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

Interview:
https://youtu.be/8vn7Xn07hlU

Impeach the mofo (Pod Save the World podcast)

Tommy talks with national security expert Kelly Magsamen about Trump’s attempt to extort Ukraine for manufactured dirt on Joe Biden, Trump’s UN speech, Iran, the Israeli elections and the protests in Egypt. Later, Tommy is joined by Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, a former CIA officer who joined six of her colleagues with national security backgrounds to say the allegations against Trump on Ukraine would be an impeachable offense. Then, Tommy speaks with former US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power about Syria, national security decision making and her new book, The Education of an Idealist.
Interview:
https://crooked.com/podcast/impeach-the-mofo/

Whistleblowers, impeachment, and Trump in California | Pod Save America recording stream

Trump promises a foreign leader something so alarming that an intelligence staffer becomes a whistleblower, Corey Lewandowski launches his Senate campaign during an impeachment hearing, and the President wages war on California. Then Obama campaign manager David Plouffe joins Jon and Dan to talk about the 2020 election and his new podcast, Campaign HQ.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/SmejWAQ5qyI

Schiff: Democrats eyeing Trump-Putin calls - The Hill

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said on Sunday that Congress is looking to obtain President Trump's calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid allegations that the White House is attempting to hide calls with foreign leaders.....
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/463561-schiff-democrats-eyeing-trump-putin-calls

Tapper fact-checks GOP rep in real time - The Hill

CNN's Jake Tapper fact-checked Rep. Jim Jordan in real time during an interview Sunday on "State of the Union" as the Ohio Republican defended President Trump amid an impeachment inquiry sparked in part by Trump's dealings with his Ukrainian counterpart.....
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/463557-tapper-fact-checks-gop-rep-in-real-time

The Trump Administration's Plan For Fixing U.S. Homelessness (On Point)

America’s homeless crisis. The Trump administration’s controversial plan to fix it starts in California. We take it up.
Interview:
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2019/09/25/trump-administration-homelessness-california

Shopping Around For Health Care Has Become Even Harder (On Point)

High-deductible health plans were supposed to encourage patients to shop around for the best deals. Instead, many face financial ruin. What went wrong?
Interview:
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2019/09/26/health-care-insurance-high-deductibles-noam-levey

The Trump administration is ramping up its investigation into Clinton’s emails - Vox

Dozens of former Clinton aides are being contacted by State Department investigators...
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/29/20889646/hillary-clinton-emails-state-department-investigation-trump-administration

Around 1.4 million refugees around the world need resettlement - The Hill

This country used to be a leader in resettling refugees in the world. That is no longer the case.....
https://thehill.com/opinion/international/463544-around-14-million-refugees-around-the-world-need-resettlement

Giuliani says Trump ‘framed by the Democrats’ - POLITICO

Armed with document after document, President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, doubled down on his charges.....
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/09/29/rudy-giuliani-trump-biden-ukraine-009765

Trump's former adviser slammed Giuliani for echoing 'completely debunked' conspiracy theories - Business Insider

President Donald Trump's former homeland security adviser slammed the president's lawyers and associates for continuing to tout debunked conspiracy theories in an effort to insulate the president and boost his political standing. ....
https://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-former-adviser-slammed-giuliani-debunked-conspiracy-theories-2019-9

Trump Told Russians Election Meddling Was No Big Deal - Vanity Fair - Report

The infamous meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak was potentially even more damning.....
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/09/trump-russia-ukraine-election-meddling-meeting

Robert Jeffress Says There’s No Separation of Church & State, Thanks God for Trump - RWW News

Robert Jeffress declares that there is no such thing as the separation of church and state and thanks God that Trump understands that secularists have hijacked and perverted the Constitution. https://youtu.be/OkAvFQvQfVs

At least 70 countries have had disinformation campaigns, study finds - The New York Times

Governments are using "cyber troops" to discredit political opponents, bury opposing views and interfere in foreign affairs, according to Oxford researchers.....
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/26/technology/government-disinformation-cyber-troops.html

Leaked Memo: Colleagues Unload on John Solomon, the ‘Reporter’ Who Kicked Off Trump’s Ukraine Conspiracy - The Daily Beast

The Trump-friendly scribe and his Biden-Ukraine conspiracies were cited multiple times in the whistleblower memo. Many of his co-workers are ashamed to be associated with him.....
https://www.thedailybeast.com/leaked-memo-colleagues-unload-on-john-solomon-the-reporter-who-kicked-off-trumps-ukraine-conspiracy

The impeachment inquiry has plenty of questions to answer - The Washington Post: Opinion

The basic fact of Trump's abuse of power is straightforward and clear. But the scandal goes much deeper.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/09/27/impeachment-inquiry-has-plenty-questions-answer/

Trump followers go on a whistleblower hunt because 'your president has asked for your help' - Daily Kos

The website 4Chan is mostly known for playing host to misogyny, racism, violent rhetoric, and members who put together misogyny, racism, and rhetoric to go out and launch mass shootings. As might be expected, it's also a hotbed of Trump support. The members there are currently engaged in a fresh kind of race—the hunt to uncover the name of the whistleblower who filed the complaint about Donald Trump's phone call with the Ukrainian president. ....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/28/1888616/-Trump-followers-go-on-a-whistleblower-hunt-because-your-president-has-asked-for-your-help

Senate Democrats say top NRA officials knew about Kremlin ties - The Hill

A new report by Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee alleges that the National Rifle Association (NRA) "became a foreign asset" for Russia ahead of the 2016 election.....
https://thehill.com/regulation/lobbying/463385-senate-democrats-find-top-nra-officials-knew-about-kremlin-ties

The God Distraction, Chapter Three: The Word of God

Does the Bible gives us any reliable knowledge of God or His will?...
https://youtu.be/2cF1eLSKpCg

The God Distraction: Introduction

This is the introduction to my new ten part series, The God Distraction: I don't care if God exists, and neither should you.....
https://youtu.be/yVVH071-5Ws

11,168 Children Tested Positive for Lead in New York City - NYTimes

A new report highlighted systemic failures slowing New York City from eradicating lead paint from its aging housing.....
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/26/nyregion/nyc-lead-exposure.html

Researchers Assembled over 100 Voting Machines. Hackers Broke into Every Single One. - Mother Jones

A report issued Thursday by some of the country's leading election security experts found that voting machines used in dozens of state remain vulnerable to hacks and manipulations, warning that that without continued efforts to increase funding, upgrade technology, and adopt of voter-marked paper ballot systems, "we fear that the 2020 presidential elections will realize the worst fears only hinted at during the 2016 elections: insecure, attacked, and ultimately distrusted.”...
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/09/defcon-2019-hacking-village/

Why people choose medically assisted death revealed through conversations with nurses - The Conversation US

Nurses who surround the process of medically assisted dying are an important source of insight into the real conversations our society needs to have about what it's really like.....
https://theconversation.com/why-people-choose-medically-assisted-death-revealed-through-conversations-with-nurses-122000

New rule may end free lunches for 500,000 needy schoolchildren - The Washington Post

The plan is intended to cut eligibility among families considered less needy.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/trump-administration-rule-could-end-free-school-lunches-for-about-500000-children/2019/09/24/4c488f66-def1-11e9-8dc8-498eabc129a0_story.html

WOTM: God is the Biggest... - YouTube

An explanation of why the religious care so much about everyone else's behavior.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yIEsAfXpfg

Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents: Julio Torres - The Hardest Part About Being Vegan - YouTube

Julio Torres reveals the most difficult thing about embracing veganism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIrwSxYHIKE

Bill McKibben’s Climate Plea: It’s Not Too Late … But It Will Be Soon (Diane Rehm, On My Mind)

Young people took to the streets around the globe today demanding action to address the climate crisis. And standing side-by-side with them was Bill McKibben.

McKibben has been working to sound the alarm on the issue of climate change for decades – as an activist and author.

His latest effort to explain both what we are up against – and what we can do about it – is in this week’s issue of Time. His essay, “2050: How Earth Survived,” is a dispatch from the future – a future in which governments around the world took all action within their power to avert the worst impacts of a warming planet.

So, what is Earth like in 2050? And how did we get there? McKibben joined Diane to explain.
Interview:
https://dianerehm.org/shows/2019-09-20/bill-mckibbens-climate-plea-its-not-too-late-but-it-will-be-soon

From A Ukraine Phone Call To Calls For Impeachment (On Point)

Ukraine phone call firestorm. Is this the tipping point for Trump? What we know about the brewing controversy, and what we don’t.
Interview:
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2019/09/25/ukraine-trump-biden-impeachment

Republicans Respond To The Impeachment Inquiry (On Point)

The Republicans' reaction to the impeachment inquiry. How will they react to the Democrats and to Trump? We ask.
Interview:
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2019/09/26/trump-impeachment-ukraine-republicans-congress

U.S. ambassador pressed Ukraine corruption fight before ouster - PBS NewsHour

Officials described Yovanovitch as a respected and highly skilled diplomat who was carrying out two main missions on behalf of the administration: pressing the Ukrainian government to address long-standing U.S. concerns about public corruption in the East European nation and building support for Ukraine's effort to fight the separatists....
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/u-s-ambassador-pressed-ukraine-corruption-fight-before-ouster

Week In The News: Impeachment Inquiry, Whistleblower Complaint, Climate Change (On Point)

House Democrats launch an impeachment inquiry. Trump condemns globalism at the U.N. "How dare you" — a Swedish teen’s passionate cry for climate action. The roundtable is here.
Interview:
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2019/09/27/whistleblower-impeachment-trump-ukraine-climate-change

Friday News Roundup – Domestic (Joshua Johnson, The 1A) 2019-09-27

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Tuesday that the House would open a formal impeachment inquiry into whether President Trump lobbied a foreign government to interfere in the 2020 election. The whistleblower complaint that initially brought the issue to light was released to the public in redacted form.

The most-publicized moment of the U.N. Climate Summit came as 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg laced into world leaders in attendance during an impassioned speech.

Climate activists shut down major Washington D.C. roads and intersections on Monday to draw the attention of lawmakers and businesspeople.

All this and more on this week’s edition of a special climate-themed domestic News Roundup.
Interview:
https://the1a.org/shows/2019-09-27/friday-news-roundup-domestic

Friday News Roundup – International (Joshua Johnson, The 1A) 2019-09-27

President Trump’s conversation with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is at the center of international news this week, with a whistleblower document made public on Thursday morning.

Across the pond, Parliament is back in session, following a British Supreme Court ruling that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s suspension of Parliament was unlawful.

The United States has imposed more Iran-related sanctions, looping Chinese companies into the matter this time.

We’ll dig into these big stories and several others in this week’s international Roundup.
Interview:
https://the1a.org/shows/2019-09-27/friday-news-roundup-international

Trump campaign launches anti-impeachment blitz on Facebook, repeating falsehoods about four minority congresswomen - The Washington Post

President Trump's reelection campaign responded to the opening of a formal impeachment inquiry in Congress by launching a massive Facebook ad blitz, spending as much as $1.4 million on thousands of ads designed to reach voters in nearly every state.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/09/27/trump-campaign-launches-anti-impeachment-blitz-facebook-repeating-falsehoods-about-four-minority-congresswomen/

Trump campaign doubles down on Biden-Ukraine allegations in new TV ad - The Hill

President Trump's reelection campaign launched a new television and digital ad Friday accusing former Vice President Joe Biden of misconduct over his dealings with Ukraine, an effort to go on the offensive against the Democratic presidential candidate.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/463442-trump-campaign-doubles-down-on-biden-ukraine-allegations-in-new-tv-ad

Justice Department veterans say Trump could be accused of breaking 4 laws in the Ukraine whistleblower scandal - Business Insider

On Thursday, the House Intelligence Committee released an explosive whistleblower complaint from an intelligence official accusing President Donald Trump of "using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 US election."....
https://www.businessinsider.com/laws-trump-could-have-broken-ukraine-whistleblower-case-2019-9

US envoy met with Ukraine president's ex-rival year before Trump phone call - CNBC

In 2018, Trump's envoy to Ukraine, Kurt Volker, met with Yulia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister who ran for president against Volodymir Zelensky.....
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/27/trump-envoy-met-with-ukraine-leaders-ex-rival-year-before-call-in-impeachment-probe.html

Newsweek: Hannity Panel: George Soros' NGOs Sponsored Whistleblower Report

Guests on Fox News' Hannity show claimed Thursday that the whistleblower who raised the alarm over President Donald Trump's scandalous phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, is being funded by liberal billionaire philanthropist George Soros. Guests Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing joined host Sean Hannity in maligning the anonymous intelligence official....
https://www.newsweek.com/hannity-guests-claim-george-soros-dirty-money-backed-ukraine-whistleblower-report-this-was-1461715

Four debunked talking points used to discredit the whistleblower complaint - The Washington Post: Analysis

Even though the whistleblower had secondhand knowledge of the events, he or she got key evidence right.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/27/four-debunked-talking-points-used-discredit-whistleblower-complaint/

What the Whistle-Blower’s Memo Taught Me - The Atlantic

Trump's defenders have dismissed the complaint against him as hearsay. But good intelligence often comes secondhand....
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/09/what-the-whistle-blowers-memo-taught-me/598939/

Fact Checker: Trump’s false claims about Hunter Biden’s China dealings - The Washington Post

With no evidence, the president accuses Joe Biden's son of earning millions and scoring $1.5 billion in investments from a single trip to China with the then-vice president.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/26/trumps-false-claims-about-hunter-bidens-china-dealings/

Trump Appears to Suggest Obama Asked Foreign Leaders for Dirt on Him - Newsweek

 After House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry yesterday, President Donald Trump appeared to suggest that former President Barack Obama had asked a foreign country to investigate him without offering any evidence. The remarks were made during Trump's first official press conference since Pelosi announced the proceedings. ....
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-appears-suggest-obama-solicited-foreign-assistance-damage-his-2016-campaign-1461451

Support for impeachment jumps in new poll - POLITICO

Among Democratic voters, support for impeachment proceedings has increased 13 points.....
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/26/poll-support-impeachment-trump-1515012

Trump admin wants to block doctor testimony in legal case around migrant kids prison camp - Daily Kos

Trump administration attorneys are demanding a federal court ignore declarations made by a number of experts, including physicians and children's advocates, as part of a legal case that could once and for all shut down the Homestead prison camp for migrant kids in Florida. So just what exactly are government attorneys asking the judge to disregard?....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/24/1887560/-Trump-admin-wants-to-block-testimony-from-doctors-in-legal-case-around-migrant-kids-prison-camp

Rudy's got a brand new scandal: Giuliani meddled in Romania while on Trump's payroll - Raw Story

President Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, is pushing a debunked conspiracy theory about former Vice President Joe Biden. But he himself appears to have intervened in a foreign anti-corruption effort while being paid by Trump.....
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/09/rudys-got-a-brand-new-scandal-giuliani-meddled-in-romania-while-on-trumps-payroll/

Al Franken to return to radio (and the public eye) with weekly SiriusXM show - USA TODAY

Al Franken, who resigned his U.S. Senate seat in 2017 amid sexual misconduct charges, will re-emerge into the public eye with a SiriusXM radio show.....
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2019/09/25/al-franken-returns-public-eye-weekly-siriusxm-radio-show/2437918001/

Top U.S. & World Headlines — September 27, 2019

Interview:
https://youtu.be/jnfmLDOGQAM

White House tried to cover up Trump's Ukraine conversation, whistleblower alleges

Donald Trump’s actions on Ukraine “pose risks to US national security”, according to a whistleblower’s complaint released on Thursday which also appeared to reveal an attempt by the White House to cover up conversations with a foreign leader.....
 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/26/slug-trump-ukraine-latest-whistleblower-complaint-2020-election

Fact check: Trump falsely claims Democrats' letter made threat to Ukraine - CNN Politics

Under fire for asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate potential 2020 opponent Joe Biden, President Donald Trump argued at a Wednesday press conference that Democratic senators were the actual guilty parties.

https://apple.news/AsorzxSErSym5tn3NIYtDPA

Trump says Hunter Biden ‘walks out of China with $1.5 billion.’ Biden’s lawyer said that’s not true - The Washington Post

Former vice president Joe Biden's son owns a 10 percent stake in a firm but "has not received any return," said Hunter Biden's lawyer.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-says-hunter-biden-walks-out-of-china-with-15-billion-a-lawyer-says-thats-not-true/2019/09/25/26b89e7e-dfcf-11e9-8dc8-498eabc129a0_story.html

Here is the full, unclassified whistleblower complaint detailing Donald Trump's illegal behavior - Daily Kos

The full whistleblower complaint has been unclassified and publicly released ahead of Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire's appearance before the House Intelligence Committee. You can read the entire complaint below, which is packed with explosive information, including the allegation the White House removed the call transcripts/notes from official records and placed it on a secret, previously unknown server. ....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/9/26/1888059/-Here-is-the-full-unclassified-whistleblower-complaint-detailing-Donald-Trump-s-illegal-behavior

Republicans Say The Real Problem Is That Trump’s Conversation With The Ukrainian President Leaked - BuzzFeed News

"I don't know how the hell he can be president under these conditions, it's just incredible," Sen. Lindsey Graham said.....
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/paulmcleod/republicans-trump-ukraine-call-problem-leaks-white-house

‘Everything You’re Seeing Is Deception’: How Right-Wing Media Talks About Impeachment - NYTimes

The pro-Trump media has wasted no time constructing their own version of events about Ukraine. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/26/us/politics/impeachment-conservatives-republicans.html

The five most serious charges in the whistleblower's complaint - The Hill

President Trump's troubles grew deeper and darker on Thursday morning when a whistleblower complaint became public.....
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/463236-the-five-most-serious-charges-in-the-whistleblowers-complaint

Acting DNI Maguire describes 'cyber war' as greatest threat to the country - The Hill

Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire on Thursday testified that cyber threats are the most significant risks the nation faces and noted that the protection of U.S. election systems is “the most important job” of the intelligence community.....
https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/463199-acting-dni-maguire-describes-cyber-war-as-greatest-threat-to-the-country

Founders: Removal from office is not the only purpose of impeachment - The Conversation US

The Founders saw as a regular part of ensuring presidential accountability. A constitutional scholar offers a possible process for a rapid and smooth impeachment inquiry.....
https://theconversation.com/founders-removal-from-office-is-not-the-only-purpose-of-impeachment-124254

Timeline: The alarming pattern of actions by Trump included in whistleblower allegations - The Washington Post: Analysis

What the whistleblower learned about and when.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/26/timeline-alarming-pattern-actions-by-trump-included-whistleblower-allegations/

Democrats to force vote on Trump health care rule - The Hill

Senate Democrats took action this week that will force a floor vote on a Trump administration rule that loosens ObamaCare waiver restrictions.....
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/463279-democrats-to-force-vote-on-trump-health-care-rule

Trump-Ukraine Call Log Clearly Demonstrates Quid Pro Quo Demand

The White House released notes from Trump's call with the Ukrainian president and they clearly show that the President of the United States pressured the foreign leader to smear Joe Biden in return for military assistance.....
https://youtu.be/TX5VxBGUTCI

Trump is pushing a fake scandal once again. Don’t buy it - The Washington Post: Opinion

How can millions of Americans believe in events that never happened?....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/09/25/trump-is-pushing-fake-scandal-once-again-dont-buy-it/