February 2, 2021

At least one dead, others wounded as FBI agents shot while serving a warrant in Sunrise, FL

(Miami Herald) One FBI agent, possibly two, were killed and others injured while serving a warrant at a Sunrise home Tuesday morning, law enforcement sources familiar with the shooting told the Miami Herald.

One federal law enforcement source said at least five agents were shot and two were ‘gravely wounded.’

Sunrise police said the suspect, a man suspected of child pornography possession, had holed up in his home at 10100 Reflections Blvd. West. Nob Hill Road is closed in both directions from Northwest 44th Street to Oakland Park Boulevard.

The shooting happened around 6 a.m. The child pornography case was being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by federal prosecutors in Fort Lauderdale. (Read More)

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article248942479.html

https://twitter.com/SunrisePoliceFL/status/1356602581221539842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1356602581221539842%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.miamiherald.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fcrime%2Farticle248942479.html

February 1, 2021

In Defense of Trump, Rubio Claims Only 'Third World' Countries Convict Their Leaders. He's Wrong.

If facts are important, Marco Rubio could stand to learn a few. His recent claim that “only in the Third World” are high-level politicians tried and convicted of crimes is easily debunked.

snip

For instance, Silvio Berlusconi, the media mogul and former Prime Minister of Italy, was convicted and sentenced to four years in prison for tax fraud in 2013, though he wound up serving only community service because of his age. He was “expelled” from holding public office for a time after his conviction but was subsequently reelected to the European Parliament. His other alleged misdeeds are well documented. Other Italian leaders have also been convicted of crimes. France’s former prime minister, François Fillon, was convicted more recently in June 2020 of corruption charges. He was considered a frontrunner to become the president of that country. He also was forced to pay a fine equivalent to $421,000 in U.S. dollars.

Former French President Jacques Chirac was tried after he left office over a job scandal which he used to fund his political party. “[H]e was excused from having to attend his 2011 corruption trial due to ill health,” The Guardian reported. He was convicted, but his two-year sentence was suspended, several outlets, including The New York Times, said. And, prosecutors asked a judge to hand another former French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, a four-year prison term last December on accusations he “tr[ied] to bribe a judge with a plum retirement job in exchange for inside information on an inquiry into his campaign finances,” The Guardian also reported. A final verdict in the case is not expected until March 1 of this year.

Former Romanian Chamber of Deputies President Liviu Dragnea went to jail in 2019 after a corruption conviction. He was described as the “country’s most powerful politician” for his leadership role in the lower house of Romania’s bicameral legislature. South Korea’s highest court recently upheld a 20-year prison sentence for Park Geun-Hye, South Korea’s former president, on a bribery conviction. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert served time behind bars for bribery and obstruction of justice. He was released in 2017. Current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was indicted on corruption charges in Nov. 2019.

While we’re making a list, former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond was tried but acquitted on sex assault charges. He claimed the case against him was a smear campaign. But he was tried. Former Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev was tried but acquitted in a scandal alleging lost government documents. For the record, France, Italy, Scotland, Israel, and South Korea are considered first-world, Western-aligned countries. Romania and Bulgaria are considered second-world countries due to their historical alignment with the Eastern bloc.

Read More:
https://lawandcrime.com/impeachment/in-defense-of-trump-rubio-claims-only-third-world-nations-convict-their-leaders-hes-wrong/

January 30, 2021

Florida Launches Statewide Preregistration System for Covid Vaccine Appointments

Florida has launched a statewide preregistration system to help seniors, nursing home residents & staff, frontline health workers and vulnerable individuals schedule COVID-19 vaccination appointments.

The system allows people to pre-register to receive the vaccine and be notified when appointments are available at state-supported vaccination sites.

On the site, residents can select their county and submit their contact information. Once appointments are available, individuals will be contacted by phone call, text or email and will be assisted in scheduling an appointment.


(Link to registration site below)

https://myvaccine.fl.gov/

January 27, 2021

Explosive new book claims the KGB began grooming 'young and vain' Donald Trump 40 years ago

...by saving him from financial ruin and turned him into a Russian asset who gave Putin 'everything he wanted' as president.

(DailyMail) Donald Trump was cultivated as a Russian asset more than 40 years ago which exploded into a decades-long 'relationship' of mutual benefit to both Russia and Trump, a shocking new book claims.

Trump was rescued multiple times from multiple bankruptcies by boatloads of Russian cash laundered through his real estate in the 80s and 90s, the author asserts. Russian money also picked up the tab for buildings franchised under Trump's name.

An invitation to Russia by a high-level KGB official in 1987 under the guise of a preliminary scouting trip to build a Trump hotel in Moscow, was in fact 'deep development' by KGB handlers that furthered creating secret back channels and allowed the Russians to influence and damage American democracy, the author claims.


When Trump became President, it was time to pay the piper and Trump gave Putin everything he wanted, the author writes. Author Craig Unger makes the revelations in his new book, American Kompromat, How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump, and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power and Treachery. Unger is a journatist and author of six books, including the New York Times bestsellers House of Bush, House of Saud, and House of Trump, House of Putin.

Read More:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9184687/How-Russia-began-grooming-Donald-Trump-40-years-ago-saving-financial-ruin-book-claims.html

January 26, 2021

Biden Made His First Call To Putin After Years Of Trump Coddling Russian Leader

(TalkingPointsMemo) White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday that President Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss, among other matters, renewing a soon-to-expire nuclear arsenal treaty and the recently reported massive SolarWinds hack.

“I will just convey to you that he called him,” Psaki said, adding that the conversation was initiated to put forward the country’s “willingness” to extend a nuclear arms agreement know as the New START, which is quickly approaching expiration. The pact, set to expire on Feb. 5, is the only remaining treaty limiting the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals.

snip

See the full White House readout below:

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. They discussed both countries’ willingness to extend New START for five years, agreeing to have their teams work urgently to complete the extension by February 5. They also agreed to explore strategic stability discussions on a range of arms control and emerging security issues. President Biden reaffirmed the United States’ firm support for Ukraine’s sovereignty. He also raised other matters of concern, including the SolarWinds hack, reports of Russia placing bounties on United States soldiers in Afghanistan, interference in the 2020 United States election, and the poisoning of Aleksey Navalny. President Biden made clear that the United States will act firmly in defense of its national interests in response to actions by Russia that harm us or our allies. The two presidents agreed to maintain transparent and consistent communication going forward.


Read More:
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/biden-made-his-first-call-to-putin-after-years-of-trump-coddling-russian-leader

January 26, 2021

Biden to help distribute COVID-19 vaccine in Florida despite opposition

Thank you President Biden!
(Up yours, DeSatan!)


(Local10News) Gov. Ron DeSantis said he doesn’t need President Joe Biden to set up any COVID-19 vaccine distribution centers in Florida. He said all the state needs is more vaccines.

President Joe Biden wants to ensure that the vaccine is distributed to people in Florida because they’ve only distributed about 50% of the vaccines that the federal government provided, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday.

“So, clearly, they have a good deal of the vaccine,” Psaki said. “That supply will need to continue to increase as they are able to effectively reach people across the state.”

Psaki said part of the challenge with the COVID-19 vaccine is not just having the supply — that’s pivotal — but also having vaccinators and having vaccine distribution places, and doing it in a way that’s reaching people where they are and meeting local communities.

Read More:
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/01/25/biden-to-distribute-covid-19-vaccine-in-florida-despite-opposition/

January 25, 2021

Rand Paul says he is going to boycott the "sham impeachment" trial

I think he should do exactly that, and get some of his repug senator buddies to join him. As long as we have a quorum, we can proceed (and convict). And this will be perfect cover for the cowards who want to but are to afraid to convict - just stay home and "boycott". Do it Rand.


https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/535582-boycott-sham-impeachment

January 23, 2021

Meet Your Local Republican Insurrectionist

(Huffington Post) A new HuffPost tally finds over 20 GOP state and local lawmakers or officials were at the D.C. rally that turned into a violent insurrection. Here are their names. At least 21 state and local Republican officials attended the Jan. 6 rally in Washington, D.C., that turned into a violent riot, according to a new HuffPost tally, many of whom are now under pressure to resign.

They traveled from 16 different states, arriving for the “Stop the Steal” demonstration on the White House Ellipse, where they watched President Donald Trump tell incendiary lies about having been robbed of reelection. He then told the crowd of thousands to march on the Capitol.

In the crowd that day were 13 members of state Houses or Assemblies; three state senators; a county commissioner; a city council member; a GOP congressional district chair; a district director; and a co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party. The group also includes a QAnon conspiracy theorist; a self-described member of a fascist militia; and a man who once declared that “the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat.”

Derrick Evans, Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates
Couy Griffin, Republican county commissioner in Otero County, New Mexico
Pennsylvania Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano
West Virginia Republican state Sen. Mike Azinger
Jessica Martinez, city council member in Whittier, California,
Sandy Adams, district director for Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) and husband, Melvin, chair of VA's 5th District GOP Committee
Republican Virginia Del. Dave LaRock
Incoming Colorado state Rep. Ron Hanks
Republican VA state Sen. Amanda Chase
Republican Arizona state Rep. Mark Finchem
Republican Tennessee state Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver
Missouri state Rep. Justin Hill
Republican MI state Rep. Matt Maddock and wife, Meshawn Maddock, co-chair of the state GOP
Nevada Assemblywoman Annie Black
Maryland Del. Daniel L. Cox
Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones
Illinois state Rep. Chris Miller
Alaska state Rep. David Eastman
Rhode Island state Rep. Justin Price

Read More:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/republican-lawmakers-at-the-capitol-riot_n_6009e17cc5b6df63a91e5cf4

January 22, 2021

Legal scholars, including at Federalist Society, say Trump can be convicted

Politico - Former President Donald Trump can be convicted in an impeachment trial for his role in inciting the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6 even though he is no longer in office, a bipartisan group of constitutional law scholars wrote in a letter Thursday.

“We differ from one another in our politics, and we also differ from one another on issues of constitutional interpretation,” wrote the signatories, which include the co-founder and other members of the conservative Federalist Society legal group. “But despite our differences, our carefully considered views of the law lead all of us to agree that the Constitution permits the impeachment, conviction, and disqualification of former officers, including presidents.”

More than 150 legal scholars signed on to the letter, which was obtained by POLITICO. They include Steven Calabresi, the co-founder of the Federalist Society; Charles Fried, who served as solicitor general under Ronald Reagan and is now an adviser to the Harvard chapter of the Federalist Society; Ilya Somin, a law professor at George Mason University and adjunct scholar at the libertarian Cato Institute; and Brian Kalt, a law professor at Michigan State University and leading scholar on the specific question of whether former officials can be impeached.

Read More: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/21/legal-scholars-federalist-society-trump-convict-461089

January 19, 2021

Oh, the sun will come out tomorrow.....

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