All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[Tendrin]

It will be quite be an update to these fun facts:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/202...ll-2020-Update

I don't know how you do it.

[CaptainEurope]

The manufacturers wanted those provisions for the liability shield. An emergency can be used to waive liability, but only for the U.S. Waiving liability elsewhere requires negotiating with each country (or maybe the EU as a whole) in turn, and given the accelerated production, companies are likely skittish (to put it mildly) of any liability they could face.

But the manufacturers, by now, have liability contracts with those other countries as well, maybe? I mean, they want as many markets as possible and they know this is a crisis.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Kentucky Makes It Easier To Vote As Other GOP States Push To Restrict Ballot Access

A bill enhancing voter rights, approved by Kentucky’s Republican-controlled General Assembly, was signed into law by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. I'm sure that pissed of Moscow Mitch. GOOD!

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Biden To Sign Executive Orders Cracking Down On Gun Violence

The president has been pressured to act after two major mass shootings took 18 lives in March. I'm sure that will piss off Qpublicans. GOOD!

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Derek Chauvin Attorney Claims George Floyd Said He ‘Ate Too Many Drugs’

An argument emerged over whether Floyd had yelled about doing drugs or, alternatively, said, “I ain’t do no drugs.” The anticipated, if not expected assassination of Mr. Floyd's character during this trial is underway.

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Sen. Marsha Blackburn Mocked For Griping About Funding Elder Care

The Republican Party’s opposition to anything that President Joe Biden is for is pushing GOP politicians into taking some bizarre positions. Well, the Qpublican Party is all about being bizarre.

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John Boehner Says Trump ‘Incited That Bloody Insurrection’ At The U.S. Capitol

“I’ll admit I wasn’t prepared for what came after the election,” the former House speaker writes in his new memoir. Not many people were, John-boy. Thanks for stating the stupidly obvious.

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GOP Politicians & Pundits Lie About Colorado’s Voting Laws In Attempt To Embarrass MLB

It’s easier for the average person to vote in Colorado than it is in Georgia. Their laws aren’t even in the same ballpark. Qpublicans? Lying? I'm shocked! Shocked i tell you!

[Agent Z]

Black Female Cops Tell Us About the Culture of Policing

[CaptainEurope]

I like this idea:

President Joe Biden is seeking to ease a national affordable housing shortage by pushing local governments to allow apartment buildings in neighborhoods that are currently restricted to single-family homes.


Critics of the zoning laws say they drive up housing costs, contribute to urban and suburban sprawl and perpetuate racial segregation.

“It’s an enormous step forward,” said Richard Kahlenberg, a housing expert at the Century Foundation, a left-leaning think tank. “Very few politicians have taken the next step to propose something really meaningful to change the system.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-u...source=twitter

[babyblob]

Just turned on my morning news. Another shooting with 5 dead in NC? They didnt give many details. Anyone know about this?

[Gray Lensman]

I like this idea:



https://www.reuters.com/article/us-u...source=twitter

It is a good first step, but unless NIMBY lawsuits start getting covered by antiSLAPP statutes it might not get very far.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Just turned on my morning news. Another shooting with 5 dead in NC? They didnt give many details. Anyone know about this?

That's news to me. Haven't seen or heard anything about the incident.

[Tami]

Northern Ireland assembly meets after sixth night of unrest

The Northern Ireland executive met on Thursday morning to be briefed on the ongoing unrest, after a bus was hijacked and set on fire in Belfast during a sixth consecutive night of violence.

The vehicle was set alight at an intersectional area between nationalist and unionist communities, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said. Stones were thrown at police while a press photographer was assaulted during the course of their work on Wednesday evening on the junction of Lanark Way and Shankill Road in West Belfast.

Tyres and bins were set on fire near the interface gates at Lanark Way, which open in a wall that separates the two communities. PSNI said they had closed the gates and advised people to avoid the area.

Northern Ireland leaders met to be briefed on the violence at 10am, an hour before the Stormont assembly was recalled to discuss the unrest.

Northern Ireland’s first minister, Arlene Foster, condemned Wednesday’s attack, tweeting: “There is no justification for violence. It is wrong and should stop.”

Foster said the protests “do not represent unionism or loyalism”, adding: “They are an embarrassment to Northern Ireland and only serve to take the focus off the real law breakers in Sinn Fein.”

The deputy first minister, Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill said the executive would be briefed on the “violence and street disorder which is causing huge distress in local communities at this time”.

“Those involved in violence, criminal damage, manipulation of our young people and attacks on the police must stop,” O’Neill said.

Boris Johnson also condemned the violence. The prime minister tweeted: “I am deeply concerned by the scenes of violence in Northern Ireland, especially attacks on PSNI who are protecting the public and businesses, attacks on a bus driver and the assault of a journalist. The way to resolve differences is through dialogue, not violence or criminality.”

The Troubles x.0 (not sure how many times in history this has come and gone)

[Tami]

Campaigners call for US to do more to hold Putin accountable as Navalny's health deteriorates

Washington (CNN)The Biden administration said it is "disturbed" by reports of swift deterioration in the health of Alexey Navalny, as campaigners called on the US to impose more sanctions to hold Moscow accountable for what Amnesty International said may be the "slow death" of the Russian opposition leader.

The Russian government appears undaunted by previous tranches of sanctions by the United States and European Union over its poisoning and imprisonment of Navalny. Although some said it is unclear or unlikely that more sanctions would change Russia's behavior, they said it was important that the United States continue to speak out and act against Moscow's treatment of Navalny.

And as the US may be weighing potential consequences for the Kremlin's continued maltreatment of Navalny, the Biden administration is preparing to roll out sanctions for a range of other Russian misdeeds ranging from the SolarWinds hack to reported bounties on US soldiers in Afghanistan and election interference, according to two administration officials familiar with the process. The sanction options have been drawn up and the administration, which has largely been focused on domestic issues in recent weeks, has been looking to carve out the right time to roll out these sanctions.

[Tami]

Just turned on my morning news. Another shooting with 5 dead in NC? They didnt give many details. Anyone know about this?

Is this it?

Five, including doctor and his two grandchildren, killed in South Carolina shooting

ive people, including a doctor, his wife and their two grandchildren, were killed Wednesday afternoon in a shooting in South Carolina, officials said.

The York County Sheriff's Office said they found a suspect following an hourslong manhunt, but authorities did not release the man's name or any other details about him.

Deputies responded to a report of gunfire about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday at a residence in the 4400 block of Marshall Road in Rock Hill, about 27 miles southwest of Charlotte, the sheriff's office said. Inside the home, authorities found the bodies of Robert Lesslie, 70, Barbara Lesslie, 69, and their two grandchildren. NBC affiliate WCNC reported the grandchildren were 5 and 9 years old.

All "died as a result of gunshot wounds," the sheriff's office said Thursday in a tweet.

[babyblob]

Is this it?

Five, including doctor and his two grandchildren, killed in South Carolina shooting

Yea thats it. My local Fox morning news is being misleading I guess. They made it up like a mass shooting. But reading the story it does not sound like that.

[PwrdOn]

Northern Ireland assembly meets after sixth night of unrest

The Troubles x.0 (not sure how many times in history this has come and gone)

Well if Britain was going to leave the EU, then you would either need to draw a border between Northern Ireland and the south, which would piss off the Republicans, or impose internal border controls between NI and the rest of the UK, which would piss off the Unionists. There is no compromise that can get around this problem, aside from maybe convincing everyone there to stop being such pea-brained sectarian ghouls and maybe try living a normal life like everyone else, but given the trends in the UK and Europe at large, I don't see that happening anytime soon.

[Hellion]

The Troubles x.0 (not sure how many times in history this has come and gone)

It's happened many times before and will happen many times again. I'll admit I have a fairly biased opinion concerning this particular social/cultural conflict, and it doesn't surprise me at all that the deplorable Arlene Foster continues to bash Sinn Fein with every breath she takes.

[MajorHoy]

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John Boehner Says Trump ‘Incited That Bloody Insurrection’ At The U.S. Capitol

“I’ll admit I wasn’t prepared for what came after the election,” the former House speaker writes in his new memoir. Not many people were, John-boy. Thanks for stating the stupidly obvious.

Y'know, instead of picking on Boehner because he was a Republican in the House of Representatives once upon a time, maybe we should give him some credit for saying the "obvious" about Trump instead of trying to deflect / spin the truth so that Trump looks like a misunderstood champion of the American people?

Boehner also has less-than-kind things to say about Ted Cruz, so that should be something else that may make him a tad preferable to many Republicans in the present-day House and Senate.