MSNBC Discusses FIFA President Sepp Blatter

MSNBC

Despite the chaos and controversy engulfing world football’s governing body, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has secured a fifth term in charge, according to The Guardian newspaper.

The 79-year-old defeated his rival, the Jordanian Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein. Blatter polled 133 votes to Prince Ali’s 73, which would have been enough to take the contest to a potential second round but his 39-year-old challenger withdrew.

It could yet prove a hollow victory. Blatter has weathered the storm in the short term but the result leaves him presiding over a split FIFA as he faces the biggest self-inflicted crisis in its 111-year history. “For the next four years I will be in command of this boat called FIFA and we will bring it back ashore, we will bring it back to the beach,” he said, promising to make this four year term his last.

Blatter gained 133 votes to Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein’s 73 in the first round of voting, not enough to secure a two-thirds majority, but the challenger conceded defeat.

Prince Ali will claim a moral victory, writes The Guardian newspaper.

Blatter appeared giddy after winning his fifth term as president, writes The Guardian. “I like you, I like my job and I like to be with you. I’m not perfect, nobody’s perfect,” he said. “Trust and confidence, together we go,” he said.

Also, Zurich police confirmed today that they were  responding to a bomb alert at the venue where FIFA is hosting its widely-watched annual congress, amid a massive corruption scandal that has seen several FIFA officials detained.

Zurich police spokeswoman Brigitte Vogt confirmed that a bomb alert had been received at the venue where FIFA is holding the scheduled vote for the presidency that Blatter is expected to win, writes the South China Morning Post.

“I can confirm there has been a bomb threat against the FIFA congress, officers have been dispatched,” the spokeswoman said.

Above, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch comments on the FIFA corruption bust saying, it was a “long-running” investigation and the DOJ will bring the wrong-doers to justice.

(Updated post)

U.S. Justice Department Will Investigate Baltimore Police Over Freddie Gray Treatment

The U.S. Justice Department will investigate whether the Baltimore Police Department engaged in a pattern of unconstitutional policing, said law enforcement officials on Thursday.

A request was made by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake for the Justice Department to investigate.

This came soon after the Baltimore state’s attorney filed criminal charges against six officers involved in the arrest of Freddie Gray.

Gray died April 19 after being injured while in police custody. Gray’s death set off large demonstrations, arson and looting.

At a policing conference earlier on Thursday, the Baltimore police commissioner, Anthony W. Batts, said he did not object to an outside investigation, and said that he was committed to reforming the Police Department.

He said he recognized that Baltimore residents did not trust the city to make changes voluntarily, states the New York Times.

“I am willing to do anything it takes to win that trust back,” he said. “If it’s D.O.J., whatever it takes.”

The situation has dominated Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch’s first days in office, as the riots broke out in Baltimore on her first day on the job.

“The situation in Baltimore involves a core responsibility of the Department of Justice — not only to combat illegal conduct when it occurs, but to help prevent the circumstances that give rise to it in the first place,” said Ms. Lynch on Capitol Hill on Thursday.

If the Justice Department finds that there was a “pattern or practice” of discriminatory policing, it will ask that the police department make sweeping changes.

If the police department declines to do so, the matter could land in front of a federal judge, who could force changes within the department, writes ABC News.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/freddy-gray-doj-announces-federal-probe-entire-baltimore/story?id=30899279

Is Loretta Lynch Tough Enough On The Big Banks?

Sam Seder / Ring of Fire

On Thursday, September 25th, 2014, the U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that he would be leaving his office as soon as a replacement could be found.

According to Ring of Fire Radio, the Obama administration has turned to a corporate attorney who has plenty of experience representing Wall Street – rather than an attorney that spent her career fighting for average citizens.

Liberals have remained almost silent about Obama’s nominee Loretta Lynch and her record on going after the big banks.

Farron Cousins and attorney David Hersh talk about why people need to be very wary of Lynch’s nomination.

Local Senators Don’t Vote For North Carolina Native AG Candidate Loretta Lynch

The North Carolina NAACP is reacting to a decision by the two North Carolina U.S. Senators to not support Loretta Lynch as the country’s new attorney general.

Lynch, who grew up in Greensboro, N.C. and went to high school in Durham, was recently grilled by senators on Capitol Hill.

Her responses apparently did not persuade both Republican Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis.

Both said her recent comments against North Carolina’s voter ID law, which is being challenged in court, would show she would play politics and pursue “frivolous lawsuits against the state.”

Leaders with the N.C. NAACP said Lynch was more than qualified for the job and the senators’ opposition is regressive.

“They are actively lobbying against the candidacy of Loretta Lynch,” NC NAACP President Rev. William Barber said.

“…(W)hy are you attacking a daughter of North Carolina who has done everything right to come to this place?” asked Barber.

Lynch does have Republican support from two other senators.

Her nomination was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, but it’s unclear when the full Senate will take up the vote.