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InAlienable
Daily Dispatch
February 7, 2019
Countdown to Shutdown v.2.0 National Emergency:
// Set the date we're counting down to
var countDownDate = new Date("Feb 15, 2019 0:00:01").getTime();
// Update the count down every 1 second
var x = setInterval(function() {
// Get todays date and time
var now = new Date().getTime();
// Find the distance between now and the count down date
var distance = countDownDate - now;
// Time calculations for days, hours, minutes and seconds
var days = Math.floor(distance / (1000 * 60 * 60 * 24));
var hours = Math.floor((distance % (1000 * 60 * 60 * 24)) / (1000 * 60 * 60));
var minutes = Math.floor((distance % (1000 * 60 * 60)) / (1000 * 60));
var seconds = Math.floor((distance % (1000 * 60)) / 1000);
// Output the result in an element with id="demo"
document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML = days + "d " + hours + "h "
+ minutes + "m " + seconds + "s ";
// If the count down is over, write some text
if (distance < 0) {
clearInterval(x);
document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML = "EXPIRED";
}
}, 1000);
Could it really be?
After meeting with CBP on Wednesday, conference committee members seemed far more optimistic that a deal will be reached and voted on by the end of next week. CBP emphasized the need for technology at the border, more so than physical barriers. Both House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader McConnell have indicated that they will back any bipartisan bill that the committee successfully negotiates. Both sides agree that $5.7 billion for a big, beautiful border wall from sea to shining sea is out of the question. Still, debates over detention bed funding and relief for Puerto Rico are still looming.
But overall, things are looking good on the congressional side.
On the executive side, things aren’t so clear. Trump wants to be seen as having “won.” But he’s also a loose cannon who frequently redefines what “winning” looks like. At the outset of the shutdown, “winning” meant $5.7 billion for a physical wall. During the shutdown, it was $5.7 billion for “slats,” “barriers,” or “peaches.” At the end of the shutdown, merely reopening the government for 3 weeks was touted as a “win” even though we all knew it was a “cave.”
So, will “border security” be spun as a “win” for Trump?
Will he veto the spending bill?
If so, will Congress have the votes to override the veto? (It’s possible. NO ONE in Congress wants another shutdown. NO ONE.)
Or is Trump just waiting for the above clock to run out so he can declare his “national emergency”?
Your Week In Racism:
It’s been a weird few days for Virginia.
First, Governor Northam apologized for being photographed either in black face or in a KKK hood (he wasn't sure which) in his med school yearbook.
Then he adamantly denied appearing in that photo.
Then, for some reason, he admitted to appearing in black face on a separate occasion (ironically while dressing up as Michael Jackson, who was accused of bleaching his face … weird huh?).
Then seemingly out of nowhere, the state’s Attorney General decided, for some reason, to “come out” as having appeared in black face years ago.
As these developments appeared on computer and television screens around the country, this was everyone:
Then there was the whole Liam Neeson(s) thing.
And the Elizabeth Warren thing.
And… oh, come on, Gucci…
(Bet you never thought you’d see these words, in this order: “the offense caused by the wool balaclava jumper.”)
Theodore Johnson (Brennan Center / Georgetown) offers a reflection in Politico, “How Society Uses Politics to Decide What’s Racist,” which weighs questions of politics and questions of morality.
Other News:
From Newsweek: “City Council in Arizona Town Unanimously Agree to Have Razor Wire Removed From Border Wall, Will Request Federal Government Take It Down”
From The Texas Tribune: “Trump falsely said El Paso was a hub of violent crime before the border fence. Now he’s holding a rally there.”