The LuLac Edition #5, 749, August 26th, 2026

 

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

Our “Write on Wednesday” logo

This week we are running an editorial by the Citizens’ Voice newspaper on the big fight against the anti-discrimination ordinance which opposition to it is ridiculous on its face value.   Lies are being told by MAGA Republicans. But this is all they do. They only have two tools in their box, LIES and FEAR.

 

THE CITIZEN'S VOICE THINKS THE COUNTY'S ANTI-DISCRIMINATION ORDINANCE IS A GOOD IDEA.

When members of the Luzerne County Council voted to pass a much talked-about non-discrimination ordinance on Tuesday, they showed no small amount of political courage.

After all, the arguments against taking these steps were always going to be obvious ones for detractors to make. They were going to call them unnecessary, a waste of time and taxpayer money, nothing more than a blatant virtue signal.

We believe taking on this issue, and those criticisms, not only addressed potential issues in Luzerne County, but that doing so should embolden county governments around the region to explore ways to protect citizens both underserved and overlooked by current laws.

Luzerne County’s ordinance, passed by a 7-4 majority, establishes comprehensive non-discrimination requirements for employment, housing, education, health care and public accommodations throughout Northeast Pennsylvania’s largest county. It lists a slew of specific protected classes: Actual or perceived race, ethnicity, color, religion, creed, national origin or citizenship status, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, familial status, GED rather than high school diploma, physical or mental disability, relationship or association with a disabled person, source of income, age, height, weight, veteran status, use of guide or support animals and/or mechanical aids, or domestic or sexual violence victim status.

A human relations commission — the composition and responsibilities of which will be determined by the county council at a future meeting — will rule on discrimination complaints once the ordinance takes effect in 90 days.

Around 70 residents spoke on both sides of the issue during recent hearings. Arguments against the ordinance centered on it being somehow superfluous, given non-discrimination laws that were approved in the past in Washington, D.C., and at the state Capitol in Harrisburg.

We don’t believe those counters pass muster for several reasons.

Federal civil rights and non-discrimination protections have been weakened or gutted altogether in recent years as a matter of policy by the Trump administration through agency rollbacks and executive orders. At the very least, the administration’s policy seems bent on deprioritizing the enforcement of anti-discrimination laws that remain. A string of recent Supreme Court rulings — the Louisiana v. Callais decision in April effectively rendered the Voting Rights Act toothless — have done little to buck the trend.

State laws on the matter are holding a bit stronger, but they were meant more as a baseline. They clearly were never intended to prevent any communities that wanted to take further action from doing so.

Pennsylvania law expressly authorizes human relations commissions through the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, which grants any legislative body that oversees a county, city, borough or township authority to establish, fund, and operate one locally through the passage of an ordinance or resolution. They are meant to work alongside the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, which was established to enforce anti-discrimination laws established by the commonwealth.

We believe this to be an encouragement to expand the law when necessary to protect citizens from discriminatory action in those specific avenues where all Americans deserve a fair shot to build as happy and safe a life as they can.

Non-discrimination ordinances are hardly made redundant by federal and state statute. They fill real-world, community-specific gaps in policy that often haven’t been addressed or updated in decades.

For example, in most cases, neither federal nor state law bars an employer from casting someone out of a job pool because they have a GED, not a high school diploma. Also, neither protect renters seeking housing with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher. Source of income and GED are not protected classes at the state level, but they are now in Luzerne County, which is doing its diligence when it comes to protecting vulnerable, working-class citizens.

Other counties and municipalities around the region should follow suit, recognize these gaps, and accept that no small percentage of their own citizens are likely falling into them. For too many who can be slotted into one of these protected class classifications, federal and state law isn’t always as supportive as it could be.

Luzerne County did the right thing, paving the way for it to be very different in all of Northeast Pennsylvania.

the lulac Edition @5, 748, August 25th, 2026

 

LYING CRYING BYRON DONALDS SAYS

MEASLES OUTBREAKS CAUSED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, NOT LESS VACCINATION

In what was a big lie regarding measles, Trump ass kisser blamed measles not on the impotent government of dumbass Florida but immigrants. Wait, wait, I though the immigration problem was FIXED by the Republicans.

Here’s the exchange.

 REPRESENTATIVE BYRON DONALDS: So, Floridians have an opportunity to see the real price, see the real cost and make determines about where they get their healthcare.

I think that's much more of a constructive conversation about costs and health care and trying to stabilize prices than just simply vaccinations.

 

MARGARET BRENNAN: Right. But that also doesn't address coverage for them or how they pay for them. But I hear you. I'm sure a lot of people would like to know what they're paying. 

But in terms of keeping people healthy, nearly all of Florida is below the 95 percent immunization rate for herd immunity for measles. So, is your message to Florida parents, get your kids vaccinated against that one?

REPRESENTATIVE BYRON DONALDS: No. Actually, my message to Floridians and, quite frankly to Americans is, the reason why we have seen a measles outbreak in certain parts of the country is because of rampant illegal immigration into the United States from the previous administration.

Margaret, before Joe Biden went into office, when our borders were basically secure –

MARGARET BRENNAN: What evidence do you have of that?

REPRESENTATIVE BYRON DONALDS: Margaret, we've seen the outbreaks in El Paso, Texas, in southwest Florida, where I live, and many other parts where you know that you have a situation, people have come into the country illegally, have not had that vaccination schedule. And not the ones today on young kids, that parents do have concerns about. I'm talking about previous ones, where people weren't even getting the measles vaccine or mumps and rubella.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So, you want them to be vaccinated?

REPRESENTATIVE BYRON DONALDS: So, the key thing is you, number one, you've got to control immigration into your country. So this lying piece of shit is saying the immigration problem ISN’T Fixed?

Hey Lying, crying Bryon, get your LIES straight. Scary to think this slimeball is within reach of the Governor’s mansion in Florida.(CBS, LULAC) 

 

MORE OF TRUMP’S HORSESHIT

President Donald Trump’s insistence that his $600 million White House ballroom is justified because of the security upgrades it will bring is undermined by the fact that the complex already has a secret bunker, according to former officials.

The Washington Post cites three ex-officials who point to the existence of the nuclear-proof underground base as a basis for rejecting Trump’s case for proceeding with his pet project.

The bunker was commissioned in response to the 9/11 attacks and completed during Barack Obama’s tenure to keep the commander-in-chief safe.

He is spending money to have a cocktail party. $600 MILLION dollars while American struggle with health care, many go without and food insecurity. (The Independent) 

 

HAKEEM…

REALLY?

 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries met privately with President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner in recent weeks, prompting criticism from some Democrats ahead of approaching midterm elections, according to reports.

Although Kushner, who served as a senior West Wing adviser during Trump’s first term, does not have a formal role in the current Administration, he has remained involved in Trump’s diplomatic efforts in the Middle East and Russia.

During the meeting, the pair were said to have discussed housing, immigration, and the high cost of living as potential areas of common ground.

I just don’t see what Hakeem was trying to accomplish. No one can control Trump. On Housing, he screwed over his own majority with a successful talking point. On immigration the Trump administration has KILLED Americans, blocked any type of immigration reform, set up detention camp[s that are filthy, unhealthy and germ infested, and ridiculed the issue of high prices by mocking the concerns of the American public. And Hakeem, are you really going to break bread with a racist President who has incited and accelerated hatred toward people color?

The report comes less than three months before the November midterms, when Democrats are favored to retake control of the House from Republicans, who currently hold both chambers of Congress. A Democratic victory would put Jeffries in line to become speaker and give the party greater oversight powers to investigate the Trump Administration.

The meeting—an unusual instance of a top Democrat and a Trump confidant coming together to discuss potential areas of agreement—has drawn scrutiny from some within Democratic circles. (The Hill, LuLac) 

 

The LuLac Edition #5, 747, August 24th, 2026

 MONDAY MEMES 

The LuLac Edition #5, 746, August 23rd, 2026

 

 

CARAMEL IS MOST SOUGHT 

AFTER M&M

 

Take a stroll down the candy aisle, and you’ll find no shortage of unexpected flavors. That’s especially true of one longtime favorite: In the decades since M&M’s debuted in 1941, the candy-coated chocolates have been reimagined in an ever-growing range of flavors. But new data suggests that when it comes to M&M’s, some flavors have more staying power than others.

Caramel M&M’s are the most-searched M&M flavor in the country, according to a new report from the life insurance platform Coventry Direct. They are also the top-searched variety in 12 states, including Minnesota, Ohio, Tennessee, and Mississippi, pointing to the flavor’s enduring popularity since its debut in 2017.

“M&M’s are a useful candy barometer because they’re very familiar and constantly being reinvented,” Coventry Direct content team researcher Kyle Beierlein tells Food & Wine. “The original candy has decades of recognition and tradition behind it, but the brand also keeps introducing new centers, textures, and seasonal flavors.”

While Caramel M&M’s dominate searches nationwide, tried-and-true Original M&M’s lead in 11 states, with much of that interest concentrated in the Northeast and parts of the West.

Peanut M&M’s take the No. 3 spot, ranking as the most-searched variety in six states. The longtime favorite, which debuted in 1954, is especially popular in the South, leading searches in states including Georgia and Arkansas.

Ome of my first memories of candy is when I had the M&M’s as a child. Since then, they are a favorite when I’m in a pinch to get something sweet and not one that might melt in business attire. (Food & Wine, LuLac)

 

HOW MUCH COFFEE IS TOO MUCH?

The American Heart Association has weighed in on how much coffee can help or hurt you. Now I don’t have a dog in this hunt because I don’t drink coffee. But here are the recommendations.

The American Heart Association says up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day — roughly five 8-ounce cups of caffeinated coffee — is safe for most adults and does not increase cardiovascular risk.

Research cited by the AHA found that drinking two to four cups of coffee per day was associated with the lowest all-cause mortality, while roughly four cups per day was associated with the lowest risk of heart failure.

Caffeine affects people differently, and high doses, such as those found in energy drinks and energy shots, may increase the risk of high blood pressure and irregular heart rhythms. (Food & Wine, LuLac)

The LuLac Edition #5, 746, August 22nd, 2026

 

 

PENNSYLVANIA’S FIRST U.S. SENATORS

Pennsylvania’s first U.S. senators were William Maclay and Robert Morris, both elected by the Pennsylvania General Assembly on September 30, 1788

They took their seats in the U.S. Senate on March 4, 1789, the day the First Congress convened at Federal Hall in New York City

 

WILLIAM MACLAY

From: Sunbury, Pennsylvania

Party: Anti-Administration (Federalist)

Term: March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1791

Notable: The only senator in the First Congress to keep a diary, providing rare firsthand accounts of behind-closed-doors Senate sessions

He assisted John Harris Jr. with the planning the layout of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1785, where Maclay Street is named for him.[2] Following his tenure in the Senate, he served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on two occasions, as a county judge, and as a presidential elector. He is known for his journal providing historical information on the 1st United States Congress.

He constantly feuded with Vice President John Adams in the Senate after Adams rejected Maclay's political deal to support his vice-presidential candidacy during the 1789 presidential election. In July 1789 he issued a resolution requiring the president to request the Senate's permission to dismiss Cabinet members, but it was defeated by Vice President Adams's tiebreaking vote when Adams convinced Tristram Dalton and Richard Bassett to withdraw their support. During Senate debates over the Residence Act establishing the site of the U.S. permanent national capital and seat of government Vice President Adams worked with Morris, who preferred Philadelphia as the capital, to defeat Maclay's motion placing it near his landholdings on the Susquehanna River.

In his journal, which is the only diary and one of the most important records of the First United States Congress, he criticizes Vice President Adams and President George Washington. He also criticized many of their supporters who ran the Senate and included particular senators, believing that their ways of running the Senate were inefficient. He was unsuccessful in his attempt to be re-elected by the state legislature of Pennsylvania. His diary expresses his dry wit and commitment to democratic principles.

Following his retirement from national politics, he was also a member of the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives in 1795, 1796, and 1797. In addition, he was a presidential elector in the 1796 presidential election (voting for Jefferson), a county judge from 1801 to 1803, and a member again of the state House of Representatives in 1803. He died in 1804.

 

ROBERT MORRIS

From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Party: Pro-Administration (Federalist)

Term: March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1795

Background: A prominent financier and one of the Founding Fathers, Morris was a key figure in the oConstitutional Convention and the early U.S. government.

Pennsylvania ratified the U.S. Constitution on December 12, 1787, becoming the second state to do so

The 1788 election was the nation’s first senatorial election, with Maclay and Morris chosen by the state legislature before direct popular election was allowed under the 17th Amendment in 1913

Their terms were staggered: Maclay served Class 1 (two-year term) and Morris served Class 3 (six-year term)

Morris was a British-born American merchant, investor,  and politician, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Morris served in the Pennsylvania legislature, the Second Continental Congress, and the United States Senate. He was one of only two individuals (along with Roger Sherman) to sign the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution. 

 

From 1781 to 1784, he held the post of Superintendent of Finance of the United States, a role that earned him the title "Financier of the Revolution". Alongside Alexander Hamilton and Albert Gallatin, Morris is often regarded as a founder of the financial system of the United States.

Morris was selected as a delegate to the Philadelphia Convention, which wrote and proposed a new constitution for the United States. Morris rarely spoke during the convention, but the constitution produced by the convention reflected many of his ideas. Morris and his allies helped ensure that Pennsylvania ratified the new constitution, and the document was ratified by the requisite number of states by the end of 1788. The Pennsylvania legislature subsequently elected Morris as one of its two inaugural representatives in the United States Senate. Morris declined Washington's offer to serve as the nation's first Treasury Secretary, instead suggesting Alexander Hamilton for the position. In the Senate, Morris supported Hamilton's economic program and aligned with the Federalist Party. During and after his service in the Senate, Morris went deeply into debt through speculating on land, leading into the Panic of 1796–1797. Unable to pay his creditors, he was confined in the Prune Street debtors' apartment adjacent to Walnut Street Prison from 1798 to 1801. After being released from prison, he lived a quiet, private life in a modest home in Philadelphia until his death in 1806.

These two senators set the precedent for Pennsylvania’s role in the early Senate, representing the state’s Federalist leanings and marking the beginning of its long history in U.S. federal politics.  (wikipedia)