Afternoon Tea 1.30.25: TB, M23, NYC DOT, and Down with DCCC

With this, January is almost over. Though the 10 days since inauguration might feel like a thousand years, we’re almost to the weekend. Missing stories, a whole war in Congo, Romanian mercenaries, RFK’s Samoan exploits, a TB outbreak in Kansas, a mutual aid How To guide, and two cars in NYC racking up 500+ tickets in a year. Take a break this weekend if you can!

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels claim major Congolese city, which Congo calls a ‘declaration of war’ (AP) & Nearly 300 Romanian mercenaries surrendered to rebels in DR Congo (Pravda) M23 and the RDF have swept through Congo, capturing Goma. They also got the drop on ~280 mercs in from Romania. Diplomatic wires from Russia after the capture was announced seem to indicate that Russia is fighting against M23 by proxy. But we won’t know what’s really going on until the M23/RDF vs. FARDC fight dies down.

Romania’s Voided TikTok Election (DropSite News) Essentially, a conservative candidate & party blamed Russian info-ops people for a massive TikTok campaign that was responsible for boosting himself in the final days of an election. Voters weren’t cheated, ballot-stuffing didn’t occur, but there was enough party-based fraud and electioneering that the election’s results were annulled. The first election canceled due to TikTok, and domestic-based TikTok campaigns no less. The future is stupid.

Crypto exchange Coinbase hires Sinema (Semafor) Their final betrayals of those who elected them and the party that fundraised for them, richly rewarded by a company that lobbied our gov’t to the tune of $300 Million. I’d pay good money to see A Christmas Carol modernized, featuring her.

The Wages of Leaving Guantanamo Open Have Arrived (Forever Wars) Biden could have closed Guantanamo. Obama could have closed Guantanamo. Both said they would when they were running for president. Neither had the cojones to actually do it. And now DJT will expand the concentration camp to support dumping his deportees there. May neoliberal Dems know that the torture and war crimes to come are on their hands.

132 NYC Vehicles Received 100+ Safety Camera Tickets, With Two Exceeding 500 (Transportation Alternatives) According to the DOT, there are two vehicles in the NYC metro area that have been ticketed by speed cameras EVERY 16 HOURS. 500 tickets in a single calendar year. How? The mind reels. As much as people whine about speed/safety cameras, they freaking work. NYC DOT’s 2024 study shows:

• Daily violations @ locations with cameras dropped 94% since the start of the program in 2014.

• Locations with cameras installed back in 2022 saw 14% fewer injuries & fatalities between 2021 and 2023 compared to control locations with no cameras.

• Overnight & Weekend violations dropped 40% in the two years since August 2022 when expanded hour coverage went into effect.

People really don’t want to take their medicine and eat their vegetables.

The 2,600 Federal Programs Under Scrutiny by Trump’s OMB (NY Times) & Trump first week of executive orders: Military at the border, discrimination in the workplace, and an end to clean energy (KeepTrack) Resources for people who use that sort of thing. I can’t say I do, as the agita of “keeping track” of this like this, is as stressful as balancing plates on poles for me. But if it soothes you, get at it. Also, just for anyone you know who works in government, it’s not a buy-out, and should not be treated as such.

The tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas is alarming. It's not the biggest in US history…yet (AP) & Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Once Pitched Deadly Human Vaccine Experiment (New Republic) There’s an outbreak of tuberculosis in Kansas. It’s thankfully not as bad as the ones we’d had in previous years, but given it was deemed cured in the USA, that it’s coming back isn’t great! Also, after what RFK Jr. did in Samoa, he should have been imprisoned for life. The more we learn about what he would have done if given full latitude, shows he should have been buried under the jail with Diddy & Epstein.

We Only Have Ourselves: The How-Tos, DOs, and DON’Ts of Mutual Aid (Literary Hub) As eloquently stated by the Mississippi Free Press, the antidote to this is community.

Out With The Old (Not A Wolf) & The Old Rules Are For Losers (Defector) The Democrats have played by the rules for my entire life. Giving up the 2000 election, letting unelected Parliamentarians, letting Merrick Garland’s nomination lapse, and just pretending the GOP would compromise or even play by the rules. Why are they still focusing on compromise and procedures? Democratic leaders have no problem vociferously telling the Left to sit down & shut up. Would be nice to see 1% of that opposition

Quote of the week

"The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, "The children are now working as if I did not exist." But this holds true for leadership in general—give people space and they flourish."
~Marie Montessori, 1912

Poem of the week

Brilliant work from lyricist Kyle Tran Myhre 

Vibe of the week

Heimanu is back! The Scion of Neo-Rave dropped a 20min demo tape for your sonic enjoyment. Put it on when the kids say they listen to harder music than you, or when you’re fighting ninjas in space.

Keep flying,
tnh