"A monster winter storm took aim at the Upper Midwest on Tuesday, threatening to bring blizzard conditions, bitterly cold temperatures and 2 feet of snow in a three-day onslaught that could affect more than 40 million Americans."
"New editions of legendary works by British author Roald Dahl are being edited to remove words that could be deemed offensive to some readers, according to the late writer's company." Ugh. Okay, well, they do have the right to change the works. And yes, some of that language could be deemed "offensive." But while I applaud the effort to be more inclusive and aware of other people's feelings, these books have been in print for a long time. An introductory warning and apology would have sufficed here, but I'm not in the categories that have been offended. I can't help but think this isn't really about doing "what is right", but is more about continued income. Not to mention that they have just created a whole class of "rare" books (the "uncorrected" versions printed before now) that could be lucrative to some.
"The Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday that it would take control of the cleanup of a Norfolk Southern train derailment in Ohio earlier this month that released hazardous chemicals into the environment… Under the legally binding order, Norfolk Southern must identify and clean up contaminated soil and water resources, pay for the costs of work performed by the EPA and reimburse the agency for additional cleaning services offered to residents and businesses." It's great to have a government that works for us again.
"EPA says it can fine Norfolk Southern $70,000 a day if it falls short of cleaning up and paying for the Ohio toxic train wreck."
"But reporting by NPR found a broad consensus among drug policy experts that strategies now being put forward are unrealistic and won't keep fentanyl off American streets." We've had almost 50 years with the War on Drugs. It has barely made a dent, and it never will because it was never meant to. The only real solution to the problem would be to spend the money being spent on supporting people before they get into drugs, and having a robust treatment and rehab system. Until you make a dent in the demand, you'll never end the war on trying to stop the supply.
"One big reason people want to ditch their commutes: they can save money. They found this out during the pandemic, of course. In 2019, just 6% of Americans worked primarily from home in 2019. By the end of 2020, that number had increased to more than 33.3%. An Upwork study in September of that year found the average American had saved $2,000 by ditching their commute. LendingTree weighed in with a study that found that remote work led to debt reductions of approximately $9,117 for the average American. Meanwhile, 60% of millennial and adult Gen Z respondents to a Bankrate survey that year said that working from home was financially beneficial." But wait, the commute is "not bad." At least, this is what the article wants you to believe. As a veteran of decades of long commutes, using them as a buffer zone between work and home is a good idea. There's another branch of though that tries to make that time "productive." Ignore that bullshit.
"Results from a new pilot program at dozens of employers in the United Kingdom showed major benefits to workers' health and productivity when their hours were reduced — and a vast majority of firms plan to stick with the condensed schedule… Advocates say the results help validate the idea that it's possible for companies to shorten the workweek to 32 hours with no reduction in pay while maintaining previous levels of work output." Huhn, imagine that. Of course it will be imported to the US (which also ran a study back in the Obama administration IIRC which came to the same conclusion), but they will most definitely miss that part about "no reduction in pay."
"The Supreme Court is weighing Wednesday whether Facebook, Twitter and YouTube can be sued over a 2017 Islamic State group attack on a Turkish nightclub based on the argument the platforms assisted in fueling the growth of the terrorist organization."
"Speaking to a joint session of the Russian parliament and Kremlin officials, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented the war in Ukraine as an existential struggle against the West, while announcing he was suspending Russia's participation in the last remaining arms control treaty with the U.S." Fuck around and find out, Vlad. (Waves to my Russian friends, also, guys, you do know he's insane now, right, it's not safe for you anymore.)v
"Speaking from Warsaw, Poland, Biden boasted of how the west had responded to the aggression from Moscow and said leaders must continue to stand up for freedom and democracy… 'When Russia invaded, it wasn't just Ukraine being tested. The whole world faced a test for the ages. Europe was being tested,' Biden said from the gardens of the Royal Castle."
"American and allied sanctions and export controls are constraining Russia’s ability to wage war on Ukraine by degrading its military, a top Treasury Department official said Tuesday, adding that more sanctions will be imposed on the Kremlin in the coming days." War is economy and logistics.
"President Joe Biden swept unannounced into Ukraine on Monday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a defiant display of Western solidarity with a country still fighting what he called “a brutal and unjust war” days before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion."
"And oh goddamn were both the Russians and Republicans mad about it… The symbolism of Biden's visit to war-torn Ukraine wasn't lost on the enemies of America." Jim Wright on the current conflict (which is more than just Ukraine resisting Russia).
"A handful of congressional Republicans met Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a signal of continued U.S. support even as hard-right members of the party vow to block future aid to the embattled country." A day late and a dollar short, as they say.
"A maintenance worker was killed and 13 were sent to hospitals with injuries after an explosion and large fire at a metal plant outside of Cleveland, Ohio… Emergency crews responded to I. Schumann & Co. in Bedford, Ohio, around 2:20 p.m. on Monday. The cause of the explosion is still unclear, but photos shared on social media and in local news reports showed debris scattered for hundreds of yards, damaged vehicles and a plume of smoke visible for miles."
"A former Proud Boys member who pleaded guilty to plotting with group leaders to violently stop the transfer of presidential power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden told jurors Tuesday that he viewed their far-right extremist organization as 'the tip of the spear' after the 2020 election."
"President Biden is seeing his highest approval ratings in almost a year, while former President Donald Trump, who is hoping to take the job back, is getting his worst scores among potential Republican voters in years, according to the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll." Polls about an election that is almost 2 years away are essentially meaningless (except to pollsters who will chart the fluctuations and declare "movement"). But it's nice to see this.
"The former attorney general of Arizona, Mark Brnovich, failed to release documents that showed his office’s investigation into the 2020 election did not find evidence of widespread fraud in the state’s most populous county."
"In remarks that appeared to have been made at a Project Veritas' office, (James) O'Keefe said the board had stripped him of all decision-making. The move comes after the board reportedly put him on leave from his role as chairman amid complaints about his treatment of staff at the organization, which is known for using hidden cameras and hiding identities to try to ensnare journalists in embarrassing conversations and to reveal supposed liberal bias." Apparently he was a real asshole and was stealing money. Who could have seen that coming?
"Roger Bergman, the sole incumbent Republican commissioner the group failed to oust, had attended one of those forums last year, and as he sat in the audience, he grew concerned. But even Bergman, who at 76 has decades in local politics, wasn’t sure what it would all mean when it came time for a new, far-right majority to actually govern… That is, until they took office last month, and havoc broke out."
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