Tracker

U.S. Justice Department Accuses Walmart of Enabling Opioid Crisis in Lawsuit Scott Olson/Getty News The U.S. Justice Department filed suit against Walmart on Tuesday, alleging the retail chain enabled the opioid crisis through filling illegal prescriptions. “As one of the largest pharmacy chains and wholesale drug distributors in the country, Walmart had the responsibility and the means to help prevent the diversion of prescription opioids,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark said in a statement. The Justice Department, which accused Walmart of a “systematic failure” to report questionable orders, is seeking thousands of dollars in civil penalties for each unlawful prescription filled and each suspicious order placed. If the suit is successful, Walmart could be forced to pay out billions in damages. In a statement, Walmart wrote that “this lawsuit invents a legal theory that unlawfully forces pharmacists to come between patients and their doctors.”

Giuliani and Powell Hit With Defamation Suit Over Election Conspiracies Getty News An employee of Dominion Voting Systems has filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump allies who’ve been pushing baseless allegations that the Denver-based company masterminded a nefarious plot to steal the election. Eric Coomer, who serves as director of product strategy and security for the voting technology company, filed a lawsuit in Colorado state district court on Tuesday that accuses Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, conspiracy theory-loving lawyer Sidney Powell, and One America News Network of causing “untold damage” with their claims of a “rigged” election. Giuliani, Powell, and others within President Trump’s orbit have claimed for weeks now that Dominion’s voting machines were programmed to make votes for Trump switch to count for President-elect Joe Biden instead. (Lets see if Trump pays for either the lawyers or the inevitable settlements on behalf of these two mindless lackeys)

The avalanche of financial bad news has begun for Trump and will only accelerate.

Not to them. Apparently the GOP does not embarrass easily- witness Donald Trump.

TRUMP HAS DECIDED TO GO TO THE NUCLEAR OPTION. Here's how the rest of Trump's desperate effort to stay in power will play out Donald Trump isn't about to concede the presidential election to Joe Biden. Not now, and seemingly, not ever. Anyone who has followed Trump closely knows two things about the man that make it relatively easy to anticipate his next move. The first is that, ideologically, Trump is a fascist who has no regard for democracy. The second is that, psychologically, he is a malignant narcissist who suffers from a toxic stew of narcissism, paranoia, antisocial personality disorder and sadism. As a result, it is virtually impossible for him to acknowledge, much less accept, failure. Trump also faces the prospect of being prosecuted for a variety of state and federal felonies upon leaving office. And while he can avoid federal jeopardy with a pardon, to do so he would either have to resign and permit Mike Pence, as his successor for the duration of the lame-duck period, to do the honors or undertake the legally dubious step of issuing a pardon to himself. Even then, he would remain exposed to the ongoing probe conducted by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance into allegations of tax, business and insurance fraud under New York law. How, then, does a fascist and a malignant narcissist who faces jail stave off defeat? Having lost both the popular vote and, more importantly, the tally in the Electoral College, and after being rebuked by numerous state and federal courts, including the Supreme Court, Trump is moving to his next option—staging what would amount to a coup d'état, invoking the complex provisions of the 12th Amendment, when Congress meets in a joint session on January 6 to confirm the winner of the presidential race. That there will be an attempted coup is no longer a matter of speculation. In an appearance on "Fox & Friends" on December 14, Stephen Miller, perhaps the most deranged and malevolent of Trump's senior advisers, openly declared the administration's plan to overturn the election results in the upcoming joint session. Read more at: Here's how the rest of Trump's desperate effort to stay in power will play out - Alternet.org

Social psychologists say that there are essentially two mindsets in people that direct their interpretations of what is going on around them and how they react: either fear/anger or hope. If you live in fear/anger, you retreat into a bunker mentality and rail against change. If you live in hope, life is much easier and you accept change as inevitable but not necessarily threatening and you look for the good in change.

Pelosi and Schumer are yesterday's people and should step aside to let new dynamic and progressive leadership emerge.

Democrats open investigation into Trump's handling of COVID: House watchdog subpoenas HHS, CDC heads. House watchdog subpoenas HHS, CDC chiefs after finding Trump appointees meddling in COVID reports A House panel investigating the Trump administration's coronavirus response issued subpoenas to two top health officials on Monday after finding extensive evidence of Trump political appointees interfering in scientific coronavirus reports. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., the chairman of the select subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis, issued subpoenas to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Robert Redfield, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ordering them to turn over "full and unredacted" documents sought by the panel for months after finding that political appointees tried to "alter or block" at least 13 CDC reports on the coronavirus. "The subpoenas were necessary because the… investigation has revealed that efforts to interfere with scientific work at CDC were far more extensive and dangerous than previously known," Clyburn said in a letter to the two officials. "Top political officials at HHS and CDC not only tolerated these efforts, but in some cases aided them -- even after a senior official warned that CDC's scientific writing 'needs to remain an independent process' and that the Administration's attempts to influence these reports violated 'long-standing policy.'" Clyburn said the Trump appointees targeted reports that "provided evidence of the virus's 'early spread' across the country and 'massive spread' this summer, which they believed sent 'the wrong message' about the Administration's policies." The appointees also "drafted rebuttals aimed at undercutting CDC's credibility" and "attempted to muzzle CDC scientists by retaliating against career employees who provided truthful information to the public," he wrote. Democrats open investigation into Trump's handling of COVID: House watchdog subpoenas HHS, CDC heads | Salon.com

Florida Data Scientist Rebekah Jones Files Suit Over 'Sham' Raid The COVID-19 whistleblower claims Florida seized her phone and other devices to "discover her confidential sources." Rebekah Jones, the Florida data scientist whose Tallahassee home was raided by gun-wielding cops earlier this month, has filed suit against the Florida Department of Law Enforcement over the “sham” raid, alleging it was carried out in retaliation for her work as a COVID-19whistleblower. The suit, filed Sunday, accuses FDLE of violating Jones’ First Amendment right to freedom of speech, and unlawful search and seizure. Jones is also accusing one of the responding officers of battery for his nonconsensual and unnecessarily hands-on contact during the raid. Florida Data Scientist Rebekah Jones Files Suit Over 'Sham' Raid | HuffPost Canada (huffingtonpost.ca)

Remind You Of Anyone? 1. Glibness/superficial charm 2. Previous diagnosis as psychopath (or similar) 3. Egocentricity/grandiose sense of self-worth 4. Proneness to boredom/low frustration tolerance 5. Pathological lying and deception 6. Conning/lack of sincerity 7. Lack of remorse or guilt 8. Lack of affect and emotional depth 9. Callous/lack of empathy 10. Parasitic lifestyle 11. Short-tempered/poor behavioral controls 12. Promiscuous sexual relations 13. Early behavior problems 14. Lack of realistic, long-term plans 15. Impulsivity 16. Irresponsible behavior as parent 17. Frequent marital relationships 18. Juvenile delinquency 19. Poor probation or parole risk 20. Failure to accept responsibility for own actions 21. Many types of offense 2 2. Substance abuse

Trump considers Pence's role in certifying Biden's election win 'the ultimate betrayal': report Trump's last ploy for the presidency: Wage war against reality President Donald Trump is not pleased with the role Vice President Mike Pence will have to play in certifying the 2020 election results. According to a recent report by Axios, Pence, along with "White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, White House counsel Pat Cipollone, U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)," have all become new targets of the president's wrath. However, Pence is said to be a central target due to the constitutional obligation he will have when the Electoral College vote goes before Congress on January 6. As Trump's presidency comes to an end, he is becoming more frustrated with the people around him as he "increasingly seeks comfort only in people who egg him on to overturn the election results," per the publication. The report also suggests Trump is angered by Pence's presumed lack of involvement in the post-election legal battle. Trump is also not pleased with the possibility of Pence overseeing the Congressional hearing that will cement President-elect Joe Biden's win. According to the report, the president views Pence's role as "the ultimate betrayal."

The mortality rate today reflects what was going on 3-4 weeks ago, so we have reason for optimism.

'Growing anxiety' at the Pentagon as officials brace for Trump's next unpredictable move: report As the United States moves closer toward Inauguration Day, White House and Pentagon officials are reportedly bracing for President Donald Trump's next unpredictable move. With less than 30 days until President-elect Joe Biden's Inauguration, officials admit they are concerned about Trump's behavior and what he might do in the last days of his presidency. According to CNN, there are concerns looming about the possibility of Trump making an unexpected military call in the coming days. "With just some 30 days to go before the US military watches its current commander in chief leave office, there is growing anxiety in the ranks about what Trump might do in these remaining days. Will the President order some unexpected military action, such as a strike on Iran, or will he somehow draw the military into his efforts to overthrow the election results? It's a troubling enough scenario that military leaders have taken the unusual step of publicly stating that they will not play a role in deciding an American election." In addition to Pentagon officials, CNN has also spoken to "nearly a dozen currently serving officers either in senior roles or with direct knowledge of how senior commanders" who weighed on their concerns about the uncertainty over the coming weeks. However, none of the officials have wanted their names released presumably out of fear of retaliation. "We don't know what he might do," one Pentagon official said. "We are in strange times," another said. 'Growing anxiety' at the Pentagon as officials brace for Trump's next unpredictable move: report - Alternet.org

Paranoid Trump Accuses Pence of Betraying Him, Says Report Reuters/Cheriss May Festive cheer appears to be in short supply at the White House. In fact, the final few days of work before the holidays sound like hell on earth. According to a report from Axios, President Donald Trump is lashing out at almost everyone close to him who doesn’t play along with his absurd, baseless conspiracy theories about his election defeat. Those people, according to Axios, now include Vice President Mike Pence. The report says Trump has repeatedly complained that Pence has not been fighting hard enough for him in recent weeks, and has cited a Lincoln Project ad that predicted that Pence will “put the nail in [Trump’s] political coffin.” Other targets of his fury reportedly include Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, White House counsel Pat Cipollone, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Trump's last days: Report says president personally pressured more than 150 Republicans to overturn election. Trump is ‘terrified’ of losing power because he’ll lose relevance in American culture: NYT’s Tom Friedman President Donald Trump's last days are filled with chaos, erratic decisions and impulsive behavior, according to insiders familiar with his battle to overturn the outcome of the election. According to Politico, many of the president's advisors have repeatedly urged him to concede and let go of his losing battle, but he has adamantly pushed back. It has been reported that Trump has now shut down his campaign team and ignored White House staff only relying on the advice of those who have no problem pushing his dangerous agenda. Now, he has reportedly spoken to more than 150 Republican leaders across all of the battleground states he lost as he attempts to pressure and strong-arm them into overturning the presidential election. Although the Electoral College has already cast its votes solidifying Biden's win, Trump is still working to overturn the election without substantial evidence of widespread voter fraud. The publication reports: "In total, the president talked to at least 31 Republicans, encompassing mostly local and state officials from four critical battleground states he lost — Michigan, Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. The contacts included at least 12 personal phone calls to 11 individuals, and at least four White House meetings with 20 Republican state lawmakers, party leaders, and attorneys general, all people he hoped to win over to his side. Trump also spoke by phone about his efforts with numerous House Republicans and at least three current or incoming Senate Republicans." Trump's last days: Report says president personally pressured more than 150 Republicans to overturn election - Alternet.org Federal prosecutors are considering legal request for Rudy Giuliani's electronic communications: report According to NBC News, prosecutors with the Southern District of New York (SDNY) have been involved in discussions with the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., regarding Rudy Giuliani's electronic communications. Officials are looking to obtain access to Giuliani's emails, according to two insiders. To be granted access, the SDNY must receive approval from the Justice Department to move forward with requesting a search warrant signed by a federal judge. However, it is still unclear whether or not the Justice Department has granted the request. The full spectrum of the current investigation is also an aspect that remains unclear. However, the Wall Street Journal reported details about the October 2019 investigative probe into Giuliani's Ukraine business transactions as it revealed SDNY prosecutors were reviewing the embattled attorney's bank records. Around that time, two of Giuliani's previous associates —Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman— were arrested on a string of fraud-related charges. Another aspect of the investigation that suggests it is still "very active" is prosecutors' pursuit of witnesses and the search for more documentation to build the case. Federal prosecutors are considering legal request for Rudy Giuliani's electronic communications: report - Alternet.org

Sooooo.......they've put it on ice until next year?

Ex-Trump Adviser Who Downplayed Pandemic Finds COVID Culprit: The Media Getty News Since leaving the White House earlier this month, former Trump COVID adviser Scott Atlas seems to have found the real reason why the disease has wreaked such devastation upon the United States—media coverage. “The media’s politicization of Covid has proved deadly and puts Americans’ freedoms at risk,” reads the subhead of Atlas’s op-ed, “A Pandemic of Misinformation,” published in The Wall Street Journal on Monday. Atlas, a neuroradiologist who has no background in epidemiology, was known as President Trump’s favorite pandemic adviser and downplayed the virus’ impact before submitting his resignation in November. In his Journal piece, Atlas continued to claim that lockdowns are unnecessary and harmful, even as daily death tolls continue to breach 3,000 nationwide.

House Oversight chair has 'grave concerns' the Trump team is trashing White House records House Oversight Committee chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney expressed "grave concerns" Monday that the outgoing Trump administration "may be disposing" of presidential records in violation of federal law. Maloney (D-N.Y.) voiced her concerns in a letter to Archivist of the United States David Ferriero. She referenced the Presidential Records Act and the requirements the post-Watergate statute imposes on President Donald Trump and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), which Ferriero heads. The law says that the president can't get rid of presidential records, including memos, emails, and notes, without first getting "the views, in writing, of the Archivist concerning the proposed disposal." The archivist must "request the advice" of several congressional committees—including the House Oversight Committee—regarding such proposals to see if the records in question "may be of special interest to the Congress" or if congressional consultation may be "in the public interest." And yet, wrote Maloney, her committee "has no visibility into what is happening at the White House in terms of archiving and transferring records to NARA." What's more, in light of Covid-19, "NARA has not detailed any employees to the White House to assist or oversee this process, as it has in past transitions." House Oversight chair has 'grave concerns' the Trump team is trashing White House records - Alternet.org

Somehow the threat of lawsuits plus the stark realization that Trump is a) going to lose the presidency and b) is as crazy as an outhouse rat, have made these cretins see the light.

Pot, meet kettle. Kettle, meet pot. Hypocrisy at its finest. We are seeing yet another of Trump's supporters distancing himself so as to not be associated with a loser. So long as Trump had a chance of being re-elected, Robertson et al had their collective lips pressed firmly to Trump's gargantuan butt.

A very real possibility- especially if/when his last-ditch appeal to the SCOTUS fails.

Boston Cop Seen on Body-Cam Footage Bragging About Driving Into Protestors During Police Brutality Demonstrations In the midst this year’s national protests against the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and numerous other Black Americans, video clips posted by reporters and other people on social media showed police across the country responding to the protests with violence that exhibited much of the brutality that had brought people out in the streets. The recent release of body camera footage worn by police officers in Boston, one of the many cities where protests took place this June, now backs up the stories shared by protestors—that cops were beating them with batons, spraying them with pepper spray indiscriminately, and even deliberately running into them with vehicles. The unearthed video footage was provided to The Appeal by Carl Williams, an attorney representing protestors arrested in Boston this summer. Among other disturbing incidents of police brutality, the footage shows a Boston Police Department sergeant joyfully bragging about hitting people with his car. From The Appeal: “Dude, dude, dude, I ******’ drove down Tremont—there was an unmarked state police cruiser they were all gathered around,” says the sergeant, laughing. “So then I had a ****** keep coming, ******* running,” he continues. “I’m ******* hitting people with the car, did you hear me, I was like, ‘get the ****—’” At this point the officer behind the camera pushes the sergeant’s head away and walks off in the other direction. He comes back a few seconds later, saying, “it’s on,” about the camera. The sergeant quickly changes his story. Boston Cop Brags About Driving Into Protestors in Body-Cam Video (theroot.com) “Oh, no no no no no, what I’m saying is, though, that they were in front, like, I didn’t hit anybody, like, just driving, that’s all,” he says. “My windows were closed, the **** was coming in.” “I have placed a Sergeant involved in this incident on administrative leave,” said Boston Police Commissioner William Goss in a statement on Friday following the public reveal of the footage on Friday.

Okay, everyone who has been praying for snow, you can stop now.

Perhaps the anti-maskers could be offered a compromise. If they want to serve as companions or housekeeping staff in a COVID ward while not wearing PPE for a week, they could be allowed to skip the mask requirement. Everything You Need to Know About the New COVID Variant Anew variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, is thought to be driving increased transmission of the disease in parts of the UK. The government has placed some regions including London under new, stricter coronavirus restrictions, known as Tier 4. People in Tier 4 areas will not be able to gather with anyone outside their household for Christmas, while those in the rest of the country can only gather on Christmas Day itself. Boris Johnson, the prime minister, and his chief scientific advisors said that the new variant could increase transmission of COVID-19 by as much as 70% and increase the R or reproduction number by 0.4. What’s the significance of this new discovery? The Conversation asked Lucy van Dorp, a microbial genomics researcher and an expert in the evolution of pathogens, some key questions about what we know at this point in time. What do we know about this new variant? The new UK variant, known as VUI–202012/01 or lineage B.1.1.7, was first announced by Matt Hancock, the health secretary on December 14. It was subsequently confirmed by Public Health England and the UK’s COVID-19 sequencing consortium. Screening back through databases of SARS-CoV-2 the first sample was taken in the county of Kent on September 20. The variant carries 14 defining mutations including seven in the spike protein, the protein that mediates entry of the virus into human cells. This is a relatively large number of changes compared to the many variants we have in circulation globally. To date, genetic profiles—or genomes—of this variant have been largely sequenced and shared from the UK but include some in Denmark and two cases in Australia. There have also been reports of a case in the Netherlands. These countries all have very large genome sequencing efforts and it is very possible that these observations do not reflect the true distribution of this variant of the virus, which could exist undetected elsewhere. We will know more as more genomes are generated and shared. Thanks to the efforts of data sharing, genomic surveillance and COVID-19 test results in the UK, it seems that this variant is now starting to dominate over existing versions of the virus and that it may be responsible for an increasing proportion of cases in parts of the country, particular in regions where we also have rapidly expanding case numbers. More at: Everything You Need to Know About the New COVID Variant (thedailybeast.com)

This should be encouraged, even mandated. then quarantined together for 30 days without medical attention. 'It's nuts!' GOP lawmaker unloads on Trump for hosting martial law summit in the Oval Office Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) on Monday tore into President Donald Trump for hosting a summit at the White House last week in which he was implored to declare martial law in a desperate bid to retain power. Appearing on CNN, Kinzinger was asked what he thought of disgraced former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn floating a plan to declare the results of the 2020 election void and then deploy the United States military to do a re-do of the vote. "I think it's nuts," he said. "I think there's a lot of people that don't necessarily understand what martial law is. They know it basically sounds ominous. Martial law is basically the federal military coming in and suspending the authority of state or local governments." Kinzinger went on to demolish some of the other conspiracy theories being floated by the president's allies. 'It's nuts!' GOP lawmaker unloads on Trump for hosting martial law summit in the Oval Office - Alternet.org (Another Republican has a deathbed repentance)