killaphill
killaphill's JournalProposed California bill calls for gender-neutral toy and clothing aisles in department stores
A new bill in the California Assembly has gained the attention of many parents across the state. Assembly Bill 2826 would require retailers in California to create gender neutral aisles for children's merchandise. The bill would apply to children's clothing, toys and childcare items.
“As a mom of two toddlers, if I have a boy and a girl, having it centralized where I don’t have to run around the store is a great idea,” said Chloe Gannage, a Paso Robles mom.
The bill proposed by Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley) would require all retail department stores with 500 employees or more to comply.
The bill states that "keeping similar items that are traditionally marketed either for girls or for boys separated makes it more difficult for the consumer to compare the products and incorrectly implies that their use by one gender is inappropriate."
https://www.ksby.com/news/local-news/proposed-california-bill-calls-for-gender-neutral-toy-and-clothing-aisles-in-department-stores
Long overdue in my opinion
Western Michigan University Under Fire From Student After Mostly White Choir Sings Negro Spirituals
A choir at a Michigan university is embroiled in controversy after a Black student complained about them group singing Negro spirituals during a recital.
Shaylee Faught wore a look of disgust as Western Michigan University’s predominately white choir sang “Wade in the Water” and other songs during a Feb. 19 show. The senior music major couldn’t leave the show because it was for class credit.
WMU senior Shaylee Faught professed disgust at a mostly white choir singing Negro spirituals. Instead, she posted clips of the performance on Twitter to express her disapproval.
It went viral, garnering more than 1 million views. The show, titled “Spirituals: From Ship to Shore,” was produced by guest artist and Salisbury University professor John Wesley Wright, who is also Black. According to Faught, he declared the songs “don’t belong to one race.”
https://atlantablackstar.com/2020/02/24/western-michigan-university-choir-under-fire-after-mostly-white-students-sing-negro-spiritual/
Interesting. I'm torn on this.
I have a gnawing fear they are lying to us
I keep hearing that there are only 50 or so diagnosed Coronavirus cases in the US. But are we even testing for it? Do we even have the ability to do widespread testing? Plus, I keep hearing the "60,000 people die from the flu every year" canard. What? Where did that number come from?
I think the virus is already here in very large numbers, and that deaths are happening and being blamed on the flu. This is about to get a whole lot worse very very fast, and they won't be able to keep a lid on the numbers.
Just my fear. Talk me off the ledge.
State Lawmaker Introduces Universal Basic Income Bill; Californians Over 18 Would Get $1K Per Month
Source: CBS
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – A state lawmaker has introduced a universal basic income bill that would give every Californian $1,000 per month.
AB 2712 was introduced by Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley) on Thursday.
The bill would create a California Universal Basic Income Program (CalUBI) where residents over 18-years-old would receive $1,000 per month. As written, the bill would only exempt people who are already getting Medi-Cal, County Medical Services Program, CalFresh, CalWorks or Unemployment Insurance from getting the universal basic income.
Low’s bill would pay for the CalUBI program with a 10 percent value-added tax on goods and services in California.
One California city, Stockton, has already been experimenting with a basic income program where 125 residents were selected at random from low-income neighborhoods to get $500 per month.
Read more: https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2020/02/21/california-universal-basic-income-bill-introduced/
University at Albany investigating reports of coronavirus-themed party
Source: Associated Press
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A New York college is investigating whether an off-campus coronavirus-themed party violated the student code of conduct.
An Asian American student organization at the University at Albany condemned the party hosted by students last weekend by saying it was insensitive and racist.
Video of the party was briefly posted on Instagram on Sunday night. WGY News Radio reports the video showed a bucket of iced Corona beers and a person wearing a surgical mask with the caption,
The school says the party was distasteful, hurtful and not representative of UAlbany or its students.
Read more: https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/national/university-at-albany-investigating-reports-of-coronavirus-themed-party
This is just gross. A fraternity no doubt. I think some expulsions are in order.
Girls sue to block participation of transgender athletes
Source: ABC News
HARTFORD, Conn. -- The families of three female high school runners filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday seeking to block transgender athletes in Connecticut from participating in girls sports.
"Forcing them to compete against boys isn’t fair, shatters their dreams, and destroys their athletic opportunities,” attorney Christiana Holcomb said in a news release. “Having separate boys’ and girls’ sports has always been based on biological differences, not what people believe about their gender, because those differences matter for fair competition.
“And forcing girls to be spectators in their own sports is completely at odds with Title IX, a federal law designed to create equal opportunities for women in education and athletics,” Holcomb said. "Connecticut’s policy violates that law and reverses nearly 50 years of advances for women.”
The lawsuit centers on two transgender sprinters, Terry Miller and Andraya Yearwood, who have frequently outperformed their cisgender competitors. The two seniors have combined to win 15 girls state indoor or outdoor championship races since 2017, according to the lawsuit.
The three plaintiffs have competed directly against them, almost always losing to Miller and usually behind Yearwood. Mitchell finished third in the 2019 state championship in the girls 55-meter indoor track competition behind Miller and Yearwood.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/girls-sue-block-participation-transgender-athletes-68941543?cid=clicksource_4380645_2_heads_hero_live_twopack_hed
The change in discussion over the past 2 weeks is shocking and depressing at the same time
On one side we have good, decent candidates who have done their best to build up grass roots bases of support from millions of individual donors and voters. Candidates who have fought racism their entire lives. Candidates who have honorably discussed the issues for months in multiple debates all over the country, invested months in on the ground campaigning, and actively advocated against the influence of billionaires in our political discussions.
On the other side we have a billionaire. Not just a billionaire, but a mega-billionaire worth $60B+. Who until a few years ago was a Republican. Someone who implemented horrible racist policies as a mayor, and is on tape and on record making multiple, MULTIPLE sexist and racist comments. A billionaire who has the audacity and arrogance to skip all of the on the ground campaigning and debates. Think about it. He has not been in a single debate. Just running tens of millions of dollars worth of TV ads.
And, he's rising. Rapidly. And one by one eclipsing our honorable candidates.
Given polling, punditry, and what I'm reading here, there is a genuine chance that a mega-billionaire will buy the Democratic nomination.
We are selling our soul. I hope the 30 pieces of silver are worth it.
Women of color bolt Warren's Nevada campaign in frustration
A half-dozen women of color have departed Elizabeth Warren’s Nevada campaign in the run-up to the state’s caucuses with complaints of a toxic work environment in which minorities felt tokenized and senior leadership was at loggerheads.
The six staffers have left the roughly 70-person Nevada team since November, during a critical stretch of the race. Three of them said they felt marginalized by the campaign, a situation they said didn’t change or worsened after they took their concerns to their superiors or to human resources staff.
“During the time I was employed with Nevada for Warren, there was definitely something wrong with the culture,” said Megan Lewis, a field organizer who joined the campaign in May and departed in December. “I filed a complaint with HR, but the follow-up I received left me feeling as though I needed to make myself smaller or change who I was to fit into the office culture.”
Another recently departed staffer, also a field organizer, granted anonymity because she feared reprisal, echoed that sentiment. “I felt like a problem — like I was there to literally bring color into the space but not the knowledge and voice that comes with it,” she said in an interview.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/06/elizabeth-warren-campaign-nevada-111595
Trending on twitter......
A dumb question...
As Democrats, we generally are opposed to the Electoral College because its not.... democratic. We are in favor of the person winning the most votes winning the election.
However, our most important early election barometer, the Iowa Caucuses, are basically a model of the Electoral College. Bernie Sanders apparently has the most votes, but won't get the most delegates and is identified as "losing" in Iowa.
I think my dumb question is evident. Why are we doing this to ourselves? Can't we, as a party, agree that the person with the most votes wins? And why would we kick off our effort to pick a nominee with something that is the exact opposite?
I have zero problems with what is happening in Iowa
What is more important? Getting it fast, or getting it right? If I recall correctly, during Presidential elections, it takes California a week or more to tally results. So we can wait a few hours. This whole situation has been totally overblown, and exploited by those who want to stir up conspiracy theories or cast our party as "incompetent." There are no conspiracy theories, and there was a minor technology glitch. No big deal.
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Member since: Thu Jun 27, 2019, 05:41 PMNumber of posts: 212
