Reality Winner Has Been in Jail for a Year. Her Prosecution Is Unfair and Unprecedented.

 

By Peter Maas

This is a tale of two defendants and two systems of justice.

Christmas was coming, and Paul Manafort wanted to spend the holiday with his extended family in the Hamptons, where he owns a four-acre estate that has 10 bedrooms, a pool, a tennis court, a basketball court, a putting green, and a guest cottage. But Manafort was under house arrest in northern Virginia. Suspected of colluding with the Russian government, the former campaign manager for Donald Trump had been indicted on a dozen charges involving conspiracy, money laundering, bank fraud, and lying to federal investigators.

A lobbyist who became mysteriously wealthy over the years, Manafort avoided jail by posting $10 million in bond, though he was confined to his luxury condo in Alexandria, Virginia. That’s why, in mid-December, his lawyers asked the judge to make an exception. Manafort’s $2.7 million Virginia home could not provide “adequate accommodations” for his holiday guests, some of whom would have difficulty traveling because of health problems, the lawyers stated. A day later, the judge agreed to the request. Manafort could have his Christmas getaway in the Hamptons.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The Intercept_ 

Pedophile and White Supremacist Running for Congress

Nathan Larson, a man who advocates pedophilia, white supremacy and rape is running for U.S. Congress. A previous version of this video incorrectly stated the office Larson is seeking.

This report was published on YouTube on June 2. 

Source: USA TODAY 

Jordan PM Resigns After Days of Protests Against Rising Taxes

Source: euronews.

The Week Ahead in Washington

 

Washington Examiner White House correspondent Gabby Morrongiello and Huffington Post congressional reporter Matt Fuller discuss the week ahead on Capitol Hill and at the White House.

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN 

Ronald Reagan Would Hate What Trump Is Doing To America, Daughter Says

 

By Ron Dicker

Patti Davis, the daughter of former President Ronald Reagan, imagined what her father would think of current President Donald Trump. And she didn’t hold back.

In a letter posted Sunday in The Washington Post to mark Tuesday’s June 5 anniversary of her father’s death, Davis wrote that her dad would have condemned Trump’s abuse of power and incendiary rhetoric.

“He would be appalled and heartbroken at a Congress that refuses to stand up to a president who not only seems ignorant of the Constitution but who also attempts at every turn to dismantle and mock our system of checks and balances,” she wrote.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The Huffington Post

San Juan Mayor Calls Trump’s ‘Total Neglect’ Of Puerto Rico A Violation Of Human Rights

By Mary Papenfuss

San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz accused Donald Trump on Sunday of violating Puerto Ricans’ human rights for his failure to take action to stem the appalling loss of life on the island in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

The situation “has to do with being human,” she told MSNBC.

Trump’s “total neglect has to be called [out],” Cruz added. “The United Nations says that when people are denied the right to access to basic human services — like electric power, like water, like food, like appropriate medical care — that it is a violation of human rights.” 

Click here for the full article.

Source: The Huffington Post

California's GOP is Collapsing. Is That a Sign for Republicans Nationwide?

 

by Alex Seitz-Wald

WASHINGTON — Republicans once dominated California. This year, GOP candidates are limping toward the finish line.

Last week, independents surpassed Republicans to become the second-largest bloc of registered voters in the state after Democrats. And after Tuesday's unusual "jungle" primary, the GOP might have missed its shot at the governor's mansion and a Senate seat — something experts say that should be a dire warning for the party nationwide.

California's primary system, implemented in 2012, means Republicans are no longer guaranteed a slot on the general election ballot and must compete with Democrats in the primary, where only the top two finishers advance to November, regardless of party. It's caused serious headaches for Democrats. But for Republicans, the problem is existential.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: NBC News

7 Senate Midterm Races to Watch

Source: CBS News

European Elections: Countdown to an EU Reboot?

Source: FRANCE 24 English

Israeli PM Tries to Convince European Leaders to Leave Iran Deal

Source: FRANCE 24 English

China Issues Stern Warning Over US Threat of New Tariffs

Source: FRANCE 24 English

Historic Deal Ends Conflict Between Libya's Misrata and Tawergha

Singapore Abuzz with Preparations for Trump-Kim Summit

Save the Children: Gaza Children on Brink of Mental Health Crisis

US on the GCC Crisis

At Least 46 Migrants Drown After Boat Sinks Off Tunisian Coast

Kenya Launches Scheme to Export Crude Oil

This report was published on YouTube on June 3.

Jordan Sees Largest Anti-Government Protests in Years

This report was published on YouTube on June 3.

UCCA Calls on U.S. Leaders to Demand the Immediate Release of Oleh Sentsov

 

The following statement was submitted by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA).

The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), the largest grassroots representation of Americans of Ukrainian descent, has sent an urgent letter of appeal to President Trump and Congressional leaders. The letter implores the United States to “take the lead in promoting international norms” and demand the immediate release of Ukrainian activist Oleh Sentsov and the over sixty other political prisoners currently imprisoned by Russia.

Millions of Ukrainians around the world have united to give voice to those facing brutal repression in the areas of Ukraine currently illegally occupied by Russian forces – an occupation that has not only manifested itself in imprisonment, but in the all too common “disappearance” of those deemed to be "trouble-makers."

Russia currently imprisons over 60 Ukrainians abducted illegally from their homeland, including the award-winning filmmaker Oleh Sentsov. A native of Crimea, Sentsov is serving a 20-year prison sentence at a strict penal colony in the Siberian region of Yakutia following a 2015 show trial reminiscent of the Stalin-era. Beginning with his arrest in May 2014 soon after Russia illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula, Russia has illegally imprisoned dozens of Ukrainian citizens in occupied areas of Ukraine and Russia, including Oleksandr Kolchenko, Stanislav Klikh, Oleksiy Chyrnyi, Roman Sushchenko, and many, many others.

As stated in UCCA’s letter to the President, Speaker Ryan, and Leaders McConnell, Schumer and Pelosi, Sentsov has recently declared a courageous hunger strike to protest Russia’s violations of internationally recognized human rights. In a letter provided to his to his lawyer, Sentsov stated that “the only condition for ending [the hunger strike] is the release of all Ukrainian political prisoners held by Russia.”

UCCA calls for the United States to support these imprisoned Ukrainians by utilizing the Magnitsky Act and CAATSA, as passed by Congress in December 2012 and July 2017, respectively, and implement additional sanctions against Russian officials.

A New Principal Pushes for Change. Then the Investigations Start.

Asked to revive troubled New York City schools, administrators have faced a flood of investigations that derail their efforts and, often, their careers.

By Kate Taylor

When Nadav Zeimer became principal in 2010 of Harlem Renaissance High School, the school, which serves students who have fallen behind or dropped out of other schools, was failing. It had received a D on its most recent report card. At one point, New York City said it planned to close Harlem Renaissance and reopen it under a new name.

But within three years, the school’s grade went to a B, then an A. Its graduation rate improved; suspensions plummeted.

As Mr. Zeimer’s supervisor would say, last year, “Principal Zeimer has turned a failing school into a successful school.”

Which made it strange that, at that very moment, the city was trying to fire him.

As Mr. Zeimer worked to remake the school, he said, a small group of teachers revolted. He became the subject of multiple investigations and unflattering news stories, and lost his position — only to subsequently be cleared of most of the charges.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The New York Times (via Empire Report New York)

Israeli Day Parade Draws Supporters and Critics Alike in New York

Under tight security, the annual Israel Day Parade took place in New York City on Sunday, with everyone from the Israeli scouts to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Israel's UN ambassador, Danny Danon, attending.

The event, which passed by Trump Tower as it made its way down Fifth Avenue, also drew pro-Palestinian counter-protesters and anti-Zionist ultra-Orthodox demonstrators.

The event was held in honor of Israel's 70th anniversary and saw scores waving Israeli flags as they marched through central Manhattan.   

Click here for the full article. 

Source: Haaretz (via Empire Report New York) 

Hillary Rodham Clinton: A Better Way to Educate Black Young Men

Co-authored with David C. Banks

Brenton James, a young New Yorker, received his bachelor’s degree in economics, philosophy and politics from the University of Pennsylvania earlier this month. Like his fellow graduates, Brenton applied his keen intellect and studied hard to earn his diploma.

But unlike most of his U Penn classmates, Brenton’s early indicators hadn’t pointed to an Ivy League education. An African-American raised by a proud, single mom in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, Brenton faced the fears, challenges and low expectations that young men of color commonly confront.

We know that children need love from their parents, the support of their teachers and nurturing from a community that believes in them. But the challenges faced by young men of color require a special level of response. All too often, black boys grow up without their fathers, leaving a void that impacts their transition to manhood.

Click here for the full article.

Source: The New York Daily News (via Empire Report New York) 

New York Nurses Union Unveiling $1M Campaign for 'Safe Staffing' Bill

By Kenneth Lovett

ALBANY — With the state legislative session winding down, the union representing nurses statewide on Monday will begin an ad campaign to pressure senators to pass a law requiring minimum nurse-to-patient staffing levels.

Click here for summary. 

Source: The New York Daily News (via Empire Report New York) 

Europe to Take U.S. Tariff Concerns to World Trade Organisation

Source: euronews.

Poor People's Campaign Asks America to Face the Injustices Keeping Millions in Poverty

This report was broadcast on YouTube on May 30. 

Source: PBS NewsHour

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on U.S. Steel and Aluminum Tariffs: 'Totally Unacceptable'

The Canadian leader held a news conference in Ottawa shortly after the U.S. announced tariffs on steel and aluminum would be imposed on imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union. He told reporters that the U.S. decision was “totally unacceptable” and the tariffs were an “affront” to the longstanding security partnership between the two countries. He’s joined by Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland who outlined the retaliatory measures proposed against the U.S. 

Click here for video.

Hurricane Preparedness in 2018

New Republic staff writer Emily Atkin discusses what’s been done to make vulnerable communities more resilient to hurricanes following last year’s season.

Click here for video.

Source: C-SPAN 

MS-13 in the U.S: An Analysis

Héctor Silva Ávalos of American University’s Center for Latin American and Latino Studies discusses the state of MS-13 in the U.S.

Click here for video.

Border Patrol Continues to Exaggerate Danger to Agents to Justify Violence Against Immigrants

By Debbie Nathan

After Claudia Patricia Gómez González, a 19-year-old indigenous Guatemalan, was shot to death last week by a Border Patrol agent near Laredo, Texas, the Border Patrol issued a press release claiming that the teenager was one of a group of “illegal aliens” who were “assailants” threatening the agent with “blunt objects.” Two days later, the government’s story changed. A new press release did not mention weapons, and it described the young woman not as an “assailant,” but as a part of a group who “rushed” the officer after ignoring orders to get on the ground.

As a storm of media coverage ensued, NPR reported that the Border Patrol’s “use of force involving firearms” had more than doubled, after dropping more than 70 percent over five years. From October 2017 to March 2018, agents used guns nine times. During the same period the previous year, they used guns four times. Administration officials justified the spike, NPR said, by claiming that assaults on Border Patrol agents have increased significantly.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The Intercept_

Flint Water Crisis: Race 'Was Factor' in Authorities’ Slow and Misleading Response, Says City's Black Mayor

Karen Weaver claims she was told to 'get over it' by the state's Republican governor Rick Snyder, an accusation he denies.

By Andrew Buncombe

Race and class were factors in the authorities’ slow and allegedly dishonest response to Flint’s water crisis, the Michigan city’s mayor has claimed.

Karen Weaver, who was elected mayor in November 2015, 18 months after the fateful decision had been made to switch the source of Flint’s water supply, said had the city not been either predominately African American and poor, the crisis may not have happened, or else the response would have been different.

“I sure do. And I was not the only person who thought this,” Ms Weaver told The Independent in an interview in her office.

Click here for the full article.

Source: The Independent

U.S. Adds 223,000 New Jobs as Unemployment Falls to 18-Year Low in May

By Jeffry Bartash

The numbers: The U.S. created a robust 223,000 new jobs in May to push unemployment down to an 18-year low of 3.8%, signaling that a nine-year-old economic expansion still has plenty of steam despite being one of the oldest ever.

The increase in hiring — the biggest in three months — exceeded the 200,000 forecast of economists polled by MarketWatch.

Click here for the full article. 

Source: marketwatch.com

An Imperial Presidency Can't Happen Unless Congress Abdicates Authority

This report was published on YouTube on May 31. You can view the full discussion here.

Source: CBS News 

Spain PM Forced to Resign Over Corruption Scandal

Protests in Argentina Calling for Decriminalisation of Abortion

Nicaragua Protests: More Than 100 Killed Since April

Kim Jong-un Aide Expected to Deliver Letter to Donald Trump

Source: FRANCE 24 English

EU Says U.S. Tariffs Are Not the Way to Do Business

Source: euronews.

(Bonus Report)
Canada and Mexico Denounce US Steel, Aluminum Tariffs

New Italian Government Readies for Power

Source: euronews.

Denmark Bans the Face Veil

This report was published on YouTube on May 31.

Source: euronews.

Aid Agencies Warn of Syrian Refugee Funding Shortfall

This report was published on YouTube on May 31.
Source: euronews.