‘The Divide’

by Erik Kain · December 3, 2013

Erik Kain

Erik writes about video games at Forbes and politics at Mother Jones. He's the contributor of The League though he hasn't written much here lately. He can be found occasionally composing 140 character cultural analysis on Twitter.

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Stillwater
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says:
December 3, 2013 at 9:43 pm
Damn fine stuff Erik. The last song too. Melodies, lyrics, rhythm, the whole shebang. Thanks for sharing.Report
Reply
- Erik in reply to Stillwater
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  says:
  December 3, 2013 at 9:46 pm
  Thanks Stillwater! Means a lot to me.Report
  Reply
greginak
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Ignored
says:
December 4, 2013 at 2:05 am
Really good song Erik. Very tender. Well done.Report
Reply
- Erik in reply to greginak
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  says:
  December 4, 2013 at 3:07 pm
  Thanks!Report
  Reply
Maribou
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Ignored
says:
December 4, 2013 at 3:45 am
Wishing you easier days, but I’m glad you keep sharing these with us, in the meantime.Report
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- Erik in reply to Maribou
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  says:
  December 4, 2013 at 3:08 pm
  Appreciate that, Maribou.Report
  Reply
North
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Ignored
says:
December 4, 2013 at 7:10 am
Hope things look up Erik.Report
Reply
- Erik in reply to North
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  Ignored
  says:
  December 4, 2013 at 3:08 pm
  Me too, North. Thanks.Report
  Reply
J@m3z Aitch
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Ignored
says:
December 4, 2013 at 7:45 am
“I live a cigarette away from you now”
That’s a fine line.Report
Reply
- Erik in reply to J@m3z Aitch
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  Ignored
  says:
  December 4, 2013 at 3:08 pm
  Yeah, every now and again a line like that appears and I actually remember to write it down…Report
  Reply
Burt Likko
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Ignored
says:
December 4, 2013 at 10:48 am
I hope that personal pain is not a necessary catalyst for good art. Because I hope that this good art continues to be produced, in the absence of personal pain.Report
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- Erik in reply to Burt Likko
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  Ignored
  says:
  December 4, 2013 at 3:09 pm
  It’s funny how that works. I haven’t written any good songs in ages and then I have this huge crisis and the songs appear. But I really hope the same thing as you…because this is really shitty.Report
  Reply

Ten Second News

DOJ IG Michael Horowitz’s Report on 2016 FBI Released

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DOJ IG Michael Horowitz’s Report on 2016 FBI Released

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[caption id="attachment_323385" align="aligncenter" width="748"] IG Michael Horowitz testifies before congress on Clinton email investigation[/caption]

Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s review of the FBI’s handling of its investigation of the Trump campaign in 2016 is out, and folks are pouring over the 476 pages.

Politico:

A much-anticipated review of how the FBI came to investigate the Trump campaign's possible links to Russia has validated the agency’s decision to open its probe.
The report, compiled by the Justice Department’s inspector general, stresses that political bias did not influence the bureau’s actions, as President Donald Trump and his allies have frequently alleged.
But the document is also littered with criticisms of FBI officials and how they vetted some information, such as a dossier of salacious allegations compiled by an ex-British spy.
Key takeaways from the report
The FBI did not use the Steele dossier to open Russia probe
Lynch, Comey sat for IG interviews
No evidence political bias was a factor

The full redacted public report can be read here:

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Day Ending in “Y” Impeachment Update

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Day Ending in “Y” Impeachment Update

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[caption id="attachment_322423" align="aligncenter" width="709"] Creator: Trikosko, Marion S., photographer; Related Name: O'Halloran, Thomas J. , photographer [Public domain][/caption]

You can watch the hearings live here, and discuss/debate with the Ordinary Times Commentareum throughout:

The House Judiciary Committee is hearing presentations from congressional investigators about the impeachment inquiry into President Trump's dealings with Ukraine, as Democrats prepare to draft articles of impeachment.
Monday's hearing includes testimony from Democratic and Republican attorneys from the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees. The House Intelligence Committee submitted its report last week on its investigation into Mr. Trump's efforts to get Ukraine to open investigations into the 2016 election and a company linked to the Bidens.
Those events are at the center of the Democratic case against the president, which the attorneys are laying out on Monday. Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi directed the committee chairs to pursue articles of impeachment, with a vote expected before the Christmas holiday.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said on Sunday that the committee will "presumably" introduce articles of impeachment this week.

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UPS Truck Hijacked. Hijackers Shot, Killed. UPS Truck Driver Shot, Killed. Bystander Shot, Killed. Passive Voice Used.

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UPS Truck Hijacked. Hijackers Shot, Killed. UPS Truck Driver Shot, Killed. Bystander Shot, Killed. Passive Voice Used.

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From CNN:

The UPS hijacking ended in a hail of bullets in rush-hour traffic. Police now face questions about their response

In the end, four people were shot dead at the intersection in Miramar, authorities said, including two robbery suspects, a bystander, and hostage UPS driver Frank Ordonez -- a man who relatives say had been substituting for a colleague who had called out from work that day.
The slain robbers and hijackers were Lamar Alexander, 41, and Ronnie Jerome Hill, 41, both of Miami-Dade County, the FBI said. Authorities haven't released the name of the bystander who was killed.
Numerous questions about the chase and its finale remain, including who shot Ordonez and the bystander.

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Obligatory Impeachment Hearings Something or Other

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Obligatory Impeachment Hearings Something or Other

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[caption id="attachment_322423" align="aligncenter" width="709"] Creator: Trikosko, Marion S., photographer; Related Name: O'Halloran, Thomas J. , photographer [Public domain][/caption]

The House Judiciary Committee will be kicking off their portion of the impeachment inquiry, with coverage and live stream you can watch here:

The House Judiciary Committee is taking the reins of the impeachment inquiry, holding its first hearing with testimony on the constitutional grounds for impeachment.
The committee, which will be responsible for drafting potential articles of impeachment, is hearing from four constitutional law experts: Noah Feldman, Pamela Karlan, Michael Gerhardt and Jonathan Turley, who is also a CBS News legal analyst.

What say you? The commentareum is raring to go on this topic, join in.

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The People Have Spoken on Kamala Harris

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The People Have Spoken on Kamala Harris

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[caption id="attachment_323188" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Photo by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons[/caption]

Senator Kamala Harris' once promising campaign for the Democratic nomination for president has ended.

To my supporters, it is with deep regret—but also with deep gratitude—that I am suspending my campaign today.

But I want to be clear with you: I will keep fighting every day for what this campaign has been about. Justice for the People. All the people.https://t.co/92Hk7DHHbR
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) December 3, 2019

Harris told aides of her intentions in an all-staff call. A person familiar with the call said she sounded distraught. While Harris had qualified for the December debate in her home state, she was running dangerously low on cash — lacking the resources to air TV ads in Iowa — and her staff was gripped by long-running internal turmoil.
Story Continued Below
Still, the news came as a shock to some of her biggest supporters. Just as Harris was announcing the news internally, a super PAC had cleared more than $1 million in TV ads in Iowa to boost her struggling campaign. The ad, which argued she was the best-equipped candidate to take on Trump, was canceled.
“Eleven months ago at the launch of our campaign in Oakland I told you all: ‘I am not perfect.' But I will always speak with decency and moral clarity and treat all people with dignity and respect. I will lead with integrity. I will speak the truth. And that’s what I have tried to do every day of this campaign. So here’s the truth today,” Harris wrote in a note to supporters. “I’ve taken stock and looked at this from every angle, and over the last few days have come to one of the hardest decisions of my life. My campaign for president simply doesn’t have the financial resources we need to continue ."
Harris, who spent Thanksgiving in Iowa with family, took a deep look at the campaign’s resources over the holiday and decided she did not have a path to the nomination. A Harris campaign aide said the expected impeachment trial in January further complicated the situation.
She made the decision Monday after discussions with her family and senior aides. Harris will travel to the early states this week to thank staff and supporters for their dedication to the campaign.

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