The unproven concept that Russian intelligence directly attack American election systems in 2016 keeps being repeated as fact in the media. The details are either shallow or classified. One person, Air Force Veteran and private contractor Reality Winner, remains held without bail still awaiting trial for leaking a single memo on the subject to The Intercept.
The Trump administration has instructed it's DHS personnel to build a database of journalists and “media influencers.” Presumably since the President equates “fake news” with “said bad stuff about the me” this database will be used to retaliate either through direct punishment or denial of access or both. The Free Speech and Freedom of the Press implications are obvious and are being discussed, but not with the details of implementation. Those details do not make the implications more palatable to anyone who lacks a totalitarian heart.
Google loves to tout it's “Don’t Be Evil” motto. Which is why it got itself into an internal revolt this week when 3,100 employees signed a letter to it's CEO Sundar Pichai objecting to Google's participation in Project Maven, which is an AI program using recognition software applied to surveillance footage for the Department of Defense.
Yesterday, April 3rd, The president tweeted about a new, controversial and possibly unconstitutional plan. There was also an avalanche of stories about teenagers snorting condoms. Both are tales of immature minds doing dangerous things as both can be expected to try to do. One of is worthy of logistical examination because it effects innocent people and the other is the hand of the mighty god Darwin in action.
Robert Muller's investigation moves slowly forward, getting guilty pleas and closing in ever so slowly on Donald Trump. In all the allegations, many crimes have been uncovered, and many more will be. Muller, even with his ability to compel testimony and seize documents, has yet to uncover actually effective Russian interference with the 2016 General Election. He is also not the only one with eyes on the events.
For over a year, researchers at the Mockingbird have requested and received records from both the Yellow Springs Police Department and Village Administration. The gradual compilation and comparison of these personnel files, emails, hours of video, and court transcript painted a picture of an an inconsistently organized, selectively recorded, and ominously empty file tracking system. Incidents that should mark an important moments in officers’ careers are missing. Of the documents received, some stood out. Not because of what was in them, but because of what was not in them.
According to a report publish in the CIA backed Washington Post, Russia attempted to interfere with the 2016 election. Presumably they did this to get oligarchs an artful deal on more overpriced real estate in Atlantic City or Hurricane battered Florida. The meat of the article was buried further down, because facts should never get in the way of perceptions when those perceptions are forged inside the beltway.
On Monday September 18th the family of Timothy Davis along with their lawyers and over 200 supporters arrived at City Hall. Timothy Davis's brutal beating, stripping and tasing on September 1st at the hands of over 10 Columbus was caught on multiple cell phone videos that went viral. Davis, who the police claim was sought on a warrant, was finally arraigned that morning in his jail cell.
It is not easy being number one. Columbus is the best in the nation at only one thing. When it comes to the killing of black people, the Columbus Police Department is the New York Yankees, a dynasty team of history. Although they end more black lives per capita than any other metropolis in the nation, this time they did not extend their Babe Ruth like record as well as they clearly intended.
The Federal Government has expanded it's destructive sweetheart deal with energy conglomerates to lease National Forest land for fracking in the Wayne National Forest. They have added an additional 2,000 acres of leases to the oil and gas leases auctioned off late last year that permit fracking the Ohio River Watershed within a few hundred yards of the water supply of major cities including Cincinnati and Louisville.