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welcome to reality trivia
reality is the state of things as they actually exist
july 17, 2018
'Putin's poodle' Newspapers declare Trump a traitor
real news today
july 17, 2018
*Trade war puts the hoof into U.S. pig part exports to China
(Payback)
*U.S. TREASURY MOVES TO PROTECT IDENTITIES OF 'DARK MONEY' POLITICAL DONORS
(Corruption)
*‘ODDBALL’ AMONG 12 NEW MOONS DISCOVERED AROUND JUPITER
(Space News)
*House conservatives criticize media, not Trump, for Putin furor
(GOP Politics)
*Donald Trump, King of the White People, bends the knee to a foreign tyrant
by chauncey Devega(Talkers)
*‘Nothing short of treason’: Dem leader says impeachment is on the table ‘once we take control of the House’(Demo Politics)
*Black candidate running in rural NY criticized for not being ‘like us’ — because he once made a rap album(Real People)
*In Ancient Fireplace, an 'Exceptional' Food Find
(Ancient Times)
*The Limits of Green Energy Under Capitalism
(Capitalism)
*Corporations and Mainstream Media Trumpet the “Horrors” of Higher Wages
(Slavery 21st Century)
*Racists caught on video pelting black bicyclist with bottles along Chattanooga road(Amerikkkans)
*WHERE WE AT IN MAGA, PART 6
(Opinion)
*A Sweet New Century for America’s Most Privileged
(Talkers)
*Man killed by Chicago police was trying to show officers his gun license when they blindsided him(Gestapo USA)
*Trump accuses Obama of rigging Russia investigation
(Trump)
*Random Observations on a Traitor by the rude pundit
(Commentary)
*Pennsylvania Takes Lead in Tackling Post-Conviction Criminal Justice Reform with New ‘Clean Slate’ Law(Rights)
*American Exceptionalism Is a Dangerous Myth
(America)
*Kerry James Marshall: unveiling his pivotal black history monument
(Black History)
*Zika and health cuts blamed for rise in baby death rates in Brazil
(World)
*DETAINING IMMIGRANT KIDS IS NOW A BILLION-DOLLAR INDUSTRY
(REALITY)
*Venmo: how the payment app exposes our private lives
(Reality)
*RECORD NUMBER OF MUSLIM AMERICANS RUNNING FOR OFFICE
(Elections)
*Kim Jong Un Upset to Learn That Trump Is Seeing Other Dictators
(Funnies)
(for previous day's articles see "what's inside" below)
Michael Moore, "Arrest Trump when Air Force One lands"
Wow oh wow. I’ve expected to see many things from Trump — but never did I think I’d see him standing beside the president of Russia and, as John King just reported on CNN, “surrendering to him.” That Trump would reveal himself as a traitor on worldwide TV — well, that was a mind-blower.
Trump is asked, Who are you going to believe—the Russians or your own officers? And he refused to choose! Do you support your troops or Putin — and he wouldn’t choose! So my first thought goes out to those who serve this country— I’m so sorry the Commander-in-Chief is a traitor.
Trump: “They (my intelligence officers) said, ‘I think it is Russia.’ I have President Putin (standing here). He just said it is not Russia. I will say this: I do not see any reason why it would be (Russia).”
Arrest Trump when Air Force One lands. I want to see him in chains.
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putin's bitch confirmed!!!
25 Brutal Memes Reacting to Trump's Treason Summit with Putin
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Trump- Putin Summit
traitors are expensive!!!
Donald Trump’s Turnberry firm paid £50,000 by US Government for weekend visit
MARTYN MCLAUGHLIN - the scotsman
20:25 Tuesday 17 July 2018
Donald Trump’s Turnberry firm was paid more than £50,000 by his own government to cover the accommodation bill for his weekend stay at his loss-making resort, The Scotsman can reveal.
US federal government spending records seen by this newspaper show a series of payments worth a total of £52,477 were made by the State Department to SLC Turnberry Limited, the company behind the South Ayrshire hotel and golf course.
The five-figure windfall, which represents the first example of how Mr Trump’s firm was paid for his contentious working visit to the UK, has been condemned by ethics watchdogs, with one group accusing the 72-year-old of “using the power and authority of his office to profit personally”.
The US taxpayers’ money went towards hotel rooms used by Mr Trump and his staff during his two-night stay at Turnberry, which the president said would be dominated by meetings and calls. He ended up playing two rounds of golf at the historic course.
Along with his son, Eric, Mr Trump was joined at Turnberry by several high-ranking officials, including John Kelly, his White House chief of staff, Sarah Sanders, his press secretary, and Dan Scavino, his director of social media.
Documentation of the transactions show that the payments were made in two tranches.
The first, for $30,074 (£22,653), was made on 11 July. A purchase order, part of US federal government spending logs, shows the money was for “hotel rooms” for a “VIP visit” and was paid to a “foreign-owned business not incorporated in the US.”
The paperwork goes on to the identify the direct recipient as SLC Turnberry, which is registered in the UK with Companies House. Its directors include Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.
The second tranche, worth up to $39,602 (£29,824), was approved on 10 July. It too was for hotel accommodation at Turnberry.
There is no breakdown of the costs, but room rates at Turnberry range from £132 a night for a basic suite through to around £7,000 for the luxury two-bedroom lighthouse suite. Two sources at Turnberry told The Scotsman Eric Trump stayed at the lighthouse suite over the weekend.
The direct payment of federal funds to Mr Trump’s flagship Scottish company has reignited the row over his refusal to divest ownership of his businesses.
Brendan Fischer, director of federal reform at the Campaign Legal Centre, a Washington DC-based non-partisan political watchdog, said: “This is another example of President Trump using the power and authority of his office to profit personally. President Trump not only used the occasion of a state visit to promote his Trump-branded golf course, but told US taxpayers to foot the bill.” (Read more)
US federal government spending records seen by this newspaper show a series of payments worth a total of £52,477 were made by the State Department to SLC Turnberry Limited, the company behind the South Ayrshire hotel and golf course.
The five-figure windfall, which represents the first example of how Mr Trump’s firm was paid for his contentious working visit to the UK, has been condemned by ethics watchdogs, with one group accusing the 72-year-old of “using the power and authority of his office to profit personally”.
The US taxpayers’ money went towards hotel rooms used by Mr Trump and his staff during his two-night stay at Turnberry, which the president said would be dominated by meetings and calls. He ended up playing two rounds of golf at the historic course.
Along with his son, Eric, Mr Trump was joined at Turnberry by several high-ranking officials, including John Kelly, his White House chief of staff, Sarah Sanders, his press secretary, and Dan Scavino, his director of social media.
Documentation of the transactions show that the payments were made in two tranches.
The first, for $30,074 (£22,653), was made on 11 July. A purchase order, part of US federal government spending logs, shows the money was for “hotel rooms” for a “VIP visit” and was paid to a “foreign-owned business not incorporated in the US.”
The paperwork goes on to the identify the direct recipient as SLC Turnberry, which is registered in the UK with Companies House. Its directors include Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.
The second tranche, worth up to $39,602 (£29,824), was approved on 10 July. It too was for hotel accommodation at Turnberry.
There is no breakdown of the costs, but room rates at Turnberry range from £132 a night for a basic suite through to around £7,000 for the luxury two-bedroom lighthouse suite. Two sources at Turnberry told The Scotsman Eric Trump stayed at the lighthouse suite over the weekend.
The direct payment of federal funds to Mr Trump’s flagship Scottish company has reignited the row over his refusal to divest ownership of his businesses.
Brendan Fischer, director of federal reform at the Campaign Legal Centre, a Washington DC-based non-partisan political watchdog, said: “This is another example of President Trump using the power and authority of his office to profit personally. President Trump not only used the occasion of a state visit to promote his Trump-branded golf course, but told US taxpayers to foot the bill.” (Read more)
It’s Official: The Brexit Campaign Cheated Its Way to Victory
Britain’s election watchdog has fined Boris Johnson’s Vote Leave group and reported it to the police—but will it make any difference?
JAMIE ROSS - daily beast
07.17.18 6:13 AM ET
The official campaign that campaigned for people in Britain to vote to leave the European Union broke the law, according to the country’s election watchdog, which has now referred the matter to police.
With Theresa May’s government teetering on the brink of collapse as the pro- and anti-EU factions within her party go to war, the announcement from the Electoral Commission that the campaign group fronted by Boris Johnsoncheated is bringing Brexit tensions to boiling point, with some lawmakers urging a re-run of the vote.
The group—known as Vote Leave—was chosen as the official campaign group for the June 2016 referendum. The Electoral Commission says it funneled money into a sister campaign to get around spending limits, meaning that it exceeded the £7 million ($9.2 million) maximum by £500,000 ($660,000)
Vote Leave has been fined £61,000 ($80,000) while Darren Grimes, the founder of sister campaign group BeLeave, was fined £20,000 ($26,000). Grimes and Vote Leave official David Halsall have both been reported to police.
The investigation from the Electoral Commission found that BeLeave spent more than £675,000 with controversial data firm Aggregate IQ under a common plan with Vote Leave—spending that should have been declared by Vote Leave, but was left out of its spending returns.
Aggregate IQ, which received about £2.7 million from Vote Leave during the campaign, has since been suspended from Facebook over its reported links with defunct data firm Cambridge Analytica.
The Electoral Commission also criticized Vote Leave for failing to cooperate with its investigation, with director Bob Posner saying: “Vote Leave has resisted our investigation from the start, including contesting our right as the statutory regulator to open the investigation.
With Theresa May’s government teetering on the brink of collapse as the pro- and anti-EU factions within her party go to war, the announcement from the Electoral Commission that the campaign group fronted by Boris Johnsoncheated is bringing Brexit tensions to boiling point, with some lawmakers urging a re-run of the vote.
The group—known as Vote Leave—was chosen as the official campaign group for the June 2016 referendum. The Electoral Commission says it funneled money into a sister campaign to get around spending limits, meaning that it exceeded the £7 million ($9.2 million) maximum by £500,000 ($660,000)
Vote Leave has been fined £61,000 ($80,000) while Darren Grimes, the founder of sister campaign group BeLeave, was fined £20,000 ($26,000). Grimes and Vote Leave official David Halsall have both been reported to police.
The investigation from the Electoral Commission found that BeLeave spent more than £675,000 with controversial data firm Aggregate IQ under a common plan with Vote Leave—spending that should have been declared by Vote Leave, but was left out of its spending returns.
Aggregate IQ, which received about £2.7 million from Vote Leave during the campaign, has since been suspended from Facebook over its reported links with defunct data firm Cambridge Analytica.
The Electoral Commission also criticized Vote Leave for failing to cooperate with its investigation, with director Bob Posner saying: “Vote Leave has resisted our investigation from the start, including contesting our right as the statutory regulator to open the investigation.
White Folks Threaten to Boycott CVS Over Firings of Managers Involved In Coupon Incident
By Tanasia Kenney - atlanta black star
July 17, 2018
CVS Pharmacy on Monday announced the firing of two employees who called police on a Black woman during a dispute over a coupon. Not everyone is pleased with the way the company handled the situation, however.
The announcement comes just days after Chicago resident Camilla Hudson filmed store manager Morry Matson as he dialed police after accusing her of trying to use a “fraudulent” coupon last Friday. Matson, who served as a state delegate for President Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election, claimed he’d never seen a coupon like it before and suspected it was a fake.
He and another manager who refused to honor Hudson’s voucher are now without jobs.
“We’ve completed our investigation, and as a result, the two colleagues who were involved are no longer employed by CVS Health,” the company said in a statement.
“CVS Health does not tolerate any practices that discriminate against any customer and we’re committed to maintaining a welcoming and diverse environment in our stores,” it continued. “We have firm non-discrimination policies in place to help ensure that all customers are treated with respect and dignity.”
News of the employees’ firings has sparked backlash from mostly white consumers who demanded the pharmacy release full surveillance video of the encounter. Others argued the incident wasn’t at all race related and the managers didn’t deserve to be fired.
The company said it has since apologized to Hudson for the incident. It’s unclear if she plans to take legal action.
The announcement comes just days after Chicago resident Camilla Hudson filmed store manager Morry Matson as he dialed police after accusing her of trying to use a “fraudulent” coupon last Friday. Matson, who served as a state delegate for President Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election, claimed he’d never seen a coupon like it before and suspected it was a fake.
He and another manager who refused to honor Hudson’s voucher are now without jobs.
“We’ve completed our investigation, and as a result, the two colleagues who were involved are no longer employed by CVS Health,” the company said in a statement.
“CVS Health does not tolerate any practices that discriminate against any customer and we’re committed to maintaining a welcoming and diverse environment in our stores,” it continued. “We have firm non-discrimination policies in place to help ensure that all customers are treated with respect and dignity.”
News of the employees’ firings has sparked backlash from mostly white consumers who demanded the pharmacy release full surveillance video of the encounter. Others argued the incident wasn’t at all race related and the managers didn’t deserve to be fired.
The company said it has since apologized to Hudson for the incident. It’s unclear if she plans to take legal action.
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zero tolerance!!!
Texas shrimp industry to lose $1M per day due to immigrant visa cap
BY ARIS FOLLEY - the hill
07/17/18 10:18 AM EDT
The Trump administration’s cap on U.S. visas for seasonal foreign workers will cost Texas’s shrimp industry millions of dollars, according to a trade group.
Andrea Hance, executive director of the Texas Shrimp Association, told the Brownsville Herald that the Brownsville-Port Isabel shrimp fleet has started this season without enough workers.
Hance estimates that 70 percent of the fleet is heading out to the Gulf short-staffed this season.
According to Hance, the state’s shrimp industry heavily depends on hiring workers by using H-2B visas, which businesses can typically obtain if they can establish that there are not enough American workers able or willing to fill temporary positions.
She blamed the shortage of workers in the shrimp industry on Congress's failure to renew a cap exemption on returning workers this year.
Hance said the shrimp industry is short 750 workers and is being crippled by the federal cap. She added it will cost the state industry $1 million per day, according to The Associated Press.
Andrea Hance, executive director of the Texas Shrimp Association, told the Brownsville Herald that the Brownsville-Port Isabel shrimp fleet has started this season without enough workers.
Hance estimates that 70 percent of the fleet is heading out to the Gulf short-staffed this season.
According to Hance, the state’s shrimp industry heavily depends on hiring workers by using H-2B visas, which businesses can typically obtain if they can establish that there are not enough American workers able or willing to fill temporary positions.
She blamed the shortage of workers in the shrimp industry on Congress's failure to renew a cap exemption on returning workers this year.
Hance said the shrimp industry is short 750 workers and is being crippled by the federal cap. She added it will cost the state industry $1 million per day, according to The Associated Press.
Dozens of fleeing Syrians turned away from Israeli border
Civilians seek passage to Golan Heights to escape bombing by pro-Assad forces
Kareem Shaheen in Istanbul
the guardian
Tue 17 Jul 2018 07.12 EDT
People in Syria walk towards the border fence. Israel has said it will not allow any refugees to cross over. Photograph: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters
Dozens of Syrian civilians have approached the border fence with Israel, apparently seeking safe passage to the Golan Heights, but were sent back by an Israeli border guard.
Reuters first reported the pleas of civilians stranded near the border, which was later confirmed by Syrian humanitarian workers in the area of Quneitra.
“People from the refugee camps went very close to the border to ask for protection because the bombardment is very close to Quneitra,” said one source near the Golan Heights. “It’s a tragedy.”
The latest development is a sign of the desperation among those seeking to escape as the Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad, wages a violent campaign backed by Russia to reclaim control of southern Syria. About 160,000 civilians have fled towards the Golan Heights, the region annexed by Israel from Syria.
Syrian government forces have launched a brutal bombardment of the region around Quneitra in an effort to force the surrender of rebel groups that still control territory in the region.
Israel has said it will not allow any refugees to cross the border, despite urgent calls by humanitarian agencies saying their safety is at risk. They are trapped between the Israeli border and advancing regime forces with little shelter from the harsh summer weather.
The intensity of the bombardment was such that dozens sought refuge in Israel despite the country’s status as an archenemy of Syria. Israel has on occasion allowed individual civilians and fighters with life-threatening injuries to be treated in its hospitals.
The regions of Deraa and Quneitra had long been considered areas of strategic importance where Israel hoped to limit the advance of Assad-aligned Iranian militias. But the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, indicated last week that Israel would accept Syrian government control of the region.
Reuters said the civilians retreated after being urged to do so by Israeli border guards.
The Assad regime is expected to establish control over southern Syria in the coming days as it seeks a military victory over rebels in a seven-year civil war that was sparked by protesters demonstrating against the government torture of civilians in southern Syria.
Last week the government hoisted its flag on rebel-controlled parts of Deraa, a symbolic victory in the birthplace of the uprising.
Reuters first reported the pleas of civilians stranded near the border, which was later confirmed by Syrian humanitarian workers in the area of Quneitra.
“People from the refugee camps went very close to the border to ask for protection because the bombardment is very close to Quneitra,” said one source near the Golan Heights. “It’s a tragedy.”
The latest development is a sign of the desperation among those seeking to escape as the Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad, wages a violent campaign backed by Russia to reclaim control of southern Syria. About 160,000 civilians have fled towards the Golan Heights, the region annexed by Israel from Syria.
Syrian government forces have launched a brutal bombardment of the region around Quneitra in an effort to force the surrender of rebel groups that still control territory in the region.
Israel has said it will not allow any refugees to cross the border, despite urgent calls by humanitarian agencies saying their safety is at risk. They are trapped between the Israeli border and advancing regime forces with little shelter from the harsh summer weather.
The intensity of the bombardment was such that dozens sought refuge in Israel despite the country’s status as an archenemy of Syria. Israel has on occasion allowed individual civilians and fighters with life-threatening injuries to be treated in its hospitals.
The regions of Deraa and Quneitra had long been considered areas of strategic importance where Israel hoped to limit the advance of Assad-aligned Iranian militias. But the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, indicated last week that Israel would accept Syrian government control of the region.
Reuters said the civilians retreated after being urged to do so by Israeli border guards.
The Assad regime is expected to establish control over southern Syria in the coming days as it seeks a military victory over rebels in a seven-year civil war that was sparked by protesters demonstrating against the government torture of civilians in southern Syria.
Last week the government hoisted its flag on rebel-controlled parts of Deraa, a symbolic victory in the birthplace of the uprising.
fool on the bench!!!
Trump-appointed judge rules family planning program can prioritize abstinence over contraception
Health groups say the move undermines a bipartisan public health program that has provided critical family planning services for decades.
AMANDA MICHELLE GOMEZ - thinkprogress
JUL 17, 2018, 11:05 AM
A federal judge decided against reproductive rights groups that sought to block the Trump administration’s latest efforts to undermine the federal Title X family planning program, ruling in favor of prioritizing abstinence and natural family planning methods over contraception.
In May, three Planned Parenthood affiliates and the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA) filed a lawsuit in a federal district court, challenging proposed changes to the country’s only program dedicated to family planning, known as Title X.
The proposed changes affect the quality of care for low-income people who depend on public funds for their family planning care. People of color make up half of Title X clients; roughly 21 percent identify as black or African American and 30 percent identify as Hispanic or Latinx.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) — packed with anti-abortion sympathizers — released a funding announcement in February, where they told interested parties they’ll be giving Title X dollars to groups who cooperate with faith-based organizations and have a “meaningful emphasis” on “stable, healthy marriages” and avoid “sexual risk.” The 60-page announcement made no mention of contraception, but instead, emphasized infertility services. By contrast, the Obama-era announcement promoted comprehensive contraceptive services, pregnancy testing, and counseling, in addition to basic infertility services.
The changes prompted current family-planning grantees to sue HHS, saying officials violated the Administrative Procedure Act and Title X law because revisions were made in an “arbitrary and capricious” manner without public notice and rule making.
But Federal Judge Trevor McFadden — who was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2017 — ruled in favor of HHS, saying that “courts cannot… require formal rule-making for a change in agency procedure.”
It is unclear whether health groups will appeal the decision.
The grants total roughly $260 million, and Planned Parenthood receives $50 million to $60 million in annual funding. These dollars pay for the contraceptive care of 1.6 million of Planned Parenthood’s 3.8 million clients who need it.
The next Title X funding cycle starts in September and, given the new administration’s priorities, it’s possible this new program will open the door to abstinence-only providers and crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) and shut out providers like Planned Parenthood.
ThinkProgress reached out to HHS for comment, but they did not immediately respond.
“This administration is attempting to undermine a public health program that was created with bipartisan support and that for decades has provided critical family planning services available to millions of people who could not otherwise afford it,” said Clare Coleman, president and CEO of NFPRHA. “We will continue to fight against attacks on family planning to ensure highly qualified health care providers can remain in the program and continue to deliver patient-centered contraceptive care for all who seek it.”
“Planned Parenthood will not stop fighting for our patients and the four million people who depend on this health care,” said Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, in a statement. “This program is meant to ensure that every person — regardless of where they live, how much money they make, their background, or whether or not they have health insurance — has access to basic, preventive reproductive health care, such as birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and regular check-ups.”
This isn’t the Trump administration’s final footprint on the Title X program. Officials recently issued a new proposed rule that shores up the funding announcement, blocking federal funds to clinics that provide abortion services, like Planned Parenthood, and prevent groups from providing comprehensive counseling and referrals to abortion services. Title X dollars are already not permitted to pay for abortion services.
“These actions could shrink the network of providers that offer low-income women comprehensive family planning services using federal support,” according to a Kaiser Family Foundation brief on proposed changes to Title X. “In addition to the abortion-specific provisions, there are other notable changes in the proposed regulations that are administratively burdensome, weaken the clinical standards of family planning care offered by Title X providers, and redefine programmatic eligibility standards to promote Administration priorities.”
This proposed rule hasn’t been challenged by reproductive advocacy groups yet.
In May, three Planned Parenthood affiliates and the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA) filed a lawsuit in a federal district court, challenging proposed changes to the country’s only program dedicated to family planning, known as Title X.
The proposed changes affect the quality of care for low-income people who depend on public funds for their family planning care. People of color make up half of Title X clients; roughly 21 percent identify as black or African American and 30 percent identify as Hispanic or Latinx.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) — packed with anti-abortion sympathizers — released a funding announcement in February, where they told interested parties they’ll be giving Title X dollars to groups who cooperate with faith-based organizations and have a “meaningful emphasis” on “stable, healthy marriages” and avoid “sexual risk.” The 60-page announcement made no mention of contraception, but instead, emphasized infertility services. By contrast, the Obama-era announcement promoted comprehensive contraceptive services, pregnancy testing, and counseling, in addition to basic infertility services.
The changes prompted current family-planning grantees to sue HHS, saying officials violated the Administrative Procedure Act and Title X law because revisions were made in an “arbitrary and capricious” manner without public notice and rule making.
But Federal Judge Trevor McFadden — who was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2017 — ruled in favor of HHS, saying that “courts cannot… require formal rule-making for a change in agency procedure.”
It is unclear whether health groups will appeal the decision.
The grants total roughly $260 million, and Planned Parenthood receives $50 million to $60 million in annual funding. These dollars pay for the contraceptive care of 1.6 million of Planned Parenthood’s 3.8 million clients who need it.
The next Title X funding cycle starts in September and, given the new administration’s priorities, it’s possible this new program will open the door to abstinence-only providers and crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) and shut out providers like Planned Parenthood.
ThinkProgress reached out to HHS for comment, but they did not immediately respond.
“This administration is attempting to undermine a public health program that was created with bipartisan support and that for decades has provided critical family planning services available to millions of people who could not otherwise afford it,” said Clare Coleman, president and CEO of NFPRHA. “We will continue to fight against attacks on family planning to ensure highly qualified health care providers can remain in the program and continue to deliver patient-centered contraceptive care for all who seek it.”
“Planned Parenthood will not stop fighting for our patients and the four million people who depend on this health care,” said Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, in a statement. “This program is meant to ensure that every person — regardless of where they live, how much money they make, their background, or whether or not they have health insurance — has access to basic, preventive reproductive health care, such as birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and regular check-ups.”
This isn’t the Trump administration’s final footprint on the Title X program. Officials recently issued a new proposed rule that shores up the funding announcement, blocking federal funds to clinics that provide abortion services, like Planned Parenthood, and prevent groups from providing comprehensive counseling and referrals to abortion services. Title X dollars are already not permitted to pay for abortion services.
“These actions could shrink the network of providers that offer low-income women comprehensive family planning services using federal support,” according to a Kaiser Family Foundation brief on proposed changes to Title X. “In addition to the abortion-specific provisions, there are other notable changes in the proposed regulations that are administratively burdensome, weaken the clinical standards of family planning care offered by Title X providers, and redefine programmatic eligibility standards to promote Administration priorities.”
This proposed rule hasn’t been challenged by reproductive advocacy groups yet.
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Amazon Workers Mark #PrimeDay With Strikes Against Low Pay, Brutal Conditions
Jake Johnson / Common Dreams - truthdig
7/17/18
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has just become the richest man in recorded history—surpassing $150 billion in net worth—thanks to his business model of subjecting employees to low wages, brutal working conditions, and scant benefits, and on Tuesday Amazon workers throughout Europe are marking “Prime Day” by walking off the job in massive numbers to call attention to their plight.
In addition to walkouts by 80 percent of the workers at Amazon’s largest distribution center in Spain—nearly 1,800 workers—employees of the retailer are also launching strikes in Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom to demand higher wages and denounce Amazon’s union-busting efforts.
“The message is clear—while the online giant gets rich, it is saving money on the health of its workers,” Stefanie Nutzenberger, spokesperson for the German services union Verdi, said in a statement.
Strikes against Amazon’s notoriously appalling working conditions—which include forcing warehouse employees to skip bathroom breaks and urinate in bottles to meet the company’s unrealistic performance expectations—come as Bezos is coming under growing pressure to address his treatment of employees.
As Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pointed out in his “CEOs vs. Workers” town hall Monday night—which Bezos declined to attend—the Amazon chief earns around $275 million each day while refusing to pay his workers enough to get by without food stamps.
Seth King, a former Amazon employee who participated in the town hall, described Amazon’s business model as “a revolving door of bodies” and said workers are “not allowed to sit down” or “talk to other people” on the job.
In solidarity with striking workers throughout Europe, many in the U.S. and throughout the world are calling for boycotts of “Prime Day,” which lasts 36 hours.
In addition to walkouts by 80 percent of the workers at Amazon’s largest distribution center in Spain—nearly 1,800 workers—employees of the retailer are also launching strikes in Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom to demand higher wages and denounce Amazon’s union-busting efforts.
“The message is clear—while the online giant gets rich, it is saving money on the health of its workers,” Stefanie Nutzenberger, spokesperson for the German services union Verdi, said in a statement.
Strikes against Amazon’s notoriously appalling working conditions—which include forcing warehouse employees to skip bathroom breaks and urinate in bottles to meet the company’s unrealistic performance expectations—come as Bezos is coming under growing pressure to address his treatment of employees.
As Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pointed out in his “CEOs vs. Workers” town hall Monday night—which Bezos declined to attend—the Amazon chief earns around $275 million each day while refusing to pay his workers enough to get by without food stamps.
Seth King, a former Amazon employee who participated in the town hall, described Amazon’s business model as “a revolving door of bodies” and said workers are “not allowed to sit down” or “talk to other people” on the job.
In solidarity with striking workers throughout Europe, many in the U.S. and throughout the world are calling for boycotts of “Prime Day,” which lasts 36 hours.
Oregon Senator Demands Ethics Probe of Trump’s Commerce Secretary
BY Mike Ludwig Truthout
PUBLISHED
July 17, 2018
Another top Trump administration official is in hot water over apparent ethics violations.
The Senate Finance Committee’s ranking Democrat asked the Department of Justice on Monday to formally investigate whether a series of “questionable” stock trades by President Trump’s commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, violated federal law. Ross has faced public scrutiny for keeping investments in firms linked to the Chinese government and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle since taking office.
In a letter filed with the Justice Department, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) pointed to a stinging correspondence between Ross and the US Office of Government Ethics last week. The government’s top ethics official warned the wealthy investor that certain stock holdings and trades had violated his ethics agreement and “created the potential for a serious criminal violation.” In addition, financial disclosures made to the Office of Government Ethics contained “various omissions and inaccurate statements” that could erode public trust in the government.
The questions hanging over Ross could create another ethics headache for an administration already plagued by scandals. According to investigative reports by Forbes and The New York Times, Ross held on to investments that presented apparent conflicts of interest after taking office last year, including shares in Navigator Holdings, a shipping firm tied to the Kremlin. Last October, Ross short-sold shares of the company as New York Times reporters prepared to publish a potentially negative article exposing the holdings, putting the commerce secretary in a position to profit even as the firm’s stock price fell.
In November, Ross submitted a sworn statement promising federal officials that he had sold all the stocks that he had committed to divesting when taking office, only to later disclose that he had held onto $20 million worth of shares in his former employer, the financial firm Invesco, before selling them in December for a handsome return.
Ross also held short positions on holdings in other firms from which he had promised to divest and generally failed to meet divestment requirements by deadlines set in his ethics agreement, according to Office of Government Ethics Director David Apol’s letter to Ross.
Wyden launched his own probe of Ross’s investments earlier this year and told the Justice Department this week that Ross’s response to inquiries from his office “did not adequately justify the activities in question.”
“The top federal ethics watchdog confirmed what anyone with eyes and ears already knew: Wilbur Ross’ stock trades seriously compromised his ability to act in America’s best interests, and may have broken the law,” Wyden said in a statement.
In a brief statement in response to Apol’s letter, Ross announced last week that he had sold off all of his private equity holdings in order to “maintain public trust.” He also claimed to have made “inadvertent errors” in completing the divestments required by his ethics agreement and disclosing them to ethics officials.
“My investments were complex and included hundreds of items,” Ross said in a statement released by the Commerce Department on Thursday. “I self-reported each error, and worked diligently with my department’s ethics officials to make sure I avoided any conflicts of interest.”
Whether Ross made “inadvertent” mistakes or intentionally lied to federal officials could determine whether the commerce secretary broke the law by making inaccurate statements to federal officials. Apol advised Ross that the Office of Government Ethics has no information to contradict his claims that the inaccuracies and omissions in his disclosures were “inadvertent,” and a Department of Commerce official reviewed Ross’s daily “calendars, briefing books and correspondence” for potential financial conflicts of interest and found none.
However, Forbes reporter Dan Alexander cast doubt on this internal review last week with a detailed report revealing that the commerce secretary has held dozens of meetings with companies that helped him build his personal fortune, all while serving within the Trump administration:
Last March, his calendar lists a meeting with the CEO of Boeing, a company in which Ross’ wife held nearly $3 million worth of stock. In April, his schedule includes another with Minister Ali Shareef Al Emadi, who serves on the board of Qatar Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund that pumped money into one of Ross’ private equity vehicles. In July, September and October, Ross’ agenda lists talks with Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Company, which called a business Ross partly owned a “top performing global supplier.” And so on, and so on.
Wyden, meanwhile, continues to press for a formal investigation, pointing to Apol’s letter indicating that Ross could have put himself in a potentially criminal position. “In light of this report, the Justice Department should conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that Ross was working on behalf of the American people and not just his own bank account,” Wyden said.
The Senate Finance Committee’s ranking Democrat asked the Department of Justice on Monday to formally investigate whether a series of “questionable” stock trades by President Trump’s commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, violated federal law. Ross has faced public scrutiny for keeping investments in firms linked to the Chinese government and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle since taking office.
In a letter filed with the Justice Department, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) pointed to a stinging correspondence between Ross and the US Office of Government Ethics last week. The government’s top ethics official warned the wealthy investor that certain stock holdings and trades had violated his ethics agreement and “created the potential for a serious criminal violation.” In addition, financial disclosures made to the Office of Government Ethics contained “various omissions and inaccurate statements” that could erode public trust in the government.
The questions hanging over Ross could create another ethics headache for an administration already plagued by scandals. According to investigative reports by Forbes and The New York Times, Ross held on to investments that presented apparent conflicts of interest after taking office last year, including shares in Navigator Holdings, a shipping firm tied to the Kremlin. Last October, Ross short-sold shares of the company as New York Times reporters prepared to publish a potentially negative article exposing the holdings, putting the commerce secretary in a position to profit even as the firm’s stock price fell.
In November, Ross submitted a sworn statement promising federal officials that he had sold all the stocks that he had committed to divesting when taking office, only to later disclose that he had held onto $20 million worth of shares in his former employer, the financial firm Invesco, before selling them in December for a handsome return.
Ross also held short positions on holdings in other firms from which he had promised to divest and generally failed to meet divestment requirements by deadlines set in his ethics agreement, according to Office of Government Ethics Director David Apol’s letter to Ross.
Wyden launched his own probe of Ross’s investments earlier this year and told the Justice Department this week that Ross’s response to inquiries from his office “did not adequately justify the activities in question.”
“The top federal ethics watchdog confirmed what anyone with eyes and ears already knew: Wilbur Ross’ stock trades seriously compromised his ability to act in America’s best interests, and may have broken the law,” Wyden said in a statement.
In a brief statement in response to Apol’s letter, Ross announced last week that he had sold off all of his private equity holdings in order to “maintain public trust.” He also claimed to have made “inadvertent errors” in completing the divestments required by his ethics agreement and disclosing them to ethics officials.
“My investments were complex and included hundreds of items,” Ross said in a statement released by the Commerce Department on Thursday. “I self-reported each error, and worked diligently with my department’s ethics officials to make sure I avoided any conflicts of interest.”
Whether Ross made “inadvertent” mistakes or intentionally lied to federal officials could determine whether the commerce secretary broke the law by making inaccurate statements to federal officials. Apol advised Ross that the Office of Government Ethics has no information to contradict his claims that the inaccuracies and omissions in his disclosures were “inadvertent,” and a Department of Commerce official reviewed Ross’s daily “calendars, briefing books and correspondence” for potential financial conflicts of interest and found none.
However, Forbes reporter Dan Alexander cast doubt on this internal review last week with a detailed report revealing that the commerce secretary has held dozens of meetings with companies that helped him build his personal fortune, all while serving within the Trump administration:
Last March, his calendar lists a meeting with the CEO of Boeing, a company in which Ross’ wife held nearly $3 million worth of stock. In April, his schedule includes another with Minister Ali Shareef Al Emadi, who serves on the board of Qatar Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund that pumped money into one of Ross’ private equity vehicles. In July, September and October, Ross’ agenda lists talks with Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Company, which called a business Ross partly owned a “top performing global supplier.” And so on, and so on.
Wyden, meanwhile, continues to press for a formal investigation, pointing to Apol’s letter indicating that Ross could have put himself in a potentially criminal position. “In light of this report, the Justice Department should conduct a thorough investigation to ensure that Ross was working on behalf of the American people and not just his own bank account,” Wyden said.
hope they bug the white house, first!!!
NSA and Cyber Command to coordinate actions to counter Russian election
interference in 2018 amid absence of White House guidance
By Ellen Nakashima - washington post
July 17 at 11:43 AM
The head of the nation’s largest electronic spy agency and the military’s cyberwarfare arm has quietly directed the two organizations to coordinate actions to counter potential Russian interference in the 2018 midterm elections.
The move, announced to staff at the National Security Agency last week by NSA Director Paul Nakasone, is an attempt to maximize the efforts of the two groups and comes as President Trump in Helsinki on Monday said Russian President Vladimir Putin was “extremely strong and powerful” in denying Russian involvement in the presidential election two years ago.
It is the latest initiative by national security agencies to push back against Russian aggression in the absence of direct guidance from the White House on the issue.
“Nakasone, and the heads of the other three-letter agencies, are doing what they can in their own lanes, absent an overall approach directed by the president,” said Michael V. Hayden, who has headed the NSA and the CIA. “As good as it is, it’s not good enough. This is not a narrowly defined cyberthreat. This is one of the most significant strategic national security threats facing the United States since 9/11.”
Nakasone, who became the chief of both NSA and U.S. Cyber Command in April, told Congress in his confirmation hearings earlier this year: “The most important thing is we want the [Russians’] behavior to change. . . . We want them to pay a price.”
He added that one of the most disturbing facts is that the United States’ adversaries, including Russia, “don’t fear us.”
On Friday, the same day that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III announced the indictment of 12 Russian military intelligence officers for hacking Democrats’ emails. Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats issued a new alert on Russia. “The warning lights are blinking red again,” he said, also likening them to the danger signs that presaged the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
“Today, the digital infrastructure that serves this country is literally under attack,” he said, adding that if Russia continues to assault the United States in cyberspace, the government should “throw everything we have got into it.”
On Monday, following Trump’s remarks, Coats felt compelled to issue a statement reiterating the intelligence community’s January 2017 assessment that Russia interfered in the presidential election and noted its “ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy.”
The NSA and Cyber Command declined to comment.
Nakasone wants to better coordinate NSA intelligence gathering on Russian cyberactivities and CyberCom’s plans to thwart Kremlin operations.
When directed by the president or defense secretary, the military unit, located at Fort Meade with the NSA, may also take offensive action such as disrupting an adversary’s computer networks.
“This is just Paul Nakasone being a good leader, and under the theory of ‘never let a good crisis go to waste,’ using that to bring the two teams closer together,” said Richard Ledgett, who retired last year as NSA deputy director.
The joint CyberCom-NSA Russia group is working with the FBI, CIA and Department of Homeland Security, each of which has its own initiative to detect and deter Russian influence operations. FBI Director Christopher A. Wray last year set up the foreign influence task force to counter such attempts. It works closely with DHS, which has its own task force focused on election security — with an eye to the midterms — and has worked with state and local authorities on the issue.
The agencies are working within their own authorities, but “the lack of presidential guidance to address this as a national problem impedes the ability” to carry out a more robust and effective effort — one that aligns resources and results, said a former senior U.S. intelligence official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid.
The Russian assault on the U.S. election was “an attack from an unexpected direction against a previously unappreciated weakness,” said Hayden, who explores this theme in a new book “The Assault on Intelligence.” “It hit a seam between law enforcement and intelligence, between ‘sigint’ [electronic spying] and ‘humint’ [human spying], between state and federal agencies, between politics and policy.”
The government had no agency, no plan or strategy to counter such a threat, he said.
At a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing last month, Victoria Nuland, former assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, said that, “While the Trump administration has taken some important sanction steps to punish Russia for past actions, strengthen Cyber Command, and harden our electoral infrastructure, it has not launched the kind of presidentially led, whole-of-government effort that’s needed to protect our democracy and security for malign state actors who are intent on weaponizing information and the Internet.”
She called for the establishment of a multiagency fusion center modeled after the National Counterterrorism Center to pool information and resources, to identify and expose and to respond to foreign government attempts to undermine U.S. democracy through disinformation and cyberattack.
Repeatedly pressed last year and this year by Sen. Jack Reed (R.I.), the ranking Democrat on the Armed Services committee, on whether they had been given any direction by the president to counter Russian interference, a number of senior administration officials — including then-NSA Director Michael S. Rogers — acknowledged they had not.
Current and former senior administration officials have suggested that the intelligence community is conducting covert operations to deter Russia.
Friday’s indictment reflected “an astonishing amount of information” gathered on senior officers in the Russian military, including search terms used by the hackers on servers in Moscow, which indicates an ability to get into their digital systems, according to Michael Carpenter, a former senior Pentagon and White House official who worked on Russia policy. “If I were the Russians I’d be very nervous about that.” But, he said, “it doesn’t mean we have taken action.”
Congress meanwhile is considering a measure allowing the president to authorize Cyber Command to disrupt any Russian election interference and social media manipulation operations outside the United States — a form of political pressure as the president does not need the authority to act. The Senate has passed the provision, contained in the National Defense Authorization Act, and is negotiating it with the House.
The move, announced to staff at the National Security Agency last week by NSA Director Paul Nakasone, is an attempt to maximize the efforts of the two groups and comes as President Trump in Helsinki on Monday said Russian President Vladimir Putin was “extremely strong and powerful” in denying Russian involvement in the presidential election two years ago.
It is the latest initiative by national security agencies to push back against Russian aggression in the absence of direct guidance from the White House on the issue.
“Nakasone, and the heads of the other three-letter agencies, are doing what they can in their own lanes, absent an overall approach directed by the president,” said Michael V. Hayden, who has headed the NSA and the CIA. “As good as it is, it’s not good enough. This is not a narrowly defined cyberthreat. This is one of the most significant strategic national security threats facing the United States since 9/11.”
Nakasone, who became the chief of both NSA and U.S. Cyber Command in April, told Congress in his confirmation hearings earlier this year: “The most important thing is we want the [Russians’] behavior to change. . . . We want them to pay a price.”
He added that one of the most disturbing facts is that the United States’ adversaries, including Russia, “don’t fear us.”
On Friday, the same day that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III announced the indictment of 12 Russian military intelligence officers for hacking Democrats’ emails. Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats issued a new alert on Russia. “The warning lights are blinking red again,” he said, also likening them to the danger signs that presaged the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
“Today, the digital infrastructure that serves this country is literally under attack,” he said, adding that if Russia continues to assault the United States in cyberspace, the government should “throw everything we have got into it.”
On Monday, following Trump’s remarks, Coats felt compelled to issue a statement reiterating the intelligence community’s January 2017 assessment that Russia interfered in the presidential election and noted its “ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy.”
The NSA and Cyber Command declined to comment.
Nakasone wants to better coordinate NSA intelligence gathering on Russian cyberactivities and CyberCom’s plans to thwart Kremlin operations.
When directed by the president or defense secretary, the military unit, located at Fort Meade with the NSA, may also take offensive action such as disrupting an adversary’s computer networks.
“This is just Paul Nakasone being a good leader, and under the theory of ‘never let a good crisis go to waste,’ using that to bring the two teams closer together,” said Richard Ledgett, who retired last year as NSA deputy director.
The joint CyberCom-NSA Russia group is working with the FBI, CIA and Department of Homeland Security, each of which has its own initiative to detect and deter Russian influence operations. FBI Director Christopher A. Wray last year set up the foreign influence task force to counter such attempts. It works closely with DHS, which has its own task force focused on election security — with an eye to the midterms — and has worked with state and local authorities on the issue.
The agencies are working within their own authorities, but “the lack of presidential guidance to address this as a national problem impedes the ability” to carry out a more robust and effective effort — one that aligns resources and results, said a former senior U.S. intelligence official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid.
The Russian assault on the U.S. election was “an attack from an unexpected direction against a previously unappreciated weakness,” said Hayden, who explores this theme in a new book “The Assault on Intelligence.” “It hit a seam between law enforcement and intelligence, between ‘sigint’ [electronic spying] and ‘humint’ [human spying], between state and federal agencies, between politics and policy.”
The government had no agency, no plan or strategy to counter such a threat, he said.
At a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing last month, Victoria Nuland, former assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, said that, “While the Trump administration has taken some important sanction steps to punish Russia for past actions, strengthen Cyber Command, and harden our electoral infrastructure, it has not launched the kind of presidentially led, whole-of-government effort that’s needed to protect our democracy and security for malign state actors who are intent on weaponizing information and the Internet.”
She called for the establishment of a multiagency fusion center modeled after the National Counterterrorism Center to pool information and resources, to identify and expose and to respond to foreign government attempts to undermine U.S. democracy through disinformation and cyberattack.
Repeatedly pressed last year and this year by Sen. Jack Reed (R.I.), the ranking Democrat on the Armed Services committee, on whether they had been given any direction by the president to counter Russian interference, a number of senior administration officials — including then-NSA Director Michael S. Rogers — acknowledged they had not.
Current and former senior administration officials have suggested that the intelligence community is conducting covert operations to deter Russia.
Friday’s indictment reflected “an astonishing amount of information” gathered on senior officers in the Russian military, including search terms used by the hackers on servers in Moscow, which indicates an ability to get into their digital systems, according to Michael Carpenter, a former senior Pentagon and White House official who worked on Russia policy. “If I were the Russians I’d be very nervous about that.” But, he said, “it doesn’t mean we have taken action.”
Congress meanwhile is considering a measure allowing the president to authorize Cyber Command to disrupt any Russian election interference and social media manipulation operations outside the United States — a form of political pressure as the president does not need the authority to act. The Senate has passed the provision, contained in the National Defense Authorization Act, and is negotiating it with the House.
*bites from real news - 7/17/2018*
*Corporations May Take Credit for Environmental Action—But Their Lobbying Shows the True Story
Companies often trumpet their good deeds while hiding their efforts to block progress.(alternet)
*Cops use six squad cars to catch black men who allegedly stiffed local IHOP — but they got the wrong guys
Police in Clayton, Missouri employed a total of six separate squad cars to track down and apprehend ten black men accused of stiffing a local IHOP restaurant — only to find out later that they apprehended the wrong men.
*Special counsel Robert Mueller asks for immunity for five potential witnesses in Paul Manafort trial
.... The five individuals would either refuse to take the witness stand against Manafort, or refuse to answer questions because of their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination if they are not granted immunity and compelled to testify with ... (CNBC)
*he's lying: Trump Corrects Himself: I Meant 'I Don't See Any Reason Why It WOULDN'T Be Russia'
Pr*sident Donald Trump on Tuesday attempted to walk back his public support of Vladimir Putin's denials of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, by correcting one word he from his press conference on Monday. ... (Talking Points Memo)
*Protests erupt outside of White House as Trump returns from Putin summit
Protesters greeted Pr*sident Trump as he returned from his summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland, on Monday, with dozens gathering outside the White House and yelling "traitor" ... (the hill)
*truth hurts: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez prompts outrage in US for accurately referring to Israel's 'occupation'
Democratic congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has described Israel’s presence in the West Bank as an “occupation”, in a marked deviation from the pro-Israel line taken by both Democratic and Republican parties. Israel has been occupyin ... (The Independent)
*Health Insurers Are Vacuuming Up Details About You — And It Could Raise Your Rates
Without any public scrutiny, insurers and data brokers are predicting your health costs based on data about things like race, marital status, how much TV you watch, whether you pay your bills on time or even buy plus-size clothing.
*GOP candidate for Arizona state Senate who killed his mother supports ‘good guys’ with guns
*Putin tells Russian state TV Trump gave him a ‘very interesting offer’ on Ukraine and discussed getting around sanctions
Russian President Vladimir Putin had a lot to say about the two-hour meeting with President Donald Trump.
*US credit market fires warning about recession
*Here are all the people who were convicted of treason in the US — and the ones who were executed for it
In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s unprecedented and alarming joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, critics have accused the American president of committing treason for his acquiescence to the Kremlin.
*Conservation How Trump’s wildlife board is rebranding trophy hunting as good for animals
As hunters hold immense clout in the Trump administration and most of the council’s members are advocates of the sport, critics worry they will protect their hobby, not the animals
*MGM Resorts International sues more than 1,000 victims from Las Vegas mass shooting, denying any lia
MGM Resorts International has filed federal lawsuits against more than 1,000 Las Vegas mass shooting victims in an effort to avoid liability. The company, which owns Mandalay Bay and the Route 91 Harvest festival venue, argues that it cannot be held ... (Las Vegas Review Journal)
*Japan, EU sign trade deal to eliminate nearly all tariffs
TOKYO (AP) — The European Union and Japan signed a landmark deal on Tuesday that will eliminate nearly all tariffs on products they trade. The ambitious pact signed in Tokyo runs counter to President Donald Trump’s moves to hike tariffs on imports f ... (AP)
Report: More Russians Under Mueller Scrutiny For Seychelles Meetings
By Matt Shuham | tpm
July 17, 2018 12:05 pm
More Russians than previously reported participated in a meetings in the Seychelles days before President Donald Trump’s inauguration, according to a report from New Jersey Advance Media.
One meeting on the Indian Ocean archipelago — between Blackwater founder Erik Prince, de facto United Arab Emirates leader Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and Putin-connected Russian sovereign wealth fund director Kirill Dmitriev (pictured above) — has attracted special counsel Robert Mueller’s attention.
Around the same time, according to the Monday afternoon report, “several Russians” participated in meetings in the Seychelles that have also earned Mueller’s scrutiny. The outlet, which publishes several New Jersey newspapers including The Star-Ledger, cited flight logs and several unnamed sources with knowledge of the meetings.
The other meetings “focused generally on Syria, energy and sanctions,” the report said, and included participants from “Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and the U.S.,” according to three unnamed sources and flight logs. Citing several unnamed sources, the report states that “several” Russians participated in meetings on lifting U.S. sanctions against the country, a top priority of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s, as well as a large group of sanctioned Russian government officials, oligarchs and others in the country’s elite.
The report specifically examined an aircraft supposedly owned by Russian lawmaker and billionaire Andrei Skoch.
According to the report, on Jan. 10, Skoch’s plane departed from Moscow, stopped in Dubai, landed in the Seychelles and then flew back to Dubai. “Several days later,” it landed again in the Seychelles and then departed with 16 passengers on Jan. 19.
Two unnamed sources “with knowledge of the meetings” said “several” of the individuals on that final flight “participated directly in meetings that focused on international trade and sanctions,” in the report’s words. The outlet previously reported that passengers on the plane stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel where the meetings took place.
One meeting on the Indian Ocean archipelago — between Blackwater founder Erik Prince, de facto United Arab Emirates leader Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and Putin-connected Russian sovereign wealth fund director Kirill Dmitriev (pictured above) — has attracted special counsel Robert Mueller’s attention.
Around the same time, according to the Monday afternoon report, “several Russians” participated in meetings in the Seychelles that have also earned Mueller’s scrutiny. The outlet, which publishes several New Jersey newspapers including The Star-Ledger, cited flight logs and several unnamed sources with knowledge of the meetings.
The other meetings “focused generally on Syria, energy and sanctions,” the report said, and included participants from “Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and the U.S.,” according to three unnamed sources and flight logs. Citing several unnamed sources, the report states that “several” Russians participated in meetings on lifting U.S. sanctions against the country, a top priority of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s, as well as a large group of sanctioned Russian government officials, oligarchs and others in the country’s elite.
The report specifically examined an aircraft supposedly owned by Russian lawmaker and billionaire Andrei Skoch.
According to the report, on Jan. 10, Skoch’s plane departed from Moscow, stopped in Dubai, landed in the Seychelles and then flew back to Dubai. “Several days later,” it landed again in the Seychelles and then departed with 16 passengers on Jan. 19.
Two unnamed sources “with knowledge of the meetings” said “several” of the individuals on that final flight “participated directly in meetings that focused on international trade and sanctions,” in the report’s words. The outlet previously reported that passengers on the plane stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel where the meetings took place.
Where the Bodies Are Buried
NanceGreggs - demo underground
7/15/18
With all the discussion about who knows where all the bodies are buried, one person has been repeatedly left out of the equation: Donald J. Trump.
Because he insists on micro-managing anything that directly affects him, there’s no doubt he knows everything about the coordination between his people and Russian operatives. The Russians have nothing to worry about on that score; they’re safe from extradition, which makes them safe from any consequences for their actions.
But what about the Americans – in particular, the higher-ups in the Republican party – who aided and abetted collusion, or “advised” that certain things were do-able because they could be covered-up?
I keep thinking about Hope Hicks reassuring Don Jr. not to worry about the emails he exchanged about getting dirt on Hilary. “Those emails will never come out,” she assured him. And then they did.
I’ve no doubt that there are powers-that-be in the GOP who knew about the collusion and participated in it. And Trump knows exactly who they are and what their participation was.
Once Mueller puts the noose around Donald’s neck, he is going to do the two things he is famous for: blame others and exact revenge. He’s going to start running his mouth about exactly who knew what was going on, and who did what in order to keep the Trump/Russia train moving full-steam ahead.
I’m sure there are a number of high-profile Republicans who are sweating right now. While Trump is worried about people like Manafort and Cohen “flipping”, they’re a lot more worried about Trump spilling his guts about the GOP’s involvement before, during and after the fact of his illegitimate election.
Trump is going down. And the fact is that when he does, he’ll make sure he takes the Republican party with him. No one is safe, no one will be spared. If he has even a modicum of “dirt” on anyone in the party that betrayed him by failing to protect him from Mueller et al, he will release the Kraken – not to save himself, but out of sheer spite.
As the Republicans are fond of saying when Trump lies, exaggerates, bullshits, demonstrates his ignorance, et cetera, “Well, ya know, that’s who he is. He’s just that kinda guy.”
Yeah, exactly. And he’s “just that kinda guy” who will never, ever go down without taking as many people as he can down with him.
Because he insists on micro-managing anything that directly affects him, there’s no doubt he knows everything about the coordination between his people and Russian operatives. The Russians have nothing to worry about on that score; they’re safe from extradition, which makes them safe from any consequences for their actions.
But what about the Americans – in particular, the higher-ups in the Republican party – who aided and abetted collusion, or “advised” that certain things were do-able because they could be covered-up?
I keep thinking about Hope Hicks reassuring Don Jr. not to worry about the emails he exchanged about getting dirt on Hilary. “Those emails will never come out,” she assured him. And then they did.
I’ve no doubt that there are powers-that-be in the GOP who knew about the collusion and participated in it. And Trump knows exactly who they are and what their participation was.
Once Mueller puts the noose around Donald’s neck, he is going to do the two things he is famous for: blame others and exact revenge. He’s going to start running his mouth about exactly who knew what was going on, and who did what in order to keep the Trump/Russia train moving full-steam ahead.
I’m sure there are a number of high-profile Republicans who are sweating right now. While Trump is worried about people like Manafort and Cohen “flipping”, they’re a lot more worried about Trump spilling his guts about the GOP’s involvement before, during and after the fact of his illegitimate election.
Trump is going down. And the fact is that when he does, he’ll make sure he takes the Republican party with him. No one is safe, no one will be spared. If he has even a modicum of “dirt” on anyone in the party that betrayed him by failing to protect him from Mueller et al, he will release the Kraken – not to save himself, but out of sheer spite.
As the Republicans are fond of saying when Trump lies, exaggerates, bullshits, demonstrates his ignorance, et cetera, “Well, ya know, that’s who he is. He’s just that kinda guy.”
Yeah, exactly. And he’s “just that kinda guy” who will never, ever go down without taking as many people as he can down with him.
Ex-wrestlers sue Ohio State, say officials knew of doctor’s sexual abuse
By Jennifer Smola
The Columbus Dispatch
7/17/18
The lawsuit alleges that despite being repeatedly informed of Dr. Richard Strauss’ “sexual assault, abuse, battery, molestation, and/or harassment,” Ohio State “failed to take appropriate action (or, in fact, any action whatsoever) to stop or prevent Dr. Strauss from continuing his rampant sexual misconduct.”
Four former Ohio State University wrestlers have filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court, alleging the university knew about abuse by physician Richard Strauss, but failed to stop his misconduct.
The suit, filed Monday in federal district court in Columbus, accuses Ohio State of Title IX and civil rights violations when it failed to prevent repeated sexual assaults, abuse and molestation by Strauss.
The plaintiffs in the case, listed only as “John Does” seeks punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, attorney fees and other relief as the court deems proper. The suit did not state a specific amount the plaintiffs were seeking. The suit claims a student complained about Strauss as early as 1978.
The lawsuit alleges that despite being repeatedly informed of Dr. Strauss’ “sexual assault, abuse, battery, molestation, and/or harassment, OSU failed to take appropriate action (or, in fact, any action whatsoever) to stop or prevent Dr. Strauss from continuing his rampant sexual misconduct.”
“Dr. Strauss used his position of trust and confidence to regularly and systematically sexually assault, abuse, batter, molest, and harass male students and student-athletes over the entire course of his career in his capacity as an employee, agent, and/or representative of OSU,” the suit said.
The legal complaint calls Strauss a “prolific sexual predator.“It said Ohio State “knew or should have known from the beginning that Strauss was a sexual predator.”
A wrestling team captain, after being fondled by Strauss during an exam in 1978, complained about the physician’s behavior to another doctor at the student health center, the complaint said.
The lawsuit goes on to say that two wrestlers met with former Ohio State Athletic Director Andy Geiger in the mid-1990s, where they complained about “the voyeuristic and lewd conduct of the men in the lockers and saunas of Larkins Hall, including that of Dr. Strauss.” The suit said the wrestlers offered drawings of potential changes to the wrestling and gymnastics locker room that would enhance safety, but Ohio State did nothing.
Each of the former wrestlers in the case was sexually assaulted by Strauss in some way, the lawsuit said. Two plaintiffs were abused during an exam in the 1990s. Another was sexually assaulted during “multiple physical examinations and in the locker room of Larkins Hall,” the suit said. And a fourth was sexually assaulted during approximately 50 examinations by Strauss in the late 1980s and 1990s, the suit said.
Attorneys representing the athletes are asking other sexually abused athletes or witnesses to come forward. According to athleteabuse.com, the attorneys in the case — Rex Sharp, Robert Allard, Jonathan Little and Stephen Estey — are part of a coalition of law firms that have spent years fighting for compensation for sexually abused athletes.
Columbus attorney Simina Vourlis is also listed as an attorney for the plaintiffs.
“We just thought it was time to get this thing teed up for a lawsuit so that there would be vehicle for everybody to try to figure out how to deal with it, how to compensate victims and how to change what OSU’s been doing so this doesn’t happen again,” Sharp told The Dispatch in a phone interview Tuesday.
Sharp said the case is somewhat unusual because the man accused of the abuse is deceased. Strauss killed himself at his California home in 2005.
But the issue is bigger than one doctor, it’s about the “callous and reckless indifference to the safety of the athletes,” he said.
“Ohio State is an institution that chose to protect its image and its brand rather than protect its students and its athletes from the sexual misconduct of the team doctor,” Sharp said.
The Dispatch has reached out to Ohio State for a comment on the lawsuit.
Ohio State first announced in April that it would launch an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving Strauss, stemming from initial reports of abuse during Strauss’ time as a physician with the men’s wrestling team in the 1980s. Seattle-based law firm Perkins Coie is handling the independent investigation into the allegations for the university. Since the investigation began, the firm has interviewed more than 150 former students or witnesses, and former student-athletes from at least 14 men’s sports teams have alleged sexual misconduct by Strauss.
Four former Ohio State University wrestlers have filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court, alleging the university knew about abuse by physician Richard Strauss, but failed to stop his misconduct.
The suit, filed Monday in federal district court in Columbus, accuses Ohio State of Title IX and civil rights violations when it failed to prevent repeated sexual assaults, abuse and molestation by Strauss.
The plaintiffs in the case, listed only as “John Does” seeks punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, attorney fees and other relief as the court deems proper. The suit did not state a specific amount the plaintiffs were seeking. The suit claims a student complained about Strauss as early as 1978.
The lawsuit alleges that despite being repeatedly informed of Dr. Strauss’ “sexual assault, abuse, battery, molestation, and/or harassment, OSU failed to take appropriate action (or, in fact, any action whatsoever) to stop or prevent Dr. Strauss from continuing his rampant sexual misconduct.”
“Dr. Strauss used his position of trust and confidence to regularly and systematically sexually assault, abuse, batter, molest, and harass male students and student-athletes over the entire course of his career in his capacity as an employee, agent, and/or representative of OSU,” the suit said.
The legal complaint calls Strauss a “prolific sexual predator.“It said Ohio State “knew or should have known from the beginning that Strauss was a sexual predator.”
A wrestling team captain, after being fondled by Strauss during an exam in 1978, complained about the physician’s behavior to another doctor at the student health center, the complaint said.
The lawsuit goes on to say that two wrestlers met with former Ohio State Athletic Director Andy Geiger in the mid-1990s, where they complained about “the voyeuristic and lewd conduct of the men in the lockers and saunas of Larkins Hall, including that of Dr. Strauss.” The suit said the wrestlers offered drawings of potential changes to the wrestling and gymnastics locker room that would enhance safety, but Ohio State did nothing.
Each of the former wrestlers in the case was sexually assaulted by Strauss in some way, the lawsuit said. Two plaintiffs were abused during an exam in the 1990s. Another was sexually assaulted during “multiple physical examinations and in the locker room of Larkins Hall,” the suit said. And a fourth was sexually assaulted during approximately 50 examinations by Strauss in the late 1980s and 1990s, the suit said.
Attorneys representing the athletes are asking other sexually abused athletes or witnesses to come forward. According to athleteabuse.com, the attorneys in the case — Rex Sharp, Robert Allard, Jonathan Little and Stephen Estey — are part of a coalition of law firms that have spent years fighting for compensation for sexually abused athletes.
Columbus attorney Simina Vourlis is also listed as an attorney for the plaintiffs.
“We just thought it was time to get this thing teed up for a lawsuit so that there would be vehicle for everybody to try to figure out how to deal with it, how to compensate victims and how to change what OSU’s been doing so this doesn’t happen again,” Sharp told The Dispatch in a phone interview Tuesday.
Sharp said the case is somewhat unusual because the man accused of the abuse is deceased. Strauss killed himself at his California home in 2005.
But the issue is bigger than one doctor, it’s about the “callous and reckless indifference to the safety of the athletes,” he said.
“Ohio State is an institution that chose to protect its image and its brand rather than protect its students and its athletes from the sexual misconduct of the team doctor,” Sharp said.
The Dispatch has reached out to Ohio State for a comment on the lawsuit.
Ohio State first announced in April that it would launch an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving Strauss, stemming from initial reports of abuse during Strauss’ time as a physician with the men’s wrestling team in the 1980s. Seattle-based law firm Perkins Coie is handling the independent investigation into the allegations for the university. Since the investigation began, the firm has interviewed more than 150 former students or witnesses, and former student-athletes from at least 14 men’s sports teams have alleged sexual misconduct by Strauss.
*What's Inside*
june 14 - july 16
~STUNNED ANDERSON COOPER RIPS TRUMP'S 'EMBARRASSING' PRESSER: 'ONE OF THE MOST DISGRACEFUL PERFORMANCES BY AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT'(WORTHLESS MEDIA)
*'CONSTITUTIONALLY INCAPABLE': TRUMP OFFICIALS REPORTEDLY SAY 'HIS BRAIN CAN'T PROCESS' THE FACTS OF RUSSIAN ELECTION INTERFERENCE(TRUMP)
*INVESTIGATION UNCOVERS A STUNNING RATE OF BIGOTED ASSAULT AND HARASSMENT IN NEW YORK(AMERICA)
*REPUBLICANS TARGET ELECTIONS WITH MORE DEFICIT-BOOSTING TAX CUTS
(GOP POLITICS)
*REAL ESTATE AGENTS STEER PEOPLE OF COLOR TO NEIGHBORHOODS WITH HEAVIER POLLUTION, STUDY FINDS(RACE MATTERS)
*STATE TAKEOVERS OF SCHOOLS IN THE SOUTH ARE ABOUT POLITICAL POWER -- NOT SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT(EDUCATION)
*SHOCK OVER RULING THAT 'BRIDES OF CHRIST' NEED NOT BE VIRGINS
(CHRISTIANITY)
*ARCHAEOLOGISTS AND ASTRONOMERS SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF CHILE'S STONEHENGE
(ANCIENT TIMES)
~LEARNING CURVES: NEW COLUMN REPORTS ON THE EDUCATION WARS
(EDUCATION)
*AS TECH EMPIRE RAVAGES ENVIRONMENT, WEALTH CANNOT PROTECT SILICON VALLEY FROM CLIMATE CHANGE(ENVIRONMENT)
*BLACK CONSERVATIVES SAY GIVE TRUMP’S COURT CHOICE A CHANCE
(SUCKERS)
*BLACK WOMEN ARE SUFFERING IN SILENCE FROM ARAB ABUSE
(WORLD)
*BOLTON: IT'S 'SILLY' FOR TRUMP TO DEMAND EXTRADITION OF RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS
(GOP POLITICS)
*RAND PAUL ON RUSSIAN ELECTION MEDDLING: 'WE ALL DO IT'
(GOP POLITICS)
*RISKY BUSINESS: CHINA'S SNAKE FARMERS CASH IN ON GLOBAL VENOM MARKET
(WORLD)
*SCORPION DEATHS ON RISE IN BRAZIL AS ARACHNID ADAPTS TO URBAN LIFE
(WEIRD THINGS)
*COARD: “OPERATION WETBACK”: AMERICA'S WORST MASS DEPORTATION
(TRUE HISTORY)
~TOP INTEL DEMOCRAT USES ERIC TRUMP’S WORDS TO ACCUSE FAMILY OF BUYING TURNBERRY GOLF COURSE WITH RUSSIAN CASH(DEMO POLITICS)
*RED-STATE DEM TELLS SCHUMER TO 'KISS MY YOU KNOW WHAT' ON SUPREME COURT VOTE
(DEMO SELLOUTS)
*OFFICER CHARGED; ANGER OVER SHOOTING OF BLACK MAN LINGERS
(GESTAPO USA)
*SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCH KNEW ABOUT LEADER’S SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS OVER A DECADE BEFORE HIS RESIGNATION AND ARREST(CHRISTIANITY)
*NORTH DAKOTA FARMERS LASH OUT AT GOP OVER TRUMP’S CRIPPLING TRADE WAR WITH CHINA: ‘THE MOST SCARED I’VE EVER BEEN’(SUCKERS)
*ELECTION SYSTEM FIRM WITH MARYLAND CONTRACT HAS TIES TO RUSSIAN OLIGARCH, FBI TELLS STATE(ELECTIONS)
*STRATEGIC SAFETY NET CUTS UNDERWAY: WHITE HS. CLAIMS WAR ON POVERTY 'LARGELY OVER'
(PAYBACK)
*STUDY: 84% OF ROAD TRANSPORTATION COULD BE GREEN-ELECTRIFIED BY 2050. DEMOCRATS SHOULD TALK THIS UP(CURRENTS)
*TRUMP RESPONDS TO MUELLER INDICTMENTS – BY BLAMING OBAMA(TRUMP)
*REPUBLICANS: SHIT-TALKING YOUR BOSS IS WRONG, BUT SHIT-TALKING YOUR EMPLOYEES IS AWESOME BY THE RUDE PUNDIT(COMMENTARY)
Jim Carrey's latest artwork.
*late news of interest*
'Not in our neighborhood': In DC, hundreds protest ICE raids targeting immigrant residents
Gabe Ortiz
Daily Kos Staff
Tuesday July 17, 2018 · 10:00 AM PDT
Chanting “Not in our neighborhood, not in our city, not in our name,” as many as 600 Washington, D.C. community leaders and members flooded the streets Monday, in protest of a series of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids where agents, Faith in Action said in a statement, “indiscriminately detained any undocumented residents they could find”—and possibly with the help of Metropolitan police.
Faith in Action, a grassroots, faith-based organizing network, said ICE arrested nine people during one raid targeting a Mt. Pleasant apartment, “as well as passersby on 16th Street. ICE also entered a private home near Georgia Avenue and detained two people, and detained another person at a restaurant on 14th Street, reportedly with collusion from D.C. police.”
“Locals have been told,” ThinkProgress reported, “that the Georgia Avenue raid was spurred by renegade city police officers who tipped ICE that someone without documentation of legal status was living there,” which would be in violation of the city’s so-called “sanctuary city” policy. During the Monday night protest, demonstrators called for answers and a renewed effort to protect the district’s immigrant residents from mass deportation.
“Last week, ICE knocked on at least a dozen doors in D.C.—each knock threatening to tear apart a family, to endanger someone's life, to infect our neighborhoods with fear,” said immigrant rights advocate Ben Beachy. “D.C. must act like the ‘sanctuary city’ it aspires to be by severing all ties with ICE and demanding the release of our neighbors.”
ICE spokesperson Justine Whelan claimed that "ICE does not conduct indiscriminate raids or target individuals indiscriminately,” but this is a lie. ICE doesn’t like the term “raids,” but it conducts them anyway.Additionally, ICE’s own acting ICE director, Thomas Homan, threatened to escalate “collateral arrests”—a crass term describing when non-targets are swept up in targeted raids because they happened to be there at the time—due to pro-immigrant policies.
According to ThinkProgress, “MPD officials denied any official cooperation with ICE ... but acknowledged that it couldn’t rule out an officer acting alone.” In a statement to WAMU, Mayor Muriel Bowser said that “we must send a message loud and clear to the President and Congress that we are not a country of fear and cruelty, that we know these inhumane actions do not make us any safer, and that this is not the type of leadership, or lack thereof, that Americans want.”
"ICE tore through our neighborhood last week picking up our community members,” said Sanctuary DMV’s Kathryn Johnson during the protest. “So we will move too, to the site of the largest raid last week, and then use the momentum of the hundreds gathered here to call on Mayor Bowser to ensure that DC is truly a sanctuary city where everyone is welcome."
Faith in Action, a grassroots, faith-based organizing network, said ICE arrested nine people during one raid targeting a Mt. Pleasant apartment, “as well as passersby on 16th Street. ICE also entered a private home near Georgia Avenue and detained two people, and detained another person at a restaurant on 14th Street, reportedly with collusion from D.C. police.”
“Locals have been told,” ThinkProgress reported, “that the Georgia Avenue raid was spurred by renegade city police officers who tipped ICE that someone without documentation of legal status was living there,” which would be in violation of the city’s so-called “sanctuary city” policy. During the Monday night protest, demonstrators called for answers and a renewed effort to protect the district’s immigrant residents from mass deportation.
“Last week, ICE knocked on at least a dozen doors in D.C.—each knock threatening to tear apart a family, to endanger someone's life, to infect our neighborhoods with fear,” said immigrant rights advocate Ben Beachy. “D.C. must act like the ‘sanctuary city’ it aspires to be by severing all ties with ICE and demanding the release of our neighbors.”
ICE spokesperson Justine Whelan claimed that "ICE does not conduct indiscriminate raids or target individuals indiscriminately,” but this is a lie. ICE doesn’t like the term “raids,” but it conducts them anyway.Additionally, ICE’s own acting ICE director, Thomas Homan, threatened to escalate “collateral arrests”—a crass term describing when non-targets are swept up in targeted raids because they happened to be there at the time—due to pro-immigrant policies.
According to ThinkProgress, “MPD officials denied any official cooperation with ICE ... but acknowledged that it couldn’t rule out an officer acting alone.” In a statement to WAMU, Mayor Muriel Bowser said that “we must send a message loud and clear to the President and Congress that we are not a country of fear and cruelty, that we know these inhumane actions do not make us any safer, and that this is not the type of leadership, or lack thereof, that Americans want.”
"ICE tore through our neighborhood last week picking up our community members,” said Sanctuary DMV’s Kathryn Johnson during the protest. “So we will move too, to the site of the largest raid last week, and then use the momentum of the hundreds gathered here to call on Mayor Bowser to ensure that DC is truly a sanctuary city where everyone is welcome."
New energy report shows Trump's efforts to upend the market are futile—coal still headed down
Mark Sumner
Daily Kos Staff
Tuesday July 17, 2018 · 2:40 PM PDT
Donald Trump has done everything he can to prop up the failing coal industry, but the latest report from the U. S. Energy Information Administration shows that coal is continuing along the path it’s been following for years … down. Despite a slight increase in US coal exports, overall coal production is down by 9 million tons in the first half of the year. The EIA projects no growth over the remainder of the year—with an increase in production from heavily automated western mines being offset by a sharp drop in the Appalachian region. For 2018, the EIA is forecasting a further decline of 3 percent for the overall coal market. Those numbers should be of particular concern to the industry, because a cold snap at the start of the winter, and a severe heat wave through much of the early summer, has driven up electrical demand … just not demand for coal.
That’s happening despite Trump’s interference in the markets and despite and International Energy Agency report that worldwide investments in renewable energy took a tumble in 2017. That fall in renewable investments has been partly brought about by the same forces that have disrupted coal’s hold on the US electrical market—increasing availability of natural gas—but it’s also being generated by some indecision in the renewables market itself. Steeply dropping prices for solar have brought solar costs in line with, or even below, the cost of wind in many areas, leaving governments who do want to clean up their energy act, unsure of the best way to proceed. Meanwhile, that indecision prolongs the demand for fossil fuels, and governments are actually increasing investments in oil and gas discovery as fracking brings fields that were previously thought “played out” or “uneconomic” back into the game.
On the basis of new investment, this has been a bad year for coal and for renewable energy … as contradictory as it might seem. In the United States, natural gas may seem the big winner over the last decade. In 2000, gas provided less than a quarter of all US electricity while coal generated almost half. But now gas is on top with 32 percent and coal is down to 30 percent. Nuclear power continues to provide about 20 percent of US electricity, and 7 percent comes from hydroelectric dams. Over the next two years, the EIA sees coal dropping two percent.
The year 2018 will mark a milestone for solar, wind, and other non-hydro renewable power sources. In 2017, all those sources came in at just under 10 percent of US electrical markets. This year they’ll top 10 percent for the first time. EIA estimates that number will go to 11 percent next year. While those numbers may seem small, the sharp year-over-year growth of renewables in the US continues. With no sign that solar has come to an end on its price drops, and increased availability of battery systems to “smooth out” supply and demand on these systems, solar can be expected to play a greater role in that mix going forward.
If you’re looking to see what a gallon of gas will cost you over the next two years … don’t bother. The EIA report projects oil prices to be flat to slightly down. However, that’s within a confidence range that goes from less than $40 to over $100 per barrel as production and demand stay extremely close. Political factors, such as production by OPEC, and economic growth in the US or China, could see this value at either end of the projected range.
That’s happening despite Trump’s interference in the markets and despite and International Energy Agency report that worldwide investments in renewable energy took a tumble in 2017. That fall in renewable investments has been partly brought about by the same forces that have disrupted coal’s hold on the US electrical market—increasing availability of natural gas—but it’s also being generated by some indecision in the renewables market itself. Steeply dropping prices for solar have brought solar costs in line with, or even below, the cost of wind in many areas, leaving governments who do want to clean up their energy act, unsure of the best way to proceed. Meanwhile, that indecision prolongs the demand for fossil fuels, and governments are actually increasing investments in oil and gas discovery as fracking brings fields that were previously thought “played out” or “uneconomic” back into the game.
On the basis of new investment, this has been a bad year for coal and for renewable energy … as contradictory as it might seem. In the United States, natural gas may seem the big winner over the last decade. In 2000, gas provided less than a quarter of all US electricity while coal generated almost half. But now gas is on top with 32 percent and coal is down to 30 percent. Nuclear power continues to provide about 20 percent of US electricity, and 7 percent comes from hydroelectric dams. Over the next two years, the EIA sees coal dropping two percent.
The year 2018 will mark a milestone for solar, wind, and other non-hydro renewable power sources. In 2017, all those sources came in at just under 10 percent of US electrical markets. This year they’ll top 10 percent for the first time. EIA estimates that number will go to 11 percent next year. While those numbers may seem small, the sharp year-over-year growth of renewables in the US continues. With no sign that solar has come to an end on its price drops, and increased availability of battery systems to “smooth out” supply and demand on these systems, solar can be expected to play a greater role in that mix going forward.
If you’re looking to see what a gallon of gas will cost you over the next two years … don’t bother. The EIA report projects oil prices to be flat to slightly down. However, that’s within a confidence range that goes from less than $40 to over $100 per barrel as production and demand stay extremely close. Political factors, such as production by OPEC, and economic growth in the US or China, could see this value at either end of the projected range.
denial conservative style!!
From Crooks & Liars: I've never gone wrong betting on the racism and arrogant ignorance of the Right: I've only erred occasionally on the point spread. And predicting Conservative behavior is dead-easy because traditionally they only have four basic settings:
Pleading Ignorance.
Of course Conservatives are ignorant -- deeply and malignantly ignorant. This comes from letting lying demagogues like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity take a dump in their skulls for the last 20 years. But since the GOP OnStar only emits turns in one direction, traditionally the only way Conservatives have been permitted to be "wrong" about anything was that they were "not Conservative enough!". From Crain's, October, 2015:
- Arrogant triumphalism: The aforementioned "We won! You lost! Bush is a genius! Suck it Libtards!"
- All-out denialism: The aforementioned "Everything I see on non-Fox teevee is fake! Terrible lies by the terrible Murrica-hating Libtard media conspiracy!"
- Bargaining: It doesn't matter whether or not I'm a brain-washed moron...because Both Sides!"
- Running Away: As I pointed out back during the first Great Skedaddle back in 2009, because Conservatives are by nature abject moral cowards, their last "out" is doing like German soldiers did after the fall of Berlin: stop running away from the catastrophe they created only long enough to burn their uniforms. See, "I'm an independent."
Pleading Ignorance.
Of course Conservatives are ignorant -- deeply and malignantly ignorant. This comes from letting lying demagogues like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity take a dump in their skulls for the last 20 years. But since the GOP OnStar only emits turns in one direction, traditionally the only way Conservatives have been permitted to be "wrong" about anything was that they were "not Conservative enough!". From Crain's, October, 2015: