Category: Society

THE GATES FACTOR: PRESSURE BUILDS ON TARGETS TO COOPERATE IN MUELLER INVESTIGATION

images-1Below is my column in USA Today on the Rick Gates indictment and his potential as a witness for the prosecution in the Mueller investigation.  The other obvious concern for the defense should be General Michael Flynn. It is curious that there was no indictment of Flynn given his similar alleged violations involving work as a foreign agent. Flynn would also be a natural target for prosecutors in seeking cooperative witnesses.  With George Papadopoulos’ plea and cooperation, other witnesses will start to consider whether they will get a chair when the music stops.  The President’s attack on Papadopoulos certainly sends a chilling message for those who might follow his lead, but these are heavy potential charges for potential targets.

Here is the column:

Continue reading “THE GATES FACTOR: PRESSURE BUILDS ON TARGETS TO COOPERATE IN MUELLER INVESTIGATION”

No “Cisgender Straight White Males” Wanted: DNC Posts Job Notice That Excludes Heterosexual White Males

imagesAn official at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has posted a help wanted ad for its technology department that seeks the best candidates unless they are heterosexual white males.  The alleged email from Data Services manager Madeleine Leader was express and open about her prejudice against straight white males but neither the DNC nor Leader felt obligated to respond to the controversy.  The story was reported from the Daily Wire.

I have written to the DNC to try to get a comment but have not received a response. I will update with any response from the DNC.

Continue reading “No “Cisgender Straight White Males” Wanted: DNC Posts Job Notice That Excludes Heterosexual White Males”

Transgender Tweets: Trump Tweet Relied Upon By Another Federal Court In Ruling Against Administration

donald_trump_president-elect_portrait_croppedTwitter LogoWe have previously discussed how President Donald Trump has repeatedly been used by federal courts as the most important witness against his own policies due to his ongoing and ill-advised tweets.  Indeed, in all three rounds of the immigration litigation, Trump’s tweets and comments were critically important to courts in ruling against his Administration, including the most recent injunction rulings of the third travel ban order.  Now a judge in Washington has relied on Trump’s tweets to rule against him on his ban on transgender military personnel.  Judge Colleen Kollar Kotelly of the US District Court for the District of Columbia in Jane Doe v. Donald Trump (pdf), found that the plaintiffs were “likely to succeed” on their claims that the ban is discriminatory. The court decision, again, features a Trump tweet.

Continue reading “Transgender Tweets: Trump Tweet Relied Upon By Another Federal Court In Ruling Against Administration”

[Not-So] LegalMatch: Disbarred Lawyer Facing Charges Of Sexual Assault On A Minor

ShubovDmitry Shubov has finally finished a determined and prolonged effort of self-destruction.  Shubov is a disbarred lawyer and founder of LegalMatch.com who has now been arrested for a sexual relationship with a minor.  His site pairs older “sugar daddy” or “sugar momma” adults with younger people. In this case, the girl proved to be 14 years old.

Continue reading “[Not-So] LegalMatch: Disbarred Lawyer Facing Charges Of Sexual Assault On A Minor”

Christ Church Removes Plaque To Its Former Patron, George Washington, Because It Created An “Unsafe Or Unwelcome” Space

ChristchurchalexandriaI have previously written about my concerns in the removal of statues and names from public buildings due to contemporary views of historical figures like George Washington.  For that reason, it should come as little surprise how I view the decision of the current congregation of Christ Church in Alexandria to a memorial plaque to George Washington.  I once lived near the church and occasionally went to services there. including the funeral of our late Associate Dean Admiral John Jenkins.  It is a thrill to sit in a church that once served Washington and others. It is deeply disappointing to see the congregation now reject that long history in the removal of a plaque placed on the church in 1870.  The reason offered below by church leaders is that the plaque made people feel unwelcomed or threatened because Washington was a slave owner.

Continue reading “Christ Church Removes Plaque To Its Former Patron, George Washington, Because It Created An “Unsafe Or Unwelcome” Space”

“Sexist By Virtue Of Being A Male”: Emory Professor Under Fire For Views On Race and Gender Bias

Emory Philosophy Professor George Yancy has attracted considerable attention this week over his writings and comments on race and his suggestions for teaching white students. Yancy is under fire for telling his students that he believes not only in “safe spaces” for non-white students but “dangerous spaces” for white students. It is part of his view of “white privilege” and his effort to prompt students “to acknowledge their inherent racism and fight actively against it.”  Yancy insists that all white people are inherently racist and all men are inherently sexist.

Continue reading ““Sexist By Virtue Of Being A Male”: Emory Professor Under Fire For Views On Race and Gender Bias”

Mueller’s Mountain Or Molehill? Prosecutors Mum on First Charges In Russian Investigation

Another_molehill (1)1600px-Aiguille_du_Dru_3-1Last night, the media was thrown into a frenzy with news that special counsel Robert Mueller has secured the first charges in his investigation into Russian election interference.  Despite the fact that the name or names of those indicted have not been released and the specific charges were not disclosed, the report was heralded as a breakthrough moment in the Russian investigation. CNN contributor David Gergen stated “Well, it certainly looks like the dam is starting to break now.”  It could be and then again it might not be.  Again, the breathless desire among some commentators is out-stripping the available information.  For months, many of us have been saying that it was extremely unlikely that Mueller would assemble this huge prosecutorial team and spend millions without charging someone on something.  The core question is whether he is going to move on the two primary allegations in the Russian investigation — collusion and obstruction — that might implicate Trump or his family.  In other words, we may have to wait for the arrest or surrender to know if Mueller has unveiled a mountain or a molehill.

Continue reading “Mueller’s Mountain Or Molehill? Prosecutors Mum on First Charges In Russian Investigation”

“Mathematics Itself Operates As Whiteness”: University of Illinois Professor Triggers Controversy In Calling For Professors To Recognize Math As Privilege

rg1University of Illinois math professor Rochelle Gutierrez has triggered a national controversy over her recent anthology for math educators entitled, “Building Support for Scholarly Practices in Mathematics Methods.” Gutierrez suggests that mathematic tends to perpetuate white privilege that must be actively addressed in classrooms.  For many, math is one subject that was viewed inherently objective and unbiased in its emphasis. Albert Einstein and others saw beauty in math.  He stated “Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.” Yet, Gutierrez appears to see the  “politics that mathematics brings” and white privilege. Continue reading ““Mathematics Itself Operates As Whiteness”: University of Illinois Professor Triggers Controversy In Calling For Professors To Recognize Math As Privilege”

Poll: 64 Percent Of Americans Now Want Marijuana Legalized

Marijuana LeafWe have been watching an extraordinary shift in public opinion over the last decade on the legalization of marijuana.  With millions of citizens now using marijuana either medically or recreationally, the public appears ready to see nationwide legalization.  The huge tax benefits from legalization and the rapidly expanding market appears to have adding to the support for legalization.  This polls is just a few percent lower in support than a recent Harvard poll showing 68 percent support for legalization.

Continue reading “Poll: 64 Percent Of Americans Now Want Marijuana Legalized”

Clinton Lawyer Under Fire After Disclosure That The Clinton Campaign Paid For Russian Dossier On Trump

download-6Clinton campaign lawyer Marc Elias is under fire today after the Washington Post ran an extensive story on how the Clinton Campaign and Democratic National Committee hired controversial research firm Fusion GPS to dig up dirt on Donald Trump in Russia in the “Russian Dossier” matter.  Reporters at the New York Times have accused Elias of lying in past categorical denials of any connection to Clinton or the DNC.  The reports indicate that not only did the Clinton team fund the opposition research but that Elias may have been the person handling much of the arrangements. Update: Brian Fallon, former spokesperson for the Clinton campaign, has said that this was “money well spent.” On CNN, Fallon said that the “sensitive nature” of the project meant that it was kept to a small number of people that did not include him. Fallon’s expression of satisfaction with the work however conflicts with what reporters say Elias told them. He notably sounded a lot like Trump in saying “opposition research occurs all the time.” Christoper Steele is a foreign national who was seeking information from foreign sources to use against Trump.

Continue reading “Clinton Lawyer Under Fire After Disclosure That The Clinton Campaign Paid For Russian Dossier On Trump”

Saudi Crown Prince Denounces Extremist Clerics and Plots More Moderate Course For The Kingdom

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson shakes hands with Deputy CI have often criticized Saudi Arabia for its application of a medieval Sharia system of law and its intolerance for both free speech and freedom of religion.  It is important however to recognize improvements in the Kingdom, such as the recent decision to allow women to drive and the expanding political rights of women.  This week brought another such positive development.  Saudi Arabia’s next king, Mohammed bin Salman, gave a surprising speech where he clearly set the Kingdom apart from the long domination of Saudi clerics. He declared  “We are returning to what we were before, a country of moderate Islam that is open to all religions and to the world.”  If true, that would be a moment of true leadership by the Crown Prince and a real hope for the citizens of Saudi Arabia.

Continue reading “Saudi Crown Prince Denounces Extremist Clerics and Plots More Moderate Course For The Kingdom”

Penn Controversy Looks At “Progressive Stacking” After Controversial Tweet By Grad Student

45879D2000000578-5002884-image-m-83_1508551815896It is called “progressive stacking,” a technique where teachers give priority to students according to race or gender.  The technique is being hotly debated at the University of Pennsylvania after Grad student Stephanie McKellop tweeted about how she only reluctantly will call on a white male after giving preference to various groups based on their gender or race.  While many find stacking to be a form of discrimination, some academics have rallied to the side of McKellop in favor of such techniques.

Continue reading “Penn Controversy Looks At “Progressive Stacking” After Controversial Tweet By Grad Student”

The Return of the Ancien Régime: DNC Pushes Out Sanders Supporters In Favor of Clinton Allies Like Disgraced Former DNC Head Donna Brazile

download-3We have previously discussed how the Democratic establishment has held on to power despite the disaster in the last presidential election.  The Democratic leadership and members were virtually unanimous in guaranteeing the nomination for Hillary Clinton despite the clear anti-establishment mood of the electorate and Clinton’s record negative polling.  By the end of the campaign, the Democrats were largely arguing for an anti-Trump vote rather than a pro-Clinton vote.  Despite the loss to the least popular presidential candidate in history, Nancy Pelosi and various other Democratic leaders have tightened their grip on power.  The establishment then fought off a challenge from Bernie Sanders supporters and elected close Clinton ally Tom Perez to lead the Democratic National Committee.  Now Perez has moved to fill high-ranking positions with establishment figures and Clinton allies. Among them is Donna Brazile who lied about her violation of DNC rules in sharing debate questions with Clinton.  While the DNC staff rallied around Brazile, others saw Brazile as the very embodiment of the rigged primary and the hard-wired Clinton support in the media.  Her unethical conduct led to the termination of her CNN contract, but Perez now wants her on the DNC rules committee.

 

Continue reading “The Return of the Ancien Régime: DNC Pushes Out Sanders Supporters In Favor of Clinton Allies Like Disgraced Former DNC Head Donna Brazile”

Woman Sentenced To Five Years For False Rape Claim

_98395235_mediaitem98395234Rebecca Palmer, 26, has gone from scorn to “stir” in a false rape case.  The English woman had consensual sex with a twenty-two year old soldier based in Tidworth but he later “rejected her.”  She proceeded to develop an elaborate false record to accuse him of rape.  The police fortunately were able to find clues that the record was manufactured and arrested Palmer.  She is now looking at a five year sentence.

Continue reading “Woman Sentenced To Five Years For False Rape Claim”

A Walk Through The Windy City

IMG_7607I am in my hometown of Chicago this weekend — still recovering from the loss of our Cubs to the Dodgers (who cheated by hitting the balls outside of Wrigley where our players could not catch them and throwing the balls really, really fast so we could not hit them).  Returning home for me continues to be rejuvenating, particularly with this unseasonably warm weather.  I wanted to share a few pictures of our beautiful city to counter the dire descriptions that have been raised in the political forum.  Chicago is experiencing a terrible violent crime wave, but the city is not the hellscape that comes out of some political exchanges.  I will readily admit that I am biased.  I have always been proud to be a Chicagoan and raised in this resilient city.  I hope that people will come for themselves to experience the wonderful lakeshore, restaurants, bars, museums, architecture, boating, sports, and sights.

Continue reading “A Walk Through The Windy City”