October 27, 2021

Report: Republican Congressman Louie Gohmert Among Lawmakers Who Met with Jan. 6 Rally Planners

Last year, East Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert filed suit in an attempt to help then-President Donald Trump stay in power. When that didn’t work out, he warned of “violence in the streets” – a prophecy that critics say he helped to fulfill.

According to a report published Sunday by Rolling Stone, Gohmert was among several other House Republicans who participated in meetings with planners of the pro-Trump rallies that culminated in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Other controversial far-right Congress members were also involved in the planning briefings, including Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert of Colorado.

Two anonymous sources who helped to plan the pro-Trump protests told Rolling Stone that seven House Republicans took part in the conversations, either directly or by having top staffers join.

Although these sources insisted that the storming of the Capitol wasn’t part of the plan, they were concerned the pro-Trump protesters could turn violent.

Read more: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/ahead-of-the-capitol-riot-us-rep-louie-gohmert-met-with-organizers-of-jan-6-pro-trump-rallies-12684084

October 27, 2021

Lt. Gov. Candidate and Lone Star Separatist Daniel Miller Says Texas Has 'Electile Dysfunction'

If you ask Daniel Miller, Texans are frustrated with candidates who talk a good game but fail to please the electorate.

“We refer to it as 'electile dysfunction,'” he said.

So last week, Miller made the announcement: He’s entering the race to beat Dan Patrick for lieutenant governor.

Miller is president of the Texas Nationalist Movement (TNM), which is pushing for the state to break with the Union and become an “independent, self-governing nation” — a process known as “Texit.” He hopes to edge out Patrick in the Republican primary.

In his announcement video, Miller said the lieutenant governor's race is a rare opportunity for Texans to ditch the political establishment that “holds nothing but contempt for the people they purport to represent.”

Read more: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/daniel-miller-of-texit-movement-announces-hes-running-against-dan-patrick-for-lt-gov-12664773

October 27, 2021

After Multiple Jailers Died Of Covid, Dallas County Forced Others To Keep Working Overtime

On Aug. 1, Porsha Bookman took to Facebook to voice her gripes about her job at Dallas County Jail.

“I just got mandated again!!!!” Bookman posted on Aug. 1. She included the hashtags #wannabefree and #8morehourstogo.

Nineteen days later, the 36-year-old died of COVID-19 complications.

Five days before her death, another Dallas County detentions officer died of complications from COVID-19. Darren Finney perished on Aug. 19, leaving behind two children.

Both Bookman and Finney died after months of "mandated" 16-hour shifts. Jailers confirmed they all signed up for two 16-hour shifts a week, but are now being forced to work up to five in a row on a regular basis.

Read more: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/after-relentless-mandated-overtime-two-dallas-jailers-died-from-covid-mandating-persists-to-this-day-12665335

October 27, 2021

Follow-up: Dallas District Attorney Drops Charges Against Mentally Ill Man Kicked Repeatedly by

Dallas District Attorney Drops Charges Against Mentally Ill Man Kicked Repeatedly by Paramedic


The Dallas County District Attorney’s office has dropped charges against Kyle Vess, whom a fire department paramedic kicked repeatedly on video in August 2019.

Vess, who suffers from mental illness, was charged with assaulting a public servant after the incident. Video appears to show him swing at Dallas Fire-Rescue paramedic Brad Cox. Vess missed, and Cox, who is trained mixed martial artist, kicked him some nine times during one altercation, and then again kicked and punched him.

A week after the Observer released video showing Vess kicked repeatedly that day, Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot met with George Milner III, Vess' criminal defense attorney. Creuzot told Milner on Monday morning that his office was dropping the charges against his client.

"Kyle Vess and his parents are grateful these charges have finally been dropped," Milner said by email. "This has been a long journey, but Kyle received some measure of justice today. The Dallas District Attorney dismissed the case in the interest of justice. We greatly appreciate Judge Creuzot's decision to do so."

Read more: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/dallas-district-attorney-drops-charges-against-mentally-ill-man-kicked-repeatedly-by-paramedic-12682821

Earlier threads:
Video Shows Moment Dallas Fire-Rescue Employee Kicks Man in the Face (Sept. 22)
https://democraticunderground.com/107856491

Follow-up: New Video Shows Dallas Paramedic Repeatedly Kicking Mentally Ill Man Before Police Show (Oct. 19)
https://democraticunderground.com/107857293

October 27, 2021

Pandummies Spread Misinformation, Marjorie Taylor Greene Maskless Again & Facebook Amplifies Lies

October 26, 2021

LA employees have until Dec. 18 to get COVID vaccine

LOS ANGELES (CNS) — The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday updated its mandate for municipal employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19, giving them until Dec. 18 to comply.

The deadline was extended from last Wednesday. Mayor Eric Garcetti said last week that any city employee who refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 18 should be prepared to lose their job.

"The city's employee vaccine mandate is critical to protecting the health and safety of our workforce and the Angelenos we serve," the mayor said on Oct. 20, after the new plan was submitted by the city administrative officer. "Employees must be vaccinated by December 18, and we are putting a rigorous testing program into place in the meantime. Let me be clear: Any employee who refuses to be vaccinated by this date should be prepared to lose their job."

Through Dec. 18, unvaccinated employees have to submit to two COVID-19 tests per week, and $65 per test will be deducted from their paychecks. Employees have to get tested during their free time, and testing has to be conducted by the city or a vendor of the city's choosing. Third party tests will not be allowed.

Read more: https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/health/2021/10/26/la-employees-have-until-dec--18-to-get-covid-vaccine

October 26, 2021

'70s radical David Gilbert granted parole in Brink's robbery

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Former Weather Underground radical David Gilbert has been granted parole after 40 years behind bars for his role in a deadly 1981 Brink’s robbery that was a violent echo of left-wing extremism born in the 1960s, the state corrections department said Tuesday.

Gilbert, 76, has been imprisoned since shortly after the infamously botched armored car robbery in which a guard and two police officers were killed. He became eligible for parole only after his 75 years-to-life sentence was shortened by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in August, hours before he left office.

Gilbert appeared before the state parole board Oct. 19 and was subsequently granted parole, Thomas Mailey, a spokesperson for the New York state corrections department, said Tuesday.

He will be able to leave Shawangunk Correctional Facility in the Hudson Valley next month.

Read more: https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/cincinnati/ap-top-news/2021/10/26/70s-radical-david-gilbert-granted-parole-in-brinks-robbery

October 26, 2021

Second Ohio city criminalizes abortions, legal fight expected

MASON, Ohio (AP) — A second Ohio city has voted to criminalize abortion within its limits, a largely symbolic move decried by abortion rights backers as unconstitutional at a raucous hourslong meeting.

A divided city council in Mason, a city of about 30,000 located 25 miles (40.23 kilometers) northeast of Cincinnati, approved the ordinance 4-3 Monday, deferring its effective date for 30 days. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Republicans on the panel disagreed over whether the move was within the city’s authority.

Anti-abortion and abortion-rights protestors demonstrated outside Mason’s municipal building and filled the council chambers to capacity.

Neither Mason nor nearby Lebanon, which became the first city in Ohio to ban abortions in May, has any abortion clinics or is planning any. The Mason ordinance forbids possession within city limits of abortion-inducing drugs, including prescription misoprostol and mifepristone, but carries no penalties for someone seeking an abortion.

Read more: https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/cleveland/news/2021/10/26/second-ohio-city-criminalizes-abortions--legal-fight-expected

October 26, 2021

Microsoft: Russia-backed SolarWinds hackers now targeting cloud computing

The same Russia-backed hackers behind last year’s massive SolarWinds cyberattack are at it again, this time targeting tech companies that provide and resell cloud technology, Microsoft said Monday.

In a blog post, Tom Burt, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of customer security and trust, wrote that the group Nobelium has been attempting to replicate its approach in past attacks on organizations key to the global technology supply chain.

“We believe Nobelium ultimately hopes to piggyback on any direct access that resellers may have to their customers’ IT systems and more easily impersonate an organization’s trusted technology partner to gain access to their downstream customers,” Burt wrote.

Microsoft said it first detected the latest campaign in May. The company said it has notified more than 140 resellers and technology service providers that they have been attacked; it believes as many as 14 have been compromised.

Read more: https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/cincinnati/technology/2021/10/25/microsoft--russian-solarwinds-hackers-now-targeting-cloud-computing

October 26, 2021

North Dakota health agency turning off social media comments

The North Dakota Department of Health (NDDH) turned off comments on its social media accounts to help combat the spread of misinformation, The Associated Press reported.

The health agency said on Monday its social media accounts will continue to share public health information for North Dakota residents, saying the comment ban will be applied to all posts and not to the specific topic.

The NDDH is a cabinet-level agency that serves at the discretion of North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R).

Some residents applaud the agency for making this move while others argued blocking comments was a free speech infringement that discounted others’ opinions.

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/public-global-health/578521-north-dakota-health-agency-turning-off-social-media