Tracker

Sorry- the caption did not come through. New Zealand is proposing legislation that would band sale of tobacco and tobacco products to anyone born after 2004.

'The most nakedly nativist rhetoric': House Republicans launch caucus for 'Anglo-Saxon political traditions' Although former President Donald Trump has been gone from the White House for almost three months, many far-right Republicans in Congress continue to push an equally nativist "America first" agenda — and Punchbowl News is reporting that some of Trump's Republican allies in the U.S. House of Representatives are putting together an "America First Caucus" based on "Anglo-Saxon political traditions." According to Punchbowl, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona are "distributing materials" calling for a caucus that would express a "common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions." Punchbowl reports that according to an e-mail invitation it has obtained a copy of, House Republicans who have been invited to join the America First Caucus include Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas and Rep. Barry Moore of Alabama. (Racism by another name is still racism)

Its all just tribalism. Old wine on a new bottle.

This is why America is doomed to repeat another civil war, although it will probably be euphemistically renamed.

But it seems that the smaller and more irrelevant this group becomes, the louder and more aggressive they become.

Bill Barr sued by watchdog for records in potential DOJ corruption scheme On Thursday, the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) announced a lawsuit against former Attorney General William Barr to obtain the records of a meeting he took with infamous Blackwater founder Erik Prince. "CREW is suing the DOJ for records on any meetings that Barr and Prince had since they could reveal potential preferential treatment for Trump's allies in Department of Justice investigations," said the group their press release. "Prince reportedly faced a DOJ investigation for apparently lying before Congress about the Russia probe following Representative Adam Schiff's request for a criminal investigation, but almost two years later, no investigation has been reported and no charges have been announced. In addition to charges related to making false statements to Congress, DOJ apparently was considering whether Prince violated U.S. export laws, but no charges have been announced in that case either." "Throughout his tenure, Barr consistently intervened in cases to the benefit of Trump's allies, including several Trump would later go on to pardon," continued the statement. "In his final days as president, Trump issued pardon after pardon to benefit himself and his cronies, including for four Blackwater guards convicted of killing of Iraqi civilians. Trump also pardoned Roger Stone and Michael Flynn, whose cases Barr and top DOJ officials had reportedly previously intervened in to withdraw stiff sentencing recommendations — in Stone's case, after Trump tweeted that the recommendations were unfair." Prince, who is also a GOP megadonor and the brother of former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, was reportedly also involved in a meeting in the Seychelles to try to establish a backchannel to the Kremlin for the Trump administration. He is currently facing United Nations sanctions for allegedly violating an arms embargo in Libya. Bill Barr sued by watchdog for records in potential DOJ corruption scheme - Alternet.org

Laura Ingraham Blames Familiar Scapegoat For Cop Killings Of Black People The Fox News host went there after ex-Officer Kim Potter was charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of Daunte Wright. Laura Ingraham on Wednesday blamed the news for police killings of Black people. The Fox News host deployed her twisted scapegoating after former Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, Officer Kim Potter was charged with second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Daunte Wright. Potter shot Wright during a traffic stop and may have mistakenly thought she was using her Taser, according to her chief, who resigned with Potter two days after the killing. The homicide multiplied tensions from the ongoing murder trial of ex-Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin, who’s accused of killing George Floyd by pressing his knee into Floyd’s neck. “Young Black men today are being told over and over again by a dominant media, a corporate media, that if you’re pulled over by the police, they’re going to shoot you,” Ingraham declared to guest Allen West, a former House member who is Black and describes himself as a Christian constitutional conservative. “Are they not ... sending that message to young Black men that you’re gonna be shot if you’re pulled over, so run, run, leave, speed away? And that’s when you have problems,” Ingraham continued. “You had it with George Floyd, who resisted arrest. You had it in this case. It’s some tragic circumstances. It’s horrific, but they’re running away. Maybe for a warrant. But they’re being told they’re gonna be shot no matter what, correct?” Laura Ingraham Blames Familiar Scapegoat For Cop Killings Of Black People | HuffPost

Top Republican To AIPAC: Trump Wanted To ‘Marginalize’ Palestinians In his final months in office, former President Donald Trump unveiled deals for four Arab countries to recognize Israel, saying it was a key step to resolve the decades-old Middle East standoff over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Trump administration repeatedly rejected criticism from foreign officials and national security experts that his approach made Israeli-Palestinian peace less likely by angering and isolating the Palestinians while boosting the Israelis. But according to previously unreported remarks by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the chief Republican working on foreign policy in the House of Representatives, sidelining the Palestinians was Trump’s aim all along. “I think the goal here is to marginalize the Palestinians,” McCaul told donors and supporters of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in a closed-door meeting last month, referring to Trump’s negotiations with Muslim-majority countries. Top Republican To AIPAC: Trump Wanted To 'Marginalize' Palestinians | HuffPost

Looks like an explosive player who would be well suited to be a safety in the CFL. Crazy fast and quick.

Most would not believe how invasive it is.

Not surprising that someone in Alberta went on a Bender. <Lotsa liquor/porn stores there.

I hate: 1) Complaining 2.) Lists 3.) Pointless jeremiads

All empires, and America has conducted itself as an empire, fall from within. With power, individuals and groups have to decide whether to use that power as a responsibility to do good or to do harm through aggression and hubris. Sociologists have been predicting the end of America as THE world power for some 20 years. Americans, particularly right-wingers, are rabidly reluctant to accept that all empires fall, and that includes them. So they ratchet up their rhetoric and look for someone, anyone to blame. Similarly, Adolph Hitler and the militants refused to accept that they lost WW1 due to military reasons, so they created the lie that "inferior, malevolent people" were responsible and had to be rounded up and disposed of. If this sounds familiar, you just have to look at Trump and the fascists who adore him.

Capitol Police Were Ordered to Go Easy on MAGA Rioters, Says Report -Reuters One of the most frightening aspects of the Capitol riot was how easy it appeared to be for a right-wing mob to take over the building. Now, a new report from from the Capitol Police inspector general has helped to explain why that was the case. The report, obtained by The New York Times ahead of a Capitol Hill hearing on Thursday, confirms that officers were specifically instructed by their leaders not to use their most effective tactics to hold off the pro-Trump hordes. Inspector General Michael A. Bolton writes that the agency’s Civil Disturbance Unit, which is trained to deal with big protests, was forbidden from using its most powerful tools to stem the riot. “Heavier, less-lethal weapons,” such as stun grenades, “were not used that day because of orders from leadership,” Bolton wrote. Officials who were on duty during the riot told the inspector general that, if such equipment was allowed, it could have helped cops “push back the rioters.”

Fox News hosts accused of conspiring behind the scenes with Trump attorneys as network faces lawsuit. "The Fox anchors decided to join forces with Giuliani and Powell to disseminate disinformation about Smartmatic" Anew court filing argues that Fox News anchors cannot hide behind the First Amendment after helping former president Donald Trump and his allies spread election lies. Voting technology company Smartmatic filed a 120-page motion asking a New York state court to reject the conservative network's attempt to dismiss a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit by claiming its coverage was protected speech, arguing those protections should not apply because anchors knew election fraud claims were untrue, reported Law & Crime. "This is not a game. The First Amendment does not provide the Fox Defendants a Get Out Of Jail Free card," the motion argues. "The Fox Defendants do not get a do-over with their reporting now that they have been sued." Smartmatic attorney J. Erik Connolly accused Fox News anchors, including Maria Bartiromo, Jeannine Pirro and Lou Dobbs of inviting Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell onto their programs and asking questions intended to promote the former president's claims of election fraud. "The Fox anchors were not innocent bystanders and the disinformation generated during their interviews was no accident," the motion claims. "Prior to the interviews, the Fox anchors decided to join forces with Giuliani and Powell to disseminate disinformation about Smartmatic. The Fox anchors knew what Giuliani and Powell would say on their shows, asked questions to elicit lies about Smartmatic, and endorsed Giuliani's and Powell's investigation. The Fox anchors added their own defamatory comments about Smartmatic for good measure. This was a scripted performance by the Fox anchors, Giuliani, and Powell to defame and disparage Smartmatic for personal gain." Fox News hosts accused of conspiring behind the scenes with Trump attorneys as network faces lawsuit | Salon.com

I'm afraid America is already there.

There is a campaign ongoing in the US to fill all social media with lies about the warrant that was outstanding on the young man who was killed in Minneapolis. The lies are that he had committed a violent armed robbery but in reality, he had been arrested for possession of one joint, pled guilty and was fined about $150.00 (US). He was given a payment plan on which he defaulted due to losing his job because of the pandemic. He was killed for simple possession. As an aside, the officer who killed him and the chief of police has resigned.

Indicted Matt Gaetz Pal Paid Former Teen’s Legal Fees While Under Investigation: Politico The indicted ex-tax collector friend of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) paid for a lawyer for the underage teenager at the heart of sex trafficking charges against him, according to a bombshell WhatsApp chat obtained by Politico. Politico reported that Joel Greenberg was in a “panic” just days before the federal indictment on 33 different charges including identity theft, financial crimes and sex trafficking. In a chat with a friend who later discussed the messages with Politico, the former Seminole County tax collector referred to the unidentified young woman as “Vintage 99,” a name with her birth year that she reportedly used online. “I’m having to pay for vintage 99 to retain [a] lawyer,” Greenberg wrote in the chat, saying federal agents “contacted her and are wanting her to talk,” Politico reported. “She doesn’t want to talk to them,” he added. Indicted Matt Gaetz Pal Paid Former Teen's Legal Fees While Under Investigation: Politico | HuffPost

But climate change is not real.

I have long thought that these horrible, inexcusable events along with the massive payouts to victims and victims' families would go way down if the payouts came out of the police pension funds.

'Accidental discharge': Minnesota police chief offers defense of cop who killed Daunte Wright as department releases bodycam footage A Minnesota police chief says the officer who shot and killed 20-year old Daunte Wright following a traffic stop allegedly for expired plates thought she was pulling out and firing her Taser, not her handgun. "I'm believing it to be an accidental discharge," Brooklyn Center, MN Police Chief Tim Gannon told reporters Monday, after Sunday's shooting. "It is my belief that the officer had the intention to employ their taser, but instead shot Mr. Wright with a single bullet."