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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Since Rosenstein has so far proven to be a generally good, upright Civil Servant, (a rarity, I know), I would imagine he has reason to believe that they will.
Edited by megaeliz on Jul 12th 2018 at 9:57:54 AM
Student of Story
On the lighter side of the news, Alexandria Occasio Cortez, the Democratic Socialist who won a major upset in NY, has won another victory. People in another district wrote her name in the spot for other candidates, and as a write-in she got enough votes to defeat the candidates actually running in that race.
NYC seems pretty primed for Democratic Socialist candidates. 
As seen with the EPA, in some cases it's just as if not more effective to gut an agency through bad-faith leadership and driving out competent employees than to outright kill it.
What, outside of judicial appointments, has Trump done that a Dem Congress and President can't undo or fix? Can we rejoin the Climate Accords once he's gone, for example?
Edited by Raptorslash on Jul 12th 2018 at 11:32:45 AM
Technically, nothing. But other countries will be wary of dealing with a country that may go crazy and renege on its deals every 4-8 years. As for the EPA and other departments, you have lost significant institutional knowledge and expertise that will take years or decades to recover.
Edited by nightwyrm_zero on Jul 12th 2018 at 11:40:34 AM
That's particularly true when it comes to State, decades of diplomatic experience has been lost, and isn't coming back for a generation.
Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Pretentious Git
Who knows, maybe the next president can bring back some of the personel that were driven off.
What matters in this life is much more than winning for ourselves. What really matters is helping others win, too. - F. Rogers.
Oh, bother.
Doubt it. I get the feeling that most of them have this mindset:
Edited by M84 on Jul 12th 2018 at 11:52:13 PM
Disgusted, but not surprised
The Mod with the Migraine
So Facebook thinks the best way to combat fake news is ... reaching out to Fox News.
On Monday, the social network will begin airing a full slate of TV-style news programming on its streaming video platform, Facebook Watch. It’s paying established media outlets to produce shows exclusively for Watch, and on Wednesday it released its initial lineup. As you can see below, the programming is relatively diverse, but a certain conservative cable news channel appears to take up a disproportionate amount of the airtime.
Fox News, of course, is among the most openly partisan of major media outlets and is deeply mistrusted by liberal viewers. So it’s eyebrow-raising that the network will play such a heavy role in a Facebook initiative that’s supposed to be rebuilding trust in the media. But it’s actually not as bad an idea as it might seem, given the state of media in 2018 and the tricky line that Facebook is trying to walk.
First, some background. The underlying story here is that Facebook is pushing hard into TV news, splashing out the money to attract big names such as CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Univision’s Jorge Ramos, and Fox News’ Shepard Smith. Their programs will air alongside a more diverse set of offerings from younger online publishers such as Buzz Feed, Now This, and Mic. At the same time, Facebook has also been trying to reassure conservative figures that its platform is not biased against ideas on the right.
In partnering directly with reputable media companies, Facebook is aiming to build a more credible, self-contained news product to counteract the sensationalism, partisanship, and fake news that have flooded its news feed over the years. That dovetails with its recent emphasis on original video, with video advertising seen by Facebook executives as a key to the business’s future. Whether people actually want to watch TV on Facebook, let alone live TV news, remains a question. My colleague Inkoo Kang watched a bunch of it in January and came away unimpressed.
But we already knew all that. What’s new today are the launch date and the full programming lineup, and the latter immediately caused a stir in the media world.
It’s worth pointing out that the schedule isn’t quite as Fox News–heavy as it might appear at first blush. Fox News Update is only a 3-minute-long program, so it won’t be dominating Facebook Watch for hours every weekday morning, as the chart above seems to imply.* (Shows from other organizations vary in length.) Still, two segments per weekday and another on weekends amounts to more shows per week than any other outlet will command.
But still: Why so much Fox News?
One answer is that Fox News is already a huge player on Facebook. As of June, its stories generated more Facebook engagement—likes, comments, and shares—than those of any other publisher, according to social media analytics firm Newswhip. (CNN was second.) So it’s natural that Facebook would turn to Fox News (and CNN, for that matter) to anchor its news lineup on Watch.
As for the concern that Fox News is a heavily biased outlet—one with a penchant for prioritizing partisanship over news judgment—it’s valid. But here’s the thing: Conservatives mistrust most other major news outlets nearly as much as liberals mistrust Fox News. So if Facebook is determined to make a show of bipartisanship in its news projects, which it is, then it doesn’t have a lot of other good options on the right. Lydia Polgreen, the editor in chief of Huff Post, made this point succinctly on Twitter.
Polgreen’s source for that claim was a Yale University study, which I covered in some depth in February.
In an ideal world, Facebook might identify high-quality news sources based on a nuanced understanding of journalism ethics and the media landscape. But Facebook has always been reluctant to exercise its own judgment, or indeed human judgment of any kind, in prioritizing the news that its users get. And so it has turned to more objective-seeming metrics such as user surveys to try and establish which news sources are “broadly trusted.” On those metrics, we can assume that Fox News scores relatively well, at least compared to other conservative outlets such as Breitbart or the Daily Wire. Indeed, Fox News seems to be thriving since Facebook implemented its trust rankings, even as smaller, left-leaning publications such as Slate falter.
The good news, for those who care about Facebook’s effects on the news, is that the Fox News programming that will air on Facebook Watch is not the outrageous, conspiracy-mongering, Trump-worshipping variety. Fox News told me the channel is viewing the project as a way to build on its news brand while establishing its presence on a new platform.
The word news is key here, because Fox News distinguishes internally between its news programming (think Shep Smith) and its opinion programming (think Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity), with the news programming being far less partisan. Smith in particular has a reputation as a relatively down-the-middle newsman and has long covered President Trump with healthy skepticism. A March 2017 profile of Smith in the Washington Post portrayed him as “the Fox News anchorman who drives the Fox News faithful crazy.” The other two Fox News personalities who will be anchoring its Facebook Watch Show are Carley Shimkus and Abby Huntsman, both of whom also hail from the network’s news side. None is likely to inundate viewers with right-wing propaganda.
That’s in contrast to a lot of the conservative programming that’s doing well on Facebook Watch today. For instance, my colleague April Glaser reported that right-wing Facebook Watch channels found viral success with misleading defenses of Trump’s immigration policies at the height of the family separation controversy.
So, yes, Facebook’s foray into TV news appears likely to further entrench Fox News as a heavy presence on the social network. But at least the programming is likely to be more fact-based and evenhanded than what conservatives typically see in their Facebook news feeds. And who knows—maybe some of them will even stick around on Facebook Watch long enough to be exposed to some different points of view.
yeah, we're gonna have the same issue obama did: so much shit needs fixing that they won't be able to actually improve anything, thus leading to disillusionment and lower voter turnout and a chance for the next republican candidate to win.
Queen of Good Things, Honest
It is at least somewhat comforting that we're talking about Shep Smith, not Hannity or his ilk. Smith has garnered a reputation for being somewhat less propagandist than his colleagues.
It wasn't that long ago that he did a comprehensive takedown of Uranium One and why it's a bullshit non-issue that his colleagues need to shut the f*ck up about.
My Tumblr. Currently liveblogging Haruhi Suzumiya and revisiting Danganronpa V3.
And I'll say it again: fuck social media.
Edited by Wariolander on Jul 12th 2018 at 9:41:32 AM
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
Technically this is a social media 
Yes the fact that we have to clean up their messes is terrible but this nonsense is not only false but also actively harmful, this is what causes low voter turnout.
Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Jul 12th 2018 at 12:57:40 PM
"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
Anyone been keeping up with the Strzok testimony today? Apparently he and rep. Elijah Cummings are schooling Gowdy.
Edited by speedyboris on Jul 12th 2018 at 12:12:37 PM
Well Trump is doing everything to make them seem like a fever dream.
So did everyone hear how Trump pardoned two domestic terrorist ranchers because they were white? God, I almost believe he would do the same to Dylan Roof. 
Edited by Wildcard on Jul 12th 2018 at 1:07:59 PM
Oh, bother.
Technically he pardoned the ranchers who were arrested for arson of public land. The terrorists were the ones who took over a bird refuge in protest of that.
Regardless this doesn't make their point any less false and harmful.
"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
Is seizing a public building and occupying it terrorism?
Hippies did that.
I'm pretty sure we should insist on people actually dying or violently abused to call something terrorism.
Civil disobedience includes locking yourself up and preventing the use of buildings.
Edited by CharlesPhipps on Jul 12th 2018 at 12:02:37 PM
Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
The Y'all Queida folks were armed, so the threat of violence by the occupiers was present
Edited by sgamer82 on Jul 12th 2018 at 1:12:23 PM
Reminder: The terrorists set the place on fire. Which the hippies did not do. Please read about it before you try to say Y'all Queida aren't terrorists.
Edited by Wildcard on Jul 12th 2018 at 3:27:20 PM
Didn't know/forgot about arson.
Anywho: https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2018/07/12/day-539/
Day 539: Go it alone
1/ FBI agent Peter Strzok rejected accusations that he let his personal political views bias his actions in the Hillary Clinton email and Russia investigations during a joint House Judiciary and Oversight committee hearing. Strzok labeled the Republican attacks against him "another victory notch in Putin's belt and another milestone in our enemies' campaign to tear America apart." Republicans threatened Strzok with contempt after the committee devolved into partisan, chaotic arguments about what questions he could answer about the ongoing Russia investigation. Strzok has come under scrutiny after the Justice Department's inspector general discovered text messages critical of Trump that he exchanged with Lisa Page, a senior FBI lawyer he was having an affair with, during the 2016 campaign. Republicans and Trump charge that Strzok's text messages undermine the integrity of Robert Mueller's investigation. Strzok was immediately removed from Mueller's probe when the text messages came to light. Page declined to comply with a subpoena from Republican lawmakers to appear for an interview on July 11. (New York Times / Washington Post / CNN / NBC News / CNBC)
https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/12/politics/peter-strzok-hearing-congress/index.html
READ: Peter Strzok's statement before Congress. (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/12/full-text-peter-strzok-fbi-transcript-714981
2/ Trump threatened NATO allies with "grave consequences," warning alliance members that the U.S. could "go our own way" if they don't boost their military spending by January. Trump arrived late, hijacked a meeting in progress, and delivered what one official called a "prolonged rant." He then praised the alliance as a "fine-tuned machine." (Politico)
https://www.politico.eu/article/trump-threatens-to-pull-out-of-nato/
3/ Trump reaffirmed his support for NATO, calling his threat to withdraw from the alliance "unnecessary" after pressuring members to increase their defense budgets "like they never have before." He offered no specifics and some leaders rejected his claim. Trump called himself a "very stable genius" and said he deserved "total credit" for pushing allies to increase their military spending by more than previously agreed to while also warning members that the U.S. "would go it alone" if countries did not meet the 2% target by January. In 2014, NATO members committed to each spend 2% of GDP on defense by 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron, said "Trump never at any moment, either in public or in private, threatened to withdraw from NATO." (New York Times / Washington Post / Bloomberg / NBC News)
4/ The Trump administration reunited 57 of the 103 children under age 5 who were "eligible" to be reunited with their families. The remaining 46 children were "ineligible" for reunification because their parents failed background checks, had criminal records, or because of logistical issues, like having already been deported. (New York Times / Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/12/migrant-children-family-separation-714979
5/ Thousands of asylum seekers will be turned away before they have an opportunity to plead their case in court under a new Trump administration policy. The new guidance instructs officers to reject asylum claims based on fears of gang and domestic violence. Officers will also consider whether an asylum seeker crossed the border illegally and to take that into consideration when weighing their claim. The new guidance also applies to refugees. (CNN)
https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/11/politics/border-immigrants-asylum-restrictions/index.html
6/ Brett Kavanaugh racked up tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt from buying baseball tickets over the last decade. At times, Trump's Supreme Court nominee reported liabilities may have even exceeded the value of his cash and investment accounts. Kavanaugh's debts reached between $60,000 and $200,000 in 2016, but the loans were either paid off or fell below the reporting requirements by the following year. (Washington Post)
Kavanaugh on abortion: In a recent speech, he described Roe v. Wade as part of the "tide of freewheeling judicial creation of unenumerated rights." (Daily Beast)
Notables.
Bill Shine's wife mocked victims of sexual harassment in the military and pushed conspiracy theories about vaccines on her radio show between 2008 and 2009. Darla Shine, the wife of Trump's deputy chief of staff for communications, declared herself a "sexist" and said women serving with men in the military should expect to be sexually harassed. Bill was ousted from Fox News for mishandling reports of sexual harassment at the network. (CNN / Mediaite / Huff Post)
https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/11/politics/kfile-darla-shine-radio-show/index.html
Trump's top economic adviser will be named the White House's legislative affairs director. Shahira Knight will replace Marc Short when he steps down later this month to join a D.C. consulting firm and teach at UVA. (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/12/trump-shahira-knight-legislative-affairs-director-714982
Who else has left the Trump administration. ( https://talk.whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/t/who-the-fuck-has-left-the-trump-administration/908/294 )
Stormy Daniels was arrested during a performance at an Ohio strip club and charged with three misdemeanor sex offenses for touching three undercover police officers. The charges were later dismissed. Daniels' attorney called the charges a politically motivated setup. (CNN)
https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/12/politics/stormy-daniels-arrested-in-ohio/index.html
Robert Mueller asked a federal court in Virginia for 100 blank subpoenas in the case against Paul Manafort. The subpoenas would require the recipients to testify in federal court on July 25 – the day Manafort's trial is set to begin. Mueller asked for 150 blank subpoenas about a month ago. (The Hill)
Trump called recognizing Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea "an interesting question." Congress, however, has legislated that it is U.S. policy "to never recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea by the Government of the Russian Federation." Trump will meet with Putin on July 16. (Bloomberg)
I've seen stories of people killing their relatives because they couldn't pay their medical bills. Seems like despite Obamacare health care in some places - and yes I've seen Texas being singled out as a particular basket-case - is still terrible.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
The problem with Obamacare is that states with Conservative governments have been able to opt-out of or engage in other forms of sabotage, so that family is likely directly being impacted by Conservative policies in one form or another.
God we really need Universal Healthcare.
"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
The Republicans just aren’t going to have the support to brute-force that through. Again, we should be much more worried about what damage Trump can do inside NATO.
Edited by archonspeaks on Jul 12th 2018 at 6:56:41 AM
They should have sent a poet.