Jason Chaffetz Mocks Homeless Person on Instagram Because He Wants 'To Make People Think' | Alternet

Jason Chaffetz has left Congress but he is still whining about poor people with smartphones....
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/jason-chaffetz-mocks-homeless-person-instagram-because-he-wants-make-people-think

Is Russia A Threat? Ask Poland

On my latest work trip, I was in Warsaw, Poland. I was also in Madrid (which was also amazing and worth a video unto itself). It seems odd to me that so many American conservatives, who used to be the most "red-bashing" bunch, seem to be fine with Russians influencing us or at the very least seeing them as a non-threat. If you want to get a deeper view into how they work, you could go ask their neighbors in Eastern Europe what they think of Russia and whether this trust that some seem to have for them is misplaced....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anMtwYvwtJI&feature=youtu.be

Houston man arrested and attacked by police dog for mowing lawns while black

Many college students work during the summer for extra cash. Marlin Gipson, of Houston, Texas, is no exception. The 20-year-old student has a side business mowing lawns in his neighborhood. Now, as anyone who owns their own business can attest to, advertising is key to getting customers. So Gipson was with his brother, working on building his client base by placing his business card in the doors of homes when he was stopped by a police officer. That’s when he was harassed by the officer, which he caught on tape....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1684581

Political Upheaval In The U.K. And France (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

First came the electoral shocker in Britain. Conservative prime minister Theresa May, rebuked at the polls. British voters turning their backs on the driver of the Brexit, opening their arms to the UK’s Labour Party. Then came France this weekend. Old parties of the right and left scorned. Voting that looks to give 39-year-old newly-elected president Emmanuel Macron a huge majority in the French parliament for his brand new centrist party. This hour On Point: the UK and France turn politics upside-down. -- Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2017/06/12/britain-and-brexit-after-an-election-upset

Top U.S. & World Headlines — August 2, 2017

Interview:

https://youtu.be/2JDsgfGiTeE

The Check In: Trump and Religion

Seth takes a break from breaking news to check in on President Trump's evolving views on religion, faith and the separation of church and state....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeAbXmhTF-A&feature=youtu.be

Debt-ceiling talks between White House, Senate break up with no progress -- The Washington Post

Talks between the White House and the Senate’s top Republican and Democrat broke up Tuesday with no progress on raising the country’s debt ceiling, an impasse that threatens a financial crisis if left unresolved.

The Senate and House have 12 joint working days before Sept. 29, when the Treasury Department says it would no longer be able to pay all of the government’s bills unless Congress acts. A default would likely set off a major disruption to the world financial system, with a stock market crash and surging interest rates that could send the economy into a recession.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/08/01/debt-ceiling-talks-between-white-house-senate-break-up-with-no-progress/

Donald Trump says 'business spirit' is highest it's ever been, but proof is lacking | PolitiFact

Right after swearing in his new chief of staff, President Donald Trump once again touted some of the economic accomplishments during his six months in office. This time, Trump included a metric he referred to as "business spirit."

"Business spirit is the highest it's ever been, according to polls," Trump said. "If you look at the polls, (it’s) the highest it's ever been in the history of these polls."...
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/jul/31/donald-trump/donald-trump-says-business-spirit-highest-its-ever/

Shocking Headlines Elicit Yawns From The Religious Right | Americans United

A few months ago, when news broke that President Donald J. Trump had given classified information to the Russians, I asked why Religious Right groups were remaining silent. They surely would have spoken up if a Democratic president had done that. Today I have to ask that question again, in light of two recent incidents – Anthony Scaramucci’s profanity-laced rant to The New Yorker and Trump’s completely inappropriate speech to the Boy Scouts.....
https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/shocking-headlines-elicit-yawns-from-the-religious-right

Sen. Flake: It's not conservative to stay silent about the chaos of the Trump administration -- PBS NewsHour

In his new book "Conscience of a Conservative," Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., examines where his own party has gone wrong, calls for a return to conservatism and criticizes the man at the top of the ticket. ...
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/sen-flake-not-conservative-stay-silent-chaos-trump-administration/

Why is Trump Reminding Us of the Pee Pee Tape? | The Resistance with Kei...

Just when the Steele dossier had faded from view, Trump brings it up on Twitter....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d57tluWHRs8&feature=youtu.be

Trump Told Fox News to Frame Dems for Seth Rich Murder, Lawsuit Claims -- The Daily Beast

President Donald Trump personally approved a false Fox News story claiming a murdered Democratic staffer—not Russian hackers—leaked DNC emails to WikiLeaks, a new lawsuit claims. ...
http://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-told-fox-news-to-publish-seth-rich-murder-hoax-lawsuit-claims

This is Trump in panic mode -- CNN

President Trump's actions after last week show he is conflicted about his own competence and is turning to a military man like John Kelly to solve all his problems, says Michael D'Antonio. ....
http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/01/opinions/trump-military-men-kelly-opinion-dantonio/index.html

Tillerson signals softer tone on North Korea — despite tough talk by others in Trump's White House -- Business Insider

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made a statement amid muddled White House policy on North Korea on Tuesday that seems at odds with other voices in the Trump administration. "We do not seek a regime change. We do not seek the collapse of the regime. We do not seek an accelerated reunification of the peninsula. We do not seek an excuse to send our military north of the 38th parallel," Tillerson said....
http://www.businessinsider.com/tillerson-north-korea-peace-talk-trump-2017-8

Oregon Doesn't Have Time For This Obamacare Repeal Nonsense -- HuffPost

Imagine a world where President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans don't want to repeal the Affordable Care Act and strip health insurance from millions of people. They want to expand it. In this parallel universe, they pass laws to make sure every kid has health care coverage and every woman has access to full reproductive care, including abortion. That includes undocumented immigrants, too. ...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/oregon-kate-brown-health-care_us_5980b072e4b08e1430061419

China warns Trump over North Korea: ‘Don’t stab us in the back’ -- The Telegraph

China has hit back at Donald Trump over North Korea, with a top official blaming Washington and Pyongyang for raising tensions, while state media warned the US not to "stab China in the back". ...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/01/china-warns-trump-north-korea-dont-stab-us-back/

Is Trump Trying to Sabotage the Nuclear Deal to Lay Groundwork for War With Iran? - YouTube

The White House appears ready to abandon the landmark Iranian nuclear deal in favor of what experts say could lead to war with Iran. The New York Times reported last week that President Donald Trump has instructed his national security aides to find a rationale for declaring that Iran is violating the terms of the accord....
Interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y63l6Z4Ov0

Lawsuit Alleges Fox News And Trump Supporter Created Fake News Story : NPR

The Fox News Channel and a wealthy supporter of President Trump worked in concert under the watchful eye of the White House to concoct a story about the death of a young Democratic National Committee aide, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.

Wheeler alleges Fox News and the Trump supporter intended to deflect public attention from growing concern about the administration's ties to the Russian government. His suit charges that a Fox News reporter created quotations out of thin air and attributed them to him to propel her story....
http://www.npr.org/2017/08/01/540783715/lawsuit-alleges-fox-news-and-trump-supporter-created-fake-news-story

Clean water advocates tell Trump administration to ‘stop pandering to polluters’ -- ThinkProgress.org

"It's not a left thing. It's not a right thing. It's a people thing." Mary Anne Hitt, director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Program, center, and other environmental advocates speak out against the Trump administration's delay of power plant waste rule. ...
https://thinkprogress.org/clean-water-advocates-tell-trump-administration-to-stop-pandering-to-polluters-5716f3bb24b

Michael Moore Tells Colbert He's Building an 'Army of Satire' to Combat President Trump | Alternet

Moore's upcoming Broadway show aims to empower citizens to fight back against the Trump administration....
http://www.alternet.org/media/michael-moore-building-army-satire-combat-president-trump

TIL when a millionaire gave everyone in a Florida neighborhood free daycare and free college scholarships, the crime rate was cut in half and the graduation rate jumped from 25% to 100%. He did this after being fired from Walt Disney World because his bosses didn't think he could be a 'company man' - todayilearned

“I finally came to the conclusion that I most likely didn’t have the organization man’s personality,” says Rosen. “I’ve known since an early age that I’ve been inflicted with what I call that awful defective entrepreneurial gene. Deep down inside I knew that one day I was destined to be in business for myself.”
https://www.ucf.edu/pegasus/harris-rosen/

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/6po7fz/til_when_a_millionaire_gave_everyone_in_a_florida/

German Police Brutality - funny

https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/6pp70r/german_police_brutality/

This Man Claims He Is Jesus Christ Reincarnated -- National Geographic

A self-proclaimed Messiah in Brazil casts his net for disciples on social media. ...
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/07/jesus-messiah-faith-social-media/

Why capitalism needs socialism to survive -- Vox

A top Peter Thiel adviser on the failures of the billionaire class. ...
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/7/25/15998002/capitalism-socialism-peter-thiel-wall-street-eric-weinstein

Oh No Ross and Carrie (and Matthew!) (Opening Arguments OA77)

In this episode, Thomas and Andrew talk to the co-host of one of their favorite podcasts, Oh No Ross and Carrie, along with the show’s lawyer — proving once and for all that other podcasts need lawyers, too.

First, however, Andrew breaks down a recent viral story about whether Donald Trump’s Twitter account can be a “designated public forum,” a term our listeners should remember from Episode #73’s discussion with Travis Wester.

In the main segment, Carrie Poppy sits down for a fun and wide-ranging interview about her job and the potential legal perils that stem from investigating pseudoscience, the paranormal, and potentially dangerous religious cults.

After that, the much-beloved “Are You A Cop?” segment returns with a question from listener Brian Babcock about how to deal with standard-form contracts.

Finally, we end with the answer to Thomas Takes the Bar Exam Question #27, which was a complicated fact pattern involving drunk driving, punitive damages, insurance limits, and cross-examination. Did Thomas break his streak? Listen and find out. And, as always, we’ll release a new #TTTBE question this Friday, and, as always, answer that question the following Tuesday. Don’t forget to play along by following our Twitter feed (@Openargs) and/or our Facebook Page and quoting the Tweet or Facebook Post that announces this episode along with your guess and reason(s), and don’t forget that patrons who support us at any level get early access to the answers (and usually a fun post analyzing the question in more detail).
Interview:
http://openargs.com/oa77-oh-no-ross-carrie-matthew/

Scuse me, you seem to have lost something - gifs

https://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/6p2hc1/scuse_me_you_seem_to_have_lost_something/

Signalling North Korea, With Sanctions On China? (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

When North Korea test-fired a missile capable of reaching Alaska on the 4th of July, it presented President Trump with his biggest foreign policy challenge. He responded with tough talk and veiled threats of a military strike, but even limited war on the Korean peninsula would unleash unimaginable horrors. So Trump wants China to reign in a nuclear armed Kim Jong Un. Is that the best way forward? This hour On Point: Trump, North Korean nukes, and the China card. -- Anthony Brooks
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2017/07/10/signalling-north-korea-sanctions-on-china

Lewis Black Presidential Campaign of Donald Trump

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYndAle5rwc&feature=youtu.be

Behind Fox News' Baseless Seth Rich Story: The Untold Tale (NPR's Morning Edition)

...Wheeler alleges Fox News and the Trump supporter intended to deflect public attention from growing concern about the administration's ties to the Russian government. His suit charges that a Fox News reporter created quotations out of thin air and attributed them to him to propel her story...
Interview:
http://www.npr.org/2017/08/01/540783715/lawsuit-alleges-fox-news-and-trump-supporter-created-fake-news-story

Mississippi District Prepares for New School Year With Illegal Prayer Service

“You know to be able to lift our school systems up, to encourage them, especially those who believe, who are Christians,” said assistant kindergarten teacher, Autumn Baker. “Just encourage them to keep holding the faith, to keep strong.”
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/07/31/mississippi-district-prepares-for-new-school-year-with-illegal-prayer-service/

Top U.S. & World Headlines — August 1, 2017

Interview:
https://youtu.be/b4MXs5bQ_pM

A Devastated Stephen Colbert Sings Farewell To The Mooch

Stephen sends off former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci with a new rendition of 'Bohemian Rhapsody.'
Interview:
https://youtu.be/vr_o1y47icc

Scaramucci and Priebus Are Out, Trump Threatens to Blow Up Obamacare: A ...

Seth takes a closer look at the Trump White House in turmoil after the sudden firing of Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci days after the resignation of former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jovN0MbKJUA&feature=youtu.be

BREAKING: President Trump DICTATED Son Don Jr.’s Misleading Statement on Russian lawyer meeting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rGBWJaibNQ&feature=youtu.be

Tesla Model 3 Is Here! Live Event July 28, 2017

Elon Musk and the team at Tesla celebrate the delivery of the first Tesla Model 3s at its Fremont, California plant....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfoP54wS2I4&feature=youtu.be

Retired Police Detective: Trump's Comments Endorsing Police Brutality are "Treasonous" - YouTube

President Donald Trump is facing widespread criticism from police chiefs across the country following a speech he gave on Friday to police officers in Long Island, New York, that appeared to openly endorse police brutality....
Interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ4mKyKV4u8&t=710s

Centrist lawmakers plot bipartisan health care stabilization bill -- POLITICO

The Problem Solvers caucus, led by Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), is fronting the effort to stabilize the ACA markets ...
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/30/obamacare-health-care-stabilization-241151?cid=apn

WH: Trump Was 'Making A Joke' When He Endorsed Police Abuse In Speech - TPM

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday that President Donald Trump was just joking last week when he advocated police abuse during an address focused on gang violence by undocumented immigrants in Long Island. ...
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/sanders-trump-making-a-joke-police-abuse

Down Goes the Mooch! | The Resistance with Keith Olbermann | GQ - YouTube

The chaos comes at you quick, right? Anthony Scaramucci, "The Mooch," is out. Who will be in?....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANLZoH6PFSU

Bernie Sanders To Propose New Rule Requiring Fair Prices For Taxpayer-Funded Drugs -- HuffPost

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) plans to propose a new rule Monday that would require pharmaceutical companies to charge fair prices for drugs developed with taxpayer-backed research....
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-drug-prices_us_597f4546e4b0da64e87aaebf

After health care failure, Trump slams GOP senators as ‘fools’ who are ‘wasting time’ -- ThinkProgress.org

The president is calling for changes to Senate rules that reveal he doesn't totally understand how the Senate works. ...
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-attacks-gop-health-care-4307cd26e953

Flake: GOPers In 'Denial' About Their Role In Current Political 'Instability' -- TPM

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) on Monday said members of his own party have "have maintained an unnerving silence as instability has ensued" under President Donald Trump's administration. ...
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/jeff-flake-republicans-in-denial-about-instability-blame

Paul Krugman: Trump Isn't an Aberration—He's the Logical Conclusion of 40 Years of Conservative Lies | Alternet

The Times columnist traces the origins of movement conservatism....
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/paul-krugman-trump-isnt-aberration-hes-logical-conclusion-40-years-conservative

Capitol Police Crack Down on Media, Order Journalists to Delete Photos and Videos | Alternet

Reporters clashed with police officers while covering protests of the Senate health care bill....
http://www.alternet.org/media/capitol-police-cracks-down-media-orders-journalists-delete-photos-and-videos

Inside Washington And Using Smart Phone Data To Treat Mental Illness (Diane Rehm Show )

CNN senior congressional reporter, Manu Raju, on healthcare, meetings with Russians and other Washington news stories, then, how smart phones could be used to help treat diagnose and treat mental illness.
Interview:
http://www.wnyc.org/story/inside-washington-and-using-smart-phone-data-to-treat-mental-illness/

Let Black Kids Just Be Kids - The New York Times

George Zimmerman admitted at his 2012 bail hearing that he misjudged Trayvon Martin’s age when he killed him. “I thought he was a little bit younger than I am,” he said, meaning just under 28. But Trayvon was only 17.

What may be most tragic about Mr. Zimmerman’s miscalculation is that it’s widespread. To many people, black boys seem older than they are: In one study, people overestimated their ages by 4.5 years. This contributes to a false perception that black boys are less childlike than white boys....
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/26/opinion/black-kids-discrimination.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ty_20170726&nl=opinion-today&nl_art=9&nlid=78638145&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

My Gay Agenda - The New York Times

My wife and I spent the morning riding our bicycles to the beach. It was a beautiful day. Seals dived in the surf, a couple played Kadima with their grandchildren, and Deirdre and I lay in the sun. We celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary this summer. Our sons are in their 20s now. One is working as an actor. The other is an engineering student, researching the effects of lasers on glass. Both of them called us that day, to say hi, and that they loved us.

Meanwhile, in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott opened a special session of the Legislature, during which Republicans will attempt to portray me, and transgender people like me, as sexual predators. The legislature is expected to vote once again on a bill to restrict which bathrooms transgender Texans can use....
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/24/opinion/transgender-lgbtq-rights-texas.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ty_20170724&nl=opinion-today&nl_art=3&nlid=78638145&ref=headline&te=1

California Shows How States Can Lead on Climate Change - The New York Times

California, which has long been a pioneer in fighting climate change, renewed its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions last week by extending, to 2030, its cap-and-trade program, which effectively puts a price on emissions. It’s a bold, bipartisan commitment that invites similarly ambitious policies from other states, and it sends a strong signal to the world that millions of Americans regard with utmost seriousness a threat the Trump administration refuses to acknowledge, let alone reckon with....
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/24/opinion/california-climate-change-cap-trade.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ty_20170724&nl=opinion-today&nl_art=4&nlid=78638145&ref=headline&te=1

The Closing of the Republican Mind - The New York Times

The election of President Trump has coincided with a reaction among Republican voters against open-mindedness, open borders and an open society in general — not to mention a growing hostility to cognitive elites.

Take a recent survey showing a fundamental shift in the attitude of Republicans toward the value of higher education.....
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/13/opinion/republicans-elites-trump.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ty_20170713&nl=opinion-today&nl_art=4&nlid=78638145&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

Bill Nye: 'You can shoot the messenger but climate is still changing' | Books | The Guardian

The acclaimed scientist and television star talks about his new book and the damaging effects of ignoring the planet’s changing climate...
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jul/25/bill-nye-the-science-guy-climate-change-books-netflix?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+USA+-+Collections+2017&utm_term=236526&subid=22113254&CMP=GT_US_collection

Catholic Bishop Decrees Lawmakers Who Voted for Same-Sex Marriage Should Not Receive Communion - The New Civil Rights Movement

An Illinois Bishop whose attack on LGBT people last month drew national outrage is back, now attacking LGBT people and their allies for supporting same-sex marriage. Springfield Bishop Thomas Paprocki in a new video has decreed that lawmakers and judges who have voted to support the constitutional right of same-sex couples to marry must no long take holy communion. He also laments the strength of the "LGBT lobby." Bishop Paprocki's remarks follow his direction in June that same-sex couples should be banned from Communion and Catholic funeral rites unless they denounced their soulmate before death....
http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/davidbadash/catholic_bishop_announces_politicians_who_voted_for_same_sex_marriage_should_not_receive_communion

The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills - The New York Times

Early last year, executives at a small hospital an hour north of Spokane, Wash., started using a company called EmCare to staff and run their emergency room. The hospital had been struggling to find doctors to work in its E.R., and turning to EmCare was something hundreds of other hospitals across the country had done. That’s when the trouble began....
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/24/upshot/the-company-behind-many-surprise-emergency-room-bills.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_up_20170724&nl=upshot&nl_art=0&nlid=78638145&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

A Failed Experiment And A Republican Revolt In Kansas (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

The state of Kansas was supposed to be the great Republican model. Cut taxes deeply, said Governor Sam Brownback, and it would be “like a shot of adrenaline in the heart of the Kansas economy.” The taxes were cut. The adrenaline never showed. Things fell apart. Last week, Kansas Republicans revolted against their hardline governor, overrode his veto, and ditched the model. This hour On Point: The Kansas Republican revolt against supply side economics, and what it means. -- Tom Ashbrook
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2017/06/13/failed-experiment-republican-revolt-kansas

America's Minimum Wage Showdown (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

In the fight to help working families, advocates point out that if you work full-time at minimum wage you’re stuck below the poverty line. So some cities have given low-wage workers a raise, while progressives push for a hike in the federal minimum wage. But when St. Louis raised it to ten dollars an hour, Missouri became the latest Republican-controlled state to pass a law rolling it back. So much for local control. This hour On Point: a push for a lower minimum wage. -- Anthony Brooks
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2017/07/10/americas-minimum-wage-showdown

Catching Up w/ Scott Clifton aka Theoretical Bullshit (Mythicist Milwaukee)

Scott Clifton aka Theoretical Bullshit shakes off the YouTube cobwebs and joins us for a fascinating discussion on many areas that he has covered in his videos throughout the years.

Scott Clifton is a Daytime Emmy award-winning actor, best known for his work in the long-running American soap operas, General Hospital, One Life to Live, and The Bold and the Beautiful. Also recognized for his YouTube persona, "Theoretical Bullshit", he has cultivated a growing following in the online world of critical thinking and debate, which has earned him invitations to speak at multiple conventions for skepticism and freethought.

In 2014, Clifton released a music album titled “Girl Go Home,” which he wrote and sang, “because nobody else would”. It was truly an honor to have Scott on the show! Don't miss this interview.
Interview:
http://www.mythicistmilwaukee.com/mythicistmilwaukeeblog/2017/7/17/catching-up-w-scott-clifton-aka-theoretical-bullshit

Alex Jones: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Alex Jones is known for pushing conspiracy theories, but he also spends a lot of time promoting his own products. John Oliver and a “doctor” “from” M.I.T. test out his marketing strategy.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/WyGq6cjcc3Q

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

Interview:
https://youtu.be/ixinJw6aOOI

Hackers descend on Las Vegas to expose voting machine flaws -- POLITICO

A computer science professor used a laptop's Wi-Fi connection to gain access to the type of voting machine that Fairfax County, Virginia, used until just two years ago...
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/30/hackers-voting-machines-las-vegas-241130

Amid the Blaring Headlines, Routine Reports of Hate-Fueled Violence -- ProPublica

...The specter of hate incidents and crimes — some of them fueled by the nastiness of the 2016 presidential campaign — felt white hot months ago. The issue remained high-profile as several horrific murders — a South Asian immigrant slain in Kansas City, a homeless black man butchered near Times Square in New York — generated outrage and national news coverage...
https://www.propublica.org/article/amid-the-blaring-headlines-routine-reports-of-hate-fueled-violence

Federal judge blocks Arkansas from enforcing extreme abortion laws -- ThinkProgress.org

A federal judge has blocked Arkansas from enforcing several extreme abortion restrictions that reproductive rights advocates say would have had a devastating effect on patients. The preliminary injunction from U.S. District Court Judge...
https://thinkprogress.org/arkansas-federal-judge-abortion-462ab1722303

Google Finds and Blocks Spyware Linked to Cyberarms Group -- WIRED

A new, targeted malware called Lipizzan could completely take over an Android device until Android Security shut it down ...
https://www.wired.com/story/lipizzan-android-malware-nation-state

The deadly risk of standing up to Putin

What can happen to you if you oppose the Kremlin? There is a high mortality rate among prominent critics of the Russian government, which some say is emblematic of how President Vladimir Putin runs the country....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxjFSPGLlRc&feature=youtu.be

Mulvaney: Trump Wants Senate To Vote On O'Care Repeal Before Anything Else -- TPM

White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney on Sunday said President Donald Trump wants the Senate to hold another vote to repeal Obamacare before moving on to any other legislative business. "...
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mulvaney-trump-senate-obamacare-repeal-vote

LIVE: William Browder Testifies before Senate Judiciary Hearing Russian Meddling US Election 7/27/17 - YouTube

This is what Trump's latest tweets and Scaramucci's outrageous comments were meant to distract us from.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-RsAGjUXtg

Businessman Paints Terrifying And Complex Picture Of Putin's Russia -- NPR

Allegations of murder, blackmail and hundreds of millions of dollars worth of corruption. William Browder's story has it all — and he shared it Thursday with a Senate panel investigating Russia. ...
http://www.npr.org/2017/07/28/539802914/businessman-paints-a-terrifying-and-complex-picture-of-putins-russia

William Browder Testifies before Senate Judiciary Hearing Russian Meddling US Election 7/27/17

This is the big story Trump hopes you missed while he distracted with tweets about transgender people in the military and Scaramucci's obscene comments about people in the White House.

William Browder's testimony goes into great detail about what the Russians -- especially Putin -- want, and what it means when Donald Trump Junior says they talked about adoptions in his meeting with the Russians.

EXPLOSIVE Testimony on Putin's Corruption & Meddling. Justice Department Officials Testify on Foreign Agent Registration Requirement. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on foreign agent registration requirements.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/S-RsAGjUXtg

Will the Government Protect Abortion Clinic Access In the Era of Trump? (Lindsay E. Beyerstein, The Breach)

Rewire Vice President of Law and the Courts Jessica Mason Pieklo joins Lindsay Beyerstein for a special episode on abortion access to mark the launch of Rewire’s first original documentary, Care in Chaos. Anti-choice activists are already testing the government’s commitment to enforcing the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which makes it a federal crime to blockade an abortion clinic. If the federal government won’t defend the rule of law, we could be looking at a return to the tactics of the “Summer of Mercy,” when thousands of anti-choice protesters physically blocked access to clinics in Wichita, Kansas.

Care in Chaos, directed by Lindsay Beyerstein and Martyna Starosta, follows a 27-year-old abortion clinic administrator as she battles anti-choice aggression and law enforcement indifference that threaten safe access for patients and staff.
Interview:
https://rewire.news/multimedia/podcast/breach-will-government-protect-abortion-clinic-access-era-trump/

Is The Health Care Overhaul Over? (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Over a steak dinner last night, President Trump urged key Republican Senators to finally repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. He didn’t know that two more Senators were about to announce they oppose the bill – effectively killing it. So what now? Mitch McConnell wants a “repeal only” bill, but that could lead to chaos. Others say it’s time to work across party lines to fix healthcare. This hour On Point: Republicans fumble and Obamacare remains the law of the land. -- Anthony Brooks
Interview:
http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2017/07/18/is-the-health-care-overhaul-ove

Inside The 'Shakespearian Irony' Of Trump & Bannon's Relationship

In August 2016, three months before the presidential election, Republican nominee Donald Trump was behind in the polls. Instead of staying on message, the candidate was engaged in a politically damaging fight with the parents of an Army captain killed in Iraq.

On Aug. 17, in an effort to change course, the Trump team appointed Steve Bannon, the former executive chairman of the conservative Breitbart News, to lead the campaign. Journalist Joshua Green of Bloomberg Businessweek says the switch would prove to be a turning point.

"[Trump] was headed toward a pretty serious loss, and Bannon brought his wealth of anti-Clinton knowledge into the campaign and managed to keep Trump focused on a target," Green says.

Green argues that Bannon's experiences with Breitbart gave him a framework for mobilizing disaffected young white male voters who were attracted to Trump. Without such guidance, Green says, "I don't think that Donald Trump would have been elected president."

Despite Bannon's success in the campaign, Green says that the adviser's nationalist vision remains largely unfulfilled. "The kind of tragic, Shakespearean irony of the Donald Trump-Steve Bannon relationship is that Bannon finally did find the vessel for his ideas who could get elected president ... [but who] now doesn't have the focus, the wherewithal, the self-control to even do the basic things that a president needs to do."

Green's new book, Devil's Bargain, profiles Bannon and explains his role in Trump's election.

Interview:
http://www.npr.org/2017/07/18/537885042/inside-the-shakespearean-irony-of-trump-and-bannons-relationship

Dave Rubin vs. The Left (David C. Smalley, Dogma Debate #322)

Making your opposition afraid to ask questions for fear of being labeled hateful, only prevents your goal of educating them. EXPLICIT!
Listen to "#322 - Dave Rubin vs. The Left" on Spreaker.

"Graham Greene" by Percival Everett -- (LeVar Burton Reads Episode 6)

A man is contacted by a 102-year-old woman with an unusual and seemingly impossible request. "Graham Greene" appears in Percival Everett's collection HALF AN INCH OF WATER, available from Graywolf Press.
https://art19.com/shows/levar-burton-reads/episodes/49e491ac-af35-482e-a390-22f56c907526

MAGAnomics And The Quest For Three Percent (Joshua Johnson, 1A)

They call it MAGAnomics.

That’s a term coined by budget director Mick Mulvaney to describe a budget plan designed to guarantee three percent economic growth every year. How? Through tax cuts, spending cuts and a combination of other strategies.

That three-percent estimate has been criticized as practically impossible. The Congressional Budget Office predicts the plan will only give the economy a one-tenth of one percent boost, keeping overall growth below two percent. The White House has previously said it doesn’t have much faith in the CBO’s math skills, but whose calculations can we trust? And what would it take to get to three percent growth?
Interview:
http://the1a.org/shows/2017-07-17/maganomics-and-the-quest-for-three-percent