Daily Links: 01/15/18 – Chelsea Manning for Senate

Chelsea Manning

• Chelsea Manning ^[pictured] files to run for US Senate in Maryland to challenge Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin.
  (via Joe.My.God.)

• … So naturally, establishment Democrats are already labeling her campaign a Russian ploy. Because obviously, Putin bribed Obama to commute her sentence so that she may run to unseat Sen. Cardin, who I can only guess is Putin’s true nemesis, don’t you see?
  

• Appeals court upholds Missouri’s ridiculous law forcing stylists to spend thousands of dollars and hours getting a government license before they can braid Black people’s hair.
  (via @senatorshoshana; retweet by @Popehat)

• For the second time in less than a week since it came into effect, Germany’s brand-new “hate speech” law silences an innocent bystander – specifically, the justice minister who championed the law.

• El Cajon, California police arrest and issue misdemeanor citations to a dozen people, including a 14-year-old, for handing out food to the homeless at a park.
  (via @kellylynndavis; retweet by @radleybalko)

• Finally, fans of science & TV rejoice: Cosmos with Neil deGrasse Tyson is back for a second season in 2019.

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Daily Links: 01/11/18 – House Democrats help Republicans give Trump mass surveillance powers

• Key House Democrats join hands with Republicans to give Trump & co. the right to spy on basically everyone, pending a likely passage in the Senate.

• In better news, a federal judge put a temporary block on the Trump administration’s plan to end DACA.

• Examining the far-too-many US prosecutors who not only hinder justice, but actively work against it to keep proven innocents in prison.
  (via @radleybalko)

• Now Brazil wants to censor the Internet and “punish” speech it doesn’t like in the name of stopping “fake news”.

• Trump is yapping again about loosening the US’s libel laws to make it easier to sue people who say things he doesn’t like. First Amendment attorney Ken “Popehat” White already explained why, as worrying as this attitude is from the sitting President, it’s not likely to lead to any policy changes.

• Finally, professional Catholic Church apologist Bill Donohue is still saying that no institution in the world deals with sexual abuse better than the global religious syndicate that multiple investigations have found still covers up child molestation cases to this day.

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Daily Links: 12/29/17 – Birthday links

Twenty-six. Twenty-six. Dunno, that number sounds mighty odd to me.

• Roy Moore’s last-ditch voter fraud complaint is ignored as Alabama officials certify Doug Jones’ Senate election victory.

• A Nashville, TN man spends 20 of a 30-year sentence behind bars; then sentencing guidelines are revised and he’s released to begin his rehabilitation, forging connections with his family and community. Now the government decides the new guidelines don’t apply and are set to throw him back in prison.
  (via @radleybalko)

• Botched drug raids, wrongful police shootings and criminalizing poverty: Another round of criminal justice news in the US.

• Speaking of, Radley Balko has a bunch of terrifying, totally unrealistic “predictions” about civil liberties violations we may see in 2018.

• Illinois becomes second state (after California) to ban the “that person was gay/trans so I panicked and murdered them” defense.
  (via Joe.My.God.)

• Despite Trump’s rhetoric and his unshackling of ICE, he still deported far fewer Mexican immigrants in 2017 than Obama did in 2016. (Not that Obama gets applause for that.)
  (via Joe.My.God.)

• College presidents still say, and are still completely wrong to say, that “hate speech is not free speech”.
  (via @Popehat)

• Here’s an idea: Make all counselors either obtain a license or stop practicing, regardless of whether or not they base their practice on religious doctrine. (It’ll never pass.)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Daily Links: 11/29/17 – This NSA don’t stop (leaking)

• NSA: You can trust us with national security secrets and all our (il)legally collected surveillance data. Also NSA: We just suffered the n^th leak of classified data this year.

• Hawaii requires that medicinal marijuana users be registered. It’s also the only state that requires registration for gun owners. Oh, and it bans marijuana users from owning guns. Guess what happens next.
  (via RT by @Popehat)

• The American Family Association wants Republican leaders to “quit protecting perverts in Congress”, focus instead on protecting perverts running for Congress.
  (via Right Wing Watch)

• Radley Balko has another roundup of criminal-justice- and civil-liberties-related stories in the age of Trump, including a couple already mentioned here.

• Finally, I had a little exasperated meltdown on Twitter on Facebook over all these celebrity creeps.

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Trump federal judge nominee spent his nights hunting ghosts

Brett J. Talley

Trump really does know all the best people:

Brett J. Talley, nominated by President Donald Trump to the Federal District Court in Montgomery, Alabama, has never tried a case, is married to a White House lawyer, and has been dubbed as unqualified by the American Bar Association.

He also has a fervent interest in investigating and writing about paranormal activities.

On his questionnaire for the Senate Judiciary Committee, a copy of which was provided to The Daily Beast, Talley says that he was part of The Tuscaloosa Paranormal Research Group from 2009-2010. The group, according to its website, searches for the truth “of the paranormal existence” in addition to helping “those who may be living with paranormal activity that can be disruptive and/or traumatic.”

David Higdon, the group’s founder and later a co-author with Talley told The Daily Beast that he couldn’t remember specific cases they may have worked on together.

“Mainly we may go into a house between maybe 7 at night and 6 in the morning and stay up all night long and see if we can see what’s going on,” Higdon told The Daily Beast in a phone interview, when asked about the paranormal group’s work generally.

To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with having an interest in the supernatural; it can be cool to think about, and there’s plenty about the natural world that science hasn’t nailed down yet. But maybe, just maybe, a real-life ghostbuster who spent his nights hunting down “paranormal activity” – in addition to the general ineptitude and conflict of interest on record – isn’t grade-A federal judge material.

Not that anything as silly as qualifications has ever stopped Trump before.

(via @samstein; RT: @radleybalko)

Trump/Russia investigation claims its first heads: Manafort, Gates & Papadopoulos

Paul Manafort

Let the indictments begin:

The indictment against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his longtime colleague Rick Gates has been released — and it includes 12 counts, including charges of money laundering, tax evasion and conspiracy against the United States.

The indictment represents the first charges stemming from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of possible Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

The indictment, which was released on Monday morning, accuses Manafort and Gates of engaging in a money laundering conspiracy over a span of a decade related to their work for a Kremlin-backed political party in Ukraine. Gates served as served as his deputy in the Trump campaign[.]

George Papadopoulos

Manafort and Gates aren’t the only ones in trouble today:

A former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser has pleaded guilty to making a false statement to the FBI after he lied about his interactions with foreign officials close to the Russian government -- the campaign's clearest connection so far to Russia's efforts to meddle in the 2016 election.

In court records unsealed on Monday, the FBI said George Papadopoulos "falsely described his interactions with a certain foreign contact who discussed 'dirt' related to emails" concerning Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Records also describe an email between Trump campaign officials suggesting they were considering acting on Russian invitations to go to Russia.

So, what does this all mean? What happens next? Has Trump been impeached yet?

To most of these questions: I don’t know. (Though I can predict that last one is still a pipe dream.^*) Neither do virtually any of the pundits, bloggers, journalists and other non-lawyerly types who are now celebrating the impending presidential impeachment and/or hypothesizing fantastical criminal sentences.

You know who is a lawyerly type? Ken White at Popehat, who has quick-’n’-dirty lawsplainers on both the Manafort/Gates indictment and the Papadopoulos case. Go read those instead. The situation may not be quite as sensationalistic as some outlets will proclaim, but nonetheless, the chips are starting to fall and a lot of Trump affiliates are in serious trouble.

Know who else might be in serious trouble? Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Edit (10/31/17 @ 6:34 AM ET): Typo fix.

* I hate having to repeat this, but even if someone did magically convince a majority of Congressional Republicans to vote to take down their president, do the words President Pence sound any better? The problem with Trump is that he’s (amongst other things) a moron; the problem with Pence is that he isn’t.

Survey shows most college students don’t get First Amendment [updated]

This post has been semi-retracted. See update below.

Protecting the people’s freedom of expression is one thing the US does uncommonly well, at least generally, compared to most nations. University in particular has long been called a free market of ideas, where students are exposed to a wide variety of different opinions. But according to a new survey by a UCLA law and public policy professor, a worryingly large number of them see this as more of a bug than a feature, and are willing to go to unconstitutional (and criminal) lengths to stop speech they don’t like.

To explore the critical issue of the First Amendment on college campuses, during the second half of August I conducted a national survey of 1,500 current undergraduate students at U.S. four-year colleges and universities. The survey population was geographically diverse, with respondents from 49 states and the District of Columbia.

[…]

The survey results establish with data what has been clear anecdotally to anyone who has been observing campus dynamics in recent years: Freedom of expression is deeply imperiled on U.S. campuses. In fact, despite protestations to the contrary (often with statements like “we fully support the First Amendment, but…), freedom of expression is clearly not, in practice, available on many campuses, including many public campuses that have First Amendment obligations.

The survey starts by asking students whether “hate speech” is allowed under the First Amendment (which it absolutely is):

Does the First Amendment protect “hate speech”?

Daily Links: 09/06/17 – Pastor resigns after backlash from denouncing White supremacy

Rev. Robert Lee IV

• Pastor ^[pictured] and descendant of Confederate General Robert E. Lee who denounced White supremacy during the MTV Video Music Awards last week resigns from his church after backlash from his congregation. And this is from a progressive church.

• Trump nominates global-warming denialist to lead NASA. Because of course he does.

• Another terrible candidate: Would-be Alabama Attorney General Sam McLure – someone you’d think should know the law – doxxes an abortion doctor and asks why she shouldn’t be prosecuted for murder.

• Speaking of people who should know the law, here’s a point-by-point takedown of a Daily Caller piece, written by a lawyer, defending the Utah cop’s decision to arrest a nurse for standing up for a comatose patient’s rights.
  (via @Popehat)

• Finally, speaking of that Utah detective, he just got fired from his part-time paramedic job. Might have something to do with the bodycam footage of him threatening to retaliate against the nurse’s hospital by using his paramedic gig to “bring them all the transients and take good patients elsewhere”.
  (via @jonathanwsabin; RT: @Popehat)

If you have any story suggestions, you can leave them in the comments or send them in.

Daily Links: 07/22/17 – Puppycide and schadenfreude edition

[full size (800×500)]

• Puppycide in Wichita, KS: Cops investigating a burglary report check out a back alley, shoot & kill family dog after it pushes through a fence. Witness says dog was friendly and not dangerous.
  (via @PuppycideDB)

• Puppycide in Central Point, OR: Cop driving home spots man running from dog, then pit bull arrives and bites cop’s leg. Officer shoots dog in the head; no indication he tried to use baton, mace or other non-lethal means. No further details known.
  (via @PuppycideDB)

• Justice is schadenfreudelicious: Creationists behind Ark Encounter ^[pictured] boondoggle lose $18 million in tax rebates over the next decade after trying to scam their way out of $7 million in safety fees over that same period.

• US Government Accountability Office sets up fake police agency in sting operation to trick Defense Department into giving them military-grade equipment. There’s no way it’ll – oh, look, they received $1.2 million’s worth of weapons in less than a week.
  (via @radleybalko)

• Media Research Center, two weeks ago: We present the William F. Buckley Jr. Award for Media Excellence to Sean Hannity! MRC today: Whoops, takesie-backsies ^{[auto-play video warning]}.
  (via Joe.My.God.)

• Oh, look, it’s another family-values religious leader caught hiring prostitutes.

• And finally, religious-Right leader proclaims that LGBTQ-friendly PM Justin Trudeau is a sign that “Canada is under the judgement of God”. So I guess we’re doing pretty good.

If you have any story suggestions, you can leave them in the comments or send them in.

Daily Links: 07/20/17 – Court rules against gov’t transparency

American mink

• Appeals court deals blow to government transparency, rules that recipients of National Security Letter gag orders should STFU indefinitely.

• Baltimore, MD cop accidentally records himself planting drugs with his own body camera.

• PETA-inspired imbecile(s) released 20–30,000 cage-raised minks ^[pictured] from a rural pelt farm into the wild, ensuring that small animals will be all but wiped out until the minks all starve to death. Another “animal rights” victory!

• Puppycide in Wood County, TX: Deputy follows up on crime report, is accosted by barking dogs, shoots and kills one of them after it allegedly bites at his pant leg. Body cam footage very unclear, but sheriff already says shooting was justified.
  (via Dogs Shot by Police | Facebook)

• Answers in Genesis’s Ken Ham: Still, always and forever a tax-avoiding religious conman. Friendly Atheist has more details.

• Republican official arrested for indecent exposure in a men’s bathr— what do you mean, you’ve already heard this one?
  (via @fark)

• And finally, your headline of the day: “Manitowoc police subdue naked man, accidentally light him on fire”
  (via @fark)

If you have any story suggestions, you can leave them in the comments or send them in.

Edit (07/22/17 @ 4:23 AM ET): Added a couple missing “via”s.

Mass. lawmaker wants to make civil forfeiture laws even worse

Civil asset forfeiture (as distinct from criminal forfeiture) is the process whereby police can seize your possessions even if you aren’t charged with any crime, much less convicted. It’s quite literally state-sanctioned highway robbery. Here’s an obligatory John Oliver piece explaining it in infuriating detail, including a few infamous cases:

“John Oliver did a segment about this” is becoming the new “there’s a German word for it”.

The problem has grown prevalent enough that public pushback is reaching a tipping point, with several states reconsidering their civil forfeiture laws; just this week, Connecticut banned civil forfeiture unless cops secure a conviction. The notion that law enforcement cannot seize your property unless they can prove you actually committed a crime should be a no-brainer.

Speaking of no-brainers: Not only does a lawmaker in Massachusetts disagree, he wants to make his state’s already famously terrible civil forfeiture laws even worse – with full police support, of course, because why wouldn’t they want more leeway to steal all the money and other things they want?

Daily Links: 07/07/17 – US Gov’t spies on millions, gets 0 convictions

Bob Murray

I’ve finally uploaded all my 46 songs (almost all orchestral) to my art blog. Now to get my old stories up.

• “1 wiretap warrant. $335,000 spent. 3.3 million communications intercepted. 0 convictions.”

• Québec plans to offer abortion pill free of charge later this year, albeit with restrictions. Anti-choice doctors can still refuse to prescribe it.

• Coal baron Bob Murray’s ^[pictured] ridiculous lawsuit against John Oliver gets even more ridiculous. Or, why there really needs to be a federal anti-SLAPP law.

• Braid a Black friend’s hair in your home without a license, face criminal penalties. That’s not true for South Dakota … anymore.
  (via @fark)

• And finally, yet another Fox News host is suspended for sexual harassment. Is there anyone still working there?
  (via Joe.My.God.)

If you have any story suggestions, you can leave them in the comments or send them in.