What goes through my my mind when I read the news with my morning coffee. …Or for the Simon's Rockers in the group, this is my response journal.
The successful dieters had an increased abundance of a bacteria called Phascolarctobacterium, whereas another bacteria, Dialister, was associated with a failure to lose the weight. And, Kashyap says it’s likely that there are other types of bacteria that might influence dieting as well.
Diet Hit A Snag? Your Gut Bacteria May Be Partly To Blame : The Salt : NPR
hmmmm
Over the course of 92 pages, Howell resoundingly rejected an attempt by Andrew Miller, a former associate of Trump confidante Roger Stone, to quash a subpoena to testify, explaining why the “scope of the Special Counsel’s power falls well within the boundaries the Constitution permits.”
Miller had argued that Mueller was not nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate and therefore was unconstitutionally appointed as a “principal officer.” Howell found the claim unpersuasive in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Morrison v. Olson, which upheld the constitutionality of provisions of a now-defunct federal statute creating an independent counsel, and subsequent court decisions. Instead, Howell found Mueller to be an “inferior officer” under the supervision of deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein, who took up the oversight of the Russia investigation after Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from it last year.
“His appointment, without presidential appointment and senatorial confirmation, thus did not violate the Appointments Clause,” Howell wrote.
Miller also claimed that Sessions’ “mere recusal” from the Russia investigation didn’t make Rosenstein the acting attorney general for purposes of tapping Mueller to lead the probe. But Howell didn’t buy that argument either, pointing to the fact that various federal statutes allow the attorney general to delegate the authority to appoint a special counsel to the deputy attorney general.
“Multiple statutes authorize the Special Counsel’s appointment, and the official who appointed the Special Counsel had power to do so,” Howell concluded, underscoring a point previously acknowledged by several prominent legal voices.
As questions swirl over Trump interview, judge guts potential defense strategy – CNNPolitics
hmmmm
By creating a map of strontium isotope ratios across a geographical area and comparing that with those found in a bone fragment, scientists can determine a human or animal’s place of origin — or at least where they spent the majority of the last 10 years before they died.
In this study, the researchers identified bone fragments belonging to 25 distinct individuals that had been buried at Stonehenge. The strontium isotope analysis revealed that the bones of 15 of these people exhibited the same strontium isotope ratio that existed in the area around the monument.
The results from the other 10, however, showed that these people did not consume food grown in the local area alone.
…The researchers can’t be totally sure where these 10 people came from, but the strontium isotope ratios in their bones are consistent with a region in west Wales that is known to be the source of some of the stones in the monument.
Further analysis also suggested that the wood fuel that was used to cremate some of these people did not come from the area around the monument either.
Human remains buried at Stonehenge 5,000 years ago offer a clue to where they came from
hmmm
The results revealed that 40% of the people buried at Stonehenge likely came from west Wales, the suggested origin of the site’s smaller bluestones.
…The bone analysis suggested that within the last ten years of their lives, these people were not living at Stonehenge nor originally from the area around Stonehenge, known as the Wessex region.
Stonehenge mystery solved? Study sheds light on people buried at monument – CNN
“Were you involved in any criminal activity with Mr. Manafort?” a prosecutor on special counsel Robert Mueller’s team asked Gates, the key witness in the charges brought against Manafort.
“Yes,” Gates answered.
“Did you commit any crimes with Mr. Manafort?” the prosecutor asked.
“Yes,” Gates answered again.
… Gates admitted to conspiracy against the United States in connection with avoiding taxes as well as a charge of lying to the special counsel’s office and the FBI.
Rick Gates Testifies That He Committed Crimes With Paul Manafort | HuffPost
hmmmm
The U.S. Secret Service on Sunday denied a suggestion from President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer that it had vetted a meeting between the president’s son and Russian nationals during the 2016 campaign.
…“Well, I wonder why the Secret Service, if this was nefarious, why the Secret Service allowed these people in. The president had Secret Service protection at that point, and that raised a question with me,” Jay Sekulow, a member of the president’s legal team, said on Sunday on the ABC news program “This Week.”
In an emailed response to questions about Sekulow’s comments, Secret Service spokesman Mason Brayman said, …“Donald Trump, Jr. was not a protectee of the USSS in June, 2016. Thus we would not have screened anyone he was meeting with at that time.”
U.S. Secret Service rejects suggestion it vetted Trump son’s meeting | Reuters
hmmmm
NRA lawsuit against New York says it faces possible financial troubles – CNN
Poor babies…
And by babies I mean fragile little snowflakes.
The Justice Department’s New Civil-Rights Cause: Discrimination Against Whites – The Atlantic
Ooooo, oooo, ooooo. [raising hand and waving it wildly]
I got this one. Is it white male fragility stoked by a flaming helping of both bigotry and greed?
The Trump administration on Thursday informed a federal judge that it isn’t responsible for locating deported parents separated forcibly from their children at the southern border.
DOJ said in a court filing that the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit over family separations, should instead take the lead in reunifying deported parents with their children.
via Trump administration tells ACLU to find deported parents – POLITICO
Gawd almighty… I can’t even.
Returned! Brick Woman Gets Back Irreplacable Sea Glass Necklace | Brick, NJ Patch
It’s a beautiful Summer Sunday and I’m in the mood for good news.
Sen. Kamala Harris accused critics of “identity politics” of weaponizing the term to diminish issues of race, gender and sexual orientation, pressing Democrats on Friday to address those issues head on.
“I have a problem, guys, with that phrase, ‘identity politics,’” Harris told the progressive gathering Netroots Nation, wading into a messaging debate roiling Democrats ahead of the midterm elections. “Because let’s be clear, when people say that, it’s a pejorative. That phrase is used to divide, and it is used to distract. Its purpose is to minimize and marginalize issues that impact all of us. It is used to try and shut us up.”
Harris blasts critics of ‘identity politics’ – POLITICO
mmmhmmm
Amtrak service left Mobile and the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina damaged tracks in 2005. Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida have already signed off on bringing the service back.
“It would be a shame to send these grant resources back when we can utilize it to have a shovel-ready plan so the governor can hopefully support what we’re trying to do in the near future,” Manzie said.
Mobile moves ahead with Amtrak plans
Very cool.
Jones’s brand is built upon the idea that he’s a lone crusader against the mainstream media, telling his audience bold truths about a world that he claims lies to them constantly.
…Jones’s attorneys had to walk a tightrope in the courtroom between acknowledging that part of his persona is, in fact, an act he plays up for the cameras—lest the jury find him an unfit father—and maintaining for the sake of his audience that he actually does believe every word he says.
Now, he’s once more facing a legal challenge—and his attorneys are once more tasked with arguing that Jones doesn’t really mean what he says on his broadcasts, while also doing their best to maintain his credibility.
…Lucy Richards was sentenced to five months in prison for sending threats to Pozner and De La Rosa, accusing them of participating in a hoax and threatening their lives for it. In that case, the court found that Jones and Infowars so influenced Richards’s thinking on the matter that, … after her release, Richards would “be prohibited from viewing Infowars programming.”
…There are plenty of ethical questions worth asking about Infowars with regard to these cases. Chief among them: does a media company that spreads inaccurate information, without citing its sources or attempting to run basic diligence (like reverse image searches), about private citizens like Fontaine bear responsibility for threats made by its readers?
Alex Jones’s Attorneys Argue That No Reasonable Person Would Believe What He Says – Texas Monthly
hmmm
Smith College Employee Called Police On Black Student Eating Lunch | HuffPost
Jeezus kerrrr-eyest.
You know, fellow white people? Maybe it’s time for a conversation on how it’s nice that you are able to see the police as helpful and protective of you but perhaps we as a people need to slow our fucking roll on calling them up every freaking time something makes one of us the least fucking bit uncomfortable or confused.
Confused about something? Not understand why somebody is doing whatever they’re doing? (Ahem, like, say, being alive while black???) Try actually fucking speaking with the person. See what they are about. You know, BEFORE you snap to judgement and way the fuck before you reach for that phone to try to have them dragged off to jail???!
Fucking A….
Banning overdraft fees: Cory Booker’s new idea to tackle big banks – Vox
Damn good thinking, Senator. Very real.
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