As if wearing a campaign hat through a dignified transfer ceremony wasn't bad enough, Donald Trump is using an image from the ceremony to solicit funds. Trump sent an email through a fundraising PAC that shows Trump wearing the hat he sells as the coffin of a soldier who died in Trump's illegal war with Iran passes in front of him.
Rep. Kevin Kiley (CA-3) has quit the republican party and registered as the only independent in the US House. Kiley's district was recently redrawn. He is currently running running for the newly drawn CA-6 as an independent this November. His defection technically changes the partisan balance of the House to 217-GOP, 214-DEM, 1-I though from a practical standpoint it doesn't impact much since Kiley will continue to caucus with the GOP.
Donald Trump wore a campaign baseball hat that sells for $40 on his website to the dignified transfer of six US military members who were killed in the war with Iran. read more
The Supreme Court ruled President Trump could not use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to collect tariffs, leaving $175 billion paid under the scheme in dispute. read more
This is a minute and 27 second video where an officer questions former WWE CEO Vince McMahon' driving more than 100 miles per hour, striking another car and then not stopping promptly when the officer was trying to get him to stop. McMahon was cited for reckless driving and following too closely at the time. In October a judge ruled McMahon could enter a program, make a $1,000 charitable donation, agree to drive with a license and insurance and then the charges would be dismissed in one year. read more
The system gets it wrong - "At least 189 people who were wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death have been exonerated since 1973. That is one person exonerated for every 8.2 people who are executed...The quality of counsel had a direct impact on sentencing outcomes. More than 200 death sentences were imposed in Philadelphia, PA in cases in which defendants were represented by poorly trained and underfunded court-appointed counsel. No one represented by the Philadelphia public defender's specialized homicide unit ever was sentenced to death."
The system is geographically biased - "Just 5 counties"Harris, TX; Dallas, TX; Bexar, TX; Tarrant, TX; and Oklahoma, OK"account for more than 1/5 of all executions in the U.S. in the past 50 years...Fewer than 2.4% of all counties in the U.S. (just 75 counties) account for half of all death sentences imposed in state courts in the past 50 years"
The system is racist - "60% of Black defendants who have been executed were sentenced to death for killing white victims. Just 34.4% of executions of African Americans were for killing Black victims."
In PA "over 60% of all death sentences imposed in the state have been overturned by state or federal courts. If the pool of sentences is restricted to those that have completed all of their ordinary appeals, the state reversal rate has been over 90%"
deathpenaltyinfo.org
NC "Sixty-seven percent of all death sentences imposed in the modern era in North Carolina have subsequently been overturned on appeal."
fbaum.unc.edu
In Louisiana 82% of their resolved death sentences ended with a reversal.
www.sulc.edu
We would have had a public option if not for Joe Lieberman.