The Trump Administration
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Day 346
Sunday 31 December 2017
SCOTUS Harassment
Chief Justice Roberts says courts will examine protections against sexual harassment
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. announced an initiative Sunday to ensure there are proper procedures in place to protect law clerks and other court employees from sexual harassment, saying it is clear that the federal judiciary “is not immune” from a widespread problem.
VoterFraud SCOTUS
Ohio’s move to toss inactive voters from rolls goes to court
The case has taken on added importance because the parties have squared off over ballot access across the country. Democrats have accused Republicans of trying to suppress votes from minorities and poorer people who tend to vote for Democrats. Republicans have argued that they are trying to promote ballot integrity and prevent voter fraud.
Commentary
5 Things That Are Better Now Because of Trump
In this past year, members of Congress finally seem to have awoken to the fact that Congress is an equal branch of government. They don’t always have to follow Trump’s agenda.
Nunes RussiaProbe Mueller
Devin Nunes, targeting Mueller and the FBI, alarms Democrats and some Republicans with his tactics
But Nunes’s moves coincide with what Democrats say is a coordinated GOP effort to shutter the House Intelligence Committee’s Russia probe, publicly absolve President Trump of the most serious allegations against him, and refocus the House’s resources against the law enforcement officials, such as Mueller, who continue to investigate Trump.
Day 345
Saturday 30 December 2017
GloriousLeader
I use Social Media not because I like to, but because it is the only way to fight a VERY dishonest and unfair “press,” now often referred to as Fake News Media. Phony and non-existent “sources” are being used more often than ever. Many stories & reports a pure fiction!
Commentary
Donald Trump Is a Consequential President. Just Not in the Ways You Think.
The main takeaway, as it has been since Week One, is that Trump’s frenetic activity hasn’t yet transformed the way America works in too many fundamental ways. But it could. It really could.
GloriousLeader Irony
Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching!
RussiaProbe
How the Russia Inquiry Began: A Campaign Aide, Drinks and Talk of Political Dirt
During a night of heavy drinking at an upscale London bar in May 2016, George Papadopoulos, a young foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, made a startling revelation to Australia’s top diplomat in Britain: Russia had political dirt on Hillary Clinton.
Mueller
Republican Attacks on Mueller and F.B.I. Open New Rift in G.O.P.
A growing campaign by President Trump’s most ardent supporters to discredit the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, and the law enforcement agencies assisting his investigation is opening new fissures in the Republican Party, with some lawmakers questioning the damage being done to federal law enforcement and to a political party that has long championed law and order.
Commentary
How the Trump era is changing the federal bureaucracy
By the end of September, all Cabinet agencies except Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs and Interior had fewer permanent staff than when Trump took office in January — with most shedding many hundreds of employees
Day 344
Friday 29 December 2017
Spicer Priebus
After questioning Spicer, Democrats want to depose Priebus about election night activities
Spicer’s presence that night has caused some unease among Republicans because the expiration of a 35-year-old settlement, or consent decree, barring the RNC from engaging in ballot security operations may depend on it.
PuertoRico
Three Months After Maria, Roughly Half of Puerto Ricans Still Without Power
The figure released Friday by the island’s governor and power utility company indicates that more than 1.5 million people on the island are still in the dark. Experts say some parts of the island are not expected to get power back until next spring.
Russia
Trump insists no ‘collusion’ with Russia 16 times in 30 minutes in ‘New York Times’ interview
Trump went on to remind the reporters of his "absolute right" to do as he wishes with the Justice Department, alluding to earlier speculation that he could fire Mueller and close down the Russia probe.
GloriousLeader Immigration TheWall
The Democrats have been told, and fully understand, that there can be no DACA without the desperately needed WALL at the Southern Border and an END to the horrible Chain Migration & ridiculous Lottery System of Immigration etc. We must protect our Country at all cost!
GloriousLeader
Why is the United States Post Office, which is losing many billions of dollars a year, while charging Amazon and others so little to deliver their packages, making Amazon richer and the Post Office dumber and poorer? Should be charging MUCH MORE!
Day 343
Thursday 28 December 2017
Environment
U.S. to Roll Back Safety Rules Created After Deepwater Horizon Spill
The Trump administration is poised to roll back offshore drilling safety regulations that were put in place after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 people and caused the worst oil spill in American history.
HaHa
‘Not even funny’: Editor’s markup of Milo Yiannopoulos’s manuscript draws ridicule, ire
“Delete irrelevant and superfluous ethnic joke”
Mueller RussiaProbe
Mueller Probing Whether Trump Digital Team Aided Russian Disinformation Campaign
Mueller’s team is trying to determine if members of the Trump campaign and Republican National Committee, who worked together on the digital arm of Trump’s campaign, provided assistance to Russian trolls attempting to influence voters.
TheCyber HaHa
The website of Donald Trump, who has spent several days in a row at the golf course, is coded to serve up the following message in the event of an internal server error:
var errorMessage = 'Oops! Something went wrong. Unlike Obama, we are working to fix the problem... and not on the golf course.'
Commentary
Excerpts From Trump’s Interview With The Times
But, just so you understand, Ronald Reagan wanted to take deductibility away and he was unable to do it. Ronald Reagan wanted to have ANWR approved 40 years ago and he was unable to do it. Think of that. And the individual mandate is the most unpopular thing in Obamacare, and I got rid of it.
Moore
Alabama certifies Jones’ Senate victory
...after a judge denied Republican Roy Moore’s effort to halt the process via a last-ditch lawsuit charging widespread voter fraud.
Sessions
Sessions Says to Courts: Go Ahead, Jail People Because They’re Poor
Last week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions retracted an Obama-era guidance to state courts that was meant to end debtors’ prisons, where people who are too poor to pay fines are sent.
TaxDollars Commentary
How Sen. Pat Toomey turned the Republican tax bill away from populism
Behind the scenes, according to aides, lobbyists and fellow lawmakers, Toomey played a major role in shaping the Republican tax overhaul — pushing not only for a cut in the top individual rate but also helping slash rates for corporations and repeal a key provision of the Affordable Care Act.
TaxDollars China
China Offers Tax Incentives to Persuade U.S. Companies to Stay
There is, however, a catch: To be eligible, foreign companies must invest those earnings in sectors encouraged by China’s government — including railways, mining, technology and agriculture
GloriousLeader China NorthKorea
Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!
Moore VoterFraud
Roy Moore asks Alabama court to block Doug Jones, call a new Senate election
In the complaint filed in state court, Moore’s campaign argues that Alabama “will suffer irreparable harm if the election results are certified without preserving and investigating all the evidence of potential fraud.” It cites rumors of election fraud that have already been investigated and refuted by the Alabama secretary of state
Day 342
Wednesday 27 December 2017
Kushner
Federal prosecutors in N.Y. requested Kushner Cos. records on Deutsche Bank loan
The records were sought by prosecutors in Brooklyn and do not appear related to special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.
Misc
Trump falsely claims he broke a legislative record
And he has now signed the fewest number of bills into law of any first-year president dating back to Dwight Eisenhower
Day 341
Tuesday 26 December 2017
TaxDollars Commentary
Incomes Grew After Past Tax Cuts, but Guess Whose
The sliver of America that did get ahead was, you guessed it, the one at the tippy top: the richest Americans, those in the highest 1 percent of the income distribution. Their earnings grew by about 6 percent a year.
Russia UK TheCyber
Russian warships pass close to British waters over Christmas holiday, U.K. navy says
The ship traffic came days after the head of the British military warned in an interview of the threat of Russian submarine activity near the sensitive undersea data cables that carry Internet traffic between North America and Europe.
Misc
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch said it was an honor to be ‘Utahn of the Year.’ It wasn’t.
...the newspaper published a scathing editorial that took aim at the senator's recent record, most notably his part in the Trump administration's decision to shrink two national monuments in the state, and said that the designation was meant to anoint the Utahn who had had the most impact, “for good or for ill.”
Trump slams FBI, Obamacare in post-Christmas tweets
After a quiet Christmas Day, President Trump on Tuesday returned to two of his favorite vacation activities: tweeting and golfing.
News of Trump going golfing drew scrutiny from his critics, who were quick to charge that Trump was not living up to a his Christmas Day tweet that on Tuesday he would be “back to work in order to Make America Great Again”
Russia
Russia is going to attack our next election. The Trump administration may not even try to stop it.
But it’s not as simple as promoting President Trump and the GOP. Most experts believe Vladimir Putin’s motives are more complex than that, and involve sowing discord and confusion that destabilizes our system. The danger becomes particularly acute during election season.
Day 340
Monday 25 December 2017
Russia
Russia never stopped its cyberattacks on the United States
And yet, the United States has failed to establish deterrence in the aftermath of Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. We know we failed because Russia continues to aggressively employ the most significant aspect of its 2016 tool kit: the use of social media as a platform to disseminate propaganda designed to weaken our nation.
Day 339
Sunday 24 December 2017
HaHa
This Guy Sent Trump's Treasury Secretary A Pile Of Manure For Christmas
"What I did, I would like to compare to what Jesus did when he went into the temple and overturned the tables of the moneychangers, who were exploiting the people financially in the name of religion. I feel like that's what the GOP has done to the American people,"
WarOnNews
Trump retweets image depicting ‘CNN’ squashed beneath his shoe
“Grow up sir. Have you no sense of decency? Go spend time with your family.”
Mueller RussiaProbe
No longer a ‘lonely battle’: How the campaign against the Mueller probe has taken hold
Trump, while vowing to cooperate with the special counsel, has also encouraged attacks on Mueller’s credibility, tweeting that the investigation is “the greatest Witch Hunt in U.S. political history.”
MiddleEast
Guatemala Will Move Its Israel Embassy to Jerusalem, Following Trump’s Lead
...becoming the first nation to follow President Trump’s lead in ordering the change, which has been widely criticized around the world.
HaHa
Box of Horse Manure Is Left for Steve Mnuchin Near His Home, Police Say
A Christmas card that referred to Mr. Mnuchin and President Trump was inside the package, which was labeled as coming from “the American people”
GloriousLeader TaxDollars Environment HealthCare
The Tax Cut/Reform Bill, including Massive Alaska Drilling and the Repeal of the highly unpopular Individual Mandate, brought it all together as to what an incredible year we had. Don’t let the Fake News convince you otherwise...and our insider Polls are strong!
Ethics TaxDollars
"You all just got a lot richer," Trump tells friends, referencing tax overhaul
Trump kicked off his holiday weekend at Mar-a-Lago Friday night at a dinner where he told friends, "You all just got a lot richer," referencing the sweeping tax overhaul he signed into law hours earlier.
Day 338
Saturday 23 December 2017
Misc
The next special election that could portend a Democratic wave
A March special election in a conservative-leaning stretch of western Pennsylvania that Donald Trump won by 20 points is the next big test of whether a Democratic wave will sweep the party into the House majority for the first time 2010.
Misc
Andrew McCabe, F.B.I.’s Embattled Deputy, Is Expected to Retire
The F.B.I.’s embattled deputy director, Andrew G. McCabe, ... is expected to retire after he becomes eligible for his pension early next year
Misc
Fox News website beefs up and ‘goes a little Breitbart’
In other words, people reading, sharing and linking to Fox News and Breitbart were, for the most part interacting only with other right-wing news sites, and not mainstream outlets like The New York Times, Washington Post, or even Wall Street Journal. That means, Benkler said, that conservatives are Fox News’ only potential audience.
Day 337
Friday 22 December 2017
Moore
Roy Moore still won't concede the Alabama Senate race. And those write-in votes? Mickey Mouse got a few
It’s been 10 days and Republican Roy Moore has yet to concede in Alabama’s special Senate race
In several counties, Mickey Mouse and SpongeBob SquarePants appeared on ballots. Phil Robertson, star of the television series “Duck Dynasty,” received votes in at least 10 counties. Another popular choice was simply the word “anybody.”
News
F.B.I. Director Wants to Move Forward, but the President Is Making His Job Harder
Current and former F.B.I. officials say Mr. Trump’s criticisms, and those of normally supportive Republican members of Congress, have damaged morale in some quarters of the bureau. Senior agents have expressed fear that if their names appear in the news media, they will be singled out for attack by politicians.
Immigration
Democrats who supported spending bill face angry backlash over immigration
Members who voted for the spending bill, which keeps the government open until Jan. 19, will be pressured to block next month’s version if a DACA fix fails to materialize.
News
Congress pushes spy bill renewal to January, but a bitter debate still looms
Neither Republicans nor Democrats are united over how to limit the authority to conduct foreign surveillance on U.S. soil, particularly when it comes to the question of when law enforcement officials can scour the collected surveillance for information about Americans.
Misc
It’s ‘very gold’: The presidential coin undergoes a Trumpian makeover
And the national motto, “E pluribus unum” — a Latin phrase that means “Out of many, one” — is gone. Instead, both sides of the coin feature Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”
Moore
Alabama to certify Democrat Jones winner of Senate election
Democrat Doug Jones’ surprise victory over Republican Roy Moore in this month’s special U.S. Senate election will be certified on Dec. 28
Russia
Putin’s First Year in the White House
“You have to remember Putin’s background. He’s a KGB officer. That’s what they do. They recruit assets. And I think some of that experience and instincts of Putin has come into play here in his managing of a pretty important account for him, if I could use that term, with our president.”
Misc
Trump’s ambassador to the Netherlands just got caught lying about the Dutch
“I didn’t call that fake news,” he said. “I didn’t use the words today. I don’t think I did.”
TaxDollars
In Signing Sweeping Tax Bill, Trump Questions Whether He is Getting Enough Credit
During the signing ceremony, Mr. Trump said, “Corporations are literally going wild over this.”
News
Democrats block dozens of Trump nominees
The refusal to play ball will prolong key vacancies throughout the administration, but Democrats complain many of the picks are unqualified.
TaxDollars
Trump signs major tax overhaul into law
Trump on Friday signed the landmark $1.5 trillion tax overhaul legislation in the Oval Office, forgoing a public signing ceremony as he prepared to leave Washington for his Christmas vacation in Florida.
GloriousLeader
Will be signing the biggest ever Tax Cut and Reform Bill in 30 minutes in Oval Office. Will also be signing a much needed 4 billion dollar missile defense bill.
GloriousLeader
Our big and very popular Tax Cut and Reform Bill has taken on an unexpected new source of “love” - that is big companies and corporations showering their workers with bonuses. This is a phenomenon that nobody even thought of, and now it is the rage. Merry Christmas!
Day 336
Thursday 21 December 2017
McConnell Ryan
McConnell: Entitlement reform is a nonstarter in the Senate in 2018
McConnell’s comments are a direct blow to the agenda of House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), who has been saying for weeks that Congress will work on ways to reduce spending on Medicare, Medicaid and welfare in the new year.
HealthCare
Obamacare sign-ups surge, despite Trump’s declaration on ‘repeal’
The robust enrollment pace defies President Donald Trump's insistence that Obamacare is "dead" and will likely make Republican efforts to dismantle the 2010 health care law even more challenging
TaxDollars Commentary
Why is the GOP Tax Bill So Unpopular? Maybe It’s All Relative.
They can, however, be roused to political anger when they think others will end up doing better in comparison to people like them—that is, when they experience what social scientists refer to as “relative deprivation.”
Pence Afghanistan
Pence makes unannounced visit to Afghanistan
The trip was Pence’s first to the war zone as vice president
TaxDollars
Congress clears funding bill, staving off shutdown
The House passed the measure, which would keep federal agencies open through Jan. 19, on a 231-188 vote. The Senate cleared it 66-32 soon after
Day 335
Wednesday 20 December 2017
PuertoRico TaxDollars
One potential loser in the new GOP tax bill: Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is considered part of the United States in all realms except taxes — meaning that island residents don’t pay federal income taxes but do pay into Social Security. Companies based on the island are treated as if they were located in other Caribbean tax havens not under an American flag.
Satire TaxDollars HaHa
GOP Leaders Celebrate Decisive Win Over Americans
“We won this battle, but the war is still to come. However, if we carry on with the same vigor demonstrated today in our widely opposed tax overhaul, I know that we will prevail over Americans time and time again.”
Pence
In Cabinet meeting, Pence praises Trump once every 12 seconds for three minutes straight
Over nearly three minutes, Pence offered plaudit after plaudit after plaudit, praising Trump's vision, his words, his strategy and his results in light of the passage of tax cuts. By the end, Pence offered 14 separate commendations for Trump in less than three minutes
NorthKorea China
The US and China are preparing for all hell to break loose in North Korea
China's air force engaged in exercises along "routes and areas it has never flown before" earlier this month, with surveillance aircraft over the Yellow and East seas near the Korean Peninsula
News
Trump Threatens to End American Aid: ‘We’re Watching Those Votes’ at the U.N.
“As you consider your vote, I want you to know that the president and U.S. take this vote personally.”
TaxDollars Commentary
The Tax Bill Shows the G.O.P.’s Contempt for Democracy
...the open contempt for democracy displayed in the Senate’s slapdash rush to pass the tax bill ought to trouble us as much as, if not more than, what’s in it.
Day 334
Tuesday 19 December 2017
TaxDollars
Tax Cuts Benefit the Ultra Rich, but Not the Merely Rich
The tax bill soaks some of rich Americans — but it does not soak the richest.
Harassment
House Secretly Paid $115,000 to Settle Harassment Claims Over Four Years
The figure brings to $199,000 the amount paid out of a fund controlled by Congress’s secretive Office of Compliance since 2008 to settle a total of four sexual harassment claims, under a confidential procedure that most lawmakers say they did not know existed until recently.
TaxDollars
Congress Approves Republican Tax Plan Setting Up Delivery to Trump’s Desk
The Senate approved the Republican the tax bill, 51-48.
The House will have to vote again after the Senate parliamentarian rejected three provisions in the Senate bill. Both chambers must pass identical bills.
News
White House takes down ‘We the People’ petitions site before responding to a single one
All of the petitions ... disappeared from Petitions.WhiteHouse.Gov as part of what a statement posted on the site said was part of a maintenance effort to improve its performance.
The statement said that the site, as well as all of its existing petitions, would be restored by the end of January.
Immigration
Democrats unlikely to force DACA vote this week, probably averting shutdown
With a deadline of midnight Friday to pass spending legislation, dozens of Democrats had vowed to withhold support if Republicans refused to allow a vote on a measure
TaxDollars
Blowing Up the Deficit Is Part of the Plan
Trump’s corporate tax cuts will likely generate enormous deficits, even if the administration’s rosiest economic forecasts come true, setting Republicans up to claim that it is time to cut Social Security, Medicare, and welfare
Ethics Commentary
We’re witnessing the wholesale looting of America
Members of Congress who under other circumstances might be constrained by shame, custom, or the will of their constituents have learned from Trump’s election that you can get away with more than we used to think.
TaxDollars
Public opposition to tax bill grows as vote approaches
Opposition to the bill has grown 10 points since early November, and 55% now oppose it. ... Two-thirds see the bill as doing more to benefit the wealthy than the middle class
Day 333
Monday 18 December 2017
Pence MiddleEast TaxDollars
Pence Postpones Trip to Middle East, Citing Vote on Tax Bill This Week
Pence was mindful that Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, was returning to his home state for cancer treatment, leaving Republicans with only 51 votes for the tax bill. The vice president wanted to make sure that he was in place to break a tie if it were necessary
Commentary
Should We Care What Happens to the GOP’s Soul?
Fundamentally, there are two kinds of moral codes. One insists that you do the right thing, but the other has a lesser demand: Before you do the wrong thing, you have to agonize about it. Again and again, Republicans have demonstrated the second kind of morality.
AltFacts
Trump Inaccurately Claims ‘Firsts’ in Defense Speech
In a speech outlining his first national security strategy, President Trump sought to distinguish himself as a commander in chief who is breaking records and setting precedents.
Misc
Trump judicial nominee Matthew Petersen pulls out after struggling to answer basic questions
Matthew Petersen, a nominee to the federal judiciary, has withdrawn from consideration days after a video clip showed him unable to answer basic questions about legal procedure
Petersen ... is the third Trump judicial pick to withdraw in the past week amid criticism from Democrats and others about their qualifications.
Moore Commentary
Shame worked in Alabama
The Alabama election, in particular, should suggest to Republicans that there’s still a role for shame and, more important, that there might yet be a reservoir of virtue left in their party.
NorthKorea TheCyber
Trump administration blames North Korea for global WannaCry cyberattack
The digital assault, powered by the WannaCry ransomware, locked up computers at hospitals, universities and businesses in dozens of countries. Its authors demanded ransom payments and threatened to delete victims’ data if they didn’t pay up.
SCOTUS
Trump talked about rescinding Gorsuch’s nomination
The president worried that Gorsuch would not be “loyal,” one of the people said, and told aides that he was tempted to pull Gorsuch’s nomination — and that he knew plenty of other judges who would want the job.
TaxDollars
Fox Business host declares war on Trump’s tax plan: “I’m disgusted with our government right now”
“My concern here is it’s going to hurt the individual. And so, effectively, individuals are carrying the water for these corporations — they get that great tax cut on the corporate side, but people are not gonna get it on the individual side.”
Infra
President Trump Proposed a Huge Cut to Rail Spending. Then Blamed the Amtrak Derailment on Poor Infrastructure
...the Trump Administration already has submitted an infrastructure plan as part of its 2018 budget proposal — and it proposes deep cuts to the nation’s rail systems.
TaxDollars
Why Corker flipped on the tax bill
The final House-Senate tax compromise did nothing to reduce the measure’s trillion-dollar-plus increase of the federal deficit, which Corker cited as a chief reason for rejecting an earlier version of the bill.
Infra
At least 3 killed after Amtrak train derails in Washington state, spilling rail cars onto busy highway
An Amtrak train making its inaugural trip on a new service from Seattle to Portland, Ore., derailed near here early Monday while crossing an overpass, toppling cars onto one of the busiest highways on the West Coast, killing at least three people and injuring about 100.
GloriousLeader
Ivanka Trump will be interviewed on @foxandfriends.
TaxDollars
The Republican tax bill got worse: now the top 1% gets 83% of the gains
In its last year, the bill raises taxes on more than 53 percent of Americans.
TheCyber
Internal FCC Report Shows Republican Net Neutrality Narrative Is False
The story of net neutrality as an Obama-led takeover of the internet was refuted by an Inspector General investigation whose findings were not made public prior to Thursday’s vote.
Day 332
Sunday 17 December 2017
McCain TaxDollars
McCain, in Treatment for Cancer, Is Likely to Miss Senate Tax Vote
McCain, who is battling brain cancer, has returned home to Arizona and is likely to miss the Senate’s vote this week to approve a sweeping tax overhaul
RussiaProbe Mueller
Trump criticizes how Mueller obtained transition emails, says no plans to fire special counsel
A lawyer for Trump’s transition team contends that Mueller should not have been able to obtain a trove of emails from the period between Trump’s 2016 election victory and his Jan. 20 inauguration without the consent of transition officials.
Day 331
Saturday 16 December 2017
Science HealthCare Commentary
The CDC is why you and your loved ones aren't dead. Trump just banned them from using the phrase "science-based."
It's such a telling phrase: "science in consideration with community standards and wishes." It is literal wishful thinking as public health policy.
Science HealthCare
Uproar Over Purported Ban at C.D.C. of Words Like ‘Fetus’
In some cases ... alternative phrases were suggested. Instead of “science-based,” or “evidence-based,” ... “the suggested phrase is ‘C.D.C. bases its recommendations on science in consideration with community standards and wishes.’’’
TaxDollars
Senator Bob Corker Said He Hasn’t Read The Tax Bill, Denies Changing His Vote In Exchange For Personal Tax Breaks
Corker, the lone Republican to vote against the original Senate bill, which didn't include the provision, also admitted he has not read the final tax bill he announced he will support.
Day 330
Friday 15 December 2017
Bannon
G.O.P. Establishment Declares Open Season on a Weakened Bannon
“First is to dry up his money” ... “Two is to try and drive a wedge between him and Trump to the point where Trump is questioning him and his judgment”
News
Trump Judicial Nominee Attracts Scorn After Flopping in Hearing
No, he had not ever handled a jury trial, or even a bench trial. In fact, he had not handled any civil or criminal trials at all, in either state or federal court.
No, he had never argued a motion in state court.
No, he could not define the Daubert standard, a well-known standard (among lawyers, anyway) for admitting expert testimony. Nor could he explain a motion in limine, a formal request to exclude certain kinds of evidence.
TheCyber
Right and Left React to the F.C.C.’s Vote on Net Neutrality Rules
“He wants the agency that oversees communications networks to wash its hands of the most important communications network of the 21st century.”
Pruitt Environment
E.P.A. Contractor Has Spent Past Year Scouring the Agency for Anti-Trump Officials
Mr. Blutstein, in an interview, said he was taking aim at “resistance” figures in the federal government, adding that he hoped to discover whether they had done anything that might embarrass them or hurt their cause.
Misc
The Alabama Senate election is a reminder of the diversity gap between the parties
While the Democrats have seen an uptick in the percentages of black and other nonwhite Americans, driving the segment of the party that is white to about 60 percent ... the Republicans have seen much less of a shift.
Science HealthCare
CDC gets list of forbidden words: Fetus, transgender, diversity
The forbidden words are “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “diversity,” “transgender,” “fetus,” “evidence-based” and “science-based.”
Day 329
Thursday 14 December 2017
Ryan Commentary
Paul Ryan Sees His Wild Washington Journey Coming to An End
But now, on the verge of achieving his long-sought legislative dream, he’s got his eyes on the exits.
Moore
After Trump and Moore, some evangelicals are finding their own label too toxic to use
“The term has come to represent white Republicans and . . . sometimes close-mindedness and superiority”
TheCyber
The FCC just killed net neutrality
The new rules largely don’t prevent internet providers from doing anything. They can block, throttle, and prioritize content if they wish to. The only real rule is that they have to publicly state that they’re going to do it.
Day 328
Wednesday 13 December 2017
Tillerson NorthKorea
White House Corrects Tillerson on Whether U.S. Will Talk to North Korea
Trump and Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson are once again at odds over how to deal with nuclear-armed North Korea after Mr. Tillerson declared on Tuesday that the United States was ready to open talks with the North “without precondition.”
Moore
Trump’s Revisionist History of His Role in Alabama Race
By early Wednesday morning, the president sought to distance himself from the loss by reminding his Twitter followers that he had doubts about Mr. Moore months ago.
GloriousLeader Moore
The reason I originally endorsed Luther Strange (and his numbers went up mightily), is that I said Roy Moore will not be able to win the General Election. I was right! Roy worked hard but the deck was stacked against him!
Moore
Roy Moore, Refusing to Concede, Addresses Supporters on Election Night
I really want to thank you for coming tonight and realize when the vote is this close that it’s not over. And we still got to go by the rules about this recount provision
Day 327
Tuesday 12 December 2017
Mueller RussiaProbe
White House lawyer: Mueller finished with interviews he’s requested
It’s unclear if Mueller will seek follow-up interviews or seek to question additional people beyond the initial batch of witnesses
TheWall
National Butterfly Center Sues Trump Administration Over Border Wall
“We understand that not everyone in the country may be as interested in butterflies or in the environment as we are,” said Glassberg. “But everyone should care when the government thinks it can do whatever it wants on your private property.”
GloriousLeader Moore
Congratulations to Doug Jones on a hard fought victory. The write-in votes played a very big factor, but a win is a win. The people of Alabama are great, and the Republicans will have another shot at this seat in a very short period of time. It never ends!
Moore
Washington Post banned from Roy Moore election night event
The campaign told the newspaper it had reviewed its request and was denying them.
WarOnNews
CNN’s Jim Acosta cites access threat from White House’s Sarah Huckabee Sanders
“Sarah Huckabee Sanders, pulled me aside ... And she warned me that if I asked the president a question at this pool spray, as we call them, that she could not promise that I would be allowed into a pool spray again,”
ILoveWomen
Trump attacks Gillibrand in tweet critics say is sexually suggestive and demeaning
...that implied Gillibrand would do just about anything for money
Moore
In final-hour order, court rules that Alabama can destroy digital voting records after all
By granting the stay, the court effectively told the state that it does not in fact have to preserve the digital ballot images - essentially digitized versions of the paper ballots voters fill out at the voting booth - created today.
Moore
Alabamians explain why they are voting for Roy Moore
They believe it was OK because Moore didn't undress the teenage girls. They believe it's the fault of both Moore *and* the 14-year-old girl. They believe the women have questionable reputations. They believe Moore must be trusted until he's criminally convicted.
Day 326
Monday 11 December 2017
Moore
What The Hell Is Happening With These Alabama Polls?
There’s a massive spread in results from poll to poll — with surveys on Monday morning showing everything from a 9-point lead for Moore to a 10-point advantage for Democrat Doug Jones — and they reflect two highly different approaches to polling.
Harassment
Several Women Repeat Accusations of Sexual Misconduct by Trump
The women said they hoped to be taken more seriously after a torrent of allegations that have toppled the careers of men in the news media, business and politics.
China NorthKorea
Fearing the Worst, China Plans Refugee Camps on North Korean Border
The camps are an unusual, albeit tacit, admission by China that instability in North Korea is increasingly likely
Hate
Bomber Strikes Near Times Square, Disrupting City but Killing None
A would-be suicide attacker detonated a pipe bomb strapped to his body in the heart of Manhattan’s busiest subway corridor on Monday, sending thousands of terrified commuters fleeing ... and bringing the heart of Midtown to a standstill
Moore
Speaker at Moore event says he accidentally went with Moore to a brothel with child prostitutes
"There were certainly pretty girls. And they were girls. They were young. Some were very young."
France Environment
France to name winners of anti-Trump climate change grants
The "Make Our Planet Great Again" grants are part of Macron's efforts to counter U.S. President Donald Trump on the climate change front.
Moore
Trump group sends 12-year-old girl to interview Roy Moore ahead of Alabama election
In the short video Moore said he believes religious liberty, healthcare, and taxes will be at the top of Alabama voters' minds as they head to the polls
Day 325
Sunday 10 December 2017
MiddleEast
Palestinian cancellation 'unfortunate,' Pence spokeswoman says
Pence is scheduled to visit the Middle East later this month but will no longer be meeting with Mahmoud Abbas ... nor Pope Tawadros II ... Both said their decisions were in response to Wednesday's announcement by President Donald Trump that the U.S. was recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Moore
Roy Moore once called for eliminating 17 amendments — including the ones that allow women and black people to vote
Moore said in 2011 that it would "eliminate many problems" for the US government if it got rid of every constitutional amendment besides the first 10.
GloriousLeader TaxDollars
Getting closer and closer on the Tax Cut Bill. Shaping up even better than projected. House and Senate working very hard and smart. End result will be not only important, but SPECIAL!
MiddleEast
Protests in Lebanon Near U.S. Embassy After Trump’s Jerusalem Decision
Thousands of protesters chanted slogans against Mr. Trump’s orders ... with some throwing rocks and setting tires and a large trash container on fire outside the embassy’s highly secured gated compound
Day 324
Saturday 9 December 2017
Trade
Trump’s disdain casts unease over World Trade Organization summit
Instead of relying on the United States as a standard-bearer for open markets, the approaching World Trade Organization ministers’ conference will have to deal with its newfound protectionism.
Census
With 2020 Census Looming, Worries About Fairness and Accuracy
Preparations for the count already are complicated by a sea change in the census itself: For the first time, it will be conducted largely online instead of by mail.
Commentary
Inside Trump’s hour-by-hour battle for self-preservation
Before taking office, Mr. Trump told top aides to think of each presidential day as an episode in a television show in which he vanquishes rivals.
PuertoRico
Official Toll in Puerto Rico: 64. Actual Deaths May Be 1,052.
“Before the hurricane, I had an average of 82 deaths daily. That changes from Sept. 20 to 30th. Now I have an average of 118 deaths daily,” Wanda Llovet, the director of the Demographic Registry in Puerto Rico, said in a mid-November interview.
News
Amid backlash, Trump to attend private event, not public opening at Mississippi Civil Rights Museum
The change in plans came after Trump’s visit to the museum, which honors civil rights martyrs, drew criticism from those who marched in the rights movement.
WarOnNews Junior
Trump slams CNN's erroneous WikiLeaks report: 'Purposeful mistake'
Trump on Saturday slammed CNN for having to correct a report about his son Donald Trump Jr. on Friday, saying the network made a "vicious and purposeful mistake."
Day 323
Friday 8 December 2017
Ryan TaxDollars
Paul Ryan Will Start Work on Legislation to Reduce the Deficit After He Finishes Passing Legislation to Increase the Deficit
"Frankly, it's the health care entitlements that are the big drivers of our debt, so we spend more time on the health care entitlements, because that's really where the problem lies, fiscally speaking."
TheCyber
Leaked Video Shows FCC Chair Ajit Pai Roasting Himself With 'Jokes' About Being a Verizon Shill
“As you know, the FCC is captured by the industry, but we think it’s not captured enough, so we have a plan.”
“What plan?” Pai asks.
“We want to brainwash and groom a Verizon puppet to install as FCC chairman,” the executive says. “Think ‘Manchurian Candidate.’”
“That sounds awesome,” Pai responds.
RussiaProbe
Hope Hicks met with special counsel's team for interviews
Hicks was named communications director in September. She has been a member of Trump's inner circle since joining the presidential campaign in 2015 and serving as a spokeswoman.
SCOTUS Immigration
Supreme Court lifts orders to disclose DACA cancellation records
All the Republican-appointed justices backed the stay, while all the high court’s Democratic appointees joined a 10-page dissent authored by Justice Stephen Breyer.
RussiaProbe Mueller Manafort
Court filing highlights breadth of Mueller's investigation into Manafort
Prosecutors said that, by Monday, Manafort’s defense attorneys will have electronic copies of “400,000 items,” such as emails, bank and tax records, and documents from vendors Manafort allegedly paid with some of the money, and images of 36 electronic devices such as laptops, phones and thumb drives.
“Given the volume of discovery in this case, the government also produced to defendants certain documents that it identified as ‘hot,’” prosecutors said, with about 2,000 records in that category.
Harassment
Trent Franks, Accused of Offering $5 Million to Aide for Surrogacy, Resigns
...after accusations emerged that he had offered $5 million to a female employee to be a surrogate mother for his children, and that she and another female employee worried that the lawmaker wanted to have sex as a means of impregnating them.
Moore AltFacts
Fox News issues correction on Roy Moore accuser yearbook ‘forgery’ headline
A since-deleted tweet on the official Fox News twitter account had read, “BREAKING NEWS: Roy Moore accuser admits she forged part of yearbook inscription attributed to Alabama senate candidate.”
News
Pentagon Announces First-Ever Audit Of The Department Of Defense
"Beginning in 2018, our audits will occur annually, with reports issued Nov. 15"
TaxDollars Commentary
Congress just averted a government shutdown — but maybe not for long
The government’s fiscal year started on Oct. 1. That’s the legal deadline for Congress and the president to have enacted into law the 12 appropriations bills that fund the government’s discretionary programs.
Back in September, the president struck a deal with “Chuck and Nancy” for a three-month CR — a deal that expires today, Dec. 8.
During the three months, Congress was supposed to finish the 12 spending bills. But that didn’t happen
The new CR expires Dec. 22, which means that Congress just gave itself a two-week extension to get a spending deal done for the rest of the fiscal year.
MiddleEast
Israeli forces, Palestinians clash on Gaza border; 1 protester reported killed
After Trump’s announcement, Abbas, the Palestinian president, said the United States could no longer be a fair mediator in the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians. He said it would galvanize the Palestinian struggle for independence.
Environment
Southern California Fires Live Updates: Trump Declares an Emergency as Blazes Spread
Fires raged on in much of Southern California on Friday, as fast-moving flames scorched more than 158,000 acres across four counties, blackening the air and forcing closures of schools and roadways.
TaxDollars
House vs. Senate: The Tax Changes Up for Debate and How Different Taxpayers Would Fare
Republicans must resolve the differences between the House and Senate versions of their tax overhaul bill before they can pass a final version. Both versions include substantial overall tax cuts for individuals and businesses, but the details vary, resulting in different outcomes for different groups.
Junior RussiaProbe
Email shows effort to give Trump campaign WikiLeaks documents
Trump Jr. told investigators he had no recollection of the September email.
AltFacts WarOnNews
Trump’s 'fake news' mantra a hit with despots
Authoritarian rulers across the globe are adopting President Donald Trump’s favorite phrase to limit free speech, with prominent leaders or state media in at least 15 countries using his “fake news” line to denounce their critics
UK EU
Britain and E.U. reach divorce deal to move on to new phase in Brexit talks
The bargain amounted to a capitulation by May on issues dear to the European Union: preserving peace and open borders in Northern Ireland, guaranteeing rights for the 3 million E.U. citizens living in Britain, and living up to British funding commitments in Europe for years to come.
Moore
Roy Moore: America was great in era of slavery, is now ‘focus of evil in the world’
“I think it was great at the time when families were united — even though we had slavery — they cared for one another”
Moore
Anti-Trump conservatives place $500,000 ad buy against Roy Moore
In two 30-second spots, the group presents Moore as an unacceptable choice for conservatives — but does not suggest a particular alternative.
Day 322
Thursday 7 December 2017
Commentary
Trump's global credibility is shot
A stunning 74% said they have little or no confidence in Trump, up from just 23% who didn't trust Obama. Mistrust in the US leader extended to confidence in the United States, with favorable views of the United States plummeting around the world from 64% to 49% since Trump became president.
MiddleEast
Did Trump Kill Off a Two-State Solution? He Says No, Palestinians Say Yes
On the same day that he signed his name with a John Hancock-like flourish to a proclamation recognizing Jerusalem as the capital, he quietly signed another document that will delay the move of the American Embassy to the city for at least six months — and probably much longer.
TaxDollars
Congress clears spending bill, averting shutdown
Congress passed a two-week funding bill Thursday, staving off a government shutdown a day ahead of the deadline. But lawmakers face a turbulent next few weeks as they try to clinch a broader budget deal by the end of the year.
News
If Trump Goes, John Lewis Will Skip Mississippi Civil Rights Museum Opening
John Lewis, the civil rights leader and Democratic congressman from Georgia, said Thursday that he would not attend opening of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum this weekend because President Trump would be there.
Harassment
Ethics Committee launches investigation into Farenthold sexual harassment allegations
The House Ethics Committee launched an investigation into Rep. Blake Farenthold over allegations that he sexually harassed a former aide and then retaliated against her when she complained about it.
Harassment
Rep. Trent Franks to resign after discussing surrogacy with female staffers
“I have recently learned that the Ethics Committee is reviewing an inquiry regarding my discussion of surrogacy with two previous female subordinates, making each feel uncomfortable”
Harassment
Al Franken to Resign From Senate Amid Harassment Allegations
Franken of Minnesota, in an emotional speech on the Senate floor, announced on Thursday that he would resign from Congress, the most prominent figure in a growing list of lawmakers felled by charges of sexual harassment or indiscretions.
Moore HaHa
The weather in Alabama next week will favor Moore because it’s supposed to dip into the teens.
MiddleEast
Palestinians clash with Israeli troops in protests over Trump’s Jerusalem speech
Palestinian protesters battled Israeli soldiers on Thursday in Jerusalem, Ramallah and other places in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, one day after President Trump announced that his administration would recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Day 321
Wednesday 6 December 2017
Flynn RussiaProbe
Flynn Said Russian Sanctions Would Be ‘Ripped Up,’ Whistle-Blower Says
"Today, I am writing to inform you about a whistleblower who has come forward wth evidence that Lt. General Michael Flynn—within minutes of Donald Trump being sworn in as President—was communicating directly with his former business colleagues about their plan to work with Russia to build nuclear reactors in the Middle East."
Junior RussiaProbe
Trump Jr. cites attorney-client privilege in not answering panel's questions about discussions with his father
Though neither Trump Jr. nor the president is an attorney, Trump Jr. told the House Intelligence Committee that there was a lawyer in the room during the discussion
Junior RussiaProbe
Donald Trump Jr. grilled about Russian contacts by House intelligence committee
Trump Jr. told the committee that he had not informed his father about his meeting with the Russian lawyer at the time it took place. He also said he had not told Trump that he exchanged private messages with the WikiLeaks Twitter account, according to the people.
MiddleEast
Trump says U.S. recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital, despite global condemnation
World leaders warned Trump that the move could spark violence and would create a major impediment to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Environment
Ferocious wildfires rage across Southern California as new fire breaks out in Los Angeles
The coming days could continue to present new risks of additional wildfires, authorities warned. Charlie Beck, the Los Angeles police chief, said the region was facing “a multiday event,” adding: “This will not be the only fire.”
Cuba
Chirps, hums and phantom noises — how bizarre events in Cuba changed embassy workers’ brains
While what caused the phantom sounds is still unknown, tests have revealed at least some of the workers suffered damage to the white matter that lets different parts of their brains communicate with each other.
MiddleEast Commentary
In 1995, Congress reached a compromise on the issue of Jerusalem. Trump is poised to end it.
...the House and Senate passed a bill called the “Jerusalem Embassy Act,” which formally recognized the city as the country’s capital and called for the U.S. Embassy in Israel to be moved there from Tel Aviv by 1999.
The bill became law after Clinton declined to sign it for a 10-day period while Congress was in session. He, George W. Bush and Barack Obama all postponed the embassy move every six months for each of the 22 years since the law was enacted.
Tillerson MiddleEast
Tillerson Says Trump Remains Committed to Mideast Peace
Tillerson has been calling leaders from around the world in recent days to alert them to the pending announcement.
TaxDollars
'Holy crap': Experts find tax plan riddled with glitches
“The more you read, the more you go, ‘Holy crap, what’s this?'” said Greg Jenner, a former top tax official in George W. Bush’s Treasury Department. “We will be dealing with unintended consequences for months to come because the bill is moving too fast.”
Moore
Republicans are doing a complete 180 on Roy Moore now that Trump has given his explicit endorsement
Within just the past couple of days, the Republican National Committee reinstated its support for Moore, top GOP senators have taken their foot off the gas in their condemnations of Moore, and Trump himself provided his most explicit endorsement of the Alabama Republican to date.
TaxDollars Commentary
Senate Republicans Made a $289 Billion Mistake in the Handwritten Tax Bill They Passed at 2 a.m. Go Figure.
The problem involves the corporate alternative minimum tax, which the GOP initially planned to repeal, but tossed back into their stew at the last second in order to raise some desperately needed revenue.
Day 320
Tuesday 5 December 2017
Harassment
John Conyers to Leave Congress Amid Harassment Claims
Conyers, 88, the “dean” of the House and the longest-serving African-American representative in history, acquiesced to weeks of pressure from fellow Democrats.
TaxDollars Commentary
Two ugly quotes from Republicans reveal the truth about their tax plan
“I think not having the estate tax recognizes the people that are investing,” Grassley said, “as opposed to those that are just spending every darn penny they have, whether it’s on booze or women or movies.”
“I have a rough time wanting to spend billions and billions and trillions of dollars to help people who won’t help themselves, won’t lift a finger, and expect the federal government to do everything.”
Satire HaHa
A Second Chance: This Amazing Organization Helps Disgraced Pedophiles Rebuild Their Lives By Getting Them Elected To Political Office
While most Americans are openly disgusted by pedophiles, the bighearted people over at the GOP seek to help them find decent, well-paying jobs where they can shape national policy.
Mueller RussiaProbe
Deutsche Bank gets subpoena from Mueller on Trump accounts
Germany’s largest bank received a subpoena from Mueller several weeks ago to provide information on certain money and credit transactions, the person said, without giving details, adding key documents had been handed over in the meantime.
MiddleEast
Uncertainty, anger as Trump keeps alive dispute over moving U.S. embassy to Jerusalem
The Trump administration allowed a deadline to pass Monday for signing a waiver that keeps the embassy in Tel Aviv. The waiver allows the State Department to avoid fines for not moving the embassy to Jerusalem, which Israel regards as its undivided capital.
Day 319
Monday 4 December 2017
NorthKorea
UN Political Chief to Visit North Korea Days After ICBM Launch
A senior United Nations official will begin a four-day trip to North Korea on Tuesday for talks with Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and other officials
The visit ... was arranged after the UN received an invitation from Pyongyang for policy dialogue
TaxDollars
The Senate GOP Accidentally Killed Some of Its Donors’ Favorite Tax Breaks
On Friday, Senate Republicans rewrote the American tax code over lunch — and passed their (partially handwritten) legislation around 2 a.m. the following morning.
The Senate bill brings the normal corporate rate down to 20 percent — while leaving the alternative minimum rate at … 20 percent. The legislation would still allow corporations to claim a wide variety of tax credits and deductions — it just renders all them completely worthless. Companies can either take no deductions, and pay a 20 percent rate — or take lots of deductions … and pay a 20 percent rate.
TravelBan SCOTUS
Supreme Court Allows Trump Travel Ban to Take Effect
The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the third version of the Trump administration’s travel ban to go into effect while legal challenges against it continue.
Mueller Manafort RussiaProbe
Paul Manafort has been working with a man 'linked to Russian intelligence' while under house arrest
According to a new court filing from Mr Mueller’s team, the legal cloud hanging over Mr Manafort has not prevented him from helping to pen an opinion piece about his Ukraine-related work.
Misc
Fired Trump Campaign Aide Dishes on President’s Screaming Fits and Junk-Food Habits in New Book
“Sooner or later, everybody who works for Donald Trump will see a side of him that makes you wonder why you took a job with him in the first place”
“On Trump Force One there were four major food groups: McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, pizza and Diet Coke”
TaxDollars
House Republicans Already Shooting Down Tax Bill’s Promises
Those promises materialized in the frantic final hours of the tax debate last week, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) gave Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) assurances that some of their personal legislative priorities would be dealt with in exchange for their votes.
Moving the Collins and Flake deals through the House was always going to be an uphill climb, with a conservative bloc sharply opposed to both measures ... On Monday, those conservatives railed against McConnell for making promises on legislation that they have long opposed.
Sessions Impeach
Sessions argued in Clinton impeachment that presidents can obstruct justice
Trump’s personal lawyer argued Monday that, as the nominal head of federal law enforcement, the president is legally unable to obstruct justice. But the exact opposite view was once argued by another senior Trump lawyer: Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
RussiaProbe
Yes, the President Can Obstruct Justice
You know you have a problem when you’ve been president for less than 11 months and you’re already relying on Richard Nixon’s definition of what’s legal.
Environment
Trump to seek nearly 90 pct cut to Utah's Bears Ears monument
Trump on Monday called for a nearly 90 percent reduction in the size of Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument along with a nearly 50 percent reduction to the state’s Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.
NorthKorea
The past 72 hours in US-North Korea tensions, explained
On Monday, the US sent 24 stealth fighter jets to South Korea for a large-scale military exercise that North Korea said “will push the already acute situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war.”
Moore
Roy Moore Gets Trump Endorsement and R.N.C. Funding for Senate Race
Trump on Monday strongly endorsed Roy S. Moore ... prompting the Republican National Committee to restore its support for a candidate accused of sexual misconduct against teenage girls.
Moore
Woman shares new evidence of relationship with Roy Moore when she was 17
“He called me a liar,” said Gibson, who says she not only openly dated Moore when she was 17 but later joined him in passing out fliers during his campaign for circuit court judge in 1982 and exchanged Christmas cards with him over the years.
RussiaProbe
White House paranoid: 'Everyone thinks they’re being recorded'
Tucked inside last week’s 10-page plea deal Flynn struck with government prosecutors is an agreement that the former White House national security adviser could avoid a potential lengthy jail term in part by “participating in covert law enforcement activities.”
Day 318
Sunday 3 December 2017
ILoveWomen
Billy Bush: Yes, Donald Trump, You Said That
President Trump is currently indulging in some revisionist history, reportedly telling allies, including at least one United States senator, that the voice on the tape is not his.
Kelly
Trump is giving staffers secret assignments and telling aides to hide them from John Kelly, according to new report
But Kelly can only keep tabs on Trump during working hours, and the president has often gone rogue when left alone.
McConnell Moore
McConnell Says He’ll Let Alabama Voters ‘Make the Call’ on Roy Moore
Asked during an appearance on ABC News’s “This Week” whether he thought Mr. Moore, who has been accused of preying on teenage girls, should be in the Senate, Mr. Connell said the decision should be left to the Dec. 12 special election.
TaxDollars HealthCare
GOP Senator says it’s hard to fund $14 billion children’s health care program — then advocates for $1 trillion tax cut
This week, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) helped push a tax bill through the Senate that will cost about $1 trillion. At the same time, he lamented the difficulties of finding the money to fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which pays for healthcare for nine million children and costs about $14 billion a year — a program Hatch helped create.
RussiaProbe
Trump lawyer's backstory for a stunning tweet
John Dowd, President Trump's personal lawyer, tells me that a Trump tweet that caused an eruption yesterday was "my mistake," made in a tweet he had drafted and passed to White House social media director Dan Scavino.
Russia Guns
Operative Offered Trump Campaign ‘Kremlin Connection’ Using N.R.A. Ties
Russia, he wrote, was “quietly but actively seeking a dialogue with the U.S.” and would attempt to use the N.R.A.’s annual convention in Louisville, Ky., to make “‘first contact.’”
TimeTravel HaHa
When you're attacking FBI agents because you're under criminal investigation, you're losing
—Sarah Sanders, current White House Press Secretary, back on 3 Nov 2016
Kushner MiddleEast
Jared Kushner failed to disclose he led a foundation funding illegal Israeli settlements before U.N. vote
The failure to disclose his role in the foundation—at a time when he was being tasked with serving as the president’s Middle East peace envoy—follows a pattern of egregious omissions that would bar any other official from continuing to serve in the West Wing
Day 317
Saturday 2 December 2017
Mueller RussiaProbe Commentary
Inside the secretive nerve center of the Mueller investigation
Once inside, most witnesses are seated in a windowless conference room where two- and three-person teams of FBI agents and prosecutors rotate in and out, pressing them for answers. ... Often listening in is the special counsel himself, a sphinx-like presence who sits quietly along the wall for portions of key interviews.
HaHa
Photos Of The Crowd At Trump's Christmas Tree Lighting Emerge Online--Guess How They Look
This is the largest crowd that has ever attended a National Tree Lighting in history. Period!
News
House GOP leaders plot to avert shutdown, but may need Democrats
Democrats are so far refusing to commit to helping Republicans pass a spending bill, ticking off a list of long-simmering political issues like protections for Dreamers, or young undocumented immigrants, and funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Tillerson Commentary
Rex Tillerson Isn’t the Problem. It’s Trump.
In the end, he was trapped on the one hand between a president with little regard for diplomacy or the State Department ..., and on the other hand, the cruel and unforgiving realities of a world beyond America’s shores, which left him with a bundle of challenges impossible to manage, let alone resolve.
TaxDollars
Few Hurdles Left, G.O.P. Is Confident Tax Cuts Will Be Signed This Month
While the tax bills approved by the House and the Senate diverge in significant ways, the same forces that rocketed the measures to passage appear likely to bond Republicans in the two chambers as they work to hash out the differences.
Education
Betsy DeVos Allies See New Obstacle to School Choice Efforts: Trump
The culprit, they said, is the inflammatory president Ms. DeVos works for, who paralyzed efforts at cooperation and whose language and policies are seen as antagonistic toward low-income minority communities
RussiaProbe AltFacts
ABC Suspends Reporter Brian Ross Over Erroneous Report About Trump
Brian Ross ... has been suspended for four weeks without pay after incorrectly reporting that Michael T. Flynn ... would testify that President Trump had directed him to make contact with Russian officials while Mr. Trump was still a candidate
Mueller RussiaProbe Comey Flynn
Donald Trump faces obstruction of justice claims after admitting he knew Michael Flynn lied to FBI months ago
Knowing that someone had committed a crime (by lying to the FBI) but encouraging agents to stop investigating is tantamount to obstruction of justice
Mueller RussiaProbe
Mueller Removed Top Agent in Russia Inquiry Over Possible Anti-Trump Texts
The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, removed a top F.B.I. agent this summer from his investigation into Russian election meddling after the Justice Department’s inspector general began examining whether the agent had sent text messages that expressed anti-Trump political views
Flynn RussiaProbe
Emails Dispute White House Claims That Flynn Acted Independently on Russia
While Mr. Trump has disparaged as a Democratic “hoax” any claims that he or his aides had unusual interactions with Russian officials, the records suggest that the Trump transition team was intensely focused on improving relations with Moscow and was willing to intervene to pursue that goal
On Dec. 29, a transition adviser to Mr. Trump, K. T. McFarland, wrote in an email to a colleague that sanctions ... could also make it much harder for Mr. Trump to ease tensions with Russia, “which has just thrown the U.S.A. election to him”
Flynn RussiaProbe
Trump on Flynn deal: 'There has been absolutely no collusion'
When asked by reporters if he was worried about what Flynn might say, Trump said, "No, I'm not. And what has been shown is no collusion, no collusion. There has been absolutely no collusion. So we're very happy."
GloriousLeader TaxDollars
Biggest Tax Bill and Tax Cuts in history just passed in the Senate. Now these great Republicans will be going for final passage. Thank you to House and Senate Republicans for your hard work and commitment!
Day 316
Friday 1 December 2017
TaxDollars
Republicans are handwriting their tax bill at the last minute
Mere hours ahead of the Senate’s tax vote, Republicans have yet to release an official copy of the tax bill. The only legislative text that has been internally circulated ... includes large swaths of policy changes in handwriting, filled between the lines and in the margins of a previous copy.
TaxDollars
The Senate’s Official Scorekeeper Says the Republican Tax Plan Would Add $1 Trillion to the Deficit
Senate Republicans’ $1.5 trillion tax cut would not pay for itself, according to a report released on Thursday by the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation.
RussiaProbe ButHerEmails
Top FBI agent was removed from Russia probe over allegations he made anti-Trump statements
"The FBI has clearly defined policies and procedures regarding appropriate employee conduct, including communications. When the FBI first learned of the allegations, the employees involved were immediately reassigned, consistent with practices involving employee matters."
Flynn Mueller RussiaProbe
Trump White House caught off guard by Flynn plea
One person close to the White House described the mood this way: “What they’re freaked out about is that there are no leaks. Papadopoulos didn’t leak. Flynn didn’t leak. They feel like they can’t trust anyone. Their own counsel didn’t know.”
Flynn Mueller RussiaProbe
Flynn has promised special counsel 'full cooperation' in Russia probe
Retired Lt. Gen Michael Flynn has promised “full cooperation” in the special counsel’s Russia investigation and, according to a confidant, is prepared to testify that Donald Trump directed him to make contact with the Russians, initially as a way to work together to fight ISIS in Syria.
Flynn Mueller RussiaProbe
Why we can say with near-certainty that Michael Flynn has flipped in the Russia investigation
There's one reason — one criminal charge, actually — that lets us safely assume Michael Flynn switched sides: He pleaded guilty to one charge of lying to the FBI, when there's so much more the special counsel could have potentially nabbed him for.
“The best explanation for why Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III would agree to it is that Flynn has something very valuable to offer in exchange: damaging testimony on someone else.”
TaxDollars
Treasury fund paid for one sexual harassment settlement involving a House office in the last five years, data shows
The data sheds new light on the secretive process lawmakers use to settle workplace complaints against them and their aides.
TaxDollars
Senate GOP: We have the votes on taxes
But Republican leaders are still rewriting the multi-trillion-dollar measure hours before a potential vote.
Flynn Mueller RussiaProbe
Flynn pleads guilty to lying to the FBI
The charge brings the criminal case into the Trump White House and raises questions about who else in the administration Mueller could be eyeing.
TaxDollars
Trump: Democrats obstructing tax bill 'because they think it is too good'
Contrary to Trump’s suggestion on Twitter, Democrats have laid out a series of complaints about the bill, most notably that it is not the middle-class tax cut that the GOP claims but would cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans while increasing taxes on some middle-class Americans.
GloriousLeader TaxDollars
Republicans Senators are working hard to pass the biggest Tax Cuts in the history of our Country. The Bill is getting better and better. This is a once in a generation chance. Obstructionist Dems trying to block because they think it is too good and will not be given the credit!
TaxDollars
Republicans are rejecting the official analysis of their tax bill’s cost
“It’s just a reference point — it’s not going to influence my decision on the bill,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said.
“Oh, that’s the one that doesn’t believe that there’s going to be economic growth? Yeah, I ignore that,” Barrasso said.
Kushner
Jared Kushner can’t pass his security clearance investigation, officials say
"Of course, the real reason it hasn’t been denied yet is because nobody has the moxie to tell the president his son-in-law can't be working in the White House, even though he shouldn't be."
Moore HaHa
Read Jimmy Kimmel’s scathing response to Roy Moore after their ‘Twitter war’
"But when you commit a sin at our church, at our church we’re encouraged to confess and ask for forgiveness for the sin. Not to call the women you allegedly victimized liars and damage them even more."