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Moscow Mitch Completes A Cover-Up That Doesn't Really Cover Up Much At All
Though the House impeachment managers proved beyond any reasonable doubt that Trump was guilty on both counts he was charged, the Senate voted 52-48 to cover up those crimes, let alone the others he wasn't even charged with. Mitt Romney was the only Republican with the guts to vote his conscience and for the best interests of the country. The *Washington Post* noted that he said his decision to vote to convict Trumpy-the-Clown was "the hardest decision" he has ever faced. Listening to his speech the Senate floor, above, doesn't sound like it was really that hard of a decision. Th... more »
In Memoriam: Kirk Douglas
One of the giants of the cinema screen has left us. Kirk Douglas died yesterday at the age of 103. If you don't know much about him, you can read his potted biography on Wikipedia. I highly recommend his first book and autobiography, "The Ragman's Son". It's from the 1980's, and therefore leaves out the last three decades of his life (and was superseded by later accounts), but in my opinion it's his best work. His movies were a source of enjoyment and inspiration to millions. I'll never forget such classics as "Spartacus", "The Vikings" and other early works. He towered ab... more »
The Season of Love (may be gone)
*A Valentine for your Ex* (or your next Ex) (link) The San Antonio Zoo's "Cry Me A Cockroach" event allows visitors to the zoo website to pay $5 to name a cockroach after their ex, or $25 for a rat as part of the run up to Valentine's day. The cockroaches will be fed to birds and the rats to snakes. I hope that they are willing to livestream the event the way the website advertises. Go to their website at the link above for more information. *Surf and Turf War* (the love is gone) (link) CAPE ELIZABETH, ME—In what is being described as the most ruthless act of bovine–crustacean vi... more »
Coronavirus means surplus now unlikely, says former Treasury Secretary Ken Henry
The Government's promise of a slim surplus is unlikely to be fulfilled due to the economic impact of the coronavirus, particularly now that China is a large part of the global economy, says Dr Henry.
16yo cricket sensation to play with her heroes in rescheduled bushfire charity match
Her big moment has suffered a minor rain delay but teenage cricket star Phoebe Litchfield will still share the field with more than a dozen legends of the game in a bushfire charity match this weekend.
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*Empower Parents to Shield Students from Bullying* Public schools throughout Michigan have a problem keeping students safe. A 2018 Wallet Hub analysis, for example, ranked Michigan as having the sixth-worst “bullying prevalence” issue in the country, based on data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ 2018 edition of the Indicators of School Crime and Safety and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey, also published in 2018. As tempting as it may be to blame Detroit for Michigan’s low ranking, bullying and other safety ... more »
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*Appeasement backfires as climate campaigners attack planting trees* *The Greenie love of trees was just a convenient fiction* Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is championing a proposal to show the GOP is serious about climate change, but climate activists are already trashing the proposal as weak and misguided. McCarthy’s proposal illustrates the trap awaiting Republican policymakers who believe they should assert there is a climate crisis while proposing alternate, watered-down solutions to the Green New Deal and other Democrat-supported proposals. As reported by... more »
Gotham City Digest: We Don't Need No Stinkin' Laws edition
(We neither forgive nor forget.) ------------------------------ Hmmm... Why the Iowa Caucus' gold standard for caucusgoers' register poll suddenly pulled back? ------------------------------ The Gucci belt on the one on the left's a nice touch. If you must be a terrorist one must at least be stylish at all costs. ------------------------------ Says the professional son in law. ------------------------------ Chris Wallace completely destroyed Amy Klobuchar on national TV over how her office railroaded that 16 year-old kid for a murder he plainly didn't commit and I say... more »
Hundred Protest Removal of Religious Exemption in Hartford
From WTNH New Haven, on the Rally in Hartford, CT yesterday to fight against the removal of the religious exemption. We need all hands on deck, New England. New Jersey fought like gladiators and beat the legislation (for now.) New... more »
After Flint Water Crisis, Number Of Students With Special Education Needs Spikes
Note: We wish these families well. They and their children deserve to be acknowledged, educated and receive reparations for the damage done by the water in Flint. There is little in the world more painful than watching your children being... more »
Blue Acceleration: Capitalism’s growing assault on the oceans
Called the Great Acceleration, the speed-up is driving what Earth System scientists describe as “the most rapid transformation of the human relationship with the natural world in the history of humankind.”[1] It marks the beginning of a new historical and geological epoch, the Anthropocene — a time when “human activities have become so pervasive and profound that they rival the great forces of nature and are pushing the Earth into planetary terra incognita.”
CETA puts pressure on precautionary principle, glyphosate implicated
bilaterals.org - 17 hours ago
06-Feb-2020 The changes joint committees are allowed to make to the CETA-text are in effect very far-reaching and at the same time binding, so they take up the role of legislator.
Trump's new trade deal is disastrous for the planet
bilaterals.org - 17 hours ago
06-Feb-2020 The deal's chapter on the environment fails to even mention "climate change." Nor does it include meaningful standards to prevent corporations from dumping toxic pollution in border communities.
Odebrecht takes Peru to arbitration over failed gas pipeline investment
bilaterals.org - 17 hours ago
06-Feb-2020 Brazil construction company Odebrecht SA has taken Peru to arbitration over a failed $2 billion investment in a gas pipeline.
Odebrecht demanda al Estado peruano ante el CIADI por US$1.200 millones
bilaterals.org - 17 hours ago
06-Feb-2020 Odebrecht presentó la demanda de arbitraje contra el Perú ante el CIADI, por la cancelación del contrato del Gasoducto Sur Peruano.
Odebrecht riposte et réclame le Pérou devant la Banque mondiale
bilaterals.org - 17 hours ago
06-Feb-2020 Odebrecht a déposé une plainte de 1,2 milliard de dollars contre le Pérou devant le tribunal arbitral de la Banque mondiale, pour l'annulation du contrat de concession pour le gazoduc sud-péruvien en 2017.
Maroc vs Sholz: A Washington, rebondissement favorable à la partie marocaine
bilaterals.org - 17 hours ago
06-Feb-2020 La procédure au fond suspendue dans le litige entre le Maroc et Sholz. La partie marocaine a soulevé une question de compétence. Sholz revoit ses prétentions à la baisse.
Potential business carnage coming for California marijuana industry, but stability might emerge after that, experts say
Many California cannabis industry watchers are predicting more company failures, more businesses going into court-appointed receivership because federal bankruptcy protections aren't an option, and more industry exits in general. Potential business carnage coming for California marijuana industry, but stability might emerge after that, experts say is a post from: Marijuana Business Daily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
Global Fossil Fuel Emissions Up 0.6% In 2019
By Paul Homewood h/t Dennis Ambler [Note that this article was written in December 2019] After increasing at the fastest rate for seven years in 2018, global CO2 emissions are set to rise much more slowly this year – but will, nevertheless, reach another record high. Emissions from fossil fuel and industry (FF&I) are […]
China's Secrecy Over the Wuhan Coronavirus Is One Big Mistake
*Raphael Veit* *Security, Asia* [image: A police officer wears a face mask and goggles at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge as the country is hit by an outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China, February 4, 2020. REUTERS/Thomas Peter] Misinformation is a dangerous thing. The outbreak of a new coronavirus, dubbed 2019-nCoV, has shown that we haven’t learned enough from the 2003 SARS epidemic. China continues to struggle with transparency, and, in the absence of data, the international community is implementing a variety of inconsistent ... more »
The U.S. Navy's Battleships Wanted Revenge After Pearl Harbor—This Is How They Got It
*Warfare History Network* *Security, * A very one-sided battle. *Key point: *Hiroshi Tanaka of *Yamashiro *described survivors as saying that Nishimura’s strategy was that of a warrant officer, not an admiral. In the distance, they could see the jagged flashes of lightning, an incoming squall in the dark. Just before the rain arrived, so did St. Elmo’s Fire, and the gun barrels and radio antennas on the PT boats crackled with blue sparks and streamers of static electricity. Then there was another lightning flash, and suddenly Lieutenant (j.g.) Terry Chambers, the executive offic... more »
A Scam Or the New Norm? Five Myths About Online Education Busted
*Vanessa Dennen* *Society, Americas* [image: Employees work inside the Minerva Project office in San Francisco, California January 7, 2014.] It's not what it seems. *Editor’s Note: When U.S. News & World Report released its best online education program rankings this year, many schools that fared well in the rankings were quick to call attention to their success. Here, Vanessa Dennen, a researcher of online learning and co-editor-in-chief of the journal The Internet and Higher Education, offers insights into what college students should consider before they enroll in an online de... more »
Russia and America Both Wanted to 'Nuke' the Moon During the Cold War
*Matthew Gault* *Security, Americas* What? *Key point: *In 1958 there was a plan to send an atomic bomb to the moon... In 1957 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik into low earth orbit. It was the planet’s first artificial satellite—and much to the apprehension of the Pentagon and U.S. policymakers, it belonged to the commies. The Space Race had begun and America was losing. The decades that followed were a parade of Cold War paranoia, technological innovation and bizarre military strategies. Both the East and West wanted to make sure the world knew who was the top superpower. But... more »
Bolsonaro Holds Brazilian States Accountable for Rise in Fuel Prices
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro holds Brazilian states accountable for the price that reaches consumers at service stations and wants to change the ICMS (Value Added Tax on Goods and Services) rule; the federal government collected R$27.4 billion (US$6.9 billion) in 2019 with PIS/COFINS (Program of Social Integration/Contribution for the Financing […] The post Bolsonaro Holds Brazilian States Accountable for Rise in Fuel Prices appeared first on The Rio Times.
Top Ten Best-Selling Cars in January in Brazil
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - The National Federation of Automotive Distribution (FENABRAVE) released the first sales report for 2020, for the month of January. In January, Chevrolet placed two models at the top of the list. Onix and Onix Plus ranked first and second, respectively. Onix sold 17,463 units in January. Onix Plus, the sedan […] The post Top Ten Best-Selling Cars in January in Brazil appeared first on The Rio Times.
Homicide Rate Dropping in One of World’s Most Violent Countries
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - El Salvador's president loves to tweet passionately, preferably success stories. He has had many to announce since taking office in June 2019, mostly on statistics. As soon as Nayib Bukele was sworn in, the number of monthly homicides dropped. At the end of the year, the total number of murders […] The post Homicide Rate Dropping in One of World’s Most Violent Countries appeared first on The Rio Times.
Lula to Earn Salary as Workers’ Party Leader
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - This year the Workers' Party (PT) has started paying a salary to ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The exact amount of remuneration granted by the party to its main leader has not been disclosed by the party leadership. In addition to the salary, Lula receives a political amnesty pension […] The post Lula to Earn Salary as Workers’ Party Leader appeared first on The Rio Times.
Drivers Are Not Uber Employees, Rules Brazil’s Highest Labor Court
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - The Superior Labor Court (TST) has ruled, for the first time, that Uber drivers have no employment relationship with the company because they are flexible in their schedules and are paid up to 80 percent of the amount paid by users, typifying a partnership relationship. The decision was unanimous. A […] The post Drivers Are Not Uber Employees, Rules Brazil’s Highest Labor Court appeared first on The Rio Times.
How Will Coronavirus Impact Brazil’s GDP?
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - The great "black swan" of the start of 2020, the coronavirus has come out of the blue to hit the market hard, knocking the stock markets around the world as cases began to erupt. With over 24,000 people infected and 490 dead, the virus raises fears of a pandemic that […] The post How Will Coronavirus Impact Brazil’s GDP? appeared first on The Rio Times.
Institutional Investors Expect IBOVESPA at 135.000 Points by End of 2020
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Despite the start of a troubled year in the market, institutional investors remain optimistic about the Brazilian stock market. According to a survey conducted by XP Investments, the median of 124 managers, economists and analysts projects that the IBOVESPA will close the year at 135,000 points, representing a high of […] The post Institutional Investors Expect IBOVESPA at 135.000 Points by End of 2020 appeared first on The Rio Times.
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From Jenna Orkin Here’s the Shadow Inc. App That Failed in Iowa Last Night*The DNC steadfastly refused to offer any transparency. It was hard to know what to expect except the worst,” Gregory Miller, cofounder of the Open Source Election Technology Institute, which publicly warned the IDP against using the app weeks ago, told Motherboard. “I don’t want to say I told you so, but …”* This Is The Buzzy Democratic Firm That Botched The Iowa Caucuses*Gerard Niemira, a veteran of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, is the head of Shadow. He previously served as chief technology office... more »
Ponzi Schemer Bernie Madoff Asks to Be Released From Prison Under “Compassionate Release,” Igniting Debate Over Fairness
Pondering Madoff's petition to be freed and the general question of compassionate release programs.
India's Outdoor Workers on the Frontlines of Climate Change
Global Issues News Headlines - 18 hours ago
NEW DEHLI, Feb 05 (IPS) - Last June when more than half of India was reeling under daily temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius, Nursing Behera's 11-month-old son burned both his legs when a pot of boiling water fell on him. Read the full story, “India's Outdoor Workers on the Frontlines of Climate Change”, on globalissues.org →
The Trump Plan is Just a Cover for Israel’s Final Land Grab
The Trump Plan is Just a Cover for Israel’s Final Land Grab by Jonathan Cook, https://www.middleeasteye.net/ Israel needed a fresh pretext to justify seizing the last fragments of historic Palestine after the expiry of its Oslo alibi – The Trump “Vision for Peace” will never be implemented – and not because the Palestinians reject it. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s enthusiastic …
Google - a dictator unlike anything the world has ever known
I have not touched the formatting on this story as the author makes similar use of italics as i do. We have a problem folks. Targeted bias is a powerful tool completely able to massively shift votes for pay. Google can do this all by itself. The big take home out of this is that it was applied on behalf of Clinton in 2016 and that clearly means that her loss otherwise would have been much larger and certainly much more than the popular vote advantage she had. This may also have been a criminal offense. Without question this must be addressed. It is also a problem for all fo... more »
Dr. Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace, speaks his mind.
This item is well worth the effort. A couple of take homes that we need to know. The big one is that the Great Pacific plastic disaster is a complete FRAUD. The whole globe is been lied to. It also turns out the the Great Barrier Reef tale is equally bunk. It is not happening at all. And it goes on and on. We have a Global media disinformation machine throwing up environmental scares to serve economic ends. All the so called evidence inevitably creates a circular firing squad to make and to maintain its point. We always understood the CO2 to Global warming to be dead wrong. ... more »
8 REASONS WHY ALL DRUGS (EVEN HEROIN) SHOULD BE LEGAL
There is actually one reason that all drugs need to be legal. The mere act of imposing illegality creates a black market that cannot ever be regulated and is not. That is also proven to be terribly dangerous. Yet these are the exact products that cry for regulation however light. In fact regulation is welcomed as it allows quality control. Amusingly cannabis is now legal in Canada. The struggle now is how to actually regulate the whole mess. Of course we will have to wait for many more years before this is ever fixed.. ... more »
The Woman Shaking Up the Diamond Industry
*[image: Image may contain Crystal Mineral and Quartz]* Great story. This whole industry grew up around me in Vancouver back in the day. No one, including myself quite believed it would become as successful as it has become. Instead it has moved from strength to strength without ever diminishing the market value of the product.In their wildest dreams DeBeers never saw their lock on the market challenged. Yet it was and everyone has maintained pricing for what is a remarkably common gemstone. Successful Canadian diamond miners went global because they then had the know... more »
Wind energy in decline, Germany
“The lack of acceptance among the public — along with economic and technical obstacles — has put the brakes on wind park construction. FOCUS writes: “According to the industry associations Bundesverband Windenergie (BWE) and VDMA Power Systems, only 325 new … Continue reading →
Democrats impeached Trump for withholding arms- to Neo-Nazis
Since he took office, Trump has done nearly everything short of declaring war on Moscow to appease the bipartisan anti-Russia consensus in Washington but to no avail. One such step was the decision to provide military aid to Ukraine amid its ongoing war in the eastern Donbass region against Russian-speaking separatists, a move the Obama administration decided against because of Kiev’s rampant corruption.
Black Agenda Report for 6 February 2020
6 February 2020 — Black Agenda Report Bloomberg Becoming Oligarch-in-Chief of Democratic Party Glen Ford, BAR executive editor If Sanders wins the nomination, Michael Bloomberg and his filthy rich brethren are already preparing to fund and erect an alternative structure of dependable corporate governance. Why Attacking the Green Party to Assist the War Party Helps Donald … Continue reading Black Agenda Report for 6 February 2020
‘These Are New Tactics Being Employed to Silence Journalism’
Janine Jackson interviewed Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Rainey Reitman about the persecution of Glenn Greenwald for the January 31, 2020, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript.
National anthem will not be played at NRL All Stars game after players voice concerns
Just In - 19 hours ago
The ARL Commission decides to scrap the national anthem for the All Stars match after listening to players concerns that "the words of the anthem do not represent them or their families".
Cyclone Damien is shaping up as a very different beast than WA's last big storm
As tropical cyclone Damien heads for Western Australia's Pilbara Coast as a powerful category 4 system, the ferocity of last year's cyclone Veronica is fresh in residents' minds.
Indonesian woman who took a dog into a mosque acquitted of blasphemy charges
Just In - 19 hours ago
Doctors say the woman, who is shown in a video circulating online arguing with shocked worshippers, should receive psychiatric treatment.
Police flown in as 'mango season' feud explodes in remote Queensland town
Police cars have been stoned, a house was petrol-bombed and armed locals clashed on the streets of Doomadgee when tension between some members of family groups boiled over this week.
Australian man in the Maldives stabbed, with IS sympathisers claiming responsibility
A 44-year-old Australian man working in the Maldives is recovering in hospital after he and two Chinese nationals were stabbed by suspected extremists on Tuesday night.
Melbourne man told he 'did not even come close' to being granted bail
Just In - 19 hours ago
A man who stood on top of his car and drove in circles outside Flinders Street Station has admitted to police he was inspired by the actions of convicted murderer James Gargasoulas.
Scout halls, campsites must go to fund sex abuse payments, state president says
Scouts Tasmania will go broke unless it sells some halls and campsites to fund payments to victims of sexual abuse under the redress scheme, with the state president warning the organisation is "faced with insolvency" unless action is taken.
'I'm devastated': Why many Chinese restaurants are struggling to pull in customers
Many Chinese restaurants and retailers across Australia are taking a battering after experiencing a dramatic drop in the number of customers who fear they might catch the deadly coronavirus. But are their fears justified?
Star-studded bushfire charity cricket match still on, switched to Melbourne on Sunday
Just In - 19 hours ago
Cricket Australia, having scrapped Saturday's all-star SCG contest, will host a rescheduled bushfire relief match at Melbourne's Junction Oval on Sunday.
ACQUITTED !! – Now Let’s Get Down To Business…
In the spring of 2018 a group of congressional reps led by Devin Nunes, Mark Meadows, Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz, Louie Gohmert, Lee Zeldin and Bob Goodlatte, asked President Trump to declassify a series of documents so the public could … Continue reading →
Portugal Ends “Gold” Visas for Property Buyers
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - The Portuguese Parliament passed on Wednesday, February 5th, two measures that directly affect high-net-worth foreigners interested in living and investing in the country. Brazilians are among the most impacted by the new rules. The deputies decided to limit the so-called gold visas - residence permits for those purchasing real estate […] The post Portugal Ends “Gold” Visas for Property Buyers appeared first on The Rio Times.
Petrobras Announces Price Drops of 4.3 Percent for Gasoline, 4.4 Percent for Diesel
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Petrobras (PETR3; PETR4) has announced to customers that it will reduce the prices of derivatives in its refineries as of Thursday, February 6th. The liter of gasoline will cost 4.3 percent less and diesel will be 4.4 percent lower. The thermal S10 diesel was reduced by 4.6 percent and the […] The post Petrobras Announces Price Drops of 4.3 Percent for Gasoline, 4.4 Percent for Diesel appeared first on The Rio Times.
Impeachment vote acquits President Trump, shows American rift
Strictly party-line with an asterisk. President Trump acquitted of the two articles of impeachment 52-28 not guilty of “Abuse of Power” and 53-47 not guilty of “Obstruction of Congress.” The asterisk was Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney, who delivered a lofty sounding defense of the need to follow his principles, religious and otherwise to try […] More The post Impeachment vote acquits President Trump, shows American rift appeared first on The Duran.
Love from 770
It's gratifying to hear from people who follow this blog from a thousand fathoms down. So here's to you, crew of SSN 770, *USS Tucson*! Peace through superior firepower!!
Joe the Plumber’s Popularity Plunges Yet Again
From The Patriot News: Joe Wurzelbacher would not say who paid for him to come to Harrisburg to speak out against the proposed Employee Free Choice Act. Neither would organizers of the rally, Americans for Prosperity, a nonprofit that takes donations from conservative donors. But that doesn’t mean “Joe the Plumber” — who drove his […]
Beyond Burnout: Doctors Decry ‘Moral Injury’ From Financial Pressures Of Health Care
Emergency room doctors have it worse than you thought.
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