Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

Michael Cohen Testimony on Capitol Hill (FULL) | Bloomberg | 02/27/19 | 7:21:52

Recap: Michael Cohen's explosive public testimony
Axios | Zachary Basu | 02/28/19

Michael Cohen, who worked as President Trump's fixer and personal attorney for 10 years, testified Wednesday before the House Oversight Committee.

1 big thing: Cohen told the committee that Trump is "becoming an autocrat," adding that The Trump Organization was steeped in a culture of threatening people -- sometimes physically -- who might pose a threat to Trump. "Every day, most of us knew we were coming in and we were going to lie for him on something. And that became the norm. ... It's exactly what's happening here in government, sir." ... Read more

Donald Trump Lashes Out Over Michael Cohen Testimony, Calling It 'A Fake Hearing'
HP | Lee Moran | 02/28/19

President Donald Trump dismissed Michael Cohen's testimony before the House oversight committee as "a fake hearing" on Thursday.

Trump also criticized the scheduling of the hearing, which took place at the same time as his summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. He called the timing "a terrible thing." ... Read more

The Trump Organization's coming "proctology exam"
Axios | Jonathan Swan | 02/28/19

----- Pretty good article, has a lot of bullet points -----

Near the end of Michael Cohen's testimony yesterday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asked the former fixer whether President Trump had ever run an insurance fraud. Cohen said yes, naming three Trump Organization executives: Allen Weisselberg, Ron Lieberman and Matthew Calamari.

Why it matters: Cohen offered no proof for this allegation -- and given his record of lying, his claims can't be believed without evidence. But by making this allegation -- and coughing up the names of the executives -- Cohen gave House investigators and federal prosecutors yet another a trail to chase. ... Read more

House passes bill for universal background checks
Axios | staff | 02/28/19

The House on Wednesday passed the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, which would require background checks for all firearm sales, including those sold at gun shows and online.

Why it matters: This is the first gun control bill that Congress has considered in nearly 25 years. Gun control has been near the top of the Democratic agenda since the party took back control of the House in November's midterms, galvanized by recent mass shootings and student-led activism.

Details: The bill, HR 8, also prohibits firearms transfers by a person who is not a licensed dealer. However, it does exclude "gifts to family members and transfers for hunting, target shooting, and self-defense," according to the House Judiciary Committee website. ... Read more

Michael Cohen Plans Withering Testimony: Trump A 'Racist,' 'Conman,' 'Cheat'
HP | Nick Visser | 02/27/19

Michael Cohen plans to tell a congressional committee on Wednesday that his former boss, President Donald Trump, is a con man and racist who regularly lied to the American people, according to a copy of his prepared remarks obtained by The New York Times.

The attorney, who once served as Trump's right-hand man, will speak with the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Wednesday in a widely publicized hearing. In his remarks, Cohen plans to say that Trump indirectly told him to lie about his involvement in a real estate project in Moscow ... Read more
Testimony of Michael D. Cohen Committee on Oversight and Reform U.S. House of Representatives | 02/27/19 | pdf

Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr. Freak Out Over Michael Cohen Hearing: 'National Disgrace'
HP | Lee Moran | 02/27/19

Donald Trump's eldest sons called the congressional hearing a "clownshow" and accused Democrats of being "sick."

President Donald Trump's sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. lashed out Wednesday about the imminent congressional hearing of their father's former fixer and attorney, Michael Cohen.

Eric Trump tweeted that it was "a national disgrace that on the eve of historic peace talks" between his father and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam, "the Democrats in the House orchestrate this clownshow."

He also claimed his father's accomplishments "are nothing short of incredible especially in the face of such hate & adversity." ... Read more

Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr. Freak Out Over Michael Cohen Hearing: 'National Disgrace' | HP | 02/27/19 | 6:53

Poverty isn't a lack of character; it's a lack of cash | Rutger Bregman | TED | 06/13/17 | 14:58

If We Can Keep It: How the Republic Collapsed and How it Might Be Saved by Michael Tomasky

A game-changing account of the deep roots of political polarization in America, including an audacious fourteen-point agenda for how to fix it.

Why has American politics fallen into such a state of horrible dysfunction? Can it ever be fixed? These are the questions that motivate Michael Tomasky's deeply original examination into the origins of our hopelessly polarized nation. "One of America's finest political commentators" (Michael J. Sandel), Tomasky ranges across centuries and disciplines to show how America has almost always had two dominant parties that are existentially, and often violently, opposed. When he turns to our current era, he does so with striking insight that will challenge readers to reexamine what they thought they knew. Finally, not content merely to diagnose these problems, Tomasky offers a provocative agenda for how we can help fix our broken political system?from ranked-choice voting and at-large congressional elections to expanding high school civics education nationwide.

If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty by Eric Metaxas

#1 New York Times bestselling author Eric Metaxas delivers an extraordinary book that is part history and part rousing call to arms, steeped in a critical analysis of our founding fathers' original intentions for America.

In 1787, when the Constitution was drafted, a woman asked Ben Franklin what the founders had given the American people. "A republic," he shot back, "if you can keep it." More than two centuries later, Metaxas examines what that means and how we are doing on that score.

If You Can Keep It is at once a thrilling review of America's uniqueness -- including our role as a "nation of nations" -- and a chilling reminder that America's greatness cannot continue unless we embrace our own crucial role in living out what the founders entrusted to us. Metaxas explains that America is not a nation bounded by ethnic identity or geography, but rather by a radical and unprecedented idea, based on liberty and freedom for all. He cautions us that it's nearly past time we reconnect to that idea, or we may lose the very foundation of what made us exceptional in the first place.

Roger Stone's and Jerome Corsi's Time in the Barrel
New Yorker | Jeffrey Toobin | 02/25/19

Roger Stone's house, in Fort Lauderdale, is situated between a quiet street and one of the city's canals, which are the only feature Fort Lauderdale shares with its Italian sister city, Venice. In a small room on the first floor, Stone keeps mementos of a career as a political consultant and provocateur which is now in its fifth decade. There are bumper stickers from Richard Nixon's campaigns for President and photographs of Stone with candidates for whom he's worked. There's one of Arlen Specter, the late senator from Pennsylvania, and several of Stone with Donald Trump, whose political aspirations Stone has championed since the nineteen-eighties. ... Read more

Extreme CO2 levels could trigger clouds 'tipping point' and 8C of global warming
Carbon Brief | Zeke Hausfather | 02/25/19

If atmospheric CO2 levels exceed 1,200 parts per million (ppm), it could push the Earth's climate over a "tipping point", finds a new study. This would see clouds that shade large part of the oceans start to break up.

According to the new paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience, this could trigger a massive 8C rise in global average temperatures -- in addition to the warming from increased CO2.

The only similar example of rapid warming at this magnitude in the Earth's recent history is the Paleo-Eocene Thermal Maximum 55m years ago, when global temperatures increased by 5-8C and drove widespread extinction of species on both the oceans and land. ... Read more

7 pharma CEOs will sit in the Senate's hot seat
Axios| Sam Baker | 02/26/19

Seven pharmaceutical CEOs will face off against the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday in what could be the beginning of a bipartisan push to reduce drug prices.

What we're watching: Pharma would rather not be here, but if there's a silver lining for the industry, it's that this hearing -- with 7 drug companies and no one else -- is a pretty big platform to try to shift the blame to pharmacy benefit managers. ... Read more

Trump's Border Wall: Who Profits? | TRNN | 02/24/19 | 4:14

Cohen will present document to criminally implicate Trump
Politico | Darren Samuelsohn | 02/26/19

Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, plans to offer up a document to lawmakers that he claims will show the president engaged in criminal conduct related to a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, according to a person familiar with his planned congressional testimony.

The person said the document will refute a claim by Rudy Giuliani, Trump's attorney, that Cohen used a $35,000 a month retainer from Trump as reimbursement for paying off Daniels. Cohen -- who will soon report to prison for a three-year sentence tied to a litany of tax fraud and lying charges -- is scheduled to appear Wednesday in a public House hearing, and will also testify privately on Tuesday and Thursday before Senate and House investigators.

During his testimony, Cohen also plans to address a much-discussed BuzzFeed report that the president ordered him to lie to Congress about business dealings in Russia during the campaign. The story initially sparked impeachment speculation, but was later thrown into question when special counsel Robert Mueller's office took the rare step of issuing a carefully worded denial of certain elements of the piece. ... Read more

Trump's inner circle might escape Mueller charges -- but still won't be safe
Politico | Darren Samuelsohn | 02/26/19

In recent weeks, several prominent figures close to Trump have insisted that they'll survive Mueller's probe unscathed. Trump himself maintains that Justice Department officials have told his lawyers he is not a target of the special counsel's investigation. And his family members have sent similar signs. Trump's oldest daughter, Ivanka, recently told ABC News that she has "zero concern" about the investigation. Her brother, Donald Trump Jr., told Fox News on Monday that he wasn't worried because "we know there's nothing there."

But Mueller is far from the only threat to the president, his family and aides. Federal prosecutors in New York are examining Trump's 2016 campaign, inauguration and businesses. Congress has given the Justice Department dozens of hearing transcripts that could contain lies told under oath. State and local prosecutors have reportedly prepped new charges that can't be erased with a presidential pardon. And a slate of sealed indictments sit in the Washington, D.C., federal courthouse, raising the prospect that some in Trump's circle may have already been indicted and just don't know it. ... Read more

Trump Wants To Set Up 'Ad Hoc' Panel To Fight Conclusions About Climate Change: Report
HP | Nick Visser | 02/25/19

The group of scientists would be tasked with countering a sweeping federal report released last November that warned of a dire future.

According to The Washington Post, the "ad hoc" panel will include researchers who are openly antagonistic towards the scientific consensus around climate change.

Last week, The Post ran another story that said President Donald Trump planned to use an executive order to set up a presidential committee to challenge the report. However, an "ad hoc group" would not be required to meet in public or be subject to public records requests.

The prime target of the review appears to be the National Climate Assessment, a major report released in November that was jointly written by 13 federal agencies and more than 300 researchers. The study painted a bleak picture: The United States has already warmed an average 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit over the past century and will warm by at least 3 more degrees by 2100 without dramatic efforts to stem carbon emissions. ... Read more
*Climate Change Is A Real National Emergency | Velshi & Ruhle | MSNBC | 02/15/19 | 5:22

Why (and how) I cover climate change
Axios | Amy Harder | 02/25/19

------------Please read --------------
----- A lot of good bullet points -----
Read more

Obstruction Of Justice A 'Crucial Crime' | Meet The Press | NBC News | 02/24/19 | 8:16

Hutchinson And Himes: 'Everything About This Has Become Political' | Meet The Press | NBC News | 02/24/19 | 9:28

Researcher explains causes of "shameful" poverty, housing crisis | CBS News | 02/24/19 | 8:11

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond

In this brilliant, heartbreaking book, Matthew Desmond takes us into the poorest neighborhoods of Milwaukee to tell the story of eight families on the edge. Arleen is a single mother trying to raise her two sons on the $20 a month she has left after paying for their rundown apartment. Scott is a gentle nurse consumed by a heroin addiction. Lamar, a man with no legs and a neighborhood full of boys to look after, tries to work his way out of debt. Vanetta participates in a botched stickup after her hours are cut. All are spending almost everything they have on rent, and all have fallen behind.

The fates of these families are in the hands of two landlords: Sherrena Tarver, a former schoolteacher turned inner-city entrepreneur, and Tobin Charney, who runs one of the worst trailer parks in Milwaukee. They loathe some of their tenants and are fond of others, but as Sherrena puts it, "Love don't pay the bills." She moves to evict Arleen and her boys a few days before Christmas.

Even in the most desolate areas of American cities, evictions used to be rare. But today, most poor renting families are spending more than half of their income on housing, and eviction has become ordinary, especially for single mothers. In vivid, intimate prose, Desmond provides a ground-level view of one of the most urgent issues facing America today. As we see families forced into shelters, squalid apartments, or more dangerous neighborhoods, we bear witness to the human cost of America's vast inequality -- and to people's determination and intelligence in the face of hardship.

Based on years of embedded fieldwork and painstakingly gathered data, this masterful book transforms our understanding of extreme poverty and economic exploitation while providing fresh ideas for solving a devastating, uniquely American problem. Its unforgettable scenes of hope and loss remind us of the centrality of home, without which nothing else is possible.

*Bernie Sanders Tells Chris Hayes Why He's Running | All In | MSNBC | 02/22/19 | 16:48

Why Bernie Sanders Should Promise to Serve Only One Term as President
TheIntercept | Mehdi Hasan | 02/22/19

“WE BEGAN THE political revolution in the 2016 campaign, and now it’s time to move that revolution forward,” Bernie Sanders said on Tuesday morning, as he announced his candidacy for president of the United States. Within 24 hours, he had raised a whopping $6 million from more than 200,000 donors. And according to the latest polls, he is the most popular of the declared candidates.

Nevertheless, his age is still an issue. It would be mad to pretend otherwise. “Since 1828,” reported Axios on Wednesday, “only 3 Democratic presidents have been in their 60s when inaugurated — and none came close to Sanders, who would be 79 if elected in 2020.” ...

... There is a possible -- if unconventional -- solution: Sanders should promise to serve only one term in the White House. Four years max! 2020 and done! A one-term pledge isn’t as crazy as it might sound. As the Washington Post’s Philip Bump noted in 2015: ... Read more

What to Watch for During the Catholic Church’s Sex-Abuse Meeting
TheAtlantic | Rachel Donadio | 02/20/19

VATICAN CITY—This week, 190 bishops and other prelates from around the world are gathering for a meeting on the protection of minors in the Catholic Church. Called by Pope Francis, the meeting is the first of its kind at the Vatican, and a sign that the pope and the Church hierarchy are finally acknowledging that the sexual-abuse crisis has become a global issue—in recent years, scandals have erupted in Australia, Chile, France, Germany, Ireland, and the United States, and they show no signs of abating.

Vatican officials say the meeting’s themes will be responsibility, accountability, and transparency, and they hope that it will be a turning point. But they’ve also tried to manage expectations, saying that while the gathering is an opportunity for discussion and reflection, it might not yet yield concrete measures.

“This is not going to be a three-day wonder, and we’re not going to solve all the problems. Follow-up will be of the essence,” Monsignor Charles J. Scicluna, the archbishop of Malta and one of the Vatican’s longtime top investigators of sexual-abuse cases, said on Monday. Before the meeting begins, and before the crisis can be solved, here are some questions that still need answering. ... Read more

Federal Prosecutors Broke Law With Plea Deal In Jeffrey Epstein Case, Judge Says
HP | Sebastian Murdock | 02/21/19

Federal prosecutors, including U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, broke federal law when signing a plea deal agreement with Jeffrey Epstein, a judge ruled Thursday.

Epstein, a former hedge fund manager, helped to operate an international sex ring in which he recruited underage girls in Florida and from overseas. He was convicted of soliciting an underage girl for prostitution and served only about a year in an arrangement of jail time and work release that began in 2008. ...

...In a 33-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra said Epstein was not prosecuted under federal sex trafficking laws. Instead, Acosta, then the U.S. attorney in Miami, helped devise a non-prosecution agreement that gave Epstein and those who worked with him immunity from federal prosecution, the Miami Herald reported on Thursday. ... Read more

A tipping point on climate change
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 02/21/19

We’re at the beginning of a make-or-break period to confront global warming. A combination of forces, from dire scientific reports to extreme weather events, have crystallized a movement to action.

The big picture: A rare convergence of science that reveals the urgency of the problem; extreme events that highlight threats almost nationwide; and shifting public views that are fueling support for stronger policies, scientists and polling experts say.

To avoid more severe impacts, the panel said greenhouse gas emissions should be cut by about 45% by 2030, relative to 2010 levels -- a Herculean task compared to current global trends.... Read more

Crazy In Gov: Why Won’t the Media Discuss Trump’s Mental Instability?
TheIntercept | author | 02/21/19

DONALD TRUMP’S ROSE Garden speech last week announcing his emergency declaration over the “crisis” at the southern border was rambling, incoherent, and unhinged: in short, everything we’ve come to expect from the 45th president of the United States. There has never been a president quite like Trump: the all-caps tweets; his obsession with election results and crowd sizes; his bragging, his boasting, his childish point-scoring. And yet journalists treat him like a normal politician instead of stating the obvious: Donald Trump is mentally unfit for the presidency. Almost half of the country agrees, and plenty of Republicans, including Sens. Bob Corker and Jeb Bush, have expressed concern about his mental stability. To discuss the situation and where we go from here, Mehdi Hasan is joined by Dr. Bandy X. Lee, a psychiatrist at the Yale School of Medicine, and by Trump’s biographer, David Cay Johnston. ... Read more
Deconstructed | Mehdi Hasan
Deconstructed Podcast: Crazy In Gov: Why Won’t the Media Discuss Trump’s Mental Instability? | TheIntercept | 02/21/19 | ~1hr

Bernie Sanders Interview On TYT | TYT | 02/19/19 | 17:04

Elizabeth Warren Interview On TYT | TYT | 02/19/19 | 26:09

Coast Guard Lieutenant Arrested For Terrorist Plot And Trump Makes Dangerous Claims Against Media (Full show) | TYT | 02/21/19 | 42:55

Bernie Sanders: Concentrated Wealth is Concentrated Power | TRNN | 12/03/18 | 10:59

Bernie Sanders: End U.S. Arms Sales to Saudis and Support for its Yemen War | TRNN | 12/03/18 | 5:09

Measles Outbreaks Are Increasing. Experts Think It’s Because of Anti-Vaxxers on Facebook.
MotherJones | Ali Breland | d02/21/19

Online disinformation is giving rise to real -- and potentially deadly -- effects.

Two researchers at the University of Stirling in Scotland released a study last year concluding, based on data from January 2011 to August 2017, that there were “statistically significant positive correlations” between the use of anti-vaccination search terms and falling rates of immunizations, suggesting that online anti-vaxxer activity is having real and potentially deadly consequences.

Amaryllis Mavragani, one of the study’s authors, told Mother Jones about observing anti-vaccination groups on Facebook, saying she grew frustrated at how easily incorrect information is passed around. She believes internet platforms like Facebook are contributing to the decrease in immunizations targeting diseases like the measles and enabling new outbreaks. ... Read more

Filthy rich, owing no taxes
Axios | Steve LeVine | 02/20/19

Fortune 500 companies have begun to file their annual regulatory reports, and a pattern is emerging. After the Trump tax cut, an outsized number, led by giants like Amazon, GM and Halliburton, owe zero or very little in 2018 U.S. income taxes -- or are actually due a refund.

Why it matters: Amid popular anger at establishment institutions, companies earning large profits and paying no taxes risk a serious public backlash. ...

Productivity is not the problem
Axios | Dion Rabouin | 02/20/19

The issue driving income inequality in the U.S. has not been a lack of productivity by American workers, a new report from the Economic Policy Institute finds. Instead it is that the lion's share of gains from increased productivity have gone to a tiny segment of wage earners at the top.

The big picture: After tracking closely in the three decades following World War II, from 1979 to 2017 productivity grew 70.3%, while hourly compensation of production and nonsupervisory workers grew just 11.1%. That means productivity grew six times faster than typical worker pay. ... Read more

Into the Tempest: Essays on the New Global Capitalism by William I. Robinson

In this critical new work, sociologist William I. Robinson offers an engaging and accessible introduction to his theory of global capitalism. He applies this theory to a wide range of contemporary topics, among them, globalization, the trans- national capitalist class, immigrant justice, educational reform, labor and anti-racist struggles, policing, Trumpism, the resurgence of a neo-fascist right, and the rise of a global police state. Sure to spark debate, this is a timely contribution to a renewal of critical social science and Marxist theory for the new century.

Saudi Arabia is No. 2 supplier of oil to the United States
CNN | Matt Egan | older 10/15/18

... The United States still imports 7.9 million barrels of foreign crude per day and a sizable chunk comes from Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter. ...

... Despite soaring US oil production, the United States still imported 876,000 barrels of crude a day from Saudi Arabia in July, according to the most recent government statistics. ven though imports from Saudi Arabia have declined sharply from 10 years ago, the kingdom remains the No. 2 supplier to the United States, behind only Canada. ...

... To quench America's thirst for gasoline and jet fuel, these decades-old refineries require a steady dose of medium and heavy grades of crude. Saudi Arabia's crude is the perfect match. The United States consumed almost 20 million barrels per day of petroleum products last year. ... Read more

The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump by Andrew G. McCabe

On March 16, 2018, just twenty-six hours before his scheduled retirement from the organization he had served with distinction for more than two decades, Andrew G. McCabe was fired from his position as deputy director of the FBI. President Donald Trump celebrated on Twitter: "Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - A great day for Democracy."

In The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump, Andrew G. McCabe offers a dramatic and candid account of his career, and an impassioned defense of the FBI's agents, and of the institution's integrity and independence in protecting America and upholding our Constitution.

McCabe started as a street agent in the FBI's New York field office, serving under director Louis Freeh. He became an expert in two kinds of investigations that are critical to American national security: Russian organized crime--which is inextricably linked to the Russian state--and terrorism. Under Director Robert Mueller, McCabe led the investigations of major attacks on American soil, including the Boston Marathon bombing, a plot to bomb the New York subways, and several narrowly averted bombings of aircraft. And under James Comey, McCabe was deeply involved in the controversial investigations of the Benghazi attack, the Clinton Foundation's activities, and Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server when she was secretary of state.

The Threat recounts in compelling detail the time between Donald Trump's November 2016 election and McCabe's firing, set against a page-turning narrative spanning two decades when the FBI's mission shifted to a new goal: preventing terrorist attacks on Americans. But as McCabe shows, right now the greatest threat to the United States comes from within, as President Trump and his administration ignore the law, attack democratic institutions, degrade human rights, and undermine the U.S. Constitution that protects every citizen.

Regime Change We Can Believe In: The U.S. Agenda in Venezuela, Haiti, and Egypt
TheIntercept | author | date

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION has set a deadline of February 23 for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to bow down to the U.S. This week on Intercepted: U.S. military aircraft have landed in Colombia under the pretext of delivering humanitarian aid, as Trump vows to overthrow the government in Caracas. Venezuela scholar George Ciccariello-Maher and journalist Kim Ives discuss recent developments and examine the massive protests rocking Haiti's U.S.-backed president. The Intercept's Jon Schwarz details the bloody and murderous career of Elliott Abrams, the man now in charge of U.S.-Venezuela operations. And journalist Sharif Abdel Kouddous explains the failed revolution in Egypt and outlines U.S.-backed dictator Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's plot to make himself president for life. ... Read more
Intercepted | Jeromy Scahill
Regime Change We Can Believe In | TheIntercept | 02/20/19 | ~1hr

Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Wednesday, February 20 [12:06]

Trump Admin's Secretive Talks to Sell Saudi Arabia Nuclear Technology Spark New Fear of Arms Race | DN | 02/20/19 | 15:26

Venezuela: The Epicenter of the "Pink Tide" and Now of the Right-Wing Rollback | TRNN | 02/20/19 | 15:35

Trump BOMBSHELL: Former FBI Director, Andrew McCabe, on NBC | TYT | 02/19/19 | 9:38

Trump's Childish 2020 Campaign Strategy | TYT | 02/19/19 | 9:27

Bernie Sanders Interview On Running For President In 2020 (Full show) | TYT | 02/19/19 | 43:22

A Bug's Death | 1a.org | 02/20/19 | 1hr

Kentucky Teen Nick Sandmann Sues The Washington Post For $250 Million
HP | David Barden | 02/19/19

The Covington Catholic High student's suit says the Post "caused permanent damage to his life and reputation" with its report on a Lincoln Memorial incident.

icholas Sandmann, the MAGA hat-wearing teen at the center of the highly publicized incident with Native American activist Nathan Phillips, is suing The Washington Post for $250 million, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.

Sandmann, a student from Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky, was part of a group of teens filmed surrounding Phillips while he performed an American Indian Movement song on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial last month at the National Mall.

The viral incident ? which was covered by many major news outlets ? caused nationwide outrage at both ends of the political spectrum, with perceptions becoming more complicated after more than an hour of the footage from the encounter later emerged. ... Read more

Bernie's Back
HP | Nina Golgowski and Maxwell Strachan | 02/19/19

Sen. Bernie Sanders Confirms 2020 Presidential Run

Sen. Bernie Sanders is taking another crack at the White House, telling Vermont Public Radio that he will run for president again in 2020. "I wanted to let the people of the state of Vermont know about this first," Sanders told VPR's Bob Kinzel.

"I have decided to run for president of the United States," Sanders wrote in a version of the email provided to HuffPost on Monday. "I am asking you today to join me as part of an unprecedented and historic grassroots campaign." ... Read more
Bernie Sanders announces 2020 run: Extended interview | CBS | 02/19/19 | 29:28

Massive Loss Of Thousands Of Hives Afflicts Orchard Growers And Beekeepers by Anna Kingt | NPR All-Things-Considered | 02/18/19 | 3:45

The History Of American Imperialism, From Bloody Conquest To Bird Poop by Dave Davies | NPR Fresh Air | 02/18/19 | 1hr

Trump Rages Against 'Socialist Tyranny' During Call To Oust Venezuelan President
HP | Travis Waldron | 02/19/19

President Donald Trump branded his efforts to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as a crusade against international socialism, using a campaign-style speech in Miami on Monday to reignite the rhetoric of the Cold War as his administration continues to pursue regime change in the South American nation.

"We're here to proclaim a new day is coming in Latin America," Trump said during the speech at Florida International University. "Socialism is dying and liberty, prosperity and democracy are being reborn."

The speech was an early and thinly veiled attempt to tie Trump's potential Democratic opponents to socialism during his 2020 re-election campaign: Socialism, he told the assembled crowd, was merely an effort ? made "under the banner of progress" ? to control industries like health care, finance and others. ... Read more
Trump delivers a message to Venezuelan-Americans | FoxNews | 02/18/19 | 37:08

Damn the Deficit-- The Planet's On Fire
HP | Zach Carter | 02/17/19

The mounting damage of global warming is a crisis far greater than the deficit.

The Green New Deal unveiled last week by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is a powerful and ambitious statement. It's more than just a delineation of the enormous changes that will be required to stave off the most cataclysmic impacts of climate warming. It offers a portrait of the better world we can create by doing so.

Markey and Ocasio-Cortez know this. That's why the Green New Deal is framed as a joint resolution, not a formal law, meaning even if it passed, the measure wouldn't bind the government to any new policies. This distinction is key to understanding what the Green New Deal is -- and is not -- and how to usefully talk about it now. It is a major statement of the Democratic Party's political priorities. It is not a detailed blueprint of how to get there -- or how to pay for it. ... Read more

Climate Change Isn't Just Frying the Planet -- It's Fraying Our Nerves
MotherJones | Rowan Walrath | 02/18/19

Over the last year, Rebecca, a 35-year-old woman living in Washington, DC, had been losing sleep over the seemingly endless flow of apocalyptic environmental news. She fretted about the Trump administration's loosening of emissions regulations and the United Nations' dire predictions about climate change. In October, she sought help from a psychiatrist who put her on an antidepressant. "It sort of saps your emotional reserves," she says, "this constant background feeling of anxiety."

Forty percent of Americans reported hearing about climate change in the media at least once a month in 2015, and about half said they were worried about the topic that year, making it "a powerful environmental stressor," according to a 2016 federal report. And that's not the only way global warming causes psychological problems: A recent report from the American Psychological Association and Washington-based nonprofit ecoAmerica details some of the effects of natural disasters on mental health, including social disruption, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide. ... Read more

'I Believe Putin:' Andrew McCabe Claims Trump Listened To Russia More Than U.S. Intelligence
HP | Nick Visser | 02/17/19

Former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe ?made a series of startling allegations during a sweeping interview with '60 Minutes' that aired Sunday, including claims that President Donald Trump? took advice from Russian President Vladimir Putin over the counsel of his own intelligence chiefs.

Speaking with host Scott Pelley, McCabe, who was fired last March just two days before his retirement, alleged that Trump regularly launched into unprompted diatribes about his fondness for Russia. ... Read more
Andrew McCabe: Rod Rosenstein brought up 25th Amendment | 60minutes | 02/17/19 | 2:45

Andrew McCabe: Rod Rosenstein brought up 25th Amendment (Full) | 60minutes | 02/17/19 | 28:11

Meet The Press | Chuck Todd MSNBC | 02/17/19 | 47:26

Why People Still Don't Buy Groceries Online
TheAtlantic | Alana Semuels | 02/05/19

Nearly 30 years ago, when just 15 percent of Americans had a computer, and even fewer had internet access, Thomas Parkinson set up a rack of modems on a Crate and Barrel wine rack and started accepting orders for the internet's first grocery-delivery company, Peapod, which he founded with his brother Andrew.

Peapod/Parkinsons brothers drove to grocery stores in the Chicago area, bought what customers had ordered, and then delivered the goods from the backseat of their beat-up Honda Civic.

Peapod is still around today. But convincing customers to order groceries online is still nearly as difficult now as it was in 1989. Twenty-two percent of apparel sales and 30 percent of computer and electronics sales happen online today, but the same can be said for only 3 percent of grocery sales, according to a report from Deutsche Bank Securities. ... Read more

PRIME DEAL: Amazon's $11 Billion Profit, *ZERO* Federal Taxes
HP | Antonia Blumberg | 02/14/19

The tech giant reportedly used various tax breaks and credits to claim a $129 million rebate on $11 billion in profits last year.

Amazon almost doubled its profits from $5.6 billion in 2017 to $11.2 billion in 2018, but the company isn't expected to pay a cent in federal taxes this year, according to a new report.

This would be the second year in a row that the company has avoided paying federal taxes, despite being valued at a whopping $1 trillion. ... Read more

Amazon avoids paying federal taxes for second year in a row | FoxNews | 02/14/19 | 5:39

As Giuliani Calls for Regime Change in Iran, Netanyahu Raises the Specter of "War"
TheIntercept | Robert Mackey | 02/13/19

It was supposed to be secret that the Middle East conference in Warsaw was really about confronting Iran, then Giuliani and Netanyahu showed up.

RUDY GIULIANI, the former mayor of New York City who now serves as President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, called for the overthrow of Iran's government on Wednesday during a rally in Poland staged by a cult-like group of Iranian exiles who pay him to represent them.

Speaking outside the Warsaw venue for an international conference on the Middle East attended by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Giuliani said that his message for the 65 governments discussing ways to confront Iran was simple. "The theocratic dictatorship in Tehran," Giuliani said, "must end and end quickly." ... Read more

Why Trump is declaring an emergency
Axios | Jonathan Swan | 02/15/19

President Trump liked the idea of declaring a national emergency because it's the maximalist, most dramatic option.

Between the lines: Trump never gravitates towards complexity. And the reprogramming of funds to allow more wall spending, without declaring an emergency, would have been complicated to explain to voters.

The Federal Debt Is Rising. Concern Is Not
NYT | Binyamin Appelbaum | 02/15/

The federal debt ticked past $22 trillion this week, a record that comes despite continued economic growth, but neither political party appears to be making a priority of debt reduction. ...

... During the first two years of the Trump administration, the debt increased by more than $2 trillion, in part because of the $1.5 trillion tax cut and large spending increases the president has signed into law. ... Read more

There Have Been 1,200 Young Gun Violence Victims Since Parkland | Velshi & Ruhle | MSNBC | 02/14/19 | 5:22

America's Post-9/11 Wars Have Cost $5.9 Trillion
TheNation | William D. Hartung | 11/21/18

Not to mention 240,000 civilian deaths and 21 million displaced. And yet a congressional commission is urging yet more money for a bloated Pentagon.

Just in time for next year's Pentagon spending debate, a new report is calling for a huge increase in the Defense Department's budget, which is already at one of the highest levels since World War II. The document was produced by the National Defense Strategy Commission, a congressionally mandated group charged with assessing the Trump administration's new national-defense strategy.

The premise of the new report is that America faces a "national security emergency" that leaves its ability to defend "its allies, its partners, and its own vital interests" increasingly in doubt.

As its solution, the commission calls for an increase in Pentagon spending of 3 to 5 percent above inflation for at least the next five years. According to calculations by Taxpayers for Common Sense, the high end of this range would mean an annual Pentagon budget of an astonishing $972 billion by 2024--a potential boon for Lockheed Martin and its fellow weapons-makers, but a disaster for US taxpayers. ... Read more
Direct War Death Toll Since 2001: 480,000 | 11/2018 | 4:07

House Democrats plan vast Russia probe
Axios | Mike Allen | 02/13/19

Mueller is just the beginning. House Democrats plan a vast probe of President Trump and Russia -- with a heavy focus on money laundering -- that will include multiple committees and dramatic public hearings, and could last into 2020.

The state of play: The aggressive plans were outlined yesterday by a Democratic member of Congress at a roundtable for Washington reporters. The member said Congress plans interviews with new witnesses, and may go back to earlier witnesses who "stonewalled" under the Republican majority. ...

... "If we didn't look at his business, ... we wouldn't know what we know now about his efforts to pursue what may have been the most lucrative deal of his life, the Trump Tower in Moscow -- something the special counsel's office has said stood to earn the family hundreds of millions of dollars." ... Read more

There Is a Taboo Against Criticizing AIPAC -- and Ilhan Omar Just Destroyed It
TheIntercept | Mehdi Hasan | 02/12/19

IN 2005, STEVEN Rosen, then a senior official with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, sat down for dinner with journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, then of the New Yorker. "You see this napkin?" Rosen asked Goldberg. "In twenty-four hours, [AIPAC] could have the signatures of seventy senators on this napkin."

I couldn't help but be reminded of this anecdote after Rep. Ilhan Omar, of Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, was slammed by Democrats and Republicans alike over her suggestion, in a pair of tweets, that U.S. politicians back the state of Israel because of financial pressure from AIPAC ("It's all about the Benjamins baby," she declaimed). Was the flippant way in which she phrased her tweets a problem? Did it offend a significant chunk of liberal U.S. Jewish opinion? Did it perhaps unwittingly play into anti-Semitic tropes about rich Jews controlling the world? Yes, yes, and yes -- as she herself has since admitted and "unequivocally" apologized for. But was she wrong to note the power of the pro-Israel lobby, to point a finger at AIPAC, to highlight -- in her apology -- "the problematic role of lobbyists in our politics, whether it be AIPAC, the NRA or the fossil fuel industry"? ... Read more

Intercepted Podcast: Neoliberalism or Death: The U.S. Economic War Again Venezuela | TheIntercept | 02/13/19 | 1hr

*The End of Ice by Dahr Jamail

The author who Jeremy Scahill calls the "quintessential unembedded reporter" visits "hot spots" around the world in a global quest to discover how we will cope with our planet's changing ecosystems

After nearly a decade overseas as a war reporter, the acclaimed journalist Dahr Jamail returned to America to renew his passion for mountaineering, only to find that the slopes he had once climbed have been irrevocably changed by climate disruption. In response, Jamail embarks on a journey to the geographical front lines of this crisis--from Alaska to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, via the Amazon rainforest--in order to discover the consequences to nature and to humans of the loss of ice.

In The End of Ice, we follow Jamail as he scales Denali, the highest peak in North America, dives in the warm crystal waters of the Pacific only to find ghostly coral reefs, and explores the tundra of St. Paul Island where he meets the last subsistence seal hunters of the Bering Sea and witnesses its melting glaciers. Accompanied by climate scientists and people whose families have fished, farmed, and lived in the areas he visits for centuries, Jamail begins to accept the fact that Earth, most likely, is in a hospice situation. Ironically, this allows him to renew his passion for the planet's wild places, cherishing Earth in a way he has never been able to before.

Like no other book, The End of Ice offers a firsthand chronicle--including photographs throughout of Jamail on his journey across the world--of the catastrophic reality of our situation and the incalculable necessity of relishing this vulnerable, fragile planet while we still can.

Little-known liberals reshape Democratic policy
Axios | Sam Baker, Ben Geman | 02/12/19

Democrats' shift to the left with big ideas like Medicare for All, along with the rise of progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), is changing the balance of power in the party's unofficial policy establishment.

Why it matters: Think tanks, policy analysts and advocacy groups are vitally important -- they help shape the party's policy platforms and channel the base's enthusiasm. And a new set of players are gaining power in that world just as Democrats seize the reins in the House and wade into a policy-heavy primary for 2020. ... Read more

Trump holds campaign rally in El Paso, Texas | PBS | 02/11/19 | 1:55:44

Massive starfish die-off tied to warming seas
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 01/31/19

The predatory sunflower sea star, whose limbs can stretch 4 feet across, is rapidly disappearing due to infectious disease outbreaks worsened by marine heat waves, a comprehensive new study found.

Why it matters: The sea star, Pycnopodia helianthoides, is a vital component in marine ecosystems. In its absence, scientists documented a large increase in many types of urchins and a subsequent decline in kelp populations, to the potential detriment of many other species. The study warns of the potential for a "trophic cascade" to occur, "causing urchin populations to explode and kelp to rapidly diminish." ... Read more

Massive insect decline could have 'catastrophic' environmental impact, study says
CNN | Euan McKirdy | 02/11/19

Insect populations are declining precipitously worldwide due to pesticide use and other factors, with a potentially "catastrophic" effect on the planet, a study has warned. More than 40% of insect species could become extinct in the next few decades, according to the "Worldwide decline of the entomofauna: A review of its drivers" report, published in the journal Biological Conservation.

Insect biomass is declining by a staggering 2.5% a year, a rate that indicates widespread extinctions within a century, the report found. In addition to the 40% at risk of dying out, a third of species are endangered -- numbers that could cause the collapse of the planet's ecosystems with a devastating impact on life on Earth. ... Read more
Insects Vanish All over the World | WP & Climate State | 02/11/19 | 11:15

Billionaires Flooded Republicans' Coffers Just Before the Tax Cuts Passed
MotherJones | Allan Holmes | 02/07/19

In late June 2017, Texas political mega-donor Doug Deason had a stern message for Republicans seeking campaign donations: The "Dallas piggy bank" was closed until they repealed Obamacare and passed major tax cuts. Deason said he had urged about two dozen of his wealthy Texas friends to do the same. The billionaire Koch brothers Charles and David also hinted at withholding money.

Just weeks later, the GOP effort to repeal Obamacare collapsed. Tax reform, which one Republican senator said would make repealing Obamacare look like a piece of cake, ominously loomed as the next item on the GOP agenda, and time was running out. Panic set in. By November, as Congress struggled to push a massive tax cut bill forward, Rep. Chris Collins from New York summed up the stakes: "My donors are basically saying: 'Get it done or don't ever call me again.'"

Lawmakers got it done. Just days before the holiday break, relieved Republicans delivered those wealthy donors what they wanted: one of the biggest tax cuts in history, one that would almost exclusively benefit the wealthy. ... Read more

The Human Element (trailer) | 01/28/19 | 2:17

During his four-decade career as a photographer and explorer, James Balog has focused his lens on the complex relationship between humans and nature. Human activity has now surpassed all other forces shaping our world. Balog's work has challenged us to contemplate our place in, and responsibility to, the natural world. Balog investigates how altering the elements is in turn affecting everyday Americans right now. The Human Element features subjects who are often overlooked victims of climate change. Balog visits Tangier Island, a fishing community facing the imminent reality of sea level rise threatening their future. We meet Yadira Sanchez and her three children in Denver, Colorado, all of whom suffer from asthma, and attend a special school for children struggling with air. Balog embeds with a Cal Fire strike team on the frontlines of the most expensive wildfire in California history. And he ventures deep into Kentucky coal country, meeting unemployed miners finding hope from a new source. Balog argues that humans are part of the whole system of nature and not apart from it. Knowing this, he finds great hope that the fifth element, the human element, can bring the whole system back into balance.

TED Talk James Balog Time-lapse Proof Of Extreme Ice Loss | TED Talk | 12/31/11 | 21:55

'Chasing Ice' documentary by James Balog (full) | extreme ice | 09/30/11 | 47:31

Health insurance is as big as Big Tech
Axios | Bob Herman | 02/11/19

The 5 largest conglomerates combining health insurance and pharmacy benefits are on track this year to be bigger than the 5 preeminent tech companies.

The big picture: Anthem, Cigna, CVS Health, Humana and UnitedHealth Group cumulatively expect to collect almost $787 billion in 2019, compared with $783 billion of projected revenue for Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google. ... Read more

Oh good, Donald Trump is back: A rally near the border and bizarre new "facts" on immigration
Salon | Heather Digby Parton | 02/11/19

I'm sure everyone will be relieved to know that the long three-month drought is over. President Trump is getting back in the saddle and will be giving his first rally of 2019 on Monday. Feel the magic!

He'll be visiting El Paso, Texas, the border city he erroneously claimed in the State of the Union was one of the most dangerous cities in the country until they put up a "wall" (which is actually a fence.) In reality, it was one of the safest cities in the country before the fence and remains one of the safest today. But he's going to go there and tell his local fans that they can believe him or they can believe their lyin' eyes. Local officials don't seem inclined to go along. ... Read more

*AOC Exposes Dark Side of Politics | Bloomberg | 02/05/19 | 4:36

*Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez STUNS Congress | TYT | 02/05/19 | 8:42

The Saudi connection: Was Enquirer blackmail of Jeff Bezos meant to protect Crown Prince Mohammed?
Salon | Igor Derysh | 02/11/19

Was David Pecker working to protect Donald Trump, or someone much richer and more powerful than that?

In Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' extraordinary letter revealing the National Enquirer's apparent attempt to blackmail him, one detail has led to intense speculation: Bezos linked the effort to the tabloid paper's ties to the Saudi Arabian government.

Bezos noted that David Pecker, the head of AMI and a longtime associate of President Trump, "recently entered into an immunity deal with the Department of Justice related to their role in the so-called 'Catch and Kill' process on behalf of President Trump and his election campaign."

AMI bought the story of former Playboy model Karen McDougal's alleged affair with Trump and killed the story before the election, the company admitted.

"Mr. Pecker and his company have also been investigated for various actions they've taken on behalf of the Saudi Government," Bezos added. ... Read more

Jeff Bezos' Extortion Claim And The 'Saudi Angle' | The Last Word | MSNBC | 02/08/19 | 18:09

Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer Owner Of Blackmail | The Last Word | MSNBC | 02/07/19 | 15:49

*Saudi Media Blitz Could Explain Devotion Of National Enquirer/AMI | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC | 02/08/19 | 10:35

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Exposes The Dark Side Of Politics In 5 Incredible Minutes
HP | Ed Mazza | 02/08/19

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) exposed some of the biggest flaws and loopholes in campaign finance laws this week ? and she did it in just five minutes.

During a hearing, the freshman lawmaker created a game in which she pretended to be "a really, really bad guy" who wants to abuse the system as much as possible. Then, in a series of questions, she exposed the world of payoffs, dark money, PACs and more. She even revealed how it was perfectly legal for a lawmaker to invest in an industry, then write laws to benefit that industry and increase the value of the investment. ... Read more

AOC Exposes Dark Side of Politics | TicToc by Bloomberg | 02/08/19 | 4:36

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Stands Up to Big Pharma | NowThis | 02/04/19 | 3:10

House Republicans Warn that Bill Combating Big Money in Politics "Resembles Russian Government Policy"
TheIntercept | Akela Lacy | 02/07/19

REPUBLICANS ON THE House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform denounced a major new initiative by Democrats to clean up elections and expand voter participation as a power grab that will corrupt the political process and infringe on the rights of free speech and association.

In nearly apocalyptic terms on Wednesday, Republican committee members took turns laying out the dire consequences of H.R. 1, decrying the consequences of a federal holiday on Election Day, matching public funds for congressional candidates, increasing transparency in campaign finance, and making it easier to register to vote. More stringent disclosure requirements for political spending would encourage partisan monitoring and even doxxing, Republicans argued, citing the Obama-era scandal where the Internal Revenue Service was accused by conservatives of targeting conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status. ...

... The bill, sponsored by Maryland Rep. John Sarbanes, is the first serious attempt in decades to revamp the model for public financing of presidential campaigns and establish a national program to publicly finance congressional campaigns. It also expands rights and protections for voters; bans senior federal officials from getting private sector perks after they leave office; prohibits senior federal employees from working on issues in which they have financial interests; and strengthens the call for Trump to divest his business holdings and place them in an independent, blind trust. Trump is the only president who hasn't done so. ... Read more

Richard Wolff: Difference between socialism & communism and what they both missed | Democracy At Work | 02/05/19 | 6:35

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Unveils Landmark Green New Deal Resolution
HP | Alexander C. Kaufman | 02/07/19

The Green New Deal is finally taking form. On Thursday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) unveiled a landmark resolution cementing the pillars of an unprecedented program to zero out planet-warming emissions and restore the middle-class prosperity of postwar America that the original New Deal helped spur.

Just three months after calls for a Green New Deal electrified a long-stagnant debate on climate policy, the Democratic lawmakers released the six-page document outlining plans to cut global emissions 40 to 60 percent below 2010 levels by 2030 and neutralize human-caused greenhouse gases entirely by 2050. ... Read more

Earth's 5 warmest years on record have occurred since 2014
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 02/06/19

Last year was Earth's 4th-warmest year on record, coming in behind 2016, the planet's warmest recorded year, as well as 2015 and 2017, according to information released Wednesday by NOAA, NASA and the U.K. Met Office.

Why it matters: The yearly rankings don't tell the whole story of long-term climate change, since natural variability can still push or pull an individual year up or down the rankings. However, the overall picture is growing starker with each passing year. Nine of the 10 warmest years on record since reliable data began in 1880 have occurred since 2005. At the same time, greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels -- as well as deforestation and intensive agriculture -- have skyrocketed to levels not seen in more than 800,000 years. ... Read more
Click to zoom in

Trump's full 2019 State of the Union address | WP | 02/05/19 | 1:22:37

Stacey Abrams rips Trump in Democratic response to the State of the Union address | CNN | 02/05/19 | 10:43

Sen. Bernie Sanders Responds to the State of the Union | CNN | 02/06/19 | 28:35

Fact Check: Trump's State Of The Union Address
NPR.org | author | date

Read more

Stephen Delivers The Restate Of Our Union | stephen Colbert | 02/05/19 | 15:49

Trump's 2020 vision: America First vs. socialism
Axios | Mike Allen | date

President Trump used last night's State of the Union address to lay out themes, policies and symbols for his 2020 re-election race, winning over no Democrats in the chamber but giving new hope to supporters who were turning pessimistic. He softened some edges for his largest audience of the year, but made it clear that he's going to try to re-run many of his 2016 plays in 2020.

A notable new twist that we'll hear a lot more about on the campaign trail: "Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country." ... Read more

Stacey Abrams: 'Together, We Are Coming For America, For A Better America'
HP | Jennifer Bendery and Sam Levine | 02/06/19

In the official Democratic response to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address, former Georgia gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams delivered a passionate speech about the need for economic and social justice in America and said even though she disagrees with Trump on virtually everything, she still wants him to succeed.

"My reason for running for governor was simple: I love our country and its promise of opportunity for all," Abrams said, beaming against the blurred backdrop of a group of men and women of different races. "I stand here tonight because I hold fast to my father's credo: Together, we are coming for America, for a better America." ... Read more

Donald Trump Headlines a Benefit Concert for Imperialism
TheIntercept | Jeromy Scahill | 02/06/19

DONALD TRUMP RECEIVED big bipartisan applause at his State of the Union. This week on Intercepted: As Trump openly pushed regime change in Venezuela, Democrats cheered him on. Trump also engaged in red-baiting during his speech by warning of the threat of socialism within the borders of the U.S. Jeremy Scahill talks about how economic sanctions are a mass-killing weapon intentionally aimed at the most vulnerable. Indian historian and journalist Vijay Prashad discusses the state of imperialism in the world, the battle for Venezuela, India's upcoming election, and the history of U.S. dirty operations across the globe. As right-wing media and politicians have gone berserk over the FBI raid on the home of Trump crony Roger Stone, whistleblower Reality Winner remains behind bars. The Intercept's Peter Maass discusses the hypocrisy surrounding the two cases and we hear excerpts from the recent play, "Is This A Room: Reality Winner Verbatim Transcription," created by Tina Satter. The play is based entirely on the verbatim transcript of the FBI interrogation of Winner the day she was arrested. Plus, a sneak peak at the new film Donald Trump's Day Off. ... Read more

Donald Trump Headlines a Benefit Concert for Imperialism | Intercepted | Jeromy Scahill
Intercepted Podcast: Trump Headlines a Benefit Concert for Imperialism | TheIntercept | 02/06/16 | 1hr

Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines forWednesday, February 06 [12:31]

'Liar-in-Chief': Rep. Ilhan Omar Slams Trump's SOTU Remarks on Border, Venezuela, Israel & More | DN | 02/05/19 | 28:15

Bernie Sanders 2019 SOTU Response: TYT Analysis | TYT | 02/05/19 | 22:15

State of the Union 2019: Democratic Party Response | TYT | 02/05/19 | 16:18

State of the Union 2019: TYT Summary | TYT | 02/05/19 | 9:17

The State Of The Union, According To You | 1a.org | 02/06/19 | 1hr

Top-Secret NSA Report Details Russian Hacking Effort Days Before 2016 Election
TheIntercept | Matthew Cole, Richard Esposito, Sam Biddle, Ryan Grim | 06/05/17

RUSSIAN MILITARY INTELLIGENCE executed a cyberattack on at least one U.S. voting software supplier and sent spear-phishing emails to more than 100 local election officials just days before last November's presidential election, according to a highly classified intelligence report obtained by The Intercept.

The top-secret National Security Agency document, which was provided anonymously to The Intercept and independently authenticated, analyzes intelligence very recently acquired by the agency about a months-long Russian intelligence cyber effort against elements of the U.S. election and voting infrastructure. The report, dated May 5, 2017, is the most detailed U.S. government account of Russian interference in the election that has yet come to light. ... Read more

@RealDonaldTrump Twitter Account

Peace in Afghanistan? Maybe -- but a Minerals Rush Is Already Underway/
TheNation | Antony Loewenstein | 01/30/19

The Afghan war is the addiction that Washington can't quit. The longest war in US history, it's a conflict that has generally fallen out of Western media coverage, despite surging violence against civilians (though The New York Times is a rare outlet that documents it weekly). An average of 57 Afghan soldiers and police are killed every day, according to a leaked assessment by Afghan officials in 2018. Data from the US Air Force confirmed that the country was bombed more in 2018 by the Trump administration than at any time since the October 2001 US invasion -- and Afghan civilians are dying at record rates.

Despite the increased US bombing --or perhaps because of it -- the Taliban have strengthened their grip across the nation. The Kabul government tenuously controls barely more than 50 percent of Afghanistan's districts, according to the US Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR).

And despite the intense fighting, peace talks between the United States and the Taliban reached a new level of seriousness in early 2019, with the announcement that the broad outlines of a peace settlement had been reached; key elements include the removal of all US troops and guarantees by the Taliban that they will not tolerate international terrorist groups like Al Qaeda. Many Afghan women remain concerned, however, that their voices have been excluded from the process. ...

... While the war continues to rage in nearly every corner of Afghanistan, one issue barely investigated is the rush to mine valuable Afghan resources. I've been reporting on this subject since 2012, visiting Afghanistan twice for research, and the situation has never been so dire; massive contracts are being signed with little transparency or concern about the negative consequences for civilians. With $1--3 trillion of resources estimated to be under the ground, from rare-earth minerals to lithium and copper, the rush is on. ... Read more

Click to zoom in

Trump is Expanding the US Empire | TRNN | 01/11/19 | 16:44
Trump's Syria Deception | TRNN | 01/11/19 | 13:42

Every nuclear bomb explosion in history (1945-2009) | current | 2:32

The deadly evolution of nuclear weapons | current | 3:16

Click to zoom in
NukeWatch.org website

Also go to TRNN and watch the interview with Larry Wilkerson on 'Nuclear Treaty Framework is in Dangerous Disarray'.
Then hop over to the third column and watch the interview(s) with Daniel Ellsberg on his recent book 'The Dooms Day Machine'.

A Big Leak Rattles the White House
Axios | Mike Allen | 02/04/19

The massive leak of President Trump's private schedules, which dropped yesterday in the weekly Axios Sneak Peek newsletter, set off internal finger-pointing and speculation more fevered than any since the New York Times' anonymous op-ed.

The big picture: White House insiders said the leak sowed chaos. Cliff Sims, the former White House official who wrote the dishy "Team of Vipers," told me: "There are leaks, and then there are leaks. If most are involuntary manslaughter, this was premeditated murder. People inside are genuinely scared." ...

... The schedules show that Trump has spent around 60% of his scheduled time over the past three months in unstructured "Executive Time," which includes tweeting, newspaper-reading, TV-watching and phone calls. ... Read more

Bill O'Reilly Gets A Savage Public Reminder Of How Much He Paid In Settlements
HP | Ed Mazza | 02/04/19

Disgraced former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly cracked that he found a Super Bowl ad so bad that it almost turned him into a socialist. O'Reilly, who left the network in 2017 in the middle of a sexual harassment scandal, even referred specifically to the cost of the Burger King spot that he found so tasteless:

But as O'Reilly's detractors pointed out, there's something a whole lot more "terrible" than shelling out $5 million on a Super Bowl ad: spending $32 million to settle a sexual harassment claim. All told, the Times said O'Reilly spent $45 million settling such claims. ... Read more

Note: between Bill O'Reilly and the late Roger Ailes (both Fox News alumni) they spent over $85,000,000.00 (million) dollars in sexual harassment claims.

According to the US Census Bureau, the average salary in America is $35,000. Assuming this average remains the same throughout the average working career of 40 years, as a rough way to consider the impact of inflation, then the average American would earn $1,400,000 in their lifetime.

The U.S. Helped Push Venezuela Into Chaos -- and Trump's Regime Change Policy Will Make Sure It Stays That Way
TheIntercept | Mark Weisbrot| 02/02/19

WASHINGTON HAS BEEN trying to topple Venezuela's government for at least 17 years, but the Trump administration has taken a more openly aggressive tack than its predecessors. Last week, administration officials kicked their efforts into high gear by anointing their chosen successor to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros in advance of any coup d'etat. The 35-year-old Venezuelan member of Congress Juan Guaidó announced that he was now president, and the Trump administration, along with allied governments, immediately recognized him -- in accordance with a previously arranged plan.

It is clear that President Donald Trump's goal is regime change; his administration is not even trying to hide it. And his allies, like Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., have long made it obvious what they are after. ... Read more

Military Spending | Samantha Bee | 01/30/19 | 6:41

Trump knocks his intel chiefs again: 'Time will prove me right'
Politico | Matthew Choi | 01/31/19

When asked if he has confidence in CIA Director Gina Haspel and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats to give him good advice, Trump replied: "No, I disagree with certain things that they said. I think I'm right. Time will prove me right, probably."

The comments come after Trump spurned findings by his intelligence community that were at odds with his political messaging. During a hearing Tuesday, Haspel and Coats testified that North Korea is unlikely to give up its nuclear weapons, Iran is largely in compliance with the nuclear deal Trump abandoned, and ISIS remains a formidable threat in the Middle East. ... Read more

U.S. Intelligence Officials Warn Climate Change Is a Worldwide Threat
InsideClimateNews.org | Neela Banerjee | 01/30/19

The nation's intelligence community warned in its annual assessment of worldwide threats that climate change and other kinds of environmental degradation pose risks to global stability because they are "likely to fuel competition for resources, economic distress, and social discontent through 2019 and beyond."

"Climate hazards such as extreme weather, higher temperatures, droughts, floods, wildfires, storms, sea level rise, soil degradation, and acidifying oceans are intensifying, threatening infrastructure, health, and water and food security," said the report, which represents the consensus view among top intelligence officials. "Irreversible damage to ecosystems and habitats will undermine the economic benefits they provide, worsened by air, soil, water, and marine pollution." ... Read more

WORLDWIDE THREAT ASSESSMENT of the US INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY

Trump hits his own wall
Axios | Jonathan Swan | 02/01/19

Over the first two years, President Trump could get away with largely extending his campaign bluster: Build a "big, beautiful wall" and get Mexico to pay for it, withdraw from foreign entanglements, deliver "incredible" healthcare, slash drug prices and fundamentally change the U.S.-China relationship.

Between the lines: Now he faces a new reality that's driven by Democrats in Congress and the need to deliver on his lofty promises. ... Read more