Light News

The Pacific Ocean is so acidic that it's dissolving Dungeness crabs' shells
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/27/us/pacific-ocean-acidification-crabs-dissolving-shells-scn-trnd/index.html

Navy SEAL promoted after murdering Green Beret | DeDolph—who will be back in court Thursday for a preliminary hearing—was formally charged in November 2018 with felony murder, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, burglary, hazing, and involuntary manslaughter in the strangulation death of Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar, a Special Forces soldier assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/navy-seal-tony-dedolph-was-promoted-after-choking-green-beret-logan-melgar-to-death

Apparently, @BernieSanders progressivism involves me remaining mum while Joe Rogan calls me a ------ and an ape so that White people can get free college.
https://mobile.twitter.com/SashaBeaulu/status/1221965916977737728

“Our Revolution went 0–27, Justice Democrats went 0–18, and Brand New Congress went 0–6. The failed technocratic 26-year-old bourgeoise shills who were doing it wrong somehow accounted for 100 percent of the party’s House gains”
https://twitter.com/jmartNYT/status/1222159566919622656

Beagles Are The Dogs Most Often Used In Animal Testing Because They Tend to Trust Humans.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beagle

Japan and Germany confirm patients who caught coronavirus did not visit China | One of the patients was a Japanese tour bus driver in his 60s in the city of Nara who had driven two groups of Chinese tourists who had come from Wuhan earlier this month.​ | The German patient: The man took part in a training session at his workplace last Tuesday which also included an employee of the same company visiting from China, said Andreas Zapf, the head of Bavaria’s office for health and food safety.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/coronavirus-china-japan-latest-outbreak-bus-driver-wuhan-death-toll-a9305406.html

Once Trump’s lawyers have finished (today, soon), Senators will have 16 hours to ask questions of both legal teams. What happens after that is up in the air. After opening arguments Senators will have 16 hours to ask questions of both legal teams. Since they are required to be silent as jurors in the trial, senators will write down their questions and Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts, who is presiding over the trial, will ask them. After the Q&A portion, Senators are expected to vote on whether to include additional evidence outside of the House’s impeachment inquiry, including calling witnesses to testify. Democrats need 51 votes to allow witnesses, which means at least four Republicans need to break party lines on the issue.

Remember, as Bernie now vows to 'undo everything Trump has done' on immigration: Bernie's previously taken Trump's stance on immigration
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/08/bernie-sanders-open-borders-1261392

Philbin is now ignoring that the founders directly stated that the election is not enough to hold a president accountable. He's pretty much arguing against the impeachment clause.

White House Counsel really are arguing that the President meddling in his own country's elections by soliciting a foreign power to investigate and attack a political rival (who is also a private US citizen) is not covered by the scope of impeachment. And if Trump was too stupid to realize he was doing something wrong then he should be excused....instead of NOT BEING PRESIDENT. Remember that the President went outside official channels and used people - most of whom who were not US citizens - accountable only to him.

"You must have done a good job on her." Trump to Pompeo on his treatment of NPR reporter: “I think you did a good job on her.” (Laughter in room) Pompeo just grinned and nodded his head as men in the East Room laughed and applauded at the sexual innuendo of sexual assault. The part that made the MEN CHEER was how Pompeo attacked a woman.
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1222209215793680385
https://twitter.com/Acosta/status/1222208513260314624

Pompeo heads to Kiev, days after saying 'Americans couldn't f*****g care about Ukraine'
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pompeo-zelensky-kiev-trump-impeachment-news-ukraine-a9305256.html

Fox's Lou Dobbs declares John Bolton, veteran of 4 GOP administrations, a 'tool for the left'
https://theweek.com/speedreads/892119/foxs-lou-dobbs-declares-john-bolton-veteran-4-gop-administrations-tool-left

The RNC also sent out a mailer explicitly attacking John Bolton

Giuliani Associate Lev Parnas Asks to Give More Evidence to Congress
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-28/giuliani-helper-parnas-asks-to-give-more-evidence-to-congress

Trump's dismantling of environmental regulations unwinds 50 years of protections
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/25/politics/trump-environmental-rollbacks-list/index.html

Reminder: Bolton Was Concerned That Trump Did Favors for Autocratic Leaders
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/27/us/politics/john-bolton-trump-book-barr.html

Israel's PM Netanyahu was officially indicted on charges of Bribery, Fraud, Breach of Trust, after failing to pass an immunity bill in the Knesset
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/.premium-indictments-against-netanyahu-officially-filed-in-court-1.8464667

Federal Workers Say They've Been Gagged From Speaking Out On Trump's Impeachment - A federal union has asked for an injunction against legal guidance that discouraged impeachment talk.
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/federal-workers-say-theyve-been-gagged-from-speaking-out-on-trumps-impeachment_n_5e2f593dc5b6ce51a4ea57b5?ri18n=true

Trump’s EPA Is a Huge Cancer Risk – Industry-friendly regulators are letting chemical companies flood the country with toxins. It should be a scandal.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/01/27/trumps-epa-huge-cancer-risk

A lot of very wealthy people are actually concerned about inequality in America. There is this focus on "the billionaires" as the hate class. But really the target has to be the corporations. The are the agents that have turned the US into a market society.

I blew the whistle on Cambridge Analytica – four years later, Facebook still hasn’t learnt its lesson: The world’s most powerful democracy is about to elect its next president – yet little has been done to prevent a repeat of history
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/us-election-trump-cambridge-analytica-facebook-fake-news-brexit-vote-leave-a9304421.html

Leaked details of federal rollback appear to confirm near-freeze of Clean Cars program, resulting in huge consumer losses
https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/leaked-details-of-federal-rollback-appear-to-confirm-near-freeze-of-clean-cars-program-resulting-in-huge-consumer-losses/

Romney accused of trying to "appease the left" for seeking facts
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/seeking-facts-romney-accused-trying-appease-the-left

Good. He would absolutely destroy Sanders (which is why he wants to take the stage): .@MikeBloomberg's team has been asking the DNC to alter its debate qualifications so he can participate w/out fundraising. He's also begun debate prep in his Manhattan HQ. And Team Warren wants him on stage. More w/ @ccadelago
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/28/bloomberg-progressives-leftists-2020-dnc-106712

Roy Moore is suing the Washington Examiner over the word “two,” which is interestingly the number of times he was removed from his post as Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court.
https://twitter.com/cjane87/status/1222206966157774848

House Dems are now using Ken Starr's argument against DOJ—just filed a letter telling the DC Cir that Starr's statement "[W]e are not a legislative chamber during these proceedings...We are in a court," contradicts DOJ's position on Mueller grand jury docs
https://twitter.com/obarcala/status/1222209661518196737

Grand jury proceedings can't be released, w/ limited exceptions. One is when it's "in connection with a judicial proceeding." Dems requested Mueller grand jury materials under that exception. DOJ said no, impeachment isn't a "judicial proceeding." Starr said no no, yes it is.
https://twitter.com/obarcala/status/1222214858470576128

According to a reporter on the WaPost feed, Republican Senator Cassidy apparently stood up in the Republican lunch meeting yesterday and proclaimed, "Why don't we have witnesses? I thought they said there were no firsthand witnesses"

50 US service members diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries after Iranian missile strike
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/28/politics/50-injuries-iran-strike/index.html

The Washington Post has offered to cover the cost of Felicia Sonmez’s hotel and for a security detail for the reporter, who says she received death threats after she tweeted an article about sexual assault allegations regarding Kobe Bryant after he died. The update comes in the form of a bulletin from the Washington Post Newspaper Guild. The Post suspended Sonmez, and this offer came “nearly 24 hours after Felicia first reported receiving threats,” the union writes. The Guild says it plans a meeting with management Tuesday to discuss “how we move forward.” In the meantime it has printed signs that say PROTECTING EMPLOYEES PROTECTS THE INSTITUTION AND encourages staffers to hang them at their desks. “It is heartening to see all of you stand up for a colleague when the company won’t,” the union says.
https://www.washingtonian.com/2020/01/28/the-washington-post-has-offered-to-pay-for-suspended-reporters-hotel-and-security-detail/

Deputy White House counsel Pat Philbin on the Senate floor: “How are we supposed to get the proof of what’s inside the president’s head?” CALL ON HIM TO TESTIFY

Ex-Navy SEAL convicted murderer posts video attacking 'cowards' who testified against him
https://thehill.com/homenews/480304-ex-navy-seal-accused-of-war-crimes-posts-video-attacking-cowards-who-testified

Kamala Harris went right up to Bernie & asked him if there’s a problem. In what’s *very* typical of the type, he said we’re good and then attacked her via tweet.
https://twitter.com/josecanyousee/status/1221822707668373505?s=21

Voter registration deadline for the #TXPrimary is 6 DAYS FROM TODAY! Record turnout for the General Election starts w/ record Primary turnout. Repubs always outpace Dems in Primary turnout; let's fix that! @FliptheTXhouse
https://register2vote.org/

Tesla has joined the list of vehicles that government officials in Berlin can choose from, a role that’s historically included only German carmakers.
https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-government-vehicle-berlin-senate-germany/

Republican operatives --both privately and publicly -- have been enjoying Sanders' rise. "Someone like Sanders or Warren really sets up the map best for us because it would have substantial down line effects in the House." said a senior Republican strategist.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/27/politics/democrats-bernie-sanders/index.html

Donald Trump and Lev Parnas discussed Rick Scott in secret recording
https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2020/01/28/donald-trump-and-lev-parnas-discussed-rick-scott-in-secret-recording/

As noted in this @nytimes article, I have unfortunately been at the receiving end of Bernie Bros. There is no doubt @BernieSanders is aware of and supportive of this online harassment coming from his campaign. We do not need another Trump like candidate.
https://www.twitter.com/fred_guttenberg/status/1221917515850440704

The Gates Foundation is spending $10 million to fight the coronavirus outbreak in China and Africa. Bill Gates has warned about a pandemic for years.
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/gates-foundation-10-million-to-fight-wuhan-coronavirus-2020-1

Trump Admin's Disability Benefit Changes Are 'Harmful And Unjustified,' Say Letters Signed By Over 140 Lawmakers
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-admin-disability-benefit-changes-harmful-letter-signed-more-100-lawmakers-1484427

It doesn't even matter if what Biden did was wrong. Trump can't go about it the way he did, whether it was legitimate or not

"She spilled the beans," Biden said of Joni Ernst. "She just came out and flat said it. You know, the whole impeachment trial for Trump is just a political hit job to try to smear me, because he is scared to death to run against me, & he has good reason."
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1222236837953130496

Pelicans and Saints owner Gayle Benson gave PR help in a Catholic church abuse scandal. Now the Saints are trying to block emails that show how.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/01/24/new-orleans-saints-catholic-church-abuse/

Leaked audio reveals that Trump didn't know semi-trucks run on diesel — yet the industry is one of Trump's most ardent supporters
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-trucking-shortage-elds-leaked-audio-2020-1

2 people under investigation for coronavirus in DC, health officials say. One other person has tested negative.
https://twitter.com/fox5dc/status/1222258306028384256

Jamaica hit by 7.7 magnitude earthquake
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/jamaica-earthquake-today-magnitude-tsunami-warning-latest-a9306991.html

Trump lawyer Sekulow says Trump’s hold on Ukraine aid is like Obama with Egypt in 2013. He’s wrong.
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2020/jan/28/jay-sekulow/trump-lawyer-sekulow-says-trumps-hold-ukraine-aid-/

Fluorescent pink slug, unique to Australian mountaintop, survives bushfires - A fluorescent pink slug, found only on a single mountaintop in northern New South Wales, has survived the bushfires that burnt through much of its alpine habitat.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/28/fluorescent-pink-slug-unique-to-australian-mountaintop-survives-bushfires

WaPo says @feliciasonmez did not violate social media policy. Statement from managing editor Tracy Grant:
https://twitter.com/mlcalderone/status/1222282815800270848

Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is now running an ad in Iowa which states Biden forced out a prosecutor who was "investigating a company" that employed Hunter Biden. Reminder: U.S. and Ukrainian officials say Shokin wasn't actively investigating Burisma.
https://twitter.com/AaronBlake/status/1222283159125004291

Judge’s Order: Lev Parnas can go to Washington to attend the Senate trial, but he may not have his GPS monitoring removed, a condition needed to sit in the gallery.
https://twitter.com/KlasfeldReports/status/1222324889098620928

LGBT+ Center Orlando Executive Director Terry DeCarlo died on Monday after a battle with cancer. DeCarlo was among those who helped lead the response to the 2016 massacre at the Pulse nightclub
https://www.washingtonblade.com/2020/01/28/former-executive-director-of-orlando-lgbtq-community-center-dies/ 

I believe that Washington Post readers and employees, including myself, deserve to hear directly from @PostBaron on the newspaper’s handling of this matter. My statement on The Post’s decision tonight:
https://twitter.com/feliciasonmez/status/1222335744687198209