We developed analogs of S-adenosyl-L-methionine with photo-caging (PC) groups and demonstrated enzymatic transfer and light-triggered removal based on a DNA-methyltransferase and plasmid DNA.
The 10DM24 deoxyribozyme can site-specifically label RNAs with fluorophore-GTP conjugates. The phosphorothioate modification prevents enzymatic cleavage of the 2′,5′-branched RNA.
Thermostable T7 RNA polymerase variants were explored for genetic alphabet expansion transcription involving the unnatural Ds–Pa pair.
5-(Hydroxymethyl)uracil and -cytosine in DNA templates regulate transcription by bacterial RNA polymerase depending on the promoter, indicating that they may act as epigenetic marks.
Can 5-methylcytosine analogues with extended alkyl side chains guide DNA methylation?
The ability of extended forms of 5-methylcytosine to direct DNA methylation by maintenance DNA methyltransferase was investigated.
BNAP-modified ODNs showed higher binding affinities toward complementary DNA and RNA as compared to ODNs bearing 2′,4′-BNA/LNA with 5-methylcytosine or 2′-deoxyribonucleoside with phenoxazine.
New phenothiazine-modified nucleotides were prepared and used for enzymatic synthesis of labelled DNA for electrochemical detection and redox coding of DNA bases.
We review here the molecular mechanisms employed by DNMTs and TET enzymes that are responsible for shaping the DNA methylation pattern of a mammalian cell.
Methods to map small-molecule binding sites on cellular RNAs are important for understanding interactions with both endogenous and exogenous compounds. Here, 'Pt-Seq' is presented as a high-throughput method to identify Pt adducts on RNA resulting from cisplatin treatment.
This review highlights the synthesis, biophysical properties, and wide range of applications of oligonucleotides modified with 2′-O-(pyren-1-yl)methyl-RNA monomers reported over the past 25 years.
We have evaluated the possibility for using an imidazole modified nucleoside triphosphate for the enzymatic construction of artificial metal base pair with view on an expansion of the genetic code.
Conformation of the alkylene lesion may play a role in interstrand cross-link repair by O6-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferases.
Lipidated peptide nucleic acids as tools for efficient liposome fusion at elevated temperatures – in a zipper and a double-zipper fusion design. An potent alternative to DNA-mediated membrane fusion.
A single phosphorodithioate in place of a phosphate in a 19mer hairpin-RNA regio-specifically boosts its affinity for MS2 phage coat protein.
The Na+-specific Ce13d DNAzyme is rigid showing no global folding in the presence of Na+, but splitting it at the cleavage site enables its Na+-specific folding detected by FRET.
Highly efficient fusion and content mixing of liposomes encoded by lipidated oligonucleotides (LiNAs). "Hot fusion of biomembranes" – a low leakage process at elevated temperature.
The present review highlights recent progress in the synthesis of fluoro-modified nucleic acids, and their applications in diagnostics, and therapeutics, and as tools for probing the structure and function of nucleic acids by 19F NMR and MRI.
D-/L-Isonucleotides were used to explore the local conformation requirement at specific sites of siRNA; both silencing activity and nuclease resistant character were improved, respectively.
Transcriptome In Vivo Analysis (TIVA) probes capable of single cell mRNA isolation were generated with stabilizing oligonucleotide modifications, with the goal of enabling transcriptomic applications in a wide range of biological specimens.
A synthetic access to stable isotope modified large RNAs for structural biology is introduced.
A gold(I)-mediated reaction to a DNA-tagged spirocycle, and the tolerance of different nucleic acids to the reaction conditions are demonstrated.
Sequencing-based profiling of spliceosomal snRNA demonstrates substoichiometric methylation at cap-proximal and internal sites that may impact splicing and protein production.
Trastuzumab, an antibody prescribed for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, was covalently conjugated to oligonucleotides and characterized by high resolution MALDI-ToF MS.
It may be useful to develop prodrugs that are selectively activated by oxidative stress in cancer cells to release cell-killing reactive intermediates.
8-Oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine in a tandem lesion context is two orders of magnitude more susceptible to oxidation than in a context of native DNA yielding hydantoin products.
The emergence of the earliest nucleosides is an important, but unresolved, element of the origins of life that may have been facilitated by heterocycle reactivity and self-assembly.
DNA encoded ligands are self-assembled into bivalent complexes and chemically ligated to link their identities.
Structural information provides important insight to how major groove-modified triazole-containing siRNAs selectively knockout their intended target.
Energetically activated double-stranded probes with interstrand arrangements of intercalator-functionalized nucleotides enable recognition of mixed-sequence DNA hairpins with excellent binding specificity.
Porphyrin-based photosensitisers and their DNA conjugates have been evaluated for interstrand crosslink generation using furan containing oligonucleotides and red light.
The new semi-rigid spin label ImUm showed limited motion in RNA duplexes and accurate distances between two spin labels in RNA duplexes were obtained by pulsed EPR spectroscopy.
Chemically modified aptamers have the opportunity to increase aptamer target binding affinity and provide structure–activity relationships to enhance our understanding of molecular target recognition by the aptamer fold.
We have demonstrated the synthesis of ONs containing 2′-Me-locked nucleotide analogous (X) and (Y), and examined their biophysical properties.
The structural basis for selective incorporation of BenziMP opposite O6-MeG by KlenTaq DNA polymerase is elucidated by X-ray crystallography.
Nucleic acids are known for their predictable base-pairing that forms a key basis for their biological function as well as for various applications in chemistry, materials science, diagnostics, therapeutics, and elsewhere. Beyond the handful of canonical nucleic acid building blocks, scientists and nature itself have been very inventive in the creation of non-standard nucleic acids with augmented chemical functionalities.


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Six eco-friendly menstrual hygiene products you need to have a healthy, sustainable period
Gayatri Vinayak
#GreenPeriodProject Why we're doing what we're doing: https://t.co/LEfH7Gf1gx
.#periods #sanitarywaste #sustainablemenstruation #menstrualhealth #womenshealth #ecofriendlyproducts #periodtalk #periodproducts #bleedgreen #greentheswitch #togetherwecan #climateaction pic.twitter.com/dTH5RKuRN6
— Our Young Voices (@OurYoungVoices1) November 1, 2020
Disposable sanitary napkins are considered to be a God-send, especially in a country where access to affordable menstrual hygiene products is still a concern. But, have you thought about the amount of waste that is being generated through a lifetime of disposable sanitary napkin use?
Consider these facts. A sanitary pad is made up of 90 per cent plastic, the same amount as in four plastic bags. In India, alone, out of 336 million menstruating girls and women, around 121 million use disposable napkins. A woman disposes of around 10,000 sanitary napkins or 15,000 tampons in her lifetime.
Most pads and tampons can't be recycled, they end up in landfills where they sit for hundreds of years. One napkin takes around 500-800 years to decompose. Do the math, and you will realise how much we are adding on to an already over-polluted environment.
However, by making a conscious decision, we can have safer, healthier and more sustainable menstrual cycles. Here are some menstrual hygiene products that you can switch over to if you would like to have environmental friendly periods:
ILLUSTRATION - 08 December 2020, Berlin: A woman points to a menstrual cup. Photo: Annette Riedl/dpa (Photo by Annette Riedl/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Menstrual Cups: A great choice – both in terms of cost-effectiveness and sustainability. Menstrual cups come in the price range of Rs 250-Rs 1,000, but you don't need to dispose of them after each use. A cup can last several years, so you also don't need to worry about running out of them, or be concerned about all those pads piling up in landfills.
Menstrual cups are made from silicon, are safe to use and ensure protection as well. The cup does not absorb your period flow; rather it collects the blood, which you need to discard after each use.
Most people are apprehensive about using menstrual cups, considering that you need to insert them. But, the process gets simpler and faster once you get the hang of it. You just need to make sure you clean the cup thoroughly by following the instructions, after each use.
There are plenty of options to choose from and most e-commerce platforms sell menstrual cups. Indian brand Shecup has a range of non-toxic, non-allergic menstrual cups made of silicone, which offer a safe and sustainable alternative to disposable sanitary pads.
Reusable textile pads for women in trendy colour combinations.
Reusable Pads: If menstrual cups are not your thing, you can also opt for an eco-friendly alternative to disposable sanitary napkins – reusable cloth pads. These pads have many layers of cloth in them, rather than plastic, and that makes them organic and sustainable. Much like a disposable sanitary napkin, a reusable pad contains a lining to prevent staining, a holder and an adjustable band to hold it in place.
However, what makes them more sustainable is that after each use, you can reuse the pad by washing it thoroughly and ensuring it is properly dried. Reusable pads last for several years, help you save money and the environment as well.
Organisations such as Ecofemme, a women-led social enterprise which produces and sells reusable cloth pads, Aakar Innovations, a social enterprise which enables women to manufacture and distribute affordable,100 per cent biodegradable, high-quality sanitary napkins and Goonj, which works at the grassroots level with women to raise awareness about menstrual health and hygiene, manufacture and sell reusable pads.
NEW DELHI, INDIA - AUGUST 27: A woman looks at a Janaushadhi Suvidha sanitary napkin during the launch of Oxo-Biodegradable Suvidha Sanitary Napkins priced at Re 1 at Safdarjung Hospital on August 27, 2019 in New Delhi, India. The app was launched by Minister of State for Chemical and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya and Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers DV Sadananda Gowda. (Photo by Biplov Bhuyan/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Organic, biodegradable pads: Where regular disposable sanitary pads are made of plastic and contain bleaching agents and fragrance – all of which are harmful to the health, organic pads are made up of natural elements like bamboo fibre, organic cotton and banana fibre. These are chemical-free, odour-free pads that do not cause any allergies. They serve the double purpose of being safe for your skin and for the environment.
Brands such as Saathi and Pee Safe offer biodegradable and compostable pads which use plant-based material such as bamboo or banana fibre to make sanitary napkins.
Period underwear: It might feel odd bleeding into your underwear without any pad or tampon to protect yourself. But, that is where period panties come in. They are affordable, absorbent and washable – you don't need to invest in panties and sanitary napkins/tampons separately. If you are not comfortable using them on a regular basis, you can supplement your sanitary napkins with these period panties to reduce the number of sanitary napkins you dispose of in a year.
While there are a number of options available on Amazon, Myntra and other e-commerce platforms, if you are looking for organic period panties, you can try Lavos period panties. Made from bamboo and cotton, these panties are anti-microbial and reusable.
Biodegradable sanitary disposal bags: While the Government has mandated providing sanitary napkin disposal bags along with the pads, most bags are non-biodegradable. This is where eco-friendly, biodegradable sanitary napkin disposal bags come in. Homegrown feminine hygiene brand, Niine, for example, offers biodegradable disposal bags with its sanitary napkins. Sirona also offers oxo-biodegradable sanitary bags for disposal of intimate care products.
Make Your Own Pad: You can also make your own eco-friendly sanitary napkins – this will ensure that you are one hundred per cent sure of the materials you use. They are environmental friendly as well. Here are some basic materials you would need to make your own sanitary napkin:
Flannel cloth (ensure it is clean and 100 per cent cotton)
Tic tac buttons
Old towel
Trace the outline of a sanitary pad on the flannel cloth. Cut out the top and bottom layers of the pad.
Cut out rectangular-shaped liners with curved edges from the towel. You can cut out two-three layers depending on your requirement. Ensure the liners are an inch shorter than the flannel and that you give enough space so that the pad's wings can fold well and overlap through fastenings. You can keep the layers in place using a pin.
Sew the pieces in place by hand or using a sewing machine. Stitch the sides, making sure that you include the towel as well. Stitch the centre once you are done with the sides.
Sew the tic toc buttons to the wings, this will hold the pad in place.
Your own eco-friendly, reusable sanitary napkin is ready.
Do your bit for the environment and your health. Make that switch to sustainable, safe and organic menstrual hygiene products.
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Amy Harris/ShutterstockFederal authorities have charged Robert Gieswein as one of the rioters who stormed the Capitol in support of a pro-Trump insurrection on January 6.The Woodland Park, Colorado, resident was seen in photos wearing distinctive patches and military-style equipment on Jan. 5 and on Jan. 6 as he pushed through police barriers at the Capitol and confronted officers in the building alongside a number of rioters wanted by the FBI.He is charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding a federal officer, depredation of U.S. property. obstruction of an official proceeding, and entering a restricted building with the intent to impede official functions.Gieswein could not immediately be reached for comment, and it was not clear if he had been taken into custody.The Daily Beast identified Gieswein in pictures taken on Jan. 5, the day before the riot, showing him apparently injured, with his helmet off kneeling on the ground as pro-Trump rallygoers clash with protesters and police at Black Lives Matter plaza in downtown D.C.In an affidavit in support of the criminal charges, the government alleged that Gieswein "appears to be affiliated with the radical militia group known as the Three Percenters," a militia which is "loosely allied with the Oath Keepers."Gieswein's Facebook page, now-deleted, also showed him to be a fan of right-wing militia groups. In November 2018, he posted pictures of himself flashing the "Three Percent" sign, an apparent reference to so-called Three Percenter militias, outside of Shooters Grill, a Colorado bar owned by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO). Robert Gieswein uploaded a photo of himself outside Rep. Lauren Boebert's gun-themed Colorado bar. Facebook The term "three percenter," according to the Anti-Defamation League, is a reference to the "erroneous belief that only 3% of colonists fought against the British during the Revolutionary War" and militia members make themselves out to be similarly willing to fight against what they see as tyrannical government.Gieswein's movements during the riot were easily traceable thanks to a collection of distinctive patches on his helmet and vest, including patches that read "Woodland Wild Dogs," "Golf Foxtrot Yankee," "MAGA," My Mom Thinks I'm Special," and "I Pull Out" next to a picture of a grenade.Giesewin is visible in photos available on Shutterstock brandishing a baseball bat and appearing to push a riot barrier into police trying to hold him and a crowd of rioters back.Later on, Gieswein's helmet is also visible in footage of a Proud Boys member, identified by the FBI as Dominic Pezzola, breaking into the Capitol through a window. As Pezzola smashes the window with a police shield, the "Golf Foxtrot Yankee" patch and orange tape of Gieswein's helmet is visible in the lower right hand corner of the frame.Feds Track Down Bearded Proud Boy Seen Smashing Capitol Window With Police ShieldWhen Pezzola and other rioters make their way upstairs, Gieswein is again visible standing next to him and yelling as rioters confront outnumbered Capitol police attempting to stop them.Other pictures on his Facebook show Gieswein dressed in camouflage military garb parading with assault weapons next to other, similarly equipped men. His political views—stated in photos with "Trump 2020" and "Make Liberals Cry Again"—are also evident.Amidst the pictures of dogs on his feed, Gieswein also posted the distinctive yellow and green "Woodland Wild Dogs" patch seen on his vest at the Capitol riot.His name appears on a 2020 registration for a website labeled WoodlandWildDogs.com and RockyMountainOathkeepers.com, both registered in 2019.An Instagram account in the name of Woodland Wild Dogs—adorned with the tagline "Shootin guns, Campfires and America" but since deleted—bore the patch logo seen on Gieswein's vest and appeared to show pictures of him engaging in target practice and military-style drills with other men dressed in camo and bearing assault rifles.This Cop Joined the Capitol Protest. Then She Spread an Antifa Conspiracy.Its first post shows a black and yellow skull and the title "Rocky Mountain Oathkeepers."At his home in Colorado, Gieswein was also apparently active in various protest movements, particularly around gun rights. His Facebook shows him advertising a 2018 "Rally for Our Rights" in Colorado Springs to support gun rights.When residents of Pueblo, Colorado, turned out for the "March for Our Lives" following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, a local NBC affiliate noted that Gieswein conducted a counter-protest in which he openly carried a firearm. "Bump stocks...the biggest thing on the ballot right now. If we give away our bump stocks what's next? Magazines and semi-autos?" he told KOAA News 5.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Submitted by joe shikspack on Mon, 04/22/2019 - 2:30pm
The day's news roundup + tonight's musical feature: Meade "Lux" Lewis
Hey! Good Evening!
This evening's music features boogie woogie and blues piano player Meade "Lux" Lewis. Enjoy!
Meade "Lux" Lewis (w/Big Joe Turner) - Roll Em
"It is remarkable how easily children and grown-ups adapt to living in a dictatorship organised by lunatics."
-- A.N. Wilson
Trump's Veto on Yemen War Is a Sign That the Strongmen in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia Are Winning
On Tuesday, Donald Trump invoked his veto power for only the second time in his presidency. Trump's move struck down a congressional resolution to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. In doing so, he stifled a moment of rare bipartisanship, flexing his own authoritarian tendencies to protect a fellow autocrat, the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is known by the initials MBS. ...
The bill, though, just like the president's objection to it, had much more to do with Trump's relentless and ill-advised devotion to MBS. The resolution first gained momentum in the aftermath of Khashoggi's murder in October 2018, a crime that many — including the U.S. intelligence community — have linked to the crown prince. MBS is also responsible for leading the coalition of Persian Gulf states in its four-year offensive in Yemen, which has left thousands of Yemeni civilians dead and millions ravaged by famine and disease. In addition to overseeing this disastrous war, MBS has also ordered numerous crackdowns on his own civilians, including mass arrests and alleged torture of nonviolent human rights advocates. ...
It was no great surprise, then, to see the president resort to veto power to protect MBS's disastrous Yemen campaign. Beneath the shallow appeals to constitutionalism and national security, Trump is acting in accordance with a now-familiar pattern: gravitating toward fellow strongmen and personality-driven deal-making. This entrepreneurial narcissism has fueled much of the president's volatile foreign policy, from his on-again-off-again "relationships" with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un to his rabid devotion to building a wall on the Mexican border. This trend has dramatic implications in the Middle East. Since the collapse of the Arab Spring and in the wake of years of foreign intervention, hopes of democracy in the region have in large part given way to a cast of authoritarian rulers. From MBS in Saudi Arabia to Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey to the recently re-elected Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, the region has grown increasingly polarized under hawkish, right-wing leaders.
Among this fray, Trump, along with his his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, identified MBS as an ideal partner. The president and crown prince share an alarmist message of Iran as a regional menace and both use this stance to justify destabilizing policies, such as the dismantling of the Iran nuclear deal and the war in Yemen. Trump has also lauded MBS and the Saudis for their alleged work to curb extremism in the region, despite reports that Riyadh has cut deals with Al Qaeda fighters in Yemen. ...
The veto, for all its cynical implications about the state of U.S. foreign policy, should also concern Americans at home. Tuesday's announcement came barely a month after Trump's first veto, which he used to enforce his border statement of emergency over congressional opposition. So Trump went to the outer limits of legality in pursuit of an irrational pet project, the so-called border wall with Mexico, at great financial and human cost. Such actions are only the logical extension of a presidency that began with the morally indefensible and constitutionally untenable "Muslim ban," issued by executive order in the first days of the administration. The president has repeatedly availed himself of these personalized, unilateral mechanisms of power. The effects of such a pattern cannot be held at bay by the occasional congressional override or dissident judge. Americans must recognize this dangerous erosion of democratic principles and, fighting fatigue, continue to resist.
The slippery slope to dictatorship: Right-wing populism in Turkey and beyond
The US Should Get Ready for King Mohammed bin Salman
Since the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, some American lawmakers have assumed the right and moral authority to dictate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's succession line-up. In November, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham accused Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) of being "crazy" and asserted that "he needs to go." Such rhetoric is significant given that the U.S. has not meddled in the Al Saud family's internal power struggles since the 1960s. But regardless of the preferences that some politicians in Washington may have regarding Saudi Arabia's succession, the U.S. will likely have to accept dealing with a King Mohammed.
MbS's ascendancy, which began in 2015, has transformed Saudi Arabia. Gone is Saudi Arabia's traditional model of leadership of the pre-MbS era that was based on collective decision-making and consensus building among a large group of princes. By virtue of how much power MbS possesses, it is difficult to imagine any credible challenge to his rule, or position in the succession lineup, no matter the pressure Washington might try to impose. Even before the Khashoggi affair, MbS's power in Riyadh was so consolidated that the millennial prince faced virtually no constraints from other members of the Al Saud family. In recent months, MbS has only further consolidated his power in the Kingdom despite all the criticisms that MbS has received from lawmakers in the U.S. following the CIA's conclusion that he ordered Khashoggi's murder. Not even the political fallout of the journalist's slaying last year has caused MbS to ease his internal crackdown, or even his targeting of Saudi dissidents overseas with efforts to lure them back to the Kingdom.
Thus, given that the Saudi security apparatus and all the dominant state institutions are under MbS's consolidated control, it is extremely difficult to imagine any successful opposition to the millennial prince from within. While many in the House of Saud dislike MbS, they lack the ability to collectively stop him. As the Kingdom is an absolute monarchy, the decision to change the succession order can only be made by King Salman. Although Salman, since he became the Saudi monarch in January 2015, has twice dismissed/forced out two other crown princes — Prince Muqrin (in April 2015) and Prince Mohammed bin Nayef (in June 2017) — he has shown no signs of removing his son from succession.
From Riyadh's perspective, foreign powers need to butt out and stop naively pretending they can influence the process. Furthermore, outside pressure on King Salman to fire his son could backfire and give the Saudi leadership more interest in standing by MbS. As Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former chief of Saudi intelligence and a former ambassador to Washington, put it: "The more [foreign] criticism there is of the crown prince, the more popular he is in the kingdom." Indeed, officials in Riyadh find it outrageous that American lawmakers are trying to weigh in on Saudi Arabia's succession question — a redline for the Kingdom's leadership. For Saudi Arabia's ruling family, changing the succession lineup under pressure from the U.S. government would signal weakness and subservience to the world's superpower at a time when Riyadh is working to project Saudi dominance in the Middle East and greater autonomy from the West as the world becomes more multipolar.
Trump Veto Continues Yemen War With Obama Logic
Tripoli hit by airstrikes as Haftar steps up assault on Libyan capital
Several airstrikes, including the first alleged use of armed drones in the conflict, shook Tripoli overnight in an escalation of the United Arab Emirate-backed assault on the Libyan capital led by Khalifa Haftar. The allegations about the use of drones were made by the Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli, and supported by eyewitnesses.
A Reuters reporter and several Tripoli residents said they saw an aircraft circling for more than 10 minutes over the capital late on Saturday, and that it made a humming sound before opening fire on several areas. Drone strikes make a noticeably different noise from missile strikes.
An aircraft was heard again after midnight, circling for more than 10 minutes before a heavy explosion shook the ground. The UAE established a drone facility at al-Khadim airbase south of Tripoli in 2016, and experts say the ageing fighter aircraft available to Haftar cannot fly by night, making it highly likely that drones were involved.
Haftar's offensive is aimed at toppling the UN-recognised government in Tripoli and has the backing of Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Peter Millett, the former UK ambassador to Libya, said: "The use of drones was a significant and tragic escalation that will increase the number of Libyan causalities."
Trump's Call to Libyan National Army Leader Increases Risk of 'Protracted Urban Conflict,' Experts Say
A phone call from President Donald Trump to Libyan National Army leader Khalifa Haftar helped to escalate deadly violence in the Libyan capital of Tripoli this weekend, as well as undercutting the United Nations' hope for a ceasefire in the country.
A number of airstrikes, allegedly including strikes by armed drones, hit Tripoli in Sunday's early morning hours, escalating Haftar's assault on the city as he attempts to oust the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) and take control of Libya. The Libyan National Army's (LNA) attacks on Tripoli have now killed an estimated 227 people, injuring more than 1,000 and leaving at least 16,000 displaced.
The airstrikes followed a conversation Trump had with Haftar last week, which the White House revealed several days later on Friday. A number of sources reported Sunday that Trump appeared to give approval to the leader, who legal experts have accused of ordering his troops to commit war crimes, to move ahead with the air campaign—going against a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire last Thursday.
According to the White House's statement on Friday, Trump told the LNA leader he "recognized Field Marshal Haftar's significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libya's oil resources, and the two discussed a shared vision for Libya's transition to a stable, democratic political system."
As Patrick Wintour reported in the Guardian:
The airstrikes on Tripoli, first launched last week, appear to reflect the approval given to Haftar by Donald Trump in a phone call on Monday....The U.S. appears to have accepted the view from its chief Middle Eastern allies that Haftar's assault can be seen as the act of a strong leader fighting jihadist militias in Tripoli. But many independent Libyan experts claim Haftar has no commitment to democracy.
Haftar ordered his troops into Tripoli on April 4, after three years of fighting to secure control of southern and eastern Libya. The strikes in Tripoli have been backed by the United Arab Emirates, reportedly with funding from Saudi Arabia.
Pompeo: 'I was the CIA director. We lied, we cheated, we stole'
Guaido seeks military aid in ousting Venezuelan President Maduro
Venezuelan National Assembly Speaker Juan Guaido this Friday called on people from all over the country to join in a grand march next May 1, Labor Day, to demand the armed forces' aid in ending the usurpation, as he calls the Nicolas Maduro government.
"We call upon all Venezuelan people to take part in the biggest march in the history of Venezuela next May 1 to demand the definitive end of usurpation in Venezuela, to demand once and for all the termination of this tragedy," he said during an "open town-hall meeting" at a plaza in Caracas.
"What has to happen for this to succeed? To whom is this plea directed? Because we already know it's neither Maduro nor the regime, they have nothing to offer. First it must be the armed forces that accompany a people that wants, that needs, that demands to live," he added.
The opposition leader, recognized as interim president of Venezuela by more than 50 countries, was not clear about the destination of the march on a day the government traditionally uses to call public servants into the streets to show their support.
Comedian on course for landslide victory in Ukrainian election
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, an actor and comedian with no political experience other than playing the role of president in a TV series, was heading for a landslide victory in Ukraine's presidential election, as early results showed him on course to win nearly three-quarters of the vote.
The incumbent, Petro Poroshenko conceded defeat on Sunday evening before results started coming in, as exit polls suggested an overwhelming victory for the 41-year-old Zelenskiy. "I'm leaving office, but I want to make it clear that I'm not leaving politics," said Poroshenko, acknowledging his failure to win a second term. "I will accept the will of the Ukrainian people," he wrote on Twitter.
Zelenskiy appeared in front of a crowd of journalists at his campaign headquarters as the polls closed and flashed an impish grin as he pushed his way on to the stage, accompanied by the theme tune to his television show. "We did it together," he said, thanking his wife, parents and campaign team. "Thanks to all the Ukrainian citizens who voted for me, and to all who didn't. I promise I won't mess up." ...
During the campaign, he offered little information about his policies or plans for the presidency, relying on viral videos, standup comedy gigs and jokes in place of traditional campaigning. His campaign blurred the lines between the real-life Zelenskiy and his on-screen persona. Like the fictional president of his television series, Zelenskiy has promised to clean up politics and end the stranglehold of the oligarchy over Ukraine, but he has offered little by way of specifics. ...
There was little enthusiasm on display for either candidate, with most voters opting for the candidate they considered the least-worst option.
Cole Stangler on Notre Dame, Neoliberalism & the Left in France
Yellow Vests Demonstrate in Paris as Notre Dame Donations Highlight Wealth Inequality
The contrast between the French government's and upper class's response to Monday's fire at Notre Dame and ongoing inaction to combat income inequality, was a primary driver of mass protests in Paris on Saturday.
The Gilets Jaunes, or Yellow Vests, staged their first major protest since large portions of the historic cathedral burned, apparently due to an electrical short-circuit, to call attention to the €1 billion ($1.1 billion) that the country's richest families have donated to help rebuild the church, months after the yellow vest movement began demonstrating against income inequality.
"You're there, looking at all these millions accumulating, after spending five months in the streets fighting social and fiscal injustice. It's breaking my heart," Ingrid Levavasseur, a founder of the movement, told the Associated Press.
France 24 noted that many members of the Yellow Vest movement—which began in rural areas last fall when many struggling French people demonstrated against high fuel costs and President Emanuel Macron's generous tax cuts for the rich, and has since gathered support from a number of ideological groups—mourned earlier this week along with the rest of the country as news of the heavily damaged 674-year-old church spread. ... But grief turned to anger for many, Levavasseur said, as the Yellow Vests watched donations pour in and Macron call for the church to be repaired within five years, exacerbating the perception of many that he is a "president for the rich." ...
One sign at Saturday's demonstration read, "Victor Hugo thanks all the generous donors ready to save Notre Dame and proposes that they do the same thing with Les Miserables," referring to Hugo's classic novels about the cathedral and the struggles of impoverished people in France.
Whereas Flint doesn't have clean drinking water, Puerto Rico hasn't fully recovered, and 3 black churches burned to the ground without comment, Trump offers money to rebuild Notre Dame. That's not America first. That's white people first, even if they live in far away countries.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) April 16, 2019
Pentagon Spending Set to Hit Near-Record Levels, But 'Establishment Says We Can't Afford' Progressive Policies
Pentagon spending is on track to grow significantly for the fifth consecutive year, but "very few in Congress are questioning" how the U.S. can afford it. That's according to the Washington Post's Jeff Stein and Aaron Gregg, who reported Thursday that "the United States is expected to spend more on its military in 2020 than at any point since World War II, except for a handful of years at the height of the Iraq War."
In his 2020 budget request, Trump called for $750 billion in Pentagon spending. Democrats countered with a $733 billion offer, which would still represent a substantial increase over the Pentagon's 2019 budget. Either number would bring U.S. military spending to "near-historic highs," according to the Post.
"Earlier this year, the Congressional Budget Office projected the United States would spend more than $7 trillion on defense over the next decade," the Post reported, "which is in line with both the White House's and House Democrats' budget plans."
Things the establishment says we can't afford:
-@RepJayapal & @SenSanders' Medicare for All legislation
-@AOC's Green New Deal
-A living wage for workers
-Universal childcare
-A Federal Jobs Guarantee
-Tuition/Debt-free College
Things the establishment has unlimited $ for: https://t.co/54mq0cl2a9
— Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) April 18, 2019
Chelsea Manning to remain in jail after appeals court denies bail request
A federal appeals court on Monday denied a request by the former US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to be released from jail on bail, and upheld a lower court's decision to hold Manning in civil contempt for refusing to testify before a grand jury.
The ruling marks a blow for Manning, who has been detained since March after she declined to answer questions in connection with the government's long-running investigation into WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange. ...
Manning has tried to fight the grand jury subpoena in the Assange case, citing her first, fourth and sixth amendment rights under the constitution. Her attorneys said among other things that the district court had failed to address her concerns that the government was abusing the grand jury process so it could preview or undermine her testimony as a potential defense witness at a trial. Her lawyers have also argued that the courtroom was improperly sealed during substantial portions of the hearing.
But a three-judge panel of the US court of appeals for the fourth circuit did not agree with those claims. "The court finds no error in the district court's rulings and affirms its finding of civil contempt," they wrote.
No more free pizza delivery to the Fed:
My friend Herman Cain, a truly wonderful man, has asked me not to nominate him for a seat on the Federal Reserve Board. I will respect his wishes. Herman is a great American who truly loves our Country!
Arrested Member of armed militia who detained migrants faced similar charges in 2006
A member of an armed civilian group that has detained migrants near the US-Mexico border who was arrested on Saturday reportedly faced similar charges in Oregon 13 years ago. In Sunland Park, Texas on Saturday, FBI agents and local police arrested Larry Mitchell Hopkins, 69, on suspicion of being a felon in possession of firearms.
In Klamath county, Oregon in 2006, Hopkins was accused of impersonating a police officer and claimed to be a fugitive bounty hunter, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. In his guilty plea, Hopkins acknowledged he had given "the impression to others that I was a peace officer" while unlawfully carrying a firearm as a convicted felon.
Hopkins' latest arrest came after federal authorities warned private groups to avoid policing the border. Videos circulated on social media have shown armed civilians detaining large groups of Central American families in New Mexico. ...
The ACLU in New Mexico described the group as "an armed fascist militia organization" made up of "vigilantes" and said they were working to "kidnap and detain people seeking asylum", making illegal arrests and holding migrants at gunpoint.
Cops arrest Florida man who allegedly threatened to kill Omar and Tlaib
Federal authorities arrested a Florida man Friday for allegedly threatening to kill at least three Democratic lawmakers, according to reports. John Kless, 49, called the offices of Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Rep. Eric Swalwell, and Sen. Cory Booker.
"You're going to be the motherfuckers that pay," Kless allegedly told Booker in a voicemail. "Don't worry, you government officials will be in the graves where you belong."
In some of the voice messages, Kless defended President Trump, and in all three messages, he insulted and threatened Rep. Ilhan Omar and attempted to link her to terrorist groups.
In his message to Tlaib, Kless allegedly referred to both Tlaib and Omar using racist, Islamophobic, and gendered slurs. The messages also insulted the Muslim prophet Mohamed and included homophobic innuendo about the two women. Kless also said he'd like to throw Omar off the Empire State Building. ... "You won't fucking tell Americans what to say and you definitely don't tell our president, Donald Trump, what to say," he said.
In his call to Swalwell, Kless allegedly focused on Swalwell's position on gun control. Swalwell has made gun control his principal issue in his 2020 campaign for the U.S. presidency. "The day you come after our guns, motherfucker, is the day you'll be dead," Kless said, according to a federal indictment.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer Is Facing a Primary Challenge
Mckayla Wilkes, a 28-year-old administrative assistant, part-time student, and mother of two, has had enough. In late March, she announced that she was mounting a bid for Maryland's 5th Congressional District, aiming to unseat one of the oldest and most powerful Democratic members, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Wilkes is running on a host of progressive policies, but plans to put particular focus on Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and affordable housing.
A student of political science, Wilkes hasn't formerly been involved in politics before, but thinks the moment is too urgent to wait. She wants more "relatable people" in Congress and is fed up with Hoyer's record, which she says does not adequately represent the needs of those living in his district. "We need someone who will be a voice for us, who knows what we go through as daily constituents, and Steny Hoyer has been in office so long he's never really had to be a regular constituent," she said. Hoyer, who is 79 years old, was first elected to Congress in 1981.
Wilkes's challenge comes after an election year in which insurgent progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley toppled entrenched incumbents, making it to Congress and, along the way, showing that it is possible to shake things up and succeed. The Democratic Party has grown increasingly wary of these types of challenges and is trying to make it difficult for candidates like Wilkes to find support for their campaigns. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee last month said it would cut off vendors that work with primary challengers. Mark McLaurin, the political director of SEIU 500, said the climate is ripe for taking down veteran lawmakers in Maryland. He pointed to the 2018 cycle, when progressives unseated some of the most powerful politicians in the state, including state Sen. Thomas Middleton, the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, who represented part of Hoyer's district. ...
Wilkes is counting on the fact that a lot of people might be interested in unseating an old, centrist white man who seems often out of touch with the more progressive direction of his party. ... Wilkes's campaign is just getting off the ground, backed so far by volunteers, including a group of students at the University of Maryland, College Park. She's planning a kickoff event for the end of May. ... Wilkes's challenge could become more potent if she gets the support of local and national groups, which would work to help elevate her profile and reach new voters. She said she's had conversations with Justice Democrats, the group that backed Ocasio-Cortez and Pressley, but is not officially associated with them. Evan Weber, the political director at the Sunrise Movement, the youth-led group that helped put the Green New Deal on the map, recently reached out as well.
Democrats consider Trump impeachment after he sues them for attempt to obtain his financial records
Top Democrat on U.S. House Oversight Committee says Trump lawsuit has no legal basis
Elijah Cummings, chairman of the U.S. House Oversight Committee, criticized as "baseless" a lawsuit filed on Monday by President Donald Trump to try to block subpoenas from the committee seeking years worth of financial documents from the president.
"There is simply no valid legal basis to interfere with this duly authorized subpoena from Congress," Cummings, a Democrat, said in a statement.
Humanity is at a crossroads, Greta Thunberg tells Extinction Rebellion
Governments will no longer be able ignore the impending climate and ecological crisis, Greta Thunberg, the teenage climate activist, has told Extinction Rebellion protesters gathered at Marble Arch in London.
In a speech on Sunday night where she took aim at politicians who have for too long been able to satisfy demands for action with "beautiful words and promises", the Swedish 16-year-old said humanity was sitting at a crossroads, but that those gathered had chosen which path they wish to take.
"I come from Sweden and back there its almost the same problem as here, as everywhere, that nothing is being done to stop an ecological crisis despite all the beautiful words and promises," she told the crowd. "We are now facing an existential crisis, the climate crisis and ecological crisis which have never been treated as crises before, they have been ignored for decades. And for way too long the politicians and the people in power have gotten away with not doing anything. We will make sure that politician's will not get away with it for any longer."
Her speech came amid police efforts to forcibly clear Extinction Rebellion protesters from Waterloo Bridge as the group debated whether to continue its campaign of mass civil disobedience. Police said on Sunday night they had cleared all the protesters from Parliament Square. ...
The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, said the disruption was "counter-productive" to the cause of climate change and was stretching resources so much it could damage police's ability to fight violent crime. ... Last week, the group gained global coverage for the disruption its tactics of civil disobedience caused in central London. On Sunday, the organisers said they intended to change tack and would offer to vacate some sites in exchange for the mayor acting on some of their demands.
The Midwest needs more than levees to survive its "biblical" floods
Along the Midwest's big rivers, hundreds of miles of levees protect people and property. But when water surged into the Missouri River in March, the levees crumbled — exposing an aging, insufficient flood protection system. The flow, capacity and management of the river has changed a lot since Adams was a kid, he says, but the 50-year-old levees haven't. And they're not up to the challenge.
Last month's floods were the most intense the Army Corps of Engineers has ever seen in the Midwest. "It's immense," Bret Budd, Army Corps of Engineers Chief of the Omaha District Systems Restoration Team, told VICE News. "It's a biblical flood for us. It is going to tax the resources of everybody around. We have over 500 miles of levee to provide to reduce the risk of flooding. Of those 500 miles, we had over 50 breaches."
The Corps has been scrambling to patch the broken levees before the rivers rise again — but gaping holes are still unfilled. For now, they're only able to put temporary fixes in place anyway, so the Corps looking into redesigning their flood control systems to adapt with the changing landscape.
Dallas Goldtooth: Hold Banks Accountable for Financing Climate Chaos & Violating Indigenous Rights
The courts just declared Trump's coal mining on public lands illegal! Keep up the fight! https://t.co/y3Cz0JGjUH
— Jamie Henn (@Agent350) April 20, 2019
Dutch engineers build world's biggest sun-seeking solar farm
Dutch engineers are building what will be the world's largest archipelago of islands made up of sun-tracking solar panels. Growing resistance to the construction of wind turbines or fields of solar panels on land has led the renewable energy industry to look for alternative options. Large islands of solar panels are under construction or already in place in reservoirs and lakes across the Netherlands, China, the UK and Japan.
In a development that is to become the largest of its type in the world, construction will begin this year on 15 solar islands on the Andijk reservoir in north Holland. The islands, containing 73,500 panels, will have the sunflower-like ability to move to face the light.
The first phase of the project, involving three islands, each of which will be 140 metres in diameter, is due to be finished by November, once the migratory season for birds has come to an end. Arnoud van Druten, the managing director of Floating Solar, a solar panel supplier, said: "We would like to have started earlier but because of the environmental issues regarding bird seasons, there is only a limited period in the year, these three months, that we can put anything in the water."
Along with a second project at Hoofddorp, near Amsterdam, which will involve static solar panels, the water company PWN, which owns the land on which the farms will be located, is expected to create enough energy to power 10,000 households.
Here are some articles of interest, some which defied fair-use abstraction.
Notre Dame and the Fight for Sacred Lands
UK Blurring Two Very Different Extradition Claims
John Helmer: The Julian Assange Case Now Puts the US on Trial in a British Court – Is There a Get-Out-of-Jail Card for Assange?
The Prosecution Of Julian Assange Is Infinitely Bigger Than Assange
Revolutionaries in the Middle East have learnt crucial lessons since the Arab Spring
'The FBI Appears to Be Engaged in a Modern-Day Version of COINTELPRO'
The Best Hot Take on the Mueller Report Is From 1796
Baltimore Police Tried To Kill Keith Davis Jr. - Prosecutors Have Been Trying To Convict Him Of Murder Ever Since
Provincial election losses may help Justin Trudeau's green agenda
Chevron and Exxon Say They Can Turn Around the Failed Finances of Fracking Industry
Jared Diamond: So how do states recover from crises? Same way as people do
Meade Lux Lewis - Bear Cat Crawl
Albert Ammons, Meade "Lux" Lewis, Pete Johnson - Cafe Society Rag
Meade Lux Lewis - Denapas Parade
Meade Lux Lewis, Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons - Boogie Woogie Prayer
Meade Lux Lewis - Honky Tonk Train Blues
Meade Lux Lewis (w/Big Joe Turner) - Low Down Dog
Meade Lux Lewis - Chicago Flyer
Meade Lux Lewis - Mr. Freddie Blues
George Hannah w/Meade Lux Lewis - Molasses Sopper Blues
Meade Lux Lewis - Riff Boogie
The Evening Blues
Meade Lux Lewis
Submitted by detroitmechworks on Mon, 04/22/2019 - 3:45pm
So many COINCIDENCES...
An electrical fire, by a computer glitch, in a well protected area, that just happened to happen right after everybody was sent home. Funny, I remember that everybody was saying it was clearly the power tools in the area and careless workmen. Which is it? I'd really like a DEFINITE story when they're trying to cover something up.
I mean, totally a coincidence that drones strike Tripoli, and nobody says anything about it except... uhm, might be a longer war... Kings get to unilaterally tell the people that their concerns mean precisely dick, and if I complain about any of this, I'm just the fool who doesn't understand.
No, I think I understand pretty well Media. That's why I'm not usually talking to you. Because every time I do, you just show your contempt for me and my intelligence. The feeling is mutual, at this point.
And Random music, guaranteed to piss off anybody who doesn't understand context.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
evening dmw...
@detroitmechworks
yep, it's a world full of coincidences.
I mean, totally a coincidence that drones strike Tripoli, and nobody says anything about it except... uhm, might be a longer war...
seems like a bit of a coincidence that trump's best buddy mbs has decided to purchase libya by supporting hiftar and trump decides that it's time to change horses from the un-supported government of national accord to hiftar pretty much overnight.
Submitted by Raggedy Ann on Mon, 04/22/2019 - 3:50pm
Good evening, joe and bluzerz!
Yup! That's our Murica!
Pompeo is an ass, although he tells the truth in that vid; Hoyer might get his ass handed to him; and Poroshenko got his ass handed to him. Lots of assing around these days!
Have a calm Monday evening, folks!
Women are human beings, not prey.
(I forgot where I read it although it might have been in The Intercept)
evening ra...
@Raggedy Ann
yep, i thought that america had reached its nadir when the laughable buffoon bonzo went to washington. i was so wrong.
that pompeo video is a thing of beauty. it pares down his governing strategy to its essentials and offers transparency as to his moral makeup.
hoyer's ass relocation is something of a long shot, his challenger has a lot of work ahead of her. but her success would be very welcome.
Submitted by Unabashed Liberal on Mon, 04/22/2019 - 4:06pm
Hola, Joe & Bluester! Quick drive-by
to say 'hello.' Gotta run a couple errands, but, will catch up with you Guys later.
I was thinking about going to a MFA system, the other day, and wondered if folks realize that both the VA system, and the proposed MFA System, work off of a relatively restrictive RX formulary.
That might not concern some folks, but, it does us, since Mr M has required Tier 5 so-called 'Specialty Drugs' over the past several years. Unfortunately, there are no substitutes for some of those drugs.
Which reminds me, we know that the VA utilizes a RX formulary negotiated with the PBMs and/or pharmaceutical companies, but, what I've not heard firsthand from a veteran, is, if they're experiencing any problem with getting the RX's they need. (Mr M's isn't currently using the VA System.)
BTW, the PtB are already narrowing Medicare Part D formularies. This year, in our two residential locales (which happen to be in the same Part D Region)--Keytruda, the drug that's credited with (partly) saving former President Carter--was dropped from the formulary of every RX plan available to us. IIRC, approximately, 28 plans. Not good.
For that matter, there was a major shrinkage in the number of drugs in all the Part D formularies (in our Region). I went over them with a 'fine-toothed comb,' and, thankfully, the one with the second highest number of drugs in its formulary, fit our needs.
The trade-off was/is a narrower pharmaceutical network, especially, in our southern-most locale. But, what can you do? They have you over a barrel.
Thankfully, the rain has passed through, and we're enjoying a couple of cool days, before the heat sets in--I'm afraid, for the rest of the summer season.
Everyone have a nice evening.
I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive.
~~Gilda Radner, Comedienne
"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it."
--George Bernard Shaw, Irish Dramatist & Socialist
"We [corporations] are the government!" Actor John Colicos (1978)
Submitted by Steven D on Mon, 04/22/2019 - 5:40pm
Hi Molly
@Unabashed Liberal Sorry to hear that about your healthcare options.
Right now I'm for nationalizing all the pharmaceutical companies. They steal the ideas and work of government funded research more times than not (well, the theft is legal, but I still consider it theft) and then raise prices beyond the ability of most people to pay, insured or uninsured.
Hi, Steven--good to see you! ;-D Totally agree.
@Steven D @Steven D
Of course, considering the power of the pharmaceutical industry, I don't expect that to happen; however, it would definitely be no skin off my back, considering the drug costs that we've had to bear since 2016.
#3 Sorry to hear that about your healthcare options.
Submitted by UntimelyRippd on Mon, 04/22/2019 - 6:19pm
the moment i understood that Aaron Sorkin,
@Steven D
soaring soliloquies notwithstanding, is a neoliberal dumbass was when I saw a quote from him deriding the idea of government-funded/owned pharmaceutical development.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01, a Boeing 757 (AA Flight 77) flew into the Pentagon.
If you can't accept these indisputable facts, I can't fake an interest in your opinions about anything else.
evening mollie...
@Unabashed Liberal
the people putting together the mfa plans have some work to do before medicare is ready for all. i suspect that one of the most difficult tasks will be reining in the power of big pharma and providing everybody access to a wide range of necessary drugs (many of which were developed with assistance from taxpayer funds) without bankrupting people.
i think that, as steven suggests, nationalization of the pharma industry is a wonderful idea.
That Intercept article
listed at the end with the rest of the links, the "Hot take on the Mueller report from 1796," is a travesty. It blindly accepts that Russian interference as stated by Mueller occurred and that it may have affected the outcome of the election (something even Mueller couldn't bring himself to say).
It literally says no reasonable person can disagree Russia interfered based on the two Mueller indictments that involved Russians, ignoring the mounds of evidence in the public domain that those indictments are, at best, highly suspect.
Don't bother reading it.
Submitted by snoopydawg on Mon, 04/22/2019 - 6:29pm
More on the Mueller report and Russia
It states that the FBI believes that Russia interfered with the election. No proof has been shown how Russia hacked the DNC computers and you know that if it existed it would have been. I'm surprised that he didn't just make it up. One of the companies that Mueller accused of writing the Russian ads wasn't even in existence when it supposedly happened. On the other case Mueller didn't want to share his evidence with the defense because he said it had something to do with national security issues. I'll look for the article on this. Funnier than hell in my book.
The Judge brings up Concord Catering, saying the gov't alleges an association with Concord Mgmt.
Attorney for Concord Mgmt:
The gov't has "indicted the proverbial ham sandwich."
"That company didn't exist as a legal entity during the time period alleged by the gov't." pic.twitter.com/XiRG2OMa4M
— Techno Fog (@Techno_Fog) May 12, 2018
Lawyer: Mueller indicted "the proverbial ham sandwich."
A week ago Friday at a hearing on this same case, Mueller's team asked for the case to be delayed. The judge politely declined and the initial hearing on the case was held on Wednesday. Mueller's team is represented by former Clinton Foundation attorney, Jeannie Rhee. CNN applauded Rhee for being on the Mueller team while ignoring her and the entire team's conflicts of interest –
Rhee represented Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in a lawsuit about her private emails, and she also represented the Clinton Foundation in a civil racketeering case that was later dismissed.
Rhee also represented President Barack Obama's deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes during the House Benghazi Committee's investigation into the deadly 2012 terrorist attack in Libya.
Remember that Hillary's lawyers hired Fusion GPS who paid Stella to create the dossier that was used to get FISA warrants. I'd say that there was a conflict of interest. Also 60% of the ads were placed after the election.
Submitted by MrWebster on Mon, 04/22/2019 - 6:07pm
The Intercept is pretty much Russiangaters except Greenwald
@Steven D Seems to go back to Pierre Omidyar as the founder. Greenwald does not have any editorial influence or power on what gets printed.
evening steven...
sometimes i post stuff so that folks can get a sense of what is going on in the public mind's marketplace of ideas.
it's an article of faith (literally, i fear) in virtually all mainstream media that "russia interfered with u.s. elections."
some of his other points mitigate the awfulness of his repetition of the big lie a bit. for example these:
Yes, Russia attempted to influence the 2016 election in various ways. No, this was not an "act of war," and in fact it appears to have been one of the milder examples of foreign meddling in history. ...
Top Democrats also demonstrated — given their enthusiasm for America's bipartisan subversion of the political systems of numberless countries — that they are ridiculous hypocrites. A week before Election Day in 2016, it was revealed that Hillary Clinton said privately in 2006 that "we should have made sure that we did something to determine who was going to win" that year's Palestinian elections. To her, it was an act of great incompetence by George W. Bush not to have rigged it sufficiently.
And that wasn't the end of the core dishonesty of many Democrats. ... The Democratic Party's leadership does not oppose and in fact welcomes the powerful influence of Israel and the Persian Gulf petro-states on U.S. politics. ...
The fact that the U.S. government has brutally intervened in the politics of dozens of other countries doesn't mean that normal Americans can't legitimately be angry about Russia's 2016 meddling or the GOP's response. The governments of Iran, Egypt and Chile have done their share of intervening in the politics of other countries, but regular Iranians, Egyptians, and Chileans still have every right to be furious about U.S. interference in their politics.
Submitted by lotlizard on Tue, 04/23/2019 - 12:05am
The horrible thing is, Germany's self-congratulatory mainstream
@joe shikspack
media pick it up and amplify it as if it were confirmed fact.
Only the newer elements of the German far Right, plus a very few mavericks on the German Left (e.g. Mathias Broeckers), understand the extent to which the mainstream's propaganda playbook re Trump and Russia is pure Dr. Goebbels.
Submitted by enhydra lutris on Mon, 04/22/2019 - 5:23pm
Good afternoon Joe, thanx for the news and blues. (There is
a sense in which that is redundant, I know, but I choose to ignore it.) Beautiful day here which I, unfortunately, mostly spend weeding and doing some spring pruning, but one really can't whine when the weather is glorious and one can get outside.
Have a great one.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
evening el...
@enhydra lutris
it has been gorgeous here for a few days, too. i have been enjoying it so much, i may take a day off this week to get out and enjoy it while it lasts.
heh, the news rarely rhymes, though it quite frequently repeats in a familiar pattern.
Reminder: Right now--6:00 CST/7:00 EST - CNN Town Hall
with '5' Dem Presidential Candidates is in progress.
After Buttigieg and Pelosi, step away until my state's primary.
@Unabashed Liberal After Bootyjig attacked Sander supporters, Pelosi conspiring against progressives, I figure this will be a repeat of the 2016 cycle with corporatists trying to derail Bernie. And looks like the same propaganda, but now 100X as much--just noticed now "moral panic" articles about how Social Security will go bankrupt (say what?). So WaPo, famous for their anti-Bernie propaganda, went to some academics doing research on tweeters, and asked them to divine the tweeter-sphere about Putin and Bernie. Well, surprise, turns out Putin favored Bernie over Hillary. I will just follow some pundits in the Tweetersphere to loosely track the bullshit (and check out the news here).
Hi, Mr W! Hey, been listening since 6:00 CST, or,
@MrWebster
about 42 minutes--so far, Klobuchar and Cuomo haven't mentioned any other Dem candidate, including Bernie. Now, Cuomo does interview Bernie next; then, a couple other CNN hosts handle the other 3 interviews.
Anyhoo, if there's a transcript, once it's posted, I'll post it. I'm not breaking my neck to listen, just doing so as I go about my business (blogging, etc.).
But, hey, I get what you're saying!
#6 After Bootyjig attacked Sander supporters, Pelosi conspiring against progressives, I figure this will be a repeat of the 2016 cycle with corporatists trying to derail Bernie. And looks like the same propaganda, but now 100X as much--just noticed now "moral panic" articles about how Social Security will go bankrupt (say what?). So WaPo, famous for their anti-Bernie propaganda, went to some academics doing research on tweeters, and asked them to divine the tweeter-sphere about Putin and Bernie. Well, surprise, turns out Putin favored Bernie over Hillary. I will just follow some pundits in the Tweetersphere to loosely track the bullshit (and check out the news here).
Thanks for notice...
[Edited] De nada! :-D Posted a blurb about it
@MrWebster @MrWebster
at EL's OT.
I stand corrected - Klobuchar's interview just ended.
It's Warren up next, interviewed by Anderson Cooper.
Not sure what the rest of the schedule is.
[Edited: Added additional info about Town Hall.]
thanks for the heads-up, mollie! n/t
De nada, Joe! Probably should wait
@joe shikspack @joe shikspack
until I can read the transcript, but, if I heard Warren correctly, she indulged in a bit of sleight-of-hand, when she was asked "What could be done to save Social Security for millennials?"
(Paraphrased, but, that's the gist of what the young male student asked.)
Even worse--was the applause. Of course, Warren's answer was so long-winded, and obtuse, that, unless an individual had spent considerable time immersed in the Bowles-Simpson "Cat Food Commission" proposal/report, he/she couldn't be expected to catch what she was really implying.
IOW, Warren was advocating for reaching a bipartisan agreement on changing the "bend points" in the benefit formula. This was suggested by the B-S proposal, for everyone but very, very low income folks--making somewhere around $9,000-10,000 annually, roughly. (I'm too lazy to go look it up, but, that's pretty close.) Of course, those 'changes' would result in reduced Social Security monthly benefits (for most).
That's rich. She went on to tout a tiny little 'bump' in benefits for those who live to age 85, (which is good, of course) instead of mentioning the across-the-board cuts which would result for the majority of folks, due to the prescribed changes in the formula bend points.
Hopefully, CNN will post the transcripts, which, I'll post here.
Submitted by smiley7 on Mon, 04/22/2019 - 10:37pm
Forgetting to see human beings before numbers feeling;
thanks Mollie.
Raise the damn cap and fix SS and more importantly, like Bernie advocates, increase the amount seniors receive.
#6.2 #6.2
Submitted by Unabashed Liberal on Mon, 04/22/2019 - 11:00pm
Hi, Smiley - Hear, hear! when you say,
@smiley7 @smiley7
Hey, have a good one!
Submitted by jakkalbessie on Mon, 04/22/2019 - 6:28pm
Evening Joe and all,
Thanks as always for all you give us to think about on a daily basis. Lots of the articles got my attention and desire to do my part to make a difference in the outcomes when possible. The article about Notre Dame and the indigenous people was a very meaningful piece for me to read. Living part time in the American Southwest, this issue is front and center with many of the organizations I do volunteer work with. Right now, there are protests about the attempts to continue fracking near Chaco canyon. Hope some of these can be resolved for the people of the Chaco canyon area.
Even with all the grim news, the spring is beautiful here right now. The roadsides between here and Austin are so alive with color of all the different wildflowers and we are having a very mild spring at present.
Life is what you make it, so make it something worthwhile.
This ain't no dress rehearsal!
evening jb...
@jakkalbessie
thanks for reading that notre dame/sacred lands article. i thought that it was beautifully written and illustrated the differences between how western minds grasp the pattern language of what is sacred and how native minds understand it.
back a couple of months ago, i remember reading that the blm had deferred leasing (for fracking) areas around chaco canyon. is there anything new?
Jimmy nailed it
evening snoopy...
yep, people like their hypocrisy surrounded by a bodyguard of euphemisms and other rhetorical dodges.
I couldn't finish the article on Baltimore's persecution of Keith. First part that bothers me is he went to prison just days after being pumped full of bullets. How inhumane was this? Then for the city to keep trying to put him in there for good. Sure sounds like malicious or malignant prosecution to me. Maybe our resident lawyer will stop by...
yep...
baltimore is an enormously corrupt place and the "justice" system is riddled with it. the institutions of the city are entirely resistant to any sort of reform and the private sector seems to like it that way.
Submitted by smiley7 on Mon, 04/22/2019 - 9:05pm
Good evening, joe,
Just heard a presidential candidate use this phrase: "Outside the 'tweetisphere.'
Gave me pause for at least two thoughts; is that like outside the universe or did they mean twitter is the front pages of today. i can't answer either of my thoughts?
Imagine, people living outside the tweetisphere?
Cheers for the news and blues.
evening smiley...
@smiley7
perhaps if we thought of the "tweetisphere" as a dimension or one of a series of overlapping realities?
i dunno. it sounded good to me.
Submitted by on the cusp on Mon, 04/22/2019 - 11:22pm
I just skimmed the Keith Davis case article.
I have had participation as lead attorney, second chair attorney, attorney prior to arrest, bond proceeding, and attorney for first appeal. Have argued before the appellate court, 9th District out of Beaumont, Texas, and instead of 15 minutes, the court granted me an hour, and it was recorded in West Law publication. When I walked out of the court room, Jack Zimmerman hugged me. Google him. In 17 murder cases. Lots of autopsy reports. Pictures at the scenes.
This is just so bizarre that the prosecutors have not been sanctioned, or disbarred, for Brady violations, I just find it nuts. It is OBVIOUSLY nuts.
And yet, I am seeing and hearing about Brady violations here in my hometown all the time.
Whereas every shred of evidence in a civil trial is disclosed to the litigants and ruled upon by the judge for its' admissibility at trial, meaning, no smoking gun, criminal trial is by the seat of your pants.
Defense attorneys see the evidence against their clients, but it is upon the prosecutor to proffer mitigating evidence (evidence suggesting innocence) to the defense attorney. The Supreme court Brady case. If the defense attorney doesn't ask for evidence the defense attorney has no idea exists, the evidence goes under some table in the court reporter's office.
It is not a thing to avoid trial, in my humble opinion. It does rear it's head at appeal. And get Prosecutors disbarred every so often.
Basics: civil cases, persuasion based upon the judicially pronounce evidence, burden of proof is anything from a preponderance of evidence to clear and convincing evidence.
criminal: BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT The State has all burden of proof.
Submitted by joe shikspack on Tue, 04/23/2019 - 12:51am
evening otc...
sadly, this case is not the exception in baltimore. we have a combination of a very corrupt and incompetent police department and a very ambitious states attorney existing in a city where the majority of the citizens are poor, poorly educated and haven't anything like the resources to stand up against the system.
the defendant in this case might benefit from national attention scrutinizing the system here, so i'm glad to see the intercept picking up the story.
Submitted by UntimelyRippd on Wed, 04/24/2019 - 8:05pm
OTC: as a frequent critic (perhaps at times to your
@on the cusp @on the cusp @joe shikspack @on the cusp
chagrin) of the culture of american jurisprudence, i will note that you are elucidating here one of the worst problems with our legal proceedings.
digression:
i have stated many times, provocatively i might suggest, that the phrase 'professional ethics' rarely finds application to any system recognizable to a philosopher as "ethics". the function of ethics is to protect everybody else from the ethical individual's otherwise unconstrained pursuit of self-interest; it is to protect truth, and integrity. the function of "professional ethics" is to protect the profession. if lawyers/stockbrokers/doctors/accountants/appraisers/realtors weren't constrained to act in their clients' best interests, who the fuck would ever hire one?
And so, in our system of jurisprudence, established as adversarial in its very essence, every professional involved is torn between:
"real" ethics;
"professional" ethics;
other constraints of the law itself.
A prosecutor is obliged, in practical terms, to prosecute a case with the assumption that the defendant is guilty. Realistically, for all but a small and privileged elite, being tried for any crime of any significance brings complete socioeconomic ruin, regardless of actual guilt or innocence, and regardless of the trial's outcome. Who could accept responsibility for this reality, unless able to operate under the epistemological fantasy that the status of Schrodinger's feline is fixed and known, cryptic equations and impenetrable cosmology notwithstanding. Unfortunately, it requires a very remarkable human being to do that while simultaneously serving truth, in the event that the truth is not consistent with the assumption of guilt.
Ah, fuck it. I don't have the energy to bring this back around to some coherent conclusion. All I know is, there are things that are horribly broken, and we the people go along allowing them to be broken only because most of the time they are so very invisible to us. That is the design.
Submitted by mimi on Tue, 04/23/2019 - 1:47am
I thought Lee Camp made a good effort to
to defend Julian Assange and stand up him.
Otherwise I feel lost. I like clear reporting without snark or having to figure out what the snark is and what the jokes are and how come I don't understand what everybody else here seems to understand. I am tired of feeling stupid. The more tired I am, the more I respect your work in bringing us all those excerpts, video clips and articles.
I sit this out and wait. May be I feel smarter one day. Miracles are supposed to happen. right.
Submitted by joe shikspack on Tue, 04/23/2019 - 2:26pm
afternoon mimi...
heh. in america, much of the real news is now brought to us by comedians. it's a bit like in the age of monarchies when the only person who could speak the truth about things in public was the court jester.
sorry about the difficulties this presents in separating facts from snark.
Submitted by Pluto's Republic on Wed, 04/24/2019 - 10:27pm
Hi mimi.
This week's Chris Hedges show was posted here earlier, I think, but I only saw it this morning. If you missed it, it's a good summary of of recent events (which are revealed in a calm and clear conversation with journalist Aaron Mate'). We're only beginning to understand what we have been living through, and it is coming out in conversations like this.
To me, the story told through the eyes of journalists, who were the ones marginalized by edict of the totalitarian government that now has the United State's throat in its grip — is the best narrative. It is the starting point and Introduction for everything that has happened over the past two years. It sets up the drama and political chaos that ensued after the 2016 elections, and provides a reflective context for understanding it.
The more we talk about it in the context of journalism, the more the pattern emerges. The more we stare at is pattern of propaganda, lies, and people abruptly transforming into their political opposites — the more likely we are to recognize it the next time. That pattern will be back — that repeating "Little Pearl Harbor Moment" — to manipulate us into sacrifice and submission. But I think we can get ahead of it before it breaks the minds of the American people and makes them delusional. If they can resist the propaganda next time, they will be able to represent themselves politically. Since the American People are paying for the entire thing, every last penny, they might want to weigh in on it. Speak directly to the liars who are exploiting them.
Submitted by mimi on Thu, 04/25/2019 - 2:21am
yes, thanks Pluto, I saw and listened to it
@Pluto's Republic @Pluto's Republic
before. I just listen and watch too much to keep it all 'under control' in my mind. I just need to take a break. Thanks for helping me out to see the light at the end of the bankrupt media tunnel.
Hedges says laughing at one point that 'he pities Aaron Mate for having to watch Rachel Maddow'.
I start to pity myself and that is definitely not a good sign.
1 hour 43 sec ago
Garmisch...I remember riding thru there when Mr. Biker
By: orlbucfan
I cannot tell you how much I admire posters who are as
By: HenryAWallace
Actually, I like the tune myself!
By: Eagles92
IMO, our actions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, et al.
Of course, I know that all Democratic candidates are
Ready to "jack in"?
By: EdMass


Dr. Dev Vrat Singh has been actively engaged in media profession, teaching, training and research for the last 20 years. A professional-turned-academician, Dr. Singh earned his doctorate in Mass Communication. He studied radio and television journalism at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi in 1997. He was actively engaged in television journalism with many national channels before joining media academics. He started his academic career from Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. After that he joined Institute of Mass Communication and Media Technology, Kurukshetra University, Haryana. He taught at Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana also.
He has authored five books on Electronic Media History, Television Journalism, and Television Content. His research papers have been published by many reputed research journals. He contributed chapters in many books and more than 50 articles in various newspapers and magazines. He has written course material for Shimla University and Kota Open University, Rajasthan. At present, seven Ph.D. scholars are carrying out research under his guidance. He has been invited as resource person by the national broadcasters All India Radio and Doordarshan. He has been appointed as Deputy Director (Eastern Region) of Asian Congress for Media and Communication (ACMC), A Philippines based professional organization of media educators. He is founder-moderator of Media Educators - a Facebook Group of Indian media teachers since January 2011. Having membership of 800 scholars across India, this group is connecting media teachers and providing platform for useful interaction.
Dr. Yadav holds a PhD (BHU), NET-JRF, MA in Mass Communication, BSc and a Certificate in Disaster Management (IGNOU). He has worked at IBN7 and Mahuaa News. He has eight years of teaching and research experience. He specializes in the area of Science Communication, Film Studies, Communication Theories and Research and Media Management. His interest areas are New Media, Cultural Studies, Risk Communication and Contemporary Studies.
Mr. Rajesh Kumar has been associated with media education as well as industry for last 13 years. He holds PGDJ (IIMC), MMC, M.Phil.and UGC (NET) in Journalism & Mass Communication and is presently pursuing Doctoral program on Media Education. His areas of interest are Print Media: Editing, Reporting & Newspaper Make Up, Communication Theories & Models and Media Education. Mr. Kumar has served in various key administrative positions such as NCC (Program Officer), Sports In-charge, Chief Communication Officer, Editor of Newsletter and Administrative Warden etc. and is a member of various administrative committees leading to the development of academia. He has also served in leading newspapers Amar Ujala, Chandigarh and AajSamaj, New Delhi.
Ms. Verma, a UGC-NET qualified professional, has worked at many organizations such as India News, Rashtriya Sahara, and AnkhoDekhi (Delhi). Her areas of specialization and research interest are Print Journalism, Public Relations and Rural Communication. She has presented many research papers at various international and national conferences, summits and seminars. She is also the Administrative Warden of Girl's Hostel, CUJ.
experience as a correspondent at ANI. He holds a Ph.D. in Mass Communication on the topic: Development Vision of Hindi Newspapers in the era of Globalization. He has qualified UGC-JRF in Journalism and Mass Communication and completed his MA in Mass Media and Communication.
Dr. Kumar holds his PhD in Mass Communication on the topic Health Consciousness and Media Perspectives (with special reference to Tribal Society of Jharkhand) from the MGAHV, Wardha (Maharashtra). He also possesses an MPhil in Mass Communication, 2012 on the topic Manrega, Samajik Parivartan and Media (visheshsandarbh - Sitamarhi, Bihar) from the Centre for Communication and Media Studies, MGAHV, Wardha (Maharashtra); His interest areas are development communication, tribal studies, and new media. He has also taught in the Department of Hindi Journalism, S.G.N.D. Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Department of Hindi Journalism, Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, University of Delhi and Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication, Bhopal.
(Maharashtra and Goa) in Mass Communication. He has expertise in the field of Media Ethics and Law, Rural Communication, Media Management, and History of Journalism in India. He has been a PhD Research Fellow of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR).


INDvAUS, 2nd T20I: Australia won by 7 wickets and captures the series for 2-0.
2nd T20I, India vs Australia match Preview.
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3rd T20I: Afghanistan's Rashid Khan hat-trick sweep against Ireland.
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Indian Premier League 2019 (IPL 2019): Stats, Updates & Points Table.
Kings XI Punjab vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (KXIP vs SRH) – Probable Playing XI & Live Scores.


text:
A mix bouquet of yellow and pink roses mean "friendship" while the combination of red and pink roses gives the receiver message of strong romance and passion.
A bunch of red and white roses convey message of unanimity and strong relationship.
Red and yellow rose's bouquets signify faithfulness and joyous feelings.
A bouquet of red, orange and white roses means "pure depth of love".
White and coral flowers convey message "you are heavenly and I desire you".
The number of flowers also has a special meaning.
A single red rose shows love, two roses in ribbon together to form a single stem represent a promise, an engagement or coming marriage.
Six roses mean I miss you.
Seven roses signify fascination.
A dozen shows thankfulness.
Eighteen roses mean, "I am sorry".
Twenty-five shows congratulations and fifty-show unconditional love.
To convey your message knot the ribbon on the left of the flower and knot the ribbon on right side to send message about the receiver.
To receive from right hand means acceptance while with left hand means disagreement.
141 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine's Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion.
More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine's Day.
Over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine's Day in the U.S.
189 million stems of roses are sold in the U.S. on Valentine's Day.
15% of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day.
Modern Version of Valentine's Message goes thus:
The rose is red, the violet's blue,
The honey's sweet, and so are you.
Thou art my love and I am thine;
I drew thee to my Valentine:
The lot was cast and then I drew,
And Fortune said it shou'd be you.
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is a holiday observed on February 14 honoring one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine. It was first established byPope Gelsius I in 496 AD, and was later deleted from the General Roman Calendar of saints in 1969 byPope Paul VI.
The day first became associated withromantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionary, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines").
Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart -shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.
Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine.
The Valentines honored on February 14 are Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae). Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who was martyred about AD 269 and was buried on the Via Flaminia. Valentine of Terni became bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) about AD 197 and is said to have been martyred during the persecution under Emperor Aurelian.
On the evening before Valentine was to be executed, he would have written the first "valentine" card himself, addressed to a young girl variously identified as his beloved, as the jailer's daughter whom he had befriended and healed. It was a note that read "From your Valentine."
In 1797, a British publisher issued The Young Man's Valentine Writer, which contained scores of suggested sentimental verses for the young lover unable to compose his own. Printers had already begun producing a limited number of cards with verses and sketches, called "mechanical valentines". Paper Valentines became so popular in England in the early 19th century that they were assembled in factories. Fancy Valentines were made with real lace and ribbons, with paper lace introduced in the mid-19th century. In the UK, just under half of the population spend money on their Valentines and around 1.3 billion pounds are spent yearly on cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts, with an estimated 25 million cards being sent.
In the second half of the 20th century, the practice of exchanging cards chocolates packed in a red satin, heart-shaped box. In the 1980s, the diamond industry began to promote Valentine's Day as an occasion for giving jewelry.
The rise of Internet popularity at the turn of the millennium is creating new traditions. Millions of people use, every year, digital means of creating and sending Valentine's Day greeting messages such ase-cards, love coupons or printable greeting cards. An estimated 15 million e-valentines were sent in 2010.
In India, in the antiquity, there was a tradition of adoring Kamadeva, the lord of love; exemplificated by the erotic carvings in theKhajuraho Group of Monuments and by the writing of theKamasutra treaty of lovemaking. This tradition was lost around the Middle Ages, when Kamadeva was no longer celebrated, and public displays of sexual affections became frowned upon. Around 1992 Valentine's Day started catching in India, with special TV and radio programs, and even love letter competitions. The economic liberalization also helped the Valentine card industry. In modern times, Hindu and Islamic traditionalists consider the holiday to be cultural contamination from the West, result of the globalization in India. ThoughShiv Sena and the Sangh Parivar have asked their followers to shun the holiday and the "public admission of love" because of them being "alien to Indian culture", Valentine's Day is becoming increasingly popular in India.
Posted by neena on Feb 13 2012. Filed under Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.


#MeToo unites against Kavanaugh, more proof Trump EPA 'working for coal millionaires', Sanders introduces bill to break up nation's largest Wall Street banks, and more.
Earlier Wednesday evening 750 women and men gathered in front of the steps of the Supreme Court building to voice their concerns about the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the life long position as a justice. Three hundred similar gatherings took place across the country – according to the organizers – including a wide number of groups like the Women's March, ACLU and Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
A new proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would weaken a rule regulating toxic pollutants–including mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants—by eliminating government mandates that currently allow regulators to look at the health and environmental costs stemming from industrial waste and emissions.
Under the mercury program, the economic benefits of those health effects, known as "co-benefits," helped to provide a legal and economic justification for the cost to industry of the regulation. For example, as the nation's power plants have complied with [the] rule by installing technology to reduce emissions of mercury, they also created the side benefit of reducing pollution of soot and nitrogen oxide, pollutants linked to asthma and lung disease.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced legislation to break up "too big to fail" financial institutions whose failure could be catastrophic to Americans and the economy.
The Too Big to Fail, Too Big to Exist Act would break up large banks such as Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and others that have a "total exposure of more than 3 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP)," Common Dreams reported.The legislation would break up six of the United States' largest banks including other large non-bank financial corporations such as Prudential and AIG.
On World Animal Day, we celebrate all the furry, scaly, winged and finned creatures that inhabit our planet.
On this international day of action, participants aim to "raise the status of animals in order to improve welfare standards around the globe," according to organizers at the UK-based charity Naturewatch Foundation. The occasion was first celebrated in 1925 and is observed annually on Oct. 4.
Roughly 1,000 World Animal Day events, including educational workshops, adoptions, marches and fundraisers, will be held across 100 countries. Folks around the world are also making pledges, such as using cruelty-free products or going vegetarian or vegan to help make a positive difference.
San Francisco-based U.S. District Court Judge Edward Chen concluded in his 43-page ruling (pdf) that the TPS holders from those four countries and their children – including many who were born in the United States – would "suffer irreparable harm and great hardship" absent the court's temporary injunction.
The Court finds that there is sufficient evidence that racism is a motivating factor behind Trump's decision to terminate #TPS.


text:
Home Filmstars Female Chrishell Stause Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics
Chrishell Stause Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics
Chrishell Stause Quick Info
Date of Birth July 21, 1981
Boyfriend Keo Motsepe
Chrishell Stause is an American actress and a real estate agent who got major recognition after working in the Netflix reality show Selling Sunset. Chrishell has worked in other TV series also over the years doing some guest appearances. She got her first break as the leading actress in the movie Eve of Abduction (2017). She is also the writer of the famous daily soap operas like Day of our Lives, Young and the Restless and All My Children, it is due to her understanding of the plot and her charming screen presence that she was cast in the shows too.
Terrina Chrishell Stause
Chrishell
Chrishell Stause at 2014 Daytime Emmy Awards Nominees Cocktail Reception
Draffenville, Kentucky, United States
She attended Murray State University in Kentucky where she earned a Bachelor's in Theater, in 2003.
Innovative Artists
Chrishell has dated –
Matthew Morrison (2004-2007) – The actors Matthew Morrison and Chrishell started dating in 2004. The two got engaged later in December 2006 and planned to marry in 2007. However, things didn't work out. Matthew felt under pressure to settle down and start a family and hence, changed his mind shortly.
Graham Bunn (2007-2010) – The Bachelorette's Graham Bunn and Chrishell dated on and off before they finally declared they were a couple. However, things didn't work out after Bunn went on the ABC reality show. They broke up right before his show aired in 2010.
Justin Hartley (2014–2019) – Actors Chrishell and Justin Hartley started dating in 2014 after meeting on the set of the soap opera, The Young and the Restless. They made their engagement public in July 2016. Later in 2017, on October 28th, the couple got married. However, due to irreconcilable differences, they filed for divorce in November of 2019. In January 2021, it was revealed that their divorce had officially been finalized.
Keo Motsepe (2020-Present) – In December 2020, Chrishell revealed on her Instagram that she is dating Dancing with the Stars pro Keo Motsepe.
On her mother's side, she has Irish and Native American roots while on her father's side, she is of half Japanese and half Spanish descent.
Her engaging smile
36-24-35 in or 91.5-61-89 cm
8.5 (US) or 39 (EU)
Along with her best friend Missy, Chrishell is a celebrity spokesperson for Proactiv. Her tagline is "My skin is clear and radiant, both on-camera and off!"
Playing Amanda Dillon on All My Children for over 6 years and Jordan Ridgeway in Days of Our Lives from 2013 to 2015.
Playing Bethany Bryant on The Young and the Restless which also starred Justin Hartley and her best friend Melissa Claire Egan as a couple!
In 2008, Chrishell was seen in Scaring the Fish for her role as Robin.
In 2005, Stause started appearing in ABC soap opera All My Children in the role of Amanda Dillon Martin.
She follows Barry's Bootcamp and prefers workouts like running on the treadmill with floor exercises to work on her core.
She also goes for juice cleanses.
Chrishell Stause Favorite Things
TV Shows – Big Brother
Source – Soap Hub, Soap Central
Chrishell Stause Facts
She was a member of the improvisational troupe The Groundlings in Los Angeles.
She has experienced being homeless at various times while growing up, so she supports raising money and volunteering for the California-based charity, Upward Bound House. She volunteers with her best friend Melissa Egan by doing theater classes for the children.
She has a dog named, Presley.
Her mother went into labor while she was at a Shell gas station and the attendant, a man named Chris, was especially helpful to her while she was waiting for the ambulance. Her mother honored that event by naming her newborn daughter, Chrishell.
Growing up, she used to watch The Young and the Restless with her mother. And 11 years after she entered the showbiz, she landed a role in the same show.
She has a Sagittarius (though her zodiac sign is Cancer) tattoo on her body.
Chrishell is a big fan of the Dodgers and NASCAR.
During the Dancing with the Stars 2020 season, Chrishell was partnered with choreographer Gleb Savchenko.
Visit her official website @ chrishell.com.
Featured Image by Mingle Media TV / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
Kofi Kingston Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics
Fred (Footballer, Born 1993) Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics