maeve harris @maeve@girlcock.club

#FBI arrests former mid-level US State Department official, who served in the Trump admin for involvement in the US Capitol riot for assaulting police officers (gop: party of Law and Order) https://www.npr.org/2021/03/05/974011446/former-state-department-aide-charged-in-connection-with-capitol-riot

San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board: Dump the filibuster (neither established by law or included in the US Constitution) and pass HR1 to thwart authoritarian impulses of the #gop https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Editorial-The-filibuster-is-a-small-sacrifice-15998492.php

#Florida's Democratic Party Ag commissioner calls on #FBI to investigate trumpist gov #DeSantis for redirecting available #Covid19 vaccines to rich communities associated with top political donors https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/541644-top-florida-democrat-calls-on-fbi-to-investigate-desantis-over-vaccine

I finally received my 2 covid stimulus payments in check form through the mail (one had been misrouted to Malaysia), but #Thailand's Kasikorn Bank refused to allow me to deposit them. I will try later at Bangkok Bank, where I have my direct deposit account and see if they will accept them.

Dallas #Texas cop charged on 2 counts of capital murder, for arranging for hitmen to carry out the murders. He is in custody, according to police sources. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2021/03/04/dallas-police-officer-charged-with-two-counts-of-capital-murder/

#Texas, in something of a 1950s flashback, had assigned a 'chivalry assignment' for girls to dress to please boys, and to serve them, agree to requests from them, and walk behind them. The assignment was pulled after outraged reactions https://www.newsweek.com/school-chivalry-assignment-girls-dress-please-boys-not-whine-1573706

American Psychological Association (#APA) comes out with an unambiguous denunciation of #transgender conversion therapy (already outlawed in some states): "Transgender or nonbinary gender identities are normal variations in human expression of gender. Attempts to force people to conform with rigid gender identities can be harmful to their mental health and well-being.” https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2021/03/american-psychological-association-opposes-transgender-conversion-therapy-historic-statement/

Sen #Murkowski (R-AK), who has shown some occasional independence, is under pressure to hold the #gop line against the #Biden pandemic relief bill. McConnell wants a 100% no vote by Republicans in the Senate https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/04/gop-murkowski-biden-covid-bill-473665

There are widespread legislative proposals from states across the US, against #LGBTQ youth, 65 of them attempts to erase #transgender youth https://slate.com/human-interest/2021/03/anti-trans-bills-republicans-sports-bathroom-discrimination.html

#Amnesty #UK says the UK gov't is 'hell-bent on diluting the #humanrights Act", currently under judicial review. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/03/government-hell-bent-diluting-human-rights-act

The example of #Denmark shows #McDonalds could well absorb the cost of a $15 minimum wage; there, workers get $22/hour and the price of a Big Mac (which is unhealthy) is about $0.35 higher https://www.newsweek.com/minimum-wage-15-denmark-big-mac-mcdonalds-1573414

US #Senators of both parties join in support of a bill to repeal the Authorization to Use Military Force (#AUMF), which has allowed presidents to launch wars without congressional approval. The Constitution's reservation of the power to make war to the Congress has long been ignored. https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/03/bipartisan-bill-strip-biden-war-powers-473312

Congressional setting for Thursday, March 4, canceled on fears of a #QAnon inspired breach of the Capitol. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/03/03/house-cancels-thursday-session-police-warn-possible-plot-breach-capitol/6911228002/

#US #unemployment programs reaching only about 30% of unemployed, leaving about 8 million out in the cold, according to a recent Univ of Illiniois Urbana study https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/mar/02/us-unemployed-millions-without-benefits.

Fox News hires disgraced former #Trump press spox Keyleigh McEnany, whom several current and former staffers call a 'mini Goebbels'. Fox has essentially pulled out of the news reporting business with a number of recent firings, who were replaced with propagandists https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-insiders-rage-against-hiring-mini-goebbels-kayleigh-mcenany

#FBI busts a notorious white supremacist live streamer w/ 40k followers on Telegram, sending "shockwaves through internet extremist circles. https://www.thedailybeast.com/feds-bust-white-supremacist-livestreamer-paul-n-miller-in-dawn-raid-rattling-supporters

#Biden has achieved a 61% approval level among American voters, much of which is attributable to relief of #Trump exhaustion. It will not last long https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/541032-bidens-approval-tops-60-percent-in-new-poll

#McDonald's has spied on workers trying to organize and #labor union, or joining the 'fight for $15' campaign for years, according to internal documents obtained by Vice https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/02/mcdonalds-unions-workers-rights

US Senate Democrats remove 'plan B' effort to force raising minimum wage from their version of budget reconciliation legislation https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/01/stimulus-update-democrats-to-drop-minimum-wage-plan-in-covid-relief-bill.html

The Republic of #Ireland (which is a member of the #EU) had pre-Brexit sent goods through the #UK destined for Europe. Now exporters are taking the longer sea route bypassing the UK entirely. Shipments direct from Ireland to France up 102% over prior year https://www.bbc.com/news/56201463