Justin Trudeau is correct and has legislation to back him up. Now, if the legislation is unconstitutional then that is news, but, PM Trudeau has not broken the law or exerted corrupt principles. There is legislation that was passed to protect the jobs and allow the company to be fined.

SNC-Lavalin is an international company employing 50,000 people. They are based in Quebec.

February 8, 2019

A man walks past the headquarters of SNC Lavalin in Montreal on November 6, 2014. For more than a century, SNC-Lavalin has been viewed with pride in Quebec as it grew from a small firm specializing in hydraulics into a global engineering and construction giant.Founded in 1911, it gained a reputation for building a large dam in Quebec that spearheaded the province's development of hydroelectricity and developing the skillsets for thousands of Quebec workers.

The new provincial government appears ready to assist SNC-Lavalin from any takeover attempt by reportedly putting it on a list of 10 “strategically important” companies.

Toronto — For more than a century, (click here) SNC-Lavalin has been viewed with pride in Quebec as it grew from a small firm specializing in hydraulics into a global engineering and construction giant.

Founded in 1911, it gained a reputation for building a large dam in Quebec that spearheaded the province’s development of hydroelectricity and developing the skill sets for thousands of Quebec workers.

Today the company has 50,000 employees around the world, after adding 18,000 with the acquisition of WS Atkins in 2017. However, its head count in Canada has fallen to 9,000 — including 3,400 in Quebec — from 20,000 in 2013.

For that, the Montreal-based company is seen as a provincial crown jewel that needs to be protected despite having its reputation tarnished in 2012 over bribery allegations that led to convictions of several senior executives, says an industry observer.

The province is acutely sensitive about losing another corporate headquarters — and associated jobs in law, accounting and consulting — following the exodus of many in the 1970s and later the sale of aluminum producer Alcan to Rio Tinto and Rona to U.S. rival Lowe’s, said Karl Moore, a professor at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management.

“There’s a sense that we don’t want to lose any more corporate headquarters,” he said in an interview.

The new provincial government appears ready to assist SNC-Lavalin from any takeover attempt by reportedly putting it on a list of 10 “strategically important” companies....

...And so, the reported political pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office on former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould — denied by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — to help SNC-Lavalin avoid a criminal prosecution is viewed differently in Quebec, said Moore....

I am not quite sure why the cabinet is leaving, but, I do know that PM Trudeau pledged to have a better relationship with the native people. AG Jody Wilson-Raybould is a native person, so in putting her in the AG office was a major coup for all native people.

She was looking at this company to prosecute those involved with a bribery scandal some time ago in Libya when Gadhafi was still in power. She probably is correct in looking to corruption carried out internationally, however, the legislature did not believe it should be the destruction of the company.

I am going to precede this article by saying the world knows the habits of Gadaffi and his family, especially when it comes to women and the "forever party" they believed they were entitled to. In that lies a guarantee for corruption.

AG Jody Wilson-Raybould found the Canadian involvement with these elements objectionable and rightfully so, but, the legislature took a pragmatic view rather than an idealistic one. PM Trudeau is caught between an AG Native Canadian attempting to live up to the dignity of women and corruption standards she rightfully adheres to and a legislature protecting the jobs of Canadians. To hold PM Trudeau responsible for legislation that was to protect Canadians and their futures is more political than rational. This is not his war.

I wish AG Jody Wilson-Raybould had set her initiative on the shelf while continuing to build a case for the antics of the Gadaffi family and the brevity of their role in this unfortunate case of SNC Lavalin. She can still produce a good effect if she will continue her investigation and at this point publish a book about the wayward enterprises engaged with Gadhaffi. It is import for the world to understand the ruthlessness of that regime and ways to prevent such problems in the future. AG Jody Wilson-Raybould still has a remarkable opportunity before her even as a private citizen.

March 3, 2019
By Scott Taylor

...As a result of the increased scrutiny, (click here) we are now aware of many of the more sordid details of the alleged bribery at the centre of this burgeoning scandal. According to media reports, back in 2008, Saadi Gadhafi, the third son of the late Libyan president, came to Canada as a guest of SNC-Lavalin. The Quebec based engineering corporation was seeking to curry favour with Gadhafi the younger in order to land lucrative construction contracts in Libya worth millions of dollars.

Hired to protect Saadi during his stay was GardaWorld, but the services actually provided went far beyond close-in protection. It is alleged that Garda submitted bills to SNC-Lavalin totaling about $30,000 for debauchery ranging from high-class escorts to tickets for a Spice Girls concert....

Prime Minister Trudeau needs to reflect on the values he brought to the Canadian people, the exercising of his promises and ultimately the reason the AG left in the face of obvious wrong doing of SNC-Lavalin.

He needs to strike a consiliatory tone with the Canadian people and reiterate to carry out his promises to the native people and women. I do believe he is sincere in those views and for his Prime Ministership to be trashed for others less sincere is a poor decision by the Canadian people.

He needs to continue to listen to the concerns over the events in Libya. He can reflect the wishes of the Canadian legislature and the views of Montreal and Quebec in regard to SNC-Lavalin. The actions of the company was wrong to any reasonable morality. But, Libya has been and will continue to be a global concern and the question is how much of the past was actually that of the company by choice or by intimidation of the Gadaffi family.

About the immigrant children that have fallen ill and died.

I don't know if anyone has suggested this and the WHO and CDC probably already have, but, the children should be considered lacking enough IgG to fight off the infection. Comparing their IgG to that of healthy American children of a comparable age may indicate the need for an infusion of IgG if they fall ill.

There is also the issue of malnutrition during their journey and their stores of vitamins and minerals may be depleted, hence, perhaps IV lipids and amino acids and all the large molecules such as potassium and magnesium might be in order.

Capture and Release works. The Trump White House is using the worst possible policies that can be called "Capture and Detained."

The current number of border crossers are not historic high numbers and they were absorbed without a border wall in their way. Historically, the border crossers were in worse health than those today. Our foreign policies work and they have been discontinued.

The President has caused the increasing number of border crossers. Enough of this.

Senate: Democrats needed to override veto - 16
House: Democrats need 42 to 45 more votes for 2/3 majority

March 5, 2019
By Caitlin Dickerson

For the fourth time in five months, (click here) the number of migrant families crossing the southwest border has broken records, border enforcement authorities said Tuesday, warning that government facilities are full and agents are overwhelmed.

More than 76,000 migrants crossed the border without authorization in February, more than double the levels from the same period last year and approaching the largest numbers seen in any February in the last 12 years.

“The system is well beyond capacity, and remains at the breaking point,” Kevin K. McAleenan, commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, told reporters in announcing the new data.

Diverted by new restrictions at many of the leading ports of entry, migrant families, mainly from Central America, continue to arrive in ever-larger groups in remote parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. At least 70 such groups of 100 or more people have turned themselves in at Border Patrol stations that typically are staffed by only a handful of agents, often hours away from civilization. By comparison, only 13 such groups arrived in the last fiscal year, and two in the year before....

The cut in USA Aid to the Northern Triad is exactly why there are human caravans to the USA southern border seeking asylum and work. Without this aid the people are facing death from starvation and/or the drug cartels as the only employer available.

This crisis is caused by Trump's horrible foreign policies that CREATE victims seeking personal safety and productive life.

Rather than digging in and finding solutions for these countries, Trump has made it many times worse.

October 22, 2018

President Donald Trump announced (click here) that the U.S. would begin "cutting off or substantially reducing" the "massive" foreign aid it delivered to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, after the U.S. leader accused the three countries of failing to stop a caravan of Central American migrants making its way to the U.S. to claim asylum.

"Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador were not able to do the job of stopping people from leaving their country and coming illegally to the U.S.," Trump said in a Twitter statement Monday morning.

"We will now begin cutting off, or substantially reducing, the massive foreign aid routinely given to them," he continued....

The USA budget sequestration was passed in 2013. The article below is from 2014 written by the Heritage Foundation regarding the best outcomes for the Northern Triad.

It should be noted, in 2009 there was a coup d’état of the Honduran government due to ballot initiative that would have convened a National Constituent Assembly to amend the constitution. President Obama suspended funding for the fight against drug cartels. I think President Obama believed the coup would misuse the funding. As a result the cartels moved back into the region once secured away from them.

Suspending assistance to the Northern Triad does not help regardless of the leadership, it creates opportunity for criminals and threatens the USA national security.

These principles are sound and the end of the funding to these countries by Trump has created the influx of people to the USA-Mexican Border. This is a complicated issue and building a border wall only causes more problems without a clear resolve.

We already know what works and it is obvious sabotage of those initiatives will result in problems at the southern border.

Once again, the current administration is creating a greater internal crisis for the USA by detaining asylum seekers that were abandoned by our financial assistance.

...It cannot be denied that Mexico and Central America’s Northern Triangle (click here) countries—Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador—are all facing chronic citizen and economic insecurity crises. Rampant corruption and weak state institutions have made it virtually impossible to combat threats posed by violent transnational gangs and organized criminal groups. Coupled with the issue of endemic corruption, the regional debt crises and weak state institutions plague the region. Honduras has the world’s highest homicide rates, averaging 91 per 100,000 citizens. El Salvador is fourth in the world with an average of 41 per 100,000, and Guatemala is fifth at 40 per 100,000. (In comparison, the U.S. average is five per 100,000.) Located along a critical trafficking route, the isthmus is particularly vulnerable to illicit smuggling. Honduras alone is a layover spot for upwards of 79 percent of northward-bound drug flights....

...U.S. security objectives in Central America are codified in the Central American Regional Security Initiative (CARSI), which focuses on:

Creating safe streets for citizens in the region;

Disrupting the movements of criminals and contraband to, within, and between the nations of Central America;

Supporting the development of strong, capable, and accountable Central American governments;

Re-establishing effective state presence and security in communities at risk; and

Fostering enhanced levels of security coordination and cooperation among nations in the region.

Implementation and funding for these programs come from four State Department accounts: International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement (INCLE); Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining and Relations Programs; Foreign Military Financing; and the Economic Support Fund. In addition, there are various agencies implementing CARSI objectives outside the State Department’s funding purview: the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Department of the Treasury. A number of security assistance accounts, such as the International Military Education and Training (which promotes professional military education) and the Democracy Fund supplement these initiatives....

...Recognize that defense cuts have adversely affected the U.S.’s drug interdiction capabilities. Defense budget cuts are reducing the U.S.’s ability to intercept maritime trafficking, and as a result, profits continue to fuel Mexican cartels and Central American gangs. Current asset shortfalls left the U.S. unable to prevent 25 percent of suspected maritime drug smuggling in fiscal year (FY) 2013.

Support Mexican and Guatemalan border security efforts. In 2013, SOUTHCOM supported the new Guatemalan Interagency Task Force, which provides infrastructure and operational anti-trafficking support along the Mexico–Guatemalan border. Yet despite the heroic efforts of U.S. armed services, civilian personnel, and regional partners, congressional withholding requirements continue to hinder security cooperation efforts.

Increase security cooperation with Honduras. As the home of the world’s highest murder rate, Honduras is also the largest source of unlawful immigrants. Yet U.S. restrictions on security assistance have been in place since FY 2012.

Allow Honduras to repair its fleet of F-5 jet fighters. Congress blocked Honduras’s recent attempts to contract Israel’s repair services. Repairing this fleet would help offset the burden on the U.S. and support the country’s much-needed aerial interdiction capabilities.

Moving Forward

In recent years, chronic insecurity in Mexico and Central America has threatened regional stability and U.S. security interests. This recent crisis on the southwest border has raised concerns about not only U.S. immigration policy and border security, but also the utility of foreign assistance.

When used wisely, foreign aid is a key national security tool. It ensures U.S. partnerships, promotes like-minded democratic institutions, and provides the U.S. with leverage abroad. Congress should understand that as security conditions in the region continue to deteriorate, cutting foreign aid would undermine the U.S.’s security interests....

This is a lot of hot air.

Yesterday, Congressman Nadler stated clearly the letters sent by his committee were already receiving documents. He was receiving cooperation from his request.

Additionally, President Obama NEVER had a "similar kind of thing."

This is nothing, but, propaganda. Trump always has to appear to be in control, otherwise, his supporters might abandon ship. It is the smartest thing they can do, but, no information voters are difficult to reach.

March 5, 2019
By Christina Wilkie

President Donald Trump (click here) on Tuesday appeared to suggest that the White House may refuse to comply with a slew of requests for documents sent this week by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y.

Speaking at a White House event, Trump cited what he said was the Obama administration’s approach to handling document requests related to congressional investigations.

“President Obama, from what they tell me, was under a similar kind of a thing, didn’t get one letter. They didn’t do anything. They didn’t get one letter of the request, many requests were made, they didn’t get a letter,” he said.

Trump’s comment came one day after the president sounded a much more conciliatory note, telling reporters Monday, “I cooperate all the time, with everybody.”...

Kim has done well for himself.

This missile site has activity because it was ready all along. This site was never destroyed or completely dismantled in a way it could not be reconstituted. This site is not being reconstituted, it was never dismantled permanently in the first place.

Launching rockets/missiles is not the action of a leader interested in peace. There is no doubt now that Trump was used to win concessions without any compromise. Donald Trump was careless. No. Donald Trump was reckless in his negotiations with North Korea. This is proof.

March 5, 2019

This image from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency shows the long-range rocket Unha-3 as seen at a satellite control center prior to the December 2012 successful launch.

Satellite imagery suggests that North Korea (click here) may be taking steps to reactivate a partially decommissioned long-range rocket test site on the 'country's west coast.

Experts say they see evidence that workers are rebuilding at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station. In a matter of days, a rocket-engine test stand and a large transfer structure have been reassembled, according to Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., a senior fellow for imagery analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The structures were taken down over the course of last summer, Bermudez says, and reassembled in a matter of days...

The victims of the Alabama tornado (click here):

It includes four children.

In one case, seven members of the same family were killed by the tornado, Harris said. The family members lived on the same road in Beauregard.

Armondo (AJ) Hernandez, 6; Mykala Waldon, 8; Jonathan Marquez Bownen, 9; Taylor Thornton, 10; Eric Jamal Stenson, 38; Henry Lewis Stenson, 65; Florel Tate Stenson, 63; Jimmy Lee Jones, 89; Mary Louise Jones, 83; Raymond Robinson Jr., 63; Delight Robinson, 57; Tresia Robinson, 62; Charlotte Ann Miller, 59; David Dean, 53; Emmanuiel Jones, 53;  Felicia Woodall, 22; James Henry Tate, 86; Irma Gomez-Moran, 41; Maggie Mamie Roberts Koon, 68; Marshall Lynn Grimes, 59; Ryan Pence, 22; Sheila Creech, 59;   Vicki Braswell, 69

The Sex Scandal

There is only one thing to say, "There was no Me Too movement."

In the political world, there have been those that had a downfall because of a sex scandal and those are primarily Democrats. The survivors of such sex scandals are primarily Republicans.

Before "Me Too," any woman that came forward to talk about their involvement with a political figure was ostracized by society and made to suffer and seek a way of life out of any public view.

"Me Too," is an important movement and is changing conditions women face not just in the USA but around the world. Back in the day, men frequently went unmarred by such scandals and the women were always punished for being honest. That is no longer the case and the "Me Too" movement joins the women's movement as a decisive factor to the security of women in any aspect of life they pursue.

"Medicare for All" is not a government take over of the health care industry.

The Affordable Care Act has been weakened under Trump and a large number of people are at risk or are suffering losses because they have no health care OR inadequate health care. The health care industry has a growing need to have a government option and that is "Medicare for All." It is probably better named, "Medicare can be for All."

No one is turning their back on capitalism THAT WORKS FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!

Ask any hospital about the idea of a government program that will provide health insurance for the under or uninsured and there will be an overwhelming agreement with this program. The states that accepted the ACA as part of it's state government structure have better health care for their people than states that have rejected it. The ACA was rejected for political reasons. It simply isn't right.

...Medicaid eligibility for adults (click here) in states that did not expand their programs is quite limited: the median income limit for parents in these states is just 43% of poverty, or an annual income of $8,935 a year for a family of three in 2018, and in nearly all states not expanding, childless adults remain ineligible.3 Further, because the ACA envisioned low-income people receiving coverage through Medicaid, it does not provide financial assistance to people below poverty for other coverage options. As a result, in states that do not expand Medicaid, many adults fall into a “coverage gap” of having incomes above Medicaid eligibility limits but below the lower limit for Marketplace premium tax credits (Figure 1)....



Medicare for All (click here) is a universal health care plan developed by Senator Bernie Sanders. It builds on the successes of Medicare and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) introduced by former President Barack Obama to help more Americans access health care.

According to Bernie Sanders’ plans, 29 million Americans don’t have health insurance under the ACA. Millions more are underinsured with policies that have high copayments and deductibles. Medicare for All looks to solve these problems.

Today, healthcare protection is often linked to employment. The single-payer Medicare for All system would sever this link to ensure that unemployed Americans, stay-at-home parents, new business owners, and other people not currently covered can receive affordable medical care.

It would also bring America’s health care system in line with those of other industrialized nations that offer universal health care to citizens.

Medicare for All is a universal health care system benefitting patients and healthcare providers. Under the scheme, Americans would receive necessary medical treatment regardless of their age, earnings, or socioeconomic status. Health care professionals would receive better training under the system, and healthcare overheads and administrative costs would be reduced.       

The rise of "The Liberal."

I reject the notion socialism is at work in the Democratic Party. Even Bernie Sanders is not a socialist. The Republicans try to place the STIGMA of socialism on Democrats and it is a lie. Democrats are capitalists in the best way.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a Liberal. I defy her to say differently.

I would like to point to the presidency of William Jefferson Clinton. Bill Clinton came into office because the USA economy was failing. It was failing the Middle Class which we know does best when unions are abundant and strong. But, Bill Clinton took a unique approach to the economy with his first term, he expanded opportunity and that is exactly what Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is trying to do.

By the end of Bill Clinton's first term, there was a record number of female millionaires. The reason was the opportunity presented to them to build small businesses. Women did well because of the administration of Bill Clinton. These millionaire women employed people and did things that Wall Street would later emulate, like on-site childcare.

However, there was still a quotient of poor in the USA and it bothered some people. I remember an interview where President Clinton was asked with all the growth of small business and economic opportunity why were there still some poor in the great USA. His answer was more than interesting. He stated there will always be some poor in the USA and most any country in the world. That is because of the personal circumstances they face, such as disability and limits that prevent them in functioning in an economy that works for the majority of people in the USA.

Bill Clinton was and continues to be brilliant and he is a great man. He is also an Oxford grad and it was obvious during his administration. He knew how to make it all work. But, the idea that some people are unable to succeed in an America where most do is the responsibility of the country. In admitting there will always be poor in the USA, Bill Clinton did not turn his back on them and instead sought to focus on the arts and increasing involvement of Americans to the arts. Why? Because the arts can reach people that normally are unreachable. So, the ideas that Bill and Hillary Clinton brought to the country during their administration were important for many reasons.

Today, the extremist right wing of the Republican Party is continuing to hang on to old ideas because they oppose ideas that are known to help the least of Americans. Instead, they seek to demean and ridicule others through name calling and oppressive labels, hence, the rise of bullying in our school systems.

The return to Liberal values through the eyes of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is refreshing and necessary in this country. We have a responsibility to protect life and provide for quality of life and that interprets differently in 2019 than it did during the Clinton years.

The Democrats are not socialists. They are not interested in nationalizing business to be run by a government bureaucracy. What they want is for the USA to return to "normal" in that people have health care that provides quality of life and returns disposable income to the Middle Class. That is not socialism, that is GOVERNANCE.

To be specific, Liberals are openminded and seek to preserve what works but aren't afraid to change what doesn't.

The newcomers to the federal government are not willing to be tainted by shadows of corruption.

I could not be prouder of them. They are not accepting any other path for the future except safe, healthy lives for Americans. Applause, applause.

I do not consider Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to be a firebrand. I don't know if that is an insult, but, I consider her to be a very intelligent and talented woman. She takes herself seriously as she should. I believe she is politically brave beyond imagination. The Democratic Party has drifted far too much to the right over the years after 911 and it is proven to hurt the country.

I have been looking at some state legislatures that are normally Democratic and their shift to the right. The destruction of CONSUMER PROTECTION has taken place by these legislatures and the average person is out on a limb as never before.

Example: Ohio - Radon - Lung Cancer - The apartment dweller or home renter is no longer the recipient of FREE radon kits from the state. The state is still providing FREE radon kits, but, ONLY to the owners of the rental property. That is a direct assault on the renter and putting costs on their backs. If the renter is marginal and has no reserves to purchase a kit they are open to risk of lung cancer. This is ridiculous and plays with American lives. Enough of this mess.

There was a time when states provided "Short Term Disability" to it's citizens through a payroll tax. Today, many of the states that provided that protection to families no longer do. As a result, if there is no employer plan for short term disability or long term disability for that matter, the citizen is left without an income until they are well enough to return to work. That is a direct cause of homelessness.

Poor health (illness, injury and/or disability) (click here) can cause homelessness when people have insufficient income to afford housing. This may be the result of being unable to work or becoming bankrupted by medical bills.

Living on the street or in homeless shelters exacerbates existing health problems and causes new ones. Chronic diseases, such as hypertension, asthma, diabetes, mental health problems and other ongoing conditions, are difficult to manage under stressful circumstances and may worsen. Acute problems such as infections, injuries, and pneumonia are difficult to heal when there is no place to rest and recuperate....

The rights of Americans to feel safe and secure has been hacked away at over the past two decades and it is dangerous. The Democrats have not been holding the line and bring the case to the people in a way that alerts their understanding of their peril.

The lady in Congress is amazing for her insight into the peril of Americans and her dedication to their path forward.

March 4, 2019
By Steve Collins

With votes last week (click here) against more gun control and in favor of a proposal to help crack down on undocumented immigrants, Maine Democrat Jared Golden is drawing fire from his party’s left wing.

Golden’s opposition to expanded background checks spurred supporters of the measure to run advertising accusing him of siding with the gun lobby while his backing of a GOP-sponsored amendment to bolster the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raised hackles from at least one of the party’s most high-profile newcomers.

Hickenlooper is the petroleum industry. It is not surprising he is running because he will receive plenty of oily money to do so. He should never be elected.

Methane/"natural gas" is not an alternative green fuel. Absolutely not. 

The new promise by the petroleum industry's assault of Earth's troposphere is that methane is the answer. It is not.

Basically, the petroleum industry has no conscience and decided a long time ago to push the tolerance of Earth's troposphere for profits. The profits were hideous and that showed up in a very profound way when the industry's oil commodity lost value. At the industry's drills sites, the cost of even a wrench was amped up by multiples during the time of $100 per barrel and suppliers could not get their inflated prices when the price fell abruptly to modern day lows.

The pertroleum industry and their CEOs are criminal no different than the tobacco industry has been. They knew and had the knowledge of the danger of their product to Earth's troposphere. I might add, recently the US Supreme Court stated the tobacco industry can continue to be sued for it's abuses.

Is anyone surprised?

March 11, 2019
By Jane Mayer

In January, (click here) during the longest government shutdown in America’s history, President Donald Trump rode in a motorcade through Hidalgo County, Texas, eventually stopping on a grassy bluff overlooking the Rio Grande. The White House wanted to dramatize what Trump was portraying as a national emergency: the need to build a wall along the Mexican border. The presence of armored vehicles, bales of confiscated marijuana, and federal agents in flak jackets underscored the message.

But the photo op dramatized something else about the Administration. After members of the press pool got out of vans and headed over to where the President was about to speak, they noticed that Sean Hannity, the Fox News host, was already on location. Unlike them, he hadn’t been confined by the Secret Service, and was mingling with Administration officials, at one point hugging Kirstjen Nielsen, the Secretary of Homeland Security. The pool report noted that Hannity was seen “huddling” with the White House communications director, Bill Shine. After the photo op, Hannity had an exclusive on-air interview with Trump. Politico later reported that it was Hannity’s seventh interview with the President, and Fox’s forty-second. Since then, Trump has given Fox two more. He has granted only ten to the three other main television networks combined, and none to CNN, which he denounces as “fake news.”...

Not to be overlooked is the interview on "All In" with Chris Hayes, there was a revelation about Murdoch's request for classified information about his former spouse. This is called abuse of power. AND THIS IS ONLY ONE EXAMPLE of Trump's abuse of power.

If Trump is handing out classified information like candy, is there any doubt Russia gets exactly what Russia wants?

March 4, 2019

...“Another point I want to make is,(click here for video - thank you) this is not just about politics, this is about big business, right?” said Sherman. “Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul who controls Fox News, has a personal relationship with the president. The Democratic Congress might want to find out, what favors, potentially, did the Murdoch family get because of this access?”

“I’ve reported in the past that Trump asked Rupert Murdoch to submit names for the FCC chairman,” continued Sherman. “A close Murdoch associate told me that, in fact, Rupert Murdoch reached out to Trump and asked if his ex-wife, Wendy Murdoch, was a Chinese spy, and the allegation is that Trump talked to the intelligence agencies about her connections to the Chinese government.”

“What?” blurted out Hayes. “Is that — have you reported that?”

“Yes, that’s what sources are telling me,” said Sherman....

Alabama's young athletes have mobilized help to the tornado victims.

I hope FEMA is on the beat already. The governor declared a state of emergency. (click here) There are 23 confirmed deaths and the community is struggling.

March 4, 2019

Gus Malzahn

Members of Auburn’s football team, (click here) including coach Gus Malzahn, helped victims of the Beauregard tornado by delivering supplies Monday.

A large tornado with winds of 170 mph destroyed homes and killed at least 23 people Sunday in the unincorporated community located nine miles southeast of Auburn University.“

Our guys really wanted to help any way they could,” Malzahn said, according to WVTM-TV. “It’s a tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

About 30 players and coaches from the Auburn football program delivered supplies to the Providence Baptist Church in Beauregard and the Greater Peace Baptist Church in Opelika....

How are the "fitness tests" coming for Wall Street?

There is a growing problem with Goldman Sachs. At a time when every country in the world is moving toward a zero greenhouse gas emission policy, Goldman holds enormous numbers of petroleum stocks, including oil and not just natural gas which one would expect to some extent. But, add too that the exposure of Goldman's interest in China through the former Treasury Secretary. Add to that heavy investment in cryptocurrency by Goldman Sachs. With those three elements of any deal book and there are reasons to be concerned about Goldman's PUSH to taunt insolvency, including bloated real estate equities. There is too much circulating liquidity in the Wall Street economy and there needs to be better scrutiny of it's stability. I think the glut of monies in Wall Street are creating instability as they buy up all kinds of formerly unattractive investments. They are moving toward monopolies and it is not reasonable to believe they will sustain such risk investment.

Congresspersons need to start to ask what happens if Wall Street pulls a 2008 collapse again? Is the USA even able, with such insults to it's income under this administration, to pull them out of another collapse?

Everyone knows the USA economy is built on capitalism and there is that belief that the more capitalism the better and freedom produces the best economy; that has to be tempered with oversight.

I might ask one of the reasons the Wall Street collapse of 2008 didn't fall below a DOW of 7000 is because of the baseline economy of the USA which includes programs such as Social Security. 

Rachel Maddow! 

Great show tonight!

Thank you!

There was a break down in communication between the Emergency Warning System and the people of Alabama.

According to local news reports out of Alabama, the people had no warning. There were three warnings issued, one early in the day, the other two was while the storm front was approaching and producing tornadoes.

Reports to the Florida Panhandle were published. What happened in Alabama that the people were obviously compromised and allowed to be in the path of danger?

March 3, 2019

"Tornado Watch Issued for Panhandle" (click here)

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Escambia, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties.

The hazardous weather outlook said scattered thunderstorms could bring the potential for damaging winds and quarter-sized hail.

Davel Johnson, a forecaster for the National Weather Service in Mobile, Alabama, said the tornado watch will remain in effect until around 6 p.m.

The problem as I see it is this: 

The tornado warning sirens are used in TESTING of the alerts. The people grow used to the testing which is not necessarily announced. Usually what occurs in conjunction with the tornado sirens when there is a real danger is an announcement stating there is a tornado watch that is in effect and to take shelter, etc.

In one video after the tornado struck and there was heavy damage, the siren was blaring. It is unclear that the siren went off as it was supposed to before the tornado hit. At any rate, if the siren sounded and the people had no other warning besides that many could have dismissed it as a test of the system. 

The other issue is, let's say people took shelter, here again, as in most of the Oklahoma tornadoes the shelter they take is grossly inadequate to the danger. This danger of inadequate shelter from tornadoes is typical throughout the south where basements are not used in the construction of homes.

No matter the issue, there is inadequate protection of the people in this region of the country and now in addition to this, there was a breakdown in communication between the emergency warning system and the people. There needs to be an investigation of the deaths of these people.

At least a dozen tornadoes (click here) are reported across Alabama and Georgia, leading to a number of fatalities and multiple people injured.

Thank you, Congressman Nadler.

Be it the Special Council, SDNY or the US House the questions regarding Trump, Trump Company and Trump charities has always been about the state of the country and the foundation of our laws.

March 4, 2019
By Michael Tomasky

The House Judiciary Committee chairman’s legal reasoning has always been precise and unassailable. With Trump now in his sights, the defense of the Constitution finally begins.

Today, it starts getting serious. (click here) House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler is sending out letters to around 60 people in the Trump administration and the president’s general orbit (Don Jr., Allen Weisselberg) seeking documents and other information to “begin investigations to present the case to the American people about obstruction of justice, corruption and abuse of power,” as he put it on ABC’s This Week.

I’ve known Nadler since 1987, back in my cub reporter days. He was in the New York State Assembly then, and it didn’t take long for me to figure out he was one of the smartest politicians I’d encountered. He knew history, ideas, and the law. I won’t bore you with the details, in part because I’m not sure I remember them all, but there was a little controversy in Greenwich Village politics in those days involving the competition between the two Village Democratic clubs, one pretty left-leaning (and opposed to then-Mayor Ed Koch), the other a pro-Koch club.

Nadler was himself anti-Koch, but he spoke up in defense of the pro-Koch club, which wasn’t sitting very well with me at first, but I remember when I interviewed him about it I put down the phone admitting to myself that his legal reasoning was precise and unassailable. I was impressed with his insistence on due process even when it didn’t lead to the end point that would have been more politically popular with his constituents....

By the way, Whitaker is reported to have left the DOJ. He may have serious legal issues due to deferring his authority to the president.

March 4, 2019
By Alex Henderson

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (click here) has announced that he expects a resolution blocking President Trump’s emergency declaration on the U.S./Mexico border to pass in the United States Senate. The Kentucky Republican told reporters, however, that he doesn’t believe the Senate has enough votes to override a presidential veto.

On Monday, McConnell told reporters, “I think what is clear in the Senate is that there will be enough votes to pass the resolution of disapproval, which will then be vetoed by the president—and then, in all likelihood, the veto will be upheld in the House.”

The resolution of disapproval is expected to come up for a vote in the Senate before Friday, March 15, when members of Congress will take a week-long recess. And it appears to have at least 51 votes, which is enough to pass in the Senate but not enough to override a presidential veto....

February 15, 2019
By Li Zhou and Emily Stewart

As Vox’s Sean Illing, (click here) who spoke with 11 experts about the legality of Trump’s declaration, laid out, there’s enough ambiguity in the law to let Trump declare an emergency. But the maneuver may not stand up to legal scrutiny once challenged in court. He is effectively trying to circumvent Congress — which is supposed to have the “power of the purse” and has decided against funding his border wall — and it’s not clear whether Trump can actually use the armed forces for the project. And his claim that there’s an emergency at the border that necessitates a border wall is dubious.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Friday that they were prepared to take multiple routes to try to block Trump’s efforts. “The Congress will defend our constitutional authorities in the Congress, in the Courts, and in the public, using every remedy available,” they said in a statement.

There are several different paths to challenging the declaration. Here are some of the most likely....

l.  A joint Congressional resolution 
2. A lawsuit against the White House due to Executive Branch Overreach
3. Landowners along the border can file a lawsuit against the White House
4. Groups, such as the ACLU, can sue the White House for human rights and civil rights violations
5. Effected states can sue the White House for Executive Overreach and the disregard of States Rights.

There are currently sixteen states that have filed lawsuits against the White House declaring their States Rights are being violated by an incompetent idea that leaves them less safe.

The alternatives include needed deployment of National Guard troops under the direction of the Governor. Texas has used it's National Guard successfully before when 1000 were sent to the Texas border when there was an influx of children a few years ago. I believe it was the city of Houston that extended their hospitality to those children and sponsored them. So the States have alternative methods they prefer.

In the case of California, human rights violations may play a big part in it's decision. The State of California has a long history of receiving the Undocumented at times when asylum was being sought. California has barriers, three of them and they are not necessarily happy with the condition of people as they cross those barriers either to defeat the wire or risking entrance into the ocean to go around the wall.

Other States may have varying reasons to oppose the national emergency declaration and considering these states have coped with border crossers for more than a century, they have very good standing to argue the infringement of federal authority along it's borders when it is not necessary at all.

"Good Night, Moon"

The waning crescent moon

27.3 days old

5.6 percent lit

Is there another planet in our solar system?

February 28, 2019
By Rafi Letzter

There could be a planet hiding (click here) out on the distant frontiers of our solar system. And astronomers have published new details about what it probably looks like, if it really exists.

Planet 9, according to a new paper published online Feb. 10 in the journal Physics Reports, is probably five to 10 times the mass of Earth. And it probably travels along an elongated orbit that peaks at 400 times Earth's distance from the sun. That orbit is also likely 15 to 25 degrees off the main orbital plain of our solar system where most planets orbit.

The existence of Planet Nine, as Live Science sister site Space.com previously reported, is an idea that's become popular among astronomers ever since it was first seriously proposed back in 2014. Researchers suspect the planet's existence because of patterns of objects in the Kuiper Belt, a ring of debris in the outer solar system. Those objects tend to clump together in ways that suggest that gravity from something big out there is tugging on them....