Monday, May 6, 2019
The Other Thing the Mueller Report Proved: Journalists Were Right
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/04/mueller-report-journalism-was-right.html?fbclid=IwAR05DJRNCIMQSriU6BEqeb6fAfaMgwvobdfgachWHKa3tgUxv0IwgTMCrHA
"If Mueller’s report feels familiar, it’s because so many of the incidents it documents have already been reported. Take the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer who a Trump associate claimed had dirt on Hillary Clinton. When the New York Times first reported this story in July 2017, Trump Jr. claimed that the “short introductory meeting” was innocuous; in a subsequent appearance on the Fox News program Hannity, Trump Jr. called the meeting “such a nothing” and “literally just a wasted 20 minutes, which was a shame.” Sean Hannity noted that “liberals in the destroy Trump media once again have worked themselves into frenzy. They’re frothing at the mouth.” According to Mueller’s report, the Times had it right all along: Trump Jr. had quickly responded to the potential offer of opposition research on Clinton with the words “if it’s what you say I love it,” and set about arranging a meeting. We knew this before the Mueller report was issued, because Trump Jr. released his emails after learning that the Times was about to publish them and expose the falsity of his initial story. But the extent to which the Trump campaign was eager to get its hands on this Hillary dirt was fleshed out in the Mueller report in a way that further vindicated the Times’ journalistic efforts. Former Trump campaign official Rick Gates told Mueller’s team “that in the days before June 9, 2016, Trump Jr. announced at a regular morning meeting of senior campaign staff and Trump family members that he had a lead on negative information about the Clinton Foundation.” Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen told the Mueller team that he “recalled being in Donald J. Trump’s office on June 6 or 7 when Trump Jr. told his father that a meeting to obtain adverse information about Clinton was going forward.” Trump has denied that he was aware of the Russian meeting, and Cohen may not be the greatest character witness. Still, if you listened to Trump Jr., you would’ve gotten the facts all wrong."
"If Mueller’s report feels familiar, it’s because so many of the incidents it documents have already been reported. Take the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer who a Trump associate claimed had dirt on Hillary Clinton. When the New York Times first reported this story in July 2017, Trump Jr. claimed that the “short introductory meeting” was innocuous; in a subsequent appearance on the Fox News program Hannity, Trump Jr. called the meeting “such a nothing” and “literally just a wasted 20 minutes, which was a shame.” Sean Hannity noted that “liberals in the destroy Trump media once again have worked themselves into frenzy. They’re frothing at the mouth.” According to Mueller’s report, the Times had it right all along: Trump Jr. had quickly responded to the potential offer of opposition research on Clinton with the words “if it’s what you say I love it,” and set about arranging a meeting. We knew this before the Mueller report was issued, because Trump Jr. released his emails after learning that the Times was about to publish them and expose the falsity of his initial story. But the extent to which the Trump campaign was eager to get its hands on this Hillary dirt was fleshed out in the Mueller report in a way that further vindicated the Times’ journalistic efforts. Former Trump campaign official Rick Gates told Mueller’s team “that in the days before June 9, 2016, Trump Jr. announced at a regular morning meeting of senior campaign staff and Trump family members that he had a lead on negative information about the Clinton Foundation.” Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen told the Mueller team that he “recalled being in Donald J. Trump’s office on June 6 or 7 when Trump Jr. told his father that a meeting to obtain adverse information about Clinton was going forward.” Trump has denied that he was aware of the Russian meeting, and Cohen may not be the greatest character witness. Still, if you listened to Trump Jr., you would’ve gotten the facts all wrong."
77 lies and falsehoods Mueller called out
https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/30/politics/list-of-trump-falsehoods-mueller-report/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2FzL971S6shL7eRBO8TLgBjgaYFUVcFCppdLL35BoNOPlox2AY4l8Ip_4
"In all, Mueller's effort may be the first comprehensive finding by a federal investigator to document the lies and false assertions to the American public told by the Trump campaign and administration."
"In all, Mueller's effort may be the first comprehensive finding by a federal investigator to document the lies and false assertions to the American public told by the Trump campaign and administration."
Trump’s long history of pushing wild misinformation about wind turbines
https://www.vox.com/2019/4/3/18293552/trump-windmills-cancer-nrcc-speech?fbclid=IwAR3T0OwUYOseEg-6aZUWEMM6B8QihqJuqGO9FH6aEVtJx8X596VE95koT3E
"President Donald Trump is a climate change denier and renewable energy hater. That much has been clear for a long time. But during a speech on Tuesday evening, he took the flawed arguments he’s been making against wind energy to new levels of absurdity."
"President Donald Trump is a climate change denier and renewable energy hater. That much has been clear for a long time. But during a speech on Tuesday evening, he took the flawed arguments he’s been making against wind energy to new levels of absurdity."
Here’s How The Mueller Probe Was Hindered By Lies, Evidence Deletion
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/here-are-the-moments-the-mueller-investigation-was-hindered?fbclid=IwAR1UUrCH9sHXwiY7CAOS5-s6FUwbcPPqC1CPBGbkJrCJwqXQLeKZieh9LB8
"Robert Mueller’s report lays out multiple examples of ways the investigation was “impaired,” either by lying witnesses or by successful deletion of key conversations. “Several individuals affiliated with the Trump Campaign lied to the Office, and to Congress, about their interactions with Russian-affiliated individuals and related matters,” the redacted report reads. “Those lies materially impaired the investigation of Russian election interference.” The impairments cover alleged lying by witnesses, including the well-known cases of Michael Flynn, Michael Cohen, and George Papadopoulos. But they also cover cases where Mueller was hindered by deletion of data on encrypted apps, or by the simple fact that the target was located outside the United States, as the redacted report lays out in detail."
"Robert Mueller’s report lays out multiple examples of ways the investigation was “impaired,” either by lying witnesses or by successful deletion of key conversations. “Several individuals affiliated with the Trump Campaign lied to the Office, and to Congress, about their interactions with Russian-affiliated individuals and related matters,” the redacted report reads. “Those lies materially impaired the investigation of Russian election interference.” The impairments cover alleged lying by witnesses, including the well-known cases of Michael Flynn, Michael Cohen, and George Papadopoulos. But they also cover cases where Mueller was hindered by deletion of data on encrypted apps, or by the simple fact that the target was located outside the United States, as the redacted report lays out in detail."
Mueller’s Report Sure Makes It Look Like Paul Manafort Was Working With the Russians
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/04/mueller-report-paul-manafort.html?fbclid=IwAR31NvLz4DJOswOtwQJolfk5HzoZSbi-kGBakUmpPNBwJ_j01ENBXYyvqDQ
"According to details in the Mueller report, Manafort may have additionally colluded with a Russian government intelligence agent while working on the Trump campaign. Here are key points from the report that pertain to Manafort, some of which we already knew and some of which we didn’t, and what they mean: • As we knew, Manafort worked closely with Konstantin Kilimnik, who the FBI has assessed to be “tied to Russian intelligence.” One detail we learned: According to a former co-worker at an international nonprofit they both worked for, “Kilimnik was fired from his post because his links to Russian intelligence were too strong.” Manafort’s deputy, Rick Gates, also suspected Kilimnik of being a “spy.” • As had been previously reported, Kilimnik worked closely with Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch to whom Manafort owed a large sum of money, due to a previous conflict over a consulting job. According to analysts, Deripaska has deep and direct ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. • The report notes that Manafort instructed Gates to “provide Kilimnik with updates on the Trump campaign—including internal polling data.” According to Mueller, “Manafort expected Kilimnik to share that information with others in Ukraine and with Deripaska. Gates periodically sent such polling data to Kilimnik during the campaign.” We knew that some polling data had been shared, but we did not know the extent of it and what exactly was shared. • During the period he was working for the campaign, Manafort met with Kilimnik to discuss what the Manafort described as a “backdoor” peace plan that would allow Russia to take permanent and legally recognized control of Eastern Ukraine. After Trump won the presidency, Kilimnik told Manafort that all the plan needed was a “very minor ‘wink’ (or slight push) from [Donald Trump]"."
"According to details in the Mueller report, Manafort may have additionally colluded with a Russian government intelligence agent while working on the Trump campaign. Here are key points from the report that pertain to Manafort, some of which we already knew and some of which we didn’t, and what they mean: • As we knew, Manafort worked closely with Konstantin Kilimnik, who the FBI has assessed to be “tied to Russian intelligence.” One detail we learned: According to a former co-worker at an international nonprofit they both worked for, “Kilimnik was fired from his post because his links to Russian intelligence were too strong.” Manafort’s deputy, Rick Gates, also suspected Kilimnik of being a “spy.” • As had been previously reported, Kilimnik worked closely with Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch to whom Manafort owed a large sum of money, due to a previous conflict over a consulting job. According to analysts, Deripaska has deep and direct ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. • The report notes that Manafort instructed Gates to “provide Kilimnik with updates on the Trump campaign—including internal polling data.” According to Mueller, “Manafort expected Kilimnik to share that information with others in Ukraine and with Deripaska. Gates periodically sent such polling data to Kilimnik during the campaign.” We knew that some polling data had been shared, but we did not know the extent of it and what exactly was shared. • During the period he was working for the campaign, Manafort met with Kilimnik to discuss what the Manafort described as a “backdoor” peace plan that would allow Russia to take permanent and legally recognized control of Eastern Ukraine. After Trump won the presidency, Kilimnik told Manafort that all the plan needed was a “very minor ‘wink’ (or slight push) from [Donald Trump]"."
Trump Obstructed Justice
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/04/mueller-report-proves-trump-obstructed-justice.html?fbclid=IwAR1DUVKiR23Go7K-ZHf6MzKJdSX030ANp33jQpdHaehEmngsDmnzHMbWmsg
"Mueller also noted: The conclusion that Congress may apply the obstruction laws to the President’s corrupt exercise of the powers of office accords with our constitutional system of checks and balances and the principle that no person is above the law. This sentence is, put simply, an impeachment referral to Congress. If Congress ignores it, it will have failed the special counsel and the American people. Mueller’s report is overflowing with proof of Trump’s criminality, including new information that confirms Trump’s efforts to hobble the investigation and tamper with witnesses. The president obstructed justice. And thanks to the restraints imposed on Mueller’s power, only Congress has the authority to redress this illegality by removing Trump from office. At this point, anything less than articles of impeachment would be an insufficient response to Mueller’s incriminating report."
"Mueller also noted: The conclusion that Congress may apply the obstruction laws to the President’s corrupt exercise of the powers of office accords with our constitutional system of checks and balances and the principle that no person is above the law. This sentence is, put simply, an impeachment referral to Congress. If Congress ignores it, it will have failed the special counsel and the American people. Mueller’s report is overflowing with proof of Trump’s criminality, including new information that confirms Trump’s efforts to hobble the investigation and tamper with witnesses. The president obstructed justice. And thanks to the restraints imposed on Mueller’s power, only Congress has the authority to redress this illegality by removing Trump from office. At this point, anything less than articles of impeachment would be an insufficient response to Mueller’s incriminating report."
A History of Donald Trump's Obsession with Pseudoscience
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a27356822/donald-trump-anti-vaccine-climate-change-denial-pseudoscience/?fbclid=IwAR0bUJbaOaFowVpkq9ZkTk3UkvEqCn18qkFPZN8Rpbf9AAWU-j_BL1FsqUM
"The longtime conspiracy theorist has surrounded himself with a braintrust full of grifters and coal lobbyists who are actively ignoring the red flags being waved by leading world scientists in favor of their indulgent self-interests. Though this isn't the first time we've seen conspiracy theories supported on the world's stage, Trump's obsession with anti-science is showing just how easy it is to reject truth, if you have a loud enough voice."
"The longtime conspiracy theorist has surrounded himself with a braintrust full of grifters and coal lobbyists who are actively ignoring the red flags being waved by leading world scientists in favor of their indulgent self-interests. Though this isn't the first time we've seen conspiracy theories supported on the world's stage, Trump's obsession with anti-science is showing just how easy it is to reject truth, if you have a loud enough voice."
Oil and Gas Industry Has Way Too Much Control Over Congress
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/04/17/oil-and-gas-industry-has-way-too-much-control-over-congress?fbclid=IwAR1uWNElUhT_hYwp95zaYyXgzZZt3VObFnLIXi-urxEBJd7LH1EG53nA2CI
"According to Open Secrets, looking at Congress as a whole, the oil and gas sector contributed $84.4 million in the 2018 election cycle. Of those funders, Koch Industries was the largest single campaign funder, at $10.5 million. And of the total oil and gas sector contributions to candidates, 87% went to Republicans. Of the Koch contributions, 99.4% went to Republicans. For perspective, total campaign spending by the oil and gas sector since 1990 has totaled $625 million, with 81% of the contributions to candidates going to Republicans. In addition to the campaign spending, the oil and gas industry spends an astonishing sum on lobbying. The sector's lobbying outlays totaled $124.8 million during 2018. The top five lobbying clients -- ExxonMobil, Koch Industries, Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell and the American Petroleum Institute -- had a combined lobbying spend of over $46 million. And the oil and gas industry's total lobbying outlays during 1998-2018 amounted to a shocking $2.2 billion. And their lobbying efforts bear real fruit. Just before President Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, 22 Republican senators wrote a letter to Trump urging that action. Every one of those senators received contributions from oil and gas PACs. The total oil and gas PAC spending for the 22 senators, for the period of 2013-18, covering the campaign committee and leadership PAC, came to $4,095,071."
"According to Open Secrets, looking at Congress as a whole, the oil and gas sector contributed $84.4 million in the 2018 election cycle. Of those funders, Koch Industries was the largest single campaign funder, at $10.5 million. And of the total oil and gas sector contributions to candidates, 87% went to Republicans. Of the Koch contributions, 99.4% went to Republicans. For perspective, total campaign spending by the oil and gas sector since 1990 has totaled $625 million, with 81% of the contributions to candidates going to Republicans. In addition to the campaign spending, the oil and gas industry spends an astonishing sum on lobbying. The sector's lobbying outlays totaled $124.8 million during 2018. The top five lobbying clients -- ExxonMobil, Koch Industries, Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell and the American Petroleum Institute -- had a combined lobbying spend of over $46 million. And the oil and gas industry's total lobbying outlays during 1998-2018 amounted to a shocking $2.2 billion. And their lobbying efforts bear real fruit. Just before President Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, 22 Republican senators wrote a letter to Trump urging that action. Every one of those senators received contributions from oil and gas PACs. The total oil and gas PAC spending for the 22 senators, for the period of 2013-18, covering the campaign committee and leadership PAC, came to $4,095,071."
This is the most crucial paragraph from the Mueller report: "No person is above the law"
https://www.salon.com/2019/04/19/this-is-the-most-crucial-paragraph-from-the-mueller-report-no-person-is-above-the-law_partner/?fbclid=IwAR1O6bqkqUiYiXEGQgoNiMkvpThwnt876BqDETU2a5zyd8lINIW5UhndHbo
"Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report is a revealing and incisive document, explicating and detailing the extensive evidence uncovered in the investigation of a potential conspiracy between President Donald Trump’s campaign and the Russian government as well as presidential attempts to obstruct justice. And while many of these new details and the narrative they tie together are of incredible value, much of the outline of the behavior documented were already known. Trump and his campaign aides were interacting frequently with figures tied to the Russian government, gleefully accepted their help during the election, and tried — sometimes illegally and sometimes successfully — to cover it all up. As president, Trump engaged in a series of outrageous acts designed to stymie the probe, many of which could clearly be considered criminal obstruction of justice — but Mueller declined to make a prosecutorial judgment on this question. Instead, he clearly thinks it is up to Congress to decide whether to hold Trump accountable. In arguably the most crucial paragraph of the report, the Mueller team sets forth why potential charges for Trump’s obstruction would be legitimate under the Constitution and fall to lawmakers, at least for now"
"Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report is a revealing and incisive document, explicating and detailing the extensive evidence uncovered in the investigation of a potential conspiracy between President Donald Trump’s campaign and the Russian government as well as presidential attempts to obstruct justice. And while many of these new details and the narrative they tie together are of incredible value, much of the outline of the behavior documented were already known. Trump and his campaign aides were interacting frequently with figures tied to the Russian government, gleefully accepted their help during the election, and tried — sometimes illegally and sometimes successfully — to cover it all up. As president, Trump engaged in a series of outrageous acts designed to stymie the probe, many of which could clearly be considered criminal obstruction of justice — but Mueller declined to make a prosecutorial judgment on this question. Instead, he clearly thinks it is up to Congress to decide whether to hold Trump accountable. In arguably the most crucial paragraph of the report, the Mueller team sets forth why potential charges for Trump’s obstruction would be legitimate under the Constitution and fall to lawmakers, at least for now"
Sunday, May 5, 2019
All the President’s Lies
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/04/robert-mueller-obstruction-impeachment-trump-corrupt-intent.html?fbclid=IwAR3mVioiz_4xUiJVR43npDv5pEg4vQxuWS_3XHiC4WKlDH3c2UwBhzM7hGg
"Mueller does not even close the door on criminal prosecution of Trump. In Footnote 1,091, the special counsel notes that while impeachment is one legitimate avenue for a president who’s committed criminal acts, a future prosecution is another: A possible remedy through impeachment for abuses of power would not substitute for potential criminal liability after a President leaves office. Impeachment would remove a President from office, but would not address the underlying culpability of the conduct or serve the usual purposes of the criminal law. Indeed, the Impeachment Judgment Clause recognizes that criminal law plays an independent role in addressing an official’s conduct, distinct from the political remedy of impeachment. See U.S. CONST. ART. l, § 3, cl. 7. Impeachment is also a drastic and rarely invoked remedy, and Congress is not restricted to relying only on impeachment, rather than making criminal law applicable to a former President, as OLC has recognized. A Sitting President’s Amenability to Indictment and Criminal Prosecution, 24 Op. O.L.C. at 255 (“Recognizing an immunity from prosecution for a sitting President would not preclude such prosecution once the President’s term is over or he is otherwise removed from office by resignation or impeachment.”)."
"Mueller does not even close the door on criminal prosecution of Trump. In Footnote 1,091, the special counsel notes that while impeachment is one legitimate avenue for a president who’s committed criminal acts, a future prosecution is another: A possible remedy through impeachment for abuses of power would not substitute for potential criminal liability after a President leaves office. Impeachment would remove a President from office, but would not address the underlying culpability of the conduct or serve the usual purposes of the criminal law. Indeed, the Impeachment Judgment Clause recognizes that criminal law plays an independent role in addressing an official’s conduct, distinct from the political remedy of impeachment. See U.S. CONST. ART. l, § 3, cl. 7. Impeachment is also a drastic and rarely invoked remedy, and Congress is not restricted to relying only on impeachment, rather than making criminal law applicable to a former President, as OLC has recognized. A Sitting President’s Amenability to Indictment and Criminal Prosecution, 24 Op. O.L.C. at 255 (“Recognizing an immunity from prosecution for a sitting President would not preclude such prosecution once the President’s term is over or he is otherwise removed from office by resignation or impeachment.”)."
Mueller Leaves It to Congress to Decide Whether Trump Obstructed Justice
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/04/mueller-leaves-it-to-congress-to-decide-whether-trump-obstructed-justice/?fbclid=IwAR32LQCpblGq7clkwLPN6PaCiyyTbBimqeH91xGZDv2jv11sVDPASHC0qKA
"Special counsel Robert Mueller decided it would not be appropriate for him to determine whether President Donald Trump had committed the crime of obstructing justice through his actions that threatened to derail Mueller’s investigation. But Mueller specifically left open the possibility for Congress to make that determination—concluding in his report that Congress has the power to continue its own investigation and consider the facts laid out in his report. “With respect to whether the President can be found to have obstructed justice by exercising his powers under Article II of the Constitution, we concluded that Congress has authority to prohibit a President’s corrupt use of his authority in order to protect the integrity of the administration of justice,” the redacted report, released Thursday, states. The report continues: “The separation-of-powers doctrine authorizes Congress to protect official proceedings, including those of courts and grand juries, from corrupt, obstructive acts regard less of their source… The conclusion that Congress may apply the obstruction laws to the President’s corrupt exercise of the powers of office accords with our constitutional system of checks and balances and the principle that no person is above the law"."
"Special counsel Robert Mueller decided it would not be appropriate for him to determine whether President Donald Trump had committed the crime of obstructing justice through his actions that threatened to derail Mueller’s investigation. But Mueller specifically left open the possibility for Congress to make that determination—concluding in his report that Congress has the power to continue its own investigation and consider the facts laid out in his report. “With respect to whether the President can be found to have obstructed justice by exercising his powers under Article II of the Constitution, we concluded that Congress has authority to prohibit a President’s corrupt use of his authority in order to protect the integrity of the administration of justice,” the redacted report, released Thursday, states. The report continues: “The separation-of-powers doctrine authorizes Congress to protect official proceedings, including those of courts and grand juries, from corrupt, obstructive acts regard less of their source… The conclusion that Congress may apply the obstruction laws to the President’s corrupt exercise of the powers of office accords with our constitutional system of checks and balances and the principle that no person is above the law"."
The Mueller Report Shows Team Trump Lied Constantly to the Public
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a27195774/sarah-huckabee-sanders-mueller-report-lie-fbi-james-comey/?fbclid=IwAR2AOKF0Z6qA3CGLgNC8bvZg83eQBxsrWT4iFUTDGGHf73lYgSVGH4TviPo
"It is not news to anyone that the president and his staffers lie all the time about everything. Donald Trump himself says something false in public 22 times a day now. That's up from 15 a day throughout the entire calendar year 2018. His White House counselor coined the term "Alternative Facts" to describe the lies they tell all the time, which fit together to form an entire parallel architecture of unreality—a whole 'nother world, the contours of which can be bent to fit whatever their needs are in that moment. But it's still nice to have a cut-and-dried example of what's going on. After all, the president's chief spokesliar, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, was interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. She appears in his Report, alongside extensive evidence that Team Trump lied about—and this list is non-exhaustive—the following: the Trump Tower Meeting, the Trump Tower Moscow deal, that Trump fired James Comey over the Russia probe, and that Trump repeatedly tried to fire Robert Mueller. Sanders is a truly prolific—and skilled—fabricator, but when she got in a room with the special counsel, she knew the game was up. Here's what she had to say about the onetime White House line that Comey was partially sacked because he'd lost the faith of the rank-and-file at the FBI. These people are shameless. They are irredeemable. It is all just a game, where there is no truth—only what you can get enough people to believe so you can get away with something. The corruption is bone deep."
"It is not news to anyone that the president and his staffers lie all the time about everything. Donald Trump himself says something false in public 22 times a day now. That's up from 15 a day throughout the entire calendar year 2018. His White House counselor coined the term "Alternative Facts" to describe the lies they tell all the time, which fit together to form an entire parallel architecture of unreality—a whole 'nother world, the contours of which can be bent to fit whatever their needs are in that moment. But it's still nice to have a cut-and-dried example of what's going on. After all, the president's chief spokesliar, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, was interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. She appears in his Report, alongside extensive evidence that Team Trump lied about—and this list is non-exhaustive—the following: the Trump Tower Meeting, the Trump Tower Moscow deal, that Trump fired James Comey over the Russia probe, and that Trump repeatedly tried to fire Robert Mueller. Sanders is a truly prolific—and skilled—fabricator, but when she got in a room with the special counsel, she knew the game was up. Here's what she had to say about the onetime White House line that Comey was partially sacked because he'd lost the faith of the rank-and-file at the FBI. These people are shameless. They are irredeemable. It is all just a game, where there is no truth—only what you can get enough people to believe so you can get away with something. The corruption is bone deep."
Report: Trump Has Told More Than 10,000 Lies Since Being Inaugurated
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/04/trump-has-told-more-than-10000-lies-since-being-inaugurated-washington-post?fbclid=IwAR30waJyM01ED4M6lBFAZ0EIBXxxVXMhJMn8Y65qmcRkl54rxD9KmhVbhWc#~o
"The situation vis-Ã -vis the president being a pathological liar is only getting worse."
"The situation vis-Ã -vis the president being a pathological liar is only getting worse."
Fox Host Rants About AOC, Calls Her A 'Mindless Moron'
https://crooksandliars.com/2019/04/theyre-obsessed-her-fox-host-yells-insults?fbclid=IwAR0XOf4-k598Oc0lR0k3bmPsXBvNXGNHw72sdfEIPD-hJQQYy6ERRVF8K-w
"On Tuesday morning’s edition of Fox and Friends, co-host Peter Hegseth called newly-elected Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a “mindless moron” for refusing to privatize the VA."
"On Tuesday morning’s edition of Fox and Friends, co-host Peter Hegseth called newly-elected Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a “mindless moron” for refusing to privatize the VA."
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Reminds Us the Halls of Congress Are Crawling With Fox News Grandpas
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a26907221/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-fox-news-congressman-netflix-10-million/?fbclid=IwAR3hfz3ohNCqMAdBgp9LnIY_OjieFzTS6y8Qe9c6vSuMzIhuECJk1rR_q6g
"We spend a fair amount of time digesting the alternately hilarious and horrifying proposition that we have elected a Fox News Grandpa as President of the United States. Donald Trump, American president, is a bit of a science experiment: what if you elected a low-information voter who's allergic to books to be the world's most powerful man? In fact, Trump is more than that. He's the monster that escaped from the lab, the grotesque amalgam of decades of racial resentment and weaponized anti-intellectualism that have steadily erupted out of the Fox News-Talk Radio Vortex. The results of making such a creature the president have been...instructive."
"We spend a fair amount of time digesting the alternately hilarious and horrifying proposition that we have elected a Fox News Grandpa as President of the United States. Donald Trump, American president, is a bit of a science experiment: what if you elected a low-information voter who's allergic to books to be the world's most powerful man? In fact, Trump is more than that. He's the monster that escaped from the lab, the grotesque amalgam of decades of racial resentment and weaponized anti-intellectualism that have steadily erupted out of the Fox News-Talk Radio Vortex. The results of making such a creature the president have been...instructive."
A comprehensive list of former Fox employees who have joined the Trump administration
https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2019/04/12/comprehensive-list-former-fox-employees-who-have-joined-trump-administration/223413?fbclid=IwAR0rAhsaq0ZgWwyc0WrizxYxYL1QmbtuEtmxeWWlQRBVso7YQXUP1qBcTzY
"Trump has stocked his administration with former Fox employees. Cabinet secretaries overseeing federal departments, senior White House aides advising the president on crucial issues, and U.S. ambassadors representing the country abroad, among others, all worked for the network before joining Trump’s administration."
"Trump has stocked his administration with former Fox employees. Cabinet secretaries overseeing federal departments, senior White House aides advising the president on crucial issues, and U.S. ambassadors representing the country abroad, among others, all worked for the network before joining Trump’s administration."
Trump Tells Aides: ‘Keep an Eye’ on Fox News, Make Sure It Stays Loyal to Me
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-tells-aides-keep-an-eye-on-fox-news-make-sure-it-stays-loyal-to-me?ref=scroll&fbclid=IwAR12qacN_m4vSgtNOQRwUUYKuLFq5azZT4eEqrjGwPRq1k7wmtWoJQOACh8
"It was late March, and Donald Trump was preoccupied with the swirl of new investigations launched by House Democrats against him and his inner sanctum, and with the coming delivery of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s long-awaited report on Russian election meddling and Trump’s possible obstruction of justice. In the midst of all this, there was another question weighing heavily on the president’s mind: Was Fox News, his favorite organ of conservative media and pro-Trump messaging, being sufficiently subservient to him?"
"It was late March, and Donald Trump was preoccupied with the swirl of new investigations launched by House Democrats against him and his inner sanctum, and with the coming delivery of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s long-awaited report on Russian election meddling and Trump’s possible obstruction of justice. In the midst of all this, there was another question weighing heavily on the president’s mind: Was Fox News, his favorite organ of conservative media and pro-Trump messaging, being sufficiently subservient to him?"
How Fox News evolved into a propaganda operation
https://www.vox.com/2019/3/22/18275835/fox-news-trump-propaganda-tom-rosenstiel?fbclid=IwAR3dNtQ0V70CEd1p1kCdAkozyy0h0A493v09QQxNUUua0w2SdWqlQQsGJfE
"Trump constantly watches Fox News, tweets out claims he hears on the network, reportedly speaks regularly with Sean Hannity, and gives the majority of his interviews to Fox News. World leaders as well as members of Congress quickly learned that one of the best ways to communicate a message to Trump is to say it on Fox News. To top it off, Trump’s previous director of communications and deputy chief of staff, Bill Shine, is the former co-president of Fox News. Shine’s presence at the White House [Shine has recently departed the White House], along with Trump’s ties to on-air personalities like Hannity, Lou Dobbs, and Jeanine Pirro, all but cemented the unofficial relationship between Trump and the right-wing news network. None of this is normal."
"Trump constantly watches Fox News, tweets out claims he hears on the network, reportedly speaks regularly with Sean Hannity, and gives the majority of his interviews to Fox News. World leaders as well as members of Congress quickly learned that one of the best ways to communicate a message to Trump is to say it on Fox News. To top it off, Trump’s previous director of communications and deputy chief of staff, Bill Shine, is the former co-president of Fox News. Shine’s presence at the White House [Shine has recently departed the White House], along with Trump’s ties to on-air personalities like Hannity, Lou Dobbs, and Jeanine Pirro, all but cemented the unofficial relationship between Trump and the right-wing news network. None of this is normal."
Six weeks of Fox's Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez obsession: "Totalitarian," "ignorant," "scary," and waging a "war on cows"
https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2019/04/12/Six-weeks-of-Foxs-Alexandria-Ocasio-Cortez-obsession-Totalitarian-ignorant-scary-and-wagin/223386?fbclid=IwAR0rkGsrmvA9z1uHlzODIKw9GVD9HstTH79xxkNFqEKpv7RznGnqmffrBTg
"In these 42 days, Fox News and Fox Business talked about AOC every single day, mentioning her at least 3,181 times"
"In these 42 days, Fox News and Fox Business talked about AOC every single day, mentioning her at least 3,181 times"
'Siding With Big Pharma at Expense of the American People,' Republicans Warn CEOs Not to Cooperate With Drug Price Probe
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/04/09/siding-big-pharma-expense-american-people-republicans-warn-ceos-not-cooperate-drug?fbclid=IwAR1uZVgoOaXeLXse_TF2To3rdpMHksLCp_3HcHrkhCW8Q3f98pwOnEpE1Qw
"As Democrats on the House Oversight Committee attempt to investigate soaring drug prices in the U.S., Republicans are warning the CEOs of some of America's largest pharmaceutical companies against cooperating with the probe."
"As Democrats on the House Oversight Committee attempt to investigate soaring drug prices in the U.S., Republicans are warning the CEOs of some of America's largest pharmaceutical companies against cooperating with the probe."
Jim Jordan, Mark Meadows warn Big Pharma execs not to cooperate with drug-price probe
https://www.salon.com/2019/04/10/jim-jordan-mark-meadows-warn-big-pharma-execs-not-to-cooperate-with-drug-price-probe/?fbclid=IwAR1kFbDUXpA6LWWv_NvQZr3EV5jn5jrwtLMdQUHgNq0Xz0z-NblcVJkttjU
"Two prominent Republican members of the House Freedom Caucus warned pharmaceutical companies not to cooperate with a House probe into their drug pricing."
"Two prominent Republican members of the House Freedom Caucus warned pharmaceutical companies not to cooperate with a House probe into their drug pricing."
GOP Reps Suck Up To Big Pharma, Warn CEOs Not To Cooperate With Investigation
https://crooksandliars.com/2019/04/gop-telling-drug-companies-not-cooperate?fbclid=IwAR0yY76GT_Ci3Pl3zQoX0z65ahmJKC0xKWcrmBnZETa8vO9BwUvwvoBNmjE
"Republicans Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan from the House Oversight Committee sent letters to CEOs to drug companies encouraging them to not cooperate with any investigations being conducted by the Democratic led committee. They warned them that any information they provided "could be leaked to the public" and stated that this could affect stock prices. The letters alleged that the Democrats may be trying to "collect the information in order to bring down the industry’s stock prices." Wow. That is quite the threat. So what is this investigation about? The House Oversight Committee is looking into how the industry sets prescription drug prices. That is it. No industry secrets."
"Republicans Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan from the House Oversight Committee sent letters to CEOs to drug companies encouraging them to not cooperate with any investigations being conducted by the Democratic led committee. They warned them that any information they provided "could be leaked to the public" and stated that this could affect stock prices. The letters alleged that the Democrats may be trying to "collect the information in order to bring down the industry’s stock prices." Wow. That is quite the threat. So what is this investigation about? The House Oversight Committee is looking into how the industry sets prescription drug prices. That is it. No industry secrets."
Betsy DeVos is sabotaging the Education Department's investigation of for-profit colleges
https://www.salon.com/2018/05/14/betsy-devos-sabatoges-education-department-investigation-into-for-profit-colleges/?fbclid=IwAR0Ksdp9rCof2LVP3GnIa0Sn0VLGJf_W-Qn8ivKWz-Yl5PExDI42kRDj4EE
"DeVos just hired several of the people who worked at the institutions under investigation by her agency"
"DeVos just hired several of the people who worked at the institutions under investigation by her agency"
Betsy DeVos is at it again
https://thinkprogress.org/betsy-devos-claims-larger-class-sizes-are-actually-good-for-students-2020-white-house-budget-defense-cd356857fb19/?fbclid=IwAR1tPdERocH31QoW3x0hlLIw6lP_rShse3Gsr6FYx9QdnASHBKqMmEFZ3YU
"In an attempt to justify cuts to federal education spending, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is now arguing that larger class sizes and fewer teachers are actually good for students."
"In an attempt to justify cuts to federal education spending, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is now arguing that larger class sizes and fewer teachers are actually good for students."
'Recipe for Disaster': Trump Guts Offshore Drilling Rules Put in Place After Deepwater Horizon Spill
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/05/03/recipe-disaster-trump-guts-offshore-drilling-rules-put-place-after-deepwater-horizon
"Just two weeks after the nine-year anniversary of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster—the largest ocean oil spill in U.S. history—the Trump administration on Thursday moved to dismantle offshore drilling regulations aimed at preventing another catastrophic leak."
"Just two weeks after the nine-year anniversary of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster—the largest ocean oil spill in U.S. history—the Trump administration on Thursday moved to dismantle offshore drilling regulations aimed at preventing another catastrophic leak."
Inslee rolls out sweeping climate plan, setting new standard for 2020 Democrats
https://thinkprogress.org/inslee-climate-change-plan-beto-2020-95434dc28faf/
"Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democratic presidential candidate who has dedicated his entire campaign to addressing the climate crisis, unveiled his first major policy proposal Friday morning. The ambitious plan charts a course other presidential contenders may follow as climate change becomes a top issue for the crowded primary field."
"Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democratic presidential candidate who has dedicated his entire campaign to addressing the climate crisis, unveiled his first major policy proposal Friday morning. The ambitious plan charts a course other presidential contenders may follow as climate change becomes a top issue for the crowded primary field."
The Story of How the Republican Tax Bill Passed Is Even Crazier and More Crooked Than Anyone Imagined
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a27325575/republican-tax-bill-pass-how/?fbclid=IwAR3a712FYHWMxyv208YQyI899XMhNFXKVWLiq9d7JoYT3pxNVl_chNUzlSY
"Voodoo economics and lawmakers-for-sale combined to produce an abomination."
"Voodoo economics and lawmakers-for-sale combined to produce an abomination."
Where the Money Is
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/05/01/where-money?fbclid=IwAR2Tup3Mi9r5yZObjcaVaCrMqmTcQimrFRyK_k06iYPj9Fq14rybpREE924
"Famed bank robber Willie Sutton once explained that he busted into banks because "that's where the money is." What a small-timer! Corporate thieves—including the biggest banks—know that the big scores are in the tax code and federal budget. America's superrich establishment decided to woo Trump and his fanatical constituency to back their agenda of plutocratic plunder. It's working. The big legislative accomplishment of the guy who claimed to be a working-class hero was his 2017 Christmastime signing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. As most Americans now realize, the tax cut was not for them but instead was a disgraceful trillion-dollar-a-year giveaway to corporate giants and their wealthiest shareholders."
"Famed bank robber Willie Sutton once explained that he busted into banks because "that's where the money is." What a small-timer! Corporate thieves—including the biggest banks—know that the big scores are in the tax code and federal budget. America's superrich establishment decided to woo Trump and his fanatical constituency to back their agenda of plutocratic plunder. It's working. The big legislative accomplishment of the guy who claimed to be a working-class hero was his 2017 Christmastime signing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. As most Americans now realize, the tax cut was not for them but instead was a disgraceful trillion-dollar-a-year giveaway to corporate giants and their wealthiest shareholders."
Fascism Is on the March. We Need Radical Education to Fight Back.
https://truthout.org/articles/fascism-is-on-the-march-we-need-radical-education-to-fight-back/
"The promise of democracy is receding as present-day fascists work to subvert language, values, courage, vision and a critical consciousness. Education has increasingly become a tool of domination as the entrepreneurs of hate deploy right-wing pedagogical apparatuses to attack workers, Black youth, refugees, immigrants and others they consider disposable. In the midst of a moment when an older social order is crumbling and a new one is struggling to define itself, there emerges a moment of confusion and danger. We are once again at a historical juncture in which the structures of liberation and authoritarianism are vying over the future."
"The promise of democracy is receding as present-day fascists work to subvert language, values, courage, vision and a critical consciousness. Education has increasingly become a tool of domination as the entrepreneurs of hate deploy right-wing pedagogical apparatuses to attack workers, Black youth, refugees, immigrants and others they consider disposable. In the midst of a moment when an older social order is crumbling and a new one is struggling to define itself, there emerges a moment of confusion and danger. We are once again at a historical juncture in which the structures of liberation and authoritarianism are vying over the future."
Republicans want to make sex discrimination legal — and they're moving fast
https://www.salon.com/2019/04/30/republicans-want-to-make-sex-discrimination-legal-and-theyre-moving-fast/?fbclid=IwAR3GTMK8195UjmJZdcqqC9Bm7-7yvw5g2tB7xSHHne0goTeNiknEUUzGtbQ
"There are many reasons that Republicans and conservative activists love Donald Trump, but among the top must be that he makes it much easier for them to enact their wildly unpopular agenda. Trump's all-consuming ability to grab the headlines and dominate news coverage creates an opportunity for the far right to push for its regressive agenda, safe in the knowledge that such efforts (understandably) will get little attention from a media addicted to the Trump Show. Nowhere is this more obvious than when it comes to the conservative battle to make sex discrimination legal. This fight is a particularly difficult one for the right, politically speaking. While Americans still cling to sexist gender roles at home, overwhelming majorities believe that sex discrimination in public spaces should be illegal. So conservative activists are turning to their favorite weapons — bad faith and distraction — to advance an agenda of gender inequality."
"There are many reasons that Republicans and conservative activists love Donald Trump, but among the top must be that he makes it much easier for them to enact their wildly unpopular agenda. Trump's all-consuming ability to grab the headlines and dominate news coverage creates an opportunity for the far right to push for its regressive agenda, safe in the knowledge that such efforts (understandably) will get little attention from a media addicted to the Trump Show. Nowhere is this more obvious than when it comes to the conservative battle to make sex discrimination legal. This fight is a particularly difficult one for the right, politically speaking. While Americans still cling to sexist gender roles at home, overwhelming majorities believe that sex discrimination in public spaces should be illegal. So conservative activists are turning to their favorite weapons — bad faith and distraction — to advance an agenda of gender inequality."
Trump admin officially rolls back safety rules put in place after Deepwater Horizon
https://thinkprogress.org/offshore-drilling-safety-measures-interior-trump-zinke-bernhardt-lobbying-b1fc796b7adf/
"The regulations were put in place after the 2010 BP oil spill -- the worst in U.S. history."
"The regulations were put in place after the 2010 BP oil spill -- the worst in U.S. history."
'His Legacy Lives On': Pete Seeger Remembered on What Would Have Been 100th Birthday
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/05/03/his-legacy-lives-pete-seeger-remembered-what-would-have-been-100th-birthday?fbclid=IwAR0WPASXWs0iXpvBWoxMT0FtbvIC9Icb455SFovjEgskrCVxtJhsN8HdKGc
"Seeger died in 2014 at 94. He was, rocker Tom Morello said upon his death, "Absolutely the best that humans can aspire to be." For the singer's birthday, musicians and advocacy groups drew attention to Seeger's performances and work for environmental and social justice over a roughly seven-decade career. Other observers resurfaced old interviews or reflected on the mark Seeger's music and activism left on their own lives."
"Seeger died in 2014 at 94. He was, rocker Tom Morello said upon his death, "Absolutely the best that humans can aspire to be." For the singer's birthday, musicians and advocacy groups drew attention to Seeger's performances and work for environmental and social justice over a roughly seven-decade career. Other observers resurfaced old interviews or reflected on the mark Seeger's music and activism left on their own lives."
Tipping Point: In Historic First, US Renewables Made More Electricity Than Coal in April
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/05/04/tipping-point-historic-first-us-renewables-made-more-electricity-coal-april?fbclid=IwAR05nLvm0T_mB5C5qXdiRSCy0_akkp5WA3oRqA7Ap-_RpKZh8h9uAg2n6HA
"Journalist Avery Thompson of Popular Mechanics reports that in the month of April—and for the first time in U.S. history—the country produced more electricity with renewables than with coal."
"Journalist Avery Thompson of Popular Mechanics reports that in the month of April—and for the first time in U.S. history—the country produced more electricity with renewables than with coal."
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