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alwaysinasnit

alwaysinasnit's Journal
alwaysinasnit's Journal
July 31, 2020

'We will coup whoever we want': Elon Musk and the overthrow of democracy in Bolivia'

https://www.alternet.org/2020/07/we-will-coup-whoever-we-want-elon-musk-and-the-overthrow-of-democracy-in-bolivia/

On July 24, 2020, Tesla’s Elon Musk wrote on Twitter that a second U.S. “government stimulus package is not in the best interests of the people.” Someone responded to Musk soon after, “You know what wasn’t in the best interest of people? The U.S. government organizing a coup against Evo Morales in Bolivia so you could obtain the lithium there.” Musk then wrote: “We will coup whoever we want! Deal with it.”

Musk refers here to the coup against President Evo Morales Ayma, who was removed illegally from his office in November 2019. Morales had just won an election for a term that was to have begun in January 2020. Even if there was a challenge against that election, Morales’ term should rightfully have continued through November and December of 2019. Instead, the Bolivian military, at the behest of Bolivia’s far right and the United States government, threatened Morales; Morales went into exile in Mexico and is now in Argentina.

At that time, the “evidence” of fraud was offered by the far right and by a “preliminary report” by the Organization of American States; only after Morales was removed from office was there grudging acknowledgment by the liberal media that there was in fact no evidence of fraud. It was too late for Bolivia, which has been condemned to a dangerous government that has suspended democracy in the country.

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Musk’s admission, however intemperate, is at least honest. His company Tesla has long wanted access at a low price to the large lithium deposits in Bolivia; lithium is a key ingredient for batteries. Earlier this year, Musk and his company revealed that they wanted to build a Tesla factory in Brazil, which would be supplied by lithium from Bolivia; when we wrote about that we called our report “Elon Musk Is Acting Like a Neo-Conquistador for South America’s Lithium.” Everything we wrote there is condensed in his new tweet: the arrogance toward the political life of other countries, and the greed toward resources that people like Musk think are their entitlement.
July 31, 2020

Sometimes people refuse to learn a lesson even after being hit upside the head.

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/07/i-truly-thought-last-friday-was-gonna-be-my-last-says-texas-hardline-conservative-lawmaker-who-was-hospitalized-for/

‘I truly thought last Friday was gonna be my last,’ says Texas hardline conservative lawmaker who was hospitalized for coronavirus.'

State Rep. Tony Tinderholt was hospitalized last week after testing positive for the novel coronavirus, the lawmaker confirmed Friday to The Texas Tribune, marking the first known case involving a member of the Texas Legislature.

“I truly thought last Friday was gonna be my last,” Tinderholt, an Arlington Republican, said in a text message to the Tribune. Tinderholt said his wife and two of his children also tested positive for the virus, though their symptoms were less severe.

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While Tinderholt acknowledged the virus is a “serious illness,” he reiterated Friday his position that Abbott shutting down parts of the economy is wrong.

“Closing the entire economy and halting business as well as illegally taking people’s freedoms are absolutely the wrong things to do to Texas, Texans and our nation,” Tinderholt said.

..........

You can't fix stupid.
July 25, 2020

The Eviction Ban Worked, but It's Almost Over. Some Landlords Are Getting Ready.

https://www.propublica.org/article/the-eviction-ban-worked-but-its-almost-over-some-landlords-are-getting-ready

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Starting July 25, a key component of the federal eviction moratorium is set to expire, allowing landlords that operate federally backed rental properties to give their tenants 30 days’ notice to vacate. After that period, landlords can file for eviction. Axiom has made it clear that it intends to take swift legal action once the protections run out.

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The ban on evictions at federally backed properties that Congress passed in March as part of the CARES Act has played a significant role in shielding the nation’s renters from the risk of losing their homes during the pandemic, a ProPublica analysis of eviction cases filed before and during the pandemic shows.

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But both expanded unemployment payments and the federal eviction ban are set to wind down at the end of the month, and eviction filings have started to tick up in recent weeks as courts in many jurisdictions are either scheduled to or have already reopened.

That sets the stage for a potential crisis for renters and landlords alike if lawmakers don’t extend measures to support renters as Congress returned to session this week, housing advocates say.

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July 22, 2020

Bill Barr could face probe after 4 ex-presidents of DC Bar Ass'n sign complaint detailing abuses

https://www.alternet.org/2020/07/bill-barr-could-face-bar-association-probe-after-4-ex-presidents-sign-complaint-detaiing-his-abuse-of-office/

U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr has been widely criticized in the legal profession for putting the interests of President Donald Trump above the rule of law, and some of those critics include four former presidents of the District of Columbia Bar Association. According to Politico reporter Betsy Woodruff Swan, all four of them are among the 27 attorneys who have signed a July 22 letter asking the Association to conduct an investigation to determine whether or not Barr has violated its rules.

The D.C. Barr Association authorizes attorneys to practice law in Washington, D.C., including many who work in the federal government. According to Swan, the attorneys’ “complaint argues that Barr has broken Washington’s ethics rules by being dishonest and violating his oath to uphold the Constitution, along with other charges. And it highlights four episodes in Barr’s time as attorney general to make the case: his characterization of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russia’s 2016 election interference, his criticism of an inspector general report on the Russia probe, his criticism of FBI officials in a TV interview, and his role in the disbursement of peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square outside the White House.”

The letter states, “Mr. Barr’s client is the United States, and not the president. Yet Mr. Barr has consistently made decisions and taken action to serve the personal and political self-interests of President Donald Trump rather than the interest of the United States.”

The four ex-presidents of the D.C. Barr Association who signed the letter are Andrea C. Ferster, Melvin White, Philip Allen Lacovara and Marna S. Tucker. Others who signed it range from Abbe Smith (a law professor at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.) to Roy L. Austin, Jr. (a former deputy assistant attorney general in the U.S. Department of Justice’s civil rights division).

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July 2, 2020

Never Before Have I Seen So Much Fake Unemployment & Jobs Data by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

https://wolfstreet.com/2020/07/02/never-before-have-i-seen-so-much-fake-unemployment-jobs-data-by-the-bureau-of-labor-statistics-while-labor-department-nails-it/

Never Before Have I Seen So Much Fake Unemployment & Jobs Data by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Labor Department Nails It

Labor Department today: People on state & federal unemployment insurance jumped to 31.5 million, worst ever.

Bureau of Labor Statistics today: 4.8 million jobs created, unemployment dropped by 3.2 million.

BLS under-reported unemployment by 13.7 million, based on data from the Labor Department. What’s happening is infuriating. Read and cringe.

Normally, the jobs report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is released on the first Friday of the month. And the unemployment claims report is released Thursday every week. But this month, the monthly jobs report was also released today because of the 4th of July weekend. And now we have this delicious situation of both reports on the same day, with the Labor Department’s unemployment insurance data – people who are actually receiving unemployment benefits under state and federal programs – calling the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ survey-based report a liar. And we’ll go through them.
What the Labor Department reported today:

The total number of people who continued to receive unemployment compensation in the week ended June 27 under all state and federal unemployment insurance programs, including gig workers, surged by 937,810 people in the week, to 31.49 million (not seasonally adjusted), the highest and worst and most gut-wrenching ever:




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