Patterico's Pontifications

7/12/2019

Rancor in the Donkey Stable: He’s a Racist, She’s a Racist, Everyone’s a Racist!

Filed under: General — JVW @ 9:04 pm



[guest post by JVW]

Dana took us through the imbroglio which is brewing between our Aunt Nancy and our beloved dizzy little Marxist niece and her clique of mean girls. It’s getting to be so that the teacher can’t even turn her back on the class for one moment without the freshmen red ladies texting among themselves, posting catty remarks to Instagram, and giving the juniors and seniors dirty looks. So in light of nuestro sobrina loca letting loose with her thinly-veiled accusation of racism against her leader, it turns out that a couple of weeks ago her unctuous and insufferable chief of staff apparently issued and then deleted the following tweet:

Chakrabarti

Kind of a bold move for a freshman member’s chief of staff to attack by name a sitting Congresswoman from his boss’s own party. Yeah this is an Indian-versus-Indian spat, but Saikat Chakrabarti is a lower sort of Indian (Bengali) on the intersectionality rankings than is Kansas Representative Sharice Davids (Ho-Chunk Winnebago), and he’s a male whereas she is not only female, but a lesbian too. He kind of walked right into a buzzsaw with that one, and in what I think ought to qualify as a bold move, he received a pretty severe smack-down from the official House Democrats Twitter account earlier this evening. I’ll attach it as a picture file under the assumption that it could soon be deleted, but the link above takes you to it.

House Dems

You know the social media coordinator for the House Democrats is serious because she (maybe he) did the whole clap-after-every-word-for-emphasis thing that is just so edgy. Not sure why it took two weeks for them to respond to the provocation, except for maybe the idea that Mr. Chakrabarti deleted his tweet quickly enough that a screen-shot didn’t surface at the Democrat headquarters until just now.

Man, this party is a lot of fun, isn’t it?

– JVW

9th Circuit: Trump DOJ can withhold grants to Sanctuary Cities

Filed under: Immigration,Law — DRJ @ 4:00 pm



[Headline from DRJ]

Courthouse News:

Justice Department Cleared to Tie Police Grants to ICE Cooperation

Reversing, a divided Ninth Circuit panel ruled Friday the Justice Department acted lawfully when it withheld federal grants from Los Angeles for refusing to comply with the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

And from The Hill:

The ruling, a split 2-1 decision, said the Department of Justice (DOJ) was within its rights to withhold Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants from sanctuary cities and states over their refusal to work with federal immigration enforcement authorities and instead prioritize agencies that focused on unauthorized immigration and agreed to give Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to jail records and immigrants in custody.

The city of Los Angeles first sued the administration after it was denied a $3 million grant on the grounds that it did not receive the money because it did not focus on immigration for its community policing grant application. The decision reversed a district court’s ruling.

— DRJ

News Roundup: Jeffrey Epstein

Filed under: General — Dana @ 12:02 pm



[guest post by Dana]

On top of Alex Acosta’s resignation, there are some other revelations and developments happening in the unfolding Jeffrey Epstein case. I’ve compiled some of the latest news for your perusal.

First, more victims are coming forward to accuse Epstein of having sexually abused them:

At least a dozen new victims have come forward to claim they were sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein even as the multimillionaire money manager tries to convince a federal judge to allow him to await a sex trafficking trial from the comfort of the same $77 million Manhattan mansion where he’s accused of luring teenage girls into unwanted sex acts.

Following Epstein’s arrest Saturday in New Jersey, four women have reached out to New York lawyer David Boies, and at least 10 other women have approached other lawyers who have represented dozens of Epstein’s alleged victims in the past.

Jack Scarola, a Palm Beach attorney, said at least five women, all of whom were minors at the time of their alleged encounters with Epstein, have reached out to either him or Fort Lauderdale lawyer Brad Edwards.

“The people we are speaking to are underage victims in Florida and in New York. They are not individuals whose claims have previously been part of any law enforcement investigation,’’ Scarola said.

I suspect there will be a lot more victims coming forward, given that The Miami Herald had previously reported in 2018 that “it had identified about 80 women who say they were molested or sexually abused by Epstein between 2001 and 2006”.

Below is an interview from the Today Show with Epstein victim Jennifer Araoz, who explains how an unnamed Epstein associate approached her in front of her school and began the process of grooming the young 14-year old for Epstein’s use. She also describes how he forcibly raped her. While the graphic detail is hard to hear, it’s instructive to see how the well-oiled machine of Epstein and Maxwell worked:

Also, the locals on Epstein’s Little St. James Island knew something was amiss but apparently kept any concerns to themselves:

“Everybody called it ‘Pedophile Island,’” St. Thomas boat operator Kevin Goodrich said of Epstein’s 75-acre Little St. James Island, about a mile southeast of St. Thomas.

“It’s our dark corner.”

Many of those hired to work on the island are bound by non-disclosure agreements, but one reported seeing a parade of barely legal girls there — though he and others kept their heads down, he said.

“When he was there, it was keep to yourself and do your thing,” the man said, noting Epstein would gift workers with old machinery and surplus lumber as well.

And while there is ongoing speculation that Epstein’s alleged fortune may not be exactly that, a judge has allowed Epstein to file his financial information under seal.

Finally, the NYPD didn’t have a problem with Epstein ignoring a judge’s order that required him to check in with them every 90 days:

Convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein never once checked in with city cops in the eight-plus years since a Manhattan judge ordered him to do so every 90 days — and the NYPD says it’s fine with that.

After being labeled a worst-of-the-worst, Level 3 sex offender in 2011, Epstein should have reported in person to verify his address 34 times before he was arrested Saturday on federal child sex-trafficking charges.

Violating requirements of the state’s 1996 Sex Offender Registration Act — including checking in with law enforcement — is a felony punishable by up to four years in prison for a first offense.

Subsequent violations carry a sentence of up to seven years each.

But the NYPD hasn’t required the billionaire financier — who owns a $77 million Upper East Side townhouse — to check in since he registered as a sex offender in New York over the controversial 2008 plea bargain he struck in Florida amid allegations he sexually abused scores of underage girls in his Palm Beach mansion.

Public defender Eliza Orlins makes an observation: “I can’t tell you how many clients of mine have been arrested by the NYPD & prosecuted by Manhattan DA, Cy Vance for felony failure to register. They’re almost all poor people of color, who sometimes only missed registration because they changed shelters.”

Yet another mystery surrounding Epstein and Little St. James Island:

“The only unusual aspect of the main residence the former worker said he was aware of were the security boxes in two offices,” Bloomberg reports. “The level of secrecy around a steel safe in Epstein’s office, in particular, suggested it contained much more than just money, he said. Outside of an occasional visit by a housekeeper, no one was allowed in those rooms.”

(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)

–Dana

Mississippi Governor Candidate refuses Media Coverage

Filed under: Politics — DRJ @ 10:32 am



[Headlines from DRJ]

People Magazine:

Mississippi Politician Won’t Be Alone with Female Reporter for Fear of Extramarital Affair Rumors

Robert Foster, a Republican state representative in Mississippi running for governor, has refused to let a female journalist shadow him on a campaign trip because he said he feared others might suspect he was having an extramarital affair.

“Before our decision to run, my wife and I made a commitment to follow the ‘Billy Graham Rule,’ which is to avoid any situation that may evoke suspicion or compromise of our marriage,” Foster, 36, tweeted on Tuesday — referencing the practice named after the late Christian evangelist, who famously did not spend time alone with any woman who was not his wife.

VP Mike Pence has a similar rule.

The reporter, Larrison Campbell, wrote about this earlier this week. She called it sexist. Some find it demeans women, some make other interesting points, and some are supportive.

Foster was struggling in a January 2019 poll of the GOP primary and still trailing in a recent poll.

— DRJ

Update: Arizona Gov. Ducey Changes Course, Welcomes Nike

Filed under: General — Dana @ 8:51 am



[guest post by Dana]

Apparently, Gov. Ducey of Arizona decided that losing 500 new jobs wasn’t a hill worth dying on after all. Last week, Gov. Ducey announced that “Arizona’s economy is doing just fine without Nike” after Nike caved to Colin Kapernick and his complaints that Nike’s July 4th Betsy Ross flag kicks were associated with racism and slavery. The governor’s statement then :

…Instead of celebrating American history the week of our nation’s independence, Nike has apparently decided that Betsy Ross is unworthy, and has bowed to the current onslaught of political correctness and historical revisionism. It is a shameful retreat for the company. American businesses should be proud of our country’s history, not abandoning it. Nike has made its decision, and now we’re making ours. I’ve ordered the Arizona Commerce Authority to withdraw all financial incentive dollars under their discretion that the State was providing for the company to locate here…

What a difference a week and a half makes:

Nike announced today it is making a significant manufacturing investment in its U.S. innovation footprint by opening a new Nike Air Manufacturing Innovation (Air MI) facility in Goodyear, Arizona. This expansion is expected to generate more than 500 full-time jobs and result in an investment of at least $184 million.

Following Nike’s announcement, Gov. Ducey tweeted:

“This is good news for Arizona and for @GoodyearAZGov. 500 plus jobs. Over $184 million in capital investment. Arizona is open for business, and we welcome @Nike to our state,” he tweeted.

According to a report from ABC15 Arizona: “The Arizona Commerce Authority [said] that those financial incentives that were withdrawn will not be reinstated for Nike.”

Nike’s latest design? Gov. Ducey flip-flops.

(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)

–Dana

Philly Carjacker beaten to Death

Filed under: Crime — DRJ @ 8:00 am



[Headline from DRJ]

Man beaten to death after stealing car with 3 kids inside:

Police say a 25-year-old woman left her car running in front of New Star Pizza at 28th and Dauphin streets to visit her 25-year-old boyfriend inside, just after 9 p.m. While there, a 54-year-old man jumped in her car and took off with three kids still inside.

However, the carjacker hit a bit of a roadblock: He got stuck in traffic just a few blocks away. The woman’s boyfriend was able to catch up to the car and pull the thief out.

The suspect tried to run away, but Chief Inspector Scott Small said the boyfriend, who is the father of two of the children, was able to catch up to him again, this time a half-block away, leading to a fight. “Then other males from the neighborhood intervened and began punching and kicking the male who took the vehicle,” he said, “to the point where he was rendered unconscious.”

— DRJ

Labor Secretary Alex Acosta resigns

Filed under: Politics — DRJ @ 7:10 am



[Headline from DRJ]

CNBC Trump’s Labor Secretary Alex Acosta resigns amid pressure from Jeffrey Epstein sex traffic case:

Labor Secretary Alex Acosta said Friday he will resign amid controversy over the way he handled a sex crimes case against wealthy businessman Jeffrey Epstein a decade ago when he was U.S. attorney for southern Florida.

Acosta made the announcement to reporters while standing next to President Donald Trump outside the White House. Trump said that Acosta had called him Friday morning, and that it was Acosta’s decision to quit.

“This was him, not me,” Trump said in a lengthy exchange with the press before departing the White House en route to events in Wisconsin and Ohio.

— DRJ

Trump’s EO to Obtain Data on Everyone’s Status (UPDATED)

Filed under: Government,Immigration — DRJ @ 6:40 am



[Headlines from DRJ]

Following up on Trump Surrenders on Census Change, NPR reports:

President Trump announced Thursday he would sign an executive order to obtain data about the U.S. citizenship and noncitizenship status of everyone living in the United States.

In a Rose Garden ceremony, Trump said he would drop efforts to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census. Instead, his executive order will direct all U.S. agencies to provide the Department of Commerce all information they have on U.S. citizenship, noncitizenship and immigration status.

Might this data include driver’s license photos?

Civil rights activists complained Monday of the potential for widespread abuse following confirmation that at least three states have scanned millions of driver’s license photos on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement without the drivers’ knowledge or consent.

Public records obtained by the Georgetown Law Center on Privacy and Technology provided the first proof that ICE had sought such scans, which were conducted in Utah, Vermont and Washington.

All three states — which offer driving privileges to immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally — agreed to the ICE requests, according to documents shared with The Associated Press on Monday and first reported by The Washington Post.

Twelve states and the District of Columbia allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.

In addition:

Twenty-one states and Washington, D.C., let the FBI access their drivers’ license and identification photos, according to a Government Accountability Office report published last month. The report said the FBI currently has access to 640 million photos — including for U.S. visa applicants — with more than 390,000 photos searched for matches since 2011, the year the agency augmented its fingerprint database with facial analysis.

What other information does the government already have, and do you think there should be a limit on the government using this information?

UPDATE: Asking a Census question may or may not have been the best way to get answers:

The Census Bureau currently asks about citizenship status on the American Community Survey, a yearly survey involving about one in 38 households. But research by the bureau suggests asking all U.S. households about citizenship status could discourage noncitizens from taking part in the national head count and harm the accuracy of the population counts used to redistribute congressional seats and Electoral College votes among the states once a decade.

Still, Ross overruled those warnings, as well as a suggestion by Census Bureau officials to forgo the question and instead compile existing government records about citizenship status. In a memo prepared for Ross, the bureau’s chief scientist said that alternative would be less expensive and produce more accurate citizenship data for Voting Rights Act enforcement.

The memo reviews three possible approaches — no change, adding a Census question, or obtaining existing data from government records — and discusses the costs and benefits of all three.

— DRJ


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