Saturday, December 1, 2018
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.
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
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.
"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.
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.
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
'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.
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.
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
By Steven Jonas
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.
Click here for video.
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.
Climate Change Biggest Threat to Human Health: Report
This report was published on YouTube on November 28.
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.
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?
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_
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.
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.
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."
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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.”
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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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