Midday open thread: Paris climate pact signers now at 60; Steyer donates $15 million for GOTV
Today’s comic by Matt Bors is Lord, save us from the pundits:
• Billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer announces additional $15 million donation for Get Out the Vote operations: For Our Future PAC—an umbrella 501c4 and super PAC organization of labor and progressive groups—plans to knock on 5.3 million doors over the next 48 days in several battleground states. Steyer’s NextGen organization had earlier donated $5 million to FOF-PAC, which has already reached 2 million households. The group had been planning on raising $50 million for the campaign, but Steyer’s contribution puts it at $55 million. Sam Stein at the Huffington Post notes the investment “represents a huge bet that a conventional campaign playbook still matters in this highly unconventional election.”
• Semi-truck full of firewood delivered to North Dakota Water Protectors trying to block pipeline: When the Menominee and Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican learned that the activist campers who plan to be at their campsite as long as it takes—with the harsh winter not far away—they commissioned a semi-truck full of firewood to be delivered. The pan-Indian nature of the activism over the pipeline is a marvel to behold.
“We sent the wood because we heard there was a need for firewood,” commented Pershing Frechette, manager of the Menominee Tribal Business Enterprise’s sawmill. “We had a good supply of wood this year. We have over 230,000 acres of forest land on our reservation and we only cut what we need.”
“The Menominee are the ‘keepers of the forest.’ We were taught by the teachings of Chief Oshkosh. We only take what the forest gives us. We have been taught to help where there is a need,” Frechette told Native News Online on Monday evening.
• Sean Hannity won’t appear in any more Trump ads: If a journalist at any of the newspapers with strong guidelines barring partisan activity—like the Los Angeles Times—had done what Hannity did, they wouldn’t have been told to stop doing it, they would have been shown the door. But then Hannity isn’t even a pretend journalist. And his entire show has been a Trump ad for months. Back in the olden days, when George Will coached Ronald Reagan for a presidential debate and then reported on Reagan’s performance favorably, he lost part of his audience when numerous offended newspaper editors unsubscribed from his syndicated column—temporarily at least. Hannity doesn’t even rate a wrist slap.
• 60 nations have now signed onto Paris Agreement: The pact comes into force 30 days after 55 nations representing at least 55 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions sign it. Those 60 nations that have already signed represent 47.62 percent of emissions.
• U.S., China report billions in inefficient fossil fuel subsidies:
Fossil fuel subsidy peer reviews from the United States and China released Monday by China’s Group of 20 presidency reveal billions of dollars in inefficient subsidies. According to the reports, 16 inefficient fossil fuel subsidies in the U.S. total more than $8 billion, while China’s nine inefficient fossil fuel subsidies are valued at $14.5 billion annually. China’s review includes timelines to phase out or reform some of the subsidies. The U.S. on the other hand, could offer little in terms of a plan. “U.S. officials have indicated their intention to reform all 16 measures, though in most cases reform can only take place with action by the U.S. Congress,” the U.S. report explains.
• On today’s Kagro in the Morning show, Greg Dworkin highlights a great explainer on polling’s “special sauce.” More Trump Tower frat-house links, hijinks & cheesiness. Joan McCarter notes Mark Kirk’s new Lie of the Year, and exposes the Gop’s we’re-for-helping-Flint-but-really-against-it scam.
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