The partygoers, at times dressed in formal wear from a political event they'd just left, mingled and shared drugs like cocaine and ecstasy. Some had sex.
Gaetz, the brash Republican, liked to discuss politics, said one of the women. He behaved like a "frat type of party boy," she said, sometimes taking pills she believed were recreational drugs.
Details of the parties, which have not been previously reported, were described to CNN by two women who attended several of them over the past few years. Both spoke on condition of anonymity.
Post by neverfstop on Apr 14, 2021 13:20:02 GMT -5
Also, Biden announced a full withdraw and a final end to the war in Afghanistan. I have such mixed feelings about this- so glad it's finally happening but upset when they total up the cost of the whole war in human lives and $2T that we've basically just made a bigger mess.
The partygoers, at times dressed in formal wear from a political event they'd just left, mingled and shared drugs like cocaine and ecstasy. Some had sex.
I want to know this part. This is just the beginning of all of this mess. I don't think it'll be top GOP but I'm guessing we'll see a few Fox talking heads or other big conservative personalities.
Not political political but on the good news front, a Black police officer from Buffalo had her pension reinstated and backpay ordered after she was fired in 2008 for stopping a white police officer from using a choke-hold on a restrained, handcuffed detainee. She's been in litigation for the past decade trying to get her pension reinstated, as she was terminated one year before her 20 year pension was effective. (I hope she got backpay to thirty years, not just the one year missing, and her entire pension was recalculated to make allowances for termination versus staying on the force, etc.) The judge stated that George Floyd and Eric Garner, et al. show why it was imperative that Officer Horne react as she did and her termination showed why others would not step forward in the same situation.
I see Gaetz constantly referred to as a “frat boy” but does anyone know if he was actually in a fraternity? H and I have tried to figure this out and cannot find anything conclusive.
Post by mrsukyankee on Apr 15, 2021 16:08:53 GMT -5
The UK gov't have been accused (and doing) a lot of shady things, particularly around not tendering for good deals and just giving contracts to friends or lobbyists. This is illegal but, of course, our gov't is either denying or getting in the way of investigations. It's getting worse and worse. The most recent one involves a lot of different players, including David Cameron (past Prime Minister), our current Chancellor (an MP wannabe toady) and a civil servant who was able to work at the place (which should not happen). This is blowing up in the news over here and just points to how awful our current gov't is.
In addition (more horribleness of the gov't), we have Priti Patel, our Home Secretary, who put in place detention policies for immigration centers which breach human rights rules. She is also being investigated due to deaths in those immigration centers (overloading the centers despite them being Covid hotspots, for example).
So, looks like our conservative gov't is still trying to out asshole/fascist the US conservative gov't.
And here's where I fangirl and totally nerd out - I have a mask with that same science print and wore it on errands today. I twinned with Dr. Fauci! haha
The UK gov't have been accused (and doing) a lot of shady things, particularly around not tendering for good deals and just giving contracts to friends or lobbyists. This is illegal but, of course, our gov't is either denying or getting in the way of investigations. It's getting worse and worse. The most recent one involves a lot of different players, including David Cameron (past Prime Minister), our current Chancellor (an MP wannabe toady) and a civil servant who was able to work at the place (which should not happen). This is blowing up in the news over here and just points to how awful our current gov't is.
In addition (more horribleness of the gov't), we have Priti Patel, our Home Secretary, who put in place detention policies for immigration centers which breach human rights rules. She is also being investigated due to deaths in those immigration centers (overloading the centers despite them being Covid hotspots, for example).
So, looks like our conservative gov't is still trying to out asshole/fascist the US conservative gov't.
When my AT&T app isn't working on my TV, I'll throw on the SkyNews Live app in the morning.
It was fascinating to see the Cameron and Patel news take more time than Prince Philip, who is getting a lot of time here on the US morning programs. I feel like Cameron went under the radar compared to loud Boris, but it's now all bubbling out. It was hard to follow along so I need to dig more into both stories. If I remember right, people were upset with Patel as Home Secretary from day one?
This is a minor issue in the grand scheme of things, but just when you thought MTG and Bobart couldn’t get any worse - they voted agains reauthroizing this bone marrow registry.
This is a minor issue in the grand scheme of things, but just when you thought MTG and Bobart couldn’t get any worse - they voted agains reauthroizing this bone marrow registry.
This is a minor issue in the grand scheme of things, but just when you thought MTG and Bobart couldn’t get any worse - they voted agains reauthroizing this bone marrow registry.
Post by bernsteincat on Apr 16, 2021 14:48:05 GMT -5
Punchbowl News (an offshoot of former Politico journalists) reported that the America First Caucus has distributed materials for recruitment that detail a blatantly white supremacist policy platform. Below: Tweet from Jake Sherman at Punchbowl and link to AFC document (if I do this right, lol ).
Tweet text: NEW in @punchbowlnews Midday. An America First Caucus is recruiting lawmakers calling for "common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions” and a return to architectural style that “befits the progeny of European architecture.” linked to @mtgreenee and @repgosar (a few more tweets are threaded below it)
Glad to see they quickly reversed course on this, but WTF?
And nytimes updated the linked article so it reflects that backpedaling. But it doesn’t sound like he’s even committed to the 35k refugees already vetted and approved. So I’m not ready to make nice yet. Anything less than his 60k pledge will feel like a betrayal.
Punchbowl News (an offshoot of former Politico journalists) reported that the America First Caucus has distributed materials for recruitment that detail a blatantly white supremacist policy platform. Below: Tweet from Jake Sherman at Punchbowl and link to AFC document (if I do this right, lol ).
Tweet text: NEW in @punchbowlnews Midday. An America First Caucus is recruiting lawmakers calling for "common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions” and a return to architectural style that “befits the progeny of European architecture.” linked to @mtgreenee and @repgosar (a few more tweets are threaded below it)
personally, I’m looking forward to the return of town commons stockades, spousal beatings (provided the stick is no wider than a thumb) drawing and quartering, walling people up in towers and being killed because you are inconvenient to a king.
A little random, but some positive news - Utah's Republican governor defended the Utah Jazz's new scholarship program that only gives awards to people of color: He was asked: "“The Utah Jazz is excluding white children from consideration for their scholarship program. Do you think this is racist? And what will you do to prevent the Utah Jazz from acting in this racist manner?”
[Governor] Cox, in a passionate response, said that he supported the Jazz’s scholarship program.
“Well, I don’t think it’s racist. In fact, I think it’s in response to, unfortunately, some very difficult and racist injustices that have happened in our community for a long time.
And I’ll tell you what I’m going to do about the Utah Jazz: Absolutely nothing, because you know what? I believe in the Constitution and I believe in the freedom of businesses to make decisions and decisions that are right for them. Your kid or my kid, they have no right to the Utah Jazz’s money and the Utah Jazz and Ryan Smith can do the things that they want to do with their funds and their revenues....
You know, we live in a nation that does have a very difficult history and sometimes we try to ignore it. A history of racial injustice, a history where — of course, slavery being the most severe and awful example of that. But, look, that stuff just doesn’t go away overnight. And we’re working very hard on on equity, making sure that every kid in our state has the same opportunities as others. And so looking for ways to lift communities that have been historically and disproportionately impacted isn’t racist at all. In fact, it’s a great way to overcome racism. And I’m really proud of the Jazz and the great things that they’re doing.”""
Of course I don't agree with a lot of his policies, but he's proven that he's at least a decent person and I wish there were more people like that in the Republican party
I look forward to Saturday morning political discussion shows on MSNBC. But this morning they're all cancelled and the focus is solely on Prince Philip. yes, this is a newsworthy event, but it shouldn't take up the entire morning, especially when there is so many important things to discuss that have happened this past week.
Post by mrsukyankee on Apr 17, 2021 15:53:53 GMT -5
amberlyrose, basically, from the very start, she's done some of the following: - voted against same sex marriage - worked for a company that supported the Burma dictatorship - supported(supports) the death penalty - In 2017, Priti was fired from her position as International Development Secretary (IDS) for conducting 14 off-the-book meetings with Israeli ministers and business people. She didn’t notify the PM at the time about these meetings causing her to lose the job. (and this is why it's egregious that she's gotten the position that she has). - despite being the daughter of immigrants, she supports the most right wing immigration policies and is completely anti-Semitic.
So, yeah, she's awful and we've known she was going to continue being awful.
amberlyrose , basically, from the very start, she's done some of the following: - voted against same sex marriage - worked for a company that supported the Burma dictatorship - supported(supports) the death penalty - In 2017, Priti was fired from her position as International Development Secretary (IDS) for conducting 14 off-the-book meetings with Israeli ministers and business people. She didn’t notify the PM at the time about these meetings causing her to lose the job. (and this is why it's egregious that she's gotten the position that she has). - despite being the daughter of immigrants, she supports the most right wing immigration policies and is completely anti-Semitic.
So, yeah, she's awful and we've known she was going to continue being awful.
I remember these two points, especially the last one. One of my British friends referred to her as Nikki Haley, but worse.
Post by mrsukyankee on Apr 20, 2021 6:10:22 GMT -5
Washington’s ambassador to Moscow has announced that he will return to the US for consultations, days after the Russian government recommended he leave the country during what it said was an “extremely tense situation”.
John Sullivan’s departure will leave both countries’ embassies without their top diplomats at a crucial moment, with Washington and Moscow recently announcing new sanctions, a Russian military buildup near Ukraine, and concerns about the opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s health while in detention.
Kremlin officials have said that its forces massing on the border with Ukraine could intervene if Kyiv launches an assault on Russian-backed separatists, as concerns grow about the largest military buildup since 2014.
Open source intelligence reports have shown that tanks, rocket artillery, and short-range ballistic missiles have been transported to just 150 miles from Ukraine, where Russia has established a large new military staging area.
Am I the only one who occasionally wonders how things would have gone if we’d done more to help Russia in the early 90s? I was in high school, so the details are a little fuzzy, but I remember reports about us failing to help secure nuclear materials, and just standing by as their economy was in free fall and then the predictable rise of the oligarchs.
Am I the only one who occasionally wonders how things would have gone if we’d done more to help Russia in the early 90s? I was in high school, so the details are a little fuzzy, but I remember reports about us failing to help secure nuclear materials, and just standing by as their economy was in free fall and then the predictable rise of the oligarchs.
I'm pretty sure the US would have fucked it up in other ways - see other interventions as examples. I'm being a bit facetious but not entirely.
Post by notsopicky on Apr 21, 2021 19:55:19 GMT -5
WTAF is this horseshit?
G.O.P. Bills Target Protesters (and Absolve Motorists Who Hit Them): As the nation reacts to the guilty verdict a jury handed to Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd, Republican-led states are introducing punitive new measures governing protests.
Republican legislators in Oklahoma and Iowa have passed bills granting immunity to drivers whose vehicles strike and injure protesters in public streets.
A Republican proposal in Indiana would bar anyone convicted of unlawful assembly from holding state employment, including elected office. A Minnesota bill would prohibit those convicted of unlawful protesting from receiving student loans, unemployment benefits or housing assistance.
And in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed sweeping legislation this week that toughened existing laws governing public disorder and created a harsh new level of infractions — a bill he’s called “the strongest anti-looting, anti-rioting, pro-law-enforcement piece of legislation in the country.”
These Republican fucks literally have no bottom. There is no low they will not sink to, to shit on the calls for equity. Unfuckingbelievable.