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Sunday, August 20, 2017

NRA Double Standard On Terror On Display Following Barcelona, Charlottesville

August 19, 2017 7:24 am

Reprinted with permission from MediaMatters.

The National Rifle Association’s live news show Stinchfield issued a “terror alert” following terrorist van attacks in Spain, in which ISIS supporters drove vans into crowds at two locations, killing 14 and injuring more than 100 people. But the show has yet to mention the events of August 12 in Charlottesville, VA, where a neo-Nazi plowed his car into a crowd of anti-racist protesters, killing activist Heather Heyer and wounding 19 others.

Since the terror in Charlottesville, Stinchfield — which consists of five daily updates at the top of the hour on weekdays starting at 9 a.m.…

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The Joe Arpaio I Knew

August 17, 2017 3:31 am

Reprinted with permission from ProPublica.

For most of Joe Arpaio’s two-plus decades as Maricopa County sheriff, he directed operations from the top floor of a downtown Phoenix tower, worlds away from the jails overseen by rank and-file deputies. The executive offices wrapped around an expansive conference room, where I spent weeks in early 2008 with banker boxes full of arrest records, and hanging out with Arpaio himself, a politician who built his career on bashing immigrants long before the rise of Donald Trump.

Back then, I was working for the East Valley Tribune, then a daily newspaper in the Phoenix area.…

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21st Century Fox Has Paid Out $50 Million To Settle Harassment Claims Against Fox News

August 16, 2017 3:58 am

National Memo Law: Top Posts
Here Is The NRA's Latest Attack Against The First Amendment
On July 11, the Post published an article calling an NRATV video about political unrest in the U.S. “dark.” The article noted that the video condemned “Democratic politicians, the media and activists as the catalysts for political upheaval” in this country, “with one glaring omission: firearms.”
Tuesday Night Massacre: Who Really Believes The White House Rationale For Firing Comey?
The Trump rationale for firing Comey -- as stated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein -- is obviously false for several reasons, even aside from the fact that Trump had welcomed Comey’s behavior toward Clinton in 2016 and literally embraced the FBI director in the Oval Office last January.
Mitch McConnell Didn't Just Steal A Supreme Court Seat
The Susan Rice Unmasking Story Is A Perfect Case Study Of The New Pro-Trump Propaganda Ecosystem
On April 2, Mike Cernovich, a self-described member of the “alt-right,” claimed in a post on Medium that the “White House Counsel’s office identified Rice as the person responsible for the unmasking” of Trump officials caught in surveillance of foreign officials “after examining Rice’s document log requests.”
Comey's Testimony Stumps Fuming And Fumbling Trump Defenders
After Trump’s Stunning Firing Of Comey, Dems Immediately Demand A Special Prosecutor To Continue Investigations
In the wake of President Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey, Democrats called for an independent special prosecutor to take over the ongoing criminal investigation of possible ties between Trump’s entourage and Russian state officials.
Missouri Women Using Birth Control Could Be Denied Employment
Known as SB 5, the bill was first passed by the Senate on June 14 following a special session called by Greitens. His aim was to overturn an ordinance that prevents employers and housing providers from punishing women for their reproductive health choices, according to a report by Feministing, a feminist website.
Does Mueller's Grand Jury Spell Trouble For Trump?
Mueller has impaneled a grand jury in Washington, D.C., to further the investigation, and the jury has been operational for several weeks, the 'Wall Street Journal' reported on Thursday.
National Memo Law: Archive
Across The Country, Bills Immunize Drivers Who Injure Protesters
With all eyes on the tragedies of Charlottesville, many say this is not the America they recognize. However, legalized violence is nothing new, chiefly in the form of police brutality and the immunity offered to those who retaliate against protesters.
August 16th, 2017
Neo-Nazis Called On Trump To Pardon Joe Arpaio. Now Trump Is “Seriously Considering” Doing It.
President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a pardon for Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, after neo-Nazi and other fringe media that have supported Trump called for him to do so. Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt of court on July 31...
August 15th, 2017
Charlottesville Car Attack Suspect Remains Behind Bars As Judge Denies Bail
A Virginia judge on Monday declined to set bail for James Alex Fields Jr., the 20-year-old Ohio man accused of second-degree murder and other charges after authorities said he plowed his car into a crowd of counter-protesters near the scene of a white supremacist rally that erupted into violence.
August 15th, 2017
Misdemeanor Defendants Facing Jail Time Not Told They Have A Right To Counsel, Bar Association Finds
Prosecutors handling the misdemeanor cases invited the accused who were interested in pleading guilty to step forward and finalized plea deals for suspended sentences and an array of fines. There were no defense lawyers, nor were any of the defendants advised they were entitled to one.
August 15th, 2017
Disturbing Trend: Bad Cops Getting Rehired Back Into Law Enforcement
At minimum, police departments whose mandate is to protect and serve the public should be compelled to remove bad cops from their ranks, to ensure that police power comes with at least a modicum of accountability. Though it doesn’t happen nearly enough, some law enforcement officials do try to weed out problem officers.
August 13th, 2017
In New York City, World's Marijuana Arrest Capital, Minorities Bear The Brunt
Last month, the Drug Policy Alliance released a report noting that marijuana arrests under New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio continue to be marked by shocking racial disparities, much as they were under his predecessors, Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg. Stung by the criticism, de Blasio is fighting back...
August 8th, 2017
Blowing Up The Big Marijuana IQ Myth
But while such inflammatory claims by culture warriors like Coulter are to be expected – and may readily be dismissed – the notion that smoking pot will have lasting negative impacts on intelligence is a longstanding one, and a claim that is all too often made by those on both sides of the political spectrum. Yet the latest science finds little to no factual basis for this contention.
August 7th, 2017
Danziger: Good Cop, Good Cop
August 4th, 2017
Does Mueller's Grand Jury Spell Trouble For Trump?
Mueller has impaneled a grand jury in Washington, D.C., to further the investigation, and the jury has been operational for several weeks, the 'Wall Street Journal' reported on Thursday.
August 4th, 2017
These Two Supreme Court Cases Protect Police Who Use Excessive Force
here are numerous systemic barriers that historically hinder police accountability. Statutes found in police union contracts and police bills of rights, for instance, often protect officers at the expense of holding them accountable for their actions. But perhaps one of the strongest barriers to police accountability is enshrined in two precedent-setting Supreme Court cases.
August 4th, 2017
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