The assistant principal cornering and berating a child over their genetalia in a bathroom for 5 minutes should probably be considered sexual assault. Kid is already going out of his way to avoid others in the bathroom, and this full-grown bully comes in and does this. What POSSIBLE difference does it make if this student uses a boy's bathroom stall?? This idea that trans students are just hiding in the shadows of bathrooms looking to take advantage of other students is not only complete fantasy, I defy anyone to find a SINGLE example of it taking place.
Reminds me of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," which I just watched with little ones. I was struck by how, not only do the other reindeer tease Rudolph, but the adult coach teases him as well, and orders the kids to be mean to Rudolph.
It was a different time, for sure...
Yeah. The lesson from Rudolph could be that if you are different you are worthless, fit to be mercilessly mocked, and excluded.
You only are allowed to have worth if you have some special use to the boss.
The new criminal justice bill has just passed the Senate! The bill has fairly good bipartisan support, too; apparently only 12 Republican senators voted against it. Next, the bill needs to pass the House.
The new criminal justice bill has just passed the Senate! The bill has fairly good bipartisan support, too; apparently only 12 Republican senators voted against it. Next, the bill needs to pass the House.
Another hopeful sign in relation to law and order is that, as signaled earlier this year, the Trump administration has banned bump stocks.
The new criminal justice bill has just passed the Senate! The bill has fairly good bipartisan support, too; apparently only 12 Republican senators voted against it. Next, the bill needs to pass the House.
Another hopeful sign in relation to law and order is that, as signaled earlier this year, the Trump administration has banned bump stocks.
I'd like to know how the hell they are going to win a court battle arguing they can make a currently legal product product illegal by nothing but Executive decree. If any liberal President attempted to do something remotely similar they would be accused of nothing less than tyrannical rule. This is going to get overturned somewhere along the line in the courts, and I suspect they know this full-well. Instead of passing a law in Congress, they'll pretend this is happening until it is eventually put on ice, which is likely the exact intention.
That may be the intention, but it's still a hopeful sign. If nothing else, a court case which results in an overturning of the executive decision would increase public pressure for Congress to act - potentially in a more coherent and comprehensive fashion.
Edit: just in support of the idea that bipartisan action is still possible, here's a CNN analysis of what it took to get the criminal justice bill through the Senate.
Any details on what the criminal justice bill does? Since it's bipartisan I would think it's a decent half measure unlikely to make anyone 100% happy.
It's a watered-down version of what Obama tried to push through in his term. It's better than nothing though:
The First Step Act would expand job training and other programming aimed at reducing recidivism rates among federal prisoners. It also expands early-release programs and modifies sentencing laws, including mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders, to more equitably punish drug offenders.
But the legislation falls short of benchmarks set by a more expansive overhaul proposed in Congress during Barack Obama’s presidency and of the kinds of changes sought by some liberal and conservative activists targeting mass incarceration.
One of the changes in the bill is reducing the "3 strikes" law for non-violent drug offenses from life in prison to 25 years. Aren't we merciful?? Instead of locking you up for your entire life for a handful of possession charges, we'll only lock you up for about 1/3rd of it.
Finally, the bill would allow offenders sentenced before a 2010 reduction in the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine to petition for their cases to be re-evaluated. The provision could alter the sentences of several thousand drug offenders serving lengthy sentences for crack-cocaine offenses. That would help many African-American offenders who were disproportionately punished for crack dealing while white drug dealers got off easier for selling powder cocaine.
So they get to petition to have their cases re-evaluated. Nevermind the fact that the law was inherently and DELIBERATELY racist from the onset, and was sort of like if H2O was illegal and some people got more prison time for possessing it in ice form rather than liquid. This is WAY overdue, and doesn't go nearly far enough. Every one of those cases should be reverted to the mean of whatever powder cocaine users of the same time period got for their sentences. Which, in many cases, was probably a slap on the wrist.
There are some decent things in this, but overall it only serves to make our criminal justice system slightly less draconian than it is now. It just takes it from "super-duper draconian" to "super draconian". Which is progress, but hardly the upheaval that is needed.
Mind you, these changes only affect FEDERAL prisoners. This law does nothing for any of the prison population in all 50 states, where the vast majority of the prison population is housed. Again, the changes are welcome and better than nothing, but this is hardly some monumental restructuring of our prison-industrial complex, it's a band-aid to a shotgun blast. I'm not particularly impressed.
Figured it was something like this better than nothing but still not enough.
To me another problem, besides way too lengthy sentences for non-violent offenders, is the situation where you go to prison for these non-violent offenses and your conditioned to be a hardened criminal. Aren't people supposed to be rehabilitated with the goal of re-entering society someday? A non-violent prison sentence should not be a death sentence.
Trump signed letter of intent for Trump Tower Moscow project despite Giuliani insisting he didn't
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/12/18/politics/trump-signed-letter-of-intent-rudy-giuliani-moscow/index.html?fbclid=IwAR1XQB7uTTuaLNRiWcwScSFnq-CdReibOsouIBMv5lStBEQoqi-YxQFI5Y8 A newly obtained document shows President Donald Trump signed a letter of intent to move forward with negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Russia, despite his attorney Rudy Giuliani claiming on Sunday the document was never signed. CNN's Chris Cuomo obtained a copy of the signed letter of intent that set the stage for negotiations for Trump condominiums, a hotel and commercial property in the heart of Moscow. The letter is dated October 28, 2015, and bears the President's signature. Well, you know what they say... facts have a liberal bias!
Lake of the Isles home aglow with 'TRUMP IS A TRAITOR' holiday lights
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/lake-of-the-isles-home-aglow-with-trump-is-a-traitor-holiday-lights?fbclid=IwAR3eH2g0V0-emwtu7iecC-wZumywyJJCKBuQAX9aldifknllqeL7dHk6j20 It's the home of former mayoral candidate Tom Hoch. According to the Star Tribune, the home and display belong to former Minneapolis mayoral candidate Tom Hoch, who told the newspaper that he's yet to receive any negative feedback about the lights and that he's "quite surprised" by how many people have stopped to give their approval. And it's not like the display's statement is hard to spot. Not only is it very easy to see from a distance, but it's also facing busy walkways and bike paths adjacent to the lake, not to mention the oft-traveled road of Lake of the Isles Parkway East. Looks like someone is being very "in your face" about their feelings Re: Trump.
Higher Rents Correlate to Higher Homeless Rates, New Research Shows
Catholic Bishops Urge Parents To Reject Transgender Children
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2017/12/catholic-bishops-urge-parents-to-reject-transgender-children/?fbclid=IwAR1udmYmadqOvXxwg1V_04_3Tul_-8da1dVPZ_8LNjqQeeGtgsqdOctMm7c Cruel bigotry: A new letter released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops claims transgender identity is a “false idea.” In a deplorable and immoral letter released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and signed by a multitude of backward and ignorant religious conservatives, parents are urged to reject their transgender children and deny them appropriate medical treatment because “What God has created is good” and “‘God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them’ (Gen 1:27).” All children are worthy of love. Except the trans, of course. Excuse me while I go vomit in a corner.
Trump wants supporters to call him & say nice things. You could call too.
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2018/12/trump-wants-supporters-call-say-nice-things-call/?utm_source=notification&utm_medium=push&utm_campaign=onesignal Trump’s first 2020 presidential election ad has hit the air and it’s a doozy. President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign has put out a one minute spot begging supporters to call Trump and say something nice. Trump’s campaign manager, Brad Parscale, appears in the ad touting Trump’s “accomplishments” and asks supporters to call and “thank the president right now.” If you call, the number asks you to leave your name and brief message before throwing you to a fundraising appeal meant to scare “deplorables” out of dollars. “President Trump is under vicious, daily attacks from the fake news media and far-left Democrats who want to implement the radical socialist agenda,” Parscale says. “They will stop at nothing to overturn the election and remove your president from office.” I have a feeling this number is not going to last for long. Not if people who Don't support Trump call with messages of their own...
Oregon neo-Nazi Jimmy Marr hospitalized after street fight
https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/12/18/oregon-neo-nazi-jimmy-marr-hospitalized-after-street-fight?fbclid=IwAR2QZRAu_QKLkYIepIeAD9grV2kO0sCi819eQXKABmG06lm4h9NVk6bZJh4#.XBmuv1HL01w.twitter Oregon neo-Nazi Jimmy Marr, well known to locals for driving around in a truck painted with swastikas and various white supremacist slogans, was hospitalized Monday following what police described as a “large fight involving multiple people.” The Corvallis, Oregon, Police Department said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that Marr was taken to the hospital “suffering from a medical event” but that it was “not yet known if the medical event was directly related to the fight.” Police released few other details, saying that the incident was still under investigation. Marr has been a fixture of the white supremacist movement in Oregon for years and has used his pickup truck, which he often repaints with different racist messages, to spread hate throughout the area.
Bank employee calls police on black man trying to cash a check from his new job
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny-news-black-man-check-bank-cleveland-20181218-story.html?fbclid=IwAR3YJDTu0wA_JD6AiYAi1-PsQpDXOyN7I5r-EfxV1VoRf8oVoEzub0MYMkA An employee at an Ohio bank called the police on a black man who’d just started a new job and was trying to cash his check. Paul McCowns, 30, told NBC affiliate Cleveland News 19 that bank tellers at Huntington Bank in Brooklyn refused to honor the $1,082 check he’d just received from his new gig with an electric company, even after he provided two forms of I.D. and a fingerprint. “It was highly embarrassing,” according to McCowns, who said tellers tried phoning his employer to verify the check was legit, but his boss didn’t pick up the call. McCowns’ check was for 64 hours he’d worked at the job he started three weeks earlier. Accepting that the tellers weren’t going to help him, McCowns decided to leave, not knowing a bank employee had called 911. Apparently, cashing a check while black is a cause for concern now.
How the world has fought back against the violent far-right and started winning
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/19/how-the-world-has-fought-back-against-the-violent-far-right-and-started-winning?fbclid=IwAR1KDkI7Wv1NbZ4mZN7ELyS35bm51kUK4sTGbbDwRkvWdsLhoQPvStl6Hrs Over the course of the current decade, every passing year seemed to indicate a far right movement which was growing in numbers, cultural reach, political influence, and in its preparedness for violence. But 2018 was the year in which a broad, people-powered movement – or more accurately a movement of movements – showed how effectively they could fight back. Across the English-speaking world politicians sat on their hands or offered “both sides” narratives of far right violence. Law enforcement either dragged their feet or turned their weapons on the right’s opposition. But activists routed around these blockages and found ways to shut down the far right – whether or not they identified as antifascists. Over 2018 activists used and refined a range of tactics to respond to far right individuals and groups trying to build their presence online, on campuses, in the halls of power, and in the streets. While some chose to physically oppose fascist street marches, overall the wide scope of the activist response showed that it is impossible to reduce antifascism to the single tactic of “black bloc” counterprotest. Entirely nonviolent activism has also played a role in dismantling the far right. One important method was what we might term “counter surveillance” – a bottom-up effort to use digital tools and online networks to publicize the activities of the far right, and to hold to account those authorities whose response has ranged between inadequate to outright collusion. By “doxxing” people who participated in online organizing or offline street action, antifascists aimed to defuse the danger that believers in violent ideologies present, and to extract a social or economic cost for participation in far right movements. Good! There has to be some way to fight back. I entirely look forward to more of this.
The VA’s Private Care Program Gave Firms Billions And Vets Longer Waits
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/veterans-affairs-private-care-program?fbclid=IwAR0hYlE4DXLhzCN604CsMQT-kmzdkKjYaygM4RDd0Rx-mIS-g6ZbW2mqVUU Trump wants to supersize a program that spent almost a quarter of its funds on overhead. For years, conservatives have assailed the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a dysfunctional bureaucracy. They said private enterprise would mean better, easier-to-access health care for veterans. President Donald Trump embraced that position, enthusiastically moving to expand the private sector’s role. Here’s what has actually happened in the four years since the government began sending more veterans to private care: longer waits for appointments and, a new analysis of VA claims data by ProPublica and PolitiFact shows, higher costs for taxpayers. Since 2014, 1.9 million former service members have received private medical care through a program called Veterans Choice. It was supposed to give veterans a way around long wait times in the VA. But their average waits using the Choice Program were still longer than allowed by law, according to examinations by the VA inspector general and the Government Accountability Office. The watchdogs also found widespread blunders, such as booking a veteran in Idaho with a doctor in New York and telling a Florida veteran to see a specialist in California. Once, the VA referred a veteran to the Choice Program to see a urologist, but instead he got an appointment with a neurologist. The winners have been two private companies hired to run the program, which began under the Obama administration and is poised to grow significantly under Trump. ProPublica and PolitiFact obtained VA data showing how much the agency has paid in medical claims and administrative fees for the Choice program. Since 2014, the two companies have been paid nearly $2 billion for overhead, including profit. That’s about 24 percent of the companies’ total program expenses — a rate that would exceed the federal cap that governs how much most insurance plans can spend on administration in the private sector. According to the agency’s inspector general, the VA was paying the contractors at least $295 every time it authorized private care for a veteran. The fee was so high because the VA hurriedly launched the Choice Program as a short-term response to a crisis. Four years later, the fee never subsided — it went up to as much as $318 per referral. That is stupid.
People with extreme political views ‘cannot tell when they are wrong’, study finds
Toronto police arrest another student, 7 now in total, in St. Michael’s College investigation
https://globalnews.ca/news/4776338/st-michaels-college-sex-assault-case/?utm_source=notification/ Toronto police have arrested one more student from St. Michael’s College School in connection with an alleged assault incident at the all-boys private institution, making a total of 7 arrests so far. Global News has confirmed from the accused’s lawyer that his 15-year-old client turned himself in Wednesday morning. Charges are still pending. The boy, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is scheduled to make a court appearance this morning. It is unclear if the student has been expelled from the school. “We do not have that information at this time and as such are not able to comment on that as it is part of the police investigation,” St. Michael’s spokesperson Lianne Castelino said. Earlier in the day, six students charged for allegedly sexually assaulting another student at the private school in Toronto had their court case put over until Jan. 28. The teens face sex assault and assault charges for an incident at St. Michael’s College School that was caught on video.
How SpaceX plans to bring speedy broadband to the whole world
https://www.cnet.com/news/how-spacex-brings-starlink-broadband-satellite-internet-to-low-earth-orbit/?fbclid=IwAR3VqLTlaGVuwQB0W6wo6affqXdx2SXvOtGaL4QN4u4hQrsVbNPy6nBSWzw The first Starlink satellites are set to launch aboard a Falcon 9 on Thursday. It could be the start of a whole new way to share Elon Musk memes. After a third delay, Thursday is now the day SpaceX plans to launch two small prototype satellites aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, the beginning of what Elon Musk and his company hope will be a new way of connecting humanity. The launch was initially planned for Saturday, but was delayed twice to allow additional time for systems check and a third time due to high-altitude winds on Wednesday. Also along for the ride into orbit is the larger Paz telecommunications satellite, but all eyes are on the smaller satellites, named Microsat-2a and Microsat-2b. The project has been relatively secret by SpaceX standards, but is currently known as Starlink and amounts to a new kind of satellite broadband internet service provider. Most other satellite internet services, like Viasat or HughesNet, rely on a handful of big satellites in geostationary orbit, over 22,000 miles (35,000 kilometers) above Earth.
The South Carolina Republican Party is apparently considering not even having a primary in 2020. It's one thing to attack the DNC for having a bias toward Hillary Clinton. But they at least HELD the election. The SC Republican Party is probably just going to cancel the primary so Trump cannot be challenged. I'm going to remain consistent on this, and say I don't give a damn how the Republican Party chooses their candidates internally among themselves. I'm not a member if it, and it isn't my business to complain about it. But let's not pretend that flat-out CANCELING the primary election isn't objectively worse than anything the DNC was ever accused of.
Trump Re-Election Campaign Officially Absorbs the RNC
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/18/1819918/-Trump-Re-Election-Campaign-Officially-Absorbs-the-RNC?detail=facebook&fbclid=IwAR02WMSYLFcl43ZdQUVcUHbWEr7gfCZY29bc8hKIjR7GlzDdmNoYLkjOyHg It’s now official. The Republican Party is the Party of Trump. The Trump 2020 campaign has merged with the RNC into a single entity named Trump Victory. They will share personnel and they will work out of the same office space. This is an unprecedented move. The goal is to create a single, seamless organization that moves quickly, saves resources, and — perhaps most crucially — minimizes staff overlap and the kind of infighting that marked the 2016 relationship between the Trump campaign and the party. While a splintered field of Democrats fight for the nomination, Republicans expect to gain an organizational advantage. On the surface, minimizing infighting sounds like a sensible thing to do, but it sets a very bad precedent. Till now, it’s always been the case that the party committees were neutral bodies that allowed the voters to determine which candidate should represent the party in the general election. Now, the party chooses the candidate from the beginning. Any candidate that wants to launch a primary challenge will be fighting against its own party apparatus. Remember the uproar about the DNC allegedly throwing its weight behind Hillary Clinton to supposedly rig the primaries? The Republican primary is now rigged, officially and explicitly. While this system will give the Republicans an advantage over the Democrats in terms of resources, it could also backfire big-time and lead to an election blowout that will make the 2018 blue tsunami look like a ripple in the pond as Trump’s scandals and legal troubles continue to multiply. One potential primary challenger understands the potential for the damage that could result. “There are some people who choose for whatever reason to handcuff themselves to the Titanic,” said John Weaver, an adviser to Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who is considering challenging Trump in the Republican primary. “Why, I have no idea.”
The South Carolina Republican Party is apparently considering not even having a primary in 2020. It's one thing to attack the DNC for having a bias toward Hillary Clinton. But they at least HELD the election. The SC Republican Party is probably just going to cancel the primary so Trump cannot be challenged. I'm going to remain consistent on this, and say I don't give a damn how the Republican Party chooses their candidates internally among themselves. I'm not a member if it, and it isn't my business to complain about it. But let's not pretend that flat-out CANCELING the primary election isn't objectively worse than anything the DNC was ever accused of.
I would love it if Trump resigns and then it's too late, no republican nominee in South Carolina lol.
But seriously, people need to stop enabling Trump. The Republican party has been bending over backwards to excuse Trump and cover his crimes and incompetence. It's going to cost them like it did in the 2018 midterms..
Trump Re-Election Campaign Officially Absorbs the RNC
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/18/1819918/-Trump-Re-Election-Campaign-Officially-Absorbs-the-RNC?detail=facebook&fbclid=IwAR02WMSYLFcl43ZdQUVcUHbWEr7gfCZY29bc8hKIjR7GlzDdmNoYLkjOyHg It’s now official. The Republican Party is the Party of Trump. The Trump 2020 campaign has merged with the RNC into a single entity named Trump Victory. They will share personnel and they will work out of the same office space. This is an unprecedented move. The goal is to create a single, seamless organization that moves quickly, saves resources, and — perhaps most crucially — minimizes staff overlap and the kind of infighting that marked the 2016 relationship between the Trump campaign and the party. While a splintered field of Democrats fight for the nomination, Republicans expect to gain an organizational advantage. On the surface, minimizing infighting sounds like a sensible thing to do, but it sets a very bad precedent. Till now, it’s always been the case that the party committees were neutral bodies that allowed the voters to determine which candidate should represent the party in the general election. Now, the party chooses the candidate from the beginning. Any candidate that wants to launch a primary challenge will be fighting against its own party apparatus. Remember the uproar about the DNC allegedly throwing its weight behind Hillary Clinton to supposedly rig the primaries? The Republican primary is now rigged, officially and explicitly. While this system will give the Republicans an advantage over the Democrats in terms of resources, it could also backfire big-time and lead to an election blowout that will make the 2018 blue tsunami look like a ripple in the pond as Trump’s scandals and legal troubles continue to multiply. One potential primary challenger understands the potential for the damage that could result. “There are some people who choose for whatever reason to handcuff themselves to the Titanic,” said John Weaver, an adviser to Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who is considering challenging Trump in the Republican primary. “Why, I have no idea.”
WoW. Simply wow. Even with Mueller circling, this is the move they make?
It maybe to keep power hungry politicians in line until the Mueller investigation actually gets completed however but IMO, this is the next step towards an authoritarian government. I called Trump cancelling the 2020 election in the old thread. With a stacked Supreme Court I wouldn't put it past him at this point.
It's worth noting that just based on what we know at this hour, holding the office of the Presidency is literally the ONLY thing protecting Trump from indictment and a possible prison sentence. Judge for yourself how valuable he finds that and what he would do to keep it if he is facing a loss at the polls.
Trump Re-Election Campaign Officially Absorbs the RNC
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/18/1819918/-Trump-Re-Election-Campaign-Officially-Absorbs-the-RNC?detail=facebook&fbclid=IwAR02WMSYLFcl43ZdQUVcUHbWEr7gfCZY29bc8hKIjR7GlzDdmNoYLkjOyHg It’s now official. The Republican Party is the Party of Trump. The Trump 2020 campaign has merged with the RNC into a single entity named Trump Victory. They will share personnel and they will work out of the same office space. This is an unprecedented move. The goal is to create a single, seamless organization that moves quickly, saves resources, and — perhaps most crucially — minimizes staff overlap and the kind of infighting that marked the 2016 relationship between the Trump campaign and the party. While a splintered field of Democrats fight for the nomination, Republicans expect to gain an organizational advantage. On the surface, minimizing infighting sounds like a sensible thing to do, but it sets a very bad precedent. Till now, it’s always been the case that the party committees were neutral bodies that allowed the voters to determine which candidate should represent the party in the general election. Now, the party chooses the candidate from the beginning. Any candidate that wants to launch a primary challenge will be fighting against its own party apparatus. Remember the uproar about the DNC allegedly throwing its weight behind Hillary Clinton to supposedly rig the primaries? The Republican primary is now rigged, officially and explicitly. While this system will give the Republicans an advantage over the Democrats in terms of resources, it could also backfire big-time and lead to an election blowout that will make the 2018 blue tsunami look like a ripple in the pond as Trump’s scandals and legal troubles continue to multiply. One potential primary challenger understands the potential for the damage that could result. “There are some people who choose for whatever reason to handcuff themselves to the Titanic,” said John Weaver, an adviser to Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who is considering challenging Trump in the Republican primary. “Why, I have no idea.”
WoW. Simply wow. Even with Mueller circling, this is the move they make?
It maybe to keep power hungry politicians in line until the Mueller investigation actually gets completed however but IMO, this is the next step towards an authoritarian government. I called Trump cancelling the 2020 election in the old thread. With a stacked Supreme Court I wouldn't put it past him at this point.
I vow here and now. If that comes to pass, I will punch my father in the face. Who said circa-2014/5 that Obama was going to do the same and become at least a three-term president before naming himself king. Pure projection. Every sleazy thing you've ever heard Republicans call out Democrats for, you can find that skeleton in the Republican closet.
But I can't see how the DNC isn't break-dancing at this news. They can rail Republicans SO HARD on this on SO MANY FRONTS ('Rigged primaries!' 'They won't call out the criminal-in-chief!' just at the surface) that I can't see how the GOP is going to be able to get the independent swing votes.
They say Hillary lost because she was so unlikeable. Boy, 2020 is going to be CRAZY.
New DOJ hire has Jerry Falwell-signed law degree, defended Kavanaugh, and worked for a hate group
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/7/1817647/-New-DOJ-hire-has-Jerry-Falwell-signed-law-degree-defended-Kavanaugh-and-worked-for-a-hate-group?detail=emailLL A top job in the Department of Justice may seem out of reach for a graduate of a bottom-tier law school, but if that bottom-tier law school is Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, Donald Trump is president, and said graduate embraces a future of hatemongering, the sky is the limit. Just ask Kerri Kupec, the recently appointed director of the Office of Public Affairs at the Justice Department. Kupec, a 2011 Liberty Law grad, is perfect for her new position, which opened up after the ouster of Attorney General Jeff Sessions just after the midterm elections. Kupec replaces Sarah Isgur Flores, a longtime Sessions ally, according to the Daily Beast; Flores now works for Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein. First of all, let’s look at what the Office of Public Affairs actually does. The Office of Public Affairs is the principal point of contact for the Department of Justice with the news media. The Office is responsible for ensuring that the public is informed about the Department's activities and about the priorities and policies of the Attorney General and the President with regard to law enforcement and legal affairs. The Office advises the Attorney General and other Department officials on all aspects of media relations and communications issues. The Office also coordinates the public affairs units of all Department component organizations. The Office of Public Affairs prepares and issues Department news releases and frequently reviews and approves those issued by component agencies. It serves reporters assigned to the Department by responding to queries, issuing news releases and statements, arranging interviews and conducting news conferences. The Office ensures that information provided to the news media by the Department is current, complete and accurate. It also ensures that all applicable laws, regulations and policies involving the release of information to the public are followed so that maximum disclosure is made without jeopardizing investigations and prosecutions, violating rights of individuals, or compromising national security interests. Just the place we need a hateful Homophobe, hmm?
Violent South Carolina woman known as 'Pool Patrol Paula' pleads guilty to assaulting black teen
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/12/1818712/-Violent-SC-woman-known-as-Pool-Patrol-Paula-pleads-guilty-to-assaulting-black-teenager A white South Carolina woman won’t stand trial for charges filed in June, after a viral video showed her shrieking at and striking a black fifteen-year-old boy whom she deemed unwelcome at her suburban pool. Stephanie Sebby-Strempel, 38, of Summerville, pleaded guilty to third-degree misdemeanor assault for the attack on Darshaun “DJ” RocQuemore Simmons at the Reminisce community pool, where DJ and two other friends were invited guests. Her sentence? A paltry $1,000 fine, with ten days to pay it. Sebby-Strempel, of course, faced other punishment for her foul behavior, which included racial slurs and other insults lobbed at not just DJ, but two of his unnamed friends. She lost her job at a multi-level marketing company, such as it was. Since she’s now internet-famous for bigotry and violence, her uncommon name will forever be linked to both her mugshot and coverage of this foul act of racism—not to mention her subsequent biting attack on the officers who came to arrest her. But what about offline consequences, out of the courts and in her own neighborhood? The blind hatred and privilege, as well as the arrogance and utter disrespect required to fuel such an attack might seem unusual to many. But, as the Washington Post reports, in this fast-growing Charleston suburb in a county of 156,000, the necessary mindsets are not unusual at all. According to the must-read in-depth journey into the Reminisce subdivision, and Summerville itself, published in September, Sebby-Strempel actually didn’t face much shaming around her neighborhood. Instead, many of the locals took her side.
Who has this right - Senators Cardin and Schumer, or Representatives Tlaib and Omar?
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/13/1819058/-Who-has-this-right-Senators-Cardin-and-Schumer-or-Representatives-Tlaib-and-Omar?detail=emailLL When it comes to freedom of speech and our First Amendment, the American Civil Liberties Union usually has it right. Rightwing ideologues from Rev. Pat Robertson to George H. W. Bush to Bill O’Reilly have lambasted the legacy defender of civil rights. Sometimes, though, liberals and Democrats have also criticized the organization when its constitutional views on freedom of speech and expression have collided with policies or viewpoints. From the Skokie Nazi issue of 1978 to the recent defense of Milo Yiannopoulos, the ACLU has often defended individuals and organizations its own members and board of directors might have despised. We’re into a lame duck session of the U.S. Congress. The GOP seems to have gotten much of the wind knocked out of its sails by the combination of the magnitude of its defeat in the House contests, and the growing realization that Trump’s house of cards is teetering on the edge of a precipice. Another paradigm that might become a house of cards for both sides of the aisle is the increasing awareness among the public at large that Israel is crossing the line into undeniable apartheid. Many of us witnessed the growing public awareness in the USA of what our government’s reflexive support of the White Supremacist apartheid regime in South Africa was costing us internationally, and among our own citizens who were people of color. We remember how difficult it was to get our legislators to deal responsibly with reality. Kudos especially to the late Rep. Ron Dellums! Rep. Dellums’ courage at the time might bear comparison to the current courage of newly elected Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar. At the time Palestinian-American Tlaib is proposing creating a Palestine-aware alternative to AIPAC’s summer tour of apartheid Israel, her colleagues in the U.S. Senate are proposing banning her or your support of BDS: Gotta say, I diagree with Schumer and Cardin here.
Michigan Moves to Ban Telemedicine Abortion, Despite Research Demonstrating Safety
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/13/1818905/-Michigan-Moves-to-Ban-Telemedicine-Abortion-Despite-Research-Demonstrating-Safety?detail=emailLL Telemedicine abortion is a safe, affordable alternative to traditional clinic-based abortion procedures. Yet Michigan is working to ban abortion-related telemedicine. It’s a scientifically unsupported measure with one goal: make abortion less accessible. In so doing, it targets the women who stand to benefit most from telemedicine abortion—poor women, those who can’t take time off of work, and those who can’t easily travel to Michigan abortion clinics. Michigan’s Ban on Telemedicine Abortion Late last month, Michigan’s senate passed SB1198. The bill would make permanent a telemedicine abortion ban that has been in effect since 2012. The law requires doctors to perform physical exams on patients seeking abortion, prohibits the use of web cams as a diagnostic tool for people seeking abortions, and mandates that doctors must be physically present when an abortion drug is dispensed. Women typically take abortion drugs at home, even when they receive the prescription in person at a clinic. So requiring a doctor to be physically present is not reasonably connected to safety. Nor is the requirement that web cams not be used or that a woman undergo a medical examination. The Safety of Telemedicine Abortion Researchers consistently find that telemedicine abortion is safe. A large study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology found that telemedicine abortion is as safe as medication-based abortion provided in a traditional clinical setting. Just 0.18% of telemedicine abortion patients had an adverse event that required follow-up care. That’s a complication rate far lower than that associated with other minor medical procedures, such as root canals and tooth extractions. How Telemedicine Abortions Help Vulnerable Women Making abortion technically legal is insufficient to ensure all women have access. Waiting periods for abortion penalize women who must repeatedly take time off of work. Clinic closures mean many women must travel long distances for abortions, requiring time off of work or expensive childcare bills. Because Medicaid does not fund abortion and many insurers don’t pay for abortion care, most abortion recipients must pay for the procedure out of pocket. For women of limited means, this can require weeks of scrimping and saving—often into the second trimester, when abortion becomes more expensive and more heavily regulated. Michigan’s Republicans, like all Republicans seeking to make abortion less accessible, aren’t interested in women’s safety. If they were, they would affirm the critical role abortion plays in saving women’s lives and preventing poverty. This legislation, and every law like it, is about punishing women for having sex and controlling their bodies.
Child detention contractor to conduct internal review after report exposes shady business practices
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/11/1818433/-Child-detention-contractor-to-conduct-internal-review-after-report-exposes-shady-business-practices?detail=emailLL Southwest Key, the “non-profit” that has won lucrative federal contracts to detain migrant children, will conduct a “comprehensive internal review” following a blockbuster New York Times investigation alleging shady business practices, including massive, seven-figure salaries for the company’s top executives. “The charity has also stockpiled more than $61 million in cash,” the report noted. Child detention has been a financial boon for profiteers like Southwest Key, which received $626 million in federal grants this year alone, according to the New York Times. But with all those millions to devote to children’s safety, numerous Southwest Key employees have been arrested and charged with child molestation. The “non-profit” has also been forced to give up licenses for two of its Arizona facilities after failing to show proof of background checks for employees. “American citizens are funding this operation,” U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley said when he tried to visit a converted Walmart in Texas this past June (Southwest Key employees called the cops on him), “so every American citizen has a stake in how these children are being treated and how this policy is being enacted.” It’s a crisis that continues—138 days past a federal judge’s reunification deadline, over 170 children kidnapped from families at the southern border continue to remain in U.S. custody. Eight of these children are “not ‘eligible’ to reunite,” with a court filing stating that for four of those parents, the “Steering Committee has advised that resolution will be delayed.” This could mean anything, but considering those parents were already deported, it most likely means the government has no idea where those parents currently are. Permanent separation, in other words. Yet, the administration still has the gall to ask for more money—$190 million, according to Congress member Rosa DeLauro—to keep detaining kids. “Over my dead body will we provide another nickel for these folks to do what they’re doing,” she said. Rather than keep lining the pockets of Southwest Key fat cats (also, an internal investigation just doesn’t cut it—House Democrats, get on this next year), funding should instead be diverted to counseling for the kids who have been traumatized by this administration.
Trump admin again targeting Vietnamese immigrants for deportation, some here for decades now
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/13/1818928/-Trump-admin-again-targeting-Vietnamese-immigrants-for-deportation-some-here-for-decades-now+?detail=emailLL The Trump administration has taken a death-by-1,000 cuts approach to its mission to deport as many immigrants as possible, chief among them ending Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Both actions cruelly target immigrants who have settled roots here for years, some for decades. Another cut begins: “The Trump administration is resuming its efforts to deport certain protected Vietnamese immigrants who have lived in the United States for decades—many of them having fled the country during the Vietnam War,” The Atlantic reports: The administration last year began pursuing the deportation of many long-term immigrants from Vietnam, Cambodia, and other countries who the administration alleges are “violent criminal aliens.” But Washington and Hanoi have a unique 2008 agreement that specifically bars the deportation of Vietnamese people who arrived in the United States before July 12, 1995—the date the two former foes reestablished diplomatic relations following the Vietnam War. “My family fled Communist Vietnam when I was a baby because they would have rather died in search of light than to have lived in darkness,” Rep. Stephanie Murphy, the first Vietnamese-American to serve in Congress, tweeted. “As an American, I’m deeply concerned by POTUS’ attempts to renegotiate the 2008 MOU between Vietnam and the U.S., which would potentially deport Vietnamese refugees who arrived in the U.S. before 1995.” Thousands could now be vulnerable to deportation and uprooted from families, homes, jobs, and communities to a nation that hasn’t been familiar to them for decades. The administration initially began targeting these immigrants last year, eventually leading the “outraged” U.S. ambassador to Vietnam to resign from the State Department. Ted Osius “characterized the deportation effort as a broken promise to South Vietnamese families who had been allies of the United States during the war and would not be safe in Vietnam,” the New York Times reported. “Forty-three years ago,” said Kevin Lam of the Asian American Resource Workshop, “a lot of the Southeast Asian communities and Vietnamese communities fled their countries and their homeland due to the war, which the U.S. was involved in, fleeing for their safety and the safety of their families. The U.S. would do well to remember that.” Great. A new Low for Trump.
DACA recipients say their federal housing loans are getting denied under Trump admin instructions
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/14/1819173/-DACA-recipients-say-their-federal-housing-loans-are-getting-denied-under-Trump-admin-instructions?detail=emailLL Donald Trump’s move to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has been blocked by the courts, but the administration is reportedly continuing to sabotage the lives of young immigrants protected by the program in other ways. Edith Aguirre Vazquez is just one of a number of DACA recipients “who have been denied government-insured home loans from lenders following unofficial instructions from Trump administration officials to shut them out,” Buzzfeed reports: The lender at USA Mortgage who was working with Aguirre told BuzzFeed News he had no comment on her situation but pinned the blame on the administration. “It was not USA Mortgage decision, it’s [Housing and Urban Development] HUD decision that [Federal Housing Administration] FHA loans can no longer be made to DACA. We are following HUD rules,” he said. This makes me very unhappy. By hook or by crook...
Stacey Abrams isn't going anywhere. Says 'Yes, I will run again' at women's summit
All indications are that Michael Flynn covered up something VERY BIG
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/19/1820065/-All-indications-are-that-Michael-Flynn-covered-up-something-VERY-BIG?detail=emaildkre A series of events punctuated most recently by a sentencing hearing gone awry suggest that whatever former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn was covering up when he lied about his Russia contacts, it was a whopper. During Tuesday's sentencing hearing for Flynn, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan worked himself into a lather, noting his "disgust" and "disdain" for Flynn's criminal conduct. “Arguably, that undermines everything this flag over here stands for," Sullivan charged, pointing to the American flag behind him. "Arguably, you sold your country out!” In that instance Sullivan was referencing Flynn’s undisclosed work for Turkey during the campaign, but the judge’s pointed assertion was part of a lengthy scolding session he leveled at Flynn. Sullivan has a reputation for despising abuse of power and some Flynn allies, including Fox News, hyped the idea that the judge would take the FBI to task for its handling of Flynn’s case. Instead, Sullivan focused his ire squarely on Flynn. That's notable because while the judge doesn't know everything Special Counsel Robert Mueller knows, he is privy to more information about Flynn's case than the public. So what exactly did Sullivan find so agitating? Perhaps it’s related to the fact that Donald Trump has never spoken ill of Flynn—not once—even though he has now sat for 19 interviews with Mueller and proven so useful that the special counsel recommended he receive zero jail time. Trump's kid-gloves treatment of Flynn extends all the way back to the earliest days of his administration when he encouraged then-FBI Director James Comey to end the investigation into Flynn. In fact, Trump has torched nearly everyone who has contributed to the ongoing investigations into him, his campaign, and his family business. Yet as Flynn was preparing for his sentencing hearing Tuesday morning, Trump issued him a decidedly sunny "good luck" tweet. So why the special treatment for Flynn? A good question. I want to know the answer.
At least 12 advertisers flee Fox News hatred hour as Tucker Carlson digs in his xenophobic heels
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/18/1819928/-At-least-12-advertisers-flee-Fox-News-hatred-hour-as-Tucker-Carlson-digs-in-his-xenophobic-heels?detail=emaildkre As of this writing, the Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that 12 brands have announced that they do NOT stand with Tuck, with seven joining the boycott on Tuesday alone. ...IHOP, the United Explorer credit card, Just For Men, Jaguar Land Rover, Ancestry.com, Zenni Optical and Voya Financial the latest brands to tell The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday that they are no longer advertising on the show. Pacific Life Insurance was the first to take a stand, followed by Nautilus Inc., SmileDirectClub, NerdWallet, and Minted. Even Indeed, an employment website that severed ties with Tucker Carlson Tonight some time ago, felt the need to make a statement in light of current events.
Former National Enquirer editor implies the magazine hid Ivanka and Jared's 'criminal activity'
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/18/1819875/-Former-National-Enquirer-editor-implies-the-magazine-hid-criminal-activity-of-Ivanka-and-Jared?detail=emaildkre Like I said before, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree on this one. George: I know some of them, and there are stories involving, of course, the Trump-Kushner family. There are stories of, you know, sibling rivalry with the children, back biting, discord with his wife. Melber: Would you describe them, because obviously we're talking about things that haven't come out and we haven't verified them, but would you characterize them as merely embarrassing—if you will—or do any of them arise to the level of being potentially criminal? George: Well, actually both. They're certainly embarrassing. And then when you get involved with the actions of his children, including his daughter and son-in-law, we're getting closer to criminal activity.
Verizon lays off close to 7 percent of its workforce because ... winning! https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/18/1819987/-Verizon-lays-off-close-to-7-of-their-workforce-because-winning?detail=emaildkre The best part about being a “job creator,” as the Republican Party likes to call big business, is that you get massive tax breaks handed to you, despite the din of protests by the majority of Americans. The other best part? Republicans don’t seem to care whether or not you actually create more jobs with that stolen money! As Ars Technica reports, Verizon, best known for never coming through on promises made for billions in tax subsidies, will once again do the opposite of what it promised. Verizon is parting ways with 10,400 employees in "a voluntary separation program," despite the Trump administration providing a tax cut and various deregulatory changes that were supposed to increase investment in jobs and broadband networks. The cuts represent nearly seven percent of Verizon's workforce and were announced along with a $4.6 billion charge related to struggles in Verizon's Yahoo/AOL business division. This is not exactly a shock or a surprise. Verizon has already been very transparent in its absolute conviction in pocketing the tax break windfall it received this year, courtesy of Donald Trump and the Republican Party. The only time over the last decade that Verizon came close to completing work or anything benefiting the public, after receiving tons of public money, was this past March. That was when it agreed to a settlement to do some of the work it had actually promised to do years ago, and then just decided was too hard to do—but it liked the money, so it kept that. :P
Federal judge orders officials to reunite migrant mom and child separated for eight months
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/18/1819869/-Federal-judge-orders-officials-to-reunite-migrant-mom-and-child-separated-for-eight-months?detail=emaildkre A Salvadoran mom was reunited with her child after being separated for months by the Trump administration, and it was a separation based on a lie: officials at the border had accused her of gang affiliations. “He shoved me in an office, and he said, I need you to give me information about the gangs in your country,” Yvette, who asked to have her last name disclosed, told NPR. “I want you to tell me what you're coming to do here.” But Yvette isn’t a gang member. Neither is Carlos, or Julio, but that hasn’t stopped immigration officials from flinging false accusations at parents in order justify taking their children away. In late November, a federal judge sided with Yvette, ordering officials to return her son to her, calling their separation "arbitrary, capricious and punitive." The two had been separated for eight months by the time she saw his little face again. “He came running towards me, calling, Mama,” she said. “And he hugged me and kissed me. I was crying. I had felt an emptiness in my heart. But once I was finally with him, everything changed.” But like so many of the thousands of children who were stolen from parents and families at the border under the barbaric “zero tolerance” policy, he’s traumatized.
Truckers in Indianapolis opt to give excess food to charity instead of a landfill
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/18/1819857/-Truckers-in-Indianapolis-opt-to-give-excess-food-to-charity-instead-of-a-landfill?detail=emaildkre All too often, truckers bring food to grocery stores only to find perfectly edible food rejected due to reasons like a delay in delivery, a cosmetic problem in packaging, or an error in the order. Truckers dump food into landfills when the food could feed the hungry. But in Indianapolis, truckers have joined forces with the Indy Hunger Network, and a Food Drop program has been implemented that connects truckers with food banks 24 hours a day, so that the products can be put to good use. At this time, the program solely serves the Indianapolis area, but there is hope that the concept will catch on in other cities and states. In just six months during 2017, over 90,000 pounds of food were saved from being thrown out, and the rejected edible groceries were used to help those in need. This is good news. Donations by truckers include non-alcoholic products, and food that that is edible and individually packed in tightly sealed containers. This is a good thing. Seriously.
Nevada will be first U.S. state in history to have a majority-female legislature
Trump admin can't limit asylum protections for domestic and gang violence victims, judge rules
https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/19/politics/immigration-asylum-rules/index.html?fbclid=IwAR0KMOJAe8YcdEKQEwph7M5lU0e0bJXKyNhUXsrWo3Pf9310PNCLU7n3B2c A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration's policy that makes it difficult for victims fleeing domestic and gang violence to qualify for asylum in the United States and ruled that some people deported under the policy have to be returned. In a rebuke of the policy established by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Judge Emmet Sullivan agreed with a group of women and children who argued the policy unlawfully imposed a heightened standard in reviewing their claims, concluding that the administration must stop deporting migrants currently in the US "without first providing credible fear determinations consistent with the immigration laws." "It is the will of Congress -- not the whims of the Executive -- that determines the standard for expedited removal," wrote Sullivan of the US District Court for the District of Columbia. Earlier this year, Sessions said that in order to qualify for asylum, victims must show that their home country was unable or unwilling to assist them, and that "the government condoned the private actions." The attorney general has full authority over the immigration courts -- a separate court system which operates under the Justice Department. The ruling is the latest legal setback against President Donald Trump's efforts to limit asylum claims. Earlier this month, an appeals court upheld a ruling barring the administration from denying asylum to people crossing over the southern border between ports of entry. During a hearing on the credible fear issue in August, Sullivan erupted at the Justice Department when it was revealed that two of the plaintiffs were literally on a plane to El Salvador while the hearing was going on. Sullivan ordered the two immediately returned to the US and threatened to hold Sessions and others in contempt. The lead attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union on this case, Jennifer Chang Newell, welcomed the ruling, telling CNN, "We think that this is an important setback to the Trump administration's all-out assault on asylum seekers and we will keep fighting against these wrongheaded policies." The Justice Department immediately asked Sullivan to place the ruling on hold, pending appeal, except in relation to the specific individuals who brought the legal challenge. This story is breaking and will be updated. Good! I dislike deeply what Trump is doing!
Customs officials are putting numbers on refugees’ arms like Nazis did to Jews & gays
House GOP forced to make new rules for all its indicted members
https://shareblue.com/gop-forced-new-rules-for-indicted-members/?fbclid=IwAR276YumzGTH-LD47gyYz3YHqM0GSyZb0uXH1qiKGXDwVKKC4qmF6_HaciA Indicted members will not be allowed to serve on committees. Tough luck for Reps. Duncan Hunter and Chris Collins ... for starters. Not one, but two House Republicans who won reelection were also arrested last year and are currently out on bail awaiting trial. To try to deal with its new criminal caucus, the GOP will kick off the next Congress with new rules to keep indicted Republicans off of committees. Reps. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and Chris Collins (R-NY) face prosecution in the near future, and the party was at an impasse as to what to do about their committee assignments. Committees hold a lot of power, and letting potential felons have that extra power could be a problem. After Hunter was arrested last year, he initially refused to voluntarily give up his committee assignments. At the time, the San Diego Union-Tribune noted, “there were no House or party rules that gave Republican leadership authority to strip indicted rank-and-file members of assignments to standing committees.” What’s a party with multiple members under indictment to do? In the end, the House GOP passed a new rule requiring any member to “promptly” resign from all committees if that member is indicted “for a felony for which a sentence of two or more years imprisonment may be imposed.” The rule would apply to both Hunter and Collins, barring them from serving on any committees as they await their respective trials. The two would still be able to speak on the House floor and propose legislation. Hunter and his wife were arrested for misusing a quarter of a million dollars of campaign funds for personal pet projects. The charges allege they used the funds for family vacations, to go to the theater, and even to pay for a visit to the dentist. Collins was arrested for insider trading. His indictment alleges he passed along information to his son, who used the information to make stock trades. Hunter and Collins were the first two members of Congress to endorse Trump’s candidacy for president. Trump himself remains under investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller for both his ties to Russia during the 2016 campaign and allegations of obstruction of justice. As written, the rule would not apply to violent criminals who have already paid their debt to society. That’s good news for Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-MT), who pled guilty to assaulting a reporter in 2017. Gianforte, despite his history of violence, remains a member of good standing in the Republican Party. I am side-eyeing Gianforte so hard!
Senate unanimously votes to make lynching a federal crime
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/senate-unanimously-votes-make-lynching-federal-crime-59914067 The effort was led by two Democratic senators who are potential presidential contenders in 2020, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California. Joining them as lead sponsors of the anti-lynching bill was the Senate's third African-American member, Republican Tim Scott of South Carolina. Finally!
So Trump's supposedly pulling US troops from Syria and ending sanctions on a company with ties to a Russian Oligarch with close ties to Paul Manafort and Vladimir Putin.
There are some decent things in this, but overall it only serves to make our criminal justice system slightly less draconian than it is now. It just takes it from "super-duper draconian" to "super draconian". Which is progress, but hardly the upheaval that is needed.
ThereMind you, these changes only affect FEDERAL prisoners.
This. As I said before, this only affects the federal criminal justice system, which is modt ways the least important criminal justice system in this country. It affects so few defendants that it's really barely worth paying attention to. What affects most Americans in their everyday lives are the state systems. I'd be more excited to hear about meaningful and beneficial criminal justice reform in Rhode Island or Wyoming, than in the federal system.
Wyoming as an example wouldn't be that exciting considering it's the least populated state in the nation so probably the fewest people would be affected by criminal justice reform there but I get your point that it would be more impressive if we were talking state reforms.
Trump escaping prosecution by being president reminds me of Caesar's reasons for crossing the Rubicon- he wanted to run for Consul again (or get another governorship) to avoid prosecution by political enemies but his nomination would have broken the rules. Under what conditions would Trump willingly relinquish the presidency I wonder? Is that all that can keep him & his circle safe from prosecution now?
Trump escaping prosecution by being president reminds me of Caesar's reasons for crossing the Rubicon- he wanted to run for Consul again (or get another governorship) to avoid prosecution by political enemies but his nomination would have broken the rules. Under what conditions would Trump willingly relinquish the presidency I wonder? Is that all that can keep him & his circle safe from prosecution now?
Trump is already been revealed to be an unindicted co-conspirator with Cohen on the hush money payments. The surrender of the charity is by NO means the end of the investigation into it. Ivanka is now being looked into for trying to steer inauguration money to Trump properties. Don Jr. already seems to be caught dead to rights lying to Congress based on Cohen's cooperation. The ironic thing is, if daddy hadn't decided to run for President and put the biggest magnifying glass in the world on all of them, they probably could have spent the rest of their lives getting away with all of it. But it turns out when you become President of the United States, alot of people are going to be all up in your shit, and with good reason.
Turns out that entire debate we had over what Trump "accomplished" in Singapore with North Korea was entirely pointless. Republican operative turned never-Trumper sums up this entire 2 years:
By the way, this completely abrupt and out of nowhere withdrawl from Syria?? We can have a legitimate debate over whether that is the right move, but what can't be denied is 1.) Trump's motives for doing so are likely almost entirely untethered from any policy goals and 2.) The US has once again abandoned our Kurdish allies to certain death after promising them we would stand with them if they did our dirty work. The withdrawl seems for all the world as if it was dictated to Trump by Putin and Erdogan. Withdrawing troops anywhere in the Middle East is a legitimate move. But Trump seems to have done so without informing a single soul at the Pentagon OR the State Department. He's losing it.
I'm not really sure what to think about any given Syria policy. I think an early, quick, high-commitment intervention could have prevented a lot of violence at the cost of political fallout for Obama, but at this point, I don't see a viable solution for the chaos and violence. Bashar al'Assad is a murderous dictator who has completely failed to maintain the peace or any type of stability, but I don't know what other government could replace him. It would take great political will to oust Assad and help install a democratic government against Russia's opposition, and Americans by and large don't care enough about Syria and are too anxious about another Middle East quagmire to make that kind of commitment.
I think we could establish peace in Syria through military intervention and regime change, and I think we can keep Russia out of the equation (Putin's not stupid enough to start hostilities with a direct American presence), but there are too many people who are immensely skeptical of intervention and too few people who would support it for the U.S. government to actually commit.
I'm not really sure what to think about any given Syria policy. I think an early, quick, high-commitment intervention could have prevented a lot of violence at the cost of political fallout for Obama, but at this point, I don't see a viable solution for the chaos and violence. Bashar al'Assad is a murderous dictator who has completely failed to maintain the peace or any type of stability, but I don't know what other government could replace him. It would take great political will to oust Assad and help install a democratic government against Russia's opposition, and Americans by and large don't care enough about Syria and are too anxious about another Middle East quagmire to make that kind of commitment.
I think we could establish peace in Syria through military intervention and regime change, and I think we can keep Russia out of the equation (Putin's not stupid enough to start hostilities with a direct American presence), but there are too many people who are immensely skeptical of intervention and too few people who would support it for the U.S. government to actually commit.
I think we CAN agree that if this decision is going to made, it shouldn't be done 1.) Because Trump needed a distracting news story 2.) At the behest of foreign dictators and 3.) Even if I am entirely off-base about the first two reasons, that Trump should probably discuss the move with his military and diplomatic advisers before ordering it out of nowhere.
Again, even if #'s 1 and 2 aren't true (and I believe they are), #3, based on all reporting, almost certainly is. Frankly, I wouldn't be shocked if we learn next week that Trump has changed his mind and is keeping the troops there anyway.
Comments
You only are allowed to have worth if you have some special use to the boss.
#waronchristmas? lol
Edit: just in support of the idea that bipartisan action is still possible, here's a CNN analysis of what it took to get the criminal justice bill through the Senate.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/18/blind-amphibian-named-after-trumps-climate-change-stance
The First Step Act would expand job training and other programming aimed at reducing recidivism rates among federal prisoners. It also expands early-release programs and modifies sentencing laws, including mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders, to more equitably punish drug offenders.
But the legislation falls short of benchmarks set by a more expansive overhaul proposed in Congress during Barack Obama’s presidency and of the kinds of changes sought by some liberal and conservative activists targeting mass incarceration.
One of the changes in the bill is reducing the "3 strikes" law for non-violent drug offenses from life in prison to 25 years. Aren't we merciful?? Instead of locking you up for your entire life for a handful of possession charges, we'll only lock you up for about 1/3rd of it.
Finally, the bill would allow offenders sentenced before a 2010 reduction in the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine to petition for their cases to be re-evaluated. The provision could alter the sentences of several thousand drug offenders serving lengthy sentences for crack-cocaine offenses. That would help many African-American offenders who were disproportionately punished for crack dealing while white drug dealers got off easier for selling powder cocaine.
So they get to petition to have their cases re-evaluated. Nevermind the fact that the law was inherently and DELIBERATELY racist from the onset, and was sort of like if H2O was illegal and some people got more prison time for possessing it in ice form rather than liquid. This is WAY overdue, and doesn't go nearly far enough. Every one of those cases should be reverted to the mean of whatever powder cocaine users of the same time period got for their sentences. Which, in many cases, was probably a slap on the wrist.
There are some decent things in this, but overall it only serves to make our criminal justice system slightly less draconian than it is now. It just takes it from "super-duper draconian" to "super draconian". Which is progress, but hardly the upheaval that is needed.
Mind you, these changes only affect FEDERAL prisoners. This law does nothing for any of the prison population in all 50 states, where the vast majority of the prison population is housed. Again, the changes are welcome and better than nothing, but this is hardly some monumental restructuring of our prison-industrial complex, it's a band-aid to a shotgun blast. I'm not particularly impressed.
To me another problem, besides way too lengthy sentences for non-violent offenders, is the situation where you go to prison for these non-violent offenses and your conditioned to be a hardened criminal. Aren't people supposed to be rehabilitated with the goal of re-entering society someday? A non-violent prison sentence should not be a death sentence.
Trump signed letter of intent for Trump Tower Moscow project despite Giuliani insisting he didn't
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/12/18/politics/trump-signed-letter-of-intent-rudy-giuliani-moscow/index.html?fbclid=IwAR1XQB7uTTuaLNRiWcwScSFnq-CdReibOsouIBMv5lStBEQoqi-YxQFI5Y8A newly obtained document shows President Donald Trump signed a letter of intent to move forward with negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Russia, despite his attorney Rudy Giuliani claiming on Sunday the document was never signed.
CNN's Chris Cuomo obtained a copy of the signed letter of intent that set the stage for negotiations for Trump condominiums, a hotel and commercial property in the heart of Moscow. The letter is dated October 28, 2015, and bears the President's signature.
Well, you know what they say... facts have a liberal bias!
Lake of the Isles home aglow with 'TRUMP IS A TRAITOR' holiday lights
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/lake-of-the-isles-home-aglow-with-trump-is-a-traitor-holiday-lights?fbclid=IwAR3eH2g0V0-emwtu7iecC-wZumywyJJCKBuQAX9aldifknllqeL7dHk6j20It's the home of former mayoral candidate Tom Hoch.
According to the Star Tribune, the home and display belong to former Minneapolis mayoral candidate Tom Hoch, who told the newspaper that he's yet to receive any negative feedback about the lights and that he's "quite surprised" by how many people have stopped to give their approval.
And it's not like the display's statement is hard to spot. Not only is it very easy to see from a distance, but it's also facing busy walkways and bike paths adjacent to the lake, not to mention the oft-traveled road of Lake of the Isles Parkway East.
Looks like someone is being very "in your face" about their feelings Re: Trump.
Higher Rents Correlate to Higher Homeless Rates, New Research Shows
http://fortune.com/2018/12/14/rent-homelessness-housing-income-zillow-research/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social-share-article&utm_content=20181219&fbclid=IwAR2z_t2uMFBGQh-qH8P7YGOWSkz6c5zWozIOVkm3i2AmB7uHcv0BsYs8LSMAnd in other news, Water is wet, fire is hot and can burn you.
Mexico Has Agreed to Pay for Trump's Psychiatic Care
https://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/mexico-agrees-to-pay-for-trumps-psychiatric-care?fbclid=IwAR3PPO_mYwNJLY7IxHAYJOz9Ypg-At0hJQ6bcAggRwltSF6wKfkuzGGwH4USatire, of course.
Catholic Bishops Urge Parents To Reject Transgender Children
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2017/12/catholic-bishops-urge-parents-to-reject-transgender-children/?fbclid=IwAR1udmYmadqOvXxwg1V_04_3Tul_-8da1dVPZ_8LNjqQeeGtgsqdOctMm7cCruel bigotry: A new letter released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops claims transgender identity is a “false idea.”
In a deplorable and immoral letter released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and signed by a multitude of backward and ignorant religious conservatives, parents are urged to reject their transgender children and deny them appropriate medical treatment because “What God has created is good” and “‘God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them’ (Gen 1:27).”
All children are worthy of love. Except the trans, of course. Excuse me while I go vomit in a corner.
Trump wants supporters to call him & say nice things. You could call too.
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2018/12/trump-wants-supporters-call-say-nice-things-call/?utm_source=notification&utm_medium=push&utm_campaign=onesignalTrump’s first 2020 presidential election ad has hit the air and it’s a doozy. President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign has put out a one minute spot begging supporters to call Trump and say something nice.
Trump’s campaign manager, Brad Parscale, appears in the ad touting Trump’s “accomplishments” and asks supporters to call and “thank the president right now.”
If you call, the number asks you to leave your name and brief message before throwing you to a fundraising appeal meant to scare “deplorables” out of dollars.
“President Trump is under vicious, daily attacks from the fake news media and far-left Democrats who want to implement the radical socialist agenda,” Parscale says. “They will stop at nothing to overturn the election and remove your president from office.”
I have a feeling this number is not going to last for long. Not if people who Don't support Trump call with messages of their own...
Oregon neo-Nazi Jimmy Marr hospitalized after street fight
https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/12/18/oregon-neo-nazi-jimmy-marr-hospitalized-after-street-fight?fbclid=IwAR2QZRAu_QKLkYIepIeAD9grV2kO0sCi819eQXKABmG06lm4h9NVk6bZJh4#.XBmuv1HL01w.twitterOregon neo-Nazi Jimmy Marr, well known to locals for driving around in a truck painted with swastikas and various white supremacist slogans, was hospitalized Monday following what police described as a “large fight involving multiple people.”
The Corvallis, Oregon, Police Department said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that Marr was taken to the hospital “suffering from a medical event” but that it was “not yet known if the medical event was directly related to the fight.”
Police released few other details, saying that the incident was still under investigation.
Marr has been a fixture of the white supremacist movement in Oregon for years and has used his pickup truck, which he often repaints with different racist messages, to spread hate throughout the area.
Bank employee calls police on black man trying to cash a check from his new job
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny-news-black-man-check-bank-cleveland-20181218-story.html?fbclid=IwAR3YJDTu0wA_JD6AiYAi1-PsQpDXOyN7I5r-EfxV1VoRf8oVoEzub0MYMkAAn employee at an Ohio bank called the police on a black man who’d just started a new job and was trying to cash his check.
Paul McCowns, 30, told NBC affiliate Cleveland News 19 that bank tellers at Huntington Bank in Brooklyn refused to honor the $1,082 check he’d just received from his new gig with an electric company, even after he provided two forms of I.D. and a fingerprint.
“It was highly embarrassing,” according to McCowns, who said tellers tried phoning his employer to verify the check was legit, but his boss didn’t pick up the call. McCowns’ check was for 64 hours he’d worked at the job he started three weeks earlier.
Accepting that the tellers weren’t going to help him, McCowns decided to leave, not knowing a bank employee had called 911.
Apparently, cashing a check while black is a cause for concern now.
How the world has fought back against the violent far-right and started winning
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/19/how-the-world-has-fought-back-against-the-violent-far-right-and-started-winning?fbclid=IwAR1KDkI7Wv1NbZ4mZN7ELyS35bm51kUK4sTGbbDwRkvWdsLhoQPvStl6HrsOver the course of the current decade, every passing year seemed to indicate a far right movement which was growing in numbers, cultural reach, political influence, and in its preparedness for violence.
But 2018 was the year in which a broad, people-powered movement – or more accurately a movement of movements – showed how effectively they could fight back.
Across the English-speaking world politicians sat on their hands or offered “both sides” narratives of far right violence. Law enforcement either dragged their feet or turned their weapons on the right’s opposition.
But activists routed around these blockages and found ways to shut down the far right – whether or not they identified as antifascists.
Over 2018 activists used and refined a range of tactics to respond to far right individuals and groups trying to build their presence online, on campuses, in the halls of power, and in the streets.
While some chose to physically oppose fascist street marches, overall the wide scope of the activist response showed that it is impossible to reduce antifascism to the single tactic of “black bloc” counterprotest. Entirely nonviolent activism has also played a role in dismantling the far right.
One important method was what we might term “counter surveillance” – a bottom-up effort to use digital tools and online networks to publicize the activities of the far right, and to hold to account those authorities whose response has ranged between inadequate to outright collusion.
By “doxxing” people who participated in online organizing or offline street action, antifascists aimed to defuse the danger that believers in violent ideologies present, and to extract a social or economic cost for participation in far right movements.
Good! There has to be some way to fight back. I entirely look forward to more of this.
The VA’s Private Care Program Gave Firms Billions And Vets Longer Waits
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/veterans-affairs-private-care-program?fbclid=IwAR0hYlE4DXLhzCN604CsMQT-kmzdkKjYaygM4RDd0Rx-mIS-g6ZbW2mqVUUTrump wants to supersize a program that spent almost a quarter of its funds on overhead.
For years, conservatives have assailed the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a dysfunctional bureaucracy. They said private enterprise would mean better, easier-to-access health care for veterans. President Donald Trump embraced that position, enthusiastically moving to expand the private sector’s role.
Here’s what has actually happened in the four years since the government began sending more veterans to private care: longer waits for appointments and, a new analysis of VA claims data by ProPublica and PolitiFact shows, higher costs for taxpayers.
Since 2014, 1.9 million former service members have received private medical care through a program called Veterans Choice. It was supposed to give veterans a way around long wait times in the VA. But their average waits using the Choice Program were still longer than allowed by law, according to examinations by the VA inspector general and the Government Accountability Office. The watchdogs also found widespread blunders, such as booking a veteran in Idaho with a doctor in New York and telling a Florida veteran to see a specialist in California. Once, the VA referred a veteran to the Choice Program to see a urologist, but instead he got an appointment with a neurologist.
The winners have been two private companies hired to run the program, which began under the Obama administration and is poised to grow significantly under Trump. ProPublica and PolitiFact obtained VA data showing how much the agency has paid in medical claims and administrative fees for the Choice program. Since 2014, the two companies have been paid nearly $2 billion for overhead, including profit. That’s about 24 percent of the companies’ total program expenses — a rate that would exceed the federal cap that governs how much most insurance plans can spend on administration in the private sector.
According to the agency’s inspector general, the VA was paying the contractors at least $295 every time it authorized private care for a veteran. The fee was so high because the VA hurriedly launched the Choice Program as a short-term response to a crisis. Four years later, the fee never subsided — it went up to as much as $318 per referral.
That is stupid.
People with extreme political views ‘cannot tell when they are wrong’, study finds
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/radical-politics-extreme-left-right-wing-neuroscience-university-college-london-study-a8687186.html?fbclid=IwAR2SNxkGdF8zsUVlapLKakq-pYZSLcvk8elVT1zJoL1H0Fo560Vakd3BhOkInteresting. I'm sure this goes for a lot of extreme views, not just politics.
Toronto police arrest another student, 7 now in total, in St. Michael’s College investigation
https://globalnews.ca/news/4776338/st-michaels-college-sex-assault-case/?utm_source=notification/Toronto police have arrested one more student from St. Michael’s College School in connection with an alleged assault incident at the all-boys private institution, making a total of 7 arrests so far.
Global News has confirmed from the accused’s lawyer that his 15-year-old client turned himself in Wednesday morning. Charges are still pending.
The boy, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is scheduled to make a court appearance this morning.
It is unclear if the student has been expelled from the school.
“We do not have that information at this time and as such are not able to comment on that as it is part of the police investigation,” St. Michael’s spokesperson Lianne Castelino said.
Earlier in the day, six students charged for allegedly sexually assaulting another student at the private school in Toronto had their court case put over until Jan. 28.
The teens face sex assault and assault charges for an incident at St. Michael’s College School that was caught on video.
How SpaceX plans to bring speedy broadband to the whole world
https://www.cnet.com/news/how-spacex-brings-starlink-broadband-satellite-internet-to-low-earth-orbit/?fbclid=IwAR3VqLTlaGVuwQB0W6wo6affqXdx2SXvOtGaL4QN4u4hQrsVbNPy6nBSWzwThe first Starlink satellites are set to launch aboard a Falcon 9 on Thursday. It could be the start of a whole new way to share Elon Musk memes.
After a third delay, Thursday is now the day SpaceX plans to launch two small prototype satellites aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, the beginning of what Elon Musk and his company hope will be a new way of connecting humanity.
The launch was initially planned for Saturday, but was delayed twice to allow additional time for systems check and a third time due to high-altitude winds on Wednesday.
Also along for the ride into orbit is the larger Paz telecommunications satellite, but all eyes are on the smaller satellites, named Microsat-2a and Microsat-2b.
The project has been relatively secret by SpaceX standards, but is currently known as Starlink and amounts to a new kind of satellite broadband internet service provider. Most other satellite internet services, like Viasat or HughesNet, rely on a handful of big satellites in geostationary orbit, over 22,000 miles (35,000 kilometers) above Earth.
Has President Donald Trump Become Nixonian?
Been there for a while, I think.
And finally, ever had a package from Amazon stolen? Enjoy some thieves just deserts...
This guy built a ‘glitter bomb’ and filmed Amazon thieves getting their just deserts.
https://www.upworthy.com/this-guy-built-a-glitter-bomb-and-filmed-amazon-thieves-getting-their-just-deserts?c=ufb1&fbclid=IwAR2RWWrTqpvPKMqDi665udwBI8ZoRezC_5c_rePpUlmGiAI5ocVAGZL6y-ITrump Re-Election Campaign Officially Absorbs the RNC
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/18/1819918/-Trump-Re-Election-Campaign-Officially-Absorbs-the-RNC?detail=facebook&fbclid=IwAR02WMSYLFcl43ZdQUVcUHbWEr7gfCZY29bc8hKIjR7GlzDdmNoYLkjOyHgIt’s now official. The Republican Party is the Party of Trump. The Trump 2020 campaign has merged with the RNC into a single entity named Trump Victory. They will share personnel and they will work out of the same office space. This is an unprecedented move.
The goal is to create a single, seamless organization that moves quickly, saves resources, and — perhaps most crucially — minimizes staff overlap and the kind of infighting that marked the 2016 relationship between the Trump campaign and the party. While a splintered field of Democrats fight for the nomination, Republicans expect to gain an organizational advantage.
On the surface, minimizing infighting sounds like a sensible thing to do, but it sets a very bad precedent. Till now, it’s always been the case that the party committees were neutral bodies that allowed the voters to determine which candidate should represent the party in the general election. Now, the party chooses the candidate from the beginning. Any candidate that wants to launch a primary challenge will be fighting against its own party apparatus. Remember the uproar about the DNC allegedly throwing its weight behind Hillary Clinton to supposedly rig the primaries? The Republican primary is now rigged, officially and explicitly.
While this system will give the Republicans an advantage over the Democrats in terms of resources, it could also backfire big-time and lead to an election blowout that will make the 2018 blue tsunami look like a ripple in the pond as Trump’s scandals and legal troubles continue to multiply.
One potential primary challenger understands the potential for the damage that could result.
“There are some people who choose for whatever reason to handcuff themselves to the Titanic,” said John Weaver, an adviser to Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who is considering challenging Trump in the Republican primary. “Why, I have no idea.”
But seriously, people need to stop enabling Trump. The Republican party has been bending over backwards to excuse Trump and cover his crimes and incompetence. It's going to cost them like it did in the 2018 midterms..
It maybe to keep power hungry politicians in line until the Mueller investigation actually gets completed however but IMO, this is the next step towards an authoritarian government. I called Trump cancelling the 2020 election in the old thread. With a stacked Supreme Court I wouldn't put it past him at this point.
But I can't see how the DNC isn't break-dancing at this news. They can rail Republicans SO HARD on this on SO MANY FRONTS ('Rigged primaries!' 'They won't call out the criminal-in-chief!' just at the surface) that I can't see how the GOP is going to be able to get the independent swing votes.
They say Hillary lost because she was so unlikeable. Boy, 2020 is going to be CRAZY.
New DOJ hire has Jerry Falwell-signed law degree, defended Kavanaugh, and worked for a hate group
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/7/1817647/-New-DOJ-hire-has-Jerry-Falwell-signed-law-degree-defended-Kavanaugh-and-worked-for-a-hate-group?detail=emailLLA top job in the Department of Justice may seem out of reach for a graduate of a bottom-tier law school, but if that bottom-tier law school is Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, Donald Trump is president, and said graduate embraces a future of hatemongering, the sky is the limit. Just ask Kerri Kupec, the recently appointed director of the Office of Public Affairs at the Justice Department.
Kupec, a 2011 Liberty Law grad, is perfect for her new position, which opened up after the ouster of Attorney General Jeff Sessions just after the midterm elections. Kupec replaces Sarah Isgur Flores, a longtime Sessions ally, according to the Daily Beast; Flores now works for Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein.
First of all, let’s look at what the Office of Public Affairs actually does.
The Office of Public Affairs is the principal point of contact for the Department of Justice with the news media.
The Office is responsible for ensuring that the public is informed about the Department's activities and about the priorities and policies of the Attorney General and the President with regard to law enforcement and legal affairs.
The Office advises the Attorney General and other Department officials on all aspects of media relations and communications issues. The Office also coordinates the public affairs units of all Department component organizations.
The Office of Public Affairs prepares and issues Department news releases and frequently reviews and approves those issued by component agencies. It serves reporters assigned to the Department by responding to queries, issuing news releases and statements, arranging interviews and conducting news conferences.
The Office ensures that information provided to the news media by the Department is current, complete and accurate. It also ensures that all applicable laws, regulations and policies involving the release of information to the public are followed so that maximum disclosure is made without jeopardizing investigations and prosecutions, violating rights of individuals, or compromising national security interests.
Just the place we need a hateful Homophobe, hmm?
Violent South Carolina woman known as 'Pool Patrol Paula' pleads guilty to assaulting black teen
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/12/1818712/-Violent-SC-woman-known-as-Pool-Patrol-Paula-pleads-guilty-to-assaulting-black-teenagerA white South Carolina woman won’t stand trial for charges filed in June, after a viral video showed her shrieking at and striking a black fifteen-year-old boy whom she deemed unwelcome at her suburban pool. Stephanie Sebby-Strempel, 38, of Summerville, pleaded guilty to third-degree misdemeanor assault for the attack on Darshaun “DJ” RocQuemore Simmons at the Reminisce community pool, where DJ and two other friends were invited guests. Her sentence? A paltry $1,000 fine, with ten days to pay it.
Sebby-Strempel, of course, faced other punishment for her foul behavior, which included racial slurs and other insults lobbed at not just DJ, but two of his unnamed friends. She lost her job at a multi-level marketing company, such as it was. Since she’s now internet-famous for bigotry and violence, her uncommon name will forever be linked to both her mugshot and coverage of this foul act of racism—not to mention her subsequent biting attack on the officers who came to arrest her.
But what about offline consequences, out of the courts and in her own neighborhood? The blind hatred and privilege, as well as the arrogance and utter disrespect required to fuel such an attack might seem unusual to many. But, as the Washington Post reports, in this fast-growing Charleston suburb in a county of 156,000, the necessary mindsets are not unusual at all. According to the must-read in-depth journey into the Reminisce subdivision, and Summerville itself, published in September, Sebby-Strempel actually didn’t face much shaming around her neighborhood. Instead, many of the locals took her side.
Who has this right - Senators Cardin and Schumer, or Representatives Tlaib and Omar?
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/13/1819058/-Who-has-this-right-Senators-Cardin-and-Schumer-or-Representatives-Tlaib-and-Omar?detail=emailLLWhen it comes to freedom of speech and our First Amendment, the American Civil Liberties Union usually has it right. Rightwing ideologues from Rev. Pat Robertson to George H. W. Bush to Bill O’Reilly have lambasted the legacy defender of civil rights. Sometimes, though, liberals and Democrats have also criticized the organization when its constitutional views on freedom of speech and expression have collided with policies or viewpoints. From the Skokie Nazi issue of 1978 to the recent defense of Milo Yiannopoulos, the ACLU has often defended individuals and organizations its own members and board of directors might have despised.
We’re into a lame duck session of the U.S. Congress. The GOP seems to have gotten much of the wind knocked out of its sails by the combination of the magnitude of its defeat in the House contests, and the growing realization that Trump’s house of cards is teetering on the edge of a precipice.
Another paradigm that might become a house of cards for both sides of the aisle is the increasing awareness among the public at large that Israel is crossing the line into undeniable apartheid. Many of us witnessed the growing public awareness in the USA of what our government’s reflexive support of the White Supremacist apartheid regime in South Africa was costing us internationally, and among our own citizens who were people of color. We remember how difficult it was to get our legislators to deal responsibly with reality. Kudos especially to the late Rep. Ron Dellums!
Rep. Dellums’ courage at the time might bear comparison to the current courage of newly elected Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar. At the time Palestinian-American Tlaib is proposing creating a Palestine-aware alternative to AIPAC’s summer tour of apartheid Israel, her colleagues in the U.S. Senate are proposing banning her or your support of BDS:
Gotta say, I diagree with Schumer and Cardin here.
Michigan Moves to Ban Telemedicine Abortion, Despite Research Demonstrating Safety
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/13/1818905/-Michigan-Moves-to-Ban-Telemedicine-Abortion-Despite-Research-Demonstrating-Safety?detail=emailLLTelemedicine abortion is a safe, affordable alternative to traditional clinic-based abortion procedures. Yet Michigan is working to ban abortion-related telemedicine. It’s a scientifically unsupported measure with one goal: make abortion less accessible. In so doing, it targets the women who stand to benefit most from telemedicine abortion—poor women, those who can’t take time off of work, and those who can’t easily travel to Michigan abortion clinics.
Michigan’s Ban on Telemedicine Abortion
Late last month, Michigan’s senate passed SB1198. The bill would make permanent a telemedicine abortion ban that has been in effect since 2012. The law requires doctors to perform physical exams on patients seeking abortion, prohibits the use of web cams as a diagnostic tool for people seeking abortions, and mandates that doctors must be physically present when an abortion drug is dispensed.
Women typically take abortion drugs at home, even when they receive the prescription in person at a clinic. So requiring a doctor to be physically present is not reasonably connected to safety. Nor is the requirement that web cams not be used or that a woman undergo a medical examination.
The Safety of Telemedicine Abortion
Researchers consistently find that telemedicine abortion is safe. A large study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology found that telemedicine abortion is as safe as medication-based abortion provided in a traditional clinical setting. Just 0.18% of telemedicine abortion patients had an adverse event that required follow-up care. That’s a complication rate far lower than that associated with other minor medical procedures, such as root canals and tooth extractions.
How Telemedicine Abortions Help Vulnerable Women
Making abortion technically legal is insufficient to ensure all women have access. Waiting periods for abortion penalize women who must repeatedly take time off of work. Clinic closures mean many women must travel long distances for abortions, requiring time off of work or expensive childcare bills. Because Medicaid does not fund abortion and many insurers don’t pay for abortion care, most abortion recipients must pay for the procedure out of pocket. For women of limited means, this can require weeks of scrimping and saving—often into the second trimester, when abortion becomes more expensive and more heavily regulated.
Michigan’s Republicans, like all Republicans seeking to make abortion less accessible, aren’t interested in women’s safety. If they were, they would affirm the critical role abortion plays in saving women’s lives and preventing poverty. This legislation, and every law like it, is about punishing women for having sex and controlling their bodies.
Child detention contractor to conduct internal review after report exposes shady business practices
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/11/1818433/-Child-detention-contractor-to-conduct-internal-review-after-report-exposes-shady-business-practices?detail=emailLLSouthwest Key, the “non-profit” that has won lucrative federal contracts to detain migrant children, will conduct a “comprehensive internal review” following a blockbuster New York Times investigation alleging shady business practices, including massive, seven-figure salaries for the company’s top executives. “The charity has also stockpiled more than $61 million in cash,” the report noted.
Child detention has been a financial boon for profiteers like Southwest Key, which received $626 million in federal grants this year alone, according to the New York Times. But with all those millions to devote to children’s safety, numerous Southwest Key employees have been arrested and charged with child molestation. The “non-profit” has also been forced to give up licenses for two of its Arizona facilities after failing to show proof of background checks for employees.
“American citizens are funding this operation,” U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley said when he tried to visit a converted Walmart in Texas this past June (Southwest Key employees called the cops on him), “so every American citizen has a stake in how these children are being treated and how this policy is being enacted.” It’s a crisis that continues—138 days past a federal judge’s reunification deadline, over 170 children kidnapped from families at the southern border continue to remain in U.S. custody.
Eight of these children are “not ‘eligible’ to reunite,” with a court filing stating that for four of those parents, the “Steering Committee has advised that resolution will be delayed.” This could mean anything, but considering those parents were already deported, it most likely means the government has no idea where those parents currently are. Permanent separation, in other words.
Yet, the administration still has the gall to ask for more money—$190 million, according to Congress member Rosa DeLauro—to keep detaining kids. “Over my dead body will we provide another nickel for these folks to do what they’re doing,” she said. Rather than keep lining the pockets of Southwest Key fat cats (also, an internal investigation just doesn’t cut it—House Democrats, get on this next year), funding should instead be diverted to counseling for the kids who have been traumatized by this administration.
Trump admin again targeting Vietnamese immigrants for deportation, some here for decades now
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/13/1818928/-Trump-admin-again-targeting-Vietnamese-immigrants-for-deportation-some-here-for-decades-now+?detail=emailLLThe Trump administration has taken a death-by-1,000 cuts approach to its mission to deport as many immigrants as possible, chief among them ending Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Both actions cruelly target immigrants who have settled roots here for years, some for decades. Another cut begins: “The Trump administration is resuming its efforts to deport certain protected Vietnamese immigrants who have lived in the United States for decades—many of them having fled the country during the Vietnam War,” The Atlantic reports:
The administration last year began pursuing the deportation of many long-term immigrants from Vietnam, Cambodia, and other countries who the administration alleges are “violent criminal aliens.” But Washington and Hanoi have a unique 2008 agreement that specifically bars the deportation of Vietnamese people who arrived in the United States before July 12, 1995—the date the two former foes reestablished diplomatic relations following the Vietnam War.
“My family fled Communist Vietnam when I was a baby because they would have rather died in search of light than to have lived in darkness,” Rep. Stephanie Murphy, the first Vietnamese-American to serve in Congress, tweeted. “As an American, I’m deeply concerned by POTUS’ attempts to renegotiate the 2008 MOU between Vietnam and the U.S., which would potentially deport Vietnamese refugees who arrived in the U.S. before 1995.”
Thousands could now be vulnerable to deportation and uprooted from families, homes, jobs, and communities to a nation that hasn’t been familiar to them for decades. The administration initially began targeting these immigrants last year, eventually leading the “outraged” U.S. ambassador to Vietnam to resign from the State Department. Ted Osius “characterized the deportation effort as a broken promise to South Vietnamese families who had been allies of the United States during the war and would not be safe in Vietnam,” the New York Times reported.
“Forty-three years ago,” said Kevin Lam of the Asian American Resource Workshop, “a lot of the Southeast Asian communities and Vietnamese communities fled their countries and their homeland due to the war, which the U.S. was involved in, fleeing for their safety and the safety of their families. The U.S. would do well to remember that.”
Great. A new Low for Trump.
DACA recipients say their federal housing loans are getting denied under Trump admin instructions
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/14/1819173/-DACA-recipients-say-their-federal-housing-loans-are-getting-denied-under-Trump-admin-instructions?detail=emailLLDonald Trump’s move to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has been blocked by the courts, but the administration is reportedly continuing to sabotage the lives of young immigrants protected by the program in other ways. Edith Aguirre Vazquez is just one of a number of DACA recipients “who have been denied government-insured home loans from lenders following unofficial instructions from Trump administration officials to shut them out,” Buzzfeed reports:
The lender at USA Mortgage who was working with Aguirre told BuzzFeed News he had no comment on her situation but pinned the blame on the administration. “It was not USA Mortgage decision, it’s [Housing and Urban Development] HUD decision that [Federal Housing Administration] FHA loans can no longer be made to DACA. We are following HUD rules,” he said.
Stacey Abrams isn't going anywhere. Says 'Yes, I will run again' at women's summit
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/12/1818700/-Stacey-Abrams-isn-t-going-anywhere-Says-Yes-I-will-run-again-at-women-s-summit?detail=emailLLGood! She was robbed.
White House insider: 'The staff is fed up; he's acting like a nut'
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/18/1820015/-White-House-insider-The-staff-is-fed-up-he-s-acting-like-a-nut?detail=emaildkreMay I suggest a Mounds bar?
All indications are that Michael Flynn covered up something VERY BIG
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/19/1820065/-All-indications-are-that-Michael-Flynn-covered-up-something-VERY-BIG?detail=emaildkreA series of events punctuated most recently by a sentencing hearing gone awry suggest that whatever former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn was covering up when he lied about his Russia contacts, it was a whopper. During Tuesday's sentencing hearing for Flynn, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan worked himself into a lather, noting his "disgust" and "disdain" for Flynn's criminal conduct.
“Arguably, that undermines everything this flag over here stands for," Sullivan charged, pointing to the American flag behind him. "Arguably, you sold your country out!”
In that instance Sullivan was referencing Flynn’s undisclosed work for Turkey during the campaign, but the judge’s pointed assertion was part of a lengthy scolding session he leveled at Flynn. Sullivan has a reputation for despising abuse of power and some Flynn allies, including Fox News, hyped the idea that the judge would take the FBI to task for its handling of Flynn’s case. Instead, Sullivan focused his ire squarely on Flynn. That's notable because while the judge doesn't know everything Special Counsel Robert Mueller knows, he is privy to more information about Flynn's case than the public. So what exactly did Sullivan find so agitating?
Perhaps it’s related to the fact that Donald Trump has never spoken ill of Flynn—not once—even though he has now sat for 19 interviews with Mueller and proven so useful that the special counsel recommended he receive zero jail time. Trump's kid-gloves treatment of Flynn extends all the way back to the earliest days of his administration when he encouraged then-FBI Director James Comey to end the investigation into Flynn. In fact, Trump has torched nearly everyone who has contributed to the ongoing investigations into him, his campaign, and his family business. Yet as Flynn was preparing for his sentencing hearing Tuesday morning, Trump issued him a decidedly sunny "good luck" tweet. So why the special treatment for Flynn?
A good question. I want to know the answer.
At least 12 advertisers flee Fox News hatred hour as Tucker Carlson digs in his xenophobic heels
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/18/1819928/-At-least-12-advertisers-flee-Fox-News-hatred-hour-as-Tucker-Carlson-digs-in-his-xenophobic-heels?detail=emaildkreAs of this writing, the Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that 12 brands have announced that they do NOT stand with Tuck, with seven joining the boycott on Tuesday alone.
...IHOP, the United Explorer credit card, Just For Men, Jaguar Land Rover, Ancestry.com, Zenni Optical and Voya Financial the latest brands to tell The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday that they are no longer advertising on the show.
Pacific Life Insurance was the first to take a stand, followed by Nautilus Inc., SmileDirectClub, NerdWallet, and Minted. Even Indeed, an employment website that severed ties with Tucker Carlson Tonight some time ago, felt the need to make a statement in light of current events.
Former National Enquirer editor implies the magazine hid Ivanka and Jared's 'criminal activity'
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/18/1819875/-Former-National-Enquirer-editor-implies-the-magazine-hid-criminal-activity-of-Ivanka-and-Jared?detail=emaildkreLike I said before, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree on this one.
George: I know some of them, and there are stories involving, of course, the Trump-Kushner family. There are stories of, you know, sibling rivalry with the children, back biting, discord with his wife.
Melber: Would you describe them, because obviously we're talking about things that haven't come out and we haven't verified them, but would you characterize them as merely embarrassing—if you will—or do any of them arise to the level of being potentially criminal?
George: Well, actually both. They're certainly embarrassing. And then when you get involved with the actions of his children, including his daughter and son-in-law, we're getting closer to criminal activity.
Verizon lays off close to 7 percent of its workforce because ... winning!
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/18/1819869/-Federal-judge-orders-officials-to-reunite-migrant-mom-and-child-separated-for-eight-months?detail=emaildkrehttps://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/18/1819987/-Verizon-lays-off-close-to-7-of-their-workforce-because-winning?detail=emaildkre
The best part about being a “job creator,” as the Republican Party likes to call big business, is that you get massive tax breaks handed to you, despite the din of protests by the majority of Americans. The other best part? Republicans don’t seem to care whether or not you actually create more jobs with that stolen money! As Ars Technica reports, Verizon, best known for never coming through on promises made for billions in tax subsidies, will once again do the opposite of what it promised.
Verizon is parting ways with 10,400 employees in "a voluntary separation program," despite the Trump administration providing a tax cut and various deregulatory changes that were supposed to increase investment in jobs and broadband networks. The cuts represent nearly seven percent of Verizon's workforce and were announced along with a $4.6 billion charge related to struggles in Verizon's Yahoo/AOL business division.
This is not exactly a shock or a surprise. Verizon has already been very transparent in its absolute conviction in pocketing the tax break windfall it received this year, courtesy of Donald Trump and the Republican Party. The only time over the last decade that Verizon came close to completing work or anything benefiting the public, after receiving tons of public money, was this past March. That was when it agreed to a settlement to do some of the work it had actually promised to do years ago, and then just decided was too hard to do—but it liked the money, so it kept that.
:P
U.S. Added to a World List that should sound a Worrisome Alarm
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/18/1820064/-U-S-Added-to-a-World-List-that-should-sound-an-Worrisome-Alarm?detail=emaildkre
UNITED STATES ADDED TO LIST OF MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRIES FOR JOURNALISTS FOR FIRST TIME
At least 63 professional journalists were killed doing their jobs in 2018, a 15 percent increase over last year, Reporters Without Borders said.
Agent Orange must feel *so* thrilled.
Federal judge orders officials to reunite migrant mom and child separated for eight months
A Salvadoran mom was reunited with her child after being separated for months by the Trump administration, and it was a separation based on a lie: officials at the border had accused her of gang affiliations. “He shoved me in an office, and he said, I need you to give me information about the gangs in your country,” Yvette, who asked to have her last name disclosed, told NPR. “I want you to tell me what you're coming to do here.”
But Yvette isn’t a gang member. Neither is Carlos, or Julio, but that hasn’t stopped immigration officials from flinging false accusations at parents in order justify taking their children away. In late November, a federal judge sided with Yvette, ordering officials to return her son to her, calling their separation "arbitrary, capricious and punitive." The two had been separated for eight months by the time she saw his little face again.
“He came running towards me, calling, Mama,” she said. “And he hugged me and kissed me. I was crying. I had felt an emptiness in my heart. But once I was finally with him, everything changed.” But like so many of the thousands of children who were stolen from parents and families at the border under the barbaric “zero tolerance” policy, he’s traumatized.
Truckers in Indianapolis opt to give excess food to charity instead of a landfill
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/18/1819857/-Truckers-in-Indianapolis-opt-to-give-excess-food-to-charity-instead-of-a-landfill?detail=emaildkreAll too often, truckers bring food to grocery stores only to find perfectly edible food rejected due to reasons like a delay in delivery, a cosmetic problem in packaging, or an error in the order. Truckers dump food into landfills when the food could feed the hungry. But in Indianapolis, truckers have joined forces with the Indy Hunger Network, and a Food Drop program has been implemented that connects truckers with food banks 24 hours a day, so that the products can be put to good use.
At this time, the program solely serves the Indianapolis area, but there is hope that the concept will catch on in other cities and states. In just six months during 2017, over 90,000 pounds of food were saved from being thrown out, and the rejected edible groceries were used to help those in need. This is good news.
Donations by truckers include non-alcoholic products, and food that that is edible and individually packed in tightly sealed containers.
This is a good thing. Seriously.
Nevada will be first U.S. state in history to have a majority-female legislature
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/18/1819969/-Nevada-will-be-first-state-in-the-history-to-have-a-majority-female-legislature?detail=emaildkreI really want to see what happens here.
Trump admin can't limit asylum protections for domestic and gang violence victims, judge rules
https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/19/politics/immigration-asylum-rules/index.html?fbclid=IwAR0KMOJAe8YcdEKQEwph7M5lU0e0bJXKyNhUXsrWo3Pf9310PNCLU7n3B2cA federal judge on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration's policy that makes it difficult for victims fleeing domestic and gang violence to qualify for asylum in the United States and ruled that some people deported under the policy have to be returned.
In a rebuke of the policy established by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Judge Emmet Sullivan agreed with a group of women and children who argued the policy unlawfully imposed a heightened standard in reviewing their claims, concluding that the administration must stop deporting migrants currently in the US "without first providing credible fear determinations consistent with the immigration laws."
"It is the will of Congress -- not the whims of the Executive -- that determines the standard for expedited removal," wrote Sullivan of the US District Court for the District of Columbia.
Earlier this year, Sessions said that in order to qualify for asylum, victims must show that their home country was unable or unwilling to assist them, and that "the government condoned the private actions."
The attorney general has full authority over the immigration courts -- a separate court system which operates under the Justice Department.
The ruling is the latest legal setback against President Donald Trump's efforts to limit asylum claims. Earlier this month, an appeals court upheld a ruling barring the administration from denying asylum to people crossing over the southern border between ports of entry.
During a hearing on the credible fear issue in August, Sullivan erupted at the Justice Department when it was revealed that two of the plaintiffs were literally on a plane to El Salvador while the hearing was going on. Sullivan ordered the two immediately returned to the US and threatened to hold Sessions and others in contempt.
The lead attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union on this case, Jennifer Chang Newell, welcomed the ruling, telling CNN, "We think that this is an important setback to the Trump administration's all-out assault on asylum seekers and we will keep fighting against these wrongheaded policies."
The Justice Department immediately asked Sullivan to place the ruling on hold, pending appeal, except in relation to the specific individuals who brought the legal challenge.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
Good! I dislike deeply what Trump is doing!
Customs officials are putting numbers on refugees’ arms like Nazis did to Jews & gays
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2018/12/customs-officials-putting-numbers-refugees-arms-like-nazis-jews-gays/?fbclid=IwAR2z45gOXryWEXEIIHfibhzlLT5cibhd9vbGybmLMujWkZCHel5HqsqEprYCue the
Federal judge who ripped Flynn in court rules against Trump administration's attempts to gut asylum protections for immigrants
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-pol-trump-asylum-protections-domestic-violence-gangs-20181219-story.html?fbclid=IwAR1gmZKFbCZWdmA5AifJCdvoDGooijmks7sFa7IgdL2Iix4GpVSXH2aBaeY&fbclid=IwAR2_CQopEiP77RC66pk62iOeHykW5xWoYiLnAgH9fsXJCWFegYBwxOQT4dIBoy, this guy gets around!
House GOP forced to make new rules for all its indicted members
https://shareblue.com/gop-forced-new-rules-for-indicted-members/?fbclid=IwAR276YumzGTH-LD47gyYz3YHqM0GSyZb0uXH1qiKGXDwVKKC4qmF6_HaciAIndicted members will not be allowed to serve on committees. Tough luck for Reps. Duncan Hunter and Chris Collins ... for starters.
Not one, but two House Republicans who won reelection were also arrested last year and are currently out on bail awaiting trial. To try to deal with its new criminal caucus, the GOP will kick off the next Congress with new rules to keep indicted Republicans off of committees.
Reps. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and Chris Collins (R-NY) face prosecution in the near future, and the party was at an impasse as to what to do about their committee assignments. Committees hold a lot of power, and letting potential felons have that extra power could be a problem.
After Hunter was arrested last year, he initially refused to voluntarily give up his committee assignments. At the time, the San Diego Union-Tribune noted, “there were no House or party rules that gave Republican leadership authority to strip indicted rank-and-file members of assignments to standing committees.”
What’s a party with multiple members under indictment to do?
In the end, the House GOP passed a new rule requiring any member to “promptly” resign from all committees if that member is indicted “for a felony for which a sentence of two or more years imprisonment may be imposed.”
The rule would apply to both Hunter and Collins, barring them from serving on any committees as they await their respective trials. The two would still be able to speak on the House floor and propose legislation.
Hunter and his wife were arrested for misusing a quarter of a million dollars of campaign funds for personal pet projects. The charges allege they used the funds for family vacations, to go to the theater, and even to pay for a visit to the dentist.
Collins was arrested for insider trading. His indictment alleges he passed along information to his son, who used the information to make stock trades.
Hunter and Collins were the first two members of Congress to endorse Trump’s candidacy for president. Trump himself remains under investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller for both his ties to Russia during the 2016 campaign and allegations of obstruction of justice.
As written, the rule would not apply to violent criminals who have already paid their debt to society. That’s good news for Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-MT), who pled guilty to assaulting a reporter in 2017. Gianforte, despite his history of violence, remains a member of good standing in the Republican Party.
I am side-eyeing Gianforte so hard!
GOP Rep. Will Hurd calls for closing of Texas border tent city housing migrant kids
https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/newsus/gop-rep-will-hurd-calls-for-closing-of-texas-border-tent-city-housing-migrant-kids/vi-BBRbJDH?ocid=st&fbclid=IwAR3B6X4C_xubiMI49dBhVwTxSLh-y_JLlRskMjIgPc9SRtQX8JEad4RBj4MTexas (R) Congressman Will Hurd represents the 23rd district, which stretches 800 miles along the U.S.-Mexican border. He joins Andrea Mitchell to discuss his calling for the closing of the Tornillo detention center, which currently has thousands of migrant children in custody.
This is a good thing.
Edited to add: Another good thing.
Senate unanimously votes to make lynching a federal crime
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/senate-unanimously-votes-make-lynching-federal-crime-59914067The effort was led by two Democratic senators who are potential presidential contenders in 2020, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California.
Joining them as lead sponsors of the anti-lynching bill was the Senate's third African-American member, Republican Tim Scott of South Carolina.
Finally!
Both moves benefit Russia and Vladimir Putin.
https://thehill.com/regulation/national-security/422122-trump-admin-to-lift-sanctions-on-firms-owned-by-russian-oligarch?amp
By the way, this completely abrupt and out of nowhere withdrawl from Syria?? We can have a legitimate debate over whether that is the right move, but what can't be denied is 1.) Trump's motives for doing so are likely almost entirely untethered from any policy goals and 2.) The US has once again abandoned our Kurdish allies to certain death after promising them we would stand with them if they did our dirty work. The withdrawl seems for all the world as if it was dictated to Trump by Putin and Erdogan. Withdrawing troops anywhere in the Middle East is a legitimate move. But Trump seems to have done so without informing a single soul at the Pentagon OR the State Department. He's losing it.
I think we could establish peace in Syria through military intervention and regime change, and I think we can keep Russia out of the equation (Putin's not stupid enough to start hostilities with a direct American presence), but there are too many people who are immensely skeptical of intervention and too few people who would support it for the U.S. government to actually commit.
DeVos Will Recommend the Removal of Civil Rights Protections for Students of Color
https://educationpost.org/devos-will-recommend-the-removal-of-civil-rights-protections-for-students-of-color/?fbclid=IwAR3h7gnCa0lhQCzAGzsw85SoELqqE0I2njSBVqsyeXKU48qf6aiJyaic0X4Seriously? That woman is a word you cannot say in politr company.
In Syria withdrawal, Trump discards advice from allies, officials
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/in-syria-withdrawal-trump-discards-advice-from-allies-officials/ar-BBRc7jc?fbclid=IwAR0AdQFsS2TLFuAbS_U2jqwQ8SHnG9lBs-QGzBIb5a9ambKARv_fC4OtdOsWell, of course. Trump doesn't care. He trusts his "gut", which is a very unrelaible indicator...
White House struggles to defend Trump's Syria withdrawal plan
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/19/white-house-struggles-to-defend-trumps-syria-withdrawal-plan.html?fbclid=IwAR2rRyPcIgArDsztMhyE48Tzxyi0fTBEEkP6ocnhKq199GlHnyH4opRzDWkMaybe he should make decisions with his mind, not his "gut".
Catholic Church in Illinois Withheld Names of at Least 500 Priests Accused of Abuse, Attorney General Says
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/19/us/illinois-attorney-general-catholic-church-priest-abuse.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&fbclid=IwAR1Njyc8HyplyYdSN6zqJtnn0qwSXaIBAqZRU0AP8WRWlwryWJbu9BiqkpkThis is actually not a shock. They will do anything to prevent people from realizing how bad it is and how bad they are.
White cop grabs 14-year-old black student by the throat, body-slams him over candy bar
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/19/1820165/-White-cop-grabs-14-year-old-black-student-by-the-throat-body-slams-him-over-candy-bar?detail=facebook&fbclid=IwAR39FfBDVatE-vZKqbwrzf2W_ege1e9LSAtHQLN3PkhijhcbYi3fOMw9CpYSo, to recap, three teenagers experienced physical violence and emotional trauma over … candy. They’re facing criminal charges and disciplinary actions through their school that may dramatically impact their futures. They survived police violence. Again, over candy.
It’s not surprising anymore, but it’s incredibly disturbing.
The Government Really Might Take All of Trump’s Money and Property
https://www.politicususa.com/2018/12/19/the-government-really-might-take-all-of-trumps-money-and-property.html?fbclid=IwAR3hOUzr8z9gnftLNmGwP7I8_DsumV1R9x2b5W0fvEBqalnPrzLbwjVzJxYOh, I hope so. It might teach him some empathy. But... probably not.
Speaking of empathy...
HomeIdentitiesRace
https://wearyourvoicemag.com/identities/race/white-people-empathy?fbclid=IwAR3fcfcqLUW4-jZUJkithRfGDIdh7Au3oztnVLDUCkpdBES5MCXxBgqmlzgTHE ABILITY TO FEEL EMPATHY IS SHAPED BY OUR GENES, AND EMPATHY IS PRETTY FUCKING IMPORTANT.
UPS workers describe company reign of terror in wake of Teamsters sellout
https://www.newsweek.com/democrats-watchdog-investigate-trump-mar-lago-veterans-affairs-1264335?fbclid=IwAR0SdHFK02WdGojxViZVJz39LX0FSm44-Y-WMULp3bqkg_hUIJ3pRPtafbkhttps://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/12/19/upsw-d19.html?fbclid=IwAR0Sdv9zC8zpCcPRybYu-2nYVcMTyO1Po65SVF7AaEaSxAr89CoilA6gKvA
Lovely.
SENATE DEMOCRATS RENEW CALL FOR INVESTIGATION INTO WHETHER TRUMP MAR-A-LAGO ASSOCIATES INFLUENCED VA DECISIONS
And this article ties into the above:
The VA’s private care program gave companies billions and vets longer waits
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2018/dec/18/veterans-choice-private-firms-billions-vets-wait/?fbclid=IwAR0kkxNDSv4qZepe3E5dK6LSsY4J00mZUOWb21OAf-T5NCIXzHe0FSbnaHII'll be very interested in seeing where this goes...
Police break up Amazon workers’ protest over oppressive conditions
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/12/19/amaz-d19.html?fbclid=IwAR0lQZ3OiW6kxeEhRMBPd6ahKXPqb_FeHpXXysTHeNSHmsG3irq_BU8zaEIDemocrats on Key Energy Subcommittees Have Financial Stakes in Oil and Gas Companies
https://readsludge.com/2018/12/17/democrats-on-key-energy-subcommittees-have-financial-stakes-in-oil-and-gas-companies/?fbclid=IwAR1EPwAPDsTxYNeCpGpjoT3ZPKd--dy5ZLVjzusquhyMCiM6-w7kMWCBPuMNot right and shouldn't be allowed. Flat and final.
Report: Mueller asks House Intelligence Committee for transcript of Roger Stone's testimony
https://theweek.com/speedreads/813705/report-mueller-asks-house-intelligence-committee-transcript-roger-stones-testimonyI sense... more pain in Stone's future!
FRANCE PROTESTS: POLICE THREATEN TO JOIN PROTESTERS, DEMAND BETTER PAY AND CONDITIONS
https://www.newsweek.com/france-protests-police-strike-gilets-jaunes-yellow-vests-pay-overtime-1264961?fbclid=IwAR2bNL_BJN3H44C01kwHnTJYMsBBzkecOb2krGwlLLki2lgiEmbshEYgYXAUh-oh. Now they are really in trouble!
Warning To Democrats: Most Americans Against U.S. Getting More Politically Correct
https://www.npr.org/2018/12/19/677346260/warning-to-democrats-most-americans-against-u-s-getting-more-politically-correct?fbclid=IwAR3QVLiLUuMho7mKLl_F-mcle_CcWV9ddqmHWrkDzsQVIGX_y3qI1NCX-XENot sure how I feel about this. Calling someone a "Tard" isn't right. On the other hand, the tide of history is against the people who don't want more political correctness. More young people do want it, and soon, they will outnumber older people who don't want it.
Neighbors Are Saying This Woman’s Christmas Dragon Decorations Are Inappropriate, So She ‘Fixes’ It
https://www.boredpanda.com/neighbor-letter-remove-dragon-display-diana-rowland/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=BPFacebook&fbclid=IwAR2hl-0ZsTkYj-PMKHi6qfdVyH-J9z_BXg6mbSL7K8BNPuL2-6OCs0MWM8sWith more dragons and haloes! LOL!
Again, even if #'s 1 and 2 aren't true (and I believe they are), #3, based on all reporting, almost certainly is. Frankly, I wouldn't be shocked if we learn next week that Trump has changed his mind and is keeping the troops there anyway.