I am going to grin and marvel in others' suffering, sorry. You have been warned. From THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER:
Animation, comedy and gaming studio Rooster Teeth, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, is shutting down.
"Since inheriting ownership and control of Rooster Teeth from AT&T following its acquisition of TimeWarner, Warner Bros. Discovery continued its investment in our company, content and community. It's with a heavy heart I announce that Rooster Teeth is shutting down due to challenges facing digital media resulting from fundamental shifts in consumer behavior and monetization across platforms, advertising, and patronage," wrote Jordan Levin, the general manager of Rooster Teeth.
The former Last Man Standing star will topline Shifting Gears, a multicamera comedy pilot for the Disney-backed broadcast network.
Shifting Gears revolves around Matt (Allen), a stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop. When Matt's estranged daughter and her teenage kids move into his house, the real restoration begins.
The Plame affair was a political scandal concerning the outing of Valerie Plame as a covert intelligence operative during the administration of President George W. Bush in 2003. An American syndicated columnist, Robert Novak, had learned of her employment by the CIA from Armitage, who was then working for the State Department, and Novak had publicly identified her as the source of a recommendation given to the President in the course of her duties. Plame had to resign from the CIA because her identity was no longer secret. A criminal investigation into the revelation produced no charges against Armitage but several charges against Scooter Libby, an assistant to Vice President Dick Cheney, for lying to the investigators about the matter. Libby was convicted but his jail sentence was ultimately commuted by Bush, and he was subsequently pardoned by President Donald Trump on April 13, 2018.[17]
Armitage with President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell, August 6, 2003Armitage's defense that he had inadvertently made an off-hand remark during a probing interview with Novak, coupled with his candor and cooperation, was accepted, although the decision not to prosecute was not made until 2006. Meanwhile, the long and slow investigation played out in the press as a scandal, "the Plame Affair" or "Plamegate".
On November 15, 2005, journalist Bob Woodward of The Washington Post revealed in an article that "a government official with no axe to grind" leaked to him the identity of outed CIA officer Valerie Plame in mid-June 2003. According to an April 2006 Vanity Fair article (published March 14, 2006), former Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee said in an interview "that Armitage is the likely source is a fair assumption", though Bradlee later told the Post that he "[did] not recall making that precise statement" in the interview.[18] The following year, on March 2, 2006, bloggers discovered that "Richard Armitage" fit the spacing on a redacted court document, suggesting he was a source for the Plame leak.[19] In August 2006, the Associated Press published a story that revealed Armitage met with Bob Woodward in mid-June 2003. The information came from official State Department calendars provided to the Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act.[20]
Robert Novak, in an August 27, 2006 appearance on Meet the Press, stated that although he still would not release the name of his source, he felt it was long overdue that the source reveal himself.[21] He had reason to think that the source might do that. Armitage had reportedly been a cooperative and key witness in the investigation.[22] According to The Washington Note, Armitage had testified before the grand jury three times.[23]
Press reports continued to mount and pressure to build. On August 29, 2006, Neil A. Lewis of The New York Times reported that Armitage was the "initial and primary source" for columnist Robert Novak's July 14, 2003 article, which named Plame as a CIA "operative" and which triggered the CIA leak investigation.[24] On August 30, 2006, CNN reported that Armitage had been confirmed "by sources" as leaking Wilson's CIA role in a "casual conversation" with Robert Novak.[25] The New York Times, quoting "people familiar with his actions", reported that Armitage was unaware of Wilson's undercover status when he spoke to Novak.[26] In the September 4, 2006 issue of Newsweek magazine, in an article titled "The Man Who Said Too Much", journalist Michael Isikoff, quoting a source "directly familiar with the conversation who asked not to be identified because of legal sensitivities", reported that Armitage was the "primary" source for Novak's piece outing Plame. Armitage allegedly mentioned Wilson's CIA role to Novak in a July 8, 2003 interview after learning about her status from a State Department memo which made no reference to her undercover status.[27] Isikoff also reported that Armitage had also told Bob Woodward of Plame's identity in June 2003, and that special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald investigated Armitage's role "aggressively", but did not charge Armitage with a crime because he "found no evidence that Armitage knew of Plame's covert CIA status when he talked to Novak and Woodward".
On September 7, 2006, Armitage admitted to being the source in the CIA leak. Armitage claims that Fitzgerald had originally asked him not to discuss publicly his role in the matter, but that on September 5 Armitage asked Fitzgerald if he could reveal his role to the public, and Fitzgerald consented.[3] The Times claims that White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales was informed that Armitage was involved on October 2, 2003, but asked not to be told details. Fitzgerald began his grand jury investigation three months later knowing Armitage was a leaker (as did Attorney General John Ashcroft before turning over the investigation).
On March 6, 2007, a jury convicted Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, of "obstruction of justice, giving false statements to the FBI and perjuring himself, charges embodied in four of the five counts of the indictment".[28] On July 2, 2007, President Bush issued a grant of executive clemency that commuted the prison term imposed on Lewis Libby.[29] In a review of Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War, by Michael Isikoff and David Corn, which hit bookstores in early September 2006, Novak wrote: "I don't know precisely how Isikoff flushed out Armitage [as Novak's original source], but Hubris clearly points to two sources: Washington lobbyist Kenneth Duberstein, Armitage's political adviser, and William Taft IV, who was the State Department legal adviser when Armitage was deputy secretary".[30]
Going out with C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"
- Clause 2 Electors
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.
- ArtII.S1.C2.1 Overview of Electors Appointment Clause
- ArtII.S1.C2.2 Historical Background on Electors Appointments Clause
- ArtII.S1.C2.3 State Discretion Over Selection of Electors
- ArtII.S1.C2.4 Legal Status of Electors
- ArtII.S1.C2.5 Discretion of Electors to Choose a President
- Clause 3 Electoral College Count
The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List the said House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having one Vote; A quorum for this Purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice President.
- ArtII.S1.C3.1 Electoral College Count Generally
- Clause 4 Electoral Votes
The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.
- ArtII.S1.C4.1 Timing of Electoral Votes Generally
In six of the 14 states that held Democratic primaries on Tuesday, the “uncommitted” or “no preference” option garnered the second highest number of votes—beating longshot contenders Marianne Williamson and Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.)
The “uncommitted” vote drew unexpectedly strong support in Minnesota, garnering nearly 46,000 or 19% of the votes—driven by support from Muslim American voters and young progressives, according to the New York Times.
In North Carolina, where Biden was the sole candidate on the ballot, more than 88,000 chose ‘No Preference’—accounting for 12.7% of the vote.
More than 54,000 voters, or 9.4%, picked “No Preference” in the Massachusetts primary, with the protest vote beating both Williamson and Phillips by handy margins.
With 73% of the ballots counted, “Noncommitted delegate” looks set to finish second place in the party’s Colorado primary, having garnered 8.1% of the votes.
The Kurdistan Region of Iraq will hold long-overdue parliamentary elections on June 10, according to a decree issued by regional presidency on Sunday.
“The decree is effective immediately, and all necessary measures must be taken from today, upon its issuance," President Nechirvan Barzani said.
The semi-autonomous region was supposed to hold parliamentary elections in October 2022, but disagreements between the major ruling parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, pushed back the date.
She was invited by the government to visit the country more than a month ago to hear first-hand testimonies from Israeli survivors of sexual violence allegedly committed during the brutal Hamas and affiliated militia attacks in Israel on Oct. 7.
Patten, according to a press release in early December, had “responded positively” to the initial invitation to visit Israel. But it’s unclear if she will investigate alleged sexual violence and rape that was committed by the militias three months ago.
[Update, Jan. 10: UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters that Patten would conduct a “mission” to Israel and the West Bank at the end of the month “to gather information on sexual violence, reportedly committed in the context of the attacks of 7 October and its aftermath” The mission “will be conducted in the exercise of her mandate, in accordance with her standard UN methodology.” She’ll be accompanied by experts in “safe and ethical interviewing, forensic evidence, digital analysis, and accountability,” but she is not mandated to “investigate”]
We, in the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), reject and strongly condemn the report issued by U.N. official Pramila Patten, regarding the claim and allegations of Palestinian resistance fighters committing “rape and sexual violence” incidents during the events of October 7.
This came after failed “israeli” attempts to prove this false charge, which was confirmed to have no basis in truth, except to demonize the Palestinian resistance and to cover up the United Nations rapporteurs’ report about the existence of conclusive evidence of horrific human rights violations suffered by Palestinian women and girls by the “israeli” occupation forces.
Despite Ms. Patten’s claims and her false and baseless accusations against the Palestinian fighters, her report did not document any testimony of what she calls victims of those cases, but relied in her report on “israeli” institutions, soldiers, and witnesses selected by the occupation authorities, to push toward trying to prove this false charge, which was refuted by all investigations and international reports.
Ms. Patten’s claims are clearly contradicted by the testimonies of “israeli” women about the good treatment by the fighters towards them, as well as the testimonies of the released “israeli” female prisoners, and what they confirmed of the good treatment they received during their captivity in Gaza.
This false accusation will not succeed in obscuring the ugliness and horror of the “israeli” crimes committed in the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the killing of about 40,000 Palestinians, most of them women, children, and civilians, in a mass crime and ethnic cleansing, and a deliberate disregard for the resolutions of the International Court of Justice and other international reports, which documented parts of the crimes and atrocities committed in Gaza by the new Nazis.
Central Media Office for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
The statements made by U.N. Envoy Patton are disgraceful, false, and biased towards the entity.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine has strongly condemned the statements made by U.N. Envoy Pramila Patton that accused “the resistance factions in Gaza of committing sexual violence crimes, torture, and harsh treatment against hostages and detainees on October 7.” These statements are shameful, far from the truth, and biased towards the entity.
The Front clarified that the purpose of these statements is to cover up the brutal crimes and practices of the occupation against our Palestinian people, which are fully documented by the United Nations and international institutions. By contrast, this U.N. envoy did not rely on any reliable evidence of the resistance factions having committed any such practices; instead, she relied on reports and testimonies of Zionist origin that have been proven false.
The Front added: “Since the beginning of its war of genocide on the [Gaza] Strip, the zionist enemy, in its attempt to justify this crime against the Strip, has spread lies and fabricated narratives and stories about the resistance factions on October 7. However, in light of the absence of clear evidence, the publication of fabricated videos, and their exposure to the global public opinion, it forced heads of states, international institutions, and media entities to apologize.”
The Front emphasized that the resistance, with testimonials from international institutions and even by the admission of the released detainees and hostages, ensured to uphold ethics and good treatment of detainees, providing all forms of comfort and even protecting them from Zionist bombing and treachery.
At the same time, the world was shocked by the proven and documented reports and testimonies of the occupation committing sexual violence and torture against a large number of women during their arrest and detention in Khan Younis and other areas penetrated in the Gaza Strip.
The Front concluded its statement by calling on the U.N. envoy to retract and apologize for these dubious statements, to cease the double standard policy and equating the victim with the executioner, and to conduct a serious investigation into the ongoing practices of genocide in the Gaza Strip – not to cover up these crimes or attempt to absolve the occupation, which has been intensified due to the lawsuit filed by South Africa in the International Court of Justice, revealing the atrocious reality of these crimes to the entire world.
"What is the fate of the children suffering from hunger? Will they find someone to save them or will they die? My son Ali has already died."
The father of Ali, a Palestinian baby boy who recently died of malnutrition and dehydration at northern Gaza's only paediatrics hospital, has appealed for help for the other children being treated there, as the UN warns of famine if aid deliveries are not substantially increased.
"Ali was born in wartime and there was no food or anything for his mother to eat - a matter which caused his kidneys to fail," the man - who did not want to be named - said in an interview recorded for BBC Arabic's Gaza Lifeline radio service.
"Ali's life got worse day after day. We tried to get him treated at hospitals, but there was no help... Ali died in front of the entire world, which kept watching him pass away."
The Palestinian Health Ministry says the death toll from malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza has risen to 18.
“The famine is deepening and will claim thousands of lives if the aggression is not halted and humanitarian and medical aid is not immediately brought in,” it said in a statement.
It added that Israel was “deliberately” starving thousands of hungry people in northern Gaza and called on the international community and the UN to halt the war and avoid a “health catastrophe”.
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