Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

Trump Tax Plan
Bloomberg | author | date

Trump's vision for reducing the tax burden on U.S. companies and workers will require deep cuts and hard math. Here's full coverage.

White House economic adviser Gary Cohn said the Trump administration is willing to negotiate on one of the core revenue raisers in the Republican tax overhaul framework -- ending the state and local tax deduction -- potentially exacerbating the deficit impact of the plan.

Cohn told Bloomberg TV on Friday that ending the state and local tax deduction is "not a red line" for the White House in a tax revamp. The GOP plan unveiled Wednesday contains an estimated $5.8 trillion in tax cuts. ... Read more

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Stuck Taxpayers For $12,000 Charter Flight
HP | Willa Frej | 009/29/17

Commercial travel didn't fit his schedule, a spokeswoman said.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and several staffers chartered an oil company plane for a flight from Las Vegas to Zinke's home state of Montana in June, costing taxpayers $12,375, according to reports.

Zinke's expensive travel puts him on a growing list of Trump administration officials who have been using taxpayer dollars to fly on non-commercial planes.

He and several staffers flew on a Beechcraft King Air 200 from Las Vegas, where Zinke had a speaking engagement, to Montana on June 26, an internal calendar obtained by Politico revealed. The plane, according to The Washington Post, belongs to Nielson & Associates, a Wyoming-based oil-and-gas exploration firm. The Interior Department paid for the charter. ... Read more

Exclusive: Russians Impersonated Real American Muslims to Stir Chaos on Facebook and Instagram
Daily Beast | Ben Collins | 09/27/17

Kremlin trolls stole the identity of an authentic U.S. Muslim organization--first to smear John McCain and Hillary Clinton, then to sing her praises.

The Facebook group United Muslims of America was neither united, Muslim, nor American. Instead, sources familiar with the group tell The Daily Beast, it was an imposter account on the world's largest social network that's been traced back to the Russian government.

Using the account as a front to reach American Muslims and their allies, the Russians pushed memes that claimed Hillary Clinton admitted the U.S. "created, funded and armed" al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State; claimed that John McCain was ISIS' true founder; whitewashed blood-drenched dictator Moammar Gadhafi and praised him for not having a "Rothschild-owned central bank"; and falsely alleged Osama bin Laden was a "CIA agent." ... Read more
Russian Troll Army Impersonating US Muslims On Facebook | TYT | 09/28/17 | 10:47

Machine Intelligence: We Need a National Strategy
TheAtlantic | Emma Kinnucan | current

On Thursday, July 20, China's State Council released the New Generation of Artificial Intelligence Development Plan. Numbering nearly 40 pages, the plan lays out China's aspirations in impressive detail. It introduces massive investment that aims to position China at the forefront of technological achievement by cultivating the governmental, economic, and academic ecosystems to drive breakthroughs in machine intelligence. To achieve these goals, the Council aims to harness the data produced by more the internet-connected devices of more than a billion Chinese citizens, a vast web of "intelligent things."

The plan also details the strategic situation precipitating the need for a bold new vision: "Machine intelligence [is] the strategic technology that will lead in the future; the world's major developed countries are taking the development of AI as a major strategy... [We] must, looking at the world, take the initiative to plan [and] firmly seize the [technology] in this new stage of international competition. ... Read more

Trump's Nine Russia Scandals (#127) | Keith Olbermann | 09/28/17 | 10:00

Trump Proposes the Most Sweeping Tax Overhaul in Decades
NYTimes | Julie Hirschfeld Davis | 09/27/17

President Trump on Wednesday began an ambitious push to slash taxes and salvage what remains of his embattled legislative agenda in Congress this year, proposing a politically challenging array of tax cuts for individuals and businesses that would constitute the most sweeping changes to the federal tax code in decades.

Mr. Trump, smarting from the latest defeat this week of his efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, cast the tax plan as an economic imperative and the fulfillment of a promise to his working-class supporters to deliver benefits in the form of lower taxes, better jobs and higher wages. ... Read more
Trump Tax Reform Explained | TYT | 09/27/17 | 14:22

Trump fuming over Price's charter flights
Politico | Josh Dawsey | 09/27/17

'I'm going to look at it. I am not happy about it, and I let him know it,' the president says of the HHS secretary using taxpayer money to fund private jet travel.

President Donald Trump and his top aides are fuming over Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price's use of expensive private jets, with some advisers privately calling for Price's ouster.

Trump rebuked Price in sharp terms Wednesday but declined to bat down speculation that the HHS chief could be fired for his lavish spending of taxpayer dollars. "We'll see," the president told reporters when asked whether Price would stay in his job. ... Read more

Ryan vents over stalled GOP agenda in Senate
Politico | Cristiano Lima | 09/27/17

Equipped with graphs highlighting the disparity between the number of bills passed by the House and the number that have stalled in the Senate, Ryan (R-Wis.) aired his grievances during an interview on Fox News. He cited the upper chamber's inability to convert on the Republican Party's major goals thus far during the Trump administration.

"Is that frustrating for the House? You bet it's frustrating in the House," Ryan told Fox News' Sean Hannity, saying that 274 of the 337 bills that have passed in the House as of Sept. 22 have not made it through the Senate. ... Read more

The 7 most inflammatory things Roy Moore has said
Politico | Nolan D. McCaskill | 09/27/17

Republicans clinging to their thin majority in the Senate are now confronting the question about whether to vigorously support insurgent Roy Moore, the highly controversial former judge who handily beat incumbent GOP Sen. Luther Strange in Alabama's special election on Tuesday night.

Moore, who surged to victory despite President Donald Trump's endorsement of Strange, largely ran on an anti-establishment platform that heavily targeted figures such as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. ...

Maria's Trail of Destruction in Puerto Rico | Bloomberg | 09/25/17 | article

How the Pittsburgh Penguins Became Trump's Political Pawns (#127) | Keith Olbermann | 09/28/17 | 5:47

The EPA Is Spending $25,000 To Build Scott Pruitt A Private Phone Booth
HP | Nick Visser | 09/27/17

The Environmental Protection Agency is spending nearly $25,000 to build a soundproof communications booth in Administrator Scott Pruitt's office, according to media reports.

... Under Pruitt, the EPA has faced allegations of a lack of transparency throughout the agency. Until recently, the EPA refused to release the administrator's schedule to the public, and media reports say some employees have been told to leave behind cellphones during meetings with him and to not take notes.

Pruitt also has a full-time security detail, something none of his predecessors had requested. The administrator is also one of several Cabinet officials to come under fire for taking costly private flights. ... Read more

*Corporate Consolidation | John Oliver | 09/24/17 | 15:09

Trump hits the road to sell tax plan -- but some worry what he'll say
Politico | Nancy Cook | 09/26/17

President Donald Trump is expected to tout the Republicans' new tax blueprint as one of the biggest tax cuts in recent American history at a Wednesday rally in Indiana -- but Republican lawmakers, lobbyists and others are worried about exactly what he'll say.

Administration officials and top congressional leaders are calling for a 20 percent top rate for corporations. But the president has demanded in multiple meetings that tax negotiators stick with a 15 percent corporate rate even as senior congressional Republicans and members of his own administration including National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn told him such a number wasn't possible without blowing up the deficit.

"He's the one guy left in Washington who still wants a 15 percent corporate rate," said one person close to the president and the tax reform discussions. ... Read more

Everything you need to know about the Big 6 tax plan
Politico | Brian Faler | 09/27/17

After months of closed-door negotiations, the "Big Six" on Wednesday unveiled its long-awaited plan to rewrite the tax code. The task now is selling the sweeping proposal to rank-and-file lawmakers. Republicans hope to get a bill to President Donald Trump's desk by the end of the year. Here's what you need to know about the plan negotiated by the top Republican lawmakers and administration officials:

For individuals: The big surprise here is that Republicans are backing away from plans to slash taxes on the rich. They are floating the idea of some sort of surtax on the well-to-do, though details are scant. That's a major shift from what Republicans campaigned on in last year's elections, when they proposed steep tax cuts for the wealthy. But they are trying to head off the inevitable attacks from Democrats, and maybe even win some of their support. ... Read more

Trump, GOP tax plan omits details on who pays
Politico | Brian Faler | 09/27/17

The trick is to provide enough detail to satisfy lawmakers whose votes they'll need but not so much that they get eaten alive by lobbyists.

President Donald Trump is heading to Indiana Wednesday to sell a tax-reform plan that glosses over one key question: Who loses? The long-awaited proposal released Wednesday morning by the so-called Big Six is heavy on the GOP's tax cut desires and light when it comes to explaining whose taxes will have to go up to help control costs.

After months of meeting behind closed doors, the Trump administration and the Republican leadership in both chambers announced they want to slash the corporate rate to 20 percent from the current 35 percent, while reducing taxes on unincorporated businesses to 25 percent. They're proposing nearly doubling the standard deduction, expanding a tax credit for having children and creating a special low rate on multinational companies' overseas earnings. ... Read more

Senate Republicans Plan To Sneakily Gut Major Consumer Protection Rule
HP | David Dayen, Ryan Grim | 09/25/17

IN THE MIDDLE of a consequential week for the future of American health care, Senate Republicans are hoping to sneak through a controversial nullification of a key rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Republican leaders are whipping to secure the votes to overturn a rule CFPB finalized in July, which would protect financial companies from class-action lawsuits and deny consumers a day in court. The rule is among the most consequential actions the CFPB has taken since its founding.

An added wrinkle here: Executives for both Wells Fargo and Equifax, both accused of ripping off millions of consumers, will testify in Senate committees next week. Both companies have used arbitration clauses in an attempt to deny consumers access to the courts. By getting the arbitration vote out of the way before the hearings, Republicans can avoid having to hand a gift to financial companies while Wells Fargo and Equifax sit squarely in the public spotlight. With Obamacare repeal sucking up all the oxygen, this week offers a perfect cover. ... Read more

Global Warming Do the Math | Climate State | 09/29/16 | 44:52

Jim Hansen: Requirement of Negative CO2 Emissions | Climate State | 09/04/16 | 17:26

Jim Hansen: Hell Will Break Loose - Ice Melt, Sea Level Rise and Superstorms | Climate State | 09/17/16 | 14:59

Senate won't vote on last-ditch Obamacare repeal bill
Salon | Seung Min Kim | 09/26/17

The GOP made the decision after it was clear the plan would fail.

Senate Republicans do not intend to vote on the Graham-Cassidy bill, putting an end to their Obamacare repeal effort for now. The decision was reached Tuesday after it became clear the bill would fail. Three Senate Republicans had said they would vote against the measure, and the GOP could only afford two defections. ... Read more

Trump is Destroying Puerto Rico (#126) | Keith Olbermann | 09/26/17 | 5:11

We Will Not Stand for Trump (#125) | Keith Olbermann | 09/25/17 | 8:30

Why Trump is Always (Always!) the Victim (#124) | Keith Olbermann | 09/22/17 | 5:32

Trump, Russia, and the Facebook Factor (#123) | Keith Olbermann | 09/21/17 | 8:52

Bernie Sanders Presents his Foreign Policy Platform | Westminster College | 09/21/17 | 1:24:36

Trump aides begin looking for the exits
Politico | Nancy Cook | 09/22/17

After a wave of high-profile White House departures this summer, staffers who remained are reaching out to headhunters to discuss their next moves.

A fast-growing number of White House staffers are starting to look for the exits, even though the one-year mark of President Donald Trump's first term is still months away.

Many who joined the administration in January did so with the explicit idea that they'd stay for at least a year, enough to credibly say they'd served. But in the aftermath of a wave of abrupt, high-profile departures over the summer that culminated with former strategist Steve Bannon's ouster in August, aides up and down the chain are reaching out to headhunters, lobbyists, and GOP operatives for help finding their next job. ... Read more

How Do Families Around The World Spend Their Vacations?
NYTimes Magazine | Joakim Eskildsen | 09/21/17

In the deciduous forests of southern Estonia, small cabins made of logs layered with moss dot the countryside. These are the smoke saunas -- places to bathe bodies and cleanse spirits. The aromas of alder wood and stripped birch, burning below hot stones, waft through the air. Once the stones reach peak heat, the smoke is vented out with the help, it's said, of a mythical "smoke eater." Inside the cabin, a caretaker whisks visitors' skin, delivering gentle beatings with a bouquet of leaves gathered, as at the sauna in Vorumaa at left, from the surrounding woods as the hot air alleviates the anxiety that comes with living in one of the world's most technologically savvy populations ... Read more

Vietnam War by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick website

Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's ten-part, 18-hour documentary series, THE VIETNAM WAR, tells the epic story of one of the most consequential, divisive, and controversial events in American history as it has never before been told on film. Visceral and immersive, the series explores the human dimensions of the war through revelatory testimony of nearly 80 witnesses from all sides--Americans who fought in the war and others who opposed it, as well as combatants and civilians from North and South Vietnam. Ten years in the making, the series includes rarely seen and digitally re-mastered archival footage from sources around the globe, photographs taken by some of the most celebrated photojournalists of the 20th Century, historic television broadcasts, evocative home movies, and secret audio recordings from inside the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations. THE VIETNAM WAR features more than 100 iconic musical recordings from greatest artists of the era and haunting original music from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross as well as the Silk Road Ensemble featuring Yo-Yo Ma.

Episode 01: Déjà Vu (1858-1961) | PBS | 1:25:51

Note: You will probably have to click 9 or 10 times on the vertical Scrollbar (bottom arrow) to center the video.

Episode 02: Riding the Tiger (1961-1963) | PBS | 1:26:59

Episode 03: The River Styx (January 1964-December 1965) | PBS | 1:58:28

Episode 04: Resolve (January 1966-June 1967) | PBS | 1:57:58

Episode 05: This Is What We Do (July 1967-December 1967) | PBS | 1:28:43

Note: The next set of videos require a login. I will add them as they become available for free.

REPLAY: John O'Neill and What He Knew Before 9/11 | PBS Frontline | old | 1:26:51

John McCain Can Stop This Health Care Bill
HP | Matt Fuller | 09/20/17

Jimmy Kimmel DESTROYS Republican Healthcare Lies | TYT | 09/20/17 | 9:28

Most Terrifying Footage Of Hurricane Maria 175mph Wind Flash Flood Puerto Rico | Che'dele Review | 09/20/17 | 40:11

Position of Hurricane Maria - www.ventusky.com/?p=27.1;-71.6;4&l=wind&m=gfs | ventusky.com | 09/21/17 @ 9:32|

The unlikely group who brought Obamacare repeal back to life
Politico | Jennifer Haberkorn and Rachael Bade | 09/21/17

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Bill Cassidy crafted the bill, while Lindsey Graham played the role of salesman.

Senate Republicans' last-ditch attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare rests on the unlikely collaboration of a veteran senator who can't stand health policy, a wonky freshman who has never passed major legislation and a former senator who lost his seat a decade ago.

Together, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum crafted the latest GOP repeal bill in hopes of delivering on the party's seven-year-old campaign promise to repeal Obamacare.

The trio teamed up this summer to salvage the repeal effort. At first, their idea of replacing much of Obamacare with state block grants went nowhere. But now -- only days before the expiration of the special rule allowing the Senate to dismantle Obamacare with only 50 votes -- the idea has gained enough momentum that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell committed to bringing the measure to the floor next week for a vote. ... Read more

Paul Manafort offered Kremlin-linked oligarch access to Trump campaign
Salon | Sophia Tesfaye | 09/20/17

The Washington Post reported that Trump's former campaign manager pitched a Russian billionaire "private briefings"

Paul Manafort, the second of Donald Trump's presidential campaign managers, is in serious legal jeopardy. The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that during his five-month control of the Trump campaign, Manafort offered a Kremlin-linked Russian oligarch multiple "private briefings" on the status of the U.S. election.

Less than two weeks before Trump clinched the GOP nomination, Manafort wrote an email to an intermediary of aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska to ask if the Basic Element founder would like to be regularly updated on the progress of the campaign. ... Read more

Building the New American Economy: Smart, Fair, and Sustainable by Jeffrey D. Sachs

With a nation seemingly more divided than ever, many worry that Americans risk losing ground on solving the complex, interrelated problems the country faces--including rising inequality, the specter of climate change, astronomical health care costs, and economic stagnation. The renowned economist Jeffrey D. Sachs offers a practical approach to move America toward a new consensus: sustainable development. Sustainable development focuses on the economy, society, and the environment when shaping policy. A holistic approach emphasizing economic, social, and environmental objectives is key. In focusing too much on economic growth, the United States has neglected rising economic inequality and dire environmental threats. Now, even growth is imperiled.

In this passionate and powerful book -- part manifesto, part plan of action -- Sachs dwells on issues that have captivated the nation and political debate, including infrastructure, trade deals, energy policy, the proper size and role of government, the national debt, and income inequality. Not only does he provide illuminating and accessible explanations of the forces at work in each case, but he also presents specific policy solutions. His argument rises above the pessimism borne of political paralysis, economic stagnation, and partisanship to devise a brighter way forward, achievable both individually and collectively

Why Trump is Always (Always!) the Victim | Keith Olbermann | 09/20/17 | 5:32

Hurricane Maria Slams Into Puerto Rico
HP | Lydia O'Connor | 09/20/17

urricane Maria slammed into eastern Puerto Rico on Wednesday morning as a potentially catastrophic Category 4 storm, threatening the area with vicious winds and dangerous flooding.

The hurricane's eyewall passed over Vieques around 4 a.m. eastern before heading towards the main island, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm made landfall on the eastern part of the island, near Yabucoa, around 6:15 a.m. with wind speeds of up to 155 mph. ... Read more
Ventusky.com website 09/20/17 11:10 est

Everybody still hates Hillary Clinton: But why?
Salon | Conor Lynch | 09/20/17

Clinton is right that sexism played a huge role in her defeat -- but there are other factors she simply doesn't get

Hillary Clinton is back in the public eye to promote her new memoir on the 2016 election, but most Americans would apparently prefer her to just go away. That's according to a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, which found that just 30 percent of respondents had a very positive or somewhat positive view of the former Democratic nominee, who seems to be getting even less popular as the 2016 election recedes further into the past.

This poll couldn't have come at a more inconvenient time for Clinton, who attempts to explain last year's election in her aptly titled new book, "What Happened," which caused a stir well before its official publication date after a few passages were leaked online. As the former secretary of state proceeds with her nationwide book tour and several high-profile media appearances, she remains an extremely divisive figure, and 10 months after losing the election she has yet to figure out why. ... Read more

Photos of the Earthquake in Mexico City
TheAtlantic | Alan Taylor | 09/19/17

On September 19, 2017, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake shook Mexico City, rattling skyscrapers and sending millions into the streets. Reuters is reporting at least 200 deaths across several Mexican states. Coincidentally, Tuesday was the 32nd anniversary of the devastating 1985 Mexico City earthquake, an occasion that led to many first responders and volunteers already being gathered outside, taking part in earthquake-preparedness drills. Below, some early images of the still-unfolding disaster in Mexico City. Updated with new 12 new images on September 20. ... Read more

Donald Trump's Dangerous North Korea Gambit
WiredMagazine| Brian Barrett | 09/19/17

ON TUESDAY MORNING, Donald Trump gave a bombastic speech to the assembled delegates of the United Nations. Pay special attention to how he addressed North Korea and its looming nuclear threat. Unlike most of what Trump said otherwise, its implications are as wide-ranging as they are grim.

"The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea," said Trump. "'Rocket Man' is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime." ... Read more
Trump Speaks To UN, Threatens To Destroy North Korea | TYT | 09/19/17 | 16:03

Trump Threatens To 'Totally Destroy' North Korea In 'America First' Speech At United Nations
HP | Marina Fang | 09/19/17

Trump also strongly indicated he would not renew the Iranian nuclear deal, in a forceful first speech before the international body.

President Donald Trump forcefully defended the United States and condemned North Korea and Iran in his first speech before the United Nations General Assembly, hailing "strong, sovereign nations" and urging fellow world leaders to "put your countries first," while trying to strike a cordial tone on the international alliances he had previously criticized.

"As president of the United States, I will always put America first," he said. "The United States will always be a great friend to the world and especially to its allies, but we can no longer be taken advantage of or enter into a one-sided deal in which the United States gets nothing in return." ... Read more

Scott Pruitt shifts on climate change: "How much do we contribute to it?"
Salon | Jarrett Lyons | 09/19/17

The head of the EPA says that humans may be responsible for climate change

On Fox News Tuesday morning, Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt finally admitted that humans contributed to climate change, but is still skeptical about to the degree to which human activity affects the environment.

"No one questions that the climate changes. No one questions that we contribute to it in some way. That's not the question overall." Pruitt said in the interview. "The question is as we look as this issue, how much do we contribute to it, and what can we do about it," he said. ... Read more

*Why is the MSM (Finally) Reporting on the Petrodollar? | CorbettReport | older, but timely 01/01/16 | 17:09

New study: White people lack empathy across the socioeconomic spectrum
Salon | Sophia Tesfaye | 09/19/17

Apparent empathy gap among white Americans shows up on questions of both race and economics, study finds

Since the election of Donald Trump, the hunt to figure out what's the matter with White America has pitted racism against economic anxiety as if those things existed in separate and competing silos, forcing a narrow debate about the future of identity politics that seemingly goes nowhere. Instead of a post-racial America, two terms of America's first black president left many voters -- and a large majority of political pundits -- ill-equipped to discuss what it means to be white in America at precisely the time when whites have reasserted their collective identity in this nation. ... Read more

Twitter Man vs. Rocket Man
Politico | Susan B. Glasser | 09/18/17

What the heck is happening with North Korea? I asked two people who actually know, and they are as scared of Trump as of Kim Jong Un.

Back in July, President Donald Trump was already escalating his rhetoric against North Korea as it became clear the rogue state was on the brink of a major breakthrough in its nuclear program, development of a ballistic missile capable of striking the continental United States. Still, he insisted, “I don’t draw red lines,” and wouldn’t be sucked into doing so.

But that was before North Korea conducted its largest nuclear weapon test ever and sent missiles flying directly over Japan. And before Trump threatened “fire and fury” and declared a North Korean bomb capable of reaching the United States “unacceptable.” And before Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, his national security adviser, warned on Friday that, all talk to the contrary, “there is a military option.”

All of which means that, whether he calls it one or not, Trump now has a red line – a move that a number of U.S. national security hands I’ve spoken with recently consider to be a serious and even “self-inflicted” escalation of what has become a genuine crisis with North Korea. ... Read more

Wall Street’s Trillion-Dollar Monopoly Has Repo Traders on Edge
Bloomberg | Liz McCormick | 09/17/17

Come mid-2018, just one entity -- the Bank of New York Mellon Corp. -- will be responsible for ensuring almost two trillion dollars of securities financed by so-called repurchase agreements are cleared and settled each and every day. With its lone longtime rival, JPMorgan Chase & Co., exiting the business, BNY Mellon began the process of moving over clients this summer.

... It’s hard to overstate how important the repo market is to modern American finance. The short-term loans, which dealers usually get by putting up U.S. government debt as collateral, serve a crucial role in day-to-day trading on Wall Street. Not only do repos support liquidity in the $14.1 trillion Treasury market, but the financing they provide also helps grease the wheels of trading in assets as varied as stocks, corporate bonds and currencies. ... Read more

Trump Leaves CNN Panel Dumbfounded with a Tweet that Shows Him Hitting Hillary Clinton with a Golfball
AlterNet | David Edwards / Raw Story | 09/17/17

Pundits on CNN were caught speechless on Sunday after President Donald Trump retweeted a video of him hitting Hillary Clinton with a golfball.

“The president of the United States retweeted that this morning,” CNN host John King noted. “Why?” “He’s a disrupter,” New York Times reporter Julie Hirschfeld Davis explained. “He has these impulses, he enjoys engaging on social media. You hear him talking about that, that is so important to his identity. People want to hear from him.” ... Read more
John King: Trump tweet of him hitting Hillary with golfball is 'insane' | RawStory | 09/17/17 | 5:02

The Storm after the Storm
60Minutes | author | 09/03/16

FEMA administrator Brock Long has warned the recovery will be a "slow and frustrating process." Assessing the property loss and repairing or replacing homes and businesses will take years. And it will cost tens of billions of dollars in insurance settlements. The victims are relying on it.

But, as we first reported some two and a half years after Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of the East Coast, Sandy's victims were hit by another disaster -- we called it "the storm after the storm."

Many people said they were cheated out of their insurance claims. Thousands of claims remained unresolved for years, and there was evidence that many homeowners were victims of apparent wide-scale fraud -- where original damage reports were later changed to make it look like the damage wasn't as bad. ... Read more

As Hurricane Harvey survivors face a difficult future, 60 Minutes looks back at Hurricane Sandy and why so many families didn't get the help they deserve | 60Minutes | 09/03/17 | 13:23

Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Monday, September 18 [13:38]

The brilliant, infuriating, boring, hypnotic Ken Burns documentary The Vietnam War
Vox | Todd VanDerWerff | 09/08/17

... The Vietnam War, the filmmaker’s latest, which he co-directed with Lynn Novick, reflects the present in ways that can be uncomfortable. It’s about an unpopular president — actually, two unpopular presidents — who stews about unfair treatment from the press and protesters. It’s about a country that seems on the brink of fracturing over very different ideals of what that country should be. And it’s about the rise of a movement that believes “law and order” is more important than any other fundamental right. ... Read more
Episode 01 | Déjà Vu (1858-1961) - After a century of French occupation, Vietnam emerges independent but divided. | PBS | 09/18/17 | 1:25:46 |

New York Times Uncovers Russia's 21st Century Propaganda Machine | MSNBC Morning Joe | 09/18/17 | 7:58

Trump's tweet on London attack draws ire from U.K. officials
Politico | Nolan D. McCaskill | 09/15/17

'These are sick and demented people who were in the sights of Scotland Yard. Must be proactive!' Trump tweets.

Donald Trump implied that authorities were monitoring those responsible for setting off explosives in the London subway early Friday morning, drawing rebukes from officials in the United Kingdom as they respond to the attack.

Prime Minister Theresa May reproached Trump for his rhetoric. “I never think it’s helpful for anybody to speculate on what is an ongoing investigation,” she said. “As I’ve just said, the police and security services are working to discover the full circumstances of this cowardly attack and to identify all those responsible.” ... Read more

Mnuchin: Honeymoon plane request was 'not about convenience'
Politico | Madeline Conway | 09/14/17

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday defended his request to take a government plane on his honeymoon, insisting that it was about national security, and “not about convenience.”

Reports that Mnuchin had asked to take a government plane with his new wife, actress Louise Linton, to Europe for their honeymoon this summer prompted immediate criticism on Wednesday. ... Read more
Mnuchin Tries To Bill Taxpayers For Honeymoon | TYT | 09/14/17 | 5:42

Trump Got $17 Million For Hurricane Damage To Mar-A-Lago That Never Happened | Ring of Fire | 09/08/17 | 4:23

Some great pictures of Mar-a-Lago. The historic Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach was the locale of choice for Jennifer + Amir’s engagement photo shoot.

The Loneliest President
Politico | Michael Kruse | date

He’s increasingly isolated in the White House, but for Donald Trump, being alone is not a liability. It’s where he’s most comfortable.

SOLATED?” read the subject line. “Friend,” Donald Trump wrote recently to supporters in a fundraising email. “The fake news keeps saying, ‘President Trump is isolated.’ … They say I’m isolated by lobbyists, corporations, grandstanding politicians, and Hollywood. GOOD! I don’t want them,” he fumed, employing italics for emphasis.

Sent on August 28, two days after Hurricane Harvey inundated Houston, Trump’s defiant appeal acknowledged the mounting perception that nearly eight months into his first term -- and in the aftermath of his racially divisive response to the violence in Charlottesville -- he’s never been politically more lonely. He’s at odds with Congress -- including leaders and members of his own party -- and his deal-making with Democrats is angering some of his most ardent conservative supporters. He’s been abandoned and censured by art leaders, business leaders and world leaders. His Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida is bleeding bookings. And he’s losing favored aides due to the actions of his own chief of staff, General John Kelly, who restricts access to the president with the diligence of a border guard. Last week, the New York Times described Trump as a “solitary cowboy,” reminding readers he once called himself “the Lone Ranger.” ... Read more

"The Occupation of the American Mind": Documentary Looks at Israel's PR War in the United States | DN | 09/14/17 | 19:22

The Occupation of the American Mind - RAI with Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters (1/3) | TRNN | 05/13/16 | 24:10

It’s Now Dawned on Trump: People Hate Him (#122) | Keith Olbermann | 09/14/17 | 6:44

Donald Trump Denies DACA Deal, But Doesn't Dispute Its Key Points
HP | Willa Frej | 09/14/17

... Trump's Thursday comments followed a dinner he held the previous evening with House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.). Following the meeting, they announced that the president agreed to a border security plan that would offer protections to the 800,000 Dreamers, and that the wall was not part of the deal. ... Read more
Did Chuck Schumer And Nancy Pelosi Roll Donald Trump On DACA? | MSNBC Last Word | 09/13/17 | 9:53

How the Bernie Sanders Plan Would Both Beef Up and Slim Down Medicare
NYTimes | Margot Sanger-Katz | 09/13/17

In his big new single-payer health care bill, Senator Bernie Sanders says he wants to turn the country's health system into "Medicare for all." But his bill actually outlines a system very different from the current Medicare program.

The Sanders plan envisions changing Medicare in two important ways. First, it would make it more generous than it has ever been, expanding it to cover new types of benefits and to erase most direct health care costs for consumers. Those changes would tend to make it more expensive.

But it also would put the Medicare program on the sort of diet it has never attempted. Those changes, still in sketch form in the legislation, are in many ways the heart of its long-term overhaul plan. The changes are intended to make the health care system more affordable, but the details could have big effects on what sorts of care might be developed and made available. ... Read more

Bannon's Oligarch Cage Match Worries GOP
AlterNet | Adele M. Stan / The American Prospect | 09/13/17

Backing primary challengers to Republican senators, Bannon is pitting his patron, Robert Mercer, against the Koch brothers.

Stephen K. Bannon, current Breitbart News CEO and former White House strategist, is everywhere these days, it seems--on your TV, college campuses, and smack in the middle of the midterm congressional elections.

The day his blustery interview with Charlie Rose aired on the September 10 edition of CBS's 60 Minutes, word spread of Bannon's intervention in campaigns for upcoming U.S. Senate campaigns; he's backing primary challengers to sitting Republican Senators Jeff Flake of Arizona, Luther Strange of Alabama, and Dean Heller of Nevada. It's not his own money he's spending, of course. For this project, as for most recent Bannon escapades, the money is coming from Robert Mercer, the reclusive hedge-fund billionaire, according to Alex Isenstadt of Politico. Also under consideration for the Bannon treatment, Politico reports, is Roger Wicker of Mississippi, and Bob Corker of Tennessee. Their sin? Insufficient loyalty to President Donald J. Trump. ... Read more

The Media Doesn't Understand What Trump is Doing (#121) | Keith Olbermann | 09/13/17 | 6:24

*Bernie Sanders To Introduce Single-Payer Bill With Major Support In Senate
HP | By Daniel Marans | 09/13/17

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will introduce on Wednesday a new version of his plan to give everybody government-run health insurance, potentially opening a new chapter in the ongoing debate over how to make health care in the U.S. more affordable and available.

The plan calls for an overhaul of American health insurance with a souped-up, more generous version of Medicare replacing nearly all private health insurance ? and government exerting far more control over the cost of medical care. It would arguably be the most ambitious social welfare initiative in U.S. history, but Sanders told HuffPost in an interview Tuesday that he believes America is ready for it.

"The American people are catching on to where the Republicans are coming from, they see the limitations of the Affordable Care Act and they're looking at the alternatives," Sanders said. "And this is a rational alternative." ... Read more

Purged Facebook Page Tied to the Kremlin Spread Anti-Immigrant Bile
NYTimes | Scott Shane | 09/12/17

The notice went out on Facebook last year, calling citizens of Twin Falls, Idaho, to an urgent meeting about the "huge upsurge of violence toward American citizens" by Muslim refugees who had settled there.

The inflammatory post, however, originated not in Idaho but in Russia. The meeting's sponsor, an anti-immigrant page called "Secured Borders," was one of hundreds of fake Facebook accounts created by a Russian company with Kremlin ties to spread vitriolic messages on divisive issues.>/p>

Facebook acknowledged last week that it had closed the accounts after linking them to advertisements costing $100,000 that were purchased in Russia's influence campaign during and after the 2016 election. But the company declined to release or describe in detail the pages and profiles it had linked to Russia. ... Read more

At the Apple Keynote, Selling Us a Better Vision of Ourselves
NYTimes | author | 09/12/17

This year is the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. It's also the 10th anniversary of the Apple keynote at which Steve Jobs announced the original device. The first one was a tour de force, Mr. Jobs leading a rapt audience as he asked them to imagine an iPod, a phone and a pocket internet device all in one.

Mr. Jobs, who died in 2011, loomed over Tuesday's nostalgic presentation. The Apple C.E.O., Tim Cook, paid tribute, his voice cracking with emotion, Mr. Jobs's steeple-fingered image looming as big onstage as Big Brother's face in the classic Macintosh "1984" commercial. Mr. Cook even revived Mr. Jobs's patented "One more thing ..." line, but reverentially: "We have great respect for these words, and we don't use them lightly." ... Read more
Steve Jobs introduces iPhone in 2007 | Apple | 2007 | 10:19

Drone footage reveals staggering damage in Florida Keys | FoxNews | 09/12/17 | 4:45

New Drone Footage Shows Devastation in Nanny Cay after Hurricane Irma | | 09/12/17 | 10:10

Aerial Footage of Hurricane Irma Damage in Florida Keys | WeatherNation | 09/12/17 | 1:28

Robert Mueller is Zeroing in on Trump's Cover Up (#120) | Keith Olbermann | 09/12/17 | 9:21

Breitbart's Bannon declares war on the GOP | 60Minutes | 09/10/17 | 27:18

Will Donald Trump Destroy the Presidency?
TheAtlantic | Jack Goldsmith | 10/ /17

He disdains the rule of law. He's trampling norms of presidential behavior. And he's bringing vital institutions down with him.

onald trump is testing the institution of the presidency unlike any of his 43 predecessors. We have never had a president so ill-informed about the nature of his office, so openly mendacious, so self-destructive, or so brazen in his abusive attacks on the courts, the press, Congress (including members of his own party), and even senior officials within his own administration. Trump is a Frankenstein's monster of past presidents' worst attributes: Andrew Jackson's rage; Millard Fillmore's bigotry; James Buchanan's incompetence and spite; Theodore Roosevelt's self-aggrandizement; Richard Nixon's paranoia, insecurity, and indifference to law; and Bill Clinton's lack of self-control and reflexive dishonesty. ... Read more

Harvard psychiatrist Lance Dodes: Donald Trump is a "sociopath" and "a very sick individual"
Salon | Chauncey Devega | 09/12/17

Harvard professor and psychoanalyst on the "antiquated" Goldwater rule and our president's "serious mental illness"

The president of the United States is a global celebrity whose every action is endlessly commented upon and dissected for meaning by the news media, foreign powers (both friends and foes alike) and the public.

In the age of television and now the internet, there are hundreds of thousands of hours of video and audio footage of every president widely available. There are also rumors and leaks from within the White House and other branches of government that can help paint a picture of a given president's moods, desires, thoughts and other behavior. What is to be done if this evidence collectively suggests that the president of the United States is mentally ill? ... Read more
Harvard psychiatrist Lance Dodes: Donald Trump is a "sociopath" and "a very sick individual" | Salon | 09/12/17 | 1:50

The Shock Doctrine (2009)

An investigation of "disaster capitalism", based on Naomi Klein's proposition that neo-liberal capitalism feeds on natural disasters, war and terror to establish its dominance.

Naomi Klein: How to Resist Trump's Shock Doctrine | TheIntercept | 06/13/17 | 8:54

Naomi Klein: The Worst Is Yet to Come with Trump, So We Must be Ready for Shock Politics | DN | | 23:14
No is Not Enough.org website

Storm Surge from Tropical Storm Irma Floods Downtown Charleston, SC | WeatherNation | 09/11/17 | 0:35

Donald Trump Calls Into WWOR/UPN 9 News on 9/11 | Fox5NY | | 9:55

How Did Trump Remember 9/11? (#119) | Keith Olbermann | 09/11/17 | 4:49

Breitbart's Bannon declares war on the GOP | 60Minutes | 09/10/17 | 27:18

Breitbart uses photo of gang members in El Salvador to smear DACA recipients
ThinkProgress | aaron Rupar | 09/06/17

Breitbart's accompanying piece discusses how 2,139 DACA recipients have had their protected status revoked because of alleged criminal activities over five years. But there are currently about 800,000 people enrolled in DACA, so the percentage of DACA recipients involved in criminal behavior ends up being roughly 0.3 percent, which is extremely low in comparison to the national rate of people with felony convictions (over 8.5 percent) or people who are arrested by age 23 (roughly 30 percent). ... Read more
Breitbart: The Fakest Of Fake News | TYT | 09/10/17 | 3:42

Ken Burns Never Knew How Wrong He Was About the Vietnam War
Mother Jones | Phil Klay | 09/ /17

The series, which relies on the latest historical accounts, scores of participants, and a wealth of archival materials, gives voice to Vietnamese combatants and civilians in addition to the usual American experts, policymakers, veterans, and protesters. The result is a work of dramatic sweep and shocking intimacy--interspersing, for example, a US pilot's frank description of bombing the Ho Chi Minh trail with the recollections of a Vietnamese woman who evaded a fiery death, or contrasting the last recorded words of a young draftee with snippets of private presidential conversations. The soundtrack includes classic songs of the era, plus new recordings by Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble and Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross--whose menacing theme music underscores the mayhem. As a veteran of the Iraq War who has written about the experiences of returning soldiers, I jumped at the chance to speak with Burns about his most formidable project to date. ... Read more
The Vietnam War by Ken Burns (trailer) | 60Minutes | next week 09/17/17 | 0:30

Hearts and Minds (Vietnam) (1973) | Peter Davis | 1973 | 1:52:01

Sir No Sir (2005) | | 2005 | 49:27

My Father's Vietnam (2015) | | 2015 | 1:18:42

Spies for Hire: The Secret World of Intelligence Outsourcing by Tim Shorrock

In Spies for Hire, investigative reporter Tim Shorrock lifts the veil off a major story the government doesn't want us to know about -- the massive outsourcing of top secret intelligence activities to private-sector contractors.

Running spy networks overseas. Tracking down terrorists in the Middle East. Interrogating enemy prisoners. Analyzing data from spy satellites and intercepted phone calls. All of these are vital intelligence tasks that traditionally have been performed by government officials accountable to Congress and the American people. But that is no longer the case.

Starting during the Clinton administration, when intelligence budgets were cut drastically and privatization of government services became national policy, and expanding dramatically in the wake of 9/11, when the CIA and other agencies were frantically looking to hire analysts and linguists, the Intelligence Community has been relying more and more on corporations to perform sensitive tasks heretofore considered to be exclusively the work of federal employees. This outsourcing of intelligence activities is now a $50 billion-a-year business that consumes up to 70 percent of the U.S. intelligence budget. And it's a business that the government has tried hard to keep under wraps.

The Deep State Is Real
Politico | Michael Crowley | 09/ /17

At a conference in mid-July, Barack Obama's CIA director, John Brennan, remarked that executive branch officials have an "obligation ... to refuse to carry out" outrageous or anti-democratic orders from President Donald Trump. The comment quickly caught the attention of Rush Limbaugh, who saw nothing short of a threat to the republic. "He practically called for a coup!" the radio host bellowed on the air a few days later, warning of a plot orchestrated by "embeds in the deep state at the Pentagon, State Department, various intelligence agencies."

... The deep state entered America's national discourse in 2017 with the feeling of an already familiar character, ready to assume a starring role as hero or villain--depending on how you feel about Trump. It's easy to dismiss the idea as the breathless complaint of a frustrated president who hasn't learned to work the system. But it's not that simple: There really is a kind of cabal that operates independently of elected officials in Washington--even if it's not quite what Trump or his conservative allies think it is.

Political scientists and foreign policy experts have used the term deep state for years to describe individuals and institutions who exercise power independent of--and sometimes over--civilian political leaders. They applied it mainly to developing countries like Algeria, Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey, where generals and spies called the real shots in nominally democratic societies and replaced elected leaders when they saw fit. (Turkey and Egypt have recently moved to more overt security-state dictatorships, in which the deep state is the only state.) ... Read more

Charlie Rose on Steve Bannon's "60 Minutes" interview | CBS News | 09/07/17 | 9:30

Bannon: McConnell, Ryan 'trying to nullify the 2016 election'
Politico | Louis Nelson | 09/08/17

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon told CBS this week that Washington's "Republican establishment," including the top GOP leaders in both houses of Congress, "is trying to nullify the 2016 election." That more traditional Republicans are looking to undermine President Donald Trump, Bannon said, is as "obvious as night follows day."

"The Republican establishment is trying to nullify the 2016 election. That's a brutal fact we have to face," Bannon said in an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes" that will air this Sunday. Bannon's interviewer, CBS anchor Charlie Rose, responded by asking the former White House adviser to name names.

"I think Mitch McConnell, and to a degree, Paul Ryan. They do not want Donald Trump's populist, economic nationalist agenda to be implemented," Bannon replied. "It's obvious as night follows day is what they're trying to do." ... Read more

Trump Will Soon Be the Ex-POTUS (#118) | Keith Olbermann | 09/07/17 | 8:24

Aerial View of Barbuda - Survivors tell Irma Story | Climate State | 09/06/17 | 6:39

This incredible video shows conditions on the island of St. Martin during Hurricane #Irma this morning.| AccuWeather | 09/06/17 | 0:41

https://www.ventusky.com/?p=22.6;-78.8;4&l=wind&m=gfs

*Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet by Bill McKibben

Twenty years ago, with The End of Nature, Bill McKibben offered one of the earliest warnings about global warming. Those warnings went mostly unheeded; now, he insists, we need to acknowledge that we've waited too long, and that massive change is not only unavoidable but already under way. Our old familiar globe is suddenly melting, drying, acidifying, flooding, and burning in ways that no human has ever seen. We've created, in very short order, a new planet, still recognizable but fundamentally different. We may as well call it Eaarth.

That new planet is filled with new binds and traps. A changing world costs large sums to defend -- think of the money that went to repair New Orleans, or the trillions it will take to transform our energy systems. But the endless economic growth that could underwrite such largesse depends on the stable planet we've managed to damage and degrade. We can't rely on old habits any longer.

Our hope depends, McKibben argues, on scaling back--on building the kind of societies and economies that can hunker down, concentrate on essentials, and create the type of community (in the neighborhood, but also on the Internet) that will allow us to weather trouble on an unprecedented scale. Change -- fundamental change -- is our best hope on a planet suddenly and violently out of balance.

Republicans Begrudgingly Swallow Fiscal Deal They Clearly Don't Like
HP | Matt Fuller | 09/06/17

Republicans were caught by surprise Wednesday after Donald Trump, the self-proclaimed dealmaker president, took the first offer from Democrats on a short-term spending agreement to keep the government funded and raise the debt ceiling with no strings attached.

Over the objections of the GOP congressional leadership, Trump quickly accepted terms from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to fund the government (but not a border wall with Mexico) and to raise the debt limit (without any sort of spending reforms) for three months. ... Read more

Sarah Sanders, Mike Huckabee CLASH with "The View" Over Donald Trump | ABC | 09/06/17 | 17:58

China sees new world order with oil benchmark backed by gold
asia.nikkei.com | Damon Evans | 09/01/17

Yuan-denominated contract will let exporters circumvent US dollar

DENPASAR, Indonesia -- China is expected shortly to launch a crude oil futures contract priced in yuan and convertible into gold in what analysts say could be a game-changer for the industry.

The contract could become the most important Asia-based crude oil benchmark, given that China is the world's biggest oil importer. Crude oil is usually priced in relation to Brent or West Texas Intermediate futures, both denominated in U.S. dollars. Read more
China's New World Order: Gold-backed oil benchmark on the way | CorbettReport | 09/05/17 | 9:37

Why We Must Talk About Trump's Mental Health (#117) | Keith Olbermann | 09/06/17 | 9:30

Here's What You Need To Know About Hurricane Irma
HP | Hayley Miller | 09/05/17

One of the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricanes ever barreled through the Caribbean, making landfall early Wednesday less than two weeks after Hurricane Harvey first hit Texas.

Hurricane Irma was upgraded to an "extremely dangerous" Category 5 hurricane on Tuesday, with maximum sustained winds reaching 185 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm made landfall in Barbuda around 2 a.m. on Wednesday, cutting off phone lines and battering the nearby island of Antigua with heavy rains and wind before heading toward St. Martin. ... Read more
This incredible video shows conditions on the island of St. Martin during Hurricane #Irma this morning.| AccuWeather | 09/06/17 | 0:41

Rush Limbaugh Uncorks a Wild New Conspiracy Theory About Hurricane Irma
AlterNet | Alexander Nazaryan / Newsweek | 09/06/17

On Monday, the right-wing radio personality delivered a customarily freewheeling monologue in which he seemed to suggest that hurricanes were a liberal conspiracy intended to convince the public that climate change is real.

... "The reason that I am leery of forecasts this far out, folks, is because I see how the system works," Limbaugh said, alluding to alleged conspiracies against President Donald J. Trump. "Hurricane Harvey and the TV pictures that accompany that go a long way to helping further and create the panic." ... Read more

China's New World Order: Gold-backed oil benchmark on the way | CorbettReport | 09/05/17 | 9:37

Trump Sides With Democrats on Interim Debt-Limit Fix, Harvey Aid
Bloomberg | Erik Wasson | 09/06/17

President Donald Trump sided with Democrats on adding a three-month extension of the U.S. debt limit and government spending to a hurricane-relief bill over the arguments of fellow Republicans, who pressed for a longer debt extension.

Trump, after meeting with congressional leaders Wednesday at the White House, told reporters on Air Force One that the deal with Democrats would be "very good."

"We agreed to a three-month extension on debt ceiling, which they consider to be sacred -- very important -- always we'll agree on debt ceiling automatically because of the importance of it," the president said. ... Read more
Trump Sides With Democrats on Interim Debt-Limit Fix, Harvey Aid | Bloomberg | 09/06/17 | 2:34

This High-Tech Vertical Farm Promises Whole Foods Quality at Walmart Prices
Bloomberg | Selina Wang | 09/06/17

SoftBank-backed Plenty is out to build massive indoor farms on the outskirts of every major city on Earth.

The growing room looks like a strange forest, with pink and purple LEDs illuminating 20-foot-tall towers of leafy vegetables that stretch as far as you can see. It smells like a forest, too, but there's no damp earth or moss. The plants are growing sideways out of the columns, which bloom with Celtic crunch lettuce, red oak kale, sweet summer basil, and 15 other heirloom munchables. The 50,000-square-foot room, a little more than an acre, can produce some 2 million pounds of lettuce a year. ... Read more

Trump DACA Decision is a Grim Turning Point (#116) | Keith Olbermann | 09/05/17 | 6:39

Hurricane Irma Strengthens Into Category 5
NYTimes | Matthew Haag | 09/04/17

Hurricane Irma, fresh on the heels of Hurricane Harvey, strengthened early Tuesday into a Category 5 storm with maximum winds of 175 miles per hour, as Florida started to prepare for its potential landfall over the weekend.

... "Hurricane Irma is a major and life-threatening storm, and Florida must be prepared," Mr. Scott said in a statement. The last hurricane to hit Florida was Matthew last October, which brushed up along its east coast before making landfall in South Carolina as a Category 1 storm. ... Read more
Website URL: https://www.ventusky.com/?p=30.9;-67.8;3&l=wind

Appalled Kelly Says Nobody Has Spoken to Him Like Trump in His 35-Year Career
AlterNet | Noor Al-Sibai / Raw Story | 09/02/17

The unmoored Trump lashes out at anyone nearby.

During a recent "dressing down" by President Donald Trump, new White House Chief of Staff John Kelly told aides he's never been spoken to like that in his entire military career.

According to a report by the New York Times, Kelly told sources close to a fight between the president and his chief of staff in August that he won't tolerate such behavior again. When staffers "gently suggested [Trump] refrain from injecting politics into day-to-day issues of governing after last month's raucous rally in Arizona," he lashed at Kelly, who happened to be "the most senior aide in his presence." ... Read more

Trump's populist message on taxes comes with heavy dose of corporate rate cuts
Politico | Bernie Becker | 08/30/17

President Donald Trump kicked off his efforts to sell a big tax package to voters on Wednesday, calling for a "pro-American" system that would cut tax rates for businesses and offer a boost to the middle class.

Trump maintained that a new tax system was crucial to ushering in a new prosperity in the U.S., in a speech that White House officials acknowledged beforehand would be light on policy details.

The president laid out several principles for tax reform, including cleaning the code of tax breaks and offering tax relief to middle-class families. But in a speech meant to put a populist polish on tax reform, Trump also spoke repeatedly about the need to lower the statutory corporate tax rate -- which, at 35 percent, stands among the highest in the industrialized world -- and to give companies more opportunity to bring back profits they've stashed offshore. ... Read more
Trump Lies In Tax Speech | TYT | 09/03/17 | 8:42

Brutal Memes Mock Joel Osteen Over His Hurricane Harvey Response
HP | Ed Mazza | 09/02/17

The Houston pastor is now the poster boy for how not to act in a crisis.

Pastor Joel Osteen has gone viral in all the wrong ways. The Houston megachurch leader has seen his name trend repeatedly in the days since Hurricane Harvey brought floods to the city, in large part because his 16,500-seat Lakewood Church wasn't open to those seeking shelter. ... Read more

Bernie Sanders Talks About Hurricane Harvey In An Interview With Chris Cuomo | CNN | 09/01/17 | 14:49

Trump fatigue comes early
WashingtonPost | Joe Scarborough | 08/31/17

... Former allies on the editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal and Washington Examiner now criticize Trump for leadership failures and his abuse of power. Republicans on Capitol Hill more frequently call out the president's aberrant behavior. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) questions the president's ability to survive. The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee questions Trump's stability.

By now, the president's low poll numbers rarely raise an eyebrow. Newspapers have repeated ad nauseam that Trump is saddled with the worst approval ratings in U.S. history at this stage of his presidency. But this week, those lame approval ratings collapsed to a new low of 34?percent. A Fox News poll released Wednesday found that nearly 6 in 10 Americans believe Trump's presidency is "tearing America apart." And only 20 percent of younger voters now support the 71-year-old former reality television star. ... Read more

Are Trump's Generals on the Verge of Committing the Biggest Blunder of His Presidency?
AlterNet | David Klion | 08/30/17

Arming Ukraine has always been a bad idea. It was a bad idea when it was first proposed by the Brookings Institution in early 2015 and it's a bad idea now that Defense Secretary James Mattis is reviving it. It was a bad idea under Barack Obama, before Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and it's a bad idea today, with Donald Trump in the White House.

Mattis, who visited Kiev last Thursday to mark the country's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, says he is only proposing that the U.S. send Ukraine "defensive" weapons, like Javelin anti-tank missiles ... Read more

Kushners' China Deal Flop Was Part of Much Bigger Hunt for Cash
Bloomberg | David Kocieniewski & Caleb Melby | 08/31/17

Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and top adviser, wakes up each morning to a growing problem that will not go away. His family's real estate business, Kushner Cos., owes hundreds of millions of dollars on a 41-story office building on Fifth Avenue. It has failed to secure foreign investors, despite an extensive search, and its resources are more limited than generally understood. As a result, the company faces significant challenges.

Over the past two years, executives and family members have sought substantial overseas investment from previously undisclosed places: South Korea's sovereign-wealth fund, France's richest man, Israeli banks and insurance companies, and exploratory talks with a Saudi developer, according to former and current executives. These were in addition to previously reported attempts to raise money in China and Qatar. ...

... It was 2006--the height of the real-estate market boom--when Kushner Cos. agreed to buy 666 Fifth Avenue for $1.8 billion, then a record for a Manhattan building. All of it was borrowed except for $50 million. The company still holds half of a $1.2 billion mortgage, on which it hasn't paid a cent. The full amount is due in February 2019. ... Read more

Hurricane Irma Just Hit Category 3
TheAtlantic | Marina Koren | 08/31/17

As Harvey moves on from southeastern Texas and floodwaters start to recede, meteorologists are tracking another storm brewing in the eastern Atlantic Ocean that they say could potentially approach the United States in the coming weeks.

Irma became a Category 3 hurricane late Thursday afternoon, making it the season's second major hurricane. The hurricane now packs maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour, with stronger gusts. ... Read more
Models show BIG CAT 5, Tropical Storm IRMA, to form in Atlantic and threaten the East Coast by next Friday 09/08/17

Could Trump Try to Pardon... Everyone? (#115) | Keith Olbermann | 08/31/17 | 9:07