#Bill Bramhall

[route22ny]

Bill Bramhall in today's New York Daily News

#SCOTUS #open carry #civil liberties #bill bramhall #NYDN

[aunti-christ-ine]

#editorial cartoons #bill bramhall #gerrymandering #gop #congressional districts #republicans #cheating #political cartoon

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Bill Bramhall :: @BillBramhall

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Terrific economic news for all Americans

February 3, 2024

ROBERT B. HUBBELL

Friday brought a stunningly good report on increases in jobs, wages, and productivity. The report was so good that a Biden Twitter account released the Fox News commentary on the jobs report as a campaign ad! See @BidenWins, Trump Senior Advisor Larry Kudlow explains how the Biden economy deserves more credit, even from Conservatives. In short,

Inflation-adjusted wages were up 4.5%

the economy added 353,000 new jobs in January (non-farm payroll)

prior two months jobs report revised upward by 126,000

worker productivity rose 2.7%

President Biden also tweeted an important metric for Black workers:

New economic analysis shows that under President Biden, the Black unemployment rate was under 6% for a full year. That's the lowest Black unemployment in history.

The media is no longer able to sustain its negative narrative about the economy, finally admitting that President Biden’s stewardship deserves credit for the good economic news. See Politico, Biden’s economy keeps messing up Trump’s message.

Per Politico,

[W]ith the risk of a recession seeming to recede, even Trump’s close allies acknowledge it’s getting tough to tell voters a bleak story about the economy. And though far from certain, it’s now possible that the nation’s economic health could become an electoral asset for Biden in an unexpected way.

For an overview of the economic reports released on Friday, see CNN, The US economy added 353,000 jobs in January, starting off 2024 with a bang.

In yesterday’s Comment section, a reader (Theressa) posted an informative and fun quiz by the Washington Post Editorial Board, Opinion | Mad at Biden over the economy? Take our quiz. (Accessible to all.) The takeaway: the media narrative about the “Biden economy” is wrong. Check it out.

Let’s not lose sight of the most important point: Joe Biden isn’t trying to achieve outstanding economic metrics just to gain partisan advantage or bragging rights. He is trying to improve the lives of all Americans by increasing employment and wages. He is succeeding. During Biden’s tenure, the economy has created 14.8 million new jobs—which has made a material difference in the lives of tens of millions of Americans.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

#Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter #Robert B. Hubbell #economic news #jobs #Bidenomics #US Economy #Bill Bramhall

[tomorrowusa]

^^^ This cycle's equivalent of "but her emails!"

Here's the real story regarding fitness for office in 2024...

'People closest to' Trump doubted he was mentally capable after Jan. 6: reporter

Can you imagine the outcry in the media if Biden said stuff like this?

Trump’s extreme rhetoric conjures the prospect of a presidency like no other

Quit letting people normalize Trump's psychopathy.

#donald trump #vermin #concentration camps #adolph hitler #republicans #the gop #normalizing trump's nazi tendencies #election 2024 #trump's mental unfitness #bill bramhall

[ir-tg-curvy-mature-feetworship]

For the husbands of Moms for Liberty bitches.

#editorial cartoon #political cartoon #Bill Bramhall #culture warriors #Veterans Day

[onenakedfarmer]

Bill Bramhall

New York Daily News

#2A #Bill Bramhall #comics #gun nuts #gun violence #guns in America #mass murder #mass shootings #NRA #NRA terrorism

[kartaematita]

Bill Bramhall

#Bill Bramhall

[azspot]

Bill Bramhall

#texas

[antidrumpfs]

Cartoon by Bill Bramhall

#climate denial #climate deniers #climate change #climate science

[krispyweiss]

Eric Clapton to Lead Jeff Beck Tribute in London

- Gigs to take place at Royal Albert Hall May 22-23

Eric Clapton is spearheading pair of London gigs in celebration of the late Jeff Beck.

Billed as Eric Clapton & Friends and slated for May 22-23 at Royal Albert Hall, the gigs will feature members of Beck’s band and “rock legend colleagues and friends” including Rod Stewart, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, Gary Clark Jr., Doyle Bramhall II, Billy Gibbons, John McLaughlin, Robert Randolph, Joss Stone and Johnny Depp.

“Most … are expected to take part in both concerts” and more performers will be added, per an announcement.

Beck, who replaced Clapton in the Yardbirds, died in January.

Ticketing info here.

3/10/23

#jeff beck #eric clapton #rod stewart #the jeff beck group #derek trucks #susan tedeschi #tedeschi trucks band #gary clark jr. #doyle bramhall ii #billy gibbons #zz top #john mclaughlin #robert randolph #joss stone #johnny depp

[aunti-christ-ine]

#editorial cartoons #bill bramhall #gun control #second amendment #misconception #political cartoon

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News

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LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

March 5, 2024 (Tuesday)

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

MAR 6, 2024

Possibly the biggest story today in terms of its impact on most Americans’ lives is that as part of its war on junk fees, the Biden administration announced an $8 cap on late fees charged by credit card issuers that have more than a million accounts. These companies hold more than 95% of outstanding credit card debt. Currently, fees average $32, and they fall on more than 45 million people. The White House estimates that late fees currently cost Americans about $25 billion a year. The rule change will save Americans about $10 billion a year.

The administration also announced a “strike force” to crack down on “unfair and illegal pricing.” Certain corporations raised prices as strained supply chains made it more expensive to make their products. But after supply chains were fixed and their costs dropped, corporations kept consumer prices high and passed on record profits to their shareholders. The strike force will encourage federal agencies to share information to enable them to identify businesses that are breaking the law. 

Banking organizations and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce came out swinging. Executive vice president Neil Bradley said that such regulation “to micromanage how private businesses set prices will have the same result: shortages, fewer choices for consumers, a weaker economy, and less jobs.” 

And in what perhaps illustrates why voters don’t appear to know much about what the administration is doing, these stories have gotten far less attention today than the primaries and caucuses. 

Today is Super Tuesday, when 15 states and one territory choose their primary candidates for president and for the House of Representatives and the Senate (although in Alaska, only Republicans vote today and in American Samoa, only Democrats vote today). About 36% of Republican delegates will be awarded today, and that’s the side people will be watching because on the Democratic side, Biden has a virtually uncontested lead with the exception of candidate Jason Palmer, who won the Democratic caucuses in American Samoa.

Trump is expected to win today’s Republican contests, but observers are watching to see what percentage of the vote challenger Nikki Haley, former governor of South Carolina, takes from him. As I write this, she appears to have won Vermont and run strongly elsewhere, especially in the suburbs. Three states conducted exit polls and they, too, show warning signs for Trump as 78% of Haley voters in the North Carolina primary, 69% in California, and 68% in Virginia refused to say they would support the party’s nominee no matter who it is. 

It is also notable that polls showed Trump with a much stronger margin over Haley than materialized today. As Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo notes, it is not yet clear what that means.

Trump is on his way to becoming the Republican presidential nominee. On Friday the Republican National Committee (RNC) will meet in Houston to choose a new chair. The only people running are Trump loyalist Michael Whatley and Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who hope to become co-chairs. Natalie Allison reported today in Politico that the RNC will not vote on a resolution that would have prohibited the RNC from covering Trump’s legal bills. 

Trump is certainly in need of money. Today, his lawyers demanded a new trial in the second E. Jean Carroll case, complaining that the judge limited what he could say, and asked for a judgment figure significantly lower than the $83.3 million the jurors awarded. By the end of Friday, Trump must post either the money or a bond covering it.

This morning, Trump told Brian Kilmeade of Fox & Friends that he was not worried about coming up with the money to pay the $454 million he owes in the New York fraud case, or the interest it is accruing at more than $100,000 a day. “I have a lot of money. I can do what I want to do,” Trump said. “I don't worry about anything. I don't worry about the money. I don't worry about money.”

Yesterday, Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, admitted he lied under oath during his testimony in that case. He will be sentenced in April. 

Super Tuesday is also the day that the 2024 presidential campaign begins in earnest for those who had not previously been paying much attention, and Taylor Swift today urged her 282 million followers on Instagram “to vote the people who most represent YOU into power. If you haven't already, make a plan to vote today,” she wrote.

The presidential contest is only one of the many contests on the ballot today, but most of those results are not yet in. 

Although the Arizona primary will not be held until March 19, we did learn today that Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) will not run for reelection. Her exit will leave the Arizona senator’s race to election-denying Trump Republican Kari Lake, who lost the Arizona governorship in 2022 (although she continues to insist she won it), and Arizona Democratic representative Ruben Gallego. 

Just as voters don’t appear to know much about what the administration has done to make their lives better, a recent study from a Democratic pollster suggests that voters don’t seem to know much about Trump’s statements attacking democracy. When informed of them, their opinion of Trump falls.

Trump has called for mass deportations of immigrants and foreign-born U.S. citizens; on February 29, he said he would use local police as well as federal troops to round people up and move them to camps for deportation. Asked yesterday by a Newsmax host if he would “order mass deportations if you win the White House,” Trump answered: “Oh, day one. We have no choice. And we’ll start with the bad ones. And you know who knows who they are? Local police. Local police have to be given back their authority, and they have to be given back their respect and immunity.” 

On the one hand, caps to credit card late fees and an attempt to address price gouging; on the other hand, local police with immunity rounding up millions of people and putting them in camps, for deportation. And, in between the two, an election. 

People had better start paying attention. 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Heather Cox Richardson #Letters From An American #deportations #TFG #election 2024 #economy #Bill Bramhall

[conniejoworld]

LETTERS These are our thoughts Re: “Our classes are full of life, learning — not hate,” by Tyra Damm, May 6 column. Thank you, Tyra Damm, for speaking truth to power. How refreshing to read this column. She clearly and succinctly communicated the thoughts of many of us who have worked in public schools. “There is no time or proclivity for hate. There is no hidden agenda, woke or otherwise.” For obvious reasons of political expediency, our public schools have come under the Republican gun (purposeful choice of words). Public school employees who bravely persisted through a pandemic now suffer harmful rhetoric from Gov. Greg Abbott and also experience attacks from parents and legislators who display an obtunded and obstructive mindset. Yet, with little encouragement, praise or meaningful pay, and in spite of the negativity being levied toward them, those who have chosen to continue their valuable work meet our children and grandchildren with smiles and love, committed to teaching basics and useful, meaningful life lessons. I hope Abbott and his cohorts read her column and hang their heads in shame. That would be refreshing. And thank you, Dallas Morning News , for the incredibly incisive political cartoon on Wednesday (Uncle Sam taken down by a gun addiction). Well done. Theresa Riggs, Arlington More praise for cartoon Regarding Wednesday’s editorial cartoon, what a powerful and impactful graphic representation of national maladies! Bill Bramhall has married two American tragedies into one pictorial representation that grabs our hearts and highlights the tragic results of both evils. Here’s hoping that this gripping cartoon will affect continued progress in reigning in both gun violence and drug deaths. Dan Siculan, Royse City

Some ideas to consider After the Allen Premium Outlets shooting, those who believe a right to life supersedes a right for everyone to possess a firearm, regulations derived from the Second Amendment, the expression “well-regulated” must apply. First, a firearm owner must be licensed through an extensive background check which will include psychological testing to eliminate those suicidal or psychotic. Gov. Greg Abbott insists the problem is mental health, but he provides guns to crazy people. The licensee must have a picture I.D. and thumbprint, and be over 21. Those under 21 must have an adult with them to handle a firearm. Second, for a licensee to purchase a gun, a 10-day waiting period must be used to research behavior since licensing. The purchaser must undergo training in firearm safety. No military-style rifles are to be in any one’s possession other than the military. Third, if a person has a firearm in bodily possession, he will forfeit it if intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, or if he threatens to use it illegally or exhibits family violence. Finally, private militias must not be allowed firearms. Public militias will be controlled by the Department of Public Safety and have all firearms registered. Criminals must not have guns. Walter Lindrose, Denton He blames gerrymandering Re: “Uphill battle for gun control — Amid growing pressure, GOP leaders unlikely to push reform,” Thursday news story. This story concludes that reasonable gun control laws fail in Texas because GOP lawmakers are “driven by a more powerful force: Republican primary voters.” True enough, but where is the rest of the story? In a democracy, why are only Republican primary voters in control and not the entire electorate? The missing explanation to the story: gerrymandering. When voters are “packed” and “cracked” into district lines that dilute the voting power of some groups in favor of others, the will of the majority can be thwarted and we inevitably end up with legislators narrowly focused on the extreme demands of primary voters. A third of the members of the Texas House (58 out of 150) and Texas Senate (10 out of 31) didn’t even have general-election opponents in 2022. Even in the general election, only one contested Texas Senate race and only four contested Texas House races were won by less than a 10% margin. Legislators chose their voters, not the other way around. The “powerful force” driving GOP lawmakers is one of their own choosing. Those lawmakers created that force, by rigging district lines to favor certain voters. Dave Jones, Sherman President, Clean Elections Texas What will they take next? Re: “Neighbors, not short-term rentals, foster community — Restricting these dwellings in residentially zoned areas will protect homeowners, home values,” by Douglas Newby, May 7 opinion. If my worst fears hold true, the state of Texas is forging ahead to preempt local control of neighborhood property rights with House Bill 2665. My family bought a home in a quiet neighborhood zoned for single-family residential homes, and that’s the way we want to keep it. As citizens of Arlington, a city with the foresight to restrict businesses to areas zoned for business, we are able to plan for our future and prosper here. A state so eager to usurp our ability to enjoy the fruits of our labor in a quiet, single-family-residence neighborhood doesn’t appear to stand for personal choice or personal control over the biggest longterm investment many families ever make. It seems, rather, that the once-upon-a-time-limited-government proponents at the helm of Texas government want control over local government as well as state government in order to cull the favors of business interests rather than protect the rights of individual citizens. If my own state representatives can take my property rights away, what are they going to take next? Pat Sanchez, Arlington

[route22ny]

Bill Bramhall in today's New York Daily News

#uvalde #gun culture #gun laws #republican obstructionism

[billjones2023]

Christmas 2023

A quiet Christmas Day at home indeed but preceded by visits to the wrong side of the Pennines to meet up with Elaine, Rachel, Ads and Jordi (over from San Francisco and en route to Norway for new year); then on to Bramhall to visit the local Warwick Avenue Christmas lights with Markus, Alex and Evelina before playing racing robin. Around this time we had drinks and nibbles with neighbours, Ruth stayed over and we shared delicious cheesecake with Mike and Sandra (the real treat was being allowed to park there as the rain was torrential for alot of this period). Bill and I also visited the Floral Hall for breakfast, played our ukuleles at the u3a Christmas cracker event, ate an excellent dinner at Elwells restaurant (part of the local college); shared a meal with M and S at the Welly in Lund, and did a couple of walks in glorious sunshine (and chill wind) at both North and South bays in Brid. NYE we both fell asleep listening to the radio and were awakened by the chimes of Big Ben. Happy New Year to all.

[fancyprincesspatrol]

Binder of Docs 12.17.2023 ~ Art by Bill Bramhall

#youtube