WELCOME
TO THE EVENING SHADE
A SANCTUARY OF SANITY AFTER A LONG HARD DAY OF FIGHTING FASCISM
YOU WILL FIND in the DIARIES a LOT of POLITICS
(Or NOT As the CASE MAY BE)
AND EVEN MORE CRITTERS
THE PERSON who MAKES the FIRST COMMENT WILL GET TWO CRITTERS
EVERY PERSON WHO COMMENTS WILL GET A CRITTER
RULES IN THE DIARY
WHEN YOU FIND SOMETHING in the DIARY that you LIKE
YOU CAN REPOST IT AS COMMENT in the DIARY
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PostingADiary
CritterHerding
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Good afternoon/evening, Shadesters! As is typical, most of the comics come via Denise Oliver Velez in her early comments in the APR and I have to thank Wine Rev in his Good and Goofy comment in the morning GNR that I regularly mine to flesh out the Today Is… section.
On with the show!
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This came from The Gems of BlueSky this morning. It’s never a chore to watch Robin Williams.
x
During the height of America's homelessness crisis in the 90's, Robin Williams asked if he could testify before the Senate.
Whoopi Goldberg was by his side.
It's the most powerful two minutes you'll see today...
[image or embed]
— Goodable - Good News Just For You! (@goodable.bsky.social) July 21, 2025 at 11:39 AM
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Michigan Advance
EV sales are in the tank. So what happens next?
Sales of new electric vehicles have plunged since federal tax credits ended on Sept. 30.
In November, EVs accounted for 5.3 percent of U.S. new-car and light-truck sales, a share that was less than half the record high in September, according to an estimate published last week by S&P Global Mobility.
The numbers were especially ugly on Tuesday when several automakers released their November figures. Ford said that unit sales of its Mustang Mach-E were down 49 percent compared to the same month in 2024. Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 was down 59 percent. I could go on.
But most industry analysts are not sounding an alarm. This is because the decline in sales was expected the moment in July that President Donald Trump signed the legislation that canceled the credit, which was up to $7,500 per vehicle. The law led to months of chaos, during which many consumers accelerated their purchasing decisions to qualify for the credit, contributing to the collapse that followed.
One of the main questions going forward is how long it will take for the market to return to some kind of normalcy. The most common answer I’m seeing is that the current shakeout will likely last well into 2026.
After that, we’ll get to the more important question: What happens next? To help figure this out, I spoke with Peter Slowik, U.S. passenger vehicles lead for the International Council on Clean Transportation, or ICCT, a research nonprofit with offices around the globe. ✂️
The takeaway is that, yes, this is a setback, but ICE cars are not going to win.
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North Dakota Monitor
Natural gas operator fined for environmental violation at North Dakota reservation
The operator of natural gas production facilities on the Fort Berthold Reservation was ordered Friday to pay a $500,000 fine and do 500 hours of community service for an environmental violation.
Targa Badlands LLC pleaded guilty earlier this year in U.S. District Court in North Dakota to a violation of the Clean Air Act that affected the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation.
Targa, which operates six natural gas compressor stations on Fort Berthold, failed to install required hazardous air pollutant monitoring systems, federal prosecutors say in court records.
The violation occurred between 2018 and 2022 on the Johnson Compressor Station near Mandaree. Natural gas gathering pipelines include compressor stations that boost pressure before the gas reaches a natural gas processing plant.
The combustion engines on the compressor station produce hazardous air pollutants such as benzene and formaldehyde, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan O’Konek said during the plea hearing, according to a transcript.
The plea agreement indicates Targa self-reported the violation and promptly corrected it by installing monitoring equipment. The company has since taken steps to improve environmental compliance, federal prosecutors said. The attorney for Targa did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. ✂️
Included only because I’m a sucker for ND news. The issue was found and reported by the company itself. They are a repeat offender, but I’ll look at the positive that there is someone internally looking for issues. Hopefully, they’ll develop better internal processes to stop this from happening again.
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Georgia Recorder
Georgia hashes out plan to let data centers build their own clean energy
Big companies have spent years pushing Georgia to let them find and pay for new clean energy to add to the grid, in the hopes that they could then get data centers and other power-hungry facilities online faster.
Now, that concept is tantalizingly close to becoming a reality, with regulators, utility Georgia Power, and others hammering out the details of a program that could be finalized sometime next year. If approved, the framework could not only benefit companies but also reduce the need for a massive buildout of gas-fired plants that Georgia Power is planning to satiate the artificial intelligence boom.
Today, utilities are responsible for bringing the vast majority of new power projects online in the state. But over the past two years, the Clean Energy Buyers Association has negotiated to secure a commitment from Georgia Power that “will, for the first time, allow commercial and industrial customers to bring clean energy projects to the utility’s system,” said Katie Southworth, the deputy director for market and policy innovation in the South and Southeast at the trade group, which includes major hyperscalers like Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft. ✂️
Because it made me smile:
✂️ But as it stands, CEBA sees “the approved CIR framework as a meaningful step toward the ‘bring-your-own clean energy’ model,” Southworth said — a model that goes by the catchy acronym BYONCE in clean-energy social media circles. ✂️
It looks like there are still technical kinks to iron out and not all regions of the country are managed in a way to easily facilitate this, but I like the idea.
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Idaho Capital Sun
Idaho Congressman Fulcher introduces bill extending private, short-term health care coverage
Idaho Republican Congressman Russ Fulcher is hoping to expand the use of private, short-term health insurance.
Fulcher on Thursday announced the introduction of the Removing Insurance Gaps for Health Treatment (RIGHT) Act of 2025, which would extend the maximum allowance for short-term health plans from four months to up to three years.
Short-term, limited-duration insurance, known as STLDI, are private insurance plans designed to cover temporary gaps in health coverage. The plans are sometimes less expensive than plans offered through state health insurance marketplace plans, but do not always cover as many services and are not subject to the same consumer protection regulations as those compliant with the Affordable Care Act.
“Four months is far too short a limit, posing undue stress and uncertainty on Americans who would otherwise be left without coverage,” Fulcher said in a press release. “My bill, the RIGHT Act, expands STLDI plans to a full year, with the option to renew for up to three years. This is a practical, no-cost approach that offers families more choice, control, and flexibility to select the healthcare options that work best for them.” ✂️
He’s a U.S. rep. Couldn’t he just sign the discharge petition and extend ACA subsidies?
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Maine Morning Star
Federal court rejects state effort to weaken agreement protecting disabled children’s rights
A federal court last week rejected a joint attempt by Maine and the U.S. Department of Justice to weaken a previous agreement that required the state to improve services so that children with disabilities no longer had to be separated from their families.
In a statement Friday, a coalition of rights organizations said the ruling “preserves essential protections that ensure children with behavioral-health needs will receive integrated, community-based services rather than face unnecessary institutionalization.”
The settlement agreement stemmed from a September 2024 lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice that alleged the state was failing to meet the needs of students that require behavioral health services and violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by separating them from their homes and communities by institutionalizing them or sending them to juvenile detention centers.
Two months later, the lawsuit was dismissed after the state agreed to implement a robust accountability system with reporting requirements, community outreach and the establishment of an independent watchdog, who would oversee data on state services. Under that initial agreement, the state committed to increasing the availability of community-based behavioral health services through the Maine Department of Health and Human Services so that children would no longer have to be separated from their families. ✂️
Once again, the courts step up to do the right thing.
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Maryland Matters
Redistricting supporters outnumber opponents at Maryland meeting
Supporters of mid-decade redistricting in Maryland showed up in force for a virtual meeting of a state advisory commission Friday, calling on state leaders to redo congressional maps to oppose President Donald Trump (R).
It was the third hearing of the Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Commission and the third different outcome: Redistricting opponents dominated the first hearing and the second was nearly evenly split. Redistricting proponents dominated Friday’s meeting, thanks to a slew of climate and civil rights advocates, union leaders, a few retired federal employees and even a high school student.
Also joining the chorus was Bobby LaPin, the Maryland social media personality who has announced his intention to run against Senate President Bill Ferguson (D- Baltimore City), a commission member who opposes mid-cycle redistricting.
The commission will meet at least once more, on Dec. 12, to hear public comment.
The redistricting saga began with Trump urging Republican-led states to redistrict for partisan gain before the 2026 elections, to pick up GOP seats in Congress. Red states that have passed new maps so far include Texas, Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina. Democrats in California and Virginia have fired back with maps of their own. ✂️
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AZ Mirror
Arizona’s Congresswoman Grijalva says she was pepper sprayed during Tucson ICE raid
Arizona’s U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva was involved in a clash with federal agents during a protest of immigration raids in west Tucson Friday, during which she claims she was hit with pepper spray.
According to a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency partnered with the Internal Revenue Service to carry out as many as 16 warrants in southern Arizona in a “years-long investigation into immigration and tax violations.” In videos posted to social media by community advocates, several masked federal agents in tactical gear can be seen near the westside location of popular Mexican seafood and grill restaurant Taco Giro.
The raids prompted a protest and federal agents deployed tear gas and pepper spray against the crowd. The Arizona Daily Star reported that multiple employees who live near the west Tucson restaurant were detained. At least one protester was among those taken into custody by federal agents. AZ Family reported that Taco Giro locations in north Tucson, Casa Grande and Vail were also targeted. ICE spokesman Fernando Burgos-Ortiz confirmed to the Arizona Mirror that multiple people were arrested, but didn’t clarify how many or confirm claims that agents had pepper-sprayed a sitting U.S. Congresswoman.
Tricia McLaughlin, the spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, dismissed Grijalva’s account. McLaughlin accused Grijalva of hindering the work of federal agents and appeared to question Grijalva’s claim that she was pepper-sprayed by highlighting her lack of visible physical reaction in the video. ✂️
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Oregon Capital Chronicle
Portland’s DA balked at charging federal agents under Oregon law. Then AG Rayfield stepped in
The top local prosecutor in the Portland area is cautioning against “unreasonable expectations” for his ability to charge federal agents using state law, after signing onto a statement last week warning the Trump administration that its officers could be held accountable for excessive force.
The district attorneys in Oregon’s three most populated counties and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield stood in unison last week when they signed onto a letter warning the Trump administration that they were monitoring reports of excessive force by federal agents with the goal of potentially bringing charges forward should the issue persist. Rayfield, alongside Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez, Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton and Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth, requested cooperation from the federal government in Oregon’s investigations.
The attorneys pointed to instances of disproportionate use of force through tear gas and nonlethal munitions by agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during protests outside the Portland waterfront Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility. They also referred to federal agents from an unmarked van in October holding teenagers at gunpoint by a Hillsboro Dutch Bros coffee stand and the November arrest of a 17-year-old U.S. citizen during his lunch off-grounds from McMinnville High School. ✂️
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I put these last in this section because they’re local to me. News was slow to develop. It was frustrating. This Shade is already long enough, so this is sort of in what Nifty Writer in the GNR calls a “Lightning Round” format — if you’re interested you’ll have to click through. All are from the Minnesota Reformer.
Most Somali people in America and Minnesota are citizens
As ICE presence escalates in Minnesota, Somali leaders push back
Over a hundred people rally against ICE flights outside MSP
This just in: Tom Emmer is still an asshole…
U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer makes wildly inaccurate claim about Somali crime on national TV
There were other interesting looking articles in the Reformer, but I’ll spare you.
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The Left Wing Echo Chamber
The Jukebox is here. quaoar is the host. The theme is Captain Jack Will Get You High Tonight.
This Week in the War on Women will be here or here (the first queries by publishing group, the second by tag). If one doesn’t show you the new diary, try the other.
Bilbo’s latest CHC is up
CHC Roundup: Rep. Jim Costa (CA-21) - All About Agriculture
If anyone has a diary of theirs that they’d like promoted, please drop a comment (preferably with a link) in the previous night’s Shade. Hopefully the next Shade will include a promotional link for you.
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Today is…
Since I am bound to quote WineRev at some point, here’s his G&G from this morning’s GNR.
Birthdays
Charles Martin Hall (1863-1914) - Chemist who invented an inexpensive method for producing aluminum.
Ira Gershwin (1896-1983) - Songwriter and composer who helped his younger brother, George Gershwin, create some of the most memorable music pieces in the history of music.
Agnes Moorehead (1900-1974) - Successful actress remembered for her roles on screen and television, including Endora on the sitcom Bewitched.
Baby Face Nelson (1908-1934) - Gangster and bootlegger.
Frank Springer (1929-2009) - Comic book illustrator for Marvel Comics.
Steve Alaimo (1939-Still Living) - Pop singer best known for his song Mashed Potatoes.
Craig Newmark (1952-Still Living) - Founder of Craigslist.
Peter Buck (1956-Still Living) - Co-founder of the rock band R.E.M.
Deborah Estrin (1959-Still Living) - Computer scientist and co-founder of the non-profit Open mHealth.
Since these always pique my interest, Wikipedia
Deborah Estrin (born December 6, 1959) is a Professor of Computer Science at Cornell Tech. She is co-founder of the non-profit Open mHealth and gave a TEDMED talk on small data in 2013.[1]
Estrin is known for her work on sensor networks, participatory sensing, mobile health, and small data. She is one of the most-referenced computer scientists of all time, with her work cited over 128,000 times according to Google Scholar.[2]
In 2009, Estrin was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering for the pioneering design and application of heterogeneous wireless sensing systems for environmental monitoring.
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Events
1790 - The U.S. Congress moves from NY City to Philadelphia.
1825 - President Adams recommends establishing a national observatory.
1849 - Harriet Tubman makes her final escape from slavery.
1865 - Georgia ratifies the 13th Amendment and abolishes slavery.
WineRev:
1865 Washington DC The 13th Amendment to Constitution, abolishing slavery, had passed both branches of Congress back in January (the center of a fine movie ‘Lincoln’ starting Daniel Day Lewis). Now it needed to be ratified by ¾ of the states. Since the Lincoln Administration did not consider secession legal, legally those 11 Southern states were still part of the Union (so instead of needing 15 ratifications from the 20 states that remained loyal, the Amendment needed 25 out of the 31 total.) OTOH Lee surrendered back in April, Jeff Davis was arrested in May, there was no fighting going on, and in the various Southern states the Union Army is watching over the brand new and re-constituted state governments. (And former Confederates were not allowed to vote or be part of any elected office. If they got mad about this, they could complain to any armed Union soldier or officer on occupation duty in their town…..) On this day the government of Georgia ratifies the Amendment, making ¾, making it part of the Constitution.
1877 - Thomas Edison records voices for the first time at the offices of Scientific American.
1884 - The Washington Monument in D.C. is completed.
Will he tear it down or just rename it?
1922 - Power is transmitted over the first electric power line in NY.
1923 - President Coolidge becomes the first Presidential to address the country on the radio.
WineRev:
1923 Washington DC Marconi and Tesla had gotten the world signaling by radio at the turn of the century. In the fading days of World War I scientists and engineers figured out how to add voices, sounds, even music to the dots and dashes (Morse code) that had been used earlier. Transmitters went up and receivers were designed and sold. In 1920 KDKA in Pittsburgh became the first US commercial radio station to go on the air. Their first broadcast told of the results of the 1920
Today we have “watch parties”, but before then were the “listen parties” of late 1923….with headphones!
Presidential Election (Harding the winner.) In the summer of 1923 President Harding died in office and Calvin Coolidge became President.
On this day Mr. Coolidge became the first President ever to speak live on radio to a national audience from the White House.(They connected other stations by telephone lines to the same broadcast so it could be widely heard. They called the connection a ‘network’….a technical term worth remembering. 😊)
1933 - Judge John M. Woolsey rules that James Joyce's novel Ulysses is not obscene (United States v. One Book Called Ulysses).
1947 - The Everglades National Park (FL) is dedicated by President Truman.
WineRev:
1947 Florida National Parks were invented by President Grant back in 1872 when he invented the world’s first one called ‘Yellowstone.’ Other mountains, seacoasts, canyons have been designated National Parks (and administered by the Park Service and the Dept. of the Interior.) On this day President Truman (shrewd enough to go to Florida in December!) dedicates a most unusual ecosystem as a protected National Park: The Everglades.
1961 - Ernie Davis becomes the first Black to win the Heisman Trophy.
1964 - Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer airs on t.v. for the first time.
1995 - The FDA approves the first protease inhibitor to treat HIV/AIDS (Saquinavir).
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St. Nicholas Day
St. Nicholas Day on December 6 celebrates of course carries some connection to Christmas and Santa Claus, but there is much more to this holiday and St. Nicholas than that. Although St. Nicholas partially inspired the Christmas and Santa Claus that we all know and love, St. Nicholas actually derives from a different kind of tale. Let’s learn about St. Nicholas and what this day is truly about.
WineRev:
343 (Three digit date!) Death date of Nicolas, Bishop of Myra (now Demre), Eastern Roman Empire (now Turkey) (The Church remembers saints on their death day, looking death in the eye and proclaiming “this one we will remember despite you, so the good they did will live on in memory and for inspiration.”)
Almost nothing known about Nicolas from surviving records; earliest mentions are from over 200 years later. Many miracles already attributed to him and he had a legendary for reputation for generosity and gift-giving (in secret; by tradition he left gifts for the poor in the middle of the night, and anonymously.)
Most famously remembered for rescuing three sisters from being sold into prostitution by dropping a bag of gold coins down their chimney on three consecutive nights so their father had a dowry for each of them and could marry them off. (Notice any parallels with some other guy: chimney…..gifts……coming by night? Some story pieces have been around a LONG time.) The real Good St. Nick!
To Quote Girsaol
Tomorrow is St. Nicholas’ Day, the patron saint of children who is not known for having anything to do with sardines.
St. Nicholas and I have something in common! I have nothing to do with sardines, either!
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National Miners Day
Despite federal efforts to ensure safe working conditions for miners, they have one of the most difficult and dangerous jobs you can imagine. To recognize their efforts, Congress has declared December 6 National Miners Day. Why? Our entire economy depends on them. On this holiday, we should all take a moment to think about the many ways that miners play a role in our daily lives. Mined materials contribute to things like roads, houses, cars and computers. We wouldn’t be able to get much done without their hard work.
I applaud all of the work that miners have done for us.
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NATIONAL GAZPACHO DAY
National Gazpacho Day, on December 6th, recognizes a flavorful soup that cooks serve cold. This typically tomato-based vegetable soup originated in the southern Spanish region of Andalucia. Gazpacho is widely consumed in Spanish cuisine, usually during the summer months.
I question the wisdom of making this day at a point of the year when many of us want soup served hot, but I’m not the “national day” Gazpacho.
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Mitten Tree Day
On December 6th, Mitten Tree Day celebrates the gift of warmth. It’s a day to collect mittens, hang them on a Christmas tree, and then hand them out to those in need.
Those who live in cold climates understand the necessity of mittens. This winter clothing item is essential for keeping the hands warm while outdoors. Unfortunately, however, there are many children around the world who are without adequate winter clothing, which includes mittens.
It’s a national day I can get behind.
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Put On Your Own Shoes Day
Sounds simple enough – and surely plenty of us do it every day, unless you really feel like braving the walk to work in your socks – but it seems this day might be more to do with shoes themselves and a way of encouraging children to put on and tie their own shoes.
Not just for children…
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Tomorrow Is…
NATIONAL SLIME DAY
A day commemorating me, for giving Girasol “National Slime Day”.
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The Shade is open. As always, the value is in the comments.
