Controversies have begun to emerge from President Joe Biden's decision to conduct the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. Among those benefited by it are people who were widely condemned for their crimes, including Rita Crundwell, a former public official convicted of embezzling over $50 million from a city in Illinois.

Crundwell was the comptroller of Dixon, Illinois, and was sentenced in 2013 of embezzling $53 million in actions that went as far back as 1990. She pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 19 years in prison.

Crundwell was due to serve 85% of her sentence, meaning that she was set to remain behind bars until October 2029. However, she was released in August 2021 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic along with several thousands of prisoners as the disease was rapidly spreading in facilities across the country.

"America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances. As President, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities," Biden said in a statement when announcing the clemency.

Overall, he commuted the sentences of 1,500 people released from prison and placed under home confinement during the Covid-19 pandemic and pardoned 39 more who had been convicted of nonviolent crimes.

Crundwell was in the former group, staying in home confinement since 2021. According to her plea deal, she opened in 1990 a bank account under the name of Dixon but used her for personal expenses, including a horse breeding business, credit card purchases and several properties. She also created fake invoices to make it seem like the funds were being used for legitimate expenses and justified shortfalls saying the state was late in payment of tax revenues to the city.

Then-Dixon Mayor Jim Burke reported Crundwell to authorities after an employee took over her duties while she was on extended vacation and found evidence of her crimes. Current Dixon City Manager Danny Langlossa criticized Biden's decision in a statement obtained by CBS News.

"The City of Dixon is shocked and outraged with the announcement that President Biden has given Rita Crundwell clemency for the largest municipal embezzlement in the history of our country. This is a complete travesty of justice and a slap in the face for our entire community," he said.

"While today's news in unimaginable, the City of Dixon is in an incredible place today. We will continue to focus on the future and work to capitalize on the momentum we have created."

Fed cut Fed Funds rate today and 10 Year Treasury went down in value and yields went up. If Federal Reserve has to start raising rates to stop inflation from getting worse and God forbid, cut the massive budget deficits by raising taxes and cutting spending, Trump will be in his worst nightmare.

I wonder if Trump's second term will be like the Carter years (1977-1981) with rising inflation. Carter ended up appointing Paul Volcker to be the Fed Chairman and he was great but he jacked up rates so we had a 20% Prime Rate which led to a severe recession.

This old school soviet union style "justice," boys and girls >

A few years ago the Biden admin dept of transportation etc put in rules to mandate car makers to notify the govt for data purposes to track auto crashes when cars are on auto-pilot driving.

There are a lot of these crashes, Teslas are involved in most of them. Now Trump people want to take away this reporting mandate.

And so many of you thought Musk was a nice guy.

And the funny thing reported last night was that on Thanksgiving evening of 2022 Musk put out a tweet congratulating Tesla owners because they could download the beta version or get it of the new auto-driving program. He congratulated his tech staff. That same night one of these tesla's on auto drive put on its full brakes for no reason and caused an 8 car pile up in a highway tunnell injuring many and totally screwing up policy.

I dont know about you but I have been involved with enough software rollouts to say BETA versions should never be rolled out to every one. Musk is an asshole who wants to buy trump and new laws

As his former attorney Michael Cohen once explained, Donald Trump often doesn’t need to tell his loyalists precisely what he expects them to do. He hints at it, nudges them and expects that they understand what is intended.


In March, for example, he said that former congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) should “go to Jail along with the rest of the Unselect Committee” — a reference to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Cheney served as vice chair of the panel.

He was responding to a preliminary report compiled by the House Administration oversight subcommittee, which Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Georgia) leads. That report, a review of the Capitol riot investigation, suggested that the select committee had withheld evidence. This triggered Trump’s recommendation of criminal charges for its members.


Loudermilk is a Trump ally whose subsequent claims that the select committee had also failed to adequately preserve evidence evolved into a Trumpworld insistence that evidence had been destroyed. This has been debunked, but Trump nonetheless referred to that idea during an interview with NBC News this month in which he again suggested that Cheney should “go to jail.”
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“They deleted and destroyed a whole year and a half worth of testimony,” he falsely claimed, referring to the select committee. “I think those people committed a major crime.”
On Tuesday, the final report from Loudermilk’s subcommittee was made public. In it, the subcommittee does recommend criminal charges against Cheney, as Trump had repeatedly demanded. But — probably in recognition that the “destroyed evidence” claim was a canard — the recommendation centers on Cheney’s alleged “tampering” with one of the committee’s key witnesses.


The report’s conclusion summarizes the claim:

“Based on the evidence obtained by this Subcommittee, numerous federal laws were likely broken by Liz Cheney, the former Vice Chair of the January 6 Select Committee, and these violations should be investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Evidence uncovered by the Subcommittee revealed that former Congresswoman Liz Cheney tampered with at least one witness, Cassidy Hutchinson, by secretly communicating with Hutchinson without Hutchinson’s attorney’s knowledge. This secret communication with a witness is improper and likely violates 18 U.S.C. 1512. Such action is outside the due functioning of the legislative process and therefore not protected by the Speech and Debate clause.”
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation must also investigate Representative Cheney for violating 18 U.S.C. 1622, which prohibits any person from procuring another person to commit perjury.”

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Trump, predictably, celebrated this determination, paraphrasing the vaguest snippet of that allegation on social media: “Numerous federal laws were likely broken by Liz Cheney, and these violations should be investigated by the FBI.”
It’s an endorsement of a fishing expedition, a demand from Loudermilk and Trump that the FBI use this pretext to find something to pin to Cheney. But it sits alongside two actual allegations — both of them flimsy to the point of transparency.
At issue is the testimony of Hutchinson, a former aide to Trump’s last chief of staff when he previously served as president, Mark Meadows. Hutchinson, you will probably recall, offered shocking testimony at a June 28, 2022, hearing about Trump’s behavior on the day of the riot, including allegations about his dismissiveness about the threat posed by the crowd at his speech outside the White House that morning, Trump’s insistence on driving to the Capitol after the speech and how he responded to reports about the threat posed to Vice President Mike Pence.


That testimony, though, came about only after Hutchinson went through an internal struggle described in her 2023 book “Enough.” Hutchinson was a loyal Trump supporter and, as such, was provided by Trump’s team with an attorney, Stefan Passantino, when the select committee first subpoenaed her in January 2022.
She sat for two depositions with committee staffers in February and March of that year. Following Passantino’s advice, she didn’t volunteer information that would cast Trump in a negative light. But she began to have qualms about this approach, later reaching out to her former colleague Alyssa Farah for advice on how to proceed. Farah helped orchestrate a third deposition, in May 2022, during which Hutchinson was able to speak more freely. Her attorney was not pleased, and neither was Trumpworld.
In early June, Passantino recommended that Hutchinson stop complying with the committee’s efforts, including an anticipated fourth interview. In her book, she writes that she expected but “dreaded” Passantino forcing the issue, worried that she would be putting herself at risk of contempt charges. So, soon after, she contacted Cheney directly. Two months ago, Loudermilk’s subcommittee released some information about this communication, framing it in ethical, not legal, terms.


In a phone conversation with Cheney recounted in Hutchinson’s book, Hutchinson indicated that she intended to represent herself moving forward. Cheney recommended against doing so. When Hutchinson indicated that she’d previously had trouble identifying and affording counsel, Cheney said she would consult with her colleagues and get back to her. The next day she did, offering “contact information for multiple attorneys.” Hutchinson spoke with a number of them, ultimately deciding on attorneys Jody Hunt and Bill Jordan.
Later that month, she sat for another deposition. Freed from the constraints Passantino had encouraged, she offered much more detail on what she’d seen and, more explosively, what she’d been told about Jan. 6, 2021. The select committee quickly scheduled the aforementioned public hearing for June 28. Hutchinson would sit for recorded interviews twice more in September 2022.
The report from Loudermilk’s subcommittee twists Cheney’s role into criminal activity in two ways. The first is that her interactions with Hutchinson are described as “tampering,” citing federal witness-tampering statutes. But those are focused on inhibiting testimony (particularly through force), not on enabling it. What’s more, the report’s important claim that Hutchinson retained Hunt and Jordan “at the recommendation of Representative Cheney” ignores the nuances of the interactions both women describe in their respective books.


Much of Loudermilk’s report centers on discrepancies between Hutchinson’s testimony and the testimony of others, discrepancies that are often in part because (as Hutchinson always represented) her testimony included secondhand information. But because the subcommittee presents Hutchinson’s testimony as intentionally false, the second recommended charge against Cheney proposes that she intentionally orchestrated Hutchinson’s testimony so that the witness could provide that false information.
In a statement offered in response to the Loudermilk report, Cheney wrote that “[n]o reputable lawyer, legislator or judge would take [the allegations] seriously.” And that’s probably true. But the report’s recommendation for an FBI probe will most probably be taken seriously by the incoming head of the FBI — if not Trump first choice, fervent loyalist Kash Patel, then whoever ends up being confirmed by the Senate.
Trump sent his Capitol Hill allies an unsubtle signal: Cheney must pay, even beyond her Trump-orchestrated ouster from the House. Loudermilk and his subcommittee were no doubt cognizant of that signal when they upgraded their allegations against Cheney from ethical to legal ones. And now Trump’s incoming FBI director has a trivial predicate, in case he even sought one, to start the fishing expedition that Loudermilk and Trump endorse.

Tom Homan says he worked under 6 Presidents and Joe Biden is the only one who took steps to unsecure the border. And the reason he did it is for power, like placing illegals into the census so democrats could have more seats. >

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Here is Cavill and Adams' successors:

JUCO national title game.

Very impressive.

I hope he gets a shot at the next level.

The Des Moines Register ran another article on him earlier this week. It was paywall though.

Well, here’s to hoping materials used to build Summit Carbon Solutions’ carbon pipeline are much thicker than its executives’ skin.



Summit sent out at least eight letters in recent weeks warning critics of the pipeline project to retract statements it contends are false and damaging. Otherwise, they will face legal action for compensatory or punitive damages.


This is a very strange strategy, given the timing.




Iowa’s Utilities Commission has granted Summit a permit to build 700 miles of pipeline in Iowa, which would transport carbon from ethanol plants for storage underground in North Dakota. The commission also allowed Summit to use eminent domain authority to grab land for its right of way from reluctant landowners.


Summit is craving billions of dollars in tax credits for carbon sequestration. It hopes to prop up the ethanol industry by making corn gas a more marketable low-carbon fuel. Raising the corn needed to meet demand will continue fouling Iowa waterways.


North Dakota recently approved Summit’s permit and gave permission for carbon storage in the state. Minnesota gave its OK. Nebraska? No problem.


All that’s left is South Dakota, where to company is making a second try for a permit. Iowa’s permit is contingent on a South Dakota permit. All the marbles are at stake.





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And yet, Summit can’t resist smiting a handful critics.


One letter went to Sierra Club Iowa Chapter Conservation Program Associate Jessica Mazour. She was quoted in a news article arguing Summit is “in collusion” with the utilities commission to “take away democracy and people’s rights.”


Mazour has closely followed this saga since the beginning. Her perspective is informed and credible.


So they don’t like collusion? Let’s go with really cozy.


Among the leaders of Summit is General Counsel Jess Vilsack, son of the U.S. Sec. of Agriculture and former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack. Another former governor, Terry Branstad, is also on board. Summit’s VP of government affairs is Jake Ketzner, who was chief of staff for Gov. Kim Reynolds and as a longtime aide to Branstad.


The guy who spearheaded the whole deal is Bruce Rastetter, an agri-magnate who has given a pile of money to Republicans. Since 2015, Rastetter has donated more than $175,000 to Reynolds in direct and in-kind contributions.


All three Utilities Commission members were appointed by Reynolds.


Another letter, according to The Gazette’s Jared Strong, went to Robert Nazario of the Free Soil Foundation. He’s quoted about the possibility a plume of CO2 from a leak could kill people. But Summit contends no one has ever been killed.


That’s a relief. Here’s a report by NPR on a pipeline break in Satartia, Miss.


“As the carbon dioxide moved through the rural community, more than 200 people evacuated and at least 45 people were hospitalized. Cars stopped working, hobbling emergency response. People lay on the ground, shaking and unable to breathe. First responders didn't know what was going on.


“’It looked like you were going through the zombie apocalypse," says Jack Willingham, emergency director for Yazoo County.’”


But, hey, no one died.


Summit has even threatened to sue former U.S. Rep. Steve King.


"These are just simply threats that say, 'Shut up or we'll sue you because we don't like the truth and what it does to damage our business model,'" King said during a recent interview on Eastern Iowa KXEL radio.


King is right. This is using fear to demand silence. Don’t listen to them.


(319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@thegazette.com

Opinion: Summit tries to intimidate its critics

Summit Carbon Solutions CEO Lee Blank, right, talks to reporters, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at the state Capitol in Bismarck, …

www.thegazette.com

I clipped my toenail and slightly cut my big toe 10 minutes before this post. It bled a little. Instead of putting a huge bandage on it, I'm going to sleep with my socks on so I don't bleed on my blanket during the night. My blanket is white.

I tried sleeping with my socks on when I was a kid and it felt weird. I always sleep with my socks off.

CSB.

How about you?

If you're in the final round of Wheel of Fortune and you get RSTLNE automatically, what 3 consonants and vowel are you selecting?

Me? H, P, G, and A

Music City Bowl vs. Missouri it is.

NJCAA Division 1 Championship Game on Wednesday, December 18th at 7:30pm CST.

Wednesday also features two of the best coaches in the NJCAA with the Reivers' Scott Strohmeier and Hutchinson's Drew Dallas, currently in his fifth season. Dallas, the Salina, Kansas native has lost only five games in his overall tenure and has the Blue Dragons in the Playoffs for the third time since the format began following HCC's National Title march in the spring of 2021. For Strohmeier, he racked up his 150th win at Iowa Western during the season and in his 16th year has built a program that those around the country respect for its sustained success.

Both teams feature high powered offenses and staunch defense, with the Reivers' 'Darkside' defense finding their footing after an uncharacteristically slow start to the season.

BY THE NUMBERS / Per Game Averages




TELEVISION / RADIO COVERAGE

The game will be carried nationally on ESPNU and ESPN+. Iowa Western's flagship radio station, 89.7 The River, will also carry the game with a one-hour pregame show featuring exclusive interviews Reiver coaches and players. The 'Voice of the Reivers", Jake Ryan, will be joined by Russ Nelsen, Josh Odson and Tony Boone on the call. Those outside the Council Bluffs / Omaha Metro can stream the game on the station with the FREE, downloadable app or by clicking the Listen Live icon at the top of the station's webpage. Get into the broadcast booth with the guys during the game here.

https://www.goreivers.com/sports/fball/2024-25/releases/20241211py6s7h

Now squeezebox/fran steal this link and duplipost this.

Thanx.

Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, has suggested that multiple individuals previously critical of the president-elect should be criminally investigated, according to a review by The Washington Post of dozens of hours of appearances on conservative podcasts and TV interviews over the past two years. If Patel uses the perch of FBI director to pursue Trump’s enemies, it would be a significant shift in bureau policy.


Get the latest election news and results

In the remarks, made before his selection to be FBI director, Patel floated criminal probes of lawmakers and witnesses who gave evidence to the Jan. 6 select committee, accusing them of providing false testimony and of destroying evidence. Those include former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson and police officers who testified about defending the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack. Patel himself testified to the committee in 2021 after being subpoenaed.
The Post has found no evidence of false testimony or evidence destruction, and the chairman of the committee, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Mississippi), has denied that the committee destroyed evidence. But Patel has continued to make accusations along those lines.


“Members of Congress can’t hide behind the speech and debate clause for committing felonies when it comes to destroying and suppressing evidence to law enforcement agencies,” Patel said in March on “The Joe Pags Show,” a conservative news radio show. “ … they said the Jan. 6 committee is legit. Okay. If you’re legit, then you’re subjected to the federal statutes. And let’s see who broke the law.”
In March, Trump suggested on social media that Hutchinson should be prosecuted for her testimony to the committee. In an interview with the Epoch Times four days later, Patel echoed that suggestion.
“I think there was other lies told by Cassidy Hutchinson under oath,” Patel said, referring to a recent lawsuit against Hutchinson and parts of her testimony that were later disputed. “She’s also subject to federal prosecution for lying under oath to federal officials. That’s a felony.”
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And in response to a question in May about Capitol Police officers allegedly testifying falsely to the Jan. 6 committee, Patel suggested that they should be investigated.
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“Not just them [members of the U.S. Capitol Police], many others,” Patel said on “The Joe Pags Show.” “Lying under oath is a federal offense and they should be investigated for it.”
In an interview with The Post on Monday, former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn said he was not worried about additional investigations.
“If the investigations are transparent, then no, not at all. We agreed to testify before anybody who was on the committee,” Dunn said. “ … I’m all for continuing investigations and transparency because that will bring to light what really happened that day. And we were there, we weren’t watching it on TV.”

When asked about Patel’s comments on the podcasts and television interviews, Trump transition spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer said, “Kash Patel is going to end the weaponization of law enforcement. The FBI will target crime, not law-abiding individuals with Kash leading the bureau.”
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In an interview with NBC earlier this month, Trump said members of the Jan. 6 committee should be jailed, but said he would not direct the Justice Department in his administration to do so.
“[Liz] Cheney did something that’s inexcusable, along with Thompson and the people on the un-select committee of political thugs and, you know, creeps,” Trump said on “Meet the Press,” repeating his unsubstantiated claim that the committee has hidden its work. “… They deleted and destroyed a whole year and a half worth of testimony. Do you know that I can’t get — I think those people committed a major crime. … For what they did, honestly, they should go to jail.” The committee’s findings are publicly available on a government website.

If confirmed by the Senate, Patel would have the authority to launch FBI investigations, but decisions about whether to prosecute would fall to the Justice Department.

“The Clappers and the Brennans and the Comeys of the world will always lie, and when we’re back in power, we will prosecute them for lying to Congress, which is a felony,” Patel said in September 2023 on former Trump aide Sebastian Gorka’s podcast, referring to past DNI, CIA and FBI chiefs who clashed with Trump.
Patel also said he plans to target reporters. In June 2023, Patel told Donald Trump Jr. on his podcast that “the legacy media has been proven to be the criminal conspirators of the government gangsters,” referring to roughly five dozen members of the “deep state” listed in his 2023 book, “Government Gangsters.”

And in December 2023, Patel told former Trump aide Stephen K. Bannon on his podcast that journalists should be investigated, repeating false claims that Trump had won the 2020 election.
“We’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections,” Patel said. “We’re going to come after you. Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out.”

Sounds like he's arguing with some HROTers.

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Two geniuses but also more than a little sociopathic, Norm and Uke.

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What is his current excuse for the way its acted since he was elected again?

Biden's Dow has been down 10 days in a row.