https://electrek.co/2022/03/08/how-us-made-heat-pumps-could-help-weaken-russian-power-over-europe/

President [Joe] Biden should immediately invoke the Defense Production Act to get American manufacturers to start producing electric heat pumps in quantity, so we can ship them to Europe where they can be installed in time to dramatically lessen [Vladimir] Putin’s power.

White House aides… have studied plans to dramatically scale up US production of energy-efficient heat pumps that they hoped could be used in Europe if European leaders decided to cut its imports of Russian oil, said three people with knowledge of the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. Biden officials have weighed whether these heat pumps could be produced through the Defense Production Act, an emergency national defense law, or through procurement programs at the Department of Defense, the people said. Some advocates close to the effort have compared the idea to the “Lend-Lease Act” program through which the US sent critical supplies to the Allied nations that had been invaded by Germany in World War II.

Heat pumps are WAY more efficient than gas furnaces, though more expensive to buy initially. However, a massive increase in manufacturing will drive down the cost. This could be a win/win scenario for the US and the EU.

Source: AP

A man who survived the shooting that killed his wife at an Atlanta-area massage business last week said police detained him in handcuffs for four hours after the attack.

Mario Gonzalez said he was held in a patrol car outside the spa. The revelation, in an interview with Mundo Hispanico, a Spanish-language news website, follows other criticism of Cherokee County officials investigating the March 16 attack, which killed four people. Four others were killed about an hour later at two spas in Atlanta.

Gonzalez’s accusation would also mean that he remained detained after police released security video images of the suspected gunman and after authorities captured him 150 miles south of Atlanta. He questioned whether his treatment by authorities was because he’s Mexican.

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Monday.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/mario-gonzalez-shooting-victim-husband-police-detain-hours-4d05ea994c092f400a7aa0332ef93c84

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Just when you think the police cannot possibly get worse, they prove you wrong.

Trump is facing an array of possible criminal charges from simple fraud, to election tampering, to racketeering and insurrection, and at some point may be indicted, then arrested.

Personally, I believe this is unlikely, as the "system" is VERY reluctant to punish the powerful, but we live in strange times

I have a hard time believing that Trump is going to take an arrest quietly. The issuance of an indictment against Trump will galvanize him to use every lever at his disposal to discredit the process, and avoid the spectacle of actually taken into custody. Aside from the battalion of lawyers he will deploy, and the members of the GOP leadership and the Right-wing media who will immediately jump to his defense, Trump will stir up his flying monkeys who will do everything from physically intervene to prevent an arrest, to threaten, or even openly attack law enforcement, DAs, judges, and AGs, in order to prevent the incarceration of their God Emperor.

Seriously, if hundreds will attack the Capitol to prevent a vote on Trump's loss, what will they do to prevent him being subject to puny mortal authority?

The media in general will LOVE this, since it means ratings galore. The nastier Trump gets, the more violence provoked, the more the media will love it. Every fascist crazy in the country will ooze out of sewer in order to make a name for themselves. The GOP will line up behind Trump and support him regardless of the evidence.The Dems will be under constant attack, and always on the defensive, with no assist from the media (who have much to gain by stoking the fire).

It seems to me that whoever goes after Trump would much prefer his much abused sclerotic arteries save them the grief of never ending death threats and doxxing. Not that such a entirely predictable fate would solve anything. Trump's heart could explode after he ate three buckets of KFC, and a million conspiracy theories would bloom.

Valentine well-wishers.

Everyone should refer to the events of January 6th as "The Trump Insurrection".

Hang this on EVERY apologist, defender and enabler.

Repeat it like the GOP says "Democrat Party" and "Death Tax" and "Death Panels".

When it annoys them, repeat it. When it angers them, say it again.

And in honor of returning to a time when we REJOICED immigrants!

Weekend at Bernie’s

First off, I am an atheist by way of Catholicism (Irish, so it left a mark). I say this not to provoke anything, but simply to be honest about own lack of expertise. My friend, who I have known since 1979, died suddenly last month, and I wish to honor her memory.

She was a Wiccan, but came from a fundamentalist family who are insisting on Christian rites for her memorial service (delayed until October due to circumstances). I know she would have wanted Wiccan rights, so I wish to honor her desire and have made a place for her in a memorial garden I made for lost friends. She will be the first person whose picture will be placed in the garden (printed on aluminum), but others will follow, of different faiths.

I have a small statue of the the three aspects of The Goddess for her section, and I am trying get a brazier she used in her annual Bridging ceremony to place with her picture. Is there something else I need to do?

https://twitter.com/DoctorMLoveless/status/1303169189604196354

Assume all goes well, and Trump, despite all his efforts is sent packing, and in January is dragged, kick & screaming, out of the Oval Office. The country now has a sane leader, who (hopefully) sets about undoing all Trump has done, and implements a rigorous program of de-Trumpification of the government.

The question that then must be answered is:

How do we prevent the next Trump?

Mechanisms, laws and even a Constitutional amendment(s) MUST be enacted to prevent any president from abusing the office as Trump has done. Failure to do so just means the Republic limps along until the next Trump gains power due to our slave era electoral system (and yes, the EC MUST go).

We have just seen that our prior system of "traditions" and even "checks & balances" failed utterly to remove a president who was a crook, a racist, materially incompetent, mentally incompetent, and a Russian spy. Thus, we need to fundamentally change our laws to take into account the last four years of destruction. We need protection from a government where the legislature, the executive, and to some degree, the judiciary became instruments of oppression and criminality. Even when elements within these branches tried to do the right thing, they were crushed and replaced with ruthless, soulless loyalists.

So, your thoughts please.