Boeing sued by flight attendants claiming plane design let 'toxic air' into cabin | TheHill

Three flight attendants are suing Boeing, claiming the company designed a plane that allows “toxic air” into the cabin that made them sick. The lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court on Tuesday asserts that the planes utilize a “bleed air system” that takes in air that allegedly contains various chemicals off the engines outside, The Chicago Tribune reported. ....
https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/aviation/480830-boeing-sued-by-flight-attendants-claiming-that-plane-design

Trump’s impeachment trial defense came from Hannity

As the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump approaches its conclusion, Trump’s legal defense team has deployed arguments that bear a striking resemblance to pro-Trump spin previously heard on one of the president’s favorite TV shows, Fox News’ Hannity.
Interview:
https://youtu.be/3snz2vC-MzI

A Russian Asset Sues What? (Opening Arguments podcast OA354)

Today’s episode breaks down the (spoiler: ridiculous) defamation lawsuit filed by Tulsi Gabbard against Hillary Clinton for calling her (sort of) a “Russian asset.” We do the patented Opening Arguments reading-the-complaint-backwards method (sort of) to figure out exactly what this means and what comes next.

We begin, however, with some instant response to the Saturday Republican “defense” of Trump in the impeachment proceedings. It’s… well, it’s a thing. Is Jay Sekulow still America’s dumbest lawyer? (Hint: yes.) Learn the arguments that they’re actually trying to advance, and why they’re not actually a thing.
Interview:
https://openargs.com/oa354-a-russian-asset-sues-what/

Trump called global anti-bribery law ‘horrible.’ His administration is pursuing fewer new investigations - The Washington Post

Three years into his administration, the Trump administration's track record on the issue is mixed. Fines and the number of individuals charged are up but new investigations have fallen markedly.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/01/31/trump-fcpa/

Republican Senators Are Now Admitting Trump’s Pressure on Ukraine Was Wrong – Mother Jones

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) went on Meet The Press on Sunday and said President Donald Trump’s actions in the Ukraine scandal were “improper“—Trump was “crossing the line” by hinging millions in aid on investigating a political opponent—but it was not an impeachable offense. Trump was maybe just incompetent, he argued. Plus, there is an election coming up. Let the people decide, Alexander shrugged.....
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/02/republicans-senators-are-now-admitting-trumps-pressure-on-ukraine-was-wrong/

The Bible as a Standard of Truth

This is why the Bible is a poor basis for an epistemology. ....
https://youtu.be/krnUlWyC0AU

Slavery reparations seem impossible. In many places, they’re already happening - The Washington Post

Reparations for slavery are already being paid all over the country...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/01/31/slavery-reparations-seem-impossible-many-places-theyre-already-happening/

Why Democrats share the blame for the rise of Donald Trump

I was part of a Democratic administration that failed to fix a rigged system – I know our current president is a symptom of our disunion, not its only cause ....
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/01/donald-trump-impeachment-trial-state-of-the-union

Masked Men With Semi-Automatic Weapons Swarm Kentucky Capitol Building | HuffPost

They were gun rights activists proving they have a right to terrify people. Twitter critics went ballistic.....
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/automatic-weapons-nra-gun-control-kentucky_n_5e36477ac5b6f262332a9f38

Trump’s drive to make toilets, dishwashers great again collides with companies, product testing - The Washington Post

His allusions to a bygone era of superior appliances misses what is largely a story of American progress.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trumps-drive-to-make-toilets-dishwashers-great-again-collides-with-companies-product-testing/2020/01/29/958a9f54-3c73-11ea-b90d-5652806c3b3a_story.html

In the West Bank, Trump’s plan has validated settlers’ dreams — and crushed the hopes of Palestinians - The Washington Post

The emotional weight of the peace initiative is perhaps being felt most intensely by these side-by-side antagonists....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/in-the-west-bank-trumps-plan-has-validated-settlers-dreams--and-crushed-the-hopes-of-palestinians/2020/01/31/09b7d34e-42a8-11ea-99c7-1dfd4241a2fe_story.html

Jump in Employment Seen Among Medicaid Expansion Enrollees, Especially the Most Vulnerable

Healthy Michigan Plan enrollees experienced a six-point increase in employment or student status in one year, while employment for all Michiganders stayed the same. ....
https://labblog.uofmhealth.org/industry-dx/jump-employment-seen-among-medicaid-expansion-enrollees-especially-most-vulnerable

How much you need to save to earn $60,000 a year in interest

An “interest only” retirement plan removes one of the biggest fears about life after leaving your job: Will my money outlast me? Because if you can save enough money now, you can fund your retirement by living off your returns without ever touching your nest egg. ....
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/31/how-much-you-need-to-save-to-earn-60000-a-year-in-interest.html

Trump's border wall requires open storm gates to avoid flash floods in certain areas: report | TheHill

Trump's border wall requires open storm gates to avoid flash floods in certain areas: report President Trump’s border wall will require manual storm gates in areas along the Arizona border, The Washington Post reported Thursday. U.S. Border Patrol officials told the Post that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) engineers determined that storm gates would be required in rural areas of that portion of the border during monsoon season and would have to be left open for months at a time. ....
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/480810-trumps-border-wall-requires-open-storm-gates-to-avoid-flash-floods-in

AP Fact Check: Trump on Democrats, impeachment and cows | PBS NewsHour Weekend

Contrary to a statement by President Donald Trump, Democrats are not aiming to kill cows, Iowa farmers or you. Trump’s fictional take on murderous Democrats, which he played for laughs at an Iowa rally, came during a week dominated by the Senate impeachment trial and the multitude of distortions it produced. A look at recent rhetoric about impeachment, his newly signed trade deal and more: ...
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/ap-fact-check-trump-on-democrats-impeachment-and-cows

Rick Wilson promises his anti-Trump group is about to launch a ‘pretty frigging nasty’ campaign to oust the president – Raw Story

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/02/rick-wilson-promises-his-anti-trump-group-is-about-to-launch-a-pretty-frigging-nasty-campaign-to-oust-the-president/

ER doctor confronts Pence over Medicaid cuts in diner | TheHill

Dr. Rob Davidson posted a video to Twitter of his interaction with Pence, after he said the vice president happened to come into the diner in Des Moines, Iowa, to greet people. Davidson pointed to an announcement the Trump administration made earlier on Thursday, a controversial conservative move to allow states to cap their Medicaid funding with block grants. ....
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/480944-er-doctor-confronts-pence-over-medicaid-cuts-in-diner

Worship pastor writes viral song calling out evangelical supporters of Trump | TheHill

A worship pastor is gaining widespread attention for writing an anti-Trump song that calls out the 81 percent of white evangelical Christian voters who supported President Trump in 2016. Daniel Deitrich, a pastor at South Bend City Church in South Bend, Ind., wrote "Hymn for the 81%" out of frustration with Trump's evangelical support.
https://thehill.com/homenews/news/480989-worship-pastor-writes-viral-song-calling-out-evangelical-supporters-of-trump

Trump’s legal team gave thousands in contributions to Republican senators ahead of impeachment trial | Salon.com

Former independent counsels Ken Starr and Robert Ray, who both investigated former President Bill Clinton ahead of his impeachment, contributed thousands of dollars to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell last year before they joined the president's team, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics (CFPR).
https://www.salon.com/2020/01/29/trumps-legal-team-gave-thousands-in-contributions-to-republican-senators-ahead-of-impeachment-trial/

Giuliani discussed interests of a former Ukrainian client during summer meeting with top Zelensky aide - The Washington Post

Before urging Ukraine to pursue investigations sought by President Trump, Giuliani raised the standing of a former client, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, during a Madrid meeting last summer, according to people in attendance....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/giuliani-discussed-interests-of-a-former-ukrainian-client-during-summer-meeting-with-top-zelensky-aide/2020/01/31/669a0fa0-41ef-11ea-abff-5ab1ba98b405_story.html

Two major banks pull support from Florida school voucher programs because of anti-LGBTQ policies - The Washington Post

The actions come after a newspaper investigation of schools involved in the voucher program.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/01/30/two-major-banks-pull-support-florida-school-voucher-programs-because-anti-lgbtq-policies/

Republicans passed tax cuts — then profited – Center for Public Integrity

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is a case study of how lawmakers can make themselves richer with the bills they pass. ....
https://publicintegrity.org/inequality-poverty-opportunity/taxes/trumps-tax-cuts/republicans-profit-congress/

Trump’s final impeachment strategy: Throw Mitch McConnell under the bus – Raw Story

Mitch McConnell’s cover-up of Donald Trump’s corruption looks like it will soon be complete — but not before a betrayal so big it could blow the GOP’s chances of holding the Senate in November. ....
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/01/trumps-final-impeachment-strategy-throw-mitch-mcconnell-under-the-bus/

Texas AG won't defend state agency in gay marriage suit, citing beliefs

Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley has refused to marry same-sex couples for years, and is suing the Texas Commission on Judicial Review over her censure.
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/texas-ag-won-t-defend-state-agency-gay-marriage-suit-n1126731

Trump Administration Unveils a Major Shift in Medicaid - NYTimes

States will be able to cap a portion of spending for the safety-net program, a change likely to diminish the number of people receiving health benefits through it. ....
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/30/health/medicaid-block-grant-trump.html

Head of Giant 330-Million-Year-Old Shark Found in Wall of Kentucky Cave

Researchers have uncovered the remnants of a huge, fossilized shark head in the walls of a cave in Kentucky. The remains of the ancient animal are located in Mammoth Cave National Park, which is home to the longest known cave system on Earth—one that extends for more than 400 miles, according to the National Park Service....
https://www.newsweek.com/head-giant-330-million-year-old-shark-wall-kentucky-cave-1484825

US government basically declares war on millions of school children | TheHill

In Dickens’ “Oliver Twist,” children in a 19th century London workhouse are fed the smallest amounts of the cheapest foods to maximize the profit accrued by the owners. In Hansel and Gretel, a witch lures the children into her gingerbread home then works to fatten Hansel up for the dinner table. The U.S. government has initiated a double-barreled attack on the health and nutrition of our school children using the same sinister strategies previously employed by workhouses and witches. The USDA is trying to deny essential food access to over half a million children by modifying the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). ....
https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/480400-us-government-basically-declares-war-on-millions-of-school-children

"I'M GOD" (Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Freethought Radio)

This week we respond to President Trump's guidelines for prayer in school. FFRF litigation attorney Sam Grover tells us about the friend-of-the-court brief we filed in the U.S. Supreme Court dealing with state money for religious schools. After hearing atheist comedian and actor Patton Oswalt talk about "the insanity of faith," retired Kentucky postal worker Ben Hart tells us what it feels like, after three years of litigation, to finally mount his irreverent "I'M GOD" license plate on his vehicle.
Interview:
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/freethought-radio

Week In The News: Impeachment, Trump's Middle East Peace Plan, 2020 Latest (On Point)

Impeachment. Trump’s Middle East peace plan. Election 2020 latest. All unfolding at a critical moment. Our week in review panel will tackle the week's big stories.
Interview:
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2020/01/31/week-in-the-news-impeachment-peace-plan

The News Roundup — Domestic (The 1A) 2020-01-31

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton may be called to testify in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Bolton’s forthcoming book allegedly contains revelations about when Trump initially planned to withhold military aid to Ukraine.

The Pentagon announced that 50 U.S. troops sustained brain injuries in the Iranian airstrike on Al Asad Air Base in Iraq earlier this month.

The Trump administration announced a new rule that creates an additional barrier for legal immigration to the United States in the form of a “wealth test.” The “public charge” rule would ban immigrants who are deemed unable to support themselves financially.

We’ll talk about the week’s top national headlines.
Interview:
https://the1a.org/segments/the-news-roundup-domestic-2020-01-31/

The News Roundup — International (The 1A) 2020-01-31

This week, mass evacuations are underway in China due to the outbreak of coronavirus. Countries are negotiating with the Chinese government to evacuate citizens stuck in Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus. The death toll in China reached 170, with 7,700 total cases reported there and about 100 cases reported outside of the country. The World Health Organization is now calling it a “global health emergency.”

And President Trump unveiled his long-awaited Middle East peace plan this week. The plan proposed a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, with Jerusalem being the capital of Israel. Israel will also maintain the right to make arrests and keep settlements in the Palestinian state, which will not be considered sovereign.

In the United Kingdom, the Brexit withdrawal agreement was ratified by the European Union. Britain will officially withdraw on Friday. The British government is also allowing Chinese tech giant Huawei to continue expanding its 5G wireless network into its borders, despite calls from the Trump administration to boycott the company.

And we saw the sun like never before.
Interview:
https://the1a.org/segments/the-news-roundup-internationa-2020-01-31/

New Bolton revelations show Trump’s trial is more corrupt than we thought - The Washington Post

Everyone was indeed in the loop.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/01/31/new-bolton-revelations-show-trumps-trial-is-more-corrupt-than-we-thought/

George Conway: Don’t let the defense fool you. This impeachment is all about corruption - The Washington Post

Alan Dershowitz's bizarre claims in the Senate trial offer just more proof of how Trump degrades all those around him.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/george-conway-dont-let-the-defense-fool-you-this-impeachment-is-all-about-corruption/2020/01/30/c3417c58-43a6-11ea-b503-2b077c436617_story.html

New Reports Show That Trump’s Economic Promises Were Empty | The New Yorker

With the impeachment trial, the coronavirus, and the Iowa caucuses in the news, dry economic statistics aren’t getting much attention right now. But two new reports—the latest gross-domestic-product figures from the Commerce Department and a new set of budget projections from the Congressional Budget Office—shouldn’t be allowed to pass without comment. Indeed, the issues they raise should be central to the 2020 election. ....
https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/new-reports-show-that-trumps-economic-promises-were-empty

BUSHY BOLTON'S BOMBSHELL

The Q & A portion of the impeachment trial wraps up, the Republicans argue that everything is hearsay, Jimmy sweetens the pot for Mitt Romney to #MittOrGetOffThePot, and former National Security Advisor John Bolton releases his children's book 'Bushy Bolton's Bombshell.' ....
https://youtu.be/Kz45vTBqYR8

US farm bankruptcies jumped 20 percent in 2019 despite federal aid | TheHill

U.S. farms faced a surge of bankruptcies in 2019, up 20 percent despite aid efforts from Washington. President Trump's administration allocated $28 billion in aid for farmers affected by his trade war with China in the past two years, but bankruptcies were recorded at the highest level since 2011, according to the American Farm Bureau's study. The bureau said there were 595 Chapter 12 family farm bankruptcies last year. ....
https://thehill.com/policy/international/trade/480713-us-farm-bankruptcies-jumped-20-percent-in-2019-despite-federal-aid

Iraq says U.S.-led coalition has resumed operations against ISIS - The Washington Post

Joint operations were suspended after President Trump ordered the killing of a top Iranian military commander in Baghdad.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iraq-says-us-led-coalition-has-resumed-operations-against-isis/2020/01/30/10fa2d62-437c-11ea-99c7-1dfd4241a2fe_story.html

I have just read 25 books and am here to perform your open-heart surgery - The Washington Post

I would describe medicine as more of a "recent hobby."....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/01/29/i-have-just-read-25-books-am-here-perform-your-open-heart-surgery/

Debunking 4 Viral Rumors About the Bidens and Ukraine - NYTimes

As lawmakers examine whether President Trump pushed Ukraine to investigate the Biden family, here are some of the most prominent falsehoods that have spread online and an explanation of what really happened.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/29/business/media/fact-check-biden-ukraine-burisma-china-hunter.html

The US government claims I'm a 'domestic terrorist'. Am I?

I shut down an oil pipeline as part of a peaceful protest. The government thinks this is violent extremism...
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/30/oil-pipeline-protest-us-domestic-terrorism

John Oliver Says Trump Never Invited on 'Last Week Tonight' Despite Claims: 'It's Dangerous How Good He Is At Lying'

Last Week Tonight host John Oliver has spoken out about President Donald Trump's claim that he turned down an invitation to appear on the Emmy-winning HBO satirical program, saying the president has never been invited on to the show. ....
https://www.newsweek.com/john-oliver-trump-last-week-tonight-invite-lying-1484837

Democrats rally against Trump's cruel proposal to harm Social Security Disability beneficiaries

Donald Trump is systematically chipping away at every government social insurance program, from food stamps to Medicaid and Medicare to Social Security, to advance his cruel agenda. Among the swarm of regulation changes to all these programs is the creation of a new category of beneficiaries for Social Security Disability Insurance, one made up of people who will have to jump through multiple invasive hoops every two years in order to keep their modest benefits. https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/1/29/1914896/-Democrats-rally-against-Trump-s-cruel-proposal-to-harm-Social-Security-Disability-beneficiaries

Scotland on Track to Hit 100% Renewables Ahead of Climate Talks

United Nations scientists have warned that most countries are on track to totally botch the climate goals needed to curb catastrophic global warming. But there’s at least one bright spot. Scotland is on track to move its energy sector to 100 percent renewables by t he end of this year. That’s just in time to host the United Nations’ international climate talks in November. At least someone’s doing something right.....
https://earther.gizmodo.com/scotland-is-on-track-to-hit-100-percent-renewable-energ-1841202818

The Clean Water Act was a staggering bipartisan achievement. Now Trump is gutting it | Blan Holman | Opinion | The Guardian

This is the single largest loss of clean water protections that America has ever seen – and the timing couldn’t be worse....

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/29/clean-water-act-bipartisan-trump

Dershowitz may have argued himself out of relevance - The Washington Post

On Wednesday night he drove the car off the cliff.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/01/30/dershowitz-may-have-argued-himself-out-relevance/

DOJ tells court that Congress can't sue to enforce subpoenas | TheHill

The Trump administration told a federal judge on Thursday that Congress cannot sue the executive branch, attempting to fight off a House committee's subpoena for documents related to aborted efforts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. James Burnham, an attorney with the Justice Department, argued that Congress cannot use the courts to enforce its subpoenas. It can only use the legislative tools it has at its disposal, he said.....
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/480730-doj-tells-court-that-congress-cant-sue-to-enforce-subpoenas

GOP senators know Trump’s defense is based on lies. Here’s proof - The Washington Post

GOP senators understood exactly what Joe Biden was doing in Ukraine — at the time....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/01/30/gop-senators-know-trumps-defense-is-based-lies-heres-proof/

Right-wing talking point: Trump is only being accused of "thought crimes"

Pro-Trump media are in desperation mode.....
https://youtu.be/BylO9CAWZJ4

Let Us Count the Ways the Trump Administration Is Underprepared to Tackle the Coronavirus – Mother Jones

Leadership vacuum? Check. Expert hospital scarcity? Check.....

https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2020/01/coronavirus-white-house-public-health-cdc-hospitals/ 

Now Trump Needs the Deep State to Fight Coronavirus - The Atlantic

In order to combat the disease, the president will have to trust the kind of government experts he has disdained and dismissed.....
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/01/now-trump-needs-deep-state-fight-coronavirus/605752/

Lev Parnas directly implicates Lindsey Graham in Ukraine plot: ‘He was in the loop’ – Raw Story

An indicted associate of Rudy Giuliani says Sen. Lindsey Graham was “in the loop” in the scheme to pressure Ukraine to announce an investigation into Joe Biden. Lev Parnas, a Ukraine-born businessman charged with campaign finance violations, told CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360°” that Graham has a personal interest in keeping witness testimony out of President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial.....
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/01/lev-parnas-directly-implicates-lindsey-graham-in-ukraine-plot-he-was-in-the-loop/

There Is No Christian Case for Trump - The Atlantic

An editorial last month in the evangelical world’s flagship publication, Christianity Today, argued that Donald Trump should be removed from office. The editorial, the last one written by the editor in chief Mark Galli before his planned retirement, heartened those evangelicals who have been unsettled by their co-religionists’ enthusiastic support for Trump. But the editorial upset many others, since white evangelicals constitute arguably the strongest base of support for the president. ....
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/01/there-no-christian-case-trump/605785/

South Dakota Lawmakers Just Voted to Send Doctors to Jail for Helping Trans Kids - Mother Jones

Many other states have similar laws in the works.....
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/01/south-dakota-transgender-minor-health-care-bill/

While pushing unsafe anti-abortion laws, Ohio's forced-birthers say they only want women's safety

One of the leading propaganda claims of the forced-birthers since they began their crusade against women’s reproductive rights has been that they want to ensure women are safely treated at abortion clinics. That, of course, is something every sane person wants. But this professed concern from the forced-birthers is actually a clumsy distraction from the real goal of ending all legal abortion. Doing so would gravely damage women’s health and safety, as hundreds of thousands sought illegal abortions any way they could get one. That makes no difference to those who believe abortion is the devil’s handiwork.
https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/1/29/1914895/-While-pushing-unsafe-anti-abortion-laws-Ohio-s-forced-birthers-say-they-only-want-women-s-safety

Buried in Trump-Netanyahu deal is effort to ‘torpedo’ ICC war crimes probe – Raw Story

As the International Criminal Court moved forward this week with its investigation into alleged war crimes committed against Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, the White House’s new so-called “peace” plan includes a largely unreported provision that would end such efforts to hold the Israeli government to account....
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/01/buried-in-trump-netanyahu-deal-is-effort-to-torpedo-icc-war-crimes-probe/