Russia honours 'national heroes' killed in mysterious nuclear rocket blast

Source: The Guardian

Russia has bestowed posthumous awards and praised as “national heroes” five nuclear scientists who died in a mysterious explosion at sea during a rocket engine test.

Officials have been drip-feeding information about the blast on a platform in the White Sea off northern Russia on Thursday that caused a radiation spike in a nearby city.

US-based nuclear experts said they suspected the explosion occurred during the testing of a nuclear-powered cruise missile vaunted by the Russian president Vladimir Putin last year.

The rocket’s fuel caught fire, causing it to detonate and knock several people into the sea.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/12/russia-honours-national-heroes-killed-in-mysterious-nuclear-rocket-blast

'Other campaigns are months behind'

Another snippet from Iowa

In surveying nearly half of the state’s 99 Democratic county chairs this week, there was widespread agreement that Warren has the most formidable organization. Her staffers have been showing up for months in rural and urban counties alike, holding meetings in small diners, helping at community events and running in local 5K races. Other campaigns are starting to make inroads, but they are months behind.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democrats-descend-on-iowa--with-renewed-anxiety/2019/08/10/18e02624-baad-11e9-a091-6a96e67d9cce_story.html

For those who have the opportunity, get involved. You will not only be able to participate in a campaign that is both cutting edge, and grounded in friendship and community, this is a campaign that is looking way beyond the nomination, and GE. November 2020 is just a beginning.

The Clash: Clampdown (live)

White House proposal would have FCC and FTC police alleged social media censorship

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN Business)A draft executive order from the White House could put the Federal Communications Commission in charge of shaping how Facebook (FB), Twitter (TWTR) and other large tech companies curate what appears on their websites, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

The draft order, a summary of which was obtained by CNN, calls for the FCC to develop new regulations clarifying how and when the law protects social media websites when they decide to remove or suppress content on their platforms. Although still in its early stages and subject to change, the Trump administration's draft order also calls for the Federal Trade Commission to take those new policies into account when it investigates or files lawsuits against misbehaving companies.

If put into effect, the order would reflect a significant escalation by President Trump in his frequent attacks against social media companies over an alleged but unproven systemic bias against conservatives by technology platforms. And it could lead to a significant reinterpretation of a law that, its authors have insisted, was meant to give tech companies broad freedom to handle content as they see fit.

A White House spokesperson declined to comment on the draft order, but referred CNN to Trump's remarks at a recent meeting with right-wing social media activists. During the meeting, Trump vowed to "explore all regulatory and legislative solutions to protect free speech."

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/09/tech/white-house-social-media-executive-order-fcc-ftc/index.html

Iowa: "It's a level of organization like we've never seen before."

Elizabeth's campaign has put together a ground game that is second to none. Early on in this campaign you would have heard Senator Warren say she has visited every State (and Puerto Rico). She has (not exactly coincidentally) established operations in all 50 states as well. The early bird has caught up with some top notch talent. Like Obama in 2007, the plan is to achieve GOTV breakthroughs that can be carried all the way to the GE.

I have posted here about Nevada
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1297200

Here is a report from Iowa

Biden and Harris make a big play for Iowa, but Warren is months ahead
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/09/iowa-2020-grassroots-harris-biden-1454499

(snip) It is Warren’s organization (however) that draws the most respect. In conversations with more than a dozen veteran Iowa activists and local party leaders, the Massachusetts senator’s campaign is frequently mentioned as having established the deepest presence in the state, in part because it began organizing long before most other campaigns.

“Iowa caucuses, in particular, are a relationship-building operation. An important part of the strategy is getting out to build these relationships,” said Emily Parcell, an Iowa-based senior adviser to Warren.

Parcell said Warren’s team used its head start to cultivate deeper loyalties, holding book clubs, coffees, gardening and running events tied to Warren’s candidacy. By the time caucus night comes, she said, “We want them to be proud of standing in that candidate’s corner. And that doesn’t happen overnight.”

Warren is so disciplined that when Polk County Democratic officials made a recent call to all 2020 campaigns for help in filling 40 stubbornly empty caucus-night volunteer slots, Warren’s campaign stepped up and filled more than half of them in 48 hours.

“They are so organized, they have not just people but extra people in the hardest precincts even for us to organize,” said Polk County Democratic Party Chairman Sean Bagniewski. “All of us want to read the book of how they’re doing what they’re doing after the caucuses. It’s a level of organization like we’ve never seen before.”

Elizabeth Warren Calls On Walmart To Stop Selling Guns

Huffington Post, August 9, 2019
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/elizabeth-warren-walmart-el-paso-guns_n_5d4d7ebee4b0066eb710c2e6

Elizabeth Warren Calls On Walmart To Stop Selling Guns Following El Paso Shooting

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Friday implored retail giant Walmart to “do the right thing — stop selling guns,” following this weekend’s mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, which took place at one of its stores.

“Sometimes, companies recognize that they have an obligation to the lives, health, and safety of their communities,” the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate tweeted Friday, citing CVS, which stopped carrying tobacco products in 2014.

“Companies that sell guns have a responsibility to the safety of their communities,” she said. “Walmart is one of the largest gun retailers in the world. The weapons they sell are killing their own customers and employees. No profit is worth those lives. Do the right thing — stop selling guns.”

Walmart did not immediately return HuffPost’s request for comment.

https://twitter.com/ewarren/status/1159826693705609216
https://twitter.com/ewarren/status/1159826695874125824

Nadler Makes It Clear House Is Already in 'Impeachment Proceedings'

New York Intelligencer, August 9, 2019
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/08/nadler-house-already-in-impeachment-proceedings.html

Nadler Makes It Clear House Is Already in ‘Impeachment Proceedings’

Clayton Jones cartoon blocked by Facebook for violating their "community standards."

The 'Hate is Not a Game' cartoon I posted here earlier was blocked by Facebook for violating their "community standards". After an outcry, it was posted and is still up. Community standards? I don't know, do you see anything offensive in this cartoon? Read about it at https://claytoonz.com

this

Nadler: Judiciary panel could recommend articles of impeachment by late fall

Source: Politico

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said Monday that his panel could recommend articles of impeachment by late fall, sketching a rough timeline for potential efforts to remove President Donald Trump just days after a majority of House Democrats signaled their willingness to support an impeachment inquiry.

"If we decide to report articles of impeachment, we could get to that late in the fall, in the latter part of the year," Nadler said on MSNBC.

Nadler is petitioning a federal judge to get lawmakers access to grand jury evidence collected by former special counsel Robert Mueller, and his committee is preparing to sue former White House counsel Don McGahn to compel his testimony in the committee's ongoing investigation into potential abuses of power by Trump.

"I think that we will probably get court decisions by the end of October, maybe shortly thereafter. We'll have hearings in September and October with people we don't -- witnesses who are not dependent on the court proceedings," Nadler said.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/05/trump-impeachment-jerry-nadler-1448024