January 26, 2024

Trump must pay E. Jean Carroll over $83 million in defamation damages, jury rules

Source: nbc

Former President Donald Trump must pay writer E. Jean Carroll over $83 million in damages for repeatedly defaming her, a jury found Friday.

The nine-person jury began deliberations inat 1:40 p.m. ET and reached a verdict in just under three hours.

The decision came after contentious closing arguments that saw Trump storm out of the courtroom. He returned for his own attorney's closing arguments but left the courthouse at 4 p.m., before the jury returned its verdict.

Trump had already been found liable for defaming Carroll while he was president by mocking her allegation that he'd sexually abused her, so this jury was only tasked with determining how much she should be paid in damages.

Read more: linkhttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/verdict-reached-e-jean-carrolls-defamation-damages-trial-trump-rcna135919 to come

January 26, 2024

Reagan-appointed judge warns GOP's 'preposterous' claims about Jan. 6 could pose threat

WASHINGTON — A Republican-appointed federal judge who has served on the bench for 37 years slammed prominent politicians for their "preposterous" claims about how the courts have handled Jan. 6 cases and their attempts to "rewrite history" about the U.S. Capitol attack, saying such rhetoric could foreshadow future far-right violence.

Senior U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, appointed to the bench by former President Ronald Reagan in 1987, said at a resentencing hearing Thursday that he is "shocked" at how prominent political figures have talked about the convicted criminals who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, calling the politicians' remarks "preposterous" and warning that such rhetoric "could presage further danger to our country."

While Lamberth did not refer to the politicians by name, he used quotations from Reps. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga. (who said rioters behaved "in an orderly fashion" like tourists), Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. (who called Jan. 6 inmates "political prisoners&quot , and Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. (who, echoing former President Donald Trump, called Jan. 6 criminals "hostages&quot . In 2022, the Republican National Committee passed a resolution referring to the events of Jan. 6 as "legitimate political discourse."

"The Court is accustomed to defendants who refuse to accept that they did anything wrong. But in my thirty-seven years on the bench, I cannot recall a time when such meritless justifications of criminal activity have gone mainstream," Lamberth said, according to his prepared remarks.

"I have been dismayed to see distortions and outright falsehoods seep into the public consciousness,” Lamberth continued before he issued a stark warning: "The Court fears that such destructive, misguided rhetoric could presage further danger to our country."

/SNIP
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/reagan-appointed-judge-warns-gops-preposterous-claims-jan-6-pose-threa-rcna135754

worth the read.

January 18, 2024

When you live in a country known worldwide for School shootings

one has to wonder that the only political actions are to protect the gun industry and make it easier to get a gun.

Between this and the trumpers I trul fear for the future of this country.

January 15, 2024

The newest True Detective on HBO Plus (max)

With Jodie Foster blew me away with its first episode. If you like spooky mysteries this is a good one for you. I can't remember when a first episode in a series grabbed me like this one did. Note that you don't have to have seen any of the preious True Detective series to enjoy or follow this, it's a stand-alone series in itself.

January 9, 2024

Anyone else planning on watching Echo on Disney Plus this evening?

If it lives up to the hype I'm hoping for a good six hours of escapism. The review embargo concerns me though.

January 2, 2024

In honor of 2024...

Figured I'd get nostalgic and stream it on FreeVee.
Remembered thinking it was a pretty good film and wow have my tastes changed and wow, was I wrong.

December 20, 2023

Sigh. I'm not looking for a great holiday season this year. Too many people are gone.

So many memories of around the tree with so may packages for me, my sisters, my father, my mother... All around the tree in the living room and now even that living room is gone.

Today I feel lucky that I still have one Sister on this side of the grass.

Everyone else is gone. Some in terrible ways.

But I do hope that most haven't lived long enough to be in a place like this. And for you guys and everyfuckinbody else I wish you the best for the season. Take the memories of these days and imprint them deep in your psyche to have and hold you dear in later years.

But don't let this shit get you down. The past is only the past while the future is everything. Please hold the ones you love and hug your asses off with everything.

December 20, 2023

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December 20, 2023

A bit of light fun on Disney+ with Percy Jackson and the Olympians

They just dropped the first two of eight installments which I enjoyed.

Not marvel and pretty wholesome for the most part. Good to watch for anyone who might want to shut their brain down for a bit after hours of news.

December 7, 2023

Damned onions...