Anger and concern well up. Anger and concern that are fueled by love for a country that has been violently transgressed. By a president of the United States no less. And with stunning complicity from those who actively participated in an attempted coup, and those who stood by and did nothing while their country teetered on the edge of chaos. Unbelievable. But believe it we must. Because true it is. We struggle to keep the mantra: steady, steady, steady. But in doing so may we follow the lead of the January 6 committee whose methodical, steady — admirably steady — pursuit of the facts has brought into the light a perfidy perhaps unmatched in the modern history of this nation. When one must reach for comparisons to the Civil War to bring context to our current moment, it is to acknowledge the gravity of what we are learning. Another day of hearings, and yet more details in a tableau of rampant law breaking. It is at a scale that is beyond what anyone could have imagined. Those who screamed into the void about what this man did and what he was capable of were often dismissed as histrionic. But even the most outrageous of suppositions have turned out to have been too restrained. The truth now has far outpaced the speculation. And the probability is that we have more to learn. Take the news that ended today's hearing, that there is new evidence raising questions about witnesses and a Trump telephone call. Did the president of the United States directly engage in witness tampering? It is impossible to be shocked anymore, yet it remains shocking to even have to ask the question. I've said something of this nature many times before; it only becomes more accurate with each new revelation. And let us note with emphasis the new revelation that the president indicated that he wanted the U.S. military to seize voting machines as a means of keeping him in power past an election which he had clearly lost. Perhaps if the reality of what took place was less abhorrent we might be able to process it more easily, and thus be less stunned. Can this really be happening? Did all of this really occur? Above all, one question looms for which we must demand answers:  Dan Rather @DanRatherJuly 12th 2022 7,391 Retweets43,463 LikesThere must be soul searching at all levels. The cowardice of those who saw this unfold in real time and said nothing is a permanent stain on their characters. Those who would explain it away, or who sought to sabotage this investigation — and that includes almost every elected Republican in Congress — have put their narrow party's unquenched thirst for power ahead of the country. We must ask: What was happening at the Department of Justice? And what is happening there now? It brings me no joy to include the press as an institution in this tally of systemic breakdown. How could this story have been so widely missed? And is the full scale of it being given enough prominence? A story of this scale and far-ranging nature is bigger than just the White House press corps. Everyone should have been asking questions. It is not too late to dig into it with more investigative journalism. And while doing so, false equivalence should be banished from every newsroom. Let us not forget that President Trump was impeached for what happened on January 6, and in the Senate trial that followed, we didn't come close to learning the full truth of his actions. The moment passed without sufficient scrutiny. No longer. When this House committee was formed, there was a belief among many that the investigation would shed little that was new for those who had been paying attention. Sort of like crossing t's and dotting i's. Yet these patriotic members of Congress, and patriots they all are, have greatly exceeded expectations with professionalism and steely resolve. How stark their example stands in contrast to so many others who were perfectly happy to stay in the shadows in a moment when their country needed them to shed light. Finally, thought turns tonight to the justices on the Supreme Court who claim to be "originalists." Three of them were appointed by perhaps the most dangerous man to ever have held the office of president. In their decisions blowing up established rights, these justices like to claim to base their rulings on what the Founding Fathers thought. I wonder what those founders would have made of a would-be dictator who sought to use force to overthrow the will of the people in order to set up dynastic rule. Actually, I don't have to wonder. You can read about it in the Declaration of Independence, and it infuses the U.S. Constitution. It is the words that all of these people swore to uphold and then defiled in a craven play for power over justice and democracy.
© 2022 Dan Rather |
Wednesday, July 13, 2022
Dan Rather: Perfidy Personified
The Living New Deal Map is a good entry point
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905.
Via The Marginalian: "The Baloney Detection Kit: Carl Sagan’s Rules for Bullshit-Busting and Critical Thinking"
Carl Sagan (November 9, 1934–December 20, 1996) was many things — a cosmic sage, voracious reader, hopeless romantic, and brilliant philosopher. But above all, he endures as our era’s greatest patron saint of reason and critical thinking, a master of the vital balance between skepticism and openness. In The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark (public library) — the same indispensable volume that gave us Sagan’s timeless meditation on science and spirituality, published mere months before his death in 1996 — Sagan shares his secret to upholding the rites of reason, even in the face of society’s most shameless untruths and outrageous propaganda.In a chapter titled “The Fine Art of Baloney Detection,” Sagan reflects on the many types of deception to which we’re susceptible — from psychics to religious zealotry to paid product endorsements by scientists, which he held in especially low regard, noting that they “betray contempt for the intelligence of their customers” and “introduce an insidious corruption of popular attitudes about scientific objectivity."
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| The Baloney Detection Kit: Carl Sagan’s Rules for Bullshit-Busting and Critical Thinking |
Take action to provide DOER your input on the proposed building stretch codes
Via the Massachusetts Climate Action Network
"Join us and voice your concerns about the Department of Energy Resources (DOER's) stretch energy building code & demand that the code accelerate the construction of energy-efficient, all-electric buildings powered by renewable & clean energy. "
RSVP here: http://bit.ly/DOERDirectAction
In the Making Sense of Climate series, Ted McIntyre and I talk many times about the stretch codes and how that can help the overall approach to reducing green house gases. You can provide feedback to the DOER in these sessions, to help get the stretch codes to make a difference. You can find the series here ->
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| Take action to provide DOER your input on the proposed building stretch codes |
If you are not sure about stepping up to speak in the one of the sessions, MCAN also offers session on writing a letter to provide your input.
"MCAN and our partners will be hosting three workshops to build awareness, support, and confidence on making informed comments. Experts and highly informed advocates will be in attendance to answer any questions you have and provide further insight into the details of the most recent code.
Join us for our Letter Writing Workshop on July 20th at 7:00 p.m. to learn and ask about DOER's proposed Stretch Code, the comment process, and set aside time for comment drafting. "
RSVP at: bit.ly/DOERLetterWriting
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| Letter Writing Workshops |
“Vaccines remain our single most important tool to protect people against serious illness, hospitalizations, and deaths"
"The White House COVID-19 response team held a news conference Tuesday in which officials focused on the threat posed by the rise of the highly transmissible BA.5 subvariant, what people can do to protect themselves, and what steps the government is taking.
Here are some key takeaways from the remarks by White House COVID-19 response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, and the nation’s top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is President Biden’s chief medical adviser."
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| Maria Garcia looks away as Sarah DiPerri, RN (right) administers a Pfizer COVID-19 booster vaccine at Park Avenue Healthcare in Arlington on Nov. 9, 2021.JESSICA RINALDI/GLOBE STAFF |
Franklin TV and wfpr.fm schedule for Wednesday, July 13, 2022
- wfpr.fm or 102.9 on the FM dial = Wednesday
9:00 AM 12:00 Noon and 6:00 PM Franklin Matters Radio/FPS Voice – Steve Sherlock
Franklin and its local government, services and events (repeats Saturday at 9 AM)
- This slot features recording of my interview with Jim Barton of Allegra Marketing Print Mail. Recorded June 21, 2022.
This hour features my conversation with Franklin resident and climate activist Ted McIntrye in our #12 episode of Making Sense of Climate recorded on June 23, 2022
- Franklin All Access TV - Our Public Access Channel (Comcast 8, Verizon 26) = WEDNESDAY
- Franklin Pride TV - Our Educational Channel (Comcast 96, Verizon 28) = WEDNESDAY
- Franklin Town Hall TV - Our Government Channel (Comcast 11, Verizon 29) = WEDNESDAY
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| Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) |
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
How to Spot Misinformation Online - 2 sessions at Franklin Senior Center - Jul 18 & 25
When:
“This free short course from MediaWise for Seniors will teach you how to tell what’s true and false on the internet. By looking at examples of political, health, travel and climate misinformation, you will learn techniques for identifying false information and how to seek out trustworthy sources.
Christiane Amanpour, Joan Lunden, Lester Holt, Hari Sreenivasan and Dave Jorgenson — MediaWise Ambassadors — will also pop in to share their advice as experienced journalists to help you navigate information on platforms like Google, Facebook and more.”
The online course is listed as taking 1-2 hours. We have scheduled 2 one hour sessions to allow for discussion and following links to research current examples along the way.
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| How to Spot Misinformation Online - 2 sessions at Franklin Senior Center |
When the river & reservoir run dry
"The legendary waterway is drying up. Travelling its length, Tobias Jones uncovers its fascinating historyItaly’s longest river, the Po, was once called the “king of rivers” by Virgil (“fluviorum rex”). It was considered mighty less for its length – it’s only about 400 miles (652 kilometres) long – than for its expanding girth: the countryside next to the river, the Padanian plain, was so flat that the Po was often less of a river than a slow-moving marsh, always flooding land dozens of miles either side of its porous banks."
"An abandoned old power boat juts upright from the cracked mud like a giant tombstone. Its epitaph might read: Here lay the waters of Lake Mead.The largest US reservoir has shrunken to a record low amid a punishing drought and the demands of 40 million people in seven states who are sucking the Colorado River dry. The megadrought in the Western US has been worsened by climate change. Wildfire season has become longer and blazes more intense, scorching temperatures have broken records and lakes are shriveling."
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| The shoreline of Lake Mead is pitted with such apocalyptic sights as this previously sunken boat, turned upon its stern.JOHN LOCHER/ASSOCIATED PRESS |
Hockomock YMCA swim team tryouts scheduled
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| swim team tryouts scheduled |
- Mon. July 18 (5:30-6:30 p.m.) at the Foxboro Y
- Tues. July 19 (5:30-6:30 p.m.) at the North Attleboro Y
- Wed. July 20 (5:30-6:30 p.m.) at the Franklin Y
Governor Baker Proclaims July 10-16 as “Hurricane Preparedness Week”
Hurricane Preparedness Week, as proclaimed by Governor Charlie Baker, runs from July 10 – 16. All week, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) will engage local communities across Massachusetts to highlight the risk of tropical storms and hurricanes, and encourage residents to take steps to prepare. As part of MEMA’s commitment to diversity and equity in emergency planning, this year’s campaign will include information to equip those living with disabilities and specific medical needs. 
Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency
“Hurricane Preparedness Week is an annual reminder of the hazards that the Commonwealth faces and how residents can prepare during hurricane season,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy. "While it’s been 31 years since Hurricane Bob made landfall in New England, hurricanes and tropical storms remain a threat to Massachusetts and we ask residents to learn if they live in a hurricane evacuation zone, develop an emergency plan, build an emergency kit, and stay informed.”
“We were confident all along that this attempt to block the VOTES Act was meritless”
"THE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT will uphold the VOTES Act, the new law that allows Massachusetts residents to vote early by mail for any reason.
The court on Monday announced that it will reject a challenge by a group of Massachusetts Republican Party leaders and side entirely with Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin to keep the law intact for the 2022 election cycle. "
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| Secretary of State William Galvin addresses reporters after word that the Supreme Judicial Court has dismissed a Republican challenge to the state's new law allowing voting by mail for any reason. "The presses are now rolling," Galvin said about the printing of ballot applications. (Photo by Shira Schoenberg) |
If the latest COVID variant is evading defenses, what will schools look like in September?
"The pandemic is a relentless race against Mother Nature. Waves of infection took millions of lives, and only highly effective vaccines prevented even more deaths. Now, the coronavirus is speeding up once again, mutating, evading immunity and still on the march. The arrival of subvariant BA.5 should be a reminder that the finish line in this race is nowhere to be seen.What’s BA.5? This is the latest subvariant of omicron, which stormed the planet late last year and caused a huge wave of infection. As of now, BA.5 and a closely related variant, BA.4, account for about 70 percent of all infections in the United States, according to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based in part on modeling. These two newcomers are easing out an earlier variant, BA.2."
"In September 2020, I knew lots of kids who went back to school full-time. And others who didn’t return to a normal, in-person schedule until April 2021.Some schools allowed parents to bring kids into classrooms. Others prohibited it. Weekly testing was required at some schools, but not all.Which is pretty much how the pandemic has been for parents and kids: filled with uncertainty and unpredictability.Even now, after two and a half years, rules around preschool and school feel like a random pastiche that varies wildly from town to town and school to school. Is quarantine required if you’re exposed to COVID? Do you need to test? Can extracurriculars proceed normally?"
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| First-grade student Ashley Emmanuel, 6, does a spelling test behind a temporary privacy wall in Stacy Boyd's first grade classroom at the Parlin School in Everett.DAVID L. RYAN/GLOBE STAFF |
MA "House proposes $1b in short and long-term tax relief"
"HOUSE LEADERS rolled out a $523.5 million package of permanent tax breaks on Monday that, when combined with $510 million in one-time payments to middle-income residents proposed last week, would yield more than $1 billion in tax relief for Massachusetts residents.
House and Senate officials released a statement saying they were in agreement on the general framework of the permanent tax relief package but not necessarily on the specifics of each tax break. The permanent tax break package, which would take effect in January, echoes many of the same themes originally proposed in a $700 million tax relief package proposed by Gov. Charlie Baker in his January budget proposal, although some of the tax breaks are smaller and Baker’s call for a sharp reduction in the short-term capital gains tax rate is not included."
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| MA "House proposes $1b in short and long-term tax relief" |
MA Senate Passes Animal Welfare Legislation
Senate passes bills to prevent inhumane treatment of puppies and kittens, encourage adoption of research animals, and enforce hunting regulations for endangered and threatened species
The Massachusetts State Senate on Monday passed three bills which promote animal welfare. S.2994 An Act protecting the health and safety of puppies and kittens in cities and towns ensures the safety of puppies and kittens during breeding, sale, and boarding. S.2992 An Act Protecting Research Animals, previously passed by the Senate in 2018 and commonly known as the 'Beagle Bill', encourages research facilities that use dogs and cats to offer these animals up for adoption after finishing research, rather than automatically euthanizing them. Finally, S.2993 An Act further regulating the enforcement of illegal hunting practices takes measures to discourage the illegal hunting and sale of game animals, including endangered species.
"As a lifelong animal lover and owner, I am acutely aware of the importance of protecting the Commonwealth's animals, whether in our homes, in kennels and shared facilities, or in nature," said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). "I am also grateful for the advocates and Senators who worked to get these bills to the Senate floor. Thank you to Senators Chandler and Rodrigues for working to protect the puppies and kittens of the Commonwealth, to Senators Lovely and Tarr for continuing to lead on pushing for the Beagle Bill, and Senator Moore for your work to strengthen poaching regulations."
"The passage of these bills today is reflective of our commitment to ensuring animal welfare, protecting dogs, cats and consumers, and further regulating the enforcement of illegal hunting practices that threaten the welfare and conservation of native species important to our ecosystems and economy," said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. "I want to thank the Senate President for prioritizing these bills, along with Senators Chandler, Moore, Tarr and others for their strong advocacy in support of protecting our animals and wildlife native to our Commonwealth."
"I am proud the Massachusetts Senate passed legislation prioritizing the protection of animals across our Commonwealth," said Senator Joan B. Lovely (D-Salem), Senate Chair of the Judiciary Committee. "The Beagle Bill will give research dogs and cats a second chance at life and bring Massachusetts in line with other states across our nation. We owe so much of human advancement to the service and sacrifice of these animals, and they deserve to be loved and cherished after a job well done. I am also pleased that the Senate passed bills that will protect local wildlife by preventing poachers from hunting, as well as to safeguard the health and safety of puppies and kittens in kennels and boarding facilities. Thank you, Senate President Karen Spilka, Chair Michael Rodrigues, Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, and President Emerita Harriette Chandler for taking a stand to protect and advance the well-being of beloved animals and pets throughout Massachusetts."
"This bill has the potential to truly protect the wellbeing puppies and kittens in the Commonwealth, who will otherwise suffer without clear, mandatory regulations on their purchase, storage, and caretaking. I am proud that the Senate passed this legislation," said Senate President Emerita Harriette L. Chandler (D-Worcester), lead sponsor of the bill on safeguards for puppies and kittens.
"The 'Beagle Bill' will facilitate new relationships between research laboratories and non-profit animal rescue organizations which in turn will give these creatures a chance of life after the lab with a Massachusetts family," said Senator Bruce E. Tarr (D-Gloucester), Senate Minority Leader and lead sponsor of the Beagle Bill. "The Senate has taken the humane and right actions on these animal welfare bills and I look forward to the Governor signing them."
"As a former Environmental Police Officer, protecting animals has been one of my life's missions. The passage of these three bills is great news for pets and wildlife in our state," said Senator Michael O. Moore (D-Millbury), lead sponsor of the bill on illegal hunting. "The strong language of my anti-poaching legislation will go a long way toward protecting the Commonwealth's wildlife, marine life, and ecological systems, while ensuring those who wish to do harm to these fragile populations face consequences regardless of their home state. The protections provided by the other two bills passed today will ensure cats and dogs are treated humanely at every stage of their lives here in Massachusetts. I want to thank my colleagues, Massachusetts Senate Leadership, and the countless dedicated activists and volunteers who made this huge step forward in animal welfare in the state of Massachusetts possible."
Protecting Puppies and Kittens
An Act protecting the health and safety of puppies and kittens in cities and towns addresses inhumane practices relating to the transfer of pets. As separating puppies and kittens from their mother and litter prior to completion of their eight-week developmental socialization stage prevents them from learning important behaviors such as bite inhibition and the development of proper social relations with other members of their species, this bill prohibits the sale of puppies and kittens under eight weeks of age. To promote continued wellbeing of puppies and kittens in group settings, this legislation tasks the Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) with creating Massachusetts' first state-wide oversight regulations and licensure requirements of breeders, doggie daycare, and boarding facilities. The bill also ends the sale of animals on roadsides, parking lots, flea markets, or in other public spaces.
Beagle Bill
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nationally more than 60,000 dogs, almost all beagles, and nearly 20,000 cats are used each year to advance scientific research and to test cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and other household products. Currently, many research labs choose to automatically euthanize these cats and dogs once their experiments are over. An Act Protecting Research Animals, commonly known as the 'Beagle Bill', facilitates a relationship between animal research laboratories and registered non-profit animal rescue organizations and requires that when these animals are no longer needed, the research facilities make every effort to place animals up for public adoption.
Illegal Hunting
Massachusetts is currently experiencing historically unprecedented losses of species diversity, with much of the state's wildlife increasingly vulnerable to human activities like climate change and illegal hunting. An Act further regulating the enforcement of illegal hunting practices aligns Massachusetts poaching regulations with other states, to better protect fish, birds, mammals, and endangered or threatened species. This bill also brings Massachusetts into the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, which helps states to work together to prevent illegal hunting across state lines.
Having passed the Senate, An Act protecting the health and safety of puppies and kittens in cities and towns now goes on to the House of Representatives for further consideration. As An Act further regulating the enforcement of illegal hunting practices and An Act Protecting Research Animals have passed both branches of the legislature, a conference committee will be appointed to resolve differences between the bill's two versions, if any.
S.2994 https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S2994
S.2992 https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S2992
S.2993 https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S2993
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| MA Senate Passes Animal Welfare Legislation |
Franklin TV and wfpr.fm schedule for Tuesday, July 12, 2022
- wfpr.fm or 102.9 on the FM dial = Tuesday
2 hours. An insightful tour of Jazz Greats in a golden era
Addressing issues of Drug Abuse Disorder
- Franklin All Access TV - Our Public Access Channel (Comcast 8, Verizon 26) = TUESDAY
- Franklin Pride TV - Our Educational Channel (Comcast 96, Verizon 28) = TUESDAY
- Franklin Town Hall TV - Our Government Channel (Comcast 11, Verizon 29) = TUESDAY
Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm)