Category: Domestic Affairs,

Jared Kushner’s White House connection still being used to lure Chinese investors 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Money, Class, and Poverty,Leave a comment

Jared Kushner’s status as a top aide to President Donald Trump was used to lure Chinese investors to his family’s New Jersey development, even after his family’s company apologized for mentioning his name during a sales pitch in May, CNN has found.

: Jared Kushner’s White House connection still being used to lure Chinese investors – CNNPolitics.com

hmmm

Lawyer for Justine Damond’s family disputes officers’ ambush fears as ‘ludicrous

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,Leave a comment

MINNEAPOLIS — The family of an Australian woman shot to death by a Minneapolis police officer has hired an attorney who represented the family of black motorist Philando Castile, who was also slain by a Minnesota police officer and has strongly disputed claims officers may have feared an ambush.

Lawyer for Justine Damond’s family disputes officers’ ambush fears as ‘ludicrous

hmmmm

Mueller to examine Trump business as part of Russia probe

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,Leave a comment
The news comes a day after Trump told The New York Times that Mueller would cross a line if he expanded the probe to his business ties. 
 
Mueller is the special counsel appointed by the Justice Department to investigate Russian election meddling and alleged collusion by members of the Trump campaign.
 
Bloomberg reports the counsel is probing purchases from Russian buyers at Trump properties, the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow, a SoHo development involving Russian associates and Trump’s 2008 sale of a Florida mansion to a Russian oligarch. 
…The [New York] Times separately reported on Wednesday the president’s ties to Deutsche Bank were also facing scrutiny. 

Trump has a long history with the German bank, which has loaned him money in the past. 

Federal investigators have reportedly been in touch with the bank regarding Trump’s accounts. Congress also requested oversight into Trump transactions with the bank, but the bank has so far refused to provide information.

Deutsche Bank will most likely have to give information about the president’s accounts to Mueller, according to Bloomberg. 

Business regulators are also going through the loans from Deutsche Bank to Trump’s businesses.  

Mueller to examine Trump business as part of Russia probe: report | TheHill

hmmmm

Japan’s First Lady Akie Abe Mysteriously Couldn’t Speak English When She Met Donald Trump at G-20

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, East Asia,Leave a comment

The internet is praising her pettiness.

Japan’s First Lady Akie Abe Mysteriously Couldn’t Speak English When She Met Donald Trump at G-20

Or Cheeto in Chief assumed she couldn’t speak English and then never gave her the chance to prove otherwise. Which does seem, you know, equally plausible and explination.

Trump’s lawyer may have let something slip about Don Jr.’s meeting with Russians 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,Leave a comment

Indeed, Akhmetshin told Yahoo that “no one asked us for ID’s” when he and Veselnitskaya entered Trump Tower. “We literally walked in,” he said. He told The Washington Post in an earlier interview that Veselnitskaya invited him to the meeting only on the day it took place.

Sekulow’s comments about the Secret Service garnered widespread attention, raising questions about whether Trump himself was present at the meeting he said he learned about only last week. Trump Jr. on Tuesday released emails indicating he was offered dirt on Hillary Clinton by someone described as a “Russian government attorney” who wanted to meet with him to discuss it further. Trump Jr. agreed to the meeting, replying, “I love it.

“According to media reports from that time, Trump was at Trump Tower at 4 p.m. while the meeting was taking place in his son’s office. The only public event the then-candidate attended that day was a fund-raising lunch for the Trump Victory Fund, CNN reported, and he was back at Trump Tower by 1 p.m.

Trump’s lawyer may have let something slip about Don Jr.’s meeting with Russians – Business Insider

hmmmm

When Black Hair Violates The Dress Code

On By peanutgallerynhIn Boston,, Race,, Schools,Leave a comment

For wearing their hair in braids, two teenagers were threatened with suspension at their charter school. Similar incidents show that strict dress codes can punish students for their racial identity.

…According to Colleen Cook, administrators at Mystic Valley have routinely reprimanded black students for dress code violations involving hair.

Other black girls have been pulled out of class, she says, lined up, asked if they had hair extensions and given detention if they did.

Colleen remembers when one student, who wore her hair in its natural texture, was taken out of class and told that she would need to relax, or chemically straighten, her hair before returning to school the next day.

In defense of their daughters, the Cooks brought in a yearbook to show school leaders the many white female students with hair extensions and dyed hair.

But, the Cooks say, the administration didn’t see that those students were in violation of the dress code, stating those hair alterations weren’t as obvious.

…”I feel like the school is pushing us to raise them as white children, but that’s not who they are or who they’re going to be.”

When Black Hair Violates The Dress Code : NPR Ed : NPR

Criminalizing being black starts at an early age. I hope the Cooks sue the school into stone age. If the school system insists on disrupting the education of young people who happen to be black, then in all fairness everyone else’s education needs to be disrupted as well.

Former Ethics Chief: Horrified By Trump Lawyer Request

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,Leave a comment

The day after he left his post as head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, former director Walter Shaub appeared on CNN Wednesday morning, spouting off a list of ethical abnormalities he encountered working under the President Donald Trump administration.
Shaub said he was “horrified” by an incident in which Trump’s lawyer asked if the President could file his financial disclosure form without signing it.

…On top of giving the appearance that he is “profiting from the presidency” by hosting foreign governmental events at his hotels, Shaub said the request from the President’s attorney about not signing financial disclosure forms was the “weirdest moment of my entire career.”

…I thought, ‘This is the embodiment of exactly how far we’ve departed from the ethical norms that the American people are entitled to expect their leaders to live up to,’” he said.

…“I got to be honest with you, I don’t think we know 100 percent for sure that we understand what all of the underlying holdings are at OGE…”

Former Ethics Chief: I Was ‘Horrified’ By Trump Lawyer Request – Talking Points Memo

Sigh….

Teacher at Mormon University Loses Job Over Pro-LGBT Facebook Post 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Local Interest,, Religion,, Schools,Leave a comment

Ruthie Robertson, an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University-Idaho, refused to retract her supportive Pride Month post.

…She mentioned that the Bible’s book of Leviticus, which has verses often used to condemn homosexuality, also prohibits the wearing of garments made from two kinds of fabric, and teaches that women are unclean during their menstrual periods and for a time after childbirth.

“None of this is archaic, sexist, or totally illogical at all though, right?” Robertson wrote. “God commanded these things, so we need to make sure we make these into policies as well! What I’m trying convey is that we like to pick and choose from the scriptures, and if we choose to use the Old Testament as a defense for condemning homosexuality … there’s a whole lot more we need to be condemning as well.”

“This is my official announcement and declaration that I believe heterosexuality and homosexuality are both natural and neither is sinful,” she continued. “I will never support the phrase ‘love the sinner, hate the sin’ because that ‘sin’ is part of who that person is. Homosexuality and transgenderism are not sins; if God made us, and those are part of who we are then God created that as well.”

Robertson, a lifelong Mormon and BYUI alum, added that the LDS Church has changed policies on other issues, so she hopes it will someday change its approach to LGBT people. “I will always and forever stand up for the equality of the LGBT community,” she concluded. “Sexuality and gender are not binary, they are on a spectrum and that’s how we were made. Stand up for humanity, love people because of who they are … not despite who they are. Trump can break the tradition of June being LGBT pride month, but I’m still going to celebrate it … this month and every month to follow. #LGBTPrideMonth.”

Teacher at Mormon University Loses Job Over Pro-LGBT Facebook Post | Advocate.com

Good on ya, Professor. They can fire you but they shouldn’t be able to make you deny what is in your heart. Sounds like another university or college would do well to scoop you up.

Democratic state Sen. Mark Manendo resigns after sexual harassment investigation 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Local Interest,Leave a comment

The Senate Democratic Caucus issued a statement Tuesday saying an independent investigator found at least 14 incidents of inappropriate contact during the 2017 legislative session, as well as instances of misconduct in past sessions. While 58 people were interviewed, the caucus said it will not make the report public in order to maintain privacy for witnesses.

Democratic state Sen. Mark Manendo resigns after sexual harassment investigation – The Nevada Independent

The most compelling evidence against him is witness tampering. Innocent people don’t engage in witness tampering.

Secret Service: Trump Jr. didn’t have agency’s protection – CNNPolitics.com

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,Leave a comment

The Secret Service is pushing back on …Trump’s attorney’s remarks Sunday that there was nothing questionable going on at a meeting last summer between Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., a Russian lawyer and top members of Trump’s campaign.

…”Well, I wonder why the Secret Service, if this was nefarious, why the Secret Service allowed these people in,” Jay Sekulow said on ABC’s “This Week.” “The President had Secret Service protection at that point, and that raised a question with me.”

After Sekulow’s comments aired, the Secret Service responded that it wouldn’t have checked out the participants of the meeting because Trump’s eldest son wasn’t in their charge.

“Donald Trump Jr. was not a protectee of the USSS in June, 2016,” the agency told CNN in a statement. “Thus we would not have screened anyone he was meeting with at that time.”

: Secret Service: Trump Jr. didn’t have agency’s protection – CNNPolitics.com

Wow, the Trumps are so obnoxious that the Secret Service felt compelled to weigh in on a political question. Just wow….

I mean, they comment publicly. On anything. You know you’ve told one hell of a whopper of a lie if the freaking US Secret Service feels compelled to weigh in.

Trump had undisclosed second meeting with Putin, White House confirms 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,Leave a comment

A White House official has acknowledged the two presidents met again informally after their bilateral talks at the G20 summit in Germany in July

…Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin held a second, previously undisclosed meeting during the G20 summit in Germany, the White House confirmed on Tuesday.

…Bremmer said there was a dinner that evening for the G20 heads of state and their spouses, though not all of them attended. “There were a lot of empty seats,” he continued. “Donald Trump got up from the table and sat down with Putin for about an hour. It was very animated and very friendly. Putin’s translator was translating. I found out about it because people were startled.”

There was no one else within earshot, Bremmer added, and it is not known what the men discussed. Trump was not joined in the conversation by his own translator, which is thought to be a breach of national security protocol. 

…Trump has consistently and mysteriously refused to criticise the Russian leader. Bremmer said: “I’ve never in my life seen a relationship between two major countries where the interests are so misaligned while the leaders are so buddy-buddy. It doesn’t add up.

Trump had undisclosed second meeting with Putin, White House confirms | US news | The Guardian

hmmmm