There is no further need for abusive border policies.

Title 42 will be ending May 11, 2023 and the Governor of Texas has been unhappy (click here) about it because sheriffs are unhappy about it. Currently, there are bills in the Texas legislature that over reach into federal authority when it comes to border crossings at the USA southern border.

The chart is from US Custom and Border Protection (click here).

The chart clearly shows the majority of illegal border crossings are single adults; not families or minors, but, single adults. 

President Biden has already addressed the issue.

February 21, 2023
By Nick Miroff

...Biden’s asylum rule, (click here) according to the proposal, will “encourage migrants to avail themselves of lawful, safe, and orderly pathways into the United States, or otherwise to seek asylum or other protection in countries through which they travel, thereby reducing reliance on human smuggling networks that exploit migrants for financial gain.”...

...will likely take effect before the May 11 expiration of the pandemic-era public health restrictions known as Title 42....

Texas does not have to and should not create state laws that over reach into federal jurisdiction or create human rights violations. It is pure vigilantism that includes a court outside the jurisdiction of federal law.

The Governor's Operation Lone Star was a complete failure (click here) attracting more and more border crossings during it's 18 months existence. Operation Lone Star can account for the border crossing increases attributed to President Biden. 

April 12, 2023

...Today, Human Rights Watch (click here) respectfully asks this Committee to oppose HB 20 (click here) and HB 7 (click here). Together, the bills amount to a dangerous and extreme effort to expand Texas’ border policing program including the creation of a state-sponsored vigilante border protection unit and the codification and expansion of a border policing, court, and jailing system that has to date resulted in injuries, deaths, racial discrimination, abusive detention conditions, and a chilling effect on freedoms of association and expression....

The drug cartels are killing Americans. The money is a buy product, not their goal.

April 18, 2023
By Bethany Blankley

The Sinaloa Cartel uses child soldiers (click here).

...And even though he dreamed of quitting the Sinaloa cartel and finding a regular job, he also knew that the most likely way of leaving a criminal group is either as a prisoner or as a corpse....

The U.S. Department of Justice (click here) has charged 28 members of the Sinaloa Cartel, including drug kingpin El Chapo’s sons.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said the indictment charges Sinaloa Cartel members with trafficking fentanyl and other drugs, engaging in money laundering, committing murder, and other violent crimes.

The charges were unsealed in the Southern District of New York, Northern District of Illinois, and District of Columbia and detailed in a news release.

Mr. Garland said multiple agency enforcement actions were taken “against the largest, most violent, and most prolific fentanyl trafficking operation in the world, run by the Sinaloa Cartel, and fueled by Chinese precursor chemical and pharmaceutical companies.”

The Mexican and Chinese governments have denied their role in producing and trafficking fentanyl into the U.S. primarily through the southern border.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said “the fentanyl crisis in America – fueled in large part by the Sinaloa cartel” is not only a public health issue but a national security issue.

The indictments “target every element of the Sinaloa Cartel’s trafficking network,” Ms. Monoco said, “from the chemical companies in China that spawn fentanyl precursors, to the illicit labs that produce the poison, to the networks and money launderers and murderers that facilitate its distribution.”...

$725 million is not enough.

If you were a Facebook user (click here) in the United States between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022, inclusive, you may be eligible for a cash payment from a Class Action Settlement.

Case No. 3:18-md-02843-VC

United States District Court for the Northern District of California

71.43% of the entire US population are Facebook Users (click here)

The US population currently sits at 335.7 million, making an estimated 239 million people in America that have an account on Facebook.

The two faces of White Supremacy.

The CROWN Act (click here) is a law that forbids discrimination based on hair texture and hair styles. CROWN stands for: “Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair.” Hair discrimination impacts Black people, especially Black women and girls in schools and workplaces who wear hair styles such as locs, braids, twists, Bantu knots, afros and natural hair. They are punished by discriminatory workplace and school dress codes and grooming policies....

April 15, 2023
By Alejandro Serrano

The Texas House (click here) overwhelmingly passed a bill Thursday that would prohibit race-based hair discrimination in schools, workplaces and housing. The lower chamber’s vote took the state one step closer to adopting a law inspired by the experiences of two Black high schoolers near Houston threatened with discipline in the 2019-20 school year if they didn’t cut their locks.

House Bill 567, filed by state Rep. Rhetta Bowers, D-Garland, was voted out of a House committee in late March. An identical Senate bill from state Sen. Borris Miles, D-Houston, is sitting in the Senate State Affairs Committee but hasn’t yet received a hearing. Representatives approved the bill with a 143-5 vote....

White Supremacist murderers walk free in the fight for the Republican nomination for president.

April 14. 2023

By Solcyre Burga

Daniel Perry and his family walk into a Travis County courtroom on March 23. Perry was convicted in the murder of protester Garrett Foster during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in Austin

The fate of an Army sergeant Daniel Perry, (click here) who was found guilty of fatally shooting a protester at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in 2020, is up in the air as the Texas pardon board reviews the conviction for a possible pardon at the governor’s request and Perry’s attorney pushes for a retrial.

On April 7th, Perry, a 35-year-old active duty sergeant at Fort Hood, was convicted of murder in connection with the death of Garrett Foster, 27, who was killed after Perry shot him during a protest in Austin, Texas, in July 2020. Perry claims he acted in self-defense because he feared for his life after Foster, who was carrying an assault rifle under Florida’s open carry law, allegedly made him feel threatened....

April 17, 2023
By Cheri Mossburg, Taylor Romine and Steve Almasy

A White 84-year-old homeowner (click here) who allegedly shot and wounded Ralph Yarl, a Black teen, after the 16-year-old went to the wrong home to pick up his siblings will face two felony charges, Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson announced early Monday evening.

Andrew Lester will face charges of assault in the first degree and armed criminal action. Authorities have issued a warrant for his arrest and he’s not currently in custody, Thompson said.

“I can tell you there was a racial component to this case,” Thompson said at a news conference without elaborating.

When asked whether Lester may also face hate crime charges, the prosecutor said that in Missouri, a hate crime is a lower level of felony, and that adding such charges could constitute double jeopardy. A probable cause document released Monday evening similarly doesn’t shine any light on why authorities believe race played a role in this case.

There is no indication that Lester or Ralph spoke to one another before the Thursday evening shooting, Thompson said. The prosecutor added there is no evidence that the teen entered the home and preliminary evidence shows Lester opened fire on the teen through a glass door with a .32 caliber revolver....

There is a state of emergency in the USA as guns are out of control. The Republicans are responsible for gun laws that invoke fear of the other while creating anarchy with people taking the law into their own hands.

April 17, 2023

By George Wright

A man has been charged with second-degree murder (click here) in the US after he allegedly shot and killed a 20-year-old woman as the car she was in mistakenly drove up the man's driveway.

Kaylin Gillis was with three other people in New York state on Saturday.

They accidentally drove into the driveway of Kevin Monahan in the town of Hebron, police say.

As the driver was leaving, Mr Monahan, 65, allegedly opened fire on the vehicle, hitting Ms Gillis.

"This is a very sad case of some young adults who were looking for a friend's house and ended up at this man's house who decided to come out with a firearm and discharge it," Washington Country Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy told a news conference.

The area is rural, and the driveways are poorly lit at night. None of the group had exited the vehicle or attempted to enter Mr Monahan's house before he allegedly opened fire, Mr Murphy said....

"The Castle Doctrine" needs to be outlawed federally. The Castle Doctrine is not about self-defense. The old self-defense gun laws were the most correct. No one can use deadly force against "the other" unless within the four walls of the residence and not if the perpetrator or home invader is exiting the residence. There had to be a clear and present danger under the old laws that stood for a century.

The castle doctrine (click here) refers to an exception to the duty to retreat before using deadly self-defense if a party is in their own home.

Under the doctrine of self-defense, a party who reasonably believes they are threatened with the immediate use of deadly force can legally respond with a proportional amount of force to deter that threat. The doctrine of self-defense is subject to various restrictions which differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

One such restriction on self-defense is the rule to retreat. In jurisdictions that follow the rule to retreat, a party is not entitled to a defense of self-defense unless they first tried to mitigate the necessity of force by fleeing the situation, so long as retreating could be done safely. That said, in jurisdictions that follow the castle doctrine, this restriction has an exception for parties in their own home. A party in their own home does not have a duty to retreat and, therefore, is entitled to a defense of self-defense so long as the other requirements of the defense are met.

The castle doctrine exists in both common law and Model Penal Code jurisdictions....

The Castle Doctrine is anarchy.

Iowa

President Biden is promoting Pre-K education while Iowa has passed in a midnight legislative session one of the most abusive child labor laws in recent history. Sixteen year olds are now allowed to serve alcohol. It could be considered a form of pedophilia. That isn’t the worst of it.

April 18, 2023

By Griffin Wright and Kelly Maricle

April 27, 2023 is "Take Your Child to Work Day" (click here)

...The session opened at 3:36 a.m. and the vote on SF 542 in the Iowa Senate (click here) happened at 4:52 a.m. It passed by a margin of 32 to 17. All Democrats voted against it as well as two Republicans.

The bill allows 14-year-olds to work six-hour night shifts, allows 15-year-olds to work in plants on assembly lines moving items up to 50 pounds, and allows 16 and 17-year-olds to serve alcohol.

Many Democrats say this can be dangerous for kids by putting them in risky jobs. Republicans argue that’s not true and that it’s just giving them more opportunities to earn money.

“I wouldn’t want my granddaughter serving alcohol or getting an exception to do hazardous work in the name of workplace learning. A workplace accident can happen in the blink of an eye. It takes mere seconds for a red iron beam to fall. Iowans should not be putting our kids, and they are kids, in dangerous situations,” said Sen. Janice Weiner (D) of Johnston....

Children should NEVER be the focus of a labor shortage. Their job is to learn in school and prepare for adulthood. This bill is not about learning experiences at all. It is completely exploitative. Learning experience about work is realized under the supervision of parents and educators.

This bill passed in Iowa is child abuse, not empowerment.

It must be so convenient to have one's own media domain to mitigate treasonous acts.

The $1.6 Billion Dominion v. Fox News Trial explained by of all news rags, The Wall Street Journal.

In Burnett v. National Enquirer (1983) (click here) 144 Cal.App.3d 991, 193 Cal.Rptr. 206, a show business personality sued a weekly magazine, the National Enquirer, alleging that an item about her in a “gossip column” was false and libelous.

Murdoch should pay Dominion what they want, "Newscorp" is valued today at $9.96 billion. They cannot freely lie. The damage to the country has been measurable. The cost alone in prosecuting the insurrectionists is substantial.

There is nothing normal about this picture. The people who did this to our Capital were inspired by Murdoch's propaganda networks of infotainment. There should never be such levels of hate of free will that our government is rocked to the core. Murdoch's ideology is responsible.

April 17, 2023
By Michael Conway

The most consequential libel trial in decades, (click here) Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion lawsuit against Fox News Network, was supposed to begin on Monday. The trial's start has now been pushed to Tuesday — which could be an indication that Fox is looking to settle. To be sure, pretrial rulings have already given Dominion a significant boost in proving its case to a Delaware jury....

FOX News is not journalism as FOX News itself freely have stated over and over. FOX News and it's commentators are all employed by "infotainment." The falsehoods by FOX News and it's commentators are standard fare for them. They indulge in lies and propaganda 24/7. They can be held responsible for defamation because they do it all the time. 

Defamation (click here) is a statement that injures a third party's reputation. The tort of defamation includes both libel (written statements) and slander (spoken statements). State common law and statutory law governs defamation actions, and each state varies in their standards for defamation and potential damages. Defamation is a tricky area of law as the lines between stating an opinion versus a fact can be vague, and defamation tests the limits of the first amendment freedoms of speech and press....

Defamation is defamation, it is not freedom of speech. I think every police officer injured or dead because of January 6th insurrection should join the Dominion lawsuit. Those police officers are dead because of the propaganda network at FOX News and allowing lies to overshadow the USA Constitution and the intent of a wayward president to destroy it. 

New York Times vs. Sullivan (click here)

After reviewing the facts of the case, the errors in the ad, and the lower-court judgments, Brennan announced that the court had found that the rule of law applied by the Alabama courts failed to uphold the freedom of speech and of the press that are required by the First and the Fourteenth Amendment. Brennan quickly disposed of Sullivan’s reliance on earlier decisions of the court and cited several previous cases that had expanded the parameters of First Amendment protection. The notion that public debate should be “uninhibited, robust, and wide-open” proved to be the most-quoted phrase of the decision, because it summed up what assorted champions of free speech had intended—that in a democracy all opinions, even unpleasant ones or opinions delivered unpleasantly, had to be allowed so that full debate could take place on important issues....

January 6th insurrection is an attack against the USA Constitution and it's processes to ensure a peaceful transition of power. Every participant, including Trump, was acting against the USA Constitution that day. There was a build up. FOX News was a responsible party toward that build.

April 7, 2023

The federal appeals court in Washington, DC, (click here) has upheld the Justice Department’s use of a key criminal charge against hundreds of January 6 rioters, saying they can be charged with obstructing Congress.

The appeals court said obstruction can include a “wide range of conduct” when a defendant has a corrupt intent and is targeting an official proceeding, such as the congressional certification of the presidential election on January 6, 2021....

The lingering stench of an ideology branded by FOX News continues for whatever reason it does as if there is actually a reason for it, most probably there is money involved.

...Eventually, (click here) the music dies down and this crowd of perhaps 35 grows quiet. “Today is day number 783 of the Jan. 6 political hostage crisis,” a man intones. “Every single night we say their names. Bear with me: This list is pretty long.” It takes him over three minutes to get through everyone. The crowd somberly intones “hero” in the space between each name. They are mostly middle-aged, mostly white or Asian, and many wear identical white T-shirts with a portrait of a smiling woman in a beanie on the back....

This is what the "Jan. 6 political hostage crisis" is all about (click here). It is about the brutality of the treatment of police doing their jobs while a USA Constitution carried out a peaceful transition of power. It is about former Vice President Pence trapped in a garage while these people tried to kill freely elected government officials at the highest levels of office. Why aren't the people carrying out such claim to hostage taking being met with the names of the police officers dead and injured that day that the so called "hostages" caused!?! This is not politics, it is a clear attempt to undermine a democratic government.

 

The Putin - Xi Propaganda Machine

Changing opinions isn't going to bring back the slaughtered Ukrainians and their children. Macron should not have bargained for the "idea" Xi is a conduit to peace. Xi is assisting in destabilizing countries by dangling economic wealth. Enough of the nonsense already. The only reason international leaders are making the rounds in China is because Xi is trying to leverage as many countries as possible into a power play against NATO.

April 14, 2023

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (click here) on Friday defended his country's pursuit of Chinese communication and semiconductor technology, brushing off security concerns from Western nations led by the United States.

"No one will prohibit Brazil from improving its relationship with China," the leftist Brazilian president said on a state visit to Beijing, a day after visiting a research center of telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd....

Vladimir Putin is under indictment by the International Criminal Court for genocide. He has killed children. Xi seems to ignore that reality and is peddling his own special kind of communism as if it is a wonderful peace to fall all over the world.

There is no particular peace being waged in the Middle East either. There maybe a ceasefire, but, as soon as Xi states the peace attempts are over and war should ensue, it will happen and then Saudi Arabia is going to come crying to NATO to protect it from invasion by Iran.

Xi wants Taiwan and he doesn't care who he kills. All this mess that is occurring internationally is to cement alliances as a guarantee to the war he and Putin are planning further.

March 26, 2023

By Martin Schram

Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin (click here) ended their Moscow summit this week by showcasing economic help and diplomatic support China will provide the now supplicant banana-less republic that is Putin’s Russia today.

But even more importantly, the two autocratic presidents were careful not to spotlight this year’s most important reality: Apparently, their famous “no limits” partnership they boldly declared in 2022, just three weeks before Putin invaded Ukraine, has limits, after all. And this week, we discovered those limits — in what was left out of this year’s summit declaration.

So it was that the sweeping nine-point joint statement Xi and Putin issued contained extensive pronouncements on all manner of issues. The greatest economic assistance agreement helps both countries. China will buy significant quantities of Russia’s oil and natural gas, making up for the European energy market Russia lost after it invaded Ukraine. The joint statement also dealt with grand global issues such as the climate change crisis, and even narrower regional specifics including Taiwan and Mongolia....

A communist's signature on an agreement is only good for as long as it serves their purpose. There is not an agreement Putin has signed that holds water anymore. He has violated every treaty he has signed only to believe NATO is a weak alliance that will sell their souls for the ability to declare peace exists to their people. Putin always read NATO and the G8 wrong. Now, the G7 exists and it is the way it should be. The G8 was a wish, not a firm partnership.

Russia and China are a problem in that they are trying to leverage world opinion to dismiss the fact genocide has occurred at the hand of man the world once trusted. 

Got that?

Let me write that again.

Russia and China are trying to leverage world opinion to dismiss the fact genocide has occurred at the hand of a man the world once trusted.

One more time or isn't it necessary? I mean the communist propaganda machine is at work and the idea denial of the truth is the goal is real. So, if necessary, perhaps repeat those words at least once a day.

Russia and China are trying to leverage world opinion to dismiss the fact genocide has occurred at the hand of a man the world once trusted.

That was the third time. What does Wall Street advertisers say, "The seventh time is the charm." Right?

The more the message is heard the more believable it becomes.

Communists are thick as thieves and Xi is willing to back it up with the promise of wealth. Don't count on Middle East peace. I doubt Israel is.

April 15, 2023
By Manolo Serapio, Jr.

A Chinese envoy said the Philippines is “stoking the fire” over Taiwan’s independence (click here) by giving the US access to military sites near the Taiwan Strait under an expanded defense agreement.

While Manila has adhered to the one-China principle, the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines said the decision “has caused widespread and grave concern among Chinese people.” Huang Xilian was speaking Friday at a forum in Manila on China-Philippines relations.

The Philippines this month identified the four new military sites the US will have access to under their Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, or EDCA. Three are near Taiwan and a fourth faces the disputed South China Sea....

Let's just be stupid enough to believe Xi wants a ONE CHINA with all partners on board in peace and tolerance of difference.

Look, no one wants to prevent a country from being part of a greater sovereign power so long as the people are safe and peace is the doctrine at work. That is simply not true with China. It is not true with Russia and Ukraine either. The people of Taiwan live in fear of the people across the bodies of waters they share. 

One has to ask if "One China" is based in peace and prosperity or death and killing. Xi seems to think it is death and killing according to the most recent games of war he carried out to terrify the people of Taiwan further.

Guam. (click here)

Guam is a USA territory. It has been a long time. It is only natural the neighborhood will lean into peace with the USA. What does the "One China" want next? The USA should give up it's alliance with nations of the Pacific and give Guam to China? That would extend China's borders, wouldn't it?

You have to know the communists are never good partners in trade or peace. It is not in their priorities to be TRUSTWORTHY. That is what the issue with China boils down to, is "One China" a trustworthy entity? It isn't. The Chinese oligarchs are owned by the government of China. It is no different than the way Russia handles it's billionaires. The country is everything and everything else that says otherwise doesn't matter and the communists are ready to prove it.

Here is the true China.

Ready?

After September 11, 2001 occurred in the USA, under the direction of Don Rumsfeld, it was decided to purchase the airspace over Pakistan to reach Afghanistan. Made sense, right? Pakistan was viewed primarily as a quasi-ally. After Musharraf received the monies he purchased military articles from China. Military articles that would have to be balanced with India to ensure no confrontation. Probably a bargain basement because when China received those monies it turned around and built 100 more nuclear warheads/missiles to aim at the USA.

THAT is the true China.

This was after September 11, 2001 where international terrorists showed how they can reek havoc in the Free World. Did China care that an international understanding had to exist to prevent such acts of violence again? Hell, no. China was probably like the Palestinians in that they were hoping it would occur again and again to implode the USA.

There is no trustworthy China.

That is not opinion. It is a MEASURABLE fact!

Protect Babies and Children

From the "Journal of Pediatrics" (click here)

Respiratory diseases account for about 25% of all pediatric consultations, and 10% of these are for asthma. The other main pediatric respiratory diseases, in terms of incidence, are bronchiolitis, acute bronchitis and respiratory infections. Oral corticosteroids, in particular prednisolone, are often used to treat acute respiratory diseases given their anti-inflammatory effects. However, the efficacy of treatment with oral corticosteroids differs among the various types of pediatric respiratory diseases. Notably, also the adverse effects of corticosteroid treatment can differ depending on dosage, duration of treatment and type of corticosteroid administered — a case in point being growth retardation in long-course treatment. A large body of data has accumulated on this topic. In this article, we have reviewed the data and guidelines related to the role of oral corticosteroids in the treatment and management of pediatric bronchiolitis, wheezing, asthma and croup in the attempt to provide guidance for physicians. Also included is a section on the management of acute respiratory failure in children....

There is a virus infecting the upper respiratory tract that can cause severe distress.

The virus will test negative for strep and COVID of any variety.

The virus causes inflammation of the tissues. Pediatricians will order antibiotics and will repeat twice, but, no relief. Prednisone is the only course of treatment that works and will provide immediate results.

The problems of the virus producing copious amounts of secretions is that well meaning parents will use Vicks Vapor products. STOP! Vicks is a cough suppressant and will prevent expectoration of the secretions. Vicks has a warning on it’s product in small print. This aspect of the product is frequently ignored.

DO NOT USE MUCINEX with this virus!

Mucinex will stop secretions but the inflammation will not abate. The result is blockage of the upper respiratory passages and mouth breathing as the only available air. Children and babies have small airways.

There is no reason to shy away from a short course of prednisone of four to five days. A safe dose based on weight and age. This will immediately end the threat and provide relief to child and parents. I mean every word here.

Steam from vaporizers and/or showers will work to provide relief until proper steroid treatment is obtained.

The steroid treatment is also necessary in older children and adults.

It is a really lousy virus!

Use good hygiene!

DO NOT REINFECT!

POW

Prisoners of War are governed by the Geneva Conventions. Whoever thought such atrocities were possible at the hand of Vladimir Putin? 

The scenarios just keep getting worse. Who does he think he is and on what mission? Has his life devolved so much he can’t see humanity at all anymore?

Beheadings are the stock and trade of terrorists. Terrorists don’t have the resources of a sovereign power. What is going on in Russia?

Petroleum

Stop cuddling up to the petroleum industry.

I don’t care if it Occidental’s deep earth gas wells for CO2 or the EPA’s idea of plastic fuel, IT IS ALL WRONG!

I plan to blog about this more extensively, but, everyone out there has got to be joking. It isn’t enough that Oklahoma injection wells split the North American craton while making land unlivable with seismic activity, now, Occidental wants to open gigantic fans to push air into Earth’s crust as if immune from more of the same dangerous dynamics. This is idiocy. Another petroleum industry “junk shot.”

Currently, South Dakota, one of the deepest Red States, derives 85 percent of its electricity from alternative energy. That’s right. Solar and wind. South Dakota where cows huddle in snow storms that practically cover them. If South Dakota can make that leap of faith every other state in this great country can do the same thing.

There is absolutely NOTHING the petroleum industry has to offer to the future of Earth or the national security of the USA. NOTHING!

The national security of the USA lies along complete decarbonization of the economy. Our children require a level of dedication to their future unmatched in the USA ever before. This isn’t just NET Zero, this is complete zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Batteries will not be an issue. Lithium is not the only path forward.

The EPA is wrong in playing footsie with the petroleum industry on a “plastic fuel.” It is NOT Earth friendly and will cause cancers that no one should be exposed to in their entire lives.

Finally, coal emissions are at an all time low. We need to continue on that path. When it comes to extracting CO2 from the air, the only reasonable storage is in man made diamonds. There is no other good use for carbon.

Bragg…

 …and his family should be given every aspect of security they need to carry on life uninterrupted. He is doing the work of a real democracy. It is vital he do his work. I appreciate everything he has done and is doing. He is a very important man.

The USA have great allies.

 South Korea, in reviewing the leaked documents, states many are fake. 

Thank you Former Attorney General Barr for changing the dialog.

April 9, 2023

By Stephen Neukam

Former Attorney General Bill Barr (click here) on Friday afternoon offered perhaps the most scathing public criticism a prominent Republican has given about former President Donald Trump's decision to bring a trove of government documents to Mar-A-Lago after the end of his term, suggesting federal authorities were left with little choice but to raid the property after Trump "jerked around" investigators....

Former Attorney General Bill Barr (click here) said Sunday that investigators probing the potential mishandling of classified documents by former President Trump likely have “very good evidence” that Trump attempted to keep authorities from obtaining the materials after he left the White House.

The case against Trump, Barr said, comes down to the matter of how long it took the government to get the materials back, which will play a significant role....

I think Trump and any of his family or associates are a danger to national security. It is sickening to watch a former president carry on the way Trump does. He has no respect for the country or it's constitution. I am glad the Former Attorney General continues to bring reality to these problems.

Regardless of what people may think of Bill Barr, he has insight that is important to hear. The country needs to hear how things were not on the straight and narrow during the years Trump occupied the White House. Former AG Barr needs to continue to defend the USA Constitution.

Kacsmaryk…

 …is not qualified to change the course of medical science. It is malpractice based in religious, political hubris. He needs to be reviewed for competency and ethic violations. 

If he wants to preach he needs to do that in a different venue and not a courtroom. His spouse is known to use her children to campaign against abortion rights for women.

Yes, all this outrageous and rude behavior in the judiciary is based in ethical malfeasance empowered by political dogma. There is no constitutional basis for these issues including obstructing freedom of speech in a legislative body outraged by mass killings of Americans.

Huanan Seafood Market

 It is where the viruses are transmitted to humans. But. The problem is bigger. I strongly suspect the animals carrying the virus were bitten by bats carrying viruses. China continues to point a finger at the market. It is more than that. These animals don’t spontaneously all of a sudden generate disease. There is a consistent source and my strongest suspicions are infected bats. The Chinese, no different than impoverished Africans use the bats for food as well.

Republicans behaving badly

Vice President Harris was forced to stop in Tennessee to remind Republicans that life is more important than a gun. She had to demand democracy be intact rather than political partisanship and crony favoring procedure. 

The Republicans responsible for such disdain of democracy in Tennessee require an ethics review and discipline. The entire episode reeks of human rights abuses.

Taiwan is a threat to no one.

China’s huffing and puffing over Taiwan’s visit to the USA is ridiculous. North Korea is more of an unpredictable threat to China than Taiwan could ever be. The world has an argument with Putin for irrational killing of innocent people. Xi needs to stop posturing as if communism is a superior governance and live in peace. Military muscle flexing on a heating Earth is purely moronic.

Journalism is a profession. There are standard and ethics. Outside of those is tabloid news.

Rachel Maddow stands for the best in journalism ethics and professional standards. Trump is a propagandist that considers Vladimir Putin more important than the national security of the United States of America. He is not newsworthy except for his prosecutions.

FOX News and CNN have failed the ethics and professionalism standard falling to the category of tabloid news. Tabloid news is not newsworthy, it is grossly inaccurate entertainment exploitation. The problem is that it is the primary information network of some Americans. I guess if one chooses, an American can live in La La Land and never enjoy the real America where our democracy is a beautiful portrait of human strength dignity. They constantly vote against their own best interest and their poverty stricken lives a proof.

BOOM! Rachel Maddow (click here) REFUSED to air Trump’s post-arrest remarks on MSNBC because they weren’t “newsworthy.” “As far as we can tell…he is repeating his same lies and allegations against his perceived enemies,” she said. The most significant part of her decision was that it stood apart from other networks. While MSNBC completely ignored Trump’s speech, Fox News predictably carried it in full, and CNN aired most of the address. Giving Donald Trump full coverage has led to disaster before. We are VERY lucky to have journalists like Rachel Maddow!

There are many schools of professional journalism in the USA, this is the website of Perdue University and "The Components of "Newsworthiness" (click here). One has to be able to read to comprehend the meaning though.

GATLUNG AND RUGE, 1973

• Relevance - How relevant is a news story to the audience in question? For example, a California earthquake is almost always more relevant to a West Coast audience than to an audience in Calcutta.
• Timeliness - How recently did the event unfold? Timing is of the utmost importance in today’s 24-hour news cycle. Recent events, or events in the making, are most likely to lead the news.
• Simplification - Stories that can be easily simplified or summarized are likely to be featured more prominently than stories that are convoluted or difficult to understand.
• Predictability - Certain events, such as elections, major sporting events, astrological events, and legal decisions, happen on a predictable schedule. As the event draws closer, it typically gains news value.
• Unexpectedness - On the other hand, events like natural disasters, accidents, or crimes are completely unpredictable. These events are also likely to have significant news value.
• Continuity - Some events, such as war, elections, protests, and strikes, require continuing coverage. These events are likely to remain in the news for a long time, although not always as the lead story.
• Composition - Editors have to keep in mind the big picture—the sum of all content in their media outlet. For this reason, an editor might select soft human interest stories to balance out other hard-hitting, investigative journalism.
• Elite People - Certain individuals, like politicians, entertainers, and athletes, are considered, by virtue of their status, more newsworthy. If someone throws a shoe at an everyday person, it’s probably not news. If someone throws a shoe at the President of the United States, it will likely be in the news for weeks.
• Elite Countries - Famine, drought, and national disasters are more likely to draw attention if they are happening in wealthy, developed countries than if they are happening in developing countries.
• Negativity - Generally speaking, editors deem bad news more newsworthy than good news.

SHOEMAKER ET AL., 1987

• Timeliness - Shoemaker et al. also recognize timeliness as a critical news value.
• Proximity - Similar to Gatlung and Ruge’s “Relevance.” The closer an event takes place to the intended audience, the more important it is. This is why huge local or regional stories might not make the national news.
• Importance, impact, or consequence - How many people will the event impact? Issues like climate change have become big news in recent years precisely because environmental changes affect the entire planet.
• Interest - Does the story have any special human interest? For example, the inspirational story of a person overcoming large odds to reach her goal appeals to a fundamental human interest.
• Conflict or Controversy - Similar to Gatlung and Ruge’s “Negativity.” Editors generally deem conflict more newsworthy than peace.
• Sensationalism - Sensational stories tend to make the front pages more than the everyday.
• Prominence - Similar to Gatlung and Ruge’s “Elite People.” The actions of prominent people are much more likely to make the news than non-public figures.
• Novelty, oddity, or the unusual - Strange stories are likely to find their way into the news. Dog bites man—no story. Man bites dog—story.

Tornado outbreaks have become the norm. This is not a normal climate for Earth.

The footprint of these outbreaks is enormous. A lot of damage and a lot of people effected in multiple states. This is not normal and is very disruptive. The greenhouse gas emissions must be contained and eliminated. There is no choice in this. This is not good for our country, its nations of people or our economy.

Climate has to be a national priority. This is all outside of any normal tornado season. Even brick walls are down and gone. That is unbelievably strong tornadoes and it is happening in outbreaks. 

April 2, 2023

Wynne - Residents across a wide swath of the U.S. (click here) raced Sunday to assess the destruction from fierce storms that spawned possibly dozens of tornadoes from the South and the Midwest into the Northeast, killing at least 32 people.

The storms tore a path through the Arkansas capital and also collapsed the roof of a packed concert venue in Illinois, stunning people throughout the region with the scope of the damage.

The number of deaths continued to grow Sunday.

"While we are still assessing the full extent of the damage, we know families across America are mourning the loss of loved ones, desperately waiting for news of others fighting for their lives, and sorting through the rubble of their homes and businesses," President Joe Biden said in a statement....

 

Stormy Daniels was not alone in love of country before personal interests.

The people of the USA have a debt to Mr. Michael Cohen for his decision to be open about his involvement in the Trump Organization and the hush money he managed for Donald John Trump.

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels' (click here) attorney handed over her communications with Trump attorney Joe Tacopina to the Manhattan district attorney's office, according to CNN....

We got a perp walk today due to Mr. Cohen.

Michael Cohen left his family to serve time for his crimes. He was right to cooperate and bring the real criminal to trial. Trump has no respect for women. He used her for his own self-gratification. She never made it to The Apprentice as a measure to get her cooperation with a trip to Trump's bed. She is beautiful and typical of the Miss Universe women Trump coveted.

Mr. Bragg has an ironclad case. I thank him for his work in this matter and making sure no person in this country is above the law. It isn't easy to defend a democracy, but, today was another step in doing so.

April 4, 2023
By Derek Hawkins

Cohen was a longtime confidant, personal lawyer and self-described “fixer” (click here) for Trump. But as investigations into the hush money payment and other alleged misconduct ramped up, Cohen turned on his former boss and now ranks as one of Trump’s most vocal critics.

Cohen admitted in 2018 to breaking campaign finance laws in arranging the payment to Daniels and a separate payment to another woman. He served time in prison after pleading guilty in two federal cases. One, brought by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, involved Cohen’s lies to Congress about a possible Trump Tower project in Moscow. The other, brought by federal prosecutors, focused on tax and bank fraud allegations, as well as campaign finance violations. During sentencing, he said his “weakness” was “blind loyalty to Donald Trump.”...

April 4, 2023

By Caroline Linton

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (click here) told reporters Tuesday after the arraignment of former President Donald Trump that a "thorough investigation" led to his office's decision to charge Trump with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

"This is the business capital of the world," Bragg said about New York City. "We regularly do cases involving false business statements. The bedrock of the basis for business integrity and a well-functioning business marketplace is accurate record-keeping."

Trump pleaded not guilty to the 34 felony counts.

Bragg conducted a grand jury investigation related to a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels made by Trump's former attorney and "fixer" Michael Cohen in the days before the 2016 presidential election. Trump has denied a sexual encounter with Daniels. Bragg's office announced last week that a grand jury had indicted the former president.

The indictment remained under seal ahead of Trump's arraignment, after which the charges against him were made public....