Appeasing Russia by Ukraine only increased the danger to the people.

25 February 2022

While on mission in Bangladesh, (click here) I have been closely following recent developments in and around Ukraine with increasing concern.

I remind all sides conducting hostilities on the territory of Ukraine that pursuant to the declaration lodged on 8 September 2015, accepting jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court ("ICC" or the "Court"), my Office may exercise its jurisdiction over and investigate any act of genocide, crime against humanity or war crime committed within the territory of Ukraine since 20 February 2014 onwards.

Any person who commits such crimes, including by ordering, inciting, or contributing in another manner to the commission of these crimes, may be liable to prosecution before the Court, with full respect for the principle of complementarity. It is imperative that all parties to the conflict respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.

My Office has also received multiple queries on the amendments to the Rome Statute with respect to the crime of aggression, which came into force in 2018, and the application of those amendments to the present situation. Given that neither Ukraine nor the Russian Federation are State Parties to the Rome Statute, the Court cannot exercise jurisdiction over this alleged crime in this situation.

My Office will continue to closely monitor the Situation in Ukraine. In the independent and impartial exercise of its mandate, the Office remains fully committed to the prevention of atrocity crimes and to ensuring that anyone responsible for such crimes is held accountable.

Following my return to The Hague, I intend to issue a more detailed statement regarding the Situation in Ukraine, providing clarity on my assessment and the next steps I envisage in relation to this file.

28 February 2022

Last Friday, (click here) I expressed my increasing concern, echoing those of world leaders and citizens of the world alike, over the events unfolding in Ukraine.

Today, I wish to announce that I have decided to proceed with opening an investigation into the Situation in Ukraine, as rapidly as possible.

Ukraine is not a State Party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court ("ICC" or the "Court"), so cannot itself refer the situation to my Office. But it has twice exercised its prerogatives to legally accept the Court's jurisdiction over alleged crimes under the Rome Statute occurring on its territory, should the Court choose to exercise it. The first declaration lodged by the Government of Ukraine accepted ICC jurisdiction with respect to alleged crimes committed on Ukrainian territory from 21 November 2013 to 22 February 2014. The second declaration extended this time period on an open-ended basis to encompass ongoing alleged crimes committed throughout the territory of Ukraine from 20 February 2014 onwards.

I have reviewed the Office's conclusions arising from the preliminary examination of the Situation in Ukraine, and have confirmed that there is a reasonable basis to proceed with opening an investigation. In particular, I am satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine in relation to the events already assessed during the preliminary examination by the Office. Given the expansion of the conflict in recent days, it is my intention that this investigation will also encompass any new alleged crimes falling within the jurisdiction of my Office that are committed by any party to the conflict on any part of the territory of Ukraine....

November 2, 2022

This handout picture taken and released on July 27, 2022 by Ukrainian Presidential press service shows Andriy Kostin during the hearing in the Ukrainian Parliament in Kyiv.

Political will is needed to establish a Special Tribunal (click here) to hold Russia accountable for crimes of aggression in Ukraine, and the number of countries supporting the creation of the tribunal is growing, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin has said.

“Due to legal restrictions, the International Criminal Court cannot consider the case of Russian aggression against Ukraine, and I consider this a primary international crime, without which all other horrors against the civilian population would be impossible. And we cannot afford to leave this act of violence against the whole country unpunished,” he said in an exclusive interview with the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency.

Kostin specified that it is about creating a tribunal from a very wide range of participants.

“It cannot consist of only five to seven countries, it should include all [countries], and I mention this at every meeting. It is important that, first of all, these are countries that are important from the point of view of the perception of the legitimacy of the results of this tribunal,” Kostin said.

At the same time, the Prosecutor General drew attention to the fact that the main thing for the creation of a tribunal is political will.
“Speaking about the need to create this institution, I always emphasize to foreign partners, ‘If you have already voted at the level of the General Assembly, PACE, the European Parliament and confirmed that there was a fact of armed aggression, then you should take the next step’,” he said....

The heinous crimes against humanity by Russia are well documented and witnessed. The reason that Russia nor Ukraine belonged to the International Criminal Court was appeasement for peace with Russia by Ukraine and now it presents some obstacles in the way of prosecutions of those guilty of these crimes.

Early on the International Criminal Court definitely stated the actions by Russia were genocide. The definitions of the crime are clear and the action of Russia more clear. Because these two countries were outside the abiding authority of the ICC there was an imbalance in thinking about human life. Russia believed Russian speaking people were a Russian commodity to be used and disposed of as Russia saw fit. The Free World, with an interest in humanity, witnessed the atrocities and began to take refugees by the millions while assessing the Ukraine military and it's ability to take and hold ground to protect Ukraine borders. 

The atrocities are real. There are Ukrainians dead today, including children and babies, that should be alive. The Free World as well as others need to provide a strict understanding that such atrocities will not be tolerated and there is a peaceful way of making such a statement in a court of justice.

This court must go forward. It must make the statement that every crime against humanity will require justice. To allow such brutality in the world is only asking for it to happen again. The war Russia chose to carry out is nothing short of heinous and illegal in every definition of war. 

If a tribunal is all the world has to remedy this level of self-righteous killing by Russia then it must be held and those responsible for Ukrainian deaths must face the world in their acts of violence that killed the innocent.

Clearly, no desperate act of appeasement will work in facing war with Russia.

John Roberts does it again.

Politics. If Trump’s tax records are released to Congress at all, it will be after the elections. Amazing the gall.

It is all politics. I do not trust the Robert's Court.

1964 – Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law. This was landmark legislation prohibiting employment discrimination by large employers (over 15 employees), whether or not they have government contracts. Established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

The Robert's Court talks out of both sides of their mouths. In one breath they state the court should not legislate and they use that ideology over and over to justify their dismantling of USA law.

...The court will now almost certainly (click here) issue separate opinions in the two cases, though it is possible that the challenge to the University of North Carolina case will do most or all of the heavy lifting and that the Harvard opinion will say little more than that the appeals court’s ruling is affirmed or reversed for the reasons stated in the U.N.C. case....

In this case there exists legislation for a very long time. There has also been subsequent legislation. The latest being October 19, 2022 (click here).

The Robert's Court is actively dismantling the legislature. They are taking apart the law of the land and they think nothing of it.

The interpretation of Brown has also had major impacts on admissions at the K-12 level. When the court invalidated a voluntary integration effort in Seattle public schools in 2007, Justice Roberts wrote that limiting how race could be used as a factor in admissions was “more faithful to the heritage of Brown.” He memorably added that “the way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”

That is double speak. It also sounds a great deal like the nonsense that comes out of the Federalist Society that distains discrimination as a factor in any form of law.

...Unfortunately for Dworkin, (click here) his alma mater, Harvard University, may have fatally undermined the assumption that racial classifications can be “non-invidious,” at least in the educational admissions context. Next term, the Supreme Court will decide Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, a challenge to Harvard’s use of race as a factor in admission decisions. The petitioners present substantial evidence that Harvard’s admission policies and practices, by considering race, effectively stereotype and penalize Asian applicants. Harvard responds that “universities have a compelling interest in pursuing the educational benefits that flow from student bodies that are diverse along many dimensions, including race.” This assertion is little more than a Dworkinian variant as it presents the consideration of race in admissions as not discrimination at all....

In this particular case Ronald Dworkin is god to the Federalists. Dworkin talks about the "philosophy" of law and the fact certain forms of law are undesirable as it takes away societies right to be it's own decision maker about discrimination on any level.

Dworkin denies that there can be any general theory of the existence and content of law; he denies that local theories of particular legal systems can identify law without recourse to its moral merits, and he rejects the whole institutional focus of positivism (click here).

Relying on philosophers or a particular philosopher as a basis for judicial decisions erases the USA Constitution and replaces with anarchy. At least anarchy short of murder. When it comes to bodily harm the Robert's Court finds that wrong, but, so did God in the Ten Commandments.

The legislature of the USA is elected to carry out writing of bills that will pass into law. The only entity it relies on to write those bills is the Parliamentarian, who by the way relies on stare decisis in assisting in the wording of the bills that will pass into law.

There is no Dworkin sticking his nose into the USA legislature to influence the words used in bills or to negate words vital to stating what will become a law. Yet, the Robert's Court is using the Dworkin form of anarchy to erase the influence of law in our democracy and instill society as the real judge of what is legal and what is not. That is a method of returning to the Dark Ages where the only other authority to any laws was the church.

The Federal Society is seeking to undermine the American democracy and in it's place put a form of anarchy that simply doesn't care if their is racism, bigotry or discrimination in aspect of society, hence, enforcing oppression.

Theories such as this is not supposed to be the over riding factor in DEMOCRACY. 

The Robert's Court are not anchored to the USA Constitution so much as their own political preferences developed in part by the Federalist Society that would turn the USA Democracy into a theocracy where by only Christians existed in this part of North America.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The United States of America started as an idea that would remove tyranny from the land and set governance that would be taken to mean FOR CENTURIES all the people were to have one vote as a voice as well as the same opportunity to thrive within these borders. The USA Constitution is it's OWN PHILOSOPHY and no others should impose alien values to the truths we base our lives in under the law.

April 17, 2021
By Anemona Hartocollis

...At the University of California, Los Angeles, (click here) freshman applications rose by 28 percent, and even more for racial minorities — by 48 percent for African-Americans, by 33 percent for Hispanic students and by 16 percent for American Indian students.

The easing of the reliance on standardized tests, which critics say often work to the advantage of more educated and affluent families who can afford tutors and test prep, was most likely the most important factor in encouraging minority applicants.

Only 46 percent of applications this year came from students who reported a test score, down from 77 percent last year, according to Common App, the not-for-profit organization that offers the application used by more than 900 schools. First-generation, lower-income, as well as Black, Hispanic and Native American students were much less likely than others to submit their test scores on college applications....

I suppose if a person is a member of those of the 77 percent that weren't admitted to a choice university, then they feel cheated. That is no reason to dissolve Affirmative Action. Quite frankly, it is the reason to uphold Affirmative Action.

I swear as soon as minorities of brown and black skin find success in the USA there are always people aggrieved at their success to attempt to end it.

Racism in this country needs to die. There should be no other loyalty to any outcome of law or judicial decisions.

Rigged System

While Trump loves strongmen that hold power forever, he wants to be king. Imagine the envy of King Charles III.

But, there is only one way to talk about communism and that is of a rigged system. The leaders of Communism have been in the pipeline for a long time. It isn’t like Free World politics where name recognition can bring about a political nomination. 

Communism is run by ideologues devoted to the rules and principles that govern. The leadership is “brought along” so to speak.

I am expecting an American to take leadership someday in Russia. He will have been born in the USA through birth tourism and raised under the direction of communists. 

At the same time another Russian born in the same manner will be running for President in the USA. They might even be siblings. Won’t that be interesting.

Good night.

Hi.

I have a really cool opportunity to teach tomorrow, so let me see if I can find something interesting to post.

This is mildly interesting. The communists are killing off their old leadership.

Mikhail Gorbachev was most likely euthanized, which is legal in Russia and now Hu Jintao is missing.

The communists are getting rid of the old guard. Why? Because peace is not an agenda item and the old guys are saying things like, "Are you crazy?" I find it interesting Hu Jintao found it necessary to approach party leadership in order to deliver a message. Why is it so difficult for the President to speak to the leadership of the party. No Xi is not president of China. There is a division of authority that is very different. It is communism. It is very different.

No communist leadership wants to hear from Hu otherwise it would not be a struggle to communicate with Xi and he would not be escorted away. 

It is another five year plan. I guess the old guard is not welcome.

October 28, 2022

It is a moment (click here) that for many observers has come to define strongman leader Xi Jinping’s tightening grip on China: his visibly frail predecessor, Hu Jintao, being escorted out of a key Communist Party meeting during a five-yearly leadership reshuffle – apparently at Xi’s behest.

Images of two men ushering the 79-year-old from his seat and toward the exit were beamed across the world as the party’s National Congress came to a close Saturday, leading to days of speculation over whether Hu was the victim of a deliberately public power play.

This week, those rumors have only grown – despite a claim by Chinese state media on Twitter that Hu left due to ill-health – and the intrigue is likely to grow further still with the release of footage showing the 90 seconds leading up to his sudden removal....

Rubio is channeling Q.

October 28, 2022

By Scott Maxwell

It’s almost Halloween. (click here) So you can find scary movies galore on TV. But just as scary are the political ads in between.

Marco Rubio, for instance, is warning us over and over that Val Demings is basically a witch who wants to magically “turn boys into girls” as part of her overall plan to “destroy America.”...

...I used to think people weren’t dumb enough to believe such ridiculous (and in this case LGBTQ-phobic) claims. Now, I’m not so sure....

...For one, truth just doesn’t seem to matter as much anymore. Politicians lie with impunity and still get elected.

For another, many news outlets simply don’t call out lies anymore. Fact checks and ad-watches that used to be staples of local journalism are rarer today.

Plus, the entire concept of fact-checking has been demonized by politicians who don’t like seeing lies exposed. The Pulitzer Prize-winning site Politifact recently penned a piece about how some of their journalists have been personally harassed. The piece specifically cited Gov. Ron DeSantis’ bellicose spokeswoman, Christina Pushaw, for bashing journalists, saying she liked to “attack them on Twitter, urging online mobs to vilify things that are legitimate practices of journalism.”...

...So how can you tell whether claims are true?

For starters, don’t take any ad at face value. Question everything. That’s what George does — even when it’s a claim coming from a campaign he supports. Boy, I respect that.

Do your own research. Sure, use Google. But only rely upon information you get from sites you recognize and trust. Politifact.com is a good one. So is OrlandoSentinel.com where you can find our Voters Guide and watch interviews of the candidates to hear from them directly.

Another great resource is the League of Women Voters’ site, Vote411.org. There, you can type in your address and get a list of every race that will appear on your personal ballot, along with the candidates’ own answers to policy questions. (Be skeptical of those who didn’t answer — the politicians who want your vote but won’t tell you where they stand.)

There are other good sites. Just please don’t trust the ads. Because, while some people may have valid reasons to vote for Amendment 3 or for Marco Rubio, it shouldn’t be because you’ve been duped into believing the amendment will help veterans or that Rubio’s opponent wants to turn every little Joey she sees into a Jolene.

People who buy into that bunk just encourage more of it.

Why trust a man that will sell his soul to the latest Trumpian fear mongering campaign?

This is the Republican base. 

These are the people Rubio is chasing with his lies and deceit.

There are no ethics here. 

This is all drama for the sake of votes. Americans are being validated as idiots willing to do anything for power and popularity. The woman holding the item that looks like an oversized candy corn wants something from her demonstrating. If what she wants is a fantasy and Rubio is willing to entertain making it come true, there are no stops within our democracy to quackery and gas lighting.

Rubio's pandering is dangerous, highly unethical and REPLACES our democracy with the concept of POWER OWNING. It is wrong and it is extremely dangerous as witnessed with Trump and January 6th.

The Texans that backed Trump's media ideology are prime examples of people who want to practice POWER OWNING and not democracy. I don't care what they say, they do not believe in the USA Constitution and are willing to provide a platform for destroying it.

Poll: 15-20% of Americans believe in core QAnon conspiracy theories

Poll: 15-20% of Americans believe in core QAnon conspiracy theories

Poll: (click here) 15%-20% of Americans believe in core QAnon conspiracy theories.

...The compound (click here) has become an object of fascination, however, among COVID-19-truthers and adherents of QAnon, the fringe, baseless theory that a well-sourced government agent called “Q” leaks top-secret intel about a global cabal of Democratic and Hollywood pedophiles through cryptic and grandiose messages known as “Q-drops.” The quasi-cult’s sway has grown considerably in recent years, thanks in part to the tacit encouragement of Donald Trump. On Tuesday, a QAnon promoter named Marjorie Taylor Greene won 57 percent of the vote in a Republican primary for Georgia’s 14th congressional district, all but ensuring her victory in November. “There’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take this global cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles out, and I think we have the president to do it,” Greene once said in a video from 2017. Trump applauded Greene’s primary victory....

Just for the record adrenochrome is a naturally occurring substance in the body related to adrenaline oxidation (metabolism) that is not approved by the FDA. It was examined at one point as a potential cause of schizophrenia. I don't think the substance was made illegal, but, there is no legitimate use for it.

July 21, 2020
By Brian Friedberg

THE DARK AGES (click here) were rife with plague, fanaticism, and accusations that Jews secretly fed off the blood of children. In 2020, we too are beset with plague, rampant medical misinformation, and a persistent rumor that “global elites” torture children to harvest the chemical adrenochrome from their blood, which they then inject in order to stay healthy and young.

A favorite topic of interconnected QAnon and Pizzagate conspiracy communities, so-called “adrenochrome harvesting” long predates these groups. It has, however, resurrected during the Covid-19 pandemic. Google Trends shows significant spikes in searches for adrenochrome in March and June of 2020. It’s prevalent on TikTok, Youtube, and Instagram. Reddit removed a dedicated adrenochrome subreddit on July 30. On Friday, July 31, conspiracy theorists plan to hold the first “Child Lives Matter” protest in Hollywood to “expose” child trafficking, advertising the event with references to #adrenochrome....

The Late John McCain knew when the right wing extremists were out of control and knew when to push back. There is no push back anymore.

This attack was the result of decades of the political right wing peddling fear and lies and Trump turned it lose.

This has all gone too far. There are reports of men with bullet proof vests and armed with assault rifles standing at ballot drop sites. Average citizens simply carrying out the responsibility of voting has to face down these idiots.

Arizona woman confronts armed people watching ballot drop box (click here for video)
Published: Oct. 26, 2022 at 12:52 AM EDT

October 29, 2022
By Michael Biesecker and Bernard Condon

The man accused (click here) of breaking into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s California home and severely beating her husband with a hammer appears to have made racist and often rambling posts online, including some that questioned the results of the 2020 election, defended former President Donald Trump and echoed QAnon conspiracy theories.

David DePape, 42, grew up in Powell River, British Columbia, before leaving about 20 years ago to follow an older girlfriend to San Francisco. A street address listed for DePape in the Bay Area college town of Berkeley led to a post office box at a UPS Store.

DePape was arrested at the Pelosi home early Friday. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said she expected to file multiple felony charges, including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and elder abuse.

Stepfather Gene DePape said the suspect had lived with him in Canada until he was 14 and had been a quiet boy....

Donald John Trump is an active participant in The Big Lie.

October 27, 2022
By Mark Niesse

Former (click here) President Donald J. Trump speaking at a screening of “2000 Mules” at Mar-a-Lago on May 4.Credit...

An auditor from Gwinnett County (click here) who was falsely accused of election fraud in the film “2000 Mules” is suing the movie’s makers, Dinesh D’Souza and True the Vote, alleging they lied to advance a phony narrative at his expense....

The Big Lie is not simply a spoof on Trump's willingness to be paranoid about the election of 2020. The Big Lie is an active campaign by Trump and the Republicans. When real human beings are being targeted and victimized, this is not a small issue. This is criminal. There is no getting around it. This is political harassment to drive people to destroy, kill and remove the USA Constitution as the Rule of Law in the USA.

A tour de force (click here) exploring the limits of how many suckers there are willing to pay for fantasy.

"True the Vote" is conducting criminal acts and Americans victimized by these bozos are left to handle it themselves. THESE ARE CRIMINALS!

September 14, 2022

By Natalia Contreras 

A defamation and computer fraud lawsuit (click here) filed this week against Texas-based True the Vote asks a judge to essentially determine whether the election integrity group’s campaign against a small election vendor constitutes slanderous lies or a participation in criminal acts.

The suit was brought by Konnech Inc., a small elections logistics company based in Michigan. It alleges that True the Vote and its followers launched a stream of false and racist accusations against the company’s founder, forcing him and his family to flee their home in fear for their lives and damaging the company’s business. The suit cites True the Votes’ public claims that it hacked the company’s servers and accessed the personal information of nearly 2 million U.S. poll workers.

In a rare move, the judge granted Konnech’s request for a temporary restraining order against Catherine Engelbrecht and Gregg Phillips, leaders of True the Vote, a nonprofit organization known for making allegations of voter fraud without evidence to support their claims. Judge Kenneth Hoyt of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas found a “substantial likelihood” that Konnech would “suffer irreparable injury” without it. The order also prohibits True the Vote from accessing, or attempting to access, Konnech’s computers or disclosing any of the company’s data and orders the group to disclose more information about the alleged breach....

Trump never had the money to bail out his own media.

October 28, 2022

By Helen Coster and Krystak Hu

...The documents show Truth Social’s early backers (click here) include six businessmen outside of the Silicon Valley mainstream — including two executives from an oil company and a gym chain, several Republican donors, a former U.S. ambassador to Portugal and the head of a mail-order fruitcake company.

The involvement of the previously unnamed financial backers of Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) – parent company of social media app Truth Social – shows how Trump tapped his political supporters to launch an outlet aimed at political conservatives and libertarians after he was banned from Twitter and Facebook following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on Congress....

I feel a boycott coming on. These are all Texas bozos. They have issues with freedom, they like to control it. They don't care how. It might even take guns.

...According to the documents, (click here) Karl Pfluger (click here), president of Midland, Texas oil and energy company Oryx Midstream Services owned by private equity firm Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, put in $5.3 million in December 2021 and an additional $4.5 million in March 2022. Pfluger is the brother of August Pfluger (click here) (Nothing like having your own media circus as a Texan), a Republican Congressman in Texas and vocal Trump ally who first earned Trump’s endorsement in February 2020.

In a statement to Reuters, August Pfluger’s spokesperson said he doesn’t have a personal investment in Trump Media & Technology Group, adding: “He earned the endorsement of President Trump long before the creation of Truth Social.”

Patrick Walsh, chief executive of the holding company that controls luxury gym brands including TMPL (click here), Palm Beach Sports Clubs (click here), and LIV (click here), invested a total of $6.2 million between December 2021 and February 2022. He had worked with Phillip Juhan (click here), who was the financial chief at fitness chain operator Town Sports International Holdings until Juhan left to take on the same role at TMTG, according to a May SEC filing from DWAC.

It is Texas billionaires backing Trump.

Texas telecom billionaire Kenny Troutt, a vocal Trump supporter, invested $4 million through his money manager Nicholas Merrick (click here) between May and November 2021. He donated $200,000 to the Trump campaign in 2016, and another $925,000 to Trump’s 2020 re-election campaigns, according to publicly available campaign finance data.

Roy Bailey, the chief executive officer of Bailey Deason Capital Investments (click here) in Dallas, Texas and the national co-finance chairman of Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign, invested at least $200,000 between May and October 2021.

George Glass, an Oregon real estate developer and Trump fundraiser who served as U.S. Ambassador to Portugal during the Trump administration, invested $500,000 on Jan. 24, 2022. Another $100,000 was invested the same day by Bob McNutt, the chief executive officer of a mail-order fruitcake company in Corsicana, Texas (click here). McNutt is a longtime Trump supporter.

It is very obvious Glass bought his ticket to ambassador.

Bailey, Pfluger, McNutt, Glass, Walsh and Troutt didn’t reply to requests for comment....

There is fraud involved with the electorate. Yes, definitely. But. It is not the voters, it is the Republicans in government.

End the racism!

October 27, 2022

By Liz Granderson

...Back in 2018, (click here) the Lone Star State — and its eager-to-please attorney general, Ken Paxton — used Trump’s lies about 2016 to justify creating a voter fraud unit. Some saw the move as Paxton positioning himself to replace the embattled Jeff Sessions as Trump’s attorney general. Others wondered whether he was seeking a presidential pardon because he had been indicted. Regardless of why Paxton started the fraud unit, it’s how he has used it that’s disturbing.

An ACLU analysis found in 2021 that more than 70% of the voter fraud cases out of Paxton’s office had targeted Black and Latino voters. When Paxton heard of Hervis Rogers, a 60-something Black man who stood in line for more than six hours to vote in 2020, the state attorney general had him arrested for voter fraud. The primary was in March, but Rogers’ parole didn’t end until June. He said he didn’t know he was violating parole by voting.

The maximum sentence for that offense is 20 years in Texas. Given Rogers’ age, that could have meant life in prison....

End the corruption!

The monies are evidence. The state can remove the monies from DeSantis.

October 27, 2022
By Sheridan Wall

Gov. Ron DeSantis (click here) has millions at his disposal, yet his campaign has not returned $213,000 in contributions from a fugitive charged with making illegal straw donations.

The donations came from Ahmad “Andy” Khawaja, the owner of an online payments processing company called Allied Wallet, Inc., and one of Khawaja’s companies. Khawaja now faces straw donor and wire fraud charges connected to his California-based business.

Khawaja, described in court filings as a fugitive, currently lives abroad and is fighting extradition....

How important is nature?

Nature inspires creativity and hence an economy. This is an e-page from "Heath Ceramics." It is the sole American ceramic manufacturer that survived the Chinese takeover of companies like Franciscan Ware, the former manufacturers of "Desert Rose," the china "W" purchased for First Lady Laura Bush.

All Roads (click here) home textiles are designed in the Mojave Desert, and handwoven by artisans in Chiapas, Mexico. “Nature is our biggest inspiration and sanctuary,” says co-founder and fiber artist Janelle Pietrzak, “So it was effortless to pull color from our surroundings— greens from pi\u00f1on pines and juniper; and specks of black and pinky tans from the large granite boulders in Joshua Tree.

2003 (click here)

Johnson Brothers moves production of all products, including Franciscan Ware patterns Desert Rose and Apple, to China.

2013

Franciscan Desert Rose discontinued.

Why do we bother with Antarctica?

Because it is the bottom of the Earth. It has been a huge land mass of ice. We know that ice structures on Earth is what keeps Earth a habitable planet. One of the best indicators of a healthy Antarctica is the wildlife there. That is probably true of most of the areas where scientists studies include animals and plants.

Scientists predicted all that is occurring with climate now. No one would be talking about climate without their dedication and perfection in understanding their particular interests.

Yes, it is important to know all these things. 

Earth is our only home and to understand it is to ensure its viability for all generations born.

The work scientists perform everyday is vitally important, as is their accumulated knowledge. 

How good are the scientists involved with climate and diminishing diversity of Earth?

This was predicted twenty years ago.

I was in the office of an Antarctic scientist that is a Marine Ornithologist in 2003. He provided me with copies of his recent research from Antarctica. We chatted about the climate and future and he stated the Emperor Penguins has a high chance of extinction because they are hard wired to their habitat. They migrate to and from feeding and nesting grounds on cue by nature and always in the same manner and the same habitat.

Antarctica was a solid ice mass on land for millennia. It was only in the past 150 years that the warming of Earth would destroy life as we know it.

October 26, 2022
By James Doubek

The emperor penguin population of Antarctica (click here) is in significant danger due to diminishing sea ice levels and is being granted endangered species protections, U.S. wildlife authorities announced Tuesday.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it has finalized protections for the flightless seabird under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), listing the penguins as a threatened species.

"This listing reflects the growing extinction crisis and highlights the importance of the ESA and efforts to conserve species before population declines become irreversible," Service Director Martha Williams said in a statement. "Climate change is having a profound impact on species around the world and addressing it is a priority for the Administration. The listing of the emperor penguin serves as an alarm bell but also a call to action."...

There are eight species of penguins in Antarctica. (click here)

Another species of penguin to be worried about are the Adelie Penguins. They are the next to smallest. Their habitat is different from the Emperor Penguins. The Adelies like the coast. The greatest change in habitat occurs along Antarctica's coast. So, currently the Adelies are considered "near threatened."

Adélie penguins (click here) were discovered in 1840 by scientists on the French Antarctic expedition led by explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville. D’Urville named Adélie Land, in southern Antarctica, after his wife, Adéle. Scientists Jacques Hombron and Charles Jacquinot also attributed this name to the species....

It is expected that if all the other species fail, it will be the "Chinstrap" penguins that will survive. At least that is the estimation.

It is amazing the amount of money Republicans spend to beat Democrats. 

Add to that the propaganda and lies and it really takes a lot to defeat a Democrat.

Amazing how gullible American voters currently are to walk away from their best interests.

This is directly from Secretary Yellen's Treasury website. There is no recession. The two months that others are crying about as a recession is a very small numeric indicator. The numbers are fractions of a fraction of a percentage. The numeric indicators of a recession are well within the margin of error. Given the facts and the growth occurring, 2.6 percent at the moment, to say there is a recession based on numbers that very well may be in error is irresponsible.

The issues with gasoline? It is scarce. That should be no surprise since Peak Oil occurred in 2005. Scientists have been starting to get rid of the internal combustion engine for no other reason except there is a diminishing amount of petroleum. The dead dinosaurs have given up all they can. They were never infinite in numbers, okay? 

In 2005, (click here) the year of Katrina, a gallon of gasoline in 2015 the dollar value was $2.74. The actual cost of gasoline in the 2005 dollar value was $2.30.

The Republicans were in charge in Washington when Peak Oil happened. They did nothing to tell the people of this country that burning fossil fuels had to end. See, Peak Oil never meant the petroleum would dry up in 2005, it meant that it was the peak of the commodity in volume. There would still be petroleum to pump out of the ground, but, in diminishing amounts. It looks to me as though that is occurring.

It really is time to get away from burning fossil fuels, because, there simply a diminishing supply and the USA should preserve it's capacity to serve the military. 

October 24, 2022

...Just over a week ago, (click here) I had the opportunity to meet with my counterparts from across the world at the IMF and World Bank in Washington. We spoke about many topics. But one thing was clear: we are at an important moment for the global economy. In the United States, we are focused on transitioning our economy to stable and sustained growth. The U.S. economy retains significant strength. But inflation remains too high, and we are contending with serious global headwinds.

So today, I’ll focus first on our Administration’s policies to address the immediate challenges we’ve faced: those that led to a historically strong recovery and subsequently, our concerted actions to address high inflation and energy costs.

Then I’ll turn to our longer-run strategy of investments in the strength of the American economy. As we tackle our immediate challenges, we must not lose sight of what lies on the other side. The United States has long faced structural pressures that have held back our economic potential. But I believe our Administration’s recent legislative accomplishments position the United States to lead the global economy in the decades to come....

There is no recession. Why the high prices? Besides greed? There are some lingering supply chain issues. I don't know why, the USA needs to be self-sufficient in everything the country needs. I know Wall Street doesn't see it that way, but, they are heavily invested in foreign capital and it isn't with allies necessarily.

...Respondents listed global political unrest (58%) (click here), a lack of raw materials (44%), and rising fuel and energy costs (40%) as the top reasons supply chain challenges will continue this year. A third of respondents (31%) cited inflation as a major contributor. Looking ahead, respondents said the top three supply chain challenges in 2023 will be: reduced availability of raw materials in the United States (50%); a slowdown in construction of new homes (44%); and disruption to public transportation due to a lack of drivers (44%)....

The United States of America has to restock it's self-sufficiency. No Wall Street financial firm will lead in that direction and will not invest in that direction because they are too tied up in foreign interests.

...Anticipating those trends, business leaders say they expect e-commerce volumes to increase this season compared to last year (73%), and that they are prepared to focus on six strategies for selling their products: speed of delivery (64%); customer service excellence (57%); product availability (52%); sustainability credentials (47%); price reductions (42%); and “made in the U.S.” status (38%)....

At least 38 percent get it. That is only one third of business leadership that sees the handwriting on the wall. Basically, building and growing a business in communist countries is a huge mistake. And it certainly should not be viewed as the future of their company's growth. That is complete folly.

The answer to supply chain issues is not to import materials or finished products from hostile sources.

Right now Secretary Yellen is looking to Ohio, the manufacture state, to speak to leaders and citizens about revitalizing the manufacturing sector. President Biden has stated, to curb costs of goods to the American people there has to be healthy competition. At this point in the USA, it is more than healthy competition, it is a national defense strategy. Imagine the peace of mind all citizens will have as well as our allies, when they no longer have to accept communist countries as a source for materials and goods.

October 26, 2022

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will travel to Cleveland on Thursday (click here) to promote the Biden administration's economic initiatives aiming to revive U.S. manufacturing, especially in overlooked cities, the Treasury said.

In the latest of a series of campaign-influenced economic speeches ahead of Nov. 8 U.S. congressional elections, Yellen will discuss the growth of Ohio manufacturing brought about by recent legislation enabling hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of investments in infrastructure, semiconductors, research and clean energy technology....

October 26, 2022

Thank you all for joining me today. (click here) This is the second of six roundtables we are hosting on the Inflation Reduction Act’s climate and clean energy tax incentives.

I am looking forward to hearing from you about how we can accelerate the build-out of a clean energy economy.

As you know, the Inflation Reduction Act is the most significant investment in clean energy in our nation’s history. It puts President Biden’s climate goals within reach. At the same time, it creates jobs, saves households money, and strengthens our nation’s energy security.

To realize the promise of this law, we are working in tandem with all of you: utilities, project developers, manufacturers, organized labor, community organizations, and other critical actors who help supply the clean power our economy and our planet need.

As you all know, the Inflation Reduction Act provides the long-term clarity that clean energy developers have sought for years. We’d like to hear from you about how our guidance can help provide further certainty so that investments can move forward and our economy can realize the benefits as quickly as possible....

Hopefully, the governors of every state are looking at the future and building infrastructure that is smart and clean. I would be nice if they were all on the same page and pulling in the same direction.

The era of fossil fuels is ending. It makes sense. There is finite amount of petroleum and there needs to be a shift in the paradigm to ensure the future is safe and prosperous for all Americans, Europeans, Australians, New Zealanders, Japanese, South Korea and the friendly countries in Africa. 

We need to take care of ourselves. There is no time to waste and there is plenty of opportunity and investment for Wall Street. The financial markets don't have to crash, they can actually transition into a framework of CERTAINTY. The lessons with Russia are profound and cannot be repeated.

It is called quality of life and in the USA there are to be boundaries to prevent it.

October 25, 2022

By Cathy Free

Dani and Rudy Izzie with their twins Lavinia, and Giorgiana in August 2021

... “Her disability was not a dealbreaker (click here) — we didn’t even talk about it for the first couple of dates,” added Rudy Izzie, 38. “We really connected. And of course, I thought she was very beautiful.”

The pair found they had a lot in common: they both grew up in Virginia and loved the outdoors, and Dani worked in digital marketing while Rudy was in digital sales.

“He loved me for who I am,” Dani said. “I’d been rejected a lot in the past. But he had no qualms about me having a disability.”

They married in 2018 and moved into a home in Culpeper County, Va.

Soon, the couple was facing a dilemma. They had always wanted a family. Could she as a quadriplegic provide her children with the care they needed?

“I had some insecurity and doubt, wondering, ‘How am I going to take care of a baby if I can barely take care of myself?’ ” she said. “Everyday life was already challenging.”

But as she thought deeper about it, she decided that while her husband helps her put on her pants and shoes in the morning, she does a lot to take care of herself — and her husband, as well.

“I came to realize, ‘Well, I do take care of myself — I’m healthy, I’m happy and I’m alive, and I’ve learned to do things in different ways,’ ” she said. “Even though I had a profound disability, I was actually pretty competent.”

Rudy was just as excited as she was to have a baby, but they didn’t know if it was a good idea medically....

What I find most likeable about Lt. Governor Fetterman is his complete and frank honesty.

The Americans with Disability Act is on John Fetterman's side. The Americans with Disability Act clearly brings to the American public an example of believing the best in everyone. For a long time that law has provided sunshine on the abilities of Americans to overcome their challenges and live a life full of opportunity and options. The law provides a path for challenged Americans to find happiness and not isolation. I believe John Fetterman is showing Pennsylvania exactly the extent Americans can identify their disabilities and overcome them.

I sincerely believe Lt. Governor (still on the job - click here) Fetterman is lifting up every person that at one time was willing to take a back seat in life because they were told that is where people who have strokes belong. John Fetterman is proving all the stereotypes wrong and he needs to be applauded.

Most of all John Fetterman never tried to cover up the medical problems he was facing. He simply took it in stride and asked the people of Pennsylvania to be open minded and give him a little time to prove he is still the best man for the job. He has undoubtedly proved himself to the people of his state, openly and without one day of hesitancy to the challenges before him. I believe that quality of character is more important. I am confident Pennsylvania wants an honest and forthright man in office and they have it with John Fetterman.

I am quite surprised at Dr. Oz. He has chosen to use a healing disability as an election issue when obviously there is little to be worried about. Clearly Dr. Oz rather sit John Fetterman in the corner where Dr. Oz believes he belongs. That is simply wrong and reflects a very negative approach to life in the USA.

Oh, by the way, John Fetterman has a Masters Degree in Business Administration.

October 25, 2022
By Katie Glueck and Trip Gabriel

For many voters, (click here) the debate was their first extended chance to see what Fetterman looks and sounds like after his stroke. He could sound halting, sometimes jumbling words, using the wrong one, and occasionally sounding off-key. He opened the evening by saying, “Good night.”...

...Fetterman was mindful of that challenge. From his opening remarks, he framed his experience as a comeback story still in progress.

“I had a stroke,” he said. Referring to Oz, he continued, “He’s never let me forget that. And I might miss some words during this debate, mush two words together, but it knocked me down, but I’m going to keep coming back up.”...

I think Lt. Governor John Fetterman is absolutely amazing. The stroke is nearly undetectable. Fetterman is a hero. There is no doubt about it. He is courage personified.

Massachusetts is putting it's toe in the water regarding a millionaires tax.

October 25, 2022
By Dana Gerber and Shirley Leung

These are the sort of questions going through the minds of Massachusetts voters (click here) when faced with a measure on November’s ballot known as the “millionaires tax” or “Fair Share” amendment. The premise of Question 1 is simple: Should Massachusetts amend its flat 5 percent state income tax to add a surcharge on the highest earners, with the proceeds designated for education and transportation?

If passed, here’s how Question 1 would affect taxpayers: People who earn more than $1 million in a year would pay the current 5 percent tax on the first $1 million, then 9 percent on all income above that. For a household that earns $1.5 million, their current $75,000 tax bill would grow to $95,000 — 5 percent on the first $1 million, or $50,000, plus 9 percent on the remaining $500,000, or $45,000 more. (See our calculator below to figure out the levy on your taxable income.)...

I think it is about time to examine the issue of significant wealth and the contribution to the greater good in our societies.

The chat below occurred in 2017.

About the recession question.

Wall Street likes certainty. Who doesn't? The world is in flux, but, there is a strong president in Washington and the Free World is holding.

The USA is not responsible for the genocide being carried out in Ukraine. 

Got that?

The USA is not responsible for the genocide being carried out in Ukraine. 

A third time, or did you finally get it.

The USA as well as its allies are appalled by the blatant disregard for human life by Putin's Russia. The USA is standing still. It is in observance of the atrocity and it, along with allies, are seeking to rescue Ukrainians by taking in refugees by the millions. There is major certainty in all that. Ukraine is holding and the people are fighting for their lives as well as their country. That is also certainty. 

The world has a problem. It is Vladimir Putin. Russia is the only real country in flux. The people of Russia never, ever in all the eight years since the occupation of Crimea expected their president to carry out genocide. The people of Russia are running away from their president. They are becoming refugees. 

There is a lot of certainty in the world other than Ukraine. Russia is demanding the saber rattling of its allies. That saber rattling is primarily around the topic of nuclear release using weapons. Russia has been playing with nuclear material for some time now and Chernobyl is their poster child. Chernobyl strongly represents the lack of expert handling of these issues. The UN IAEA is on the job. Ya know? They are setting limits on what can be done within and outside of nuclear reactors. They have asked for a buffer zone to the reactors in Ukraine. The idea is to eliminate the dangers of recklessness to cause yet another Russia nuclear accident.

I appreciate Wall Street being concerned about global stability, but, they signed on for this. There is always risk and when the Free World companies are trying to run businesses based in capitalism which is founded primarily in democratic principles in communist countries, the long term view is always uncertain. Communism can accommodate capitalism, but, the governance is not conducive to stable markets. 

The problem I have with Wall Street playing within communist countries is the abuse of the labor force within these countries. What is worse is that the governance of these countries don't care about the abuse. China saw workers for Apple related companies jump off towers. Over time and primarily because Americans complained, the condition for these workers have gotten better, but, in standards of the Free World, there is still room for improvement.

October 25, 2022
By Hanna Ziady

Some of the top names on Wall Street (click here) think a US recession is now likely, if not inevitable. But they have bigger worries on their minds.

JPMorgan Chase (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon said Tuesday he is more concerned about global geopolitics than he is about slowing economic growth in the United States.

“There’s a lot of stuff on the horizon which is bad and could — doesn’t necessarily — but could put the US in recession,” he said on a panel at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia....

China isn't alone in abuse of their workers, but, it does have the largest work force on the planet that is under paid with poor working conditions.

There is also a conflict of interest in Wall Street playing in these countries. They risk having their executives in jail for any reason the government chooses. That falls to the USA State Department primarily with some of the allies having the same problems. There are issues of protecting Americans that, in my opinion, are insurmountable, however, Americans still get themselves into trouble. Then in spite of the fact these Americans entered these countries without worry or hesitation, their relatives like to make political issues out of them. The communists love it.

So.

Wall Street looking to countries governed outside that of democratic principles and solid constitutions based in freedom are attempting to make profits the wrong way. 

It makes sense to see a country with more than a billion people and realize capitalism would be lucrative within them. India can be somewhat of a better example. But, communism? Really? The business oligarchs are not free to run their businesses without government interference that can remove them from power as a CEO in an instant. Why go there? 

Putin's Russia has to be the quintessential example of why investing in a communist country is a completely bad idea. There is no certainty in Russia, except, that it will do the unthinkable whenever the five year plan calls for it. Communist countries are based on ideology. It is destined to fail over and over for the people within its borders while the leaders live somewhat lavish lifestyles.

Wall Street needs to come home. It is good business. The Free World is a bit tired of companies that over extend their ability to govern their own businesses in places outside the realm of reason.

The financial rantings of the Republicans is a lie.

Consumers are not having problems. The outcome of VISA is a strong indicator to consumer use.

The tech stocks didn't have a good day because they had poor insight regarding their earnings this quarter. But, consumers are purchasing and there is no end in sight.

The interest rates to consumers should be examined for abuse, but, Americans are buying.

 

President Joe Biden was ridiculed for supposedly warming up to the Saudis.

October 25, 2022

By Rory Jones, Stephen Kalin and Summer Said

JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon and Goldman Sachs’s David Solomon are expected to speak at the event (click here)

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - International business leaders brushed aside a diplomatic spat between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, converging on the Saudis’ flagship investment conference in a kingdom riding high on an oil-price boom and trying to flex its geopolitical power.

Some 400 American executives descended on Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel for the Future Investment Initiative, an annual event sometimes dubbed “Davos in the Desert,” along with European and Asian business leaders. Among them: JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Jamie Dimon, David Solomon, head of Goldman Sachs Group Inc., and Blackstone Inc.’s Stephen Schwarzman.

The large American presence—over 150 U.S. companies were represented—came three months after President Biden visited Saudi Arabia in a bid to reset relations that were badly damaged following the 2018 murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi operatives. Many international firms had already turned the page on the outrage over Mr. Khashoggi’s death, which hung over subsequent runnings of the event. But for those that hadn’t, this year’s conference offered a chance to come back....

Where are the boycotts of all those 150 US Companies? 

I want to hear apologies to President Joe Biden and I mean now!

No one wants war. I believe that absolutely, except, Vladimir Putin. He wants genocide in a very ambitious war.

The USA Democratic Liberals overlooked one thing. Just one thing. In order for negotiations to work, both parties have to be living in the same reality.

October 25, 2022
By Amy B Wang, Yasmeen Abutaleb and Marianna Sotomayor

The Congressional Progressive Caucus (click here) has rescinded a letter, signed by 30 House liberals and sent to the White House on Monday, that urged President Biden to negotiate directly with Russia to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.

The withdrawal comes a day after the letter, led by Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), triggered fierce pushback from many Democrats. The retraction was also a stunning misstep for a prominent House liberal who has expressed interest in seeking a leadership position in the party.

In the wake of the letter’s release, Democrats and Ukrainian officials argued that it was unrealistic to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Those officials also worried the letter could create more pressure on Biden as he tries to sustain domestic support for the war effort, at a time when the region is heading into a potentially difficult winter and Republicans are threatening to cut aid to Ukraine if they retake Congress....

Kindly reflect on this one minute. Vladimir Putin began a war according to a five year plan AFTER he occupied an unarmed Crimea and Ukraine border region. The abandonment of Yanukovych of his presidency in Ukraine took place in 2014. That was eight years ago.

Today, the invasion by Putin and his Russian military to commit genocide was on the five year calendar. This is eight years after the occupation of Crimea and the Russian border region with Ukraine in the north. Putin planned this for eight years. For eight years Putin was anticipating genocide.

This entire reality with Putin and the Russian military is surreal. This stuff doesn't happen in the 21st Century. The world is too sophisticated with more than 8 billion people living on Earth. This doesn't happen anymore. 

The Free World's ambition was to bring peace and prosperity to the world. We thought Russia wanted it. We thought China wanted it. 

Surprise.