All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!

[Tuck]

President Pinnochio

I'm going with President Munchausen. Feels more apt given his penchant for superlatives.

[Gray Lensman]

I'm going with President Munchausen. Feels more apt given his penchant for superlatives.

I'm gonna stick with Benedict Donald. Sounds close enough to the original and is a very good descriptor of someone who cares more about Russia than the United States.

[InformationGeek]

Hey, justice was serve today!

A Georgia couple who rode with a Confederate flag-waving group that made armed threats against African-Americans at a child's birthday party were sentenced to prison Monday.

Jose "Joe" Torres, was sentenced to 20 years, with 13 years in prison, after a jury convicted him on three counts of aggravated assault, one count of making terroristic threats and one count of violating of Georgia's Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.

Kayla Norton was sentenced to 15 years, with six years in prison. She was convicted on one count of making terroristic threats and one count of violation of the Street Gang Act.

"Many people tried to make the case about simply flying the Confederate Battle Flag," Douglas County District Attorney Brian Fortner said in a statement. "This case was about a group of people riding around our community, drinking alcohol, harassing and intimidating our citizens because of the color of their skin."

On July 25, 2015, Torres and Norton, joined about a dozen other people in a convoy of pickup trucks waving large Confederate flags as they drove around Douglas County, a suburban Atlanta community. Most of them belonged to a group called "Respect the Flag."

"The convoy of trucks passed by the victim's residence where the victims were grilling hot dogs and hamburgers while hosting a child's birthday party featuring a bouncy castle, snow-cone machines, and a DJ," the district attorney's office posted on its official Facebook page.

The party-goers said the people in the trucks yelled racial slurs as they passed, the statement said.

The drivers parked the trucks near the house, prosecutors said. Torres was part of a smaller group that "threatened to kill the party goers while repeatedly using derogatory racial slurs against them," said the statement.

"Torres, who had retrieved a shotgun from his vehicle, pointed his shotgun at the group of African American party-goers and stated he was going to kill them while his co-defendants stated that 'the little ones can get one too,' referring to the young children at the party," the statement said.

Norton was accused of making similar threats. The victims said some member of Torres' group was armed with a knife and a tire tool.

According to the district attorney's statement, Torres testified he carried the shotgun because he feared for his friends' safety. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported members of "Respect the Flag" said people at the party had thrown objects at them.

[Iron Maiden]

I would imagine governors, especially those from red states got a collective chill and wondered as a whole, "Oh, shit! What have we gotten ourselves into with this moron?" Hell, if the whole goddamn assemblage didn't wonder the same thing, then those gentlemen need a checkup from the neck up, because their leader is a straight up dumb fuck.

IMO...it's another facet of Trump's malignant narcissism. If he doesn't know something, it's not worth knowing. Until he finds out that it is something he should know. Then he thinks he's the only one that made this "discovery".

There's a bipartisan coalition forming with the Governors asking Trump to back renewables. It is 13 Ds and 10 Rs so far with Charlie and Brownback being the newest ones. Both are Rs. There's also one forming to protect the ACA chaired by Inslee of WA, Scott of VT, and Kasich of OH. I guess they added Snyder of MI, Sandoval of NV, and Herbert of UT yesterday. All Rs. Kasich, Snyder, Sandoval, and Herbert are all for keeping the ACA. They have been for awhile.

I think the Governors are going to be the biggest opposition force to Trump.

I agree. Governor Rauner (R-Illinois) has for the most part avoided even mentioning Trump's name and completely avoided any campaigning for him. It will get interesting with the states that have legalized marijuana now that the Trump administration appears to be set against it with Sessions's statement about enforcing the laws.

[Iron Maiden]

I'm going with President Munchausen. Feels more apt given his penchant for superlatives.

That's a good one too. With mine you have him lying plus Trump's a puppet with Putin and evil drunkard Bannon pulling the strings

[ImprobableQuestion]

Republican economic growth at work
Attachment 45968
The blue line is the employment increase in California since Jerry Brown became governor in 2011. The red line represents Kansas under Sam Brownback over the same amount of time.

[Kai "the spy"]

[Tami]

IMO...it's another facet of Trump's malignant narcissism. If he doesn't know something, it's not worth knowing. Until he finds out that it is something he should know. Then he thinks he's the only one that made this "discovery".



I agree. Governor Rauner (R-Illinois) has for the most part avoided even mentioning Trump's name and completely avoided any campaigning for him. It will get interesting with the states that have legalized marijuana now that the Trump administration appears to be set against it with Sessions's statement about enforcing the laws.

NJ has medical Marijuana laws, considering Christie's relationship with Trump that could get interesting.

[Gray Lensman]

Republican economic growth at work
Attachment 45968
The blue line is the employment increase in California since Jerry Brown became governor in 2011. The red line represents Kansas under Sam Brownback over the same amount of time.

It's almost as if the middle class is the true driver of the economy and not the rich.

[BeastieRunner]

It's almost as if the middle class is the true driver of the economy and not the rich.

To be fair, I want to see that graph with farm jobs.

[Gray Lensman]

To be fair, I want to see that graph with farm jobs.

That might be more difficult - many farm jobs tend to be temporary and might not be tracked as a result.

Hence why there needs to be a guest worker program in this country of some kind. Most Americans want a stable job and avoid harvest season stuff, likely reasoning that it prevents them from finding a permanent job for as long as they are there.

[Iron Maiden]

It's almost as if the middle class is the true driver of the economy and not the rich.

I know right? The rich are good at hiding their money with off shore accounts. Or like Trump, you can file a huge bankruptcy and then not pay taxes for 20 years.

[Ragged Maw]

That's hilarious. Standing out in the cold with a sign isn't peaceful enough.

More like it isnt creative enough.

[BeastieRunner]

That might be more difficult - many farm jobs tend to be temporary and might not be tracked as a result.

Hence why there needs to be a guest worker program in this country of some kind. Most Americans want a stable job and avoid harvest season stuff, likely reasoning that it prevents them from finding a permanent job for as long as they are there.

WA state does this all the time and their farm jobs are the most stable in the country. Including seasonal.

It can be done. My hunch is that the graph evens out.

[Dalak]

WA state does this all the time and their farm jobs are the most stable in the country. Including seasonal.

It can be done. My hunch is that the graph evens out.

I heartily and seriously support you in your effort to do the research to back up that hunch. If that can be proved then it'll go a long way to shake up how people currently see farm jobs.