March 26, 2023

Sunday, March 26, 2023. Annette’s News Roundup.

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Joe is always busy.

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Judge declares anonymity to protects jurors from anticipated Trump threats.

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Yes, some Wackos went to Waco but what does it mean?

Again and again, I hear friends and pundits anticipating Trump hoards turning out ready to protest or do violence at the smallest demand of the former occupant of the White House.

Well, if Saturday night’s rally in Waco, Texas is any sample of Trump’s appeal, Trump seems to have only limited appeal, even in Texas. Sure there were diehards who drove long distances to see their hero, or was it to see a celebrity? It is hard to gather details or even number of attendees. Media and social media seem reluctant to count heads.

All any reports that I read seem to say is “thousands.”

Hmm.

Remember Trump also called for protests in NYC, and on Friday, by some counts, there were from 1-20 Trump supporters there. Not a tsunami of support.

Maybe we ought to keep this in mind when we worry about Trump.

As to the Rally, sounds like the same self-pitying complaints and grievances that we should expect by now.

Trump, facing potential indictment, holds defiant Waco rally.

WACO, Texas (AP) — Facing a potential indictment, Donald Trump took a defiant stance at a rally Saturday in Waco, disparaging the prosecutors investigating him and predicting his vindication as he rallied supporters in a city made famous by deadly resistance against law enforcement.

With a hand over his heart, Trump stood at attention when his rally opened with a song called “Justice for All” performed by a choir of people imprisoned for their roles in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Some footage from the insurrection was shown on big screens displayed at the rally site as the choir sang the national anthem and a recording played of Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

The extraordinary display opened Trump’s first rally of his 2024 Republican presidential campaign. He then launched into a speech brimming with resentments and framed the probes, including a New York grand jury investigation, as political attacks on him and his followers.

“You will be vindicated and proud,” Trump said “The thugs and criminals who are corrupting our justice system will be defeated, discredited and totally disgraced.”

Trump’s event at the airport grounds in Waco was part of a broader effort by the former president to use the potential indictment as a rallying cry for supporters to maintain his status as the GOP frontrunner in what is expected to be a crowded primary. It came one day after Trump raised the specter of violence should he become the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges.

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Labor laws protecting children are in danger from GOP lawmakers.

The New York Times editorial. The Dangerous Race to Put More Children to Work.

In February, the Department of Labor announced that it had discovered 102 teenagers working in hazardous conditions for a company that cleans meatpacking equipment at factories around the country, a violation of federal standards. The minors, ages 13 to 17, were working with dangerous chemicals and cleaning brisket saws and head splitters; three of them suffered injuries, including one with caustic burns.

Ten of those children worked in Arkansas, including six at a factory owned by the state’s second-largest private employer, Tyson Foods. Rather than taking immediate action to tighten standards and prevent further exploitation of children, Arkansas went the opposite direction. Earlier this month, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a Republican, signed legislation that would actually make it easier for companies to put children to work. The bill eliminated a requirement that children under 16 get a state work permit before being employed, a process that required them to verify their age and get the permission of a parent or guardian.

Arkansas is at the vanguard of a concerted effort by business lobbyists and Republican legislators to roll back federal and state regulations that have been in place for decades to protect children from abuse. Echoing that philosophy, bills are moving through at least nine other state legislatures that would expand work hours for children, lift restrictions on hazardous occupations, allow them to work in locations that serve alcohol, or lower the state minimum wage for minors. The Labor Department says there has been a 69 percent increase since 2018 in the illegal employment of children.

If states will not perform a role that has been fundamental for a century — protecting workers from abuse — the federal government will have to increase its efforts to do so. After the Times investigation was published, the Biden administration announced a series of new efforts to crack down on illegal child labor, many of which hold promise as possible deterrents.

The administration lacks all the tools to do the job right. Because its budget has been held flat by Congress, the Wage and Hour Division lost 12 percent of its staffbetween 2010 and 2019, and Ms. Nanda’s office lost more than 100 lawyers, so the Labor Department doesn’t have enough investigators to effectively pursue illegal child labor practices. In addition, under current law, the maximum fine for a labor violation by a company is $15,138 per child — often little more than the cost of doing business for big companies.

Comprehensive immigration reform would be the best insurance that migrant children have the protections they need. If families can stay together, minors will be less vulnerable to abuse and better able to seek legal protection.

The administration has asked Congress for more enforcement money in its current budget, and for higher penalties. Neither request is likely to be granted, and immigration reform seems far in the distance. Protections against “oppressive child labor,” however, have been part of American law since the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed in 1938; dismantling those safeguards now puts young lives at risk.

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GOP legislators seem to have no shame, no belief in democracy and fairness, and complete belief that they can legislate any laws that meet their political agendas. Laws that stop the protection of children, as noted in The New York Times editorial above,👆 are one category of such laws. Below 👇 is another of their over-reach.

In response to the tweet below @AdamKinzinger wrote- This is fascism.

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Should you apply?

Finland will pick 10 people for a free happiness masterclass.

Finland, which has held the title of happiest country for six years running, is now looking to teach the rest of the world a thing or two.

The Nordic country is hosting a four-day happiness masterclass in June, and its tourism board says 10 lucky applicants will get to go for free. Others will be able to study (and hopefully cheer) up virtually when it later becomes available online.

It's slated to run from June 12-15, with participants arriving the day before and departing the day after.

They'll stay at the Kuru Resort, a luxury resort in the Finnish Lakeland region that organizers describe as "surrounded by fragrant pine forests and breath-taking views."

Each participant will get their own villa with panoramic windows, as well as a private sauna and spa.

Because the program emphasizes good sleep and a digital detox, organizers say, the villas have no TVs (though in-room WiFi will be available) and even the bedding has been approved by sleep specialists.

"Every minute detail [at] the resort is designed to help you wind down and relax — fragrances, sounds and materials included," they add.

Participants' travel and accommodation expenses will be covered. But they have to hold up their end of the deal: They'll be filmed throughout their visit, with that material to be used in Visit Finland's communications and advertising.

How to apply

Officials say anyone over the age of 18 can apply for the masterclass, either individually or with a friend, relative or partner.

To apply, people must fill out an online form and complete a social media challenge on either Instagram or TikTok.

The challenge: Create content, preferably a video, showing "what things make you believe you may be secretly a Finn," and explaining why you want to take the masterclass.

"Are you the type of person who would much rather go to a forest than to a party? One who feels absolute desperation when running out of coffee? Prefers washing up in a lake rather than in the shower? That's just your inner Finn," Visit Finland said in an Instagram post announcing the challenge.

Applications will close on April 2, and winners will be publicly announced — on social media, of course — a month later.(NPR).

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One more thing. Finland's Women-Led Government Has Equalized Family Leave: 7 Months For Each Parent.

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Just a reminder. Check your passport expiration date soon if you are planning a trip.

Record passport demand means you should apply ASAP if traveling overseas soon.

If you're planning a summer getaway outside of the country, make sure you get your paperwork in order sooner rather than later.

Passports are in "unprecedented demand," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday during a House Appropriations subcommittee budget hearing. In 2022, the State Department issued a record 22 million passports — and 2023 is "on track to break" that record, Blinken said.

The U.S. State Department is fielding half a million passport applications a week, Blinken said. "That's 30 to 40% above last year, so it's dramatic."

The standard processing time for a passport is 10-13 weeks, and an expedited request takes about seven to nine weeks. That doesn't include mailing time, which can take up to two weeks each way.(NPR).

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One more thing. U.S. citizens can now choose the gender 'X' on their passport applications.

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