An irate MAGA caller took exception to a monologue about our rigged economic system and then went into a diatribe about immigration.
General News
A primer on how we get screwed by the rich via taxes, bonds, media, and politicians.
The rich did not get wealthy from their work or merit. Americans continue to be the raw material that they use. Here is how.
Why tariffs will fail as Trump empowers China. MSNBC host and Apple’s CEO Tim Cook explain.
MSNBC’s Michelle Norris and Apple CEO Tim Cook identify why tariffs will fail and Trump’s policies cede an educated workforce to China, as they destroy America’s education system and more.
MAGA Caller fell into an intellectual trap attempting to disparage DEI with MEI.
A MAGA caller’s idiocy exposed trying to disparage Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) by promoting Merit, Excellence, and Intelligence (MEI).
NEW GOP TALKING POINT: Trump is implementing Bernie Sanders & AOC policies. It’s False
Fmr. Pence’s COF Marc Short started a new GOP false talking point to discredit AOC and Bernie Sanders, who are reaching millions with their Fighting Oligarchy tour, by claiming Trump’s policies are theirs.
The Hartmann Report
“Free Trade” Has Put America & Democracy At the Mercy of China
Bringing our manufacturing back from overseas will reverse the 40-year-long slide of the American middle class and rebuild our nation’s security & economy. China is threatening the United States: this could get very ugly, very quickly. Here’s what’s happening. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is planning a trip to Taiwan, the first for a Speaker in […]
How Will Trump’s Deadly Sabotage Of America End?
use he has not been held to account, Trumpism has spread across the US landscape like metastasized cancer, with GOP politicians who aspire to corrupt strongman status emulating him in every state
The Abortion Firestorm is also a White Freak-out About the Browning of America
America is no longer all-white or all-under-white-control and white supremacists on the Court are bound and determined to do something about it
Support Independent Media
Guest Bloggers
On the Eve of World War III: Middle East Edition
One Tuesday afternoon, my grandfather picked up my sister and me from high school. He remarked that today marked nothing less than the beginning of World War Three.
To Support Public Education, Vote Molly Cook
Molly Cook, an ER nurse and organizer who served as the sparkplug of the movement that passed Houston’s Prop B last November, and Jarvis Johnson, the current State House representative for House District 139. I am voting for Molly, and public ed is one of the main reasons why.
League of Independent Voters of Texas
Imperial Governance and Constitutional Wreckage • LIV News, July 29, 2021
Are imperial governance and the related constitutional wreckage taking Texans down a dangerous path to a constitutional crisis?
The elephant in the Texas voting booth that neither party wants to talk about.
The elephant in the Texas voting booth that neither party wants to talk about is the suppression of a plurality of Texas voters. Surprise! There are more non-aligned and independent Texans than Democrats or Republicans.
Egberto Mentioned In Media
Overheard on CNN.com: SOPA stokes some readers’ ire, plus tech talk from CES – This Just In
Editor’s note: This post is part of the Overheard on CNN.com series, a regular feature that examines interesting comments and thought-provoking conversations posted by the community. Share your thoughts about the technology world on CNN iReport’s Tech Talk assignment. "I used to surf the web freely, then I took SOPA to the knee." –Kaew […]
Christian defaces Obama sign w/ ‘nig**r lover’, local GOP apologizes
Christian defaces Obama sign w/ ‘nig**r lover’, local GOP apologizes More details have emerged about the small business owner in McKinney, Texas who had her Obama 2012 sign vandalized with "NIG**R LOVER, and Obama Sucks Dick!" on one side and "Romney & Ryan" "Christian, white, anti-gay" and finally "Republicans rule!" on the other side. […]
Egberto On TV
Egberto on HLN on Obama’s Decision To Send Troops To Afghanistan
LIKE My Facebook Page – Visit My Blog: EgbertoWillies.comFollow @EgbertoWillies
Guested On HuffPost w/Amy Goodman Talking Surveillance, Security & Privacy (VIDEO)
Conversation on Surveillance, Security & Privacy The Conversation on Surveillance, Security & Privacy continues with members from our community. What do Americans who live and work outside the overheated atmosphere of the beltway think is the right balance between security & privacy? The Conversation on Surveillance, Security & Privacy continues. What do Americans who live […]
Egberto’s Published Articles
Is Net Neutrality Really Necessary? You’re Damn Right!
by Egberto Willies and Keyan Bliss (Originally Published at Common Dreams) Three weeks after Christmas, the American judiciary gave telecommunications corporations a huge present. On January 14 a federal appeals court decided to weaken the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Internet Neutrality policy by striking down the rules it adopted in 2010 to regulate Internet service […]
Egberto Willies: Wendy Davis’ life story provides empathy necessary to be governor – Kingwood Observer
It seems like I chose just about the right time to write an article on Wendy Davis. She finds herself under attack not only by the entire Right Wing establishment, but from the traditional media as well. She happens to be the story to balance the myriad of bad acts by Republicans. There is a […]
Battleground Texas
Support continues to build for Judge William ‘Bill’ McLeod
Judge McLeod turned around his office in two months. McLeod and his staff accomplished more in 2 months than his predecessor did in two years.
Occupy Movement
Occupy DC Students March From McPherson Square to Sallie Mae Headquarters Protesting Student Debt
March on Sallie Mae by Washington DC students in concert with Occupy DC. They were protesting the stranglehold that Sallie Mae has on their lives by the profits being made on their backs. The march started in McPherson Square in Washington DC and proceeded to Sallie Mae headquarters. The DC police escorted the march which […]
Netroots Nation
Vice President Joe Biden heckled at Netroots Nation 2014 ‘Stop deporting our families’
Vice President Joe Biden displays poise when heckled about deportations Vice President Joe Biden visited Netroots Nation this afternoon. The room was full of excitement as he was introduced. The Vice President thanked the Netroots Nation community for demanding and coaxing politicians to effect a progressive agenda. He stated the fact that it would not […]
Coffee Party Posts
Coffee Party USA Board of Directors 2016 Meeting in Blue Ridge, Georgia
The Coffee Party USA board of directors coalesced around a strong voter education and turnout strategy that we will be releasing in the forthcoming weeks.
Columnists
Uroscopy: Medieval Medicine’s Obsession with Urine
In the mid-thirteenth century, William of Rubruck, a Flemish Franciscan friar, traveled to the Mongol Empire. The main purpose of his visit was to undertake missionary work, but he also
Guide to Becoming an Environmental Leader and Inspiring the Next Generation of Eco-Defenders
Your community needs leaders who care about the environment. As climate change, pollution, and loss of biodiversity threaten our planet’s health, we can’t afford to wait for governments or
Why Sandbagging Public Servants Invites Waste, Fraud, and Abuse
Workers who issue licenses and permits for the city of Dallas fought back in 2024 when officials moved them into a building that failed to meet the very same safety requirements they enforce at dozens
Cats Are Fueling a Global Eco-Crisis, Pushing Birds and Other Species to Extinction
While there are rare (and very cute) exceptions, cats and birds do not get along. Cats are predatory by nature; their hunting instinct never goes away. Birds are one of their primary targets—and
John Young column: Torture-chamber treatment for fed workers
We now can know the MAGA-fied, true-believer replacement force for federal workers demeaned and demoralized into submission by a president bent on destruction. Rats. When federal workers who
The AI Power Play: How ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Others Are Shaping the Future of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) has seen rapid growth, transforming industries and daily life. From chatbots to advanced generative models, AI’s capabilities continue to expand, driven by powerful
A Few Takes
Original Sin? Or Original Choice?
I subscribe to a lot of newsletters. I don’t always get around to reading them daily, just like I am sure many cannot read every one of my “Egberto Off The Record” newsletters. After all, I send out 1 to 5 every day, depending on the day’s news. I served on the Coffee Party USA […]
Joy-Ann Reid did the best job of covering the real TikTok narrative, the hidden billionaires.
Joy-Ann Reid and Robert Reich provided the best coverage of the insane TikTok fiasco. Unlike the shallow coverage elsewhere, they hit the real issues.
Maddow Blog: Stefanik picks the wrong fight, asks whether we were better off in 2020
But the idea that conditions in the United States got worse after Trump left the White House is demonstrably ridiculous.
People Making a difference
White woman’s response to black man who carjacked her at gunpoint a lesson for all.
This white woman’s response to a black man who hijacked her card should present the template for the empathy we should have across the board.
Ashley Mosley, staying in her community to make a difference
Our communities would do well having more people like Ashley Mosley. She stayed in community where many have left intentionally.
Local News
Houston Chronicle Endorses State Senator Molly Cook for reelection to SD-15.
Congratulations to State Senator Molly Cook (@MollyforTexas) for earning the endorsement of the Houston Chronicle for reelection to Senate District 15.
Why DA Kim Ogg must be expelled from the Democratic Party for her Ted Cruz endorsement.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg can’t endorse Ted Cruz under the law and order moniker. Ted Cruz was a participant in the attempted coup on America via his support for Donald Trump.
Harris County’s Guaranteed Income Program (Uplift Harris) is in Danger
Last April, Harris County passed a historic guaranteed income program. One of more than sixty pilot programs across the country,
Kingwood Texas Floods Again, May 2024.
Once again, the Kingwood, Texas, area is experiencing a significant flood. It is becoming a way of life that engineering can solve, but our political and economic system proves incapable of mitigating.
Entertainment
Chris Rock used his new Netflix skit Selective Outrage to slam Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.
I watched Chris Rock on Netflix this morning. It was clear that the Will Smith slap at the Oscars has affected Chris Rock’s comedy.
The movie “Honk For Jesus” brought back memories of a CNN iReport I did on Bishop Eddie Long.
Just got back from the movie “Honk for Jesus.” It felt familiar. A woman told my wife, “That’s the Eddie Long story.” Yes, it is similar to the iReport I did in 2010.
Message To Garth Brooks: Took this superfan lots of money & attempts to finally see you in Houston.
Garth Brooks super fan Debra Willey finally got to see you in Houston, TX, after several attempts and several thousand dollars — a shoutout maybe to her?
Environment
Are seaweed farms good for the planet or is that just industry hype?
The production of seaweed has boomed to over 35 million tons in the past few years, while the industry has become a $16.7 billion market.
What does the U.N. hope to accomplish by declaring 2025 the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation
The United Nations has declared 2025 the “International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation,” a significant step towards preserving glaciers as vital resources.
Sports
Texans Win. But why do it the hard way?
The Texans vs Bills game was exciting but it should have ended in regulation. Bill O’Brien is lucky to have stellar players.
Simone Biles named female athlete of the year | khou.com
Simone Biles continues to make Houston proud as she wins female athlete of the year. Congratulations! COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Gymnastics powerhouse Simone Biles has been named the 2019 Team USA Female Olympic Athlete of the Year after another record-setting performance in competition this year. Biles topped a list of award-winners of the honors presented […]
Move To Amend
Move to Amend’s Daniel Lee: Transcending political parties at the People’s Convention (VIDEO)
Many grassroots organizations have converged on Philadelphia, PA using the Democratic National Convention as the catalyst to organize for a better America.