Monthly Archives: July 2022

Today's episodemy absolute favorite to date, after almost six years!is a marathon session with Penn Jillette, the larger, louder half of the fantastical and magical duo Penn & Teller.

Since the 1980s, Penn & Teller have been part of a broad movement to freakify and weirdo-ize American culture in a way that is profoundly individualistic and idealistic. They have helped to create a world where conformity has increasingly given way to self-expression. Before them, to me at least, magic was something dull, something mostly old men did, with boring card tricks, hokey gimmicks, capes, and magic wands. It was Doug Henning on Broadway with feather bangs and Harry Blackstone Jr. making Jiffy Pop on the stove.

Penn & Teller were so different, so alive and fresh, deconstructing magic at the very time they were blowing your mind. They were the reincarnation of Harry Houdini, with a punk attitude, and to me as a kid growing up in suburban New Jersey, they helped make me believe all things were possible, that you could create the life you wanted. Their fantastic show Bullshit! ran for eight seasons on Showtime, during which they debunked everything from alien abductions to the drug war to penis pumps to xenophobia (they even had me on that episode, speaking up for loosening the borders).

Penn especially captivated me: For my entire adult life, he's been one of the most vocal and visible self-identified libertarians out there, always insisting that, as a starting point in any discussion of any issue or problem, we should start by asking, "Can this be addressed by giving people more freedom to make their own choices?"

As impressive: In the mid-2010s, he dropped 100 pounds in three months for health reasonspersonifying the personal responsibility and self-improvement near the very center of libertarianism (check out my 2016 interview with him on all that).

But then, in July 2020, he told the excellent website Big Think that the combination of Donald Trump's election four years earlier and the onset of the COVID pandemic was forcing him to rethink his libertarianism. In a video interview titled "The Year That Broke America's Illusions," he went so far as to say that "libertarianism has been so distorted, I don't know if I have to pull my name out of that ring. It's been adopted by people who don't seem to hold the responsibility side of it and don't seem to hold the compassion side of it." He even likened not wearing masks to drunk driving.

As you can imagine, his comments sent shock waves through the libertarian movement. For many of us, trillions in wasted spending, contradictory guidance from public health officials, arbitrary school and business shutdowns, and absurd policies like closing beaches and outdoor dining have made us even more skeptical of government power.

Why did the 2016 election and the pandemic cause one of the best-known libertarians to seemingly go in the other direction?

I recently attended FreedomFest in Las Vegas, where Penn & Teller have a longstanding residency at the Rio Casino, and caught up with Penn on the set of his popular podcast Penn's Sunday School to talk about Donald Trump, COVID restrictions, and whether his view of the world has really changed. Also joining the conversation was Matt Donnelly, a cohost of Penn's Sunday School.

Over nearly two hours, I talked with Penn about Trump, COVID, Bob Dylan, and the $64,000 question: Has libertarianism changedor has he?

Today's sponsors:

View post:
Penn Jillette: Did His Libertarianism Survive Trump and COVID? - Reason

Libertarian and Anti-functionalist: What Is the Memphis Design Movement?

Facebook

Twitter

Mail

Pinterest

Whatsapp

Or

Far from the US state of Tennessee, the Memphis movement emerged in Milan in the 1980s and revolutionized design. Its gaudy colors, exaggerated patterns and conflicting prints were intended to overturn the minimalism status quo of the time, also contradicting the functionalist design postulated by the Bauhaus with its purely aesthetic and ornamental forms.

+ 10

Led by Italian designer Ettore Sottsass, the collective called itself Grupo Memphis in honor of Bob Dylan's song Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again, which was played repeatedly at early meetings. However, it is in the ambiguous meaning of the word that the group's real intention lies: Memphis can mean both the North American city and the capital of Egypt. An ambivalence that is later seen in the group's controversial works of philosophy.

When leaving music for the history of architecture, the semantic chaos that characterizes the works was determined by the profusion of identities and references that its members carried. Influences that came from India, from the colors of Guatemalan cemeteries, from Japanese television, from the plastic laminates in bars on the outskirts of Milan, among many others. Related to the postmodern, the movement, with its bold and screaming compositions, shaped the parody less is a bore, by Robert Venturi.

Under this concept, numerous products such as furniture, objects, fabrics, patterns, ceramics were created in a postmodern style that also mixed traces of Kitsch, Art Deco and Pop Art. One of the most emblematic pieces of the movement is the Carlton, a shelf that raises the question: why do book shelves need to be the same as all the others? As a domestic artifact, the piece's deconstructed shapes and colorful planes mock the aesthetic codes in force at the time, stating that the object didn't have to be just functional, it was the protagonist.

The group's official debut was in 1981 with 55 pieces exhibited at the famous Salone del Mobile in Milan. Within the group's libertarian philosophy, the objects presented mixed different materialities, such as ceramics, metal and cheap plastic laminates, creating shapes that ranged between geometric and organic designs. An exaggerated composition that did not pass unscathed from comments and criticisms that claimed that the works were an affront to what was considered beautiful. Researcher Bertrand Pellegrin joked years later that the move was a forced marriage between Bauhaus and Fischer Price. However, despite the negative reception, the Memphis movement's new approach to design, characterized by creativity and humor, crossed over into the 1980s.

After seven years of existence, in 1988, the group disbanded, and in 1985 its founder Ettore Sottsass had abandoned the movement, disturbed by the media circus that was created around him. Despite its short existence, Memphis left a fundamental legacy for the history of architecture and design and today, more than 30 years later, it is experiencing a curious resurgence.

In 2011, the movement was revived in organza skirts with shiny cubic pieces from a Christian Dior collection, which a few years later returned to influence architectural interior projects around the world. Surrendering to gaudy curves, vibrant colors and exaggerated compositions, Google's Amsterdam Headquarters and Esquire Office in India are examples of projects that show the global trend of Memphis' resurgence.

By prioritizing art, the Memphis movement attributed aesthetic and emotional value to design with references that border on the fantastic. In its fearless mixture of styles, it created its own approach,attractive and controversial at the same time, that broke the rules in force at the time and that even today brings boldness to everyday life. In this sense, serving as a reference for contemporary projects, Memphis assumes its original intention to provoke an emotional response in people, whether touching the creative chaos of a company or the hustle of a morning in the kitchen at home. Ambiguous and striking sensations as the movement's name itself.

Follow this link:
Libertarian and Anti-functionalist: What Is the Memphis Design Movement? - ArchDaily

Even the staunchest libertarians deserve love. So throw away the pot you only smoke out of principle and take a shower, you son of liberty! You're going to need to put a little effort into a girl if you ever find one.

Here are some pickup lines to add to your repertoire:

"I don't believe in big government, but it should be illegal to look that good." Classic.

"Are you made of gold? Cause you're the standard by which women should be measured." Awwwww yeah!

"Hello, I am wearing deodorant." This will set you apart from the rest of the Libertarian herd.

"When I saw you my heart experienced runaway inflation." Romantic!

"Are you the federal reserve? 'Cause I'd like to audit you." Groan.

"Girl, you almost make me want to sign a government document confirming my eternal love for you. Almost." The government doesn't have the right to define or license your love!

"I don't need a reckless monetary policy to increase my interest rate in you!" Get it? No? Ok...

"How about you and I go somewhere quieter and listen to my podcast?" It's getting serious.

"I must be an artificially inflated dollar, cause I'm falling for you." You can never compare your feelings to irresponsible economic policies enough.

"Taxation is theft. Wanna make out?" Works every single time.

"Please hang out with me. I'm extremely lonely." Maybe you should just be honest.

In a collaboration with The Babylon Bee, Professor Gorb McStevens lists all the countries where communism hasn't turned into a totalitarian hellscape where you have to eat your dog.

See the original post here:
11 Pick Up Lines For Libertarians To Use If They Ever Meet A Girl - The Babylon Bee

Behavioral economists Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein are known for advocating a sort of paternalistic libertarianism. The basic idea is to nudge people toward more rational behavior through non-coercive means. Indeed, their book on the subject is entitled Nudge.

While there is much to be said in favor of this idea, especially when compared with more coercive governmental alternatives, this approach is not without risks. Joshua Madsen and Jonathan Hall studied the effect of electronic highway signs designed to frighten motorists into driving more carefully. The Economist reports that their study found some unintended consequences:

The study focused on Texas, where the years cumulative death toll from road accidents was displayed on highway signs one week in four. The authors found that, between 2010 and 2017, there were more accidents in the weeks when death counts were shown. Most excess crashes happened in the kilometre after a sign, but for several kilometres there was still an elevated risk (see top chart). . . .

The authors think that the sombre messages may be distracting drivers.

Luckily, the story has a happy ending:

The study highlights how seemingly innocuous nudges, used by governments to try to change behaviour, can backfire.

Luckily Americas government has given a nudge of its own. Last year the Federal Highway Administration released a memo clarifying that it was inappropriate to use electronic highway signs to display death tolls.

See original here:
Nudged into the oncoming lane - Econlib

When ric Duhaime took over as leader of the Quebec Conservatives last year, the party had never held a seat in the legislature, never been invited to a major debate and never raised more than $60,000 in donations in any given year.

It was, basically, a fringe party,unaffiliated with the federal Conservatives and considered too libertarian for most Quebec voters since it was formed in 2009.

In the last 15 months, though, Duhaime's party has wrangled a seat in the legislatureand started polling near 20 per cent. It has racked up nearly $500,000 in donations this year alone.

Duhaime, a former shock-jock radio host, was an early critic of Quebec'spublic health restrictions. As leader, he has continued to downplay the severity of the pandemic and the need for safety measures.

Now, as a fall election nears, he is welcoming into the party a slew of candidates who appear to be even more radical in their opposition to medical expertise and reigning democratic norms.

Of the first 54 candidates the party has announced, nearly 30 per cent have used their social media accounts during the pandemic to amplify medical misinformation, conspiracy theorists or to engage with far-right extremists, a CBC News investigation has found.

The surge in popularity for Duhaime's party comes as conservative libertarians across the country, at both the provincial and federal levels, are feeling emboldened by frustrations at pandemic restrictions.

Recent polling suggestsanti-mandate libertarians, at both the federal and provincial levels, are attracting support of Canadians who are distrustful not just of government regulations,but of scientific authorities, mainstream media outlets and democratic institutions in general.

James Johnson, a former advisor to Alberta's best-known libertarian politicians, calls it the "freedom backlash."

On a recent Friday afternoon, Jean and Paula Ppin lingered at a restaurant in Joliette, Que., about 90 kilometres northeast of Montreal, for the chance to speak with Duhaime.

They had driven an hour to attend a rally where the party leader introduced six new Conservative candidates for the October election.

"We weren't interested in politics before, but with everything that's happened we wanted to get involved with the Conservatives," said Paula Ppin, 61.

"I call it the plandemic. It's not a pandemic. It was prepared beforehand," she added, referring to a conspiracy theory that maintains a shadowy circle of elites deliberately arranged the pandemic in order to grab more power.

Conspiracy theorists form a significant part of the Quebec Conservative's support.

A recent study, based on polling data, found that 50 per cent of the party's supporters were either "convinced" or "moderate" adherents of conspiracy theories.

Among Quebec Liberal supporters, 31 per cent were classified as conspiracy theorists and so were 29 per cent of Parti Qubcois supporters.

The study was conducted by researchersaffiliated with the UNESCO chair in the prevention of radicalization, housed at the University of Sherbrooke, and examined how the pandemic has influenced conspiracy theory movements in Quebec.

Duhaime denies deliberately trying to attract conspiracy theorists to his party.

"In my speeches I never go there. I never talk about those things," he said in an interview with CBC News.

Duhaime's speeches usually involve promises not to re-implement pandemicrestrictions and accusations that public health officials are fear-mongering.

On social media, he defends discredited doctors in the name of free speech and occasionally circulates articles from websites known for spreading disinformation, such as National File and Becker News.

"My responsibility is to make sure that I tell the people what I believe in and to make sure that the party is not proposing any crazy things," Duhaime said.

The event in Joliette, as are most party events, was emceed by Anne Casabonne, a former television actress who has become knownfor pushing misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.

Before deleting her original Twitter account last year, Casabonne posted dozens of tweets that expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the vaccines and exaggerated the risks of side effects.

She also pushed for the use of ivermectin, an antiparasitic agent used primarily to deworm livestock, even though health authorities warn against its use to treat COVID-19.

Several links remain on her Facebook page to a group, Reinfo Covid, a group that experts in immunology and public health say has made several misleading claimsabout the safety of vaccines in children and adults.

Casabonne will be the Conservative candidate in Iberville, a riding south of Montreal, currently held by the party's lone MNA, who is not running for re-election.

More than a dozen other candidates the party has put forward for the coming election have used their social media accounts to circulate different types of misinformation and disinformation.

Robert Daigle, running in Rouyn-Noranda-Tmiscamingue, shared links on his personal Facebook page to content by Tho Vox, Amlie Pauland Steeve L'ArtissCharland.

These Quebec-based outlets and individuals are listed as conspiracy theorists in the study published by the UNESCO chair in the prevention of radicalization.

Chantal Dauphinais, the candidate in Beauharnois, took part in an event organized by another conspiracy theorist identified in the Sherbrookestudy, Samuel Grenier.

In a video shared on her Facebook page, Dauphinais is seen helping him print, fold and distribute copies of an op-ed riddled with inaccuracies about COVID-19 that had been withdrawn from the Journal de Montral's website.

Less than a week after the event, the Conservatives announced her candidacy.

Along with sharing misinformation about vaccines on her own Facebook page, Marie-Rene Raymond, the party's candidate in Ren-Lvesque, has contributed regularly for the past year to a Facebook group called Matane, tous contre le passeport vaccinal et la fausse pandemie (Matane, everyone against the vaccine passport and the fake pandemic).

Here she has shared content from Tho Vox, Reinfo Covid and Qactus, a website inspired by QAnon, the conspiracy theory that maintains the world is run by a secret network of child-sex traffickers.

Other candidates have used their social media accounts to engage with figures on the far-right of the political spectrum.

Myriam Cournoyer, the Drummond-Bois-Francs candidate, has repeatedly retweeted a contributor to Le Harfang, a white nationalist publication in Quebec.

One of the party's star candidates, Dr. Karim Elayoubi, lauded a program hosted by Gilbert Thibodeauand broadcast by Andre Pitre,a conspiracy theoristlisted in the Sherbrooke study who isassociated with Quebec's far-right.

In the March 2021 program, the host made racist comments about Chinese people and suggested the pandemic was planned by a cabal of elites.

"Excellent show," Elayoubi said in a tweet he later deleted. It was retrieved by CBC News using the Internet's Wayback Machine.

In other since-deleted tweets, Elayoubi compliments and interacts with Alexandre Cormier-Denis, a white nationalist who advocates racist theories and disinformation about the pandemic.

Of the candidates the party had announced by July 18, CBC News tallied 16 who used their social media accounts more than once to amplify or circulate problematic informationabout COVID-19, the U.S. election and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Last week, the Quebec Conservatives ejected a candidate, Jessica Victoria-Dubuc, after local media reported she had claimed in a Facebook post that Bill Gates was organizing a pandemic of the Marburg virus and saying that she was "at war" with elites.

But even before that post, Victoria-Dubuc had repeatedly shared incorrect information about COVID-19, indicated her support for Grenier and Charland and pointed followers to a QAnon-affiliated website.

CBC News shared its research with the Conservative party, and asked what policies guide how their candidates should use social media.

The party replied that its candidates cannot use their accounts to promote hate or violence.

"We are happy to see that none of these 16 candidates crossed that line," a spokesperson said in an email.

For the majority of the Conservative party's candidates, the opposition to public health measures is based on libertarian principles rather than conspiracy theories.

"Personally, I'm triple vaxxed. I believe it's protecting me," said Louis-Charles Fortier, the Conservative candidate in the Montreal riding of Jacques-Cartier.

"But from a policy perspective, why do we need these hindrances if the vaccines are working?"

Outside of Quebec, other libertarian-minded politicians are also trying to capitalize on pandemic fatigue by holding out the promise of no more vaccine mandates and ending other health restrictions.

In Ontario, two anti-mandate parties the New Blue Party and the Ontario Party competed for votes in the last election. Keystone, anew party with a similar platform, was officially registered in Manitoba earlier this month.

In Alberta, anti-mandate libertarians Danielle Smith and Brian Jean have emerged among the early front-runners in the race to replace Jason Kenney as leader of the United Conservative Party.

But in appealing to anti-mandate sentiment, these political figures have also attracted supporters who are stridently anti-vaccine for reasons that involve conspiratorial thinking rather than political principles.

A poll by Abacus Data, released last month, found that belief in conspiracy theories was higher among Canadians who identify with the right, among supporters of the People's Party of Canada and among Pierre Poilievre supporters in the federal Conservative leadership.

Poilievre, the front-runner in the federal Conservative leadership race, drew criticism last month when he briefly marched alongside James Topp, a former soldier who has refused to be vaccinated because he doesn't believe the vaccines are safe and effective, despite scientific evidence suggesting otherwise.

Smith turned heads when she recently appeared alongside former NHLerTheo Fleury at a campaign event in Calgary. Last year, Fleury posted on Twitter that linked vaccine passports to pedophilia.

"There's some alignment with libertarians and I'll call them [vaccine] skeptics, though they do veer into conspiracy theories," said James Johnson, a former adviser to the Wildrose and the United Conservative parties.

Back in Quebec, Conservatives are sending a message that is less ambiguous.

They are asking voters, in a general election, to endorse a slew of candidates who have contributed to the conspiracy culture that has flourished during the pandemic.

"Our candidates come from different professional backgrounds and have a diversity of opinions, which reflects Quebec society," the party said in its statement to CBC News.

Original post:
Quebec's Conservative party surges in the polls as some of its candidates spread conspiracy theories - CBC News

Happy Thursday, Illinois. Sometimes the days just run together.

Gov. JB Pritzker is pulling out all the stops to get state Rep. Lisa Hernandez elected chair of the Illinois Democratic Party, but some Democrats say hes crossed the line by enlisting an abortion-rights advocacy organization to endorse her over the current chair, Congresswoman Robin Kelly.

Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller issued a statement Wednesday rejecting Personal PACs implication that [Kellys] leadership jeopardizes the pro-choice movement here in Illinois.

Racial politics. As a Black woman, I am mindful of the dog whistles used to raise legal questions about the first African American and first woman to lead the Democratic Party of Illinois, Miller said in her statement. The party has flourished under her leadership. Personal PAC did not raise the same questions about the previous chair when he was under federal investigation and ultimately indicted, she said, referring to former House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Miller also withdrew from co-hosting a fundraiser tonight for Personal PAC. A few hours later, the event was canceled outright with no plans to be rescheduled.

Terry Cosgrove, the head of Personal PAC, said the organization has been proud since Day One to support and stand with the first African-American speaker of the Illinois House, and we are continuing to do that now. He was referring to House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch, whos also endorsing Hernandez.

Whos behind who: The drama comes after Congressman Bobby Rush and the Illinois AFL-CIO threw their support to Hernandez, and Congressman Danny Davis and the Congressional Black Caucus PAC endorsed Kelly.

Hernandez sits on Welchs House leadership team. She most recently carried the House and congressional redistricting bills. And for years she was a top ally of Madigan, who used to run the Democratic Party with an iron first.

Times have changed: Welchs caucus lost some incumbents in the primary, and he wants assurances that party fundraising and outreach are strong enough to keep Democrats supermajority in the House and hold on to two state Supreme Court seats that are up for grabs.

The party has raised more than $2 million since Kelly was elected chair last year and has $4.2 million in the bank. Because Kellys a federal office holder, her hands are tied from being involved in state fundraising. So a separate committee oversees those funds.

Its a complication that Pritzker and Welch see as a hindrance. But Kelly and her allies say the reorganization allows for transparency that was lacking under Madigan.

Theres another tension point. Some Democrats say Pritzker is using his wealth to dictate politics. You feel youll be in a bad spot if you say 'no' to the governor, a political adviser told Playbook on condition we not use their name for fear of being alienated by Pritzker. A lot of people feel they dont have an option.

AND, HES OUT: Libertarian Jesse White, who was hoping to upend the secretary of state race, withdrew his candidacy Wednesday just as his petition signatures were about to face scrutiny.

White shares the same name as long-serving Democratic Secretary of State Jesse White, whos not seeking re-election. There was concern among Democrats that voters (the ones who dont read Playbook) might vote for Libertarian White thinking they were voting for Democrat White.

That wont happen now with Libertarian Whites exit.

Were disappointed that Jesse is no longer going to be on the ballot, outgoing Libertarian State Chair Steve Suess told Playbook. Thats all I can say right now.

Democrat Alexi Giannoulias campaign had already filed challenges to Whites petition signatures, and the next step in the process, the records examination, was to have started Wednesday.

Have a news tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Id like to hear from you: [emailprotected]

No official public events.

At City Hall at 9:30 a.m. for an update on reproductive rights.

At the Cook County Building at 10 a.m. to preside over the Cook County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Google taking over Thompson Center from the state: The search engine giant, with 2,000 employees in Chicago, will occupy the entire building. The state, working out terms with developer Michael Reschke, will sell it to Google for $105 million. In turn, the state will pay $75 million for the 115 S. LaSalle St. building, formerly the BMO Harris Bank building, by Sun-Times David Roeder.

Google expansion will enhance Chicago's tech cred, by Crains John Pletz

More sheriffs join DHS lawsuit: The lawsuit seeks to clear a chronic logjam of mentally ill inmates sitting in county jails for months while awaiting psychiatric treatment from the state, by Illinois Times Dean Olsen.

Sangamon County health officials look into first reported monkeypox case in adult male, by State Journal Registers Steven Spearie

Construction of the Interstate 74 bridge over the Mississippi River in the Quad Cities won top honors Wednesday among Midwest states in the Americas Transportation Awards.

Lollapalooza 2022 kicks off today with emphasis on security, via ABC 7 ...

Its the best weekend of the year for downtown hotels, but business travel remains sidelined, reports Tribunes Brian J. Rogal

School board approves $10.2M contract for police officers for upcoming school year, by Chalkbeats Mauricio Pena and Eileen Pomeroy

Magnet school students cant count on a bus ride to class as driver shortage continues, by WBEZs Sarah Karp

2 CPS teachers jobs are spared after theyd been recommended for firing over protests, by Tribunes Tracy Swartz

Details on proposed ordinance to make Chicago a sanctuary for abortion and gender-affirming care, by Tribunes Alice Yin

MCAs inaugural 'Chicago Performs' debuts local performance art on Sept. 15, 16, via Cultured mag

Authorities say Pheasant Run fire was caused by teens who broke into the shuttered resort: Prosecutors said all four defendants had repeatedly gone to the property and broke into rooms. 'The most culpable' of the teens threw a bed and other items out an upper window of the tower. He also made videos that would be posted on TikTok and Snapchat, by Daily Heralds Susan Sarkauskas.

Smashing Pumpkins Billy Corgan hosts benefit concert for Highland Park. We will always come together, by Tribunes Stephanie Casanova and Gavin Good

117 felony charges for alleged Highland Park July 4 parade shooter, by Lake County News Suns By Clifford Ward and Robert McCoppin

Bears host Highland Park HS football team at training camp, via NFL.com

Bailey attacks Pritzker and Lightfoot over crime; refuses to discuss Trump: Republican governor candidate Darren Bailey "wants to reinstate the death penalty for cop killers and repeal of the SAFE-T Act, which includes an end to cash bail beginning in January, reports WGN 9s Tahman Bradley.

Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison was re-elected chair of the Cook County GOP last night by enthusiastic acclamation, according to a source in the room at Moretti's in Chicagos Edison Park neighborhood. Republican State Central Committeepersons also were elected. Heres a list of Cook County GOP candidates slated and on the ballot. And heres a list of GOP state legislative candidates also slated and on the ballot.

The Democrats rural problem: The big story of Democrats country collapse is that its self-inflicted. There has been no infusion of cash, no new commitment from the DNC or the state parties to mobilize and organize in rural areas, and no sense of urgency, via Washington Monthly.

Amazon workers file complaint alleging racial discrimination at Joliet warehouse: Black employees say colleagues wore Confederate flag clothing and wrote racist and threatening messages, but Amazon took little action, by WBEZs Esther Yoon-Ji Kang.

We asked for your best story about rats:

Larry Bury, of the Northwest Municipal Conference: We were visiting my oldest daughter and walking back from dinner when my youngest daughter, who was maybe 6 at the time, sees a rat scurrying along the curb. She points and says Look at that poor squirrel. He must be sick since he has no hair on his tail. We laughed before we explained that's no squirrel.

Taryn Williams, of Advance Illinois: The feral cats in my neighborhood (Hermosa) frequently like to bring half-eaten rats to my doorstep as gifts of gratitude for me not chasing them out of the yard.

Ed Mazur, of the City Club: Years ago when I was an urban studies professor and doing a ride-along with the Chicago Police Department on the midnight shift in a West Side district we entered an alley and the officers turned to me and said "Dr., be on the lookout for the Willards". Within a few seconds our squad car lights watched as several groups of 4 legged rats crossed in front of our car. Willards was a movie film that featured Rats.

Thumbs up or down on a third national political party? Email [emailprotected]

SHOCKER: Manchin and Schumer strike agreement on a party-line bill, by POLITICOs Burgess Everett and Marianne LeVine

Former Republicans and Democrats form new third U.S. political party, via Reuters

Gas prices are falling. Is it too late to save the Dems? POLITICOs Ben Lefebvre

Biden launches plan to bring solar to low-income homes, and Illinois is helping shape the program, by POLITICOs Zack Colman

Barack Obama's annual summer reading list is here, via Town & Country ...

On Obamas playlist: Kendrick Lamar, Beyonc, Harry Styles, Rosala, and more, via Pitchfork

Luis Gutirrez, the former Illinois congressman, has been named a fall fellow with the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, which was founded by former political consultant David Axelrod. Also among the latest fellows are former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.), former U.S. Senate Secretary of the Majority Laura Dove, NBC News political analyst and CEO and editor of The Dispatch Steve Hayes, Indian journalist Rana Ayyub and author and leading voice on criminal justice reform Shaka Senghor.

Ken Griffin, recently decamped for Miami, puts four Chicago condos on the market: Total asking price is $54.5 million, by Crains Dennis Rodkin

Amy Littleton has been named president of Reputation Partners. She starts Aug. 15. Concurrent with her appointment, Nick Kalm, the firms founder and president, will become CEO. Reputation Partners EVP and general manager Andrew Moyer will continue in his current role.

Today at 10 a.m.: The bipartisan Illinois House Public Safety and Violence Prevention Task Force, chaired by state Reps. La Shawn Ford and Fran Hurley, both D-Chicago, holds a virtual hearing on gun crimes, current efforts to curb violence and how the state can take action to help save lives. View the livestream here

Saturday at 1 p.m.: Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) will join Fred Guttenberg, father of Parkland shooting victim Jamie, for a town hall focusing on gun violence prevention. Sign up to watch

WEDNESDAYs ANSWER: Congrats to Jeff Lande for correctly answering that Claes Oldenburg created the Batcolum, a 100 foot tall lattice steel baseball bat installed in 1977 in front of a federal office building on West Madison Street that is the midwest U.S. Social Security Regional Office.

TODAYs QUESTION: Which former Illinois member of Congress tried out for the As back when the team was the Philadelphia Athletics? Email [emailprotected]

State Treasurer Mike Frerichs, Urbana Mayor Diane Marlin, governors chief of staff Anne Caprara, former state Sen. Jeff Schoenberg, former state Rep. Darlene Senger, political and media consultant Delmarie Cobb, tech entrepreneur and former mayoral candidate Neal Sales-Griffin, education advocate and comms expert Peter Cunningham, and TV personality Walter Jacobson.

-30-

Read more:
Accusations of racism and abortion politics- POLITICO - POLITICO

the Zeldin campaign attempted to fly under the radar and submit over 11,000 fraudulent signatures in an attempt to get a third line on the ballot, while New Yorks oppressive ballot access laws, which were changed in 2020 to prevent third parties from getting on the ballot, prevent voter choice,

The headline of the NY Times on July 28 said it best; For the First Time Since 1946, New Yorkers have just two choices for Governor. Governor Kathy Hochul, will be on the Democratic Party and Working Families Party lines, and Lee Zedlin will be on the Republican Party and Conservative Party lines.

That s it folks. These four parties are the only ones left in New York, thanks to former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and his feud with the Working Families Party and their candidate for Governor in 2018, Cynthia Nixon.

A. Cuomo was so upset with the WFP and their slight to him by endorsing Nixon, that he decided to try and kill all of the minor political parties in New York State and their ballot access. What is sadly ironic is that the WFP, the target of Cuomos anger, survived his minor party attacks.

But the Libertarian Party, Green Party, SAM Party, and Independence Party were choked off the ballot by Cuomo, and the new untenable rules that he forced on the State Legislature to remove these minor parties from the ballot. And lets not forget the 400,000+ registered voters of these four parties, they got dumped also, and are now not registered to any party.

The real and final effects of Cuomos disgraceful behavior became apparent in the NY Elections of 2022. Several minor parties tried to get on the ballot statewide and run candidates for Governor.

But now these minor parties must collect 45,000 signatures across the state to get on the ballot. And the outcome was what was expected and what Andrew Cuomo wanted. The death of the minor political party in New York State.

The UniteNY Party, Libertairan Party and Independence Party all fell short in their efforts in 2022. UniteNY wanted to put Harry Wilson on their ballot for Governor. The Libertarian Party petitioned for Larry Sharpe as their Gubernatorial candidate. And the Independence Party wanted Zeldin on their line.

The Independence Party submitted 52,000 signatures for Zeldin, but after a review, 13,000 of those signatures were copies of other petitions, and for anyone who has collected election petitions in New York, you cannot submit copies of petitions. Only the originals can be submitted, and all it takes is one New York voter to challenge those petitions.

And that is what Andrew Kolstee of the Libertarian Party of NY did, and we are glad that he did it. Kolstee wrote, In their meeting on Monday, July 11, 2022, the Commissioners at the New York State Board of Elections declared the Independence Party petition invalid due to an insufficient number of signatures. The Independence Party statewide slate consisted entirely of the Republican Partys slate led by Congressman Lee Zeldin for Governor. In addition to the Independence Party line, the Republican Party slate also filed petitions for the Parent Party, but it was ruled insufficient and invalid after a prima facie review by the New York State Board of Elections. (Note: since this was a Board of Elections hearing, there is no court case number. The hearing notice can be foundhere, and the official summary of the findings invalidating the Zeldin petition can be foundhere).

Lee Zeldins attempt to secure the 45,000+ signatures by submitting over 52,000 raw signatures passed the prima facie review. However, a challenge mounted by a team of Libertarian Party officials and volunteers associated with the Diane Sare for Senate campaign discovered that over 900 sheets, containing over 11,000 signatures were merely photocopies of original sheets also submitted by the Zeldin campaign, in an alleged attempt to fraudulently represent that the petition contained the requisite number of signatures.

This was the Republican Partys attempt to reestablish the Independence Party of New York, which lost ballot access in 2020. The so-called Independence Party has drifted from its original meaning in order to take advantage of New Yorks fusion voting and misleadingly garner support from unwitting independent voters, said Andrew Kolstee, Secretary of the Libertarian Party, and objector to the Independence Party petitions. In this case, the Republican Party attempted to use this tactic all the while continuing to pander to their Republican base, which is outnumbered 2:1 by the Democrats, instead of reaching out to voters all across the political spectrum. The Libertarian Party has successfully reached voters all across the political spectrum, something our candidate for Governor, Larry Sharpe, does very well.

Republicans talk a lot about election integrity, said Kolstee, but the Zeldin campaign attempted to fly under the radar and submit over 11,000 fraudulent signatures in an attempt to get a third line on the ballot, while New Yorks oppressive ballot access laws, which were changed in 2020 to prevent third parties from getting on the ballot, prevent voter choice. One can only determine if a petition sheet is a photocopy if the physical petition sheets are examined in person. The Zeldin campaigns attempt to defraud the electorate and pose as an independent campaign by filing thousands of photocopied signatures is a slap in the face to New York State voters and the election process.

The Independence Party petition was passed by officials in the Republican Party, who did not need to pass any petitions to get Zeldin on the line for the Republican Party due to the partys status as a ballot access party, while Zeldins Republican primary opponents required 15,000 signatures for a spot on the primary ballot. Meanwhile, unrecognized political parties such as the established Libertarian and Green Parties required 45,000 signatures to get on the ballot. The fact that candidates such as Lee Zeldin, a sitting Congressman backed by the Republican Party establishment as well as multi-millionaire Harry Wilson, who failed to qualify for a spot on the ballot under the Unite Party, shows that the increase of the signature threshold was meant to prevent any other candidate outside of the Republican and Democrats from qualifying. This is further demonstrated by the retroactive reversal of the ballot access thatLarry Sharpequalified for when he ran for Governor in 2018.

Kolstee showed the hyprocisy of New Yorks current ballot access law by showing how difficult it is to collect 45,000 valid signatures. He also reminds us that in 2018, Larry Sharpe ran for Governor and got the requisite 50,000 votes, which should have entitled the Libertarian Party to automatic ballot access for four years. The SAM Party of NY, and its Gubernatorial candidate Stephanie Miner, also got more than 50,000 votes in 2018.

Thanks Andrew

Original post:
Zeldin's Fraudulent Independence Party Signatures Show How Difficult it is to get on Ballot in NY - Yonkers Times