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

[Gray Lensman]

How do you not understand that church goers voting isn't a violation of the separation of church and state?

Because he doesn't hold the right and the left to anything close to the same standards no matter how much he might scream otherwise.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

2 Prosecutors Leading N.Y. Trump Inquiry Resign, Clouding Case’s Future


The two prosecutors leading the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation into former President Donald J. Trump and his business practices abruptly resigned on Wednesday amid a monthlong pause in their presentation of evidence to a grand jury, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The stunning development comes not long after the high-stakes inquiry appeared to be gaining momentum, and throws its future into serious doubt.

The prosecutors, Carey R. Dunne and Mark F. Pomerantz, submitted their resignations after the new Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, indicated to them that he had doubts about moving forward with a case against Mr. Trump, the people said.

Mr. Pomerantz confirmed in a brief interview that he had resigned, but declined to elaborate. Mr. Dunne declined to comment.

Without Mr. Bragg’s commitment to move forward, the prosecutors late last month postponed a plan to question at least one witness before the grand jury, one of the people said. They have not questioned any witnesses in front of the grand jury for more than a month, essentially pausing their investigation into whether Mr. Trump inflated the value of his assets to obtain favorable loan terms from banks.

The precise reasons for Mr. Bragg’s pullback are unknown, and he has made few public statements about the status of the inquiry since taking office. In a statement responding to the resignations of the prosecutors, a spokeswoman for Mr. Bragg said that he was “grateful for their service” and that the investigation was ongoing.

Time is running out for this grand jury, whose term is scheduled to expire in April. Prosecutors can ask jurors to vote to extend their term, but generally avoid doing so. They also are often reluctant to impanel a new grand jury after an earlier one has heard testimony, because witnesses could make conflicting statements if asked to testify again.

Perhaps he’s one of those prosecutors who doesn’t like taking risks and won’t go to trial unless he has a one hundred percent airtight case. In any event, the clock is ticking and this guy needs to shit or get off the pot.

[numberthirty]

Perhaps he’s one of those prosecutors who doesn’t like taking risks and won’t go to trial unless he has a one hundred percent airtight case. In any event, the clock is ticking and this guy needs to shit or get off the pot.

There are a bunch of different versions of it where it probably doesn't make any real sense to go that route.

[Robotman]

I remember so many people thinking this case would be the first crack in the Trump armor that would start the snowball of his downfall.

We see how that went.

Unfortunately we won’t be done with Trump until he dies of natural causes.

His racist nationalist insanity will haunt us for decades.

[Robotman]

I hate to agree with Trump, but Putin is an evil genius when it comes to espionage and destabilizing the West.

Weaponizing misinformation and stoking racism, fear, and hate.

Russian documents reveal desire to sow racial discord — and violence — in the U.S. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1008051

Helping Trump get elected and cheering on Brexit.

I’m sure a big part of this Ukraine invasion is to make Biden look weak.

He needs his useful idiot to have a better chance in 2024.

[Malvolio]

How do you not understand that church goers voting isn't a violation of the separation of church and state?

And getting people to the polls is not the same as telling them who to vote for.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I hate to agree with Trump, but Putin is an evil genius when it comes to espionage and destabilizing the West.

Weaponizing misinformation and stoking racism, fear, and hate.

Russian documents reveal desire to sow racial discord — and violence — in the U.S. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1008051

Helping Trump get elected and cheering on Brexit.

I’m sure a big part of this Ukraine invasion is to make Biden look weak.

He needs his useful idiot to have a better chance in 2024.

Well, Putin was a former KGB agent, so it stands to reason he thinks more like a spook out to destabilize another country than a politician on a power trip.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Preaching from the pulpit to go out and vote and telling people who to vote for is a very fine line of not only ethics but tax-status for churches -

https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/...ote-for-trump/

Someone reporting on a church preaching to vote Biden would have been a snitch though so there is is your ethical gap.

lol, and who do the Megachurches go for?

[The Cool Thatguy]

merits not withstanding Point being - he was roundly criticized and called out for broadening a war while in office HUGE in a way that O was not. Very much the point where both sides took shelter in their own constructed truths that we are living in today. When The Lancet got caught out in its own lies about the war dead for example it Objective truth became a claim only.

I love how you dismiss the basic facts, as if starting a war on a lie was nothing

[Jack Dracula]

Have a cite on that - curious what reps are involved

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlo...ack-americans/

It is in this context that we should consider efforts to limit Sunday voting. In their own words “Souls to the Polls” is “a small group of churches working together to mobilize voters that would let their voices be heard in a community whose voices mattered.” Though this movement began officially in the 1990s, its spirit traces its roots to using Sundays as a refuge from the week during enslavement. Sunday offered some variety, as well as limited opportunities to exercise autonomy. This was especially true of Sunday worship, as faith and spirituality were central to sustaining life and building culture amid inhumane conditions.

“Souls to the Polls” is a similar move to take advantage of freedoms that did not always exist. A community that has consistently confronted voting restrictions has used a coordinated voting push to exert political agency on a day steeped in a history of community and exertion of freedom. The idea is to motivate “those working 12-hour shifts, juggling child care, or lacking transportation,” especially “low-income and minority voters” to vote, according to scholar Nicole Hemmer. Just like communities used to retrieve mail after church, Souls to the Polls aims to get people to go from church to the ballot box. The movement is also union-supported like the Black labor movements including postal workers a century earlier.

Bills aiming to eliminate Sunday voting have a transparent purpose: countering these efforts because African Americans vote overwhelmingly Democratic. Such targeting of African American voters is precisely the kind of thing that the 15th Amendment aimed to prevent, and which Congress has the power to thwart. Doing so would allow communities that have forged significance in Sunday behavior to continue blazing their own way.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56650565

Can early votes be cast on a Sunday?
One of the most controversial elements of the bill initially proposed by Republicans was the elimination of Sunday early voting.

Sunday voting is especially important for black worshippers in Georgia - a strongly Democratic voting bloc - with church goers often encouraged to vote after Sunday services, with initiatives known as "souls to the polls".
Democrat Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, said: "Republicans recently passed a bill to eliminate early voting on Sunday."
But this element of the bill wasn't passed, and Republicans backtracked following criticism.
The final bill allows two days of early Sunday voting, which is now formally signed into law. An additional day of mandatory Saturday early voting has also been added.

So, in Georgia, the Republicans attempted to restrict Sunday voting but walked it back after strong criticism and public outcry.

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/06...y-republicans/

Two days after House Democrats broke quorum to kill Texas' elections overhaul legislation, Republicans say they plan to use a special session to change a controversial provision that raised concerns it would hurt get-out-the-vote efforts by Black churches.

A last-minute addition to the final version of Senate Bill 7, negotiated behind closed doors, set a new window for early voting on Sundays, limiting it to 1 to 9 p.m. Democrats and voting rights advocates said GOP lawmakers were targeting "souls to the polls," the longtime practice by Black congregations that encourages members to go vote after Sunday morning services.

In an interview Tuesday with NPR, one of the negotiators, Rep. Travis Clardy of Nacogdoches, said the 1 p.m. start time was an error and that it should have been 11 a.m. Despite his claim, no Republicans raised an issue with the start time during final debate over the bill, and one of them even defended it.

Again, this time in Texas, Republicans "mistakenly" tried to limit Sunday voting times but walked it back after excessive criticism.

[JCAll]

Because he doesn't hold the right and the left to anything close to the same standards no matter how much he might scream otherwise.

Unfortunately, that's a very common position to hold these days.

[babyblob]

Some different news outlets are reporting that Russia has started their invasion of Ukraine. Putin put out some statement a few minutes ago and there are explosions in Kyiv.

Putin is calling it a special military action.

[Jackalope89]

Reports are coming in that Russia is attack Kyiv.

[Robotman]

Some different news outlets are reporting that Russia has started their invasion of Russia. Putin put out some statement a few minutes ago and there are explosions in Kyiv.

Putin is calling it a special military action.

Wonderful.

Well we knew there was no stopping that prick from carrying this out.

Not only will gas prices increase across the world, but the price of wheat may soar in Europe.

Trump-publicans will cheer him on as I’m sure the average American will blame Biden for the price hikes.

[babyblob]

Wonderful.

Well we knew there was no stopping that prick from carrying this out.

Not only will gas prices increase across the world, but the price of wheat may soar in Europe.

Trump-publicans will cheer him on as I’m sure the average American will blame Biden for the price hikes.

Already Blaming Biden. This never would have happened if Trump was the president. Biden was too weak from the start etc..

If he puts all in on Ukraine he cant be stopped. The question is how long before he marches to other countries. he has talked for every about getting the lands back lost in the break up of the USSR.

Of course Putin in his statement did not call this an invasion. He does not plan to occupy. Just disarm The Ukraine people and their army.

Also reports of explosions in Kharkiv.