Friday, November 30, 2018

What the G20 Should Focus On: Right-Wing Nationalism

 
By Nida Khan

It’s that time again; the gathering of world leaders for the G20 summit. This year’s forum, held in Argentina on November 30th and December 1st, will focus on many things from the global economy, trade and transatlantic relations to a U.S./China showdown, various regional tensions and much more. But what will likely not appear on the agenda, in a bilateral meeting, nor in a sideline discussion, is one of the greatest challenges the world faces right now: the rise and consolidation of power of right-wing nationalists.

All across Europe, the United States and the west at large, there is a recurring theme where societies are becoming increasingly diverse and simultaneously there is a rise in xenophobia and hate crimes. It’s no coincidence that at the same time, there are significant gains that right-wing and nationalist parties/individuals have made globally and there is cause for great alarm. The question is, what are we going to do about it?

In Italy, the Five Star Movement and right-wing League recently formed a coalition government. Part of their program includes ‘mass deportations for undocumented migrants’, and Italy’s new Interior Minister has made outrageous statements like ‘we must stop being the refugee camp of Europe’. In Austria, the right-wing anti-immigrant conservative Freedom Party (which was formed in 1956 by a former officer in the SS by the way), won 26 percent of the vote last year — 26 percent.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: Medium.com 

Marc Lamont Hill UN Speech (Full and Unedited)


CNN Severed Ties with Contributor Shortly After the Comments 

This report was published on YouTube on November 29. 

Source: LIVE ON-AIR NEWS 

Senator Sanders to Provide Assistance with Property Tax Exemptions and Utility Bill Reduction - Part Two of Four


On December 5, New York State Senator James Sanders Jr. (D-Rochdale Village, Far Rockaway) will be hosting part two of a four-part event series to provide his constituents with property tax exemptions and utility bill reduction assistance.

The next event, which will run from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., will be held at Springfield Gardens United Methodist Church, 131-29 Farmers Boulevard in Springfield Gardens.

Those providing assistance include:

The Office of the NYS Comptroller, Thomas P. DiNapoli - Unclaimed funds lookup and registering for refunds

The Department of Finance - Enrolling homeowners in the property tax exemption program (household saves over $300)

The Department of Environmental Protection - Assist with delinquent water bills and educate homeowners on how to conserve water

Neighborhood Housing Services of Jamaica - Counsel and assist homeowners with lean sale and foreclosure issues

The Margert Community Corporation - Assist homeowners and tenants with application for conserving gas and heat in household (lowers utility bills)


You must RSVP by calling Senator Sanders' office at 718-523-3069 or 718-327-7017.

Source: The Office of State Senator James Sanders Jr.

Judge Rules Against Trump Administration in Sanctuary Cities Case

By Aaron Katersky

A federal judge in New York ruled Friday that the Trump administration cannot withhold public safety grants to six states and the City of New York based on the fact that they're so-called sanctuary cities.

"Consistent with every other court that has considered these issues, the court concludes that defendants did not have lawful authority to impose these conditions," the decision said.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: ABC News 6

Statement from Governor Andrew Cuomo

"The Court's ruling against the Trump Administration's anti-immigrant policy is a victory for New Yorkers and for the safety of our communities. Byrne JAG funding plays an essential role in combatting gun violence, fighting the opioid epidemic and supporting criminal justice services, and it is unconscionable that they would be withheld just because New York stands with our immigrant communities. In New York, we will always stand up for the values that built this state and this nation and fight any effort to spread hate and division." 

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

House Minority Leader Pelosi Holds News Conference


House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA), Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) and incoming Democratic members of the 116th Congress held a press conference on their legislative priorities for the new Congress, in which they will hold the majority. Reps. Sarbanes and Pelosi discussed their first piece of legislation for the new Congress, H.R. 1, which seeks to curb money in politics, expand conflicts-of-interest laws, and strengthen voting rights. 

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN 

Activist Survives Two Weeks Without Food During Quest for a Stable Climate


The following commentary was submitted by Ted Glick

I’ve done a lot of fasting since my first long one in 1971, 34 days on liquids while in federal prison for draft resistance to the Vietnam war. My latest, 14 days concluded last week on November 21st, was on water only, with salt, potassium and vitamin C to decrease my chances of getting sick or dehydrated.

Like the one prior to this month’s, an 18 day fast on water only in the early fall of 2015, I was outside for much of it, on every work day. In 2015 it was in front of FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in Washington, DC. This year it was in front of the State House and Governor’s office in Trenton, NJ.

I lost 25 pounds on this fast. It wasn’t easy; I was weak from day two and had to be very conscious about how I was feeling, if I was getting light-headed, or if I needed to stop and sit down to regain some strength. My mouth often felt dry, I had digestive discomfort a lot of the time after the first week, and it became harder and harder to drink water; it just didn’t taste good, so it became more like grudgingly-taken medicine than the life-giver that it is.

Being outside made it harder, but it also made it more interesting and likely more effective. We gave out over 2,000 leaflets over the 10 days in Trenton and talked with hundreds of people, most of whom were supportive. This ranged from young, unemployed black men to state police to men-in-suits to young students to government employees to many, many more.

It was good to have that direct, face-to-face connection to this cross-section of the NJ population.

We would often reference the fast when trying to get people to take our leaflet: “We’re on day (whatever) of a two week fast, would you like to know why?” It didn’t always work, but often it did, and you could see in people’s eyes a “you’re doing what?” look.

A sister fast on the same issue, the climate crisis, was also concluded on November 21st, in Asheville, NC.

For me, as an activist, an organizer, a believer in nonviolence, and a person who takes the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth and many other principled revolutionaries down through history seriously, I’ve believed for a long time that fasting, and civil disobedience, are tactics particularly appropriate to the climate crisis issue. It’s an urgent issue that is getting more urgent with every year that passes. I wish, I deeply wish, I pray that these tactics will grow and spread like wildfire very, very soon.

Click here for the full article. 

New Data Shows New York on Track to Reduce HIV Infections by the End of 2020

 
New York State is on track to end the AIDS epidemic by the end of 2020 and proposed new regulations that will remove barriers and expand access to care for uninsured or under-insured people living with HIV. These regulations build on New York's reputation as a national leader in the fight against HIV. 

In New York, the number of people newly diagnosed with HIV continues to fall to historic lows, demonstrating that the State's efforts to end the epidemic are making a significant impact. World AIDS Day is December 1st, and World AIDS day activities in New York will be held Tuesday, December 4, with the NYS Ending the Epidemic Summit on December 5. 

"New York State has made tremendous progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and this new data demonstrates we're on track to achieve our goal of ending the epidemic by 2020," Governor Cuomo said. 

"As our fight to end the epidemic continues, these new regulations will ensure more individuals living with HIV have access to the care they need and in the process help stop further transmissions." 

Click here for the full announcement. 

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Photos: Despair and Hope at the Border

 
Border agents fired tear gas at migrants, including children, who were legally seeking asylum at the border of Mexico and the United States on Sunday. SPLC Deputy Legal Director Mary Bauer recently traveled to Tijuana to speak with some of the migrants while photographer Todd Bigelow captured their humanity in stunning images. 

Click here for the full article and additional photos. 

Source: Southern Poverty Law Center

Trump Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta Allegedly Helped Cover Up Sex Crimes by Jeffrey Epstein


The Debrief: Trump at the G-20, Manafort in Court, California Mudslides


Reuben Foster's Signing Opens Debate on NFL's Handling of Domestic Violence Cases


'Ukrainian Weekly' Editor Issues Warning to Trump, U.S. Officials

"Trust, But Verify" Should Become "Verify First, Don't Trust"  


By Matthew Dubas

In the 1980s during the Cold War (what we are in now is definitely a hot/hybrid war), the U.S. policy with the Soviet Union was "trust, but verify." Today, under President Donald Trump, the policy toward Russia appears to be: have U.S. officials (U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., WH spokesperson, etc) all except the president condemn Russia's and Putin's blatant violations of international law. Mr. Trump accused President Barack Obama of doing nothing to prevent Russia from stealing Crimea, but what is he doing to prevent Russia from taking the Sea of Azov? 

When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in the late 1970s and 1980s, the U.S. turned the tide of that military occupation with the introduction of arms to increase the cost for the Soviets by downing more warplanes by Stinger missiles. Trump has supplied Ukraine with Javelin anti-tank missiles, which is better than blankets and goggles sent by President Obama, but perhaps some SAMs (surface-to-air missiles) and/or missile defense system would make Putin think twice about his military adventurism in Ukraine.

The EU also has taken a back-footed stance, especially France and Germany (two of the Normandy format members, and arguably the two most influential EU member states), who have said they do not support additional sanctions against Russia for its actions against the Ukrainian navy. Estonia, a postage-stamp-sized NATO and EU member that shares a border with Russia, has advocated for tougher actions - not words - to deter Russia from further violations. Poland and the Baltic states also support tougher action, however, Italy, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece and others have called for a return to business as usual. 

Mr. Trump's cancellation of a meeting with Putin at the G20 in Buenos Aires is a welcomed move, but does not go far enough to punish Russia for its actions and only emboldens further escalation if this is the lone consequence. It is an immature maneuver, similar to the "reset" button that Obama administration officials touted as a solution to a bigger problem. Russia needs to be frustrated by the U.S. response - invite NATO ships to Mariupol and/or Berdyansk, and set up naval escorts for Ukraine's naval and commercial traffic through the Kerch Strait - reaffirming Ukraine's right of safe maritime passage through the strait and effectively ending the economic blockade put in place by Russia. The illegally constructed Kerch bridge is also a limiting factor on the size of ships able to pass through the strait.

Ukraine's moves to declare martial law in 10 regions is a first since the country declared independence in 1991. There are questions that have arisen since then, as some analysts claimed that President Petro Poroshenko was attempting to maintain his hold on the presidency, which was refuted by the Parliament's declaration of March 31, 2019, as the date of presidential elections. Putin will attempt to destabilize the situation in the run-up to the 2019 elections, and an escalation to the conflict is one of those levers at his disposal.

What can we expect to see? An increased NATO naval presence and more frequent demonstrations of air power in the Black Sea region - which also means more chances for confrontation and close calls (Putin loves to play chicken or brinksmanship). Statements of condemnation and solidarity show a unified front, but words have not caused Putin to change course. Germany has said that it does not see a military solution to the conflict, but diplomacy is failing thanks to Russia's efforts to confound the Minsk agreements and a lack of an adequate response from Europe and the U.S. 

Russia's latest deployment of S-400 missile systems in Crimea is another escalation of the tensions, and in Russia's mind, this system is a deterrent against moves to retake Crimea and a power projection in the Black Sea region. The S-400 system saw its combat testing in Syria against civilians and militants. Turkey has voiced interest in purchasing the system, against the declared position of the U.S. and NATO.

President Trump and the U.S. cannot afford to fail at these tests as Russia continues to probe for weaknesses in the Western response. Putin would understand the economic and energy setback resulting from the canceling of the Nord Stream 2 and the Turkish Stream pipelines, which Russia would use to increase Europe's dependency on Russian gas (bypassing Ukraine, denying it transit revenue). Russia has used these projects to manipulate Turkey, Hungary, Austria, Germany and others, who would seemingly benefit. The U.S. should isolate allies of Russia with targeted sanctions against countries and entities which support Russia's claims that Ukraine was guilty of a provocation in the Kerch Strait, as these countries are supporting violations of international law. Another fear of Putin's is the return of Germans on the border with Russia - the old foe of WW II. In the wake of Russia's latest escalation efforts, and echoing the sentiments of U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis, the current U.S. policy toward Russia should be "verify first, don't trust.


Matthew Dubas is editor of the The Ukrainian Weekly, which is distributed throughout the United States and Canada. He has reported on many of the country’s political and social conflicts and worked with ambassadors, politicians, policy advisers, activists and scholars on a range of issues concerning Ukraine. The views expressed by Mr. Dubas do not necessarily reflect those of the publication's management or editorial staff.   

Brexit Regret: Welsh Voters Having Second Thoughts


Philippines: Human Rights Lawyer Shot Dead


Burkina Faso: Fuel Workers Go on Strike Over Price Rise


Internet Censorship Tightens in Senegal Before Elections


G20 Summit: Protests Mark Argentina Gathering


Russia-Ukraine Tensions: Martial Law Not So Evident in Kharkiv


Effigies of Trump, Duterte, Xi Burned in Filipino Protest


Global News: Nearly a thousand left-wing activists burned effigies of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his U.S. and Chinese counterparts Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Manila on Friday, marking the 155th birth anniversary of the country's revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio. 

The activists marched to the U.S. embassy in Manila to protest Duterte's close relationship with the American leader and Beijing despite a territorial dispute over oil-rich islands in the South China Sea. 

Protesters say the military and economic agreements between Manila and the two giants are lopsided and puts the Philippines in danger as the U.S. and China compete for influence in the region and are engaged in a trade war.

USMCA: U.S., Canada and Mexico Sign Trade Agreement


No Carbon Tax in Ontario's Climate Plan


This report was published on YouTube on November 29.

Canada: Why It’s Harder Than Ever to Access Government Documents


This report was published on YouTube on November 29.

Thursday, November 29, 2018

When a Private Equity Shop Buys a Nursing Home, It Ain't Good for the Patients

  
By Charles P. Pierce

Private-equity firms serve some purpose, I'm sure. However, it is of paramount importance that private-equity firms are kept away from any business that deals in real life with actual human beings, because private-equity firms have demonstrated a positive genius in converting even the sick and the old into dividends and windfalls and other species of mathematical inhumanity.
The latest example comes to us from The Washington Post.
A disabled man who had long, dirty fingernails told them he was tended to “once in a blue moon.” The bedside “call buttons” were so poorly staffed that some residents regularly soiled themselves while waiting for help to the bathroom. A woman dying of uterine cancer was left on a bedpan for so long that she bruised.
The lack of care had devastating consequences. One man had been dosed with so many opioids that he had to be rushed to a hospital, according to the inspection reports. During an undersupervised bus trip to church — one staff member was escorting six patients who could not walk without help — a resident flipped backward on a wheelchair ramp and suffered a brain hemorrhage. When a nurse’s aide who should have had a helper was trying to lift a paraplegic woman, the woman fell and fractured her hip, her head landing on the floor beneath her roommate’s bed.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: Esquire 

Charles Koch Ramps Up Investment in ALEC as the Lobbying Group Loses Corporate Funders Over Far-Right Ties



By Lee Fang and Nick Surgey

The American Legislative Exchange Council is holding a conference in Washington, D.C., this week, providing a venue for lobbyists to meet behind closed doors with newly elected state legislators.

The group, which is celebrating its 45th year, has long shaped state law, designing bills that imposed three-strikes mandatory sentencing, restricting the minimum wage, curbing municipal broadband, and other shared goals in areas of interest to corporate America and the GOP. Earlier this year, the group put on a corporate-sponsored anniversary celebration at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, which featured White House adviser Kellyanne Conway and other administration officials.

Many of the major donors to the conservative bill-writing organization, however, have decided to quit their membership, expressing fear that the group has become too associated with the toxic politics of the far right.

The latest companies to discontinue financial support for ALEC include AT&T, Dow Chemical, and Honeywell, spokespersons for the companies told The Intercept.

Click here for the full article.

Source: The Intercept_  

The Art of the Con: Failure 1 and the Further Turn Towards Fascism



Back in September I began my first column on Trump and his 'Art of the Con' thusly:

"A variety of words have been used to describe Donald Trump and Trump's White House/Presidency. They are being used with increasing frequency as various 'inside the White House' books, like those of Bob Woodward and Michael Wolff, and also 'pretty close to Trump' books, have come out. Among them are: 'deranged,' 'unhinged,' 'chaotic,' 'crazy,' 'bordering on senile,' and 'mad.' Trump is often described as 'uncontrolled and uncontrollable.' Now it may be true that he is really off-the-wall doing a combination of meandering through and charging through his Presidency without much direction other than 'responding to his base.' Certainly, from time-to-time I have thought so. But the more I have watched what this man has actually accomplished, the less I think that he is just lurching through it all, and the more I think that he knows exactly what he is doing (at least most of the time). That is, my answer now to the question I raised in the title of this column, that is, "Is There a Method to His Madness?" is 'yes.' And here's why.

"Trump has a particular way of acting, very well known to everyone, that all started in the way he was brought up, particularly by his father (and I am not about to say here anything that any objective observer doesn't already know). He is a bully. He is poorly educated and doesn't care that he is. He is highly opinionated, without too much dependence on fact for his opinions. He is a racist from his youth. He is a faker/liar from the beginning. And so on and so forth."

One thing that I didn't point out in that column is that, using his highly-mastered Art of the Con, Trump always managed to win whatever was the current battle in which he was engaged. Or at least he managed to convince himself that he had won. Then he was able to project whatever "winning" was at the time onto both his public- and self-image. This was because his losses never seemed to really cost him, or at least cost him much. With the Atlantic City Casino bankruptcies apparently he actually made money, personally. When U.S. banks stopped lending him money in the 1990s, he was apparently able to turn to Deutsche Bank, and then, if one of his sons is to be believed, "the Russians." Various other business failures, like the Trump Plaza hotel in New York City or Trump Airlines, he was able to just wave off. And often, he was somehow or other able to present them to that part of the public that was interested in such things as "wins." The Art of the Con, absolutely mastered by Trump, always seemed to work. As I said in that earlier column, "completely unqualified in any conventional sense for the job, he conned his way into the most powerful position on Earth."

Then, once in the Presidency, in policy matters that really counted, at least to his backers in the Republican Party and their massive funders, and the Christian Right, he also won: tax cuts for the rich and the large corporations; far right-wing judges emplaced at all levels of the Federal bench; massive deregulation at the Federal level; and the accompanying Bannonite "Deconstruction of the [Federal] Administrative State." Further, when Trump found that he could do something without involving the Congress, Repub. as it was, he did it: e.g., tariffs, trade wars, dumping the Iran Deal and the Paris Climate Change Agreements, immigration policy (and its accompanying florid racism). From the perspective of Trump and the Trumpites in the government and in his base, there were "wins," whether real or not, whether in the long-term interests of the nation (at least of its ruling class), or not. Just like he has always done. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: OpEdNews.com   

Outgoing Speaker Paul Ryan Discusses His Career and Legacy


Speaker Ryan (R-WI) sat down with veteran Capitol Hill reporter Paul Kane of the Washington Post to discuss his career and legacy. Topics discussed included immigration policy, the nation’s debt, Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and the 2018 midterm elections. 

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN

Vice President Pence Speaks About AIDS and the Faith Community

 
Vice President Mike Pence delivered remarks at a White House World AIDS Day event. He talked about the history of U.S. foreign aid to combat HIV, the program’s successes, and the Trump administration’s commitment to keeping the program going.

Click here for video.

Veterans Groups Testify Before House Panel on Challenges Facing Those Who Serve(d)

 
Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Benefits Paul Lawrence addressed the GI bill benefit payments computer issues at a hearing on Capitol Hill. Mr. Lawrence stressed that student veterans who received less than what they were owed due to computer issues will be made 100 percent whole. He called an NBC story stating the opposite misleading. 

Click here for video.

Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein Delivers Keynote at Cybercrime Symposium


Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein delivers a keynote address at a cybercrime symposium hosted by Georgetown Law’s Center on National Security and the Law and the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.

Click here for video.

Trump Administration Reportedly Continues Separating Families at the Border


Michael Cohen Pleads Guilty in Russia Probe


New Accusations Put Ex-CBS Chief's $120M Payout at Risk


Bruce Springsteen: 'I Am Not Completely Well Myself'


This report was published on YouTube on November 28.

Click here for information on the signs of depression and how to get help.

What Does Each Asylum Seeker Cost Canada?


Climate Change Biggest Threat to Human Health: Report


This report was published on YouTube on November 28.

Israel Releases Palestinian Boy Jailed for Allegedly Plotting Attack


Thousands Protest Over Zimbabwe's Economic Crisis


What to Expect from the G20 Buenos Aires 2018


Astana Talks: UN Envoy to Syria Rues 'Missed Opportunity'


Russia Deploys New S-400 Missile System in Crimea


Russian military erected a new S-400 anti-aircrraft missile system in Crimea, which is said could simultaneously monitor up to 300 airborne targets.

Canada Sanctions 17 Saudi Nationals Over Khashoggi Murder: Freeland


Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland announced on Thursday in Buenos Aires that the Canadian government is sanctioning 17 Saudi nationals who were deemed "responsible or complicit" in the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.​

Opioid Crisis: The British Columbia Compound Police Believe May Be Connected to 'Transnational Drug Trafficking'


Mayor de Blasio Makes an Announcment on the Opioid Situation


This video was published on YouTube on November 28.

The Public Theater Presents 'EVE'S SONG'


From The Public’s Emerging Writers Group alum and 2017-18 Tow Playwright-in-Residence Patricia Ione Lloyd (Pretty Hunger) and Obie Award-winning director Jo Bonney (Mlima's Tale) comes a genre-bending new drama about the haunting of a Black family in America.

In the aftermath of a messy divorce and a daughter coming out as queer, Deborah is trying to keep things normal at home. But as Black people continue to be killed beyond their four walls, the outside finds its way in, blurring the lines between family dynamics, politics, and the spirit world. How long can family dinners keep the dangers outside at bay?

Click here for additional information. 

Source: ImageNation 

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Gov. Cuomo Holds Press Briefing on Meeting with President Trump


New York City - Governor Cuomo holds a press briefing on his meeting with President Trump to discuss infrastructure priorities, including the Gateway Tunnel.

Elkhart, Indiana, Police Chief Suspended for 30 Days Following Release of Beating Video

 
by Christian Sheckler, South Bend Tribune, and Ken Armstrong, ProPublica

This article was produced in partnership with the South Bend Tribune, a member of ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network.

For the last two weeks, the police chief in Elkhart, Indiana, has been a no-show at various forums where he might have been expected to appear, from civilian oversight board hearings to town hall meetings focusing on the city’s Police Department.

On Tuesday, Mayor Tim Neese confirmed what others had been left to wonder: He had suspended the police chief, Ed Windbigler, placing him on a 30-day unpaid leave. The suspension started Nov. 14, but Neese had made no public announcement. A South Bend Tribune reporter had left repeated messages at City Hall on Monday, asking about the police chief’s status.

Instead of returning the reporter’s messages, Neese went on television Tuesday morning and mentioned, in passing, that the department’s second in command was now serving as interim chief. The television station, WNDU, then reported Windbigler’s suspension for the first time.

The suspension comes after the Tribune, working with ProPublica, obtained a video of two Elkhart police officers punching a handcuffed man in the face. Initially, the officers only received reprimands from Windbigler rather than more serious punishment. After the news organizations requested the video, the officers were charged with misdemeanor battery.

Click here for the full article.

Source: ProPublica

An Immigrant Journalist Faces Deportation as ICE Cracks Down on Its Critics

 
By Alice Speri and Maryam Saleh

A Tennessee-based journalist who was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after being arrested while covering a protest won temporary relief from deportation through the end of the month. But Manuel Duran, who was arrested in April and remains in ICE custody while a court reviews an appeal in his case, believes he was targeted because of his coverage of law enforcement’s collaboration with ICE in Memphis’s Latino community. He and his supporters say his case is emblematic of a nationwide trend of officials cracking down on journalists and activists who are critical of immigration enforcement policies.

Over the last year, a handful of activists from New York to Washington state have found themselves in the crosshairs of ICE. In some cases, like Duran’s, they’d had little to no contact with the agency for years, then found themselves facing deportation shortly after vocalizing criticism of the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant crackdown.

Duran’s case also highlights the controversial relationship between ICE and local law enforcement, and the ways in which ICE can call on local police to aid immigration enforcement efforts even in the absence of formal partnerships. While the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office that detained him claims not to collaborate with ICE, Duran was transferred to immigration custody in response to a “detainer” request by the agency — a controversial policy Duran himself had reported on.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The Intercept_

First Lady Melania Trump Remarks on Opioid Crisis at Liberty University


Senate Aging Committee Hearing on Guardianship Process

 
The Senate Special Aging Committee holds a hearing on state-level efforts to overhaul the legal guardianship framework for older Americans as well as their families and caretakers.

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN 

Gary Hart: 'All the Rules Have Changed' in Politics



This report was published on YouTube on November 25.

Brother of Honduran President is Arrested for Cocaine Trafficking as Migrants Flee Violent Drug War


U.S. Senators to Propose Vote on Special Counsel Independence Protection Act


Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy Urge Border Wall Funding


Briefing Room: Mueller Investigation, Senate Hearing on Khashoggi, Pelosi, Ivanka Trump


Pelosi Wins Nomination for House Speaker in Closed-Door Caucus Meeting


Canada: MPs Debate Job Creation, Carbon Tax and the Auto Industry (Full Video)


Follow along as opposition parties question the Trudeau government in the House of Commons. Today the government faced questions on the economy, job creation, the Canadian auto industry and the carbon tax.

Search Warrant Not Executed 'Against' Catholic Church: District Attorney


Brett Ligon, the Montgomery County District Attorney, said Wednesday that a search warrant executed at the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is not "against" the Catholic Church and that the state doesn't "need cooperation" from the church.

What Next for Asylum Seekers at US Border?


Russia, Turkey and Iran Hold Talks on Syria in Astana


Ukraine Warns of Potential Russian Aggression


China Accused of Political Meddling After Taiwan Local Elections


Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Ex-Police Chief Gets 3 Years in Prison for Framing Black Men

 
By Nina Golgowski

A former South Florida police chief has been sentenced to three years in prison for framing black people for crimes they didn’t commit, in order to boost his department’s crime-solving stats.

Raimundo Atesiano, 53, formerly the chief of the Biscayne Park Police Department in Miami-Dade County, was sentenced by a federal judge on Tuesday for conspiracy to deprive individuals of their civil rights.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The Huffington Post 

Ukraine Leader Wants Trump to Deliver Pointed Message to Putin: 'Get Out'


By Richard Engel and Corky Siemaszko

KIEV, Ukraine — The president of Ukraine has a message that he wants President Donald Trump to personally deliver to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the upcoming G20 summit in Argentina:

"Please, get out from Ukraine, Mr. Putin," Petro Poroshenko said Tuesday.

Poroshenko made the comments in a one-on-one interview with NBC News, which was conducted two days after Russian forces created an international crisis by attacking and seizing three Ukrainian vessels that were trying to pass through the Kerch Strait, a narrow artery that connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: NBC News and CC BY 4.0

Two NY City Nursing Homes Sued for Inadequate Care and Staffing

 
By Caroline Lewis

A New York law firm filed two class-action lawsuits today against two New York City nursing homes affiliated with Sentosa Care, a large for-profit nursing home group. The lawsuits, brought on behalf of a former patient and the surviving brother of another patient, allege that understaffing at the facilities has led to infections, unsanitary conditions and other examples of inadequate care in violation of state and federal law.

The lawsuits name as defendants the Bronx-based Bay Park Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in the Bronx and Brooklyn-based Seagate Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, all the owners of the facilities and Sentosa Care itself.

"We've gotten many, many complaints from residents [of these facilities] about the horrendous conditions people were left in," said Jeremiah Frei-Pearson, a partner in the law firm Finkelstein, Blankinship, Frei-Pearson and Garber, which represents the patients in both cases. "People were left in urine and waste for way too long. Federal data also corroborated that these homes are horrific and our own investigation corroborated the conditions."

Click here for the full article. 

Source: CRAIN'S NEW YORK BUSINESS

Trans Woman Was Beaten in ICE Custody Before Death, Autopsy Finds


Roxsana Rodriguez died following lack of medical treatment in a privately run immigration detention center. An autopsy concludes that she was beaten.

By Scott Bixby and Betsy Woodruff

A transgender woman who died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after being held in a privately operated detention center was likely physically abused there, according an autopsy report released Monday, and died after several days of severe, untreated dehydration.

Roxsana Hernández Rodriguez, 33, a transgender woman from Honduras, died on May 25, nine days after being transferred to a dedicated unit for transgender women at the Cibola County Correctional Center in New Mexico, which is operated under contract by CoreCivic, the second-largest private prison company in the United States.

“There she developed severe diarrhea and vomiting over the course of several days,” wrote forensic pathologist Kris Sperry, “and finally was emergently hospitalized, then transported to Lovelace Medical Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she remained critically ill until her death.”

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The Daily Beast 

‘Fox & Friends’ Fed Interview Script to Trump’s EPA Chief, Emails Show


A Daily Beast Exclusive
 
The president’s favorite cable-news show shared its interview scripts and its oh-so-hard-hitting questions in advance with an embattled Trump official.

By Maxwell Tani

Former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt was clearly taken aback last year when occasional Fox & Friends fill-in host Ed Henry grilled him about a number of ethical scandals facing his administration.

And Pruitt had a good reason to be surprised. In past interviews with President Trump’s favorite cable-news show, the then-EPA chief’s team chose the topics for interviews, and knew the questions in advance.

In one instance, according to emails revealed in a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by the Sierra Club and reviewed by The Daily Beast, Pruitt’s team even approved part of the show’s script.

Fox & Friends has long been a friendly venue for Trump and his allies, but the emails demonstrate how the show has pushed standard cable-news practices to the extreme in order to make interviews a comfortable, non-confrontational experience for favored government officials. 

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