Category: Domestic Affairs,

House Russia probe veers close to dysfunction at end of rocky week 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,Leave a comment
A visibly angry House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said Friday she has met with House Speaker Paul Ryan multiple times to complain about Nunes never fully stepping away from the Russia probe — despite the California Republican’s promise two months ago that he would step aside.
“The behavior of Nunes — whatever we’re calling him, ‘Chairman Recused, ‘Un-recused, ‘I didn’t mean recuse, when I said and gave you the impression of recused’ — whatever that loosey-goosey (definition) is — is beneath the dignity of being a chairman of the intelligence committee,” Pelosi said.
The anger behind the scenes was reignited when Nunes signed off on four subpoenas sent by House Russia investigators to former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Trump lawyer Michael Cohen — and also issued three subpoenas on his own, seeking information from former Obama administration officials.

House Russia probe veers close to dysfunction at end of rocky week – CNNPolitics.com

Shady, unAmerican bs. Nunes needs to have some federal charges leveled at him. Yester-fucking-day.

Nunes-led House Intelligence Committee asked for ‘unmaskings’ of Americans 

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The Republican-controlled House Intelligence Committee asked U.S. spy agencies late last year to reveal the names of U.S. individuals or organizations contained in classified intelligence on Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election, engaging in the same practice that President Trump has accused the Obama administration of abusing, current and former officials said.

The chairman of the committee, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), has since cast the practice of “unmasking” of U.S. individuals and organizations mentioned in classified reports as an abuse of surveillance powers by the outgoing Obama administration.

…Democrats on the panel say they believe the latest direction of Nunes’s investigation is designed to deflect attention from the Russia probe. In April, Nunes was forced to recuse himself from the committee’s probe of Russia because of allegations he may have inappropriately disclosed classified information. Nunes has denied any wrongdoing.

Nunes-led House Intelligence Committee asked for ‘unmaskings’ of Americans – The Washington Post

hmmm

Trial Nears For Minnesota Police Officer Who Shot Philando Castile 

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,Leave a comment

Yanez told his partner that he thought the driver fit the description of a suspect in a convenience store robbery that happened down the road just a few days earlier. He told the driver and passenger that he was pulling them over for a broken brake light.

Seventy-four seconds after Yanez activated his squad lights, he fired the last of seven shots into the car, fatally injuring the 32-year-old driver, Philando Castile. As Castile slumped over, dying, his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, began live-streaming on Facebook. Her 4-year-old daughter watched from the back seat.

Now, Yanez faces manslaughter and weapons charges tied to the shooting. Jury selection begins Tuesday in what’s believed to be the first time a Minnesota police officer has been indicted for shooting a civilian while on duty.

…Castile, who worked for years as a school cafeteria supervisor, had a handgun he was licensed to carry in his pocket the night he was pulled over.

…According to the criminal complaint, Castile’s last words were: “I wasn’t reaching for it.”

…”The mere mention or presence of a firearm alone cannot justify the use of deadly force,” Choi says.

Trial Nears For Minnesota Police Officer Who Shot Philando Castile : NPR

There isn’t enough jail-time in the world for this lawless murderer but a conviction and incarceration in general population would go a long way in making example of what is not acceptable behavior for an officer of the law. It would probably also make him a corpse. In this case, that seems like something that more than resembles a fair and equitable outcome. Do unto others after all….

Donald Trump doesn’t seem to understand how the Senate works 

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Getting rid of the legislative filibuster would make the way the Senate works entirely indistinguishable from the way the House works.The House is — and was designed to be — a majority-rule entity. From its founding in Article 1, Section 3 of the Constitution, which establishes that members of the House must stand for new terms every two years, the whole idea was that the House was the direct voice of the people — reflecting what they wanted at a given time.

That same Constitution — you may have heard of it — established six-year terms for senators, an attempt to differentiate it from the House and create the idea of the Senate as a more deliberate institution.

…Trump’s tweet is also wrong on the specifics of the two pieces of legislation — health care and tax reform — he is insisting would pass the Senate if not for its 60-vote rule.

…Trump is either blithely unaware of these things or simply doesn’t care. 

…In Trump’s mind, he’s the President so everyone — the Senate included — should be doing what he says and passing the legislation he wants passed.
Which, of course, is a gross misunderstanding of the separation of powers, the history of the Senate and the current legislative processes governing tax reform and the American Health Care Act.

Donald Trump doesn’t seem to understand how the Senate works – CNNPolitics.com

That’s what happens when you vote for someone who talks like a toddler: tjhey act like one too.

Officer Who Killed Tamir Rice Fired For Rule Violations On Job Application

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Local Interest,, Race,Leave a comment

Timothy Loehmann, the police officer who shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014, was fired by the Cleveland Police Department on Tuesday. At a news conference, city authorities announced that the reason for his termination wasn’t the deadly incident that brought him to national attention, but rather violations he committed in the course of his hiring process.

Officer Who Killed Tamir Rice Fired For Rule Violations On Job Application : The Two-Way : NPR

 

hmmm

Tamir Rice’s mother ‘relieved’ at firing of Timothy Loehmann, wishes Frank Garmback was fired 

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Local Interest,, Race,Leave a comment

“What we don’t see out of today is any mention of accountability for the people at the city who permitted Loehmann to become an officer to begin with,” Chandra said. “There’s absolutely not a hint of that. There’s no explanation, there’s no accountability, there’s no accounting to the public for who it is that failed to check Loehmann’s application, to check his background and do proper do diligence before entrusting this man with a badge and a gun.”

Tamir Rice’s mother ‘relieved’ at firing of Timothy Loehmann, wishes Frank Garmback was fired | cleveland.com

 

sigh….

A Transit Officer Questioned A Commuter’s Immigration Status, A Fellow Passenger Intervened

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Infrastructure and Transportation,, Local Interest,, Race,Leave a comment

In a Facebook post shared last Friday, Metro Transit Police Chief John Harrington said, “This afternoon, community members and partners alerted me to a situation in which one of my part time officers was witnessed asking an individual whether he was in the state illegally. I immediately called for an Internal Affairs investigation to gather the details about this incident and to report back to me as quickly as possible.”

He added, “It is not the practice of the Metro Transit police to inquire about the immigration status of our riders.”

As The Washington Post points out, when Minneapolis declared itself a sanctuary city in 2003, a city ordinance prohibited city employees (including police) from inquiring about a person’s immigration unless it’s directly relevant to a crime under investigation.

A Transit Officer Questioned A Commuter’s Immigration Status, A Fellow Passenger Intervened

Show me your papers, brown person!

White House Flashing Lights Video: Strange Red Strobe Light Flashes Bring Ambulance, Alzheimer’s Therapy Buzz

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“If it were ambulance lights flashing outside the White House, the lights would reflect on the walls. They don’t.”

“Spicer’s story makes sense if the ambulance was in the White House dining room making itself a sandwich. Can I see the visitor logs? No? OK.”

“Unless you mean the ambulance was inside the White House on the second floor. From a physics point of view the light is inside the WH.”

“It also seems odd the local news team watching the White House, trying to figure this out, would have missed an ambulance in front of them.”

White House Flashing Lights Video: Strange Red Strobe Light Flashes Bring Ambulance, Alzheimer’s Therapy Buzz

hmmm

Mike Dubke, White House communications director, quits 

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The White House communications director has resigned only three months after being hired by President Donald Trump.Mike Dubke, an experienced Republican strategist, was hired in March to revamp the White House media strategy.

As part of the shake-up, White House press secretary Sean Spicer will reportedly hold on to his position, but there will be fewer media briefings.

The reshuffle follows reports of disarray in the White House communications team.

Mike Dubke, White House communications director, quits – BBC News

hmmmm

8th graders refuse to take a photo with Paul Ryan because they don’t “want to be associated with him”

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Speaker Ryan is one of the most unpopular politicians in the country — and he’s polling particularly poorly among one 8th grade class. Eighth grade students from South Orange Middle School in South Orange, New Jersey were on a school trip to Washington D.C. on Friday when they were given a very a photo-op with Speaker Paul Ryan. 

…Close to 100 8th graders refused to take a photo with the Speaker and instead sat in a parking lot across the street.

8th graders refuse to take a photo with Paul Ryan because they don’t “want to be associated with him”

Heh.

Kushner Discussed Setting Up Secret Communications With Russia 

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Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak told the Kremlin that Jared Kushner had discussed setting up a secret means of communicating directly, using Russian facilities

Report: Kushner Discussed Setting Up Secret Communications With Russia : NPR

Kushner is either completely out of his depth or colluding with the Russians to commit treason against the United states or both.

Justice Sotomayor takes aim at police brutality in Salazar-Limon v. Houston dissent.

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Race,Leave a comment

Justice Sonia Sotomayor  …penned a powerful dissent, joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, sharply criticizing her colleagues’ willingness to ignore a possible instance of police brutality. …It serves as a warning to us all that the court’s excessive force jurisprudence has gone lethally off track—especially when the victims are minority men.

Sotomayor cited a study showing that “nearly half of the individuals shot by Los Angeles police after allegedly reaching for their waistbands turned out to be unarmed.” She also cited an entire Washington Post article by Radley Balko collecting instances of what Balko calls “ ‘unarmed man reaches for his waistband’ shootings.”

…Officers have used this defense across the country, often after killing minority men. The courts, Sotomayor suggested on Monday, have become complicit in this injustice.

Justice Sotomayor takes aim at police brutality in Salazar-Limon v. Houston dissent.

Amen, Justice.

 

Bernie Sanders, Jon Ossoff, and Heath Mello: “Democrats” appear divided over Abortion and Populism 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Chick Stuff,, Domestic Affairs,, Media and Culture,, Money, Class, and Poverty,Leave a comment

NARAL Pro-Choice America, an organization that endorsed Hillary Clinton in the presidential primary, harshly criticized the DNC for what it called the party’s “embrace” of “an anti-choice candidate.”

The statement followed a report in The Wall Street Journal that Mello once supported legislation “requiring women to look at ultrasound image of their fetus before receiving an abortion.” 

… Sanders also drew backlash from Democrats after he told the Journal that he doesn’t know if Jon Ossoff, a Democratic candidate hoping to flip a conservative congressional district in Georgia, is a progressive in an article published on Wednesday.

“I think that Bernie seems to have a rather extreme point of view, that if a candidate wants to do anything to create jobs, that he’s not a progressive,” Moreno added.

David Nir, the political director for Daily Kos, which has been instrumental in channeling grassroots support for Ossoff into an influx of small-donations, respond to Sanders’ comments on Twitter by saying: “Bernie Sanders isn’t helping—he’s hurting. He should either endorse Ossoff and raise money for him, or keep his silence.” Nir later added, “on second thought, Sanders shouldn’t endorse Ossoff. He should just remain silent and not hurt the efforts of those of us helping in #GA06.”

Source: Bernie Sanders, Jon Ossoff, and Heath Mello: Rifts over Abortion and Populism Divide Democrats – The Atlantic

Sanders is progressive, but only if you are a middle class or richer white male. If you’re not he’s a tone deaf dinosaur who will work against your well-being to assuage his own feelings of self-importance. There is no economic justice for women without reproductive empowerment. Bernie’s age and focus on seeing everything through the lens of his own gender and ethnicity betrays his real lack of support of women and their empowerment, economic or otherwise.

White House tries to walk back Trump’s criticism of Germany 

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Comments made by …Trump that “the Germans are bad, very bad.”

German publication Der Spiegel reported that Trump “voiced significant displeasure” about Germany’s trade surplus during a meeting with European Union leaders in Brussels, Belgium.

On Friday morning in Taormina, Sicily, the site of a meeting with G7 leaders, White House chief economic adviser Gary Cohn said Trump’s comments were about trade.

White House adviser clarifies Trump criticism of Germany – ABC News

Lying for your boss must suck, Gary. Huh?