tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350055772024-03-18T10:49:08.746-07:00Persona Non Gratathe Web guide for a rational non-conformistUS PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comBlogger4744125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-21478001071748426482024-03-14T19:49:00.000-07:002024-03-18T10:48:35.982-07:00TWIT: The Outlaw Trump<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidISwfnzQj-_25twvfQIZXlwE_4eYqZz3CwNp6uLpwsBMw-ryo2Ib8ysm9_d2ygLXr1HOAMCSUZilwVt_rSebrsWlLulE9FU5ggEl8QtH40IzfVB26HhoLW04VSSKPe4vA8mzC6cHn85S5fSle4-3MtGyZORu-xU1wTtBsx2YbzTvE16iAMu_hw/s840/90.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="840" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidISwfnzQj-_25twvfQIZXlwE_4eYqZz3CwNp6uLpwsBMw-ryo2Ib8ysm9_d2ygLXr1HOAMCSUZilwVt_rSebrsWlLulE9FU5ggEl8QtH40IzfVB26HhoLW04VSSKPe4vA8mzC6cHn85S5fSle4-3MtGyZORu-xU1wTtBsx2YbzTvE16iAMu_hw/w440-h293/90.jpeg" width="440" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">credit: J. Heller, <i>Duluth News Tribune</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #ffa400;">Latest: </span><span>Judge Merchan in the Manhattan business records fraud case postponed the trial set for the 25th until at least mid-April. He is asking both parties to explain the delay in receiving and reviewing new records. He will hold a hearing on March 25th to determine how much delay is justified.</span><div><span><br /></span><div><span style="color: #ffa400;">More: </span><span>Judge McAfee in Georgia ruled that Fani Willis can stay on the case, but chose to chastise her for an appearance of impropriety by dating her employee, Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade. Wade must resign for Willis to continue the prosecution to cure the impropriety. Judge McAfee previously struck down 3 counts against Trumpilini on grounds of specificity under Georgia law, had scathing remarks for DA Willis' testimony calling it "unprofessional manner". <span style="color: #ff00fe;">US Person</span> urges Ms. Willis to bite the bullet and continue prosecuting Don Legit for his attempted coup for the good of the order.</span><div><span><br /></span><div><span style="color: #ffa400;">Update:</span> The score in favor of the rogue former president is now 4-0. Team Trumpillini has incredibly succeeded in delaying all four criminal cases against him. The situation is simply grotesque. Now voters will almost certainly be denied the benefit of at least one criminal conviction before voting. <p></p><p>In the Mar-a-Lago espionage case, Aileen. Cannon, handmaiden to the demigogue, took an entire day of hearing to decide what should have been done in a written order without a hearing. She decided, for now, that the Espionage Act is not too vague to support a constitutional prosecution. She dismissed the motion <i>without prejudice, </i>indicating that the defense can bring it up at a later date. perhaps at jury selection. Since 1917 thousands of prosecutions have occurred and been upheld on appeal for violation of the Act. Other than dismissing the motion, everything she did was favorable to the defense. More pending motions remain undecided by her. To top it off, Don Legit was at the hearing to remind everyone that her judicial future hangs on how she handles this case.<i> </i>So far she is leaning over backwards for Trump without giving the prosecution grounds for an immediate appeal to the Eleventh Circuit. This case is another example of politics outweighing due process of law.</p><p>DA Alan Bragg has asked for a one month delay to allow examination of new evidence obtained from the Department of Justice. His case is currently the only one scheduled for trial beginning this month. Most of the 31,000 documents are irrelevant, but some of the witness statements may be relevant. Left unexplained is why the Justice Department took so long to turn over the information requested by the Manhattan DA <i>a year ago</i>. The defense waited until January to subpoena the information. Is this an another turf war?</p><p><i><span style="color: red;">{11/04/24}</span></i>Perhaps the most popular since Jesse James rode the Missouri borders. The MAGA Supremes has cut Don 'Legit' enough legal slack to tie up his criminal prosecutions. Predictably, he raised his bogus absolute immunity argument in the NY criminal fraud case to ask for a delay going to trial until the Supreme Court rules on his absolute immunity claim. Two problems with this argument: one, the NY criminal indictment's gravamen is his conduct <i>before </i>he became the forty-fifth President; and two, he waived the immunity argument in a previous appeal in the same case. Federal judge Hellerstein of the Southern District of New York found in response to Trump's federal removal petition that immunity does not apply because he expressly waived his theory of absolute presidential immunity and that his criminal acts are not "official business" [see below]. Trump later withdrew his appeal of Hellerstein's decision. Thus, the principle of collateral estoppel applies. </p><p>Trump also raised evidentiary complaints related to "official acts". Like any evidentiary objection these can be ruled on by the trial judge before the trial is scheduled to begin on March 24th. Trump's specious circus show must be ended now for the sake of democracy and the rule of law. But since he has a reliable five vote majority on the Supreme Court in his pocket, he may seek an emergency stay if a ruling goes against him. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-VPGYWYEj2m52HaFLIZstofi3xEQXA1dU2tqw3T1CxOy4fjUGe77FoeAYWxEUhPidtEzrNXfw729GDp5UrQy4ND4_sgvb5pAJIaac02Yw_0XO3iZBPo2YYyYvIHCvs2h-pxsNaYdfsn_aSvJWYnqE4IzTcx0JlcE1Mw9EYCDyy0HDudJ7OQLYw/s1200/GIZ5gRsXcAAiaGm.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="1200" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-VPGYWYEj2m52HaFLIZstofi3xEQXA1dU2tqw3T1CxOy4fjUGe77FoeAYWxEUhPidtEzrNXfw729GDp5UrQy4ND4_sgvb5pAJIaac02Yw_0XO3iZBPo2YYyYvIHCvs2h-pxsNaYdfsn_aSvJWYnqE4IzTcx0JlcE1Mw9EYCDyy0HDudJ7OQLYw/w535-h259/GIZ5gRsXcAAiaGm.jpeg" width="535" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In Florida, Employee Five of the indictment, aka Brian Butler, has gone public with his participation in Don Legit's obstruction of federal authorities seeking to recover classified documents. Butler helped Walt Nauta load banker boxes (10-15) full of government documents, including classified material, onto Trump's private plane bound for his Bedminster club. Don Legit and his lawyers at that time were negotiating with DOJ for return of the material at Mar-a-Lago. The two-decade employee faced repeated requests to obtain an attorney paid for by Trumpworld, but he said he is willing to testify at trial, if that ever occurs. The Mar-a-Lago Papers case is a pathetic expose of the weaknesses of our judicial system. Politics has overtaken due process because the defendant happens to be a prominent national politician. He may not be Mussolini, but it is not from want of posing:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGtq3vr7rarmzTXxO_PDGb7ylFocPfuc8ohNS49_2y7qNByqsrwWhmeyKE5Nxlt_DRjb_z3fg9k-9cRm5FaQTpMweJsSFjNWnp1S-VUotl2qPRdsbwi6B9L-oewxYpZpCdOPg_E6ZGLatGxeG3V_2H4EyNPpuUKLJ8yRanIO0f7Yejs6LTwzeJbA/s273/Unknown-2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="273" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGtq3vr7rarmzTXxO_PDGb7ylFocPfuc8ohNS49_2y7qNByqsrwWhmeyKE5Nxlt_DRjb_z3fg9k-9cRm5FaQTpMweJsSFjNWnp1S-VUotl2qPRdsbwi6B9L-oewxYpZpCdOPg_E6ZGLatGxeG3V_2H4EyNPpuUKLJ8yRanIO0f7Yejs6LTwzeJbA/s1600/Unknown-2.jpeg" width="273" /></a></div><br /></div></div></div>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-25122520101416127252024-03-14T09:43:00.000-07:002024-03-14T13:02:13.975-07:00Maine Votes to Join Interstate Compact<p>The problem is the Electoral College. It is biased in favor of small states and is anti-democratic. It may have served once to counteract an illiterate, uniformed electorate (debatable). But times have changed, as they often say. Getting rid of the anachronism by constiutional amendment is highly unlikely, but another path is being pursued that has great chance of success. The National Popular Vote Compact could allow states willing to elect the president and vice president by popular vote to pledge their Electoral College votes to whoever wins the popular vote in the state.</p><p>States with 205 electoral votes have already signed the Compact. [see map]. Maine has recently voted to pledge its 4 electoral votes to the Compact. Maine's Democratic governor is expected to sign the bill once it gets out of the legislature where another vote is necessary to pass it. The Compact does not go into effect until a majority of the 270 Electoral College votes are committed. The goal is getting closer; a big state like Michigan or Pennsylvania voting to join would be enough to put the agreement into effect. Admittedly the Compact is a work around, but given the current political gridlock it would work. Thank you, founders!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArUCtowTmZTE9yZtWMGCADfT_J4KmYBtRSo0mJQD38xnkvSEpRqrwQuU7GqzbDW4JYHI3TkKr6BS5XvTq33iFa4RAy8qPFStSgPlg8SmqO4_vfnRgN9KbwCgqQJzRPExUvyhkKfNkeghuKLqzjN1DEncGVEqDHgRkrWyufOtLwCqTy_PEphH2Pw/s915/NationalPopularVoteInterstateCompactPathto270by2028-Minnesota.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="915" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArUCtowTmZTE9yZtWMGCADfT_J4KmYBtRSo0mJQD38xnkvSEpRqrwQuU7GqzbDW4JYHI3TkKr6BS5XvTq33iFa4RAy8qPFStSgPlg8SmqO4_vfnRgN9KbwCgqQJzRPExUvyhkKfNkeghuKLqzjN1DEncGVEqDHgRkrWyufOtLwCqTy_PEphH2Pw/w400-h283/NationalPopularVoteInterstateCompactPathto270by2028-Minnesota.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-86508728067883654132024-03-11T10:51:00.000-07:002024-03-11T10:52:50.296-07:00Mass Salmon Death on Klamath<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_LZX7w7WT2X8_e85ysoRP3rC1El6_hC_ty-MKfJbbGMqDGYqs2MOnEWuYL0iE40iN66798GWg5IKPzt53_RtkXKuqgITZBIHkRF8h-z3Hc1taWz0A0bu5IEPyoGePX4zOlCDIq0plCB7OALq52AVg6qLaUmqvKn6eUdBfAUkXvE8OMB2JzJs7MA/s800/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="800" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_LZX7w7WT2X8_e85ysoRP3rC1El6_hC_ty-MKfJbbGMqDGYqs2MOnEWuYL0iE40iN66798GWg5IKPzt53_RtkXKuqgITZBIHkRF8h-z3Hc1taWz0A0bu5IEPyoGePX4zOlCDIq0plCB7OALq52AVg6qLaUmqvKn6eUdBfAUkXvE8OMB2JzJs7MA/w200-h120/unnamed.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that 830,000 salmon fry released in February from a new $35 million hatchery died while migrating downstream. Officials think the cause was "gas bubble disease", often associated with internal injuries caused by extreme pressure changes. The small fry were forced to migrate through the Iron Gate dam tunnel built in 1964. The tunnel and the dam are scheduled to be removed from the river. Work restoring river habitat is underway with four dams scheduled to be removed. The Department said the die off was yet another example of how man's dams have severely damaged the Klamath River for decades. After this latest mass die-off, officials will only release salmon below the tunnel. <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">[photo credit: CDFW]</span></i><p></p><p>Fish Creek hatchery still holds about 3.27 million young Chinook salmon, and there are plans to release more at various life stages later this month. The fall Chinook run collapsed in 2022 triggering a ban on commercial and recreational fishing. Only the tribes are allowed to fish and their take is restricted to just 2,000 fish. The Kalmath is officially in a "overfished" condition. The poor conditions are the direct result of dams constructed beginning early last century for irrigation and water storage. It took decades of persistent conservation effort to finally get them removed and restoration to begin on the Klamath River system. Work has begun, but not a moment too soon. In the meantime salmon seasons are likely to remain closed this year. </p>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-74525123434060579912024-03-10T11:47:00.000-07:002024-03-10T17:15:06.608-07:00Horrendous Suffering Uncovered on British Farm<p>An undercover film crew has exposed horrendous animal abuse on a Devon pig farm. The revelations have prompted demands for legal action against the owners, WJ Watkins & Son. Pigs condemned to filthy cramped conditions resorted to canibalism of corpses to stave off starvation. In one clip a screaming pig was trampled on an bitten by others, and apparently died in view of the crew from Glass Wall Films. The farmer was aware of the filming on Cross Farm, Holsworthy in October. He refused to comment to the press, but referred them to the industry's lobby group, National Pig Association (NPA).</p><p>The Farm was investigated by Animal Equity, an animal welfare group in 2017. It found unsanitary, cramped, and barren concrete pens confining an estimated 12,000 pigs. Improvements were promised. Glass Wall decided to visit farms where improvements were committed. It was shocked to find that conditions had actually gotten worse. Video were made of carbon dioxide asphyxiation, used to slaughter animals. England has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world, and its people are known for their love of animals. To know such barbaric conditions existing on a Denvon farm shocks the conscience. An NPA spokesman claimed parts of the film are not authentic and do not portray actual operations at the farm, which has been found compliant with all relevant requirements. Tell that to the pigs!</p>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-12557562105865995302024-03-09T11:29:00.000-08:002024-03-10T11:24:27.366-07:00Originalism When It Suits YouHistorians filed an amicus brief in the recent Colorado disqualification case reaching the Supremes. The Court found only Congress can disqualify a candidate for federal office. The historians, reviewing the history of the passage of Section 3 clearly disagree. Allan Lichtman at American University who signed the brief told interviewers their brief,“decisively proved not a single one of the thousands of ex-Confederates who were disqualified under section three of the 14th amendment were disqualified under an act of Congress. They were automatically disqualified, as Jefferson Davis himself recognized in his trial and the two judges in the trial agreed.”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs1VvAWuvTFGxG7Lm94PCn0bMCTOr9ItHDmKmazv_VVkpihQBIYU-TTCNJXRQyU3a3LmLeV6iJvuzraogdXhIK8G3KdGiZDmfg_n1gV_EvFxCL5zgngz95Eqj8PGjR0BZ5_DzuD6PF_2G45eOcooR9BpNM-xyopWUiqJzA89Rpf5IozphnjrUc7A/s400/Jefferson-Davis.jpg.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs1VvAWuvTFGxG7Lm94PCn0bMCTOr9ItHDmKmazv_VVkpihQBIYU-TTCNJXRQyU3a3LmLeV6iJvuzraogdXhIK8G3KdGiZDmfg_n1gV_EvFxCL5zgngz95Eqj8PGjR0BZ5_DzuD6PF_2G45eOcooR9BpNM-xyopWUiqJzA89Rpf5IozphnjrUc7A/w200-h150/Jefferson-Davis.jpg.webp" width="200" /></a></div><div><div><br /></div><div>Because Section 3 has been so rarely at issue, this fundamental misconstruction of the Constitution is likely to stand for a century unless Congress passes legislation enforcing Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. </div><div>Allowing individual states to control access to their voting ballots, which they already do when it comes to age and residency, would not have created an unmanageable patchwork of disqualifications. The first state disqualification case to reach the Supreme Court would decide the matter, at it did with the Colorado case; Maine and Illinois promptly fell in line with Supreme Court's decision. This is not the first time the MAGA court has perverted the historical record. They did something similar in <i>District of Columbia v. Heller</i>, in which the Court construed the right to bear arms as an individual right not a right of a state to raise an armed militia, a position not supported by the historical record. </div><div><br /></div><div>The MAGA majority will get another crack at derailing Trump's prosecution for the insurrection in a case styled <i>United States v. Fisher,</i> set for argument before the immunity case. There the defendant argues that the statute (§1512) prohibiting obstruction of an official government proceeding is limited to the impairment of evidence. If the Court decides he is correct, despite the clear legislative history to the contrary, the decision would moot the criminal obstruction counts in the indictment against Trump.</div><div><br /></div><div><b></b>
Besides speeding up decisions that favor Trump's candidacy and slowing down those that do not, this Court seems only to pay lip service to so-called "originalism" in its interpretations of the Constitution, invoking the doctrine when it gets them to the result they want. The Roberts Court will go down in history as <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/03/30/1089595933/legal-ethics-experts-agree-justice-thomas-must-recuse-in-insurrection-cases">one of the most corrupt</a> in the nation's history.</div></div>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-15502392814666744352024-03-08T10:18:00.000-08:002024-03-09T14:34:47.903-08:00TWIT: Cheeseburger in Paradise<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH21Mjl-L_Fyms6fb1BavaXa6gYPojbqEHIJoUd2mJBF6Dl9IjylE6rqlnhWOJ0pfmkqaEhS6jmEgJHGzSXCbEArsm7exlMms6i47Y-IPB5CPen6HKhAt5RKDSCuVR9vIPEmEDeNkRZ_p__W4qd3IwcTBpygGwFIZmsQ-Mqe02BzM-6huqOcc66A/s1160/90.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="1160" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH21Mjl-L_Fyms6fb1BavaXa6gYPojbqEHIJoUd2mJBF6Dl9IjylE6rqlnhWOJ0pfmkqaEhS6jmEgJHGzSXCbEArsm7exlMms6i47Y-IPB5CPen6HKhAt5RKDSCuVR9vIPEmEDeNkRZ_p__W4qd3IwcTBpygGwFIZmsQ-Mqe02BzM-6huqOcc66A/w447-h361/90.jpeg" width="447" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">credit: A. Zyglis, Buffalo News<br />BC Idonwanna sez: Apré</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">moi, le deluge!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Don 'Legit' posted an appeal bond of $91 million in the E. Jean Carrol defamation case at the last minute, allowing him to appeal the verdict without paying her a dime. <span style="color: #ff00fe;"> US Person </span>had little doubt he would be able to come up with the money. The bond was provided by the Chubb Group of Companies. </div><div><br /></div><div>Readers may remember the infamous "Steele Dossier", the source of salacious allegations that Trumpilini cavorted with prostitutes while on business in Moscow. Trump sued Orbis Business Intelligence, founded by former MI6 agent Christopher Steele. His case was thrown out of court by a British judge as being "bound to fail" because it was filed outside the six year statute of limitations. He was ordered to pay all court costs and legal fees incurred by Orbis amounting to an initial £300,000.</div><p>Other developments in the prosecution of the most dangerous man in 'Merica are also not favorable. Kenneth Chesebro, former Trump attorney, agreed to a plea deal in the Georgia election interference case, but his testimony may be discredited by new evidence revealed as part of the settlement of a Wisconsin civil suit brought against fake electors. Chesebro maintains that the Trump electors were a legal strategy in the event a court found that their claims of election fraud were valid. But emails and text communications show the scheme was much more intentional and planned. Chesebro began communicating with Wisconsin MAGA campaign lawyer Jim Troupis as early as November 8th, 2020 to create a fraudulent scheme claiming Trump won the Electoral College vote in Wisconsin and submitting an alternate slate of electors. “Having the electors send in alternate slates of votes on Dec. 14 can pay huge dividends even if there is no litigation pending on Jan. 6,” Chesebro said in an email. Chesebro asked Troupis in a text to send his detailed December 6th memo on the idea to the White House. Troupis was then in touch with Rudy Guliani and Boris Epshteyn, senior Trump aides. Troupis spoke to Congressman Ron Johnson a full month before January 6th about the plan to submit fake electors. A Johnson aide spoke to Mike Pence's legislative director Chris Hodgson, telling him that they had the lists for Michigan and Wisconsin. Hodgson told him, "do not give that to him [Pence]". Keneth Chesebro texted Troupis on January 8th, two days after the insurrection, saying that the events opened more avenues for legal opinions favorable to Trump.</p><p>The new evidence confirms Chesebro always intended to sow confusion about the outcome of the electoral vote in order to throw the election into the US House of Representatives where there is a majority of Repugnant state delegations. By now it is beyond deniability that MAGA operatives, with the approval of the deranged nascent dictator, wanted to exploit the weaknesses of the Electoral College system. To prevent another <i>autogolpe</i> in the future, the President should be elected by a binding popular vote and the College discarded as obsolete.</p><p>Alan Weisselberg, who is a witness in the business records criminal fraud case in Manhattan, has plead guilty to two felony counts of perjury. Former CFO Weisselberg has already served time for tax evasion related to Trump Org. He lied in the NY Attorney General civil fraud case about the size of Don Legit's apartment in Trump Tower, a major asset on his financial statements, and about his lack of knowledge of the process in which fraudulent documents were created. His perjury conviction increases the chances of Trump being convicted of business records fraud. The judge in Trump's criminal prosecution, Juan Merchan, is the same one who sentenced Weisselberg for tax evasion. At seventy-nine, he cannot afford to stop another bullet on behalf of the Boss.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDVQVzY13DjCifB4R7QLSZOy9eQmfnpNQ9EZCA676sch2NMw_dj_3q8tIXefWZgd4MVU6f8wlm4oF8RGmZyvfxE4y_SiFp0MePCN2qJIenkxmm0r4e42rPzIE370OgHNJJS0Y1fHMthyphenhyphen1nTAa5shG9S9G_OTF3vitdxdy2alYRBw7wS6WhIDc1w/s1444/240304222413-kenneth-chesebro-jan-6-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1444" data-original-width="1088" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDVQVzY13DjCifB4R7QLSZOy9eQmfnpNQ9EZCA676sch2NMw_dj_3q8tIXefWZgd4MVU6f8wlm4oF8RGmZyvfxE4y_SiFp0MePCN2qJIenkxmm0r4e42rPzIE370OgHNJJS0Y1fHMthyphenhyphen1nTAa5shG9S9G_OTF3vitdxdy2alYRBw7wS6WhIDc1w/s320/240304222413-kenneth-chesebro-jan-6-2.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-22933133573285400552024-03-06T12:37:00.000-08:002024-03-07T09:01:48.609-08:00Bad Air Will Increase<p>A new report by a climate NGO says that air pollution has increased in the US for the first time in 8 years primarily due to wildfires offsetting gains in reductions in human caused pollution achieved by the Clean Air Act. Vast swaths of the continental US will have unhealthy air by 2054. Now one in four Americans are exposed to unhealthy air and that is expected to grow by 50% in the next few decades.</p><p>An example of what is occurring is the Canadian wildfires of June 2023 that turned the skies of northeastern America orange and caused exposure to the worst day of polluted air since 2006. The smoke carried tiny particulate matter called PM2.5 (microns) that can lodge deep inside a person's lungs and cross the brain-blood barrier. Prolonged exposure can cause Parkinson's Disease and dementia, as well as respiratory illness. There is no safe exposure level to PM 2.5. Although wildfire smoke is not counted against air quality goals by the EPA, wildfire smoke accounts for a third of all particulate matter pollution.</p><p>The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-texas-smokehouse-xcel-energy-22540df0a0c1d2c42a7fe0284858845a">number and intensity of wildfires </a>are expected to increase as the planet warms up and vegetation drys out. Disadvantaged populations in urban centers will be affected most since they do not have the means to ameliorate the effects of air pollution by moving or filtering in-door air. Black children are five times more likely to suffer asthma than white children. Outdoor workers will also be affected more.</p>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-2068286168606852712024-03-04T13:46:00.000-08:002024-03-04T13:46:32.394-08:00Miami's Seaquarium is Unfit For Animals <p>Several members of the theme park's staff have quit in protest of the conditions in which animals are held captive, In their resignation letter they cited managements dismissal of staff concerns for animal welfare and keeping the park understaffed. Public pressure is mounting for Dade County, which owns the site to terminate Dolphin Company's lease, after USDA issued citations for animal welfare violations,. The company is also behind on rent payments. In February the park lost its certification from the American Humane Society. Its county lease requires this certification be maintained. If the county proceeds with evicting the Dolphin Company for non-payment and lease violations Seaworld would be over.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4GEBW_03CN792KH8fOMFuC_IzBdwIn44QwesQqvXjRzQnAI7gFZbKYaWniwYejvZzs-p9x_pJq5F63sChHO8vri1YIeweCC3RxI1vP7teG-1x3WS89E12dPrg9YRhvO4HcqJ0AL49jNQscTeF71-kDZ4VUPwn-NCW3i45MLsD1xAdorsWE-G0w/s2500/AP23232656473939-seaquarium-protest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4GEBW_03CN792KH8fOMFuC_IzBdwIn44QwesQqvXjRzQnAI7gFZbKYaWniwYejvZzs-p9x_pJq5F63sChHO8vri1YIeweCC3RxI1vP7teG-1x3WS89E12dPrg9YRhvO4HcqJ0AL49jNQscTeF71-kDZ4VUPwn-NCW3i45MLsD1xAdorsWE-G0w/s320/AP23232656473939-seaquarium-protest.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Not a moment too soon. Readers may recall the tragic story of orca Lolita held in North America's smallest tank that died last year. One veterinary staff person who resigned told management that, "These animals deserve better than this and it breaks my heart every night knowing there’s not even a fight in any of you to TRY!” Seaworld is over seventy years old, one of the first ocean aquariums to be established. in the USA. Seaworld is loosing money and management is cutting corners on animal health care. It has been sued ten times in the last two years for debts. <span style="font-size: x-small;">[credit: AP]</span><p></p><p>USDA inspectors have visited the park multiple times and have found unhealthy conditions. For example, a young dolphin with pieces of plastic and a large chunk of concrete in its digestive tract, and another with multiple bilateral rib fractures. An animal welfare group flew a drone over the site and discovered a manatee named Romeo swimming in circles in a small, filthy tank. The video was exposed on the Internet prompting the US Fish & Wildlife Service to remove the sixty-seven year old captive to a sanctuary. A bottlenose dolphin named Sundance died in December after USDA inspectors raised concerns about his health. They found four other animals in need of urgent care on their return visit in January. So far the Dolphin Company has been able to dodge eviction and animals confiscation by taking what one animal advocate organization called "superficial" remedial action. For the sake of the animals held captive, it is time to take effective action and close Seaworld for good and all.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-9701784451932837152024-03-04T10:30:00.000-08:002024-03-05T11:00:45.592-08:00TWIT: The Craven Court Freezes Trump Prosecution<p><span style="color: red;">Update: </span>No surprise here! The MAGA court ruled today that Colorado must put the <span style="color: #ffa400;">Ochre Menace</span> back on the ballot since 14th Amendment Section 3 must be enforced by Congress alone. The prospect of that happening is statistically zero. The majority relied on the language in Section 5 stating that Congress shall have the authority to enforce the provisions of the Amendment; three liberal justices concurred in the result. Notably the Court did not disturb the finding by the Colorado Supreme Court that Don Legit is an insurrectionist. </p><p>What some<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmEQX24XqtM"> learned observers see</a> is an issue that the DC Appeals did not address in their opinion. The Court may want to provide guidance to lower courts on the distinction between former and current presidents, and official and unofficial acts when it comes to immunity from criminal prosecution. Potentially, the Court could find that a former president is not entitled to immunity for either type of act. And that a president, either current or former, can be prosecuted for criminal acts considered unofficial, such as interference in an electoral vote count for which a president has no official role under the Constitution. Such a conclusion, handed down with alacrity after April 22nd, would send the case back to Judge Chutkin for trial, which could be accomplished before the November election. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but it is faint.</p><p><i><span style="color: red;">{29.02.24}</span></i>Exposing the majority's tilt towards MAGA, the Supremes agreed to hear Dear Leader's claim of immunity from criminal prosecution and kept the stay of the trial court proceedings in place. The Court scheduled April 22nd for oral arguments. The decision required at least four votes in favor. The DC Court of Appeals has ruled unanimously against his claim. Many Court watchers expected the Court to let that opinion stand given its "masterful" treatment of the law. Jack Smith, Special Prosecutor, said in his brief that accepting Trump's <span style="color: #ff00fe;">radical</span> immunity claim, "would upend understandings about presidential accountability that have prevailed throughout history while undermining democracy and the rule of law", especially in a case where a president sought to subvert the democratic transfer of power by disenfranchising millions of voters. </p><p>Delineating the contours of alleged presidential criminal immunity is a complicated question and unnecessary to decide this case. <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/01/donald-trump-presidential-immunity-arguments-fail.html">No one in their right mind thinks a president of a republic has the right to foment his own coup</a>. What is clear is that this Court has no interest in expediting its process to obtain a jury verdict before the vote. Thus the American people will be deprived of an answer to this critical question: is Trump guilty of subverting our democracy? The Court said that it wanted to consider whether there is criminal immunity for "official acts" of a former president, leaving open the possibility that Trump's subversion of the democratic process falls outside the perimeter of "official acts". But the Court's formulation of such a broad question for review is disturbing. Of course, Trumpilini claims that every thing he did or did not do while in office was an official act. Parsing which acts could reasonably be described as official would be time consuming to say the least.</p><p>Their decision has <i>de facto</i> allowed Trumpilini to win his years' long campaign to run any prosecution for wrong doing in office head-on into the election of 2024. After winning Michigan's primary easily, he is on course to the Repugnant Party nomination. Any trial occurring during the presidential election campaign is unlikely. Even the New York criminal prosecution for election fraud scheduled to begin in March will be tied up in interlocutory appeals of a gag order request by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg to protect witnesses and court personnel. The granting of a Supreme Court appeal in the federal insurrection case exposes the deplorable extent to which politics plays a significant role in the US justice system, and how helpless it is when opposed by a legal tactician and "professional litigant" with funds. His campaign claims of being smeared in a political "witch hunt" may now proceed uncontradicted by a jury verdict based on facts. Pundits make fun of his in-court legal representation, but his attorneys have effectively hog-tied multiple efforts to hold him legally accountable for his actions before the November election. </p><p>On a positive note in Georgia, defense counsel failed to provide any evidence that DA Willis benefited from the prosecution of the <span style="color: #ffa400;">Ochre Menace</span> despite grilling witnesses about when her affair with Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade began. Wade's divorce attorney had a conspicuous lack of memory on the stand about this question. Apparently the defense was attempting to show Willis lied under oath, allegedly disqualifying her for an appearance of impropriety. Willis and Wade both testified their sexual liaison did not begin until after Wade began working in her office. Regardless, there was no showing she benefited financially from hiring Wade, and therefore no conflict of interest. <i>Nota bene:</i> Judge McAfee faces a retention vote in November.</p><p>In New York, Trump counsel filed for emergency relief from the $454 million dollar judgment handed down by Justice Engoron. Trumpilini is apparently unable to raise the necessary 120% appeal bond on his own, but a state appeals justice did allow him to find loans in New York pending a hearing by the full appeals panel. Several non-bank lenders may be willing to help the "King of Debt" including billionaire political contributors. Once again, 'Tiny' is playing for time. He may have access to $4 billion in new money in March if he is allowed by other stockholders to sell or hypothecate 78 million shares in his Truth Social internet platform. He has thirty days from the date of judgement entry (02/23/2024) to raise the bond money, otherwise execution on the judgments may begin.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fHTHWwWXuRNi7FECbhAZd8tev44FcrDkYwtGq7LaJ2clNAkXTf680D2GRsUKg-iDpAKwTq54QkolymUi0PqDTNVwBiRGOVyTb6R1Pautv5BkE0Ko_DdohYWGIhC5iC60Gg7uStprB_fWBO1iSA-5l_ub6I3LJNXttA9-aip8Hen9spdoq1iasA/s1200/ggzqhrhagaexf55-1200x.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="906" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fHTHWwWXuRNi7FECbhAZd8tev44FcrDkYwtGq7LaJ2clNAkXTf680D2GRsUKg-iDpAKwTq54QkolymUi0PqDTNVwBiRGOVyTb6R1Pautv5BkE0Ko_DdohYWGIhC5iC60Gg7uStprB_fWBO1iSA-5l_ub6I3LJNXttA9-aip8Hen9spdoq1iasA/s400/ggzqhrhagaexf55-1200x.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">credit: A. Telnaes, <i>Washington Post <br />Wackydoodle sez, But we want to hear about Fani's love life!</i></td></tr></tbody></table>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-47382425301162271592024-03-01T09:54:00.000-08:002024-03-01T09:54:35.801-08:00Festus' Tragic End<p>Festus, the humpback whale, was a regular visitor for forty-four years to the southeast Alaska coast. He was recognizable to humans by the black and white marking on his fluke. One day in 2016 he was found floating dead in Glacier Bay. Whale scientists determined that his cause of death was most likely starvation. A new paper by the Royal Society Open Science says that during an extreme heat event in the Northeast Pacific, when water temperatures rose 3-6℃ during 2014-16, an estimated 7,000 humpbacks disappeared during the period 2013-21. Populations had been increasing prior to that. The whales were removed from the Endangered Species list. Scientists think that the decline was a "mass mortality event" due to the lack of food. Phytoplankton, at the bottom of the marine food chain, cannot proliferate in warm water that has knock-on effects up to humpbacks despite their being flexible feeders. A similar high mortality event is affecting gray whales, <a href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/whales/scientists-finally-figure-out-why-hundreds-of-gray-whales-keep-washing-up-dead-along-us-coasts#:~:text=Three%20mortality%20events%20have%20struck,are%20known%20to%20have%20died.">which scientists think is due to the reduction in the size of a seabed crustacean that the whale consumes in the Bering Strait </a>due to warmer ocean temperatures in the Arctic. <span style="font-size: x-small;">[skinny whale on right; photo credit: <i>UK Guardian</i>]</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdarU7xBnCHgO1rBbV0BO8p6-zTsg-tj4Y9nxoktQr3PNss_fwQpp9IJFRFISejlWLoLuWv7yZkEsdQo4eAWmqpfXR22Ipj_wD4VsLcNsbyQdtsKKiADQcsJ9l92PHhVq-696vjDcEfn-kHqiJTwJiHfGat1n9ZwVGgBqbS1X_3fWIXqaxwn0ow/s473/1962.png.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="445" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdarU7xBnCHgO1rBbV0BO8p6-zTsg-tj4Y9nxoktQr3PNss_fwQpp9IJFRFISejlWLoLuWv7yZkEsdQo4eAWmqpfXR22Ipj_wD4VsLcNsbyQdtsKKiADQcsJ9l92PHhVq-696vjDcEfn-kHqiJTwJiHfGat1n9ZwVGgBqbS1X_3fWIXqaxwn0ow/w188-h200/1962.png.webp" width="188" /></a></div><p>Research in Antartica has shown that humpbacks breed less successfully when there is not enough food. It also results in 'skinny whales' that are more susceptible to disease. During the heat wave, fewer females showed up in the Au'au Channel between Maui and Lanai, a known breeding ground. Only three calves made the annual migration to Alaska, and they to went missing. To estimate the number of whales in the North Pacific, study authors used an extensive data base of identification information called "Happywhale" that is extremely accurate and can be described as a Facebook for whales since it uses similar algorithms for identifying individuals. One researcher told interviewers that, "Healthy oceans make healthy whales and vice versa.” </p>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-38762067714427815272024-02-28T13:32:00.000-08:002024-02-28T13:37:49.625-08:00The Broken Promise of Recycling<p>Back in the sixties when recycling was heralded as a solution to pollution, it was greeted with enthusiasm<br />by the public. It was a process an individual could contribute to saving the planet, and was promoted widely by industry, What these businesses were not telling consumers for thirty years was that recycling was <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/05/single-use-plastic-chemical-recycling-disposal/661141/">never going to be an economic or technically feasible solution</a> to product waste. Plastics are made from hydrocarbons and are notoriously difficult to recycle, requiring meticulous sorting, cleaning and transportation that requires labor and energy, which in turn increases product cost. Also, plastic material degrades after a few re-uses making it unusable. Now after decades of recycling, our planet and its oceans are drowning in plastic waste. It is in our food chain and our bodies, now. </p><p>The packaging and oil industry deliberately hid this information from consumers according to a <a href="https://climateintegrity.org/uploads/media/Fraud-of-Plastic-Recycling-Documentary-Evidence-2024.pdf">report by the Center for Climate Integrity</a>. Their advertisement promoted the use of recycling as a viable solution to the waste crisis, In 1988 eight major plastic producers formed the Council for Solid Waste Solutions with a budget of $13 million annually to promote recycling. Exxon Chemicals founded the Plastic Recycling Foundation at Rutgers University to research all aspects of plastic recycling in 1985. The problem was becoming acute even in the '80s. Landfills were reaching capacity, but Americans were producing ever more disposable waste. One estimate from the period was that one American produced 1240 lbs of solid municipal garbage every year, ninety percent of which went to landfills. Recycling was not considered a permanent solution since eventually the un-useable residue would have to be disposed. Markets for recycled material are limited. A director of the Vinyl Institute told a trade conference in 1989,“Recycling cannot go on indefinitely, and does not solve the solid waste problem.” What the recycling public relations campaign did was buy time for the industry to continue selling its plastic products. </p><p>Lately, industry has resorted to a new pitch, so-called "chemical recycling", which breaks down polymers to the molecular level. This process is energy intensive and creates even more pollution than traditional recycling. Critics call this approach another example of deception intended to prolong product life. </p><p>The plastics industry is coming under increasing legal scrutiny. Two years ago, the California AG launched an investigation into the petrochemical industry's role in causing and exacerbating the current plastics pollution crisis. The horrific toxic train derailment in Palestine, Ohio has ignited a movement to ban vinyl chloride. EPA announced a health review of the chemical, the first step towards banning it from the market. In 2003 New York State filed a lawsuit against Pest-Co of its single use bottles for violating its public nuisance laws. Unless the companies producing plastics change the way they do business they can expect more public pressure to ban their products altogether.</p>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-24240322201247411992024-02-26T00:00:00.000-08:002024-02-26T09:00:30.923-08:00Big Data, Big PolluterThe fields along the Columbia River in northeastern Oregon are sparsely populated. The largely agricultural region now has a new tenant: data centers. Amazon has built ten giant data centers in Umatilla and Morrow counties and is planning ten more. These installations run mostly on fossil fuels. The result of that is to propel one of the state's smallest electric utility, Umatilla Electric Cooperative that serves just 16,000 residents to the third largest polluters in the state. The utility company supplying the data centers emits 1.8 million tons of carbon emissions. Its rise to the top began in 2018; by 2020 its emissions doubled; by 2021 it doubled again. <p></p><p>The state has been complicit in the emissions growth. Amazon has taken advantage of enormous state and local tax breaks to subsidize a constellation of power-hungry data centers located around Hermiston and Boardman. It saved about $100 million in local property taxes alone. Local officials have promised a billion more to keep Amazon growing. The problem is compounded by the lack of transmission facilities in the area, making a transition to renewable power sources difficult. Climate activists say Oregon is far away from expanding its transmission facilities, which is ironic since it has abundant hydroelectric power generated by the Columbia River, and great potential for wind generation. The company has done little to invest in improving its access to clean energy.</p><p>Amazon has made a token effort (4%) to buy some of electricity needs from a neighboring wind farm in Gilliam County, but experts say what Amazon needs to do is lobby the statehouse for upgrades to the grid. Amazon mounted an intense lobbying campaign when the legislature considered making the data centers subject to the state's clean energy rules last year. The company killed the bill in committee. Amazon and its power company Umatilla Electric spent more than $500,000 on lobbying in 2021. That is a lot money in small-town Salem for a part time legislature. </p><p>Big tech companies like Apple, Google and Facebook have also followed the subsidies. These all operate large data centers in Prineville, Hillsboro, and The Dalles. Bonneville Power Administration estimates that demand for power by data centers in the Northwest will double by 2041. Installing new upgraded transmission facilities requires planning and coordination among private companies and government, resulting in a process that takes decades according to a state legislator working on the problem. Transmission constraints will make it impossible for private Oregon utilities to transition off of fossil fuels by 2040.</p>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-56836157475398291282024-02-23T10:06:00.000-08:002024-02-27T13:02:27.128-08:00TWIT: Justice Delayed<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwT6bwjgtt3yKCR23TMd7NPFEDb1WxOGZJ_KsRc4icnLAA4c8o4iTFlRwboCW228D7eugb6WYE6g8-jrl1Nn7oRSw35gESKj9EfHxbI6QD3oihw972nDY0kefZA5NTUIzVqeeYykdTcdYqQQuQm3Qvcoauw4s76YzqDRkt7RQ34vsG38vg807Dw/s750/282681.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="750" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwT6bwjgtt3yKCR23TMd7NPFEDb1WxOGZJ_KsRc4icnLAA4c8o4iTFlRwboCW228D7eugb6WYE6g8-jrl1Nn7oRSw35gESKj9EfHxbI6QD3oihw972nDY0kefZA5NTUIzVqeeYykdTcdYqQQuQm3Qvcoauw4s76YzqDRkt7RQ34vsG38vg807Dw/w588-h417/282681.webp" width="588" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">credit: D. Whamond, <i>Cagle.com</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span><div><span style="color: #ffa400;">Update: </span><span>DA Willis has </span>forcibly fired back against the proposed evidence of cell phone communications, seeking to exclude the information from the record on the grounds that the evidence does not conform with the Judge's standing order for introduction of evidence, and that the records do not meet the <i>Daubert </i>standard for scientific reliability. The defense also admits that Mittelstadt does not qualify as an expert in order to offer opinion testimony. </div><div><br /></div><div>Willis argues in her response that the type of cell phone data presented does not pinpoint a cell phone's location. The fact is that hundreds of businesses and residences are located within the range of a particular cell phone tower. Willis also presented calendar evidence to show she was not at her Hapville residence when Wade was allegedly there according to the cell phone data. Further, Willis argues that the salacious allegations made against her and Nathan Wade are a cynical attempt to smear her reputation in public and further delay trial proceedings. Judge McAfee made an error by hearing this irrelevant evidence in open court before determining whether it is admissible at all. He has a chance to correct his error by excluding it altogether at a hearing on legal arguments scheduled for Friday.</div><div><div><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 164, 0);">{23.02.24}</span> </i></span> Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis may have a problem. The defense, using a discovery subpoena, has uncovered numerous phone records showing her in communication with her boyfriend before she hired him to be a Special Counsel in her office. The defense argument is that her relationship disqualifies her and her entire office from prosecuting Trumpilini. Perhaps more importantly the evidence may contradict her sworn testimony that she did not have a sexual relationship until after he was already working for her. Now, it is not necessarily unethical to hire a friend especially if that friend is qualified for the job, but possible perjury may be since the relevant standard for conflicts of interest is "an appearance of impropriety".</div><div><br /></div><div>According to an Atlanta media outlet, the defense hired Charles Mittelstadt, a private investigator, to track her activity on-line and over the phone. <a href="https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2024/02/23/2000-calls-12000-texts-alleged-between-da-fani-willis-special-prosecutor/"> He filed an affidavi</a>t saying Willis made over 2000 calls and 12,000 "interactions" in an eleven month period before Nathan Wade was hired. Some of those calls occurred in close proximity to Willis' home. Willis and Wade do not deny a romantic entanglement, but both testified it began after he was working in her office. The new evidence tends to corroborate a witness who owned the condo where Willis lived, and testified their relationship began before he was hired. It is not clear how her relationship, before or after she hired Wade, conflicts with her duties as Fulton County District Attorney. Two separate grand juries found probable cause that crimes were committed by Don Legit and his co-conspirators. Four guilty plea deals by co-conspirators have already been entered into the record. Defense attorneys have not shown a vested interest, financial or personal, in the outcome of the prosecution according to a Georgia legal authority. However, the Fulton County Board of Ethics said it will hear <a href="https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2024/02/22/fulton-board-ethics-taking-up-2-complaints-against-da-fani-willis/">two ethics complaints</a> against Willis next month. Either way Don Legit is winning the delay game, 3 to 1.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><span style="color: red;">{23/02/2024} </span></i>The pro-MAGA Supreme Court is taking its sweet time deciding whether the <span style="color: #ffa400;">Ocher Menace</span> had carte blanch to commit crimes while serving in the Room Without Corners. Most legal observers think the case is a slam dunk for the Appellees, but in these days nothing is certain. The former criminal-in-office is seeking a stay of the unanimous judgement of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals that made mincemeat of his arguments for blanket immunity, The glaring fact is that such immunity is totally foreign to our constitutional republic of co-equal branches. That does not stop the part-time sneaker salesman from propagating BS to his slavish fans who bleed dollars for him. It is worse than a WWF Friday night smack- down.<p>Of course the leaderless, sane Repugnants are desperate for someone other than the chaos clown to lead them to victory in November. But they are stuck with 'The Chosen One' because he has a base that denies reality. They deserve him. You have to give Trumpilini's lawyers credit, they do not give up on bad legal arguments. </p><p>Defense counsel in the Mar-a-Lago espionage case are using the same bogus immunity argument to convince Trump minion Aileen Cannon to dismiss the case against their client. For pity's sake, he was out of office when the indictment begins! For some unknown reason--probably their client's insistence--they keep pushing the looser argument that because the Presidential Records Act allows a former President to keep his personal papers, Trump did nothing wrong in retaining classified material after leaving office. That is a total twisting of what the federal law provides. It is a federal crime to retain classified material outside of official duty, period. Trump not only did that, but obstructed attempts by the federal government to recover the material from him.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXRmoXWiE9VImS7MlR5KxB4Qq_THw7Pf26EIsXV5ESEEqSwTVnxSxn_IE53PD_J_FRj1IwZ8QszM3XTS77Z7ieZbjL7cTEn28JFmZZTC3xA6MLi3aSnK6dlOxGIYFz7s-t0qjs-PK65My62aCB4Ujy6qRJ2pa9ixeFoeVitD3Es9YYREegeX51g/s1200/20240221edbbc-a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1200" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXRmoXWiE9VImS7MlR5KxB4Qq_THw7Pf26EIsXV5ESEEqSwTVnxSxn_IE53PD_J_FRj1IwZ8QszM3XTS77Z7ieZbjL7cTEn28JFmZZTC3xA6MLi3aSnK6dlOxGIYFz7s-t0qjs-PK65My62aCB4Ujy6qRJ2pa9ixeFoeVitD3Es9YYREegeX51g/s320/20240221edbbc-a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">credit: Bramhall, <i>New York Daily News</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-48147735105179554682024-02-21T14:34:00.000-08:002024-02-21T14:34:37.595-08:00Noise Pollution Interferes with Whale Communication<p>A new study published in the journal <i>Nature </i>by an international team of scientists shows that baleen whales use a special form of larynx as opposed to toothed whales that use a nasal organ to produce sound. Complex whale melodies were first recorded fifty years ago. Scientists think that the "songs" are a form of communication between individuals. The study of minke, sei and humpback whales found a novel adaptation that allows these toothless filter feeders to produce sound underwater while holding their breath.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bauAJjCY0IUckhj2E3srI9xkbIBDJpS0aECemD1VLU3DhI71FOJmbfvC849oFhzTlcWldgMxUBB2nQ7ohGkVzsJuKsNBuCCYW5ef_lpowxWYaAz2Vizgo0Yworn_C2_SNMsyIPrXqZjeS_T0u1tCGoxYm-1pivhi0aczEeVicu3r4XGFFr3IIA/s2480/da434ca513ad55649af5e6a9cdf30291d275f610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="2480" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bauAJjCY0IUckhj2E3srI9xkbIBDJpS0aECemD1VLU3DhI71FOJmbfvC849oFhzTlcWldgMxUBB2nQ7ohGkVzsJuKsNBuCCYW5ef_lpowxWYaAz2Vizgo0Yworn_C2_SNMsyIPrXqZjeS_T0u1tCGoxYm-1pivhi0aczEeVicu3r4XGFFr3IIA/w200-h133/da434ca513ad55649af5e6a9cdf30291d275f610.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Unfortunately for whales the sounds they produce are in the same frequency range as ships--up to 300 Hz and a depth of 100 meters. Whales cannot outcompete the noise occurring from shipping by diving deeper or singing louder. Consequently noise alters their behavior often requiring more exertion, which threatens their long term survival. Noise at mating sites may disrupt reproduction. Conservationists are concerned that the rush to exploit the sea bed for rare minerals will have a devastating effect on a wide range of marine creatures not just large marine mammals. More research needs to be done on the effects of noise in the ocean so effective regulations can be promulgated. <span style="font-size: x-small;">[whales feeding; credit Stanford U.]</span><p></p>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-14820612109670466102024-02-20T10:19:00.000-08:002024-02-20T10:21:34.923-08:00Africa Bans Donkey Skin Trade<p>About two-thirds of the world's donkeys estimated 53 million donkeys live in Africa. A donkey can mean <a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/africaatlse/2020/02/14/donkeys-economic-social-contribution-development-policy-ethiopia/">the difference between a modest living and destitution for Africa's poorest.</a> Despite their utility to humans they are subjected to a cruel trade in the their skins. Once again the trade is there to supply China with an ingredient for traditional medicine. Eliao is an ancient medicine made from donkey skin, which is believed to have anti-aging properties. When Chinese companies making the substance ran out of donkeys in China, they began to look elsewhere. Africa was an obvious source.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-z_-1lNaG7xLmqcFfPWEmn0GMB0DmLuKzcGAGvhBfpQ4JoUEP3NfCk8QKujN8yHEWI9x92LnSDUnieUH6ex3f7GYuOSJCRSWk-fzeZ4tZ9cdVAB6IobjlnmofuxprTvSWb7VWrsKwjMZsy5ulIz01TKUs5-7lY3MDMPVgh2M-QfjnQk-KnmDvg/s1536/_132654577_mediaitem132654576.jpg.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1536" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-z_-1lNaG7xLmqcFfPWEmn0GMB0DmLuKzcGAGvhBfpQ4JoUEP3NfCk8QKujN8yHEWI9x92LnSDUnieUH6ex3f7GYuOSJCRSWk-fzeZ4tZ9cdVAB6IobjlnmofuxprTvSWb7VWrsKwjMZsy5ulIz01TKUs5-7lY3MDMPVgh2M-QfjnQk-KnmDvg/s320/_132654577_mediaitem132654576.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></div>Cash short African governments at first saw the trade as a source of revenue, and many legal slaughterhouses opened. In Kenya, hafe the nations donkeys were killed. However, due to the advocacy of protection groups, the African Union declared a ban on the trade at its summit in Ethiopia on Sunday. It declared the trade inhumane and unsustainable. An advocate told BBC that, "donkey slaughter for its skin has eroded livelihoods in Africa, robbing the continent of its culture, biodiversity and identity."<p></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;">US Person </span> can testify that African donkeys are very personable and friendly animals, willing to cooperate with humans. He was allowed to ride one in Thebes, Egypt. He still remembers the quickness of the little animal and its obvious strength as it transported him through the streets of the ancient city. It is encouraging that officials finally recognized their true worth to African people.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> [photo credit: BBC]</span></p>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-6389945499901706682024-02-19T10:34:00.000-08:002024-02-19T11:06:50.132-08:00COTW: Brand X<p>Don 'Legit' constantly brags about the value of his "brand". The value goes up and down depending on his unstable mood. He pegged it as high as $3 billion. As usual reality makes him a liar. LOOK at this chart:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhcXmgvyCYRrCmUb9rhho96rqDM0FrMhoRNlpx9KpuSlsWKy_mQWGR6-3YnthT5i5qe_2bGohJlmN-8Ts9uAl014b_8CjooFA6O4on5KN4qy8O98NKsJbhvxuQlJnTNa3kecOcm_gVoNIb7IkdzOOlVVTwOIIr5PaW1nWYWr3ICs004gQSeV5Pvw/s550/Screenshot2024-02-18at4.51.21PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="550" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhcXmgvyCYRrCmUb9rhho96rqDM0FrMhoRNlpx9KpuSlsWKy_mQWGR6-3YnthT5i5qe_2bGohJlmN-8Ts9uAl014b_8CjooFA6O4on5KN4qy8O98NKsJbhvxuQlJnTNa3kecOcm_gVoNIb7IkdzOOlVVTwOIIr5PaW1nWYWr3ICs004gQSeV5Pvw/w524-h444/Screenshot2024-02-18at4.51.21PM.png" width="524" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Even at his flagship tower on Fifth Avenue, condominium prices have tumbled 49% since 2013. Competition from other high-priced real estate in the neighborhood has had an effect, but so have regular protests outside the building. In buildings where Trump identification was removed--<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/17/nyregion/trump-place-sign-condo-manhattan.html">sometimes after legal action</a>--asset values have recovered. <div><br /></div><div>Admittedly brand value is a significant chunk of market valuation for most companies. The <i>Economist </i>reported after a study, that brands account for more than 30% of value for companies listed in the S&P 500 stock index. Don the Con insists his company is worth $10 billion, but that figure is based on inflated assets values, as we have learned from the latest lawsuit against him for persistent fraud. <i> Forbes </i>highest estimate for Trump Org value was $4.5 billion in March 2016, which was based in part on information provided by Trump. The publication said he was constantly pushing for higher valuations and "relentlessly lying to reporters". For example, he lied about the size of his penthouse apartment in Trump Tower. So, a generous brand valuation could be in the neighborhood of $1 billion or less. Just ask Trump's condo owners!</div><div><br /></div><div>And speaking of fraud, <span style="color: #ff00fe;">US Person</span>, aka <span style="color: #ff00fe;">"Brand X"</span>, says look at this:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga1hgflQcd3dbaTcbo0TF22_QkRJXrIAs8HB1dWqB9uFnOBIyol94nhaS9zpJMFJWUVLTc0RITMzVR7plFaNCcexg3vSB9jbKz4TW97VoiLrsbX0AjI9icENt9YjAZnWlZTIf7kZom6iEwfJnqCQVacssltAy0Yr9i51LwslEtjjqAIIxjhgeGlA/s664/trumpwithoutmakeup.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="575" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga1hgflQcd3dbaTcbo0TF22_QkRJXrIAs8HB1dWqB9uFnOBIyol94nhaS9zpJMFJWUVLTc0RITMzVR7plFaNCcexg3vSB9jbKz4TW97VoiLrsbX0AjI9icENt9YjAZnWlZTIf7kZom6iEwfJnqCQVacssltAy0Yr9i51LwslEtjjqAIIxjhgeGlA/s320/trumpwithoutmakeup.png" width="277" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><p><br /></p></div>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-92217290970902010232024-02-15T09:02:00.000-08:002024-02-17T16:09:07.670-08:00TWIT: With Friends Like These<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOqK0SCQggc_6PBd9tG5QFidc85ai-EqLHYfxHsz7QAM-FtruWH-SZdcimjGevGFF-lffjCQzK12uflvqJjPUHP97BB8NmSkm05Aln_QurYMC6J0pE6en_rgp9EoceOnAf5LqKZS-853XOzoovRDxICjjJDDk4YzB6wMitzZ1olaI13Fk0p59Fw/s1600/dCKzju2AbE9KrLoCtbeHcZ-1600-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOqK0SCQggc_6PBd9tG5QFidc85ai-EqLHYfxHsz7QAM-FtruWH-SZdcimjGevGFF-lffjCQzK12uflvqJjPUHP97BB8NmSkm05Aln_QurYMC6J0pE6en_rgp9EoceOnAf5LqKZS-853XOzoovRDxICjjJDDk4YzB6wMitzZ1olaI13Fk0p59Fw/w400-h320/dCKzju2AbE9KrLoCtbeHcZ-1600-80.jpg.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">credit: N. Anderson<br />Wackydoodle sez: And he hates NATO!</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="color: #ffa400;">Update:</span><span> Judge Engoron ordered Don 'Legit' and his companies to disgorge $354 million plus interest for persistent financial fraud. His verdict falls short of the "corporate death penalty" predicted by some prominent on-line pundits. Trumpilini is barred from conducting business in New York for three years, and his sons barred from being officers of a New York company for two years. Allen Weisselberg, former CFO was ordered to pay $1 million penalty. </span>Judge Engoron wrote that their, "complete lack of contrition and remorse borders on pathological.” The penalties are not required to be paid while appeals are pending, which may take years. Court ordered monitoring of the company remains in place for three years. The state Attorney General had asked that Trump be penalized at least $370 million and suffer a lifetime ban on doing business in New York. What the verdict means for his campaign finances is unclear, since he now has the backing of the Repugnant Party. He has installed his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, as co-chair of the national committee. According to her the party's sole purpose is to elect Donald Trump president again.</p><p>Most informed commentators, including his former fixer Michael Cohen, think he will have to begin selling assets, possibly at distressed prices to meet his judgments and/or appeal costs. He faces more civil damage suits in DC from officers injured by Boss Trump's mob on January 6th. When all is said and done, he could be facing more than a billion dollars in judgements and legal expenses as a result of his egomanical malfeasence, </p><p><span style="color: #ffa400;">More: </span>In a classic defense counsel move, Trump attorneys put the prosecutor on the stand and tried her for alleged extra-legal misconduct that would disqualify her from prosecuting Don 'Legit' for election interference and RICO in Georgia. The claim is that her affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade that she hired constitutes a conflict of interest. Willis testified that she reimbursed Wade for joint vacations in cash. Some of the amounts reached $2500, which illicited a snicker from one of the co-defendants listening to her testimony. He was promptly admonished by Judge McAfee. Willis explained that she was taught by her attorney father to always keep a six months worth of cash in her household for contingencies. Her father testified that keeping that amount of cash in the house, "is a black thing". The unusual transaction aside, defense counsel failed to produce significant evidence of financial gain from Willis hiring Wade as a special prosecutor in her office. Wade testified that the romantic relationship did not begin until after he was hired in November 2021 when investigation of Trumpilini was already underway. It is obvious to <span style="color: #ff00fe;">US Person </span>that this defense tactic is intended to distract from the trial of the actual defendants in the case with salacious details of the prosecutor's private life.</p><p><i><span style="color: red;">{15.02.24}</span></i>Perhaps the most inept judge in the Southern District of Florida, and an obvious pro-MAGA minion, has finally committed reversible error in her continuing efforts to postpone trial for her leader. Judge Eileen Cannon ruled that the government must provide personal indentification information for its 12 witnesses to the defense. In doing so she applied the wrong legal standard to the issue. The government has argued strenuously that it has compelling reasons for keeping the witness' personal identity information confidential. Witnesses in this and other Trump cases have received threats to their safety-- typical mob and even fascist behavior, attempting to intimidate those who would testify against 'the leader' Don Trumpilini.</p><p>Jack Smith could file an appeal now, but has given the jurist an opportunity to withdraw her erroneous order in a motion to reconsider. If he appeals--and he should given her record in the prosecution--the Eleventh Circuit will likely overrule her given prior controlling precedent in the Circuit. It would be the third time Cannon would be overruled. Prior practice in the Circuit has been removal of a judge from a case in these circumstances. Special Prosecutor Smith would be well rid of her given her demonstrated--albeit inept-- bias in favor of the defendant. </p><p>In the New York civil fraud case, state Supreme Court Judge Engoron is expected to hand down his decision this week. Possible equitable relief for persistent fraud could put Trump.Org out of business in New York. The criminal trial for the Stormy Daniel's payoff has been set for March 25th.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YyWLef0HkgmKUUfsP8S9prysECbGlcZmzvrjCGm9CKG2ZH9R2lb0zOUChdN7fv-Tmwyc05KiK4PQukEHgpxg5_DJrh8P6yM3ozhAW_Cx52uUpwFP2qNmkqXNj5yceDTGbVB8WZfKS1nWiB5tA-vxoUad2CUc4qZ7MHtUwZsuL5Sd5CTuqrbvWQ/s1600/ziU79beFcjSEjxHUiQ6F9V-1600-80.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1084" data-original-width="1600" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YyWLef0HkgmKUUfsP8S9prysECbGlcZmzvrjCGm9CKG2ZH9R2lb0zOUChdN7fv-Tmwyc05KiK4PQukEHgpxg5_DJrh8P6yM3ozhAW_Cx52uUpwFP2qNmkqXNj5yceDTGbVB8WZfKS1nWiB5tA-vxoUad2CUc4qZ7MHtUwZsuL5Sd5CTuqrbvWQ/w400-h271/ziU79beFcjSEjxHUiQ6F9V-1600-80.jpg.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">credit B. Bramhall</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-66356325355548319572024-02-14T12:33:00.000-08:002024-02-14T12:33:21.005-08:00Badger--Two Medicine<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidldTEsmXm-EYtbcxg-OltRpjQEVMiX4u43KqFzHQawzf4a5VfI-fQy0U7ytT1joXd11hUl42hlALMWq1Hq_DiHcZIdGeIhel0tNfztr2NwRwoc-rFAhgUrXNSHJvUW3pFj2tHNWW6LCLk4SXIRQP6fA67J82TfDymQ-HkwG1Ue-KOyXECbr-6A/s1000/MT_Badger2Medicine_FS_TonyBynum_R_130713_07_1.jpg.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="1000" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidldTEsmXm-EYtbcxg-OltRpjQEVMiX4u43KqFzHQawzf4a5VfI-fQy0U7ytT1joXd11hUl42hlALMWq1Hq_DiHcZIdGeIhel0tNfztr2NwRwoc-rFAhgUrXNSHJvUW3pFj2tHNWW6LCLk4SXIRQP6fA67J82TfDymQ-HkwG1Ue-KOyXECbr-6A/s320/MT_Badger2Medicine_FS_TonyBynum_R_130713_07_1.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></div>The Blackfeet Nation along with the Wilderness Society have struggled for decades to protect an important wildlife habitat and sacred area along the eastern flank of the Rocky Mountains. For forty years conservationists fought to retire existing oil and gas leases. In 2006 Congress passed a law prohibiting new leases on the land. One final lease remained, owned by a company called Solenex LLC. The hold-out finally agreed to a settlement filed in federal court Friday to end protracted litigation. <span style="font-size: x-small;">[photo credit: Wilderness Society]</span><p></p><p>The 130,000 acre region is an ecologically important piece of habitat connecting adjacent preserves: Glacier National Park, Bob Marshall Wilderness, and the Blackfeet Reservation. It is home to elk, bear, wolves and trout. Badger--Two Medicine area within the Helena--Lewis and Clark National Forest has been a sacred place to the Blackfeet since before European colonization, and in their view was wrongly leased to energy developers during the Regan Administration. The tribe with bipartisan supporters were able to negotiate voluntary relinquishment of oil and gas leases over the years. Now, with the final lease gone and legal protection from new development, Badger--Two Medicine can be at peace. <span style="font-family: courier; font-style: italic;">Green Kudos! </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">go </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">to the Blackfeet for their success</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></p>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-49335474067924085532024-02-12T15:59:00.000-08:002024-02-12T16:04:13.193-08:00England Goes Green<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-SnWvie9M8OEwNYZLNlwtkLdjCKs1NvumHrs07B4dtlEtAPQOiVxD6CkA8Z6ovqiPbD6BYlgVnWWVNoo4_SCYnIupg9F2XoVJdw5_hQfVvBXhmtWg-HLOnItF6-c4-A7Z0XKgJobY06HYLKrzYaqw9lPcp6nheoIkD1lNagXhPUS6dZeCeYu7w/s460/5568.jpg.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="460" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-SnWvie9M8OEwNYZLNlwtkLdjCKs1NvumHrs07B4dtlEtAPQOiVxD6CkA8Z6ovqiPbD6BYlgVnWWVNoo4_SCYnIupg9F2XoVJdw5_hQfVvBXhmtWg-HLOnItF6-c4-A7Z0XKgJobY06HYLKrzYaqw9lPcp6nheoIkD1lNagXhPUS6dZeCeYu7w/s320/5568.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></div>Long awaited legislation intended to increase biodiversity in England has gone into effect. Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requires all new building projects to result in a 10% net gain in habitat. The gains may be on-site or remote through a system of credits. England also experiences a housing shortage, so the government is plans 300,000 new homes year by the mid-2020s. So in a nation that has lost 97% of its wildflower meadows, this new scheme will have major impact on development. A biology researcher at the University of Oxford said the plan was one of the most ambitious offset policies on an international scale. Other nations like Sweden, Scotland and Wales want to copy it. BNG covers all development and all natural habitats. <span style="font-size: x-small;">[ a BNG pilot project in Sussex, credit <i>UK Guardian</i>]</span><div><br /></div><div>Biodiversity markets around the world are underfunded due to the lack of demand for credits. Making a scheme mandantory will provide the economic driver needed to increase participation. Another problem seen by experts is under-enforcement of the rules. Regulators lack the resources to monitor pledged offsets. Effective enforcement of BNG is needed to make the program successful. Some see the use of technology such as drones or satellite monitoring as a means to make enforcement work better. A study found that a quarter of BNG projects are at risk for not producing the 10% increase in biodiversity expected. </div><div><br /></div><div>At first, farmland located on marginal soils are expected to be the target of withdrawals in favor of creating wetlands, woodland and meadows. More private concerns are showing interest in voluntary biodiversity credits, however. It is still early days in the process, but the recognition that biodiversity is a public good like law enforcement or national defense, must be funded by government or private sector investment through policy, regulation and incentives. <i> </i><span style="color: #04ff00; font-family: courier;"><i>Green Kudos! </i></span></div><div><br /></div>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-50791669740370774442024-02-10T13:00:00.000-08:002024-02-12T10:15:43.131-08:00US Refuses to Protect Wolves in Northern RockiesFederal wildlife officials refused to restore Endangered Species Act protection to Northern Rockies wolves despite states implementing hunting plans and repeated requests from conservation groups. Vigilantes in Idaho are again offering bounties ($1000) for dead wolves. Wolves in the Northern Rockies were removed from the Endangered Species Act list <a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-michigan-elections-30b039ee99901e14a1b0e3d3f63f5b6a">at the end of the Trump regime.</a><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAO8ew6P2IqV81GweSUP2lYyGJJa3ZRrNUvgMaI3WnfN4G2Gy64MCOKmQLLwn_QLuqHwSqEyZdvxN3lRzaHXHLI-RhApPx3VAoExPc2tkm2A_ZiKkfJI4waNSziZWzgU2DFDHn6lKamHVtIqxDJBDDNp3OHr2HCQoAlh62Bz40llg9h6hDJIvdYA/s980/90.webp" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="980" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAO8ew6P2IqV81GweSUP2lYyGJJa3ZRrNUvgMaI3WnfN4G2Gy64MCOKmQLLwn_QLuqHwSqEyZdvxN3lRzaHXHLI-RhApPx3VAoExPc2tkm2A_ZiKkfJI4waNSziZWzgU2DFDHn6lKamHVtIqxDJBDDNp3OHr2HCQoAlh62Bz40llg9h6hDJIvdYA/w200-h133/90.webp" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">California wolf near Yosemite</span></td></tr></tbody></table>US Fish and Wildlife estimates 2800 wolves in the region stating that the species maintains high genetic diversity and connectivity that allows it to adapt to future changes. Conservationists see a different picture saying some western states are trying to renege on wolf conservation commitments made a decade ago. Because a few western states (Montana, Wyoming and Idaho) are aggressively culling wolves, they still need <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxa4VyFezPrDImwkcl5h3F1w0Ke6dZmSckcgKg9kOVKVaT3MYL0fOZwBQTwWx-DYFOJJaz05x087FEuA0dd9h4cTVhubTsMdszd_5Qu_l3PB0ZZfnDa5rzhKD5je_9s9wNp2piwOah2VKSOGFVWmJu-UWzwmwQ8_1bqD8tFHSo2fS3lqQ3SN-DA/s904/Screenshot-2024-02-04-at-10.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="708" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxa4VyFezPrDImwkcl5h3F1w0Ke6dZmSckcgKg9kOVKVaT3MYL0fOZwBQTwWx-DYFOJJaz05x087FEuA0dd9h4cTVhubTsMdszd_5Qu_l3PB0ZZfnDa5rzhKD5je_9s9wNp2piwOah2VKSOGFVWmJu-UWzwmwQ8_1bqD8tFHSo2fS3lqQ3SN-DA/w157-h200/Screenshot-2024-02-04-at-10.webp" width="157" /></a><br />federal protection. As wolf numbers have rebounded, the ancient enmity between agriculturalists and wolves has reignited. Livestock owners claim the wolf has recovered and is not in need of further protection. <span style="font-size: small;">[photo credit: AP]</span><p></p>Wolves are experiencing a better fate in Washington, Oregon, Colorado and California where wolf populations are expanding under management plans. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-white-environment-and-nature-wildlife-wolves-0961f3065ab154ee693936295c18a5a0">Grey wolves are still federally protected in the Great Lakes region thanks to a ruling by a federal judge in 2022. </a>When their federal protection lapsed, Wisconsin hunters far exceeded the number of permissible wolf kills in a single season. The issue of wolf recovery has become part of the culture wars ranging across the nation. One positive note is that the USFWS announced on February 2nd it will promulgate a nationwide wolf recovery plan in 2025, replacing the disasterous piecemeal treatment now in effect.US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-19930690092341746482024-02-09T10:04:00.000-08:002024-02-09T10:05:41.668-08:00US Bans Three Weed Killers<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrE8KsR3Xe-2UhWMFWmZZEVkFqvOPnFg8xEjw-bF33BKzbHNMKinGO1JdqT_dBkP4UeNbc-Xm4lPIucbdxOBRRt3e8PDEHrXujGEpgTulqxyVAJqqwobj1ZoGQauplVXrjAbsezLCcn4Ld7TeTxKN-bDz-FWWN_5dBbvopTRABxcKAwoyFvS8mng/s225/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrE8KsR3Xe-2UhWMFWmZZEVkFqvOPnFg8xEjw-bF33BKzbHNMKinGO1JdqT_dBkP4UeNbc-Xm4lPIucbdxOBRRt3e8PDEHrXujGEpgTulqxyVAJqqwobj1ZoGQauplVXrjAbsezLCcn4Ld7TeTxKN-bDz-FWWN_5dBbvopTRABxcKAwoyFvS8mng/w200-h200/Unknown.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>In a major setback to world agrochemical companies, a federal judge in Arizona has banned dicamba-based herbicides. The court also found that the EPA violated the law by allowing them on the market. The ban is specific to three herbicides manufactured by Bayer, BASF and Syngenta. These are considered responsible for millions of acres of crop damage and harm to endangered species and their habitats. The Ninth Circuit previously banned the products in 2020, but the Trump regime reapproved the products just one week before his camping swing through Georgia.<p></p><p>The suit to against the use was brought by farmers and conservationists. The EPA was found not to have followed public comment regulations before approval. Dicamba was introduced in the US in 1967, but was not widely used because of its propensity to volatilize during warm weather. As a gas the herbicide drifts widely causing extensive damage. Monsanto and BASF produced crop seeds tolerant to dicamba and encouraged farmers to use their version of dicamba which the companies claimed was less prove to drifting off target. About sixty-five million acres have been planted with dicamba resistant crops, about the size of Oregon according to the EPA. Discovery documents in the suit show that the companies knew about the potential for drift damage and that scientists at EPA complained they did not have enough time to study the herbicides before approving them. A year later EPA produced a report saying dicamba was still prone to spreading to adjacent areas.</p><p>The ruling affects Bayer's XtendiMax herbicide, which it inherited from Monsanto when it acquired the company in 2018, Syngenta's Tavium herbicide, and BASF's weedkiller Engenia. The ban comes at a bad time for Bayer, which is coping with mass litigation over Monsanto's Roundup herbicide that contains glyphosate, a chemical found to cause cancer in humans. So far Bayer has paid billions in damages and settlements.</p><p><br /></p>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-79459219818082812362024-02-08T00:00:00.000-08:002024-02-09T12:44:00.744-08:00TWIT: Citizen Trump<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUcVc7JpJkJ4ZgzTzZTI1sT1gENUNT9JgltXEzY-GNJc1xEkkGPUxBWPLhl_QvMIi6VTe2r0WkVrNWd3NDnm3bJbg35AYk54Ef7O7MVAXhG9EuRrEwcxrey226jNf75U1QEyUwkeMYUmUNsVyMTQFkAKJ-Qq5GOnjhQjmAQOxzwZL_ThTVCTVKA/s1600/Trump_Hitler_3x2.jpg-1600x900.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUcVc7JpJkJ4ZgzTzZTI1sT1gENUNT9JgltXEzY-GNJc1xEkkGPUxBWPLhl_QvMIi6VTe2r0WkVrNWd3NDnm3bJbg35AYk54Ef7O7MVAXhG9EuRrEwcxrey226jNf75U1QEyUwkeMYUmUNsVyMTQFkAKJ-Qq5GOnjhQjmAQOxzwZL_ThTVCTVKA/w400-h225/Trump_Hitler_3x2.jpg-1600x900.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>That is how three judges on the panel of the US Circuit Court of Appeals for DC referred to the Ochre Menace in the fifty-seven page opinion denying his claim of immunity from criminal prosecution. The opinion was a comprehensive and authoritative dismantling of his claim based on separation of powers and double jeopardy principles. One informed observer called it "certiorari proof", in reference to the expected appeal to the Supreme Court. The <i>per curium </i>decision gave the deranged autocrat until next Monday to file an appeal with the high court. After that date the mandate will be returned to the District Court and trial proceedings may recommence. Don Legit needs five votes on the Supreme Court to obtain another stay of proceedings. Most Court pundits think that outcome to be unlikely even if the Court grants a review.</div><p>Two judges appointed by Democratic administration and one by Republican administration quoted Judge Chutkin of the lower court with approval. After first finding interlocutory appeal jurisdiction by distinguishing the <i>Midland Asphalt</i> case, the panel addressed the two prongs of the Appellant's imunity argument. The appeals court stated that his assault on the structure of our government was unprecedented. Accepting his claim of unbounded authority to commit crimes would, "neutralize the most fundamental check on executive power--the recognition and implementation of election results...at bottom [his] stance would collapse our system of separated powers... since as Madison stated in <i>Federalist No51, "dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government." </i>Denying his immunity claim based on separation of powers principles the judges concluded would be to maintain its proper balance.</p><p>Turning to the Impeachment Clause justification the court found it inapplicable for two reasons: one, Impeachment is a political process controlled by Congress not a judicial one in which criminal penalties could be imposed and, two the charges in his impeachment trial are not the same as those charged by the indictment. The Constitution informs us of the authors' intent to not rule out criminal prosecutions for crimes committed in office. The Impeachment Clause limits its affect to removal and disqualification from office and goes on to state that, <i>"the party convicted [in the Senate] shall nevertheless be liable and subject to indictment, trial, judgment and punishment according to law". </i>The judges go on to explicit reject Trump's negative inference of conviction in the Senate as a prerequisite to prosecution for various contextual reasons, noting in the process that Alexander Hamilton in <i>Federalist No 65 </i>thought that the punishment of a dangerous officer as a criminal "<i>remains within the province of courts of law...".</i> Clearly the appellate judges are writing for the edification of the "originalists" on the Court.</p><p>The concluding paragraph of the opinion is forceful:</p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote>We have balanced [Citizen] Trump's asserted interest in executive immunity against the vital public interests that favor allowing this prosecution to proceed. We conclude that concerns of public policy, especially as illuminated by history and the structure of our government, compel the rejection of immunity in this case [citing <i>Fitzgerald</i> 457 U.S. 747.] Accordingly the order of the district court is AFFIRMED.</blockquote></blockquote><p>Will the grievous injury to American democracy committed by Gerald Ford in 1974 giving a blanket pardon to Richard Nixon for the crimes he committed in office be finally rectified? Or will a partisan and corrupt Supreme Court deliver Citizen Trump from accountability? Our "long national nightmare" is far from over. So stayed tuned.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1h8ZUW7OBX4-OflfJX19EfdMNy0FMXSVOVlXdqM1xuChYrynCsmCP-wiXr6xCd_FoIJP6b4qOCIFc-LN5KxtgtHF-nO6a8GBHPG_6XD4hvXwxvAno5LmfXdrkCRD2tf0d9g6E6ZrbRdGkFFnoUiWscXSZyclEIpZlv8SMD1lHvI5hn2FR3e7flQ/s1200/trump-hitler.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="1200" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1h8ZUW7OBX4-OflfJX19EfdMNy0FMXSVOVlXdqM1xuChYrynCsmCP-wiXr6xCd_FoIJP6b4qOCIFc-LN5KxtgtHF-nO6a8GBHPG_6XD4hvXwxvAno5LmfXdrkCRD2tf0d9g6E6ZrbRdGkFFnoUiWscXSZyclEIpZlv8SMD1lHvI5hn2FR3e7flQ/w200-h103/trump-hitler.jpg.webp" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-15440397946589318842024-02-07T09:31:00.000-08:002024-02-07T21:28:17.350-08:00Boarder Wall Threatens SanctuaryUNESCO, responsible for World Heritage sites, says the boarder 'wall' between the US and Mexico threatens the ecological connectivity between two wildlife reserves, El Pinacate and Gran Desierto Alta Biosphere Reserve and Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Reserve. A section of barrier cuts across the reserves impacting wildlife that depend on springs in Arizona for water. A representative of the Center for Biological Diversity said the 30 foot wall does not block humans from crossing, but does stop the passage of animals, causing damage to the biodiversity of the Sonoran Desert <span style="font-size: x-small;">[photo below]</span>. <div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwJr_EhItf5D8tfSfhQakN2XHjB_R-2U1uW4x0GRTVcDbdeTfIAOkI6U_hGuAdE9ivuJr5M4oDWwzgsvBaL0sfJd1QiHh3emY72TLynk4qxyzTwB2nnDlnVnl9FwATiN9B6VdWr6ZmeTFyvib6shzz0m2rXfjRErDqc00llECFPKRFUaSGc02Kg/s2048/20210401_Sony-A7_174251DSC07065.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwJr_EhItf5D8tfSfhQakN2XHjB_R-2U1uW4x0GRTVcDbdeTfIAOkI6U_hGuAdE9ivuJr5M4oDWwzgsvBaL0sfJd1QiHh3emY72TLynk4qxyzTwB2nnDlnVnl9FwATiN9B6VdWr6ZmeTFyvib6shzz0m2rXfjRErDqc00llECFPKRFUaSGc02Kg/s320/20210401_Sony-A7_174251DSC07065.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">credit: S. Müller</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>Without remediation, the reserves could appear on UNESCO's list of endangered World Heritage sites. According to the CBD, the barrier now runs 87 miles along the border of El Picante with only a 14 mile gap in mountainous terrain. Animals accustom to traveling to springs in the north are now without a water source. Quitobaquito Springs <span style="font-size: x-small;">[video] </span>is the most well known and is also sacred to the Thohono O'odham people who live on both sides of the border. In September UNESCO published a document calling on the US and Mexico to cooperatively develop a mitigation plan whose aim is to restore ecological connectivity. It also called for conservation measures to be implemented as part of Mexico's new solar power array near Puerto Peñasco. The Mexican government published a report in 2022 finding that the border structure would cause habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation as well as reduced water resources. <p></p>
Dead animals including peccaries, deer, and desert bighorns have been found in the vicinity of the wall, presumably dying of thirst. Adding the adjoining reserves to the UNESCO danger list would allow the release of World Heritage funds to the threatened sanctuaries. Currently, the Mogool Foundation, which was founded to improve social and environmental health, is providing water in the south by filling concrete troughs with water transported from neighboring municipalities. While the effort may sustain wildlife cut off from natural sources, it is an expensive and inefficient means of mitigating the problem.<p></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="515" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DCUH3R9MKUQ" title="Muro fronterizo en El Pinacate, México" width="597"></iframe></div></div>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-5635066808069365062024-02-05T13:48:00.000-08:002024-02-05T15:09:32.359-08:00Scientists Propose New Hurricane CategoryTo accommodate the mega-hurricanes generated by global warming conditions, scientists have proposed adding a "Category Six", expanding the Saffir-Simpson scale 1 through 5 rating now applied to storms. Hurricane Patricia reached wind speeds of 215 mph well beyond the 157 mph level classed as Category 5 as well as having the second lowest barometric pressure ever recorded. <span style="font-size: x-small;">[photo] </span>Rapid intensification of hurricanes is considered to be a consequence of very warm surface waters. Patricia escalated from a tropical disturbance to a Category 5 in just 24 hours. It made landfall near Jalisco, Mexico.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjGnRoKWqG2Pg0UEQdDEPlem6lbwyGTY5I9MsCV6JnIgM6Z1xX3uTtZCcokDAVl8hmWbV4xwNaTaqJFuTSnMcvnQ3qPFO-XoPsuMfRSzeWGTAQsPm_VfU5qJGNJ8GsZw7p030JzLpgXu9UhQkYHBZY9bAs2G69OmdFyKdo3nuJDJo9CTnpk8H8w/s275/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjGnRoKWqG2Pg0UEQdDEPlem6lbwyGTY5I9MsCV6JnIgM6Z1xX3uTtZCcokDAVl8hmWbV4xwNaTaqJFuTSnMcvnQ3qPFO-XoPsuMfRSzeWGTAQsPm_VfU5qJGNJ8GsZw7p030JzLpgXu9UhQkYHBZY9bAs2G69OmdFyKdo3nuJDJo9CTnpk8H8w/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" width="275" /></a></div><div><br /></div>A category six cyclone would have sustained winds above 192 mph, speed almost impossible to imagine and as fast as a Formula One race car. The new study in which the new category was proposed is published in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences. The Saffir-Simpson scale was developed by a civil engineer and a meteorologist. It classifies storms according to sustained wind speed. A wind speed of 74 mph is classified as a category one. Category five storms have caused incredible amounts of damage on shore. Katrina's ravaging of New Orleans, Maria's devastation of Puerto Rico and typhoon Haiyan's killing of 6,000 people are recent examples of their destructive power. <div><br /></div><div>The authors said their proposal does not mean a category six storm is likely in the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico, but such a storm is certainly possible given the extraordinary heating of ocean surface waters due to climate change.<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/13/hurricanes-atlantic-climate-change-tropical-cyclones">Satellite data shows that storms are increasing in severity.</a> The Saffir-Simpson scale is an imperfect measure of a cyclone's destructive power since most damage arises from intense rainfall and flooding. But a category six storm would definitely produce a large storm surge that would inundate coastal zones. Wind speeds of that magnitude would collapse buildings, rip up trees, and severely damage infrastructure.<p></p></div>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35005577.post-19438370784897906262024-02-02T00:00:00.000-08:002024-02-06T10:52:39.691-08:00TWIT: The Lessons of History<p>Several prominent historians and constitutional scholars have develed into the history of the Fourteenth Amendment and its Section 3 disqualifying insurrectionists from holding public office. As<span style="color: #ff00fe;"> US Person</span> has already posted, the legislative history unequivocally supports these propositions:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Don 'Legit' was an insurrectionist who sought to overthrow the peaceful transition of Executive power on January 6th;</li><li>He was an officer of the United States at the time;</li><li>He took an oath of office to support the Constitution;</li><li>Insurrections include not just armed rebellion of the past but those that may occur in the future </li></ul>The so-called originalists on the Supreme Court ought to pay attention to these conclusions by eminent scholars in their <i>amicus</i> brief. They claim to be interested in the intent of the authors in the context of history when interpreting the Constitution. MAGAist constructions are unnatural and overly narrow, intended to only exculpate the perpetrator. As many commentators have observed by now, this is a pivotal moment in our history. Either we are a republic of laws fairly construed, or a deteriorating democracy on the path to dictatorship.<p></p><div>On another legal front Judge Engoron has paused his decision in the New York fraud case to consider the <a href="https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=Iiti7KR821iL6moLLBbv3Q==">findings of the legal monitor</a>, Barbara Jones, appointed to oversea the operations of Trump Org. She found some glaring omissions, questionable practices, and irregularities in the organization's financial operations. Most questionable is the existence of a $48 million internal loan reported in financial disclosure statements of 2018-2021 (so-called MAML disclosures), yet the company disputes whether the the loan existed in the first place. This potentially fraudulent entry could be the straw that breaks the camel's back for Judge Engoron. The Attorney General is asking for injunctive relief banning Trump and his sons from the real estate industry in New York. She says such an injunction is needed because of a demonstrated propensity to use false financial filings, even during the criminal investigation and the appointment of a monitor. Without such injunctive relief such fraudulent filings are likely to occur again. Bring the pain, judge!</div><div><br /></div><div>He may also be waiting for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/01/nyregion/weisselberg-perjury-trump-fraud.html">the outcome of a potential perjury plea agreement by Alan Wiesselberg</a>, Trump's former CFO, who lied on the witness stand about the size of Trump's penthouse apartment and was publicly called out for the lie by <i>Forbes</i> magazine. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VDrB0ADwKY">It just keeps getting worse for Don 'Legit'</a></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdqyLTQVI4LV-OPxPXG7ww2sARLDiQ7F7IaNkDQpQFyDD59AOWlWGU42z6f_awh-0BIj0rSU-VF_o06OfPb0jY0GvfmuKQXNB8fK04y1bScVCNnxktfEr8uST8JgN9R2TioceMJuhEDSG0vierGQxlzprjhKhYFyUw3AzOMtOlriQbiX0BgVmKw/s1160/90.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1160" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdqyLTQVI4LV-OPxPXG7ww2sARLDiQ7F7IaNkDQpQFyDD59AOWlWGU42z6f_awh-0BIj0rSU-VF_o06OfPb0jY0GvfmuKQXNB8fK04y1bScVCNnxktfEr8uST8JgN9R2TioceMJuhEDSG0vierGQxlzprjhKhYFyUw3AzOMtOlriQbiX0BgVmKw/w463-h358/90.jpeg" width="463" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">credit: H. Darko, <i>Columbia Missourian</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>US PERSONhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01589248420787533794noreply@blogger.com