The post Real or Onion? appeared first on Discourse.net.
]]>Answer below.
Quite real: GOP Stunned To Discover It’s Not Running Against A Cadaver In 2024
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]]>The post Lincoln Project Had a Good Weekend appeared first on Discourse.net.
]]>Now if only they’d post their latest videos on their website instead of ex-Twitter.
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]]>The post Man Bites Man appeared first on Discourse.net.
]]>Reading the news that President Biden’s dog, Commander, bit Secret Service agents at least 24 times before being exiled from the White House made me wonder in what way the President might be likely to demonstrate aggressive behavior.
And here it is: Biden instructed aides to dial up attacks on Trump’s wild comments and Biden embraces bully pulpit as he escalates fight against Trump and GOP over Russia. Expect more.
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]]>The post “Saving Democracy from the Senate” Published appeared first on Discourse.net.
]]>Here’s the abstract:
It should not be surprising that Americans say they are frustrated with their national institutions. Congress, particularly the Senate, responds poorly to the public’s needs and wants because it is increasingly unrepresentative of the electorate. Reform is difficult, however, because each state’s “equal Suffrage” in the Senate is protected by a unique constitutional entrenchment clause. The Entrenchment Clause creates a genuine bar to reform, but that bar is not insurmountable. We first argue that the constitutional proscription on reforming the Senate has been overstated, identifying a range of constitutional reform options that would be permissible despite the Entrenchment Clause. Several of these approaches circumvent the restriction imposed by the Entrenchment Clause by reforming the Senate in ways that do not alter the equal representation of states: disempowering the Senate, abolishing the Senate entirely, or adding at-large nationally elected senators. A different approach involves repealing the Entrenchment Clause and then either passing a second amendment reapportioning the Senate or asking courts to democratize it under the Equal Protection Clause. We then canvass reforms that could move in the direction of democratizing the Senate without constitutional amendment, including admitting new states, breaking up the largest states, and (although we do not advocate it) a new Constitutional Convention. Throughout, we discuss the relative merits and difficulties of each of these options. Reformers and scholars need a clear understanding of the relevant legal frameworks to develop effective strategies. While we recognize that none of these options are easy, we conclude that action to fix the Senate’s democratic deficit is essential— and urgent.
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]]>The post I Know Who Won’t Be A Vice Presidential Candidate appeared first on Discourse.net.
]]>But that doesn’t stop other people, and Trump added fuel to the flames today by naming six people he thought might be potential running mates. The list included Sen. Tim Scott, who seems like the obvious choice to me, as it offers the tantalizing prospect of peeling off just enough Black votes to move a few swing states.
More bizarrely the list also included Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. That’s bizarre not only because Trump spent so much time belittling him, but because they’re both residents of the State of Florida, and the US Constitution prohibits electors from a state from choosing both a president and a vice president from that same state. (Art II, Cl. 3: “The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves”.) Weirdly, nobody writing about Trump’s statement seems to be mentioning this. But then I think the entire press has pretty much given up on fact checking him anyway.
DeSantis, who attended Harvard Law School and presumably knows much more about the Constitution than Trump does — although probably that’s true of almost everyone — was quick to say he would never be Trump’s Vice President. He made it sound as if this was something of a principled choice, but I think he just knows it could never be, as the risk of a squeaker in which Vice President Harris is reelected when you don’t count Florida’s electoral votes is just too great.
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]]>The post Actual Number of Immunocompromised Americans May be Almost Triple What We Thought appeared first on Discourse.net.
]]>Of the 29 164 (unweighted) eligible adults, 6.6% (95% CI, 6.2%-6.9%) (weighted) had current immunosuppression based on their reported health conditions, prescriptions, and medical treatments. The weighted prevalence was 4.4% for having an immunosuppressive condition, 3.9% for taking an immunosuppressive medication, and 1.8% for both; the weighted prevalence of having hematological cancer was 0.1%. These categories were not mutually exclusive.
[…]
[U]sing the 2021 NHIS, an estimated 6.6% of US adults had immunosuppression. This rate of immunosuppression was higher than the previous national estimate of 2.7% using the 2013 NHIS,1 yet the patterns in the distribution of immunosuppression by sex, race, and age were similar
It’s still a small minority, but it seems it’s a lot bigger than we thought.
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]]>The post Proof that I Exist? appeared first on Discourse.net.
]]>It feels quite petty of me, but I’ve actually been bothered for some time that nothing I did ever prompted anyone to make one; the norm is that you don’t make them for yourself. So I am chuffed about this.
Thank you to the authors!
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]]>The post It’s Enough to Keep You Awake appeared first on Discourse.net.
]]>Sleeping too much or too little is associated with changes in the brain that are known to precede and increase the risk of stroke and dementia later in life, a new study suggests.
In one of the largest neuroimaging studies of its kind, researchers at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) examined the brain images of nearly 40,000 asymptomatic middle-aged adults to understand how their sleep habits may impact their brain health.
I’m sure I should sleep more. But I don’t need more to worry about.
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]]>The post “I’m Voting for Grandpa” appeared first on Discourse.net.
]]>“I’m Voting for Grandpa”
(Verse 1)
Out here where the wheat fields meet the sky,
I’ve been watching the days and years go by.
I’ve seen leaders come and go, it’s true,
But this time around, I know what I gotta do.I hear the talk in the diners and the bars,
About how we’ve got dreams bigger than the stars.
But dreams need hands to guide them right,
To turn our darkest hours into daylight.(Chorus)
I’m voting for Grandpa, ’cause the alternative’s so much worse,
In a world of chaos, he might just be our cure.
With a steady hand and a heart that’s tried and true,
I’m voting for Grandpa, to lead us through.(Verse 2)
I’ve listened to the promises, the plans, and the pleas,
Sifted through the noise to find what I believe.
It’s not about the left or right, but finding middle ground,
Where the lost can be found, and the silent have a sound.In the fields where my father worked, under the same sun,
I learned that before the harvest comes, there’s work to be done.
Grandpa’s got a vision, not just for the few,
But for every hardworking soul, through and through.(Chorus)
I’m voting for Grandpa, ’cause the alternative’s so much worse,
In a world of division, he speaks to our better verse.
With wisdom gleaned from years and a spirit tough and true,
I’m voting for Grandpa, to see us through.(Bridge)
It’s more than politics, it’s about who we want to be,
A nation of the free, living in harmony.
So I’ll cast my vote with hope, for a brighter day,
For Grandpa’s guiding light to lead the way.(Chorus)
I’m voting for Grandpa, ’cause the alternative’s just too grim,
In the fight for our future, I’m putting my faith in him.
With a lifetime of service and a belief in the common good,
I’m voting for Grandpa, like I believe we all should.(Outro)
So when the day comes, and it’s our time to choose,
I hope you’ll join me, we’ve got so much to lose.
In the heart of this country, let’s make our stand,
I’m voting for Grandpa, to heal this land.
Unfortunately, I don’t know how to write music, much less country music, and the online tools for doing it with AI assistance look like they have a steep learning curve.
If anyone knows of an easy tool, or feels like pitching in, get in touch.
(My efforts to elicit an urban country version and a crossover version were not as good…)
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