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welcome to reality trivia
reality is the state of things as they actually exist
november 20, 2018
real news today
november 20, 2018
*‘Stakeholder’ and 6 other economic terms that are often used to trick people out of their money
(Capitalism)
*AP Exclusive: Gov't questions unfair student loan practices
(Education)
*Killing Plants Is the Fastest Way to End the World
(Earth)
*‘Damn straight I support white pride’: Far-right organizer Haley Adams embraces white nationalism in exclusive interview(Amerikkkans)
*THIS IS WHY SOME TRUMP SUPPORTERS THINK INVESTING IN IRAQ’S WORTHLESS CURRENCY WILL MAKE THEM MILLIONAIRES
(SUCKERS)
*Black Trump supporters: No hate here
(Suckers)
*Viking city: excavation reveals urban pioneers not violent raiders
(Ancient Times)
*New York City subway and bus services have entered 'death spiral', experts say
(America)
*Trump inflated importance of Saudi arms sales to US job market, report says
(Trump)
*Who's Really Leading the Democratic Rebellion Against Pelosi?
(Sellouts)
(for previous day's articles see "what's inside" below)
comment/tweet of the day
the easiest thing in the world to be is ignorant and a large number of americans excel at that!
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50 million plus people voted to support racists running for office in the midterms. I don't know if they are racists but the racists they elected believe they are!
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SCIENTISTS IN ISRAEL TURN HUMAN WASTE INTO RENEWABLE FUEL WHILE IN AMERICA WE USE FOSSIL FUEL TO TURN HUMANS INTO WASTE!(Currents)
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Chelsea Handler✔
@chelseahandler
I’d like to know what kind of noise cancelling head phones @IvankaTrump used during one of the 5 thousand times her father mentioned Hillary’s private email servers during his campaign. I’d like a pair for every time I hear him talk.
12:13 PM - Nov 20, 2018
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Trump says troops on border are ‘tough people’ and don’t need to spend Thanksgiving with their families
David Edwards - raw story
20 NOV 2018 AT 15:45 ET
President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed the idea that U.S. troops were suffering by spending time away from their families on Thanksgiving.
Before the president headed to his Thanksgiving festivities at Mar-a-Lago, he was asked about the thousands of troops who he has ordered to spend the holiday on the U.S. border.
“Don’t worry,” Trump assured members of the press.
Trump added that the soldiers are “tough people” who are used to making sacrifices.
“They are proud to be on the border,” he said. “They are proud to be defending our nation.”
Before the president headed to his Thanksgiving festivities at Mar-a-Lago, he was asked about the thousands of troops who he has ordered to spend the holiday on the U.S. border.
“Don’t worry,” Trump assured members of the press.
Trump added that the soldiers are “tough people” who are used to making sacrifices.
“They are proud to be on the border,” he said. “They are proud to be defending our nation.”
'He may not rewrite immigration laws': Trump's asylum ban blocked by federal judge
Court issues temporary policy ban and says US president may not circumvent congress
Oliver Laughland in San Francisco and agencies
the guardian
Tue 20 Nov 2018 06.50 EST
A federal judge has temporarily barred the Trump administration from refusing asylum to immigrants who cross the southern US border illegally.
The president issued a proclamation on 9 November declaring that anyone who crossed the southern border between official ports of entry would be ineligible for asylum. As the first of several caravans of migrants arrived at the US-Mexico border, Donald Trump said a ban was necessary to stop a national security threat.
But in his ruling on Monday, the US district judge Jon Tigar said legislation was clear that any foreigner arriving in the US, whether or not at a designated port of arrival, could apply for asylum. He also said the administration misused its authority to issue emergency regulations and waive a 30-day waiting period to consider comments on the policy change.
“Whatever the scope of the president’s authority, he may not rewrite the immigration laws to impose a condition that Congress has expressly forbidden,” said Tigar, a nominee of the previous president, Barack Obama.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not immediately comment on the ruling, which will remain in effect for one month barring an appeal. In issuing the ban, Trump used the same powers he used last year to impose a travel ban that was ultimately upheld by the supreme court.
If enforced, the ban would potentially make it harder for thousands of people to avoid deportation. DHS estimates that 70,000 people a year claim asylum between official ports of entry.
Baher Azmy, a lawyer for the Center for Constitutional Rights, which sued the government alongside the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), said: “Individuals are entitled to asylum if they cross between ports of entry. It couldn’t be clearer.”
About 3,000 people from the first of the caravans have arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, across the border from San Diego, California. US Customs and Border Protection said on Monday it closed off northbound traffic for several hours at the San Ysidro crossing. It has also installed movable wire-topped barriers, apparently to stop a potential rush of people.
As of Monday, 107 people detained between official crossings have sought asylum since Trump’s order came into effect, according to the DHS, which oversees Customs and Border Protection. Officials did not say whether those people’s cases were still progressing through the other, more difficult avenues available to them after the proclamation.
DHS wants asylum seekers at the southern border to appear at an official crossing. But many border crossings, such as in San Ysidro, have long waiting times. People are often forced to wait in shelters or outdoor camps on the Mexican side, sometimes for weeks.
Lee Gelernt, an ACLU lawyer, said some people were seeking asylum cross between official ports because they were in serious danger either in Mexicoor their countries of origin. “We don’t condone people entering between ports of entry, but Congress has made the decision that if they do, they still need to be allowed to apply for asylum,” he said.
Trump issued the proclamation shortly after the midterm elections, during which he ratcheted up anti-immigrant rhetoric on the campaign trail and invoked conspiracy theories about migrant caravans thousands of miles from the US.
The radical restrictions were part of a drive to curtail immigration to the US, which led to the family separation crisis this year and a policy banning migrants from several Muslim-majority countries.
The president issued a proclamation on 9 November declaring that anyone who crossed the southern border between official ports of entry would be ineligible for asylum. As the first of several caravans of migrants arrived at the US-Mexico border, Donald Trump said a ban was necessary to stop a national security threat.
But in his ruling on Monday, the US district judge Jon Tigar said legislation was clear that any foreigner arriving in the US, whether or not at a designated port of arrival, could apply for asylum. He also said the administration misused its authority to issue emergency regulations and waive a 30-day waiting period to consider comments on the policy change.
“Whatever the scope of the president’s authority, he may not rewrite the immigration laws to impose a condition that Congress has expressly forbidden,” said Tigar, a nominee of the previous president, Barack Obama.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not immediately comment on the ruling, which will remain in effect for one month barring an appeal. In issuing the ban, Trump used the same powers he used last year to impose a travel ban that was ultimately upheld by the supreme court.
If enforced, the ban would potentially make it harder for thousands of people to avoid deportation. DHS estimates that 70,000 people a year claim asylum between official ports of entry.
Baher Azmy, a lawyer for the Center for Constitutional Rights, which sued the government alongside the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), said: “Individuals are entitled to asylum if they cross between ports of entry. It couldn’t be clearer.”
About 3,000 people from the first of the caravans have arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, across the border from San Diego, California. US Customs and Border Protection said on Monday it closed off northbound traffic for several hours at the San Ysidro crossing. It has also installed movable wire-topped barriers, apparently to stop a potential rush of people.
As of Monday, 107 people detained between official crossings have sought asylum since Trump’s order came into effect, according to the DHS, which oversees Customs and Border Protection. Officials did not say whether those people’s cases were still progressing through the other, more difficult avenues available to them after the proclamation.
DHS wants asylum seekers at the southern border to appear at an official crossing. But many border crossings, such as in San Ysidro, have long waiting times. People are often forced to wait in shelters or outdoor camps on the Mexican side, sometimes for weeks.
Lee Gelernt, an ACLU lawyer, said some people were seeking asylum cross between official ports because they were in serious danger either in Mexicoor their countries of origin. “We don’t condone people entering between ports of entry, but Congress has made the decision that if they do, they still need to be allowed to apply for asylum,” he said.
Trump issued the proclamation shortly after the midterm elections, during which he ratcheted up anti-immigrant rhetoric on the campaign trail and invoked conspiracy theories about migrant caravans thousands of miles from the US.
The radical restrictions were part of a drive to curtail immigration to the US, which led to the family separation crisis this year and a policy banning migrants from several Muslim-majority countries.
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criminals protecting criminals!!!
Trump’s Secretary of State hand-delivered plan to protect Saudi crown prince from murder probe: report
Travis Gettys - raw story
20 NOV 2018 AT 06:07 ET
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo personally delivered a roadmap to Saudi King Salman to help his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, insulate himself from the investigation into the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The Trump administration official hand-delivered the plan last month in Riyadh, exactly two weeks after Khashoggi’s brutal murder Oct. 2 inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, reported Middle East Eye.
A senior Saudi source told the website the plan includes an option to blame the Washington Post columnist’s killing on an innocent member of the ruling al-Saud family to shield the crown prince and others at the top.
But that person has not yet been chosen, and Saudi leaders are still holding back on much of the plan until the pressure on bin Salman becomes too much to bear.
The U.S. State Department denied the Saudi source’s claims, saying they were “a complete misrepresentation of the secretary’s diplomatic mission to Saudi Arabia.”
The Trump administration is expected to make a formal statement Tuesday about the U.S. findings so far in the investigation.
The CIA announced last week that it had concluded the crown price had ordered Khashoggi’s murder, but President Donald Trump has cast doubt on those findings.
The Trump administration official hand-delivered the plan last month in Riyadh, exactly two weeks after Khashoggi’s brutal murder Oct. 2 inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, reported Middle East Eye.
A senior Saudi source told the website the plan includes an option to blame the Washington Post columnist’s killing on an innocent member of the ruling al-Saud family to shield the crown prince and others at the top.
But that person has not yet been chosen, and Saudi leaders are still holding back on much of the plan until the pressure on bin Salman becomes too much to bear.
The U.S. State Department denied the Saudi source’s claims, saying they were “a complete misrepresentation of the secretary’s diplomatic mission to Saudi Arabia.”
The Trump administration is expected to make a formal statement Tuesday about the U.S. findings so far in the investigation.
The CIA announced last week that it had concluded the crown price had ordered Khashoggi’s murder, but President Donald Trump has cast doubt on those findings.
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Trump officials considered ways to share confidential census responses with law enforcement – which is illegal
DAVID BADASH, THE NEW CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT - raw story
20 NOV 2018 AT 06:42 ET
Members of the Trump administration were considering ways to share confidential responses with law enforcement officials, effectively weaponizing the constitutionally-required census against respondents.
A Washington Post exclusive report Monday evening reveals “Justice Department officials appeared to be considering ways to circumvent the confidentiality of census responses.”
DOJ attorney Ben Aguinaga in a June 12 email to acting assistant attorney general John Gore suggested not saying “too much” in response to a question about the confidentiality of the survey, The Post adds.
The Census Bureau, which is run by the Commerce Dept., is not allowed to share any confidential information with any other government agency.
The Trump administration has been under scrutiny after trying to add a citizenship question to the census. Not completing the census is a violation of federal law.
A Washington Post exclusive report Monday evening reveals “Justice Department officials appeared to be considering ways to circumvent the confidentiality of census responses.”
DOJ attorney Ben Aguinaga in a June 12 email to acting assistant attorney general John Gore suggested not saying “too much” in response to a question about the confidentiality of the survey, The Post adds.
The Census Bureau, which is run by the Commerce Dept., is not allowed to share any confidential information with any other government agency.
The Trump administration has been under scrutiny after trying to add a citizenship question to the census. Not completing the census is a violation of federal law.
trying didn't she wear her sheet!!!
Embattled Hyde-Smith posted photo of herself in confederate hat
'Mississippi history at its best,' she said after a 2014 visit to a Mississippi museum where she posed for a picture she put on Facebook.
By JAMES ARKIN - politico
11/20/2018 12:58 PM EST
Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith posed for a photo wearing a confederate soldier's hat and holding a rifle in a Facebook post that surfaced Tuesday.
Hyde-Smith took the photo during a 2014 visit to the Jefferson Davis Home and Presidential Library. "Mississippi history at its best!" Hyde-Smith exclaimed.
Davis was the president of the Confederacy during the Civil War, and his former estate now includes a library and museum in his honor.
"I enjoyed my tour of Beauvoir. The Jefferson Davis Home and Presidential Library located in Biloxi," Hyde-Smith wrote. "This is a must see. Currently on display are artifacts connected to the daily life of the Confederate Soldier including weapons. Mississippi history at its best!"
The photo comes as Hyde-Smith is under fire after saying during a campaign stop in November that she would gladly attend a "public hanging" if one of her supporters invited her. She is running against Democrat Mike Espy, who is African-American, in a Nov. 27 runoff.
Hyde-Smith shared four photos from the museum visit, including her posing in the confederate hat, and other photos of her holding a rifle and sword from the museum.
Several companies, including Walmart, requested that their donations to Hyde-Smith's campaign be refunded because of her "public hanging" comment, which she said was made in jest.
Hyde-Smith took the photo during a 2014 visit to the Jefferson Davis Home and Presidential Library. "Mississippi history at its best!" Hyde-Smith exclaimed.
Davis was the president of the Confederacy during the Civil War, and his former estate now includes a library and museum in his honor.
"I enjoyed my tour of Beauvoir. The Jefferson Davis Home and Presidential Library located in Biloxi," Hyde-Smith wrote. "This is a must see. Currently on display are artifacts connected to the daily life of the Confederate Soldier including weapons. Mississippi history at its best!"
The photo comes as Hyde-Smith is under fire after saying during a campaign stop in November that she would gladly attend a "public hanging" if one of her supporters invited her. She is running against Democrat Mike Espy, who is African-American, in a Nov. 27 runoff.
Hyde-Smith shared four photos from the museum visit, including her posing in the confederate hat, and other photos of her holding a rifle and sword from the museum.
Several companies, including Walmart, requested that their donations to Hyde-Smith's campaign be refunded because of her "public hanging" comment, which she said was made in jest.
Romaine lettuce is not safe to eat, CDC warns U.S. consumers
DonViejo - demo underground
11/20/18
Source: The Washington Post
By Joel Achenbach and Lena H. Sun November 20 at 2:51 PM
Romaine lettuce is unsafe to eat in any form, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday in a broad alert in response to a new outbreak of illnesses caused by a particularly dangerous type of E. coli contamination.
The CDC told consumers to throw away any romaine lettuce they may already have purchased. Restaurants should not serve it, stores should not sell it, and people should not buy it, no matter where or when the lettuce was grown. It doesn’t matter if it is chopped, whole head or part of a mix. All romaine should be avoided.
The CDC alert, issued just two days before Americans sit down for their Thanksgiving dinners, reported that 32 people in 11 states have become sick from eating contaminated romaine. Of those, 13 have been hospitalized, with one patient suffering from a form of kidney failure. No deaths have been reported.
The origin of the outbreak is unknown and remains under investigation. The CDC did not limit the warning to romaine from any particular agricultural area.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/romaine-lettuce-is-not-safe-to-eat-cdc-warns-us-consumers/2018/11/20/726d0ae6-ece9-11e8-96d4-0d23f2aaad09_story.html
By Joel Achenbach and Lena H. Sun November 20 at 2:51 PM
Romaine lettuce is unsafe to eat in any form, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday in a broad alert in response to a new outbreak of illnesses caused by a particularly dangerous type of E. coli contamination.
The CDC told consumers to throw away any romaine lettuce they may already have purchased. Restaurants should not serve it, stores should not sell it, and people should not buy it, no matter where or when the lettuce was grown. It doesn’t matter if it is chopped, whole head or part of a mix. All romaine should be avoided.
The CDC alert, issued just two days before Americans sit down for their Thanksgiving dinners, reported that 32 people in 11 states have become sick from eating contaminated romaine. Of those, 13 have been hospitalized, with one patient suffering from a form of kidney failure. No deaths have been reported.
The origin of the outbreak is unknown and remains under investigation. The CDC did not limit the warning to romaine from any particular agricultural area.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/romaine-lettuce-is-not-safe-to-eat-cdc-warns-us-consumers/2018/11/20/726d0ae6-ece9-11e8-96d4-0d23f2aaad09_story.html
More US children confirmed with paralyzing polio-like illness AFM
By Elizabeth Cohen, CNN
Updated 4:51 PM ET, Mon November 19, 2018
(CNN)More children have been diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis, the polio-like paralyzing illness, according to numbers released Monday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There have now been 106 confirmed cases of AFM in 29 states this year, according to the CDC, an increase of 16 since last week.
There are also 167 possible cases of the illness, an increase of five from the previous week.
Since 2014, there have been 430 confirmed cases of the rare disease, and 90% have been children, according to the CDC.AFM is a rare illness that affects the nervous system, especially the gray matter in the spinal cord, and causes muscle weakness and sudden onset of paralysis. There's a spectrum of how children can be affected: Some regain the use of their paralyzed limbs, while others are paralyzed from the neck down and can breathe only with the help of a ventilator.
There is no cure and no vaccine.
There is also no known cause. Although several neurologists who serve as advisers to the CDC say they feel sure that an enterovirus -- the same family of viruses that cause polio -- is most likely to blame, the CDC says it's still casting a net wide.
The CDC's Dr. Nancy Messonnier said last week that the agency is considering the possibility that an infectious pathogen is causing AFM but added that "we're broadening our hypotheses."
When asked whether a toxin or vaccines could be triggering AFM, Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immuniziation and Respiratory Diseases, replied that "we're not ruling anything out at this point."
About three to 10 days before becoming paralyzed, nearly all children who developed AFM experienced a viral illness with symptoms such as fever and cough, the CDC reported last week.
Viral illnesses are very common among children, and so it's not clear why only a relatively small number develop AFM. Even within the same family, several siblings can develop the same cold-like symptoms but only one becomes paralyzed.
In a CNN story last month, several of the CDC's medical consultants and parents of sick children criticized the agency for being too slow to respond to the outbreak.
Messonnier said last week that the agency had funded state health departments to increase physician awareness in identifying cases, increased its network of neurologists to assist with and confirm cases, and established an AFM task force of national experts.
CDC spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund also said last week that the agency had assigned 14 officers from the Epidemic Intelligence Service -- known as "disease detectives" -- to help review reports of AFM cases.
"As a mom myself, I can certainly understand why parents are worried. I am concerned about this increase in AFM," Messonnier said.
There have now been 106 confirmed cases of AFM in 29 states this year, according to the CDC, an increase of 16 since last week.
There are also 167 possible cases of the illness, an increase of five from the previous week.
Since 2014, there have been 430 confirmed cases of the rare disease, and 90% have been children, according to the CDC.AFM is a rare illness that affects the nervous system, especially the gray matter in the spinal cord, and causes muscle weakness and sudden onset of paralysis. There's a spectrum of how children can be affected: Some regain the use of their paralyzed limbs, while others are paralyzed from the neck down and can breathe only with the help of a ventilator.
There is no cure and no vaccine.
There is also no known cause. Although several neurologists who serve as advisers to the CDC say they feel sure that an enterovirus -- the same family of viruses that cause polio -- is most likely to blame, the CDC says it's still casting a net wide.
The CDC's Dr. Nancy Messonnier said last week that the agency is considering the possibility that an infectious pathogen is causing AFM but added that "we're broadening our hypotheses."
When asked whether a toxin or vaccines could be triggering AFM, Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immuniziation and Respiratory Diseases, replied that "we're not ruling anything out at this point."
About three to 10 days before becoming paralyzed, nearly all children who developed AFM experienced a viral illness with symptoms such as fever and cough, the CDC reported last week.
Viral illnesses are very common among children, and so it's not clear why only a relatively small number develop AFM. Even within the same family, several siblings can develop the same cold-like symptoms but only one becomes paralyzed.
In a CNN story last month, several of the CDC's medical consultants and parents of sick children criticized the agency for being too slow to respond to the outbreak.
Messonnier said last week that the agency had funded state health departments to increase physician awareness in identifying cases, increased its network of neurologists to assist with and confirm cases, and established an AFM task force of national experts.
CDC spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund also said last week that the agency had assigned 14 officers from the Epidemic Intelligence Service -- known as "disease detectives" -- to help review reports of AFM cases.
"As a mom myself, I can certainly understand why parents are worried. I am concerned about this increase in AFM," Messonnier said.
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Special counsel Robert Mueller just filed a new 3,000-word sealed motion in secret subpoena case
Sarah K. Burris - raw story
20 NOV 2018 AT 16:16 ET
Special counsel Robert Mueller just filed a new and extensive motion that is being kept under seal for the grand jury, according to Politico reporter Darren Samuelsohn.
The reporter posted a screen capture from the update showing Mueller made the November update as part of “Case Name: In re: Grand Jury Subpoena.” It explained, “The following transaction was entered on 11/20/2018 3:49:22 PM EST and filed on 11/20/2018.”
Politico has been following the secret subpoena as Mueller was locked in some kind of dispute with a witness, who is refusing to give up information requested by the investigators.
The information is all under seal, so it makes it difficult for the public to track any specific information other than, the filings and procedures entered into the public record. Because the witness is refusing to cooperate, a process of elimination can likely gather who the witness is not, but that still leaves a number of possibilities.
“This can get a step or two weirder than it already is,” said one attorney working for a senior staffer of President Donald Trump for the Russia inquiry. The lawyer recalled a case from a previous investigation where he couldn’t even get to see a judge’s opinion because it was under seal.
“It could be anyone who’s been subpoenaed by the special counsel for anything,” he added.
The reporter posted a screen capture from the update showing Mueller made the November update as part of “Case Name: In re: Grand Jury Subpoena.” It explained, “The following transaction was entered on 11/20/2018 3:49:22 PM EST and filed on 11/20/2018.”
Politico has been following the secret subpoena as Mueller was locked in some kind of dispute with a witness, who is refusing to give up information requested by the investigators.
The information is all under seal, so it makes it difficult for the public to track any specific information other than, the filings and procedures entered into the public record. Because the witness is refusing to cooperate, a process of elimination can likely gather who the witness is not, but that still leaves a number of possibilities.
“This can get a step or two weirder than it already is,” said one attorney working for a senior staffer of President Donald Trump for the Russia inquiry. The lawyer recalled a case from a previous investigation where he couldn’t even get to see a judge’s opinion because it was under seal.
“It could be anyone who’s been subpoenaed by the special counsel for anything,” he added.
*bites from real news - 11/20/2018*
*WATCH: Chaos erupts inside Minnesota McDonald’s after angry white man pulls gun on Muslim teens
*Republicans hijacked a bill designed to 'Help America Vote' -- and used it to suppress Democratic voters
by thom hartmann
*Trump administration calls US judge's asylum ruling 'absurd'
*Kentucky mom says restaurant manager tried to cover breastfeeding infant's face with a napkin
*Amnesty says Saudi activists beaten, tortured in detention
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Several activists imprisoned in Saudi Arabia since May, including a number of women who campaigned for the right to drive, have been b ... (Associated Press)
*Feds have paid undercover informants in migrant caravan
The 4,000 migrants have used WhatsApp text message groups to communicate along their journey, and DHS personnel have joined those groups to gather info. Migrants heading in a caravan to the U.S. start their march towards Matias Romero, at La Vent ... (NBC News)
*Conservative nonprofit with obscure roots and undisclosed funders paid Matthew Whitaker $1.2 million
In the three years after he arrived in Washington in 2014, Matthew G. Whitaker received more than $1.2 million as the leader of a charity that reported having no other ... (The Washington Post)
*Trump Wanted to Order Justice Dept. to Prosecute Comey and Clinton
WASHINGTON — Pissident Trump told the White House counsel in the spring that he wanted to order the Justice Department to prosecute two of his political adversaries: his 2016 challenger, Hillary Clinton, and the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey, ...
*no loss: Justice Dept focus shifts from immigration to Mueller as staffers follow Sessions out the door
At least four top officials have either quit or are looking to leave after Sessions was pushed out and before Pissident Donald Trump names a permanent replacement to oversee federal law enforcement.
*LOBBYIST DOCUMENTS REVEAL HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY BATTLE PLAN AGAINST “MEDICARE FOR ALL”
Industry groups are reprising an old strategy to take down new enthusiasm for universal health care.
*Trump administration slaps new sanctions to punish Iran and Syria
The Trump administration on Tuesday announced new sanctions designed to punish both Iran and Syria and choke off illicit oil sales. The new actions target Syrian national ... (Politico)
*Kansas county official who made 'master race' comment to black woman resigns
The Kansas county official who drew backlash last week for remarks made to a black woman about being a member of the “master race” resigned Tuesday, according to a resignation letter obtained by The Hill. ... (The Hill)
*Fuel to the Fire
How a U.S. law intended to reduce dependence on fossil fuels has unleashed an environmental disaster in Indonesia.
*High score, low pay: Why the gig economy loves gamification
Using ratings, competitions and bonuses to incentivise workers isn’t new – but as I found when I became a Lyft driver, the gig economy is taking it to another level
*Georgia native confesses to killing 90 around U.S., including 3 from Ga.
The question isn’t whether 78-year-old Middle Georgia native Samuel Little is a killer — it’s how prolific a killer he is. Already serving life for strangling three California women, the old unknown boxer and drifter has lately been making confessio ... (Atlanta Journal)
*Sanders unveils aggressive new bill targeting drug prices
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) on Tuesday unveiled a bill aimed at aggressively lowering drug prices by stripping monopolies from drug companies if their prices are deemed excess ... (The Hill)
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White woman cries racism after being fired for fantasizing about anti-racist protesters being mowed down
NOOR AL-SIBAI - raw story
20 NOV 2018 AT 15:23 ET
A Pittsburgh woman claimed the Bank of New York Mellon fired her for being white— after she made Facebook comments opining about crowds of anti-racist police brutality protesters being killed.
Pittsburgh’s Tribune-Review reported that Lisa Ellis, a former analyst at the BNY Mellon, has filed a federal lawsuit against her former employer for violating her civil rights and discriminating against her due to race.
Ellis claims in the suit that the company violated her rights by firing her “without notice and without conducting an investigation.”
Her termination came July 3 after she made a comment on a Facebook thread about a councilman from a nearby town who drove his car through a crowd of people protesting the Pittsburgh police shooting of Antwon Rose, an unarmed black teen.
“Total BS,” the former BNY employee wrote in the lengthy Facebook thread. “Too bad he didn’t have a bus to plow through.”
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that in her suit Ellis accused Nicole Manns, a vice president of human resources at BNY who is black, of “orchestrating” her firing because she’s white.
“Manns targeted Ellis because she was a white person who criticized the protesters,” the suit claimed.
Ellis also claimed that Manns went on the same Facebook thread, which had more than 2,000 comments, and encouraged people to call the BNY hotline about her.
The fired analyst’s lawyers argued that her comments had nothing to do with race and rather were about her anger at protesters for blocking the streets and belief that the councilman should not have been charged with reckless driving for plowing through them.
“It’s true that Lisa regrets her choice of words,” Vincent Colianni, Ellis’ lawyer, said in the suit. “But it was never meant as an attack or a criticism of Antwon Rose or his family or the protesters.”
Pittsburgh’s Tribune-Review reported that Lisa Ellis, a former analyst at the BNY Mellon, has filed a federal lawsuit against her former employer for violating her civil rights and discriminating against her due to race.
Ellis claims in the suit that the company violated her rights by firing her “without notice and without conducting an investigation.”
Her termination came July 3 after she made a comment on a Facebook thread about a councilman from a nearby town who drove his car through a crowd of people protesting the Pittsburgh police shooting of Antwon Rose, an unarmed black teen.
“Total BS,” the former BNY employee wrote in the lengthy Facebook thread. “Too bad he didn’t have a bus to plow through.”
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that in her suit Ellis accused Nicole Manns, a vice president of human resources at BNY who is black, of “orchestrating” her firing because she’s white.
“Manns targeted Ellis because she was a white person who criticized the protesters,” the suit claimed.
Ellis also claimed that Manns went on the same Facebook thread, which had more than 2,000 comments, and encouraged people to call the BNY hotline about her.
The fired analyst’s lawyers argued that her comments had nothing to do with race and rather were about her anger at protesters for blocking the streets and belief that the councilman should not have been charged with reckless driving for plowing through them.
“It’s true that Lisa regrets her choice of words,” Vincent Colianni, Ellis’ lawyer, said in the suit. “But it was never meant as an attack or a criticism of Antwon Rose or his family or the protesters.”
the "best people"
Trump’s energy agency nominee backs fossil fuels in battle with renewables and green groups
Former think tank official Bernard McNamee views fossil fuels as key to a clean environment.
MARK HAND - raw story
NOV 20, 2018, 2:40 PM
President Donald Trump’s nominee to fill a vacant seat on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) told a conference in February that the fossil fuel industry needs to be better at explaining to the American public that “fossil fuels are not something dirty.”
In a speech at the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation’s (TPPF) Policy Orientation for Texas lawmakers, FERC nominee Bernard McNamee emphasized that fossil fuels are not a form energy from which the nation should move away.
The video of McNamee’s speech, first reported by Utility Dive, is raising eyebrows because FERC oversees bulk power markets and regulates interstate electricity transmission — and has taken a fuel-neutral approach to its regulation of competitive power markets. The video of McNamee’s speech was allegedly removed from TPPF’s website after he was nominated in early October to serve on FERC.
Many clean energy supporters also have become concerned that the commission has been favoring pipelines over cleaner energy infrastructure. And environmentalists fear McNamee, if approved to the position, would help push Trump’s efforts to bail out coal.
The fossil fuel industry and its supporters need to help policymakers and the public understand that fossil fuels are “key not only to our prosperity” but “to a clean environment,” the video shows McNamee saying at the February conference. At the time, he was working as head of the TPPF’s Center for Tenth Amendment Action and its Life:Powered project, a pro-fossil fuel program.
McNamee’s description of the impact of fossil fuels on the environment stands in stark contrast to the views of scientists who have overwhelmingly concluded that burning coal, natural gas, and oil have significantly contributed to increased carbon dioxide levels over the past 60 years.
The extraction and burning of coal, oil, and natural gas also creates huge levels of pollution that causes irreversible damage to the environment and harms human health.
McNamee’s comments at the February conference, however, in no way resembled what he told lawmakers last week at his Senate confirmation hearing. The FERC nominee, for example, did not mention his bias in favor of burning fossil fuels.
Furthermore, when asked whether his advocacy work for fossil fuels at the TPPF and his support for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) coal and nuclear support plan would unduly influence his work if he is confirmed to the commission, McNamee said: “I can honestly say that I will be in an independent arbiter.”
In early 2018, McNamee left his job as deputy general counsel for energy policy at DOE to join TPPF. But after only four months at the right-wing think tank, McNamee was back at DOE, serving as executive director of the department’s Office of Policy. McNamee now works under Mark Menezes, the undersecretary of energy who serves as a point person for Trump’s push to bail out coal and nuclear power plants.
At the TPPF Policy Orientation event in February, McNamee was extremely critical of renewable energy.
“Renewables, when they come on and off, it screws up the whole physics of the [electric] grid,” McNamee said. “When people want to talk about science, they ought to talk about the physics of the grid and know about what real science is and that is, how do you keep the lights on? And it’s with fossil fuels and nuclear.”
In 2013, Ron Binz, a former Colorado utilities regulator who President Barack Obama nominated to serve as a FERC commissioner, was strongly opposed by Republicans for what they perceived as a preference for renewable energy resources and an anti-coal bias.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) did not back Binz’s nomination. Binz told Politico at the time that he didn’t intentionally mislead Murkowski about the extent of his support for renewable energy, as she charged during his confirmation hearing.
At his FERC confirmation hearing on November 15, McNamee did not tell the senators about his strong support for fossil fuels or his opposition to renewable energy resources.
But during his time as deputy general counsel at DOE, for example, he signed the cover letter to the controversial grid resiliency plan, ordered by Trump and sent by DOE to FERC on September 29, 2017.
Also during his February speech McNamee touted his support for the administration’s efforts to undermine the Clean Power Plan, a landmark proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing electric generating stations. Last month, the Trump EPA proposed the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) to replace the Clean Power Plan — but the ACE rule would be far more lax. Starting in 2030, replacing the Clean Power Plan with the ACE rule could result in up to 1,400 more premature deaths and up to 120,000 more asthma attacks every year, according to the EPA’s own analysis.
As he explained in his February speech, McNamee said he was pleased to work with Trump and Energy Secretary Perry to see the Obama EPA’s Clean Power Plan “be put to death.”
McNamee also emphasized that a book, “Fueling Freedom: Exposing the Mad War on Energy,” written by Kathleen Hartnett White — his former colleague at TPPF — served as a foundation for the TPPF’s pro-fossil fuel work.
In February, after increased scrutiny on her history of fringe anti-science beliefs, the White House withdrew Hartnett White’s nomination to lead its Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). Hartnett White has argued on multiple occasions that increased carbon emissions in the atmosphere are beneficial to humans.
McNamee, in his TPPF presentation, also accused environmental groups of attempting to return the “administrative tyranny that they’ve been pushing for so long” since Trump took office.
“The green movement is always talking about more government control because it’s the constant battle between liberty and tyranny,” he said. “It’s about people who want to say I know what’s better for you.”
As an alternative to the work of environmental groups, McNamee lauded the TPPF’s litigation team for fighting to weaken the Endangered Species Act and eliminate the Clean Power Plan.
In a speech at the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation’s (TPPF) Policy Orientation for Texas lawmakers, FERC nominee Bernard McNamee emphasized that fossil fuels are not a form energy from which the nation should move away.
The video of McNamee’s speech, first reported by Utility Dive, is raising eyebrows because FERC oversees bulk power markets and regulates interstate electricity transmission — and has taken a fuel-neutral approach to its regulation of competitive power markets. The video of McNamee’s speech was allegedly removed from TPPF’s website after he was nominated in early October to serve on FERC.
Many clean energy supporters also have become concerned that the commission has been favoring pipelines over cleaner energy infrastructure. And environmentalists fear McNamee, if approved to the position, would help push Trump’s efforts to bail out coal.
The fossil fuel industry and its supporters need to help policymakers and the public understand that fossil fuels are “key not only to our prosperity” but “to a clean environment,” the video shows McNamee saying at the February conference. At the time, he was working as head of the TPPF’s Center for Tenth Amendment Action and its Life:Powered project, a pro-fossil fuel program.
McNamee’s description of the impact of fossil fuels on the environment stands in stark contrast to the views of scientists who have overwhelmingly concluded that burning coal, natural gas, and oil have significantly contributed to increased carbon dioxide levels over the past 60 years.
The extraction and burning of coal, oil, and natural gas also creates huge levels of pollution that causes irreversible damage to the environment and harms human health.
McNamee’s comments at the February conference, however, in no way resembled what he told lawmakers last week at his Senate confirmation hearing. The FERC nominee, for example, did not mention his bias in favor of burning fossil fuels.
Furthermore, when asked whether his advocacy work for fossil fuels at the TPPF and his support for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) coal and nuclear support plan would unduly influence his work if he is confirmed to the commission, McNamee said: “I can honestly say that I will be in an independent arbiter.”
In early 2018, McNamee left his job as deputy general counsel for energy policy at DOE to join TPPF. But after only four months at the right-wing think tank, McNamee was back at DOE, serving as executive director of the department’s Office of Policy. McNamee now works under Mark Menezes, the undersecretary of energy who serves as a point person for Trump’s push to bail out coal and nuclear power plants.
At the TPPF Policy Orientation event in February, McNamee was extremely critical of renewable energy.
“Renewables, when they come on and off, it screws up the whole physics of the [electric] grid,” McNamee said. “When people want to talk about science, they ought to talk about the physics of the grid and know about what real science is and that is, how do you keep the lights on? And it’s with fossil fuels and nuclear.”
In 2013, Ron Binz, a former Colorado utilities regulator who President Barack Obama nominated to serve as a FERC commissioner, was strongly opposed by Republicans for what they perceived as a preference for renewable energy resources and an anti-coal bias.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) did not back Binz’s nomination. Binz told Politico at the time that he didn’t intentionally mislead Murkowski about the extent of his support for renewable energy, as she charged during his confirmation hearing.
At his FERC confirmation hearing on November 15, McNamee did not tell the senators about his strong support for fossil fuels or his opposition to renewable energy resources.
But during his time as deputy general counsel at DOE, for example, he signed the cover letter to the controversial grid resiliency plan, ordered by Trump and sent by DOE to FERC on September 29, 2017.
Also during his February speech McNamee touted his support for the administration’s efforts to undermine the Clean Power Plan, a landmark proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing electric generating stations. Last month, the Trump EPA proposed the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) to replace the Clean Power Plan — but the ACE rule would be far more lax. Starting in 2030, replacing the Clean Power Plan with the ACE rule could result in up to 1,400 more premature deaths and up to 120,000 more asthma attacks every year, according to the EPA’s own analysis.
As he explained in his February speech, McNamee said he was pleased to work with Trump and Energy Secretary Perry to see the Obama EPA’s Clean Power Plan “be put to death.”
McNamee also emphasized that a book, “Fueling Freedom: Exposing the Mad War on Energy,” written by Kathleen Hartnett White — his former colleague at TPPF — served as a foundation for the TPPF’s pro-fossil fuel work.
In February, after increased scrutiny on her history of fringe anti-science beliefs, the White House withdrew Hartnett White’s nomination to lead its Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). Hartnett White has argued on multiple occasions that increased carbon emissions in the atmosphere are beneficial to humans.
McNamee, in his TPPF presentation, also accused environmental groups of attempting to return the “administrative tyranny that they’ve been pushing for so long” since Trump took office.
“The green movement is always talking about more government control because it’s the constant battle between liberty and tyranny,” he said. “It’s about people who want to say I know what’s better for you.”
As an alternative to the work of environmental groups, McNamee lauded the TPPF’s litigation team for fighting to weaken the Endangered Species Act and eliminate the Clean Power Plan.
daily beast cheat sheet
11/20/18
Walmart Pulls Support for Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith Over Public-Hanging ‘Joke’
daily beast
Retail titan Walmart withdrew its support for Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith on Tuesday, after facing criticism from Will & Grace star Debra Messing for supporting the Republican lawmaker after her campaign-trail “joke” about attending a “public hanging.” On Monday, Messing tweeted an article from the Popular Information website that showed Walmart had donated $2,000 to Hyde-Smith in the leadup to her Nov. 27 runoff election against Democrat Mike Espy, and tagged the company in her post. On Tuesday, Walmart responded: “Hi Debra,” the post read. “Completely understand your concern. Sen. Hyde-Smith’s recent comments clearly do not reflect the values of our company and associates. As a result, we are withdrawing our support and requesting a refund of all campaign donations.” As NewsOne notes, Walmart is not alone: As public outcry has grown over Hyde-Smith’s comment during her race against Espy, who is black, companies including Google, Boston Scientific, and Union Pacific have all withdrawn their support and asked for a refund of their donations.
Child Bride Auctioned for Marriage on Facebook
daily beast
Facebook is being condemned after a father in South Sudan used the embattled social network to auction off his 16-year-old daughter as a bride to the highest dowry bidder, in what activists are calling a “barbaric use of technology reminiscent of latter-day slave markets.” CNN reported Tuesday that it took Facebook 15 days to spot and remove the auction—and that by then, the girl had already been sold and married for 500 cows, three cars, and $10,000. Five men reportedly bid on the girl, including a number who are said to be high-level South Sudanese officials. In a statement, a Facebook rep said the company took a hard stance against the auction: “Any form of human trafficking—whether posts, pages, ads or groups is not allowed on Facebook,” she said. “We removed the post and permanently disabled the account belonging to the person who posted this to Facebook.”
Moroccan Woman Arrested After ‘Cooking Boyfriend and Serving His Body With Rice’
daily beast
A Moroccan woman has been arrested after she allegedly killed her boyfriend, butchered his body, cooked it, and then served it up with rice to unsuspecting guests. The Associated Press reports prosecutors in the United Arab Emirates accuse the woman of serving her boyfriend’s remains to Pakistani workers as part of a traditional rice and meat dish known as machboos. The National newspaper in Abu Dhabi cites prosecutors saying the woman killed her boyfriend of seven years after he told her of his plans to marry someone else. The man is said to have died three months ago, but the apparent killing only came to light in recent days after his brother went looking for him and found a tooth inside the woman’s blender. Police say the woman will face trial after their investigation is complete.
Israel Hits Out at Airbnb’s ‘Shameful’ Decision to Ban West Bank Listings
daily beast
Israel has reacted with fury after Airbnb announced that it would ban listings in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The home-letting site announced its decision Monday, saying it had made the call because settlements were “at the core” of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The move, which affects 200 listings, has been praised by Palestinians and some human-rights groups. But Israel’s tourism minister said its government authorities would back legal challenges lodged by settlers against the U.S. firm, and the Yesha Council, which represents Israeli settlers, accused Airbnb of becoming “a political site” that had come to the decision as a “result of either anti-Semitism or capitulation to terrorism, or both.” The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a U.S.-based Jewish human-rights organization, urged Jewish communities to boycott Airbnb. Jewish settlements in the territory occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war are considered illegal under international law.
Charleston Rifle Club refuses to admit first qualified black member while approving 13 more white men
Tana Ganeva - raw story
19 NOV 2018 AT 16:16 ET
A black South Carolina doctor was denied membership in an all-white rifle club in Charleston, even as thirteen new white members were admitted, reports the Post and Courier.
The Charleston Rifle Club, established in 1855, is “a private recreational facility located on 14 acres on the banks of the Ashley River. Established in 1855, it has been a gathering place of families for decades,” their website says.
“We would like to extend a warm welcome to our new members” they add. “We hope that you will enjoy your new home away from home. Please attend the meetings and join in the festivities.”
In fact, Dr. Melvin Brown and his family were not welcome apparently, shocking Brown, who thought that battling to integrate private clubs was a fight his father had won.
“This is new for me,” he said. “My dad fought this fight.”
Newer members of the club are circulating a petition challenging the decision.
““(A) minority, against the will of the majority, has chosen to make the club a race-based organization,” the petition states. “This threatens the reputation of the club and the reputation of its members. It also jeopardizes the club’s affiliations with countless outside organizations with which the club has for years endeavored to assist in social and charitable efforts,’ they wrote.
“We, the undersigned, hereby demand that the Club leadership immediately and publicly condemn this practice, and actively seek to right this wrong.”
As the Post and Courier points out, it is not against the law for the club to reject Brown’s petition, since the Civil Rights Act only forbids race-based discrimination in public places, not private places of leisure.
Several private clubs in the state have yet to include women or blacks.
RELATED: Texas fire marshal sporting Confederate flag criminally charges black pastor over brightness of church lights
A Texas fire marshal has been accused of discrimination after a black pastor was criminally charged over the brightness of his church’s parking lights.
The Charleston Rifle Club, established in 1855, is “a private recreational facility located on 14 acres on the banks of the Ashley River. Established in 1855, it has been a gathering place of families for decades,” their website says.
“We would like to extend a warm welcome to our new members” they add. “We hope that you will enjoy your new home away from home. Please attend the meetings and join in the festivities.”
In fact, Dr. Melvin Brown and his family were not welcome apparently, shocking Brown, who thought that battling to integrate private clubs was a fight his father had won.
“This is new for me,” he said. “My dad fought this fight.”
Newer members of the club are circulating a petition challenging the decision.
““(A) minority, against the will of the majority, has chosen to make the club a race-based organization,” the petition states. “This threatens the reputation of the club and the reputation of its members. It also jeopardizes the club’s affiliations with countless outside organizations with which the club has for years endeavored to assist in social and charitable efforts,’ they wrote.
“We, the undersigned, hereby demand that the Club leadership immediately and publicly condemn this practice, and actively seek to right this wrong.”
As the Post and Courier points out, it is not against the law for the club to reject Brown’s petition, since the Civil Rights Act only forbids race-based discrimination in public places, not private places of leisure.
Several private clubs in the state have yet to include women or blacks.
RELATED: Texas fire marshal sporting Confederate flag criminally charges black pastor over brightness of church lights
A Texas fire marshal has been accused of discrimination after a black pastor was criminally charged over the brightness of his church’s parking lights.
*What's Inside*
november 17 - NOVEMBER 19
✔THE GOP HAS BECOME THE GREATEST THREAT TO AMERICAN DEMOCRACY SINCE THE CIVIL WAR
(GOP POLITICS)
*FOR 4,000 YEARS, TERMITES HAVE BEEN BUILDING SOMETHING INCREDIBLE IN BRAZIL
(WEIRD THINGS)
*CORPORATIONS SHOULD SHARE THE WEALTH BEFORE BUYING BACK STOCK
(COMMENTARY)
*THE UNITED STATES IS BECOMING A TWO-TIERED COUNTRY WITH SEPARATE AND UNEQUAL VOTING LAWS
(AMERICA)
*MAKING AMERICA’S COLLEGES SAFER FOR RAPISTS
(TALKERS)
*THE SUPREME COURT JUST TOOK UP THE FIRST BIG VOTING RIGHTS CASE OF THE KAVANAUGH ERA
(RIGHTS)
*TRUMP’S $12 BILLION BAILOUT OF FARMERS HURT BY HIS TRADE WARS HAS BEEN A MASSIVE BUST: NYT
(PAYBACK)
*AFRICAN SINGER MAKES PERSECUTION OF FELLOW ALBINOS VISIBLE
(WORLD)
*MICHAEL JOHNSON NEARLY ‘BACK TO NORMAL’ BUT REVEALS ANGER AT SUFFERING STROKE
(REAL PEOPLE)
*GRUESOME DISCOVERY OF CZECH TIGER FARM EXPOSES ILLEGAL TRADE IN HEART OF EUROPE
(WORLD)
*SACKLER FAMILY MEMBERS FACE MASS LITIGATION AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS OVER OPIOIDS CRISIS
(CORPORATE CRIMINALS)
*COMPANY HIKED PRICE FOR OPIOID OVERDOSE TREATMENT 600 PERCENT: SENATE REPORT
(CORPORATE CRIMINALS)
✔FLAT EARTH CONFERENCE ATTENDEES EXPLAIN HOW THEY HAVE BEEN BRAINWASHED BY YOUTUBE AND INFOWARS
(SUCKERS)
*THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY NEW YORK TRADED AWAY IN ITS DEAL WITH AMAZON COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER SPENT
(REALITY)
*HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS CALL ON CANADA TO END COERCED STERILIZATION OF INDIGENOUS WOMEN
(WORLD)
✔LAURA INGRAHAM LASHES OUT OVER NEW YORK BILLBOARD CONDEMNING ANTI-GAY GROUP
(WORTHLESS MEDIA)
*COARD: KNOW THANKSGIVING INSTEAD OF CELEBRATING IT
(HISTORY)
*TEMPLE-EDUCATED PHYSICIST TO BE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO RECEIVE JOHN SCOTT AWARD
(REAL PEOPLE)
*‘I DON’T SEE WHY SHE HAS TO APOLOGIZE’ NEWLY ELECTED TENNESSEE OFFICIAL GETS SUPPORT AFTER CALLING RESIDENTS RACISTS(REAL PEOPLE)
*CALIFORNIA'S DIY FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE ALONE AS THE RICHEST HIRE PRIVATE TEAMS
(AMERICA)
*‘THEY DON’T GET IT.’ REPS. CLEAVER, CLAY BLAME MCCASKILL LOSS ON POOR BLACK OUTREACH
(DEMO POLITICS)
*late news of interest*
Trump administration secretly forces century-old youth organization to rescind LGBTQ-supportive policy
David Badash, The New Civil Rights Movement - raw story
19 NOV 2018 AT 14:58 ET
The Trump administration has secretly forced a century-old international youth organization to rescind its LGBTQ-supportive policy in a move that also led to the ouster of one of the group’s top state leaders.
4-H is an international organization with over 6 million members in the United States. While technically an independent group, in America it is congressionally authorized, and administered by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA).
That alliance appears to be becoming problematic.
According to an exclusive report by The Des Moines Register, the “Trump administration pushed the national 4-H youth organization to withdraw a controversial policy welcoming LGBT members.”
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue’s chief of staff requested the policy be rescinded just days after it had been posted. The director of the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the department that administers the 4-H programs, contacted Iowa’s and New York’s top 4-H leaders. In an “urgent” email, they asked that the policy be pulled off their websites.
The LGBT guidance was designed “to ensure LGBT members felt protected by their local 4-H program. The document and their attempts to broaden membership in the LGBT community was a smaller part of a larger, multi-year effort to modernize the federally authorized group,” The Register notes.
DEATH THREATS
The decision to rescind the policy “set off a firestorm this spring that engulfed 4-H programs in at least eight states — including Iowa, Idaho, Wisconsin, California, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado, Virginia and New York.”
For whatever reason it also “precipitated the firing of Iowa 4-H director John-Paul Chaisson-Cárdenas, a fierce advocate of the LGBT policy.”
Some “4-H volunteers, leaders and former members, called the policy a ‘fascist push to redefine humanity’ and characterized transgender children as ‘horrendous’ and ‘sinful,'” according to The Register.
Chaisson-Cárdenas received death threats.
The Christian right sprung in to action, likely fueled by articles in the far right wing website World Net Daily (WND), denouncing the new guidance.
WHAT’S SO OFFENSIVE ABOUT SUPPORTING LGBTQ KIDS?
The guidance was posted by many organizations, including Washington State University. It’s unclear why the Christian right chose to go ballistic over the document, which includes phrases like:
“The 4-H Program is committed to being inclusive and welcoming of all forms of diversity.”
“The USDA prohibits discrimination of any individual based on gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and/or sex.”
“4-H shall not segregate or otherwise distinguish individuals on the basis of their sex, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, in any 4-H activities or the application of any 4-H rule.”
4-H is an international organization with over 6 million members in the United States. While technically an independent group, in America it is congressionally authorized, and administered by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA).
That alliance appears to be becoming problematic.
According to an exclusive report by The Des Moines Register, the “Trump administration pushed the national 4-H youth organization to withdraw a controversial policy welcoming LGBT members.”
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue’s chief of staff requested the policy be rescinded just days after it had been posted. The director of the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the department that administers the 4-H programs, contacted Iowa’s and New York’s top 4-H leaders. In an “urgent” email, they asked that the policy be pulled off their websites.
The LGBT guidance was designed “to ensure LGBT members felt protected by their local 4-H program. The document and their attempts to broaden membership in the LGBT community was a smaller part of a larger, multi-year effort to modernize the federally authorized group,” The Register notes.
DEATH THREATS
The decision to rescind the policy “set off a firestorm this spring that engulfed 4-H programs in at least eight states — including Iowa, Idaho, Wisconsin, California, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado, Virginia and New York.”
For whatever reason it also “precipitated the firing of Iowa 4-H director John-Paul Chaisson-Cárdenas, a fierce advocate of the LGBT policy.”
Some “4-H volunteers, leaders and former members, called the policy a ‘fascist push to redefine humanity’ and characterized transgender children as ‘horrendous’ and ‘sinful,'” according to The Register.
Chaisson-Cárdenas received death threats.
The Christian right sprung in to action, likely fueled by articles in the far right wing website World Net Daily (WND), denouncing the new guidance.
WHAT’S SO OFFENSIVE ABOUT SUPPORTING LGBTQ KIDS?
The guidance was posted by many organizations, including Washington State University. It’s unclear why the Christian right chose to go ballistic over the document, which includes phrases like:
“The 4-H Program is committed to being inclusive and welcoming of all forms of diversity.”
“The USDA prohibits discrimination of any individual based on gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and/or sex.”
“4-H shall not segregate or otherwise distinguish individuals on the basis of their sex, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, in any 4-H activities or the application of any 4-H rule.”
Tennessee police descend on black man with guns drawn after neighbor hears him recite a Jay-Z lyric
Tana Ganeva - raw story
19 NOV 2018 AT 14:51 ET
Jay-Z’s hit song, “99 Problems,” is in large part about the discrimination black men face in encounters with police.
A black man in Tennessee had the police called on him—because he recited a lyric from the song and a neighbor thought he was abusing his fiancé, TMZ reports.
Davon Eddington was apparently having a good-natured argument with his brother over the phone about sports. Apparently, he excitedly exclaimed “I got 99 problems but a bitch ain’t one!” the chorus of 99 problems.
Soon after, police showed up to his door to assess the situation, guns out. When they realized his fiancé was safe and taking a bath on the second floor, they retreated without further incident.
Eddington says police apologized.
“He was like, ‘we apologize. It seems like you’ve been swatted'” he told TMZ.com.
“Swatting is false reporting an emergency to public safety by a person for the intent of getting a (“SWAT team”) response to a location where no emergency exists,” according to a website run by 911 responders.
It’s a major threat to public safety because it can lead to violent encounters with police.
A black man in Tennessee had the police called on him—because he recited a lyric from the song and a neighbor thought he was abusing his fiancé, TMZ reports.
Davon Eddington was apparently having a good-natured argument with his brother over the phone about sports. Apparently, he excitedly exclaimed “I got 99 problems but a bitch ain’t one!” the chorus of 99 problems.
Soon after, police showed up to his door to assess the situation, guns out. When they realized his fiancé was safe and taking a bath on the second floor, they retreated without further incident.
Eddington says police apologized.
“He was like, ‘we apologize. It seems like you’ve been swatted'” he told TMZ.com.
“Swatting is false reporting an emergency to public safety by a person for the intent of getting a (“SWAT team”) response to a location where no emergency exists,” according to a website run by 911 responders.
It’s a major threat to public safety because it can lead to violent encounters with police.
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:
