Real people are hurt by Trump’s words

I think it’s really important to focus on the people being hurt by Trump’s words. In this interview with Lisa Rubin she talks about the scope and the volume of the threats to Judge Engoron’s clerk. Chris Hayes FINALLY gets it and calls it “unacceptable.”

It’s time for the media to destroy Trump’s old excuse list instantly, then preempt new ones @spocko@mastodon.online

Today’s news on Trump’s national security crimes:

Trump Leaked Nuclear Sub Secrets To Australian Businessman Susie Madrak, Oct 6, 2023 Crooks and Liars

I dropped my Photoshopped illustration in the comments section of Suzie’s article at Crooks and Liars. I then popped over to Salon to read their article titled, “Tip of the iceberg”: Experts sound the alarm after Trump blabbed nuclear secrets at Mar-a-Lago by Igor Derysh where I read the various excuses given by Trump’s spokespeople:

A Trump spokesperson told ABC News that the report lacks “proper context and relevant information.”

“President Trump did nothing wrong, has always insisted on truth and transparency, and acted in a proper manner, according to the law,” the spokesperson said.

Igor Derysh, Salon, Oct 6, 2023

The story also included excuses from the Australian billionaire, Anthony Pratt, why it was okay that he got this information they included:1) It might not be accurate info, because he never saw any documents 2) We are allies and share this stuff anyway3) Even if the enemies did find out the details they already know them, so it’s no big deal.4) Bottom line. Trump helped secure a $40 billion dollar contract, so America got the . . . → Read More: It’s time for the media to destroy Trump’s old excuse list instantly, then preempt new ones @spocko@mastodon.online

Who will be the new Speaker?

When I try to embed with the URL USING the EMBED widget

I get this.

Judge orders permanent injunction against Ammon Bundy to stop posting defamatory statements about St. Luke’s & it’s employees

I’m going to do a longer story about this case, since I’ve been following it for over a year. But I want to put this up because it shows what can be done to people who harass and threaten people via social media.

Bundy when arrested at St. Luke’s in 2022

An Idaho judge has issued a permanent injunction meant to prevent far-right activist Ammon Bundy from disseminating defamatory statements about St. Luke’s Health System and several of its employees.

In a 40-page order, 4th District Judge Nancy Baskin ruled that the injunction was “warranted” and “appropriate” to stop Bundy and his former campaign adviser, Diego Rodriguez — both of whom owe St. Luke’s and other plaintiffs millions of dollars after losing a defamation case — from posting “harmful” statements about St. Luke’s; the system’s CEO, Chris Roth; Dr. Natasha Erickson; and nurse practitioner Tracy Jungman.

“The actions and conduct of the defendants have made our community less safe,” Baskin wrote in the order. “Medical providers and other employees are leaving their professions because of the damage to their reputation, the invasion of their privacy, the harassment and threats of intimidation by defendants.”

The order also applies to . . . → Read More: Judge orders permanent injunction against Ammon Bundy to stop posting defamatory statements about St. Luke’s & it’s employees

Will Trump’s threats on social media send him to jail?

Donald’s Trump’s threats on social media MIGHT finally lead to legal consequences for him. Woo hoo! Today it was revealed that in Trump’s pretrial conditions in the Georgia RICO case he is forbidden from making any “direct or indirect threat of any nature against the community or to any property in the community,” including in “posts on social media or reposts of posts” by others on social media.

Trump’s pretrial conditions from Georgia RICO case

Wow. It took a long time to get here, especially considering all the other times he intimidated and threatened witnesses on social media. Remember Alexander Vindman? Marie Yovanovitch, US Ambassador to Ukrainian? But now, because he’s under pretrial conditions and protective orders issued by a judge in our legal system, he MIGHT be charged with witness tampering. It’s one of the reasons that we needed to get him in this position. It’s the difference between lying to the media and on social media to the public, vs lying in court under oath.

Keep Normalizing Jail For Trump

Every time these conditions are set I watch the cable hosts and legal analysts talk about how pretrial jailing is not going to happen. . . . → Read More: Will Trump’s threats on social media send him to jail?

What happens when Trump violates his protective order or pretrial conditions?

“What will happen next WHEN Trump violates the protective order or his pretrial conditions?”I asked Lisa Graves, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General, this question on the Nicole Sandler Show.She explained the steps the judge can take before putting Trump in jail for contempt.

Partial transcript for readers from the August 11, 2023 episode of the Nicole Sandler Show. Link to the full show

Spocko: We know Trump’s going to violate them. Who files the motion? Where does it come from? How does the judge decide on a show cause hearing? Could you explain that part and then the next step showing the difference pieces that are going to happen to get to the judge issuing a stern warning, or a contempt charge. Lisa Graves: Contempt is a power that judges hold, it’s their power, they can act without a motion on any act that is in contempt of court. So she doesn’t need a motion from the prosecutor to hold Trump in contempt she can make that determination herself based on his actions. She can also entertain a motion I suppose from the prosecutor to hold them in contempt but that’s not necessary.

She could ask for briefing . . . → Read More: What happens when Trump violates his protective order or pretrial conditions?

What’s behind the Sodastream diet cola syrup flavor shortage?

I know this isn’t a “New Coke ” story, where consumers rise up to demand a product that has been discontinued be returned, but I’m curious what the story is behind the shortage I’ve noticed for Sodastream’s diet cola mix. I’ve been looking for weeks now and as of July 21, 2023 it’s not available online in Sodastream’s store, Amazon, Target, or Walmart. I thought it might have something to do with ingredients, but Sodastream’s diet cola syrup doesn’t contain aspartame, it uses sucralose as a sweetener.

I don’t think the shortage is political, since after the controversy with Sodastream’s West Bank factory in 2015, Sodastream moved to Israel’s Negev Desert. SodaStream leaves West Bank as CEO says boycott antisemitic and pointless (Guardian Link) And Sodastream was purchased by PepsiCo in 2018 (Beverage Daily 12-05-2018)Then I wondered, is this another case of a consumer goods company saying there is a shortage related to supply lines and the pandemic which no longer applies, but they keep up the illusion to raise prices?

I know how big corporations have lots of methods to goose the quarterly earning numbers, could this be a gambit to raise the revenue for flavored . . . → Read More: What’s behind the Sodastream diet cola syrup flavor shortage?

Threads Needs To Be Regulated. Being “Brand Safe” is good, but isn’t enough

Here’s my bold statement for 2023: Social media companies in the United States need to be regulated.

Before you start agreeing and explain why it’ll never happen… you should know Meta didn’t launch Threads in the EU. Because of the EU’s REGULATION. It would have led to massive NEW fines and Meta doesn’t want MORE massive fines. It was recently hit with an order to stop sending EU users data to the US for processing and was fined almost $1.3BN for breaching the GDPR’s requirements on data export.

When companies’ actions or inactions harm the public, the public demands something be done. In the EU they’ve recognized the harm being done by social media companies and enacted regulation. Short term, companies pay the fine and change their behavior to stop new fines. This is what we want, what the public deserves. Protection from harm.

Here’s a good piece by Natasha Lomas’ in Tech Cruch that spells out Meta’s current privacy problems and reminds us of the General Data Protection Regulation, the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act. Some regulations are currently in effect others are coming on August 25, 2023.

Meta’s Threads app is a privacy nightmare . . . → Read More: Threads Needs To Be Regulated. Being “Brand Safe” is good, but isn’t enough

Will Armed Terrorists Surround Miami Courthouse Tuesday?

That’s how I’m describing what will happen at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. US Courthouse. The MSM headline won’t call them terrorists or mention the guns they will be carrying concealed. And the hostage isn’t Trump, it’s counter protestors, “Antifa”, journalists covering the event and law enforcement. They are focusing on some of same targets as January 6th.

The Trump supporters are even busing their supporters in like they did on on January 6th. (It doesn’t look like Charlie Kirk is behind the buses this time, but has anyone talked to Ginni Thomas?)The other hostage is the American public and our sense of feeling safe at protests. When people are armed, deadly violence could happen at any second. It’s not a peaceful protest anymore, it’s a hostage situation. We KNOW that cops prepare for and treat armed people differently, especially those with a history of violence. When the media knows that there will be armed people there, THEY need to talk about this differently. And ask some different questions, like:

Will the FBI be arresting people “left of boom” Monday? There should be arrests! But I don’t expect to hear about them for days, (or ever) . . . → Read More: Will Armed Terrorists Surround Miami Courthouse Tuesday?

The exciting story of Biden’s victory & the GOP’s defeat

I’m just watching SG-1 defeat human and alien villains on PlutoTV today while playing games on my phone.

I don’t want to think or write or move. Yet here I am. Writing. My thought last night was what I said on the Nicole Sandler show while talking about our mutual friend, the late great Joel Silberman. He taught progressive politicians to tell stories that illuminated their message.

Kirk, Joel Silberman and Spocko in A Piece of the Action

There is good news in the world. US job numbers are great. The Economy was not destroyed by GOP, THIS TIME.YET…. As Mrs. Spocko said, the relief that we feel when the GOP didn’t destroy the American and WORLD economy, doesn’t match the worry & anxiety that we have been feeling for weeks.

Celebrating the win is important. But also infuriating when we shouldn’t have been here. ALSO, I get Biden talking about “My friends across the aisle” since his plan worked. The MSM LOVES that bipartisan stuff. But I really want those assholes on the right who brought us here to be stopped. I’d like them to be punished, but that’s not Biden. So let’s look at . . . → Read More: The exciting story of Biden’s victory & the GOP’s defeat