Home · News · News Dec 2016
Friday December 30, 2016
News Articles
*Debriefing the President: The Interrogation of Saddam Hussein by John Nixon

In December 2003, after one of the largest, most aggressive manhunts in history, US military forces captured Iraqi president Saddam Hussein near his hometown of Tikrit. Beset by body-double rumors and false alarms during a nine-month search, the Bush administration needed positive identification of the prisoner before it could make the announcement that would rocket around the world.

Barack Obama Sanctions Russia Over Election Meddling
HP | Akbar Shahid Ahmed | 12/29/16

President Barack Obama sanctioned Russian officials and entities on Thursday in response to Moscow's reported hacking during the U.S. presidential election.

In addition to hitting two Russian intelligence agencies, three companies and four individual intelligence officers with sanctions banning them from travel and business with U.S. companies or individuals, Obama ordered 35 Russian operatives posted at diplomatic facilities in Washington and San Francisco to leave. The president asked the State Department to bar Russians from entering two Russian-owned compounds in Maryland and New York that were used to gather intelligence, according to his statement. And Obama's Treasury Department barred U.S. business with two Russians accused of cyber-theft of money and data. ... Read more

How to Send a Text Message to a Verizon Phone From Your PC eMail Client
  1. Open your e-mail program and start a new e-mail message.
  2. Enter the cell phone number in the To: box using the format number@vtext.com, where "number" is the phone number of the cell phone to which you're sending the message. ...
  3. Type a message of up to 160 characters in the message box and then click Send.

Israel Postponed Vote on New Housing Before Speech by John Kerry
NYTimes | Peter Baker | 12/28/16

Israeli leaders postponed plans on Wednesday to move ahead with new housing in East Jerusalem, just hours before Secretary of State John Kerry delivered a much-anticipated speech outlining an American vision for peace with the Palestinians.

The Jerusalem city planning committee, which was reported to be acting at the behest of the national government, canceled at the last moment a scheduled vote on permits for 618 new housing units in the predominantly Palestinian eastern section of the city. Members of the committee said the delay came at the request of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. ... Read more
TYT | Israel Strikes Back At UN (12/29/16) [8:14]

Donald Trump latest News Today (12/28/16) [33:59]
Note: I ran across this YouTube Account "President Trump News" and took a look to see what material he was pushing. It was mostly snippets from Fox. I don't watch Fox, because it makes my skin craw, but I was amazed on how one-sided the panelist have gotten... than I took a glance at the YouTube commenters (see below).
YouTube Commenters

  1. steven foster - How about the elephant in the room. Obama is a muslim terrorist sympathizer?
  2. Caz - steven foster + Kerry is also a globalist terrorist supporter what makes people turn into traitors is hard to figure out, Kerry served in the military swore allegiance to America, and somewhere along the way he was corrupted.?
  3. Linda Maria de la Rosa - Every time I think I have seen Obama and his liberal mafia hit a new low they sink ever lower. And the biggest disgrace is that half of America still support this insanity. How can my fellow Americans not care about leaders intent on destroying our country??
  4. Joseph Montfleury - How he got two terms and still be loved by so many. Soon, your Caligula president will be revealed?

Noam Chomsky: Israel's Response to the United Nation's Resolution on Palestine Is 'Hysterical'
AlterNet | Ken Klippenstein | 12/28/16

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) passed a resolution 14-0 condemning all Israeli settlements on Palestinian land as having "no legal validity" and amounting to "a flagrant violation under international law." The resolution goes on to note that Israeli settlements pose "a major obstacle to the vision of two States living side-by-side in peace and security."

This represents the first UNSC resolution in almost eight years concerning Israel and Palestine, and the first in over 35 years regarding the issue of Israeli settlements. Typically the U.S. would veto resolutions critical of Israel, but in this case, the Obama administration opted to abstain, in effect allowing the resolution to pass.

For comment, AlterNet contacted Noam Chomsky, famed linguist, dissident and professor emeritus of MIT. Chomsky said of the resolution, "The UNSC resolution is essentially the same as UNSC 446, March 1979, passed 12-0-3. The main difference is that then two countries joined the U.S. in abstaining. Now the U.S. stands against the world; and under Trump, in even more splendid isolation, on much more crucial matters as well." ... Read more

Scientists Scramble to Protect Decades of Climate Research Before Trump Takes Office.

Sarah Palin wants America to be "unshackled" from the UN
Salon | Matthew Rozsa | 12/30/16

"One is, I called for our next president, Donald Trump, to call for the unshackling of the political bands tying us to the UN," Palin said. "By exiting the UN, where injustice is actually rewarded, we then will be able to uphold America's reputation as the leader, and as the kind and compassionate and generous nation that we are -- as the nation sharing values that, when emulated by any other nation, can bring justice and equal rights to any other nation."

Palin continued: the other way to look at this is, is it really going to be one person, one leader's responsibility to do so? Or is this going to be part of the revolution that we have just seen, that did elect Trump? It's we the people needing to step up and do it. It's our government. It's our money funding the lion's share of the globalist circus. It's we the people needing to rise up and make this a part of the revolution that we have just so benefited from. ... Read more

Carrie Fisher & Debbie Reynolds
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Friday, December 30 [9:41]
*DN | Diana Buttu & Gideon Levy on Israeli Settlements, Kerry, Military Aid & End of Two-State Solution (12/30/16) [27:54]
*DN | CIA Interrogator Reveals Saddam Hussein Predicted Rise of ISIS & U.S. Failure in Iraq (12/29/16) [26:46]
Ten years ago this week, on December 30, 2006, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was executed. Hussein was toppled soon after the U.S. invasion began in 2003. We continue our conversation with former CIA analyst John Nixon, author of the new book, "Debriefing the President: The Interrogation of Saddam Hussein."
*DN | Scientists Scramble to Protect Decades of Climate Research Before Trump Takes Office (12/29/16) [6:20]
DN | Facing Possible Threats Under Trump, Internet Archive to Build Server in Canada (12/29/16) [15:15]
*2008 Financial Crisis
Note: I ran across the following movie/documentary "Hank: Five Years from the Brink by Joe Berlinger (2013)" on Netflix. It is an on-screne interview of Hank Paulson and his recollections on the 2008 financial crash. Years ago I watched the movie "Too Big to Fail" and thought I would compare the two. Interesting the contortions they had to go through to save the World, but it's to bad that no-one steps up to the plate to take credit why it happened and why so little has been changed to prevent another financial crash from happening again.

For why the 2008 Crash happened watch "Inside Job by Charles Furgison", my personal favorite, or "Meltdown: the Men that Crashed the World".
On Netflix | Hank: Five Years from the Brink by Joe Berlinger (2013) [1:26:00]
Too Big to Fail, Part 1 (2011) [1:04:05], Part 2 [34:33]
*Inside Job by Charles Furgison Part 1 (2011) [57:07], Part 2 [47:02]
BBC | Meltdown: the Men that Crashed the World () [2:49:15]
... And of course there are the people who think entitlements are the sole cause of our financial problems, and at the same time totally ignore the 50% of the National Budget (US) that goes to the military and Homeland Security.
United Kingdom Financial Crisis 2017 (full) [59:33]
*TRNN | FBI whistleblower Coleen Rowley says: Russia Sanctions Moves the US Closer to Another Cold War (12/30/16) [11:04]
TYT | Meet The Con Artist Leading Trump's Inauguration Prayer (12/29/16) [9:29]
TYT | Trump's Spokesman Fired Already? (12/29/16) [3:51]
RT | Whistleblower John Kiriakou says: CIA, White House owe US people proof of Russian role in US election (12/30/16) [12:46]
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
Diane Rehm will no longer be on the air daily, though she will be doing a weekly podcast. As soon as I get links to the podcast I will post them.
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/

12.30.2016. 13:11

Thursday December 29, 2016
News Articles

Debbie Reynolds, Hollywood Icon, Dead At 84
HP | Leigh Blickley | 12/28/16

Just one day after the death of her daughter, actress Carrie Fisher, beloved Hollywood icon Debbie Reynolds died Wednesday. She was 84. ... Read more

The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher

When Carrie Fisher recently discovered the journals she kept during the filming of the first Star Wars movie, she was astonished to see what they had preserved--plaintive love poems, unbridled musings with youthful naiveté, and a vulnerability that she barely recognized. Today, her fame as an author, actress, and pop-culture icon is indisputable, but in 1977, Carrie Fisher was just a teenager with an all-consuming crush on her costar, Harrison Ford.

Debriefing the President: The Interrogation of Saddam Hussein by John Nixon

In December 2003, after one of the largest, most aggressive manhunts in history, US military forces captured Iraqi president Saddam Hussein near his hometown of Tikrit. Beset by body-double rumors and false alarms during a nine-month search, the Bush administration needed positive identification of the prisoner before it could make the announcement that would rocket around the world.

At the time, John Nixon was a senior CIA leadership analyst who had spent years studying the Iraqi dictator. Called upon to make the official ID, Nixon looked for telltale scars and tribal tattoos and asked Hussein a list of questions only he could answer. The man was indeed Saddam Hussein, but as Nixon learned in the ensuing weeks, both he and America had greatly misunderstood just who Saddam Hussein really was.

Debriefing the President presents an astounding, candid portrait of one of our era's most notorious strongmen. Nixon, the first man to conduct a prolonged interrogation of Hussein after his capture, offers expert insight into the history and mind of America's most enigmatic enemy. After years of parsing Hussein's leadership from afar, Nixon faithfully recounts his debriefing sessions and subsequently strips away the mythology surrounding an equally brutal and complex man. His account is not an apology, but a sobering examination of how preconceived ideas led Washington policymakers--and the Bush White House--astray. Unflinching and unprecedented, Debriefing the President exposes a fundamental misreading of one of the modern world's most central figures and presents a new narrative that boldly counters the received account.
Chasing The Mouse Paperback by Fr. Nathan Monk

We've all been there. Well, most of us. That childhood dream of the most magical place on earth. We've all dreamed of seeing the sparkling castle in real life and hugging our favorite characters. But what happens when that childhood dream really signifies something much more--an escape, a rising above the ashes? And then it's dashed against the rocks of uncertainty? Of poverty and hopelessness? In this engaging, reflective, emotional true story, Nathan Monk takes you through the real life journey of a hopeful father struggling to hold his family together in an intimidating world of poverty and homelessness. Villains and evil witches lie in wait, ready to prey on their victims, while supportive sidekicks and fairy godmothers save the day in this remarkable tale of a child who rose from living in parking lots to becoming a widely recognized advocate for the homeless. Written partially from his perspective as a child, Nathan ties these stories back to current issues of social justice and the need for reform in the way we address poverty in America. A perfect blend of fairytale and in-depth expose, you're invited on an intimate journey with Nathan and his family as his father attempts to follow through with his mythical promise of unifying his family, righting wrongs of the past, fighting against a clock as it quickly approaches midnight, and Chasing the Mouse. Overflowing with passion, this touching, needed story will inspire you to reach for your own dreams, knowing that no matter the obstacles, no matter the risk, dreams really can come true ... if you just believe.
Capitalism's Crisis Deepens: Essays on the Global Economic Meltdown by Richard D. Wolff

"Richard Wolff's constructive and innovative ideas suggest new and promising foundations for much more authentic democracy and sustainable and equitable development, ideas that can be implemented directly and carried forward. A very valuable contribution in troubled times."--Noam Chomsky

"Richard Wolff is the leading socialist economist in the country. This book is required reading for anyone concerned about a fundamental transformation of the ailing capitalist economy!"--Cornel West

"Bold, thoughtful, transformative-a powerful and challenging vision that takes us beyond both corporate capitalism and state socialism. Richard Wolff at his best!"--Gar Alperovitz

While most mainstream commentators view the crisis that provoked the Great Recession as having passed, these essays from Richard Wolff paint a far less rosy picture. Drawing attention to the extreme downturn in most of capitalism's old centers, the unequal growth in its new centers, and the resurgence of a global speculative bubble, Wolff--in his uniquely accessible style--makes the case that the crisis should be grasped not as a passing moment, but as an evolving stage in capitalism's history.
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Thursday, December 29 [11:26]
*DN | CIA Interrogator: At Time of U.S. Invasion, Saddam Hussein Was Focused on Writing Novel, Not WMDs (12/28/16) [11:03]
Ten years ago this week, on December 30, 2006, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was executed. Hussein was toppled soon after the U.S. invasion began in 2003. U.S. President George W. Bush launched the invasion on the false premise that Hussein had stockpiled weapons of mass destruction and had ties to al-Qaeda. The invasion destabilized Iraq and the region, leaving over a million people dead. And the fighting continues in Iraq and Syria. A stunning new book about the Iraq War has just come out from a perspective we have not yet heard from. It is written by John Nixon, the CIA analyst who interrogated Saddam Hussein after his capture 13 years ago. Nixon reveals that much of what the CIA believed they knew about Saddam Hussein at the time of the invasion was wrong. During his interrogation, Hussein revealed that by 2003 he had largely turned over power to his aides so he could concentrate on writing a novel. There was no program of weapons of mass destruction. Saddam Hussein was also deeply critical of al-Qaeda and other Islamist groups inspired by Wahhabism. During the interrogation, Hussein also had a warning for the United States about Iraq. He said, "You are going to fail. You are going to find that it is not so easy to govern Iraq. You are going to fail in Iraq because you do not know the language, the history, and you do not understand the Arab mind." We speak to former CIA analyst John Nixon, author of the new book, "Debriefing the President: The Interrogation of Saddam Hussein."
*DN | George W. Bush's Ethics Lawyer: Trump Will Be in Violation of Constitution on Day One (12/28/16) [19:20]
*TYT | John Kerry Calls Out Israel (12/28/16) [13:47]
*TYT | Trump On Israel Support (12/28/16) [7:06]
*TYT | Trump Stooge Calls John Kerry A Traitor (12/28/16) [3:17]
RT | Keiser Report: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs! (E1012) (12/29/16) [25:43]
Max and Stacy discuss all the free lunches harming the global economy. In the second half Max interviews Father Nathan Monk, author of 'Chasing the Mouse', about homelessness in America and building tiny houses.
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
*ThomHartmann | How Trump Could Bring on the Crash of 2016 (12/28/16) [27:39]
Diane Rehm will no longer be on the air daily, though she will be doing a weekly podcast. As soon as I get links to the podcast I will post them.
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/

12.29.2016. 11:06

Wednesday December 28, 2016
News Articles

Celebrities React To Carrie Fisher's Untimely Death
HP | Carly Ledbetter | 12/27/16

Countless celebrities took to social media to pay tribute to Carrie Fisher after she died on Tuesday. The 60-year-old actress suffered a heart attack on a plane from London to LAX just a few days before her death and had been hospitalized.

Fisher's 24-year-old actress daughter, Billie Lourd, confirmed her "beloved" mother's death in a statement, saying, "She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers." ... Read more

Agora Financial UK | An Evening with Nomi Prins - The Future of the Global Financial System (12/09/16) [56:43]

Trump taps investor Icahn to advise on regulatory reform
Politico | Patrick Temple-West | 12/21/16

Carl Icahn has been picked by President-elect Donald Trump to be a special adviser for overhauling regulations, putting the billionaire investor in a position to shape rules affecting businesses in which he has stakes.

"Carl was with me from the beginning and with his being one of the world's great businessmen, that was something I truly appreciated," Trump said in a statement. "His help on the strangling regulations that our country is faced with will be invaluable."

Icahn -- whose net worth is $21.6 billion, according to Forbes -- endorsed Trump, who repeatedly mentioned him as a potential Treasury secretary, lead negotiator on trade deals with China and Japan, or both. ... Read more
TYT | Meet Trump's Sugar Daddy (12/27/16) [8:52]

Trump rewards big donors with jobs and access
magazine | Isaac Arnsdorf | 12/27/16

Contributors who met with Trump gave about $59 million in support of his campaign and other Republicans, averaging more than $800,000 per donor.

More than a third of the almost 200 people who have met with President-elect Donald Trump since his election last month, including those interviewing for administration jobs, gave large amounts of money to support his campaign and other Republicans this election cycle.

Together the 73 donors contributed $1.7 million to Trump and groups supporting him, according to a POLITICO analysis of Federal Election Commission records, and $57.3 million to the rest of the party, averaging more than $800,000 per donor. Donors also represent 39 percent of the 119 people Trump reportedly considered for high-level government posts, and 38 percent of those he eventually picked, according to the analysis, which counted candidates named by the transition and in news reports. ... Read more
TYT | Trump's Cabinet Poised To Loot The Country (12/27/16) [10:51]

DN | What Will Happen When Donald Trump Takes Over U.S. Drone & Targeted Assassination Program? (12/27/16) [12:23]
TRNN | Smithsonian's James Early Discusses Cubans on Castro (1/2) (12/28/16) [16:53]
Founder of the Real News Network

Donald Trump: The Raw and Naked Face of a System That Showers Speculators with Obscene Riches

Paul Jay says the enablers of Trumpism are the leaders of both major parties and the corporate media

Donald Trump is not an aberration. He's the raw and naked face of an economic system that showers speculators with obscene riches and political power.

"I use emotion for the many and reserve reason for the few." That's a quote attributed to Adolf Hitler. Donald Trump is not the only actor on the political stage who ascribes to such methods. The enablers of this surging far right "populism" are the leaders of both major political parties and the corporate media. Whether it's the charming smile of leading Democrats or the religious fervor and patriotic zeal of establishment Republicans, they both ensure super-profits for the super-rich.

According to an IPS report, the Forbes list of the top 400 American billionaires hold more wealth than the bottom 61% of the nation combined. In the years of the Obama administration, the top 1% of the population captured 95% of the post-recession increase in income. This is the legacy Hillary Clinton promised to continue. For most people living conditions are more insecure and for many desperate. No wonder some turn to a snake oil salesman. The growth of such inequality, managed by the Democratic and Republican Party leadership, has facilitated conditions for the election of this dangerous caricature.

Corporate media focuses on the horse race. A contest they need to feed their treasuries with the more than 6 billion dollars they reap in political advertising. They talk about Trump's temperament and showmanship as he surrounds himself with the dregs of the far political and religious right.

His VP and cabinet choices are war mongers and climate change deniers of the worst sort. He is poised to undo what's left of the New Deal, and in spite of his promises to American workers, he will intensify their exploitation.

The liberal media mostly ignores the complicity of their own political heroes. Instead they feast on a morbid fascination with Trump's outrageous racism and xenophobia. They make a furor about the alleged role of Russia in the release of emails, yet the more important issue here are the revelations about Clinton and her campaign.

The corporate media hide the underlying truth. The rise of such a dangerous farce to the White House is a sign of the deep decay of the system itself.

Capitalism has lost its dynamism. Too few people own far too much. More profits are generated from parasitical speculation than productive investment. The elites who revel on the deck of the Titanic have next to no interest in the well-being of the majority of people.

Trump's major billionaire backer Robert Mercer made his fortune in high frequency stock trading, gaming the stock market using advanced algorithms and data analysis to create unprecedented profits.

Mercer's daughter Rebecca helps run the Trump transition team, and key Trump advisors Kellyanne Conway and Steve Bannon both worked for Mercer.

Another major backer is Sheldon Adelson, who made his billions owning Las Vegas casinos. Adelson, a close ally of Israeli PM Netanyahu, reportedly gave Trump twenty-five million dollars.

From climate disaster to the destructive orgy of unrestrained finance, the billionaire class and their political minions are not even capable of dealing with threats to the very system that made them so wealthy. It's the whole of humanity that will pay the price.

The ruling elites are dysfunctional. Their answer in times like these has always been war. They are not fit to rule.

A critical piece of this rotting politics is the corporate news media that makes the rule of billionaires seem so reasonable, civilized, and inevitable.

TV news, the gatekeeper of mass consciousness, is necessary to the elite's ability to maintain control. If we are to transform this country, we have to break the corporate monopoly on daily video news.

We need to speak to the real concerns of working people and focus on what real effective solutions look like.

We must create a Global Climate Change Bureau.

We need a global platform to discuss and debate what to do next.

In 2016, the movements for the Sanders campaign, to defend black lives and fight to save the planet, have challenged the politics of the powerful at an unprecedented scale.

If a broad front is built that can contest the elites' control of the political process, it could usher in a new phase of struggle of the American people. As this fight develops, TRNN will be there.
TYT | Movie Stars Pulling Their Money Out Of Wells Fargo. (12/27/16) [7:11]
RT | Keiser Report: Risk & Reward (E1011) (12/27/16) [25:44]
Max and Stacy advise the audience to check to see whether their hedge fund manager has bought a Ferrari for Christmas. If they did, it may be time to find a new fund manager. In the second half, Max interviews retired counterintelligence officer 'Eddie Z' about economic espionage and allegedly hacked elections.
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
Diane Rehm will no longer be on the air daily, though she will be doing a weekly podcast. As soon as I get links to the podcast I will post them.
Aljazeera | The abandoned hotel housing hundreds of refugees (12/27/16) [6:44]
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/
Note: Two books that go with the above DemocracyNow Interview(s)
The Drone Memos: Targeted Killing, Secrecy, and the Law by Jameel Jaffer

The Drone Memos collects for the first time the legal and policy documents underlying the U.S. government's deeply controversial practice of "targeted killing"--the extrajudicial killing of suspected terrorists and militants, typically using remotely piloted aircraft or "drones." The documents -- including the Presidential Policy Guidance that provides the framework for drone strikes today, Justice Department white papers addressing the assassination of an American citizen, and a highly classified legal memo that was published only after a landmark legal battle involving the ACLU, the New York Times, and the CIA -- together constitute a remarkable effort to legitimize a practice that most human rights experts consider to be unlawful and that the United States has historically condemned.

In a lucid and provocative introduction, Jameel Jaffer, who led the ACLU legal team that secured the release of many of the documents, evaluates the "drone memos" in light of domestic and international law. He connects the documents' legal abstractions to the real-world violence they allow, and makes the case that we are trading core principles of democracy and human rights for the illusion of security.
The Assassination Complex: Inside the Government's Secret Drone Warfare Program by Jeremy Scahill

Major revelations about the US government's drone program--bestselling author Jeremy Scahill and his colleagues at the investigative website The Intercept expose stunning new details about America's secret assassination policy.

When the US government discusses drone strikes publicly, it offers assurances that such operations are a more precise alternative to troops on the ground and are authorized only when an "imminent" threat is present and there is "near certainty" that the intended target will be killed. The implicit message on drone strikes from the Obama administration has been trust, but don't verify.

The online magazine The Intercept exploded this secrecy when it obtained a cache of secret slides that provide a window into the inner workings of the US military's kill/capture operations in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia. Whether through the use of drones, night raids, or new platforms yet to be employed, these documents show assassination to be central to US counterterrorism policy.

The classified documents reveal that Washington's fourteen-year targeted killing campaign suffers from an overreliance on flawed signals intelligence, an apparently incalculable civilian toll, and an inability to extract potentially valuable intelligence from terror suspects. This campaign, carried out by two presidents through four presidential terms, has been deliberately obscured from the public and insulated from democratic debate. The Assassination Complex allows us to understand at last the circumstances under which the US government grants itself the right to sentence individuals to death without the established checks and balances of arrest, trial, and appeal.

The book will include original contributions from Glenn Greenwald and Edward Snowden..

12.28.2016. 10:51

Monday & Tuesday December 26 - 27, 2016
News Articles

Trump Releases Letter From Putin Amid Talk Of Nuclear Arms Race
HP | Sam Stein | 12/23/16

... "Serious global and regional challenges, which our countries have to face in recent years, show that the relations between Russia and the U.S. remain an important factor in ensuring stability and security of the modern world," Putin's letter reads. "I hope that after you assume the position of the President of the United States of America we will be able ? by acting in a constructive and pragmatic manner ? to take real steps to restore the framework of bilateral cooperation in different areas as well as bring our level of collaboration on the international scene to a qualitatively new level." ... Read more

Note: if this is an honest exchange between Putin and Trump I'm all for it. I believe we should never stick our head in the sand, but I definitely think everyone should be less confrontational.

Nuke Experts Say Trump's Tweet Is 'A Very Bad Sign'
HP | Matt Ferner | 12/22/16

In a tweet Thursday, Trump raised eyebrows by calling for an expansion of the United States' nuclear capability. "The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes," the president-elect wrote.

It's not clear whether Trump was expressing support for modernizing the nation's aging nuclear arsenal or for stockpiling more nukes in the U.S. But either way, the message left a number of experts on nuclear arms profoundly disturbed, especially as it arrived just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a similar strengthening of Russian nuclear forces. ... Read more

TRNN | Gar Alperovitz discusses: Nuclear Attack on Japan was Opposed by American Military Leadership, Part 2 (older 01/24/14) [14:27]
First Pictures Inside Bomb Blasted Japan (1945) [9:08]
Peter Jennings - Hiroshima: Why the Bomb was Dropped (1995) [1:08:58]

Taxpayer-funded capitalism: Here are the biggest corporate subsidy deals of 2016
Salon | Angelo Young | 12/27/16

... For better or worse, these deal-sweeteners extended by governors, state legislators or local city councils leads to billions of dollars a year of taxpayer money going from public to private coffers. Defenders of the process argue this is money well spent on creating or retaining local jobs, fighting blight and economic stagnation and, ultimately, leading to a net plus return on the investments. Critics question if lofty promises of future revenue and job growth are always kept, and point to how this system encourages companies to aggressively pursue taxpayer-supported private projects. ...

  1. Sagamore Development - The real-estate developer owned by Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank won a $660 million deal from the Baltimore Development Corporation to upgrade Port Covington
  2. Continental Tire, the Americas, LLC - The Fort Mill, South Carolina-based subsidiary of the German automotive parts manufacturer Continental AG won a $596 million deal from the state of Mississippi to build a tire plant in Hinds County.
  3. Walt Disney - The media and entertainment giant, one of the world's most profitable companies, received a $267 million gift from state taxpayers for a planned luxury hotel in Anaheim, California.
  4. Lockheed Martin - The world's largest defense contractor received a generous $220 million gift from Connecticut taxpayers to keep its Sikorsky Aircraft division in the city of Stratford.
  5. Shan Dong Sun Paper Industry - The Chinese paper company received a $167.5 million subsidy for its first U.S.-based facility, a $1 billion pulp plant in Arkadelphia, in southern Arkansas.
  6. General Electric - While Lockheed Martin received a generous incentive package to keep operations in Connecticut, General Electric accepted a $145 million deal from Massachusetts taxpayers to move its global headquarters 180 miles, from Fairfield, Connecticut, to Boston. Massachusetts.
  7. Novo Nordisk - The Danish leading manufacturer of diabetes treatments won a $110 million package of incentives to build an insulin plant in Clayton, North Carolina.
  8. Marriott International - Like Lockheed Martin and General Electric, the world's largest hotel chain received taxpayer money in 2016 based on the question of whether it would move its corporate headquarters.
Read more

Why Donald Trump won -- and how Hillary Clinton lost: 13 theories explain the stunning election
AlterNet, Salon | Don Hazen ... | date

It's now three weeks since Donald Trump won the presidential election, and people are still reeling. In an election that shocked the world and scrambled people's sense of reality, Trump did what millions thought impossible: he was--sort of--elected president of the United States. True, if the U.S. were like the rest of the world, the person who got the most votes--Hillary Clinton, with in this case over 2.5 million more--would be the next president. And also true, the shenanigans, voter repression, disenfranchisement and perhaps worse that accompanied this election, mean that Donald Trump starts his term having very little legitimacy in the eyes of millions. ... Read more

Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Tuesday, December 27 [11:01]
SNL
Best Moments Alec Baldwin as Trump on 'SNL' Cold Open (12/24/16) [14:38]
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah | Trump Fakes a Deal (12/09/16) [7:19]
TRNN | Professor Henry Giroux says: Trump's Cabinet, the Church of Neoliberal Evangelicals (12/26/16) [11:36]
TRNN | Economist James Henry traces: Trump and Putin Share Ties to the Post-USSR Kleptocracy (12/23/16) [13:37]
TRNN | Economist John Weeks discusses: US Fines Deutsche Bank to the Applause of Shareholders (12/26/16) [12:06]
TYT | Obama Hands Surveillance State To Trump (12/26/16) [5:17]
TYT | UK Parliament Approves Expansive New Surveillance Powers (12/26/16) [4:37]
US wasted almost $1.5bn on ridiculous projects in 2016, report claims (12/24/16) [2:04]
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
ThomHartmann | How This Trump Appointment Will Shake Up Trade w/China (12/22/16) [11:23]
Diane Rehm will no longer be on the air daily, though she will be doing a weekly podcast. As soon as I get links to the podcast I will post them.
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/
Other Videos and Documentaries I Ran Across
Note: I don't endorse any of the videos in this section.
As I construct My News Pages I constantly run across a lot of NEW videos, and since I find YouTube frustrating trying to re-find videos, I save the links in this section so I can find them again.
Destination: Titan (11/29/16) [58:53]
It's a voyage of exploration like no other - to Titan, Saturn's largest moon and thought to resemble our own early Earth. For a small team of British scientists this would be the culmination of a lifetime's endeavour - the flight alone, some 2 billion miles, would take a full seven years. This is the story of the space probe they built, the sacrifices they made and their hopes for the landing. Would their ambitions survive the descent into the unknown on Titan's surface?

12.27.2016. 11:49

Friday December 23, 2016
News Articles

Donald Trump Reportedly Goes Nuclear, Says 'Let It Be An Arms Race'
HP | Hayley Miller | 12/23/16

"We will outmatch them at every pass. And outlast them all," the president-elect is quoted as saying.

President-elect Donald Trump offered "Morning Joe" co-host Mika Brzezinski a shocking explanation Friday for his alarming Thursday tweet on nuclear weapons, the journalist reports. Brzezinski said she asked Trump to explain his position on nuclear arms in an off-air conversation earlier that morning. Co-host Joe Scarborough called the president-elect's response "not quite the clarification that we would expect." Read more

Donald Trump rejected Secretary of State candidate John Bolton over his moustache, adviser reveals
The Independent | Philip Rucker | date

Donald Trump passed over a potential candidate for Secretary of State because of bushy moustache, according to insiders close to the incoming US President.

Several of Mr Trump's associates said they thought that John Bolton's brush-like moustache was one of the factors that handicapped the bombastic former United Nations ambassador in the sweepstakes for the role. ... Read more
TYT | Is Trump Picking His Cabinet Based On Looks? (12/22/16) [6:37]

Newt Gingrich Forced To Apologize In Baby Talk Over 'Drain The Swamp' Comments
CrooksAndLiars.com/ | John Amato | 12/22/16

Yesterday Fran ran a post, "Drain The Swamp? Newt Says That's Another Trump 'Never Mind' in which Gingrich said that the slogan Trump used was basically cute, but not relevant anymore.

Anyway, the tweet wasn't good enough for Comrade Trump and he evidently scolded Newt about it, which forced Gingrich to post an apology video on Twitter. ... Read more
TYT | Newt Gingrich To Trump: "I Made A Big Boo-Boo." (12/22/16) [5:42]

30 Movies That Are Going To Blow Everyone Away In 2017 (12/22/16) [18:51]
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Friday, December 23 [12:28]
DN | "Absolutely Frightening": Greenpeace on Trump's Call for a New Nuclear Arms Race (12/23/16) [5:49]
TYT | Trump's Doctor Hints Something Might Be VERY Wrong With Him (12/22/16) [4:49]
TYT | For Some Reason Nobody Trusts Corporate Media Anymore (12/22/16) [7:55]
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
Note: sometimes I have to post my News Page before all the links are available. This happens most noteably for the Diane Rehm Show. If the pop-up links don't work, just go to The Diane Show website and click the links there.
*DR | Friday News - Domestic (12/23/16) [1hr]
Donald Trump continues selecting his key staff and advisors, naming Sean Spicer press secretary and Kellyanne Conway White House counsel. The president-elect generates more controversy by suggesting in a tweet the U.S. should expand its nuclear capability. President Obama takes new action to ban Arctic drilling and also pardons a record number of federal inmates. Obamacare enrollment surges even as Republicans vow to repeal it. The North Carolina legislature fails to repeal a controversial "bathroom bill." And four more officials are charged with felonies in the Flint Water crisis...Diane and a panel of guests discuss the top domestic stories of the week.
*DR | Diane's Final Show: She Hears From You! (12/23/16) [1hr]
Diane says goodbye after 37 years on the air. She takes your calls and questions, and reflects on her long career.
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/

12.23.2016. 13:32

Thursday December 22, 2016
News Articles

Obama Permanently Blocks Arctic, Atlantic Drilling
HP | Chris D'Angelo | 12/20/16

President Barack Obama will use his executive authority to permanently block offshore drilling in large swaths of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, the White House announced Tuesday. Likewise, neighboring Canada will halt oil and gas exploration in its own Arctic waters, according to a joint statement from Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The move to protect the planet in the face of climate change ? just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump, who appears set on sidelining America's climate fight, takes office -- is among Obama's most noteworthy. Read more
TYT | Obama Blocks Arctic And Atlantic Drilling. Will It Stick? (12/21/16) [9:31]

How You Can Automatically Fact-Check Donald Trump's Lies
AlterNet | Kylie Cheung | 12/20/16

Since his tiny hands first signed up for the site, President-elect Donald Trump's Twitter account has been spewing misleading, flat-out inaccurate rants with no end in sight. Before the election, he was slinging racist and plain false statistics about African-American crime rates and his imaginary opposition to the Iraq War; after the election, his so-called "landslide" electoral victory. The bottomline, in case you're brand-fucking-new to the internet: Trump tells a lot of lies on Twitter. Seeing through the lies is pretty easy, but with dishonest tweet after dishonest tweet, the laborious task of fact-checking the madman sure adds up, so treat yourself to this delightful new Chrome extension that fact-checks Trump's tweets for you. ... Read more

Now you can fact-check Trump's tweets -- in the tweets themselves
WashingtonPost | Philip Bump | 12/19/16

We made a tool that slips a bit more context into Trump's tweets. It's still in the early stages, but our goal is to provide additional context where needed for Trump's tweets moving forward (and a few golden oldies). For example, here's what it shows in relation to that Trump tweet. ...

Read more

This is how Syria's civil war destroyed Aleppo
Salon | Jeremy Binckes | 12/22/16

The multi-year civil war in Syria has left hundreds of thousands of people dead, and turned what was once a vibrant country into a wasteland of death and devastation. In Aleppo, once home to 1.8 million people, a city thousands of years old had been reduced to rubble. ... Read more
BBC News | Aleppo before and after the battle (12/21/16) [0:44]

Remember - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Click to zoom in
Tiny Offices
Brothers build green-roofed portable office in Lake Tahoe (07/28/14) [8:50]
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Thursday, December 22 [11:03]
DN | The Future of Syria: As Aleppo Falls, What Comes Next in a Country Shattered by War? (12/22/16) [11:36]
DN | The Impossible Revolution: A Syrian Dissident on How a Fight Against a Dictator Became a Proxy War. (12/22/16) [19:44]
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Samantha Bee | Those Are Real People: Veterans & Refugees Edition (12/20/16) [5:18]
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert | Five Weeks From Today, Donald Trump Will Be Our President (12/20/16) [5:54]
TRNN | Emily Jeffers of the Center for Biological Diversity says: Congress Could Undo Obama?s Drilling Ban With New Legislation (12/22/16) [10:36]
TRNN | Paul Jay and Abby Martin Say Goodbye to 2016 (12/22/16) [28:35]
TYT | What Is The Stock Act, And How Will Trump Violate It? (12/21/16) [7:29]
TYT | Hillary Clinton Makes History With Popular Vote (12/21/16) [4:38]
RT | Keiser Report: Max and Stacy ask what 'foreigners dumping Treasurys' means for local businesses. (E1009) (12/22/16) [25:45]
Max and Stacy ask what 'foreigners dumping Treasurys' means for local businesses. They also discuss Trump's argument that Americans should bulk buy and get a discount on their pharmaceuticals. In the second half Max continues his interview with Paul Craig Roberts about Trump's economic policies.
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
Note: sometimes I have to post my News Page before all the links are available. This happens most noteably for the Diane Rehm Show. If the pop-up links don't work, just go to The Diane Show website and click the links there.
*DR | The Power Of The Executive Branch (12/22/16) [1hr]
President-elect Trump takes office four weeks from tomorrow. During much of the campaign he vowed to eliminate many of President Obama's signature accomplishments. His cabinet choices to date and the appointments he made yesterday on trade and federal regulation strongly suggest he intends to follow through: Join us to discuss the power of U-S presidents in the modern era and what Donald Trump can and cannot do as our next president.
*DR | Ta-Nehisi Coates On The Legacy Of The Nation's First Black President (12/22/16) [1hr]
With less than a month left in office, the discussion of Barack Obama's legacy is in full swing. In next month's Atlantic Magazine, writer Ta-Nehisi Coates explores what it meant for the country to be led by an African-American man for the last eight years. His cover story is called "My President Was Black: A History of the First African-American White House -- And of What Came Next." He traces the roots of Obama's optimism on race relations, analyzes his relationship with the African-American community while in office and explains why he believes race was key to the election of Donald Trump.
Aljazeera | The Christian Quran teacher of Al Minya (12/21/16) [1:00]
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/
Other Videos and Documentaries I Ran Across
Note: I don't endorse any of the videos in this section.
As I construct My News Pages I constantly run across a lot of NEW videos, and since I find YouTube frustrating trying to re-find videos, I save the links in this section so I can find them again.

12.22.2016. 12:21

Wednesday December 21, 2016
News Articles
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah | The Daily Show - Donald Trump's Christmas (NOT HOLIDAY) Yule Log (12/19/16) [4:54:08]

Here's The Law That Poses The Greatest Threat To Donald Trump
HP | Michael McAuliff | 12/21/16

The Stock Act's author explains the insider trading law will be extremely difficult for the next president to follow if he keeps his businesses.

By walking onto the inaugural platform outside the Capitol and putting his hand on a Bible on Jan. 20, Donald Trump may be stepping closer to committing a felony than he ever imagined when he launched his unlikely bid to become the nation's 45th president.

That's because Congress passed a law in 2012 called the Stock Act, which explicitly bars the president, members of Congress and senior executive branch officials from using their insider knowledge to make money. ... Read more

Kushner: We struck deal with Sinclair for straighter coverage
Politico | Josh Dawsey | 12/16/16

Donald Trump's campaign struck a deal with Sinclair Broadcast Group during the campaign to try and secure better media coverage, his son-in-law Jared Kushner told business executives Friday in Manhattan.

... In exchange, Sinclair would broadcast their Trump interviews across the country without commentary, Kushner said. Kushner highlighted that Sinclair, in states like Ohio, reaches a much wider audience -- around 250,000 listeners -- than networks like CNN, which reach somewhere around 30,000. ... Read more
TYT | How Trump's Son-In-Law Got Him All Over Local News (12/20/16) [10:16]

Under political pressure, Kuwait cancels major event at Four Seasons, switches to Trump's D.C. hotel
ThinkProgress.org | Judd Legum | 12/20/16

... A source tells ThinkProgress that the Kuwaiti embassy, which has regularly held the event at the Four Seasons in Georgetown, abruptly canceled its reservation after members of the Trump Organization pressured the ambassador to hold the event at the hotel owned by the president-elect. The source, who has direct knowledge of the arrangements between the hotels and the embassy, spoke to ThinkProgress on the condition of anonymity because the individual was not authorized to speak publicly. ... Read more
TYT | Foreign Diplomats Buttering Trump Up (12/20/16) [6:27]

Tiny Houses, Tiny Communities?
Tiny Texas Houses' "Willy Wonka" on making magic reusing wood (09/16/14) [1:00:14]
NorCal community blends nature with communal & private space (12/04/16) [21:56]
NorCal community veteran coder customizes off-grid home with sensors (05/26/14) [21:56]
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Wednesday, December 21 [11:53]
DN | Robert Reich: Like a Tyrant, Trump Is Deploying Seven Techniques to Control the Media, Part 1 (12/21/16) [13:13], Part 2 [14:46]
DN | Public (School) Enemy No. 1: Billionaire Betsy DeVos, Trump's Pick for Education Secretary (12/01/16) [15:34 ]
DN | Chelsea Manning's Attorney: "Her Life Depends on Obama Taking Action Now" (12/21/16) [5:59]
TRNN | Center for Biological Diversity Executive Director Keiran Suckling says: New Trump Picks to Bring Public Lands and Environmental Regulations to the Corporate Slaughterhouse (12/21/16) [13:40]
TRNN | Bill Black says: IMF Board Response to Lagarde Conviction Reaffirms Institutional Indifference to Corruption (12/21/16) [10:40]
TYT | Why Was the Russian Ambassador REALLY Assassinated ? (12/20/16) [3:09]
TYT | Sharing Fake News Could Get You In Trouble (12/20/16) [4:42]
RT | Keiser Report: Max and Stacy discuss the 'birthering' of the Democrats as Keith Olbermann turns xenophobe, and conspiracy theories flourish in the media. (E1008) (12/20/16) [25:25]
In the second half, Max interviews former Assistant Treasury Secretary under Ronald Reagan, Paul Craig Roberts, about the attempted Electoral College coup on Trump, and the differences between the last Cold War and the new one.
RT | CrossTalk: The assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey was an act of terror. The motive is obvious -- to damage Russia-Turkey relations and disrupt any kind of peace process ending the Syrian conflict. Will the assassin achieve his goals? (12/19/16) [24:09]
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
Note: sometimes I have to post my News Page before all the links are available. This happens most noteably for the Diane Rehm Show. If the pop-up links don't work, just go to The Diane Show website and click the links there.
*DR | Threats To Democracy Here And Abroad (12/21/16) [1hr]
Many political scientists who study democracy are alarmed by developments in Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere in the world. In Europe, right-wing or anti-establishment parties have gained influence in Poland, France, Greece and other nations. In South America, Venezuelans have seen their democratic freedoms plummet. And in the U.S., many political scientists see warning signs of democratic erosion. They point to the campaign rhetoric of Donald Trump, his open admiration for Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin and his choices for top positions in his administration. Diane and her guests discuss threats to liberal democracy at home and abroad.
*DR | Why Opioid-Related Deaths Continue To Rise And What Can Be Done To Reverse The Trend (12/21/16) [1hr]
According to the CDC, opioid-related deaths surpassed 30,000 last year for the first time in history. Diane and a panel of guests discuss why the numbers continue to rise, and what public health officials, doctors and advocates say needs to happen to reverse this alarming trend.
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/

12.21.2016. 14:11

Tuesday December 20, 2016
News Articles

John McCain warns Russia hacking is a sign of the "unraveling" of the "world order" and can "destroy democracy"
Salon | Matthew Rozsa | 12/19/16

Sen. John McCain, Republican from Arizona, is warning Americans that Russia's hacking of the 2016 presidential election threatens to "destroy democracy" and called for a select committee to investigate the CIA's findings.

"This is the sign of a possible unraveling of the world order that was established after World War II, which has made one of the most peaceful periods in the history of the world," McCain told CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday. "We're starting to see the strains and the unraveling of it, and that is because of the absolute failure of American leadership." ... Read more
TYT | Is John McCain Right About Civilization Unraveling? (12/19/16) [8:08]

The pin worm parasite effects over 40 million children in the United States. Yet this drug is $800 in the US vs $1 over the counter in the UK.

Russian ambassador shot dead in Ankara gallery
Reuters | author | 12/20/16

The Russian ambassador to Turkey was shot in the back and killed as he gave a speech at an Ankara art gallery on Monday by an off-duty police officer who shouted "Don't forget Aleppo" and "Allahu Akbar" as he opened fire.

President Tayyip Erdogan, in a video message to the nation, cast the attack as an attempt to undermine NATO-member Turkey's relations with Russia - ties long tested by the war in Syria. He said he had agreed in a telephone call with Russia's Vladimir Putin to step up cooperation in fighting terrorism. ... Read more
TYT | Russian Ambassador Assassinated In Turkey (12/19/16) [9:07]

Trump holds off-the-record session with reporters
TheHill | Cyra Master | 12/18/16

President-elect Donald Trump held an off-the-record conversation with reporters on Sunday evening. While the topics of conversation were not reported, the meeting was confirmed in a presidential pool report. It's been more than 140 days since Trump has held a press conference.

The gathering at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., where the Trump family is spending the holidays, lasted about 30 minutes. Melania Trump, incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and top advisers Kellyanne Conway, Stephen Miller and Jason Miller were present, according to the pool report. ... Read more
TYT | Trump Gets Cozy With Press He Claims To Hate (12/19/16) [8:09]

Bill Maher Nails 'Toddler' Trump's Terrifying Temperament and His Cabinet Picks
AlterNet | Janet Allon | 12/20/16

Trump's certifiably insane cabinet picks.

"The appointments are from opposite land," he said. "For education, somebody who doesn't believe in public education. Ben Carson, for example, surgeon general, maybe because he was a surgeon. No, housing. Because what? He lives in a house?"

Then there is the appointment of Rick Perry as Secretary of Energy, the primary responsibility of which is to safeguard the country's nuclear arsenal. "The 'oops' guy is in charge of our nukes?" Maher asked incredulously.

To anyone who says let's wait and see what Trump is going to do, the cabinet picks are a very clear indication of his intentions. "We're in uncharted territory," Maher said. ... Read more

Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Tuesday, December 20 [11:46]
DN | A Deadly Day: Russian Ambassador Assassinated; 12 Dead in Berlin Truck Crash; Zürich Mosque Attacked (12/20/16) [10:33]
DN | Robert Reich on the First 100 Day Resistance Agenda Against Trump: Protest & "Boycott Everything" (12/20/16) [16:09]
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Samantha Bee | Strange Bedfellows (12/19/16) [7:50]
Samantha Bee | A Very Special Legislative Session (12/19/16) [7:11]
A Cure for Wellness - Movie Trailer
A Cure for Wellness (trailer) (12/20/16) [2:44]
RT | FM Lavrov speaks on assassinated ambassador to Turkey (12/20/16) [10:54]
RT | Russian, Turkish, Iranian FMs speak after Moscow meeting on Syria (heavy duty)(12/20/16) [38:23]
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
ThomHartmann | The Fight For the Soul of The Democratic Party (12/19/16) [12:25]
Note: sometimes I have to post my News Page before all the links are available. This happens most noteably for the Diane Rehm Show. If the pop-up links don't work, just go to The Diane Show website and click the links there.
*DR | Latest On Syria: International Repercussions And The Future Of The Conflict (12/20/16) [1hr]
"Don't forget Aleppo, don't forget Syria!" The gunman shouted these words after assassinating Russia's ambassador to Turkey yesterday in Ankara. This as tens of thousands of people were being removed from besieged Aleppo. The U.N. yesterday passed a resolution to send observers to monitor the evacuation, which is still underway. Then last night, an attack on a Christmas market in Berlin renewed questions about German Chancellor Angela Merkel's liberal policies toward refugees, many out of Syria. The latest on the conflict in Syria, its international repercussions, and the humanitarian situation on the ground.
*DR | Faith Leaders On Efforts To Unite A Divided Country (12/20/16) [1hr]
Following the election, there have been reports of a rise in attendance at religious services, and in particular at more progressive churches. Perhaps this shouldn't be a surprise. After an emotional campaign season that revealed deep divisions in the country, a natural place for support and healing is a religious community. Greater engagement also presents challenges and opportunities for faith leaders. What kind of moral leadership do they provide? And how will they reach out to people from both sides of the political gulf? Diane and her panel of faith leaders discuss efforts to unite a divided country.
Aljazeera | How is extreme weather linked to diminishing Arctic sea ice? (12/10/16) [2:51]
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/

12.20.2016. 10:26

Monday December 19, 2016
News Articles
Breaking: Russian Ambassador to Turkey Killed in Apparent Assassination.

Why Suicide Bombings Have Nothing To Do With Islam
The Evolution of How Suicide Bombings Incorrectly Became Synonymous With Islam
HP | Hasan Piker | 12/14/16

Suicide is a sin in Islam, just like in the other two Abrahamic religions, Christianity and Judaism.

This is the 19th terrorist incident in Turkey in 2016. In 2015, suicide attacks around the world reportedly killed or injured 9,109 civilians. Most suicide bombings target Muslims rather than non-Muslims. Yet there is a widespread perception in the West that suicide bombings tend to be carried out by Muslims against non-Muslim targets and serve a religious purpose rooted deep within Islamic doctrine.

Suicide bombings have been around since the 18th century, but I want to talk about suicide bombings as a tool of modern terrorist warfare and how it became the archetype of Muslim violence. Because while popular culture depicts Muslims as trigger-happy suicide bombers, suicide has always been a cardinal sin in Islam. ... Read more
TYT | Suicide Bombings Have NOTHING To Do With Islam (12/18/16) [6:32]

100 CEOs Have as Much Retirement Savings as 116 Million Americans.

Senate Dems seek divestment blind trust for Trump's assets
Politico | Elana Schor | 12/15/16

Five Democratic senators on Thursday unveiled a bill they plan to release next month that would require Donald Trump to divest assets that risk a conflict of interest and place the proceeds in a blind trust as well as require his appointees to step aside from official decisions that could benefit him.

The legislation previewed by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) also would symbolically deem any Trump violation of federal conflict-of-interest rules "a high crime or misdemeanor under the impeachment clause of the U.S. Constitution," according to a summary released by its sponsors. ... Read more
TYT | Elizabeth Warren Paving Way To Impeach Trump (12/18/16) [7:52]

Yet Another Donald Trump Pick Has A Habit Of Spreading Dangerous Conspiracy Theories
HP | Hayley Miller | 12/16/16

President-elect Donald Trump announced Thursday that he's chosen Fox News contributor Monica Crowley as the National Security Council's senior director of strategic communications. If her conspiracy theory-pushing past is any indication, she'll fit right in with several of Trump's administration picks.

  1. Crowley promoted a debunked theory that Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin had ties to "Islamic supremacists" ? a claim proven false by The Washington Post, Snopes and other sources.
  2. But Crowley's unsubstantiated claims aren't limited to targeting Abedin. She was a vocal proponent of the birther movement, often calling President Barack Obama's citizenship into question. In 2008, she suggested Obama lied about his blackness.
  3. "[Obama is] not black African, he is Arab African," she said on Laura Ingraham's radio show. "And yet, this guy is campaigning as black and painting anybody who dares to criticize him as a racist. I mean that is -- it is the biggest con I think I've ever seen."
Read more

TYT | How Qualified Are Trump's Cabinet Picks? (12/18/16) [8:55]

Without the Christian Right, There'd Be No President Trump: What Do They Want in Exchange?
AlterNet | Jason Wilson | 12/18/16

They overlooked his three marriages and sexual harassment all the way to the White House.

The so-called alt-right may have grabbed most of the attention since Donald Trump's victory, but it's the Christian right that got him over the line. And experts say they are much more likely to influence how he governs.

... In 2016, white evangelical Christians composed 26 percent of the electorate -- just as they did in 2012, 2008, and 2004. And their quarter of the total vote in 2016 went 81-16 percent for the Republican. This gave Donald Trump a slightly bigger share of evangelicals than Mitt Romney, the pious Mormon, in 2012, or war hero John McCain in 2008. Trump even slightly outdid George W. Bush's 2004 share, even though W identified as a born-again Christian. ... Read more

Aljazeera | The Crusades, An Arab Perspective - Part 1: Shock () [47:11]
explores the birth of the Muslim revival in the face of the crusades.
Aljazeera | The Crusades: an Arab Perspective - Revival: The Muslim Response to the Crusades (12/14/16) [47:01]
Aljazeera | The Caliph - Part 1: Foundation () [48:55]
For almost 13 centuries, from the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 to the overthrow of the last Ottoman caliph in 1924, the Islamic world was ruled by a caliph.
Aljazeera | The Caliph - Part 2: Division () [48:44]
Other Documentaries
Discovery | The History of the Ottoman Empire () [1:30:21]
Documentary | The Crusades () [56:14]
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Monday, December 19 [12:20]
DN | Ari Berman: How Voter Suppression Helped Pave Way for a Legislative Coup in North Carolina (12/19/16) [10:33]
SNL
SNL | 'SNL' Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin As Shirtless Santa Claus (12/17/16) [4:53]
TRNN | PERI's Heidi Garrett-Peltier says: When It Comes to Job Creation, Renewable Energy Outshines Fossil Fuels (12/19/16) [7:13]
TRNN | Yasha Maccanico says: EU Immigration 'Assistance' to Italy and Greece Seeks to Block Migrants From Leaving (12/19/16) [11:12]
TYT | America Is Now A Death Economy (12/18/16) [5:10]
TYT | The Time For A Living Wage Is NOW! (12/18/16) [5:33]
RT | Keiser Report: Max and Stacy discuss how both the Italian bank, Monte dei Paschi, and the American retailer, Sears, survived war, Great Depressions and famine, only to be destroyed by the modern paper derivative. (E1007) (12/17/16) [25:44]
RT | CrossTalk: The West's political and media elites are obsessed with Russia. Blaming Russia and its president Vladimir Putin is now a default position explaining the world's woes. How did it come to this? (12/19/16) [24:09]
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
ThomHartmann | Is The US Aiding & Abetting Famine In Yemen? (12/16/16) [11:06]
Note: sometimes I have to post my News Page before all the links are available. This happens most noteably for the Diane Rehm Show. If the pop-up links don't work, just go to The Diane Show website and click the links there.
*DR | Members of the Electoral College Meet in the States to Vote for President and Vice President. (12/19/16) [1hr]
Five hundred thirty-eight electors meet today in state capitols around the country to cast their votes for president and vice president. Historically, this day has been a mere formality. But in a deeply divided election that saw Hillary Clinton win the popular vote by more than 2 million votes, presidential electors have been flooded with emails and phone calls urging them to change their vote. More than half of states require electors to vote for the candidate who won the popular vote in that state. But those laws are weak and carry only nominal penalties. And on Friday, an appeals court ruled several states cannot remove electors if they change their votes. Diane and guests discuss presidential electors and the outcome of the 2016 election.
*DR | Ongoing Questions About How Donald Trump Will Deal With Business Conflicts Of Interest As President (12/19/16) [1hr]
Last week, President-elect Donald Trump tweeted he would hand control of his businesses to his sons before taking office. But he didn't address his own role, something he had promised to discuss in a press conference last week. He put off that announcement until next month. Trump isn't the first official to balance public office with family business. But critics say Trump's vast network of personal and professional ties make separating the roles more complicated. And the government's ethics office says Trump must divest to truly avoid conflict-with foreign entities, banks and a host of government agencies. A look at Trump and his businesses as he takes the White House.
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/
Other Videos and Documentaries I Ran Across

12.19.2016. 12:53

Friday December 16, 2016
News Articles

There's a huge education level drop-off with the Trump cabinet picks
NYDailyNews | author | date

... To be President, Obama had to be scholarly, intelligent, President of the Harvard Law Review, the product of some of our greatest educational institutions, capable of talking to two different worlds. ...

... Donald Trump had to be rich and white. That's the difference. ... Read more
TYT | Who Is Trump's WORST Cabinet Pick? (12/15/16) [6:36]

Donald Trump has picked 17 "well-to-do" people for his cabinet , who collectively own more wealth than the bottom 1/3 of all Americans.

Twitter cut out of Trump tech meeting over failed emoji deal
politico | Nancy Scola | 12/14/16

Twitter was told it was "bounced" from Wednesday's meeting between tech executives and President-elect Donald Trump in retribution for refusing during the campaign to allow an emoji version of the hashtag #CrookedHillary, according to a source close to the situation.

... POLITICO's source said the social media company's exclusion from the much-publicized, feel-good confab in Trump Tower stemmed from Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's role in rejecting the anti-Clinton emoji -- a rejection that brought public complaints from the president-elect's campaign. ... Read more
TYT | Trump Throwing Tantrum Over Emoji (12/15/16) [9:08]

What Trump Would Be Doing if He Actually Wanted to Drain the Swamp
AlterNet | Gary D. Bass, Danielle Brian / OtherWords | 12/15/16

When President-elect Donald Trump talked about "draining the swamp," it evoked the way Bernie Sanders talks about how the system is rigged. Many Americans believe -- with good reason -- that powerful corporate lobbyists, elites, and other moneyed interests control the levers of government.

Trump has pledged to refrain from nominating corporate lobbyists for political positions, to restrict appointees from lobbying for five years after leaving their government posts, and to do something about conflicts of interest arising from his own extensive business interests. ...

  1. Start with the top - Trump needs to turn over his family businesses into a true blind trust managed by an independent trustee with no ties to his family.
  2. Crack down on political appointees with financial conflicts.
  3. Stop the money game - Along with money in politics, Trump needs to do something about what we call "money in policy."
  4. End the sweet deals for contractors - The incoming administration should reform and revamp the government's purchasing process to make it fair, transparent, and accountable to the public.
  5. Make government more open and participatory - Trust in government, particularly in Congress, is practically nonexistent. One way to rebuild this trust is to engage the public, and not just powerful elites, in decision-making.
Read more

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert | Even Donald Trump Didn't See This Coming (12/15/16) [9:35]
Stephen Colbert | Putin Hacked The Election Because Of A Vendetta Against Clinton (12/16/16) [5:54]

Microsoft tries to reboot mobile strategy with new line of "convertible" smartphones that double as PCs
Salon | Matthew Sheffield | 12/16/16

The Microsoft Surface line of convertible tablet PCs has created an entirely new consumer technology product line. So much so that even Apple was forced to roll out an imitation in the form of the iPad Pro. Microsoft's accomplishment took time, however. That was partly because one of the first two Surface tablets ran a stripped-down version of Microsoft's operating system called Windows RT that was designed for improved battery life. It couldn't run most PC applications, however, because they were powered by a different microprocessor that wasn't compatible with the Intel CPUs that have been the brains behind PCs for decades.

... This time around, Microsoft seems to have learned from its error. The software maker announced this month that the new laptops and tablets powered by Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 835 processor, set to be released in mid-2017, will be able to run pretty much every regular Windows program while also sporting much better battery life and portability. ... Read more

Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Friday, December 16 [9:53]
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah/Daily Show | Jordan Klepper reflects on the year he spent getting to know now-President-elect Donald Trump's most avid supporters on the campaign trail. (12/15/16) [2:36]
Trevor Noah/Daily Show | On the last show of 2016, The Best F#@king News Team recaps the year that brought the world Brexit, fake news, Colin Kaepernick's national anthem protest and viral challenges. (12/15/16) [11:32]
TRNN | Jason Schwartz of Greenpeace USA discusses: Anti-Climate Science Conspiracy Theorist to Lead Trump's Department of Energy (12/16/16) [15:35] TYT | Trump's Secretary Of State Is A Fracking HYPOCRITE (12/15/16) [6:11]
RT | CrossTalk: When it comes to American politics specifically and European politics in general, there is nothing like playing the Russia card. If there is something wrong or there is something you don't like, simply blame Vladimir Putin. (12/16/16) [24:40]
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
ThomHartmann | Is Trump's Election A "Koch Coup" Of Our Democracy? (12/15/16) [12:28]
Note: sometimes I have to post my News Page before all the links are available. This happens most noteably for the Diane Rehm Show. If the pop-up links don't work, just go to The Diane Show website and click the links there.
*DR | Friday News -Domestic (12/16/16) [1hr]
President Obama and Congress call for investigations into Russia's alleged interference in U.S. elections. The Federal Reserve raises a key interest rate. And Yahoo says hackers stole personal data from more than one billion users in 2013. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week's top national news stories.
*DR | Friday News - International (12/16/16) [1hr]
Evacuations from eastern Aleppo stall amid new violence. President Obama vows action against Russia over hacking. And President-elect Trump calls into question America's One China policy. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week's top international news stories.
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/

12.16.2016. 12:27

Thursday December 15, 2016
News Articles
Trevor Noah/Daily Show | Trevor Noah Interviews President Barack Obama (12/12/16) [25:59]
Trevor Noah/Daily Show | During Donald Trump's "Thank You" tour, the president-elect smugly admits to lying about his campaign promises to lock up Hillary Clinton and "drain the swamp." (12/14/16) [5:42]
Samantha Bee | Democrats in the Wilderness (12/12/16) [5:43]

Beijing Growls: 'One China' Not A 'Bargaining Chip'
Reuters & HP | David Lawder | 12/14/16

In a veiled warning to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, China's ambassador to the United States said on Wednesday that Beijing would never bargain with Washington over issues involving its national sovereignty or territorial integrity.

... "And basic norms of international relations should be observed, not ignored, certainly not be seen as something you can trade off," he said. "And indeed, national sovereignty and territorial integrity are not bargaining chips. Absolutely not. I hope everybody would understand that." ... Read more

Larry Lessig: 20 Trump electors could flip
Politico.com | Kyle Cheney | 12/13/16

Larry Lessig, a Harvard University constitutional law professor who made a brief run for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, claimed Tuesday that 20 Republican members of the Electoral College are considering voting against Donald Trump, a figure that would put anti-Trump activists more than halfway toward stalling Trump's election.

... "Obviously, whether an elector ultimately votes his or her conscience will depend in part upon whether there are enough doing the same. We now believe there are more than half the number needed to change the result seriously considering making that vote," Lessig said. ... Read more
TYT | More Electors Turning Against Trump? (12/14/16) [12:34]

Priebus floats shake-up for White House press corps
The Hill | Jordan Fabian | 12/14/16

Incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus on Wednesday floated a shake-up of how the West Wing will handle the White House press corps under Donald Trump. Priebus raised the possibility of changing the format of the daily press briefing and rearranging the seating chart inside the James Brady Press Briefing Room.

"The traditions, while some of them are great, I think it's time to revisit a lot of these things that have been done in the White House," Priebus said during an interview with conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt. ... Read more
TYT | Trump To Play Favorites With Media (12/14/16) [5:07]

Federal Agency Warns Trump He Must Give Up DC Hotel Before Inauguration
TalkingPointsMemo.com | Allegra Kirkland | 12/14/16

The President-elect has been warned by federal authorities that he will be in breach of a government lease if he does not revoke ownership of his Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. before Inauguration Day, Democratic lawmakers revealed Wednesday.

The contract between the Trump Organization and the General Services Administration, which owns the federal building in which the luxury hotel is housed, explicitly states that no elected U.S. official may have a say in or benefit from the lease for that property. ... Read more
TYT | Trump Ordered To Give Up Hotel, Will He? (12/14/16) [5:57]



US Federal Reserve hikes interest rates (12/14/16) [1:43]
Trump adopts conciliatory tone with tech executives (12/14/16) [2:13]
China 'seriously concerned' over Trump's stand (12/14/16) [2:28]
DN | Journalist Iona Craig: The U.S. Could Stop Refueling Saudis & End Devastating War in Yemen Tomorrow (12/15/16) [17:45]
DN | What's Next for U.S.-Russia Relations? Stephen Cohen & Ken Roth on Trump, Hacking & Tillerson (12/14/16) [13:52
DN | Slaughter or Liberation?: A Debate on Russia's Role in the Syrian War & the Fall of Aleppo (12/14/16) [23:09]
TRNN | Following Rebel Defeats in Aleppo, Will Trump and Putin Keep Assad Regime in Power? (12/14/16) [13:26]
TRNN | Zenab Ahmed of Souciant.com say: War in Yemen Tests Influence of Saudi Royal Family (12/14/16) [12:56]
TYT | Philippines' President: I Love Personally Killing People! (12/14/16) [8:14]
RT | Evacuation of east Aleppo : 20 buses to transport 5K rebels with families (12/15/16) [0:48]
RT | Interview with Assad: West is telling Russia that Syrian Army went too far in defeating terrorists (12/15/16) [26:28]
In an interview to RT, the Syrian President warned against taking statements by western governments at face value, as in Aleppo, they seemed to care more about saving terrorists than civilians. He also slammed the lackluster reaction to ISIS's onslaught on Palmyra.
RT | Keiser Report: Healthcare Monster (E1006) (12/15/16) [25:45]
Note: I realize that Max and Stacy's bantering in the first-half (1-12 minutes) might be off-setting to some people, but they always have some great gems in their conversation. The second-half (12-24 minutes), usually an interview, is usually pretty good... but not always.

Max and Stacy discuss the healthcare monster no one wants to tame and the Fukushima meltdown devouring trillions of yen. In the second half Max interviews Adam Curry about the hashtag fake news and the rise of alt-media as a competitive challenge to the mainstream media.
RT | CrossTalk: Trump's Triumph! (older, but I found interesting 11/09/16) [24:06]
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
ThomHartmann | Is Trump a Target for Blackmail? (12/14/16) [14:55]
Note: sometimes I have to post my News Page before all the links are available. This happens most noteably for the Diane Rehm Show. If the pop-up links don't work, just go to The Diane Show website and click the links there.
*DR | Former Secretary Of State Madeleine Albright And Former National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley On The U.S. Role In The World (12/15/16) [1hr]
What role the U.S. should play in Syria has been one of the most vexing foreign policy challenges for the Obama administration. The enormity of the crisis is playing out right now in Aleppo as the Syrian government, backed by Russia and Iran, take back the city from rebel forces. It's a problem President-elect Donald Trump now inherits, and it's one of many complex foreign policy challenges he'll face. High on the list is Russia, following reports that the country interfered in U.S. elections in support of Trump, as well as the future of the U.S.'s "One China" policy. Diane sits down with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former national security adviser Stephen Hadley to discuss U.S. foreign policy and risks for the new administration.
*DR | Education Policy Under The Trump Administration (12/15/16) [1hr]
President-elect Donald Trump has said little on the issue of education. His only specific proposal during the campaign was a massive expansion of school vouchers, promising to cut $20 billion from elsewhere in the education budget to pay for it. Trump's nomination of Betsy DeVos for education secretary reinforced the idea he is serious about pushing a "school choice" agenda. DeVos is a Michigan billionaire known for backing both voucher programs and the spread of charter schools. Her selection has set off alarm bells for public school advocates, and even for fellow reformers who say her approach has lacked accountability. A discussion about education under the Trump Administration.
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/

12.15.2016. 12:13

Wednesday December 14, 2016
News Articles

tIt's Hard To Overstate How Anti-Environment Donald Trump's Cabinet Picks Are
HP | Kate Sheppard | 12/13/16

Rex Tillerson at the State Department. Scott Pruitt at the Environmental Protection Agency. Rick Perry at the Department of Energy. Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice.

Tillerson is the CEO of Exxon Mobil, a company that spent decades and millions of dollars supporting climate change denial and is currently under investigation for doing so. Tillerson has personally argued that climate change is no biggie because "we will adapt to this." If he's confirmed as secretary of state, he will be in the position of deciding whether the U.S. stays involved in the Paris climate agreement and whether to approve massive international oil pipelines like Keystone XL. ... Read more

85 richest people, small enough number to fit everyone on one greyhound bus, control more wealth than the bottom 3.5 billion people , 1/2 the worlds population.

Pipeline 150 miles from Dakota Access protests leaks 176,000 gallons of oil
WashingtonPost | Amy Dalrymple | 12/13/16

A ruptured pipeline has spilled more than 176,000 gallons of crude oil into a hillside and a Little Missouri River tributary about 150 miles west of Cannon Ball, N.D., where thousands of activists have spent months fighting construction of the Dakota Access oil pipeline, state officials said Monday. ...

... Built in the 1980s, the pipeline is six inches in diameter and transports about 1,000 barrels of oil daily, Suess told Forum News Service. The Dakota Access pipeline is 30 inches in diameter and could transport more than 500,000 barrels of oil daily. ... Read more
TYT | Oil Pipeline Bursts Close To Standing Rock Protest (12/13/16) [5:06]

Wells Fargo Becomes First Bank To Face Sanctions For Failing Too-Big-To-Fail Test
HP | Ben Walsh | 12/13/16

Regulators revealed a huge scam involving sham accounts earlier this year, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said Tuesday that the bank now faces sanctions for failing to show it could go out of business in an orderly way.

As a result, Wells Fargo is banned from creating new international bank operations or acquiring non-banks until it shows regulators it can be unwound safely. This is the first time that a bank has faced penalties under the post-economic crisis system, which was set up to ensure that banks can fail without needing government bailouts. ... Read more

"Believing something the CIA says is like trusting a meth addict with your car, and trusting the CIA when they're working with the Washington Post is like trusting a meth addict with your car and leaving your kid in the back seat with the house keys and money for Taco Bell."

Trump Isn't Rewarding a Lot of Loyalists with Cabinet Jobs. Here's Why.
NYTimes | Maggie Haberman | 12/09/16

President-elect Donald J. Trump boasted throughout the presidential campaign of his loyalty as a singular quality. "Folks, look, I'm a loyal person," Mr. Trump said at a CNN town hall in April, explaining why he would not rid his campaign of a staff member who was under fire.

Some of Mr. Trump's earliest supporters -- among them Rudolph W. Giuliani, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee -- have not fared well in the job sweepstakes. On top of that, they have been left in the December cold while Mitt Romney, a leader of the "never Trump" movement, has been wooed by the president-elect's advisers for secretary of state. ... Read more
TYT | Spurned Trump Backers Go Rogue (12/13/16) [8:24]
TYT | Trump "Tortured" Mitt Romney (12/13/16) [4:12]

Up into the dizzy heights of Chinese skyscraper (360 video) (12/13/16) [1:04]
Remember to use the compass in the top-left corner of the video to pan around 360 degrees.
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Wednesday, December 14 [12:48]
DN | Electoral College Members Seek Intel Briefing on Possible Russian Meddling in Election to Aid Trump (12/13/16) [17:56]
DN | Vowing to "Stop Political Correctness," Gen. John Kelly to Head Department of Homeland Security (12/13/16) [10:40 ]
DN | "You Are Hurting Future Generations": Mark Ruffalo's Message to People Profiting From Fossil Fuels (12/13/16) [4:38]
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
President-elect Trump nominates ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson for secretary of state, prompting Trevor to break down the oil tycoon's foreign policy experience. (12/13/16) [5:06] TRNN | Former Financial Regulator Bill Black: White Collar Crime Will Have a Field Day Under Trump (12/13/16) [11:38]
TRNN | Portland is the First City to Tax Corporations that Pay their CEOs 100 Times More than Workers (12/14/16) [7:08]
TYT | Rick Perry To Head Agency He Forgot Existed (12/13/16) [8:04]
TYT | Does Trump Think Wrestling Is Real? (12/13/16) [2:59]
ISIS used as tool by Saudis, US & Turkey when it suits their interests (12/13/16) [5:24]
RT | CrossTalk: The mainstream media are very angry and fighting back -- and fighting back dirty. Because of low ratings and the inability to control the narrative any longer, the mainstream now demonizes alternative media. (12/14/16) [24:56]
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
ThomHartmann | America's Most Pressing Economic Problem Exposed! (Student Loan debt) (12/13/16) [8:32]
ThomHartmann | Trump's Business Ties are a Giant Bull's Eye for Terrorists (12/13/16) [27:48]
Note: sometimes I have to post my News Page before all the links are available. This happens most noteably for the Diane Rehm Show. If the pop-up links don't work, just go to The Diane Show website and click the links there.
*DR | New Details Of A Russian-Backed Campaign To Interfere With U.S. Elections (12/14/16) [1hr]
Late last week, a CIA report suggested Russia intervened in U.S. elections to boost Donald Trump's chances of winning. On Tuesday, a New York Times investigation supported that conclusion -- and revealed new evidence that Russian hackers also targeted nearly a dozen congressional races. The investigation details a series of missed signals, slow responses and a mis-estimation of Russia's ability to influence U.S. politics--by political leaders, the FBI and The White House. It also traces two decades worth of Russia's attempts to tamper with America's most sensitive computer networks. Diane and a panel discuss new details about Russia's role in the 2016 race and its efforts to destabilize democracies around the world.
*DR | How Washington Has Changed Over Nearly Four Decades Of The Diane Rehm Show (12/14/16) [1hr]
The rise of cable TV and the 24-hour news cycle. Pundits shouting at each other on air. Members of Congress refusing to even glance across the aisle. Social media trolls. Fake news. And now new evidence that Russia engaged in cyber-espionage to try to influence the U.S. presidential election as well as House elections in a half-dozen states across the country. Those are just some of the concerns that did not exist when Diane began her career in radio nearly 40 years ago. Diane speaks with two journalists and a political scientist who have had front-row seats in Washington as these changes unfolded.
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/

12.14.2016. 18:23

Tuesday December 13, 2016
News Articles

Rex Tillerson of ExxonMobil Expected to Be Named Trump's Secretary of State: Sources
NBC News | Andrea Mitchell | 12/12/16

Donald Trump is expected to nominate ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as his secretary of state, two sources close to the transition process told NBC News on Saturday.

The 64-year-old veteran oil executive has no government or diplomatic experience, although he has ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The pick would put to rest weeks-long speculation of who would earn the post as the U.S.'s top diplomat, and would place Tillerson fourth in line to the presidency. ... Read more
TYT | Trump To Put 'Big Oil' In Charge (12/12/16) [7:41]

Donald Trump Used To Complain About Obama Not Getting Intelligence Briefings
HP | Marina Fang | 12/12/16

President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday claimed that he does not need to attend daily intelligence briefings from U.S. officials because, as he put it, "I am, like, a smart person."

Trump has reportedly been receiving the classified briefings only about once per week, when typically, presidents receive them six days per week. "I get it when I need it," he told Fox News' Chris Wallace. "I don't need to be told ... the same thing every day, every morning ? same words. 'Sir, nothing has changed. Let's go over it again.' I don't need that." ... Read more

TYT | Trump Too Busy For National Security? (12/12/16) [4:52]

Secret CIA assessment says Russia was trying to help Trump win White House
WashingtonPost | Adam Entous | 12/09/16

The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency, rather than just to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system, according to officials briefed on the matter.

Intelligence agencies have identified individuals with connections to the Russian government who provided WikiLeaks with thousands of hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee and others, including Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, according to U.S. officials. Those officials described the individuals as actors known to the intelligence community and part of a wider Russian operation to boost Trump and hurt Clinton's chances. ... Read more

TYT | Did Russia Steal Election For Trump? (12/12/16) [19:52]
Canadian Journalist on lies about Syria (12/09/16) [18:35]
Richie Allen Show | Journalist Eva Bartlett: "I'm Back From Syria. The Media Is Lying To You!" (02/12/16) [36:15]
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Tuesday, December 13 [14:07]
TRNN | Former FBI agent and whistleblower Coleen Rowley says: Were the DNC Emails Hacked or Leaked? (12/12/16) [10:53]
TRNN | DeSmogBlog's Steve Horn says: The Billionaire Fossil Fuel Investor Behind Trump's EPA Pick (12/12/16) [13:48]
TRNN | Janet Redman of Oil Change International says: Trump Pick of ExxonMobil CEO for Secretary of State Would Amount to Corruption and Cronyism (12/12/16) [10:47]
TYT | Trump Doesn't Care About Major Campaign Promise (12/12/16) [4:25]
RT | Keiser Report: Fake News (E1005) (12/13/16) [25:47]
Note: I don't particularly like Alex Jones... but I find it interesting to hear what other people think. Thus here is Max Keiser interviewing Alex Jones.

Max and Stacy discuss the mainstream media pushing their hashtag fake news blacklists as alt-media rejects fake narrative values to eat mainstream media's naked lunch with acid memes and information liberation. In the second half, Max interviews Alex Jones of Infowars.com about Hillary Clinton signaling him out as a media disinfo agent and now the post-election media jumping on the bandwagon.
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
ThomHartmann | The Coming War On China (12/09/16) [28:05]
ThomHartmann | Is Donald Trump The Master Of BS? (12/07/16) [27:54]
Note: sometimes I have to post my News Page before all the links are available. This happens most noteably for the Diane Rehm Show. If the pop-up links don't work, just go to The Diane Show website and click the links there.
*DR | The History Of Fascism And Its Relevance To U.S. Politics Today (12/13/16) [1hr]
Some critics of President-elect Trump say his agenda and leadership style bear a troubling similarity to fascist leaders of the nineteen-hundreds. Join us to discuss the history of fascism and its relevance to U.S. politics today.
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/

12.13.2016. 13:29

Monday December 12, 2016
News Articles

The Guys From 'Government Sachs'
Click to zoom in NYTimes | author | 12/01/16

During World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt selected Sidney J. Weinberg, the chief executive of Goldman Sachs, to serve as the assistant director of the War Production Board. Mr. Weinberg was one of the few men on Wall Street to support Roosevelt in the 1932 election, and he went on to advise Presidents Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Known as "Mr. Wall Street," Mr. Weinberg began a tradition of Goldman executives taking leading roles in public service that is continuing under President-elect Donald J. Trump. Already, Steven Mnuchin has been tapped as Treasury secretary, Stephen K. Bannon was named senior adviser and Gary D. Cohn, Goldman's president, is expected to direct the National Economic Council. ... Read more

CorbettReport | Trump Fills the Swamp With Steven Mnuchin (12/07/16) [19:10]

Trump's Great Gatsby government will be a gift to the rich
The Guardian | Nomi Prins | 12/02/16

Donald Trump is selecting a gilded elite to fill key cabinet positions. They have signaled loud and clear that they will serve their interests alone

Donald Trump's administration will be the most affluent ever. Estimates are imprecise because we don't even know the president-elect's true net worth, but the wealth of his cabinet picks so far range from $12bn to $35bn. At the very least, this quadruples that of the Obama cabinet. But more than just representing his friends, loyalists and family, the natural alliances among these people, their hallowed predispositions, will impact the policies they form.

We know the dangers of this skewed power. Before F Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby, he published The Rich Boy, a 1924 short story, in which the narrator says: "Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me ... They think, deep in their hearts, that they are better than we are because we had to discover the compensations and refuges of life for ourselves." ... Read more

Sarah Palin Can Still See Russia, Promises To Keep An Eye On Them
Two-thirds of wild animals may go extinct by 2020
Two-thirds of wild animals may go extinct by 2020
According to recently released study, global wildlife populations have fallen by 58% since 1970 and if the trend continues then two-thirds of wild animals may go extinct by 2020.

The study was published as The Living Planet assessment by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

What the study says?
  1. It suggests that animals living in lakes, rivers and wetlands are suffering the biggest losses.
  2. Human activity, including habitat loss, wildlife trade, pollution and climate change contributed to the decline in global wildlife populations.
  3. It also concluded that vertebrate populations are declining by an average of 2% each year.

How the study was conducted?
  1. The report in its analysis had looked at 3,700 different species of birds, mammals, fish, amphibians and reptiles, about 6% of total number of vertebrate species in the world.
  2. It had also collected data from government statistics, peer-reviewed studies and surveys collated by conservation groups and NGOs.
  3. They had included any species with population data going back to 1970, with two or more time points in the study.
  4. Then using this data researchers had analysed how the population sizes had changed over time.
  5. Some of this information was weighted to take into account the groups of animals that had a great deal of data or very little data.

Background
  1. The Living Planet Report is published every two years. It aims to provide an assessment of the state of the world's wildlife.
  2. The last report was published in 2014. It had estimated that the world's wildlife populations had halved over the last 40 years.
Breitbart | 'All the Wild Animals Are Going Extinct' Says WWF. Yeah, Right. And I'm a Giant Panda (10/29/16) (article)
Bravery is best coupled with compassion. Otherwise, it is simply barbarism.

Trump's conflicts of interest: a visual guide
The Guardian | Nadja Popovich | 12/02/16

I will be leaving my great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Donald Trump tweeted on Wednesday. The early morning announcement, which provided no further details but promised a press conference on 15 December, followed weeks of bad press over conflicts of interest posed by the Trump Organization's international real estate dealings.

So far, the visuals haven't been good for the president-elect. Photos showing his daughter Ivanka Trump -- who is slated to take over the family business -- sitting in on meetings with foreign leaders raised new concerns over the failure to separate the Trump family brand from the presidency. Days later, a series of Facebook photos showed a meeting between the president-elect and Indian real estate partners, adding fuel to the fire. ... Read more

Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Monday, December 12 [13:03]
DN | Inside Exxon's Great Climate Cover-Up: From Early Climate Change Researcher to Epic Climate Denier (12/12/16) [10:12 ]
DN | Trump's War on Science: Exxon CEO Expected to Head State, While "Enemies List" Worries Energy Dept. (12/12/16) [19:06]
DN | Could Massive Russian Oil Deal with Exxon Explain Why Putin Appears to Have Meddled in US Election? (12/12/16) [13:15]
TRNN | Dr. Selina Ward says: Climate Change is Ravaging Coral Reefs Throughout the World's Oceans (12/12/16) [12:09]
TRNN | The General's Son: From Privileged Zionist to Activist for Palestinian Rights - RAI, Part 1 (12/12/16) [16:03], Part 2 [25:02] Part 3 [20:53]
TYT | This Trump Administration Is Brought To You By Goldman Sachs (12/11/16) [7:09]
TYT | Does The Democratic Party Even Stand For Anything Anymore? (12/12/16) [4:56]
TYT, Jimmy Dore | How To Make America Great Again (12/11/16) [5:30]
TYT, Jimmy Dore | The Immigrant Is NOT The Enemy Of The Working Man (12/11/16) [5:19]
RT | Children Of The Schism (06/12/16) [26:13]
Resisting civilization's impact has been their way of life for centuries. Their ancestors had immigrated to Latin America, but they have returned to Russia. Are they thriving in their newfound motherland? Since their ancestors strongly rejected Orthodox reform they have dedicated themselves to protecting their traditions and hiding from the outside world in the most secluded retreats. Their last haven was in Latin America, but they have returned to start anew in Russia. Are they thriving in their newfound motherland?
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
Note: sometimes I have to post my News Page before all the links are available. This happens most noteably for the Diane Rehm Show. If the pop-up links don't work, just go to The Diane Show website and click the links there.
*DR | Investigations Of Russian Election-Related Hacking (12/12/16) [1hr]
The Washington Post and New York Times reported Friday that the CIA had determined Russia intervened in the U.S. presidential election to boost Donald Trump's chances of winning. On Fox News Sunday, the president-elect called the CIA's conclusion "ridiculous." President Barack Obama ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to produce a full report on Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election. And a group of GOP and Democratic senators are preparing similar investigations. Diane and a panel of guests discuss the latest on Russian interference in U.S. politics, and potential cyber threats to democracy.
Aljazeera | UpFront - Noam Chomsky on the new Trump era (12/01/16) [25:02]
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/

12.12.2016. 14:34

Friday December 09, 2016
News Articles

The next generation of Americans is going to be in a lot of trouble
Salon | Matthew Rozsa | 12/09/16

The American Dream has long been that each generation can do better than their parents. Unfortunately, rising income inequality in America has made this less true for Americans in the 2010s than has been the case for any generation since the Great Depression.

"Children's prospects of achieving the 'American Dream' of earning more than their parents have fallen from 90 percent to 50 percent over the past half century," said Stanford economist Raj Chetty, co-author of the Equal Opportunity Project study. "This decline has occurred throughout the parental income distribution, for children from both low and high income families." ... Read more

TYT | Donald Trump: Stop Appointing Campaign Donors To Your Administration (12/09/16) [8:06]
TYT | Mainstream Media is Also Responsible For Fake News (12/09/16) [6:05]

Why I Will Not Cast My Electoral Vote for Donald Trump
NYTimes | Christopher Suprun | 12/05/16

I am a Republican presidential elector, one of the 538 people asked to choose officially the president of the United States. Since the election, people have asked me to change my vote based on policy disagreements with Donald J. Trump. In some cases, they cite the popular vote difference. I do not think presidents-elect should be disqualified for policy disagreements. I do not think they should be disqualified because they won the Electoral College instead of the popular vote. However, now I am asked to cast a vote on Dec. 19 for someone who shows daily he is not qualified for the office.

Fifteen years ago, as a firefighter, I was part of the response to the Sept. 11 attacks against our nation. That attack and this year's election may seem unrelated, but for me the relationship becomes clearer every day. ... Read more

Trump On Cabinet Picks: 'I Want People Who Made A Fortune'

A Plea to Electors: Vote Your Conscience
NYTimes | Christopher Suprun | 12/06/16

Re "Why Electors Should Reject Trump" (Op-Ed, Dec. 6): Thank goodness that a Republican presidential elector, Christopher Suprun, has taken the courageous stand to vote his conscience on Dec. 19 and withhold support for Donald Trump.

Despite its well-known shortcomings, the Electoral College vote represents our last opportunity to deny the presidency to a man who is manifestly unfit to serve. Why should we wake up each day for the next four years with dread as our country and the world move yet another step toward disaster when this fate can be avoided? ... Read more

Faithless Electors Overturn Results In 8 States!! (11/27/16) [17:20]
A lot of Donald Trump's supporters believe fake news and trust him more than real news.

Paula Broadwell, who got classified information from David Petraeus, is shocked that he's under consideration for secretary of state
Salon | Matthew Rozsa | 12/09/16

Paula Broadwell, the journalist whose affair with then-CIA Director David Petraeus led to revelations that he had shared classified information with her, is now shocked that he's being seriously considered by President-elect Donald Trump for secretary of state.

"As I woke up to the news, you know, it was a bit of a shocker that he was being considered for a Cabinet position and I was shocked that I'm still in this tenuous position," Broadwell told Norah O'Donnell on CBS This Morning on Thursday. ... Read more

Aleppo, Syria
Probably the parents are wondering what neigborhood they should buy a house in so their kids get into the best school possible.
Click to zoom in
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Friday, December 09 [13:23]
DN | Meet the Republican Elector Who Is Refusing to Vote for Trump (12/08/16) [10:09]
DN | The End of the EPA? Trump Taps Climate Change Denier & Fossil Fuel Ally Scott Pruitt to Head Agency (12/08/16) [20:51]
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert | Trump's Cabinet Selections Are Making Us Queasy (12/09/16) [6:27]
Stephen Colbert | Pizzagate Is An Alt-Right Fever Dream (12/09/16) [10:10]
Stephen Colbert | How Time Magazine Chose The Person Of The Year (12/09/16) [1:27]
TRNN | Dr. Kevin Trenberth discusses: Climate Scientists Speak Out Against Trump's Plans to Cut NASA Funding (12/09/16) [13:40]
TRNN | Prospect's Justin Miller says: Trump's Labor Pick is Millionaire CEO Who Blames Workers for Their Poverty (12/08/16) [7:38]
TYT | Trump Attacks Carrier Union Leader On Twitter (12/09/16) [6:18]
TYT | Sandy Hook Truther Arrested For Terrorizing Sandy Hook Parent (12/09/16) [9:21]
RT | Japan launches much-needed supplies to Intl Space Station (12/09/16) [1:24]
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
Note: sometimes I have to post my News Page before all the links are available. This happens most noteably for the Diane Rehm Show. If the pop-up links don't work, just go to The Diane Show website and click the links there.
*DR | Friday News - Domestic (12/09/16) [1hr]
President-elect Trump picks an ally of the fossil fuel industry to head the E.P.A. The son of incoming national security adviser Michael Flynn resigns over fake news tweets. And life expectancy declines in the U.S. for the first time in decades. Diane and a panel of journalists discuss the top domestic news stories of the week.
*DR | Friday News - International (12/09/16) [1hr]
Syrian rebels seek evacuation from the besieged city of Aleppo. President-elect Trump chooses an Iowa governor with good relations with Beijing as ambassador to China. And Italy's prime minister resigns after a referendum defeat. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week's top international news stories.
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/
Other Videos and Documentaries I Ran Across

12.09.2016. 12:34

Thursday December 08, 2016
News Articles

Donald Trump Attacks President Of Union That Represents Carrier Workers
HP | Arthur Delaney | 12/07/16

President-elect Donald Trump took a break Wednesday from preparing to lead the free world to write a nasty tweet about a guy in Indiana he saw on TV. "Chuck Jones, who is President of United Steelworkers 1999, has done a terrible job representing workers," Trump tweeted. "No wonder companies flee country!"

Jones has been criticizing Trump all week, but the mean tweet came 20 minutes after Jones had been on CNN explaining that Trump has exaggerated the number of jobs Trump saved by striking a deal to stop Carrier Corporation from closing its factory in Indianapolis. ... Read more

TYT | Vijay Prashad: The Battle for Aleppo is Over (12/08/16) [13:50]

Megyn Kelly On Trump And The Media: 'We're In A Dangerous Phase Right Now'
NPR Fresh Air | Terry Gross | 12/07/16

As Donald Trump continues to court controversy via Twitter, Fox News host Megyn Kelly tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross that the president-elect "really does need to be aware of the power that he has when he releases these tweets."

Kelly felt that power firsthand in August 2015, when she pressed the candidate about his derogatory comments about women during the first Republican primary debate. Trump responded with a Twitter attack, which was quickly followed up by a barrage of insulting tweets and even death threats from his followers. ... Read more

NPR Fresh Air with Terry Gross | Megyn Kelly On Trump And The Media: 'We're In A Dangerous Phase Right Now' (12/07/16) [44:59]

'New York Times' Executive Editor On The New Terrain Of Covering Trump
NPR Fresh Air | Terry Gross | 12/08/16

Dean Baquet talks about covering tweets as news, his decision to use the word "lie" in a headline about Trump and why he's not worried about libel suits from the new president. ... Read more

NPR Fresh Air with Terry Gross | 'New York Times' Executive Editor On The New Terrain Of Covering Trump (12/08/16) [37:29]
Remember - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Click to zoom in
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Thursday, December 08 [12:58]
DN | Noam Chomsky & Harry Belafonte in Conversation on Trump, Sanders, the KKK, Rebellious Hearts & More (12/07/16) [32:30]
TRNN | Journalist Dahr Jamail says: Trump Picks Leading Climate Denier to Head EPA During Time of Climate Crisis (12/08/16) [14:15]
TRNN | Journalist Dahr Jamail says: Trump Nominee for Homeland Security John Kelley Favors Draconian Immigration Policy (12/08/16) [10:13]
TYT | Glenn Beck: Did Sarah Palin Have A Brain Aneurysm? (12/07/16) [4:14]
TYT | Trump's Carrier Deal Getting Worse All The Time... (12/07/16) [12:55]
TYT | Trump Puts Fossil Fuel Shill In Charge Of EPA. (12/07/16) [8:23]
TYT | Santorum To DREAMER: Get Out, Blame Your Parents (12/07/16) [8:37]
RT | Keiser Report: Obamacare Helped Trump? (E1003) (12/08/16) [25:45]
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
Note: sometimes I have to post my News Page before all the links are available. This happens most noteably for the Diane Rehm Show. If the pop-up links don't work, just go to The Diane Show website and click the links there.
*DR | The Potential Dangers Of Fake News (12/08/16) [1hr]
The son of Donald Trump's pick for national security adviser has resigned for spreading a fake news story that led to an armed confrontation at a D.C. restaurant. The danger of fake news and how to combat it.
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/

12.08.2016. 19:14

Wednesday December 07, 2016
News Articles

Trump Fires Transition Team Member Who Spread Fake News About Pizzagate Conspiracy Theory
HP | Marina Fang | 12/06/16

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday fired Michael Flynn Jr., a member of his transition team who has peddled fake news stories spreading right-wing conspiracy theories, including one that led to a violent incident at a Washington, D.C., restaurant earlier this week.

Trump adviser Jason Miller told reporters on Tuesday morning that Flynn, the son of Trump's pick for national security adviser, "is no longer involved with transition efforts," after reports revealed he was assisting with the team and that it had even requested a security clearance for him. ... Read more

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
President-elect Trump speaks with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, possibly without acknowledging the country's complicated relationship with both China and the U.S. (12/06/16) [7:24]
President-elect Trump tweets his nomination for Ben Carson to head up the Department of Housing and Urban Development, even though Carson claimed he wasn't qualified. (12/05/16) [2:40]

Donald Trump isn't serious about giving up his business, will hand it off to his kids
Salon | Matthew Rozsa | 12/08/16

If you thought the president-elect would do everything he could to avoid a conflict of interest, you were wrong

Although Trump's two eldest sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, are going to take over operational responsibility for his real estate businesses, Trump himself plans on keeping a stake in them, according to a report on Wednesday by The New York Times.

Ivanka Trump, Trump's eldest daughter and one of his closest advisers, will reportedly take a leave of absence from the Trump Organization. She's reportedly been house shopping in Washington D.C., and could take an active but unofficial role in the administration. ... Read more

Tom Cotton and Trey Gowdy vow vigilance over Trump administration -- no, seriously, stop laughing
Salon | Gary Legum | 12/08/16

... Of course there are many, many reasons for strict oversight of the Trump administration. If anything has been made clear by the four weeks of the transition period, it is that this White House will be awash in so many conflicts of interest with Trump family businesses, so much corruption and grift and influence-peddling, it will make Warren G. Harding's presidency look like a model of moral rectitude.

But Trump has already made it clear that either he does not see why his burgeoning kleptocracy is a problem, or he does not care. Moreover, the rest of the Republican Party has all but said outright that it is completely fine with the Trump White House being awash in filth so long as he signs whatever bills they slap in front of him. ... Read more

Remember - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

DN | Noam Chomsky: Trump's Victory Recalls Memories of Hitler & Fascism's Spread Across Europe, Part 1 (12/06/16) [5:57], Part 2 [8:10], Part 3 [11:44]
TRNN | Peter Kuznick discusses: U.S. Planned to Go to War with Japan and Germany Before Pearl Harbor Attack (12/07/16) [18:41]
TRNN | Professor Ho-Fung Hung tells Paul: Trump Taiwan Phone Call Not an Impulsive Act (12/07/16) [15:01]
TYT | How Many Taxpayer Dollars Can The Pentagon Waste In A Year? (12/06/16) [5:52]
TYT | Trump Attacks Boeing On Twitter (12/06/16) [9:43]
RT | Oliver Stone: Snowden exposed mass surveillance to show it's for control, not counterterrorism (12/07/16) [13:23]
RT | Keiser Report: Restoring Faith in Capitalism (E1002) (12/06/16) [25:45]
RT | CrossTalk: Mainstream media's coverage of president-elect Trump has changed little since the campaign ended. Is the media setting Trump up for failure? (12/07/16) [24:46]
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
ThomHartmann | How Trump Is Repeating the 1920s (12/06/16) [11:59]
Note: sometimes I have to post my News Page before all the links are available. This happens most noteably for the Diane Rehm Show. If the pop-up links don't work, just go to The Diane Show website and click the links there.
*DR | Federal Housing Policies And How They May Shift During The Trump Administration (12/07/16) [1hr]
President-elect Donald Trump has tapped retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Some say Carson will bring a fresh perspective, but others question the choice. Carson has no housing policy background and had taken himself out of the running to be Secretary of Health and Human Services because, he said, he didn't have the experience to run a large federal agency. HUD's budget is about $49 billion. Its programs include assistance to more than 5 million low income families and efforts to reduce foreclosures: Join us to discuss how HUD priorities may shift in Trump administration.
*DR | Environmental Outlook: What President-Elect Donald Trump's Energy and Environmental Policies May Look Like (12/07/16) [1hr]
Donald Trump has called climate change "a hoax". But this week he met with Al Gore, a leader in the fight against global warming -- raising questions about Trump's position on the issue. For this month's Environmental Outlook: a look at Trump's priorities on energy and the environment.
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/

12.08.2016. 08:24

Tuesday December 06, 2016
News Articles

Trump's 'Who Wants To Be A Secretary Of State?' Enters Third Week
HP | S.V. Date | 12/05/16

For fans disappointed that Donald Trump no longer hosts "The Apprentice," here's good news: The president-elect will continue a real-life version of his series over the coming days or even weeks.

"Apprentice, Secretary of State Edition" is already in its third week, with fresh contestants apparently still being added to the mix -- and with no clear date yet for the big finale when the cabinet's most prestigious job gets filled. ... Read more

The Coming War on China by John Pilger (trailer) (11/25/16) [1:42]
Interview | 'The Coming War on China' John Pilger on his newest film (12/06/16) [12:03]

Why I Will Not Cast My Electoral Vote for Donald Trump
NYTimes | Christopher Suprun | 12/05/16

I am a Republican presidential elector, one of the 538 people asked to choose officially the president of the United States. Since the election, people have asked me to change my vote based on policy disagreements with Donald J. Trump. In some cases, they cite the popular vote difference. I do not think presidents-elect should be disqualified for policy disagreements. I do not think they should be disqualified because they won the Electoral College instead of the popular vote. However, now I am asked to cast a vote on Dec. 19 for someone who shows daily he is not qualified for the office.

Fifteen years ago, as a firefighter, I was part of the response to the Sept. 11 attacks against our nation. That attack and this year's election may seem unrelated, but for me the relationship becomes clearer every day. ... Read more

Witnesses to the Revolution in Rojava, Syria
plutopress.wordpress.com | author | date

Revolution in Rojava is the first book-length account of the unique and extraordinary political situation in Rojava, Syria. In this article, Janet Biehl talks to the authors and discusses how and why the new society in Rojava so inspired them.

For decades, three million Syrian Kurds have lived under brutal repression by the Assad regime, Revolution in Rojavatheir identity denied, access to education and jobs refused, imprisonment and torture a way of life for those who dared object. Yet resistance has grown. By developing organisations, after the Arab Spring arrived in Syria in March 2011, the Kurds seized the moment to create a pioneering, democratic revolution. The liberation of northern Syria -- Rojava -- began at Kobanî on July 19th 2012, and the global history of social and political revolution would never be the same again. ... Read more

TRNN | Investigative journalist Nafeez Ahmed: The Global Networks of the Resurging Far Right (12/06/16) [27:19]
Owned & Operated (04/15/12) [1:46:06]
Remember - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Tuesday, December 06 [11:18]
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Samantha Bee | When you're president, you can tell whatever lies you want. They just let you do it. (12/05/16) [6:42]
Samantha Bee | This is a very real segment about very fake news. (12/05/16) [5:49]
TRNN | Janet Biehl discusses: Rojava: An Experiment in Radical Direct Democracy Within a War-Torn Country (12/05/16) [24:24]
TRNN | Journalist Daoud Kuttab says the 7th Fatah Congress may lead towards rapprochement between the two dominant Palestinian parties (12/05/16) [11:29]
TYT | Did Ivanka Trump Just Destroy Her Father's Presidency Before It Even Started? (12/05/16) [5:34]
TYT | Will Trump Reverse Dakota Access Pipeline Decision? (12/05/16) [4:57]
TYT | New HUD Secretary Ben Carson Has No Idea What He's Doing (12/05/16) [3:26]
TYT | Pizzagate: Conspiracy Theories Get People Killed (12/05/16) [9:38]
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
Note: sometimes I have to post my News Page before all the links are available. This happens most noteably for the Diane Rehm Show. If the pop-up links don't work, just go to The Diane Show website and click the links there.
*DR | How Some Cities Are Trying To Protect Undocumented Immigrants Ahead Of Possible Trump Policies (12/06/16) [1hr]
President-elect Donald Trump says once he is in office he will deport two to three million undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes. In response, mayors of cities nationwide -- from New York to Los Angeles -- pledged to not to cooperate with immigration agents. Some universities are considering similar policies. But municipal officials risk losing millions of dollars in federal aid if they don't cooperate with federal authorities. Trump says that if cities fail to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, he will block all federal funding for these municipalities. Diane and a panel of guests discuss so-called "sanctuary cities" under a Trump presidency.
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/

12.06.2016. 13:10

Monday December 05, 2016
News Articles

Donald Trump Will Be President In Just Over A Month And The Constitution Is Already Under Attack
HP | Sam Levin | 12/03/16

"We had one of the top people at The New York Times come to Harvard University and say, 'I'm willing to go to jail to get a copy of Donald Trump's taxes so I can publish them,'" Lewandowski said, according to Politico. "Dean Baquet came here and offered to go to jail -- you're telling me, he's willing to commit a felony on a private citizen to post his taxes, and there isn't enough scrutiny on the Trump campaign and his business dealings and his taxes?"

Even after winning the presidency, Trump has had an almost myopic focus on the Times, criticizing the paper's coverage of him. He has pledged to sue the newspaper, though, when he met with its staff, he called it "a great, great American jewel. A world jewel." ... Read more

Paul Ryan On Trump Tweeting Lies: 'Who Cares?'
TYT | How Would Jesus Treat Muslims? (12/02/16) [6:42]
TYT | Trump's Tax Plan Explained (12/04/16) [7:43]

The Real Risk Behind Trump's Taiwan Call
NewYorker | Evan Osnos | 12/03/16

If you work in foreign affairs, you learn that a highly unexpected event is often the result of intent or incompetence. (You also learn that what looks, at first, like intent often turns out to be incompetence.) In the Donald Trump era, we may need a third category -- exploitation -- which has elements of both.

In his first semiofficial act of foreign policy, President-elect Trump, on Friday, lobbed a firework into the delicate diplomacy of Asia by taking a phone call from Taiwan's President, breaking thirty-seven years of American practice in a way that is sure to upset relations with China. It wasn't clear how much he intended to abruptly alter geopolitics, and how much he was incompetently improvising. There is evidence of each; in either case, the way he did it is very dangerous.

Some background: Taiwan broke away from mainland China in 1949, and the two sides exist in a tense equilibrium, governed by decades of diplomatic agreements that serve to prevent war in Asia. Under that arrangement, the U.S. maintains friendly relations with Taiwan, while Presidents since Ronald Reagan have deliberately avoided speaking directly with Taiwan's President because the U.S. formally recognizes only the Beijing government.

When news broke of Trump's phone call with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, foreign-policy experts were, unsurprisingly, appalled. Since his election, Trump has conducted a series of phone calls with foreign leaders, without seeking expertise from those at the State Department and the National Security Council who monitor the details of those relationships. On Wednesday, he told Pakistan's President that he would do whatever he could to help him -- despite America's strong interest in preventing Pakistan from doing many things it would like to do in India and Afghanistan. To use an analogy that Trump would recognize, it's akin to arriving for a negotiation without first asking the value of the assets, the cost of the transaction, or the previous terms of engagement. ... Read more

Bill Maher On Trump: It's Like Watching A Toddler Playing With A Gun
*Inside Standing Rock - What is Dakota Access Pipeline? (11/23/16) [17:57]
StandingRock.org/ website

5 Most Idiotic Trump Moments This Week
AlterNet | Janet Allon | 12/04/16

We don't want to alarm you or anything, but it's beginning to look like Donald Trump does not know how this whole presidenting thing works. And since he has the curiosity level of a pet rock, chances don't seem great he'll be learning anytime soon. His week was a combination of gaffes, bizarre confessions and weirdly tone-deaf phone calls that appear to be setting off international incidents. He seems to miss campaigning, and held a rally in Ohio to crow again about all the other people he vanquished when he beat Hillary. He tweeted how he's just going to unconstitutionally toss flag burners out of the country. (Whee, this presidenting thing is fun!) And he also took the time to oh-so-presidentially tweet his detail-free "big announcement" about how he's going to step back from running his companies, so no more "conflicts of interest!" Poof, they'll just magically disappear.

  1. He had a succession of bizarre phone convos with foreign leaders.
  2. He appointed a fellow conspiracy theorist to helm the Health and Human Services Department.
  3. He held a bizarre campaign rally in Ohio, appearing to be stuck in a time machine from three weeks ago.
  4. He told a truly baffling story about the Carrier deal, apparently unaware that it makes him look more awful than usual.
  5. One of his surrogates just flat-out confirmed that facts don't matter anymore.
Read more

A Path to Peace by George Mitchell
George Mitchell discusses IRAQ-IRAN (recent) [4:16]
George Mitchell discusses ISRAEL_PALESTINE (recent) [5:14]
George Mitchell discusses Health (recent) [4:07]
Remember - A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Monday, December 05 [11:46]
*DN | Expert on Trump Business Conflicts: "There are Hard Ethical Questions in Life. This Not One of Them" (12/02/16) [9:24]
*DN | Bankers Behind "Great Foreclosure Machine" Join Trump's Cabinet as Treasury & Commerce Secretaries (12/02/16) [5:21]
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert | Trump Will Soon Acquire Mass Text Capability (12/02/16) [9:05]
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
*Profiles In Tremendousness - National Security Adviser Michael Flynn (12/01/16) [6:06]
*Tomi Lahren gives her take on the Black Lives Matter movement (11/30/16) [13:59]
*TRNN | William Hurting says Trump's latest pick for Secretary of Defense is a gift to the defense industry (12/02/16) [8:17]
TYT | CNN Commentator: "No Such Thing As Facts" (12/02/16) [9:45]
TYT | Bernie Sanders DESTROYS The House Science Committee On Twitter (12/02/16) [7:42]
TYT | Hey Democrats STOP Running Corporatist Candidates! (12/04/16) [5:36]
RT | Keiser Report: Neoliberalism Strikes Back (E1001) (12/03/16) [25:46]
Max and Stacy discuss neoliberalism "striking back" as China gets to have a plan: one that involves buying up German high tech companies. In the second half, Max visits Piedmont Biofuels, a community-scale biodiesel project in Pittsboro, North Carolina, to talk to its president and co-founder, Lyle Estill.
RT | CrossTalk: Trumpspotting: How should we assess his growing foreign policy team? What do they all appear to have in common? Then there is Syria again. Finally, standing with Standing Rock. (12/05/16) [24:31]
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
ThomHartmann | Did Carrier Fleece Both Trump & America? (12/01/16) [11:48]
Note: sometimes I have to post my News Page before all the links are available. This happens most noteably for the Diane Rehm Show. If the pop-up links don't work, just go to The Diane Show website and click the links there.
*DR | Trump's Pick For Defense Secretary: A Look At Marine Gen. James Mattis (12/05/16) [1hr]
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen General James Mattis as the new Secretary of Defense. Mattis is described as both a tough and thoughtful leader -- and one who may challenge Trump, differing from the President-elect on Russia, Iran, and NATO. Much of the initial reaction to the appointment of "Mad Dog Mattis" has been positive, even from Democrats. But one concern looms large for some: Mattis' recent military service. It would require a special congressional waiver for him to take the post, and some feel strongly that to allow it would be going against an important tenet of U.S. government. We take a close look at General James Mattis.
*DR | What Trump's Presidency Could Mean For Reproductive Rights (12/05/16) [1hr]
During his campaign, President-elect Donald trump pledged to defund Planned Parenthood and nominate Supreme Court justices opposed to abortion. Now, he's preparing to take office in January with a Republican-controlled Congress and abortion opponents in his cabinet. Among them: incoming Health Secretary Tom Price, who also wants to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. This is likely to reopen emotional debates over issues like abortion and the role of government in health care -- at the federal level and within state legislatures. What Trump's presidency could mean for reproductive rights and women's health.
Aljazeera| The Listening Post: Fidel Castro: Contested legacy, competing narratives (12/03/16) [25:00]
Aljazeera| Normalising Trump: The US media whitewash (11/19/16) [25:00]
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/

12.05.2016. 13:14

Friday December 02, 2016
News Articles

Trump 'Thank-You Tour' Revives His Campaign Rallies' Scariest Hits
HP | Marina Fang | 12/01/16

He told some lies and attacked the media -- pretty much like he did before he won the election.

President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday appeared as if he never ended his campaign, attacking "the extremely dishonest media," boasting about his "landslide" victory, and dashing speculation he might pivot and start acting like a president. At a rally in Ohio billed as the beginning of a "thank-you tour," Trump repeatedly pledged to unite the country and "find common ground." But his rhetoric, almost word for word, matched the raucous and incendiary rallies of his campaign. ... Read more
MSNBC Rachel Maddow | Donald Trump Lays Out Pre-Inauguration 'Thank You' Tour (12/01/16) [15:49]

Sarah Palin for Veterans Affairs? A Wrestling Impresario for Small Business?
NYTimes | Benjamin Weiser | 11/30/16

President-elect Donald J. Trump wants to keep New York's crusading United States attorney on board, and is reportedly eyeing the professional wrestling impresario Linda McMahon for the Small Business Administration. And a new name has popped up to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs: Sarah Palin.

The Department of Veterans Affairs' massive network of hospitals and clinics has been under a microscope since scandalously long waiting lists and allegations of cover-ups burst into public. The management morass seemed so intractable that in 2014, President Obama pushed out a decorated former general, Eric Shinseki, and hired a former chief executive of Procter & Gamble, Robert A. McDonald, to sort it out. ... Read more
*TYT | Sarah Palin To Lead Largest Government Agency, i.e. 300,000 employees and budget of $182,000,000,000 dollars (02/01/16) [8:26]

The People's Tribunal on the Iraq War (12/02/16) [Live]
After 14 years of costly war based on lies, it's time for truth and accountability. The People's Tribunal on the Iraq War will unify the global anti-war/peace movements with other justice movements by uplifting testimonies of the costs of this war -- and war itself. The Tribunal will bring the lies that created the war on Iraq into public awareness, while demanding Obama act on them. It will build and inspire the anti-war movement that we will need after the inauguration of the next administration in 2017. It will be a tool that all groups can use to build, inspire, and enliven their organizations and communities.

Trump picks retired Marine Gen. James Mattis for secretary of defense
WashingtonPost | Dan Lamothe | 12/01/16

"We are going to appoint Mad Dog Mattis as our secretary of defense," Trump told a rally in Cincinnati, the first stop on a post-election "thank-you tour." ... Read more
*TYT | Does Trump's Defense Secretary Want War With Iran? (02/01/16) [8:23]

WashintonPost | Here are the people whose names have been floated for Trump's Cabinet | 12/01/16
Remember
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Friday, December 02 [11:16]
DN | Public (School) Enemy No. 1: Billionaire Betsy DeVos, Trump's Pick for Education Secretary (12/01/16) [15:34 ]
*TRNN | Privatization of Medicare and Social Security on the Trump Agenda (12/02/16) [17:23]
*TRNN | Tom Lewandowski discusses: Trump's Carrier Deal: Job Saver Or Photo Op? (12/02/16) [13:00]
In today's Washington Post, Senator Bernie Sanders, the Independent Senator from Vermont and also former Democratic candidate for President, he wrote about how United Technologies, the parent company of Carrier Corporation, has basically taken Donald Trump and saying that this deal sets a bad precedent in a number of ways. One of which being that, number one, 1,300 people in Indiana are still going to lose their jobs. These jobs are going to be outsourced. But also that corporations going forward in negotiating with this Administration, specifically, are going to, for lack of a better term, you know, be holding a gun to the head of Donald Trump saying, "We will take our operations out of the country if we don't get these tax incentives."
*TRNN | There's No Issue More Burning Than Creating Our Global Climate Change Bureau (11/30/16) [7:26]
*TYT | Trump Treasury Pick Foreclosed On An Elderly Woman For 27 Cents (02/01/16) [12:39]
*TYT | Trump Offers Anything To Help Muslim Country (02/01/16) [8:13]
RT | Keiser Report: The Memewar Has Started (E1000) (12/01/16) [25:45]
Max and Stacy celebrate 1000 episodes with special guests Steve Keen and Jim Rickards. They discuss how the meme wars began and where that war goes. They look at how the show began with the Obama administration and ripens into its 1000th episode in his last year having made The List.
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
Note: sometimes I have to post my News Page before all the links are available. This happens most noteably for the Diane Rehm Show. If the pop-up links don't work, just go to The Diane Show website and click the links there.
*DR | Friday News - Domestic (12/02/16) [1hr]
President-elect Donald Trump starts a victory tour with a stop in Cincinnati. Nancy Pelosi is re-elected House minority leader. And North Carolina prosecutors say the police officer who killed Keith Lamont Scott will not face charges.
*DR | Friday News - International (12/02/16) [1hr]
Syrian rebels agree to form a new alliance as the regime bombards Aleppo. Russia says it has been in contact with Donald Trump's team. And Cubans turn out to watch Fidel Castro's ashes travel across the country. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week's top international news stories.
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/
Other Videos and Documentaries I Ran Across
*DianeRehmShow | Matthew Dallek: "Defenseless Under The Night" (07/26/16) [1hr]
Historian Matthew Dallek looks at the history behind the Office of Civilian Defense, the country's first agency for homeland security, and the competing visions of those tasked with spearheading the department: New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
60Minutes | TRUE FACE of Donald Trump () [40:39]
HC | 40 Years Making of Donald Trump - Will he make America Great Again ? () [2:26:55]

12.02.2016. 12:11

Thursday December 01, 2016
News Articles
Salon | Jeremy Binckes discusses: Is fake news more problematic than conservative commentary? (11/30/16) [2:42]

2,000 Veterans To Form 'Human Shields' To Protect Standing Rock Protesters
HP | Taryn Finley | 11/30/16

More than 2,000 veterans have agreed to act as "human shields" to protect protesters from December 4 to 7, according to a Facebook event. They launched the effort, called Veterans Stand for Standing Rock on Tuesday and after months of protesters clashing with the police over the construction of the Dakota Access pipeline.

The same day the group announced its initiative, state officials threatened to impose fines and block supplies from reaching a nearby camp where protesters reside. Though officials backed away from the threat, Gov. Jack Dalrymple's mandatory, immediate order for evacuation due to "anticipated harsh weather conditions," announced Monday, still stands. ... Read more

*DN | Watch Bernie Sanders' Full Speech in Philadelphia: The Future of American Democracy is at Risk (11/30/16) [30:45]

Progressives Blast Donald Trump's Treasury Pick
HP | Daniel Marans | 11/30/16

... Mnuchin and his partners took over troubled bank IndyMac in 2008, renaming it One West and ramping up home foreclosures with a disproportionate focus on the reverse mortgages typically held by elderly Americans. Civil rights groups have accused the bank of racially discriminatory lending and business practices.

If confirmed, which is all but assured, Mnuchin stands to oversee the very financial sector from which he profited handsomely. Perhaps it is no surprise then that Mnuchin has promised to roll back portions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law. ... Read more

TYT | Brain Reacts To Religion Just Like Drugs (11/30/16) [6:14]

Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee mock Mitt Romney for "eating crow" at $1,000 dinner with Donald Trump
Salon | Matthew Rozsa | 12/01/16

Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee were vocally unhappy last week when rumors emerged that Donald Trump was considering Mitt Romney for secretary of state. One decadently posh and highly publicized dinner later, the two leading Republicans still airing their displeasure.

"There's a scene in 'Pretty Women' where Richard Gere goes up to the salesman on Rodeo Drive and says: 'We need a little sucking up here,'" Gingrich said during an appearance on The Laura Ingraham Show on Wednesday. "You have never, ever, in your career seen a wealthy adult who is independent, has been a presidential candidate, suck up at the rate that Mitt Romney is sucking up." ... Read more

Hedge fund managers admit it: They're delighted that Donald Trump "conned America"

Dollar General's Startling Admission: Half Of U.S. Consumers Are Feeling More "Dire" Than Ever
ZeroHedge | author | 12/01/16

"We talk to our consumers every quarter ... and they were telling us that their sentiment - feeling - is even more dire than it was in previous quarters in early 2016." ... Read more

Less Than 1 In 3 Trust Mainstream Media, Martin Armstrong Warns "Their End Is Near"
ZeroHedge | author | 12/01/16

"...having willingly conspired to make Hillary president. They will now try to vindicate themselves by trashing Trump at every possible chance. They will now fuel the civil divide and help lay the foundation for the collapse of the United States itself..." ... Read more

*TRNN | Jodie Evans and attorney Inder Comar say Bush administration officials need to be held accountable for the deaths, costs, and violations of international law due to the 2003 Iraq invasion and subsequent occupation (11/30/16) [13:10]
TRNN | The People's Tribunal on the Iraq War (12/01/16) [Live]
*TYT | Trump's Treasury Pick Will Cut Taxes...For Rich People (11/30/16) [6:54]
*TYT | Romney Groveling To Trump? (11/30/16) [11:48]
*TYT | Trump Saves American Factory...For A Price (11/30/16) [14:19]
TYT | Rule 41 Lets FBI Spread Spyware Across The Country (11/30/16) [8:15]
TYT | Tennessee Wildfires Deathtoll Continues To Climb (11/30/16) [3:41]
Thom Hartmann - www.thomhartmann.com/
ThomHartmann | Larry Cohen discusses: Is Trump's Carrier Deal Another Corporate Handout? (11/30/16) [11:25]
ThomHartmann | Instead of Draining the Swamp - Trump Refilled It w/Alligators... (11/30/16) [9:35]
Note: sometimes I have to post my News Page before all the links are available. This happens most noteably for the Diane Rehm Show. If the pop-up links don't work, just go to The Diane Show website and click the links there.
*DR | An Update On The North Dakota Pipeline Protests And Oil Pipeline Safety (12/01/16) [1hr]
The Governor of North Dakota has ordered the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and other Native American Dakota Access Pipeline protestors to evacuate from the federal land where many have been camped out since last summer. The protestors face blizzard conditions but have, so far, refused to move. At issue is a nearly completed 1,100 mile pipeline designed to carry oil from northwestern North Dakota to Illinois. It's slated to tunnel under a lake less than a mile from the Standing Rock Sioux reservation which, protestors contend, poses a threat to their water supply. An update on the protest and its political implications.
*DR | President-Elect Trump And U.S. Trade (12/01/16) [1hr]
Core supporters of President-elect Donald Trump and many who supported Senator Bernie Sanders for president agree on at least one issue. They both believe that globalization and free trade deals have undermined American workers. Now with Donald Trump heading to the White House, prospects for U.S. participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership have all but evaporated. There are also many who believe he'll make good on his promises to make substantial changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement and impose higher tariffs on other foreign-made goods. Join us to discuss what less free trade could mean for the American workers and the U.S. economy
*Aljazeera | 101 East - China's Left-Behind Generation (12/01/16) [25:00]
NPR (National Public Radio) - www.npr.org/
PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - pbs.org/
MSNBC - Maddow/Hayes - www.msnbc.com/
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
*Tomi Lahren gives her take on the Black Lives Matter movement (11/30/16) [13:59]
*Mitt Romney cozies up to the president-elect in hopes of receiving a secretary of state nomination (11/30/16) [3:10]
*Mitt Romney cozies up to the president-elect in hopes of receiving a secretary of state nomination (11/30/16) [3:10]
*Even after Donald Trump's mendacious 2016 presidential campaign, the media is still grappling with how to report on the president-elect's blatant falsehoods. (11/30/16) [11:22]
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert | At Dinner With Donald Trump, Mitt Romney Ate Crow (12/01/16) [8:53]
The Jimmy Dore Show
*Jimmy Dore | Obama Fulfills Neocon Promise To Expand Global War (12/01/16) [6:18]
Jimmy Dore | Despite US Propaganda, Fidel Castro Beloved Worldwide (12/01/16) [7:10]
Jimmy Dore | Silent On DAPL: Will Sen. Warren Stand Up For Anything!? (11/27/16) [7:28]

12.01.2016. 14:16



Special Interest Important stuff
GOOD Shorts Videos

Note: To view a video, click on code at left of the title

I'm still working on this

GOOD Short Videos
Newer Documentaries You Might Not Have Seen

Note: To view a video, click on code at left of the title

I'm still working on this

Newer Documentaries
Documentaries You've Never Seen

Note: To view a video, click on code at left of the title
Documentaries (small | pop-up)
Documentaries (big | full screen)
Good YouTube Documentaries

Note: To view a video, click on its name/title
Great YouTube Docs. (small | pop-up)
Good YouTube Docs. (big | full screen)

Lindsey Graham Mashups
Lindsey Graham

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said the quiet part aloud on why he’s still so close to former President Donald Trump: because we can use him for our goals. "President Trump has gotten people who wouldn't give me or Romney or anybody else the time of day. They believe he is on their side," the senator told the America First Agenda Summit crowd on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

Or click here for a tablet or a small screen device
Environment & Climate Change
Environment

The term "climate change" is often used to refer specifically to anthropogenic climate change (also known as global warming). Anthropogenic climate change is caused by human activity, as opposed to changes in climate that may have resulted as part of Earth's natural processes.

Or click here for a tablet or a small screen device
AI - Artificial Intelligence | Machine Learning | Deep Learning
AI - Artificial Intelligence

AIArtificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence demonstrated by machines, as opposed to the natural intelligence displayed by animals including humans. AI research has been defined as the field of study of intelligent agents, which refers to any system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chance of achieving its goals.

The term "artificial intelligence" had previously been used to describe machines that mimic and display "human" cognitive skills that are associated with the human mind, such as "learning" and "problem-solving". This definition has since been rejected by major AI researchers who now describe AI in terms of rationality and acting rationally, which does not limit how intelligence can be articulated.
Or click here for a tablet or a small screen device
Quantum mechanics | AI - Artificial Intelligence
Quantum mechanics

Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles.  It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, quantum field theory, quantum technology, and quantum information science.
Classical physics, the collection of theories that existed before the advent of quantum mechanics, describes many aspects of nature at an ordinary (macroscopic) scale, but is not sufficient for describing them at small (atomic and subatomic) scales. Most theories in classical physics can be derived from quantum mechanics as an approximation valid at large (macroscopic) scale.
Or click here for a tablet or a small screen device
Economy, Wall Street and Banksters

Wall Street and Banksters

Wall Street is an eight-block-long street running roughly northwest to southeast from Broadway to South Street, at the East River, in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, the American financial services industry (even if financial firms are not physically located there), or New York-based financial interests.

Or click here for a tablet or a small screen device
Intelligence Agencies/Deep State?

Intelligence Agencies/Deep State?

An intelligence agency is a government agency responsible for the collection, analysis, and exploitation of information in support of law enforcement, national security, military, and foreign policy objectives. Means of information gathering are both overt and covert and may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis,.

Or click here for a tablet or a small screen device
Daniel Ellsberg | Pentagon Papers
Daniel Ellsberg

Daniel Ellsberg and Paul Jay explore Ellsberg's latest book, The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner. In the introduction to the book, Ellsberg writes: "No policies in human history have more deserved to be recognized as immoral or insane. The story of how this calamitous predicament came about and how and why it has persisted over a half a century is a chronicle of human madness".

Or click here for a tablet or a small screen device
Nukes
Nukes

Nuclear weapons have come a long way and come in all types of different sizes. Some are relatively small while others are enormous, so big they boggle the mind at what they can be capable of, i.e. the Soviet 'Tsar Bomba' is/was 3,000 times greater than the Hiroshima bomb.

Or click here for a tablet or a small screen device
Rana Foroohar and Fall of American Business
Rana Foroohar

Ms. Foroohar says financialization delivers stagnant wages, inequality and economic crisis; the Financial Times columnist and author of "Makers and Takers" says the financial sector represents only 7 percent of the U.S. economy, but takes around 25 percent of all corporate profit while creating only 4 percent of all jobs.

Or click here for a tablet or a small screen device
The Untold History of the United States by Oliver Stone & Petere Kuznick

The Untold History of the United States by Oliver Stone & Petere Kuznick | 2014 | 10 Episodes

Oliver Stone and American University historian Peter J. Kuznick began working on the project in 2008. Stone, Kuznick and British screenwriter Matt Graham cowrote the script. It covers "the reasons behind the Cold War with the Soviet Union, U.S. President Harry Truman's decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan, and changes in America's global role since the fall of Communism." Stone is the director and narrator of all ten episodes.

Or click here for a tablet or a small screen device
Kuznick Interviews

Kuznick Interviews

Historian Peter Kuznick says Eisenhower called for decreased militarization, then Dulles reversed the policy; the Soviets tried to end the cold war after the death of Stalin; crazy schemes involving nuclear weapons and the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba put the world of the eve of destruction - with host Paul Jay

The Untold History of the United States by Kuznick, Peter.mobi | Book | 6.99 MB

Or click here for a tablet or a small screen device
China Valley of Tunnels

China Valley of Tunnels

A report written by a Georgetown University team led by Phillip Karber conducted a three-year study to map out China’s complex tunnel system, which stretches 5,000 km (3,000 miles). The report determined that the stated Chinese nuclear arsenal is understated and as many as 3,000 nuclear warheads may be stored in the underground tunnel network.

Or click here for a tablet or a small screen device
911
911

On September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists attacked the Unites States. They hijacked four airplanes in mid-flight. The terrorists flew two of the planes into two skyscrapers at the World Trade Center in New York City. The impact caused the buildings to catch fire and collapse. Another plane destroyed part of the Pentagon (the U.S. military headquarters) in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth plane crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Officials believe that the terrorists on that plane intended to destroy either the White House or the U.S. Capitol. Passengers on the plane fought the terrorists and prevented them from reaching their goal. In all, nearly 3,000 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks.

Or click here for a tablet or a small screen device
The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War

Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's ten-part, 18-hour documentary series, THE VIETNAM WAR, tells the epic story of one of the most consequential, divisive, and controversial events in American history as it has never before been told on film. Visceral and immersive, the series explores the human dimensions of the war through revelatory testimony of nearly 80 witnesses from all sides--Americans who fought in the war and others who opposed it, as well as combatants and civilians from North and South Vietnam. Ten years in the making, the series includes rarely seen and digitally re-mastered archival footage from sources around the globe, photographs taken by some of the most celebrated photojournalists of the 20th Century, historic television broadcasts, evocative home movies, and secret audio recordings from inside the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations.

Or click here for a tablet or a small screen device
Trump's Mashups
Trump's Mashups

Donald Trump talks a lot, but what is he actually saying? VICE News' "Trump Talk" mashup series tries to answer that. And, we're happy to say, it was just nominated for two Webby Awards. Now you can watch all the nominated videos.

Or click here for a tablet or a small screen device
Trump's Sexcapades
Trump's Sexcapades.

Jessica Leeds (1980s)
Kristin Anderson (1990s)
E. Jean Carroll (1995 or 1996)
Lisa Boyne (1996)
Cathy Heller (1997)
Temple Taggart McDowell (1997)
Karena Virginia (1998)
Mindy McGillivray (2003)
Jennifer Murphy (2005)
Rachel Crooks (2005)
Natasha Stoynoff (2005)
Juliet Huddy (2005 or 2006)
Jessica Drake (2006)
Ninni Laaksonen (2006)
Cassandra Searles (2013)
Allegations of pageant dressing room visits(1997)
Mariah Billado,
Victoria Hughes,
and three other Miss Teen USA contestants
Bridget Sullivan (2000)
Tasha Dixon (2001)
Unnamed contestants (2001)
Samantha Holvey (2006)

Or click here for a tablet or a small screen device
Trump's Speeches | Rallys |Interviews
Trump's Speeches | Rallys

Donald Trump talks a lot, but what is he actually saying? Watch Trump at some of his rallys and see what you think.

Or click here for a tablet or a small screen device
Sponsors

I'm looking for sponsors to financially help with this site.  If you might be interested please send me a message using the Contact form.

Donation


I am one of those "once" middle class, over 60, over educated, under-employed, semi retired, soon to be poor workers, that everyone is talking about. 
But I have a modest standard of living so I plan to give all extra donation, beyond my immediate needs, to several of my favorite charities.

save-the-children

News Pages
News March 2024
News February 2024
News January 2024
News December 2023
News November 2023
News October 2023
News September 2023
News August 2023
News July 2023
News June 2023
News May 2023
News April 2023
News March 2023
News February 2023
News January 2023

News December 2022
News November 2022
News October 2022
News September 2022
News August 2022
News July 2022
News June 2022
News May 2022
News April 2022
News March 2022
News February 2022
News January 2022

News December 2021
News November 2021
News October 2021
News September 2021
News August 2021
News July 2021
News June 2021
News May 2021
News April 2021
News March 2021
News February 2021
News January 2021

News December 2020
News November 2020
News October 2020
News September 2020
News August 2020
News July 2020
News June 2020
News May 2020
News April 2020
News March 2020
News February 2020
News January 2020

News December 2019
News November 2019
News October 2019
News September 2019
News August 2019
News July 2019
News June 2019
News May 2019
News April 2019
News March 2019
News February 2019
News January 2019

News December 2018
News November 2018
News October 2018
News September 2018
News August 2018
News July 2018
News June 2018
News May 2018
News April 2018
News March 2018
News February 2018
News January 2018

News December 2017
News November 2017
News October 2017
News September 2017
News August 2017
News July 2017
News June 2017
News May 2017
News April 2017
News March 2017
News February 2017
News January 2017

News December 2016
News November 2016
News October 2016
News September 2016
News August 2016
News July 2016
News June 2016
News May 2016
News April 2016
News March 2016
News February 2016
News January 2016

News December 2015
News November 2015
News October 2015
News September 2015
News August 2015
News July 2015
News June 2015
News May 2015
News April 2015
News March 2015
News February 2015
News January 2015

News December 2014
News November 2014
News October 2014
News September 2014
News August 2014
News July 2014
News June 2014
News May 2014
News April 2014
News March 2014
News February 2014
News January 2014

News December 2013
News November 2013
News October 2013
News September 2013
News August 2013
News July 2013
News June 2013
News May 2013
News April 2013
News March 2013
News February 2013
News January 2013

News December 2012
News November 2012
News October 2012
News September 2012
News August 2012
News July 2012
News June 2012
News May 2012
News April 2012
News March 2012
News February 2012
News January 2012

News December 2011