January 31, 2020

Judge to sentence Coast Guard officer accused of terror plot

Source: AP

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A Coast Guard lieutenant accused of stockpiling guns and drafting a hit list of prominent Democrats and TV journalists is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday for his guilty plea to firearms and drug offenses.

Christopher Hasson, 50, faces a maximum of 31 years in prison at sentencing by U.S. District Judge George Hazel. He pleaded guilty in October to possessing unregistered and unserialized silencers, being a drug addict in possession of firearms and illegal possession of tramadol, an opioid painkiller.

Federal prosecutors recommended a 25-year prison sentence for Hasson. They have called him a domestic terrorist and self-described white nationalist who was intent on carrying out mass killings. But they didn’t file any terrorism-related charges against him.

Defense attorneys urged Hazel to spare Hasson from a prison term and sentence him to jail time served since his February 2019 arrest. Hasson’s lawyers accused Justice Department prosecutors of fabricating a bogus narrative that the married father of two grown children was planning a terrorist attack.


Read more: https://apnews.com/e7d30113e14033d2f5b8234096005a67

January 31, 2020

Online ads still vulnerable to manipulation in US election

Source: AP

By BARBARA ORTUTAY and AMANDA SEITZ

Older men in Arkansas might see a close-up photo of President Donald Trump pumping his fist in the air, along with a message asking them to donate $30 to his campaign for a Super Bowl commercial.

Middle-aged women in California might see a photo of Trump pointing to a crowd, with a plea for them to give “any amount” to the campaign.

Before Election Day, politicians are expected to spend more than $1 billion to pelt voters with millions of these cheap online ads, which can be tailored to a voter’s most personal details — down to one household or even a single individual.

Experts warn that this ad-targeting system is still vulnerable to manipulation by foreign governments and domestic grifters trying to influence the election, just as they did in 2016. Those attempts could become more sophisticated this year as tech companies wrestle with a dysfunctional federal election watchdog agency and deploy haphazard safeguards that still offer plenty of loopholes.

Read more: https://apnews.com/eef44be313efdefa959ec7d7200474cc

January 31, 2020

They survived fire and toxic fumes. So what happened next to Notre Dame's bees?

Source: The Guardian

Hives that survived catastrophic Paris cathedral blaze are healthier than ever, says beekeeper

Fri 31 Jan 2020 01.00 ESTLast modified on Fri 31 Jan 2020 04.51 EST

It is a crisp winter morning and the area around Notre Dame is sealed off as it has been since the fire last April that devastated the cathedral.

Those in the know, however, especially those with the keenest of eyes, might spot some small movement high up to the south of the stricken and blackened structure.

The bees of Notre Dame, whose escape from the inferno seemed almost miraculous, are thriving and conserving their energy ready to produce honey this summer, just as they have every year since they took up residence on the sacristy roof in 2013.

Nearly 10 months after the Paris cathedral was ravaged by fire, the three colonies are healthier than ever, according to their beekeeper.



Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/31/they-survived-fire-and-lead-poisoning-so-what-happened-next-to-notre-dames-bees-aoe

January 30, 2020

John Bolton has the opportunity to change the course of this march to acquittal. TELL ALL NOW!

If the GOP Senators ignore the opportunity to hear his testimony BEFORE they vote. He should march into the nearest network studio and tell his story to the American people INCLUDING the cowardly GOP Senators.

It has been said that if the vote were a secret ballot Trump would be gone in a flash. In other words, they need a cover for their vote.

If Bolton testifies in the open in the next day or two he can prove he is right when it would make a difference. Otherwise, he won't be able to say I told you so. Oh, he can say it but I suspect he will anger many of his potential book buyers.

I for one will not buy his book if he lets this travesty of justice move forward to acquit this clearly guilty president.
On the other hand, if he steps forward and tells what he knows now I WILL buy his book and put it on the shelf.

John Bolton please do the right thing NOW. Tell what you know NOW when it counts.

You can help determine how history books depict you and your political career.

January 30, 2020

Suggestion for Nancy Pelosi. If the Senate ignores the American people and refuses to hear witness.

I believe Speaker Pelosi shows the American people and in particular, Trump and MoscowMitch that we are still fighting. That we will not let the Senate acquit the president without a fair trial including witnesses especially John Bolton. That we will not let the MoscowMitch bend every rule to his advantage in the impeachment trial. That we have not forgotten MoscowMitch stealing a SCOTUS seat from President Obama. It's clear MoscowMitch will break ANY HISTORICAL precedent to get what he wants. ANY PRECEDENT!

So with Trump already seeing the way clear for him to celebrate, to watch the Super Bowl, to spend time tweeting insults to the Democratic presidential candidates running in Iowa and then to cap off the week by using the SOTU address to lie to Americans.

I suggest that Speaker Pelosi play the same hardball game that the GOP continues to use. Remember precedent can be respected by both parties or ignored by both parties. You are at bat Speaker Pelosi and the SOTU is in your ballpark not Trump's and not MoscowMitch's home turf.

Take the ball away TURN OFF THE CAMERAS in the House no nationally televised celebration in your house. Equal branches equal rights and equal powers.

January 27, 2020

Trump misstates the record on John Bolton

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump stated falsely Monday that House Democrats never called his former national security adviser to testify in their impeachment inquiry. Actually they did.

Trump’s tweet about John Bolton came as the Senate enters the second week of the impeachment trial and followed a fresh disclosure that Bolton claims Trump told him directly that he wanted to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in security aid from Ukraine until it helped with investigations into Joe Biden and Democrats.

Bolton’s assertion, in his forthcoming book, contradicts key assertions by Trump and his defense team’s argument that there is no evidence the president conditioned aid to Ukraine on an investigation of his political rivals. The disclosure prompted Trump to strike out on Twitter, where he misrepresented what happened in the impeachment inquiry.

As well, in their opening defense arguments on the weekend, Trump’s attorneys perpetuated a baseless claim that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election as they argued that Trump had good reason to withhold military aid to the country.

Read more: https://apnews.com/4f2eac395c94a7ade29fc6e32c71a872

January 26, 2020

I hate to keep saying this and I will be the first to say I was WRONG. But the elections have been..

electronically rigged starting in 2000.

We now are at a point where adjusted election results can happen in real-time to determine the desired winner. Steal a few votes here a few votes there and no one will know with an auditable system.

This didn't happen overnight it started in 2000 and the GOP has been tweaking and field testing the system in every election since then. Combined with all the other VOTER SUPPRESSION programs the GOP has put in place they are in my opinion at a point where they can dial-in an election wins anytime they want or need. Until we recognize that and FIX IT we will continue to see our democracy eroded point to point, election to election.

Someday in the not too distant future, we will see election results like those in Russia. "Putin WINS with 97% of the votes."

We need to do these things. At least 1-12
1. get rid of Citizen United which opens the door for foreign interference in our elections.
2. implement publicly funded election. Eliminate the need for the candidate to beg for funding and then get BOUGHT by rich donors.
3. get rid of ALL voter suppression programs. Including gerrymandering district.
4. implement TERM LIMITS. Congress should not be a life long career to become millionaires.
5. return to paper ballots. At the very least an auditable electronic system.
6. scrap the electoral college system. Combined with computer modeling it makes stealing election easier (2016).
7. decide the winner based on who wins the popular vote.
8. implement HARSH punishments for ELECTION FRAUD. Voter fraud is a GOP myth.
9. re-implement the Fairness Doctrine (see details below).
10. fix the laws that protect a sitting president from being charged for crimes while in office.
11. fix the Impeachment process. It is broken.
12. abolish the SCOTUS lifetime appointments.
I'm sure there are more things that need to be fixed but this is a start

The FAIRNESS DOCTRINE

In 1949, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published a report that recommended what came to be known as the “Fairness Doctrine.” As explained by the Congressional Research Service, the doctrine “consisted of two basic requirements” for anyone given a TV or radio broadcast license:

(1) that every licensee devote a reasonable portion of broadcast time to the discussion and consideration of controversial issues of public importance; and

(2) that in doing so, [the broadcaster must be] fair – that is, [the broadcaster] must affirmatively endeavor to make … facilities available for the expression of contrasting viewpoints held by responsible elements with respect to the controversial issues presented.

Ronald Reagan abolished it. He then vetoed an attempt to re-implement it in 1987. FOX came on-line in 1990.

January 23, 2020

Wisconsin Republicans dismiss nonpartisan redistricting plan By SCOTT BAUER

Source: AP

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ plan to create a nonpartisan redistricting commission to draw Wisconsin’s electoral maps may put pressure on the Republicans who control the Legislature to consider an alternative plan, but it won’t force them to do anything differently next year and GOP leaders made clear they won’t change course.

The legal fight over Republican-drawn maps in Wisconsin in 2011 was one of the key gerrymandering cases that went to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court refused to hear the lawsuit, resulting in the current maps remaining in place despite Democrats’ claim that they unfairly favor Republicans.

The Supreme Court later ruled last year in similar cases out of North Carolina and Maryland, shutting the door in federal court on gerrymandering arguments by essentially saying that states are free to draw electoral borders as they please.

Evers was part of a Democratic sweep of statewide offices in 2018 and Democratic candidates received more total votes than Republican ones in Wisconsin’s U.S. House and state Assembly races that year. But Republicans won five of the eight U.S. House seats and 64 of the 99 state Assembly seats.

Read more: https://apnews.com/86670cf694caeffb440433abb2b8fed5

January 22, 2020

Senator Ron Johnson Wisconsin. A reminder to you and all your constituents of the oath you took.

“I solemnly swear that in all things appertaining to the trial
of the impeachment of Donald J. Trump, President of
the United States, now pending, I will do impartial justice
according to the Constitution and laws: so help me God.”

Senate rules also require that each senator taking the oath
memorialize that action by signing an official register.

You took the oath and signed the book.
The question now is will you honor that oath?
Will you "do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws?

Or will you ignore the oath and vote a party line?

January 22, 2020

Trump says he's open to witnesses as trial rules are set

Source: AP

By LISA MASCARO and ZEKE MILLER 21 minutes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Senate plunged into President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial with Republicans abruptly abandoning plans to cram opening arguments into two days but solidly rejecting for now Democratic demands for more witnesses to expose what they deem Trump’s “trifecta” of offenses.

Trump himself said Wednesday he wants top aides to testify, but qualified that by suggesting there were “national security” concerns to allowing their testimony.

“We have a great case,” Trump said at a global economic forum in Davos, Switzerland. In a press conference before returning to Washington, Trump said his legal team was doing a “very good job.”

He appeared to break with Republicans efforts to block Democratic motions to immediately call witnesses and subpoena documents. Instead, Trump said he’d like to see aides, including former national security adviser John Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, testify as witnesses

Read more: https://apnews.com/2cb8c0b71160268b52a90335e0e5ce47