Red Flag Signs Missed Again. UVA Shooter - Concealed Weapon Conviction, Suspended Sentence, 2021.

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Wednesday November 16, 2022 · 9:36 AM PST

2022/11/16 · 09:36

Peaceful evening at the UVA Lawn in 2017, a few days before the tiki torch march.

I am heartbroken about the deadly shooting at the University of Virginia, my alma mater. Always, always, always, after a shooting with multiple victims, we find out there is “more to the story” about the shooter.

Darnell Christopher Jones, Jr. was charged and convicted of reckless driving and hit-and-run in 2021 with a suspended sentence. Also in 2021 he was charged for having a concealed weapon with his sentence suspended.

He was part of a hazing investigation at UVA in September 2022, that was dropped because witnesses would not cooperate. UVA has not said whether he was the victim or not. A friend said he was bullied, and in his last conversation with his father he said some people were bothering him and he did not know what to do about it.

During the hazing investigation in September, a person reported that Jones said he owned a gun. The UVA threat assessment team investigated. Jones refused to cooperate and his case was referred (escalated) for disciplinary action on October 27, 2022. (Jones was required to self-report his convictions in 2021, but did not do so). Emphasis mine. www.cnn.com/...

“In the course of their investigation, University officials spoke with Mr. Jones’ roommate, who gave no indication of the presence of any weapons. In the course of their investigation, University officials discovered that Mr. Jones previously had been tried and convicted of a misdemeanor concealed weapons violation in 2021, for which he received a 12-month suspended sentence and a small fine.”

Coy said throughout the investigation “Mr. Jones repeatedly refused to cooperate with University officials who were seeking additional information about the claims that he had a firearm and about his failure to disclose the previous misdemeanor conviction.”

On November 13, 2022, after returning from a field trip and before the students disembarked from the bus, Jones shot and killed 3 UVA football players, wounded 1 football player and another UVA student. Witnesses said that Jones shot Devin Chandler while he was sleeping. He pushed Lavel Davis and muttered something that was not clear, but sounded like, “You guys are always messing with me.” (Jones was on the football team roster in 2018).

He was denied bond at his court hearing on Wednesday, November 16, 2022. During the course of the hearing:

Wednesday’s hearing also revealed that Jones was charged and convicted of a reckless driving and hit and run in 2021 and had a concealed weapons charge the same year. He received suspended sentences for all of the offenses.

IANAL, so I do not know what other options were available to UVA in pursuing the investigation as to whether Jones owned a gun, what options would have violated his rights, or what options would have prevented the violence. I see law suits in the future for UVA. One of the football players had NFL potential (can’t remember which one).

I don’t think universities can rely on students to self-report law enforcement arrests and/or convictions. This is not the first time a UVA student became violent and had a previous arrest by law enforcement. In 2010, George Huguely V killed his girlfriend Yeardley Love. He had resisted arrest in 2008 in another city for public intoxication and had to be subdued with a stun gun. (He had a history of domestic abuse that was not investigated & excessive drinking). en.wikipedia.org/...

Of course, the larger issue is the f*cking easy access to GUNS.

Physicians Reluctant to Move to Anti-Abortion States; Corporations Will Locate Elsewhere.

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Sunday August 07, 2022 · 1:18 PM PDT

2022/08/07 · 13:18

ATLANTA, GA - JULY 23: A protester holds a sign while marching and chanting through Downtown Atlanta, in opposition to Georgia's new abortion law on July 23, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. A federal appeals court has decided to allow a Georgia law that bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy to go into effect. Previously Georgia law allowed abortions up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

Well, I came across a couple of stories on Yahoo News from Saturday 8/6/22 that add to the effect of the anti-abortion laws in red states. Physician recruiters are having trouble filling positions, not only ob-gyn, but other specialties as well. One recruiter was turned down by 20 doctors, who did not want to practice in a red state. One doctor had a three word answer: “Roe vs. Wade.” Resident physicians are not seeking employment in red states. Medical students are preparing to look elsewhere for residencies.

This will have an enormous negative impact on health care for all, but especially for women in rural areas. Emphasis mine.

Tom Florence, president of Merritt Hawkins, an AMN Healthcare company said:

"To talk to approximately 20 candidates that state they would decline to practice in those restrictive states, that is certainly a trend we are seeing," Florence said. "It is certainly going to impact things moving forward."

snip

Tellingly, Florence added, none of the recruiters had encountered a single physician seeking to practice in a state because it had banned abortion.

snip

A third-year OB/GYN resident at U-N. M., Alana Carstens Yalom attended medical school at Tulane University, in New Orleans. She had entertained the idea of going back to Louisiana for her medical practice. Not anymore. She wants abortion care to be a part of her OB/GYN practice, and Louisiana has a ban.

"Now I don't think that is even an option for me," she said.

www.yahoo.com/...

Red states will lose business revenue and probably have a decline in population, which could be a good result.

“Major pharmaceutical company looks to expand out of Indiana following abortion ban,” is the headline of a Yahoo News article, originally published by The Hill.

Indiana-based pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly announced in a statement obtained by The Hill on Saturday that it would look to expand employment growth outside the state following the passage of a near-total ban on abortion.

snip

We are concerned that this law will hinder Lilly’s – and Indiana’s – ability to attract diverse scientific, engineering and business talent from around the world,” the company added

snip

“As a global company headquartered in Indianapolis for more than 145 years, we work hard to retain and attract thousands of people who are important drivers of our state’s economy. Given this new law, we will be forced to plan for more employment growth outside our home state,” the company concluded.

news.yahoo.com/...

Eli Lilly will not be the only company to do this. More will follow, especially in the areas of technology and science, imo. The law of unintended consequences for the GOP in their zealous scheme to restrict a woman’s right to choose.

Monday morning - Thanks to DrBoomer for his stronger statement: “The law of unintended consequences for the GOP in their zealous scheme to” control the lives of all humans, especially women and POC.”

Pete Buttigieg on Fox News - Scathing Reply to Question About Kavanaugh Protestors; Chasten's Tweet

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Sunday July 10, 2022 · 5:05 PM PDT

2022/07/10 · 17:05

(FILES) In this file photo taken on April 22, 2019, South Bend Mayor and Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg (L) speaks besides husband Chasten Glezman at the West Side Democratic Club during a Dyngus Day celebration event in South Bend, Indiana. - Buttigieg, the gay, liberal mayor of the small American city of South Bend, in the conservative bastion of Indiana, officially launched his presidential bid on April 14th, joining a crowded field of Democrats vying for their party's nomination in 2020. (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP) (Photo credit should read KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Pete did what he does best this morning on Fox News — masterful take-down on overturning Roe, taking away our right to privacy, and he simply eviscerated Bret Kavanaugh. (Bold is mine).

Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation, was on Fox News today to talk about infrastructure, but Mike Emanuel just had to slip in a question about the protesters at Morton’s Restaurant, where Kavanaugh was eating dinner. He asked what Pete thought about his husband, Chasten’s tweet: “Sounds like he just wanted some privacy to make his own dining decisions.” LOL. Chasten rivals AOC in dry, sarcastic tweets.

Buttigieg began his answer by establishing that public officials should always be free of “violence, harassment and intimidation” in public locations, while adding that they will “never be free of criticism or peaceful protest” from individuals exercising their rights to freedom of speech.

“Remember, the justice [Kavanaugh] never even came in contact with these protesters. They reportedly didn’t see or hear them, and these protesters are upset because a right — an important right, that the majority of Americans support — was taken away. Not only the right to choose, by the way, but this justice was part of the process of stripping away the right to privacy.”

“As long as I’ve been alive, the seventh (settled)** case law of the Constitution protected a right to privacy, and that has now been thrown out the window by the justices, including justice Kavanaugh, who — as I recall — swore up and down, in front of God and everyone, including the United States Congress, that they were going to leave settled case law alone,” Buttigieg added.

Buttigieg said that peaceful protesters’ First Amendment rights are protected, contrasting that with the realities of the House investigative committee on the Capitol rioters and saying that the nation is “reckoning with a mob summoned by the former president … for the purpose of overthrowing the election and very nearly succeeded in preventing the peaceful transfer of power. I think common sense can tell the difference.”

**HT to Sean Robertson for pointing out the error in the transcript.

The excerpt comes from Yahoo News, which has a link to a video on Twitter. news.yahoo.com/…

I know some people don’t use twitter, so Axios has a video of the relevant part of the interview on its site. www.axios.com/…

It can be found on Youtube as well. Love the Meidas Touch Background, “Because Truth is Golden.”

YouTube Video

I gotta say, Pete was high on my list in 2020 for his intelligence and facility with words. I love how he simply talks over the Emanuel when he tries to break in and never acknowledges him. He manages to compare that peaceful protest at Morton’s to the brutal, violent insurrection on Jan 6.

UPDATE: Pete and Chasten bought a house in Michigan two years ago, near Chasten’s parents in Traverse City. In the last week, it has become public knowledge that they are changing their legal residence from Indiana to Michigan. They will vote in MI for the mid-terms.

Crossword Puzzles: Bigotry, Sexism. Approved Content or Not? Accepted Cultural References or Not?

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Saturday January 29, 2022 · 9:01 AM PST

2022/01/29 · 09:01

I have been doing many of the word games on the AARP site, including crossword puzzles. I was getting a bit bored with them, and did a google search for more online puzzles. This intriguing headline came up in the search: “The Hidden Bigotry in Crossword Puzzles,” by Natan Last, The Atlantic, March 18, 2020. https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/03/fight-to-make-crosswords-more-inclusive/608212/

Recently I have been disturbed by a clue/answer that has appeared several times. Clue: Supervisor; Answer: Overseer. I am a visual person, and the imagery that immediately came to mind was a POC being treated harshly, cruelly, inhumanely on southern plantations. Ok, I grew up in Virginia, also.

Any emphasis or italics is mine.

The article states that traditionally older white men have written, edited, and approved the content of crosswords. I learned a new term, those who write crossword puzzles are called, ‘constructors.’

Men’s names appear most often in puzzles. When Sally Hoelscher published her first crossword puzzle in The New York Times there were no men as answers. The editor added one.

A commenter asked: “Why is it desirable/necessary to have women’s names predominate in crossword puzzles?” Jenni Levy, an internist and a writer on the review site Diary of a Crossword Fiend replied:

“Because women are underrepresented in puzzle content and creation. Clues and answers that are stereotypically masculine are “general interest;” clues and answers that are stereotypically feminine are “niche” or “obscure” … We’re so far from [parity] that a few puzzles with exclusively women’s names wouldn’t get us there … [and feminism here means] “we acknowledge the systemic forces that threaten women, we speak up when we see those forces represented in crosswords, and we call on our community to do better.”

I learned another new term: The Bechdel Test -- a measure of the representation of women in fiction. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechdel_test

“Constructors constantly argue with editors that their culture is puzzle-worthy, only to hear feedback greased by bias, and occasionally outright sexism or racism. (Publications are anonymized in the editor feedback that follows.) MARIE KONDO wouldn’t be familiar enough “to most solvers, especially with that unusual last name.”

Snip

The New York Times puzzle has weathered deep sensitivity issues of late, including allowing a racial slur in the grid in January 2019, despite unequivocal protestations from those who saw the puzzle prepublication. Other transgressions include clues for ILLEGAL (“One caught by border patrol”); MEN (“Exasperated comment from a feminist”); and HOOD (“Place with homies”). In many cases, editorial changes warp a constructor’s original, inoffensive clue.”

The ‘times’ are beginning to change. There are subscription crosswords that include more references to women and LQBTQ. Crossword editors are slowly becoming more diverse.

“Erik Agard is one such advocate. Recently named the editor of USA Today’s crossword, in a few short months he’s already “brought something pretty radical,” per Andy Kravis, a queer constructor and an assistant for the Times’ puzzle. Almost every USA Today byline has been a woman or a person of color, thanks to Agard’s active recruitment. “It’s a model people would talk about as ‘Surely you can’t mean this; [surely we’ll] compromise along the way,’” Kravis says, and yet, under Agard’s stewardship, the USA Today puzzle is unmistakably diverse.”

In case you want to know more about Andy Kravis, who was unknown to me: www.hourdetroit.com/...

I am sure there are plenty of ‘cross worders’ (my term) here on DKos that can add to the conversation. Usually writing a diary and responding to comments will use up all my energy and brain power for the day, so I will loosely monitor this. (See disclaimer)

**************

DISCLAIMER: I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and my brain NEVER functions at 100% capacity. I know someone will say no one’s brain functions at 100%. My point is that the brain fog I experience makes it difficult for me to comprehend nuances, complex issues, and sometimes write coherently. Sometimes my comments are not well thought out. Because of these issues, I do not write diaries very often.

Many people with Long Covid will experience this “brain fog,” and we need to be understanding and gentle with them. I would say, not all of us are ‘able-brained.’

Texas Loves Football - No NCAA Bowl Games, Unless SB 8, Anti-Abortion/Women Vigilante Law Repealed

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Saturday September 04, 2021 · 10:24 AM PDT

2021/09/04 · 10:24

Lucy pulls the football away when Charlie Brown goes to kick it. Again. — Want football, Texas? Repeal SB 8.

www.ncaa.org

Football is huge in Texas. Post season bowl games make MONEY. There are seven post season football bowl games scheduled the end of December and early January in Texas. NCAA has a Facebook page for those who use FB. I sent them a message via FB asking them to cancel ALL post-season bowls in TX unless and until SB 8 is repealed. You can send a tweet, also. I can’t find an email address. They list their ‘National Team” and the NCAA Board of Governors. No contact information but it lists Board members’ employment. Many are at universities, which usually have a contact email. Several are women, one is a woman of color:

WOMEN ON BOARD OF GOVERNORS: Rebecca Blank,Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin;Allison Garrett J.D.,President of Emporia State University; Renu Khator, President of the University of Houston;Fayneese Miller,President of Hamline University; Denise Trauth,President of Texas State University.

The NCAA has the following corporate sponsors who can be contacted (bombarded) with telephone calls, tweets, email. Providing a few links.

CORPORATE SPONSORS: AT&T, AFLAC, Buick, Coca-Cola www.coca-colacompany.com/..., Invesco, Lowe’s, Marriott Bonvoy twitter.com/..., Nabisco is made by Mondelez International, a huge producer of snack products. www.mondelezinternational.com; twitter.com/...

Nissan, Pizza Hut, Reeses, Uber Eats, Unilever (most of them, but not totally inclusive). NABISCO workers are on strike and asking that you not buy Nabisco products. finance.yahoo.com/…

BOWL GAMES: 12/21/21 Frisco Bowl, Frisco TX; 12/22/21 Armed Forces Bowl, Fort Worth (Does Biden have the power or influence to impact this?), 12/28/21 First Responders Bowl, University Park; 12/29/21 Alamo Bowl, San Antonio; 12/31/21 Sun Bowl, El Paso; January 4, 2022 Texas Bowl, Houston.

Mayors and Chambers of Commerce can be contacted wrt tourism and economic impact if bowl games are canceled.

I believe Texas should be penalized for SB 8 as NC was penalized for their bathroom bill HB2, which blocked protections on gay and transgender bathroom use.

The Associated Press has tallied up business lost in North Carolina because of the controversial "bathroom bill," and estimates the total cost is at least $3.76 billion over 12 years.

The bill has prompted a backlash from businesses and sports organizations, from Paypal to the NCAA. www.npr.org/...

Feel free to add links and suggestions! I will be checking the diary in between yard work.

DISCLAIMER: I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and cannot respond to all comments, but I appreciate those who comment. Usually there are some mistakes in my diaries due to my cognitive challenges. I wanted to add a poll, but was not sharp enough to do it. :-(

ARRESTS & MORE THIS WEEK. FBI Rounding up Capitol White Supremacist Loyalists

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Thursday January 28, 2021 · 11:00 AM PST

2021/01/28 · 11:00

no image description available — My Art - Reminder of Freedom and democracy for ALL

The FBI is working nearly round the clock to round up these violent white supremacists. Their “friends” and neighbors are alerting the FBI. “Frenemies?” Anything in bold is mine.

Not everyone gets bail — Joshua Black, AL is being held without bail, since he told the judge that God led him there, though he was just sitting in the Capitol, not violent. Judge wondered where else God would lead him, if he got bail. U.S. Magistrate Judge John H. England, III (federal court Birmingham).

...there is clear and convincing evidence, that “no condition or combination of conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of any other person and the community.”

“Just because he was passive in the Senate chambers, will he remain so if God tells him something else?” England said. “God could tell him to do something a little more violent, couldn’t he?”

www.al.com/...

What’s their defense? Not much. ROFL. “I’m not a magician,” said an attorney for the man seen in a photo carrying Pelosi's lectern. “We’ve got a photograph of our client in what appears to be inside a federal building or inside the Capitol with government property,” he told reporters. www.wmur.com/...

I am sure there are more, but I trolled this morning and found these. Arrested:

Monday:

According to documents filed in federal court in Albany on Monday, 29-year-old James Bonet shared video and photos of himself on Facebook inside the Capitol, with captions including "Made it in," and "Taking our country back."

Tuesday:

FBI agents arrested Mathew Q. Capsel, 27, of Chicago, without incident, according to Nathan Stump, an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. Capsel was charged federally for his alleged role in the riot, Stump stated.

What would we do without social media, so they can self-incriminate?

A Burleson man who allegedly appeared in a photo smoking a cigarette during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and was wearing a shirt that said 'Murder the Media" was arrested by the FBI Tuesday.

Nicholas DeCarlo, 30, faces charges of obstructing an official proceeding, entering a restricted building, and parading or demonstrating on Capitol grounds. www.nbcdfw.com/...

A Garland man who posted a photo of himself inside the U.S. Capitol building is the latest to be arrested for taking part in the violent uprising that sent members of Congress scurrying to safety, according to federal court records.

Daniel D. Phipps, 48, was arrested on Tuesday on charges of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and impeding or disrupting official functions; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. (Paywall but I snuck in for a minute) www.dallasnews.com/...

A Maryland man who livestreamed multiple videos showing himself inside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riots has been arrested and charged by the FBI.

Andrew Bennett, of Columbia, Maryland, was arrested Tuesday in D.C. on charges of entering a restricted building, physical violence against persons or property in a restricted building and engaging in disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. www.wusa9.com/...

Wednesday

Federal agents arrested a Victorville man Wednesday, Jan. 27, on suspicion of being among the mob that stormed the Capitol earlier this month. The defendant reportedly owns a gym known for violating coronavirus lockdown orders.

Jacob Lewis, 37, faces one count each of disorderly conduct and knowingly entering or remaining on restricted grounds, according to a complaint filed Friday, Jan. 22. He was taken into custody at his home in Victorville at about 8:15 a.m. Wednesday, and released later that day on a $50,000 bond after a hearing before a judge, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.

Onward, onward into the Capitol.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested Christopher Ortiz, 27, on Wednesday morning based on several FBI tips they received in the days following the riots and social media posts presented by two witnesses, including a video allegedly taken by Ortiz, authorities said.

“During the video, a male was seen scaling the U.S. Capitol building and a male voice was heard screaming ‘Yeah!’ At another point the camera shows a large crowd at the U.S. Capitol door; the same male voice yelled ‘Yeah! We’re at the door!’ At yet another point the same male voice was heard yelling, ‘Onward, Onward!’ while entering the U.S. Capitol building. The male voice was recognized, and confirmed, by Witness-2, to be the voice of Ortiz,” authorities alleged in court documents. www.longislandpress.com/...

They are scrutinizing social media, so others are getting caught as well. Napa CA man with tons of weapons and explosives. sfbayca.com/…

And for election tactics to suppress votes.

A Florida man was arrested Wednesday on charges of conspiring with others in advance of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election to use various social media platforms to suppress and disenfranchise voters.

Douglass Mackey, better known as Ricky Vaughn, 31, was taken into custody in West Palm Beach, Fla. and made his initial appearance in a federal court Wednesday morning.

The two Virginia men who were found with weapons outside a voter site in Philadelphia attended the Capitol Insurrection on January 6th. Being arrested once was just not enough. LOL. I wish their bail was revoked, but it was raised, probably beyond their ability to post an additional 10%.

Deplorable for sure, but some are downright scary and live within their alternate universe…

Pete Buttigieg Handles Ted Cruz in his DOT Nomination Hearing - Great We have Common Cause For Labor

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Thursday January 21, 2021 · 1:54 PM PST

2021/01/21 · 13:54

Did Pete Buttigieg school Ted Cruz in his Senate hearing for Department of Transportation Secretary? You can decide. I watched it to see how Buttigieg performed. Tbh, it was fairly routine, sort of boring, and used a lot of transportation acronymns and references that I never heard of before.

Cruz questions at the 1:59.30 mark. I could not find a link that only showed Cruz. www.pbs.org/…

But then we get to Ted Cruz. He is his normal, detestable self. So fun to watch Mayor Pete, cool, calm, collected. Cruz goes on and on about Biden’s immediate cancellation of the Keystone Pipeline and loss of union jobs. Buttigieg reinforces Biden climate vision. Roughly transcribed or paraphrased. Link to a transcript www.washingtonblade.com/…

C: So the answer is somebody else will get a job.

B: The answer is we are eager to have people employed even if they are different union jobs. We believe we can do this through Biden’s climate vision proposal, though it will take time.

C: Talks about the recent approval of transport of liquified natural gas (LNG). Asks what Buttigieg thinks about it.

B: We want to take a closer look at it and take into account safety issues. I recognize natural gas is not the same as coal, but it is also not the same as hydroelectric power and we want to be balancing all these considerations as we go forward. (Love how Pete throws shade so nicely).

C: So you are saying that you would repeal the rule and stop the transport of LNG?

B: The best honest answer I can give you is I will be taking a hard look at it.

C: Well, that is disconcerting. Has Ted Cruz ever not had a rancid reply? (LOL. Pete basically says STFU, nicely, of course, imo)

C: Let’s move on to a different question. This concerns the highway trust fund, and that 3 states — TX, SC, & CO — pay more into the trust than they receive in funds for roads. For TX, it was $212 million less. “Senator Donnelly introduced a bill to reapportion the trust fairly. What do you think?” Cruz said in his nasty, deprecating manner.

B: Well, I will make sure to call Sen. Donnelly — he’s a good friend of mine — and learn more about this. Then we’ll take a hard look at it, too.

C: Goes into a rant about how the Democratic party under FDR was party of unions and blue collar workers. With cancellation of the Keystone Pipeline, Democrats are saying that we will eliminate your job and good luck in the future.

B: When the books are written about our careers, we will be judged by whether we did enough to stop the destruction of life and property. I’ve got to believe we can do both things. But Sen Cruz, if you and I can agree, and make a common cause for Labor, then that’s great. (BOOM! gotcha)

Sen Jon Tester asks questions immediately before Cruz and towards the end he compliments Buttigieg on his performance at the hearing and advises upcoming nominees to watch the 2 hours to learn how to do it right. Oh, my. Mayor Pete is usually a hard act to follow, imo.

First item for Pete Buttigieg’s statement was to introduce his husband, Chasten!

Secret Service Director Reminds Agents To Be Non-Partisan; NG Warned NOT To Post On Social Media

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Tuesday January 19, 2021 · 1:49 PM PST

2021/01/19 · 13:49

Why does the Secret Service need to remind its agents to remain non-partisan? How many Trump loyalists are among them? Does not give me a warm fuzzy feeling that RWNJ Ken Cuccinelli, Homeland Security, 2nd in command has assured that the Secret Service is ready, though admits there are always ‘problem players’ who show up. Are there problem players already there? Bold is my emphasis.

www.cnn.com/...

US Secret Service director James Murray sent an agency-wide memo on Wednesday reminding all employees to remain professional and act in a nonpartisan manner as they carry out their duties for next week's inauguration.

"There has been a great deal of hyper-charged rhetoric associated with the presidential transition, particularly on social media sites. As members of the Secret Service, each of us is expected to remain civil and professional at all times," Murray wrote in the memo, reviewed by CNN. "When carrying out our duties and representing the agency, we are expected to behave in a nonpartisan manner."

The Secret Service officially took charge of security for President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday after the Department of Homeland Security extended the duration of the National Special Security Event in the wake of the violent attack on the US Capitol last week.

The Secret Service has noticed that National Guard members are posting pictures and inauguration details on social media. No warm fuzzy feelings from Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller stating they have no intelligence pointing to an insider attack. Still they felt the need to issue a bulletin. WTF? www.10tv.com/...

...the Secret Service issued a bulletin over the weekend about what it sees as an “uptick” in National Guard troops posting pictures and details of their operations online.

The Associated Press obtained the “all concerned” message sent to all the National Guard troops coming to Washington. Without getting into specific postings, the bulletin said, “No service members should be posting locations, pictures or descriptions online regarding current operations or the sensitive sites they are protecting” and urged them to stop immediately.

Asked about the bulletin, a spokesperson for the Secret Service issued a statement saying it “does not comment on matters of protective intelligence.”

NG members in a protection detail need to be reminded not to post sensitive information about their assignment and operations online. Huh? Is this nuts?

Widespread rot?

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Monday January 18, 2021 · 1:20 PM PST

2021/01/18 · 13:20

As each successive charge or arrest is made that implicates those in the military, law enforcement or contacts to them, I wonder how the h*ll all of them can be found and removed. Bold is mine. www.cbsnews.com/...

Among those charged Sunday was Timothy Louis Hale-Cusanelli of Colts Neck, N.J., a member of the U.S. Army Reserves and a contractor at Naval Weapons Station Earle, where he maintains a "secret" security clearance and has access to a variety of munitions, according to a federal complaint. A confidential source working with an NCIS agent said Hale-Cusanelli admitted he was inside the Capitol during the riot, the complaint said, and showed the source videos of himself making harassing and derogatory statements to officers.

The source told the NCIS agent that Hale-Cusanelli is an avowed White supremacist and Nazi sympathizer who posts extreme political opinion videos on YouTube. On Jan. 14, the source recorded a conversation during which Hale-Cusanelli admitted to entering the Capitol and encouraging other members of the mob to "advance" using both voice and hand signals. He allegedly said that if they had more men, they could have taken the entire building.

That is in addition to:

Those charged in the riot last week included two off-duty Virginia police officers, one of whom, Jacob Fracker, is a corporal in the Virginia National Guard. The other, Thomas Robertson, apparently served at different times both the the National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserves, though the Army is still trying to determine his current status.

I remain worried about the inauguration, especially since Biden and Harris will walk the short distance from 15th Street to the White House before the evening events with a military escort.

UPDATE: My error — the inauguration schedule does NOT say Biden and Harris will ‘walk’ to the White House. It says they will have a military escort. I don’t know exactly what that means.

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Friday December 25, 2020 · 2:31 PM PST

2020/12/25 · 14:31

My sib called as is the norm on holidays. All was fine until they said the two adult kids were there. Me: What? What? WHAT? Sib said Thanksgiving was not a big deal, but Christmas, they are always together at Christmas. One of those adult children is pregnant & has been sheltering, working from home. She was able to drive there without making stops, I think. The other one flew in from the Midwest, where they work outside the house at a job where they could be exposed to Covid. Then, I find out my other sib (there are three of us) paid for the flight home.

Me: WHAT? OMG. Did they get tested for Covid before flying. Sib: “No, I don’t think so.” Me: Are you masking? No, was the reply. My sib/spouse are in their mid-seventies and both are cancer survivors. They have been sheltering at home, going out just for groceries or medical appointments. One had a joint replacement in October and has gone out for rehab.

My sib said it would be fine. My pregnant niece said it would be fine. Me: “That’s what everyone says, until it is not fine, until someone gets sick.” I was thinking, but did not say, “until someone dies.”

I could not talk to the person who flew in from the Midwest. I am too angry, so angry. I told my niece, I cannot not talk to that person without being angry, so we agreed better that I don’t. Luckily, it was time to walk my dog, which I did not want to do, as it is cold & windy. But we walked, fueled by my anger.

The midwesterner will be there until early January, plenty of time to know whether they get sick or not. But plenty of time for them to be asymptomatic and shedding virus.

I have not talked to my other sib. I do not know if I can talk without being upset.

I sincerely hope that all of them will be fine.

Trump has Pulmonary & COVID Specialist, Brian Garibaldi, Johns Hopkins, on His Team of Doctors

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Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday October 04, 2020 · 11:38 AM PDT

2020/10/04 · 11:38

White House physician Sean Conley, with medical staff, gives an update on the condition of US President Donald Trump, on October 3, 2020, at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. - Trump was hospitalized on October 2 due to a Covid-19 diagnosis. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump has one of the top Covid specialists on his team. Dr. Brian Garibaldi. I believe he may be the person who is treating Trump & making recommendations for treatment. There has been speculation here about the competency of his physicians, especially Dr. Conley.

www.hopkinsmedicine.org/...

EXPERTISE: Acute Lung Injury (ALI), Biocontainment, High Consequence Pathogens, Interstitial Lung Disease, Pulmonary and Critical ...read more

RESEARCH INTERESTS: Resolution of acute lung injury; Bedside Clinical Skills Education; High Consequence Pathogens

Brian Garibaldi is an associate professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, where he attends in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and the Interstitial Lung Disease clinic. He is medical director of the Johns Hopkins Biocontainment Unit (BCU), a federally-funded special pathogens treatment center.

SNIP

In addition to caring for patients with COVID-19, he is the director of the newly established COVID-19 Precision Medicine Center of Excellence, which houses the JH-CROWN clinical registry.

He is in the photo of the Saturday Press Conference, Dr. Conley introduced him. Transcript from it:

But before, I'll go ahead and introduce Dr. Garibaldi, who will talk about some of our therapeutics and the plan of care for today. Thank you.

GARIBALDI: Thank you, Dr. Dooley. And I'd like to echo the sentiment from the entire team what an honor and a privilege it is to be part of this multidisciplinary unit to care for the president.

About 48 hours ago, the president received a special antibody therapy directed against the coronavirus. And we're working very closely with the company to monitor him in terms of that outcome. Yesterday evening, he received his first dose of IV Remdesivir and our plan is to continue a five day treatment course for Remdesivir. And the big plan for today, since he's in such great spirits and doing well, is to encourage him to eat, to drink, to stay hydrated, to be up out of bed and to be working and doing the things that he needs to do to get well. And I'll refer to Dr. Conley for any questions.

www.npr.org/...

Some stretching of the truth about Trump’s condition, but he did not answer questions.

Today: 3rd Anniversary of the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville & Death of Heather Heyer

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Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday August 12, 2020 · 12:28 PM PDT

2020/08/12 · 12:28

I love the serenity and peaceful feeling of the UVA Lawn at summer twilight, a favorite place to walk my dogs. I took this photo two evenings before the torch rally on Friday evening August 11, 2017. The following day, I watched in horror (live stream) at the violence during the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, VA. Heather Heyer was killed as a white supremacist drove his car into a crowd of protesters.

I joined DKOS several weeks later. I needed a community and I found one. I get chills whenever I see photos of videos of the hate filled faces at the torch rally at UVA. I kept thinking I could have been there. I was there just 2 evenings earlier. I park in the same area where the white supremacists gathered.

On Saturday, August 12, 2017 the police stood down while the white supremacists & protesters clashed. People were injured. It was ugly. It was brutal. The police did nothing. The clergy linked arms and formed a wall of support, until they were told it was not safe for them to remain there. Our Synagogue is on one corner near the park, where the rally was located. An armed person stood on the corner across the street. Those inside were afraid for their lives. Then James Fields drove his car into a crowd of protesters and Heather Heyer was killed. Others were injured, some have not recovered, and at least one is now disabled, trying to get disability.

That was when I realized the grave danger to our democracy posed by the current WH (I will not use his name)! If it could happen in my town? Well, not only has it happened in other towns, but it has been sanctioned by the WH. He has sown dissent & encouraged acts of violence. IT MUST END!

I got side tracked, but I wrote the diary to share the community events of today.

RECLAIM THE PARK CELEBRATION

The Charlottesville Clergy Collective is holding a virtual interfaith worship service. It will start at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 12, and more than 30 faith leaders will lead it.

People in Charlottesville are also hosting a Reclaim The Park celebration of anti-racist resistance. That takes place from 1 p.m. - 7 p.m. in Market Street Park.

STATEMENT IN FULL AS RELEASED TO THE MEDIA www.nbc12.com/... (Bold is mine).

This August 12, 2020, community members and clergy are collaborating to create an important space in Market Street Park. In the summer of 2017 that space was taken from us on multiple occasions by violent white supremacists. In the summers of 2018 and 2019 that space was controlled by the police. This summer, self-appointed armed and agitated vigilantes have taken to patrolling the parks and threatening community members. We are done ceding this space to others. For a total of six hours, community members will be sharing food, making art, listening to the histories of resistance against fascism in Charlottesville, dancing, holding space with each other, listening to each other's grief and rage. And we ask that others respect that space by allowing it to be ours unequivocally.

To the media: We ask that you not come at all. We will provide spokespeople for you to interview about the event and we will share our own visual media after the event that you can use for covering the story; but for many, being filmed and photographed would be an invasion. Please respect that this is a space we need and deserve. We are asking respectfully that you give it to us on our own terms. A few organizers will be available for interviews on the library steps (just outside the park) at 2:30pm and 6:00pm Wednesday.

To the police: We ask that you leave us alone. We can keep ourselves safe, and your presence will undermine our ability to gather together authentically. Charlottesville hosts block parties regularly without incident -- this should be just the same.

This event centers people who were in the streets of Charlottesville together in the summer of 2017. We appreciate that others may feel compelled to join us who are less familiar with the events leading to August 11th and 12th 2017. We will be posting community agreements in the coming days to help us hold the space together and center the folx who are still healing from the events of that summer.

This summer we reclaim Market Street Park together. In love, solidarity and rage.

I will be there in spirit with the community & clergy.

POSTSCRIPT: Several weeks after the rally, I bought 2-3 albums of old postcards. In the back of one album, I found Identity Documents for three people from a Hungarian Displaced Persons Camp, 1946. They had small, passport type photos — these were real people, Jews, who escaped the Holocaust. Through some internet sleuthing I identified two of the people, man & woman who married after emigrating to Canada. I tracked down their children & returned the documents to a son. His parents were deceased. He had never seen photos of his parents at that age (early 20s).

It was a poignant, emotional experience, especially occurring so soon after the Rally.

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Today: 3rd Anniversary of the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville & Death of Heather Heyer