May 17, 2024

When you lose an election, scream about voting "irregularities" and refuse to accept reality. It's the GOP Way!

GOP members of Delta County canvassing board refuse to certify recall results


(Michigan Advance) Following overwhelming victories in a recall election last week, the Republican members of the Delta County (Michigan) Board of Canvassers are refusing to certify the election results.

“What they’re doing is putting doubt in our local election people, which is sad because these are our family and our neighbors and our friends and their honesty and integrity is being questioned by these people with absolutely no merit,” said Kelli Van Ginhoven, one of three challengers who defeated three Republican members of the Delta County Board of Commissioners on May 7.

Unofficial results indicated that Van Ginhoven, a Democrat, and independent candidates Myra Croasdell and Matt Jensen, each defeated Republican Commissioners David Moyle, Robert Barron, and Robert Petersen by an approximately 3-1 margin. The incumbents were targeted for recall after they voted in February 2023 to fire County Administrator Emily DeSalvo.

DeSalvo, who had served as the county’s administrator since 2019, was fired immediately after she openly criticized the board for unethical and disrespectful behavior. .................................(more)

https://michiganadvance.com/2024/05/16/gop-members-of-delta-county-canvassing-board-refuse-to-certify-recall-results/

May 17, 2024

GOP members of Delta County canvassing board refuse to certify recall results

(Michigan Advance) Following overwhelming victories in a recall election last week, the Republican members of the Delta County Board of Canvassers are refusing to certify the election results.

“What they’re doing is putting doubt in our local election people, which is sad because these are our family and our neighbors and our friends and their honesty and integrity is being questioned by these people with absolutely no merit,” said Kelli Van Ginhoven, one of three challengers who defeated three Republican members of the Delta County Board of Commissioners on May 7.

Unofficial results indicated that Van Ginhoven, a Democrat, and independent candidates Myra Croasdell and Matt Jensen, each defeated Republican Commissioners David Moyle, Robert Barron, and Robert Petersen by an approximately 3-1 margin. The incumbents were targeted for recall after they voted in February 2023 to fire County Administrator Emily DeSalvo.

DeSalvo, who had served as the county’s administrator since 2019, was fired immediately after she openly criticized the board for unethical and disrespectful behavior. .................................(more)

https://michiganadvance.com/2024/05/16/gop-members-of-delta-county-canvassing-board-refuse-to-certify-recall-results/

May 16, 2024

Black homeowners start to close gap in property values

Black homeowners’ property values are on the rise across the country, with some of the biggest upswings in Midwestern and Southern states. The boon to Black homeowners, after decades of lagging property values, could help them close a racial wealth gap that has kept the American dream out of reach.

Home values increased on average 84% in majority-Black ZIP codes between 2016 and 2023, outpacing growth in white ZIP codes, where values grew 69%, according to a Stateline analysis of federal housing and census data.

...(snip)...

In Detroit alone, rising home prices in Black neighborhoods have created almost $3 billion in new wealth for Black homeowners, according to a University of Michigan study released in April. That study focused on 2014 to 2022, the decade after the city’s bankruptcy. The Stateline analysis suggests the turnaround extends far beyond Detroit, across the Midwest and South.

The Stateline analysis identified 92 majority-Black ZIP codes nationally, including nine in Detroit and six in Cleveland, where home values have increased since 2016 after losing value earlier in the 2000s. There were 22 such ZIP codes in Georgia, 21 in Michigan, 17 in Ohio and 13 in Illinois, with others in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin. .................(more)

https://michiganadvance.com/2024/05/15/black-homeowners-start-to-close-gap-in-property-values/

May 16, 2024

"Trump derangement syndrome": Hush-money trial suggests it was MAGA projection all along

"Trump derangement syndrome": Hush-money trial suggests it was MAGA projection all along
Michael Cohen testifies about "the cult of Donald Trump" — while Republicans in matching outfits flock to the court

By AMANDA MARCOTTE
Senior Writer
PUBLISHED MAY 16, 2024 6:00AM (EDT)


(Salon) "At that time I was knee-deep into the cult of Donald Trump, yes."

That was Michael Cohen's answer from a Manhattan witness stand on Tuesday when asked by Donald Trump's attorney if he was "obsessed" with his boss in the decade that he worked for the criminal defendant. The lawyer, Todd Blanche, was trying to discredit Cohen by painting him as something like a jilted lover, a man who once worshipped Trump but, ever since going to prison for crimes committed at Trump's behest, now holds an epic grudge.

....(snip)....

What Blanche was trying was a variation of the "Trump derangement syndrome" defense. Anyone who has been poltiical on social media has likely been subject to it: Some member of the MAGA tribe accusing a Trump critic of "TDS," short for this alleged syndrome. The insult is as self-refuting as it is popular, coming invariably from a Trump acolyte spewing unhinged and badly spelled conspiracy theories. Even the most embarrassing member of #Resistance Twitter seems even-keeled next to any random person pulled from a MAGA rally.

This contrast has been brought into full focus during Trump's trial. The two witnesses accused of being "deranged" by Trump — Cohen and Stormy Daniels — told stories that are coherent and fit with the documentary evidence. Even their anger, which has been a focal point for Trump's defense, makes perfect sense. They're two people whose mistake was trusting Trump. He sent one to prison and subjected the other to traumatizing sex she didn't want. It would be weirder if they didn't hate him.

....(snip)....

As Cohen testified, there's something deeply intoxicating about how Trump makes his marks feel like they're in on the con. He convinces not just the people around him, but millions of voters that, by sticking with him, they, too, can enjoy the impunity he has long enjoyed. As often happens to victims of con artists, they refuse to admit they're being taken for a ride. Instead, they lash out at the skeptics, insisting that people outside the cult are the ones with a problem. In Scientology, cult critics are labeled "suppressive persons," for instance. Nearly every cult does it: tells their followers that people on the outside are dangerous and delusional, and cult members should shun them rather than give any credence to their concerns. ..............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/05/16/trump-derangement-syndrome-hush-money-trial-suggests-it-was-maga-projection-all-along/

May 15, 2024

Anti-Defamation League ramps up lobbying to promote controversial definition of antisemitism

(Guardian UK) The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has spent record amounts lobbying for bills opponents say are meant to punish criticism of Israel and target Jewish peace and Palestinian rights groups, marking a shift in strategy over the last several years.

The Jewish civil rights organization, founded in 1913, is the self-described “leading anti-hate organization in the world”, and has historically focused on combating antisemitism by shaping public opinion. Its lobbying spike marks a dramatic shift – it spent about $100,000 on lobbying in 2020 and is on pace to spend nearly $1.6m this year based on its first quarter expenditures, a Guardian analysis of federal records finds.

....(snip)....

The 16-fold spending increase is “breathtaking” and currently unmatched on Capitol Hill, said Craig Holman, who monitors lobbying issues with Public Citizen, a government watchdog non-profit that does not take positions on the Israel-Palestine debate. It comes amid a “fundamental shift in public opinion about Israel”, Holman said, pointing to nationwide anti-war demonstrations on college campuses.

....(snip)....

The House in late April approved the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which the ADL lobbied for and would codify a definition of antisemitism that would limit some speech around Israel. It would be used in federal civil rights investigations in schools and, critics say, could ultimately limit protests and criticism of Israel on campus. The bill has yet to come before the Senate for a vote. ...............(more)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/15/adl-lobby-antisemitism-definition

May 15, 2024

Apple store workers vote to authorize first strike over bargaining delays

(Guardian UK) Workers at the first Apple store in the US to have unionized, in Towson, Maryland, have voted to authorize a strike as progress in bargaining for a first contract has stagnated.

They could be the first Apple retail store workers to ever go on strike.

International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers’ (IAM) Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (IAM Core) represents 100 workers at the Apple store who had their union election win certified in May 2022. They are one of two Apple stores in the US to have successfully unionized, the other being a location in Oklahoma City.

David DiMaria, the machinists union’s lead organizer at the Towson Apple store, said the strike authorization vote is the first step in the process before a strike sanction vote.

“We have more bargaining dates coming up,” said DiMaria. “We’re going to go to the table. We’re hoping the company will bargain in good faith, but frankly what we’ve seen over the past year or so is that they really haven’t been, and we filed charges based on that they’re not living up to their obligation under federal law to bargain in good faith with the union.” ..................(more)

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/may/15/apple-union-workers-strike-vote-bargaining-delay

May 15, 2024

Federal judge sentences Florida man for conspiring to firebomb Planned Parenthood clinic

US District Judge Cormac J. Carney sentenced 21-year-old Xavier Batten of Florida to 42 months in prison for conspiring to firebomb a Planned Parenthood clinic, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in a statement Monday.

The events leading to Batten’s sentence transpired in February and March of 2022. According to the DOJ’s statement, Batten conspired with Chance Brannon and Tibet Ergul, both from California, to construct a Molotov cocktail which was later detonated in a Planned Parenthood clinic in Costa Mesa, California. The incendiary device started a fire in the clinic, ultimately “forc[ing] it to temporarily close and to reschedule approximately 30 patients’ appointments.” Though Batten was not physically present to aid in the device’s construction, he provided instructions over the phone, with knowledge of his partners’ intentions. In January 2024, Batten pleaded guilty to “one felony count of possessing an unregistered destructive device” and “one misdemeanor count of intentionally damaging a reproductive health services facility, in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.”

In a sentencing memorandum filed by the government, the prosecutors cite multiple text conversations between Batten and Brannon. In an exchange before the attack, Batten instructed his codefendant on how much styrofoam to use in building the device. A few minutes after the attack, Brannon told Batten “it’s done,” via text. “Congratulations on your success brother,” Batten responded. According to the government, “[Batten’s] willingness to help his codefendants firebomb a healthcare clinic from afar, without being present to check for people or control the circumstances, reflects a seeming apathy to whether anyone would be hurt or killed as a result of his tutelage.”

During Batten’s hearing, Judge Carney referred to Batten’s wrongdoing as a “cowardly crime” that showed “no empathy for women and their rights,” according to the DOJ statement. In addition to the 42-month prison sentence, Judge Carney ordered Batten to pay $1,000 restitution and prescribed a supervised release plan following Batten’s release. ............................(more)

https://www.jurist.org/news/2024/05/federal-judge-sentences-florida-man-for-conspiring-to-firebomb-a-planned-parenthood-clinic/

May 15, 2024

Human beings, killer whales have had it with your bullsh*t

Orcas sink another yacht off the Strait of Gibraltar
Orcas have been sinking human vessels for the last four years, with the new incident occurring in Moroccan waters

By MATTHEW ROZSA
Staff Writer
PUBLISHED MAY 14, 2024 2:05PM (EDT)




(Salon) Apod of orcas sunk yet another boat, according to a recent report, this time a sailing yacht within Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar. Two people riding a 49-foot vessel known as Alboran Cognac were attacked by an unknown number of the cetaceans around 9 AM local time on Sunday.

It's the latest in a series of dozens of such incidents, including a yacht that was sunk last November after orcas, also known as killer whales, rammed the yacht's rudder. Although some scientists speculate the animals may be displaying "playful" and "copycat" behavior, the experience was certainly not enjoyable for the two humans from the recent incident, who reported feeling strikes to their hulls and rudders before water began leaking into the vessel. They were rescued by a nearby oil tanker that transported them to Gibraltar while their yacht was left to sink.

One popular theory for the attacks is that they were perpetrated by Gladis, a pod of about 15 orcas named after a killer whale (White Gladis) supposedly rammed to death by a boat. Gladis and other orca subpopulations have been documented targeting boats off the Atlantic coast of Portugal and north-western Spain since May 2020, and experts believe Gladdis may be behind this attack as well. ................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/05/14/orcas-sink-yacht-off-the-strait-of-gibraltar/?in_brief=true

May 14, 2024

KC Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker bashes Pride Month, tells women to stay in the kitchen

There are some times when maybe, just maybe, one should actually stick to sports.

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has been tremendously successful in his chosen profession over the last few years; the 1027 seventh-round pick out of Georgia Tech has helped his team win three Super Bowls, and in the 2023 season, he made 94.3% of his field goals in the regular season (a career high), and he went 11-fot-11 in the postseason.

....(snip)....

Butker recently delivered the commencement address at Benedictine College, a liberal arts institution in Atchison, Kansas. This is the same college that once forced out gay basketball player Jallen Messersmith to remove a rainbow flag from his dorm room window.

....(snip)....

“The world around us says that we should keep our beliefs to ourselves whenever they go against the tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion,” Butker said. “We fear speaking truth, because now, unfortunately, truth is in the minority.” ........... (more)

https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/2024/05/13/chiefs-kicker-harrison-butker-bashes-pride-month-tells-women-to-stay-in-the-kitchen/

May 14, 2024

Florida man who joined mob in tunnel at US Capitol on Jan. 6 is found guilty

FORT LAUDERDALE — A Boca Raton man who joined a mob in “one of the most violent areas” of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol has been found guilty of several felony and misdemeanor charges for his participation, federal officials said Monday.

A jury found Richard Cook, 38, guilty on Friday of one felony count of civil disorder and five misdemeanors: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds, in addition to impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings and act of physical violence in the Capital grounds or buildings, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.

A joint session of Congress began about 1 p.m. Jan. 6 to certify the Electoral College votes of the 2020 presidential election as the horde of rioters began to gather outside. By about 2 p.m., rioters had crossed over barriers and were forcing their way into the Capitol by breaking windows and attacking officers, according to a statement of facts in Cook’s federal court case.

Evidence at trial showed that Cook joined a mob that “relentlessly attacked” officers in the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, the Justice Department said. He entered the tunnel twice that afternoon and joined “a collective push” against officers. ..................(more)

https://www.tampabay.com/news/crime/2024/05/13/florida-man-who-joined-mob-tunnel-us-capitol-jan-6-is-found-guilty/