Jan. 6 panel moves to bring criminal contempt charges against Steve Bannon – National & International News – FRI 15Oct2021

Jan. 6 panel wants to hold Steve Bannon in contempt. ‘Striketober’: 100,000 workers threaten to strike. Afghanistan: 32 dead in mosque suicide bombing.

NATIONAL NEWS

Jan. 6 panel moves for criminal contempt charges against Steve Bannon

The Congressional Jan. 6 Commission is set to pursue criminal contempt charges against Steve Bannon, a political ally of former President Trump. Bannon was not in Trump’s government for years prior to the Jan. 6 attack. Nevertheless, he says he is asserting ‘executive privilege’ in his refusal to appear before the committee. Numerous legal experts have said that Trump’s ability to invoke executive privilege for himself and his cronies expired the day he left the White House.

The commission will meet on Tuesday to discuss turning Bannon’s case over to the Justice Department. Historically, the Justice Department has only rarely invoked criminal charges when subpoenaed witnesses refused to appear before Congress.

A “grand design”?

The more compelling aspects of this standoff lie in the committee’s reasons for calling Bannon to testify in the first place. In an NPR interview (which you can hear via the link below), committee member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), outlines the case. Raskin says the committee is interested in comments Bannon made in ahead of Jan. 6. Speaking on a right-wing radio show on Jan. 5, Bannon predicted that “all hell is going to break loose tomorrow”.

Raskin explains the committee’s suspicion that the Jan. 6 invasion of the Capitol was part of an overall “grand design” being orchestrated by Trump allies both inside and outside of government. This includes installation of a number of Trump loyalists in key Defense Department and Justice Department positions following his defeat at the polls in November. Raskin speculates that the ultimate goal was to overturn the results of the election through a combination of coordinated violence and behind-the-scenes political maneuvering.

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‘Striketober’: 100,000 workers threaten to strike for better pay, conditions

From healthcare to manufacturing, thousands of workers across the country are striking or threatening to strike for better pay and conditions this month. Workers at Kellogg’s and John Deere have announced walk-out this week over contract disputes. Employees of Kaiser Permanente, one of the nation’s largest healthcare systems, are also threatening to strike. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, which represents about 60,000 crewmembers in film and television production, are also staging their first strike in their 100+ years of existence.

Earlier this year, workers at Nabisco staged a strike over grueling working hours, with many not having had a day off in over a year. Workers also said they had not a pay rise in years.

Despite the nationwide worker shortage, some larger corporations like Kaiser and Kellogg’s are attempting to control costs by introducing two-tier systems. This would mean that new workers would have lower wages and fewer benefits than those who had been with the company longer. In Kaiser’s case, the plan was to cut starting wages by as much as 30%.

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Read more here about the causes of the nationwide worker shortage. 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Afghanistan: At least 32 dead in mosque suicide bombing

In Kandahar, at least three suicide bombers detonated devices inside a Shia mosque during prayers. The mosque was crowded since Friday prayers are the busiest of the week. At least 32 people were killed and many were seriously injured. Taliban forces have secured the site and are asking locals to donate blood to help the wounded.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks, but it seems likely that ISIS-K was behind it. ISIS is broadly a Sunni organization and is known for targeting members of other Islamic sects, especially Shias.

The Taliban and ISIS-K are sworn enemies. During the American airlifts in August, and ISIS-K suicide bombing killed 13 American military personnel, numerous Taliban fighters, and about 100 civilians. Kandahar is a founding city for the Taliban, and an attack there by ISIS-K has considerable symbolic significance.

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