La vache est fachée

@vacheestfachee

Writer/editor. Covid-cautious homeschool parent. Michigander & MSU alum. Christian; definitely not nationalist. Anti MAGA, fascism, genocide. Pro Ukraine, BLM, democracy, rule of law, civil/human rights, refugees, vaccines, science. Words mine only. She.

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La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Jul 14

Obligatory: Revenge of the Sith! It's kind of disturbing how expansive the family of herpes viruses is and all the bad things they cause, even before this discovery! (And acute retinal necrosis doesn't even make this list.)

What are herpes viruses?

The herpes virus family comprises more than 200 known members. Nine of them can infect humans. The so-called human herpes viruses (HHV) include
* the herpes simplex viruses type 1 and 2,
* the varicella zoster virus,
* the Epstein-Barr virus,
* the cytomegalovirus and
* the human herpes viruses 6A, 6B, 7 and
* Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus 8.

Human herpesvirus 9 (HHV-9) has been less researched to date and there is still no broad scientific consensus on its properties and effects. Herpes viruses can cause a variety of diseases. They are widespread worldwide. Most adults carry one or more of the nine viruses without realizing it.

Possible herpes virus infections in humans are, for example:

* Cold sores (herpesvirus 1 & 2)
* Genital herpes (herpesvirus 1 & 2)
* Chickenpox (varicella zoster virus)
* Shingles (varicella zoster virus)
* Pfeiffer’s glandular fever(Eppstein Barr virus, cytomegalovirus )
* certain types of cancer (herpes virus 8)

Source: https://www.usz.ch/en/disease/herpes-viruses/

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Jun 27

Name a film with a title that is a full sentence.

Image of a Blu-Ray case for "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Jun 9

New world screwworm cases reported in a dog in NM and a goat in TX, so far, per the USDA. Yikes. It's probably easier to read at the source link, but here's alt text for those who can use it: www.aphis.usda.gov/news/agency-...

Screenshot of linked USDA webpage, part 1 of 2:

USDA Confirms First Case of New World Screwworm in a Dog in Lea County, New Mexico, Fourth Case in Texas:

The New Mexico case was previously reported in Andrews County, Texas.

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 8, 2026 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is sharing additional details about the epidemiological investigation into the case that was reported earlier today in Andrews County, Texas. While the veterinarian who reported the case is located in Texas, the dog resides at a household in Lea County, New Mexico. Therefore, the location of the case will be reclassified to be the first case detected in New Mexico.

This is believed to be an isolated case; however, because the dog’s recent travel and exposure history remain unknown, USDA and state partners have initiated inspection of additional animals in the dog’s home and increased outreach in the area while continuing to investigate the animal’s movement history.

“This situation is evolving, and we expect new information to emerge as our investigation continues. USDA is committed to sharing what we learn quickly, accurately, and transparently so animal owners and local communities have the information they need to stay vigilant,” said Dudley Hoskins, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. “We are working closely with our partners in New Mexico, Texas, and across the region to ensure we identify, contain, and respond to any potential cases as swiftly as possible.”

New World screwworm (NWS) poses a serious threat to livestock, pets, wildlife, and in rare cases, people. The larvae feed on living tissue and can cause severe wounds, animal suffering, and significant economic harm if not detected and treated quickly.

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Jun 2

The photo of a bald white guy from the classic article "Heartbreaking: The Worst Person You Know Just Made A Great Point"

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· May 29

Reposting to add alt text.

Looks like an instagram post from mostafa_bassim [checkmark]. Background is a pale-skinned hand holding a broken camera lens, green circuitboard visible, asphalt in the background. Text reads: "Outside Delaney Hall rn, an ICE agent hit my camera with his baton using full force. The lens snapped in half and fell to the ground. As I tried to pick up the lens, he threatened to hit me again with the baton. I was clearly identified as press, carrying a camera in my hand and actively taking photos. He deliberately targeted my camera — not my body, not my legs — my camera."

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· May 20

Your last saved meme is your moral philosophy.

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· May 7

What's a crit hit get me? (Screenshot to try to prove I'm not cheating. :) )

Image of a red graphical D20 having rolled a 20. Text reads, "Roll 1 d20 dice - 1 times."

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Apr 28

The latest Produce Alliance alert & watch lists, for your grocery shopping information. 🥗

Alert List
• Asparagus – EXTREME
• Artichokes – ESCALATED
• Bok Choy – EXTREME
• Boston/Butter Lettuce – ESCALATED
• Broccoli – EXTREME
• Broccoli Crowns Asian Cut – EXTREME
• Carrots – EXTREME
• Cauliflower – EXTREME
• Celery – EXTREME
• Fennel, Anise – ESCALATED
• French Beans – ESCALATED
• Green Leaf/Red Leaf Lettuce – ESCALATED
• Green Onions – ESCALATED
• Honeydews – ESCALATED
• Hot Pepper: All Varieties – ESCALATED
• Lettuce – EXTREME
• Limes – EXTREME
• Napa – EXTREME
• Parsley Italian – ESCALATED
• Raspberries – EXTREME
• Romaine – ESCALATED
• Romaine Hearts – EXTREME
• Sweet Corn – ESCALATED
• Table Grapes – ESCALATED
• Tomatoes (Rounds and Roma Tomatoes)
o Mexico and Florida – EXTREME/ACT OF GOD
• Warm Veg Category: Corn and Eggplant – ESCALATED
• White Asparagus – ESCALATED

Watch List
1. Blackberries
2. Broccolini
3. Cabbage, Red
4. Cabbage, Green
5. Herbs
6. Pineapple
7. Ginger
8. Cantaloupe
9. Small Citrus Sizes across all Varieties
10. Sugar Snap and Snow Peas

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Apr 25

CNN suggests plastic & aluminum supply shocks from the Strait of Hormuz closure will reach the US by late summer: www.cnn.com/2026/04/24/b... #EconSky #SupplyChain #IranWar

$Why it hasn’t happened yet The US economy is feeling pressure from the war in the Middle East – mainly through higher oil and gas prices. But only a tiny fraction (roughly 7%) of US energy imports ship through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the US Energy Information Administration. The US produces the bulk of its energy at home. “Thus the story for the US is mainly about prices rather than availability,” noted Nathan Sheets, global chief economist at Citigroup. The last shipments of energy products from the Middle East from before the war just arrived in Asia, so it will take time for shortages to grow severe enough that factories need to make major adjustments to their production. Gas prices are displayed at a Chevron gas station, in downtown Los Angeles. [Photo captioned: Gas prices are displayed at a Chevron gas station, in downtown Los Angeles. Jae C. Hong/AP] It’s hard to put a precise timeframe on how long the disruption in the strait would need to last to trigger supply shortages in the United States, Brown noted. Plastics and especially aluminum aren’t warehoused in large supplies. Still, Brown predicted it could take three months for plastic shortages to spread around the world and four months until automakers need to cut production because of aluminum shortages. Companies hardened and diversified their supply chains following the pandemic and during Trump’s recent tariff campaign, insulating US importers from some of the disruptions they’d otherwise have faced sooner.$

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Apr 6

Things that are easy to miss, living in the US with US news media not reporting on much beyond our borders (or GOP talking points, for that matter). #IranWar #EnergySky #EconSky

Tweet by Ann Vandersteel™️ (@annvandersteel):
What follows fuel rationing?

Famine.

🇧🇩 Bangladesh - Fuel rationing active. Universities closed. Military deployed in oil depots.
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka - Fuel rationing active. 15 litre per week cap for private motorists. Four day school week. Scaled back public sector operations.
🇸🇮 Slovenia - 50 litre per day cap on fuel for private drivers. 200 litres for businesses and farmers. Indefinite.
🇵🇭 Philippines - National energy emergency declared. Four day working week in place.
🇵🇰 Pakistan - Four day work weeks and school closures still in effect.
🇲🇲 Myanmar - Alternating driving days imposed.
🇹🇭 Thailand - Diesel price cap imposed. Government officials told to work from home and limit travel. Fuel exports banned except to Cambodia and Laos.
🇻🇳 Vietnam - Tapping fuel price stabilisation fund. Officials encouraged to work from home and limit travel.
🇰🇪 Kenya - Rationing by major fuel suppliers ongoing. Rural areas already running out.
🇪🇬 Egypt - Fuel and electricity rationing active. Malls, restaurants and retailers shutting at 9pm. Illuminated billboards switched off. Government buildings closing at 6pm.
🇮🇳 India - Government phasing out LPG cylinders for households with access to piped gas to prioritise supply.
🇨🇳 China - Export ban on diesel, gasoline and aviation fuel until at least end of March.
🇰🇷 South Korea - Fuel price cap imposed. First in 30 years. Voluntary fuel conservation measures in place.
🇯🇵 Japan - Refiners requesting government release of stockpiled oil. 95% of crude imported from Gulf states.
🇪🇸 Spain - €5 billion emergency package. Tax reductions on electricity and gas. Subsidies for transport operators and farmers.
🇩🇪 Germany - BASF raising prices on goods by up to 30%.

Tweet by Ann Vandersteel™️ (@annvandersteel) continued:
What could be coming:
🇬🇧 UK - Ministers could activate contingency powers to introduce fuel rationing at petrol stations. 80% of UK goods travel by road. IEA has advised considering carpooling and working from home to save fuel.
🇪🇺 EU - Emergency measures under discussion. Storage across many member states below 30%.
Shell's CEO warned Europe could face fuel rationing starting in April if the Strait stays closed.
G7 finance ministers, energy ministers and central bank governors met in Paris today and issued a joint statement saying they stand ready to take "all necessary measures" to preserve stability in energy markets.

6:05 AM - Apr 5, 2026 - 54.1K Views.

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Apr 6

Really not liking "millions of ordinary people dying of thirst" as a potential outcome here. #IranWar

Tweet by 🇦🇺Craig Tindale (@ctindale):
Human 96 hr drinking water risk if desalination plants are significantly impaired

Kuwait: 3.0 to 4.0 million
Qatar: 1.0 to 1.8 million
Bahrain: 1.1 to 1.4 million
Saudi Arabia: 0.7 to 1.5 million
Iran Gulf coast: 0.5 to 1.0 million
UAE: 0.3 to 0.8 million
Oman: 0.1 to 0.4 million
Iran: 0.8 to 1.5 million

The highest-risk countries are not the biggest populations. They are the places with the worst combination of coastal concentration, desalination dependence, and limited fallback depth.

That puts Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar at the front of the queue. Saudi, Iran and the UAE become much worse if the disruption spreads from desalination plants into storage, transmission, and power. In Iran this looks increasingly likely the escalation to energy infrastructure is possible for all states .

Dated 2:59 AM · Apr 5, 2026 · 54.5K Views.

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Apr 3

Of course Iran can bomb bridges, too, but yikes, I didn't realize that other areas of the Middle East were so vulnerable to bridge bombings. And of course, the US started it (the bombing, not just the war).

Tweet by Khalid Al-Mansouri خالد (@KhalidAlMans_) at 2:58 PM Apr 2, 2026: "(2 flashing light emojis) IRAN JUST RELEASED A TARGET LIST OF 8 BRIDGES ACROSS 4 COUNTRIES. THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.

(Kuwait flag emoji) Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah Bridge — TARGETED. 36 km over water. Kuwait's northern lifeline. No alternative route.

(Saudi Arabian flag emoji) King Fahd Causeway — TARGETED. ONLY road between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. US Fifth Fleet logistics depend on it.

(UAE flag emoji) Sheikh Zayed Bridge — TARGETED. 1 of 3 links to Abu Dhabi island.

(UAE flag emoji) Al Maqta Bridge — TARGETED. 2 of 3 links to Abu Dhabi island.

(UAE flag emoji) Sheikh Khalifa Bridge — TARGETED. 3 of 3 links to Abu Dhabi island. ALL exits named.

(Jordanian flag emoji) King Hussein Bridge — TARGETED. Jordan's primary West Bank crossing.

(Jordanian flag emoji) Damia Bridge — TARGETED. Jordan's secondary crossing.

(Jordanian flag emoji) Abdoun Bridge — TARGETED. Amman's central traffic artery.

8 bridges. 4 countries. ZERO redundancy. ZERO bridge defense doctrine.

(Warning emoji) None of these bridges have alternatives. Zero redundancy. One strike = total isolation.

(Warning emoji) These bridges took YEARS to build and cost BILLIONS. They cannot be rebuilt during a conflict.

The real crisis hasn't even started yet."

Image of map showing Abu Dhabi's links to nearby islands and the mainlands. The map's legend indicates that thicker red dashed lines are for "Severed Supply Routes and Logistics Corridors," thinner red dashed lines are for "Severed Civilian Evacuation Paths," red Xes indicate "Abu Dhabi Island Isolation," and green solid lines indicate "Alternative Routes." Many locations on the map are labeled "No Alternative."

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Apr 1

🌮

Donald Trump with a Trump Tower taco bowl, smiling and giving a thumbs up.

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Mar 24

Time to feel old, fellow Elder Millennials. HT profmusgrave.github.io/anotherday/

One day closer to the end.
The September 11 attacks are now closer to the first Star Wars film's release than to today.
May 25, 1977 → Sep 11, 2001 → Today
24 yrs, 4 mo to past event 24 yrs, 6 mo to today

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Mar 19

A friendly reminder from AJ journos as to what is likely to increase in price/decrease in availability: www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/...

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Mar 11

Read my kids a book about the Great Depression & learned something new. There was an NRA (here, National Recovery Act) initiative to encourage people only to shop at stores that paid their workers a certain amount. That sounds like an idea worth recycling (& an NRA I'd support).

Photo of a book page. The page is titled "Putting America Back to Work," but the paragraph of copy directly under the title is cut off.

A black-and-white photo of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in front of radio microphones from NBC, CBS, BLUE, and possibly others is captioned, "President Roosevelt used the radio to tell Americans about many new programs and agencies that would help them. People began calling Roosevelt's programs the 'alphabet soup programs' because so many were referred to by their initials. People even called the president by his initials--FDR!"

The central highlight of the page is a poster. Its copy reads, "NRA member U.S. - we do our part." In the middle is displayed a large blue eagle, with a gear in the foot claw to the left and three lightning bolts in the foot claw to the right. The description below reads, "Flying the Blue Eagle: One goal of the National Recovery Act (NRA) was to raise wages for workers. Employers who promised to pay workers at least 40¢ an hour could display aposter with the NRA symbol on it--a blue eagle. Soon there were Blue Eagle posters on buses and billboards, encouraging shoppers to buy only at 'Blue Eagle businesses.'"

A black-and-white photo of three girls in dresses that spell out "NRA" is captioned, "These gilrs were eager to show their support of the NRA."

A description of the TVA's activities is cut off to the right side.

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Feb 17

Like, here's what prisonfreefunds.org has to say about their big all-US-stock-market funds. VTSAX and FZROX sound pretty similar here? 🤷‍♀️

Screenshot of a chart labeled PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. Fund Name: VANGUARD TOTAL STOCK MARKET INDEX FUND - Vanguard (VTSAX). Prison Industrial Complex Grade: F. Sustainability Mandate: X. All Flagged: 20%. High Risk: 1.97%. High Risk: Prisons: 0.41%. High Risk: Borders: 1.93%. High Risk: Private Prisons: <0.01%. Net Assets: $2.02T. Group: U.S. Equity.

Screenshot of a chart labeled PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. Fund Name: Fidelity ZERO Total Market Index Fund - Fidelity Investments (FZROX). Prison Industrial Complex Grade: F. Sustainability Mandate: X. All Flagged: 21%. High Risk: 1.96%. High Risk: Prisons: 0.38%. High Risk: Borders: 1.93%. High Risk: Private Prisons: <0.01%. Net Assets: $31.88B. Group: U.S. Equity.

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Feb 6

Here's the TL; DR on top 30 cancer risks from www.independent.co.uk/news/health/...

The Independent has contacted WHO for more information.

The risk factors identified in the study, according to The New York Post, include:
1. Smoking tobacco.
2. Infections.
3. Drinking alcohol.
4. High BMI.
5. Physical inactivity.
6. Smokeless tobacco.
7. Poor breastfeeding practices.
8. Air pollution.
9. Excess UV exposure.
10. Hepatitis B.
11. Hepatitis C.
12. Epstein-Barr virus.
13. Helicobacter pylori (H pylori).
14. Human herpesvirus type 8.
15. Schistosoma haematobium.
16. Human T-cell lymphotropic virus.
17. Opisthorchis viverrini and Clonorchis sinensis.
18. Asbestos.
19. Arsenic.
20. Benzene.
21. Beryllium.
22. Cadmium.
23. Chromium.
24. Diesel engine exhaust.
25. Formaldehyde.
26. Nickel.
27. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
28. Silica.
29. Sulphuric acid.
30. Trichloroethylene.

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Feb 6

I've seen a few parenting resources elsewhere online for talking to kids about ICE, all of which seem to be focused on children from non-targeted demographics (otherwise IDK how it's responsible to tell kids that they're safe), but given that limitation, this one is the best I've seen so far.

THINGS I'M SAYING TO MY KIDS ABOUT ICE & IMMIGRATION: AGES 8-11.

No matter where people are from, we welcome them. Everyone brings stories. Everyone brings wisdom.

Some families are being targeted because of their immigration status. That isn't OK. We stand up for those folks.

I know you are worried about our family members who are not US Citizens. That is a valid worry. We are proud of our immigrant family.

Let's make a list of people we can talk to about this. What kinds of different perspectives should we make sure to include as we learn more?

Some kids might bring up ICE at school. I am always here to answer your questions. I want to hear the stories.

It is never OK to separate a child from their family. It is never OK for strangers to take a child from their school or home.

Let's talk about ways you can stand up for what you believe in. We could make a sign? Or learn about some of the families impacted.

What have you heard? What are kids saying about what is happening right now? I will always do my best to answer your questions honestly.

You are safe here. You are safe here. This is a problem the grownups need to deal with. We are working on it. We are, we are.

Attribution: @drchelsey_parenting.

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Feb 2

+24 points in Texas!

Democrat and machinist union leader Taylor Rehmet won the special election Saturday to represent a solidly red Texas Senate district that President Donald Trump carried by 17 points in 2024, a stunning upset that injected a fresh and urgent sense of a panic into the GOP from the Texas Capitol to the White House heading into November’s midterm elections.

With ballots tallied from all but a handful of voting centers, Rehmet had 57% of the vote, besting the 43% for his GOP opponent, conservative activist Leigh Wambsganss, who vastly outspent Rehmet as Republicans including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick mounted a furious funding push in a bid to tilt the election in their favor in the final days.

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Jan 27

How many of these stories does ICE create every single day? It's obscene. (Condolences to you, @kristenradtke.bsky.social ... this is a beautiful tribute.)

There is something destabilizing about having known someone only as a child and then hearing they were gunned down in the street. The person you see in your mind lying in that street is still a child. I’m sure his mother feels that way, too, or she sees him at every age all at once, including those he did not live to see.

After Alex was wrestled down to the ground, and after a federal agent pulled the trigger and Alex went still, nine more shots were fired into his body. I keep reading reports that there was a struggle before the first gunshot, but all I see is a person trying to keep his head off the ground while seven masked men surround and beat him. Certainly, through his training as an ICU nurse, he knew that it was important to protect his head. Once in the old neighborhood, when he was seven or eight, he’d fallen off his bike, his helmet splitting cleanly in half like a cantaloupe. He showed the halves to all the neighbor kids as a way to warn them to never ride without one.

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Jan 25

And finally, support for abolishing ICE! (Pluralities+ of all adults, all genders & regions, ages 18-44, non-whites, and non-Republicans support abolishing ICE. White people & ages 45-64 are just -1 and seniors only -5 on abolishing ICE.) today.yougov.com/topics/polit...

Would you support or oppose abolishing ICE?
Conducted January 24, 2026.
YouGov surveyed 3359 US adults.
"All adults" is selected from options also including Region, Gender, Politics, Age, and Race.
Strongly support: 34%.
Somewhat support: 12%.
Somewhat oppose: 10%.
Strongly oppose: 31%.
Not sure: 12%.

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Jan 25

Then, approval rating for protests against ICE's actions (pluralities+ of all adults and all groups broken out here support the protests ... except for Republicans): today.yougov.com/topics/socie...

Do you approve or disapprove of recent protests against ICE actions?
Conducted January 24, 2026.
YouGov surveyed 3359 US adults.
"All adults" is selected from options also including Region, Gender, Politics, Age, and Race.
Strongly approve: 34%.
Somewhat approve: 14%.
Somewhat disapprove: 9%.
Strongly disapprove: 31%.
Not sure: 10%.

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Jan 25

Next, evaluating the level of force ICE is using (majority of all adults; every race, gender, and age bracket; all regions; and every political grouping that's not Republicans say it's "too forceful"): today.yougov.com/topics/polit...

How would you describe the tactics currently used by ICE?
"All Adults" is selected from options also including Region, Gender, Politics, Age, and Race.
Too forceful: 58%.
About right: 23%.
Not forceful enough: 10%.
Not sure: 9%.

How would you describe the tactics currently used by ICE?
"Race" is selected from options also including All adults, Region, Gender, Politics, and Age.

All:
Too forceful: 58%.
About right: 23%.
Not forceful enough: 10%.
Not sure: 9%.

White:
Too forceful: 52%.
About right: 28%.
Not forceful enough: 12%.
Not sure: 9%.

Black:
Too forceful: 72%.
About right: 12%.
Not forceful enough: 4%.
Not sure: 12%.

Hispanic:
Too forceful: 70%.
About right: 17%.
Not forceful enough: 6%.
Not sure: 7%.

Other:
Too forceful: 60%.
About right: 16%.
Not forceful enough: 9%.
Not sure: 15%.

How would you describe the tactics currently used by ICE?
"Politics" is selected from options also including All adults, Region, Gender, Age, and Race.

All:
Too forceful: 58%.
About right: 23%.
Not forceful enough: 10%.
Not sure: 9%.

Dem:
Too forceful: 90%.
About right: 4%.
Not forceful enough: 2%.
Not sure: 3%.

Ind:
Too forceful: 62%.
About right: 16%.
Not forceful enough: 7%.
Not sure: 15%.

Rep:
Too forceful: 22%.
About right: 48%.
Not forceful enough: 21%.
Not sure: 9%.

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Jan 25

For those who would like to dig into yesterday's YouGov polling about ICE, I dug up the links. First, ICE approval (underwater with all adults and, notably, political independents): today.yougov.com/topics/polit...

Do you approve or disapprove of how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is handling its job?
"Politics" is selected from options also including All adults, Region, Gender, Age, and Race.

All:
Strongly approve: 23%.
Somewhat approve: 14%.
Somewhat disapprove: 9%.
Strongly disapprove: 48%.
Not sure: 7%.

Dem:
Strongly approve: 3%.
Somewhat approve: 5%.
Somewhat disapprove: 6%.
Strongly disapprove: 83%.
Not sure: 3%.

Ind:
Strongly approve: 14%.
Somewhat approve: 10%.
Somewhat disapprove: 9%.
Strongly disapprove: 54%.
Not sure: 13%.

Rep:
Strongly approve: 51%.
Somewhat approve: 26%.
Somewhat disapprove: 11%.
Strongly disapprove: 7%.
Not sure: 6%.

Do you approve or disapprove of how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is handling its job?
"All adults" is selected from options also including Region, Gender, Politics, Age, and Race.
Strongly approve: 23%.
Somewhat approve: 14%.
Somewhat disapprove: 9%.
Strongly disapprove: 48%.
Not sure: 7%.

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Jan 22

"Cut your report to 1/7 the length & don't name any names about government entities that participated" really doesn't sound like a fair and neutral set of editing guidelines, just saying.

The Michigan Legislature appropriated money for the report in 2023, hoping it would “address the history of what happened in boarding schools in Michigan and how the State of Michigan contributed to this system,” according to a Nov. 30 letter sent to legislative leaders in November from Department of Civil Rights Executive Director John Johnson Jr.

Johnson declined to share the completed report with the Legislature, saying the study produced by Washington-based Kauffman and Associates was “difficult to read and lacked the substance” the state sought.

But in a letter to the Civil Rights Department, Kauffman and Associates put the blame on state officials, saying the consulting firm had “significant ethical concerns” about the editing of the report.

The firm contends it was asked to cut an initial 350-page report to 50 pages, and that references to potential connections to local government involvement be eliminated.

“We are fully committed to finding a solution that supports transparency and accuracy, without whitewashing, sanitizing, or misrepresenting the experiences of Native American boarding school survivors and their descendants in Michigan,” wrote Kauffman CEO Kevin Keefe.

Keefe told Bridge Michigan the legal counsel for the Attorney General’s office ordered the references to local cities, townships and counties be cut.

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Jan 22

They're not even trying to hide the pre-blue-wave meddling anymore, are they?

Congressman Tom Barrett Representing the People of Michigan's 7th District - A Note From Tom:
Restoring Trust by Reforming Government

Dear [blacked out],

Washington is broken. I know it. You know it. Everyone knows it. That’s why I’m leading my Blueprint for a Better America to reform our broken system and get the government back on track for the American people.

Today, I unveiled four pieces of legislation to begin restoring the trust that’s been broken by partisan politics, including:

The Make It Count Act to end the circus of redistricting for a political advantage by limiting when and how congressional districts are drawn.

The Supermajority Statehood Amendment to require a two-thirds supermajority vote in both the House and Senate to add a new state to the union.

The Keep the Nine Amendment to put an end to the partisan efforts to pack the U.S. Supreme Court by permanently limiting it to nine justices.

The Unauthorized Spending Accountability Act to force Congress to reclaim the “power of the purse” and review, rethink, and possibly eliminate $516 billion in programs that are running on autopilot.

To read more about these bills and constitutional amendments, click here or the button below.

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Jan 9

Great weekly column from @elienyc.bsky.social: www.thenation.com/article/poli... My favorite part: "the reality is that most of us will not have a choice on how or when the Trump regime will martyr us."

Abolish ICE or GTFO:

In News Unrelated to the Current Chaos:

Over the holiday break, I rewatched all of the Lord of the Rings movies. I was struck, once again, by one of the most famous scenes in the three films—the one where Frodo says, “I wish none of this had ever happened,” and Gandalf responds, “So do all who live to see such times. But it is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time given to us.”

I usually find this scene empowering. This time I found it to be full of shit. As I ponder what to do with the awful time given to me, my intrusive thoughts tend toward, “How best to die while fighting this regime?” But the reality is that most of us will not have a choice on how or when the Trump regime will martyr us.

Renee Good did not wake up one morning and decide she was ready to die opposing Trump. She just reacted as a decent person would when the bad people came to do bad things in her neighborhood.

On this most recent Lord of the Rings rewatching, I identified most with Meriadoc Brandybuck (one of the three hobbits who join Frodo on his quest). Merry didn’t set out like Gandalf to organize regime change. He wasn’t charged like Frodo to destroy the evil power. He just… tried to help his friends, and understood that if he didn’t try, his entire community would be destroyed. When Merry is at the Entmoot (the meeting of powerful but long dormant tree-creatures), literally screaming at the trees to do something, I felt like he was me talking to Democrats in Washington.

“I’m a hobbit, and I know I can’t save Middle-Earth. I just want to help my friends” turns out to be my New Year’s resolution.

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Jan 8

✊ Justice for Renee Nicole Good, Marimar Martinez, and Silverio Villegas González, all murdered by ICE. Reposted with alt text.

Tweet from Henry Lake @lakeshow73: Texting with a former Minneapolis Police Department officer and asked their opinion of today's ICE related shooting as I respect their long time service and work. They replied back with one word, 'homicide.'

JUSTICE FOR RENEE NICOLE GOOD [image of Ms. Good that looks like a painting but might be a computer illustration, with warmth in her eyes and expression].

La vache est fachée@vacheestfachee· Dec 9

Kind of interesting: here are the latest federal estimates of the costs of foodborne illnesses. I suspect it's a *lot* more than we saved by cutting down our inspection regime... ers.usda.gov/data-product...