I understand Trump MUST FOLLOW THE LAW and provide Congress with financial records. I'll be darn. Trump and his refusal to recognize his oath of office is found out again!
Second, while the OLC opinion concludes that a sitting President may not be prosecuted,
it recognizes that a criminal investigation during the President's term is permissible.
3...
When Russians, the folks that are the focus of an ONGOING investigation walks into the Oval Office, especially after the Director of the FBI was fired, and is handed highly classified information, it seems really obvious there was a violation in the law. At that point, the facts would speak for themselves and any prosecutor, even a military prosecutor of the JAG Corp. could carry out the indictment.
Trump is carrying out his offensive behavior in breaking his oath of office in plain sight. The facts scream out loud.
3 OLC Op. at 257 n.36 ("A grand jury could continue to gather evidence throughout the period ofimmunity"). (click here)
...The OLC
opinion also recognizes that a President does not have immunity after he leaves office.4
Whoo dee do. What good does that do the USA military when it is lead by a Russian sympathizer?
4 OLC Op. at 255 ("Recognizing an immunity from prosecution for a sitting President would not
preclude such prosecution once the President's term is over or he is otherwise removed from office by
resignation or impeachment").
I am fairly certain the link below is the 1997 version of the US Attorney Handbook. It would be worth a read through by qualified persons in comparison of the 2019 version. I am concerned there are watered down ideas that would reflect a loss of sovereign strength of the USA Constitution.
This is archived content from the U.S. Department of Justice website. (click here) The information here may be outdated and links may no longer function. Please contact webmaster@usdoj.gov if you have any questions about the archive site.
This is the website that houses "Opinion by Volume" of the US DOJ. (click here) There are 34 volumes up to 2008 with two volumes in 1980. The decisions by Attorney Generals and Assistant Attorney Generals can be important, however, there needs to be review by the peer community that also carries weight when these weighty opinions are made. I don't think the DOJ should be freelancing in any opinion without sufficient peer review.
Below is the "Hyde Amendment" regarding the power of prosecution. There is already legislation that can temper opinions of the DOJ.
I. PROSECUTORS' DISCRETIONARY POWER: (click here) WRONGFUL
CONVICTIONS AND CURRENT REGULATION
A. The Breadth of Prosecutorial Discretion
Federal prosecutors wield an enormous amount of power with
broad discretion and few constraints or guidelines.9 Federal prosecutors have the authority to bring charges, decide what charges to
bring, make sentencing recommendations, and control the plea
bargaining process. 10 The decision to charge, in particular, puts the
...And if
individuals other than the President committed an obstruction offense, they may be prosecuted at
this time. Given those considerations, the facts known to us, and the strong public interest in safeguarding the integrity of the criminal justice system, we conducted a thorough factual
investigation in order to preserve the evidence when memories were fresh and documentary
materials were available.
That is the real power of the Special Prosecutor. The ability to record the events in real time and bring evidence to be preserved. It is an important capacity that should not be tampered with.
I am going to take a break.
Monday, May 20, 2019
"Morning Papers"
The Rooster
"Okeydoke"
"Report On The Investigation In Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election" (click here)
Volume I is quite extensive. It looks rather scandalous actually if it weren't for the assault against the sovereign elections of the United States of America by Russia. Volume II begins on page 200 of the redacted report. That is 208 of the PDF.
The same problem with the header of each page remains the same. This was an interrupted work in progress.
Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller, III
Submitted Pursuant to 28 C.F.R. § 600.B(c) (click here)
Washington, DC
March 2019
The table of contents of Volume II begins on page 201 and 209 on the PDF. Introduction to this volume is on page 1 and the Executive Summary begins on page 3. Small Roman numerals are at the bottom of the Table of Contents, number 1 through 4.
INTRODUCTION TO VOLUME II
This report is submitted to the Attorney General pursuant to 28 C.F.R. § 600.8(c), which states that, " [a]t the conclusion of the Special Counsel's work, he ... shall provide the Attorney General a confidential report explaining the prosecution or declination decisions [the Special Counsel] reached."
I do not believe this work is complete.
Beginning in 2017, (after January 20th or perhaps on the presidential term which began at noon of that day) the President of the United States took a variety of actions towards the ongoing FBI investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election and related matters that raised questions about whether he had obstructed justice.
I find that odd. Nearly the first order of business Trump carried out was to end the Russia investigation. This investigation was started by the Former Director of the FBI, James Comey. I find it more than interesting that the Former Director has been so openly verbal about this occurrence. The investigation was into KNOWN law breaking by Russia. I would not think a newly elected president would have such high priorities to such a matter so much as day to day business and keep briefed on the progress of the investigation.
One of the regular inquires FBI agents make is to be sure the USA is safe from enemies abroad or from within. This was both. The FBI knew there was hacking from outside the borders of the USA and it also learned there were Russian agents actively involved with campaign personnel of the Trump campaign. This is no minor pursuit. There was an abundance of reasons to be concerned and pursue FISA warrants and more. The very presence of Paul Manafort as campaign manager was a huge issue. So much so was the issue of Manafort he had to step aside from being a campaign manager. There is absolutely no doubt the FBI was carrying out it's mission and it was protecting the sovereignty of the USA. NO DOUBT.
The Order appointing the Special Counsel gave this Office jurisdiction to investigate matters that arose directly from the FBI's Russia investigation, including whether the President had obstructed justice in connection with Russia-related investigations.
President Trump carried out obstruction of justice the very day he fired the Former Director James Comey.
GOT THAT?
This is not a highly specialized decision. It is as plain as the nose on Trump's face. As soon as he demanded loyalty over oath and then ended the good service of the FBI Director there isn't anything else to say. There was no reason to relieve James Comey of his long sought after profession. James Comey was a magnificent Director of the FBI, swore an oath to protect this country and he was discharged because why? Why? Because he didn't swear a second oath to loyalty to Donald J. Trump.
To put frosting on that cake, immediately after the Chicken Trump fired Comey IN A TWEET, he invites Russian leadership into the White House and into the Oval Office. What a grand tour that was.
Now as to the Trumpian "idea" that Comey led the Deep State? What the hell was Russia leading a Boy Scout troop into the Oval Office?
This obstruction of justice that began with Comey's firing, was followed up by handing Russia highly classified information. That is a profound breach of USA sovereignty and then we wonder why these morons are still in the Executive Branch.
Well.
It was because the Republicans in the US Senate and US House had a majority. That's why. Trump wasn't marched out of the Oval Office because the Republicans looked the other way. Pathetic.
The Republicans no more loved their country nor cared about their oath of office, than Trump did. Trump today continues to defy openly the oath he took and laughs at the pathetic Republicans left in the US House and those still holding a majority in the US Senate because he believes they wouldn't be elected without him. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE JOKING! They quake at the idea Trump might disdain them? If he wasn't in office that would not happen! If he were in prison along with Manafort, the image of the Republicans would be exonerated for not signing an oath to Trump. THEY HAVEN'T HAVE THEY? Because they sign stupid oaths all the time for votes.
The Special Counsel's jurisdiction also covered potentially obstructive acts related to the Special Counsel's investigation itself. This Volume of our report summarizes our obstruction-of-justice investigation of the President.
Obstruction of justice is a serious crime. If justice is interrupted, then there is no Rule of Law. The reason the Special Counsel was to investigate obstruction of justice is to ensure the avenues of investigation and evidence were open and the entire truth be known. Just that simple. An investigation doesn't live by "hear-say" alone. Evidence is required and to that end the DOJ still hasn't supplied it to the people that can end this hideous presidency.
18 U.S. Code Chapter 73 - Obstruction of Justice (click here)
We first describe the considerations that guided our obstruction-of-justice investigation, and then provide an overview of this Volume:
First, a traditional prosecution or declination decision entails a binary determination to initiate or decline a prosecution, but we determined not to make a traditional prosecutorial judgment. The Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) (click here)...
Well, how grand is this? The DOJ has it's own definition of the USA Constitution. And for this reason the Special Counsel could not indict Trump for the obvious law breaking he has conducted in full view of the American people? This is ridiculous.
By delegation from the Attorney General, the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Office of Legal Counsel provides legal advice to the President and all executive branch agencies. The Office drafts legal opinions of the Attorney General and provides its own written opinions and other advice in response to requests from the Counsel to the President, the various agencies of the Executive Branch, and other components of the Department of Justice. Such requests typically deal with legal issues of particular complexity and importance or those about which two or more agencies are in disagreement. The Office is also responsible for reviewing and commenting on the constitutionality of pending legislation.
...has issued an opinion finding that "the indictment or criminal prosecution of a sitting President would impermissibly undermine the capacity of the executive branch to perform its constitutionally assigned functions"...
I WOULD HOPE SO! I would expect the DOJ to bring prosecution of such a president in the face of OBVIOUS anti-sovereignty actions. GIVE ME A BREAK. Trump fires Comey and in less than 12 hours the Russians. You know the Russians under investigation by Comey for hacking into a political party of the USA. THOSE RUSSIANS. In less than 12 hours the Russians are in the Oval Office yucking it up with Trump and receiving highly classified information.
I DON'T THINK SO!
This is not a break into the Watergate or semen on a lover's skirt, this is the OPEN DISREGARD OF THE US CONSTITUTION and an open attack on the USA itself. The world of cyber is real and it was assaulted successfully by a foreign power that is a KNOWN enemy of the USA.
This has absolutely NOTHING to do with a Deep State of some covert nature or FBI agents involved in a love affair promising each other a certain political outcome. THIS IS AN OPEN ASSAULT ON THE USA! Peter Strzok had nothing to do with this!
This is a complete breakdown of the sovereign power of the USA and today it shows like a sore thumb.
...in violation of "the constitutional separation of powers."1
1 A Sitting President's Amenability to Indictment and Criminal Prosecution, 24 Op. O.L.C. 222,222, 260 (2000) (OLC Op.). (click here for available PDF)
What the hell are ya talking about? The DOJ is in the same branch of government as the Presidency. I completely reject the idea of this DOJ exoneration of acting to protect the sovereignty of the USA. The Russians played and continue to play the DOJ like a fine fiddle. THIS idea is pure nonsense and weakens the USA constitution.
So, the DOJ then takes a back seat to the Rule of Law and provides an investigation for the US House to play out. This is nonsense. THESE PEOPLE ARE CRIMINALS and have been from the earliest days in office and there is no indictment? That is counter intuitive to any understanding the American people have of their constitution. The people understand Trump is acting against them in his relationship with Russia and Putin. This is a double standard of law and it is ridiculous.
...Given the role of the Special Counsel as an attorney in the Department of Justice and the framework of the Special Counsel regulations, see 28 U.S.C. § 515;28 C.F.R. § 600.7(a) (click here), this Office accepted OLC's legal conclusion for the purpose of exercising prosecutorial jurisdiction. And apart from OLC's constitutional view, we recognized that a federal criminal accusation against a sitting President would place burdens on the President's capacity to govern and potentially preempt constitutional processes for addressing presidential misconduct.2
The MISCONDUCT, in this case, is not a minor issue, it is an attack on USA sovereignty. The longer the moron in the Oval Office continues to spew hate, isolate Americans from media services to inform the country, plays footsie with Russia and carries out wet dreams about the Middle East the long this country will be broken down in it's understanding of the USA and it's Rule of Law. I have no use for this. The DOJ is wrong and could not be more wrong. The very minute Trump handed Russians classified material the Secret Service should have arrested him and turned over to the USA justice system for trial for treason. Don't tell me this didn't compromise the USA military.
2 See U.S. CONST. Art. I § 2, cl. 5; § 3, cl. 6; cf OLC Op. at 257-258 (discussing relationship between impeachment and criminal prosecution of a sitting President). (click here)
The DOJ has completely failed this country in an attempt to appear to be above politics.
THE LAW IS THE LAW and this opinion needs to be struck down as a failed policy adverse to the USA Constitution. An arrest of a treasonist would be shown in a court of law.
This only goes to prove it is the legislature that carries the sincerest sovereign authority to write a law of which policies are derived. When an agency of the USA goes out on its own to carry out a policy it completely derails the USA Constitution.
continued in next entry
The detention facilities should have health clinics with properly trained personnel. It would be far better to practice capture and release to end these problems.
I believe this is the first of the child deaths from the Guatemalan refugees that have crossed the southern border of the USA.
Now, there is a teenager. That is different. Teenagers and their health is different than a child, but, teens are minors and considered children by USA law. What concerns me is the teenager is on his way to becoming an adult.
There must be health issues with these people that are not addressed. There are non-profits along the USA border very familiar with those that come here for asylum, they need to be consulted and health clinics set up within the confinement populations.
May 16, 2019
Houston - A 2½-year-old Guatemalan child (click here) has died after crossing the border, becoming the fourth minor known to have died after being detained by the Border Patrol since December and raising new alarms about the treatment of migrant families seeking asylum in the United States.
The boy died Tuesday after several weeks in the hospital, American and Guatemalan authorities said. Tekandi Paniagua, Guatemala’s consul in Del Rio, Texas, said the boy had a high fever and difficulty breathing, and authorities took him to a children’s hospital where he was diagnosed with pneumonia.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the boy’s mother told agents her son was ill on April 6, three days after they were apprehended near an international bridge in El Paso, Texas....
This is encephalitis. (click here) The people accompanying this young man need to be assessed for any possible exposure to the same cause and the people arriving should be vaccinated along with a physical exam before they are detained.
The best way to prevent viral encephalitis is to take precautions to avoid exposure to viruses that can cause the disease. Try to:
Practice good hygiene. Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water, particularly after using the toilet and before and after meals.
Don't share utensils. Don't share tableware and beverages.
Teach your children good habits. Make sure they practice good hygiene and avoid sharing utensils at home and school.
Get vaccinations. Keep your own and your children's vaccinations current. Before traveling, talk to your doctor about recommended vaccinations for different destinations.
May 1, 2019
By Graham Kates
A 16-year-old boy from Guatemala (click here) died days after being apprehended in the U.S., officials confirmed Wednesday. They said he developed symptoms of an illness the day after he arrived at a shelter in Texas.
According to the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry, the boy died Tuesday of a "severe infection in the frontal lobe" of the brain.
The teen was picked up by border patrol after he crossed into El Paso, Texas on April 19, Guatemalan officials said. On the evening of April 20, he was transferred by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the Southwest Key Casa Padre shelter in Brownsville, which is run by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)....
Now, there is a teenager. That is different. Teenagers and their health is different than a child, but, teens are minors and considered children by USA law. What concerns me is the teenager is on his way to becoming an adult.
There must be health issues with these people that are not addressed. There are non-profits along the USA border very familiar with those that come here for asylum, they need to be consulted and health clinics set up within the confinement populations.
May 16, 2019
Houston - A 2½-year-old Guatemalan child (click here) has died after crossing the border, becoming the fourth minor known to have died after being detained by the Border Patrol since December and raising new alarms about the treatment of migrant families seeking asylum in the United States.
The boy died Tuesday after several weeks in the hospital, American and Guatemalan authorities said. Tekandi Paniagua, Guatemala’s consul in Del Rio, Texas, said the boy had a high fever and difficulty breathing, and authorities took him to a children’s hospital where he was diagnosed with pneumonia.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the boy’s mother told agents her son was ill on April 6, three days after they were apprehended near an international bridge in El Paso, Texas....
This is encephalitis. (click here) The people accompanying this young man need to be assessed for any possible exposure to the same cause and the people arriving should be vaccinated along with a physical exam before they are detained.
The best way to prevent viral encephalitis is to take precautions to avoid exposure to viruses that can cause the disease. Try to:
Practice good hygiene. Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water, particularly after using the toilet and before and after meals.
Don't share utensils. Don't share tableware and beverages.
Teach your children good habits. Make sure they practice good hygiene and avoid sharing utensils at home and school.
Get vaccinations. Keep your own and your children's vaccinations current. Before traveling, talk to your doctor about recommended vaccinations for different destinations.
May 1, 2019
By Graham Kates
A 16-year-old boy from Guatemala (click here) died days after being apprehended in the U.S., officials confirmed Wednesday. They said he developed symptoms of an illness the day after he arrived at a shelter in Texas.
According to the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry, the boy died Tuesday of a "severe infection in the frontal lobe" of the brain.
The teen was picked up by border patrol after he crossed into El Paso, Texas on April 19, Guatemalan officials said. On the evening of April 20, he was transferred by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the Southwest Key Casa Padre shelter in Brownsville, which is run by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)....
The Republican response to Rep. Justin Amash is very troubling.
The Republicans are acting like a regime, rather than a party. I am confident with overwhelming evidence of Trump's lawbreaking, there are many Representatives and Senators wondering about their law license as well.
The DNC should reach out to Rep. Justin Amash to ask if there is anything it can do to improve his status after standing up for justice and THE RULE OF LAW.
Bill Barr is no measure to the legal standing of Trump. He is corrupt himself and the 4 page letter is very telling.
Then there is this:
May 20, 2019
By Caitlin Oprysko
President Donald Trump (click here) lashed out at The New York Times on Monday, disputing the paper’s reporting on his relationship with Deutsche Bank and launching into a broader criticism of the news media.
The president appeared to be responding to a Times report that anti-money laundering experts at the German bank noticed suspicious activity in accounts belonging to Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in 2016 and 2017. According to the Times, bank executives blocked employees from reporting the suspect transactions to the U.S. Treasury and one former employee says she was fired for raising concerns about the bank’s scrutiny of certain clients....
The Trump regime has to be asking themselves when does all this lawlessness end?
This isn't speculation from Deutsche Bank. These are facts. I suppose this is the Deep State working at Deutsche Bank, too.
The deception that is Trump is fraying and it is time to realize the president is no longer a person that can be respected. His defense among "the people" is that he is reaching out to the disenfranchised and succeeding. That is not a reason for lawlessness and if the Republican base is disenfranchised, why?
The Red States have some of the worst quality of life statistics in the country. Disenfranchised? You betcha. Where does the working poor even have time in their day to take an interest in their future? Their votes, as demonstrated by the highly anti-medicine abortion law, are based strongly in religious faith. That is an easy one. Even the working poor worries about their soul. But, to turn concern for a soul into a political regime that regularly costs the working poor their very paychecks is a fools' errand. No Democratic candidate asks anyone to violate their faith or give it up. The prolonged BELIEF that the Republicans are where the faithful are safe is as much a deception as their economic policies that benefit the wealthy.
Michigan should be proud of Congressman Justin Amash. He is not a cutout Republican, he thinks and respects the Rule of Law.
May 20, 2019
The DNC should reach out to Rep. Justin Amash to ask if there is anything it can do to improve his status after standing up for justice and THE RULE OF LAW.
Bill Barr is no measure to the legal standing of Trump. He is corrupt himself and the 4 page letter is very telling.
Then there is this:
May 20, 2019
By Caitlin Oprysko
President Donald Trump (click here) lashed out at The New York Times on Monday, disputing the paper’s reporting on his relationship with Deutsche Bank and launching into a broader criticism of the news media.
The president appeared to be responding to a Times report that anti-money laundering experts at the German bank noticed suspicious activity in accounts belonging to Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in 2016 and 2017. According to the Times, bank executives blocked employees from reporting the suspect transactions to the U.S. Treasury and one former employee says she was fired for raising concerns about the bank’s scrutiny of certain clients....
The Trump regime has to be asking themselves when does all this lawlessness end?
This isn't speculation from Deutsche Bank. These are facts. I suppose this is the Deep State working at Deutsche Bank, too.
The deception that is Trump is fraying and it is time to realize the president is no longer a person that can be respected. His defense among "the people" is that he is reaching out to the disenfranchised and succeeding. That is not a reason for lawlessness and if the Republican base is disenfranchised, why?
The Red States have some of the worst quality of life statistics in the country. Disenfranchised? You betcha. Where does the working poor even have time in their day to take an interest in their future? Their votes, as demonstrated by the highly anti-medicine abortion law, are based strongly in religious faith. That is an easy one. Even the working poor worries about their soul. But, to turn concern for a soul into a political regime that regularly costs the working poor their very paychecks is a fools' errand. No Democratic candidate asks anyone to violate their faith or give it up. The prolonged BELIEF that the Republicans are where the faithful are safe is as much a deception as their economic policies that benefit the wealthy.
Michigan should be proud of Congressman Justin Amash. He is not a cutout Republican, he thinks and respects the Rule of Law.
May 20, 2019
Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, (click here) the first Republican in Congress to accuse President Trump of impeachable conduct, is facing a primary challenge.
State Rep. Jim Lower announced Monday he's running for the western Michigan seat. The announcement came two days after Amash sent a series of tweets , concluding that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election reveals Trump "engaged in specific actions and a pattern of behavior that meet the threshold for impeachment."
The 30-year-old Lower, of Greenville, says he made the announcement earlier than planned after Amash attacked Trump....
More international failures by Russia leading to unnecessary deaths.
May 19, 2019
Syrian rebels (click here) held onto a commanding position in a mountain range in the coastal province of Latakia, the ancestral home of Syrian President Bashar Assad, after government forces were forced to withdraw.
They said the army's attempt was the latest of several costly campaigns to seize Kubayna, after it mounted an offensive last month with Russian air power to retake main highways and trade arteries around Idlib and northern Hama now in rebel hands, that have fragmented the country's war-torn economy.
The northwest represents the last big piece of territory held by rebels opposed to Assad. The coastal province of Latakia is home to the Assad family's Alawite minority.
"Whoever controls Kubayna ensures a large stretch of territory is effectively under their firing range. The regime wants it to protect its coastal villages from rebel fire," said Major Youssef Hamoud, spokesman for the Turkey-backed group of mainstream rebels called the National Army.
An official from Tahrir Al Sham, the latest incarnation of the former Al Nusra Front which was part of Al Qaeda, said poison gas was used in the army's attack on their position on the mountain slopes in an attempt to regain control.
Abu Baraa Al Shami, a fighter based there, told Reuters that several fighters suffered choking symptoms.
The army denied the claim and said it was continuing to fight terrorism, with state media earlier saying the military had struck at Al Qaeda terrorists in the last foothold in Latakia province that has long been a launching pad for drone attacks on the main Russian base of Hmeimim nearby....
How noble, Assad is still fighting terrorists rather than being one.
Syrian rebels (click here) held onto a commanding position in a mountain range in the coastal province of Latakia, the ancestral home of Syrian President Bashar Assad, after government forces were forced to withdraw.
They said the army's attempt was the latest of several costly campaigns to seize Kubayna, after it mounted an offensive last month with Russian air power to retake main highways and trade arteries around Idlib and northern Hama now in rebel hands, that have fragmented the country's war-torn economy.
The northwest represents the last big piece of territory held by rebels opposed to Assad. The coastal province of Latakia is home to the Assad family's Alawite minority.
"Whoever controls Kubayna ensures a large stretch of territory is effectively under their firing range. The regime wants it to protect its coastal villages from rebel fire," said Major Youssef Hamoud, spokesman for the Turkey-backed group of mainstream rebels called the National Army.
An official from Tahrir Al Sham, the latest incarnation of the former Al Nusra Front which was part of Al Qaeda, said poison gas was used in the army's attack on their position on the mountain slopes in an attempt to regain control.
Abu Baraa Al Shami, a fighter based there, told Reuters that several fighters suffered choking symptoms.
The army denied the claim and said it was continuing to fight terrorism, with state media earlier saying the military had struck at Al Qaeda terrorists in the last foothold in Latakia province that has long been a launching pad for drone attacks on the main Russian base of Hmeimim nearby....
How noble, Assad is still fighting terrorists rather than being one.
Since when does the USA military back the priorities of Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia is making a very big mistake in providing ultimatums to Iran based on the idea the USA military is at it's disposal. If Saudi Arabia needed USA military assistance, that should have occurred when the confrontation first broke out with Yemen, not now when Saudi Arabia has a grand vision of eliminating Iran.
The USA can assist Saudi Arabia, as it has in the past, by interrupting armaments into the region by boarding ships carrying illegal shipments. It can provide military advisors to improve the performance of the Saudi military, but, enter into a regional war that will be the end of peace in the Middle East forever, is out of the question.
May 20, 2019
In this handout photo provided by the US Marine Corps, US Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. David Arendt carries his gear across the flight deck of the USS Lewis B. Puller upon embarkation in the Arabian Gulf, on May 11
Riyahd - Saudi Arabia said (click here) on Sunday it wanted to avert war in the region but stood ready to respond with “all strength” following last week’s attacks on Saudi oil assets, telling Iran that the ball was now in its court.
The USA can assist Saudi Arabia, as it has in the past, by interrupting armaments into the region by boarding ships carrying illegal shipments. It can provide military advisors to improve the performance of the Saudi military, but, enter into a regional war that will be the end of peace in the Middle East forever, is out of the question.
May 20, 2019In this handout photo provided by the US Marine Corps, US Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. David Arendt carries his gear across the flight deck of the USS Lewis B. Puller upon embarkation in the Arabian Gulf, on May 11
Riyahd - Saudi Arabia said (click here) on Sunday it wanted to avert war in the region but stood ready to respond with “all strength” following last week’s attacks on Saudi oil assets, telling Iran that the ball was now in its court.
Riyadh has accused Tehran of ordering Tuesday’s drone strikes on two oil pumping stations in the kingdom, claimed by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group. Two days earlier, four vessels, including two Saudi oil tankers, were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. In response, countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) began “enhanced security patrols” in the international waters of the Arabian Gulf area on Saturday, the US Navy’s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet said on Sunday.
Iran has denied involvement in either operation, which come as Washington and the Islamic republic spar over sanctions and the US military presence in the region, raising concerns about a potential US-Iran conflict.
“The kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not want a war in the region nor does it seek that,” Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al Jubeir told a news conference.
“It will do what it can to prevent this war and at the same time it reaffirms that in the event the other side chooses war, the kingdom will respond with all force and determination, and it will defend itself and its interests.”
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Sunday invited Gulf and Arab leaders to convene emergency summits in Mecca on May 30 to discuss implications of the attacks....
Don't make the same mistake with Iran as existed with Iraq.
President Rohani needs to address the general assembly of the United Nations. If the Supreme Leader wants to speak, he should as well.
The USA Congress cannot and should not accept the Trump Administration's assessment of the country of Iran as if it is the final word in understanding the dynamics at work in the Middle East.
To begin, there are the American people being told AGAIN there is a war to fight.
Then there are our allies. They are already stating there are differences in their assessment and that of Trump. The US Congress MUST accept the assessment of allies.
The last time a Republican Neocon was in the White House it was a complete disaster. The USA must not enter into another disastrous war. When confronting Iran, the USA is also confronting Russia.
I find it more than interesting there is absolutely no mention of the long awaited Trump/Kushner peace plan. This war IS THE TRUMP MIDDLE EAST PEACE PLAN.
March 29, 2019
By Anna Ahronheim and Khaled Abu Toameh
Egyptian intelligence officials (click here) arrived in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday evening for talks with leaders of Hamas and other Palestinian groups about reaching truce understandings with Israel.
The Egyptian officials entered the Gaza Strip through the Erez border crossing and were scheduled to stay in the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave at least until Thursday....
Egypt has been carrying out a peace process and all that is to be abandoned because of a damn, stupid priority of a USA president with a son-in-law with a vision? Last time it was because Saddam threatened the life of Bush's father.
There will be no invasion into Iran. There will be no proxy war with Russia. Trump will submit to the Egyptian peace process while beginning to understand Iran, its diaspora which includes the Shia Crescent, and the continued right of Iran to EXIST.
This president knows nothing about foreign policy and it is all too easy to realize allies have been estranged from the USA by Trump and his perverted ideas of priorities.
The USA Congress cannot and should not accept the Trump Administration's assessment of the country of Iran as if it is the final word in understanding the dynamics at work in the Middle East.
To begin, there are the American people being told AGAIN there is a war to fight.
Then there are our allies. They are already stating there are differences in their assessment and that of Trump. The US Congress MUST accept the assessment of allies.
The last time a Republican Neocon was in the White House it was a complete disaster. The USA must not enter into another disastrous war. When confronting Iran, the USA is also confronting Russia.
I find it more than interesting there is absolutely no mention of the long awaited Trump/Kushner peace plan. This war IS THE TRUMP MIDDLE EAST PEACE PLAN.
March 29, 2019
By Anna Ahronheim and Khaled Abu Toameh
Egyptian intelligence officials (click here) arrived in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday evening for talks with leaders of Hamas and other Palestinian groups about reaching truce understandings with Israel.
The Egyptian officials entered the Gaza Strip through the Erez border crossing and were scheduled to stay in the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave at least until Thursday....
Egypt has been carrying out a peace process and all that is to be abandoned because of a damn, stupid priority of a USA president with a son-in-law with a vision? Last time it was because Saddam threatened the life of Bush's father.
There will be no invasion into Iran. There will be no proxy war with Russia. Trump will submit to the Egyptian peace process while beginning to understand Iran, its diaspora which includes the Shia Crescent, and the continued right of Iran to EXIST.
This president knows nothing about foreign policy and it is all too easy to realize allies have been estranged from the USA by Trump and his perverted ideas of priorities.
16.0 days old
98.2 percent lit
May 16, 2019
By Gordon Johnston
The next full Moon (click here) will be on Saturday afternoon, May 18, 2019, appearing opposite the Sun (in Earth-based longitude) at 5:11 PM EDT. The Moon will appear full for about three days around this time, from Friday evening through Monday morning, making this a full Moon weekend.
As the third full Moon in a season that has four full Moons, this will be a Blue Moon by the older definition. The Moon will not actually appear blue in color. The first recorded use of the term in English dates from 1528. Speculations on the origin of the term include an old English phrase that means "betrayer Moon" or a reference to rare events, such as when dust in the atmosphere makes the Moon actually appear blue. Since the 1940's the term "Blue Moon" has also been used for the second full Moon in a month that has two full Moons....
Sunday, May 19, 2019
Studying species intensely has been an ongoing project for at least the last decade. The scientists of nearly every country conducted an earnest effort to assess and count species and their populations. Now, this report is very serious, no one should be putting it aside or diminishing it's importance, however, some of the problems that are causing problems are also workable to end the danger. The one danger, in particular, our ocean species are facing is plastics. So, there is much work to do and for the aspects of this report that are workable, the work needs to begin.
On 22 May at 10:00 A.M., (click here) #BiodiversityDay, the IPBES slogan 'Science and Policy for People and Nature' will be well-served in Washington D.C. as Sir Bob Watson, Eduardo S. Brondizio and Yunne Shin testify before the House Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife oversight hearing entitled, “Responding to the Global Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem."
Nature is declining globally (click here) at rates unprecedented in human history — and the rate of species extinction is accelerating, with grave impacts on people around the world now likely, warns a landmark new report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the summary of which was approved at the 7th session of the IPBES Plenary, meeting last week (29 April – 4 May) in Paris.
“The overwhelming evidence of the IPBES Global Assessment, from a wide range of different fields of knowledge, presents an ominous picture,” said IPBES Chair, Sir Robert Watson. “The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever. We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide.”
“The Report also tells us that it is not too late to make a difference, but only if we start now at every level from local to global,” he said. “Through ‘transformative change’, nature can still be conserved, restored and used sustainably – this is also key to meeting most other global goals. By transformative change, we mean a fundamental, system-wide reorganization across technological, economic and social factors, including paradigms, goals and values.”
“The member States of IPBES Plenary have now acknowledged that, by its very nature, transformative change can expect opposition from those with interests vested in the status quo, but also that such opposition can be overcome for the broader public good,” Watson said.
The IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services is the most comprehensive ever completed. It is the first intergovernmental Report of its kind and builds on the landmark Millennium Ecosystem Assessment of 2005, introducing innovative ways of evaluating evidence....
May 17th was "Endangered Species Day"
Today (click here) is Endangered Species Day, which is hardly cause for celebration, as ideally no such occasion would exist. This is not an ideal world, however. That was clear earlier this month when the UN’s biodiversity and ecosystem arm IPBES reported that one million species worldwide are threatened with extinction.
Yet conservationist Rob Shumaker—author, orangutan expert, and president of the Indianapolis Zoo, which biennially awards the Indianapolis prize, the most prestigious global award in conservation—is optimistic. “You have a lot of power. You can save endangered species,” he urges enthusiastically over the phone, explaining what he wants everyone to take away from the UN’s report. “The government has to look at broader policy issues…but that isn’t permission for individuals to give up. Individuals can have a massive impact.”...
Ready? This is an indicator species in New York State.
This is the male. He has a cousin that is brown, but, lives in the western USA.
Conifer (click here) and mixed woods. In winter, open woods, undergrowth, roadsides, brush. Over its wide range, breeding habitat is consistently coniferous or mixed woodland, usually in rather open situations such as edges or clearings.
Winters in many kinds of semi-open habitats including woodland edges, thickets, brushy places, suburban areas....
This is only one of the indicator species for a Northern Hardwood forest. There are others, but, this is an easy start.
There is also an online resource guide for more forest plant species. It is a little more sophisticated, but, once anyone becomes familiar with it, its use becomes easy.
The New York Flora Atlas (click here) is a source of information for the distribution of plants within the state, as well as information on plant habitats, associated ecological communities, and taxonomy. In addition, users can learn about the location of vouchered specimens and see images to get a better visual for each plant. The next step is to create a Manual to the New York State Flora. Early efforts are underway to move towards this goal.
By Greg Jayne
Bill Dewey (click here) of Taylor Shellfish in Shelton, Wash., and his colleagues watch oyster hatchery water quality levels carefully to keep plumes of acidic water from eating very young oysters.
We can’t afford it. (click here)
Of the many climate-related issues mentioned by Gov. Jay Inslee, from detailing this year’s legislative action in Olympia to advocating a World War II-like economic mobilization to mentioning the health impacts of a warming world, that was the thing that stood out: We can’t afford to ignore it.
“People say, ‘How are you gonna pay for this?,’ ” Inslee said. “I go, ‘How are you gonna pay for Paradise, Calif., that burned down? How you gonna pay for the utility industry? The largest utility in California just went bankrupt. How you gonna pay for the floods? I’m going to Iowa next week, where there’s been a billion-and-a-half dollars damage. How do you pay for that?”
Inslee was speaking to The Columbian’s Editorial Board and, naturally, the conversation turned to the climate. Inslee, after all, is a climate-action evangelist who is bringing his gospel to the nation while seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. And the underlying message was that ignoring the crisis will be more costly than dealing with it.
Oh, critics might decry the Green New Deal proposed in Congress as too expensive. They might warn that moving the United States’ electrical grid away from fossil fuels will raise utility prices. They might say that the economy will crumble under the weight of decisive action.
All of which is kind of like Franklin D. Roosevelt saying in 1942, “it’s too expensive to fight the Nazis; we’ll just let them win.” As Eliza Barclay and Jag Bhalla wrote for Vox.com: “Is there any benefit now that can outweigh the risk of your descendants suffering or not surviving? The only long-lasting cultures are those that don’t eat their seed corn or choose to always put the present above what they know they’ll need to survive in the future.”
Inslee has long been sounding the alarm on climate change; he even co-authored a 2007 book about it — “Apollo’s Fire: Igniting America’s Clean Energy Economy.” And, as we detailed in last week’s column about the newly passed state budget, he is a firm believer in government’s ability to use taxes to drive the economy and bring about social change....
New York State is very lucky. It has a very old "Herbarium."
I believe the Clinton Herbarium dates back to the late 1800s. That is extremely valuable. Their plants are preserved and can be accessed for identification of the natural flora that exists today in New York State forests. BUT, this herbarium also provides a very valuable look to the HISTORICAL species of New York State. It can be recaptured through growing and reestablishing NATIVE HERITAGE SPECIES.
Botany (click here)
c. 120,000 specimens
The Clinton Herbarium is the ninth oldest herbarium in the US
Largest collection of plant specimens from Western New York
Largest and best regional collection of Boletes in the United States, which includes many type specimens
Yes, there will be snakes. As a rule, they are not indicator species.
May 12, 2019
By Patti Neighmond
It was a warm, wet winter (click here) this year across much of the United States. In most states, this means more greenery, more rabbits, more rodents and more snakes — which raises the risk of snake bites for humans and their canine companions.
Biologist Gerad Fox is standing next to a loud rattlesnake. "Right now he's in a classic strike posture, very defensive," says Fox. "The rattle is a warning, saying, 'Back off. I'm dangerous. You should leave me alone.' "
Fox teaches biology classes at Loma Linda University in California and also runs rattlesnake avoidance training classes for dogs.
I took my dog, Baxter, to one of these classes, where he learned how to recognize the sight and scent of snakes as a danger to avoid.
"Snakes are part of our ecosystem and deserve to be there," says Fox. They don't want to hurt us, he explains, but if you or your dog stumble on one by mistake, they will bite.
"Rattlesnakes can bite multiple times. They have a large reservoir of venom," says Fox....
By Patti Neighmond
It was a warm, wet winter (click here) this year across much of the United States. In most states, this means more greenery, more rabbits, more rodents and more snakes — which raises the risk of snake bites for humans and their canine companions.
Biologist Gerad Fox is standing next to a loud rattlesnake. "Right now he's in a classic strike posture, very defensive," says Fox. "The rattle is a warning, saying, 'Back off. I'm dangerous. You should leave me alone.' "
Fox teaches biology classes at Loma Linda University in California and also runs rattlesnake avoidance training classes for dogs.
I took my dog, Baxter, to one of these classes, where he learned how to recognize the sight and scent of snakes as a danger to avoid.
"Snakes are part of our ecosystem and deserve to be there," says Fox. They don't want to hurt us, he explains, but if you or your dog stumble on one by mistake, they will bite.
"Rattlesnakes can bite multiple times. They have a large reservoir of venom," says Fox....
Indicator species of plants occur commonly enough that it is not difficult to find them. Rare species can be indicator species, but, they are more difficult to find. When rare species are indicator species they become a focus of protection in a different and less common way. Such species are "spotted" on a nature walk and provide reassurance that the forest is doing well.
Indicator species of animals are not usually large animals. Larger animals have territorial needs and can extend between forests. In a walk through a forest, animal footprints are interesting to note as each species is a part of the community, but, more common smaller animals are better as indicator species because they become residents to the forest and require the forest health to maintain their lives and lifecycles.
In referencing the Northern Spotted Owl before it is easy to understand why this species is so important. It survives in a specific type of forest, thrives on the animals it hunts and of course, those hunted animals rely on the entire ecosystem of the forest to thrive. When the species preyed upon is thriving the predator does well, too.
So, a good animal indicator will probably be a predator that hunts the forest and thrives at the top of the food chain or food web if that is easier to understand.
Indicator species of animals are not usually large animals. Larger animals have territorial needs and can extend between forests. In a walk through a forest, animal footprints are interesting to note as each species is a part of the community, but, more common smaller animals are better as indicator species because they become residents to the forest and require the forest health to maintain their lives and lifecycles.
In referencing the Northern Spotted Owl before it is easy to understand why this species is so important. It survives in a specific type of forest, thrives on the animals it hunts and of course, those hunted animals rely on the entire ecosystem of the forest to thrive. When the species preyed upon is thriving the predator does well, too.
So, a good animal indicator will probably be a predator that hunts the forest and thrives at the top of the food chain or food web if that is easier to understand.
Nebraska. Yes, that is a real picture.
A tornado touches down in a field west of McCook on Friday. The system continued north through the evening with a confirmed touchdown near Moorefield in northern Frontier County, and again near Cozad in Dawson County.
A lone super cell (click here) soaked up all the atmosphere’s energy Friday and unleashed a four-hour, 120-mile long string of tornadoes that caused damage to rural homes but mostly missed populated areas in central Nebraska.
“It looks like it dropped about a dozen tornadoes,” said Cliff Cole, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in North Platte. Cole described it as one of the longer tornadic events in central Nebraska in recent memory.
Three separate weather service offices — North Platte, Hastings and Goodland, Kansas — investigated the tornadoes Saturday, determining that most were EF1 on the F Scale — a rating system from 0 to 5 based on the amount of damage caused.
The strongest tornado appeared to be a EF3 that touched down northwest of Stockville in rural Frontier County about 55 miles southeast of North Platte, which caused significant damage to a rural home, he said....
I want to imagine for a minute it is winter. There are pine trees that have survived and even thrived through a "normal" winter, but, not much else. As Spring rolls out and the growth of a forest begins there is an order to that growth.
The first plants to bloom in Spring are the herbaceous layer. The plants, including grasses, that are on the ground. It is more than just grass, it is also what would be called weeds, but, the life of the forest is beginning and the small insects and animals that live among the herbaceous layer begin their lifecycle.
This is the same pattern every year. It begins where water first has accumulated and the sunlight provides for photosynthesis. Every year, the herbaceous layer grows first.
It is followed by the shrub and bush layer of plants and animals. Then comes the understory of trees. The shorter trees. Then the awakening of the canopy. It is a progression every year that rolls out the same way. There is an order to these communities which provide food, water and sunlight to the forest that will support and protect the animals that live there.
Summer follows with more intense sunlight and ultimately autumn will follow and finally the cold function of winter to end the lives of opportunistic weeds, bacteria, virus, fungus and all the predatory aspects of a forest. Winter and it's depth of cold vary and that variety of weather provides for forest health, REST and protection.
Summer follows with more intense sunlight and ultimately autumn will follow and finally the cold function of winter to end the lives of opportunistic weeds, bacteria, virus, fungus and all the predatory aspects of a forest. Winter and it's depth of cold vary and that variety of weather provides for forest health, REST and protection.
There are basically two types of forest communities in New York State. The majority of the forest is Northern Hardwoods. Between the Northern Hardwoods and the coast is the Oak-Hickory Forest. Now all these are communities. The coastal area can be considered a third type and is mostly Maple and Basswood.
Within each of these communities are species of plants and animals. Consider this, with each passing season there are also communities. I am sure everyone has heard the idea that birds migrate. Well, if they migrate then their food sources are along a pattern that permits survival. Birding enthusiasts know what a bird flyway is. They are important and they are seasonal lending themselves to different species of birds for each season.
March 9, 2016
A male Cardinal (click here) sits on a bird feeder at the Derby Hill Bird Observatory in Mexico.
Sure, a backyard robin is a welcome sign of spring in Upstate New York, but if you've never experienced the sight of a kettle of hawks soaring overhead, get ready to welcome spring from a new point of view. New York State is fabulously situated along the Atlantic Flyway, one of four air routes migrating birds use to get back to their northern homes after spending the winter in warmer climes. Many birds, from large to small, migrate. The larger ones, like hawks, are most visible and get the most attention. More than 650 species of breeding birds make their homes in North America, and more than half migrate....
To realize there are certain species that will travel along a certain path over the land is to realize the DEFINITION conservation takes and what forest health means and how vital human interest is to protect these communities.
Protection is not a casual issue. It is not a simple issue. Is providing a healthy meal to children simple? Of course not. It has taken a great deal of study to understand the human body, that of a child and the nutrition it needs. Hence, the analogy can be applied when realizing PROTECTIONS of forest is not very different than the vigilance a parent would give to a child. Everything has to work and work well.
Within each of these communities are species of plants and animals. Consider this, with each passing season there are also communities. I am sure everyone has heard the idea that birds migrate. Well, if they migrate then their food sources are along a pattern that permits survival. Birding enthusiasts know what a bird flyway is. They are important and they are seasonal lending themselves to different species of birds for each season.
March 9, 2016
A male Cardinal (click here) sits on a bird feeder at the Derby Hill Bird Observatory in Mexico.
Sure, a backyard robin is a welcome sign of spring in Upstate New York, but if you've never experienced the sight of a kettle of hawks soaring overhead, get ready to welcome spring from a new point of view. New York State is fabulously situated along the Atlantic Flyway, one of four air routes migrating birds use to get back to their northern homes after spending the winter in warmer climes. Many birds, from large to small, migrate. The larger ones, like hawks, are most visible and get the most attention. More than 650 species of breeding birds make their homes in North America, and more than half migrate....
To realize there are certain species that will travel along a certain path over the land is to realize the DEFINITION conservation takes and what forest health means and how vital human interest is to protect these communities.
Protection is not a casual issue. It is not a simple issue. Is providing a healthy meal to children simple? Of course not. It has taken a great deal of study to understand the human body, that of a child and the nutrition it needs. Hence, the analogy can be applied when realizing PROTECTIONS of forest is not very different than the vigilance a parent would give to a child. Everything has to work and work well.
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