The choices I’ve made

 

In Ernest Hemingway's first novel, The Sun Also Rises, one of the characters is asked how he went bankrupt. “Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.” Nearly 100 years later these lines still ring true. Bankruptcy — whether financial, moral or political — tends to happen gradually until it happens suddenly. The moral bankruptcy of the Republican Party did not happen overnight. It happened gradually — starting with Newt Gingrich’s attack on the government in the early 1990s. It continued with the Tea Party movement, the birther conspiracy and the nomination of Donald Trump in 2016. It gained momentum when Trump won the 2016 election despite losing the popular vote. Once in office, it grew worse when his attacks on democratic institutions were met with acquiescence by most of his party. The mistake many of us made was believing that the aftermath of the 2020 election marked an end to the GOP’s descent into moral collapse. We were wrong. Jan. 6 marked a further descent into the moral abyss.  By 2024, the few principled Republicans had already abandoned their party for the “Never Trump” movement. What was left were Trump dead-enders and those without any core principles at all. A party once built on the promise of Lincoln had become the morally bankrupt party of Trump. Members always receive premium content like this with exclusive analysis you can’t find anywhere else. Consider upgrading for $120/year to continue receiving insights on the current political landscape straight to your inbox.  As we approached the 2024 election, I knew that there was a chance Kamala Harris would fall short. She had been dealt a very difficult hand — a campaign she inherited rather than built and a short time to introduce herself. She was also going to be running against a man without boundaries or decency, who built a movement based on hate. What I was not prepared for was the rapid descent of so many other people and institutions I thought were, like me, bracing for the worst while hoping for the best. Even before the election, the once-proud Washington Post, had been called to heel by a billionaire owner terrified of what Trump might do if elected. The paper's slow trickle of economic loss became a torrent when its subscribers canceled en masse. Since the election, other media figures and outlets have followed suit — each in their own way, each moving gradually towards obedience to Trump and then suddenly. As ratings and circulation rates suffer the financial risks do as well. I no longer believe this pattern will be limited to Republican politicians or even the media. All corners of public life are showing gradual signs of accommodating Trump. Some of the voices most critical of him three weeks ago have grown more measured.  Others have gone silent. Corporate titans have gone out of their way to praise a man and a movement that in 2021 they promised never to support. World leaders who know better act as scared children avoiding an abusive parent. Even some progressive groups are acting with more trepidation and care. I understand it. I feel it. Like others, I fear the threat of government retribution, political vengeance and an angry right-wing mob. But I know that giving into it will only strengthen Trump and undermine the future of our democracy. Trump wants us to be scared. He wants us to give up — gradually and then suddenly.  When I started Democracy Docket in 2020, I envisioned it as a place to share information, analysis and opinion about democracy. My focus was on the courts because there were so few resources for nonlawyers to get information about how judges were affecting voting and elections.  It has evolved along with the challenges democracy has faced. In the aftermath of the 2020 election, it became the primary source for tracking lawsuits seeking to overturn the election. In 2021, it tracked the unprecedented state legislative attacks on voting rights and the litigation that followed. Along the way it added a daily newsletter and most recently premium content. What it has not added are outside investors. It owes nothing to corporate interests or external financial backers. It is not tax-exempt and thus seeks no favor from the government. Though more expensive, it hosts its own website so that it can never be shut down by a platform like Substack. Thanks to its supporters, it has the luxury of being fiercely independent and uncompromisingly pro-democracy. If, at some point in the future, Democracy Docket goes quiet or goes bankrupt, it will be because its subscribers and members have decided that it is no longer worth supporting. Until then, I can promise you, it will not obey and it will not back down. As legacy media increasingly normalizes Trump and his movement, Democracy Docket will always stand by its mission to hold those in power accountable and expose the ongoing threats to our democracy. We are beholden only to our readers and members, so consider joining thousands in supporting our pro-democracy news outlet by becoming a premium member today. BECOME A MEMBER

 

US Senate overwhelmingly rejects resolutions to block weapons shipments to Israel

in Palestine

 by Jacob Crosse

 21/11/2024

On Wednesday, the US Senate affirmed its support for the Israeli genocide in Gaza, which has killed and injured over 300,000 people since October 7, 2023, and roundly rejected a series of resolutions aimed at blocking a fraction of a $20 billion war package the Biden administration approved for Israel in August.

The resolutions, spearheaded by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, are known as the Joint Resolution of Disapprovals, or JRDs. Wednesday’s vote, while a foregone conclusion, was the first time the US Senate has ever considered blocking arms transfers to Israel in over 76 years of political, military and economic support.

Not a single one of the resolutions garnered more than 19 votes, with a majority of Democratic senators and every single Republican voting overwhelmingly against all of the resolutions presented.

Underscoring the Democratic Party’s resolute support for ethnic cleansing, the day before the votes were held the Biden administration sent out a memorandum urging senators not to block the weapons sales, with the implication that voting in favor of the resolutions was tantamount to supporting terrorists. “Disapproving arms purchases for Israel at this moment would … put wind in the sails of Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas at the worst possible moment,” the document read, according to a report from the Huffington Post.

Refuting months of lies from Biden, Harris and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that the Democratic administration was working “tirelessly” towards a ceasefire, the document continued, “Now is the time to focus pressure on Hamas to release the hostages and stop the war. … Cutting off arms from Israel would put this goal even further out of reach and prolong the war, not shorten it.”

Under the Arms Export Control Act, any US senator can submit a JRD to block the transfer of already approved weapons sales if the weapons are being sent to a country that is engaged in war crimes or blocking the transfer of US humanitarian aid to civilians. Earlier this year, in between campaigning for Vice President Kamala Harris and defending President Joe Biden’s record of war and austerity, Sanders began the process of issuing the JRDs. He was supported in these efforts by Democratic Senators Jeff Merkley (Oregon), Chris Van Hollen (Maryland) and Peter Welch (Vermont).

Prior to the vote, all of the senators backing the JRDs, including Sanders, were very clear that the resolutions would not prevent the transfer of so-called “defensive” weapons systems to Israel, such as air-to-air missiles for the Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile systems. Similarly all of the senators, including Sanders, that spoke in favor of the resolutions made clear their support for the Israeli government and its alleged “right to defend” itself from Hamas.

“As I have said many many times,” Sanders stated, “Israel had the absolute right to respond to that horrific Hamas attack as any other country would. I don’t think anyone here in the United States Senate disagrees with that.”

According to the United Nations, since 1947, Israel has illegally annexed and occupied Palestinian lands, forfeiting any right to “self-defense.”

In his remarks Wednesday, Sanders never once referred to the Israeli’s military campaign as a genocide or ethnic cleansing. Like the other senators who supported the measure, he exclusively blamed the “Netanyahu government,” while ignoring the Biden administration and his own role in perpetuating the slaughter. In an attempt to present the current Zionist regime as an aberration from previous Zionist leaders, Sanders declared, “The Israel of today is not the Israel of Golda Meir…”

Speaking as agent of imperialism, the Vermont senator observed that US complicity in Israel’s military campaign undercut “humanitarian” arguments advanced by US politicians to justify military interventions around the globe.

“I’ve heard well-founded concerns about China’s brutal reception of the Uyghur ethnic minority,” Sanders said. “I’ve heard rightful outrage about Putin’s brutal attacks against Ukraine and bombing of civilian installations. I’ve heard genuine concerns about Iran’s outrageous crackdown on peaceful protesters.

But what I want to say to all those folks, nobody is going to take anything you say with a grain of seriousness. You cannot condemn human rights around the world and then turn a blind eye to what the United States government is now funding in Israel. People will laugh in your face. They will say, ‘You are concerned about China, you are concerned about Russia, you are concerned about Iran, well, why are you funding the starvation of children in Gaza right now?’

“So,” Sanders concluded, “we must pass the resolutions from a legal perspective … for our own best foreign policy interests. We will lose our credibility on the world stage.”

Senator Peter Welch, also spoke in favor of the resolutions as a means of advancing US geopolitical interests in the region. He said that blocking them would “harm our goals for the Jewish democratic state … a secured democratic independent Israel” and a “disarmed Palestinian state.”

The three Senate resolutions 111, 113 and 115 under consideration Wednesday would only block under $1.1 billion of the $20 billion package. Each of the resolutions focused on so-called “offensive weapons.” These include tens of thousands of tank rounds, mortar shells and joint direct attack munitions (JDAMS), which convert unguided “dumb” bombs into so-called “precision” munitions.

Resolutions focused at blocking transfer of tactical vehicles ($583.1 million), F-15 fighter aircraft and upgrades ($18.82 billion) and anti-jamming technology for GPS receivers were not considered.

During the debate session, several Democrats spoke in opposition to all of the resolutions. Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen (Democrat) claimed that if the US did not provide the GPS-guided bombs, more civilians would be killed. “By providing Israel with these weapons which are more precise and more accurate,” she claimed, “you can reduce civilian casualties.”

Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Ben Cardin (Democrat-Maryland) lamented, “Why isn’t there more focus on the terrorists?”

Republican warhawk and Trump ally, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, joined the majority in voting against the resolution and blamed Hamas for using “their own people as human shields.”

The same day the Senate rejected any slow-down in weapons shipments to Israel, the US also vetoed a resolution at the UN calling for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire.”

Both votes demonstrate that American imperialism’s support for the ongoing genocide is absolute and unconditional. The Biden administration, with the support of both the Democrats and the Republicans, has armed and financed the genocide as part of an escalating global war, in the Middle East and beyond.

Sanders’ shabby maneuver in the Senate was aimed at providing cover for this bipartisan ruling class policy.

Originally published in WSWS.ORG

An Israeli soldier carries a howitzer shell near the border with Lebanon, in northern Israel, Thursday, January 11, 2024. [AP Photo/Leo Correa]

COUNTER CURRENTS

News Alert: ICC Issues Arrest Warrant for Netanyahu

 

ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and Hamas Leader November 21, 2024 After months of deliberation, the International Criminal Court on Thursday formally issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri. The ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I, a panel of judges, said in a statement that it unanimously rejected Israel's challenges to arrest warrant applications submitted in May by Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor at the ICC. "The Chamber issued warrants of arrest for two individuals, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr. Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024, the day the Prosecution filed the applications for warrants of arrest," the panel said, specifically alleging "the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare" and "the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts." READ THE FULL STORY

Read all the latest news from Common Dreams Call 207.775.0488 to donate by phone or mail a check to: Common Dreams · PO Box 443 · Portland, ME 04112-0443 · USA Common Dreams is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Your contribution is tax-deductible. EIN: 20-3368194

 

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The Musk rat

Robert Reich Nov 21

Friends,

On Tuesday night, Elon Musk and Donald Trump watched SpaceX’s launching of a rocket that could someday take people to Mars. It could also make Musk even richer if Trump awards him government contracts to try.

Musk’s increasingly powerful role in the Trumposphere has led some progressives to suggest we temper our criticisms of him.

On Saturday, Ritchie Torres, a Democratic congressman representing the South Bronx and a self-described “pragmatic progressive,” asked online why Elon Musk “came to be the favored punching bag of the far left,” as Torres put it (on the Musk-owned X).

Torres continued:

“Whether you approve of him or not, whether you agree with him or not, the man is leading two of the most innovative companies on earth. But for SpaceX, the US would be losing the space race against China. But for Tesla, the EV industry in the US would be a shell of itself. The country thrives on intrepid innovators like Elon Musk. Why antagonize him so intensely that you drive him into Trump’s corner and make a permanent enemy out of him? Politics should be a game of addition, not subtraction.”

With due respect to Congressman Torres, Musk is no “intrepid innovator.” He’s an intrepid government contractor. And he’s caused extraordinary harm to America — from the dangerous lies he’s spewing on X, to his war on workers, to the $120 million he spent to get Trump elected.

Musk’s so-called “innovations” have depended on government money. Tesla and SpaceX got started with assistance from state and federal policies, government contracts, and loans.

By January 2010, Musk had sold fewer than 2,000 Teslas. He then received a $465 million low-interest loan from the Department of Energy, months before Tesla’s initial public offering. With that loan, Tesla developed its Model S car, its first major success, and repaid the loan through proceeds from an additional sale of stock in 2013.

Every Tesla purchaser also received a $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles, a subsidy that totaled an estimated $3.4 billion for Tesla. Even if the subsidy let Musk raise prices by half that amount, that would be another $1.7 billion in federal help.

In addition, state and federal tax credits aimed at reducing greenhouse gases generated another $2 billion for the company between 2008 and 2019, accounting for nearly 25 percent of its revenue in 2008 and 10 percent of its revenue over the next five years. Overall, sales of regulatory credits have brought in nearly $11 billion to Tesla.

Not until 2021 was Tesla able to post a profit without the help of credit sales. Without regulatory credits, Musk wouldn’t be the richest person in the world.

Musk is also dependent on government funding for his SpaceX. In 2021 and 2022, SpaceX got NASA contracts worth a total of $4 billion to take humans to the moon.

In June, NASA announced that SpaceX received an additional $843 million contract to “de-orbit” the space station when it is ready for retirement in a few years. SpaceX also has contracts to launch military and spy satellites.

All told, according to USASpending.gov (the government database that tracks federal spending), SpaceX has signed contracts worth nearly $20 billion. If the Trump administration increases funding for NASA’s efforts to return to the moon and travel to Mars, SpaceX’s value could easily increase to $500 billion or more.

Since Trump’s election, Musk’s net worth has increased $64 billion, or nearly 25 percent, according to Bloomberg’s estimate, based in part on investors’ assumptions that Musk will get contracts from the Trump administration for more rocket launches, satellites, artificial intelligence, and self-driving vehicles, and avoid the regulatory constraints and legal troubles he’s faced before.

His companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, are now the subjects of over 20 investigations or regulatory reviews, according to an examination by The New York Times. Musk has given his middle finger to laws designed to protect the health and safety of workers, laws enacted to protect workers’ right to organize a union, and laws to protect consumers and small investors.

Tesla’s push for autonomous driving is a particular focus for regulators. Just last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was investigating several self-driving crashes involving fog and dust.

Musk has also regularly tussled with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The commission has investigated Musk’s 2022 purchase of X, then called Twitter. Musk did not show up for a deposition in September, leading to an SEC request that sanctions be imposed on him.

**

There is an abiding assumption in America that the rich must be smart and that the free market doesn’t play favorites. In fact, the rich have often gained their wealth due to their skill at getting government subsidies, grants, bailouts, and contracts; their cleverness at skirting government regulations; and their hubris in ignoring conflicts of interest. Wherever great wealth connects with significant power, democracy suffers.

Donald Trump is Exhibit A. Elon Musk is Exhibit B.

That Trump has tasked Musk to find some $2 trillion of cuts in the federal budget through more “efficiency” is as bonkers as putting the Justice Department in the hands of an alleged sex trafficker, or assigning an anti-vaxxing conspiracy theorist to run public health, or choosing a possible Russian mole to direct U.S. intelligence.

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Warren gears up for a tax fight

By Kelly Garrity BANK ON IT — Sen. Elizabeth Warren has long railed against Donald Trump’s tax policies. Next year, as the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, she’ll have a new platform to make her voice heard. And she’s already getting started: During a Senate Banking subcommittee hearing on the 2025 tax fight she led yesterday, Warren laid into the Trump-era tax law she derided as a “$2 trillion tax scam.” She slammed policies she claims only benefit “Trump’s billionaire buddies” like Elon Musk. And she warned that if congressional Republicans renew the law that’s set to expire, “hard-working Americans will foot the bill for tax cuts for Trump’s wealthy donors.” It’s a preview into how Massachusetts’ senior senator intends to wield her newfound power as the top Democrat on the panel, a position she’s set to take over next year after Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, the current chair, lost reelection. The tax law Trump championed in 2017 is set to expire next year. Trump pledged on the campaign trail to make the tax cuts permanent, and he and many congressional Republicans are pushing to lower the corporate tax rate, setting up a showdown in Congress next year. Warren sees that, in part, as an opening. “The last time that Trump and the congressional Republicans cut taxes, Americans did notice. They noticed, and they hated Trump’s billionaire tax cuts,” she said during yesterday’s subcommittee hearing. After getting the new law in place, Warren said, “his approval rating dropped like a rock.” That’s a similar argument to the one she laid out in a Time op-ed shortly after the election, detailing ways for Democrats to “fight back.” “It was Democratic opposition to Trump’s tax bill that drove Trump’s approval ratings to what was then the lowest levels of his administration, forcing Republicans to scrap all mention of the law ahead of the 2018 midterm election and helping spark one of the largest blue waves in recent history,” Warren wrote in the piece. Warren’s hearing is also a sign that she’s ready to resume her role as one of the president-elect’s chief critics — one that last time around she parlayed into a presidential bid. GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. There’s at least one area Warren’s ready to work with Trump on: instituting a 10 percent rate cap on credit card interest rates. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu are in D.C. to attend the Celtics’ championship celebration at the White House at 4:30 p.m. Healey joins a panel at the Washington Post Global Women’s Summit alongside New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly at 1 p.m. in D.C. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio attends the Groundwork Lawrence 25th Anniversary Glow Gala at 6 p.m. in Lawrence. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com .    A message from Johnson & Johnson: We’re restoring the true meaning of healthcare—Innovating more precise, less invasive surgery and improving recovery. See how we’re connecting the best of Health&Care for every patient and provider. Learn more.   DATELINE BEACON HILL D.C. BOUND — A delegation of Massachusetts politicians are headed to the White House today to join the Celtics’ championship celebration happening there this afternoon. Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Treasurer Deb Goldberg, Senate President Karen Spilka, House Speaker Ron Mariano and Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu are all heading down to D.C. today (Mariano and Michlewitz are cutting short their trip to Cuba to make it, per State House News Service) for the occasion. Healey is also set to meet with the state’s congressional delegation, according to a person familiar with the plan. — “Mass. lawmakers spend nearly $30,000 in campaign funds on travel agent for health care-focused Cuba trip,” by Samantha J. Gross, The Boston Globe: “Massachusetts House lawmakers spent nearly $30,000 in political donations last month on a trip to Cuba billed as an opportunity to learn about the island nation’s interest in biomedical research. Specifically, the lawmakers paid $28,566 to Marazul Tours, a New Jersey-based travel agent that specializes in trips to Cuba.” DONE DEAL — Gov. Maura Healey signed the roughly $4 billion economic development bond bill yesterday, capping off months-long debate over the bill that at one point looked like it might not make it across the finish line this legislative session. Who’s celebrating? The life sciences, climate and clean energy industries, which could see millions of dollars of investment over the next few years. It’s also a win for Healey, who called on lawmakers to return for a special formal session to pass the billion-dollar borrowing bill after they broke on Aug. 1 without a deal. Who’s not? People who fell victim to what they say are predatory lending practices of a Blue Hub Capital, a Boston-area nonprofit that’s led by a Healey ally and fundraiser. One person interrupted an event Healey spoke at yesterday asking her to veto that section of the bill. More from the Boston Globe.   Want to know what's really happening with Congress's make-or-break spending fights? Get daily insider analysis of Hill negotiations, funding deadlines, and breaking development s—free in your inbox with Inside Congress. Subscribe now .     FROM THE HUB — “Representative Steve Lynch warns Boston leaders: Don’t take our economic success for granted,” by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: “US Representative Steve Lynch offered a stark warning to Boston business leaders this week: Don’t get complacent. In a speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce on Monday, Lynch said he’s been alarmed by the slowdown in construction projects in the city. Lynch and other elected officials from South Boston routinely review early-stage developments, big and small, that come up in their neighborhood. The pace of proposals that have come before the ‘Southie electeds,’ as they’re informally known, has slowed considerably in recent years.” — “Boston City Council shoots down election receivership resolution after ballot mess: ‘Premature’,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “The Boston City Council shot down a measure calling for a state takeover of the Election Department after this month’s ballot mess, but one opponent made it clear his vote wasn’t a ringing endorsement for a department that ‘screwed up pretty bad.’ Rather, concerns around the resolution put forward by Councilors Ed Flynn and Erin Murphy on Wednesday centered around a feeling that declaring local support for a state takeover of the city’s Election Department would be ‘premature’ — given the ongoing investigation by the Secretary of State’s office into the ballot shortages that hampered polling places throughout Boston on Election Day.” PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — “Framingham City Council rejects second multifamily zoning proposal,” by Tom Benoit, The MetroWest Daily News: “City councilors are expected to create their own multifamily zoning map to satisfy the state MBTA Communities Act after a plan presented by the Planning Board was subjected to several weeks of pushback from north side residents. City councilors on Tuesday suggested they could close an ongoing public hearing discussing the current Planning Board proposal on Monday, Nov. 25, then begin making changes to the plan to refer to the Planning Board.”   A message from Johnson & Johnson:   YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS — “Advocates renew push for same-day voter registration,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “Voting rights groups are renewing a perennial push to eliminate the state's 10-day cut off to register to vote, citing reports from the Nov. 5 election that some voters were disenfranchised. The Massachusetts Election Protection Program's steering committee said an analysis of the recent presidential election found ‘major barriers’ to voting that could have been resolved with a system of same-day registration.” — “Ouellette's narrow win over Thrasher in 8th Bristol state rep race certified after recount,” by Frank Mulligan, The Standard-Times: “Democrat Steven J. Ouellette again came out on top over Republican Christopher Thrasher in the 8th Bristol District state representative's race, following a recount Wednesday of a precinct that had experienced voting machine problems on Election Day. That was Precinct E in Westport. Westport Town Clerk Kristin Stinson said the precinct's final tally after the recount Wednesday was 1,012 for Ouellette and 765 for Thrasher.” KELLY DOONER has no education beyond an online BU PARALEGAL COURSE. BLOVIATOR HOWIE CARR headed her fund-raiser. She's narrowly focused, ignored the STEWARD crisis in her home town - just a single issue candidate with no experience..."R" voters predictably uninformed.... — “In speech, incoming Taunton state senator describes her trailblazing political career,” by Emma Rindlisbacher, Taunton Daily Gazette. TRUMPACHUSETTS — “Could Trump really conduct mass deportations here?” by Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio, The Boston Globe: “It’s unclear to what extent the Trump administration would be able to carry through on its threats, particularly in a Democratic stronghold such as Massachusetts, where Governor Maura Healey has vowed to protect residents from deportations, and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has said the city would not cooperate with deportation efforts. Still, some experts say Trump could have powers at his command to initiate large numbers of deportations.” FROM THE 413 — “Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno pledges additional money to reduce tax bills,” by Jeanette DeForge, The Springfield Republican: “With residents facing the largest tax bill in more than a decade, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno pledged to put more money toward tax relief. He promised to reduce the tax levy, or the amount the city must raise to pay for expenses, by $3 million. That amount will come from the remaining about $17 million in the city’s free cash account, which was certified by the state earlier this month.”   Don't just read headline s—guide your organization's next move. POLITICO Pro's comprehensive Data Analysis tracks power shifts in Congress, ballot measures, and committee turnovers, giving you the deep context behind every policy decision. Learn more about what POLITICO Pro can do for you .     THE LOCAL ANGLE MUST READ! RFK JR is a long term HEROIN addict, claims MERCURY poisoning & BRAIN WORM that seem to have fried his brain...he makes WILD, UNSUBSTANTIATED COMMENTS; has no science education & condemns scientists, claimed COVID was bio-engineered to protect JEWS - caught on video & he subsequently denied; he LIES & CONTRADICTS himself; claimed VACCINES caused autism & when he was disproven, claimed it's 5G - no proof! If you support RFK JR, scrutinize his history & his statements!  — “The RFK Jr. effect: Mass pols sound the alarm for the Bay State,” by John L. Micek, MassLive. Rep. Jake Auchincloss  @RepAuchincloss RFK, Jr.: "There's no vaccine that is safe & effective." Quote Peter Tulip @peter_tulip · Nov 14 It seems timely to repost one of my favourite tables: https://cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-managers/guides-pubs/downloads/vacc_mandates_chptr13.pdf… 11:48 AM · Nov 16, 2024 · 19.2K Views 72 Reposts 5 Quotes 263 Likes 21 Bookmarks Conversation Elizabeth Warren @SenWarren RFK Jr. poses a danger to public health, scientific research, medicine, and health care coverage for millions. He wants to stop parents from protecting their babies from measles and his ideas would welcome the return of polio. I have a lot of questions for his Senate hearing. Quote CNN @CNN · Nov 14 President-elect Donald Trump has picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be his next Department of Health and Human Services secretary. Kennedy, a prominent anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist, has accepted. https://cnn.it/4ev4aJq 6:28 PM · Nov 14, 2024 · 12.2M View Ed Markey @SenMarkey Dangerous. Unqualified. Unserious. Quote The Associated Press @AP · Nov 14 BREAKING: President-elect Donald Trump is expected to choose Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, as his nominee for health secretary, AP sources say. https://apnews.com/article/trump-rfk-hhs-health-kennedy-f40ee2398e3a280c1586eecdd80bdf7c?taid=673666169458eb0001f2949e&utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&utm_medium=AP&utm_source=Twitter… 4:43 PM · Nov 14, 2024 · 38.9K Views — “Worcester investigating 27 cops state says fast-forwarded mandatory online training,” by Brad Petrishen, Telegram & Gazette: “Worcester police Wednesday confirmed opening internal investigations into 27 officers alleged to be among dozens statewide to use technology to shirk online training requirements. Interim Police Chief Paul Saucier told the Telegram & Gazette that he ordered the internal probes immediately after the state informed him of the issue last week.” MUST READ!  WORCESTER POLAR PARK  PREVIOUS ARTICLE:  TELEGRAM & GAZETTE — “Activist sprayed with paint outside City Council meeting; suspect is restaurateur,” by Marco Cartolano, Telegram & Gazette: “As members of the City Council stood for the national anthem before their meeting Tuesday night, a resident known for prolific progressive activism was assaulted with spray paint outside the Esther Howland Chamber. In connection with the assault, a warrant was issued for the arrest of John Piccolo, owner of Piccolo's at 157 Shrewsbury St. and a prominent name in the Worcester restaurant scene.” — “President Biden and first family to spend Thanksgiving on Nantucket,” by Catherine Messier, Cape Cod Times: “President Joe Biden and the first family are headed back to Nantucket to celebrate Thanksgiving. The holiday travel is a longstanding tradition of the Bidens, dating back to 1975. Though the first family stayed home due to the pandemic in 2020, they returned to the charm of November in New England in 2021, and have been back each year since then.” HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — Dr. Nefertiti Walker has been appointed senior vice president for academic affairs, student affairs, and equity at the University of Massachusetts. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to state Rep. David Muradian, Matt Martinelli, Michael Lipson, Jim Daiute and Timothy Cronin.   A message from Johnson & Johnson: At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured; treatments are smarter and less invasive; and solutions are personal. We are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum, of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow. We combine our science and technology with our determination to create a powerful force for care… and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more.   Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com .   Follow us on Twitter Kelly Garrity @KellyGarrity3   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters Follow us

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