Big Time News Blog: 07/25/19

Thursday, July 25, 2019

The Latest: Action on election security stalls in Congress

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'You can't do that': Video shows ICE officers smash window, drag man out of car in front of his family

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were seen smashing a man's car window and dragging him to the ground in a now-viral video.

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg Insists She’s Not Going Anywhere

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg revealed this week that she dreams of serving on the Supreme Court for another decade.Ginsburg, age 86, traveled to Portugal with Justice John Paul Stevens — who died July 16 at the age of 99 — during the last week of his life. She recounted a story from the trip at a Washington, D.C., event hosted by Duke Law School on Wednesday night: “As we were leaving the U.S. ambassador’s residence our last evening in Lisbon, I said to John, ‘My dream is to remain on the court as long as you did.’ His immediate response? ‘Stay longer!’”Ginsburg would need to serve until 2028, when she would be 95, to surpass Stevens’s nearly 35-year tenure on the court.It may be a bit morbid, but given the nature of lifetime appointments and the outsize role of the Supreme Court in American political life, there is intense interest surrounding Ginsburg’s health. She has spent the week making public appearances and pointedly insisting that she isn’t going anywhere."There was a senator, I think it was after my pancreatic cancer, who announced with great glee that I was going to be dead within six months," Ginsburg told NPR in an on-camera interview Tuesday, the day of Stevens’s funeral, referring to former Kentucky senator Jim Bunning. "That senator, whose name I have forgotten, is now himself dead, and I am very much alive."On Wednesday night, Ginsburg delivered a 30-minute speech looking back at the 2018 Supreme Court term and Stevens’s life, before participating in an hour-long question-and-answer session with Duke Law professor Neil Siegel, one of her former clerks. When Siegel asserted during the Q&A that “nominees for the Supreme Court are not chosen primarily anymore for independence, legal ability, [and] personal decency, and I wonder if that’s a loss for all of us,” Ginsburg immediately defended Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. “My two newest colleagues are very decent, very smart individuals,” she said.She expressed delight over the fact that she had assigned two opinions to Gorsuch and one to Kavanaugh during the last term, something she was only able to do only because the two justices senior to her on the court (Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Thomas) were in the minority.“The Court remains the most collegial place I have ever worked,” Ginsburg said. She lamented how divisive Supreme Court nominations have become. “I had a history of being a flaming feminist,” Ginsburg said, before noting that she was confirmed 96–3. “I was general counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union.” Ginsburg pointed out that her “buddy,” the late Justice Antonin Scalia, also had well-known constitutional views when he was confirmed by a unanimous vote. “My hope is we will return to the way it once was,” Ginsburg said of the confirmation process.“Nowadays, when people divide into ‘I’ll talk to my own kind, and the others I have nothing to do with,’ that’s very sad because that hasn’t been the way it was and isn’t the way this country should be,” Ginsburg said. She added that Americans should go “beyond just mere tolerance of different views” to “welcoming different views because they enrich our society.”To NPR, Ginsburg also expressed concern about the perils of packing the Supreme Court, a policy that has gained the support of several Democratic presidential candidates. "Nine seems to be a good number. It's been that way for a long time," she said. "I think it was a bad idea when President Franklin Roosevelt tried to pack the court.”“If anything would make the court look partisan," she added, "it would be that: one side saying, 'When we're in power, we're going to enlarge the number of judges, so we would have more people who would vote the way we want them to.'”Despite Ginsburg’s dream of staying on the court for another decade, she sounded a more realistic note at the end of Wednesday night’s Q&A session. “I’ll stay on this job as long as I can do it full-steam. That means, at my age, 86, you have to take it year by year,” she said. “I was okay this last term. I expect to be okay next term. And after that, we’ll just have to see.”

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Point Break: Is Iran Ready to Retaliate Against America?

The United States and Iran remain locked in a tense standoff, punctuated by periodic escalations, that could easily transition into a full-blown conflict. Following the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, Iran has been subjected to crushing sanctions that have contracted its economy and put pressure on its leadership. Rather than concede, Iran has responded with increasingly provocative moves—sabotaging several oil tankers, shooting down a U.S. drone, and openly violating the uranium enrichment and storage thresholds in the JCPOA. Many in Washington want the United States to launch military strikes on Iran because they believe the prospect of a war that it would lose would force Iran into submission. Military action is much more likely to backfire, however, since it would only legitimize Iran's nuclear program and make a nuclear arsenal essential to defend itself from the United States.Iran has clearly telegraphed that it would restart uranium enrichment unless America’s European allies—who want to remain in the JCPOA—defy U.S. sanctions and continue to import Iranian oil. Iran’s recent moves are a desperate effort to recapture some of the economic benefits of the deal in exchange for its continued compliance. So far, modest European efforts to that end have done little to ease Iran’s economic crisis. Iran’s recent seizure of a British oil tanker—retaliation for the Royal Navy’s seizure of an Iranian vessel—is likely to make the Europeans even less willing to risk angering the United States on Iran’s behalf.

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Lightfoot faces fallout over comment picked up by hot mic, calling police union official a "clown"

Mayor Lori Lightfoot made a remark about a Chicago police union official that was caught on a hot mic Wednesday.

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Donald who? Pelosi, Democrats vow to 'own August' on issues

Congressional Democrats on Thursday pivoted away from questions of impeachment by saying they are going to "own" the upcoming August recess on issues like health care and prescription drug costs. Not emphasized was the testimony a day earlier by former special counsel Robert Mueller, which dulled some Democratic hopes of moving closer to formal impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. In private, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi advised members of her caucus to talk about impeachment if they must to advance their prospects of winning re-election next year — but not in a way that challenged other members' views.

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The medical examiner said a man died of natural causes. Funeral home employees found stab wounds in his neck

A medical examiner in Georgia ruled a man died of natural causes. Then funeral home employees found stab wounds in his neck.

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No F-22: Why Iran's Qaher 313 "Stealth" Fighter Is an Utter Joke

Iran’s then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ahmad Vahidi, then the country’s defense minister, unveiled the Qaher 313 at a staged event in February 2013. Officials claimed the plane could carry two 2,000-pound bombs or at least six air-to-air missiles.Tensions have escalated in the Persian Gulf region in the aftermath of U.S. president Donald Trump’s decision unilaterally to withdraw the United States from the agreement limiting Iran’s nuclear program.The U.S. military has implicated Iranian agents in several summer 2019 attacks on civilian ships sailing near Iran. The U.S. Navy sent the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and her strike group to the region. The U.S. Air Force deployed B-52 bombers and F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters.If war breaks out, American forces likely will attempt to secure Gulf air space by destroying or suppressing Iran’s air forces. The regular Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force and the air wing of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps militia together operate around 700 aircraft, including around two dozen U.S.-made F-14s.(This first appeared earlier in July 2019.)One thing U.S. forces won’t have to worry about is an Iranian stealth fighter. The Islamic republic’s supposedly radar-evading Qaher 313 fighter was nothing but a cheap mock-up when it first rolled out in early 2013. It was still a cheap mock-up when it appeared again in public in 2017.Iran’s then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ahmad Vahidi, then the country’s defense minister, unveiled the Qaher 313 at a staged event in February 2013. Officials claimed the plane could carry two 2,000-pound bombs or at least six air-to-air missiles.

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Oklahoma City teens chase, attack family of undocumented immigrants with BB guns

A family of undocumented immigrants was injured Monday after teens wielding BBguns allegedly chased them around an Oklahoma City neighborhood

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British Airways to resume flights to Cairo on Friday

British Airways, part of International Airlines Group , will resume flights to Cairo following a suspension over security concerns, the airline told Reuters on Friday.

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North Korea's Kim says missile launch a warning to South Korean 'warmongers'

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the demonstration of a "new-type tactical guided weapon" on Thursday as a warning to South Korean "warmongers" to stop importing weapons and conducting joint military drills, state media said on Friday.

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Meghan McCain challenges O'Rourke on comment comparing Trump rally to Nazi Nuremberg rally

Twice in two days, Beto O'Rourke has compared a recent Trump rally to Nuremberg rallies in Nazi Germany. But the 2020 Democrat said he also believes that not everyone at Trump's recent North Carolina rally is a racist.

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AG Barr Reinstates Federal Death Penalty, Immediately Schedules 5 Executions

Attorney General William Barr on Thursday reinstated the federal death penalty, which lapsed 20 years ago, and immediately scheduled executions for five federal death row inmates convicted of murdering children and the elderly, while promising more to come.According to a Justice Department announcement, Barr directed Hugh Hurwitz, the acting director of the Bureau of Prisons, to adopt the revision to the Federal Execution Protocol, a maneuver that “[clears] the way for the federal government to resume capital punishment after a nearly two decade lapse, and bringing justice to victims of the most horrific crimes.”Barr also directed Hurwitz to schedule executions for five death-row inmates at a federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana in December 2019 and January 2020.“Congress has expressly authorized the death penalty through legislation adopted by the people’s representatives in both houses of Congress and signed by the President,” Barr said in a statement.“Under Administrations of both parties, the Department of Justice has sought the death penalty against the worst criminals, including these five murderers, each of whom was convicted by a jury of his peers after a full and fair proceeding. The Justice Department upholds the rule of law—and we owe it to the victims and their families to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system.”The Justice Department identified the five inmates scheduled for execution:

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Ukraine seizes Russian tanker in Black Sea

The Ukrainian Security Service said Thursday it had seized a Russian tanker in a Black Sea port, a move that could undermine an anticipated prisoner swap between the two countries. The security service said it detained the Russian tanker in a Ukrainian port on Wednesday. Authorities said the tanker was used in a Russian operation to block Ukrainian vessels from sailing through the Kerch Strait in November.

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Treasury's Mnuchin says Amazon 'destroyed' U.S. retail sector

Mnuchin said he looked forward to hearing the results of a Justice Department probe, announced on Tuesday, into whether big U.S. technology firms engage in anticompetitive practices, the strongest sign yet that the Trump administration is stepping up its scrutiny of Big Tech. "If you look at Amazon, although they're certain benefits to it, they've destroyed the retail industry across the United States," Mnuchin told CNBC.

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Trump Unleashes Furious Twitter Attack Ahead Of Mueller’s Testimony

President Donald Trump unleashed a torrent of angry tweets Wednesday ahead of former special counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony in front of Congress.“Why didn’t Robert Mueller [and] his band of 18 Angry Democrats spend any time investigating Crooked Hillary Clinton, Lyin’ [and] Leakin’ James Comey, Lisa Page and her Psycho lover, Peter S, Andy McCabe, the beautiful Ohr family, Fusion GPS, and many more, including HIMSELF [and] Andrew W?” Trump wrote Wednesday on Twitter.Trump also claimed Mueller denied reports that the president turned him down for the role of FBI director the day before Mueller’s appointment as special counsel in 2017.“It has been reported that Robert Mueller is saying that he did not apply and interview for the job of FBI Director (and get turned down) the day before he was wrongfully appointed Special Counsel. Hope he doesn’t say that under oath in that we have numerous witnesses to the interview, including the Vice President of the United States!” Trump wrote Wednesday on Twitter.Trump also expressed displeasure with Mueller’s request that Aaron Zebley, his deputy during the probe, be sworn in as a witness in order to address any questions that he is not able to answer. Several Republicans were also not happy with the possibility of Zebley’s inclusion.

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DNA put him behind bars for a 1997 rape. Then his old girlfriend saw a photo that set him free

James Clay had begun serving a 25 - 50 year prison sentence for rape based on DNA. He was released following a Free Press investigation into his case.

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Governor acknowledges Native Hawaiian plight on Mauna Kea

After a week of tension and dozens of arrests, Hawaii's governor is vowing to find a peaceful resolution to the ongoing stalemate with Native Hawaiian activists who are trying to prevent the construction of another telescope atop a Big Island volcano. Gov. David Ige visited the protest site Tuesday evening after acknowledging that their grievances were not just about the new observatory but also the treatment of Native Hawaiians going back more than a century. Activists welcomed Ige with a nose-to-nose greeting called honi as he approached a tent where Hawaiian elders have been blocking a road prevent to construction equipment and crews from reaching the summit of Mauna Kea.

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Russia warns of 'consequences' after Ukraine seizes tanker

Ukraine on Thursday seized a Russian tanker it said was used in a naval confrontation last November amid sensitive prisoner swap talks between the two countries who have been at loggerheads since 2014. Kiev's SBU security service said it stopped the tanker, the Neyma, as it entered the port of Izmail in the southern Odessa region. Investigators seized documents onboard and questioned crew members, an SBU statement said.

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How to claim your share of the $700 million Equifax settlement

Starting today, victims of the massive Equifax data breach -- and chances are if you're reading this, you're one of them since 147 million people were affected -- can finally get the ball rolling on filing a claim and collecting their share of the $700 million settlement with the credit reporting agency.As a reminder, hackers extracted tons of data from Equifax servers in a data breach a couple of years ago that included peoples' names, birth dates, addresses, social security numbers, and more than 200,000 payment card numbers and expiration dates. Equifax settled a lawsuit the FTC brought against it for $700 million, and that money will be used in part to offer free credit monitoring services to victims of the breach, as well as direct cash payments to people affected.The FTC's claim website went live on Thursday morning, and that's where you should go to see if you were affected by the breach. You can also use the form to denote how much money you think you're entitled to.If you visit that website, you'll see that it offers you a few options to choose from. As part of the settlement, for example, victims can request at least four years of three-bureau credit monitoring offered through Experian, as well as up to six more years of free one-bureau credit monitoring through Equifax. If you already use such services, you can request a direct $125 cash payment.Speaking of cash payments, the settlement site says consumers may also be eligible for cash payments for:> * the time you spent remedying fraud, identity theft, or other misuses of your personal information caused by the data breach, or purchasing credit monitoring or freezing credit reports, up to 20 total hours at $25 per hour.> * out-of-pocket losses resulting from the data breach.> * up to 25% of the cost of Equifax credit or identity monitoring products you paid for in the year before the data breach announcement.> Finally, victims are also eligible for seven years of free "assisted identity restoration services" to help them fix the effects of identity fraud and theft.One additional thing it's important to note: None of the benefits listed above will be made available and distributed until the Equifax settlement is approved by a judge in the FTC's legal case against it. Victims have until January 22, 2020, to file a claim, and the settlement might be approved in December, with the case's final hearing currently set for December 19.

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