https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzAg7hXkz_w
Friday, May 15, 2026
A Public Service Announcement
An email:
Run for House District 31A!
InboxSummarize this email
Joe Shepherd joe@dflhouse.com
Hi everyone,
I’m reaching out today because House District 31A needs a candidate. It is the ONLY one in all of Minnesota without a DFL option.
This seat is currently represented by Harry Niska, who is the House Floor Leader of the GOP. He is the one leading the charge to block common sense gun reform and keeping ICE out of our public schools.
We can do better. But we can only do that if someone steps forward. All it takes is someone going to either the Anoka County courthouse or the Secretary of State's office and paying $100 between Tuesday 5/19 and Tuesday 6/2. If cost is a concern, that can be resolved.
Even if you’re not sure about running a full campaign, putting your name on the ballot matters. It gives 42,000 of your neighbors a choice and at a time like this, democracy needs that.
I would love to talk with anyone who’s even considering it.
If you’re interested or just curious please reach out. I am more than happy to answer any questions you have.
We need someone to step up. I hope it might be you or someone you know.
Best,--Joe Shepherd
Rural Campaigns Director
Minnesota House DFL
Harry needs someone to run against him who is passionate about protecting the integrity of the public school system, (as written into Minnesota's Constitution as an unquestioned public good), from voucher mischief, where Harry's kids go (or went, there may have been graduation) to a private Jesus school.
Wife is School Board Chair of that Jesus school, https://www.lcamn.org/about-us/guiding-principles/
Tight with Emmer: e.g. https://www.linkedin.com/company/emmer-for-congress
There is SISU Counsel - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jenniferniska_sisu-counsel-activity-7428594411971887104-pfW1
and https://www.sisucounsel.com/
That SISU thing might look like lobbying, and while Harry as a public official need not register as a lobbyist if lobbying, some might not like the idea of it as possible. I asked duckduckgo.ai whether SISU was lobbying, and got this return:
Sisu Counsel does not specifically mention lobbying services; it primarily offers legal counsel for growing businesses. However, the founder, Harry Niska, has experience in political advisory roles, which may include aspects of lobbying.
sisucounsel.comgo
Sisu Counsel's Services
Sisu Counsel primarily provides legal counsel for growing businesses. The firm focuses on offering strategic legal partnerships rather than direct lobbying services.
Founder’s Background
Harry Niska, the founder of Sisu Counsel, has a background in political advisory roles, which may involve aspects of lobbying. His experience includes:
- Serving as general counsel for various organizations
- Advising political candidates and party units on election law and campaign finance compliance
- Holding a position as the House Majority Leader in the Minnesota House of Representatives
Lobbying Services
While Sisu Counsel does not explicitly state that it offers lobbying services, Harry Niska's political experience may allow him to provide insights or guidance related to lobbying as part of his broader legal counsel. However, the firm's main focus remains on legal advice for businesses rather than direct lobbying activities.
BOTTOM LINE - To me, Hary is a capable attorney, and bottom line ethical. But partisan. If he gave up that voucher crap which to me undermines public education, I'd be one whole hell of a lot happier.
He can push vouchers, he can pick whatever school the spouses thing best for offspring, but if he wants the public to pay the dime for his kids non-public schooling, he's an enemy.
Talking fairness -- Childless people pay taxes to keep the public schools healthy, people whose children are adult after public schooling continue to pay taxes to keep public schools healthy, and then the Niskas want a free ride at a private school from public money. Undermining public schooling by siphoning off money to private pockets and private adventures. No. That's not right. Opinions clearly differ. So - I hope somebody runs against Niska for the benefit of continued public schooling funding being un-vouchered.
I would not run on that belief because I could never get my heart into how the legislature operates, with all the fucking around all session than putting out as with this term, a massive bonding bill at the last fucking minute.
Harry should oppose that mode of operating. It's bullshit, but how it has been done, is done, and will be done unless the accepting Harry types are replaced with people who'd operate differently.
So, vouchers and reform would be where I think Niska is weak, and he does not want women to have control over their own bodies. That's cruel, and don't blame Jesus for it. He never touched the issue as I understand the Gospels. It's a new GOP cooked up divide and conquer deal. Invented as a creepy thing to gin up votes not otherwise there for loser Republicans.
______________UPDATE______________
Partisan to a fault. To be able to remind people what the present GOP is, I did
search = paul wyrich Heritage foundation founder snake
That search returned:
Paul Weyrich - "I don't want everybody to vote" (Goo Goo) a youtube video
and
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/religious-right-real-origins-107133/
https://www.salon.com/2021/12/18/history-of-abortion/
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/they-were-always-planning-this
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2008/12/19/paul-weyrich-1942-2008/
https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-weyrich19-2008dec19-story.html
That's the heritage of Niska's grounding, unless he can show something better. The top of his ticket, not running this time, is racist to a fault, has fucked the world economy, and is a grifting blowhard to boot.
Harry, not THAT bad, but the legislature will have a new solid majority, and Harry will be sidetracked.
PLUS Anybody taking up the challenge of that Dem email, if I read between the lines correctly, will this time get some central party funding instead of being hung out to fend alone for herself/himself. The central DFL money has not been put into HOUSE 31A in the past, and it shows.
Fund things and perhaps they prosper. I think there will be a candidate. And a good one. I do not believe any person has yet declared a candidacy. But Niska can be beaten. His voucher voice has been loud, to his detriment, he's crypto king Emmer's godchild or seems to be, and he's got that new business he should focus on fulltime.
The web brings the world to my laptop.
Last night, before supper, reading this. (UPDATE: In truth, watching the embedded video)
Over morning first cup of coffee, checking AJ these -
Iran war: Why the BRICS foreign ministers meeting in India matters
and -
Who are the US CEOs in China with Trump, and what’s in it for them?
Wow, Musk in a suit. And -
Trump, Xi discuss Strait of Hormuz as Chinese vessels transit key waterway
Well, wanting it posted for readers before even reading, just guessing, BRICS - Russia has oil with others at risk; Trump accompanied by the usual suspects; and words are words but from leadership people of the world's two biggest economies, the item is a must read - taking all statements at face value of course.
Posting that exhausted the first cup of coffee, but before tapping the second, go to EmptyWheel, and see that Wheeler, who lives in the Irish time zone, has already posted:
Gatekeeper to Narcissistic Meltdown
A detailed post, presumably from its length - again get the link to readers promptly - and already a commentary thread there.
A holdover AJ item from yesterday, yet to be read by Crabgrass:
Trump, Xi discuss Strait of Hormuz as Chinese vessels transit key waterway
Such a positive sign, they did not spend the first day only exchanging gifts and photo ops, but there likely was that (AJ did post a photo).
Second cup, and begin reading. Strait seems a key topic.
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Was it an epiphany on the way to Damacus that led to a Ramsey Resolution putsch, or was it just attention to precedent?
There is this -
From East Bethel website --
https://www.ci.east-bethel.mn.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/5524 -- at p99-100 of 108
At the May 11 East Bethel council meeting passage was reported as smooth and bump free. https://www.hometownsource.com/abc_newspapers/abc_newspapers/east-bethel-will-keep-flying-1983-flag/article_96cdb299-edef-43ce-baec-02e854883462.html
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
How confident should we be that Trump really wants a quick Iran deal, and will get one? [UPDATED]
Who knows, first, the mind reading part, between those ears is a morass.
Second, getting a deal? Kalshi as my barometer.
Not a blind fucking guess, but a Prediction Market hedge situation in real time. Yeah, sure. Bet on it.
____________________UPDATE________________
Allegedly, a tight Trump pre-war series of stuff was "leaked." Emptywheel explores this, so see there, and links in the post, for detail.
Multiple outlets get leaked to? About war planning? Strange, indeed. Try a scenario -
You as president of USA have oil cronies. They funded a great amount toward your election.
Before any war with Iran, you seize a stake in Venezuelan oil, to go with fracked fossil fuel being churned out in record amounts in the USA.
Then you promise 4 weeks, and start the Iran war.
Your oil cronies prosper from the Strait being impacted, it was clearly foreseeable it would be, and the longer it is impacted the more money the cronies make.
You threaten Iran's oil, Iran says you attack it, Kharg Island, then the Iranians say do that and we'll destroy Persian Gulf regional USA oil assets, all we can reach with our drones and missiles.
You want to bomb, your cronies will suffer, conveniently, you have a TACO reputation, and you decline followup on your threat.
Threat after threat, looking tough, each with a backoff event conveniently happening.
Things drag on. Cronies prosper as things drag on.
You want to look different than you plan. You deliberately and selectively leak, a story, one you like, then atop a pile of stories of the reporting of "planning," as leaked - whatever truth may be, a sticky atop that pile with TREASON written on it with your sharpie, and you give that pile to your pliant interim AG to "investigate." You look seriously concerned that way, and it locks everybody into the story as you want it seen. Because no insider steps up to say boo after things that way are set up.
The pliant interim AG, your former personal lawyer, after time indicates an inability to pin things down about who leaked what to which outlet, at least three outlets got stories, and they assert privilege as to sources.
Not that anybody would do that, it would be vile and sneaky, but it is only a hypothetical. Not real. Not suggested any such scenario is anything but a hypothetical. In anything there are risks. People would say anybody having a war drag on as an unintended thing looks brash in planning, with no offramp, and they will question your age and mental vigor. That might be a risk, especially if old and loosing some shaprness is an actual fact. You'd possibly suffer a declined opinion among those who'd voted for you. Not that it would impact the balance of your second term. (In the hypothetical we would presume a second term. And age as a factor.)
Good reads from remote corners of the web, proving corporate media have quality competion from info boutique level outlets apparently having quality minds.
https://www.democracycollaborative.org/tracking-the-crisis - antiTrump partisan +
We Read The News So You Don’t Have To!
“All we have to do is flood the zone. Every day, we hit them with three things. They’ll bite on one, and we'll get all of our stuff done, bang, bang, bang. These guys will never be able to recover, but we’ve got to start with muzzle velocity.” — Steve Bannon
TRACKING THE CRISIS is a weekly news round-up tracking the administrative, legislative, and other actions of the U.S. Administration, as well as the many forms of legal and movement response from across a broad range of social, political, and economic actors.
We are providing this service for collective informational purposes, as a tool for understanding the times during a period of disorientingly rapid flux and change in the political economy of the United States.
The Democracy Collaborative should not be understood as endorsing or otherwise any of the specific content of the information round-up.
This round-up is produced by humans, not by Artificial Intelligence. To submit items for our attention, please email tracker@democracycollaborative.org
So a news aggregation or summarization site, perhaps more, but with a lean politcally --- sample content
Off Ramp
Week of March 20-27, 2026
Welcome to TRACKING THE CRISIS, a weekly round-up from The Democracy Collaborative tracking the administrative, legislative, and other actions of the Trump Administration as well as the many forms of legal and movement response from across a broad range of social, political, and economic actors. TDC is providing this service for collective informational purposes, as a tool for understanding the times during a period of disorientingly rapid flux and change in the U.S. political economy. This round-up is produced by humans, not by Artificial Intelligence. TDC should not be understood as endorsing or otherwise any of the specific content of the information round-up.
TRUMP TRACKER: Administration actions
Trump blinks first in Hormuz standoff, is mocked over touting imaginary ‘peace talks’ to cover his ‘Persian TACO’ debacle in the Gulf. Pundits speculating on Trump’s deteriorating mental state got a generous helping of red meat to chew, as the world watched the President of the United States, outmaneuvered by Iran and backed into a corner by global markets, attempt and fail to mask over a U.S. retreat with a bizarre act of political theater. After days of talking about ‘winding down the war’ lastweek, Trump changed direction again, issuing an ultimatum to Tehran on Saturday, March 20, threatening to “obliterate” Iran’s civilian energy infrastructure if it did not re-open the Strait of Hormuzwithin 48 hours. The Revolutionary Guard responded in kind, saying it will “completely close” the strait of Hormuz and target all “energy, information technology and desalination infrastructure” held by the U.S., Israel, and their allies throughout the Persian Gulf region if its own facilities are attacked. Over the next 24 hours, Iran executed a series of ambitious attacks as if to drive home its message: it penetrated Israel’s Iron Dome and wounded 100 people as missiles successfully struck targets in southern Israel and near Jerusalem; launched further missiles at the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh and the U.S. military base in Baghdad; and—in another first for Iran—launched two long-range ballistic missiles at the U.S./British-occupied base on Diego Garcia, over 4000km away in the Indian Ocean. I
https://thenextsystem.org/evolutionary-reconstruction-displacement -
Table of Contents
- How do evolutionary reconstruction and displacement of corporate power differ from “countervailing” strategies of containment and regulation?
- Why are evolutionary reconstruction and displacement key strategic approaches in the building of a Pluralist Commonwealth?
- Can we see displacement operative today?
Not touting or faulting either political party, but with a perspective
And note. This is from discovering today that the two sites exist. From an initial view, promising, but Craobgrass cannot give the full gold-star endorsement per small sample size.
A quick note on the Ramsey City Council Resolution Reevaluation
There was to be something and then at the meeting start, there was a change, but either way, it made the statewide daily op-ed online:
Opinion | Censure Walz? Ramsey City Council has lost the plot.
It was a guest editorial authored by former City Councilmember Matt Woestehoff, saying in part:
It’s worth asking who benefits from this agenda. Mayor Ryan Heineman appears to be auditioning for a role in a larger political machine. Our Minnesota House representative — Harry Niska, a Republican — has made the Walz fraud narrative a centerpiece of his legislative identity. U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, whose Minnesota operation is run by Niska’s wife, has aligned himself closely with the national Republican apparatus and its current standard-bearer.
These resolutions read less like local governance and more like a coordinated talking point making its way down the chain. From Washington to St. Paul to a Tuesday night City Council meeting in Ramsey. Residents deserve to know what’s actually driving the agenda in their City Hall.
[...] Council Member Shanna Stewart said in a prior work session that she didn’t want the city divided over a flag. She was right. [...]
Then there are the two resolutions targeting the governor over local government aid losses. The Feeding Our Future fraud is real. The oversight failures are legitimate policy questions. But their relevance to Ramsey is not.
[...] Ramsey has received zero dollars in local government aid every year since at least 2018. [...] The direct financial harm to Ramsey taxpayers from LGA mismanagement is therefore a percentage of zero. A percentage of zero is zero.
Matt Woestehoff lives in Ramsey.
The Crabgrass view in part is in a chicken coop you expect to find chickenshit, but Council table and chambers are not some chicken coop.
The mayor said he intends to not abandon his GOP resolution putsch. Promising more of the same.
Intransigence in the face of good sense can happen. Sentence end, - is tyranny, would have been more dramatic, but less true to actual scale.
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