Tuesday, February 12, 2019

THE RUSSIAN INVESTIGATION

• Qatar admits it ‘unwittingly’ bailed out New York skyscraper owned by Jared Kushner’s family
• Qatar revamps investment strategy after Kushner building bailout
• Thread by @jedshug: “Qatar now says it “unwittingly” bailed out Jared Kushner and his 666 5th Ave. disaster. Excuse me? Many of us have been explaining for a yea […]”
• MSW Podcast: Now the Qataris are lubing the truth….

“Qatar started looking into how its name got involved into the deal and found out it was because of a fund it co-owned,” said one of the sources. “So QIA ultimately triggered a strategy revamp.”

The QIA declined to comment.

Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management Inc bailed out 666 Fifth Avenue via its real estate unit Brookfield Property Partners, in which the QIA acquired a 9 percent stake five years ago. Both parent and unit declined to comment.

The QIA’s strategic shift was made late last year, according to the sources. It offers a rare insight into the thinking of one of the world’s most secretive sovereign wealth funds.

The revamp could have significant implications for the global investment scene because the QIA is one of the world’s largest state investors, with more than $320 billion under management.

So let me get this straight…

The Qataris, after being approached by the Kushner family for a loan on 666 Fifth Ave and turned it down and had their country blockaded until they worked out a deal for the building, ACCIDENTALLY lent $1.3 billion for a 99 year lease on a building?

Are you fucking kidding me?  Giving out over a billion dollars isn’t something one accidentally does.  I’ve accidentally left my wallet at home, or accidentally said those inside voices on the outside, but I’ve never accidentally paid off a billion dollar loan to remove an extortion racket.

But the next question is, why now?  Why would Qatar Investment Authority make this announcement now?  Why announce that this transaction was a mistake right after it’s completed?  Why wait until the mystery company’s case heads to the Supreme Court.

I think that’s why.  There’s some news about the mystery case coming down the pipeline, and QIA is neck deep in the whole thing.

• Senate: No direct proof of conspiracy between Trump campaign, Russia
• Senate Intelligence Committee Democrats Dispute Claims Russia Probe Found No Collusion
• Tea Pain: Tea Pain is startin’ to get the feelin’ that Mueller is goin’ to drop an “interim report” on obstruction of justice charges. This explains why Senator Burr announces “no direct proof of collusion” prematurely. Trump can say “How can I obstruct if there is ‘no collusion?'”
• PostimusMaximus: Maybe someone should ask @SenatorBurr what WOULD be considered “collusion.” Do you need someone on tape saying “I’ll pay you to hack to help us win the ellection?” “I’ll lift sanctions if you do?”
• Emptywheel: Mueller: Trump’s campaign manager shared highly detailed polling data w/a GRU asset at a meeting where he discussed sanctions relief. Aaron, Glenn, & their minions: Hey look at what Richard Burr says!!! For those of you repeating NYT’s errors in my TL, claiming Manafort shared public polling data: Here’s Manafort’s OWN lawyer saying sharing the data couldn’t have benefitted Manafort bc it was so complex.

“If we write a report based upon the facts that we have, then we don’t have anything that would suggest there was collusion by the Trump campaign and Russia,” said Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, in an interview with CBS News last week.

Burr was careful to note that more facts may yet be uncovered, but he also made clear that the investigation was nearing an end.

“We know we’re getting to the bottom of the barrel because there’re not new questions that we’re searching for answers to,” Burr said.

On Tuesday, Burr doubled down, telling NBC News, “There is no factual evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.”

Sen. Mark Warner, D.-Va., ranking member of the committee, told reporters in the Capitol Tuesday that he disagrees with the way Burr characterized the evidence about collusion, but he declined to offer his own assessment.

“I’m not going to get into any conclusions I have,” he said, before adding that “there’s never been a campaign in American history … that people affiliated with the campaign had as many ties with Russia as the Trump campaign did.”

Democratic Senate investigators who spoke to NBC News on condition of anonymity did not dispute Burr’s characterizations, but said they lacked context.

“We were never going to find a contract signed in blood saying, ‘Hey Vlad, we’re going to collude,'” one Democratic aide said.

Are you fucking kidding me?

I’ll wait until the final report from them, but something’s up.  I’m not sure what, but something’s up.

• Ken Dilian: “Keene is a very astute judge of character,” said Erickson. “He spoke to Torshin, got to know him a little bit, and came to decide that Torshin was an honest man, which is rare in Russian politics.” That is an accused fraudster discussing an accused money launderer.

• Donald Trump Should Be Impeached If He Obstructed Justice Or Colluded With Russia, More Than 60 Percent Of Americans Say In New Poll 
• A third of Republicans think Trump should be impeached if he obstructed justice 
• Americans view Mueller as more credible than Trump, but views of his probe are scattered
• Yes, the Mueller investigation is costly. But the millions seized from Manafort have it on track to break even
• Mike Pompeo warns Vladimir Putin is threatening democracies everywhere, says West took its eye off Russia

COHEN, NEW YORK, AND THE OTHER LAWSUITS

• Schiff: The need to probe Trump’s finances is getting more urgent

TRUMP THE RUSSIAN ASSET A.K.A. INDIVIDUAL-1

• White House Is ‘Hiding’ Something About Donald Trump’s Physical Exam, Says Dick Cheney’s Cardiologist

TRAITOR TOTS

• Greg Olear: Let’s talk about Donald Trump, Jr. It’s time. [THREAD]
• Thread by @gregolear: “Let’s talk about Donald Trump, Jr. It’s time. [THREAD] 1/ I’ve given Junior something of a pass in this space, because I feel sorry for him. […]”
• Countercheckist: Torshin was accused of being a leader of RU organized crime by the Spanish govt. Barcelona sent USIC tapes of him and money launderer Alexander Romanov, who referred to Torshin as “El Padrino” (The Godfather). As for what’s on these tapes: “Mr. Trump’s son should be concerned.”
• Donald Trump’s Biggest Cheerleaders At Fox News Are Seeing Big Drops In Ratings And Advertising Revenue

FIGHTING BACK

• Eric Idle: When Reality stars fade…. the President of the USA visited what he said was a danger zone, promoted his visit heavily and only 6,000 citizens turned up to see him. Sad.
• Brian Klaas: 13 years ago, today, the sitting Vice President of the United States shot someone in the face.
• This grievance board for federal workers has one person left — and he’s about to leave

CONGRESS

• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Is Under Fire Because She’s Right – A new generation of leaders is rising that just may be ready to take on the plutocrats. Like AOC, they will come under intense fire. They will succeed only if we build a popular movement strong enough to overcome the resistance.
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s ‘Corruption Game’ Speech Is Now the Most Viewed Twitter Video of Any Politician
• Superstar freshman Dems replace Pelosi as GOP targets

SHUTDOWN & IMMIGRATION

• After Shutting Down The Government, Trump’s Getting Even Less Wall Money Than Democrats Originally Offered 
• In government shutdown aftermath, federal workers still hurting, survey finds
• Mark Warner: Startling new numbers from the shutdown: – 62% of federal workers depleted all or most of their savings – 42% took on debt – 25% tapped their retirement accounts – 25% visited a food bank
• Trump’s failed shutdown strategy produced an even worse deal than he started with
• Trump’s Followers Believe His Lies About the Wall
• Trump pretended that Congress hadn’t just demolished his wall
• Trump criticizes bipartisan border deal to avert another government shutdown
• The ‘accidental bra fairy’ has helped homeless women for years. Now, she’s helping women affected by the shutdown.
• Devastated by one shutdown, dreading the next
• Congress Agrees To $1.3 Billion For Protective Border Fencers
• “My daughter is not the same:” Families separated at the border are seeking millions in damages 
• Sean Hannity is “co-president” with Donald Trump and doesn’t love proposed border deal, CNN host says 

El Paso

• Trump seemed very interested in Beto O’Rourke’s evidently larger crowd during his El Paso rally
• Trump, O’Rourke face off at border as 2020 campaign gears up
• Nearly 15,000 Counter Trump Event With El Paso Rally to Reject ‘Hatred and Bigotry’ – “We’re standing together to show them the truth about our border community. A border wall is not needed, there is no immigration crisis, and asylum seekers have rights.”
• El Paso Fire Department denies Trump’s crowd claim at rally
• El Paso fire department says Trump’s crowd size claims were false
• Trump Lied About Getting Special Permission From El Paso Fire Dept, Says Fire Dept 
• Beto O’Rourke gets under Trump’s skin in El Paso
• Irrelevant and incoherent Trump is upstaged in El Paso

RIGHT WING TERRORISM & WHITE NATIONALISM

• Multiple White Supremacist Gang Members among 54 Defendants Charged in RICO Indictment
• A West Virginia lawmaker is facing calls to resign after comparing LGBT people to the KKK
• This Republican lawmaker said he would drown his own kids if they’re gay

El Paso Violence

• Maggie Haberman: Attack came after POTUS led the crowd in anti-press rhetoric
• BBC asks White House to review media security after cameraman shoved at Trump rally 
• BBC cameraman shoved and abused at Trump rally in El Paso
• BBC cameraman ‘violently attacked’ during Trump rally
• BBC cameraman was ‘violently pushed and shoved’ by man in MAGA hat at Trump rally
• Why the attack on our cameraman was no surprise 
• MAGA-Hat-Wearing Rally Goer Attacked A BBC Cameraman In El Paso
• Trump supporter ‘violently attacks’ BBC cameraman at rally after US president whips up anger over media
• A Trump Supporter Attacked Journalists After The President Blasted The Media At His Texas Rally
• Trump sends Sarah Sanders out to denounce BBC cameraman beating: ‘President Trump condemns all acts of violence’

DEALING WITH RACISM

• One out of 3 Americans say wearing blackface on Halloween is acceptable, Pew survey finds
• Appeals court orders grand jury testimony unsealed in the 1946 case of the ‘Last Mass Lynching in America’
• Cops used blackface to go undercover in 1993. Now police are apologizing.
• What Ilhan Omar Said About AIPAC Was Right

#METOO & WOMEN’S RIGHTS

• Critics call on Apple and Google to shut down Saudi app that can restrict women’s travel
• Upskirting becomes criminal offence as new law comes into effect
• These sexual assault survivors felt betrayed by America’s justice system, so they passed their own laws – The Lily

COLD WAR 2.0

• Bill Browder: BREAKING: I will testify at U.K. Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Wednesday at 2:45pm on U.K. sanctions policy and how the U.K. has failed to implement the Magnitsky Act (passed in 2018) against Russian torturers and murderers 
• Foreign Affairs Committee
• US and EU close to agreeing to new sanctions on Russia
• How Britain’s new naval plan doubles down on America

#NEVERAGAIN

• Los Angeles passes law requiring companies that want city contracts to disclose NRA ties

FIXING THE INTERNET

• Chris Vickery: There is a very easy way to stunt the growth of tools and networks currently being used to destroy democracy.

There is a very easy way to stunt the growth of tools and networks currently being used to destroy democracy.

Step 1: Require notification to individuals via email every time details of that person are transferred to a “partner”, “affiliate”, “subsidiary”, or similar entity.

Step 2: Make the penalties for violating that rule hurt like a motherfucker. Meaning in terms of both financial consequences and personal freedom (i.e. Put executives in prison for repeat violations. Yes, it is that serious.)

The simple requirement of forcing companies to send an email saying “Hey, here I am, sharin’ yer datas with these shady d00ds over here!” will put a stop to much of it.

THE PROPAGANDA MACHINE

• The West is losing today’s infowars and must hit back hard
• Lincoln’s Bible: P-R-O-P-A-G-A-N-D-A M-A-C-H-I-N-E A very real weapon of war – based on a century of knowledge on how to hack into the minds of entire populations. And now built on/ with the most powerful delivery platforms in mankind’s history. I spell it out, b/c very few even acknowledge it.
• Julia Davis: #Russia’s state TV proudly quotes senior Kremlin aide Vladislav Surkov, who writes that “Putin’s big political machine is only gaining momentum” and essentially admits that Russia interferes not only in elections and referendums across the globe, but alters Western consciousness.
• Trump aide Sarah Sanders ridiculed for suggesting Mexico border wall would have stopped El Chapo
• A hedge fund’s ‘mercenary’ strategy: Buy newspapers, slash jobs, sell the buildings

TRADE WAR, HEALTH CARE, AND ECONOMY

• A record 7 million Americans are 3 months behind on their car payments, a red flag for the economy 
• California Governor Proposes Digital Dividend Aimed at Big Tech
• Basically Everything Trump Said About the Economy Was a Lie
• If it weren’t for the estate tax, the majority of the superwealthy’s money would never be taxed 
• Marco Rubio rolls out his own plan to limit stock buybacks
• National debt hits new milestone, topping $22 trillion 

GOP: THE PARTY OF LINCOLN IS DEAD

• Scandal double standard: Dems pay the price for every misdeed, while the GOP skates 

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

• Drug lord Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman found guilty on all counts in federal trial
• Trump aide Sarah Sanders ridiculed for suggesting Mexico border wall would have stopped El Chapo
• Three decades ago, she begged for her 3-year-old’s safe return. She’s just been charged with his murder.
• Michelle Carter, convicted in texting suicide case, is headed to jail

ENVIRONMENT & SCIENCE

• Harrison Ford slams President Trump and those who ‘denigrate science’
• David Hogg: GOP’s plan to deal with climate change is ‘thoughts and prayers’ 
• Ocasio-Cortez says we need World War II-scale action on climate. Here’s what that looks like.
• Aaron Rupar: .@SenJohnBarrasso: “There’s another victim of the Green New Deal – it’s ice cream! Livestock will be banned. Say goodbye to dairy, beef… American favorites like cheeseburgers & a milkshake would become a thing of the past. Living this green dream is actually a natl nightmare.”
• Dan Rather: I believe the anti-science GOP (a relatively recent development) and a president who baths with glee in his own ignorance will pass into the realm of historical anomaly. What’s sad and dangerous is this recklessness on science couldn’t have come at a worse time for our planet.
• PostimusMaximus: If you want to nay-say the Green New Deal that’s fine. But show me your alternative proposal that actually does what we need to do to combat Climate Change. Its incredibly ambitious because we’ve spent 30 years not addressing it at all.
• PostimusMaximus: Climate Change and the Green New Deal

If the Climate Change conversation was framed more like “A giant meteor is going to hit and cause a series of terrible things in 12 years if we don’t stop it” I have a feeling GND would look more like it was the bare minimum required and less like a radical pipe-dream

But that is the reality. We hit seemingly impossible goals, or we suffer the consequences of a world that is fundamentally different that we won’t be able to fix. Its up to us to decide.

Scientists have been warning about this for 30 years now. Blame the people who chose to ignore the warnings. We wouldn’t need to meet such impossible expectations had anyone done their jobs this entire time.

• Measles outbreak: Anti-vaccination misinformation fueled by Russian propagandists, study finds
• Caroline Orr: Twitter should revoke the verified status of accounts that spread disinformation about vaccines. The checkmark conveys a sense of credibility & legitimacy, thereby making others more likely to uncritically accept these false claims as true. This is literally killing people.
• A Fox News host said he hadn’t washed his hands in 10 years. Was it a joke? We can’t tell.
• A U.S. trophy hunter paid $110,000 to kill a rare mountain goat in Pakistan
• At this Westminster Dog Show competition, it’s the humans who are judged
• Want your dog to win at Westminster? You might need to cut off its ears or tail.
• The Senate just passed the most sweeping conservation legislation in a decade, protecting millions of acres of land
• The crisis in America’s maternity wards
• An atmospheric river could bring torrential rainfall to California over several days this week

ELECTIONS

• Dem Files for Do-Over Election in N.C. Due to Alleged GOP Ballot Fraud
• Northam restores voting rights for over 10,000 Virginians previously convicted of felonies 

THINKING AHEAD

• Astronaut Mark Kelly announces run for McCain Senate seat in Arizona
• Former astronaut Mark Kelly, husband of Gabby Giffords, announces Senate bid in Arizona
• NASA Astronaut Mark Kelly Announces Run For McCain Senate Seat In Arizona
• Retired astronaut Mark Kelly to run as Democrat for John McCain’s Senate seat in 2020
• Retired astronaut Mark Kelly, husband of former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, to run for John McCain’s Senate seat
• Trump, O’Rourke face off at border as 2020 campaign gears up
• The Note: Trump show upstaged by Beto O’Rourke and congressional realities
• Schumer recruits famed fighter pilot to challenge McConnell in 2020
• Trump Just Stole Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Campaign Slogan, And People Have Noticed
• RNC uses Hillary Clinton’s ‘Stronger Together’ slogan for Trump 
• Clinton on GOP promoting Trump ‘stronger together’ quote: Now copy my policies too 

IN OTHER NEWS…

• International Spy Museum: We mark #WomenInScience Day by celebrating inventor and actress #HedyLamarr – Icon. Immigrant. Inventor. Mother of Wi-Fi. Her most recognized work came from co-inventing with George Antheil, a frequency-hopping wireless signal for guiding U.S. Navy torpedoes to their targets.
• A chaotic style has this high school team topping 100 points — and driving opponents crazy

RUMOR MILL

• Ming: ICEW-S status: underway
• Tim Hogan: Almost certain Mueller doesn’t want Cohen in Congress right now. He likely has targets among @SenateGOP and @HouseGOP Intelligence Committee members. I expect Nunes to be charged soon. Anyone know if FBI ever interviewed him? He was deep in Trump 2016. At Mayflower and Trump DC.
• Felix Sater’s Email Dump- Why Now?
• In Moscow, There’s No Longer Any Line Between Spies, Lies & Terrorists
• Tea Pain: The media is so eager for any scrap of news about the Mueller investigation they drool all over themselves repeatin’ anything Republican hacks and Trump lackeys are willin’ to spew. The media is doin’ the nation a great disservice by not vettin’ this sillyness.
• Tim Hogan: I reported earlier today that two new sealed cases were filed in DC today. I spoke to soon. Make that three new cases today. 19-cr-47 just filed. 😎
• Ming: Did Maria Butina finger @NikkiHaley ?

Are we not doing phasing anymore?  How is that not a thing?

• Ming: it was not lost on Ming that SC was excluded on strategy map. Ming smile and smile

That’s it for Tuesday.  In the next few weeks, things are going to happen.  Too many events line up for the end of the month for nothing to happen.  I’m not guaranteeing anything, but don’t be surprised, either.

Thank you, and have a good one.

“Without Journalists, it’s just propaganda.”

– Katy Tur

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

• Trump Jr: ‘Loser teachers’ try to sell socialism 

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

• If Trump Declares An Emergency To Build The Wall, Congress Can Block Him

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

• Has the Supreme Court lost its legitimacy?
• The Supreme Court Is Playing Favorites With Religion

#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

• Amy Klobuchar calls for net neutrality ‘guarantee’ in 2020 presidential announcement 

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

• Young People Are Doomed by Student Loans, Not the National Debt

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

• FBI’s War Crimes Unit on the Chopping Block

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

• Botched election for Georgia House must be redone yet again

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

Thursday, February 7, 2019

THE RUSSIAN INVESTIGATION

Manafort

• Read: Transcript of closed-door Manafort hearing
• Manafort kept working in Ukraine after Mueller indictment, transcript shows – According to prosecutors, Paul Manafort and Konstantin Kilimnik had a discussion that referenced a “backdoor.”
• Shimon Prokupecz: From the transcript: Rick Gates was the cooperator who told the Special Counsel’s Office about Paul Manafort disclosing 2016 presidential campaign polling data to his Russian associate Konstantin Kilimnik, Weissmann told the judge.
• Angry White House Staffer: Translation: Gates has been singing like a canary. I’m going to read through the full doc as soon as I get a moment, but if you don’t remember the backstory: Trump campaign shared *internal* polling material with Killimnik. Killimnik was also in DC for the inauguration. 👀
• Tim Hogan: I may have missed something in the case but I find it odd they held a sealed hearing on Monday and releasing a redacted transcript so soon. Link to transcript THREAD

I may have missed something in the case but I find it odd they held a sealed hearing on Monday and releasing a redacted transcript so soon. Link to transcript

I may have missed something in the case but I find it odd they held a sealed hearing on Monday and… TRANCRIPT-of-SEALED-BREACH-of-PLEA-HEARING-USA-v timinhonolulu.com          

One thing I didn’t know was Manafort testified for two days before the grand jury. See Monday’s transcript: Pages 23-24.

Spot the Issue: What grand jury? Don’t think it could be Stone’s. But the issue is they would not have unsealed it if that grand jury had not handed down an indictment. It would violate Rule 6(e). Look;s like it’s #MuellerTime.

This says “Espionage” to me.

• Manafort’s Transcript from Monday
• PostimusMaximus: So skimming through the Manafort transcript and Manafort’s attempts to reach out to Trump are talked about quite a few times, even if Trump’s name is redacted.
• Scott Stedman: August 2: Gates and Manafort meet with Kilimnik, share polling data. Kilimnik is the go-between for Manafort-Deripaska. August 3: Don Jr, Erik Prince, George Nader meet Joel Zamel to discuss a social media manipulation effort to help Trump. Deripaska previously hired Zamel. August 4: Deripaska’s plane (carrying Kilimnik), lands in Moscow after making a quick trip to NY. August 5: Deripaska and Russian Deputy PM Prikhodko secretly meet on a yacht in Norway and are recorded discussing US-Russia relations. These are probably the most important 96 hours in the Mueller investigation.

• Much Has Been Confirmed in Dossier at Heart of Donald Trump Scandal – SPIEGEL ONLINE
• Sergei Millian, identified as an unwitting source for the Steele dossier, sought proximity to Trump’s world in 2016
• Boyfriend of admitted Russian agent charged with fraud
• “I was on the Watergate committee. Don’t hide Mueller’s report from the people.” 
• Democratic Senators Renew Call for Deutsche Bank Probe at Banking Committee 
• Dems ready to issue subpoena for phone records linked to Trump Tower meeting
• House Democrats take 1st step to obtain Trump’s tax returns 
• Republicans begging top Democrat to drop quest for Trump’s tax returns

COHEN, NEW YORK, AND THE OTHER LAWSUITS

Bezos’s Pecker vs. Pecker

• No thank you, Mr. Pecker – Jeff Bezos – Medium
• Yashar Ali: HOLY COW!!!

HOLY COW. In a medium post, @JeffBezos says that David Pecker and AMI threatened to release embarrassing photos unless Bezos agreed to stop investigating them and released a statement saying he didn’t have anything on them! He included emails in the post.

2. Jeff Bezos, the wealthiest man in the world (who happens to be CEO of the 2nd most valuable company in the world), published an email from a top AMI exec noting that they had Bezos’ dick pics and threatening to publish them. I will never get over this.

3. I mean the fact that David Pecker and AMI were attempting to blackmail the richest man in the world while they are cooperating with the US Attorney on the Trump investigation is something else. I mean….I will truly never get over this post.

4. Congratulations @Medium

5. Oh Boy

From the AMI nonprosecution agreement. https://t.co/vsGdEVoqN3 pic.twitter.com/OjdYhXixky

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) February 7, 2019

6.

Yashar Ali: A source familiar with the matter tells me that Lavely & Singer, Marty Singer’s law firm, did not know in advance that Bezos would be posting this essay. Nor did they know that Bezos would be publishing the threatening emails that AMI sent them. They found out when we did..wow.

7. A reminder that @lachlan and @swin24 broke the story last week that Bezos had launched a private investigation into how his texts to Lauren Sanchez leaked. That investigation led to all of this…

• Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos accuses National Enquirer parent company of ‘extortion’ over ‘intimate texts’ and photos
• If AMI’s Jeff Bezos Shakedown Was Criminal, They Can Kiss Their Non-Prosecution Agreement Goodbye
• Jeff Bezos essentially accused the National Enquirer of having a political motive for exposing his affair, and insinuated a Trump connection
• Renato Mariotti: THREAD: Did the National Enquirer and its parent company commit a crime or otherwise break the law in its recent actions towards Jeff Bezos?
• Thread by @renato_mariotti: “THREAD: Did the National Enquirer and its parent company commit a crime or otherwise break the law in its recent actions towards Jeff Bezos? […]”
• Maxwell Strachan: Remarkable: Jeff Bezos publishes “the precise details” of AMI’s “extortionate proposal” to him, including emails from Chief Content Officer Dylan Howard. THREAD
• Thread by @maxwellstrachan: “Remarkable: Jeff Bezos publishes “the precise details” of AMI’s “extortionate proposal” to him, including emails from Chief Content Officer […]”
• Maggie Haberman: The news is also that Pecker, who has had relationships with both Trump and Jared Kushner, is having this sent as he is also a witness receiving immunity in a federal case.
• Crime A Day: 18 USC §875(d) makes it a federal crime to try to extort someone by sending them an interstate communication threatening to injure their reputation.
• Pope Hat: I think @renato_mariotti is right that it’s very tricky to prosecute AMI for extortion for this, though we can certainly hope that all of their lawyers trip and fall eye-first onto an ice pick. But, I mean, in any decent society, AMI’s lawyers would be shunned, their faces spat in, every back turned to them.

Scumbags gonna scumbag.

Last summer, it came out that AMI, the publisher of the National Enquirer, and its chairman David Pecker were granted immunity from federal prosecution for their assistance in the Michael Cohen case.  AMI performed a catch and kill on Karen McDougal’s story, and they coordinated this with Trump through Cohen.  They were granted immunity.  Part of that deal includes them not engaging in any other illegal activity, or else they could risk losing their deal.

Enter Jeff Bezos.

For those not aware, Bezos is the founder/chairman/CEO/first employee of Amazon and is currently the richest person in the world.  He owns the Washington Post and bought Whole Foods with a spare $15 billion he had lying around.  I still think he made a screw up on Alexa and tried to order groceries from Whole Foods, but Alexa heard it as “Okay, buying Whole Foods.”  By the time he went to cancel the purchase, it already cleared the bank.

WaPo is supposedly doing an in-depth piece on the National Enquirer, Saudi Arabia, and how it all ties back to Trump and Kushner.  This may or may not include hard evidence of Jamal Khashoggi’s death.  At some point during this investigation, Jeff Bezos’s personal text messages and pictures ended up in the possession of the National Enquirer.  They ran with some of this information, and threatened Bezos that if he didn’t call of the investigators, they’d release his “below the belt selfies.”

In other words, they said “Tell the world we did nothing wrong, or we publish your dick pics.”

There’s a long list of things I’d rather do than try to extort and blackmail the world’s richest man with an IDGAF attitude, and that list would be even longer if I was involved in an immunity deal with the Federal Government.  Apparently David Pecker doesn’t agree with me.

Neither does Jeff Bezos.  The mother fucker wrote an essay on Medium explaining everything, telling how AMI and the National Enquirer tried to extort him, and then he PUBLISHED THE GODDAMNED EMAILS FROM AMI’S LEGAL TEAM!  Including the one that said that AMI would keep the pics and release them if he ever said that there was some shady shit going on between the National Enquirer and the Saudis ever again.

I don’t know what’s going to happen from here on out, but one thing I truly enjoy is that the lawyers for AMI found out about this letter when the press reached them for comment AFTER it was published.  That’s some scorched earth shit right there.

Full disclosure, I subscribe to the Washington Post.  It’s free for a while for new subscribers with Amazon Prime, and $3 a month after the trial.

• “I Am Disgusted”: Behind the Scenes of Trump’s Increasingly Scrutinized $107 Million Inauguration
• Inaugural probe puts spotlight on prolific Democratic donor who rapidly remade himself into a major Trump booster

SHUTDOWN & IMMIGRATION

• Meet Victorina Morales, an Undocumented Immigrant Who Spent Five Years as Trump’s Housekeeper 
• Report: Missing Migrant Children Being Funneled Through Christian Adoption Agency
• Democrats push for body cameras on all immigration, border cops 
• National Butterfly Center to File Restraining Order to Stop Border Wall Construction
• Trump looking at new ways to build wall without Congress, Mulvaney says
• As border wall construction moves ahead in Texas, judge rules feds can survey church’s land
• City Council In Arizona Town Unanimously Agree To Have Razor Wire Removed From Border Wall, Will Request Federal Government Take It Down 
• Congressional negotiators narrow differences to border barriers, detention beds
• Congressional negotiators seek contours of border deal as shutdown looms
• Cost of border deployments could approach $1 billion by end of fiscal year
• President Trump’s fantastical human-trafficking claims
• Rocky restart after government shutdown: Many workers still haven’t received back pay
• Three Trump Officials Were Warned Family Separation Would Be Illegal and Scar Children

TRUMP THE RUSSIAN ASSET A.K.A INDIVIDUAL-1

• Trump Will Have His Yearly Physical on Friday, Without Dr. Ronny Jackson
• Trump’s claim that Republicans never investigated Obama is ludicrous 
• Yes, President Trump, Congress also investigated Barack Obama
• ‘Unlimited Presidential Harassment’: Trump lashes out again at Democrats for stepped-up oversight
• Dan Rather: So apparently Google translate now handles Trumpanese. I typed in “presidential harassment” and it came back as “Constitutional oversight.” Then I went to a thesaurus and typed in “hypocrisy,” and it came up as Benghazi. Who knew?
• Trump Explodes as Democrats Close In on His Business 
• Trump furious after Schiff hires former NSC aides to help oversee his administration
• Trump had worst monthly approval rating of his presidency in January: poll 
• Trump is skipping intel briefings, contradicting top officials 
• Trump says Democrats investigating him is ‘Presidential Harassment’ He’s called for at least 18 investigations of his opponents.
• Trump says one of America’s greatest accomplishments is the ‘abolition of civil rights’ at National Prayer Breakfast 

TRAITOR TOTS

Whitaker

• Caroline Orr: #BREAKING: Per @CNN, acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker says he won’t appear at Friday’s hearing unless he gets assurance, in writing, that he will not be served with the subpoena the House Judiciary Committee prepared in advance in case he tries to dodge questions.
• House Judiciary Committee Grants Nadler Authority To Subpoena Whitaker 
• Whitaker agrees to testify before Congress after saying he wouldn’t if under subpoena threat
• Whitaker says he won’t testify unless Democrats drop their subpoena threat 
• Why is Matthew Whitaker panic-stricken about testifying before Congress?
• Acting U.S. Attorney General Whitaker will testify before House panel on Friday

How many gallons of flop sweat will come from his head?

• Mick Mulvaney says ‘nobody cares’ about the deficit. He used to. A lot.
• A Justice Dept. discipline office with limited reach to probe handling of controversial child sex abuse case

CONGRESS

• NRA Chief Wayne LaPierre Targeted in Congressional Inquiry
• NRA Chief Wayne LaPierre Targeted in Congressional Inquiry into Illegal Campaign Coordination 
• Pelosi Statement on Nomination of David Malpass as World Bank President – Speaker Nancy Pelosi
• Pelosi warns Trump about making ‘threats’ against Congress 
• Pelosi: ‘The President Should Not Bring Threats To The Floor Of The House’ 
• Pelosi: Americans ‘overwhelmingly’ want to see Trump’s tax returns 
• AOC: Earlier today we had our second Oversight hearing of the 116th Congress. It was about voting rights and the role of money in politics. I asked the expert witnesses to indulge me in a small game. Here’s what happened ⬇️

FIGHTING BACK

• O.J. Simpson has some advice for President Trump
• O.J. Simpson’s advice to Roger Stone: ‘Man up’ and ‘stop crying’
• Countercheckist: “When asked if he thought Trump would be impeached, Simpson said he might “if he keeps hanging around with people like that guy, that Roger Stone.” When OJ Simpson thinks YOU’RE a bad influence…
• Dan Rather: So apparently Google translate now handles Trumpanese. I typed in “presidential harassment” and it came back as “Constitutional oversight.” Then I went to a thesaurus and typed in “hypocrisy,” and it came up as Benghazi. Who knew?

RIGHT WING TERRORISM & WHITE NATIONALISM

• ‘Digital Blackface’: Pro-Trump Trolls Are Impersonating Black People on Twitter
• ‘Haute Couture Blackface’: Gucci apologizes and pulls ‘racist’ sweater
• ‘It’s a sickness’: How our culture recognizes blackface is racist — but won’t stop doing it
• ‘Savage gang’: Despite Trump’s relentless rhetoric, MS-13 murders are down

VIRGINIA/RACE RELATIONS

• Virginia Gov. Northam, isolated, gets space to ponder his fate as Democrats absorb scandals
• Crisis Management 101: How Virginia’s top three Democrats dug themselves deeper holes
• On a political roll, Virginia Democrats now awash in scandal
• Virginia’s descent from darling to dumpster fire leaves residents reeling
• Cindy McCain Apologizes for Making Up a Race-Based Human Trafficking Story That Was a Whole-Ass Lie 
• After new document is revealed, Warren struggles with questions of identity
• House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s family benefited from U.S. program for minorities based on disputed ancestry

SCOTUS & COURTS/#METOO & WOMEN’S RIGHTS

• U.S. Supreme Court blocks Louisiana law that would require abortion providers to have admitting privileges
• Supreme Court halts Louisiana abortion restrictions
• Supreme Court says Louisiana cannot enforce a restrictive abortion law that is similar to Texas law it struck down in 2016
• Brett Kavanaugh Just Declared War on Roe v. Wade
• Late-term abortions challenge both sides
• Tough questions — and answers — on ‘late-term’ abortions, the law and the women who get them
• Tekashi69’s Ex-Girlfriend Sara Molina: He Beat Me So Badly ‘I Could Barely Open My Eyes’

COLD WAR 2.0

• Federal MPs’ computer network hacked in possible foreign government attack
• 911corlebra777: UPDATE ; Australian Parliament’s classified internal cyber network has been hacked by what the Australian Signals Directorate is now calling a “State based Actor”.Australia has national elections in May #China
• Tensions escalate over delivery of humanitarian aid to Venezuela

#NEVERAGAIN

• The House Had Its First Gun Hearing in Years. The Parents of Parkland Victims Refused to Let the GOP Lie. 
• Parkland dad says he interrupted GOP rep at gun hearing to ‘let the nation know he’s wrong’ 
• NRA Chief Wayne LaPierre Targeted in Congressional Inquiry
• NRA Chief Wayne LaPierre Targeted in Congressional Inquiry into Illegal Campaign Coordination 
• CAUGHT ON VIDEO: Man Shoots School Bus Driver On I-35W In Minneapolis
• Shannon Watts: Nah. The greatest cruelty in the world is to ignore research-proven solutions to gun violence while children die needlessly.
• A police chief demands Congress act on guns: ‘Doing nothing is not acceptable’

FIXING THE INTERNET

• Skype can now blur your background, so no one can tell your life is a disaster
• Spotify’s podcast acquisitions will bring a lot of money into a tiny industry
• Wyden pitches jail time, billions in fines for online privacy violators with ‘Do Not Track’ bill 
• Senators Ask the FCC to Investigate Wireless Carrier Throttling 

KHASHOGGI & SAUDI ARABIA

• Saudi Arabia ‘curtailed and undermined’ investigation into Khashoggi’s killing, U.N. expert says
• Year Before Killing, Saudi Prince Told Aide He Would Use ‘a Bullet’ on Jamal Khashoggi

THE PROPAGANDA MACHINE

• Sean Hannity Admits He Botched Cory Booker Story, Then Insults Him Anyway 

WHITE HOUSE CHAOS

• What does Year of the Pig have in store for Trump? Feng shui masters offer clues.

TRADE WAR, HEALTH CARE, & ECONOMY

• ‘Outrageous!’: Despite $21 Billion Giveaway From GOP Tax Scam, Big Banks Cut Jobs and Slashed Lending – “This is the GOP tax cut in action: screwing over working families and handing out tax breaks to large banks and corporations.” 
• An Inheritance Tax Is Democrats’ Best Weapon Against Trump’s Oligarchy 
• Are Republicans the Party of No Ideas on Health Care? 
• Billionaires Flooded Republicans’ Coffers Just Before the Tax Cuts Passed 
• Billionaires take more than they make 
• Billionaires who hate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s 70% tax on the super-rich are adamant it will hurt the economy — but history suggests otherwise 
• Denver teachers threaten to strike Monday after state refuses to intervene in labor dispute
• Farmer bankruptcies swell to decade high in Farm Belt 
• Trump metals tariffs will cost Ford $1 billion in profits, CEO says
• The parking lot suicides

GOP: THE PARTY OF LINCOLN IS DEAD

• Are Republicans the Party of No Ideas on Health Care? 

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

• Workers found a suitcase next to a quiet Connecticut road. A woman’s body was inside.
• Police relaunch search for ‘the Doodler,’ a serial killer who sketched his victims first
• A Florida politician allegedly made a habit of licking men’s faces. She has now resigned.

ENVIRONMENT & SCIENCE

• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduces legislation for a 10-year Green New Deal plan to turn the US carbon neutral 
• Adam Schiff: The threat of climate change is urgent and existential. But it’s not too late to save our planet. We need to marshal all our resources and American ingenuity against the devastating effects of climate change. That’s why I’m proud to support the #GreenNewDeal.
• Ways to help kids cope with — and help combat — climate change
• Data Shows Young People Really, Really Want A Green New Deal 
• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Releases Green New Deal Outline 
• Rogue Senior White House Advisor: Honestly, you can have your political differences with @AOC, but mocking big ideas is the least American thing ever. This country was built on big ideas, but nowadays all we have are insecure, tiny men whose first & last response is always “no.”
• ‘Everything is not going to be okay’: How to live with constant reminders that the Earth is in trouble
• ‘We have one reef’: Key West bans popular sunscreens to help keep coral alive
• Undeniable warming: The planet’s hottest five years on record in five images
• Vaccinations jump 500% in antivax hotspot amid measles outbreak
• Wildfires, hurricanes and other extreme weather cost the nation 247 lives, nearly $100 billion in damage during 2018
• Justice Department sues Philadelphia over supervised injection facility that aims to prevent fatal drug overdoses
• Dads are happier than moms. Science wants to know why, and so do I.
• Trump pledged to “defeat AIDs” in his SOTU. He’s tried to cut millions from the programs that fight it. 
• ‘Potentially crippling’ snowfall is forecast for Seattle on Friday and into Saturday, and more may follow

ELECTIONS

• Inaccurate claims of noncitizen voting in Texas reflect a growing trend in Republican states 
• Bought and Paid For: We Are Well and Truly Done With Susan Collins

IN OTHER NEWS…

• Frank Robinson, barrier-breaking Hall of Fame baseball player and manager, dies at 83
• John Dingell, longest-serving member of Congress in U.S. history, dies at 92

RUMOR MILL

• Geokelly: This nugget from my guy: Santorum did want the picture of him and Red Syphilis scrubbed from the net (Hat tip @DerekTodorojo, the dumbest man on the net, and possibly the funniest) because Santorum slipped her his dicksky. Factsky. Also 98% sure Santorum has sealed indictment
• Pinche Pi: 🤗 (Pic of Rick Santorum and Maria Butina)
• Ming: Has Hannity been arrested yet?
• Countercheckist: Bye Mikey Jr. You should’ve stuck to golf course management.
• Ming: McConnells face at SOTU looked like a ‘man’ that knew his party was doomed and hadn’t told the other members yet,, much as they didnt tell rank and file of email hack either …
• Daily News Dump – Feb 7 – Angry Staffer
• Ming: When Gaetz get the needle Ming hope it not botched and leave him in persistent vegetative state.
• Geokelly: I bet you Matt Gaetz will sob in front of the judge like the little pussy he is when he gets convicted. He needs to reminded at that point how he used his position to bully private citizens. And after that, he can drop dead in the most painful way possible
• Ming: Will you be surprised to learn that the policy wonk ryan didn’t do much policy because he was being a treason wonk?
• Lincoln’s Bible: I don’t suppose anyone will ever look into whose money Epstein was “managing” all those years…
• PostimusMaximus: So skimming through the Manafort transcript and Manafort’s attempts to reach out to Trump are talked about quite a few times, even if Trump’s name is redacted.
• Ricky Davila: In case you missed it, another sealed case, 19-cr-35, was filed in D.C. yesterday. Add that to the 4 filed last Thursday, we have things to look forward to. Be on the lookout. 👀

That’s it for Thursday.  I’m wrapping things up a little early on some sections.  I didn’t get a chance to read the Manafort stuff, and I’m running behind on a few other things.

Whitaker testifies on Friday before Congress.  And there’s some even weirder shit with Bezos.  Supposedly his mistress had connections to people in Trumpworld, including Roger Stone.

WHY THE FUCK DOES EVERYTHING HAVE TO INTERCONNECT?! CAN’T WE HAVE ONE GODDAMNED PILE OF CRAZINESS THAT ISN’T TIED TO EVERYTHING ELSE LIKE SOME FUCKED UP GAME OF SIX DEGREES OF KEVIN BACON?

Sorry about that.  I should calm down more.  It’s not healthy for my Caps Lock key.

Thank you, and have a good one.

“Without Journalists, it’s just propaganda.”

– Katy Tur