Something has indeed changed in race relations, author Ellis Cose concludes. There is less anger and rage, more hope and faith toward the future among African Americans of all income levels than there has ever been; more willingness by most white Americans to regard their fellow black citizens on an equal footing. This is especially true among the younger generations within both groups.

Pam’s House Blend broke the story last night, August 26, about Joe Solmonese’s departure from HRC.

I’ve been calling FDL members ever since we launched the membership program just to thank them for joining, but this week I’ve been calling members who have expressed interest in volunteering. It’s been an amazing experience. Our members have an incredible wealth of skills and expertise, and most have never commented on FDL before, so this is the first time we’ve had to speak with most of them.

Climate change skeptics have been after Dr. Monnett since Al Gore used information about his research in the movie, An Inconvenient Truth. Judging from the attacks launched since the last week of July on his 2005 paper and how environmentalists used that information to heighten awareness of rapid changes in the polar ice cap, the investigation of the scientist will continue to be misrepresented by the anti-science community, even as he goes back to work.

Instead of making payroll tax fairness a fixture of the Democratic brand, instead of wrapping that into a critique about the inequality that is at the heart of what America needs to fix in order to have sustainable finances again, Democrats chase these little moments to “prove” Republican hypocrisy – and in turn confuse everyone as to what it means to be a Democrat.

Hurricane Irene, while “only” a Category 1 hurricane, still poses significant risks to folks from North Carolina up into New England. The National Hurricane Center warns of high sustained winds spreading across a very wide area, with heavy rains, a strong storm surge, and possible tornadoes.

This makes for a golden opportunity for people with bad news to release, and at least a couple have taken advantage of the media’s focus on Irene to put that bad news out where it will get blown away by the storm.

I’ve been blogging at FDL’s The Dissenter for just over a month now. Covering issues ranging from government secrecy, the right to dissent, torture, location tracking and drones, it has been a pleasure to be able to write and publish to a website that takes civil liberties and digital freedom seriously. It has been a privilege to write and publish to a site that allows encourages writing that focuses on what it is at stake if certain liberties and freedoms are lost and doesn’t simply ask for coverage to go through some filter that requires attention to so-called national security interests or giving power benefit of the doubt.

Become a member of Firedoglake now.

“Pretty Saro” is a song that, depending on who you ask, may or may not have 18th-century origins in Somerset, Ireland, or be a 19th-century tune created in the Appalachians. It’s fairly popular in modern-day folk and “old-time” music circles.

Living in tornado alley, we out here in Heat Dome Spectacular are always a bit ahead of what we can have thrown at us. While I’m sure hopeful you have some of the necessaries like a few days’ stocks of water and non-perishable food, when all of the emergency services start suggesting we get a fresh battery for the flashlight, it’s time to check on the kit and on the gas in the car. Incidentally, it’s not all about bottled water, you can fill the bathtub and/or a many gallon container for all purposes. Sanitation is a very nice thing.

OK Go and The Muppets — Muppet Show Theme Song. h/t Watertiger