#Illinois Tax Attorney

[nationallawreview]

Whistleblower Tax Fraud Lawsuit Against Bitcoin Billionaire Settles for $40 Million

MicroStrategy’s founder is alleged to have falsified tax documents for ten years. The settlement resolves the first whistleblower lawsuit filed under 2021 amendments to the DC False Claims Act. Key Takeaways On June 3, the District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General announced the $40 million settlement with Michael Saylor It is the largest income tax recovery in D.C. history The…

[taxsalelaw]

Expert Tax Sale Litigation Attorney in Illinois: Get the Legal Support You Need

Need a tax sale litigation attorney in Illinois? Look no further! Our experienced team of legal professionals specializes in handling tax sale disputes and can provide expert guidance and representation. Contact us today to protect your rights and navigate the complexities of tax sale litigation in Illinois. Contact us at  (847) 456-1999. For more information visit our website.

[houseofbrat]

Democratic party civil war, you say?

Matt Stoller on Kamala Harris:

There's a fair critique here of Kamala Harris skeptics. What basis do we have for skepticism? I'll lay out my views, which are largely policy-centered. I realize no one cares about what kind of leader Harris will be as President, but if there's one lesson we should take away from this moment, it's that we as a party should try to think more than five minutes ahead instead of panicking ourselves into a rushed decision. I started paying attention to Harris when she became California AG in 2010, because some friends worked to get her elected. It was in the middle of the financial crisis, Bush's and Obama's handling of which eventually led to the emergence of Trump. While AG, she had her most important test as an executive presiding over a big political economy decision - what to do about foreclosure crisis in California. Her position was unusual, because California is a big state, so the AG office is, staffed with many lawyers who can do complex finance analysis. Most states don't. There are only a few places - Texas, NY, Illinois, California - who have the capacity to truly wage independent litigation against powerful institutions like big banks. Harris pledged to do so. [Harris] pledged take on the banks and get something genuinely meaningful for homeowners for a mass legal violation called foreclosure fraud that put them on the hook for trillions. The details aren't important but if you want to know them read Dave Dayen's Chain of Title. It's something I was involved in. After two years where it became obvious Obama was on the wrong side, it was exciting to see a Democrat finally stand up.

Only, she didn't. Harris signed a sham settlement with a big fake fine number, that mostly let the banks do whatever they want, and I believe even get a tax deduction for the fines they did pay. As a result, a lot of people lost their homes who shouldn't have. That was a tragedy. But then when she was running for President in 2020, she *bragged* about what she did. It was rancid, similar to the worst of Obama. https://theintercept.com/2019/03/13/kamala-harris-mortage-crisis… Later it came out that her staff had given her memos on how she should have prosecuted (later) Trump Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin's bank OneWest, but just chose not to. It's not hard to see that, had Obama (and Harris) actually put the bad guys away, a whole slew of Trump officials would have been in jail rather than in the cabinet. https://politico.com/news/2019/10/22/kamala-harris-attorney-general-california-housing-053716…

I didn't pay as much attention to her big tech work or her time in the Senate, but she's quite close to a whole slew of people in the industry, top execs at Google and Facebook like Sheryl Sandberg. While AG, which was when these companies cemented their dominance in America, Harris's office saw Facebook as "a good actor." She took no actions against big firms as AG, opposed important legislation, and even started a privacy-related "monthly working group that included representatives from Facebook, Google, Instagram, and Kleiner Perkins. In internal documents, Harris' office referred to the companies as "partners."' Again, standard operating Obamacrat stuff. https://businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-silicon-valley-big-tech-facebook-attorney-general-2021-11…… Harris's circle of friends and family are biglaw Obamacrats. Her brother-in-law Tony West was a high-level Obama official, and now GC of Uber. Her niece worked at Uber, Slack, and FB, and her husband was a biglaw partner at Venable and DLA Piper. His clients included Walmart, Merck, and an arms dealer, and there were ethics questions since DLA Piper had a long list of foreign clients. https://nytimes.com/2020/08/17/us/elections/doug-emhoff-kamala-harriss-husband-takes-a-leave-of-absence-from-his-law-firm.html…

How does this differ from Biden's track record? As a Senator, you could read him like Harris. Biden did whatever the credit card companies wanted, was in on bad trade deals, and was VP when Obama mishandled the financial crisis. But Biden always had a tinge of populism. In the 1990s, he went after Stephen Breyer in his hearing for the Supreme Court, calling him an elitist for instance. He was a foreign policy guy, and never liked the Silicon Valley and Wall Street execs, he always thought they looked down on him. As President, he delegated and ignored most domestic policy, and so some of it went to populists and union people while most of it went to neoliberals like Janet Yellen and Neera Tanden. The net result of Biden's choices is a mix - good policy in a few areas, and rank incompetence across a host of them, as well as fantastically incompetent messaging. What was Harris's role? As VP, she's largely been absent from most policy areas I follow, so I don't know how to think about her views on Biden's economic agenda. She's certainly never talked about or been involved in anything competition or regulatory minded that I can see. She does not seem to be a player in any of the big money areas. That said, Harris has proven incapable of managing important tasks like addressing or even explaining the obviously dysfunctional asylum process at the border, so it's hard to know how much she *can* actually do in terms of competence. There's also a lot of inertia here, it's not like she can change everything on a dime. She will inherit Biden's legacy and officeholders, and she hasn't done much as VP to thwart economic policy, for good or ill.

So how will she be as President? I don't want to overstate my read, it's just a guess. But since we're all just guessing, what I suspect is she'll lead to a total wipeout of Dems in 2026 and 2028 as the party turns wholly against working people, and a more complete Trump-y style realignment. And that's if she wins. So that's the optimistic scenario.

Dem Civil War commencing...

[beardedmrbean]

DOLTON - A south suburban politician under fire for the way she spends tax dollars has come up with a unique strategy to discourage people from running against her.

Tiffany Henyard is proposing a nearly 90% cut in her position's salary—but only if she's not filling it. It's just the latest controversy surrounding Henyard, who serves as both Thornton Township Supervisor and the Mayor of Dolton.

Thornton Township Trustee Chris Gonzalez was just sitting down at the start of the township's board meeting two weeks ago when he was handed a seven-page proposed ordinance requiring an immediate vote. Gonzalez said he had no time to read the proposed ordinance.

"And then we get into the meeting pretty quick," he said.

Leading that meeting was Supervisor Henyard, who was appointed to the position last year after the death of longtime supervisor Frank Zuccarelli. Henyard is certainly charismatic, often bringing a DJ to board meetings to help her make a point. But she's also controversial, spending tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to promote herself with billboards and purchasing first-class tickets for out-of-town trips. She's also used public employees and vehicles to promote her personal charity and taken Dolton police officers off the street to create a personal security detail that's resulted in thousands of hours of overtime.

But back to that ordinance—which passed without Gonzalez's support.

"They're like, I can't believe it. How can someone do that?" said Gonzalez.

What the ordinance does is ensure that Henyard continues to receive her $224,000 a year salary as township supervisor. But if a non-incumbent becomes supervisor—in other words, if someone challenges Henyard and beats her—the salary for that position drops to just $25,000 a year, a pay cut of nearly 90%.

Trustee Gonzalez said it's a political poison pill to scare off competition.

"(It) discourages people from running is the first thing that comes to mind," he said.

But perhaps the bigger question is—is it legal?

"No. It's so illegal in so many ways. It violates so many tenets of the law," said municipal attorney Burt Odelson, who represents Henyard's political opposition in Dolton.

Odelson said under the concept of equal protection of the law, the salaries of elected officials have to be identity-blind, which means they don't change based on the person holding the job.

"It may be the worst attempt to try to dissuade people from running that I've ever seen. And that's a long time," said Odelson.

Henyard isn't facing re-election at the township until 2025. But already potential competitors are circling despite the drastically lower salary, including Illinois State Senator Napoleon Harris. But if Henyard is re-elected, she'll continue making the $224,000, even if she seems to believe the job is worth a fraction of that.

The ordinance also lowers the salaries of other election positions in the township—but again, only if someone new wins the job. It will likely stand as a curiosity, the only elected positions with two different salaries, until someone inevitably files a lawsuit.

A spokesperson for Thornton Township declined to comment.

How is a town with that low of a population affording 1/4 million salary let alone on top of the other stuff she's spent.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Jack Ohman, Tribune Content Agency

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

May 1, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

MAY 02, 2024

Today, Florida’s ban on abortions after six weeks—earlier than most women know they’re pregnant—went into effect. The Florida legislature passed the law and Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed it a little more than a year ago, on April 13, 2023, but the new law was on hold while the Florida Supreme Court reviewed it. On April 1 the court permitted the law to go into operation today. 

The new Florida law is possible because two years ago, on June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court  overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that recognized the constitutional right to abortion. In Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the modern court decided that the right to determine abortion rights must be returned “to the people’s elected representatives” at the state level. 

Immediately, Republican-dominated states began to restrict abortion rights. Now, one out of three American women of childbearing age lives in one of the more than 20 states with abortion bans. This means, as Cecile Richards, former president of Planned Parenthood, put it in The Daily Beast today, “child rape victims forced to give birth, miscarrying patients turned away from emergency rooms and told to return when they’re in sepsis.” It means recognizing that the state has claimed the right to make a person’s most personal health decisions. 

Until today, Florida’s law was less stringent than that of other southern states, making it a destination for women of other states to obtain the abortions they could not get at home. In the Washington Post today, Caroline Kitchener noted that in the past, more than 80,000 women a year obtained abortions in Florida. Now, receiving that reproductive care will mean a trip to Virginia, Illinois, or North Carolina, where the procedure is still legal, putting it out of reach for many women. 

This November, voters in Florida will weigh in on a proposed amendment to the Florida constitution to establish the right to abortion. The proposed amendment reads: “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.” Even if the amendment receives the 60% support it will need to be added to the constitution, it will come too late for tens of thousands of women.

It is not unrelated that this week Texas attorney general Ken Paxton, along with other Republican attorneys general, has twice sued the Biden administration, challenging its authority to impose policy on states. One lawsuit objects to the government’s civil rights protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. The other lawsuit seeks to stop a federal rule that closes a loophole that, according to Texas Tribune reporter Alejandro Serrano, lets people sell guns online or at gun shows without conducting background checks.  

In both cases, according to law professor and legal analyst Steve Vladeck, Paxton has filed the suit in the Amarillo Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, where it will be assigned to Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, the Trump appointee who suspended the use of mifepristone, an abortion-inducing drug, in order to stop abortions nationally. 

Last month the Judicial Conference, which oversees the federal judiciary, tried to end this practice of judge-shopping by calling for cases to be randomly assigned to any judge in a district; the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas says it will not comply. 

And so the cases go to Kacsmaryk, who will almost certainly agree with the Republican states’ position.

Republicans are engaged in the process of dismantling the federal government, working to get rid of its regulation of business, basic social welfare laws and the taxes needed to pay for such measures, the promotion of infrastructure, and the protection of civil rights. To do so, they have increasingly argued that the states, rather than the federal government, are the centerpiece of our democratic system. 

That democracy belonged to the states was the argument of the southern Democrats before the Civil War, who insisted that the federal government could not legitimately intervene in state affairs out of their concern that the overwhelming popular majority in the North would demand an end to human enslavement. Challenged to defend their enslavement of their neighbors in a country that boasted “all men are created equal,” southern enslavers argued that enslavement was secondary to the fact that voters had chosen to impose it.

At the same time, though, state lawmakers limited the vote in their state, so the popular vote did not reflect the will of the majority. It reflected the interests of those few who could vote. In 1857, enslaver George Fitzhugh of Virginia explained that there were 18,000 people in his county and only 1,200 could vote. “But we twelve hundred…never asked and never intend to ask the consent of the sixteen thousand eight hundred whom we govern.” State legislatures, dominated by such men, wrote laws reinforcing the power of a few wealthy, white men. 

Crucially, white southerners insisted that the federal government must use its power not to enforce the will of the majority, but rather to protect their state systems. In 1850, with the Fugitive Slave Act, they demanded that federal officials, including those in free states, return to the South anyone a white enslaver claimed was his property. Black Americans could not testify in their own defense, and anyone helping a “runaway” could be imprisoned for six months and fined $1,000, which was about three years’ income. A decade later, enslavers insisted that it was “the duty of the Federal Government, in all its departments, to protect…[slavery]…in the Territories, and wherever else its constitutional authority extends.”

After the Civil War, Republicans in charge of the federal government set out to end discriminatory state legislation by adding to the Constitution the Fourteenth Amendment, establishing that states could not deny to any person the equal protection of the laws and giving Congress the power to enforce that amendment. That, together with the Fifteenth Amendment providing that “[t]he right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude,” Republicans thought, would stop state legislatures from passing discriminatory legislation.

But in 1875, just five years after Americans added the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution, the Supreme Court decided that states could keep certain people from voting so long as that discrimination wasn’t based on race. This barred women from the polls and flung the door open for voter suppression measures that would undermine minority voting for almost a century. Jim and Juan Crow laws, as well as abortion bans, went onto the books.

In the 1950s the Supreme Court began to use the Fourteenth Amendment to end those discriminatory state laws—in 1954 with the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, decision that prohibited racial segregation in public schools, for example, and in 1973 with Roe v. Wade. Opponents complained bitterly about what they called “judicial activism,” insisting that unelected judges were undermining the will of the voters in the states. 

Beginning in the 1980s, as Republicans packed the courts with so-called originalists who weakened federal power in favor of state power, Republican-dominated state governments carefully chose their voters and then imposed their own values on everyone. 

Just a decade ago, reproductive rights scholar Elizabeth Dias told Jess Bidgood of the New York Times, a six-week abortion ban was seen even by many antiabortion activists as too radical, but after Trump appointed first Neil Gorsuch and then Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, the balance of power shifted enough to make such a ban obtainable. Power over abortion rights went back to the states, where Republicans could restrict them.

Trump has said he would leave the issue of abortion to the states, even if states begin to monitor women’s pregnancies to keep them from obtaining abortions or to prosecute them if they have one. 

Vice President Kamala Harris was in Jacksonville, Florida, today to talk about reproductive rights. She put the fight over abortion in the larger context of the discriminatory state laws that have, historically, constructed a world in which some people have more rights than others. “This is a fight for freedom,” she said, “the fundamental freedom to make decisions about one’s own body and not have their government tell them what they’re supposed to do.” 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Investigate Midwest:

The Midwest’s largest potential reservoir to store carbon is buried deep under the farmland of Illinois, and the state’s lawmakers just hit the brakes on any plans for a carbon capture and storage boom there. A controversial technology where carbon dioxide is captured and then stored deep underground, carbon capture and storage, or CCS, is a big part of the Biden administration’s push for a greener planet. And a federal roll out of massive incentives for the nascent industry has spurred a carbon capture gold rush nationwide. In Illinois alone, three pipelines and 22 carbon sequestration wells have already been proposed. But local farmers, landowners, and environmental advocates are skeptical of the suddenly booming business and called on the state for stricter safety regulations.

That’s what happened at the end of May.

The state’s lawmakers passed the Safety CCS Act through both chambers at the tail end of the legislative session over the Memorial Day weekend. Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, has yet to sign the legislation, but has signaled his intention to do so.

The package includes sweeping regulations for the state’s burgeoning carbon capture industry, including a moratorium of up to two years on pipelines transporting CO2 or until federal authorities pass new pipeline safety guidelines. It’s the first ban of its kind in the Midwest.

“It does offer some really good protections for Illinois that are needed at a time when we are not just anticipating projects —- but those projects are moving forward rapidly,” said Pam Richart, the co-founder of the Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines, an environmental advocacy group that has been organizing across southern and central Illinois.

The sweeping package of new rules breaks down into three categories: requirements for how carbon emissions must be captured, regulations around pipeline construction, and rules for what happens once the carbon is stored underground.

The legislation establishes a “do no harm standard,” which would prevent polluting facilities from pumping more emissions to take advantage of the beefed up federal tax credits, according to Jenny Cassel, a senior attorney with Earthjustice, a public interest environmental law organization.

The new rules do so by requiring that capture facilities store more carbon pollution than they produce. At the same time, power plants and other carbon-intensive industries must keep greenhouse gas emissions below what their permits allow.

“We should not be creating more of a problem than we’re addressing with this,” said Cassel.

[brightbeautifulthings]

Ordinary People by Judith Guest

"The things which hurt instruct--Benjamin Franklin. That was one of Arnold's favorites. Not true, though. The things which hurt don't always instruct. Sometimes they merely hurt."

Year Read: 2005, 2015, 2023

Rating: 5/5

About: The Jarrets are a typical upper-middle class family living in Lake Forest, Illinois. Cal is a tax attorney and the provider for his family, Beth the organized, efficient housewife. They have one son, Conrad, although they used to have two. Ordinary People presents a family isolated by grief and learning to find their way through it. The following triggers play major roles in the plot/themes of the novel and are discussed at length in the narrative and the following review. Trigger warnings: child/sibling death, suicide attempt (graphic), suicidal ideation, drowning, violence, blood, depression, grief, guilt, self-loathing.

Thoughts: I read this for the first time in high school, and like most assigned reading back then, I adored it while everyone else hated it. After nearly fifty years since it's been published, there are certainly books out there that handle suicide, depression, therapy, and grief better than this one (I've even read some of them), but Ordinary People was the first book I ever read that talked directly about those issues. I've never forgotten it or the way it attempts to both bring attention to and normalize them--it’s right there in the title. These are ordinary people, struggling with things that could and do happen to anyone. Occasionally, it can come over a bit dated, but on the whole I think it's survived time really well. It's not hard to picture the Jarret family in any decade.

I've read this so many times that Guest's writing is like slipping on a comfortable sweater. I enjoy the way the narrative slowly uncovers the history of the Jarret family, how they got the way they are, and why they think and behave the way they do. The relationships are complicated and interesting, particularly among the three family members: Conrad, the teenage son, Cal, the father, and Beth, the mother. Their relationships with Buck, the older son who is no longer there, also play a major role in the story.

The narrative switches between Con and Cal (which I think was a mistake, making their names so similar; even being familiar with this story, I mixed them up a few times). As a teenager, I found it easy to relate to Con and the pressure of simply getting through a normal day. His arc in the story is arguably the best as we watch him work through school, home, and therapy in the wake of a suicide attempt. Guest makes no attempt to gloss over the grim reality of those issues, the fact that they may be lifelong struggles, or that they often don't end in recovery. There is a slight privilege issue, given that Con comes from a upper-middle class suburban family that can afford treatment.

I thought I would find myself relating more to Cal as an adult, but the character I actually sympathized with more on this read was Beth. We don't have the benefit of her perspective (for good reason-- she's as isolated from the reader as she is from her family) and she acts quite selfishly, but I could better see the way grief divides her from her husband and son. Sometimes, the only person you can save is yourself. I cry every time I read it because it's so personal and so human, but it's ultimately a book I reach for when I need to be reminded that there's hope at the end of grief. Anyone who has ever been through something similar will see something of themselves in it.

[dalmareslawus]

How to Handle Property Division: Advice from Divorce Attorneys

Divorce can be a challenging and emotional process, especially when it comes to dividing property. Understanding how to navigate property division is crucial for ensuring a fair outcome. Here, we share expert advice from the divorce attorneys at Dalmares Family Law in Orland Park, IL.

Understanding Property Division in Illinois

In Illinois, property division during a divorce follows the principle of "equitable distribution." This means that marital property will be divided fairly, but not necessarily equally. Marital property includes assets and debts acquired during the marriage, while non-marital property includes assets owned before the marriage or received as a gift or inheritance.

Key Steps in the Property Division Process

Identify Marital vs. Non-Marital Property It’s essential to categorize assets correctly. A divorce attorney in Orland Park can help you understand which properties fall under marital or non-marital categories, ensuring you’re only negotiating what you’re entitled to.

Gather Financial Documentation Collecting all relevant financial documents, including bank statements, tax returns, and property deeds, is vital. This documentation will be crucial in determining the value of your assets and liabilities.

Valuation of Assets Once you’ve identified and gathered documentation for your assets, the next step is to value them accurately. This may involve appraisals for real estate, vehicles, and other significant assets. A knowledgeable divorce attorney near you can recommend trusted appraisers.

Negotiate Fairly Working with a divorce attorney in Orland Park, IL, can provide you with expert negotiation strategies. Remember, the goal is to reach a fair agreement that considers both parties' contributions and needs.

Consider Future Financial Needs When negotiating property division, think about your future financial situation. A divorce attorney can help you assess your long-term financial needs, including housing, retirement, and educational expenses.

Why You Need a Divorce Attorney

Navigating property division without legal assistance can lead to costly mistakes. A qualified divorce attorney in Orland Park can help you understand your rights and options, ensuring that your interests are protected throughout the process. They will provide you with personalized advice tailored to your unique situation.

Conclusion

Handling property division during a divorce can be complex, but with the right guidance, it can be manageable. If you’re looking for a reliable divorce attorney in Orland Park, IL, or searching for a "divorce attorney near me," consider reaching out to the experienced team at Dalmares Family Law. We’re here to help you navigate this challenging time with confidence and clarity.

Media Contact : Dalmares Family Law - Orland Park Divorce Attorneys 16061 S 94th Ave, Orland Hills, IL 60487, United States 708-403-0200 https://dalmareslaw.com/

[newstfionline]

Friday, August 30, 2024

Can Tech Executives Be Held Responsible for What Happens on Their Platforms? (NYT) This month, X closed its Brazil operations after one of its executives was threatened with arrest for not taking down certain content. Last year, Changpeng Zhao, the founder of Binance, pleaded guilty to federal money-laundering violations that took place on his cryptocurrency platform. In 2021, Twitter executives in India faced arrest over posts that the government wanted removed from the site. And on Saturday, Pavel Durov, who founded the online communications tool Telegram, was arrested in France as part of an investigation into the platform’s complicity in crimes including possession and distribution of child sexual abuse imagery. For years, internet company executives rarely faced personal liability in Western democracies for what took place on their platforms. But as law enforcement agencies, regulators and policymakers ramp up scrutiny of online platforms and exchanges, they are increasingly considering when to hold company leaders directly responsible. That shift was punctuated by Mr. Durov’s arrest over the weekend, raising questions over whether tech executives like Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg also risk being arrested when they next set foot on European soil.

California has become a new center of political corruption (NYT) Jose Huizar, a former Los Angeles City Council member, is scheduled to report to prison this week to begin a 13-year sentence for tax evasion and racketeering. “He was the King Kong of L.A. City Hall for many, many years,” Mack E. Jenkins, chief of the criminal division at the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles, told the court. “And with his fall, a lot of devastation was left in his wake.” He is just one of 576 public officials in California who have been convicted over the past decade on federal corruption charges, outpacing states that are better known for influence-peddling like New York and Illinois.

Stealing to order (BBC) More than 430,000 shoplifting offences were recorded in England and Wales last year, the most since current police records began in 2003. And the British Retail Consortium reports a growing trend in "unscrupulous businesses taking on local product that has been stolen to order”. Ross, who has 15 convictions for shoplifting but has never been to prison, estimated he stole goods worth £300 ($395) every day, which he would then sell on to fund his crack cocaine and heroin addiction. He said perfume, cosmetics, alcohol and food were among the items he would regularly steal and sell on “as the cheapest wholesaler”. “If I had a bag full of stuff, I would know which shop to go to,” said Ross. “They’d take me into the back room, I’d lay it out on the floor and we would discuss a price.”

Surf before you worship at this church in Portugal (AP) Porto takes pride in its beaches, old churches covered in blue-and-white tiles and its famous port wine named after the city in northern Portugal. It’s also home to a different kind of church—located on its beachfront suburbs along the Atlantic coast near a fishing town known for some of the world’s largest waves. Parishioners attend in boardshorts, T-shirts, flip flops—even barefoot. They surf before they worship. Surf Church was established by a Brazilian-born Portuguese surfer and ordained Baptist pastor to spread the Gospel in a once-devoutly Catholic country—and top surfing destination—where about half of young people today say they have no religion. In less than a decade, it has grown from a few families to dozens of parishioners representing more than a dozen nationalities from across the world. Their motto: “ We love waves. We love Jesus.”

As the far right rises in Eastern Germany, companies struggle to attract skilled foreign workers (AP) Germany is facing a massive skilled labor shortage. Experts say that the country will need to hire about 400,000 skilled immigrants each year to maintain its economy, thanks to demographic decline and a shrinking workforce. Unfortunately, some parts of German society don’t care what the experts say. The far-right AfD party, which has focused on whipping up anti-immigrant sentiment to boost its support base, has garnered a massive amount of support, especially from rural Germans. “Even when there are no majorities so far, there are considerable minorities who vote for the AfD, either to express their protest or to openly express anti-immigration and anti-liberal positions,” said one German policy researcher. According to a recent poll of over 900 German firms, a majority of companies see the AfD as a risk to their workforces and garnering new investments in Germany. Recently, the International Monetary Fund rated Germany as the world’s worst-performing developed economy, adding to the economic worries in Berlin.

In Eastern Ukraine, Terrifying Bombardment and Near Total Destruction (NYT) In the darkness of the cellar in the eastern Ukrainian town of Toretsk, the soldiers did not know how close the Russian glide bombs were landing. But the sudden change in air pressure that accompanied bone-rattling booms testified to the bombs’ destructive force as they tore into nearby buildings. There are many ways to kill and be killed in Russia’s war with Ukraine, but Ukrainian soldiers say that glide bombs are perhaps the most terrifying. They are free-fall bombs, many left over from the Soviet era, but now outfitted with pop-out wings that feature satellite navigation, turning them into guided munitions. Referred to alternatively as “KABs” or “FABs,” they weigh between 500 and 6,000 pounds and are packed with hundreds of pounds of explosives. A single blast can reduce a high-rise apartment building to rubble and obliterate even concrete fortifications. In recent months, Russia has used the bombs to devastating effect, tilting the balance of fighting in eastern Ukraine in Moscow’s favor and allowing Russia to continue to make steady gains in Donetsk region. The bombs have also allowed Russian forces to raze whole towns and villages with ever greater speed.

Ukraine’s ‘flying furniture’ (BBC) Backed by Western tech and finance, Ukrainian firms are making hundreds of cheap one-way attack drones every month. Terminal Autonomy is producing more than 100 AQ400 Scythe long-range drones a month, with a range of 750km (465 miles). The company also makes hundreds of shorter range AQ100 Bayonet drones a month. It is one of at least three companies now producing drones in Ukraine at scale. The drones are made of wood and assembled in former furniture factories. Francisco Serra-Martins, a former Australian Army Royal Engineer, set up the company with his Ukrainian co-founder, backed by US finance. He describes his drones as "basically flying furniture—we assemble it like Ikea". The Bayonet drone costs a few thousand dollars. A Russian air defence missile used to shoot it down can cost more than $1m (£750,000). These drones have forced Russia to move aircraft to bases further away and reduce the frequency of their attacks.

Indian Doctors Lead Landmark Protests (Foreign Policy) For more than two weeks, doctors and medical workers have been protesting across India—the longest-running such movement in recent memory. The demonstrations were triggered by a horrific case of sexual violence at one of India’s oldest hospitals: On Aug. 9, a 31-year-old female trainee doctor was raped and killed at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The doctor had just completed a 36-hour shift and was resting in a seminar room. Police have arrested a hospital volunteer; however, the victim’s family alleges that she was gang-raped. In response to the killing, thousands of Indian doctors went on strike, declining to provide nonemergency medical care. In Kolkata, as protests continued this week, police responded with tear gas and water cannons. Sexual violence is a long-standing problem in India, but the Kolkata case has prompted unusual outrage, which protesters attribute to the shocking circumstances of the crime: The victim, sworn to caring for others and exhausted after a long shift, was targeted in a space where safety should have been guaranteed. Some female doctors say the tragedy underscores the prevalence of abuse of women in India’s medical system.

At Least 10 Killed as Israeli Military Steps Up West Bank Raids (NYT) Hundreds of Israeli troops backed by drones and armored vehicles carried out raids in the occupied West Bank, Israeli and Palestinian officials said on Wednesday, a growing third front in conflicts that extend from the Egyptian border with the Gaza Strip to southern Lebanon. At least 10 Palestinians were killed, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, in what Israeli officials described as an ongoing operation targeting militants and concentrated in Jenin and Tulkarm, two West Bank cities that an Israeli military spokesman, Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, said have become militant strongholds. The Israeli military said it had killed nine militants. The operation followed months of escalating Israeli raids in the occupied territory, where nearly three million Palestinians live under Israeli military rule. More than 600 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led assault on Israel, according to the United Nations, in violence involving both the Israeli military and extremist Jewish settlers. Israel has also arrested thousands of Palestinians suspected of involvement in armed groups.

Israel agreed to pauses in the war for polio vaccinations (NYT) Starting this weekend, Israel will temporarily pause its military operations in specific areas of Gaza to allow health workers to give polio vaccinations to about 640,000 children under the age of 10, according to the U.N. Israeli officials emphasized that the move was not the first step to a cease-fire, but rather an effort to stem a potential outbreak of the virus.

Food insecurity crisis (Foreign Policy) Namibia authorized the killing of more than 700 animals this week to help feed its population, nearly half of whom are facing acute food insecurity, according to the United Nations. The Environment, Forestry, and Tourism Ministry announced that hunters will cull 300 zebras, 100 wildebeests, 100 eland antelopes, 83 elephants, 60 buffaloes, 50 impalas, and 30 hippos “sourced from national parks and communal area with sustainable game numbers.” Namibia is facing its worst drought in 100 years due to this year’s record-breaking El Niño, which flooded some African countries and left others with extreme temperatures and drought. In May, the southern African country declared a state of emergency for the more than 1 million people struggling to obtain food and water. The drought has also caused high inflation and rising unemployment rates in Namibia as most households depend on crop and livestock farming.

African farmers are using private satellite data to improve crop yields (MIT Technology Review) Farmers in Africa are using space imaging to check in on the status of their crops, tapping into imaging from California satellite provider EOS to monitor the state of fields. Last year the company launched EOS SAT-1, which is solely for agriculture and has fees on the order of $1.90 per hectare per year, which makes it ideal for smaller farms and priced reasonably well for developing countries. Over 242,000 people in Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, the U.S. and Europe use the crop monitoring platform, with 53,000 joining the service last year.

Subsea fiber-optic cables (CSIS) Subsea fiber-optic cables, a critical information and telecommunications technology (ICT) infrastructure carrying more than 95 percent of international data, are becoming a highly consequential theater of great power competition between the United States, China, and other state actors such as Russia. The roughly 600 cables planned or currently operational worldwide, spanning approximately 1.2 million kilometers, are the world’s information superhighways and provide the high-bandwidth connections necessary to support the rise of cloud computing and integrated 5G networks, transmitting everything from streaming videos and financial transactions to diplomatic communications and essential intelligence. The scale and exposure of undersea infrastructure make it an easy target for saboteurs operating in the gray zone of “deniable attacks short of war.” In 2023, Taiwanese authorities accused two Chinese vessels in the area of cutting the only two submarine cables that supply internet to Taiwan’s Matsu Islands, plunging its 14,000 residents into digital isolation for six weeks. And in October 2023, a Baltic Sea telecom cable connecting Sweden and Estonia sustained damage at the same time as a Finnish-Estonian gas pipeline and cable. An investigation focused on a Russian-flagged ship and a Chinese-owned vessel operating in the area as the likely sources of the alleged sabotage.

Accidental falls in the older adult population (Journalist’s Resource) Accidental falls are among the leading causes of injury and death among adults 65 years and older worldwide. Globally, some 684,000 people die from falls each year, and the death rates are highest among people aged 60 and older. About 37.3 million people each year require medical attention after a fall, according to the World Health Organization. In the United States, more than 1 in 4 adults aged 65 or older fall each year, according to the National Institute on Aging. In 2022, health care spending for nonfatal falls among older adults was $80 billion, according to a 2024 study published in the journal Injury Prevention. Several factors, including exercising, managing medication, checking vision and making homes safer can help prevent falls among older adults. Removing fall hazards in the home—such as increasing lighting in dark hallways or adding railways to stairwells—reduced the number of falls by 38% among older adults.

[lboogie1906]

President Barack Hussein Obama II (August 4, 1961) is an attorney and politician who served as the 44th POTUS from 2009 to 2017, the first African American to occupy the White House. He was born in Honolulu. His father, Barack Obama Sr., was a Kenyan graduate student, and his mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, a white American from Wichita.

He continued his higher education at Occidental College. He transferred to Columbia University, graduating with a BA. He graduated from law school at Harvard University, receiving his JD. He was president of the Harvard Law Review. He began working as a community organizer and lecturing at the University of Chicago Law School on the subject of constitutional law.

He married Michelle Robinson (1992), an attorney. They have two daughters, Malia and Natasha (Sasha).

He was elected to the Illinois State Senate. He helped craft legislation to create the state Earned Income Tax Credit. He was elected to the Senate from Illinois. He gained national prominence as a keynote speaker at the DNC.

On February 10, 2007, he announced his candidacy for POTUS. On June 3, 2008, he secured enough pledged delegates to become the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party. His broad appeal and message of hope, change, and “yes we can.”

On January 20, 2009, he began his first term as POTUS. He proposed a series of measures enacted by Congress to respond to the economic recession. The Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010 allowed for the first time the full participation of gays and lesbians Armed Forces. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (often called Obamacare) became by far the most controversial measure of his first term. His foreign policy accomplishments included de-escalating military involvement in Iraq, negotiating a new arms control treaty with Russia, and ordering the military operation that killed Osama bin Laden. He became the third US president to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while in office.

He became the first Democratic President since Franklin Roosevelt to be elected and reelected with at least 51 percent. On January 20, 2013, he began his second term as POTUS. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[resolvium]

Quick Divorce Online in DuPage County: Simplify Your Separation with Resolvium

Divorce can be a complex and emotionally taxing process, but it doesn’t always have to be. For couples in DuPage County looking for a more streamlined and efficient way to dissolve their marriage, an online quick divorce offers a promising solution. Resolvium is here to guide you through this modern approach, providing expert assistance to ensure your divorce is handled smoothly and quickly. In this blog, we will explore the benefits of a quick online divorce and how Resolvium can help you achieve a hassle-free separation.

Understanding Quick Online Divorce

A quick online divorce is an expedited process that allows couples to complete their divorce paperwork and proceedings online. This method is particularly beneficial for uncontested divorces, where both parties agree on all major issues such as property division, child custody, and support arrangements. By utilizing online resources and digital communication, couples can bypass many of the time-consuming steps associated with traditional divorce procedures.

Benefits of Quick Online Divorce

1. Time-Efficient

Traditional divorce proceedings can take months or even years to finalize, often due to court schedules and lengthy paperwork. An online quick divorce significantly reduces this timeframe. By streamlining the process and utilizing digital platforms, couples can often complete their divorce in a matter of weeks.

2. Cost-Effective

Legal fees and court costs can quickly add up in a traditional divorce. An online quick divorce is generally more affordable, as it minimizes the need for extensive legal consultations and multiple court appearances. This approach is particularly advantageous for couples seeking a cost-effective way to separate.

3. Convenient and Accessible

One of the main advantages of an online quick divorce is the convenience it offers. Couples can complete necessary forms and communicate with legal professionals from the comfort of their own homes. This flexibility is especially beneficial for individuals with busy schedules or those who prefer a more private approach to their divorce.

4. Reduced Stress

Divorce is inherently stressful, but an online quick divorce can help alleviate some of the associated pressures. By simplifying the process and minimizing in-person interactions, couples can focus on reaching an amicable resolution without the added stress of courtroom battles.

How Resolvium Can Help

At Resolvium, we specialize in facilitating quick online divorces in DuPage County. Our team of experienced professionals is dedicated to providing personalized support and guidance throughout the entire process. Here’s how we can assist you:

1. Expert Legal Advice

Our knowledgeable attorneys are well-versed in Illinois divorce laws and can provide you with expert legal advice tailored to your specific situation. We ensure that all legal requirements are met and that your rights are protected throughout the process.

2. Streamlined Process

We offer a streamlined process designed to expedite your divorce. From initial consultations to finalizing your divorce decree, we handle all the paperwork and procedural steps, allowing you to focus on moving forward with your life.

3. Personalized Support

At Resolvium, we understand that every divorce is unique. We provide personalized support to address your individual needs and concerns. Our team is here to answer your questions, offer guidance, and ensure that you feel supported every step of the way.

4. Efficient Communication

We utilize digital platforms to facilitate efficient communication and document sharing. This approach not only speeds up the process but also ensures that you have access to all necessary information and updates in real-time.

Conclusion

A quick online divorce can be an ideal solution for couples in DuPage County seeking a fast, cost-effective, and less stressful way to separate. At Resolvium, we are committed to helping you navigate this process with ease and efficiency. If you’re considering a quick online divorce, contact Resolvium today to learn more about our services and how we can assist you in achieving a smooth and amicable separation.

[taxsalelaw]

What is a Tax Sale Attorney and Why Do You Need One?

If you are involved in a tax sale, it is important to have the assistance of an experienced tax sale attorney. A tax sale attorney can help you understand the process, protect your rights, and get the best possible outcome for you. When choosing a tax sale attorney in Illinois, it is important to find someone who is experienced in the law of tax sales in your state. 

[beardedmrbean]

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke was found guilty of all counts except for one in his federal corruption case Thursday.

The former Chicago alderman faced 14 counts, including racketeering, bribery and attempted extortion.

The case against the once-most powerful member of the Chicago City Council centered around him using his public position for private gain.

"Burke has his hand out for money. He tied the giving of official action by him to the giving of money in 3 different corrupt episodes," said US Attorney Morris Pasqual.

Burke and Peter Andrews were in the packed courtroom Thursday. Andrews was hospitalized for an unknown illness Tuesday. Andrews is co-defendant and a former 14th Ward aide for Burke.

Andrews was found not guilty of all his charges.

Charles Cui was present virtually because he is "ill." Cui was found guilty of all counts.

Burke's wife, Anne, and their two daughters and other family members were also present.

As the verdict was read, Burke had his chin on his folded hands, his gold watch glinting in the courtroom lighting. He was staring toward the front of the courtroom. His family had their heads hung behind him.

Burke nodded slowly as the jury was polled, with a deep frown on his face.

Burke's wife stepped forward and put her arm on her husband's back. They leaned together, and he kissed her on the cheek.

Burke appeared to be deep in thought, stunned by the verdict. He left court in a crush of reporters and arrived back at his Southwest Side home shortly after 4 p.m. Burke will next be due in court for post-trial hearings in February and March. His sentencing is set for June 19. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years.

Burke attempted to extort money from the Field Museum for the benefit of a close family friend. In another scheme, Burke attempted to extort the owners of a Burger King in his 14th Ward to steer tax appeal business to his private law firm.

But the heart of the government's case centered around the Old Post Office. He was found guilty of using his public position to shake down the Old Post developers to use his law firm. Former alderman-turned-government mole Danny Solis secretly recorded Burke several times discussing the scheme.

The jury, made up of nine women and three men, deliberated for 23 hours before reaching a verdict.

Legal experts have said the case was a complicated one to figure out because there were three defendants and a mountain of evidence. In addition, Burke faced racketeering charges, which former Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy DePodesta said could be the most challenging for jurors.

When Burke obtained his law degree from DePaul University in 1968, federal racketeering laws hadn't even been put in place. Thursday afternoon the laws intended to take down Chicago Outfit bosses and America's top hoodlums have toppled a man long thought to be untouchable.

As Burke ran the finance committee like a king, dozens of his city council colleagues were arrested, prosecuted and jailed for corruption. Burke went unscathed until November 2018, when the FBI raided his office.

It then became clear that federal agents had much more on Burke than previously thought.

The jury was given over 350 pages of jury instructions on Monday, along with evidence that included close to 40 witnesses and over 100 recordings.

Hundreds of the videos were covertly recorded by Solis, but his primary target was longtime Illinois speaker of the house and Democratic powermaster Michael Madigan.

Madigan is scheduled for trial in Chicago in April. With Burke's fall, Madigan knows a jury fully believed Solis and trusted what they heard on his tapes.

In all, there were 19 different counts that applied to Burke, Andrews and co-defendant Cui.

Cui's sentencing date is June 17. Andrews has been dismissed.

In a statement, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said, "Elected officials are responsible for serving with honesty and integrity, with a moral responsibility to their constituents to uphold and abide by the law. In the case that they fail to do so, it is imperative that they are held accountable. That is what the jury decided today."

Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot released a statement, saying:

"With this jury's verdict, Ed Burke should rightfully be remembered as a man who elevated personal ambition and greed over doing the people's work. "Along the way, Burke has had many, many enablers: the pernicious practice of aldermanic prerogative which, despite efforts to eliminate it, persists to this day, especially in zoning and development decisions. The other elected officials who, over the years, looked the other way as Burke systematically monetized the Finance Committee for his own personal benefit. And the party who gave Burke control over judicial nominations, so that decades of jurists became beholden to him. "But like many before who feasted on their gluttonous power, Burke was felled because this total lack of accountability made him foolishly think he was invincible. So he grossly overplayed his hand. He dug his own grave and jumped in. "Only time will tell if the lessons of Ed Burke's ascent and spectacular fall will lead to desperately needed reforms begun, but not nearly finished, around transparency and accountability. But meanwhile, with this verdict, rendered by a jury of his peers, the tyranny of Ed Burke is over. I like to think somewhere, Harold is smiling."

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

March 30, 2023

Heather Cox Richardson

The New York grand jury investigating Trump’s 2016 hush-money payments to adult film actor Stormy Daniels has voted to indict the former president. While we don’t know the full range of charges, Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg’s office confirmed that they were forthcoming tonight when it released a statement saying, “This evening we contacted Mr. Trump’s attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.’s office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal.”

This is the first time in history a former United States president has been indicted, although it is worth remembering that it is not new for our justice system to hold elected officials accountable. Mayors have been indicted and convicted. So have governors: in fact, four of the past ten Illinois governors have gone to prison. Vice presidents, too, have been charged with crimes: Aaron Burr was indicted on two counts of murder in 1804 while still in office and was tried for treason afterward. And in 1973, Richard Nixon’s vice president Spiro Agnew resigned after pleading no contest to tax evasion to avoid prison time. That Trump’s indictment is happening in New York has likely made it harder for Trump to drum up the mobs he has been inciting to defend him. New York City notoriously dislikes the former real estate man. Voters of Tomorrow official Victor Shi was at the Manhattan district attorney’s office this evening and found no one protesting. When people did show up, he tweeted, they were not Trump supporters. They were women carrying signs that said, “‘Trump is guilty’ and ‘The Time Is Now,’” he wrote. “People in the background are chanting, ‘Way to go, ladies!’ NYC is rejoicing.” New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, to whom Trump people feel comfortable talking, said that the Trump camp at Mar-a-Lago is “in…shock” at the news. They thought yesterday’s announcement that the grand jury will go on a break in early April indicated that nothing would happen before the jury reconvened. As Haberman points out, Trump has been afraid of indictments for many years, and while some speculate this indictment might help his political profile (I disagree with that, by the way), he is unhappy to see it finally arrive. He did, though, immediately start fundraising off it. Trump also released quite a long, antisemitic statement blaming “Radical Left Democrats” for a “Witch-Hunt” and saying this is “blatant Election interference.” House speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) also quickly reinforced Trump's argument, saying that Bragg had “irreparably damaged our country in an attempt to interfere in our Presidential election,” and a number of other Republican officials reinforced that sentiment. That is quite a position to take. The vote to indict came not from Bragg himself, but from a grand jury made up of ordinary Americans, and none of us knows what’s in the indictment, so one can hardly object to it in good faith. CNN reporter Melanie Zanona reports that Trump has been working the phones tonight, reaching out to Republican allies to shore up support. Some of them, of course, are trying to discredit Bragg’s work by investigating him. Trump is at his company’s property in Florida, Mar-a-Lago. Florida governor Ron DeSantis echoed Trump’s antisemitism and accusations, tweeting that Florida would “not assist in an extradition request.” But Article IV, Section 2, of the United States Constitution says, “A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime.” So either DeSantis is planning to violate the Constitution, or he recognizes that Trump will probably return to New York voluntarily, or—and this is the most likely—he is posturing to pick up Trump voters while secretly rejoicing that this will likely make it harder for Trump to win the Republican presidential nomination. While all eyes were on Trump this evening, paperwork was filed in the Florida Senate to begin the process of revising election laws, possibly so that DeSantis can run for president without resigning as governor, as under current Florida law he must. But there was something striking about Trump’s statement. In blaming the “Radical Left Democrats” for their “Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement,” he wrote, “You remember it just like I do: Russia, Russia, Russia; the Mueller Hoax; Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine; Impeachment Hoax 1; Impeachment Hoax 2; the illegal and unconstitutional Mar-a-Lago raid; and now this.” It's not a list to be proud of, but that wording—“you remember it just like I do”—jumped out. Trump always goes back to what he calls the Russia hoax, his second attempt to rewrite the way people thought about his presidency (the first was the size of the crowd at his inauguration). From the very start of his presidency, when the Federal Bureau of Investigation caught Trump's then–national security advisor Michael Flynn lying about his contact with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, more and more information has come out tying the Trump campaign to Russian operatives. As it did, Trump insisted that his followers must believe that all that information was a lie. If they believed his lies rather than the truth over the Russia scandal, they would trust him rather than believe the truth about everything. The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has given a new frame to Russia’s attempts to interfere in the 2016 election. A piece by Jim Rutenberg in the New York Times Magazine in November 2022 pulled together testimony given both to the Mueller investigation and the Republican-dominated Senate Intelligence Committee, transcripts from the impeachment hearings, and recent memoirs. Rutenberg showed that in 2016, Russian operatives had presented to Trump advisor and later campaign manager Paul Manafort a plan “for the creation of an autonomous republic in Ukraine’s east, giving Putin effective control of the country’s industrial heartland, where Kremlin-armed, -funded, and -directed “separatists” were waging a two-year-old shadow war that had left nearly 10,000 dead.” In exchange for weakening the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), undermining the U.S. stance in favor of Ukraine in its attempt to throw off the Russians who had invaded in 2014, and removing U.S. sanctions from Russian entities, Russian operatives were willing to put their finger on the scale to help Trump win the White House. Rutenberg notes that Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine looks a lot like a way to achieve the plan it suggested in 2016 but, thanks to a different president in the U.S., that invasion did not yield the results Russian president Vladimir Putin expected. The Russian economy is crumbling, and Tuesday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Russia's Wagner group of mercenaries is "suffering an enormous amount of casualties in the Bakhmut area.” He called it a “slaughter-fest" for the Russians. Today, Putin issued an order to conscript another 147,000 soldiers by July 15. Pressure on Putin continues to mount. The International Criminal Court’s March 17 arrest warrant against him and his children’s rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, for war crimes apparently caught Russian leadership by surprise. It isolates Russia and worries other Russian lawmakers that they will be charged as well, weakening their support for Putin. “Now proximity to the president isn’t just talk,” one political strategist said, “it’s a real step towards being prosecuted by international law enforcement.” And President of the European Commission (which is the executive of the European Union) Ursula von der Leyen today warned that as the European Union rethinks its trade policies, China could find itself isolated as well if it continues to support Russia. “How China continues to interact with Putin’s war will be a determining factor for EU-China relations going forward,” she said. Meanwhile, Turkey today dropped its opposition to Finland’s membership in NATO, a membership Finland has pursued in the wake of Russia’s recent aggression. Finland shares an 830-mile border with Russia, and now it will be part of NATO. Under such pressure, Russia today took the extraordinary step of detaining American journalist Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, accusing him of spying. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed deep concern and urged U.S. citizens living or traveling in Russia to “leave immediately.” Yesterday, another study of the Russian invasion of Ukraine invited us to look backward as well as forward. Britain’s Royal United Services Institute, a government-affiliated think tank, released a report on Russia’s “covert and clandestine operations, psychological operations, subversion, sabotage, special operations and intelligence and counterintelligence activities” designed to destabilize Ukraine and take it over. The report’s focus was on the current war in Ukraine, but as Josh Kovensky of Talking Points Memo notes, it establishes that some of the same people behind the destabilization of Ukrainian politics were part of Trump’s world. Notably, Russian operative Andrii Derkach not only worked to grab Ukraine for Russia, but also escorted Trump ally Rudy Giuliani around Ukraine in 2019 to dig up dirt on Biden. In the end, as legal dominoes begin to fall, it might be that Americans do not, in fact, remember the history of his presidency from “Russia, Russia, Russia” forward the same way Trump does.

—LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[oconnor2023]

Property Tax Consultant - Grundy County Property Owners!

Kelsie Neahring brings her sharp legal expertise, honed as a Kendall County State's Attorney, to lead O'Connor's Chicago residential and commercial property tax consulting. She excels at strategic argumentation and evidence-building. Kelsie is a graduate of Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology.