News Dump

Ric Ocasek, New Wave Rock Visionary and Cars Co-Founder, Is Dead
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/15/arts/music/ric-ocasek-cars-dead.html

$1m a minute: the farming subsidies destroying the world - The public is providing more than $1m per minute in global farm subsidies, much Of which is driving the climate crisis and destruction Of wildlife, according to a new report.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/16/1m-a-minute-the-farming-subsidies-destroying-the-world

Bomb-sniffing dogs sent from the United States to its Middle Eastern ally Jordan are falling ill and dying due to poor treatment and negligence, a federal investigation has found. a year-long evaluation by inspectors at the U.S. State Department found that at least 10 such dogs in Jordan died between 2008 and 2016 from medical problems. Even those who survive are suffering from "unhealthy conditions," such as inadequate kennels, poor sanitation, and Overwork. Photos in the report, published last week, show emaciated dogs with ribs protruding from their sides. Their nails are Overgrown, and their ears are home to ticks so engorged they have likely been feasting On the dogs for days. In some facilities, there weren't any dog bowls -- the handlers fed the dogs by simply throwing food On the floor. For more than 20 years, the U.S. has sent bomb-sniffing and specially trained dogs to partner nations under an anti terrorism assistance program. Despite spending "millions Of dollars" training and dispatching the dogs, State Department Officials failed to ensure their health and welfare, said the report, which was launched after a hotline complaint about the dogs' treatment. | The case Of 2-year-old athena, who was severely emaciated and ultimately sent back to the U.S. to recover in 2018, Offers a glimpse into the dogs' filthy living conditions -- photos show dirt and feces all Over her kennel floor, and an empty water bowl. | Even more damning is that concerns were raised as early as april 2016, when U.S. canine training staff visited Jordan for a welfare check. The subsequent report noted the high death rate, lack Of medical care, insufficient facilities, and that the dogs had "lost the will to work." Despite the 2016 findings and recommendations, more dogs were subsequently sent to Jordan, and the program continued to be funded. Even when new measures were put in place, like the deployment Of full-time mentors from the US to monitor the dogs in Jordan, the problems continued -- two such mentors had been there at the time Of athena's declining health, and they failed to either notice Or intervene. | Since the report's publication last week, U.S. Officials have demanded long-overdue action -- Chuck Grassley, chairman Of the Senate Committee On Finance, sent a letter to Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo On Friday, requesting more information and a briefing On the issue.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/u-s-bomb-sniffing-dogs-sent-to-jordan-now-dying-from-poor-treatment-1.4594804
https://www.oversight.gov/sites/default/files/oig-reports/ESP-19-06.pdf
https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/grassley-to-state-protect-us-antiterrorism-service-dogs-from-abuse-overseas

The Ozone hole Over antarctica this year could be One Of the smallest seen in three decades, say scientists. a recovery Of the Ozone layer to pre-1970 levels could be expected around 2060.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49714987

How California's ‘red flag' law thwarted gun threats at Sunnyvale Ford, Netflix, and Palo alto City Hall
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/09/15/how-californias-red-flag-law-thwarted-gun-threats-at-sunnyvale-ford-netflix-and-palo-alto-city-hall/

The Saudi drone attack took Out a known weak spot in the Oil supply chain with a cheap, low-tech weapon that billions' worth Of air defenses are powerless to stop
https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-drone-attack-targeted-weak-spot-powerless-2019-9

Trump's asylum Policies Sent Him Back to Mexico. He Was Kidnapped Five Hours Later By a Cartel. | David wept as U.S. immigration agents marched him and his child across the bridge into Mexico. “They say here in this country, where we are, they kidnap a lot Of people," he said. They didn't even last the night. Hours later and just three miles away, cartel members surrounded David and a dozen Other migrants at a bus station. They were forced into trucks, and abducted. David is among the estimated 42,000 asylum seekers who've been returned to Mexico in recent months under President Trump's new asylum policies. The Trump administration calls the policy “Migrant Protection Protocols,” but far from Offering protection, the policy has led to a brutal wave Of kidnappings in some Of Mexico's most dangerous border cities. “They are sending them to a place that is too dangerous,” Laura, David's sister, told VICE News. “Why are they doing this? Why, if Mexico is a place that is so dangerous?” Powerful criminal Organizations have seized On Trump's changes, targeting asylum seekers with family in the U.S. by holding them hostage until their relatives come up with thousands Of dollars to pay for their release.
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/pa7kkg/trumps-asylum-policies-sent-him-back-to-mexico-he-was-kidnapped-five-hours-later-by-a-cartel

Pentagon Suspends Mental Health Counseling Referral Services for DoD Civilians
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/09/08/pentagon-suspends-mental-health-counseling-referral-services-dod-civilians.html

Trump Calls Reports That He'd Meet With Iran ‘Fake News' — Even Though His Cabinet Secretaries Said He Would Last Week
https://hillreporter.com/trump-calls-reports-that-hed-meet-with-iran-fake-news-even-though-his-cabinet-secretaries-said-he-would-last-week-45747

Trump raids military families, national security to pay for border wall: Vets in Congress — Mexico is not paying for the wall. So Trump is taking money that was supposed to support US allies, military families and projects to keep us safe.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/09/16/trump-border-wall-national-security-families-foot-bill-column/2325586001/

Russia carried Out a 'stunning' breach Of FBI communications system, escalating the spy game On U.S. soil
https://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-russia-carried-out-a-stunning-breach-of-fbi-communications-system-escalating-the-spy-game-on-us-soil-090024212.html

Russia hacked the FBI to prevent the bureau from being able to track Russian spies in the US
https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-hacked-fbi-to-prevent-tracking-russian-spies-us-report-2019-9

Bernie Sanders Rightfully Responds to Biden's Praise for Pharma Companies: 'Their Behavior Is Literally Killing People Every Day' - "America needs a president who isn't going to appease and compliment drug companies—we need a president who will take On the pharmaceutical industry, whether they like it Or not." (
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/09/16/sanders-responds-bidens-praise-pharma-companies-their-behavior-literally-killing

Michigan Republicans Change Rules To Ensure Donald Trump Will Receive all Delegates
https://www.newsweek.com/michigan-republicans-change-delegate-primary-rules-help-donald-trump-win-reelection-president-gop-1459406

"Love Island" contestant Rykard Jenkins' image was used On the internet by Trump campaigners without his permission. | a fan from California sent him the doctored photo, which was being used On a website called Conservative News Daily. His face appeared alongside many Others wearing red hats embroidered with "President Trump 2020 Make america Great." |  "Woke up this morning to know I'm the new face for the 2020 @realDonaldTrump campaign?" he wrote On Twitter, sharing the Original and the doctored images. | "I was just really surprised, like Oh my gosh," Jenkins told Insider. Speaking Of the fan who sent him the image, he added: "By the time I put it On Twitter, because I was quite taken aback, people were like 'where's it from?' and she managed to send me the link from the campaign for Trump."
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-merch-website-stole-love-island-contestant-image-maga-hats-2019-9

Beto O'Rourke rightfully won't back down On aR-15 buyback, says Democrats should stop playing defense
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2019/09/15/beto-o-rourke-won-t-back-down-on-ar-15-buyback-says-democrats-should-stop-playing-defense/

Personal Data from Entire 16.6M Population Of Ecuador Leaked Online
https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2019/09/16/personal-data-from-entire-166m-population-of-ecuador-leaked-online/amp/

Andrew Luck retirement, Nick Foles broken collarbone, Sam Darnold mono, Ben Roethlisberger elbow surgery, Drew Brees thumb surgery. Week 2 isn't even over yet (twitter.com)
https://twitter.com/tompelissero/status/1173644722805649408?s=21

Eight years of Trump's tax returns subpoenaed by Manhattan DA Office
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/16/eight-years-of-trumps-tax-returns-subpoenaed-by-manhattan-da-vance.html

House panel launches ethics probe into Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao
https://www.axios.com/elaine-chao-house-oversight-investigation-china-5b47631d-f6cd-41b0-bca3-4b1ef7175e6c.html

U.S. federal appeals court on Friday revived a lawsuit alleging Trump violated the U.S. Constitution by profiting from foreign and domestic officials who patronized his hotels and restaurants, moving a watchdog group closer to obtaining financial records from his real estate company.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-emoluments/us-appeals-court-says-trump-cannot-dodge-foreign-corruption-lawsuit-idUSKCN1VY1J3

Family of AR-15 Inventor: He Didn’t Intend It for Civilians
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/family-ar-15-inventor-speaks-out-n593356

You’ve described exactly what’s wrong with this country. While liberals squabble over being “inspired” and purity tests — Republicans literally show up to vote for criminals and child molesters.
https://twitter.com/notcapnamerica/status/1173597824455532546?s=21

The FBI has a 527 page report on its background investigation and won't release it under #FOIA citing presidential communications privilege
https://twitter.com/JasonLeopold/status/1173702800351481857

Folks, we have known for a very long time what the FBI did and didn't do in its Kavanaugh investigation, and we have known why: because their client was the White House
https://twitter.com/DevlinBarrett/status/1173630519873064961

As Sanders struggles in NH, 2016 followers running against him have made investments in the state. FEC records show Williamson has paid $65,000 for a former NH congressman to run the state for her, while Yang has paid Steve Marchand at least $60,000.
https://www.apnews.com/71e11a2d7615461b813460033276537c

McConnell oversteps function by refusing to bring bills passed by House to Senate floor
https://www.masslive.com/opinion/2019/09/mcconnell-oversteps-function-by-refusing-to-bring-bills-passed-by-house-to-senate-floor-letters.html

Trump’s NLRB, Trying to Cut Protections for Millions of Temps and Fast-Food Workers, Trips Up Again
https://www.propublica.org/article/trumps-nlrb-trying-to-cut-protections-for-millions-of-temps-and-fast-food-workers-trips-up-again

Twitter user who alleged Biden’s years-old “Corn Pop” story was fake, with no evidence: 4,339 RTs
Writer who actually wrote story about Biden this summer and confirmed key details: 11 RTs
https://twitter.com/ddiamond/status/1173459318840188928

"The Secret Service is purchasing Jet Skis, in part to protect President Donald Trump's family as they participate in water sports."
https://www.nbcwashington.com/investigations/US-Secret-Service-Agents-Purchase-Jet-Skis-with-Own-Money-Store-in-MD-560484171.html

Over half of the tigers rescued from Thailand tourist attraction have died - "When we took the tigers in, we noted that they had no immune system due to inbreeding"
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/tigers-die-rescue-thailand-wat-pha-luang-ta-bua-yanasampanno-temple-tourist-viral-disease-a9106421.html

The Working Families Party twitter account lost 5K+ followers within 1 day of NOT endorsing Sanders
https://twitter.com/CapaTosta122/status/1173686505719681027

TOOK LONG ENOUGH: Women’s March The Women’s March is replacing three inaugural board members who have been dogged by accusations of anti-Semitism, infighting and financial mismanagement — controversies some say have slowed the organization’s progress and diminished its impact.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2019/09/16/womens-march-cutting-ties-with-three-original-board-members-accused-anti-semitism/

California Passes Historic Ban on Alligator Skin Sales
https://www.livekindly.co/california-historic-ban-alligator-skin-sales/

 A federal court has denied House Democrats' request to intervene in the appeal of a Michigan criminal case to defend the constitutionality of the federal law prohibiting female genital mutilation. House Democratic leaders over the summer had asked the U.S Circuit Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit to let them take up the 1996 law's defense after the Department of Justice declined to appeal a ruling invalidating the law as unconstitutional last year.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2019/09/14/court-declines-democrats-motion-intervene-michigan-genital-mutilation-case/2310965001/

Pressley to introduce resolution to open impeachment inquiry against Kavanaugh
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/461673-pressley-to-introduce-resolution-to-impeach-kavanaugh

Trump’s former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski is expected to appear tomorrow for the public hearing at 1pm before House Judiciary but the White House is also trying to limit what he can testify about invoking executive privilege over certain information.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/16/us/politics/corey-lewandowski-house-testimony.html

The White House has blocked former aides Rob Porter and Rick Dearborn from testifying before the House Judiciary Committee for its probe into possible obstruction of justice by President Trump
https://www.axios.com/white-house-blocks-rob-porter-and-rick-dearborn-from-testifying-before-congress-b13bbe6e-df91-4c34-9479-33e5b4d533b3.html

Trump has directed former top aides Rob Porter and Rick Dearborn not to appear to testify before Congress tomorrow. Here’s the letter from WH Counsel Pat Cipollone to Chairman Nadler
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EEn0V1mXUAAalRq.jpg

Democrats are moving quickly to snuff out calls to impeach Brett Kavanaugh, arguing those tactics are unrealistic and politically harmful.
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/16/democrats-brett-kavanaugh-impeachment-calls-1499444

@Comey, speaking at GW with @joshscampbell now, says he’d “love to see” the FBI come out and correct the record re: the Kavanaugh probe. “I promise you that it was not an FBI decision,” but that of the WH, if certain leads in that investigation weren’t followed, he says.
https://twitter.com/NatashaBertrand/status/1173746732057931778

Beto supporters raised more than $43,000 for Markle (Briscoe Cain's opponent) after Beto sent one email; $68,000 total raised since Cain tweeted a death threat to Beto
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/texas/article/After-AR-15-threat-Beto-O-Rourke-assists-14443252.php

Astronomers discover most massive neutron star ever recorded | The body is twice the mass of our sun and just 15 miles in diameter, making it the densest object in the universe except for black holes
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/neutron-stars-astronomers-universe-pulsars-study-a9107411.html