Top U.S. & World Headlines — January 31, 2019

Interview:
https://youtu.be/hVObw7ztzxc

The Trump-Putin Meeting We Didn't Know About

We're just learned about a private meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. And we learned it from Russian intelligence.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/ldwa4mme6rg

U.S. intelligence chiefs’ de facto message to allies around the world: You’re right; Trump is wrong - The Washington Post: Analysis

Startled reactions by U.S. allies have had little impact on the commander in chief. But on Tuesday, his own intelligence chiefs handed them some powerful arguments. ....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/01/30/us-intelligence-chiefs-de-facto-message-allies-around-world-youre-right-trump-is-wrong/

Officials say Russia stepped into North Korea nuclear talks with a secret offer - The Washington Post

The proposal marks Moscow's latest attempt to reassert itself in geopolitical flash points. ....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/russia-secretly-offered-north-korea-a-nuclear-power-plant-officials-say/2019/01/29/d1872588-a99b-4b68-ba34-9ce1bc95b573_story.html

U.S. Midwest freezes, Australia burns: This is the age of weather extremes - The New York Times

Numbing cold hit parts of the United States as wildfires raged in Australia's record-breaking heat. Here's the climate change connection...
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/29/climate/global-warming-extreme-weather.html

Kids Explain Climate Change to Donald Trump

More than 83 million Americans are expected to experience subzero temperatures this week and Donald Trump weighed in on the weather AGAIN today on Twitter implying that global warming isn't real. Since he doesn't seem to understand science and he doesn't know that climate change is responsible for extreme temperatures, including cold, we invited a couple of kids who do, to break it down for him...
https://youtu.be/0sdqNR_s6LQ

Dem senators question Zuckerberg over report that Facebook tricked children into spending parents' money - The Hill

Democratic Sens. Ed Markey (Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (Conn.) on Tuesday sent a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg demanding answers about recently unsealed court documents that show Facebook knowingly tricked children into spending their parents' money without permission....
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/427472-dem-senators-question-zuckerberg-over-report-that-facebook-tricked-children

AMC theaters to show ‘Black Panther’ for free to celebrate Black History Month - The Hill

The huge blockbuster superhero film "Black Panther" will be returning to select AMC theaters for a week in February to celebrate Black History Month — and tickets will be free. ....
https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/427308-black-panther-will-be-shown-at-amc-theaters-for-free-for-a-week

'They’re real bad at apologizing': Detroit police officers charged with crimes at record rates - Daily Kos

As police departments across the country continue to struggle with public trust issues—often of their own making—a local investigation has uncovered an undeniable pattern among those who vow to protect and serve Michigan's Motor City.....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1829515

Trump on crusade to create 'white, Christian, male-dominated national community' for his followers: Historian Richard Frankel - Raw Story

Hitler couldn't do anything without people who helped him ... and those people were not all Nazis. ....
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/01/trump-crusade-create-white-christian-male-dominated-national-community-followers-historian-richard-frankel/

1,150 Free Movies Online: Great Classics, Indies, Noir, Westerns | Open Culture

http://www.openculture.com/freemoviesonline

A productivity scorecard for the 115th Congress: More laws than before, but not more substance - Pew Research Center

The last Congress was the first one in more than a decade in which Republicans controlled both the House and Senate while a president of their own party sat in the White House. And while the 115th Congress was more legislatively active than its recent predecessors, the proportion of substantive to ceremonial legislation was much the same....
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/25/a-productivity-scorecard-for-115th-congress/

Trump's Pointless Job Boast - FactCheck.org

President Donald Trump lamented that the "media barely covers" the fact there are "More people working in U.S.A. today than at any time in our HISTORY." It's probably because, with the U.S. population increasing every day, the statistic is fairly pointless as a measure of economic success. ....
https://www.factcheck.org/2019/01/trumps-pointless-job-boast/

2018 was the fourth warmest year on record -- and more evidence of a ‘new normal,’ scientist group reports - The Washington Post

The year was one in a string that have been a full degree Celsius, or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit, warmer than temperatures in the late 19th century, the report found.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/01/24/was-fourth-warmest-year-record-more-evidence-new-normal-scientist-group-reports/

Bill targeting climate change education in Connecticut | NCSE

Connecticut's House Bill 5955 would, if enacted, "eliminate climate change materials" from the Next Generation Science Standards as used in Connecticut, incorrectly describing climate change as "a controversial area of information." Connecticut adopted the NGSS in 2015.....

https://ncse.com/news/2019/01/bill-targeting-climate-change-education-connecticut-0018845

Civil penalties for polluters dropped dramatically in Trump’s first two years, analysis shows - The Washington Post

Civil penalties for polluters under the Trump administration plummeted during the past fiscal year to the lowest average level since 1994, according to a new analysis of Environmental Protection Agency data...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/civil-penalties-for-polluters-dropped-dramatically-in-trumps-first-two-years-analysis-shows/2019/01/24/7384d168-1a82-11e9-88fe-f9f77a3bcb6c_story.html

Like Americans overall, U.S. Catholics are sharply divided by party - Pew Research Center

Politicians have long pursued the "Catholic vote" – a potentially big prize, given that the nation's roughly 51 million Catholic adults constitute the largest single religious institution in the United States. But while Catholics once were more likely to vote Democratic, they have never been monolithic politically...
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/24/like-americans-overall-u-s-catholics-are-sharply-divided-by-party/

Housing market racism persists despite ‘fair housing’ laws

In the US, where homeownership speaks to class, African Americans are being denied mortgages at rates much higher than their white peers....
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jan/24/housing-market-racism-persists-despite-fair-housing-laws

Top U.S. & World Headlines — January 30, 2019

Interview:
https://youtu.be/annTwkDfZ0k

Russians are leaking Trump scandals to remind the US president they have leverage over him: MSNBC panel - Raw Story

Russian President Vladimir Putin may outmaneuvered President Donald Trump on the world stage once again, panelists on MSNBC's "All In" with Chris Hayes explained on Tuesday. "Just a few weeks after the revelation that the president of the United States was suspected by his own government of working on Russia's behalf, we're learning tonight about yet another undisclosed exchange the president had with Vladimir Putin,” Hayes explained. “It was attended by no American interpreters, just Putin and Putin’s own interpreter.”....
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/01/russians-leaking-trump-scandals-remind-us-president-leverage-msnbc-panel/

Support slips for building border wall: poll - The Hill

Support for the construction of a wall along the southern border has dipped slightly in the past two weeks, according to a new poll. ....
https://thehill.com/homenews/news/427507-majority-of-voters-oppose-border-wall-poll

Judges Say Trump's Shutdown Broke Immigration System for Years - The Daily Beast

Hundreds of thousands of cases, mostly to remove people, have piled up. The solution may be to trade his steel wall for a massive increase in immigration judges.
https://apple.news/A8VLzlyN7QImERHmUEChNnA

‘Empire’ actor Jussie Smollett assaulted in Chicago in racist, homophobic attack - The Washington Post

Jussie Smollett, a black, openly gay actor best known for his work in Fox’s “Empire,” was assaulted in Chicago by two people carrying a noose and an unidentified “chemical substance” in what police are calling a “possible racially charged assault and battery.”....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/01/29/empire-actor-jussie-smollett-assaulted-chicago-potential-hate-crime/

Lindsey Graham floats a dangerously irresponsible escalation of the slat wars - Vox

Please don't bring the debt ceiling into this. ....
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/1/29/18202557/lindsey-graham-debt-ceiling-wall

Democrats’ Approval Rating Highest in 10 Years, With Nancy Pelosi Now Trusted More Than Donald Trump - Newsweek

Nearly half of Americans said they trust Pelosi more than Trump "on issues that are important" to them. ....
https://www.newsweek.com/democrats-approval-rating-highest-10-years-nancy-pelosi-now-trusted-more-1310323

President Trump tweets nonsensical figures on illegal immigration - The Washington Post: Analysis

President Trump tweeted very precise but unverifiable numbers, including one figure apparently based on a misunderstanding of what he saw on television. ....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/01/29/president-trump-tweets-nonsensical-figures-illegal-immigration/

Measles outbreak 2018: Washington declares public health emergency - Vox

An ongoing outbreak of measles — one of the most infectious diseases known to man — in Washington state has prompted the governor to declare a public health emergency. As of Monday, there were 35 cases in Washington’s Clark County, which borders Portland, Oregon. ....

https://www.vox.com/2019/1/27/18199514/measles-outbreak-2018-clark-county-washington

Roger Stone wanted WikiLeaks dump to distract from ‘Access Hollywood’ tape, says Mueller witness -- The Washington Post:

The revelation in The Washington Post of a tape of Donald Trump bragging about sexually assaulting women landed just after 4 p.m. on Oct. 7, 2016. Less than an hour later, WikiLeaks, an anti-secrecy organization founded by Julian Assange, began releasing hacked emails from the account of John Podesta, the chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/01/29/roger-stone-wanted-wikileaks-email-dump-distract-access-hollywood-tape-associate-claims/

It’s not just immigrants. Trump is separating American families, too - The Washington Post

While family separation at the border received significant media attention last year, a quieter family separation policy continued under the radar, and the separations have targeted American families. New research shows that President Trump’s travel ban — first ordered two years ago last week — has already separated thousands of U.S. citizens from their spouses and minor children.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/01/29/its-not-just-immigrants-trump-is-separating-american-families-too/

To Fight Democrats' First Bill, GOP Calls in Discredited Advocates of Voter Suppression - Mother Jones

With the House of Representatives set to debate its first legislation of the new session on Tuesday, Republicans are calling in two "expert witnesses" to fight the measure who are best known for discredited claims about voter fraud that have been repeatedly debunked in federal court. ....
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/01/to-fight-democrats-first-bill-gop-calls-in-discredited-advocates-of-voter-suppression/

Nearly half of Americans in new poll say they have no confidence 'at all' in Trump - The Hill

Nearly half of Americans surveyed in a new ABC News-Washington Post poll say they have no confidence "at all" in President Trump to make the right decisions for the country’s future. The poll, released Monday, found that 48 percent of respondents said they have no confidence “at all” in Trump, with another 16 percent saying they have “just some” confidence in the president.....
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/427203-nearly-half-of-americans-say-they-have-no-confidence-at-all-in-trump

Trump’s missile defense plans: More theology on unproven technology - The Hill:

We would spend exorbitant amounts of money to be less safe. ....
https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/426986-trumps-missile-defense-plans-more-theology-on-unproven-technology

Record Numbers of Students From All Over the World Are Skipping School Over Climate Change - Mother Jones

The number of students participating in school strikes for climate action is continuing to rise around the world. Last week more than 60,000 students refused to go to their classes, the largest number yet. ....
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/01/record-numbers-of-students-from-all-over-the-world-are-skipping-school-over-climate-change/

The MAGA hat: Statement of policy or inflammatory declaration of identity? -- The Washington Post

The bright red Make America Great Again baseball cap entered the popular culture as candidate Donald Trump’s political swag. It has transformed into an open wound, a firestorm of hate and a marker of societal atavism....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-maga-hat-is-not-a-statement-of-policy-its-an-inflammatory-declaration-of-identity/2019/01/23/9fe84bc0-1f39-11e9-8e21-59a09ff1e2a1_story.html

Study Shows Trump Is Stacking Courts With Ultra-Conservative Judges - Truthdig

More than 70 percent of his judicial appointees are white men, yet Senate Democrats seem to treat such appointments "as business as usual." ....
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/study-shows-trump-is-stacking-courts-with-ultra-conservative-judges/

Gunshot Wounds Cost Us Nearly $1 Billion in Hospital Bills Every Year - Mother Jones: Study

Researchers have long known that the impacts of gun violence ripple out far beyond victims and their families. But the price we pay as a country can be hard to measure, because data is hard to come by. (And the National Rifle Association is working hard to keep it that way.) ....
https://www.motherjones.com/crime-justice/2019/01/study-gunshot-wounds-cost-us-nearly-1-billion-in-hospital-bills-every-year/

How to reduce your risks of dementia - The Conversation US

Research is revealing many ways in which we can reduce our dementia risks -- from eating a Mediterranean diet and exercising, to playing games and studying for degrees. ....
https://theconversation.com/how-to-reduce-your-risks-of-dementia-110103

Top Florida official resigns after photos surface in blackface, mocking Katrina survivors - ThinkProgress.org

Ron DeSantis, Florida's new Republican governor, ran one of the most overtly racist campaigns in recent history prior to his narrow November 2018 victory over Democrat Andrew Gillum. On Thursday, DeSantis lost a top cabinet official when his secretary of state, Michael Ertel, resigned just weeks after the governor appointed him to the powerful position....
https://thinkprogress.org/desantis-florida-blackface-racism-36d14ec0bdc5/

How the 'cultural Marxism' hoax began, and why it's spreading into the mainstream - Daily Kos

It all seems plausible enough on the outside, especially for people conditioned to think of Communism as a conspiracy-driven enterprise aimed at overturning Western capitalist societies. Why wouldn't Marxism, which is mainly devoted to economics, also have cultural component that complements its ultimate goal? ....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1828527

Trump Administration Grants South Carolina Foster Care Agencies Authority to Discriminate Against Jewish and Muslim Families - The Intercept

The waiver allows Miracle Hill to turn away Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, agnostic, and atheist foster parents. ....
https://theintercept.com/2019/01/23/trump-administration-grants-south-carolina-foster-care-agencies-authority-to-discriminate-against-jewish-muslim-families/

How diet is changing - the good and the bad - BBC News US

Children are turning their backs on sugary drinks but all age groups eat too few vegetables, a survey suggests. ....
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-46972101

Testimony by intelligence chiefs on global threats highlights differences with president - The Washington Post

China and Russia are working together to challenge U.S. leadership in the world, undermine democratic governments and gain military and technological superiority over the United States, the nation’s top intelligence official told a Senate panel Tuesday during a hearing that also underscored the distance between the U.S. intelligence community and President Trump on several critical fronts....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/intelligence-officials-will-name-biggest-threats-facing-us-during-senate-hearing/2019/01/28/f08dc5cc-2340-11e9-ad53-824486280311_story.html

If the Earth Is Warming, Why Is It So Cold Outside? - NYTimes

As climate change heats up the planet, winters are warming faster than summers. But on days when the temperature tumbles below freezing, it leaves many people wondering, “If the Earth is getting warmer, how can winter still be so cold?”....
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/climate/winter-cold-weather.html

The Fox News knives come out for Ann Coulter after her disastrous order to shut down the government - Daily Kos

Donald Trump's approval ratings have plummeted after he made the decision to shut down the federal government as a reaction to criticism from Fox News and encouragement from Ann Coulter to go nuclear for his dumb wall. ...
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1830178

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez rips into Facebook, Google, and Microsoft on climate - The Verge

Their conference sponsorships have come under fire....
https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/28/18201028/rep-ocasio-cortez-pingree-climate-change-facebook-google-microsoft-conference-sponsor

Eric Trump attacks 'incompetent' lawmakers for his dad's golf club hiring undocumented workers - Daily Kos

Eric Trump was deeply offended by The Washington Post's explosive revelation that his dad's New York golf club had been abruptly firing undocumented immigrant workers during the recent government shutdown, attacking "incompetent" lawmakers and tweeting that the "pathetic" media must have other world events to focus on,....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1830297

Mueller tells acting attorney general that the probe 'close to being completed' - Raw Story

Special counsel Robert Mueller briefed acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker that his investigation is "close to [being] completed," CNN reported Monday. ....
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/01/mueller-tells-acting-attorney-general-probe-close-completed/

If You Thought the Polar Vortex Was Bad, What’s Happening Now Is Genuinely Shocking - Mother Jones

A deadly cold snap is hitting the Midwest, plunging roughly 200 million people into one of the most frigid weeks on record. Parts of Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois will see temperatures plunge up to 50 degrees below normal, raising fears of frostbite and hypothermia for any residents venturing outdoors. ....
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/01/if-you-thought-the-polar-vortex-was-bad-whats-happening-now-is-genuinely-shocking/

Pope says priest celibacy not 'optional' - Raw Story

Pope Francis said Monday celibacy for priests was a "gift to the Church" and not "optional", nixing the prospect of married men being ordained. ....
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/01/pope-says-priest-celibacy-not-optional/

Cartoon: Behind the scenes - Daily Kos

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1829968....

Trump Tower Moscow was a much larger deal—and potential crime—than anyone has realized - Daily Kos

Despite Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump's multiple claims that there was no "Trump Tower Moscow" deal, it appears that not only was there a deal, but there were extensive plans in place to make it the largest building in all of Europe based on a new set of documents and emails recently released by BuzzFeed News. ....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1828956

Trump offered NASA unlimited funding to go to Mars ... by 2020 - Daily Kos

Donald Trump presented his new NASA administrator with a bit of a conundrum: an unlimited check if he could plant the flag on Mars—by 2020. ....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1828769

Federal court hands Dems big win in Virginia redistricting case - The Hill

A panel of federal judges this week ordered Virginia to adopt new state legislative district lines that are likely to significantly aid Democratic efforts to reclaim control of the House of Delegates.....
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/426664-federal-court-hands-dems-big-win-in-virginia-redistricting-case

Australia’s Heat Wave Is Torching the Continent - The Daily Beast

'This sort of event has not happened in Australia this far north since European settlement.' ....
https://www.thedailybeast.com/australias-heat-wave-is-torching-the-continent

Revealed: the free-market groups helping the tobacco industry

Free-market thinktanks around the world provide a powerful voice of support to cigarette manufacturers in battles against tougher regulations, a Guardian investigation shows.....
https://www.theguardian.com/business/ng-interactive/2019/jan/23/free-market-thinktanks-tobacco-industry