Monday, February 11, 2019
THE RUSSIAN INVESTIGATION
- Mueller Team Believes Potential Trump Pardon Tainted Manafort’s Cooperation
- Robert Mueller’s lead prosecutor drops hint suggesting Russian collusion is still very much on the menu
- Scott Stedman: Psy Group
June 17, 2016 – Psy Group CEO Joel Zamel is in Russia, and chats with George Nader, looking to “raise money for a social-media campaign in support of Trump.” July 1, 2016 – Psy Group’s ownership transfers to a BVI company with countless connections to Russian finance. August 3, 2016 – Zamel meets with Trump Jr, Nader, Erik Prince and pitches social media campaign to support Trump. After the election – Zamel brags to Nader that he conducted a secret campaign that helped Trump win. Nader pays Zamel $2,000,000 for unknown reasons. We know that Psy Group’s sister company is owned by Russian billionaire Mikhail Slipenchuk. Guess who was at the St Petersburg Forum where Zamel was looking for Psy Group investors? Mikhail Slipenchuk.
- Reporter says Trump called him after Putin meeting to side with Russia’s explanation for 2016 DNC hacks
- Private Mossad for Hire Inside a plot to influence American elections, starting with one small-town race.
COHEN, NEW YORK, AND THE OTHER LAWSUITS
- Cliff Sims, White House Tell-All Author, Sues Trump for Going After Him Over Book
- Ex-White House aide Cliff Sims sues Trump over nondisclosure agreements
- Donald trump invites people to pay $15,000 to take a photo with him
- Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen postpones Tuesday appearance at Senate Intelligence Committee for medical reasons
THE ULTIMATE COCKFIGHT: BEZOS’S PECKER VS. DAVID PECKER
- Report: Leak of Bezos Texts by Mistress’s Brother Was Politically Motivated
- Report: National Enquirer publisher asked Justice Department if it needed to register as foreign agent
- WSJ: National Enquirer Publisher Asked DOJ If It Should Register As Saudi Agent
- Mistress’ Brother Leaked Bezos Texts to Enquirer
The brother of Jeff Bezos’ mistress, Lauren Sanchez, supplied the couple’s racy texts to the National Enquirer, multiple sources inside AMI, the tabloid’s parent company, told The Daily Beast.
Another source who has been in extensive communication with senior leaders at AMI confirmed that Michael Sanchez first supplied Bezos’ texts to the Enquirer.
The leaked texts, published last month, included notes from Bezos like, “I want to smell you, I want to breathe you in. I want to hold you tight.”
AMI has previously refused to identify the source of the texts, but a lawyer for the company strongly hinted at Sanchez’s role during a Sunday morning interview on ABC.
“The story was given to the National Enquirer by a reliable source that had given information to the National Enquirer for seven years prior to this story. It was a source that was well known to both Mr. Bezos and Ms. Sanchez,” attorney Elkan Abramowitz told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.
- MSW Podcast: This sounds to me like AMI wanting people to stop looking beyond Dirty Sanchez. (That’s what we’re calling him. He’s a Stone Ally). What do you guys think?
- 911corlebra777: Hmmm🤔 But how did he get them?
- Dr. Dena Grayson: No surprise, Alan Dershowitz—close pal of Trump and #pedophile Jeffrey Epstein—defends AMI’s alleged #extortion and #bribery attempt of @JeffBezos.🙄
- Alan Dershowitz goes down in flames defending The National Enquirer’s ‘extortion-ish’ threat to Jeff Bezos
- Countercheckist: I’m enjoying Pecker’s “Art of the Deal” skills. He cuts a deal with DOJ, giving them what they want in return for not being thrown in prison. Then he violates that agreement, so now DOJ gets what they want, and gets to throw him in prison, too.
TRUMP THE RUSSIAN ASSET A.K.A. INDIVIDUAL-1
- GOP livid with Trump over ignored Khashoggi report
- Saudi leaders “have leverage over Trump” and can get away with anything, retired admiral alleges
- Raging over a looming loss on his wall, Trump rolls out more lies
- Trump calls to save coal plant supplied by major supporter
- Trump Jr: ‘Loser teachers’ try to sell socialism
- Trump offers socialism for the rich, capitalism for everyone else
TRAITOR TOTS
FIGHTING BACK
- Dan Rather: I wonder if climate scientists have included in their models the effects of the decaying organic matter found in Donald Trump’s Twitter rants.
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is under fire because she’s right
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Responds To Donald Trump’s Criticism Of Green New Deal: ‘Ah Yes, A Man Who Can’t Even Read Briefings Written In Full Sentences’
- Buttigieg on Trump: ‘I’m a gay man from Indiana, I know how to deal with a bully’
CONGRESS
SHUTDOWN & IMMIGRATION
- Lawmakers say they have reached an ‘agreement in principle’ to avoid government shutdown
- Negotiators say they’ve agreed on a border bill
- The Latest: Negotiators say they’ve agreed on border bill
- Lawmakers say they’ve reached a deal to avoid another shutdown
- Negotiators Reach Deal in Principle on Border Security to Avoid Shutdown
- Party leaders reach deal to avoid fresh US government shutdown
- Republicans and Democrats reach deal without wall cash to avert shutdown, putting all pressure on President Trump
- Talks Over Border Security Break Down, Imperiling Effort to Prevent Shutdown
- US border security deal reached to avert new US shutdown
- ‘Agreement in principle’ reached to prevent shutdown. Will Trump sign off?
- Betsy DeVos is Profiting Off Separating Migrant Kids From Their Parents
- Beyond the wall: Dogs, blimps and other things used to secure the border
- California governor to pull National Guard troops from U.S.-Mexico border: ‘This is our answer to the White House- no more division’
- California to pull troops from border in apparent riposte to Trump
- Dozens of Trump supporters form ‘human wall’ at southern border
- Governors Are Pulling Their Troops From The Border, Saying There Is No “Crisis”
- ‘Agreement In Principle’ Reached On Border Security Funding, Top Republican Says
- At San Francisco International Airport, private contractors handle security screening. Is it the airport of the future?
- Flight attendant union calls for strike if government shuts down again
El Paso
- Beto O’Rourke to hold counter-speech same time as Trump rally in El Paso
- ‘No crisis exists;’ El Paso officials tell Trump to stop the falsehoods about their border city
- Why Trump’s lie about El Paso, Texas, is so important
- Trump seemed very interested in Beto O’Rourke’s evidently larger crowd during his El Paso rally
- Trump supporter attacks BBC cameraman at El Paso rally
- BBC cameraman shoved and abused at Trump rally in El Paso
- Trump supporter ‘violently attacks’ BBC cameraman at rally after US president whips up anger over media
- Trump to Square Off With Beto O’Rourke in Dueling Texas Rallies
- A Trump Supporter Attacked Journalists After The President Blasted The Media At His Texas Rally
RIGHT WING TERRORISM & WHITE NATIONALISM
- A Trump Supporter Attacked Journalists After The President Blasted The Media At His Texas Rally
- Film about American Nazis looks to target Trump voters on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show
- Jake Tapper Calls Out Donald Trump Jr.’s ‘Blatant Racism’ – The CNN host wants to know why more people aren’t talking about how openly racist the president’s son is.
OMAR & AIPAC
- No, Ilhan Omar Is Not Anti-Semitic For Calling Out AIPAC
- Rep. Omar apologizes after House Democratic leadership condemns her comments as anti-Semitic tropes
- Thanks to Ilhan Omar, U.S. Jews just got their Jeremy Corbyn moment
- Pro-Israel Lobby Caught on Tape Boasting That Its Money Influences Washington
SCOTUS & COURTS
#METOO & WOMEN’S RIGHTS
- Browns sign Kareem Hunt, who was cut by Chiefs for violence against a woman
- Amid a shifting legal landscape on abortion, both parties seek political advantage
COLD WAR 2.0
- Julia Davis: #Russia plans to ‘unplug’ from internet: The test will mean data passing between Russian citizens and organizations stays inside the nation rather than being routed internationally.
- Russia considers ‘unplugging’ from internet
- Majority of Russians Believe Top Politicians Are Lying to Them – Poll
- Julia Davis: Russians’ trust in institutions including the presidency, the government, the State Duma and political parties has reached record lows. #Russia
- No-Deal Brexit Would Be Like an ‘Atomic Bomb,’ Maltese Minister Says
- Bill Browder: Great news. Hakeem al-Araibi, the Bahraini football player who challenged the Bahrain regime will not be handed over by Thailand to Bahrain on a politically motivated Interpol Red Notice. He should have never been arrested in the first place. Shame on everyone involved
- AfD worker accused of ordering arson attack in Ukraine | DW | 15.01.2019
#NEVERAGAIN
- Study: Access To Guns, Not Mental Health, May Be Responsible For Gun Violence
- Shannon Watts: The study found that the link between mental illness and gun violence is “simply not there” and that the key to reducing gun violence is to limit access to guns.
- Florida School Hires 2 Former Combat Veterans to Take Down Active Shooters
- Shannon Watts: “It’s not something that we typically advise our clients to do, in part because someone might knock out the person and take their weapon, and it’s more difficult to subdue and handcuff an assailant while carrying a long gun.” #flapol
- You wouldn’t need a permit to carry a gun in Iowa under this proposal
- A year after Florida school shooting, students choose service over protest
FIXING THE INTERNET
THE PROPAGANDA MACHINE
- Modern Propaganda: PragerU
- Donald Trump Watches TV ‘Like An Old Man That Is In A Retirement Home,’ Joe Scarborough Says After More Schedules Leak
- ‘Fox & Friends’ Dismiss Russia Probes: It’s Not Like This Is Benghazi or Whitewater
- Film about American Nazis looks to target Trump voters on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show
- Joe Scarborough: Trump Is the Laziest President in U.S. History
WHITE HOUSE CHAOS
- Cliff Sims, White House Tell-All Author, Sues Trump for Going After Him Over Book
- Ex-White House aide Cliff Sims sues Trump over nondisclosure agreements
- Defiant Leaker Amid White House Probe Reveals Trump Still Ticking Off ‘Executive Time’
- Donald Trump Watches TV ‘Like An Old Man That Is In A Retirement Home,’ Joe Scarborough Says After More Schedules Leak
- Fresh White House schedule leaks — and ‘Executive Time’ — are flowing unabated despite ongoing hunt for culprit
- More of Trump’s personal schedules leaked to press: Axios
- Trump says he ‘works probably more hours than any past president’ after schedule leaks
- White House says leaker about to be caught. Then new leaked copies of Trump schedule land
TRADE WAR, HEALTH CARE, AND ECONOMY
- Hedge fund manager: Stock buybacks should be ‘illegal’
- Wall Street and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are on the same side for once — they’re piling skepticism onto credit-ratings firm Equifax
- 400 Richest Americans Own More Than 150 Million Of The Nation’s Poorest: Study
- Krugman expects to see a global recession this year, warns ‘we don’t have an effective response’
- Millions of Americans could be stunned as their tax refunds shrink
- It’s been almost 100 years since America’s 1% had this much wealth
- Trump Trade War Helps Push Farmers Into Record Number Of Bankruptcies
- U.S. Banks Win $21 Billion Trump Tax Windfall Then Cut Staff, Loaned Less
- Under new Trump tax code, average refund is 8.4 percent smaller | Frustrated taxpayers are using the hashtag #GOPTaxScam to vent about their smaller than expected tax refunds.
- Utah Republicans have officially blocked their state’s voter-approved Medicaid expansion
- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez takes aim at Equifax and credit scoring
- No, Sanders/Schumer Bill Is Not A Threat To Investors
STUDENT ISSUES
GOP: THE PARTY OF LINCOLN IS DEAD
- Republicans have no outreach to black voters, party strategist warns: Donald Trump attacks ‘every person of color’
- Republicans Keep Admitting Everything They Said About Obama Was a Lie
- Rogue Senior White House Advisor: Lot of republicans who’ve screamed about how bad Trump is are now appealing to vote for him in 2020 bc “we can’t have socialism.” You’re going to see more & more of this, & it’s further proof the entirety of the GOP is devoid of a core. A whole party of smooth-brained lunatics.
- Peter Daou: SLOWLY: REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS HAVE => ZERO <= MORAL STANDING WHILE THEIR PARTY CODDLES WHITE SUPREMACISTS KIDNAPS MIGRANT BABIES SHRUGS AT SCHOOL MASSACRES EQUIVOCATES ON NEO-NAZIS AND STEALS HEALTH CARE FROM SICK PEOPLE TO ENRICH BILLIONAIRES.
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
PRIESTS & RELIGION
- Southern Baptists’ sexual abuse scandal prompts calls for criminal investigations, comparisons to Catholics
- ‘Pure evil’: Southern Baptist leaders condemn decades of sexual abuse revealed in investigation
- Arizona’s ‘In God We Trust’ License Plates Found To Fund Anti-LGBTQ Group
ENVIRONMENT & SCIENCE
- Sleep patterns can change with aging. Does that mean health troubles ahead?
- ‘Historic’ storm hurls huge waves and 191-mph winds at Hawaii; rare snow hits Maui
- Advances could allow people who can’t stomach wheat or gluten to enjoy bread
- Beto O’Rourke Calls The Green New Deal “The Best Proposal” He’s Seen For Addressing Climate Change
- EPA may issue E15 gasoline plan without biofuel credit trade limits – sources
- Proposal would eliminate personal vaccine exemption for Oregon school kids
- Record February snow hammers Seattle, and more is coming
- Today’s Earth looks a lot like it did 115,000 years ago. All we’re missing is massive sea level rise.
- Unvaccinated teens are fact-checking their parents — and trying to get shots on their own
- Trump again confuses climate change with weather in tweet attacking Amy Klobuchar
- FDA launches tougher oversight of supplements
ELECTIONS
THINKING AHEAD
- Search party: Moderate Dems seek one of their own to win 2020 primary, topple Trump Biden, Klobuchar, Brown, O’Rourke, Bloomberg, someone else? Who can own the middle as other candidates tack hard to the left.
- Warren: Trump ‘may not even be a free person’ by 2020
- Elizabeth Warren has evolved: She now pays interns more than anyone else in Congress
PROGRESS IS PROGRESS
- Kamala Harris acknowledges smoking weed in the past
- Kamala Harris calls for marijuana legalization: ‘I think it gives a lot of people joy’
- Pot is legal in 10 states, but the industry still can’t use banks. Will Congress change that?
- I constantly fumed at ‘selfish’ drivers, rude cellphone users, slow walkers — and then I learned a lesson
IN OTHER NEWS…
- Five myths about Valentine’s Day
- Grammys 2019: 10 things to know, from Drake’s cut-off speech to Michelle Obama’s cameo
- In a wealthy, liberal community far from the South, an angry debate over Dixie
RUMOR MILL
- Lincoln’s Bible: GUESS WHAT?! No one is immune to corruption b/c of birth circumstance: nation, faith, heritage. Those things don’t determine corruption. But if one is born into a crime family, it is very difficult to escape that fate. And crime families cross every demographic. Every. Single. 1.
- Tea Pain: Trump: “I got a DQ Blizzard this weekend. This proves Global Warming is a hoax!”
- Ming: Do you remember when putin was crowing about releasing info for the 911 truthers?
- Lincoln’s Bible: The Trump family is soaked in organized crime. Always has been. Anyone who cannot see this, embraces them despite knowing it, or fails to discuss the implications of it is advancing the greatest threat our nation has ever faced. This is not the “left’s” version of birtherism. It’s the mob. They own the Presidency. And their business is human misery.
- Spicy Mic: Holy f*ck balls why is he tweeting in Arabic and actual propaganda? No really why? And it’s not lost on me who’s in DC making the rounds today…sure seems like MbS Bone Saw is feeling the heat…
- Chris Vickery: If the current trajectory is maintained, Bigdata Marketing and Organized Crime will become one in the same. Each moving ever closer to the other until melding is complete.
- Claude Taylor: It may be time for another billboard for @RepMattGaetz Do we talk about the live girl or the dead roommate?
- Countercheckist: I’m enjoying Pecker’s “Art of the Deal” skills. He cuts a deal with DOJ, giving them what they want in return for not being thrown in prison. Then he violates that agreement, so now DOJ gets what they want, and gets to throw him in prison, too.
That’s it for Monday. Yes, it’s short on editorializing. To be honest, I’m tired. It’s not a good sign when it’s this early and the week and I’m already looking forward to a day off.
I don’t want this to sound like nothing happened. Stuff happened. A cameraman was attacked at Trump’s MAGA Rally. AMI says they got the Bezos texts from the brother of the mistress, and he has ties to Stone and Manafort. Still ignores the Saudi connection, and suddenly the National Enquirer is a reputable source for investigating their own activity?
Tuesday has some stuff coming about Qatar. Also, I have to update The Indicted with Paul Erickson. I forgot to do that last week.
Thank you, and have a good one.
“Without Journalists, it’s just propaganda.”
– Katy Tur
None of this is Normal 