The LuLac Edition #4, 995, September 7th, 2023

 

PROUD BOYS UNLUCKY NUMBER IS A WARNING TO TRUMP!

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When people tell you that Donald Trump was not responsible for January 6^th, exhibit A are the Proud Boys. These were the guys that Trump asked to “stand by” in his last residential debate.,

Four of the 5 Proud Boys got a combined total of jail time of 56 years. That unlucky number might transfer over to Donald Trump.

On Tuesday, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., sentenced former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio to 22 years in prison for his part in organizing the 2021 protest-turned-riot that obstructed Congress' ratification of Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election.

Tarrio was not at the riot on January 6. He was in Baltimore, after having been arrested two days prior in a separate criminal case. He did however post messages encouraging the riot on social media and claimed credit for helping carry it out after the fact.

That was enough to convince a jury three months ago to find him guilty of "seditious conspiracy" for his involvement.

Prosecutors had sought a 33-year sentence for Tarrio. U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly declined to go that far. But he did slap Tarrio with a sentencing enhancement for committing an act of terrorism.

His 22-year sentence is the longest any January 6 defendant has received to date. Fellow Proud Boy Ethan Nordean and Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes have each previously been sentenced to 18 years in prison on seditious conspiracy charges as well.

Most other defendants, including many who directly participated in the riot, have received much more modest sentences of a few months to a few years.

"[Prosecutors] got a really long sentence by asking for something really absurd," said C.J. Ciaramella on yesterday's Reason Roundtable.  "In cases where January 6 defendants did plead guilty, expressed remorse, the judges were much more likely to go easy on them."

Those like Tarrio who chose to take it to trial instead of pleading guilty are receiving sentences one might get for murder.

This is an example of what's called the "trial penalty" whereby prosecutors, who would otherwise accept a much lighter sentence as part of a plea bargain, seek much harsher sentences for defendants who insist on a jury trial.

This practice has been harshly criticized by liberal and libertarian groups for effectively punishing people just for exercising their constitutional right to a trial by jury.

The American Bar Association found that average sentences for federal felony convictions are seven years longer for defendants who went to trial. Prosecutors' preference for plea bargains also sees them layer on as many charges or stretch the applicability of vague statutes to coerce defendants into forfeiting their right to a trial.

The end result is that those convicted at trial go to prison for longer than even prosecutors think is necessary.

"The  sentencing demonstrates that those who attempted to undermine the workings of American democracy will be held criminally accountable," said FBI Director Christopher Wray yesterday. And U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves said that those who used "force against their own government to prevent the peaceful transfer of power have now been held accountable."

The Tario sentence, more than any other given thus far to the 1100 individuals charged with crimes related to January 6^th has to be the canary in the coal mine for Donald Trump. (LuLac, Yahoo News)

 

 COME TO BETELLI'S TO DINE WITH FRIENDS 

The Luzerne County Historical Society announces the return of its “Dining with Friends” program. Join Society members and supporters on Tuesday, September 19th at Bettelli’s Villa, 560 Kidder Street, Wilkes-Barre PA. The restaurant will generously donate 10% of its proceeds that night to the Historical Society. LCHS members and the general public are encouraged to “dine with friends” at Bettelli’s that night. The Society will have reservations in the Villa’s side room.

Come on out for a delicious meal while helping the Society at the same time! Bettelli’s Villa offers classical Italian cuisine in a fine dining experience. Please call the Villa directly at 570-824-3367 to make reservations and mention that you are with LCHS. The Society would like to thank Jessica Sheehan and the staff at Bettelli’s Villa for their generosity in sponsoring this “Dining with Friends” evening. For more information about Bettelli's visit https://www.facebook.com/BettellisVilla/. For questions about this program or for more information about the Luzerne County Historical Society, call 570-823-6244 or email info@luzernehistory.org.

Founded in 1858, the Luzerne County Historical Society is Pennsylvania’s oldest county historical society. LCHS preserves and promotes the collective history and heritage of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at the Bishop Library and the Museum in Wilkes-Barre, the Denison House in Forty Fort, and the Swetland Homestead in Wyoming. For more information, visit our website, www.luzernehistory.org. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/luzernehistory/.

 

CARTWRIGHT STATEMENT ON HISTORIC DRUG NEGOTIATION ANNOUNCEMENT

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo:  LuLac archives)

Rep. Matt Cartwright (PA-08) released the following statement after the unveiling of the first ten prescription drugs selected for Medicare price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act.

“Today marks a historic moment with the announcement of the first drugs selected for Medicare drug price negotiation.  For the first time ever, Medicare is now able to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices, saving seniors money on costly medications. This provision is unprecedented – and one that the pharmaceutical industry has fought for decades.

For far too long, big drug companies have forced way too many seniors to choose between paying for lifesaving medications and putting food on the table. With the Inflation Reduction Act now the law of the land, we finally have the power to rein in Big Pharma’s price gouging and reduce costs for both seniors and the federal government.”

 

CASEY-LED LEGISLATION TO PREVENT FURNITURE TIP-OVER INJURY AND DEATH TAKES EFFECT

SINCE 2000, MORE THAN 470 U.S. CHILDREN HAVE DIED FROM FURNITURE TIP-OVER ACCIDENTS

CASEY-LED STURDY ACT PASSED LAST DECEMBER, GOES INTO EFFECT TODAY

PARENTS SHOULD VISIT ANCHORIT.GOV TO LEARN HOW TO PROTECT THEIR CHILDREN FROM UNSTABLE FURNITURE

Senator Bob Casey  (Photo: LuLac archives)

U.S. Senator Bob Casey’s (D-PA) legislation, Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth (STURDY) Act, is going into effect, requiring furniture companies to ensure their products meet safety and stability requirements before being sold. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, furniture tip-overs cause an average of 22,500 emergency room-treated injuries each year as children are crushed, trapped or struck by furniture, TVs and appliances. Since 2000, more than 581 deaths have been associated with tip-overs; of those, 472 deaths (as of 2020), or 81%, were of children.

“I passed the STURDY Act because too many families have faced unimaginable tragedy due to inadequate safety standards for furniture at risk of tipping over,” said Senator Casey. “This law requires furniture manufacturers and retailers ensure the safety and stability of their products, so that parents can finally rest assured that new furniture they buy has been specifically manufactured with their kids’ safety in mind. Simply put, because of this legislation, fewer children will die.”

The STURDY Act changes the stability standard for manufacturers of clothing storage units from voluntary to mandatory. That standard goes into effect today, meaning that all furniture manufactured from September 1, 2023 onward must comply with the new stability standard. While the mandatory standards created by STURDY are a significant accomplishment and will help prevent tip-overs, Casey is urging parents to be diligent about anchoring new and existing furniture to their walls. For more information on how to anchor your furniture and keep your children safe, please visit AnchorIt.gov.

The law received the support of a robust coalition of organizations, including consumer groups and Parents Against Tip-overs, and manufacturers and retailers like IKEA, the American Home Furnishings Alliance, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Room & Board, Crate & Barrel and Williams-Sonoma. 

 

GOVERNOR SHAPIRO LAUNCHES PENNSYLVANIA OFFICE OF OUTDOOR RECREATION, HIGHLIGHTS LARGEST BUDGET INVESTMENT IN STATE PARKS AND FORESTS IN DECADES

THE 2023-24 BIPARTISAN BUDGET INVESTS $112 MILLION TO IMPROVE STATE PARKS AND FORESTS, SPUR ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE OUTDOOR RECREATION INDUSTRY, AND MAKE PENNSYLVANIA THE LARGEST STATE TO OPEN AN OFFICE OF OUTDOOR RECREATION

Governor Josh Shapiro (LuLac archives)

 Governor Josh Shapiro visited Yough River Park in Connellsville, along the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage (GAP), in Fayette County to launch Pennsylvania’s Office of Outdoor Recreation and highlight the 2023-24 budget’s $112 million budget investment in state parks and forests – the largest in decades.

“Our state parks and outdoor recreation industry are key to Pennsylvania’s economy – hosting nearly 40 million visitors each year and boosting local businesses and the local economy in and around our parks,” Governor Josh Shapiro said. “When we invest real money to make our natural resources more accessible for Pennsylvanians, it helps communities and businesses grow and thrive. The budget that I recently signed delivers on the promise of a new Pennsylvania Office of Outdoor Recreation to strengthen our communities and grow the Commonwealth’s outdoor economy.”

The Pennsylvania Office of Outdoor Recreation will be focused on growing the state’s outdoor sector, which adds $14 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy and accounts for 152,000 jobs. The Office will coordinate efforts with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the departments of Community and Economic Development and Health, PennDOT, and others, to create a cohesive strategy for the growth and expansion of the outdoor sector.

“Governor Shapiro is making a tremendous down payment on our ability to improve visitor experiences at our state parks and forests,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. “It’s our public lands and trails that are the backbone that supports our outdoor recreation economy.”

Thanks to this budget investment, Pennsylvania becomes the largest state, by both economy and population, with an Office of Outdoor Recreation. Furthermore, the investments in state parks and forests in the budget signed by Governor Shapiro will help address a $1.4 billion backlog of needed infrastructure work, ensuring Pennsylvania remains a premier destination for outdoor recreation.

“People and organizations across the Commonwealth see the need for statewide coordination to connect communities to meaningful and competitive growth opportunities,” Pennsylvania Director of Outdoor Recreation Nathan Reigner said. “We have gathered a significant amount of input and will continue to engage with stakeholders and communities to build up the sixth largest outdoor recreation economy in the country, while maintaining the fun and adventure the outdoors provides.”

“Outdoor recreation is thriving in Pennsylvania, and we recognize the opportunity to transform this sector by expanding partnerships and making strategic investments,” DCED Secretary Rick Siger said. “DCED’s mission is to strengthen our communities and grow our economy and the focus of this new office fits perfectly within those principles. Strong outdoor recreation is also a major advantage when trying to attract and retain people and businesses – a competition that’s fiercer among states than ever before.”

Thousands of bicyclists pedal through Yough River Park in Connellsville every year impacting many businesses beyond those directly connected to outdoor recreation. Bicycle visitors lead to shops, eateries, and accommodations catering to trail users. They in turn have attracted new housing, a medical facility, and other business growth.

“We are fortunate to have experienced significant economic revitalization from the direct impact of the Great Allegheny Passage and the boon in outdoor recreation,” Connellsville Mayor Greg Lincoln said. “Investments in the trail have created so many new opportunities for this city, and not just for outdoor recreation. The economic development brought by the trail now extends to new medical centers and new homes being built – the trail is transforming us.”

A 50-member advisory group is helping create recommendations and actions needed for the new office to help support the outdoor economy. More than 500 people also participated during a statewide listening tour. A report with findings and action steps to guide the new office is being prepared.

The Great Allegheny Passage connects Point State Park in Pittsburgh, through Ohiopyle State Park and Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands, to Cumberland, Maryland, and on to Washington, D.C., through its link with the C&O Canal Towpath.

The Commonwealth has invested tens of millions in the GAP over the past four decades, including more than $9 million in grant funding to help communities like Connellsville thrive.

DCNR manages 124 state parks, 2.2 million acres of state forest land, and works with local governments and municipalities to provide grants, planning, and other resources to communities across Pennsylvania. Visit DCNR’s website for more information about the agency and check out DCNR’s Calendar of Events for events on public lands.

 

MEDIA MATTERS

THE SELLING THE SCRANTON TIMES 

 Wilkes-Barre and Scranton has lost a friend with the selling of the Scranton Times. Word is the majority stock holders sold because there was disagreement among their heirs as to what they were going to get a when the current generation moves on.

The newspaper as well as its Waverly printing facility was sold. The Times issued an editorial saying that the new company was not going to be a good community partner or citizen. It was an extraordinary declaration.

On Labor Day morning at 12:01 am employees were given buy out notices which gave them 1 weeks’ salary at their highest rate for the number of years served.

Hardest hit were readers in the Wilkes Baree area who were used to having two newspapers since 1978. Questions abounded  as to what the Times Leader will be doing in terms of growth. Will they build a competitive news staff of all stars from both papers and invade the Scranton market to take on  the out of Towner’s?

The closing is ironic  for Wakes-Bare since for years The Times Leader was the primary newspaper. Now,  because of the Shamrock-decision, the Leader will once more be the only game in town.  

 

WALN TV 

LOOK FOR HAPPY JACK BURNS TO COME TO SENIOR CITIZEN DAY AT THE WILKES-BARRE FARMER'S MARKET NEXT THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 14th, 11am to 2pm.  

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM  

You'll hear the program Sunday at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400 am The Mothership and 7:30 am on 105 The River. 

 

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SUNDAY NIGHT SOCK HOP

 

1954

Our 1954 logo

Lewis Strauss, chairman of the United States Atomic Energy Commission, in a speech to the National Association of Science Writers claims: "It is not too much to expect that our children will enjoy in their homes electrical energy too cheap to meter". The United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by the U.S. Congress to foster and control the peacetime development of atomic science and technology.[2] President Harry S. Truman signed the McMahon/Atomic Energy Act on August 1, 1946, transferring the control of atomic energy from military to civilian hands, effective on January 1, 1947.[3] This shift gave the members of the AEC complete control of the plants, laboratories, equipment, and personnel assembled during the war to produce the atomic bomb.

An increasing number of critics during the 1960s charged that the AEC's regulations were insufficiently rigorous in several important areas, including radiation protection standards, nuclear reactor safety, plant siting, and environmental protection.

By 1974, the AEC's regulatory programs had come under such strong attack that the U.S. Congress decided to abolish the AEC. The AEC was abolished by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, which assigned its functions to two new agencies: the Energy Research and Development Administration and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.[5] On August 4, 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed into law the Department of Energy Organization Act, which created the Department of Energy. The new agency assumed the responsibilities of the Federal Energy Administration (FEA), the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA), the Federal Power Commission (FPC), and various other federal agencies and sixty nine years ago this week the number one song in LuLac land and America was “ The Man That Got Away” by Judy Garland.