https://truthout.org/articles/corporate-wrongdoers-get-off-easy-under-trump/
"Under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, total penalties against corporations by the Justice Department fell 90 percent."
News And Opinion About The Republican War On Women And Issues Important To Women
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Why the Allen Weisselberg subpoena is so dangerous for Trump
https://thinkprogress.org/allen-weisselberg-subpoenaed-trump-organization-cohen-investigation-187aa7fafd57/
"Allen Weisselberg, the man at the financial center of President Trump’s sprawling business operation for the past several decades, has been subpoenaed as a witness in the federal criminal probe into longtime Trump associate Michael Cohen, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday."
"Allen Weisselberg, the man at the financial center of President Trump’s sprawling business operation for the past several decades, has been subpoenaed as a witness in the federal criminal probe into longtime Trump associate Michael Cohen, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday."
Why Trump’s attacks on preexisting conditions are an attack on women
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/7/26/17587090/2018-elections-house-preexisting-conditions-trump
"As much as any other issue, women’s health will be on the ballot in the 2018 midterm elections. It’s almost hard to remember now, but in the days before the Affordable Care Act was in place, health insurance companies routinely charged women in America more than men. Some women were deemed uninsurable because they had preexisting conditions like pregnancy or a breast cancer diagnosis. Now Obamacare makes that illegal — but Donald Trump’s election endangered those protections."
"As much as any other issue, women’s health will be on the ballot in the 2018 midterm elections. It’s almost hard to remember now, but in the days before the Affordable Care Act was in place, health insurance companies routinely charged women in America more than men. Some women were deemed uninsurable because they had preexisting conditions like pregnancy or a breast cancer diagnosis. Now Obamacare makes that illegal — but Donald Trump’s election endangered those protections."
Cohen’s explosive Trump Tower revelation is very bad news for Donald Trump Jr.
https://thinkprogress.org/cohen-trump-tower-donald-trump-jr-bad-news-3b997fef6645/
"News of Cohen’s willingness to testify that Trump knew in advance about his campaign’s efforts to collude with Russia is obviously bad news for the president, who on Friday morning tweeted that “I did NOT know of the meeting with my son, Don jr.” Trump has repeatedly claimed he didn’t know his campaign met with Russians until the New York Times broke the news about the Trump Tower meeting 13 months after it happened. But the latest Cohen revelation is also very bad news for Donald Trump Jr. During his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee last September, Trump Jr. flat-out denied informing his father of the Trump Tower meeting. It is against the law to lie to Congress, even if you’re not under oath. And now, Donald Trump’s longtime lawyer is willing to testify that Trump Jr. did just that. In the wake of CNN’s report, both Trump and Rudy Giuliani have tried to discredit Cohen as a liar. The only problem, however, is that not long ago — before Cohen started cooperating with prosecutors — Giuliani described Cohen as an “honest, truthful lawyer.” President Trump has already shown a willingness to lie about Russia-related matters. After the New York Times broke news of the Trump Tower meeting, Trump dictated a misleading statement for Trump Jr. that claimed “a program about the adoption of Russian children” was the reason his campaign met with Russians. That statement was quickly contradicted by Don Jr.’s emails, which he voluntarily published in order to get ahead of a forthcoming New York Times report."
"News of Cohen’s willingness to testify that Trump knew in advance about his campaign’s efforts to collude with Russia is obviously bad news for the president, who on Friday morning tweeted that “I did NOT know of the meeting with my son, Don jr.” Trump has repeatedly claimed he didn’t know his campaign met with Russians until the New York Times broke the news about the Trump Tower meeting 13 months after it happened. But the latest Cohen revelation is also very bad news for Donald Trump Jr. During his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee last September, Trump Jr. flat-out denied informing his father of the Trump Tower meeting. It is against the law to lie to Congress, even if you’re not under oath. And now, Donald Trump’s longtime lawyer is willing to testify that Trump Jr. did just that. In the wake of CNN’s report, both Trump and Rudy Giuliani have tried to discredit Cohen as a liar. The only problem, however, is that not long ago — before Cohen started cooperating with prosecutors — Giuliani described Cohen as an “honest, truthful lawyer.” President Trump has already shown a willingness to lie about Russia-related matters. After the New York Times broke news of the Trump Tower meeting, Trump dictated a misleading statement for Trump Jr. that claimed “a program about the adoption of Russian children” was the reason his campaign met with Russians. That statement was quickly contradicted by Don Jr.’s emails, which he voluntarily published in order to get ahead of a forthcoming New York Times report."
President Trump Instructs Americans to Take His Word For It
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-not-really-happening-702991/
"Reality has become too powerful an enemy for Trump to subvert inconspicuously. He now has no choice but to challenge it directly and in plain sight. The president best summed it up while speaking to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Kansas City on Tuesday afternoon. “Just remember,” he said. “What you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening.” If Trump’s warning on Tuesday sounds familiar, you may be thinking of what George Orwell wrote in 1984, his seminal novel imagining a dystopian future in which the public is oppressed by a manipulative authoritarian state. “The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears,” Orwell wrote. “It was their final, most essential command.” Welcome to 2018."
"Reality has become too powerful an enemy for Trump to subvert inconspicuously. He now has no choice but to challenge it directly and in plain sight. The president best summed it up while speaking to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Kansas City on Tuesday afternoon. “Just remember,” he said. “What you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening.” If Trump’s warning on Tuesday sounds familiar, you may be thinking of what George Orwell wrote in 1984, his seminal novel imagining a dystopian future in which the public is oppressed by a manipulative authoritarian state. “The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears,” Orwell wrote. “It was their final, most essential command.” Welcome to 2018."
White House will stop transcribing conversations between Trump and foreign leaders
https://thinkprogress.org/white-house-not-publishing-call-summaries-trump-foreign-leaders-a1d185bab7d4/
"Abandoning readouts is the latest in a line of unnecessary steps the White House has taken to reduce transparency since Trump was elected. President Donald Trump has reportedly taken multiple personal calls with world leaders that even his closest staffers didn’t know about. The White House has also advocated to keep its visitor logs private, ending a longstanding tradition among past administrations. Last year, the White House was forced to release some of those logs, revealing who had access to the president. The logs included visits from lobbyists and members of the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Council on Environmental Quality. Additionally, Trump has not held a solo press conference in over 18 months and is the first U.S. president in decades to not release his tax returns, which would provide insight into how he is profiting off the presidency."
"Abandoning readouts is the latest in a line of unnecessary steps the White House has taken to reduce transparency since Trump was elected. President Donald Trump has reportedly taken multiple personal calls with world leaders that even his closest staffers didn’t know about. The White House has also advocated to keep its visitor logs private, ending a longstanding tradition among past administrations. Last year, the White House was forced to release some of those logs, revealing who had access to the president. The logs included visits from lobbyists and members of the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Council on Environmental Quality. Additionally, Trump has not held a solo press conference in over 18 months and is the first U.S. president in decades to not release his tax returns, which would provide insight into how he is profiting off the presidency."
‘The People’s Budget’: Analysis of the Congressional Progressive Caucus budget for fiscal year 2019
‘The People’s Budget’: Analysis of the Congressional Progressive Caucus budget for fiscal year 2019: "The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) has unveiled its fiscal year 2019 (FY2019) budget, titled The People’s Budget: A Progressive Path Forward. It builds on recent CPC budget alternatives in setting the following priorities: near-term job creation, financing public investments, strengthening low- and middle-income families’ economic security, raising adequate revenue to meet budgetary needs while restoring fairness to the tax code, strengthening social insurance programs, and ensuring long-run fiscal sustainability."
Ryan Zinke’s War on the Interior
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/ryan-zinke-trump-war-on-department-of-interior-700218/
"From gutting the Endangered Species Act to opening off-shore drilling – inside the Trump administration’s crusade to hand America’s public lands to the fossil-fuel industry"
"From gutting the Endangered Species Act to opening off-shore drilling – inside the Trump administration’s crusade to hand America’s public lands to the fossil-fuel industry"
Accidentally-released documents show Interior agency prioritized industry over public lands
https://thinkprogress.org/interior-zinke-public-lands-oil-drilling-d8a4cc51c5d2/
"Under Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, the agency intentionally tailored a survey of protected sites, emphasizing instead the value of fossil fuel extraction and other industry endeavors."
"Under Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, the agency intentionally tailored a survey of protected sites, emphasizing instead the value of fossil fuel extraction and other industry endeavors."
How the Republican tax cuts are failing workers, in one chart
https://www.vox.com/2018/7/23/17602746/tax-cuts-work-bloomberg-wages
"Republicans said corporate tax cuts would boost wages. They’re not."
"Republicans said corporate tax cuts would boost wages. They’re not."
FBI Believed Trump Campaign Aide Carter Page Was ‘Collaborating’ With Russia
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fbi-carter-page-russia_us_5b53c5fee4b0fd5c73c60649
"In the months leading up to the 2016 presidential election, the FBI believed that Carter Page, a campaign adviser to Donald Trump, was “conspiring and collaborating with the Russian government,” according to startling wiretap warrant applications released Saturday by the Justice Department. The 412 pages of documents, including an initial wiretap warrant application and three follow-up renewals, were heavily redacted. But they included damning passages concerning Page, who served for a time as a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign. “The FBI believes Page has been the subject of targeted recruitment by the Russian government... to undermine and influence the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election in violation of U.S. criminal law,” the documents say. The FBI also believed that “Page has been collaborating and conspiring with the Russian government,” the document says, adding that “there is probable cause that such activities involve or are about to involve violations of the criminal statutes of the United States.” Other sections noted that Page “has established relationships with Russian government officials, including Russian intelligence officers,” and that the FBI believed “the Russian government’s efforts are being coordinated with Page and perhaps other individuals associated with” Trump’s campaign."
"In the months leading up to the 2016 presidential election, the FBI believed that Carter Page, a campaign adviser to Donald Trump, was “conspiring and collaborating with the Russian government,” according to startling wiretap warrant applications released Saturday by the Justice Department. The 412 pages of documents, including an initial wiretap warrant application and three follow-up renewals, were heavily redacted. But they included damning passages concerning Page, who served for a time as a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign. “The FBI believes Page has been the subject of targeted recruitment by the Russian government... to undermine and influence the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election in violation of U.S. criminal law,” the documents say. The FBI also believed that “Page has been collaborating and conspiring with the Russian government,” the document says, adding that “there is probable cause that such activities involve or are about to involve violations of the criminal statutes of the United States.” Other sections noted that Page “has established relationships with Russian government officials, including Russian intelligence officers,” and that the FBI believed “the Russian government’s efforts are being coordinated with Page and perhaps other individuals associated with” Trump’s campaign."
The first casualties of the trade war are Trump supporters
https://www.salon.com/2018/07/21/the-first-casualties-of-the-trade-war-are-trump-supporters/
"The US Chamber of Commerce, America’s business voice, states that these actions threaten 2.6 million U.S. jobs. 468,790 US jobs are estimated to be lost from the steel and aluminum tariffs alone. Over 41 percent of clothes, 72 percent of shoes, and 54 percent of non-leather handbags sold in the US are made in China and will likely now be more expensive. As a result of the EU’s retaliatory tariffs, Harley Davidson is moving some production of its iconic American motorcycle out of the US to the EU, which it says “is not the company’s preference”. Trump’s trade wars promise both immediate and longer-term economic effects. BlackRock’s CEO Larry Fink stated that intensifying trade tensions could reduce stock prices by 10 to 15 percent, spur a broad market downturn and slow down the U.S. economy. In June, investors withdrew $12.4 billion from global stocks, the fastest withdrawal since the 2008 financial crisis. That same month, the market values of US corn, soybeans, and wheat crops dropped $13 billion, about 10 percent. Reflecting a 25 percent Chinese tariff, US soybean prices fell by 16 percent to their lowest level in ten years, after having exported some $12 billion to China last year (56 percent of all US soybean exports). According to Mr. Rusty Smith, a corn and soybean farmer in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, this price drop is “like $100,000 that has disappeared into thin air. We were already in the red, and now it’s even worse.” Bloomberg Economics estimates that all these tariffs could cost the global economy $470 billion, reduce global trade by 3.7 percent, and shrink the US economy by 0.9 percent by 2020. In the US, who will be most affected? The emerging conclusion is Republican states, Trump voters, and small business people."
"The US Chamber of Commerce, America’s business voice, states that these actions threaten 2.6 million U.S. jobs. 468,790 US jobs are estimated to be lost from the steel and aluminum tariffs alone. Over 41 percent of clothes, 72 percent of shoes, and 54 percent of non-leather handbags sold in the US are made in China and will likely now be more expensive. As a result of the EU’s retaliatory tariffs, Harley Davidson is moving some production of its iconic American motorcycle out of the US to the EU, which it says “is not the company’s preference”. Trump’s trade wars promise both immediate and longer-term economic effects. BlackRock’s CEO Larry Fink stated that intensifying trade tensions could reduce stock prices by 10 to 15 percent, spur a broad market downturn and slow down the U.S. economy. In June, investors withdrew $12.4 billion from global stocks, the fastest withdrawal since the 2008 financial crisis. That same month, the market values of US corn, soybeans, and wheat crops dropped $13 billion, about 10 percent. Reflecting a 25 percent Chinese tariff, US soybean prices fell by 16 percent to their lowest level in ten years, after having exported some $12 billion to China last year (56 percent of all US soybean exports). According to Mr. Rusty Smith, a corn and soybean farmer in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, this price drop is “like $100,000 that has disappeared into thin air. We were already in the red, and now it’s even worse.” Bloomberg Economics estimates that all these tariffs could cost the global economy $470 billion, reduce global trade by 3.7 percent, and shrink the US economy by 0.9 percent by 2020. In the US, who will be most affected? The emerging conclusion is Republican states, Trump voters, and small business people."
Dan Coats and Rod Rosenstein Speak Truth and Defy Trump
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/dan-coats-and-rod-rosenstein-defy-trump
"A lifelong Republican who is close to Vice-President Mike Pence, Coats seems to embody the struggle of serving Trump. On Monday, hours after Trump challenged the intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, Coats issued a public statement defending the findings. Asked by Mitchell why he issued the statement, Coats said, “I was just doing my job.” He later warned that the meddling was continuing in 2018. “It’s undeniable that the Russians are taking the lead on this,” he said. “Basically, they are the ones that are trying to undermine our basic values and divide us with our allies. They are the ones trying to wreak havoc over our election process.” Coats called Russia “by far” the U.S.’s most aggressive cyberattacker. When asked if he approved of Trump’s decision to meet alone with Putin in Helsinki, Coats replied, “I would have suggested a different way.” He added, “But that’s not my role. That’s not my job.” Coats then openly questioned two central assumptions underlying Trump’s summitry with Putin and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. Coats said that he doubted that Putin has enough influence to pressure Iran to withdraw its forces from Syria—a goal of Trump’s summit with Putin. And Coats said that he was skeptical that North Korea would abide by an agreement to give up its nuclear arsenal. “I’m a Reagan guy,” he said. “Trust and verify.” Later that day, Rod Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General and the Justice Department’s chief protector of the special counsel, Robert Mueller, delivered a speech that differed dramatically from Coats’s comments in terms of style but was similarly pointed. Dressed in a navy-blue suit and a pink-striped tie, Rosenstein announced that the Justice Department would now alert the American public if a foreign government was attempting to undermine an election. Unequivocal in his language and tone, Rosenstein gave a full-throated endorsement of Coats and his warnings about Russia."
"A lifelong Republican who is close to Vice-President Mike Pence, Coats seems to embody the struggle of serving Trump. On Monday, hours after Trump challenged the intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, Coats issued a public statement defending the findings. Asked by Mitchell why he issued the statement, Coats said, “I was just doing my job.” He later warned that the meddling was continuing in 2018. “It’s undeniable that the Russians are taking the lead on this,” he said. “Basically, they are the ones that are trying to undermine our basic values and divide us with our allies. They are the ones trying to wreak havoc over our election process.” Coats called Russia “by far” the U.S.’s most aggressive cyberattacker. When asked if he approved of Trump’s decision to meet alone with Putin in Helsinki, Coats replied, “I would have suggested a different way.” He added, “But that’s not my role. That’s not my job.” Coats then openly questioned two central assumptions underlying Trump’s summitry with Putin and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. Coats said that he doubted that Putin has enough influence to pressure Iran to withdraw its forces from Syria—a goal of Trump’s summit with Putin. And Coats said that he was skeptical that North Korea would abide by an agreement to give up its nuclear arsenal. “I’m a Reagan guy,” he said. “Trust and verify.” Later that day, Rod Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General and the Justice Department’s chief protector of the special counsel, Robert Mueller, delivered a speech that differed dramatically from Coats’s comments in terms of style but was similarly pointed. Dressed in a navy-blue suit and a pink-striped tie, Rosenstein announced that the Justice Department would now alert the American public if a foreign government was attempting to undermine an election. Unequivocal in his language and tone, Rosenstein gave a full-throated endorsement of Coats and his warnings about Russia."
The only thing the newly released FISA documents show is that Republicans have been lying for months
https://thinkprogress.org/fisa-release-gop-lying-9973e5c28101/
"On Saturday night, the New York Times published a report detailing the public disclosure of more than 400 pages of heavily redacted documents related to a FISA warrant filed in 2016 against Carter Page, an advisor for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Page has been a key focus of the intelligence community’s investigation into Russian interference from the very beginning. And as Saturday’s disclosure reveals, the FBI presented enough probable cause suggesting Page had been recruited by Russian officials that four separate Republican-appointed judges authorized still-undisclosed surveillance measures targeting Page."
"On Saturday night, the New York Times published a report detailing the public disclosure of more than 400 pages of heavily redacted documents related to a FISA warrant filed in 2016 against Carter Page, an advisor for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Page has been a key focus of the intelligence community’s investigation into Russian interference from the very beginning. And as Saturday’s disclosure reveals, the FBI presented enough probable cause suggesting Page had been recruited by Russian officials that four separate Republican-appointed judges authorized still-undisclosed surveillance measures targeting Page."
Here's the psychological problem that causes Trump supporters to keep getting duped
Here's the psychological problem that causes Trump supporters to keep getting duped:
"In the past, some prominent psychologists have explained President Donald Trump’s unwavering support by alluding to a well-established psychological phenomenon known as the “Dunning-Kruger effect.” The effect is a type of cognitive bias, where people with little expertise or ability assume they have superior expertise or ability. This overestimation occurs as a result of the fact that they don’t have enough knowledge to know they don’t have enough knowledge. Or, stated more harshly, they are “too dumb to know they are dumb.” This simple but loopy concept has been demonstrated dozens of times in well-controlled psychology studies and in a variety of contexts. However, until now, the effect had not been studied in one of the most obvious and important realms—political knowledge."
"In the past, some prominent psychologists have explained President Donald Trump’s unwavering support by alluding to a well-established psychological phenomenon known as the “Dunning-Kruger effect.” The effect is a type of cognitive bias, where people with little expertise or ability assume they have superior expertise or ability. This overestimation occurs as a result of the fact that they don’t have enough knowledge to know they don’t have enough knowledge. Or, stated more harshly, they are “too dumb to know they are dumb.” This simple but loopy concept has been demonstrated dozens of times in well-controlled psychology studies and in a variety of contexts. However, until now, the effect had not been studied in one of the most obvious and important realms—political knowledge."
Ex-Russian foreign minister warns Trump’s anti-American talking points came from Putin: ‘It’s an emergency situation’
Ex-Russian foreign minister warns Trump’s anti-American talking points came from Putin: ‘It’s an emergency situation’:
"While taking part in a CNN panel on President Donald Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs under President Boris Yeltsin warned that the American president appeared to repeating, almost verbatim, Putin’s talking point on a variety of topics — and warned Americans they should be worried."
"While taking part in a CNN panel on President Donald Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs under President Boris Yeltsin warned that the American president appeared to repeating, almost verbatim, Putin’s talking point on a variety of topics — and warned Americans they should be worried."
It’s official: Support for Roe v. Wade has never been higher
https://thinkprogress.org/roe-v-wade-abortion-access-poll-brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court-donald-trump-8be6bc020d83/
"Seventy-one percent of U.S. voters, including 52 percent of Republicans, do not believe the ruling should be reversed. Only 23 percent of respondents say Roe v. Wade should be overturned. Support for the ruling has risen six percentage points since 2005 and 13 percentage points since 1989."
"Seventy-one percent of U.S. voters, including 52 percent of Republicans, do not believe the ruling should be reversed. Only 23 percent of respondents say Roe v. Wade should be overturned. Support for the ruling has risen six percentage points since 2005 and 13 percentage points since 1989."
Former Trump aide Bannon sets up group to undermine EU
https://www.politicususa.com/2018/07/23/former-trump-aide-bannon-sets-up-group-to-undermine-eu.html
"LONDON (Reuters) – Former Donald Trump political strategist Steve Bannon and a top associate have created a Brussels-based political organization intended to undermine, and ultimately paralyze, the European Union, Bannon and the associate told Reuters."
"LONDON (Reuters) – Former Donald Trump political strategist Steve Bannon and a top associate have created a Brussels-based political organization intended to undermine, and ultimately paralyze, the European Union, Bannon and the associate told Reuters."
Trump biographer warns that president is deploying Soviet-style distraction tactics with his seemingly erratic tweets
Trump biographer warns that president is deploying Soviet-style distraction tactics with his seemingly erratic tweets:
"Speaking about his recent op-ed in the Boston Globe, Donald Trump biographer Michael D’Antonio explained that the president has been trying to distract and deflect, much in the way Russia does."
"Speaking about his recent op-ed in the Boston Globe, Donald Trump biographer Michael D’Antonio explained that the president has been trying to distract and deflect, much in the way Russia does."
Prosecutor: Banker Seeking Cabinet Job Knew Manafort Loan Was Fraudulent
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/steve-calk-loan-in-limine-hearing-manafort-ellis
"A banker who lent Paul Manafort $16 million — after serving on Trump’s campaign and while seeking a job in the incoming Trump administration — knew that the loan was fraudulent, a prosecutor for special counsel Robert Mueller’s team told a federal judge Monday. The bank is called “Lender D” in the court documents that led up to the Monday afternoon hearing. But based on corroborating details, it is the Chicago-based Federal Savings Bank, whose founder and CEO Steve Calk. Calk served on the Trump campaign’s economic advisory team , and, according to the Wall Street Journal, wanted to be Trump’s Army secretary. His bank issued Manafort and his family two loans, of $9.5 million and $6.5 million, in late 2016 and early 2017 respectively, after Manafort allegedly made “several materially inconsistent representations during the process of negotiating” of the loan, according to a search warrant partially unsealed last month. The accusation of the banker’s knowledge of the allegedly fraudulent loan came in questioning by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, who is presiding over the case against Manafort in Virginia, where trial will begin next week. Ellis was hearing a request from Manafort that evidence and arguments about Manafort’s affiliation with the Trump campaign be excluded from the trial."
"A banker who lent Paul Manafort $16 million — after serving on Trump’s campaign and while seeking a job in the incoming Trump administration — knew that the loan was fraudulent, a prosecutor for special counsel Robert Mueller’s team told a federal judge Monday. The bank is called “Lender D” in the court documents that led up to the Monday afternoon hearing. But based on corroborating details, it is the Chicago-based Federal Savings Bank, whose founder and CEO Steve Calk. Calk served on the Trump campaign’s economic advisory team , and, according to the Wall Street Journal, wanted to be Trump’s Army secretary. His bank issued Manafort and his family two loans, of $9.5 million and $6.5 million, in late 2016 and early 2017 respectively, after Manafort allegedly made “several materially inconsistent representations during the process of negotiating” of the loan, according to a search warrant partially unsealed last month. The accusation of the banker’s knowledge of the allegedly fraudulent loan came in questioning by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, who is presiding over the case against Manafort in Virginia, where trial will begin next week. Ellis was hearing a request from Manafort that evidence and arguments about Manafort’s affiliation with the Trump campaign be excluded from the trial."
How the Hospitals Serving Trump Voters Are Closing—And He’s Letting It Happen
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/07/rural-hospital-closures-trump-republicans/
"What’s more, rural communities tend to be both poorer and sicker than their urban counterparts. According to US census data from 2016, 46 percent of the country’s rural population uses a form of government insurance, compared with 36 percent of the urban population. CDC data shows that rural areas have higher death rates from cancer, heart disease, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke than urban areas do. Infant mortality rates are roughly 20 percent higher in rural counties than they are in large urban counties. But there’s another crisis linked to hospital closings: job losses. In many rural communities, the hospital is the largest employer. Brad Gibbens, a researcher at the University of North Dakota, estimates that when one shuts its doors, up to 25 percent of the surrounding region’s economy disappears. A cascading shortage of physicians and other health care professionals soon follows. So why are so many hospitals closing? Carole Myers, an associate professor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville who studies health care policy, says medical facilities in rural areas have long struggled thanks to sparse populations and high poverty rates. But the situation is significantly worse in the 17 states that have not joined Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion, most of them heavily rural. Those states have a higher rate of uninsured people, which means hospitals—which can’t turn anyone away from the emergency room—have to provide more uncompensated care. According to a recent study from the Colorado School of Public Health, hospitals in states that did not expand Medicaid are six times more likely to close than hospitals in states that did, because they see more uninsured patients and provide more free care."
"What’s more, rural communities tend to be both poorer and sicker than their urban counterparts. According to US census data from 2016, 46 percent of the country’s rural population uses a form of government insurance, compared with 36 percent of the urban population. CDC data shows that rural areas have higher death rates from cancer, heart disease, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke than urban areas do. Infant mortality rates are roughly 20 percent higher in rural counties than they are in large urban counties. But there’s another crisis linked to hospital closings: job losses. In many rural communities, the hospital is the largest employer. Brad Gibbens, a researcher at the University of North Dakota, estimates that when one shuts its doors, up to 25 percent of the surrounding region’s economy disappears. A cascading shortage of physicians and other health care professionals soon follows. So why are so many hospitals closing? Carole Myers, an associate professor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville who studies health care policy, says medical facilities in rural areas have long struggled thanks to sparse populations and high poverty rates. But the situation is significantly worse in the 17 states that have not joined Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion, most of them heavily rural. Those states have a higher rate of uninsured people, which means hospitals—which can’t turn anyone away from the emergency room—have to provide more uncompensated care. According to a recent study from the Colorado School of Public Health, hospitals in states that did not expand Medicaid are six times more likely to close than hospitals in states that did, because they see more uninsured patients and provide more free care."
Trump’s latest demand is straight out of the pages of ‘1984’
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-vfw-speech-kansas-city-remember-what-youre-seeing-and-what-youre-reading-is-not-whats-happening-b1a8f318d1d9/
"In George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel 1984, the “final, most essential command” of the ruling totalitarian regime is “to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears.” On Tuesday, President Trump made that same request of his supporters. Speaking to a Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) gathering in Kansas City, Trump implored his audience to forget about what they see and read — and instead just listen to him."
"In George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel 1984, the “final, most essential command” of the ruling totalitarian regime is “to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears.” On Tuesday, President Trump made that same request of his supporters. Speaking to a Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) gathering in Kansas City, Trump implored his audience to forget about what they see and read — and instead just listen to him."
Biographer David Cay Johnston reveals that Russia has amassed a 30-year trove of compromising dirt on Trump
Biographer David Cay Johnston reveals that Russia has amassed a 30-year trove of compromising dirt on Trump:
"Johnston has been following Trump’s financial dealings for many years, and wrote a biography of Trump. Johnston says that there are no shortage of compromising facts that would be revealed by looking deeply into the president’s financial dealings. “We know the Russians have been courting Donald, spending money on him and putting money in his pocket for more than 30 years,” he said. “Donald’s son, one of his sons, has said they were getting lots of money from Russians, and he’d been deeply involved with deals… with Russian gangsters.” The issue is that there is so much kompromat out there that Trump couldn’t even keep track of it all, Johnston said. There are deep ties between Trump, Russian oligarchs and Russian gangsters."
"Johnston has been following Trump’s financial dealings for many years, and wrote a biography of Trump. Johnston says that there are no shortage of compromising facts that would be revealed by looking deeply into the president’s financial dealings. “We know the Russians have been courting Donald, spending money on him and putting money in his pocket for more than 30 years,” he said. “Donald’s son, one of his sons, has said they were getting lots of money from Russians, and he’d been deeply involved with deals… with Russian gangsters.” The issue is that there is so much kompromat out there that Trump couldn’t even keep track of it all, Johnston said. There are deep ties between Trump, Russian oligarchs and Russian gangsters."
Former US attorney says Trump's lies help Mueller -- here's how
Former US attorney says Trump's lies help Mueller -- here's how:
"those lies can still be helpful, according to former federal prosecutor Chuck Rosenberg, who said that there is “no such thing as too much evidence.” “Believe it or not, lies are helpful to a prosecutor, too,” he continued. “Not just because you can charge them separately. There’s another reason why lies are helpful: people who lie, box themselves into a corner.” He explained that someone like Trump will ultimately commit himself to a story, even if he knows the truth is something different."
"those lies can still be helpful, according to former federal prosecutor Chuck Rosenberg, who said that there is “no such thing as too much evidence.” “Believe it or not, lies are helpful to a prosecutor, too,” he continued. “Not just because you can charge them separately. There’s another reason why lies are helpful: people who lie, box themselves into a corner.” He explained that someone like Trump will ultimately commit himself to a story, even if he knows the truth is something different."
The North Carolina GOP’s Plan to Deceive Voters About Its Radical Ballot Measures
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/07/north-carolina-gops-plan-to-deceive-voters-about-its-radical-ballot-measures.html
"North Carolina Republicans’ machinations do not reflect any particular political or legal philosophy. Rather, they’re the work of a party that’s desperately trying to undermine equal access to the ballot in order to entrench itself in power. When raw power is all that matters, democracy becomes dispensable. And unless voters become invested in the battle over the state constitution, North Carolina will continue its descent into one-party rule."
"North Carolina Republicans’ machinations do not reflect any particular political or legal philosophy. Rather, they’re the work of a party that’s desperately trying to undermine equal access to the ballot in order to entrench itself in power. When raw power is all that matters, democracy becomes dispensable. And unless voters become invested in the battle over the state constitution, North Carolina will continue its descent into one-party rule."
Trump Resorts to 'Pure 1984 Totalitarian Gaslighting,' Telling Supporters to Ignore News Coverage of His Policies
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/07/25/trump-resorts-pure-1984-totalitarian-gaslighting-telling-supporters-ignore-news
"Journalists and observers immediately drew comparisons to a line from Orwell's book, which reads, "The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command"."
"Journalists and observers immediately drew comparisons to a line from Orwell's book, which reads, "The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command"."
Judge rejects Trump’s request to stop Emoluments lawsuit
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-organization-hotel-lawsuit-emoluments-clause-judge-rules-can-proceed-b4b46dc9718a/
"The lawsuit filed by the attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia arguing President Donald Trump’s continuing business with foreign governments violates the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution moved forward on Wednesday."
"The lawsuit filed by the attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia arguing President Donald Trump’s continuing business with foreign governments violates the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution moved forward on Wednesday."
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Trump needs his alternate reality to survive — and he knows it
https://www.vox.com/2018/7/25/17611854/trump-alternate-reality-survival
"An important part of Donald Trump’s success has been his cultivation of a base that lives in an alternate reality — a point that was driven home in the past couple of days."
"An important part of Donald Trump’s success has been his cultivation of a base that lives in an alternate reality — a point that was driven home in the past couple of days."
The Cohen Tape Further Proves Trump's Life Has Been Defined by Deceit and Corruption
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a22549947/donald-trump-michael-cohen-tape-business-practices/
"The President* of the United States behaved like a third-rate hoodlum long before he ever heard of Vladimir Putin. This was the way he did business. This always has been the way he’s done business. At least Richard Nixon came to crimes in office by degrees. This president* has lovingly swathed his entire life in deceit and corruption. It is the stagnant water in which he swims. He feeds and grows fat on the slime and rot that exists at the bottom of America’s corporate classes. He is a successful parasite on the American dream."
"The President* of the United States behaved like a third-rate hoodlum long before he ever heard of Vladimir Putin. This was the way he did business. This always has been the way he’s done business. At least Richard Nixon came to crimes in office by degrees. This president* has lovingly swathed his entire life in deceit and corruption. It is the stagnant water in which he swims. He feeds and grows fat on the slime and rot that exists at the bottom of America’s corporate classes. He is a successful parasite on the American dream."
North Carolina Republicans Pass Yet Another Law to Throw State Supreme Court Race to a Republican
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/07/north-carolina-republicans-pass-bill-to-strip-state-supreme-court-candidate-chris-anglin-of-his-gop-affiliation.html
"How far are North Carolina Republicans willing to go to throw an upcoming state Supreme Court election? The GOP-dominated legislature has already altered state law in an effort to protect the incumbent Republican justice and thwart her Democratic challenger. But on Tuesday, the party took even more drastic action to prevent a Democratic victory: It rushed to pass a bill during a special session that will retroactively strip a judicial candidate of his party affiliation. The move is plainly designed to shield the incumbent from Republican competition that could split the GOP vote. Tuesday’s bill isn’t just another legislative coup—it’s a blatant effort by the Legislature to crush separation of powers and shatter judicial independence in the state once and for all."
"How far are North Carolina Republicans willing to go to throw an upcoming state Supreme Court election? The GOP-dominated legislature has already altered state law in an effort to protect the incumbent Republican justice and thwart her Democratic challenger. But on Tuesday, the party took even more drastic action to prevent a Democratic victory: It rushed to pass a bill during a special session that will retroactively strip a judicial candidate of his party affiliation. The move is plainly designed to shield the incumbent from Republican competition that could split the GOP vote. Tuesday’s bill isn’t just another legislative coup—it’s a blatant effort by the Legislature to crush separation of powers and shatter judicial independence in the state once and for all."
The Butina Indictment Isn’t About the Sex Life of an Accused Spy. It’s About Following Russian Money in U.S. Politics.
https://theintercept.com/2018/07/21/maria-butina-indictment-russia-investigation/
"Butina has attracted the attention of federal investigators mainly because of her connections to this shadowy intersection of powerful Russians and right-wing Americans. In fact, it was Butina’s work for Alexander Torshin, a close political ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, that made her a target of federal investigators. Torshin — not Butina — is the Russian figure whose involvement with the NRA and American conservatives brings the Trump-Russia case closer to Russian organized crime and Putin. Torshin, now a top official at the Russian central bank and a former Russian senator, has been identified by Spanish authorities as the “godfather” of Taganskaya, a Russian organized crime group. Spanish police sought to arrest Torshin in 2013 for a scheme to launder money through the purchase of hotels in Mallorca. But the police plan to catch him at a party for Alexander Romanov, another Russian organized crime figure, fell through when Torshin was apparently warned by Russian authorities not to travel to Spain, El PaÃs, a Spanish newspaper, reported. (In 2016, Romanov pleaded guilty to money laundering in a Spanish case. Torshin told El PaÃs that he knew Romanov in the 1990s, but that he “never intended to visit” him.) Shockingly, Torshin was able to travel to the United States and develop close and long-standing relationships with prominent figures in the American conservative movement for years after Spain’s failed attempt to catch and arrest him. Spanish officials have reportedly now provided information to the FBI about Torshin, and earlier this year the Treasury Department levied sanctions against him. In January, McClatchy reported that the FBI was investigating whether Torshin illegally funneled money to the NRA in order to help Trump’s campaign in 2016. But even given this recent flurry of activity, it is clear that American law enforcement officials were very late to picking up on what the Spanish knew about him."
"Butina has attracted the attention of federal investigators mainly because of her connections to this shadowy intersection of powerful Russians and right-wing Americans. In fact, it was Butina’s work for Alexander Torshin, a close political ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, that made her a target of federal investigators. Torshin — not Butina — is the Russian figure whose involvement with the NRA and American conservatives brings the Trump-Russia case closer to Russian organized crime and Putin. Torshin, now a top official at the Russian central bank and a former Russian senator, has been identified by Spanish authorities as the “godfather” of Taganskaya, a Russian organized crime group. Spanish police sought to arrest Torshin in 2013 for a scheme to launder money through the purchase of hotels in Mallorca. But the police plan to catch him at a party for Alexander Romanov, another Russian organized crime figure, fell through when Torshin was apparently warned by Russian authorities not to travel to Spain, El PaÃs, a Spanish newspaper, reported. (In 2016, Romanov pleaded guilty to money laundering in a Spanish case. Torshin told El PaÃs that he knew Romanov in the 1990s, but that he “never intended to visit” him.) Shockingly, Torshin was able to travel to the United States and develop close and long-standing relationships with prominent figures in the American conservative movement for years after Spain’s failed attempt to catch and arrest him. Spanish officials have reportedly now provided information to the FBI about Torshin, and earlier this year the Treasury Department levied sanctions against him. In January, McClatchy reported that the FBI was investigating whether Torshin illegally funneled money to the NRA in order to help Trump’s campaign in 2016. But even given this recent flurry of activity, it is clear that American law enforcement officials were very late to picking up on what the Spanish knew about him."
A treasonous congressman: Conservative scholar implores Paul Ryan to expel Devin Nunes from House
https://www.salon.com/2018/07/25/devin-nunes-should-be-expelled-from-the-house_partner/
"The release of the FBI memo that established the basis for the FISA wiretaps of Trump aide Carter Page has renewed pressure on Representative Devin Nunes, R-Calif., author of a memo which attempted to spin facts to discredit American intelligence. In the wake of the revelations, which show Nunes misrepresented facts, might he become the sixth man ever expelled from the United States House of Representatives?"
"The release of the FBI memo that established the basis for the FISA wiretaps of Trump aide Carter Page has renewed pressure on Representative Devin Nunes, R-Calif., author of a memo which attempted to spin facts to discredit American intelligence. In the wake of the revelations, which show Nunes misrepresented facts, might he become the sixth man ever expelled from the United States House of Representatives?"
Mike Pence's Family Business Is Still in the Indiana Soil, Literally
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a22487247/mike-pences-family-business-indiana-pollution/
"We begin in Indiana, where the legacy of Vice-President* Mike Pence and his family business remains alive in the soil and the water, even if certain other things do not. Pence’s father got rich by helping to develop a chain of gas stations all over the Midwest. In 2004, the business went bust, but it’s still costing the taxpayers. From the AP: The collapse of Kiel Bros. Oil Co. in 2004 was widely publicized. Less known is that the state of Indiana—and, to a smaller extent, Kentucky and Illinois—are still on the hook for millions of dollars to clean up more than 85 contaminated sites across the three states, including underground tanks that leaked toxic chemicals into soil, streams and wells. Indiana alone has spent at least $21 million on the cleanup thus far, or an average of about $500,000 per site, according to an analysis of records by The Associated Press. And the work is nowhere near complete."
"We begin in Indiana, where the legacy of Vice-President* Mike Pence and his family business remains alive in the soil and the water, even if certain other things do not. Pence’s father got rich by helping to develop a chain of gas stations all over the Midwest. In 2004, the business went bust, but it’s still costing the taxpayers. From the AP: The collapse of Kiel Bros. Oil Co. in 2004 was widely publicized. Less known is that the state of Indiana—and, to a smaller extent, Kentucky and Illinois—are still on the hook for millions of dollars to clean up more than 85 contaminated sites across the three states, including underground tanks that leaked toxic chemicals into soil, streams and wells. Indiana alone has spent at least $21 million on the cleanup thus far, or an average of about $500,000 per site, according to an analysis of records by The Associated Press. And the work is nowhere near complete."
Judge Kavanaugh’s Deregulatory Agenda
Judge Kavanaugh’s Deregulatory Agenda:
"Most of us take for granted the federal regulations that make our air cleaner, our drinking water purer, our food, highways, and workplaces safer, and our economic transactions less vulnerable to fraud and abuse. And few of us realize the extent to which those protections are subject to reversal by federal courts applying legal principles prescribed by the Supreme Court. If confirmed to the Supreme Court, Judge Brett Kavanaugh would be a fervent vote against even well-established forms of regulation."
"Most of us take for granted the federal regulations that make our air cleaner, our drinking water purer, our food, highways, and workplaces safer, and our economic transactions less vulnerable to fraud and abuse. And few of us realize the extent to which those protections are subject to reversal by federal courts applying legal principles prescribed by the Supreme Court. If confirmed to the Supreme Court, Judge Brett Kavanaugh would be a fervent vote against even well-established forms of regulation."
American Racists Look for Allies in Russia
https://www.thedailybeast.com/american-racists-look-for-allies-in-russia?ref=home
"While President Donald Trump pals around with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the U.S.’s racist right is making open overtures to Russian white supremacists. One day after Trump’s disastrous summit with Putin last week, the League of the South, a neo-Confederate hate group, announced that it would launch a Russian-language site. The southern secessionist group’s crush on Russia is the latest appeal by U.S. white supremacists to Russia and Putin—an alliance that has strengthened during the Trump presidency. “Russia is our friend,” a group of torch-waving racists chanted during an October rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. “The South will rise again.” The event was headed by white nationalist Richard Spencer, who has been stumping for Russia before Trump took office."
"While President Donald Trump pals around with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the U.S.’s racist right is making open overtures to Russian white supremacists. One day after Trump’s disastrous summit with Putin last week, the League of the South, a neo-Confederate hate group, announced that it would launch a Russian-language site. The southern secessionist group’s crush on Russia is the latest appeal by U.S. white supremacists to Russia and Putin—an alliance that has strengthened during the Trump presidency. “Russia is our friend,” a group of torch-waving racists chanted during an October rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. “The South will rise again.” The event was headed by white nationalist Richard Spencer, who has been stumping for Russia before Trump took office."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)