POLITICS – Page 6

For Keeping Secret Documents, Trump’s Prosecution Is Lawful, Constitutional, Precedented, Nonpartisan And Merited

14Jul

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

LAW ENFORCEMENT, POLITICS

For Keeping Secret Documents, Trump’s Prosecution Is Lawful, Constitutional, Precedented, Nonpartisan And Merited

Why Trump’s prosecution for keeping secret documents is lawful, constitutional, precedented, nonpartisan and merited. Donald Trump and his allies have responded with a variety of objections to his federal indictment, brought in June 2023 by special counsel Jack Smith. The federal charges – the first against a former president – listed 37 counts of obstruction of justice and wrongful retention of classified documents after Trump left office in January 2021. Trump pleaded not guilty. The objections made by Trump and his allies: The former president simply cannot be charged, the indictment is political “weaponization” of the justice system, the charges are groundless and the charges are unfair. The unfairness claim often involves a comparison to Hillary Clinton, Trump’s 2016 presidential op...

9Jul

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

IN OTHER NEWS, POLITICS

How Money And Power Reshapes Societies

In a capitalist system, money is inextricably linked with power - the more money you have, the greater influence you wield. In particular, purchasing power can become political power when the wealthy use their resources to assume positions in the corridors of influence through attending elite private schools, exclusive social clubs, or networking events where they can form connections with other monied interests. The wealthy can also attain political control by either bankrolling those already in power who hold opinions favorable to them, by using expensive PR and marketing campaigns to shift public opinion in ways which suit their interests, or by forming pressure groups to influence politicians directly, among any number of other methods. There are many different names given to thi...

Why There Are Laws Against Storing Highly Classified Documents Insecurely — The Exposure Could Harm US Security

19Jun

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

POLITICS

Why There Are Laws Against Storing Highly Classified Documents Insecurely — The Exposure Could Harm US Security

How the exposure of highly classified documents could harm US security – and why there are laws against storing them insecurely. When Donald Trump pled not guilty on June 13, 2023, to federal criminal charges related to his alleged illegal retention of classified documents, it was his first opportunity to formally answer charges that he violated the Espionage Act. The Justice Department alleges that, after his presidency, Trump held, in an unsecure location, documents about some of the nation’s most sensitive secrets, including information about U.S. nuclear programs as well as U.S. and allies’ defense and weapons capabilities and potential vulnerabilities to military attack and that he repeatedly thwarted efforts by the National Archives to retrieve them. The Conversation asked Gary Ros...

Trump’s Fate Will Be Decided By 12 Citizen Peers, In A Hallowed Tradition Of US Democracy — Not A Jury Of Ex-Presidents

19Jun

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

LAW ENFORCEMENT, POLITICS

Trump’s Fate Will Be Decided By 12 Citizen Peers, In A Hallowed Tradition Of US Democracy — Not A Jury Of Ex-Presidents

A jury of ex-presidents? No, but Trump’s fate will be decided by 12 citizen peers, in a hallowed tradition of US democracy. It is not the federal government that will hold Donald Trump’s future in its hands. It will be 12 jury members in his eventual trial. Trump appears in federal court on June 13, 2023 for his arraignment and the formal presentation of the charges lodged against him in a 37-count indictment released on June 9, 2023. Trump’s defenders have alleged that the indictment is a politically motivated “witch hunt” by the Biden administration and that any conviction would thus be discredited. But like all federal defendants, Trump will be protected by the Sixth Amendment’s right to a jury trial. That right, to have a jury of 12 citizens render judgment on his case, protects Tru...

Junk Food Diets Lacking In Micro-Nutrients May Contribute To Angry Rhetoric

11Jun

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS, IMPACT, POLITICS, TOP FOUR

Junk Food Diets Lacking In Micro-Nutrients May Contribute To Angry Rhetoric

Junk food and the brain: How modern diets lacking in micronutrients may contribute to angry rhetoric. Emotional, non-rational, even explosive remarks in public discourse have escalated in recent years. Politicians endure insults during legislative discussions; scientists receive emails and tweets containing verbal abuse and threats. What’s going on? This escalation in angry rhetoric is sometimes attributed to social media. But are there other influences altering communication styles? As researchers in the field of nutrition and mental health, and authors of The Better Brain, we recognize that many in our society experience brain hunger, impairing their cognitive function and emotion regulation. Ultra-processed products Obviously, we are not deficient in macronutrients: North Americans ...

Is It Time To Accept The European Soccer Racism Problem Goes Beyond Bad Fans?

3Jun

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POLITICS, SPORTS

Is It Time To Accept The European Soccer Racism Problem Goes Beyond Bad Fans?

European soccer is having another reckoning over racism – is it time to accept the problem goes beyond bad fans? After suffering months of racial abuse on the field and off, Brazilian soccer star Vinícius Júnior had enough. On May 21, 2023, the Real Madrid forward – commonly seen as one of the best soccer players in the world – brought a halt to a game at Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium, pointing to fans who were making blatantly racist remarks and gestures. He later made it clear that this was not an isolated event: “It was not the first time, nor the second, nor the third. Racism is normal in La Liga,” he tweeted in reference to the Spanish top division. “The competition considers it normal, the federation considers it normal and the rivals encourage it.” As a soccer scholar whose latest ...

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

AI, POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY, VIDEO REELS

Can Congress Regulate AI?

How can Congress regulate AI? Erect guardrails, ensure accountability and address monopolistic power. Takeaways: A new federal agency to regulate AI sounds helpful but could become unduly influenced by the tech industry. Instead, Congress can legislate accountability. Instead of licensing companies to release advanced AI technologies, the government could license auditors and push for companies to set up institutional review boards. The government hasn’t had great success in curbing technology monopolies, but disclosure requirements and data privacy laws could help check corporate power. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman urged lawmakers to consider regulating AI during his Senate testimony on May 16, 2023. That recommendation raises the question of what comes next for Congress. The soluti...

Could AI Take Over Elections – And Undermine Democracy

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

AI, IN OTHER NEWS, POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY, VIDEO REELS

Could AI Take Over Elections – And Undermine Democracy

How AI could take over elections – and undermine democracy. Could organizations use artificial intelligence language models such as ChatGPT to induce voters to behave in specific ways? Sen. Josh Hawley asked OpenAI CEO Sam Altman this question in a May 16, 2023, U.S. Senate hearing on artificial intelligence. Altman replied that he was indeed concerned that some people might use language models to manipulate, persuade and engage in one-on-one interactions with voters. Altman did not elaborate, but he might have had something like this scenario in mind. Imagine that soon, political technologists develop a machine called Clogger – a political campaign in a black box. Clogger relentlessly pursues just one objective: to maximize the chances that its candidate – the campaign that buys the ser...

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY, VIDEO REELS

Can The Governments Ban TikTok?

Should governments ban TikTok? Can they? A cybersecurity expert explains the risks the app poses and the challenges to blocking it. On May 17, 2023, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed legislation banning TikTok in the state. The law imposes fines of US$10,000 per day on any app store that offers the popular Chinese-owned video social media app, and on the app maker itself if it operates in the state. Individual users are not subject to penalties. The law, which is scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1, 2024, is the first total ban by a U.S. state government. The company claims 200,000 users in the state of 1.1 million people. Many members of Congress have called for the federal government to ban the Chinese-owned video social media app nationally. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was grilled by mem...

State Lawmakers Have A Long History Of Silencing Elected Black Officials And Taking Power From Their Constituents

16May

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

POLITICS

State Lawmakers Have A Long History Of Silencing Elected Black Officials And Taking Power From Their Constituents

US has a long history of state lawmakers silencing elected Black officials and taking power from their constituents. Mississippi legislators have enacted a law that would create a new judicial system covering the state’s capital city, Jackson, in place of the current county court system. Set to take effect July 1, 2023, the move by a Republican-dominated legislature has been criticized by opponents as creating a “separate and unequal” court system that is not answerable to the majority-Black community it would seek to govern. The law was justified by supporters as an effort to curb the city’s crime level, which includes one of the highest murder rates in the nation. But the move is the second time in as many months that state legislatures have taken highly visible actions to effectively ...