Not Even a Lump of Coal?

At least that would help keep them warm this winter.


Attribution: Abandonment of Ukraine by Patrick Chappatte, Le Temps, Switzerland

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27 thoughts on “Not Even a Lump of Coal?”

  1. Ukraine’s Zelenskyy will meet with Biden, congressional leaders amid standoff over more aid – ABC News (go.com)

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet both with President Joe Biden at the White House and with congressional leaders on Tuesday amid debate in Washington about providing billions of dollars in additional military aid to Ukraine.
    “As Russia ramps up its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine, the leaders will discuss Ukraine’s urgent needs and the vital importance of the United States’ continued support at this critical moment,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
    The Senate’s majority and minority leaders, Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, have also invited Zelenskyy to speak at an all-senators meeting on Tuesday morning, according to a leadership aide.
    House Speaker Mike Johnson will meet with Zelenskyy on Tuesday in the Capitol, too, according to his spokesman.
    Zelenskyy’s trip comes as additional funding for Ukraine remains in limbo, with a vote on more money failing in the Senate last week.
    […]
    The White House has said its aid proposal is a priority and     repeatedly urged swift passage.
    “Ukraine has done an extraordinary job in defending against this Russian aggression,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on “This Week” on Sunday.
    “Over the past years, it’s taking back more than 50% of its territory. It’s engaged in a ferocious battle right now along the eastern and southern fronts. We are running out of resources already in the bank to continue to assist them,” Blinken said.
    Biden has been more blunt, saying Wednesday, after Republicans blocked his proposal in the Senate: “[They] are willing to give [Russian President Vladimir] Putin the greatest gift he could hope for and abandon our global leadership, not just Ukraine, but beyond that.”

  3. Axios.com:

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet in person with senators in both parties and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) during a visit to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.

    Why it matters: The Ukrainian president’s visit to Congress comes as lawmakers remain at an impasse over an emergency national security spending package that includes roughly $60 billion for Ukraine.

    What we’re hearing: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have invited Zelensky to speak at an all-senators meeting at the Capitol on Tuesday, according to a leadership aide.

    • Zelensky will also speak with Johnson at the Capitol that day, according to Johnson’s deputy chief of staff for communications Raj Shah.

  5. and speaking of lumps of coal, here’s something christmassy from 2014

    Every year since 2006, The Killers write and record a special Christmas song for a very good charity – the RED campaign. They usually collaborate on these. Some of the artists they’ve worked with include the band Dawes, Neil Tennant and Elton John. Needless to say, Jimmy was flattered that they asked him to be a part of it this year.

  8. More fire alarm polls for Biden…

    CNN polls released Monday found that Trump has a 10-point lead over Biden among Michigan voters despite the sitting president carrying the state in 2020. Fifty percent of Michigan voters said they would support Trump, 40 percent chose Biden and 10 percent said they wouldn’t choose either candidate.

    Forty-nine percent of Georgia voters said they would back Trump in a hypothetical general election matchup while 44 percent said they would vote for Biden. Seven percent of respondents said they would not vote for either candidate.

    https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4353388-trump-biden-michigan-georgia-battleground-surveys/

  11. https://apnews.com/article/dhl-express-workers-strike-teamsters-union-cc353c574e7978e74c5391412ab9c16b

    “More than 1,100 unionized DHL Express workers walked off the job at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), a critical logistics hub for the package delivery company, during the busiest time of the year.”

    “The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents over 6,000 DHL workers across the country, said its DHL-CVG members went on strike Thursday to further demand a fair contract and protest unfair labor practices.”

  12. https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/harmful-to-public-schools-over-100-texas-chaplains-issue-letter-of-opposition-to-school-chaplain-bill/

    “Over 100 Texas chaplains issue letter of opposition to school chaplain bill”

    “The chaplains who signed the letter said the chaplaincy programs are an “affront to the religious freedom rights of students and parents as well as church-state separation, and the programs would take funding away from trained mental health professionals who are better equipped to serve students.”

    “Because of our training and experience, we know that chaplains are not a replacement for school counselors or safety measures in our public schools, and we urge you to reject this flawed policy option: It is harmful to our public schools and the students and families they
    serve,” the letter read.

    https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/keller-isd-to-vote-on-chaplains-in-schools/3408759/

    Now, we shall see if Keller ISD can keep this from happening in their schools.

    Hmmm, I wonder if imams were included in the mix with chaplains, if that would make Republicans understand separation of church and state? (Of course, it was Republicans who specified chaplains.) The US is not a Christian country, we are a capitalist country. Democracy is dead.

  13. https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/11/europe/russian-opposition-leader-alexey-navalny-missing-intl/index.html

    “Lawyers for Alexey Navalny said Monday they have lost contact with the jailed Russian opposition leader, who was believed to be imprisoned in a penal colony about 150 miles east of Moscow, and his whereabouts are unknown.”

    “On Friday and throughout today, neither IK-6 nor IK-7 responded to them,” Yarmysh posted, adding that Navalny had been missing for six days. Navalny was last imprisoned in the IK-6 penal colony east of Moscow.”

    “The White House said it was “deeply concerned” about reports of Navalny’s disappearance.”

    “He should be released immediately. He should never have been jailed in the first place, and we’re going to work with our embassy in Moscow to see how much more we can find out,” John Kirby, US National Security Council spokesman, told reporters aboard Air Force One.

  15. That’s an alarming report about Alexey Navalny. I hope Putin will reconsider the consequences to his own immortal soul. He’s so religious now, he must believe in hell. 

  17. https://themessenger.com/business/hyundai-honda-and-volkswagen-accused-of-illegal-union-busting

    “The United Auto Workers union on Monday accused Volkswagen Group, Hyundai Motor America and American Honda Motor of attempting to illegally obstruct organizing attempts at their non-union facilities.”

    “Non-union autoworkers at facilities operated by the respective carmakers have filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board accusing management of illegal union-busting, according to the UAW.”

    “The UAW claims that management has harassed and threatened workers for discussion the union, confiscated — and destroyed — pro-union materials and attempted to intimidate pro-union employees.”

    “Each of the companies accused of violating labor laws had given workers pay raises in the wake of the UAW’s contracts with the Detroit Three — Ford Motor, General Motors and Stellantis — in a move labor experts have said is designed to limit the UAW’s organizing efforts.”

  18. Stephen Colbert is back.  Tonight’s guest is Liz Cheney.   (Never thought I’d be excited by that, but here we are. The enemy of my enemy is my frenemy.)

  20. DHL walking off is very important.  The region is where a huge amount of international small package and flats arrive to the U.S. on various carriers.  Will this spread to others?  UPS 2023 contract includes its employees there so they should not walk, but you never know.

  21. Woman who sued Texas for abortion left state to have procedure after ‘hellish’ week | Texas | The Guardian

    The Texas woman who sued the state for an abortion after receiving a lethal fetal diagnosis has now left Texas in order to obtain the procedure, the Center for Reproductive Rights announced in a statement Monday.

    […]

    “This past week of legal limbo has been hellish for Kate. Her health is on the line,” said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for the Reproductive Rights, which is representing Cox. “She’s been in and out of the emergency room and she couldn’t wait any longer. This is why judges and politicians should not be making healthcare decisions for pregnant people.”

    Cox is believed to be the first woman to sue for an abortion while still pregnant since Roe v Wade was overturned last year.

    Her case is separate from an ongoing lawsuit, brought by 20 Texan women and two doctors, who have accused the state of denying abortions while they were in medical emergencies. That case, which is also before the Republican-stacked Texas state supreme court, is seeking to clarify the medical exceptions in the Texas abortion ban.

    “Kate desperately wanted to be able to get care where she lives and recover at home surrounded by family,” Northup continued in a statement, which was posted to X. “While Kate had the ability to leave the state, most people do not, and a situation like this could be a death sentence.”

  22. I hope she sues them before they try to sue or otherwise prosecute her. Texas Republicans and eligible non-voting Texans are responsible for this travesty.

  23. In Texas they mean to make sure that a woman KNOWS HER PLACE.   

    Kinda makes you wonder how many Texas women have had quite enough of their bullshit.

    Probably bout the same percentage as Ohio.

    And Kansas.

  26. Sturg – Despite Kansas being Kansas, they did vote to keep abortion legal there in 2022, I believe. 

    Question about the Texas case: Will that poor woman and/or her husband be charged for leaving the state to seek abortion care? Will they/can they go after an out-of-state doctor?

    https://newrepublic.com/article/176854/republican-red-states-brain-drain

    “The Red State Brain Drain Isn’t Coming. It’s Happening Right Now. As conservative states wage total culture war, college-educated workers—physicians, teachers, professors, and more—are packing their bags.”

    The “and more” would be professionals/the financially-able of child-bearing years and LGBTQ folks.

    When I’m on vacation and someone asks me where I’m from, I’m embarrassed to tell them Texas. Guilt by association, ya know.

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