I have previously written that recent disclosures over immunity deals with Clinton aides has seriously undermined the credibility of the FBI investigation into the email scandal and raises legitimate questions over the role of top ranking Justice Department officials in the closing of the investigation without criminal charges. Now a far more serious allegation has surfaced with the release of a FBI “302” that states that State Department Undersecretary for Management Patrick Kennedy proposed a “quid pro quo” to convince the FBI to strip the classification on an email from Hillary Clinton’s server. The FBI agent reported the encounter as an effort to “influence” the FBI in return to giving the Bureau long-sought agent placements overseas. Such an offer is more than a standard inter-agency “horse trade.” If the agent’s account is accurate, it was an effort to influence a criminal investigation to protect a high ranking politician and, additionally, an effort to alter a key piece of evidence. The fact that such an effort would be simply brushed aside by the FBI is shocking in itself and again raises questions over Director James Comey’s pledge to pursue any possible charges with independence and vigor. The FBI and State Department, as discussed below, have insisted that there was nothing untoward in the discussions and there is a difference in factual accounts. That is all the more reason for congressional oversight and investigation in my opinion.
We have been discussing the growing limitations and litigation over copyright and trademark claims in this country. U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison granted a temporary injunction in a trademark infringement suit filed by the University of Houston Law Center against the Houston College of Law (formerly known as the South Texas College of Law). Judge Ellison found that there was a sufficient showing that the new name and the school’s red-and-white colors infringed the trademark of the University of Houston Law Center. The Houston College of Law dominantly features a warning that it is not affiliated with the Houston Law Center on its website and material. The opinion is linked below.
Posters in Jerusalem neighborhoods have reminded women of the hold of orthodox groups over life in the city. The posters ask women in an ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem neighborhood to avoid the main street during the intermediate days of the religious holiday of Sukkot. So women are expected to use side streets in the town of Mea Sharim, one of the oldest Jewish neighbourhoods in Jerusalem, to avoid men seeing them.
There was an interesting segment on CNN last week where CNN anchor Chris Cuomo reminds viewers for it is illegal for them to “possess” Wikileaks material and that, as a result, they will have to rely on the media to tell them what is in these documents. The legal assertion is dubious, but the political implications are even more concerning. Polls show that many voters view the media as biased and this is a particularly strong view among supporters of Donald Trump who view CNN and other networks openly supporting Clinton or attacking Trump. More importantly, the mainstream media has reported relatively little from the Wikileaks material and has not delved deeply into their implications, including embarrassing emails showing reporters coordinating with the Clinton campaign and supposedly “neutral” media figures like Donna Brazile, formerly with CNN, allegedly slipping advance question material to Hillary Clinton. The credibility of the media is at an all-time low and most voters hardly feel comfortable with this material being reported second-hand or interpreted by the mainstream media. So is it really illegal for voters to have this material?
Continue reading “CNN: It Is Illegal For Voters To Possess Wikileaks Material”
The Wikileaks disclosures have confirmed what many voters believe about Washington as insiders craft dishonest accounts, betray friends, and coordinate with the media to engineer elections. It is the Game of Thrones without the redeeming characters. However, one of the most raw passages of alleged double-dealing comes from an email sent by Vice President Joe Biden’s closest aide to Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. In the email, Klain pledges fealty to Clinton and seems to remind Podesta that he paid dearly to show his allegiance . . . by helping guarantee “the Biden demise.” While not reported in the mainstream media, the Washington Times and conservative sites have been reporting a surprise email exchange. I cannot find a response from Klain as to whether this is an authentic email or what he allegedly meant by the exchange.
The release of the latest Gallup poll was hardly surprising in finding that most Americans are deeply upset about this election and the state of our political system. After all, the two major parties that control this nation have given voters the two most unpopular candidates in the history of presidential politics to choose between. In speaking around the country, I have been struck with how angry people are in both liberal and conservative areas. Yet, what really surprised me is that there are 28 percent of Americans who are actually satisfied with our political system and this election. Who are these people?
Kwaniqua Glenn, 25, made a poor choice of uber drivers and then the even worse choice of videotaping the trip and posting it on YouTube (below).
Continue reading “Can You Guess What This Person Was Charged With?”
I am in Chicago this weekend for a speech and have the added benefit of watching the game with my 89 year old mother in my hometown. We live close to Wrigley and we had the back door open to hear the roar of the crowd. Montero’s grand slam in the Eighth as a pinch hitter was a thing of utter beauty. The key was clearly my mother who intensified her prayers just before the breakout.
Continue reading “Dodge That: Cubs Take The First Game In National League Series 8-4”
Cara L. Gallagher, weekend contributor, and James Coll, adjunct professor of Constitutional History at Hofstra University
The vacancy on the Supreme Court that materialized with the death of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia this past February, and endures into the current term that began last week, has Americans perplexed about the kind of Supreme Court we want to have. It also has us revisiting the kind of Supreme Court the U.S. Constitution requires us to have. These distinctly different contemplations, although both deserving of our attention, are all too often mistakenly confused as being the same concern.
Given the choice, I favor a nine-member Court. The downside of an even-numbered bench has been evident to most Americans as recently as the last term when important decisions about executive powers, immigration, and unions were left with 4-4 deadlocks for us to see the obvious benefit a ninth justice on the bench would have provided.
Yet just because I would rather have—and simple math would prefer—a fully-staffed Supreme Court doesn’t mean the Constitution requires it. Continue reading “Is Eight Enough?”
By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor.
Yesterday, police in Turkey served arrest warrants on one hundred, eighty nine appeals court judges and prosecutors in the latest post-coup attempt purges. Since the July, 15th military coup, seeking the ouster of dictator Recep Erdogan, thirty-two thousand individuals are currently in jail and over one hundred thousand were sacked from their jobs under the questionable accusation of aiding dissident Fethullah Gulen.
Ankara’s chief prosecutor attacked the judiciary, members of the justice ministry, the Court of Cassation (Turkey’s top appellate court), and the Council of State (the highest administrative court).
The purges are part of seemingly never ending act of paranoia by a dictator bent on returning Turkey to authoritarianism.
Continue reading “Turkish Government Raids Judiciary, Arrests 189 Judges And Prosecutors”
By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor.
The increasing trend of Facebook and Twitter to censor speech based often on political ideology gives government agencies cause to reconsider using these providers for disseminating official information and publications. Moreover, privacy issues inherent with these social media companies could do harm to vulnerable individuals who simply request information from their government.
In articles featured on this website, we described content based censorship on Twitter & Facebook (Suspension of Conservative James O’Keefe, filtering negative comments about President Obama, outright banning Milo Yiannopoulos, and allegations of associates of Facebook suppressing conservative views{via Gizmodo}and numerous others.)
The increasing regularity of bias and removal of content presents a concerning environment where political views of these companies bring into question their reliability and objectivity for which government and government agencies provide information.
Perhaps it is time to shift away and take back control of the messaging.
Continue reading “Government Agencies Should Reconsider Using Facebook And Twitter”
Occasionally, there is compelling proof of divine intervention. That is the case with the video below where a BMW driver in Albany decided to make an illegal pass and race behind a school bus. The result was straddling a construction barrier.
Continue reading “Albany Driver Ends Up On Construction Barrier After Illegal Passing Effort”
As we previously discussed, Twitter has become a lightening rod for the free speech community — repeatedly accused of content-based censorship and a liberal bias. Twitter was recently accused of a departure from the policy of unfettered free speech in the filtering of negative comments against President Barack Obama. Then Twitter banned Milo Yiannopoulos in a very disturbing move against a conservative speaker. Now, Twitter is back in the news targeting another conservative. After releasing two viral videos, Project Veritas Founder and President James O’Keefe was barred from access to his Twitter account for 12 hours (with review for a permanent ban). Twitter again appears to have little explanation for suspending another conservative other than the content of his speech.
Continue reading “Conservative Filmmaker James O’Keefe Suspended By Twitter”
There is an interesting ruling in Los Angeles where United States Judge Andre Birotte Jr. has lifted a temporary restraining order against a California synagogue performing Kapparot, a ritual where chickens are twirled in the air and then slaughtered. We previously discussed the controversies surrounding the Yom Kippur ritual.
Today I will have the honor of addressing the Seventh Circuit Bar Association and the Federal Bar Association in Chicago. I will be speaking at 2:30 pm on the Supreme Court’s history and current issues. I will be flying in this morning from Houston and look forward to seeing my home town. I will be in Chicago for the first two games of the National League Championship so I do not want any former classmates or childhood friends to hesitate to unload that extra ticket to Wrigley.
Continue reading “Turley To Speak To The Seventh Circuit Bar In Chicago”