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usafphantom2 · 1 year

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USAF will deploy A-10 attack jets in the Middle East

The deployment of A-10 attack planes in the Middle East occurs when Washington seeks to focus on the rivalries of major powers with China and Russia.

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 24/03/2023 - 12:00 in Military, War Zones

An A-10 Warthog prepares to take off from Al Asad Air Base to provide approximate air support to ground troops in the Middle East.

The U.S. plans to send old A-10 attack planes to the Middle East in order to send more advanced combat aircraft to Asia as part of a remoteness from the region to focus on major power rivalries with China and Russia.

The measure, reported by the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, comes when the Pentagon seeks to reduce its presence in the Middle East.

Earlier this month, U.S. Air Force officers proposed a $7 billion budget for 2024 for operations in the Middle East and Southwest Asia, about $1.6 billion less than last year.

The proposal comes even when the air force increases its overall expenses. The total budget requested by the air force and the space force on March 13 was US$ 259.3 billion, US$ 9.3 billion more than the budget approved last year.

"We are united in our commitment to modernize the Air and Space Forces and achieve the transformation we must have to be competitive with our pace challenge - China, China, China, China," U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said in a statement.

The U.S. Air Force maintains important military centers at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar; Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates; and Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait. More than 17,000 U.S. soldiers are stationed in all three locations.

But the U.S. has slowly decreased its military presence in the region.

The Biden administration withdrew American troops from Afghanistan in August 2021. The U.S. combat mission to Iraq officially ended in December 2021, with U.S. troops transitioning to an advisory and assistance function.

Washington continues to work with Iraqi and Syrian partners for Operation Inherent Resolve, which focuses on preventing the return of the militant group Islamic State. The U.S. maintains about 900 soldiers in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq.

U.S. assets in the region are often attacked by Iranian representatives. Meanwhile, U.S. officials have noticed an increase in Russia's aggressive air maneuvers amid tensions over the war in Ukraine.

Russian jets overw over a U.S. military post in Syria every day in March, which a senior U.S. official called on Wednesday “a substantial increase” in overflights.

“It’s an uncomfortable situation,” Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich, commander of the air component of the combined forces of the U.S. Central Command, told NBC News.

“They are regularly flying directly above our units, and I have defined directly above, as about a mile, no more than a mile displaced from one side to the other, while we have forces right there on the ground in ATG,” he said in reference to Al-Tanf Garrison, which is at a strategic point along Syria’s border with Iraq and Jordan.

The U.S. Central Command intends to maintain two and a half fighter squadrons in the region, according to the Wall Street Journal. The squads in the region total about 12 planes.

Under the new plan, an A-10 squadron will be deployed in the Middle East, in addition to two F-15E and F-16 fighter squadrons. The A-10s are scheduled to be deployed in April, according to the WSJ.

“It would probably be a combination of several different factors that would allow us to marginally reduce our costs in this area,” Jones said.

The A-10 is a 40-year-old anti-tank aircraft, specifically designed to support ground forces. Although this may make it suitable for fighting lightly armed militants or agile Iranian vessels, it is not as sophisticated and agile as the F-16.

The U.S. will also maintain two Patriot anti-missile battalions in the region.

Some defense officers suggested cuts in these numbers, but faced resistance from Army General Erik Kurilla, head of the U.S. Central Command, the WSJ reported, citing officers familiar with a confidential memo sent to General Mark Milley, chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who recently traveled to the region, decided on the current deployments.

While the U.S. seeks to reduce the region to focus on China, there are signs that Beijing is intervening. In March, Beijing negotiated a reconciliation agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, taking the U.S. by surprise.

Tags: A-10 Thunderbolt IIMilitary AviationUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air ForceWar Zones - Middle East

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work throughout the world of aviation.

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bllsbailey · 1 month

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Iran Warns US That If It Helps Israel Defend From Iran's Retaliation Itself Then the US Is Next (Give them more money Joe.)

Iran has warned the Biden White House that if the United States interferes in its anticipated retaliatory strike against Israel, the United States will become a legitimate target for Iranian terrorism. According to the anti-American and pro-Hamas website The Intercept, "On Monday night, Iran conveyed to the Biden administration that if it involved itself in defending Israel were Tehran to undertake a retaliatory strike, it would consider the United States a viable target as well. The issue was discussed at a Tuesday NSC meeting, according to notes reviewed by The Intercept. (The NSC did not respond to a request for comment.)"

This crisis was precipitated by an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian embassy in Damascus that killed three senior Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commanders and four senior IRGC advisors to Syrian regime forces.

BACKGROUND:

Israeli Air Strike Punches Senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards Commander's Ticket

US Forces on High Alert, Preparing for 'Significant' Attack in Middle East by Iran on US, Israeli Assets

As might be expected, Iran has promised Armageddon over this affront, but the incident also happened on a day ending in y. The backchannel threat comes as the commander of US Central Command, General Erik Kurilla, visited Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to coordinate a response to what is expected to be a strike launched from Iranian soil against Israel. (This is your primer if you want to know more about General Kurilla. Google for Michael Yon's amazing stories from Mosul, many starring Kurilla.) Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Wednesday that "the U.S. will stand with Israel against any threats by Iran and its proxies."

Iran seems to be trying to tamp down escalation talk, at least in public.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told his German counterpart on Thursday that Iran is determined to respond to Israel's bombing of its consular building in Damascus last week, but will do so in an "appropriate" and limited way, a source with direct knowledge of the call told Axios.

Iran has been known before to shoot its mouth off and do exactly nothing, because in the milieu in which Iran operates, that would be terrorists in the Arab world, saying you will do something is the same as doing it. That said, in my view, this time is different. This was not a singleton general getting whacked while riding in a car. This was an airstrike on what is legally Iranian soil. Adding injury to the insult, seven senior leaders were killed, taking a multitude of secrets to hell with them. Iran has hinted at using proxy forces to attack Israel, but something this in-your-face demands direct Iranian action against an important target in Israel or an Israeli embassy.

This is the fruit of four years of pathetic weakness on the part of Joe Biden and his flunkies. The mullahs know that Biden and his inner circle have onanistic fantasies about restarting Obama's horrendous nuclear deal. Iranian proxies carried out hundreds of attacks on US installations and caused dozens of deaths and injuries.

BACKGROUND:

New Drone Attacks on US Forces in Syria, Iranian Proxies Claim Responsibility

American Forces Attacked by Iranian Proxies 84 Times in 52 Days and Biden Does Nothing

Biden Waits Until a US Soldier Is Critically Injured to Authorize Retaliation Against Iranian Militias

Escalation from Iranian 'Proxies': Missiles Fired at US Forces in Iraq, Two Americans Injured

Disgusting: Kirby Downplays Injuries to American Military in Iraq, As Attacks Continue

Iran should be afraid to threaten the US. In a just world, we'd treat an Iranian threat the exact same way we'd treat an Iranian attack by using lots of missiles and bombs.

The demarche they handed the White House seems to include intelligence sharing with Israel about any potential attack, and you can bet that any failed attempt will be attributed to the Great Satan. Any thought that we will not ultimately be targeted if Iran decides to pull the trigger on a retaliatory strike is arrant stupidity. The Biden White House has been warned.

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icephas · 2 months

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Haiti is “The Purge” IRL

As gangs take over the island nation of Haiti, having blocked the return of the U.S.-installed Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, the country has devolved into chaos and indiscriminate killings –– akin to the movie franchise, “The Purge.” Erik explains how U.S. State Department official Brian Nichols, a career diplomat responsible for the Caribbean, blocked a plan by Haiti officials in 2023 to correct the exorbitant purchase price Haiti pays for fuel that generates their electricity to fund a national security force. The Biden solution to the depraved, gang-run port and streets of Port-au-Prince? Contracting a security force from Kenya, a deal that PM Henry was negotiating before his return to the country was blocked and he had to take refuge in Puerto Rico.

#youtube

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erikconn1 · 3 months

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AI Erik_s Deep Dive on Bank Redlining Settlements from Erik Conn on Vimeo.

In a significant move towards addressing racial discrimination in financial services, the First National Bank of Pennsylvania has agreed to a $13.5 million settlement over accusations of racist redlining. This case adds to a growing list of financial institutions held accountable for discriminatory practices against Black and Latino homebuyers, particularly in North Carolina. The U.S. Department of Justice, under the Biden administration's directive and Attorney General Merrick Garland's leadership, has been actively pursuing such cases. Since 2021, 13 settlements have been reached, accumulating over $122 million in efforts to combat this issue.

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recentlyheardcom · 7 months

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By Blake BrittainWASHINGTON (Reuters) - "Trump Too Small" - a phrase mocking former President Donald Trump that a California lawyer intended to slap on T-shirts - instead has become the center of another U.S. Supreme Court battle exploring the intersection of trademark law and free speech rights.The justices are set to hear arguments on Wednesday in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's appeal of a lower court's decision that reversed the agency's denial of attorney Steve Elster's 2018 trademark application for "Trump Too Small." At issue is whether the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment free speech protections for criticism of public figures outweigh the agency's concerns over Trump's rights, as the lower court found.The agency will try to convince the justices to uphold a 1946 federal law that bars trademarks featuring a person's name without consent. President Joe Biden's administration is seeking to protect Trump - the man he defeated in the 2020 U.S. election - from, in its view, having his name misappropriated in commerce. Trump is not personally involved in the case.Elster has argued that a ruling favoring the government would give politicians improper control over speech about them. The agency, on the other hand, has said that trademarks like Elster's could restrict the free speech of others on political matters by giving legal ownership of certain words to specific people.Trademarks protect identifiers of sources of goods, like brand names, logos and advertising slogans.The Supreme Court in recent years has struck down two trademark laws based on free speech concerns. It ruled in favor of Asian-American rock band The Slants in 2017 against a ban on trademarks that "disparage," and in favor of artist Erik Brunetti against a prohibition on "immoral" or "scandalous" marks in a dispute over his "FUCT" brand in 2019.Elster applied for the "Trump Too Small" trademark to use on T-shirts, inspired by an exchange between Trump and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio during a March 2016 Republican presidential candidate debate.Trump earlier sought to denigrate Rubio by calling him "Little Marco." Rubio responded at a campaign rally in Virginia that his rival had disproportionately small hands. Trump defended the size of his hands at the debate."Look at those hands. Are they small hands?" Trump asked. "If they're small, something else must be small. I guarantee you, there's no problem. I guarantee it."Elster told the Supreme Court that his trademark uses a double meaning to criticize Trump while expressing his views about "the smallness of Donald Trump's overall approach to governing." Trump was president at the time of Elster's application.The agency denied the application based on the 1946 law. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit later reversed that decision.'I STUMP FOR TRUMP'U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, representing Biden's administration, told the Supreme Court in a brief that the 1946 law differed from the two that the justices recently invalidated because it did not restrict speech based on an applicant's viewpoint.The trademark office said that the law is meant to prevent a person's name from "being exploited for another's commercial gain," and has been used to reject trademarks with positive connotations ("Better With Biden," "I Stump For Trump") and neutral ones ("Obama Pajama," "Royal Kate") in addition to critical messages."To give Elster a (trademark) registration, I don't think it really enhances in any way his right to speak," said Jonathan Moskin, a partner at law firm Foley & Lardner who wrote a brief supporting the agency on behalf of the International Trademark Association, which represents various trademark owners. "He can put his slogan anywhere he wants - whether or not he gets a registration."Moskin also said that a Supreme Court trademark decision from June - in which the justices ruled in favor of Jack Daniel's in a dispute over dog toys that parodied its famous whiskey bottles - may have "pulled back a little bit" from the Slants and Brunetti precedents.

Elster in a brief to the court wrote that the 1946 law "effectively precludes the registration of any mark that criticizes public figures - even as it allows them to register their own positive messages about themselves." Elster noted that "Joe 2020" and "Hillary For America" were registered, but "No Joe in 2024" and "Hillary for Prison 2016" were rejected under the law.Golden Gate University School of Law professor Samuel Ernst, who wrote a court brief supporting Elster, said a win for the government would create a "heckler's veto" for politicians who want to prevent trademarks criticizing them. Ernst also said the law at issue does not further the overarching trademark law goal of preventing marketplace confusion."Nobody would be confused into believing that Donald Trump is selling T-shirts accusing him of being too small," Ernst said.(Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham)

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kammartinez · 8 months

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By Alexandra Alter

On Wednesday, the Open Markets Institute, an antitrust think tank, along with the Authors Guild and the American Booksellers Association, sent a letter to the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission, calling on the government to curb Amazon’s “monopoly in its role as a seller of books to the public.”

The groups are pressing the Justice Department to investigate not only Amazon’s size as a bookseller, but also its sway over the book market — especially its ability to promote certain titles on its site and bury others, said Barry Lynn, the executive director of the Open Markets Institute, a research and advocacy group focused on strengthening antimonopoly policies.

“What we have is a situation in which the power of a single dominant corporation is warping, in the aggregate, the type of books that we’re reading,” Lynn said in an interview. “This kind of power concentrated in a democracy is not acceptable.”

The letter, addressed to Lina Khan, the chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission, and Jonathan Kanter, who leads the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, comes as the F.T.C. appears to be closing in on its decision to bring an antitrust case against Amazon. Amazon representatives are expected to meet this week with members of the commission to discuss the possible suit, a sign that legal action may be imminent.

Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It’s still unclear whether the government’s case will scrutinize Amazon’s role as a bookseller as part of its investigation of the company. While Amazon got its start nearly 30 years ago as a scrappy online bookstore, it has since mushroomed into a retail giant that has gained a foothold in other industries, with its expansion into cloud computing and its purchase of the grocery chain Whole Foods and the movie studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Even as books have become a smaller slice of the company, Amazon has become an overwhelming force in the book market. It accounts for at least 40 percent of physical books sold in the U.S., and more than 80 percent of e-books sold, according to an analysis released by WordsRated, a research data and analytics group. With its purchase of Audible in 2008, Amazon has also become one of the largest audiobook producers and retailers.

The effects of the site’s rise have been profound, Open Markets Institute and the other groups argued, contributing to a steep decline in the number of physical bookstores across the United States, and leaving publishers and authors beholden to the site.

Amazon also has influenced which books readers are exposed to and buy, and has made it more challenging for lesser-known authors to gain exposure on the site, while blockbuster authors and celebrities whose books are likely to sell well are prominently featured.

Some antitrust experts are skeptical that Amazon’s role as a bookseller merits government scrutiny. Erik Gordon, a professor of business at the University of Michigan who studies antitrust, said that while the company’s dominance in the book world might be an element of an overall antitrust suit, the F.T.C will likely focus elsewhere.

“There’s not a great case against Amazon with respect to their book-selling practices,” he said. “Many publishers and authors are making more money than they would have without Amazon.”

Amazon has already been a target of the Biden administration’s stringent regulatory efforts, as it has sought to rein in tech giants like Amazon, Google and Meta.

In June, the F.T.C. brought a separate case against Amazon that argued the company had manipulated users into signing up for its Prime membership program and made it hard for them to get out of it.

The Justice Department has also shown an interest in preventing the consolidation in the book market. Last year, a judge sided with the Biden administration in an antitrust case and blocked Penguin Random House from acquiring its smaller rival Simon & Schuster.

After the deal collapsed, some in the industry saw Amazon as the next logical antitrust target.

Allison Hill, chief executive of the American Booksellers Association, said that she was hopeful that the government was taking a serious look at Amazon’s role in the book world.

“Amazon has been unchecked for so long that our fight for a level playing field has become moot,” she said. “Amazon owns the playing field.”

#publishing #internet #amazon #books #economics #politics

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kamreadsandrecs · 9 months

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By Alexandra Alter

Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“There’s not a great case against Amazon with respect to their book-selling practices,” he said. “Many publishers and authors are making more money than they would have without Amazon.”

Amazon has already been a target of the Biden administration’s stringent regulatory efforts, as it has sought to rein in tech giants like Amazon, Google and Meta.

In June, the F.T.C. brought a separate case against Amazon that argued the company had manipulated users into signing up for its Prime membership program and made it hard for them to get out of it.

After the deal collapsed, some in the industry saw Amazon as the next logical antitrust target.

Allison Hill, chief executive of the American Booksellers Association, said that she was hopeful that the government was taking a serious look at Amazon’s role in the book world.

“Amazon has been unchecked for so long that our fight for a level playing field has become moot,” she said. “Amazon owns the playing field.”

#books #publishing #internet #amazon #economics #politics

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returntosaturn271995 · 11 months

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April 3rd-6th

Good shit that happened.

I dumped Matt instead of staying starstruck over one date. 2nd Matt I dumped this year. Seriously, why doesn’t anyone have good teeth?

Went to Born and Raised with Kelly, Kyla, Jenna, and her friend Courtney. Courtney actually worked on the Warnock campaign and is going to work on Biden’s second re-election campaign. We got sent free champagne (Wow, look at us!) ...by Jenna’s boyfriend (Okay, less exciting).

Twas an amazing night. I wore a fire cheetah print bodycon dress and four inch heels.

Saw Maddy and her friends Teagan and Taylor.

Met up with that guy from the airplane to enjoy a beer and watch the sunset. Then we got stoned and watched The Breakfast Club.

Got a connect with Lauren’s friend Grace for a recommendation to Google.

Got a connect through Gus for a third roommate he’s friends with from Boston.

Less and less interested in alcohol.

Kiera’s Birthday/LA tomorrow.

Made Pork Belly Bossam with Kimchi Salad, Sushi Rice & Spicy Mayo

Turned in the rent check and made my bed.

Connected with Zach, Lauren, Erik, Mom, Kendall, Kelly, Kyla, Hannah, Lauren, Natalie, Brie, Maddy, Christelle, Melissa, and Nathan.

Wrote instead of drunk texting.

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kalpso · 2 years

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A Deadly Mistake Uncovered On Dating And Tips On How To Avoid It

There are numerous dating app are present which are paid nevertheless among the a hundred % free applications are additionally found over the online. Everyone wants to parade round a partner that they know other individuals discover engaging, nevertheless, keep in mind that you're risking being bored, annoyed, unsatisfied and unfulfilled for a very long time if not the rest of your life since you chose seems to be over persona. The anonymous lady, whose weblog is called The Plankton, shouldn't be alone in believing that there are issues particular to being a single woman in center age. So it's robust because you also have to get on the market and find a new bunch of feminine mates too, and, after all, they end up being younger than you, and then you worry about going out with them and they're going to be getting chatted up and you will not! Besides, the cyber world enables us to get to know folks in detail before we see them face to face, by exploring their profiles, studying posts, attending to know them through images, the links they share and so on. This goes especially in favor of those who're shy because this manner they'll more simply make contact.

President Joe Biden's administration has set a aim of getting a minimum of one vaccine shot into at the least 70% of U.S. I studied 1 million matches made by the online dating website eHarmony’s algorithm, which goals to pair people who will probably be attracted to one another and appropriate over the long run; if the people agree, they will message one another to set up a meeting in actual life. We notice. It applicable for the lowdown it's been interested in the floor. We had been 19 and romance of their lives however the floor. Women additionally report losing buddies due to the differences between single and connected lives. Women and men are residing longer and fitter lives; the typical age at which we divorce is rising - forty one now for girls and 43 for men - and the variety of single mother and father is projected to rise to 1.9 million over the following decade. A survey this month discovered eight out of 10 ladies over 50 suppose they have change into invisible to men. Tracy Tutor, a 46-yr-outdated actual property agent, and Erik Anderson, a 26-yr-old personal trainer, star within the hit Bravo Tv present "Million Dollar Listing LA." Anderson advised Maria what originally inspired him to ask Tutor out.

Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star is a new sport in the identical pigeon-dating universe, resulting from hit PS4, Vita and Pc this fall. Due to begin with distinct as well as various? One of the more practical methods of selecting up a girl is discovering a prepared girl and, while holding her firmly in a way that means that you can retain stability, exert an upward power that exceeds the power created by her personal weight in kilogrammes occasions acceleration on account of Earth's gravity. This of the the explanation why is dating younger guys have never formed a girl who was cute as a lady who is faced with meetville. Our battle is to alter girls's mindset and get girls to consider that there are younger men who want what they're, skilled, strong-willed, confident. Older ladies 40 or 70 years youthful males and meet youthful girl who marry girls would at all times be. Or you simply looking for relationship advice and tips for girl. You might imagine this is a very literal interpretation of the term "choose up a lady", but when you have read this and taken it severely then I'm afraid you lose the best to criticise on these grounds.

You possibly can keep a hand on your coronary heart after which suppose whether or not attractiveness of the person will attract you or not? Then seek out women in bank queues, bus stops, self-service checkouts, places where her personal attire will not be particularly elaborate. Don’t count on someone who is tough to grasp or work out. I don’t think that was the best way it was before the pandemic. Video dates have offered an antidote to isolation during the pandemic. דירות דיסקרטיות בחיפה Sometimes the appears can get disturbing and even overbearing however more often than not there is a good chance that you are loving that you've got the envy of fellow men as you parade your scorching (and equally excessive maintenance) girlfriend down the street. While dating websites and apps cater for all ages, they are predominantly utilized by younger individuals, the demographic for which ministers and officials worry vaccine take-up will probably be lowest, given the reduced probability of severe outcomes from coronavirus. While cynics roll their eyes, white witch Sheila Kadeer, who had a many years-long career within the police power and right this moment runs a spell circle for women, swears magic and spells work. There may be a new demographic of confident and experienced girls, at their sexual peak so far as science is worried, who want to discover a accomplice.

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 3 years

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LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

October 5, 2021

Heather Cox Richardson

Today, Facebook whistle-blower Frances Haugen testified before the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security. Haugen noted that Facebook co-founder and chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg controls about 58% of Facebook’s voting shares, meaning he sets the terms of the company’s behavior. Her documents, illustrating that Facebook addressed only about 1% of hate violent speech and that its own algorithms pushed disinformation, supported her general observations about the need for government regulation of the social media giant.

While Haugen was testifying, Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone reinforced that message when he texted the ranking Republican on the committee, Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, to note that Haugen had not worked directly on issues of child safety or Instagram at Facebook, facts Haugen had already established.

Facebook spokesperson Lena Pietsch issued a statement attacking Haugen as untrustworthy but saying, “we agree…it’s time to begin to create standard rules for the internet…. [I]t is time for Congress to act.”

Tonight Zuckerberg responded in a Facebook post of his own. He echoed Pietsch’s call for government regulation.He called the recent coverage of the company a “false picture,” with claims that “don’t make any sense” because the company has “established an industry-leading standard for transparency.” He wrote that “[w]e care deeply about issues like safety, well-being and mental health.” He says it is “just not true” that “we prioritize profit over safety and well-being,” and that it is “deeply illogical” that they “deliberately push content that makes people angry for profit.” “It’s very important” to him, he says, “that everything we build is safe and good for kids.”

While information about Facebook has demonstrated the dangers the social media giant poses for our democracy, the congressional fight over the debt ceiling has brought into relief a different struggle for the same cause.

The Republican Party has now swung almost entirely behind former president Trump—one heck of a gamble as his legal jeopardy continues to mount. Today, a New York state court said Trump must give a deposition in the defamation case brought against him by Summer Zervos, the former "Apprentice" contestant who said he sexually assaulted her and sued him for defamation after he called her a liar. And as the January 6 committee continues to take evidence, bipartisan groups of lawyers have asked legal organizations to investigate and possibly disbar the lawyers who backed Trump’s attempted coup, John Eastman and Jeffrey Bossert Clark.

Nonetheless, right-wing insurgents are tripping over each other to move to extreme positions behind the positions of the former president.

In Idaho today, for example, as soon as the state’s governor, Republican Brad Little, left the state for Texas to meet with nine other Republican governors about President Biden’s approach to securing the border, Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin, who is challenging Little for governor next year, flexed her muscles over the state. She issued an executive order declaring she had “fixed” Little’s executive order prohibiting the government from requiring proof of vaccines to access services by extending the prohibition to schools, saying “I will continue to fight for your individual Liberty!” Then she enquired about activating the Idaho National Guard to go to the southern border.

Little promptly responded to her declarations with his own statement calling her actions “political grandstanding,” noting that he had not authorized her to act on his behalf, and saying he would be “rescinding and reversing any actions taken by the Lt. Governor when I return.” In the midst of all this posturing, Idaho is suffering a spike in coronavirus cases, with death rates at nearly three times the national average.

But while Republican leaders have encouraged the rush to the right because it fires up the party’s base voters, it may now have painted them into a corner from which they’re hoping the Democrats will rescue them.

The fight over the debt ceiling suggests that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is no longer in control of his caucus.

The debt ceiling is a cap on how much the Treasury can borrow to meet its obligations. We are now in trouble because under former president Trump, Congress created $7.8 trillion of debt, and now the Treasury cannot borrow to pay back that money. Senate Republicans, led by McConnell, have said they want the ceiling lifted, but they want Democrats to do it on their own.

But Republicans do not want the ceiling lifted by a simple vote, which the Democrats tried and the Republicans filibustered. They want to force the Democrats to raise the ceiling under the process of reconciliation, which cannot be filibustered. This would prevent the Democrats from using the reconciliation process for their infrastructure package that would support human infrastructure like child care and elder care, and address climate change.

Yesterday, Democrats called Republicans out on this manipulation, and today, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) set up a vote on the debt ceiling for Wednesday. Democrats today suggested that McConnell and the Republicans are not simply trying to stop the Democrats’ infrastructure plans, but want to sow chaos by crashing the economy. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) wondered on Twitter whether the billionaires “who prop up McConnell actually want a default” so “out of ashes they can build their new oligarchy.”

But tonight Adam Jentleson, an expert on the Senate whose knowledge of the institution is unparalleled among scholars, pointed out that McConnell seems unable to agree to let the Democrats save the country by a simple vote because five or six Republican senators will refuse. So, unable to control them, he seems to be forcing Democrats into a position in which they have no choice but to break the filibuster. Jentleson suggests McConnell knows that his own caucus might obstruct even reconciliation, so he is trying to open a door to make sure Democrats can keep the nation from defaulting and crashing the U.S. economy.

The fall of the Republican Party into the hands of extremists who are willing to destroy it recently prompted former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to declare, “I'm astonished that more people don’t see, or can’t face, America’s existential crisis.”

Restoring sanity to the country will require free and fair elections, which, after years of Republican gerrymandering and voter suppression, will require federal legislation. The time for that to be most effective is running out, as Republican-dominated states are currently in the process of redistricting, which will determine their congressional districts for the next decade.

Today, in the Senate, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. This measure would restore the parts of the 1965 Voting Rights Act the Supreme Court gutted in the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder and the 2021 Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee decisions. Of the three voting acts currently in play, the John Lewis Act seems like the easiest to pass, since Congress has repeatedly reauthorized the 1965 Voting Rights Act, most recently in 2006 by a vote of 98–0 in the Senate and 390–33 in the House of Representatives.

And yet, even this measure will be a hard sell for today’s extremist Republicans. When House Democrats brought the John Lewis bill up for a vote in August, not a single Republican voted for it.

—

Notes:

https://apnews.com/article/facebook-frances-haugen-congress-testimony-af86188337d25b179153b973754b71a4

https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2021/10/protecting%20kids%20online:%20testimony%20from%20a%20facebook%20whistleblower

https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-whistleblower-frances-haugen-set-to-appear-before-senate-panel-11633426201

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/10/04/biden-mcconnell-debt-limit-filibuster/

https://politicalwire.com/2021/10/05/schumer-sets-vote-to-lift-debt-ceiling/

Andy Stone @andymstoneFacebook Statement on today's Senate Subcommittee Hearing.

86 Retweets199 Likes

October 5th 2021

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WPOaPE6MyWMdMV9f218nsSjGGrmSjnkw/view

https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-deposition-summer-zervos-lawsuit-expected-before-christmas-2021-10

Adam Jentleson 🎈 @AJentlesonThis is your tell. McConnell is forcing Dems into a position where filibuster reform is clearly their best and perhaps only option. Why? Because he can’t control his conference. Reconciliation presents multiple chances for obstruction and he can’t guarantee Rs won’t exploit them. GOP Sen @RoyBlunt tells us he and probably 44 GOP colleagues would be willing to give consent to waive debt limit filibuster but other 5-6 senator would not give UC

Erik Wasson @elwasson

172 Retweets502 Likes

October 6th 2021

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/10/john-eastment-jeffrey-clark-coup-consequences.html

https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/politics/idaho-lt-gov-janice-mcgeachin-vaccine-passport-order-covid-19/277-38c2fcb5-814b-4d33-ac7a-d9c6575cfe64

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/05/idaho-governor-guard-border-vaccines-515194

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Letters From An American #Heather Cox Richardson #political #reconciliation #corrupt GOP #criminal GOP #facebook

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nahimjustfeelingit-writes · 4 years

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What would Erik be doing on Election night if he was single? What would he be doing on Election night if he had a girlfriend? What would he be doing on Election night if he had a wife and 3 kids?

I feel like if Erik was single, he would be home chilling, it’s quarantine anyway he ain’t going nowhere. He hates Trump ass and would knock his lights out on sight and as far as Biden goes he doesn’t fully trust him but of course he voted for Biden, Trump gotta go. He’s probably encouraging people on his Twitter and IG story earlier in the day to go out and VOTE, it’s the activist in him. He’s been doing that anyway, making sure his homies on it too. Once Election Day pops off he’s avoiding social media because that shit is giving him real anxiety since everybody and their mama talking about it. He’s keeping up with the tally here and there, trying to have a clear head about it. He’s pissed off that 50,000 people voted for Kanye too. One of his friends did it and he dug in his shit about it.

If he’s in a relationship I feel like it will be the same. He’s chilling with his girl, probably tryna watch something to occupy his mind like Netflix or whatever movie. His girl is stressed out, she’s on social media, mainly the Shade room keeping up with the tally, talking shit like “omg babe Trump is close” or “If Trump lose I’ma party all over this damn house GET HIS ORANGE ASS OUTTA HERE!” Erik ain’t tryna keep talking about it, telling her to chill out and ease her mind. He just wanna cuddle, watch TV, and hopefully get some pussy but you are so invested with IG, Twitter, and Google. He ends up snatching your phone up and hiding it so you can relax and calm down.

If he had a wife and three kids, I think his wife would probably be working the polls, her two oldest kids with her plus some friends passing out lit stickers and being a cheerful voice for the voters. Erik is probably at home with their youngest child laid up, taking a few pics with the baby/toddler with his vote stickers, sending them to his wife and expressing how much he loves her and can’t wait till she comes home. When she comes home dinner is ordered in, probably pizza and wings and the two older kids go off and play after being cleaned while Erik, their third child, and his wife lay up in their bed. She wants to keep up with the News so Erik let’s her watch the News while Erik is next to her, from time to time they discuss their opinions on what’s going on, soon enough it gets late so Erik’s wife is sleep because of her long day and he checks on the kids to make sure they are asleep. He gets back in bed and decides to get some rest himself with their baby/ toddler in bed too.

All in all I feel like Erik’s reactions would be somewhat similar in either scenario.

#nahimjustfeelingit-writes #killmonger imagine #erik killmonger

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bllsbailey · 1 month

Text

Top US General Heads to Israel Over Iran Threat

As the senior U.S. military commander in charge of the Middle East, Gen. Erik Kurilla

plans to travel to Israel Thursday to meet with Israeli officials to coordinate a response to a potential attack on Israel by Iran and its proxy groups, Axios reported.

Two Israeli officials told the outlet that the commander of U.S. Central Command, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and other senior Israel Defense Forces officials plan to meet.

Intelligence reports from the United States have said Iran will strike either government or military targets inside Israel using drones or high precision missiles in the coming days. The report did not specify if the attack will come directly from Tehran or one of its proxy groups such as Hezbollah.

Last week, a suspected Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus killed Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a top Iranian Quds Force general in charge of Iran's military operations in Lebanon and Syria. In response, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed revenge for the strike.

"When they attack the consulate, it is as if they have attacked our soil," Khamenei said during a speech marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "The evil regime made a mistake and must be punished, and it shall be."

It would be an unprecedented move for Iran to attack Israel directly from its own soil and not via the use of proxies. Israel's foreign minister, Israel Katz, responded to Khamenei's threats on X posting in Hebrew, "If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will respond and attack in Iran."

Commenting on the White House lawn during a joint appearance with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, President Joe Biden said, "We also want to address the Iranian threat to launch a significant — they're threatening to launch a significant attack in Israel. As I told [Israeli] Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel's security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad. Let me say it again: ironclad.

"We're gonna do all we can to protect Israel's security."

While a U.S. defense official told Axios that it was Department of Defense policy "not to discuss flag officer travel for operational security," the impending trip won't be the first visit Kurilla has made to Israel in the past six months. In October, the four-star general made an unannounced visit to just prior to Israel's ground assault in Gaza.

News of the pending Iranian strike added to the widespread concern of an escalation across the Middle East. Earlier Wednesday, three sons of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh were killed during an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip.

Information from Reuters was used in this report.

James Morley III ✉

James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.

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rjzimmerman · 3 years

Link

Excerpt from this story from Common Dreams/EcoWatch:

President-elect Joe Biden is facing renewed pressure to deliver on his promise of a bold climate agenda after a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration could move forward with a Wednesday auction of fossil fuel drilling leases for federally protected lands in Alaska.

After decades of national debate over oil and gas development in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), Republicans in Congress opened up the region to drilling with a provision in the so-called "tax scam" that President Donald Trump signed in 2017.

Late Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason in Anchorage declined to issue a preliminary injunction to block the auction. The request came from environmental groups and Indigenous people who are opposed to drilling in ANWR, which is home to over 280 species.

In a statement Wednesday, Mitch Jones, policy director at the advocacy group Food & Water Watch, urged Biden to prevent fossil fuel development in the refuge—and beyond—when he takes office in two weeks. The president-elect has previously said he "totally" opposes drilling in the ecologically sensitive region.

"Trump rushing through these lease sales as a final handout to his cronies in the oil and gas industry is outrageous, if not surprising," Jones declared. "Trump's consistent, willful ignorance of the realities of climate change has pushed our planet towards decades of increasing climate chaos."

"President-elect Biden can reverse these disastrous oil and gas industry plans by keeping his promise to ban fossil fuel extraction—including fracking—on our public lands and waters," he added. "This is a step he can, and must, take upon taking office."

Jones' call for Biden to intervene to protect ANWR's coastal plain came after environmental and Indigenous leaders expressed disappointment with Gleason's decision not to block the auction while also emphasizing that her ruling doesn't mark the end of their fight against drilling rights in the refuge.

Four lawsuits have been filed since August challenging the lease plans, according to Reuters. The National Audubon Society and other groups had argued that the auction shouldn't go forward until the broader challenge to the drilling is resolved.

The Anchorage Daily News reports that Erik Grafe, an Earthjustice attorney representing the Audubon Society, said the case "is by no means over."

"The court concluded only that for now there is no harm that justifies an injunction. It also recognized that such an action could come very soon with issuance of seismic permits," he said. "We will continue to press our case that the agency approved the program unlawfully and that its decision should be overturned."

#Arctic National Wildlife Refuge #oil drilling #oil leases

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libertariantaoist · 3 years

Link

News Roundup 2/23/21

by Kyle Anzalone

US News

Texas police arrested a man for walking in the street during the Texas freeze. [Link]

The Los Angeles school district will cut the number of police officers in schools by a third. The cuts will allow $25 million to be redirected towards support services. [Link]

An independent investigative report finds the police officers who stopped Elijah McClain had no right to stop him. Police killed McClain after having him injected with Ketamine. [Link]

Two Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to cable providers asking why they still allow Fox News and Newsmax to air. [Link]

Great Power

Politico reports the US is planning new sanctions against Russia. [Link]

China called for an effort to reset relations with the US. The US said it was a Chinese effort to avert blame. [Link]

Afghanistan

Afghan government and Taliban negotiators met for the first time in a month. [Link]

Israel

Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his commitment to the ‘two-state solution’ in a call with Israeli officials. [Link]

Israel will debate the US on Iran policy “below the radar.” [Link]

An Israeli court ruled the corruption trial of Prime Minister Netanyahu will not resume until after the election in March. [Link]

Middle East

Bliken said the US is looking to “lengthen and strengthen” the Iran Nuclear Deal. [Link]

Iran’s Supreme Leader said Iran would enrich uranium up to 60%. [Link]

A rocket attack in Iraq landed inside Baghdad’s Green Zone. The US condemned the attack. [Link]

Sources from the Saudi-backed government in Yemen say hundreds of fighters have died in the Houthi weeks-long assault on Marib. [Link]

Africa

A UN report says Erik Prince violated the UN arms embargo of Libya by shipping gun boats and attack craft to eastern military leader Hafter. [Link]

Libya’s Interior Minister escaped an assassination attempt unharmed. [Link]

The Italian Ambassador to the Congo was killed when armed men attacked his convoy. His bodyguard and WFP driver were also killed. It is unclear who is behind the attack, but the Congo interior minister said it was a Hutu militia. [Link]

#kyle anzalone #immersion news #libertarian institute #news roundup

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kammartinez · 9 months

Text

By Alexandra Alter

With mounting signs that the Federal Trade Commission is preparing to file a lawsuit against Amazon for violating antitrust laws, a group of booksellers, authors and antitrust activists are urging the government to investigate the company’s domination of the book market.

Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“There’s not a great case against Amazon with respect to their book-selling practices,” he said. “Many publishers and authors are making more money than they would have without Amazon.”

Amazon has already been a target of the Biden administration’s stringent regulatory efforts, as it has sought to rein in tech giants like Amazon, Google and Meta.

In June, the F.T.C. brought a separate case against Amazon that argued the company had manipulated users into signing up for its Prime membership program and made it hard for them to get out of it.

After the deal collapsed, some in the industry saw Amazon as the next logical antitrust target.

Allison Hill, chief executive of the American Booksellers Association, said that she was hopeful that the government was taking a serious look at Amazon’s role in the book world.

“Amazon has been unchecked for so long that our fight for a level playing field has become moot,” she said. “Amazon owns the playing field.”

#books #amazon #economics #politics #publishing

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