Even if Mueller does come back with evidence of major crimes, then what? He has reportedly told the White House he’ll abide by Justice Department guidance that says a sitting president can’t be charged with crimes. That means the fate of the probe will come back to Congress after all.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Scandalous
The Atlantic: Scandalous Beyond a Reasonable Doubt - In debating whether collusion is a crime, Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani are successfully changing the subject from political misconduct to legalistic parsing. by David A. Graham
Trump World
NY Times: A Migrant Boy Rejoins His Mother, but He’s Not the Same - Parents reunited with young children are reporting mental health issues. One 5-year-old boy has started a new life with his mother in Philadelphia, but signs of trauma remain.
A 3-year-old boy who was separated from his mother has been pretending to handcuff and vaccinate people around him, behavior he almost certainly witnessed in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, according to those working with him. A pair of young siblings burst into tears when they spotted police officers on the street.
Most children who are experiencing problems so far display acute anxiety around routines that separate them briefly from their parents, such as when the adult bathes or goes into another room, said those who are monitoring these reports.
Read This
This is a must read.
The New York Review Of Books: Flynn, Comey, and Mueller: What Trump Knew and When He Knew It by Murray Waas
The New York Review Of Books: Flynn, Comey, and Mueller: What Trump Knew and When He Knew It by Murray Waas
Previously undisclosed evidence in the possession of Special Counsel Robert Mueller—including highly confidential White House records and testimony by some of President Trump’s own top aides—provides some of the strongest evidence to date implicating the president of the United States in an obstruction of justice. Several people who have reviewed a portion of this evidence say that, based on what they know, they believe it is now all but inevitable that the special counsel will complete a confidential report presenting evidence that President Trump violated the law.
A Total Joke
Guardian UK: Trump turns against 'total joke' Koch brothers after North Dakota snub - Conservative billionaires won’t back Republican in Senate race - President: ‘I made them richer. Their network is overrated’
“The globalist Koch Brothers, who have become a total joke in real Republican circles, are against Strong Borders and Powerful Trade. I never sought their support because I don’t need their money or bad ideas. They love my Tax & Regulation Cuts, Judicial picks & more."
Kansas
Guardian UK: Kansas primary: a test for red state Democrats in the Trump era - The candidates are largely ideologically aligned and differ only slightly on policy, but represent the party’s competing impulses
Republicans outnumber Democrats in the district. But Patrick Miller, a political science professor at the University of Kansas, said Yoder has reason to worry.
“This is one of those suburban, well-educated, affluent battlegrounds where the Republican brand is souring,” Miller said.
Kavanaugh
NY Times: Trump’s Supreme Betrayal By Paul Krugman
Kavanaugh is, to put it bluntly, an anti-worker radical, opposed to every effort to protect working families from fraud and mistreatment.
Another Huge Trump Tax Cut For The Fabulously Wealthy
NY Times: Trump Administration Mulls a Unilateral Tax Cut for the Rich
The Trump administration is considering bypassing Congress to grant a $100 billion tax cut mainly to the wealthy, a legally tenuous maneuver that would cut capital gains taxation and fulfill a long-held ambition of many investors and conservatives.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +11 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open slightly higher.
CNN: Apple results; Central bank actions; Earnings abound by Alanna Petroff
CNN: Apple results; Central bank actions; Earnings abound by Alanna Petroff
Monday, July 30, 2018
Paranoid
Politico: Inside the Mind of Donald Trump - He’s grandiose, deceitful and paranoid—but don’t let him drive you crazy. By BANDY X. LEE and TONY SCHWARTZ
Given Trump’s volatility, incuriosity and severely limited attention span, his decisions are not significantly influenced by reflection or analytical reasoning. Because he cannot tolerate even the mildest criticism, he is largely immune to learning and growth. Instead, unable to regulate his emotions, he reacts angrily, and often with threats of revenge, to any challenge to his authority. Even success provides him with only momentary satisfaction.
The Hard Way
The Palmer Report: New York Times learns about Donald Trump the hard way by Bill Palmer
Why
Guardian UK: Why is Paul Manafort risking it all to face Mueller charges in court? The decision to take his chances at trial has startled observers, and raised question as to whom he might be protecting
Donald Trump’s former presidential campaign chairman will this week risk spending the rest of his life in prison, rather than help Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible collusion with Russia.
Bullet
NY Times: Michael Cohen Takes a Bullet - If Trump’s personal lawyer really puts family and country first, he could earn a sliver of redemption. By Charles M. Blow
For this, Trump world will seek to destroy him. Michael Cohen will indeed take that bullet, metaphorically speaking of course — not for Trump, but from him.
Shutdown Fever
NY Times: G.O.P. Faces Another Midterm Threat as Trump Plays the Shutdown Card
“I would be willing to ‘shut down’ government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall!” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter. “Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!”
The Market On Monday
Good morning. At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are +33 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open moderately higher.
CNN: CBS board meets; Stock markets dip; Caterpillar earnings by Alanna Petroff
CNN: CBS board meets; Stock markets dip; Caterpillar earnings by Alanna Petroff
Friday, July 27, 2018
Progress
Scientific American: Experimental Alzheimer’s Drug Significantly Slowed Patients’ Cognitive Decline - The surprising results have buoyed hopes for treatment By Damian Garde
After 18 months, patients who got the drug, called BAN2401, performed 30 percent better on a cognitive test than those getting placebo.
Reunite
NY Times: Federal Authorities Say They Have Met Deadline to Reunite Migrant Families
“The only deadline they are meeting is the one they have set for themselves,” said Lee Gelernt, lead counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed a federal lawsuit challenging the family separations. “The government should not be getting applause for cleaning up their own mess, but moreover, they’re still not meeting the deadline for all the families.”
The Market On Friday
Good morning. At 9:10 a.m. ET DOW futures are +8 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open slightly higher.
CNN: Big GDP report; Amazon delivers; Chipotle surges by Alanna Petroff
CNN: Big GDP report; Amazon delivers; Chipotle surges by Alanna Petroff
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Because Putin Owns Trump
NBC News: Foreign Affairs chair says Trump is ignoring sanctions on Russia for former spy poisoning - Rep. Ed Royce is asking the president for new sanctions on Russia for attack in Britain. by Josh Lederman
The Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is chastising President Donald Trump for ignoring a deadline to decide whether Russia should face sanctions for the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Britain with a military-grade nerve agent.
Clueless In The White House
NY Times: Trump Has No Idea What His Tariffs Have Unleashed for Farmers - His trade war will hurt business at a time when the rural population is aging, and it will probably hollow out farm communities. By Robert Leonard - Mr. Leonard is the news director for the radio stations KNIA and KRLS.
The president is here to trumpet a $12 billion plan to aid American farmers. Why do they need aid? For Iowans, it’s because 33 percent of our economy is tied, directly or indirectly, to agriculture, and Mr. Trump recklessly opened trade wars that will hit “Trump country” — rural America — hardest and that have already brought an avalanche of losses. Indeed, the impact of his tariffs will probably be felt by family farms and the area for generations.
Liar
NY Times: What Doesn’t Kill Him Makes Him Stronger - The more Trump lies, the more he is empowered to lie. By Charles M. Blow
Facts don’t matter to millions of Americans anymore. That is just the truth. Republicans bewitched by Donald Trump have devalued the import of truth.
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are +64 and the price of oil per barrel is slightly down. The market is poised to open moderately higher.
CNN: Facebook reeling; Trade relief; China blocks Qualcomm by Alanna Petroff
CNN: Facebook reeling; Trade relief; China blocks Qualcomm by Alanna Petroff
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Under The Surface
Scientific American: Deep within Mars, Liquid Water Offers Hope for Life - Radar observations have revealed what appears to be a buried lake on Mars, the first-ever stable reservoir of liquid water found on the Red Planet By Lee Billings
If confirmed, this would be the first-known reservoir of liquid water on present-day Mars—a keystone in the search for past or even present life on the Red Planet, potentially offering fresh clues about how Earth’s neighbor so profoundly transformed billions of years ago from a warmer, wetter world to its current freeze-dried state.
Thin Skinned Baby
NY Times: Spotting CNN on a TV Aboard Air Force One, Trump Rages Against Reality
Melania Trump’s television aboard Air Force One was tuned to CNN. President Trump was not pleased.
He raged at his staff for violating a rule that the White House entourage should begin each trip tuned to Fox — his preferred network over what he considers the “fake news” CNN — and caused “a bit of a stir” aboard Air Force One, according to an email obtained by The New York Times.
The Tape
NY Times: Cohen Releases Tape of Trump, Inflaming Feud
...Mr. Trump appears to have knowledge about hush money payments to a former Playboy model who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump.
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are -70 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open significantly lower.
CNN: Trump meets EU; Facebook earnings; Fiat Chrysler update by Ivana Kottasová
CNN: Trump meets EU; Facebook earnings; Fiat Chrysler update by Ivana Kottasová
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Conspire
The Cohen tape released tonight proves one very damning thing. As Trump suggests to Cohen to pay off McDougal with cash causing the exclamation of no no no from Cohen, we learn that Trump is quite willing to conspire with someone to commit a crime.
Approved
Quinnipiac Poll: HALF OF U.S. VOTERS SAY RUSSIANS HAVE SOMETHING ON TRUMP, BUT VOTERS SAY BOTH SIDES AT FAULT FOR BAD RELATIONS
American voters give President Trump a negative 38 – 58 percent job approval rating, compared to a negative 43 – 52 percent rating in a June 20 Quinnipiac University Poll after the summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The president’s only clear support among listed groups is from Republicans, who approve 82 – 15 percent, and white evangelical Christians, who approve 71 – 26 percent.
The Old Fetus Grift
Guardian UK: Trump lawyer uses administration actions to fundraise for his own group - Jay Sekulow, whose activist group has directed millions to his family, has telemarketers cite Planned Parenthood ‘investigation’
One of Donald Trump’s lawyers is using the Trump administration’s scrutiny of Planned Parenthood to raise money for his conservative activist group, which has directed millions of dollars to his law firm and his family.
Jay Sekulow, a personal attorney to the president, has contracted telemarketers to collect money from the public for his not-for-profit organisation using a script that highlights the justice department’s examination of foetal tissue transfers by groups including the women’s clinic network.
Hardly Clear
NY Times: Trump’s Twitter Threat vs. Iran: Loud but Hardly Clear
President Trump’s vituperative tweet against Iran late on Sunday showed his determination to use the same approach that he took to engineer a diplomatic breakthrough with North Korea. But Mr. Trump’s top advisers are far more united in their hostility to engaging with Iran, and Iran is far less likely to bend to such pressure.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 9:18 a.m. ET DOW futures are +127 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised significantly higher.
CNN: Earnings on tap; Google powers ahead; PSA surge by Alanna Petroff
CNN: Earnings on tap; Google powers ahead; PSA surge by Alanna Petroff
Monday, July 23, 2018
GOP Rep. Jason Spencer
Please watch the clip, it is a riot and, you will cringe.
The Daily Beast: GOP Rep. Jason Spencer Rejects Calls to ‘Resign Immediately’ Following Sacha Baron Cohen Prank - The Georgia lawmaker who shouted the ‘N-word’ in Sunday night’s episode of ‘Who Is America?’ remains determined to finish out his term. by Matt Wilstein
The Daily Beast: GOP Rep. Jason Spencer Rejects Calls to ‘Resign Immediately’ Following Sacha Baron Cohen Prank - The Georgia lawmaker who shouted the ‘N-word’ in Sunday night’s episode of ‘Who Is America?’ remains determined to finish out his term. by Matt Wilstein
Cannabis Beer
Guardian UK: 'It hits you very quickly': Canada brews first cannabis beer - Entrepreneurs across the country are racing to capitalise on drug’s legalisation
“That’s not what we do. Our beer is brewed from the stalks, stem and roots of the cannabis plant.”
Suffer
Guardian UK: Trump says Iran will 'suffer consequences' after speech by president Rouhani - US president issues late-night tweet in capital letters, saying Iran must ‘never, ever threaten the United States again’
NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN”.
The message continued: “WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!”
Nunes Caught In His Lies
NY Times: How a Trump Decision Revealed a G.O.P. Memo’s Shaky Foundation
The records again cast an unflattering light on Representative Devin Nunes, the committee’s chairman, who led the attack on the F.B.I. surveillance, though he admitted in February that he had not read the application documents. Mr. Nunes has taken repeated steps to try to bolster Mr. Trump and undercut the Russia investigation.
Endangered No More
NY Times: Lawmakers, Lobbyists and the Administration Join Forces to Overhaul the Endangered Species Act
The myriad proposals reflect a wish list assembled over decades by oil and gas companies, libertarians and ranchers in Western states, who have long sought to overhaul the law, arguing that it represents a costly incursion of federal regulations on their land and livelihoods. Until now, those efforts have largely failed, even during periods when Republicans controlled both the White House and Congress.
The Market On Monday
Good morning. At 9:00 a.m. ET DOW futures are -1 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open slightly lower.
CNN: Earnings bonanza; Shock at Fiat Chrysler; Ryanair struggles by Alanna Petroff
CNN: Earnings bonanza; Shock at Fiat Chrysler; Ryanair struggles by Alanna Petroff
Friday, July 20, 2018
Nunes
Another GOP grifter
McClatchyDC: Nunes used political dollars for $15K in Celtics tickets, winery tours and Vegas trips By Kate Irby
McClatchyDC: Nunes used political dollars for $15K in Celtics tickets, winery tours and Vegas trips By Kate Irby
Hehe
NY Times: Michael Cohen Secretly Taped Trump Discussing Payment to Playboy Model
President Trump’s longtime lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, secretly recorded a conversation with Mr. Trump two months before the presidential election in which they discussed payments to a former Playboy model who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump, according to lawyers and others familiar with the recording.
The Market On Friday
Good morning. At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are -126 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly lower.
CNN: Trump vs. the Fed; GE earnings; Skechers slump by Alanna Petroff
CNN: Trump vs. the Fed; GE earnings; Skechers slump by Alanna Petroff
Thursday, July 19, 2018
The Alarm Bells Are Screaming
NY Times: Trump Is Being Manipulated by Putin. What Should We Do? Lawmakers must keep the American people informed of the current danger, writes a Republican congressman from Texas. By Will Hurd - Mr. Hurd, a former C.I.A. officer, is a congressman from the 23rd District of Texas.
The president’s failure to defend the United States intelligence community’s unanimous conclusions of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and condemn Russian covert counterinfluence campaigns and his standing idle on the world stage while a Russian dictator spouted lies confused many but should concern all Americans. By playing into Vladimir Putin’s hands, the leader of the free world actively participated in a Russian disinformation campaign that legitimized Russian denial and weakened the credibility of the United States to both our friends and foes abroad.
Disapprove
CBS: CBS News poll: Most Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of Putin summit By Anthony Salvanto, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Kabir Khanna
Only a third of Americans (32 percent) approve of the way Donald Trump handled his summit in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a CBS News poll shows. Sixty-eight percent of Republicans approve.
Negative
NY Times: Trump’s Negative Space By Carmel McCoubrey
For all we know, the president may have just invented a new grammatical form: the triple negative.
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. At 9:10 a.m. ET DOW futures are -81 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly lower.
CNN: Big earnings day; Dollar strength; eBay drops by Alanna Petroff
CNN: Big earnings day; Dollar strength; eBay drops by Alanna Petroff
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
Trump Knew And Lied
NY Times: From the Start, Trump Has Muddied a Clear Message: Putin Interfered
Two weeks before his inauguration, Donald J. Trump was shown highly classified intelligence indicating that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia had personally ordered complex cyberattacks to sway the 2016 American election.
The Unwinding
New Yorker: The Unwinding of Donald Trump By David Remnick
Trump’s penchant for bald deception and incoherence is not an aberration. It is his daily practice. The vague sense of torpor and gloom that so many Americans have shouldered these past two years derives precisely from the constancy of Trump’s galling statements and actions.
Resign
NY Times: Trump and Russia: One Mystery, Three Theories - An agnostic's guide to our president’s strange conduct. By Ross Douthat
...collusion wasn’t just something Trump’s team stumbled into during the campaign but something connected to a much longer-running Russian intelligence operation, and that Trump’s relationship to the Russian state is not just a personal or ideological affinity or a campaign-season alliance but a partnership forged through blackmail or bribery or both.
Please Resign
NY Times: A Besieged Trump Says He Misspoke on Russian Election Meddling
Under unrelenting pressure from congressional Republicans, his own advisers and his allies on Fox News, President Trump abruptly reversed course on Tuesday and claimed he had misspoken during a news conference with President Vladimir V. Putin about whether Russia tried to influence the 2016 presidential election.
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. At 9:10 a.m. ET DOW futures are +6 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open slightly higher.
CNN: Google's punishment; Elon Musk apologizes; Morgan Stanley earnings by Alanna Petroff
CNN: Google's punishment; Elon Musk apologizes; Morgan Stanley earnings by Alanna Petroff
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Oops
All you gotta do is say praise the lord and all is fine.
NY Times: Trump Now Says He Accepts U.S. Intelligence Reports on Russian Election Meddling
NY Times: Trump Now Says He Accepts U.S. Intelligence Reports on Russian Election Meddling
President Trump said on Tuesday that he had misspoken a day earlier in Helsinki, Finland, when he appeared to take the word of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia over the conclusion of his own intelligence agencies on Russian election meddling in 2016. On Tuesday, Mr. Trump said he “accepts” those findings.
A Standard Disgrace
The Weekly Standard: Editorial: A Punishable Disgrace by The Editors
His words on Monday encouraged the nation’s enemies, insulted its intelligence officers, made the president himself look like a fool, and thus brought disgrace on the presidency.
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