Fixing Our Facebook Problem. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DAVID CICILLINE.

Dear David,

Social Security and Medicare are benefits that Rhode Island seniors have earned after a lifetime of hard work. Finding a long-term solution for Social Security and Medicare should be a bipartisan issue. Unfortunately, President Trump and the Republicans who control Congress are more interested in cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans and corporate special interests. And this past week we learned just how much their billionaires-first tax cuts are jeopardizing the future of Social Security and Medicare – the Medicare trust fund is now expected to be depleted by 2026, and the Social Security Trust Fund will run dry by 2034. That’s unacceptable.

I’ve introduced the Social Security 2100 Act (H.R.1902) with Congressman John Larson (CT-01) to ensure Social Security’s financial longevity by requiring millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share. This bill also cuts taxes for more than 10 million Social Security recipients, increases benefits for retirees, and protects against inflation by offering a better cost-of-living-adjustment each year.

When we take back the majority, Democrats will get to work strengthening Social Security and Medicare so they can continue to ensure a secure retirement for millions of Americans.

Senior Resources Fair

As your Congressman, I’m committed to ensuring that our seniors can access the finest resources and services that are available at the local, state and federal levels. Rhode Island seniors deserve the best, and that’s why I hope you will join me at my Woonsocket Senior Resources Fair to be held:                               
 

Monday, June 18th
5:00pm-7:00pm

Woonsocket Senior Center
84 Social Street
Woonsocket, RI 02895 

Seniors, adults with disabilities, and caregivers are all invited to learn about important resources available from the Rhode Island Division of Elderly Affairs, the Social Security Administration, Rhode Island Housing, and more than 40 other participating organizations.

More information is available on my Facebook page here .

Overcoming Republican Obstruction

Rhode Islanders and an overwhelming majority of Americans want Congress to work together to solve problems. Right now, we are attempting to use a procedural rule to force action on two important issues:
 

• Protections for the DREAMers – young people who were brought to America by their parents and know no country other than this one;
• And preserving Net Neutrality so the internet remains free and open for everyone.

Rather than solve these problems, Republican leaders in Congress have done everything they can to avoid bringing solutions to the floor. They’re more interested in protecting President Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda and in defending the huge telecom companies that bankroll their campaigns.

That’s why I signed two discharge petitions in recent days to force Republican leaders to bring legislation to the floor that will protect the DREAMers and preserve Net Neutrality. I will continue pushing on these important priorities in the weeks ahead so that the will of the people becomes the law of the land in America.

Fixing Our Facebook Problem

Over the last few weeks, we’ve all learned a great deal about how Facebook has put user privacy and security at risk. Cambridge Analytica – a foreign political consulting firm – harvested the personal information of approximately 87 million Facebook users to create Steve Bannon’s psychological warfare tool. Facebook gave 60 mobile device makers direct access to people’s data without their permission—including Chinese companies that have been identified by our Intelligence Community as posing serious security risks.

We have reached a tipping point. Facebook’s multi-million dollar apology campaign is no substitute for meaningful efforts to protect user rights and strengthen consumer protections. I spoke earlier this week at New America, a non-partisan think tank, about how we can fix these problems by giving users greater control over their personal data. Click here to watch my remarks right now.

C-Span

On Wednesday, I joined C-SPAN’s Washington Journal to discuss the issues facing our country, outline what Democrats are doing to deliver A Better Deal for the American people, and take questions live from viewers. In case you missed it, you can click the image below to watch my interview:
 

 

Remembering Bobby Kennedy

One of my political heroes, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated 50 years ago this week. During his final campaign, as he sought the presidency, Senator Kennedy stood up against injustice, fought to end our involvement in the Vietnam War, and spoke up for millions of working Americans who felt like they didn’t have a voice in Washington.

Senator Kennedy’s example continues to speak to us today, especially as millions of Americans feel like our ideals are under attack from the folks who control Washington. I was honored to pay my respects to him at Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday, and to see his widow Ethel, their children, and grandchildren (including my colleague, Congressman Joe Kennedy III, below). All of us have a responsibility to stand up and speak out against injustice in the same way Senator Kennedy did, and I will continue working to do my part in the days and weeks to come.
 

  As always, if you or someone you know has any questions or concerns, please call my office at 729-5600 or send me an email at David.Cicilline@mail.house.gov. You can also click here to follow my work on Twitter.

Warm Regards,

David Cicilline
Member of Congress  

Capitol rioters’ social media posts influencing sentencings. Associated Press.

If we had an actual President at the time, instead of a CRIMINAL JOKE, I think we would have seen THE ARMY, NAVY, AIR FORCE, AND MARINES as well as FEDERAL AND STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMING DOWN PENNSYLVANIA AVE., (SOMETHING A REAL COMMANDER IN CHIEF WOULD HAVE ORDERED WHEN THE NATIONS CAPITOL IS UNDER ATTACK), AND TREATED THESE "CITIZENS" LIKE THE TRAITORS AND DOMESTIC TERRORISTS THAT THEY ARE.

CAN YOU THINK OF ANY GOVERNMENT, NOW OR IN THE PAST, WHERE THE HEAD OF STATE WITNESSES AN ASSAULT ON HIS/HER OWN CAPITOL, AND HOME, AND DOES NOTHING TO PROTECT IT? THE PRESIDENT IS THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE U.S. MILITARY. YET, NOT ONE MARINE, AIRMAN, SAILOR, OR SOLDIER IS CALLED UPON TO DEFEND THE CAPITOL OF THE COUNTRY THEY HAVE SWORN TO PROTECT. HOW IS THIS IN ANY WAY EXCUSABLE BEHAVIOR FOR A SITTING PRESIDENT?

REALLY? PLEASE DEFINE TREASON FOR ME.

David.

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Capitol rioters’ social media posts influencing sentencings.

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN.

Associated Press.

For many rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, self-incriminating messages, photos and videos that they broadcast on social media before, during and after the insurrection are influencing even their criminal sentences.

Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Amy Jackson read aloud some of Russell Peterson’s posts about the riot before she sentenced the Pennsylvania man to 30 days imprisonment. “Overall I had fun lol,” Peterson posted on Facebook.

The judge told Peterson that his posts made it “extraordinarily difficult” for her to show him leniency.

“The ’lol’ particularly stuck in my craw because, as I hope you’ve come to understand, nothing about January 6th was funny,” Jackson added. “No one locked in a room, cowering under a table for hours, was laughing.”

Among the biggest takeaways so far from the Justice Department’s prosecution of the insurrection is how large a role social media has played, with much of the most damning evidence coming from rioters’ own words and videos.

FBI agents have identified scores of rioters from public posts and records subpoenaed from social media platforms. Prosecutors use the posts to build cases. Judge now are citing defendants’ words and images as factors weighing in favor of tougher sentences.

As of Friday, more than 50 people have been sentenced for federal crimes related to the insurrection. In at least 28 of those cases, prosecutors factored a defendant’s social media posts into their requests for stricter sentences, according to an Associated Press review of court records.

Many rioters used social media to celebrate the violence or spew hateful rhetoric. Others used it to spread misinformation, promote baseless conspiracy theories or play down their actions. Prosecutors also have accused a few defendants of trying to destroy evidence by deleting posts.

Approximately 700 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the riot. About 150 of them have pleaded guilty. More than 20 defendants have been sentenced to jail or prison terms or to time already served behind bars. Over a dozen others received home confinement sentences.

Rioters’ statements, in person or on social media, aren’t the only consideration for prosecutors or judges. Justice Department sentencing memos say defendants also should be judged by whether they engaged in any violence or damaged property, whether they destroyed evidence, how long they spent inside the Capitol, where they went inside the building and whether they have shown sincere remorse.

Prosecutors recommended probation for Indiana hair salon owner Dona Sue Bissey, but Judge Tanya Chutkan sentenced her to two weeks in jail for her participation in the riot. The judge noted that Bisssey posted a screenshot of a Twitter post that read, “This is the First time the U.S. Capitol had been breached since it was attacked by the British in 1814.”

“When Ms. Bissey got home, she was not struck with remorse or regret for what she had done,” Chutkan said. “She is celebrating and bragging about her participation in what amounted to an attempted overthrow of the government.”

FBI agents obtained a search warrant for Andrew Ryan Bennett’s Facebook account after getting a tip that the Maryland man live-streamed video from inside the Capitol. Two days before the riot, Bennett posted a Facebook message that said, “You better be ready chaos is coming and I will be in DC on 1/6/2021 fighting for my freedom!.”

Judge James Boasberg singled out that post as an “aggravating” factor weighing in favor of house arrest instead of a fully probationary sentence.

“The cornerstone of our democratic republic is the peaceful transfer of power after elections,” the judge told Bennett. “What you and others did on January 6th was nothing less than an attempt to undermine that system of government.”

Senior Judge Reggie Walton noted that Lori Ann Vinson publicly expressed pride in her actions at the Capitol during television news interviews and on Facebook.

“I understand that sometimes emotions get in the way and people do and say stupid things, because it was ridiculous what was said. But does that justify me giving a prison sentence or a jail sentence? That’s a hard question for me to ask,” Walton said.

Prosecutors asked for a one-month jail sentence for Vinson, but the judge sentenced the Kentucky nurse to five years of probation and ordered her to pay a $5,000 fine and perform 120 hours of community service.

In the case of Felipe Marquez, the judge found social media posts belied serious mental health issues that needed treatment rather than incarceration. Marquez recorded cellphone videos of himself with other rioters inside the office of Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. Back at home in Florida, Marquez posted a YouTube video in which he rapped about his riot experience to the tune of Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me.” with lyrics that included, “We even fist-bumped police,” and “We were taking selfies.”

In the video, Marquez wore a T-shirt that said, “Property of FBI.”

Prosecutors had recommended a four-month jail sentence, but U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras sentenced him instead to three months of home confinement with mental-health treatment, followed by probation. “I do think you have some serious issues you need to address. That played a large role in my sentencing decision,” he said.

Judge Jackson gave Andrew Wrigley a history lesson before she sentenced the Pennsylvania man to 18 months of probation. Wrigley posted a photo on social media of him holding a 1776 flag during the riot. The judge said the gesture didn’t honor the nation’s founders.

“The point of 1776 was to let the people decide who would rule them. But the point of the attack on the Capitol was to stop that from happening,” Jackson said. “The point of the attack on the Capitol was to subvert democracy, to substitute the will of the people with the will of the mob.”

Videos captured New Jersey gym owner Scott Fairlamb punching a police officer outside the Capitol. His Facebook and Instagram posts showed he was prepared to commit violence in Washington, D.C., and had no remorse for his actions, prosecutors said.

Senior Judge Royce Lamberth said other rioters in Fairlamb’s position would be “well advised” to join him in pleading guilty.

“You couldn’t have beat this if you went to trial on the evidence that I saw,” Lamberth said before sentencing Fairlamb to 41 months in prison.

But it worked to the advantage of one. Virginia charter boat captain Jacob Hiles likely avoided a stricter sentence by posting videos and photos of him and his cousin at the Capitol. A day after the riot, Hiles received a private Facebook message from a Capitol police officer who said he agreed with Hiles’ “political stance” and encouraged him to delete his incriminating posts, according to prosecutors.

The officer, Michael Angelo Riley, deleted his communications with Hiles, but investigators recovered the messages from Hiles’ Facebook account, prosecutors said. Riley was indicted in October on obstruction charges.

On Monday, Jackson sentenced Hiles to two years of probation. Prosecutors said the case against Riley may have been impossible without Hiles’ cooperation.

__

Associated Press writer Lindsay Whitehurst in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.

IS FACEBOOK STILL CONTROLLED BY TRUMP AND HIS FASCIST ALLIES, ALONG WITH THE RUSSIAN GRU?

 

FOR MORE THAN 2 YEARS FACEBOOK HAS BEEN BLOCKING ANY MATERIAL THAT I ATTEMPTED TO PLACE ON ITS PAGES. VIRTUALLY ALL OF IT WAS CRITICISM OF TRUMP, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, HATE GROUPS, THE BOGUS RESULTS OF THE 2016 ELECTION etc. IT HAS GOTTEN TO THE POINT THAT EVEN ARTICLES FROM DEMOCRATIC POLITICIANS AND GROUPS, OR PURELY ACADEMIC SOURCES, SUCH AS THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION, WERE ALSO BEING BLOCKED. KEEP IN MIND THAT I HAVE ALSO POSTED SOME OF THESE SAME ARTICLES ON; TWITTER, TUMBLER, DIGG, GOOGLE+ (NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE), MIX, PINTEREST. NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THESE OTHER SITES HAS EVER BLOCKED ANY OF MY POSTS, OR EVEN EDITED FOR CONTENT. AS OF RIGHT NOW, HERE IS A SAMPLE OF ARTICLES THEY ARE STILL BLOCKING:

TO THE PEOPLE OF GEORGIA: CONGRATULATIONS FROM A "YANK."

THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION- SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG. PARTS 1-4. UPDATE.

AUDIO POST. WHY SHOULD WE STUDY LOGIC?

WILL THE REAL CHRISTIAN PLEASE STAND UP? FULL STORY.

WORTHWHILE OR WORTHLESS- A CONSUMER GUIDE TO AVOIDING SCAMS AND SCOUNDRELS. THE ADVERTORIAL- SELLING THE "NEWS?" #1.

WHEN DOES PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE OVERRIDE CONSTITUTIONAL LAW?. PT 1

YOU GET THE PICTURE. THEY WERE ALL BLOCKED, AND THE FOLLOWING APPEARED, AS IT HAS FOR A LONG TIME.

Your message couldn't be sent because it includes content that other people on Facebook have reported as abusive.

DO THEY SAY WHAT IS ABUSIVE? NO.

DO THEY SAY WHAT SHOULD BE EDITED OUT?NO.

DO THEY INDICATE WHAT GROUPS ARE OFFENDED? NO.

WELL, I DO USE:

CRITICAL THINKING AND THE RULES OF LOGIC.

PROPER RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD.

TRUMPIANS, RUSSIANS, AND FASCISTS HATE THESE THINGS. WHY? BECAUSE IT INDICATES,(OH NO), EDUCATION AND FREEDOM OF THOUGHT.

WELL, MAYBE THIS EXPLAINS FACEBOOKS EXPLOSIVE GROWTH. I MEAN BACKED UP BY THE RUSSIAN GOVT. AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, CAREFUL EDITING COULD MEAN LOTS OF CASH FROM DEEP POCKETS.

NEW GAME SHOW- TREASON FOR DOLLARS.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY FACEBOOK, AND THE

NEW REPUBLICAN PARTY. 

WITH YOUR HOST DONALD TRUMP, AND GUEST

APPEARANCES BY- TED CRUZ, MITCH MCCONNELL,

LINDSAY GRAHAM, AND SPECIAL GUEST VLADIMIR PUTIN.

FACEBOOK IS STILL CONTROLLED BY FASCISTS AND TRUMPIANS.

 JUST TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW, FACEBOOK CONTINUES TO BLOCK PUBLICATION OF ANY POSTS FROM MY WEBSITE. THE SAME POSTS THAT ARE ALLOWED ON A HALF-DOZEN OTHER MEDIA SITES.

THE FAR-RIGHT STILL CONTROLS FACEBOOK. IF I WERE A SOCIOPATHIC TRUMP SUPPORTER I WOULD BE WELCOME WITH OPEN ARMS. HOWEVER, BEING EDUCATED AND WELL-READ IS THE ENEMY OF THE FASCIST EDITORS OF FACEBOOK. THEY CAN'T STAND UP TO THE OPPOSITION MORALLY AND INTELLECTUALLY, SO THEY COWER BEHIND THEIR TRUMPIAN MASTERS.

DAVID MCDONALD.

FACEBOOK PROVES ITS LOYALTY...TO FASCISM AND TREASON.

FACEBOOK MAY BLOCK MY WEBSITE NAME, AND HINDER OTHER PROGRESSIVE GROUPS FIGHTING TRUMPIANS, FASCISTS, RUSSIAN AGENTS, AND THE GOP BRANCH OF THE PUTIN GOVERNMENT, BUT PUBLISH THIS INANE DRIVEL, PROMOTING THE GREATEST EVIL EVER TO INFECT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. EVEN TREASON DOES NOT BOTHER FACEBOOK.

OFFICIAL SURVEY

IS TRUMP THE TRUE PRESIDENT?

53% of Americans believe Trump is the true President. Everyone knows the 2020 Election was potentially the MOST CORRUPT in the history of our country.* Proud Patriots, like YOU, are standing up all across America to share their opinion on the 2020 Election. Take the Official Trump Election Integrity Survey IMMEDIATELY to have your response counted in the official results Trump sees.

*(EVEN FLAT OUT LYING DOES NOT BOTHER FASCISTBOOK, UH...FACEBOOK)

WHAT IS THE GOING RATE SELLING OUT YOUR COUNTRY? DOES IT COST AS MUCH AS CORRUPTING A JUDGE AND PROSECUTORS?

IT IS A HALF TRUTH TO SAY THAT TRUMP WAS INVOLVED IN THE MOST CORRUPT ELECTION IN U.S. HISTORY. HE WAS, BUT THE YEAR WAS 2016, AND IT PUT A NARCISSISTIC CRIMINAL IN THE WHITE HOUSE.

Christchurch shootings: 49 dead in New Zealand mosque attacks. BBC NEWS.

(The following was taken from the BBC reports on the Mass Shootings that took place at MOSQUES IN THE CITY OF CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND. As you can see, Far Right Fanaticism is not just a problem in the U.S. I was first made aware of this horrific event by a high school classmate and friend who is a resident of the city.)

Christchurch shootings: 49 dead in New Zealand mosque attacks.

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• Christchurch mosque shootings

Media captionChristchurch was put into lockdown as events unfolded

Forty-nine people have been killed and at least 20 wounded in shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the incident as a terrorist attack and one of New Zealand's "darkest days". It is the nation's deadliest attack.

A gunman identifying himself as an Australian live-streamed the rampage at Al Noor mosque to Facebook.

A man in his late 20s has been arrested and charged with murder. Two other men and one woman were also detained.

Firearms and explosive devices were recovered, Police Commissioner Mike Bush said. One of those detained was later released.

• Follow our live updates
• What is known about the suspects?
• Agonising wait for victims' families

The gunman live-streaming the attack from a head-mounted camera said he was a 28-year-old Australian called Brenton Tarrant. The footage showed him firing indiscriminately at men, women and children from close range inside the Al Noor mosque.

Police called on the public not to share the "extremely distressing" footage online. Facebook said it had removed the gunman's Facebook and Instagram accounts and was working to remove any copies of the footage.

The suspect who was charged appeared to have published a document before the attack outlining his intentions and in which he espoused far right and anti-immigrant ideology. He is due in court on Saturday morning.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the man as an "extremist, right-wing" terrorist. Police Commissioner Bush confirmed that the man was not known in advance to either New Zealand or Australian security services.

• Witnesses 'prayed for end to bullets'
• Bangladesh cricket team escapes shooting
• UK mosque security under review

New Zealand police said that officers had gone to a property in the city of Dunedin in connection with the attack in Christchurch.

"It is clear that this can now only be described as a terrorist attack," Prime Minister Ardern said in a press conference.

In a tweet, she said: "What has happened in Christchurch is an extraordinary act of unprecedented violence. It has no place in New Zealand. Many of those affected will be members of our migrant communities - New Zealand is their home - they are us."