CURRENT EVENTS — NOVEMBER

[nycfan]

The car was driving recklessly and had been seen street racing but it sounds like the wreck happened during a high speed chase by cops trying to stop him. Driver clearly at fault but there will be questions about whether the chase was reasonable …

“…
The highway patrol then attempted a "PIT manoeuvre", a controversial technique law enforcement use to force a fleeing vehicle to suddenly spin sideways and stop.

PIT manoeuvres sometimes result in the deaths of innocent bystanders, the federal government wrote in a 2023 report that urged officers to consider less dangerous pursuit techniques.

When the manoeuvre failed, the highway patrol stopped their pursuit and the driver continued speeding on, police said.

He then lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a bar named Bradley's, where he hit more than a dozen people who were gathered on the patio, according to police.…”

 

[SnoopRob]

The car was driving recklessly and had been seen street racing but it sounds like the wreck happened during a high speed chase by cops trying to stop him. Driver clearly at fault but there will be questions about whether the chase was reasonable …

The story says that police backed off the chase before the crash occurred. I guess there could be questions about how long there was between police backing off and the crash.

 

[nycfan]

IRS Direct File won’t be available next year. Here’s what that means for taxpayers​

IRS Direct File won't be available next year. Here's what that means for taxpayers

The Trump administration has decided not to offer the IRS' electronic tax filing system for free next year, and its future is unclear.

apnews.com

“IRS Direct File, the electronic system for filing tax returns for free, will not be offered next year, the Trump administration has confirmed.

An email sent Monday from IRS official Cynthia Noe to state comptrollers that participate in the Direct File program said that “IRS Direct File will not be available in Filing Season 2026. No launch date has been set for the future.”

The program developed during Joe Biden’s presidency was credited by users with making tax filing easy, fast and economical. However, it faced criticism from Republican lawmakers, who called it a waste of taxpayer money because free filing programs already exist (though they are difficult to use), and from commercial tax preparation companies, which have made billions from charging people to use their software….”

 

[nycfan]

“… The source with knowledge of the stadium deal said that if Trump insists on the stadium bearing his name, "he has plenty of leverage" to make it happen, no matter which government body will ultimately decide.

"He has cards to play. He can make it very difficult, through government environmental approvals and other things, to make sure everyone who wants this stadium to be built will join to put his name on it," the source said. "Trump has plenty of cards to play to get his way."

The source with knowledge of Trump's wishes said the president doesn't want to buy the name or have a deep-pocketed corporate sponsor buy the name for him. He wants the Commanders' stadium to be named after him, similar to Lambeau Field, as a tribute or thank you for his work to get it approved, sources said.”

Sources: Trump wants D.C. stadium named for him

A senior White House source said there have been back-channel communications with a member of the Commanders ownership group, led by Josh Harris, to express Trump's desire to have the $3.7 billion domed stadium in the nation's capital bear his name.

www.espn.com

 

[C-Money]

“… The source with knowledge of the stadium deal said that if Trump insists on the stadium bearing his name, "he has plenty of leverage" to make it happen, no matter which government body will ultimately decide.

"He has cards to play. He can make it very difficult, through government environmental approvals and other things, to make sure everyone who wants this stadium to be built will join to put his name on it," the source said. "Trump has plenty of cards to play to get his way."

The source with knowledge of Trump's wishes said the president doesn't want to buy the name or have a deep-pocketed corporate sponsor buy the name for him. He wants the Commanders' stadium to be named after him, similar to Lambeau Field, as a tribute or thank you for his work to get it approved, sources said.”

Sources: Trump wants D.C. stadium named for him

A senior White House source said there have been back-channel communications with a member of the Commanders ownership group, led by Josh Harris, to express Trump's desire to have the $3.7 billion domed stadium in the nation's capital bear his name.

www.espn.com

If that happens they'll have to change their names to the Washington Fascist Dickheads in honor of Trump, too.

 

[Mulberry Heel]

“… The source with knowledge of the stadium deal said that if Trump insists on the stadium bearing his name, "he has plenty of leverage" to make it happen, no matter which government body will ultimately decide.

"He has cards to play. He can make it very difficult, through government environmental approvals and other things, to make sure everyone who wants this stadium to be built will join to put his name on it," the source said. "Trump has plenty of cards to play to get his way."

The source with knowledge of Trump's wishes said the president doesn't want to buy the name or have a deep-pocketed corporate sponsor buy the name for him. He wants the Commanders' stadium to be named after him, similar to Lambeau Field, as a tribute or thank you for his work to get it approved, sources said.”

Sources: Trump wants D.C. stadium named for him

A senior White House source said there have been back-channel communications with a member of the Commanders ownership group, led by Josh Harris, to express Trump's desire to have the $3.7 billion domed stadium in the nation's capital bear his name.

www.espn.com

Why not just rename the whole city of Washington after Dear Leader? At this rate he and his cult will be proposing that within a year or so.

ETA: I'll also add that all this naming everything after him crap and building a monstrosity where the old East Wing was just shows how incredibly insecure these people are underneath all their braggadocio and gloating. Trumpers deeply resent all the "nice people" not accepting them as social equals and it just burns them up.

 

[mpaer]

Why not just rename the whole city of Washington after Dear Leader? At this rate he and his cult will be proposing that within a year or so.

OrangeturdVille?

 

[Bobfripp]

‘Environmental catastrophe’ fears as millions of plastic beads wash up on Camber Sands

MP asks for explanation from Southern Water amid concerns the spill could have dire impact on rare sea life

www.theguardian.com

They do it down on Camber Sands
They do it at Waikiki
Lazing about the beach all day
At night the crickets creepy

 

[UNCatTech]

“…
The highway patrol then attempted a "PIT manoeuvre", a controversial technique law enforcement use to force a fleeing vehicle to suddenly spin sideways and stop.

PIT manoeuvres sometimes result in the deaths of innocent bystanders, the federal government wrote in a 2023 report that urged officers to consider less dangerous pursuit techniques.

When the manoeuvre failed, the highway patrol stopped their pursuit and the driver continued speeding on, police said.

He then lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a bar named Bradley's, where he hit more than a dozen people who were gathered on the patio, according to police.…”

With all the tech we have, I cant understand why they don't shoot a tracking device into the car then back off. The perp will feel safe at some point, they track him and get him later.

 

[ZZLPHeels]

With all the tech we have, I cant understand why they don't shoot a tracking device into the car then back off. The perp will feel safe at some point, they track him and get him later.

If the car is stolen or they can’t tie a driver to it then that is useless. If the car is even registered then they can go to the address on file later on but all the person has to say is “‘nah I wasn’t driving” and they can’t do anything about it.

The solution is to PIT extremely early into a pursuit. You get 30 seconds to pull over, otherwise you are going off the road sideways. The Georgia State Patrol has this down to a science and people know not to play with them.

 

[UNCatTech]

If the car is stolen or they can’t tie a driver to it then that is useless. If the car is even registered then they can go to the address on file later on but all the person has to say is “‘nah I wasn’t driving” and they can’t do anything about it.

The solution is to PIT extremely early into a pursuit. You get 30 seconds to pull over, otherwise you are going off the road sideways. The Georgia State Patrol has this down to a science and people know not to play with them.

I'm not suggesting tag them and stop by two weeks later.

With cameras, drones, and technology I'm confident that we could come up with much safer alternatives. I'm also of the opinion that the innocent lives are more important than catching the criminal. Catching this guy wasn't worth 4 people losing their lives.

 

[ZZLPHeels]

I'm not suggesting tag them and stop by two weeks later.

With cameras, drones, and technology I'm confident that we could come up with much safer alternatives. I'm also of the opinion that the innocent lives are more important than catching the criminal. Catching this guy wasn't worth 4 people losing their lives.

Sometimes letting a criminal go means that innocent people will die. The police broke off this chase and four people still died. Had the initial attempt at a PIT been successful, no one would have died. Also, most police forces don’t have predator drones flying around 24/7. If a criminal is running from you, often times the safest thing for the public is to catch his ass and put him in jail.

 

[UNCatTech]

Sometimes letting a criminal go means that innocent people will die. The police broke off this chase and four people still died. Had the initial attempt at a PIT been successful, no one would have died. Also, most police forces don’t have predator drones flying around 24/7. If a criminal is running from you, often times the safest thing for the public is to catch his ass and put him in jail.

I agree there are risk both ways. In discussing we can't get too focused on this one case, policy would need to look at it holistically.

 

[wmheel1287]

So basically any comment or opinion which is not 100% anti Trump means “you’re showing your ass” with no “decency filter.”

Correct. That's how it works with people as singularly awful as Donald Trump.

 

[1moretimeagain]

John Oliver’s main story last Sunday was on the dangers and overuse of high speed police chases.

 

[nycfan]

—> https://wapo.st/3JozwrV

“… Officials at the Justice Department are also reaching fewer settlements — which generally result in penalties and action plans to cut future pollution — than the last two administrations. Justice has completed 28 environmental enforcement cases in the first eight months of the president’s current term, compared with the 81 cases settled under the Biden administration and 80 cases in the first Trump administration.

… EPA’s scrutiny of operations for possible violations has ground to a halt during the more-than-month-long government shutdown, according to the survey of more than 1,000 AFGE union members.

… The EPA has previously said in its shutdown plan that it could eventually furlough as many as 89 percent of its more than 12,000 workers. But at first, most staff continued working, funded by unspent money that carried over from the previous fiscal year. The furloughs began to gradually ramp up in mid-October.

This level of political involvement, picking and choosing which parts of the EPA are furloughed in a government shutdown, is unprecedented, said Mugdan, who worked at the agency for 48 years, before retiring in 2023….”

 

[donbosco]

Correct. That's how it works with people as singularly awful as Donald Trump.

I'd add that regarding backers of trump that two things must be remembered: 1)Their judgment is so badly impaired that one must take that into consideration for everything that they say, write, or do AND/OR 2)They are liars and likely mean-spirited ones at that.

 

[nycfan]

 

[tarheelbillie]

“… The source with knowledge of the stadium deal said that if Trump insists on the stadium bearing his name, "he has plenty of leverage" to make it happen, no matter which government body will ultimately decide.

"He has cards to play. He can make it very difficult, through government environmental approvals and other things, to make sure everyone who wants this stadium to be built will join to put his name on it," the source said. "Trump has plenty of cards to play to get his way."

The source with knowledge of Trump's wishes said the president doesn't want to buy the name or have a deep-pocketed corporate sponsor buy the name for him. He wants the Commanders' stadium to be named after him, similar to Lambeau Field, as a tribute or thank you for his work to get it approved, sources said.”

Sources: Trump wants D.C. stadium named for him

A senior White House source said there have been back-channel communications with a member of the Commanders ownership group, led by Josh Harris, to express Trump's desire to have the $3.7 billion domed stadium in the nation's capital bear his name.

www.espn.com

There are no limits on this bastard’s narcissism. How long before a marble bust appears in Oval Office?

​

 

[ZZLPHeels]

John Oliver’s main story last Sunday was on the dangers and overuse of high speed police chases.

Typical Oliver “story” that focuses on sensationalism and ignores reality.

Edited to elaborate:

The first problem is that there is plenty of data about the supposed danger of police chases but there is no data about the danger of letting criminals escape because that information can't be measured. We don't know if a criminal who is allowed to escape is going to harm someone in the future or not. We'll never know if there were drugs or guns in the car that will end up killing people in the future because we'll never know what was in that car. Oliver brings up the point that most police chases are initiated over minor traffic violations as if that is an indictment of police chases...it isn't. Traffic stops are used to find criminals, drugs, and guns that will inevitable hurt and kill people if they aren't interdicted at some point. If someone is willing to engage in a high-speed pursuit and risk death or incarceration over a tail light being broken, chances are there is a lot more to the story than the tail light violation.

Second, Oliver comes down heavily on the PIT maneuver when the reality is that the PIT maneuver is typically the safest way to end a pursuit. If you can take out a fleeing vehicle before it kills an innocent bystander, you shouldn't be afraid or prohibited from doing it.

Third, Oliver brings up the fact that Black people experience greater numbers of deaths and injuries from police chases and blames everything expect the elephant in the room. The reality is that if Group A runs from the police at 5x the rate of Group B, then Group A is inevitably going to have more instances of being killed in police chases than Group B. Somehow that concept is too difficult for Oliver to comprehend.

Finally, we've seen what happens when police chases are banned. Washington state banned police chases and the result was a period of lawlessness and danger that was so egregious that the citizens of Washington passed a ballot measure that reversed the earlier police chase ban. There are risks to police chases, but there are also risks to simply letting criminals do whatever they want, another point that Oliver fails to comprehend.