Daily News Digest August 18, 2018

Submitted by Daily News on August 18, 2018 - 09:14
Justice Dept investigating GOP donor for allegedly offering Trump admin actions in exchange for payments

Elliot Broidy, a longtime GOP fundraiser and former Republican National Committee (RNC) official, is reportedly under investigation for allegedly offering Trump administration actions for tens of millions of dollars, The Washington Post reported Friday.

Sources familiar with the investigation told The Post that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is examining a plan allegedly created by Broidy to try and convince Trump officials to extradite a Chinese dissident.

Sen. Warner to introduce amendment limiting Trump’s ability to revoke security clearances

Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.), the vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, announced Friday he would introduce an amendment curtailing the president’s ability to revoke security clearances from his critics.

“I will be introducing an amendment next week to block the President from punishing and intimidating his critics by arbitrarily revoking security clearances. Stay tuned,” he tweeted Friday evening. 

Officials worry Trump may back Erik Prince plan to privatize war in Afghanistan

Prince's idea, which first surfaced last year during the president's Afghanistan strategy review, envisions replacing troops with private military contractors who would work for a special U.S. envoy for the war who would report directly to the president.

China, Unsure of How to Handle Trump, Braces for ‘New Cold War’

A common suspicion ran through the conversations -- that the tariffs are just a small part of Trump’s plan to prevent China from overtaking the U.S. as the world’s largest economy. Several people expressed concern that the two nations may be heading into a long struggle for global dominance that recalls the last century’s rivalry between the U.S. and Soviet Union.

Daily News Digest August 17, 2018

Submitted by Daily News on August 17, 2018 - 07:22
Forecasting the race for the House

Chance Democrats win control (69.0%)

Senate takes shot at Trump, passes resolution affirming 'press is not the enemy of the people'

The Senate took a rhetorical shot on Thursday at President Trump's attacks on the media, passing a resolution affirming that the press is "not the enemy of the people."

The nonbinding resolution, which cleared the chamber by unanimous consent, also touts the "indispensable role of the free press" and says an attack on the media meant to "systematically undermine the credibility of the press as a whole [is] an attack on our democratic institutions."

Taking the debate bait

At first, Ocasio-Cortez’s refusal to respond to Shapiro was treated as news (at least at Shapiro’s Daily Wire). Then, after Ocasio-Cortez explained why she ignored the offer, it became news again as Shapiro wronglyaccused her of “slandering” him. “Just like catcalling, I don’t owe a response to unsolicited requests from men with bad intentions. And also like catcalling, for some reason they feel entitled to one,” she tweeted. Shapiro and others on the right were quick to misread Ocasio-Cortez’s tweet as her literally accusing Shapiro of catcalling, which suggests that she was right to brush off his offer as coming from a place of bad intentions. That, and the fact that both Daily Wire articles featured cherry-picked, unflattering images of her, might lead one to think this was less about having a good-faith discussion of ideas and more just a setup.

BREAKING NEWS From Senator Feinstein, Senator Leahy, And Senator Durbin: Documents Indicate That Kavanaugh Misled Senate; Make T

As you know, in 2006, Judge Kavanaugh told the Committee under oath that he was “not aware of any issues” regarding “the legal justifications or the policies relating to the treatment of detainees”;[1] was “not involved in the questions about the rules governing detention of combatants”[2]; had nothing to do with issues related to rendition;[3] and was unaware of, and saw no documents related to, the warrantless wiretapping program conducted without congressional authorization.[4]

However, at least two documents that are publicly available on the Bush Library website from Judge Kavanaugh’s time as Staff Secretary suggest that he was involved in issues related to torture and rendition after 9/11.  In one, just days after the existence of the Office of Legal Counsel “torture memos” was publicly revealed, then-Deputy White House Chief of Staff Harriet Miers forwarded to Judge Kavanaugh a set of talking points addressing the memos and U.S. torture policy.[5]  The forwarded email makes clear that then-Deputy National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley had personally asked for Judge Kavanaugh’s review.  Similarly, another email shows that Judge Kavanaugh was included on an email chain circulating talking points on rendition and interrogation.[6]  These emails and talking points demonstrate why we need access to Judge Kavanaugh’s full record as Staff Secretary.

Bomb threat made at Boston Globe after editorial condemning Trump

A bomb threat was reported at The Boston Globe on Thursday, the same day the newspaper spearheaded a campaign to publish coordinated editorials at multiple papers condemning President Trump's attacks against the press. 

Officials from the Boston police told Boston 7 News that they do not believe the threat was "super serious" but that they have increased patrols around the building.

Botched CIA Communications System Helped Blow Cover of Chinese Agents

Now, nearly eight years later, it appears that the agency botched the communication system it used to interact with its sources, according to five current and former intelligence officials. The CIA had imported the system from its Middle East operations, where the online environment was considerably less hazardous, and apparently underestimated China’s ability to penetrate it.

“The attitude was that we’ve got this, we’re untouchable,” said one of the officials who, like the others, declined to be named discussing sensitive information. The former official described the attitude of those in the agency who worked on China at the time as “invincible.”

Space Force?

Submitted by Roxy on August 10, 2018 - 11:04
Asteroids

So, Donald wants a SPACE FORCE. Remarks yesterday by 45's #1 sidekick (His VP) would seem to indicate that Donald thinks he can militarize space.

"As President Trump has said, in his words, it is not enough to merely have an American presence in space — we must have American dominance in space. And so we will," Pence said. "Space is, in his words, a war-fighting domain just like land and air and sea."

Space Force

"Look, up in the sky! It's..."

Submitted by GreyHawk on July 14, 2018 - 07:03

Sure, the Baby Trump Blimp isn't likely to fly above the White House any time soon - airspace restrictions and all that - but, it can be fun to imagine the reaction.

 

Enjoy!

Florida Republicans play starring roles in Russia hacking indictment

Two Florida Republicans and possibly a third — Rep. Brian Mast — play starring roles in the indictment, although none is named.

Unlike President Donald Trump‘s former political adviser Roger Stone and political operative Aaron Nevins, Mast’s identity is the least certain of any of the Florida Republicans hinted at in the indictment. The indictment released Friday details how a dozen Russian military officers used an online persona called “Guccifer 2.0” to disseminate information they stole from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic National Committee, which was led at the time by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.).

Where Did Donald Trump Get Two Hundred Million Dollars to Buy His Money-Losing Scottish Golf Club?

No doubt, the President will be excited to visit. After buying the property for more than sixty million dollars, he then spent a reported hundred and fifty million pounds—about two hundred million dollars total—remaking the site, adding a new course, rehabbing an old one, and fixing up the lodgings. It is possible, though, that he will have some harsh words for his staff. The Turnberry has been losing an astonishing amount of money, including twenty-three million dollars in 2016. The Trump Organization argued that these losses were the result of being closed for several months for repair. However, revenue for the months it was open were so low—about $1.5 million per month—that it is hard to understand how the property will ever become profitable, let alone so successful that it will pay back nearly three hundred million dollars in investment and losses.

Just What Is "Breitbarting"?

Submitted by Aaron Barlow on June 8, 2012 - 09:46

Though O'Keefe styles himself in following the tradition of the muckrakers of a century ago, the purpose of breitbarting is quite different. Instead of exposing corruption, the purpose of brietbarting is to present the appearance of corruption. This is what O'Keefe, with diminishing success, tries to do. This was what made Breitbart famous before his untimely death.

jeff gannon, Andrew Breitbart, breitbarting, James' O'Keefe

Some thoughts on Social Media

Submitted by Roxy on July 10, 2018 - 11:30

Social Media plays a large part in our lives, allowing us to connect and share with people all over the world. It has also become a major source of stress in the Age of Trump.

Facebook (and Twitter to a degree) are our virtual living rooms. You invite people in to visit, not to argue or cause chaos. You are not obligated to "be nice" to people that come on your Facebook page and cause chaos, the same way you are not obligated to "be nice" to people that come into your living room and cause chaos.

opinions

From Alexander Woollcott to "Fake News"

Submitted by Aaron Barlow on May 17, 2018 - 11:32
Fake News

Editor's Note: Originally published 1-1-2017. Bumped for relevance by Roxy

Where does today’s ‘fake news’ come from?

There is no simple answer, but part of it can be traced to the development of journalistic practices and ethics over the course of the 20th century, strictures that the purveyors of ‘fake news’ turn on their heads thanks to technological innovations giving them the ability to make their publications look like real news venues for very little money.

Fake News, Alexander Woollcott, Lee Siegel, Sophia McClennen, Harold Ross

Today's Republican Party is the #ActiveShooter of American politics

Submitted by GreyHawk on October 4, 2017 - 22:25
Today's Republican Party is the #ActiveShooter of American politics

Crossposted to Medium and Daily Kos.

Now, more than ever before, today’s Republican Party represents the #ActiveShooter in American politics.

#HealthCare #CHIP #PuertoRico #SandyHook #ClimateChange #LasVegas #RenewableEnergy #FuckTheGOP #Education #Science

ACA, Obamacare, Mass Shootings, healthcare, CHIP, Puerto Rico, Sandy Hook, Climate Change, Las Vegas, Renewable Energy, #FuckTheGOP, Education, science

Jobs are NOT coming back ...

Submitted by Roxy on June 20, 2017 - 11:02
Robot and hand

... even if manufacturing does. The bulk of job loss in these Divided United States is due to automation. (I love ya, Bernie Sanders), but cancleing trade deals is not going to keep or bring back jobs.

When people, humans started being referred to as "Human Resources" we were all in trouble. Bottom line? The people doing the work were just a resource, a means to an end. Now, with all the technological advances, those Human Resources are in lesser and lesser demand.

Remember all those jobs that Hair Furor saved at Carrier? Well, the company is going to invest the reward money in ... more automation! 

Legit, This Should Scare The Bejesus Out Of You. [by Colorado is the Shiznit]

Submitted by GreyHawk on March 26, 2017 - 15:55
Constitution

[Originally written & posted on Daily Kos by dKos user Colorado is the Shiznit; reposted here with permission.]

If you want a funny or original Shiz diary that just slacks off and asks people to post songs and videos, so’s we can take our collective minds off The Orange Menace currently residing in the White House, sadly — this is not even remotely that.

One of my Wisconsin friends on Facebook posted a link to this absolutely terrible shit last week, and it’s taken me several days and many hours of digging and reading to come to terms with what this means, not only for residents of my Walker-Asshole state, but for the country as a whole:

Republican legislators want to make Wisconsin the 29th state to call for a convention to add a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution, raising concerns among Democrats that the state could help open the door to ultra-conservative proposals that would drastically reshape the nation’s guiding document.

Resist the encroaching wave of hatred and violence.

Submitted by GreyHawk on February 26, 2017 - 11:42

 

It's up to us, folks. All of us.

The @GOP’s increased, incessant drumbeat & incitement of racism, hatred, bigotry, misogyny has solidified into the platform of the party in power. The negative impact to the State of the Nation has been immediate, and to the shame of all US citizens. The Trump GOP is doing its literal damndest to drag this nation back into their personal, paranoid, xenophobic hell...it's now time for all remaining citizens, for all mature and civilized adults, to not only hope but to strive to undo the damage before it sets.

#Impeact #Indict #Remove #Investigate #Expose #Resist

Resist, Resistance, Impeach, Indict, Remove, convict, Investigate, Oppose, Stand Up