Sunday, September 16, 2018

Monaco was supposed to be the star performer.

The southeast of the United States of America has received the wrath of the Climate Crisis in the way of a hurricane named Florence. Typical of these Climate Crisis storms it had varying winds, but, also typical it is full of water with incredible accumulations in one spot due to the lack of movement over land.

There are deaths and they are hard to swallow. Despite the states having plenty of warning leading into this Climate Crisis event, the deaths are adding up. This is a prime example, Texas with Harvey (click here) just last year is another of how denial of a very real Climate Crisis brings about ineffective policies with no funding to change the quality of life of Americans. If the USA had embraced the this Climate Crisis I am confident these storms would not even occur. IF is a very big word and with that continues the reality as it unfolds today.

I have a great deal of concern for these people. The southern states for their intractable politics are impoverished. Their infrastructure is impoverished and at a time when people will have incredible need, they will be locked out of social welfare, including food stamps. The USA Congress has been defunding social welfare programs for over eight years.

Also, the people of the south are tethered to their work. Now, there is infrastructure damage and the work once their lifeline will be unavailable to them for some time and in more cases than expected, these marginal businesses may not reopen for work. This storm reminds me more of Katrina than I expected. Movement of people out of Louisiana resulted in permanent relocation to other states and that will occur here because of the destroyed infrastructure. 

I firmly believe the recovery in the affected states will be lengthy as there is little fiscal residual available to their state governments to absorb the enormous destruction of water. I am surprised to the amount of devastation in North Carolina because after Floyd hit there was a lot of work done to waterways to protect from extensive flooding and deaths ever happening again. Wilmington, North Carolina returned to it's island status during the flooding of Floyd and people unaware died from drowning. The difference between Floyd and Florence is the fact Floyd did not stall over the state. It was at a time when hurricanes acted like traditional hurricanes and not Climate Crisis storms. Floyd's destruction was focused on a smaller area than Florence. The people are even worried about mudslides in the mountains of North and South Carolina.

The truth is, a good third of North Carolina is a flood plain. From the coast all the way to a city called Fuquay-Varina (click here) is a flood plain. There will be standing water for a long time. The Cape Fear River will be strong and dangerous and will be pushing water from it's tributaries in the ocean with force so the river will be overwhelming near shore currents. The estuaries will be flushed out to the ocean as well.

So, tonight it is far more appropriate to focus on the southeast United States and it's people. They are in sincere trouble and they deserve respect. They are good people. They work hard and they simply don't deserve this so that a petroleum industry wins profitability as opposed to their lives being most important to their governments.

I will cover Monaco no later than next week. Thank you for your interest.

Also realize there are devastating outcomes in Asia.

September 16, 2018
By Sheena McKenzie

The world's strongest storm this year, (click here) Typhoon Mangkhut, continued its path of destruction across Southeast Asia over the weekend, reaching mainland China on Sunday afternoon after pummeling Hong Kong and killing dozens in the Philippines.

The storm has carved a deadly trail across the region, killing two people in southern China and at least 54 people in the Philippines. Many of the Philippines' deaths were caused by landslides, with dozens more still believed to be buried beneath the deluge, government officials said at a news conference Sunday.

More than 2.45 million people have been evacuated in China's Guangdong province as Mangkhut made landfall at 5 p.m. local time, according to Chinese state media.

Xinhua reported that 18,327 emergency shelters had been activated, and that 632 tourism and 29,611 construction sites had been shut down....

I am really tired of the men of Cloud City getting away with how women's bodies are used.

This guy, Kavanaugh, will be making decisions about how women have available use of their bodies. No more abortion in whatever covert measure that is and decisions regarding sexual assault, rape and date rape. Oh, there will be cases, make do doubt about it. As soon as women are compromised at the Supreme Court by right wing extremists, there will be cases run through the courts, including issues of contraception.

I don't care if the guy was drunk. No one else should care of the guy was drunk. He was in a state of mind whereby drinking alcohol and f:"":ing women are part of his permission in his status of life. Aren't both his parents lawyers? Yes?

There is absolutely no way Kavanaugh should be confirmed to the Supreme Court. It was laughable to hear the ONLY reason for reporting such issues to the FBI is to make it a part of the Kavanaugh file. What? A woman was assaulted, sexually assaulted, by this man and the only reason to investigate is to make it part of his record? I don't think so.

Every woman in the USA has had enough of the ludicrous treatment of women. I am sure those facing sexual assault charges and lawsuits across the USA are sleeping more sound the day Kavanaugh is confirmed. This is outrageous.

Trump's insistence of pushing Kavanaugh through confirmation is laughable. Trump? You mean the guy that is so loyal to his marriage he sews his fly shut? That Trump?

Have the documents required to investigate this candidate for the Supreme Court been released yet? If not, why not?

Senator Dianne Feinstein (click here)

Dear Senator Feinstein;

I am writing with information relevant in evaluating the current nominee to the Supreme Court.
As a constituent, I expect that you will maintain this as confidential until we have further opportunity to speak.
Brett Kavanaugh physically and sexually assaulted me during high school in the early 1980's. He conducted these acts with the assistance of REDACTED.
Both were one to two years older than me and students at a local private school.
The assault occurred in a suburban Maryland area home at a gathering that included me and four others.
Kavanaugh physically pushed me into a bedroom as I was headed for a bathroom up a short stair well from the living room. They locked the door and played loud music precluding any successful attempt to yell for help.
Kavanaugh was on top of me while laughing with REDACTED, who periodically jumped onto Kavanaugh. They both laughed as Kavanaugh tried to disrobe me in their highly inebriated state. With Kavanaugh's hand over my mouth I feared he may inadvertently kill me.
From across the room a very drunken REDACTED said mixed words to Kavanaugh ranging from "go for it" to "stop."
At one point when REDACTED jumped onto the bed the weight on me was substantial. The pile toppled, and the two scrapped with each other. 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. Both loudly stumbled down the stair well at which point other persons at the house were talking with them. I exited the bathroom, ran outside of the house and went home.
I have not knowingly seen Kavanaugh since the assault. I did see REDACTED once at the REDACTED where he was extremely uncomfortable seeing me.
I have received medical treatment regarding the assault. On July 6 I notified my local government representative to ask them how to proceed with sharing this information . It is upsetting to discuss sexual assault and its repercussions, yet I felt guilty and compelled as a citizen about the idea of not saying anything.
I am available to speak further should you wish to discuss. I am currently REDACTED and will be in REDACTED.

In confidence, REDACTED.

Colbert Links Big Pharma's Sackler Family To America's Opioid Crisis (click here to get to know the Sacklers family better)

Opioids: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (click here for NIH information)

The "Snipers' Massacre" on the Maidan in Ukraine (2018)

The invasion into Crimea was never identified as Russian either. They were in unidentifiable uniforms as if militias. It wasn't until the Oligarch Militias started to show up within the interior of Ukraine did it become obvious as to the identity of these never before disclosed forces.

These were scenarios the Russian backed then President Yanukovych had anticipated. The national Ukraine military was disarmed and primarily dissolved. The only defense force and they were well armed in Ukraine at the time of Yanukovych were the Oligarch militias. There is no way the national military even could arm snipers yet alone deploy them without detection.

After Yanukovych was able to distance the 2004 Ukraine Constitution's reforms, the tensions between the people and the wealth drenched Yanukovych grew. The assassinations in the Maidan was a result of ever growing descent toward the President and Russian (Putin election strategy) paranoia about The West.

It was never surprising and the NY Times covered the funerals as well, that a force from within Ukraine would act to overthrow the government protesters. The people were trapped in a dictatorship and not a government they elected.

This is from the "Word Press." The dead were real people, citizens of Ukraine and unarmed. 

24 February 2014

Roman Huryk (Роман Гурик) (click here) was a student in the second year of his philosophy studies in Ivano-Frankivsk who was killed on 20 February 2014 in Kyiv....

The affiliations of the dead became a focus for propaganda to state the demonstrators were enemies of the people. Roman Huryk was stated to be buried with "The Sich Riflemen."

The Sich Riflemen defended the government of UNR against the Bolshevik insurrection in the capital and later against regular Red Army forces that advanced into Ukraine in 1918.

It is unclear whether the people affiliated with odd circumstances like Roman Huryk, inherited a lineage of genetic proof. But, it doesn't matter, his affiliation is a symbol of resistance to entity the people oppose.

...Huryk’s burial place is symbolic, since it is the city’s pantheon of national heroes and fighters for the freedom of Ukraine. As the university’s website announced, Huryk will be buried ‘alongside heroes of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) as a hero of Ukraine.’ The Sich Riflemen were a unit formed of Ukrainian paramilitaries who were incorporated into the Austrian forces in the First World War before forming the core of the Ukrainian military in Western Ukraine which was an independent republic in 1918/19....

Propagandists need to be dispelled because they seek only power over a divisive issue and not the truth that is fully apparent to the people of Ukraine. Ukraine is a source of fear to Russia. There are real reasons why Putin shakes down to his soxes when thinking about Ukraine.


Ukrainian recognized scientific and design company Yuzhnoe (Pivdenne) Design Bureau has announced plans to develop a KORSHUN missile family included new ground-launched cruise missile, according to Defence Blog.

A new Ukrainian ground-based cruise missile (click here) underwent a successful test launch on Jan. 30, Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov announced.

Ukraine was Moscow's nuclear missile base, parked right outside Europe. Ukraine has war talent unmatched by Russia. The cruise missile Ukraine built and tested really does fly well. Ukraine is now an independent state that likes to be a part of NATO post Soviet break-up. NATO has an increasing prowess with the inclusion of post Soviet countries. Yep.

May 30, 2018
By Mattathias Schwartz

...On that morning, (click here) paramilitary police forces loyal to President Viktor Yanukovych clashed with protesters in Kiev, who were demonstrating against the government’s tilt toward Russia and away from economic integration with Western Europe. When the tear gas and smoke finally cleared, four police officers and 48 protesters were dead. “They were highly educated intellectuals,” Nefertari told me recently over the phone. “The nation paid a very high price for freedom.” In the aftermath of the confrontation, she decided to assemble the definitive record of what happened. “The whole country was in mourning,” she remembers. “I knew that I should do it.”...

1 October 2010

Ukraine's constitutional court (click here) has boosted the powers of President Viktor Yanukovych by reversing a reform introduced in 2004.

It ruled that the reform, which curbed presidential powers in favour of parliament, had been unconstitutional.

The move had given parliament the right to name the prime minister and most of the cabinet members.

Mr Yanukovych won the presidential election in February on a strongly pro-Russian platform.

The court's decision does not come as a surprise and was widely predicted in the local press, the BBC's David Stern reports from Kiev.

Still, it marks a watershed in President Yanukovych's steady consolidation of power, our correspondent says....

The brotherly love Putin affords Trump has many bases, this is only one. But, it definitely is one.


Russians, as a people, are deceived about their government's virulent nature in the real world. Their communications are closed to outside influence. It is the methods of the government that tells the tale. Russian leaders and power brokers speak about being part of the real world, as in the G8, BUT their tactics in doing so only points to harm to democracies and the hate of the democratic leadership. There is every reason to believe Trump is nothing more than a Russian puppet.

It would be one thing to meet with a communist leaders as occurred in Helsinki. But, it is quite another thing to defame NATO and disrespect the British Queen before departing for a meeting in Helsinki. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind where Trump's loyalties really lie and it is not with the American people.


28 March 2018
By Stuart Ramsey

Before and after the poisoning.

Fed dioxin, a chemical found in the herbicide Agent Orange, while eating dinner with the head of Ukraine's security service.

The former president of Ukraine (click here) has applauded the growing round of expulsions of Russian diplomats following the nerve agent attack in Salisbury, saying "I have no doubt" Moscow was behind the attack and that military action against Russia should not be ruled out.

Viktor Yushchenko was himself poisoned in 2004. He and his family believe the assassination attempt was ordered by Moscow when he attempted to steer Ukraine to closer integration with Europe.

Speaking to Sky News, accompanied by his American-born wife Katarina, Mr Yushchenko warned that the new-found solidarity between European states and the US was not enough on its own.

"I have no doubt (that Russia carried out the attack). I want western society - western governments and European governments in particular - to have no doubt too," he told Sky News in his Kiev office.

"I totally agree with the British position. I am glad that it has received international support and solidarity.

"I think politically it is a very important position that is being developed with a united Europe and the United States.

"But I don't want it to end there with this single step, which we use to confront the modern imperial Russian policy."...

Conference ended September 2, 2018

Just published.

Abstract:

The 59-minute long online video (click here) appendix with added English-language subtitles provides a video reconstruction of the Maidan massacre of the protesters and the police on February 20, 2014 in Ukraine. It contains videos of snipers in Maidan-controlled locations and 55 testimonies about such snipers during the massacre itself. This video compilation uses content analysis of the videos and results of forensic examinations and shows that at least the absolute majority of Maidan protesters and the police were shot from Maidan-controlled buildings. The government investigation denies existence of such snipers. 
           
This video appendix is produced from brief synchronized segments of on-site reports by American, Belgian, Belarusian, British, Finish, French, Dutch, German, Polish, Russian, Spanish, and Ukrainian TV correspondents and social media videos by various Maidan protesters. It is a video appendix of papers prepared for presentation at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association in Boston and the "Regimes and Societies in Conflict: Eastern Europe and Russia since 1956" conference by the Institute for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Uppsala University and the British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies (Katchanovski, 2018a, 2018b). It also supplements previous studies of the Maidan massacre by the author, including previous video appendixes (see Katchanovski, 2015, 2016, 2017)....

Speaking of clean up, who is paying for this one?

September 15, 2018
By Mark Niquette and Christopher Flavelle

A Duke Energy Corp. landfill near Wilmington, North Carolina, failed (click here) under the assault of Tropical Depression Florence, spilling about 2,000 cubic yards of coal ash that can carry toxic mercury, arsenic and lead. Authorities said they would investigate whether the pollutant had reached the Cape Fear River, but said it wasn’t yet safe to inspect the site.

As the weakening storm plodded agonizingly across the Carolinas on Sunday, officials warned of even more catastrophic flooding. The deluge has already killed at least 13 people, washed partially treated sewage into waterways and left entire communities under water....

Besides the coal ash, there are problems with Gen-X in the water supply of Wilmington. What next? Who is testing the water quality for ALL the people in North Carolina touched by Florence? That entire state has pollution issues and the water quality for every North Carolinian has to be free of toxins of all kind. There are fracking issues as well. What happens to the methane turned loose by Florence and what happens if that methane has become aqueous and is part of the water supply now? 

There are lots and lots of problems in North and South Carolina because the investment to infrastructure and avoiding pollution problems are weakly addressed, if at all. 

FOX refuses to "believe" in global warming, however, when it comes to recovery money they are all about it.

FOX knows where to identify with (New York) when looking for money.

What this boils down to by FOX is SPECIAL TREATMENT for their advocacy audience. Now, that FOX found "a reason" for advocacy they can make it an election issue. Instead, Democrats should be talking about the cost of the Climate Crisis and how it has created MORE wetlands areas than ever before. They should be talking about how this is a crisis and it cannot be ignored and the people now living in wetlands are facing trouble maintaining the equity of their homes.

Get for real. If FOX can use a dreamscape of advocacy to MAKE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT spend more monies than it normally would; then the people crying out for help need to deal with REALITY and not denial of the real crisis this country is facing.

All the Americans bemoaning their losses because of Florence also rebuilt homes in newly determined wetlands (that were originally drained of being wetlands) since these major storms. It should be a crime to rebuild in wetlands, newly created or otherwise. Draining wetlands and placing retention ponds to capture the water away from the newly constructed homes should be a crime. It is a deception to the homeowner when they do not know their home was built on newly drained wetlands.

The chronic cry for help is being repeated over and over, year after year and it is because housing developers don't care about the people that purchase their homes, they care about the paperwork that will settle the monies they will receive with mortgages. THAT is why there is no paperwork to fully disclose THE FACT the land was once home to frogs and lizards and lots of bugs before their house was erected.

September 16, 2018
By Ken Sweet and Meghan Hoyer
The number of Americans (click here) with flood insurance is on the rise, yet Hurricane Florence is likely to make it painfully clear that too many homeowners in the Carolinas and other vulnerable regions remain unprotected.

Florence came ashore in the Carolinas Friday and its storm surges, flash floods and winds scattered destruction widely.

Federal data show there were roughly 5.1 million active flood insurance policies in the U.S. as of July 31, up from 4.94 million a year earlier....

Florence can be a good distraction from the corruption and crime Mueller investigation.

The Clinton email investigation performed by the FBI under Comey is becoming Republican rhetoric.

Comey is fired and that is the leverage point the Republicans are using to say there was bias in the Clinton email scandal. The Democratic leadership needs to address this. Comey insured Trump's win, so the rhetoric is meaningless from a political point of view. The numbers are there to put forth a graph regarding the falling approval numbers of Clinton AND the down ballot AFTER Comey made the announcement regarding the Weiner laptop.

The extremist right wing sentenced Secretary Clinton during the Trump campaign, "Lock her up." Well, it seems to me there are a lot of people that were involved in the Trump campaign that faced being "locked up" if they didn't cooperate with the Mueller investigation. That has to be driven home to the country. There are real criminals and real crimes and real deals to accumulate as much knowledge as possible about the Russian interference in the 2016 elections.

The are all Trump people involved that are real criminals, with real crime and real deals (not deals by Trump, the deal master) were part of the Trump election strategy and personnel. What else needs to be said, when Trump himself is holding secret meetings with Putin in Helsinki?

Trump should be radioactive to the Republicans, but, his constituency seems to be desperate for some kind of anti-government rant and outcome. Find out what is so attractive to the extremist right wing about any anti-government movement? I remind there are folks from within prison known to run for an out of prison office. They rarely win, but, end up as candidates, the highest office I think was tried from West Virginia. How many of the right wing extremists have or had or are facing a criminal history WITH OR WITHOUT the potential to vote even after they served their time (which is another Democratic stronghold - returning full citizen rights to ex-cons).

This may be a few of the organizations that try to help those released from prison or jail to a life within the law. (click here) The real issue of returning citizen rights to former prisoners is profound. There are companies that would normally attract these former prisoners, like the trucking industry, that won't go near a former felon anymore. Even those with misdemeanors are not necessarily hired. I know J.B. Hunt requires a misdemeanor free record of three years before they consider hiring anyone. That same company won't even talk to former felons.

As far as I am concerned the attitudes of the employers can all be litigated, but, who has the money and legal clinics are few and far between to take this on. The fact of the matter is some of the criminal records that exist are heavy with ACCUSATIONS and not convictions. Those accusations stay on their record forever. An innocent man or woman could be looking at huge hurdles to living their lives because they were wrongly charged. That needs to be investigated by the Democrats and legislation to assist these people passed into law, even if it means subsidizing clinics that specialize in expungement. At least every state should introduce their departing inmates to lawyers that can help clean up a messy record to help facilitate employment and that doesn't happen. Then there is the issue of voting rights that are simply out of reach in many states and they should not be. Someone that has served their time to society should have all their citizen rights returned to them. There needs to be a process before exiting prison to correct the records these men and women need to restart their lives.

At any rate, "Lock him up!" doesn't belong to the former Secretary of State, but, to the administration now in the White House. Interesting isn't it? Trump yells "Lock her up," when a high percentage of his staff was eligible for the chant.

September 16, 2018
By Emily Tillett

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, (click here) says he's intent on ensuring special counsel Robert Mueller completes his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election with political interference. Graham's comments on Sunday's "Face the Nation" come after former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort reached a plea deal with Mueller's team and agreed to cooperate with investigators. 

"Nothing's going to happen to Mueller's investigation politically. He's going to be allowed to finish it," Graham said. 

Graham said the Senate Judiciary Committee has found no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia when asked what Manafort might reveal to Mueller's team....