Thursday, April 6, 2023

Republican congressman falsely claims Democratic congresswoman said pedophilia isn’t a crime

 https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/15/politics/fact-check-ronny-jackson-katie-porter-groomers-and-pedophilia/index.html

On Thursday afternoon, Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas accused Democratic Rep. Katie Porter of California of having said that “pedophilia isn’t a crime.”

But Porter did not say that. Jackson, like some conservative Twitter personalities, was wrongly describing Porter’s remarks.

Biggest Bombshells From New Clarence Thomas Report

 https://www.newsweek.com/biggest-bombshell-new-clarence-thomas-report-1793063

According to the report, Thomas and his wife took trips paid for by Crow almost on a yearly basis for over two decades. The report states interviews and documents detailed Thomas traveled on Crow's yacht, as well as his jet. Thomas vacationed with Crow to the Bohemian Grove retreat, a campground in California where powerful individuals are known to gather. Thomas has also traveled to a private resort in the Adirondacks owned by Crow, the report said.

Many of the trips reported by ProPublica were not disclosed by Thomas, which may be an ethics violation. According to ProPublica, a law requires Supreme Court Justices and members of Congress to financially disclose certain gifts they receive, and Thomas did not disclose the trips he took on Crow's yacht or his jet.

Hang On, Clarence Thomas Said He Likes to Hang Out in “Walmart Parking Lots”?

 https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/04/clarence-thomas-luxury-vacations-walmart-parking-lot.html

The sleuths over at ProPublica have a big old story out Thursday about Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas and his apparently extensive history of taking fully paid-for luxury vacations with a billionaire Republican donor named Harlan Crow. The story quotes experts who say Thomas appears to have broken the law by failing to disclose the numerous free trips he has taken on Crow’s private jet and yacht.


Pentagon turns over Afghanistan withdrawal reviews to Congress

 https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3937776-pentagon-turns-over-afghanistan-withdrawal-reviews-to-congress/

“While it was always the president’s intent to end that war, it is also undeniable that decisions made and the lack of planning done by the previous administration significantly limited options available to him,” Kirby said.

The outline blamed the Trump administration at length for their lack of preparation going into the withdrawal and for what Biden inherited when he came into office, pointing to drawdowns of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and the former president’s consideration of hosting Taliban leaders for negotiations around the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Trump's Felony Indictment Was Way Worse Than He or the GOP Imagined | Opinion

 https://www.newsweek.com/trumps-felony-indictment-was-way-worse-he-gop-imagined-opinion-1792776

In other words, rumors of a Trump surge are not just greatly exaggerated; they're based on political smoke that is likely to quickly drift away.

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

IS HOLOCAUST EDUCATION MAKING ANTI-SEMITISM WORSE?

 https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/05/holocaust-student-education-jewish-anti-semitism/673488/

These people talked about bosses and colleagues who repeatedly ridiculed them with anti-Semitic “jokes,” friends who turned on them when they mentioned a son’s bar mitzvah or a trip to Israel, romantic partners who openly mocked their traditions, classmates who defaced their dorm rooms and pilloried them online, teachers and neighbors who parroted conspiratorial lies. I was surprised to learn how many people were getting pennies thrown at them in 21st-century America, an anti-Semitic taunt that I thought had died around 1952. These casual stories sickened me in their volume and their similarity, a catalog of small degradations. At a time when many people in other minority groups have become bold in publicizing the tiniest of slights, these American Jews instead expressed deep shame in sharing these stories with me, feeling that they had no right to complain. After all, as many of them told me, it wasn’t the Holocaust.

As Karaites undergo a resurgence, why is their Passover different from all others?

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-karaites-undergo-a-resurgence-why-is-their-passover-different-from-all-others/

On Passover, many Karaites drink beer, which is strongly prohibited in Orthodox Judaism because it interprets the fermentation of barley as the equivalent of leavened bread, which the Torah bans on the holiday. On this issue and others, Karaites stick to the letter of the Torah, which says nothing about drinking beer. They also eat pasta, arguing it is as unleavened as matzah.

What is Passover?

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Majority of Americans approve of Trump indictment

 https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/03/politics/cnn-poll-trump-indictment/index.html

 Sixty percent of Americans approve of the indictment of former President Donald Trump, according to a new CNN Poll conducted by SSRS following the news that a New York grand jury voted to charge him in connection with hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. About three-quarters of Americans say politics played at least some role in the decision to indict Trump, including 52% who said it played a major role.

Monday, April 3, 2023

Kuzari

 Kuzari (01:08). The human mind cannot believe that God has intercourse with man, except by a miracle which changes the nature of things. He then recognizes that to do so He alone is capable who created them from nought. It must also have taken place in the presence of great multitudes, who saw it distinctly, and did not learn it from reports and traditions. Even then they must examine the matter carefully and repeatedly, so that no suspicion of imagination or magic can enter their minds. Then it is possible that the mind may grasp this extraordinary matter, that the Creator of this world and the next, of the heavens and lights, should hold intercourse with this contemptible piece of clay, I mean man, speak to him, and fulfill his wishes and desires. 

Trump ‘extremely angry,’ family ‘rattled’ following indictment

 https://news.yahoo.com/haberman-trump-extremely-angry-family-200152449.html

Former President Trump and his team were caught off guard by the indictment of the former president that was announced last week, leaving him “extremely angry” and his family “rattled,” according to New York Times reporter and longtime Trump scribe Maggie Haberman.

Malka Leifer, former ultra-Orthodox Jewish principal, found guilty of indecent assault and rape

 https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/apr/03/malka-leifer-former-principal-found-guilty-of-indecent-assault-and-of-a-former-student

Jurors convicted her of 18 offences relating to offending against Erlich and Sapper. She was acquitted of nine charges, including the five that related to Meyer and several charges involving Erlich.

Leifer, who sat with her head tilted watching the jury, did not react as the verdicts were read.

Malka Leifer found guilty of rape, indecent assault

 https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-736231

“Today’s guilty verdict is a great day for justice and vindication of the courageous survivors, Nicole, Dassi and Elly, whose perseverance and dignity have been a hallmark of their long and extraordinary fight for justice,” said Manny Waks VoiCSA CEO­. “We hope that today’s verdict provides them with some peace of mind and contributes to their long-term healing and well-being,” he said.

Australian court finds Malka Leifer guilty of rape, sexual abuse

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369571

Malka Leifer, the former principal of the Adass Israel School in Melbourne, Australia was found guilty of rape and sexual abuse of children Monday.

After six weeks of hearings, a jury in the County Court of Victoria found the 56-year-old Leifer guilty on 18 of 27 counts of rape, indecent assault, child abuse, and other sex crimes, while dismissing 9 of the counts. Earlier, Leifer was acquitted of two other charges.