July 23, 2017
Latino unemployment at lowest level since 1970s
National Institute for Latino Policy - The unemployment rate for Hispanic or Latino workers fell to 4.8 percent last month, the lowest level since 1970s. Meanwhile, the rate for black Americans was 7.1 percent, the second-lowest monthly rate, according to the latest Labor Department numbers reported on in The Wall Street Journal. However, both June lows are higher than the 3.8 percent rate for whites and the 4.4 percent overall rate, the Journal reported.
The gains among the two groups have come while the labor-force participation rate for each group also rose modestly, the Journal reported, suggesting the fall in unemployment coincides with new entrants to the labor market finding jobs and not people exiting the workforce.
The gains among the two groups have come while the labor-force participation rate for each group also rose modestly, the Journal reported, suggesting the fall in unemployment coincides with new entrants to the labor market finding jobs and not people exiting the workforce.
Black links
Heatwaves will affect many airflights
Inside Climate News -A study
published Thursday in the journal Climatic Change looked at 19 airports around
the world and found that rising temperatures will make it harder for airplanes
to take off. During especially hot periods, airplanes will likely have to
reduce the amount of weight they can carry in order to get airborne.
"Heat waves are going to become much more frequent and
intense in the future," said Radley Horton, a climatologist at Columbia
University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and co-author of the report.
"We're already seeing planes unable to take off at full weight."
The situation will get especially troublesome at certain
airports, including New York's LaGuardia and Washington, D.C.'s Reagan
National, which have shorter runways, and the Dubai International Airport,
where temperatures regularly hover above 110 degrees.
Experts raise okay blood pressure level for elders
Washington Post - If you’re unsure what your blood pressure levels should be, new advice
from the American College of Physicians (and the American Academy
of Family Physicians may help...If you are 60 or older and have no other cardiovascular risk factors
(diabetes, high cholesterol, a smoking habit), these guidelines
recommend maintaining a systolic reading below 150 mm/Hg.
A few reasons for banning Justin Bieber
China banned Justin Bieber for "bad behavior." Salon provides a useful list of some examples
July 22, 2017
A historian's view of Trump trying to pardon himself
Clark Mindock, Independent, UK - “If Donald Trump thinks that he can easily pardon himself and pardon his aides, pardon his children and limit the [Robert] Mueller investigation, perhaps fire Mueller and or [Attorney General] Jeff Sessions and [Deputy Attorney General Rod] Rosenstein,” Michael Beschloss, an American historian who specialises in the presidency, said in an appearance on MSNBC, “we are on our way if that happens to see a constitutional crisis that would make Watergate look like a minor event in comparison.”
Mr Beschloss said that, if Mr Trump is truly considering pardoning himself, his family, and his administration officials, then it illustrates a big difference between him and Nixon. The former president, at the height of the Watergate scandal, refused to consider similar pardons, he said, and said at the time that those actions would be “dishonorable”.
It isn’t clear if the President has the ability to pardon himself, and leading constitutional scholars have argued that he definitely doesn’t have that particular power. The constitution gives the President sole power to grant pardons and commutations against federal crimes
Mr Beschloss said that, if Mr Trump is truly considering pardoning himself, his family, and his administration officials, then it illustrates a big difference between him and Nixon. The former president, at the height of the Watergate scandal, refused to consider similar pardons, he said, and said at the time that those actions would be “dishonorable”.
It isn’t clear if the President has the ability to pardon himself, and leading constitutional scholars have argued that he definitely doesn’t have that particular power. The constitution gives the President sole power to grant pardons and commutations against federal crimes
What Scaramucci said about Trump in the past
Salon - Incoming White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci has a few skeletons in his closet that he’d like to get rid of. And those skeletons all revolve around things he’s said against President Donald Trump — his new boss.
In a 2015 appearance on Fox Business Network, Scaramucci slammed “anti-American” Trump for being “another hack” who will “probably make Elizabeth Warren as his vice presidential nominee.” But the man known as The Mooch didn’t stop there:
In a 2015 appearance on Fox Business Network, Scaramucci slammed “anti-American” Trump for being “another hack” who will “probably make Elizabeth Warren as his vice presidential nominee.” But the man known as The Mooch didn’t stop there:
I’ll tell you who he’s going to be president of — and you can tell Donald I said this: The Queens County bullies’ association. You gotta cut it out now and stop all this crazy rhetoric, spinning everybody’s head.
I don’t like the way he talks about women. I don’t like the way he talks about our friend Megyn Kelly. And you know what? The politicians don’t want to go at Trump because he’s got a big mouth and he’s afraid he’s going to light ’em up on Fox and other places, but I’m not a politician. Bring it.
You’re an inherited-money dude from Queens County. Bring it, Donald. Bring it.Fox Video
Washington Post blows Sessions' cover on Russian meeting
Washington Post - The Washington Post is reporting that Russia's ambassador has said he and Sessions discussed the 2016 campaign during two meetings last year. That is contrary to multiple public comments made by Sessions in March, when he recused himself from oversight of the Russia investigation.
Adam Entous, Ellen Nakashima and Greg Miller report that Ambassador Sergey Kislyak's accounts of those meetings were intercepted by U.S. intelligence and that in them he suggested that the two men spoke substantively about campaign issues. Yet Sessions said March 1 that he “never met with any Russian officials to discuss issues of the campaign,” and the following day, while announcing his recusal, he said it again: “I never had meetings with Russian operatives or Russian intermediaries about the Trump campaign.”
Adam Entous, Ellen Nakashima and Greg Miller report that Ambassador Sergey Kislyak's accounts of those meetings were intercepted by U.S. intelligence and that in them he suggested that the two men spoke substantively about campaign issues. Yet Sessions said March 1 that he “never met with any Russian officials to discuss issues of the campaign,” and the following day, while announcing his recusal, he said it again: “I never had meetings with Russian operatives or Russian intermediaries about the Trump campaign.”
New Jersey engages in age discrimination
New Jersey has raised the smoking age to 21. Yet, 18 year olds are considered citizens of the state and may vote. Thus the decision on smoking amounts to age discrimination and it's time for the young to fight it.
Kushner forgot to mention $10 million in assets
Washington Times - President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner “inadvertently omitted” more than 70 assets worth at least $10.6 million from his personal financial disclosure reports, according to revised paperwork released Friday.
The previously unreported assets were included in updated disclosure reports certified by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics on Thursday as part of the “ordinary review process,” according to Kushner’s filing .
The previously unreported assets were included in updated disclosure reports certified by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics on Thursday as part of the “ordinary review process,” according to Kushner’s filing .
Senate Judiciary Committee caves to Trump Jr and Manafort
NBC News - President Donald Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and former campaign manager Paul Manafort have agreed to be interviewed by staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee but will not appear at a public hearing next week, the committee said Friday.
The Judiciary Committee had requested that both appear at a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, and threatened to issue subpoenas if they refused.
On Friday the Judiciary Committee said "Both Donald Trump, Jr. and Paul Manafort, through their attorneys, have agreed to negotiate to provide the committee with documents and be interviewed by committee members and staff prior to a public hearing."
"Therefore, we will not issue subpoenas for them tonight requiring their presence at Wednesday’s hearing but reserve the right to do so in the future," the committee said.
The Judiciary Committee had requested that both appear at a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, and threatened to issue subpoenas if they refused.
On Friday the Judiciary Committee said "Both Donald Trump, Jr. and Paul Manafort, through their attorneys, have agreed to negotiate to provide the committee with documents and be interviewed by committee members and staff prior to a public hearing."
"Therefore, we will not issue subpoenas for them tonight requiring their presence at Wednesday’s hearing but reserve the right to do so in the future," the committee said.
Minnesota invades renters' constitutional rights
institute for Justice - In a blow to the constitutional rights of Minnesotan renters, the state Supreme Court ruled today that cities do not need to provide evidence of a suspected housing code violation in order to obtain an administrative search warrant to inspect renters’ homes without their permission. Today’s decision denies Minnesota’s renters—and the landlords who want to support them— protection from unconstitutional searches of their homes.
July 21, 2017
How i helped start a Harvard riot in the 1950s
From our overstocked archives
Sam Smith - On a May late 1950s
morning, the Harvard Crimson came out with a story that Cambridge city
councilor Alfred E.Vellucci had announced plans to introduce an order asking the
city manager to "confiscate" all of the university's lands because of
the Harvard administration's "lack of cooperation" in solving the
city's parking problems. Vellucci was quoted as saying that "I am going to
fine every Harvard student who parks his car on the public street at night
unless the university makes all its property available for public
parking." Down at the college radio station, where I was news director, I
assigned one of our reporters the job of calling Councilor Vellucci. He got an
earful:
The
citizens and taxpayers are sick and tired of supporting Harvard. The time has
arrived when Cambridge should break away and let the state and federal
government support the school. Our taxpayers are not able to do the job alone
... Our police department has to rush to the university every time the students
start one of their foolish riots ... The fire department has to go in there on
school fires. We have to put police officers on extra duty to handle the
traffic situation after one of the football games ... Let the university become
a state of its own like the Vatican in Rome and pay for its own fire and police
departments.
Vellucci added:
"John Lund, commander of the local Sullivan Post, American Legion, has
told me every veterans organization in the city will support my bill." He
went on like that for twenty minutes. We ran excerpts on the 11 p.m. news and
student listeners began calling the station demanding to hear the full
interview. It was not just the words; the Vellucci voice lent impetus to the
message. It was the precise antithesis of a well-cultivated Harvard accent and
even at its most irate had a buoyant quality tinged with the faintest hint of
satire that in those amusement and issue-starved years of the fifties, tickled
the student ear. These were not times when you worried about the impact of the
media on events; there were no seminars on TV and violence, no breast-beating
over whether the press covered a hostage situation correctly. There was,
however, a lot of boredom and whatever else he might be, Al Vellucci was
certainly not boring. I ran the whole interview at midnight and calls from
those who tuned in during the middle of it were so numerous that I ran it again
at one a.m. The next morning, the story was page one in the Boston Globe --
culled from the WHRB interview -- with a two column headline:
COUNCILOR ASKS SETUP
LIKE VATICAN
DEMANDS HARVARD SECEDE FROM CITY
DEMANDS HARVARD SECEDE FROM CITY
The Cambridge
citizenry kept calm but not the students. It began, as those things often did,
with a peculiarly unrelated and insignificant act the very next night. During a
drunken argument in the offices of the college humor magazine over the relative
merits of prose and poetry, someone (by some accounts Neil Sheehan, later a
famed NY Times correspondent) threw a typewriter out of a window. The riot was
on. Two thousand men of Harvard gathered shouting alternatively, "Hang
Vellucci," "Vellucci for Pope," and "We want Monaco."
Beer cans and water-filled bags were tossed about. Eddie Sullivan, the mayor of
the city, showed up in his radio and siren-equipped Chrysler Imperial and
attempted to quell the disturbance. He failed to get the attention of the
crowd, part of which was busy letting the air out of all four of his tires. From
one of the dormitories blared a recording of Tchaikowsky's 1812 Overture. The
cops sent reinforcements to Al's home but no one strayed from the campus.
The riot ended once
half the students had marched into Harvard Yard, its gates were closed and the
ones not trapped inside counted their losses and retired to their rooms or to
Cronin's bar.
With what the city
would come to realize was his normal tactical brilliance, Al Vellucci had
succeeded in turning Harvard against itself. A few students were arrested, a
few faced disciplinary action and by one a.m. it was over. Those of us in the
WHRB news department went to sleep content in the knowledge that in twenty-four
hours we had created a celebrity and a riot. Not a bad day's work for a few
student journalists.
For the rest of my
time at Harvard, Crimson reporter Blaise Pastore and I faithfully covered city
council meetings, relaying every juicy quote and snipe at Harvard that Vellucci
and his cohorts provided. Our mentors at the press table were a trio of
sardonic and knowledgeable Irishmen from Boston's dailies, who loved delivering
their sotto voce lectures to a couple of Harvard students as much as we enjoyed
hearing them. The councilors were solicitous, especially Al, who recognized our
symbiotic relationship. Harvard educated lawyer Joseph Deguglielmo, eschewing
bifocals for two pairs of glasses stacked on his nose and forehead in the order
required at any particular moment, explained the workings of a city government
with great patience, once commenting that he was uncertain how to vote on a
police pay increase because he had to keep in mind that each cop was probably
receiving, in goods and cash, several thousand dollars more a year than his
official salary. It was literally the end of an era. While I was covering the
council, James Michael Curley, the former mayor of adjoining Boston, passed
away. I had heard the last hurrah.
Mayor Sullivan bore
no gudges towards me for his flat tires and was always willing to talk politics
whenever I ran into him. One evening:
I
met Eddie Sullivan after coming out of the movies. He was seated in his pale
colored Chrysler Imperial listening to calls for the police radio. He waved to
me and asked me to join him for a cup of coffee. Over the radio came a report:
'This lady sez some man exposed himself to her as she was walking home. 6 foot
2 inches, chino trousers [even the criminals wore them then], black hair.' . .
'Eddie talked of his recent nomination for Clerk of the County Court (margin
11,000), urban renewal and the good meal he had at the Lido. . .
The Cambridge City
Council was a real Massachusetts legislature, the sort of place where an Irish
labor leader during a dispute over a contract could turn to councilor Hyman
Pill and plead, "Look, we're all Christian gentlemen here." And Hyman
just rocked back in his chair and smiled. It accepted the view that politics
was not religion -- neither salvation nor perfection was the goal. It was
democracy -- making the best of a confused and difficult situation. The members
of the city council were ashamed of neither their beliefs nor of their
compromises with them. The Cambridge city council was the best course I took at
Harvard. I not only learned about city government but learned that it had a
quality that would be unmatched by anything found later covering the White
House or Congress.
45 senators choose Israel over Constitution
Independent UK - A bill that would criminalize boycotts against Israel has been signed by 45 US senators and 237 congressman.
The so-called “Israel Anti-Boycott Act” would impose fines of up to $250,000 on any US citizen “engaged in interstate or foreign commerce” who supports a boycott of Israeli goods and services.
This position runs counter to that of the United Nations, which claims Israel’s settlements in occupied Palestinian territory have “no legal validity”, and “constitute flagrant violation of international law”.
The American Civil Liberties Union (has argued that the bill would “impose civil and criminal punishment on individuals solely because of their political beliefs about Israel and its policies”, in a letter sent to members of the Senate.
“In short, the bill would punish businesses and individuals solely based on their point of view,” it wrote. “Such a penalty is in direct violation of the First Amendment.”
The so-called “Israel Anti-Boycott Act” would impose fines of up to $250,000 on any US citizen “engaged in interstate or foreign commerce” who supports a boycott of Israeli goods and services.
This position runs counter to that of the United Nations, which claims Israel’s settlements in occupied Palestinian territory have “no legal validity”, and “constitute flagrant violation of international law”.
The American Civil Liberties Union (has argued that the bill would “impose civil and criminal punishment on individuals solely because of their political beliefs about Israel and its policies”, in a letter sent to members of the Senate.
“In short, the bill would punish businesses and individuals solely based on their point of view,” it wrote. “Such a penalty is in direct violation of the First Amendment.”
Trump won't even address the NAACP
Helping to secure his position as the most ethnic and gender prejudiced president in over a half a century, Donald Trump has declined to speak before the NAACP. Even Ronald Reagan did.
Russian lawyer who met with Trump Jr represented Russian spy agency for years
Reuters - The Russian lawyer who met Donald Trump Jr. after his father won the Republican nomination for the 2016 U.S. presidential election counted Russia's FSB security service among her clients for years, Russian court documents seen by Reuters show. The documents show that the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, successfully represented the FSB's interests in a legal wrangle over ownership of an upscale property in northwest Moscow between 2005 and 2013.
Trump plans to damage American healthcare even if Obamacare survives
Politico - If a last-ditch repeal effort fails in Congress next week, all indications are the Trump administration will continue chipping away at the Affordable Care Act — if not torching it outright.
President Donald Trump, who regularly says Obamacare is dead, has already taken steps to undermine the law even as the legislative battle over repeal drags on. His administration has slashed crucial advertising dollars, cut the enrollment window in half, and regularly pumps out anti-Obamacare videos and graphics — actions sure to reduce the number of people who sign up.
Trump has plenty of other options to roll back a program covering roughly 20 million Americans. Those include ending enforcement of the mandate to carry insurance, imposing work restrictions and nominal premiums on low-income adults who qualify for Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion and letting states relax the law’s robust coverage rules.
President Donald Trump, who regularly says Obamacare is dead, has already taken steps to undermine the law even as the legislative battle over repeal drags on. His administration has slashed crucial advertising dollars, cut the enrollment window in half, and regularly pumps out anti-Obamacare videos and graphics — actions sure to reduce the number of people who sign up.
Trump has plenty of other options to roll back a program covering roughly 20 million Americans. Those include ending enforcement of the mandate to carry insurance, imposing work restrictions and nominal premiums on low-income adults who qualify for Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion and letting states relax the law’s robust coverage rules.
Trump's personal lawyer takes lesser role
The Hill - President Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, will no longer lead the legal team responding to the ongoing Russian investigations and has taken a reduced role, according to reports.
Ty Cobb will now take the lead in managing the team’s response to the ongoing federal probe into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
Kasowitz, who has worked with Trump since the early 2000s, had represented the president in the Trump University fraud case.
Ty Cobb will now take the lead in managing the team’s response to the ongoing federal probe into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
Kasowitz, who has worked with Trump since the early 2000s, had represented the president in the Trump University fraud case.
Could Trump pardon himself?
Sam Smith - The Washington Post has an interesting article on who Trump can pardon. The mere existence of this article points out something that isn't getting enough attention, namely that while Trump has not been charged with criminal activity, no president has raised so many legal and ethical questions about his activities. The typical honest person, for example, would not be so vigorously attacking those who are, in full respect for the law, investigating what he has been up to. If he has nothing to be ashamed of, he has nothing to worry about.
One of the points that the Post makes is that while whether the President can pardon himself is debatable, his pardon powers are limited to federal offenses: "If Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were charged with sticking up a bodega in Queens, Trump couldn’t do much about it."
We have noted the likelihood that the Trump scandals would turn away from Washington and Russia towards matters occurring in New York. If, for example, Robert Mueller finds some state or city based crime and hands the case over to the NY Attorney General, the pardon powers become futile.
One of the points that the Post makes is that while whether the President can pardon himself is debatable, his pardon powers are limited to federal offenses: "If Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were charged with sticking up a bodega in Queens, Trump couldn’t do much about it."
We have noted the likelihood that the Trump scandals would turn away from Washington and Russia towards matters occurring in New York. If, for example, Robert Mueller finds some state or city based crime and hands the case over to the NY Attorney General, the pardon powers become futile.
Republicans out to slash food stamps
Center on Budget & Policy Priorities The budget resolution that the House Budget Committee approved yesterday requires the House Agriculture Committee to identify at least $10 billion in cuts over the next decade to nutrition and other entitlement programs under its jurisdiction. Most, if not all, of them could come from SNAP (formerly food stamps). Along with these cuts, which Congress would consider under the fast-track “reconciliation” process, the resolution puts forward a more complete fiscal plan — with far deeper SNAP cuts — that reflects the House GOP’s broader vision for the budget that would take several years to achieve. The plan envisions a total SNAP cut of $150 billion (more than 20 percent) over ten years.
Another Trumpy skilled at damaging what he is appoiinted to protect
Intercept - Michael Dourson, President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the
EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, founded and
ran a toxicology consulting firm whose work enabled DuPont to avoid
providing clean water to people in West Virginia after the company
contaminated the area around one its plants with a dangerous industrial
chemical.
July 20, 2017
Manafort owed big sums to pro-Russia interests
NY Times - Financial records filed last year in the secretive tax haven of Cyprus, where Paul J. Manafort kept bank accounts during his years working in Ukraine and investing with a Russian oligarch, indicate that he had been in debt to pro-Russia interests by as much as $17 million before he joined Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign in March 2016.
The money appears to have been owed by shell companies connected to Mr. Manafort’s business activities in Ukraine when he worked as a consultant to the pro-Russia Party of Regions. The Cyprus documents obtained by The New York Times include audited financial statements for the companies, which were part of a complex web of more than a dozen entities that transferred millions of dollars among them in the form of loans, payments and fees.
The money appears to have been owed by shell companies connected to Mr. Manafort’s business activities in Ukraine when he worked as a consultant to the pro-Russia Party of Regions. The Cyprus documents obtained by The New York Times include audited financial statements for the companies, which were part of a complex web of more than a dozen entities that transferred millions of dollars among them in the form of loans, payments and fees.
Trump and Deutsche Bank: Follow the bouncing buck
NY Times - During the presidential campaign, Donald J. Trump pointed to his relationship with Deutsche Bank to counter reports that big banks were skeptical of doing business with him.
After a string of bankruptcies in his casino and hotel businesses in the 1990s, Mr. Trump became somewhat of an outsider on Wall Street, leaving the giant German bank among the few major financial institutions willing to lend him money.
Now that two-decades-long relationship is coming under scrutiny.
Banking regulators are reviewing hundreds of millions of dollars in loans made to Mr. Trump’s businesses through Deutsche Bank’s private wealth management unit, which caters to an ultrarich clientele, according to three people briefed on the review who were not authorized to speak publicly. The regulators want to know if the loans might expose the bank to heightened risks.
Separately, Deutsche Bank has been in contact with federal investigators about the Trump accounts, according to two people briefed on the matter. And the bank is expecting to eventually have to provide information to Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel overseeing the federal investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.
After a string of bankruptcies in his casino and hotel businesses in the 1990s, Mr. Trump became somewhat of an outsider on Wall Street, leaving the giant German bank among the few major financial institutions willing to lend him money.
Now that two-decades-long relationship is coming under scrutiny.
Banking regulators are reviewing hundreds of millions of dollars in loans made to Mr. Trump’s businesses through Deutsche Bank’s private wealth management unit, which caters to an ultrarich clientele, according to three people briefed on the review who were not authorized to speak publicly. The regulators want to know if the loans might expose the bank to heightened risks.
Separately, Deutsche Bank has been in contact with federal investigators about the Trump accounts, according to two people briefed on the matter. And the bank is expecting to eventually have to provide information to Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel overseeing the federal investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.
More on that 8th guy at the Trump Tower meeting
As Politico reported, "The eighth attendee at a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between top Trump
associates and a politically connected Russian lawyer is a business
associate of a top Moscow oligarch and was once the focus of a
congressional money-laundering probe."
Former Senator Carl Levin -In 2000, as Senior Democrat on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, I was looking into how foreign persons established US corporations with hidden ownership as a way to launder money through U.S. banks. Many states in the U.S., Delaware being a popular one, allow individuals to set up corporations without revealing the true owner. This allows individuals to set up shell companies -- companies that can function as a vehicle through which they can anonymously pass money and which can readily be used to launder ill-gotten gains.
I asked GAO to review shell corporations and how their bank accounts are set up. GAO came across the numerous corporations and bank accounts established by Irakly Kaveladze on behalf of people in Russia. As GAO reported, Kaveladze established some 2000 U.S. corporations and bank accounts for a number of them. The owners of those accounts then moved some $1.4 billion through those accounts. Kaveladze claimed he did all this without knowing for whom he was doing it. Based on the example of Kaveladze, who was in a sense the poster child of this practice, and other examples we uncovered over the years, we've been trying for decades to end the hidden ownership of American corporations. This has been a bipartisan effort, and there continues to be proposed legislation in Congress to do just that with the very strong support of the law enforcement community and the banks.
Kaveladze's conduct also helped us reinvigorate the requirement that banks know the true owner of their accounts, a policy that hadn’t been enforced over the years. It has recently been required by regulation.
Former Senator Carl Levin -In 2000, as Senior Democrat on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, I was looking into how foreign persons established US corporations with hidden ownership as a way to launder money through U.S. banks. Many states in the U.S., Delaware being a popular one, allow individuals to set up corporations without revealing the true owner. This allows individuals to set up shell companies -- companies that can function as a vehicle through which they can anonymously pass money and which can readily be used to launder ill-gotten gains.
I asked GAO to review shell corporations and how their bank accounts are set up. GAO came across the numerous corporations and bank accounts established by Irakly Kaveladze on behalf of people in Russia. As GAO reported, Kaveladze established some 2000 U.S. corporations and bank accounts for a number of them. The owners of those accounts then moved some $1.4 billion through those accounts. Kaveladze claimed he did all this without knowing for whom he was doing it. Based on the example of Kaveladze, who was in a sense the poster child of this practice, and other examples we uncovered over the years, we've been trying for decades to end the hidden ownership of American corporations. This has been a bipartisan effort, and there continues to be proposed legislation in Congress to do just that with the very strong support of the law enforcement community and the banks.
Kaveladze's conduct also helped us reinvigorate the requirement that banks know the true owner of their accounts, a policy that hadn’t been enforced over the years. It has recently been required by regulation.
Mueller looking into Trump business transactions with Russians
Bloomberg - The U.S. special counsel investigating possible ties between the Donald Trump campaign and Russia in last year’s election is examining a broad range of transactions involving Trump’s businesses as well as those of his associates, according to a person familiar with the probe.
FBI investigators and others are looking at Russian purchases of apartments in Trump buildings, Trump’s involvement in a controversial SoHo development with Russian associates, the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow and Trump’s sale of a Florida mansion to a Russian oligarch in 2008, the person said.
John Dowd, one of Trump’s lawyers, said on Thursday he was unaware of this element of the investigation. "Those transactions are in my view well beyond the mandate of the Special counsel; are unrelated to the election of 2016 or any alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia and most importantly, are well beyond any Statute of Limitation imposed by the United States Code," he wrote in an email.
.
FBI investigators and others are looking at Russian purchases of apartments in Trump buildings, Trump’s involvement in a controversial SoHo development with Russian associates, the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow and Trump’s sale of a Florida mansion to a Russian oligarch in 2008, the person said.
John Dowd, one of Trump’s lawyers, said on Thursday he was unaware of this element of the investigation. "Those transactions are in my view well beyond the mandate of the Special counsel; are unrelated to the election of 2016 or any alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia and most importantly, are well beyond any Statute of Limitation imposed by the United States Code," he wrote in an email.
.
Trump regime demotes climate scientist who spoke out
NPR -A former head policy adviser at the Interior Department is accusing the Trump Administration of reassigning him to a lesser position for speaking out about the dangers of climate change.
Joel Clement, a scientist who was director of the Interior Department's Office of Policy Analysis for much of the Obama Administration, was recently reassigned to work to an "accounting office," the agency's Office of Natural Resources and Revenue.
In an op-ed published Wednesday in The Washington Post, he wrote that he believes he was retaliated against for "speaking out publicly about the dangers that climate change poses to Alaska Native communities." He says that he's turning whistleblower on an administration that "chooses silence over science."
Joel Clement, a scientist who was director of the Interior Department's Office of Policy Analysis for much of the Obama Administration, was recently reassigned to work to an "accounting office," the agency's Office of Natural Resources and Revenue.
In an op-ed published Wednesday in The Washington Post, he wrote that he believes he was retaliated against for "speaking out publicly about the dangers that climate change poses to Alaska Native communities." He says that he's turning whistleblower on an administration that "chooses silence over science."
Trump regime using Obamacare funds to attack Obamacare
Daily Beast -The Trump administration has spent taxpayer money meant to encourage enrollment in the Affordable Care Act on a public relations campaign aimed at methodically strangling it.
The effort, which involves a multi-pronged social media push as well as video testimonials designed at damaging public opinion of President Obama’s health care law, is far more robust and sustained than has been publicly revealed or realized.
The strategy has caught the eye of legal experts and Democrats in Congress, who have asked government agencies to investigate whether the administration has misused funds and engaged in covert propaganda in its efforts to damage and overturn the seven-year-old health care law. It’s also roiled Obama administration veterans, who argue that the current White House is not only abdicating its responsibilities to administer the law but sabotaging it in an effort to facilitate its undoing by Congress
The effort, which involves a multi-pronged social media push as well as video testimonials designed at damaging public opinion of President Obama’s health care law, is far more robust and sustained than has been publicly revealed or realized.
The strategy has caught the eye of legal experts and Democrats in Congress, who have asked government agencies to investigate whether the administration has misused funds and engaged in covert propaganda in its efforts to damage and overturn the seven-year-old health care law. It’s also roiled Obama administration veterans, who argue that the current White House is not only abdicating its responsibilities to administer the law but sabotaging it in an effort to facilitate its undoing by Congress
Trump warns Mueller not to do his job
NY Daily News - President Trump cautioned the Justice Department’s special counsel from straying too far from his Russia probe.
When asked if Robert Mueller would be crossing a “red line” by investigating Trump’s personal finances, the President adamantly defended his business dealings in a meandering interview with the New York Times.
“I think that’s a violation. Look, this is about Russia,” Trump said Wednesday, then appearing to dare Mueller to try examining his financial filings.
When asked if Robert Mueller would be crossing a “red line” by investigating Trump’s personal finances, the President adamantly defended his business dealings in a meandering interview with the New York Times.
“I think that’s a violation. Look, this is about Russia,” Trump said Wednesday, then appearing to dare Mueller to try examining his financial filings.
Public moving towards governmment funded healthcare
Christian Science Monitor - Americans aren't enthralled with "Obamacare" and they definitely don't like the Republican plans offered in Congress, so what does the public want the government to do about health care?
A new poll suggests the country may be shifting toward the political left on the issue, with 62 percent saying it's the federal government's responsibility to make sure that all Americans have health care coverage, while 37 percent say it is not.
The survey findings from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research indicate a change in public attitudes over the past few months, as concerns mounted about GOP legislation estimated to leave tens of millions without coverage.
A new poll suggests the country may be shifting toward the political left on the issue, with 62 percent saying it's the federal government's responsibility to make sure that all Americans have health care coverage, while 37 percent say it is not.
The survey findings from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research indicate a change in public attitudes over the past few months, as concerns mounted about GOP legislation estimated to leave tens of millions without coverage.
Trump using bank lawyer to kill bank regulatons
Intercept -President Trump and Republicans in Congress have broadcast their every intention to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The president’s budget attempted to defund it and leading Republicans have called for its director to be fired and replaced with a more Wall Street-compliant regulator.
But much like the bulk of Trump’s agenda, that assault remains in the aspirational phase, and the agency continues to do its work. Earlier this month, the CFPB released a major new rule, flat-out barring financial institutions from using forced arbitration clauses in consumer contracts to stop class-action lawsuits.
Now, Trump has sent out his lead attack dog to overturn the arbitration rule – a former bank lawyer who has used the very tactic CFPB wants to prevent.
MORE
But much like the bulk of Trump’s agenda, that assault remains in the aspirational phase, and the agency continues to do its work. Earlier this month, the CFPB released a major new rule, flat-out barring financial institutions from using forced arbitration clauses in consumer contracts to stop class-action lawsuits.
Now, Trump has sent out his lead attack dog to overturn the arbitration rule – a former bank lawyer who has used the very tactic CFPB wants to prevent.
MORE
July 19, 2017
Help the editor: Need best public relations and/or psycholgical approaches to someone like Trump
Have seen lots of stories about how good Trump is at PR and what a nut he is, but can't find any good stories on how to deal with these problems. Send good links to here
Trump names casino consultant to Russian government corporation to State Department
Daily Beast - When Jonathan Galaviz left his job at a casino consulting firm to go work for the Trump State Department, he didn’t have any concerns about job security. The firm—which consults for at least two Russian state entities, according to its website—proudly announced that Galaviz would be back after his stint at State. Galaviz himself consulted for a Russian government corporation on casino gambling. Until Tuesday afternoon, the company’s website listed Galaviz as its chief strategist.
Trump Tower gets $130,000 a month in rent from US military
Independent, Uk - The US military has a lease with Trump Tower in New York City to rent a space for $130,000 a month, where Donald Trump has a residence but has yet to spend a single night since becoming President. Lease documents were obtained by the Wall Street Journal that showed an 18-month lease at $2.39 million for a 3,475 square foot space from 11 April 2017 to 30 September 2018, making it one of the most expensive rental properties in Manhattan.
Republican state of New Hampshire decriminalizes marijuana
The Hill - New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) has signed a new law decriminalizing marijuana, making the Granite State the 22nd in the nation to eliminate the possibility of jail time for those convicted of simple possession.
The measure passed the Republican-led legislature with huge majorities in May and June. When it takes effect in about two months, the new law will reduce fines for possession of up to three-quarters of an ounce of marijuana from $2,000 to just $100 for a first or second offense.
The measure passed the Republican-led legislature with huge majorities in May and June. When it takes effect in about two months, the new law will reduce fines for possession of up to three-quarters of an ounce of marijuana from $2,000 to just $100 for a first or second offense.
Poll: Hillary Clinton less popular than Trump
According to the latest Bloomberg National Poll,
Trump has a net favorability of 41% whereas Clinton has a net
favorability of 39%. If Democrats are to escape the political
wilderness, they will have to leave Clinton and her brand of politics in
the woods.
July 18, 2017
High school students with A average grows, but SAT scores stay the same
USA Today - Recent findings show that the proportion of high school seniors graduating with an A average — that includes an A-minus or A-plus — has grown sharply over the past generation, even as average SAT scores have fallen. In 1998, it was 38.9%. By last year, it had grown to 47%.
Meanwhile, their average SAT score fell from 1,026 to 1,002 on a 1,600-point scale — suggesting that those A's on report cards might be fool's gold.
Meanwhile, their average SAT score fell from 1,026 to 1,002 on a 1,600-point scale — suggesting that those A's on report cards might be fool's gold.
Sessions plans to increase the amount of goods police steals from unproven criminals
Independent, UK - Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said he will be issuing a new directive this week aimed at increasing police seizures of cash and property.
Asset forfeiture is a highly controversial practice that allows law enforcement officials to permanently take money and goods from individuals suspected of crime. There is little disagreement among lawmakers, authorities, and criminal justice reformers that “no criminal should be allowed to keep the proceeds of their crime.” But in many cases, neither a criminal conviction nor even a criminal charge is necessary — under forfeiture laws in most states and at the federal level, mere suspicion of wrongdoing is enough to allow police to seize items permanently.
Additionally, many states allow law enforcement officers to keep cash that they seize, creating what critics characterise as a profit motive. The practice is widespread: in 2014, federal law enforcement officers took more property from citizens than burglars did. State and local authorities seized untold millions more.
Since 2007, the DEA alone has taken over $3 billion in cash from people not charged with any crime, according to the Justice Department's Inspector General.
Asset forfeiture is a highly controversial practice that allows law enforcement officials to permanently take money and goods from individuals suspected of crime. There is little disagreement among lawmakers, authorities, and criminal justice reformers that “no criminal should be allowed to keep the proceeds of their crime.” But in many cases, neither a criminal conviction nor even a criminal charge is necessary — under forfeiture laws in most states and at the federal level, mere suspicion of wrongdoing is enough to allow police to seize items permanently.
Additionally, many states allow law enforcement officers to keep cash that they seize, creating what critics characterise as a profit motive. The practice is widespread: in 2014, federal law enforcement officers took more property from citizens than burglars did. State and local authorities seized untold millions more.
Since 2007, the DEA alone has taken over $3 billion in cash from people not charged with any crime, according to the Justice Department's Inspector General.
Democrats lead Trump in polls
The Hill - President Trump trails former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and three Democratic senators in a new poll from a Democratic firm testing possible 2020 matchups.
The survey of registered voters, conducted by Public Policy Polling, found Trump trailing by wide margins against Sanders — 52 percent to 39 percent — and Biden — 54 percent to 39 percent.
The poll also found Trump losing in hypothetical matchups against Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), although by smaller margins.
Trump trails Warren by 7 points, 42 percent to 49 percent; Booker by 5 points, 40 percent to 45 percent; and Harris by 1 point, 40 percent to 41 percent.
The survey of registered voters, conducted by Public Policy Polling, found Trump trailing by wide margins against Sanders — 52 percent to 39 percent — and Biden — 54 percent to 39 percent.
The poll also found Trump losing in hypothetical matchups against Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), although by smaller margins.
Trump trails Warren by 7 points, 42 percent to 49 percent; Booker by 5 points, 40 percent to 45 percent; and Harris by 1 point, 40 percent to 41 percent.
Trump's proposed mass health manslaughter more deadly to Americans than Vietnam war
This is something we published back in May, but is on point again with Trump calling for repeal of Obamacare. To put these estimates in perspective, depending on which one you use, repeal of Obamacare could result annually in 41% to 75% of the total number of American troops killed in the Vietnam War, most of which occurred over a nine year period.
The most Americans, 16,899, were killed in Vietnam in 1968. By comparison, repeal of Obama care would kill between 1.4 and 2.6 times as many every year.
Calling the GOP repeal of Obamacare an act of mass manslaughter is hardly an exaggeration. For example, one definition of the crime includes;
Passing such a bill now is dramatically different than if there wasn't any Obamacare. It has the same effect, say, of quietly removing the brakes on thousands of people's cars. And there is a strong argument that it is a criminal act.
How many people will be killed as a result is debatable, but here are some of the estimates:
The most Americans, 16,899, were killed in Vietnam in 1968. By comparison, repeal of Obama care would kill between 1.4 and 2.6 times as many every year.
Calling the GOP repeal of Obamacare an act of mass manslaughter is hardly an exaggeration. For example, one definition of the crime includes;
Involuntary manslaughter occurs when one person, while committing an unlawful or reckless act, unintentionally kills another.There's no question but that the GOP Don't Care Bill is a reckless act and there is no question that, should it be passed in both houses, it would kill thousands of people. Whether this is intentional o the Republicans' part is an arguable point, but manslaughter is a reckless consequence rather than a purposeful act.
Passing such a bill now is dramatically different than if there wasn't any Obamacare. It has the same effect, say, of quietly removing the brakes on thousands of people's cars. And there is a strong argument that it is a criminal act.
How many people will be killed as a result is debatable, but here are some of the estimates:
DC allows death with dignity prescriptions
WTOP - Doctors and pharmacies in the nation’s capital are now allowed to prescribe life-ending medications to terminally ill patients.
The Death with Dignity Act of 2016 became law with the signature of Mayor Muriel Bowser in December of 2016. Now the Bowser administration has announced the implementation of the law in the District.
The city said the law allows terminally ill D.C. residents over the age of 18 to legally obtain a physician’s prescription for medications to end their lives in a humane and peaceful manner.
For a person to elect to end his life legally in the District, the individual must work with doctors and pharmacies licensed in D.C. that are willing to prescribe and dispense the lethal medications.
For doctors and pharmacies, participating in the Death with Dignity program is voluntary.
The city requires patients to make two oral requests to end their life to a doctor, with 15 days between each request. A written request on a city form must be given before the second oral request.
The Death with Dignity Act of 2016 became law with the signature of Mayor Muriel Bowser in December of 2016. Now the Bowser administration has announced the implementation of the law in the District.
The city said the law allows terminally ill D.C. residents over the age of 18 to legally obtain a physician’s prescription for medications to end their lives in a humane and peaceful manner.
For a person to elect to end his life legally in the District, the individual must work with doctors and pharmacies licensed in D.C. that are willing to prescribe and dispense the lethal medications.
For doctors and pharmacies, participating in the Death with Dignity program is voluntary.
The city requires patients to make two oral requests to end their life to a doctor, with 15 days between each request. A written request on a city form must be given before the second oral request.
Tales from the attic: A mountain disaster too close to forget
A friend has sent me a long, recent story from the Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News site, Philly.com about one of Canada's worst mountain disasters that occurred 62 years ago. The reason he sent it to me was because one of the seven boys killed went to my school and was a member of Boy Scout Troop 188, where my friend's father was scoutmaster, and where one of those partly responsible for the disaster, Donald Dickerson, was an assistant scoutmaster. I was a member of Troop 188 and wrote later about the troop and the incident:
In the 1950s I joined Boy Scout Troop 188, specifically the Rattler Patrol. I initially regarded the Scouts as training for a life of adventure, but I was soon disabused of this notion by a more knowledgeable member who pointed out that with my interest in writing and his political clout, I could easily become troop scribe, thus achieving instant status without the tedium of earning merit badges. It was, he correctly pointed out, the troop council, and not the goody-goodies with all their badges, who actually ran the place.
I readily joined his political machine and never rose above second class. I was more than content to be a member of something and, for a few hours a week, to hang out with other boys engaged in normal boylike activities. My most notable outdoor achievement was to lead a three-hour hike that mystically and unintentionally brought us right back to where we started without ever having viewed our assigned destination. I also learned that the outdoors was more uninviting than I had envisioned -- the ground was hard, the food marginal, and even a spring night could be cold.
This view would be strengthened shortly after I graduated from Germantown Friends School, when our ex-Marine assistant scoutmaster helped lead a group of boys, aged 13 to 16, to Canada’s Banff National Park in order to climb the 11,656 foot Mt. Temple. The hikers were ill-trained and ill-equipped (some made the climb in sneakers) and the mountain was one of the toughest in the region. Only a year earlier, four Mexican climbers had died in an avalanche four and half miles from where my scout leader and his squad were hiking.
The group made it to within 2000 feet of the summit before deciding to turn back. Then, according to an AP story:
[According to the Philly.com story, Dickerson's wife "learned about his role in the tragedy only after he died and she discovered old news clips hidden in a box in the basement. Dickerson died of emphysema in 1974 at age 48. In retrospect, she believed, 'it was a tragedy that brought an early death to my husband. He felt guilty.;"]
Listverse, which included it in a collection of 10 tragic mountain accidents reported:
In the 1950s I joined Boy Scout Troop 188, specifically the Rattler Patrol. I initially regarded the Scouts as training for a life of adventure, but I was soon disabused of this notion by a more knowledgeable member who pointed out that with my interest in writing and his political clout, I could easily become troop scribe, thus achieving instant status without the tedium of earning merit badges. It was, he correctly pointed out, the troop council, and not the goody-goodies with all their badges, who actually ran the place.
I readily joined his political machine and never rose above second class. I was more than content to be a member of something and, for a few hours a week, to hang out with other boys engaged in normal boylike activities. My most notable outdoor achievement was to lead a three-hour hike that mystically and unintentionally brought us right back to where we started without ever having viewed our assigned destination. I also learned that the outdoors was more uninviting than I had envisioned -- the ground was hard, the food marginal, and even a spring night could be cold.
This view would be strengthened shortly after I graduated from Germantown Friends School, when our ex-Marine assistant scoutmaster helped lead a group of boys, aged 13 to 16, to Canada’s Banff National Park in order to climb the 11,656 foot Mt. Temple. The hikers were ill-trained and ill-equipped (some made the climb in sneakers) and the mountain was one of the toughest in the region. Only a year earlier, four Mexican climbers had died in an avalanche four and half miles from where my scout leader and his squad were hiking.
The group made it to within 2000 feet of the summit before deciding to turn back. Then, according to an AP story:
"As they started down, a mass of snow and rock roared upon them, tossing them 300 feet down the slope. One died instantly, rescuers said. Three others succumbed to multiple injuries and exposure to the bitter weather last night before search parties could reach them."Seven students died, two others, along with the two leaders, were injured. Our assistant scoutmaster, Don Dickerston, responded to press criticism saying, "How do you equip for an avalanche?"
[According to the Philly.com story, Dickerson's wife "learned about his role in the tragedy only after he died and she discovered old news clips hidden in a box in the basement. Dickerson died of emphysema in 1974 at age 48. In retrospect, she believed, 'it was a tragedy that brought an early death to my husband. He felt guilty.;"]
Listverse, which included it in a collection of 10 tragic mountain accidents reported:
On July 11, 1955, in one of Canada's most tragic mountaineering accidents, seven American male teenagers were killed on the southwest ridge route....They were clad in only light clothing and there was only one ice axe in the group. Some wore baseball cleats for better friction, and they were tied together on a manila rope.
At 4:00 p.m. they reached 2,750m and gathered to assess the situation, as the warm summer day had caused several nearby avalanches. After talking it over, the boys decided to start back down. A few minutes later a large avalanche thundered down towards the group. One of the boys dug in his ice axe and the rope went taut before it broke. Ten boys, ages 12 to 16 were swept 200 m down the snowfield and through a bottleneck, smashing into the rocks along the way. Before the day was over, seven of them would be dead in one of the worst avalanche accident in Parks Canada history.
July 17, 2017
Trump health klll in big trouble
CNN - Hours after the Senate was gaveled back into session, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was handed devastating news Monday evening: Two more defections on his health care bill that could doom the entire effort for the foreseeable future.
The dramatic simultaneous announcement from Sens. Jerry Moran of Kansas and Mike Lee of Utah means McConnell officially does not have the votes to even begin debate on his legislation to overhaul Obamacare.
In announcing their opposition to the bill, Moran and Lee said they would vote "no" on the motion to proceed -- a vote that McConnell had hoped to hold this week but was already forced to postpone due to Arizona Sen. John McCain's absence from Washington.
The dramatic simultaneous announcement from Sens. Jerry Moran of Kansas and Mike Lee of Utah means McConnell officially does not have the votes to even begin debate on his legislation to overhaul Obamacare.
In announcing their opposition to the bill, Moran and Lee said they would vote "no" on the motion to proceed -- a vote that McConnell had hoped to hold this week but was already forced to postpone due to Arizona Sen. John McCain's absence from Washington.
EPA chief laughs about killing agency
Mother Jones - Even though Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail to “get rid of” the Environmental Protection Agency “in almost every form,” it’s rare for his EPA administrator to go around and admit that’s just what they’re doing.
Usually, EPA chief Scott Pruitt sticks to a familiar set of talking points during his interviews, insisting he is refocusing the agency’s core mission defined by Congress to protect air and water. Yet he confirmed environmentalists’ worst suspicions on a conservative Birmingham-based radio program on July 6, when he responded to praise from co-host Andrea Lindenburg. “I like what Donald Trump has done here as president,” she said. “He took a guy who wanted to get rid of the EPA—dismantle it—and put him in charge of it.”
Pruitt replied with a chuckle: “Ha. That’s right.” The former Oklahoma Attorney General launched 14 lawsuits against the Obama administration’s EPA before his appointment.
Pruitt [said] that the EPA has taken “over 22 significant regulatory actions” in his first four months, referring to the EPA’s dozens of delays and reversals of Obama-era water, air, and climate regulations. The Trump administration plans to reduce the agency’s workforce by more than 3,000, to its lowest level in recent history, through budget cuts, early retirements, and buyouts.
Usually, EPA chief Scott Pruitt sticks to a familiar set of talking points during his interviews, insisting he is refocusing the agency’s core mission defined by Congress to protect air and water. Yet he confirmed environmentalists’ worst suspicions on a conservative Birmingham-based radio program on July 6, when he responded to praise from co-host Andrea Lindenburg. “I like what Donald Trump has done here as president,” she said. “He took a guy who wanted to get rid of the EPA—dismantle it—and put him in charge of it.”
Pruitt replied with a chuckle: “Ha. That’s right.” The former Oklahoma Attorney General launched 14 lawsuits against the Obama administration’s EPA before his appointment.
Pruitt [said] that the EPA has taken “over 22 significant regulatory actions” in his first four months, referring to the EPA’s dozens of delays and reversals of Obama-era water, air, and climate regulations. The Trump administration plans to reduce the agency’s workforce by more than 3,000, to its lowest level in recent history, through budget cuts, early retirements, and buyouts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)