Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
marmar
marmar's Journal
marmar's Journal
June 4, 2022
(HuffPost) An Oklahoma man was arrested last week for his alleged role in the U.S. Capitol riot after one of his college fraternity brothers tipped off the FBI.
Levi Roy Gable, 36, was arrested in Tulsa Thursday and charged with four misdemeanor counts of illegally entering the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and engaging in disruptive conduct.
According to an FBI affidavit, in the days after the riot, Gable’s fraternity brother from roughly 15 years ago notified the FBI. He said he’d seen a series of videos posted on Gable’s Facebook account that appeared to have been filmed from inside the Capitol.
“I was among the first people to make our way into the US Capitol Building,” Gable said in one post, per the FBI. “Those in the building first were there in protest of Vice President Mike Pence’s statement that he would not stand with the American people and challenge the results of 2020’s stolen presidential election. The proof is undeniable for anyone who takes an objective look at the accusations of election fraud, provided you are looking somewhere other than the fake news and social media.” ..............(more)
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jan-6-riot-frat-brother-tip_n_6295921fe4b0415d4d89313d?
Jan. 6 Riot Suspect Arrested After Frat Brother Reported Him To FBI
(HuffPost) An Oklahoma man was arrested last week for his alleged role in the U.S. Capitol riot after one of his college fraternity brothers tipped off the FBI.
Levi Roy Gable, 36, was arrested in Tulsa Thursday and charged with four misdemeanor counts of illegally entering the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and engaging in disruptive conduct.
According to an FBI affidavit, in the days after the riot, Gable’s fraternity brother from roughly 15 years ago notified the FBI. He said he’d seen a series of videos posted on Gable’s Facebook account that appeared to have been filmed from inside the Capitol.
“I was among the first people to make our way into the US Capitol Building,” Gable said in one post, per the FBI. “Those in the building first were there in protest of Vice President Mike Pence’s statement that he would not stand with the American people and challenge the results of 2020’s stolen presidential election. The proof is undeniable for anyone who takes an objective look at the accusations of election fraud, provided you are looking somewhere other than the fake news and social media.” ..............(more)
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jan-6-riot-frat-brother-tip_n_6295921fe4b0415d4d89313d?
June 4, 2022
(Detroit Free Press) The Michigan Supreme Court dealt a fatal blow to GOP gubernatorial candidates' last-ditch attempts to land a spot on the August primary ballot after a signature forgery scandal brought their campaigns to an end.
The court declined to take up appeals from former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, Oakland County businessman Perry Johnson and Grand Haven financial adviser Michael Markey, who sought to reverse lower court rulings denying their requests for placement on the ballot.
Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack wrote that it is up to the Board of State Canvassers' judgment whether a candidate has obtained enough signatures to qualify for the ballot in a concurring statement attached to the order in the Johnson case joined by Justice Brian Zahra.
Johnson "quarrels with the Board’s methodology" for reviewing signatures on the nominating petitions he submitted but does not assert that the board had a clear legal duty to certify his name for placement on the primary ballot, McCormack wrote. ..............(more)
https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2022/06/03/craig-johnson-lose-appeals-land-spot-primary-ballot/7482112001/
Michigan Supreme Court denies James Craig, Perry Johnson and others spot on primary ballot
(Detroit Free Press) The Michigan Supreme Court dealt a fatal blow to GOP gubernatorial candidates' last-ditch attempts to land a spot on the August primary ballot after a signature forgery scandal brought their campaigns to an end.
The court declined to take up appeals from former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, Oakland County businessman Perry Johnson and Grand Haven financial adviser Michael Markey, who sought to reverse lower court rulings denying their requests for placement on the ballot.
Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack wrote that it is up to the Board of State Canvassers' judgment whether a candidate has obtained enough signatures to qualify for the ballot in a concurring statement attached to the order in the Johnson case joined by Justice Brian Zahra.
Johnson "quarrels with the Board’s methodology" for reviewing signatures on the nominating petitions he submitted but does not assert that the board had a clear legal duty to certify his name for placement on the primary ballot, McCormack wrote. ..............(more)
https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2022/06/03/craig-johnson-lose-appeals-land-spot-primary-ballot/7482112001/
June 3, 2022
The Jan. 6 committee hearings are finally here — and Republicans are running scared
For the first time in recent memory, we'll have a congressional hearing without even one obnoxious GOP grandstander
By HEATHER DIGBY PARTON
PUBLISHED JUNE 3, 2022 9:58AM
(Salon) The long-awaited January 6th committee public hearings have finally been scheduled. The first one is set for next Thursday, June 9th, in prime time. The committee previewed their plans for next week, announcing on Thursday that they will "present previously unseen material documenting January 6th, receive witness testimony, preview additional hearings, and provide the American people a summary of its findings about the coordinated, multi-step effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and prevent the transfer of power." They seem to be very carefully choreographing the event, even drawing out the suspense by not naming the witnesses until next week.
The hearings, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said, will "tell a story that will blow the roof off the House." We can only hope that is not unjustified hyperbole. These hearings are an important public record of an attempted coup that the whole country must see.
What we have already seen is quite a bit of information, like the voluminous text messages from various Republicans and journalists to the White House Chief of staff Mark Meadows during the insurrection itself. There have been leaked testimonies from major players inside the Department of Justice and Donald Trump's White House, as well as information from Trump's legal advisers and various state officials. Between all of that and the media's own digging, people who have been following the story have a pretty clear picture of what happened.
....(snip)....
Whatever happens in these hearings we can be sure that they will be different than any hearings you may have watched in recent years and it's not just because of the extraordinary subject matter. For the first time in recent memory, we will have a congressional hearing without even one obnoxious Republican grand stander seeking to derail the whole thing. We can expect that this committee will be serious and focused which is something we have not seen in public hearings for a very long time. ...............(more)
https://www.salon.com/2022/06/03/the-jan-6-committee-hearings-are-finally-here--and-are-running-scared/
The Jan. 6 committee hearings are finally here -- and Republicans are running scared
The Jan. 6 committee hearings are finally here — and Republicans are running scared
For the first time in recent memory, we'll have a congressional hearing without even one obnoxious GOP grandstander
By HEATHER DIGBY PARTON
PUBLISHED JUNE 3, 2022 9:58AM
(Salon) The long-awaited January 6th committee public hearings have finally been scheduled. The first one is set for next Thursday, June 9th, in prime time. The committee previewed their plans for next week, announcing on Thursday that they will "present previously unseen material documenting January 6th, receive witness testimony, preview additional hearings, and provide the American people a summary of its findings about the coordinated, multi-step effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and prevent the transfer of power." They seem to be very carefully choreographing the event, even drawing out the suspense by not naming the witnesses until next week.
The hearings, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said, will "tell a story that will blow the roof off the House." We can only hope that is not unjustified hyperbole. These hearings are an important public record of an attempted coup that the whole country must see.
What we have already seen is quite a bit of information, like the voluminous text messages from various Republicans and journalists to the White House Chief of staff Mark Meadows during the insurrection itself. There have been leaked testimonies from major players inside the Department of Justice and Donald Trump's White House, as well as information from Trump's legal advisers and various state officials. Between all of that and the media's own digging, people who have been following the story have a pretty clear picture of what happened.
....(snip)....
Whatever happens in these hearings we can be sure that they will be different than any hearings you may have watched in recent years and it's not just because of the extraordinary subject matter. For the first time in recent memory, we will have a congressional hearing without even one obnoxious Republican grand stander seeking to derail the whole thing. We can expect that this committee will be serious and focused which is something we have not seen in public hearings for a very long time. ...............(more)
https://www.salon.com/2022/06/03/the-jan-6-committee-hearings-are-finally-here--and-are-running-scared/
June 3, 2022
(Detroit Free Press) MACKINAC ISLAND -- Five of the Republican candidates for governor hoping to participate in a debate on Mackinac Island Thursday didn't make it because they missed the boat — and I'm not talking about the ferry that conveys the swells and politicians from the mainland.
But there was no open weeping or rending of garments at the Detroit Regional Chamber's annual policy conference (and Schmooze Olympics) for James Craig, Perry Johnson, Michael Markey, Donna Brandenburg or Mike Brown after they were bounced from the ballot for turning in too many fraudulent petition signatures.
If anything, there were snickers that presumptive favorites Craig, a former Detroit Police chief expected to run as a no-nonsense law-and-order candidate, and Johnson, a self-professed quality control guru, got bamboozled.
Candidates for governor are required to turn in 15,000 signatures from Michigan voters to earn a spot on the ballot. Most candidates turn in many more — just in case. Yet the election experts at the Michigan Secretary of State ruled that more than 11,000 of Craig's 21,305 signatures and 13,800 of Johnson's 23,193 signatures were no good. ............(more)
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/06/02/disqualified-republican-governor-candidates-ballot/7485194001/
Disqualified Michigan governor candidates failed their first test: Getting on ballot
(Detroit Free Press) MACKINAC ISLAND -- Five of the Republican candidates for governor hoping to participate in a debate on Mackinac Island Thursday didn't make it because they missed the boat — and I'm not talking about the ferry that conveys the swells and politicians from the mainland.
But there was no open weeping or rending of garments at the Detroit Regional Chamber's annual policy conference (and Schmooze Olympics) for James Craig, Perry Johnson, Michael Markey, Donna Brandenburg or Mike Brown after they were bounced from the ballot for turning in too many fraudulent petition signatures.
If anything, there were snickers that presumptive favorites Craig, a former Detroit Police chief expected to run as a no-nonsense law-and-order candidate, and Johnson, a self-professed quality control guru, got bamboozled.
Candidates for governor are required to turn in 15,000 signatures from Michigan voters to earn a spot on the ballot. Most candidates turn in many more — just in case. Yet the election experts at the Michigan Secretary of State ruled that more than 11,000 of Craig's 21,305 signatures and 13,800 of Johnson's 23,193 signatures were no good. ............(more)
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/06/02/disqualified-republican-governor-candidates-ballot/7485194001/
June 2, 2022
(Detroit Metro Times) If it ain't broke, don't fix it, we say. Still, that's not stopping regional ginger ale favorite Vernors from releasing a new black cherry flavor this summer.
Vernors Black Cherry will hit shelves for a limited time only starting in August in Michigan and the Toledo area. Makes sense, seeing as Vernors was created in Detroit, and Michigan is known for its cherries.
"Vernors Black Cherry Ginger soda — the first flavor variation of the iconic ginger soda in more than 50 years — will be launched exclusively in Michigan and surrounding Toledo, Ohio, this summer," said Beth Hensen, market development manager for Massachusetts-based Vernors parent company Keurig Dr. Pepper, in a statement. "The limited-time flavor will be available in 20-oz. and 2-liter bottles and 12-pack cans, beginning this August through October." ........................(more)
https://www.metrotimes.com/food-drink/vernors-is-releasing-a-limited-edition-black-cherry-flavor-this-summer-30202000
Vernors is releasing a limited-edition black cherry flavor this summer
(Detroit Metro Times) If it ain't broke, don't fix it, we say. Still, that's not stopping regional ginger ale favorite Vernors from releasing a new black cherry flavor this summer.
Vernors Black Cherry will hit shelves for a limited time only starting in August in Michigan and the Toledo area. Makes sense, seeing as Vernors was created in Detroit, and Michigan is known for its cherries.
"Vernors Black Cherry Ginger soda — the first flavor variation of the iconic ginger soda in more than 50 years — will be launched exclusively in Michigan and surrounding Toledo, Ohio, this summer," said Beth Hensen, market development manager for Massachusetts-based Vernors parent company Keurig Dr. Pepper, in a statement. "The limited-time flavor will be available in 20-oz. and 2-liter bottles and 12-pack cans, beginning this August through October." ........................(more)
https://www.metrotimes.com/food-drink/vernors-is-releasing-a-limited-edition-black-cherry-flavor-this-summer-30202000
June 2, 2022
June 2, 2022
The 26-mile first phase of the Valley Link Rail Project will connect Dublin/Pleasanton Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station in Alameda County to Mountain House station in San Joaquin County.
Mass Transit Staff Report
The Federal Transit Administration approved Phase 1 of the Valley Link Rail Project to enter the Project Development phase of the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program. Project supporters said it was an important step for the rail project to be eligible for federal funds.
The 26-mile first phase of the Valley Link Rail Project will connect Dublin/Pleasanton Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station in Alameda County to Mountain House station in San Joaquin County. One of the stated goals of the project is to connect the Northern California Megaregion – one of the fastest growing and economically significant areas in California – to the state rail system.
“Acceptance of Valley Link into the CIG program marks a key milestone in advancing this transformational project forward,” said Veronica Vargas, chair of the Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority Board of Directors. “This is the first, but critical step, in positioning Valley Link to compete for federal funding during a time when once-in-a generation transit funding is available on the federal level.”
Project stakeholders explain the 42-mile, seven-station Valley Link project will close a critical gap in the statewide rail system and will offer connections with BART and Altamont Corridor Express. Traffic on Interstate 580 is projected to increase by 60 percent between 2016 and 2040; Valley Link is anticipated to remove thousands of cars off neighboring interstates and provide 33,000 daily rides by 2040. ............(more)
https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/infrastructure/article/21269705/first-phase-of-valley-link-rail-project-enters-project-development-of-cig-program
CA: First phase of Valley Link Rail Project enters Project Development of CIG Program
First phase of Valley Link Rail Project enters Project Development of CIG ProgramJune 2, 2022
The 26-mile first phase of the Valley Link Rail Project will connect Dublin/Pleasanton Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station in Alameda County to Mountain House station in San Joaquin County.
Mass Transit Staff Report
The Federal Transit Administration approved Phase 1 of the Valley Link Rail Project to enter the Project Development phase of the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program. Project supporters said it was an important step for the rail project to be eligible for federal funds.
The 26-mile first phase of the Valley Link Rail Project will connect Dublin/Pleasanton Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station in Alameda County to Mountain House station in San Joaquin County. One of the stated goals of the project is to connect the Northern California Megaregion – one of the fastest growing and economically significant areas in California – to the state rail system.
“Acceptance of Valley Link into the CIG program marks a key milestone in advancing this transformational project forward,” said Veronica Vargas, chair of the Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority Board of Directors. “This is the first, but critical step, in positioning Valley Link to compete for federal funding during a time when once-in-a generation transit funding is available on the federal level.”
Project stakeholders explain the 42-mile, seven-station Valley Link project will close a critical gap in the statewide rail system and will offer connections with BART and Altamont Corridor Express. Traffic on Interstate 580 is projected to increase by 60 percent between 2016 and 2040; Valley Link is anticipated to remove thousands of cars off neighboring interstates and provide 33,000 daily rides by 2040. ............(more)
https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/infrastructure/article/21269705/first-phase-of-valley-link-rail-project-enters-project-development-of-cig-program
June 2, 2022
While voters have cited environment as a top priority, the issue has become secondary to the homelessness crisis and crime
Gabrielle Canon
@GabrielleCanon
Thu 2 Jun 2022 06.00 EDT
(Guardian UK) As Los Angeles heads to the polls for the first round of voting to elect a new mayor, the climate future of America’s second largest city may hang in the balance.
Los Angeles has built a reputation as a leader on sustainability and climate solutions, setting first-in-the-nation goals to decarbonize and plans to achieve them. But the progressive metropolis – home to nearly 4 million people – faces environmental challenges that will only get worse as the climate grows more extreme. The temperature is rising, water is waning and LA smog is nearly as renowned as the world-famous Hollywood sign.
Although many voters have cited climate as a priority, the topic has taken a backseat in the heated mayoral campaign, crowded out by what candidates and constituents have cast as more pressing problems, like the homelessness crisis and crime.
But addressing the environmental problems LA faces will require more than embracing the status quo, experts say. To secure LA’s grip on climate leadership, the new mayor will have to bridge the city’s immense divides.
Worsening air pollution
LA has made big strides in environmental policy in the past decade. Under outgoing mayor Eric Garcetti, the city made climate a priority, launching a “Green New Deal” composed of 445 different initiatives to get LA to a “zero carbon grid, zero carbon buildings, zero carbon transportation, zero waste and zero wasted water”, as stated in the latest annual report. Together, the efforts are promised to make LA the first large city in the nation to operate on clean energy, prevent 1,650 premature deaths, add 400,000 new green jobs and build resilience into LA’s water supply as drought conditions worsen. ...........(more)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/02/california-los-angeles-mayor-elections-climate
Los Angeles' climate future hangs in the balance as city votes for new mayor
Los Angeles’ climate future hangs in the balance as city votes for new mayorWhile voters have cited environment as a top priority, the issue has become secondary to the homelessness crisis and crime
Gabrielle Canon
@GabrielleCanon
Thu 2 Jun 2022 06.00 EDT
(Guardian UK) As Los Angeles heads to the polls for the first round of voting to elect a new mayor, the climate future of America’s second largest city may hang in the balance.
Los Angeles has built a reputation as a leader on sustainability and climate solutions, setting first-in-the-nation goals to decarbonize and plans to achieve them. But the progressive metropolis – home to nearly 4 million people – faces environmental challenges that will only get worse as the climate grows more extreme. The temperature is rising, water is waning and LA smog is nearly as renowned as the world-famous Hollywood sign.
Although many voters have cited climate as a priority, the topic has taken a backseat in the heated mayoral campaign, crowded out by what candidates and constituents have cast as more pressing problems, like the homelessness crisis and crime.
But addressing the environmental problems LA faces will require more than embracing the status quo, experts say. To secure LA’s grip on climate leadership, the new mayor will have to bridge the city’s immense divides.
Worsening air pollution
LA has made big strides in environmental policy in the past decade. Under outgoing mayor Eric Garcetti, the city made climate a priority, launching a “Green New Deal” composed of 445 different initiatives to get LA to a “zero carbon grid, zero carbon buildings, zero carbon transportation, zero waste and zero wasted water”, as stated in the latest annual report. Together, the efforts are promised to make LA the first large city in the nation to operate on clean energy, prevent 1,650 premature deaths, add 400,000 new green jobs and build resilience into LA’s water supply as drought conditions worsen. ...........(more)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/02/california-los-angeles-mayor-elections-climate
June 1, 2022
(Detroit Free Press) The race for four Republican governor hopefuls to be on the Aug. 2 primary ballot is hitting a crucial stretch as the Michigan Bureau of Elections aims to finalize the candidates appearing on the ballot by Friday.
Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, Oakland County businessman Perry Johnson, Grand Haven financial adviser Michael Markey and Byron Center businesswoman Donna Brandenburg all failed to submit enough valid signatures to appear on the primary ballot, the Michigan Bureau of Elections concluded May 23.
After the Michigan Board of State Canvassers deadlocked 2-2 across party lines Thursday, the four candidates are currently slated not to appear on the primary ballot in August.
Each of the four campaigns has either filed a legal challenge or has signaled intent to file a legal challenge in hopes of getting on the ballot. The Bureau of Elections also found issues with the signatures of a fifth candidate, Michigan State Police Capt. Michael Brown of Stevensville, but Brown has since dropped out of the race. ...........(more)
https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2022/06/01/heres-where-republican-governor-candidates-appeals-stand-court/7459331001/
Disqualified Republican governor hopefuls battle it out in court
(Detroit Free Press) The race for four Republican governor hopefuls to be on the Aug. 2 primary ballot is hitting a crucial stretch as the Michigan Bureau of Elections aims to finalize the candidates appearing on the ballot by Friday.
Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, Oakland County businessman Perry Johnson, Grand Haven financial adviser Michael Markey and Byron Center businesswoman Donna Brandenburg all failed to submit enough valid signatures to appear on the primary ballot, the Michigan Bureau of Elections concluded May 23.
After the Michigan Board of State Canvassers deadlocked 2-2 across party lines Thursday, the four candidates are currently slated not to appear on the primary ballot in August.
Each of the four campaigns has either filed a legal challenge or has signaled intent to file a legal challenge in hopes of getting on the ballot. The Bureau of Elections also found issues with the signatures of a fifth candidate, Michigan State Police Capt. Michael Brown of Stevensville, but Brown has since dropped out of the race. ...........(more)
https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2022/06/01/heres-where-republican-governor-candidates-appeals-stand-court/7459331001/
June 1, 2022
Special Report: Passenger Rail Trends
May 31, 2022
Increasing ridership, new service frequency and significant new investment is ensuring rail modes remain a relevant part of the mobility mix.
Mischa Wanek-Libman
Rail modes have typically accounted for half of all transit rides taken in the U.S. However, year-end ridership information collected by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) shows rail modes accounted for approximately 42 percent of all transit rides in 2021. Year-end 2021 versus 2020 overall transit ridership shows a 3.6 percent increase. This is supported by a 9.7 percent increase in ridership from rail modes, which was driven by an increase on heavy rail.
This rebound of rail use isn’t unexpected as rail modes suffered the most significant decreases in ridership during 2020. As workers’ schedules fluctuate and continue to move toward more hybrid plans, the focus for rail service providers, particularly commuter rail, will be on frequency of service. In Ontario, Canada, Metrolinx’s multi-project GO Rail Expansion program aims to provide two-way all-day service on five core lines. The largest element of the program, the On-Corridor Works project, entered the development phase in April. The project will add more than 124 miles of track, electrify more than 372 miles of track and the route will be served with a new electric train fleet. Metrolinx described the contract as a “single, innovative, fully-integrated contract” with construction anticipated to begin in 2023.
Additional rail projects to mark recent milestones include the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Regional Connector project, which saw the completion of construction of all track work and guideway systems in April 2022 and the Crenshaw/LAX Line, which reached substantial completion of the first two construction segments of the 8.5-mile line. On the East Coast, the Portal North Bridge project, a critical component of the Gateway Program, received a Notice to Proceed in early April, which will allow heavy construction to begin. In the Midwest, construction started in early April on the 3.5-mile KC Streetcar Main Street Extension.
In 2021, rail projects opened in Seattle with the start of service on the 4.3-mile Northgate Light Rail Extension, the Charlotte Area Transit CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar opened for passenger service Aug. 30 and the Mid-Coast Extension of the UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley opened in November (story on page 12). ...............(more)
https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/article/21267119/special-report-passenger-rail-trends
Special Report: Passenger Rail Trends
Special Report: Passenger Rail Trends
May 31, 2022
Increasing ridership, new service frequency and significant new investment is ensuring rail modes remain a relevant part of the mobility mix.
Mischa Wanek-Libman
Rail modes have typically accounted for half of all transit rides taken in the U.S. However, year-end ridership information collected by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) shows rail modes accounted for approximately 42 percent of all transit rides in 2021. Year-end 2021 versus 2020 overall transit ridership shows a 3.6 percent increase. This is supported by a 9.7 percent increase in ridership from rail modes, which was driven by an increase on heavy rail.
This rebound of rail use isn’t unexpected as rail modes suffered the most significant decreases in ridership during 2020. As workers’ schedules fluctuate and continue to move toward more hybrid plans, the focus for rail service providers, particularly commuter rail, will be on frequency of service. In Ontario, Canada, Metrolinx’s multi-project GO Rail Expansion program aims to provide two-way all-day service on five core lines. The largest element of the program, the On-Corridor Works project, entered the development phase in April. The project will add more than 124 miles of track, electrify more than 372 miles of track and the route will be served with a new electric train fleet. Metrolinx described the contract as a “single, innovative, fully-integrated contract” with construction anticipated to begin in 2023.
Additional rail projects to mark recent milestones include the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Regional Connector project, which saw the completion of construction of all track work and guideway systems in April 2022 and the Crenshaw/LAX Line, which reached substantial completion of the first two construction segments of the 8.5-mile line. On the East Coast, the Portal North Bridge project, a critical component of the Gateway Program, received a Notice to Proceed in early April, which will allow heavy construction to begin. In the Midwest, construction started in early April on the 3.5-mile KC Streetcar Main Street Extension.
In 2021, rail projects opened in Seattle with the start of service on the 4.3-mile Northgate Light Rail Extension, the Charlotte Area Transit CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar opened for passenger service Aug. 30 and the Mid-Coast Extension of the UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley opened in November (story on page 12). ...............(more)
https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/article/21267119/special-report-passenger-rail-trends
June 1, 2022
Donald Trump, criminal mastermind: Scholar Gregg Barak on the supreme con artist of our time
Author of "Criminology on Trump" on our 45th president as "a superb agent of obscene, transgressive enjoyment"
By CHAUNCEY DEVEGA
PUBLISHED JUNE 1, 2022 6:30AM (EDT)
(Salon) Donald Trump can fairly be described as a political crime boss. His contempt for democracy and the rule of law is reminiscent of the legendary organized-crime chieftains found in both fiction and reality. He used his presidency (and its aftermath) to enrich himself, along with his family and other members of his inner circle. Trump is deeply attracted to violence, although — like the head of a crime family — does not personally engage in it. He may be a sociopath or a psychopath, but regardless of clinical definitions is certainly antisocial and destructive.
Despite his uneven recent record of political endorsements, Trump remains the obvious leader of the Republican Party and the larger fascist movement in and around it. For millions of Americans, his orders and wishes are not to be disobeyed, and at least some of his loyal foot soldiers are willing to commit acts of violence at his command and perhaps to kill or die for him.
Trump runs his crime family from Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, which in a fictional narrative or a journalistic report from another nation would be described as a "compound." Republican candidates, party leaders and other members of his MAGA movement arrive there to make offerings of cash and undying loyalty, and to receive his praise (or admonition) and receive their further orders.
....(snip)....
Gregg Barak has tried to fill that void with his new book "Criminology on Trump," published in May by Routledge. Barak is an emeritus professor of criminology and criminal justice at Eastern Michigan University and was formerly a visiting distinguished professor in the College of Justice & Safety at Eastern Kentucky University. He is also the author of "Violence and Nonviolence: Pathways to Understanding" and "Violence, Conflict, and World Order," among other works, and is co-founder and North American editor of the Journal of White Collar and Corporate Crime.
....(snip)....
How are you feeling given all the crises we have faced in America during the Age of Trump and beyond?
I'm emotionally stressed. I'm anxious. I'm seeing the end of democracy. I'm just totally absorbed in writing about and thinking about Donald Trump. I began thinking about writing a book about Donald Trump in 2017. I got sucked in. Everyone else had been talking about Donald Trump from the perspective of journalists, lawyers, therapists and other points of view. But where were the criminologists? Donald Trump is a matter of crime and justice.
You say that you "got sucked in," that Trump pulled you into his orbit, in effect. I have heard many people say that about him. How did this happen? What is so compelling and intriguing about him? That's a big part of his power.
I'm sucked in because I study deception. I study mistrust. I study the con. Donald Trump is the archetype of all those things. He's a grifter, he's a racketeer. He's all of those things in one persona and one individual. .............(more)
https://www.salon.com/2022/06/01/donald-trump-criminal-mastermind-scholar-gregg-barak-on-the-con-artist-of-our-time/
Donald Trump, criminal mastermind: Scholar Gregg Barak on the supreme con artist of our time
Donald Trump, criminal mastermind: Scholar Gregg Barak on the supreme con artist of our time
Author of "Criminology on Trump" on our 45th president as "a superb agent of obscene, transgressive enjoyment"
By CHAUNCEY DEVEGA
PUBLISHED JUNE 1, 2022 6:30AM (EDT)
(Salon) Donald Trump can fairly be described as a political crime boss. His contempt for democracy and the rule of law is reminiscent of the legendary organized-crime chieftains found in both fiction and reality. He used his presidency (and its aftermath) to enrich himself, along with his family and other members of his inner circle. Trump is deeply attracted to violence, although — like the head of a crime family — does not personally engage in it. He may be a sociopath or a psychopath, but regardless of clinical definitions is certainly antisocial and destructive.
Despite his uneven recent record of political endorsements, Trump remains the obvious leader of the Republican Party and the larger fascist movement in and around it. For millions of Americans, his orders and wishes are not to be disobeyed, and at least some of his loyal foot soldiers are willing to commit acts of violence at his command and perhaps to kill or die for him.
Trump runs his crime family from Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, which in a fictional narrative or a journalistic report from another nation would be described as a "compound." Republican candidates, party leaders and other members of his MAGA movement arrive there to make offerings of cash and undying loyalty, and to receive his praise (or admonition) and receive their further orders.
....(snip)....
Gregg Barak has tried to fill that void with his new book "Criminology on Trump," published in May by Routledge. Barak is an emeritus professor of criminology and criminal justice at Eastern Michigan University and was formerly a visiting distinguished professor in the College of Justice & Safety at Eastern Kentucky University. He is also the author of "Violence and Nonviolence: Pathways to Understanding" and "Violence, Conflict, and World Order," among other works, and is co-founder and North American editor of the Journal of White Collar and Corporate Crime.
....(snip)....
How are you feeling given all the crises we have faced in America during the Age of Trump and beyond?
I'm emotionally stressed. I'm anxious. I'm seeing the end of democracy. I'm just totally absorbed in writing about and thinking about Donald Trump. I began thinking about writing a book about Donald Trump in 2017. I got sucked in. Everyone else had been talking about Donald Trump from the perspective of journalists, lawyers, therapists and other points of view. But where were the criminologists? Donald Trump is a matter of crime and justice.
You say that you "got sucked in," that Trump pulled you into his orbit, in effect. I have heard many people say that about him. How did this happen? What is so compelling and intriguing about him? That's a big part of his power.
I'm sucked in because I study deception. I study mistrust. I study the con. Donald Trump is the archetype of all those things. He's a grifter, he's a racketeer. He's all of those things in one persona and one individual. .............(more)
https://www.salon.com/2022/06/01/donald-trump-criminal-mastermind-scholar-gregg-barak-on-the-con-artist-of-our-time/
Profile Information
Gender: MaleHometown: Detroit, MI
Member since: Fri Oct 29, 2004, 12:18 AM
Number of posts: 77,078