Federal investigators have uncovered more evidence of President Donald Trump‘s involvement in illegal 2016 hush money payments than previously known, according to a new report. Wall Street Journal reports prosecutors have spoken to former Trump communications director Hope Hicks and former Trump security chief Keith Schiller about their contacts with David Pecker. These interviews gravitated around the fact that Pecker has admitted to using his position as chairman … Read More
This Is A Black Hole
Astronomers have taken the first ever image of a black hole, which is located in a distant galaxy. It measures 40 billion km across – three million times the size of the Earth – and has been described by scientists as “a monster”. The black hole is 500 million trillion km away and was photographed by a network of eight … Read More
From A Transcript Released by GOP on House Judiciary
[ Former FBI general counsel James] Baker: To the best of my recollection [former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe] told me that the deputy attorney general said that he had at least two members of the Cabinet who were ready to invoke the 25th Amendment. Q: And what happened after that during that conversation? Did Mr. McCabe tell you anything … Read More
How Stephen Miller Sabotaged Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen
This guy is a dick: Stephen Miller, the senior advisor to President Donald Trump, would have a sneaky way to ruin the day of Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen and get her to stop resisting new immigration policy proposals. Quartz reports “former agency officials,” said Miller would leak the monthly number of immigrants apprehended at the border and those … Read More
Kirstjen Nielsen Ousted As Secretary Of Human Cruelty
So Kirstjen Nielsen, whose legacy will be the most heartless and lawbreaking immigration policy this nation has known in at least 70 years, wasn’t heartless and lawbreaky enough for Donald Trump, who accepted her resignation Sunday evening so he can move immigration policy in “a tougher direction.” Trump essentially fired Nielsen because he wants a “tougher” approach to the migrant crisis … Read More
Weekly List 125
This week, two weeks after Mueller had sent his final report to Attorney General William Barr, members of the special counsel anonymously broke their silence, indicating to the Times and the Post that their findings were more troubling than Barr’s letter had indicated. Meanwhile Trump changed his position on public release of the report, as he and his surrogates went into attack mode … Read More
Surprise, Surprise: Barr’s “Summary” Of The Mueller Report Is Watered Down
The headline says it all: Yup. And we learn that the report was prepared “so that the front matter from each section could have been released immediately — or very quickly,” according to one DOJ official. “It was done in a way that minimum redactions, if any, would have been necessary, and the work would have spoken for itself.” Mueller’s … Read More
Tough Start For The 2018 Champs
This 11 game, no break, West Coast opening for the Red Sox is grueling. The Boston Red Sox were outscored 34-24 in their four-game series against the Mariners, dropping three of four in the process. The starting rotation currently has an MLB-worst 13.20 ERA, while the bullpen that everyone pointed to as a glaring weakness has a 2.50 ERA and … Read More
NCGOP Corruption Exposed
The Republican Party here in North Carolina has a list of horribles that only Trump could admire. Their antics have been covered in depth regarding their blatant racist gerrymandering, their attempts to neuter the Democratic governor, the current election scandal, or and overt racist voter suppression. But now they are getting caught — and not politically, but by the law: Federal prosecutors … Read More
Aaron Walker: Still The Virginia Bar’s Biggest Embarrassment
From a court opinion handed down denying several right wingnuts their motion to dismiss (in a lawsuit brought by a Charlottesville victim) – scroll to the bottom of the page: [Red markup are mine] Here’s what the judge was referring to (among other examples): Seriously . . . what attorney wastes a judge’s time with pop culture references to Guardians … Read More
DHS Disbands Its Domestic Terrorism Unit
This is very bad: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has disbanded an Intelligence and Analysis unit whose members had focused on domestic terrorism, including white supremacist violence. Betsy Woodruff at the Daily Beast reports: Numerous current and former DHS officials say they find the development concerning, as the threat of homegrown terrorism — including white supremacist terrorism — is growing. … Read More
Trump v PR
Where to begin? Puerto Rico did got 91 billions dollars. Here’s the best possible estimate: Federal Emergency Management Agency: $15 billion obligated ($9.9 billion in outlays) Army Corps of Engineers: $2.5 billion approved ($3 million in outlays) Community Development Block Grants-Disaster Recovery (Housing and Urban Development): $20 billion approved, of which $1.5 billion has been obligated Small Business Administration: $1.95 billion for homes/business loans … Read More
Whistleblower Says White House Reversed 25 Security Clearance Denials
WaPo: A White House whistleblower told lawmakers that more than two-dozen denials for security clearances have been overturned during the Trump administration, calling Congress her “last hope” for addressing what she considers improper conduct that has left the nation’s secrets exposed.Tricia Newbold, a longtime White House security adviser, told the House Oversight and Reform Committee that she and her colleagues … Read More