Clarence Thomas Can Take Bribes Because He Grew Up Poor, Declares Professor
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"Clarence Thomas grew up dirt poor…. He has devoted his entire professional life as a lawyer to serving in government jobs in which he has been grossly underpaid. Under these circumstances, Thomas, who again is incorruptible, as his 32 years of judicial opinions all show, has every right to accept gifts from wealthy friends." - Steven Calabrisi
#SCOTUS #StevenCalabrisi #ClarenceThomas
https://abovethelaw.com/2024/01/clarence-thomas-bribery-fedsoc/
Average property prices ended down 1.8% during 2023 as the cost of living crisis and high mortgage rates weighed on the housing market throughout the year, the latest Nationwide House Price Index has revealed. (UK)
#News #Housing #Inflation
https://moneyweek.com/investments/property/nationwide-house-prices-fell-1-8-per-cent
Radley Balko on the decision by Substack to monetize actual Nazi content, and why it is difficult for other journalists, like him, to leave.
There's also a link to a Huffington Post article about Richard Hanania and the mainstreaming of racist authors.
#RIP Jiang Ping was removed from his university presidency after supporting pro-democracy protesters at Tiananmen Square. He remained a relentless advocate for rule of law.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/27/world/asia/jiang-ping-dead.html
@Alfred What brand of lime juice is traditionally used in a gimlet?
Snopes
Fact Check: Trump Doesn't Need a Criminal Conviction for Ballot Removal, According to Research on 14th Amendment
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The report from the CRS [Congressional Research Service] specified, "Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment does not expressly require a criminal conviction, and historically, one was not necessary."
#Politics #FourteenthAmendment
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-criminal-conviction-ballot/
Large numbers of Americans want a strong, rough, anti-democratic leader
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"For each item, we found that at least a third of the people we polled agreed or strongly agreed with these subtle or explicit violations of democratic norms."
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Not stated, but this reflects a failure of society and schools to instill strong democratic civic values.
#Politics #Authoritarianism
https://news.yahoo.com/large-numbers-americans-want-strong-133349404.html
No Republican President has received a majority of the popular vote since 2004, but Prof. Turley thinks that enforcing the 14th Amendment prohibition on insurrectionists will destroy democracy.
#Politics #JonathanTurley #14thAmendment
When supposedy sophisticated investors don't bother with rudimentary background checks
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The complaint alleges that Chowdhury falsely presented himself in marketing pitches to potential investors as a Doctor of Science and physicist with degrees from Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.
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Etc.
France warns of ‘very high’ terror threat on New Year’s Eve
Total of 90,000 police officers and gendarmes will be deployed throughout the country during celebrations
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Meanwhile, in Germany, authorities have announced one of the largest police operations in years as they attempt to secure the streets of Berlin.
Elon Musk and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni Form a Trans-Atlantic Bond
From immigration to AI, the billionaire and the Italian prime minister are finding common ground
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The fascist connection:
"Her political roots lie in a post-fascist party called the Italian Social Movement, founded after World War II by former members of Benito Mussolini’s Fascist Party."
#Politics #ElonMusk
https://www.wsj.com/tech/elon-musk-and-italys-giorgia-meloni-form-a-trans-atlantic-bond-228ffb16
Maine disqualifies Trump from presidential primary ballot, citing insurrection clause
Former University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow said Thursday that regents fired him because they were uncomfortable with him and his wife producing and appearing in pornographic videos.
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“My wife and I live in a country where we have a First Amendment,” he said. “We’re dealing with consensual adult sexuality. The regents are overreacting. They’re certainly not adhering to their own commitment to free speech or the First Amendment.”
#News
Thoughts?
@Alfred During the Spanish Civil War, who flew General Franco from Morocco to Spain?
@Alfred What is turning frogs gay?
Tesla blamed drivers for failures of parts it long knew were defective
Wheels falling off cars at speed. Suspensions collapsing on brand-new vehicles. Axles breaking under acceleration. Tens of thousands of customers told Tesla about a host of part failures on low-mileage cars. The automaker sought to blame drivers for vehicle ‘abuse,’ but Tesla documents show it had tracked the chronic ‘flaws’ and ‘failures’ for years.
#News #Tesla
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/tesla-musk-steering-suspension/
TAMPA (WFLA) – The largest-ever Mega Millions jackpot — a $1.602 billion prize hit by a single ticket sold in Florida four months ago — has been claimed, but we still don’t exactly know who the winner is.
#News #Lottery #MegaMillions #60MinutePoll
https://thehill.com/homenews/4379074-record-1-6-billion-mega-millions-jackpot-claimed-in-florida-what-we-know-about-the-winner/?utm_source=press.coop
How long will it take the winner to spend it all
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