Notices by Rich Stein (he/him) (runrichrun@mastodon.social)

Fascinating story: "Was Kosciuszko's request an attempt to shame his American friend [Thomas Jefferson]? Or did he simply want to remind him of the American ideals he had risked his own life for?"
https://www.dw.com/en/the-moral-test-us-founding-father-thomas-jefferson-failed/a-77833752
#America250 #history #slavery #Jefferson #Kosciuszko

@ai6yr
Discography: https://www.slipcue.com/music/country/countryartists/perry_al_01.html

Quite the character: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/facing-the-music-6389380/

"The first [Juneteenth] celebration took place on June 19, 1866, in Houston, Texas. Jack Yates, who was born enslaved, was one of the founders of Emancipation Park where some of the earliest gatherings were held.

His great-granddaughter, 88-year-old Jaqueline Bostic sat down with her granddaughter Shelby Stewart to talk about their family history."
https://storycorps.org/stories/before-juneteenth-jack-yates/
Part of the StoryCorps" Brightness in Black "initiative https://storycorps.org/discover/brightness-in-black/
#Juneteenth #StoryCorps

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/trump-meet-the-press-interview-rigged-election-claims-1236615729/
#MeetThePress

@evan
When I was in high school, I worked as a grease monkey for a couple of summers in a gas station owned by family friends. When it was busy, one of the owners, who was an expert mechanic, would leave the garage and help pump gas. He almost always had a lit cigarette dangling from his mouth. Sometimes he'd have it in his hand while pumping gas, so he could speak more clearly with a customer. The looks he'd get. Never an incident with fire. Sadly he died of lung cancer. He was a nice guy.

@killyourfm @MigsGarden
Yum! 😋 (You know they're a colorful, tasty addition to salads, right?)

Sign of the times —

"'Eliminating a channel on NHK's AM, which played a pivotal role in radio history, is a significant change. The chances of stumbling upon educational programs that spark curiosity will be reduced, which is a bit heartbreaking,' said Ryohei Kayahara, a professor of radio studies at Nihon University.

However,' it is important to evolve with the times, to create equal opportunities for culture in the digital age,'he added`
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20260330/p2g/00m/0et/043000c
#Japan

"... for the first time in more than half a century, [the U.S.] has lost its long-term status as a liberal democracy. The country is now going through a rapid process of... “autocratisation”.
'For Orbán... it took about four years, for.... Serbia... eight years, and for Erdoğan... and Modi...about 10 years to accomplish the suppression of democratic institutions that Trump has achieved in... one year,' ..."
https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2026/mar/17/trump-is-aiming-for-dictatorship-thats-the-verdict-of-the-worlds-most-credible-democracy-watchdog
Report (PDF): https://www.v-dem.net/documents/75/V-Dem_Institute_Democracy_Report_2026_lowres.pdf
h/t @wood5y @Wen
#Democracy

@inquiline @kims
X 2!! (And "good TV" — whatever that might be — Is, by default, better that "bad TV," so Yes!) Speedy recovery.

A 6-year-old deaf boy, his 5-year-old brother, and their mother — with no criminal record, who entered the U.S. seeking asylum (and was complying with the terms of her asylum application) — were detained and deported by federal immigration agents, from California to Colombia. The deaf child was deported without his assistive hearing devices.

"Only the worst criminals" is right — only the worst would think this is okay. Only the worst would do this.
https://www.dailynews.com/2026/03/06/6-year-old-deaf-child-deported-without-due-process-medical-devices-state-superintendent-says/?share=atducdc6vuhp3t22crim
#DHS #ICE #deportation

@medieval_illuminations
👆 Attn: @jeridansky
Now lions are everywhere I look! 😊🦁

@jeridansky
Don't know why, but I am reminded of Bert Lahr's rendition! 😊

@Ruth_Mottram
The first part, on San Francisco and Silicon Valley was a bit of a caricature, but then the writing became deeper, more analytical and philosophical. I have never come across his writing before. Signed up for his occasional email posts. Thanks for sharing!!

🤦🤦🤦
"... outrage stirred by a rightwing media personality, Megan Basham, who posted an English translation of explicit lyrics from the song Spanish-language Safaera without realizing that Bad Bunny had performed a cleaned-up version for the televised broadcast...

'... this was apparently intentional,' the host Gina Loudon, a former Trump campaign surrogate who once appeared on the reality show Wife Swap, said..." 👀

Thank goodness Alford can ask where the bathroom is.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/feb/10/donald-trump-ice-democrats-shutdown-jeffrey-epstein-canada-live-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-698bb03e8f08327a59cb1a32#block-698bb03e8f08327a59cb1a32

"Yi Zuo Yi Wang – which translates as In & Out – in downtown Beijing serves dishes from China’s south-eastern Yunnan province [including hallucinogenic mushrooms.]"

Would be a popular side at a burger joint I know. Perfect for SoCal traffic. Add in a few Waymos for good measure... 😰😱
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/ea05242746f25bbf

🤔 Haven't I heard of Bill Ackman before?

Aha! He's the guy who thinks his money makes him right every time, all the time. (Look him up.)
https://theintercept.com/2026/01/12/ice-gofundme-bill-ackman-jonathan-ross/

@skinnylatte
Did they pull that paragraph? https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/things-to-eat-kaya-kopi

Parents — Get *every* childhood vaccine for your children that was on the schedule BEFORE RFK Jr. started pushing misinformation and disinformation — a.k.a. vaccine skepticism.

Statement from CHOP — Children's Hospital of Philadelphia — the right place to go for guidance.

Pass it on. Everyone should know.
https://www.chop.edu/news/health-tip/chop-response-to-recommended-changes-to-the-childhood-vaccine-schedule
#VaccinesWork #vaccinate #PublicHealth #VaccinesSkepticism

@jeridansky
Coast to coast — oceans never fail! 😊

A story of attempted intimidation of the free press and investigative journalism, as well as more possible security breaches within the Pentagon, this time possibly opening a top "mentor"/advisor to Hegseth to foreign influence. Also possible collusion by the administration with far right conservative influencers who spread propaganda.

Just another day for this administration. 🙁
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/12/eric-geressy-goodreads-pentagon-dod-pete-hegseth-jack-posobiec-threat/