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Wade into this mess of documents from Ghislaine Maxwell Trial…#Dershowitz trending on twitter

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article244594067.html

A much-anticipated batch of newly unsealed documents from a settled defamation suit began trickling out Thursday night over the objections of Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite accused of sex trafficking and alleged to be the madam of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

In a 2015 e-mail Epstein advised Maxwell to return to the high society world the two had inhabited without any shame.

“You have done nothing wrong and i would urge you to start acting like it,” Epstein wrote. “[G]o outside, head high, not as an escaping convict. go to parties. deal with it.”

Previously redacted version of this court document now reveals it is Alan Dershowitz, who required a NPA - non-prosecution agreement. He was the one who helped arrange the deal with Alex Acosta to get a single charge against Epstein - soliciting prostitution, as opposed to sex trafficking…

Six mentions of Bill Clinton and Virginia says Epstein has said “Clinton owes him favors.”

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Another source

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…not good.

Saudi Arabia, With China’s Help, Expands Its Nuclear Program - WSJ

WASHINGTON—Saudi Arabia has constructed with Chinese help a facility for extracting uranium yellowcake from uranium ore, an advance in the oil-rich kingdom’s drive to master nuclear technology, according to Western officials with knowledge of the site.

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Neil Young is suing T campaign…Do not use my song “Rockin’ in the Free World”

Joins Tom Petty’s estate, Rolling Stones and more.

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Biased news or straight news reporting is always going to be received with either scorn or open ears. With the constant mentions of “Fake News” and dismissals of news out-of-hand, the testing of democratic values and our reliance on a fair press has taken a huge hit. This can be looked at as another dismantling of a norm, where one expects at least some fact checking, and some basis for truth, and not castigated as false right off the bat.

This poll says that our reliance on a fair press has gotten weaker…much weaker.

NEW YORK (AP) — The distrust many Americans feel toward the news media, caught up like much of the nation’s problems in the partisan divide, only seems to be getting worse.

That was the conclusion of a “sobering” study of attitudes toward the press conducted by Knight Foundation and Gallup and released Tuesday.

Nearly half of all Americans describe the news media as “very biased,” the survey found.

“That’s a bad thing for democracy,” said John Sands, director of learning and impact at the Knight Foundation. “Our concern is that when half of Americans have some sort of doubt about the veracity of the news they consume, it’s going to be impossible for our democracy to function.”

The study was conducted before the coronavirus lockdown and nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd.

Eight percent of respondents — the preponderance of them politically conservative — think that news media that they distrust are trying to ruin the country.

The study found that 71% of Republicans have a “very” or “somewhat” unfavorable opinion of the news media, while 22% of Democrats feel the same way. Switch it around, and 54% of Democrats have a very favorable view of the media, and only 13% of Republicans feel the same way.

That divide has been documented before but only seems to be deepening, particularly among conservatives, Sands said.

We’re starting to see more retrenchment among those who have already expressed deep concerns,” he said. “Moving the dial on these attitudes becomes more and more difficult for media organizations.”

The study doesn’t attempt to assign blame for these attitudes. President Donald Trump has constantly labeled journalism he doesn’t like “fake news.” Cable news networks Fox News Channel, MSNBC and CNN feature evening opinion shows that are an increasingly popular pasttime for viewers.

Who is to blame for the nation’s political divide? Well, 48% of those questioned says the media bears a great deal of the responsibility.

The study found 73% of Americans feel that too much bias in news reports is a major problem, up from 65% two years ago.

Those surveyed also didn’t believe much in honest mistakes. When there were inaccuracies in articles, 54% of Americans said they believed reporters misrepresented facts, while 28% said reporters were making things up in their entirety.

The picture isn’t much prettier when you take a step back. Knight and Gallup said 41% of Americans have a great deal of confidence in the ability of the media to report the news fairly, down from 55% in a similar survey in 1999.

Eight in 10 Americans are calling for more diversity in news. Democrats and Black people are more likely to be referring to racial and ethnic diversity; while Republicans and white people prioritize diversity in political views.

In a clear message to Facebook and Twitter, nearly three-quarters of those surveyed said social media companies have to work harder to remove hateful language and inaccuracies from their platforms.

Knight and Gallup conducted a random sample of 20,046 American adults between Nov. 8, 2019 and Feb. 16, 2020, and claimed a margin of error of plus or minus 1%.

The report’s major findings include the following:

  • Americans think the media is vital for democracy. The vast majority of Americans (84%) say that the news media is “critical” (49%) or “very important” (35%) to provide accurate information and hold the powerful accountable.

  • Half (49%) of all Americans think the media is very biased. Fifty-six percent say their own news sources are biased, and seven in 10 are concerned about bias in the news others are getting. Eight percent — driven largely by conservatives — say distrusted media are trying to ruin the country.

  • Americans think the media is pushing an agenda. Three in four people (74%) worry that owners of media companies are influencing coverage, up five points since 2017. They also suspect that inaccuracies in reporting are purposeful, with 54% believing that reporters misrepresent the facts, and 28% believing reporters make them up entirely.

  • Distrust of the media cuts along partisan lines. Seventy-five percent of Republicans have an unfavorable view of the media, and 61% say attacks on the media are justified. But only 22% of Democrats have an unfavorable view, and 70% say that attacks are not justified.

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The crazy Q anon cult has gone mainstream on Facebook.
Heaven help us :pray:

But you know what’s weird, is there is actually a pretty good real crime conspiracy happening in the White House right now and nobody gives two shits about that but the “resistance” who get called partisans just for speaking and writing about what’s already on the fucking record. Ok. End of mini-rant.

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Damn! godspeed, ye courageous people on the ground.

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Trump to Relax Rules for Showers After Complaints About Flow

https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2020-08-12/trump-to-relax-rules-for-showers-after-complaining-about-flow-kdrlkqzh

The U.S. Energy Department proposed easing water efficiency requirements for shower heads Wednesday following multiple complaints from President Donald Trump about how low water flow is impeding his ability to properly wash his hair.

The plan would allow manufacturers to bypass a 2.5 gallon-per-minute maximum flow rate set by Congress in the 1990s. Under current law, each shower head in a shower counts toward that limit. If finalized, the administration plan would allow multiple shower nozzles with 2.5 gallon-per-minute heads to each meet that requirement separately.

[…]

“It’s gimmick to put multiple nozzles on a shower head,” Andrew deLaski, the group’s executive director, said in an interview. “There really is no good reason to reduce water and energy standards that have been around for 20 years.”

Who lobbied for this? The fuck? It’s a scam to sell a new shower product and waste water at the same time. He does know that consumers pay for the water they use right? Here’s a product that just pours your money down the drain. :triumph:

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‘Antifa’ website cited in conservative media attack on Biden is linked to — wait for it — Russia

Yahoo

Records for “antifa.com” in the domain name database Whoisology.com show the site was registered in the Russian Federation from 2013 through last July. Starting last November, the site’s registration was moved to Panama, The website has always been anonymously registered and its owners could not be reached for comment.

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QAnon Followers Are Hijacking the #SaveTheChildren Movement

Fans of the pro-Trump conspiracy theory are clogging anti-trafficking hotlines, infiltrating Facebook groups and raising false fears about child exploitation.

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Fire tornado

https://www.sacbee.com/news/weather-news/article244993335.html

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A post was merged into an existing topic: :ballot_box: 2020 Primary Election

A post was merged into an existing topic: :ballot_box: 2020 Primary Election

I keep meaning to drop this here and then forgetting. Rogue Rocket, of my personal favorite news outlets and PDF baby, dropped this not too long ago.

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Response from the people of Belarus about a rigged election - WOW

video of people in Balarus saying RESIGN

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I’ve seen it said a number of times that no matter who is declared the winner here in November a bunch of people are going to get shot which… it’s not difficult to figure out how we got here.

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Literally as I am posting this, “Walk This Way” came on the 80s station on my TV (I often have it on while working). Wow.

Totally a-political and wild news:

Arrests in unsolved murder of Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay

https://abc7ny.com/arrests-in-unsolved-murder-of-run-dmcs-jam-master-jay/6374271/

Two men have been indicted in the 2002 unsolved murder of Jam Master Jay, the D.J. for the rap group Run-DMC, federal prosecutors in New York City have announced.

Jason Mizell was murdered in Hollis, Queens October 30, 2002, shot at point-blank range with a .40-caliber handgun.

“The defendants allegedly carried out the cold-blooded murder of Jason Mizell, a brazen act that has finally caught up with them thanks to the dedicated detectives, agents and prosecutors who never gave up on this case,” stated Acting United States Attorney DuCharme. “The charges announced today begin to provide a measure of justice to the family and friends of the victim, and make clear that the rule of law will be upheld, whether that takes days, months or decades.”

Mizell, known professionally as Jam Master Jay, was a member of 1980s hip-hop sensation Run-DMC, behind hits such as “It’s Tricky” and the Aerosmith remake collaboration “Walk This Way.”

The 37-year-old Jay was shot once in the head by a masked assailant, police said at the time. He left behind a wife and three children.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison, a Queens native and self-described Run-DMC fan, said “this arrest was very important to me.”

Karl Jordan and Ronald Washington, both of Queens, have been charged with the murder of Jam Master Jay while engaged in cocaine trafficking, according to an indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of New York that also charged the two with drug offenses.

The murder of Jam Master Jay stemmed from a dispute over drug trafficking, according to the indictment.

According to investigators, Mizell sought to exclude Washington from a large multi-state drug deal. In retaliation, Washington and Jordan conspired to murder, and ultimately executed Mizell.

As alleged in court filings, on October 30, 2002, Mizell was present at his recording studio, 24/7 Studio, located on Merrick Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens. Washington and Jordan, armed with firearms, entered the studio at approximately 7:30 p.m.

Washington then allegedly pointed his firearm at an individual located inside the studio and demanded that the person lie on the floor. Jordan was said to have approached Mizell and pointed his firearm at him, firing two shots at close range, striking the victim once in the head and killing him. The second shot struck another individual in the leg.

“Mr. Jordan and Mr. Washington walked into a music studio in Queens, where Mr. Mizell and others were working essentially hanging out, and they walked in and they murdered them in cold blood,” DuCharme said.

The investigation revealed that the motive for the killing resulted from Mizell’s previous acquisition of approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine from a narcotics supplier in the Midwest. The cocaine was allegedly intended to be distributed in Maryland by Washington, Jordan and other co-conspirators.

Mizell had recently informed Washington that the defendant would not be involved in distributing the narcotics in Maryland, which precipitated the murder conspiracy.

The ATF New York Field Division said they never believed this case was unsolvable.

“Working tirelessly alongside the NYPD Cold Case Squad, we were determined to bring justice for the Mizell family and see these killers held accountable,” ATF Acting Special Agent-in-Charge McCormick said. “For nearly eighteen years, one of these alleged perpetrators walked freely, thinking he’d gotten away with murder. But today, thanks to the unwavering efforts of the investigators and prosecutors, two individuals will answer for their crimes.”

NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea also commented on the indictment.

“The gunshots that rang out in a recording studio in Queens nearly 18 years ago, taking this pioneering rap artist’s life, have been answered,” Shea said. “Today’s indictment shows that no amount of time passed can erase the commitment of our NYPD detectives, federal law enforcement partners and prosecutors in the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District, to the pursuit of justice.”

The 36-year-old Jordan was taken into custody on Sunday. Washington, 56, was already in prison on a prior robbery case.

Jordan was arraigned Monday, pleading not guilty and was ordered held pending trial.

In addition to the murder, Jordan is also charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and seven counts of cocaine distribution.

Federal prosecutors said this case carries the possibility of the death penalty. The return date is September 17.

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:raised_hands::raised_hands::raised_hands:

https://youtu.be/l-O5IHVhWj0

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Holy Shitbuckets, he’s encouraging this nonsense

Donald Trump Just Praised QAnon For The First Time

This is the first time the US president has openly acknowledged the far-right conspiracy theory that has spread among some of his followers, though he has previously retweeted content from at least 200 QAnon-affiliated accounts and dodged a question on the subject on Friday.

“It’s this belief that you are secretly saving the world from this Satanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals,” Pettypiece said. “Does that sound like something you are behind?”

“Is that supposed to be a bad thing or a good thing?” Trump responded. “If I can help save the world from problems, I’m willing to do it, I’m willing to put myself out there.”


Here’s a great explainer on Qanon.

These QAnon people don’t really provide evidence for any of the many elaborate storylines they have collectively invented, they instead read Q’s forum comments, referred to as “Q Drops”, and then interpret them through unrelated news stories—calling what they’re doing “research”. It’s just, like, a bunch of people making stuff up on the internet, like a fantasy roll playing, choose-your-own-adventure but with a satanic pedophile cult that eats babies and is controlled by the Democratic Party. These people are delusional and some are making money off the whole conspiracy.

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What Putin does when he has opposition…:scream:

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