Court Rules Cops Shooting Barking Dog During Drug Raid was "Reasonable."

WREG-TV
December 28, 2016

COURT RULES OFFICERS JUSTIFIED IN SHOOTING BARKING DOG DURING DRUG RAID

A police officer can shoot a dog if it barks or moves when the officer enters the home, under a new federal court ruling issued this month.
The ruling comes after police in Battle Creek, Michigan, shot two pit bulls while searching a home for evidence of drugs in 2013.

The dogs' owners, Mark and Cheryl Brown filed a lawsuit against the Battle Creek Police Department and the city, claiming that killing the dogs amounted to the unlawful seizure of property in violation of the Fourth Amendment.
The district court sided with the police officers and the Brown's filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

According to the lawsuit, Officer Cristolf Klein testified that when he entered the house, a large, brown pit bull jumped off the couch, aggressively barked at the officers and lunged at him.
Officer Klein stated that the first pit bull "had only moved a few inches" between the time he entered the residence and when he shot her, but he considered the movement to be a "lunge."
Klein stated that after he fired the first shot, "the dog moved away from the officers and towards the kitchen, then down the stairs and into the basement."
A smaller white pit bull had also gone down into the basement

"As the officers were descending the stairs to clear the basement, they noted that the first pit bull was at the bottom of the stairs," the lawsuit states.
"When the officers were halfway down the stairs, the first dog, who was at the bottom of the staircase, turned towards them and started barking again...From the staircase, Officer Klein fired two fatal rounds at the first pit bull," the lawsuit states.

"Klein testified that after he shot and killed the first dog, he noticed the second dog standing about halfway across the basement..The second dog was not moving towards the officers when they discovered her in the basement, but rather she was 'just standing there...barking," the lawsuit continues.
Klein fired two rounds at the second dog.
After being shot by Klein, the second dog ran to the back corner of the basement.
Then a second officer shot her because she was "moving."

More:
http://wreg.com/2016/12/28/federal-court-rules-police-can-shoot-a-dog-if-it-moves-or-barks-when-officers-enter-a-home/


(Neither Mark nor Cheryl Brown was a criminal suspect...But police obtained a warrant to search their residence because they had received reports that a man named Vincent Jones had been distributing cocaine and heroin from the home...The owner of the home was Cheryl Brown's mother, who had a child with Jones)

The GOP Plan To Destroy Medicare and Social Security

Social Security Works
December 29, 2016

Republicans have their roadmap laid out..They're just waiting for the New Year to implement the most dangerous overhaul of our earned benefits in history.
Medicare and Social Security are in grave danger.
We can only stop the Republican plan to destroy our earned benefits if we stand together immediately.

SIGN THE PETITION TODAY DEMANDING THAT REPUBLICANS GET THEIR HANDS OFF MEDICARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY
http://actionnetwork.org/petitions/the-gop-plan-to-destroy-medicare-social-security


"With Trump's Victory, GOP Hopes To Overhaul Medicaid"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141651132#top

Bernie Sanders on Trump, Social Security & Medicare

From: "Bernie Sanders: The Democracy Now Interview" (From Nov. 28, 2016, but aired yesterday, December 26, 2016)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512667625

But to answer your question, what we have got to do now, to those people who voted for Trump, because they said, "Well, you know, this guy sounds reasonable" - Trump sent out a tweet where he says, "I am the only Republican candidate for president who will not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid."..Right? Well, believe me, every American, every person in this country, if I have anything to say about it, will know precisely what is going on with Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, because, as you've indicated, they are beginning to appoint people who are typical right-wing Republicans who want to privatize and cut Social Security.
And our job - and we've got it...We've got every statement that Trump made during this campaign..And we are going to hold him accountable..Every person will know what he said and what he is doing.

Democrats Bust Trump For Rigging Cabinet With Social Security and Medicare Cutters

Politicususa.com
December 20, 2016
By Jason Easley


Senate Democrats are exposing Donald Trump's real agenda by hitting the President-elect hard for filling his cabinet with people who are committed to cutting Social Security and Medicare.

In a statement, Democrats called out Trump for filling his cabinet with people who are committed to doing the opposite of what he promised

Despite President-elect Donald Trump's promise to the American people that he wouldn't cut Social Security and Medicare, he has consistently named nominees to his cabinet with long track records of opposing both vital programs.
Last Friday, the President-elect filled out his cabinet with yet another strident opponent of Social Security and Medicare, Congressman Mick Mulvaney, who in 2011 said to Fox News, "We need to end Medicare as we know it."
Mulvaney joins a long list, including fellow Republican Congressman Tom Price in a proposed Cabinet filled with architects of the "war on seniors."

Incoming Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) vowed that Democrats wouldn't let Trump declare war on seniors and working families.
"If Republicans in the Cabinet or in Congress declare war on seniors and working families, Democrats will not let them win that fight.
Rigging the Cabinet with Medicare and Social Security opponents is wrong, pits republicans against the wishes of the American people, and Democrats in the Senate intend to hold the President-elect to his promise to not cut these vital programs."

More:
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/12/20/democrats-bust-trump-rigging-cabinet-social-security-medicare-cutters.html


"Trump Pledged To Protect Medicare; His Choice For Health Secretary Has Other Ideas"
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-transition-20161129-story.html

"Donald Trump's Choice For Budget Chief Wants To Cut Social Security and Medicare"
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/mick-mulvaney-donald-trumps-choice-budget-chief-wants-cut-social-security-and

"Sign the Petition: Stop The 27% Cut To Social Security"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028395819

Christmas in the Trenches

Sign the Petition: Stop the 27% Cut to Social Security

Social Security Works.org
Friday, December 23, 2016

SIGN THE PETITION: STOP THE 27% CUT TO SOCIAL SECURITY


Just before Congress left for the holidays, Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) Chairman of the House Social Security Subcommittee, introduced the "Social Security Reform Act" - an impressive wish list of devastating Social Security cuts and upper-income tax breaks.

Our friends at the Economic Policy Institute Policy Center have crunched the numbers on the Johnson plan, and they are even scarier than we thought.

More than two thirds of beneficiaries would see, on average, a 27 percent cut in benefits.
This includes:
- Raising the retirement age to 69 (equivalent to a 13.5 percent across-the-board cut)
- Changing the benefit formula (9 percent average cut)
- Slashing the cost-of-living adjustment (13 percent average cut)
- Some long-lived beneficiaries could see cuts of up to 74 percent.
- Eliminates the taxation of benefits on high earners - giving a tax cut to those who need it least while reducing revenue back into the Social Security trust fund.

Sign the Petition today opposing Johnson's "Social Security Reform Act," which cuts benefits for 70 percent of Social Security recipients.

http://actionnetwork.org/petitions/sign-the-petition-stop-the-27-cut-to-social-security

More about "Social Security Works"
http://www.strengthensocialsecurity.org/social-security-works/


Want to do more?

1) If you live in the 3rd Congressional District of Texas,
you can e-mail Rep. Sam Johnson @
https://samjohnson.house.gov
(Click on "Tell me your thoughts&quot

2) Go to President-elect Trump's website @
http://greatagain.gov
DONALD TRUMP PROMISED TO PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY
(Click on "Share Your Story&quot

3) E-mail or phone your Congressperson, regardless of whether he or she is Republican or Democrat
(Google him or her to get their website)

4) E-mail or phone both of your U.S. Senators, regardless of which party they belong to.
This is especially important if you live in Arizona, South Carolina, Maine or New Hampshire, since GOP Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Susan Collins, and Kelly Ayotte publicly stated their opposition to Donald Trump.

5) Donate to Social Security Works @
http://www.strengthensocialsecurity.org/social-security-works/

6) Contact AARP
- By phone, Toll free phone # 1-888-OUR-AARP or 1-888-687-2277
- By e-mail, http://aarp.org/about-aarp/contact-us/

7) Call your local radio talk shows and let people know about Rep. Sam Johnson's proposed "Social Security Reform Act"
(Also call syndicated nation-wide radio talk shows & try to get in)

8) Write a "Letter To The Editor" of your local newspaper, stating your opinion of the proposed "Social Security Reform Act"

9) Go to Thom Hartmann Show and post your own blog (Register for free)
STOP THE GOP FROM CUTTING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS IN PROPOSED "SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM ACT"
http://www.thomhartmann.com

10) Call, write, or e-mail ANYONE else who might want to help fight Sam Johnson's "Social Security Reform Act", including Rachel Maddow, Mike Malloy, Stephanie Miller, Randi Rhodes, Ed Schultz, Michael Moore, Brad Friedman, Amy Goodman @ Democracy Now and anyone else you can think of, including Democrats in Congress, even if they are not your Representative or Senator (e.g. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN)

Weird & disturbing facts about Donald Trump's personality

Janet Allon
Alternet (via Raw Story)
December 23, 2016

(From: "These 7 weird and disturbing facts about Donald Trump will make your skin crawl&quot

Senator Al Franken who formerly made his living in comedy, recently made a weirdly unsettling observation about Donald Trump.
He never seems to laugh.
And it's true.
The New York Times reporter to whom Franken made the comment did some research, observing Trump at events where normal people tend to crack up, like the Al Smith Dinner,
Though Trump smiles, he never laughs outright.

"I don't know what it is," Franken says.

We don't know either, but it's creepy.

An abundance of pieces have been written about Donald Trump's malignantly narcissistic personality, his lack of impulse control, his gnat-like attention span on any topic but his own fabulousness, his complete disregard for the truth, and the fact that he's a racist, sexist bully who may also be fairly unintelligent.

But he also has some weird and disturbing personality tics that are less frequently mentioned, but which nevertheless give us the heebie jeebies.

HE'S A GERMOPHOBE IN THE EXTREME
Trump has called the practice of shaking hands "barbaric."
He won't shake hands with his children's teachers because teachers are in touch with too many germy kids.
Perhaps on the belief that it distances him from germs, he drinks with a straw and eats pizza with a fork.

HE DOESN'T HAVE ANY PETS
Trump will be the first president in 150 years not to have a pet, if you count James Polk's horses.
It does not even appear that Trump likes animals much, if his family's enthusiast for trophy hunting is any indication.
He has been publicly criticized by the Humane Society of the United States for having cozy relationships with anti-animal welfare zealots who rake in profits from puppy mills, agribusiness, trophy hunting, factory farming, and horse slaughterhouses.
(Recent science has shown us that caring for animals is a big part of what teaches us empathy, since domesticated animals are completely dependent on human beings)

HE HAS BIZARRE IDEAS ABOUT EXERCISE AND SLEEP
The fast-food loving germophobe-in-chief also has some notion that exercise is bad for you.
Trump also seems to think that needing sleep shows weakness, and claims to only sleep three or four hours a night, which leaves him plenty of time to tweet at people who have affronted him.

THE SUIT THING
Trump is never seen in anything but a suit.(except when he plays golf)
A suit is fitting attire for a businessman, but he reportedly demanded that his college-age son wear a suit to a baseball game by one account.
Donald Jr.'s college dorm mate recounted the story on Facebook during the campaign,
"Don Jr. opened the door, wearing a Yankee jersey." Scott Melker, now a Florida Realtor, wrote,
"Without saying a word, his father slapped him across the face, knocking him to the floor in front of all his classmates.
He simply said, 'put on a suit and meet me outside,' and closed the door."

Read entire article:
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/12/these-7-weird-and-disturbing-facts-about-donald-trumps-personality-will-make-your-skin-crawl/

What's your favorite Christmas comedy?

Here are a few of my favorites, just to start things off.

- Trapped in Paradise (1994) stars Nicholas Cage, Dana Carvey and Jon Lovitz

- Elf (2003) is about a man raised as an elf at the North Pole and stars Will Ferrell, with help from James Caen & Bob Newhart. (Directed by Jon Favreau)

- Fred Claus (2007) is about Santa's bitter older brother who's forced to move to the North Pole..It stars Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, & Elizabeth Banks.

- Scrooged (1988) stars Bill Murray, Karen Allen and John Forsythe

- A Christmas Story (1983) is based on the anecdotes & short stories of author Jean Shepherd, who gets help from Darren McGavin, Peter Billingsley, and Melinda Dillon.

- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) is about how the Griswalds end up spending Christmas, with Chevy Chase & Beverly D' Angelo

- Home Alone (1990) is a very funny Christmas movie starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern.

- Trading Places (1983) has a great cast including Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche.

- Bad Santa (2003) is a hilarious dark comedy well-directed by Terry Zwigoff and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Lauren Graham, Bernie Mac and John Ritter.

Did FBI agents deliberately cheat Hillary out of the presidency?

Daily Kos
December 15, 2016


We already know that the events that led up to FBI Director James Comey's infamous letter to Congress were tinged with gross incompetence at best. After all, the agents who got their hands on the emails that supposedly triggered that letter knew about them in early October, and yet waited 24 days to tell Comey they needed a warrant.

But a former public defender and HuffPo columnist thinks it was far more than incompetence.
Based on the time-line, he suspects that an anti-Hillary element in the FBI engaged in a criminal conspiracy to wreck Hillary's campaign in the final weeks of the election.

Seth Abramson, an English professor at the University of New Hampshire, is also a practicing attorney -- he was a public defender in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts before going into academia.
So, naturally, he got suspicious when he learned about the 24-day delay between the time the agents learned about the emails and when they alerted Comey.

More:
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/12/15/1611511/-Did-FBI-agents-deliberately-cheat-Hillary-out-of-the-presidency

Will you be going to your state capital on December 19 to ask Electors not to vote for Trump?

SaveDemocracy.org

DECEMBER 19 - THE DAY TO DEFEND DEMOCRACY


"We the People will come together at every state capital across the United States to call on the Electors of the Electoral College to listen to the voice of the people and refuse to cast their ballots for Donald Trump."

To Find Your State Capital Protest And RSVP For The Dec 19th Events:
http://www.savedemocracy.org

If you are unable to join the protest at your state capital but still want to help, there's a "Donate" button at the above link.

(These actions will be peaceful, patriotic, non-violent, and family-friendly. Everyone taking part must agree to these terms of participation)