turbinetree
turbinetree's JournalSpecial prosecutor to probe possible forged signatures tied to Republican congressman's campaign
Source: Think Progress
Rep. Scott Taylor (R-VA) fired his campaign manager after scheme to get 2016 Democratic nominee on ballot as an independent.
JOSH ISRAELAUG 7, 2018, 3:59 PM
It’s been a rough few weeks for Rep. Scott Taylor (R-VA). Late in June, the first-term congressman from Virginia Beach was exposed for not having paid his local taxes — an error he blamed on being too “busy” to do so. Now, it appears his campaign may have been involved in a scheme to split the Democratic vote involving forged ballot signatures for an independent candidate.
Last week, WHRO reported that four staffers for Taylor had circulated ballot petitions for Shaun Brown, his 2016 opponent. Brown, whose fraud trial ended in a mistrial on Thursday, is attempting to run this year as an independent candidate. Eager to split the opposition, Taylor’s paid campaign staff helped collect at least 570 signatures to put her on the ballot (1,000 signatures are required for independent candidates in Virginia). Taylor told the Virginian Pilot that he did not “order” his staff to do take part in this underhanded, but not itself illegal stunt.
Unfortunately for Taylor, it appears that at least four of those signatures may have been forged. Forms his staff submitted contained signatures for people who claim not to have signed.
One of the signatures submitted reportedly came from a civic activist who died in April — months before the Taylor staffer affirmed collecting the signature on June 9. His surviving wife claims the handwriting does not match and that there is no way he could have signed, at any time before his death. Another purported signor denied signing and said she has lived in Las Vegas since 2014.
Read more: https://thinkprogress.org/scott-taylor-petition-forgery-special-prosecutor-e097ff40384a/
Absolutely amazing................
November 2018 cannot get here fast enough.................vote
New release shows how fake Russian tweets pushed Jade Helm conspiracy theories
We finally have evidence for a former CIA chief's claim.
CASEY MICHEL AUG 7, 2018, 5:18 PM
A few months ago, former CIA chief Michael Hayden let slip something of a bombshell about Russia’s social media interference operations.
Appearing on MSNBC’s Morning Joe podcast, Hayden said “Russian bots” had helped hype conspiracy theories surrounding the 2015 Jade Helm military exercise. The exercise, which took place from Texas to California, was a simple training exercise — but conspiracy theorists claimed that the exercise was actually an Obama administration move to impose martial law. As Hayden said, these bots helped convince “many Texans” that Jade Helm “was an Obama plan to round up political dissidents.”
At the time, Hayden didn’t provide any evidence, although ThinkProgress first reported that at least one fake Russian Facebook page, “Heart of Texas,” had also pushed Jade Helm conspiracies. As one “Heart of Texas” post read, broken English and all, Jade Helm “is some kind of Washington’s attempt to frighten and subordinate Texas and other states.”
Now a new trove of Twitter accounts associated with Russia’s Internet Research Agency (IRA) is offering more insight into what Hayden may have been talking about.
https://thinkprogress.org/fake-russian-tweets-pushed-jade-helm-conspiracy-theories-ab0d7fa815b3/
Truth Is Whatever Trump Dribbles Out When He Dribbles It
It Took a Year to Admit Donald Jr.’s Infamous ‘Trump Tower Meeting’ Was About Russians Spying
By Terry H. Schwadron, DCReport New York Editor
That Donald Trump could blithely now just blurt out that the notorious meeting in Trump Tower actually was a blown attempt to get dirt on opponent Hillary Clinton seems at once a significant development and a sad reflection about the role of truth.
The president’s weekend tweet, issued to protect his son, Donald Jr., was an admission that should draw yet increased attention from Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is exploring the degree to which Russian meddling in the election was invited, developed and coordinated with the Trump campaign.
Legal niceties aside, the admission should be seen as evidence towards consideration of any charges related to collusion.
And it certainly should underscore the case the special counsel is making to interview President Trump about his actions, statements and oversight of his campaign.
https://www.dcreport.org/2018/08/07/truth-is-whatever-trump-dribbles-out-when-he-dribbles-it/
-snip-
By itself, this is just another tweet, sort of admitting something, sort of continuing to muddy the waters.
As part of the Trump record, however, this tweet is an important sign that Trump has no respect for the American public, for the state of the nation or for the office of the presidency. He cares about himself and his family, and he cannot tell the difference between self-serving remarks and truth. That’s a bad combination.
New study on the collapse of Mayan civilization should be climate wake-up call
Under Trump's policies, the megadrought that devastated the Mayans will become the new normal.
JOE ROMM AUG 7, 2018, 12:37 PM
A new study finds that it was a severe and long-lasting megadrought that destroyed the great Mayan civilization a thousand years ago.
But the research has ominous relevance for us today since America’s top scientists have warned us that President Trump’s climate policies will make such civilization destroying megadroughts commonplace in the coming decades.
The Mayans had one of the world’s first written languages, used advanced mathematics, measured timed with an accurate calendar, produced durable rubber three millennia ago, and figured out “how to grow corn, beans, squash and cassava in sometimes-inhospitable places.”
Yet after reaching its height in its “Classic” period (250 AD – 800 AD), the Mayan empire collapsed over the next two hundred years. While many theories have been offered — including environmental degradation, war, and drought — researchers from Cambridge’s Godwin Laboratory for Palaeoclimate Research have shown that the collapse “correlated with an extended period of extreme drought.”
https://thinkprogress.org/a-megadrought-destroyed-the-mayan-civilization-were-next-92e10dea33c5/
Ohio's 12 District..............Special Election........Get Out and Vote..............
https://www.sos.state.oh.us/publications/2018-elections-calendar/Aug. 7
Special Election may be held. Polls open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
R.C. 3501.01(opens in a new window), .32(opens in a new window)
If voter, or voter’s minor child, is hospitalized because of accident or medical emergency, voter may apply for an absentee ballot until 3 p.m.
R.C. 3509.08(opens in a new window)
Absentee ballots, returned in person or via a method other than U.S. Mail, must be received by the boards of elections by close of polls
R.C. 3509.05(opens in a new window), 3511
November 2018 cannot get here fast enough.........................vote
New Documentary From ProPublica and Frontline Chronicles a Year of Reporting on Violent
Supremacists and Neo-Nazis
On Aug. 7, “Documenting Hate: Charlottesville” premieres on PBS. Sign up to our newsletter and we’ll send it to you when it’s live.
by ProPublica July 25, 5 a.m. EDT
In “Documenting Hate: Charlottesville,” Frontline and ProPublica investigate the white supremacists and neo-Nazis involved in the 2017 Charlottesville Unite the Right rally. Our joint reporting has already shed new and troubling light on the events of Aug. 11 and 12, 2017 — revealing that one participant in the violence, Vasillios Pistolis, was an active-duty Marine, and that another, Michael Miselis, worked for a major defense contractor and held a U.S. government security clearance. Now, correspondent A.C. Thompson goes even deeper, showing how some of those behind the racist violence nearly one year ago went unpunished and continued to operate around the country. This is the first in a series of two “Documenting Hate” films from Frontline and ProPublica, with the second coming later this fall.
Tune into the premiere on PBS on Aug. 7 at 10 p.m. Eastern, 9 p.m. Central and online at pbs.org/frontline.
https://www.propublica.org/article/propublica-frontline-documentary-chronicles-white-supremacists-neo-nazis
Rosie O'Donnell, was on Ari Melbers show tonight and she nailed it
and if anyone can post the video...............please do............from beginning to end..............
And also to Rob Reiner.........................
November 2018 cannot get here fast enough...................vote
Vermont's Striking Nurses Want a Raise for Nonunion Workers Too
BY Jonah Furman Labor Notes
PUBLISHED
August 5, 2018
This article was originally published at Labor Notes.
Especially for professional workers, when your main strike issue is pay, attracting public support can be a challenge.
Savvy employers paint union members as spoiled. They like to point out that you’re already making more than many of your nonunion neighbors.
Yet when 1,800 nurses and technical staff struck for better wages July 12-13 at the state’s second-largest employer, the University of Vermont Medical Center, the people of Burlington came out in force to back them up.
“We had policemen and firefighters and UPS drivers pulling over and shaking our hands” on the picket line, said neurology nurse Maggie Belensz. “We had pizza places dropping off dozens of pizzas, giving out free ice cream.”
And when a thousand people marched from the hospital through Burlington’s downtown, “we had standing ovations from people eating their dinners,” she said. “It was a moving experience.”
https://truthout.org/articles/vermonts-striking-nurses-want-a-raise-for-nonunion-workers-too/
Moving to Paradise? South Florida..............Pollution Run off from over development and farming
Fueled by Pollution and Unsound Policies, Toxic Algae Overtake Florida Beaches
BY Julie Dermansky DeSmogBlog
PUBLISHED
August 6, 2018
Florida is in the midst of a still-unfolding water pollution catastrophe. Many formerly picture-perfect beaches and posh waterfront neighborhoods are now surreal toxic landscapes where the smell is so pungent, it can make you nauseous.
Parts of South Florida are being inundated by harmful algal blooms, which affect both public health and marine life, including red tide (caused by the alga Karenia brevis) and blue-green algae (more precisely known as cyanobacteria, or Microcystis, which are technically bacteria but commonly referred to as algae).
While both types of toxin-producing algae are normal parts of their environments, the crisis is not. Water pollution and climate change are fueling this supersized toxic algae mess.
The state’s water quality standards, friendly toward agriculture and real estate development, result in the release of an abundance of nutrients including phosphorus and nitrogen into the water. This influx of growth-inducing nutrients causes marine and freshwater algae populations to explode in what’s called a “bloom.” These blooms can use up much of the oxygen in the water, causing aquatic life to die, in addition to the potentially fatal toxins these algae release.
https://truthout.org/articles/fueled-by-pollution-and-unsound-policies-toxic-algae-overtakes-florida-beaches/
And people want to move to Florida..............................no thanks..................
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