Saturday, July 1, 2017
President Trump Signs the Space Council Executive Order
This video was published on YouTube on June 30, 2017.
New York Alert: Storm Threats Expected Between 12 – 10 P.M.
Residents Urged to Prepare for Severe
Thunderstorms, Strong Winds and Potential Flooding
Thunderstorms, Strong Winds and Potential Flooding
Governor Andrew Cuomo today warned New Yorkers to take precautions as severe weather moves through the Central and Mohawk Valley regions and continues traveling east. A number of showers and thunderstorms are expected across the entire state and the National Weather Service has issued Severe Weather Watches and Warnings for several areas. There is the potential that some of the storms will reach severe limits and could be strong enough to produce damaging winds, hail, and heavy rainfall.
"With the July 4th holiday weekend in full swing, New Yorkers should stay tuned to local forecasts as severe weather is expected throughout the weekend," Governor Cuomo said. "As storms often give little or no warning, it is important to have a plan in place to protect yourselves, your children and your belongings and get indoors quickly. I encourage travelers to plan ahead and only travel as necessary to help ensure the safety of all motorists during this busy holiday weekend."
The primary threat window will be from noon to 10 p.m. today, July 1 as weather travels west to east. An isolated tornado, as seen yesterday, is also possible with the main potential in the North Country. The North Country also remains under a flash flood watch until at least 5 a.m. tomorrow morning due to additional thunderstorms which are expected today into early this evening. These storms will produce locally heavy rainfall.
Since much of the North Country area has already experienced significant rainfall over the past 36 hours, any additional heavy rain will quickly lead to rapid rises of the small creeks and rivers in the area. Winds will be gusty today, at or above 20 mph at times, outside of thunderstorms across the state.
Winds in the Western New York and Finger Lakes regions, especially along the lakefront, are expected to exceed 30 mph outside of thunderstorms.
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
"With the July 4th holiday weekend in full swing, New Yorkers should stay tuned to local forecasts as severe weather is expected throughout the weekend," Governor Cuomo said. "As storms often give little or no warning, it is important to have a plan in place to protect yourselves, your children and your belongings and get indoors quickly. I encourage travelers to plan ahead and only travel as necessary to help ensure the safety of all motorists during this busy holiday weekend."
The primary threat window will be from noon to 10 p.m. today, July 1 as weather travels west to east. An isolated tornado, as seen yesterday, is also possible with the main potential in the North Country. The North Country also remains under a flash flood watch until at least 5 a.m. tomorrow morning due to additional thunderstorms which are expected today into early this evening. These storms will produce locally heavy rainfall.
Since much of the North Country area has already experienced significant rainfall over the past 36 hours, any additional heavy rain will quickly lead to rapid rises of the small creeks and rivers in the area. Winds will be gusty today, at or above 20 mph at times, outside of thunderstorms across the state.
Winds in the Western New York and Finger Lakes regions, especially along the lakefront, are expected to exceed 30 mph outside of thunderstorms.
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Muslim Ban Proves We Are The Ultimate ‘Other’
By Nida Khan
Thursday evening at 8 PM, part of Donald Trump’s Executive Order temporarily banning people from six Muslim-majority countries went into effect. Thanks to the Supreme Court, visa applications from Libya, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Yemen and Somalia will be blocked for 90 days and resettlement for refugees for 120 days unless an individual can prove a ‘credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States’. Under this vague definition, parents, siblings, stepsiblings, half-siblings or a fiancé of someone in the U.S. for example are allowed entry, but not their grandparents, nieces, nephews, uncles, or aunts. If this appears confusing and illogical, that’s because it is. As we await the ramifications of this action in the days, weeks and months ahead, as well as SCOTUS’ final ruling on the entire E.O. later this fall, the message has been heard loudly round the world and already solidified by the highest court in our country: Muslims are the ultimate ‘other’ and will be treated as such.
Earlier this year, Pew Research conducted a survey asking people to rate religious groups based on a “feeling thermometer” from 0 to 100 (0 being the coldest/most negative). Muslims were given an average rating of 48 degrees – less than the seven other religious groups in the survey. This is no coincidence. When most Americans don’t know a Muslim personally (or don’t realize that they know one), all they can base their perceptions on is what has been reinforced continually in the press, pop culture and society at large. When the U.S. is separated from much of the world – including the proverbial ‘Muslim world’ – by large bodies of water, many Americans have no concept of what a Muslim is in actuality.
Donald Trump campaigned for the highest office in the land by calling for a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims entering the country until we can figure out “what the hell is going on”. Well, I can tell you what the hell is going on. This didn’t start with Trump and he’s not the only one to blame for where we are today. The SCOTUS Justices who allowed for this partial implementation to take place are guilty; the State Department that set out the arbitrary guidelines for this rollout are guilty; the news outlets that don’t bring Muslims into the conversation are guilty; Hollywood that routinely demonizes Muslims is guilty; the politicians who went along with this ban for their own political advancement are guilty; those who don’t speak up for fear of retribution are guilty; and of course well-meaning citizens who are silent because they think this has nothing to do with them or are duped into believing so are guilty.
Muslims in the U.S. only constitute about 1% of the population. When a group is in such a minority, routinely stereotyped and misrepresented, and then further silenced by not having a seat at the table, are we really surprised that the majority don’t appear to care if we start shifting policy that impacts their family members directly or people of that community? When the Trump Administration rolled out its initial Muslim ban in January, there were massive protests at airports and elsewhere around the country, as well as a flurry of attorneys that literally sat on the floor with their laptops writing briefs to assist those caught in the middle of the chaos. It was a beautiful moment; Americans of all stripes were standing, marching and protesting in solidarity with the Muslim community. Unfortunately, that level of outrage has not sustained itself in the months since. While there were protests at some airports and cities on Thursday as part of the Muslim ban 2.0 launched, they weren’t nearly on the level that we saw earlier this year. And even though there was some coverage of this ban, there was more indignation and attention paid to Trump’s tweets about Mika Brzezinski than there was about restricting entry into the United States from six countries (granted, the Brzezinski story absolutely warranted coverage, but it dominated the news cycle and made all else an afterthought).
Click here for the full article.
Earlier this year, Pew Research conducted a survey asking people to rate religious groups based on a “feeling thermometer” from 0 to 100 (0 being the coldest/most negative). Muslims were given an average rating of 48 degrees – less than the seven other religious groups in the survey. This is no coincidence. When most Americans don’t know a Muslim personally (or don’t realize that they know one), all they can base their perceptions on is what has been reinforced continually in the press, pop culture and society at large. When the U.S. is separated from much of the world – including the proverbial ‘Muslim world’ – by large bodies of water, many Americans have no concept of what a Muslim is in actuality.
Donald Trump campaigned for the highest office in the land by calling for a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims entering the country until we can figure out “what the hell is going on”. Well, I can tell you what the hell is going on. This didn’t start with Trump and he’s not the only one to blame for where we are today. The SCOTUS Justices who allowed for this partial implementation to take place are guilty; the State Department that set out the arbitrary guidelines for this rollout are guilty; the news outlets that don’t bring Muslims into the conversation are guilty; Hollywood that routinely demonizes Muslims is guilty; the politicians who went along with this ban for their own political advancement are guilty; those who don’t speak up for fear of retribution are guilty; and of course well-meaning citizens who are silent because they think this has nothing to do with them or are duped into believing so are guilty.
Muslims in the U.S. only constitute about 1% of the population. When a group is in such a minority, routinely stereotyped and misrepresented, and then further silenced by not having a seat at the table, are we really surprised that the majority don’t appear to care if we start shifting policy that impacts their family members directly or people of that community? When the Trump Administration rolled out its initial Muslim ban in January, there were massive protests at airports and elsewhere around the country, as well as a flurry of attorneys that literally sat on the floor with their laptops writing briefs to assist those caught in the middle of the chaos. It was a beautiful moment; Americans of all stripes were standing, marching and protesting in solidarity with the Muslim community. Unfortunately, that level of outrage has not sustained itself in the months since. While there were protests at some airports and cities on Thursday as part of the Muslim ban 2.0 launched, they weren’t nearly on the level that we saw earlier this year. And even though there was some coverage of this ban, there was more indignation and attention paid to Trump’s tweets about Mika Brzezinski than there was about restricting entry into the United States from six countries (granted, the Brzezinski story absolutely warranted coverage, but it dominated the news cycle and made all else an afterthought).
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Huffington Post
New Law Permitting Photo I.D. as Evidence at Trial in Effect Starting Today
Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced that effective July 1, juries in New York State will be allowed to consider the most reliable evidence that identified the perpetrator of a crime: a photo array shown to a witness by police. Previously, State law prohibited photo arrays from being introduced as evidence at trial. New York State also has adopted a standard protocol for law enforcement to follow when showing photos to witnesses for purposes of identifying the perpetrator of a crime. This identification procedure reform law includes safeguards to protect innocent people from arrest and conviction and represents another milestone in Governor Cuomo's efforts to improve the fairness, transparency and effectiveness of the State's criminal justice system.
"This administration has fought tirelessly to ensure our criminal justice system works for all New Yorkers, and today we have taken another step forward,” Governor Cuomo said. “Photo identification evidence can be a powerful tool to convict a perpetrator and protect the innocent, and these new procedures lay out a fair and effective path to help ensure criminals are caught and justice is served."
Research indicates that photo identification is most reliable when conducted closest to the time of a crime or initial sighting and when it is the first procedure used to identify a suspect. Photo arrays can be highly effective at confirming whether a person was, in fact, involved in a crime. This helps to protect innocent people from arrest and conviction, and holds guilty individuals accountable.
ID procedure reform was included in the enacted State budget, which also required the State Division of Criminal Justice Services to establish the standard protocol for law enforcement. The protocol adopted by the State includes a number of safeguards, including requiring an investigator who does not know the identity of the suspect or where the suspect’s photo is located within a photo array to show the photos to a witness.
The Division of Criminal Justice Services used an identification procedure model policy previously approved by the State's Municipal Police Training Council as the basis for the protocol and worked with criminal justice stakeholders to ensure it aligns with the latest research, protects against misidentifications and meets the needs of police as they conduct investigations. The Council, composed of representatives from law enforcement agencies and academia, endorsed the protocol as its new model policy, which agencies can use to create their own written policies.
Governor Cuomo included identification procedures reform – and a mandatory requirement of police to video record interviews with individuals in custody for serious offenses, including homicide, sexual assault and kidnapping – in his Executive Budget. Both reforms were supported by the District Attorneys Association of New York State, the Innocence Project, and the New York State Bar Association. The legislation requiring video recording takes effect on April 1, 2018.
Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe, who also is President of the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York, said, "A prosecutor's sworn duty is to ensure that the guilty are tried and convicted with fairness and the innocent are exonerated. This can only be achieved by utilizing the most reliable evidence available. It is widely recognized that photo arrays offer the best opportunity to obtain fair and accurate identifications. DAASNY appreciates the efforts of the Municipal Training Council to update the policies and protocols concerning photo identification procedures. This will ensure that law enforcement and prosecutors understand the recent changes to the criminal procedure law and have guidance on best practices concerning the use of the identification procedures."
Barry Scheck, co-director of The Innocence Project, which is affiliated with Cardozo School of Law, said, "The Innocence Project has worked tirelessly to advocate for changes that will prevent wrongful convictions. We have advocated for these reforms and believe they are an important step toward achieving that goal. We commend Governor Cuomo for championing these reforms; they will make a difference."
Yates County Sheriff Ronald G. Spike, who serves as Chairman of the Municipal Police Training Council, said, "Identification procedures must have proper protocols to ensure just and fair investigations, and the Municipal Police Training Council's model policy has now been enhanced to meet the new law's requirements. I commend everyone who assisted the Council by providing thoughtful and relevant feedback to ensure the policy and protocol will benefit all police agencies as they seek to implement the new requirements."
The Municipal Police Training Council, members of which are appointed by the Governor, sets minimum training requirements for newly-appointed police and peace officers; develops training for police officers appointed to supervisory positions; and designs and approves model policies, among other responsibilities. The Office of Public Safety at the Division of Criminal Justice Services staffs the Council and reviews curricula submitted by law enforcement agencies and training academies to ensure that each course meets or exceeds the Council's minimum standard for topics and hours.
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
"This administration has fought tirelessly to ensure our criminal justice system works for all New Yorkers, and today we have taken another step forward,” Governor Cuomo said. “Photo identification evidence can be a powerful tool to convict a perpetrator and protect the innocent, and these new procedures lay out a fair and effective path to help ensure criminals are caught and justice is served."
Research indicates that photo identification is most reliable when conducted closest to the time of a crime or initial sighting and when it is the first procedure used to identify a suspect. Photo arrays can be highly effective at confirming whether a person was, in fact, involved in a crime. This helps to protect innocent people from arrest and conviction, and holds guilty individuals accountable.
ID procedure reform was included in the enacted State budget, which also required the State Division of Criminal Justice Services to establish the standard protocol for law enforcement. The protocol adopted by the State includes a number of safeguards, including requiring an investigator who does not know the identity of the suspect or where the suspect’s photo is located within a photo array to show the photos to a witness.
The Division of Criminal Justice Services used an identification procedure model policy previously approved by the State's Municipal Police Training Council as the basis for the protocol and worked with criminal justice stakeholders to ensure it aligns with the latest research, protects against misidentifications and meets the needs of police as they conduct investigations. The Council, composed of representatives from law enforcement agencies and academia, endorsed the protocol as its new model policy, which agencies can use to create their own written policies.
Governor Cuomo included identification procedures reform – and a mandatory requirement of police to video record interviews with individuals in custody for serious offenses, including homicide, sexual assault and kidnapping – in his Executive Budget. Both reforms were supported by the District Attorneys Association of New York State, the Innocence Project, and the New York State Bar Association. The legislation requiring video recording takes effect on April 1, 2018.
Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe, who also is President of the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York, said, "A prosecutor's sworn duty is to ensure that the guilty are tried and convicted with fairness and the innocent are exonerated. This can only be achieved by utilizing the most reliable evidence available. It is widely recognized that photo arrays offer the best opportunity to obtain fair and accurate identifications. DAASNY appreciates the efforts of the Municipal Training Council to update the policies and protocols concerning photo identification procedures. This will ensure that law enforcement and prosecutors understand the recent changes to the criminal procedure law and have guidance on best practices concerning the use of the identification procedures."
Barry Scheck, co-director of The Innocence Project, which is affiliated with Cardozo School of Law, said, "The Innocence Project has worked tirelessly to advocate for changes that will prevent wrongful convictions. We have advocated for these reforms and believe they are an important step toward achieving that goal. We commend Governor Cuomo for championing these reforms; they will make a difference."
Yates County Sheriff Ronald G. Spike, who serves as Chairman of the Municipal Police Training Council, said, "Identification procedures must have proper protocols to ensure just and fair investigations, and the Municipal Police Training Council's model policy has now been enhanced to meet the new law's requirements. I commend everyone who assisted the Council by providing thoughtful and relevant feedback to ensure the policy and protocol will benefit all police agencies as they seek to implement the new requirements."
The Municipal Police Training Council, members of which are appointed by the Governor, sets minimum training requirements for newly-appointed police and peace officers; develops training for police officers appointed to supervisory positions; and designs and approves model policies, among other responsibilities. The Office of Public Safety at the Division of Criminal Justice Services staffs the Council and reviews curricula submitted by law enforcement agencies and training academies to ensure that each course meets or exceeds the Council's minimum standard for topics and hours.
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Friday, June 30, 2017
Oval Office Chat: Recep Tayyip Erdogan
President Trump spoke today with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of
Turkey about numerous subjects, including ways to resolve the ongoing
dispute between Qatar and its Gulf and
Arab neighbors while ensuring that all countries work to stop terrorist
funding and to combat extremist ideology. President Trump emphasized
the importance of all our allies and partners increasing their efforts
to fight terrorism and extremism in all its
forms.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
The Power of the Pen: New Bill Signed Into Law
On Friday, June 30, 2017, the President signed into law:
H.R. 1238, the “Securing our Agriculture and Food Act,” which requires the
Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs of the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) to carry out a program to coordinate DHS efforts related
to defending the food, agriculture, and veterinary systems of the
United States against terrorism and other threats.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
Imprisoned in Eritrea: Seyoum Tsehaye, Journalist
This video was published on YouTube on June 14, 2017.
Meet
Vanessa Berhe, founder of One Day Seyoum, an organization working for
the release of imprisoned journalist Seyoum Tsehaye in Eritrea. Eritrea
has consistently ranked among the world’s worst jailers of journalists
and has topped CPJ’s Prison Census of Sub-Saharan African countries with
the most imprisoned journalists for the last 10 years.
Source: Committee to Protect Journalists
'Flashback Friday': 'Harvest of Shame' (1960) by Edward R. Murrow
This video was published on YouTube on November 24, 2010.
The original broadcast of one of the most celebrated
documentaries of all time, 1960's "Harvest of Shame," in which Edward R.
Murrow exposed the plight of America's farm workers.
Source: CBS
Cuomo to Election Commission: 'We Will Not Be Complying with This Request'
Statement from Governor Cuomo
"The President's Election Commission is
sending requests to all 50 states for the personal information of all
voters in each state – including names, dates of birth, the last four
digits of Social Security Numbers, and voter history. The electoral
process is sacred and New York law has strong safeguards in place to
prevent sharing of sensitive voter data and harassment against those who
exercise their right to vote.
"New York refuses to perpetuate the myth voter fraud played a role in our election. We will not be complying with this request and I encourage the Election Commission to work on issues of vital importance to voters, including ballot access, rather than focus on debunked theories of voter fraud."
"New York refuses to perpetuate the myth voter fraud played a role in our election. We will not be complying with this request and I encourage the Election Commission to work on issues of vital importance to voters, including ballot access, rather than focus on debunked theories of voter fraud."
Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
SPLC Board Member Visits America's 'Huddled Masses' at Immigrant Detention Center
By Elden Rosenthal
Hidden away in the
woods of southwest Georgia sits the euphemistically named Stewart
Detention Center. The facility, owned and operated by the for-profit
corporation CoreCivic, holds men that Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) is seeking to deport.
Located just outside
the tiny rural community of Lumpkin, Stewart is surrounded by two tall
fences topped with razor wire. Access is severely limited. No one is
allowed a contact visit. Lawyers may not bring a laptop or even a phone
into the facility. It is a prison, plain and simple.
Inside are 1,900 adult men. Some were picked up near our Southern
border. Some were arrested in the towns where they had lived peacefully
for years.
Earlier this month, I spent a week working as a volunteer lawyer at Stewart as part of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s new Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative.
The initiative has a small permanent staff in Lumpkin living in a
double-wide trailer, along with SPLC lawyers who travel back and forth
from Atlanta, 140 miles away, and a rotating number of volunteer
lawyers.
I learned some immigration law on the fly, interviewed detainees, and appeared at two hearings. Most days lasted 10 hours.
The work was intense. It was also deeply disturbing.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Southern Poverty Law Center
Attorney Norman Siegel and Others to Read 1776 Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution on July 4
Civil Rights Attorney Norman Siegel
and others will, once again, gather to read parts of the original 1776
Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights
In addition, the group will also read parts of the recently created 2017 Declaration of Independence, declaring independence from certain policies and
practices of President Trump.
Over 900 individuals representing
40 states and the District of Columbia have signed Declaration 17.
The readings will take place on
Tuesday, July 4, from 12:00-1:30 at 72nd Street and Riverside
Drive.
“Come celebrate
the 4th of July and heighten the public understanding of the
relevant purposes of our Nation’s founding documents,” said Siegel.
Source: Declaration 17
Minority Students in New York City Colleges Are Less Likely to Graduate Than Others
By Jillian Berman
New York City students of all races are increasingly attending
college, but there’s still a wide racial gap when it comes to enrolling
and persisting in college.
That’s according to a recent study
from researchers at New York University, which followed students who
started 9th grade in 2003 and 2008 through high school and beyond.
Roughly 48% of Latino students who started high school in 2003 enrolled
in college, the lowest share of any racial group, compared with 73% of
Asian students, the highest share of any racial group — a gap of about
25%. For students who entered high school in 2008 that gulf remained
about the same, though the share of students of both races entering
college increased.
“The city is doing everything they’re
supposed to do, they’re getting more students into college,” said
Kristin Black, a fellow at the Research Alliance for New York City
Schools and one of the authors of the study. “And yet we haven’t been
able to crack that equity problem.”
Click here for the full article.
Source: MarketWatch (via The Empire Report)
Albany Takes A Wary View Of Constitutional Convention
By Nick Reisman
From the Morning Memo:
Add Gov. Andrew Cuomo to those skeptical of a constitutional convention.
On Thursday, Cuomo said at a news conference he thinks “the devil’s
going to be in the details” when it comes to the structure of the
convention.
“Who are the delegates? Who would control it? What are the issues? I think that’s what New Yorkers want to know,” he said.
“If the convention is going to be run by the people who currently run
the government, then I would say the purpose of the convention is
basically defeated.”
To be fair, Cuomo had sought to change the structure of the
convention before, proposing a plan to study how to change the
delegate-selection process, spending $1 million to “create an expert,
non-partisan commission to develop a blueprint for a convention,”
according to his 2016 agenda book.
“The commission will also be authorized to recommend fixes to the
current convention delegate selection process, which experts agree is
flawed,” Cuomo said at the time.
At the time, Cuomo was bullish on the prospect of convening a
con-con, which voters can determine later this year in a referendum.
Click here for the full article.
Source: Spectrum News/State of Politics (via The Empire Report)
Thursday, June 29, 2017
The Mumia Abu Jamal Case: Court Threatens Sanctions - If DA Does Not Produce Discovery
The following statement was submitted by Noelle Hanrahan, a private investigator and the director of Prison Radio.
Common
Pleas Court Judge Leon Tucker has threatened the Philadelphia District
Attorney's office with sanctions if they do not produce the discovery he
ordered in Mumia's criminal case "Cook v. Commonwealth". See the Order here!
The court has ordered that the DA examine more records, produce indexes proving that they searched, and an order to turn over all documents that might show former Philadelphia DA Ron Castille and PA Supreme Court judges direct involvement in Mumia's criminal case. This is based on the U.S. Supreme Court determination that Ron Castille's refusal to remove himself from cases where he played a key role in the prosecution constituted irreparable harm to the defendants.
This is legal opportunity is the first clear path to restoring Mumia's criminal defense appeals in quite a while, there will be others.
The court has ordered that the DA examine more records, produce indexes proving that they searched, and an order to turn over all documents that might show former Philadelphia DA Ron Castille and PA Supreme Court judges direct involvement in Mumia's criminal case. This is based on the U.S. Supreme Court determination that Ron Castille's refusal to remove himself from cases where he played a key role in the prosecution constituted irreparable harm to the defendants.
This is legal opportunity is the first clear path to restoring Mumia's criminal defense appeals in quite a while, there will be others.
House Passes 'Kate’s Law' and No Sanctuary for Criminals Act
Statement from President Trump
During
my campaign, I met many grieving families who all had the same plea:
lawmakers must put the safety of American families first. Today, I
applaud the House for passing two crucial
measures to save and protect American lives. These were bills I
campaigned on and that are vital to our public safety and national
security. The first bill, Kate’s Law, increases criminal penalties for
illegal immigrants who repeatedly re-enter the country
illegally. The bill is named for Kate Steinle, who was killed by an
illegal immigrant who had been deported five times. Every year,
countless Americans are victimized, assaulted, and killed by illegal
immigrants who have been deported multiple times. It
is time for these tragedies to end.
The
second bill, the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act, restricts taxpayer
grant money to cities that prevent their police from turning over
dangerous criminal aliens to federal authorities.
Sanctuary cities are releasing violent criminals, including members of
the bloodthirsty MS-13 gang, back onto our streets every single day.
Innocent Americans are suffering unthinkable violence as a result of
these cities’ reckless actions. The House bill
also includes what is known as Grant’s Law and Sarah’s Law. These
provisions, which prevent the release of dangerous criminals awaiting
removal proceedings, are named for two slain Americans whose parents I
spent time with during the campaign.
The
implementation of these policies will make our communities safer.
Opposing these bills, and allowing dangerous criminals back into our
communities, our schools, and the neighborhoods
where our children play, puts all of us at risk.
Now
that the House has acted, I urged the Senate to take up these bills,
pass them, and send them to my desk. I am calling on all lawmakers to
vote for these bills and to save American
lives.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
Note: You can learn more about this development here.
A Look at Trump's Final Day in the Oval Office, If Ever Impeached
With Congressmen Al Green and Brad Sherman leading the charge for impeachment, From The G-Man wondered what would happen if they were successful in their bid, especially if Special Counsel Mueller's investigation determined criminal acts had been committed. Well, this is how the last day in the Oval Office would probably play out if President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were told to "hit the bricks".
With all of the economic, political and social upheaval taking place in and outside of the United States, try and find the time .......to laugh.
Speaker Calls President's Tweet About Mika Brzezinski "Inappropriate Comment"
Paul Ryan
Click here for video.
Congressional Democrats to Trump: 'Stop the Disrespect' on Twitter
Source: C-SPAN
Saving Our Youth: The Benefits of Martial Arts
With
a bloodcurdling cry, your 6-year-old leaps into the air in a karate
kick, raising your hair and blood pressure simultaneously. Before you
panic and pad the walls, try channeling this urge into a martial arts class.
Activities like tae kwon do, kung fu and aikido are a fun way for both boys and girls to achieve fitness and focus. Some parents may think they also promote violence, but that's a myth, according to experts. The martial arts actually help teach self-discipline and socialization skills. In fact, many parents whose children have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) report great success with these programs because self-control and concentration are exactly the skills underdeveloped in ADHD kids.
A typical hour-long class begins and ends with a bow to the teacher, or master. After a warm-up, students practice the art's particular skills, which may include kicks, punches and blocks. Each requires concentration and strict attention.
Progress is often marked by the belt system, which takes the beginner from a white belt through a variety of colors until black. Testing for each new level, generally every three months, is a good exercise in setting and achieving goals.
But, say experts, it's the respect kids learn, whether from bowing or standing still and waiting for the next command, that can be the most important benefit: It often carries over into school, helping to improve behavior and even grades, according to recent research.
Activities like tae kwon do, kung fu and aikido are a fun way for both boys and girls to achieve fitness and focus. Some parents may think they also promote violence, but that's a myth, according to experts. The martial arts actually help teach self-discipline and socialization skills. In fact, many parents whose children have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) report great success with these programs because self-control and concentration are exactly the skills underdeveloped in ADHD kids.
A typical hour-long class begins and ends with a bow to the teacher, or master. After a warm-up, students practice the art's particular skills, which may include kicks, punches and blocks. Each requires concentration and strict attention.
Progress is often marked by the belt system, which takes the beginner from a white belt through a variety of colors until black. Testing for each new level, generally every three months, is a good exercise in setting and achieving goals.
But, say experts, it's the respect kids learn, whether from bowing or standing still and waiting for the next command, that can be the most important benefit: It often carries over into school, helping to improve behavior and even grades, according to recent research.
Click here for the full article.
Source: http://www.parenting.com
Trailblazers in Black History: Tony Humphries, DJ Icon
Tony Humphries became a New York City, US DJ in the early 1980s. He was one of the earliest proponents of house music and has been instrumental in spreading the genre on both sides of the Atlantic.
Humphries' work encompasses studio production and remixes. He held radio slots on WRKS 98.7 Kiss-FM and Hot 97, and DJ residencies at clubs including Club Zanzibar (NJ) and Ministry of Sound in London, UK.
Additional information is available here.
Source: Wikipedia
Diversity & Hollywood: Michelle Rodriguez, Halle Berry Speak Out
Halle Berry, the only black woman to ever win a best actress Oscar,
said her 2002 win turned out to be meaningless, and "Fast and Furious"
star Michelle Rodriguez warned she may quit the action movie franchise
unless filmmakers "show some love for women."
Their comments proved a reality check for
women in Hollywood on Wednesday even as the Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences said it invited 298 more women to join its ranks in a
bid to improve diversity at the organization behind the Oscars.
Click here for the full article.
Video of Off-Duty Police Officer Pinning Black Teen Sparks Outrage
A video of an off-duty police officer in Lansing, Illinois, pinning a
black teen to the ground on his front lawn has sparked outrage and
concern.
The video shows the officer crouching over a
15-year-old boy named Jordan, pinning him with one knee and a hand
variously on his neck and upper chest. The video was posted online
Monday by Ann Falls, who said in a Facebook post that she is a cousin of
the teen seen in the video. The incident took place Saturday.
“Let me go,” the teen is heard telling the officer.
“No, you come on my property I’m going to f***ing kill you,” the officer responds.
The boy's friend, a white male teen, is heard in the background telling the officer, “Let him go dude.”
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More Than Half of Hate Crimes Aren’t Reported to Police
WASHINGTON — The majority of hate crimes
experienced by U.S. residents over a 12-year period were not reported to
police, according to a new federal report released Thursday that stoked
advocates' concerns about ongoing tensions between law enforcement and
black and Latino communities.
More than half of the 250,000 hate crimes that
took place each year between 2004 and 2015 went unreported to law
enforcement for a variety of reasons, according to a special report on
hate crimes from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Hate crimes were most
often not reported because they were handled some other way, the report
said. But people also did not come forward because they didn't feel it
was important or that police would help.
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Democrats Split on Joining GOP for Health Care Fix
The divisions and infighting plaguing the
GOP’s efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare are contagious — the
Democrats face a rift of their own on health care.
Once-unified Democrats are splintering into
competing factions over how to best move forward, with progressive
lawmakers and activists aligned with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., telling
NBC News Wednesday they see the problems in the GOP as an opportunity
to double down on their preferred health care reforms, like single-payer
health insurance. They have shown little to no interest in negotiating
with Republicans.
On the other hand, several Senate Democrats,
including Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., have said they have
in mind a variety of modest changes to Obamacare that they’d love to sit
down and discuss with Republicans. Schumer even invited President
Donald Trump to a bipartisan meeting with all senators.
That difference in how to approach improving
the health care system has created a stark split in messaging within the
Democratic party — a divide the White House has rushed to exploit.
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U.S. Defines Who Can Enter Under Travel Ban
The State Department on Thursday determined who will be allowed into
the U.S. following the Supreme Court’s decision earlier this week to
uphold large parts of President Donald Trump’s travel ban against
visitors from six predominantly Muslim countries.
Visa applicants from those six countries —
Iran, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia and Yemen — must prove a relationship
with a parent, spouse, child, adult son or daughter, son-in-law,
daughter-in-law or sibling already in the U.S. to enter the country, two
State Department officials confirmed to NBC News.
In addition, all existing visas will still be honored, State Department officials confirmed.
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