced by a two-bill combo, the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Certain provisions were dropped and others, including some related to election subversion, were added. But the basic strategy has remained the same: push a big sweeping legislative package overhauling many aspects of elections and voting with no Republican support, and hope Manchin and Sinema covert to the cause of filibuster reform.
Spoiler: They haven’t.
Why did the party go down this path? The Democratic campaign professional told me he’s observed a “lawyer vs. practitioner dichotomy.” He believes the big bill strategy was crafted by lawyers in the party and at allied nonprofit groups, such as the <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/about">Brennan Center for Justice</a>, who had grand ambitions of overhauling the law, but who lacked campaign professionals’ expertise about which policy changes are most likely to impact election outcomes and legislators’ savvy about how to actually get a bill through Congress.
In this interpretation of events, those lawyers caught the ear of influential donors and donor-funded activist groups. To keep these constituencies happy, congressional leaders embraced the lawyers’ strategy to push these sweeping mega-bills — and the White House, after some initial reluctance, followed. (<a href="https://puck.news/silicon-valleys-manchin-sinema-voting-rights-campaign/">Teddy Schleifer reported</a> on the donors behind the voting rights effort at Puck News.)
Another circulating theory is that this whole effort has been a bit of a sham, or at least a performance, from Democratic leaders’ perspective. In this interpretation, top Democrats knew all along they’d never be able to pass anything because of the filibuster. So they put together a “message bill” aimed at making their interest groups and <a href="https://puck.news/silicon-valleys-manchin-sinema-voting-rights-campaign/">certain key donors</a> happy, but which they never thought or intended would actually become law. The goal has been to prove to activists and the base that they are “fighting” for the cause of voting rights, even though they knew they would lose.
<figure class="e-image"><picture class="c-picture" data-cid="site/picture_element-1642631453_9273_8211" data-cdata='{"asset_id":23179249,"ratio":"*"}'><source srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tiimLLK-h4iQmpm8i_sjKeLtZag=/0x0:5429x3619/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/K-75Ij06ampLEB4_xI0r92WpZnI=/0x0:5429x3619/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mvk7aW_Wes09quPo4om4hgiMIQs=/0x0:5429x3619/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BeAw1lsB3hG_ojpp70LR40CY2VE=/0x0:5429x3619/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/t-lRIhteCbXZe8PWWk4ZcVJlVDY=/0x0:5429x3619/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OnNfRZ4j7k5rCz1WX_PShuuYyV4=/0x0:5429x3619/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/951jmMExf8xSeVsnQlaB9dmC2Ik=/0x0:5429x3619/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QfqRUX7im9P7BZC1mXvXLS5g4KU=/0x0:5429x3619/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/__YeYlrfcCj34O0iXSVrEyPABLI=/0x0:5429x3619/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg 1920w" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" type="image/webp" /> <img alt="" data-upload-width="5429" sizes="(min-width: 1221px) 846px, (min-width: 880px) calc(100vw - 334px), 100vw" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nizJgDZbdxKlvRhOg_VT_z7yE78=/0x0:5429x3619/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/m9pa0PhNjwu2igFHQ0pnRYngM8Y=/0x0:5429x3619/320x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg 320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/X592ma7417yoPtlqDiR7IY4uw1Q=/0x0:5429x3619/520x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg 520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3Mk7bpz_i8PHN_4Nc9TSNqHx4xA=/0x0:5429x3619/720x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg 720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/T2YIt-PJE2QQizp3qKeUQWhTLm0=/0x0:5429x3619/920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg 920w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/U5qBbCHKputpo94TVX387Ly9H1w=/0x0:5429x3619/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg 1120w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ehHeF_ew49SvU5C8zripWPDDrTI=/0x0:5429x3619/1320x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg 1320w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0jKYI5uO6m8tw-AkJDwY-qh-XeQ=/0x0:5429x3619/1520x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg 1520w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-DgFSh8KnBfv_dfrOyrCPk1AlNg=/0x0:5429x3619/1720x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg 1720w, https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/I5NRbqZtiHTDG0e7-kMg-Kc1uz0=/0x0:5429x3619/1920x0/filters:focal(0x0:5429x3619):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23179249/GettyImages_1237816014.jpg 1920w" /></picture>
<figcaption>Sen. Joe Manchin walks to an elevator en route to a Senate democratic caucus meeting on voting rights and the filibuster on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, January 18.</figcaption>
<cite>Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images</cite></figure>
All this might come off as too-savvy second-guessing. A more generous interpretation is that Democratic leaders and advocates knew the strategy’s odds of success were slim, but they thought it was worth a shot anyway, and they didn’t think any alternative strategies would be likelier to produce policy changes that would protect democracy.
“It’s an important moment that the U.S. Senate is debating how to protect voting rights and fair elections at a time when our democracy is under attack from Donald Trump’s Big Lie and those who would abet it,” Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center, said in a statement. “We’re proud to be part of an extraordinary movement of racial justice, democracy, religious, labor, and other groups in this fight. It’s a broad democracy movement our country has long needed.” Supporters of the effort also argue that they have plenty of campaign professionals and experts who agree with them on the importance of fighting voter suppression restrictions.
But there can be costs to failure. For one, it may amount to wasting a year — Manchin and Sinema’s support for the filibuster has been clear since January 2021, after all. Former Obama White House aide Dan Pfeiffer <a href="https://messagebox.substack.com/p/reckoning-with-the-political-world">argued in a recent Substack</a> that insiders privately knew failure was likely, but publicly pretended otherwise, setting the stage for supporters’ disillusionment with Biden’s presidency overall. “Every Democrat — myself included — did a miserable job of managing expectations and leveling with our most loyal activists, volunteers, and donors,” Pfeiffer wrote.
Biden did initially try to manage expectations by prioritizing other issues first. But that’s led to another round of second-guessing from those who argue he should have gotten involved earlier. “When Biden fully entered the battle, the other warriors were already bloody, bruised and exhausted,” the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/12/opinion/biden-filibuster-voting-rights.html">New York Times’s Charles Blow writes</a>.
Yet considering Manchin’s willingness to tank Build Back Better as well as the voting rights bills, it seems unlikely that earlier presidential pressure would have made him and Sinema bend. The president and progressives have no leverage over Manchin, who represents a deeply conservative state — indeed, they need him for everything they want to do.
Sinema is theoretically vulnerable to a primary from the left, but she certainly isn’t acting like she believes that, and that election wouldn’t be until 2024 anyway. For now, Biden is at their mercy, and continued pressure on them could well backfire and make them more recalcitrant on other issues.
Another question is whether, in going for broke trying to pass their dream bill, Democrats will have missed an opportunity to get less sweeping but still significant reforms enacted. Washington is abuzz with news that some Republican senators <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/164989/bipartisan-reform-electoral-count-act">want to engage in talks</a> about reforming the Electoral Count Act — the law Trump tried to use to get Congress and Vice President Pence to throw out Biden’s wins in key states. Yet leading Democrats like Schumer have so far <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/schumer-slams-suggested-bipartisan-reform-electoral-count-act-calling-it-mcconnell-plan-1666599">voiced skepticism</a> of those efforts.
Whether any GOP reform offer is worthwhile <a href="https://twitter.com/awprokop/status/1478756086207422471">depends on the details</a>, and it’s possible no deal will come together. But right now, the alternative appears to be getting no reforms at all.
The unpleasant reality for Democrats is that they’ll only be in a position to pass the agenda they say is necessary if they manage to win more elections. Yet their prospects for doing that in 2022 look bleak, <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-approval-rating/">considering Biden’s grim approval numbers</a>. There’s still a chance to make the bipartisan deals they can now, and try to win more elections later. But the time for tilting at windmills is drawing to a close.
 
 
source <a href="https://www.vox.com/22876643/democrats-voting-rights-senate-filibuster-manchin">https://www.vox.com/22876643/democrats-voting-rights-senate-filibuster-manchin</a>

vox Democrats’ voting rights debacle

Sometimes there is no plan. Democrats’ big voting rights push is headed for a brick wall in the Senate — again. To get their bill past the ...

Dems Plot to Prosecute Trump Over January 6 to Prevent Him Running in 2024

In response to plummeting approval ratings, Democrats are now moving away from lockdown policies they previously vehemently advocated over fears about being wiped out politically.
That’s according to a new report by <a href="https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/story/2022/01/09/omicron-is-surging-and-democrats-arent-shutting-things-down-this-time-1404752">Politico</a>, which notes how, “Omicron is surging — and Democrats aren’t shutting things down this time.”
“From New York to California, Democratic mayors and governors are fighting to keep schools and businesses open with an urgency they haven’t flexed before in the pandemic,” writes Lisa Kashinsky.
That sea change likely has a lot to do with Republicans securing a November clean sweep of the House, as well as the offices of governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general in Virginia.
Republican Glenn Youngkin appealed to parents who were angry over school closures and other issues such as mask mandates, while New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy came closer to defeat than expected over frustrations relating to COVID restrictions.
Big events such as the Super Bowl in L.A. will now go ahead, while the likes of Fauci and Biden refrained from telling Americans to cancel holiday plans despite record case numbers caused by Omicron.
“Democrats went further than most Republicans in shutting down businesses, enforcing social distancing and requiring masks to tame the spread of the virus — and were initially rewarded politically for their caution,” states the report.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true" readability="4.4487534626039">
R.I.P. Lockdown America 🇺🇸 
As we say in Boston: It's Ova! 
As we say in Miami: Bienvenido!<a href="https://t.co/FsRvz4Pfse">https://t.co/FsRvz4Pfse</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dems?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dems</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/politics?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#politics</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/trends?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#trends</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pandemic?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pandemic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/elections?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#elections</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lockdownskill?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#lockdownskill</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/addiction?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#addiction</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/suicide?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#suicide</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/chronicdisease?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#chronicdisease</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/obesity?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#obesity</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alcoholism?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alcoholism</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/omicron?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#omicron</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vaccinemandates?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#vaccinemandates</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vax?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#vax</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/society?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#society</a> <a href="https://t.co/nQpcTOEBs6">pic.twitter.com/nQpcTOEBs6</a>
— Diane Mantouvalos (@AndoniaPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndoniaPR/status/1480662550467522563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
“But as the nation trudges into a third pandemic year in the grips of another variant-fueled wave, blue state leaders faced with exhausted and frustrated voters have lost the stomach for strict shutdowns.”
According to Bob Blendon, a polling and political strategy expert at the Harvard T.H. Chan School, Democrats “see an upcoming election, they see backlashes.”
“They can’t close things down, and there is no public tolerance for serious disruptions in people’s lives. People have run out of patience,” said Blendon.
Polling has also been dreadful for Democrats, with Biden’s approval rating <a href="https://summit.news/2022/01/13/bidens-approval-rating-drops-to-new-record-low/">sinking</a> to a new low as just 15.5% of Americans <a href="https://summit.news/2022/01/14/poll-finds-only-10-of-americans-trust-media-on-covid-30-trust-fauci/">say</a> they trust the president when it comes to information about COVID-19.
“Everything our government tried to contain this virus has failed and now, thanks to Omicron, everyone is getting infected with a “live covid vaccine” that’s relatively mild and actually works,” <a href="http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=62809">comments Chris Menahan</a>.
“With the combination of Omicron infecting millions and Democrats getting wiped out politically there’s a decent chance we may actually be able to move on from this hysteria and get on with life.”
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source <a href="https://summit.news/2022/01/19/dems-plot-to-prosecute-trump-over-january-6-to-prevent-him-running-in-2024/">https://summit.news/2022/01/19/dems-plot-to-prosecute-trump-over-january-6-to-prevent-him-running-in-2024/</a>

revolution summit Dems Plot to Prosecute Trump Over January 6 to Prevent Him Running in 2024

In response to plummeting approval ratings, Democrats are now moving away from lockdown policies they previously vehemently advocated over f...

Biden’s offshore wind plan is also a jobs plan

The United States’ <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2021/7/3/22560691/power-grid-climate-change-heat-wave?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Recode%201.19.22&utm_term=Recode">struggling power grid</a> is finally getting some major upgrades. Last week, the Biden administration <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/01/12/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-races-to-deploy-clean-energy-that-creates-jobs-and-lowers-costs/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Recode%201.19.22&utm_term=Recode">announced</a> a plan that, among other efforts, will aim to bring more sources of clean energy online and install more high-voltage transmission cables across the country to transport that power where it’s needed.
On the surface, it might seem like the plan is just building on the groundwork Biden laid when he <a href="https://www.vox.com/22770447/infrastructure-bill-democrats-biden-water-broadband-roads-buses?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Recode%201.19.22&utm_term=Recode">signed</a> the bipartisan infrastructure law in November. Parts of the framework released last week focus on the sort of nitty-gritty details that might make your eyes glaze over, such as how to improve the efficiency of reviewing clean energy projects on public lands and vague mentions of supporting clean energy expansion in rural areas. But what’s really worth paying attention to are Biden’s goals for offshore wind power, which is an important energy source for regions like the northeastern US that lack the space and ample sunlight that solar energy depends on. It’s here that the new plan goes from mundane to ambitious, and it may be an indicator of how the administration intends to address issues related to climate change, energy, and jobs at the same time.
<div class="c-float-right"></div>
Offshore wind power generation works similarly to how land-based wind turbines work (wind turns turbine blades around a rotor, which in turn spins a generator to make electricity) — only offshore turbines are rooted in the seafloor dozens of miles off the coast, where they can catch strong ocean winds. Those winds are something the North Atlantic has plenty of, which is why the Biden administration is focusing its initial offshore wind efforts there.
As of today, the US has only seven offshore wind turbines — five in <a href="https://dwwind.com/project/block-island-wind-farm/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Recode%201.19.22&utm_term=Recode">a wind farm off</a> Rhode Island’s Block Island, and two more set up as tests in Virginia. But on February 23, the federal government will <a href="https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/new-york-bight?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Recode%201.19.22&utm_term=Recode">auction</a> offshore wind leases to utilities or offshore wind energy developers in an ocean region called the New York Bight, off the coasts of New York and New Jersey. The holders of those leases will then be able to set up wind farms in the area that generate up to 7 gigawatts of energy — enough to power about 2 million homes — which would require 600 to 700 turbines.
“Offshore wind in the Western Hemisphere has never seen anything like this,” Mike Jacobs, senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told Recode.
Offshore wind energy has historically been the purview of Europe, which has already <a href="https://windeurope.org/policy/topics/offshore-wind-energy/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Recode%201.19.22&utm_term=Recode">built out</a> 25 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity over the past couple of decades. The upcoming 7-gigawatt lease auction brings renewable energy generation to the Northeast in a meaningful way, and it’s just the first of many: The Biden administration said it intends to scale up offshore wind generation to <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/29/fact-sheet-biden-administration-jumpstarts-offshore-wind-energy-projects-to-create-jobs/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Recode%201.19.22&utm_term=Recode">30 gigawatts</a> by 2030. While this is still a fraction of the approximately 1,000 gigawatts Americans use each year, it would still be a sizable contribution that would help the country transition away from coal- or natural gas-fueled power plants.
Importantly, the Biden plan isn’t just about increasing clean energy generation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; it also opens the door to an economy built around clean energy. Those 600 or 700 wind turbines will require people to build turbine components, ship them out to sea, and maintain them once they’re set up. To make that happen, the White House and Transportation Department are aiming to create nearly 80,000 offshore wind-related jobs by 2030 by investing in ports across the Eastern Seaboard — some as far inland as Albany, New York, from where turbine parts will be shipped down the Hudson River to the New York Bight.
“The administration seems to understand that energy is at the heart of an integrated problem,” said Alexandra von Meier, director of the electric grid program at the <a href="https://uc-ciee.org/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Recode%201.19.22&utm_term=Recode">California Institute for Energy and Environment</a> at UC Berkeley. “It relates to people’s well-being and jobs.”
It’s also a clever political move: Tying the fates of 80,000 jobs (nearly <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/215790/coal-mining-employment-in-the-us/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Recode%201.19.22&utm_term=Recode">double</a> the number of coal jobs currently in the country) to offshore wind might insulate the plan from, say, a Republican win in 2024. Still, Biden’s plan could fall short depending on upcoming election results. While the lease sale will happen in February, the process of permitting alone can take up to three years, after which building the turbines will take another two years. That’s more than enough time for a climate-denying secretary of interior with different political goals to take over and throw a wrench in the plan.
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<figcaption>Wind turbines at the Block Island Wind Farm off Rhode Island, which generates enough energy to power 17,000 homes.</figcaption>
<cite>Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images</cite></figure>
Offshore wind isn’t without its detractors, either. In New England, local fishers <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-offshorewind-fishing-oil-idAFL8N2T24GC?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Recode%201.19.22&utm_term=Recode">teamed up</a> with an oil industry lobbying group in December to oppose Vineyard Wind, a proposed 84-turbine wind farm in the waters off Cape Cod, Massachusetts; a lawsuit filed by the fishing industry is still winding its way through court. The turbines, <a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2021/10/14/offshore-wind-fishing?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Recode%201.19.22&utm_term=Recode">fishers say</a>, could negatively affect marine life. They’re also concerned that turbine towers may interfere with radar, while no-sail safety zones in the vicinity of turbines may affect their ability to reach fishing areas. The long-term impacts of wind turbines on marine life still aren’t clear, but a <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2017/09/22/149001/first-evidence-that-offshore-wind-farms-are-changing-the-oceans/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Recode%201.19.22&utm_term=Recode">study</a> in Europe’s North Sea showed turbine bases may act as artificial reefs for animals like mussels. Late last year, the Energy Department <a href="https://coastalreview.org/2021/11/duke-to-study-offshore-wind-energys-effects-on-marine-life/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Recode%201.19.22&utm_term=Recode">awarded</a> Duke University a $7.5 million grant to study offshore wind’s impact on marine life, the results of which should provide a fuller picture of how turbines might affect fisheries. In the meantime, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is looking for workarounds, which is why the <a href="https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2021-12442.pdf?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Recode%201.19.22&utm_term=Recode">sale notice</a> for the New York Bight includes provisions aimed at helping fishers, such as 2.8-mile-wide transit lanes for fishing vessels.
The challenges don’t end there: Even if the wind turbines do get built, and even if their potential impacts on marine life are minimized, there has to be somewhere for the energy they produce to go. Transmission lines — those high-voltage cables you see strung up on steel struts across vast stretches of the country — are usually built by regional transmission organizations, and Jacobs says there might not be enough of them to carry all the energy produced by those new turbines.
This is exactly the issue Germany faced in 2020, when a <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/germanys-stressed-grid-is-causing-trouble-across-europe?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Recode%201.19.22&utm_term=Recode">lack of transmission capacity</a> in Northern Germany meant the region had to send some of its wind power to neighboring countries instead. “They had a whole lot of offshore wind arrive at the beach,” Jacobs said. “And then the German utility industry said, ‘Oh, we hadn’t really prepared for this.’”
The Biden administration seems to want to avoid having a similar situation happen in the United States. That’s why the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes funding for transmission lines, and the administration announced the Energy Department is launching an initiative called Building a Better Grid that will act as a sort of central planning authority for grid improvements. But it’s unclear if that transmission buildout will happen by the time offshore wind gets up and running in the New York Bight — and the administration makes no mention of distribution lines, or the lower-voltage wires that bring electricity to homes and businesses. Those are usually built in the US by local utilities, explained Kyri Baker, assistant professor of engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, and they’re often only replaced once they become completely inoperable.
“You can have all of the clean energy and all of the high-voltage lines as you want,” Baker told Recode by email, “but without a resilient distribution grid, we’re still going to experience life-threatening power outages due to increasing extreme weather events.”
Still, von Meier remains optimistic. Pairing green energy with jobs and new transmission lines that will hold up better against climate change, she says, is an exciting first step. The Biden administration “has understood that there’s really sort of this triple need of addressing climate, addressing resilience, and addressing equity. And I think they’ve understood that it’s an opportunity with clean energy to address all three of those together.”
This story was first published in the Recode newsletter. <a href="https://www.vox.com/pages/newsletters">Sign up here</a> so you don’t miss the next one!
 
 
source <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22891149/bidens-clean-energy-offshore-wind-jobs">https://www.vox.com/recode/22891149/bidens-clean-energy-offshore-wind-jobs</a>

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