I’m quoting from the GREAT Rashida Tlaib’s recent email:

“We can’t continue the piecemeal, inadequate status quo of government services. Our neighbors are struggling to put food on the table, fighting to keep a roof over their heads, and rationing their medication. Most families are living paycheck to paycheck. 

But the majority of my colleagues in Congress are millionaires. They don’t understand what it feels like not being able to pay rent or make ends meet.

I grew up in a working-class UAW household, and my lived experience teaches me to lead with compassion. I understand how urgently we need bold federal action for economic justice.

I led the fight for the temporarily expanded Child Tax Credit, which lifted millions of children out of poverty in 2021 and cut child poverty in nearly half. But corporate Democrats and Republicans let it expire. So I introduced legislation to cut childhood poverty by 70%—by providing families with a universal benefit of nearly $400 per month per child.

I’m also fighting alongside restaurant workers to end the shameful federal tipped minimum wage of just $2.13 an hour—a starvation wage. I reintroduced the Restaurant Workers Bill of Rights to ensure thriving wages, require paid leave and healthcare coverage, protect workers’ ability to unionize without fear of retaliation, and more.

Last year, I led the fight in Congress to support rail workers preparing for a historic strike. And I ended up being one of the few Democrats who voted against forcing an unfair contract on them. Congress and the President squashed rail workers’ right to strike. We cannot undermine worker power again. 

I’m calling on Democrats to truly be the party of the working class, and to defend the right to strike—which is a powerful tool to fight corporate greed.

Our federal government is supposed to protect everyday people from corporate greed and exploitation. That’s the government I’m building, with your support. “

And adding my two cents: We have a creaking, elderly congress. Who wants to give up his/her position with all those lovely perks??

Yesterday, President Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, whose far-right racist regime wants to eliminate Palestinians altogether. 

Thousands of Israelis have been protesting for months against Netanyahu’s recent judicial overhaul as a threat to Israel’s democracy. 

But for millions of Palestinians, Israel has never been a democracy. The Indigenous Palestinian people have been subjected to forced displacement and genocide, and they’re not allowed to become citizens or have basic rights. 

For calling out these human rights abuses, I’ve faced attacks from Republicans and Democrats who want to silence any criticism of Israel. Their denial enables ongoing apartheid. 

But I’m not backing down. So pro-apartheid AIPAC and its affiliated PACs are gearing up to try to defeat me and other members of our Squad as we run for re-election in 2024. 

Funded largely by pro-Trump billionaires, AIPAC hosted Trump at their annual conference and endorsed over 100 far-right Republicans who tried to overturn 2020’s presidential election.  

They’re trying to destroy the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, because we’re building the power needed to end apartheid. 

Last year, AIPAC’s network spent over $1 million to flood my district with misinformation and attack ads in an attempt to mislead voters. But as the only Palestinian-American member of Congress, I will never stop fighting for a world where we can all be free. 

I will keep humanizing Palestinians, educating my colleagues in Congress, and calling to stop sending billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars each year to the Israeli military. Together, we can hold Israel’s government accountable for its ongoing war crimes. Together, we’ll keep building the movement for Palestinian liberation. 

Thank you for being by my side as we fight for the human rights of all people—with no exceptions. 

In solidarity, 

Rashida

I have copied the following article from The Wall Street Journal. Recently, a commentator on one of the financial programs questioned why we do not have a Technology Committee in Congress. I thought it was worth following. What do you think?

Sponsored by

The Morning Download: D.C. Tech Gathering Sets Stage for AI LegislationBy Tom Loftus

Good morning, CIOs. The government needs to play a role regulating artificial intelligence. That was the view from a gathering of technology VIPs who descended on Washington, D.C. on Wednesday for a closed-door session organized by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.).Despite that consensus—and Schumer’s vow to move toward passing legislation within months—the meeting also laid bare some of the tension points ahead, the WSJ’s Ryan Tracy and Deepa Seetharaman report.AI will: A) End humanity or B) End world hunger. Tesla CEO Elon Musk warned about what he views as AI’s potential to threaten humanity, according to a participant. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates believed it could help address world hunger, said Schumer.Should certain AI programs be open source? Yes, said Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, whose company has released open source models. Tristan Harris, head of nonprofit Center for Humane Technology, argued that bad actors can abuse open-source AI systems, according to people in the room.One open question: Areas the legislation will cover. Issues previously raised by participants in Wednesday’s meeting have included copyright violations, privacy invasions, racial discrimination, economic ties with China, and the use of AI by the government for military or other purposes. Read the story.

BARBIE

 I had to see Barbie. I love Barbieland. That cute pink convertible that fits her like a size 2, her big white teeth, her girlie ways. That lasted for ten minutes. 

Then no more bright, insincere smiles, no more very lightly tanned, hairless skin, no more paper doll hairdos. 

Did the producers rush to their daughters’ Manhattan private schools and hire the sixth graders to write, I mean, create a profoundly meaningful message: be yourself?

Poor Barbie. In her new profundity she looks like the chair of We’re Building Hope for Tomorrow.

Remember James Coburn, the sexy cool actor who had an enchanting grin in every movie? The men in Barbie float through their public humiliation with James Coburn smirks. 

Pagliacci

A confession: I have never appreciated opera. Pretending to be entranced, I had sat through a performance by Maria Callas at La Scala. That was followed by a number of years in Rome and New York suffering through operas at the Met, both old and new.

This afternoon I watched a 1982 filming of Franco Zeffirelli’s production of Pagliacci. Finally, I got it. I was blow away by Plácido Domingo and Teresa Stratas singing on the Met’s recreation of a church’s very steep stairs. I’d been told that filming opera gave the viewer a sense of the drama. It’s true.

FOOD

Is food our latest obsession? Does anyone cook at home anymore? Considering these weighty questions, I’m describing briefly some New York City restaurants I’ve recently dined in.

City Winery, 25 11th Avenue (at 15th Street)The website is scary. My friend and I wanted an afternoon lunch overlooking the Hudson. Armed with hunger and ignorance we walked into the enormous building identified by the sign, City Winery. On a Tuesday afternoon we wandered by wait staff until we found the perfect spot. Over wine and a large, delicious appetizer, fiery cauliflower, we looked out the enormous glass window at the boat-filled Hudson. To the south was Little Island. The main course was surprisingly tiny and dessert, cheesecake cupcakes, was divine. After lunch we roamed through the vast rooms to a deck and took an elevator to the top floor. The view of the Hudson and all that goes on in it was wonderful.

Quality Eats West Village, 19 Greenwich Avenue My friend and I had an early supper. We each had the $45 special. My first course could have been sent over from a public school lunch counter: mountains of iceberg lettuce slathered with a rich white sauce. The second course was salmon and bog choy, delicious. Dessert was something or other like yogurt, very tasty. My pino noir was $25 a glass. Oh, well, it’s only money.

Knickerbocker, 33 University Place I dined here with a friend and we loved it. It’s an old-fashioned, discreetly modernized steak house. Perfect service from a staff that’s been there forever, lots of room between tables, wonderful food – including great seafood. Of course, it’s expensive and worth every penny. Leave an enormous tip.

Cafe Un, Deux, Trois, 123 West 44th Street I hadn’t been in this restaurant in years. If you’re going to the Belasco which is next door, it’s perfect. This is a great combination of French class and NYC sass. Food is lovely. We went to lunch and then to a matinee. Highly recommend.

Libertine, 684 Greenwich Street Pretentious nonsense. I had something called scallops and seaweed. It was slimy. Followed by sausage and mashed potatoes I could have cooked at home. Dessert? Like a fool I ordered cheese. It arrived, all four little pieces. Gaetano’s was the previous restaurant. It too had lousy food but a great atmosphere. Vintage crooners: Sinatra, Bennett, Como, laced with Rosemary Clooney.

New York Mysteries    August 12

A perfectly delightful New York Saturday afternoon: lunch at Cafe Un, Deux, Trois followed by GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR.

I had not been in Un, Deus, Trois in years. I had remembered it as being small and intimate. Not at all. Last Saturday it was bustling and smartly jazzy. Everything was perfect: the food, the decor, the lady’s room, the service.

Also, it’s next door to the Belasco Theater. We had perfect orchestra seats. Row H 112 and 113, on the aisle. I looked around the old theater and remembered sitting in the balcony, twisting my neck so I could see the stage’s far corner. The restored Tiffany lights shimmered on the various murals.  It was the first time I’d attended a theater in a few months. I chose GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR because I’m one of Sean Hayes’s many fans. Remember him on Will and Grace? The matinee performance was packed. Hayes’s initial entrance was greeted with loud applause. The show was his. Aside from Stephanie Janssen who played Levant’s martyred wife brilliantly, the other actors could have phoned in their lines. I remember Oscar Levant from An American Paris and Bandwagon. He came across as lonely and cranky. He’s remembered as being witty and playing the piano. 

Father Leo

New York Mysteries    July 31

Are you going to Oppenheimer? Hard not to even if it is three hours long. My cousin, Leo Haigerty (1924 -2001), worked on the Manhattan project. When I was five years old my mother and I would visit her New Jersey family in the summer. One summer we were told that Leo was working on a secret project in New York City. My three year old cousin, my eight year old cousin and I were told not to ask Leo any questions, not t be nosy when he visited. Offhand I can’t think of anything we could have asked Leo. He was delightful with us kids. A natural teacher, he taught us about earthworms. He found some in the garden and had us examine them gently, knowing how children like to squish things.

At that time my mother and I were living in Loogootee, Indiana with my recently deceased father’s family who had kindly taken us in after my father’s ship was torpedoed. Leo’s parents lived nearby. After completing his mysterious work on the Manhattan project, Leo became a Roman Catholic priest. He ended his days as a chaplin at Perdue and is buried in the Priests Circle in Saint John’s Cemetery, Loogootee, Indiana.

I regret not having known him better. 

As the Israeli government escalates violence against Palestinians with our tax dollars, we urgently need more Members of Congress to hold the Israeli government accountable and speak up for Palestinians’ human rights.

This week, freshman Congresswoman Summer Lee was among the few Democrats to vote NO on a dangerous resolution denying Israel’s racist apartheid policies and reaffirming unconditional support of the Israeli government despite its human rights abuses.

For her vote, Summer has faced attacks by right-wing leaders who want to maintain the unjust status quo. Her action takes political courage, especially since AIPAC’s network of PACs spent $4 million trying to defeat Summer last year as she ran for Congress. 

I know. I’m lazy. The BuzzFeed’s Here’s What Europeans Think Americans From Every State Look Like is absolutely hilarious. I hope you can download it.

Here’s What Europeans Think Americans From Every State …BuzzFeedhttps://www.buzzfeed.com › european-ai-american-list4 days ago — 1. Here’s what Europeans think people from Alabama look like: · 2. Alaska: · 3. Arizona: · 4. Arkansas: · 5. California: · 6. Colorado: · 7.
I Asked AI What Europeans Think Americans From Every …Yahoohttps://news.yahoo.com › asked-ai-europeans-think-a…