Category Archives: National

Five Facts, National

Proud Boy leader Enrique Tarrio was former police informant

Five Fast Facts

  • 36-year old Enrique ‘Henry” Tarrio is the leader of the Proud Boys, an extreme right-wing group with militia ties
  • Tarrio was arrested in 2012 for the theft, relabeling, and resale of diabetes test kits
  • In 2014, according to federal court records, Tarrio was given a lesser sentence in exchange for providing state evidence
  • According to federal court records, Tarrio work as an informant led to 13 arrests on federal charges in two cases, including drug distribution and human trafficking – an FBI agent called Tarrio a “key component” in investigations involving marijuana, cocaine, and MDMA (ecstasy)
  • Tarrio claims he never was an informant, when confronted with the court records and transcripts he went on to say he does not “recall,” the events – Tarrio is not considered to be an informant now but there are questions about his close ties to various police agencies that are now a decade long

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys extremist group, has a past as an informer for federal and local law enforcement, repeatedly working undercover for investigators after he was arrested in 2012, according to a former prosecutor and a transcript of a 2014 federal court proceeding obtained by Reuters.

In the Miami hearing, a federal prosecutor, a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent and Tarrio’s own lawyer described his undercover work and said he had helped authorities prosecute more than a dozen people in various cases involving drugs, gambling and human smuggling.

Keep reading at Reuters

LGBTQIA, National

President Biden reverses Trump transgender military service ban

Video

From Malcontentment Happy Hour, January 25, 2021

Despite his campaign promises to defend LGBTQIA rights in 2016, Trump made a series of decisions that gutted protections

The policy change reverses a decision from 2017 when then President Trump tweeted his decision to block transgender people from serving in the military without consulting with the Pentagon. The Pentagon did not keep records on how many service people were discharged due to the decision, upheld by the Supreme Court in 2019. President Biden, with the support of the Secretary of Defense, reversed the Decision on January 25, 2021.

Editorial, National

Insurrection update for January 25, 2021

Video

From Malcontentment Happy Hour, January 25, 2021

A summary of events from January 22 to January 25, 2021

The fallout from the January 6, 2021 Insurrection continues

  • Kentucky Senator Rand Paul clashes with George Stephanopolous of ABC News in a disastrous interview
  • Mitch McConnell is still struggling to hold power in the Senate
  • Impeachment paperwork submitted to the U.S. Senate and a trial date is set for February 8, 2021
  • Rudy Guiliani is the latest person to be sued by Dominion Voting Systems
  • A scrape of Parler videos and images identified over 6,000 unique faces of people in or adjacent to the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and those pictures have been made public
  • The Department of Justice is worried about court capacity and is considering not charging some who committed more minor offenses on January 6, 2021
  • The Wall Street Journal first reported that then-President Trump considered firing acting Attorney General Rosen, and replacing him with a loyalist who would overturn Georgia election results on Presidential direction
  • Andrew Ericson of Oaklahoma arrested after Snapchat videos revealed his involvement
  • Scott Fairlamb a New Jersey gym owner arrested * Dustin Thompson of Ohio arrested after stealing a coatrack and was found by police waiting for his rideshare to pick him up
  • Kevin Strong of California was arrested after being identified by his coworkers at the FAA, during his interview, he told the FBI he had “Q” clearance
  • Bradley Weeks of Florida was arrested after recording himself and posting it on social
  • Nolan Cooke of Texas was arrested after posting on TikTok telling a woman in part, “I wouldn’t want anyone other than you with me to take on the revolution”
  • Henry Hank Muntzer of Montana was arrested after outing himself in a social media video
  • Patrick Stedman of New Jersey is a self-identified dating and relationship strategist who still lives with his parents was arrested after outing himself on social media
  • Brandon Straka of Nebraska is the founder of the WalkAway campaign and was arrested after outing himself on social media
  • Stephanie Hazelton of New Jersey, aka Ayla Wolf, and a candidate to be the Q Shaman “Dances with Traitors” spouse, was arrested after video showed her yelling for “more men” and “keep pushing” — oh my
  • Marissa Suarez of New Jersey was arrested, she is a correctional officer since 2019
Five Facts, National

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell smothered by Twitter

Five Fast Facts

  • Mike Lindell is the CEO of MyPillow, and had fame from his TV ads that were widely seen on basis cable and OTT, he is also a major Trump supporter
  • Lindell has been using his personal and business Twitter accounts to push QAnon theories and baseless claims of election fraud
  • After multiple warnings from Twitter, his accounts were permanently banned from the service
  • Lindell filled a lawsuit against the British tabloid the Daily Mail, claiming defamation in a story that he was secretly dating Jane Krakowski of 30 Rock
  • Lindell’s support for Trump include paying to bus protesters to events across the country for two weeks in December

Twitter has permanently banned My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell’s account after he continued to perpetuate the baseless claim that Donald Trump won the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

Twitter decided to ban Lindell, who founded bedding company My Pillow, due to “repeated violations” of its civic integrity policy, a spokesperson said in a statement. The policy was implemented last September and is targeted at fighting disinformation.

Read more from the Associated Press

BIPOC, Editorial, Health and Lifestyle, LGBTQIA, Local, National

Malcontentment Happy Hour: January 25, 2021

Video

Our live webcast from the Seattle Anarchist Jurisdiction

The show from January 25 2021, featured David Obelcz and our co-host Jennifer Smith.

  • Update on the Tacoma Police Department officer who drove through a group of people on Saturday
  • Elise Barrett talks to us about COVID-19 myths and where is the seasonal flu
  • Nicki Blake Chafetz talks about her upcoming book My Travels In Trump Land, available at bookbaby.com
  • The Biden Administration reverses the Trump Administration ban on transgender troops in the military
  • Behind the Pole features previous unseen video from the Tacoma Police protest on Sunday, January 24, 2021, and an interview with Azreal Graves of Black and Done (B.A.D.) as the Black and Tacoma community reacts to the protest fallout
  • David and Jennifer provide their insurrection update
BIPOC, Health and Lifestyle, National

New science shines a light on ‘shaken baby syndrome’ and bias in the medical community

Video

From Malcontentment Happy Hour, January 21, 2021

Abusive Head Trauma replaced the term ‘shaken baby syndrome’ a decade ago, yet the questionable medical diagnosis is still convicting people

Over 45 years ago, a group of doctors concluded that a triad of medical conditions, bleeding around the brain, retinal hemorrhages, and brain damage, could only be caused by an adult violently shaking a baby. By the 1990s the science was being called into question even as diagnosis and convictions exploded. Today, hundreds of convictions for ‘shaken baby syndrome’ are under review, with court decisions being reversed. What doctors through was a constellation of symptoms that could only happen by shaking an infant or toddler, is now understood to happen due to a variety of medical conditions.

Further research has indicated that not only have hundreds been falsely accused over the past four decades, but parents who are poor, single-parent, ESL, and BIPOC were far more likely to be accused of AHT than wealthy two-parent households. The data indicated that there was no possible explanation beyond bias to account for these differences. This bias prevented early detection of potential abuse, as victims of AHT tend to have had previous visits to an emergency room for less severe injuries, which should have raised red flags. Worse, if doctors, nurses, or social workers made a predetermination of AHT, they would cut off the parents in any medical decision-making, including blocking tests and procedures that would have proven innocence, and helped with better treatment.

If you are overwhelmed as a parent you can text MHA to 741741 to reach the Mental Health America Hotline or text CONNECT to 741741 to reach a specialized crisis counselor for confidential support. Most child abuse advocates recommend one simple step if you’re overwhelmed, step away and catch your breath.

Child abuse is a very real problem, and nonverbal children cannot advocate for themselves. This story discusses child abuse and shows some disturbing content, viewer discretion is advised.

BIPOC, National

Keystone XL Pipeline construction terminated in victory for indigenous rights

Video

From Malcontentment Happy Hour, January 21, 2021

After a 10 year legal battle that went to the Supreme Court, Keystone XL Pipeline construction is blocked by Biden Administration

Keystone XL and the Dakota Access Pipeline have been a controversial topic since its inception. Protested by a coalition of indingenous peoples, government officials and residents in the Dakotas and Nebraska, the construction has been the subject of multiple legal challenges. In July 2020, the United States Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling blocking further construction on Keystone XL. On President Joe Biden’s first full day in office, he ended the project wth an executive order, reversing a Donald Trump executive order that restarted construction in 2017.

Editorial, Five Facts, Health and Lifestyle, Local, National

COVID Five Facts for January 21, 2021

Video

From Malcontentment Happy Hour, January 21, 2021

Five Facts about COVID-19 for January 21, 2021

The news shifts as the Biden Administration moves to tackle COVID-19 as a top priority

  • Congressman Steve Silvers (R-OH) proposes that a third-round stimulus check should be tied to vaccination compliance
  • President Joe Biden mandates masks worn at all federal properties and on commercial aircraft flights
  • The U.S. Chamber of Commerce gives its full support to the Biden Administration plan for fighting COVID-19
  • USA Today reports that Alzheimer’s deaths increased 16% in 2020, attributed to the social isolation created by COVID restrictions
  • One year ago today, the first COVID-19 case in the United States was confirmed at Providence-Everett Hospital in Washington state
Editorial, National

Insurrection update for January 21, 2021

Video

From Malcontentment Happy Hour, January 21, 2021

A summary of events from January 18 to January 21, 2021

The fallout from the January 6, 2021 Insurrection continues

  • Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene says she has filed impeachment papers against President Joe Biden
  • Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene is under increasing fire to resign after it is discovered she is a Parkland truther, Sandy Hook truther, and 9/11 denier
  • Rep Lauren Boebert facing increasing calls for investigation into her actions during the 1/6 insurrection
  • Guy Refitt of Texas arrested – threatened his own children
  • Joe Biggs of the Proud Boys arrested
  • William Calhoun, a lawyer from Georgia arrested
  • Patrick Edward McCaughey arrested for assaulting a Capitol police officer
  • Christopher Kelly from New York arrested
  • Samuel Camargo arrested on four charges, he questioned the FBI agents loyalty to the country, was reported to belligerent in his interview, and then posted on social media he thought it “went well”
  • Samuel Fisher arrested
  • Karl Dresch of Michigan arrested
  • Jesus Rivera of Florida filmed himself storming the Capitol and posted it on social
  • Joseph Foy of Michigan was accused of attacking police officers with a hockey stick and is arrested
  • Emanuel Jackson was filmed attacking police officers with a metal baseball bat and has been arrested
  • Gina Bisignano was filmed in the Capitol wearing a Louis Vuitton sweater and was part of the crowd attacking a police officer
  • Robert Gieswein of Oath Keepers was arrested for assaulting police officers with bear mace and a baseball bat
  • Nicholas Moncada a 20-year old fashion student from New York who took selfies outside of Nancy Pelosi’s office
  • Jenna Ryan of Texas didn’t get her Trump pardon as she hoped
  • South Carolina attorney Butch Bowers agrees to defend Donald Trump in an impeachment trial
  • Schumer and McConnell are working on the procedure for impeachment hearing – McConnell in the minority leader role
  • No date for an impeachment hearing has been set but McConnell is trying to delay the hearing
  • Tam Dinh Pham, Houston Police Officer (now resigned), arrested for participation in the insurrection
  • Thomas Fee, retired New York firefighter arrested after sending selfies in Capitol to a relative of his girlfriend
  • 1 in 5 people arrested so far are previous military or previous police officers
BIPOC, Five Facts, National

Lloyd Austin confirmed by Senate becomes first Black Secretary of Defense

Five Fast Facts

  • Lloyd Austin cruised through confirmation approved 93-2 in a floor vote of the Senate, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Senator Mike Lee ( R-UT) were the only members to vote no
  • Austin’s approval has some controversy attached to it – a Secretary of Defense is supposed to be a civilian for at least 7 years before holding the position – Austin retired from the Army in 2016 – a waiver was given by both the House and Senate
  • Austin is not the first Secretary of Defense to receive a waiver and the tactic was used by the Trump Administration to approve James Mattis
  • Austin was a four star general in the Army, was the first Black general to command an Army division in combat, and the commanding general of U.S. forces in Iraq
  • Austin is another person in the BIPOC community breaking barriers within the Biden Administration

WASHINGTON – The Senate on Friday confirmed Lloyd Austin as the nation’s first Black defense secretary, the second nominee of President Joe Biden to be confirmed by the chamber.

Austin is a retired four-star Army general who will be the first Black secretary of defense. He was the first Black general to command an Army division in combat and also the first to oversee an entire theater of operations as the commanding general of U.S. forces in Iraq.

Read more at USA Today