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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
The decision was 5-4, with Chief Justice John Roberts joining Ginsburg, Breyer, Kagan and Sotomayor. Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, Thomas and Alito dissented. This is good news.
x2 Don't forget, he actually almost got his precious border wall until the Hard Right complained that it would mean making Dreamers Legal Citizens, then backed down on that and lost everything earlier this year.
I forgot it yesterday but to have a summary of yesterday's news here's Friday's What The Fuck Just Happened Today feed: https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2018/12/21/day-701/
2/ The House of Representatives passed a stopgap measure funding measure that includes $5.7 billion in border wall funding after Trump threatened to veto the Senate-passed stopgap spending bill. The bill passed on a near-party-line vote of 217 to 185. Democrats, however, have the Senate votes to block any bill that includes funding for Trump's wall, while Trump says he'll veto any bill that doesn't. (NBC News / Washington Post)
3/ Trump warned of a "shutdown today" that will last "a very long time" if his wall isn't funded. Trump tried to blame it on a "Democrat Shutdown" despite last week taking responsibility about how he would be "proud to shut down the government." Trump also urged Mc Connell to change Senate rules so Republican could "use the Nuclear Option and get it done!" Trump warned that "If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time." (The Guardian / NBC News / The Hill / Reuters / Washington Post / New York Times)
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-budget-idUSKCN1OK15M
Mc Connell and Senate Republicans rejected Trump's demand to eliminate the filibuster, signaling that the Senate does not have enough votes to change the rules to pass Trump's border wall funding with a simple majority. Republicans have a 51-49 majority in the Senate, but Democrats can block the House bill with a filibuster and other procedural moves, which require 60 votes to overcome. (The Hill / Politico)
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/422471-mcconnell-rejects-using-nuclear-option-on-wall
Trump compared his border wall to the invention of "the wheel," saying "there is nothing better" because – he claims – he understands "technology on a Border" "better than anyone." He then compared his wall to Israel's wall with Gaza to defend against Democrats "trying to belittle the concept of a Wall, calling it old fashioned." (The Independent)
Federal agencies are preparing to furlough 380,000 workers. (Wall Street Journal)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/federal-agencies-prepare-for-a-possible-shutdown-11545415407
Trump canceled his two-week-plus Mar-a-Lago holiday vacation as a government shutdown nears. White House aides, however, were notified that Trump may depart for Florida on Saturday at noon. (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/21/trump-mar-a-lago-government-shutdown-2018-1073722
Government shutdown 101: What is it, will it happen and who's to blame? (The Guardian / Vox)
4/ The Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration's request to automatically reject asylum bids by immigrants who illegally cross the U.S-Mexico border. Federal immigration law says people may apply for asylum "whether or not at a designated port of arrival" and "irrespective of such alien's status." The Trump policy would require all asylum claims to be made at official ports of entry. (Bloomberg / Washington Post / The Guardian)
poll/ 58% of Americans believe Trump tried to obstruct the investigation into his campaign's ties to Russia. 38% believe Trump did something illegal, 34% believe he did something unethical, but not illegal, and 25% Americans believe Trump did nothing wrong. (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/82e605ae057d40738922dab152ad4327
Notables.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent surgery to remove two cancerous nodules from her left lung. After the surgery, her thoracic surgeon said the nodules were malignant and that "there was no evidence of any remaining disease" and "scans performed before surgery indicated no evidence of disease elsewhere in the body." (New York Times / CNN)
https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/21/politics/ruth-bader-ginsburg-surgery/index.html
A U.S. intelligence report concludes that Russia, China, and Iran "conducted influence activities and messaging campaigns" targeting the midterm elections. Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, said they did not compromise the voting systems, however. (New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/21/us/politics/russia-midterm-election-influence-coates.html
Republican megadonor Robert Mercer has retreated from financially backing Trump's agenda. The Mercers gave just over $25 million to conservative causes in 2016. This year the family gave $6.4 million to Republicans – the lowest amount since 2012. (CNBC)
Trump is already souring on Mick Mulvaney over a two-year-old video where Mulvaney calls Trump "a terrible human being." Mulvaney hasn't started as acting White House chief of staff yet. Trump was reportedly "furious" when he heard about the footage. In a separate interview from 2015, Mulvaney called Trump's view on a border wall "simplistic," absurd and almost childish." (Axios / CNN)
https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/21/politics/mulvaney-on-trump-in-2015/index.html
Trump complained to aides that it's unfair he is being blamed for the market's downturn and concerns of an economic slowdown. Trump has repeatedly pointed to market gains as proof that his economic policies are working and that the country is thriving under his leadership. Unless an end-of-year rally emerges, 2018 will be the worst year for U.S. stocks since 2008 and the S&P 500 on track for its worst December since the Great Depression. (Washington Post)
The Dow had its worst week since the financial crisis in 2008 – down nearly 7%. The Nasdaq closed in a bear market and the S&P 500 was on the brink of one itself – down nearly 18% from its record earlier this year. (CNBC)
One Republican close to the White House described Trump as in "a tailspin," acting "totally irrationally," and "flipping out" over criticisms from conservatives calling him a "gutless president," and questioning whether he would ever build a wall. (Washington Post)
Double post for a few stories found on https://currentstatus.io
Trump lashed out at Whitaker after explosive Cohen revelations
Russians launched pro-Jill Stein social media blitz to help Trump win election, reports say
Building support for Stein was one of a "roster of themes" the Moscow-sanctioned internet trolls "turned to repeatedly," report says.
“The excuse that a lost Black vote for Hillary is a Trump win is bs,” it read. “It could be late, but y’all might want to support Jill Stein instead.”
According to a report commissioned by the Senate, the account was a fake, part of the Russian campaign to sway the 2016 presidential election in favor of Donald Trump.
The report was one of two that leaked this week saying the Russian effort to disrupt the election specifically targeted black voters and harnessed America’s top social media platforms. But the reports contained another finding that was largely overlooked — the Russians also focused on boosting Stein’s candidacy through social media posts like the one from @woke_blacks.
Taliban greets Pentagon's withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan with cries of victory
"The 17-year long struggle and sacrifices of thousands of our people finally yielded fruit," said a senior commander in Helmand.
But there was one group on Friday celebrating the reports — the Taliban.
Senior members told NBC News the news was a clear indication they were on the verge of victory.
“The 17-year-long struggle and sacrifices of thousands of our people finally yielded fruit," said a senior Taliban commander from Afghanistan’s Helmand province. "We proved it to the entire world that we defeated the self-proclaimed world’s lone super power."
Mattis exit leaves Pentagon in state of depression
A Pentagon official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity on Friday, described the mood inside the building as "eerie."
"Obviously it's close to the holidays so you don't expect to see a lot of people, but there's just a general fear of the unknown," the official said.
The news that Mattis will leave at the end of February came on top of an already heavy plate of turmoil: President Trump's full withdrawal from Syria, the consideration of a drawdown in Afghanistan, a looming government shutdown and tanking stock markets.
But the Mattis exit was the cherry on a sour sundae, given his standing as the most respected member of Trump's Cabinet across the political spectrum.
It left officials and lawmakers in a gloomy mood, worried that Trump's moves in Syria and Afghanistan are just the beginning.
"Imagine a mentor or a friend, someone you thought would be there for the entirety of your tour, someone who everyone thought really highly of, suddenly not there anymore. ... People are really bummed," the Pentagon official said.
@Charles: I don't know why you think Trump would resign over this at all. Like, look at all the other stuff. He's not going to resign when he, one, thinks he's in the right, and two; this is not the worst thing he's done. At all. Like, if he's ever going to resign, it's going to be over the stuff Mueller's digging up, not this stupid shutdown bullshit.
Besides, all it takes is an op ed on Fox News, or maybe a random golf partner saying something, and Trump will change his mind again.
"Building support for Stein was one of a "roster of themes" the Moscow-sanctioned internet trolls "turned to repeatedly," report says."
Heh, there's a Russian op that didnt accompsh its objectives.
Edited by DeMarquis on Dec 22nd 2018 at 4:54:24 AM
I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.If anything the next two years have a good chance of being significantly better, with a Democratic house continually investigating the White House and shutting down Trump's domestic agenda the damage he can cause will drop significantly. And there's a very real chance that it will pave the way for complete Democratic control of the government come 2020.
And it will be even better if the Republicans remove the filibuster.
"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji YangTrump was demanding Mc Connell do so to get the votes for his wall. Since Mc Connell doesn't actually care about the wall, he refused.
They tend to practice "if I can't have you, nobody will". :/
Doesn't really contradict my point, he can cause 50% less damage now.
So things can absolutely be significantly better.
"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang

One thing that this event proves is Trump is actually fully committed to honoring his promises to his constituents. Let it never be said he wasn't possessed of a full integrity to his racist evil stupid ideas.
I'm impressed, really.
Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.