Top U.S. & World Headlines — August 31, 2017

Interview:
https://youtu.be/zc7CCkqcXFQ

Ted Cruz's Mostly False claim that two-thirds of Sandy relief was pork spending | PolitiFact

Hurricane Harvey’s torrential rains and flooding have revived memories of Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz’s nay vote on federal relief for superstorm Sandy. MSNBC host Katy Tur challenged Cruz to defend his vote then with his support for relief today. Cruz said he enthusiastically backed aid for Sandy’s victims, but the problem was the particular bill.....
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/aug/30/ted-cruz/ted-cruzs-mostly-false-claim-two-thirds-sandy-reli/

Trump Reportedly Feels Betrayed by Cabinet, and His Mood Is the 'Worst It's Ever Been' | Alternet

A confidant says the president feels "this is not what he signed up for."....
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/trump-reportedly-feels-betrayed-cabinet-and-his-mood-worst-its-ever-been

Fact-checking Trump’s reasons for a transgender military ban

Following a tweet from President Trump that said transgender people would not be allowed to serve in the military, the White House issued a memorandum on Friday asking the Defense Department to finalize new rules about what to do with existing trans service members within the next six months. William Brangham discusses the new directive with Agnes Gereben Schaefer of the RAND Corporation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USBQfrAq6jw&feature=youtu.be

That tax plan Trump touted largely doesn't exist -- USA TODAY: OnPolitics Today

Trump talks taxes. Not his own, of course. ...
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/08/30/onpolitics-today-tax-plan-trump-touted-largely-doesnt-exist/618972001/

Marchers head from Charlottesville to Washington to protest white supremacy -- Los Angeles Times

Singing spirituals and protest songs from the civil rights era, a group of clergy and activists from across the country began a 118-mile march to Washington on Monday to protest white supremacy and demand that President Trump be removed from office. ....
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-charlottesville-march-20170828-story.html

Dems Urge House Judiciary Chair To Hold Hearing On Trump's Arpaio Pardon -- TPM

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday called on the committee's Republican chair to hold a hearing scrutinizing President Donald Trump's decision to pardon former Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio. ...
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/house-judiciary-democrats-urge-hearing-arpaio-pardon

Cybersecurity advisors resigned en masse due to Trump's 'insufficient attention' to vulnerabilities

With the deluge of bad news, especially Hurricane Harvey, you might have missed this important news item. Last week, one-quarter of the nation’s leading cybersecurity advisors walked off the job, resigning in a group letter. Their reason? Donald Trump and his administration are ignoring their dire warnings about our nation’s cybersecurity....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1694362

Joe Scarborough Neatly Explains How All of Trump's Policies Are Ultimately 'Scams' | Alternet

The president has no interest in governing. He just wants to aggravate his enemies....
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/joe-scarborough-neatly-explains-how-all-trumps-policies-are-ultimately-scams

Trump just got terrible news about the Mueller team’s investigation -- ThinkProgress.org

Special counsel Robert Mueller, Politico's Josh Dawsey reports, "is working with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman on its investigation into [former Trump campaign chairman] Paul Manafort and his financial transactions, according to several people familiar with the matter." The partnership between Mueller and Schneiderman potentially shifts the balance of power between the president and investigators, who are charged with probing the Trump campaign's ties to Russia, for three reasons. ....
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-just-got-terrible-news-about-the-mueller-teams-investigation-b5d798ca9e09/

Would Impeaching Trump Truly Lead to Civil War? | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann

Roger Stone may think so—but here’s why that doomsday scenario of violence is nuts.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPY3Q-0KN48&feature=youtu.be

House Republican rewrites history, claims Confederate flag ‘hasn’t been a problem in 150 years’ -- ThinkProgress.org

During an interview earlier this week with an Iowa TV station, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) rewrote history while trying to defend President Trump's defense of the white supremacists who recently gathered in Charlottesville, claiming Confederate displays have only recently become controversial because of "politically driven" outrage. ....
https://thinkprogress.org/steve-king-rewrites-history-claims-confederate-flag-hasnt-been-a-problem-in-150-years-d15e2caa3d09/

Former UN Ambassador John Bolton has a plan to pull out of the Iran deal. It’s bad. -- Vox

The reasoning is eerily reminiscent of the runup to the Iraq war. ....
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/8/29/16219896/john-bolton-plan-pull-out-iran-deal

Trump’s Pardon Aside, Reporters Have Built Long Rap Sheet Against Sheriff Joe Arpaio - ProPublica

Trump hailed Joe Arpaio’s “admirable service” in Arizona. There’s more to his career than that....
https://www.propublica.org/article/sheriff-joe-arpaio-trump-pardon-aside-reporters-long-rap-sheet

U.S. Military Reveals True, Higher Number of Troops in Afghanistan, but Hides Iraq and Syria Counts -- Newsweek

The Pentagon says there are actually 11,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, 2,600 more than were previously said to be there. ....
http://www.newsweek.com/us-troops-afghanistan-military-reveal-iraq-syria-657250

Arpaio falsely ties conviction to Obama administration | PolitiFact

President Donald Trump’s pardon of convicted former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio drew an immediate tweet of gratitude from the man he spared from a six-month jail term.

"Thank you @realdonaldtrump for seeing my conviction for what it is: a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama justice department," Arpaio wrote Aug. 25.....
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/aug/29/joe-arpaio/arpaio-falsely-ties-conviction-obama-administratio/

For Whom Has Trump Made America Great? | The Resistance with Keith Olber...

The matter of good and evil is more inescapable with each passing week....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjGKJz1Kajw&feature=youtu.be

150 religious leaders sign anti-gay 'manifesto' on sexuality

A nationwide coalition of more than 150 conservative Christian leaders signed a statement, released Tuesday, affirming their beliefs on human sexuality, including that marriage is between one man and one woman and approval of "homosexual immorality" is sinful.

The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood's list of 14 beliefs, referred to as the Nashville Statement, is a response to an increasingly post-Christian, Western culture that thinks it can change God's design for humans, according to the statement.....
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/150-religious-leaders-sign-anti-gay-manifesto-on-sexuality/ar-AAqXu5f?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=ientp

As Trump Threatens Nafta Exit, Farm Chief Touts Its Success -- Bloomberg

President Donald Trump may be eyeing a Nafta exit, but his agriculture secretary is trying to get him to see the merits of the trade deal. Secretary Sonny Perdue said Wednesday he's been trying to convince the Trump administration the North American Free Trade Agreement is "good for U.S. agriculture."

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-30/as-trump-threatens-nafta-exit-farm-secretary-touts-its-success

Fact-checking Trump’s tax speech in Missouri -- PolitiFact

President Donald Trump went to Missouri to relaunch his push for a major overhaul of America's tax code.

"Our self-destructive tax code costs Americans millions and millions of jobs, trillions of dollars, and billions of hours spent on compliance and paperwork," Trump said. Trump gave many reasons to embark on the daunting task of changing a tax code littered with thousands of special benefits for thousands of business and individual interests. Here's our review of some of his claims. ....
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2017/aug/30/fact-checking-trumps-tax-speech-missouri/

Most Republican voters would support a government shutdown over border wall funding - Business Insider

Over half of those who voted for President Donald Trump said they would support shutting down the government in an effort to force Congress to fund a US-Mexico border wall, according to a new poll. ....
http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-voters-government-shutdown-border-wall-funding-2017-8

Sen. Ted Cruz gets fact-checked on his still mean, still wrong Hurricane Sandy claims

Following up on Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's pissy responses to those that ask him about his refusal to vote for the federal Hurricane Sandy aid package coupled with his request for such aid post-haste now that his own state is in dire need, the Washington Post's fact checker picks apart Cruz's longstanding claim that the Hurricane Sandy aid package was "filled with unrelated pork" and his even more bizarre theory, yesterday, that in fact "two-thirds of that bill had nothing to do with Sandy."....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1694354

WATCH: Behind-the-scenes video of Trump’s Phoenix rally shows pitifully sparse attendance

Video of President Donald Trump’s campaign-style rally in Phoenix, Arizona Tuesday night shows that the event failed to draw the blockbuster attendance that he had proclaimed from the podium. As Trump began speaking at his event last night, he noted that Secret Service had informed him that very few protesters were outside the convention center. But he also implored the fire marshal to allow more people into the event, suggesting that the room was packed.

But video posted online by U.S. News & World Report correspondent David Catanese‏ account tells a different story. The video clearly shows that a large portion of the convention center floor was empty....
https://www.rawstory.com/2017/08/watch-behind-the-scenes-video-of-trumps-phoenix-rally-shows-pitifully-sparse-attendance/?comments=disqus

Where are the condemnations of Harvey as God’s punishment? | Religion News Service

When Superstorm Sandy hit the New York metropolitan area in 2012, the floodwaters in Lower Manhattan were still rising when some pastors pointed out what, to them, was obvious.

“God is systematically destroying America,” the Rev. John McTernan, a conservative Christian pastor who runs a ministry called USA Prophecy, said in a post-Sandy blog entry that has since been removed. The reason God was so peeved, he claimed, was “the homosexual agenda.”...
http://religionnews.com/2017/08/29/where-are-the-condemnations-of-harvey-as-gods-punishment/

Overheard (New York Times 7-19-17)

Many described this time as the darkest period of their lives, dominated by violence, fear and helplessness. 

Ulrich Weber, an attorney who led an inquir y into sexual and other abuse at a famous Catholic music school where the brother of former Pope Benedict directed a renowned boys choir, and where at least 547 chil- dren were abused. Former students compared the school to a “prison,” “hell” or a “concentration camp.” New York Times, 7-19-17
https://ffrf.org/images/FT_24_September_2017_web.pdf

Good News Club may get bad news

Evangelically based “Good News Clubs” are trying to infiltrate nine school districts in the Milwaukee area, but FFRF is working with local groups and Protect Our Children to get infor- mation to parents and school officials before they even get in the door...
https://ffrf.org/images/FT_24_September_2017_web.pdf

Man Who Claimed He Was Stabbed After Being Called A Neo Nazi Admits He Lied -- TPM

A 26-year-old man who claimed he was stabbed after being mistaken for a "neo-Nazi," admitted to local Colorado police that he made up the whole story after he accidentally cut himself with a knife, according to The Denver Post and BuzzFeed. ....
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/man-claimed-stabbed-called-neo-nazi-admits-lied

You Can't Prove That God Doesn't Exist - Debunked

It’s often said by skeptics and scientists that ‘You can’t prove a negative’ or that ‘It’s impossible to prove that god doesn’t exist’. Hell, I even used to say this, but it’s simply not true… you can prove a negative, and you can prove that god doesn’t exist (depending on the definition of god)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3OkCxhjDmQ&feature=youtu.be

6 Ways This Ivy League University Is Acting Like a PR Firm for Junk Food, GMOs and Pesticides | Alternet

Consumers lose when professors get their marching orders from Big Ag and Big Food.....
http://www.alternet.org/food/6-ways-cornell-university-acts-pr-firm-junk-food-gmos-and-pesticides

Another day, another Trump official with ties to Holocaust denial and the pro-Nazi movement

The list of of Donald Trump appointments with closer-than-usual relationships to white supremacists, anti-Semites, and the other dregs of the far right just keeps getting bigger....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1692126

Even With Affirmative Action, Blacks and Hispanics Are More Underrepresented at Top Colleges Than 35 Years Ago - The New York Times

Even after decades of affirmative action, black and Hispanic students are more underrepresented at the nation’s top colleges and universities than they were 35 years ago, according to a New York Times analysis.....
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/24/us/affirmative-action.html?emc=edit_nn_20170824&nl=morning-briefing&nlid=78638145&te=1

These 9 states just pledge to reduce emissions by 30 percent -- ThinkProgress.org

The Northeast's Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) has already been an incredible success, bringing down emissions and improving economies in participating states. Now, it's set to become even stronger.

On Wednesday, the nine states — Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont — agreed to further lower emissions from power plants by 30 percent from 2020 levels. ....

https://thinkprogress.org/rggi-30-percent-5ca6dba5fc80/

This Hate Group That Rioted in Charlottesville Believes They Are Christian Crusaders for the South | Alternet

Violent, would-be revolutionaries who intend to make their vision a reality.....
http://www.alternet.org/right-wing/white-warriors-march

Alaska’s Permafrost Is Thawing - The New York Times

Alaska’s permafrost, shown here in 2010, is no longer permanent. It is starting to thaw.....
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/23/climate/alaska-permafrost-thawing.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=photo-spot-region&_r=0

Social Security A Success Story: Can It Withstand Republican Privatization Attacks? - YouTube

Republicans continue to launch efforts to privatize and dismantle the very efficient Social Security program says economist Dean Baker...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByPMnFx_6ho&t=300s.

An impressive Japanese Rube Goldberg machine - YouTube

Japanese have made an impressive Rube Goldberg machine with a 4-minute course. The beads move in a chain reaction divided into several more complex steps, including the one with a whiteboard that turns to release new balls positioned on the back side.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=yhOhSYCnpj0&app=desktop

The oldest trick in the book. - funny

https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/6veytw/the_oldest_trick_in_the_book/

Top U.S. & World Headlines — August 30, 2017

Interview:
https://youtu.be/5ztNohvC9jI

The Dark Side of Religion in Christian America: Chris Hedges on American Fascists (2017)

Twenty-five years ago, when Pat Robertson and other radio and televangelists first spoke of the United States becoming a Christian nation that would build a...

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/voij4QRpZhE

Did Team Trump Reveal Their Middle Man to Moscow?: The Daily Show

In a 2016 email with Donald Trump's personal lawyer, business aide Felix Sater bragged that he could get the Kremlin to help Trump "engineer" the presidential election.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/S95hrT1N0Dc

Trump's 2016 Moscow real estate venture included sanctioned banks

In the past week, it’s come out that Donald Trump was still trying to make a deal on a project in Moscow even as he was running for president of the United States. He had convicted mobster Felix Sater on the ground working to find Trump some property. He had lawyer Michael Cohen trying to grease the wheels at the Kremlin by writing to one of Putin’s assistants. And he had two of Russia’s biggest banks along as partners … banks that happened to be operating under US sanctions.....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1694374

Rachel Maddow Show 8 28 17Collusion or corruption? Debate over new Trump...

The New York Times has uncovered an email from a Trump associate that boasted a Moscow business deal would "get Trump elected."....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1mxgVY49DM

Trump Fans Are Calling Out Obama's Reaction To Katrina But There's One Major Catch -- Elite Daily

Twelve years ago on Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall and went on to devastate New Orleans. This anniversary comes as President Donald Trump is faced with destruction in Texas and Louisiana from Hurricane Harvey. So, naturally, people are tweeting about President Barack Obama's response to Katrina and comparing it to Trump's response to Harvey....

http://elitedaily.com/news/politics/trump-fans-calling-obamas-reaction-katrina-theres-one-major-catch/2057415/

There are no sharks swimming in the streets of Houston or anywhere else | PolitiFact

A viral photo being spread online in the wake of Hurricane Harvey of a shark swimming down a Houston street is actually a hoax that has been passed around for years....
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/aug/28/blog-posting/there-are-no-sharks-swimming-streets-houston-or-an/

The Tragedy of Hurricane Harvey Is a Searing Reminder That Racism Hurts White People Too | Alternet

Trump has proven himself manifestly unfit for office. Now Americans are learning the hard way.....
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/tragedy-hurricane-harvey-searing-reminder-racism-hurts-white-people-too

Trump's old tweets about Obama visiting a hurricane disaster zone are going viral -- Daily Dot

Whoops. ....
https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/trump-harvey-sandy-tweet/

Descendant of Robert E. Lee Delivers a Powerful Public Plea to 'Confront White Supremacy Head-On' | Alternet

"It is my moral duty to speak out against racism, America’s original sin."...
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/descendant-robert-e-lee-delivers-powerful-public-plea-confront-white-supremacy

Paul Krugman: America Has Begun Its Slide Into Fascism | Alternet

The New York Times columnist sounds off on Trump's Arpaio pardon....
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/paul-krugman-america-has-begun-its-slide-fascism

‘Prosperity Gospel’ TV Preacher Paula White Says God Approves Of President Trump | Americans United

It makes sense that President Donald Trump’s spiritual adviser is Paula White, whose garish TV ministry promotes the controversial “prosperity Gospel,” the idea that Jesus, who in much of the Gospels sounds like a socialist, really wants you to become filthy rich (and the best way to do that is to donate – surprise! – to someone like Paula White).....
https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/prosperity-gospel-tv-preacher-paula-white-says-god-approves-of-president

Existing U.S. nuclear plants are ‘bleeding cash’, while new builds are a ‘fiasco’ -- ThinkProgress.org

"It sometimes seems like U.S. and European nuclear companies are in competition to see which can heap greater embarrassment on their industry," the Financial Times wrote earlier this month. This appears to be the summer that the final nails are put in the coffin of the much-overhyped U.S. nuclear renaissance — despite President Trump's comment in June that "we will begin to revive and expand our nuclear energy sector, which I'm so happy about."
https://thinkprogress.org/u-s-nuclear-plants-bleeding-cash-c794e4142597/

Exxon 'misled the public' on climate change for nearly 40 years - Aug. 23, 2017 -- Harvard study

For nearly 40 years ExxonMobil publicly raised doubt about the dangers of climate change even as scientists and execs inside the oil giant acknowledged the growing threat internally, according to a Harvard University study.....
http://money.cnn.com/2017/08/23/investing/exxon-misled-climate-change-harvard-study/index.html

9 Trump Voters Reveal Why They Won't Be Abandoning Him Any Time Soon | Alternet

Phoenix rally goers explain their unwavering devotion to the president.....
http://www.alternet.org/right-wing/9-trump-voters-reveal-why-they-wont-be-abandoning-him-any-time-soon

The Insidious Libertarian-to-Alt-Right Pipeline -- The Daily Beast

Libertarianism has an alt-right problem. Many prominent leaders of the alt-right have, at some point, identified as libertarian. I am curious as to… why? ....
http://www.thedailybeast.com/the-insidious-libertarian-to-alt-right-pipeline

Jeff Sessions just got punked by Oregon law enforcement for citing bogus pot study -- ThinkProgress.org

Last spring, a leaked report from the Oregon State Police gave marijuana legalization advocates a chill — and drug warriors like Attorney General Jeff Sessions a boost. The state's systems for tracking legally grown recreational marijuana were an abysmal failure, the report said, with huge quantities of the cannabis produced in the state funneling out to black-market dealers in states that hadn't yet legalized the crop.
https://thinkprogress.org/sessions-oregon-pot-punked-bc8a19bc6099/

Trump Nominee for Science Post Thinks Homosexuality is a Choice – Friendly Atheist

Donald Trump has nominated Sam Clovis, a conservative radio host, to be the “chief scientist” for U.S. Department of Agriculture. We already knew he isn’t a scientist, which is problematic enough in this position, but now we’re learning that his beliefs about homosexuality are rooted in bigotry and not evidence. ....
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/08/22/trump-nominee-for-science-post-thinks-homosexuality-is-a-choice/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Gnawing Questions: Is Sugar From Fruit The Same As Sugar From Candy? : The Salt : NPR

If vegetables are the monarchs of nutritious eating, fruits have always been part of the royal court — not quite as important, but still worthy of respect. But now that nutrition guidelines are cracking down on sugar, some people are questioning fruits' estimable role in a healthy diet.....
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/08/08/540923229/gnawing-questions-is-sugar-from-fruit-the-same-as-sugar-from-candy

The world’s largest floating solar farm in Huainan, China. - gifs

https://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/6ui5ev/the_worlds_largest_floating_solar_farm_in_huainan/

This seems like a waste of money. - funny

https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/6uipj4/this_seems_like_a_waste_of_money/

Top U.S. & World Headlines — August 29, 2017

Interview:
https://youtu.be/WfKJYlryn4s

'Blacks for Trump' Crowd Member at Phoenix Rally ID'd as Ex-Cult Member Charged With Murder Conspiracy | Alternet

"His brother told jurors [he] helped beat one man and jammed a stick into another guy’s eye."...
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/blacks-trump-crowd-member-phoenix-rally-idd-ex-cult-member-charged-murder

Profiles in Tremendousness: Pardon Edition - Sheriff Joe Arpaio: The Daily Show

President Trump pardons Joe Arpaio, a controversial former sheriff who advocated the use of excessive force and cracked down on immigration through racial profiling.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/49CKGw8DXcw

"Resurrected From Irrelevance": Arizona Republic Columnist Slams Trump Pardon of Sheriff Joe Arpaio

https://democracynow.org - The White House announced on Friday that it was pardoning longtime Trump supporter and former Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio, the controversial Arizona lawman known for profiling Latinos. Arpaio once bragged that he ran his open-air tent city jail like a "concentration camp." Arpaio was first elected in 1992 and voted out of office in November after years of civil rights complaints and corruption allegations. In July, a federal judge found Arpaio guilty of contempt of court for defying an order to to stop his deputies from detaining people based on their perceived immigration status. He faced up to six months in prison at his sentencing, originally set for October 5. While pardons are usually granted to those facing felony charges, Arpaio was convicted of a misdemeanor and had not submitted an application for pardon. In a two-paragraph statement, the White House said Arpaio gave "years of admirable service to our nation." The Phoenix-based immigrant rights group Puente said Arpaio’s pardon sent a clear message that it’s “OK to break the law as long as it’s to further a white supremacist agenda.” We speak with Linda Valdez, an editorial board member and columnist at the Arizona Republic, the state’s largest newspaper. After Trump pardoned Arpaio, she wrote an editorial for the paper headlined, "Donald Trump Just Resurrected Joe Arpaio From Irrelevance."
Interview:

https://youtu.be/sQO90RATJa0

White Supremacists Joked About Using Cars to Run Over Opponents Before Charlottesville - ProPublica

Leaked chat room conversations reveal expectations of violence — along with detailed planning and intelligence gathering on left-wing adversaries.....
https://www.propublica.org/article/white-supremacists-joked-using-cars-to-run-over-opponents-charlottesville

Thanks, Trump, for an infrastructure that will crumble under the next unprecedented flood

You know how popular vote loser Donald Trump brags all the time about being the most productive president ever who has signed more bills than anybody else (when he's not trashing Senate Republicans for not sending him any bills to sign)? Well, here's something he did sign, something that's going to make the Harvey tragedy—and every other catastrophic storm and flood during his tenure—worse.....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1694038

Trump Cybersecurity Advisors Resign, Cite 'Insufficient Attention' | Fortune.com

A quarter of the members of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, whose purview includes national cybersecurity, have resigned. In a group resignation letter, they cited both specific shortfalls in the administration’s approach to cybersecurity, and broader concerns that Trump and his administration have undermined the “moral infrastructure” of the U.S.....
http://fortune.com/2017/08/26/trump-cybersecurity-advisors-resign/

5 Points On The Moscow Deal Trump And Co. Pursued During The Campaign -- TPM

There's been a steady drip-drip-drip of information over the past 24 hours stemming from correspondence that the Trump Organization was turning over to investigators on the House Intelligence Committee, which is probing Russia's interference in the 2016 election. New details about a development proposed by the Trump Organization in Moscow first appeared to leak to the Washington Post, then to the New York Times and Bloomberg. ...
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/fivepoints/five-points-moscow-deal-trump-sater-cohen

There’s No Other Way to Say It: Trump’s Arapio Pardon Is Fascist -- The Daily Beast

The Trump presidency has been the most shocking and awful in modern American history, with the president threatening nuclear war, saying that "fine people" march alongside Nazis, implementing a "Muslim ban." But Trump's pardon of former sheriff Joe Arpaio is the worst, most dangerous, and most terrifying of all his antics. ....
http://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-arapio-pardon-is-fascist-theres-no-other-way-to-say-it