Offering asides, recommended links, blogworthy quotations, and more, In Brief is the Northwest Progressive Institute's microblog of world, national, and local politics.
Multnomah County Commissioner Lori Stegmann watches a CNN report about her decision to quit the Republican Party, renounce Donald Trump, and join the Democrats #OregonSummit
Watch highlights from the third episode of Saturday Night Live’s forty-fifth season, hosted by David Harbour of Stranger Things fame:
The cold open: At CNN’s Equality Town Hall 2020 candidates Cory Booker (Chris Redd), Pete Buttigieg (Colin Jost), Elizabeth Warren (Kate McKinnon), Julian Castro (Lin-Manuel Miranda), Joe Biden (Woody Harrelson) discuss LGBTQ issues.
The Guardian explains why Governor Gavin Newsom’s approval of AB 857, the Public Banking, is such a big deal. The bill will allow city and county governments to create or sponsor public banks.
Trump’s old techniques are failing — and not just due to the volume of the bad news. What’s unique about this phase of his presidency is that he’s being attacked with so much damning information from so many directions and so many different power centers that he can’t keep up. Not even a street fighter with Bruce Lee’s skills could repulse this sort of pile-on.
Highlights from the second episode of Saturday Night Live’s forty-fifth season, hosted by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, with musical guest Taylor Swift:
The best sketch of the night: Senator Elizabeth Warren (Kate McKinnon) talks to Colin Jost about outfundraising Joe Biden in her 2020 bid for president and addresses a marine affair conspiracy theory.
NPI wishes President Jimmy Carter a happy ninety-fifth birthday
Former United States President Jimmy Carter turns ninety-five today.
Carter has become the longest-lived American president.
In appreciation of President Carter’s service and life of good works, NPI offered the following congratulatory message to the President today.
Mr. President:
A very happy birthday to you! You are a true statesman, patriot, and role model for all Americans. We are so blessed that you served these United States as our President for four years and have been active in retirement with Habitat for Humanity and other worthy causes. Thank you for inspiring others to service and living by the Golden Rule. May your goodness and good example be contagious!
We’ve established a goal to eliminate single-use plastics across the fleet, which is a substantial undertaking… The Just Water container goes as far as technology allows today in eliminating anything not renewable or recyclable in a container that will store water.
While many in the Trump White House are battle-tested from the Mueller investigation, this is starting to feel different, aides and advisers told NBC News.
NBC’s Emmy-award winning comedy magazine Saturday Night Live returned last night for its forty-fifth season premiere, airing live coast to coast.
Here are highlights from that first episode:
The cold open: With the threat of impeachment looming, Donald Trump (Alex Baldwin) calls those closest to him including Rudy Giuliani (Kate McKinnon), Kanye West (Chris Redd), William Barr (Aidy Bryant), Mike Pence (Beck Bennett), Kim Jong-un (Bowen Yang), Jeanine Pirro (Cecily Strong) Eric and Don Jr. (Alex Moffat, Mikey Day), and actor Liev Schreiber.
WATCH: Georgia Democratic Representative John Lewis takes to the House floor to call for the beginning of impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump in the wake of a whistleblower complaint about the president’s July 25th phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart, in which he reportedly pressured him to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
Former Interior Secretary Sally Jewell accepts the Joan Thomas Award from the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition after being honored by Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Chair Brian Cladoosby (Spee pots)
In Brief is authored by the staff, board, and contributors of the Northwest Progressive Institute, a netroots powered strategy center working to raise America's quality of life through innovative research and imaginative advocacy.
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