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Post by mhbruin on Oct 24, 2023 9:05:28 GMT -8
Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.
And Then There Were 15. Previous Guy Supporters Are Not Happy.
Former Trump election lawyer Jenna Ellis on Tuesday became the latest to cop a plea deal in the state of Georgia, where she tearfully expressed her regrets for having ever gotten involved in the former president's efforts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election to President Joe Biden.
Many Trump supporters were predictably not pleased with this turn of events – and they took to Twitter to bash Ellis for seemingly turning against the former president, who has been indicted on 91 felony counts in four different jurisdictions.
Failed Florida congressional candidate and longtime MAGA enthusiast Laura Loomer, for one, said that Ellis' plea has confirmed her view that Ellis is a "disloyal wench" who has been stealing from Trump supporters by asking them for donations to help pay her legal bills.
"She’s now going to use the money so many of you foolishly gave her to work against President Trump in an election year," Loomer fumed. "Shame on every single MORON who donated to Jenna Ellis."
Fellow Trump supporter Alexander Sheppard, meanwhile, expressed a similar sentiment and demanded that Ellis return all the money she raised from the MAGA faithful.
"I don't know how anyone could trust her after this," he griped.
Derrick Evans, a former West Virginia delegate who also served prison time for storming the United States Capitol on January 6th, 2021, said he could forgive Ellis for pleading guilty to avoid jail time, but not for "throwing President Trump under the bus."
"For that reason, Jenna Ellis will always be known as a disloyal coward and a total scumbag," he commented.
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 24, 2023 9:17:13 GMT -8
Previous Guy's Lawyers (Those Who Haven't Pled Guilty) Are Making Dumb Motions
Former President Donald Trump's lawyers made a number of bold assertions in their late-night filings demanding the dismissal of special counsel Jack Smith's indictment of him on charges related to his attempts to illegally remain in power after losing the 2020 election.
CBS News' Scott MacFarlane flags one particularly striking filing in which Trump's attorneys demand that references to the January 6th riots at the United States Capitol building be stricken from the indictment.
In essence, the attorneys argue that the government has not charged Trump with inciting the riot at the Capitol, and thus any references to it are irrelevant to the case.
What's more, Trump's lawyers argue that simply mentioning the January 6th riots could prejudice jurors against their client.
But Wait! There's More!
Former President Donald Trump is now attempting the "First Amendment" defense as the reason he had the right to attempt to overturn the 2020 election and encourage an attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Trump is charged with as much, but the documents filed shortly after midnight Tuesday morning also claimed that the indictment from the Justice Department has a "failure to state an offense." It's legalese for, "You didn't say I broke any laws."
"To adequately allege an offense, a specification must (1) notify the accused of the offense charged, (2) contain the elements of the offense either expressly or by fair implication, and (3) together with the record of trial, bar any subsequent prosecution in the event of acquittal or conviction," explains Daniel Conway & Associates' website.
Legal analyst Allison Gill asked if this was the deadline for pretrial motions. Lawfare's Anna Bower, who posted the filings online here and here, explained that indeed, midnight was the cutoff, leading to everything Trump's lawyers could find to challenge his indictment.
A third pre-trial motion demands Judge Tanya Chutkan strike “inflammatory” allegations from the DOJ's "indictment—specifically, allegations related to actions of 'independent actors' at the Capitol on January 6, 2021," Bower pointed out.
The final filing, number four, is Trump's motion to dismiss the case on "selective and vindictive prosecution" grounds. He had been saying that he would file such a motion.
Legal analyst Bradley Moss responded to the filings with a gif of Justin Timberlake singing "cry me a river."
He also attacked the First Amendment motion, saying, "This motion is disturbingly poorly framed. Way too abstract an approach on constitutional grounds and does not remotely explain how the alleged criminal acts fall within First Amendment protection. There were legitimate First Amendment arguments to make but I am not impressed by this motion."
Before that motion was officially filed, DC lawyer George Conway remarked on Threads: "To be honest, I think Trump‘s best first amendment argument is to say, hey, at this point, who *isn’t* a witness against me?
Want More Stupid?
Former President Donald Trump is seeking to toss the federal election obstruction case against him, arguing in court filings Monday that his actions are protected by the First Amendment and that he can't be tried again after being acquitted by the Senate in his impeachment trial.
In court filings filed shortly before midnight, lawyers for Trump argued that the charges against their client are legally faulty, noting Congress’ unsuccessful efforts to impeach him in the final days of his presidency.
"The United States Senate has previously tried and acquitted President Trump for charges arising from the same course of conduct alleged in the indictment, the impeachment and double jeopardy clauses both bar retrial before this Court and require dismissal," the filing argues.
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 24, 2023 9:22:08 GMT -8
Meanwhile the Stable GenUS Strikes Again
Donald Trump spoke to a rally crowd in Derry, New Hampshire, on Monday, where he celebrated his own "genius."
As part of his rambling speech, Trump seemed to realize the abbreviations of the United States, U.S., are the same letters as "us," meaning an individual and others.
Speaking about French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump explained, "You know, he's for France. I'm for us. I'm for us. You know how you spell 'us' right? You spell it U-S!"
The crowd cheered.
"I just picked that up. Has anyone ever thought of that be — I just picked that up," Trump continued.
They Are Called "Nursing Homes"
Donald Trump raged against the criminal and civil cases against him in a dark campaign speech that MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski suggested was a sign of worsening mental health.
The former president told a crowd of supporters they shouldn't bother voting because elections were rigged, mixed up the leaders of Hungary and Turkey, and claimed to be the first person to notice the similarities between the abbreviation U.S. and the word "us," and the "Morning Joe" co-hosts raised concerns about his fitness for office.
"Donald Trump gave a campaign speech in New Hampshire yesterday," Brzezinski said. "Let's just say, in all seriousness, by the way, this is not a joke, if Joe Biden had said the things that Trump said, most Republicans would be calling for him to be put in an old age home."
"Don't Worry About Voting"
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 24, 2023 9:30:27 GMT -8
He's the Least Worst Option
House Republicans nominated Tom Emmer of Minnesota to be their candidate for speaker.
Democrats Are Willing to Play
House Republicans' three-week failure to elect a new speaker has gotten so tiresome that even House Democrats now appear willing to throw the GOP a bone.
Punchbowl News reports that Democratic leaders view Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN), whom the publication describes as Republicans' "Plan D" choice, as the least objectionable of all the remaining speaker candidates and they would not try to actively block him from winning the race even if there are significant defections within his own party.
Specifically, the publication writes that House Democrats would "be open to helping him by sitting the vote out if they get private assurances that Emmer will fund the government at levels negotiated in the debt-limit deal and put a Ukraine-plus-Israel aid bill on the floor" in the coming weeks.
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 24, 2023 9:33:32 GMT -8
EBay? Oh, Boy! The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against eBay for selling devices and products violating the Clean Air Act. Rolling coal polluters modify diesel engines to emit clouds of black soot to annoy environmentalists. These aftermarket defeat emission control devices are illegal to use or sell as they violate emission standards. The targets of these sociopaths are usually owners of Prius and electric vehicles, joggers, and bicyclists.  According to the DOJ statement, eBay also violates environmental and health laws by selling banned pesticides and other dangerous chemicals, even when ordered to stop by the DOJ in 2020. The Justice Department filed a complaint against eBay Inc. today for unlawfully selling and distributing hundreds of thousands of products in violation of the Clean Air Act (CAA); the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The complaint was filed on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in federal court in Brooklyn. The complaint alleges that eBay sold, offered for sale or caused the sale of more than 343,000 aftermarket defeat devices, which defeat motor vehicle emission controls, a violation of the CAA. Aftermarket defeat devices significantly increase pollution emissions – including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and nonmethane hydrocarbons – that harm public health and impede efforts by the EPA, states, Tribes and local agencies to plan for and attain air quality standards. The complaint also alleges that eBay has violated FIFRA by unlawfully distributing or selling at least 23,000 unregistered, misbranded or restricted-use pesticide products, even in violation of a stop sale order EPA issued to eBay in 2020 and amended in 2021. Examples include a high toxicity insecticide banned in the United States, restricted use pesticides that only certified applicators may apply and products fraudulently claiming to protect users against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The complaint seeks a court order that eBay’s business practices as an e-commerce retailer violated the CAA, FIFRA and TSCA and requests injunctive relief to enjoin eBay from further violations of these laws, as well as civil penalties for CAA violations. |
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 24, 2023 9:35:33 GMT -8
I Agree !00% with This Guy
It is pernicious and widespread — the conflation of criticism of Israel and its vile far right government with anti-semitism. They are not one and the same but the tactics of some desperate to insulate Netanyahu and his thugs from criticism is to link them. Sadly they are often successful. It is bullshit and I will continue to call it out. The equivalent would be to claim that because I have great sympathy for the plight of the Palestinians I support Hamas. That is bullshit too. A pox on the Hamas savages and a pox on the government of Israel. But just one other thing that seems lost in this — Israeli voters elected Netanyahu and his far right thugs. Supporters of Israel love pointing out it is the only true democracy in the ME. It is — and its people have elected increasingly right wing governments that continue to pile pain and pressure on Palestinians and do all they can to ensure a two-state solution — the only way out of this mess — is never achieved. Netanyahu is widely reported to have assisted Hamas in the past to ensure the Palestinians remain split in the West Bank and Gaza. ( NY Times story confirms that Netanyahu kept Hamas in power.) I Am Annoyed by People Who Use Percentages Over 100% When They Are Impossible.
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 24, 2023 9:44:53 GMT -8
The Biden Boom Continues With Good News on InflationU.S. business output ticked higher in October as the manufacturing sector pulled out of a five-month contraction on a pickup in new orders, and services activity accelerated modestly amid signs of easing inflationary pressures. S&P Global on Tuesday said its flash U.S. Composite Purchasing Managers Index tracking both the manufacturing and service sectors rose to 51.0 in October - one point above the 50 level that separates expansion and contraction - from a final September reading of 50.2. It was the highest level since July. It was the latest sign the U.S. economy is withstanding the surge in interest rates spurred by the Federal Reserve's campaign to beat back inflation. Growth has persisted all year even as most economists until recently had expected the Fed's 5.25 percentage points of rate hikes since March 2022 to trigger a recession and a rise in joblessness. Later this week the Commerce Department will offer up its scorecard of economic activity for the third quarter, with economists polled by Reuters estimating gross domestic product growth was the swiftest in nearly two years in the period from July through September. The S&P Global survey suggests that momentum has carried over into the start of the fourth quarter. "Hopes of a soft landing for the U.S. economy will be encouraged by the improved situation seen in October," Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said in a statement. "The S&P Global PMI survey has been among the most downbeat economic indicators in recent months, so the upturn in U.S. output growth signaled at the start of the fourth quarter is good news." The survey's manufacturing PMI inched up to the break-even level of 50, its highest since April and snapping a shallow contraction in the sector that had begun in May. The median expectation among economists polled by Reuters had been for a reading of 49.5. New manufacturing orders rose for the first time in six months and were the highest since September 2022. On the much-larger services side of the economy, activity also defied forecasts for a modest slowdown as that sector's PMI came in at a three-month high of 50.9 this month versus 50.1 in September and against a median Reuters poll estimate of 49.8. In a development that will be welcomed by Fed policymakers in their fight against inflation, service-sector cost inputs grew at their slowest pace in three years while service providers increased prices by the smallest margin since the spring of 2020 shortly after the coronavirus pandemic erupted. "The survey's selling price gauge is now close to its pre-pandemic long-run average and consistent with headline inflation dropping close to the Fed's 2% target in the coming months, something which looks likely to be achieved without output falling into contraction," Williamson said. Inflation has abated notably since hitting its peak rate in June 2022, but the path downward has been uneven over the past several months, and Fed officials have fretted that services price pressures were proving especially sticky.
Meanwhile the Public Remains IgnorantOne recent poll found that a majority of Americans and 60 percent of Republicans say that unemployment is near a 50-year high. But it’s actually near its lowest level since the 1960s.
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 24, 2023 9:46:21 GMT -8
A New Verision of Institutional Racism
Chatbots based on large language models (LLMs) are being integrated into healthcare systems, but these models may be perpetuating harmful, race-based medical beliefs that could be particularly harmful to Black patients, according to a new study published in Nature.
Recent studies using LLMs have demonstrated their utility in answering medically relevant questions in specialties such as cardiology, anesthesiology and oncology. LLMs are trained on large corpuses of text data and are engineered to provide human-like responses; some models, such as Bard, can access the internet.
But the training data used to build the models are not transparent, and this might lead to bias. Such biases include the use of race-based equations to determine kidney function and lung capacity that were built on incorrect, racist assumptions.
Every LLM model that was put under the microscope demonstrated instances of racist tropes, or a repetition of unsubstantiated claims about race.
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 24, 2023 9:49:54 GMT -8
Stop the Presses! The Bidens Walked on a Beach!
Next the RNC Will Discover That He Sleeps
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 24, 2023 9:54:16 GMT -8
Tired of Overpriced Restaurants. Don't Try This.
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