Wednesday, December 19, 2018
THE RUSSIAN INVESTIGATION
Deripaska Sanctions
- Trump admin to lift sanctions on firms owned by Russian oligarch Deripaska
- Trump Is Prepared to Give Break to Companies Owned by Manafort-Connected Russian Oligarch
- Trump Ready to Remove Sanctions on Deripaska’s Rusal in 30 Days
- Treasury to terminate sanctions on Russian aluminum company Rusal
- 20181219_notification_removal.pdf
- Jed Shugerman: Sanctions Bait and Switch
2/ No, I’m not making this up, Trump’s Treasury is trolling us by approving of Deripaska’s assets going to VTB and Glencore. The sanctioned VTB Bank was supposed to finance Trump Tower Moscow. “Sater emailed Cohen that VTB Bank would fund the project.”
3/ And Glencore? Seriously? Glencore is being investigated for money laundering, and has been doing big business with Deripaska for years:
4/ And yes, it’s that Glencore, the Swiss energy firm based on the Isle of Jersey, the deregulated Cayman Islands of Europe, that teamed up with Qatar to buy Rosneft from Russia in Dec. 2016, consistent with Steele Dossier:
Syria Withdrawl
- Trump Outright Ignored Pentagon, State Department Syria Policy in a Big Win for Putin
- Trump undermines his entire national security team on Syria
- US preparing for ‘full’ and ‘rapid’ withdrawal from Syria
- Trump administration plans to pull U.S. troops from Syria immediately, defense official says
- Pelosi Statement on Withdrawal of Troops from Syria
“It is premature for the President to declare a sweeping victory against ISIS when, just a few weeks ago, our military led more than 250 coalition-conducted airstrikes against targets in Iraq and Syria. All Americans should be concerned that this hasty announcement was made on the day after sentencing in criminal proceedings began against the President’s former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who admitted that he was a registered foreign agent for a country with clear interests in the Syrian conflict.
“We must also ask why the President did not make this decision in the context of advancing peace negotiations. The deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Syria remains a stain on the conscience of the world. Syrian families caught in the middle of this conflict continue to endure heartbreaking horrors every day.
“When we take the gavel, our Democratic Majority will uphold the Congress’ constitutional oversight responsibilities to ensure that the President’s decisions advance our national security interests, not his personal or political objectives. The American people deserve a smart, strong and strategic Syria policy that keeps America safe, protects our interests and advances peace in the region.”
A day after a judge asks prosecutors whether or not Michael Flynn committed treason, Donald Trump’s administration pulls two crazy stunts that independently make no sense but when combined point to one outcome.
Trump is compromised and working for Russia.
Pulling out of Syria in a hurry only benefits one party: Putin’s Russia. It creates chaos among our allies, strengthens our enemies, and leaves the region in chaos.
As far as removing sanctions on Rusal and Deripaska…
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!!
This mother fucker is intimately tied into an attack on America, and instead of punishing him, his companies, his family, and everyone who’s ever looked at him, we’re letting him do business in this country?
Oleg should be on the receiving end of asset forfeiture procedures and a loooooooooooong prison sentence, not getting allowed back into the American business world.
- Lifting Russian Sanctions Key to Trump Deal Exposed by Cohen
- Leaks show Trump signed off on Trump Tower Moscow project. After weeks of calling Cohen a liar, the president inadvertently proves him right.
- Rudy Giuliani Claimed Trump Tower Moscow Wasn’t a Thing. Then CNN Showed Up With Receipts
- Donald Trump signed letter of intent over Moscow Trump Tower project, leaked document reveals
- Giuliani lied about a Trump Tower Moscow letter of intent. CNN has receipts.
- Giuliani says Trump signing letter of intent for Moscow tower is meaningless
- Leaked document signed by Trump contradicts Giuliani on Trump Tower Moscow plans, CNN claims
As I mentioned yesterday, the letter of intent helps illustrate how deep Trump is involved personally. (Daily Check-In 12/18/2018) This letter surfacing showing that he intended to work with VTB, who is part of the Rusal Shell Game mentioned above, only paints the picture to the world that Trump knew and the Russians have him in their pocket.
The Trump campaign funneled money to ad buyers alleged to have facilitated illegal coordination between the campaign and the NRA by routing funds through a secretive LLC that appears to be little more than a shell company, an investigation by the Center for Responsive Politics has found.
While the Trump campaign stopped reporting payments to ad buyers alleged to have facilitated illegal coordination between the campaign and the NRA after the 2016 election cycle, Trump’s 2020 campaign has continued to deploy the same individuals working for the firms at the center of the controversy through payments to Harris Sikes Media LLC — a low-profile limited-liability company operating with no website or public-facing facade whatsoever.
Facing the illegal coordination allegations are National Media, Red Eagle Media Group and American Media & Advocacy Group (AMAG), closely tied consultancies that share staff, resources and adjacent storefronts in Alexandria, Va.
CRP’s analysis of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) records found that Trump campaign political ad disclosures on file with stations across the country have continued to include signatures and names of individuals working for National Media, despite no mention of National Media or its known affiliates on any FCC or Federal Election Commission (FEC) disclosures. Those individual ad buyers’ names have simultaneously continued to be included in ad documents for the National Rifle Association (NRA) and America First, but with the ad buyers’ affiliation listed as National Media or one of its affiliates.
Jesus fucking Christ on a cracker, could the corruption be any more blatant? We talked about this two weeks ago on Daily Check-In 12/06/2018. Now, it looks like the Trump 2020 campaign is doing the EXACT SAME ILLEGAL SHIT WITH THE EXACT SAME PEOPLE.
This pisses me off. I could use some good news.
- Mueller seeks Roger Stone’s testimony to House intelligence panel, suggesting special counsel is near end of probe of Trump adviser
- House Intelligence expected to vote Thursday on sending Roger Stone transcript to Mueller
There’s some good news. And this puts Devin Nunes in a losing position.
If the Intel Committee votes against releasing the testimony to Mueller now, it will only be along partisan lines, and will be reversed in a couple weeks when the Democrats take over the House. If they vote for releasing the testimony, they draw the ire of the TrumpFox crowd. Either way, Mueller will get his hands on that testimony, whether it be now or a couple weeks from now.
- Lincoln’s Bible: Several of us have been saying this FOR OVER A YEAR. I’ll summarize. Again. They committed psychological experimentation on the public – w/ military-grade algorithms – WITHOUT informed consent. Facebook aided & abetted. These are major crimes, & all should be sued into oblivion.
- David Carroll: Psychological Warfare
- NEW: Emails show Parliament was misled about extent of engagement between Bannon’s Cambridge Analytica and LeaveEU Brexit campaign including details about using TAA psychological warfare methods.
- Ken Starr: Trump can be indicted
- Poll: Majority say sitting presidents should be subject to indictment
- Judge Sides With BuzzFeed Over Publication of Steele Dossier
- BuzzFeed News Has Won A Lawsuit Over Its Decision To Publish The Trump Dossier
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a defamation lawsuit against BuzzFeed News over the publication of a dossier in January 2017 that alleged several years of links between Russia and then–president-elect Donald Trump.
A Cypriot businessman, Aleksej Gubarev, was named in the dossier, and his name wasn’t redacted in the version originally published by BuzzFeed. Gubarev sued shortly after the article came out, claiming he was defamed by having his name included.
US District Judge Ursula Ungaro in Florida found that BuzzFeed News was shieldedagainst defamation claims because the dossier was the subject of official proceedings — both Trump and then-president Barack Obama had been briefed on it, according to reporting at the time, and the FBI investigated allegations in the documents. The judge concluded that BuzzFeed News was protected by what’s known as the “fair report” privilege.
Ungaro also found that the BuzzFeed News article was “fair and true” because it just reproduced the dossier — it didn’t express any opinions about it.
- No evidence FBI officials’ texts deliberately erased, as Donald Trump said
- Robert Mueller is the most unknowable man in Washington
- Remember the Big Story in the Russia Scandal: Donald Trump Betrayed America
COHEN, NEW YORK, AND THE OTHER LAWSUITS
- Lifting Russian Sanctions Key to Trump Deal Exposed by Cohen
- Leaks show Trump signed off on Trump Tower Moscow project. After weeks of calling Cohen a liar, the president inadvertently proves him right.
- Mystery Sealed Document In Cohen Case Placed In Vault In Federal Court
- Trump, foundering: His foundation stands nakedly exposed as a sham
- New York’s next attorney general targeted slumlords. Now she’s going after Trump.
- Enquirer Insider: ‘Shoe To Drop’ on Saudi money, AMI, Trump
TRUMP THE RUSSIAN ASSET A.K.A. INDIVIDUAL-1
- Trump admin to lift sanctions on firms owned by Russian oligarch Deripaska
- Trump Ready to Remove Sanctions on Deripaska’s Rusal in 30 Days
- Trump administration plans to pull U.S. troops from Syria immediately, defense official says
- Trump Quietly Starts Firing Service Members Living with HIV Just Before the Holidays
TRAITOR TOTS
- Paul Ryan Laments Not Screwing Over More Poor People on His Way Out the Door
- Paul Ryan sure wishes we could have fixed the deficit he helped explode
- Senate GOP blocks Mueller protection bill for third time
- Financial disclosure reveals Wilbur Ross didn’t divest from all stocks when he said he would
FIGHTING BACK
- Rep. Adam Schiff: If Michael Cohen Goes to Jail, So Should Trump
- Rep. Adam Schiff: If Michael Cohen Goes to Jail, Why Wouldn’t Trump?
- Donald Trump might be the dimmest President the US has ever had
- George Soros, a ‘standard bearer of liberal democracy,’ was just named ‘Person of the Year’ by the Financial Times
- Historian: Presidents in Trouble Often Go to War
- Not even Trump supporters believe the president on Russia anymore
- ‘Trump is a Traitor’: Minneapolis Man Installs Political Holiday Light Display, and the Locals Love it .
- ‘The Trump people do not do well in courts’: Ex-prosecutor details how right-wing ‘conspiracy theories’ fail before judges
- Turns out federal judges have little patience for Trump’s conspiracy theories
KHASHOGGI & SAUDI ARABIA
SCOTUS & COURTS
IMMIGRATION
- Senate to pass bill that would keep government open, deny Trump wall funding
- Trump’s border wall prototypes fail design requirements and are riddled with deficiencies
- Tucker Carlson Dropped by at Least 20 Advertisers Over Immigration Comments
- IHOP pulls ads from Tucker Carlson’s show after immigration comments spark backlash
- Judge strikes down Trump administration effort to deny asylum for migrants fleeing gang violence, domestic abuse
- Trump faces large barrier as he seeks money for border wall
- Honduran mother and kids in viral tear gas photo have been allowed into the U.S., lawmakers say
COLD WAR 2.0
- Russians sanctioned over election hacking and assassination attempt
- Trump administration plans to pull U.S. troops from Syria immediately, defense official says
- Palestinian protesters demand end to brutal treatment at hands of PA
#NEVERAGAIN
- Nearly 40,000 People Died From Guns in U.S. Last Year, Highest in 50 Years
- Gun-related deaths have surpassed motor vehicle deaths. Here’s what I’ve learned fighting both. – The Lily
- Trump 2020 campaign used a shell company to pay ad buyers at the center of alleged illegal coordination scheme with NRA
FIXING THE INTERNET
- As Facebook Raised a Privacy Wall, It Carved an Opening for Tech Giants
- Chris Vickery: Holy fuggin shiznit: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/18/technology/facebook-privacy.html … This means Zuckerberg sat in a Congressional hearing and lied. It’s hard to portray how untruthful he was. The word that comes to mind is “malicious”. Zuck -maliciously- lied to congress about Facebook data disbursement for profit.
- Washington DC sues Facebook over privacy scandal
- D.C. attorney general sues Facebook over Cambridge Analytica scandal, the first major U.S. regulatory action in company’s crisis
- Facebook “allowed Microsoft’s Bing search engine to see the names of virtually all Facebook users’ friends without consent, the records show, and gave Netflix and Spotify the ability to read Facebook users’ private messages.”
- ‘It’s about time’: Facebook faces first lawsuit from U.S. regulators after Cambridge Analytica scandal
- Start a post, then delete it? Many websites save it anyway.
THE PROPAGANDA MACHINE
- White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders won’t say why Trump bashes ‘rat’ Michael Cohen yet praises convicted liar Michael Flynn
- ‘Fox & Friends’ ‘Stunned’ by Trump’s Loss to Pelosi on Border Wall Funding
- Ex-‘Fox & Friends’ Host Explains How Russian Trolls Took Inspiration From The Show
- Fox Host Calls Flynn Judge a Member of Mueller’s ‘Witch Hunt’
- Fox News host: ‘We’d be up in arms’ if Obama did what Trump has with funding border wall
- President Trump is a loser for minimizing what michael flynn has done, says Andrew Napolitano on fox News
TRADE WAR AND ECONOMY
- As Paul Ryan Says Goodbye, Progressives Say ‘Good Riddance’ to ‘Coward Who Sold Our Economy to Highest Bidders’
- Congressional report: Drug companies, DEA failed to stop flow of millions of opioid pills
- Federal Reserve cuts its outlook for U.S. economy; stocks plunge
- Richest 1% on target to own two-thirds of all wealth by 2030
- Trump tariffs hit middle- and low-income earners most
- Who’s right about the economy: Trump or the Federal Reserve?
GOP: THE PARTY OF LINCOLN IS DEAD
- South Carolina GOP open to canceling state’s 2020 primary to protect Trump from challenge
- More Kansas lawmakers switch parties: Sykes, Clayton leave GOP, become Democrats
- Does political party trump ideology?
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
- He walked free after confessing to abusing a 13-year-old. A drunk prosecutor is to blame.
- Blackwater security guard convicted in 2007 Iraqi civilian massacre that killed or injured 31
- Former Blackwater Employee Found Guilty of Murder in Fatal 2007 Shooting at Nisur Square in Iraq
- Man sues feds after being detained for refusing to unlock his phone at airport
- He reported his company for exploiting undocumented workers. So his boss paid to kill him, police say.
PRIESTS & RELIGION
- Illinois attorney general accuses Catholic Church of lowballing scope of sex abuse allegations
- Pope Francis accepts resignation of L.A. bishop accused of sexual misconduct with a minor
ENVIRONMENT & SCIENCE
- Green New Deal Has Overwhelming Bipartisan Support, Poll Finds. At Least, For Now. | HuffPost
- Should you send your kid’s DNA to 23andMe?
- NIH official commits to continued funding for some fetal tissue research
- Porch pirates stole a package from an engineer — so he created a trap using glitter and ‘fart spray’
- Elon Musk’s first Boring Company tunnel opens, but the roller-coaster ride has just begun
CONGRESS
- Paul Ryan Laments Not Screwing Over More Poor People on His Way Out the Door
- Paul Ryan sure wishes we could have fixed the deficit he helped explode
- Arkansas R Senator Cotton: “If anything, we have an under-incarceration problem”
- Senate overwhelmingly backs overhaul of criminal justice system
- Senate to pass bill that would keep government open, deny Trump wall funding
- Senate GOP blocks Mueller protection bill for third time
- Now is the time for Pelosi to embrace Medicare for all
ELECTIONS
- South Carolina GOP open to canceling state’s 2020 primary to protect Trump from challenge
- N.C. elections board alerted prosecutors to alleged 2016 ballot harvesting, but nothing happened
PROGRESS IS PROGRESS
IN OTHER NEWS…
- A neighbor anonymously called Christmas dragons in her yard ‘demonic.’ So she put more up.
- Bowl games are lucrative for everyone but those putting their careers on the line
- From Broadway to Netflix, Bruce Springsteen might be a renewable resource
- Barack Obama dons a Santa hat and hands out gifts in surprise visit to D.C. children’s hospital
RUMOR MILL
- Active Measures: On the same day @realDonaldTrump orders rapid troop withdrawal from Syria, @USTreasury lifts sanctions on #Deripaska’s companies (after making him forfeit some of his control). Almost feels like someone’s got a sudden and desperate need to appease the Kremlin? #ActiveMeasures. Treasury doc detailing move to lift sanctions. Oleg had to go from 70% ownership of En+ to *only* 45%. Sad!
- Lincoln’s Bible: Several of us have been saying this FOR OVER A YEAR. I’ll summarize. Again. They committed psychological experimentation on the public – w/ military-grade algorithms – WITHOUT informed consent. Facebook aided & abetted. These are major crimes, & all should be sued into oblivion.
That’s it for Wednesday. It’s a little light on the content. I need at least one night a week with more than 4 hours of sleep to recharge. I was completely exhausted from everything going on this time of year, and needed a few hours to recuperate.
Speaking of time off, this Holiday season I’m cutting down on the Daily posts next week. I’ll make a post for this Friday and the weekend, but Monday through Wednesday will be in one post. Depending on what happens, I might change that plan. I would like to do some essays during that time if possible. I have a few ideas floating around.
Thank you, and have a good one.
“Without Journalists, it’s just propaganda.”
– Katy Tur
None of this is Normal 
2 thoughts on “Daily Check-In 12/19/2018”