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Post by mhbruin on Jun 1, 2023 8:30:14 GMT -8
These are things people actually said in court. ============================================ ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to? WITNESS: Oral. How the Freedom Caucus Screwed Themselves- They made it clear that they would never vote for any debt ceiling deal that could make it through the Senate.
- McCarthy wasn't willing to oversee a US default.
- Without the Freedom Caucus votes, any deal would need Democratic votes to get through the House
- Therefore McCarthy needed a deal that Democrats would vote for.
The intransigence of the QOP crazies insured there would be a bill that they would hate.
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 1, 2023 8:32:52 GMT -8
It's Not Usually a Good Idea to Discuss Legal Strategy in a Restaurant with a Reporter at the Next Table.
The internal frustrations within Donald Trump's legal team started almost immediately after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago last year, and they spilled into public view not long afterward.
Federal investigators seized 101 classified materials from the former president's private residence in August, and his four-person legal team at the time -- Jim Trusty, Evan Corcoran, Chris Kise and Lindsey Halligan -- worked together to persuade U.S. district court judge Aileen Cannon to grant a special master, but cracks soon emerged, reported The Guardian.
"But Trusty, who played a leading role in the special master litigation, was already frustrated with how things were going," reported Hugo Lowell for the newspaper. "Trusty’s private frame of mind emerged over dinner with Halligan and Corcoran at the five-star Breakers hotel in West Palm Beach, Florida, hours after the special master court hearing.
"The conversation was overheard by this Guardian reporter who happened to be sitting at the table next to them."
Trusty was frustrated that Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn was making the attorneys run legal decisions through him, even though he didn't consider him to be a trial lawyer, and Trusty didn't like that Epshteyn seemed to focus more on Trump's public-relations problems than legal issues.
Lowell then overheard the attorney rip Epshteyn for trying to "troubleshoot" legal problems instead of letting him candidly brief his own client himself, which he compared to "'Game of Thrones' nonsense," and Trusty and Parlatore agreed several weeks later, after the Justice Department told them they believed Trump still had classified documents, that Epshteyn improperly inserted himself into their work.
"The pair chafed that when they spoke to Trump on the phone, Epshteyn was typically also on the line," Lowell reported. "At other times, they sniped that Epshteyn would give overly rosy outlooks to Trump and, in March, traveled to Mar-a-Lago to seek Trump’s permission to exclude him from future deliberations."
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 1, 2023 8:35:23 GMT -8
I Wonder How Many Copies "Mongolian Rhapsody" Would Have Sold
A trove of Freddie Mercury's previously unseen handwritten draft lyrics for some of Queen's biggest hits goes on show Thursday in New York, ahead of their sale in London later this year.
The manuscripts include working drafts for "Bohemian Rhapsody" -- which Mercury initially planned to call "Mongolian Rhapsody" -- "Don't Stop Me Now" and "Somebody to Love".
"In scope, quality and exceptional provenance, the collection of lyrics together afford an unprecedented glimpse into the creative mind of one of the 20th-century's most influential songwriters," said Sotheby's, which is staging the auctions in September.
More than 1,500 items from Mercury's private collection, including costumes and unique objects as well as the draft lyrics, will feature in the eventual auctions in London and online.
Left largely untouched at his former west London home in the three decades since his death, they will be sold at live events in the British capital on September 6-8 and online August 4-September 11.
The vast array of items -- being auctioned by Mary Austin, one of the icon's closest friends who has cared for them at his former home Garden Lodge -- are expected to fetch at least £6 million ($7.5 million).
A highlight of the trove unveiled Thursday is 15 pages of lyrics and melodies that led to "Bohemian Rhapsody", one of Queen's most globally beloved and streamed songs and the third best-selling UK single ever.
Written in black and blue ink and pencil, on stationery from the now-defunct British Midland Airways, they reveal Mercury originally planned to call it "Mongolian Rhapsody".
'Mongolian Rhapsody'
The songwriter, who died in 1991, had at some point crossed out the word "Mongolian" and replaced it with "Bohemian".
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 1, 2023 8:37:12 GMT -8
A Death Sentence Can Cost the State a Lot
Florida law enforcement officials are diverting unusual amounts of money to the security of Gov. Ron DeSantis — and some former officials are speaking out about it, reported NBC News on Thursday.
"Top officials insist the increase is not entirely to do with the governor's national political ambitions. Instead, they say, they are simply realigning resources after mismanagement by past leaders," reported Matt Dixon. "But that's hitting fierce pushback from some of those same past leaders, including from a former department commissioner and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who previously served as governor for two terms."
According to the report, it is incredibly unusual for a former top law enforcement official in Florida to contradict the claims made by the current officials.
"The finger-pointing comes at a time when the (Florida Department of Law Enforcement's) resources are being spread thinner because of the increased focus on protecting DeSantis as his presidential campaign begins and its increased focus on undocumented immigration — a top political priority for DeSantis that he regularly uses to criticize President Joe Biden, which is fueling the perception that the agency is becoming politicized," said the report.
"The efforts include stationing agents in the Florida Keys to watch for mostly Cuban migrants approaching Florida’s shores and sending teams of 40 to the southern border in Texas as part of a broader mission DeSantis said is aimed at preventing illegal border crossings."
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 1, 2023 8:39:29 GMT -8
I Believe the Children Are Our Future
Three teenagers have been arrested after they allegedly stole a swan prized by its community in upstate New York before killing and eating the beloved bird over the Memorial Day weekend, officials said.
Police in Manlius, a southeast suburb of Syracuse, first sounded the alarm earlier this week after Faye, one of the village's most iconic residents, and four of her baby swans, known as cygnets, were reported missing after a Memorial Day parade.
"Unfortunately, the investigation led to the discovery that Faye ... had been killed over the weekend," the Town of Malnius Police Department said in an update Tuesday.
Not only was the swan slain, but she was later eaten by the teenagers and "family," Manlius police Sgt. Ken Hatter said at a news conference.
He said the teens had snuck into the pond area “in the middle of the night” and pounced on the bird as she was nesting. “She wasn’t fighting back and they were able to capture her,” he said, adding that the swan was killed at the pond.
I Believe Our Future Will Be a Disaster
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 1, 2023 8:49:50 GMT -8
The Most Boring Man on Earth Wants In
Former Vice President Mike Pence will officially launch his long-expected campaign for the Republican nomination for president in Iowa next week, adding another candidate to the growing GOP field and putting him in direct competition with his former boss.
Pence will hold a kickoff event in Des Moines on June 7, the date of his 64th birthday, according to two people familiar with his plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to share details ahead of the official announcement. He is also expected to release a video message that morning as part of the launch.
The decision to begin his campaign in Iowa instead of his home state of Indiana underscores the importance Pence’s team is placing on the early-voting state. They see Iowa as critical to Pence’s potential path to victory and hope his message will resonate with the evangelical Christian voters who make up a substantial portion of the state’s Republican electorate. Pence is an avowed social conservative and is staunchly opposed to abortion rights, favoring a national ban.
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 1, 2023 8:51:22 GMT -8
Jobs For Sale
A man who briefly worked as an aide to U.S. Rep. George Santos says he got his job after sending a series of payments to one of the Republican’s top deputies.
Derek Myers, 31, told staff of the House’s ethics subcommittee during an interview Wednesday that while he was trying to get a job in Santos' congressional office in late January, he sent at least seven $150 payments to Santos' director of operations, Vish Burra.
Myers shared details about the payments, including receipts and text messages, with The Associated Press. His account of how Burra helped him get hired hasn’t previously been reported and raises questions about potential ethical improprieties around Santos.
Myers said he began sending the money unsolicited because he believed Burra, a right-wing political operative, wasn’t getting paid by the House at the time and couldn’t afford food. But he said he also hoped the payments might help him secure a job.
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 1, 2023 8:54:03 GMT -8
Don't Tell the Governor
Tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ people are flocking to central Florida this weekend to go on theme park rides, mingle with costumed performers, dance at all-night parties and lounge poolside at hotels during Gay Days, a decades-long tradition.
Even though Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers have championed a slew of anti-LGBTQ+ laws — spurring the most prominent gay rights group in the U.S. and other civil rights organizations to issue warnings that the Sunshine State may no longer be safe — Gay Days organizers are still encouraging visitors from around the world to come to one of Florida's largest gay and lesbian celebrations.
They say a large turnout will send a message that LGBTQ+ people aren't going away in Florida, which is continually one of the most popular states for tourists to visit. If the hoped-for 150,000 or more visitors come to the half-week of pool parties, drag bingo and thrill rides at Orlando's theme parks and hotels, then “that's the point,” said Joseph Clark, CEO of Gay Days Inc.
“Right now is not the time to run. It’s not the time to go away,” Clark said. “It’s time to show we are here, we are queer and we aren’t going anywhere.”
Unlike most of the country, which celebrates Pride in June, Orlando holds its Pride in October. Gay Days is a bonus celebration.
It's not lost on the organizers that the highlight of the weekend will be a Saturday meetup of LGBTQ+ visitors at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, where the first Gay Days started as a single-day celebration in 1991. Traditionally, participants wear red shirts to identify themselves, and they meet for the afternoon parade in front of Cinderella’s Castle.
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 1, 2023 8:56:40 GMT -8
Knock. Knock .. Who'e There ... Nobody, I'm Playing the Slots
Afew weeks before last fall’s midterm elections, a paid canvasser in Nevada did what thousands of door-knockers across the country were doing: They went on an app and marked off the homes they had visited that day.
There was just one problem. This canvasser never went anywhere near those homes in a neighborhood in south Las Vegas. They were 8 miles away, sitting inside Caesars Palace casino, according to geotracking data obtained by NBC News.
The canvasser was working for an outside group backing GOP Senate candidate Adam Laxalt, who was seeking to topple one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents of the 2022 cycle. The canvasser was fired soon after the incident, according to two Republicans who worked on the canvassing effort.
If this were an isolated episode, it’d be a minor nuisance. But it wasn’t.
The large-scale voter contact effort that conservatives have put at the center of their political operations in recent years is plagued with issues, according to more than a dozen people who’ve worked in GOP-aligned field operations and internal data obtained by NBC News. Those issues include fraudulent and untrustworthy data entries, akin to what occurred in Nevada, as well as allegations of lax hiring practices and a lack of accountability.
Issues with canvassing arose in two of the closest losses of the 2022 election, four people familiar with those operations said. They were Nevada, where Laxalt’s narrow loss allowed Democrats to keep control of the Senate, and Georgia, where the GOP nominee for Senate, Herschel Walker, was ultimately defeated in a runoff election.
A half-dozen Republican-aligned field operators working on various races in Nevada, Georgia and Oregon said they encountered suspicious or fraudulent data — such as entries filed from homes that weren’t visited or falsified surveys — in 2022.
That’s just three states. But these individuals say those problems, as well as allegations raised in a recent lawsuit against one of the largest vendors in the conservative canvassing business, should raise internal alarms. These field operators said they’ve harbored similar concerns for multiple cycles but only provided documentation for the most recent midterms.
The problems, six people said, are pitfalls of the right’s increased reliance on paid canvassers rather than volunteers, and on a sprawling web of vendors and consultants tasked with what can be a thankless, though critical, job. Seven people said that cheating is on the rise amid pressure to quickly meet steep outreach goals.
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 1, 2023 8:58:25 GMT -8
April, Come She Will
The young woman was catatonic, stuck at the nurses’ station — unmoving, unblinking and unknowing of where or who she was.
Her name was April Burrell.
Before she became a patient, April had been an outgoing, straight-A student majoring in accounting at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. But after a traumatic event when she was 21, April suddenly developed psychosis and became lost in a constant state of visual and auditory hallucinations. The former high school valedictorian could no longer communicate, bathe or take care of herself.
April was diagnosed with a severe form of schizophrenia, an often devastating mental illness that affects approximately 1 percent of the global population and can drastically impair how patients behave and perceive reality.
“She was the first person I ever saw as a patient,” said Sander Markx, director of precision psychiatry at Columbia University, who was still a medical student in 2000 when he first encountered April. “She is, to this day, the sickest patient I’ve ever seen.”
It would be nearly two decades before their paths crossed again. But in 2018, another chance encounter led to several medical discoveries reminiscent of a scene from “Awakenings,” the famous book and movie inspired by the awakening of catatonic patients treated by the late neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks.
Markx and his colleagues discovered that although April’s illness was clinically indistinguishable from schizophrenia, she also had lupus, an underlying and treatable autoimmune condition that was attacking her brain.
After months of targeted treatments — and more than two decades trapped in her mind — April woke up.
“These are the forgotten souls. We’re not just improving the lives of these people, but we’re bringing them back from a place that I didn’t think they could come back from.” Sander Markx
The awakening of April — and the successful treatment of other people with similar conditions — now stand to transform care for some of psychiatry’s sickest patients, many of whom are languishing in mental institutions.
Researchers working with the New York state mental health-care system have identified about 200 patients with autoimmune diseases, some institutionalized for years, who may be helped by the discovery.
And scientists around the world, including Germany and Britain, are conducting similar research, finding that underlying autoimmune and inflammatory processes may be more common in patients with a variety of psychiatric syndromes than previously believed.
Although the current research probably will help only a small subset of patients, the impact of the work is already beginning to reshape the practice of psychiatry and the way many cases of mental illness are diagnosed and treated.
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Post by mhbruin on Jun 1, 2023 9:00:36 GMT -8
Game, Set, and Match
Donald Trump will be in serious legal peril if reports he was on tape admitting he had retained a classified document after he left the White House are accurate, a lawyer has said.
Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Harry Litman was reacting to claims first reported by CNN that Special Counsel Jack Smith's office had obtained an audio recording of the former president saying that he was in possession of a classified Pentagon document about a potential attack on Iran.
The audio recording from July 2021 reportedly reveals Trump saying he could not show it to others at a meeting in Bedminster, New Jersey, because they did not have clearance to view the classified document and Trump no longer had the authority to declassify it.
Trump has long denied any wrongdoing with regards to the investigation into the classified materials seized at his Mar-a-Lago resort in August 2022, including repeatedly making the disputed claim that he had declassified the material before he left office in January 2021. In September 2022, Trump claimed that he had the power as president to declassify top secret documents just "by thinking about it."
However, Trump's lawyers have never repeated the argument that the recovered materials had been declassified in any official court filings during the investigation, with the obtained audio clip suggesting Trump knew he did not declassify all the materials he was in possession of.
"An immediate pressing question is whether this document was among those later seized at Mar-a-Lago pursuant to the subpoena or the search warrant. My best guess is yes, because otherwise there would likely have been probable cause to search Bedminster and urgency to try," Litman tweeted.
"And from an evidentiary point of view, audio tape with Trump saying that he's limited in his ability to show classified documents is game, set and match as far as intent and guilty knowledge go," he added in another tweet. "Blows the various 'I am entitled' claims out of the water."
The Guardian, citing unnamed sources, also reported that Trump could be heard wishing that he had declassified the classified Iran document while he was in the White House at the meeting at his Bedminster golf resort in July 2021.
In a statement about the audio reports, a spokesperson for the former president said "leaks from radical partisans" are designed to "inflame tensions and continue the media's harassment" of Trump and his supporters.
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