Impaired

 

Is the mental acuity in the room with us right now? #TrumpIsNotWell

Liberty University will pay $14 million, the largest fine ever levied under the federal Clery Act

 

Liberty University has agreed to pay an unprecedented $14 million fine for the Christian school's failure to disclose information about crimes on its campus and for its treatment of sexual assault survivors, the U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday. The fine is by far the largest ever levied under the Clery Act, a law that requires colleges and universities that receive federal funding to collect data on campus crime and notify students of threats. Schools must disseminate an annual security report that includes crime reports and information on efforts to improve campus safety. Liberty has marketed itself for years as having one of the nation’s safest campuses, with more than 15,000 students enrolled at the school in Lynchburg, Virginia. But its police department had a single officer with minimal oversight for investigating crimes during most of the time period reviewed by federal investigators, 2016 to 2023. The U.S. Department of Education said it identified numerous cases that resulted in the misclassification or underreporting of crimes. And there were several incidents that the university determined to be unfounded without evidence the initial report was false. “This was especially common with respect to sexually based offenses, including rape and fondling cases,” the settlement agreement stated. Federal investigators cited a case in which a woman reported being raped, with the attacker telling her he had a knife, the settlement agreement stated. Liberty's investigator "unfounded this case based on a claim that the ‘victim indicates that she consented to the sexual act,'” the agreement stated. “In point of fact, the victim’s own statement merely indicated that she ‘gave in’ in an attempt to get away from the perpetrator.” That incident was ultimately counted in the crime statistics, the agreement stated, after Liberty’s Clery compliance officer realized the case was “mishandled at several points in the process." Many victims of sexual crimes feared reporting because of concerns of reprisal, the agreement stated. Several were punished for violating the student code of conduct known as "The Liberty Way," while their assailants were left unpunished. Full Story: https://www.wral.com/story/liberty-un... Subscribe to WRAL: https://youtube.com/c/wral5

Leaked Tape: Republican Says Putin Is Paying Trump

 

A 2016 audio tape leaks of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) saying he suspects Vladimir Putin pays Donald Trump, followed by House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) urging everyone to keep McCarthy's comment private

Jim Jordan ROCKED with surprise legal news

 

The Legal Breakdown episode 206: @GlennKirschner2 discusses Jim Jordan and James Comers' complicity with a US attorney who helped launder Russian disinformation to Congress. AG BILL BARR, SCOTT BRADY

Trump's man, Allen Weisselberg, lies at Trump's fraud trial, pleads guilty, heads back to prison

 

Donald Trump is forever saying he hires only "the best people." Recent developments seem to suggest otherwise. Trump's long-time Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg previously was convicted of participating in a 15-year-long scheme to defraud in connection with his work at the Trump Organization, and he went to prison. Upon his release, he was called as a witness at Trump's New York fraud trial and Weisselberg committed perjury, lying in an attempt to help his boss. Weisselberg has now pleaded guilty to perjury charges and is heading back to prison.

Young MAGA Proves The Trump Cult Runs Deep

 

A MAGA child's remarks regarding former President Trump reveal the profound extent of indoctrination in the Republican Party. Jayar Jackson breaks it down. Give us your thoughts in the comments below!

Top Trump official PLEADS GUILTY in court, headed for prison ALLEN WEISSELBERG

 

The Legal Breakdown episode 214: @GlennKirschner2 discusses Trump Org. CFO Allen Weisselberg's guilty plea in court.

Last Week in the Republican Party - March 5, 2024

 

Senility is clearly contagious in MAGA-land. The Lincoln Project is a leading pro-democracy organization in the United States — dedicated to the preservation, protection, and defense of democracy. Our fight against Trumpism is only beginning. We must combat these forces everywhere and at all times — our democracy depends on it.

This team amazes me

 

Time and time again, this team has defied my expectations.

When I launched my campaign, you helped me raise $2 million in our first 36 hours to hit the ground running. When early polling showed me 5 points down, you helped me raise the resources to travel across Texas and get my message out there – and thanks to your help, I'm now TIED with Ted Cruz at 41% each.

And when I asked for your help to reach our ambitious $500,000 February goal – our last big fundraising push before the primary on Tuesday – this team came through yet again. Thank you SO much.

Today I'm asking for something else: If you're in Texas, have you made your plan to vote yet? Early voting is open until tonight, so if you can, vote now! If not, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Primary Election Day this Tuesday, March 5th. Like the great Ann Richards used to say, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” So make your voice heard and make sure your family, friends, and neighbors vote too!

MAKE A PLAN O VOTE →

You can also make an impact by volunteering at a virtual phone bank, or donating to my campaign to help us fight to defeat Ted Cruz!

Thank you again. It's because of you I know we're going to send Ted Cruz packing.

Colin

DONATE →

 

Democrat Colin Allred is running against Ted Cruz to deliver real leadership to Texans. But this fight is going to take a historic grassroots movement to win. Inside Elections upgraded our race from “Solid Republican” to “Battleground” the day Colin announced his campaign, and experts at CBS are predicting this could be the most expensive Senate race in 2024!   That’s why we need all hands on deck every step of the way to win in Texas, defeat Ted Cruz and defend the Senate majority →   DONATE →    Emails are the best way for us to keep in touch with our supporters and deliver important campaign updates – they’re critical to helping Colin defeat Ted Cruz.     Paid for by Colin Allred for Senate Colin Allred for Senate PO Box 601631 Dallas, TX 75360 United States https://colinallred.com

Benny Gantz Meets VP Harris at White House

 

Benny Gantz Meets VP Harris at White House

in Palestine

by Phil Pasquini

05/03/2024

Former Israeli Army General and War Cabinet Member, Benny Gantz met at the White House with Vice President Kamala Harris and others on March 4 where they were scheduled to discuss increasing aid to Gaza. The meeting, by excluding Netanyahu, is a clear signal that the strained American Israeli relationship continues.

Before departing for his trip to Washington, it was reported that Gantz was given his “marching orders” by Netanyahu to remember that “there is only one prime minister.”

Activists organized by Code Pink and others were on hand to make sure that their message of an immediate and permanent ceasefire be clearly heard as they demonstrated outside while calling Gantz a war criminal and promising to eventually see him at the International Court of Justice in the Hague.

One Palestinian demonstrator using a megaphone aimed at the White House announced the death of 20 family members and invited Gantz out to speak to a Palestinian. While the group chanted calling Biden Genocide Joe, they promised that he would not be re-elected.

Holocaust survivor Marione Ingram, who has kept a daily vigil at the White House since the war began, spoke of her life as a child and the horrors she knows personally that the children of Gaza are experiencing daily since the beginning of the war. She ended her remarks by saying that “My dead relatives in Minsk would be ashamed of Israel.”

A Palestinian woman next spoke and questioned why no one in the White House thinks of the people of Gaza as human beings and implores the horrors of children and babies being killed daily during this genocide. She questioned why there is no international outcry.

David Sperber, a Jewish doctor who visited Gaza in 2020, related that for his group to enter the area, the Israelis took several days in granting access. Once inside he fully understood why the UN had earlier declared the entire area unfit for human habitation. Having befriended a young doctor there, he most recently learned of the doctor’s fate during the latest war when he was informed that the ambulance the doctor had crewed was shot up by Israeli snipers. The entire crew was killed, and the doctor who was wounded had survived only to be shot a second time in his leg after emerging from the destroyed vehicle.

He was rescued and taken to a hospital where the building was bombed with white phosphorous. After he was transferred to a second hospital he underwent surgery without anesthesia. Lacking any antibiotics, his leg became infected and required further surgery. Presently, the doctor is assisting patients in the hospital while in a wheelchair and hoping for the ability to receive further medical intervention for his wounded leg.

Dr. Sperber also told of how the IDF routinely raids ambulances after attacking them and removing and destroying any medical supplies including antibiotics and other medication, thereby disallowing their use by depriving those wounded of any relief.

After rallying outside of the White House, the group walked to the west vehicle entry gate to greet Gantz should he leaving by the route where he had arrived earlier. As they stood outside the gate waving signs and chanting, they urged the press on the White House grounds to accurately report the truth while calling for people inside the White House to “Quit your jobs.”

This action like many others has become a daily occurrence in the ongoing effort by human rights activists to see an immediate ceasefire and for food and other aid to flow into the Gaza Strip to end the genocide taking place there now for the past 150 days.

Report and photo by Phil Pasquini

https://countercurrents.org/2024/03/benny-gantz-meets-vp-harris-at-white-house/

COMMON DREAMS: Top News: 'Corrupt Egomaniac' Kyrsten Sinema to Leave Senate

 

Tuesday, March 5, 2024 ■ Today's Top News  Progressives Cheer Senate Exit for 'Corrupt Egomaniac' Kyrsten Sinema Sinema's exit sets up an election between Rep. Ruben Gallego and former television anchor Kari Lake. By Thor Benson Groups Forge Emergency Coalition to Pressure US on Gaza Cease-Fire "It is long past time for the United States to use its leverage and uphold U.S. law to end Israel's indiscriminate bombardment of Gaza and have this war come to an end." By Brett Wilkins New Rule Under Biden Would Save Americans $10 Billion a Year in Credit Card Fees "CFPB's new rule demonstrates that policymakers can—and must—take on predatory, deceptive behavior and act as a strong check on corporate power." By Thor Benson Poor People's Campaign to Lawmakers: If You Want Our Votes, Work to End 'Death by Poverty' "We are putting politicians in every state on notice," said Rev. Dr. William Barber. By Jake Johnson NOAA Warns World's Coral on Verge of 'Worst Bleaching Event in History of the Planet' "It's looking like the entirety of the Southern Hemisphere is probably going to bleach this year," one scientist said. By Brett Wilkins Legal Experts Agree: Only Voters, Not the Supreme Court, Can Save Us From Trump "It's clear that if anyone is going to save American democracy, it is going to be the voters." By Jake Johnson JOIN THE MOVEMENT As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! JOIN WITH US ■ More News Scientists Won't Classify Anthropocene as 'Epoch' Yet, But Say Human Impact Undeniable Majority of Americans Want Halt of US Weapons Bound for Israel: Poll As US Backslides, French Celebrate Historic Abortion Protections Many Voters in Key Swing States Unfamiliar With Trump’s Authoritarian Statements: Poll VIEW ALL NEWS ■ Opinion Hey Biden, Listen to Michigan! The 13.3% of Michigan Democrats who voted uncommitted sent a strong message to the president: “Listen to us and give us a reason to vote for you, or you’re putting your re-election at risk.” By James Zogby When the Big Oil CEO Blames You for the Climate Crisis His Industry Created We simply “waited too long,” said ExxonMobil's top executive last week. But never mind, the important thing is that we made “above-average returns.” By Bill Mckibben Good Riddance to Wayne LaPierre—and Hopefully Soon the Entire NRA For the first time, the NRA can’t buy their way out of this problem. By Hudson Munoz VIEW ALL OPINION

Call 207.775.0488 to donate by phone or mail a check to: Common Dreams · PO Box 443 · Portland, ME 04112-0443 · USA Common Dreams is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Your contribution is tax-deductible. EIN: 20-3368194

POLITICO Nightly: The Super Tuesday storylines to follow

 

BY CHARLIE MAHTESIAN AND CALDER MCHUGH Presented by Feeding America Voters cast their ballots at Union Station during the presidential primary in Los Angeles on Super Tuesday. | Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images DECISION DAY — Both presidential nominations are already all but decided, so we’re going to be frank: This is a somewhat-less-than-Super Tuesday. But with 15 states voting, it’s still the biggest primary election date of the year, and it offers the biggest tranche of convention delegates of any single day — Republicans will pick 865 delegates for their convention, and Democrats will allocate 1,420 . It’s also important for another reason — it’s the kickoff of primary season for downballot offices. California is teeming with consequential elections , including a closely-watched Senate race, myriad House races and several local contests with national implications. North Carolina is another state worth watching since there are numerous House primaries and the two major parties will pick their nominees in what is arguably the most important governor’s race of 2024 . Redistricting has made Alabama’s primaries especially fascinating this year — one Republican House member is going to be defeated today no matter what since two incumbents were drawn into the same district. Then there’s Texas. There’s more than a handful of notable congressional primaries taking place today — in both parties — and it’s possible that one or more House incumbents could be defeated. But the fiercest action is taking place in state legislative primaries across the state, in a jarring example of the tribalism consuming Texas Republicans . Change the aperture of the lens and you’ll see several broader 2024 storylines emerging this evening across state lines. Here are a few of them: THE PROTEST VOTE  After a strong showing in Michigan , voters in Democratic primaries have the opportunity again to register their displeasure with President Joe Biden’s Israel policy by voting for the “uncommitted” ballot line. That makes Alabama, Minnesota and Tennessee — all of which have an “uncommitted” option — worth following tonight. Same for Massachusetts and North Carolina, which have a “no preference” option and Colorado, which has a “noncommitted delegate” line. (Iowa, which also offers “uncommitted,” just released the results of its caucus preference; mail-in ballots went out in January — with over 90 percent reporting, “uncommitted” sat at below 4 percent ). The state where the issue is likely to make the biggest splash is Minnesota, which has an “uncommitted” ballot line and a large, politically active Somali population centered around the Twin Cities, many of whom are Muslim, have strong connections to Palestine and are frustrated with the Biden administration’s support of Israel. The “uncommitted” effort has come together more hastily in Minnesota than the organized campaign in Michigan. But according to MPR News , activists have made a determined, last minute push; one activist showed up at a well-attended mosque in Minneapolis on Friday to pitch “uncommitted” while speaking Somali to attendees. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who had protesters on his lawn in late February demanding the state divest from Israel, has warned that “uncommitted” could have a strong showing at the ballot box today. Minneapolis and Saint Paul also have a bona fide progressive streak; the local DSA chapter racked up wins in the Minnesota state legislature in 2022 and has now endorsed the “uncommitted” line, posting on its social media channels urging members to eschew voting for the president. In addition to “uncommitted,” there’s the matter of Dean Phillips, the suburban Minneapolis congressman who has mounted a quixotic challenge to Biden and naturally enjoys more name recognition in his home state than elsewhere in the country. These combined factors could make Minnesota the squeakiest wheel for Biden this evening. MAGA TUESDAY Even if he ran the table today and picked up every single available delegate, Donald Trump couldn’t clinch the GOP nomination. But he can get pretty darn close. So that makes Super Tuesday something close to Nikki Haley’s last stand. There are a few states that offer Haley some promise today, but it’s largely because they are anomalous in one way or another from most other Republican electorates. There’s liberal Vermont, where Trump has been slaughtered twice in the general election and where popular moderate Republican Gov. Phil Scott has endorsed Haley. Then there’s conservative Utah, where Trump’s stylings — in particular, the crude comments and harsh rhetoric about immigrants — have always rubbed Mormons the wrong way, even if he managed to win the state twice. In the event of a Trump sweep tonight, it’s not entirely clear if Haley will soldier on in a primary where she hasn’t yet won a single state — only the District of Columbia. Her dim prospects across the Super Tuesday landscape are just one measure of Trump’s grip on the party. The early state contests have already revealed the extent to which he is reshaping the GOP primary electorate in a more working class, populist direction. Today will provide more indications of just how deep his influence runs since he’s endorsed in elections across the map and up and down the ballot. In North Carolina, Trump has chosen sides in several open House races and backed the likely GOP nominee for governor, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, a Black MAGA lightning rod whom Trump referred to at a recent rally as “Martin Luther King on steroids.” In California, the former president endorsed Vince Fong, Kevin McCarthy’s chosen successor for the House seat he vacated. Texas, however, will provide the fullest accounting of Trump’s reach. He has endorsed candidates in several open House primaries, and in a number of state legislative primaries — including against the GOP Speaker of the House. The imprint of Trump’s smashmouth, payback politics can be seen in Texas Attorney General’s Ken Paxton’s so-called impeachment revenge tour. Paxton, a Trump ally who was impeached last year by the GOP-dominated state House, is seeking retribution against those who voted against him. Only two of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in 2021 survived his wrath to serve another term in Congress. It’s worth watching to see if Paxton can match that success rate. CRIMINAL JUSTICE On the West Coast, there are nationally debated criminal justice questions wrapped up in local elections. In Los Angeles, District Attorney George Gascón is staring down a whopping 11 challengers, many of whom are attacking him for eliminating cash bail and refusing to prosecute juvenile offenders as adults. Gascón, who was the district attorney of San Francisco between 2011 and 2019 and is a leading figure among the progressive prosecutors who have recently been elected in cities across the country, has also drawn the ire of the right for years and has frustrated some other Los Angeles County prosecutors during his time leading the office . Gascón’s critics — who have already attempted to recall him twice since his election in 2020 — argue his time in office has been marred with rising crime. In the last year violent crime and homicides in Los Angeles County have both dropped, after the latter reached a 15-year high in 2022; property crime and theft were up. In San Francisco, Mayor London Breed has attempted to convince voters that she’s getting worries about crime in the city under control, as she supports two controversial ballot initiatives: requiring single adults on welfare to be screened for illegal drug use and giving the police the ability to use drones and surveillance cameras (and thus more power in the city). This week, the president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Aaron Peskin — an avowed progressive whose plan would be to attack Breed from the left — floated a mayoral run. Breed’s poll numbers are poor, and she has presided over a rise in crime in San Francisco and retailers and some tech companies abandoning the city. Now, Breed is betting that means testing welfare and giving cops more tools will help her get crime under control. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com . Or contact tonight’s authors at cmahtesian@politico.com and cmchugh@politico.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @PoliticoCharlie and @calder_mchugh .   A message from Feeding America: By increasing TEFAP funding in the farm bill, Congress has the power to help us begin to end hunger. Learn more.   WHAT'D I MISS? — Sinema announces she won’t run for reelection: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema announced today she will not run for reelection this year , setting up a race between Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego and Republican Kari Lake to succeed her. The first-term senator, who left the Democratic Party to become an independent, said she believes in her approach to politics, “but it’s not what America wants right now.” — Dartmouth basketball team votes to unionize, rattling college sports: Members of the Dartmouth men’s basketball team voted today to become the first collegiate players to form a union , a move with the potential to shift the balance of power in a multibillion-dollar sports industry. Officials across college sports and its main governing body, the NCAA, have warned that the labor rights and protections unlocked by treating student athletes as workers pose such an existential threat to the system that it warrants congressional intervention. The team’s 13-2 vote to join SEIU Local 560 is a massive achievement for the long-percolating campaign to upend college sports, and one that could motivate others to follow suit. — Treasury slaps sanctions on notorious European spyware maker: The Biden administration unveiled sanctions on two individuals and five corporate entities today tied to the Intellexa consortium, a network of European firms behind the sale of a widely used mobile surveillance software known as Predator. The Treasury Department action marks the latest move by the Biden administration to crack down on a shadowy ecosystem of commercial spyware vendors based in Europe whose products have been used by foreign governments against dissidents — and against U.S. citizens. In July, the White House added two European firms with ties to the Intellexa consortium to a Commerce Department blacklist. NIGHTLY ROAD TO 2024 I’VE GOT A BLANK SPACE — Taylor Swift is encouraging fans in Tennessee and other Super Tuesday states to cast their votes for the presidential primaries . The world’s most famous pop star issued the call in an Instagram story post to her 282 million followers this morning, just before the site experienced a temporary outage. “I wanted to remind you guys to vote the people who most represent YOU into power,” Swift wrote. “If you haven’t already, make a plan to vote today.” The post linked off to Vote.org. PACIFIC TIME ZONE — By this evening in California, the ballots will be cast, but the results for many races may remain uncertain for days , even weeks, reports the New York Times. It is a familiar waiting game that is unique to the state, tending to prompt public scrutiny and debate when major races or hot-button issues are at stake. But the delay is largely connected to the fact that most of the state’s 22 million registered voters cast mail ballots — and to an extensive review process that requires more than placing a ballot through a machine. In California, that means verifying each mail-in ballot through a series of steps, including checking signatures and making sure voters did not cast another ballot elsewhere. California’s election process — and a history of candidates making up substantial ground after initial returns — may delay race calls this year by news outlets and prevent campaigns from conceding on election night. THE DIGITAL WARS — It’s Super Tuesday — and President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are expected to be the big winners. But the digital campaign is not exactly a 2020 rematch. On POLITICO Tech, Republican digital strategist Eric Wilson dives into how the 2024 cycle looks different online and who seems to be coming out ahead with host Steven Overly. Among the takeaways: The Biden campaign is out in front of one of the biggest challenges facing political campaigns in 2024 and beyond — the fragmentation of attention. And the Trump campaign is very focused on their digital marketing, from messaging and persuasion. AROUND THE WORLD Britain's Prince William receives a bouquet of flowers for his wife Kate during a visit to the Western Marble Arch Synagogue on Feb. 29, 2024 in London. | Toby Melville/WPA Pool/Getty Images THE CREAKY CROWN — Britain’s shrinking royal workforce is feeling the strain. Buffeted by illness, the U.K. monarchy is short on principal players to keep the show on the road — and that’s a problem for the nation’s politicians too. The influential Sun newspaper — Britain’s most widely-read tabloid — on Sunday declared the royal family to be “in crisis” amid reports Queen Camilla is taking a break from duties this week. She’s already been filling the void in the royal diary left by her husband King Charles III’s cancer diagnosis. Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, is currently off work recovering from abdominal surgery. Kate’s husband Prince William — the future king — unexpectedly pulled out of attending a memorial service for the late former King Constantine of Greece last week, citing an undisclosed “personal matter.” It further fanned the flames of speculation about Britain’s top royals. With the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 and the acrimonious departure of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan to the United States in 2020 there are fewer royals to go around when things get tough. The King’s brother Prince Andrew was relieved of his royal duties in 2019, amid a storm over his association with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew has long denied any wrongdoing.   A message from Feeding America:   NIGHTLY NUMBER $13 million The amount of money that a collection of crypto-backed Super PACs has spent on primaries today , the largest outlay yet from their $80-plus million war chest. RADAR SWEEP ON THE WAY OUT — In 2020, Wall Street firms announced a host of DEI programs designed — at least theoretically — to diversify their workforces. But in the years since, recruitment programs that are aimed at minority candidates have shrunk or opened up to white, male applicants . This is happening in the midst of growing backlash against DEI practices across Wall Street, along with legal challenges to the idea of diversity initiatives at companies. For Bloomberg, Max Abelson , Simone Foxman and Ava Benny-Morrison explore why Wall Street is turning against DEI, how attitudes are changing and what’s next for the practice and the firms. PARTING IMAGE On this date in 1877: Rutherford B. Hayes' public inauguration takes place in Washington. He was sworn in privately two days earlier after a contested election that resulted in a compromise, with Hayes removing troops from the South and ending post-Civil War Reconstruction. | AP Did someone forward this email to you?  Sign up here .   A message from Feeding America: The Emergency Food Assistance Food Program (TEFAP) is one of the most effective ways we can reduce hunger in America. We need Congressional support to expand it. Right now, children, seniors, and families are facing hunger. Congress has the ability to help this issue. It’s time for them to step up. Learn more.     Follow us on Twitter Charlie Mahtesian @PoliticoCharlie Calder McHugh @calder_mchugh   FOLLOW US

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