MTA 'See Something, Say Something' Posters Get #Resist Makeover

Here's what I'm talking about.

Speaking out, educating people about what is important.

Kudos to the #Resist movement!

MTA 'See Something, Say Something' Posters Get #Resist Makeover

If you scanned the public service announcements in your subway car this morning—and happened to be adequately caffeinated—you might have noticed something slightly off. There's Melissa C., of small-time "See Something, Say Something" fame, with her gold hoops and salmon-pink hoodie. She's smiling next to the familiar MTA logo, but her message isn't just about reporting a suspicious bag on the platform and feeling heroic.

"I felt like a hero reporting what I saw," her quote reads. "But what scares me more than an unattended package is an unattended politician. We have to keep an eye on how our representatives vote and hold them accountable."

In place of "Take a moment to alert a police officer or MTA employee," the sign reads, "Call your elected officials and make yourself heard." Next to the actual MTA help line (888-NYC-SAFE), there's a tiny #RESIST.

The subversive fake posters were installed on two subway cars overnight—that's two cars across the entire system—mingling with original posters from the MTA's March 2016 campaign. Gothamist spoke with the person who conceived and installed them on the condition of anonymity. The artist also asked that the train lines be withheld, in the hopes that the MTA won't track them down immediately and remove them.

Obama Denies Wiretapping Trump: Like Id Want to Hear More from That Fool?

Perhaps sooner than later, recordings of Trump's phone conversations will be used to torture prisoners...

Obama Denies Wiretapping Trump: “Like I’d Want to Hear More from That Fool?”

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Donald J. Trump’s claim that Barack Obama wiretapped him received a strong denial on Monday from the former President, who said to reporters, “Like I’d want to hear more from that fool?”

Obama said that, when he first saw Trump’s allegations on Twitter, “My first thought was, Only a narcissist on the scale of Donald Trump would think people want to hear more from him than they currently do. If anything, I think we’d all like to hear way, way less.” He said that his wife, Michelle, agreed that the idea of his wanting to hear more from Donald Trump “was one of the funniest things she’s ever heard.”

“When I read her those Trump tweets on Saturday morning, she totally cracked up,” the former President said. “Whenever we’re at home and that guy comes on TV, I’m always, like, ‘Michelle, turn that damn thing off.’ ”

Obama visibly shuddered at the notion of intelligence agencies providing him with hours of recordings of Donald Trump talking. “Don’t even,” he said.

America Is in Warp-Speed DeclineIt's Way Bigger Than Trump

Say what you will about the early Roman emperors, they at least knew something about governance. Then, in the 1st century AD, the imperial stock started to run thin and the empire ran into serious trouble under the deranged progeny of Augustus. Donald Trump is the Caligula of our times: lascivious, incurious, and power-drunk. At what point will our American Caligula, running out of willing and even marginally suitable candidates, try to appoint a horse to his cabinet?

It’s bad enough from a domestic standpoint to have a laughing-stock for a president. The international implications are even worse. As Patrick Cockburn writes in The Independent, “It will be difficult for the U.S. to remain a super-power under a leader who is an international figure of fun and is often visibly detached from reality. His battle cry of ‘Fake News’ simply means an inability to cope with criticism or accept facts or views that contradict his own. World leaders who have met him say they are astonished by his ignorance of events at home and abroad.”

It’s no surprise that other countries are rushing to take advantage of the Trump administration’s early missteps. “It’s not just that Trump seems to have abandoned the larger geopolitical playing field to America’s principal rivals,” writes analyst Michael Klare. “He appears to be doing everything in his power to facilitate their advance at the expense of the United States. In just the first few weeks of his presidency, he has already taken numerous steps that have put the wind in both China’s and Russia’s sails, while leaving the U.S. adrift.”

China sees an enormous opportunity to cast itself as the responsible global leader on trade and climate change. Russia is angling for more influence in its near abroad, the eastern parts of Europe, and the Middle East. Germany and the European Union more generally have sought to replace the United States as a moral leader on diplomacy, human rights, and intercultural engagement.

California high-speed rail ready to lay some track

Source: Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) After years of prep work, Gov. Jerry Brown's finance department decided Friday that California's $64 billion high-speed rail project is ready to lay some track.

The administration approved the rail authority's request to spend $2.6 billion on work in the Central Valley. The decision lets the authority ask the state treasurer's office to sell a portion of the nearly $10 billion in bonds voters approved in 2008 for a bullet train.

However, the first 29-mile segment of track isn't expected to be completed until at least August 2019.

The bullet train's long-term prospects remain clouded because of uncertainty over funding and several pending lawsuits. Significant federal help is required, and the Republican-controlled Congress does not support the project. Private money also is needed but none has been secured yet.

Read more: https://apnews.com/98f8e3bb3df94f94b4b06743f66ccc26/California-high-speed-rail-ready-to-lay-some-track

Immigration judges exempt from Trump's federal hiring freeze

Source: Reuters

President Donald Trump's federal hiring freeze will not apply to immigration court judges under an exception for positions that are needed for national security and public safety, the Executive Office for Immigration Review told Reuters on Friday.

The Trump administration has called for faster removal of immigrants in the United States illegally, but immigration courts, which rule on asylum applications and deportation appeals, are weighed down by a record backlog of more than 542,000 cases.

On Jan. 23, Trump froze hiring for all federal government positions, except for military personnel and in some other limited circumstances.

New Attorney General Jeff Sessions "determined that Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) positions can continue to be filled," EOIR spokeswoman Kathryn Mattingly told Reuters in an email response to questions about the freeze.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-judges-idUSKBN16A2NI

Sessions to respond in writing to questions over Russia contacts: DOJ

Source: Reuters

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will reply in writing to Senate Democrats' questions about his meetings with Russia's ambassador last year, the Justice Department said on Friday after a top Republican denied Democrats' request for a public hearing.

Nine Democratic senators sent a letter earlier Friday asking Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley to call Sessions before his panel to explain his failure until this week to disclose his contacts with the Russian ambassador during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The letter came a day after Sessions, the country's top justice official and a key ally of Republican President Donald Trump, removed himself from any investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the election.

Grassley replied that he had no plans for a hearing.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-idUSKBN16A2F4

Ex-Haitian president Rene Preval dies

Source: Reuters

The Haitian government says former President Rene Preval, 74, the first leader in Haiti's history to win a democratic election, serve a full term and peacefully hand power to a successor, has died. Nathan Frandino reports.

Former Haitian President Rene Preval has died. He was the first leader in Haiti's history to win a democratic election, serve a full term, and peacefully hand power to a successor. The cause of death was not immediately made public. His first term from 1996 to 2001 was known for infrastructure projects and land reform efforts. But his second term was marked by the devastating earthquake that killed some 200,000 people in 2010. His government was criticized for its response to the disaster. Preval was 74 years old.


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/video/2017/03/03/ex-haitian-president-rene-preval-dies?videoId=371234376&videoChannel=1

Should I sell all my investments before Trump stuns the nation...

With the stupidest, craziest, most incomprehensible address to a joint session of Congress tomorrow?

#Envelopegate: How Did PwCs Moonlight Mix-Up Happen at Oscars?

Source: NBC News

After one of the most cringe-worthy, watch-through-your-fingers blunders in Oscars history, the company responsible for the winners' envelopes apologized Monday and promised a full investigation into how the wrong film was announced for the best picture category.

The 89th Academy Awards will be remembered for all the wrong reasons after presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway signaled that "La La Land" had won during the evening's climax — even though "Moonlight" had actually taken the prize.

Accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, known as PwC, is in charge of tallying up the votes and distributing the envelopes. It quickly issued a mea culpa.

pic.twitter.com/oGJkXytnQ2
— PwC LLP (@PwC_LLP) February 27, 2017

Given how much pride the Academy Awards and PwC take in what is supposed to be an ironclad process, how did such a monumental gaffe occur?

Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/movies/envelopegate-how-did-pwc-s-moonlight-mix-happen-oscars-n726031?cid=public-rss_20170227

'La La Land' wins best picture at Academy Awards

Source: Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The showbiz fairy tale "La La Land" has won best picture at the 89th Academy Awards, winning a leading seven awards at an Oscars filled with messages - direct and indirect - sent to Donald Trump.

"La La Land" won awards for best actress Emma Stone, its jazz-infused songs and its director, Damien Chazelle. The 32-year-old Chazelle became the youngest ever to win best director.

Protest, boycotts and rallies swirled around Sunday's ceremony at the Dolby Theatre, hosted by ABC's Jimmy Kimmel.

Best actor went to Casey Affleck, who edged out Denzel Washington.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OSCARS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT