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August 2017

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 14, 2017 22 Comments
As detailed extensively in prior posts, Sarah Palin has sued the NY Times for defamation based on an Editorial regarding the 2011 shooting of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. I discussed the suit and the motion to dismiss filed by The Times in a prior post, NY Times defense: Palin Crosshairs Editorial Wasn’t Actually About Sarah Palin. Please read the prior post for background and links to pleadings and motion papers. In an unexpected development, the Authors of NY Times Palin Editorial Ordered To Give Testimony In Court:

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 14, 2017 37 Comments
The MTA has received some bad press lately with officials asking private companies for money for repairs, massive delays, and derailments. Now members of the Transport Workers Union (TWU) have accused the MTA of storing dead bodies within employee break rooms until emergency responders arrive to the scene.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 14, 2017 13 Comments
The only state which still celebrates Victory Over Japan Day is my home State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Except, we can't call it Victory Over Japan Day. Because that is a microaggression against Japan, even though they did start the war and we are celebrating victory over Japan. I've covered this holiday numerous times in the past.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 14, 2017 2 Comments
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) shocked the country last year when he said he planned to step down from his seat. Now those in his GOP-dominated district will hit the polls on Tuesday to determine the GOP candidate for the special election, who will probably have no problem winning next November. Who will win tomorrow? The GOP establishment has backed a candidate "with a Democratic past" while two other candidates have received backing "from national GOP heavy-hitters." Massive money donations from outside super PACs have also helped narrow the lead from the establishment pick.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 14, 2017 16 Comments
A report from Politico shows that national security officials warned former President Barack Obama of Russian interference in Western political systems, including the United States. Politico reported:
As early as 2014, the administration received a report that quoted a well-connected Russian source as saying that the Kremlin was building a disinformation arm that could be used to interfere in Western democracies. The report, according to an official familiar with it, included a quote from the Russian source telling U.S. officials in Moscow, "You have no idea how extensive these networks are in Europe ... and in the U.S., Russia has penetrated media organizations, lobbying firms, political parties, governments and militaries in all of these places."

Posted by Leslie Eastman on August 14, 2017 9 Comments
Legal Insurrection has been keeping an eye on the excitement about the Great American Solar Eclipse. While many people are flocking to the path of totality that will stretch across 14 states in this nation, there are concerns that scammers are trying to sell eclipse enthusiasts unsafe viewing glasses:
“We should have anticipated that some unscrupulous people would try to cash in on the eclipse with no concern for public safety. It’s one thing to sell T-shirts with logos that you don’t have permission to use — nobody really gets hurt. It’s quite another to sell eclipse glasses or other types of solar viewers that are not known to be truly safe,” Rick Fienberg, a spokesman for the American Astronomical Society (AAS), tells FOX Business.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 13, 2017 98 Comments
For the past 36 hours I've tried to gather my thoughts about the Charlottesville riots and killing of 32-year-old Heather Heyer. Here goes, in no particular order. Free Speech. The sight of neo-Nazis marching with torches was nauseating. But even Nazis are protected by the First Amendment. That's why a federal judge declined to issue an injunction against their march. It's why the U.S. Supreme Court stayed an injunction issued in 1977 seeking to prevent Nazis from marching in the mostly Jewish Chicago suburb of Skokie.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 13, 2017 15 Comments
After the Charlottesville riots and killing of a woman, the Google firing of James Damore seems like it took place years ago. But it was just a week ago. While Charlottesville will dominate the headlines and political debate in coming weeks, the Google firing of Damore retains its significance, as it reflects a trend that has been most pronounced on campuses in recent years, but has moved into the corporate world and political culture. If anything, Ritual Shaming as a means of controlling speech will get even worse after Charlottesville.

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on August 13, 2017 21 Comments
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) fired up the Netroots crowd with one of her now-familiar red meat-tossing,  flame-throwing speeches.  The speech is being touted as the launch of her 2020 presidential campaign. Warren railed against moderate Democrats and insisted that "we are not a wing of today’s Democratic Party. We are the heart and soul of today’s Democratic Party." Her goal appears to be to push her already-decimated party further away from mainstream Americans who find her repellent and her regressive, 1930's-era ideas idiotic. The New York Times reports:

Senator Elizabeth Warren used a speech to a grass-roots conference Saturday to take direct aim at Democrats’ diminished moderate wing, ridiculing Clinton-era policies and jubilantly proclaiming that liberals had taken control of the party.

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