Independent News

This post was originally published on this site

On Friday, The Undercurrent TV creator Lauren Windsor published the last of three videos showing a conversation with Republican attorney John Eastman. Eastman, who authored a plot to have Mike Pence declare Donald Trump the winner of the 2020 election by simply refusing to count electoral votes from states that Trump lost, went back to his gilded hammock in the vast network of ring-wing “institutes” following the Jan. 6 insurgency. 

Once he was clear of the Trump White House, Eastman tried to downplay the whole idea that he had been seriously pushing Pence to overturn the election, throw the nation into chaos, and install Trump as dictator for life. Earlier this month, he told National Review that the whole thing was just a kind of thought experiment. Instead, Eastman claimed that he had only drafted up his how-to-destroy-democracy plan at the request of “somebody in the legal team. I just don’t recall.” 

Eastman himself took the stage on Jan. 6 at the Stop the Steal rally, telling the roaring Trump fans that Trump’s team had caught voting machines changing votes in real-time and that thousands of spare votes had been packed away in Georgia both during the presidential results and Senate ballots “until they know how many they need” to beat Trump. Eastman also stood at Rudy Giuliani’s elbow as Trump’s attorney explained how Eastman’s plan to overturn the election was “perfectly legal.”

Despite all that, he told the reporters at National Review that the whole thing was “not viable” and that attempting to pursue the plan he presented to Trump and Pence in the Oval Office would have been “plain crazy.” 

Eastman said that until Windsor hit the right’s “greatest constitutional expert” with some sold fangirl fawning. And that’s when Eastman seriously changed his tune.

When Eastman was given no more than a few seconds of reassurance that he was among a MAGA-loving crowd, he quickly went from dismissing his plan to dismissing Mike Pence as an “establishment guy” who ruined everything by not going along.

Then, in part two, Windsor caught Eastman not only pressing a claim that CNN had paid Antifa to infiltrate the insurrection and capture images of violence, but she also recorded him doing what so many Republicans seem to be doing these days—flinging his arms around the Proud Boys and claiming violent white supremacists as Trump’s core supporters.

And in the final installment, Eastman explains how he and Trump personally leaned on 300 state legislators in an attempt to get them to sabotage democracy. But, sadly found that they all lacked the “spine” to get with the Trump now, Trump forever plan.

While the video is now available at The Undercurrent, all of it is likely to get some serious network air time when Eastman makes his expected appearance before the House Select Committee.

This post was originally published on this site

In the middle of October, reports came out detailing the arrest and obstruction of justice charges against U.S. Capitol Police officer Michael A. Riley. Officer Riley allegedly befriended a man online and shortly after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol grounds in Washington, D.C., began advising him to delete incriminating evidence of his participation in potential crimes. That’s against the law—no matter who you are.

On Friday, POLITICO reports that Michael Riley is handing in his resignation and ending his 26-year career as a law enforcement officer. Riley has been on administrative leave since being indicted, while the Capitol Police Department conducted their own internal investigation. Riley’s defense team told POLITICO that their client pleads not guilty: “[T]he evidence will show that it is not a felony for one person to suggest to another that they take down ill-conceived Facebook posts.”

Of course, that’s not exactly what the evidence presented so far seems to show.

According to the indictment, former officer Riley reportedly befriended a man [Person 1] online, after only tangentially knowing one another through a Facebook group dedicated to fishing. Less than a week later that man attended and trespassed, and allegedly got wicked high, all while videotaping his activities, at the January 6, Stop the Steal insurrection at the State Capitol in D.C. A day after those events, Riley direct messaged the man: 

“Hey [Person I], im [sic] a capitol police officer who agrees with your political stance. Take down the part about being in the building they are currently investigating and everyone who was in the buildings going to [sic] charged. Just looking out!”

“Ill-conceived?” For sure. But this isn’t you telling your buddy that their post ranting away at something is probably not something they want their grandparents or cousins to have to read in between your pictures of your new grill. Later on, Riley offered up some pro bono legal advice:

“The only thing I can see is if you went in the building and they have proof you will be charged. You could always articulate that you had nowhere to go, but thats for the court.”

While the two men continued to chat about things, including the ongoing arrests and investigations into the Jan. 6 insurrection, Riley even offered up his place for the man and his daughter to stay:

“Next time you want to come to DC just call me, you can stay at my house on the shore for free and bring your daughter to the museums. If you want to see the capitol building, lets do it legally next time…I know a guy who can get you a tour…lol. Its behind you now…lesson learned! Just ask your attorney whats next.”

Almost comically, after it became clear that the FBI was not only investigating Person 1 but that they were mostly interested in his new relationship with Officer Riley, Riley tried to delete all of his messages and then send a Dear John message to Person 1. It reads very much like an attempt at a future defense:

Hey [Person 1], another mutual friend was talking about you last night. I tried to defend you but then he showed me a video of you in the Capitol smoking weed and acting like a moron. I have to say, i was shocked and dumbfounded, since your story of getting pushed in the building with no other choice now seems not only false but is a complete lie. I feel like a moron for believing you… I was so mad last night I deleted all your post, but i wanted to text you this morning and let you know that I will no longer be conversing with you.

Of course, as the FBI chronicled, this “video” he says he was “shown” that has opened his eyes to this new friend’s flaws, is something he acknowledged seeing almost two weeks prior—long before offering his new friend tours of D.C. and free stays at his lakeside property.

This post was originally published on this site

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or at my website.

This post was originally published on this site

Welcome to Pathways to Liberation. Pathways to Liberation is an abolition-ish podcast where we explore police accountability activism and wrestle with the question: Could we possibly be safe in a world without police? You can take a look on our YouTube playlist, or tune in for a listen on our Libsyn podcast, also on Apple and Spotify. 

In the summer of 2020, when Minneapolis streets were ablaze at night in protest of the brutal murder of George Floyd, it ignited a fire in the United States and abroad to make a bold stand against police violence. It was a powerful time. It felt like the scales were falling away from people’s eyes as we made a colossal shift away from the “few bad apples” narrative and collectively recognized that our model of policing is horribly and systemically damaged.

Then a group of organizers and City Council members took to a stage in a public park behind a huge “Defund Police” sign and vowed to dismantle Minneapolis’ police department. What followed has been an intense debate about the reformability of an institution thoroughly soaked in racism and anti-Blackness.

One form of that debate is taking place in Minneapolis right now. On Nov. 2, the residents of the city will have the chance to vote on a ballot measure—Question 2—that would replace the police department with a Department of Public Safety staffed by social workers, mental health professionals, housing advocates, and more, including police officers where deemed necessary. I am personally energized by the innovation of decentering police as the default public safety agency while not getting rid of them altogether. But many people are afraid of such a bold undertaking and would rather reform the devil they already know.

Over the past year, I have been having conversations with organizers and advocates about police reform and abolition. We here at Daily Kos have recorded many of those discussions and present them to you now. I’m looking forward to sharing this with the Daily Kos community!

Have you been involved in police accountability efforts in your community? Or any community response teams? Tell us about it in the comments below! 

This post was originally published on this site

The White House and House Democrats have included $100 billion for immigration changes in the text of the budget reconciliation package for President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. That’s keeping the hope of a path to citizenship in the bill alive.

In the framework for the package the White House released Thursday, it set aside the funding, ”consistent with the Senate’s reconciliation rules,” to “improve our immigration system by providing long awaited relief to millions through reconciliation, and making enhancements to reduce backlogs, expand legal representation, and make the asylum system and border processing more efficient and humane.”

This will be the third attempt to include a provision allowing undocumented immigrants temporary deportation protections and work permits. The first two were rejected by Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough. Despite the fact that the Senate staffers’ opinions are just that—opinions—and should be considered as advice and not rules, thus far Senate Democrats don’t seem ready to ignore her.

They’re hearing about that from their House colleagues, as Gabe Ortiz wrote this week: “Now dozens of House members, including California Rep. Lou Correa, New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Illinois Rep. Chuy García, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal are urging Senate Democrats to champion immigrants, overrule MacDonough’s opinion with Vice President Kamala Harris as the 51st vote, and deliver permanent relief.”

“As you know, the role of the Parliamentarian is an advisory one, and the opinion of the Parliamentarian is not binding,” the lawmakers told Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in a letter. They reminded him that “there is precedent of the Presiding Officer disregarding the opinion of the Senate Parliamentarian.” There’s also precedent—from Republicans—for firing the parliamentarian. Democrats don’t have to go that far; they can just overrule her, as their House colleagues know.

At least a few of those members have indicated they won’t vote for a reconciliation package, and/or the hard infrastructure bipartisan bill, without it. Rep. Adriano Espaillat of New York is holding out his vote on both the bipartisan hard infrastructure bill and budget reconciliation until immigration is secured in the larger bill, at least as of Thursday when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden were pushing House Democrats to pass that hard infrastructure bill. Reps. Chuy García of Illinois and Lou Correa of California have also said they won’t support the package without immigration.

“If there’s no immigration reform, I cannot support this bill,” García told reporters Thursday. He was refusing to help pass the hard infrastructure bill for fear that in doing so, Democrats “could lose all of our leverage in ensuring that there is an immigration relief piece in the reconciliation package.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki, on Wednesday told reporters that both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris “strongly supported” including that language in the framework, and are encouraging efforts to “come up with alternative ideas that might be able to make its way through the parliamentarian.” They can do better, at least privately, by Harris accepting her role in being the 51st vote to overrule the parliamentarian. For the record, neither Sen. Joe Manchin nor Sen. Kyrsten Sinema have objected to including immigration in this bill. That, like everything with them, is subject to change on a whim.

Advocates are getting as frustrated, yet remain hopeful. “One way or another, we expect immigration reform to be in the final bill and win freedom for millions of immigrants,” said Lorella Praeli, co-president of Community Change Action. America’s Voice executive director Frank Sharry applauded Biden and Pelosi for including the provision. “It’s been 35 years since we enacted major immigration legislation,” he wrote, encouraging them to get it done now.

“The public, the President, and every Democrat in Congress support modernization of our immigration system,” Sharry said. “This is a good first step that recognizes the essential role of immigrants to our economy, society and community. Now Democrats need to take the next step and deliver for the country and the millions of immigrant families who deliver for America.”

This post was originally published on this site

Fox News is at it again, adding fuel to conservative fires. After a Florida school board member tweeted she was “honored” to have chaperoned a group of elementary school students on a field trip to a local restaurant, the news outlet called the establishment a “gay bar,” fueling hatred towards the official online.

Broward County School Board member Sarah Leonardi said she took the children of Wilton Manors Elementary School to Rosie’s Bar & Grill on what the school district calls an annual field trip to a local establishment. According to WSVN, students from Wilton Manors Elementary School attend the field trip with the goal of teaching students about the restaurant business.

“I was SO honored to be invited to chaperone Wilton Manors Elementary’s field trip to the incredible Rosie’s!” she posted on social media. “The students and I had a fun walk over and learned a lot about our community! A huge thank you to Rosie’s Bar and Grill for hosting this special field trip every year!”

Of course, nothing about that sounds wrong but because the restaurant is inclusive, serves alcohol, and is LGBTQ-friendly, Fox News took to calling it a gay bar. Calling the restaurant a gay bar sparked online debates as to whether the trip was appropriate for young children, even with parental permission.

It also made people question whether the issue was that the restaurant served alcohol or was inclusive to all people. 

No one though seemed to ask those who attended how they felt about it.

“Basically, we went over there, we ate and had some fun. We all wore, like, matching shirts,” 9-year-old Patrick White told WSVN.

“They go there and eat. They just go have lunch. I think it just makes them feel like big kids,” the boy’s mother added.

While the majority of parents whose children had attended had no issue with the trip, those who read Fox News’ article and saw the trip photos online did. Seems like the rainbow flags triggered some conservatives to speak up about the “rights” of random children.

“Taking children to a gay bar? What the hell is wrong with you people? You’re an absolute disgrace,” one of the hundreds of comments posted said.

Even the governor’s press secretary, Christina Pushaw, chimed in.

“Broward School Board member takes little kids to a gay bar on a field trip, forcing them to wear masks “to keep them safe,” Pushaw wrote in a Twitter post on Thursday. Pushaw has repeatedly spoken up against wearing masks in the classroom.

It being Florida, things took a dramatic turn. “The Florida Department of Education is aware of the situation in Broward County. We have an investigator going down there today to determine if there is a legally sufficient complaint,” said Jared Ochs, a spokesman for Florida’s Department of Education.

These reactions not only stirred up hate against the school board member who posted the photos, but against the restaurant’s owners as well.

“It’s a really nice event,” Rosie’s co-owner John Zieba said.

Children order from a kid-friendly menu and learn how to pay and tip waitstaff. “They talk about what they’re eating and how to order and how they want their food — if they want something on the side,” Zieba said, “so it’s a great experience for them.”

“It’s really such a cool experience to see the kids’ faces light up, and how excited they are when their food comes, or when they get the bill,” Zieba added. “You can just see that they’re just enjoying themselves.”

But while the children had fun and even got to paint pumpkins, the hate the restaurant has received just for having an LGBTQ-friendly atmosphere has resulted in it having to call local police.

Local residents of the area chimed in, noting that there had been no issue prior to this field trip with the establishment.

“There’s no, ‘Oh, you’re gay, you can come in. You’re not gay, you cannot come in,’” a woman said. “No, it’s not anything like that at all.“ She noted how friendly the staff and atmosphere are.

On its website, Rosie’s Bar & Grill describes itself as a restaurant that has “amazing food and refreshing drinks and sassy fun.” It says: “Whether you come for lunch or dinner, for Sunday Funday Brunch or for just a few drinks … whether you are LBGTQ+ or an ally … whether you are local or visiting … whether you come with a group or venture out solo … you will have a memorable experience with the most talented crew in South Florida.”

In a statement to The Miami Herald in response to the hate, Leonardi said: “As a school board member, I am committed to staying engaged with my community. I’m always proud to join classes for field trips and events, especially when our schools are connecting with the vibrant small businesses in my district.”

In regards to the threats that have been made after the photos were posted, Leonardi said, “Sadly, I’ve recently been attacked with bigoted comments and death threats. My friends and family have also been targeted.”

Conservatives seem to have an issue with the restaurant being inclusive and that is not oka—would they have the same issue if the restaurant owners were openly racist? Probably not.

“People are acting like the manager served the kids a round of stiff mojitos and then talked about gay sex. This is ridiculous,” Andre Menotti, an attorney based in Los Angeles, said on Twitter. “In the end, they ordered some food and colored a pumpkin.”

This post was originally published on this site

CNN’s Kasie Hunt apparently wants to see Congress pass paid family leave. Good for her! It’s an important and popular policy that few U.S. workers have access to, in contrast to workers in the vast majority of countries that do have paid family leave. The way Hunt is thinking about the fight for paid family leave, though … that could use some work.

Where to start?

Do I start with her basic assumption that this is an issue best approached through horserace-style coverage? Or do I start with her failure to mention that the vast majority of Democrats in Congress support paid family leave, while zero Republicans support it. (To be fair, there are a couple of Republicans who would vote for a poorly structured family leave bill that didn’t help many people—if there was a Republican president in office to take credit for it.)

If congressional Democrats were the only votes needed to pass paid leave—if the vote was being held just among the 50 Democratic senators, for instance—the policy would pass in a landslide. But without a single Republican willing to support it, one or two Democrats can kill it. And we know their names.

So what we have is a very high-profile media figure saying publicly that if Democrats do not get their one or two recalcitrant members in line to pass a specific policy, she will dedicate her coverage throughout the next campaign to covering that failure as if there is not another party whose members could also have voted for the policy or who could conceivably be held accountable for its failure. That’s a staggering indictment of how the traditional media covers news, and a startlingly direct threat of using a cable news network—other than Fox News—to campaign against one party, if not for the other.

Hunt got torched in the replies and quote tweets:

As of this writing, Hunt has not taken the time to reply to any of more than 11,000 replies and 2,000 quote tweets.

This post was originally published on this site

Last week, the Department of Justice announced that Nebraska Rep. Jeff Fortenberry was indicted for lying to the FBI over foreign donations made to his campaign. 

Thursday, Judge Stanley Blumfeld took the unusual step of making sure the nine-term Republican couldn’t monkey around with witnesses or handle evidence without being supervised. Blumfeld’s order “would prohibit Fortenberry from taking notes or ‘memorializing’ the evidence, and even requires his lawyers to ensure he is ‘never left alone with any Cooperator Materials,’” according to reporting by The Daily Beast’s Roger Sollenberger.

Fortenberry was charged with “concealing information and making false statements to federal authorities who were investigating illegal contributions made by a foreign national to the congressman’s 2016 re-election campaign,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. 

The order implies there are several unidentified and named witnesses speaking to officials against Fortenberry—including former aides and his longtime chief of staff, Dr. Reyn Archer. 

“A protective order for the discovery is also necessary so that the government can produce to the defense materials related to sensitive and ongoing investigations, including those related to public officials,” the judge wrote, adding that “disclosure of this information without limitation risks the privacy and security of the information’s legitimate owners.”

Fortenberry addressed the indictment in a video filmed in his vintage pickup truck, with his wife and dog, as the Nebraska cornfields drape the background.

The congressman explained that federal prosecutors in California “accused me of lying, and are charging me with this.” He adds, “This is wrong on so many levels.”

The story begins with a Los Angeles, California, fundraiser in 2016, where Fortenberry was to accept an award from a Lebanese community for his work in protecting religious minorities in the Middle East. While there, he raised $37,000, with about $30,000 coming from Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian billionaire of Lebanese descent. It is illegal to accept campaign money from a foreign national.

According to reporting by the Omaha World-Herald, the contributions were funneled through a group of Californians and went to four U.S. politicians.

It is illegal for foreign nationals to contribute to U.S. elections, and for candidates to accept or ask for said donations. 

Chagoury—a resident of Paris—and two associates agreed in 2019 to cooperate with the investigation and pay the required $1.8 million in fines, the Omaha World-Herald reports.

According to reporting by Politico three officials also received donations from Chagoury: former Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), who each got contributions in 2014, and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), via his failed 2012 presidential campaign.

The Daily Beast reports that Chagoury’s spokesperson, Mark Corallo, also served as a spokesperson for former President Donald Trump’s personal defense team during the Russia investigation. Later, Corallo worked for Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, associates of Rudy Giuliani, during the Ukraine investigation.