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Post by mhbruin on Dec 8, 2023 9:44:04 GMT -8
I sued the airline when I couldn’t find my bag. I lost my case.
Get Gaetz for GaetzGate
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) infuriated allies of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) when he triggered a "motion to vacate" that led to the California Republican being ousted as House speaker. Gaetz, however, has expressed no regrets.
In fact, he has bragged about his role in McCarthy's fate, insisting that the "motion to vacate" underscores his commitment to the MAGA movement and America First ideology.
Moreover, Gaetz is on good terms with former President Donald Trump, which means a lot in 2023's Republican Party.
But Gaetz has made a lot of enemies in his party.
A USA Today report uncovers anti-Gaetz House Republicans who would like to see him suffer the same fate as former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) and be expelled from Congress.
"Several Republican House members, many of whom are still angry at Gaetz for his antics that have impeded McCarthy and the majority of the conference from passing legislation, have begun to discuss Gaetz's ongoing investigation by the House Ethics Committee in the wake of the expulsion of embattled former Rep. George Santos," according to the report.
"Leading up to Santos' expulsion, multiple opponents of his removal publicly voiced their concerns about expelling a member who had not yet been convicted of a crime, which would overturn the precedent set by Congress in modern times."
The House Ethics Committee, opened an investigation into Gaetz in 2021 to look into allegations that he “may have engaged in sexual misconduct.
Long dormant, the now-Republican-led committee this week signaled that it was ongoing by contacting a witness, CNN reported.
Gaetz was among the Republicans who voted against expelling Santos.
A House Republican who was interviewed on condition of anonymity told USA Today, "There were a number of people who voted to expel Santos with the express intent of thinking through the precedent there on what happens next. There was a lot of forethought about the precedent and what would happen when a report on Gaetz comes out."
Another House Republican, also quoted anonymously, told USA Today, "If there's anything in there that's bad, I can guarantee people will have their fangs out. He is hated in our conference. If he comes back as guilty in this ethics thing, I think he's in trouble."
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Post by mhbruin on Dec 8, 2023 9:47:29 GMT -8
It took the Police Minutes after the First Shot to Respond to the UNLV Shooting
MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski grilled an Israeli government spokeswoman over the delayed response to the horrific Oct. 7 terror attack by Hamas.
The surprise attack two months ago left more than 1,200 Israelis dead, with reports of sexual assault and torture by Hamas fighters, and many others remain hostages in Gaza, and the "Morning Joe" co-host pressed Tal Heinrich, a spokesperson for prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to explain why it took hours for the military to respond.
"I'm just curious, I mean, it's been two months, Tal, and a lot of us have been asking this question repeatedly, how it's possible that so many hours passed, victims were trapped, murdered, raped, kidnapped, Hamas stormed the gates – they stormed by land, they stormed in ATVs, they stormed by the air, in paragliders, in plain sight," Brzezinski said. "I don't understand how it took hours and that there wasn't an immediate response in moments."
Heinrich agreed that was a good question that the prime minister was investigating, and that the government would provide answers later.
"We will share these answers when the time, when the time will come because we are still investigating it," Heinrich said. "We will continue to investigate. You know, we're a democratic country, we have conducted thorough inquiries in the past, and we will continue to do it. We are drawing some lessons as we go because this can never, ever happen again. There is no doubt here that Oct. 7 was a major failure on our end."
Brzezinski wasn't satisfied with her response, saying the Israeli government needed to provide an immediate answer to some of those questions.
"I mean, it's beyond a major failure," she said. "I mean, lives could have been saved. This country is not that big, I mean, physically, to get to these victims and to this attack could have been minutes, and it was hours. There's got to be an explanation for that."
Heinrich said the government would wait until they had a "solid explanation" before sharing their findings, and Brzezinski shared a video clip of an interview NBC News correspondent Richard Engel conducted with Israelis who are furious that the military took eight hours to respond to the attack.
"I mean, is that going to be the answer?" Brzezinski said. "What's the answer for the delayed response, and I'm not just talking about a little delay. We're talking about eight hours were people are waiting and dying. Now you have people, victims, the ones who survived, who feel their government and their military and their police don't care about them. How do you -- there's got to be an explanation for these people."
Israeli Government: We'll Tell You When We Are Good and Ready to Tell You.
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Post by mhbruin on Dec 8, 2023 9:50:02 GMT -8
Would This Happen in the US?
A Leicester woman who was threatened with deportation after 42 years in the country has now been told she can stay.
Leonarda Zarcone, 74, is a French citizen who applied for EU settled status after Brexit.
Ms Zarcone said she missed the deadline to provide more information because an email ended up in a "junk folder".
But after the BBC contacted the Home Office on Thursday, she received an email the following day telling her she has residency.
Reacting to the update on Friday, her son David Brunetto told the BBC: "I'm really happy. All the weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Mum is relieved… really happy."
Ms Zarcone, who ran a chip shop in Leicester until she retired seven years ago, previously said it was "the shock of my life" to hear that she had lost her right to live in the UK.
She found out she did not have residency from an immigration officer at East Midlands Airport on her return from a family wedding in France in September.
She was eventually allowed through border control with a 28-day visitor stamp.
Ms Zarcone first lived in the UK as a child, and moved permanently with her husband and her two eldest children in 1981.
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Post by mhbruin on Dec 8, 2023 9:53:01 GMT -8
American Vampires Can Sleep a Little Easier (During the Day, Of Course.)
A US senator has called for a government investigation into the impact on national security of garlic imports from China.
Republican Senator Rick Scott has written to the commerce secretary, claiming Chinese garlic is unsafe, citing unsanitary production methods.
China is the world's biggest exporter of fresh and chilled garlic and the US is a major consumer.
But the trade has been controversial for many years.
The US has accused China of "dumping" garlic on to the market at below-cost price.
Since the mid-1990s it has levied heavy tariffs or taxes on Chinese imports in order to prevent US producers from being priced out of the market.
In 2019, during the Trump administration, these tariffs were increased.
In his letter Senator Scott refers to these existing concerns. But he goes on to highlight "a severe public health concern over the quality and safety of garlic grown in foreign countries - most notably, garlic grown in Communist China".
He refers to practices which, he says, have been "well documented" in online videos, cooking blogs and documentaries, including growing garlic in sewage.
He has called for the Department of Commerce to take action, under a law which allows investigations into the impact of specific imports on the security of the US.
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Post by mhbruin on Dec 8, 2023 9:56:45 GMT -8
CRISPR Critters Can Cure Sickle Cell
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday announced that it has approved Casgevy, the first CRISPR gene-editing therapy for sickle cell disease, paving the way for thousands of patients in the U.S. to receive a treatment that has been described as a "functional cure" for eligible patients.
The FDA also approved a gene therapy called Lyfgenia. Collectively, these two therapies represent two "milestone" treatments for sickle cell disease, according to the FDA announcement.
Sickle cell disease is a genetic condition that affects approximately 100,000 Americans – primarily Black Americans with African ancestry, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Researchers estimate that roughly 20-25% of those with the disease are sick enough that they would be good candidates for the newly approved treatments, which were approved for people aged and older.
Although historic, the new treatments come with significant hurdles and potential risks. The treatment is difficult to manufacture and requires months of preparation for patients and their families. Patients will need to stay in the hospital for several weeks, and will receive preemptive chemotherapy that can place fertility at risk. Because of this, patients will likely be offered preemptive fertility preservation.
Still, in a world with few options, doctors and patients say this is a historic step forward.
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Post by mhbruin on Dec 8, 2023 10:00:09 GMT -8
I Have a Nightmare
Awoman attempted to burn down the birth home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta on Thursday but was stopped by several bystanders after pouring gasoline on the historic property, police said.
Laneisha Shantrice Henderson, 26, was arrested and charged with second-degree arson and interfering with government property following the scare just before 6 p.m., police said.
Two people visiting from Utah interrupted the woman as she poured gasoline on the home’s front porch. She was physically detained by two off-duty police officers, who were visiting from New York, until local police arrived, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters.
“Their quick action saved the jewel of our city, something very important to Atlanta,” Schierbaum said.
Video obtained by local station WSB-TV appears to show the woman dressed in all black splashing a liquid from a red canister on the home’s front windows and porch. She appears to wave her hand away at people who ask what she’s doing.
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Post by mhbruin on Dec 8, 2023 10:02:46 GMT -8
Driving Through Texas, I Saw a SHELL Gasoline Sign Where the "S" wasn't Lit. Truth in Advertising?
Only hours after a judge issued a ruling allowing a Texas woman facing a nonviable, life-threatening pregnancy to seek an abortion, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stepped in to threaten hospitals and doctors with both civil and criminal penalties if they comply with the judge’s ruling.
Kate Cox is a 31-year-old mother of two who was initially excited to discover she was pregnant with her third child. Several weeks into her pregnancy, Cox’s doctors informed her that the fetus had full trisomy 18, a chromosomal condition linked to abnormalities in many parts of the body. Not only does this create a high risk of either stillbirth or miscarriage, but continuing the pregnancy places Cox at high risk of a uterine rupture. This is a serious threat to her health and would imperil her ability to carry another child in the future.
Under Texas’ draconian abortion ban, even someone facing such extreme circumstances as Cox has few options. However, she went to court to seek relief, and as The Texas Tribune reports, Travis County District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble handed down a temporary restraining order that would allow Cox to obtain an abortion. However, Paxton wrote to three Houston-area hospitals within hours, threatening any facility or doctor who provides Cox with medical relief.
Paxton is doing everything in his power to make sure that suffering continues.
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Post by mhbruin on Dec 8, 2023 10:06:05 GMT -8
But His Son's Laptop and Taxes!!
Joe Biden for President
Because of Biden, America is stronger, healthier, safer, more prosperous, and fairer. He's earned a second term. It's time to say it out loud.
Biden has been a terrific and impactful leader. He ended the pandemic, cut inflation, lowered medical costs, created millions of new jobs, revitalized American manufacturing, strengthened our alliances, stood up to Russian aggression, and kept the most dangerous regional wars from expanding into global catastrophes. If a Republican did any one of these things, their side would be calling for a Nobel Prize, renaming airports to honor their guy, and signing contracts to add his face to Mount Rushmore.
Biden has done things no Republican would ever do. He actually passed and signed an infrastructure bill. He is fighting to protect reproductive rights. He has strengthened unions and taken on corporate power. He has protected marriage for LGBTQ and interracial couples. He put Ketanji Brown Jackson on the Supreme Court and has continued to nominate qualified jurists from all backgrounds to the federal bench. He signed meaningful gun violence reduction legislation. He has delivered on a stunning climate and environmental justice agenda.
America is stronger, fairer, and more prosperous because of his presidency. Our economy is growing. We’ve added nearly 11 million new jobs. Wages are increasing. Inflation is coming down. Americans are paying less for health insurance and more have coverage.
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Post by mhbruin on Dec 8, 2023 10:07:58 GMT -8
The Senior Leadership of the Nevada QOP Craps Out
Top Nevada GOP officials charged with felonies for posing as pro-Trump 2020 electors
Nevada is the third state to charge Republican activists who falsely claimed to be legitimate representatives in the Electoral College.
A Nevada grand jury indicted the six Republicans who falsely pledged the state’s electoral votes to Donald Trump in 2020 as Trump sought to reverse his loss to Joe Biden in the state.
The so-called alternate electors, one of whom is the head of the Nevada Republican Party, are each charged with two Nevada felonies related to the documents they signed purporting to be the state’s legitimate electors. The charges are for “offering a false instrument for filing” and “uttering a forged instrument.”
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Post by mhbruin on Dec 8, 2023 10:14:38 GMT -8
When the Hunter Became the Hunted
Hunter Biden, the president’s son, was indicted on charges he failed to pay his income taxes, Justice Department special counsel David Weiss announced Thursday.
The announcement came months after a plea deal over tax and gun charges collapsed. Under the agreement, which a federal judge rejected, Hunter Biden was set to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of failing to pay taxes in 2017 and 2018.
Biden is charged in a California federal court with three felony tax offenses and six misdemeanors. He engaged in a scheme in which he failed to pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed taxes from 2016 through 2019, and also evaded tax assessment for 2018 when he filed false returns, according to the indictment.
From 2016 to 2020, Biden spent money "on drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature, in short, everything but his taxes," according to the indictment. (If he isn't being indicted for how he spent the money, why is this in the indictment?)
Separately, Weiss has charged Hunter Biden in Delaware with three federal gun charges, basically alleging he lied about using drugs when he bought a revolver in 2018. Biden pleaded not guilty to the charges Oct. 3.
"Based on the facts and the law, if Hunter’s last name was anything other than Biden, the charges in Delaware, and now California, would not have been brought," said Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Hunter Biden, in a statement.
"Now, after five years of investigating with no new evidence – and two years after Hunter paid his taxes in full – the U.S. Attorney has piled on nine new charges when he had agreed just months ago to resolve this matter with a pair of misdemeanors," Lowell said.
Biden faces a maximum penalty of 17 years in prison if convicted on the tax charges, the Justice Department said in a press release. It noted that actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than maximum penalties.
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