Category: Opinion

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s daughter Mariah Kennedy-Cuomo stood arm-in-arm with her father, who has now been accused by seven women of sexual harassment and misconduct, outside the Executive Mansion in Albany.

It’s unclear how Cuomo’s two other daughters are handling the sexual harassment allegations against their father, especially 23-year-old Michaela who has been an outspoken advocate for victims of sexual assault while attending Brown University.

In 2019, Michaela argued in a Brown Political Review essay that official sexual-assault investigations serve to defend the powers that be rather than “to decipher the truth or dole the consequences.”

The title of Michaela’s essay: “Institutional Gaslighting; Investigations to Silence the Victim and Protect the Perp.”

Gov. Cuomo is now under probe by a former political ally, Democratic state Attorney General Letitia James, after as many as seven women — one who claimed she was groped by the governor under her blouse — have come forward with allegations. He has denied the claims, but apologized if his behavior made any of the women feel “uncomfortable.”

Michaela wrote at the Ivy League institution she attended that “survivors deserve to be believed and supported in their desired course of action.”

Michaela also founded an activist group called “Cultivating Upstanders for Sexual Assault Prevention,” or CUSP, according to her LinkedIn. A post on the group’s Instagram lays out “The Rape Pyramid,” asserting that an “unwanted touch” would “reinforce and excuse higher-up actions.” The group’s Twitter account, @MakeLovebyCUSP, has been deactivated.

Throughout 2020, the three daughters Cuomo has with ex-wife Kerry Kennedy — Cara and Mariah are 26-year-old twins — guest-starred in Gov. Cuomo’s Emmy-winning televised COVID-19 press briefings. They were also drawn as characters on the governor’s taxpayer-funded poster exalting his administration’s handling of the pandemic as “pulling down” the infection rate.

Now, the governor faces mounting accusations of mishandling the pandemic, as well as sexual harassment and bullying. He has resisted calls to resign, including from many fellow Democrats, instead calling his critics “reckless” for making up their minds ahead of official investigations.

Earlier this month Cuomo told reporters that he had spoken with his daughters about the allegations.

“I told them what I told you, which is I never touched anyone inappropriately. I never made any inappropriate advances, and no one ever told me that they felt, at the time, that I made them feel uncomfortable or awkward,” said the governor. “Let’s have an investigation and get the facts.”

President Joe Biden broke his silence and spoke on the growing list of allegations of sexual misconduct against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. However, the president did not call on the disgraced Democrat to resign.

The president, who has always been a tight acquaintance of Cuomo’s, answered questions during an unscheduled session from the White House South Lawn after several other Democrats joined other lawmakers who have demanded that the Governor resign immediately following seven allegations of sexual harassment.

When asked whether he agreed with other Democrats calling for Cuomo’s immediate resignation, Biden said plainly, “I think the investigation is underway and we should see what it brings us.”

With the exception of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Biden’s wait-and-see approach is not a common sentiment within his own party. New York Democratic Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer joined New York Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jerry Nadler on Friday in calling for their state’s governor to leave his position as allegations of inappropriate conduct continue to emerge.

Pelosi on Sunday reaffirmed that she has “zero tolerance” for sexual harassment – but refused to echo their calls for his resignation until an investigation is completed.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is investigating harassment allegations, and Cuomo has said he will “fully cooperate” with her probe, but expressed no plans to resign. A defiant Cuomo addressed the allegations during a press call on Friday afternoon, insisting that he “did not do what has been alleged.”

Despite this, nearly 90% of New York’s congressional delegation has called for the governor’s resignation or impeachment, as have more than 80% of state senators. Last week, the state Assembly initiated what could be the first step toward impeachment by opening an investigation with full subpoena power into sexual misconduct allegations against the governor and his handling of COVID-19 at nursing homes.

Biden’s weeks-long silence surrounding the scandal came under question over the weekend by former Cuomo aide and first accuser Lindsey Boylan, who called out the president and vice-president in a since-deleted tweet for refusing to publicly address the mounting allegations.

“The governor has denied all wrongdoing,” Boylan wrote on Twitter. “He got on his platform today and said ‘there are many motivations of why people do things.’ He is calling up hate and speculation to be directed to his accusers. All harm and hate directed at the women sits squarely on @NYGovCuomo.”

In a tweet that was later deleted, Boylan added, “It also calls into question the judgment and courage of both @POTUS and @KamalaHarris.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has come out for a second time to say that Democrats could overturn an Iowa congressional election that was won by a Republican.

A House committee controlled by Democrats is opening an investigation to consider unseating Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks because she beat her Democrat opponent, Rita Hart by just six votes. The election was counted, recounted, then Miller-Meeks was certified as the winner.

Hart claims that 22 ballots cast for her were miscounted however, she declined to fight the election in the Iowa courts and instead appealed directly to the Democrat-controlled House.

“At least twenty-two Iowans’ legally-cast ballots still have not been counted due to a string of errors. We are glad to see the House Committee on Administration taking the next step towards ensuring that every legally-cast vote is counted in this race and that all Iowans’ voices are heard. Every legal voter in this country has a right to have their ballot counted and the remedy here is clear — count the ballots,” Hart said.

“Rita Hart should immediately cease her undemocratic efforts to usurp the will of Iowa voters and election officials. Iowa voters should decide Iowa elections, not [Speaker] Nancy Pelosi and her socialist colleagues,” said Mike Berg, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Pelosi said she doesn’t think the decision to overturn an election is “unique.”

https://twitter.com/MikeKBerg/status/1371110057472036864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1371110057472036864%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredrightdaily.com%2Fwatch-pelosi-admits-dems-may-overturn-election-iowa-election-claims-this-is-not-unique%2F

Republican Rodney Davis believes there is no reason for the House to take up the issue.

“We already know the outcome of this contest. Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks won a free and fair election. It’s in the best interest of taxpayers and the integrity of our election process to dismiss this motion and to dismiss it today,” he said.

According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, United States military members who are opting out of the coronavirus vaccine are “part of the problem” when it comes to ending the pandemic.

“You’re part of the solution to this outbreak,” Fauci said during a town hall with Blue Star Families.

“Because by getting infected, even though you may not know it, you may be inadvertently transmitting the infection to someone else, even though you have no symptoms,” he continued. “In reality, like it or not, you’re propagating this outbreak. So instead of being part of the solution, you are innocently and inadvertently being part of the problem by not getting vaccinated.”

“You’ve got to think of your own health, which is really very important, but you got to think about your societal obligation, including people close to you personally as well as other members of families of other individuals,” Fauci added.

According to the Department of Defense, about one-third of U.S. military service members have chosen not to take the coronavirus, according to the Department of Defense.

Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby said that there was no detailed military-wide data on vaccinations, but said more than 916,500 had been administered so far.

Kirby said the level of refusal is on par with that of the general population, where the vaccine has not been offered nearly as widely.

“We in the military basically mirror the acceptance rates of American society,” Kirby told reporters.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been in hot water lately what with the nursing home deaths and the growing number of sexual harassment accusations. He is on the verge of getting removed from his position by a lot of angry lawmakers.

It appears as though this kind of bad behavior runs in the family because the governor’s brother is now in the spot light for some very unsavory reasons.

CNN’s Chris Cuomo is getting ripped as being “f—ing offensive” after joking that he is “black on the inside.”

The 50-year-old brother of embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was quickly roasted after a clip was shared Friday showing him hand over to CNN colleague Don Lemon by singing the theme to 1970s’ TV show “Good Times.”

Laughing awkwardly with his eyes lowered, Lemon asked his fellow host how he knew the words to the series about a black family living in a public housing project in Chicago.

“You know I’m black on the inside,” Cuomo responded.

While Lemon appeared to skip the comment, it was quickly picked up on the Twitterverse.

“It’s f–ing offensive,” tweeted Sister2Sister magazine managing editor Aisha Staggers, who said that “Black is not a costume.”

Many commentators compared Cuomo to his politician brother — who has faced repeated calls to resign amid sexual harassment allegations — with one asking if they were “competing for s–tiest Cuomo.”

Another ripped the TV host as a “spoilt, entitled guy raised in money and privilege, who is only on tv because of his surname.”

Rev. Mary Dande said she “had to turn off the television because I’m not here for that nonsense.”

“CNN needs to have some sensitivity training with their on-air personalities,” she tweeted.

Others insisted the exchange was “hilarious” and not worthy of the anger it sparked.

Others, meanwhile, joked that commentators were misreading what he meant by being “black on the inside.”

“Maybe his heart,” @docsamson829 joked.

If the two brothers keep this up, the Cuomo name will not longer be welcome in the world of politics.

Finally, it looks like members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have been able to come together and put forward a piece of legislation known as the sunshine protection act. What this motion does is it calls for a permanent end to Daylight Saving Time just as many other states have already done themselves.

According to a press release by Senator Rubio, Florida already passed a measure in 2018 that would allow the state to keep Daylight Saving Time, however, a federal law is still needed in order for the Sunshine State to hold onto the change.

“The call to end the antiquated practice of clock changing is gaining momentum throughout the nation,” Rubio said. “Studies have shown many benefits of a year-round Daylight Saving Time, which is why the Florida legislature voted to make it permanent in 2018. I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan bill to make Daylight Saving Time permanent, and give our nation’s families more stability throughout the year.”

Fifteen additional states have passed similar legislation, resolutions, or voter initiatives, including Arkansas, Alabama, California, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The press release adds that dozens more states are looking at it, as well.

During an interview from behind bars, the QAnon Shaman is now claiming that police officers “waved” him and others into the building on the day of the Capitol attack on January 6.

Jacob Chansley spoke with “60 Minutes Plus” just one day before set to appear before a Washington, D.C., judge to present his argument over his pre-trial release.

Prosecutors argue that Chansley is a threat to the community saying that he carried a speared weapon into the Capitol, wrote then-Vice President Mike Pence a threatening letter, and spoke about ridding the government of traitors.

In the letter he allegedly called Pence a traitor and said, “It’s only a matter of time, justice is coming.”

But Chansley denies that what he took part in was an attack on this country. He also claims to have remained peaceful after several officers ushered him into the Capitol building.

“My actions were not an attack on this country. That is incorrect. That is inaccurate entirely,” Chansley said while recalling how he prayed, sang songs inside the building, and helped to prevent theft and vandalism.

“I sang a song and that’s a part of Shamanism. It’s about creating positive vibrations in a sacred chamber,” he said. “I also stopped people from stealing and vandalizing that sacred space, the Senate. I actually stopped someone from stealing muffins out of the break room. I also said a prayer in that sacred chamber because it was my intention to bring divinity, to bring God back into the Senate.”

“60 Minutes Plus” correspondent Laurie Segall pressed him saying it was illegal for him to be in that chamber.

Chansley responded, “That is one very serious regret that I have, was believing that when we were waved in by police officers that it was acceptable,” and described himself as a lover of his country and a believer in the Constitution.

He added that although he regrets entering the Capitol, he has no regrets about supporting former President Donald Trump even though he was disappointed to have no reviewed a presidential pardon during Trump’s final days in office.

Authorities believe Chansley was among the first to make their way into the Capitol building on that day then disobeyed orders to leave and denied an officer’s request to use his blowhorn to tell other rioters.

Under President Biden’s stricter eligibility parameters, over 16 million Americans will no longer qualify to receive a third stimulus check.

The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy published a preliminary analysis that found a plan by moderate Democrats to cut benefits for those earning a higher income resulting in about 11.8 million adults and 4.6 children being disqualified from being able to receive a check.

Under the latest proposal, Americans earning $75,000 or less would still receive the fully promised $1,400 payment. But the checks would phase out faster for individuals at higher income levels than in the version passed Saturday by House Democrats, with individuals making $80,000 a year or more and couples making $160,000 a year, or higher, no longer qualifying for the money.

The House version of the bill would also send the $1,400 payments to individuals earning $75,000 or below each year, but the money would phase out slower, with the eligibility cut-off at $100,000 for individuals and $200,000 per year for couples.

That means individuals earning between $80,000 and $100,000, and couples earning between $160,000 and $200,000, are newly excluded from a partial check under the newest plan, which has been backed by the Biden administration.

Although the House bill would benefit more adults — about 91%, compared to the Senate’s 86% — both versions would benefit 100% of adults and children who are among the bottom 60% of income-earners in the U.S., according to the analysis.

Stimulus check eligibility emerged as a major point of contention between different ideological factions of the Democratic Party. The party can’t afford to lose the support of even a single Senate Democrat, as it needs all 50 members to pass the measure via simple majority with a procedural tool known as budget reconciliation.

Progressives slammed the decision to tighten eligibility, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez arguing that conservative Democrats have fought so that the Biden administration sends “fewer and less generous relief checks than the Trump admin did.”

“It’s a move that makes little-to-no political or economic sense, and targets an element of relief that is most tangibly felt by everyday people. An own-goal,” Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said Wednesday, adding: “We have a responsibility to show people in this country what a Democratic majority can do for working people. That means more generous relief checks.”

Conservative Dems have fought so the Biden admin sends fewer & less generous relief checks than the Trump admin did.

It’s a move that makes little-to-no political or economic sense, and targets an element of relief that is most tangibly felt by everyday people. An own-goal. https://t.co/n6j2eEBKXx

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 3, 2021

The Senate has everything in place to pass its own version of the bill this week, all that’s left is for the House to either vote on that measure or the two chambers will need to come together to draft a final bill.

Lawmakers are rushing to have the legislation on Biden’s desk before the March 14 deadline, when over 11 million Americans will lose their unemployment benefits due to two federal jobless aid programs running out.

Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies say that after his crash Tiger Woods reportedly told them that he could not remember driving and had no idea how the crash happened.

According to a police affidavit, responding officers arrived at the scene to find Woods trapped and unconscious after the golf star crashed his 2021 Genesis SUV. Authorities had to pry him out of the vehicle with special tools.

“The deputies asked him how the collision occurred,” the affidavit stated. “Driver said he did not know and did not even remember driving… Driver was treated for his injuries at the hospital and was asked there again how the collision occurred. He repeated that he did not know and did not remember driving.”

Deputy Carlos Gonzales with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department was the first to arrive at the crash. During an interview with NBC News’ “Today”, he said Woods was able to identify himself immediately following the wreck but was not “aware” of just how bad his injuries were.

Authorities are waiting on information from the vehicle’s “black box” to show how fast the SUV was traveling before the crash. The sheriff’s department obtained a search warrant to seize the device after a judge believed there to be “probable cause” that Woods committed a crime.

Although the words “reckless driving” were not included on the warrant a judge still cannot sign a search warrant without probable cause of a crime.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva said, “The investigators in the accident, or in the collision, they did a search warrant to seize in essence the black box of the vehicle. And that’s all it is. And they’re going to go through it and see if they can find out what was the performance of the vehicle, what was happening at the time of impact. And with that, they’ll have more information they can attribute the cause of the accident. And that’s all it is, and we’ll leave it at that, OK?”

Woods remains in the hospital where he suffers from multiple leg injuries.

Here we are a little over a decade after the release of the first smart glasses, the Google Glass, and the design has been improved and other companies have taken up the task of using this concept to improve industry such as manufacturing, logistics, health care, and much more.

Now Facebook is trying to get in on the action as well.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company is developing augmented reality smart glasses because no current technology can replicate “the holy grail of social experiences” that is feeling present with another person, in an episode of The Information’s 411 podcast this week.

“You have technology that allows you to communicate and that can with different fidelity help you see what’s going on with the other person,” Zuckerberg said on the podcast. “But there’s just something that’s really magical about the sense of presence and feeling like you’re there with another person and everything that goes into that psychologically.”

“Rather than calling someone or having a video chat, you just kind of snap your fingers and teleport, and you’re sitting there and they’re on their couch and it feels like you’re there together,” he said on the podcast.

The future is here and it’s exciting when it comes to technological advances. There is no telling where our world will be 25, 50, or even 100 years from now..again, technologically speaking. Morally and as a society, this country may not even exist, but at least we’ll have some cool gadgets.