Trina's Kitchen: Siri Daly's Garbage Cookies in the Kitchen

We have a new comic tonight, Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Miss Sassy Is Not Trump's Stepping Stone."

Eunice e-mailed to note that she gets a lot of good recipes from NBC's Today Show and that includes Siri Daly's Garbage Cookies:

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2½ cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup crushed ridged potato chips
1/2 cup crushed pretzels
1/2 cup mini M&M's

Preparation

Beat the butter and both sugars in a stand mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.

Add the eggs and vanilla, beating until combined.

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and table salt in a small bowl.

Gradually add to the butter mixture, beating just until blended after each addition.

Stir in the chocolate chips, potato chips, pretzels and M&M's.

Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Drop the chilled dough, by tablespoons, 2 inches apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake the cookies until your desired degree of doneness, 11 to 12 minutes for a medium-soft cookie.

10.

Transfer the cookies to wire racks and cool completely, about 15 minutes.

News? How about that debate?

Kamala was amazing. And Donald Trump was an overweight, elderly embarrassment:

After the debate, Tim Miller of The Bulwark caught up with Graham, who offered his assessment.

“Just spoke with Lindsey Graham in the spin room,” Miller reported. “[H]e said the debate team should be fired and Trump was unprepared. ‘[D]isaster'”

Thank you, Trashy Garbage.

We all remember, right, Tulsi Gabbard rushing around bragging to the media that she was Donald's debate coach and bragging about herself and pretending that she had defeated Kamala in one of the few debates that Trashy Tulsi Garbage Gabbard participated in.

So, thank you, Trashy.

Your 'expertise' and 'advice' ensured that Trump lost the debate. Poor Trashy, she killed her own Congressional career, she never got out of the gate trying to be a presidential candidate, she's more and more of a joke each day. Grifting doesn't always pay and it certainly hasn't for Tulsi. Maybe Guru Chris can get the cult to kiss her boo-boo and make it better?

Remember garbage cookies -- good. Trashy Garbage -- evil grifter.

This is Ava and C.I.'s "Kamala destroys Donald (Ava and C.I.):"

Wednesday, September 11, 2024. Last night, Donald Trump and Jill Stein exposed themselves and no body wanted to see that. Kamala Harris, however, stood tall and the country should be applauding.

In Philadelphia, Democratic Party presidential nominee Kamala Harris faced off against the Convicted Felon and GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.

It was memorable.

The closest Donald got to the truth was when he declared, " I have been a leader on fertilization." Yes, yes, he has. He is the king of bulls**t. However, he was referring to IVF so, yes, he was again lying.

The 90 minutes played out like a competency hearing and he kept failing.

It started with Kamala attempting to shake Donald's hand. She walked up to him and he tried to avoid her.

Of course he tried to avoid her. He's nearly 80 years old and vastly out of shape. She has youth on her side and looks vibrant, while he's gotten so fat, he looks as though he's carrying Chris Christie's child. When you look like Donald, you don't want to stand next to anyone -- not even Chris Christie whose weight Donald has long mocked and now look at Donald.

And that was just the start.

Donald was so bad that little Liz Peek was spinning hard for FOX "NEWS" about how unfair it was for Donald. She was the one relative at the competency hearing that doesn't feel great-grandpa should have to give up his keys.

Let's note the section on abortion first (it's where the IVF issue comes up). And we'll be using ABC NEWS' transcription throughout. ABC's David Muir and Linsey Davis moderated.

LINSEY DAVIS: I want to turn to the issue of abortion. President Trump, you've often touted that you were able to kill Roe v. Wade. Last year, you said that you were proud to be the most pro-life president in American history. Then last month you said that your administration would be great for women and their reproductive rights. In your home state of Florida, you surprised many with regard to your six-week abortion ban because you initially had said that it was too short and you said, "I'm going to be voting that we need more than six weeks." But then the very next day, you reversed course and said you would vote to support the six-week ban. Vice President Harris says that women shouldn't trust you on the issue of abortion because you've changed your position so many times. Therefore, why should they trust you?

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, the reason I'm doing that vote is because the plan is, as you know, the vote is, they have abortion in the ninth month. They even have, and you can look at the governor of West Virginia, the previous governor of West Virginia, not the current governor, who's doing an excellent job, but the governor before. He said the baby will be born and we will decide what to do with the baby. In other words, we'll execute the baby.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And that's why I did that, because that predominates. Because they're radical. The Democrats are radical in that. And her vice presidential pick, which I think was a horrible pick, by the way for our country, because he is really out of it. But her vice presidential pick says abortion in the ninth month is absolutely fine. He also says execution after birth, it's execution, no longer abortion, because the baby is born, is okay. And that's not okay with me. Hence the vote. But what I did is something for 52 years they've been trying to get Roe v. Wade into the states.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And through the genius and heart and strength of six supreme court justices we were able to do that. Now, I believe in the exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. I believe strongly in it. Ronald Reagan did also. 85% of Republicans do. Exceptions. Very important. But we were able to get it. And now states are voting on it. And for the first time you're going to see -- look, this is an issue that's torn our country apart for 52 years. Every legal scholar, every Democrat, every Republican, liberal, conservative, they all wanted this issue to be brought back to the states where the people could vote. And that's what happened, happened. Now, Ohio, the vote was somewhat liberal. Kansas the vote was somewhat liberal. Much more liberal than people would have thought. But each individual state is voting. It's the vote of the people now. It's not tied up in the federal government. I did a great service in doing it. It took courage to do it. And the supreme court had great courage in doing it. And I give tremendous credit to those six justices.

LINSEY DAVIS: There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it's born. Madam vice president, I want to get your response to President Trump.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Well, as I said, you're going to hear a bunch of lies. And that's not actually a surprising fact. Let's understand how we got here. Donald Trump hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade. And they did exactly as he intended. And now in over 20 states there are Trump abortion bans which make it criminal for a doctor or nurse to provide health care. In one state it provides prison for life. Trump abortion bans that make no exception even for rape and incest. Which understand what that means. A survivor of a crime, a violation to their body, does not have the right to make a decision about what happens to their body next. That is immoral. And one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government, and Donald Trump certainly, should not be telling a woman what to do with her body.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: I have talked with women around our country. You want to talk about this is what people wanted? Pregnant women who want to carry a pregnancy to term suffering from a miscarriage, being denied care in an emergency room because the health care providers are afraid they might go to jail and she's bleeding out in a car in the parking lot? She didn't want that. Her husband didn't want that. A 12 or 13-year-old survivor of incest being forced to carry a pregnancy to term? They don't want that. And I pledge to you when Congress passes a bill to put back in place the protections of Roe v. Wade as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law. But understand, if Donald Trump were to be re-elected, he will sign a national abortion ban. Understand in his Project 2025 there would be a national abortion ban. Understand in his Project 2025 there would be a national abortion -- a monitor that would be monitoring your pregnancies, your miscarriages. I think the American people believe that certain freedoms, in particular the freedom to make decisions about one's own body, should not be made by the government.

LINSEY DAVIS: Thank you, Vice President Harris.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, there she goes again. It's a lie. I'm not signing a ban. And there's no reason to sign a ban. Because we've gotten what everybody wanted. Democrats, Republicans and everybody else and every legal scholar wanted it to be brought back into the states. And the states are voting. And it may take a little time, but for 52 years this issue has torn our country apart. And they've wanted it back in the states. And I did something that nobody thought was possible. The states are now voting. What she says is an absolute lie. And as far as the abortion ban, no, I'm not in favor of abortion ban. But it doesn't matter because this issue has now been taken over by the states.

LINSEY DAVIS: Would you veto a national abortion ban if it came to --

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, I won't have to because again -- two things. Number one, she said she'll go back to congress. She'll never get the vote. It's impossible for her to get the vote. Especially now with a 50-50 --essentially 50-50 in both senate and the house. She's not going to get the vote. She can't get the vote. She won't even come close to it. So it's just talk. You know what it reminds me of? When they said they're going to get student loans terminated and it ended up being a total catastrophe. The student loans -- and then her I think probably her boss, if you call him a boss, he spends all his time on the beach, but look, her boss went out and said we'll do it again, we'll do it a different way. He went out, got rejected again by the supreme court. So all these students got taunted with this whole thing about -- this whole idea. And how unfair that would have been. Part of the reason they lost. To the millions and millions of people that had to pay off their student loans. They didn't get it for free. But they were saying -- it's the same way that they talked about that, that they talk about abortion.

LINSEY DAVIS: But if I could just get a yes or no. Because your running mate JD Vance has said that you would veto if it did come to your desk.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, I didn't discuss it with JD In all fairness. JD -- And I don't mind if he has a certain view but I think he was speaking for me but I really didn't. Look, we don't have to discuss it because she'd never be able to get it just like she couldn't get student loans. They couldn't get -- they didn't even come close to getting student loans. They didn't even come close to getting student loans. They taunted young people and a lot of other people that had loans. They can never get this approved. So it doesn't matter what she says about going to congress. Wonderful. Let's go to congress. Do it. But the fact is that for years they wanted to get it out of congress and out of the federal government and we did something that everybody said couldn't be done. And now you have a vote of the people on abortion.

LINSEY DAVIS: Vice President Harris, I want to give you your time to respond. But I do want to ask, would you support any restrictions on a woman's right to an abortion?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: I absolutely support reinstating the protections of Roe v. Wade. And as you rightly mentioned, nowhere in America is a woman carrying a pregnancy to term and asking for an abortion. That is not happening. It's insulting to the women of America. And understand what has been happening under Donald Trump's abortion bans. Couples who pray and dream of having a family are being denied IVF treatments. What is happening in our country, working people, working women who are working one or two jobs, who can barely afford childcare as it is, have to travel to another state to get on a plane sitting next to strangers, to go and get the health care she needs. Barely can afford to do it. And what you are putting her through is unconscionable. And the people of America have not -- the majority of Americans believe in a woman's right to make decisions about her own body. And that is why in every state where this issue has been on the ballot, in red and blue states both, the people of America have voted for freedom.

LINSEY DAVIS: Vice president Harris --

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Excuse me, I have to respond. Another lie. It's another lie. I have been a leader on IVF which is fertilization. The IVF -- I have been a leader. In fact, when they got a very negative decision on IVF from the Alabama courts, I saw the people of Alabama and the legislature two days later voted it in. I've been a leader on it. They know that and everybody else knows it. I have been a leader on fertilization, IVF. And the other thing, they -- you should ask, will she allow abortion in the eighth month, ninth month, seventh month?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Come on.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Would you do that? Why don't you ask her that question --

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Why don't you answer the question would you veto –

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: That's the problem. Because under Roe v. Wade.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Answer the question, would you veto--

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You could do abortions in the seventh month, the eighth month, the ninth month -

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: That's not true.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And probably after birth. Just look at the governor, former governor of Virginia. The governor of Virginia said we put the baby aside and then we determine what we want to do with the baby.

LINSEY DAVIS: President Trump, thank you.

For someone who lies so easily, he still can't commit to signing or not singing a national ban on abortion. And he still can't stop lying about abortion.

Let's drop back to the day after the June debate between Donald and Joe Biden when we wrote:

There are basic ground rules and when we're not establishing them, we're giving Donald the go-ahead to lie and lie bigger, to lie and lie more.

Donald pursed his lips repeatedly while tilting his head this way and that as though he thought he were a super model. Instead, he just emphasized wrinkles and looked odd -- odder than usual in fact.

The make up was a little better. It's only taken him, what, eight years to make it look nearly human. So if you're ready to give him eight years, he can almost adapt. Almost but not quite.

And there's still the issue of the curling iron. That's right, children, Donald Trump uses a curling iron.

He's a bottle blond, we should all know that. 78-year-old men are not naturally sassy blonds (a point we've made for over a decade with regards to Robert Redford). But, watching the debate and his modified hair do, we had to make some calls. Yes, our 78-year-old Donald had his curled for the debate. They curled the hair under on top and then brushed it out and they curled it back on the sides. That's what America needs in the White House: An elderly man obsessed with his hair.

He was also someone suddenly interested in "legal scholars."

Every "legal scholar" -- he repeatedly insisted -- wanted ROE V WADE overturned.

No, that's not true.

But more to the point, legal scholars aren't the group largely effected by abortion. Women, some of whom are legal scholars, are effected. It has a direct impact on our lives and we -- the majority of us -- did not want ROE V WADE overturned.

If people listened -- the ones not so far gone that they can't truly hear -- they would have grasped that fact and grasped that, in a 90 minute debate, Donald couldn't address women.

He just lies and, yes, women grasp it.

We grasp that abortion is a medical procedure. We grasp that Donald bragging about this state doing this and this state doing that is not something to brag about. Our healthcare options and resources should not be dictated by the state we live in. Supposedly, we're all Americans and all Americans should have the right to determine their own health care.

Asked how he was going to address the addiction crisis in the US, Donald ignored reality to run again to the border.

And as we noted a week after that:

We say Joe won the debate -- in part due to Donald's lies. And it goes to the media and the male dominance of the media -- especially our so-called 'independent' media on YOUTUBE -- that something as ridiculous as Donald Trump claiming women were aborting babies right after they gave birth to them was not the biggest moment of the debate and a non-stop ridicule in the media as just how stupid Donald is.

But what women grasp, apparently men don't -- neither do male-identifying women who'll do anything to get by in the male-dominated media.

Donald showed up with his gray hair dyed and curled with a curling iron again. He also carried the same lies with him.

There is no abortion taking place after a birth. As Linsey Davis rightly pointed out, "There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it's born."

That alone made it a better debate. In June, the moderators were too busy to provide facts. And the media that they were a part of refused to make that the lead story the day after the debate. No one needed to pour over records and do hours of research to refute his lie that babies were being aborted after birth.

There is no abortion after birth. Donald Trump's mother might have wished that it existed -- we wouldn't blame her if she did -- but it does not exist.

That's all he has ever had, a base of lies that caters to the stupidity of his base. They're so damn ignorant that they heard his abortion remarks in June and it didn't register with them.

And, no, the majority of women -- the majority of Americans -- did not want ROE overturned.

Let's note him lying -- Wait. The would require us reposting the entire transcript because all he did was lie. But let's note where his lie got pushback from the moderators.

DAVID MUIR: We're going to turn now to immigration and border security. We know it's an issue that's important to Republicans, Democrats, voters across the board in this country. Vice President Harris, you were tasked by President Biden with getting to the root causes of migration from Central America. We know that illegal border crossings reached a record high in the Biden administration. This past June, President Biden imposed tough new asylum restrictions. We know the numbers since then have dropped significantly. But my question to you tonight is why did the administration wait until six months before the election to act and would you have done anything differently from President Biden on this?

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: So I'm the only person on this stage who has prosecuted transnational criminal organizations for the trafficking of guns, drugs, and human beings. And let me say that the United States Congress, including some of the most conservative members of the United States Senate, came up with a border security bill which I supported. And that bill would have put 1,500 more border agents on the border to help those folks who are working there right now over time trying to do their job. It would have allowed us to stem the flow of fentanyl coming into the United States. I know there are so many families watching tonight who have been personally affected by the surge of fentanyl in our country. That bill would have put more resources to allow us to prosecute transnational criminal organizations for trafficking in guns, drugs and human beings. But you know what happened to that bill? Donald Trump got on the phone, called up some folks in Congress, and said kill the bill. And you know why? Because he preferred to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem. And understand, this comes at a time where the people of our country actually need a leader who engages in solutions, who actually addresses the problems at hand. But what we have in the former president is someone who would prefer to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem. And I'll tell you something, he's going to talk about immigration a lot tonight even when it's not the subject that is being raised. And I'm going to actually do something really unusual and I'm going to invite you to attend one of Donald Trump's rallies because it's a really interesting thing to watch. You will see during the course of his rallies he talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter. He will talk about windmills cause cancer. And what you will also notice is that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom. And I will tell you the one thing you will not hear him talk about is you. You will not hear him talk about your needs, your dreams, and your, your desires. And I'll tell you, I believe you deserve a president who actually puts you first. And I pledge to you that I will.

DAVID MUIR: Vice President Harris, thank you. President Trump, on that point I want to get your response.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, I would like to respond.

DAVID MUIR: Let me just ask, though, why did you try to kill that bill and successfully so? That would have put thousands of additional agents and officers on the border.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: First let me respond as to the rallies. She said people start leaving. People don't go to her rallies. There's no reason to go. And the people that do go, she's busing them in and paying them to be there. And then showing them in a different light. So, she can't talk about that. People don't leave my rallies. We have the biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics. That's because people want to take their country back. Our country is being lost. We're a failing nation. And it happened three and a half years ago. And what, what's going on here, you're going to end up in World War 3, just to go into another subject. What they have done to our country by allowing these millions and millions of people to come into our country. And look at what's happening to the towns all over the United States. And a lot of towns don't want to talk -- not going to be Aurora or Springfield. A lot of towns don't want to talk about it because they're so embarrassed by it. In Springfield, they're eating the dogs. The people that came in. They're eating the cats. They're eating -- they're eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what's happening in our country. And it's a shame. As far as rallies are concerned, as far -- the reason they go is they like what I say. They want to bring our country back. They want to make America great again. It's a very simple phrase. Make America great again. She's destroying this country. And if she becomes president, this country doesn't have a chance of success. Not only success. We'll end up being Venezuela on steroids.

DAVID MUIR: I just want to clarify here, you bring up Springfield, Ohio. And ABC News did reach out to the city manager there. He told us there have been no credible reports of specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community --

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, I've seen people on television

DAVID MUIR: Let me just say here this ...

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: The people on television say my dog was taken and used for food. So maybe he said that and maybe that's a good thing to say for a city manager.

DAVID MUIR: I'm not taking this from television. I'm taking it from the city manager.

In the last two days, we've posted multiple videos about the right-wing lie that immigrants in Springfield are stealing dogs and eating them. Here's the most recent one that we've noted previously.

You never needed that fact checked. It wasn't happening.

The lie is told to outrage people and to stir up resentment. We all grasp that, right?

So if it truly was happening or was even truly suspected of happening the story would not be "Hattian Immigrants Steal and Eat Dog." No, the headline would be, "Man/Woman Kills Hattian Immigrant Who Ate Dog."

Because as scared and crazy and worthless as MAGA is, as stupid as they are, if even they paused for a moment they would grasp that some American -- in this gun crazed nation -- is going to turn around and kill someone -- or at least attack them -- if that person ate their dog.

People have been shot due to fender benders in parking lots. Outside of Kristi Noem, we can't imagine any American looking the other way if someone should kill and eat their dog.

Donald's a geriatric idiot and he demonstrated that over and over in the debate.

It wasn't just that, time and again, Kamala Harris wiped the floor with him, it wasn't just that even the moderators wiped the floor with him, it was that the floor wiped the floor with him.

Donald showed up and showed America how empty his world is, how shallow his mind and that he believes he can continue his con job on the American people.

There was one point where we wondered if the debate might even cut into his MAGA base?

Face diapers.

That's what MAGA crazies call the masks.

It was the biggest sacrifice for them -- they are the greatest generation because they survived having to a wear a mask in public in the midst of a global pandemic!!!!

But did they catch, in last night's debate, when Donald start claiming credit for the masks?

Repeatedly, Donald insisted that any good thing since the beginning of time was his glory and due to him and anything that was bad was the fault of someone else.

They January 6th attempted coup?

Not his fault.

Those people didn't understand him.

No, they understood what he was calling for.

They're lucky they've only been put behind bars. They're lucky that they weren't publicly executed.

On his directive, they carried out treason. The punishment for treason can be execution.

They're damn lucky that the worst they have had to face is prison time.

We didn't rush to judgment on that. We waited for evidence and testimony to emerge. At this point, there's no denying what happened. It was an attempt to erase an election and to overthrow the country. It was an attempted coup. And Donald would pardon his henchmen.

On that section of the debate, we'll note Kamala's remarks because we're not going to whitewash Donald's treasonous actions by including his meandering web of lies.

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: I was at the Capitol on January 6th. I was the Vice President-Elect. I was also an acting senator. I was there. And on that day, the president of the United States incited a violent mob to attack our nation's Capitol, to desecrate our nation's Capitol. On that day, 140 law enforcement officers were injured. And some died. And understand, the former president has been indicted and impeached for exactly that reason. But this is not an isolated situation. Let's remember Charlottesville, where there was a mob of people carrying tiki torches, spewing antisemitic hate, and what did the president then at the time say? There were fine people on each side. Let's remember that when it came to the Proud Boys, a militia, the president said, the former president said, "Stand back and stand by." So for everyone watching who remembers what January 6th was, I say we don't have to go back. Let's not go back. We're not going back. It's time to turn the page. And if that was a bridge too far for you, well, there is a place in our campaign for you. To stand for country. To stand for our democracy. To stand for rule of law. And to end the chaos. And to end the approach that is about attacking the foundations of our democracy 'cause you don't like the outcome. And be clear on that point. Donald Trump the candidate has said in this election there will be a bloodbath, if this -- and the outcome of this election is not to his liking. Let's turn the page on this. Let's not go back. Let's chart a course for the future and not go backwards to the past.

Kamala destroyed Donald.

That was the big news from last night.

It wasn't the only news; however.

Robert Kennedy Junior remains in the race.

He has transitioned into Jill Stein. No doubt, Junior would claim his transition into Jill Stein was caused by atrazine in the water.

If you missed it, Jill Stein did about 15 Tweets yesterday -- that's a lot of work for that grifter. In two of them, she mentioned Donald Trump by name. In seven, she called out Kamala Harris by name. She also did that in the two Tweets naming Donald.

Forever and a day, Junior used to insist he wasn't trying to help Trump. He was running a real campaign, he would lie.

But what he did was run for president to help Trump win. And, yes, that's what Jill is doing as well. She can lie -- she always lies -- but all you have to do is look at her Tweets.

There's not a lot you can say to defend her unless you're a liar.

Her Tweets make clear that she is at war with Kamala and that she is giving Donald a pass. Let's stop pretending otherwise.

Donald is a danger to democracy.

What's at stake?

Ryan Grenoble (HUFFINGTON POST) reports:

Justice Elena Kagan thinks the Supreme Court’s conservative majority may not stop at abortion rights, she told a crowd at the New York University School of Law on Monday, warning that the logic used to overturn Roe v. Wade could be broadly applied elsewhere.

“I don’t think you’re overreading the bigger question,” Kagan said in a conversation with Melissa Murray, a law professor and podcast host who’d asked about the implications of Roe’s reversal, according to The New York Times.

With its landmark 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the high court dismantled the right to abortion based on the argument that it is not “deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition,” as Justice Samuel Alito wrote at the time.

“That’s the entirety of the majority’s reasoning,” Kagan said.

If you extend that argument elsewhere, said Kagan, it’s possible to strike down what would otherwise be firm constitutional protections.

“Then you say the same thing for contraception,” she warned. “Then you can say the same thing for interracial marriage. Then you could say the same thing for gay marriage.”

Are you getting what's at stake?

Aidan McLaughlin (MEDIAITE) explains:

And while Biden takes heat from the left for his enabling of Israel’s onslaught in Gaza, Trump has promised to be even more supportive of it. “Israel is the one. And you should let them go and let them go finish the job. He doesn’t want to do it,” Trump said of Biden at their June debate. “He’s become like a Palestinian.” What’s more, Trump has said he would crush the only true anti-war movement in the country right now, the one protesting U.S. support for Israel, and deport its members out of the United States.

If that’s not enough to convince you, take Trump’s running mate, whose views on foreign policy are more precisely articulated than Trump’s. Carlson has frequently touted JD Vance as anti-war — so much so that he reportedly argued to Trump that if he did not select Vance, U.S. intelligence agencies would have him assassinated so that whatever “neocon” he did select would ascend to the presidency.

When Trump eventually picked the Ohio senator, Carlson said those who oppose Vance do so only because he opposes “killing other people in pointless wars” and “they thought he would be harder to manipulate and slightly less enthusiastic about killing people.”

But Vance is not anti-war. Like many right-wing contrarians that have grown in popularity in the Trump era, he is steadfastly opposed to supporting Ukraine against Russia’s invasion. Yet that is an outlier in an otherwise militaristic foreign policy outlook.

Vance steadfastly supports arming Israel, and has proposed a more muscular approach to Iran. “We need to do something with Iran,” Vance said in July. “But not these weak little bombing runs. If you’re going to punch the Iranians, you punch them hard.” His views are hard to distinguish from those of Lindsey Graham, a man so comically enamored by the mere thought of bombing Iran that Carlson has often labeled him a childless, bloodthirsty neo-con.

Does it make any sense to you now? Because if you're helping Trump, be honest about it. Jill Stein's in it to help Trump. Parker Molloy (THE NEW REPUBLIC) explains:

In the lead-up to the 2022 midterm elections, right-wing politicians and influencers amplified an outlandish claim that schools were installing litter boxes in bathrooms for students who identified as cats. This absurd narrative spread rapidly across social media and conservative news outlets, despite being consistently debunked by school officials and fact-checkers.

Now, in 2024, we’re in the midst of another election cycle, facing a similarly bizarre and baseless claim: Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were allegedly kidnapping and eating local residents’ pets. Within hours, prominent politicians, including vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance, were amplifying this baseless story, which even made its way into official Trump campaign messaging.

These two incidents, separated by two years but linked by their absurdity and rapid spread, are prime examples of the weaponization of misinformation. But how do these false stories take root and spread so quickly?

The Springfield case offers a disturbing glimpse into the anatomy of modern misinformation campaigns. It reveals a complex mix of social media dynamics, political opportunism, and cultural anxieties that can instantly transform a local rumor into a national talking point.

Perhaps most troubling is how these stories echo historical hate-based conspiracy theories. The baseless claim about Haitian immigrants eating pets bears a striking resemblance to blood libel—the centuries-old antisemitic canard that accused Jews of kidnapping Christian children for ritualistic purposes. Both narratives prey on fear of the “other” and attribute grotesque behaviors to marginalized groups, stoking xenophobia and justifying discrimination.

And these incidents are not isolated. On August 30, former President Donald Trump made a similarly outlandish and baseless claim about transgender youth during a speech to the conservative group Moms for Liberty. Trump asserted, “Your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation. The school decides what’s going to happen with your child.”

This claim, like the others, is entirely false. There is no evidence of U.S. schools sending children for gender-affirming surgeries without parental knowledge or performing such surgeries on-site. Medical experts (and anyone familiar with how transition-related health care works) have emphasized that any gender-affirming care, especially surgery, requires parental consent and extensive screening, and can often take years to get. Trump’s claim is obviously false, but it serves a political purpose to the people pushing it.

The pattern of demonizing marginalized groups through false, often outlandish accusations is not new, but the speed and reach of modern communication platforms have supercharged its impact. As the story spreads, traditional media outlets may report on the claims, often framing them as a “controversy” or “debate,” inadvertently lending credibility to the lie. Even after thorough debunking, these narratives tend to persist, continuing to circulate and shape public discourse.

Lori Rozsa (WASHINGTON POST) reports:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s election police unit is investigating alleged fraud in signature gathering for the state’s upcoming abortion referendum in a move that critics say is designed to intimidate voters.

In the past week, two people reported that an agent from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrived at their homes and asked them about petitions they had signed months ago to add Amendment 4 to the November ballot.

One voter, Isaac Menasche, posted on his Facebook page Wednesday that a detective questioned him about his signature and showed him a folder containing 10 pages of his personal information.

“The experience left me shaken,” Menasche wrote, adding that he had signed the petition. “Troubling that so much resources were devoted to this.”

Menasche confirmed the content of the Facebook post to The Washington Post but declined to comment further.

The investigation comes as Democrats and election experts express concern that DeSantis is using the powers of the state to derail the referendum, which would nullify a six-week abortion ban the Republican governor signed into law last year. The state’s health-care agency recently launched a website that claims the amendment “threatens women’s safety.”

“They want people to stay home and to not vote,” Democratic state Rep. Fentrice Driskell said at a virtual news conference Monday. “They want people to read these articles and hear it on social media that the police showed up at somebody’s door and intimidated them and made them feel bad about signing an Amendment 4 petition.”

Still not getting it? Are you that much of a Susan Sarandon? Last week, US House Rep Joaquin Castro's office issued the following:

SAN ANTONIO AND EL PASO, TEXAS — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) led nine of their colleagues in the Texas Congressional Delegation in a letter urging Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice to investigate recent incidents of voter suppression and intimidation by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Governor Greg Abbott. The letter was additionally signed by Reps. Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Greg Casar (TX-35), Al Green (TX-09), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), and Colin Allred (TX-32).

“We write to you with urgent concerns over recent actions undertaken at the direction of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to raid the homes of activists, volunteers, and political operatives in South Texas and the San Antonio area and Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s efforts to remove thousands of individuals from voter rolls with little transparency. We are concerned that these actions are intended to intimidate American citizens, in particular Latinos and members of minority communities, from exercising their right to vote through political persecution or deny them that right altogether. We request that the Department investigate these actions, including for violations of the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act, and take any necessary action to prevent further interference with the rights of voters in the state of Texas,” the members wrote.

“At the same time as these concerning actions by AG Paxton, Governor Abbott has pursued the removal of thousands of individuals from voter rolls in Texas, including over 6,500 purported “noncitizens.” There is little to no transparency in how Governor Abbott has assessed these individuals to be “potential noncitizens,” and we fear these decisions may be made on the basis of those individuals’ perceived race or ethnicity and may deny American citizens their right to vote,” the members concluded.

On Wednesday, members of the Texas delegation held a press call about the concerns raised in today’s letter. A full recording of the press conference can be found here.

The full text of today’s letter can be found here.

Sandra Sanchez (NEWS NATION) reports:

Border Report spoke with Lidia Martinez, 80, who said her San Antonio home was raided on Aug. 20 by nine agents from Paxton’s office who took her cellphone, appointment book and laptop.

“I’ve very angry and I’m scared,” Martinez told Border Report. “They questioned me for three hours. They came in and there were seven men and two women and they came in and searched all my house. Every single thing in there. And I asked them if I could change my clothes, and they told me ‘no,'” Martinez said.

LULAC has also asked the justice Department to investigate the incidents.

“It is disgraceful and outrageous that the state of Texas, and its highest-ranking law enforcement officer, is once again using the power of his office to instill fear in the hearts of community members who volunteer their time to promote civic engagement,” LULAC’s Texas State Director Gabriel Rosales said after the searches.

“I have been contacted by elderly residents who are confused and frightened, wondering why they have been singled out. Attorney General Paxton’s actions clearly aim to suppress the Latino vote through intimidation and any means necessary to tilt the electoral process in favor of his political allies,” Rosales said.

On Saturday, LULAC is planning to hold a demonstration and voter registration rally outside Paxton’s offices in San Antonio from 10:30 a.m. to noon CST at 10010 N. San Pedro Avenue at Ramsey Street, the organization announced Friday.

Lastly, if you're still too much of a Sarandon to grasp what's at stake, there's a story we want to share. We tried to work Greg Owen's LGBTQ NATION report into our piece at THIRD but we couldn't shoe horn it in. It's very disturbing and the violence took place in the climate that MAGA has fostered -- a climate that will only get worse if Donald returns to the White House:

In Texas, a 23-year-old father of five was sentenced to six years in prison for severely beating his two-year-old son because he thought the toddler was gay.

Francisco Ricardo Sotello Baez was charged with family violence and assault after admitting to striking his young son in the face multiple times, causing him to bleed from the nose.

Judge Stephanie Boyd of the 187th District Court in Bexar County agreed with the prosecution’s recommendation for six years behind bars, citing previous incidents of domestic violence, including assaulting his son’s mother, which earlier earned Sotello Baez probation and court-mandated courses to address his violent behavior.

Judge Boyd expressed disappointment those interventions had failed to modify the defendant’s conduct.

A police report and his testimony at sentencing revealed Sotello Baez’s actions toward his son were not an isolated incident. The father had repeatedly disciplined the child in an attempt to “toughen him up,” claiming he was concerned about the boy acting in a feminine manner.

Sotello Baez said the child preferred playing with Barbies and kitchen sets over the robots, cars, and soccer balls he had brought home for the boy.

He told the judge he was disappointed his first son might be gay.

Judge Boyd was visibly exasperated with the explanation.

“Basically, you beat up a two-year-old because you think your two-year-old is gay, and you wanna toughen up a two-year-old,” the judge said. “He’s two!”

This is what's at stake. Our future, our children, our democracy. And, Jill Stein, you keep attacking Kamala if you want to make clear who's side you're really on. We're already on to you, we've been on to you since 2012. We know your garbage. But we're going to make sure everyone else knows what garbage you are.

Donald Trump spouted racism and hate over and over in the debate but, Jill Stein, you didn't call him out in one Tweet. You did repeatedly slam Kamala Harris.

We saw this over and over with Robert Kennedy Junior's campaign and we see it with you.

The following sites updated: