News And Opinion About The Republican War On Women And Issues Important To Women
Saturday, February 16, 2019
Conspiracy Against the United States: The Story of Trump and Russia
https://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/democracy/reports/2018/11/27/172558/conspiracy-united-states-story-trump-russia/?fbclid=IwAR2uJG-TiQZPWp9nVEt5_oWSeBv0FAZFy1YVCAM7x33RO_o6TVL0EIVRyxU
"In an administration largely defined by the constant churn of controversy, the Russia investigation has become one of the largest scandals in American political history. As it has unfolded, President Donald Trump and his accomplices in Congress have not only attacked the investigation but also sought to repeatedly shift the goal posts. First, they asserted there had been no meetings with Russia. Next, they acknowledged their meetings with Kremlin-linked operatives, but denied that any collusion had taken place. Then, they claimed that even if collusion had taken place, collusion isn’t a crime. And finally, they argued the scandal is meaningless because Russian interference didn’t change the outcome of the election. All of these assertions are false. There were dozens of contacts and meetings between the two campaigns to elect Trump, each of which the Trump campaign, transition team, and administration sought to hide. Their steadfast obfuscation amid the flood of revelations suggests there are still more to come. In those secret contacts and meetings, the participants colluded, sharing and coordinating plans to undermine the legitimacy of American democracy. That collusion almost certainly constitutes a criminal conspiracy, which, given Trump’s long history of corrupt behavior and reputation for micromanagement, very well may implicate the president himself."
"In an administration largely defined by the constant churn of controversy, the Russia investigation has become one of the largest scandals in American political history. As it has unfolded, President Donald Trump and his accomplices in Congress have not only attacked the investigation but also sought to repeatedly shift the goal posts. First, they asserted there had been no meetings with Russia. Next, they acknowledged their meetings with Kremlin-linked operatives, but denied that any collusion had taken place. Then, they claimed that even if collusion had taken place, collusion isn’t a crime. And finally, they argued the scandal is meaningless because Russian interference didn’t change the outcome of the election. All of these assertions are false. There were dozens of contacts and meetings between the two campaigns to elect Trump, each of which the Trump campaign, transition team, and administration sought to hide. Their steadfast obfuscation amid the flood of revelations suggests there are still more to come. In those secret contacts and meetings, the participants colluded, sharing and coordinating plans to undermine the legitimacy of American democracy. That collusion almost certainly constitutes a criminal conspiracy, which, given Trump’s long history of corrupt behavior and reputation for micromanagement, very well may implicate the president himself."
Everything We Know About Russia and President Trump
https://www.newsandguts.com/trump-russia/?fbclid=IwAR1pavfQwZFc87TqKodyJxm_S0HojRCERc65sqLyyQCYPSwLYt9CUC-FTsY
"Trump’s connections to Russia began more than 35 years ago and didn’t end on Election Day 2016. Attorney Steven J. Harper and the producers at BillMoyers.com launched the Trump-Russia Timeline in February 2017 with 25 entries. It now has more than 1,500 and is updated regularly. Readers can browse entries chronologically, focus on a particular date range, or use the name filter to click on one or more individuals to see where they fit in the overall narrative."
"Trump’s connections to Russia began more than 35 years ago and didn’t end on Election Day 2016. Attorney Steven J. Harper and the producers at BillMoyers.com launched the Trump-Russia Timeline in February 2017 with 25 entries. It now has more than 1,500 and is updated regularly. Readers can browse entries chronologically, focus on a particular date range, or use the name filter to click on one or more individuals to see where they fit in the overall narrative."
How Trump’s EPA is letting environmental criminals off the hook, in one chart
https://www.vox.com/2019/1/16/18183998/epa-andrew-wheeler-environmental-policy-enforcement?fbclid=IwAR2XA9h7vWZlt0IzpJYqueineYZAzw02s6G8YitISZ5N0izh_upvfMQI0t4
"Both reports make the case that the EPA is neglecting its mission and letting bad actors off the hook. That, in turn, could lead more scofflaws to ignore critical air, water, and soil protection rules."
"Both reports make the case that the EPA is neglecting its mission and letting bad actors off the hook. That, in turn, could lead more scofflaws to ignore critical air, water, and soil protection rules."
Trump's EPA refuses to regulate pair of chemicals linked to cancer and multiple illnesses
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/1/30/1830891/-Trump-s-EPA-refuses-to-regulate-pair-of-chemicals-linked-to-cancer-and-multiple-illnesses?utm_campaign=recent&fbclid=IwAR2Ql4-HzN1F6KfhC1wf7_E7b64UflcmmDZhQ01PQuZReEUr8KwJBn6NAYs
"the EPA is not going regulate them, despite requirements that such chemicals be regulated under the Safe Water Drinking Act."
"the EPA is not going regulate them, despite requirements that such chemicals be regulated under the Safe Water Drinking Act."
Congress Must Stop USDA’s Animal Experiments, Says Whistleblower
https://truthout.org/articles/congress-must-stop-usdas-animal-experiments-says-whistleblower/
"In December, the Senate introduced legislation called the Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now (KITTEN) Act, the companion to a bipartisan House bill of the same name targeting outdated food safety experiments at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). As Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) explained to CNN when he introduced the bill, “The USDA breeds up to 100 kittens a year, feeds them parasite-infected meat in order to have the parasite’s eggs harvested for use in other experiments, and then kills the kittens. This bill would essentially stop this process.” To date, the project has consumed $22 million tax dollars and taken the lives of 3,000 kittens. I was disturbed, but not at all surprised, when I read about the experiment, because for two decades, I worked as a veterinarian and researcher at the USDA’s Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Nebraska, the world’s largest livestock research center. When I finally blew the whistle on the extensive government waste and animal abuse I witnessed at the USDA, it destroyed my career, and ultimately, my marriage. But I would do it again."
"In December, the Senate introduced legislation called the Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now (KITTEN) Act, the companion to a bipartisan House bill of the same name targeting outdated food safety experiments at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). As Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) explained to CNN when he introduced the bill, “The USDA breeds up to 100 kittens a year, feeds them parasite-infected meat in order to have the parasite’s eggs harvested for use in other experiments, and then kills the kittens. This bill would essentially stop this process.” To date, the project has consumed $22 million tax dollars and taken the lives of 3,000 kittens. I was disturbed, but not at all surprised, when I read about the experiment, because for two decades, I worked as a veterinarian and researcher at the USDA’s Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Nebraska, the world’s largest livestock research center. When I finally blew the whistle on the extensive government waste and animal abuse I witnessed at the USDA, it destroyed my career, and ultimately, my marriage. But I would do it again."
Felix Sater, the spy, criminal, and mafia-linked executive tied to Trump Tower Moscow, explained
https://www.vox.com/2018/12/6/18127229/trump-felix-sater-tower-moscow-spy?fbclid=IwAR1Fvjxt1BLloDANhOA7qV8FdFvxCkpekmGxcSn8CZn_4JAw7Ly6DQ5dOEw
"Special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, knows about Sater. He’s featured in the court document where Cohen admitted to lying to Congress as “Individual 2.” It’s possible that he will feature more prominently as the probe continues. For now, Sater still talks to the press about his exploits. For example, he recently told BuzzFeed News that there were plans to offer Putin a $50 million penthouse in Trump Tower Moscow — the one Trump had Cohen lie about — if it got built. All of this puts Trump’s praise of Putin and his country in a whole new light — that perhaps what most animated Trump’s warmth was personal profit. Sater would be among the best-positioned people to know, if that’s the case. Mueller, for sure, is interested."
"Special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, knows about Sater. He’s featured in the court document where Cohen admitted to lying to Congress as “Individual 2.” It’s possible that he will feature more prominently as the probe continues. For now, Sater still talks to the press about his exploits. For example, he recently told BuzzFeed News that there were plans to offer Putin a $50 million penthouse in Trump Tower Moscow — the one Trump had Cohen lie about — if it got built. All of this puts Trump’s praise of Putin and his country in a whole new light — that perhaps what most animated Trump’s warmth was personal profit. Sater would be among the best-positioned people to know, if that’s the case. Mueller, for sure, is interested."
Donald Trump's Mafia Connections: Decades Later, Is He Still Linked to the Mob?
https://www.newsweek.com/2019/01/18/donald-trump-mafia-connections-decades-later-linked-mob-1285771.html?fbclid=IwAR2D87EOoolEerEzByKmQsu61_GmBP9DzhMq9dNInIJMpEAny6lyVN4bJcI
"Russia’s intelligence services, oligarchs and gangsters are seamlessly connected, according to multiple news accounts through the years. And since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian mob has made huge inroads into the American underworld, sometimes forming alliances of convenience with La Cosa Nostra. As a teenager, Trump’s future lawyer Cohen, The Wall Street Journal reported last year, “frequented Brooklyn’s ethnic Russian neighborhoods and married into a Ukrainian family.” At a friend’s wedding, he “bragged to another guest that he belonged to the Russian mob.” The friend didn’t believe it, but when Trump pursued a hotel deal in Moscow, Cohen was dispatched to seal the deal, working through shady characters to offer Putin a top-floor penthouse, according to BuzzFeed News. The Trump Organization had long been awash in illicit Russian money, author Craig Unger claimed in a 2018 book, House of Trump, House of Putin: The Untold Story of Donald Trump and the Russian Mafia. “It started out as a simple money-laundering operation at Trump Tower in 1984, when a Russian mobster came to Trump Tower with $6 million in cash and bought five condos. This is the template for what begins to unfold. At least 1,300 Trump condos in the United States have been sold similarly. All cash purchases through anonymous sources,” Unger told Newsweek last August."
"Russia’s intelligence services, oligarchs and gangsters are seamlessly connected, according to multiple news accounts through the years. And since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian mob has made huge inroads into the American underworld, sometimes forming alliances of convenience with La Cosa Nostra. As a teenager, Trump’s future lawyer Cohen, The Wall Street Journal reported last year, “frequented Brooklyn’s ethnic Russian neighborhoods and married into a Ukrainian family.” At a friend’s wedding, he “bragged to another guest that he belonged to the Russian mob.” The friend didn’t believe it, but when Trump pursued a hotel deal in Moscow, Cohen was dispatched to seal the deal, working through shady characters to offer Putin a top-floor penthouse, according to BuzzFeed News. The Trump Organization had long been awash in illicit Russian money, author Craig Unger claimed in a 2018 book, House of Trump, House of Putin: The Untold Story of Donald Trump and the Russian Mafia. “It started out as a simple money-laundering operation at Trump Tower in 1984, when a Russian mobster came to Trump Tower with $6 million in cash and bought five condos. This is the template for what begins to unfold. At least 1,300 Trump condos in the United States have been sold similarly. All cash purchases through anonymous sources,” Unger told Newsweek last August."
Build the Wall and Crime Will Fall’: Trump’s New Rhyming Slogan Is Not True
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/01/build-the-wall-and-crime-will-fall-trumps-dumb-new-slogan.html?fbclid=IwAR2-qHOjClH2WeVG7D42QswdGzzDKERH6yxpWdjXqTHsNDhGicfGrG_J4k0
"Studies show that states with more immigration have less crime and that an influx in undocumented immigrants does not lead to an increase in DUIs and drug arrests."
"Studies show that states with more immigration have less crime and that an influx in undocumented immigrants does not lead to an increase in DUIs and drug arrests."
Jared Kushner: Blackmail and Witness Tampering Are “Family Matters”
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/01/jared-kushner-chris-christie-book?fbclid=IwAR2RGYVGyH1_gpEHovLlxi9KTqY3bnaUpvFj7WMAiX_320RfzLZ1Ca6Dd6A
"For those not up to speed on the criminal history of the president’s in-laws, in 2005, Kushner the Elder pleaded guilty to 18 counts of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering, following an investigation by then–U.S. Attorney Chris Christie. The witness-tampering charge was a result of Chuck’s decision to retaliate against his sister’s husband, William Schulder, who was cooperating with the feds, by hiring a sex worker to seduce him, filming the encounter, and sending the tape to his sister. Jared, unsurprisingly, had bad feelings about his father going to prison for 14 months, though his anger didn’t lie with his (extremely guilty) dad but rather prosecutors, who a man now working in the upper echelons of the U.S. government believed had overstepped their bounds."
"For those not up to speed on the criminal history of the president’s in-laws, in 2005, Kushner the Elder pleaded guilty to 18 counts of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering, following an investigation by then–U.S. Attorney Chris Christie. The witness-tampering charge was a result of Chuck’s decision to retaliate against his sister’s husband, William Schulder, who was cooperating with the feds, by hiring a sex worker to seduce him, filming the encounter, and sending the tape to his sister. Jared, unsurprisingly, had bad feelings about his father going to prison for 14 months, though his anger didn’t lie with his (extremely guilty) dad but rather prosecutors, who a man now working in the upper echelons of the U.S. government believed had overstepped their bounds."
The Potential RICO Cases Against Trump
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/01/trump-organization-rico-racketeering-mueller.html?fbclid=IwAR0d1Lba1lUNjbTcpQ4HTHq2VNQKBzx0ljhLlyT27N-EBZ-ejFYtyqQeytg
"Trump-related investigations appear to be suitable for consolidation into one RICO investigation that could ultimately seize Trump assets and cast the president as the kingpin at the head of a criminal organization."
"Trump-related investigations appear to be suitable for consolidation into one RICO investigation that could ultimately seize Trump assets and cast the president as the kingpin at the head of a criminal organization."
Donald Trump has been compromised by Russia
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2019/01/15/donald-trump-has-been-compromised-russia/V66kiNZWtOE8T9UrfNYJwK/story.html?fbclid=IwAR2rklwAloj9PYe67mVVqutTpZPozv2auwBODERjmdlx0uBMZOIHNj9tWxQ
"After all, as former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and, currently, lecturer at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government Juliette Kayyem said to me, “Everything Trump has done to date is consistent with the notion that he is compromised by the Russians, and the corollary to that is that he has done nothing to convince us otherwise.” The evidence that Trump has acted as an agent of the Russians — either wittingly or unwittingly — is overwhelming. We can start with the 2016 presidential campaign in which Trump not only refused to criticize Russia or Putin directly, but also openly and publicly asked for their assistance in finding Hillary Clinton’s missing e-mails. There is also the Trump Tower meeting with Donald Trump Jr., the dalliance with WikiLeaks, and the 101 contacts between Trump’s campaign team and individuals linked to Russia. But perhaps even more telling is Trump’s consistent refusal to acknowledge Russia’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 election — which of course continues to this day. As president there has been the repeated refusal to fully impose congressionally mandated sanctions on Russia – sanctions that his administration opposed. There’s the repeated turning of a blind eye to Russia’s actions toward its neighbors, as well as its human rights abuses. There are Trump’s persistent attacks on NATO and criticisms of the European Union, (the destabilization of both organizaitions being a key policy objective of Vladimir Putin), and his cozying up to Putin at their summer summit in Helsinki. In recent weeks, there’s been Trump’s bizarre recent parroting of not just Russian, but Soviet-era rhetoric defending that country’s decision to invade Afghanistan four decades ago. Above all, there are the persistent efforts to impede, obstruct, and block the Mueller investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election — and his continued refusal to hold Moscow accountable for their actions during the campaign."
"After all, as former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and, currently, lecturer at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government Juliette Kayyem said to me, “Everything Trump has done to date is consistent with the notion that he is compromised by the Russians, and the corollary to that is that he has done nothing to convince us otherwise.” The evidence that Trump has acted as an agent of the Russians — either wittingly or unwittingly — is overwhelming. We can start with the 2016 presidential campaign in which Trump not only refused to criticize Russia or Putin directly, but also openly and publicly asked for their assistance in finding Hillary Clinton’s missing e-mails. There is also the Trump Tower meeting with Donald Trump Jr., the dalliance with WikiLeaks, and the 101 contacts between Trump’s campaign team and individuals linked to Russia. But perhaps even more telling is Trump’s consistent refusal to acknowledge Russia’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 election — which of course continues to this day. As president there has been the repeated refusal to fully impose congressionally mandated sanctions on Russia – sanctions that his administration opposed. There’s the repeated turning of a blind eye to Russia’s actions toward its neighbors, as well as its human rights abuses. There are Trump’s persistent attacks on NATO and criticisms of the European Union, (the destabilization of both organizaitions being a key policy objective of Vladimir Putin), and his cozying up to Putin at their summer summit in Helsinki. In recent weeks, there’s been Trump’s bizarre recent parroting of not just Russian, but Soviet-era rhetoric defending that country’s decision to invade Afghanistan four decades ago. Above all, there are the persistent efforts to impede, obstruct, and block the Mueller investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election — and his continued refusal to hold Moscow accountable for their actions during the campaign."
Mueller Is Investigating Trump As a Russian Asset
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/01/mueller-investigating-trump-russian-asset.html?fbclid=IwAR1082AxM5eAAUBte9FlUWwSKukRP29lcuDuxSrocKvlLgFhdn29K4warbc
"A somewhat related issue is the question of whether Russia has some kind of backchannel to shape Trump’s thinking. Trump has met with Russian officials since 1987. It was after his first trip to Moscow that he first contemplated running for president. It is well within the realm of possibility that Russians used blackmail, bribes, or perhaps just simple flattery to help shape his thinking on world affairs. It is hard to understand how else some of the idiosyncratic and bizarrely Russpohillic ideas he routinely spouts have found their way into Trump’s brain. His warning that tiny Montenegro is a threat to attack Russia, or his claim that the Soviet Union was right to invade Afghanistan in 1979, are not notions Trump would pick up from his normal routine of binge-watching Fox News. Much of the public focus on the Mueller investigation has centered on campaign collusion. Russia worked to help elect Trump, and Trump and his campaign at minimum welcomed its help, and at maximum, actively participated. (Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort gave polling data to a Russian oligarch, the most likely use for which would have been guiding Russian social media efforts.) But campaign collusion is a relationship with a fixed endpoint: November 8, 2016. After Trump won presidency, any secretive or suspicious mutual interest between him and Vladimir Putin would conclude. Having succeeded in helping to elect the friendly Trump (and block the unfriendly Clinton), Putin could now operate with his chosen candidate on a normal president-to-president basis. The Times report tells us that collusion is only part of the story. The relationship between Trump and Putin did not merely rest on their mutual interest in the Trump campaign defeating Clinton, but indicates some deeper connection. From the very beginning of this story, pundits have underestimated the full extent of Trump’s ties to Russia and how much deeper the story might yet go."
"A somewhat related issue is the question of whether Russia has some kind of backchannel to shape Trump’s thinking. Trump has met with Russian officials since 1987. It was after his first trip to Moscow that he first contemplated running for president. It is well within the realm of possibility that Russians used blackmail, bribes, or perhaps just simple flattery to help shape his thinking on world affairs. It is hard to understand how else some of the idiosyncratic and bizarrely Russpohillic ideas he routinely spouts have found their way into Trump’s brain. His warning that tiny Montenegro is a threat to attack Russia, or his claim that the Soviet Union was right to invade Afghanistan in 1979, are not notions Trump would pick up from his normal routine of binge-watching Fox News. Much of the public focus on the Mueller investigation has centered on campaign collusion. Russia worked to help elect Trump, and Trump and his campaign at minimum welcomed its help, and at maximum, actively participated. (Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort gave polling data to a Russian oligarch, the most likely use for which would have been guiding Russian social media efforts.) But campaign collusion is a relationship with a fixed endpoint: November 8, 2016. After Trump won presidency, any secretive or suspicious mutual interest between him and Vladimir Putin would conclude. Having succeeded in helping to elect the friendly Trump (and block the unfriendly Clinton), Putin could now operate with his chosen candidate on a normal president-to-president basis. The Times report tells us that collusion is only part of the story. The relationship between Trump and Putin did not merely rest on their mutual interest in the Trump campaign defeating Clinton, but indicates some deeper connection. From the very beginning of this story, pundits have underestimated the full extent of Trump’s ties to Russia and how much deeper the story might yet go."
Saturday, November 10, 2018
We aren’t alarmed enough about Jeff Sessions’s firing
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/11/8/18073006/jeff-sessions-firing-democracy-erosion?fbclid=IwAR1U8f9SNNeg3NWhySESq0P_ZrNAgECkXzm7sKQRq_HfjReczXuSDEDYFYY
"The slow degradation of institutions, the normalization of an authoritarian approach to politics, makes any warning about a particular development seem out of proportion to the immediate threat. But we need to be honest about the big picture: Donald Trump’s approach to politics, including his public flagellation and eventual firing of Jeff Sessions, really is damaging the foundations of American democracy."
"The slow degradation of institutions, the normalization of an authoritarian approach to politics, makes any warning about a particular development seem out of proportion to the immediate threat. But we need to be honest about the big picture: Donald Trump’s approach to politics, including his public flagellation and eventual firing of Jeff Sessions, really is damaging the foundations of American democracy."
The Youngest Woman Elected to Congress—and 20 Other Midterm Results that Broke the Mold
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/11/2018-midterm-election-firsts-records/?fbclid=IwAR2yH4uEyfbNSnYmdVC8JaevfO3D-vEsZzZ2FHybsRD2WHI0gpwiMElyXOU
"Tuesday’s midterm election results are full of firsts. More than 100 women, an unprecedented number, were elected to the House and Senat as first-time female candidates swept one race after another. In 18 races (some remain to be called), Democratic women flipped formerly Republican House seats, often by beating out male challengers. The night also ushered in a flock of diverse victors, from the first Native American women to be elected to congress, to Texas’s first Latina congresswomen, to the country’s very first female-majority legislature, on the island of Guam."
"Tuesday’s midterm election results are full of firsts. More than 100 women, an unprecedented number, were elected to the House and Senat as first-time female candidates swept one race after another. In 18 races (some remain to be called), Democratic women flipped formerly Republican House seats, often by beating out male challengers. The night also ushered in a flock of diverse victors, from the first Native American women to be elected to congress, to Texas’s first Latina congresswomen, to the country’s very first female-majority legislature, on the island of Guam."
Trump Has Found His Roy Cohn in Matt Whitaker
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/11/matt-whitaker-is-trumps-corrupt-partisan-attorney-general.html?fbclid=IwAR3q8kbaWDlJelX643uMNyPXsqJi8wHeblsLan30HRwhL-du6KyDC4g2HjQ
"There is simply no doubt that Trump’s entire rationale for firing Sessions is his refusal to quash the Russia investigation, because he has not even bothered to conceal his motive. Trump has repeatedly lambasted Sessions for failing to “stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now.” Sessions is an original Trump loyalist, an unusually committed believer in and effective implementer of the president’s ethnonationalist agenda on immigration and crime. Sessions’s sole failure (in Trump’s eyes) was having to recuse himself from the Russia investigation, and refusing Trump’s demands to reverse the decision. Corruption is literally Trump’s only motive for turning against him."
"There is simply no doubt that Trump’s entire rationale for firing Sessions is his refusal to quash the Russia investigation, because he has not even bothered to conceal his motive. Trump has repeatedly lambasted Sessions for failing to “stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now.” Sessions is an original Trump loyalist, an unusually committed believer in and effective implementer of the president’s ethnonationalist agenda on immigration and crime. Sessions’s sole failure (in Trump’s eyes) was having to recuse himself from the Russia investigation, and refusing Trump’s demands to reverse the decision. Corruption is literally Trump’s only motive for turning against him."
Sanders Warns Trump Any Move to Interfere With Mueller Probe Would Be Considered "Impeachable Offense"
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/11/07/sanders-warns-trump-any-move-interfere-mueller-probe-would-be-considered-impeachable?fbclid=IwAR2dXC3tXFB45Cud6hkW-8BxeCRd4knyoeLsx1Iw01LauK1xvOYA4NjmTlk
"Sanders' colleague in the Senate, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, warned that the firing of Sessions could be "how the cover-up begins," and should be considered a threat to the independence of the Justice Department. "This is a precarious moment, and Congress must immediately pass legislation to protect the work of the #MuellerInvestigation," tweeted Merkley. "The rule of law is at stake"."
"Sanders' colleague in the Senate, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, warned that the firing of Sessions could be "how the cover-up begins," and should be considered a threat to the independence of the Justice Department. "This is a precarious moment, and Congress must immediately pass legislation to protect the work of the #MuellerInvestigation," tweeted Merkley. "The rule of law is at stake"."
12 Republicans who helped write the tax bill won’t be back next year
https://www.salon.com/2018/11/07/12-republicans-who-helped-write-the-tax-bill-wont-be-back-next-year/?fbclid=IwAR0AglCBDfb1yiAZNFcqUkEi2H1LZ3VPn0-x2eWn0pJVoJHSzzw5oKtJKnc
"Half the Republicans on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee that produced the party's signature tax cuts last year will not be returning to Congress in 2019. At least 12 of the 24 Republicans who sit on the committee – which oversees taxes as well as health care – will not be coming back despite pushing through the highly-touted tax bill that President Donald Trump predicted would be a boon for his party in Congress. Four of the members lost their races on Tuesday while eight others retired or chose not to seek re-election."
"Half the Republicans on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee that produced the party's signature tax cuts last year will not be returning to Congress in 2019. At least 12 of the 24 Republicans who sit on the committee – which oversees taxes as well as health care – will not be coming back despite pushing through the highly-touted tax bill that President Donald Trump predicted would be a boon for his party in Congress. Four of the members lost their races on Tuesday while eight others retired or chose not to seek re-election."
A Democrat Just Snagged the Seat Darrell Issa Held for Almost Two Decades
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/11/mike-levin-diane-harkey-election-results/?fbclid=IwAR314bd7eyZ6JOMdsdJZdKOpC-aVbC0rVmkrX0iFIkJH9ptU5YG-tAqF9mg
"On Wednesday afternoon, the Associated Press reported that Democratic candidate Mike Levin won his bid for Congress in California’s 49th District with 53.5 percent of the vote. His defeat of Republican Diane Harkey marks a major turning point for the district, which has been represented by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) for the past 18 years."
"On Wednesday afternoon, the Associated Press reported that Democratic candidate Mike Levin won his bid for Congress in California’s 49th District with 53.5 percent of the vote. His defeat of Republican Diane Harkey marks a major turning point for the district, which has been represented by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) for the past 18 years."
Arkansas and Missouri Approve Minimum Wage Increases
https://truthout.org/articles/arkansas-and-missouri-approve-minimum-wage-increases/?fbclid=IwAR0-4SY3HFa3gtaRkQ0vWmWBLsnsS0xqWNo2LUXGW-fMDhjr4Acee4IPT_8
"In two deep-red states, voters approved substantial raises for nearly 1 million of their fellow workers on Tuesday."
"In two deep-red states, voters approved substantial raises for nearly 1 million of their fellow workers on Tuesday."
Of Course Trump’s Election Press Conference Went Off the Rails
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-press-conference-clips-753033/?fbclid=IwAR2ZO-WkGcGSMgsqnCSK8166Lv60UEP5NoYJLwMRIjgzwlrhuS8Q39L4Fss
"Outside of attacks against the “hostile” media, Trump spouted his usually litany of lies and deflections, while continuing to threaten the Democrats should they use their new majority in the House of Representatives to investigate the president."
"Outside of attacks against the “hostile” media, Trump spouted his usually litany of lies and deflections, while continuing to threaten the Democrats should they use their new majority in the House of Representatives to investigate the president."
After claiming victory in election, an angry Trump attacks the media as the ‘enemy of the people’
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-election-press-conference-attacks-media-7568a96a80eb/?fbclid=IwAR3OPlAtMq2CYd3-_2-gsIctXEFvfb9aw3BGreXAaAf87UCRGZ4UFNolG0o
"Trump appeared quite angry throughout the conference, lashing out at journalists for trying to get answers from him."
"Trump appeared quite angry throughout the conference, lashing out at journalists for trying to get answers from him."
Utah votes to legalize medical marijuana with Proposition 2
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/11/7/18052950/utah-proposition-2-medical-marijuana-legalization-results?fbclid=IwAR0yzLANEBPeAr9UV1nYF68PAfC8HXkKTzw2PKFiT6Ebm5OKy7qTcHZHAzA
"The measure also sets up a system through which state officials will license and regulate medical marijuana businesses, from growers to dispensaries."
"The measure also sets up a system through which state officials will license and regulate medical marijuana businesses, from growers to dispensaries."
Science Returns to the House
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/11/eddie-bernice-johnson-science-returns-to-the-house/?fbclid=IwAR3v72UFEMFy604IgyV8XpzTWsEqI_m3CuoiIhlcLn2v_4ES87P6Hn_idnI
"The Democratic control of the House means science will get higher billing in the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, which, despite its name, has been run by Republican science deniers since 2011."
"The Democratic control of the House means science will get higher billing in the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, which, despite its name, has been run by Republican science deniers since 2011."
Seven Democrats flipped key governor seats
https://thinkprogress.org/these-democrats-just-flipped-key-governor-seats-ade8fc3f3505/?fbclid=IwAR3CZEGYRHxDmv4aA41aPIGVPchrc8VwQHI5GwPXw9gP9R_Jn78RfBzoWAE
"Democrats flipped at least seven gubernatorial seats Tuesday, a significant achievement that could help undo years of harmful Republican policy — particularly when it comes to the gerrymandering efforts that help keep GOP politicians in control. Michigan, Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico, Maine, Wisconsin, and Nevada will have Democratic governors come January 2019. When redistricting begins in 2021, Democratic governors can play an important role in reversing Republican gerrymandering, paving the way for a more fairer balance of power in Congress for years to come."
"Democrats flipped at least seven gubernatorial seats Tuesday, a significant achievement that could help undo years of harmful Republican policy — particularly when it comes to the gerrymandering efforts that help keep GOP politicians in control. Michigan, Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico, Maine, Wisconsin, and Nevada will have Democratic governors come January 2019. When redistricting begins in 2021, Democratic governors can play an important role in reversing Republican gerrymandering, paving the way for a more fairer balance of power in Congress for years to come."
The Senate is so rigged that Democrats may never control it ever again
https://thinkprogress.org/the-senate-is-so-rigged-that-democrats-may-never-control-it-ever-again-14ede9ac5f01/?fbclid=IwAR1DCNSVTmjdKA-_scykn-BK8hIBtPidd5IlQYAQgJuJ4pHDeg1v_SAC4do
"In the outgoing Senate — the Senate that placed Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court — the 49 senators in the Democratic “minority” represent almost 40 million more people than the Republican “majority.” In the incoming Senate, the Democratic “minority” will still represent millions more people — despite the fact that Republicans grew their “majority” last night. And this malapportionment is only going to get worse. By 2040, according to Baruch College’s David Birdsell, about 70 percent of Americans are expected to live in just 15 states. That means that the vast majority of Americans will control just 30 percent of the Senate, while the remaining 70 senators are elected by just 30 percent of the nation. America’s endgame, in other words, is a nation that can no longer meaningfully be described as a democracy — and we are already very far along to that destination. The state of Wyoming has only 573,720 people, according to U.S. Census estimates. That’s 1/68th of the population of California. And yet the 39,776,830 Californians are represented by just two senators — the same number as Wyoming. Indeed, to put the case against Wyoming into fuller context, Wyoming has fewer people than Milwaukee, Baltimore, or Louisville. The fourth largest city in California, San Francisco, has more than 300,000 more residents than the entire state of Wyoming. In total, there are 31 U.S. cities with a greater population than Wyoming. One of them, the nation’s capital, has no representation whatsoever in the Senate."
"In the outgoing Senate — the Senate that placed Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court — the 49 senators in the Democratic “minority” represent almost 40 million more people than the Republican “majority.” In the incoming Senate, the Democratic “minority” will still represent millions more people — despite the fact that Republicans grew their “majority” last night. And this malapportionment is only going to get worse. By 2040, according to Baruch College’s David Birdsell, about 70 percent of Americans are expected to live in just 15 states. That means that the vast majority of Americans will control just 30 percent of the Senate, while the remaining 70 senators are elected by just 30 percent of the nation. America’s endgame, in other words, is a nation that can no longer meaningfully be described as a democracy — and we are already very far along to that destination. The state of Wyoming has only 573,720 people, according to U.S. Census estimates. That’s 1/68th of the population of California. And yet the 39,776,830 Californians are represented by just two senators — the same number as Wyoming. Indeed, to put the case against Wyoming into fuller context, Wyoming has fewer people than Milwaukee, Baltimore, or Louisville. The fourth largest city in California, San Francisco, has more than 300,000 more residents than the entire state of Wyoming. In total, there are 31 U.S. cities with a greater population than Wyoming. One of them, the nation’s capital, has no representation whatsoever in the Senate."
N. Carolina elections are a huge win for democracy, paving the way to strike down GOP gerrymandering
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/11/6/1810593/-N-Carolina-elections-are-a-huge-win-for-democracy-paving-the-way-to-strike-down-GOP-gerrymandering?utm_campaign=trending&fbclid=IwAR2St4WkRr6ZbK9qXtW8ifocqeOlEMBuD4rUffAEgwSr9WOJlga4zz-m6Ho
"In a critical victory for fair elections and the rule of law, North Carolina voters have elected civil rights crusader Anita Earls as the next Democratic justice of the state Supreme Court. Just as importantly, voters rejected two deceptively written constitutional amendments that Republicans had put on the ballot so they could pack that very same court to stop it from curtailing their worst-in-the-nation gerrymandering and voter suppression. Furthermore, voters rejected Republican legislators' ploy to usurp Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's power to appoint the state Board of Elections in their quest to prevent Democrats from expanding early voting. Indeed, Earls' victory over GOP Justice Barbara Jackson, which was astonishingly aided by a GOP election-rigging scheme blowing up in their faces, expands the Democratic majority to five seats over just two Republicans. And because voters rejected an amendment that would have effectively gerrymandered the judicial branch by letting the GOP-gerrymandered legislature assume Cooper’s authority to fill judicial vacancies, Republicans can’t use their unconstitutionally gerrymandered supermajorities to pack the state Supreme Court in a December lame-duck legislative session and return it to a Republican majority like they had planned. Now that Earls, a civil rights lawyer who has fought and won cases against out-of-control North Carolina Republicans on gerrymandering and voting rights, will soon sit on the bench, the end of this decade’s GOP stranglehold on state government may finally be in sight."
"In a critical victory for fair elections and the rule of law, North Carolina voters have elected civil rights crusader Anita Earls as the next Democratic justice of the state Supreme Court. Just as importantly, voters rejected two deceptively written constitutional amendments that Republicans had put on the ballot so they could pack that very same court to stop it from curtailing their worst-in-the-nation gerrymandering and voter suppression. Furthermore, voters rejected Republican legislators' ploy to usurp Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's power to appoint the state Board of Elections in their quest to prevent Democrats from expanding early voting. Indeed, Earls' victory over GOP Justice Barbara Jackson, which was astonishingly aided by a GOP election-rigging scheme blowing up in their faces, expands the Democratic majority to five seats over just two Republicans. And because voters rejected an amendment that would have effectively gerrymandered the judicial branch by letting the GOP-gerrymandered legislature assume Cooper’s authority to fill judicial vacancies, Republicans can’t use their unconstitutionally gerrymandered supermajorities to pack the state Supreme Court in a December lame-duck legislative session and return it to a Republican majority like they had planned. Now that Earls, a civil rights lawyer who has fought and won cases against out-of-control North Carolina Republicans on gerrymandering and voting rights, will soon sit on the bench, the end of this decade’s GOP stranglehold on state government may finally be in sight."
Four Ways for Democrats to Root out Republican Corruption
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/07/four-ways-democrats-root-out-republican-corruption?fbclid=IwAR1ReUIGzbwwFs25dlNuRPs7_oaqEb4uQC__uwJjWATZ-YTt013ehatj1NM
"Tuesday’s elections brought a major shift to the U.S. House, and handed Democrats the opportunity to investigate the rampant corruption of the Trump Administration"
"Tuesday’s elections brought a major shift to the U.S. House, and handed Democrats the opportunity to investigate the rampant corruption of the Trump Administration"
Donald Trump Jr. Expecting to Be Indicted by Mueller Soon
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/11/donald-trump-jr-expecting-to-be-indicted-by-mueller-soon.html?fbclid=IwAR19SnbvhJLHPOsOImneiPNGv_d129o8PEF52O3Jjqgp47Oy1AyU0tA-jnE
"Last year, Donald Trump Jr. testified that he never informed his father of a meeting with Russian officials promising “dirt” on Hillary Clinton. It seemed hard to believe that the ne’er-do-well son would neglect to seek credit for his expected campaign coup from the father whose approval he so obviously craves. And now it seems that Robert Mueller has obtained proof that it is not in fact true. The Trump family lies all the time, of course, but doing it under oath is a crime."
"Last year, Donald Trump Jr. testified that he never informed his father of a meeting with Russian officials promising “dirt” on Hillary Clinton. It seemed hard to believe that the ne’er-do-well son would neglect to seek credit for his expected campaign coup from the father whose approval he so obviously craves. And now it seems that Robert Mueller has obtained proof that it is not in fact true. The Trump family lies all the time, of course, but doing it under oath is a crime."
A list of the states that legalized marijuana for recreational or medical use
https://thinkprogress.org/election-wins-marijuana-reform-michigan-utah-missouri-ohio-831a86dfcad7/?fbclid=IwAR02pbf9-dGl22LZAD3kDjpXdAcn1q-QY0qaiAOTmW4cZw8V_jgGYs_nYEI
"On Tuesday, 36 separate marijuana referendums made it onto the ballots across seven states. Amendments and proposals ranged from outright legalization, like in Michigan and North Dakota, to ironing out the definition of hemp in Colorado. Voters in three states voted to legalize marijuana, and one voted to decriminalize it outright."
"On Tuesday, 36 separate marijuana referendums made it onto the ballots across seven states. Amendments and proposals ranged from outright legalization, like in Michigan and North Dakota, to ironing out the definition of hemp in Colorado. Voters in three states voted to legalize marijuana, and one voted to decriminalize it outright."
Minimum wage increases pass in Arkansas and Missouri
https://thinkprogress.org/minimum-wage-increases-pass-in-arkansas-and-missouri-ed29827a9364/?fbclid=IwAR3jddRFfPGvSQXi_4sRBbEVkMWzr8ZdOj1VL0bgTTyuTsfRm3sAAf2S604
"Voters in Arkansas and Missouri have approved a ballot initiative that would significantly raise the minimum wage in their states, affecting nearly 1 million workers."
"Voters in Arkansas and Missouri have approved a ballot initiative that would significantly raise the minimum wage in their states, affecting nearly 1 million workers."
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