Captain of the USS Filibuster.

Thursday, April 17, 2021
BY SARAH LAZARUS & CROOKED MEDIA


** -Ben Shapiro ([link removed]) , buying one piece of wood at Home Depot to own the libs
------------------------------------------------------------

The Biden administration just committed the U.S. to its most ambitious climate target to date, a bold deviation from the proud Earth Day tradition of “awkwardly planting a single tree ([link removed]) .” Why does Joe Biden hate trees? What A Day investigates.

* During a glitch-plagued virtual Earth Day summit with 40 world leaders, President Biden formally pledged ([link removed]) that the U.S. will cut its 2005 greenhouse-gas-emission levels at least in half by 2030. The $2 trillion jobs plan will be key to making that happen. The Biden administration also plans to double the amount of money it offers to help developing countries fight climate change by 2024, compared to what the U.S. spent annually during the latter half of the Obama administration.

* That new target is a major step forward for the U.S. on its own, as the world’s second-largest greenhouse-gas emitter after China (and the largest emitter historically). It’s also meant to nudge other countries to step up their own efforts to keep average warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius ([link removed]) : Both Japan and Canada announced new climate targets at Thursday’s summit. Neither China nor India followed suit, though President Xi Jinping promised ([link removed]) that China would “strictly limit increasing coal consumption” in the next five years, then start phasing it out.

* Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro pledged to eliminate illegal deforestation by 2030, with an unspoken catch ([link removed]) —in a letter earlier this week, Bolsonaro told climate envoy John Kerry that Brazil “deserves to be fairly compensated for the Environmental Services its citizens provide for the planet.” The international community has expressed serious skepticism ([link removed]) about sending Bolsonaro billions of dollars for a promise to save the Amazon, on account of how Bolsonaro has, let’s see here, laid waste to the Amazon ([link removed]) .

A handful of depressing new studies (sorry) illustrate why the global climate fight needs an aggressive boost, right now.

* Carbon emissions dropped substantially during pandemic lockdowns, but nature’s about to unheal real fast: Global carbon emissions are expected to surge ([link removed]) , thanks to a projected increase in coal demand ([link removed]) , more than any other year in recorded history with the exception of 2010. Greenhouse-gas concentrations didn’t take a year off at all ([link removed]) , according to the U.N., and a report from Swiss Re (which insures insurance companies) warned that the effects of climate change could cost the global economy ([link removed]) as much as $23 trillion by 2050.

* Seems like not spending enough money on the climate emergency could be...super expensive? That’s part of activists’ argument for the Biden administration to commit to an even more ambitious emissions reduction ([link removed]) and start working towards it while Democrats have the chance. Kerry acknowledged ([link removed]) on Thursday that the U.S. will need to do more: “Is it enough? No. But it’s the best we can do today and prove we can begin to move.”


There’s no scenario in which the U.S. solves this crisis alone, but Biden’s new target represents a seismic shift away from the last four years of outright climate denial, and puts the administration in a better position to call for more aggressive commitments around the world. Now if we can just convince Congress that “habitable planet” counts as infrastructure.

What better way to celebrate Earth Month than to pick up one of our new retro Save the Earth shirts. (And then, you know, wear it outside or something.) They come in two classic designs, “Save the Norms” and “Enjoy Your Stay on Earth!” As always, a portion of every order in the Crooked Store goes to support VoteRiders! Shop now at crooked.com/store →
[link removed]

Republican legislators in at least 34 states have introduced a wave of anti-protest bills ([link removed]) in the wake of huge Black Lives Matter protests across the country. On Wednesday, Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK) signed a law ([link removed]) granting civil and criminal immunity to drivers who run over protesters in Oklahoma, and Iowa Republicans have passed a similar measure. A GOP proposal in Indiana would bar anyone convicted of unlawful assembly from holding state employment, including elected office, and a Minnesota bill ([link removed]) would prohibit anyone convicted of unlawful protesting from receiving student loans and other forms of state financial aid. Then there’s Florida’s new law, which makes it easier
to jail protesters and murder them with cars. Remember, the First Amendment stipulates only that Josh Hawley must never lose a book deal—silencing protests under the guise of punishing rioters (for which laws already exist) is just normal, freedom-loving democracy stuff.
* A large study of coronavirus long-haulers found that survivors were at greater risk of dying within six months ([link removed]) . Researchers reported about eight extra deaths per 1000 patients, and warned that long-term symptoms could drive potential spikes in suicides and/or opioid overdoses.

* Mourners gathered in Minneapolis, MN, for the funeral of Daunte Wright on Thursday ([link removed]) , including the state’s top political leaders and relatives of George Floyd, Philando Castile, Jamar Clark, and Oscar Grant.

* Senate Republicans have unveiled a $568 billion infrastructure proposal ([link removed]) , which Democrats immediately rejected.

* Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) will deliver the GOP response ([link removed]) to President Biden’s first address to a joint session of Congress next week, and Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) will deliver an unconventional progressive response ([link removed]) . Many GOP lawmakers plan to skip the address entirely ([link removed]) .

* The conservative wing of the Supreme Court has rolled back protections against sentencing kids to life in prison without parole ([link removed]) , in a 6-3 vote. Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted in a scathing dissent that Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s opinion overturned precedent without acknowledging the change.

* Russia has ordered troops to withdraw from the Ukrainian border ([link removed]) , where they had been amassing and making the rest of the world incredibly nervous.

* Georgia’s GOP attorney general Chris Carr has stepped down as chairman of the Republican Attorneys General Association ([link removed]) , as the organization promoted the operative who had its policy arm pay for robocalls ([link removed]) urging Trump supporters to march on the Capitol and demand the election be overturned.

* An Italian hospital employee allegedly received his salary for 15 years without ever going to work ([link removed]) . The American labor movement has so far to go.

Congressional Black Caucus members are pushing to shift the focus of the voting rights fight to the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act ([link removed]) , or H.R.4, as Cap’n Joe Manchin (D-WV) holds S.1 hostage aboard the USS Filibuster ([link removed]) . A number of Democrats think a voting rights-only bill named for John Lewis has a better chance of passing with at least a few GOP votes, based on past votes to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act. H.R.4 has been on a slower track because lawmakers need to make sure it isn’t vulnerable to the kind of legal challenges that gutted the VRA in the first place, and right now it’s not expected to come to a vote until late summer at the earliest. But CBC members are antsy to speed it up ([link removed]) : states will start receiving redistricting data from the
Census Bureau over the summer, and if the democracy reform agenda hasn't passed by then, certain states will be able to draw discriminatory electoral maps to their hearts’ content.
[link removed]

CARIUMA ([link removed]) is the sustainable sneaker brand creating classic, seriously comfortable kicks in a way that's better for you and the planet.

CARIUMA's Reforestation Program is an essential part of their long-term commitment to ecological restoration. For every pair of sneakers sold, CARIUMA plants a pair of trees in the Brazilian rainforest, where over 20% of the forest floor has been clear-cut or otherwise deforested. Re-planting is essential to restore the natural biodiversity and carbon-capturing potential of this diverse ecosystem. In celebration of Earth Day–and this year's theme, Restore Our Earth–CARIUMA is planting not two, but 10 trees per pair through the end of this month!

Their 100% vegan IBI sneaker – made with bamboo, sugarcane, and recycled plastics – recently had a waitlist of over 20 thousand people. Now, the IBI family is growing by one: the new IBI Slip-On has the lowest carbon emissions of any sneaker currently on the market, pairing a lightweight, perfect-fit bamboo knit with the comfort & ease of a slip-on. They’re even machine-washable. Slip them on to wander miles (or just to grab the mail).

CARIUMA's eco-conscious styles are designed with natural, premium materials and come with a pair of their signature vegan insoles, made from cork, mamona oil and memory foam, designed to mimic the comfort of a broken-in shoe in a brand-new pair of sneakers.

To make things easy, CARIUMA ships free worldwide and offers extended 60 day returns. For a limited time, What A Day readers receive an exclusive 15% off CARIUMA sneakers ([link removed]) –and plant 10 trees for their pair!

House Democrats ([link removed]) have passed a bill to make Washington, DC, the 51st state.

The Senate ([link removed]) has overwhelmingly passed legislation to combat hate crimes against Asian Americans—with a single no vote from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO).

A preliminary study ([link removed]) suggested that the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines do not pose serious risks for pregnant people.

New York legislators ([link removed]) have passed a bill to automatically restore voting rights to people on parole.
[link removed]

============================================================
. . . . . .
** ([link removed])

© Crooked Media 2021. All Rights Reserved.
If you want to manage which emails you receive from Crooked Media, ** update your preferences here ([link removed])
. If you prefer to opt out of all Crooked Media communications, you may ** unsubscribe ([link removed])
.
** Share this newsletter ([link removed])
7162 Beverly Blvd #212, Los Angeles, CA, 90036
** Powered by Mailchimp ([link removed])
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Link ([link removed])