The only thing that’s happened is Trump is now making foreign policy on his own—without America’s allies, without Congress, even without the State Department. Trump may consider this a personal win, but it hardly makes America safer.
Thursday, May 31, 2018
Kleptocrat
Newsweek: Trump's North Korea Strategy Is Based On One Thing, His Ego | Opinion By Robert Reich
It's Evil
NY Times: Trump Immigration Policy Veers From Abhorrent to Evil By Nicholas Kristof
...the administration’s tactic of seizing children from desperate refugees at the border.
Moral
NY Times: On Race: The Moral High Ground By Charles M. Blow
You see, racism is a moral corruption built on an intellectual fallacy and exists as a construction invented for the very purpose of violence.
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are -29 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open moderately lower.
CNN: Trade war fears; Italy roller coaster; Softer banking rules by Ivana Kottasová
CNN: Trade war fears; Italy roller coaster; Softer banking rules by Ivana Kottasová
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Take The Pledge, No Knee
Seen on Twitter - "I pledge allegiance to your shorts and the united state of hysteria ....."
Hungry Hungry Hippo
NY Times: A Very Hungry Black Hole Is Found, Gorging on Stars - Astronomers in Australia say they have discovered a fast-growing black hole swallowing stars in a baby galaxy 12 billion light-years from here. By DENNIS OVERBYE
The black hole is growing so rapidly, said Christian Wolf, of the Australian National University, who led the team that found it in the depths of time, “that it is probably 10,000 times brighter than the galaxy it lives in.”
Avenatti!
Guardian UK: Trump's enemy No 1: Michael Avenatti on his quest to take down a president
Avenatti, 47 and a veteran litigator who operates from an office in Newport Beach, south of Los Angeles, has waged a relentless legal and media blitz against Trump and his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, to overturn a non-disclosure agreement signed by Daniels.
Good Riddance
NY Times: ‘Roseanne’ Is Gone, but the Culture That Gave Her a Show Isn’t By Roxane Gay
It was the kind of thing Roseanne Barr has been doing online for years.
Obstructer In Chief
NY Times: Trump Asked Sessions to Retain Control of Russia Inquiry After His Recusal By Michael S. Schmidt and Julie Hirschfeld Davis
The president objected to his decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation. Mr. Trump, who had told aides that he needed a loyalist overseeing the inquiry, berated Mr. Sessions and told him he should reverse his decision, an unusual and potentially inappropriate request.
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +120 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
CNN: Market pain; Italy turmoil; Trade war fears by Ivana Kottasová
CNN: Market pain; Italy turmoil; Trade war fears by Ivana Kottasová
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Yes!
Don't let the door hit ya on the way out!
Chicago Tribune: 'Roseanne' canceled at ABC after star's racist tweet
Chicago Tribune: 'Roseanne' canceled at ABC after star's racist tweet
Corrupt Beyond Compare And Belief
Guardian UK: Ivanka Trump won China trademarks days before her father's reversal on ZTE - Watchdog group says the timing of the approvals ‘raises significant questions about corruption’
Ivanka Trump’s fashion and homewares business received initial approval from the Chinese government for five trademark applications days before her father announced a U-turn in policy on ZTE, a Chinese telecoms firm that has admitted breaking US sanctions on Iran and North Korea.
Pin Down
Guardian UK: After Charlottesville: how a slew of lawsuits pin down the far right
“The bottom line is all of these traditional legal theories are tools to make people answer for their conduct, bring them out of the shadows, expose them for what they are and ultimately show they have less power than they think.”
Krugman's Latest
NY Times: Trump’s Manchurian Trade Policy By Paul Krugman
...the proposed auto tariffs would further undermine our allies’ rapidly eroding faith in U.S. trustworthiness.
Eroding Trust
NY Times: With ‘Spygate,’ Trump Shows How He Uses Conspiracy Theories to Erode Trust By Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Maggie Haberman
Last week, President Trump promoted new, unconfirmed accusations to suit his political narrative: that a “criminal deep state” element within Mr. Obama’s government planted a spy deep inside his presidential campaign to help his rival, Hillary Clinton, win — a scheme he branded “Spygate.”
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are -144 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly lower.
CNN: Starbucks training; Italy drama; Oil slides by Ivana Kottasová
CNN: Starbucks training; Italy drama; Oil slides by Ivana Kottasová
Monday, May 28, 2018
Martin
The Daily Beast: The Ageless Martin Short on SNL, the State of Comedy, and Why Trump Is No Laughing Matter - The legendary comedian discusses his decades-long friendship with Steve Martin, his disgust with Donald Trump, and a lot more. by Matt Wilstein
"But as far as the Trump presidency, I wouldn’t even call it a presidency. It’s an asterisk. It’s a typo. I mean, every day it’s worse and 10 years from now the history books will be having a field day with it and the shame of the people who supported him..."
The Feudal State
Salon: The new American feudalism - Tens of millions of families struggle for shelter, while media tails Trump’s clown car by Robert Hennelly
The reality is, when you have the disappearance of $20 trillion in American household wealth through Wall Street's predations it is going to have consequences for generations.
Coyotes
NY Times: Coyotes Conquered North America. Now They’re Heading South. New maps seek to update the historical range of our continent’s toughest canids, which have thrived as other predators experienced decline.
In 2010, they crossed the Panama Canal. Now, the only thing keeping them from entering Colombia is a dense patch of forest called the Darien Gap
Trump Islamophobia
Guardian UK: 'It's brought us together': at Ramadan, American Muslims on life in the age of Trump
But at a time of deep introspection for Muslims around the world, this year’s month of fast in Hamtramck brings with it both a sense of foreboding and a deeper connection to community as residents grapple with a climate of heightened Islamophobia ushered in by the presidency of Donald Trump.
The Age Of Trump
NY Times: A Cemetery Scrambles to Scrub Off More Than 200 Swastikas by Memorial Day
Ms. Brunette said the vandal did not appear to target any specific headstones.
Weasel
NY Times: The Weasel of Oz By Charles M. Blow
“Trump reminded them the crowds loved his rhetoric on immigrants along the campaign trail. Acting as if he were at a rally, he recited a few made-up Hispanic names and described potential crimes they could have committed, such as rape or murder. Then, he said, the crowds would roar when the criminals were thrown out of the country — as they did when he highlighted crimes by illegal immigrants at his rallies, according to a person present for the exchange and another briefed on it later. Miller and Kushner laughed.”
Friday, May 25, 2018
White House Sale Of The Day
What a pile of shite, the White House still has to move those commemorative coins.
NY Times: 'Deal of the day': White House online shop crashes as North Korea coin discounted - Price of commemorative coins reduced – but customers who have already bought them have asked if they can get their money back
NY Times: 'Deal of the day': White House online shop crashes as North Korea coin discounted - Price of commemorative coins reduced – but customers who have already bought them have asked if they can get their money back
Terrorism In Canada
Guardian UK: Mississauga explosion: more than a dozen injured in Canada restaurant blast - Police say two men detonated improvised explosive device inside Bombay Bhel restaurant
Peel regional police said on Twitter that two men in their mid-20s had detonated an improvised explosive device inside the restaurant. The men, whose faces had been covered, fled the scene shortly after dropping the device.
Fantasy World
NY Times: Donald Trump’s Magical Fantasy World By David Brooks
The dangerous thing about Trump’s fantasy world is not when it dissolves into nothing; it’s when he seduces the rest of us to move into it. It’s not when he ignores the facts; it’s when he replaces them by building an alternate virtual reality and suckering us into co-creating it.
The Market On Friday
Good morning. At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are -82 and the price of oil per barrel is significantly lower. The market is poised to open significantly lower.
CNN: Summit shock fades; Samsonite struggles; Europe's big data day by Alanna Petroff
CNN: Summit shock fades; Samsonite struggles; Europe's big data day by Alanna Petroff
Thursday, May 24, 2018
All Lied
Seth Abramson writes -
Is everyone processing the fact that over the past 72 hours three major-media reports have established that Donald Trump Jr., Erik Prince, and Roger Stone all lied to Congress, a federal felony?
One Scandal
The Atlantic: There Is Only One Trump Scandal - The myriad Trump scandals can obscure the fact that they’re all elements of one massive tale of corruption. by Adam Serwer
...the corruption of the American government by the president and his associates, who are using their official power for personal and financial gain rather than for the welfare of the American people, and their attempts to shield that corruption from political consequences, public scrutiny, or legal accountability.
Cancel
But what about that Nobel Peace Prize he already apparently won?
Reuters: Trump cancels summit with North Korea scheduled for next month
Reuters: Trump cancels summit with North Korea scheduled for next month
Steps
NY Times: 10 Modest Steps to Cut Gun Violence By Nicholas Kristof
1. Require universal background checks to see if a purchaser is a felon or a threat to others.
Liar
NY Times: The Elevation of Imprecision By Charles M. Blow
He uses this language to give a false impression that he knows that which he clearly doesn’t, to blame or to bolster, to pretend that he has developed a plan of action rather than admit that he is acting extemporaneously.
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. At 9:25 a.m. ET the DOW is -51 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open moderately lower.
CNN: GE is shrinking its empire but not fixing its debt crisis by Matt Egan
CNN: GE is shrinking its empire but not fixing its debt crisis by Matt Egan
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Anything At All
James Comey
Dangerous time when our country is led by those who will lie about anything, backed by those who will believe anything, based on information from media sources that will say anything. Americans must break out of that bubble and seek truth.
Iowa
Guardian UK: Will Iowa's 'awful' fetal heartbeat law swing female voters to the left? Iowa passed one of the strictest abortion laws in the industrialized world, causing some to think the state has moved too far to the right
A new Iowa law passed in May that bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is usually at about six weeks.
End Game
NY Times: How the Mueller Investigation
Could Play Out for Trump By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT, CHARLIE SAVAGE, ALICIA PARLAPIANO, ANJALI SINGHVI and TROY GRIGGS
The New York Times spoke to defense lawyers, legal experts and former Justice Department officials to determine how the Mueller investigation may play out for Mr. Trump.
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are -182 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open significantly lower.
CNN: Dodd-Frank rollback; Zuckerberg upsets Europe; Emerging markets pain by Ivana Kottasová
CNN: Dodd-Frank rollback; Zuckerberg upsets Europe; Emerging markets pain by Ivana Kottasová
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Underwood
CBS Local: Barbara Underwood Appointed Interim Attorney General In Wake Of Schneiderman Scandal
“At this moment, when so many New Yorkers are fearful of the effects of overreaching and discriminatory federal policies on them and their families, the role of the New York Attorney General’s office is more important than ever. I’ve served in many roles in government throughout my career. But I believe this job – at this moment in history – is the most important job I have ever had.”
The Onion - ‘Breitbart’ Refusing To Release Names Of Mass Shooting Victims In Order To Prevent Them From Getting Attention
The Onion: ‘Breitbart’ Refusing To Release Names Of Mass Shooting Victims In Order To Prevent Them From Getting Attention
‘This Is Exactly What They Want,’ Reports Organization
Shark Highway
NPR: Scientists Take A Ride On The Pacific's 'Shark Highway'
...sharks traveling a 500-mile-long "shark highway" in the Pacific, and they plan to turn it into a protected wildlife corridor in the ocean.
Festering Hypocrite
Let me be clear here. Guiliani is a f***ing piece of s**t.
Guardian UK: Rudy Giuliani won deal for OxyContin maker to continue sales of drug behind opioid deaths - The US government secured a criminal conviction against Purdue Pharma in the mid-2000s but failed to curb sales of the drug after Giuliani reached a deal to avoid a bar on Purdue doing business
Guardian UK: Rudy Giuliani won deal for OxyContin maker to continue sales of drug behind opioid deaths - The US government secured a criminal conviction against Purdue Pharma in the mid-2000s but failed to curb sales of the drug after Giuliani reached a deal to avoid a bar on Purdue doing business
Purdue Pharma hired Rudolph Giuliani, the former New York mayor and now Donald Trump’s lawyer, to head off a federal investigation in the mid-2000s into the company’s marketing of the powerful prescription painkiller at the centre of an epidemic estimated to have claimed at least 300,000 lives.
While Giuliani was not able to prevent the criminal conviction over Purdue’s fraudulent claims for OxyContin’s safety and effectiveness, he was able to reach a deal to avoid a bar on Purdue doing business with the federal government which would have killed a large part of the multibillion-dollar market for the drug.
Indict Or Not To Indict
NY Times: Neal Katyal: Can’t Indict a President? That Could Hurt Trump By Neal K. Katyal - Mr. Katyal was an acting solicitor general in the Obama administration.
But there are deep problems here. For one thing, the scholars who believe that a sitting president cannot be indicted always couple that belief with the insistence that the remedy for a president who commits a crime is to impeach him first (so he is no longer “sitting” and could then be indicted).
Feasting On Each Other
NY Times: Chances of China Trade Win Undercut by Trump Team Infighting
Ceaseless infighting and jockeying for influence on the White House’s trade team helped deprive Mr. Trump of a quick victory on his most cherished policy agenda, several people involved in the talks said.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 9:15 a.m. ET the DOW is +321 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open spectacularly higher.
CNN: China cuts car tariffs; Zuckerberg in Brussels; Italy's new candidate by Ivana Kottasová
CNN: China cuts car tariffs; Zuckerberg in Brussels; Italy's new candidate by Ivana Kottasová
Monday, May 21, 2018
Twisted Twittler
The Daily Beast: Howard Stern Dishes to Letterman About When Trump Sexualized Ivanka - David Letterman cringed with the rest of us, as Howard Stern told the story of a time when Trump rated his own daughter on a hotness scale. by Julia Arciga
This isn’t the first instance of the president making questionable remarks about his daughter. He told Stern in another interview that Ivanka has “the best body,” and permitted him to call her a “piece of ass.”
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