In this week's address, the President remarked on the incredible progress that has been made in the American auto industry.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Friday, January 8, 2016
President Obama's Veto Message
The House reading clerk reads President Obama’s veto message for the
reconciliation bill that would repeal parts of the 2010 health care law
and defund Planned Parenthood.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
Bring the MTA into the 21st Century
January 8, 2016, Brooklyn - Governor Cuomo unveiled the eighth signature
proposal of his 2016 agenda: modernize and fundamentally transform the
Metropolitan Transportation Authority, dramatically improving the travel
experience for millions of New Yorkers and visitors to the metropolitan
region.
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
White House Briefing
Spokesman Josh Earnest responds to reporters' questions on a variety
of topics, including the arrest of two Iraqi refugees on
terrorism-related charges and President Obama’s veto of a bill repealing
portions of the Affordable Care Act.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
Homeland Security Committee Chair Michael McCaul on Iraqi Refugee Arrests
Homeland Security Committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-TX) and members
of the committee speak with reporters about the arrest of two Iraqi
refugees on terrorism-related charges. They also call on the Senate to
pass the American SAFE Act.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
Hearing on Cybersecurity
Representatives from several internet security companies testify at a
hearing on ways private sector cybersecurity practices could be adopted
by government agencies.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
Prime Minister Turnbull to Visit the White House
President Obama will welcome Prime Minister Turnbull of Australia to the White house on January 19, 2016,
on his first trip to Washington since assuming
office. During the meeting, they will highlight the extraordinary
breadth of the U.S.-Australian alliance, and discuss a range of
bilateral, regional, and global issues, including our cooperation in
Iraq and Syria, our trade relationship, the successful conclusion
of negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, and
other developments in Asia and the Pacific.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
National Security Council Notes: U.S. Government Efforts to Counter Violent Extremism
The following statement was issued today by National Security Council spokesperson Ned Price.
Over
the course of President Obama’s Administration, and particularly since
the White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism in February 2015,
the United States Government has focused on strengthening our effort to
prevent violent extremists from radicalizing and mobilizing recruits at
home and abroad. The horrific attacks in Paris and San Bernardino this
winter underscored the need for the United
States and our partners in the international community and the private
sector to deny violent extremists like ISIL fertile recruitment
ground.
Today
the U.S. Government is announcing new initiatives to improve our
international and domestic efforts to counter violent extremism. The
Department
of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice will announce the
establishment of the Countering Violent Extremism Task Force, a new
organization that will integrate and harmonize domestic CVE efforts here
at home. The State Department will establish the
Global Engagement Center, which will allow us to place an intensified
focus on empowering and enabling the voices of international partners,
governmental and non-governmental, and shift away from direct messaging.
Additionally, today some of the most senior
officials from the White House and across the President’s national
security team are meeting in Silicon Valley with representatives from a
number of leading technology companies, to follow up on the President’s
call in his address on December 6 for the government
and private sector to work together to combat terrorism and counter violent extremism online.
Today’s
developments reflect President Obama’s commitment to take every
possible action to confront and interdict terrorist activities wherever
they
occur, including online.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
Sharpton Responds to the Filing of Charges Against NYPD Sergeant in Garner Case
(NEW YORK, NY) – The following is a statement from Rev. Al Sharpton, President and Founder of the National Action Network:
“This is a glimmer of hope but certainly just a first step on the road
to real justice. In order to truly grasp how meaningful this is, we must
know exactly what departmental charges this officer is facing.
“But we must be clear, everyone involved should be held accountable, all those responsible ought to pay for their actions. We will address this in detail at the Saturday action rally.”
The rally will be held on January 9, at 10 a.m., at the National Action Network headquarters, located at 106 West 145th Street in Harlem, New York.
Source: The National Action Network
New York Police Sergeant to Face Internal Charges in Eric Garner Confrontation
By Al Baker
A sergeant in the New York Police Department has been served with internal disciplinary charges for her role in the
confrontation that led to the death in 2014 of Eric Garner, an unarmed
black man who died after an officer placed him in a chokehold during an
arrest on Staten Island.
Mr.
Garner’s death, which has been under investigation by the United States
Justice Department, illuminated the aggressive tactics of police officers
in New York in confronting people suspected of minor offenses. A grand
jury’s decision not to charge any of the officers involved fueled
protests in New York and elsewhere and, along with several other
police-involved deaths around the country, led to calls for an array of
criminal justice reforms.
Police supervisors at the scene were faulted for never gaining control of the situation, in which Officer Daniel Pantaleo
mounted Mr. Garner’s back and threw an arm around his neck, taking him
to the ground as plainclothes officers tried to arrest Mr. Garner for
selling loose cigarettes.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The New York Times
Statement on the Employment Situation in December
Jason Furman
WASHINGTON, DC – Jason Furman, Chairman
of the Council of Economic Advisers, issued the following statement today on
the employment situation in December.
Summary: The economy added 292,000 jobs in
December, marking the strongest two years of job creation since 1998-2000.
The robust pace of job growth continued in December as the
unemployment rate held at its lowest level since April 2008 and labor force participation
ticked up. Our economy has now added more jobs over the past two years than in
any two-year period since 1998-2000. In fact, the annual average unemployment
rate has seen its fastest two-year decline in thirty years. Most importantly,
wages have risen faster over the past year than at any time since the recovery
began. Nevertheless, we still have more work to do to drive further job
creation and faster wage growth. That’s why the President will continue to push
for policies including approving the Trans-Pacific Partnership to open our
exports to new markets, investing further in infrastructure, and raising the
minimum wage.
FIVE KEY POINTS
ON THE LABOR MARKET IN DECEMBER 2015
1. Our
businesses have now added 14.1 million jobs over 70 straight months, extending
the longest streak on record. Today we learned that private
employment rose by 275,000 jobs in December, while private employment growth in
October and November was revised up by a combined 51,000 jobs. The unemployment
rate held steady at 5.0 percent in December while the labor force participation
rate edged up to 62.6 percent. Average hourly earnings for all private
employees have now risen 2.5 percent over the past year, the fastest pace since
the recovery began. Overall, our businesses have added 5.6 million jobs over
the past twenty-four months—the most in any two-year period since 1997-1999.
Click on graph to increase its size.
2. Our economy added 221,000 jobs per month
on average over the course of 2015, continuing the strong labor market recovery.
2015 was the second-best year of job growth since 2000, extending the robust
job gains observed earlier in the recovery. However, many of the global
headwinds our economy faces—including the slowing foreign demand that weighed
on our manufacturing sector and reduced oil and gas investment—contributed to a
pace of job growth somewhat below that observed in 2014. In addition, as the
strong recovery brings our economy closer to full employment, job growth will
likely moderate. This effect may also have contributed to the lower pace of
employment growth in 2015 compared with 2014.
Going forward, our aging population will
continue placing downward pressure on the labor force participation rate,
further reducing the pace of job growth necessary to keep the unemployment rate
constant. In fact, CEA estimates the breakeven rate of employment growth—the
rate needed to maintain a constant unemployment rate over the next year if the
labor force participation rate moves in line with demographic trends—at only
77,000 jobs per month. Of course, there is still more room for the labor market
to improve—especially with respect to faster wage growth. But as the
unemployment rate normalizes, the pace of job growth would be expected to start
normalizing as well.
3. The annual average unemployment
rate declined 0.9 percentage point between 2014 and 2015. This is consistent
with a range of indicators from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) household
survey that show the labor market strengthened considerably in 2015. In
particular, the broader measures of labor underutilization published by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics—including some people who have withdrawn from the
labor force or who are working part-time for economic reasons—fell faster than
the official unemployment rate in 2015. Additionally, declining long-term
unemployment accounted for about two-thirds of the decline in the overall
unemployment rate in 2015, a disproportionate share given that less than
one-third of the jobless are long-term unemployed. The labor force
participation rate ticked down in 2015 as the baby boomers continued to retire.
But despite this demographic trend, the strong pace of job growth over the past
year drove an uptick in the share of the population that is currently employed.
4. The
unemployment rate has fully recovered to its pre-recession average for many
demographic groups, although the broadest measure of labor market slack remains
slightly elevated.
The unemployment rate is fully recovered for both genders and across all racial
and ethnic groups reported by BLS. In particular, the African-American
unemployment rate is at its lowest level since September 2007, 15 percent below
its pre-recession average. The unemployment rate for women is at its lowest
level since April 2008, 7 percent below its pre-recession average. Like all
labor market indicators unemployment rates for particular demographics tend to
be volatile, and it is important to focus on long-term trends in these and
other data.
Despite the broad-based recovery, the
broadest measure of slack—the “underemployment rate,” or U-6, which includes
discouraged workers, those marginally attached to the labor force, and those
working part-time for economic reasons—is 90 percent recovered but remains
somewhat elevated. Such data indicate that more work remains before the labor
market is fully recovered.
5. December was a strong month for employment
growth in most sectors, although global headwinds continue to restrain job
growth in certain industries. Especially strong gains
relative to the past year were seen in industries such as transportation and
warehousing (+23,000), information services (+16,000), and construction
(+45,000). Manufacturing (+8,000) also had a stronger-than-average month,
although slowing foreign demand continues to weigh on growth in that sector
relative to 2014. Mining and logging employment, which includes oil extraction,
continued to decline (-8,000) as low oil prices have slowed investment. Across
the 17 industries shown below, the correlation between the most recent
one-month percent change and the average percent change over the last twelve
months was 0.82, somewhat above the average correlation over the previous three
years.
As the Administration stresses every month, the monthly employment and
unemployment figures can be volatile, and payroll employment estimates can be
subject to substantial revision. Therefore, it is important not to read too
much into any one monthly report, and it is informative to consider each report
in the context of other data as they become available.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
Carly Fiorina in Meredith, New Hampshire
Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina holds a town hall meeting in Meredith, New Hampshire.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
U.S. Tech Giants Warn U.K.'s Proposed Spying Bill Would Weaken Encryption
By Associated Press
Major U.S. Internet companies have urged the
British government to reconsider a plan to make telecommunications firms
help spies hack into computers and phones. The draft Investigatory
Powers Bill would require telecoms companies to keep records of
customers' Web histories for up to a year, and to help security services
gain access to suspects' electronic devices.
In a joint submission
to a committee of British lawmakers, Facebook, Google, Microsoft,
Twitter and Yahoo said that "to the extent this could involve the
introduction of risks or vulnerabilities into products or services, it
would be a very dangerous precedent to set." They urged the government
to reconsider, and warned against changes that would weaken online
encryption, which they called a "fundamental security tool."
Click here for the full article.
Source: NBC News
Color Barrier: Segregation Images Resonate 60 Years On
By Natalia Jimenez
Quiet moments from everyday life in segregated Alabama speak loudly almost 60 years later.
Click here to review the 16 photos.
Source: NBC News
Feds Say Terrorism-Related Arrests Made in 2 States
By The Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Authorities said Thursday
that two people with ties to ISIS have been arrested on
terrorism-related charges in California and Texas, including a refugee
from Syria who is charged with lying to federal investigators about his
travels to the civil war in that country.
The arrests feed a national debate over whether
the United States is doing enough to screen refugees from Syria for
terrorists from that nation.
Court documents say the men wanted to aid terrorist organizations affiliated with ISIS.
Click here for the full article.
Source: NBC News
Thursday, January 7, 2016
A Message from the President on the Celebration of Orthodox Christmas
Michelle and I wish a
blessed Christmas to Orthodox Christians in the United States and around
the world. During this holy season, we celebrate the birth of Jesus
Christ and pray for peace on Earth. This day gives us a special
opportunity to commemorate the contributions of American Orthodox
leaders to our progress. It also gives us a chance to reaffirm our
commitment to protect religious minorities, including Christian
minorities, who too often face violence and persecution throughout the
world. Today and every day, we stand with all those who suffer attacks
and discrimination – because we believe that the freedom to practice
your religion as you choose is a birthright of every person and part of
the bedrock of a just society. So we join with our Orthodox brothers
and sisters in celebration, and in hopeful prayer for peace and justice
the world over.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
White House Briefing
Spokesman Josh Earnest briefs reporters and responds to their
questions on a variety of topics, including North Korea’s claim that
they successfully tested a hydrogen bomb, the House vote to repeal the
Affordable Care Act, and gun control.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
State Department Briefing
Secretary of State John Kerry delivers a statement on several issues on
the international front, including the North Korean nuclear test and
Syria, and responds to reporters questions ahead of the daily press
briefing with Spokesman John Kirby.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
Defense Department Briefing
Spokesman Peter Cook briefs reporters and responds to their questions on a variety of military-related topics.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
House Speaker Weekly Briefing
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) briefed reporters and responded to
questions on his party’s legislative agenda. He praised Republican
efforts to pass legislation that would repeal the the Affordable Care
Act and defund Planned Parenthood. Speaker Ryan said Republicans in 2016
would put forward an agenda that would give Americans a choice on what
party should run the country.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
House Minority Leader Weekly Briefing
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) briefed reporters on a number of issues at her weekly briefing.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
National Governors Association Annual State of the States Address
National Governors Association Chair Governor Gary Herbert (R-UT) and
Vice Chair Terry McAuliffe (D-VA) deliver the NGA’s annual State of the
States address on priorities in the new year.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
Former Chief Judge Judith Kaye Passes Away
Statement by Governor Andrew Cuomo
“I am deeply saddened to learn of the
passing of former Chief Judge Judith Kaye. Throughout her more than 25
year career in public service, Chief Judge Kaye was a force for progress
who had a profound impact on our state. When she was appointed to the
Court of Appeals by my father in 1983, she became the Court’s first
female judge, and later continued her trailblazing legacy as the first
female Chief Judge, serving in that role for more than 15 years. Over
the course of that distinguished career, she was an exemplary role model
for women everywhere. She was an outspoken opponent of the death
penalty, believed in the fundamental promise of equal rights for all New
Yorkers, and dedicated herself to strengthening our judicial system and
our juries, along with many other worthy causes.
“After her tenure on the Court of Appeals,
Chief Judge Kaye continued to serve New Yorkers as my independent
special counsel in public integrity matters while I was Attorney
General. And she continued to serve the court as Chair of the Commission
on Judicial Nomination.
“She stood for justice and equality for all
people, and embodied the spirit of integrity in public service like none
other. Chief Judge Kaye’s passing is a true loss to our state, and I
have no doubt that her legacy will continue to be felt for years to
come. On behalf of all New Yorkers, I offer my heartfelt condolences to
her family and loved ones.”
Governor Cuomo has directed that flags on all state government buildings be flown at half-staff tomorrow, January 8, 2016 in honor and memory of Chief Judge Kaye.
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Gerald Whalen Chosen to Lead the Fourth Appellate Department
Governor Andrew Cuomo today designated
the Honorable Gerald J. Whalen as Presiding Justice for the Appellate
Division for the Fourth Judicial Department. The Fourth Department
encompasses 22 Upstate counties.
"I am proud to select the Honorable Gerald J. Whalen as the Presiding Justice for the Fourth Judicial Department's Appellate Division," Governor Cuomo said. "Justice Whalen has always sought to uphold the principles of our justice system and ensure that every New Yorker is treated fairly before it. His strong legal background and even more impressive character is a prime example of what we look for on the bench."
Justice Whalen said, "I am grateful to the Governor for this opportunity to serve. It is an honor to accept the position of Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division Fourth Department. I look forward to working with the exceptional Judges and staff in the Fourth Department as we continue providing the people of our state with fair, transparent and accessible courts."
Justice Whalen was elected New York State Supreme Court Justice in 2005 in the 8th Judicial District, and was appointed to the Appellate Division, Fourth Department in 2012. Prior to taking the bench, Justice Whalen was in private practice for 21 years, handling complex civil and criminal cases. He was a litigation partner with Hiscock & Barclay, LLP and served on the firm's Diversity Committee and was the firm's Associate and Hiring partner for the Buffalo office. He was awarded the Trial Justice of the Year award by the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Western Region Affiliate, in 2012.
Justice Whalen has also been a dedicated advocate to expanding the inclusiveness of the legal profession. He has been an adjunct professor at Canisius College and was a member of the Canisius Pre-Law Advisory Committee. For twenty-five years, Justice Whalen was a member of the Judge John J. Hillery Memorial Scholarship Foundation and was the Hillery Foundation's Man of the Year in 1997. The Foundation provides scholarships for students in need.
Justice Whalen served as President of the Supreme Court Justices Association, Eighth Judicial District, in 2012, and has also served as Chair of the Bar Association of Erie County Judges' Committee, and on the Fourth Department, Eighth Judicial District Committee on Character and Fitness. He has also lectured at SUNY Buffalo on Constitutional Law and is a frequent lecturer on civil matters at New York State and Erie County Bar Association events. He is a graduate of Canisius College where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1979, and earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1983 from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Under the New York State Constitution and Judiciary Law, the Governor has the authority to appoint Presiding Justices to each Appellate Division from among those who have been elected as Justices of the Supreme Court. These appointments are not subject to Senate confirmation.
The 22 counties in New York State's Fourth Judicial Department are: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates.
"I am proud to select the Honorable Gerald J. Whalen as the Presiding Justice for the Fourth Judicial Department's Appellate Division," Governor Cuomo said. "Justice Whalen has always sought to uphold the principles of our justice system and ensure that every New Yorker is treated fairly before it. His strong legal background and even more impressive character is a prime example of what we look for on the bench."
Justice Whalen said, "I am grateful to the Governor for this opportunity to serve. It is an honor to accept the position of Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division Fourth Department. I look forward to working with the exceptional Judges and staff in the Fourth Department as we continue providing the people of our state with fair, transparent and accessible courts."
Justice Whalen was elected New York State Supreme Court Justice in 2005 in the 8th Judicial District, and was appointed to the Appellate Division, Fourth Department in 2012. Prior to taking the bench, Justice Whalen was in private practice for 21 years, handling complex civil and criminal cases. He was a litigation partner with Hiscock & Barclay, LLP and served on the firm's Diversity Committee and was the firm's Associate and Hiring partner for the Buffalo office. He was awarded the Trial Justice of the Year award by the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Western Region Affiliate, in 2012.
Justice Whalen has also been a dedicated advocate to expanding the inclusiveness of the legal profession. He has been an adjunct professor at Canisius College and was a member of the Canisius Pre-Law Advisory Committee. For twenty-five years, Justice Whalen was a member of the Judge John J. Hillery Memorial Scholarship Foundation and was the Hillery Foundation's Man of the Year in 1997. The Foundation provides scholarships for students in need.
Justice Whalen served as President of the Supreme Court Justices Association, Eighth Judicial District, in 2012, and has also served as Chair of the Bar Association of Erie County Judges' Committee, and on the Fourth Department, Eighth Judicial District Committee on Character and Fitness. He has also lectured at SUNY Buffalo on Constitutional Law and is a frequent lecturer on civil matters at New York State and Erie County Bar Association events. He is a graduate of Canisius College where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1979, and earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1983 from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Under the New York State Constitution and Judiciary Law, the Governor has the authority to appoint Presiding Justices to each Appellate Division from among those who have been elected as Justices of the Supreme Court. These appointments are not subject to Senate confirmation.
The 22 counties in New York State's Fourth Judicial Department are: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates.
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
2016: An Especially Decisive Year
By Ted Glick
Presidential
election years are always seen, or hyped, as “decisive” for the
direction of the country. Sometimes they are, and sometimes not so much.
It
was decisive when Ronald Reagan beat Jimmy Carter in 1980 and proceeded
to drastically slash taxes for the rich and corporations, destroy
needed social services and programs, step up union-busting, dramatically
increase militarism and foreign military interventions, and more. It
was decisive when George W. Bush defeated Al Gore in 2000, leading,
among other things, to the illegal and disastrous March, 2003 US
invasion of Iraq. And it was decisive when Barack Obama bested John
McCain in 2008, temporarily setting back the extreme rightist and other
less-reactionary elements within the Republican Party.
It
was not so decisive when Bill Clinton beat Bob Dole and Ross Perot in
1992. Clinton’s tenure as president was marked by more than a few
Republican-type policies and the growing power over government of the
corporate/billionaire class.
2016 looks to be very decisive, for three main reasons:
-The
most important, in my view, is the climate crisis. Time is running out
to turn this crisis around before climate tipping points kick in that
will make it extremely hard to avoid worldwide catastrophe as this
century unfolds, hitting the poorest of the world the hardest. This
decade is absolutely the critical decade when that turn needs to happen,
when the political power of the fossil fuel industry is significantly
weakened. The election of a Republican climate denier to the Presidency
would be a political catastrophe for the entire world.
-It
is essential that the mass movement that has emerged in support of
Bernie Sanders be more than a Presidential election period,
one-and-a-half-year thing. Progressives should be supporting Bernie and
doing all we can to get him elected, but whether Bernie wins or loses,
the movement that his candidacy has generated must continue. Bernie
himself has said that his election alone won’t fundamentally change the
power dynamics in the country, that he would use the Presidency to help
the people exert their rightful power, enact a political revolution to
end corporate control over the government. Best would be Bernie in the
White House following through; if it’s Hillary, an independent,
multi-issue, mass movement will be absolutely needed to pressure her and
her establishment Democrat administration.
-Independent
of any particular Presidential campaigns, there are critical,
issue-based, national mass movements that are visible, have deep roots
and are winning victories, in particular: the Black-led movement against
racism within police departments, the “criminal justice” system, at
universities and elsewhere; the grassroots-based climate/climate justice
movement; the working class-based movement to increase the minimum wage
to $15/hour; the lgbt rights movement; and the movement against the
Trans Pacific Partnership and other pro-corporate trade deals. These and
other important though less visibly active movements (right now), like
the immigrant rights and women’s movements, can’t let their energies be
sucked up in a major way into electoral activity, though without
question some work in that arena will happen. Demonstrative and direct
action in the streets and elsewhere is the lifeblood of
difference-making movements, while absorption into electoralism can
undercut, weaken or destroy them. The work, visible actions and
increasing mutual support of these movements must continue to develop in
2016.
What about demagogue Donald Trump and the other extreme rightist Republican Presidential candidates (almost all of them)?
It
is amazing, and worrying, that Trump’s overtly racist, misogynistic,
ignorant, violence-supporting and abusive statements have resonated with
millions of people the way that they have. It is disturbing that in
hypothetical polling match-ups Trump currently receives support almost
equal to Sanders and Clinton, as do most of the others.
What
is new about Trump is not so much the policies he is supporting; it is
the overt language he is using which, without question, encourages
similarly overt racist, sexist, ignorant and violent language and
actions by those with similar politics. He’s in the tradition of Huey
Long, George Wallace and Patrick Buchanan, but up two or three notches.
Clearly, progressives must engage and struggle with these reactionary and backwards-looking ideas wherever we come into contact with them. As Bernie Sanders talked about on CBS’s Face the Nation last Sunday, we need to identify with the popular anger against the two-party establishment that Trump is using in a twisted and despicable way, stand up to the verbal bullies, and put out our independent and progressive perspectives about who the real target of their rage should be: the billionaire class and its control of government.
As
we enter 2016 there is much that is in flux, in motion. That is a good
thing. People are looking for new options to address the crises they
experience in their daily lives and/or the major issues facing the
planet and its struggling peoples. It’s a good time to be alive and
active for justice, peace, human rights and our Mother Earth.
Ted
Glick has been a progressive activist and organizer since 1968, the
last 12 years primarily working to build a strong climate/climate
justice movement. Past writings and other information can be found at http://tedglick.com, and he can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jtglick.
Exclusive: Lawyers Went to Rahm Emanuel, Then Quashed the Laquan McDonald Video
The mayor’s men demanded that
dashcam video be kept confidential for at least several years as part of
a $5 million settlement with the teenager’s family.
CHICAGO — City of Chicago lawyers, after meeting with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, demanded the Laquan McDonald family bury the video showing the killing of their son by a police officer.
Emanuel said last month
that Stephen Patton, Chicago’s corporation counsel, briefed him
“towards the end of March” about what the dashboard-camera video showed
and about the proposed $5 million settlement with McDonald’s estate.
After that briefing, Patton’s second-in-command, Thomas Platt, drafted
settlement language to keep the dashcam video hidden for at least
several years, according to emails reviewed by The Daily Beast (PDF).
Michael Robbins, an attorney for the McDonald estate, balked at the demand.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Daily Beast
Avoiding Gangs & Alternatives to Gangs & Violence
Avoiding Gangs
How do you avoid gangs when they exist throughout your community?
Answer: any way you can.
Avoid places where gang members hang out.
Avoid alleys and dangerous shortcuts.
Never travel alone. Always travel with a
trusted friend, family member, or a group of friends.
Walk on well-lighted, safe streets at night.
Join a team sport.
Have a teacher, coach, parent or sibling
drive you home from school.
Never hitchhike.
Never carry large sums of money.
Never carry expensive looking watches, jewelry,
or other items that would be attractive to a mugger.
When you're at home or when you're alone
some place else, never open doors for strangers.
Click here for more important tips.
Source: BodyTeen.com
Click here for more important tips.
Source: BodyTeen.com
Trailblazers in Black History: Dianne Durham, Gymnast
Dianne Durham, a two-time Junior National Champion and one-time Senior
National Champion, was Bela Karolyi’s first elite gymnast in the United
States. She and Mary Lou Retton were close rivals in the gym and in
competition; while Dianne won the 1983 Nationals, Mary Lou won the 1984
Nationals. Interestingly, Dianne was supposed to compete in the 1983
American Cup, but was injured at the last moment and was replaced by
Mary Lou. Mary Lou, a virtual unknown at the time, seized the
opportunity and won the American Cup title.
Click here for more information on the iconic gymnast.
Source: Originalpeople.org
Grand Jury Indicts Trooper in Sandra Bland Traffic Stop for Perjury
By The Associated Press
A Texas state trooper who arrested Sandra Bland
after a contentious traffic stop last summer was fired Wednesday after
being charged with perjury for allegedly lying about his confrontation
with the black woman who died three days later in jail.
Trooper Brian Encinia claimed in an affidavit
that Bland was "combative and uncooperative" after he pulled her over
and ordered her out of her car. The grand jury identified that affidavit
in charging Encinia with perjury, special prosecutor Shawn McDonald
said Wednesday night.
Click here for the full article.
Source: NBC News
The Lid: Trump's Big General Election Problem
By Carrie Dann and Andrew Rafferty
Welcome to The Lid, your afternoon dose of
the 2016 ethos… Donald Trump is feuding on Twitter with Samuel L.
Jackson over their golf skills. Which we can only assume with end with
the two of them doing an elaborate re-enaction of the "Big Kahuna
Burger" scene from Pulp Fiction.
'16 from 30,000
Even though it might not feel like it in this
crazy news cycle, (see: arguing about Marco Rubio's shoes), we're
getting close to actual voters making actual, consequential decisions
about candidates. Our big sib First Read wrote
this morning about how *unacceptable* most of the establishment GOP
candidates are to their own electorate. The flip side of that coin is
just how much Donald Trump has traveled from being unacceptable to
being, well, pretty okay, actually. In March 2015, only 23 percent of
GOP voters said they could see themselves supporting Trump. Now?
Fifty-eight percent. National Journal's Ron Brownstein
makes a great point today noting how the "Trump Gap" is increasing.
Meaning: As Republicans increasingly view Trump as a conceivable
nominee, Democrats and independents view him as LESS acceptable. It sets
up a scenario where, if Trump actually wins the party nod, he'll need
to win back really significant ground with these groups fast to have a
prayer of being successful in the general election. And he'd probably
start in a deeper hole than any GOP nominee in recent memory.
Click here for the full article.