Mark Cuban Calls Trump ‘Jagoff’ as He Makes Debut for Clinton - Bloomberg Politics

...Cuban said jobs "won’t be creating by terrifiying people. No, Donald Trump.” He said jobs would be created by inspiring people as he believes Clinton could. "I’m here to endorse Hillary Clinton."...
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-07-31/mark-cuban-calls-trump-jagoff-as-he-makes-debut-for-clinton

Circuit Court: North Carolina Law Targeted African-Americans "With Surgical Precision" | Mother Jones

...With race data in hand, the legislature amended the bill to exclude many of the alternative photo IDs used by African Americans. As amended, the bill retained only the kinds of IDs that white North Carolinians were more likely to possess...
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/07/circuit-court-north-carolina-law-targeted-african-americans-surgical-precision

Hillary Clinton says U.S. 'put a lid on Iran's nuclear program' | PolitiFact

"I'm proud that we put a lid on Iran's nuclear program without firing a single shot," she told the crowd in Philadelphia. "Now we have to enforce it, and keep supporting Israel's security."
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jul/29/hillary-clinton/hillary-clinton-says-us-put-lid-irans-nuclear-prog/

Hillary Clinton says Donald Trump has called the U.S. military 'a disaster' | PolitiFact

"Now Donald Trump says, and this is a quote, 'I know more about ISIS than the generals do.' No, Donald, you don't," Clinton said. "He thinks that he knows more than our military because he claimed our armed forces are 'a disaster.'"
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jul/29/hillary-clinton/hillary-clinton-says-donald-trump-has-called-us-mi/

Trump campaign wrong about Clinton influence on debates against Sanders, Trump | PolitiFact

"As usual, Hillary & the Dems are trying to rig the debates so 2 are up against major NFL games. Same as last time w/ Bernie. Unacceptable!" Trump tweeted.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jul/31/paul-manafort/trump-campaign-chief-dnc-leak-proves-clinton-campa/

5 Stupidest Right-Wing Moments This Week: Donald's Prolonged Temper Tantrum

Donald Trump was out of the spotlight for a while last week, and that was very hard to abide. When people did talk about him, they were mostly saying not nice things. Imagine that! Things like, “That’s treason,” when he invited Russia to interfere with an American election. Things like, “How dare you not release your tax returns as every candidate for president has done in modern history?”

The Democrats had put on a good show with plenty of razzle-dazzle, and that hurt. When Trump awoke from his semi-subdued state, it was as if he was determined to prove every damn negative thing that had been said about him was true.

Temperamentally unfit to serve as commander-in-chief? “I’ll show you,” he roared!...
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/5-stupidest-right-wing-moments-week-donalds-prolonged-temper-tantrum

Watch Hillary Clinton's full speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention

Chelsea introduces Hillary: 

https://youtu.be/ZQmmui8qke0
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton closed out the final night of the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
https://youtu.be/pnXiy4D_I8g

Interview:

There's No Controversy: Let's Stop Failing Our Children On Evolution

Watching the NBC Nightly News broadcast on a Friday earlier this month, I gaped as the last segment aired.

Kevin Tibbles was reporting from the site of Kentucky's Ark Encounter, constructed by Christian fundamentalist, young-Earth creationist and Answers in Genesis president Ken Ham. At the time, Ark Encounter was set to open to the public the following week.

Tibbles described Ark Encounter as telling "the Old Testament story of Noah, the animals and, of course, the flood." He interviewed Ham and closed out the 2-minute piece by noting Ham's hope that people will come in droves "to study the story of Noah for generations to come."

What did Tibbles fail to explain?...
http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2016/07/28/487737404/there-s-no-controversy-lets-stop-failing-our-children-on-evolution

. @PennJillette Responds to @realDonaldTrump trashing him

Penn Jillette Decodes Donald Trump

5 Insane Theories from Alex Jones, Trump's Favorite Conspiracist

Donald Trump is a h-u-u-uge fan of conspiracy theories. Only he doesn't call them that. He calls them “what some people are saying,” or what he saw in the National Enquirer (the infamous tabloid which Trump, according to Trump, has always said should’ve won the “Pulitzer surprise [sic]”).

In 2011, the Republican nominee pushed the fringe right-wing notion that President Barack Obama was born in Kenya into the mainstream, effectively becoming the leading voice of the birther movement. In the years since, he has floated certifiably insane ideas about climate change (global warming is a hoax created by and for the Chinese), Syrian refugees (the federal government only sends them to the Republican states) and Ted Cruz (his father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to John F. Kennedy’ assassination).

To understand Trump’s affinity for conspiracies, look no further than one-man professional right-wing conspiracy generator—and fervent Donald Trump supporter—Alex Jones, who reportedly received a “special guest” credential at the Republican National Convention last week even as outlets like Huffington Post and FactCheck.org struggled to get passes....
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/5-insane-theories-conspiracy-theorist-and-trump-supporter-alex-jones

WATCH: 'Trump U' Graduate Al Franken Brutalizes GOP Nominee in Hilarious Convention Speech

Minnesota Sen. Al Franken wowed the crowd at the Democratic National Convention Monday reverting back to the brilliant comedic style that launched his career on "Saturday Night Live" before he turned to politics.

Franken immediately went on the attack on Trump, mockingly saying he himself was a graduate—and was “bilked” by—Trump’s scandal-plagued Trump University.

“I got my doctorate in megalomania studies from Trump University,” Franken said as he lambasted Trump putting him in the company of radio host Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly of Fox News....
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/al-franken-brutalizes-trump-dnc-speech

'Holy Melania'—Comedy Site Funny or Die Delivers Brutal and Hilarious Trump Takedown

In the name of truth, justice and comedy, Funny or Die is tackling lies and awfulness sown by Donald Trump's presidential campaign in fabulous fashion. The episode on Trump's hypocritical message on outsourcing is part of the comedy site's series called "Donald Decoded," and it is viewable on the DNC's YouTube account.

In the sketch, Austan Goolsbee, former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers and member of President Obama's cabinet, plays the straight man to comedian Ken Jeong (of the Dan Harmon show Community) in what Mediaite calls an "unlikely comedy duo."...
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/hilarious-funny-or-die-takedown-any-possible-last-gasps-pro-trump-arguments-video

'Pro-Life' Pence Transfers Money Intended for Vulnerable Households to Anti-Choice Crisis Pregnancy Centers

Much has been made of Republican Gov. Mike Pence’s record on LGBTQ issues. In 2000, when he was running for U.S. representative, Pence wrote that “Congress should oppose any effort to recognize homosexual’s [sic] as a ‘discreet and insular minority’ [sic] entitled to the protection of anti-discrimination laws similar to those extended to women and ethnic minorities.” He also said that funds meant to help people living with HIV or AIDS should no longer be given to organizations that provide HIV prevention services because they “celebrate and encourage” homosexual activity. Instead, he proposed redirecting those funds to anti-LGBTQ “conversion therapy” programs, which have been widely discredited by the medical community as being ineffective and dangerous.

Under Pence, ideology has replaced evidence in many areas of public life. In fact, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has just hired a running mate who, in the past year, has reallocated millions of dollars in public funds intended to provide food and health care for needy families to anti-choice crisis pregnancy centers....
https://rewire.news/article/2016/07/21/pro-life-pence-shifts-funding-needy-indiana-residents-anti-choice-crisis-pregnancy-centers/

And Now the Good News #199: 7/26/2016

Learn more about the stories featured in this video at the following sources: “New remote-controlled microrobots for medical operations” http://goo.gl/j0cJhs “Novel Compounds Arrested Epilepsy Development in Mice” http://goo.gl/YOVqXN “Scientists program cells to remember and respond to series of stimuli” http://goo.gl/dbwgSv
Interview:
https://youtu.be/aaEo3JJz4Cs

Tyranny Now Comes From Below

The Muslim-majority valley of Kashmir has been under curfew since July 8, when Indian security forces killed a popular young separatist named Burhan Muzaffar Wani. Since then, security forces have killed nearly 50 demonstrators and injured thousands more. They're accused of attacking even ambulances and hospitals, while Indian authorities have cut off most cellular, landline and internet connections. Police raided local newspaper offices last week and banned publication for three days. 

Kashmir has long been subject to a draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which grants security forces broad-ranging powers to arrest, shoot to kill, and occupy or destroy property. The policeman who confessed last week to executing more than 100 suspected insurgents in the Indian state of Manipur no doubt has counterparts in Kashmir....
http://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-07-26/a-brutal-majoritarianism-in-kashmir-and-elsewhere

Proton Gradients and the Origin of Life

Where did complex life originate? The New York Times reports on new research from a team led by William Martin of Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf:...
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/07/proton-gradients-and-origin-life

Sen. Harry Reid: Republicans in Congress set the stage for a hateful con man, Donald Trump.

Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) spoke Wednesday about the economic challenges facing the next president at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

"In 2016, they've gone even further: nominating the poster child of 'Me First!'"
Interview:
https://youtu.be/Dzugj_UZTDY

Week In The News: Hillary Makes History, Trump’s Russian Roulette, Anger In Baltimore (Tom Ashbrook, On Point, 2016-07-29)

The Democrats look to take down Donald Trump. Trump plays the Russia card. All charges dropped in Baltimore’s Freddie Gray case. Our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines.
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2016/07/29/dnc-convention-clinton-trump-russia

Friday News Roundup – Domestic (Diane Rehm Show, 2016-07-29)

Last night, as Hillary Clinton became the first woman to accept a major party nomination for president, she called out to a diverse and optimistic nation, in stark contrast to Donald Trump’s America. She urged Democrats to look to the future with courage and confidence—not fear. But she warned that the nation was at a “moment of reckoning.” Her call for unity closed out a convention that began with a cyberhack that points to Russia and forced the resignation of Democratic Party Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Donald Trump says he was being sarcastic when he urged Russian hackers to hunt down Clinton’s missing emails. And charges are dropped against police officers in the death of Freddie Gray. A panel of journalists joins guest host Indira Lakshmanan for analysis of the week’s top national news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2016-07-29/friday-news-roundup-domestic

Friday News Roundup – International (Diane Rehm Show, 2016-07-29)

U.S. intelligence officials strongly suspect the Russian government was behind the hack of Democratic Party emails. The Kremlin called the allegations “absurd.” A Russian plan to create “humanitarian” corridors in Aleppo, Syria, to allow civilians and unarmed rebels to leave is met with skepticism by U.S. and UN officials. France is shaken by the murder of a beloved village priest during mass by men suspected of having ties to ISIS. And Turkey widens a crackdown on the media and military after the failed coup. A panel of journalists joins guest host Indira Lakshmanan for analysis of the week’s top international news stories.
Interview:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2016-07-29/friday-news-roundup-international

Bill Maher Live DNC Special Edition: July 28

Bill Maher and his guests - Salman Rushdie, Michael Moynihan, and Amy Holmes, discuss the 2016 Democratic National Convention during this special edition of Real Time. Interview:
https://youtu.be/6CI5nvG9dTM

Real Time with Bill Maher: New Rule - The Notorious HRC (HBO)

In his editorial New Rule, Bill Maher advises Hillary Clinton to embrace the evil, cartoon version of herself that Republicans accuse her of being. Original Air Date: July 29, 2016. 
https://youtu.be/7hBnwPycFUQ

Real Time with Bill Maher: Interview with Bernie Sanders - July 29, 2016 (HBO)

Bill is joined by Senator Bernie Sanders for re-cap of the Democratic Convention, where Sanders encouraged his supporters to get behind Hillary Clinton.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/uHCe7Muy7MU

Hillary Clinton Embraced Reaganism Last Night, Then She Stuck A Knife In It

There were several times during this week’s Democratic National Convention when delegates could be excused if they thought they’d stumbled into the wrong party’s meeting. For President Obama, one of GOP candidate Donald Trump’s greatest sins was replacing Ronald Reagan’s vision of “a shining city on a hill” with “’a divided crime scene’ that only he can fix.” Democratic standard bearer Hillary Clinton picked up this theme, criticizing Trump for taking the GOP “from ‘Morning in America’ to ‘Midnight in America.’” One former Reagan staffer, who touted his efforts to build a statute honoring The Gipper in his own speech, summed up the DNC’s take on Reagan with a famous cliché “I knew Ronald Reagan. I worked for Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan.”

It was a testament to the Democratic Party’s belief that Mr. Trump is so far off the deep end that many Republicans would rather vote for Hillary Clinton then risk the nation’s future on the erratic real estate mogul’s mercurial temper. DNC speakers, including the party’s two most prominent figures, spent much of the evening leading Republicans to water in the hopes that they will drink it.

Nevertheless, liberals should take heart. Clinton praised Reagan just long enough to obscure her plans to bury him. And, in doing so, she borrowed a page from Reagan’s own playbook....
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/07/29/3803272/hillary-clinton-embraced-reaganism-last-night-stuck-knife/

Analysts Say Clinton Proposals Would Strengthen The Economy

The economy would grow even stronger and create more dividends for low- and middle-income households in a Hillary Clinton administration than it would on its current track and far more than under a Donald Trump administration, according to a new analysis from Moody’s Analytics. And they found that the Clinton economy would benefit in particular from uncommon policies like paid family leave and universal preschool.

The independent firm ran the numbers on a variety of proposals that Democratic nominee Clinton has put forward, and it concluded that her plans would boost GDP growth and create more jobs, increase incomes particularly at the middle and bottom of the income scale, and would not end up being costly or significantly increasing the deficit....
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2016/07/29/3803308/clinton-economy-moodys/

The Reviews Are In: Conservatives Say The DNC Was 'Disaster' For The GOP

Something strange happened on the last night of the Democratic National Convention.

After the GOP nominee lambasted the Democrats on Twitter for displaying what he viewed as too few American flags, there was a sea of waving flags as far as the eye could see when Hillary Clinton became the first woman to accept a major party's nomination on Thursday.

A small faction of protesters chanting "no more war" as General John Allen spoke were quickly drowned out by chants of "USA!" filling the Philadelphia arena. The most notable refrain from the RNC crowd last week: "Lock her up."...
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/conservatives-agree-dnc-was-disaster-for-gop

Web Extra: Meet the Parents | Full Frontal with Samantha Bee | TBS

Biden is already showing Kaine the best places in the White House to get high....

Hillary Clinton: “I Am Adamantly Opposed to Anyone Bringing Religion Into Our Political Process”

As we’ve mentioned multiple times already, WikiLeaks revealed over the weekend that top Democratic National Committee officials were trying to “out” Bernie Sanders as an atheist back in May, thinking it would hurt him in the primaries. While that never happened, it revealed something very disturbing about how the DNC works as well as perpetuated the idea that a candidate’s supposed atheism could be used as a political weapon.

Last night, 60 Minutes aired the first joint interview with Hillary Clinton and her running mate Tim Kaine. Reporter Scott Pelley asked them about those DNC emails, but the exchange didn’t make it to the air. Thankfully, CBS posted it online:...
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/07/25/hillary-clinton-i-am-adamantly-opposed-to-anyone-bringing-religion-into-our-political-process/

Nursing Home Head Allegedly Abused Seniors To Defraud The Federal Goverment Of $1 Billion

The head of more than 30 assisted-living facilities in Florida has been charged for defrauding Medicare and Medicaid of more than $1 billion over the last 14 years — the largest case of health care fraud ever handled by the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to the DOJ’s findings, Esformes Network facilities owner Philip Esformes allegedly placed around 14,000 elderly people in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, even if they didn’t meet the criteria to enroll. Many of these unqualified patients then received “medically unnecessary services” that staff billed to Medicare and Medicaid. In some cases, prosecutors claimed, Esformes and his “co-conspirators” plied elderly patients with narcotics to force an addiction that would prolong their stay and continue their reliance on Medicare costs....
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2016/07/25/3801584/doj-health-care-fraud-florida/

18 Great Trends of the Obama Administration—And 2 Terrible Ones

So how has the country been doing during President Obama's term in office? Here's a scattering of indicators and how they've changed from 2008 (the last year of the Bush presidency) to now:...
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/07/18-great-trends-obama-administration%E2%80%94and-2-terrible-ones

Neo-Nazi radio program 'going mainstream' in the party of Trump

The Political Cesspool is one radio program that lives up—or rather, down—to its name. Hosted by neo-Confederate white nationalist James Edwards, the show is constantly racist, anti-Semitic, and preaches a poisonous mixture of returning America to a “founding stock” of white Europeans while encouraging secession and destruction of the central government.

Not surprisingly, the show is also nationalist, isolationist, and fixed on the idea of eliminating any immigration but that of white Europeans. Until recently, even the most ardent conservatives didn’t want to be associated with Edwards. But with the party of Trump, that's all changed....
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1552043

Sen. Jeff Sessions: Justice Sonia Sotomayor Isn’t Religious Enough to Do Her Job Well

Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, sat for a panel discussion this week during the Republican National Convention and criticized Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor for her alleged irreligiosity:

The senator recalled one quote from Sotomayor that, he said, “still makes the hair stand on my neck.” He explained: “She said there is no objectivity, just a series of perspectives.” He suggested that the problem may be that Sotomayer [sic] and other judges aren’t sufficiently religious: “If you have secularization in the world and don’t believe in a higher being, maybe you don’t believe there is any truth.”

There’s so much to unpack here....
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/07/24/sen-jeff-sessions-justice-sonia-sotomayor-isnt-religious-enough-to-do-her-job-well/

Ignorance and Incredulity at the Ark Park

Mike Pence: 'Smoking doesn't kill,' and other thigh-slappers

While Con Man Don Trump is an agile ideological chameleon, able to change his views on a dime and deny they were ever any different in the same breath, his vice presidential pick Mike Pence is just a good ole-fashioned ignoramus when it comes to science:...
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1549336

A few problems with Young Earth creationism

Bill Nye made headlines last week when he visited the Creationist Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio (Actually near the border in Petersburg, KY). The museum is the brainchild of Ken Ham, the head honcho of Answers-in-Genesis, a ministry that pushes a specific creation story called Young Earth Creationism. YEC maintains the universe and everything in it is less than 10,000 years old, that all or most ancient extinct creatures lived side by side with one another, and that most of the fossils and deposits in the geological record are the result of a massive, worldwide flood that was survived by Noah and his family aboard the Ark as described in the biblical Book of Genesis.

The key point in understanding why someone would want believe in a literal Genesis has to do with the Garden of Eden and original sin. The story goes that Adam and Eve lived in a paradise when they were first created. But they disobeyed God. This was once considered critical to Abrahamic theology, because without that act of disobedience by Adam and Eve, there would be no reason to punish humanity with death and decay, no original sin, and critically for Christians, little or no need for salvation from sin through Christ.

YEC is often said to be at odds with evolutionary biology, and indeed it is, but that’s just the start. A young Earth/universe is in direct conflict with virtually every field of natural science. Two of the most notable fields are geology and astronomy. Let’s review a few examples from each of those fields below the water line....
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1549672

Trump's businesses may be his biggest liability

Besides being the current Republican Party nominee for president, Donald J. Trump is world-famous largely for his business success. He’s a billionaire—or so he claims, even though he still hasn’t disclosed his tax returns—and he reportedly owns and operates a whopping 500 companies.

When it comes down to it, his business success is considered by many to be his greatest asset. He touts his ability and skill to “get things done,” to work with and negotiate “tough, but fairly” with those he disagrees with such as China or Russia. He’s the “can do” candidate that has, like Mitt Romney before him, “signed the front of a check, not just the back.”

He claims that he’ll “Make America First Again,” but the truth may be that the size and international scope of Trump’s businesses place him in a historic ethical conflict of interest that may compromise and endanger the safety and interests of the American people....
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1550490

8 Reasons Why Police in America Keep Killing Civilians and Getting Away With It

The question of why police can kill civilians and get away with it isn’t new and isn’t going away. Whether it was a grand jury's decision in late 2014 not to press charges against the cop who killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri or a prosecutor's decision a year later on the cops who killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland, or June’s acquittal in Baltimore of the latest officer facing charges for killing Freddie Gray in April 2015, or a video released this week by police in Fresno, Calif., where officers killed a mentally unstable Dylan Noble on June 25, the same questions, legal assessments and lack of accountability seem to recur—even as the victims' circumstances differ. 

Noble was unarmed, but kept walking toward officers while hiding one hand even as the cops warned him and threatened to shoot. The police killings this month of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Philando Castile near Minneapolis, Minnesota, followed a similar script, in which the officers involved claimed they felt threatened. In all these cases, a complex and volatile mix of factors involving race, police fear, state-sanctioned power and weaponry, questionable training and unaccountable systems interacted....
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/8-reasons-why-police-america-keep-killing-civilians-and-getting-away-it

Read This Extraordinary GOP Resignation Letter | Alternet

Chris Ladd is a Texan in exile. After growing up in Beaumont and working for more than a decade in Houston, he moved to suburban Chicago, where he is a Republican precinct committeeman.

He has a day job that he loves in the software industry. In his free time he has written for David Frum’s blog, the Washington Times Communities, the Houston Chronicle, and the Huffington Post. 

Back in Texas he interned at the Legislature, worked on numerous state and local Republican campaigns, and volunteered for a statewide PAC. Chris graduated from Beaumont’s Central High, earned a degree from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas (the Harvard of Williamson County) and received his JD from the University of Houston.

He recently posted the following:....
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/read-extraordinary-gop-resignation-letter

Resignation letter

Yesterday I resigned my position in the York Township Republican Committeemen’s Organization. Below is the letter I sent to the chairman explaining my decision....
https://goplifer.com/2016/07/22/resignation-letter/

Trump would fund anti-Cruz, Kasich super-PACs

Donald Trump plans to create and fund super-PACs specifically aimed at ending the political careers of Ted Cruz and John Kasich should either run for office again,after both snubbed the Republican nomineeduring his party's convention this week, a person familiar with Trump’s thinking told Bloomberg Politics on Friday.

The plan would involve Trump investing millions of his own money —perhaps $20 million or more — in one or two outside groups about six months before their respective election days if Texas Senator Cruz or Ohio Governor Kasich stand for office again. The person said Trump is willing to set up two separate super-PACs one for Cruz and one for Kasich and put millions into each....
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2016/07/23/trump-fund-anti-cruz-kasich-super-pacs/87488858/

Donald Trump is right about one thing: America is in grave danger

From him. Donald Trump is, right now, the greatest domestic threat to democracy our country has seen in our lifetimes. He lies about the crime rate in order to scare people into voting for a would-be Caesar who claims he will keep us safe. Trump not only appeals to the fears and racial anxieties of people afraid of demographic change, he exacerbates them. He paints a picture of an America in flames, and tells us that he, alone, can save us. With Trump, and only Trump, can we have law and order. Otherwise, we’ll have chaos. That’s the way a Mussolini talks, not a Lincoln or a Roosevelt. Certainly not someone who believes in constitutional democracy.

Trump says that our leadership is weak, and that he will bring strength. This dime store Nietzsche believes that when people are scared they will turn to a strongman to protect them. Trump does not offer a set of principles in which he believes, but instead a cult of personality. It really is all about him. Anyone who seeks power in such a way is a danger to democracy....
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1550848

Mostly True: Obama says world opinion of U.S. better now than eight years ago

President Barack Obama invoked his characteristic themes of hope and unity at the Democratic National Convention, countering what he called Donald Trump’s "pessimistic vision of a country where we turn against each other."

Whereas Obama touted Hillary Clinton as having earned the respect of leaders around the world and experts at home, he rebuked Trump’s isolationism and more unconventional foreign policy positions and proposals.

"He cozies up to Putin, praises Saddam Hussein, and tells the NATO allies that stood by our side after 9/11 that they have to pay up if they want our protection," Obama said. "Well, America’s promises do not come with a price tag. We meet our commitments. That’s one of the reasons why almost every country on Earth sees America as stronger and more respected today than they did eight years ago when I took office."

Does the world really like us more now than they did eight years ago?...
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jul/28/barack-obama/mostly-true-obama-says-world-opinion-us-better-now/

At DNC, Sen. Chris Murphy says 90% of Americans want expanded background checks for gun purchases

Democrats made a forceful argument for stricter gun control on the third night of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

One speaker, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, called for expanded background checks in particular.

"Listen, 90 percent of Americans want our background check system strengthened and expanded to cover more gun sales so that dangerous weapons don't fall into the wrong hands," Murphy said. 

Under current law, background checks are required in sales by federally licensed gun dealers, but the checks are not required for gun sales by private sellers.

National polls conducted over the past year consistently show that around 90 percent of Americans support some sort of expanded background checks for gun purchases. Here are a few examples of recent polls about background checks....
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jul/27/chris-murphy/dnc-sen-chris-murphy-says-90-americans-want-expand/

Rear Adm. John Hutson says Donald Trump 'called the military that I served in a disaster'

On the third night of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, retired Rear Adm. John Hutson joined a series of speakers who sought to attack Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on his foreign-policy bona fides.

At one point in his speech, Hutson said Trump "called the military that I served in a disaster." It’s a barb that Clinton and her surrogates have used frequently against Trump. But how accurate is it?

The remark comes from the Republican primary debate sponsored by the Fox Business Network on Jan. 14, 2016. Moderator Maria Bartiromo said, "Mr. Trump, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in her response to the State of the Union address appeared to choose sides within the party, saying Republicans should resist ‘the siren call of the angriest voices.’ She confirmed she was referring to you, among others. Was she out of line? And, how would a President Trump unite the party?"

After saying he felt no ill will towards Haley, Trump said, "But she did say there was anger. And I could say, oh, I'm not angry. (But) I'm very angry because our country is being run horribly and I will gladly accept the mantle of anger. Our military is a disaster...."
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jul/27/john-hutson/rear-adm-john-hutson-says-donald-trump-called-mili/

Obama Brought Down the House Last Night. Trump-Hating Republicans Couldn't Agree More.

On Wednesday night, President Barack Obama delivered an impassioned address at the Democratic National Convention, where he burnished his legacy of hope, praised Hillary Clinton, and eviscerated Donald Trump as a "homegrown demagogue" and threat to American values. The speech sparked thunderous applause from the crowd and has already been called one of the president's finest.

Both sides of the aisle have lauded the speech, but admiration from one corner of the political spectrum is especially noteworthy: The #NeverTrump Republicans who also watched the president's speech and declared it the final nail in the coffin of their own party's presidential nominee....
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/07/obama-democratic-national-convention-speech-republicans-never-trump

Michael Bloomberg on Trump: "I Know a Con When I See One"

The Democratic Party gave a prime time speaking slot to former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg at the party's convention Wednesday night for one reason: He is the perfect foil to Donald Trump.

When the billionaire took the stage at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, he became a powerful surrogate for the Democrats this election cycle because he is in a unique position to bring home two main points about this presidential election.

First, Bloomberg, who has been both a Republican and a Democrat but is now neither, spoke to his fellow independents watching the convention. He attempted to connect with them, asserting that he has never believed either party has all the answers, even referencing his disagreements with Hillary Clinton. But at a time when some supporters of Bernie Sanders talk openly about not supporting Clinton—and apathy for her campaign more broadly threatens to doom her candidacy—Bloomberg pleaded with independents and disillusioned Democrats not to make the perfect the enemy of the good.

Whatever your differences with Clinton are, he said, "we must unite around the candidate who can defeat a dangerous demagogue."...
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/07/michael-bloomberg-democrats-found-perfect-foil-donald-trump

This Takedown of Donald Trump Was Absolutely Masterful

Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention was dedicated to ripping apart the GOP nominee while extending an olive branch to blue-collar voters and moderate Republicans. With so much material to choose from, perhaps it's no surprise that Joe Biden, Tim Kaine, Michael Bloomberg, and President Obama stuck largely to their opponent's character and business record.

So it was left to California Gov. Jerry Brown, as chief executive of one of the most progressive states in the union on climate and energy—and one suffering from a multi-year drought that Donald Trump doesn't think is real—to make the contrast between Trump and the Dems on sustainability. Brown devoted his entire speech to tearing down the real estate developer's public statements on climate science, with one-liners earning cheers from the audience.

"Trump says global warming is a hoax. I say Trump is a fraud," Brown declared. "Trump says there's no drought in California. I say Trump lies."...
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/07/donald-trump-jerry-brown-convention-climate-change

Trump campaign calls the Democrats' message of togetherness 'the politics of fear'

The Republican Party is, in ideology, dead. It has been replaced in equal parts by a motley collection of racists, a gaggle of conspiracy theorists, and the myriad voices that rattle around inside a lying billionaire's head. This has made for a campaign season that quickly went from the surreal to the willingly delusional, and a national convention devoted to letting you, the outsider, explore the palatial spaces of Donald Trump's ego. Here are the people that have done business with Donald! Here are the children who have sprung forth from Donald's loins! Here are a few of Donald's most valued employees!

But it was the direct message Donald Trump delivered to the convention—that Donald Trump and only Donald Trump could keep America safe from the terrorists, and the Muslims, and the undocumented among us, and the Chinese, and the Iranians, and America's own dangerous and crooked government itself—that made the Trump campaign's official response to last night's especially... what is the word, here? Ah, that's right. Batshit.

"Their entire message could be summed up as: things are perfect, let's not change a single thing. So they resorted to the politics of fear, trying to convince Americans not to vote for change "...
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1553735

Donald Trump gets a Full Flop for stance on minimum wage

During a press conference in Florida while Democrats were preparing for the third night of their national convention in Philadelphia, Donald Trump was asked a question about his stance on whether to raise the minimum wage.

Here’s what he said: "The minimum wage has to go up. People are -- at least $10, but it has to go up. But I think that states -- federal -- I think that states should really call the shot. As an example, I live in New York. It's very expensive in New York. You can't buy a hot dog for the money you're talking about. You go to other states and it's not expensive at all. Now what it does is puts New York at a disadvantage if the minimum wage is up, companies move out and things, bad things happen. At the same time, people have to be taken care of. But what I'm really going to do on the minimum wage -- but it has to go up.. .. So I would like to raise it to at least $10."

A journalist then followed up, "You said we need to raise it to $10. … Are you talking about the federal minimum wage?" Trump confirmed, "Federal."

Some saw the Florida remarks as a change to Trump’s previous position on whether there should be a federal minimum wage floor for the entire country. Were they?...
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jul/28/donald-trump/donald-trump-gets-full-flop-stance-minimum-wage/

Crime and illegal immigration are at decades-long lows, says Barack Obama

In his keynote speech on the third night of the Democratic convention, President Barack Obama devoted time to attacking Republican nominee Donald Trump, saying that the candidate promising to "Make America Great Again" is living in a country that is already great.

"Ronald Reagan called America 'a shining city on a hill,' " Obama said. "Donald Trump calls it 'a divided crime scene' that only he can fix. It doesn’t matter to him that illegal immigration and the crime rate are as low as they’ve been in decades, because he’s not offering any real solutions to those issues. He’s just offering slogans, and he’s offering fear. He’s betting that if he scares enough people, he might score just enough votes to win this election."

Trump did, in fact, call the United States "a divided crime scene" in a tweet. But for this fact-check, we're going to focus on Obama's claim about illegal immigration and crime....
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jul/28/barack-obama/crime-and-illegal-immigration-are-decades-long-low/

Bill Clinton praises Hillary's 'half-court shot' on Iran sanctions as secretary of state

President Barack Obama had to ask Hillary Clinton more than once if she would be his secretary of state, but it was worth the effort, former President Bill Clinton said in a speech praising his wife’s record.

"As secretary of state, she worked hard to get strong sanctions against Iran's nuclear program," Clinton said on the second night of the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. "And in what the Wall Street Journal no less called a half-court shot at the buzzer, she got Russia and China to support them."...
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jul/27/bill-clinton/bill-clinton-praises-hillarys-half-court-shot-iran/

Bernie's After-Party: Delegates Hope to Take the 'Political Revolution' Back Home

An hour or so after Hillary Clinton became the Democratic presidential nominee, Bernie Sanders delegates came streaming out of the Wells Fargo Center into a muggy evening on this city’s southern riverfront. It was, one delegate told me, somewhere between a coordinated action and a spur-of-the-moment decision. By the time we got into the AT&T station at the southern end of the Broad Street subway line (yes, Philadelphia’s underfunded transit system hasbranded station names), at least 300 to 400 delegates were on hand, and it felt more like a party than a wake....
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/bernie-delegates-take-revolution-back-home

Trump's Manager Is a Master of Post-Soviet Business

No one who saw former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych rise from the political dead after trying and failing to rig a presidential election in 2004 will ever write off Paul Manafort. The U.S. consultant, who now runs Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, helped Yanukovych recover. The Yanukovych connection translated into some bizarre and shady dealings for Manafort....
http://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-07-20/trump-s-manager-is-a-master-of-post-soviet-business

Joe Biden Quietly Delivers An Absolutely Devastating Critique Of Donald Trump

Speaking in soft tones and encouraging the crowd to refrain from applause, Vice President Joe Biden quietly delivered a devastating critique of Donald Trump.

Biden described Trump as “a man who embraces the tactics of our enemies — torture, religious intolerance.”

“You all know, all the Republicans know, that’s not who we are,” Biden said.
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/07/27/3802825/joe-biden-quietly-delivers-absolutely-devastating-critique-donald-trump/

Most Lives Matter | Full Frontal with Samantha Bee

The American way of life is under siege by a group of activists who want nothing less than to not be shot.
 

Teachers unions mean better teachers, new study says

All that stuff you hear about how teachers unions protect bad teachers through the evils of due process and their general uniony badness? A new study for the National Bureau of Economic Research says nuh-uh. EduShyster interviews the study’s author, Eunice Han:...
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/1550632

Mike Pence's inaccurate claim about Clinton's Benghazi role and response

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence officially accepted the GOP’s nomination for vice president July 21, 2016, in Cleveland, and didn’t miss a beat when it came to assailing Hillary Clinton.

"It was Hillary Clinton who left Americans in harm's way in Benghazi and after four Americans fell said, 'What difference at this point does it make?' " Pence said, eliciting loud boos from the audience. 

We’ve heard a version of this attack several times at the Republican National Convention, with some versions more accurate than others.

Both parts of this particular claim are inaccurate. There is no evidence showing Clinton personally "left Americans in harm’s way in Benghazi." And while he’s using Clinton words, he’s misattributing their meaning....
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jul/21/mike-pence/mike-pences-false-claim-about-clintons-role-and-re/

Donald Trump again fails to screen out the falsehood in oft-repeated claim on Syrian refugees

Immigration has been the cornerstone of Donald Trump's campaign, so it was not surprising he raised the issue again in his acceptance speech for the Republican presidential nomination. He attacked Hillary Clinton’s plans to accept refugees and promised to choke off all immigration from countries who might be sending terrorists to the United States.

"We must immediately suspend immigration from any nation that has been compromised by terrorism until such time as proven vetting mechanisms have been put in place," he told the crowd in Cleveland on July 21.

"My opponent has called for a radical 550 percent increase in Syrian, think of this, think of this. ... A 550 percent increase in Syrian refugees on top of existing massive refugee flows coming into our country already under the leadership of President Obama," he said. "She proposes this despite the fact that there’s no way to screen these refugees in order to find out who they are or where they come from. I only want to admit individuals into our country who will support our values and love our people."

We've addressed these issues in several other fact-checks. The bottom line: Trump is wrong to suggest that screening isn't done and correct when he says Clinton has recommended a 550 percent increase.

Let's go through the relevant points....
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jul/21/donald-trump/donald-trump-again-fails-screen-out-falsehood-oft-/

Trump gives half the story on trade deals, the Clintons and factory jobs

Donald Trump tapped into a deep well of bitterness over jobs and trade to win the Republican nomination and in his acceptance speech, he placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of his Democratic opponent.

"America has lost nearly one third of its manufacturing jobs since 1997, following the enactment of disastrous trade deals supported by Bill and Hillary Clinton,"

Trump told a roaring crowd. Trump offered the same statistic when he laid out his economic policies at a speech in Pennsylvania in June. That speech went into more detail, and best of all for fact-checkers, his campaign footnoted his sources in the transcript.

As he did at the convention, in that policy speech, Trump faulted the Clintons.

"At the center of this catastrophe are two trade deals pushed by Bill and Hillary Clinton," he said in Pennsylvania. "First, the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. Second, China's entry into the World Trade Organization."

As we looked into Trump’s words, we found that his numbers are fine. The impact of the trade deals on manufacturing, and his singling out of the Clintons, are more problematic....
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jul/21/donald-trump/trump-gives-half-story-trade-deals-clintons-and-fa/

Despite new adverb, Trump's claim about Clinton wanting to 'abolish' 2nd Amendment is still False

In officially accepting the GOP presidential nomination, Donald Trump tried to finesse one of his favorite but false attacks on the campaign trail:

"My opponent wants to essentially abolish the Second Amendment," Trump said July 21 in Cleveland.

It’s nice that Trump added the word "essentially," but the charge is still not without faults....
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jul/21/donald-trump/despite-new-adverb-trumps-claim-about-clinton-want/

Trump tweaks talking point about U.S. being 'one of' highest-taxed nations, but it's still flawed

Donald Trump tweaked one of his most repeated falsehoods as he accepted the Republican nomination for president.

On the final night of the Republican National Convention, Trump positioned himself as the fiscally sound counter to rival and presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, whom he claimed is proposing a tax hike.

"Middle-income Americans and businesses will experience profound relief, and taxes will be greatly simplified for everyone, I mean everyone," Trump said. "America is one of the highest-taxed nations in the world. Reducing taxes will cause new companies and new jobs to come roaring back into our country. Believe me, it'll happen and it'll happen fast."

This is the fourth time we’ve weighed in on a statement from Trump about America’s tax rate. The difference tonight is the slightly tempered tone. Instead of declaring the United States as having the highest tax rate, he said we’re one of the highest-taxed countries.

That’s progress. But it’s still not 100 percent accurate....
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jul/22/donald-trump/trumps-claim-us-taxes-tweaked/