Elaine (@starree) header
Elaine (@starree) profile picture

“I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.” Galileo

Joined October 2007
Photo by Elaine (@starree)Photo by Elaine (@starree)Photo by Elaine (@starree)Photo by Elaine (@starree)Photo by Elaine (@starree)Photo by Elaine (@starree)Photo by Elaine (@starree)Photo by Elaine (@starree)Photo by Elaine (@starree)Photo by Elaine (@starree)
Elaine retweeted
It would be useful, whichever way courts resolve these future cases on Congressional power, for courts to fast-track them. Think of it as a flip side of the shadow docket: If the fact of judicial delay means that the challenger always wins, then the delay is itself a problem.
"Even if these challenges ultimately fail, litigation challenging subpoenas or other demands could take years, running out the clock until the end of Trump’s term, attorneys close to the White House said." Gift link: wapo.st/4zIYyqy
5
6
1
42
4,766
The Armistice agreement that marked the end of World War I #OTD in 1918, specifically required that Germany surrender all of its Fokker D.VII aircraft, along with other aircraft. The German Fokker D.VII was frequently cited as one of the best fighter aircraft of World War I.
2
11
82
2,824
The blue slip — used by racist Southern segregationist Senators in the 50s, 60s & 70s to block supporters of civil rights from ascending to the federal bench in the South — was used by Cindy Hyde-Smith to block Scott Colom from a judgeship. He's now the Senator-elect.
MS GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith announced today:"I will not return the blue slip on the nomination of Scott Colom to serve as a U.S. District Court judge for the Northern District of MS." Colom was 1st nominated to a lifetime appt. as a federal judge by President Biden in Nov. 2022.
8
122
4
522
18,350
Today idols arise and demand our worship: success at any cost, money, an obsession with appearance, popularity, or the unrestrained pursuit of pleasure. Sometimes, in order to win the approval of others, we may go so far as to lie, betray, or humiliate someone on social media. Do not bow down before anything that cannot give you life. And if you have ever fallen, get back up. Do not allow anything or anyone to take away the freedom God has given you. #ApostolicJourney #Argentina
560
5,004
402
29,520
718,571
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. -- Albert Einstein
26
102
6
584
17,882
If you somehow think Hegseth was singled out by the Tomb Guard for laughing, you can search online and find *many* videos of Tomb Guards reprimanding people for being loud and disrespectful. The only difference in those are tourists and kids, not the Secretary of Defense.
52
1,174
21
7,109
49,377
Pete Hegseth got yelled at by a Tomb Guard for laughing and carrying on in front of the Tomb, and of course, this isn't the first time Team Trump has been accused of disrespect at Arlington National Cemetery. I wrote about the fracas that happened there two years ago.
We practiced with caskets that were stored outside our barracks building. To simulate the weight of honored remains, we’d toss several full sandbags into the belly of the casket and then, for hours, we’d go through our exact movements. Over and over and over. (thread)
23
317
5
1,797
27,292
Because of course.
102
878
36
4,233
64,259
Elaine retweeted
wow
A Tomb Guard from the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, “The Old Guard” was forced to verbally reprimand Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and a group of his senior advisers Wednesday after some in the group laughed and loudly talked in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington. Video of the incident, posted by CNN, shows Hegseth standing and taking photos in front of the tomb with his wife, Jennifer, chief of staff Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver as well as senior adviser and deputy assistant Tami Radabaugh, following a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery for Veterans Day.
149
474
14
6,972
1,052,157
This is truly abhorrent. Pete Hegseth doesn't know how to conduct himself, even at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. His behavior is unbecoming of any visitor to the Tomb, let alone that which comes from a Secretary of Defense.
1,120
4,585
178
18,976
358,640
🚨 BREAKING: A U.S. Army Tomb Guard was forced to reprimand Pete Hegseth and his group after members of the group were caught laughing and loudly talking at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Veterans Day. “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times,” the guard shouted. CNN obtained video of the incident.
923
5,542
497
23,560
724,237
Elaine retweeted
wow -- CNN broadcast footage of an Arlington guard yelling at a group with Pete Hegseth to "MAINTAIN SILENCE ... PAY RESPECT!" after someone in his entourage started laughing at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
2,205
14,827
2,157
90,840
7,876,848
Join us for “Salute to Service 2026: A Veterans Day Celebration,” a PBS special produced by The U.S. Army Field Band which premieres tonight, Friday, Nov. 6 at 9 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS or the PBS app. This Soldier-led production features host Jason Kelce visiting with @USArmy Soldiers from 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and Cadets from @WestPoint_USMA, as well as 2010 West Point grad and NFL offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva reminiscing on his time as a cadet. It also includes unique musical performances by 8-time Grammy winning musical legend Jon Batiste. Batiste playing some of his biggest hits re-imagined alongside our Six-String Soldiers from The U.S. Army Field Band is guaranteed to have you dancing in your seat, and Jason Kelce wailing on the bari sax with the Jazz Ambassadors is sure to bring a smile to your face. We hope you will join us in honoring and celebrating our nation's veterans! #SalutetoService #Veterans DISCLAIMER OF ENDORSEMENT. The U.S. Army does not endorse any commercial product, service, or activity. Any links or mentions of outside agencies does not constitute endorsement.
4
34
3
99
21,319
Reminder: entrance to National Parks is free to U.S. citizens and residents tomorrow in honor of Veterans Day 🇺🇸
25
2
120
1,976
The American flag, a symbol of service, sacrifice and unity, waves in Arlington National Cemetery’s Memorial Amphitheater for the National Veterans Day Observance. (U.S. Army Video by Derek Patterson / Arlington National Cemetery)
32
244
17
899
8,632
So surreal! I’m struggling to find the words to describe what it was like seeing my flight gear and a piece of my airplane in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum… The new Modern Military Aviation gallery opens on Veterans Day, and I had the opportunity to get a sneak peek. The gallery tells the story of U.S. military aviation from the end of World War II through the post-9/11 era. When I landed my A-10 after being hit by a surface-to-air missile in 2003, I never could have imagined seeing part of my airplane from that mission in the Smithsonian. Even though aircraft 987 never flew again after that mission, I’m glad its story lives on. Seeing it all brought back so many memories from that day. I’ll always be thankful for those who designed, built, and maintained an airplane that could take that much damage and still bring me home safely.
215
357
21
3,524
77,086
It’s that time of the year for my least favorite cultural tradition in our country — grown ass adults uttering this statement: “LGBTQ people get an entire month but veterans don’t.” I’m being generous in that sentence construction; it’s typically said with far less grace and humanity. I’m a veteran. I’m a proud veteran. I’m also queer and proudly so. Every June, I celebrate Pride. Every November, I celebrate veterans. Because veterans do, in fact, have an entire month. It’s November. It is every November. Every November is National Veterans and Military Families Month. Have I sufficiently made clear the existence of a monthlong observance in honor of our nation’s veterans, particularly to folks who, apparently, are also not aware of the existence of Google? We’re not done. We’re not close to being done. Every April is Month of the Military Child. Every May is National Military Appreciation Month and Month of the Military Caregiver. We’re still not close to being done. There are the military branch and component birthdays/observances: Army (June 14th), Army Reserve (April 23rd), Navy (Oct. 13th), Navy Reserve (March 3rd), Air Force (Sept. 18th) Air Force Reserve (April 14th), Marine Corps (Nov. 10th), Marine Corps Reserve (Aug. 29th), Coast Guard (Aug. 4th), Coast Guard Auxiliary (June 23rd), National Guard (Dec. 13th), and Civil Air Patrol (Dec. 1st). There are the various days specifically honoring military families, caregivers, and surviving loved ones: Gold Star Spouses Day (April 5th), National Military Brats Day (April 30th), Military Spouse Appreciation Day (Friday before Mothers Day), Children of Fallen Patriots Day (May 13th), Gold Star Mother’s Day (last Sunday in September), National Day of the Deployed (Oct. 26th), and—because families carry the greatest burden here, I’ll include it in this section—National POW/MIA Recognition Day (third Friday in September). Then there are are the days honoring those who earned specific military decorations: National Medal of Honor Day (March 25th), Silver Star Service Banner Day (May 1st), and National Purple Heart Day (Aug. 7th). And also the days honoring specific groups of veterans and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice: K-9 Veterans Day (March 13th), National Vietnam War Veterans Day (March 29th), National Former POW Recognition Day (April 9th), V-E Day (May 8th), Women Veterans Day (June 12th), National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day (July 27th), National Buffalo Soldiers Day (July 28th), Agent Orange Awareness Day (Aug. 10th), Navajo Code Talkers Day (Aug. 14th), V-J Day (Sept. 2nd), and National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (Dec. 7th). Outside of those distinct categories, there are some others: Four Chaplins Day (Feb. 3rd), USO Birthday (Feb. 4th), National Salute to Veteran Patients (week of Feb. 12th), Seabee Birthday (March 5th), American Legion Birthday (March 15th), National Rosie the Riveter Day (March 21st), National Hire a Veteran Day (July 25th), Department of Defense Birthday (Aug. 10th), National Airborne Day (Aug. 16th), Veterans of Foreign Wars Day (Sept. 29th), and Wreaths Across America Day (Dec. 18th). Oh, and Armed Forces Day (May 20th), which falls at the end of Armed Forces Week (which begins on May 13th). I hope I didn’t miss any? Just kidding! I did, in fact, intentionally exclude the Big Three, out of curiosity to see how many folks wouldn’t notice: Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Veterans Day (Nov. 11th), and, you know, Independence Day. At least 120 days on the American calendar are dedicated to honoring our fallen service members, our military, our veterans, and their families. That’s about a third of the full year. I think that’s great. I think that’s necessary. Our military, our veterans, and their families deserve that recognition. I also think that’s ironic given how much our military, our veterans, and their families are left behind in this country when it comes to health care, housing, education, and so many other areas which it seems Donald Trump and the Republican Party willfully ignore and/or intentionally worsen. Trump and the GOP ignore the fact that we have Active Duty service members and their families who qualify for food stamps — and use them. Because they lack appropriate compensation. They ignore that military families, for some strange goddamn reason, in the richest country in the world, have to pay partially out-of-pocket for childcare on military bases. They ignore that there are six million military caregivers in our country—loved ones who directly care for veterans with service-connected disabilities—and struggle to provide necessary support that the VA should be entirely covering — but isn’t. They ignore that that the VA is ludicrously under-resourced and struggling to provide necessary, lifesaving support for veterans and their families. They ignore the personal, direct consequences of sending our military into stupid, unnecessary wars—the struggle and incalculable loss experienced by our troops being killed or severely wounded in these wars—because the lives and livelihoods of our service members and their families never rank on the list of priorities for Trump and the Republican Party. They aggressively pursue a clear agenda—openly set by Trump and Hegseth—to purge officers from the top ranks of our military because they are not white men. Need I remind on the long history of Trump denigrating our fallen service members? It is clearly evident that Donald Trump is overseeing the most anti-military presidential administration in American history, and that doesn’t need more than a few moments of good faith reflection to consider. It’s obvious. Our military, our veterans, and their families are thought by Trump and his cronies to be little more than props in service to his flaming narcissism. Even their performative antics are openly shameless: “inviting” Active Duty service members to that UFC event being hosted on the White House lawn but refusing to pay for travel and lodging. Oh, and no family members. Oh, and don’t be overweight. Oh, and you have to wear your uniform. Treated. Like. Props. Maybe we need a National Lip Service to Military Appreciation Day, recognizing politicians and their supporters who only seem to care about our military, our veterans, and their families when they can their service can be cynically exploited as a cudgel against people that Trump and the GOP hate. The past 18 months have seen members of the military and veterans who are women, Black, Latino, APPI, and LGBTQ broadly erased from any recognition by the Trump Administration and the Department of Defense specifically. Who doesn’t remember the government website purges touted by Trump and his cronies? Last year, thousands of transgender service members and their families were kicked out, their lives uprooted, their service cruelly degraded, their characters slandered, all because of a senseless and bigoted policy created to placate anti-trans extremists, signed by a coward who avoided military service. I’m proud of my service and grateful to all who have served and their families, and there’s plenty of time throughout the year to express that. June is all for LGBTQ people, veterans and non-veterans alike. Before you’re eager to offer a ridiculous comparison in recognition between veterans and LGBTQ Americans, I’d encourage at least a tiny bit of effort toward research and understanding regarding our military, our veterans, and their families. It’s not difficult. ---- Link to full essay available here for easier sharing: charlotteclymer.substack.com…
26
263
20
1,015
32,638
Elaine retweeted
Commemorate Veterans Day by exploring the stories of our nation's heroes. Starting Monday, November 9th through Wednesday, November 11th, stream a non-stop marathon of films such as The Vietnam War and The Civil War.
8
73
5
365
9,449
1/ Don’t know the difference between Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day? Here’s a personal story of mine on why it’s important. (thread)
72
1,466
697
2,201