.. cont'd
.. which among other things can hinder, delay, and or even outright block developers' plans if they might have an adverse impact on surrounding wetlands and other local water bodies.
But this already serious conflict of interest goes even deeper.
The NMHC, whose board of directors Ken Valach has served on since 2015, is a founding member of the Waters Advocacy Coalition (WAC), ...
.. cont'd
As HuffPost reported in 2023-04 (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/clarence-thomas-harlan-crow-business-interests_n_64494a12e4b0d840388c2935), a trade group chaired by Ken Valach - currently the CEO of the development platform of Crow Holdings - was directly involved in the Sackett case (Sackett v. EPA II, 2023), pouring cold water over Clarence Thomas' claim that Harlan Crow's gifts weren't a conflict of interest because the billionaire had no business before the U.S. Supreme Court.
...
.. cont'd
The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) - a trade group that counts three of Harlan Crow's companies as dues-paying members - filed an amicus brief in the case, calling for the rollback of regulations they viewed as stifling housing construction.
The NMHC has been a long-standing opponent of more expansive interpretations of the definition of "waters of the United States" (WOTUS) covered by the Clean Water Act, ...
... Addendae, cont'd
https://mastodon.social/@persagen/110453620908278083
Travel Rewards: What the Crow Family May Have Bought by Hosting Those Luxury Trips for Justice Thomas
https://persagen.com/docs/sackett_vinc_environmental_protection_agency_2023.html
Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency 2023
Billionaire Harlan Crow's firm advocated for rolling back the very wetland protections the Supreme Court just gutted.
...
.. cont'd
As HuffPost reported in 2023-04 (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/clarence-thomas-harlan-crow-business-interests_n_64494a12e4b0d840388c2935), a trade group chaired by Ken Valach - currently the CEO of the development platform of Crow Holdings - was directly involved in the Sackett case (Sackett v. EPA II, 2023), pouring cold water over Clarence Thomas' claim that Harlan Crow's gifts weren't a conflict of interest because the billionaire had no business before the U.S. Supreme Court.
...
... Addendae, cont'd
https://mastodon.social/@persagen/110498162127448374
Clarence Thomas’ Billionaire Benefactor Tied To SCOTUS Bombshell
The Supreme Court just gutted wetland protections after lobbying by Harlan Crow’s business interests
https://mastodon.social/@persagen/110651107706531719
No Labels has taken money from Republican billionaire megadonor Harlan Crow
https://mastodon.social/@persagen/110583336756977728
Everyone here is part of Leo’s network. Harlan Crow is a big Republican donor but also a big Federalist Society donor. So is Paul Singer.
... Addendae, cont'd
https://mastodon.social/@persagen/110453620908278083
Travel Rewards: What the Crow Family May Have Bought by Hosting Those Luxury Trips for Justice Thomas
https://persagen.com/docs/sackett_vinc_environmental_protection_agency_2023.html
Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency 2023
Billionaire Harlan Crow's firm advocated for rolling back the very wetland protections the Supreme Court just gutted.
...
... Addendae
Harlan Crow's Minions Are Keeping Your Rent High
New RDP project will track ties between Thomas benefactor’s real estate empire and landlord lobby group NMHC
https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/harlan-crow-s-minions-are-keeping-your-rent-high
https://persagen.com > search:
"harlan crow" AND housing
"harlan crow" AND valach
"harlan crow" AND thomas
https://mastodon.social/@persagen/110580597018243738
Clarence Thomas and the Billionaire
https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-scotus-undisclosed-luxury-travel-gifts-crow
...
... Addendae, cont'd
https://mastodon.social/@persagen/110498162127448374
Clarence Thomas’ Billionaire Benefactor Tied To SCOTUS Bombshell
The Supreme Court just gutted wetland protections after lobbying by Harlan Crow’s business interests
https://mastodon.social/@persagen/110651107706531719
No Labels has taken money from Republican billionaire megadonor Harlan Crow
https://mastodon.social/@persagen/110583336756977728
Everyone here is part of Leo’s network. Harlan Crow is a big Republican donor but also a big Federalist Society donor. So is Paul Singer.
... Addendae
Harlan Crow's Minions Are Keeping Your Rent High
New RDP project will track ties between Thomas benefactor’s real estate empire and landlord lobby group NMHC
https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/harlan-crow-s-minions-are-keeping-your-rent-high
https://persagen.com > search:
"harlan crow" AND housing
"harlan crow" AND valach
"harlan crow" AND thomas
https://mastodon.social/@persagen/110580597018243738
Clarence Thomas and the Billionaire
https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-scotus-undisclosed-luxury-travel-gifts-crow
...
Harlan Crow’s Minions Keeping Your Rent High
https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/harlan-crow-nmhc
Republican mega-donor/Nazi memorabilia collector enjoyed grossly unethical friendship w. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas
* took Thomas on luxury vacations
* paid for Thomas’ grandnephew’s tuition
* bankrolled Ginni Thomas’ political projects
* bought real estate properties f. Thomas’ family incl. his mother’s house
...
#HarlanCrow #AffordableHousing #ClarenceThomas #DefundBillionaires #NMHC #corruption #neoliberalism
.. cont'd
In return Thomas often ruled in Crow’s favor in cases where Crow’s business interests came before SCOTUS
Revolving Door Project is tracking Harlan Crow’s ties to the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), a developer/corporate landlord lobbying group led by Crow Holdings executive Ken Valach.
NMHC is a landlord lobbying group that representing ~2,000 abusive private equity firms, developers, banks, & real estate software companies.
#HarlanCrow #CrowHoldings #KenValach #SCOTUS
Harlan Crow’s Minions Keeping Your Rent High
https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/harlan-crow-nmhc
Republican mega-donor/Nazi memorabilia collector enjoyed grossly unethical friendship w. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas
* took Thomas on luxury vacations
* paid for Thomas’ grandnephew’s tuition
* bankrolled Ginni Thomas’ political projects
* bought real estate properties f. Thomas’ family incl. his mother’s house
...
#HarlanCrow #AffordableHousing #ClarenceThomas #DefundBillionaires #NMHC #corruption #neoliberalism
Tony Bennett, masterful stylist of American musical standards, dies at 96 😢
In approx mid-1990s I was out with PhD supervisor late (~1-2am) at a higher end lounge in St. Louis (at a conference there).
In comes Tony, dressed to kill - obviously just performed. Someone persuaded him to sing: Tony belted out not one but 2 songs, magnificently & without hesitation - a powerful, intimate performance. Class act, 100% 😀 Rest in peace. 🙏
Tony Bennett: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Bennett
Addendae
Tony Bennett, Amy Winehouse - Body and Soul (from Duets II: The Great Performances)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OFMkCeP6ok
Tony Bennett - For Once in My Life (from Viva Duets)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq_vpIp5jJ8
Tony Bennett, Diana Krall - Love Is Here To Stay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq57pw67ttw
#TonyBennet #AnyWinehouse #BodyAndSoul #jazz #DianaKrall
Tony Bennett, masterful stylist of American musical standards, dies at 96 😢
In approx mid-1990s I was out with PhD supervisor late (~1-2am) at a higher end lounge in St. Louis (at a conference there).
In comes Tony, dressed to kill - obviously just performed. Someone persuaded him to sing: Tony belted out not one but 2 songs, magnificently & without hesitation - a powerful, intimate performance. Class act, 100% 😀 Rest in peace. 🙏
Tony Bennett: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Bennett
PubMed and Beyond: Recent Advances / Best Practices in Biomedical Literature Search
https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.09683
Literature search is an essential tool for building on prior knowledge in clinical & biomedical research.
We present a survey of literature search tools tailored to both general / specific information needs in biomedicine
Authors at the host of PubMed: National Center for Biotechnology Information (NLM, NIH)
#PubMed #NCBI #biomedical #medical #research #EvidenceBasedMedicine
... Addendae, cont'd
Nebraska study finds billions of nanoplastics released when microwaving containers
Exposure to particles from baby food containers kills up to 75% of cultured kidney cells
Discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36809565
🎵 Morning ☮-in
Horslips - Dearg Doom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5G8AJf4Xzw
Love this album! 😀
Horslips - The Tain - Full Album Vinyl Rip (1973)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkPG3sMcS20&list=PLi4987d6Mc7V4lt5OsylxIIzudJewnUvh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iha3aawSn38
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horslips
Namaste 🙏 🕊
#MorningPeaceIn #Horslips #CelticRock
U.S. could slash climate pollution but it might not be enough, says report
By 2030 the U.S. could lower its greenhouse gas emissions by 29- 42%, cf. 2005 pollution levels.
Even then it won't be enough to deliver on a pledge the U.S. made under the 2015 Paris Agreement to cut its emissions in half by the end of this decade - which will require more aggressive actions by states & the federal government
https://rhg.com/research/taking-stock-2023/
#ClimateChange #GreenhouseGas #RhodiumGroup
Trudeau cuts short appearance in Belleville, Ont. after protesters swarm motorcade
100 protesters surround the prime minister at farmers' market
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-belleville-protest-1.6912901
The same types of banners, mentalities displayed at the right-wing orchestrated 2022 Freedom Convoy. 🤬
* https://mastodon.social/@persagen/110563460849417644
* Action4Canada : https://mastodon.social/@persagen/110691119527362060
* Canada convoy protest: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_convoy_protest
persagen.com >> search:
"freedom convoy"
"freedom convoy" AND action4canada
#Canada #FarRight #extremism
How human brains are predisposed to believe conspiracy theories, political lies
Marcel Danesi dissects the speech of prominent liars, dictators & hate groups & finds common threads, e.g. use of visually evocative & dehumanizing metaphors
Marcel Danesi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Danesi
Professor at UToronto known for work in language, communications & semiotics (study of sign processes, meaning)
#ConspiracyTheories #MarcelDanesi #communication #semiotics
Christian Nationalist Political Operative Chad Connelly Organizing Meetings Between GOP Presidential Candidates & Right-Wing Pastors
Connelly, his Christian nationalist voter mobilization organization Faith Wins, & religious-right pseudo-historian David Barton are mobilizing conservative Christians to vote, get involved in politics
https://persagen.com > search: "Chad Connelly" OR "David Barton"
#ChadConnelly #ChristianRight #RepublicanParty #DavidBarton #FaithWins
In-N-Out Burger bans employees in 5 states from wearing masks
https://www.npr.org/2023/07/19/1188706519/in-n-out-burger-bans-employees-from-wearing-masks
https://mailchi.mp/innout/mask-policy-update-for-az-co-nv-tx-ut-associates
Dr. Judy Stone, an infectious disease physician, criticized the new policy, saying in a tweet that it violates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 recommendations & she urged followers to contact In-N-Out's corporate headquarters.
In-N-Out is no stranger to being under fire for pushing back against COVID-19 policies.
#COVID19 #InNOutBurger #PublicHealth
Doug Ford Quietly Planning to Privatize Maintenance Services at New Hospitals in Ontario
Multi-billion dollar plan will pay big dividends to private investors
The plan allows a “consortia” of private companies to design, build, finance & maintain the sites.
DBFM model: private sector designs, builds & finances an asset & provides facility management /maintenance under long-term agreement
#Canada #Ontario #DougFord #privatization #healthcare #neoliberalism #DBFM
Tax the Fat Cat Private Jet Class, Invest in Green Transit
Democrats introduce a bill to hike fuel taxes on private jets and invest the new revenue in public transportation
https://inequality.org/great-divide/tax-private-jet-class-invest-in-green-transit/
Fueling Alternative Transportation with a Carbon Aviation Tax (“FATCAT Act”)
https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/fat_cat_act_-_071923pdf1.pdf
High Flyers 2023: How Ultra-Rich Private Jet Travel Costs the Rest of Us & Burns Up the Planet
https://ips-dc.org/report-high-flyers-2023
#WealthInequality #ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #meritocracy #DefundBillionaires