GA Gov Seeks To Oust Cultist Election Board Members

GA Gov Seeks To Oust Cultist Election Board Members

Talk about needing to stop the steal! Republicans are so desperate to be rulers over the public, to tank democracy they are willing to do anything to win. They don’t want anyone but white male straight cis republican men to vote. Everyone else they see as inferior and needing to be treated like a servant, who have no rights but to do as they republican leaders tell them. They want to be the royalty below king tRump. Hugs. Scottie

August 26, 2024 Republicans, Trump cultists

From the office of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp:

This office has received Senator Nabilah Islam Parkes and other’s letters alleging ethics violations by members of the State Elections Board. Due to uncertainty regarding whether this office has authority to act under Code Section 45-10-4 in response to these complaints, we have sought the Attorney General’s advice regarding the application of the statute to the letters. We will respond following receipt of this advice and further evaluation of the letters.

An ex-Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter writes:

They are passing a series of last-minute, unnecessary, unrealistic and in some cases illegal rule changes in how elections are conducted. They have done so despite clear warnings from local election officials that they are “setting up 159 counties for failure.”

According to the Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials, those changes will “create unnecessary confusion among both the public and the dedicated poll workers and election officials who are critical to ensuring a smooth and efficient voting process.”

If those warnings prove valid, if county election officials have indeed been set up for failure through rules they cannot realistically honor, then Trump will have the excuse he needs to challenge the election outcome and delay or halt certification.

Two weeks ago Trump called out all three cultist election board members by name at a Georgia rally. Last week he posted praise of Kemp in an attempt to make peace.

Last month the board voted to allow private citizens to file challenges to voter registrations, resulting in an immediate challenge to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s registration. They also voted to allow county officials to refuse to certify election results.

Update: Kemp’s office is asking the AG for guidance on whether he has the authority to remove members of the State Election Board. Voting rights groups, Democrats and even some Republicans have raised alarms about the rightwing majority’s recent votes. #gapol https://t.co/XcMfdAzkbR pic.twitter.com/SSuacGTs0d
— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) August 26, 2024

Science on Tuesday

Chalk-coated fabrics could make clothes even cooler

August 26, 2024 Ellen Phiddian

US researchers have developed a chalk-based coating that can reduce the temperature under fabric by roughly 5°C.

The researchers say their environmentally benign substance could be used to coat any type of fabric and turn it into a radiative cooling textile.

“We see a true cooling effect,” says Evan Patamia, a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

“What is underneath the sample feels colder than standing in the shade.”

Patamia presented the team’s invention at the American Chemical Society’s 2024 Fall Meeting earlier this week.

Substances that can both reflect sunlight, and allow body heat to escape, are well-known to chemists. But they generally require costly or environmentally dangerous materials to make.

“Can we develop a textile coating that does the same thing using natural or environmentally benign materials?” summarises chemist Trisha Andrew, also at Amherst, of the work done by her and her colleagues.

Inspired by crushed limestone, which is used to cool buildings, the researchers tried solutions of calcium carbonate – the main component in limestone and chalk – as well as barium sulphate.

They used squares of fabric treated with a process called chemical vapour deposition, which added a layer of a carbon-based polymer onto the textiles.

When dipped in the solutions, the fabrics built up a chalky matte layer of crystals which could reflect UV and infrared light.

They tested the treated fabrics outside on a warm afternoon, and air underneath them was about 5°C cooler than the ambient temperature, and roughly 9°C cooler than air under untreated fabrics.

The coating is also resistant to laundry detergents.

“What makes our technique unique is that we can do this on nearly any commercially available fabric and turn it into something that can keep people cool,” says Patamia.

“Without any power input, we’re able to reduce how hot a person feels, which could be a valuable resource where people are struggling to stay cool in extremely hot environments.”

Andrew is now part of a startup aiming to test the process on larger bolts of fabric, to see if it can be scaled to industry.

https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/chemistry/chalk-coating-fabric-cool/

“Proving them wrong”: After raising minimum wage, California has more fast-food jobs than ever

In April, California fast-food workers went from earning $15.50 per hour to $20 per hour

By Ashlie D. Stevens

Last year, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the state’s fast-food minimum wage increase into law, which meant that employees at fast-food restaurants in the state went from making $15.50 per hour to $20 per hour. While the decision was lauded by many labor activists as part of broader efforts to improve working conditions and address wage disparities, some economists and fast-food industry members expressed concern over how the law would impact restaurants’ operating costs, which could result in reduced hours for workers or even job cuts.

However, according to new state and federal employment data, California’s fast-food industry has added jobs every month this year — including 11,000 new jobs since the wage increase officially went into effect in April. For instance, in May of 2023, there were 742,600 fast-food workers in the state; a year later, there were 743,300 workers.

According to a release from Newsom’s office last week, since raising worker wages, every month this year has seen consistent fast food job gains, and nearly each month has seen more jobs than the same month last year.

“What’s good for workers is good for business, and as California’s fast food industry continues booming every single month our workers are finally getting the pay they deserve,” Newsom said in a written statement. “Despite those who pedaled [sic] lies about how this would doom the industry, California’s economy and workers are again proving them wrong.”

For fun: another Cover Snark

from the Smart Ones! Enjoy, probably without beverage.

Cover Snark: Poor Vincent

With thanks to personnelente-

an important read from Army Times.

A Little Background On GOP Attack Of Walz

CO2 pipeline setback: South Dakota Supreme Court rules in landowners’ favor

by Skylar Tallal Fri, August 23rd 2024 at 10:30 PM

DES MOINES, Iowa — Summit Carbon Solutions is facing a set back in its proposed CO2 pipeline project, as the South Dakota Supreme Court ruled in favor of landowners who sued to keep Summit from surveying their land.

It’s a reversal of a lower court decision, with the state’s high court now claiming it’s premature to categorize Summit as a ‘common carrier’ for public utility. It’s something Summit needs to be able to prove before it can use eminent domain.

“One of our main arguments is that Summit’s not a common carrier,” Jess Mazour the conservation program coordinator with the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter said. “So it really does change the game here in Iowa as well.”

Summit can’t start building its pipelines in Iowa until it gets approval in North and South Dakota.

The Sierra Club Iowa Chapter calls the decision a victory for landowners. Even though the Iowa Utilities Commission isn’t taking up the club’s reconsideration request, the club is moving forward with its plan to take the fight to court.

“We now have precedent on our side and we’re going to have a strong base for when we file our appeal in district court,” Mazour said.

A similar court case is already on the books in Iowa, with Iowa’s highest court set to hear oral arguments October 8 at the state capitol.

“A landowner in Hardin County, Kent, he was sued for denying Summit access to his land and we are fighting that and also challenging Iowa’s survey law,” Mazour said.

Eminent Domain has been a major issue in Iowa over the last few years. Some Iowa lawmakers joined the pipeline opposition but haven’t been successful in their efforts to change state laws.

The topic is also coming up on the campaign trail, specifically in Iowa’s congressional races.

Congressional Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) Iowa said carbon capture pipelines make sense for Iowa.

“So the carbon capture pipeline is only meant to lower the carbon intensity score of ethanol which makes it competitive globally,” Rep. Miller-Meeks said.

She said while eminent domain is a state issue, she hopes there will only be a limited number of landowners who don’t sign on voluntarily.

“Farmers and property owners need to look at the why the rationale and then determine if it’s in their best interest,” Rep. Miller-Meeks said. “Companies that are acquiring easements are looking at how do you make the land whole. How do you ensure farmers that you can grow crops in the near future?”

Iowa’s News Now did reach out to Summit for comment didn’t hear back.

https://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/south-dakota-supreme-court-rules-in-landowners-favor-set-back-for-co2-pipelines

Never Again

Politicians lie to us daily. I think it’s a requirement of the job. Hillary and Bill were famous for it, Barack admitted to lying as well. So, why do I loathe trump?

Lies have been told by us and to us since time immemorable. Some lies are those that protect the person hearing the lie; the proverbial ‘No, Honey. Those pants do not make you look fat at all.’ Some call these “white lies” or “social lies”, meant to smooth interaction with others rather than pummel someone with the blunt truth.

Then there are the lies that are self serving; the ‘no officer, I’m sure I wasn’t speeding’. These are lies that are easily seen through because we expect to be lied to in this way. We expect to have someone attempt to protect himself in the best story available. Invariably, we get that speeding ticket anyway, and we pay it because we know we were speeding.

Then there are the lies that injures others.

When trump came down that pompous escalator to announce his candidacy for president, he began his political career with lies and doubled down at every opportunity. I felt the man was completely ill prepared for the task, that he put his trust in people who were monstrously untrustworthy, and I was positive he would do a poor job. No surprise, he quickly showed himself to be pernicious, incompetent, a sociopathic narcissist, far less intelligent than he would have us believe, and he hero-worshipped dictators. As his very inadequacy found him out the powers behind the throne failed to rein him in.

Nonetheless, he was the president of the country. No matter how poorly done, he was our president, and that carried a two-way responsibility that I hated yet had little choice but to accept. As our president, he was charged with and accepted the duty to lead everyone, even me. Repeatedly he lied to me. Repeatedly he told me to trust him. And, as president, as the one who ultimately is the one in charge, I trusted the office. Then, I found that I couldn’t go to work because I didn’t have a mask; I couldn’t see my elderly family because I couldn’t risk their very life; I couldn’t see my friends because I could transmit a virus that could jeopardize their life and their loved one’s lives. A virus he told me was not an issue, would be a couple people, would go away like a fluff of cottonwood in the breeze.

In the end, it really doesn’t matter what you think about that virus, because he knew it to be deadly. He knew, and he accepted my family’s potential loss of life as a convenience. He knew and denied reality knowing it put us at risk. He lied and convinced others to lie and made the truth tellers a pariah.

We don’t have to agree in this country to find a common ground. Policy difference is a good thing. It frees the opportunity for debate and challenge, hopefully arriving at an idea that is the best it can be, able to survive challenge and investigation. But there must be a reality we can share. Never again will I allow myself to be led by someone who would see my death and the death of everyone I know as the inconsiderate cost of being thought powerful. Never Again.

Hugs. Randy

Are the Democrats and Kamala Harris anti-LGBTQ+, anti-trans, anti-Palestinians

My view on the people complaining about the Democratic Convention not pushing harder for LGBTQ+ and trans people / rights, and not being more against Israel.