Thursday, December 7, 2023
Texas woman files emergency lawsuit to terminate her non-viable pregnancy
A Texas woman filed an emergency lawsuit on Tuesday asking a judge to let her terminate her non-viable pregnancy. The woman recently learned of a lethal fetal diagnosis and her doctors said continuing the pregnancy threatens her life, health and future fertility – but she's been unable to get an abortion due to Texas's multiple bans...
Ex-US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says he will leave Congress | Reuters
"I have decided to depart the House at the end of this year to serve America in new ways," McCarthy, 58, wrote...
Ex-Trump Aide Reveals He Threatened To Execute A Staffer | HuffPost Latest News
"Right before I resigned, I was in an Oval Office meeting with a dozen other staffers, and somebody had, he thinks, leaked a story about him going to the bunker during the George Floyd protests," she said on Tuesday's broadcast. "And he said, 'Whoever did that should be executed.'" …
Why Israel imprisons so many Palestinians
Systematically denying people their right to a fair trial is a violation of international law, and Tamimi's experience mirrors countless others, including children who receive the same treatment as adults. Israel, after all, is the only country that routinely puts children on trial in military courts, and it even established the "first and only juvenile military court in operation in the world," according to a report by the United Nations…
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Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, briefly explained
Some settlers have for years harassed and attacked the Palestinians living there, often with impunity and occasionally with the support of Israeli soldiers. In the weeks since October 7, however, the rate of violence has significantly increased. It is already the deadliest year since the Second Intifada, and is getting bad enough for the eyes of the world to occasionally leave Gaza and look to the West Bank.
"I continue to be alarmed about extremist settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank," President Joe Biden said in late October, comparing the attacks to "pouring gasoline on fire."…
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Trump allies craft plans to give him unprecedented power if he wins the White House (All Things Considered on NPR)
Former President Donald Trump and his allies are preparing for an aggressive expansion of his powers should he take back the White House.
Interview:
NRF retraction of key retail theft claim fuels skeptics of issue's scale
The NRF said the original claim in its Organized Retail Crime Report was due to a misinterpretation of prior data …
Liz Cheney, focused on stopping Trump, hasn't ruled out 3rd-party presidential run (Terry Gross; Fresh Air podcast)
"One of the things that we know now is that we were saved from a much more significant constitutional crisis because of the people around Trump and because of Republicans around the country — for example, state legislative officials who resisted Donald Trump's pressure, who resisted his instructions that they flip votes for Biden to be votes for Trump, for example. We know he was stopped by people at his Justice Department, at the White House counsel's office, by the vice president, who wouldn't do what Trump wanted. And so the first thing people have to recognize is those types of individuals will not be there in a second Trump term. Trump himself has talked about appointing people like Mike Flynn. Flynn is the one who suggested that Donald Trump could call out the military and rerun elections in swing states. He suggested he might appoint Jeff Clark — Clark is the Justice Department official who was willing to lie about the election and attempt to encourage legislatures around the country to overturn the results and flip Biden votes to be Trump votes. So there will not be those individuals around him to stop him.
Secondly, we know that he's not going to abide by the rulings of the courts if he disagrees with them. And that's very significant to have the potential that you'll have a president of the United States who's charged with taking care that the laws are faithfully executed, willing to ignore the rulings of the courts. And Justice Felix Frankfurter said once in a famous concurrence that, if every man is allowed to determine for himself what the law is, then you'll have chaos. And that'll be soon followed by tyranny. And that's the threat that we're looking at with Donald Trump."
Interview:
Targeting costly meds, Biden admin asserts authority to seize certain drug patents - POLITICO
The determination, which was described by three people familiar with the matter, represents the culmination of a nearly nine-month review of the government's so-called march-in rights. Progressives have long insisted that those rights empower the administration to break the patents of pricey drugs that were developed with public funds, in an effort to create more competition and lower prices...
Wednesday, December 6, 2023
It Could Be a Vast Source of Clean Energy, Buried Deep Underground - The New York Times
Natural hydrogen, also called white hydrogen because of its purity, could be a game changer, scientists say, because it is a potential source of clean energy continuously generated by the earth. Hydrogen reservoirs form when heated water meets iron-rich rocks. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, just a small fraction of these deposits could provide enough clean energy for hundreds of years....
US ‘out of money’ for Ukraine: six things to know about the aid standoff
"I must stress that helping Ukraine defend itself and secure its future as a sovereign, democratic, independent and prosperous nation advances our national security interests," Young said. "The path that Congress chooses will reverberate for many years to come."
Russia’s absurd label of the LGBTQ community as extremist, explained - Vox
Putin's regime erodes civil society and human rights to protect "traditional values"…:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72932295/831141084.0.jpg)
STEM worker survey: U.S. losing global science race
The State of Science in America report from the non-partisan Science & Technology Action Committee (STAC) calls for the U.S. to develop a national science and tech strategy and for policymakers to at least double federal funding for scientific research over the next five years...
GOP’s Comer adds to his long list of embarrassing anti-Biden duds
I realize that House GOP leaders are poised to advance their impeachment crusade against the president, indifferent to the fact that they've found no incriminating evidence whatsoever. But as the process moves forward, fair-minded observers should understand that the campaign is being led in large part by a chairman who's found nothing...
Liz Cheney, focused on stopping Trump, hasn't ruled out 3rd-party run : NPR
In fact, she says, "I'm going to do everything I can to stop Donald Trump."…
Year in Review: Joyce Vance and Barbara McQuade Review ALL the Cases Against Trump (Al Franken podcast)
Where they’ve been and where they’re going...
Interview:
Monarchy Motion Denied (Andrew McCabe and Allison Gill; Jack: A Special Counsel podcast, Episode #53)
This week, 
- Trump’s motion to declare him immune from prosecution is denied as is his fishing expedition motion to produce imaginary “missing” January 6 Committee materials;
- more from Rep. Scott Perry’s phone;
- Ken Chesebro is taking his fraudulent electors scheme talk cross-country, maybe to a jurisdiction near you.
- Plus, we have some great listener questions.
Interview:
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Opinion | Nikki Haley Is Coming for Your Retirement - The New York Times
…So anyone invoking rising life expectancy as a reason to delay Social Security benefits is, in effect, saying that aging janitors must keep working (or be cast into extreme poverty) because bankers are living longer.
How, then, should the Social Security gap be closed? The obvious answer — which happens to be favored by a majority of voters — is to raise more revenue. Remember, America collects less revenueas a percentage of G.D.P. than almost any other advanced economy.
But Haley, of course, wants to cut income taxes...
Writer details how evangelicals confronted him about Trump at his father’s funeral
…about why he should support Trump and Christian nationalism.
Why Montana’s Two-Spirit people are challenging a state law that defines sex as binary | CNN
As they fight to reclaim their history, some in Montana's Two-Spirit community are challenging a state law that defines sex as binary because it "infringes" on their spiritual and cultural beliefs...
James Comer’s Biden claims do not deserve the benefit of the doubt - The Washington Post
In short, Comer had made numerous allegations against Biden over the year, including several new ones in the past few weeks. Those allegations have never been demonstrably true. Instead, they've often been quickly shown to be demonstrably false...
Monday, December 4, 2023
‘Plain historical falsehoods’: How amicus briefs bolstered Supreme Court conservatives - POLITICO
"The court adopted a flawed interpretation of abortion criminalization that has been pressed by anti-abortion advocates for more than thirty years," they wrote.
A trio of scholars of medieval history also denounced Alito's argument as misrepresenting the penalties involved related to abortion. The Latin word "crimen" was more akin to a sin that would be "absolved through penance" before the Church — and not a felony, said Sara McDougall, a scholar of medieval law, gender and justice at City University of New York Graduate Center. Further, the meaning of "abortion" often involved "beating a pregnant woman" and was so broad it covered infanticide, she said.
"There's not one felony prosecution for abortion in 13th century England. The church sometimes (but not always) imposed penance — but usually when the intent was to conceal sexual infidelity," said McDougall, who was one of the three medieval scholars. Indeed, this medieval doctrine persisted for hundreds of years until Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1869 that life began at conception, they wrote...
Donald Trump Jr. is banking on PublicSquare, a MAGA alternative to Amazon
The company, which counts Donald Trump Jr. among its champions and investors, pitches itself as a right-wing alternative to Amazon, where conservative consumers can vote with their dollars and buy goods from businesses that claim to oppose liberal values, from diversity initiatives to supporting abortion rights...
Cheney says a Republican House majority in 2025 would present a ‘threat’ | CNN Politics
Cheney, who represented Wyoming in Congress from 2017 to 2023, said current House Speaker Mike Johnson was "absolutely" a collaborator in the effort to overthrow the 2020 election and he should not be speaker in 2025.
"He can't be. We are facing a situation with respect to the 2024 election where it's an existential crisis. And we have to ensure that we don't have a situation where the election that might be thrown into the House of Representatives is overseen by a Republican majority," she said...
Egg suppliers ordered to pay $17.7 million by federal jury for price gouging in 2000s - CBS News
The jury ruled last week that the egg producers used various means to limit the domestic supply of eggs to increase the price of products during the 2000s. The time frame of the conspiracy was an issue throughout the case; jurors ultimately determined damages occurred between 2004 and 2008...
Trump attempts to spin anti-democracy criticism against Biden - The Washington Post
His speech on Saturday was an effort to turn the tables on rising alarms from Democrats and some Republicans that Trump's return to power would imperil free elections and civil liberties. As candidates ramp up appearances in Iowa ahead of the caucuses on Jan. 15, the former president, who refused to accept his 2020 election loss and inspired his supporters to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power, responded by comparing President Biden to a fascist tyrant, and the campaign distributed signs reading 'BIDEN ATTACKS DEMOCRACY.'
"Biden and his radical left allies like to pose as defenders of democracy," Trump told a raucous crowd of a couple thousand supporters here. "But Joe Biden is not the defender of American democracy. Joe Biden is the destroyer of American democracy. … This campaign is a righteous crusade to liberate our republic from Biden and the criminals and the Biden administration."…
James Comer and his most dishonest attack on President Biden - The Washington Post
It is hard to imagine a more obviously dishonest claim…
Cheney: Johnson was ‘a collaborator’ in Trump’s effort to remain in power | The Hill
The former Wyoming representative said Johnson knew what he was doing supporting Trump's attempts to overthrow the last election and "knows now that what he's doing and saying is wrong."
"He's willing to do it in an effort to please Donald Trump and that's what makes it dangerous," Cheney said in the interview set to air Sunday...
Liz Cheney warns 'co-opted' GOP would help Trump 'end the republic' - Raw Story
"[Trump has] told us what he will do. It's very easy to see the steps that he will take," Cheney said. "People who say, 'well, if he's elected, it's not that dangerous because we have all of these checks and balances,' don't fully understand the extent to which the Republicans in Congress today have been co-opted."
"One of the things that we see happening today is a sort of sleepwalking into dictatorship in the United States," she added…
Homeschooling hid child abuse, torture of 11-year-old Roman Lopez by stepmom - Washington Post
Left to their own devices while she lay in bed watching TV crime procedurals, and her husband, Jordan, worked long hours as a utility lineman, their days and nights passed in a penumbral blur of video games, microwave dinners and fistfights. Almost nothing resembling education took place, her sons said. But there was a shared project in which she diligently led her children: the torture of their stepbrother, Roman...
Sunday, December 3, 2023
The News Roundup – Domestic and International (The 1A) 2023-12-01
Domestic
A 48-year-old man in Burlington, Vermont, entered a not plea guilty in the shooting of three Palestinian men this week. The three victims walking close to the University of Vermont over Thanksgiving weekend, were speaking a mix of English and Arabic, and two were wearing keffiyeh scarves, a traditional Palestinian garment.
New York Rep. George Santos’ time in Congress came to an end this week. A vote to expel him was successful on Friday. He had already previously refused to resign.
Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger died this week at the age of 100. He played a part in some of the darkest moments of the Cold War.
Interview:
The Department of Justice charged a man accused of taking payment from the Indian government for the assassination of a Sikh leader and U.S. citizen in New York.
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak canceled a meeting with his Greek counterpart amid ongoing discussions over the return of the Parthenon marbles, originally taken from the Mediterranean country by the 7th Earl of Elgin.
Interview:
New York Rep. George Santos’ time in Congress came to an end this week. A vote to expel him was successful on Friday. He had already previously refused to resign.
Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger died this week at the age of 100. He played a part in some of the darkest moments of the Cold War.
Interview:
International
The war resumed between Israel and Hamas on Friday, after the last truce extension expired. And in the West Bank four people, including an 8-year-old boy, were killed as the Israeli Defense Force raided the Jenin refugee camp this week.The Department of Justice charged a man accused of taking payment from the Indian government for the assassination of a Sikh leader and U.S. citizen in New York.
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak canceled a meeting with his Greek counterpart amid ongoing discussions over the return of the Parthenon marbles, originally taken from the Mediterranean country by the 7th Earl of Elgin.
Interview:
Federal judge rejects Trump’s attempt to dismiss 2020 election subversion case
In stinging opinion, judge Tanya Chutkan rejects idea that being commander in chief confers lifelong 'get-out-of-jail-free' pass…
Liz Cheney tells "CBS News Sunday Morning" that the U.S. is "sleepwalking into a dictatorship" - CBS News
CHENEY: If you look at what Donald Trump is trying to do, he can't do it by himself. He has to have collaborators. And the story of Mike Johnson is a story of, of a collaborator and of someone who knew then – and knows now – that what he's doing and saying is wrong, but he's willing to do it in an effort to please Donald Trump. And that's what makes it dangerous.
DICKERSON: The Speaker of the House is a collaborator to overthrow the last election?
CHENEY: Absolutely...
Paleoconservative or Moderate? Questions for Staffing the Next G.O.P. White House. - The New York Times
The Heritage Foundation asks applicants for a future Republican administration a series of questions about their ideology, showing the extent to which "America First" has shaped the modern G.O.P...
The Bogus Historians Who Teach Evangelicals They Live in a Theocracy - POLITICO
The way for Christianity to permeate the culture, he insisted, was by tackling these great debates of our time: abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism. I didn't bother questioning why Connelly always listed the same narrow set of topics; the answer was apparent. Talking about other clear-cut biblical issues — such as caring for the poor, welcoming the refugee, refusing the temptation of wealth — did not animate the conservative base ahead of an election...
Unsavory alliances would need to be forged. Sordid tactics would need to be embraced. The first step toward preserving Christian values, it seemed, was to do away with Christian values…
How support for Trump is causing a rift in the evangelical church (Terry Gross; Fresh Air podcast)
Atlantic writer Tim Alberta grew up in the evangelical church, the son of a pastor. His book, The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, examines why so many evangelicals are ardent Trump supporters.
Interview:
Saturday, December 2, 2023
US to impose visa bans on Israeli extremist settlers for violence against Palestinians
"I have been emphatic with Israel's leaders that extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank must stop and that those committing the violence must be held accountable. The United States is prepared to take our own steps, including issuing visa bans against extremists attacking civilians in the West Bank," the US president wrote...
Trump can be sued over January 6 Capitol attack, US appeals court rules
…rejecting the former president's claim that he is immune…
Friday, December 1, 2023
Arizona voting officials charged for refusing to certify 2022 election results
Republican county supervisors Tom Crosby and Peggy Judd initially refused to certify their county's election results…
The climate crisis explained in 10 charts
From the seemingly inexorable increase in atmospheric CO2 to the rapid growth in green energy, we explore the data as Cop28 begins…
Social Security Official Shreds Lauren Boebert Over What She Finds ‘Unacceptable’ | HuffPost Latest News
"So I'd say we'd have an increase of over eight million beneficiaries over the last 10 years. At the same time, we experienced our lowest work staffing levels at the end of FY 22. ... If you have those workloads increasing and you don't have the staff to take care of those workloads, you're going to have the backlogs that you're talking about, representative."
For Republican Governors, Civics Is the Latest Education Battleground - The New York Times
Virginia, Florida and South Dakota have new standards that focus on patriotism, Christianity and anti-communism. But debating current events? That's discouraged...
Some Republicans sound alarm after Trump revives focus on Obamacare | CNN Politics
Trump's health care legacy while in office is viewed by many Republicans as lackluster at best. His failure to fulfill his core campaign promise of repealing and replacing Obamacare – even with a GOP monopoly on power in Washington – was an early blow to Trump, who had painted himself as the ultimate dealmaker...
Israel Knew Hamas’s Attack Plan Over a Year Ago - The New York Times
Officials privately concede that, had the military taken these warnings seriously and redirected significant reinforcements to the south, where Hamas attacked, Israel could have blunted the attacks or possibly even prevented them...
Biden announces proposal to replace all lead water service lines in US within 10 years - ABC News
More than 9.2 million American households connect to water through lead pipes...
A Kentucky school board meeting shows the power of Christian nationalism
There's no proof that Kentucky Christians are being persecuted — and yet many seem determined to believe otherwise...
Thursday, November 30, 2023
How support for Trump is causing a rift in the evangelical church (Terry Gross; Fresh Air podcast)
Atlantic writer Tim Alberta grew up in the evangelical church, the son of a pastor. His book, The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, examines why so many evangelicals are ardent Trump supporters.
Interview:
‘Bait and switch’: Liz Cheney book tears into Mike Johnson over pro-Trump January 6 brief | Books | The Guardian
"Mike was seriously misleading our members," Cheney writes. "The brief did assert as facts known to the amici many allegations of fraud and serious wrongdoing by officials in multiple states."
Johnson, she says, then told Republicans that 105 House members had expressed interest. "Not one of them had seen the brief," Cheney writes. She also says he added "a new inaccurate claim", that state officials had been "clearly shown" to have violated the constitution…
…Johnson "was telling our colleagues he was a constitutional law expert, while advocating positions that were constitutionally infirm", Cheney writes…
"A team of lawyers who were also apparently advising Trump had in fact drafted [it]," she writes. "Mike Johnson had left the impression that he was responsible for the brief, but he was just carrying Trump's water."…
In certain circumstances, close elections can be thrown to the House – which Mike Johnson now controls.
‘It should never have happened’: death of boy, 16, at sawmill highlights rise of child labour in US
Michael Schuls died after getting trapped in dangerous machinery at a mill in Wisconsin. But across the US conservative groups are pushing to loosen laws that protect children in the workplace…
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