Hi everyone,

Welcome back!  How are you?  We had an adventure while watering the garden last night.  I knew thunderstorms were in the forecast, but the plants were very dry, and I couldn't take the chance that the rain wouldn't come.  I got about halfway through, when it started getting dark quickly.  "I'll just keep going until the rain actually starts," I thought.  Next thing I know, the wind is howling, and small branches from nearby trees are littering the yard and driveway. 

I looked up and watched a huge limb come crashing off one of the trees, landing just behind the garage.  That was my cue to call it a day. The whole thing only lasted about 15 minutes, but I was lucky, because neighbors and other friends are dealing with power outages and damages to sheds due to tree issues.   Other than that, it was a quiet Monday.  I still have to finish watering the garden, but we'll take care of that later.  For now, the coffee is ready, so help yourself to a nice medium DD, and let's clear out some Tuesday Clutter.

All five living former first ladies have now spoken out against the Trump administration's policy of ripping children away from their parents at the border.

If the White House really thought Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen's press conference could quiet down the outrage over their policy of destroying families, they misjudged badly.  It can not be repeated enough that anytime anyone in this administration says they are enforcing a law, they are lying.  Straight up lying.  There's no policy or statute that calls for this immoral behavior.  It was a conscious decision by Trump, and he could stop it at any moment.  It's an intentional negotiating strategy, as well as a play to his base to make sure they know he hates dark-skinned people as much as they do.   We'd sure love to hear from some Republican voters who aren't rabidly anti-immigrant, if they still exist.

Secretary Nielsen becomes the latest dishonest face of an indefensible policy.  (pic via abc7news.com)

Good for Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker (R) for reversing course and deciding not to send the Massachusetts National Guard to help the Trump border war after all.  He never should have agreed to it to begin with, but it's news when a Republican manages to find their backbone against the Great Pumpkin.  May others follow his lead.

Here are a few ways you can fight back against this reprehensible policy.

While everyone's focused on this issue, the rich just keep getting richer.

Tobacco companies are now required to post health warnings about their products on their websites.

Bryce Harper shaved off his trademark beard while the Washington Nationals are in the middle of a series against the New York Yankees.  Is that the sign of a superstitious struggling baseball player trying to shake things up, or is it evidence that the soon-to-be free agent intends to play in New York next year?  Phone lines are now open...

It's been 20 years since the release of The Miseducation of Lauren Hill, and the anniversary tour will include a number of great special guests.

YouTube is launching their music service today.  We'll have to check out the free version, but if anyone wants to weigh in on the premium service, drop us a line at [email protected]

Speaking of YouTube, we fell down the rabbit hole for a while yesterday and landed on this trailer for the upcoming movie, Bad Times at the El Royale.  Not entirely sure what's going on here, but it looks like it could be fun, and it's got a great cast:

We can't wait to see the trailer for Creed 2 which is supposed to come out today.  Creed was a surprisingly fantastic movie, and we've got high hopes for the sequel.

Dr. Dre is producing a movie about the life of Motown star Marvin Gaye?  Sounds interesting.

Sorry to hear that Heather Locklear has been hospitalized after threatening to kill herself.  It sounds like the actress has battled depression for a long time, and we hope she can get the help she needs.

Okay kids, that's going to do it for now.  Let's have Lauryn Hill close things out with, "Everything is Everything," for today's, "Song of the Day."

Thanks for stopping by, everyone.  It was great to see you, as always.  Enjoy the rest of your day, be good, and we'll meet back here for more coffee soon.  Until next time, that's today's Clearing out the Clutter, and we are outta here.