OPEN THREAD: FIFA Women’s World Cup Final — U.S. vs. Netherlands

[NB: Check the byline, thanks! /~Rayne]

FIFA Women’s World Cup Final will be played today, Sunday at 11:00 a.m. ET/5:00 p.m. CET at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais in Lyon, France.

U.S. meets the Netherlands which won playoff match 50 against Sweden this past Wednesday in extra time, 1-0.

Megan Rapinoe is expected to start; she was unable to play in match 49 against England due to a minor hamstring injury.

This is Netherlands’ second World Cup competition; the final pits them against three-time World Cup champions.

I’ll add links here to scoring and any alternative live feeds I can find as soon as FIFA updates information on the match so that sports news outlets can access it. The match will be streamed on Fox Sports and Telemundo.

CBS Sports shared a link to FuboTV which will stream the final live. You can watch it on FuboTV if you sign up for a free trial. Kind of funny that CBS is promoting a streaming partner since it doesn’t have the license for FIFA WWC itself.

There are two men’s finals scheduled for exactly the same time slot, by the way, one attributed to a “clerical error.” This is total bullshit, yet another typical patriarchal erasure of women.

In anticipation of the match you might check out these articles:

Netherlands beat Sweden, will face U.S. in final

The USWNT will play the Netherlands in the World Cup final. Here’s what you need to know

Opinion: Messages matter, and teams in World Cup final send good one with female coaches by Nancy Armour, USAToday

So the President F*cking Hates My Girlfriend by Sue Bird

I helped spark the Rapinoe-Trump war. Trust me, put your money on the soccer star by David Hirshey, LAT

Opinion: USWNT’s Megan Rapinoe is living her patriotism at World Cup. What’s your excuse? by Nancy Armour, USAToday

UPDATE — 11:34 a.m. —

The Guardian has a live coverage page for the match.

Here’s the Twitter Moments page for the match.

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184 replies
  1. Bay State Librul says:

    “Genius is not replicable, David Foster Wallace writes,”Inspiration though is contagious and multiform.”

    Wallace is describing Roger Federer, but today let’s savor a victory and perhaps a
    “Megan Rapinoe” Moment.

    • Rayne says:

      It’s a valid point. FIFA has suffocated women’s soccer while siphoning off profits ultimately benefiting men’s soccer. If they haven’t fixed this after all the various forms of protest, AND FIFA has long been corrupt, why not create a women-centered federation?

      The only real problem I can see upfront is that FIFA would likely find a way to punish an independent women’s federation. It wouldn’t be legal but FIFA hasn’t exactly cared in the past about following the letter and spirit of the law.

  2. fpo says:

    “…she made clear that despite there being half-a-dozen teams potentially capable of dethroning the defending U.S. champions, there was one crucial thing that set the Americans apart.

    “The key,” she said, “is how you get up after being knocked down, how you fight for every ball. … It’s about that killer instinct, to want the ball when the game’s on the line, and people aren’t just born that way. You’ve got to work really [expletive] hard at it.” (Rapinoe from the LAT article, linked above)

    Win or lose (no draws after round of 16 in WC), how sad/ironic/infuriating that some Americans, out of some twisted, cult of personality-driven allegiance to a failed POTUS, will have chosen to ignore, even ridicule, Rapinoe and her display of true American patriotism on the world stage – and her unflinching determination to fight for that, too.

    Go Megan! Go USWNT!!

  3. orionATL says:

    man o man. we’ve been thinking 11 a.m. since we got up hours ago. talking with the nederlanders. we love them and their team, but right now we’re America firsters; right now it’s time for the game.

    but there is a very important back story here too. did you know the difference in prize money is between $450 mill for the guys world cup finals and $60 mill for the gals? did you know the corrupt and always imminently corruptible fifa governing body scheduled two western hemisphere men’s finals on the same day as this world cup women’s final?

    fortunately women’s soccer has an articulate leader at the critical moment to counter this fifa folly, american striker meagan rapinoe:

    https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jul/06/megan-rapinoe-attacks-fifa-womens-world-cup-schedule-prize-money

    • Ruthie says:

      My son moved to the Netherlands six months ago, so I was especially psyched to watch this game. Unfortunately I couldn’t see it live on Sling tv – will have to see a replay tonight. I was ready to be outraged that it wasn’t playing live, thinking this was a diss against women’s soccer, until I remembered that last year it was the same way for the men’s final – the day after my son came home from hospital after breaking his left hip and elbow. We were desperate for entertainment and paid for FuboTV. Money well spent in the circumstances

      • Rugger9 says:

        Their police force has a minimum height requirement of 6’4″, so that tells you something.

      • e.a.f. says:

        Not all. I had a Grandmother who was all of approx. 5/2. of course she married a man over 6 ft. and all 9 children were over 6 ft. including the women. In a family of three female off spring, I’m the shortest at 5’9″. of course I changed my citizenship to Canadian, so all is good.

        I have cousins who aren’t as tall as we are…….. but there were shorter married ins.

  4. Rayne says:

    Argh! My Fox feed is all distorted and choppy, both video and audio. Have to watch it on Telemundo which is still a little fuzzy but the audio is good (en espanol of course).

    Still can’t find an alternate stream, sorry, gang.

    EDIT: The Guardian has a live coverage page for the match.

    Here’s the Twitter Moments page for the match.

      • orionATL says:

        yes. they are going great guns for a young team in a world final.

        American play and passing seems disjointed, lacking in accuracy. what gives? not nerves surely?

      • BobCon says:

        They’re doing a great job keeping their defense in shape and making the most of counters when they have the chance. They may get a fortunate chance and then stifle the US offense to hold on. The Dutch strategy will mean less fatigue coming up. I’ll still put better odds on the US, though.

      • Lulymay says:

        Canadian here… my husband is glued to TV, rooting for USA and hollering every 2 minutes that “that f’n referee should be pulled”

        Oh!!! Rapino just scored on a penalty kick. All is well in our household for the moment.

        1

      • Rayne says:

        Same, but both Fox broadcast and the Telemundo feed here are pixelated. I can’t even watch the Fox broadcast at all. Telemundo went out at one point. None of the other stations are having problems. Aggravating as hell I’m getting better play-by-play on Twitter but I’m paying through the nose for this goddamn cable.

        Gods this was awful looking.

  5. oldoilfieldhnd says:

    The USA came to play too. It is inspirational to watch these women compete on the world stage!

    Thank you ladies of all nations. Even Christians believe that women are the advanced humans of our race., since men were merely the introductory model. According to Christian beliefs, after creating man, God realized there were a few mistakes and perfected the design with the creation of woman.

    • Tom says:

      Oh, you’re just ribbing us! Actually, I remember a book by anthropologist Ashley Montagu years ago called, “The Natural Superiority of Women”.

  6. scribe says:

    Well, that 2nd US goal was an impressive piece of one-on-one play.

    I had been out in the kitchen cleaning up after putting up a batch of strawberry jam, having gone out while the score was 0-0. I was thinking: “this game is going to come down to a penalty shootout”,

    Shows how good I am at predicting the future

    Now, it looks like all the air has gone out of the Dutch.

    • BobCon says:

      That was beautiful. She had her head up and saw the space and didn’t do more than she needed.

      The US had a couple of similar opportunities later but players passed up good opportunties for shots to try to get perfect ones, and ended up with zilch.

      • Areader2019 says:

        Exactly. I’m a big believer in having the confidence to take the shot. Even from the top of the box.

        She believed in herself, and she delivered an unstoppable shot. Really great play.

      • bmaz says:

        Scribe was once one of our most consistently good and most important commenters.

        Back from before the official start of “Emptywheel” even. I wish he would come back and bring the consistent, important and intelligent commentary he always did. It is time Scribe.

        • scribe says:

          I’ve been quite consistent over the last couple years – the Democrats have the power in the House to impeach, or not. Impeachment is, at its core, a political act. Impeaching an officer of the United States, be it a president or someone in a lesser office, is a statement by the House that whatever was the conduct on which the impeachment was founded was unacceptable. Full stop.

          Thus, if a political faction deems certain conduct to be beyond the pale, politically, they must impeach. If, on the other hand, they choose not to impeach – for whatever reason or excuse – then they have ratified the conduct.
          So, the Democrats can either impeach and thereby condemn, or not impeach and ratify.

          For well over a year I’ve been saying that: “you impeach or you ratify”.

          Frankly I think a lot of Democrats really like the idea of taking Trump’s efforts at ruling by decree and building on them to effect their own policy preferences regardless of the law, Constitution, or precedent. And, to that end, they are choosing to ratify his conduct. Don’t kid yourselves: there are many among them who hate the Bill of Rights as much or perhaps more than even the worst Republican. How many Democrats have proposed, for example, an end or even a limit to the doctrine of qualified immunity? (No one I can think of – they get off on cops killing the poor as much or even more than Repubs. I’ve been in the room and heard it.)

          Besides, Speaker Pelosi doesn’t take my calls.

          So, I’m spending my time on activities where my efforts bear practical, concrete results.

        • Democritus says:

          I’m a newbie, but yeah this scribe can certainly write well and tie and argument together tightly.

          Also I love this entire thread, it’s like reliving the game again. Not to mention, kicking myself I didn’t check for a live thread yesterday.

      • dwfreeman says:

        Rose has proven to be one of the most dynamic players on this team. And the Dutch gave her too much time and space in that situation which was manipulated by Morgan who drew her defender away from Lavelle giving her the opportunity to set up and blast a bullet past the outstretched body of the Netherlands fine goalie.

        The women’s team plays with an air of connected confidence and passion that bespeaks their championship mettle and desire. And that, of course, is a result of their past achievement and personal belief in their own ability and collective success.

        There is no mistaking how that confidence shapes and guides their play and how it separates them from their male counterparts who played Sunday night for the Gold Cup and lost a difficult contest 1-0 to Mexico.

    • Democritus says:

      I’m still laughing at her Fourth of July post, I ain’t got no boat!

      She is such a treasure, and I wish more women had her courage to stand tall. Her smile is so sweet and just a little sly when she is the one causing the ruckus, and that laugh! :-D

  7. John Hand says:

    I can’t wait for the team to show up at the Capitol. I wonder if McConnell will try to keep them out of the Senate side. I would imagine Klobuchar, Warren, Gillibrand, Harris, et.al, including Murkowski would have a word or two with the Turtle on that issue.

  8. orionATL says:

    after all this is a political blog:

    the nine months between november 2018 and july 2019 just might be the symbolic time when, 500 years after England and france and more than half a century after south asia and the rest of Europe, the united states finally was compelled to recognize the cultural and political equality of women with men.

  9. Jenny says:

    Congratulations World Champions! Powerful Team!
    Made my day. Having a glass of wine to celebrate.

    • Vicks says:

      Chris Wallace had Dana someone subbing in today and she let Michael Bennet just shred Trump on every topic she brought up. He’s quite good at it and even better when he gets to control the interview.
      Then, she and that Cuccinelli a-h*le did a terrible job of pretending this wasn’t the second or third time they had gone over the questions.
      Cuccinelli explained to the folks coming out of church that unfortunately the meek and the weak Jesus told them they needed to love (as he describes them were were escaping religious and political persecution) were being swallowed up by the people with fake asylum claims and it was all the democrats fault.

    • harpie says:

      Marty Lederman has a good summary post of this whole fiasco, here:
      Census Citizenship Question Re-do? Part I: Moment of Truth (and Integrity) for the Office of the Solicitor General
      https://balkin.blogspot.com/2019/07/census-citizenship-question-re-do-part.html
      Marty Lederman Sunday, July 07, 2019 10:48 PM

      He talks about presumption of regularity:

      […] The Chief didn’t need to defend that proposition [the June 30 deadline] (even though the plaintiffs disputed it), nor did he feel the need to cite any authority: It was enough that the SG said so–a representation the Chief Justice could comfortably take to the bank. […]

      And then:

      […] Just now, however, DOJ announced that tomorrow (Monday) it is “shifting” the census cases “to a new team of Civil Division lawyers going forward.” That’s deeply concerning.

      It almost certainly means that some or all of the lawyers involved in the cases are unwilling to contribute to or sign briefs that will contradict the representations DOJ, and the SG, have made to the courts.

      (The Post story reports that the Consumer Protection Branch–which has no obvious connection to the issues in the case–will be involved, which suggests that perhaps the entire Federal Programs Branch is refusing to have anything to do with it any longer. That would be, to say the least, a troubling portent–perhaps a harbinger of indefensible arguments to come.) […]

      • Democritus says:

        This is frustrating because while the chance of Gvt success is plunging, the risk caused IF they succeed keeps rising.

        If Trumps wins this now, after all the career lawyers said that is against the Rule of Law, there will be no stopping them imo. I have no doubt that they want a broad permanent underclass if anyone darker than comfortable, LGBTQ, disabled etc.

        Fuck the GOP.

        One of my favorite gif is a picture of trump with the swastika swinging in front of him that allows you to see Adolf Hitler underneath.

        https://tenor.com/view/trump-hitler-donald-trump-adolf-hitler-trump-hitler-gif-14292093

    • harpie says:

      https://twitter.com/marty_lederman/status/1148247300835352577
      8:07 AM – 8 Jul 2019

      1/ Why is AG Barr transferring responsibility for the census cases to the DOJ Consumer Protection Branch, given that its functions have nothing to do with the census?

      Watch for the name David Morrell, recently appointed to be Deputy Assistant AAG in charge of the CP Branch.

      2/ Morrell clerked for Edith Jones and Clarence Thomas–then worked at Jones Day and in the White House Counsel’s Office. No surprise he’d be in charge.
      Watch for whether any career lawyers agree to join, and whether OSG is on-board, despite its earlier representations re: 06/30.

      • P J Evans says:

        Barr (or whichever minion did that transfer) may have been thinking that the Census Bureau is in the Commerce Department, so….
        No, it doesn’t really make sense to me, either. But a lot of the stuff this maladministration does is pretty senseless.

      • harpie says:

        David Morrell is indeed heading the new team:
        https://twitter.com/MikeScarcella/status/1148350993974857730
        2:59 PM – 8 Jul 2019

        New DOJ legal team in census case makes court appearances now: [link]
        David Morrell, leading the new DOJ team as a deputy assistant attorney general, clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas in 2012-2013. Morrell, an ex-Jones Day associate, joined Justice in May from the Trump White House. [link]

      • harpie says:

        The new legal team:
        https://twitter.com/ZoeTillman/status/1148360930616643584
        3:39 PM – 8 Jul 2019

        STORY: DOJ makes it official that they’re changing up the lawyers in the census citizenship Q litigation. They don’t give a reason why. What we know so far – the new lawyers come from offices that do consumer protection, immigration, and civil fraud work
        [thread]
        This is all to say: DOJ’s new legal team in the census citizenship Q litigation is made up of attorneys from across the Civil Division, but no longer anyone from the Federal Programs Branch, which would normally handle it. Why the change? DOJ isn’t saying

        • harpie says:

          And now Plaintiffs object:
          https://twitter.com/KlasfeldReports/status/1148387397442449414
          5:24 PM – 8 Jul 2019

          NEW: Plaintiffs in the N.Y. part of the #2020Census case argue that @TheJusticeDept counsel shouldn’t be allowed to withdraw.
          “Defendants’ mass withdrawal risks hindering Plaintiffs’ ability to litigate matters currently or soon to be pending before the Court,” the letter says.

        • P J Evans says:

          I wish them lots of luck, because it looks like the DOJ is trying to stack that deck, too.

        • harpie says:

          https://twitter.com/KlasfeldReports/status/1148703390572142593
          2:20 PM – 9 Jul 2019

          BREAKING: Judge Furman DENIED motion for some @TheJusticeDept counsel to withdraw from the #2020Census case.

          The DOJ’s motion to withdraw certain attorneys is “patently insufficient,” Furman said in a scorching 3-page ruling.

          Only two attorneys who left DOJ’s civil division, Brett Shumate and Alice LeCour, will be allowed to withdraw. Several others must stay.

          Just as I noted last week, Furman pointed out in a footnote that SDNY counsel withdrew (successfully) earlier, and so this is the second DOJ withdrawal attempt.
          The “Furmanator” strikes again.

    • harpie says:

      NYT:
      https://twitter.com/ktbenner/status/1148362157135945728
      3:44 PM – 8 Jul 2019

      Unlike Wilbur Ross and DoJ lawyers, Barr wasn’t caught unawares by Trump’s census tweet. The AG said he’d been taking to the president about it since the SCOTUS ruling.

      Matthew Miller responds:
      https://twitter.com/matthewamiller/status/1148366355357425665
      4:00 PM – 8 Jul 2019

      So he either allowed DOJ attorneys who work for him to make false representations to the court or he is just covering for Trump after the fact.
      Both terrible.

      • harpie says:

        Benner adds:
        7:55 PM – 8 Jul 2019

        A news nugget at the end of my story: DoJ was still recruiting lawyers to work on the census case today, emailing folks in the office of immigration litigation (which has had its own issues) to work on the citizenship question.

  10. e.a.f. says:

    at this stage of the game, I’d usually be rooting for Holland, but given the current political situation in the U.S.A., I rooted for them. I wanted to see what M.R. has to say when trump opens his yap.

    as to the height requirement for police officers, doubt it very much, given the Netherlands is a multi cultural nation and not all groups grow as tall as the Dutch.

    My congrats to the American team! May Ms. M.R. go on to be a great thorn in trump’s side, nose, feet, arse, etc.

      • bmaz says:

        Yeah, it is all SO SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS that we at the DOJ and SDNY blithely let him galavant around the world for twelve years after knowing EVERY fact alleged in this new indictment.

        Listen, Epstein is a deplorable piece of shit, and I have no sympathy for him personally. But what is going on here has some serious issues, and may do serious damage, to the future reliance of defendants with negotiated pleas and agreements with the DOJ.

        • harpie says:

          I did listen, and heard it when you tweeted [?] or said that yesterday. SDNY has an argument about why that plea deal doesn’t apply to them starting on page 3 of the indictment.
          I have no knowledge about any of this legal stuff…just trying to inform myself. So, thank you as well, for your perspective on this.

        • bmaz says:

          Per my comment earlier as to the DOJ rule Mark Bennett found, that truly does undercut the argument that SDNY is out of bounds. And maybe SDNY is truly in the clear, could be! I will be stunned, however, if Epstein’s lawyers in that more than a decade old case do not pop up to claim they were led by DOJ, and not just Acosta and SDFL, to rely on the agreement being global. We shall see!

        • Rugger9 says:

          I would guess SDNY got the call since that’s where they raided. However, this is also a known Trumpist outpost given how they handled HRC’s email investigation in connivance with the NYT (really they speculated without even opening the emails). For me it will be a question about loyalty to Rudy and his pals, which will be answered by how much Kaiser Quisling evidence makes it to the light of day. I don’t doubt that Epstein will have it if it exists since I’m sure he taped everyone to have leverage (be responsible here about all possible people involved). However I also know that since Barr is tasked with getting all of the dirt cleaned up between the Mueller investigation and now this one the timing of the arrest and raid is a tad convenient. Was this the first time Epstein returned to the USA in years? If not, why now?

          If one were to put on the old tinfoil, the question of “why now?” keeps coming up, since there did not seem to be any other triggering event (Mueller testifies next week) that would warrant the risk of someone with a conscience in SDNY leaking some of the more (ahem) interesting videos. On the other hand, if Barr (and his lackeys) were trying to spike this evidence I do not think the Epstein recordings would have been mentioned at all, since there is too much risk to the Palace given how close he and Epstein were at the time (i.e. what about KQ, Uday and Qusay?).

        • harpie says:

          The end of Bennett’s article:
          [quote] […] Epstein had the best criminal-defense lawyers money could buy. You can bet that they knew that the Southern District of Florida could not bind the Southern District of New York without that district’s agreement, and were hoping that Epstein’s political connections (and secreted blackmail tapes?) would protect him from prosecution elsewhere. […] [end quote]

          “Young [name] + [name]”

        • Eureka says:

          Marcy rt’d a thread by Ken White discussing Bennett’s article/Epstein case. I also found the conversation in replies from 5th tweet down to (tweet pasted below that) to be especially informative. Phrase that came to mind after reading: ~hoist on their own petard of corruption.

          “/5 So. The odd ambiguity of the SDFL non-prosecution deal on this point strikes me as, to use the federal criminal procedural phrase, skeevy as fuck, and consistent with the participants in the deal knowing it was illegitimate.”
          [https://twitter.com/Popehat/status/1148297106982989826]
          —>
          “Yes, exactly. The ambiguity was the best the defense could get on the issue. But if the feds deliberately accepted ambiguity, that’s 100% outside of policy and frankly corrupt.”
          [https://twitter.com/Popehat/status/1148300406901993473]

        • Eureka says:

          If they do make that claim, which per what’s known doesn’t appear to have been in writing, I’d wonder why it wasn’t stated in the NPA (harpie linked Ken White thread above; comments I have in mind linked here https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/07/07/open-thread-fifa-womens-world-cup-final-u-s-vs-netherlands/#comment-797845 ).

          This is all reminding me of the Cosby case (albeit different court system/by analogy), where the DA who had initially failed to prosecute him (Bruce Castor) later came out, after the case was revived, to claim that he had verbally assured Cosby of non-prosecution. Without getting into the details, reviving DA Risa Vetri Ferman was past-ADA on the case when Castor had it, and knew nothing of this so-called verbal agreement (which Castor also later tried to claim he had made from some altruistic posture to get Cobsy to testify in a future civil case). As we know now, in the particulars of the Cosby case, that ultimately didn’t fly…

          It’s notable that these two powerful sexual predators, each with talented defense _teams_, would walk away without iron-clad (in-writing) deals as if they were in the clear (as to what wasn’t then-prosecuted in their respective cases).

          ETA:
          Andrea Constand v. William H. Cosby, Jr.
          [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Constand_v._William_H._Cosby%2C_Jr.]

          ^^ re civil case, history criminal case v. Cosby mixed in

          Bill Cosby sexual assault cases
          [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Cosby_sexual_assault_cases]

        • Vicks says:

          .I do not understand their argument at all. From what I DO understand he got caught red handed possessing child pornography during a recent search of his home
          It appears he is a pedophile with an addiction, couldn’t they just issue new charges for current events as a way to themselves back into the heart of the case?
          He seems to be a repeat offender and possibly a real
          threat to society. Would new charges of child pornography offer an legitimate opportunity to test the agreement?
          It seems going after the deal from a corruption angle makes sense as well, this was after all, a crime with victims. If thier rights were violated to get Epstein this deal and there is evidence pointing to who and how it seems that would be a legit way to challenge the deal.
          What am I missing? It seems they are doing it the hard and risky way. Can there be a play we are not seeing?

      • harpie says:

        https://twitter.com/nycsouthpaw/status/1148273692130140162
        9:52 AM – 8 Jul 2019

        More detail on the returns from the UES search warrant [screenshot of paragraph on p.9]
        that seems to indicate that Epstein is at grave risk of additional serious charges, at least related to possessing child pornography.

        From the document:

        [p.9] […] While these items were only seized this weekend and are still being reviewed, some of the nude or partially-nude photographs appear to be of underage girls including at least one girl who, according to her counsel, was underage at the time the relevant photographs were taken. Additionally, some of the photographs referenced herein were discovered in a locked safe, in which law enforcement officers also found compact discs with hand-written labels including the following: “Young [Name] + [Name],” “Misc. nudes 1,” and “Girl pics nude.” […]

    • harpie says:

      via Laura Rozen:
      https://twitter.com/DrRJKavanagh/status/1148355421847134209
      3:17 PM – 8 Jul 2019

      Unsealed documents show Manhattan DA Cy Vance knew Jeffrey Epstein should have been designated a Level 3 Sex Offender (the most serious classification under NY law) but instead argued he should be designated Level 1 (the least serious).

      The question is why. [New York Post link]

      The case was before Judge Pickholz who said,
      “I have never seen the prosecutor’s office do anything like this. I have done many [cases] much less troubling than this one where [prosecutors] would never make a downward argument like this.”

      The judge went ahead and classified Epstein as a Level 3 Sex Offender over the DA’s objection. Cy Vance later claimed his office had made a mistake and misread the law.

      This explanation is just not believable. The DA’s office does hundreds of these hearings a year. The law is not difficult to understand. And they always push for the highest possible level classification.

  11. Democritus says:

    I hope some of these contain his blackmail material, and that every single last person in that network is outed.

    https://twitter.com/ShimonPro/status/1148268845045571585

    “Details from what FBI found inside Epstein’s $77 Million Manhattan mansion:
    Extraordinary volume of photographs of nude underage girls

    Hundreds perhaps thousands of sexually suggestive photographs of fully or partially nude females.

    Safe containing compact disks with labels”

    I was reading up on Epstein’s accomplice Maxwell, her father was a crooked UK pol and publisher who named his super yacht he died on suspiciously after her specifically.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Maxwell

    Also kudos to Vicky Ward, how many men covered for others like Graydon Carter?

    From 2018:
    https://www.thedailybeast.com/i-tried-to-warn-you-about-sleazy-billionaire-jeffrey-epstein-in-2003

    Her current thread, I’m glad she is coming forward and hope some others are also able to do so:

    https://twitter.com/VickyPJWard/status/1148242876171718657

    The FBI agent at the presser did a great job.

    ETA

    From Klasfield:

    “Prosecutors: Epstein tried to “harass or tamper with witnesses,” and hired private investigators who “‘forc[ed] off the road’ the father of an individual relevant in the investigation,” in an “alarming” incident.

    Govt’s 10-page bail memo,
    @CourthouseNews”

    https://twitter.com/KlasfeldReports/status/1148265111972405248

    Sorry for all the links Rayne!

    • Democritus says:

      People should be sweating hard today, including Dersh. I just read the bail filing and bottom of page 9 says compact discs in the safe were hand written and labeled [ young]name + name,

      Oh I hope he kept files on everyone in that mansion. And while I keep seeing people going what if Clinton is caught on Twitter, like that is a gotcha question. If he is? Try him, and if the evidence is there convict his ass then throw him in jail along with every other person they catch. I’m so sick of mostly white wealthy rapists getting off free, or with judges apologizing for having to sentence them AFTER they are convicted. Like the judge in NY who was worried that the young rapist would throw away his future since, you know with his test scores he could get into a “good” school.

      Hell if I knew those were the rules I would have started letting cops who pulled me over for speeding know I was well within the top tenth percentile on my post grad standardized tests scores and I’m sure he will promptly apologize for pulling me over and let me go immediately *rolls eyes*. Or does that only work if you belong to the right country clubs?

      We have become far too corrupt.

      • Democritus says:

        Question, could the US govt use this new case to argue to NOT unseal some of the documents that were just ordered unsealed in Epstein’s case?

        Or at least could part of the govt intend to do that? I do not trust Barr.

      • AitchD says:

        Heh. So a state trooper stops a driver, walks up to the driver side, says to the driver, after handing him a three-figure speeding & reckless driving ticket, “Now ain’t it ironic, sir, you here in your new Mar-cedes, and me with just a old Dodge Dart at home.” And the guy answers, “That’s not irony, officer, it’s justice.”

    • Tom says:

      On the one hand, a safe is a secure place to store such stuff; but on the other hand, it’s such an obvious place as well. Why not hide it in a secret compartment somewhere that would take some effort to locate–and might not be found at all–assuming some outside party even knew to look for it in the first place. Chock it up to arrogance on Epstein’s part, unless perhaps he has another stash of evidence hidden away somewhere.

  12. mfmikula says:

    To me, the USWNT has always been Mitch McConnellish – “whatever it takes to win”. A minority view, evidently.

    Women should be better than that. They should always set an example of good sportsmanship, never stoop to gamesmanship, and leave the goon stuff to the men. Why? Because they are women. A double standard? Yes. Not all national teams play with that “whatever it takes” attitude, and now they will feel that they have to, to compete with the US.

    Stuff like Kelley O’Hara getting red carded in an NCAA championship game for an act of violence against the center back she couldn’t get past. (Now her violence is more nuanced.) Hope Solo moaning about Sweden’s tactics, as if she thought USA victory was an entitlement. Past player Lauren Holliday’s “cleaning house” in the midfield. Scoring 13 goals in a single game and bellowing in celebration after every one. Julie Ertz and her spikes. If FIFA awarded Tonys, Alex Morgan would have more than Angela Lansbury, thanks to Abby Wambach, her acting coach. In every Guardian photograph featuring Tobin Heath, she had a facial expression that would frighten children.

    There are many more examples, but that will have to do for now.

    .

    • bmaz says:

      What in the living fuck is wrong with you? What a load of ridiculous garbage. That is one of the dumbest ass comments I have ever seen on this blog, and I see most all of them. Jesus fucking christ.

      • mfmikula says:

        The NHL awards the Lady Byng Trophy to the “player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability”. The USWNT are really good, but they are not Lady Byngs. They scoff at those who expect it.

        The “whatever it takes to win” attitude seems to be a requirement for success in sports, politics, and business. It shouldn’t be that way.

        • Herringbone says:

          Women should be better than that. They should always set an example of good sportsmanship, never stoop to gamesmanship, and leave the goon stuff to the men. Why? Because they are women.

          Wow. Just wow. And what does this mean?

          In every Guardian photograph featuring Tobin Heath, she had a facial expression that would frighten children.

          So not only do they need to play by the laws of the game plus some sort of higher standard of etiquette, they also need to keep supreme control over their faces as they do their jobs as professional athletes?

          I’m assuming this is one of the comments Rayne let through just so the rest of us know what she has to deal with as a moderator.

        • bmaz says:

          Naw that was on me. Bad judgment on my part. Thought it would be a one time example. Blergh.

        • bmaz says:

          Again, who in the living fuck are you? This is some of the most ignorant screed in the history of this blog. I let it through the first time, because I, not Rayne, wanted to demonstrate what a shithead you were.

          Somehow, you were not blocked the second time. That is going to be corrected. And, to everybody else, my apologies.

        • Rayne says:

          Women’s teams have had to put up with their matches earning more money and receiving a fraction of the pay compared to men’s teams AND doing so without all the goddamned cry baby drama on the field when they get injured. Veritable grace under pressure.

          Stuff your sportsmanship. We’ll worry about that when women get paid equitably. You can take your gender-biased concern trolling bullshit and leave.

  13. Rugger9 says:

    The indictment if not already posted:

    https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6184409-Epstein-Indictment-2019-07-08.html

    Have at it, but it would appear these are ones different from the Miami charges and since it appears to my reading that these victims were transported across state lines (did Acosta wave those away?) and that the victim list is larger there is no double jeopardy here, but that’s why we have a crack legal team here. One wonders how deep this will go… If Epstein kept the records, wow. The names previously linked to this Epstein case are very impressive even accounting for tabloid hyperbole. I wonder why Clinton keeps coming up on Faux? Both-siderism?

    Transporting females for immoral purposes across state lines is how the racists nailed Jack Johnson since they couldn’t beat him in the ring.

    • Rugger9 says:

      I also don’t know about whether possession of underage images were forbidden by the plea deal with Acosta, but it seems to be standard procedure and might already be a crime by itself.

      That “de novo” crime alone (underage images plus maybe electronic transmission via email) would be worth the raid I would guess. Back to the question: why now?

  14. AitchD says:

    To bmaz @ 12:47 pm: Thanks for helping me understand why the terms “collusion” and “collude” are non-legal, non-penal terms, as criminal plea bargains and civil settlements plainly fit the definitions for ‘collusion’.

  15. Rugger9 says:

    More OT the ever-changing Census question story from the WashPo, something like 10 times in 4 months. And, now the DOJ has new lawyers who will probably ask for a continuance to come up with another explanation. and a revised deadline.

    My question for the lawyers here: I’ve seen speculation that this is something that is sanction bait up to and including disbarment, but how would that process realistically happen to the census team given how Kaiser Quisling undercut them? In CA as long as you’re current on your fees it pretty much takes an arrest to get disciplined from personal observation.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/08/trump-administration-has-changed-its-story-census-citizenship-question-least-times-four-months/

  16. Bri2k says:

    MSNBC just reported Epstein will be kept locked up until another hearing Thursday at 2 PM.

    Dunno ’bout you, but I’m celebrating that this predator is off the streets for now.

    Here’s another vote that some of the evidence found is blackmail material he was holding over others. But maybe we’ll see…

    • bmaz says:

      Yes. here is a pertinent tweet from Adam:

      Weingarten on the plea deal: “An agreement that was approved all the way up in Main Justice, and it sure seemed like a global solution involved at the time, including my client.”

        • Vicks says:

          So a through investigation into this deal would include learning if Epstein was just a generous guy and had the power on his own to add that part of the deal because he was looking out for his pals (and the future trouble they could cause) or if perhaps among those “potential accomplices” there was someone with the power and sense of urgency to get this deal done.
          Would a deal like this require that any side agreements NDA’s etc be disclosed?
          I will bet you our labor secretary could clear up all the confusion in an hour.

    • fpo says:

      Well this is interesting…

      “Attorney General William Barr says he is recused from Epstein case…”

      “Attorney General William Barr said Monday that he is recused from the case involving multi-millionaire Jeffrey Epstein.
      He told reporters in South Carolina one of the law firms that represented Epstein long ago was a firm Barr subsequently joined.”

      [ https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/jeffrey-epstein-court-07-08-19/h_1918dec73222787722e3abb718372d7b ]

      Does this change anything in the long run? Who knows…but I’m sure a certain somebody doesn’t like hearing this news.

  17. Rugger9 says:

    On topic, it was an awesome display, 17 shots with 9 on goal (seven saves by the Dutch keeper) versus six and one for the Netherlands. 8-2 on corners tells me that the USA kept the heat on the Dutch who are the current UEFA champions (IIRC) so this was not a question of lax competition at all.

    One got the sense it was only a matter of time before the USA broke through, and they did.

  18. OldTulsaDude says:

    I didn’t want to mess up Marcy’s latest post with an OT comment right at the start so I am posting here. First, Congrats USA women’s team.

    Second, with the advent of Bill Barr as AG, it seems that Nancy Pelosi does not grasp the significance of the situation – that she is in charge of the only cavalry unit left to defend democracy against an invading army intent on destruction of any pretense of representative government.

    Barr’s current move to bypass the SCOTUS censorship question is just one of many harrowing moves this modern Himmler has made to empower the presidency and replace the rule of law with his personal imprint.

    It is difficult to overemphasize how crucial it is that these assaults be thwarted. Nancy Pelosi, this is not a time for compromise. It is time for a wartime consigliere. It is time to go to the mattresses.

    • P J Evans says:

      She’s having to deal with conservadems like Costa, Cuellar, and Sinema, and old pharts like Hoyer and Clyburn who are still thinking bipartisanship exists like it did in the 80s and early 90s. But she’s the Speaker, and she *can* tell them to get caught up to 2019 or be replaced by younger and more aware Dems.

      • bmaz says:

        She doesn’t have to deal with Sinema at all. Kyrsten is in the Senate now. And her replacement in the House (my district) is former Phoenix mayor Greg Stanton. After a little cajoling, including significantly by yours truly, Greg is on board for opening an inquiry.

    • orionATL says:

      one of nancy pelosi’s concerns has got to be: if she called for a vote on an impeachment inquiry now, what would that vote be.

      i believe there are +- 235 Democrats in the house.

      does anyone know that what the vote might be among democratic reps?

      here is one estimate:

      https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/politics/impeachment-support-house-democrats/?

      reading thru the lists showing where those who favor and those who do not come from is very informative.

      • Rayne says:

        I don’t know of any changes to the list since last week when we still needed ~133 more House Democrats to vote.

        People need to continue to call and nag their representatives and insist they support an impeachment inquiry. Congressional switchboard (202) 224-3121

        • bmaz says:

          Let us keep in mind that Nancy Pelosi is relentlessly whipping and threatening the majority of her caucus to abandon the Constitution in favor of addled political expediency. If she said opening an inquiry would be okay by her, it would happen tomorrow.

          There are two geriatric cowards in House Leadership, Pelosi and Hoyer, derelict in their duty, and a third, Jim Clyburn, who was kneecapped immediately by Pelosi and Hoyer the second he said an inquiry was needed.

          This is a cabal of pathetic old assholes that think temporal electoral fortunes are more important than their oath of office and health of the Constitution. They are disgraceful.

        • orionATL says:

          bmaz –

          “… Let us keep in mind that Nancy Pelosi is relentlessly whipping and threatening the majority of her caucus to abandon the Constitution in favor of addled political expediency…”

          wow. a real dominatrix !! what does she threaten them with , bmaz?

          would you cite media articles that explicitly, in detail support this political rhetoric of yours.

          this sounds so contrary to pelosi’s long-established reputation for solving conflict thru personal and group negotiation that i question it.

      • orionATL says:

        here’s a Vox article with a little more useful background than the wapo but similar vote totals (which supports accuracy):

        https://www.vox.com/2019/6/7/18653931/house-democrats-impeachment-inquiry-pelosi

        the “favor” column is inching up under public, including media, pressure. i think it was around 50 a month or so ago when i first looked for these numbers.

        pelosi understands she is the speaker for all the dems, not just your favorites or mine. a decade or so ago i despised bluedog dems.

        i said: “fuch’em. they’re just fake dems, republicans at heart. let the republicans run republicans by name against them and kick their sorry psuedo-dem asses.”

        and you know what – the republicans did. and they won.

        and then they took over the house, just as like trump would take over the white house years later, and they began to tear down the entire structure of caring, civilized government our society had slowly built up since the 1930’s.

        • orionATL says:

          a comment of mine disappeared into moderation and has not resurfaced after some time. not a good sign.

  19. earlofhuntingdon says:

    The Guardian’s Carole Cadwalladr makes an important point. The British Ambassador to the United States sent home confidential, accurate, indeed, non-controversial assessments of the American president to the foreign affairs bureaucracy that employs him. Reports that must be identical to most of those sent home by ambassadors in Washington.

    But somehow those reports are the story rather than that someone in the bureaucracy leaked those reports to far-right journalist – Isabl Oakeshott – who has close ties to hard-right eminence grise Nigel Farage. How is that and why now, as Boris Johnson is poised to become leader of the Tory Party and, perhaps, Prime Minister?

    [https://twitter.com/JohnJCrace/status/1147804564248322048]

  20. Eureka says:

    Meanwhile:

    Angie Craig: “The administration will be in court tomorrow working to overturn healthcare for millions of Americans. Among the things that they’re arguing to overturn are protections for pre-existing conditions that 130 million Americans count on. [links to kff.orf (kaiser family foundation) explainer on TX v US]”
    https://twitter.com/AngieCraigMN/status/1148336930066718720

    Chris Murphy: “1/ THREAD: Tomorrow the Trump admin is going to court to argue that the entire ACA should be overturned. They are going to argue that insurance companies should be able to charge the 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions higher rates or deny them coverage outright.”
    https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT/status/1148289735426748416

    • P J Evans says:

      And they were able to find a court with enough judges who would buy the argument they’re trying to use, even though it’s a crap argument.

      • Eureka says:

        It’s all so much. Should have labeled it ~ “Meanwhile, back at the DOJ War Room against American Rights”

  21. Eureka says:

    OHCHR | Bachelet appalled by conditions of migrants and refugees in detention in the US
    [https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24800&LangID=E]

    GENEVA (8 July 2019) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Monday she is appalled by the conditions in which migrants and refugees – children and adults – are being held in detention in the United States of America after crossing the southern border. She stressed that children should never be held in immigration detention or separated from their families.

    The High Commissioner stated that several UN human rights bodies have found that the detention of migrant children may constitute cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment that is prohibited by international law.*”

    “Detaining a child even for short periods under good conditions can have a serious impact on their health and development – consider the damage being done every day by allowing this alarming situation to continue.” The High Commissioner noted that immigration detention is never in the best interests of a child.

    “Any deprivation of liberty of adult migrants and refugees should be a measure of last resort,” she said. If detention does take place, the High Commissioner emphasized, it should be for the shortest period of time, with due process safeguards and in conditions that fully meet all relevant international human rights standards.

    “States do have the sovereign prerogative to decide on the conditions of entry and stay of foreign nationals. But clearly, border management measures must comply with the State’s human rights obligations and should not be based on narrow policies aimed only at detecting, detaining and expeditiously deporting irregular migrants,” she added.

    Bachelet also paid tribute to individuals and civil society organisations that have been providing migrants with the most basic of rights, such as the rights to water, food, health, adequate shelter and other such assistance.

    “The provision of lifesaving assistance is a human rights imperative that must be respected at all times and for all people in need – it is inconceivable that those who seek to provide such support would risk facing criminal charges,” she said.

    U.N. human rights chief ‘deeply shocked’ by migrant detention center conditions in Texas
    [https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2019/07/08/un-human-rights-chief-deeply-shocked-by-migrant-detention-center-conditions-texas/]

    The number of people in U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody has dropped nearly 40 percent in recent weeks, from more than 19,000 a month ago to about 11,000 in recent days, according to a DHS official familiar with the latest statistics who spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose unpublished data.

      • e.a.f. says:

        perhaps they can’t find all of these concentration camps. This evening, 9 July, the Rachel Maddox show was discussing a camp found by reporters after being tipped, in Yuma, Arizona. There are problems…………..
        My take on it is, the trumpsters might just be “hiding” them. If the violations are as extensive as some believe they are, it might not turn out well for trump. the U.N. has its report. I’m sure there is more than one country who would love to send an American Pres. to the Court of the Hague, if for no other reason, but getting even. the U.S.A. has had its holier than thou attitude towards other countries from time to time, now its the U.S.A.’s time to be hauled up in front of the world. there is no reason to treat people like they are and especially children.

    • harpie says:

      Here’s the Courier Journal with more:
      Amy McGrath says she will take on Mitch McConnell in 2020 US Senate race
      https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2019/07/09/amy-mcgrath-to-run-against-senate-majority-leader-mitch-mcconnell-2020-election/1676100001/
      [quote] […] But she made the case that the longtime senator from Kentucky has prevented President Donald Trump from passing legislation that people in the Bluegrass State have supported, such as bringing jobs to Kentucky and lowering drug prices.
      “Who stops them along the way? Who stops the president from doing these things? Mitch McConnell,”
      McGrath said. “And I think that that’s very important and that’s going to be my message – the things that Kentuckians voted for Trump for are not being done. He’s not able to get it done because of Senator McConnell.”

      […] As a candidate, she favored saving the Affordable Care Act but said she ultimately wants universal health care coverage for all Americans. She also supported the legalization of medical marijuana, said that climate change is “a fact” and that Kentucky should try to lead the nation in renewable energy.
      Republicans, however, hammered McGrath relentlessly on abortion after she said: “I don’t think the government should be involved in a woman’s right to choose what is happening to her body.” […] [end quote]

      • Democritus says:

        Go Amy!!!!

        She is a great candidate for the state and Kentucky was somewhat blue not that long ago. Hopefully all the maddogbpac bulletin boards will help. Moscow Mitch is so fucking corrupt.

        Ps I like to call him Moscow Mitch in lieu of cocaine Mitch. He sells merch with cocaine mitch, but let’s see him try that with Moscow Mitch.

      • orionATL says:

        i’d guess “abortion hammering” is especially about the northwest corner of kentucky, a fanatical conservative catholic section of the state that saved the repubs the last time around.

        if I recall correctly it’s the area/home of the smirking schoolboy who faced off against the old indian man which made internet news some months ago. the red maga ballcap boy!

    • Democritus says:

      Murkowski’s “I don’t need to read the report I lived it” almost made my eyebrows self ignite in flames.

    • Vicks says:

      What’s the point?
      If, off the top of my head I can come up with 20 ways that quote and attitude can be used to stir up outrage in the people of this country I can only imagine what someone with some marketing savvy can do with it.
      What’s the point? Seriously?
      I don’t care what your party is. We use the power of our voices and votes to send these people to Washington to act in our best interest. Even if we don’t agree with some of their political views, in good faith WE go out every damn day and bust our asses to put food on the table believing the people we elected are doing the same to protect our country.
      What’s the point?
      Jee-zus now we have to do their jobs too?
      The answer does not lie in those already emotionally or financially engaged in the political battle. To the rest of America we/they are just noise that cancels each other out.
      It is now up to the previously complacent, the disinterested, those who “hate to get involved” to show up, get educated and declare the direction they want their country to move in, cause it’s moving fast.

      • Jenny says:

        This morning I called the offices of Scott and Kaine because I was ticked they did not read the report.

        I told their interns “The point is – it is the Senator’s responsibility to be informed, educated, knowledgeable and aware about the Mueller report. He does represent his constituents. Not reading and admitting he hasn’t read the report means he is uninformed, uneducated, unknowledgeable and unaware of Mueller’s findings. It is his job. Consider it his homework. More Americans have read the report than our representatives. Shameful. What is the Senator teaching our children when he is dismissive of reading the Mueller report? Please ask him that question.”

      • e.a.f says:

        what’s the point? mud on a stick, its their job and they’re well paid to do with a health plan. Not reading the Mueller report, omg, how arrogant are these s. heads.

    • P J Evans says:

      Just what we need: another white male billionaire businessman running for President (with no prior experience in office). /s^10

      • e.a.f. says:

        how true, how right.

        what is with these American male billionaires, is it some sort of disease. the ego……….let him do something more useful……….does he really think he can do a better job than some of the women who are running for the nomination or Mayor Pete or Biden. he can’t win and he most likely draw votes from the Dems.

  22. P J Evans says:

    A city government in Minnesota decided to not have the Pledge of Allegiance before every meeting. Conservatives are, predictably, Very Unhappy about it, talking about “tradition” and the like. Tr*mp is tweeting about it, too, as if the Pledge were some requirement written into the Constitution he’s never read.
    (Also, another court has ruled that Tr*mp can’t block people on Twitter, even if it’s his “personal” account, because he’s using it for his statements *as President*.)

  23. P J Evans says:

    Barr first recused himself from the Epstein stuff, then unrecused himself, and now says he’s recused only from the Florida case.
    A lot of lawyers are going “Whaaa?”

    • pjb says:

      The report I read said Barr consulted with the DOJ Ethics Office and determined not to recuse from overseeing the SDNY case. It did not say what the Ethics Office counselled or that Barr determined to follow it. If I am not mistaken, at his confirmation hearing, Barr made it a point to stress that while he’d consult with DOJ Ethics (unlike Whitaker) he would reserve his own judgment on recusal.

      Separately, what should really be made of the fact the case is being handled by Public Corruption unit in SDNY? I am sure they have a dedicated sex crimes unit as well. I know Berman says don’t read too much into it, but I still wonder.

      • Democritus says:

        I hope they go after Cy Vance, and while IANAL I did see one analyst who is advising on MSNBC that to paraphrase, “ I know they said not to read too much into it, but I’m absolutely choosing to read too much into it” and while it’s true prosecutors pick up cases outside their division he thought it was notable.

        I just hope they nail the fucker to the wall, and bust all his blackmail victims etc.

        Man, we need more muckrakers progressives. I wish Gawker and their fearlessness, and occasional fuckups, was still around.

        From 2015 Jeffery Epstein’s black book. Oh look, he has alllll of Ivanka’s contact info!

        https://gawker.com/here-is-pedophile-billionaire-jeffrey-epsteins-little-b-1681383992

        • pjb says:

          As does Acosta, I presume? Separate question: under what circumstances is it appropriate to appoint a Special Counsel in lieu of SDNY if the facts under investigation may touch upon the propriety or integrity of a cabinet member (Acosta)?

        • Democritus says:

          Would immunity hold if he was shown to have accepted bribes in order to preferably discharge his official duties?

          I guess by “go after” I mean investigate that within a legal framework like anti-corruption , but, yeah sorry, that was sloppy very wording on my part especially in a charged atmosphere.

  24. Democritus says:

    I saw this on Reddit, and appreciated the message to take action instead of despair, and the author providing the links for where citizens can get involved. It reminded me of Rayne whipping us to call congress, not just bitch and moan, and I think far too many Americans have been coddled into learned helplessness. We are a participatory Democracy and if we don’t fight for our country, then those with worse motives will.

    I fear we have also allowed our cynicism to left us off the hooking from acting when we see injustices.

    To the Reddit comment:
    “This may be unpopular, but I believe it needs to be said: If you feel pessimistic about the state of our politics right now, go out and do something about it! 2020 is right around the corner – there are absolutely no excuses not to volunteer. Anyone making super pessimistic statements and not contributing in some way is part of the problem. That may seem harsh, but the way out of this mess is through collective action. We all must contribute.

    Pick your flavor:

    DNC volunteer opportunities: https://www.mobilize.us/dnc/

    Sign up for DNC volunteer info: https://my.democrats.org/page/s/help-elect-democrats

    Swing Left: Focusing on 11 “Super States” to flip the White House, the Senate, and the State Houses key to rolling back Republican gerrymandering*
    https://swingleft.org/

    Flippable: supports progressive candidates—and flips strategic states blue*
    https://www.flippable.org/our-plan/

    Justice Democrats: “We need a Democratic Party that fights for its voters, not just its corporate donors.” Helped elect Ocasio-Cortez.
    https://www.justicedemocrats.com/volunteer

    Sister District: works to build Dem majorities in state legislatures*
    https://sisterdistrict.com/volunteer/

    Stand With Immigrants, advocacy opportunities: General info on starting to volunteer to help immigrants
    https://www.standwithimmigrants.org/volunteer_opportunities_general
    https://www.standwithimmigrants.org/advocacy_opportunities

    Immigration advocates network
    https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/probono/volunteer/

    * Note that state legislatures draw congressional maps once every decade – if we want to stop GOP gerrymandering, controlling state legislatures is crucially important! This is the only chance we have to stop GOP gerrymandering until 2030. Don’t focus only on federal candidates.

    This is not an endorsement of any of the above groups, I have not had experience with every one – it is just a starting point for your own research. I’m sure I missed some other good organizations; please comment below if you have more suggestions.
    Edit: One more thing – the amount of troll activity on this post is much higher than usual, which should tell us something: despair, pessimism, and apathy work in the other side’s favor. Trump supporters, conservatives, Russians, trolls, etc. want us to feel hopeless”

    Quoted from post, but added in the hyperlinks manually since we need to get off our collective arses. Also fuck Barr’s corrupt pedophiliac covering ass.
    https://www.reddit.com/r/Keep_Track/comments/c9mhmu/a_caution_about_despair/

    (Sorry for all the links again the and long quote, hope it’s ok)

  25. Eureka says:

    Neat news about an upcoming event: Ted Boutrous is going to do a Q&A with Kathy Griffin re 1A and her “Trump wood-chipper” experiences.

    First to explain: one night only, on July 31st in neighborhood movie theaters across the US (they may have added other countries/cities), Kathy Griffin’s self-produced film about all of this, “A Hell of a Story”, is being shown. After the film, they are streaming-in, I guess, this live Q&A.

    Separately, folks in the LA area can get tix to see the Q&A in person.

    Griffin: “I can’t believe we got Ted Boutrous. Hard core, respected, accomplished First Amendment attorney. Ah, The 1st amendment. Enjoy it while we still have it!”
    [https://twitter.com/kathygriffin/status/1148376817901789185]

    Quoting:

    Boutrous: “I am really looking forward to interviewing @kathygriffin on July 31 about her new film, the role of comedy in our democracy and @realDonaldTrump‘s assault on the First Amendment. Check out “Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story – Live Taping”(link to LA-area taping) @Eventbrite”
    [https://twitter.com/BoutrousTed/status/1148373739031212032]

    Link to get tickets to the July 31st film in theaters across the country in this thread:

    Griffin: “The official movie trailer for my docu-comedy feature film, “Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story” is here! Check it out! #AHellOfAStory (video clip)”
    [https://twitter.com/kathygriffin/status/1145760103284428800]

    or go to website and look up the film/name: [Fathomevents.com]

    • harpie says:

      Epstein’s lawyer in court two days ago:
      https://twitter.com/AliWatkins/status/1148357641812545536
      3:26 PM – 8 Jul 2019

      Weingarten: […] This is not this case. There was no violence. There was no coercion. There was no intimidation. There was no deception.
      The bottom line, if you take a fair look at the facts of this case as alleged and in the record, you may come to the conclusion there was prostitution involved and maybe a lot of it, but that doesn’t mean that the person involved is a pedophile, a rapist or, heaven knows, a trafficker. Just—
      The Court: Well, if the women involved were under 18, isn’t it rape?
      Weingarten: My understanding—
      Court: Legally they are incapable of consent, are they not?
      Weingarten: Well, it could be statutory rape.
      [later >>>]
      Weingarten: [p.23-24] Can I just make one point to clarify?
      Court: Go ahead.
      Weingarten: On the statutory rape thing, I had a senior moment.
      There is no statutory rape because there is no penetration, and that is the answer to that question.
      Court: All right.

      • P J Evans says:

        Weingarten seems to have forgotten that statutory rape is based on age. It doesn’t matter if they were willing: it’s illegal, because they can’t give meaningful consent or make contracts.

    • harpie says:

      https://twitter.com/KlasfeldReports/status/1148989030471786498
      9:15 AM – 10 Jul 2019

      NEW: Epstein’s new accuser [Jennifer Araoz] who gave the NBC interview filed a petition seeking the identity of the recruiter who groomed her for Epstein. (Complaint will be filed after N.Y. Child Victim’s Act takes effect until Aug. 14, per court papers.) […]
      A 14-page draft complaint is attached as an exhibit.

      “On top of this brutal rape, Epstein did not use a condom, which substantially contributed to extreme emotional distress and the development of a panic disorder, which was exacerbated by the fact that Ms. Araoz had recently lost her father to AIDS.” [link to doc.]

      • harpie says:

        The Recruiter, The Receptionist, The Maid, The Man
        [p.10] [The Trophy Room]
        [p.12] [The Massage Room]
        [p.14] “I take care of you, you take care of me.”
        [p.16] [The Rape]

        • Eureka says:

          You know the part that made my gut drop? PDF p. 7, where we learn that she was attending the performing arts HS, and therefore how her dreams were destroyed.

          It only gets worse from there, but there is something so intimate and vulnerable in knowing a bit of what she had dreamed of for herself.

  26. fpo says:

    In the spirit of Democritus’ call to action upthread, it may be the perfect time to remind your Representatives in DC of the consequences of Secretary Acosta’s actions for Epstein’s child victims.

    Specifically, they were denied all or certainly most of the following:

    (1) The right to be reasonably protected from the accused.

    (2) The right to reasonable, accurate, and timely notice of any public court proceeding, or any parole proceeding, involving the crime or of any release or escape of the accused.

    (3) The right not to be excluded from any such public court proceeding, unless the court, after receiving clear and convincing evidence, determines that testimony by the victim would be materially altered if the victim heard other testimony at that proceeding.

    (4) The right to be reasonably heard at any public proceeding in the district court involving release, plea, sentencing, or any parole proceeding.

    (5) The reasonable right to confer with the attorney for the Government in the case.

    (6) The right to full and timely restitution as provided in law.

    (7) The right to proceedings free from unreasonable delay.

    (8) The right to be treated with fairness and with respect for the victim’s dignity and privacy.

    (9) The right to be informed in a timely manner of any plea bargain or deferred prosecution agreement.

    (10) The right to be informed of the rights under this section and the services described in section 503(c) of the Victims’ Rights and Restitution Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 10607(c)) and provided contact information for the Office of the Victims’ Rights Ombudsman of the Department of Justice.

    [ https://www.justice.gov/usao/resources/crime-victims-rights-ombudsman/victims-rights-act ] 18 U.S.C. § 3771. Crime victims’ rights

    Public pressure has helped expedite the firing/resignation/early departure of many of Trump’s ‘best people.’ Acosta is not fit for the office he presently holds. Take five minutes and let somebody know how you feel about it.

    Might also want to ask them about this:

    “Trump labor secretary who cut Epstein deal plans to slash funds for sex trafficking victims”

    [ https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/09/labor-secretary-alexander-acosta-sex-trafficking-budget-cut ]

    • harpie says:

      THIS IS WHY TRUMP PLACED ACOSTA LABOR:
      *
      Acosta, Who Cut Deal With Epstein, Tried to Slash Anti-Trafficking Program by 80 Percent His proposal came under fire at the time from a congresswoman who noted his sweetheart deal with accused trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
      https://www.thedailybeast.com/labor-secretary-alex-acosta-who-cut-deal-with-epstein-tried-to-slash-anti-trafficking-budget
      Updated 07.10.19 9:46AM ET / Published 07.10.19 9:43AM ET

      Here’s video of Trump saying:
      https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1148631690576879616
      9:35 AM – 9 Jul 2019

      [0:25] I feel very badly, actually, for Secretary Acosta, because I’ve known him as being somebody that works so hard and has done such a good job. […]

      • fpo says:

        Yeah, he’ll hang on to him as long as he can. Election-year claims/promises for a successful jobs market/economy get fuzzy when you haven’t got a beloved Labor Secretary by your side.

      • Democritus says:

        This should NOT stand and I hope to motherfucking god it does not.

        I think women and men may need to start demonstrating at the capital again like Kavanaugh, but if Barr interferes in SDNY I think we MUST do so.

        Meanwhile people are being abused in for profit concentration camps.

        (I’m disabled and can’t do much, some days especially, but I can think, write and bug other people to go do stuff. And of course call congress!)

        Ha, Megan Rapinoe has me all fired up. Everyone needs to watch the FULL thing, it’s only a few minutes but I loved her inclusive call to action.

  27. Democritus says:

    I fucking love Megan Rapinoe! If you missed it go watch her full unbleeped speech and the confetti raining down, soawesome.

    Biggest smile I’ve had in a while. I think there may have even been a glimmer of hope in the smile :)

  28. Ewan says:

    Sorry for using this open thread about a happy topic to ask about one worrying me.

    Let us suppose that despite Bolton, there are reasonable people somewhere in the administration, and that the choice to enrich higher was a predictable one (normally Iran is very predictable). So the extra sanctions or whatever leading to higher enrichment was in the books. Could it be that this would be seen as a positive development by the house of Saoud, since they could ask for some enrichment themselves, to restore the balance in the Middle East or whatever. This is worrying me because, as it was dug out on this blog, they already have Westinghouse, the old lady of nuclear energy, which has ALL the important patents, cookbooks etc for civil stuff. Now, of course civil and military are not that far apart, as the Iranians have just shown, you just need to put what came out of the enrichment plant as the source, and you get very quickly something much more potent. [For non chemists: going from 0.6% to 3.5% means multiplying the concentration by nearly 6. If you put 3.5% as input in the same machine (a spinning top) you get 20%, just like that (well, the efficiency is 3/238 so you need a lot of material to input, thus the monitoring of the stocks etc)]
    Now, if the Bolton/Kushner/MBS camp asks for just a few spinning top please, the Iranians have one and stuff, with the Westing House expertise they now own, the Saoudis will be able to do it, unchecked. And we have a rich and crazy country with a very dangerous weapon.

  29. Eureka says:

    Three items:

    Rayne, this thread has a second thread right at top of replies focused on Elaine Chao. Sub-threader may have or link to useful info, parking it here in case.

    Paul Farhi: “In light of the news about Labor Sec. Alexander ACOSTA, herein a list of other current/former Trump cabinet officials who have been involved in controversies or suspected corruption: —ELAINE CHAO, Transportation: Alleged financial conflicts of interest. (link)”
    [https://twitter.com/farhip/status/1149168755911667713]

    For anyone having trouble with existing links for Epstein’s NPA, it is included as an exhibit in his bail request. PDF link here via Adam Klasfeld:

    “Epstein’s attorneys know this and acknowledged they’re pushing the same proposal Berman rejected. Doc here, with Epstein’s non-prosecution agreement as an exhibit: (link)”
    [https://twitter.com/KlasfeldReports/status/1149354426768994306]

    And:

    John Lithgow reads a poem he wrote last February, works today: “Acosta Agonistes”

    “.@JohnLithgow wrote a poem about about the Trump Administration’s many scandals, and he would like to read it to you now. (link and embedded video reading)”
    [https://twitter.com/NewYorker/status/1149443103444602881]

  30. Eureka says:

    NY feds are on a roll (I assume the reference to Brooklyn means EDNY??):

    Singer R. Kelly has been arrested in Chicago on federal sex crime charges, according to two law enforcement officials.
    The 52-year-old was arrested Homeland Security Investigation agents and NYPD detectives Thursday night on sex trafficking charges, officials tell News 4, and it is expected he will be brought to New York.
    Further details on the case are expected to be announced Friday.
    Spokespeople from the NYPD and Homeland Security Investigations declined to comment on the arrest. Calls to the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn were not immediately returned.

    Attempts to contact a spokesperson and legal team for R. Kelly were not immediately successful.

    R. Kelly Arrested on Federal Sex Trafficking Charges: Law Enforcement Officials
    [https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/R-Kelly-Arrested-on-Federal-Sex-Crime-Charges-512618121.html]

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