Congress, Politics

Ocasio-Cortez: I Never Said Pelosi Was A Racist When Accusing Her Of Targeting Women Of Color

Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has risen to prominence for promising to tell truth to power. However, this week she showed that she could spin and shill with the best of them. Previously Ocasio-Cortez accused Speaker Nancy Pelosi of singling out four women of color. That would seem by definition a charge of racism. Now however she insists that Pelosi did single out women of color but was not a racist. At the same time, the “squad” is warning Pelosi not to do it again.

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Criminal law, Free Speech

Virginia Beach Employee Arrested For Telling Supervisor That She Is The Type Of Boss Who Pushes Employees To Violence

There is a disturbing case out of Virginia Beach where city employee Elizabeth Mann, 48, was fired and then arrested for telling Wendy Swallow, a supervisor, that she is the type of boss who pushes people to violence. She was referencing the recent shooting spree of DeWayne Craddock, 40, an engineer with the city’s Public Utilities division, that killed 12 people and wounded several others. It was a uniquely stupid thing to say but Mann’s arrest raises serious constitutional concerns.

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Criminal law, Media

Washington Attacker On Immigration Center Was An Antifa Member and Featured On CNN

Various news organizations are reporting that the man who threw “incendiary devices” at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington was an Antifa member and appears to have been featured on CNN’s “United Shades of America” with W. Kamau Bell as “one of the good guys.” Police shot and killed Willem Van Spronsen at the scene. However, there has been little coverage of his background or the CNN feature. That is curious given the steady coverage of how right-wing groups are being pushing to violence by the Trump Administration and “alt right” sites. This is not to say that CNN encouraged violence but rather that the level of coverage (and presumed connection with political or media sources) is different.

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Animals, Bizarre, International, Society

Nothing Says Love Like A Dead Lion
Darren and Carolyn Carter are seen kissing over the corpse of a captive lion they killed in a morbid photo

Darren and Carolyn Carter recently shared a romantic moment that left millions disgusted. The couple paid to shoot a giant lion in a canned hunt in South Africa and then celebrated by kissing over the dead body of the animal. We have previously discussed such thrill kill pictures that leave most of us wanting to retch. Nevertheless, the Carters thought shooting a lion with a high-powered rifle was not just an accomplishment but a bonding moment.

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Criminal law, Lawyering, Media, Torts

Dershowitz Moves To Dismiss Defamation Case Over Epstein Allegations

Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz is back in the news in connection to allegations that he was one of the men who had relations with underaged girls during trips with Jeffrey Epstein. New evidence has been released in the case that have rekindled the allegations against Dershowitz. Moreover, Dershowitz (who invited a defamation suit by the woman accusing him with having sex with her as a minor) is now seeking to dismiss the action and thus avoid discovery. Additionally, an early interview has been uncovered with what may be the single worst line since Bill Clinton’s “I experimented with marijuana a time or two, and didn’t like it. I didn’t inhale and I didn’t try it again.” When confronted on whether he did in fact accept a message from one of the women at Epstein’s mansion, Dershowitz admitted that he did but insisted “I kept my underwear on.”

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Bizarre, Columns, Politics

Pelosi Under Fire As “The Revolution” Devours Its Own

Below is my column in The Hill newspaper on the rising tensions between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and young freshman members, particularly Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders has criticized Pelosi for being “too hard” on Ocasio-Cortez, saying that she and her young colleagues are the future of the party. Other have supported Ocasio-Cortez in saying that Pelosi has a problem with women of color and liberal groups are now going after Pelosi. In the meantime, Democratic members and staff are attacking both Ocasio-Cortez and her top aide, including criticism them for criticizing another member who is a minority woman. Note only did Trump succeed in unifying the Democrats and putting the Republicans on defense, but newspapers are now declaring him the “bigot in chief.”

Here is the column:

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Academics, Bizarre, Free Speech

Doctoral Candidate At UC-Santa Barbara Faces Protests After Speaking Out Against Transgender Ideology

We have previously discussed the growing intolerance on campuses over those who speak or write from a conservative or opposing perspective. The latest such target is Laura Tanner, a doctoral candidate in its Department of Feminist Studies. Tanner has written against transgender status and ideology. Her tweets have led students and alumni at the University of California-Santa Barbara to demand the termination of Tanner’s association with the university.

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International, Politics, Society

Trump Tells Freshman Women To Go Back To Their “Original” Countries

President Donald Trump caused another twitter storm this week with a highly offensive posting in which he told four female freshman members to go back to their “original countries” and that they “can’t leave fast enough.” It is a well-known trope used against immigrants. Most of us have heard it. My Sicilian immigrant grandparents heard it continually. It is a disgraceful thing to say to another citizen and it should be condemned by all Americans as unacceptable from an American president. In response to bipartisan criticism, Trump doubled down and tweeted “Their disgusting language and the many terrible things they say about the United States must not be allowed to go unchallenged.”

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Bizarre, Criminal law, International

The Crime Of “Affecting Human Subconscious”: Russians Arrest Reporter For Referencing Orwell Under A Truly Orwellian Law

Even in the authoritarian era of Vladimir Putin, the arrest of Mikhail Romanov, a reporter for the Yakutsk Vecherniy, was notable.  Romanov has been accused of “controlling minds” by merely referencing George Orwell’s novel “1984.”

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Society

Brooks Offers Old Glory Collection After Nike Controversy

For those of us who are still upset with the decision of Nike to pull sneakers showing the Betsy Ross flag, there is now an alternative from a competitor. Brooks Running shoes has launched a limited-edition Old Glory Collection shoe emblazoned with American flag-inspired style. As someone who has worn Brooks for years, I do not have to change but many are likely to do so. Nike left a lasting and indelible stain on its company for many Americans. Nike made a calculated decision to curry favor with Nike embraced Colin Kaepernick and his supporters by showing disrespect to this national symbol. For those who are enraged by Nike’s decision, the Brooks line reminds us that there are other shoe companies and some are less craven in their business decisions.

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Media, Politics

Video Of Confrontation At White House Edited To Cut Out Reporter’s Initial Taunting Of Crowd

Yes, we have come to this. Yesterday the White House was the setting for a scene that seems to capture the total loss of decorum in our politics and press. Playboy reporter and CNN contributor Brian Karem can be shown heaping scorn on fathering conservative social media figures like some Internet troll. Former Trump official Sebastian Gorka then responds by heaping insults on Karem. It was an utter disgrace, but President Trump responded by praising Gorka. Never side deserves praise of any kind.

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Justice, Lawyering, Media, Politics

Acosta Resigns Amid Mounting Questions Over Role In Epstein Scandal

There is a curious pattern in the Trump Administration that you need to beware of presidential praise which often proves the swan song for cabinet members. The latest is Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta who tried to keep his job with a press conference that was widely panned as trying to shift the blame for the sweetheart deal that he gave Jeffrey Epstein, the serial sex abuser. Since I previously called for Acosta’s resignation (and opposed his confirmation) based on his role in the Epstein scandal, I will not feign sympathy.

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Columns, Criminal law, Politics

SIX DEGREES FROM JEFFREY EPSTEIN: WASHINGTON GRAPPLES WITH A WEB OF EMBARRASSING ASSOCIATIONS

Below is my column on the charging of Jeffrey Epstein and the complex connections raised by his prosecution. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta gave a press conference where he attempted to show that 2007 was a different century where victims rights did not exist and transparency was just a word used in window glazing. It was a ridiculous performance as Acosta sought to justify a sweetheart deal that has been universally condemned. Acosta attempted to shift the blame to state prosecutors who came out after the press conference to angrily contest his account. Previously, in 2011, Acosta insisted he yielded in the case because of  “a year-long assault on the prosecution and the prosecutors” by “an army of legal superstars” like Dershowitz and Starr.  He also wrote “The defense strategy was not limited to legal issues. Defense counsel investigated individual prosecutors and their families, looking for personal peccadilloes that may provide a basis for disqualification.”  That is bizarre. Most prosecutors would have the backbone to double their efforts in the face of such pressure. Instead, Acosta’s defense came off as a whining or whimpering excuse for letting these big bad lawyers scare him off.

Here is the column:

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