Saturday, September 17, 2022

Cannon Fire!

Security increased for controversial judge.

Be warned, the noise from Washed Up 45 is controversial. Take discretion.

Ignore the noise.

Vote.

U.S. District Judge Alieen Cannon has U.S. Marshals watching her now that she became the news. She made a controversial decision to delay the U.S. Justice Department's investigation into classified documents being mishandled and the failure to return them to the National Archives. The Justice Department is planning on opening a criminal investigation into Washed Up 45.

Cannon, a federal judge appointed by the former president has decided to temporarily halt the FBI's search into whether the former president's Mar-a-Lago resort was improperly secured and the National Archives were misled by the former president when he claimed that all documents were returned.

Cannon heard the case of Trump v. United States. She gave him some breathing room by ruling an appointment a special master to review the materials seized from Mar-a-Lago in August 2022. 

Cannon signaled she was inclined to grant the motion; two days later the Justice Department told Cannon it had completed its review of materials that may fall under attorney–client privilege. She granted Washed Up 45's request on September 5. 

The decision was widely criticized, including by legal scholars from across the political spectrum, a Bush administration Homeland Security official, and former prosecutors.

Feds are not playing games. They want their property.

Among her most notable critics was Washed Up 45's former Attorney General Karen Barr, who went on Fox twice within a week to criticize Cannon's opinion.

Cannon on Thursday denied the Department of Justice's request for a partial stay of her ruling that limited the government's investigation of how Washed Up 45 handled sensitive material at his Mar-a-Lago estate, pending a third-party review of what agents found at Trump's home.

Cannon, in issuing her order, said that she was not willing to accept the government's assertions that roughly 100 documents taken from Mar-a-Lago were classified -- even though they were labeled as such, with some bearing "SECRET" and "TOP SECRET/SCI" markings.

Cannon appointed Raymond Dearie, senior district judge for the Eastern District of New York, as special master to help her resolve the matter. (Earlier this week, the DOJ wrote in court papers that it did not object to to Dearie, who was suggested by the former president's legal team.)

"The Court does not find it appropriate to accept the Government’s conclusions on these important and disputed issues without further review by a neutral third party in an expedited and orderly fashion," Cannon wrote in her order.

In her rulings, Cannon is giving Washed Up 45 an opportunity to assert both attorney-client and executive privilege, though his lawyers have not officially sought to assert either in court.

"The Court declines to conduct a subset-by-subset, piecemeal analysis of the seized property," Cannon wrote, in part, adding, "Indeed, if the Court were willing to accept the Government’s representations that select portions of the seized materials are—without exception—government property not subject to any privileges, and did not think a special master would serve a meaningful purpose, the Court would have denied Plaintiff’s special master request."

In appointing Dearie as special master, Cannon urged him to "prioritize review" of the roughly 100 documents with classification markings and asked him to complete his review of all the documents by Nov. 30, more than a month beyond what the DOJ had called for.

Warns violence if he is indicted.

Her order further directs Dearie that he will make recommendations to her regarding any assertions of executive privilege by Washed Up 45, though he hasn't officially made any.

Many legal scholars question whether a former government official, even a president, can claim privilege over classified documents once they are no longer in office -- and over the determination made by the current president, in this case Joe Biden.

Biden has not granted Washed Up 45 executive privilege. He said he will not get involved in any of the Justice Department's investigations.

The Department of Justice is expected to appeal this ruling. They are citing that the decision impedes on the federal government's duty to obtain its properly and is an unprecedented move to give a former president's lawyers access to documents that the country claims viewing is a high security risk.

The former president and his allies [namely Sucker Tucker and Softball Hannity] revert back to Hillary Clinton.

The former president continues to bring her name up in conversation.

She had said every time he gets caught up in these situations, the former president and Fox keeps bringing her name out. She said that are close to be malicious in their attacks.

The hope that Washed Up 45 could face criminal charges is high on the left's radar.

I strongly believe he will continue to delay this until he intends on declaring his run for president in 2023. He will do it only to make the case that the federal government is trying to stop him and his supporters.

He even went as far to issue a threat.

"I think, if it happened, you'd have problems in this country the likes of which, perhaps, you have ever seen before," said Washed Up 45. "I don't think the people of the United States would stand for it."

When the far right agitator asked the former president to elaborate, he said, "Big problems."

"I just don't think they'd stand for it," he added. "They will not sit still and stand for this ultimate of hoaxes."

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Friday, September 16, 2022

The GOP Showing Who's "White" When It Comes Migrants!

Republicans are back at it with culture wars and white nationalism.

Culture wars are simply white nationalism. Scapegoating has been a constant theme among conservatives and the Republican Party. 

Republicans love to talk a mean game about crime, open borders and reckless spending.

These folks have instigated domestic terrorism with scapegoating migrants, drag queens, transgender girls and Blacks who are demanding respect when it comes to police encounters.

Arizona and Texas have Republican governors. New Mexico and California have Democratic governors. Florida's closest border to foreign countries is estimated 60 miles by water east and 90 miles by water south.

Florida looks like a penis, and its governor is a dick.

Gov. Karen Abbott, Gov. Karen Ducey and Gov. Karen DeSantis decided to meddle with federal immigration policies by doing something so white and so cruel.

Of course, its being cheered by Fox and the far right racists.

Abbott began busing migrants seeking asylum to New York City, Washington, DC, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle. His goal is to "own the libs" and thumb his crooked penis at President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Harris said the U.S. border is secure. She is correct. There has not been any real threats caused by illegal border crossings.  So DeSantis decides to follow and same with Ducey.

So Republican governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts is feuding with DeSantis over this political stunt. About 50 migrants, many of them from Venezuela, ended up on a pair of surprise flights that the state of Florida sent to Martha’s Vineyard, a ritzy vacation island in Massachusetts, in a widely criticized political stunt.

I'm gonna keep doing it.

Migrants say they were promised work papers, jobs and even paid to board the flight and encouraged others to join them.

A 27-year-old Venezuelan migrant named Emmanuel told San Antonio Report that a woman named Perla gave him $200 from “an anonymous benefactor” to recruit fellow asylum-seekers outside a city-run migrant centre in San Antonio, Texas, where the flights originated.

“Perla informed me that in those sanctuary states, the state has the benefits to help migrants,” Emmanuel said. “I’ve just been the mediator because I like to help people.”

“A lot of people really come without plans, they want to come and just work and they have a hand that’ll provide them shelter,” he added. “I just saw it in that way, like a sweet way, doing it for good.”

Later, bystanders said they saw the man tell fellow migrants, “You won’t need a thing,” before boarding the flights.

Both the city of San Antonio and state of Texas have denied any direct involvement with the flights, though they were praised by Abbott.

"Though we were not involved in these initial planes to Martha’s Vineyard, we appreciate the support in responding to this national crisis and helping Texans,” his office said in a statement this week. “Governor Abbott encourages and welcomes all his fellow governors to engage in this effort to secure the border and focus on the failing and illegal efforts of the Biden-Harris Administration to continue these reckless open border policies."

People looking for a place are coming to America. White nationalists don't want them.

The Independent has contacted Florida governor Ron DeSantis, whose office confirmed the state was behind the flights, for comment.

A group of three migrants on the flights described a similar experience to NPR. They said they were told by a woman named Perla they would get expedited work papers and thought they were being taken to Boston.

"She (Perla) offered us help. Help that never arrived," migrant Andres Duarte, a 30-year-old Venezuelan, said. "Now we are here. We got on the plane with a vision of the future, of making it...Look, when you have no money and someone offers help, well, it means a lot."

Another group of migrants told The Associated Press they were approached by a Latina woman outside of a migrant center in San Antonio, who promised jobs and three months of housing in Washington, New York, Philadelphia or Boston.

They said they were put up in a nearby hotel and given food and gift cards by the woman.

“I am not a victim,” Pedro Luis Torrelaba, 36, said. “I simply feel misled because they told a lie and it has come to nothing.”

The group of migrants, numbering nearly 50, have the legal right to seek asylum in the U.S., and were already processed by federal officials before being released ahead of planned court appearances.

Washington, DC mayor Muriel Bowser was not pleased with the Republican governors doing this bus drop off. Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot and California governor Gavin Newsom are calling for the Department of Justice to investigate whether the Republicans committed criminal acts.

I'm going keep on sending migrants.

New York City mayor Eric Adams said that Abbott needs to brush up on American history.

Adams told Abbott to brush up on his vocabulary Wednesday amid their ongoing war of words over the relocation of migrants from the Lone Star State to the Big Apple.

“Someone get this man a dictionary,” mayoral press secretary Fabien Levy said in a prepared statement.

“‘Hypocrisy’ is claiming you love America and then decrying the words on the Statue of Liberty.”

DeSantis being the dick he is slammed the concerns.

DeSantis said Newsom’s "hair gel is interfering with his brain function," after the California governor requested the Department of Justice investigate Florida, and other states, for potential "kidnapping" crimes by flying out illegal immigrants to other parts of the country.

Is the Republicans latest stunt with asylum seeking migrants an act of racism?
No. It's about getting President Joe Biden to secure the border and stop illegal crossings.
Yes. Sounds about white. These people have no shame when it comes to human lives. They are the party of hypocrisy and phony culture wars.
Created with Quiz Maker

DeSantis made the remarks at a news conference Friday in Daytona Beach, Florida, one day after Newsom sent a letter asking Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate whether DeSantis and Abbott's actions sending illegal immigrants from their states to destinations such as New York City, Washington, D.C. Chicago and Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts are illegal. 

Fox was first reported on Wednesday that DeSantis sent two planes full of illegal immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard after promising he would relocate them to a "sanctuary destination."

"So the Governor of California sent a letter to the Department of Justice saying, ‘You need to prosecute Texas and Florida Governors.’ And all I can say is, I think his hair gel is interfering with his brain function," DeSantis said Friday.

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You're Not A Doctor, You South African Dingbat!

What happened to you? You were once a respected journalist.

Once a respected journalist, the former CBS correspondent now is a far right conspiracy theorist. A fucking fall from grace. It all went downhill when she did her Benghazi hit piece. It was widely discredited after it was revealed the man being interviewed was fake.

Since that, she was suspended from CBS News and eventually fired out the cannon. She would emerge on Sinclair Media as a reporter before leaving it for Fox.

She held a show on Fox streaming platforms. 

It was soon cancelled after she made a horrible comparison of Dr. Anthony Fauci to a Nazi propagandist. She ended up having her management company sever ties with her and soon Fox would quietly fired her out the cannon.

Now resorting to appearances on Newsmax, OANN and Real America Voice, the South African dingbat is full blown white extremist.

She is not a doctor nor a journalist. 

So here's the reasons to why she isn't a credible person. She is pushing the Biden cognitive decline conspiracy theory. Biden confirms he has a stuttering problem which is elevated when he speaks. He misspoken numerous times and many of these agitators makes dubious claims of senile behavior. This dingbat goes after the First Lady.

The dingbat trashed First Lady Jill Biden Thursday during an interview on Newsmax TV for “lying” to the country about President Joe Biden’s “dementia.”

The dingbat told network host the sexual predator on The Balance that not only does she believe the president is suffering from cognitive impairment, but his wife is helping him hide it.

"I believe in following the facts and the truth – and finding the principles – and there’s a principle here in what you’re talking about, right? Which is that you’re never going to see the New York Times doing an article about the fact that Jill Biden is propping up her husband."

She added, "I mean, if you want to know something that is truly reprehensible and disgusting, is here is this woman who knows that her husband has dementia, and yet she’s lying to the whole country. She’s lying to her own base, lying to her own supporters. I mean, if there’s anything nauseating about what anyone’s spouses are doing, it’s really quite extraordinary to watch this woman trying to cover up with for the absolute embarrassment that passes for a cognizant human being in the president today."

The far right has this obsession with President Joe Biden and his children, Hunter and Ashley Biden. They seriously believe that the president has dementia, Hunter Biden used his father to get wealthy and partied with hookers on his secret laptop and Ashley Biden's diary claims she showered with her daddy when she was a child. 

All speculations and conspiracy theories that keeps Republicans up all night.

Allegations that are widely dismissed by the mainstream media for a reason. These issues do not feed your family. It does not fix roads, bridges and waterways. It does not change the fact, he is the President of the United States. 

By the way, he has a White House doctor who will confirm any ailments of President Joe Biden.

The junk food media actually would follow up on these claims with actual evidence to back up these claims and not just puffed up opinions masquerading as facts.

I believe she is one of the most worthless media personalities to ever be on television.

That is my opinion and I stand by that.

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CNN Makes Lemon Aide Mornings!

Off to the mornings.

Don Lemon will be losing his show and be a morning host with Poppy Harlow and Kaitlin Collins.

CNN is going to be a trainwreck under Chris Licht. It is already becoming a shitshow thanks to Warner Bros. Discovery and the Republican owners of the longtime cable news channel. It was revealed that one of the owners does not even watch CNN. He gets all his CNN from watching that white nationalist bullshit on Fox.

Being too political is too much for CNN. Licht had warned hosts and panelists that they are not in the business of making noise. So this is a punishment for Lemon.

The network recently let go of Brian Stelter and canceled Reliable Sources. The show was on the air for 34 years and was very critical of Washed Up 45 and Fox.

The show will replace “New Day,” which airs 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET. It will carry a new name, format, and set, CNN said.

“New Day” anchors John Berman and Brianna Keilar will continue to anchor their show until the new program debuts. They will then be assigned new anchor roles at the network, CNN said.

In recent weeks, Licht has started to put his stamp on the network’s programming, with the announcement of the new morning show his most signifiant move to date.

Morning shows have been a forte for Licht throughout his career. Prior to joining CNN, Licht created MSNBC’s popular “Morning Joe” and revitalized “CBS This Morning.”

“There is no stronger combination of talent than Don, Poppy and Kaitlan to deliver on our promise of a game-changing morning news program,” Licht said in a press release.

“They are each uniquely intelligent, reliable and compelling; together they have a rare and palpable chemistry,” Licht added. “Combined with CNN’s resources and global newsgathering capabilities, we will offer a smart, bold and refreshing way to start the day.”

Shuffling the deck with CNN hosts.

In a memo to staffers, Licht acknowledged that the overhaul of the morning show “will spark a number of questions” that can’t all be addressed in a single note. But Licht sought to answer the major ones, telling employees that the “New Day” team will “continue to produce the morning show” and reiterating Keilar and Berman will be given new anchor roles.

“The next chapter of CNN is beginning to shape,” Licht said. “I am sure there are many questions not answered in this note. We’ll be communicating as much as we can as we refine specifics and ensure this transition is a thorough and inclusive process.”

Lemon, whose show “Don Lemon Tonight” will come to an end as a result of the move, described the last eight years in prime time as an “incredible ride.” But, he said, it was “time to shake things up.”

“I am so appreciative of the ‘Don Lemon Tonight’ team, my wonderful, loyal viewers and everyone who has believed in me,” Lemon said in a press release. “I was honestly floored when Chris Licht asked me to do this and I’m honored by his belief in me. It’s going to be a thrill to take on this challenge with Poppy and Kaitlan.”

A CNN spokesperson said that the network will announce new programming that will replace Lemon’s current show later this year.

Harlow, who currently co-anchors the 9am-11am hours and recently completed Yale’s Master of Studies in Law degree program, described Lemon as one of her “closest friends for more than a decade” and said she was grateful for the opportunity.

“What a gift to be able to sit beside Don and Kaitlan each morning,” Harlow said.

Collins, who has served as chief White House correspondent since the start of the Biden administration, said she was “thrilled to start this new adventure” and assume the new role of co-anchor and chief correspondent for the revamped morning show.

It was not immediately clear who, if anyone, will fill her position as chief White House correspondent when she vacates the role. A CNN spokesperson said the network will announce changes at the White House soon.

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Thursday, September 15, 2022

Singing In The Cell!

It is pretty much over.

The sexual predator was convicted in Chicago. He will now face additional time in federal time out. The former R&B singer was convicted for having production and distribution of child pornography. 

The sexual predator was found guilty on three counts of child pornography and three counts of enticing a minor, but was acquitted of a conspiracy to obstruct justice charge accusing him fixing his state child pornography trial in 2008.

"The evidence in this case revealed reprehensible conduct," said John Lausch, U.S. Attorney of Northern District of Illinois. "I want to thank the victims. I want to thank the survivors, the people who survived Robert Kelly and his years of abuse at his hands. Their courage to come into this courtroom and to stand before the jury and reveal the things that man did to them, it's remarkable."

The ABC7 I-Team has been following the sexual predator's case for more than 20 years, from the South Side to South Florida. But, until Wednesday, federal authorities in Chicago have never been able to put a guilty label on the predator.

The decision comes after a federal judge in New York sentenced the predator to 30 years in prison in June for racketeering and sex trafficking. Based on that sentence, he won't be eligible for release until he is around 80.

Now, federal prosecutors want the Chicago sentence to be consecutive to the 30 years he already faces in New York for similar crimes. Although the court victory is being heralded by prosecutors, there isn't anything to celebrate.

"We are not celebrating," said the predator's attorney, Jennifer Bonjean. "Something that I have been fighting for and was fighting for from the beginning was that, if this jury concluded that he was guilty on the first three counts, would they care enough to consider the evidence on the rest? And they did their job. They looked at each count separately."

The Chicago-born washed up celebrity grew up on the South Side, has always proclaimed his innocence, despite the charges and allegations against him.

ABC7 legal analyst Gil Soffer, who is a former federal prosecutor in Chicago, said it is highly unlikely the predator will ever see the light of day. He faces up to 90 years in prison on the Chicago charges alone and he is a 55 year old man, so he will likely die in prison.

The Chicago trial was, in many ways, a do-over of the predator's 2008 child pornography trial, with a key video critical to both.

Federal prosecutors called four women to testify, telling the jury they were underage when engaging in sexually activity with the predator.

Among them the woman calling herself "Jane," who testified she was 14 years old in a sexually explicit video with the predator.

He could have stopped, but the ego got in the way.

The verdict affirms that the jury believed three of those women.

The predator's co-defendants, his former business manager Derrel McDavid and former employee Milton Brown, were found not guilty.

McDavid threw his hands in the air after the verdict was read.

A federal jury found he, the predator and his assistant Milton Brown were not part of a conspiracy to fix a Cook County trial in 2008.

Jurors did what was right," Beau Brindley, the attorney for McDavid, said. "Witnesses were liars."

"My son got out of law school and worked on this case 'til 3:30 every morning to find his father not guilty," said defendant Derrel McDavid.

The legal challenges for the predator - who rose from poverty on Chicago's South Side to become a Grammy-winning superstar - are not yet over. Two further trials are pending; one in Minnesota and another in state court in Chicago.

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx released a statement following the verdict that said: "Today's verdict sends the message that justice matters. Not just for the survivors who had the courage to relive trauma and face their abuser years later in this case, but also for the many survivors in our communities who speak their truth on their path to healing."

"The Cook County State's Attorney's Office has long combined efforts with our federal partners, and we are pleased that our collaborative efforts resulted in this conviction. We will continue this collective work in the pursuit of justice for all victims. At this time, the four sexual assault cases filed in 2019 by my office involving Robert Kelly remain pending litigation. As we review next steps in the prosecution of these cases, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office will continue to prioritize public safety and support all victims of crime and we will remain a compassionate trauma informed resource for survivors as they regain their power and heal."

Attorneys for the predator and his co-defendant were in and out of court Wednesday when the jurors had questions, before they ultimately reached a verdict. In the courtroom, they reviewed the questions with the judge.

The jury had a number of questions for attorneys, including one about a piece of evidence, a college application from the predator's accuser; if there were records for a Westin hotel stay in 1999 and 2000; and clarity on language of whether the predator "persuaded, induced, enticed and/or coerced minors."

The judge said the application was not admitted into evidence.

Prosecutors responded, saying there were no records of those hotel stays.

They're also working to clarify whether the charging documents stated "or coerced" or "and coerced" minors, meaning they would have to prove that, as well.

Jurors weighed 13 charges against the three defendants as they debated whether the predator will serve more time in federal prison on child pornography charges dating back decades.

The disgraced singer, once a music industry icon, was on trial with two men intertwined with the predator's career, including his former business manager and former employee.

"Derrel McDavid is not guilty, and that is the right answer," defense attorney Beau Brindley said earlier in the day. "And we feel very confident that the jury will reach that answer."

Jurors heard nine hours of closing arguments in the fifth week of this trial. The predator is accused of creating child pornography, and all three men are accused of trying to hide sex videos of the predator with minors and silence witnesses during the predator's Cook County prosecution in 2008.

The predator's attorney argued Tuesday: "This man did some beautiful things with his music. And he should not be stripped of every bit of humanity... I ask more importantly and to remember each count counts and take the time you need...Mr. Kelly deserves it no matter what you think of him."

Federal prosecutors had the final say, arguing that the activities of the three were conspiracy to thwart criminal prosecution.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeannice Appenteng told the jury: "That case was fixed because Kelly, McDavid and others caused Jane and her family to lie to the grand jury."

She concluded: "Find Robert Kelly guilty of sexually abusing these young women....Find Mr. McDavid and Mr. Brown guilty for agreeing with Kelly to cover up the videos."

Bonjean also spoke about the challenges of public opinion, ahead of the trial's start Tuesday.

"I do think it has come into focus how much Mr. Kelly has been prejudiced having a joint trial," she said.

The predator's attorney argued for hours that federal prosecutors did not prove their case and that their evidence is flawed based on testimony from liars and extortionists.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Pozolo argued Monday, "He took advantage of his position, his fame and her youth. He took advantage for his own pleasure."

Piped Piper.

Pozolo went on to argue that the three - the predator, his former business manager and former assistant - conspired to conceal evidence and thwart criminal prosecution in Cook County when the video of Jane became public.

"Kelly and his team did their best to cover up the fact that this R&B star R Kelly is a sexual predator," Pozolo said.

Prosecutor Pozolo concluded her argument, saying, "Robert Kelly manipulated girls over many years, and he committed horrible crimes against children. And he didn't do it alone."

Each defendant's attorney made a closing argument, too.

The attorney for McDavid - the predator's former business manager - argued those who testified about McDavid's involvement in any conspiracy lied before and during the trial.

"Don't give into guilt by association because that's all the government has," Beau Brindley, McDavid's attorney, told jurors.

Additionally, Brindley argued McDavid believed the predator's goddaughter, who was 14 years old at the time, was not the girl in the sex tape.

"The information he had then is different than what he has now," Brindley said.

Mary Judge, the attorney for the predator's former assistant, Milton Brown, argued that Brown was not part of any conspiracy, saying, "It proved he was doing his job and that is all it proves."

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Detroit To Revert Interstate 375 To A Historical Boulevard!

Interstate 375 in Michigan will be a thing of the past.

Ranked one of the shortest and most pointless interstate freeways in United States, Interstate 375 in Detroit was regarded as a relic of racism. 

Now the Michigan Department of Transportation, city of Detroit and U.S. Department of Transportation have reached a deal to decommission and remove Interstate 375 from the roster. They will also convert the 1.06 mile freeway into a historical boulevard which will be a connection to neighborhoods that were impacted by the highway being built.

It was built in 1964 as a lower tier freeway for easy access to the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. 

On average the spur generates 15,000 to 70,000 vehicles a day. That includes travel to downtown, Comerica Park, Hollywood Casino Greektown, Fox Theatre, Ford Stadium and Little Caesars Arena and MGM Grand.

Construction on the first segments of the Chrysler Freeway started on January 30, 1959. The area where the freeway was built was called Black Bottom, a historic district that received its name from the soil found there by French explorers. In the 1940s and 1950s, the area was home to a community of African-American entrepreneurs and businesses that rivaled Harlem in New York City. Black Bottom was one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, and, at the time of freeway construction, it had wooden sewers and dilapidated buildings. In the 1950s and 1960s, many lower-class African-American residents lived in overcrowded and run-down housing in Black Bottom. These residents could not afford to maintain their homes because of their low income, leading outsiders to view the area as neglected and in need of updating and development. The area, like Corktown to the west of downtown, was targeted by urban planners for urban renewal and infrastructure improvements in the 1950s and 1960s, which included the Chrysler Freeway and public housing projects. In the case of the construction of the Chrysler Freeway, some of the most crucial entertainment and cultural communities in Detroit, Black Bottom, and Paradise Valley were destroyed.

On June 12, 1964, a surface street highway/freeway in Detroit that ran north from Jefferson Avenue and Randolph Street to the Fisher/Chrysler freeway interchange was opened. The southernmost segment, built through the Black Bottom neighborhood, was designated I-375 at this time. The freeway cost $50 million to build (equivalent to $325 million in 2020).

Building Interstate 375 through predominantly Black neighborhoods.

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded Michigan $104.6 million to dismantle the 1-mile interstate, part of $1.5 billion in grants awarded by the department nationwide. The program, Reconnecting Communities, was part of the bipartisan infrastructure package passed earlier this year.

The funding will enable Michigan to move forward with its $270 million plan to turn the highway into a street-level boulevard, reconnecting historic neighborhoods. After years of planning dating back to 2013, the highway removal is now estimated to begin as soon as 2025, two years earlier than expected, with construction finished by 2028.

The project includes removing 15 old bridges, adding LED lighting, building wider sidewalks, bike lanes and pedestrian crossings, and more.

“This stretch of I-375 cuts like a gash through the neighborhood, one of many examples I have seen in communities across the country where a piece of infrastructure has become a barrier,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told The Associated Press. “With these funds, we’re now partnering with the state and the community to transform it into a road that will connect rather than divide,” Buttigieg said.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer requested the federal funding last year. In a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Whitmer said the stretch of freeway in Detroit was a “perfect candidate” for the program, given that the road leveled and dislocated several communities of color when it was constructed in the early 1960s.

Black Bottom and Paradise Valley, two of the city’s predominantly African American neighborhoods, were razed as part of the 1950s creation of an interstate highway system, displacing 100,000 Black residents and erecting a decades-long barrier between the downtown and communities to the east.

“I-375 was built due to the 1956 Federal Interstate Highway Act. Many of these interstate highways would destroy, disrupt and wipe out African American business districts and African American residential communities,” said historian Jamon Jordan.

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The Trains Are Running!

Trains are moving thanks to Biden working out a deal with rail workers.

President Joe Biden, train executives and the union bosses reached a deal. They reached a tentative agreement to advert a nationwide railroad workers strike.

Biden announced on Thursday that a tentative railway labor agreement has been reached, averting a nationwide strike that could have been devastating to the economy before the pivotal midterm elections.

Railroads and union representatives had been in negotiations for 20 hours at the Labor Department well past midnight to hammer out a deal, as there was a risk of a strike starting on Friday that could have shut down rail lines across the country.

The president brought business and union leaders to the Oval Office on Thursday morning, then hailed the deal in remarks in the White House Rose Garden.

In the Oval Office, a beaming Biden joked that he was surprised everyone was “still standing” after the late night and that they should be “home in bed.”

The strike would also have disrupted passenger traffic as well as freight rail lines, because Amtrak and many commuter railroads operate on tracks owned by the freight railroads. Amtrak had already canceled a number of its long-distance trains this week, and said the rest of its long-distance trains would stop Thursday ahead of the strike deadline.

Following the tentative agreement, Amtrak said it was “working to quickly restore canceled trains and reaching out to impacted customers to accommodate on first available departures.”

The five-year deal, retroactive to 2020, includes the 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses that a Presidential Emergency Board recommended this summer. But railroads also agreed to ease their strict attendance policies to address some of the unions’ concerns about working conditions.

Railroad workers will now be able to take unpaid days off for doctor’s appointments without being penalized under railroad attendance rules. Previously, workers would lose points under the attendance systems that the BNSF and Union Pacific railways had adopted, and they could be disciplined if they lost all their points.

The unions that represent the conductors and engineers who drive the trains had pressed hard for changes in the attendance rules, and they said this deal sets a precedent that they will be able to negotiate over those kinds of rules in the future. But workers will still have to vote whether those changes are enough to approve the deal.

The threat of a shutdown had put Biden in a delicate spot politically. The Democratic president believes unions built the middle class, but he also knew a rail worker strike could damage the economy ahead of the midterms, when majorities in both chambers of Congress, key governorships and scores of important state offices will be up for grabs.

That left him in the awkward position on Wednesday. He flew to Detroit, a stalwart of the labor movement, to espouse the virtues of unionization, while members of his administration went all-out to keep talks going in Washington between the railroads and unionized workers.

As the administration was trying to forge peace, United Auto Workers Local 598 member Ryan Buchalski introduced Biden at the Detroit auto show as “the most union- and labor-friendly president in American history” and someone who was “kickin’ ass for the working class.” Buchalski harked back to the pivotal sit-down strikes by autoworkers in the 1930s.

In the speech that followed, Biden recognized that he wouldn’t be in the White House without the support of unions such as the UAW and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, saying autoworkers “brung me to the dance.”

But without a deal among the 12 unions in talks back in Washington, Biden also knew that a stoppage could halt shipments of food and fuel at a cost of $2 billion a day.

Far more was at stake than sick leave and salary bumps for 115,000 unionized railroad workers. The ramifications could have extended to control of Congress and to the shipping network that keeps factories rolling, stocks the shelves of stores and stitches the U.S. together as an economic power.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, speaking aboard Air Force One as it jetted to Detroit, said a rail worker strike was “an unacceptable outcome for our economy and the American people.”

Biden faced the same kind of predicament faced by Theodore Roosevelt in 1902 with coal and Harry Truman in 1952 with steel — how do you balance the needs of labor and business in doing what’s best for the nation? Railways were so important during World War I that Woodrow Wilson temporarily nationalized the industry to keep goods flowing and prevent strikes.

Union activism has surged under Biden, as seen in a 56% increase in petitions for union representation with the National Labor Relations Board so far this fiscal year.

With the economy still recovering from the supply chain disruptions of the coronavirus pandemic, the president’s goal was to keep all parties so a deal could be reached. Biden also knew a stoppage could worsen the dynamics that have contributed to soaring inflation and created a political headache for the party in power.

Eddie Vale, a Democratic political consultant and former AFL-CIO communications aide, said the White House pursued the correct approach at a perilous moment.

“No one wants a railroad strike, not the companies, not the workers, not the White House,” he said. “No one wants it this close to the election.”

Sensing political opportunity, Senate Republicans moved Wednesday to pass a law to impose contract terms on the unions and railroad companies to avoid a shutdown. Democrats, who control both chambers in Congress, blocked it.

The economic impact of a potential strike was not lost on members of the Business Roundtable, a Washington-based group that represents CEOs. It issued its quarterly outlook for the economy Wednesday.

“We’ve been experiencing a lot of headwinds from supply chain problems since the pandemic started and those problems would be geometrically magnified,” Josh Bolten, the group’s CEO, told reporters. “There are manufacturing plants around the country that likely have to shut down. ... There are critical products to keep our water clean.”

By 5:05 a.m. Thursday, it was clear that the hard work across the government, unions and railway companied had paid off as Biden announced the deal, calling it “an important win for our economy and the American people.”







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GOP Plays The Race Card!

Republicans run a racist ad on Mandela Barnes. 

Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes of Wisconsin is in a tight race for U.S. Senate. He is the Democratic nominee for the Senate and his opponent is Sen. Karen Johnson (R-WI), a far right, pro insurrection white nationalists.

The guy who supported Washed Up 45 attempts to overturn the presidential election. He voted to not remove the former president from office twice. 

Johnson who is considered vulnerable pulled off his victory in 2016. He could still do so given the toxic environment and how Americans are feeling right now with the economy, threats to democracy and the endless culture wars.

Barnes, the first African American lieutenant governor for the state of Wisconsin is expected to face racially attacks from the GOP. Their latest example regards the terrorist who mowed down innocent people in Waukesha. 

Barnes and Ilhan Omar are used for a scare tactic.

The terrorist was considered mentally ill but to the Republicans, he is their Willie Horton.

A new TV ad launched by Republican National Committee falsely attacking Barnes for supporting cashless bail.

National Republican Senatorial Committee began airing a $1.2 million advertisement online and television attack ad against Barnes, the Democratic with powerful footage that was likely painful for many people in the state: a car plowing into a crowd gathered for a Christmas parade in Waukesha last winter. Six people died and 62 were injured. 

They superimpose his face with three women of color. In the end, he is placed hear controversial Democrats Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). It was not only racist but Islamophobic due to the fact the GOP used the Omar and Tlaib, who are the first Muslim women elected to the House in 2018.

This is the Republicans new strategy. They are not winning on "defund the police." 

So now they're now trying to tag Black candidates to "Black on whatever" crime. It is expected the Republicans race baiting to continue. They'll go after Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) and Cheri Beasley, Democratic nominees for the Florida and North Carolina's senate races.

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Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Jesse Powell Passed Away!

Jesse Powell, one hit wonder singer passed away.

The 1990s R&B singer Jesse Powell has passed away at the age of 51.

R&B singer Jesse Powell, best known for the 1996 hit “You,” died Tuesday at the age of 51, according his family members.

The artist died “peacefully” Tuesday in his Los Angeles home, according to his sisters recording artists Trina and Tamara Powell. 

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beloved son, brother and uncle Jesse Powell,” Tamara said in a statement from the family on Instagram. 

“The family asks for privacy at this time as we mourn this tremendous loss and celebrate his everlasting legacy,” it said. 

The family remembered Powell as a man who loved music and was devoted to his fans. 

“We want you all to know that you meant the world to him,’ the statement concluded.

A cause of death was not shared.

Trina shared the same statement on her Facebook page.

Tamara shared another post on Instagram, a video of her brother performing on stage to the cheers of the crowd. 

“That voice!” she wrote. “Aside from being one of the best R&B male vocalists out there, you were the best big brother ever. I loved you so much."

"We absolutely adored you 'Jet' & our family will not be the same without you," she said.

Hailing from Gary, Indiana, he and his family ended up in Los Angeles in the 90’s to pursue their vocalist careers.

Powell released four albums from 1996 and 2003. His second record “Bout It,” was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1999. 

“You” is the song that has prevailed the test of time with nearly 13 million lifetime streams on Spotify. The hit released on his eponymous debut album in 1996 and against on his 1998 album "Bout It" rising to No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Billboard reported.

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The FBI Seized My Pillow!

I can't enjoy a meal.

The far right agitator and founder of My Pillow had confirmed that the FBI has seized his electronics when he was ordering food from a Hardee's/Carl's Jr in Minnesota. 

If you type "Election Fraud" in the order box, you could save 25% off your next purchase.

The My Pillow Guy is a strong supporter of the former president and his election misinformation. He also is the founder of Frank, a social media platform and television network that has the washed up agitators Diamond & Silk with a program.

He is also named in a lawsuit by Dominion Systems. The company is suing him and numerous far right agitators and Fox for $1 billion in a defamation case.

The guy is permanently banned on Twitter for spreading racism and election lies.

He is apparently under federal watch. He could have kept quiet about the FBI executing a search of his property. He instead doubles down and claims he was a victim of President Joe Biden's tyranny.

My Pillow Dude said three cars with FBI agents pulled in front of his vehicle in the fast-food parking lot and issued the pillow maven a search warrant for his cellphone.

The idiot who received a subpoena from a Colorado grand jury, according to photos of the document provided to ABC News, said he has not been contacted by any other grand jury investigating Washed Up 45's alleged efforts to obstruct the 2020 election.

The My Pillow founder also claimed that the grand jury subpoena he received requested information about Dominion Voting Systems machines and a Colorado clerk, Karen Peters.

The FBI did not comment when asked. The Denver FBI provided the following statement: "Without commenting on this specific matter, I can confirm that the FBI was at that location executing a search warrant authorized by a federal judge."

When asked if he's worried about law enforcement seizing his phone and any potential criminal charges, My Pillow Guy told ABC News, "I've been to many jails. I'm not scared to go to jail. I'm trying to save my country."

Before he became famous, this guy abused cocaine and was a problematic gambler. He found Christian therapy and became a born again.

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