AcidiclyBasicGlitch

joined 3 weeks ago
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[–] AcidiclyBasicGlitch@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (1 children)

I could see it being a distraction but also feel like this should just be added to the growing list of things people should not let go as midterms approach and the administration tries to redirect the narrative of reality. Don't let them.

Its a lot to keep up with, but in no particular order, as a direct result of this administration and Republicans in the House and Senate:

•Rich pedophiles are now an officially protected species

•Trump tried to insult and neg his own supporters into dropping the Epstein list

•Economy is in shambles and projected to get worse

•Over 100 Americans suddenly dead in Texas due to severe flooding and cuts to warning systems that were in place until Trump took office (Republicans are seriously trying to blame this on "weather manipulation"). Similar disasters very likely to follow.

•After other disasters in other loyalist red states, emergency funding was withheld or delayed due to a lack of coordination between the white house and FEMA (with Trump's own pick leading things, last I heard he was on vacation and MIA following the TX floods)

•Energy grids and local water supplies are being strained all over the country by the very stupid and very expensive AI data factories being rolled out across the U.S.

•Giant Palantir surveillance database being created to keep tabs on all Americans. Don't forget that over the last 6 months: -ICE has been given the greenlight to break down doors without a warrant -Trump openly admitting he's not sure he has to follow due process -Trump dismantling the office of Human Rights and Civil Liberties that was created as a direct result of government overreach on behalf of the patriot act -There's a very fine line between what Trump can do to handle immigration and what he can do to any and all American citizens in the name of "domestic safety." That office was in charge of ensuring that line didn't get crossed, and if it did ensuring there would at least be documentation about it available through FOIA.

•Trump knew about Netenyahu's planned bombing of Iran, publicly lied about it, said he didn't want a war with Iran, but then randomly just decided to start kicking the hornet's nest

•Millions of Americans are losing their healthcare (in particular rural Americans and Trump's own voters are being hit especially hard by this) in order to provide tax cuts to wealthy elite

•Even the ultraconservative Cato institute has criticized Trump's planned spending on immigration laid out in the BBB (over $1 trillion dollars on deportation spending seems a kinda ridiculous when you can't find the budget for Americans to have Medicaid)

There's more, but just a few things off the top of my head.

[–] AcidiclyBasicGlitch@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

But if he didn't make a big public announcement how else would Charlie Kirk have something to advertise to all the people at Turning Point U.S.A. who are starting to ask too many questions

Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was critical of the administration's handling of the files in recent days, praised Trump's move. "This is massive, this is something that we've been talking about for quite some time, and really a power to the grassroots," he said.

Wow...

So when the Dems try to force the release of the files after the president promised to release them then tried to go back on that promise, it's "all for political show."

When the Trump administration picks and chooses what breadcrumbs they will toss to the public (after already releasing edited footage and lying about it and insulting his own supporters), it's "power to the grassroots." 👑

 

President Donald Trump says he has ordered the justice department to produce additional documents related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

"Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval," he said.

It's unclear if Trump is authorising the public release of these documents. Such action would typically require court approval.

Yeah Bondi, slap together some more doctored BS to tell whatever story you need to tell. Maybe more "raw unedited footage" pasted together and missing 3 minutes.

Just to be clear, I'm not complaining about Democrats (in this instance). They did what they could in a ridiculous situation.

If anything people need to be blasting the shit out of the fact that team Epstein just ignored testimony of 900 people that worked at the DOJ back when that file that suddenly can't be released was being put together.

[–] AcidiclyBasicGlitch@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think we see a lot of kayfabing but I'm not sure about this. Especially after the blocked Epstein vote. Kayfabe usually requires some yes anding to keep the dialogue going.

Not really sure how you can really yes and "we are above the law and will continue openly protecting pedophiles."

I believe the letter was from the 900 former justice department employees who were trying to warn the chuds in congress that just let him sail through why it was a really bad idea to give this guy the green light. Bc of testimony provided by 900 people.

Luckily Grassley and co. don't like making decisions based on "evidence."

Like evidence can only tell you so much. If we look at all the evidence we've seen this week, it looks like Republicans in congress willingly protect pedophiles even when they're given the chance to vote to expose them. But obviously we know from their own words that can't possibly be true. Ya know bc evidence can be deceiving and what not.

[–] AcidiclyBasicGlitch@sh.itjust.works 30 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Oh didn't you hear? Wealthy people are above the law, and the congressmen our tax dollars pay to act as safeguards in this exact situation didn't want to have to be lectured about how bad it would be to clear this guy, so they decided to just ignore the rules.

Or in Bove speak, they just told America, "fuck you, we don't give a shit about you or the future of the United States."

[–] AcidiclyBasicGlitch@sh.itjust.works 23 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Gosh Dems, hurry up and get this show over with. Time is money. This guy could have let like 10 rich pedophiles off the hook in the time it took to hear all the reasons he was "unqualified."

 

A U.S. Senate panel on Thursday advanced the nomination of Donald Trump's former personal lawyer to be a federal appeals court judge over protests from Democrats, who accuse him of using aggressive tactics to enforce the U.S. president's agenda at the Justice Department.

The hearing devolved into partisan rancor when the panel's Republican chairman, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, cut off debate on Bove's nomination. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, a Democrat, shouted that Grassley was violating the committee's rules as Republicans cast their votes.

The other Democrats walked out of the hearing. "This is outrageous that you're not allowing senators to have their fair say," Booker told Grassley. "What are you afraid of?" Grassley accused Booker of "obstruction.

Bove's nomination drew fierce opposition from Democrats and many former Justice Department employees, more than 900 of whom signed a letter accusing him of undermining the integrity of the department.

Huh, has the justice department done something in the last few days inconsistent with the purpose of even having a "justice" department 🤔

Bove's defenders have pointed to his background as a federal terrorism prosecutor in New York and his work countering drug cartels and other threats. Trump named Bove to a senior post at the Justice Department after he helped defend Trump against three criminal cases brought against him during his years out of power.

 

The U.S. health department is giving Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials access to the personal data of 79 million Medicaid enrollees to help them track down immigrants who may not be living legally in the country, it said on Thursday.

Giving ICE access to the personal data of Medicaid enrollees marks an escalation in President Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies. It may also raise privacy concerns under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as HIPAA.

Immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally are not eligible for Medicaid under federal law, but 14 states and the District of Columbia provide coverage for eligible children regardless of immigration status, and seven states and DC do so for adults.

No one wants to start a war in the middle east except oil companies, defense contractors, and rich investors

Those are the people this country serves now. After this week, I feel like it couldn't be any more obvious that laws exist only to protect those individuals and make them more money. As long as it will keep them rich, why not go ahead and just start WWIII or at least a second cold war?

 

One of the three nuclear enrichment sites in Iran struck by the United States last month was mostly destroyed, setting work there back significantly. But the two others were not as badly damaged and may have been degraded only to a point where nuclear enrichment could resume in the next several months if Iran wants it to, according to a recent U.S. assessment of the destruction caused by the military operation, five current and former U.S. officials familiar with the assessment told NBC News.

The assessment, part of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to determine the status of Iran’s nuclear program since the facilities were struck, was briefed to some U.S. lawmakers, Defense Department officials and allied countries in recent days, four of those people said.

Iran recently threatened to raise uranium enrichment to weapons-grade levels and exit the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if Western powers move forward with reimposing United Nations sanctions.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom agreed in a phone call Monday to set an August deadline for a nuclear agreement.

If no deal is reached by then, the three European powers plan to trigger the UN "snapback" mechanism, which would automatically reinstate global sanctions on Iran's arms trade, banking sector, and nuclear program.

The possible reactivation of UN snapback sanctions threatens to dismantle the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and push Iran toward enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels of 90 percent. This crisis has deep roots in the U.S. withdrawal from the deal in 2018 under President Donald Trump, which led Iran to reduce compliance and expand its nuclear program.

 

A majority of Dutch MPs are backing a proposal to give citizens the copyright to their body, facial features, and voice to prevent people from creating AI-generated deepfakes and putting them online.

Denmark has already announced it will extend copyright law to ensure people maintain the right to their own person and GroenLinks-PvdA, VVD, NSC and D66 MPS now want to follow suit.

They have also called for action against big tech companies that do not act against the dissemination of deepfakes on their platforms.

Obando said any case against big tech companies would be a “challenge” and may turn into a battle of “David against Goliath”. “An individual would have to take on an often anonymous perpetrator or a big tech platform,” he said.

Privacy watchdog Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP) is calling on people who are the victims of sexually suggestive deepfakes to report them so it can impose fines and other measures.

Duursma and Obando both warned that the new legislation could compromise freedom of expression. However, parody and satire using deepfakes would still be allowed under the proposed rules.

I agree as an insider, she's really just had so much BS slung at her nonstop over the last few months. It's really insane.

The current governor has been trying to force the city to drop the sanctuary policy that's a result of a federal consent decree, since he was AG back in 2017.

He's tried so many underhanded tactics to (unsuccessfully force her to drop it).

• State law created by a state senator and good friend of the governor saying its a crime to have a sanctuary policy in Louisiana

• The current AG (and of course different long time friend of the governor) just sued Hutson in federal court earlier this year and cited that law to try and force her to drop the consent decree. Federal judge ruled that it was overreach for the AG to try and interfere

• New law was created about a month ago that says it's now a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison for any Louisiana public official or police officer to ignore or hinder federal immigration orders. It goes into effect 3 days before this sentencing is scheduled.

[–] AcidiclyBasicGlitch@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

That was also before the governor established a permanent state police force in the city, filled the jail beyond the maximum capacity the city had budgeted for, and made a deal saying that the state AG was going to be handling all court cases for people who were jailed following arrests by state police.

Since the jailbreak there's been a lot of public finger pointing (at everyone except the governor or the AG for some reason) over who should be blamed for overcrowding and why.

[–] AcidiclyBasicGlitch@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

As of August 1st a new state law kicks in and it becomes a felony for her to disobey or interfere with federal immigration orders, and she could face up to 10 years in jail. Sentencing is scheduled for August 4th.

The governor has been trying to force her to ignore the standing federal consent decree that says as Orleans sheriff she legally can't deal with any immigration matters, including giving ICE or any of the Louisiana ICE task forces access to prisoners in her custody.

The governor has also established a permanent state police presence in the city (who have since joined ICE as a volunteer task force). Arrests under the state police have filled Hutson's jail beyond the maximum capacity the city has originally provided her a budget for. When the jailbreak occured the governor began blaming everyone else for the jail being overcrowded.

First it was the city DA who was blamed for letting cases just sit for too long (even though the state AG had made an agreement to handle all state police arrests, but instead seemed to focus her time and energy on trying and failing to sue the sheriff in federal court in order to force her to drop the consent decree) and now it seems like they're planning to pivot to the reason for the overcrowding being Hutson not holding court over the weekends since covid. Even though she's already overcrowded and understaffed for the current budget.

 

The chief judge of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court held Sheriff Susan Hutson in contempt of court Wednesday, capping a heated hearing on Hutson's recent alleged failure to transport arrestees to court from the jail.

The conviction carries penalties of up to six months imprisonment or a fine up to $500. Judge Tracey Flemings-Davillier set sentencing for Aug. 4 and said Hutson must comply with the judge's earlier order for weekend and holiday transport of arrestees until then.

Hutson left court without taking questions from reporters.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Magistrate Court operated seven days a week.

In a July 11 letter, Hutson offered to hold weekend and holiday court sessions instead at the jail, which has two courtrooms on the first floor.

"Given the existing challenges for OPSO, our OJC in-person courtrooms, and the past success of virtual hearings, we believe that the continued use of these (alternatives), especially on weekends and holidays, remains the most responsible course under current conditions," Hutson wrote in the two-page letter.

An OPSO paralegal attempted to deliver that letter, along with a motion from Hutson to stay the court order, on Monday before contempt proceedings were ordered. But a clerk with Criminal District Court said the office couldn't accept the document because it contained a technical error, according to OPSO.

Louisiana's law around "constructive contempt" covers court clerks, sheriffs and others charged with assisting the court in "the administration of justice." Those guilty of "willful neglect or violation of duty" could be subject to jail time, according to the law.

The latest turn in a tumultuous two months for Hutson.

 

President Donald Trump is lashing out at his own supporters as he tries to clamp down on criticism over his administration’s handling of much-hyped records in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation, which Trump now calls a “Hoax.”

“Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this “bull——,” hook, line, and sinker,” Trump wrote Wednesday on his Truth Social site, using an expletive in his post. “They haven’t learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.”

“Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don’t even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don’t want their support anymore! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he went on.

 

In Louisiana, natural gas—a planet-heating fossil fuel—is now, by law, considered “green energy” that can compete with solar and wind projects for clean energy funding. The law, signed by Republican Governor Jeff Landry last month, comes on the heels of similar bills passed in Ohio, Tennessee, and Indiana. What the bills have in common—besides an “updated definition” of a fossil fuel as a clean energy source—is language seemingly plucked straight from a right-wing think tank backed by oil and gas billionaire and activist Charles Koch.

Louisiana’s law was based on a template created by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative organization that brings legislators and corporate lobbyists together to draft bills “dedicated to the principles of limited government, free markets and federalism.” The law maintains that Louisiana, in order to minimize its reliance on “foreign adversary nations” for energy, must ensure that natural gas and nuclear power are eligible for “all state programs that fund ‘green energy’ or ‘clean energy’ initiatives.”

It's incredible the kind of shit you can apparently spin as long as you're Republican and cite "protection from foreign adversaries."

“Louisiana is a classic example of a captured state,” Peterson said. “Their state economy is just so dependent on fossil fuels and petrochemicals.” (The amount of money the fossil fuel industry brings to Louisiana’s people, though, has been on the decline since the turn of the century.)

The state accounts for about 10 percent of the country’s natural gas production and holds about 6 percent of U.S. natural gas reserves. Natural gas is already used to generate about three-quarters of the state’s electricity, and building out more pipeline projects to carry liquefied natural gas, or LNG, won’t necessarily make electricity bills cheaper for residents, Peterson said.

“Building LNG infrastructure is not going to lower anyone’s energy prices in the short term,” since it takes many years to build a pipeline, Peterson said. “And there’s a lot of research that shows that overreliance on gas leaves power grids vulnerable to extreme weather, which Louisiana has a lot of.”

Landry plans to make the giant LNG plant he is building a part of his Huey Long legacy. Most of the local support he gained for this plant is due to his claims of job creation for locals.

It's important to keep in mind, that last year, Landry also changed the existing state rules so that industrial corporations no longer have to actually provide jobs in order to receive corporate welfare.

Tax breaks for LNG facilities will cost Louisiana parishes $21 billion: report

Louisiana’s LNG terminals cost taxpayers $7 million for every person they employ

Landry removes job requirements, trumps local authority for industrial tax breaks

Just in time for the Federal government (and fellow Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson) to add this bullshit work requirements for Mediciad recipients.

TLDR: Corporations in Louisiana get hand outs for doing jack shit. Landry's legacy LNG plant has no incentive to actually create jobs to receive those handouts, and any jobs they do create are actually projected to cost the tax payers more money.

Meanwhile residents in the second most Medicaid dependent state in the country are being told they are lazy leeches, and if they want healthcare they will have to earn it by working for it. Yet there are no jobs...

 

Cowbell was an amazing hidden gem in New Orleans that closed temporarily after COVID then re-opened for a brief time before closing permanently after Hurricane Ida.

I never had the beef burgers, but the veggie burger was hands down the best veggie burger I've ever had. Even the pickiest vegetarians I've ever known agreed it was incredible. This is the only image I could find online, and it really doesn't do it justice: Cowbell's Harvest Burger

I've attempted to replicate it on my own several times over the last few years, and this is probably the closest I've gotten so far. Still not anywhere near the original but it was pretty amazing.

Cowbell's original ingredients I'm aware of: Red beans, brown rice, sweet potato, bell peppers, other seasonal vegetables, sweet soy sauce, and panko bread crumbs

This attempt:

• Batch of red beans cooked in 2 tbsp Better than bullion vegetable stock

• 1 cup Quinoa

• 2 sweet potatoes chopped and roasted

• 1 red onion chopped and sauteed

• Vegetables I had on hand (bell peppers, beets, artichoke hearts) sauteed with the onion

• Inch of fresh ginger chopped and sauteed with onion and vegetables ~5 mins

•Flaxseed egg substitute (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water)

•Stir everything together and cool/refrigerate for at least 30 mins

•Once cooled, briefly pulse in food processor

•Spoon mixture onto sheet of parchment paper and use panko breadcrumbs to form patties

•Cook on parchment paper at 375°F for 10 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for additional 5-10 minutes

Top with whatever you like but avocado is always a great choice

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