Category Archives: News you should know

Special counsel Robert Mueller found no proof that President Donald Trump colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign in ways that would justify a criminal prosecution but he reached the conclusion that Congress had to decide whether Trump obstructed justice, because the U.S. Department of Justice could not indict the chief executive. Now thatContinue reading “Donald Trump should have been indicted for obstruction of justice”

By Kelley Gardner New research shows that at least 85 percent of the global population has already experienced weather events made worse or more frequent by climate change, and the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report concluded that many of the impacts of climate change are widespread, intensifying, and likely irreversible. Meanwhile, global carbon capture projects have surged 50Continue reading “6 Things to Know about Carbon Removal and the Climate Crisis”

Sandy Hook families who sued right-wing extremist and conspiracy peddler Alex Jones in Connecticut have won their case by default, a state Superior Court judge ruled Monday. Jones has promoted conspiracy theories alleging that the United States government falsified the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, either concealed information about the 1995 Oklahoma CityContinue reading “Alex Jones will pay for defaming dead kids in Connecticut school shooting”

American journalist Danny Fenster was on his way home on Monday, hours after being released from six months’ imprisonment in Myanmar, where he was sentenced last week to 11 more years behind bars. Fenster, wearing a knit cap, a shaggy beard and sandals, said he felt “great” after landing in Doha, Qatar on a charteredContinue reading “Danny Fenster is coming home”

Pro-vaccine messages that appeal to community spirit or evoke the sense of embarrassment people would feel if they were to spread COVID-19 to friends and family are effective in persuading individuals to get vaccinated and encourage others to do the same, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the Center for the StudyContinue reading “Appeals to community spirit, shame most likely to shift vaccine attitudes”

Steve Bannon, former President Donald Trump’s one-time top adviser who was indicted last week for defying a congressional subpoena related to the deadly attempted coup d’etat on Jan. 6, surrendered to federal authorities on Monday. Two leaders of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Democratic Rep. BennieContinue reading “Trump adviser Steve Bannon surrenders after coup d’etat indictment”

American households collectively pay $1 billion to call family members in jail or prison every year, and more than a third of families go into debt to pay for phone calls and visits to incarcerated loved ones. U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.) has longfought to lower prison phone rates and reintroduced his Martha Wright Prison Phone Justice Act in April. “Several studies,Continue reading “Legislation aims to block robbery of exorbitant prison phone charges”

Saturday, Nov. 6, marked 10 months since the Jan. 6 attempted coup d’etat at the U.S. Capitol disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the process of affirming the presidential election results, but prosecutors have failed to level charges against former President Donald Trump or any of his close associates for the roleContinue reading “No justice appears likely for criminal who incited the attempted coup d’etat”

New emails and documents released by a congressional committee investigating the Trump administration’s handling of the pandemic show that top White House officials interfered in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s efforts to warn Americans about Covid-19 in order to protect the president’s re-election effort. The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis hasContinue reading “Emails show Trump interfered in CDC effort to warn Americans of Covid-19”

Seven months ago, a House committee advanced a bill to study reparations for slavery, after more than three decades of efforts to build support for the idea. When the House Judiciary Committee took up the bill on April 15, 2021, it was the first time the committee acted on the legislation since former Democratic Rep. John ConyersContinue reading “Congress ignores slavery reparations”

A New Jersey man who with the help of an alleged accomplice submitted more than 100 fraudulent claims for federal COVID-19-related unemployment benefits that resulted in more than $1.2 million in payments pleaded guilty to wire fraud on Friday. Omar Thompson, 39, of Paterson, New Jersey, and the other person, whose name was redacted fromContinue reading “New Jersey man admits to stealing $1.2 million in unemployment benefits”

A progressive Democratic activist in New Jersey paid homage to Karen Silkwood, who was killed on this day 47 years ago. In the fall of 1974, 28-year-old Karen was in the middle of a union battle with Kerr-McGee over worker safety violations but when she found out she was contaminated with a lethal dose ofContinue reading “Progressive Democratic champion honors slain hero Karen Silkwood”

Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette is launching a series of initiatives to ensure strong community involvement in state actions intended to improve the environment, public health and quality of life in communities historically overburdened by pollution. Today, LaTourette announced the expansion of the Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Environmental Justice, the launch of aContinue reading “State touts Environmental Justice”

A Lawrence Township police officer was arrested for allegedly possessing dozens of files of child sex abuse material (CSAM) on his mobile phone. Officer Shane Hickey, 29, of Lawrence Township, N.J. was charged by complaint-summons on November 10 with a charge of third-degree possession of CSAM. Following a tip to the New Jersey State Police’sContinue reading “Lawrence Township police officer arrested for child pornography”

Steve Bannon, an ally of disgraced former President Donald Trump, was indicted Friday by a federal grand jury on two counts of contempt of Congress for ignoring a subpoena issued by the House select committee investigating the deadly attempted coup d’etat on Jan. 6. Bannon, 67, refused to show up to testify to the committeeContinue reading “Steve Bannon indicted for contempt of Congress in failed coup d’etat probe”

Republican Jack Ciattarelli conceded the New Jersey governor’s race on during a press conference at the Raritan Municipal Building, saying that he will not request a recount but does plan to run again in four years. Ciattarelli made the statement with his wife, Melinda, by his side at a news conference in his hometown, whereContinue reading “Ciattarelli concedes governor’s race”

New Jersey Democrats elected as Senate President a lawmaker who allegedly claimed that domestic violence complaints are frequently fabricated and subjected his ex-wife to a confidentiality agreement in their 2005 divorce that prohibits her from discussing their five-year marriage. Nicholas Scutari, the longtime chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee who is known as “No-show Nick”,Continue reading “New Jersey Democrats choose often missing misogynist as Senate President”

Former President Donald Trump defended his supporters who threatened to “hang” former Vice President Mike Pence during the failed Jan. 6 coup d’etat, when a mob breached the Capitol as Congress was certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory in the 2020 election. In an interview with ABC News’ Jonathan Karl at Mar-a-Lago on March 18, TrumpContinue reading “Trump defends mob that threatened to hang Vice President Mike Pence”

A Myanmar military court has sentenced US journalist Danny Fenster to 11 years in jail after he was found guilty of breaching immigration law, unlawful association and encouraging dissent against the military in a secret trial. He was previously slapped with two additional charges of sedition and terrorism, which carry a maximum sentence of lifeContinue reading “Myanmar court gives US journalist Danny Fenster 11 years in jail”

A clash of the GOP titans has sparked talk of a 2024 showdown. Ex-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie pushed back at former President Donald Trump Thursday, knocking him for losing to President Biden. That’s after Trump nicked him, saying “Everybody remembers that Chris left New Jersey with a less than 9% approval rating.” Roll theContinue reading “Trump, Christie heavyweight battle brewing as 2024 election looms”