Vimeo

Directed by Manson
Music by Shannon Ferguson
Sound Production by Brandon McFarland
Special Thanks to Kevin Ferguson

California Inspires Me is a collaboration between Google Play and California Sunday

g.co
manson.st

YouTube

In case any of our readers need a sleep aid tonight, I dare you to make it through Ben Carson’s dour announcement of his “presidential exploratory committee” without dozing off.

The Washington Post has details on the Justice Department’s investigation into racial bias among Ferguson police and other municipal officials, and the bottom line is exactly what most of us suspected: Justice Dept. Review Finds Pattern of Racial Bias Among Ferguson Police.

As part of its findings, the Justice Department concluded that African Americans accounted for 85 percent of all people stopped by Ferguson police officers and 90 percent of all citations issued.

The Justice Department plans to release evidence this week of racial bias found in e-mails written by Ferguson police and municipal court officials. A November 2008 e-mail, for instance, stated that President Obama could not be president for very long because “what black man holds a steady job for four years.”

The Justice Department did not identify who wrote this and other racist e-mails and whom they were sent to. Officials at the department spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the review and its findings before a planned release this week.

The review concludes that racial bias and a focus on generating revenue over public safety have a profound effect on Ferguson police and court practices and routinely violate the Constitution and federal law.

Another disgusting email from #Ferguson police joked that a black woman got an abortion and later received a check from Crimestoppers.

— Antonio French (@AntonioFrench) March 3, 2015

After months of pretending to really enjoy living in Russia, Edward Snowden is reportedly blinking.

“With a group of lawyers from other countries, we are working on the question of his return to America,” Kucherena said.

“Snowden is ready to return to the States, but on the condition that he is given a guarantee of a legal and impartial trial,” he said.

The lawyer said Snowden had so far only received a guarantee from the US Attorney General that he will not face the death penalty.

I wonder why Ed thinks he needs to receive special guarantees for something every American is guaranteed under the US Constitution? Maybe he’s been living in Russia a bit too long.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi made it very clear how she felt about Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech today.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) hammered Benjamin Netanyahu Tuesday, saying the Israeli prime minister’s speech to Congress was an “insult” to the country.

“The unbreakable bonds between the United States and Israel are rooted in our shared values, our common ideals and mutual interests,” Pelosi said in a statement just after the speech.

“That is why, as one who values the U.S. — Israel relationship, and loves Israel, I was near tears throughout the Prime Minister’s speech — saddened by the insult to the intelligence of the United States as part of the P5 +1 nations, and saddened by the condescension toward our knowledge of the threat posed by Iran and our broader commitment to preventing nuclear proliferation.”

Youtube Video

Good for Elizabeth Warren.

Warren announced she would not attend the speech in a statement issued by her office Monday evening.

“I strongly support Israel, and I remain deeply concerned about the prospect of an Iranian nuclear weapon, which I discussed in detail with Prime Minister Netanyahu when we met in Jerusalem last November,” the Democratic senator said in a statement. “It’s unfortunate that Speaker Boehner’s actions on the eve of a national election in Israel have made Tuesday’s event more political and less helpful for addressing the critical issue of nuclear nonproliferation and the safety of our most important ally in the Middle East.”

I’m also a supporter of Israel who’s appalled at this nakedly political move by the Republican Party, obviously intended to undermine President Obama. And I sincerely hope it backfires on them, as it should.

Ah, CPAC — the conservative movement’s primary action conference, attended by most of the major Republican politicians and prospective front runners for the Presidential nomination.

The conservative conference where religious fanatic and overt racist Phil Robertson gets a “First Amendment” award from Breitbart “News.”

And the conservative conference that gave press credentials and free access to the Tennessee white supremacist radio show Political Cesspool.

Yes, they really did.

SoundCloud

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is giving a very controversial address to Congress tomorrow, as you’ve probably heard; some Democrats are reportedly considering boycotting the speech, because it’s an egregious violation of the usual diplomatic protocols. And it’s not just US Democrats who think John Boehner’s invitation to Netanyahu was a terrible idea — nearly 200 Israeli intelligence and security officials have also expressed their opposition, saying it would do serious damage to US-Israel relations. But Netanyahu is unmoved, and the speech is going ahead.

But the most insane reaction to Netanyahu’s speech (so far) comes from World Net Daily crackpot Andrea Shea King, who says any elected officials who skip the speech should be “hanging from a noose.”

Especially members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Via Right Wing Watch:

King specifically suggested hanging members of the Congressional Black Caucus, saying “their districts are all dumb clucks because these dumb clucks wouldn’t be electing these people if they knew better.”

“How do people like this get to represent us in Congress?” she asked. “Because there are stupid people out there in those congressional districts who are so ignorant it’s dangerous…. Stupid, stupid people. Our lives are on the line and all they can think of is skin color. All of us will turn black if we end up in a cage on fire.”

Oh brother. RT @JamesOKeefeIII: Thanks to all for applying for @Project_Veritas at #CPAC2015. pic.twitter.com/jLLnGXoy9z

— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) March 2, 2015