Posted in Abuse of power Black Lives Matter News

Trump Wanted to Shoot Protesters, Says Mark Esper

Former Trump Pentagon General claims in a new book that the former president asked: “Can’t you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?” by Andrea Germanos, Common Dreams Tuesday, May 3, 2022…

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Posted in Analysis Government Law

The Invisible Hand of Steve Twist

How an Arizona man who’s never held elected office has shaped one of America’s most punitive criminal justice systems. by Nicole Santa Cruz April 5,2022 ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Co-published with The Arizona…

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Posted in Investigations Race for the White House 2020

Documentary by Frontline and ProPublica reveals origins of the stolen election myth

A group of people working from a plantation in South Carolina spread misinformation about the November 2020 election. These falsehoods have since become articles of faith for many Republicans.       by ProPublica “Plot to…

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Posted in Investigations News

Jan. 6 Logs Show 457-Minute Gap in Trump Calls

‘Coverup?’ “Nixon had an 18.5-minute gap in his White House tapes,” noted one watchdog group. “Trump has a 7.5-hour gap in phone logs from January 6th.” by Jake Johnson, Common Dreams March 29, 2022 Internal White…

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Posted in Analysis CyberSecurity War

Ukraine conflict brings cybersecurity risks to US homes, businesses

by Richard Forno, University of Maryland, Baltimore County February 24, 2022 All cybersecurity is local, regardless of the world situation. That means it’s personal, too – in Americans’ homes, computers and online accounts. As violence spreads…

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Posted in Investigations News

Supreme Court denies Trump bid to conceal records from Jan. 6 panel

One government watchdog group welcomed the decision as “a huge win for transparency.” by Jessica Corbett, Common Dreams Wednesday, January 19, 10:30 PM The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday denied former President Donald Trump’s attempt to…

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Posted in Investigations News

Eric Trump invoked 5th Amendment 500 times during 6-hour deposition

Longtime Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg refused a similar number of questions, citing his right to not self-incriminate. by Jake Johnson, Common Dreams Wednesday, January 19, 2022 Former President Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump invoked the…

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Posted in Food Investigations Pro Publica Public Safety

America’s food safety system failed to stop a Salmonella epidemic. It’s still making people sick.

For years, a dangerous salmonella strain has sickened thousands and continues to spread through the chicken industry. The USDA knows about it. So do the companies. And yet, contaminated meat continues to be sold to consumers….

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Posted in Investigations News

The Trump Administration used its Food Aid program for political gain: Congressional investigation

The Food to Families program, touted by Ivanka Trump, gave tens of millions of dollars to unqualified firms and was also used to promote then-President Trump. by Bianca Fortis, ProPublica October 25, 2021 A $6 billion…

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The U.S.-Mexico border fence in Nogales, Arizona. Credit: Ariana Drehsler/AFP via Getty Images
Posted in Investigations Justice News Pro Publica

A secretive counterterrorism team interrogated dozens of citizens at the border

Government Report A report by a federal watchdog shows how the Trump administration flagged at least 51 citizens for interrogation at the border based on evidence as flimsy as once having ridden in a car with…

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Posted in Accountability Columns Environment Wade Rathke

Environmental money scams

by Wade Rathke September 27, 2021 Pearl River    No question. Climate change is a big deal. For every hurricane alert, storm warning, and sudden street flooding, environmental consciousness is rising as quickly as the wind…

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Venezuelan asylum seeker Jhinezka de Arias holds her son Cristhofer at the bus station in Brownsville, Texas, on Feb. 25. Credit: Verónica G. Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune/ProPublica
Posted in Analysis Biden Administration Immigration

Border policy Is getting more and more convoluted. That’s creating false hope for migrants.

The Biden administration and the Mexican government have made the situation at the border so confusing that even seasoned experts can’t always determine who is allowed in and who isn’t. That may be contributing to the…

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Lawyers were stopped while crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and questioned by counterterrorism agents. Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images
Posted in Abuse of power Analysis Pro Publica

Documents Show Trump Officials Used Secret Terrorism Unit to Question Lawyers at the Border

In newly disclosed records, Trump officials cited conspiracies about Antifa to justify interrogating immigration lawyers with a special terrorism unit. The documents also show that more lawyers were targeted than previously known. by Dara Lind  …

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Then-U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr holds a news conference at the Department of Justice on December 21, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Michael Reynolds-Pool via Getty Images)
Posted in Abuse of power First Amendment Freedom of the Press News

‘Direct attack on the First Amendment’: Trump DOJ secretly obtained Washington Post journalists’ phone records

“When the government spies on journalists and their sources, it jeopardizes freedom of the press,” said the ACLU. by Kenny Stancil, staff writer   Advocates for press freedom responded with outrage after the Washington Post reported…

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Construction championed by then-President Donald Trump continued on a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border on January 12, 2021 in Sasabe, Arizona. (Photo: Micah Garen/Getty Images)
Posted in Biden Administration Border Wall News

Biden cancels Trump border wall projects using diverted funds

“Now they must commit to restoring protected public lands and sacred sites, and tearing down sections of wall.” by Jessica Corbett, staff writer May 1, 2021   Advocacy groups and politicians on Friday welcomed the Pentagon’s…

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Posted in Analysis Government Politics

Biden gives Congress his vision to ‘win the 21st century’ – scholars react

President Joe Biden spoke to Congress on April 28, 2021, with a historic duo flanking him: two women, one of them African American. Vice President Kamala Harris called the proceedings to order; Speaker of the House Nancy…

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Posted in Biden Administration Environment Indigenous News

‘Watershed moment’ as Haaland revokes Trump-era orders, creates climate task force

“Today’s orders make certain that the Interior Department is no longer going to serve as a rubber-stamp for the coal and oil and gas industries.”   by Jessica Corbett, staff writer   Friday, April 16, 2021…

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Posted in Analysis Biden Administration Immigration Unaccompanied Minors

“No good choices”: HHS Is cutting safety corners to move migrant kids out of overcrowded facilities

After ignoring signs that shelters were filling quickly, agencies are scrambling to get thousands of kids out of Border Patrol jails. But new “emergency” facilities skirt safety standards, while facilities accused of abuse are still getting…

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Posted in Biden Administration

Biden’s embrace of Trump-era fentanyl ban ‘threatens to repeat past missteps,’ critics warn

One expert urged policymakers to “rethink these efforts to double down on fear-based, enforcement-first approaches, and instead invest in public health alternatives.” by Kenny Stancil, staff writer April 14, 2021   After the Biden administration this…

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National Guard soldiers patrol the Capitol grounds in Washington, D.C., on March 6. Credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Posted in Analysis Investigations Pro Publica

6 Questions officials still haven’t answered after weeks of hearings on the Capitol attack

More than 15 hours of testimony failed to answer fundamental questions about the Capitol attack. Among them: Why national security officials responded differently to BLM protesters than to Trump supporters.   by Joaquin Sapien and Joshua…

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Posted in Biden Administration News

Schumer vows to push through ‘Republican obstruction’ and confirm Deb Haaland as Interior Secretary

The Senate majority leader said he “just filed cloture to move ahead” with the New Mexico congresswoman’s nomination. by Brett Wilkins, staff writer Tuesday, March 9, 2021 As Republican U.S. senators continued attempts to obstruct Rep….

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A U.S. Marine during the 2003-2011 Iraq War, which destroyed the country and killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and thousands of U.S. troops. (Photo: Cpl. Brian M. Henner/USMC/flickr/cc)
Posted in Analysis Biden Administration

Peace advocates welcome Biden move to limit war powers

‘We Need to Make Sure It’s Done Right’ The president and Congress, said one leading anti-war campaigner, “must work together to actually end the decades long fighting, killing, dying, and spending that is on automatic pilot.”…

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Posted in Columns Economy Government Wade Rathke

Politicians face off over ESG investing

by Wade Rathke Friday, March 5, 2021 New Orleans    Free marketeers are caught in a crisis of contradictions. They want to pretend that market forces exist independent of any interference from government or other factors,…

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Posted in Analysis Investigations Pro Publica Voter suppression

After a wave of violent threats against election workers, Georgia sees few arrests

For nearly a year, election administrators across the country weathered the pandemic while facing attacks and threats — leading many officials to resign or retire. In Georgia, little was done to prevent it from happening again….

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