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Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#275326: Mar 22nd 2019 at 1:19:20 PM

This calls for a new topic!

So Trump is going to try to roll back pensions protection

Let's hope he fails miserably at this

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Soban Since: Aug, 2009 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
#275327: Mar 22nd 2019 at 1:32:40 PM

I'm generally for more individual determination and perhaps privatization in this area. However, a lump sum payment screams warning bells to me.

Edited by Soban on Mar 22nd 2019 at 4:32:59 AM

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#275328: Mar 22nd 2019 at 1:33:12 PM

Er, the parts of California that talk about secession are the northerly ones, the food growing ones are the central ones.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#275329: Mar 22nd 2019 at 1:34:12 PM

[up]

Not to mention trying to restructure the postal service.

So in regards to threats, seems that Charlottesville schools were closed two days in a row due to online threats of an "ethnic cleansing" at the school, warning white students to stay at home.

And going back to Mark Twain, I highly recommend his short story "The War Prayer", which was only published in 1923 (after his death) despite being written in 1905 as a reaction to the Spanish-American War and/or the Phillipine-American War. TL;DR - he takes War Is Hell and cranks it Up To Eleven, having a random man point out exactly what the "prayer for our troops" is actually requesting in gruesome detail. Kind of obvious why it'd never get taught in schools, though.

(After a pause.) “Ye have prayed it; if ye still desire it, speak! The messenger of the Most High waits.”
It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.

Edited by ironballs16 on Mar 22nd 2019 at 5:01:43 AM

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#275330: Mar 22nd 2019 at 1:44:34 PM

Are pensions taxed before the fact? I know that lump sums are- that's why you should not get excited about a lump sum because it's going to be less than advertised.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#275331: Mar 22nd 2019 at 2:08:45 PM

Reuters app notification:

"Special Counsel Mueller has sent Russia investigation report to Attorney General Barr - Justice Department" - Get updates at Reuters.com

Edited by sgamer82 on Mar 22nd 2019 at 3:09:05 AM

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#275332: Mar 22nd 2019 at 3:07:48 PM

Multiple reporters are saying Mueller is not recommending any more indictments.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#275333: Mar 22nd 2019 at 3:18:25 PM

So is that it as far as Mueller goes? He has multiple investigations going, of which the Russia probe was just one, doesn't he?

Grafite Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: Less than three
#275334: Mar 22nd 2019 at 3:59:15 PM

Oh man I can't wait until the Mueller report drops so we have something to talk about other than Huck Finn, Civil War statues, and whether Congresspeople deserve to be treated like garbage.

This has to be one of the best well-aged comments I've ever seen.

Life is unfair...
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#275335: Mar 22nd 2019 at 4:13:53 PM

Robert Mueller's mandate as Special Counsel was to investigate Russian attempts to interfere with the 2016 presidential election, with the additional authority to look into "any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation". If he's wrapped up his investigation, then that means there's nothing else he's looking into on the Russian interference front.

It does not mean that there's nothing else on the broader fronts of "Trump doing illegal things" or "Trump colluding with foreign powers". Several other investigations are still ongoing. Most notably, several people in Trump's orbit are under investigation for various things by the DOJ's Southern District of New York, and the House Intelligence Committee is investigating many of the same things Mueller was (but they aren't constrained by Mueller's limited mandate).

More generally, you couldn't even really say that Mueller's job is done, as his office is still in the process of prosecuting numerous people indicted during his investigation. What the delivery of his report means is that it's unlikely that he'll be indicting anyone else via the office of the Special Council. But he may very well refer cases to other offices, and Congress can do whatever the hell it wants, because they're Congress and have broad investigative authority without having to answer to anyone but themselves.

tldr, Mueller wrapping things up is the end of the beginning of investigation into Trump in general, not the beginning of the end.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
HailMuffins Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#275336: Mar 22nd 2019 at 4:22:30 PM

Seems like the kind of scheme that gets bigger the more you look into it.

This might keep going well beyond Trump's presidency.

Edited by HailMuffins on Mar 22nd 2019 at 8:22:40 AM

archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#275337: Mar 22nd 2019 at 4:22:34 PM

Yeah, I’d caution against getting your hopes up for the Muller report being a silver bullet.

They should have sent a poet.
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#275338: Mar 22nd 2019 at 4:28:53 PM

Hope as they say springs eternal,still,something big will come from the Muller report,maybe not enough to immediately undo Trump's presidency but won't be all for nought

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#275339: Mar 22nd 2019 at 4:36:38 PM

Depends on what your definition of nought is.

There will never be a silver bullet or one miraculous moment where everything is solved and Trump goes away in handcuffs and a new age of liberal democracy in America is ushered in and we all get acceptable healthcare starting in 2020.

Oh really when?
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#275340: Mar 22nd 2019 at 4:45:21 PM

My definition of naught is "Nothing significant happens in the report that we didn't already know and nothing happen in spite of the report" but something will happen because Trump is scared of the report,for all we know the report might harm one of Trump's family members,not Trump himself but imagine the humiliation of Donnie junior being led away in hand cuffs because he was named in report,and there's other allies of Trump who are at risk of exposure through the report

And as you said,no silver bullet,but it's still ammunition against him and his administration

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#275341: Mar 22nd 2019 at 5:16:20 PM

The main thing to remember about the Mueller report is that it's not a detailed account of everything that Mueller and his team have found out. It's basically an explanation of "here's the charges we decided to file and why we decided to file them". It doesn't necessarily include "here's a bunch of stuff we found out that didn't rise to the level of pressing charges, but it certainly warrants further investigation".

Be wary of anyone claiming that "it's not in the Mueller report, so it didn't happen". That's not how it works.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#275342: Mar 22nd 2019 at 5:41:53 PM

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2019/03/22/day-792/

    Day 792: Principal conclusions 
1/ Robert Mueller submitted his full report on Trump and Russia to the attorney general. The Justice Department notified Congress that it had received Mueller's report, but did not describe its contents. William Barr is expected to summarize the findings for lawmakers in the coming days, deciding how much of the report to share with Congress. White House lawyers are prepared to argue some material is protected by executive privilege, especially if the report discusses whether Trump's interactions with his aides or legal advisers are evidence of obstruction of justice. Mueller's work has led to criminal charges against 34 people, including six former Trump associates and advisers. Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, Michael Flynn, Michael Cohen, and George Papadopoulos all pleaded guilty. Roger Stone was indicted in January and accused of lying to Congress, but has pleaded not guilty. More than 24 people charged by Mueller are Russians. No Americans charged by Mueller have been accused of conspiring with Russia to interfere in the election. No further indictments are expected. (New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News / Politico / Bloomberg / USA Today / CNBC)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/mueller-report-sent-to-attorney-general-signaling-his-russia-investigation-has-ended/2019/03/22/b061d8fa-323e-11e9-813a-0ab2f17e305b_story.html

2/ Barr notified lawmakers that he intends to provide information about the "principal conclusions" of Mueller's report "as soon as this weekend." Barr promised to bring as much transparency as possible to Mueller's findings but stressed that Justice Department policy prevents officials from disclosing information about investigations that didn't result in criminal charges. That means part of Mueller's probe as it relates to Trump may not be revealed any time soon. (CNBC / Wall Street Journal)

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/22/ag-barr-says-he-may-be-able-to-provide-lawmakers-with-details-of-mueller-report-this-weekend.html

3/ Trump warned that "people will not stand for it" if Robert Mueller's report makes him look bad. Trump – again – complained that "a deputy, that didn't get any votes, appoints a man that didn't get any votes," referring to Rod Rosenstein's appointment of Mueller. Trump also bemoaned that Mueller was "best friend" with James Comey, who succeeded Mueller as FBI director, despite there being no evidence that the two are close friends. (The Guardian / Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/369dd7698d7043ab8f0bee894b9ea92f

📌 Day 790: Trump called Mueller's report illegitimate because he was never elected and complained to reporters that he now has to deal with "somebody writing a report" despite having "won one of the greatest elections of all time." Trump went on to refer to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein as just "a deputy" who was "appointed," who then "appoint[ed] another man to write a report," rhetorically asking somebody to "explain that, because my voters don't get it, and I don't get it." Trump nominated Rosenstein, who was confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate in a 94-6 vote. (Talking Points Memo / Roll Call)

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-trashes-sessions-rosenstein-mueller-never-got-a-vote

In June, Rosenstein sent a 12-page letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley outlining a potential road map on what to expect from Mueller. Rosenstein made it clear that he believes the Justice Department will not include disparaging or incriminating information about anybody who has not been charged with a crime. Translation: Don't expect a criticism of Trump or any associates if they have not been charged with crimes. (ABC News)

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/letter-deputy-attorney-general-rod-rosenstein-offers-potential/story?id=61847216

The lead federal prosecutor in New York supervising Michael Cohen's case is leaving his job in April. (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/22/sdny-prosecutor-michael-cohen-case-1232226

4/ The Democratic chairs of the six House committees will direct the Justice Department, FBI, and White House Counsel's Office to preserve records provided to Mueller. The effort will ensure that agencies comply with the Presidential Records Act and the Federal Records Act to retain correspondence, memos, reports and other material should the committees request them. House Democrats have also discussed issuing subpoenas for the information if the White House refuses to cooperate. (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/democrats-will-order-fbi-white-house-counsel-to-preserve-records-shared-with-mueller/2019/03/22/462fc54a-4ca2-11e9-93d0-64dbcf38ba41_story.html

5/ Trump called for his attorney general to "do what's fair" and open investigations into Hillary Clinton, Comey, James Clapper, and John Brennan. Providing no evidence to support his claims, Trump asserted that he's been treated "very unfairly" by Mueller's team, while "nobody does anything" about all the "stone cold crimes" committed by former Obama officials. Trump also accused Comey, Clapper, and Brennan of telling "absolute lies" to Congress. Trump went on to call it an "interesting question" as to whether he thought Attorney General William Barr should look into his accusations. (Politico / Fox Business)

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/22/trump-barr-clinton-investigation-1232147

6/ Trump cancelled sanctions aimed at North Korea a day after they were imposed by his own Treasury Department. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump removed the sanctions because he "likes" North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Yesterday, the Treasury Department announced new sanctions against two Chinese shipping companies for their alleged role in evading U.N. sanctions against North Korea. A former director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the Treasury called it "utterly shocking" that Trump would "actively undercut his own sanctions agency for the benefit of North Korea." Trump announced his decision via tweet. (New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / CNBC / Bloomberg / CNN)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/22/politics/donald-trump-north-korea-sanctions-china/index.html

    Notables 
The commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps warned that sending troops to the U.S.-Mexico border and funding transfers under Trump's emergency declaration has posed "unacceptable risk to Marine Corps combat readiness and solvency." Marine Corps Gen. Robert Neller wrote two internal memos that said the "unplanned/unbudgeted" deployment order by Trump last fall along the southwest border, along with shifts in other funds to support border security operations, have forced him to cancel or reduce other military training in at least five countries and delay urgent base repairs. (Los Angeles Times)

https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-marine-corps-border-national-emergency-20190321-story.html

The deputy director of the National Economic Council is planning to leave the White House in the coming weeks as the Trump administration continues its high-stakes talks with China. Clete Willems is expected to leave his position in April due to the strain that frequent travel has placed on his young and growing family, according to people familiar with his plans to leave. A replacement to fill the top White House trade position is still in the works, but nothing has been finalized. (CNBC)

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/22/top-trump-trade-official-clete-willems-to-leave-the-white-house-in-weeks-sources.html

Trump blamed Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for the economy's failure to exceed 4% economic growth last year. (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/21/trump-fed-for-economy-growth-1288783

Trump will nominate his former campaign adviser Stephen Moore to the Federal Reserve. Moore was the founder of the conservative Club for Growth and helped write Trump's signature tax plan. Moore is also a close friend of Trump's economic adviser Larry Kudlow, served as an adviser on Trump's campaign, and helped draft Trump's economic agenda early on. (Bloomberg / CNN / New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fed-moore-idUSKCN1R30E2

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#275343: Mar 22nd 2019 at 5:55:16 PM

[up][up] It's also important to note that the Mueller is actually overseeing several investigations, with the primary one being Counterintelligence.

A lot of the more procedural inquiries and investigations, like fraud, money laundering, etc, are probably referred to other departments.

Edited by megaeliz on Mar 22nd 2019 at 11:42:45 AM

tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#275344: Mar 22nd 2019 at 6:04:14 PM

FEMA wrongly released the personal information of survivors of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and anyone who survived the 2017 Californian wildfires to a contractor.

Edited by tclittle on Mar 22nd 2019 at 8:04:30 AM

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#275345: Mar 22nd 2019 at 7:55:18 PM

Goddammit FEMA. Stuff like this makes it hard to defend you. Government in general needs to be better at protecting shit like that.

In regards to criminal law, all the investigations and such in the SDNY is still ongoing, isn't it? Aren't they looking into Kushner, etc?

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#275346: Mar 22nd 2019 at 10:09:13 PM

Still worth giving Mueller a big thumbs-up and "thank you for your service." I don't want to say that all Republican politicians aren't scum or anything, but Mueller has definitely done some good work, caught some crooks and built a solid foundation for Congress and New York to continue working with.

Edited by Ramidel on Mar 22nd 2019 at 9:09:57 AM

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#275347: Mar 22nd 2019 at 11:03:07 PM

Mueller is a public servant, first and last. He leaves his politics at the door.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#275348: Mar 23rd 2019 at 12:13:23 AM

So...what is now in the report?

TheRoguePenguin Since: Jul, 2009
#275349: Mar 23rd 2019 at 12:27:33 AM

We won't know that for a couple days probably, longer for the full one assuming Trump doesn't try to bury it.

Ingonyama Since: Jan, 2001
#275350: Mar 23rd 2019 at 4:02:04 AM

In the interests of avoiding doom and gloom, I'll just say I have very low expectations of anything, from the report or the other investigations, and leave it at that. At least then if I'm wrong I can be pleasantly surprised.


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