http://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/03/23/big-lie-behind-trumps-education-budget
"Public school supporters are angry at President Trump’s budget proposal, which plans to cut funding to the Department of Education by 13 percent – taking that department’s outlay down to the level it was ten years ago. But the target for their anger should not be just the extent of the cuts but also how the cuts are being pitched to the public. Trump’s education budget cuts are aimed principally at federal programs that serve poor kids, especially their access to afterschool programs and high-quality teachers."
Friday, April 7, 2017
"Embodiment of Greed": Sanders, Warren Rail Against Trump's SEC Pick
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/03/23/embodiment-greed-sanders-warren-rail-against-trumps-sec-pick
"Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) rallied against President Donald Trump's nominee to head the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Wall Street lawyer Jay Clayton, alongside other progressive leaders late Wednesday. Clayton, a corporate lawyer who helped Wall Street defy regulators and get billions of dollars in government bailout funds during the financial crisis, is "the embodiment of the greed that nearly destroyed the economy," Sanders charged in his fiery speech."
"Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) rallied against President Donald Trump's nominee to head the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Wall Street lawyer Jay Clayton, alongside other progressive leaders late Wednesday. Clayton, a corporate lawyer who helped Wall Street defy regulators and get billions of dollars in government bailout funds during the financial crisis, is "the embodiment of the greed that nearly destroyed the economy," Sanders charged in his fiery speech."
Trump's Draconian Budget Deals a Blow to Appalachia
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/39947-trump-s-draconian-budget-deals-a-blow-to-appalachia
"Rural America Takes Major Cuts The Appalachian Regional Commission was founded in 1965 "to help close the profound socioeconomic gaps between Appalachia and the rest of the nation." According to the Commission, in the past five years the agency has helped to create or retain over 101,000 jobs. Almost 63 percent of ARC investment dollars from fiscal years 2011-2015 supported projects that primarily or substantially benefited economically distressed counties and areas. ARC is a federal-state partnership that also garners private investment, which helps it draw bipartisan support. In 2015, for each $1 in funds invested by ARC in non-highway projects, $8 was leveraged in private-sector funding. ARC members want to be clear that their organization is not looking for charity. "We're not trying to ask the federal government to bail us out," says Jeff Whitehead, the executive director of the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc., which receives ARC funding. "We are coming together to solve some of these problems and we need that federal support and that investment to propel our efforts." The Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program provides workforce and employer services to 23 rural Appalachian counties in Eastern Kentucky. It's one program of many in the region that receives funding from ARC. The need for workforce development in Kentucky is especially pressing. As of October 2016, an estimated 6,254 people were employed at coal mines in the state, the lowest level recorded since 1898. "The ARC, they've been a real instrumental partner in our region's efforts," Whitehead says. In the past two years ARC awarded $707,000 to the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, which used the money to train 670 people who are now employed full-time, the AP reported. "Investments like ARC into our efforts, they're just really poised to pay off great dividends," he says."
"Rural America Takes Major Cuts The Appalachian Regional Commission was founded in 1965 "to help close the profound socioeconomic gaps between Appalachia and the rest of the nation." According to the Commission, in the past five years the agency has helped to create or retain over 101,000 jobs. Almost 63 percent of ARC investment dollars from fiscal years 2011-2015 supported projects that primarily or substantially benefited economically distressed counties and areas. ARC is a federal-state partnership that also garners private investment, which helps it draw bipartisan support. In 2015, for each $1 in funds invested by ARC in non-highway projects, $8 was leveraged in private-sector funding. ARC members want to be clear that their organization is not looking for charity. "We're not trying to ask the federal government to bail us out," says Jeff Whitehead, the executive director of the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc., which receives ARC funding. "We are coming together to solve some of these problems and we need that federal support and that investment to propel our efforts." The Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program provides workforce and employer services to 23 rural Appalachian counties in Eastern Kentucky. It's one program of many in the region that receives funding from ARC. The need for workforce development in Kentucky is especially pressing. As of October 2016, an estimated 6,254 people were employed at coal mines in the state, the lowest level recorded since 1898. "The ARC, they've been a real instrumental partner in our region's efforts," Whitehead says. In the past two years ARC awarded $707,000 to the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, which used the money to train 670 people who are now employed full-time, the AP reported. "Investments like ARC into our efforts, they're just really poised to pay off great dividends," he says."
Memo to FBI: If team Trump and Putin colluded, any money trail likely involves oil
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-russia-money-trail-oil-19c3ed417173
"Another key development since the election: Putin pulled off the Rosneft sale in December. When Fortune reported on this deal, they pointed out that it was “confounding expectations that the Kremlin’s standoff with the West would scare off major investors.” But this deal “pointed to a possible reassessment by foreign investors of the risks of dealing with Russia, at a time when the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president has heightened expectations of a thaw between Moscow and Washington.” Significantly, the $11 billion raised by the sale went to the Kremlin, not Rosneft. No wonder “Russian officials were jubilant that Rosneft had pulled off a deal which will deliver a large chunk of the cash they need to fill gaps in the state budget caused by an economic slowdown and sanctions,” as Reuters reported. Kleptocracy — and possibly meddling with a foreign election — looks like it pays very well for team Putin. As for the buyers, Sergey Aleksashenko, a former deputy head of Russia’s central bank, wrote in a blog post earlier this year, “the main question in relation to this transaction, as ever, still sounds like this: Who is the real buyer of a 19.5 percent stake in Rosneft?” Reuters notes that “important facts about the deal either have not been disclosed, cannot be determined solely from public records, or appear to contradict the straightforward official account of the stake being split 50/50” between Swiss oil trading firm Glencore and the Qataris. The funding sources for almost a quarter of the deal “have not been disclosed by any of the parties.” This deal “uses a structure of shell companies owning shell companies, commonly referred to in Russia as a ‘matryoshka,’ after the wooden nesting dolls that open to reveal a smaller doll inside.” For instance, “public records show the ownership structure of the stake ultimately includes a Cayman Islands company whose beneficial owners cannot be traced"."
"Another key development since the election: Putin pulled off the Rosneft sale in December. When Fortune reported on this deal, they pointed out that it was “confounding expectations that the Kremlin’s standoff with the West would scare off major investors.” But this deal “pointed to a possible reassessment by foreign investors of the risks of dealing with Russia, at a time when the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president has heightened expectations of a thaw between Moscow and Washington.” Significantly, the $11 billion raised by the sale went to the Kremlin, not Rosneft. No wonder “Russian officials were jubilant that Rosneft had pulled off a deal which will deliver a large chunk of the cash they need to fill gaps in the state budget caused by an economic slowdown and sanctions,” as Reuters reported. Kleptocracy — and possibly meddling with a foreign election — looks like it pays very well for team Putin. As for the buyers, Sergey Aleksashenko, a former deputy head of Russia’s central bank, wrote in a blog post earlier this year, “the main question in relation to this transaction, as ever, still sounds like this: Who is the real buyer of a 19.5 percent stake in Rosneft?” Reuters notes that “important facts about the deal either have not been disclosed, cannot be determined solely from public records, or appear to contradict the straightforward official account of the stake being split 50/50” between Swiss oil trading firm Glencore and the Qataris. The funding sources for almost a quarter of the deal “have not been disclosed by any of the parties.” This deal “uses a structure of shell companies owning shell companies, commonly referred to in Russia as a ‘matryoshka,’ after the wooden nesting dolls that open to reveal a smaller doll inside.” For instance, “public records show the ownership structure of the stake ultimately includes a Cayman Islands company whose beneficial owners cannot be traced"."
Why Are Republicans So Relentlessly Cruel to the Poor? @alternet
Why Are Republicans So Relentlessly Cruel to the Poor? @alternet:
"Unfortunately, the Republican war on the poor is but one sign of the deep moral rot at the heart of American society. This crisis extends well beyond the election of Donald Trump and the cruelty both promised and so far enacted by his cadre and the Republican Party. If a society is judged by how it treats the most vulnerable and weak, America is a country in decline, a country whose citizens should be ashamed of their leaders — and, in some cases, ashamed of themselves."
"Unfortunately, the Republican war on the poor is but one sign of the deep moral rot at the heart of American society. This crisis extends well beyond the election of Donald Trump and the cruelty both promised and so far enacted by his cadre and the Republican Party. If a society is judged by how it treats the most vulnerable and weak, America is a country in decline, a country whose citizens should be ashamed of their leaders — and, in some cases, ashamed of themselves."
Trump defends three of his biggest lies in new interview
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-lies-time-interview-f78e478dd630
"In a new Time magazine cover interview, President Trump defends three of the most notorious lies he’s told since beginning his presidential campaign in June 2015."
"In a new Time magazine cover interview, President Trump defends three of the most notorious lies he’s told since beginning his presidential campaign in June 2015."
Here’s a fact check of the blizzard of lies Trump told in his off-the-charts Time magazine interview
Here’s a fact check of the blizzard of lies Trump told in his off-the-charts Time magazine interview
"In his interview with Scherer, Trump also lied about the veracity of his administration’s employment statistics versus Obama’s, how many times he’s made the cover of Time, the state of the economy he inherited from Pres. Obama and other subjects."
"In his interview with Scherer, Trump also lied about the veracity of his administration’s employment statistics versus Obama’s, how many times he’s made the cover of Time, the state of the economy he inherited from Pres. Obama and other subjects."
5 things to know about Trump’s USDA nominee and the environment
https://thinkprogress.org/sonny-perdue-agriculture-secretary-environment-climate-confirmation-b8ac56014f6d
"Perdue also has deep ties to the chemical industry. He has received around $330,000 in campaign donations from chemical giant Monsanto and other agribusinesses, according to GrubStreet, and was named Governor of the Year in 2009 by the GMO-lobbying group Biotechnology Innovation Organization."
"Perdue also has deep ties to the chemical industry. He has received around $330,000 in campaign donations from chemical giant Monsanto and other agribusinesses, according to GrubStreet, and was named Governor of the Year in 2009 by the GMO-lobbying group Biotechnology Innovation Organization."
Conservatives suddenly love big government — when it comes to punishing blue cities for passing progressive local laws
http://www.salon.com/2017/03/23/conservatives-suddenly-love-big-government-when-it-comes-to-punishing-blue-cities-for-passing-progressive-local-laws/
"Conservatives are starting to sour on the concept of local control, so much so that Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, a leading figure on the Republican far right, recently gave a speech to the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute in which he suggested that Texas should pass “a broad-based law” that would “pre-empt local regulations.” Wait, what? Conservatives are supposed to be the small government guys. Suddenly you’ve got one of the most right-wing Republican governors in the country denouncing local control and arguing that Big Brother should pass broad legislation stripping basic powers from local leaders to do things like pass smoking ordinances or regulate a city’s minimum wage."
"Conservatives are starting to sour on the concept of local control, so much so that Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, a leading figure on the Republican far right, recently gave a speech to the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute in which he suggested that Texas should pass “a broad-based law” that would “pre-empt local regulations.” Wait, what? Conservatives are supposed to be the small government guys. Suddenly you’ve got one of the most right-wing Republican governors in the country denouncing local control and arguing that Big Brother should pass broad legislation stripping basic powers from local leaders to do things like pass smoking ordinances or regulate a city’s minimum wage."
How Many Lies Can Donald Trump Defend in One Interview?
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/03/donald-trump-falsehoods-interview-wiretap
"In the end, he insists his version of events are the real truth because, after all, he's sitting in the Oval Office."
"In the end, he insists his version of events are the real truth because, after all, he's sitting in the Oval Office."
Trump's Policies Show How Racial Division Benefits the Rich
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/trumps-policies-show-how-racial-division-benefits-the-rich-w473404
"Since the introduction of the American Health Care Act and Trump's draconian budget proposal, there's been a rash of reporting and analysis on how Trump's policies will be particularly harmful for Trump voters. The tax credits to purchase health insurance available to Trump's older, rural, low- and middle-income voters would be significantly lower under the GOP health care plan than the subsidies available to them through Obamacare, which are tailored to one's income and the local cost of health insurance – because Trump won counties with low incomes and high insurance costs. Trump's proposed $54 billion budget cuts would also hit hardest the rural areas and small towns he won. The money saved by slashing the budget and rescinding Obamacare benefits would free up hundreds of billions of dollars for tax cuts for the wealthy. Nonetheless, some Trump voters remain strong supporters, like the woman outside a Trump rally who mistakenly credited Trump for the Obamacare subsidy that enables her son to afford insurance. Another woman said she didn't believe reports that Trumpcare would leave 24 million more people uninsured and advised against believing anything that doesn't come straight from Trump. But there have been many other stories featuring Trump supporters who are coming to realize the policies he wants to enact will hurt them."
"Since the introduction of the American Health Care Act and Trump's draconian budget proposal, there's been a rash of reporting and analysis on how Trump's policies will be particularly harmful for Trump voters. The tax credits to purchase health insurance available to Trump's older, rural, low- and middle-income voters would be significantly lower under the GOP health care plan than the subsidies available to them through Obamacare, which are tailored to one's income and the local cost of health insurance – because Trump won counties with low incomes and high insurance costs. Trump's proposed $54 billion budget cuts would also hit hardest the rural areas and small towns he won. The money saved by slashing the budget and rescinding Obamacare benefits would free up hundreds of billions of dollars for tax cuts for the wealthy. Nonetheless, some Trump voters remain strong supporters, like the woman outside a Trump rally who mistakenly credited Trump for the Obamacare subsidy that enables her son to afford insurance. Another woman said she didn't believe reports that Trumpcare would leave 24 million more people uninsured and advised against believing anything that doesn't come straight from Trump. But there have been many other stories featuring Trump supporters who are coming to realize the policies he wants to enact will hurt them."
Release of Arctic Methane "May Be Apocalyptic," Study Warns
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/39957-release-of-arctic-methane-may-be-apocalyptic-study-warns
"A scientific study published in the prestigious journal Palaeoworld in December issued a dire -- and possibly prophetic -- warning, though it garnered little attention in the media. "Global warming triggered by the massive release of carbon dioxide may be catastrophic," reads the study's abstract. "But the release of methane from hydrate may be apocalyptic." The study, titled "Methane Hydrate: Killer Cause of Earth's Greatest Mass Extinction," highlights the fact that the most significant variable in the Permian Mass Extinction event, which occurred 250 million years ago and annihilated 90 percent of all the species on the planet, was methane hydrate."
"A scientific study published in the prestigious journal Palaeoworld in December issued a dire -- and possibly prophetic -- warning, though it garnered little attention in the media. "Global warming triggered by the massive release of carbon dioxide may be catastrophic," reads the study's abstract. "But the release of methane from hydrate may be apocalyptic." The study, titled "Methane Hydrate: Killer Cause of Earth's Greatest Mass Extinction," highlights the fact that the most significant variable in the Permian Mass Extinction event, which occurred 250 million years ago and annihilated 90 percent of all the species on the planet, was methane hydrate."
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Here Are the 50 GOP Senators Who Just Sacrificed Your #BroadbandPrivacy to Corporate Profits
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/03/23/here-are-50-gop-senators-who-just-sacrificed-your-broadbandprivacy-corporate-profits
"Privacy and consumer advocates—and a seemingly endless chorus of Internet users—were expressing outrage on Thursday after the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate passed a bill that will allow powerful media corporations to collect personal data of internet users without their consent and sell that information to the "highest bidder" for profit."
"Privacy and consumer advocates—and a seemingly endless chorus of Internet users—were expressing outrage on Thursday after the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate passed a bill that will allow powerful media corporations to collect personal data of internet users without their consent and sell that information to the "highest bidder" for profit."
Is a billionaire-funded coup to rewrite the Constitution on the verge of happening?
Is a billionaire-funded coup to rewrite the Constitution on the verge of happening?
"According to Wisconsin.gov, Republican lawmakers will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, March 28, to determine whether Wisconsin will call for a constitutional convention."
"According to Wisconsin.gov, Republican lawmakers will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, March 28, to determine whether Wisconsin will call for a constitutional convention."
Trump’s ‘draconian’ budget devastates rural communities already hanging by a thread
https://thinkprogress.org/trumps-budget-leaves-rural-america-behind-28d24564b8e7#.q1rijze9j
"President Donald Trump’s proposal for the federal budget, released on Thursday, targets a number of agencies and programs for elimination that benefit the rural poor. These 19 independent agencies provide, among other things: job training for low-income seniors, after-school programs for kids in high-poverty areas, and housing assistance to low-income families. These cuts would be particularly harmful if they came along with the end of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion, which the House Republican health care reform proposal would eliminate. Health care is often more expensive in rural areas, but Trumpcare does not account for geographical price disparities. Even without Medicaid cuts, however, advocates say that rural communities could be devastated by provisions of the Trump budget proposal. “This budget is draconian when it come to the needs of rural places,” said Robert Mahaffey, executive director of the Rural School and Community Trust."
"President Donald Trump’s proposal for the federal budget, released on Thursday, targets a number of agencies and programs for elimination that benefit the rural poor. These 19 independent agencies provide, among other things: job training for low-income seniors, after-school programs for kids in high-poverty areas, and housing assistance to low-income families. These cuts would be particularly harmful if they came along with the end of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion, which the House Republican health care reform proposal would eliminate. Health care is often more expensive in rural areas, but Trumpcare does not account for geographical price disparities. Even without Medicaid cuts, however, advocates say that rural communities could be devastated by provisions of the Trump budget proposal. “This budget is draconian when it come to the needs of rural places,” said Robert Mahaffey, executive director of the Rural School and Community Trust."
Trump's proposed State Department budget cuts put US at risk
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-s-proposed-state-department-budget-cuts-put-us-at-risk-900056643933
"Donald Trump's proposal to cut the State Department's budget by a third, and the implications that will have on fighting terrorism and epidemics like Ebola."
"Donald Trump's proposal to cut the State Department's budget by a third, and the implications that will have on fighting terrorism and epidemics like Ebola."
Trump: Don't Blame Me When I Quote Fox News
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/03/trump-dont-blame-me-when-i-quote-fox-news
"Donald Trump does not like taking responsibility for White House screw-ups. He'll blame anyone else he can think of—even his friends at Fox News."
"Donald Trump does not like taking responsibility for White House screw-ups. He'll blame anyone else he can think of—even his friends at Fox News."
DeVos Moves To Give Control Of Education To Koch Brothers And Heritage Foundation | Crooks and Liars
DeVos Moves To Give Control Of Education To Koch Brothers And Heritage Foundation | Crooks and Liars
"Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, is wasting no time when it comes to destroying our children's education on a federal level. During her confirmation hearing, she stressed that she would work in the best interests of students, teachers and education leaders, and that she supported public schools, wanting only the best for them. But for those who know DeVos' history, this was not in tune with her previous statements and actions. She has spent the last twenty plus years destroying the education system in her home state of Michigan."
"Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, is wasting no time when it comes to destroying our children's education on a federal level. During her confirmation hearing, she stressed that she would work in the best interests of students, teachers and education leaders, and that she supported public schools, wanting only the best for them. But for those who know DeVos' history, this was not in tune with her previous statements and actions. She has spent the last twenty plus years destroying the education system in her home state of Michigan."
Trump-loving former congressman hauled off in handcuffs for allegedly looting his own charity
Trump-loving former congressman hauled off in handcuffs for allegedly looting his own charity
"Tea Partier and Trump supporter Steve Stockman has been charged with violating federal election law by misusing money from a charity that he created. The former Texas congressman allegedly started the non-profit Life Without Limits, then channelled $350,000 in charity donations back to his own account, Click2Houston reports. At his Thursday court appearance, the judge assured the former congressman that it’s in his best interest to get good counsel as soon as possible."
"Tea Partier and Trump supporter Steve Stockman has been charged with violating federal election law by misusing money from a charity that he created. The former Texas congressman allegedly started the non-profit Life Without Limits, then channelled $350,000 in charity donations back to his own account, Click2Houston reports. At his Thursday court appearance, the judge assured the former congressman that it’s in his best interest to get good counsel as soon as possible."
Trump’s budget proposal plans a disaster for public investment
Trump’s budget proposal plans a disaster for public investment
"The broader cuts in the budget blueprint foreshadow an even worse fate for overall public investment. NDD is only about 16 percent of all federal spending, but fully half of it is public investment. The Trump budget essentially puts a long-run decline in NDD spending on overdrive. NDD budget authority fell from almost 7 percent of GDP in 1977 to about 3 percent by 1990. It has hovered around 3 percent since then, beginning a slow decline in recent years. The administration’s budget intends to accelerate this decline, reducing NDD spending swiftly and sharply from 2.8 percent of GDP in 2016 to 2.3 percent by 2018."
"The broader cuts in the budget blueprint foreshadow an even worse fate for overall public investment. NDD is only about 16 percent of all federal spending, but fully half of it is public investment. The Trump budget essentially puts a long-run decline in NDD spending on overdrive. NDD budget authority fell from almost 7 percent of GDP in 1977 to about 3 percent by 1990. It has hovered around 3 percent since then, beginning a slow decline in recent years. The administration’s budget intends to accelerate this decline, reducing NDD spending swiftly and sharply from 2.8 percent of GDP in 2016 to 2.3 percent by 2018."
Trump budget slashes heat assistance for struggling families, saying it's a 'lower-impact program'
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/3/16/1644153/-Trump-budget-slashes-heat-assistance-for-struggling-families-saying-it-s-a-lower-impact-program
"Across the country, LIHEAP helps millions of families, 75 percent of which include an elderly or disabled person or a child."
"Across the country, LIHEAP helps millions of families, 75 percent of which include an elderly or disabled person or a child."
Over 350,000 Back Call for Lawmakers To Give Up Their Subsidized Healthcare
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/03/15/over-350000-back-call-lawmakers-give-their-subsidized-healthcare
"Highlighting the hypocrisy of members of Congress who benefit from large healthcare subsidies at the same time that they work to kick millions of Americans off of their health coverage, a man who lost his father to cancer because he was uninsured has created a petition demanding an end to those subsidies for lawmakers."
"Highlighting the hypocrisy of members of Congress who benefit from large healthcare subsidies at the same time that they work to kick millions of Americans off of their health coverage, a man who lost his father to cancer because he was uninsured has created a petition demanding an end to those subsidies for lawmakers."
Trump’s budget screws over his voters
https://thinkprogress.org/trumps-budget-will-drive-up-on-his-own-voters-power-bills-3a6ea89ed93e#.e0my7e5rb
"President Trump’s new federal budget continues a remarkable pattern of being gratuitously cruel to his own voters. The just-released budget zeroes out the two major programs designed to help low-income and elderly Americans deal with energy costs: the Department of Energy (DOE)’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)."
"President Trump’s new federal budget continues a remarkable pattern of being gratuitously cruel to his own voters. The just-released budget zeroes out the two major programs designed to help low-income and elderly Americans deal with energy costs: the Department of Energy (DOE)’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)."
Trump’s budget blueprint is a war on the future of the American economy
http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/3/16/14940712/trump-budget-science-education-health
"President Donald Trump’s debut budget proposal is a stark declaration of war on the future of the American economy that substitutes a curious mix of ideology and blind nostalgia for any effort to think critically about the actual needs of a 21st-century nation."
"President Donald Trump’s debut budget proposal is a stark declaration of war on the future of the American economy that substitutes a curious mix of ideology and blind nostalgia for any effort to think critically about the actual needs of a 21st-century nation."
Senate votes to kill Obama contractor rule
https://www.publicintegrity.org/2017/03/07/20748/senate-votes-kill-obama-contractor-rule
"The rule stemmed from a 2014 executive order issued months after a report by Senate Democrats revealed that almost 30 percent of the worst violators of wage and worker-safety laws from 2007 to 2012 had received government contracts."
"The rule stemmed from a 2014 executive order issued months after a report by Senate Democrats revealed that almost 30 percent of the worst violators of wage and worker-safety laws from 2007 to 2012 had received government contracts."
We're Witnessing a Dangerous Detachment from Reality
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a53868/trump-detachment-reality/
"This is the profound emptiness at the heart of conservatism when it gets into government. Even in triumph, it can't turn off the autonomic anti-government nerve system that has animated modern conservatism for the past 50 years. It has relied on so much that is contrary to human nature and human experience that it doesn't know how to relate to the world any other way. This is a movement that believes that, to be free, a 68-year-old Alzheimer's patient should shop for his own health insurance, which will be provided to him at a reasonable price because, if it isn't, some market magic will make the health insurance company go bankrupt for being mean to its customers. This is the movement that produces critters like Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, who, when asked why he voted against the Violence Against Women Act, replied that violence against women was a state issue and not a federal one. When asked, and I'm paraphrasing here, whether or not he realized how very stupid his first answer was, Barton replied, Shut up. This is a movement that believes that government's relationship with industry should be a silk hand in a velvet glove, that corporations like those which mine and sell coal have a vigorous social conscience, and, therefore, when they find that they are endangering their workers, they will spend what it takes to make them safe. There are people who believe this bunk, just as there are people who believed Donald Trump."
"This is the profound emptiness at the heart of conservatism when it gets into government. Even in triumph, it can't turn off the autonomic anti-government nerve system that has animated modern conservatism for the past 50 years. It has relied on so much that is contrary to human nature and human experience that it doesn't know how to relate to the world any other way. This is a movement that believes that, to be free, a 68-year-old Alzheimer's patient should shop for his own health insurance, which will be provided to him at a reasonable price because, if it isn't, some market magic will make the health insurance company go bankrupt for being mean to its customers. This is the movement that produces critters like Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, who, when asked why he voted against the Violence Against Women Act, replied that violence against women was a state issue and not a federal one. When asked, and I'm paraphrasing here, whether or not he realized how very stupid his first answer was, Barton replied, Shut up. This is a movement that believes that government's relationship with industry should be a silk hand in a velvet glove, that corporations like those which mine and sell coal have a vigorous social conscience, and, therefore, when they find that they are endangering their workers, they will spend what it takes to make them safe. There are people who believe this bunk, just as there are people who believed Donald Trump."
Trump's Budget Won't Balance Federal Spending, but It'll Move a Lot of Money to the Rich
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/39876-trump-s-budget-won-t-balance-federal-spending-but-it-ll-move-a-lot-of-money-to-the-rich
"The political theater that passes for serious policy debate is about to run into an unfortunate reality as Donald Trump's budget plan comes face to face with its arch-nemesis: arithmetic. It's impossible to cut taxes, increase spending, and balance the budget. That's not political bluster. That's math. Throughout the campaign and since, Trump promised to invest in infrastructure, pass an enormous tax cut, boost military spending, cut "waste, fraud, and abuse," and protect Social Security and Medicare -- and, of course, balance the budget. This rhetoric has been remarkably effective, the presidential equivalent of offering free ponies for everyone -- but even less practical. Working in Trump's favor, however, is that many Americans believe things about the federal budget that are simply not true. There's a lot of misinformation out there. According to public opinion polls, Americans believe nearly a third of the budget goes to international aid. In reality, it's less than 1 percent. A survey of Fox News viewers from 2013 showed nearly half believed most federal debt could be eliminated by "cutting waste and fraud." It can't. Out of a nearly $4 trillion annual federal budget, about $3.4 trillion is spent on things that either can't be cut or Trump has promised he doesn't want to cut. This includes Social Security, Medicare, military spending, and interest on the national debt. That leaves just over half a trillion dollars to cover all non-military discretionary spending. It's a lot of money, to be sure, but a small proportion of overall spending. This is the part Trump is proposing to cut. What's included in this side of the budget? To name just a few things: The benefits that help veterans get back on their feet after getting wounded. The nutrition assistance that helps babies born to low-income mothers. The science research that will mitigate the next infectious disease outbreak (remember Zika?)."
"The political theater that passes for serious policy debate is about to run into an unfortunate reality as Donald Trump's budget plan comes face to face with its arch-nemesis: arithmetic. It's impossible to cut taxes, increase spending, and balance the budget. That's not political bluster. That's math. Throughout the campaign and since, Trump promised to invest in infrastructure, pass an enormous tax cut, boost military spending, cut "waste, fraud, and abuse," and protect Social Security and Medicare -- and, of course, balance the budget. This rhetoric has been remarkably effective, the presidential equivalent of offering free ponies for everyone -- but even less practical. Working in Trump's favor, however, is that many Americans believe things about the federal budget that are simply not true. There's a lot of misinformation out there. According to public opinion polls, Americans believe nearly a third of the budget goes to international aid. In reality, it's less than 1 percent. A survey of Fox News viewers from 2013 showed nearly half believed most federal debt could be eliminated by "cutting waste and fraud." It can't. Out of a nearly $4 trillion annual federal budget, about $3.4 trillion is spent on things that either can't be cut or Trump has promised he doesn't want to cut. This includes Social Security, Medicare, military spending, and interest on the national debt. That leaves just over half a trillion dollars to cover all non-military discretionary spending. It's a lot of money, to be sure, but a small proportion of overall spending. This is the part Trump is proposing to cut. What's included in this side of the budget? To name just a few things: The benefits that help veterans get back on their feet after getting wounded. The nutrition assistance that helps babies born to low-income mothers. The science research that will mitigate the next infectious disease outbreak (remember Zika?)."
The Nuclear Danger Posed by Trump Has Only Grown @alternet
The Nuclear Danger Posed by Trump Has Only Grown @alternet:
"Before the 2016 election, Schlosser said the notion of Trump “with the launch codes, capable of devastating cities and countries, is extraordinary. It’s like the plot out of a science-fiction film." Now that film is reality and the opening scenes are already scary."
"Before the 2016 election, Schlosser said the notion of Trump “with the launch codes, capable of devastating cities and countries, is extraordinary. It’s like the plot out of a science-fiction film." Now that film is reality and the opening scenes are already scary."
The butcher’s bill keeps coming due: Donald Trump’s Hannibal Lecter budget cannibalizes his own supporters
http://www.salon.com/2017/03/16/the-butchers-bill-keeps-coming-due-donald-trumps-hannibal-lecter-budget-cannibalizes-his-own-supporters/
"But what happens when Trump and the Republican Party are done feasting on the “white working class” and their other supporters? When the bones are picked clean, to whom will they turn for a meal? People of conscience know the answer even if it terrifies them. If a budget is a kind of moral document and a statement of priorities, Trump has shown that he is an enemy of the American people and the common good — including his most stalwart supporters. If Trump is willing to betray them, all others should quake in fear at what he plans for his enemies in the process of “making America great again"."
"But what happens when Trump and the Republican Party are done feasting on the “white working class” and their other supporters? When the bones are picked clean, to whom will they turn for a meal? People of conscience know the answer even if it terrifies them. If a budget is a kind of moral document and a statement of priorities, Trump has shown that he is an enemy of the American people and the common good — including his most stalwart supporters. If Trump is willing to betray them, all others should quake in fear at what he plans for his enemies in the process of “making America great again"."
Russia’s 5th Column
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/reports/2017/03/15/428074/russias-5th-column/
"President Donald Trump is following the same playbook as the Russian-backed far-right European leaders, adopting eerily similar language to theirs and pursuing the same policies that advance Russia’s objectives even when they are inconsistent with previous Republican policy positions."
"President Donald Trump is following the same playbook as the Russian-backed far-right European leaders, adopting eerily similar language to theirs and pursuing the same policies that advance Russia’s objectives even when they are inconsistent with previous Republican policy positions."
Mike Flynn was paid by Russia's top cybersecurity firm while he still had top-secret-level security clearance
http://www.businessinsider.com/mike-flynn-and-russia-2017-3
"Retired Gen. Michael Flynn was paid $11,250 by Russia's top cybersecurity firm, Kaspersky, in 2015, according to new documents obtained and published by the Congressional Oversight Committee on Wednesday. Flynn was also paid $11,250 by the Russian charter cargo airline Volga-Dnepr Airlines, according to the documents. Flynn was paid for his work with both companies while he still had top-secret level security clearance, a year after he was fired as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Wall Street Journal's Shane Harris noted."
"Retired Gen. Michael Flynn was paid $11,250 by Russia's top cybersecurity firm, Kaspersky, in 2015, according to new documents obtained and published by the Congressional Oversight Committee on Wednesday. Flynn was also paid $11,250 by the Russian charter cargo airline Volga-Dnepr Airlines, according to the documents. Flynn was paid for his work with both companies while he still had top-secret level security clearance, a year after he was fired as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Wall Street Journal's Shane Harris noted."
A Timeline: Russia and President Trump
http://billmoyers.com/story/the-trump-resistance-plan-a-timeline-russia-and-president-trump/
"Investigative reporters have begun to flesh out the Trump/Russia timeline. To keep everything in one location, here’s an updated summary (so far)."
"Investigative reporters have begun to flesh out the Trump/Russia timeline. To keep everything in one location, here’s an updated summary (so far)."
‘We will not be a nuclear waste dump’: Vulnerable GOP senator slams Trump’s Nevada nuke waste plan
‘We will not be a nuclear waste dump’: Vulnerable GOP senator slams Trump’s Nevada nuke waste plan
"The Las Vegas Review Journal notes that, while Trump would increase funding to revive the Yucca Mountain facility, his budget would also slash the Office of Science’s $5 billion budget by a whopping $900 million, which would dramatically cut the amount of research that it now funds at more than 300 universities and at 10 national labs."
"The Las Vegas Review Journal notes that, while Trump would increase funding to revive the Yucca Mountain facility, his budget would also slash the Office of Science’s $5 billion budget by a whopping $900 million, which would dramatically cut the amount of research that it now funds at more than 300 universities and at 10 national labs."
Trump Proposal To Privatize Air Traffic Control Puts Everyone Who Flies At Risk
http://thedailybanter.com/2017/03/trumps-faa-privatization-puts-flying-public-at-risk/
"the fact remains that the U.S. civil aviation system has an excellent safety record and it generally works well for all who use it. Yes, some modernization is needed in some areas, and in a few instances the FAA is already working on that. But giving control of the system over to a private vendor that would likely favor the needs of the big airlines over other users of the system is not the answer, and would clearly jeopardize the safety of all who fly."
"the fact remains that the U.S. civil aviation system has an excellent safety record and it generally works well for all who use it. Yes, some modernization is needed in some areas, and in a few instances the FAA is already working on that. But giving control of the system over to a private vendor that would likely favor the needs of the big airlines over other users of the system is not the answer, and would clearly jeopardize the safety of all who fly."
Defense Secretary Defies Trump, Says Climate Change Is a Real Threat to American Interests
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/3/15/1643924/-Defense-Secretary-Defies-Trump-Says-Climate-Change-Is-a-Real-Threat-to-American-Interests
"Indeed, the new Pentagon chief is directly disavowing the position of the President. He went on to stress that "this is a real-time issue, not some distant what-if." According to "Mad Dog" Mattis "Climate change is impacting stability in areas of the world where our troops are operating today." This is not a particularly new opinion within the walls of the Pentagon. The military has been crystal clear for years about the very real consequences of a world where water and arable land become scarce, and nations erupt into chaos and war."
"Indeed, the new Pentagon chief is directly disavowing the position of the President. He went on to stress that "this is a real-time issue, not some distant what-if." According to "Mad Dog" Mattis "Climate change is impacting stability in areas of the world where our troops are operating today." This is not a particularly new opinion within the walls of the Pentagon. The military has been crystal clear for years about the very real consequences of a world where water and arable land become scarce, and nations erupt into chaos and war."
HHS Secretary Tom Price Lied To A Cancer Survivor's Face | Crooks and Liars
HHS Secretary Tom Price Lied To A Cancer Survivor's Face | Crooks and Liars
"Price's answer was just stunningly evil. After explaining that he was a doctor and had treated many, many cancer patients, he launched his litany of lies."
"Price's answer was just stunningly evil. After explaining that he was a doctor and had treated many, many cancer patients, he launched his litany of lies."
How the System Got Broken, and Why It Can’t Be Fixed
http://billmoyers.com/story/system-got-broken-cant-fixed/
"The system failed because the Founding Fathers did not anticipate anything like the modern Republican Party. On the contrary, they believed that extremism and overweening self-interest of the sort Republicans routinely display could always be quarantined. Were they wrong! Instead of the Constitution circumscribing reactionary populism, reactionary populism has circumscribed the Constitution. That is where we are now. And there is no way out."
"The system failed because the Founding Fathers did not anticipate anything like the modern Republican Party. On the contrary, they believed that extremism and overweening self-interest of the sort Republicans routinely display could always be quarantined. Were they wrong! Instead of the Constitution circumscribing reactionary populism, reactionary populism has circumscribed the Constitution. That is where we are now. And there is no way out."
The House Republicans’ Corporate Tax Cut
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/reports/2017/03/14/427967/house-republicans-corporate-tax-cut/
"Much of the reduction would benefit the largest and most-profitable businesses, including those that have engaged in shifting profits and jobs out of the United States."
"Much of the reduction would benefit the largest and most-profitable businesses, including those that have engaged in shifting profits and jobs out of the United States."
'The Big Short' author on Trump and Wall Street
http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/-the-big-short-author-on-trump-and-wall-street-896852035551
"Michael Lewis, author of "The Big Short," "Moneyball," and "The Undoing Project," explains why some of the Trump administration's policy ideas could take the USA back to the same situation before the crash of 2008."
"Michael Lewis, author of "The Big Short," "Moneyball," and "The Undoing Project," explains why some of the Trump administration's policy ideas could take the USA back to the same situation before the crash of 2008."
Friday, March 24, 2017
"Making America Great" at Americans' Expense
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/03/14/making-america-great-americans-expense
"Now in the White House, he proceeds to push programs and policies that contradict many of his promises. He is ballooning an already massive, bloated military budget by cutting the health and safety budgets of consumer, environmental and labor regulatory agencies and housing and energy assistance. Reportedly he wants to cut one billion dollars out of the budget of the Centers for Disease Control that works to detect and prevent global epidemics! Just today, the Congressional Budget Office announced that under the proposed Republican Health Plan, 24 million people will lose health care by 2026. Apparently he is oblivious to the perils of Avian Flu, SARS, Ebola and Zika threatening our national security and the health and lives of millions of people. There is more to this emerging betrayal. Trump is supporting Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s “you’re on your own, folks” devastating health insurance plan. Slash and burn Ryan, comfortably fully insured by the taxpayers, publicly admits he doesn’t know how many people will lose their health insurance."
"Now in the White House, he proceeds to push programs and policies that contradict many of his promises. He is ballooning an already massive, bloated military budget by cutting the health and safety budgets of consumer, environmental and labor regulatory agencies and housing and energy assistance. Reportedly he wants to cut one billion dollars out of the budget of the Centers for Disease Control that works to detect and prevent global epidemics! Just today, the Congressional Budget Office announced that under the proposed Republican Health Plan, 24 million people will lose health care by 2026. Apparently he is oblivious to the perils of Avian Flu, SARS, Ebola and Zika threatening our national security and the health and lives of millions of people. There is more to this emerging betrayal. Trump is supporting Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s “you’re on your own, folks” devastating health insurance plan. Slash and burn Ryan, comfortably fully insured by the taxpayers, publicly admits he doesn’t know how many people will lose their health insurance."
50 days of 'facts'
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-news/watch/50-days-of-facts-895419459795
"If there's one thing we've learned in the first 50 days of the Trump administration, it's that nothing can be taken at face value."
"If there's one thing we've learned in the first 50 days of the Trump administration, it's that nothing can be taken at face value."
Attorney with Trump investigations in purview part of mass firing
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/attorney-with-trump-investigations-in-purview-part-of-mass-firing-897203779865
"the questionable dealings by Donald Trump and his inner circle and notes that Preet Bharara, who would have been investigating those questions, was part of the abrupt mass firing of U.S. attorneys by Donald Trump."
"the questionable dealings by Donald Trump and his inner circle and notes that Preet Bharara, who would have been investigating those questions, was part of the abrupt mass firing of U.S. attorneys by Donald Trump."
Trump’s defense secretary James Mattis says climate change is real — and a national security threat
Trump’s defense secretary James Mattis says climate change is real — and a national security threat
"In unpublished written testimony provided to the Senate Armed Services Committee after his confirmation hearing in January, Mattis said it was incumbent on the U.S. military to consider how changes like open-water routes in the thawing Arctic and drought in global trouble spots can pose challenges for troops and defense planners. He also stressed this is a real-time issue, not some distant what-if."
"In unpublished written testimony provided to the Senate Armed Services Committee after his confirmation hearing in January, Mattis said it was incumbent on the U.S. military to consider how changes like open-water routes in the thawing Arctic and drought in global trouble spots can pose challenges for troops and defense planners. He also stressed this is a real-time issue, not some distant what-if."
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Trump's reward to 'coal country'—kill jobs, training, communities, and education—you're welcome
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/3/16/1644109/-Trump-s-reward-to-coal-country-kill-jobs-training-communities-and-education-you-re-welcome
"The Appalachian region awarded Trump big, fat wins. After all, Trump digs coal! Now it’s time to get their rewards. How does his budget reward them? Well, there’s the Appalachian Regional Commission. Or rather, there was, because Trump’s proposed budget completely eliminates the ARC. The commission supports local communities and regional programs, it also helps jumpstart local entrepreneurs and regional businesses which have created tens of thousands of jobs. It also contributes to local infrastructure, community management, and hundreds of local programs. Sorry, it did all those things. Clearly not needed. There’s also massive cuts to the Labor Department that eliminates job training. On the chopping block are both the Senior Community Service Employment Program that helps workers over 55 find new jobs, and Job Corps that helps young people get work experience and skills. Both are widely used in Appalachia. Sorry, were. Were. Nobody wants them now. There is one unemployment program Trump is anxious to fund. He’ll expand the Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment program, REAP, which helps companies spot people who shouldn’t get unemployment and ditch them faster. Everyone wants that. And Trump will stop people from having to pay for educational programs, by routing that money to where it’s needed—more bombs. As a special bonus, he’ll save millions of seniors from the indignity of getting warm meals. That’s just what everyone asked for. Most important of all, Trump will make massive cuts to the EPA, instantly recreating thousands of mining jobs even though there are no power plants or steel mills out there that want the coal. Mines will hire more people just because they are so happy about Trump making it possible to dump more waste into water and cutting back on inspections. Or at least, coal country better hope so. Because with no job training, no support for start ups, and absolutely no safety net, it would be kind of awful if it turned out that Trump was just a huge liar."
"The Appalachian region awarded Trump big, fat wins. After all, Trump digs coal! Now it’s time to get their rewards. How does his budget reward them? Well, there’s the Appalachian Regional Commission. Or rather, there was, because Trump’s proposed budget completely eliminates the ARC. The commission supports local communities and regional programs, it also helps jumpstart local entrepreneurs and regional businesses which have created tens of thousands of jobs. It also contributes to local infrastructure, community management, and hundreds of local programs. Sorry, it did all those things. Clearly not needed. There’s also massive cuts to the Labor Department that eliminates job training. On the chopping block are both the Senior Community Service Employment Program that helps workers over 55 find new jobs, and Job Corps that helps young people get work experience and skills. Both are widely used in Appalachia. Sorry, were. Were. Nobody wants them now. There is one unemployment program Trump is anxious to fund. He’ll expand the Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment program, REAP, which helps companies spot people who shouldn’t get unemployment and ditch them faster. Everyone wants that. And Trump will stop people from having to pay for educational programs, by routing that money to where it’s needed—more bombs. As a special bonus, he’ll save millions of seniors from the indignity of getting warm meals. That’s just what everyone asked for. Most important of all, Trump will make massive cuts to the EPA, instantly recreating thousands of mining jobs even though there are no power plants or steel mills out there that want the coal. Mines will hire more people just because they are so happy about Trump making it possible to dump more waste into water and cutting back on inspections. Or at least, coal country better hope so. Because with no job training, no support for start ups, and absolutely no safety net, it would be kind of awful if it turned out that Trump was just a huge liar."
Trump’s budget screws over his voters
https://thinkprogress.org/trumps-budget-will-drive-up-on-his-own-voters-power-bills-3a6ea89ed93e#.qwnx4g7w8
"Two key programs that help the elderly and rural poor reduce their energy bills will be cut."
"Two key programs that help the elderly and rural poor reduce their energy bills will be cut."
The CBO's other bombshell: the Affordable Care Act isn't imploding
http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/3/14/14921594/obamacare-implosion-ahca
"Beyond its eye-popping findings on higher premiums and large-scale coverage loss, the Congressional Budget Office’s official score of the American Health Care Act also quietly demolishes the central publicly stated rationale for repealing the Affordable Care Act."
"Beyond its eye-popping findings on higher premiums and large-scale coverage loss, the Congressional Budget Office’s official score of the American Health Care Act also quietly demolishes the central publicly stated rationale for repealing the Affordable Care Act."
The 78 programs Trump wants to eliminate don’t even pay for his border wall
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-budget-eliminate-78-programs-eef620dd1eb9#.ntly3o2oq
"The sum is also dwarfed by the size of the tax cut that Trump has proposed enacting, which would cost the government $341 billion in the first year and $6.1 trillion over a decade."
"The sum is also dwarfed by the size of the tax cut that Trump has proposed enacting, which would cost the government $341 billion in the first year and $6.1 trillion over a decade."
Putting Trump’s Budget In Perspective
Putting Trump’s Budget In Perspective:
"Trump Budget by the Numbers: Amount the United States currently spends on the Department of Defense: $587 billion Amount the Pentagon characterized, in an internal report, as wasteful spending on bureaucracy that ought to be eliminated: $125 billion Amount Trump proposes to increase spending on the Department of Defense in FY2018: $54 billion Specific cuts to domestic programs to help pay for the Pentagon increase, a border wall, and school vouchers: Cuts to Department of Agriculture (USDA): $4.7B Includes $200 million in cuts to the Women, Infants and Children nutrition assistance program. Cuts to Department of Commerce: $1.4 billion Includes $250 million in cuts to coastal research programs that help prepare communities to deal with storms and rising seas. Also includes $221 million investments to stimulate local economic growth. Cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency: $2.5 billion Cuts to the Department of Education: $9.2 billion Includes $3.7 billion in cuts to grants for teacher training, after-school programs, and aid programs to low-income students. Cuts to Department of Energy: $1.7 billion Includes $900 million in cuts to research at the nation’s universities and national laboratories. Cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development: $6.2 billion Includes eliminating the entire $3 billion Community Development Block Grant program. Cuts to State Department: $10.9 billion Includes programs focused on climate change and foreign aid. Cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency: $2.5 billion Includes eliminating funding for international climate-change programs. Includes eliminating funding for international climate-change programs. Eliminates National Endowment for the Arts: $148 million Eliminates National Endowment for the Humanities: $148 million Eliminates the Institute of Museum and Library Services: $230 million Eliminates the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports public television and public radio: $445 million"
"Trump Budget by the Numbers: Amount the United States currently spends on the Department of Defense: $587 billion Amount the Pentagon characterized, in an internal report, as wasteful spending on bureaucracy that ought to be eliminated: $125 billion Amount Trump proposes to increase spending on the Department of Defense in FY2018: $54 billion Specific cuts to domestic programs to help pay for the Pentagon increase, a border wall, and school vouchers: Cuts to Department of Agriculture (USDA): $4.7B Includes $200 million in cuts to the Women, Infants and Children nutrition assistance program. Cuts to Department of Commerce: $1.4 billion Includes $250 million in cuts to coastal research programs that help prepare communities to deal with storms and rising seas. Also includes $221 million investments to stimulate local economic growth. Cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency: $2.5 billion Cuts to the Department of Education: $9.2 billion Includes $3.7 billion in cuts to grants for teacher training, after-school programs, and aid programs to low-income students. Cuts to Department of Energy: $1.7 billion Includes $900 million in cuts to research at the nation’s universities and national laboratories. Cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development: $6.2 billion Includes eliminating the entire $3 billion Community Development Block Grant program. Cuts to State Department: $10.9 billion Includes programs focused on climate change and foreign aid. Cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency: $2.5 billion Includes eliminating funding for international climate-change programs. Includes eliminating funding for international climate-change programs. Eliminates National Endowment for the Arts: $148 million Eliminates National Endowment for the Humanities: $148 million Eliminates the Institute of Museum and Library Services: $230 million Eliminates the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports public television and public radio: $445 million"
‘America First’ Budget Is Unworthy of Our Nation
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/03/17/america-first-budget-unworthy-our-nation
"Congressional Republicans will also demand cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Trump promised to defend those programs, but stay tuned: after ritual displays of ‘reluctance,’ followed by ‘negotiations,’ Trump will probably break that promise too. Trump pretends to be a different kind of Republican, but his budget blueprint is ideologically consistent with the modern GOP’s hard-right extremism. It values death over life, and fear over hope. It tramples on the bonds that hold us together as one people. It sells off the environment, our shared inheritance. It rejects the fundamental American idea that a nation should be a community, a group of people who protect and look out for one another."
"Congressional Republicans will also demand cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Trump promised to defend those programs, but stay tuned: after ritual displays of ‘reluctance,’ followed by ‘negotiations,’ Trump will probably break that promise too. Trump pretends to be a different kind of Republican, but his budget blueprint is ideologically consistent with the modern GOP’s hard-right extremism. It values death over life, and fear over hope. It tramples on the bonds that hold us together as one people. It sells off the environment, our shared inheritance. It rejects the fundamental American idea that a nation should be a community, a group of people who protect and look out for one another."
Trump to spend 7th consecutive weekend at Trump-branded property, at enormous cost to taxpayers
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-mar-a-lago-trump-branded-properties-weekends-41d373bbe97a#.yscl486y3
"President Trump doesn’t want to spend federal dollars on after-school programs, meals for poor people, or heating assistance that helps keep folks alive. But he has no problem wasting more than $3 million a pop to spend weekends at his private Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. Trump has already made four trips there since becoming president on January 20, and on Friday he confirmed he’s headed there this weekend for the fifth time. Despite vowing during his campaign that he “would rarely leave the White House because there’s so much work to be done” and “would not be a president who took vacations” because “you don’t have time to take time off,” Trump has visited Trump-branded properties each of the past six weekends. That streak will hit seven when Trump lands at Mar-a-Lago later Friday."
"President Trump doesn’t want to spend federal dollars on after-school programs, meals for poor people, or heating assistance that helps keep folks alive. But he has no problem wasting more than $3 million a pop to spend weekends at his private Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. Trump has already made four trips there since becoming president on January 20, and on Friday he confirmed he’s headed there this weekend for the fifth time. Despite vowing during his campaign that he “would rarely leave the White House because there’s so much work to be done” and “would not be a president who took vacations” because “you don’t have time to take time off,” Trump has visited Trump-branded properties each of the past six weekends. That streak will hit seven when Trump lands at Mar-a-Lago later Friday."
White House says Meals on Wheels is “not showing any results.” Research says otherwise.
http://www.vox.com/2017/3/17/14951656/meals-on-wheels-research
"a further benefit of these programs is that by allowing seniors to continue living independently in their own homes, they tend to reduce the need for nursing home care, which is very expensive."
"a further benefit of these programs is that by allowing seniors to continue living independently in their own homes, they tend to reduce the need for nursing home care, which is very expensive."
Trump’s ‘draconian’ budget devastates rural communities already hanging by a thread
https://thinkprogress.org/trumps-budget-leaves-rural-america-behind-28d24564b8e7#.266dqxcer
"President Donald Trump’s proposal for the federal budget, released on Thursday, targets a number of agencies and programs for elimination that benefit the rural poor. These 19 independent agencies provide, among other things: job training for low-income seniors, after-school programs for kids in high-poverty areas, and housing assistance to low-income families. These cuts would be particularly harmful if they came along with the end of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion, which the House Republican health care reform proposal would eliminate. Health care is often more expensive in rural areas, but Trumpcare does not account for geographical price disparities. Even without Medicaid cuts, however, advocates say that rural communities could be devastated by provisions of the Trump budget proposal. “This budget is draconian when it come to the needs of rural places,” said Robert Mahaffey, executive director of the Rural School and Community Trust."
"President Donald Trump’s proposal for the federal budget, released on Thursday, targets a number of agencies and programs for elimination that benefit the rural poor. These 19 independent agencies provide, among other things: job training for low-income seniors, after-school programs for kids in high-poverty areas, and housing assistance to low-income families. These cuts would be particularly harmful if they came along with the end of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion, which the House Republican health care reform proposal would eliminate. Health care is often more expensive in rural areas, but Trumpcare does not account for geographical price disparities. Even without Medicaid cuts, however, advocates say that rural communities could be devastated by provisions of the Trump budget proposal. “This budget is draconian when it come to the needs of rural places,” said Robert Mahaffey, executive director of the Rural School and Community Trust."
Trump’s budget would cut funding for Appalachia — and his allies in coal country are livid
http://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/3/17/14951892/trump-budget-coal-country
"At this point, his main idea for coal country is to make unrealistic promises about jobs — and then cut the few federal programs intended to aid the region when the jobs don’t materialize."
"At this point, his main idea for coal country is to make unrealistic promises about jobs — and then cut the few federal programs intended to aid the region when the jobs don’t materialize."
Seth Meyers Dismantles Trump's Barbaric Budget Proposal @alternet
Seth Meyers Dismantles Trump's Barbaric Budget Proposal @alternet:
"There's only one thing "Late Night" host Seth Meyers wants to know after Donald Trump's 10th week in office: "Are you sick of winning yet? Because if you are, you better get to the doctor before Trump takes away your health care." Republicans' Obamacare replacement would hit much of Trump's base the hardest, a reality even Trump admitted to Fox News' Tucker Carlson. “For any other president it would be a smoking gun, but for Trump it’s a guy smoking," Meyers joked. "‘Yeah I know. I know. F*ck ’em.'” Trump's budget proposal spells bad news for rural America as well. Along with cuts to foreign aid, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Environmental Protection Agency, the proposal would also slash the Meals on Wheels program."
"There's only one thing "Late Night" host Seth Meyers wants to know after Donald Trump's 10th week in office: "Are you sick of winning yet? Because if you are, you better get to the doctor before Trump takes away your health care." Republicans' Obamacare replacement would hit much of Trump's base the hardest, a reality even Trump admitted to Fox News' Tucker Carlson. “For any other president it would be a smoking gun, but for Trump it’s a guy smoking," Meyers joked. "‘Yeah I know. I know. F*ck ’em.'” Trump's budget proposal spells bad news for rural America as well. Along with cuts to foreign aid, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Environmental Protection Agency, the proposal would also slash the Meals on Wheels program."
Trumpcare: Paul Ryan's gambit to destroy Medicaid and Medicare
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/3/16/1644214/-Trumpcare-Paul-Ryan-s-gambit-to-destroy-Medicaid-and-Medicare
"It's never been a secret that Paul Ryan's fondest dream has been to blow up the social safety net, every single part of it, but particularly the big three: Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. In no small part that's because they are a direct refutation of his dystopian, Ayn Rand-inspired philosophy of government as a force for evil. Ironic, yes, given he got to where he is today with the Social Security survivor benefits his family received after his father died when he was still a teen. But a pretty typical Republican response: I got mine, the hell with you. So here we arrive at Trumpcare and his big opportunity to take down both Medicare and Medicaid."
"It's never been a secret that Paul Ryan's fondest dream has been to blow up the social safety net, every single part of it, but particularly the big three: Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. In no small part that's because they are a direct refutation of his dystopian, Ayn Rand-inspired philosophy of government as a force for evil. Ironic, yes, given he got to where he is today with the Social Security survivor benefits his family received after his father died when he was still a teen. But a pretty typical Republican response: I got mine, the hell with you. So here we arrive at Trumpcare and his big opportunity to take down both Medicare and Medicaid."
Bannon's Dangerous Domination of National Security @alternet
Bannon's Dangerous Domination of National Security @alternet:
"The neutering of the National Security Council by White House adviser Stephen Bannon continues. Not only has Bannon established a shadow NSC, known as the Strategic Initiatives Group in the White House, but he has also blocked National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster from naming his own staff."
"The neutering of the National Security Council by White House adviser Stephen Bannon continues. Not only has Bannon established a shadow NSC, known as the Strategic Initiatives Group in the White House, but he has also blocked National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster from naming his own staff."
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