Saturday, November 11, 2017

Gov. Cuomo Announces New York's First-Ever Veteran License Plate


Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced that new service branch-specific license plates are available for the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Marines. 

The new custom plates, made available for the first time in New York, join a number of others offered in the Veteran and Military series, including the Purple Heart Recipient, Vietnam Veteran and War on Terror Veteran license plates. 

In celebration of Veterans Day, the more than 770,000 veterans who call New York home will now be able to represent their branch of service on their license plates.

Source: NYGovCuomo 

President Trump Participates in a Veterans Meet and Greet


This video was published on YouTube on November 10. 

The President commented while in Da Nang, Vietnam. 

Source: The White House

Veterans Day Address 2017—General Bruce Carlson

 
This video was published on YouTube on November 10, 2017. 

To commemorate Veterans Day, General Bruce Carlson, USAF, Retired, addressed Utah State University Research Foundation and Space Dynamics Laboratory employees in honor of the many men and women who have served our country. General Carlson serves as Vice Chair of the Research Foundation Board of Trustees and is a member of SDL’s Guidance Council.

Source: Space Dynamics Laboratory

Veterans Day Tribute & Soldiers Coming Home Compilation


This video was published on YouTube on November 10, 2015. 

Source: Tyler Hurst

109-Year-Old Veteran and His Secrets to Life Will Make You Smile

 
This video was published on YouTube on February 5, 2017.
 
Meet Richard Overton, America's oldest veteran. In this lively short film by Matt Cooper and Rocky Conly, hear the whiskey-drinking, cigar-smoking supercentenarian reveal his secrets to a long life.
 
Source: National Geographic

'The Long Road Home'


This video was published on YouTube on August 12, 2017. 

Based on Martha Raddatz’s New York Times Best-Seller of the same name, the series relives a heroic fight for survival during the Iraq War, when the 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Hood was ferociously ambushed on April 4, 2004, in Sadr City, Baghdad — a day that came to be known as “Black Sunday.” 

The series cuts between the action on the ground in Iraq and that of the homefront back in Texas, where wives and families await news for 48 hellish hours, expecting the worst. 

Source: National Geographic

A Veterans Day Greeting from State Senator James Sanders Jr.


On Veteran's Day, we remember the brave men and women of our armed forces who have defended our country and sacrificed so much to protect our freedom. As a proud Marine Corps veteran, I would like to thank my fellow service members for responding to the call of duty. Please know that I support you and stand in solidarity with you, not just on Veteran's Day, but every day. May God Bless Our Veterans and God Bless America. 

Source: The Office of New York State Senator James Sanders, Jr. 

Friday, November 10, 2017

Veterans Day 2017: Free Meals, Food, Deals, Special Offers for Vets and Active Military



By Ben Axelson

11 Out Veterans You Should Know

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Shane Ortega, Dr. Remolia Simpson, U.S. Army Reserve veteran Jason Lindsay, and Sue Fulton.


An NBC News Special Report
 

by John Paul Brammer

This year has seen renewed struggles for transgender service members who were left in the dark following tweets from President Trump about a ban on trans people in the armed forces.

The ban has since been blocked, but for many LGBTQ service members, the effect was chilling and reminiscent of "don't ask, don't tell," which saw many people discharged from service for their identity.

However, advocates and allies have doubled down on their work, including LGBTQ veterans. On Veterans Day, we celebrate the contributions members of the community have made to better the lives of other service members.

Click here for the full article. 

Rev. Sharpton to Lead Prayer Service for Fallen Army Sgt. La David T. Johnson and Other Veterans


Civil Rights Leader Will Also Hold a Rally for Rep. Frederica Wilson

During NAN’s Saturday Action Rally and television and radio broadcast, Rev. Al Sharpton will lead a prayer for United States veterans including fallen Army Sgt. La David T. Johnson before heading to Miami to lead a support rally for United States Representative Frederica Wilson (D-FL). 

Rev. Sharpton will also give an update on his meeting with the President of ESPN and civil rights leaders and summarize what the group is asking for.

The prayer service and rally will be held at the National Action Network's House of Justice at 106 West 145th Street in Harlem. 
 
Listen live on WLIB 1190 AM in New York City or watch the live-stream at www.nationalactionnetwork.net. It will also be available on Impact Television Network, which is nationally syndicated. 

Source: Mercury

Tax Breaks and Credits Available for Veterans and Their Employers


The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance today encouraged veterans to take advantage of valuable tax exemptions and credits available to them, their families, and employers.

“These exemptions and credits are one small way we can show our gratitude to the brave and dedicated individuals who currently serve or have served in our military,” said Acting Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Nonie Manion. “We’re proud of our veterans and grateful for the sacrifices they’ve made to protect the freedoms we all enjoy. I encourage all veterans to take advantage of these valuable programs.”

New York State Division of Veterans' Affairs Director Eric J. Hesse said, "Governor Cuomo is dedicated to ensuring that New York is a great state for veterans and their families to call home. Affording these tax breaks and credits to veterans and their families in New York on their properties, in their school districts and their businesses demonstrates Governor Cuomo's commitment to making New York the place veterans and their families choose."

Property tax exemption

New York’s veterans are eligible for valuable property tax exemptions from local governments statewide.

More than half a million New York veterans now benefit from property tax exemptions. The exemptions can reduce the property tax burden of a wartime veteran by 15%, or as much as 25% if the veteran served in a combat zone. Many local governments also offer a Cold War veterans’ exemption of up to 15% for veterans who served on active duty between 1945 and 1991.

Both categories of exemption allow the percentage of the exemption to be increased to as high as 50% if the veteran was disabled as a result of his or her military service.

Governor Cuomo signed legislation in September that allows the Cold War veterans exemption to be granted for as long as the veteran owns the property, if the local government or school district so chooses. Otherwise, the exemption would be limited to a 10-year term.

In addition, legislation signed last month by the Governor extended the option for school districts to grant the eligible funds veterans’ exemption. In 2013 and 2016 the alternative veteran's property tax exemption and Cold War property tax exemption were amended to give school districts the option to allow the exemption, so now each veterans property tax exemption is consistent and allowed to be applicable to school taxes.

Of the 679 school districts statewide, 276 are now granting at least one of the available veterans’ exemptions.

Because the types and amounts of exemptions offered and application deadlines vary, veterans should contact their local assessor’s office for details on how to obtain these valuable tax benefits. For local contact information, visit our Municipal Profiles website.

Hire a veteran credit

There are two state credits available that encourage businesses to hire veterans. The hire a veteran credit can be claimed by: corporations subject to franchise tax; or individuals, estates, and trusts taxable under personal income tax laws.

Employers that have hired veterans who began working on or after January 1, 2014, but before January 1, 2018, may qualify for this state business tax credit worth as much as $15,000 per veteran. The veteran must have worked for one year or more for at least 35 hours each week.

Business owners may claim the credit in the tax year in which the qualified veteran completes one year of employment. The credit may be claimed for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2015, but before January 1, 2019.

The amount of the credit is equal to 15% of the total wages paid to a disabled veteran during their first full year of employment. The credit is worth up to $15,000 per disabled veteran. For nondisabled veterans, the credit is equal to 10% of the total wages up to $5,000 per nondisabled veteran.

To claim the credit, the employer must have the veteran certify that they qualify as an eligible veteran on Form DTF-75, Employee Affidavit for the Hire a Veteran Credit

Source: New York State Department of Taxation and Finance

'Flashback Friday': Noam Chomsky on COINTELPRO


This video was published on YouTube on March 16, 2016. 

Source: Chomsky's Philosophy

Trailblazers in Black History: Wilmot Collins


Wilmot Collins is one of the Election Night winners making national headlines. The Helena, Montana mayor-elect first came to the city 23 years ago as a refugee from Liberia - and he is believed to the first African American mayor in Montana history.

Source: CBS News 

'I Know They're Watching Us': Black Lawmakers, Activists Alarmed Over FBI Report

 
Black activists and lawmakers are concerned a leaked FBI report on 'Black Identity Extremists' targets black communities.

by Chandelis R. Duster and Donna Owens

As a new wave of social activism protesting police killings of unarmed black men and women and decrying white supremacy sweeps the country, a leaked FBI report has activists and members of Congress demanding answers.

The 12-page assessment, written in August and titled “Black Identity Extremists Likely Motivated to Target Law Enforcement Officers,” was posted online by Foreign Policy. Citing attacks on police following the 2014 shooting death of unarmed teen Michael Brown by a white officer, the assessment notes “it is very likely Black Identity Extremist perceptions of police brutality against African-Americans” have caused an increase in violence against law enforcement.

In October, the Congressional Black Caucus sent a letter to FBI director Christopher Wray seeking answers related to the assessment given the Bureau’s “troubling history” of utilizing its broad investigatory powers to target black citizens.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: NBC News 

L.A. County District Attorney Forms Task Force for Hollywood’s Sexual Misconduct

Los Angeles County prosecutors are preparing to tackle Hollywood's growing tide of sexual misconduct accusations with a new task force.

The group of veteran sex crimes prosecutors will "ensure a uniformed approach to the legal review and possible prosecution of any case that meets both the legal and factual standards for criminal prosecution," Jackie Lacey, the Los Angeles County district attorney, said in a statement Thursday. 

She said her office has been in contact with the Los Angeles and Beverly Hills police departments, but has yet to receive cases warranting criminal charges.  

Click here for the full article.

Air Force Academy Student Allegedly Staged Racist Slurs That Prompted Viral Video


DENVER — The Air Force Academy said Wednesday it would not discuss what led a student to allegedly stage a hate crime.

The academy said this week that an African-American student acknowledged writing anti-black slurs in a dormitory in September and that an investigation confirmed the student was responsible.

The epithets prompted academy superintendent Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria to sternly warn students that racists were not welcome at the school, and he invoked some of the racial tensions that have been gripping the country. A video of the speech has been widely viewed online. 

Click here for the full article. 

SPLC’s New Tool Tracks Hate in the White House


President Trump has opened the White House doors to extremism, not only consulting with hate groups on policies that erode our country’s civil rights protections but enabling the infiltration of extremist ideas into the administration’s rhetoric and agenda. 

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) now has a resource, Hate in the White House, that serves as a monthly timeline of instances of extremism in the Trump administration. 

View October’s roundup here.

Source: The Southern Poverty Law Center

GOP Senators Run Away From Accused Child Molester Roy Moore


But they are doing so with some notable wiggle room.

By Lachlan Markay, Asawin Suebsaeng and Andrew Desiderio

Senate Republicans moved swiftly to distance themselves from their party’s nominee for Senate in Alabama on Thursday after multiple women accused him of inappropriate sexual conduct when they were minors—including one who said he molested her at the age of 14.

Within hours of a Washington Post story reporting the allegations against Roy Moore, a former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, the Senate’s top Republicans called on Moore to withdraw from the race—albeit with a caveat.

“If these allegations are found to be true, Roy Moore must drop out of the Alabama special Senate election,” National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Cory Gardner (R-CO) said in a statement.

“I just recently put out a statement saying if these allegations are true, Roy Moore should step aside for all the obvious reasons. Very disturbing allegations,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told reporters outside the Senate chamber.

“If there is any truth to that, he ought to step aside, of course,” Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) told The Daily Beast about the allegations against Moore, who is running to fill Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ former Senate seat.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The Daily Beast 

Louis C.K.’s Powerful Army of Celebrity Enablers


For years, Louis C.K.’s fellow male comedians refused to comment on the sexual misconduct allegations against their friend (and sometime mentor).

By Marlow Stern

In the fall of 2015, I sat down with Aziz Ansari to discuss his excellent new Netflix series Master of None. We met at The Greenwich Hotel (his suggestion) and, over the course of an hour—and several cups of coffee—engaged in a lively, unbridled discussion touching on race, comedy, and everything in between.

There was only one question that he refused to answer.

Midway through the interview, the topic of sexual harassment came up. The seventh episode of his show, titled “Ladies and Gentlemen,” sees Dev (Ansari’s character) and his pal Denise (Lena Waithe) making a citizen’s arrest after catching a middle-aged man masturbating on the subway. Dev then proceeds to take a victory lap, bragging about the incident to his other female friends, who subsequently brand him a “masturbation vigilante” before sharing their own sexual harassment horror stories.

“The seed of that episode came from a bit during my Madison Square Garden special where I’d talk about women getting followed home by creepy dudes, and I’d ask during the bit, ‘Raise your hands if you’re a woman and you’ve been followed home,’ and everyone would raise their hand. And then all the other women would look around and go, ‘What the fuck?!’ Then, I’d ask all the guys if they expected all the women to raise their hands, and none of them really did. They couldn’t believe it,” he told me.

He continued: “I thought it was interesting that this is happening, yet so many people are unaware of it. And the problem is people aren’t talking about it. What I’ve learned, as a guy, is to just ask women questions and listen to what they have to say. Go to your group of female friends and ask them about times they’ve experienced sexism at their job, and you’ll get blown away by the things they tell you. You’ll think, ‘What the fuck? This is way darker than anything I’d imagined.’” 

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The Daily Beast

As de Blasio Boasts of a Mandate, Second-Term Storm Clouds Gather on the Horizon

 
By Sally Goldenberg and Gloria Pazmino

After clinching an easy victory Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio immediately signaled an interest in the national stage, but growing problems at home loom as he begins his second term.

A litany of unresolved municipal issues will demand the mayor's attention in the coming four years, all while economic growth is slowing and the federal government plans to cut funding for some of the city’s most cash-strapped services, like public housing and hospitals.

Topping de Blasio's City Hall to-do list will be addressing the homeless crisis, closing and replacing Rikers Island jail and expanding affordable housing.

In Albany the mayor faces a second front where his enemies outnumber his allies. To compensate for the budgetary shortfall and fund the city's deteriorating subway system, de Blasio will push for a tax increase on high-income earners. He also intends to ask for more cash from the state to fund the next phase of his pre-kindergarten expansion plan.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: Politico (via The Empire Report) 

New York Transit Fares to Rise Without New Funding Sources: Comptroller

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New funding sources for New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority will need to be identified for the authority to avoid unplanned fare and toll hikes, according to a report released on Thursday by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. 

In addition to needed funding, the report highlights the “deteriorated” performance of the nation’s largest mass transit agency, citing the Long Island Rail Road’s on-time operation is on track for its worst performance in 17 years.  

Click here for the full article. 

Source: Reuters (via The Empire Report)

Drudge Predicts CNN Chief 'Out' Over 'Abysmal' Ratings, Feud with Trump

 Jeff Zucker

By Joe Concha

Matt Drudge posted a rare personal tweet on Thursday afternoon predicting that CNN President Jeff Zucker is "out either way" regardless of whether AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner is approved, citing poor prime-time ratings and Zucker's alleged "personal and ridiculous" feud with President Trump. 

"Jeff Zucker out either way at CNN, primetime ratings abysmal," the Drudge Report founder tweeted to his 545,000 followers. "Feud with President Trump too personal and ridiculous."

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The Hill (via The Empire Report)

Uber Has Ended Its Subprime Car Leasing Program for New York Drivers



By Alison Griswold

Uber has ended a troubled car leasing program for drivers with bad credit in New York.

The company told Quartz it terminated the lease-to-own program it operated through partnerships with four car dealers in New York City after an internal audit of its “vehicle solutions” in the city. That review was prompted by a Quartz investigation into the subprime car leases that Uber marketed to its largely immigrant driver population, which came with three-year contracts and high termination fees. Uber halted referrals to the car leasing program in June, after being approached about it by Quartz. 

Click here for the full article. 

Source: Quartz (via The Empire Report)

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Death of the Blackbird: The 'Assassination' of Barack Obama


Death of the Blackbird

By
Devón

 Dead lies the Blackbird
For all the world to see
The pitiful nation mourns
A tortured soul set free

Mother Blackbird’s tears
Falling upon her young
Madiba screams in anger
For Kenya’s native son

Rainbow Boys are angry
Inner cities all aflame
Martin and Malcolm weep
In disbelief and shame

Who dare kill The Blackbird?
Symbol of a mighty race
A man with a crooked cross
Who spat upon its face

Despised for its hue
It fought for every man
And inspired young and old
By conveying, “Yes, we can.”

Blood upon its wings
The masses still in shock
Hands of time lie frozen
On Adolf Hitler’s clock

Old Glory’s putrid ashes
Foreshadow our demise
Jim Crow regains its power
And feasts on Blackbird eyes 


This poem is featured in the book "The Awakening: A Collection of Poems...for the Dead".

Source: Devón

Breaking With Precedent, Trump Refuses Media Questions in China

President Donald Trump refused to take questions during a joint appearance with Chinese President Xi Jinping, breaking with a precedent set by the past three U.S. leaders to push back against China's tight control over the media.

After a day of meetings, Trump and Xi gave joint remarks in Beijing's Tiananmen Square Thursday — but the two leaders exited without taking questions.

Trump’s refusal to answer questions from the media in China marked a break from examples set by former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. All three took at least one question during appearances with their Chinese counterparts, as part of an effort to exert pressure on China's government to allow exchanges with reporters. 

Click here for the full article. 

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Introduction of the Senate Tax Bill


President Donald J. Trump applauds the Senate Finance Committee for introducing their companion to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which is another important step toward providing historic tax relief for the American people. The President is encouraged that the House and Senate have shown great unity in achieving our common goals of delivering middle-class tax relief, simplifying the burdensome tax code, and empowering American businesses to create more jobs, increase wages, and compete in the global economy. We will continue working with Congress to deliver tax cuts and reforms for hardworking Americans by the end of the year.

Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary

Chicago Police Skirt Punishment as Disciplinary System Fails Yet Again



Even after reporters identified lost cases, only some officers served suspensions.


Advisory: This story contains graphic language.

Brandon Whitehead dropped to his knees in the middle of the busy street, cars veering around him as an off-duty Chicago police officer aimed a handgun at him and his father.

It was nearly midnight, and Walter Whitehead had been driving his 16-year-old home from his job as a cashier at Long John Silver’s.

Brandon stayed quiet as the officer, who also had just left work, called 911 for assistance. Then the officer, William Levigne, called again. On the third call, Levigne became indignant, requesting help from “a brother in blue” as he blocked traffic: “I’ve got two offenders here in custody — tried to kill me here!”

Levigne later told investigators that the Whiteheads had cut him off in traffic that night in October 2006 as they were driving down South Western Avenue on the city’s South Side. He overtook them in his Monte Carlo while pointing a gun at them, then ordered them out of their car at a stoplight, forced them to their knees and handcuffed Walter Whitehead, records show.

Brandon Whitehead had called 911, too. He was terrified as Levigne, not in uniform, approached the car with his gun drawn, swearing and calling them “jagoff” and “motherfucker.” He and his father initially thought they were being carjacked.

Click here for the full article.

Source: Propublica

Trump Voter Fraud Commission Is Sued — By One of Its Own Commissioners

 
Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap alleges the group’s leadership is violating transparency laws and has excluded him from deliberations.


Update, Nov. 9, 2017: Responses from Kris Kobach and Andrew Kossack, co-chair and executive director, respectively, of the voter fraud commission, have been added.

A Democratic member of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity filed suit against the commission in federal court in Washington, D.C. on Thursday morning, alleging that its Republican leadership has intentionally excluded him from deliberations and violated federal transparency laws. The commission has been sued more times (eight, including the new filing) than it has officially convened for meetings (two times).

The suit, filed by Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, accuses the commission of violating the Federal Advisory Commission Act, which, among other things, requires that advisory committees be bipartisan and sets transparency requirements for them. “Everything we are doing is absolutely perpendicular to that,” Dunlap charged in an interview. “We aren’t inviting the public to participate. We aren’t transparent. And we aren’t even working together at all. My real fear is that this commission will offer policy recommendations that have not been properly vetted by all of the commissioners.”

The complaint contends Dunlap “has been, and continues to be, blocked from receiving Commission documents necessary to carry out his responsibilities” despite repeated requests to be included. It asserts that Dunlap is moving forward with the lawsuit “reluctantly” in order to prevent the commission from “becoming exactly the kind of one-sided, partisan undertaking the Federal Advisory Committee Act was designed to prohibit.”

Click here for the full article. 

Source: ProPublica

The Tax Plan’s Mega Gift To Some of Trump’s Richest Appointees


The Republican proposal will not only allow them to pass millions (or billions) to their heirs without inheritance taxes, it will also add another benefit on top of that.


This column was co-published with The Washington Post.

There are times that you run across something that’s so preposterous that it’s hard to believe it’s true. But in this case, it is.

I’m talking about the multiple — and permanent — set of tax breaks that some of the Trump administration’s mega-wealthy appointees and their heirs stand to get if the estate tax repeal in the House Republicans’ tax bill becomes law.

The appointees I’m talking about are those with a net worth above $11 million (which is a lot of them) who sold assets that the Office of Government Ethics said would pose conflict-of-interest problems in their new gigs.

Combine the rules that cover such sales with terms of the proposed estate tax repeal, and these people get a multilevel, multigenerational bonanza. A gift that would keep on giving (and giving and giving).

I couldn’t believe what I was reading, and figured that I might be overly eager to uncover gifts to the ultra-rich in the House tax cut bill, which is by no means tax reform because it hurts millions of taxpayers in my home state of New Jersey and other places that aren’t reliably Republican, but bestows plenty of breaks on big businesses and the rich. So I asked tax expert Bob Willens of Robert Willens LLC, whom I’ve consulted for decades, to show me where I was making a mistake.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: Propublica

'Dreamers' Demonstrate in D.C.


A large crowd of "Dreamers" staged a loud protest in a Senate office building in Washington, D.C., calling on lawmakers to pass the so-called Dream Act, which would protect young immigrants who were illegally brought to the U.S. as children from deportation. "Dream Act now!" they chanted as Capitol Police stood nearby.

Source: CBS News 

11th Annual 'Stand Up For Heroes' Benefit Hosted by Bob Woodruff


ABC News' David Muir goes backstage to meet retired Marine Cpl. Kionte Storey, who lost his leg to an IED while on patrol in Afghanistan.

Mark Cuban and CEOs React to Trump’s 'Art of the Deal'

 
This video was published on November 6, 2017. 

Mark Cuban, Dee Dee Myers, Timothy O'Brien, Abby Phillip, and Richard Plepler react to Donald Trump's "Trump: The Art of the Deal," his best-selling business book and memoir from 1987. See what these business titans and experts have to say about whether the book gives good business advice. 

Source: Vanity Fair