Should Roger Stone be investigated by the DOJ?

 

Inside the U.S. Capitol at the height of the siege | Visual Forensics

 





At 2:12 p.m. on Jan. 6, supporters of President Trump began climbing through a window they had smashed on the northwest side of the U.S. Capitol. “Go! Go! Go!” someone shouted as the rioters, some in military gear, streamed in. It was the start of the most serious attack on the Capitol since the War of 1812. The mob coursed through the building, enraged that Congress was preparing to make Trump’s electoral defeat official. “Drag them out! … Hang them out!” rioters yelled at one point, as they gathered near the House chamber. Officials in the House and Senate secured the doors of their respective chambers, but lawmakers were soon forced to retreat to undisclosed locations. Five people died on the grounds that day, including a Capitol police officer. In all, more than 50 officers were injured. To reconstruct the pandemonium inside the Capitol, The Washington Post examined text messages, photos and hundreds of videos, some of which were exclusively obtained. By synchronizing the footage and locating some of the camera angles within a digital 3-D model of the building, The Post was able to map the rioters’ movements and assess how close they came to lawmakers — in some cases feet apart or separated only by a handful of vastly outnumbered police officers.

American Insurrection (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

 

FRONTLINE, ProPublica and UC Berkeley’s Investigative Reporting Program present “American Insurrection”: a timely, 90-minute documentary that probes the far-right groups and leaders responsible for the recent threats and violence. Over the last three years, FRONTLINE has collaborated with ProPublica to investigate the rise of extremism in America. Now, in the aftermath of the assault on the U.S. Capitol, FRONTLINE, ProPublica and UC Berkeley's Investigative Reporting Program team up to examine how far-right groups were emboldened and encouraged by former President Trump and how individuals were radicalized and brought into the political landscape.

January 6 committee releases new video timeline of Capitol riot | FOX 9 KMSP

 

A video details the timeline of the Capitol riot on January 6 during a primetime hearing by a House Select committee investigating the riot.

New Footage Shows What It Was Like Inside The Trump Mob At The Capitol | On The Ground

 
STOP PRETENDING THESE WERE TOURISTS!

Capitol Riots: 3 years later

 

Saturday marked three years since the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when a group of supporters of former president Donald Trump tried to stop the certification of the 2020 election results.

Reporter who CONFRONTED Trump to HIS FACE is Back for MORE | On Democracy

 

If you thought Trump Admin 1.0 was bad, you can’t imagine how insane the second version will be with less guardrails and thousands of acolytes installed in the government. Fred and HuffPo senior White House correspondent S.V. Dáte discuss the crazy legal arguments he’s floating and what the next year will look like. S.V.’s book, The Useful Idiot, captures Trump's failed management of the coronavirus pandemic and his corruption of the Republican Party. Dáte is the author of five novels and previous two political biographies, including one of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. He has been a journalist for three decades, with stints at the Associated Press, the Palm Beach Post, National Journal and NPR.

Manipulation of their customers, on the customers dime.

 

Manipulation of their customers, on the customers dime.

It's happening all over the country....

KOCH previously funded opposition to the Cape Wind project and funded community opposition as well...were it not for KOCH, that wind farm would have been in operation.

As it was, the region endured a dirty coal plant at Brayton Point that spewed soot.

Fossil fuel is publicizing disinformation about the proposed wind farms that the poorly informed are regurgitating. And the nuclear industry is promoting their nonsense - cheap [not true], clean [not true]....the only thing they get right is that it's carbon free.

Koch tentacles run deeply into all aspects of public manipulation, from gifts to colleges, to install right-wing-nut professors, buying news outlets, think tanks willing to support a preconceived narrative, dark money groups, ect. He and his fellow oligarchs are a threat to democracy. The very definition of fascism.

January 11, 2024 (Thursday) HEATHER COX RICHARDSON,

 

Heather Cox Richardson 

  · 

January 11, 2024 (Thursday)

“Today, at my direction,” President Joe Biden said this evening, “U.S. military forces—together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands—successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways.”

The strikes came after the Iran-backed Houthi militia launched 27 attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, including merchant shipping vessels that carry about 12% of the world’s oil, 8% of its grain, and 8% of liquefied natural gas, as well as other commodities.

While the Houthis claim their attacks are designed to support the Palestinians in Gaza, they are also apparently angling to continue and spread the Hamas-Israel war into a wider conflict. Hamas, the Houthis, and Hezbollah, all nonstate actors backed by Iran, would like very much to extend and enlarge the war to enhance their own power and win adherents to their ideologies.

The Arab states do not want the conflict to spread. Neither does the U.S. government, and Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have worked hard to make sure it doesn’t, sending two carrier groups to the region, for example, to deter enthusiasm for such an extension.

On October 19, shortly after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Houthis launched cruise missiles and drones designed by Iran at Israel, but when the USS Carney and Saudi Arabia shot the weapons down, they turned to attacking shipping. Fifty or so ships use the Red Sea waterway every day.

On November 19, Houthis seized a Japanese-registered vessel, the Galaxy Leader, along with its 25-member international crew, prompting the United Nations Security Council to condemn “in the strongest terms” the “recent Houthi attacks” and “demanded that all such attacks and action cease immediately.” The Security Council “underlined the importance of…international law.”

On December 3, Houthis struck another three ships.

On December 19, the U.S., the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and a group representing 44 allies and partner nations condemned the Houthi attacks, noting that such attacks threatened international commerce, endangering supply chains and affecting the global economy. Also on December 19, the U.S. and partners announced a naval protection group for maritime shipping in the waterway, dubbed Operation Prosperity Guardian.

When the attacks continued, the governments of the U.S., Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the United Kingdom warned the Houthis on January 3, 2024, that their attacks were “illegal, unacceptable, and profoundly destabilizing,” delaying the delivery of goods and “jeopardizing the movement of critical food, fuel, and humanitarian assistance throughout the world.” They called for an end to the attacks and the release of the detained vessels and crew members, and they warned that the Houthis would bear responsibility for the “consequences” if the attacks continued.

“We remain committed to the international rules-based order and are determined to hold malign actors accountable for unlawful seizures and attacks,” the statement said.

Administration officials told the press the U.S. would strike the Houthis militarily if the attacks didn’t stop, although Biden has not wanted to destabilize Yemen further than it already is after a decade of civil war. “The president has made clear the U.S. does not seek conflict with any nation or actor in the Middle East,” John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, said. “But neither will we shrink from the task of defending ourselves, our interests, our partners or the free flow of international commerce.” An administration official said: “I would not anticipate another warning.”

On Tuesday, January 9, the Houthis launched 21 drones and missiles in the most significant attack yet—one that directly targeted U.S. ships—and on January 10 the U.N. Security Council passed UNSCR 2722, a resolution condemning the attacks “in the strongest terms.” Eleven members voted in favor and none opposed it. Four countries—China, Russia, Algeria, and Mozambique—abstained, but neither China nor Russia, both of which have veto power, would veto the resolution.

Today the U.S. and the U.K., with coalition support, responded. Military strikes came from the air, ocean, and underwater, according to a defense official, and they hit weapons storage areas and sites from which the Houthis have been launching drones and cruise missiles.

The governments of Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, the U.K, and the U.S. announced the “precision strikes,” saying they were “in accordance with the inherent right of individual and collective self-defense, consistent with the UN Charter” and “were intended to disrupt and degrade the capabilities the Houthis use to threaten global trade and the lives of international mariners in one of the world’s most critical waterways.”

“Our aim remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea,” the statement read, “but let our message be clear: we will not hesitate to defend lives and protect the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most critical waterways in the face of continued threats.” Biden’s statement sounded much the same but added: “I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.”

As the January 3 statement from the governments of the U.S., Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the U.K. made clear, one of the key things at stake in standing against the Houthi attacks is the international rules-based order, that is, the system of international laws and organizations developed after World War II to prevent global conflicts by providing forums to resolve differences peacefully. A key element of this international system of agreements is freedom of the seas.

Also central to that rules-based international order is partnerships and allies. Two days ago, one of Europe’s leading politicians revealed that in 2020, former president Trump told European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen: “You need to understand that if Europe is under attack, we will never come to help you and to support you.” According to the politician, Trump added that “NATO is dead, and we will leave, we will quit NATO,” a threat he has made elsewhere, too.

In contrast, as soon as he took office, President Biden set out to support and extend U.S. alliances and partnerships. While that principle shows in the international support for today’s strike on the Houthis, it has also been central in the administration’s response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, managing migration, supporting African development, building the Indo-Pacific, and reacting to the Middle East crisis in general.

Today, Secretary of State Blinken finished a week-long trip to Türkiye, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank, Bahrain, and Egypt, where he met with leaders and reaffirmed “the U.S. commitment to working with partners to set the conditions necessary for peace in the Middle East, which includes comprehensive, tangible steps toward the realization of a future Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel, with both living in peace and security.”

Guilty Plea In Political Shooting Case

 

A co-defendant of failed New Mexico Republican candidate, Solomon Pena has pleaded guilty for participating in multiple shootings involving Pena's political enemies.

Another January 6 Convict Accused Of Rape ALABAMA DILLON HERRINGTON

 

IDENTIFY, INVESTIGATE, PROSECUTE, INCARCERATE!

Keep Americans safe from DOMESTIC TERRORISTS!

Another January 6 convict has been indicted on rape charges. Dillon Herrington was accused of rape and arrested in December of 2023.

US Capitol Arrest Update: Epps SENTENCED

IDENTIFY, INVESTIGATE, PROSECUTE, INCARCERATE!

Keep Americans safe from DOMESTIC TERRORISTS!  

Ray Epps was sentenced for his participation in the January 6, 2021 attack and attempted insurrection at the United States Capitol.

US Capitol Arrest Update: Vukich SENTENCED

 IDENTIFY, INVESTIGATE, PROSECUTE, INCARCERATE!

Keep Americans safe from DOMESTIC TERRORISTS!

Mitchell Vukich was sentenced for his participation in the January 6, 2021 attack and attempted insurrection at the United States Capitol.

US Capitol Arrest Update: Keith Brown SENTENCED

IDENTIFY, INVESTIGATE, PROSECUTE, INCARCERATE!

Keep Americans safe from DOMESTIC TERRORISTS!

Keith Brown was sentenced for his participation in the January 6, 2021 attack and attempted insurrection at the United States Capitol.

Trump Rally ENDS IN HORRӏBLE BLOODΥ VӏOLENCE

 

US Capitol Arrest Update: Stecher SENTENCED

 

IDENTIFY, INVESTIGATE, PROSECUTE, INCARCERATE!

Keep Americans safe from DOMESTIC TERRORISTS!

Ezekiel Stecher was sentenced for his participation in the January 6, 2021 attack and attempted insurrection at the United States Capitol.

Judges crush arguments by Trump lawyer in today's appellate court hearing on presidential immunity

 

The appellate court judges that heard Donald Trump's argument that he should have absolute immunity against being prosecuted for his democracy-busting crimes on and around January 6, 2021, were not buying what Trump lawyer, John Sauer, was selling. I attended the appellate court argument on 'Trump's absolute presidential immunity claim. nThis video reviews the arguments of counsel and the many questions from the judges. I also address Trump's demeanor and behaviors in court, and how he presents as the antithesis of a political candidate.

Report: Thomas May Also Be Dodging Tax Bill With Failure to Report Gifts

Report: Thomas May Also Be Dodging Tax Bill With Failure to Report Gifts

The likely millions of dollars worth of gifts Thomas has received may count as taxable income, a recent report found.

By

 

Sharon Zhang , 

TRUTHOUT

Published

January 3, 2024

The deluge of undisclosed gifts that conservative donors have showered Clarence Thomas with over the past decades may not just raise questions over corruption on the Supreme Court — they may also put the justice at risk for tax fraud conviction, a new report finds.

According to recent reporting by The Lever, experts say that revelations that Thomas may have received the gifts as a de facto supplemental salary may mean that they could be classified not as gifts, but as income, which is subject to different taxes. This means that Thomas, who has failed to disclose likely millions of dollars’ worth of gifts over the past decades, may owe a huge unpaid tax bill that he could be prosecuted over.

“If there are in fact people saying more or less, ‘We’re offering these goodies to the justice so that he will stay in his role’ … it sounds like it would be taxable income for him,” Georgetown Law professor and tax expert Brian Galle told The Lever.

The latest bombshell ProPublica report on Thomas, published last month, revealed that Thomas had apparently hinted that he may resign from the Supreme Court in his early days on the bench, privately and publicly complaining about the salary of $173,600, or over $300,000 in today’s dollars. This salary, he claimed, didn’t afford him the luxury lifestyle that some of the other justices could afford; Thomas spoke to conservative donors of his troubles, urging them to push for reforms to raise the salary and allow justices to collect payment for speaking arrangements.

These changes didn’t come to be, the report details, but Thomas would soon begin receiving a steady and unparalleled stream of luxury gifts from conservative donors. These included a $267,000 RV that was mostly underwritten by a wealthy friend, opulent trips and private school tuition for his grandnephew paid for by right-wing megadonor Harlan Crow, and at least 38 destination vacations, 26 private jet flights, and more high-end gifts from a coterie of right-wing benefactors.

If these gifts were given in an effort for the right wing to retain Thomas — one of the most conservative, if not the most conservative, justices on the Supreme Court — in his position, then this could be considered taxable income in a similar way that bonuses or other “perks” that may influence one’s decision to keep another job could be subject to taxes.

One defender of Thomas even tacitly admitted that gifts were supplemental income; Yale Law Professor George Priest, who has vacationed with Crow and Thomas, told ProPublica that Crow “views Thomas as a Supreme Court justice as having a limited salary. So he provides benefits for him.”

Nearly all of these gifts have never been disclosed by Thomas to federal regulators, which experts have said is likely illegal in itself. Maintaining that they are gifts, meanwhile, has allowed Thomas to avoid paying taxes on them under gift tax laws. But, as The Lever writes, money orother perks given to public officials to aid them in their jobs are often not qualified as gifts, according to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) determinations from the 1970s.

“What Clarence Thomas has done would result in not only any judges in America being removed from the bench, but there is a good chance it would result in criminal prosecution for income tax fraud and for false filings in his mandatory financial ethics disclosure statements,” Syracuse University visiting lecturer David Cay Johnston, who specializes in high-level tax law manipulation, told The Lever.

Others have also noted that Thomas has likely committed some form of tax evasion, particularly honing in on his RV. Thomas had purchased the RV through a loan he borrowed from a friend in 1999 — the vast majority of which was ultimately forgiven, Senate Finance Committee Democrats recently found. The lawmakers have raised questions about the seeming unpaid tax bill, as forgiven debts often count as taxable income.

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SHARON ZHANG

Sharon Zhang is a news writer at Truthout covering politics, climate and labor. Before coming to Truthout, Sharon had written stories for Pacific Standard, The New Republic, and more. She has a master’s degree in environmental studies. She can be found on Twitter: @zhang_sharon.

https://truthout.org/articles/report-thomas-may-also-be-dodging-tax-bill-with-failure-to-report-gifts/

 

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POLITICS & ELECTIONS

Leonard Leo Tied to 69 Percent of Right-Wing Amicus Briefs in Major SCOTUS Cases

Amicus briefs, or arguments filed by third parties in a case, have been on the rise since “Citizens United.”

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TRUTHOUT

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TRUTHOUT

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Budget Deal Ensures Bombs Will Keep Dropping While Fewer Human Needs Are Met

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