All-Woman Space Walk Breaks Another Glass Ceiling

NASA is setting another milestone today, with astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir conducting the first all-female spacewalk.

In what the space agency billed "HERstory," the four men aboard the International Space Station remained inside the orbital outpost, as Koch and Meir stepped outside to replace a broken battery charger.

Not quite ready for the historic day, and still depending on more typically male-sized suits, the historic spacewalk has been months in the making. It was originally supposed to happen in March, with astronaut Anne McClain joining Koch. But the station was short one functioning, medium-sized spacewalking suit, the right size for both women. Koch went instead with colleague Nick Hague.


https://www.npr.org/2019/10/18/771224479/2-american-women-astronauts-venture-out-for-first-all-female-spacewalk?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&fbclid=IwAR1uBvzcEobT-cKyUCOeM_lnL_9ixdaP64X5FE3hfiVL-Dd2sFFXq1GSBsU

"Our Republic Is Under Attack From the President"

Are leaders of our hierarchies finally being so blatant in their top-of-the-hierarchy actions that we are as a country going to hold them accountable?

Retired Adm. William McRaven argued in an op-ed Thursday that President Donald Trump  "destroying" the United States, warning that the future of the country is "in peril" if Trump is not removed from office.

In a op-ed for the New York Times, McRaven, former commander of U.S. Special Operations, wrote  "Our Republic Is Under Attack From the President." He argues that Trump is launching "assaults" on U.S. institutions: "on the intelligence and law enforcement community, the State Department and the press."

He speculates that the US military may have trouble finding recruits as young Americans do not trust Trump which may impact trust of future presidents. 

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/466369-former-special-ops-commander-our-republic-is-under-attack-from-the-president?fbclid=IwAR05uMrfwTdTAZ0Jx-3kcwHxExGAEnItBCffXdkJEMoFIYP-S8WQtiGeSbg

Hispanic Women: Future of American Economy

CNN Business reports that Hispanic women are the future of the American economy. An article by Lydia DePillis, states that the share of Latinas starting college right after high school has now surpassed that of the general population.

When Latinas do have children, they are more likely to be single mothers — which means they control all of their household spending, as opposed to just part of it when they're raising kids with a partner.

Hispanic people overall accounted for $1.5 trillion, or 10.4% of total US buying power in 2018, according to the Selig Center at the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business. That's a 212% jump from 2000. Over the same time period, the buying power of the broader US population grew at less than half that rate. By 2060 the Census Bureau projects that Hispanic people will make up 30% of the population under age 35. 

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/02/economy/equal-pay-day-hispanic-female-wage-gap/index.html?fbclid=IwAR1ow_r6I9sljzRZtgNjAx6gSWgWfXFU-Jw52GM_cT-Y8ITTDKeGcbXcmLo

Republicans Believe the Top of Their HIerarchies Without Question

In a new study by Monmonth University, four in ten Republicans clearly will not accept the truth about Trump's dealings with Ukraine, and that only four of ten Republicans believe that Trump mentioned Biden in his call with Zelensky. Typical of people who will follow whatever the top of their hierarchy tells them to believe, whatever Trump says they believe.

The article goes on to say:

"How can so many Republicans say he didn't? Because Trump has conditioned them to not believe things that are, quite literally, right in front of their faces."

 

"Stick with us, Trump told a group of veterans last July. "Don't believe the crap you see from these people, the fake news. ... What you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening."

 

When you consider that the American President actually told people that "what you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening," this poll finding doesn't seem so unbelievable. The primary work of Trump's candidacy -- and his presidency -- has been to erode the idea that objective truth exists. This is an administration that said the words "alternative facts" with a straight face. And a President who has misled or lied more than 12.000 times in his tenure in the White House. 

 

Trump and the Republicans have got the privilege of the top down pat.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/02/politics/donald-trump-ukraine-transcript/index.html

Gender Neutral Dolls are Marketed by Mattel

Mattel is releasing what it claims is the world's first gender neutral doll.

The doll can be a boy, a girl, neither or both. The company is hoping its launch on Sept. 25 redefines who gets to play with a toy traditionally deemed taboo for half the world’s kids. 

The product features a series of kids who go by various pronouns—him, her, them, xem—and the slogan “A doll line designed to keep labels out and invite everyone in.” With this overt nod to trans and nonbinary identities, the company is betting on where it thinks the country is going, even if it means alienating a substantial portion of the population.

https://time.com/5684822/mattel-gender-neutral-doll/

Rice University Band Celebrates Pride at Anti-gay Baylor Game

The Village People's "YMCA" was the song played by the The Marching Owl Band of Rice University while waving dozens of Pride flags during the halftime show of a football game against Baylor University, a Baptist school with anti-LGBTQ policies, reports the Houston Chronicle reported. The band members also joined in a formation to spell "Pride" on the field.

After learning Baylor had denied an LGBTQ student group, Gamma Alpha Upsilon (GAY), formal recognition and privileges, including funding and the ability to reserve space for meetings, the band decided to incorporate the display of Pride into it's program.

https://www.advocate.com/youth/2019/9/24/rice-university-band-performed-pride-antigay-rivals-halftime-show?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=youth&fbclid=IwAR15cVn_fHKFniYXcnEh1VU87x2cTght_pBHRN0kIq4uFFauyynCK2xcpfc

Will Hierarchy-Backing Republicans Prevail in 2020?

For decades, the underlying views of the Republican party have centered around keeping hierarchies alive and well, no matter the hierarchy. Whether it be sexual orientation, gender, race, country of origin, cis-or-trans gendered, religion, doesn't matter. Republicans are on the side of keeping the hierarchy strong. Consistently.

If the elections are fair, and Republicans don't succeed in ousting our fair election process even further, which is a big if considering the incredible ways they have invented to circumvent fair elections, Trump as the top of the Republican ticket in 2020 as of now has a way to go to get into office again.

A new national poll finds that former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, California Sen. Kamala Harris and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg all lead Donald Trump by significant margins in potential 2020 matchups. Biden is ahead of Trump by the most (16 points, 54% to 38%), while Buttigeg is up by the least (9 points, 49% to 40%).

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/31/politics/trump-democrat-matchups-analysis/index.html