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sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#243276: May 23rd 2018 at 10:50:41 AM

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2018/05/23/day-489/

Day 489: Taxi King.

Putting it behind a note because today's seems like an especially long one.

note 

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/23/evgeny-freidman-cohen-partner-pleads-guilty-603435

Cohen distances himself from business associate who struck plea deal (The Hill)

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/388958-cohen-distances-himself-from-business-associate-who-struck-plea-deal

Michael Cohen insists he's 'not partners' with taxi big Evgeny Freidman day after guilty plea (NY Daily News)

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/michael-cohen-not-connected-taxi-big-evgeny-freidman-article-1.4005203

Who is Evgeny Freidman? Michael Cohen's "Taxi King" business partner may be key to Russia investigation (Newsweek)

http://www.newsweek.com/michael-cohen-evgeny-freidman-russia-investigation-trump-mueller-939851

Michael Cohen's business partner may flip under plea deal (Fox News)

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/05/23/michael-cohens-business-partner-may-flip-under-plea-deal.html

2/ Scott Pruitt spent at least $9,600 on decorations and furniture for his personal office. Pruitt bought Smithsonian artwork, a refurbished desk, and other framed items. He paid the Smithsonian Institution $1,950 in labor and delivery charges to rent out three art pieces for his executive suite, and spent more than $2,500 on frames for various items, including a photo of himself with Trump and an American flag. The internal document with the list of expenditures also confirmed earlier reports that Pruitt spent $2,963 on a standing "captain's" desk and $2,075 on a different desk. (The Hill)

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/388895-pruitt-spent-at-least-9600-on-office-decor-restored-desks-email

Earlier reporting (March 14): Scott Pruitt’s $25,000 soundproof phone booth? It actually cost around $43,000. "In addition to the soundproof booth, invoices released by the EPA show Pruitt paid $2,075 to refinish a desk that had been stored in a government warehouse, as well as $2,963 for a new 'captain’s desk' in his office." (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/03/14/scott-pruitts-25000-soundproof-phone-booth-it-actually-cost-more-like-43000/?utm_term=.2ed8399c4d9a

3/ The White House did not invite Democrats to a private briefing on the FBI informant involved in the investigation into the Trump campaign's contacts with Russians during and after the 2016 election. Two senior House Republicans were invited to the briefing, which was coordinated by John Kelly and will be held on Thursday. Democrats are demanding that Democratic lawmakers be included in the briefing. Sarah Huckabee-Sanders said Democrats weren't invited because they didn't specifically ask for details about the informant. (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/22/fbi-informant-meeting-doj-gop-democrats-white-house-603275

Donald Trump turned a rumor into a full-blown government conspiracy in just 5 days. Trump went from having heard a rumor about the FBI's use of a confidential source to ckaiming that it was an intentional and political attempt to install a "spy" within his ranks on behalf of Obama's Justice Department. (Politico)

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/23/politics/donald-trump-spygate/index.html

Trump’s FBI spy theory is completely insane. "The spy theory holds that the FBI, working on orders from the Obama administration, implanted a spy into the Trump campaign in order to help Hillary Clinton’s campaign. . . . This does not explain why the FBI failed to announce either the results of its spying campaign, or even the existence of the investigation, in time to help Clinton win, rather than allowing the probe to remain secret until well after the election." (New York Magazine)

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/05/trumps-fbi-russia-scandal-spy-theory-mueller-insane.html

4/ Trump said he constantly bashes the press in order to "demean" and "discredit" journalists so the public won't believe "negative stories" about him. Lesley Stahl says she asked Trump, "Why are you doing it over and over?" She continued: "And he said: 'You know why I do it? I do it to discredit you all and demean you all so that when you write negative stories about me no one will believe you.'" (Yahoo! Finance)

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-told-lesley-stahl-bashes-200400865.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw

5/ Mike Pompeo says the U.S. will fight back against what he called "continued efforts" by Russia to interfere in the 2018 midterm elections. Pompeo did not provide any details as to what the "appropriate measures" would entail, but he said the U.S. has so far been unable to establish "effective deterrence" to halt Russia's efforts. (Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/8e511489492b4e0f8b8918c7354d26e4

6/ John Kelly signed off on a plan to fire a handful of mid-level and junior aides after Trump demanded changes to the White House communications team in order to limit the leaks coming out of his administration. The plan would remove some of the department's low-level employees, while keeping high-level staffers such as Sarah Huckabee-Sanders and other officials on board. (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/22/trump-communications-team-changes-603417

7/ Jared Kushner’s prison reform plan passed in the House of Representatives. The bipartisan "First Step Act," which has Trump's support, passed with a 360-59 vote. The bill would provide training programs for prisoners and would be the first major bipartisan success for the Trump administration. Mitch Mc Connell, however, has indicated that he is unlikely to bring up the bill in the Senate unless Republicans can find a way to resolve their differences. (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/22/house-easily-passes-prison-reform-bill-backed-by-white-house-603333

Congress’s prison reform bill, explained: The First Step Act has Trump’s support — but faces some Democratic opposition. (Vox)

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/5/22/17377324/first-step-act-prison-reform-congress

Is the “First Step Act” real reform? The bill addresses the dire need for rehabilitative services in the federal prison system, proves there is strong bipartisan support for at least modest criminal justice reform and underscores a strategic debate that has split the Democratic Party. (The Marshall Project)

https://www.themarshallproject.org/2018/05/22/is-the-first-step-act-real-reform

Trump-backed prison reform bill DOA in the Senate. While Trump has shown interest in prison reform, fractures within the Republican party have left little room for a win when it comes to bringing any criminal justice bill to the Senate floor. (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/21/trump-prison-reform-senate-601983

poll/ Thirty-six percent of voters say they would vote for Trump over a generic Democratic candidate in 2020. Forty-four percent would choose the generic Democrat, and 20 percent of voters remain undecided. (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/23/trump-democrats-2020-election-603421

Notables.

Senate negotiators have released legislation to overhaul policies for handling sexual harassment complaints in Congress. The deal includes requirements that lawmakers be held personally liable for some financial settlements, and requires lawmakers to repay any awards and settlements stemming from acts of harassment that they personally commit. (NPR)

https://www.npr.org/2018/05/22/613422280/senators-reach-tentative-deal-on-sexual-harassment-legislation

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal says he is ready to fill the prosecutorial void left in the wake of Eric Schneiderman’s sudden resignation earlier this month. Grewal has jurisdiction over 20 Trump properties. (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/23/new-jersey-attorney-general-trump-603284

A sinkhole appeared on the White House lawn near the office of White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gridley. (CBS News)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sinkhole-appears-on-white-house-lawn/

Michael Avenatti's law firm was hit with a $10-million judgment in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. (Los Angeles Times)

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-avenatti-bankruptcy-20180522-story.html

Trump offered his support to Tomi Lahren after someone threw a drink at the Fox News pundit while she was eating at a restaurant in Minneapolis over the weekend. (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-takes-to-twitter-to-support-fox-news-pundit-who-had-a-drink-thrown-at-her/2018/05/23/e6c0b856-5e7e-11e8-9ee3-49d6d4814c4c_story.html

Stacey Abrams won the Democratic nomination to become the next governor of Georgia, making her the first African American woman to be a major party nominee in the state. (New York Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/22/us/politics/georgia-primary-abrams-results.html

Stories being watched

The Risky Business of Speaking for President Trump Flacks in this White House press office are getting enormous exposure — but potentially at a long-term cost to their credibility.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/23/magazine/the-risky-business-of-speaking-for-president-trump.html

5 Key Takeaways From Tuesday’s Primaries A viral video star propelled herself to victory. A teacher unseated an establishment candidate. And Stacey Abrams won a commanding victory.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/23/us/politics/election-results-georgia-kentucky-texas-arkansas.html

State Department warns U.S. citizens in China after employee suffers possible... Though there may not be a link, the case recalls incidents affecting diplomats in Cuba.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/state-department-warns-us-citizens-in-china-after-employee-suffers-possible-sonic-attack/2018/05/23/db7bbd44-5e68-11e8-8c93-8cf33c21da8d_story.html

EPA bars reporters from toxic chemicals summit again The agency at the first day of the event on Tuesday allowed a select group of reporters to cover the first hour of introductory remarks.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/23/epa-bars-reporters-from-toxic-chemicals-summit-again-565742

Families of Sandy Hook victims file defamation suit against right-wing radio... Six families of victims killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, as well as an FBI agent, filed a defamation lawsuit today against Alex Jones.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/families-sandy-hook-victims-fbi-agent-file-defamation/story?id=55379036

edited 23rd May '18 10:52:00 AM by sgamer82

AmbarSonofDeshar Since: Jan, 2010
#243277: May 23rd 2018 at 10:50:45 AM

From my experience, the Republican politicians are the elites.

Which means nothing. Trump ran on an anti-elite platform despite being (at least in theory) a billionaire. In right-wing discourse elite means "educated" not "rich". It's a slur for people who aren't "real Americans."

Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#243278: May 23rd 2018 at 10:55:55 AM

You also have to remember that the right mostly venerates plutocracy. I'm pretty sure they're chill with the world turning into a cyberpunk dystopia where like 3 corporations own the whole world provided they personally don't have to live in the slums with 99% of the population.

Mio Since: Jan, 2001
#243279: May 23rd 2018 at 11:03:06 AM

[up]Well, many of them are, for now at least, middle class and are also going to be dead before the post-environmental collapse cyberpunk future is fully realized.

They likely don’t think they have anything to lose by going all out to defend their racial, cultural, and religious privilege from the evil cultural marxist, globalist, or whatever.

NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#243280: May 23rd 2018 at 11:31:24 AM

BBC is reporting that Michael Cohen was paid at least $400,000 to arrange talks in the White House between President Trump and Ukranian president last June. Cohen is not registered as a foreign agent as the law requires him to be if he is acting on behalf of a foreign government. Shortly after the meeting, the Ukraine ended its investigation into Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign manager, ensuring that they would have no information to share with US investigations into the Trump campaign's collusion with Russia.

If nothing else, this is bad for Cohen — he gets "not registering as a foreign agent" added to the list of things he can be charged with. Effects on Trump personally are likely to be less direct. Unless someone can prove that he took payment in exchange for political favors, they can't change him with anything. It does look really bad, but with the political situation as it is already, this new information is sadly unlikely to change things dramatically.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#243281: May 23rd 2018 at 12:10:03 PM

Trump tweets today:

@foxandfriends “New Bombshell in the Obama Spying Scandal. Did other Agencies SPY on Trump Campaign?” Even Clapper, worlds dumbest former Intelligence Head, who has the problem of lying a lot, used the word SPY when describing the illegal activities!

Look how things have turned around on the Criminal Deep State. They go after Phony Collusion with Russia, a made up Scam, and end up getting caught in a major SPY scandal the likes of which this country may never have seen before! What goes around, comes around!

“It’s clear that they had eyes and ears all over the Trump Campaign” Judge Andrew Napolitano

SPYGATE could be one of the biggest political scandals in history!

“Trump should be happy that the FBI was SPYING on his campaign” No, James Clapper, I am not happy. Spying on a campaign would be illegal, and a scandal to boot!

Our Trade Deal with China is moving along nicely, but in the end we will probably have to use a different structure in that this will be too hard to get done and to verify results after completion.

Big legislation will be signed by me shortly. After many years, RIGHT TO TRY and big changes to DODD FRANK.

There will be big news coming soon for our great American Autoworkers. After many decades of losing your jobs to other countries, you have waited long enough!

WITCH HUNT!

edited 23rd May '18 12:10:19 PM by megaeliz

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#243282: May 23rd 2018 at 12:13:01 PM

At this point, there's no way to shut Trump up other than hoping that Mueller finds enough damning evidence to cripple his administration. And anyone who believes him/puts up with his bullshit (~35-45% of the American electorate) is probably a lost cause at this point.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#243283: May 23rd 2018 at 12:13:47 PM

One almost gets the impression that Trump is a comedic version of Iosif Stalin, with these tweets.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#243284: May 23rd 2018 at 12:21:45 PM

Trump: "Hey, don't focus on the investigation into my misdoings! Instead, focus on the made-up misdoings of the investigation into my misdoings!" (paraphrased of course, Trump's not nearly that verbose)

edited 23rd May '18 12:22:27 PM by PushoverMediaCritic

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#243285: May 23rd 2018 at 12:22:59 PM

My favorite is either the "spygate" one (Russian Trolls will be all over that), or this.

“Trump should be happy that the FBI was SPYING on his campaign” No, James Clapper, I am not happy. Spying on a campaign would be illegal, and a scandal to boot!

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#243286: May 23rd 2018 at 12:29:18 PM

Problem is that, if the Republican base buys into this BS/the Republican party decides to exploit it as a distraction, it doesn't matter if its a lie anymore. Trump is pulling stunts straight out of Goebell's handbook.

Oh, and Kushner's clearance has been restored.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/23/politics/jared-kushner-security-clearance/index.html

I wonder if this is any indication that he's relatively safe from Mueller?

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
TrashJack Confirmed Doomer from beyond the Despair Event Horizon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Confirmed Doomer
#243287: May 23rd 2018 at 12:32:31 PM

[up]x5: Or if he dies. Considering his age, lack of physical activity, and dietary choices, I would not be surprised if a heart attack shut him up for good. In fact, it's much more surprising to me that he's not six feet under right now.

Of course, if he did, I think we'll be stuck dealing with his cultists going on about wild conspiracy theory nonsense about Obama and Hillary murdering their immortal god-emperor with their heart attack laser or something stupid like that.

edited 23rd May '18 12:33:26 PM by TrashJack

"Cynic, n. — A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be." - The Devil's Dictionary
TheRoguePenguin Since: Jul, 2009
#243288: May 23rd 2018 at 12:36:27 PM

[up]Lewis Black had a good explanation for that: "The good die young, but pricks live forever!"

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#243289: May 23rd 2018 at 12:40:50 PM

Trump's getting pissy about NAFTA again.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/trump-auto-workers-1.4674280

He can bluster all he wants, but if he actually takes direct action....well we won't be suffering alone.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#243291: May 23rd 2018 at 12:59:44 PM

@243207: He's not dying in office, give it up

i'm tired, my friend
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#243292: May 23rd 2018 at 1:02:00 PM

NAFTA is a shitty shitty deal.

What it did in Juarez turned out to be the reason it's got an absurd and horrifying rate of femicide.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#243293: May 23rd 2018 at 1:02:25 PM

But is it shittier than any likely alternative? (Key word: likely)

edited 23rd May '18 1:02:42 PM by sgamer82

CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#243294: May 23rd 2018 at 1:13:31 PM

NAFTA isn't even the prime mover and shaker behind the loss of manufacturing jobs — automation is. But you won't find anyone talking about it because it's not politically viable to base your platform on being against an inevitable, entropic economic phenomenon. NAFTA's also a shibboleth for "fOrEiGn PeOpLe ArE tAkInG oUr jErRrRbS!"

edited 23rd May '18 1:17:28 PM by CrimsonZephyr

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#243295: May 23rd 2018 at 1:17:52 PM

[up][up][up]Yeah, Mexico got the short end of the stick in some areas, but its been nothing but a net boon to the US and Canada. Job losses come due to automation, as Crimson said, and changing economies. And you cannot untangle the North American economies at this point, the Djinn is out of the bottle.

edited 23rd May '18 1:24:32 PM by Rationalinsanity

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
DeathorCake Since: Mar, 2016
#243296: May 23rd 2018 at 1:22:59 PM

[up][up]

You can build a platform around that. In a nutshell, tax the beep boops, aim your particular crusade against inequality and rentier capitalism, use the 1.5 trillion dollars Trump just stole for his mates to buy yourselves some awesome social programs with a view towards an eventual transition to a UBI or other greatly redistributive system in a few decades.

Interesting factoid I found the other day. Currently the amount of money us Brits will have to pay just to get slightly less demolished by Brexit is more than enough to pay for Bernie's free college plan and the state contributions as well, then buy Britain another three aircraft carriers for no reason at all. That's actually a much better use of the money since occasionally that means we give a Brit free education who ends up back here.

edited 23rd May '18 1:23:49 PM by DeathorCake

DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#243297: May 23rd 2018 at 1:25:00 PM

The main source of job losses isnt automation, but large employers sitting on large savings and refusing to invest in R & D or expanding production.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#243299: May 23rd 2018 at 2:04:15 PM

My main concern for NAFTA is not the typical redhat (if I may co-opt a term from The Colony) concern.

It's more than US businesses go across the border and use horrifically exploitative labor practices to benefit themselves while keeping themselves in the US to avoid any form of prosecution or bargaining.

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/latamcaribbean/2018/02/15/femicide-in-ciudad-juarez-is-enabled-by-the-regulation-of-gender-justice-and-production-in-mexico/

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#243300: May 23rd 2018 at 2:07:42 PM

CC Kush: he's not out of the woods yet. He's just as knee deep in this as the rest of his family. Everything centers around 666 fifth avenue.

Is it weird, that I find Richard Painter's platform more progressive than the official platform of the Democratic Party, despite the fact that a big part of reason he's running for the of the local Democratic Farmer-Labor Party because the Republicans have lost their collective minds.

I know he's more of a old fashioned Center-Right Progressive Republican, rather than a modern Democrat, but I can sort of get behind that.

edited 23rd May '18 2:27:38 PM by megaeliz


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