Help my house is falling down

Paul Erickson, ex-boyfriend of Russian agent Maria Butina Paul Erickson is perhaps best known for helping Maria Butina worm her way into the Republican Party, but that is not what landed him in jail. Erickson was convicted of defrauding oil investors in July 2020 and sentenced to seven years in prison. Butina herself was deported in the fall of 2020 for failing to register as a foreign agent. Erickson’s pardon was supported by Kellyanne Conway, according to the White House’s statement. By granting clemency to Erickson, Trump lashed out one last time at Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference, writing, “This pardon helps right the wrongs of what has been revealed to be perhaps the greatest witch hunt in American History.” … [Read more...] about Trump Pardons Cronies and Celebs Hours Before Leaving D.C.

To be sure, the latest list was heavily populated by more conventional candidates whose cases had been championed by criminal justice activists. One man who has spent nearly 24 years in prison on drug and weapons charges but had shown exemplary behavior behind bars had his sentence commuted, as did a former Marine sentenced in 2000 in connection with a cocaine conviction. … [Read more...] about Trump pardons ex-strategist Steve Bannon, dozens of others

Many of my neighbors in Trump country were striving and struggling to live up to the dreams of their parents, grandparents and ancestors. Some may judge that no cause for a sense of entitlement or grievance, anger or despair. But, in fact, the real wages of non-college hourly wage workers have not matched the cost of living for decades, growing at a slow speed. They are falling behind, and they feel the loss of broken dreams and the bite of personal failure as well as the pinch of economic hardship. Many voted for former President Barack Obama, then Trump. Now they hope and pray that government, no matter who is president, will provide good jobs and living wages for all Americans. … [Read more...] about I’ve lived in both Americas. Most people everywhere don’t want to hate each other

As Obama’s vice president, Biden was always the loyal soldier, but he privately indicated the White House's relationship with congressional Republicans needed work. During a partisan fiscal showdown, Biden privately told then-Rep. Eric CantorEric Ivan CantorCan the GOP break its addiction to show biz? Leaving on a high note: Outgoing NRCC head looks to build on 2020 Overnight Defense: US sanctions NATO ally Turkey over Russian defense system | Veterans groups, top Democrats call for Wilkie's resignation | Gingrich, other Trump loyalists named to Pentagon board MORE (R-Va.), “You know if I were doing this, I'd do it differently,” according to Bob Woodward's book, “The Price of Politics.” … [Read more...] about Biden faces tall order in uniting polarized nation

Eventually making partner at the firm, Sotomayor was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush and then served as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1998 till 2009. … [Read more...] about Speakers at Biden’s inauguration ceremony: Full lineup