BUCKNACKT'S SORDID TAWDRY BLOG We should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive & well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate, bier or wein in hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WHOO-HOO, WHAT A RIDE!!!!!!"
THE ACLU continues challenged the neo-nazi fascist authoritarian policies of the drumpf/trump-vance administration and the gop / greed over people-republican party. The ACLU continues to defend our democratic Republic but needs us to do our part by voting for the Democratic Party and Democratic Socialist of America candidates on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026. And they will also appreciate a donation of whatever you can afford too. We have reached an extraordinary milestone: The ACLU has filed 437 legal actions against the Trump administration during its second term – surpassing the 434 legal actions we took during President Trump's entire first term. It took four years to reach 434 the first time. We have now exceeded that total in under 21 months. When President Trump was elected again in 2024, we knew his second administration would move faster and more aggressively than the first. Our team at the ACLU – with your support – spent months preparing for that possibility and making sure we were ready from day one. During the first Trump administration, our litigation helped slow or block some of its most consequential attacks on civil rights and civil liberties, including the Muslim ban, the separation of immigrant families, and the attempt to rig the census. In this second term, we have:
We should take real pride in reaching this milestone. But we should also be clear about what this number means: In less than half a term, this administration has already generated more legal actions from the ACLU than it did in four full years the first time around. And we still have more than two years to go. The pace is not going to let up. But rest assured, neither will the ACLU. With deep gratitude for your support,
Anthony D. Romero |
| ||||
| You are receiving this message because you signed up to receive emails from the American Civil Liberties Union. Sign up for ACLU texts | We respect your right to privacy – view our policy. This email was sent by: ACLU 125 Broad St. New York, NY 10004 |
I can assure our Canadian friends and neighbors the vast majority of Americans do not support the separatist in Alberta (or Quebec either) and will prevent any recognition of an independent Alberta and will prevent any attempt to make Alberta part of the U.S. God Bless a strong, united Canada!!!
Je peux assurer à nos amis et voisins canadiens que la grande majorité des Américains ne soutiennent pas les séparatistes en Alberta (ni au Québec d'ailleurs) et empêcheront toute reconnaissance d'une Alberta indépendante et toute tentative d'annexion de l'Alberta aux États-Unis. Que Dieu bénisse un Canada fort et uni!!!
A super PAC supporting Dan Osborn, the independent candidate for Senate in Nebraska, is airing a graphic new 60-second ad attacking his opponent, Senator Pete Ricketts, the Republican incumbent, for pardoning a man convicted of sexual assault nearly three decades after the assault.
Here’s a look at the ad, its accuracy and its major takeaway.
The ad opens with a “content warning” about sexual assault and the phone number for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
It cuts to a narrator, called “Jody S.,” who says she has a “story to tell” about Mr. Ricketts.
The woman describes being violently assaulted by an intruder in her home.
The style is spare, with limited music and images of an empty home. Some of the woman’s words are rendered in white type over a black background.
The ad pans to a series of newspaper headlines from the 1990s showing that the woman’s attacker pleaded guilty to sexual assault and was sentenced to prison.
Later, a black-and-white image of a smiling Mr. Ricketts flashes on the screen. The woman says that the senator, then serving as governor and as a member of the state’s pardon board, had voted to pardon her assailant.
Viewers next see a mug shot of the woman’s attacker on Nebraska’s official sex offender registry, part of the state government website. The man’s image then disappears. His pardon, the woman explains, meant that his name was removed from the registry.
Narrator
“I have a story to tell about our senator, Pete Ricketts. On April 30, 1993, John Arias broke into my home, tied me up with parachute cord and violently raped me. My children heard everything that happened. He was caught, pled guilty and went to prison. He said I should watch my back for the rest of my life. Pete Ricketts cast the deciding vote to pardon this man.”
FEMALE VOICE (From Pardon Board Audio)
“Governor Ricketts.”
MR. RICKETTS (From Pardon Board Audio)
“Yes. But with that, you’ve got your pardon.”
Narrator
“That pardon brought back all the nightmares. I found out just totally by accident. I thought impossible that anyone would make that decision without contacting the victim. Because of Pete Ricketts, my attacker is now allowed to own a gun and had his name removed from the sex offender registry. I have no idea why Senator Ricketts chose my rapist over me.”
Male voice
“Nebraska Values PAC is responsible for the content of this advertising.”
The assailant, John Arias, pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual assault and was sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison. He was released in April 2008, after serving nearly 14 years, according to state records.
In September 2022, he requested a pardon from the state board of pardons, which included Mr. Ricketts, who was then governor; Doug Peterson, then the state attorney general, and Bob Evnen, the secretary of state. A pardon would not erase the crime from state records but would remove his name from the state’s sex offender registry.
According to an audio recording of his 28-minute pardon hearing, Mr. Arias did not deny the assault, though he appeared to question some of the details of the victim’s account.
Mr. Ricketts and Mr. Peterson ultimately voted for the pardon. Mr. Evnen opposed it, saying that he didn’t think Mr. Arias had “fully come to grips with what happened that night.”
Mr. Peterson described the request as “on the bubble,” but cited Mr. Arias’s military service and volunteer work with the American Legion.
“We historically have taken these types of criminal acts, like sexual assault and child abuse, very seriously,” he said.
Mr. Ricketts agreed that Mr. Arias’s request was “on the bubble” but announced “you’ve got your pardon” — the line clipped in the ad.
Weeks after granting the pardon, Mr. Ricketts issued a statement defending his decision, saying that Mr. Arias “has shown to be remorseful.”
A few months later, the victim, who said she was not notified about the pardon or invited to participate in the hearing, testified before the State Senate in support of a bill to ensure that crime victims are notified of Nebraska Board of Pardons meetings.
“His rights were restored,” she told the legislators. “I ask you, where do my rights fit in?
Mr. Osborn, a union leader and Navy veteran, is in a tough race against Mr. Ricketts, who served two terms as governor and won his Senate seat in a 2024 special election. While Mr. Osborn is an independent, Democratic candidates cleared the field to ease his path, and he has been endorsed by the Nebraska Democratic Party.
The spot is an effort by Democrats and their allies to gain traction in a red state, where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats nearly two to one. Mr. Osborn has repeatedly cast Mr. Ricketts, one of the richest members of the Senate, as uninterested in the concerns of everyday Nebraskans. The ad is an effort to undermine his character and reinforce that image.
Lisa Lerer is a national political reporter for The Times, based in New York. She has covered American politics for nearly two decades.
Are You the Incumbent?: In Ohio, even some of the state’s most devoted conservatives know more about Sherrod Brown, the Democratic challenger, than Senator Jon Husted. But being perceived as the challenger may benefit the Republican incumbent.
A Pivotal Challenge for Talarico: To win statewide in Texas, something a Democrat has not done in decades, political consultants said James Talarico, the Democratic nominee, needs Black voters to turn out in large numbers.
Some Republicans Change Their Tune: As the midterm picture darkens, and gas and diesel prices soar, a growing number of Republicans in competitive races are calling on President Trump to end the war with Iran.
‘She’s One of Us’: Mary Peltola, the Democratic Senate candidate in Alaska, is pro-gun, pro-oil and pro-gas. But she’s also pro-environment and especially pro-fish.
Economic Issues: Gas prices have climbed and mortgage costs have soared, intensifying a political maelstrom surrounding Trump with just weeks until voters cast their ballots in the 2026 midterm election.
‘Make Quinceañeras Great Again’: Bobby Pulido, a Tejano musician running as a Democrat for the House, has left his Republican opponent struggling to match his star power in a district that Trump won easily in 2024.
