December 31, 2020

Federal appeals court blocks Trump administration’s attempt to undermine rules for handling children in ICE custody. “Placement in state licensed facilities and expeditious release are core principles of the Flores Settlement Agreement; principles that are eviscerated by the government’s regulations, which allow for ‘self-licensing’ and indefinite detention,” (Neha) Desai, the director of the immigration division at the National Center for Youth Law, told CBS News. “The Ninth Circuit’s refusal to allow these regulations to take effect represents a profound victory for accompanied children.”   https://www.cbsnews.com/news/migrant-families-long-term-detention-lawsuit-blocked-flores-agreement/

U.N. committee says President Trump’s pardons for Blackwater security contractors who opened fire on Iraqi civilians violates U.S. obligations under international law. “… the U.N. Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries…. said the Geneva conventions obliged states to hold war criminals accountable for their crimes, even when they are acting as private security contractors.”   https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/30/trumps-blackwater-pardons-an-affront-to-justice-say-un-experts

Ohio death row inmate who survived botched 2009 execution attempt is believed to have died from covid-19. “The execution was finally put off after (Romell) Broom was stuck by needles 18 times over two hours. He was set again for execution on March 16, 2022.”   https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ohio-inmate-who-survived-execution-attempt-dies-prison-possible-covid-n1252553

Police departments increasingly collecting evidence from the onboard computers of vehicles. “The telematics system stores a vehicle’s turn-by-turn navigation, speed, acceleration and deceleration information, as well as more granular clues, such as when and where the lights were switched on, the doors were opened, seat belts were put on and airbags were deployed. The infotainment system records recent destinations, call logs, contact lists, text messages, emails, pictures, videos, web histories, voice commands and social media feeds. It can also keep track of the phones that have been connected to the vehicle via USB cable or Bluetooth, as well as all the apps installed on the device.”   https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/snitches-wheels-police-turn-car-data-destroy-suspects-alibis-n1251939   Not to mention that rental and fleet vehicles can be tracked in real time by their owners, and some private vehicles can also be located by police officers if they know whose vehicle they are looking for.

Kathleen Hicks is Joe Biden’s pick for deputy secretary of defense. “…. (her) most recent employer is the Cen­ter for Strate­gic and Inter­na­tion­al Stud­ies (CSIS)…. a hawkish think tank funded by some of the country’s top weapons makers, including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman.”   https://news.antiwar.com/2020/12/30/bidens-pick-for-no-pentagon-spot-comes-from-hawkish-arms-industry-funded-think-tank/

Turkey sentences 92 more people to life in prison in connection with 2016 coup attempt. “Senior army officials were among the 92 who were sentenced to life terms — 12 of them ‘aggravated’ terms with no chance of parole. Among the dozen were some departmental heads of land forces, the state-run news agency Anadolu reported.”   https://www.dw.com/en/turkey-ex-generals-jailed-for-life-over-2016-coup-attempt/a-56093904   More than 2,500 people in Turkey have reportedly now been sentenced to life in prison in connection with the coup attempt.

Dozens of Democratic Party senators vote in favor of Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell’s motion to drop efforts to increase stimulus checks and move on to overriding President Trumps veto of military funding bill. “In total, 41 Democrats—including Schumer and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris—voted for the motion, paving the way for an override of Trump’s NDAA veto and effectively killing the prospect of a vote on $2,000 direct payments before the next Congress.”    https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/31/after-gop-repeatedly-blocked-vote-2000-checks-41-democrats-joined-mcconnell-advance

International Criminal Court’s report closing inquiry into British war crimes in Iraq disappoints those who hoped for justice. “… Iraqis resisting the foreign occupation are referred to as ‘insurgents’ throughout the document…. The idea that the invaders were the respectable power and the locals were ‘insurgents’ may be the language of the British (Ministry of Defence)… but it should not be the language of the International Criminal Court…. Not only is the entire report written in the British voice, it entirely omits the Iraqi voice.”   https://consortiumnews.com/2020/12/30/the-iccs-indefensible-decision-on-alleged-uk-war-crimes-in-iraq/   Author points out that the court also refused to consider the invasion of Iraq, a war of aggression, as a war crime, in stark conflict with the findings of the Nuremberg Tribunals.

Civil liberties group downgrades U.S. again, from ‘narrowed’ freedoms to ‘obstructed’ freedoms. “The harsh treatment of people wanting to express themselves (in the U.S.) and the decline of civil liberties is part of a broader global decline in fundamental freedoms. Our new report shows less than four percent of the world’s population live in countries that respect the freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression.”   https://consortiumnews.com/2020/12/28/us-downgraded-as-civil-liberties-deteriorate-across-the-americas/

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, tasked with investigating systemic racism in the U.S. and human rights violations against African-Americans. “Twelve commissioners, including prominent judges, lawyers, professors, advocates and UN special rapporteurs from Pakistan, South Africa, Japan, India, Nigeria, France, Costa Rica, the United Kingdom and the West Indies will hold public hearings from January 18 to February 6. The commission will hear evidence in 50 cases of police violence that occurred throughout the United States from 2010-2020, including the killings of George Floyd, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Breonna Taylor and Tamir Rice.”   https://consortiumnews.com/2020/12/28/un-human-rights-commissioner-probing-racist-violence-in-us-as-part-of-wordwide-study-after-trump-administration-blocked-un-human-rights-council-us-inquiry/

Joe Biden’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, is a former deputy director of the CIA. “There were three controversial areas where Haines made a name for herself and for which she should have to answer in a confirmation hearing:  The CIA’s refusal to release the Senate Torture Report and the decision to hack into the Senate Intelligence Committee’s computer system; the CIA’s decision to not punish those officers who carried out the hack and who killed and tortured prisoners beyond even what the Justice Department said was permissible; and the government’s drone program, in which hundreds, perhaps thousands, of civilians were killed.”   https://consortiumnews.com/2020/12/29/john-kiriakou-the-dark-past-of-bidens-nominee-for-national-intelligence-director/

 

December 30, 2020

Girlfriend of ‘not on the radar’ bombing suspect Anthony Warner reportedly told Nashville police in 2019 that Warner was building a bomb in his RV, police then contacted the FBI for more information on Warner, but he wasn’t in their system. “They saw no evidence of a crime and had no authority to enter his home or fenced property.”   https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2020/12/29/nashville-explosion-woman-warned-mnpd-warner-building-bomb-2019/4082253001/   It’s not like he was plotting to hold a Black Lives Matter demonstration, or release some minks, or something serious like that. Would be interesting to know if he’s listed at the local Homeland Security ‘fusion center’, along with the peace activists, death penalty opponents, non-violent leftists, civil rights protesters and environmental campaigners.

No federal civil rights charges for Cleveland police officers involved in fatal shooting of 12 year-old boy playing with toy gun in city park. “The Justice Department announced Tuesday that it would not bring federal criminal charges against two Cleveland police officers in the 2014 killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, saying video of the shooting was of too poor a quality for prosecutors to conclusively establish what had happened.”   https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tamir-rice-shooting-video-justice-department-declines-to-charge-officers-today-2020-12-29/   The story calls the gun a ‘pellet gun’, but it was actually an airsoft gun that fires little plastic balls.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Tamir_Rice#Shooting

Former Naval Intelligence employee Jonathan Pollard, imprisoned for providing U.S. military secrets to Israel, is greeted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon his arrival at Tel Aviv airport. “Pollard arrived on a private plane provided by American casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire supporter of both Netanyahu and President Donald Trump.”   https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/29/jonathan-pollard-spy-israel-452235

Atlanta considering plan to provide additional security in wealthy neighborhood. “The ‘Buckhead Security Plan’ is expected to cost about $1.62 million; it calls for additional police patrols around the commercial areas and a strategic grid of security cameras and license plate readers, in addition to other public safety initiatives.”   https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/new-buckhead-security-plan-could-cost-16m-councilors-donating-125k/XNQ7FSRJI5CIZDNRZ4C37GFNAY/   The plan would also reportedly involve city-funded, private security officers. “The shooting death of a 7-year-old Atlanta girl has emboldened a group of community leaders to call for a private security force to supplement the Atlanta Police Department.”   https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/531992-atlanta-city-council-members-seek-to-fund-proposal-for-private-police   Is this the highest crime area of the city? If not, why do they deserve taxpayer-funded special treatment?

Native American man tasered by federal park ranger after dispute over being ‘off the trail’. “An indigenous rights organization said the incident may have violated the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, which gives Native Americans the right to access sacred sites to practice their religion…. The National Park Service’s website for Petroglyph National Monument describes the site as a ‘landscape of sacred symbols’. The website says the petroglyphs ‘hold profound spiritual significance for contemporary Native Americans’.”   https://www.abqjournal.com/1531088/video-of-native-man-being-shocked-at-petroglyphs-goes-viral.html   Story includes links to Instagram videos of the incident.

Audit of randomly selected Georgia absentee ballots finds one mismatched signature out of 15,118 envelopes checked. “In one case, a voter’s wife signed her husband’s ballot envelope. Another voter signed the front of the envelope instead of the back.”   https://www.ajc.com/politics/no-fraud-georgia-audit-confirms-authenticity-of-absentee-ballots/QF2PTOGHLNDLNDJEWBU56WEQHM/   Chinese hackers harvested signatures from drivers license data base? (sarcasm)

Average of only 200,000 Americans being vaccinated daily. “The CDC’s latest tally, as of Monday, showed that despite the distribution of 11.45 million doses from Moderna Inc., and from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, just 2.13 million people had gotten shots.”   https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-29/u-s-vaccinations-at-200-000-a-day-run-far-short-of-warp-speed   Nationwide, only about 19% of the distributed vaccine has been used so far.

4 year-old Missouri girl died after ‘exorcism’. “Benton County Sheriff Eric Knox says she had been severely beaten and dunked in an icy pond as part of what appeared to be a ‘religious-type episode’.”   https://www.kxan.com/news/parents-of-4-year-old-allegedly-killed-by-neighbors-while-removing-demon-are-charged/

Argentina’s senate passes bill legalizing abortion without preconditions such as rape or health risks. “Argentina’s president, Alberto Fernández, has promised to sign the bill into law, making it legal for women to end pregnancies for any reason up to 14 weeks…. Uruguay, Cuba and Guyana are the only other countries in Latin America to allow abortion on request.”   https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/30/world/americas/argentina-legalizes-abortion.html

Hong Kong residents caught attempting to flee to Taiwan are sentenced to prison in China. “Two, convicted of organizing the illegal border crossing, were sentenced to two and three years in prison, respectively. The other eight were convicted of taking part in the border crossing and all received seven-month sentences.”   https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/29/asia/hong-kong-china-taiwan-jail-intl-hnk/index.html   Two juveniles were returned to Hong Kong. If they crossed the border when they left China, then they were apprehended on the high seas, which seems to be outside the Chinese government’s jurisdiction. If they were still in Chinese waters, they didn’t cross the border.

Indigenous activist assassinated in Honduras. “Félix Vásquez, 60, a veteran leader of the indigenous Lenca people, was shot dead at home in Santiago de Puringla, a rural community in the department of La Paz, western Honduras on the night of 26 December – just weeks after reporting death threats linked to his work…. Vásquez had been involved in the defense of indigenous land rights since the 1980s and was well-known nationally for organizing opposition to environmentally destructive megaprojects…”   https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/29/indigenous-environmental-defender-killed-felix-vasquez

State department approves plan to sell Saudi Arabia $290 million in precision bombs. “President Trump has continued to arm the Saudis despite opposition to the sales in Congress. The opposition is mainly due to the US-backed Saudi-led war in Yemen, where the coalition frequently targets civilian infrastructure with US-made bombs.”   https://news.antiwar.com/2020/12/29/trump-administration-approves-290-million-bomb-sale-to-saudi-arabia/

Survivor of Kent State massacre dies at the age of 71. “(Ohio National) Guardsmen fired on unarmed protesters (on) May 4 (1970). (Alan) Canfora was shot in the right wrist in the first 13 seconds. Four students — Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Lee Scheuer and William Schroeder — were killed.”   https://www.thehour.com/news/article/Kent-State-shooting-survivor-Alan-Canfora-dies-at-15834141.php

‘Liberated’ Iraq second most dangerous country for journalists in 2020. “Mexico was the most dangerous country for journalists with eight killings, followed by Iraq (six), Afghanistan (five), Pakistan (four) and India (four).”   https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iraq-killed-journalists-reporters-without-borders

Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz backs $2,000 stimulus checks. “The disease didn’t just disappear, and looks like we’re going to face this for months to come, and it is very apparent that we need another large amount of money. And that’s where the additional money, that $2,000, would be of enormous benefit.”   https://www.democracynow.org/2020/12/29/joseph_stiglitz_economic_crisis_stimulus_checks

Federal appeals court rules that Cincinnati elementary school administrators can be sued over third-grade student’s suicide. “Gabriel Taye was a third-grade student at Carson when he killed himself in January 2017, following at least 12 incidents of bullying at the school.”   https://www.courthousenews.com/ohio-school-officials-cant-dodge-suit-over-third-graders-suicide/

Turkish court rules that Open Society activist can remain in custody after three years in prison without a conviction. “… the 63-year-old patron of culture and the arts (Osman Kavala) has remained in prison despite being acquitted in February in connection with 2013 anti-government protests. Before he could walk free, he was immediately rearrested and jailed on fresh charges of espionage and involvement in a failed 2016 coup against (President) Erdogan.”   https://www.courthousenews.com/turkish-court-rules-jailing-of-top-rights-defender-lawful/

 

December 29, 2020

Woman accuses black teen of stealing her iPhone, which was later returned to her by an Uber driver. “Keyon Harrold’s video shows an unidentified woman physically trying to take his son’s cellphone away from him inside a New York hotel as she falsely accused the teenager of stealing it from her.”   https://www.huffpost.com/entry/keyon-harrold-son-assaulted-falsely-accused-theft_n_5fe9f09ac5b6acb53459e566

House votes to override President Trump’s veto of $741 billion military funding bill. “The final tally of 322-87 comfortably reached the two thirds threshold required to override the veto…. Democrat Adam Smith, chair of the (House Armed Services) committee, said: ‘It is enormously important that we pass this bill.'”   https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/29/house-republicans-join-with-democrats-to-override-trumps-veto-of-defence-bill   The Senate will reportedly vote later this week.

Progressive Democrat Ro Khanna votes against overriding President Trump’s veto of military spending bill. “… the bottom line is, $740 billion is way too much defense spending.”   https://www.democracynow.org/2020/12/28/ro_khanna_defense_spending   He was joined by 19 other Democrats. “Here are the 20 Democrats who voted against overriding Trump’s NDAA veto: Reps. Earl Blumenauer (Ore.), Suzanne Bonamici (Ore.), Yvette Clarke (N.Y.), Mark DeSaulnier (Calif.), Adriano Espaillat (N.Y.), Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii), Jesús García (Ill.), Jimmy Gomez (Calif.), Jared Huffman (Calif.), Pramila Jayapal (Wash.), Joe Kennedy (Mass.), Ro Khanna (Calif.), Barbara Lee (Calif.), Jim McGovern (Mass.), Grace Meng (N.Y.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Mark Pocan (Wis.), Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.).”   https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/29/ro-khanna-applauds-19-house-democrats-who-joined-him-voting-no-bloated-740-billion

House passes bill to increase pandemic stimulus checks to $2,000. “The bill, which passed in a 275 – 134 vote, needed the support of two-thirds of House members present — a feat hard to reach in such a divided Washington.”   https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/12/28/covid-19-house-vote-stimulus-checks/4065386001/   This bill is also headed for the Senate, where it faces an uncertain future.

Bernie Sanders threatens to filibuster military spending bill vote in Senate in order to get a vote on $2,000 pandemic relief checks. “Let me be clear: If Senator McConnell doesn’t agree to an up or down vote to provide the working people of our country a $2,000 direct payment, Congress will not be going home for New Year’s Eve.”   https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/29/no-bluff-sanders-vows-filibuster-military-budget-force-senate-vote-2000-checks

New York legislature passes bill that would ban evictions until May 1st. “The bill puts a temporary stop on evictions and foreclosures for any New Yorker who can attest that financial hardship due to the pandemic has prevented them from paying their rent or mortgage.”   https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/new-york-elections-government/ny-evictions-ban-moratorium-mortgage-20201228-7w2w3x5rrvgpxhhnmee7fh2c7i-story.html

Columbus, Ohio police officer who fatally shot black man holding up his cell phone during ‘suspicious vehicle’ call is fired. “(Public Safety Director Ned) Pettus, who is the only official with the authority to fire police officers, said Coy had violated the department’s use-of-force policy, failed to follow protocol by delaying the activation of his body camera, and failed to render aid to the dying (Andre Hill).”   https://www.npr.org/2020/12/28/950976148/columbus-ohio-officer-who-shot-and-killed-andre-hill-is-fired

No apparent motive in Rockford, Illinois mass shooting by Green Beret, who was reportedly in town visiting family. “On Sunday, (Rockford Police Chief Dan) O’Shea said law-enforcement officials ‘believe this was a completely random act, and there is no prior meeting or any kind of relationship between the suspect and any of the victims in this case.’ O’Shea did not provide any information on what circumstances, if any, may have led up to the shooting, but he did say that (Duke) Webb fired shots from both inside and outside the business.”   https://www.nwfdailynews.com/story/news/2020/12/28/7th-group-soldier-charged-illinois-murders/4059195001/   I find it hard to believe that this was a totally random attack. Did someone throw a snowball at him from the balcony? Or splash him with their car while driving past him? Or diss him over the phone when he was calling the restaurant for carry-out?

Breonna Taylor bust vandalized in Oakland, California. “The bust of Taylor, a Black woman whose fatal shooting by police in Louisville, Kentucky, in March prompted national protests over racial justice and chants of ‘say her name’, had been installed only two weeks earlier in Oakland’s Latham Square.”   https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/breonna-taylor-sculpture-was-vandalized-its-artist-says-it-s-n1252440

D.C. area deputy accused of making threats against judges and politicians on Parler claims his account was hacked, gets fired anyway. “I did not make those posts,” (Aaron) Hoffman said. “I’m trying to figure out who did.”   https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/sheriff-comments-social-media/2020/12/26/7b631ee4-47c1-11eb-975c-d17b8815a66d_story.html

Hong Kong teenager sentenced to four months in jail for desecrating Chinese flag during ‘unlawful assembly’. “Tony Chung, 19, who led a now-disbanded pro-democracy group, was convicted this month for throwing the Chinese flag to the ground during scuffles outside Hong Kong’s legislature in May 2019.”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/29/hong-kong-teenager-jailed-china-flag-insult-tony-chung-prison-beijing-crackdown-activists

Omni Hotels & Resorts accused of misspending PPP loans intended to protect jobs. “Unite Here, a service workers’ union with more than 300,000 members in North America, said several Omni hotels where it represents workers took Paycheck Protection Program loans but never paid hundreds of workers. Unite Here said 32 Omni hotels received about $76 million in loans from the program…”   https://www.npr.org/2020/12/29/950902403/omni-hotels-accepted-millions-in-ppp-funds-but-didnt-pay-workers

UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer criticizes U.S. attempt to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges. “In essence, the United States is trying to criminalize investigative journalism. That’s the purpose of the extradition request, nothing else. And the British system, unfortunately, is in collusion with the United States….. The former dictator of Chile (Augusto Pinochet) was in extradition detention in London for 18 months. But he was not put in a high-security prison, but accommodated in a villa under house arrest…. (Margaret Thatcher) brought him whisky.”   https://www.dw.com/en/un-rapporteur-on-assange-the-us-is-trying-to-criminalize-investigative-journalism/a-56076248

35 women sue ICE over non-consensual medical procedures. “… dozens of immigrant women detained by ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, at the Irwin County Detention Center (in Georgia) have joined a class-action lawsuit against ICE over allegations they were subjected to non-consensual and invasive gynecological procedures and surgeries, that were later found to be unnecessary and, in some cases, left them unable to have children.”   https://www.democracynow.org/2020/12/28/irwin_detention_center_lawsuit_medical_abuse

December 28, 2020

User of Parler social media website who reportedly made threats against judges and politicians, and posted pictures of his collection of military-style firearms, is outed as a sheriff’s deputy. “my advice would be that when you post pictures of your arsenal alongside threats to kill judges, keep your government-issue work vest that says SHERIFF on the front of it out of the picture, but what do i know. pic.twitter.com/vPYpILhJSL — molly conger (@socialistdogmom) December 25, 2020”   https://www.huffpost.com/entry/aaron-huffman-prince-william-county-deputy-fired_n_5fe7f846c5b6acb534586ddd

President Trump complains, but finally signs pandemic relief and government spending bills. “The estimated 12 million people in two key pandemic unemployment programs, who were facing their last payment this weekend, will now receive benefits for another 11 weeks. Plus, all those collecting jobless payments will receive a $300 weekly federal boost through mid-March.”   https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/27/politics/trump-relief-bill-christmas-eve/index.html

FBI says Anthony ‘Tony’ Warner appears to have acted alone in Nashville RV bombing, remains identified using DNA. “The FBI has confirmed that Anthony Quinn Warner, 63, was the attacker who perished in the Nashville Christmas Day bombing, saying he died in an apparent suicide attack when an RV exploded outside of an AT&T building.”   https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9091379/DNA-confirms-Nashville-bomber-Anthony-Warner-lone-wolf-died-Christmas-Day-explosion.html   Story includes what appears to be a somewhat recent driver’s license photo of the suspect.

Motive for Nashville bombing still undetermined. “… for reasons that may never be known, the audio (broadcast from the RV) switched (from a countdown warning) to a recording of Petula Clark’s 1964 hit Downtown shortly before the blast.”   https://apnews.com/article/nashville-explosion-anthony-warner-rv-2cc36514764d302b9fd5e0781a3c31f4   Well, the blast occurred ‘downtown’. Also, based on his age, it was a big hit during his childhood. Maybe he just liked the song, or maybe he had a strange sense of humor? If you’re too young to have heard it, you should give it a listen, it’s a catchy tune.

Although I’ve seen other sources claim this is a case of mistaken identity, CNN is reporting that the same Anthony Warner had an explosives license at one point. “Warner was issued an explosive user permits handler license in November 2013 that expired in November 2016, public records show…. A man who hired Warner as computer consultant told CNN that the ‘Tony Warner we knew is a nice person who never exhibited any behavior which was less than professional.'”   https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/27/us/nashville-explosion-what-we-know/index.html   CNN’s timeline is rather fuzzy about when the first calls were made to the police. A story from two days ago quoted a witness saying she called police at about 4:30 a.m. and then again soon after that, when she heard gunshots a third time.

Green Beret charged in Rockford, Illinois bowling alley shooting. “(Duke) Webb, a Florida resident and an active-duty soldier, was charged with three counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder, Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley said during the news conference…. The US Army confirmed that Webb is a sergeant first class currently assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group as an assistant operations and intelligence sergeant.”   https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/26/us/shooting-bowling-alley-illinois/index.html

Chinese citizen journalist sentenced to four years in prison for investigating coronavirus outbreak. “The indictment sheet released last week said (Zhan) Zhang had sent ‘false information through text, video and other media through the internet media such as WeChat, Twitter and YouTube’, according to the prosecution document. ‘She also accepted interviews from overseas media Free Radio Asia and Epoch Times and maliciously speculated on Wuhan’s Covid-19 epidemic,’ it said. A sentence of four to five years was recommended.”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/28/wuhan-citizen-journalist-jailed-for-four-years-in-chinas-christmas-crackdown

225 migrants died trying to cross the Arizona desert in 2020, as Border Patrol cracked down on rescue groups. “Many of people who die while crossing are never even identified; in fact, more than 1,000 of those who have died in the last two decades remain unidentified and the Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office keeps the few items found on each body to try to figure out who the person was.”   https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/12/record-deaths-migrants-arizona-desert/

Right-wing extremists still talking up civil war. “… Stewart Rhodes, head of the Oath Keepers, one of the largest militia networks in the U.S., posted an online letter to Trump last week urging him to declare ‘martial law’ and stop Biden from taking office—if not, he said right-wing militias will be forced to resort to a ‘much more bloody war’. ‘There’s always been a smattering of civil war talk in segments of the far-right that pops up now and again. But that’s all it was. A smattering. But over the course of the past year, discussions of civil war greatly increased,’ (Anti-Defamation League analyst Mark) Pitcavage said. ‘I take that seriously.'”   https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkdzv9/militias-are-getting-fired-up-about-gun-control-under-biden

New labeling rules go into effect for imports from Israeli settlements located in occupied West Bank. “The policy shift was announced by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in November following an unprecedented visit to a West Bank settlement…. Since 1995, US policy has required products made in the West Bank and Gaza to be labeled as such.”   https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-begins-to-label-settlement-products-as-made-in-israel/

Trump administration reportedly using HIPAA rules to keep journalists out of hospitals. “While there is a long-running debate over the influence of disturbing images of death and dying — whether they actually move public opinion — the relative paucity of videos and photographs of the pandemic’s victims might help explain why Covid-19 skepticism has thrived as the death toll in America reaches the level of a 9/11 every day.”   https://theintercept.com/2020/12/27/covid-photography-hospitals/

Saudi feminist Loujain al-Hathloul to be released soon, after three years in prison. “The Saudi Kingdom has repeatedly denied that she was arrested for campaigning for women’s right to drive, a right that was granted in 2018, but instead for mounting a campaign to undermine the royal family.”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/28/saudi-rights-activist-loujain-al-hathloul-sentenced-to-almost-six-years-in-jail

California judge orders chicken processing plant to take immediate coronavirus prevention measures. “The suit, filed in Merced County Superior Court, asked for the immediate temporary restraining order to force Foster Farms to comply with COVID-19 health safety protocols that (the United Farm Workers union) claimed had not been followed ‘despite nine workers at the plant dying and over 400 becoming infected’.”   https://www.fresnobee.com/news/coronavirus/article248085610.html

 

December 27, 2020

News media names ‘person of interest’ in Nashville RV bombing. “The man… gave his house away for nothing a month before the blast, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. Anthony Quinn Warner, 63, signed the property away via a quitclaim deed…. On Saturday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration classified the airspace over the site of the bombing as “National Defense Airspace’. The order prohibits pilots (and drones I imagine) from flying over the site and a surrounding area of one nautical mile.”   https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9088979/FBI-investigates-Nashville-bomber-tried-target-cops-blast.html   These lines made me laugh: “One expert is now theorizing that the spooky recording was designed to bring as many cops and first responders as possible into the area with the intention of killing or maiming them.  ‘I kind of think it was probably an idea to get first responders to come in,’ ex-NYPD Detective Bill Ryan told Fox News on Saturday.” Sure, I can see how playing a loud, recorded message saying, ‘Evacuate the area. A bomb will explode in 15 minutes.’ could be used to draw a large group of unsuspecting cops to stand around next to the vehicle. (sarcasm) “Shell casings have been found at the scene, but the ammunition related to them is believed to have been set off by the large explosion.”   https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nashville-bombing-person-of-interest-identified/   And how did they ascertain that? And what kind of ammunition was it? “According to journalist David Begnaud, a CBS News national correspondent, ‘At least 2 tips were called in to @FBI about Warner, prior to the explosion.’ What those tips said has not yet been released.”   https://heavy.com/news/anthony-quinn-warner/

Possible motives being considered: He was upset about warrantless NSA collection of phone and internet data at AT&T facilities, or he believed conspiracy theories about 5G cell phone signals being harmful to humans. Warner was reportedly arrested once for felony drug possession in 1978, when he was 21 years old. His court record, which appears in the Heavy.com story, shows he may have served a year in prison, followed by 2 years of probation. He never married and had no children. He apparently had a business installing burglar alarms. He did not vote and did not have a social media presence. Former FBI supervisor Steve Moore told CNN anchor Kim Brunhuber that the motive could be something as minor as a disruption of the perpetrator’s phone service or a beef with a nearby restaurant! Sure, it happens all the time! Warner also apparently did computer work. “Realtor Steve Fridrich contacted the FBI after reading Warner’s name, as for several years, a man by the name of Tony Warner had worked for him for several years doing information technology work. Fridrich confirms that agents asked him whether or not Warner had paranoia about 5G technology. Fridrich told the agents that Warner had never spoken to him about that.”   https://www.wsmv.com/news/fbi-agents-investigating-if-5g-paranoia-was-behind-nashville-bombing/article_952f937e-47f9-11eb-b1c3-bfda1689fb18.html   Suspect’s father was reportedly a BellSouth employee before the company merged with AT&T. “‘The fact that the father worked in the same company is definitely a lead investigators would pursue,’ a senior law enforcement official told Newsweek on Saturday evening when asked about the suspect’s father’s connection to AT&T.”   https://www.newsweek.com/nashville-bombing-suspects-father-t-building-may-key-clues-1557416   Nashville is apparently a VOIP (voice over internet protocol) router complex surveillance hub for the NSA, according to Snowden leaks. “… locations are featured on a top-secret NSA map, which depicts U.S. facilities that the agency relies upon for one of its largest surveillance programs, code-named FAIRVIEW. AT&T is the only company involved in FAIRVIEW, which was first established in 1985, according to NSA documents, and involves tapping into international telecommunications cables, routers, and switches.”   https://theintercept.com/2018/06/25/att-internet-nsa-spy-hubs/

Political consultant claims huge amounts spent on TV ads in run up to 2020 elections had little impact on the outcomes. “Democrats outspent the GOP by a combined $116 million in the key Senate races of North Carolina, Iowa, South Carolina, and Kentucky, where many polls showed them leading. Republicans won all four races anyway.”   https://www.businessinsider.com/2020-election-confirmed-free-media-is-better-than-political-ads-2020-12

Pandemic has reportedly killed 1 in 1,000 Americans. “According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, there were 331,561 confirmed coronavirus fatalities in the nation as of Saturday afternoon, The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the population is currently at around 330,750,000.”   https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-covid-one-in-one-thousand-deaths-us-20201226-3naxz4elqrawpozjq2idnoocoq-story.html

Brother of senior Joe Biden White House advisor reportedly hired to lobby the government on behalf of Amazon. “Jeff Ricchetti, the brother of Biden’s White House counselor Steve Ricchetti, recently secured a lobbying contract with Amazon Web Services, the cloud platform of Amazon and a subsidiary of the tech giant, according to a new lobbying disclosure report.”   https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/26/jeff-ricchetti-to-lobby-for-amazon-as-brother-becomes-joe-bidens-counselor.html

New York Times covers detention of Chinese citizen journalist arrested for covering pandemic, apparently hasn’t run a news story on Julian Assange’s extradition trial since last September. “Ms. (Zhan) Zhang’s prosecution is part of the Chinese Communist Party’s continuing campaign to recast China’s handling of the outbreak as a succession of wise, triumphant moves by the government. Critics who have pointed to officials’ early missteps have been arrested, censored or threatened by police…”   https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/25/world/asia/china-coronavirus-citizen-journalist.html

Arrested pro-democracy protesters in Belarus say they caught coronavirus during their imprisonment. “Activists who spoke to The Associated Press after their release described massively overcrowded cells without proper ventilation or basic amenities and a lack of medical treatment.”   https://apnews.com/article/belarus-coronavirus-pandemic-only-on-ap-prisons-802ce0309de3df0df64d82d4deaa0ab9

Failure to pass pandemic relief measure could lead to poverty and homelessness for unemployed Americans. “An extension of those unemployment benefits and a weekly $300 federal supplement would keep 7.6 million Americans out of poverty in January, including 2.3 million children, Columbia University researchers found. The delay in the measure becoming law threatens to create financial ruin for struggling Americans…”   https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/12/27/stimulus-checks-unemployment-benefits-trump-covid-relief-package/4050133001/

December 26, 2020

Nashville bombing apparently targeted AT&T phone network hub. “Flights at Nashville International Airport resumed after about an hour, but connectivity issues persisted in Tennessee and other parts of the region on Friday evening. Some localities reported disruptions with 911 systems. AT&T confirmed that one of its network hubs was damaged in the Christmas blast.”   https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/25/us/nashville-explosion-service-disruptions/index.html   Witnesses reported ‘rapid-fire gunshots’ before the blast. “Williams, who lives in a loft apartment on the third floor of the restaurant building, said she heard the sound of loud, rapid-fire gunshots at about 4:30 a.m. After multiple rounds of gunshot sounds, Williams said she called 911. Then, she said, she heard a repeated warning she said came from the RV parked outside her building. ‘Evacuate now. There is a bomb. A bomb is in this vehicle and will explode,’ she remembers the recorded warning saying. Then, she said, the voice started a 15-minute countdown.”   https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/nation/2020/12/25/downtown-nashville-explosion-christmas-morning/4044708001/   So what was going on before the countdown started? And why target a communications hub? There is also something funny going on with the timeline. “Metro Nashville Police Department officers were responding to a call of shots fired around 5:30 a.m. CT Friday when they found the motor home parked in front of an AT&T transmission building at 166 2nd Avenue North. When they heard the warning they moved people away. The RV exploded at 6:30 a.m. CT, said police spokesman Don Aaron.”   https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/25/us/nashville-explosion/index.html   If the witness called police just after hearing the gunfire, it took police about an hour to respond, which means they arrived an hour before the explosion reportedly took place at 6:30 a.m. But according to the witness’s account, the 15 minute countdown began after the gun shots were heard at around 4:30 a.m., so the explosion would have occurred before or around 5:00 a.m., before the police had arrived.

House Republican leader blocks Democrats’ proposal to increase pandemic stimulus checks to $2,000. “Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., offered the (increase) proposal from the House floor, but was blocked because the measure was not approved by House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.”   https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/24/house-votes-on-2000-stimulus-checks-after-trump-supports-them.html

Keller, Texas police department releases body camera video of cops attacking bystander recording an alleged ‘wide turn’ traffic stop, pepper spraying him in the face repeatedly. “Marco Puente, 39, is suing Blake Shimanek and Ankit Tomer in federal court, alleging that the Keller officers used excessive force and retaliated against him…. The mayor said Keller police initiated an internal affairs investigation into the case, which found that Shimanek arrested ‘an individual for an offense that was not committed’.”   https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/2020/12/24/man-sues-keller-officers-after-he-was-arrested-pepper-sprayed-in-what-he-says-was-retaliation/   Video of the incident can be viewed here:   https://twitter.com/DallasTexasTV/status/1341771563113340930

President Trump unhappy with large amount of foreign aid tucked away in omnibus spending bill. “This bill contains $85.5 million for assistance to Cambodia, $134 million to Burma, $1.3 billion for Egypt and the Egyptian military which will go out and buy, almost exclusively, Russian military equipment,” Trump said. “Congress found plenty of money for foreign countries, lobbyists, and special interests while sending the bare minimum to the American people who need it.”   https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/trump-slams-washington-military-aid-egypt   The billions of taxpayer dollars awarded to Israel in military assistance will presumably go to U.S. ‘defense’ contractors, so no problem! (sarcasm)

Tufts University students vote to ban training of campus police by foreign security agencies. “Members of Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and more than 40 allied campus groups launched the referendum campaign after documents revealed that Tufts’ police chief attended a ‘counter-terrorism seminar’ in Israel, funded by the Anti-Defamation League…. The referendum passed with the support of 68 percent of voters…”   https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/boston-students-reject-israeli-training-campus-cops

1955 history of the radical current of the U.S. labor movement, Labor’s Untold Story, is being reprinted. “It’s a cinematic tale, but one that mainstream book publishers have largely avoided, leaving the vacuum to be filled by labor itself…. An antidote to labor denial, the book details the story of violence, heart-wrenching defeat, and eventual mass victory of American labor, paying particular attention to the formation and rise of the Congress of Industrial Organizations from 1936 to 1945 (now the CIO in AFL-CIO) in an accessible way.”   https://theintercept.com/2020/12/25/labors-untold-story-book-review-union/

The United States’ politics of fantasy. “What Mr. Trump promised was the power to create imaginary worlds and the freedom to unleash a selfish and extravagant fantasy life, free of the constraints of political correctness or even good manners, the limits imposed by climate change and the international rules tying America to the ground…. In the traditional way to think about freedom, we want to limit or even eliminate obstacles to individual choice, but ultimately we must deal with reality. Mr. Trump’s example is to take it an extra step: Why not be free from reality as well? Indeed, this may be the ultimate goal of contemporary America: a society that is pure fantasy life, free from reality.”   https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/12/opinion/donald-trump-reality.html   Versus Joe Biden’s ‘resistance’ narrative of decency and benevolent American leadership. “Yet the fantasy of a planet led by a benevolent liberal hegemon has proven no less destructive in reality than Trump’s strongman appeal of dropping the biggest bombs on the worst bad guys…. As the liberal establishment, with Biden back at its head, reboots to its preferred version of the exceptionalism simulation, what seems certain is that America’s perimeter fence against disenchanting reality is being strengthened rather than dismantled.”   https://theintercept.com/2020/12/26/biden-trump-political-fantasy/

 

 

December 24, 2020

President Trump pardons campaign operatives, Jared Kushner’s father. “The pardons extend Trump’s streak of wielding his clemency powers for criminals who are loyalists, well-connected or adjacent to his family…. The pardons of (Paul) Manafort and (Roger) Stone reward two of the most high-profile and widely condemned former advisers of the President, both of whom were indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller, went to trial and were convicted by juries of multiple crimes.”   https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/23/politics/trump-pardons-stone-manafort-kushner/index.html

President Trump vetoes massive military spending bill. “Section 230 protects tech giants such as Facebook and Twitter from being held legally liable for what is posted on their platforms. Trump threatened earlier this month to veto the mammoth defense bill if lawmakers did not include a measure to eliminate Section 230…. Trump has also insisted that the defense-spending bill include language preventing the renaming of military bases commemorating Confederate-era figures.”   https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/23/trump-vetoes-740-billion-ndaa-defense-bill.html

President Trump criticizes pandemic relief bill. “Congress found plenty of money for foreign countries, lobbyists and special interests while sending the bare minimum to the American people.”   https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/22/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-bill.html   House Democrats hope to pass revised coronavirus stimulus bill with $2,000 relief checks in response to the president’s criticism. “The House will try to pass the $2,000 payments during a pro forma session, a brief meeting of the chamber where typically only a few members attend. Democrats aim to approve the measure by unanimous consent, which means any one lawmaker can block it.”   https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/24/house-votes-on-2000-stimulus-checks-after-trump-supports-them.html

Military reportedly preparing contingency plans in case the president imposes martial law in an attempt to reverse election results. “At this point there’s no telling what the president might do in the next month,” says a former Northern Command (NORTHCOM) commander, one who has been intimately involved in the development of domestic civil planning. “Though I’m confident that the uniformed military leadership has their heads screwed on right, the craziness is unprecedented and the possibilities are endless.”   https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-donald-trumps-martial-law-talk-has-military-red-alert-1557056   Article points out that to declare a partisan form of martial law you would need a cadre of military officers who support the president’s plan, which does not apparently exist.

Columbus, Ohio police officer fatally shoots man armed with only a cell phone, in response to a ‘man sitting in his car’ complaint. “About six seconds pass between the time Andre Hill, 47, is visible in the video and when the officer fires his weapon. There is no audio because the officer had not activated the body camera but an automatic ‘look back’ feature captured the shooting early on Tuesday. Without audio it is unclear whether the officer, identified as Adam Coy, yells any commands at Hill, whose right hand is not visible in the video.”   https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/24/ohio-police-shooting-video-shows-unarmed-black-man-holding-up-phone

At least 102 massacred in ethnic violence in Ethiopia. “The attack came the day after the prime minister and the military’s chief of staff, Birhanu Jula, and other senior federal officials, visited the (Benishangul-Gumuz) region to urge calm after a number of deadly incidents between rival ethnic groups in recent months.”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/23/at-least-102-killed-in-massacre-in-western-ethiopia-after-abiy-visit

 

 

 

 

 

December 23, 2020

President Trump pardons Blackwater massacre gunmen. “In the group (of pardons) announced Tuesday night were four former government contractors convicted in a 2007 massacre in Baghdad that left more (than) a dozen Iraqi civilians dead and caused an international uproar over the use of private security guards in a war zone. Supporters of Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard, the former contractors at Blackwater Worldwide, had lobbied for pardons, arguing that the men had been excessively punished…”   https://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-issues-15-pardons-including-republican-allies-and-blackwater-contractors-convicted-of-killing-civilians-01608683139   More than a dozen? “The Nisour Square Massacre occurred on September 16, 2007, when employees of Blackwater Security Consulting (now Academi), a private military company contracted by the US government to provide security services in Iraq, shot at Iraqi civilians, killing 17 and injuring 20 in Nisour Square, Baghdad, while escorting a U.S. embassy convoy.”   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nisour_Square_massacre

Federal Omnibus spending bill reportedly includes $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel and an additional $500 million in missile defense assistance. “Late on Monday, social media posts stating that Israel was receiving coronavirus stimulus money sparked outrage, especially since average Americans will only be getting a modest sum of $600. In reality, while assistance to Israel is included in the legislation, it’s part of the so-called omnibus spending bill, which covers Pentagon funds; it is not Covid-19 related.”   https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-spending-bill-five-gifts-israel

Omnibus bill also reportedly includes $35 billion for addressing climate change. “It includes $35 billion in funding for basic research, extensions of tax credits for renewable energy companies, and a long-delayed mandate to reduce the use of a particularly damaging greenhouse gas (known as hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs).”   https://www.npr.org/2020/12/22/949213763/climate-action-for-christmas-omnibus-bill-includes-biggest-policy-shift-in-years

It also includes tax breaks for well-connected businesses and industries. “These measures, added onto the broader spending bill, are known as ‘tax extenders’ — tax breaks targeted at specific, sometimes niche industries…. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimated the extenders benefiting industry and special interests included in the stimulus bill would cost over $110 billion over 10 years.”   https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/12/22/congress-tax-breaks-stimulus/   They should be called ‘tax break extenders’ – pretty swampy.

It also includes almost $700 billion for the military. “If President Donald Trump signs the spending bill, it would provide the Defense Department with $696 billion in fiscal 2021, including $68.7 billion for overseas operations, according to a summary of the omnibus spending bill provided by the House Appropriations Committee.”   https://taskandpurpose.com/news/pentagon-weapons-budget-congress-christmas/

What do Donald Trump, Nancy Pelosi and progressive Democrats agree on? $2,000 coronavirus stimulus checks. “At last, the President has agreed to $2,000 – Democrats are ready to bring this to the Floor this week by unanimous consent. Let’s do it!”   https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trumps-call-for-2000-stimulus-checks-hailed-by-critics-pelosi-aoc-sanders

New York passes ‘automatic voter registration’ law. “The new law designates agencies that interact directly with New Yorkers—like the Department of Motor Vehicles—to work with the Board of Elections to integrate signing up.”   https://www.wivb.com/news/new-york/new-york-enacts-automatic-voter-registration/   ‘…to integrate signing people up’? If people have to ‘sign up’, it’s not ‘automatic’.

President-elect Joe Biden backtracks on promise to immediately restore legal norms for asylum seekers. “Biden had promised to end on ‘Day 1’ a program that requires tens of thousands of asylum seekers, mainly from Central America, to await their U.S. immigration hearings in Mexico. But the president-elect said creating a system to process thousands of asylum seekers will take months, because the government needs funding to put staffers such as ‘asylum judges’ in place.”   https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/biden-immigration-policy-changes/2020/12/22/2eb9ef92-4400-11eb-8deb-b948d0931c16_story.html

Prospective jurors in trial of police officers who arrested George Floyd are asked about their political activity and the activity of their friends and relatives. “Did you, or someone close to you, participate in any of the demonstrations or marches against police brutality that took place in Minneapolis after George Floyd’s death?” one question asks. “If you participated, did you carry a sign? What did it say?…. Have you, or someone close to you, ever helped support or advocated in favor of or against police reform? If ‘Yes,’ please explain.”   https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/23/us/george-floyd-trial-jury-questions/index.html

Norway’s supreme court rules in favor of oil companies in dispute over arctic oil exploration. “Greenpeace and Nature and Youth, a local environmental organization, argued in the lawsuit that the 2016 license award in the Arctic Barents Sea breaches Norway’s constitution and its commitments under the Paris Agreement.”   https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-22/norway-top-court-rules-against-climate-activists-over-arctic-oil

FBI claims white supremacist group plotted to sabotage power grid. “The FBI affidavit noted that the Ohio teen’s plan, named ‘Light’s Out’, was aimed at creating a power outage by shooting rifle rounds into power stations in the southeastern US in the summer of 2021.”   https://www.yahoo.com/news/white-supremacists-were-plotting-attack-093655731.html

Journalist who revealed Turkish government’s secret arm shipments to insurgents in Syria sentenced to 27 years in prison in absentia. “(Can) Dündar, a vocal critic of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is one of the most well-known of thousands of Turkish journalists, politicians, academics, lawyers and civil servants who have been swept up in the Turkish state’s crackdown on dissent in recent years. Critical media outlets have either been closed down or bought by people with links to Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development party (AKP).”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/23/turkey-sentences-journalist-can-dundar-27-years-jail

New York bans use of biometric surveillance tools in public schools. “The measure signed by Cuomo was passed by state lawmakers in July on the heels of a lawsuit, filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), alleging that the state Education Department violated student data privacy laws by approving the Lockport City School District’s use of such technology in November 2019…. Lockport’s system—along with 11 other currently approved projects—was funded by taxpayers under New York’s Smart Schools Bond Act, according to the NYCLU.”   https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/22/new-yorks-suspension-facial-recognition-surveillance-schools-should-serve-national

Flint, Michigan agrees to pay $20 million towards settlement of water contamination scandal. “The lead contamination crisis began in April 2014 when a state-appointed emergency manager switched the city’s drinking water supply from Lake Huron water treated in Detroit to Flint River water treated at the Flint Water Treatment Plant.”   https://www.courthousenews.com/flint-agrees-to-pay-20-million-in-water-crisis-settlement/

Vladimir Putin signs into law lifetime immunity from prosecution for Russian presidents. “… the legislation Putin signed on Tuesday will additionally grant former presidents a lifetime seat in the Federation Council or senate, a position that assures immunity from prosecution upon leaving the presidency.”   https://www.courthousenews.com/putin-signs-bill-giving-presidents-lifetime-immunity/

 

 

December 22, 2020

Members of Congress complain they didn’t have time to actually read the huge pandemic relief bill before voting on it. “This process,” (Utah Sen. Mike) Lee added, “by which members of Congress are asked to defer blindly to legislation negotiated entirely in secret by four of their colleagues, must come to an end.”   https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/12/21/exasperated-over-last/

About a dozen House Republicans meet with President Trump to strategize over January 6th challenge to election results in Congress. “(Rep. Mo) Brooks, who said there are plans to challenge the results in six states, said total debate time could clock in at around 18 hours. That means the vote-counting process could bleed into the wee hours of Jan. 7.”   https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/21/trump-house-overturn-election-449787   “Brooks needs only one partner in the Senate to object to the results, and he may have that in (Rand) Paul or (Tommy) Tuberville. Even if their objections are approved by the Senate, it would kick the results back to the states, where the governors would in all likelihood recertify the results.”   https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/530910-republicans-desperate-to-avoid-floor-fight-over-electoral-college-vote

An estimated 100 right-wing protesters reportedly smash glass doors of Oregon’s Capitol building, attempt to force their way into the building and shoot police officers with bear spray, but only four arrested. “While protesters were swarming the doors, a photographer for the Statesman Journal of the USA TODAY Network was repeatedly shoved by a group of protesters. The photographer was capturing shots of protesters damaging the glass doors.”   https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/12/21/oregon-police-arrests-covid-protests-salem-capitol/4003055001/

Newsmax airs retraction of some of its election fraud claims. “‘Dominion has stated the company has no ownership relationship with the Pelosi family, the Feinstein family, the Clinton family, Hugo Chavez, or the government of Venezuela,’ (John Tabacco) said. ‘Smartmatic is a US company and not owned by the Venezuelan government, Hugo Chavez, or any foreign official or entity,’ Tabacco continued. ‘Smartmatic states that it has no operations in Venezuela … It was never founded by Hugo Chavez, nor did it have a corrupt relationship with him or the Venezuelan government.'”   https://www.businessinsider.com/newsmax-airs-election-fraud-correction-video-lawsuit-dominion-smartmatic-2020-12

Virginia has statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee removed from U.S. Capitol building. “The statue will be transported to the Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond, (Gov. Ralph) Northam’s office said.”   https://thehill.com/homenews/531103-robert-e-lee-statue-removed-from-us-capitol

Governor of Texas tweets about draft legislation to have state take control of Austin’s police force, after the city voted to cut its budget. “(Gov. Greg) Abbott vowed in a tweet that his administration would ‘pass a law to keep Austin safe’ in response to the August cuts that totaled more than $21 million, according to the Austin American-Statesman, and have the potential to be expanded by millions more in the future.”   https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/531188-texas-governor-announces-proposal-to-take-state-control-of-austin-police

Body camera video appears to show La Marque, Texas police officer fatally shooting fleeing suspect in the back. “Upon arrival, investigators said Officer (Jose) Santos saw a person believed to be (Joshua) Feast leaning into the passenger side of a vehicle. Police said Santos exited his patrol vehicle, called out to Feast, and observed that Feast was holding a handgun. Santos said Feast abruptly turned towards him. Investigators said Santos then discharged one round from his pistol. Feast was shot in his back, officers said.”   https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2020/12/21/la-marque-police-release-bodycam-video-from-fatal-shooting-of-joshua-feast/   The kid should have been a basketball player, because not many people can spin around faster than a speeding bullet.

Pandemic relief bill bans surcharges for ‘hidden’ out-of-network service providers. “The issue involves often large bills that patients are sent for care they did not realize was outside their insurer’s network. Such bills have become increasingly common even when patients use an in-network hospital.”   https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/surprise-medical-bill-stimulus-package/2020/12/21/51cffdae-43a2-11eb-a277-49a6d1f9dff1_story.html

Third case of voter fraud uncovered in Pennsylvania, was in Donald Trump’s favor. “(Bruce) Bartman, who is a registered Republican, also registered his mother as a Republican,” (Delaware County District Attorney Jack) Stollsteimer said. “He has admitted to the detectives that questioned him that he did this to further the campaign of Donald Trump. He in fact cast the ballot of his deceased mother for President Trump.”   https://www.newsweek.com/man-charged-voting-dead-mother-trump-3rd-case-voter-fraud-pennsylvania-1556553   All three fraudsters were apparently Republicans. “According to court paperwork, 67-year-old Robert Lynn used a typewriter to fill out that absentee ballot application in the name of his deceased mother. Court records show she passed away five years ago…. Lynn is a registered Republican.”   https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/man-arrested-for-voter-fraud-in-luzerne-county/523-7fc4fd2f-9105-47e7-a510-2b5ff176ab2c

Dominion voting machines used in some states use an electronic touch screen, then print out a paper ‘ballot’ with a barcode containing the voter’s choices. “To make matters more complicated, the paper records produced by some ballot-marking devices — including the (Dominion) ImageCasts used in Georgia — convert voters’ choices into a bar code, which is what gets scanned to tabulate their vote. Computer hackers could manipulate those bar codes… experts say…. Many counties in Texas use machines from Election Systems & Software, for instance, and some of those machines don’t produce any kind of paper record at all.”   https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/20/dominion-voting-trump-faq/   “After the voter has marked their ballot, the system generates a PDF of an ‘Electronic Mobile Ballot’, which is a representation of the voter’s summary ballot, containing a human readable summary of the voter’s selections and a 2D QR code, which is not human readable and allows the ballot to be scanned by a Dominion ImageCast ballot scanner…. The Electronic Mobile Ballot can have more than one QR code, containing the number of available contests, candidates, and write-ins.”   https://verifiedvoting.org/election-system/dominion-imagecast-remote/   “The ballot summary could properly display the voter’s selections in the human-readable section, but contain the hacker’s choices in the QR code, which the voter cannot read. According to California’s Dominion Voting Systems Democracy Suite 5.10 Staff Report, created by the California Secretary of State’s Office of Voting Systems Technology Assessment in 2019, the QR codes are encrypted and there is thus no way to verify the selections contained within it without scanning it on an ImageCast scanner.” (same source, further down the same page)

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny claims he tricked a security agency employee into revealing the details of his poisoning. “The research group Bellingcat revealed details Monday of a 45-minute phone call between Navalny, who posed as an agent for Russia’s National Security Council, and the alleged Kremlin agent, Konstantin Kudryavtsev. Navalny coaxed details of the attack from Kudryavtsev, who said the nerve agent Novichok was applied to the politician’s underwear.”   https://www.npr.org/2020/12/22/949053847/navalny-reportedly-dupes-agent-into-revealing-details-of-poisoning   This is really hard to believe. First, why would someone from the National Security Council have to make a phone call to get the details? That’s not how government agencies work anywhere. If the central agency doesn’t already have this information (which it probably does), I’d have my people call your people and your boss would ask you for the information and then he would send it to whatever agency requested it through the normal channels. People don’t give out highly sensitive national secrets over the phone to strangers claiming to be whoever. Next, Navalny is a well known guy, especially to the people who were following him for years and spying on him. Did he just disguise his voice? Finally, the poison was in his underwear? So these agents snuck into his home or hotel room, went through his clothes, and poured some on his underwear, without attracting attention? I guess that would help insure you got the right person, and it seems like a ridiculous but plausible detail that you wouldn’t normally make up, unless the guy was hoaxing Navalny for laughs. Seems like it would be easier to just bump into him and smear it on him with a gloved hand, or shake his hand, or hand him something. But strangest of all, why use a substance that can be traced directly back to your employer, when you could just as easily have him overdose on fentanyl or heroin. Voila, he’s not just a ‘traitor’, he’s a drug addict too! I’m not saying this story is impossible, but it seems unlikely.

Friend claims Russian researcher stabbed himself during birthday celebration, then leapt out of 14th floor window in his underwear. “The suspect, identified as a childhood friend of (Alexander) Kagansky, told police they were celebrating the scientist’s birthday when he stabbed himself and leaped to his death, Moscow Times said.”   https://nypost.com/2020/12/21/suspect-in-death-of-russian-covid-19-scientist-released/   Must have been a wild party.

Nicaragua bans ‘traitors’ from running for public office. “The law bans candidates ‘who lead or finance a coup … encourage foreign interference, ask for military intervention … propose or plan economic blockades, applaud and champion the imposition of sanctions against Nicaragua or its citizens.'”   https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-12-21/nicaragua-essentially-bans-opposition-from-2021-elections

Bernie Sanders calls pandemic relief bill ‘totally inadequate’. “So, we could do all of those things — tax breaks for billionaires, massive corporate welfare, huge military expenditures — but in the midst of the worst economic meltdown since the Great Depression, somehow Congress is unable to respond effectively to the needs of working families.”   https://www.democracynow.org/2020/12/21/bernie_sanders_coronavirus_relief_bill

Facebook accused of failing to crack down on cyber-bullying by users aligned with Vietnamese government. “For the last two years, I have been advocating for Facebook to protect the only space where people in Vietnam can express themselves freely,” Mai Khoi said in an interview. “Instead of doing this, Facebook’s policy has been to follow local laws used to silence free speech and allow government troll groups to harass Vietnamese users (online and offline) and censor social media,” adding that “like the Vietnamese government, Facebook is an unaccountable tyranny.”   https://theintercept.com/2020/12/21/facebook-vietnam-censorship/

Pandemic relief bill includes $5 million for Congressional health clinic. “The Office of Attending Physician, which provides medical services to lawmakers, received a special boost of $5 million, more than doubling its annual budget, which is currently around $4.27 million.”   https://theintercept.com/2020/12/21/covid-relief-package-congress-health-care/

Copyright legislation buried in Omnibus spending bill. “Lawmakers in Congress are under fire from digital rights campaigners for embedding three controversial changes to online copyright and trademark laws into the must-pass $2.3 trillion legislative package…. Proponents of the CASE Act, like the Copyright Alliance, argue that the bill would make it easier for independent artists to bring about copyright claims without having to endure the lengthy and expensive federal courts process. Still, critics of the bill, like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Fight for the Future, argue that the CASE Act could fine ordinary internet users for engaging in everyday online behavior like sharing memes.”   https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/21/atrocious-congress-crams-language-criminalize-online-streaming-meme-sharing-5500

December 21, 2020

Supreme Court rules unanimously in favor of Muslim men put on ‘no-fly’ list for refusing to become informants. “The case involves a group of Muslim men who, following the dictates of their faith, refused to cooperate with the FBI and spy on their communities. In retaliation, FBI agents placed the men on the No Fly List, robbing them of the ability to travel to see family or for work…. In 1993, Congress passed The Religious Freedom of Restoration Act (RFRA), which provided that individuals whose religious rights were violated by federal agents could sue to ‘obtain any appropriate relief against a government’. In response, the government argued that ‘appropriate relief’ does not include money damages.”   https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/12/20/supreme-court-decision-could-step-ending-qualified-immunity-column/3909636001/

Congress finally agrees on a pandemic relief bill. “The agreement, announced by congressional leaders, would establish a temporary $300 per week supplemental jobless benefit and a $600 direct stimulus payment to most Americans, along with a new round of subsidies for hard-hit businesses and money for schools, health care providers and renters facing eviction.”   https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2020/12/congress-reaches-deal-for-1-trillion-in-coronavirus-economic-relief-including-600-stimulus-checks.html   The deal reportedly includes a tax deduction for ‘business meals’. “Since the 1980s, businesses have been able to deduct 50% of their meal expenses off their federal taxes. A proposal championed by the White House and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., would increase that deduction to 100%, allowing companies to deduct the full cost of a business meal off their federal taxes.”   https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/white-house-secures-three-martini-lunch-tax-deduction-in-draft-of-coronavirus-relief-package/   So let me get this straight, taxpayers are now reimbursing corporate executives for their meals? Isn’t that like socialism for the wealthy? They’re going to take money from people who eat bologna sandwiches to pay for lobster and steak for the 1%? Are you sure this isn’t one of those satirical news stories?

Arizona’s top Republican Party official urges President Trump to ‘cross the Rubicon’. “The historical context of the phrase relates to Caesar’s undemocratic ascension to become Rome’s dictator and the start of a civil war.”   https://www.newsweek.com/arizona-gop-chair-calls-trump-cross-rubicon-tweet-shared-michael-flynn-1556232   Julius Caesar was recalled to Rome from his governorship of conquered lands in Europe. It was forbidden for generals to return to Rome with their armies, but Caesar crossed the Rubicon river into Rome with one of his legions,  which was considered to be an act of treason. After his victory in the following civil war, he seized power, transforming Rome from a democracy (of aristocrats) into a dictatorship.

Election conspiracy theories fueling mass radicalization, say terrorism experts. “One survey found that around 77% of Trump supporters believe that Joe Biden won the election as a result of fraud despite no evidence to support that claim…. ‘It really matters that the president of the United States is an arsonist of radicalization. And it will really help when that is no longer the case.'”   https://www.npr.org/2020/12/15/946381523/right-wing-embrace-of-conspiracy-is-mass-radicalization-experts-warn

Black man eating at shopping mall with his family mistakenly arrested because he fit the description of a suspect. “That description was an African American man with dreadlocks wearing all black and with a child…. During the encounter, you can hear the woman pointing out other people walking into the mall fitting the same description…”   https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/we-are-gathering-all-the-facts-va-beach-police-chief-responds-to-viral-video-of-man-being-detained/

More than 1/3 of Americans having trouble paying their bills. “More than 85.4 million adults, or 35.6%, live in a household where it’s been somewhat or very difficult to pay for usual household expenses during the pandemic, the Census survey found.”   https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/18/politics/pandemic-america-poverty-unemployment/index.html

Three dozen Al-Jazeera employees had their phones hacked with government malware. “Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto said it traced malware that infected the personal phones of 36 journalists, producers, anchors and executives at Al-Jazeera back to the Israel-based NSO Group, which has been widely condemned for selling spyware to repressive governments…. The malware infiltrates phones to vacuum up personal and location data and surreptitiously control the smartphone’s microphones and cameras, allowing hackers to spy on reporters’ face-to-face meetings with sources.”   https://apnews.com/article/technology-malware-saudi-arabia-united-arab-emirates-dubai-c6cb6fc304aff092a88dd87b5c19e4fe

Voting machine companies lawyer up, go after right-wing media. “The letters written by lawyers for Smartmatic and Dominion are ‘extremely powerful’, said Floyd Abrams, one of the country’s most prominent First Amendment lawyers, in an email to The New York Times. ‘The repeated accusations against both companies are plainly defamatory and surely have done enormous reputational and financial harm to both.'”   https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/20/business/media/smartmatic-lawsuit-fox-news-newsmax-oan.html   Be prepared for some embarrassing retractions.

Federal Reserve’s decision to let banks buy back billions of dollars of their own stock is a huge windfall for the wealthy, claims socialist columnist. “As a result of the ultra-cheap monetary policies pursued by the Fed, above all the injection of trillions of dollars into the Treasury bond market, the banks have been able cash in through market trading…. these profits, reaped from the largesse of the Fed, will now be distributed to wealthy individuals as well as investment funds that own bank shares. The effect of the share buybacks is to lift the price of the remaining shares, enabling their owners to release (realize?) a capital gain.”   https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/12/21/bank-d21.html

After Black Lives Matter protesters sued Detroit over use of excessive force by police, and obtained a temporary restraining order, the city accuses protesters of participating in a ‘civil conspiracy’ to engage in illegal acts. “The counter-complaint asks the court to issue judgments declaring that the protesters engaged in this conspiracy and ‘defamed’ the mayor and police, and to award the city damages.”   https://theintercept.com/2020/12/21/detroit-black-lives-matter-lawsuit/