Well, the big roads, bridges, and fossil-fuel infrastructure bill passed. And now...drumroll please...it looks like the more important Build Back Better reconciliation bill is on the ropes as fossil fuel industry and corporate-backed Democrats renege on their promises. Hope you have your flood and fire insurance updated. Earlier in the week, Brian Deese, the director of Biden’s National Economic Council told PBS:

“We are confident that this framework will pass the House and will pass the Senate. And what we're telling lawmakers is, this is an easy vote.”

As COP 26 wraps up in Glasgow, Scotland it is clear that the developed countries are going to rely on magic and wishful thinking to address the climate crisis. According to Climate Action Tracker, only four parties - Chile, Costa Rica, the European Union, and the U.K. - have any kind of concrete plan to meet their pledges to cut the carbon cord. While nations - including the U.S. - have committed to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the Century, current policies put us on track for 2.7 degrees Celsius. And time is running out. 

It’s been a banner week for right-wing extremists.  Kyle Rittenhouse puts on a show in an attempt to avoid accountability for killing two people and wounding a third during a #BlackLivesMatter protest last year in Kenosha, Wisconsin. And, Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, tweeted out an altered anime video showing a character with his face killing a character with AOC’s face. 

Despite the dire warnings from scientists and direct experience with extreme weather, a new Washington Post-ABC News polls finds Americans’ views on the threat of climate climate change remains unchanged over the past seven years. And, surprise, surprise, the gap between Democrats and Republicans has only grown. 

Austria is preparing to place millions of unvaccinated people on lockdown as chancellor Alexander Schallenberg expressed the exasperation of many European leaders calling it shameful that people refuse to get vaccinated, putting their communities at risk. The move comes as COVID cases are surging in Europe. 

Oh, yea, and the leaders of Belarus have got an extremist grift going. They’re massing refugees from the Middle East on the border of Poland with promises they will be given entry to Poland. The problem? 1) it was a lie; 2) Poland’s right-wing government doesn’t want them. Prepared for more of this, folks as the climate crisis grows. 

Republicans are getting high on their own supply of ivermectin.  Joe Rogan has become the right-wing’s go-to source for medical advice.  

Meanwhile, the pandemic news takes a turn for the worse as we are seeing a surprising spike in COVID cases in states with high vaccination levels. That paints a rather concerning picture for this winter. 

Day-time TV host and vaccine skeptic Dr Oz. is looking to make a gubernatorial run in Pennsylvania. 

Conor Lamb went on social media the other night telling everyone that he’s a “normal” brunch-going, Manchin like Democrat and if you don’t like it, well, then he’s “NOT YOUR GUY.”

In the day’s following Lamb’s late-night twitter rant about socialism, Civiqs and the Inquirer released a new poll that showed Lt Gov John Fetterman polling at 52% while Lamb was polling at 12%.  Clearly, not our guy.   

Hundreds of striking Scranton Federation of Teachers members went to the capitol Wednesday calling out the “state-sponsored union busting” happening in Scranton.  The teachers went on strike over a week ago after working without a contract for 4 years.  Speakers included Senator Marty Flynn, Lt Gov John Fetterman and House Rep Malcolm Kenyatta.

Central Bucks School Board meeting goes off the rails as a few members of the community take the mic during the public comment period to spew transphobic and anti-semitic comments. 

MotherJones and WHYY looked into the “successes” fringe school board pac’s had with their local school board races and it turns out the PACs supporting right-wing candidates had zero victories in competitive races across Bucks and Montgomery Counties. 

Kutztown University food service workers continue their fight for a union. They will be holding a rally at 5:30 on Tuesday, November 16 outside South Dining Hall on campus. The workers sought voluntary recognition from Aramark, but the company has been dragging its feet. Kutztown University food service workers are the only ones in the State System of Higher Education without a union. 

SpaceX launched another four astronauts to the ISS this week on its Crew-3 mission. The launch marks SpaceX’s fifth crewed launch in less than 18 months. 

Shenzhou 13 astronauts continued construction of China’s new space station over the weekend in a six and a half hour space walk. This was the first of two or three planned space walks to install a robotic arm and prepare the module for the arrival of new equipment and modules next year. 

Heinz rolled out its first “Mars Edition” ketchup this week. The ketchup was made from tomatoes grown in Mars-like conditions. According to CNN, “A team of 14 astrobiologists worked for nine months at the Aldrin Space Institute at the Florida Institute of Technology, growing tomatoes in a controlled environment with soil, temperature and water conditions similar to Mars.” Research team leader Andrew Palmer said, “Before now, most efforts around discovering ways to grow in Martian-simulated conditions are short-term plant growth studies. What this project has done is look at long-term food harvesting. Achieving a crop that is of a quality to become Heinz Tomato Ketchup was the dream result and we achieved it.”