Iowa State Bird*: American Goldfinch

Nature, State Animals 2 Minutes

This handsome little finch, the state bird of New Jersey, Iowa, and Washington, is welcome and common at feeders, where it takes primarily sunflower and nyjer. Goldfinches often flock with Pine Siskins and Common Redpolls. Spring males are brilliant yellow and shiny black with a bit of white. Females and all winter birds are more dull but identifiable by their conical bill; pointed, notched tail; wingbars; and lack of streaking. During molts they look bizarrely patchy.

Find This Bird

Goldfinches are usually easy to find throughout much of North America, except in deep forests. Their po-ta-to-chip flight call is draws attention to them in open country. They’re most abundant in areas with thistle plants, and near feeders.

Backyard Tips

To encourage goldfinches into your yard, plant native thistles and other composite plants, as well as native milkweed. Almost any kind of bird feeder may attract American Goldfinches, including hopper, platform, and hanging feeders, and these birds don’t mind feeders that sway in the wind. You’ll also find American Goldfinches are happy to feed on the ground below feeders, eating spilled seeds. They’re most attracted to sunflower seed and nyjer. Find out more about what this bird likes to eat and what feeder is best by using Project FeederWatch’s

Cool Facts

American Goldfinches are unusual among goldfinches in molting their body feathers twice a year, once in late winter and again in late summer. The brightening yellow of male goldfinches each spring is one welcome mark of approaching warm months.

American Goldfinches breed later than most North American birds. They wait to nest until June or July when milkweed, thistle, and other plants have produced their fibrous seeds, which goldfinches incorporate into their nests and also feed their young.

Goldfinches are among the strictest vegetarians in the bird world, selecting an entirely vegetable diet and only inadvertently swallowing an occasional insect.

When Brown-headed Cowbirds lay eggs in an American Goldfinch nest, the cowbird egg may hatch but the nestling seldom survives longer than three days. The cowbird chick simply can’t survive on the all-seed diet that goldfinches feed their young.

Goldfinches move south in winter following a pattern that seems to coincide with regions where the minimum January temperature is no colder than 0 degrees Fahrenheit on average.

Paired-up goldfinches make virtually identical flight calls; goldfinches may be able to distinguish members of various pairs by these calls.

The oldest known American Goldfinch was 10 years 9 months old when it was recaptured and rereleased during a banding operation in Maryland.

*Filly pointed out that birds are not mammals, so I’ve decided to list the birds as birds instead of mammals as the reference list I use, calls them.

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Published by pat frederick

Published

101 thoughts on “Iowa State Bird*: American Goldfinch”

  1. Morning All!
    looks like clear skies and sun today–that would be nice!
    temps are cooler-also nice.
    took out the hummer feeders and something left a HUGE pile of crap under the porch swing…yuck!
    and, of course, we didn’t have the camera card in the camera.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Morning, Pat! Thanks for the HT about birds/mammals – LOL. Might that have been a bear pooping on your deck? Gives me shivers….I can do w/o bears, thank you. Cool here again and cloudy, in the 50’s when I got up and it’s up to 60 now. Wheezer was sleeping on the chair this morning, ready for her tuna. I’ve been seeing some goldfinches on the suet feeder lately and often on the regular seed feeder. But if you want them on a regular basis, plant a RedBud tree – they can always be found there.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Morning filly!
        I understand your desire to be accurate and facts matter!
        not a bear–bear poop is distinctive…lol
        this looks like a homeless person did it–seriously–it’s huge. must be a big old raccoon or maybe a dog? coyote?
        we have goldfinches–i see them all the time–but i can’t put out a suet or seed feeder because of the bears. but i DO want a redbud tree!!! i may have to order one from the nursery in the area.

        Liked by 1 person

  5. TheseTruths

    TheseTruths(@thesetruths)

    Offline

    Wolf

    August 11, 2024 00:43

    Catturd:

    Just so you know … MAGA is NOT divided.

    We have been 100% in lockstep, on the same page, and together since the beginning. We love each other.

    We now have a bunch of “influencers” who didn’t even support Trump in the primary, have been pushing 3rd party candidates for years, who are all doom and gloom, who still criticize Trump at every turn, who voted Democrat in previous elections – suddenly trying to force themselves into our movement to poison the well.

    Beware of these snakes.

    We know who you are.

    We see you.

    I don’t know if he’s talking about major players like governors and nationally known figures, or lesser-known people who still have large followings on the internet, or others. It would be beneficial to know who the snakes are.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. There are fakes within all of those groups so pick one at random and you’ll probably get it right. People like Rittenhouse, who have only one interest.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Liked by 1 person

  8. Like

    1. Sadie
      @Sadie_NC
      I am not in a cult. I do not worship Trump. I like the policies and the things he got done while in office. Here is a list of what Trump did while in office, all of which can be verified. This is why I will vote for him again. It is not emotionally based, and there are no feelings involved.

      Read this list and tell me you do not want this for our country. How can any American not want this?

      To the left, stop screaming orange man bad and read.
      Then, show me a list of anything like this that Harris has accomplished.

      Will you vote on policy in 2024 or emotion?

      👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

      Trump’s accomplishments as President.

      ECONOMIC OPTIMISM

      • 95% OF U.S. manufacturers optimistic about the future – the highest rate ever recorded
      • consumer confidence at an all-time high
      • small business confidence at an all-time high
      • stock market at an all-time high

      JOB CREATION / RECORD HIGH EMPLOYMENT / RECORD LOW UNEMPLOYMENT

      • almost 4 million jobs created!
      • 400,000 manufacturing jobs created (Manufacturing jobs growing at fastest rate in more than 30 years)
      • more Americans employed than ever before in U.S. History
      • unemployment claims hit a 49-year low
      • African American unemployment – lowest rate ever recorded
      • Hispanic-American unemployment – lowest rate ever recorded
      • Asian-American unemployment – lowest rate ever recorded
      • Women’s unemployment – lowest rate in 65 years
      • Youth unemployment – lowest rate in almost 50 years
      • unemployment for people w/o a high school diploma – lowest rate ever
      • Veterans’ unemployment – lowest rate in almost 20 years

      ECONOMIC GROWTH

      • Hit 4.2% in one quarter
      • retail sales surged over previous years, including highest-ever holiday sales in 2019
      • sales of new single-family homes up 31.9% over previous year in October 2019 (More families able to build and buy their own homes.)

      HIGHEST EVER MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME

      • 3.9 million Americans lifted off food stamps
      • The 25% lowest-paid Americans enjoyed a 4.5% income boost in Nov. 2019, outpacing the 2.9% gain in earnings by the nation’s highest paid workers.
      • The poverty rate fell to a 17-year low of 11.8% due to a jobs-rich environment

      TAX CUTS

      • Signed biggest package of tax cuts in U.S. history
      • $300 billion poured back into economy in the first quarter after cuts
      • Small businesses have lowest top marginal tax rate in more than 80 years

      MINORITY ADVANCEMENTS

      • Poverty rates for African Americans and Hispanic Americans have reached their lowest levels since the U.S. began collecting data
      • President Trump’s historic tax cut legislation included new Opportunity Zone Incentives to promote investment in low-income communities across the country
      • 8,764 communities across the country have been designated as Opportunity Zones
      • Opportunity Zones are expected to spur $100 billion in long-term private capital investment in economically distressed communities across the country
      • As mentioned above, unemployment at an all-time low for African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians

      LGBT ADVANCEMENTS

      • Appointed five openly gay U.S. ambassadors
      • Trump ordered Ric Grenell, his openly gay ambassador to Germany, to lead a global initiative to decriminalize homosexuality across the globe
      • Appointed the first openly gay person to a cabinet-level position

      EDUCATION

      • Directed the Education Secretary to end Common Core
      • Called on Congress to pass school choice legislation so that no child is trapped in a failing school because of his or her zip code
      • Signed legislation in September 2018 that increased funding for school choice by $42 million
      • The tax cuts signed into law by President Trump promote school choice by allowing families to use 529 college savings plans for elementary and secondary education
      • As part of the Pledge to America’s Workers, increased vocational training to 4 million people
      • Signed the first Perkins CTE reauthorization since 2006, authorizing more than $1 billion annually for states to fund vocational and career education programs
      • Issued executive order expanding apprenticeship opportunities for students and workers
      • Created a White House position for a director of HCBUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
      • Increased funding for HBCUs by 14%.

      ENERGY POLICY

      • Approved the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines
      • Opened ANWR
      • U.S. oil production reached an all-time high, surpassing Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world’s largest oil producer
      • Increased coal exports by 60%
      • U.S. became a net-neutral natural gas exporter for first time since 1957
      • Cancelled the anti-coal Clean Power Plan

      HEALTHCARE

      • Eliminated the individual mandate penalty of Obamacare.
      • Provided more affordable healthcare options through association health plans and short-term duration plans.
      • Enacted “right-to-try” legislation to allow terminally ill patients to try therapeutic treatments as advised by their physicians.
      • Signed an executive order forcing healthcare providers to disclose the cost of services to enable consumers to comparison shop, saying no American should be blindsided by bills they did not agree to in advance
      • Signed an order allowing small businesses to group together to negotiate better insurance rates for their employees
      • Signed the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act to help states develop maternal fatality reviews with an emphasis on reducing the higher maternal mortality rate for African- Americans

      PHARMACEUTICALS

      • Trump’s FDA approved a record number of affordable generic drugs
      • Signed a bill legalizing hemp and CBD oil
      • Signed a law ending the gag order on pharmacists that prevented them from sharing cost-saving information
      • Persuaded many drug companies to freeze or reverse planned price increases
      • Reformed Medicare to prevent hospitals from overcharging low-income seniors for drugs, saving seniors hundreds of millions of dollars annually
      • Signed a law allowing some drug imports from Canada to reduce prescription costs
      • Agreed to provide HIV prevention drugs for free to 200,000 uninsured patients per year for 11 years

      OPIOIDS

      • Secured $6 billion in new funding to fight the epidemic
      • Helped to reduce opioid prescriptions by 16% during first year in office

      DEFENSE

      • Secured $700 billion in military funding.
      • Encouraged NATO allies to contribute more to their own defense ($69+ billion since 2016)
      • Established the Space Force as the 6th branch of our military
      • Issued an executive order to keep Guantanamo Bay open

      JUDICIAL IMPACT

      • Confirmed more circuit court judges than any other first-term administration
      • Confirmed two conservative justices to the Supreme Court: Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh

      VETERANS

      • Signed the VA Choice Act
      • Signed the VA Accountability Act
      • Expanded VA telehealth services, walk-in clinics, same-day, urgent, primary, and mental healthcare
      • Created the White House VA Hotline and staffed it with veterans
      • Held VA civil servants accountable for past misconduct by removing, demoting, or suspending 4,000 employees
      • Trump signed a measure funding prevention programs for Veteran suicide

      REGULATORY REFORM

      • Eliminated a record number of regulations
      • Enacted regulatory relief for credit unions and community banks

      INTERNATIONAL

      • Secured bid for 2028 Summer Olympics 2028 in Los Angeles
      • Secured bid for World Cup 2026 (U.S.-Mexico-Canada united)
      • Withdrew the U.S. from the job-killing Paris Climate Accord
      • Withdrew from Obama’s horrible Iran Deal
      • Moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem
      • Replaced NAFTA for better trade deal with Canada and Mexico
      • Reached agreement with the E.U. to increase U.S. exports
      • Imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports for U.S. security purposes
      • Protected Americans from terrorism by restricting individuals traveling from known terror centers (ban upheld by the Supreme Court)
      • Improved vetting and screening of refugees
      • Companies have brought back over a TRILLION dollars from overseas because of the TCJA bill that Trump signed.
      • Reigned in China on technology transfer, intellectual property theft, and abusive trade practices
      • Increased net U.S. exports by $59+ billion annually
      • Imposed sanctions on the socialists in Venezuela who have killed their citizens
      • Finalized new trade agreement with South Korea
      • Made a deal with the European Union to increase U.S. energy exports to Europe
      • Withdrew the U.S. from the job-killing TPP deal
      • Secured $250 billion in new trade and investment deals in China and $12 billion in Vietnam
      • Had over a dozen US hostages freed, including those Obama could not get freed
      • Secured a historic deal between Israel and the UAE to advance peace and prosperity in the region

      ENVIRONMENT

      • Signed the biggest wilderness protection and conservation bill in a decade. It creates five national monuments, expands several national parks, adds 1.3 million acres of wilderness, and permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund
      • Signed the Save Our Seas Act to fund plastic and garbage clean-up in the oceans
      • U.S. still leads the world in having the largest reduction in Carbon emissions, despite refusing to sign the climate accord

      ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

      • Reinforced the U.S.-Mexican border
      • Issued an executive order in June 2018 to end separation of families at the U.S.-Mexican border (the “caging” and separation began under the previous administration)
      • Secured billions to fund the building of a wall at our southern border; construction underway.

      NATIVE AMERICAN RELATIONS

      • Enacted legislation to compensate the Spokane tribe for loss of lands in the early 1900s
      • Enacted legislation to fund Native American language programs
      • Enacted legislation to give federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Montana

      CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

      • Enacted the First Step Act, which:
      • Overhauls sentencing, mandatory minimums, and early-release programs to reduce mass incarceration
      • Lowers recidivism by offering more rehab and job-training opportunities in prisons
      • Includes provisions for more humane treatment of inmates
      • Mandates that inmates be housed within 500 miles of their homes
      • Over 90% of those benefitting from the retroactive sentencing guidelines are African Americans
      • President Trump received the Bipartisan Justice Award at a traditionally black college for his work in judicial reform.
      • The Trump Administration is promoting second-chance hiring to give former inmates the opportunity to live crime-free lives and find meaningful employment.
      • Trump’s DOJ and the Board of Prisons launched a new “Ready to Work Initiative” to help connect employers directly with former inmates

      ANTI-TERRORISM

      • Defeated the ISIS caliphate in Iraq and Syria in March 2019
      • Took out ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the world’s most-wanted terrorist

      HUMAN TRAFFICKING

      • Gave law enforcement and victims new tools to fight sex trafficking by signing FOSTA and SESTA into law
      • Through Trump’s Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam) initiative, Federal law enforcement more than doubled convictions of human traffickers and increased the number of defendants charged by 75% in ACTeam districts.
      • Trump’s OMB published new anti-trafficking guidance for government procurement officials to more effectively combat human trafficking
      • Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations arrested 1,588 criminals associated with Human Trafficking
      • Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services provided funding to support the National Human Trafficking Hotline to identify perpetrators and give victims the help they need. The hotline identified 16,862 potential human trafficking cases.
      • Trump’s DOJ provided grants to organizations that support victims of human trafficking – serving nearly 9,000 cases from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018
      • The Department of Homeland Security has hired more victim assistance specialists, helping victims get resources and support

      ANIMAL CRUELTY

      • Enacted legislation to make animal cruelty a federal felony so that abusers face tougher consequences.

      RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

      • Issued an Executive Order prohibiting the U.S. government from discriminating against Christians or punishing expressions of faith
      • Signed an executive order that allows the government to withhold money from college campuses deemed to be anti-Semitic and that fail to combat anti-Semitism

      INFRASTRUCTURE

      • The Trump administration allocated $100 million through the EPA to fix the water infrastructure problem in Flint, MI.
      • Trump’s USDA committed $124 Million to rebuild rural water infrastructure.

      PRO-LIFE

      • President Trump ordered a halt to U.S. tax money going to international organizations that fund or perform abortions.
      • President Trump is the first president so committed to the pro-life cause that he spoke at the March for Life.

      FARMING & AGRICULTURE

      • Approved up to $12 billion in aid for farmers affected by unfair trade retaliation.

      WELFARE REFORM

      • Signed welfare reform requiring able-bodied adults who don’t have children to work or look for work if they’re on welfare.

      CHILDREN

      • Signed the most comprehensive childhood cancer legislation ever into law, which will advance childhood cancer research and improve treatments.
      • The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by Trump doubled the maximum amount of the child tax credit available to parents and lifted the income limits so more people could claim it. It also created a new tax credit for other dependents.
      • In 2018, President Trump signed into law a $2.4 billion funding increase for the Child Care and Development Fund, providing a total of $8.1 billion to States to fund childcare for low-income families. The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) signed into law by Trump provides a tax credit equal to 20-35% of childcare expenses, $3,000 per child & $6,000 per family + Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) allowing you to set aside up to $5,000 in pre-tax $ to use for childcare.
      • Signed the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act (CARES) into law in 2019. It allocates $1.8 billion in funding over the next five years to help people with autism spectrum disorder and their families.

      MISCELLANEOUS

      • Signed a bill requiring airports to provide a place for mothers to breastfeed children
      • Signed the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund into law
      • Signed the Music Modernization Act, the biggest change to copyright law in decades
      • Signed legislation for a National Suicide Hotline with a 3-digit number (a Utah idea!)
      • Signed into law two funding packages providing nearly $19 million in new funding for Lupus-specific research and education programs, and an additional $41.7 billion in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the most Lupus funding EVER
      • Signed the first major anti-robocall law in decades called the TRACED Act (Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence) to extend the period of time the FCC has to catch those who intentionally break telemarketing restrictions. The bill also requires voice service providers to develop a framework to verify calls are legitimate before they reach your phone.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Ah – thank you! I was all set to try to copy it and save it on my HD and that made it MUCH easier! Now I’ve got a document I can e-mail out for those who don’t “do” X.

        Liked by 1 person

          1. GA was kind enough to do it at M’s, too. You’re both so thoughtful and kind – it makes me hang my head in shame sometimes….if only I had even a smidgeon of that patience….! My heart’s in the right place but….sigh….

            Liked by 1 person

            1. i figured out after trial and error…lol…that if i use the paste without formatting option…it appears just as it does int eh tweet–with their spacing. otherwise it appears as one long paragraph

              Liked by 1 person

              1. Well, you’re further along than I am – so far, all I’ve gotten was one long paragraph. I’ll check into that…..

                Liked by 1 person

  9. Feisty Hayseed

    Feisty Hayseed

    August 11, 2024 1:21 am

    28 Ukrainian officials who embezzled over US$36.45 million allocated for defence needs are exposed

    The total amount of losses to the state is over UAH 1.5 billion (approx. US$36.45 million) based on the report.

    Following the investigation, the embezzlement involved employees of the Ministry of Defence, military units, enlistment offices, regional military administrations and city councils, and directors of businesses in many oblasts of Ukraine.

    The suspects include the head of a department of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the head of the enlistment office in Donetsk Oblast, more than seven employees of military units in Donetsk, Odesa, Dnipro, Kyiv and Cherkasy oblasts, five employees of city councils in Poltava and Dnipro oblasts, and representatives of commercial structures.

    The suspects are charged with embezzlement and misappropriation of budget funds during the procurement of goods at inflated prices and overstatement of the cost of works, improper performance of duties, negligence in accepting low-quality uniforms for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and forgery and use of forged documents.

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/28-ukrainian-officials-who-embezzled-over-us-36-45-million-allocated-for-defence-needs-are-exposed/ar-AA1oztxP

    Liked by 1 person

  10. the cackler jumped on the no tax on tips policy? copying President Trump already?

    Troublemaker10

    Troublemaker10

    August 11, 2024 6:11 am

    Reply to  Troublemaker10

    There is already a bill sitting in committee on it since June…pass it.

    And just like that, both major party Presidential candidates support my Tax Free Tips Act of 2024 ! Thank you @RonPaul for originally introducing this bill. pic.twitter.com/ma8R2AoGrG

    — Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) August 11, 2024

    Liked by 1 person

  12. so they picked a running mate they can control because he’s as dirty as they come?

    he chairs the teacher’s pension system–and things don’t add up.

    Article

    A pension investigator asserts that under Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the state’s public school teachers’ retirement system has been manipulating financial reports by significantly understating the annual fees paid to Wall Street investment managers and showing unrealistically high returns, according to the New York Post.

    Edward Siedle, an independent pension investigator, claims that the state-run Teachers Retirement Association (TRA) has only disclosed less than 10% of the $2.9 billion in fees it spent over the past decade. He also criticized the TRA for reporting gains that barely exceed its own benchmarks by 0.2%, which he described as “virtually impossible.”

    “Even Bernie Madoff didn’t claim to beat the market every single year — and certainly not by the exact same percentage,” Siedle said, and referred to the TRA performance as a “Madoff miracle under Walz’s watch.”

    The late financier Madoff orchestrated the largest investment fraud in Wall Street history, pleading guilty in 2009 to running a Ponzi scheme that swindled thousands out of their life savings.

    Walz, who has been serving as chairman of the Minnesota State Retirement System since January 2019, oversees $140 billion in state employee funds, including $28.2 billion for teachers, the outlet reported.

    “I don’t know if the man had any pre-existing knowledge of finance or pensions, but as chairman, he should have educated himself,” Siedle said. “Pension board members have a fiduciary duty to monitor fees, and to ensure that the investments’ performance is accurately disclosed.”

    Katie Dickerson, a teacher nearing retirement, testified in February that despite high contribution rates, there have been no improvements to the retirement system, leading to extended work years and significant penalties for early retirement.

    “Not only do we have a high contribution rate to TRA, but we . . . are forced to work many more years unless we are willing to be hit with huge penalties,” Dickerson reportedly told the Minnesota’s Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement.

    For FY 2023, the TRA reported an 8.9% return and $24.19 million in management fees. But Siedle estimates actual fees to be between $334 million and $467 million, or 5% to 7% of TRA’s private assets. Even a 1% fee would total $280 million — over 10 times the reported amount. Siedle’s requests for investment documents have not yet been fulfilled by the TRA or state agencies.

    Siedle’s report notes that the Minnesota attorney general and state auditors, who typically investigate such issues, are on the same state pension board chaired by Walz. Consequently, Siedle filed a whistleblower complaint with the SEC and FBI in July, according to The Post.

    The Harris-Walz campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

    https://thelibertydaily.com/tampon-tim-scandal-28-public-teachers-retirement-system/

    Liked by 1 person

  13. SS blocks camera crew from getting her unscripted chat with restaurant owner…but the exchange is heard…LOL

    FTA

    A longer version of the video shows the Secret Service agent periodically blocking the cameraman as Kamala Harris interacted with the restaurant employees.

    At one point idiot Kamala Harris asked the restaurant owner if she made the food in house.

    The restaurant owner showed Kamala Harris one of their specialties and Kamala asked her if she made it in house.

    “And you make that here?” Harris asked after the restaurant owner showed one of her specials.

    What a moron.

    This is why Kamala Harris hasn’t spoken to the media since she forced Biden off the ballot 20 days ago.

    She is just too stupid to do a press conference.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/08/secret-service-agent-placed-directly-front-cameras-shield/

    Liked by 1 person

  15. “NEW: Internal Tensions Roil Kamala Harris Campaign Even As Press Declares Nothing But ‘Joy'”

    Red State, By Bonchie | 8:29 PM on August 10, 2024    

    AP Photo/Matt Rourke

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “The thing about putting lipstick on a pig is that underneath the lipstick, you’ve still got a pig. That’s the Kamala Harris campaign right now, at least according to a new report on the internal tensions roiling her operation. 

    There’s no doubt the vice president turned presidential nominee without winning a single primary vote has some momentum. There is a sheer jubilance among Democrats simply because they have someone other than Joe Biden to vote for. Much of what is bolstering Harris isn’t organic, though. It’s the result of a relentless press campaign to redefine her as a talented, likable politician full of “joy.” MSNBC even compared Harris to Taylor Swift.

    But while the propaganda machine is hitting on all cylinders, Kamala Harris is still Kamala Harris, and that’s apparent behind the scenes. 

    Kamala Harris’ campaign is navigating internal tensions as a team of new senior strategists take hold of an operation largely staffed by people hired when Joe Biden was the Democratic nominee, according to six people, including aides familiar with the dynamics.

    Longtime Harris loyalists are also chafing at the continuing presence of some Biden aides known for disparaging the vice president, three of the people said.

    The unfolding friction is the result of an unprecedented overhaul of the Democratic ticket less than three months before the election, a daunting task that requires integrating two political worlds while at the same time selecting a vice presidential nominee and battling former President Donald Trump.

    Keep in mind that we are talking about a person who had 92 percent staff turnover in the last four years. That wasn’t by sheer chance. Harris is a deeply difficult person to work for, with reports painting her as borderline abusive to her underlings. 

    In the case mentioned above, the situation is a bit more complicated. When Biden dropped out of the race, he left behind a fully staffed presidential operation. The last thing Harris wanted to do was start firing people because that would lead to dissent breaking out into the open. That’s left the vice president desperately trying to hold a house of cards together that is chock-full of operatives who hate each other. 

    The question is how long she can keep this charade going. She has the press on her side, and that’s a big asset as far as tamping down leaks.

    What Harris does have in her favor right now is time, not because there’s so much left before election day but because there’s so little left. Given enough time, she would self-destruct as she’s always done. Harris has not suddenly become an excellent politician, but if she can stay away from the off-the-cuff situations that have historically haunted her, she may be able to run the clock out. 

    Still, there is at least one debate coming up, and that is probably the best chance Donald Trump will get to knock Harris off her astro-turfed sugar high. If her campaign begins to falter at all, you could start to see cracks form given how weak the foundation is.”

    Liked by 1 person

    1. i’ve been reading comments that she’s either high or drunk most of the time.

      when she’s forced to be straight or sober, that’s when she gets mean.

      and now there’s a story out this morning that the cackler is feeling drained and weakened on the campaign trail. i’m guessing they will claim she has cv and keep her off the campaigning–just video clips of her reading promises–she can’t be allowed to speak off the cuff–just like the maggot.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Ya’ know, I’ve think you’ve got something there – bet they do try that!!! And “the people” will blindly go on believing the pablum fed to them by the corrupt press!!!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. again…just “sources”…but i wonder

        Charlotte99

        August 11, 2024 3:42 am

        CONCERN FOR KAMALA According to inside sources Harris has been complaining of ‘nausea, fatigue and general malaise’ on the campaign trail. ‘It’s significant and she’s been consulting with physicians.’ [Developing]

        KAMALA HITS WALL According to inside sources Harris is complaining of ‘fatigue’ and ‘tiredness’ ‘The campaign trail is already taking its toll.

        https://nitter.poast.org/isource_news/status/1822494376494583910#m

        Liked by 1 person

  16. “Federal Judge Orders CDC to Stop ‘Likely Unlawful’ Erasure of Former Employees’ Emails”

    Red State, By Becca Lower | 1:48 PM on August 10, 2024    

    Stefani Reynolds/The New York Times via AP, Pool

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “The Centers for Disease Control and Infection (CDC) has likely been breaking the law for years, according to a new ruling by a federal judge imposing an immediate injunction on the agency’s practices, which will have vast repercussions for all agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

    The ruling came Friday, for a case brought by the conservative legal organization, America First Legal Foundation, after it found through a FOIA request that the emails of several employees of the CDC “had likely been destroyed” after leaving:

    The dispute arose last year, when the Trump-aligned America First Legal Foundation filed a Freedom of Information Act request for records about a CDC publication entitled “LGBTQ Inclusivity in Schools: A Self-Assessment Tool.” After months of wrangling, the CDC identified three employees who worked on the document but indicated that two of them had departed the agency and their emails had likely been destroyed.

    That prompted AFL to ask U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras to halt the CDC from doing this, while the case plays out:

    America First Legal challenged the CDC’s recordkeeping practices as unlawful and urged Contreras to impose a “preliminary injunction,” a legal order requiring that the CDC immediately stop deleting employee emails until the court determines the legality of the process. Contreras’ decision to grant the injunction indicated he believes the….group is likely to prevail.

    Contraras agreed, writing Friday in a 36-page opinion “that: CDC’s policy and practice of disposing of former employees’ emails ninety days after the end of their employment is likely unlawful”:

    Contreras, an Obama appointee, found that the agency had been employing a records-retention policy that had not been approved by the National Archives. That policy led the agency to delete lower-level employees’ emails 90 days after their departure from the agency, rather than the three-to-seven-year retention required by standard National Archives procedures.

    The judge said the CDC, along with all other Department of Health and Human Services agencies, had adopted a National Archives protocol known as Capstone that calls for senior officials’ emails to be preserved permanently and sets retention periods of between three and seven years for messages in the accounts of lower-level employees. CDC maintained it only signed on to part of the Capstone approach, but Contreras said the agency appeared to have embraced the whole plan and then abandoned part of it without permission.

    “The available evidence suggests that CDC did indeed commit to manage and dispose of its employees’ emails pursuant to the [Capstone] schedule,” Contreras wrote. “Because CDC disposed of former employees’ email records pursuant to a schedule that was not approved by the Archivist, it is likely that … records removed or deleted under the CDC’s unapproved policy were removed or deleted unlawfully.” [emphasis added]

    At the time of this writing, Politico did not receive comment from either the CDC or spokespeople for the DOJ or the National Archives. 

    In a statement after Contraras’ ruling, America First Legal’s executive director Gene Hamilton said:

    “The Biden-Harris Administration was actively destroying the records of federal employees at the CDC in blatant violation of the law — and we are pleased that the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has ordered a stop to their illegal conduct.”

    This is the CDC we’re talking about, mind you, and any right-minded person has to wonder exactly what they’ve been deleting over these many years. Not that we can expect a rushed press release from the Biden administration with the facts any time soon, but it’s something to ponder.”

    Liked by 1 person

  17. “Elon Musk Buys The United Kingdom To Establish Free Speech There”

    World · Aug 10, 2024 · BabylonBee.com

    Article Image

    LONDON — In a surprise move today, Elon Musk purchased the entirety of the United Kingdom in order to allow citizens to again have the freedom of speech they once enjoyed.

    “How much is it?” asked Musk in a post on X, after user ‘Tom_Bomb_420’ had posted that Musk should consider purchasing the former empire. Musk then followed up with a post of a thinking emoji, a sure sign that the billionaire was seriously weighing the pros and cons of purchasing the United Kingdom.

    Though several British politicians insisted that one could not simply purchase their country, Musk simply responded, “LOL just did.”

    While Musk reportedly paid a hefty sum for the islands, he felt the purchase justified in order to safeguard the sharing of dank memes. “Every man, woman and child deserves the opportunity to share memes,” explained Musk. “A South African buying the U.K. has a delicious irony for sure – but trust me, it’s all about the memes, baby.”

    At publishing time, Elon Musk had reportedly begun considering buying America after hearing the Democratic ticket’s position on the First Amendment.

    Liked by 1 person

  18. “Construction Superintendent Arrives On Site To Point And Nod At Things”

    Life · Aug 10, 2024 · BabylonBee.com

    Article Image

    TEMPE, AZ — Local man Matt Dawkins arrived at his team’s construction site this morning to carry out his duties as superintendent, spending roughly thirty minutes pointing and nodding at things.

    The construction crew watched in awe as Dawkins expertly surveyed the site, pointing here and there. “I’m so glad he’s here. This is so helpful,” said construction worker Harvey Smith. “He’s just so good at pointing and nodding, it really moves the project along. Oh look, he’s nodding again. Really chipping in to help the crew.”

    According to sources, Dawkins splits his time into roughly fifty percent pointing and fifty percent nodding. “Yes, that there,” said Dawkins, nodding. “Look at this,” he said, now pointing. “This here, yes,” said Dawkins, now nodding and pointing simultaneously. “Good, yes.”

    At publishing time Dawkins had departed, leaving the construction to wonder how they could have ever completed the project without his help.

    Liked by 1 person

  21.  “A Florida man was arrested again last summer after trying to “run to London” across the Atlantic Ocean in a homemade vessel resembling a hamster wheel. The US Coast Guard intercepted Reza Baluchi about 70 miles  off Tybee Island, Georgia on 26 August.

    Officials said the 44-year-old marathon runner refused to leave the vessel for three days. Mr Baluchi has tried three similar voyages before, all of which ended in Coast Guard intervention.”

    Liked by 1 person

  22. Just The News: “President Joe Biden gave his first televised interview on Sunday since dropping out of the 2024 presidential race. Biden highlighted his concerns about former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., coming out against him if he stayed in the race.

    Biden said House and Senate Democrats pressured him to drop out, worrying he was hurting their chances of reelection, the New York Post reported. Biden gave Rep. Pelosi a special mention.

    “A number of my Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate thought that I was going to hurt them in the races,” Biden said in the CBS News Sunday Morning interview. “And I was concerned if I stayed in the race, that would be the topic — you’d be interviewing me about why did Nancy Pelosi say [something] . . . and I thought it’d be a real distraction.

    Biden said he saw himself in 2020 as merely a transition president and that the importance of “maintaining this democracy” influenced his decision to drop out.

    Criticism of Biden’s mental fitness intensified after a dismal debate performance in June that saw many Democrats publicly call on their party’s standard-bearer to step down from his run for re-election.

    Biden quickly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris after dropping out. Harris has since gained traction in the polls against former President Donald Trump.

    Reports have suggested Pelosi led the charge to convince Biden to drop out, including by rallying other Democrats against Biden. Biden did not elaborate on this during his televised interview, and Pelosi has denied the accusations.”

    Liked by 1 person

  27. “Sunday Strip: Brother, can I Share Your Oats? and Walz Hearts America”

    Robert W Malone MD, MS, Aug 11, 2024

    EXCERPT: “Joy” is the new slogan of the Kamala Harris campaign. How to beat JOY™ is described in an essay by Sasha Stone. I immediately fell in love with the “logo” and plan to use it in all sorts of memes. I strongly recommend reading Sasha’s essay.

    Because JOY™ so fits the Kamala-Walz duo. The question is, can we make JOY™ go viral!

    JOY™ is funding the pediatric transitioning of children.

    Like

  28. JOY™ is finding tampons in the men’s bathroom.

    Richard Dawkins is a British evolutionary biologist, zoologist, and author.

    Somehow, people think that the censorship is over because they don’t hear about it. When people get expelled from social media, it doesn’t make MSM. The truth is that once they cancel someone, that person literally has no voice.

    Many of us out there have been canceled, and the communities that use Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc., are clueless. They literally have no idea.

    So, now, we can add one of the most famous scientists in the world, an evolutionary biologist, who writes common sense about men being men and women being women, as another smart, important voice has been terminated from social media.

    This headline is not a spoof.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. hmmm we ain’t got any of those in our woods…LOL
      my hair was never that long–but that’s how i braided it (when i had long hair…lol)
      i wonder what’s on those sheets of paper???

      Liked by 1 person

    1. “Garduno-Heiser House, 1960s, 1954 Lucile Avenue, Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California, United States, Raul F. Garduno, Architect, with Peter Heiser and Paul Judson.

      Garduno and Heiser were classmates at the storied USC School of Architecture in the late 50’s, a program that generated prodigious mid-century talents including William Krisel, Pierre Koenig and countless others. Together, the two college undergrads embraced the formidable challenge of designing this, the first of two side-by-side steel frame houses, with construction requiring minimum grading on a steep, and supposedly unbuildable Silver Lake hillside.

      Long on youthful temerity but short on funds, the pair realized their dream with Heiser, originally a successful child actor, selling his 1950’s Corvette to raise capital for construction. Influenced by the sports car’s pioneering use of lightweight fiberglass panels, Garduno and Heiser in turn utilized the material in the design of the original sinks and tubs throughout the residence.”

      Liked by 1 person

  36. smoke and mirrors…in favor of more border patrol but only to EXPEDITE entry into US

    FTA
    Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is attempting to cast her as a tough-on-the-border candidate, but a former leader of the Border Patrol is warning the public not to buy it.

    The Harris campaign has released a slate of advertisements that claim the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate would “fix the border” and crack down on illegal immigration by increasing the number of Border Patrol agents. However, retired Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott, who led the agency while Harris served as “border czar,” says voters must look at her record to understand how she would really handle border security.

    “Look at the track record and dive into the details,” Scott said to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “It’s smoke and mirrors.”

    “Just like the Senate bill, she supports more funding and more agents, but it’s to expedite the processing and flow of more illegal aliens into the United States quicker,” Scott said, referring to the now-dead Senate border deal that was quashed in the House earlier this year. “It’s not border security.”

    In a campaign ad released in July, the Harris campaign claimed the vice president supports increasing the number of Border Patrol agents, supports new technology to block drugs from entering the U.S. and even faulted former President Donald Trump for not supporting the Senate border deal. The vice president doubled down on this approach with a new ad this week that casts her as a tough border-state prosecutor and reiterated her pledge to hire “thousands more” border agents.

    The new campaign drive appears at odds with her history as a U.S. senator and as vice president.

    When running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, Harris was among the majority of contestants who raised their hands when asked if they supported the decriminalization of illegal border crossings. As a senator, she once attempted to compare Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to the Ku Klux Klan and joined a list of Senate Democrats in formally opposing then-President Donald Trump’s efforts to increase the number of Border Patrol agents on the ground.

    https://americafirstreport.com/kamala-harris-suddenly-knows-how-to-fix-the-border-crisis-but-a-retired-border-patrol-chief-isnt-buying-it/

    Liked by 1 person

  38. Tomorrow is the President Trump – Elon Musk interview and it will be hosted live on Trump’s X account….

    Please post that Trump and Musk as little boys meme.

    Liked by 2 people

  39. Just The News: “The U.S. women’s basketball team’s eleventh-hour victory over France secured Team USA’s position in the gold medal count. With the women’s basketball win, the U.S. tied China for most gold medals at 40 and took home the most medals overall at 126.

    “The U.S. easily won the total medal count with 126. Aside from the 40 gold, the Americans won 42 silver and 44 bronze,” ESPN reported. U.S. women’s basketball coach Cheryl Reeve knew the medal standings before her team played on Sunday. “I saw the medal count beforehand, so I knew,” Reeve said. “That’s what we need — more pressure.”

    China finished second in medals overall, with 91 medals, consisting of 40 gold, 27 silver, and 24 bronze.

    “The last time the U.S. didn’t top the standings in gold medals was at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, when the Americans finished second to China, 48-36,” ESPN reported.”

    Liked by 1 person

  40. Between the Stars I photographed this moment underwater. I was able to do it by putting my camera in an underwater case, attaching it to a metal weight and placing it all under the eggs. I waited nearby for it to be dark, and when the newt appeared, I lit it with an LED lamp. I started the camera with a home-made wired remote release. It turned out 1-2 sharp pictures. © Tibor Litauszki/TNC Photo Contest 2023

    A newt is silhouetted floating above a large mass of eggs. Light from above is diffused through the opaque eggs.

    Dawn’s Whispers: Graceful Hoopoe Silhouette at Sunrise A Hoopoe took flight with its wings spread in a smooth motion across the canvas of the early-morning sky that was illuminated by the sunrise’s bright hues. I saw that this bird would occasionally grab its prey in the air and other times on the ground. Additionally, I observed that each time it caught its prey, it flew in the same direction to a nearby tree.​© Hermis Haridas/TNC Photo Contest 2023

    Living inside the yellow fields Inspired by yellow colour I decided to take a photo with a drone showing an aerial perspective of a small settlement of the city of Swidnica, Poland, which was built in the middle of a field. In the spring months the buildings are surrounded by beautiful rapeseed fields.​© Agnieszka Wieczorek/TNC Photo Contest 2023

    A small community of boxy white building sits like an island surrounded by brilliant golden yellow farm fields.

    Magadi Airshow The alkaline Lake Magadi provides breathtaking patterns on the surface of the lake to photograph flamingos. Lake Magadi, Kenya 12 Sept, 2023. © Neelutpaul Barua/TNC Photo Contest 2023

    Aerial view looking down on a lake. The water is red with a curling ripple of white through the center. Flamingos fly over the lake in a curving flock.

    Black and White Drone photo of a creek during a snowstorm, Salisbury Mills, New York © Derek Robertson/TNC Photo Contest 2023

    Looking down on a wide creek. The dark water splits the middle of the image, running between snow covered banks.

    Liked by 2 people

  41. Freshwater Fish Farming Freshwater fish farming area at Lake Balang Tonjong, Antang Village, Manggala District, Makassar. Freshwater fish farming is a form of animal husbandry that produces fish as a source of animal protein that is beneficial for human health.​© Maman Sukirman/TNC Photo Contest 2023

    Rectangular fish pens create an abstract geometry on the surface of a lake.

    Home bound Bangladesh is a densely populated country. The scenario of public transport changes during Eid festival as people leave Dhaka in over crowded transports. In the photo, huge crowded launches (water vessels) are seen in Sadarghat launch terminal in Dhaka. People took position on the roof of the river trucks. © Mostafijur Rahman Nasim/TNC Photo Contest 2023

    People and blankets create a brightly colored patchwork on the roof decks of three long boats. A smaller green decked boat floats at an angle behind the larger vessel in the center.

    Busy Builder A penduline tit builds its unique nest in the marshes of Biebrza National Park, Poland. The male is shown leaving the nest to bring more material to finish up the build. © Grzegorz Długosz/TNC Photo Contest 2023

    A small bird flies away from a basket shaped nest that dangles from a thin branch. The nest is framed by the greenery of surrounding trees and shrubs.

    Peek-a-Boo This lesser prairie chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) image was taken in western Kansas. I was in a blind overlooking a lek on April 1, 2023. It was a cold morning and by the time the activity died down enough to exit the blind I was shivering. I wasn’t sure if it was due to the cold or the excitement of getting an opportunity to witness the non-stop activity of the prairie chicken.​© Mike Krehbiel/TNC Photo Contest 2023

    Golondrinas These pretty golondrinas (Hirundo rustica) rest on the power lines. © Juan Jose Murillo/TNC Photo Contest 2023

    Barn swallows sit closely together, filling several power lines. The intersecting lines create a pattern with the crosswalks and other painted markings on the road beneath them.

    Liked by 2 people

  43. I am adding a short daily prayer to the board. I would invite each of you, if you wish, to also add one or maybe two of your own liking. I do not want to stifle anyone but please limit yourself to one or two religious postings. here’s one I found that I liked.

    Like

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