Click here for details.
Source: Associated Press
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Trashed in New York: Ex-Sanitation Salvage Workers Protest... 'All We Want Is for Them to Pay Us What They Owe Us'
by Kiera Feldman
The temperature was barely
above zero in the Bronx on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but more than a
dozen former garbage workers showed up outside the offices of Sanitation
Salvage, once one of the major private trash haulers in the city. They
carried signs and demanded wages they say they are owed by the company,
which surrendered its license in November after a series of revelations about its troubled operations.
Andres Hernandez said
he’d worked as a Sanitation Salvage driver for seven years. Manuel
Matias said he’d started working at Sanitation Salvage at age 17 and was
paid off the books for years. Alex Amante said the cold was all too
familiar — he’d regularly worked the city’s streets at night in such
temperatures, doing shifts that he and other workers said could be 18 or
even 21 hours long.
The former Sanitation
Salvage workers picked the day to protest intentionally. When King was
assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968, he’d come to the city in
support of its sanitation workers, who were on strike over low pay and
dangerous conditions following the deaths of two workers.
“All we want is for them to pay us what they owe us,” Hernandez said.
Click here for the full article.
Source: ProPublica
Trump’s CFPB Fines a Man $1 For Swindling Veterans, Orders Him Not to Do It Again
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau penalized a man $1 this week, for
illegally exchanging veterans’ pensions for high-interest “cash
advances.” Mark Corbett claimed in sworn statements to the bureau that
he had an inability to pay any fine of greater value, and the bureau
accepted $1 as payment for making illegal, high-cost loans to former
members of the armed forces.
Somehow, two other state regulatory
agencies, in Arkansas and South Carolina, assisted in the extraction of a
single dollar bill from Corbett.
This is not the first time during the
Trump administration that CFPB has taken an inability to pay into
account to reduce a fine for violations of consumer protection law.
Under the previous acting director, current acting White House chief of
staff Mick Mulvaney, this type of reduction was so widespread that it
came to be known as the “Mulvaney discount.” The American justice system rarely treats impoverished defendants with such mercy.
Mulvaney has since been replaced by a confirmed director, his former aide Kathy Kraninger. The discount, however, has remained.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Intercept_
Venezuelan Foreign Minister: The U.S. Interferes in Latin American Politics Every Day, Every Hour
This report was published on YouTube on January 25.
How an American Journalist Survived 18 Months in an Iranian Prison
This report was published on YouTube on January 24.
Kamala Harris to Kick Off Campaign with Oakland Rally
This report was published on YouTube on January 25.
Family Disputes Autopsy Findings in Teen’s Police Death
This report was published on YouTube on January 25.
Overshadowed by Brexit, the Poor and Homeless Ignored in Britain
This report was published on YouTube on January 25.
A France 24 Exclusive: Fleeing the IS Group’s ‘Caliphate’ in Syria
This report was published on YouTube on January 25.
From Social Media to the Ballot Box, Yellow Vests Throw Hat in European Ring
This report was published on YouTube on January 25.
Pompeo, Arreaza to Address UN Security Council on Political Crisis in Venezuela
Global News: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Venezuelan Foreign Minister
Jorge Arreaza address a UN Security Council meeting on Venezuela. The
session focusing on Venezuela's crisis comes a day after Guaido vowed to
remain on the streets until his country has a transitional government,
while Maduro dug in and accused his opponents of orchestrating a coup.
The UN Security Council is due to discuss the political crisis in
Venezuela after the United States requested an emergency session in New
York, pushing the council to back Venezuela's Guiado.
Union Announces 'Major' Boycott of Mexican-Made GM Cars
This report was published on YouTube on January 25.
Ebola Virus Has Spread to High-Risk Area of Congo: WHO
This report was published on YouTube on January 25.
Global News: The Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak has spread southwards
into an area with high security risks, World Health Organization
spokesperson Fadela Chaib said on Friday.
Friday, January 25, 2019
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Doomsday Clock Remains at 2 Minutes to Midnight Due to Fake News, Climate Change
Global News: The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists hosted a live international news
conference in Washington DC, to announce the 2019 time of the Doomsday
Clock. The bulletin focused on nuclear risk, climate change and
cyber-enabled warfare technology. The Clock was designed to warn the
public about how close we are to destroying our world with the
technologies of our own making, and exists as a reminder of the perils
of mankind that we must address in order to survive on Earth.
The conference starts at the 6:45 mark.
Senator Graham Briefs Colleagues on Conversation with President to End Shutdown
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) tells colleagues on the Senate floor that
he's just spoken with the president about a proposal to have a
three-week continuing resolution to re-open the government to allow time
to reach a deal on border security and Democratic priorities on
immigration. He says the president was "imminently reasonable" in his
requests and that Senate leaders Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer were
meeting to discuss them. He also says that "money for a barrier is
required to get this deal done. It will not be for a concrete wall."
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Florida Secretary of State Mike Ertel Resigns After Halloween Blackface Photos Emerge
By
Michael Ertel, the newly appointed
Secretary of State of Gov. Ron DeSantis, has resigned after photos
emerged of him posing as a Hurricane Katrina victim in blackface at a
private Halloween party 14 years ago.
The
photos obtained by the Tallahassee Democrat were shown to the
Governor's Office on Thursday morning. Hours later it issued a
statement.
Click here for the full article.
Source: Tallahassee Democrat
Air Safety ‘Deteriorating By The Day’ Amid Shutdown, Union Leaders Warn
By David Barden
Union leaders representing air traffic controllers, pilots and flight attendants hold grave concerns for the nation’s air safety as the partial government shutdown enters Day 33.
A joint statement released Wednesday by the presidents of the National Air Traffic Controller’s Association (NATCA), Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA warned of the incalculable risk to the safety and security of airlines and travelers.
“This is already the longest government shutdown in the history of the United States and there is no end in sight,” the union leaders said. “In our risk averse industry, we cannot even calculate the level of risk currently at play, nor predict the point at which the entire system will break. It is unprecedented.”
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Huffington Post
Explore 'The Past and Future of Community Relations' at JCPA 2019
Click on the flier to increase its size.
Click here for details about the event.
Source: The Jewish Council for Public Affairs
What You Can’t Say About Israel (with Marc Lamont Hill)
Source: The Intercept_
Note: If any leaders within the Jewish community would like to submit a rebuttal to the comments made, send them to FromTheGMan@gmail.com. Be sure to include the name of the organization you belong, your title and contact information.
How Gab Has Raised Millions Thanks to This Crowdfunding Company
by John Dougherty and Michael Edison Hayden
Three months after a
man radicalized on Gab.com killed 11 Jews in a Pittsburgh synagogue, the
social media website that has become a hub for white nationalists and
neo-Nazis remains financially viable thanks to an Obama-era law and an
online crowdfunding broker, a Hatewatch investigation reveals.
The JOBS Act
of 2012 was designed to help startup companies use crowdfunding to
raise up to $1.07 million a year. The law has allowed Gab’s parent
company, Gab AI, Inc., to raise $2 million since 2017 from two
crowdfunding rounds handled by StartEngine Crowdfunding, Inc.,
a Los Angeles securities brokerage firm that helps companies prepare
regulatory filings and sell investment shares to the public.
A handful of investors – 1,000 in 2017 and 1,900 in 2018 – purchased
$1 million of highly speculative securities in Gab through StartEngine,
providing the company enough capital to allow it to continue to operate.
Revenue has otherwise been scarce. Payment processors like PayPal and
Stripe dropped Gab in the aftermath of the Oct. 27, 2018, terror attack
at the Tree of Life Synagogue, causing a 90 percent drop in
subscription revenue from premium services, Gab stated in a Dec. 19
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing.
The company was relying on snail mail and cryptocurrency to sell premium subscription services, but announced on Tuesday it formed a relationship with an obscure company called 2nd Amendment Processing to help with future credit card payments.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Southern Poverty Law Center
Laverne Cox: Trump’s Military Ban is Part of Larger, Years-Long Attack on Transgender People
This report was published on YouTube on January 23.
(Bonus Report)
How Americans Are Coming Together to Support Federal Workers
This report was published on YouTube on January 23.
US Diplomats Ordered to Leave Venezuela
Bonus Report - Former U.N. Expert: The U.S. Is Violating
International Law by Attempting a Coup in Venezuela
International Law by Attempting a Coup in Venezuela
Governor Cuomo Signs Legislation Modernizing NY's Voting Laws
Governor Andrew Cuomo today signed legislation that begins the process of bringing New York State's voting laws into the 21st Century, a central goal of his 2019 Justice Agenda for the first 100 days of the new legislative session. These historic new laws will allow for eight days of early voting before an election, synchronize federal and state primary elections, allow voter preregistration for teenagers, provide voter registration portability within the state, and close the LLC loophole.
"At a time when the federal government is doing everything it can to disenfranchise voters, we are breaking down the barriers that have discouraged too many generations of New Yorkers from exercising their right to vote," Governor Cuomo said. "I'm proud to sign into law these important voting reforms that are part of our first 100-day Justice Agenda but this is only the beginning. We are going to finish the job and enact additional reforms in this year's budget including automatic registration and extending upstate voting hours to once and for all make it easier for New Yorkers to make their voices heard at the ballot box."
Cuomo signed the following voting reforms — the first bills approved by the Legislature in the 2019 session — into law:
Closing the LLC Loophole: This bill will close the LLC loophole by limiting political spending by an LLC to a total of $5,000 annually, which is the same limit as corporations. The bill will also require the disclosure of direct and indirect membership interests in the LLC making a contribution, and for the contribution to be attributed to that individual.
Early voting: Enacting early voting will make voting more convenient for voters whose professional or family obligations make it difficult to physically get to the polls, as well as reduce waiting times and ease logistical burdens for poll workers.
Synchronizing federal and state elections: New York State currently holds separate primary elections for state and federal elections. With the addition of a presidential primary every four years and a general election, this means that in some cases New York is holding four different elections in a year. This can be confusing to voters and wastes administrative resources. This bill will unify the federal and state primaries once and for all and ensure that voters only go to the polls once to choose their nominees.
Pre-registration for minors: New Yorkers are not permitted to register to vote unless they will be 18 years of age by the end of the year, and by the date of the election in which they intend to vote. This bill will allow 16 and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote, meaning that a voter will automatically be registered on his or her 18th birthday.
Universal transfer of registration: When New Yorkers move to a different county, their voter registration does not move with them. This requires the voter to re-register with his or her new local board of elections as if he or she were registering for this first time. This bill will ensure that when a voter moves elsewhere in the state, his or her voter registration will seamlessly go with them.
Click here for the full announcement.
"At a time when the federal government is doing everything it can to disenfranchise voters, we are breaking down the barriers that have discouraged too many generations of New Yorkers from exercising their right to vote," Governor Cuomo said. "I'm proud to sign into law these important voting reforms that are part of our first 100-day Justice Agenda but this is only the beginning. We are going to finish the job and enact additional reforms in this year's budget including automatic registration and extending upstate voting hours to once and for all make it easier for New Yorkers to make their voices heard at the ballot box."
Cuomo signed the following voting reforms — the first bills approved by the Legislature in the 2019 session — into law:
Closing the LLC Loophole: This bill will close the LLC loophole by limiting political spending by an LLC to a total of $5,000 annually, which is the same limit as corporations. The bill will also require the disclosure of direct and indirect membership interests in the LLC making a contribution, and for the contribution to be attributed to that individual.
Early voting: Enacting early voting will make voting more convenient for voters whose professional or family obligations make it difficult to physically get to the polls, as well as reduce waiting times and ease logistical burdens for poll workers.
Synchronizing federal and state elections: New York State currently holds separate primary elections for state and federal elections. With the addition of a presidential primary every four years and a general election, this means that in some cases New York is holding four different elections in a year. This can be confusing to voters and wastes administrative resources. This bill will unify the federal and state primaries once and for all and ensure that voters only go to the polls once to choose their nominees.
Pre-registration for minors: New Yorkers are not permitted to register to vote unless they will be 18 years of age by the end of the year, and by the date of the election in which they intend to vote. This bill will allow 16 and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote, meaning that a voter will automatically be registered on his or her 18th birthday.
Universal transfer of registration: When New Yorkers move to a different county, their voter registration does not move with them. This requires the voter to re-register with his or her new local board of elections as if he or she were registering for this first time. This bill will ensure that when a voter moves elsewhere in the state, his or her voter registration will seamlessly go with them.
Click here for the full announcement.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Trump Agrees to Postpone State of the Union Amid Shutdown
(Bonus Report)
Pelosi and Schumer Speak After State of the Union is Postponed
Fame-Hungry YouTubers Are Taunting Cops and Filming It
Auditors say they’re exposing police brutality and protecting the right to film on public property. The cops don’t see it that way.
By Will Sommer
Last April, the San Antonio Police Department got a call about a man
filming at a strip mall. The officer who arrived first on the scene was
in for a couple of surprises—and unexpected internet stardom.
First, the man with the camera, Jesus Padilla, called him an asshole. Then Padilla said he was a pendejo—Spanish for “stupid.”
“I don’t cooperate for idiots,” said Padilla, whose more than 40,000 YouTube fans know him as “Mexican Padilla.”
“Say that again?” the police officer replied.
“I don’t repeat myself for idiots,” Padilla shot back.
Unbeknownst to the San Antonio cop, he had become the latest
unwitting star in a growing YouTube genre called “First Amendment
Auditing,” in which self-proclaimed “auditors” test how police will
react by filming them in public places or around government buildings.
Auditors show up with their cameras at places as mundane as post
offices, or as imposing as the entrances to nuclear-weapons factories.
Once there, they start filming, and wait to see how police react.
“Anything
that is publicly funded is fair game,” said David Worden, a Texas
“auditor” who operates under the handle News Now Houston.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Daily Beast
The Reichstag Fire, the 'Border Crisis' and the Establishment of Dictatorship
By Steven Jonas
Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany by
the then German President, Paul von Hindenburg, on January 30, 1933. The maximum percentage of the vote gained by
the Nazi Party in previous free elections under the Weimar Republic was in the
37% range. Nevertheless, in part because
the two major opposition parties to the Nazis, the Communist Party of Germany
(KPD) and the Socialist Party of Germany (SPD) were at each other's throats,
the capitalist ruling class of Germany was able to persuade Hindenburg to give
Hitler "a turn," promising that they would "keep him under control."
As it happened, Hitler, in part using his private
army, the "Sturmabteliung" (SA), immediately began rounding up certain Communists
and Socialists and imprisoning them, while others quickly left the
country. However, at that point there
were limits as to what Hitler could do to impose the Nazi will, under the law
as it stood in Germany. Besides the parliament,
the Reichstag, there were still the independent judiciary and the free
press. (For years, Hitler and the Nazis
had labelled the latter "Die Luegenpresse," "The Lying Press" [sound familiar?].) In order to impose the kind of dictatorial
rule on Germany that the Nazis and their ruling class supporters --- led by
such figures at Fritz Thyssen, the steel magnate, (who as early as 1923 was
raising foreign money to support the Nazis, from such donors as a U.S. named George
Herbert Walker) --- Hitler had to convince the Reichstag to give it
to him. What better way to do that than to
create a "national emergency?" To deal
with it forcefully, of course, would require the granting of "emergency powers"
to the Chancellor. And so, came the
Reichstag Fire.
On February 27, 1933 the grand, historic, German Parliament
building in Berlin, the Reichstag, was hit by a fire that would make it
unusable until it was eventually restored after the end of World War II. The
story of "the cause" that was released almost immediately (within hours) by the
Nazis was that the fire was set by a mentally-handicapped Dutch former
Communist turned anarchist, acting entirely alone, one Marinus van der
Lubbe. (The Reichstag conveniently happened to be decorated with highly
flammable furniture, drapes, and wall-coverings. Apparently, a few
matches did the trick.) Within hours, Chancellor Adolf Hitler, Interior Minister
Hermann Goering, and Propaganda Minister Josef Goebbels, et al, had proclaimed the fire to be the
result of a KPD plot. (It happened that the KPD knew nothing of it and
that the "incriminating documents" quickly produced by the Nazis were later
proved to be forgeries. But that meant nothing at the time.)
Click here for the full article.
Source: OpEdNews.com
Organizing and Movement-Building Through 2020 and Beyond
'Future Hope' Column
By Ted Glick
From my vantage point, one “positive” effect of the election of
Mafioso Don is the marginalization of the position taken by some on the
political Left that elections in the US are a sham, and the correct
approach to them is to non-participate.
Elections do have consequences, potentially very big, very negative consequences, like a neo-fascist government. Young people in general are most likely to view elections as a sham,
for understandable reasons.
Young people tend to be more idealistic so
that they are turned off by the often-cynical and dishonest political
maneuvering from both Republicans and Democrats.
That’s why the 2015-16 Bernie Sanders campaign generated so much
active support from young people. Here was someone who spoke truth to
power, who didn’t accept Super PAC money or mega-donations from rich
people, who articulated a strong, positive program consistent with
positions he had been taking for literally decades, who had a history of
winning elections and using his elected office positively, and who
consciously reached out to young people and working-class people.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes, a young person herself, was elected and has
become a political star since for similar reasons. Articulating the
truth about what is needed and taking strategic risks in support of that
program, as she did in Nancy Pelosi’s office in November in support of a
Green New Deal, is exactly what is needed to inspire and mobilize the
tens of millions of potential voters who don’t vote because they
correctly think the system is rigged.
However, it’s essential that progressive candidates and elected
progressives are pushed, if necessary, by their supporters to take steps
to ensure that they are continually in contact with the people they are
representing and with organizations rooted among progressive-oriented
constituencies. This is particularly essential in this time when
corporate money is so much a factor in elections.
Click here for the full article.
Source: tedglick.com
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Attention New Yorkers! Hotline Established to Help Victims of Guardianship Fraud, Predatory Lawyers
The following announcement was submitted by Rick Black, director of the Center for Estate Administration Reform (CEAR).
New York victims, survivors, and advocates,
We
are making progress elevating our message statewide on probate and
adult guardianship abuses. In 2018, an article by Alisa Partlan in New York’s CityLimits, and an article by John Leland of the
New York Times, gave credence to your experiences and the issues
plaguing all New Yorkers who are exposed to the dysfunction of these
courts. These courts should not be a war zone targeting the vulnerable.
Whether child custody, divorce, adult guardianship, or probate the
predatory legal community long ago was allowed to declare open season on
the vulnerable and their loving family members via their ability to
pervert the law.
We
must adopt unconventional approaches if we are to make any progress on
reforms in New York. Every legitimate authority who should be demanding
system integrity and redress has abandoned this class of adults. We
are hopeful that with the new administration in New York, and a new approach, we can find state leadership open to reviewing the evidence and our pleas..
We
have established a hotline for collecting material evidence on
predatory lawyers and the judges who support them. Jerry Yeh, a CEAR assistant, is manning the hotline and consolidating the information. Please email nylawyercomplain
Our
plan is to consolidate the evidence for planned discussions in Albany
and Washington, D.C. CEAR is also working with national media outlets to gain coverage. Thanks in advance for your support.
White Supremacist Pleads Guilty to Killing Black Man with a Sword
By Jim Mustian
NEW YORK — A white supremacist pleaded guilty Wednesday to killing a black man with a sword as part of an attack that authorities said was intended to incite a race war in the United States.
James Jackson admitted to fatally stabbing 66-year-old Timothy Caughman in March 2017 after stalking a number of black men in New York City.
Jackson, who is white, told police he traveled from Baltimore to carry out the attack because New York is the media capital of the world. He said the slaying was intended to be practice for further assaults on black people.
Jackson, 30, faces life in prison without parole when he is sentenced Feb. 13 after pleading guilty to six counts, including murder and a hate crime charge.
Click here for the full article.
Sources: Associated Press and The Huffington Post
Trump Administration Being Sued for Detaining 10,000 Children Awaiting Sponsors
The following statement was submitted by Richard Cohen, president of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
We’ve just filed an incredibly important lawsuit.
Right now, we’re suing the Trump administration for detaining 10,000
children despite the fact that they have sponsors waiting for them in
the U.S. We’re seeking their release, but the Trump administration is
purposefully preventing that from happening.
A whistleblower released internal documents last Thursday that prove
the Office of Refugee Resettlement – the agency that’s supposed to help
unaccompanied refugee minors seek safe haven in the United States –
adopted a policy of sharing sponsors’ personal information with
immigration enforcement officials. The intent is to force sponsors into
the deportation system and deter future sponsors from coming to the U.S.
at all.
The Trump administration is using these children as bait to get this
information. It’s part of the same strategy as the administration’s
infamous family separation policy. And they knew it would result in
fewer sponsors coming forward and children remaining in custody for
longer periods of time.
We cannot stand idle while this administration attacks civil rights and ignores basic human dignity.
House Republican Leaders News Conference
House Republican leaders Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise speak with
reporters following their closed-door party conference meeting. Topics
include efforts to end the government shutdown and next week’s State of
the Union.
This video may not play on certain browsers. Click here if you experience problems.
Sarah Sanders Comments to Reporters at the White House
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders speaks with reporters about
the president’s offer to end the month-old partial government shutdown
and calls on Democrats to work with the administration to break the
impasse over border security funding.
This video may not play on certain browsers. Click here if you experience problems.
Kellyanne Conway Speaks to Reporters
The counselor to the President answered questions from
reporters outside the White House on topics including the State of the
Union address, the trade deficit and recent news articles.
This video may not play on certain browsers. Click here if you experience problems.
This video may not play on certain browsers. Click here if you experience problems.
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Reproductive Health Act Signed Into Law in New York
Governor Andrew Cuomo today fulfilled his promise to sign into law the Reproductive Health Act, a key component of the 2019 Justice Agenda, within the first 30 days of the new legislative session. The Reproductive Health Act protects women's reproductive rights by ensuring New Yorkers can make personal healthcare decisions and medical professionals can provide crucial services without fear of criminal penalty. The legislation codifies Roe v. Wade into New York State law. More information is available here.
Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Does Journalism Have a Future?
In an era of social media and fake news, journalists who have survived the print plunge have new foes to face.
By Jill Lepore
he wood-panelled tailgate of the 1972 Oldsmobile station wagon dangled
open like a broken jaw, making a wobbly bench on which four kids could
sit, eight legs swinging. Every Sunday morning, long before dawn, we’d
get yanked out of bed to stuff the car’s way-back with stacks of
twine-tied newspapers, clamber onto the tailgate, cut the twine with my
mother’s sewing scissors, and ride around town, bouncing along on that
bench, while my father shouted out orders from the driver’s seat. “Watch
out for the dog!” he’d holler between draws on his pipe. “Inside the
screen door!” “Mailbox!” As the car crept along, never stopping, we’d
each grab a paper and dash in the dark across icy driveways or dew-drunk
grass, crashing, seasonally, into unexpected snowmen. “Back porch!”
“Money under the mat!” He kept a list, scrawled on the back of an
envelope, taped to the dashboard: the Accounts. “They owe three weeks!”
He didn’t need to remind us. We knew each Doberman and every debt. We’d
deliver our papers—Worcester Sunday Telegrams—and then run back to the car and scramble onto the tailgate, dropping the coins we’d collected into empty Briggs tobacco tins as we bumped along to the next turn, the newspaper route our Sabbath.
The Worcester Sunday Telegram
was founded in 1884, when a telegram meant something fast. Two years
later, it became a daily. It was never a great paper but it was always a
pretty good paper: useful, gossipy, and resolute. It cultivated talent.
The poet Stanley Kunitz was a staff writer for the Telegram in the nineteen-twenties. The New York Times
reporter Douglas Kneeland, who covered Kent State and Charles Manson,
began his career there in the nineteen-fifties. Joe McGinniss reported
for the Telegram in the nineteen-sixties before
writing “The Selling of the President.” From bushy-bearded
nineteenth-century politicians to baby-faced George W. Bush, the paper
was steadfastly Republican, if mainly concerned with scandals and
mustachioed villains close to home: overdue repairs to the main branch
of the public library, police raids on illegal betting establishments—“Worcester Dog Chases Worcester Cat Over Worcester Fence,”
as the old Washington press-corps joke about a typical headline in a
local paper goes. Its pages rolled off giant, thrumming presses in a
four-story building that overlooked City Hall the way every city paper
used to look out over every city hall, the Bat-Signal over Gotham.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The New Yorker
Trump’s Shutdown Offer Creates a De Facto Asylum Ban for Central American Minors
By Maryam Saleh
President Donald Trump’s new
offer to open the federal government in exchange for funding for his
wall on the southern U.S. border includes a major change to immigration
policy that was not included as part of his public announcement.
The Trump administration had claimed
that it would support legislation known as the BRIDGE Act — which
includes protections for Dreamers — in exchange for concessions by
Democrats. Upon closer investigation, that turned out to be a lie.
Trump’s offer to Democrats, revealed
Monday night, actually gives him even more of what he has wanted in
immigration policy, which is an end to the legal process that allows
people to present themselves at a U.S. port of entry and apply for
asylum. Trump’s new policy would ban such asylum-seeking for Central
American minors and require those fleeing violence or persecution to
apply in their own country instead.
The Trump administration, however, has also made that process effectively impossible. The appropriations bill
that’s currently on the negotiating table creates the “Central American
Minors Protection Act,” which would allow minors from El Salvador,
Guatemala, and Honduras with a “qualified parent or guardian” in the
United States to apply for asylum in their home countries. (The bill
does not define “qualified” parent, and it’s unclear whether the program
would be limited to the children of U.S. citizens and permanent
residents.) But far from treating would-be asylum-seekers’ claims with
urgency, the bill gives 240 days (about eight months) for the
establishment of eight processing centers that would deal with these
claims — even though the ban on requesting asylum at the border would go
into effect immediately.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Intercept_
Larry Kudlow Speaks to Reporters at the White House
National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow speaks with reporters in
the White House briefing room about the economic impact of the
government shutdown, which is now in its thirty-second day. He also
talks about the slowing Chinese economy.
Click here for video.
Senator Schumer on Government Shutdown
Earlier today on the Senate floor, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke about the government shutdown and President Trump’s recent proposal to negotiate.
Click here for video.
Source: C-SPAN
Bonus Report: Senator McConnell on Government Shutdown
Senator Harris' Record as California AG Comes Under Scrutiny
This report originally aired on January 21.
Senator Kamala Harris responds to a question about her record on
transgender rights as California attorney general and her role in
defending the California Department of Corrections in a case that sought
to deny two transgender inmates gender reassignment surgery. Senator
Harris says that while the department took a position on the issue that
was at odds with her beliefs, she says, "The bottom line is the buck
stops with me and I take full responsibility for what my office did."
She also goes on to say that she vehemently disagreed with the stance
taken and that she "worked behind the scenes to ensure that the
department would allow transitioning inmates to receive the medical
attention that they required, they needed, and deserved."
Click here for video.