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welcome to reality trivia
reality is the state of things as they actually exist
september 20, 2018
real news today
september 20, 2018
*The U.S. Isn’t Just Backing the Yemen War—It’s Helping Trap Those Forced to Flee
(World)
*A year after deadly Maria, U.S. housing funds on way to Puerto Rico
(Colonies)
*Rep. Dana Rohrabacher Endorses Local Politician Accused of Peddling “Racist Conspiracies”
(GOP Politics)
*Oh, FFS - JUST SAY IT!
(Talkers)
*Ole Miss ex-chancellor faces backlash for complaining black women in tight dresses will lower property values(Amerikkkans)
*Taxing Americans To Reform The Chinese
(Reality)
*Trump admits Fox News hosts influenced his decision to declassify key Russia documents
(Trump)
*Forget wedding cakes. ADF now wants to keep transgender women out of homeless shelters.
(RIGHTS)
*Conservatives Are Right: This Is About Abortion by the rude pundit
(Commentary)
*Private Prison Officials Allowed to Force-Feed Immigrant Hunger Strikers
(Gestapo USA)
*Kavanaugh Poses a Threat to Asian American and Pacific Islander Women
(Rights)
*Striking Hotel Workers Say "Slow Season" Is No Excuse for Losing Health Care
(Slavery 21st Century)
*'Not just in the US': amateur historian highlights Canada's forgotten racism
(History)
*Build walls on seafloor to stop glaciers melting, scientists say
(Currents)
*Giant spiders' web covers Greek beach
(Weird Things)
*'It's hyped up': climate change skeptics in the path of Hurricane Florence
(Suckers)
*Worker death toll rises in Kingston coal ash spill; Roane County man latest victim
(Environment)
(for previous day's articles see "what's inside" below)
comment/tweet of the day
Georgetown Prep alum speaks out against Mark Judge
NewJeffCT - demo underground
9/20/18
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Protesters Storm Capitol Hill And Get Arrested for Demonstrating Against Brett Kavanaugh
THU, SEP 20TH, 2018
BY SARAH JONES - politicus usa
A protester is arrested during a demonstration in opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 20, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
In case you think no one is protesting Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, I’m here to show you otherwise. Last night #KremlinAnnex protesters did their ongoing thing with a sign saying they believe Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and calling the White House “AMORAL.”
On Capitol Hill, protesters are making their feelings known on Thursday and getting arrested for it:
Protester is arrested during a demonstration in opposition to U.S. Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh on Capitol Hill in Washington
On Capitol Hill, protesters are making their feelings known on Thursday and getting arrested for it:
Protester is arrested during a demonstration in opposition to U.S. Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh on Capitol Hill in Washington
MARYLAND PROSECUTOR ON KAVANAUGH ALLEGATIONS: “WHEN THERE’S SOMETHING THE POLICE HAVE BROUGHT TO US, WE’LL ADDRESS IT”
Rachel M. Cohen - the intercept
September 19 2018, 3:47 p.m.
WHEN SHE WAS 15 years old, Christine Blasey Ford was sexually assaulted by Brett Kavanaugh, now President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, she has told the Washington Post. He pinned her on a bed and covered her mouth when she tried to scream.
Ford has followed the lead of Senate Democrats and wants the FBI to launch an investigation into her alleged assault before she appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify about her experience, but unless the president requests the investigation, the federal law enforcement agency will not do so. Trump has yet to agree to make such a request, and both Ford and Senate Democrats lack the legal ability to kickstart an investigation into the president’s Supreme Court nominee.
But the FBI isn’t the only law enforcement that could launch an investigation.
In Maryland, there is no statute of limitations for rape or sexual assault charges, and the alleged incident took place in Montgomery County, a suburban county outside of Washington D.C.
Raquel Coombs, director of communications for the state’s attorney general, Brian Frosh, a Democrat, told The Intercept that Frosh’s office was not looking into Ford’s case. “In Maryland, those types of cases are handled by the local state’s attorney,” she said. “I’m not quite clear what the crime would be, but just generally rape and sexual assault are handled by the state’s attorney, it’s not really our jurisdiction.”
Ramon Korionoff, the Public Affairs Officer for the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s office told the Intercept that “at this point we’re refraining from commenting, we don’t want to confirm or deny if there’s an investigation.” He added that “we’re just awaiting an investigation if the police have something, when there’s something the police have brought to us, we’ll address it at that time.”
Officer Rick Goodale, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Police Department told The Intercept that since “nobody has come forward to report any allegation or incident” they can’t start an investigation. “We can’t have an investigation without a victim,” he added.
Goodale said the national reports and discussion around Ford’s case are not sufficient grounds for his department to launch an investigation.
An attorney representing Ford did not return a request for comment on whether she planned to file a police report.
Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation, said her group and others will be pushing for both federal and local law enforcement investigations. “There’s a whole best practices for this and it’s not unusual to have a case where the survivor reports the case at a later date,” she said. “If you do the investigation right, there are often witnesses who will come forward.”
Ford has followed the lead of Senate Democrats and wants the FBI to launch an investigation into her alleged assault before she appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify about her experience, but unless the president requests the investigation, the federal law enforcement agency will not do so. Trump has yet to agree to make such a request, and both Ford and Senate Democrats lack the legal ability to kickstart an investigation into the president’s Supreme Court nominee.
But the FBI isn’t the only law enforcement that could launch an investigation.
In Maryland, there is no statute of limitations for rape or sexual assault charges, and the alleged incident took place in Montgomery County, a suburban county outside of Washington D.C.
Raquel Coombs, director of communications for the state’s attorney general, Brian Frosh, a Democrat, told The Intercept that Frosh’s office was not looking into Ford’s case. “In Maryland, those types of cases are handled by the local state’s attorney,” she said. “I’m not quite clear what the crime would be, but just generally rape and sexual assault are handled by the state’s attorney, it’s not really our jurisdiction.”
Ramon Korionoff, the Public Affairs Officer for the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s office told the Intercept that “at this point we’re refraining from commenting, we don’t want to confirm or deny if there’s an investigation.” He added that “we’re just awaiting an investigation if the police have something, when there’s something the police have brought to us, we’ll address it at that time.”
Officer Rick Goodale, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Police Department told The Intercept that since “nobody has come forward to report any allegation or incident” they can’t start an investigation. “We can’t have an investigation without a victim,” he added.
Goodale said the national reports and discussion around Ford’s case are not sufficient grounds for his department to launch an investigation.
An attorney representing Ford did not return a request for comment on whether she planned to file a police report.
Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation, said her group and others will be pushing for both federal and local law enforcement investigations. “There’s a whole best practices for this and it’s not unusual to have a case where the survivor reports the case at a later date,” she said. “If you do the investigation right, there are often witnesses who will come forward.”
Paul Begala Says Brett Kavanaugh ‘Tormented’ Vince Foster’s Family: ‘A Vicious, Cruel Abuse of Power’
by Caleb Howe | media ite
Sep 18th, 2018, 9:20 pm
On CNN’s The Lead this afternoon, host Jake Tapper discussed the allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The entire segment was feisty, and in particular CNN contributor Paul Begala cut loose on Kavanaugh, accusing him of cruel torment and more.
In the clip above, the first person Tapper turns to for comment is CNN contributor Mary Katharine Ham. Tapper asked why Democrats might be pushing so hard for this additional hearing, meaning what is the strategy.
“I suppose part of it is, if I’m a little bit cynical about it, asking him questions about the high school drinking and all of this,” she said, “so that he would have to answer truthfully to those and talk about the things they did in high school.”
“But for both Kavanaugh and [Mark] Judge, when they — if they — if this is their story, all they can do is come and say ‘I did not do this thing’. And Judge can say, ‘I don’t know him to act like this, and I never saw him act like this’ and say it over and over again and that’s about all that they can do,” Ham continued. “I do think it is dangerous to go down a path where the standard is you have to prove you weren’t at a party sometime in 1982, the location and number of people at which we don’t exactly know or date of which we don’t know, that becomes a really really impossible standard to hit, and all you can do is go and say, if you believe honestly it never happened, say it never happened.”
Tapper turned then to Begala, asking if the strategy behind wanting Judge to testify is simply that they anticipate him being a terrible witness who will make Kavanaugh look bad. Begala took the moment to tear into Kavanaugh’s character.
“A huge part of the Kavanaugh defense is ‘he’s such a great guy. He’s a better Catholic than I am, he’s a better American than you are’ just ask him…. It’s baloney. Okay? It’s baloney,” he said.
“What’s baloney?” asked Tapper.
“Brett Kavanaugh used the power of the office of independent counselor, he worked for Ken Starr, to reopen the investigation into the of suicide of Vince Foster,” said Begala. “Now I knew Vince. I worked with him. He committed suicide. It was a tragedy. That was investigated by the park police, by the first special counsel, Robert Fisk, by the Senate, by the House, by the Secret Service. All said the obvious, the poor man took his own life.”
“He reopened it,” Begala said of Kavanaugh, visibly angry. “Spent millions of dollars and tormented the Foster family in the most vicious, cruel abuse of power I think I’ve seen in 30 years, and he should be held for account for it.”
“That’s part of his character, too,” said Begala. “If he would do something that horrible? I don’t know what he was like in high school. But I know what he was like with power in the office, and he tormented that poor family.”
Ham pointed out that there was already an opportunity to hold him to account.
“We had a whole hearing where we could discuss all of those things, where he was under oath,” she said.
Begala laughed at that and then repeated his own point that it goes to character.
In the clip above, the first person Tapper turns to for comment is CNN contributor Mary Katharine Ham. Tapper asked why Democrats might be pushing so hard for this additional hearing, meaning what is the strategy.
“I suppose part of it is, if I’m a little bit cynical about it, asking him questions about the high school drinking and all of this,” she said, “so that he would have to answer truthfully to those and talk about the things they did in high school.”
“But for both Kavanaugh and [Mark] Judge, when they — if they — if this is their story, all they can do is come and say ‘I did not do this thing’. And Judge can say, ‘I don’t know him to act like this, and I never saw him act like this’ and say it over and over again and that’s about all that they can do,” Ham continued. “I do think it is dangerous to go down a path where the standard is you have to prove you weren’t at a party sometime in 1982, the location and number of people at which we don’t exactly know or date of which we don’t know, that becomes a really really impossible standard to hit, and all you can do is go and say, if you believe honestly it never happened, say it never happened.”
Tapper turned then to Begala, asking if the strategy behind wanting Judge to testify is simply that they anticipate him being a terrible witness who will make Kavanaugh look bad. Begala took the moment to tear into Kavanaugh’s character.
“A huge part of the Kavanaugh defense is ‘he’s such a great guy. He’s a better Catholic than I am, he’s a better American than you are’ just ask him…. It’s baloney. Okay? It’s baloney,” he said.
“What’s baloney?” asked Tapper.
“Brett Kavanaugh used the power of the office of independent counselor, he worked for Ken Starr, to reopen the investigation into the of suicide of Vince Foster,” said Begala. “Now I knew Vince. I worked with him. He committed suicide. It was a tragedy. That was investigated by the park police, by the first special counsel, Robert Fisk, by the Senate, by the House, by the Secret Service. All said the obvious, the poor man took his own life.”
“He reopened it,” Begala said of Kavanaugh, visibly angry. “Spent millions of dollars and tormented the Foster family in the most vicious, cruel abuse of power I think I’ve seen in 30 years, and he should be held for account for it.”
“That’s part of his character, too,” said Begala. “If he would do something that horrible? I don’t know what he was like in high school. But I know what he was like with power in the office, and he tormented that poor family.”
Ham pointed out that there was already an opportunity to hold him to account.
“We had a whole hearing where we could discuss all of those things, where he was under oath,” she said.
Begala laughed at that and then repeated his own point that it goes to character.
advice from an idiot!!!
Trump hails economy and tells workers: 'start looking' if you want a better job
President boasts of growth and suggests workers who don’t like their jobs should move elsewhere ‘in our great economy’
Erin Durkin in New York
the guardian
Thu 20 Sep 2018 09.17 EDT
Donald Trump urged Americans to “start looking” for new jobs if they were unhappy with their situation as he boasted of economic growth in tweets Thursday.
“Financial and jobs numbers are fantastic. There are plenty of new, high paying jobs available in our great and very vibrant economy,” Trump wrote. “If you are not happy where you are, start looking - but also remember, our economy is only getting better. Vote in Midterms!”
Trump’s latest comments echoed remarks he made last year, when he encouraged residents in upstate New York to leave their homes and find work in states like Wisconsin.
“I’m going to start explaining to people: when you have an area that just isn’t working like upper New York state, where people are getting very badly hurt, and then you’ll have another area 500 miles away where you can’t get people, I’m going to explain, you can leave. It’s OK. Don’t worry about your house,” he said at the time.
Donald J. Trump✔
@realDonaldTrump
Financial and jobs numbers are fantastic. There are plenty of new, high paying jobs available in our great and very vibrant economy. If you are not happy where you are, start looking - but also remember, our economy is only getting better. Vote in Midterms!
4:05 AM - Sep 20, 2018
The pitch also evokes the remarks of the British conservative Norman Tebbit, who as employment secretary in the 1980s famously encouraged the unemployed to get on their bikes and find jobs.
“I grew up in the 30s with our unemployed father. He did not riot. He got on his bike and he looked for work,” he said.
Trump, who is set to appear at a campaign-style rally in Las Vegas on Thursday night, fired off a series of tweets bragging about the economy and chiding Democrats for refusing to pay for the wall he wants to build along the southern border, which he once promised Mexico would pay for.
“I want to know, where is the money for Border Security and the WALL in this ridiculous Spending Bill, and where will it come from after the Midterms?” he said. “Dems are obstructing Law Enforcement and Border Security. REPUBLICANS MUST FINALLY GET TOUGH!”
In an earlier tweet Wednesday, Trump falsely claimed that before he took office, the economic recovery had been the slowest since the Great Depression.
“The recovery got started on Election Day 2016. It took Trump’s Tax Cuts and Regulation Cuts to get the economy booming. Before that it was the worst and slowest economic recovery since the Great Depression,” he said, quoting comments from a guest on Fox & Friends.
In fact, the recovery from the recession in 2001 was slower than the recovery from the most recent recession.
“Financial and jobs numbers are fantastic. There are plenty of new, high paying jobs available in our great and very vibrant economy,” Trump wrote. “If you are not happy where you are, start looking - but also remember, our economy is only getting better. Vote in Midterms!”
Trump’s latest comments echoed remarks he made last year, when he encouraged residents in upstate New York to leave their homes and find work in states like Wisconsin.
“I’m going to start explaining to people: when you have an area that just isn’t working like upper New York state, where people are getting very badly hurt, and then you’ll have another area 500 miles away where you can’t get people, I’m going to explain, you can leave. It’s OK. Don’t worry about your house,” he said at the time.
Donald J. Trump✔
@realDonaldTrump
Financial and jobs numbers are fantastic. There are plenty of new, high paying jobs available in our great and very vibrant economy. If you are not happy where you are, start looking - but also remember, our economy is only getting better. Vote in Midterms!
4:05 AM - Sep 20, 2018
The pitch also evokes the remarks of the British conservative Norman Tebbit, who as employment secretary in the 1980s famously encouraged the unemployed to get on their bikes and find jobs.
“I grew up in the 30s with our unemployed father. He did not riot. He got on his bike and he looked for work,” he said.
Trump, who is set to appear at a campaign-style rally in Las Vegas on Thursday night, fired off a series of tweets bragging about the economy and chiding Democrats for refusing to pay for the wall he wants to build along the southern border, which he once promised Mexico would pay for.
“I want to know, where is the money for Border Security and the WALL in this ridiculous Spending Bill, and where will it come from after the Midterms?” he said. “Dems are obstructing Law Enforcement and Border Security. REPUBLICANS MUST FINALLY GET TOUGH!”
In an earlier tweet Wednesday, Trump falsely claimed that before he took office, the economic recovery had been the slowest since the Great Depression.
“The recovery got started on Election Day 2016. It took Trump’s Tax Cuts and Regulation Cuts to get the economy booming. Before that it was the worst and slowest economic recovery since the Great Depression,” he said, quoting comments from a guest on Fox & Friends.
In fact, the recovery from the recession in 2001 was slower than the recovery from the most recent recession.
Trump built ‘Moscow’s dream team’ of advisers as Russia started campaign to undermine Clinton: NYT report
Brad Reed - raw story
20 SEP 2018 AT 08:12 ET
When then-candidate Donald Trump announced his team of foreign policy advisers in March 2016, many establishment national security officials expressed bafflement at some of the obscure names listed.
However, as the New York Times’ Scott Shane and Mark Mazzetti report, the list of foreign policy advisers must have looked enticing to the Russian government — and they even go so far as to describe them as “Moscow’s dream team.”
Specifically, the report cites former national security adviser Mike Flynn, who “had long viewed Russia as a natural ally in what he saw as a ‘world war’ against radical Islam,” and Carter Page, who “met in New York with a Russian spy posing as an attaché at the United Nations and passed along energy industry documents in hopes of securing lucrative deals in Moscow.”
What’s more, the Trump campaign had also just hired Paul Manafort, who had spent years working on behalf of a Kremlin-allied Ukrainian politician.
This was also the point, the report notes, that Russia started ramping up its campaign to undermine the candidacy of Hillary Clinton, who was seen as likely to be Trump’s general election rival for the presidency.
“By then, the Russian intelligence operation to intervene in the American election — including efforts to infiltrate and influence the Trump campaign — had begun,” the Times states.
Read the whole report here.
However, as the New York Times’ Scott Shane and Mark Mazzetti report, the list of foreign policy advisers must have looked enticing to the Russian government — and they even go so far as to describe them as “Moscow’s dream team.”
Specifically, the report cites former national security adviser Mike Flynn, who “had long viewed Russia as a natural ally in what he saw as a ‘world war’ against radical Islam,” and Carter Page, who “met in New York with a Russian spy posing as an attaché at the United Nations and passed along energy industry documents in hopes of securing lucrative deals in Moscow.”
What’s more, the Trump campaign had also just hired Paul Manafort, who had spent years working on behalf of a Kremlin-allied Ukrainian politician.
This was also the point, the report notes, that Russia started ramping up its campaign to undermine the candidacy of Hillary Clinton, who was seen as likely to be Trump’s general election rival for the presidency.
“By then, the Russian intelligence operation to intervene in the American election — including efforts to infiltrate and influence the Trump campaign — had begun,” the Times states.
Read the whole report here.
Muslim-American can sue over ‘no-fly list’: U.S. appeals court
THU, SEP 20TH, 2018
BY SARAH JONES - politicus usa
(Reuters) – A federal appeals court on Thursday revived a Muslim-American man’s lawsuit accusing the U.S. government of improperly keeping him for about six years on its “no-fly list,” where he said he was placed to coerce him into becoming an FBI informant.
Reversing a lower court ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Portland, Oregon said Yonas Fikre’s due process claims did not become moot when he was removed from the list without explanation in May 2016, three years after he sued.
The court said the government’s refusal to acknowledge that Fikre did not belong on the list and would not be returned there left an overhang that could cause business associates, friends and even family to shun him.
“Fikre remains, in his own words, ‘stigmatiz(ed) as a known or suspected terrorist and as an individual who represents a threat of engaging in or conducting a violent act of terrorism and who is operationally capable of doing so,'” U.S. Circuit Judge Morgan Christen wrote for a three-judge panel.
The Department of Justice had no immediate comment.
Established in 2003, in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the no-fly list includes individuals prohibited from flying aboard commercial aircraft in, into and out of the United States.
Many lawsuits have been filed by people on the list, while Thursday’s decision covers people removed from it.
The decision applies in nine western U.S. states, including California, but could be cited by courts elsewhere.
Fikre said he was on a business trip in April 2010 in Sudan, where he had family and had told U.S. Embassy officials of his presence, when two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents questioned him about his ties to the As-Sabre mosque in Portland, where he had attended prayer services.
He said one FBI agent told him he had been put on the no-fly list, but could be removed and given “substantial compensation” if he became an informant. Fikre said he refused.
Gadeir Abbas, a lawyer for Fikre, said his client will ask U.S. District Judge Anna Brown in Portland for an injunction to stop the government from putting “innocent Americans” not implicated in terrorism-related crimes on the no-fly list.
“We’re hopeful that the lower court will see the no-fly list for what it is: a gross transgression of fundamental rights,” Abbas said in an interview.
The case is Fikre v FBI et al, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 16-36072.
Reversing a lower court ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Portland, Oregon said Yonas Fikre’s due process claims did not become moot when he was removed from the list without explanation in May 2016, three years after he sued.
The court said the government’s refusal to acknowledge that Fikre did not belong on the list and would not be returned there left an overhang that could cause business associates, friends and even family to shun him.
“Fikre remains, in his own words, ‘stigmatiz(ed) as a known or suspected terrorist and as an individual who represents a threat of engaging in or conducting a violent act of terrorism and who is operationally capable of doing so,'” U.S. Circuit Judge Morgan Christen wrote for a three-judge panel.
The Department of Justice had no immediate comment.
Established in 2003, in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the no-fly list includes individuals prohibited from flying aboard commercial aircraft in, into and out of the United States.
Many lawsuits have been filed by people on the list, while Thursday’s decision covers people removed from it.
The decision applies in nine western U.S. states, including California, but could be cited by courts elsewhere.
Fikre said he was on a business trip in April 2010 in Sudan, where he had family and had told U.S. Embassy officials of his presence, when two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents questioned him about his ties to the As-Sabre mosque in Portland, where he had attended prayer services.
He said one FBI agent told him he had been put on the no-fly list, but could be removed and given “substantial compensation” if he became an informant. Fikre said he refused.
Gadeir Abbas, a lawyer for Fikre, said his client will ask U.S. District Judge Anna Brown in Portland for an injunction to stop the government from putting “innocent Americans” not implicated in terrorism-related crimes on the no-fly list.
“We’re hopeful that the lower court will see the no-fly list for what it is: a gross transgression of fundamental rights,” Abbas said in an interview.
The case is Fikre v FBI et al, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 16-36072.
New China tariff list creates risk of 'downward cycle' for US auto industry
USA TODAY NETWORK
Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press
DETROIT – New tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on auto parts from China will hit carmaker profits, cut sales and threaten to "start a downward cycle" in the critical industry, analysts unanimously agree.
In addition, if you're in the market for a new car, you probably should head to a dealership soon, because prices will be going up.
Trump's latest round of tariffs on Chinese imports will add costs to more than 100 car parts – a 10 percent levy on everything from tires and brake pads to engines and batteries – that go into vehicles made and sold in the U.S.
"It's going to be felt by Americans, and it's going to be a big deal," said Peter Nagle, senior analyst at IHS Markit. "Tariffs are taxes on consumption. Eventually costs will be passed down to the consumer. This will drive vehicle costs higher. It also includes a lot of body shop equipment."
Trump has campaigned on trade issues, saying new deals are needed with China and other partners, and he has imposed tariffs when talks go slowly.
He escalated a trade war between the two largest economies on the globe with the announcement on Monday of $200 billion in new tariffs. A 10 percent tax on thousands of imports from China takes effect on Sept. 24, rising to 25 percent on Jan. 1. China hit back on Tuesday, levying tariffs on $60 billion in U.S. products.
Analysts said it is unclear how much car prices will go up in order to absorb the costs of a trade war, but everyone agrees that prices must go up – and that parts from China are critical to the auto industry. And all that means car sales will drop as a result, too.
"This is definitely the “Mother, make it stop” point for the auto industry," said Jon Gabrielsen, a market economist who advises automakers and auto suppliers.
Finding a silver lining in the move is difficult, said Kristin Dziczek, vice president of the Industry, Labor & Economics Group at the Center for Automotive Research.
"Tariffs are taxes on American consumers. We're going to sell fewer. And not only do we buy car parts from the rest of the world, we sell parts to the rest of the world," she said. "It's all going to cost more. ... It starts a downward cycle that isn't good."
"China can wait us out," she said. "For the car industry, this means a lot of efficiency they've gained from building up the global supply chain is lost."
Tariff rises in 2019
A 10 percent tariff will be applied to the U.S. this month. That will increase to 25 percent on Chinese goods starting Jan. 1, Gabrielsen said. That's just for parts, not the full cost of a vehicle.
Automakers didn't comment on how they planned to absorb the costs associated with the policy change.
“We are reviewing the list," said Ford spokeswoman Christin Tinsworth Baker. "What we would emphasize is that it is essential that governments work together to lower, not raise, barriers to trade. We encourage both governments to work together through negotiation to resolve issues between these two important economies.”
Fiat Chrysler declined to comment on the impact of the new tariffs. General Motors declined to respond to request for comment.
Gabrielsen said some of the costs will be passed on in sticker prices. "Prices are going to go up, but they won't go up by 25 percent," he said. "Vehicle sales already are in slow decline. This will probably will be quite a gut punch when they are forced to raise prices."
Automakers can produce cars for about a month before the costs associated with the 10 percent tariff take effect. By February, "people will feel it," Gabrielsen said.
Gabrielsen said it took him nearly three hours to analyze the list of car and light-truck items imported from China facing new tariffs effective Sept. 24.
"It covers literally everything that goes into the construction of an automobile, from the smallest components and material inputs like the cords in tires and shafts and gears and bearings all the way up to completed engines and in some cases chassis with engines mounted," he said.
Jeoff Burris, founder and principal of Advanced Purchasing Dynamics, which has been doing extensive work in automotive supply chain for the past 14 years, offered a grim assessment.
" Even at 10 percent, the hit to manufacturers will be significant; at 25 percent, for some, the impact will be catastrophic."
How much will prices rise?
National Automobile Dealers Association president and CEO Peter Welch said industry analysis outlined a scenario where a 25 percent tariff would increase the price of the typical vehicle sold in the United States by about $4,400.
A Center for Automotive Research study commissioned by the National Automobile Dealers Association found a 25 percent tariff would result in:
2 million fewer new vehicles sold per year.
Total U.S. employment losses of nearly 714,700, and GDP losses of $59.2 billion.
A loss of 117,500 of 1.1 million U.S. new-car dealership jobs, with the average franchised dealership losing seven jobs.
An increase in used car prices due to heightened demand and constricted supply.
Increases in the cost of vehicle maintenance and repair due to higher automotive parts prices, “so even holding on to an existing vehicle will become more expensive.”
Welch urged leaders in Washington to exercise caution and emphasized that new tariffs would reduce consumer choice, increase the cost of used vehicles and raise the cost of getting vehicles serviced and repaired.
“NADA recognizes the importance to the United States of leveling the trade playing field; eliminating unfair trade practices; and keeping America’s automotive industry strong,” he said. “But a 25 percent tariff applied to all imports would hurt auto manufacturers, dealers, consumers and the economy as a whole. And the hardest hit would be our customers.”
Tariffs are a direct hit to consumers' pocketbooks, said Gloria Bergquist, vice president of communications and public affairs at the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.
"This decision would essentially cover every Chinese export to the United States, so it’s hard to see how consumers would not be caught in the crossfire."
In addition, if you're in the market for a new car, you probably should head to a dealership soon, because prices will be going up.
Trump's latest round of tariffs on Chinese imports will add costs to more than 100 car parts – a 10 percent levy on everything from tires and brake pads to engines and batteries – that go into vehicles made and sold in the U.S.
"It's going to be felt by Americans, and it's going to be a big deal," said Peter Nagle, senior analyst at IHS Markit. "Tariffs are taxes on consumption. Eventually costs will be passed down to the consumer. This will drive vehicle costs higher. It also includes a lot of body shop equipment."
Trump has campaigned on trade issues, saying new deals are needed with China and other partners, and he has imposed tariffs when talks go slowly.
He escalated a trade war between the two largest economies on the globe with the announcement on Monday of $200 billion in new tariffs. A 10 percent tax on thousands of imports from China takes effect on Sept. 24, rising to 25 percent on Jan. 1. China hit back on Tuesday, levying tariffs on $60 billion in U.S. products.
Analysts said it is unclear how much car prices will go up in order to absorb the costs of a trade war, but everyone agrees that prices must go up – and that parts from China are critical to the auto industry. And all that means car sales will drop as a result, too.
"This is definitely the “Mother, make it stop” point for the auto industry," said Jon Gabrielsen, a market economist who advises automakers and auto suppliers.
Finding a silver lining in the move is difficult, said Kristin Dziczek, vice president of the Industry, Labor & Economics Group at the Center for Automotive Research.
"Tariffs are taxes on American consumers. We're going to sell fewer. And not only do we buy car parts from the rest of the world, we sell parts to the rest of the world," she said. "It's all going to cost more. ... It starts a downward cycle that isn't good."
"China can wait us out," she said. "For the car industry, this means a lot of efficiency they've gained from building up the global supply chain is lost."
Tariff rises in 2019
A 10 percent tariff will be applied to the U.S. this month. That will increase to 25 percent on Chinese goods starting Jan. 1, Gabrielsen said. That's just for parts, not the full cost of a vehicle.
Automakers didn't comment on how they planned to absorb the costs associated with the policy change.
“We are reviewing the list," said Ford spokeswoman Christin Tinsworth Baker. "What we would emphasize is that it is essential that governments work together to lower, not raise, barriers to trade. We encourage both governments to work together through negotiation to resolve issues between these two important economies.”
Fiat Chrysler declined to comment on the impact of the new tariffs. General Motors declined to respond to request for comment.
Gabrielsen said some of the costs will be passed on in sticker prices. "Prices are going to go up, but they won't go up by 25 percent," he said. "Vehicle sales already are in slow decline. This will probably will be quite a gut punch when they are forced to raise prices."
Automakers can produce cars for about a month before the costs associated with the 10 percent tariff take effect. By February, "people will feel it," Gabrielsen said.
Gabrielsen said it took him nearly three hours to analyze the list of car and light-truck items imported from China facing new tariffs effective Sept. 24.
"It covers literally everything that goes into the construction of an automobile, from the smallest components and material inputs like the cords in tires and shafts and gears and bearings all the way up to completed engines and in some cases chassis with engines mounted," he said.
Jeoff Burris, founder and principal of Advanced Purchasing Dynamics, which has been doing extensive work in automotive supply chain for the past 14 years, offered a grim assessment.
" Even at 10 percent, the hit to manufacturers will be significant; at 25 percent, for some, the impact will be catastrophic."
How much will prices rise?
National Automobile Dealers Association president and CEO Peter Welch said industry analysis outlined a scenario where a 25 percent tariff would increase the price of the typical vehicle sold in the United States by about $4,400.
A Center for Automotive Research study commissioned by the National Automobile Dealers Association found a 25 percent tariff would result in:
2 million fewer new vehicles sold per year.
Total U.S. employment losses of nearly 714,700, and GDP losses of $59.2 billion.
A loss of 117,500 of 1.1 million U.S. new-car dealership jobs, with the average franchised dealership losing seven jobs.
An increase in used car prices due to heightened demand and constricted supply.
Increases in the cost of vehicle maintenance and repair due to higher automotive parts prices, “so even holding on to an existing vehicle will become more expensive.”
Welch urged leaders in Washington to exercise caution and emphasized that new tariffs would reduce consumer choice, increase the cost of used vehicles and raise the cost of getting vehicles serviced and repaired.
“NADA recognizes the importance to the United States of leveling the trade playing field; eliminating unfair trade practices; and keeping America’s automotive industry strong,” he said. “But a 25 percent tariff applied to all imports would hurt auto manufacturers, dealers, consumers and the economy as a whole. And the hardest hit would be our customers.”
Tariffs are a direct hit to consumers' pocketbooks, said Gloria Bergquist, vice president of communications and public affairs at the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.
"This decision would essentially cover every Chinese export to the United States, so it’s hard to see how consumers would not be caught in the crossfire."
serial rapist???
Kavanaugh joined notorious campus frat that was later banned for ‘no means yes’ chant: Yale newspaper
Tom Boggioni - raw story
20 SEP 2018 AT 15:06 ET
While attending Yale University, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh joined both a fraternity that was later banned for chanting “no means yes” in front of the campus women’s center and a secret society with an crude nickname that appeared to be based upon members hooking up with women as much as possible.
According to the Yale Daily News, Kavanaugh chose to pledge with the Yale University’s DKE in the late 80’s, which had a reputation as a party frat. One student compared it to the fraternity in the “Animal House” movie.
Students from that era recall the DKE leadership sending pledges, known as “buttholes,” out onto the campus in search of female undergarments that they then added to a flagpole to embellish the DKE banner.
According to Steve Gallo, a member of DKE’s 1985 pledge class, the flag “was just somebody’s stupid idea” and that the underwear was “obtained consensually.”
Writing on the YaleWomen Facebook page, Jennifer Lew, class of ’87 disagreed. She said the DKE fratboys would ransack women’s rooms while another alumnus, Julie Klein ’87, called the frat an “animal house.”
According to the Yale paper, “Since Kavanaugh’s graduation in 1987, DKE’s reputation for mistreating women at Yale has only grown.
Yale banned DKE from campus for five years in 2011 after videos circulated of fraternity recruits chanting ‘no means yes, yes means anal’ in front of the University’s Women’s Center.”
The report notes that Yale University recently launched an investigation into “the fraternity’s sexual climate after reports in the Yale Daily News and Business Insider documented sexual assault allegations against more than half a dozen members, including the fraternity’s former president.”
Along with belonging to the frat, Kavanaugh reportedly was a member of a secret society officially called “Truth and Courage,” primarily made up of athletes. It has since ceased to exist.
According to students remembering the group from its heyday in the 80s, it was winkingly referred to less as “Truth and Courage” and more as “Tits and Clit.”
You can read more about Kavanaugh’s frat days here.
According to the Yale Daily News, Kavanaugh chose to pledge with the Yale University’s DKE in the late 80’s, which had a reputation as a party frat. One student compared it to the fraternity in the “Animal House” movie.
Students from that era recall the DKE leadership sending pledges, known as “buttholes,” out onto the campus in search of female undergarments that they then added to a flagpole to embellish the DKE banner.
According to Steve Gallo, a member of DKE’s 1985 pledge class, the flag “was just somebody’s stupid idea” and that the underwear was “obtained consensually.”
Writing on the YaleWomen Facebook page, Jennifer Lew, class of ’87 disagreed. She said the DKE fratboys would ransack women’s rooms while another alumnus, Julie Klein ’87, called the frat an “animal house.”
According to the Yale paper, “Since Kavanaugh’s graduation in 1987, DKE’s reputation for mistreating women at Yale has only grown.
Yale banned DKE from campus for five years in 2011 after videos circulated of fraternity recruits chanting ‘no means yes, yes means anal’ in front of the University’s Women’s Center.”
The report notes that Yale University recently launched an investigation into “the fraternity’s sexual climate after reports in the Yale Daily News and Business Insider documented sexual assault allegations against more than half a dozen members, including the fraternity’s former president.”
Along with belonging to the frat, Kavanaugh reportedly was a member of a secret society officially called “Truth and Courage,” primarily made up of athletes. It has since ceased to exist.
According to students remembering the group from its heyday in the 80s, it was winkingly referred to less as “Truth and Courage” and more as “Tits and Clit.”
You can read more about Kavanaugh’s frat days here.
Colin Kaepernick to be honored by Harvard
Associated Press
Thursday, September 20, 2018
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and comedian Dave Chappelle are among eight people being honored by Harvard University for their contributions to black history and culture, the university announced Thursday.
All eight recipients of the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal will be honored Oct. 11 by the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard.
"The medal honors those who have made significant contributions to African and African-American history and culture, and more broadly, individuals who advocate for intercultural understanding and human rights in an increasingly global and interconnected world," the Hutchins Center said.
Kaepernick, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers, created a firestorm when he began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to protest police brutality and social injustice. He has more recently been the centerpiece of an advertising campaign by Nike.
He has donated and helped raise millions of dollars for organizations fighting social injustice, and founded the Know Your Rights Camp.
All eight recipients of the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal will be honored Oct. 11 by the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard.
"The medal honors those who have made significant contributions to African and African-American history and culture, and more broadly, individuals who advocate for intercultural understanding and human rights in an increasingly global and interconnected world," the Hutchins Center said.
Kaepernick, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers, created a firestorm when he began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to protest police brutality and social injustice. He has more recently been the centerpiece of an advertising campaign by Nike.
He has donated and helped raise millions of dollars for organizations fighting social injustice, and founded the Know Your Rights Camp.
Students Don’t Know How to Buy Stamps So They’re Not Voting by Mail
WED, SEP 19TH, 2018
BY LEO VIDAL - politicus usa
College students often have to use the U.S. Postal Service to vote, since they don’t live where they are registered. This requires them to mail their absentee ballots to a different location. But this is not happening as often as it should.
A recent focus group in Fairfax County, Virginia has found that a large number of college students who have received an absentee ballot failed to send it back in because they didn’t know where to buy a U.S. Postal Service stamp.
Lisa Connors is with the Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs, the agency which sponsored the focus group. She said:
“One thing that came up, which I had heard from my own kids but I thought they were just nerdy, was that the students will go through the process of applying for a mail-in absentee ballot, they will fill out the ballot, and then, they don’t know where to get stamps.”
“That seems to be like a hump that they can’t get across.”
The focus group included college interns from many different county departments.
“They all agreed that they knew lots of people who did not send in their ballots because it was too much of a hassle or they didn’t know where to get a stamp,” Connors said.
“Across the board, they were all nodding and had a very spirited conversation about ‘Oh yeah, I know so many people who didn’t send theirs in because they didn’t have a stamp.’”
Students are able to change their voter registration location to the college location only if they get a new driver’s license or fill out a new voter registration application on campus.
After the surprising focus group results, Fairfax County is now encouraging students to vote in-person absentee while visiting their homes during fall breaks.
Kate Hanley, Fairfax County Electoral Board secretary, said:
“We’re really working on information to get the college students to be able to actually vote where they’re registered and vote absentee because it’s very confusing and it has a lot of pieces that can sort of go wrong in the middle of it.”
Younger voters generally have very low turnout rates in midterm elections, and this latest information is not encouraging for those who want to increase those rates. For a generation raised with electronic devices and instant communications using “snail mail” is obviously a foreign concept. Perhaps some better way needs to be developed to overcome this challenge.
Either that, or maybe college students could be taught where to buy postage stamps.
A recent focus group in Fairfax County, Virginia has found that a large number of college students who have received an absentee ballot failed to send it back in because they didn’t know where to buy a U.S. Postal Service stamp.
Lisa Connors is with the Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs, the agency which sponsored the focus group. She said:
“One thing that came up, which I had heard from my own kids but I thought they were just nerdy, was that the students will go through the process of applying for a mail-in absentee ballot, they will fill out the ballot, and then, they don’t know where to get stamps.”
“That seems to be like a hump that they can’t get across.”
The focus group included college interns from many different county departments.
“They all agreed that they knew lots of people who did not send in their ballots because it was too much of a hassle or they didn’t know where to get a stamp,” Connors said.
“Across the board, they were all nodding and had a very spirited conversation about ‘Oh yeah, I know so many people who didn’t send theirs in because they didn’t have a stamp.’”
Students are able to change their voter registration location to the college location only if they get a new driver’s license or fill out a new voter registration application on campus.
After the surprising focus group results, Fairfax County is now encouraging students to vote in-person absentee while visiting their homes during fall breaks.
Kate Hanley, Fairfax County Electoral Board secretary, said:
“We’re really working on information to get the college students to be able to actually vote where they’re registered and vote absentee because it’s very confusing and it has a lot of pieces that can sort of go wrong in the middle of it.”
Younger voters generally have very low turnout rates in midterm elections, and this latest information is not encouraging for those who want to increase those rates. For a generation raised with electronic devices and instant communications using “snail mail” is obviously a foreign concept. Perhaps some better way needs to be developed to overcome this challenge.
Either that, or maybe college students could be taught where to buy postage stamps.
*bites from real news - 9/20/2018*
*The Plot to Subvert an Election For two years, Americans have tried to absorb the details of the 2016 interference by Russia — hacked emails, social media fraud, suspected spies — and President Trump’s claims that it’s all a hoax. We unravel the story so far.
*Michael Cohen talked with Mueller investigators ‘for hours’ as they asked about Trump colluding with Russia: ABC News Over the last month, President Donald Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen spent hours cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators.
*Donald Trump Jr. pushes article that tries to slut shame Brett Kavanaugh’s accuser
Donald Trump Jr. on Thursday promoted a tweet by right-wing propagandist Dinesh D’Souza that explicitly endorses a blog post whose sole purpose is to slut shame the woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of attempted rape.
*WATCH: Trump-backing steelworker admits GOP tax cuts have only benefited his ‘assh*le’ boss so far
*discovering a traitor: Trump Should Be More Worried About the Brennan Dossier
(washington monthly)
*all for big oil: 'Treating protest as terrorism': US plans crackdown on Keystone XL activists
Documents suggest an aggressive response to possible protests against the oil pipeline amid fears of another Standing Rock. The government has characterized pipeline opponents like her as “extremists” and violent criminals and warned of potential “t ... (Guardian)
*Death toll in DRC Ebola outbreak reaches 97, vaccinations continue
*Trump apologist Alan Dershowitz tells Fox News that Kavanaugh should be confirmed because ‘women forget, men forget’
*A California couple is accused of drugging and raping women. Police suspect there are many more victims
*MS-13 ON LONG ISLAND The Disappeared
Police on Long Island wrote off missing immigrant teens as runaways. One mother knew better — and searched MS-13’s killing fields for answers.
*The War on Immigrants: “KICK ASS, ASK QUESTIONS LATER”: A BORDER PATROL WHISTLEBLOWER SPEAKS OUT ABOUT CULTURE OF ABUSE AGAINST MIGRANTS
The former agent said that he could not stand by as he saw reports that the abuses he witnessed continue -- including the destruction of water jugs.
*Climate change: Beach rebuilding efforts won't stave off impacts forever
*Arizona moves to revoke licenses from all Southwest Key migrant-children shelters
The state Department of Health Services moved Wednesday to revoke the licenses of Southwest Key's 13 Arizona shelters for migrant children, citing the nonprofit's failure to provide proof that its workers had received the required background checks. ... (Arizona Republic (Phoenix))
*Pompeo certified Saudi support in Yemen despite staff warnings
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo decided to continue support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen — over the objections of some State Department staffers — due to a potential loss of billions of dollars in weapons sales to allies in the region, per t ... (Axios)
*French Court Orders Le Pen to Submit to Psychiatric Evaluation
PARIS (REUTERS) - A French court ordered Marine Le Pen to submit to a psychiatric evaluation as part of its investigation into her decision to post images of Islamic State executions on Twitter, the far right leader sa ... (U.S. News & World Report)
GOP donor busted for calling Obama a ‘Muslim nigger’ — then repeatedly uses racial slurs to justify himself
Travis Gettys - raw story
20 SEP 2018 AT 09:13 ET
A Republican donor complained that black comedians can use racial slurs but he can’t — despite his repeated use of the N-word on social media and during interviews with reporters.
Steven Alembik, a GOP activist who donated $22,920 to the Ron DeSantis gubernatorial campaign and thousands more to other Republican candidates, called former President Barack Obama a “FUCK MUSLIM NIGGER” recently on Twitter, and used racial slurs when asked to explain the post, reported Politico.
DeSantis spokesman Stephen Lawson denounced the “disgusting rhetoric” of Alembik, who also helped the Florida lawmaker set up a speech at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.
The controversy is the fifth racism-related issue concerning DeSantis, who warned the day after he won the Aug. 28 primary that his black Democratic opponent, Andrew Gillum, would “monkey this up” if elected, referring to the economy.
Alembik, a self-employed information technology provider from Boca Raton, admitted using the racial slur in anger Sept. 8 after Obama gave a speech criticizing Trump and the Republican Party.
“Over the past few decades, the politics of division and resentment and paranoia has unfortunately found a home in the Republican Party,” Obama said, and Alembik saw a tweet by the Republican National Committee highlighting the remarks.
The 67-year-old Alembik said he was “absolutely not” a racist, but used several slurs to complain that white people were held to what he believes is a double standard.
“So somebody like Chris Rock can get up onstage and use the word and there’s no problem? But some white guy says it and he’s a racist? Really?” Alembik said. “I grew up in New York in the ‘50s. We were the kikes. They were the n*ggers. They were the goyim. And those were the spics.”
He said his social media activity should be held to a different standard than his behavior offline.
“When I write anything inflammatory, it’s because I’m seriously pissed off,” Alembik said. “I’m an emotional human being. Do I have a filter on what I say? In public, yes. Would I use that word in public? No. This is Twitter.”
Steven Alembik, a GOP activist who donated $22,920 to the Ron DeSantis gubernatorial campaign and thousands more to other Republican candidates, called former President Barack Obama a “FUCK MUSLIM NIGGER” recently on Twitter, and used racial slurs when asked to explain the post, reported Politico.
DeSantis spokesman Stephen Lawson denounced the “disgusting rhetoric” of Alembik, who also helped the Florida lawmaker set up a speech at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.
The controversy is the fifth racism-related issue concerning DeSantis, who warned the day after he won the Aug. 28 primary that his black Democratic opponent, Andrew Gillum, would “monkey this up” if elected, referring to the economy.
Alembik, a self-employed information technology provider from Boca Raton, admitted using the racial slur in anger Sept. 8 after Obama gave a speech criticizing Trump and the Republican Party.
“Over the past few decades, the politics of division and resentment and paranoia has unfortunately found a home in the Republican Party,” Obama said, and Alembik saw a tweet by the Republican National Committee highlighting the remarks.
The 67-year-old Alembik said he was “absolutely not” a racist, but used several slurs to complain that white people were held to what he believes is a double standard.
“So somebody like Chris Rock can get up onstage and use the word and there’s no problem? But some white guy says it and he’s a racist? Really?” Alembik said. “I grew up in New York in the ‘50s. We were the kikes. They were the n*ggers. They were the goyim. And those were the spics.”
He said his social media activity should be held to a different standard than his behavior offline.
“When I write anything inflammatory, it’s because I’m seriously pissed off,” Alembik said. “I’m an emotional human being. Do I have a filter on what I say? In public, yes. Would I use that word in public? No. This is Twitter.”
‘Not Relevant’: Franklin Graham says alleged Kavanaugh assault just something ‘he did as a teenager’
David Badash, The New Civil Rights Movement - raw story
20 SEP 2018 AT 09:38 ET
‘I Don’t Know What the Issue Is’
Christian Evangelical Leader Franklin Graham says the allegations of sexual assault and attempted rape against Judge Brett Kavanaugh by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford are simply “not relevant”
The 66-year old ordained minister and political activist spoke with Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network Tuesday, saying, “it’s just a shame that a person like Judge Kavanaugh who has a stellar record–that somebody can bring something up that he did as a teenager close to 40 years ago. That’s not relevant.”
Graham is the son of the late Rev. Billy Graham, who served as a pastor and unofficial advisor to a dozen presidents, from from Harry Truman to Barack Obama. Today, Franklin Graham serves on President Trump’s evangelical advisory board.
WHY THIS MATTERS: Franklin Graham has over 7 million followers on Facebook, and CBN reportedly is broadcast to up to one million people daily. He has the ability to influence a large number of people’s views and beliefs, which is why his false claims must be corrected. You can help counter the spread of his false statements by sharing this information with your friends and family members.
In his CBN interview, Graham falsely claimed, “there wasn’t a crime committed.”
But sexual assault and attempted rape are crimes. And if the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh are true, there is no statute of limitations in Maryland and he could still face charges.
“These are two teenagers and it’s obvious that she said no and he respected it and walked away.”
That is also egregiously false, according to the accusations in Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s letter.
“Brett Kavanaugh physically and sexually assaulted me during high school in the early 1980’s,” she states. “Kavanaugh tried to disrobe me,” she adds.
“With Kavanaugh’s hand over my mouth I feared he may inadvertently kill me,” she says, noting he was highly intoxicated.
“After a few attempts to get away, I was able to take this opportune moment to get up and run across to a hallway bathroom. I locked the bathroom door behind me.”
Graham continued to defend Kavanaugh, saying: “He just flat out says that’s not true. Regardless if it was true, these are two teenagers and she said no and he respected that so I don’t know what the issue is.”
Clearly he did not respect her wishes, nor did he walk away, based on Dr. Blasey Ford’s letter.
Christian Evangelical Leader Franklin Graham says the allegations of sexual assault and attempted rape against Judge Brett Kavanaugh by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford are simply “not relevant”
The 66-year old ordained minister and political activist spoke with Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network Tuesday, saying, “it’s just a shame that a person like Judge Kavanaugh who has a stellar record–that somebody can bring something up that he did as a teenager close to 40 years ago. That’s not relevant.”
Graham is the son of the late Rev. Billy Graham, who served as a pastor and unofficial advisor to a dozen presidents, from from Harry Truman to Barack Obama. Today, Franklin Graham serves on President Trump’s evangelical advisory board.
WHY THIS MATTERS: Franklin Graham has over 7 million followers on Facebook, and CBN reportedly is broadcast to up to one million people daily. He has the ability to influence a large number of people’s views and beliefs, which is why his false claims must be corrected. You can help counter the spread of his false statements by sharing this information with your friends and family members.
In his CBN interview, Graham falsely claimed, “there wasn’t a crime committed.”
But sexual assault and attempted rape are crimes. And if the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh are true, there is no statute of limitations in Maryland and he could still face charges.
“These are two teenagers and it’s obvious that she said no and he respected it and walked away.”
That is also egregiously false, according to the accusations in Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s letter.
“Brett Kavanaugh physically and sexually assaulted me during high school in the early 1980’s,” she states. “Kavanaugh tried to disrobe me,” she adds.
“With Kavanaugh’s hand over my mouth I feared he may inadvertently kill me,” she says, noting he was highly intoxicated.
“After a few attempts to get away, I was able to take this opportune moment to get up and run across to a hallway bathroom. I locked the bathroom door behind me.”
Graham continued to defend Kavanaugh, saying: “He just flat out says that’s not true. Regardless if it was true, these are two teenagers and she said no and he respected that so I don’t know what the issue is.”
Clearly he did not respect her wishes, nor did he walk away, based on Dr. Blasey Ford’s letter.
Midday open thread: Chickens and hogs fare poorly in NC floods; Trump's white male ambassadors
Meteor Blades
Daily Kos Staff
Thursday September 20, 2018 · 12:15 PM PDT
NC flooding from Florence killed 3.4 million chickens and turkeys as well as 5,500 hogs: In a press release, North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said: "This was an unprecedented storm with flooding expected to exceed that from any other storms in recent memory. We know agricultural losses will be significant because the flooding has affected the top six agricultural counties in our state." The Humane Society of the United States sent an email to EcoWatch saying the animals "needlessly lost their lives," adding that “Having an emergency plan, regardless of the numbers of animals at your home, facility, or farm, is the responsibility of the humane steward caring for their welfare. If the sheer number of animals makes evacuation extremely difficult or impossible, then a hard look needs to be taken at the number of animals being cared for and the opportunity for them to be considered in an emergency plan. The cost of not doing so, as we can see here, has a devastating impact on the community, the environment and the animals, and are further examples of why we need to reduce the reliance on these massive factory farms." Poultry is North Carolina’s No. 1 agricultural industry, adding $36.6 billion a year to the state’s economy.
• Please try to suppress your surprise regarding Donald Trump’s ambassador picks: Since he took office, Donald Trump has nominated 119 ambassadors. Of those, 91.6 percent (109) are white, and 73.9 percent (88) are men. None are African American women. During Obama’s term of office, 24 black women served as ambassadors around the world. Said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who was the most senior African-American woman at the State Department until her 2017 retirement: “Diversity is not a priority for this administration. It’s not on their agenda. We can’t have a foreign service in which the world sees and thinks our entire leadership is white and male.”
• Conservation biologist uses DNA to tie illegal ivory sales to poaching cartels: It’s estimated that poachers kill 40,000 of the world’s 400,000 remaining African elephants every year to get at their ivory. Beginning early in his career years ago, Sam Wasser collected elephant poop all over the continent to come up with a DNA map. With this genetic information, he could examine a load of ivory confiscated by the authorities in, say, Singapore and identify the general area where it came originated. Over time, with a couple of epiphanies along the way, it was discovered that most of the ivory came from just two areas of Africa. Like street-corner drug dealers, the poachers who do the actual killing and mutilation of elephants are mostly just surviving, not getting rich off the slaughter. And the kingpins seem untouchable. But Wasser’s DNA map could bring down one of them, the head of the Mombasa, Kenya, ivory cartel, Feisal Mohamed Ali.
• Please try to suppress your surprise regarding Donald Trump’s ambassador picks: Since he took office, Donald Trump has nominated 119 ambassadors. Of those, 91.6 percent (109) are white, and 73.9 percent (88) are men. None are African American women. During Obama’s term of office, 24 black women served as ambassadors around the world. Said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who was the most senior African-American woman at the State Department until her 2017 retirement: “Diversity is not a priority for this administration. It’s not on their agenda. We can’t have a foreign service in which the world sees and thinks our entire leadership is white and male.”
• Conservation biologist uses DNA to tie illegal ivory sales to poaching cartels: It’s estimated that poachers kill 40,000 of the world’s 400,000 remaining African elephants every year to get at their ivory. Beginning early in his career years ago, Sam Wasser collected elephant poop all over the continent to come up with a DNA map. With this genetic information, he could examine a load of ivory confiscated by the authorities in, say, Singapore and identify the general area where it came originated. Over time, with a couple of epiphanies along the way, it was discovered that most of the ivory came from just two areas of Africa. Like street-corner drug dealers, the poachers who do the actual killing and mutilation of elephants are mostly just surviving, not getting rich off the slaughter. And the kingpins seem untouchable. But Wasser’s DNA map could bring down one of them, the head of the Mombasa, Kenya, ivory cartel, Feisal Mohamed Ali.
*What's Inside*
september 17 - september 19
😉REPUBLICANS BAR AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND OTHER MINORITIES FROM VOTING
(ELECTIONS)
*HURRICANE FLORENCE UNLEASHES COAL ASH, SENDING A TOXIC WARNING TO TRUMP'S EPA
(ENVIRONMENT)
*WHY THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT ACCUSATIONS AGAINST BRETT KAVANAUGH
IT'S NOTHING BUT HYPOCRISY.(CHRISTIANITY)
*ANCIENT THREE-WAY COLLISION FORMED BRITISH MAINLAND
(ANCIENT TIMES)
*RACIST MAILER TARGETS ASIAN-AMERICAN CANDIDATE IN NEW JERSEY
(ELECTIONS)
*TRANSGENDER MILITARY BAN’S ‘UNIT COHESION’ CLAIM FAILS SPECTACULARLY IN COURT
(RIGHTS)
*THE NFL'S ROONEY RULE: WHY FOOTBALL'S RACIAL DIVIDE IS LARGER THAN EVER
(RACE MATTERS)
*CLASSROOMS: THE LATEST BATTLEGROUND IN TEXAS'S CULTURE WARS
(EDUCATION)
*A YEAR AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY, SOME CLEANUP WORKERS ARE STILL UNPAID
(SLAVERY 21ST CENTURY)
*'NO ONE COMES TO HELP US': FLORENCE CLEANUP HIGHLIGHTS WILMINGTON'S STARK SOCIAL DIVIDE
(AMERICA)
😊TWO NEW STUDIES SHOW JUST HOW UNDERPAID TEACHERS ARE — AND THAT'S EXACTLY HOW REPUBLICANS WANT IT
(EDUCATION)
*GERMAN SPYMASTER OUSTED FOR SUGGESTING REAL VIDEO OF FAR-RIGHT RAMPAGE WAS FAKE
(WORLD)
*TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO EASE RULE ON METHANE LEAKS ON PUBLIC LAND
(ENVIRONMENT)
*WHITE PEOPLE EXPLAIN WHY THEY FEEL OPPRESSED
(RACE MATTERS)
*HERE’S WHY THE ALLEGATION AGAINST KAVANAUGH IS CREDIBLE: HE’S SMEARED AND ATTACKED WOMEN BEFORE
(COMMENTARY)
*RESEARCHERS BLOCK COCAINE CRAVING AND ADDICTION WITH A SPECIAL SKIN GRAFT
(CURRENTS)
*TRUMP, WITHOUT EVIDENCE, ACCUSES CHINA OF TRYING TO SWAY US ELECTION
(TRUMP)
*U.S. SPACE CENTER HEADS INTO NEW FRONTIER WITH FEMALE BOSS
(REAL PEOPLE)
*TIME TO KILL THE ZOMBIE ARGUMENT: ANOTHER STUDY SHOWS TRUMP WON BECAUSE OF RACIAL ANXIETIES — NOT ECONOMIC DISTRESS(REALITY)
*SKETCH FOUND IN SOUTH AFRICAN CAVE COULD BE WORLD’S OLDEST DRAWING
(ANCIENT TIMES)
*IN NORTH CAROLINA, IT'S THE POOREST WHO BEAR THE BRUNT OF FLOODING
(AMERICA)
*MCDONALD’S WORKERS IN 10 CITIES STRIKE OVER SEXUAL HARASSMENT BY BOSSES
(SLAVERY 21ST CENTURY)
👍DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED LEADER OF FIRST WORLD COUNTRY ANNOUNCES ‘DO IT MY WAY OR FUCK OFF INTO OBLIVION’
(WORLD)
*REPUBLICAN TRUMP BOOSTER USED CRAIGSLIST ADS, OBSCENE PHOTOS AND FAKE NAMES FOR CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING: UNSEALED COURT RECORDS(AMERIKKKANS)
*SENATE DEMOCRATS ARE SUING THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES TO GET BRETT KAVANAUGH'S RECORDS
(DEMO POLITICS)
*ROBERTS HALTS ‘DARK MONEY’ FINANCE RULING
(CORRUPTION)
*REPUBLICANS IN SWING DISTRICTS ARE SCARED TO TELL VOTERS THE TRUTH ABOUT PLANNED PARENTHOOD
(GOP POLITICS)
*RESEARCHERS TURN TO OYSTERS AS POLLUTION-TRACKING SENTINELS
(CURRENTS)
*GERMANY ROLLS OUT WORLD’S FIRST HYDROGEN TRAIN
(CURRENTS)
*FEW SAFEGUARDS FOR FOSTER KIDS ON PSYCH DRUGS
(AMERICA)
*THE WAR ON POVERTY BEGINS AT THE BALLOT BOX
(TALKERS)
*I WORKED IN AN AMAZON WAREHOUSE. BERNIE SANDERS IS RIGHT TO TARGET THEM
(SLAVERY 21ST CENTURY)
*late news of interest*
Trump’s FEMA chief Brock Long referred to prosecutors for possible violation of ‘criminal statutes’
Sarah K. Burris - raw story
17 SEP 2018 AT 16:51 ET
Federal Emergency Management chief Brock Long and two top aides have been referred to prosecutors for violation of “criminal statues,” The Wall Street Journalreported Monday.
The case was sent to federal prosecutors, who will uncover whether to issue criminal charges, those familiar with the probe said.
Long and two other federal employees may have broken several laws while going back and forth between Washington, D.C. and Long’s home in Hickory, N.C. at taxpayers’ expense.
Long says he will cooperate with investigators. In the past, the investigation was led by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general before it was handed over to federal prosecutors.
Long joins a score of Trump aides found to have used taxpayer dollars to fund their lifestyle. Most notably was former EPA chief Scott Pruitt, who was forced to resign after it was discovered he made strange purchases and used secret service to run errands for him.
When President Donald Trump campaigned in 2016, he pledged to “drain the swamp” of unethical political leaders in Washington.
The case was sent to federal prosecutors, who will uncover whether to issue criminal charges, those familiar with the probe said.
Long and two other federal employees may have broken several laws while going back and forth between Washington, D.C. and Long’s home in Hickory, N.C. at taxpayers’ expense.
Long says he will cooperate with investigators. In the past, the investigation was led by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general before it was handed over to federal prosecutors.
Long joins a score of Trump aides found to have used taxpayer dollars to fund their lifestyle. Most notably was former EPA chief Scott Pruitt, who was forced to resign after it was discovered he made strange purchases and used secret service to run errands for him.
When President Donald Trump campaigned in 2016, he pledged to “drain the swamp” of unethical political leaders in Washington.
ICE is giving undocumented immigrants ‘dummy’ court dates
Immigrants are being told to arrive at the courthouse on dates that don't even exist.
REBEKAH ENTRALGO - thinkprogress
SEP 17, 2018, 2:55 PM
Some undocumented immigrants living in the United States have received fake documents, ordering them to arrive at the courthouse at midnight, on weekends, or on dates that don’t exist, such as September 31, according to a report by The Dallas Morning News.
According to the outlet, roughly two dozen immigrants arrived at a Texas courthouse last week for their hearings only to be turned away by court staffers who told them their names were not on the docket and that they had been given “fake dates.”
The immigrants had been taken into custody during a raid conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last month. Some 159 undocumented immigrants, many of them without a criminal record, were detained at the Load Trail trailer factory in Sumner, Texas “about 100 miles northeast of Dallas.”
According to the Morning News, the raid was described by ICE officials as “one of the largest such operations at a single workplace in a decade.”
The immigrants were later given their “fake” court dates by ICE officials, who apparently never coordinated with immigration courts to clear the dates, resulting in what advocates have described as “chaos.”
“The immigration court system is confusing enough on a normal day,” Ashley Huebner, associate director of legal services at the National Immigrant Justice Center, told the Morning News. “But to have an individual who probably does not speak English…and receives a document in which DHS has purposely listed a fake date and time is a real different level of confusion and absurdity.”
“Fake dates,” sometimes called “dummy dates,” are not a phenomenon unique to Texas. According to the Morning News, reports of fake court dates have sprung up in Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, Atlanta, and Miami.
Neither the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, nor the Justice Department have offered a clear explanation for why undocumented immigrants are being handed fake court dates.
ICE spokesman Tim Oberle shifted the blame to a court agency known as the Executive Office for Immigration Review saying it “is responsible for setting and resetting appearance dates upon receipt of a notice to appear filed by” ICE.
The court debacle comes as the national immigration backlog continues to grow at an astonishing rate. Reports suggest that, even without any new arrests, it could take up to four years to eliminate the backlog in its entirety.
Additionally, ICE has requested $1 billion dollars from the federal government to keep with the Trump administration’s demands of detaining an average of 43,000 undocumented immigrants a day. Health and Human Services officials have also requested hundreds of additional beds at a juvenile detention camp in Tornillo, Texas, to partly accommodate the surge in detained minors over the past year.
As ThinkProgress previously reported, the current number of children detained in immigration facilities stands at nearly 13,000.
According to the outlet, roughly two dozen immigrants arrived at a Texas courthouse last week for their hearings only to be turned away by court staffers who told them their names were not on the docket and that they had been given “fake dates.”
The immigrants had been taken into custody during a raid conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last month. Some 159 undocumented immigrants, many of them without a criminal record, were detained at the Load Trail trailer factory in Sumner, Texas “about 100 miles northeast of Dallas.”
According to the Morning News, the raid was described by ICE officials as “one of the largest such operations at a single workplace in a decade.”
The immigrants were later given their “fake” court dates by ICE officials, who apparently never coordinated with immigration courts to clear the dates, resulting in what advocates have described as “chaos.”
“The immigration court system is confusing enough on a normal day,” Ashley Huebner, associate director of legal services at the National Immigrant Justice Center, told the Morning News. “But to have an individual who probably does not speak English…and receives a document in which DHS has purposely listed a fake date and time is a real different level of confusion and absurdity.”
“Fake dates,” sometimes called “dummy dates,” are not a phenomenon unique to Texas. According to the Morning News, reports of fake court dates have sprung up in Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, Atlanta, and Miami.
Neither the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, nor the Justice Department have offered a clear explanation for why undocumented immigrants are being handed fake court dates.
ICE spokesman Tim Oberle shifted the blame to a court agency known as the Executive Office for Immigration Review saying it “is responsible for setting and resetting appearance dates upon receipt of a notice to appear filed by” ICE.
The court debacle comes as the national immigration backlog continues to grow at an astonishing rate. Reports suggest that, even without any new arrests, it could take up to four years to eliminate the backlog in its entirety.
Additionally, ICE has requested $1 billion dollars from the federal government to keep with the Trump administration’s demands of detaining an average of 43,000 undocumented immigrants a day. Health and Human Services officials have also requested hundreds of additional beds at a juvenile detention camp in Tornillo, Texas, to partly accommodate the surge in detained minors over the past year.
As ThinkProgress previously reported, the current number of children detained in immigration facilities stands at nearly 13,000.
another traitor exposed!!!
Paul Manafort got Ben Shapiro to push his pro-Russia propaganda
Manafort's plea agreement contained a reference to the far-right provocateur.
FRANK DALE - thinkprogress
SEP 17, 2018, 12:09 PM
Paul Manafort, the former campaign chairman for President Donald Trump, reached a plea deal on Friday that includes cooperation with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.
Manafort’s plea agreement contained numerous details that could be pivotal to Mueller’s investigation.
But one incident in particular, outlined in court documents, was largely overlooked before it was spotted by the Daily Beast’s Spencer Ackerman: Manafort convinced conservative provocateur Ben Shapiro to support his political work in Ukraine.
“Manafort owes much of his time behind bars to his work on behalf of Russian-backed Ukrainian political interests,” according to Ackerman. Manafort worked for Kremlin-supported Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovych during his re-election campaign against Yulia Tymoshenko in 2012. The superseding criminal informationreleased on Friday detailed Manafort’s work in the U.S. on behalf of Yanukovych:
In addition to disseminating stories about (Tymoshenko) soliciting murder, noted above, in October 2012, MANAFORT orchestrated a scheme to have, as he wrote in a contemporaneous communication, “[O]bama jews” put pressure on the Administration to disavow Tymoshenko and support Yanukovych.
Part of that effort was coordinating “privately with a senior Israeli government official to issue a written statement publicizing this story.” Court documents state that Manafort then, “with secret advance knowledge of that Israeli statement, worked to disseminate this story in the United States.”
Who did Manafort get to write about this baseless allegation in the U.S.? None other than Shapiro. As the Guardian’s Luke Harding explained in April:
Manafort’s media operation included attacks on (Hillary) Clinton. In October 2012 (Rick) Gates emailed Manafort and (Alan) Friedman, flagging a piece written by the journalist Ben Shapiro. The Breitbart article criticised Clinton for her public support of Tymoshenko, who had recently made an electoral pact with the far-right Svoboda party.
The article cited a Jewish “leader” who accused Clinton anonymously of creating a “neo-Nazi Frankenstein.” Gates wrote: “Gentlemen – Here is the first part of a series of articles that will be coming as we continue to build this effort. Alan, you get full credit for the Frankenstein comment.”
Rick Gates is the former Trump campaign associate who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and lying to the FBI and has cooperated with Mueller’s investigation.
Shapiro’s Manafort-inspired piece was published by Breitbart — his former employer — in October 2012 under the headline “Jewish Leaders Blame Hillary Clinton for ‘Legitimizing’ Ukraine’s Neo-Nazi Party.” It contained the apparent “neo-Nazi Frankenstein” reference that Manafort’s team took credit for in Gates’ email:
One prominent Jewish leader, who asked to remain unnamed, says that Clinton’s New York Times op-ed ripping the current Ukrainian administration has “created a neo-Nazi Frankenstein by issuing a de facto endorsement of Mrs. Tymoshenko and her choices.”
Shapiro has yet to comment on his connection to Manafort.
Manafort’s plea agreement contained numerous details that could be pivotal to Mueller’s investigation.
But one incident in particular, outlined in court documents, was largely overlooked before it was spotted by the Daily Beast’s Spencer Ackerman: Manafort convinced conservative provocateur Ben Shapiro to support his political work in Ukraine.
“Manafort owes much of his time behind bars to his work on behalf of Russian-backed Ukrainian political interests,” according to Ackerman. Manafort worked for Kremlin-supported Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovych during his re-election campaign against Yulia Tymoshenko in 2012. The superseding criminal informationreleased on Friday detailed Manafort’s work in the U.S. on behalf of Yanukovych:
In addition to disseminating stories about (Tymoshenko) soliciting murder, noted above, in October 2012, MANAFORT orchestrated a scheme to have, as he wrote in a contemporaneous communication, “[O]bama jews” put pressure on the Administration to disavow Tymoshenko and support Yanukovych.
Part of that effort was coordinating “privately with a senior Israeli government official to issue a written statement publicizing this story.” Court documents state that Manafort then, “with secret advance knowledge of that Israeli statement, worked to disseminate this story in the United States.”
Who did Manafort get to write about this baseless allegation in the U.S.? None other than Shapiro. As the Guardian’s Luke Harding explained in April:
Manafort’s media operation included attacks on (Hillary) Clinton. In October 2012 (Rick) Gates emailed Manafort and (Alan) Friedman, flagging a piece written by the journalist Ben Shapiro. The Breitbart article criticised Clinton for her public support of Tymoshenko, who had recently made an electoral pact with the far-right Svoboda party.
The article cited a Jewish “leader” who accused Clinton anonymously of creating a “neo-Nazi Frankenstein.” Gates wrote: “Gentlemen – Here is the first part of a series of articles that will be coming as we continue to build this effort. Alan, you get full credit for the Frankenstein comment.”
Rick Gates is the former Trump campaign associate who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and lying to the FBI and has cooperated with Mueller’s investigation.
Shapiro’s Manafort-inspired piece was published by Breitbart — his former employer — in October 2012 under the headline “Jewish Leaders Blame Hillary Clinton for ‘Legitimizing’ Ukraine’s Neo-Nazi Party.” It contained the apparent “neo-Nazi Frankenstein” reference that Manafort’s team took credit for in Gates’ email:
One prominent Jewish leader, who asked to remain unnamed, says that Clinton’s New York Times op-ed ripping the current Ukrainian administration has “created a neo-Nazi Frankenstein by issuing a de facto endorsement of Mrs. Tymoshenko and her choices.”
Shapiro has yet to comment on his connection to Manafort.
denial conservative style!!
From Crooks & Liars: I've never gone wrong betting on the racism and arrogant ignorance of the Right: I've only erred occasionally on the point spread. And predicting Conservative behavior is dead-easy because traditionally they only have four basic settings:
Pleading Ignorance.
Of course Conservatives are ignorant -- deeply and malignantly ignorant. This comes from letting lying demagogues like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity take a dump in their skulls for the last 20 years. But since the GOP OnStar only emits turns in one direction, traditionally the only way Conservatives have been permitted to be "wrong" about anything was that they were "not Conservative enough!". From Crain's, October, 2015:
- Arrogant triumphalism: The aforementioned "We won! You lost! Bush is a genius! Suck it Libtards!"
- All-out denialism: The aforementioned "Everything I see on non-Fox teevee is fake! Terrible lies by the terrible Murrica-hating Libtard media conspiracy!"
- Bargaining: It doesn't matter whether or not I'm a brain-washed moron...because Both Sides!"
- Running Away: As I pointed out back during the first Great Skedaddle back in 2009, because Conservatives are by nature abject moral cowards, their last "out" is doing like German soldiers did after the fall of Berlin: stop running away from the catastrophe they created only long enough to burn their uniforms. See, "I'm an independent."
Pleading Ignorance.
Of course Conservatives are ignorant -- deeply and malignantly ignorant. This comes from letting lying demagogues like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity take a dump in their skulls for the last 20 years. But since the GOP OnStar only emits turns in one direction, traditionally the only way Conservatives have been permitted to be "wrong" about anything was that they were "not Conservative enough!". From Crain's, October, 2015: