Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Happy indictment week to all who celebrate!

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Bark louder, little dog.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.

You are here: Home / Politics / Politicans / NANCY SMASH! / Friday Morning Open Thread: Good Work

Friday Morning Open Thread: Good Work

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The percentage of American families with kids who report not having enough to eat fell dramatically after the first child tax credit payments were distributed last month, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The government’s finding shows that the monthly payments are having a major and immediate impact on millions of households, potentially bolstering President Joe Biden’s push to extend the tax credit past the end of this year, when it is set to expire…

The monthly payments of up to $300 for each kid under five and up to $250 for each kid under 18 are the result of one of the most sweeping provisions in the American Rescue Plan, though the policy did not garner much media attention at the time. The payments are set to continue each month through December.

Before the first tranche of tax credit payments hit bank accounts in mid-July, about 11 percent of households with children reported that they sometimes or often did not have enough to eat in the past week. After the money went out, the rate dropped to just over 8 percent — a decrease of nearly 24 percent — and the lowest rate recorded since the beginning of the pandemic…

Other factors that are very likely contributing to the decline: An improving economy and also special pandemic food aid payments that kids have received in recent months to help make up for meals missed at school last year…

Reader Interactions

104Comments

  1. 1.

    evodevo

    “How Chuck’s keeping Dems in array — for now”

    Good…I never trusted Bernie to help out when it was needed…time for him to step up…

  2. 2.

    Mousebumples

    Not the happiest of news this morning, but I thought it was worth sharing.

    scott immordino (@ScottImmordino) tweeted at 1:02 AM on Fri, Aug 13, 2021:

    Unconfirmed reports from here in Georgia that President Carter is in hospice care and in his last hours or days. Please pray that he may have a painless and peaceful transition to the God he taught us all to love with justice and with action, and may Jesus welcome him with joy.

    (https://twitter.com/ScottImmordino/status/1426061541569351680?s=03)

    If this is true, may his passing be easy, and may he be remembered for all the great things he did for his community, for our nation, and for the world. ?

  4. 4.

    Betty Cracker

    A couple of days ago, I mentioned in comments that my hubby’s aunt (who lives about 30 miles from us here in FL) caught COVID at a rehab center where she was recovering from shoulder surgery. She’s fully vaccinated (Pfizer), but is 80 and has multiple comorbidities, including diabetes and preexisting O2 dependence. She was admitted to the hospital’s COVID ICU unit with pneumonia.

    Well, yesterday, she called me on the phone, and she sounded great! TBH, when I saw her name come up on my phone, I figured it was someone from the hospital using her phone so she could Facetime relatives to say goodbye.  But no, she says she believes she’ll be discharged next week, and she was calling to see if I could be there when she gets home to help her get settled, do some grocery shopping, etc.

    COVID is unpredictable, so I don’t assume she’s out of the woods, but she sounded strong. Bottom line: the vaccines are a fucking miracle. I do not believe she would have a chance if she wasn’t fully vaccinated. Everyone needs to get the damned shots!

  5. 5.

    Mousebumples

    @Matt McIrvin: so true. And I’m so happy for him that he got to see Georgia elect 2 amazing Senators, and his old friend as President! I think i had had somewhere – probably here – that Biden was among the first to support Carter’s Presidential campaign.

  7. 7.

    Mousebumples

    @Betty Cracker: awesome news! I was hoping the vaccine would help her recover, but Florida being what it is with the DeSantis nonsense, I figured you’d know better what was going on, on the ground. Happy to hear it!

  8. 8.

    debbie

    I want these pro-family, pro-child, pro-Christian governors called out for their true selves. They make my pro-family, pro-child, pro-Christian governor (DeWine) look good in comparison.

  10. 10.

    Ohio Mom

    @Betty Cracker:  That is happy and good news and very encouraging for we who have been vaccinated and continue to be careful and still worry all the time about catching Covid and dying.

  11. 11.

    Bluegirlfromwyo

    @Betty Cracker: Amazing! Hope she keeps healing. Yay vaccines!

    @debbie: Seconded. I also want our irish catholic old man dork president called out as the pro-family, pro-child man he is. I am sick of these forced birthers claiming they care about life. Last I checked, children spend a lot more time growing outside the womb than they do in it.

  12. 12.

    John S.

    Unfortunately it would seem that our useless media are intent on ignoring the good works President Biden has done and are focused on blaming him for what is happening in Afghanistan.

    Bush Jr. started that debacle and made it worse with his adventures in Iraq. TFG set the withdrawal timeline while playing footsie with the Taliban. But there is nary a mention of either of them. Funny that.

  20. 20.

    Another Scott

    Shocking news that hungry poor people will use extra money to buy food for their hungry kids.  Just shocking.  Uncle Joe should tell the GQP and economic reporters where he learned this!!

    Great news BC!

    Cheers,

    Scott.

  21. 21.

    Princess

    @John S.: I don’t believe the average American gives one F* about what happens in Afghanistan. Rightly or wrongly. I know the press will try to make them care now.

  22. 22.

    Betty Cracker

    @John S.: Some of the usual suspects are portraying that way for sure. I don’t think the bogus narrative will stick to Biden unless the shit-show currently underway there goes sideways in a way that costs American lives. Also, I wonder if this kind of thing is a smokescreen (via NYT):

    WASHINGTON — American negotiators are trying to extract assurances from the Taliban that they will not attack the U.S. Embassy in Kabul if the extremist group takes over the country’s government and ever wants to receive foreign aid, three American officials said.

    Are they seriously planning on maintaining a diplomatic presence? That seems nuts to me. I figured previous statements to that effect were bravado to provide cover. I’m hoping that behind the scenes, they are getting the hell out of Dodge along with every Afghanistan citizen who assisted the US and now wants to leave too.

  26. 26.

    MJS

    @Betty Cracker: My understanding is that the request for assurances was that there would be no attack while the embassy was being evacuated. I didn’t get the sense that the plan is to maintain an embassy there. But I could be wrong.

  27. 27.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Betty Cracker:

    COVID is unpredictable, so I don’t assume she’s out of the woods, but she sounded strong. Bottom line: the vaccines are a fucking miracle. I do not believe she would have a chance if she wasn’t fully vaccinated. Everyone needs to get the damned shots!

    Great news, Betty!  And yeah, the vaccines are miraculous. Not bulletproof, but on an individual level, they tilt the odds way heavily in your favor if you’re exposed to the virus.  And if everyone would just get the damned shot, this plague would die out for lack of susceptible hosts.

    Governors like DeSantis and Abbott are traitors, as far as I’m concerned. We’re in a war against Covid, and they’ve chosen to side with Covid.  In a more just world, they’d spend the rest of their lives in Gitmo, along with the Covid enablers elsewhere in the GQP, not to mention Fox News, Newsmax, OANN, etc.

  31. 31.

    Cheryl from Maryland

    @Betty Cracker: So glad to hear this.  We were in a somewhat similar situation – my spouse had knee replacement surgery last month — it was slow going for him to recuperate, so the hospital recommended a rehab facility.  It was awful — we were deathly afraid of catching COVID, even in Maryland, and there were things like alarms continually going off because they were broken.  We discharged him after two hours and went to a mobility-accessible hotel room with the PT coming to us.  He’s now at home and doing fine.

  32. 32.

    Geminid

    @Betty Cracker: I would also like to see every Afghan citizen  who helped the U.S. brought out of the country. But there are too many, and at best we will only evacuate a small fraction of them.

  34. 34.

    Another Scott

    @MJS: They have been saying for months that the US will continue to have a working embassy and will work with the country after the pullout.  Of course, the extent and kinds of interactions will depend on the situation there.

    Cheers,

    Scott.

  35. 35.

    SFAW

    @John S.:

    But there is nary a mention of either of them. Funny that.

    You’re probably one of those libtards who thinks the media give Obama too much credit for the Trump recovery, or give Obama insufficient blame for the post-Katrina disaster, or gave President Gore insufficient blame for 9/11.

    OK, so maybe my “parallel structure” isn’t exactly parallel. But you get the idea. Libtard.

  36. 36.

    Geminid

    @evodevo: A year ago, Chuck Schumer would have had a hard time getting elected dogcatcher in these parts. Thanks to the elections of Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, Schumer is now a renowned legislative strategist and tactician.

  37. 37.

    SFAW

    @dr. bloor:

    Well, we always knew Gottheimer and Cuellar are DINO assholes, but I’m disappointed in Jared Golden. Maybe Seth Moulton (who was being dickish enough toward the Speaker a few years ago, but has since changed his tune) should sit Golden down and “chat.” Don’t know anything about the other “moderates.”

  39. 39.

    lowtechcyclist

    @debbie:

    I want these pro-family, pro-child, pro-Christian governors called out for their true selves.

    Fuck yeah.  They’re the pro-death party. The deaths of >600,000 Americans hasn’t fazed them in the least.  They’ve been against masks, against social distancing, and against the vaccine.

    First they were perfectly OK with killing off all the old folks, and now they’re willing to sacrifice the kids.  “Pro-life,” my ass.

    And shrugging that nobody lives forever, we’ve all got to die sometime.  Well, some of us aren’t in any hurry.  I’m 67, but I’ve got plans for the next couple of decades.  And if getting a chance to live those plans means wearing a mask when I go to the grocery store, then I’m fucking wearing a mask when I go to the grocery store.  It’s a ridiculously small price to pay to continue to have a future.

  43. 43.

    Geminid

    @SFAW: Democratic leadership will work something out here. These moderates are just imitating “progressives” agitating similarly from the other side of the Democratic Caucus. I think this is kind of a “which goes first, the chicken or the egg” situation.

  46. 46.

    debbie

    @lowtechcyclist:

    What really shocks me are the parents demanding no masks anywhere in the schools.  They’re on the local news, spewing their bullshit. I can’t imagine what it’s like growing up with parents who don’t prioritize their kids’ safety.

  48. 48.

    Kay

    @Geminid:

    Schumer was widely credited with the 2006 Democratic “wave” and he took credit again for the 2008 D congressional wins:

    Sen. Charles Schumer admits that Democrats were blown away by – and slightly envious of – the 72-hour field operation Republicans used to help President Bush win re-election in 2004. So they basically copied the strategy.

    New York Sen. Charles E. Schumer, who chairs the Democratic Party’s Senate campaign committee, isn’t doing a victory lap in the final days of Campaign 2006. He warns party enthusiasts repeatedly that the Democrats have won nothing yet, and that the six-seat net gain his party needs to gain control of the Senate is still a very tall task.But Schumer — whose fundraising skills have given the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) more money than its Republican counterpart, and fueled the Democrats’ unexpectedly potent bid to claim the majority — has been speaking more confidently about the party’s prospects. And he contends that there is even one more Democratic opportunity in the mix.

  49. 49.

    rikyrah

    @debbie:

    I can’t imagine being a parent WANTING TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD

    And, having to deal with azzholes like this, who don’t care if your child is infected ??

  52. 52.

    Kay

    @rikyrah:

    And if there’s an outbreak and the schools quarantine students or close those same parents will be out screaming again. They’ve already closed schools that opened July 26th in Mississippi. They didn’t even stay open a month.

    We should all blame conservatives for this. Their screeching insanity at school board meetings has gone on all summer. They rolled right from screaming about “CRT” to screaming about masks. Next month they’ll be screaming about something else. They may not be able to attend public schools. They can’t work with others.

  53. 53.

    Percysowner

    @raven: Agreed. I think Pelosi knows what she’s doing. This could well be posturing by the nine “moderates” or they could want some concessions, or they could want some earmarks for their districts. I’m going to wait and see before I panic. Pelosi had to know this was coming.

  54. 54.

    Nicole

    @Geminid: Schumer’s always been very popular in NY (any guy tough enough to take down Al D’Amato deserves respect).  Much like Harry Reid, when he was Minority Leader, he’s caught a lot of flack for not being able to do the impossible.  Now that he’s not in an impossible position, people are acting all surprised that he’s a really skilled politician.

  56. 56.

    Another Scott

    @dr. bloor: The way I read the letter, they’re saying that they won’t wait “months” to pass the “bipartisan” bill.  Since the Senate passed it in a day, I don’t see the problem.

    Maybe I’m missing something.

    Cheers,

    Scott.

  58. 58.

    hueyplong

    When we know the news reports are incomplete, possibly inaccurate altogether and in any case based on “access,” it’s pretty tempting to ignore them.  It’s like an additional layer added to the traditional reasons not to watch the sausage being made.

    The person (Pelosi) herding these cats is someone with a demonstrated record of competence and strategic thinking.  Our House leader ain’t the soulless dolt McCarthy, staring vacantly as he awaits the script for his next attempt to stretch beyond his capabilities to assume the role of performative internet troll.

  59. 59.

    Leto

    @rikyrah: @debbie: @Kay:

    As schools reopen, more than 10,000 students and teachers across 14 states are quarantined for coronavirus exposure

    As the coronavirus’s delta variant continues to rage in Florida, leading to record-high hospitalizations, more than 160,000 students in Palm Beach County returned to the classroom this week with no mask mandate due to a statewide ban.

    It took just two days for school officials to send 440 students home to quarantine, the county’s interim superintendent, Michael Burke, told MSNBC on Thursday. Burke noted that 37 students and 14 employees were infected and blamed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis for allowing students to opt out of wearing masks.

    “The governor has got to take responsibility for establishing the ground rules we’re operating under,” Burke said. “This ability for families to opt out is leading to more cases, which will ultimately send more kids home and deprive them of that traditional classroom experience.”

  61. 61.

    Geminid

    @Kay: I’ve always respected Chuck Schumer, and I like his communication skills. He makes the most of his 10 second soundbites I hear on radio news, and which I guess are on network tv news as well. And while it’s easy to discount  “old” media, these outlets reach far more voters than every internet blog, podcast etc. put together.

  63. 63.

    Betty Cracker

    In our county, masks are optional at school. From local news coverage of the first day (school opened this week), it looked like maybe half the children at the elementary school level were masked up.

    Not for the first time since March 2020, I’m so thankful my kiddo was finished with Florida public schools before the plague hit. If vaccinated old people are getting the Delta variant at healthcare facilities, it’s hard to fathom how schools with unvaccinated, unmasked kids will avoid massive outbreaks.

  64. 64.

    Kay

    @Leto:

    I’m thrilled the schools are pushing back. Let’s review what conservatives did to public schools just this summer- they started a wholly political CRT panic where schools had to spend a month explaining to Trumpster parents that “equity” isn’t “CRT”. They then launched the anti-mask campaign. This is on top of the fact that schools had (actual) work to do this summer- they had to reopen and just as they set the reopening plans the Delta variant appeared.

    Conservatives need to find something to do. Perhaps a job or a hobby would fill up the hours they spend creating chaos and getting in the way of people who are trying to work.

  67. 67.

    PST

    @Percysowner:

    This could well be posturing by the nine “moderates” or they could want some concessions, or they could want some earmarks for their districts.

    Not that I have any inside knowledge or special insight or anything, but opinions are cheap and I have one. This seems like a reaction to the progressive caucus’s threat not to support the first (“bipartisan”) infrastructure bill without simultaneous action on the big bill — a little countervailing pressure to keep the opposite wing from having its way and perhaps even intended to help Pelosi negotiate with Jayapal and friends. In the end, no sane Democrat in the House can afford to let either bill fail altogether, and the constraint on the monopartisan bill will be what Manchin and friends will allow, not the House blue dogs. The progressives won’t get all they want because of the Senate. Everyone is going to have to accept $3.5 trillion as kind of an opening bid that will shrink some in order to succeed. I only worry about the coming intramural struggles about what gets dropped killing the whole shebang, but I really believe that there is enough legislative skill and enough sincere desire by Democrats (other than Synema) to do important things that all will be okay (but not pretty) in the end, and the “moderate” letter isn’t going to prevent that.

  68. 68.

    Kay

    @Betty Cracker:

    I’m relieved my last graduated last year too. I’ve already been contacted to help run the school levy campaign, however. Levies are forever.

    The last levy campaign was actually the most fun I’ve ever had as a political volunteer. They gave me the lower income east end precincts to run and I made lists targeting women, lower income “moms” which is my dream :)

    I think they’re undervalued as potential voters. We won too.

  69. 69.

    Hildebrand

    A former student of mine has gone completely off the deep end with the whole ‘unmasking our children’ knavery.  It’s unbelievably sad to watch this person I once knew to be bright and inquisitive tumble down into this cruel foolishness.

    One of her closest friends, also a former student, has been fighting the good fight to reintroduce her to reality, but it hasn’t worked yet.  Others from the same group have also tried to appeal to her – but no luck.

    The people who have pumped this nonsense onto the airwaves and across the internet need to face consequences for their ghastly propaganda.

  70. 70.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Kay:

    Conservatives need to find something to do. Perhaps a job or a hobby would fill up the hours they spend creating chaos and getting in the way of people who are trying to work.

    QFT.

  73. 73.

    Mousebumples

    @Highway Rob: yeah, I haven’t been able to find more, but I figure well wishes for Jimmy are well deserved, even if he’s not in hospice. Though I can also understand the inability to find confirmation in order to let him enjoy his remaining time in peace.

  74. 74.

    Immanentize

    Quick check in from the road. We are in Little Rock (actually south of it in Benton) pushing on to Houston today. Yesterday was spent exclusively (except the last half hour) on route 40. The day was similar re: Rt 81. The latter is far more scenic, but each has endless number of trucks fucking up our cruise control imaginings.

    We both will be happy to get to Houston, although, FiL memorial service tomorrow morning.

    Fun fact learned: Kevin Helm was born in Turkey Scratch, AR. “Taint no joke!”

  76. 76.

    mali muso

    @Mousebumples:

    Hoping that Jimmy still has more years ahead but he has earned a restful and peaceful homecoming.  One of the highlights of my time in Peace Corps was meeting him and Rosalyn TWICE!  They were very active in Mali in eradicating guinea worm and every time they visited the country, they specifically asked the Peace Corps director to round up any volunteers that were in/near the capital city for a little meet and greet at the Ambassador’s residence.  We were serving under Bush II (blech), so it felt good to have a ‘real’ American president that we could feel proud of there telling us to keep up the good work, etc.

    @Immanentize: Guess I must have missed your journey past my little corner of Virginia, but I-81 is a shit-show that I avoid whenever possible.  Tractor trailer caravans speeding up on you aggressively at 70+mph…no thanks!  Good luck with the rest of the trip. :)

  80. 80.

    Gin & Tonic

    @mali muso: I took I-81 a long way down, years ago, when my daughter was considering a generous scholarship offer from Roanoke College (which she ended up declining.) My impression is that a lot of North-South long-haul trucks consider that a much better alternative to I-95. I was surprised at the amount of traffic.

  81. 81.

    Another Scott

    @Hildebrand: It’s sad and aggravating, I’m sure.

    It’s very difficult to cut through emotion-driven responses with facts.

    Maybe remind her that COVID-19 has only been a known disease in humans for less than 2 years.  There’s still a lot that is not known about it, but what is known is that the disease can attack much more than the lungs and that the vaccines are amazingly effective at preventing serious illness, hospitalization, and death.  We don’t know the long-term effects of the illness.

    Unfortunately, people under 12 cannot get the vaccine yet, so the next-best protection is masking.  It’s not a political statement.

    And maybe remind her that no rights exist without responsibilities.

    The Declaration of Independence ends with:

    And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

    We’re all in this together.

    Good luck.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  83. 83.

    sab

    @Kay: I’d suggest that more conservatives take up golf to amuse themselves, but that gives them more time to spend talkimg to other conservatives.

  84. 84.

    sab

    @Betty Cracker: I entertain myself by making snide comments about Florida (“snakes!”) but in my childhood there the schools were amazingly excellent. It is so sad to see the decline.

  85. 85.

    Kathleen

    @debbie: I heard DeWine say during a covid briefing a few months ago that life after birth is as important as life before birth (bad paraphrasing on my part) but I appreciate that he made that point.

  89. 89.

    Hildebrand

    @Another Scott:  Everyone who has been talking to her has done a great job of remaining constructive, but still firm. Each of her friends has been working the subject they know best, one is a doctor, another a child psychologist, another a legal aide – they each focus on their specialty and craft their arguments and encouragement from a position of knowledge and experience. I think that makes it harder for her (and her fellow travelers who try to pile on whenever she posts) to reject what is being said out of hand.

  90. 90.

    piratedan

    @Gin & Tonic: IIRC I-81 goes thru fewer larger metro areas and since it sits in the Shenandoah Valley, it’s simply a LOT more rural… less cars, fewer delays and you get the bonus of awesome scenery.  When your biggest metro areas are Roanoke, York, Hagerstown and Bristol, you’re not sitting in traffic in those areas for the most part.

  91. 91.

    Soprano2

    So, update on my mom – she passed this morning about 9:30. She was peaceful, and wasn’t in any pain. I hope that wherever she is, she’s talking to my sister. My sister’s death was really hard on her. I found out that there’s a heart ailment called “broken heart syndrome” because my mother had it in the year after my sister was killed. I also hope all her cats are with her. That’ll be a lot of cats! She was politically conservative – she left money to Judicial Watch and the Landmark Legal Foundation – but she also loved her cats, and there were many of them over the years.

  93. 93.

    Another Scott

    @Soprano2: I’m sorry.  A peaceful passing is the best that anyone can hope for.

    Condolences and peace to you.  Remember the good times.

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  96. 96.

    Miss Bianca

    @Hildebrand: I feel your pain. Same thing happened to me. Bright girl I taught in HS has gone down the rabbit hole of “CDC are authoritarian jackbooted thugs who are going door-to-door and FORCE VACCINATING people ZOMG!!”

    I mean…I just don’t even know where to begin with these folks. Lefty woo-woo BS is just as bad as right-wing BS

    @Soprano2: So sorry to hear it. My condolences.

  102. 102.

    J R in WV

    @Betty Cracker: ​
     

    she [hubby’s aunt!] sounded strong. Bottom line: the vaccines are a fucking miracle. I do not believe she would have a chance if she wasn’t fully vaccinated. Everyone needs to get the damned shots!

    Great news. Yes, the vaccines are a fucking miracle! So glad for you all… needs help getting home? For sure she does, and so glad you guys are nearby to help out!!

  104. 104.

    J R in WV

    @Soprano2:

    So sorry for your loss! Hospice is a miracle at the end of life, so I’m glad they were there for you and your mom! They were great when my dad was failing back in 2004. I got to spend all day with him for several weeks, and that was a blessing!

    Now remember to take care of yourself, for we the Jackalteriat. I appreciate hearing from you when you post!

    Be careful, stay safe!

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