Tuesday, October 16, 2018
THE RUSSIAN INVESTIGATION
- Trump campaign veterans were paid $5.4 million by Saudi Arabia for doing virtually nothing
- Trump denies money made from Saudi Arabia he used to brag about
- A Saudi Prince Helped Save Trump From Bankruptcy—Twice
- Caroline Orr: Yes, something to know re. Trump’s claim that he has no financial interests in Saudi Arabia: Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal helped save him from bankruptcy in 1991 (via a $20 mil yacht buy) and again in 1995 (by taking over Trump’s 51% stake in his NY Plaza hotel; seen below).
- This is your daily reminder that all roads lead back to Donald Trump’s tax returns
- Putin’s favorite congressman denies Russia hacked the DNC, because that’s what Julian Assange told him
- Manafort Wants to Jettison Prison Jump Suit for Future Hearings
- Feds freeze Russian oligarch’s assets, Upper East Side mansion
KHASHOGGI
- Turkey Details Alleged Killing of Saudi Journalist
- Photos of suspect with prince defy Trump/Saudi rogue killer story
- Jamal Khashoggi Case: Suspects Had Ties to Saudi Crown Prince
- Trump joins Saudi Arabia’s Khashoggi coverup
- Turkey’s Erdogan says some material at Saudi consulate painted over | Article [AMP] | Reuters
- Two Princes: Kushner, Khashoggi, and the Kingdom’s MbS
- U.S. Senate leader says needs facts in Khashoggi case before acting
- As ‘Gruesome’ New Details of Khashoggi Murder Emerge, Trump Obediently Bows to Saudi Crown Prince
- Google Pulls Out of Saudi Conference as the World Still Wonders What Happened to Jamal Khashoggi
- Jared Kushner ‘deeply involved’ in White House response to Khashoggi’s disappearance
- Khashoggi’s fate isn’t a surprise: Trump has emboldened Saudi Arabia | Mohamad Bazzi
- Louise Mensch: #MohammedBoneSaw = MBS. Here’s what I’m sleeping on tonight, @WashingtonPost – what story did Mohammed Bone Saw kill Jamal #Khashoggi over, to stop him reporting it, and how can we ensure that story is published and reaches the widest possible audience? @SaudiEmbassyUSA
- Mousa: Jamal Khashoggi interview on Egyptian TV revealing classified deal between Trump and the Royal king of Saudi Arabia to take money from Royal Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal to bail him self out after being arrested for corruption the money end up to Trump / Kushner weapon deal
- Pompeo calls for ‘transparent’ Saudi investigation of Khashoggi’s fate
- Rubio: No amount of money could ‘purchase back our credibility on human rights’ if US doesn’t take action after Khashoggi’s disappearance
- Suspects in Khashoggi Case Had Ties to Saudi Crown Prince
- Suspects in disappearance linked to Saudi security services
- Trump and Pompeo Are Helping the Saudis Sweep a Murder Under the Rug
- Trump campaign veterans were paid $5.4 million by Saudi Arabia for doing virtually nothing
- Trump lies about having ‘no financial interests in Saudi Arabia’
- Trump says he has ‘no financial interests in Saudi Arabia.’ But his businesses have made millions from the Saudi government, and the crown prince gave his New York City hotel a huge boost.
- Walter Shaub: How much do the Saudis spend at your hotels? How much did they pay for condos or an entire floor of Trump Tower? Who are your companies’ business partners? Who do they owe money? Who are their customers? Who leases your name? What’s in your tax returns? AMERICA DOES NOT KNOW.
- Walter Shaub: The American people should not have to wonder if their president’s financial conflicts of interest influenced this half-hearted 15-minute inquiry into the murder of a Virginia resident who wrote for the Washington Post before he was tortured and cut up with a bone saw.
- Washington Post told lobbyist: Quit working for Saudis or stop writing for us
- WWE’s Saudi Arabia Nightmare – Vice
- ‘He had this guy murdered’: Lindsey Graham pins blame on Saudi crown prince for missing journalist
- A Saudi Prince Helped Save Trump From Bankruptcy—Twice
- Body of missing Saudi journalist was cut into pieces, Turkish official says
- Caroline Orr: Yes, something to know re. Trump’s claim that he has no financial interests in Saudi Arabia: Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal helped save him from bankruptcy in 1991 (via a $20 mil yacht buy) and again in 1995 (by taking over Trump’s 51% stake in his NY Plaza hotel; seen below).
- Donald Trump is a “PR agent” for Saudi Arabia after reporter’s apparent killing, says top Democrat
- Saudi Arabia hinted at a U.S. oil embargo. It’s not 1973.
- Saudi Arabia is putting money in Trump’s pocket. Is that shaping U.S. policy?
- Endeavor Pulling Out of $400 Million Saudi Arabia Deal
- High-ranking Saudi officer oversaw botched interrogation of missing journalist, sources say
- How much damage can Saudi Arabia do to the global economy?
- Photos of suspect with prince defy Trump/Saudi rogue killer story
- S.E. Cupp: No state government, working with the US, should ambush, dismember and put in boxes a journo in a foreign country and shrug it off as an interrogation plan gone wrong. If Trump lets this go without a strong rebuke we’re no better than the animals who carried out this savage act.
- Greg Olear: Apparently people are saying MbS now stands for “Mohammed bone Saw.” May he wear that label forever.
- Trump has revealed his true allies
- President Trump seems eager to contain, not confront, fallout in case of missing journalist
COHEN, NEW YORK, AND THE OTHER LAWSUITS
- Michael Cohen has reportedly spent at least 50 hours meeting with various investigators
- Trump says former lawyer Cohen’s testimony was ‘totally false’: AP
- Trump tells AP his former attorney Cohen was ‘lying’ when he testified that Trump directed him to break the law
- Trump calls Stormy Daniels ‘Horseface,’ cheers judge’s dismissal of defamation suit
- Trump calls Stormy Daniels ‘horseface’ after judge dismisses her suit
- Avenatti Blasts Trump as ‘Disgusting Misogynist’ After President Calls Stormy Daniels ‘Horseface’
- President Trump calls Stormy Daniels ‘horseface,’ vows to go after her and ‘3rd rate lawyer’ Micahel Avenatti
- GOP lawmaker rips Trump for Stormy Daniels attack: This is ‘unbecoming of any man’
- Stormy Daniels Mocks Trump Over ‘Horseface’ Tweet: Perhaps He’s Into ‘Bestiality’
- Stormy Daniels: Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present your president. In addition to his…umm…shortcomings, he has demonstrated his incompetence, hatred of women and lack of self control on Twitter AGAIN! And perhaps a penchant for bestiality. Game on, Tiny.
- ‘This is what happens when you elect a moron to the presidency’: Michael Avenatti claps back at Trump’s ‘Horseface’ tweet toward Stormy Daniels
SCOTUS & #METOO
- ‘Everywhere we went, we had to worry about our safety’: Women who attended Yale in the 1980s describe the culture around sexual misconduct amid the Brett Kavanaugh allegations
- Emptywheel: Hey Brett Kavanaugh: How’s it feel to be likened to a guy who killed a journalist then had him cut into pieces? #TheCompanyYouKeep
- Trump says criticism of Saudi Arabia over Khashoggi’s apparent murder is like Kavanaugh allegations
- Trump insisted on ‘innocent until proven guilty’ for Kavanaugh, but not for others
- Kavanaugh fight was win-at-all-costs politics. We can do better: Kasich
- A year ago, Alyssa Milano started a conversation about #MeToo. These women replied.
- An Indian minister accused of sexual abuse now wants to punish women
- Kidman: ‘Cruise marriage protected me from harassment’
- The pink resistance is growing
- History Will Judge John Roberts if His Court’s Steady Stream of 5–4 Pro-GOP Decisions Continues
- The enduring Bill Clinton dilemma
- How America Systematically Fails Survivors of Sexual Violence
- How to Fix the Supreme Court: Weaken It
TRUMP THE RUSSIAN ASSET
- Trump is brutal authoritarians’ best advocate
- Trump and Pompeo Are Helping the Saudis Sweep a Murder Under the Rug
- Trump: ‘I have no financial interests in Saudi Arabia’
- Trump denies money made from Saudi Arabia he used to brag about
- Trump has it ‘totally and completely backwards’ on Saudi arms sales
- Donald Trump is a “PR agent” for Saudi Arabia after reporter’s apparent killing, says top Democrat
- The numbers are in, and Trump’s tax cut didn’t reduce the deficit – despite his many promises
- In AP interview, Trump says he won’t accept blame if GOP loses control of House
- Trump’s strange ‘Republican Club’ painting is now a meme. There’s a Star Wars version, of course.
I’m not going to link to a picture of the painting, because it’s stupid, tacky, and belongs in a psychotherapists dossier on him, but I’ll describe it.
Remember that stupid mall-quality portrait of all of the old Republican President’s playing poker? This is almost the same thing, but puts Trump at the table, and everyone is drinking their drink of choice.
From a friend of mine, Kat, about Trump’s painting.
I’m pretty sure all of them would hate him.
Ronald Reagan might tolerate him at best, because Nancy told him to.
Gerald Ford would probably hate him at minimum for being a draft dodger.
Richard Nixon would hate him for being an idiot, and for wrecking the EPA.
Dwight D. Eisenhower would probably be suppressing the urge to light him on fire.
Theodore Roosevelt would ACTUALLY be lighting him on fire, because let’s face it. Teddy had no impulse control. Bully!
Lincoln would be generally trying to figure out what the hell happened to the party he helped create and how the fuck this moron ended up president.
TRAITOR TOTS
- Lincoln’s Bible: Every single instinct of Jared’s is a total train wreck for @realDonaldTrump. I can’t believe there’s someone more damaging to Trump than himself, but behold: 1) @Comey firing 2) MBS love 3) SF-86 lies 4) Russia Embassy back-channel & VTB 5) Kanye 6) All things 666 7) Gary Cohn
- Mitch McConnell blames the poor for Trump’s Trillion-Dollar deficit
- Putin’s favorite congressman denies Russia hacked the DNC, because that’s what Julian Assange told him
- Calling Democrats a ‘mob’ presents a very dark turn in our politics
- Arpaio files libel suit against New York Times
- Ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio files libel suit against NYT
- Steven Mnuchin was on the board of Sears when Trump said it was ‘improperly run’
FIGHTING BACK
- Fox News’ Tucker Carlson says he can’t go to restaurants anymore without people screaming profanities at him
- Fox News’ Tucker Carlson: I Don’t Eat Out Anymore ‘Because I Get Yelled At’
- Report: If Not for Republican Policies, the Federal Government Would Be Running a Surplus | U.S. Senate Committee On The Budget
- Police Seek 9 Proud Boys Supporters on Riot Charges After Brawls With Antifa
- Portland Cops Knew The Fascists Had A Weapons Cache. They Kept Silent And Attacked Protesters.
- Portland police found right-wing group on rooftop with weapons at major rally
- Alumni and faculty call on St. Lawrence University to rescind Susan Collins’ honorary degree
- Donald Trump’s Vow To Rally In ‘The Biggest Stadium In Texas’ Falls 94,000 Seats Short
- Madison Never Envisioned Minority Rule – The Framers worried about absolute rule by majorities. But they never would’ve imagined the opposite.
- Major overhauls needed to ensure a violent revolution remains fictional
- Michael Avenatti: Q: Trump and his cronies at Fox and on Twitter call me a “porn lawyer” for representing one porn star in my 18 yr career. Meanwhile, Trump has had unprotected sex with multiple porn stars while married with chidlren. What does that make him? A: #PornPresident. Please trend.
- Pelosi: Dems would start with campaign finance reform if they take House
- Robinson: Why Trump’s relentless lying is an impeachable offense
IMMIGRATION
- To Free Detained Children, Immigrant Families Are Forced to Risk Everything
- Caravan of more than 1,000 migrants moves north, triggering outrage from Trump
COLD WAR 2.0
- American Mercenaries Were Hired To Assassinate Politicians In The Middle East
- Julian Castro ‘Likely’ to Run for President in 2020
- Bill Browder: Phew.. I made RT’s list of top 10 Russophobes. I’m actually very fond of normal Russians, just not of the criminals who run the country. But relieved that the Kremlin mouthpiece didn’t leave me off this year.
#NEVERAGAIN
- Shannon Watts: All you need to know about Ted Cruz is that he voted against background checks just weeks after 20 children and six educators were shot inside an American elementary school. He cares about gun lobby profits, not people. Vote @BetoORourke
- David Hogg: It’s terrifying how many elected officials are anti-democracy.
WARREN
- Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians chief voices support for Elizabeth Warren after she sparked controversy for taking a DNA test to prove her Native American ancestry
- Elizabeth Warren: Trump is ‘Scared’ of Me—That’s Why He Made ‘Creepy Physical Threats’ About DNA Test
- Why the Cherokee Nation’s rebuke of Elizabeth Warren matters
- Warren Says Trump’s Desire To Personally Test Her DNA Is ‘Creepy’
- Trump responds to Elizabeth Warren DNA test by repeating racial slur
- Lindsey Graham ends ‘Fox & Friends’ interview with remarkably casual bigotry
- Lindsey Graham says it would be, ‘like, terrible’ if a DNA test found that he had Iranian heritage
FIXING THE INTERNET
- Comcast complains it will make less money under Calif. net neutrality law
- New York Attorney General Expands Inquiry Into Net Neutrality Comments
- Twitter suspended 1,500 for spreading wrong election date
THE PROPAGANDA MACHINE
- Endeavor Pulling Out of $400 Million Saudi Arabia Deal
- Facebook’s Latest Fake News ‘Purge’ Terminates Several Accounts Known For Their Criticism Of Law Enforcement
- Lindsey Graham Went on Fox & Friends, Kissed the President’s Ass, and Dropped Some Casual Bigotry
- Trump’s ’60 minutes’ interview draws fewer viewers than Stormy Daniels’s
- Trump’s Attacks on the Press Are Illegal. We’re Suing.
- Sean Hannity blames Proud Boys attack on antifa, denies knowing group despite having founder on Fox News show
WHITE HOUSE CHAOS
- Pat Cipollone will be next White House counsel
- Mattis: ‘I’ve never registered for any political party’
TRADE WAR AND ECONOMY
- How much damage can Saudi Arabia do to the global economy?
- Here Come the Trade War Price Hikes: Canton Fair Notebook
- McConnell Blames Entitlements, Not GOP, for Rising Deficits
- McConnell eyes cuts to Medicare, Social Security to address deficit
- McConnell says deficits“not a Republican problem”
- Mitch McConnell blames the poor for Trump’s Trillion-Dollar deficit
- Mitch McConnell says deficit ballooned because of Social Security, Medicare, not Republican Tax Cuts
- The numbers are in, and Trump’s tax cut didn’t reduce the deficit – despite his many promises
- Deficit balloons to $779 billion in Trump’s second year
- Steven Mnuchin was on the board of Sears when Trump said it was ‘improperly run’
- No chance Congress will vote on USMCA this year, Mitch McConnell says
STUDENT LOANS
- The Forgotten Faces of Student Loan Default – Center for American Progress
- 1 in 3 baby boomers say college debt still stands in the way of saving for retirement
- America’s $1.5 trillion student-loan industry is a ‘failed social experiment’
- Court allows Obama-era student loan rules to take effect, delivering defeat to DeVos
- Defrauded Students Win Class Certification in Lawsuit Against DeVos
GOP: THE PARTY OF LINCOLN IS DEAD
- Republicans Are Adopting the Proud Boys
- Republicans Are Outraged about the Deficit They Caused
- Republicans Aren’t Running on Taxes Anymore. They’re Running on Bigotry.
- Republicans may finally kill the law that saved the bald eagles
- One of Republicans’ biggest promises about their tax law is coming apart at the seams
- Report: If Not for Republican Policies, the Federal Government Would Be Running a Surplus | U.S. Senate Committee On The Budget
- Indicted Rep. Chris Collins in tight race in his Republican Buffalo-area district, poll finds
- Max Boot on the end of conservatism: “The Republican Party needs to be burned down”
- Mega-donors Sheldon and Miriam Adelson donate $32 million in September to boost Republicans
- Founder of alt-right ‘Proud Boys’ defends calling victims ‘fa***ts’ during vicious beatdown
- Who’s conservative now? Republicans’ budget-busting continues.
DATING APP?
- A Dating App for Donald Trump Supporters Leaked All Its Private User Info on the First Day
- Trump Dating App Hacked Hours After Launch
A Trump Supporter Dating App? Is it called “Swipe Alt-Right”?.
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
- Alaska Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott resigns over “inappropriate comments”
- New York City Goes A Whole Weekend With No Shootings
- ‘Swipe right to sue’: Now you can file lawsuits the same way you find hookups on Tinder
- FBI raids San Juan city offices weeks after Trump alleges corruption
PRIESTS
ENVIRONMENT
- ‘I Don’t Know That It’s Man-Made,’ Trump Says of Climate Change. It Is.
- Trump team makes controversial change to allow chicken plants to operate at faster speeds
- Michael cleanup in Florida Panhandle hampered by damaged roads, power outages
- Michael’s second wind: A rare case of a tropical storm that strengthened over land
- Those hard hit by Hurricane Michael wait for power, food, cell service
- Why isn’t the media covering climate change all day, every day?
- Florida Republicans increasingly facing climate change questions as elections loom
- Hurricane death toll climbs in Florida as officials get into most devastated areas
- Hurricane-proofing Florida homes is worth the cost, and then some
- In ‘Blockbuster’ Ruling, Judge Says Youths’ Climate Case Against Trump Administration Can Proceed to Trial
- Leaders move past Trump to protect world from climate change
- Family stranded by hurricane spelled ‘help’ with downed trees. Niece spotted signal online.
- Paralyzing polio-like illness confirmed in 22 states, CDC says
- Rising seas could devastate historical sites across the Mediterranean, study finds
ELECTION 2018
- Millennials Need to Start Voting Before the Gerontocracy Kills Us All
- Nate Silver will make one firm prediction about the midterms. Most journalists won’t want to hear it.
- New Ad Burns Ted Cruz For His Love Of Un-Texan White Castle Burgers | HuffPost
- Beto O’Rourke says Ted Cruz has an attendance problem. Cruz has missed 14 percent of votes; O’Rourke has missed 3 percent.
- Beto O’Rourke Slams Ted Cruz: Donald Trump’s ‘Lyin Ted’ Nickname Stuck ‘Because It’s True’
- Donors to dark-money groups mostly hidden despite court ruling
- The midterms are drowning in money. How worried should that make us?
- 4,000 Square Miles. One Post Office. Why It’s So Hard to Vote in Arizona’s Indian Country.
- An Upset That Nobody Sees Coming Could Determine Control Of The House
- Arizona race gets ugly as Martha McSally accuses Kyrsten Sinema of ‘treason’ over 2003 Taliban comments
- California Republican’s ties to Russia are front and center as his House race goes down to the wire
- Democratic candidates in competitive races see infusion of cash in final stretch
- DHS Detects Increasing Hacking Attempts Of Election Infrastructure
- Dozens of black senior citizens ordered off bus taking them to vote
- Duncan Hunter returns to the spotlight with one of the most vile political ads this year
- Hackers, trolls and the fight over your vote in the 2018 midterm elections
- Here’s a list of every vulnerable House Republican who voted to gut pre-existing conditions coverage
- I’m a Teacher in a Red State. The Teachers’ Strike Turned My Ballot Blue.
- In AP interview, Trump says he won’t accept blame if GOP loses control of House
- It’s either Trump or Pelosi: GOP group’s ad blitz gives voters a choice ahead of the midterms
- Many Native IDs Won’t Be Accepted At North Dakota Polling Places : NPR
- Opinion | Voter suppression efforts are increasing. It’s time for a new Voting Rights Act.
- O’Rourke comes out swinging at ‘Lyin Ted’ Cruz in Texas debate
- Rejection of hundreds of absentee ballots in suburban Atlanta county draws legal challenges
- Romney’s latest attempt to backtrack on Trump tells us what to expect from him in the Senate
- Support for Trump is fading among active-duty troops, new poll shows
- Ted Cruz snaps at debate moderator when asked about civility: “Don’t interrupt me, Jason”
- Trump’s grip on the Midwest was illusory
- Turnout soars on the first day of early voting in Georgia
- Why Republicans Are Suppressing Black Votes
PROGRESS IS PROGRESS
- Idaho Game Commissioner Resigns After Killing ‘Family Of Baboons’ In Africa
- Marijuana becomes legal in Canada on Wednesday, but barriers remain for consumers
IN OTHER NEWS…
- Famed Nevada brothel owner Dennis Hof found dead at ‘Love Ranch’
- Dennis Hof, the brothel kingpin who was running for state assembly, is dead – Los Angeles Times
RUMOR MILL
Good morning, MSM. Do your damn jobs and put reporters on the following: child trafficking through churches, missions, charities. Tie it to the Mob, and money laundering. Get moving.
Got any actual reporters left after that? Do the state economic development corruption on legalizing gambling. Tie it to televised poker. Plenty of TV stars to make the stories clickbait-y. Now get hustling.
Still covering Elizabeth Warren’s DNA? Put it the fuck down on go look at how the Mob – particularly the Russian mafiya, led by Semion Mogilevich – has been stealing from our healthcare system for years. Leads are ALL OVER Justice Dot Gov.
Did you DARE to type the word “Kanye” into anything? Fuck that – get into http://opensecrets.org and start looking at who’s lobbying for which foreign entities without registering FARA – and the donations to AMERICAN POLITICIANS. 100 Pulitzers are sitting there. Get moving.
Sorry to be brusque – but bone saws and Mobsters and child rape, you know. Patience is thinning and we could use some help. </>
- Angry White House Staffer: Trump is completely eroding the credibility of the United States. We have proof the Saudis did it. Our allies have proof the Saudis did it. Our allies have almost universally offered strong condemnation. Trump has offered nothing but support and whataboutism.
- Countercheckist: tRUmp’s strategy between now and Nov is to throw out as much outrageous #provokatsiya as possible. That way no one can focus on his sinking ship of an admin/party. Ignore him. Democrats winning is what he fears the most, not SOCMED SJW brigades. Eyes on the prize, patriots.
- Lincoln’s Bible: Maggie may cast herself as the owner of a mysterious 🍊creature, who can whisper to us the secret impulses and motivations behind his every fart & tweet… but he is still her pet. And she feeds him well. #ButHerEMAILS!
- Tea Pain: Saudi Arabia has committed a heinous crime against an American resident and our illegitimate President is helpin’ cover it up to protect his own Saudi business interests. This is corruption on a scale our country has never seen before. Donald Trump is the enemy of justice.
- Tea Pain: Yesterday we learned Michael Cohen has spent over 50 hours cooperatin’ with Mueller and other investigations. Today Trump is on an unhinged Twitter rant about the “Witch Hunt” for the first time in a month. There ain’t no coincidences in Trumpworld. Tiny Donald is worried.
Funny how that works. It’s almost like he’s rage tweeting right after being asked by the press for a comment on a story they’re working on.
That’s it for Tuesday. I’m tired, and could use a few hours off to recharge. Instead, I’ll get caught up over the weekend.
There are some even more disturbing details about Khashoggi’s murder coming out that I’ll talk about on the next post. Apparently, there’s about 7 minutes of audio of him being tortured and cut to pieces while still alive.
Also, expect some reports about Mueller’s team looking to report something after the midterms. There’s something sketchy about this story, so let’s see how this plays out.
Thank you, and have a good one.
“Without Journalists, it’s just propaganda.”
– Katy Tur
None of this is Normal 