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cbabe's Journal
cbabe's Journal
March 27, 2025
'Game over': Yale fascism expert moving to Canada because US is becoming a 'dictatorship'
Alex HendersonMarch 27, 2025
Quite often, Americans who threaten to leave the United States for political reasons don't follow through when they see how complex the immigration laws of other countries can be. But during Donald Trump's second presidency, some well-known Americans really are expressing their worries about the United States' current political climate by moving to other countries.
Liberal actress Rosie O'Donnell, an outspoken Trump critic, is now living in the Republic of Ireland. And Jason Stanley, a Yale University professor known for his expertise on fascism, is accepting a job offer in Canada — as he fears the U.S. is becoming increasingly authoritarian.
Stanley, author of the 2018 book, "How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them," accepted a position at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. And he is speaking out about his reasons for leaving the U.S.
Stanley told the website The Daily Nous that he is moving to Canada "to raise my kids in a country that is not tilting towards a fascist dictatorship." And he believes that Columbia University in New York City and other colleges are making a huge mistake by capitulating to Trump rather than fighting back against his war on academia.
"When I saw Columbia completely capitulate," Stanley told the Daily Nous, "and I saw this vocabulary of: well, we're going to work behind the scenes because we're not going to get targeted — that whole way of thinking pre-supposes that some universities will get targeted, and you don't want to be one of those universities. And that's just a losing strategy. You've got to just band together and say an attack on one university is an attack on all universities. And maybe you lose that fight, but you’re certainly going to lose this one if you give up before you fight."
… more …
'Game over': Yale fascism expert moving to Canada because US is becoming a 'dictatorship'
https://www.alternet.org/jason-stanley-canada-trump/'Game over': Yale fascism expert moving to Canada because US is becoming a 'dictatorship'
Alex HendersonMarch 27, 2025
Quite often, Americans who threaten to leave the United States for political reasons don't follow through when they see how complex the immigration laws of other countries can be. But during Donald Trump's second presidency, some well-known Americans really are expressing their worries about the United States' current political climate by moving to other countries.
Liberal actress Rosie O'Donnell, an outspoken Trump critic, is now living in the Republic of Ireland. And Jason Stanley, a Yale University professor known for his expertise on fascism, is accepting a job offer in Canada — as he fears the U.S. is becoming increasingly authoritarian.
Stanley, author of the 2018 book, "How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them," accepted a position at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. And he is speaking out about his reasons for leaving the U.S.
Stanley told the website The Daily Nous that he is moving to Canada "to raise my kids in a country that is not tilting towards a fascist dictatorship." And he believes that Columbia University in New York City and other colleges are making a huge mistake by capitulating to Trump rather than fighting back against his war on academia.
"When I saw Columbia completely capitulate," Stanley told the Daily Nous, "and I saw this vocabulary of: well, we're going to work behind the scenes because we're not going to get targeted — that whole way of thinking pre-supposes that some universities will get targeted, and you don't want to be one of those universities. And that's just a losing strategy. You've got to just band together and say an attack on one university is an attack on all universities. And maybe you lose that fight, but you’re certainly going to lose this one if you give up before you fight."
… more …
March 27, 2025
Trump Tariffs on Canada Lumber Risk Pinching Toilet Paper Supply
Mathieu Dion and Thomas Seal
Thu, March 27, 2025 at 4:30 AM PDT
4 min read
(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump’s promised tariffs on softwood lumber risk disrupting the supply chain for something nobody wants to be caught without: toilet paper.
The Trump administration plans to almost double duties on Canadian softwood lumber to 27%, with the possibility of additional levies pushing the rate to more than 50%. While Trump advocates for new tariffs partly to bolster US manufacturing, they may also hit the availability of northern bleached softwood kraft pulp, or NBSK, a key component in making toilet paper and paper towels.
NBSK constitutes about 30% of standard US bathroom tissue and half of a typical paper towel, and is currently sourced primarily from Canada, said Brian McClay, chairman of TTOBMA, which tracks the global pulp market. He added that the US imported about 2 million tons of Canadian NBSK last year, highlighting the longstanding reliance of American paper-goods producers on pulp from their northern neighbor.
“Some of these mills in the United States, some of the big branded products, not only want softwood pulp from Canada, they want softwood pulp from this particular mill — they’ve been using it for 30 years and they will not change,” McClay said.
“If Canadian pulp mills close because they don’t have the fiber supply, I can’t think of any other option for them — they just can’t switch the recipe around,” he said.
… more …
Trump Tariffs on Canada Lumber Risk Pinching Toilet Paper Supply
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-tariffs-canada-lumber-risk-113000679.htmlTrump Tariffs on Canada Lumber Risk Pinching Toilet Paper Supply
Mathieu Dion and Thomas Seal
Thu, March 27, 2025 at 4:30 AM PDT
4 min read
(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump’s promised tariffs on softwood lumber risk disrupting the supply chain for something nobody wants to be caught without: toilet paper.
The Trump administration plans to almost double duties on Canadian softwood lumber to 27%, with the possibility of additional levies pushing the rate to more than 50%. While Trump advocates for new tariffs partly to bolster US manufacturing, they may also hit the availability of northern bleached softwood kraft pulp, or NBSK, a key component in making toilet paper and paper towels.
NBSK constitutes about 30% of standard US bathroom tissue and half of a typical paper towel, and is currently sourced primarily from Canada, said Brian McClay, chairman of TTOBMA, which tracks the global pulp market. He added that the US imported about 2 million tons of Canadian NBSK last year, highlighting the longstanding reliance of American paper-goods producers on pulp from their northern neighbor.
“Some of these mills in the United States, some of the big branded products, not only want softwood pulp from Canada, they want softwood pulp from this particular mill — they’ve been using it for 30 years and they will not change,” McClay said.
“If Canadian pulp mills close because they don’t have the fiber supply, I can’t think of any other option for them — they just can’t switch the recipe around,” he said.
… more …
March 27, 2025
Someone else was in on the controversial Signal chat who shouldn't have been there
Travis Gettys
March 27, 2025 8:52AM
…
National security adviser Mike Waltz added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to the chat, apparently by mistake, but the Willamette Week reported that Joe Kent, the president's nominee to be director of the National Counterterrorism Center, was also part of the group despite his awaiting Senate confirmation.
“The recklessness and incompetence of how Trump’s so-called ‘best and brightest’ handled national security information is bad enough when they’re channeling the offhanded attitude of tweeners texting about their plans for spring break,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). “But the fact they included Joe Kent in this buffoonish behavior only magnifies their dangerous sloppiness and total disregard for intelligence since he hasn’t even been confirmed by the Senate.”
Kent – a former Green Beret, failed two-time GOP congressional candidate and 2020 election denier with ties to white nationalists – has been the acting chief of staff to national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard, according to three sources, but his role has not been publicly announced.
…
Democrats have called on participants in the group, which was led by defense secretary Pete Hegseth and included vice president J.D. Vance, to resign because they used a commercially available third-party app to discuss top-secret military operations, and a government watchdog group has filed a lawsuit alleging the chat violated the Federal Records Act because the app automatically deletes messages.
//
Someone else was in on the controversial Signal chat who shouldn't have been there
https://www.rawstory.com/joe-kent-signal-app/Someone else was in on the controversial Signal chat who shouldn't have been there
Travis Gettys
March 27, 2025 8:52AM
…
National security adviser Mike Waltz added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to the chat, apparently by mistake, but the Willamette Week reported that Joe Kent, the president's nominee to be director of the National Counterterrorism Center, was also part of the group despite his awaiting Senate confirmation.
“The recklessness and incompetence of how Trump’s so-called ‘best and brightest’ handled national security information is bad enough when they’re channeling the offhanded attitude of tweeners texting about their plans for spring break,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). “But the fact they included Joe Kent in this buffoonish behavior only magnifies their dangerous sloppiness and total disregard for intelligence since he hasn’t even been confirmed by the Senate.”
Kent – a former Green Beret, failed two-time GOP congressional candidate and 2020 election denier with ties to white nationalists – has been the acting chief of staff to national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard, according to three sources, but his role has not been publicly announced.
…
Democrats have called on participants in the group, which was led by defense secretary Pete Hegseth and included vice president J.D. Vance, to resign because they used a commercially available third-party app to discuss top-secret military operations, and a government watchdog group has filed a lawsuit alleging the chat violated the Federal Records Act because the app automatically deletes messages.
//
March 26, 2025
'Serious vulnerability': Trump officials' cell numbers — and passwords — found online
Sarah K. Burris
March 26, 2025 5:13PM
…
German news outlet Der Spiegel reported Wednesday that not only were Trump's officials communicating via Signal, their cell phone numbers can be found online.
Hegseth, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Gabbard all had their private data, passwords and cell phone numbers leaked and can be found online, the publication said.
"Most of the publicly accessible numbers and email addresses are likely still being used by those affected," the report said. "Some are linked to profiles on Instagram and LinkedIn, among others. Dropbox accounts and profiles in apps that track traffic data were created with them. WhatsApp profiles, and in some cases even Signal accounts, can be found for the respective phone numbers. The research therefore reveals another serious security vulnerability in Washington that was previously unknown."
The report also said that as recently as Wednesday, privately used and publicly searchable phone numbers of Gabbard and Waltz were still available online. Those numbers are linked to the Signal accounts used in "Signalgate."
Hostile intelligence agencies could use the information to hack communications sent through those devices by using spyware, The report warned.
"It is therefore conceivable that foreign agents were reading along as Gabbard, Waltz, and Hegseth discussed a military strike with others in a Signal chat," the report said through a translation.
//
'Serious vulnerability': Trump officials' cell numbers -- and passwords -- found online
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-national-security-2671525757/'Serious vulnerability': Trump officials' cell numbers — and passwords — found online
Sarah K. Burris
March 26, 2025 5:13PM
…
German news outlet Der Spiegel reported Wednesday that not only were Trump's officials communicating via Signal, their cell phone numbers can be found online.
Hegseth, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Gabbard all had their private data, passwords and cell phone numbers leaked and can be found online, the publication said.
"Most of the publicly accessible numbers and email addresses are likely still being used by those affected," the report said. "Some are linked to profiles on Instagram and LinkedIn, among others. Dropbox accounts and profiles in apps that track traffic data were created with them. WhatsApp profiles, and in some cases even Signal accounts, can be found for the respective phone numbers. The research therefore reveals another serious security vulnerability in Washington that was previously unknown."
The report also said that as recently as Wednesday, privately used and publicly searchable phone numbers of Gabbard and Waltz were still available online. Those numbers are linked to the Signal accounts used in "Signalgate."
Hostile intelligence agencies could use the information to hack communications sent through those devices by using spyware, The report warned.
"It is therefore conceivable that foreign agents were reading along as Gabbard, Waltz, and Hegseth discussed a military strike with others in a Signal chat," the report said through a translation.
//
March 26, 2025
Should You Get A Measles Vaccine Booster? Here's What To Know.
Molly Bohannon
Forbes Staff
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises the best way to protect against measles is to get the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine or the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) shot, which are often administered to children in two doses when they are between 12 and 15 months and again when they are between four- and six-years-old.
The CDC says most people who get either vaccination are “protected for life,” and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases says most vaccinated adults do not need boosters to protect against measles.
The NFID and CDC recommend that if you are unsure of immunity or vaccination status, it is safest to get a measles vaccine as there is “no harm in getting another dose if you may already be immune.”
The only group the CDC recommends should get another dose of the measles vaccine is “people vaccinated prior to 1968 with either inactivated (killed) measles vaccine or measles vaccine of unknown type.” The CDC recommends those people get at least one dose of a new measles vaccine as the vaccine available from 1963 to 1967 was not effective.
…
The CDC said cases have been confirmed in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont and Washington.
//
Should You Get A Measles Vaccine Booster? Here's What To Know.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2025/03/25/should-you-get-a-measles-vaccine-booster-heres-what-to-know/Should You Get A Measles Vaccine Booster? Here's What To Know.
Molly Bohannon
Forbes Staff
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises the best way to protect against measles is to get the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine or the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) shot, which are often administered to children in two doses when they are between 12 and 15 months and again when they are between four- and six-years-old.
The CDC says most people who get either vaccination are “protected for life,” and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases says most vaccinated adults do not need boosters to protect against measles.
The NFID and CDC recommend that if you are unsure of immunity or vaccination status, it is safest to get a measles vaccine as there is “no harm in getting another dose if you may already be immune.”
The only group the CDC recommends should get another dose of the measles vaccine is “people vaccinated prior to 1968 with either inactivated (killed) measles vaccine or measles vaccine of unknown type.” The CDC recommends those people get at least one dose of a new measles vaccine as the vaccine available from 1963 to 1967 was not effective.
…
The CDC said cases have been confirmed in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont and Washington.
//
March 26, 2025
Busted: Elon Musk’s SpaceX secretly allows investment from China
Joshua Kaplan,Justin ElliottandPro PublicaMarch 26, 2025
Elon Musk’s aerospace giant SpaceX allows investors from China to buy stakes in the company as long as the funds are routed through the Cayman Islands or other offshore secrecy hubs, according to previously unreported court records.
The rare picture of SpaceX’s approach recently emerged in an under-the-radar corporate dispute in Delaware. Both SpaceX’s chief financial officer and Iqbaljit Kahlon, a major investor, were forced to testify in the case.
In December, Kahlon testified that SpaceX prefers to avoid investors from China because it is a defense contractor. There is a major exception though, he said: SpaceX finds it “acceptable” for Chinese investors to buy into the company through offshore vehicles.
“The primary mechanism is that those investors would come through intermediate entities that they would create or others would create,” Kahlon said. “Typically they would set up BVI structures or Cayman structures or Hong Kong structures and various other ones,” he added, using the acronym for the British Virgin Islands. Offshore vehicles are often used to keep investors anonymous.
Experts called SpaceX’s approach unusual, saying they were troubled by the possibility that a defense contractor would take active steps to conceal foreign ownership interests.
… more …
Busted: Elon Musk's SpaceX secretly allows investment from China
https://www.alternet.org/spacex-china/Busted: Elon Musk’s SpaceX secretly allows investment from China
Joshua Kaplan,Justin ElliottandPro PublicaMarch 26, 2025
Elon Musk’s aerospace giant SpaceX allows investors from China to buy stakes in the company as long as the funds are routed through the Cayman Islands or other offshore secrecy hubs, according to previously unreported court records.
The rare picture of SpaceX’s approach recently emerged in an under-the-radar corporate dispute in Delaware. Both SpaceX’s chief financial officer and Iqbaljit Kahlon, a major investor, were forced to testify in the case.
In December, Kahlon testified that SpaceX prefers to avoid investors from China because it is a defense contractor. There is a major exception though, he said: SpaceX finds it “acceptable” for Chinese investors to buy into the company through offshore vehicles.
“The primary mechanism is that those investors would come through intermediate entities that they would create or others would create,” Kahlon said. “Typically they would set up BVI structures or Cayman structures or Hong Kong structures and various other ones,” he added, using the acronym for the British Virgin Islands. Offshore vehicles are often used to keep investors anonymous.
Experts called SpaceX’s approach unusual, saying they were troubled by the possibility that a defense contractor would take active steps to conceal foreign ownership interests.
… more …
March 25, 2025
Pentagon email ordered staff not to use Signal week before bombshell war plans report
Travis Gettys
March 25, 2025 1:39PM ET
Pentagon employees were notified as recently as a week ago not to use Signal for government communications due to security risks.
NPR's Tom Bowman reported Tuesday that all agency employees received an email a week before warning about vulnerabilities in the encrypted app, which was used by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other leading national security officials to discuss war plans on March 15, with a journalist added to the group chat by national security adviser Mike Waltz, perhaps unknowingly.
… more …
Pentagon email ordered staff not to use Signal week before bombshell war plans report
https://www.rawstory.com/pete-hegseth-signal/Pentagon email ordered staff not to use Signal week before bombshell war plans report
Travis Gettys
March 25, 2025 1:39PM ET
Pentagon employees were notified as recently as a week ago not to use Signal for government communications due to security risks.
NPR's Tom Bowman reported Tuesday that all agency employees received an email a week before warning about vulnerabilities in the encrypted app, which was used by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other leading national security officials to discuss war plans on March 15, with a journalist added to the group chat by national security adviser Mike Waltz, perhaps unknowingly.
… more …
March 24, 2025
New Mexico passes bill to provide 'turquoise' safety alert when Indigenous people go missing
Bill is in response to high rates of disappearances and killings
The Associated Press · Posted: Mar 21, 2025 12:56 PM PDT | Last Updated: March 21
A bill that would create a "turquoise" safety alert system for missing Native Americans in New Mexico has been endorsed by the state legislature.
A vote of the state Senate without opposition Thursday sent the rapid response initiative to New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who supports the proposal.
The bill responds to a troubling number of disappearances and killings in Indian Country and would allow law enforcement to quickly share information about Native Americans who go missing.
…
California, Washington and Colorado have similar alert systems, according to the New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs. Arizona lawmakers are considering their own alert system as the brutal death of San Carlos Apache teenager Emily Pike reverberates through Native American communities.
… more …
New Mexico passes bill to provide 'turquoise' safety alert when Indigenous people go missing
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/new-mexico-turquoise-alert-1.7490125New Mexico passes bill to provide 'turquoise' safety alert when Indigenous people go missing
Bill is in response to high rates of disappearances and killings
The Associated Press · Posted: Mar 21, 2025 12:56 PM PDT | Last Updated: March 21
A bill that would create a "turquoise" safety alert system for missing Native Americans in New Mexico has been endorsed by the state legislature.
A vote of the state Senate without opposition Thursday sent the rapid response initiative to New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who supports the proposal.
The bill responds to a troubling number of disappearances and killings in Indian Country and would allow law enforcement to quickly share information about Native Americans who go missing.
…
California, Washington and Colorado have similar alert systems, according to the New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs. Arizona lawmakers are considering their own alert system as the brutal death of San Carlos Apache teenager Emily Pike reverberates through Native American communities.
… more …
March 24, 2025
One man’s viral airport dance inspires routines around the world
Hannah Sampson, (c) 2025 , The Washington Post
Sat, March 22, 2025 at 11:10 AM PDT
5 min read
…
Barbie Smith Simons, a retired project manager from Madison, Wisconsin, watched McGrath’s original video “over and over” after she first saw it. Her feed kept delivering more.
“They were all really good dancers,” said Simons, 60, who is not a trained dancer. “And I was like, well, I want to do it.”
Coming home from a trip in February, she took her shot at Denver International Airport. With her sister recording and her smile wide, she whipped her carry-on around dramatically and tossed a shoe onto the carpet before hopping in a circle on one foot and launching into a cartwheel.
… more …
(Maybe someone can find and post dance links?)
One man's viral airport dance inspires routines around the world
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/one-man-viral-airport-dance-181019711.htmlOne man’s viral airport dance inspires routines around the world
Hannah Sampson, (c) 2025 , The Washington Post
Sat, March 22, 2025 at 11:10 AM PDT
5 min read
…
Barbie Smith Simons, a retired project manager from Madison, Wisconsin, watched McGrath’s original video “over and over” after she first saw it. Her feed kept delivering more.
“They were all really good dancers,” said Simons, 60, who is not a trained dancer. “And I was like, well, I want to do it.”
Coming home from a trip in February, she took her shot at Denver International Airport. With her sister recording and her smile wide, she whipped her carry-on around dramatically and tossed a shoe onto the carpet before hopping in a circle on one foot and launching into a cartwheel.
… more …
(Maybe someone can find and post dance links?)
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Member since: Wed Jun 2, 2021, 01:24 PMNumber of posts: 4,785