Independent Political Report refocuses

George Phillies talks about change of ownership, but that's more for Third Party Watch, which will be going more explicitly Libertarian Party and under Libertarian-based (as in capital-L interests) ownership, and he's going to move IPR more to general political reporting on third parties.

As for Third Party Watch? Libertarian Policy Institute is the home for non-Mises Libertarians, on the nickel version.

I'll probably have less interest in going there than before, and the big stuff will spill over to IPR anyway.

Colorado climate crisis hypocrisy

Three C's instead of three K's, as in Kolorado Klimate Krisis hypocrisy, but we're firing away.

Couldn't help but notice the license plate below on my last full day of vacation. Before I get into the "why," let me say that it was on a public site, in fact, in the parking lot for National Forest land that serves as de facto city parkland on the south side of the lake, Dillon Reservoir, that abuts Frisco. Because of that and the seeming hypocrisy on a personalized plate, I chose not to blur it out.

The hypocrisy? That's on a Dodge Charger. A sports car. AND, not just ANY Dodge Charger, but per the branding fine print? 

A police interceptor Dodge Charger.

"Go Carbon Neutral" for thee but not me, eh, Charger guy?

Teh Google indicates the vanity plates (and it IS vanity in this case) go to help fund an organization called the Colorado Carbon Fund.

The license plate part? You order them via donation and certificate to these folks, not directly from the state. (You still pay the state vanity plate fee.) Per the webpage for that, you pledge a "carbon offset donation." But of course! Neoliberal climate change bullshit.

This is going to get better, because the contact email is not with them, but with an org that is, I was first guessing, was National Capture Solutions. But, it's better yet! The "natcap" in the URL, as it loads. says "National CAPITALISM Solutions." Oh, fuck, we're REALLY in the world of Gang Green.

IT was founded by Hunter Lovins, ex-wife of Amory and co-founder with him of the Rocky Mountain Institute. RMI? Full of salvific technologism bullshit for 20 years or more. That includes, per this post, peddling the hydrogen economy. Joe Romm, per my review of his book, called out that bullshit 15 years ago.

Colorado Carbon Fund? Includes the oil-drilling Southern Utes (who belie the "noble savage, environmentally attuned" legend) among its clients.

Folks, this is a greenwashing outfit, with the license plates, like tree planting and other "offsets," being another form of neoliberal carbon indulgences without actual penitence.

Texas Progressives talk Paxton, school safety, more

Off the Kuff has more Paxton impeachment news for you, as well as the news of his first day in court on those securities fraud charges from 2015. 

SocraticGadfly wonders how, if god can't stop school shootings, how will these guys (aka school campus religious counselors, going beyond "resource" officers and "guardians.")?

Dos Centavos reminds us that while COVID-19 is still here, so is long COVID, as the Biden administration opens up a research office to combat symptoms.

Neil at the Houston Democracy Project posted that Houston City Council At-Large 2 candidate Obes Nwabara has made protection of democracy a leading focus of his campaign. This is just what the Houston Democracy Project is asking candidates to do. 

Reform Austin looks at the next chapter for Mothers Against Greg Abbott. 

 The Current reads the latest report on "maternity deserts" in Texas. 

 Medha Palnati says that America's God complex is killing God's children at the border.

The Texas Signal gets into the conservative support for Democratic State Rep. Shawn Thierry.

In The Pink Texas talks about speaking softly.

 

What's missing from "Oppenheimer"? Actual New Mexicans of the time, and their stories, including the effects of bomb tests in-state (besides Trinity), the radiation and more.

Top blogging in July

As normal, the top 10 for last month may not all be IN last month (but in this case they were), so here goes.

No. 1 was from July, about how I think Adam Silver's midseason tourney will suck.

No. 2 was also from last month, and others will be unless otherwise noted. It's about Cornel West battling the duopoly media, right through the duopoly The Nation, as he seeks the Green Party presidential nod.

No. 3? Various recent stupidities at Counterpunch, and I'm sure they won't be the last.

No. 4? A brief profile on Thierry Tchenko, the latest Dem entry in the battle to unseat Havana Ted.

Fith was more on Yevgeny Prigozhin vs the US Nat-sec Nutsacks and MSM.

Sixth was my look at the Reddit strike after one month. 

Seventh? My non-twosider issue of US Judge Terry Doughy telling President Joe Biden, staff, et al, to not talk to social media.

Eighth? "Wagner and wheat" looked at Russia closing the Ukrainian grain export deal and related.

Ninth? I called David Rieff's bluff (and pegged him politically) with a real (outside of Nat-Sec Nutsack world) peace proposal for Russia-Ukraine.

Tenth? If god can't stop Tex-ass school shootings, how can (unconstitutional IMO) school chaplains?

Russia-Ukraine update notes, as Russia's economy surges

Volodymyr Ishchenko, indirectly if not directly contradicting James K. Galbraith, discussed here this spring, says that much of Russia's economic growth is military Keynesianism and warns of the consequences. That's always a problem, both military Keynesianism and its consequences, but, I think he overstates the case. (And, reconstruction of damaged occupied Ukraine is not military Keynesianism anyway, not in a narrow sense at least.) He partially redeems himself by then tweeting a Carnegie Endowment piece which more tracks with some of what Galbraith says, but even it skims the surface of the structural changes Galbraith discussed.

Oh, that growth didn't just happen last year. Via Mark Ames, as was the above, at the Wall Street Journal, the IMF says Russia's economy will grow 1.5 percent this calendar year.

The Forward is the latest to write about Ukraine's neo-Nazi problem, with its perspective being US Jewish orgs pulling their punches since the start of the war. Shock me. It's because they're Blue MAGA following and falling in line with Warmonger Joe.

None of these groups will listen to a majority of the American public, though, which wants to cut off Ukraine support. And, no, not the likes of Quincy Institute saying this; it's CNN.

Texas Progressives delayed Roundup from last week

On vacation, now back in the heat, after the relative cool of Colorado:

The Texas Progressive Alliance stands with Professor Joy Alonzo as it brings you this week's roundup. 

Off the Kuff talks Mayor's race polling in Houston.

SocraticGadfly said "humaste" for those in the North Texas heat.

Dos Centavos takes a look at city races after looking at fundraising totals.

Neil at the Houston Democracy Project said it is the Republican Party rather than Food Not Bombs that is the public safety threat to Houston. 

 And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.

The Fort Worth Report discusses the local angle on the forthcoming SCOTUS case on domestic violence and gun control.

The Observer examines Greg Abbott's long losing record on school vouchers.

Reform Austin connects the dots between construction worker deaths and the "Death Star" law.

The San Antonio Report notes that climate change is going to mean more mosquitoes.

The Dallas Observer wades into the Texas A&M/Dan Patrick free speech mess.