Saturday, September 30, 2017

Watch: America's Mobster President—New Evidence in Dutch Documentary of Trump's International Money Laundering Circles | Alternet

The follow-the-money film reveals connections between Trump associates and an alleged multibillion-dollar fraud.....
https://www.alternet.org/video/watch-americas-mobster-president-new-evidence-dutch-documentary-trumps-international-money


Week In The News: Trump Tax Plan, NFL Protests, Puerto Rico Devastation (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

NFL drama all over this week, as the president goes on the warpath against kneeling players, and players, coaches and owners push back. For freedom of speech and dignity. In Washington, a GOP tax cut framework. A miracle, says Trump. In Puerto Rico, real suffering and big questions about where is the relief. Tom Price has a private jet travel scandal. Alabama votes for Bannon’s man, Roy Moore. Germany lets in the far right. This hour, On Point: Our weekly news roundtable goes behind the headlines. -- Tom Ashbrook.
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2017/09/29/week-news-puerto-rico-nfl

Friday News Roundup – Domestic (Joshua Johnson, 1A) 2017-09-29

After another unsuccessful attempt at repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, the GOP is turning to taxes.

The party is pushing a drastic overhaul of the tax code, though, as with healthcare legislative success won’t come easily, if at all.

Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price has faced scrutiny over his travel habits. People seeking to travel to the United States have new hurdles ahead of them and the president is planning to visit Puerto Rico, where millions of Americans are recovering from devastation brought by Hurricane Maria.
Interview:
http://the1a.org/shows/2017-09-29/friday-news-roundup-domestic

Friday News Roundup – International (Joshua Johnson, 1A) 2017-09-29

The airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, was the target of a rocket attack this week. The Taliban has claimed responsibility and the group says that U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis was intended to be in the crosshairs. Mattis had left the airport by the time the rocket hit and no one was injured.

Meanwhile, we’re learning more about how ISIS has devastated the Syrian city of Raqqa and how efforts to reclaim the city from the terror group has resulted in countless fatalities of civilians.

We focus on terror abroad and catch up on international news, including how Chad ended up on the latest version of the Trump administration’s travel ban and women behind the wheel in Saudi Arabia.
Interview:
http://the1a.org/shows/2017-09-29/friday-news-roundup-international

New study finds 80 percent of Trump's tax cuts will go to top 1 percent -- ThinkProgress.org

President Donald Trump and senior White House officials would be quick to tell you that they designed their tax plan with the "middle class in mind." ...
https://thinkprogress.org/new-study-finds-80-percent-of-trumps-tax-cuts-will-go-to-top-1-percent-ed49ba2e49ce/

Trump Lies About Taxes, Health Care Amid Cabinet Scandals: A Closer Look

Seth takes a closer look at how President Trump is outright lying about the fate of his health care bill and his new tax plan.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htpR770aP2k&feature=youtu.be

Following Harvey and Maria, House Republicans propose $10 billion ... for Trump's wall

Maria’s aftermath in Puerto Rico is nothing short of catastrophic. “Water, food, and fuel are scarce on the island,” noted Vox, with more than three million U.S. citizens facing the prospect of living up to six months without power. According to some estimates, damage could exceed $30 billion. Our fellow Americans are in crisis. Since the disaster, House Republicans, led by Congressman Michael McCaul (TX-R), have unveiled a $10 billion proposal … for Donald Trump’s racist border wall and immoral mass deportation force:....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/9/28/1702460/-Following-Harvey-and-Maria-House-Republicans-propose-10-billion-package-for-Trump-s-wall


As Mayor pleads for help, Trump congratulates himself on Puerto Rico response, heads to golf course -- ThinkProgress.org

President Donald Trump misrepresented the crisis facing Puerto Rico Friday, bragging that people "can't believe how successful" the administration has been at saving lives following Hurricane Maria. "The loss of life, it's always tragic. But it's been incredible," Trump told reporters Friday before taking off for his golf course in New Jersey. ...
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-san-juan-maria-75fbfcfb94f3/

The NFL Takes a Knee in Protest of Trump: The Daily Show - YouTube

At a campaign event for an Alabama senate candidate, President Trump called for the NFL to fire players who take a knee during the national anthem.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2kqHuOniv0&t=300s

Wealthy, not middle class, would be big winners in GOP tax plan, study says -- POLITICO

About 30 percent of those earning between $50,000 and $150,000 would pay more under the Republican plan, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. ....
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/29/gop-tax-plan-wealthy-middle-class-pay-more-243310?cid=apn

'We Are Dying and You Are Killing Us.' San Juan Mayor Slams White House Response to Hurricane Maria -- TIME

"I am begging you. Begging anyone that can hear us to save us from dying"....
http://time.com/4963614/puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-san-juan-mayor/

Conservatives are drawing a red line that could doom the GOP's tax reform efforts -- Business Insider

Republicans are considerably more optimistic about party unity in reforming the tax code compared to the several failed attempts to repeal and replace Obamacare. But a battle over the corporate tax rate still looms on the horizon, threatening the GOP's efforts at passing significant legislative achievement this year. ....
http://www.businessinsider.com/tax-reform-freedom-caucus-corporate-tax-rate-2017-9

Multiple people shot at Burnette Chapel Church in Antioch


An Antioch church became a crime scene after a tragic act of violence on Sunday. http://www.wsmv.com/story/36439559/multiple-people-shot-at-burnette-chapel-church-in-antioch



Did scientists REALLY just admit to exaggerating global warming?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17mKIKGEF5E&feature=youtu.be

A Nonsensical Answer to an Inconvenient Question

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBe_r7f8fG0&feature=youtu.be

A New Study Shows Just How Many Americans Were Blocked From Voting in Wisconsin Last Year -- Mother Jones

Rebecca Brinkman moved to Baraboo, Wisconsin, an hour north of Madison, from Ohio in the spring of 2016 for a job as a zookeeper. She worked from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day before rushing to her polling place. ....
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/09/a-new-study-shows-just-how-many-americans-were-blocked-from-voting-in-wisconsin-last-year/

California Bill Says Church Employer Can't Fire Workers if They Use Birth Control - Rewire

For some California workers, abiding by a religious code of conduct can spell the difference between gainful employment and a pink slip. Many California churches, religious groups, and anti-choice organizations require workers to sign statements of faith or codes of conduct as a condition of employment, as the California Family Council, a policy arm of the Family Research Council, noted. 

But legislation heading to Gov. Jerry Brown’s (D) desk would render these types of agreements invalid, and bar employers from retaliating against a worker for reproductive health decisions....
https://rewire.news/article/2017/09/18/california-bill-says-church-employer-cant-fire-workers-use-birth-control/


Workers Have Finally Caught Up to 1974 -- Mother Jones

Here's a paragraph from the Wall Street Journal today: Real wages for nonsupervisors, which take inflation into account, topped $22 an hour this year, the best inflation-adjusted reading since January 1973,¹ according to Labor Department data. The nonsupervisory figure covers about 70% of the workforce and excludes managers who are more likely to receive bonuses,...
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/09/workers-have-finally-caught-up-to-1974/

Yeah... Sorry about that...

Yeah... Sorry about that...
https://i.imgur.com/Gm84XpL.jpg

Airport Police Demanded an Activist’s Passwords. He Refused. Now He Faces Prison in the U.K.

IT WAS NOT the first time Muhammad Rabbani had problems when returning to the United Kingdom from travels overseas. But on this occasion something was different — he was arrested, handcuffed, and hauled through London’s largest airport, then put into the back of a waiting police van....
https://theintercept.com/2017/09/23/police-schedule-7-uk-rabbani-gchq-passwords/


Gene editing of human embryos in UK reveals new fertility clue -- CNN

The DNA of embryos has been edited for the first time in the UK to reveal crucial insight into the early stages of human development. ...
http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/21/health/uk-human-embryos-crispr-fertility-study/index.html

Friday, September 29, 2017

Donald Trump's Pants on Fire claim about the estate tax, small businesses and farms | PolitiFact

During a speech in Indianapolis launching his proposal for tax overhaul legislation, President Donald Trump said that one element of the plan -- elimination of the estate tax -- would lift a burden on many family businesses and farms.....
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/sep/28/donald-trump/donald-trumps-pants-fire-claim-about-estate-tax-sm/


Public schools in Louisiana are threatening to punish students for protesting during the anthem -- ThinkProgress.org

Days after Donald Trump urged the owners of professional sports teams to fire any player who protests during the recitation of the national anthem, public schools in at least one state have issued statements threatening to punish any student who protests against racism and police brutality at school-sanctioned sporting events. ...
https://thinkprogress.org/louisiana-threatens-students-c6098d4c199b/

What's that we hear from GOP deficit hawks on Trump's lavish tax plan: Crickets

When George W. Bush proposed a major $1.6 trillion tax cut in 2001, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) was projecting a 5.6 trillion budget surplus over the next decade. Fast forward to Donald Trump's plan for a sweeping $1.5 trillion tax cut and the New York Times reports:

"Now, the budget office forecasts that deficits will total $10.1 trillion over the next decade. The deficit is expected to top $1 trillion a year in 2022 and keep growing from there. Federal debt held by the public is at the highest level since shortly after World War II, at 77 percent of the gross domestic product. "

This should portend End Times for GOP deficit hawks, no? No, apparently not.....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/9/28/1702441/-What-s-that-we-hear-from-GOP-deficit-hawks-on-Trump-s-lavish-tax-plan-Crickets


Trump's Puerto Rico response is confirming his critics' worst fears -- CNN

It's been more than eight days since Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico, leveling the island home of 3.4 million Americans. The storm struck like an upper cut, after Hurricane Irma jabbed it en route to the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Florida two weeks earlier. ....
http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/28/politics/donald-trump-puerto-rico-response-mess/index.html

How Trump’s Tax Plan Could Hose Working-Class Parents -- Slate

Moneybox September 28 2017 10:11 PM Congressional Republicans and the Trump administration have promised that their new tax-cut package will put more money in the pockets of middle-income families. But as of now, one of the biggest questions looming over the proposal is whether it would actually result in a tax increase for many working-class Americans, including single parents. ...
https://slate.com/business/2017/09/the-gop-tax-plan-could-raise-taxes-on-single-moms-and-working-class-couples.html

Lindsey Graham Admits He Had No Idea What He Was Doing on Obamacare Repeal -- VICE

"I thought everybody else knew what the hell they were talking about, but apparently not."....
https://tonic.vice.com/en_us/article/ne74pm/lindsey-graham-admits-he-had-no-idea-what-he-was-doing-on-obamacare-repeal

Donald Trump's dubious claim that his tax plan won't benefit him | PolitiFact

President Donald Trump, the only president in modern history to not release his tax returns (see our fact-check), said he would not personally benefit from his proposed changes to tax law.

As he prepared to announce his proposal for a tax overhaul, he had the following exchange with an off-camera reporter....
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/sep/28/donald-trump/donald-trumps-dubious-claim-his-tax-plan-wont-bene/


Donald Trump wrongly blames ‘hospitalized’ senator for GOP health care collapse | PolitiFact

President Donald Trump claimed that Senate Republicans could pass a health care reform bill by the end of September if a senator’s hospitalization weren’t preventing him from casting the deciding vote.....
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/sep/28/donald-trump/donald-trump-wrongly-blames-hospitalized-senator-g/


When the GOP says 'death tax,' we should reply with the truth: It's the 0.2%er's 'silver spoon tax'

Political consultant and pollster Frank Luntz didn’t invent all the most viral Republican soundbites, such as “tax and spend Democrats,” but he knows how to snow an audience with political marketing via deceptive wordsmithing. The audience, of course, being the American people.....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1702427


Robert Reich Has No Time for Trump Supporter's GOP Tax Lies on CNN | Alternet

The former labor secretary shut down conservative spin on-air....
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/robert-reich-has-no-time-trump-supporters-gop-tax-lies-cnn


Trump Might Think White Nationalists Are 'Good People,' but His FBI Director Says They're a Major Terrorist Threat | Alternet

Christopher Wray claims agency is conducting as many as 1000 separate investigations....
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/trump-might-think-white-nationalists-are-good-people-his-fbi-director-says-theyre


Here's What Happens to Your Body When You Go on a Weekend Bender -- Men’s Health

You hit it hard last night, and you feel like a pile of dog crap this morning. Normally you'd take it easy tonight and have a few beers with your buddies, or at most, enjoy a night in front of the TV. But you've got a hard-partying brother in town, or you're supposed to do a friend's birthday bar crawl, or you're on a bachelor party in Cancun. Either way, there's no way you can avoid drinking again tonight. ....
https://www.menshealth.com/health/binge-drinking-is-terrible-for-you

‘Alt-right Catholics’ are getting faith leaders disinvited from speaking at colleges -- ThinkProgress.org

A small group of right-wing Christian websites are attacking Catholic leaders who encourage the Church to build bridges with LGBTQ people, sparking online campaigns that push schools and Catholic institutions to disinvite them from speaking. ....
https://thinkprogress.org/alt-right-catholics-targeting-lgbtq-8802b5ed1729/

Homeopathic remedies are 'nonsense and risk significant harm' say 29 European scientific bodies -- The Independent

A scientific organisation intended to influence EU policy has called for tougher regulations of alternative medicine, branding homeopathy "nonsense" and warning the "promotion and use of homeopathic products risks significant harms". ....
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/homeopathy-nonsense-risk-harm-29-european-academies-science-advisory-council-remedies-a7963786.html

Colorado Springs Local News: GM, Disney, Shell and 1,200 other companies taking steps to fight climate change


More than 1,200 global businesses, including U.S. companies such as Disney, Shell and General Motors, are moving to embrace a carbon price - even if President Donald Trump isn't, according to a report by a Washington climate think tank. ....
http://gazette.com/gm-disney-shell-and-1200-other-companies-taking-steps-to-fight-climate-change/article/1611787?custom_click=rss


Michigan mom defends her trans kid against a hostile town -- ThinkProgress.org

The small town of Grass Lake, Michigan is the latest to be divided over how schools respond to transgender students. A dedicated group of parents opposed to any inclusive policy is quickly escalating pressure against the school board, which has so far been mostly committed to respecting the one out student's identity. ....
https://thinkprogress.org/grass-lake-transgender-school-78559a70d44a/

Fired by Trump, Bharara fires back -- CNN

A lot has changed for Preet Bharara since March 11. ....
http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/24/politics/bharara-interview-cnn/index.html

Yes, the Republican Party has become pathological. But why? -- Vox

We're not going to fix American democracy until we can explain why the GOP went crazy. ...
https://www.vox.com/polyarchy/2017/9/22/16345194/republican-party-pathological

A cancer patient desperately needs a stem-cell transplant. But the U.S. won’t grant the donor a visa. - The Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/09/20/a-cancer-patient-desperately-needs-a-stem-cell-transplant-but-the-u-s-wont-grant-the-donor-a-visa/?hpid=hp_hp-morning-mix_mm-visa%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.cc2d3af20c31


Leonardo DiCaprio Explains What Happened When He Met Donald Trump -- TIME

"We should not have people in office who do not believe in facts" ....
http://time.com/4951684/leo-dicaprio-donald-trump/

ACLU sues Michigan over religious exemptions for adoptions

The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit Wednesday challenging Michigan's practice of allowing adoption agencies to spurn potential LGBT parents under the guise of religion....
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/09/20/aclu-sues-michigan-over-religious-exemptions-adoptions/682065001/


Trump Has Filled, not Drained, the Swamp -- The Atlantic

The president has made a mockery of a promise at the core of his campaign. It is time for the #MAGA media to tell his supporters the truth. ....
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/09/meet-the-new-swamp/540540/

Trump's impact felt in Supreme Court labor rights cases -- USA TODAY

The first cases to be heard in the 2017 Supreme Court term will show why elections matter -- and why workers may be in for a rough time.....
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/09/21/trumps-influence-felt-supreme-court-labor-rights-cases/685666001/

Sorry Christians, Science isn't Useless: Responding to Frank Turek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_vyAD5mNEU&feature=youtu.be

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Top U.S. & World Headlines — September 28, 2017

Interview:
https://youtu.be/tUzA_6SeKG4

With Tax Cuts on the Table, Once-Mighty Deficit Hawks Hardly Chirp

“It’s a great talking point when you have an administration that’s Democrat-led,” said Representative Mark Walker, Republican of North Carolina and the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, a group of about 150 conservative House members. “It’s a little different now that Republicans have both houses and the administration.”

More Americans favor raising than lowering tax rates on corporations, high household incomes -- Pew Research Center

As the congressional debate over President Donald Trump's tax overhaul begins, more Americans say tax rates on corporations and higher-income households should be raised rather than lowered. ...
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/09/27/more-americans-favor-raising-than-lowering-tax-rates-on-corporations-high-household-incomes/

Jimmy Kimmel Grateful Health Care Bill is Dead

There was great relief for many millions of Americans as we found out that the Graham-Cassidy Bill, that Jimmy has been speaking out against, is dead. Jimmy sends his sincere thanks to those who called their representatives, made their voices heard, and got involved to help make sure this bill didn’t pass.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV8REy2AgC0&feature=youtu.be

Russia's disinformation campaign on Facebook could have been more widespread than we knew -- Business Insider

Before they capitalized on Facebook to promote fake news and divisive ads to the American public, and to organize anti-Clinton or pro-Trump rallies in different states, Russian trolls used the social-media platform to push out Ukrainian activists, The Daily Beast reported on Wednesday. ...
http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-trolls-facebook-ukraine-activists-disinformation-2017-9

Trump says his tax plan is 'not good for me' — here are the 3 ways it could benefit him -- Business Insider

President Donald Trump stands to be a big beneficiary of his new tax plan, should it enter into law.

While little is known about Trump's prior taxes, as he has broken with recent tradition and refused to make them public, a handful of proposals in the plan appear as if they would greatly help Trump's bottom line. ...
http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tax-plan-benefit-him-wealthy-2017-9

Trump Has Some New Ideas About How To Sabotage Obamacare -- HuffPost

President Donald Trump still hasn't managed to repeal Obamacare, so he's working hard to ruin it instead. ...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-obamacare-sabotage_us_59cc0502e4b05063fe0ecacb

US 'fake news' kingpin Paul Horner found dead at 38 -- BBC News

Paul Horner, who claimed to be behind Donald Trump's win, is said to have died from a drug overdose. ....
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41422827

Poll: Majority of voters say Trump isn't fit to be president -- POLITICO

Fifty-one percent of American voters say they are embarrassed to have Trump serve as president. ....
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/27/trump-poll-fit-to-be-president-243219?cid=apn

Stephen Colbert Gets His Entire Audience To Deliver A Very Loud Message To Trump -- HuffPost

President Donald Trump boasted on Twitter that the booing of NFL players who took a knee on Monday night was the “loudest I have ever heard.” Stephen Colbert set out to prove otherwise.....
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/stephen-colbert-audience-trump-message_us_59cb1124e4b053a9c2f4ff64

5 faith facts about Roy Moore: Evangelical in excelsis -- Religion News Service

If he's elected to the U.S. Senate he would become one of the nation's most prominent evangelical torchbearers. ....
http://religionnews.com/2017/09/27/5-faith-facts-about-roy-moore-evangelical-in-excelsis/

Graham-Cassidy: The Latest TrumpCare Fail - YouTube

Senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy are two peas in a party that can't pass health care reform.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=830K95xt4aA

Facebook’s Russian Rabbit Hole Keeps Going Deeper -- Vanity Fair

A new report shows Russians impersonated Muslims online to sow political chaos.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/09/facebooks-russian-rabbit-hole-keeps-going-deeper

He Pulled Out A Gun And Won Alabama's GOP Primary

When vying for Jeff Sessions' seat in the Senate, it doesn't hurt to whip out an elf-sized pistol.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipaHzrpBZFs&feature=youtu.be

Roy Moore’s Nomination Gave Republicans Another Chance to Reject Authoritarianism. They Declined. -- New York Magazine

Elevating an insurrectionist to public office? Another vote for tax cuts! ....
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/09/roy-moore-lets-republicans-choose-authoritarianism-again.html







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