When you drive on a freeway and never think a moment about the possibility of the pre-stressed concrete structure collapsing under you, you can thank my father, who came up with the way to be sure a block of pre-stressed concrete was solid without breaking it open to see. The whole pre-stressed concrete industry depends on that. He was a government scientist and was asked to investigate a way to do that, so they could build dams safely with pre-stressed concrete. the patent he received for the invention was free to all since he worked for the government. As he always said, if he'd done it while working in private industry, we'd be billionaires, but if he hadn't been working for the government, no one would have asked him the question that led to the invention.
I'm so fortunate to share a household with two amazing Dads - my husband and my father! It was my husband who insisted that we relocate 1000 miles to my hometown last year, so that we could care for my widowed father, who was lonely, but in good health at the time. It's been a process to buy a house for all of us and get everyone moved in and settled. In the year since, Dad (85 years young) has experienced some health issues, and my husband, who has supported me through two cancer battles, has become his daily companion and caregiver, while I continue to work remotely fulltime. The fun and challenging times the three of us have had together, have been priceless. Happy Father's Day to them both!
Happy Father's Day Robert 🤍 Reading your newsletter this morning focuses my head and heart on what an extraordinary president we have at this time. With quiet dignity, he works tirelessly for Americans and the world. Yet, so few Americans appreciate him. He truly is, for me, a father watching over our country.
I want to leave a note of respect for Daniel Ellsberg who died at 92. He changed the course of the Vietnam War in the face of great potential costs to himself. He was and is a hero.
Regarding the selection of the judge for the Trump documents case: it seems that experience in criminal cases would be a prerequisite. The coach of a playoff team does not roll dice to see who will guard the big man on the other team. Nor if I am to get heart surgery do I want a newbie doctor but one with experience or on staff at UCSF or other university hospital.
Add a potential bias factor, and Judge Cannon is not the one to hear the case
I read Jessica Craven's comment last week, following your issue inviting comments on climate change. I decided to try the climate action now app that she recommended as something easy but important that people could do. I have now had it for about a week and I can enthusiastically say that it is indeed possible to take several actions a day easily in around five minutes. I highly recommend this app for people who are concerned about this issue and would like to express their support for things that can be done to improve our climate. I have signed and sent many emails this week (letters which are already been prepared by the climate action now people) to the president, vice president, legislators, the EPA, and other organizations. (You can also choose the option of making a phone call and they will suggest what you can say) I am lalso learning about some important environmental ssues I wasn't even aware of as I go. I am very thankful to Jessica for suggesting it. (I should also mention that you can skip certain actions and do as many or as few as you wish to on any given day.)
Happy Father’s Day to Robert and to his and Jill’s son’s-in-law. A little over 20 years ago, I became a first-time father--at age 60! My daughter Daisy has been a constant and total joy to me and her mother these past 20 years. She is kind, loving, and joyous, and a loving daughter to her old man (literal as I am now 80.) She keeps me young and gives me huge incentive to keep on living, even in a world that contains Donald Trump.
First, Happy Father’s Day to all dads out there. I give thanks daily for the men in my life. My dad’s legacy and the one my husband will leave for his children and grandchildren are so precious. I think of this often when I see Trump enablers who will have riches and influences, to be sure, but also a damning legacy. I think of their grandchildren reading about their cowardice—no amount of power is worth that.
I also am grateful for the opportunities Robert and others give us to take action in states not our own. We can’t be fooled into thinking these extremists are content with imposing their will only close to home. I grew up in Texas, and what we are living in now is new for the first time in 50 years:
--our daughters and granddaughters with less reproductive autonomy than we had
--long guns all around us, no permit or license required
--voting being more difficult than it already was, with a 20 year felony conviction if there’s a mess-up
Don’t think Rs will stop with our states. These are changes they want to see nation-wide.
Along with other readers of this newsletter, I feel honored to be involved in this work.
Robert, thanks for the perfect blend of news, inspiration, and references to ways we can be involved!
I salute you and your managing editor. Your splendid work is heartfelt, thoughtful, honest, and of immeasurable importance. I wish for you and the Hubbell Gang what I wish for everyone; I hope we all get what we deserve.
Thanks to Robert for providing ways we can all help to defeat the Ohio GOP’s anti-democracy, anti-choice initiative that would require a 60% super-majority to amend the state Constitution. It will be on the ballot in just 53 days and defeating the initiative is the most important immediate task that progressives need to accomplish.
In addition to Robert’s suggestions, you can also help by donating to the Ohio Democratic Party at ohiodems.org. Giving money to the ODP will help us in the long-run and the medium-run as well as the short-run. One of the main reasons we have had a hard time winning elections in purple and red states is that the state democratic parties have been allowed to languish without resources and without the capacity to do grassroots organizing. Democrats have mostly focused on election year individual candidates’ media campaigns which do not build support for future elections. Donations to the ODP will help build its capacity to help win the pro-choice initiative in November 2023 and to reelect Sherrod Brown to the Senate in 2024. There is little doubt that Sherrod’s reelection will be necessary to hold the Senate in Democratic hands.
In the long run, we need to turn Ohio from red to purple and then to blue. It borders Michigan and Pennsylvania and its population is not that different from those states, which are now bluish-purple. By building the capacity of the ODP, we can also begin to make Ohio a swing state as it was in the past. Please give as generously as you can.
Within moments of the DOJ release of the report on the Minneapolis police department yesterday, my daughters, both of whom live in the city, called me. Emkae, who is Korean-American, lived just a block and a half from the corner where Floyd was killed when it happened, and Rian lived just south of there. To describe them as sad and anguished would be an understatement. The murder of a black man by a police officer, in broad daylight in their neighborhood rocked their sense of safety and wellbeing even further - it occurred in the midst of COVID and their dad and step dad, my husband Glen, was dying of ALS. Emkae was also experiencing truly ugly levels of racism because of tfg’s remarks about the “China virus.” OMG.
2020 was easily the toughest year of their their young lives. Mine too.
I grew up in Minneapolis. I don’t remember a time when the city didn’t have giant problems with racism and anti-semitism nor when cops weren’t a source of fear and anxiety for people of color - every damn day of the year.
I hope something comes of the DOJ’s report and that Mayor Frey and the City Council are shaken out of their usual patterns so real change occurs. The city is a powder keg and God knows what will ignite the next implosion. Those inner city neighborhoods are in shreds still with lots of still-visible damage from the riots. Wouldn’t take much to set off another round.
In the meantime, I will just keep on working to get out the vote and go visit my dad, father-in-law and husband at Fort Snelling National Cemetery on Fathers Day. Its a peaceful place in a world gone mad. Could use some of that today.
Happy Father’s Day to you, Robert, and thank you for sharing your insights every day.
Yay for PostcardsToVoters.org for Ohio and general attention you brought to Ohio in this newsletter! Thank you Robert! And Happy Father's Day to you! And: Go Ohio!
Focusing on Ohio is reminding me about David Pepper's book, "Laboratories Of Autocracy," which uses Ohio as a lens to explain what is going on in too many states. Really important book. Highly recommend! He is a fantastic story teller. Very engaging and shocking material. And now he has written a new book called "Saving Democracy," which gives a shorter run down on the first one (but read both!) and offers ways to help change the tide. You can read about the book and his ideas here: https://savedemocracy.us/
As Fatherrs Day approaches, I am reminded of how often my dad would calm me down and guide me to stay on task. Thank you, Mr. Hubble, for your dad-like ways!
Father's Day is always bittersweet for me. I am not a father (I can't count the 1,000's of kids I called "My kids" as a public school music educator), and my Pop passed away in 2011. But what really captures my mind this year on this weekend is that the unthinkable has taken root in our nation. A genuine FASCIST movement has crawled out from under its rock.
Why does this have a place in my thoughts over Father's Day weekend? Following another viewing of Saving Private Ryan, I was once again brought to tears from the opening moments, the family visit to the American cemetery, until the closing salute "Private Ryan" offers at the grave of "Lt. Miller." This movie, more than any other WWII film, is a brutal reminder that my Pop (Army), and his two brothers, my Uncle Tony (Marines), and Uncle Nick (Navy) fought the Fascism of the Axis powers.
As a baby boomer and son/nephew of WWII vets I grew up detesting Fascism. believing it to be the greatest evil ever known to "civilized" people. In my 60's I've been educated by Rachel Maddow's ULTRA podcast, as well as Ken Burns' 3-part documentary, "The U.S. and the Holocaust," that Fascism has dug it's claws into American citizens before. But, to see it regain a foothold AFTER we have seen what it is capable of, is simply too much to accept.
Sadly, this is what Father's Day brings to my mind in 2023.
When you drive on a freeway and never think a moment about the possibility of the pre-stressed concrete structure collapsing under you, you can thank my father, who came up with the way to be sure a block of pre-stressed concrete was solid without breaking it open to see. The whole pre-stressed concrete industry depends on that. He was a government scientist and was asked to investigate a way to do that, so they could build dams safely with pre-stressed concrete. the patent he received for the invention was free to all since he worked for the government. As he always said, if he'd done it while working in private industry, we'd be billionaires, but if he hadn't been working for the government, no one would have asked him the question that led to the invention.
Happy Father's Day Rob! Thank you for all you do.
I'm so fortunate to share a household with two amazing Dads - my husband and my father! It was my husband who insisted that we relocate 1000 miles to my hometown last year, so that we could care for my widowed father, who was lonely, but in good health at the time. It's been a process to buy a house for all of us and get everyone moved in and settled. In the year since, Dad (85 years young) has experienced some health issues, and my husband, who has supported me through two cancer battles, has become his daily companion and caregiver, while I continue to work remotely fulltime. The fun and challenging times the three of us have had together, have been priceless. Happy Father's Day to them both!
Happy Father's Day Robert 🤍 Reading your newsletter this morning focuses my head and heart on what an extraordinary president we have at this time. With quiet dignity, he works tirelessly for Americans and the world. Yet, so few Americans appreciate him. He truly is, for me, a father watching over our country.
And don’t forget there are critically important primary elections in VA next week! Abortion rights are on the ballot!
I want to leave a note of respect for Daniel Ellsberg who died at 92. He changed the course of the Vietnam War in the face of great potential costs to himself. He was and is a hero.
Regarding the selection of the judge for the Trump documents case: it seems that experience in criminal cases would be a prerequisite. The coach of a playoff team does not roll dice to see who will guard the big man on the other team. Nor if I am to get heart surgery do I want a newbie doctor but one with experience or on staff at UCSF or other university hospital.
Add a potential bias factor, and Judge Cannon is not the one to hear the case
I read Jessica Craven's comment last week, following your issue inviting comments on climate change. I decided to try the climate action now app that she recommended as something easy but important that people could do. I have now had it for about a week and I can enthusiastically say that it is indeed possible to take several actions a day easily in around five minutes. I highly recommend this app for people who are concerned about this issue and would like to express their support for things that can be done to improve our climate. I have signed and sent many emails this week (letters which are already been prepared by the climate action now people) to the president, vice president, legislators, the EPA, and other organizations. (You can also choose the option of making a phone call and they will suggest what you can say) I am lalso learning about some important environmental ssues I wasn't even aware of as I go. I am very thankful to Jessica for suggesting it. (I should also mention that you can skip certain actions and do as many or as few as you wish to on any given day.)
Happy Father’s Day to Robert and to his and Jill’s son’s-in-law. A little over 20 years ago, I became a first-time father--at age 60! My daughter Daisy has been a constant and total joy to me and her mother these past 20 years. She is kind, loving, and joyous, and a loving daughter to her old man (literal as I am now 80.) She keeps me young and gives me huge incentive to keep on living, even in a world that contains Donald Trump.
First, Happy Father’s Day to all dads out there. I give thanks daily for the men in my life. My dad’s legacy and the one my husband will leave for his children and grandchildren are so precious. I think of this often when I see Trump enablers who will have riches and influences, to be sure, but also a damning legacy. I think of their grandchildren reading about their cowardice—no amount of power is worth that.
I also am grateful for the opportunities Robert and others give us to take action in states not our own. We can’t be fooled into thinking these extremists are content with imposing their will only close to home. I grew up in Texas, and what we are living in now is new for the first time in 50 years:
--our daughters and granddaughters with less reproductive autonomy than we had
--long guns all around us, no permit or license required
--voting being more difficult than it already was, with a 20 year felony conviction if there’s a mess-up
Don’t think Rs will stop with our states. These are changes they want to see nation-wide.
Along with other readers of this newsletter, I feel honored to be involved in this work.
Robert, thanks for the perfect blend of news, inspiration, and references to ways we can be involved!
I salute you and your managing editor. Your splendid work is heartfelt, thoughtful, honest, and of immeasurable importance. I wish for you and the Hubbell Gang what I wish for everyone; I hope we all get what we deserve.
Truly,
Ted Croll
Thanks to Robert for providing ways we can all help to defeat the Ohio GOP’s anti-democracy, anti-choice initiative that would require a 60% super-majority to amend the state Constitution. It will be on the ballot in just 53 days and defeating the initiative is the most important immediate task that progressives need to accomplish.
In addition to Robert’s suggestions, you can also help by donating to the Ohio Democratic Party at ohiodems.org. Giving money to the ODP will help us in the long-run and the medium-run as well as the short-run. One of the main reasons we have had a hard time winning elections in purple and red states is that the state democratic parties have been allowed to languish without resources and without the capacity to do grassroots organizing. Democrats have mostly focused on election year individual candidates’ media campaigns which do not build support for future elections. Donations to the ODP will help build its capacity to help win the pro-choice initiative in November 2023 and to reelect Sherrod Brown to the Senate in 2024. There is little doubt that Sherrod’s reelection will be necessary to hold the Senate in Democratic hands.
In the long run, we need to turn Ohio from red to purple and then to blue. It borders Michigan and Pennsylvania and its population is not that different from those states, which are now bluish-purple. By building the capacity of the ODP, we can also begin to make Ohio a swing state as it was in the past. Please give as generously as you can.
Steve Schear
"Read Hubbell, Carry Water"... I appreciate your list of actions to take, Robert!
And I hope you have the chance to take your own advice to put aside The News for a time so you can enjoy Father's Day.
Within moments of the DOJ release of the report on the Minneapolis police department yesterday, my daughters, both of whom live in the city, called me. Emkae, who is Korean-American, lived just a block and a half from the corner where Floyd was killed when it happened, and Rian lived just south of there. To describe them as sad and anguished would be an understatement. The murder of a black man by a police officer, in broad daylight in their neighborhood rocked their sense of safety and wellbeing even further - it occurred in the midst of COVID and their dad and step dad, my husband Glen, was dying of ALS. Emkae was also experiencing truly ugly levels of racism because of tfg’s remarks about the “China virus.” OMG.
2020 was easily the toughest year of their their young lives. Mine too.
I grew up in Minneapolis. I don’t remember a time when the city didn’t have giant problems with racism and anti-semitism nor when cops weren’t a source of fear and anxiety for people of color - every damn day of the year.
I hope something comes of the DOJ’s report and that Mayor Frey and the City Council are shaken out of their usual patterns so real change occurs. The city is a powder keg and God knows what will ignite the next implosion. Those inner city neighborhoods are in shreds still with lots of still-visible damage from the riots. Wouldn’t take much to set off another round.
In the meantime, I will just keep on working to get out the vote and go visit my dad, father-in-law and husband at Fort Snelling National Cemetery on Fathers Day. Its a peaceful place in a world gone mad. Could use some of that today.
Happy Father’s Day to you, Robert, and thank you for sharing your insights every day.
This piece by David Brook's was also a good one pushing back against No Labels, though I wish he made more clear his angle up top: he has supported No Labels in his journalism for ten years but says it would be terrible for the 2024 election: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/08/opinion/third-party-president-election-2024.html
Yay for PostcardsToVoters.org for Ohio and general attention you brought to Ohio in this newsletter! Thank you Robert! And Happy Father's Day to you! And: Go Ohio!
Focusing on Ohio is reminding me about David Pepper's book, "Laboratories Of Autocracy," which uses Ohio as a lens to explain what is going on in too many states. Really important book. Highly recommend! He is a fantastic story teller. Very engaging and shocking material. And now he has written a new book called "Saving Democracy," which gives a shorter run down on the first one (but read both!) and offers ways to help change the tide. You can read about the book and his ideas here: https://savedemocracy.us/
As Fatherrs Day approaches, I am reminded of how often my dad would calm me down and guide me to stay on task. Thank you, Mr. Hubble, for your dad-like ways!
Father's Day is always bittersweet for me. I am not a father (I can't count the 1,000's of kids I called "My kids" as a public school music educator), and my Pop passed away in 2011. But what really captures my mind this year on this weekend is that the unthinkable has taken root in our nation. A genuine FASCIST movement has crawled out from under its rock.
Why does this have a place in my thoughts over Father's Day weekend? Following another viewing of Saving Private Ryan, I was once again brought to tears from the opening moments, the family visit to the American cemetery, until the closing salute "Private Ryan" offers at the grave of "Lt. Miller." This movie, more than any other WWII film, is a brutal reminder that my Pop (Army), and his two brothers, my Uncle Tony (Marines), and Uncle Nick (Navy) fought the Fascism of the Axis powers.
As a baby boomer and son/nephew of WWII vets I grew up detesting Fascism. believing it to be the greatest evil ever known to "civilized" people. In my 60's I've been educated by Rachel Maddow's ULTRA podcast, as well as Ken Burns' 3-part documentary, "The U.S. and the Holocaust," that Fascism has dug it's claws into American citizens before. But, to see it regain a foothold AFTER we have seen what it is capable of, is simply too much to accept.
Sadly, this is what Father's Day brings to my mind in 2023.