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Bullseye

'Assange extradition should be warning to liberals who believe in American democracy' - Zizek

zizek
© REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo and Wikipedia
The UK's decision to extradite WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange to the US should be taken as a warning to all liberals who still have any faith in 'American liberal democracy,' says cultural philosopher Slavoj Zizek.

The Slovenian sociologist told RT that signing of the extradition order is just one of two recent events that really worry him. The other "ominous" event was the Ecuadorian government's invitation to US authorities to take possession of Assange's property from its London embassy when he was taken to prison, including book manuscripts, computers and other personal possessions.

"The nightmare is that the accuser was directly invited to take possession of all these documents. This breaks even the elementary the norms of legality," Zizek explained.

"The message is, 'Yes, we will be brutal beyond measure.'"

NPC

California plan to give free health care to illegal immigrants an 'unsustainable financial burden'

California Governor Gavin Newsom
© AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during the 2019 California Democratic Party State Organizing Convention in San Francisco, Saturday, June 1, 2019.
The health and welfare of Californians and the undocumented immigrants who flocked to that state are now under direct attack by a state bureaucracy that sees people only as disposable pieces on a political chessboard.

California is on the verge of becoming the first state in the country to give free health care to adult illegal immigrants. Using the state Medi-Cal program, which offers free or low-cost health coverage for those with limited incomes, the state estimates this will provide free health care to what they believe is 100,000 illegal immigrants between the ages of 19 and 25 years old.

A Washington Examiner editorial noted, "California wants to look after its people, so it keeps expanding its social safety net. It also wants to welcome all comers and so embraces illegal immigrants and protects them in sanctuary cities. To see how this is working out, visit Skid Row in L.A. or neighborhoods in San Francisco or elsewhere where homeless camps are spreading. ... Just as California lacks enough homes to house its inhabitants, so it also lacks enough doctors to care for them. The additional budget bloat on health care will worsen that shortage."

Heart - Black

#CreepyPornLawyer Avenatti is now being sued for allegedly siphoning paraplegic's $4 million settlement

avenatti
© Reuters /Carlo Allegri/File
Lawyer Michael Avenatti speaks as he departs federal court in the Manhattan borough of New York, New York, U.S., May 28, 2019.
Michael Avenatti, the lawyer who represented porn star Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against U.S. President Donald Trump, has been sued by a paraplegic former client who accused him of siphoning away a $4 million settlement he had won.

Geoffrey Johnson is seeking at least $9.5 million, plus punitive damages, from Avenatti and several former colleagues in his civil lawsuit filed with the Orange County Superior Court in California.

"I never thought I would get victimized by my own attorney," Johnson, who uses a wheelchair, said at a press conference on Thursday. "I wish he had just given me my money."

Johnson's claims are also part of federal prosecutors' criminal case against Avenatti, who has pleaded not guilty to wire fraud, bank fraud, extortion and other charges, including defrauding other clients, in California and New York.

Quenelle

California high school valedictorian thanks 'alcoholic teacher' and negligent counselor for teaching to 'fend for herself'

San Ysidro High School senior Nataly Buhr

San Ysidro High School senior Nataly Buhr
A California valedictorian went off script during her commencement address, slamming an alcoholic teacher who was 'escorted out of school' and a guidance counselor who she thanked for 'letting me fend for myself' due to being 'always unavailable to my parents and I despite appointments.'

San Ysidro High School senior Nataly Buhr opened her June 6 speech in typical fashion - thanking her parents for their "endless love," acknowledging the memories shared with her friends, and mentioning a handful of teachers for being 'invested in the students.'

Then, Buhr went scorched earth.

Comment: Good for Ms. Buhr. It was hard-won, but she's got a head start in making a success of herself both in self-reliance and speaking her mind.


Star of David

Getting bolder: Illegal Israeli settlers mount 'price tag' attack on West Bank village

illegal settler attack west bank
© Einbus City Council
The West Bank village of Einbus fell victim to a Jewish settler 'price tag' attack Wednesday night, as vandals scrawled Hebrew graffiti on a mosque and other buildings, and slashed car tires.

A number of car tires were slashed and red graffiti was sprayed on the Al-Arbaeen Shahid mosque, the village health clinic, a house and on cars, the Einbus City Council said.

Comment: When an illegal Israeli squatter gets off scot free in the murder of a baby, then anything else seems possible.


Dollars

Russia's gold & foreign exchange reserves exceed $500 billion

St Basil's Cathedral
© Getty Images / Amin Mohammad Jamali
St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow
The Central Bank of Russia (CBR) reported Thursday that the country's international reserves amounted to $502.7 billion last week, thus exceeding the target level set by the regulator.

The figure is up by $7.5 billion from the level seen a week earlier. According to the CBR, reserves increased by 1.5 percent "mainly due to a positive revaluation and the purchases of foreign currency within the framework of the budget rule."

While Russia's international reserves are measured in terms of US dollars, they are actually highly-liquid foreign assets, comprising stocks of monetary gold, foreign currencies and Special Drawing Right (SDR) assets, which are at the disposal of the Central Bank and the government.

Family

Julian Assange's father comforts his son in emotional jail visit - will be moving to UK to support the WikiLeaks founder

julian assange father shipton prison
© Dominic Lipinski/Press Association
John Shipton, the father of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange
Julian Assange's father visits his son in Belmarsh prison. John Shipton was joined by Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei for the visit at the high-security jail on June 11.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has asked his father to move to the UK during an emotional prison visit.

The 47-year-old is poised to move out of the medical ward of London's Belmarsh prison and on Tuesday shared a moving hug with father John Shipton, who he has not seen since Christmas.

Shipton was joined by Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei for the visit at the high security jail.

Dollars

81-year-old Arizona bank robbery suspect 'kind of wanted to get caught'

Robert Krebs
© Tucson Police Department
Robert Krebs
An 81-year-old man who has spent most of his adult life behind bars for stealing from banks said he robbed a credit union in Tucson months after his release from prison because his monthly $800 Social Security payment wasn't enough to live on, according to court records.

Robert Francis Krebs also told FBI agents that he didn't wear a disguise to the January 2018 robbery because he "kind of wanted to get caught" and return to prison.

Details of the heist were revealed in court records filed Friday over whether Krebs, who turns 82 next month, is mentally fit to stand trial.

His lawyers say Krebs has reported having symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, and a neuropsychologist concluded Krebs wasn't competent to stand trial because he has dementia.

But two other mental health experts have said Krebs was competent and believed he was malingering, with one expert saying Krebs had "embellished or grossly exaggerated" his condition to avoid prosecution.

It's now up to a judge to decide whether Krebs will head toward trial.

Comment: See also: The Truth Perspective: Journey Into Darkness: Inside the Criminal Mind


Stormtrooper

Florida college student files lawsuit after being suspended for Facebook pic with gun and 'mean look'

judgement
© Blogtrepreneur/Flickr
A student at First Coast Technical College in St. Augustine, Florida, was suspended after she posted a photo of herself with a firearm on social media. She has filed a lawsuit against the school.

According to a local news report, First Coast Technical College in Florida suspended a student who posted a photo of herself holding a legally purchased firearm on her Facebook page.

The student, Dai'mon Royster, filed a lawsuit in federal court this week alleging that the college violated her constitutional rights when they suspended her over the photo.


No Entry

YouTube removes Project Veritas video on Pinterest's 'censorship of conservative views'

James O'Keefe
© AFP / Chip Somodevilla
Conservative undercover journalist James O'Keefe (L) is photographed by Project Veritas Action Senior Communications Strategist Stephen Gordon during a news conference at the National Press Club September 1, 2015 in Washington, DC.
YouTube has removed a video which details how Pinterest actively suppressed conservative viewpoints on its website, sparking accusations that the Silicon Valley tech giants are working in concert to silence speech they don't like.

Created by Project Veritas, the offending video cites internal documents showing that Pinterest designated phrases such as "Bible verses" and "Christian Easter" as "sensitive terms" and placed an influential pro-life website on a pornography blacklist. The group, Live Action, was permanently banned from Pinterest for spreading "conspiracy theories" on the same day that the Project Veritas investigation went public.

The report, which featured an interview with a Pinterest employee who blew the whistle on the troubling thought-policing, was swiftly removed by YouTube, apparently due to a privacy claim by a "third party."

Comment: See also: Twitter restricts Project Veritas for expose of Pinterest