#ABC News Special Report

[thenewdemocratus]

Roger Sharp Archive: ABC News Late Wrapup of The Ruby-Oswald Shooting

. Source:The New Democrat  ABC News was still not a major news operation yet. CBS News was the biggest TV news division at this point at least in America. Thanks to the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. And NBC News with Meet The press and the Huntley Brinkley Report was its closest competitor at this point. But ABC News did the best job that they could even being buried in the ratings and…

[mariacallous]

Shortly following reports of an apparent second assassination attempt against former US president and 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, Elon Musk decided to speak up.

“And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala 🤔,” Musk, X’s owner, wrote in a now deleted post, in response to another person asking, “Why they want to kill Donald Trump?”

After deleting the post—which could be interpreted as a call to murder President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic opponent in the US presidential election—Musk indicated that it was merely a joke that fell flat given the context. “Well, one lesson I’ve learned is that just because I say something to a group and they laugh doesn’t mean it’s going to be all that hilarious as a post on 𝕏,” he wrote, adding, “Turns out that jokes are WAY less funny if people don’t know the context and the delivery is plain text.”

The incident was the latest in a long line of increasingly incendiary political posts from Musk, whose substantial defense contracts with the US government may give him access to highly sensitive information even while he makes potential threats against the sitting commander in chief. And they point to the more pressing risk that Musk’s recent rhetoric has posed: the potential to inspire further political violence.

While Sunday night’s post is gone, it appears likely that Musk could receive some attention from federal law enforcement, if he hasn’t already.

The United States Secret Service declined WIRED’s request to comment on Musk’s post. “We can say, however, that the Secret Service investigates all threats related to our protectees,” USSS spokesperson Nate Herring tells WIRED.

“In my experience, the Secret Service would take such a comment very seriously,” says Michael German, a former FBI special agent and a liberty and national security fellow at NYU School of Law’s Brennan Center for Justice. “Typically, agents would go out and interview the subject to ensure that there wasn't an existing threat, and to make the subject aware that the agency takes such statements seriously.”

German notes that it’s possible the FBI could also launch an investigation. However, it’s unlikely that Musk would face any charges for his post. “On its face, the tweet would not meet the ‘true threat’ test, in that it wasn't a direct threat to do harm to the vice president, so it wouldn't likely proceed to prosecution,” German says. Still, “it would create a record of the investigations.”

The FBI declined WIRED’s request to comment on Musk’s post. X did not immediately respond to WIRED’s request for comment.

Both Biden and Harris have released statements condemning the apparent attempt on Trump’s life and political violence more broadly. In a statement to ABC News, the White House condemned Musk’s post. "Violence should only be condemned, never encouraged or joked about,” the statement says. “This rhetoric is irresponsible."

Where things get dicier for Musk is his role as a major contractor for the US Department of Defense and NASA. According to Reuters, SpaceX signed a $1.8 billion contract in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office, which oversees US spy satellites. The US Space Force also signed a $70 million contract late last year with SpaceX to build out military-grade low-earth-orbit satellite capabilities. Starlink, SpaceX’s commercial satellite internet wing, is providing connectivity to the US Navy.

NASA, meanwhile, has increasingly outsourced its spaceflight projects to SpaceX, including billions of dollars in contracts for multiple trips to the moon and an $843 million contract to build the vehicle that will take the International Space Station out of commission.

The US government’s heavy reliance on companies controlled by Musk has repeatedly raised the hackles of national security experts. Concerns at the Pentagon came into stark relief last September after Musk denied Ukraine’s request to enable Starlink in Crimea, a disputed territory bordering Russia, so it could launch an attack on Russian troops. (Starlink was not under a military contract when he denied the request.) In response to previous WIRED reporting, Musk asserted that “Starlink was barred from turning on satellite beams in Crimea at the time, because doing so would violate US sanctions against Russia!”

Neither the Defense Department nor NASA have responded to WIRED’s request for comment.

Even Musk’s October 2022 acquisition of Twitter (now X) had some experts worried about the national security risks it could pose to the US, given his business relationship and communications with the Chinese government, his alleged outreach to Russian president Vladimir Putin (which Musk has denied), and Saudi Arabia’s continued investment in Twitter following Musk’s buyout. Others raised concerns that China may have leverage over Musk, due to his relationships with Beijing related to Tesla, his electric car company that has a factory in Shanghai. And all that was before Musk—a citizen of South Africa, Canada, and the US—reactivated the accounts of conspiracy theorists and white nationalists, and began heavily pushing his own right-wing political narrative. Immediately following the first attempted assassination of Trump in mid-July, Musk endorsed Trump and reportedly pledged $45 million per month to support a pro-Trump PAC, a funding vow he said he did not make.

Musk’s deleted Sunday night post further complicates matters. The CEO reportedly has security clearance given his companies’ work on classified US government projects. While there are many rules around who gets security clearance, such as abstaining from cannabis use, the designation is awarded and maintained on a risk-vs-reward basis for the US government. Given that Musk is perhaps the world’s richest man and most famous chief executive, it may be tricky to pull his security clearance regardless of his flippant discussions of political assassinations.

“This is where Musk's status might have a greater effect,” says the Brennan Center’s German. “It would be hard for managers to revoke the security clearance of someone in a position of power, whereas they could be expected to take quick action against a regular employee who engaged in similar conduct.”

The most concerning aspect of Musk’s post is its potential to further inflame extremist threats in the US, says Jon Lewis, a research fellow at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, who calls the post “merely the latest example of right-wing incitement that has become concerningly mainstream in recent years.”

“That the owner of a major social media platform—and US government contractor—is opining on the assassination of political opponents should be alarming for Americans across the political spectrum,” Lewis says. He warns that “culture war narratives and thinly veiled racism” have already had effects on the real world, which could be exacerbated by the far-right’s willingness to answer calls to arms.

“These extremists are waiting for the justification to engage in violence,” he says, “and rhetoric like this provides the perfect excuse.”

[cartermagazine]

Today We Honor Roxie Roker

Roxie Albertha Roker was an amazing actress, and human being, famously known for playing Helen Willis on the hit sitcom “The Jeffersons.” You may also know Roxie Roker is the mother of the amazingly talented Lenny Kravitz.

Born in Miami, Florida; however, raised in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, Roxie Roker studied drama at Howard University along side Toni Morrison, actress Zaida Coles, stage director and playwright Shauneille Perry, and actor Graham Brown; all of whom were members of the university's theatre troupe, the Howard Players.

Her professional career with the Negro Ensemble Company was a huge success. She won an Obie Award in 1974 and was nominated for a Tony Award for her portrayal of Mattie Williams in The River Niger.

Roxie Roker was a reporter on WNEW-TV in New York in the 1970s and hosted a public affairs show for the station known as “Inside Bed-Stuy,” dealing with events in the Brooklyn neighborhood.

After having her breakout role as Helen Willis on hit sitcom “The Jeffersons,” she appeared in guest starring roles on many other hit shows from the 1970s through the 1990s, including "Stone in the River”, “Punky Brewster”, “Hangin' with Mr. Cooper”, “A Different World”, “Murder, She Wrote”, “The Love Boat”, “227”, “Fantasy Island”, and ABC Afterschool Specials.

Roxie Roker pushed boundaries and was known for being a children’s advocate, as a member of the Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect. She was cited by the city of Los Angeles for her community work.

CARTER™️ Magazine carter-mag.con #wherehistoryandhiphopmeet #historyandhiphop365 #cartermagazine #carter #roxieroker #blackhistory #blackhistorymonth #history #actress #staywoke #lennykravitz

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New SpaceTime out Friday

SpaceTime 20240920 Series 27 Episode 114

Did dwarf planet Ceres originate in the asteroid belt?

A new study has raised fresh questions about the origin of the dwarf planet Ceres – the largest body in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

A galactic mystery about Dark matter and stars finally solved

Astronomers have overturned the longstanding idea that stars and dark matter are interacting in inexplicable ways.

China's secretive spaceplane returns to Earth

China's highly secretive reusable experimental spacecraft has successfully returned to Earth following a 268-day orbital mission.

The Science Report

Using cruciferous vegetables to lower high blood pressure.

Study shows larger bumblebees fly faster, but that middle-aged bees fly longer and further.

Study shows dogs can remember the names of objects two years after learning them.

Skeptics guide to Wycliffe Well - the UFO capital of Australia!

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts (itunes), Stitcher, Google Podcast, Pocketcasts, SoundCloud, Bitez.com, YouTube, your favourite podcast download provider, and from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on his career in journalism and radio broadcasting. Gary’s radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. He worked as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.  The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[emberfrostlovesloki]

Criminal Minds ABCs...

Hi all! I hope you are having a good week so far. I made a Criminal Minds ABCs for fun. All of the ABCs deal with characters or concepts from the show. This took a long time to make and I'm very proud of it, so I hope you enjoy it! See all of the ABCs under the cut and all photo credits are at the end! Please be kind to yourself today and I am sending you a hug. All likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated - Love Levi <3

A stand for Aaron Hotchner: Unit chief of the BAU.

B is for the BAU a department of the FBI the researches cases on serial killers.

C is for Criminology: The scientific study of crimes and criminals.

D is for Derek Morgan: Former Chigaco cop and friend to Penelope Garcia and Spencer Reid.

E is for Evidence: The available body of facts indicating whether a belief is true or valid.

F is for Fingerprint: An impression made on a surface by a person's fingertip.

G if for Penelope Garcia: Spunky Technical Analyst of the BAU.

H is for Homicide: The killing of one person by another.

I is for Interrogation: The action of interrogation or the process of being interrogated.

J is for Jennifer Jareau: The Media Liason for the BAU.

K is for Kill shot: To shoot a gun with the purpose of killing someone.

L is for LDSK: The FBI's acronym for Long Distance Serial Killer.

M stands for Murder: The unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another.

N stands for New Agent Training: The Basic Field Training Course is designed to train new special agents and intelligence analysts together to prepare them for the field.

O stands for Organized: Arranged in a systematic way.

P Stands for Prior Record: An individual's previous criminal record.

Q stands for Question: A sentence worded or expressed so as to elicit information.

R stands for Revenge: The act of inflicting hurt or harm on someone for an unjury or wrong suffered at their hands.

S stands for Spencer Reid: Eidetic genius and youngest member of the BAU.

T stands for Trophy: A souvenir or memento of a crime.

U stands for Unsub: The FBI's slang for Unknown Subject.

V stands for Victimology: The study of the victims of crime and the psychological effects on them of their experience.

W stands for Witness: A person who sees an event, typically a crime or accident, take place.

X stands for eXamination: A detailed inspection or investiation.

Y stands for Yellow Journalism: A style of newspaper reporting that emphasizes sensationalism over facts.

Z stands for ZZZ's on the jet home

Text Break Banner by @cafekitsune

Tag list: (🩷) @tgskitten @geminitapestry @silk-spun @alicewonderao3 @ssahotchnerr @cumulo-stratus @criminalskies

Want to be added to my tag list? Please check out this post (linked) 

Want to send in a request? Please check out this post, CM Request Post (linked)

Photo Credits:

A @hotchs-big-hands B @bau-bitch02 C @elysianmuses D @pennyspearl E @sewertrashmax F @dienette-666 G @pinkiebieberpie H @baekkku I @magicbecameouragenda J @tokyocyborg K @animefan-2013 L @its-where-the-wild-things-are M @roting N @moodboardmix O @study-sphere P @finalchokehold Q @aurorasoleil R @bebs-art-gallery S @tokyocyborg T @wheresmyfuckintea U @lieutenant-bixbyV @thesorceresstemple W @shegetsburned X @cloverdaisies Y @dumblr Z @notoneofyouhere

[tomorrowusa]

Trump apparently visited his former adviser Peter Navarro in prison. The prison authorities should have measured him for an orange jump suit so they'd be ready with the right fit when he finally arrives for good.

Fascist fanboy Steve Bannon lost his final appeal. It's time for him to head to the Big House.

Justice Department prosecutors on Tuesday asked the judge who presided over former Trump White House strategist and far-right conspiracy theorist Steve Bannon’s contempt of Congress case to order Bannon to begin serving his prison sentence. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols had placed a stay on Bannon serving his four-month prison sentence while he appealed his contempt of Congress conviction. But the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld his conviction last Friday. “Consequently, there is no longer a ‘substantial question of law that is likely to result in a reversal or an order for a new trial,'” Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crabb Jr. wrote in a filing Tuesday, which was first reported by ABC News.

I can imagine Bannon fleeing the country to avoid prison. He's been active in authoritarian circles on the European continent. Putin could put him up in the Tucker Carlson Suite at the Comrade Hilton in Moscow. Maybe Trump would soon join him if he's convicted.

[therealgchu]

a lesson in media literacy

checking out google news today, and screenshotted this:

so, how does one read this? not by reading the headline, but by looking at who the news agency is, and what sort of language they're using.

the first thing an historian is taught is to look for bias in text. there is no such thing as objective reporting; everyone uses biased language and terms, and has an agenda. it's the historian's job to root out that agenda. that said, let's analyze each:

-NBC is a network in the US (we have 3 major ones: CBS, NBC, and ABC). their news wire service, NBC News, is generally thought of as pretty objective for reporting. they generally just report the news, as it happens. the wire service generally stands apart from the news programming (like NBC nightly news, MSNBC, etc.), so no commentary, just report the news as it happens.

the language the headline uses connotes some special connection between biden and israel (which is true). it also explicitly avoids using netenyahu's name, which is also purposeful, and instead uses israel, thereby making it less personal, but also playing to the sympathies of pro-israeli sentiment. also, they explicitly use the term "war" instead of something like "conflict" or "military incursion". war has a very specific connotation, and is fairly unusually sharp language.

-The New York Times, the once lauded bastion of progressive reporting, has now has become something of a sludgy mess, and beholden to corporate greed. once again, the headline de-personalizes the issue by not using netenyahu's name; nor does it mention anything about war or military action or conflict. this might as well be a shopping cart scuffle in a whole foods parking lot, for all that the NYT seems to care.

-The National Review is a right-wing, conservative, libertarian magazine that was started by william f. buckley jr. you may remember him from such hits as thinking kissinger was amazing, and we should bomb brown people. their headline is purposefully inflammatory, stating that it's biden's proposal (which it's not), to save hamas (which it isn't). their headline is explicitly meant to rile the conservative base in an election year, not to report the news.

-The Times of Israel was founded by david horowitz, a renowed journalist. he was especially well known for his support of yitzak rabin and the peace process during the 90s. notice, he's the only one that names netanyahu explicitly, as he's a known critic of bibi.

so, what does this all mean? that's for the reader to decide. i'm only providing context on how whacky and bizarre journalism is, and always has been, frankly. to quote a much better writer than i, "truth is a three-edge sword: your side, their side, and the truth in between."

so, keep this in mind as we barrel head-long into the summer media blitz of an election year while there's war in the middle east (though, to be fair, when is there not war in the middle east), war in ukraine, houthis rebels are trying to shell NATO ships, and we just had a president convicted of felonies.

[head-post]

NYC mayor Eric Adams indicted after federal corruption investigation

Eric Adams, the retired police captain who was elected New York City’s 110th mayor nearly three years ago on a promise to curb crime, has been indicted as part of a federal corruption investigation, people familiar with the case said.

Media sources say the mayor could appear in court as early as Thursday morning local time for arraignment.

With the unsealing of the indictment, which was reported separately by the Associated Press and CBS, he will become the first sitting mayor of New York City to face criminal charges.

After the news broke, Adams issued a video statement indicating that he had not been informed of the indictment. He said:

“I always knew that if I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target – and a target I became. If I am charged, I am innocent and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit.”

In a speech recorded at his official residence, Adams acknowledged that some New Yorkers will question his ability to run the city while he fights the charges, but he vowed to stay in office. He also said:

“I have been facing these lies for months … yet the city has continued to improve. Make no mistake. You elected me to lead this city and lead it I will.”

Avi Small, a spokesman for Governor Kathy Hochul, who has the power to remove Adams from office, said in a statement to the Times that the governor is aware and will monitor the situation. Small said:

“It would be premature to comment further until the matter is confirmed by law enforcement.”

The news comes after some of the governor’s closest aides and advisers came under federal investigation as city prosecutors began probing his inner circle.

Talking about the mayor resignation

The Adams-related developments come less than a month after federal agents searched the homes of high-ranking officials from the Adams administration. Agents seized devices from the home of the New York Police Department commissioner.

According to the New York Post, police set up barricades outside Gracie Mansion, where the mayor resides. According to the publication, City Hall staff learned Wednesday morning that Adams was about to be indicted, leading to panic throughout the day. The US Attorney’s Office in Manhattan declined to comment.

Earlier this week, when asked if he was going to resign over the investigations, Adams flatly rejected the idea and said he looked forward to running for re-election and eventually being sworn in for a second term.

If Adams resigns or is removed by the governor, his duties will be assumed temporarily by New York Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who will have three days to call a special election, which must be held within 80 days.

As ABC News previously reported, the investigation into the New York City mayor was at least in part about whether Adams and his campaign solicited illegal donations from Turkey by pressuring the fire service to rush through an inspection of the new Turkish consulate. Investigators were also looking into whether Adams received upgrades on Turkish Airlines flights.

Adams’ attorneys, Brendan McGuire and Boyd Johnson, said they conducted their own investigation along the lines federal prosecutors are considering and concluded the mayor had done nothing wrong.

Read more HERE

[ncisfranchise-source]

NCIS: Origins has tapped Kyle Schmid to play a pivotal legacy character in CBS‘ forthcoming Young Gibbs-centric prequel series.

Schmid, best known for his starring role in History’s SEAL Team-themed limited series Six, will portray a young version of Mike Franks, the special agent originated on NCIS by Muse Watson.

The newest chapter in the NCIS franchise, which is set shortly after the death of Gibbs’ first wife, will be narrated by Mark Harmon, who portrayed the character for 19 seasons on the flagship.

NCIS: Origins picks up in 1991, just as Young Gibbs (played by Austin Stowell) is starting his career as a newly minted Special Agent at the fledgling NIS Camp Pendleton office. There, Jethro forges his place on a gritty, ragtag team led by franchise legend Mike Franks.

Stowell’s Franks is described as “a proud Texan who all but showers in his cowboy boots and sports a perfectly coiffed mustache that’s as thick as his skin.” Much like the adult iteration of the character, Young Franks “is a born leader with an unwavering moral compass who’s determined to find justice by any means necessary.”

TVLine previously reported that NCIS: Origins will also feature a young version of Special Agent Vera Strickland, Franks’ onetime partner played by Roma Maffia in a Season 11 NCIS episode.

The Origins ensemble also includes Mariel Molino (ABC’s Promised Land) as Special Agent Lala Dominguez, a former Marine with a dark sense of humor

Mark Harmon’s son Sean Harmon — who has played a younger version of Gibbs in several NCIS flashbacks, and who came up with the idea for NCIS: Origins — will executive-produce the new series along with his dad and co-showrunners Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North.

Schmid’s credits also include Syfy’s Being Human, ABC’s Big Sky and The CW’s Arrow.

[thenewdemocratus]

Roger Sharp Archive: ABC News Talking to Jack Ruby's Lawyers (1963)

Source:Roger Sharp Archive– Roger Sharp anchoring this special report for ABC News. “Following the deaths of President John F. Kennedy and his assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, ABC Correspondent Roger Sharp anchors from the WFAA-TV Dallas studios as correspondent Bill Lord interviews lawyers representing Jack Ruby, Oswald’s killer. Excerpts are also shown of a press conference by Nellie Connally, the…

[tearsinthemist]

Special counsel reportedly finds new details about Trump’s inaction on Jan. 6

07January2023

Special Counsel Jack Smith has uncovered new information about the inaction of former President Donald Trump during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, ABC News reported Sunday. Many of the details came from Trump's former deputy chief of staff, Dan Scavino, who spoke with Smith's team last year. Scavino reportedly said that Trump "was just not interested" in doing anything to stop the violence as it unfolded. When Trump was told that his vice president, Mike Pence, had to be taken to a secure location, Trump reportedly replied, "So what?" Scavino reportedly told Trump on that night, "This is all your legacy here, and there's smoke coming out of the Capitol." ABC News

[beardedmrbean]

A third-grade teacher has been arrested, accused of conspiring with a drug trafficking gang while she was working at the school in Houston.

34-year-old Jessica Ferguson, a teacher within the Sheldon Independent School District in Harris County, Texas, was arrested on Thursday along with 17 others on charges relating to a drug trafficking investigation, while another three individuals suspected to be involved were already in custody, according to local ABC affiliate Eyewitness News.

The outlet reported that Alamdar Hamdani, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, said in a press conference that the teacher was taking phone calls in relation to the alleged illegal activities, and "you could hear the children in the background" while she talked.

According to local reports, there were no children present at the time of her arrest on campus, and she has since been placed on administrative leave.

A representative for the school district told Newsweek, "Sheldon ISD is aware of a law enforcement investigation and recent arrest of a Sheldon ISD teacher. Due to privacy laws, the District is limited in its ability to share all information concerning the allegations and the teacher. The District confirms that the arrest did not take place in the presence of students."

"The District expects all of its employees to comply with state and federal laws, and the District is cooperating fully with law enforcement as this investigation continues. As always, the safety and well-being of all Sheldon ISD students and our District community remain our top priorities," the school district added.

Her arrest came as part of the Department of Justice's mission to combat violent crime in Houston, and around 300 officers set out across the city to find those thought to be involved in a gang trafficking kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine throughout the region, Houston Landing reported.

One of the other suspects arrested was 35-year-old Alfred Jacoby Green, who authorities believe is the gang's leader. FBI Special Agent Doug Williams said in a press conference that he hoped the arrests would help to "connect the dots on several cases, including unsolved murders," the outlet added.

The gang, believed to be named "Rich Kingz" is believed to have been operating for years and "is responsible for drug trafficking and violent crimes across our entire city, including several murders," agent Williams reportedly added.

U.S. attorney Hamdani said, "Drug trafficking in Houston and throughout the United States is a rampant problem that continues to take lives. It takes lives through violence that goes hand in hand with drug trafficking. It takes lives in the deaths of people who overdose using those drugs. It takes lives in the communities that are left ravaged and ruined in their wake," Houston Landing reports.

According to local outlet Click2Houston, Hamdani also said the Rich Kingz are believed to be linked to other criminal networks in the area.

Combating violent crime is a priority for the FBI in Houston, authorities said, noting more than 65 offenders have been arrested, more than 130 firearms have been confiscated, and around $1.3 million seized in the past two years, Houston Landing added.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

David Rowe, Australia Financial Review

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

August 27, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Aug 28, 2024

Sam Stein of The Bulwark reported yesterday that the Trump campaign is about to start running ads in the area around Mar-a-Lago. Trump insiders say the campaign has paid almost $50,000 to run ads to make Trump and local donors feel good. On August 14, Kevin Cate, former spokesperson for President Barack Obama, predicted that Trump would spend his first television dollars “in Florida (for his ego and against his team’s advice). And that’s how you’ll know we’re in landslide territory.” 

Predictions about future elections and an average of $3.08 will get you a cup of coffee these days, but there are some interesting signs out there today. Pollster Tom Bonier noted what he called “the Harris Effect”: the 13 states that have updated their voters files since July 21—when Biden said he would not accept the Democratic nomination for president—have seen “incredible surges in voter registration relative to the same time period in 2020, driven by women, voters of color, and young voters.”

The registrations of young Black women have almost tripled compared with the same period in 2020. The registrations of young Hispanic women are up by 150%. “Black women overall have almost doubled their registration numbers from 2020,” Bonier wrote. 

These changes benefit Democrats, Bonier noted. “Democratic registration has increased by over 50%, as compared to only 7% for Republicans. These new registrants are modeled as +20 pts Dem, as compared to +6 during the same week in 2020.”

The Cook Political Report today moved the electoral votes of Minnesota, New Hampshire, and North Carolina, and the governor's races in North Carolina and Washington, toward the Democrats. Minnesota, New Hampshire, and the Washington governor have gone from leaning Democratic to likely Democratic wins; the North Carolina governor’s race has gone from Toss Up to Lean Democratic; North Carolina has gone from Lean Republican to Toss Up. 

Meanwhile, Trump began the day by posting an advertisement for the fourth “series of Trump digital trading cards,” or NFTs (which are unique digital tokens) featuring heroic images of Trump. People who buy 15 or more of them—at $99 apiece—get a physical trading card as well. Trump said that the physical card has a piece of the suit he wore at the presidential debate, and Trump promises to sign five of them, randomly. Up to 25 people who buy $25,750 worth of the cards with cryptocurrency will be invited to a gala next month at his Jupiter, Florida, golf club.

In the ad, Trump made it a point to emphasize his enthusiasm for cryptocurrency, an emphasis that dovetails with Trump’s recent promotion of an “official” cryptocurrency project. He linked to a Telegram channel run by his sons Don Jr. and Eric that, at the time, was called “The DeFiant Ones” but has been renamed “World Liberty Financial.” While there is little public information about the project, the channel has almost 50,000 subscribers.  

Hawking merchandise was an odd move for a presidential candidate, and it suggested his focus is elsewhere than on the election. Also today, Trump announced that he plans to make former Democrats Robert Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard, both of whom have endorsed him, honorary members of his transition team. Kennedy told right-wing personality Tucker Carlson that he would “help pick the people who will be running the government.” 

This afternoon, Trump announced that the terms for the September 10 presidential debate had been set, but the fact it came from him alone suggested he was trying to get his way by simply declaring he had won. Indeed, the Harris campaign said the issue hadn’t been settled, and ABC News, which is holding the debate, did not comment. 

Late this afternoon, special counsel Jack Smith filed a superseding indictment against Trump in the federal criminal case concerning Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. After the Supreme Court decided on July 1, 2024, in the aptly-named case of Donald J. Trump v. United States, that Trump cannot be charged with crimes committed as part of his official duties, the criminal case Smith had filed against him for his attempt to steal the election had to be reworked to eliminate those actions the court deemed official. 

A new grand jury heard the evidence for this indictment, avoiding concerns that the previous grand jury might be swayed by evidence that they had heard before but was no longer admissible. The new indictment removes those matters but retains the four original charges and clarifies that they concern actions that are not official duties. Legal analyst Joyce White Vance of Civil Discourse notes that while the old indictment referred to Trump as a former president, this one refers to him as “a candidate for president.” 

Trump greeted the announcement with a long, unhinged rant on his social media company, saying that “[t]he people of our country will see what is happening with all of these corrupt lawsuits against me, and will REJECT them by giving me an overwhelming Victory on November 5th for President of the United States….”

“For those counting,” legal analyst Andrew Weismann wrote, “FIVE separate grand juries (scores of citizens) have now found probable cause that Trump committed multiple felonies.” 

And then, this evening, Quil Lawrence and Tom Bowman of NPR explained the story behind the surprising photos of Trump on Monday giving a thumbs-up over a grave in Arlington National Cemetery. The reporters wrote that “[t]wo members of Donald Trump's campaign staff had a verbal and physical altercation Monday with an official” at the cemetery, where “[f]ederal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities.” When a cemetery official tried to prevent Trump campaign staff from entering the section where the grave was located, “campaign staff verbally abused and pushed the official aside.” A Trump campaign spokesperson said the official who tried to prevent the staff from holding a political event in the cemetery was “clearly suffering from a mental health episode.” 

The elephant in the room these days is that most Republicans, along with many pundits, are pretending that Trump is a normal presidential candidate. They are ignoring his mental lapses, calls for authoritarianism, grifting, lack of grasp on any sort of policy, and criminality, even as he has hollowed out the once grand Republican Party and threatens American democracy itself.

It’s hard to look away from the reality that the Republican senators could have stopped this catastrophe at many points in Trump’s term, at the very least by voting to convict Trump at his first impeachment trial. At the time, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) said, “Out of one hundred senators, you have zero who believe you that there was no quid pro quo. None. There’s not a single one.” Republican senators nonetheless stood behind Trump. “This is not about this president. It’s not about anything he’s been accused of doing,” then–majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told his colleagues. “It has always been about November 3, 2020. It’s about flipping the Senate.”

When the Framers wrote the Constitution, they did not foresee senators abandoning the principles of the country in order to support a president they thought would enhance their own careers. Assuming that lawmakers would jealously guard their own power, the Framers gave to the members of the House of Representatives the power to impeach a president. To the members of the Senate they gave the sole power to try impeachments. They assumed that lawmakers, who had just fought a war to break free of a monarch, would understand that their own interests would always require stopping the rise of an authoritarian leader. 

But the Framers did not foresee the rise of political partisanship. 

In the modern era, extreme partisanship has led to voter suppression to keep Republicans in power, the weaponization of the filibuster to stop Democratic legislation, and gerrymandering to enable Republicans to take far more legislative seats than they have earned. The demands of this extreme partisanship also mean that members of one of the nation’s major political parties have lined up behind a man whom, were he running this sort of a campaign even ten years ago, they would have dismissed with derision. 

Finally, devastatingly, the partisanship that made senators keep Trump in office enabled him to name to the Supreme Court three justices. Those three justices were key to making up the majority that overturned the nation’s fundamental principle that all people must be equal before the law. In July 2024 they ruled that unlike anyone else, a president is above it.  

In May 2016, South Carolina Republican senator Lindsey Graham famously observed: “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[ofmermaidstories]

Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory, addresses the National Press Club of Australia on why previous approaches in Israel and Palestine have failed, and why we need to recast our approach based on self-determination and human rights.

Invited by the Australian Friends of Palestine and the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network to speak, human rights lawyer Francesca proceeds to dress down the Australian Press Club for their poor reporting and wilful lack of education. She’s wasted on these idiots—but I did enjoy watching her serve their inept asses back to them any time one of them was stupid enough to ask a particularly stunning question.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New SpaceTime out Friday

SpaceTime 20240823 Series 27 Episode 102

Fairwell to NASA’s NEOWISE spacecraft

NASA’s infrared NEOWISE space telescope has relayed its final data stream to Earth bringing the historic mission to an end.

What time is it on the Moon?

Scientists are developing a plan for precise timekeeping on the Moon. For decades, the Moon's subtle gravitational pull has posed a vexing challenge—atomic clocks on its surface would tick faster than those on Earth by about 56 microseconds per day.

Europe’s Space Rider successfully completes its drop tests

Over the last four months, the European Space Agency’s reusable Space Rider test article has been undertaking a series of drop tests in the skies above the Italian Island of Sardinia.

The Science Report

Droughts, heatwaves, fire and fertilisers causing soils to store less carbon.

A link discovered between heavy cannabis use and increased risk of head and neck cancers.

Giving AI chatbots political bias

Skeptics guide to Werewolf Portals in England

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts (itunes), Stitcher, Google Podcast, Pocketcasts, SoundCloud, Bitez.com, YouTube, your favourite podcast download provider, and from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on his career in journalism and radio broadcasting. Gary’s radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. He worked as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.  The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[erasure-picnic]

This post examines Erasure's involvement in the Red, Hot & Blue project.

In 1989, Leigh Blake and John Carlin, two figures in the New York creative scene, were finding themselves affected by the AIDS crisis, which was having a devastating impact on so many talented artists, intellectuals and friends. Frustrated by the government’s persistent inaction, they looked to their community to enact change. They had an idea. What if they could put out an album of songs by Cole Porter, covered by some of the hottest musical acts, with the proceeds going to AIDS organizations? And what if they paired those songs with music videos directed by great filmmakers?

Early on, the organizers asked Erasure to take part, and the band agreed–they’d always done AIDS benefits and felt that it was more important than ever to raise awareness about the disease. They contributed a steamy, electrified cover of “Too Darn Hot”, along with a powerful music video, directed by Adelle Lutz and Sandy McLeod. Bell and Clarke play weather forecasters reporting on the crisis, with the “heat” of the song used as a metaphor for the effects of the epidemic. It’s the project’s most political video, blending the “weather” concept with footage of AIDS protests and facts about HIV. The film clip was so incisive that when the Red, Hot + Blue TV special was aired on ABC, some of its more pointed messages were altered or removed by the network. Thankfully, a year later, the uncensored version was played on Bravo, and it was seen in 30 countries around the world.

Bell also did a front-page feature for Record Mirror in 1990 on the initiative. In the article, he explains why he was determined to contribute, shares more facts about AIDS, and poses in Red, Hot + Blue merchandise. His frankness, conviction and optimism make it a bracing, worthwhile read.

In spite of funding struggles and censorship, Red, Hot + Blue was a success, selling over a million copies worldwide and raising millions of dollars for AIDS charities like ACT UP and AmFAR. Its success helped establish the Red Hot nonprofit, which would go on to release over 15 collaboration albums, numerous TV specials and media events. And it’s still going on today: follow the Red Hot Organization on social media to learn more.

Sources:

General information: the official website of Red Hot Organization; newspaper clippings; books from Internet Archive Magazine cover: Lansure's Music Paraphernalia and Michael Kane (Record Mirror, Oct. 20, 1990) Screen captures of music video: Internet Archive