Loyd

Loyd's Journal

November 4, 2017

U.S. service member killed in Afghanistan: U.S. military

Source: Reuters

November 4, 2017 / 4:20 PM

KABUL (Reuters) - A U.S. service member was killed in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, the military said, without giving details of his identity or the circumstances of his death, which occurred as American forces have stepped up operations against the Taliban.

A statement from U.S. Forces Afghanistan Command in Kabul said the service member had died of wounds sustained during operations in Logar, the eastern province where another service member was killed last week after a helicopter crash.

“Despite this tragic event, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the Afghan people and to support them in our mutual fight against terrorism,” Gen. John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said in the statement.

The latest death comes after President Donald Trump ordered a boost in the number of U.S. troops assisting Afghan forces against the Taliban as part of a new strategy to try to break the stalemate with the insurgents.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-military/u-s-service-member-killed-in-afghanistan-u-s-military-idUSKBN1D40T5?il=0

Trump was right on this issue: I'm getting sick and goddamned tired of "winning" this war!

November 3, 2017

Canada government facing resistance from Senate over pot law

Source: Reuters

November 3, 2017 / 7:35 PM

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian government’s plan to legalize recreational marijuana by next July could be in jeopardy, with opposition brewing among some in the Senate and concerns that the deadline to pass the bill is rapidly approaching.

The Senate’s approval is needed to pass laws though it does not often block bills passed by the elected House of Commons. Some senators say police need more time to prepare and also oppose setting the federal age of legal use at 18.

Legalizing marijuana for recreational use was part of Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 2015 election campaign and the government has set a relatively quick deadline to put it in place. Canada would be the first Group of Seven country to allow the drug nationally.

The legislation is not expected to reach the upper house until December and some senators have said they will take as long as they need to review it.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-canada-cannabis-senate/canada-government-facing-resistance-from-senate-over-pot-law-idUSKBN1D32IK?il=0

Uhhh, correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding of the (unelected?) Canadian Senate was that it was basically the same as the British House of Lords, i.e., a body that "considers" legislation before rubber-stamping the decision of the House of Commons.

October 31, 2017

Mr Papadopoulos

He's not just in Big Bird's imagination anymore!

October 30, 2017

House committee reviewing harassment policy

Source: Politico

By RACHAEL BADE
10/30/2017 05:14 PM EDT

The House Administration Committee is reviewing whether Congress should do more to prevent harassment in Capitol Hill offices following two POLITICO reports raising questions whether Congress fails to adequately police such misconduct.

The panel, which oversees employment and office logistical matters for the House, will determine whether internal policy changes are needed to curb sexual harassment or ease hostile work environments — and ensure that staff have a mechanism to report abusive behavior.

“The Committee is conducting a review of sexual harassment awareness training for the House,” spokeswoman Erin McCracken said in a statement. “We are currently evaluating what additional resources might be made available and any other ways in which the House might assist our members and their staff."

McCracken called the matter a “serious issue” and said the House is “committed to preventing any form of harassment.”

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/30/house-committee-harassment-policy-244330

Yeah, right!

October 30, 2017

Trump Lawyer Jay Sekulow: President 'Not Firing' Robert Mueller

Source: Mediaite

by Josh Feldman | 2:21 pm, October 30th, 2017

Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow appeared on CNN this afternoon and said that President Trump is “not firing” Robert Mueller.

He also insisted to Wolf Blitzer that Trump hasn’t been interfering with the probe.

Blitzer also asked Sekulow if Trump may be pardoning people. Sekulow said he hasn’t talked to the president about pardoning at all, saying he has no “indication” that’s where he would go with this.

And with Sekulow's Gibraltar-like history of impeccable honesty, we no longer need to worry!

October 30, 2017

Don't know WHAT prompted me to post this!

October 30, 2017

Mueller is NOT Going to Indict Trump Today, Okay?

In fact, I have serious doubt that he'll even peg Manafort, let alone Kushner or Donnie Junior!

Most likely, it'll be someone like Carter Page, or maybe even a person we've not even heard of thus far. Prosecutors like Mueller aren't interested in Entertainment Tonight or Access Hollywood. They build their cases methodically, step-by-step, from the ground up.

And that, my friends, is exactly the kind of procedural dedication that will in due course nail Donnie to the WALL!

October 30, 2017

Kevin Spacey Responds To Report He Sexually Harassed Then-14-Year-Old Anthony Rapp

Source: HuffPost

10/30/2017 01:15 am ET

Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey has addressed a report that he once sexually harassed actor Anthony Rapp.

Rapp, who is currently starring in the TV series “Star Trek: Discovery” and is best known for work in the play and movie “Rent,” told BuzzFeed News that Spacey invited him to a party at his apartment in 1986. Rapp was 14 years old at the time.

Spacey’s statement, made on Twitter early Monday, included his first public declaration that he is gay. He did not deny that the incident took place, citing the passage of time and being drunk on the occasion, but apologized to Rapp for “what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.”

“I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years,” Spacey wrote.

Read more: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kevin-spacey-anthony-rapp_us_59f6a786e4b03cd20b827d3d?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009