Hard Pass

Archive: https://archive.ph/tYwLo

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/47417775

[May 14, 2026 [good article that outlines various (dishonest) approaches by centrist Democratic politicians to Democratic voters' antipathy to Israel.]

Wendy Sherman, who served as deputy secretary of State under the Biden administration, made headlines in late April when she told Bloomberg that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “led” the United States down the road to “genocide” in Gaza.

In the next sentence, however, Sherman said that she remained a “strong supporter” of Israel. It marked one of the most blatant examples of a rhetorical strategy widely emerging among Democratic politicians since October 7: using language that validates progressive criticism of Israel — including, now, the word “genocide” — while simultaneously insulating themselves from the charge that they have abandoned Israel.

Knock knock.

Who's there?

I eat mop.

I eat mop who?

Eww, that's gross.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has signed legislation banning the sale and manufacture of certain semi-automatic firearms, prompting immediate lawsuits from gun-rights groups.

The limits on “ assault firearms,” as they are described by the legislation, are among two dozen new restrictions and regulations on guns enacted by the Democratic governor in her first few months in office. That marks a sharp policy reversal from her Republican predecessor, who had vetoed many similar measures.

“Firearms designed to inflict maximum casualties do not belong on our streets,” Spanberger said in a statement Friday. “We are taking this step to protect families and support the law enforcement officers who work every day to keep our communities safe.”

The new gun restrictions move Virginia closer to the likes of California, Illinois and New York, which similarly have full Democratic control of their legislatures and governors’ offices. They also highlight a continued national divide on gun policy, as various Republican-led states have taken steps to relax firearm restrictions that they describe as an infringement on Second Amendment rights.

The FDA this month opened a pathway for tobacco companies to sell flavored e-cigarettes and granted its first authorization for fruit-flavored vapes.

The Trump administration’s recent moves to make flavored e-cigarettes and vapes more widely available have caused a splintering among prominent voices in the MAHA movement and even some federal health officials.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s senior spokesperson, Richard Danker, resigned Wednesday over the regulatory changes, which include a pathway for tobacco companies to begin selling flavored electronic cigarettes and the first Food and Drug Administration authorization of fruit-flavored vapes. The new policies also played a role in the ousting of FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who opposed them.

In Danker’s resignation letter, viewed by NBC News and first obtained by The New York Times, he wrote that flavored e-cigarettes “would appeal to children and expose them to nicotine addiction, lung damage, and higher risk of cancer.”

I mean saying “I got biffler from my girlfriend” would be more effectant when I want to gloat

cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/tech/p/1126970/consumers-sue-amazon-for-not-refunding-trump-tariff-costs

found this on bluesky

https://bsky.app/profile/carolmac80.bsky.social/post/3mlvoadhfs22y