https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/03/11/the-making-of-the-fox-news-white-house?fbclid=IwAR03GSuYYF2WGufM_afusJaL0tyX5ZC6bQLFZ4oTzckt_EzRterlVep8wr8
"With Shine, the Fox and White House payrolls actually do overlap. The Hollywood Reporter obtained financial-disclosure forms revealing that Fox has been paying Shine millions of dollars since he joined the Administration. Last year, he collected the first half of a seven-million-dollar bonus that he was owed after resigning from Fox; this year, he will collect the remainder. That sum is in addition to an $8.4-million severance payment that he received upon leaving the network. In December, four Democratic senators sent a letter to the White House counsel’s office, demanding proof that Fox’s payments to Shine don’t violate federal ethics and conflict-of-interest statutes. Shine is only the most recent Fox News alumnus to join the Trump Administration. Among others, Trump appointed the former Fox contributor Ben Carson to be his Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the former Fox commentator John Bolton to be his national-security adviser, and the former Fox commentator K. T. McFarland to be his deputy national-security adviser. (McFarland resigned after four months.) Trump recently picked the former Fox News anchor Heather Nauert to be the Ambassador to the United Nations, but she soon withdrew herself from consideration, reportedly because her nanny, an immigrant, lacked a work permit. The White House door swings both ways: Hope Hicks, Shine’s predecessor in the communications job, is now the top public-relations officer at 21st Century Fox. Several others who have left the Trump White House, including Sebastian Gorka, a former adviser on national security, regularly appear on Fox. Gorka recently insisted, on Fox Business, that one of Trump’s biggest setbacks—retreating from the shutdown without securing border-wall funds—was actually a “masterstroke"."
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Analysis | Tracking all of President Trump’s false or misleading claims
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims-database/?fbclid=IwAR0PDeq9tqIexT0CgmktSSdrVHSniejkTygh1S2I7A8-KsH9CaokqHQ85ZY&utm_term=.5534947a2c43
"In 773 days, President Trump has made 9,014 false or misleading claims"
"In 773 days, President Trump has made 9,014 false or misleading claims"
President Trump has made 9,014 false or misleading claims over 773 days
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/03/04/president-trump-has-made-false-or-misleading-claims-over-days/?fbclid=IwAR1FZgGvSmCP8vjC6bE4NiM9YF2qstoBeHifbJEGSZMKyk7fIIa0J5dJAwc&noredirect=on&utm_term=.83f3c44dc0e1
"Powered by his two-hour stemwinder at the Conservative Political Action Conference on March 2 — which featured more than 100 false or misleading claims — President Trump is on pace to exceed his daily quota set during his first two years in office. The president averaged nearly 5.9 false or misleading claims a day in his first year in office. He hit nearly 16.5 a day in his second year. So far in 2019, he’s averaging nearly 22 claims a day. As of the end of March 3, the 773rd day of his term in office, Trump accumulated 9,014 fishy claims, according to The Fact Checker’s database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement uttered by the president."
"Powered by his two-hour stemwinder at the Conservative Political Action Conference on March 2 — which featured more than 100 false or misleading claims — President Trump is on pace to exceed his daily quota set during his first two years in office. The president averaged nearly 5.9 false or misleading claims a day in his first year in office. He hit nearly 16.5 a day in his second year. So far in 2019, he’s averaging nearly 22 claims a day. As of the end of March 3, the 773rd day of his term in office, Trump accumulated 9,014 fishy claims, according to The Fact Checker’s database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement uttered by the president."
Donald Trump Has Reportedly Racked Up More Than 9,000 Lies Since Taking Office
https://www.esquire.com/uk/latest-news/a26617960/donald-trumps-now-reportedly-racked-up-more-than-9000-lies-since-taking-office/?fbclid=IwAR13mbQzf7VVlZxgEKmxjF0nQjMtbdozYe9qskxP_M0pu_iPf5MSxOY4XkA
"To be precise, he's on 9,014 lies in the 773 days up to yesterday, and more than 100 of those came in that rambling two-hour love-in at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbour, Maryland, during which he gave the American flag a big cuddle."
"To be precise, he's on 9,014 lies in the 773 days up to yesterday, and more than 100 of those came in that rambling two-hour love-in at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbour, Maryland, during which he gave the American flag a big cuddle."
Consumers to pay a hefty price for Trump’s rollback of light bulb efficiency standards
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-light-bulb-rollback-cost-2b10f0720303/?fbclid=IwAR2Ta3iPoVEz4D5xX7OiuMzaOKm_B1Q5NP3mKEIpBL3Hk11q31TRV_1q21I
"President Donald Trump wants to roll back efficiency standards for light bulbs, at a cost to consumers of over $100 billion — some $1,000 per household — by 2030. The Department of Energy (DOE) announced in the Federal Register that it has started a process to undo those standards, despite projections that they will prevent the release of 540 million tons of greenhouse gases and hundreds of thousands of tons of the pollutants that worsen asthma, cardiopulmonary disease, and premature death. So, in the annals of Trump’s blinkered pursuit of undoing everything President Barack Obama did, no matter how basic or commonsense, this move ranks near the top."
"President Donald Trump wants to roll back efficiency standards for light bulbs, at a cost to consumers of over $100 billion — some $1,000 per household — by 2030. The Department of Energy (DOE) announced in the Federal Register that it has started a process to undo those standards, despite projections that they will prevent the release of 540 million tons of greenhouse gases and hundreds of thousands of tons of the pollutants that worsen asthma, cardiopulmonary disease, and premature death. So, in the annals of Trump’s blinkered pursuit of undoing everything President Barack Obama did, no matter how basic or commonsense, this move ranks near the top."
Trump reportedly ordered Jared Kushner get a security clearance over multiple objections
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/2/28/18245334/jared-kushner-clearance-trump-mueller?fbclid=IwAR0KTe7F0s2zMT2G2dpCXhTi3fnwUjMfa1aszEaNt4CHebtIt4-bzTFlSVE
"Trump ordered his son-in-law be given access to top-secret information over the objections of not only career intelligence officials but also his own top White House appointees."
"Trump ordered his son-in-law be given access to top-secret information over the objections of not only career intelligence officials but also his own top White House appointees."
Michael Cohen delivered a dire warning to the Trump cult: There's no evidence they will listen
https://www.salon.com/2019/03/01/michael-cohen-delivered-a-dire-warning-to-the-trump-cult-theres-no-evidence-they-will-listen/?fbclid=IwAR03pe6WGhB5xRwp5YfBqGy08YNpoXhNsONiXYcjipWHFIjITxQG85U3kDY
"Cohen then issued a memorable warning that should keep these Trump enablers up at night. He said, "I can only warn people that the more people that follow Mr. Trump as I did blindly are going to suffer the same consequences that I'm suffering." Michael Cohen sounded, more than anything else, like a cult member who had been deprogrammed. There is little evidence that the congressional Republicans saw themselves in him. They should have."
"Cohen then issued a memorable warning that should keep these Trump enablers up at night. He said, "I can only warn people that the more people that follow Mr. Trump as I did blindly are going to suffer the same consequences that I'm suffering." Michael Cohen sounded, more than anything else, like a cult member who had been deprogrammed. There is little evidence that the congressional Republicans saw themselves in him. They should have."
Medicare for All Will Drastically Lower Prescription Drug Prices by Taking on Pharma’s Greed
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/03/01/medicare-all-will-drastically-lower-prescription-drug-prices-taking-pharmas-greed?fbclid=IwAR1EyDzuDQIBW1Riu9EWMOU-xW3z9OG3EM_ZpJFTsH9cCNdADcijMNzkUoY
"The Medicare for All Act includes a key provision, modeled after the Medicare Negotiation and Competitive Licensing Act, which would lower drug prices for all Americans by allowing the government to negotiate lower drug prices with corporations. And if a corporation refused to lower the price and threatened patients’ access to the medication, generic competition would be allowed using a competitive license."
"The Medicare for All Act includes a key provision, modeled after the Medicare Negotiation and Competitive Licensing Act, which would lower drug prices for all Americans by allowing the government to negotiate lower drug prices with corporations. And if a corporation refused to lower the price and threatened patients’ access to the medication, generic competition would be allowed using a competitive license."
Three Revelations From Explosive ‘New Yorker’ Fox News Story
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/fox-news-trump-stormy-daniels-803166/?fbclid=IwAR3mkD2ZSh1hHsBrN2AA93kx18K04kA4t6rC4GVK2E2_Ysa_gCceXozcubU
"Fox News and the Trump White House: a seamlessly integrated human centipede. Want proof? Look no further than the fact that Bill Shine, current White House communications director and the former president of Fox News, collects checks from both shops. (Shine, who resigned from Fox after the network was rocked by a series of sexual misconduct scandals, is still being paid out the remainder of a $7 million bonus.) Hope Hicks, who preceded Shine in his government gig, now works at his old network’s parent company, 21st Century Fox. In her latest piece for the New Yorker, investigative reporter Jane Mayer explored the unholy alliance between the network and the Trump administration. It’s a story that explains both how Fox made Trump (by offering him weekly segments on Fox and Friends), and how Trump radicalized Fox (by shamelessly flogging the racist “birther” conspiracy regarded as too fringe by Fox personalities Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck). As Mayer explains, it is difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins. At least three former commenters or contributors to Fox News became cabinet members (Ben Carson, K.T. McFarland and John Bolton), not including former Fox anchor Heather Nauert, who withdrew from consideration as UN ambassador, or former adviser Sebastian Gorka, who frequently appears on the network. But, as Mayer reports, you don’t need to have left Fox to be looped into White House strategy sessions. “Pete Hegseth and Lou Dobbs, hosts on Fox Business, have each been patched into Oval Office meetings, by speakerphone, to offer policy advice,” Mayer writes. “Sean Hannity has told colleagues that he speaks to the President virtually every night, after his show ends, at 10 p.m"."
"Fox News and the Trump White House: a seamlessly integrated human centipede. Want proof? Look no further than the fact that Bill Shine, current White House communications director and the former president of Fox News, collects checks from both shops. (Shine, who resigned from Fox after the network was rocked by a series of sexual misconduct scandals, is still being paid out the remainder of a $7 million bonus.) Hope Hicks, who preceded Shine in his government gig, now works at his old network’s parent company, 21st Century Fox. In her latest piece for the New Yorker, investigative reporter Jane Mayer explored the unholy alliance between the network and the Trump administration. It’s a story that explains both how Fox made Trump (by offering him weekly segments on Fox and Friends), and how Trump radicalized Fox (by shamelessly flogging the racist “birther” conspiracy regarded as too fringe by Fox personalities Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck). As Mayer explains, it is difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins. At least three former commenters or contributors to Fox News became cabinet members (Ben Carson, K.T. McFarland and John Bolton), not including former Fox anchor Heather Nauert, who withdrew from consideration as UN ambassador, or former adviser Sebastian Gorka, who frequently appears on the network. But, as Mayer reports, you don’t need to have left Fox to be looped into White House strategy sessions. “Pete Hegseth and Lou Dobbs, hosts on Fox Business, have each been patched into Oval Office meetings, by speakerphone, to offer policy advice,” Mayer writes. “Sean Hannity has told colleagues that he speaks to the President virtually every night, after his show ends, at 10 p.m"."
Giving the Bomb to Saudi Arabia’s Dr. Strangelove
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/03/04/giving-bomb-saudi-arabias-dr-strangelove?fbclid=IwAR2IFvmXRHRVrJtRaC0phjFxsx3Y50z6ZHqpzNG7aCNZphCoLl1ZzN6Zqnk
"The thought of nuclear weapons being in the hands of Salman, an updated version of Saddam Hussein, and ultimately in the hands of nonstate radical jihadists who are supported and funded by powerful elements within Saudi Arabia, is terrifying."
"The thought of nuclear weapons being in the hands of Salman, an updated version of Saddam Hussein, and ultimately in the hands of nonstate radical jihadists who are supported and funded by powerful elements within Saudi Arabia, is terrifying."
Trump's Presidency Is Rolling Towards a Confrontation With Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a26630017/democrats-committees-congress-subpoena-81-trump-associates/?fbclid=IwAR048Ns0u6Nk-Rphrja0p_uaW6WEV9sTP0kUA2BsRSSd3hKBvpHn1UtRYWo
"It's hard to believe now that the full extent of this corrupt presidency is coming to light that it all began with Russian hackers and the phony issue of HRC's emails. It is rolling toward a confrontation with Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution now."
"It's hard to believe now that the full extent of this corrupt presidency is coming to light that it all began with Russian hackers and the phony issue of HRC's emails. It is rolling toward a confrontation with Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution now."
Trump’s unhinged CPAC speech should concern us all
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trumps-unhinged-cpac-speech-should-concern-us-all/2019/03/04/96395a9e-3ecc-11e9-922c-64d6b7840b82_story.html?fbclid=IwAR0oekx-8pit2LAOZuhhaK0ex_AXrxI8otRN5p8p54OoyXwUZIj83jRuqaE&utm_term=.f84619687b0f
"The president of the United States gave a rambling and incoherent two-hour speech in which he raved like a lunatic and told crazy, self-serving lies from start to finish. If that no longer qualifies as alarming, we’re in serious trouble."
"The president of the United States gave a rambling and incoherent two-hour speech in which he raved like a lunatic and told crazy, self-serving lies from start to finish. If that no longer qualifies as alarming, we’re in serious trouble."
Sunday, March 3, 2019
Are Foreign Countries Benefiting From Jared Kushner’s Security Clearance?
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/03/kushner-security-clearance-do-other-countries-benefit.html?fbclid=IwAR2UjfCYKZTAxoyFAq31U72UTMnjmdH_GmrJSUvtVm54a3F_qdeSe3W93cg
"In any case, there may be no way to force any of these grifters out of the White House short of handcuffs. It has long been my contention that Jared’s subconscious ambition is to follow his father, Charles, into prison. Every revelation brings him closer to his goal, starting as far back as his attempt to set up a secret communications back channel between the Trump transition and the Russians to circumvent America’s intelligence agencies. His and the Kushner family’s international dealings to secure financing for their struggling real-estate ventures since Inauguration Day have repeatedly raised the question of which country he is actually serving from his perch in the White House. Russia? Saudi Arabia? Qatar? China? Certainly there is nothing in Kushner’s record to suggest that he is loyal to the United States of America. This latest bombshell raises a whole bunch of ancillary questions. Indeed, why did Ivanka and Jared’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, appear to lie about his devious path to his security clearance? And what about John Kelly, that good soldier who was widely praised in Washington as the “adult” in the Trump circle? We’ve already learned that he is a racist and a nativist from various incidents during his craven tenure in the administration, but now we have to wonder if he, Michael Flynn–style, betrayed his country by facilitating Jared’s access to intelligence at Trump’s insistence."
"In any case, there may be no way to force any of these grifters out of the White House short of handcuffs. It has long been my contention that Jared’s subconscious ambition is to follow his father, Charles, into prison. Every revelation brings him closer to his goal, starting as far back as his attempt to set up a secret communications back channel between the Trump transition and the Russians to circumvent America’s intelligence agencies. His and the Kushner family’s international dealings to secure financing for their struggling real-estate ventures since Inauguration Day have repeatedly raised the question of which country he is actually serving from his perch in the White House. Russia? Saudi Arabia? Qatar? China? Certainly there is nothing in Kushner’s record to suggest that he is loyal to the United States of America. This latest bombshell raises a whole bunch of ancillary questions. Indeed, why did Ivanka and Jared’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, appear to lie about his devious path to his security clearance? And what about John Kelly, that good soldier who was widely praised in Washington as the “adult” in the Trump circle? We’ve already learned that he is a racist and a nativist from various incidents during his craven tenure in the administration, but now we have to wonder if he, Michael Flynn–style, betrayed his country by facilitating Jared’s access to intelligence at Trump’s insistence."
'One of the Best Cases For Single Payer I've Ever Seen': Watch Dr. Adam Gaffney Take on Skeptics at Fox
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/03/02/one-best-cases-single-payer-ive-ever-seen-watch-dr-adam-gaffney-take-skeptics-fox?fbclid=IwAR2k9GWZA53pjTCAynHEIzpTt9AAAk3Q8NEXzBqi100sR3M83ln1fe-7L9M
"Noting that every other highly developed nation has universal healthcare, Gaffney pointed out to the panel that "overall, the healthcare systems of these countries are quite high quality. Overall, they have higher life expectancies than we do; they have lower infant mortality... Overall, these nations achieve better results with less money"."
"Noting that every other highly developed nation has universal healthcare, Gaffney pointed out to the panel that "overall, the healthcare systems of these countries are quite high quality. Overall, they have higher life expectancies than we do; they have lower infant mortality... Overall, these nations achieve better results with less money"."
Trump falsely denies 2016 phone calls between his team and Russia
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-falsely-denies-2016-phone-calls-between-his-team-and-russia?fbclid=IwAR2V58jIX0XnCjvP5Z833oAHLT2NP22b2byEBrw8b6FFjLHy6FNXHG4sHh8
"Trump and his team initially insisted that there no communications whatsoever between the Republican campaign and Russian operatives during the 2016 campaign. Confronted with evidence to the contrary, Trump and his closest associates, at least for a while, continued to insist that the interactions simply never occurred. As regular readers may recall, there were plenty of denials, all of which have been proven false: * At a pre-inaugural press conference, Donald Trump himself said no one from his team was in contact with Russians during the campaign. * Asked if anyone with Trump’s political operation had any contact with Russians during the election, Vice President Mike Pence said, “Of course not.” It wasn’t Pence’s only bogus denial on this. * Kellyanne Conway, asked about the possibility of communications between the Republican campaign and Russians, said, “Absolutely not.” She added the conversations “never happened” and any suggestions to the contrary “undermine our democracy.” * On the same issue, Hope Hicks said, “There was no communication between the campaign and any foreign entity during the campaign.” * Sarah Huckabee Sanders added, “This is a non-story because, to the best of our knowledge, no contacts took place.” * Reince Priebus said last year, “Of course, we didn’t interface with the Russians.” What’s more, as regular readers may recall, there’s ample reason to believe various officials in the Trump campaign knew about the Russian contacts, even while the president and his team denied that the communications were happening. And yet there was the president on Friday, 28 months after the election, still making the case that there were “no phone calls, no nothing.” Does Trump not realize that we already know this isn’t true?"
"Trump and his team initially insisted that there no communications whatsoever between the Republican campaign and Russian operatives during the 2016 campaign. Confronted with evidence to the contrary, Trump and his closest associates, at least for a while, continued to insist that the interactions simply never occurred. As regular readers may recall, there were plenty of denials, all of which have been proven false: * At a pre-inaugural press conference, Donald Trump himself said no one from his team was in contact with Russians during the campaign. * Asked if anyone with Trump’s political operation had any contact with Russians during the election, Vice President Mike Pence said, “Of course not.” It wasn’t Pence’s only bogus denial on this. * Kellyanne Conway, asked about the possibility of communications between the Republican campaign and Russians, said, “Absolutely not.” She added the conversations “never happened” and any suggestions to the contrary “undermine our democracy.” * On the same issue, Hope Hicks said, “There was no communication between the campaign and any foreign entity during the campaign.” * Sarah Huckabee Sanders added, “This is a non-story because, to the best of our knowledge, no contacts took place.” * Reince Priebus said last year, “Of course, we didn’t interface with the Russians.” What’s more, as regular readers may recall, there’s ample reason to believe various officials in the Trump campaign knew about the Russian contacts, even while the president and his team denied that the communications were happening. And yet there was the president on Friday, 28 months after the election, still making the case that there were “no phone calls, no nothing.” Does Trump not realize that we already know this isn’t true?"
Trump’s nonsense on Otto Warmbier is mind-numbing and outrageous
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trumps-nonsense-on-otto-warmbier-is-mind-numbing-and-outrageous/2019/03/01/681f61c0-3c6b-11e9-aaae-69364b2ed137_story.html?fbclid=IwAR2sT4jSdAE6fuR9SrEpWrdHMPb3-irDTBlgtaTIBiVX9BS3l3ZNAjN-pXU&utm_term=.f3f72f4c04d6
"What every foreign ruler, dictator, president or potentate now knows is that every American tourist, journalist, college student and diplomat is fair game for capture, arrest, hostage-taking, torture or murder — all without consequence. All they have to do is lie to the president, a proven weakling, and the bad thing that happened will just go away."
"What every foreign ruler, dictator, president or potentate now knows is that every American tourist, journalist, college student and diplomat is fair game for capture, arrest, hostage-taking, torture or murder — all without consequence. All they have to do is lie to the president, a proven weakling, and the bad thing that happened will just go away."
Republicans Sink Further Into Trump’s Cesspool
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/27/opinion/cohen-trump-loyalty.html?fbclid=IwAR2wjEEiWBZDR-vdg7m0STOePynnuDXmlTGJDl2uinmIqxM-jwLhCm_OJfw
"By now Republicans must know, deep in their hearts, that Mr. Cohen’s portrayal of Mr. Trump as a “racist,” “a con man” and “a cheat” is spot on. So it is the truth they fear, and it is the truth — the fundamental reality of the world as it actually is — that they feel compelled to destroy. This is the central organizing principle of the Republican Party now. More than tax cuts. More than trade wars. More even than building a wall on our southern border. Republicans are dedicated to annihilating truth in order to defend Mr. Trump and they will go after anyone, from Mr. Cohen to Robert Mueller, who is a threat to him. He is their emperor, and they are his political Praetorian Guard."
"By now Republicans must know, deep in their hearts, that Mr. Cohen’s portrayal of Mr. Trump as a “racist,” “a con man” and “a cheat” is spot on. So it is the truth they fear, and it is the truth — the fundamental reality of the world as it actually is — that they feel compelled to destroy. This is the central organizing principle of the Republican Party now. More than tax cuts. More than trade wars. More even than building a wall on our southern border. Republicans are dedicated to annihilating truth in order to defend Mr. Trump and they will go after anyone, from Mr. Cohen to Robert Mueller, who is a threat to him. He is their emperor, and they are his political Praetorian Guard."
Donald Trump Pulled One Over on America, But He Couldn’t Sucker the NFL
https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-pulled-one-over-on-america-but-he-couldnt-sucker-the-nfl?ref=home&fbclid=IwAR2QqYdeTzz3vqYQPqk4OoMNQHYaPUI0ULT9PsBhSTS184oq9i3KDwlAFx0
"The point here is that when it comes to wealth, Trump just makes it up. He’s no more a billionaire than I am. Creating a lifestyle that lets him pose as a billionaire costs less than $12 million annually, I estimate. And he achieves that not through building wealth, but through his work as a financial locust who devours other people’s money through moving from one shady deal to the next. Along the way he cheats banks, investors, workers, and governments at all levels. When we see Trump’s tax returns, as we can expect to soon thanks to a 1924 anti-corruption law, you can get bet his income won’t support a net worth anywhere near even one billion dollars. And don’t be surprised if his net worth turns out to be less than zero, as Trump was forced to admit in 1990 when I reported that his net worth was negative $295 million, meaning that you are probably worth more than Donald Trump. He may have conned America, but he couldn’t con the NFL, and thanks to Robert Mueller and the Southern District of New York and the Democrats in Congress, it looks like the con on the country is about to come to an end, too."
"The point here is that when it comes to wealth, Trump just makes it up. He’s no more a billionaire than I am. Creating a lifestyle that lets him pose as a billionaire costs less than $12 million annually, I estimate. And he achieves that not through building wealth, but through his work as a financial locust who devours other people’s money through moving from one shady deal to the next. Along the way he cheats banks, investors, workers, and governments at all levels. When we see Trump’s tax returns, as we can expect to soon thanks to a 1924 anti-corruption law, you can get bet his income won’t support a net worth anywhere near even one billion dollars. And don’t be surprised if his net worth turns out to be less than zero, as Trump was forced to admit in 1990 when I reported that his net worth was negative $295 million, meaning that you are probably worth more than Donald Trump. He may have conned America, but he couldn’t con the NFL, and thanks to Robert Mueller and the Southern District of New York and the Democrats in Congress, it looks like the con on the country is about to come to an end, too."
Trump doesn't need Cohen anymore, the entire Republican party is now perpetrating his thuggery
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/3/2/1838840/-Trump-doesn-t-need-Cohen-anymore-the-entire-Republican-party-is-now-perpetrating-his-thuggery?fbclid=IwAR2wfmC45BwTtCe2bEGyXBMZdt5vFiZVdD6e9To9Dd1uYQDvl2gy_7VTI1A
"That's because the Republican party, or what's left of it, now exists in sole service of Donald Trump's fraud. Neither principle nor ideal of any sort guides the party—just the destruction of objective reality, lest it expose Trump as the petty and impotent huckster to whom they have sold their souls."
"That's because the Republican party, or what's left of it, now exists in sole service of Donald Trump's fraud. Neither principle nor ideal of any sort guides the party—just the destruction of objective reality, lest it expose Trump as the petty and impotent huckster to whom they have sold their souls."
‘The reason there was no defense is because there is no defense’
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/the-reason-there-was-no-defense-because-there-no-defense?fbclid=IwAR1SQxIyobh4GgsSBAXLIF2oktJKdC_MnnfoBnEnZW0sNYKtnCDulICEAv0
"There was no substantive defense of Trump’s alleged misdeeds because Republicans couldn’t think of anything. The president appears to have done a whole lot of things he shouldn’t have, and at this point, those who hope he’s innocent have a bow but no arrows."
"There was no substantive defense of Trump’s alleged misdeeds because Republicans couldn’t think of anything. The president appears to have done a whole lot of things he shouldn’t have, and at this point, those who hope he’s innocent have a bow but no arrows."
Friday, March 1, 2019
We May Soon Find Out What Trump's Willing To Do to Stay Out of Jail
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a26585915/trump-southern-district-new-york-investigation-michael-cohen-manuscript/?fbclid=IwAR1h_7Vgxrmyrk2DTl3EarN-QcPjbe9IO9y7CLy-3LP_hClJd9gmLDqu2GM
"This is what it's come to. The president is ranting and raving on Twitter about the rapidly expanding investigations into him, as prosecutors at the state and federal levels in multiple states continually find more to investigate the more they dig. He is demanding to see his former fixer's maybe-real book manuscript, perhaps to avoid talking about how he blatantly lied in public about having ordered officials to give the Son-in-Law-in-Chief a security clearance despite warnings from intelligence professionals that Jared Kushner was open to manipulation and blackmail. In fact, representatives of four different countries were caught on tape discussing how they might use Kushner's vulnerabilities, including his financially distressed real-estate company, to pry what they need out of the government of the United States of America. Certainly, he's not much interested in discussing his failed summit with North Korea this week, in which some observers found he got rolled and others found he simply never grasped the terms of engagement from the beginning. Perhaps we should just be glad to go another day without nuclear war. These are the kind of standards we must set for ourselves now that we chose to elect the least-qualified person available to be the world's most powerful man. And all the while, the vice tightens. There is no bottom, and no end to what this grotesque creature embodying all the worst instincts of the American psyche might do. He has corrupted his office, ransacked the operating norms that allow a healthy democracy to function, and convinced his allies in Congress to abandon their role as a co-equal branch of government. He has even subverted the Constitution, declaring a national emergency when there is no national emergency to seize funds that Congress did not allocate with its power of the purse. There is nothing he won't do. Now that staying out of jail might mean staying in office, we're probably about to find out just what that entails."
"This is what it's come to. The president is ranting and raving on Twitter about the rapidly expanding investigations into him, as prosecutors at the state and federal levels in multiple states continually find more to investigate the more they dig. He is demanding to see his former fixer's maybe-real book manuscript, perhaps to avoid talking about how he blatantly lied in public about having ordered officials to give the Son-in-Law-in-Chief a security clearance despite warnings from intelligence professionals that Jared Kushner was open to manipulation and blackmail. In fact, representatives of four different countries were caught on tape discussing how they might use Kushner's vulnerabilities, including his financially distressed real-estate company, to pry what they need out of the government of the United States of America. Certainly, he's not much interested in discussing his failed summit with North Korea this week, in which some observers found he got rolled and others found he simply never grasped the terms of engagement from the beginning. Perhaps we should just be glad to go another day without nuclear war. These are the kind of standards we must set for ourselves now that we chose to elect the least-qualified person available to be the world's most powerful man. And all the while, the vice tightens. There is no bottom, and no end to what this grotesque creature embodying all the worst instincts of the American psyche might do. He has corrupted his office, ransacked the operating norms that allow a healthy democracy to function, and convinced his allies in Congress to abandon their role as a co-equal branch of government. He has even subverted the Constitution, declaring a national emergency when there is no national emergency to seize funds that Congress did not allocate with its power of the purse. There is nothing he won't do. Now that staying out of jail might mean staying in office, we're probably about to find out just what that entails."
Michael Cohen Destroyed Not Just Trump but Also His House GOP Defenders
https://www.thenation.com/article/michael-cohen-hearing-moscow-wikileaks/?fbclid=IwAR3M3mvqabKJQJFNTupSKgDMp2r3uKUIan_xtBrgcFT23PYUXtEFVuYKb0s
"This is the constitutionally mandated oversight the House GOP has refused to conduct for two years. Cohen’s finest moment came when he challenged his GOP critics for attacking him by pointing out they were acting just like him. “I did the same thing that you’re doing now for 10 years. I protected Mr. Trump for 10 years,” he said. “That puts you into the same position that I’m in. The more people who do what I did, follow Mr. Trump blindly, will suffer the same consequences I did.” He added: “Everybody’s job at the Trump Org was to protect Mr. Trump. Every day, most of us knew we were coming in and we were going to lie for him on something. And that’s exactly what’s happening right now in this country. It’s exactly what’s happening here in government"."
"This is the constitutionally mandated oversight the House GOP has refused to conduct for two years. Cohen’s finest moment came when he challenged his GOP critics for attacking him by pointing out they were acting just like him. “I did the same thing that you’re doing now for 10 years. I protected Mr. Trump for 10 years,” he said. “That puts you into the same position that I’m in. The more people who do what I did, follow Mr. Trump blindly, will suffer the same consequences I did.” He added: “Everybody’s job at the Trump Org was to protect Mr. Trump. Every day, most of us knew we were coming in and we were going to lie for him on something. And that’s exactly what’s happening right now in this country. It’s exactly what’s happening here in government"."
Trump’s Shocking Defense of North Korean Dictator Caps a Failed Summit
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/02/trumps-shocking-defense-of-north-korean-torture-caps-a-failed-summit/?fbclid=IwAR2Ry0hzht9M7ZziMHewOTKhFTBg1oyY-6SWONxuTdlb4R1Q8Aaq8WGfhNY
"Less than two years ago, President Donald Trump helped make the name “Otto Warmbier,” the 21-year-old American college student who was taken prisoner by Kim’s regime, synonymous with North Korean brutality. But at the conclusion of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un today, he adopted the brutal dictator’s talking points when asked about Warmbier’s mysterious death in 2017. “I don’t believe he would have allowed that to happen,” Trump said. “He tells me that he didn’t know about it, and I will take him at his word"."
"Less than two years ago, President Donald Trump helped make the name “Otto Warmbier,” the 21-year-old American college student who was taken prisoner by Kim’s regime, synonymous with North Korean brutality. But at the conclusion of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un today, he adopted the brutal dictator’s talking points when asked about Warmbier’s mysterious death in 2017. “I don’t believe he would have allowed that to happen,” Trump said. “He tells me that he didn’t know about it, and I will take him at his word"."
Who gets the benefit of the doubt from Donald Trump
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/who-gets-the-benefit-the-doubt-donald-trump?fbclid=IwAR0-dyD3mTX4IyjoKm6dNiZsba42a-m9FcUH4TOrAU4Q7ykPTjhiMbjuwYE
"So let me get this straight. North Korea held an American in detention for over a year; the prisoner later died; Kim Jong-un claims he “didn’t know about it,” but feels “very badly” about what happened; and Trump is satisfied with the explanation? What amazes me is who gets the benefit of the doubt from the American president. Because as outlandish as his comments about the North Korean leader were, they’re part of a much larger pattern of credulity. Russia’s Vladimir Putin said his country didn’t attack American elections, and Trump took him at his word. Saudi Arabia’s Mohammad Bin Salman said he wasn’t involved in the Khashoggi murder, and Trump took him at his word, too. Indeed, when it comes to people Trump likes, denials seem to be accepted at face value."
"So let me get this straight. North Korea held an American in detention for over a year; the prisoner later died; Kim Jong-un claims he “didn’t know about it,” but feels “very badly” about what happened; and Trump is satisfied with the explanation? What amazes me is who gets the benefit of the doubt from the American president. Because as outlandish as his comments about the North Korean leader were, they’re part of a much larger pattern of credulity. Russia’s Vladimir Putin said his country didn’t attack American elections, and Trump took him at his word. Saudi Arabia’s Mohammad Bin Salman said he wasn’t involved in the Khashoggi murder, and Trump took him at his word, too. Indeed, when it comes to people Trump likes, denials seem to be accepted at face value."
Who Else Might Like Medicare for All? Retired Coal Miners Who Just Had Their Health Benefits Ripped Away
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/02/18/who-else-might-medicare-all-retired-coal-miners-who-just-had-their-health-benefits?fbclid=IwAR064GTAEgctZYF9Je9jHU6N3alULRpOx0V2sK1ZvltWFhRxdWtznoY-UMQ
"On Friday, a ruling by a federal bankruptcy judge in Texas showed why retired coal miners led to believe their health benefits would be with them for life were wrong and at least one advocate for Medicare for All noted that this is just one more reason why a healthcare system that includes everyone and excludes nobody would be a lifeline for workers which capitalism has pulled the rug out from under."
"On Friday, a ruling by a federal bankruptcy judge in Texas showed why retired coal miners led to believe their health benefits would be with them for life were wrong and at least one advocate for Medicare for All noted that this is just one more reason why a healthcare system that includes everyone and excludes nobody would be a lifeline for workers which capitalism has pulled the rug out from under."
The Snowflake in Chief
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/02/snl-trump/583003/?fbclid=IwAR0xgxnbpxYqPBX1BYEdFKEuWp9N9UhlbWWUrNWQus0DJCdnrlV0ECF8tuM
"To support President Trump is to be complicit in the rule of a thin-skinned authoritarian who denigrates the free-speech rights of people who criticize him. The latest illustration: his weekend outburst against Saturday Night Live, a sketch-comedy show that has regularly poked fun at every American president for 40 years. The most powerful snowflake in America was triggered by Alec Baldwin."
"To support President Trump is to be complicit in the rule of a thin-skinned authoritarian who denigrates the free-speech rights of people who criticize him. The latest illustration: his weekend outburst against Saturday Night Live, a sketch-comedy show that has regularly poked fun at every American president for 40 years. The most powerful snowflake in America was triggered by Alec Baldwin."
Betsy DeVos vs. Student Veterans
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/18/opinion/betsy-devos-student-veterans.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage&fbclid=IwAR0JoKPqZU3UTRdqeEGYCS1uLTIiFMSVXfDq1sV27KCHiPwKFdvdtCZdGxc
"Despite robust objections from roughly three dozen national veterans and military service organizations, Secretary DeVos elected to eviscerate student protections and quality controls for colleges — particularly those governing the often low-quality, predatory for-profit colleges that target veterans in their marketing schemes. You’ve probably seen their sort of ads: a young soldier parachuting from a plane in one moment, smiling as he raises his hand in the warm, glossy confines of a for-profit school in the next, then the final shot of the veteran hoisting his degree, hugging his family. Why are veterans the targets? Because for-profit colleges milk a federal loophole that allows them to count G.I. Bill benefits as private funds, offsetting the 90 percent cap they otherwise face on their access to taxpayer-supported federal student aid. Nearly two dozen state attorneys general have said this accounting gimmick — known as the “90/10 loophole” — “violates the intent of the law.” Hundreds of for-profit schools are almost entirely dependent on federal revenue, and if the 90/10 loophole were closed, they would be in violation of this federal regulation. Taxpayers, in other words, are largely propping up otherwise failing schools. In December, a damning Department of Veterans Affairs internal audit estimated the risk of G.I. Bill waste was exceptionally high at for-profit schools, which received over 75 percent of improper G.I. Bill payments. The report highlighted the schools’ deceptive advertising campaigns used to recruit veterans and warned that the government will waste $2.3 billion in improper payments over the next five years if changes are not made to reel in the abuse. As Holly Petraeus — a former head of service member affairs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — has written, for-profit colleges have “an incentive to see service members as nothing more than dollar signs in uniform, and to use aggressive marketing to draw them in"."
"Despite robust objections from roughly three dozen national veterans and military service organizations, Secretary DeVos elected to eviscerate student protections and quality controls for colleges — particularly those governing the often low-quality, predatory for-profit colleges that target veterans in their marketing schemes. You’ve probably seen their sort of ads: a young soldier parachuting from a plane in one moment, smiling as he raises his hand in the warm, glossy confines of a for-profit school in the next, then the final shot of the veteran hoisting his degree, hugging his family. Why are veterans the targets? Because for-profit colleges milk a federal loophole that allows them to count G.I. Bill benefits as private funds, offsetting the 90 percent cap they otherwise face on their access to taxpayer-supported federal student aid. Nearly two dozen state attorneys general have said this accounting gimmick — known as the “90/10 loophole” — “violates the intent of the law.” Hundreds of for-profit schools are almost entirely dependent on federal revenue, and if the 90/10 loophole were closed, they would be in violation of this federal regulation. Taxpayers, in other words, are largely propping up otherwise failing schools. In December, a damning Department of Veterans Affairs internal audit estimated the risk of G.I. Bill waste was exceptionally high at for-profit schools, which received over 75 percent of improper G.I. Bill payments. The report highlighted the schools’ deceptive advertising campaigns used to recruit veterans and warned that the government will waste $2.3 billion in improper payments over the next five years if changes are not made to reel in the abuse. As Holly Petraeus — a former head of service member affairs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — has written, for-profit colleges have “an incentive to see service members as nothing more than dollar signs in uniform, and to use aggressive marketing to draw them in"."
Microsoft Reveals New Russian Hacking Attempts
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/microsoft-russian-hacking-796765/?fbclid=IwAR2ICl68lZb-0mALw04BOH7SXtzKP6zlRopcT-08E2hi590g7LrqdFYMlS8
"For the second time in six months, Microsoft publicly announced that it detected what appeared to be Russian intelligence agents attempting to hack into think-tank organizations that have been critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian regime."
"For the second time in six months, Microsoft publicly announced that it detected what appeared to be Russian intelligence agents attempting to hack into think-tank organizations that have been critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian regime."
The state of American manufacturing: The failure of Trump’s trade and economic policies
The state of American manufacturing: The failure of Trump’s trade and economic policies
"Separating fact from fiction is always tough when listening to President Trump, who lives in his own, fact-free fantasy-world. This is particularly so when it comes to trade and manufacturing."
"Separating fact from fiction is always tough when listening to President Trump, who lives in his own, fact-free fantasy-world. This is particularly so when it comes to trade and manufacturing."
Numb to corruption: How Republicans trained their base to ignore Trump's criminality
https://www.salon.com/2019/02/20/numb-to-corruption-how-republicans-trained-their-base-to-ignore-trumps-criminality/?fbclid=IwAR2FwOHQi9pMoxgK9jjkTvPKPuAsIY1Gbfu-_k9RdXB6dBTs1iGr6OMa5Jc
"First, Republicans normalized the idea that all politicians are corrupt by electing a series of deeply corrupt politicians themselves. Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush have all been warm-up acts to Trump. Watergate, the Iran-Contra affair, falsified intelligence to justify the Iraq invasion: Every one of those presidents helped train their voters to defend political corruption if it was conducted for supposedly meritorious ends. With Watergate -- a bush-league burglary gone wrong -- the training wheels hadn't come off. But by the time Bush administration lies had led us into the disastrous quagmire in Iraq, your average conservative had not only become adept at making excuses for political corruption, but had fully accepted that doing so is a normal and expected aspect of supporting the Republican Party. It's honestly not that big a leap from defending the corrupt Bush administration to defending the corrupt Trump administration."
"First, Republicans normalized the idea that all politicians are corrupt by electing a series of deeply corrupt politicians themselves. Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush have all been warm-up acts to Trump. Watergate, the Iran-Contra affair, falsified intelligence to justify the Iraq invasion: Every one of those presidents helped train their voters to defend political corruption if it was conducted for supposedly meritorious ends. With Watergate -- a bush-league burglary gone wrong -- the training wheels hadn't come off. But by the time Bush administration lies had led us into the disastrous quagmire in Iraq, your average conservative had not only become adept at making excuses for political corruption, but had fully accepted that doing so is a normal and expected aspect of supporting the Republican Party. It's honestly not that big a leap from defending the corrupt Bush administration to defending the corrupt Trump administration."
Video: Tucker Carlson’s Unaired Meltdown After Rutger Bregman Calls Out Fox News
https://www.thedailybeast.com/video-tucker-carlsons-unaired-meltdown-after-rutger-bregman-calls-out-fox-news?ref=home&fbclid=IwAR3GxEdSzpLUy2PezBNMVae9p7-lctV4mBU0LzoQrDfEGfR65XGSMryNgw0
"As Bregman explained how he was simply echoing how most polling suggests a majority of Americans approve of higher taxes on the rich, he slipped in a jab at Fox News: “No one’s saying it at Davos, just as no one’s saying it on Fox News, right? And I think the explanation for that is quite simple—is that most of the people in Davos, but also here on this channel, have been bought by the billionaire class. You know? You’re not meant to say these things, so I just sat there and thought, you know what, I’m just gonna say it, just as I’m saying it right here on this channel.” Carlson seemingly ignored the Fox-related comments, and noted that “many people have called for higher taxes,” which prompted an amused Bregman to interrupt: “Well, not on this channel. Almost all of the pundits on this channel, for years, have been against higher taxes, right? Even though the vast majority of Americans is in favor of it.” A slightly confused Carlson replied that “it would be interesting to know how many hours of Fox you’ve watched,” before pivoting back to the conversation about assuring that billionaires are unable to avoid paying their tax bill. Eventually Bregman said to the pro-Trump host: “The thing is, you guys have brought into power a president who doesn’t even want to show his own tax returns. Who knows how many billions he has hidden in the Cayman Islands or in Bermuda. So I think the issue really is one of corruption.” And then he brought up Carlson’s own bosses at Fox: “What the Murdochs basically want you to do is to scapegoat immigrants instead of talking about tax avoidance. So I’m glad you’re now finally raising the issue, but that’s what’s been happening for the past couple of years.” “I’m taking orders from the Murdochs, is that what you’re saying?” Carlson replied, growing audibly irritated. “No, it doesn’t work that directly,” the historian answered. “Wait, why don’t you tell me how it does work?” the Fox host asked, now shouting."
"As Bregman explained how he was simply echoing how most polling suggests a majority of Americans approve of higher taxes on the rich, he slipped in a jab at Fox News: “No one’s saying it at Davos, just as no one’s saying it on Fox News, right? And I think the explanation for that is quite simple—is that most of the people in Davos, but also here on this channel, have been bought by the billionaire class. You know? You’re not meant to say these things, so I just sat there and thought, you know what, I’m just gonna say it, just as I’m saying it right here on this channel.” Carlson seemingly ignored the Fox-related comments, and noted that “many people have called for higher taxes,” which prompted an amused Bregman to interrupt: “Well, not on this channel. Almost all of the pundits on this channel, for years, have been against higher taxes, right? Even though the vast majority of Americans is in favor of it.” A slightly confused Carlson replied that “it would be interesting to know how many hours of Fox you’ve watched,” before pivoting back to the conversation about assuring that billionaires are unable to avoid paying their tax bill. Eventually Bregman said to the pro-Trump host: “The thing is, you guys have brought into power a president who doesn’t even want to show his own tax returns. Who knows how many billions he has hidden in the Cayman Islands or in Bermuda. So I think the issue really is one of corruption.” And then he brought up Carlson’s own bosses at Fox: “What the Murdochs basically want you to do is to scapegoat immigrants instead of talking about tax avoidance. So I’m glad you’re now finally raising the issue, but that’s what’s been happening for the past couple of years.” “I’m taking orders from the Murdochs, is that what you’re saying?” Carlson replied, growing audibly irritated. “No, it doesn’t work that directly,” the historian answered. “Wait, why don’t you tell me how it does work?” the Fox host asked, now shouting."
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