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

[kidfresh512]

Alex Jones’ Infowars files for bankruptcy following Sandy Hook lawsuits

Infowars on Sunday filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas in the face of multiple defamation lawsuits.

Chapter 11 bankruptcy procedures put a hold on all civil litigation matters and allow companies to prepare turnaround plans while remaining operational.

Good

[seismic-2]

Personally, I would prefer that civil litigation against Infowars not be put on hold, that the company not prepare turnaround plans, and that it not remain operational. Instead of being under bankruptcy protection it should just be bankrupt, and it should be permanently out of business. (BTW, how many times during his career has Donald Trump declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy? I know it has been several times.)

[kidfresh512]

Personally, I would prefer that civil litigation against Infowars not be put on hold, that the company not prepare turnaround plans, and that it not remain operational. Instead of being under bankruptcy protection it should just be bankrupt, and it should be permanently out of business. (BTW, how many times during his career has Donald Trump declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy? I know it has been several times.)

Agreed. But, it is a legal benefit that sometimes allows trash people and companies, to get out of paying the full amount owed to victims and investors. The good thing is even with the protection there is no guarantee that the company will survive after. Its a pretty toxic brand with a toxic personality behind it. Usually the turnaround plans require additional funding, or proof you can try to turnaround your finances.

[JB]

Apple store workers at Grand Central Terminal start collecting signatures to form a union
Organizers voted to affiliate with Workers United in February
https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/16/2...ion-signatures

Retail Apple employees at a New York City store in Grand Central Terminal have started collecting signatures to form a union, according to a report from The Washington Post.

The organizers, who go by Fruit Stand Workers United, announced in an update on its website that they voted to affiliate themselves with the Workers United labor union on February 21st, 2022. Workers United is the same group backing recent unionization efforts at Starbucks stores across the country.

As noted by The Post, organizers at the Grand Central location are currently handing out signature cards so employees can express interest in forming a union. If at least 30 percent of workers sign off on it, organizers can file a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold a union election. So far, there hasn’t been an Apple store that has successfully formed a union.

[Malvolio]

The one good thing about Alex Jones filing for bankruptcy is that it will make it very difficult for him to get a loan for any new business ventures. I mean, what's he going to do, apply for a loan with a Russian oligarch?

[WestPhillyPunisher]

The one good thing about Alex Jones filing for bankruptcy is that it will make it very difficult for him to get a loan for any new business ventures. I mean, what's he going to do, apply for a loan with a Russian oligarch?

Well, there bound to be some homegrown, right wing sugar daddy who might take a flyer on Jones so he can continue spreading his nonsense to the gullible masses.

[JB]

A lot of things are happening in China that will seemingly further impact the supply chain and possibly energy issues.

More Chinese cities tighten controls as Shanghai COVID cases rise
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/...ed-2022-04-16/

Shanghai reported a record number of symptomatic COVID-19 cases on Saturday and other areas across China tightened controls as the country kept up its "dynamic clearance" approach that aims to stamp out the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

The Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone, a central Chinese manufacturing area that includes Apple Inc supplier Foxconn, announced a 14-day lockdown on Friday "to be adjusted according to the epidemic situation".

Exclusive: China's oil champion prepares Western retreat over sanctions fear
https://www.reuters.com/business/ene...ar-2022-04-13/

China's top offshore oil and gas producer CNOOC Ltd. (0883.HK) is preparing to exit its operations in Britain, Canada and the United States, because of concerns in Beijing the assets could become subject to Western sanctions, industry sources said.

Ties between China and the West have long been strained by trade and human rights issues and the tension has grown following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which China has refused to condemn.

The United States said last week China could face consequences if it helped Russia to evade Western sanctions that have included financial measures that restrict Russia's access to foreign currency and make it complicated to process international payments.

The assets, which include stakes in major fields in the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and large Canadian oil sand projects, produce around 220,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed), Reuters calculations found.

CNOOC is also taking advantage of a rally in oil and gas prices, driven by Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, and hopes to attract buyers as Western countries seek to develop domestic production to substitute Russian energy.

As it seeks to leave the West, CNOOC is looking to acquire new assets in Latin America and Africa, and also wants to prioritise the development of large, new prospects in Brazil, Guyana and Uganda, the sources said.

[CaptainEurope]

While everybody is distracted by Ukraine and Hunter Biden's Laptop of Lust, Turkey is waging war on the Kurds in Northern Iraq again.

[Scott Taylor]

Yep, bankruptcy laws are there to protect people who go bankrupt, not to punish them. Its mainly the people and groups who they owe money to who get screwed, especially if they don't get listed on the filing. And frankly, even those people who get screwed get to write the loss off at tax time.

Theoretically it makes life harder for you because it damages your credit for eight years.

[Mister Mets]

Well, there bound to be some homegrown, right wing sugar daddy who might take a flyer on Jones so he can continue spreading his nonsense to the gullible masses.

I'm not sure. That can easily result in reputational damage, and legal vulnerability.

People would be happier suing Jones' financiers, as they would have more money.

It doesn’t sound like a good call…but surely one down to a judge, rather than a police decision?

Yeah, this is more about the courts.

In this case, the suspect turned himself in and has claimed self-defense. Currently he is only charged with unlawful possession of a pistol.

https://www.foxcarolina.com/2022/04/...urned-himself/

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...al-race-theory



https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fl...lbing#comments

Yet no one can show proof.

And here is an FYI-I guess those books will be banned in Texas since most publishers use whatever books approved here for other states.

Update

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ro...1c4a0598b1305d




Now here is the thing. ALL textbooks are examined at the state and local levels before they reach a single kid. Even parents and teachers have the right to look at those books and material.

No way something like those questions make it pass that many levels of people.

There's a lot we don't know about the story yet, which has led to some incorrect assumptions.

The math textbooks were rejected for a variety of reasons. A state rep who sounded the alarm notes that they haven't said what's objectionable in the books.

https://www.npr.org/2022/04/18/10932...tics-textbooks

"@EducationFL just announced they're banning dozens of math textbooks they claim 'indoctrinate' students with CRT," said State House Rep. Carlos Smith. "They won't tell us what they are or what they say b/c it's a lie. #DeSantis has turned our classrooms into political battlefields and this is just the beginning."

Because people don't know what books were declared objectionable, it's hard to assess whether the DeSantis administration made the wrong call. Hell, he might be trying to bait Democrats into defending stuff that would alienate the median Florida voter.

[skyvolt2000]

There's a lot we don't know about the story yet, which has led to some incorrect assumptions.

The math textbooks were rejected for a variety of reasons. A state rep who sounded the alarm notes that they haven't said what's objectionable in the books.

No No No if he is so bad and bold to do this-SHOW what is being rejected. Name the books.

Because this is wasting tax payer money....

speaking if wasting


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opini...eea968c5081404

Republicans are wasting your money and mine by constantly filing or provoking lawsuits that are often impossible to win.

Congress has committed almost $1 billion for repairs, the National Guard, the Capitol Police and upgraded Capitol security. That's about half the $1.9 billion sought last May based on a review of security needs.

And costs keep rising. Last week, authorities nearly doubled the estimate for Capitol repairs from $1.4 million to $2.7 million. And the Justice Department recently requested an extra $34 million in its 2023 budget for “Capitol Prosecutions,” including 80 new attorneys.

Nearly 800 people have been arrested, and hundreds more could still be charged.

Republican-run states are also running up the taxpayer tab. Here are some examples:

►Lawsuits filed by Trump and his state allies trying to overturn the 2020 election. They lost 61 out of 62 cases, but taxpayers in states such as Pennsylvania were still out millions of dollars.

►Audits, or “fraudits,” of vote totals in swing states that went for Biden. Arizona's GOP Senate has spent more than $1 million in taxpayer dollars for the surreal Maricopa County audit, and Maricopa residents had to pay $3.2 million to replace compromised voting machines. Counties in Pennsylvania and New Mexico are still enmeshed in 2020 reviews, and a Wisconsin probe may grow more expensive. Efforts in Georgia and Michigan fizzled, but not before taking up time and money.

►Voter restrictions. As of 2016, Texas taxpayers had spent $3.5 million defending the nation’s strictest voter ID law. The law was finally changed in 2017, but more recent restrictions are still being challenged there and elsewhere. The Brennan Center for Justice says it is tracking 71 voting cases, including at least 47 filed last year in 15 states and at least 10 cases in six states so far in 2022.

►LGBTQ issues. The ACLU and others have sued Texas, Arkansas and Alabama over laws that make it a crime for parents or doctors to help transgender children get medical care. States are also being sued over laws that exclude transgender children from sports teams. Florida was sued three days after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the "Parental Rights in Education" law, also known as “Don’t Say Gay,” curbing what teachers can say about gender identity and sexual orientation.

►COVID-19 bans and mandates. Florida banned most public health responses by schools and businesses. Courts have struck down mask mandates in some states, and they're under challenge in others. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration withdrew its vaccine-or-test requirement for large workplaces after the Supreme Court put it on hold.

The Associated Press found that, from 2011 to 2017, under two terms of Florida Gov. (now Sen.) Rick Scott, taxpayers had spent $19 million in expenses and fees on lawyers who won their lawsuits against the state

[Catlady in training]

Ukraine says Russia launches its anticipated large-scale offensive in the east
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-61136997

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says the "battle for the Donbas" is now underway.
His comments follow warnings from other senior officials that Russia has begun its much anticipated assault on the eastern region on Monday.

"We can now confirm that Russian troops have begun the battle for the Donbas, which they have been preparing for a long time. A large part of the Russian army is now dedicated to this offensive"

Wishing them all the luck so that they can prevail over the forces of Mordor.



Meanwhile, the other psychopathic dictator with nukes seems to be jealous that all the attention is now concentrated elsewhere:

North Korea tests new weapon 'to improve tactical nukes'
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61133225

The "new-type tactical guided weapon... is of great significance in drastically improving the firepower of the frontline long-range artillery units and enhancing the efficiency in the operation of tactical nukes," the North's official KCNA news agency reported.

It added that Mr Kim had given "important instructions on further building up the defence capabilities and nuclear combat forces of the country".

South Korea's military confirmed that two missiles - likely to be short-range - were launched from the North into the sea on Saturday night.

[thwhtGuardian]

My objection was to Pelosi insulting the people talking to the San Francisco Chronicle. An important principle is that people should not be attacked for telling the truth, and anyone who does this should be called out.

Here Pelosi seems to be the toxic combination of obnoxious and wrong. And if she's calling people who are saying something true "unconscionable" and saying that their correct observations are "ridiculous attacks that are beneath the dignity in which (Feinstein) has led and the esteem in which she is held" it reflects very poorly on her. Either her judgment is bad (including the decision to make a statement blasting people concerned about Feinstein), or she knows that what she's saying is untrue. In either case, it makes it easier to ignore her in the future, as well as the Democratic politicians who don't call her out.

Sorry to hear this. It sucks.



Not everyone in their late 80s has cognitive decline, so it's probably not about a fear of facing the same fate.

You keep saying this like you know it's true...which you don't.

From what I can see the San Francisco Chronicle is a reputable paper, and the author has solid credentials so it's not as if I think the story is being fabricated...but at the same time there is serious reason to disbelieve it. If you look at how other reputable sources like the Washington Post, CNN and MSNBC are reporting on the issue they only cite the article from the Chronicle as the source and make it clear that not only have they not had access to the Chronicle's sources but that they have not been able to verify the claims from their own sources.

Just stop there and think critically for just half a second. If this is a supposed open secret wouldn't these other news outlets have been aware of it from their own sources? Why not corroborate the Chronicle's story?

Liberal bias protecting their own?

Why then has there been no confirmation from a serious conservative source if that's the case? Even Fox has refrained from saying that they have independently confirmed the story.

Heck, if blood is in the water why aren't there conservative senators out there talking about how they've been saying it for years?

With all that under consideration how is defending Feinstein slander?

Slander implies not only is defending Feinstein false, which you don't have conclusive evidence of, but also that it is being knowingly done which again you have no evidence that Pelosi and several other high ranking senators, don't truthfully believe their colleague is fit to serve.

Again, why make a storm in this tea cup?

[numberthirty]

Elizabeth Warren: Democrats Can Avoid Disaster in November

Democrats are the party of working people. Ahead of the 2020 election, we advanced ideas and plans that we believed would, in ways big and small, make our democracy and our economy work better for all Americans. Across this country, voters agreed with us — and gave us a majority in Washington so that we could deliver on those promises.

Republican senators and broken institutions have blocked much of that promised progress. Now Republicans are betting that a stalled Biden agenda won’t give Democrats enough to run on in the midterm elections — and they might be right. Despite pandemic relief, infrastructure investments and the historic Supreme Court confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson, we promised more — and voters remember those promises.

Republicans want to frame the upcoming elections to be about “wokeness,” cancel culture and the “militant left wing.” Standing up for the inherent dignity of everyone is a core American value, and Democrats are proud to do that every day. While Republican politicians peddle lies, fear and division, we should use every single one of the next 200 days or so before the election to deliver meaningful improvements for working people.

Democrats win elections when we show we understand the painful economic realities facing American families and convince voters we will deliver meaningful change. To put it bluntly: if we fail to use the months remaining before the elections to deliver on more of our agenda, Democrats are headed toward big losses in the midterms.

Time is running short. We need to finalize a budget reconciliation deal, making giant corporations pay their share to fund vital investments in combating climate change and lowering costs for families, which can advance with only 50 Senate votes. Other priorities can be done with the president’s executive authority. It’s no secret that I believe we should abolish the filibuster. But if Republicans want to use it to block policies that Americans broadly support, we should also force them to take those votes in plain view.

At least one person can see the writing on the wall...

[thwhtGuardian]

At least one person can see the writing on the wall...

Is there anyone who is saying otherwise?

I don' t think I've seen anyone say anything like, "Gee whiz, this is a congress that's really getting things done! We're going to win big for sure."

I think the position is rather, "yeah, things aren't going to plan but if you don't come out to these races things will be worse." which while definitely isn't a great selling point is objectively true.