No one company should have this much power over a government.

Considering this is Murdoch. It is more than troubling. I don't think the UN has a convention on the free press. I might be wrong about that. But, this looks like a real opportunity for the BBC and possibly American newspapers like the Washington Post. I would think the owner of the Washington Post might consider giving Murdoch's media a real run for it's money.

Do Australians have access to any news Apps on their phones or laptops from other more reasonable news services?

May 25, 2019
By Blanc Hall

The day after the election, (click here) a fuming Kevin Rudd took to Twitter.

"In all the election commentary last night, not a single word on the elephant in the room," the former prime minister wrote.

"Murdoch, with 70 per cent control of Australia’s print media, ran the single most biased campaign in Australian political history. Reason for the silence? People are in fear of Murdoch’s power."

Rupert Murdoch's papers, which actually account for about 60 per cent of newspaper sales in Australia, ran a relentless campaign against Labor.

In addition to its newspapers' front pages and columnists, which were almost uniformly glowing in their praise of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and in attacking the ALP's policies and leadership, every Murdoch paper editorialised in favour of the Coalition on election eve....   

Revenge Porn Law

With burgeoning danger for political candidates of manipulated videos, they need to be cognizant of existing laws carrying penalties for wrongful use of an image of a person.

State Porn Revenge Laws (click here)

It is hard to believe a president of this country would repeat a manipulated image of Speaker Pelosi. It is more misogyny. There are laws against the wrongful use of a person's image. 

The Porn Revenge Laws occurred because a new phenomenon started to take shape. I believe it came to prominence when the actress Jennifer Lawrance was exposed online without her consent. The state laws made it possible for average people to file a complaint with the police and have it pursued by the prosecutors. That was an incredible inspiration that came out of the Lawrence frustration with her episode. I applaud her for valuing herself over the inadequacy of the law.

Previous to the Revenge Porn Laws the only real remedy was civil courts and filing by attorneys in liable cases. A person had to prove losses in order to achieve recognition of the personal tragedy that occurred. That personal tragedy is measurable in the pain a person feels when their privacy is violated and pictures intended for an intimate partner finds their way to exposure in some way never intended.

With the videos that victimize Speaker Nancy Pelosi as promoted by Trump, there needs to be an expansion of those Revenge Porn laws to include any image of a person exploited for any purpose.

Currently, when newspapers or news media online carry an image of a person it normally is printed with the consent of that person. Some images are simply within the public realm and do not need such permissions. The newspapers know how sensitive images can be. It is that level of concern of which states' legislatures should address the continuing exploitation of images that slander, demean and degrade another person.

Every American should feel secure in their own privacy. We know how hacking hurts people financially with Identity Theft. This is more of that same line of protections. A person's image has a right to contain it as she or he wishes. In the case of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the exploitive videos were backed and advocated in slanderous terms by Donald J. Trump, the current president. Those images and his words are global.

The USA needs to take the burgeoning technology of image manipulation seriously. Videos are allowed in court and the manipulated images that are beginning to emerge are damning. The courts have to rethink their allowance of videos and pictures. Perhaps the digital image should be excluded and return to regular film images allowed. The digital world is proving to be a problem more than helpful. The courts allowed videos into the courtroom long before manipulated digital content was even discovered and mastered. There are many challenges before the USA and the work to resolve the proper place of these images needs to begin.

Trump owes Speaker Pelosi an apology in the sincerest terms. The current US House was elected by the people and it is the people that he should be respected along with it's leadership such as Speaker Pelosi. This is a new level of insult by Trump which only reflects his lack of ability to discern what is right and best in any circumstance.

The 2016 elections have proven to be an eye-opener. The cyber invasion by Russia, the manipulation of the political environment, the presence of a Russsian pawn of an oligarch willing to act to become part of the political scene while enormous amounts of money was dumped into the NRA by foreign sources. And now a president that promotes his political position with the use of manipulated videos that are slanderous. 2016 was an eye opener, but, it is time to contain the loss of decency and return honesty to our elections, including, manipulated pictures and videos that damage candidates.

continued...

the who-squeeze box

This is the best laugh I have had in weeks when it comes to Trump. Love it. "The Hands." Perfect.

May 23 ,2019
By Malaya Elgarico

Gerry Myers, Crim Fitness Foundation CEO, poses for a group photo from left to right with Rich Fernandez, CEO of Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute Michelle Maldonado, a SIY Certified Teacher and CEO of Luscencia, Myers and James Gimian, executive director for the Foundation for a Mindful Society during the Mindful Cities Initiative launch event on May 15 to May 16

Flint -  With the support from Mayor Karen Weaver, (click here) officials with the Foundation for a Mindful Society recently selected Flint to be one of their launch cities for the national Mindful Cities Initiative (click here).

Flint is only one of three cities to be chosen by the Mindful Society to pilot the initiative. The Crim Fitness Foundation will be the lead agency for Flint locals interested in mindful health.

“The Foundation of Mindful Society has been a champion of the work in Flint for many years,” Crim Program Director Sarah Sullivan said. “In October of 2018, they invited us to be the launch city for the Mindful Cities Initiative.”

The foundation got unanimous support from Weaver and other civic leaders from different sectors when the idea was proposed. The partnership was made in hopes to gain more resources and connections on a more national level to promote the importance of mindfulness practices in Flint.

“It’s a new initiative,” said Sullivan. “Flint is the first city to be piloting the Mindful Cities Initiative so it’s an honor to be the first but it’s not like there’s a set path that we need to go on because we co-create with the community.”...

The Donald Trump Versus Rosie O'Donnell Feud Continues | NBC News (click here for timeline - thank you)

Nancy Pelosi is not Rosie O'Donnell. Nothing to say Rosie O'Donnell isn't as important as she has had to withstand Trump's misogyny for a long time. But, Nancy Pelosi is the Speaker of the US House and she is to receive the respect of the president and the US Senate.

Perhaps Rosie needs to take over when Trump assaults the US House Speaker.

A presidential political party was attacked by the Russian Federation.

Why stupid are Americans willing to be to allow the melting of their democracy? That same Russian Federation was handed classified documents by a newly elected president after firing an FBI Director. That was premeditated. Trump actually believed, as his Russian Federation mentor did, that firing of Comey would end the investigation.

I am not willing to be as stupid as others.

Why would the Russian Federation even bother to attack Americans through the cyber networks unless it works? We aren't just looking for jihadists anymore. The Russian Federation has weaponized cyber space and they are attacking citizens.

Normally, citizens are exempt from warfare, but, that is no longer the case when it comes to cyber warfare. Especially, when it comes to the warfare of the Russian Federation.

18 U.S. Code § 2381.Treason

Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies (CYBER) war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.                 

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the USA can be pulled into a far greater war in the Middle East if there was an assault against Israel. If Israel could not defend itself because of an overwhelming assault the USA would have to respond. I'd hate to think the USA would have to defend Israel against it's own military sales.

Providing enough military sales to the Sunnis in order to end the Shi'ites is an indictable crime at the Hague.

I don't care if Trump doesn't subscribe to international courts, the world would not stand for it.

Perhaps now the P4 plus one will understand Iran's urgency to dissolve the agreement.

Trump is forcing Iran to consider nuclear proliferation.

More of the imperial presidency.

Trump is steering EMERGENCY MONIES into campaign donations.

There is a reason why Donald Trump has no staff to handle all the bids and decisions. It is because he wants control of vast amounts of money to benefit his own priorities.

May 24, 2019
By Nick Miroff and Josh Dawsey

Washington, DC - President Donald Trump (click here) has personally and repeatedly urged the head of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to award a border wall contract to a North Dakota construction firm whose top executive is a GOP donor and frequent guest on Fox News, according to three administration officials.

In phone calls, White House meetings and conversations aboard Air Force One during the past several months, Trump has aggressively pushed Dickinson, North Dakota-based Fisher Industries to Department of Homeland Security leaders and Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, the commanding general of the Army Corps, according to the administration officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The push for a specific company has alarmed military commanders and DHS officials....

I suppose this is treason, too.

There are a million reasons why Judge Kwan has to sue, including unfair labor practices. Unless there is a serious issue, his suspension is a violation of his civil rights. Complaining about Trump is what most Americans are doing, why should Judge Kwan be any different?

My concern is that it could lead to impeachment if there are enough complaints about his FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

Now, this is what I call a witch hunt.

Considering the brevity of this assault on the Judge's civil rights; US Senator Romney would take an interest to at the very least understand the reasons for such actions. I find it troubling.

May 24, 2019
By Jessica Miller

Judge Michael Kwan, pictured here in 2011.

A Taylorsville justice court judge (click here) who has been on the bench for more than two decades will be suspended for six months without pay for making politically charged comments about President Donald Trump from the bench and on social media.

In a decision released late Thursday, Utah’s high court ruled that Judge Michael Kwan violated their code of conduct on several occasions.

In January 2017, Kwan had an exchange that appeared to demean a defendant, according to the opinion, and included political commentary related to Trump’s immigration and tax policies....

There is a real problem with Trump's latest power moves.

Bill Barr is answering to Trump in a way that can undermine the USA sovereignty. 

After September 11th the people of the USA spent a great deal of money to build a new national security center whereby all the agencies can exchange information. This new supposed power play by Trump should never even be an issue in the first place.

By making an issue of the idea the Attorney General has to reach into areas of the agencies that are not readily available should be a worry to every Congressperson today. Why? Because Barr has no right to reach into current activities of the intelligence agencies in order to compromise operations ongoing and the people carry out that work.

The agencies were placed under common leadership in Homeland Security. Allowing the Attorney General carte blanc to meander through the operations of Homeland Security is going cause questions and problems. Big problems that may very well cost the USA some of it's finest agents if Barr causes jeopardy that did not exist before.

Additionally, Trump is still having a conversation with Putin. What if Trump carries information about current operations back to him, AGAIN?

There is also the issue of the Middle East and Iran. Kushner is actively involved with the UAE and Saudi Arabia. What is this all about? The warmongering and the intentions of overreach in a way that will cause a war rather than a peace plan has to come into question. The Trump Executive Branch is a real problem and it continues to grow more and more problems.

There need to be inquiries into all these actions by the Executive Branch and an assessment of the reality rather than Trump's reality. I think the FBI and CIA need to be heard from to understand if Bill Barr has compromised their operations in anyway.

NOT EVERYTHING WITHIN TRUMP'S AUTHORITY IS AN EMERGENCY.

Trump should realize when arms are sold to any country by the USA, it isn't about money. It is about alliances and whether or not there is far more explosive power in the world because of those sales than can be restrained even can be used against the USA.

The reason the legislature has these authorities is because of the danger of that authority.

There was no treason with the FBI or the Special Counsel.

Exchanges between lovers are exchanges between lovers and nothing more. There was no widespread policy to remove the president from office. If that occurs, the president earned it.

The nonsense about the "Deep State" from Trump is in reaction to THE FACT he committed treason in providing the Russians with highly classified information, hence, compromising the sovereign state of the United States of America.

Trump is a scared little man. He always has been.

I would say the nonsense by Trump CAN BE dangerous to the country in that he has successfully sequestered a population of the USA into believing his mouth is the only valid authority. So, the more hate he can build the more of a chance, HE BELIEVES, of a civil war of sorts that would relieve him of being held for his wrongful behavior in office.

Dividing Americans and sequestering them into ignorance about the truth and the real world serves a very perverted and fearful purpose. One has to consider the TARGET of Trump's hate speech, White Nationalists/Supremacists, have the capacity and the will to do harm to other Americans. That is the perverted actions of a very fearful man in the Oval Office. He can be fearful of many things, including losing an election he illegitimately won in 2016.

I think Trump and his minions such as Graham get away with a lot that is called political rhetoric. Hate speech and misogyny is not political rhetoric; it damages peoples' lives.

May's Brexit will never pass because "Oops" what about Northern Ireland. If there is the most minor chance Northern Ireland can be cleaved from the UK there is no possibility for passage of May's initiative.

The people of the UK passed Brexit. It is up to them to rescind it, otherwise, it needs to go forward without the tampering of the UK government.

Assange when it comes to Manning needs to return to it's mission statement that can be tapped in legal proceedings.

 "to bring important news and information to the public ... One of our most important activities is to publish original source material alongside our news stories so readers and historians alike can see evidence of the truth."

This has nothing to do with the Russian espionage that was unilateral in it's focus in the 2016 USA elections. There was only one truth published by the Russian espionage actions. The focus may have been the truth of emails, but, it was a definite political focus by Wikileaks. The Democrats were to be defeated in that election. That isn't the truth, that is a preference that didn't take in the decisions of the American people that needs equity in a democracy. Wikileaks became an arm of the Russian Federation.

But, Assange as it comes to Manning, the task in publishing USA military information did inform the public of a reality it did not expect. In that was an understanding that President Obama did not leave Iraq as he had promised. They were both willful acts, but, it was more Whistleblowing than a crime of any sort.

Defense of Assange in regard to Manning is the Pentagon Papers. There are also international issues such as the Panama Papers. This is an activity that strengthens the people of any country if they have access to that information and can read.

The mission of Wikileaks is mired in nobility, but, it's power to effect elections has to be tempered. Democracies demand the truth, but, not a unilateral truth.

"I was calm, just like I am now."

Just like he was when he tweeted Comey was fired.

Just like he was when he treasoned the country to the Russians immediately after firing Comey.

A very calm guy that doesn't care about the country but only money no matter what form it takes.

Trump has no conscience, but, a very calm guy.

The Debt Ceiling will be an issue by fall.

Why do I feel another government shut down coming?

May 22, 2019
By Tara Golshan

...Come October 1, (click here) the government will not only run out of funding, but the current government budget caps will expire, automatically triggering roughly $120 billion in across-the-board cuts to domestic and military programs. Meanwhile, after breaching the debt limit in March, the Treasury Department is already taking extraordinary measures to ensure the United States doesn’t default on its loans....

Misogyny

"Crazy Nancy"

I am impressed. FOX News actually brought opinion about an irreverent president.

Jon Summers values our democracy and the jobs responsible government spending brings.

This level of dedication to the truth is not frequently found at FOX News. It is a reporting and an opinion. Thank you.

May 23, 2019
By Jon Summers

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen President Trump have a temper tantrum. (click here) But Wednesday’s was one of epic proportions. Because it didn’t just play out in the Rose Garden where the cameras were, it started inside the White House where, just moments before, the president stormed out of a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. In doing so, Trump blew up a plan to put Americans to work by investing $2 trillion in America’s infrastructure including roads, bridges, and airports.

Remember the last time Trump walked out of a meeting with these same people? The government shut down, small businesses were hurt, and 800,000 federal workers went without pay for more than a month. And while it probably felt good at the time, Trump came out the biggest political loser because he wanted credit for shutting down the government....

...Clearly, he doesn’t realize that everything he has done so far -- from stonewalling Congress to walking out of Wednesday’s meeting -- only highlights that he’s hiding something. And whatever he is hiding must be really, really bad.

Why else would the president go to such extreme lengths? If he has nothing to hide and truly wants to be “the most transparent president in history” as he claims, then let the sun shine in.

Make no mistake, Trump’s Herculean effort to conceal whatever he’s hiding is not only undermining the core of our democracy, with Wednesday’s tantrum it’s costing jobs and infrastructure. Specifically, the proposal Democrats had hoped to discuss includes $140 billion to fix roads and bridges, $115 billion to modernize America’s water and sewer systems, and $40 billion to improve our airports and make the airspace safer. And that is literally just the beginning....

...I get it. He’s mad. He doesn’t like being under investigation. Who would? If he wants to yell, scream, and throw things in private to get it out of his system, fine (just don’t hurt anyone). But when you are the president of the United States you have an obligation to rise above it for the good of the nation. Even Richard Nixon knew that; Bill Clinton too....

The president is complaining he doesn't get respect from the US House or Speaker Pelosi.

Who respects them?

Who respects Speaker Pelosi?

McConnell is priding himself for being the "Grim Reaper" because he makes every bill in the US Hosue die in the Senate.

The US House committees have asked for records and they don't get them. Instead, there is a court fight at every turn.

Now we find out another child has died in the custody of the USA at a detainment camp, in a cage. That is a cover-up. There is no other word for it. Could it be that the Republicans, including the president, simply can't live with the truth?

If the people want this country to move forward they need to eliminate Republicans from the US Senate in 2020.

I imagine the day the bills from the US House begins to pass in the US Senate and the committees receive their documents and there are no more lies about what is occurring at the US southern border, things might change when it comes to respect.

If the president wants respect he needs to provide it along with the US Senate.

Arkansas is underwater. There are still tornado warnings.

May 22, 2019
By Harrison Grimwood

A flooded home is seen near Muskogee. 

Two barges that have twice broken their restraints (click here) are floating down the Arkansas River toward the Webbers Falls lock and dam.

The barges broke their restraints a second time late Wednesday evening after they had been restrained from a previous break.

"The concern is also for the (U.S. 62) and (Interstate 40) bridges," Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Sarah Stewart said.

The barges reportedly cleared the U.S. 62 bridge. State troopers shut down that bridge in Fort Gibson on Wednesday evening due to flooding in the roadway. Troopers shut down the I-40 bridge near Ross Road in Muskogee County due to the loose barges....

Residents near the river are asked to evacuate in Tulsa.

Videos (click here), the water is fast and very dangerous.

No one should hesitate to evacuate.

The Keystone Dam on the Arkansas River on Wednesday, May 22, 2019. (click here)






The Arkansas River is out of it's banks.


The country has a second swollen river into the Mississippi River.