Another breakthrough for the Obama administration. Despite all the naysayers, and it comes as no surprise to learn that they are all mostly in the Republican party, President Obama announced a deal between the United States and other countries including Russia and China, to curb Iran’s nuclear ambition.
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“No sum of money can make this family whole, but hopefully the Garner family can find some peace and finality from today’s settlement,” Mayor de Blasio said yesterday. “By reaching a resolution, family and other loved ones can move forward even though we know they will never forget this tragic incident.”
Eric Garner’s death was ruled a homicide by the coroner’s office when police officer Daniel Pantaleo used an illegal chokehold on him while attempting an arrest. Garner’s family initially requested $75 million, but settled for $5.9 million instead. Officer Pantaleo was never indicted in Garner’s death and is still working with the police department.
In an interview with the New York Post, Ed Mullins of the Police Benevolent Association expressed his anger and frustration at the settlement;
“Where is the justice for New York taxpayers?” he asked. ” Where is the consistency in the civil system? In my view, the city has chosen to abandon its fiscal responsibility to all of its citizens and genuflect to the select few who curry favor with the city government.”
“Mr. Garner’s family should not be rewarded simply because he repeatedly chose to break the law and resist arrest,” Mullins concluded.
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has something to say about Jeb Bush’s recent comments that Americans need to work longer hours. Appearing on MSNBC’S The Ed Show, Sanders broke it down so that even a Bush could understand.
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So Serena Williams just won the Wimbledon… again! This is obviously a big story, but for a particular Republican, it is a big story for a whole other reason.
In what he is now calling a private twitter conversation, as if there is such a thing, David Frum, a former speechwriter for George Bush, is suggesting on Twitter that Serena Williams is on steroids.Yes, you heard that right. Without any proof whatsoever, Frum concluded that Williams is on steroids, and the rest of the media is ignoring this fact.
Realizing the insanity of his statement, Frum tried to take it all back, saying that his words were not intended for public domain. But, the damage was already done and Twitter users were on his case!
Just like a Republican. Manufacturing your talking-points based on absolutely nothing. And believe those talking points as facts.
She is 82 years old, and considered one of the wisest and most vocal of all the justices on the Supreme Court. And President Obama honored Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a speech he gave at the White House.
Speaking at the White House Conference on Aging, Obama mentioned a number of Americans who show that senior citizens are able to live healthier, more productive lives than ever before.
“Arguably the toughest justice on the Supreme Court is the oldest, Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” he said. “Also known as the Notorious RBG. She’s tough.”
Ginsburg’s fans gave her the nickname, a play on the late rapper Notorious B.I.G. It’s caught fire, appearing on a Tumblr site, t-shirts and even tattoos.
Obama’s praise for Ginsburg, 82, comes weeks after after the high court handed him a pair of victories.
A leader of the court’s liberal wing, Ginsburg sided with the majority to uphold a key provision of the president’s healthcare law and legalize same-sex marriage nationwide.
“Americans who once might have been dismissed as out of touch or past their primes are making vital contributions in every field.”
The president said the contributions of older Americans like Ginsburg sparks all Americans “to raise our ambitions about what we hope to achieve in our golden years.”
Those of us who grew up in the era of summer reruns have had the most difficult time with both the new media and political environments. There just is no downtime anymore, what with 24-hour news cycles and the panicked reaction of the main television networks to phones, Netflix, YouTube and on-demand programming.
So it makes perfect sense that we will have a summer jammed to the gills with Donald Trump, Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal, Rick Perry, Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley. Not that these candidates don’t have things to say, because they do. It’s just that come the fall, they’ll be off the headlines and back to being annoyances and debate fodder for the wealthier, more established name-brand candidates. It’s not fair and it certainly isn’t democratic, nor does it help the country when money determines your political life, but that’s the way it is, and has always been.
The stark reality is that candidates need to run actual campaigns with strategies and staff, and that takes professionals who know what they’re doing, donor lifelines, media access, and political experience under the heat and glare of the media spotlight. Right now, we’re getting the free media show that only the second tier candidates can provide. Hillary Clinton is sharpening her economic message, ahead of Monday’s speech, Jeb’s reconnecting with the bluebloodlines inherent in the Bush family, dining with Mitt at the Walker Point compound, and Scott Walker is wowing them with his approachable personality, but not with his smarts.
I know it’s rather gauche to put Chris Christie in with the varsity because most major publications and even dyed-in-the-wool Morris County, New Jersey Republicans are writing him off (no link; just a conversation I had with said woolen GOPer), but I’m not going to get on that train just yet. It’s true that he’s got the trifecta when it comes to negatives–a scandal, no record and a lousy personality–but the man does fight and with a frontrunner named Bush, this year is going to be a bit unpredictable on the right side of the spectrum.
Which brings me back to Donald and Bernie. Trump is blowing hot air and getting media traction for it, but it’s attention for all the wrong reasons. He’s got nothing to run on and no policy except outrage. As a matter of fact, he even makes Christie’s YouTube rants look like Bill Buckley on Firing Line (I’m trying to win the Most Obscure Reference award today. DraftKings has a daily game, you know). He’ll be off the radar by the time the first GOP debate comes around and I would be surprised if he’s even in it. Of course, if he is, then his campaign will really end there because people will see him for what he is.
Bernie Sanders is the anti-Trump; he has an actual message for the country and the far left is drinking it up because Hillary won’t dare say the same things on the campaign trail. Sanders is playing to large crowds, but again, he needs to raise money and run ads. He also needs to appeal to a larger portion of the Democratic electorate. Hillary will eventually need to fold in some of Sanders’ ideas if she hopes to keep the faithful in her corner, but I just don’t see him being a force after Iowa or New Hampshire. If anything, Clinton will be expected to win those races handily, so if Sanders is close then that will be the narrative. But a loss is a loss and money doesn’t follow losses.
Still, we should enjoy the summer fun because once the campaign turns serious, there’s no turning back.
For more, go to www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives or Twitter @rigrundfest
After video was released by TMZ showing Ariana Grande licking a donut at Wolfee Donuts in Lake Elsinore, California and saying that she hates America, the entertainer quickly went on damage control and issued an apology where she professed her love for the country and how proud she was to be an American.
The apology was called a “non-apology” by some because it ended with “… let me once again apologize if I offended anyone with my poor choice of words.” She then went on Twitter to clean that up as well. “need to clean up this mouth of mine” she said in the tweet. “always learning.”
need to clean up this mouth of mine & set a better example for my babes. i apologize and i love you. always learning. pic.twitter.com/BkJWcLxR5y
— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) July 8, 2015
But for some, the damage was already done, which may explain why Ariana felt the need to go on video this time for yet another apology.
In 1961, the confederate flag was raised over South Carolina’s capitol in support of segregation and to protest integration. In the year 2000, it was moved to a flagpole in front of the Statehouse. Today, some 54 years after the flag was raised, it came down and ushered away to a nearby museum.
At an event attended by thousands chanting “USA, USA” and “Hey, hey, hey, goodbye,” the state’s Highway Patrol honor guards brought the divisive flag down at 10:33AM on Friday. The pole will also be removed at a later date.
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I’m sure you’ve heard the news by now. Keith Olbermann is leaving ESPN. If you haven’t heard yet, read the next story. And that’s all I’m going to say about this. Keith Olbermann has something he wants to say. In short, Keith Olbermann said he’s “going to become Donald Trump’s campaign manager.”
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Come back to your true love Olbermann. Your presence is greatly missed in the political arena. MSNBC lost their backbone when you left!
A statement From ESPN:
“While the show’s (“Olbermann”) content was distinctive and extremely high quality, we ultimately made a business decision to move in another direction,” the ESPN Faculty said in a statement. “We wish Keith nothing but the best and trust that his skill and ability will lead him to another programming endeavor.”
Olbermann’s contract was set to expire at the end of this month.
Why is this video coming out now? Well it seems that some, if not all of the women accusing him of sexual misconduct, were apparently telling the truth. Newly revealed court records show Cosby admitting that he used drugs on some of the women he wanted to have sex with.
So maybe this song explains the reason for his actions with these women.
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I guess when your father was a failed president of the United States, and your brother was a failed President of the United States and you are running to carry on their failed legacy, then it is quite reasonable for you to think that working longer hours is the key to success.
Bush told New Hampshire’s The Union Leader that to grow the economy, “people should work longer hours.”
He was answering a question about his plans for tax reform and responded:
“My aspiration for the country and I believe we can achieve it, is 4 percent growth as far as the eye can see. Which means we have to be a lot more productive, workforce participation has to rise from its all-time modern lows. It means that people need to work longer hours” and, through their productivity, gain more income for their families. That’s the only way we’re going to get out of this rut that we’re in.”
Already the Democratic National Committee has pounced, releasing a statement that calls his remarks “easily one of the most out-of-touch comments we’ve heard so far this cycle,” adding that Bush would not fight for the middle class as president.
