At least one of the firms reportedly had a case before Chief Justice Roberts.
 | |
Sunday, April 30, 2023
A Predator Blessed With Charm – Hartford Courant
For Tony Cardone, an experienced altar boy, the bad times usually came in the sacristy, right after private Masses performed by Brett. From the altar, the two went to the sacristy to change from their vestments into street clothes. There, amid the priests' robes, the chalice and the faint smell of incense, Cardone recalled, Brett explained that performing fellatio on each other was "the way Christian men receive communion."
"He would unzip himself and then unzip me," Cardone said. "I remember him telling me one time I had the body of a Greek god."…
Saturday, April 29, 2023
The News Roundup – Domestic and International (The 1A) 2023-04-28
Domestic
It was a big week at the White House. President Joe Biden announced his plans to run for reelection in 2024. And Vice President Kamala Harris visited her alma mater, Howard University in Washington DC, where she gave a speech in support of reproductive rights.Washington became the 10th state to ban the sale of semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15. “These weapons of war of assault weapons have no reason other than mass murder. Their only purpose is to kill humans as rapidly as possible in large numbers,” said Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.
And in financial news, shares for First Republic Bank fell 30 percent this week and closed at a new record low. The tumble is prompting fears that the bank could fail.
Interview:
International
Supply shortages are impacting the citizens of Sudan as the fighting in its capital Khartoum continues, despite the agreement of a three-day truce. Thousands of people are fleeing as foreign governments are working to get visitors and diplomats out of the country.zzzUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time since his country was invaded by Russia. However, during the phone call, Chinese officials reportedly never spoke the words “Russia” or “war.”
President Joe Biden met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol this week. The U.S. agreed to send nuclear submarines to Korean waters in an attempt to deter North Korean aggression. In exchange, South Korea agreed not develop its own nuclear weapons.
Interview:
‘Endless record heat’ in Asia as highest April temperatures recorded | Climate crisis | The Guardian
On Tuesday, four weather stations in Myanmar hit or matched record monthly temperatures, with Theinzayet, in eastern Mon state, reaching the highest, at 43C (109.4F)…
There had been "endless record heat in south-east Asia, with weeks of records falling every day," said Herrera…
Climate change: Spain breaks record temperature for April - BBC News
Many farmers are experiencing difficulties due to the ongoing lack of rain, with the government in Madrid asking the European Union for financial help.
Some landowners say they won't plant crops due to the dry conditions, which could have implications for food supplies across Europe.
This heatwave in Spain is not an isolated event - all across the world high temperatures in the first few months of this year have shattered records…
Revealed: Senate investigation into Brett Kavanaugh assault claims contained serious omissions | Brett Kavanaugh | The Guardian
The FBI was at the time involved in its own review of sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh. The investigation, conducted under FBI director Christopher Wray, another Yale graduate, has widely been derided as a "sham" by Democrats led by the Rhode Island senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a member of the Senate judiciary committee.
Whitehouse's office is expected to release a report into the FBI's handling of the Kavanaugh investigation by the end of this year...
The US supreme court’s alleged ethics issues are worse than you probably realize | Moira Donegan | The Guardian
Both have claimed that they are such intelligent and gifted legal minds that they should be given lifelong appointments of unparalleled power, and also that they have made innocent mistakes on legal forms that they are too dumb to understand.
The claim strains credulity. What it looks like, to the American people who have to live under the laws that the supreme court shapes, is that Thomas has long been living lavishly on the dime of a rightwing billionaire who wants rightwing rulings, and that Gorsuch conveniently managed to sell a house he didn't want at the precise moment when he became important enough to be worth bribing…
Friday, April 28, 2023
'Disappointing Day for Women': Senate GOP Filibuster Blocks Equal Rights Amendment
"Today is a disappointing day for women," declared League of Women Voters of the United States CEO Virginia Kase Solomón. "Our nation's elected leaders have failed yet again to see us as equal members of this democracy."
As GOP Targets Food Aid, House Dems Remind McCarthy of $1.9 Trillion in Trump Tax Cuts
"In tax cuts in 2017 passed by the other side of the aisle, we see wonderful tax cuts for yacht owners and private jets," said Ocasio-Cortez. "But in order to balance our budget now, we're talking about cuts to SNAP, to food out of babies' mouths, instead of actually reexamining the inequities within our tax system."…
"The McCarthy proposal," they wrote, "also resurfaces a completely inaccurate but alarmingly persistent conservative claim: the idea that government anti-poverty programs are unnecessarily generous, bloated, and are keeping people out of the workforce who should otherwise be supporting themselves entirely through income earned in the labor market."…
Oklahoma Woman Told to Wait in Hospital Parking Lot Until 'Crashing' for Abortion
At the last hospital she went to before deciding to get care three hours away at an abortion clinic in Kansas, Statton was told to wait in the parking lot until her symptoms became worse than the heavy bleeding and illness she had already experienced.
"They were very sincere; they weren't trying to be mean," Statton told NPR. "They said, 'The best we can tell you to do is sit in the parking lot, and if anything else happens, we will be ready to help you. But we cannot touch you unless you are crashing in front of us or your blood pressure goes so high that you are fixing to have a heart attack.'"
Statton's experience illustrates "what 'pro-life' laws look like on the ground," said MSNBC news anchor Chris Hayes...
Michigan GOP faces existential crisis: 'The state party is dead'
Michigan's Republican Party is grappling with disunity and disarray as it looks to regain lost political ground ahead of 2024…
Mifepristone is under scrutiny in the courts, but it has been used safely and effectively around the world for decades
The Conversation asked Grace Shih, a family physician practicing in Washington state, to explain the science behind mifepristone as well as its safety and efficacy in medication abortions...
Disney sues Florida Gov Ron DeSantis
Walt Disney Co. sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, alleging the Republican governor has waged a "relentless campaign to weaponize government power" over the company...
Yes, the climate crisis is raising your grocery bills
Last year, the United States incurred over $2bn in costs due to 20 climate-related extreme weather events, from Hurricane Ian to heatwaves and drought. Lumber, cotton, tomatoes, wheat, and energy – and the products they generate, from denim jeans to your Italian takeout dinner – were all affected by these events and are now more expensive than this time last year. Climate-driven extreme weather and disasters are now more frequently responsible for production shortages, supply chain disruptions, and labor issues that lead to higher costs of living...
When Russia is defeated in Ukraine, look to Chechnya – POLITICO
"Russia is like a drunk neighbor. One day he comes to your home and wants to burn it. You catch him, he runs away. Another day he comes back sober and begs for forgiveness. And then he returns drunk with a pistol and kills your wife and kids," he says...
Iowa legislature passes bill restricting state auditor’s access to records - The Washington Post
"If you let a state agency decide what the auditor's office can look at, how often are they going to let [the auditor] find waste, fraud and abuse?"…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/04/27/iowa-state-legislator-auditor-republicans/
A second firm hired by Trump campaign found no evidence of election fraud - The Washington Post
The founder of the company has been interviewed by federal prosecutors investigating the former president's efforts to overturn the 2020 results…
Four key flaws in Trump’s classified-document defense - The Washington Post
"A legislative solution by Congress is required to prevent the [Justice Department] from continuing to conduct ham-handed criminal investigations of matters that are inherently not criminal," the legal team wrote near the start of the letter. Over the course of the next eight pages, they presented their case, both for the improper nature of the probe and of Trump's innocence.
But on at least four key points, the letter is deeply flawed as a defense…
Dr. Brandy Lee Explains How the phenomenon of Trump Contagion, not politics, created the MAGA movement (Anthony Davis; The Weekend Show podcast)
Top psychiatrist Dr Bandy Lee explains to Anthony Davis how the phenomenon of Trump Contagion, not politics, created the MAGA movement.
Interview:
Patriotic Millionaires Slam House GOP Debt Ceiling Plan for Protecting Rich Tax Cheats while Hurting Poor Families
Earlier this evening, Republicans in the US House of Representatives voted to pass a debt ceiling plan that contains substantial cuts to virtually all areas of discretionary spending for the federal government.
Morris Pearl, chair of Patriotic Millionaires and former managing director at BlackRock, issued the following statement in response…
Why I'm Saying No to the IDF as a 17-Year-Old
I grow more and more anxious by the day because a professional organization of trained terrorists that calls itself an army wants me to be one of them. And I cannot say no...
How private equity firms are widening the income gap in the U.S. (Terry Gross; Fresh Air podcast)
Financial journalist Gretchen Morgenson explains how private equity firms buy out companies, then lay off employees and cut costs in order to expand profits. Her new book is These are the Plunderers.
Interview:
Thursday, April 27, 2023
Patriarch says Russians who don't serve country are 'internal enemies' | Reuters
Kirill did not elaborate but his remarks appeared partly to target Russians who have dodged the draft, sometimes moving abroad to avoid being called up to serve in what Putin calls the "special military operation" in Ukraine.
Putin has often used the Orthodox Church and its rich traditions to help foster a sense of national pride and patriotism among Russians…
The enemy within? Ukraine’s Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church faces scrutiny | Ukraine | The Guardian
"Some of those bishops are like FSB agents. Some of them are not, but they are still in parts of the same 'corporation'," said Hovorun.
"They lie to protect not themselves personally, but the corporation.
"The Kremlin quite early realised that in order to control the church, it's enough to control its bishops..."
'MAGA Economic Sabotage': 217 House Republicans Pass Debt Ceiling Bill With Harmful Cuts
A wide range of advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday fiercely denounced Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives for narrowly passing their "debt ceiling scam" containing "extreme, harmful cuts against average Americans to protect billionaire tax breaks."…block President Joe Biden's contested student debt relief plan, and repeal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funds intended to reduce tax-dodging…
"Cuts to SSA are cuts to Social Security, and we will hold every single one of these members accountable," he added. "This vote shows that Republicans are united in support of cutting Social Security, while Democrats are united in support of a clean debt limit increase with no cuts to Social Security or any other benefits."
Fact-checking Trump’s reaction to Biden’s reelection announcement - The Washington Post
His statement, delivered in his own video, is one misleading attack after another. Here's a line-by-line dissection...
Recorded conversation shows Ted Cruz outlining plan to challenge 2020 results - The Washington Post
"Ted Cruz is a lawyer who knows the difference between factual evidence and idle speculation and he recognized what a fraud Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani were perpetrating on the country — and yet he continued to play along with it, like so many people did," Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a member of the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack, told The Post on Tuesday evening...
Targeting Mental Illness Will Not Prevent Mass Shootings
Instead of defaulting to mental illness as the reason for mass shootings, we can look at countries with far fewer gun deaths and mass shootings. Since Australia instituted a massive gun buyback program in the 90s, firearm deaths reduced by half, and no mass killings have occurred since then...
Michigan man indicted after making YouTube threats against Biden, Whitmer, LGBTQ+ people - mlive.com
When the FBI began investigating, the YouTube account had a display name of "kill all federal agents on sight and hang biden" with a URL of "@killthefeds420." Agents determined that between Feb. 18 and March 7, the account published at least 14 posts stating a desire to kill President Joe Biden, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Democrat politicians in general, and LGBTQ+ people...
Democrats condemn Roberts’ refusal to testify over US supreme court ethics row | US supreme court | The Guardian
Democrats and progressives reacted angrily after John Roberts, the chief justice of the supreme court, declined an invitation to testify before the Senate judiciary committee about corruption allegations against members of his court.
Russia's Prigozhin: Ukrainian counter-offensive is 'inevitable' | Reuters
In a combative audio message posted on his Telegram channel, Prigozhin also renewed his criticism of Russia's security establishment, saying there was a "betrayal" going on inside Russia, as he lambasted the defence ministry for not sending much-needed shipments of ammunition to his fighters...
Markey calls for Clarence Thomas to resign: ‘reputation is unsalvageable’ | The Hill
"It is evident that he cannot judge right from wrong. So why should he be judging the country's most important cases, on its highest court?" the senator added.
“Wrongful Death” for Helping a Friend Get an Abortion
Mitchell's broader ambition in the wrongful death lawsuit may be judicial recognition of fetal personhood, or classifying fetuses as equal to people with protected constitutional rights, according to Mary Ziegler, abortion historian and law professor at the University of California, Davis. Comstock, while a parallel strategy, helps push the similar view that all abortion violates federal criminal law. Fetal personhood has been the defining end goal of the anti-abortion movement since the 1960s, and with Roe's demise, extremists have an unprecedented opportunity to achieve it...
Ron DeSantis Finds Taking On Disney Is a Dicey Business - The New York Times
…majorities of Democrats and Republicans said they were less likely to support a candidate who supported laws intended to punish companies for their positions on cultural issues…
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
US Supreme Court's Blow to Big Oil 'Should Open the Floodgates for More Lawsuits'
"Big Oil companies have been desperate to avoid trials in state courts, where they will be forced to defend their climate lies in front of juries, and today the Supreme Court declined to bail them out," said Center for Climate Integrity president Richard Wiles.
"The high court's decision is a major victory for communities across the country that are fighting to hold Big Oil accountable and make them pay for the climate damages they knowingly caused," he continued. "Now it's time for these polluters to face the evidence of their deception in court."…
Grandpa, Tell Me About the Time the Supreme Court Picked a Fight With the Future
By installing a Supreme Court prepared to constitutionalize right-wing dogma, the political right is stripping the generations that follow them of the freedom to decide for themselves what sort of society they will strive to achieve…
'Can't Win, So They Cheat': GOP Tries to Keep Abortion Rights Off Ballot After Big Losses
"Efforts to undermine and weaken ballot measures have been increasing since the 2016 election in response to progressive wins and people-powered democracy at the ballot box," BISC said. "In many states, some politicians and wealthy special interests are trying to make it harder for voters to propose and pass ballot initiatives under the cover of so-called 'reforms.' These attacks have escalated and have become more nuanced, sophisticated, and would have deeper impacts on the initiative process."…
Proud Boys were ready for ‘all-out war’ before January 6, prosecutors argue
"If Biden steals this election, [the Proud Boys] will be political prisoners," Tarrio posted. "We won't go quietly … I promise."
Jurors also saw gleeful messages posted during the Capitol riot when a group marched to the Capitol and some of them entered the building after the mob overwhelmed police.
"Make no mistake," Tarrio wrote. "We did this."…
Law firm head bought Gorsuch-owned property - POLITICO
He and his wife closed on the house a month later, paying $1.825 million, according to a deed in the county's record system. Gorsuch, who held a 20 percent stake, reported making between $250,001 and $500,000 from the sale on his federal disclosure forms.
Gorsuch did not disclose the identity of the purchaser. That box was left blank.
Since then, Greenberg Traurig has been involved in at least 22 cases before or presented to the court, according to a POLITICO review of the court's docket.…
RNC accidentally makes an important point in new anti-Biden ad
Or put another way, Biden's actual record wasn't scary, so the RNC found it necessary to peddle literally fake, made-up images referring to events that have not occurred…
The RNC, in other words, accidentally stumbled onto an important point: As Biden eyes a second term, his opposition party struggled to find anything wrong with his actual record while in office…
Supreme Court’s GOP majority refuses to fix ‘indefensible’ death penalty ruling
The Supreme Court's Republican-appointed majority has effectively decided to allow a man's execution despite the jury that voted for his death potentially being misinformed...
Proud Boys leaders: Trump caused Jan. 6 attack - POLITICO
A lawyer for Enrique Tarrio told jurors that prosecutors are using him as a "scapegoat" for the former president...
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Republicans ‘glorify political violence’ by embracing extreme gun culture
"[Commentators] on the right have spent the last few years warning their viewers that vigilante justice might be necessary to keep their families safe – and Kyle Rittenhouse is the poster child for that inflammatory talking point," said Matt Gertz a senior fellow at Media Matters for America, a watchdog group that monitors rightwing media...
Trump committed treason and will try again. He must be barred from running
But Trump is running for re-election, despite the explicit language of section three of the 14th amendment to the constitution, which prohibits anyone who has held public office and who has engaged in insurrection against the United States from ever again serving in public office.
The reason for the disqualification clause is that someone who has engaged in an insurrection against the United States cannot be trusted to use constitutional methods to regain office. (Notably, all three branches of the federal government have described the January 6 attack on the US Capitol as an "insurrection".)…
North Carolina: Mark Robinson attracts scrutiny as extremist in Republican race
The sharp-spoken social conservative, who has made controversial remarks about LGBTQ+ rights, guns and abortion, said North Carolina needed a leader like him who can relate to the challenges and desires of working people…
Equal Rights Amendment to get Senate vote this week, Schumer says - The Washington Post
The Senate, then, is expected to vote this week on a bipartisan resolution introduced by Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) that would remove the arbitrary deadline of 1982 and, thus, would recognize the ERA as a valid, 28th Amendment to the Constitution.
"The ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment would finally provide a constitutional remedy against sex discrimination — pushing our country one step closer to finally achieving equal justice under the law," Schumer said on Monday. "It has been exactly 100 years since the first ERA was proposed in Congress. American women cannot afford to wait 100 more."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Click Older Posts above to see more.