May 31, 2017

Marines arrested after displaying white nationalist banner at pro-Confederate rally

No one seems to know what activist organization the two men represented, or what they ultimately hoped to accomplish with the unfurling of a vague banner over the side of downtown building.

What’s clear, though, is that both men — arrested for trespassing May 20 during a Confederate rally in Graham’s Court Square — are active members of the U.S. Marine Corps and were displaying a banner with symbolism associated with modern white nationalist movements.



Though the USMC hasn’t yet taken action in connection with the incident involving Michael Joseph Chesny, 35, of Havelock and Joseph Warner Manning, 32, of Jacksonville, the military branch has publicly come out against the cause for which the two men apparently stood.

“Of course we condemn this type of behavior,” Maj. Clark Carpenter said. “We condemn any type of behavior that is not congruent with our values or that is illegal.”

Carpenter described the pair’s actions and potential involvement with questionable activist organizations as “not representative of the rest of the Marine Corps,” a group of some 185,000 individuals.

“This is two Marines that behaved inappropriately,” Carpenter said. “That’s going to be investigated, and ultimately it’s an isolated incident.”

The two men, charged with misdemeanor first-degree trespassing, were released the same day from the Alamance County jail on $1,500 bonds.

more: http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/20170527/corps-condemns-marines-behavior

May 24, 2017

WATCH: Betsy DeVos squirms when asked if shed send her kids to failing charter school

President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos appeared on Wednesday before a House appropriations subcommittee to testify on behalf on Trump’s new budget proposal, which makes drastic cuts to public education funding and diverts “critical resources” to for-profit and religious charter schools.

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) asked DeVos if she would consider sending her own children to an underperforming charter school. Citing Wisconsin’s “failed experiment in taxpayer-funded voucher schemes and for-profit charters.”

<snip>

She deflected, saying the charter schools experiment was begun by Democratic Milwaukee city councilwoman Polly Williams. Pocan replied that yes it was and the councilwoman is no longer living, but before she passed away, she declared the voucher program a failure that “failed to live up to its promises.”

This set off a tense back-and-forth before he gave up, saying, “I can see you’re not going to answer my question.”

more: http://www.rawstory.com/2017/05/watch-betsy-devos-squirms-when-asked-if-shed-send-her-kids-to-failing-charter-school/

May 20, 2017

Not Satire: Ivanka Trump leads meeting at White House in father's absence

Meeting attendees included House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy

Ivanka Trump led a roundtable about human trafficking with members of Congress at the White House, while her father Donald Trump was in Connecticut to deliver a commencement address at the US Coast Guard Academy.

The meeting, attended by several Democrats and Republicans – including House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy – seems to be another sign of Ms Trump’s quickly growing role in the administration.

According to the White House pool report, Mr Trump’s eldest daughter spoke about the Trump administration's efforts to fight human trafficking in the US and worldwide. “She noted that next week is Combatting Trafficking and Child Protection Week in Congress, during which lawmakers will present legislation tailored to this issue,” the report said.

<snip>

In an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” in November following the election, Ms Trump said that she would not hold any formal role in her father’s administration.

“I’m going to be a daughter,” she told CBS News’ Lesley Stahl. “But I’ve — I’ve said throughout the campaign that I am very passionate about certain issues. And that I want to fight for them.”

more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/ivanka-trump-meeting-white-house-leads-donald-away-commencement-speech-a7741731.html

May 15, 2017

House Republican writes letter to constituent's employer complaining about her progressive activism

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen’s note culminated in a woman resigning from her job.

Frelinghuysen Targets Activist in Letter to Her Employer

The most powerful congressman in New Jersey, Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, wrote a fundraising letter in March to a board member of a local bank, warning him that a member of an activist group opposing the Republican worked at his bank.

The employee was questioned and criticized for her involvement in NJ 11th for Change, a group that formed after the election of Donald Trump and has been pressuring Frelinghuysen to meet with constituents in his district and oppose the Trump agenda.

“Needless to say, that did cause some issues at work that were difficult to overcome,” said Saily Avelenda of West Caldwell, New Jersey, who was a senior vice president and assistant general counsel at the bank before she resigned. She says the pressure she received over her political involvement was one of several reasons she decided to leave.

The form letter, on campaign stationery, asks Frelinghuysen’s supporters to donate two years ahead of his next election because he is under attack. “But let’s be clear that there are organized forces — both national and local — who are already hard at work to put a stop to an agenda of limited government, economic growth, stronger national security,” the letter says.

Above the word local, there’s a hand-written asterisk in the same blue ink as Frelinghuysen’s signature. At the bottom of the letter, scrawled with a pen, is the corresponding footnote: “P.S. One of the ringleaders works in your bank!”

more: http://www.wnyc.org/story/frelinghuysen-targets-activsts-letter-boss/

May 14, 2017

Caitlyn Jenner: 'I'm upset with Trump and could enter politics'

She told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme she had been "really upset" by some of President Donald Trump's policies on the LGBT community.

<snip>

Jenner said her life was "much simpler" now she was living openly as a woman.
Over the past two years, Jenner has become the most famous transgender person in the world.

'No regret'

A Republican supporter who supported Mr Trump in last year's US election, Jenner said she was disappointed the new president had overturned guidance allowing transgender students to use school toilets matching their gender identity.
"It doesn't make me regret my vote yet, but it is very disappointing and I have been very verbal about that," she said.
"I thought Trump would be better on these issues."

Asked why she believed that, she said it was because she had "talked to him", adding: "I will have more conversation with him about it in the future."

She told the programme she was now considering going into politics to promote LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) issues.
"I do a lot of political stuff, but it is mostly all behind the scenes," she said.

Asked if she would stand for election, she added: "I have been asked that question quite a bit, to be honest with you - over the next year I'm looking into it.

"I want to know where can I do a better job for my community, in bringing the Republican Party around when it comes to all LGBT issues.

more: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-39888949

May 11, 2017

Who else is skeptical about Louise Mensch as a source?

Sorry, I don't trust her and take her with a grain of salt.

Same goes for The Palmer Report.

Thank you and happy Thursday.