July, 18 2024, 02:09pm EDT
CODEPINK Files Ethics Complaints Against Rep. Derrick Van Orden for Abuse of Power
CODEPINK has officially filed two ethics complaints against Representative Derrick Van Orden, alleging an egregious abuse of power and influence. The complaints follow an incident in which Rep. Van Orden falsely accused Nour Jaghama, CODEPINK’s Palestine campaign organizer, of assault. This accusation led to Jaghama’s unwarranted arrest and 15-hour detainment on charges of battery.
CODEPINK has maintained from the start that Nour Jaghama, a Palestinian-American, never made physical contact with Rep. Van Orden. However, law enforcement insisted on taking action based on Van Orden's claims due to his position as a U.S. Congressman.
Following a thorough investigation, including the review of body cam footage, the Milwaukee District Attorney concluded that no crime had been committed and dropped the charges. Despite this, Rep. Van Orden continues to spread false claims of being assaulted and injured to his constituents, the media, and on social media.
The false accusations have sparked a wave of death threats and hate messages directed at CODEPINK, including one currently under investigation by the FBI. Here is an example of the threats received:
"Contact: (815) 284-4661 (m) jeffdkcjka@yahoo.com
Fuck you CUNT bitches. Hurt another Republican senator and it will be the LAST person you hurt CUNTS. Hamas should die and rot in Hell."
This situation underscores the unacceptable nature of a U.S. Congressman using his position to defame a private citizen and incite violence. The public must hold elected officials accountable for such abuses of power.
The ethics complaints are attached. For more information or to request further details, please contact Melissa at melissa@codepink.org.
CODEPINK is a women-led grassroots organization working to end U.S. wars and militarism, support peace and human rights initiatives, and redirect our tax dollars into healthcare, education, green jobs and other life-affirming programs.
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'Largest IT Outage in History' Sparks Global Chaos
"This is basically what we were all worried about with Y2K, except it's actually happened this time."
Jul 19, 2024
This is a developing story… Please check back for possible updates...
A global technology outage attributed to a software update by the U.S.-based cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike sparked chaos around the world Friday as flights were grounded and healthcare, banking, and ground transportation systems experienced major disruptions.
George Kurtz, the president and CEO of CrowdStrike, said in a statement Friday morning that the company is "actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts"—a glitch that affected Microsoft users around the world.
"This is not a security incident or cyberattack," Kurtz added. "The issue has been identified, isolated, and a fix has been deployed. We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website. We further recommend organizations ensure they're communicating with CrowdStrike representatives through official channels. Our team is fully mobilized to ensure the security and stability of CrowdStrike customers."
The Financial Timesexplained that Crowdstrike is "one of the world's largest providers of 'endpoint' security software, used by companies to monitor for security problems across a huge range of devices, from desktop PCs to checkout payment terminals."
Troy Hunt, a security consultant, wrote on social media that "this will be the largest IT outage in history."
"This is basically what we were all worried about with Y2K, except it's actually happened this time," Hunt added.
The impacts of the outage cascaded rapidly. Wirednoted that "in the early hours of Friday, companies in Australia running Microsoft's Windows operating system started reporting devices showing Blue Screens of Death (BSODs)."
"Shortly after," the outlet continued, "reports of disruptions started flooding in from around the world, including from the U.K., India, Germany, the Netherlands, and the U.S.: TV station Sky News went offline, and U.S. airlines United, Delta, and American Airlines issued a 'global ground stop' on all flights."
As The New York Timesobserved, the National Health Service in the United Kingdom "was crippled throughout the morning on Friday, as a number of hospitals and doctors offices lost access to their computer systems."
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"Donald Trump is a scab and a billionaire and that's who he represents," said the United Auto Workers.
Jul 19, 2024
The former president who sparked a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol less than four years ago took the stage at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee Thursday night claiming to desire an end to the "discord and division in our society."
But Donald Trump's record, rhetoric throughout the 2024 campaign, insidious plans for a second term, and remarks as he accepted his party's presidential nomination give the lie to his fleeting attempt to posture as a unifying figure, critics said in the wake of the former president's speech, which came days after an attempt on his life in Pennsylvania.
"What we witnessed tonight were just empty words," said Christina Harvey, executive director of Stand Up America. "This is the same twice-impeached, convicted felon who botched the Covid response, repeatedly tried to take healthcare away from millions of Americans, incited an insurrection to cling to power after voters rejected him, and to this day brags about appointing the justices that 'killed' Roe v. Wade."
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Not long after pledging to "be president for all of America, not half of America," Trump reverted to well-worn falsehoods about his 2020 election defeat, claiming that the Democratic Party "used Covid to cheat."
The former president also decried the supposed "invasion at our southern border" and reiterated his disastrous plan to "launch the largest deportation operation in the history of our country" as convention attendees hoisted signs that read, "Mass Deportation Now!"
"This is a very bad speech by a very weak, beatable candidate."
While claiming to support the working class, Trump—whose campaign is backed by more than a dozen billionaires—launched into an attack on United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain, declaring that the labor leader who helped guide his union to historic contract victories at the nation's largest car manufacturers "should be fired immediately."
The UAW said in response that "Donald Trump is a scab and a billionaire and that's who he represents."
"We know which side we're on," added the union, which endorsed President Joe Biden earlier this year. "Not his."
To progressive observers, Trump's rambling, lie-filled, often incoherent convention address underscored that the November election is very much winnable for Democrats and that fatalism about the outcome is deeply wrongheaded.
"This is a very bad speech by a very weak, beatable candidate," said Ezra Levin, co-founder of Indivisible.
Those who have urged Biden to exit the race and pave the way for a candidate perceived as a stronger matchup against Trump—a deeply unpopular figure—reiterated their case during the former president's speech, which dragged on for more than 90 minutes.
"The party that runs someone who isn't Trump or Biden will win this election," wrote progressive organizer Aaron Regunberg. "We just need to make sure that's our party."
In recent days, Democratic congressional leaders and prominent members of the party—including former President Barack Obama—have expressed concerns about Biden's ability to defeat Trump in November. A survey released this week found that 65% of Democratic voters want Biden to drop out of the race.
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Advocates are calling for "shutting the student loan system down until borrowers have access to the rights they were promised."
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Student debt cancellation advocates on Thursday responded to a federal appeals court blocking implementation of one of U.S. President Joe Biden's relief programs by demanding a shutdown of the whole system to spare borrowers and the economy.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit's temporary ruling against the administration's Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan comes just over a year after the Supreme Court struck down Biden's sweeping student debt cancellation proposal.
Although the high court's right-wing supermajority has thwarted Biden's attempt to deliver his promised broad relief, the administration has pursued initiatives including the SAVE program, which sets monthly payments based on borrowers' income.
Over half of the more than 8 million borrowers who have enrolled in the program have a $0 monthly payment, according to the U.S. Department of Education. SAVE also enables borrowers to have their balances canceled after 10, 20, or 25 years.
GOP state officials led by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach challenged the program, leading to Thursday's ruling—just the latest in a series of various decisions about the program. The 8th Circuit issued a stay until the court rules on a request for a preliminary injunction.
"Today's extreme, unsigned, single-sentence order from a judge out of Missouri's 8th Circuit Court of Appeals just sent the student loan system into chaos and borrowers will be forced to pay the price," warned Student Borrower Protection Center (SBPC) executive director Mike Pierce in a statement.
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In addition to echoing Pierce's call for shutting down the system "to mitigate the widespread economic harm that could be imposed on borrowers," SBPC deputy executive director Persis Yu suggested the legal battle was politically motivated.
"Right-wing politicians are using the courts to wreak havoc on the student loan system and put the economic stability of tens of millions of borrowers and their families at risk. Make no mistake: These lawsuits are shameful political gamesmanship designed to hurt President Biden at all costs, and borrowers are merely collateral damage," Yu said. "Unfortunately, today, the special interests have prevailed, imperiling the financial security of millions and throwing the student loan system into an untenable chaos."
An Education Department spokesperson said in a statement Thursday that "we are assessing the impacts of this ruling and will be in touch directly with borrowers with any impacts that affect them."
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Biden—who has faced progressive pressure to keep pursuing bolder debt relief policies—is currently seeking reelection, though the Democrat has endured growing calls to step aside since his poor debate performance last month.
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