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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Savannah and Sam Peyton, who were without power for days last week, huddle in multiple layers under a sleeping bag at their home in Austin, Texas, on Thursday night, Feb. 18, 2021. Temperatures plummeted to the teens and single digits across Texas, and at least 58 have died in storm-affected areas across the country from causes including carbon monoxide poisoning, car crashes, drownings, house fires and hypothermia. Credit: Tamir Kalifa/The New York Times/Redux
Posted in Accountability Analysis Energy Pro Publica

“Power companies get exactly what they want”: How Texas repeatedly failed to protect its power grid against extreme weather

Texas regulators and lawmakers knew about the grid’s vulnerabilities for years, but time and again they furthered the interests of large electricity providers. by Jeremy Schwartz, Kiah Collier and Vianna Davila, ProPublica/Tx Tribune Tuesday, February 23,…

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Posted in Accountability Analysis Policing Pro Publica

“I don’t trust the people above me”: Riot squad cops open up about disastrous response to Capitol insurrection

Interviews with 19 current and former officers show how failures of leadership and communication put hundreds of Capitol cops at risk and allowed rioters to get dangerously close to members of Congress. by Joaquin Sapien and…

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Posted in Accountability Analysis QAnon

‘There must be consequences for her actions’: demands for Marjorie Taylor Greene’s removal grow

“Marjorie Taylor Greene is a seditious, hateful, QAnon-supporting, racist, Islamophobic, anti-Semitic congresswoman and she deserves to be expelled from the House.” by Kenny Stancil, staff writer Saturday, January 30, 2021 Demands that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene…

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Posted in Abuse of power Accountability SCOTUS

‘That’s insane… He still has the money’: SCOTUS tosses emoluments lawsuits targeting Trump

One watchdog critic angered by the court’s decision said, “Congress must act now to ensure that no future president can profit off the presidency.” by Jessica Corbett, staff writer Monday, January 25, 2021 The U.S. Supreme…

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Posted in Accountability Democracy News Race for the White House 2020

John Dean: Insurrectionist Senators are Co-conspirators and should not sit in judgment of Trump

AOC: “Sen. Hawley is trying to wiggle out of inciting a riot that killed 5” by Common Dreams staff On Friday evening Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that opening arguments in the Senate impeachment trial…

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Posted in Accountability Health Care Investigations

Trump’s pardons included health care execs behind massive frauds

Fred Schulte, Kaiser Health News January 22, 2021   At the last minute, President Donald Trump granted pardons to several individuals convicted in huge Medicare swindles that prosecutors alleged often harmed or endangered elderly and infirm…

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Posted in Accountability News Politics

Trump grants clemency to Bannon on final day of Presidency

‘Even Nixon Didn’t Pardon His Cronies on the way out’: “Amazingly, in his final 24 hours in office, Donald Trump found one more way to fail to live up to the ethical standard of Richard Nixon.”…

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Posted in Accountability Investigations

“No One Took Us Seriously”: Black Cops Warned About Racist Capitol Police Officers for Years

“No One Took Us Seriously”: Black Cops Warned About Racist Capitol Police Officers for Years Allegations of racism against the Capitol Police are nothing new: Over 250 Black cops have sued the department since 2001. Some…

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Posted in Accountability Congressional Oversight News

House votes on removing, possibly impeaching Trump after mob attacks

by  Sarah Oven, Cronkite News Wednesday, January 13, 2021   WASHINGTON – Arizona lawmakers split along party lines late Tuesday as the House passed a resolution urging Vice President Mike Pence to remove President Trump from office…

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Posted in Accountability Columns Democracy Robert Reich

Impeach Trump. Then arrest Trump. Then prosecute him for sedition

Unless all who participated in or abetted the attempted overthrow of the United States government are held accountable, it will happen again. Next time it may succeed. by Robert Reich Monday, January 11, 2021 Call me…

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Posted in Accountability News Right Wing Militias

Failure to hold Trump accountable for Capitol siege means ‘it will happen again,’ says Rep. Ocasio-Cortez

“If another head of state came in and ordered an attack on the United States Congress, would we say that that should not be prosecuted?” the New York Democrat said Sunday. by Andrea Germanos, staff write…

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Posted in Accountability Investigations News

Before mob stormed the Capitol, days of security planning involved Cabinet officials and President Trump

A Pentagon memo offers one version of events — six days of preparation for a rally that quickly spiraled out of control. by Joshua Kaplan Saturday, Jan. 9, 7:19 p.m. MST President Donald Trump met with…

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Posted in Abuse of power Accountability News Social Media

Big Tech further mutes President, far right megaphone as demands for Trump removal swell

Google yanked Parler from its app store Friday in light of “continued posting… that seeks to incite ongoing violence in the U.S.” by Andrea Germanos, staff writer Saturday, January 9, 2021 Amid ongoing calls for President…

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Posted in Accountability Analysis Democracy

US Capitol protesters, egged on by Trump, are part of a long history of white supremacists hearing politicians’ words as encouragement

Today, white supremacists appear to interpret politicians’ remarks as support for their cause of a new civil war to create a white-dominated government, and instead of protecting from that President Donald Trump facilitated an attack. These…

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Posted in Accountability Columns Wade Rathke

Capitol Police asleep at the switch

by Wade Rathke Friday, January 8, 2021 New Orleans    One of the late-night comedians noted that these early resignations from White House staff and cabinet officers with less than two weeks before Biden’s inauguration are…

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Posted in Accountability Government News

Dodging 25th Amendment push, Betsy DeVos resigns

Bye-bye Betsy! ‘Complicity, Cowardice, and Complete Incompetence’ “Good riddance, Betsy. You were the worst Secretary of Education ever.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Friday, January 8, 2021 Education Secretary Betsy DeVos late Thursday became the second…

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Posted in Accountability Analysis Democracy

Trump Cabinet/advisors criticized for resigning. Running Is ‘Not Courageous, It’s Cowardly,’ Say Supporters of 25th Amendment Ouster

“At this late a stage, resignations help little beyond serving as late attempts at self-preservation,” argued Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. by Brett Wilkins, staff writer January 7, 2021 Progressive lawmakers and advocacy groups on Thursday urged members…

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Posted in Accountability Coronavirus Investigations News

House Democrats Subpoena HHS and CDC bosses over alleged political interference in Covid-19 response

“The subpoenas were necessary because… efforts to interfere with scientific work at CDC were far more extensive and dangerous than previously known,” asserted Rep. James Clyburn. by Brett Wilkins, staff writer Monday, December 21, 2020 Accusing…

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Posted in Accountability Health Care Investigations

This system Is supposed to protect people with developmental disabilities. It is falling apart.

Arizona’s Independent Oversight Committees helped make it one of the best places to live as a person with DD. But now they say the state isn’t giving them what they need. by Amy Silverman for Arizona…

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Posted in Accountability Columns Wade Rathke

Accountability some fine day – make your own list

Hope is not a plan, but it’s something to hang on to now, so we can imagine a better future. by Wade Rathke Wednesday, October 21, 2020 Greenville Miss    Georgia is now a 45-45 tie between…

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Posted in Accountability Environment Government News Race for the White House 2020

Montana judge rules Trump’s illegal land manager’s decisions are invalid. ‘The Pendley Fire’

Illegal, unconfirmed acting official charade has consequences. Meteor staff Monday, October 19, 2020 Late last Friday, federal district judge Brian Morris ruled William Perry Pendley’s decisions as acting Bureau of Land Management director in Montana were…

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Sergio Escobar, and his sister, Mariana Escobar, join about 100 other protesters during a Harley Rouda rally against changes to the United States Postal Service in Newport Beach, California, on August 18, 2020. The event was organized by Indivisible OC. (Photo: Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register)
Posted in Accountability Common Dreams Community Action News USPS

Nearly 700 Protests Planned for Saturday at Post Offices Across Country

“From the most remote village in the Alaskan tundra to the tiniest island in the Everglades, there’s one connection we’ve always depended on: the mail.” by Julia Conley, staff writer Friday, August 21 As of Friday…

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"The Federal Reserve was tasked with creating a massive program to protect workers' livelihoods during an intense economic and public health crisis. We should, at the very least, expect transparency about how the program is structured," said Food & Water Action attorney Adam Carlesco. (Photo: Tony Webster/Flickr/cc)
Posted in Accountability Bailout 2020 Common Dreams Coronavirus News

Fed refuses to release documents on fossil fuel industry’s Covid-19 bailouts

‘The Public Has a Right to Know’ “As the climate crisis demands an abrupt shift away from fossil fuels, the federal government should not be creating programs to bail out these polluters.” by Jake Johnson, staff…

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