USA Unify, Liberal Resistance, & Progressive Power

"Immigration enforcement budgets have ballooned from $350 million in 1980, to $1.2 billion in 1990, to $9.1 billion in 2003, to a whopping $23.7 billion in 2018, all going into what has become our border industrial complex. Those budgets then annually funnel $2.32 billion back to the private sector through federal immigration, corrections, and detention contracts. Two new reports, “More than a Wall: Corporate Profiteering and the Militarization of US Borders,” by journalist Todd Miller and released by the Transnational Institute, and “Detained for Profit: Spending Surges Under U.S. Immigration Crackdown,” by Alan Zibel and released by Public Citizen, detail which corporations are benefiting from the border cash cow, as well as how their lobbying efforts are pushing lawmakers to continue funding lucrative immigration enforcement." (jn) http://ow.ly/3QiV50wXC6h To Article

"That’s when the film transitions to the twins, identified as having come from the Soviet Union — at that point, the fiercest international rival to the United States. Above that identifier is the twins’ family name: the Vindmans. The Vindmans | Ken Burns's “Statue of Liberty” Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman is briefly interviewed in Ken Burns’s 1985 film, “Statue of Liberty.” (Ken Burns UNUM/Florentine Films) The twins, Alexander and Yevgeny Vindman, both ended up working for the White House under President Trump. Both Vindmans served in the U.S. Army, and both rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Each now works for the National Security Council. Theirs is, in the abstract, the quintessential American story. Migrants who arrived from the former Soviet Union at age 3 who’ve since dedicated their lives to serving their new country. The Vindmans’ experience is a manifestation of the poem at the base of the statue: They are part of the impoverished, huddled masses seeking the ch

"A political operator who led an office created by President Donald Trump to expose wrongdoing at the Department of Veterans Affairs used his position to quash whistleblowers and retaliate against foes, according to an inspector general report released Thursday. The accusations involve Peter O’Rourke, who Trump appointed in 2017 to lead the new Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection, and his successor, Kirk Nicholas. The inspector general audit said that under O’Rourke and Nicholas, the whistleblower’s office ended investigations into allies of senior officials, failed to consistently report to Congress and refused to honor whistleblowers’ demands for anonymity. The office used unfair and shoddy investigative procedures, and in some cases didn’t interview the subjects of some complaints, the report said." (jn) http://ow.ly/M3SH50wXBm4 To Article

"From the moment House Democrats launched their impeachment inquiry, President Donald Trump and Republicans have criticized the process as a partisan "witch hunt." Republicans have highlighted the secluded nature of the investigation, with key depositions unfolding in private. They've complained about the rules preventing most lawmakers from participating in the hearings. Broadly speaking, Republicans have said the process was unfair. But it appears many of their complaints will be neutralized after the Democratic-controlled House passes a resolution setting the parameters for the next stage of the inquiry. Democrats unveiled their proposed resolution on Tuesday and plan to hold a floor vote on Thursday." (jn) http://ow.ly/NsMk50wXB8e To Article

"George Papadopoulos, a former campaign advisor for President Donald Trump, is planning to run for the California House seat soon to be vacated by Rep. Katie Hill. Papadopoulos, who was a foreign policy advisor for Trump during his 2016 campaign for president, served 12 days in prison after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI during special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible links between the campaign and Russia’s interference in the 2016 election." (jn) http://ow.ly/3im050wXAXC To Article

"After President Donald Trump said on Monday the U.S. will be "keeping the oil" in northeastern Syria, his administration is looking into the "specifics," according to a senior State Department official -- but it's prompted renewed cries that doing so is a war crime. Trump has a long history of calling for the U.S. to "take the oil" in the Middle East, in Iraq and Syria in particular. But any oil in both countries belongs to their governments, and according to U.S. law and treaties it has ratified, seizing it would be pillaging, a technical term for theft during wartime that is illegal under U.S. and international law." (jn) http://ow.ly/Bv6d50wXAta To Article

"A measure of hiring by US businesses fell to the lowest level in seven years in the third quarter as trade tensions increasingly weighed on the economic outlook. In a survey released Monday, the National Association of Business Economists said one-fifth of companies hired more workers over the past three months. That was compared with one in three in July and brought the gauge to its weakest point since 2012. The decline was at least partly driven by trade disputes between the Trump administration and major economies, the business economists said. Tariffs have dimmed the outlook for an economy that had already been expected to slow this year. " (n) http://ow.ly/34Bc50wXAh9 To Article

"Not only have the U.S. and foreign governments spent money at properties owned by Donald Trump, but the president’s own political campaign and affiliated political committees have also spent about $16.8 million at his businesses since he launched his 2016 bid for the presidency, according to an analysis of federal election spending records." (jn) http://ow.ly/2Q2e50wXA0Q To Article

"New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday that 47 attorneys general from states and U.S. territories plan to take part in a New York-led antitrust probe into Facebook. The multistate investigation was announced in September with participation from seven other states, but it has since expanded to nearly the entire country. The probe will zero in on whether Facebook broke any state or federal laws as a result of any anti-competitive conduct related to its dominance of social media. “After continued bipartisan conversations with attorneys general from around the country, today I am announcing that we have vastly expanded the list of states, districts, and territories investigating Facebook for potential antitrust violations,” James said in a statement. “Our investigation now has the support of 47 attorneys general from around the nation, who are all concerned that Facebook may have put consumer data at risk, reduced the quality of consumers’ choices, and increa

“There's no actual need for the House to vote to start an impeachment inquiry, but Democrats are going belt-and-suspenders.” To Article

"Former national security adviser John Bolton cautioned about the influence Rudy Giuliani had on US-Ukraine policymaking during a meeting in mid-June with top US officials, a career foreign service officer plans to tell Congress on Wednesday, according to a copy of his opening statement obtained by CNN. Christopher Anderson, who was the assistant to former special envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker from 2017-2019, is one of two State Department officials set to testify behind closed doors later Wednesday as part of the House Ukraine impeachment inquiry. Catherine Croft, who took over that role in summer 2019, is also testifying behind closed doors Wednesday, and the testimony started around 9:30 a.m. ET. The House Intelligence Committee issued a subpoena to Croft on Wednesday morning for her testimony, according to an official working on the impeachment inquiry. Volker, as well as a number of other State Department officials, have already testified as part of the probe. Neither witness

"Trump has falsely claimed this document provides an “exact word-for-word transcript” of his call. In fact, the first page contains a disclaimer that it “is not a verbatim transcript of a discussion.” Rather, it “records the notes and recollections” of officials listening to and memorializing the call. There were some unusual features of the document. It included three incidents of ellipses that seemed to omit what was said, all while Trump was speaking about those investigations." "Now, the Times reports that Vindman testified there were at least two parts of the conversation that weren’t properly captured in the document." (jn) http://ow.ly/IhWq50wXz8V To Article

Doubt it, Facebook will pry every penny it can from the people and from campaign finance. #RegulateFacebook To Article

NC Senate: “Sorry teachers, we can't afford to give you a decent raise.” Also NC Senate: “$1 billion in corporate tax cuts? No problem!” http://ow.ly/prXd50wXyyc To Article

"Georgia’s voting rolls have swollen over the last 10 months. Many of those newly-registered voters are new to the state, and Democrats think they’re going to help flip the state next year. The surge is rooted in a new state law that automatically registered hundreds of thousands of new voters." (jn) http://ow.ly/QqPr50wXytD To Article

"Though it’s on federal land, the Swiss bottled water giant paid the US Forest Service and state practically nothing, and it profited handsomely: Nestlé Waters’ 2018 worldwide sales exceeded $7.8bn. Conservationists say some creek beds in the area are now bone dry and once-gushing springs have been reduced to mere trickles. The Forest Service recently determined Nestlé’s activities left Strawberry Creek “impaired” while “the current water extraction is drying up surface water resources”. Meanwhile, the state is investigating whether Nestlé is illegally drawing from Strawberry Creek and in 2017 advised it to “immediately cease any unauthorized diversions”. Still, a year later, the Forest Service approved a new five-year permit that allows Nestlé to continue using federal land to extract water, a decision critics say defies common sense." (jn) http://ow.ly/hOq950wXvJR To Article

"Sheriff Streck says the drug bust happened the week of Oct. 21. He says his office was aided by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, FBI’s Cincinnati Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Joseph Deters, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Vance Callender. “The quantity of fentanyl in this case amounts to chemical warfare and a weapon of mass destruction,” Yost said. “I applaud the work of our task force and our law enforcement partners - this is an enormous amount of deadly drugs that will no longer be on our streets.”" (jn) http://ow.ly/5ZfW50wXvld To Article

"In a statement Tuesday, Allied Progress director Derek Martin said the recordings represent "the worst of Washington, D.C.—wealthy executives buying off politicians so they can keep their predatory business model intact." "It's not surprising payday lenders are exploiting President Trump's fondness for quid pro quos, because it clearly works," added Martin. "The president and his team at the CFPB have no good reason to push millions more people towards 400 percent interest loans and the payday debt trap. They're acting solely on the millions of bad reasons payday lenders keep contributing to his campaign, and the industry clearly feels emboldened by that." "The president pledged to drain the swamp, instead it appears he's catering to the alligators," Martin said." (jn) http://ow.ly/iR3I50wXu5U To Article

"..the chief of the White House's computer network defense branch—who wrote the memo after submitting his resignation—warned that the White House was likely headed toward another network compromise and theft of data." http://ow.ly/cEFv50wWQt8 To Article

“In a move that worries many public health experts, the federal government is quietly shutting down a surveillance program for dangerous animal viruses that someday may infect humans.” http://ow.ly/PluG50wWQoM To Article

"South Dakota’s governor and attorney general today backed down from their unconstitutional attempts to silence pipeline protestors." http://ow.ly/jso850wWQn1 To Article

"An international group of scientists released a report today detailing how the fossil fuel industry actively campaigned to sow doubt about the climate crisis and what steps need to be taken to undo the damage, as the Los Angeles Times reported." http://ow.ly/oRX450wWQla To Article

“Top Trump adviser on Russia, Europe steps down ahead of impeachment testimony Morrison, who is scheduled to testify before House impeachment investigators Thursday, "has decided to pursue other opportunities," a senior administration official said.” To Article

These guys seem to have been everywhere majorly Republican http://ow.ly/IrMp50wWQje To Article

"Blackjewel said in a notice posted Oct. 21 that the sale of its Wyoming mines would allow the company to pay back wages to employees in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia." http://ow.ly/aWV150wWQfH To Article

"It’s no Bedminster—Trump called it “very rustic”—but presidents have often retreated there when trouble looms. Afterward, Jared is off to Israel and MBS’s “Davos in the Desert.”: http://ow.ly/vVr350wWQcr To Article

"With the impeachment script fully flipping this week, it's Pelosi who wants Americans to watch every turn of the trial of President Donald Trump, and Republicans who have abruptly stopped calling for more transparency. "They want transparency like a hole in the head, for crying out loud," said Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J. "Transparency is not going to help them." The reason for the change: the facts in evidence." http://ow.ly/FQey50wXLkm To Article

"The official action sets in motion a withdrawal that still would take a year to complete under the rules of the accord." http://ow.ly/5Cat50wWQ4P To Article

Bigger turbines, floating platforms, cheapening technology and green policies – these are all plotting the course for a wind revolution, the agency says http://ow.ly/Ja5u50wWQ1Z To Article

Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked legislation that would provide funding for states to shore up election security and create more transparency around online advertisements. http://ow.ly/QJBl50wWPZd To Article

Putin is on a roll http://ow.ly/X1pR50wWPXy To Article

Of course they did. The truth won't set him free http://ow.ly/fhbD50wWPUB To Article

Guilty of what he accused Pelosi of. http://ow.ly/jPAT50wWPRY To Article

This is kidnapping http://ow.ly/G1QK50wWPPn To Article

"a commander whose religious opinion is that Halloween is “disrespectful to Christian personnel” because it elevates “satan over Christ” tried to stop the base’s annual Halloween party." http://ow.ly/rn1u50wWPKY To Article

"A national security official who listened to the July phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will testify Tuesday that he was so concerned about what he heard that he alerted his superiors, a report said." http://ow.ly/L9Yc50wWPAd To Article

Donald Trump withheld details of ISIS raid from Nancy Pelosi, other congressional Democrats http://ow.ly/eIWv30pMPLd To Article

#NeverAgainIsNow “PITTSBURGH — On the corner of Wilkins Avenue, a large cement building with the name “Tree of Life - Or L’Simcha” sits vacant and quiet on a brisk, sunny afternoon. Through the fenced-off front entrance, passersby can see 11 paper stars in the windows. There is one name written on each star: Joyce Fienberg, Melvin Wax, Irving Younger, Rose Mallinger, Richard Gottfried, Cecil Rosenthal, David Rosenthal, Jerry Rabinowitz, Bernice Simon, Sylvan Simon and Daniel Stein. “http://ow.ly/bvPt30pMPQo To Article

Stop Inequality #EndOligarchy #BothPartiesAreNotTheSame “”The ever-widening gap between the ultra-rich and the rest of us has reached alarming proportions and demands a strong legislative response.” http://ow.ly/DcSD30pMPQ1 To Article

“SALT LAKE CITY — One man is an island: Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah. The 72-year-old former Republican presidential nominee has isolated himself from Republicans in the Senate, in his home state and across the country by occasionally — but strongly — criticizing President Donald Trump, including the president’s efforts to enlist the aid of foreign governments to probe a leading political opponent.” http://ow.ly/Ynt730pMPOR To Article

“Later this year, PBF Energy will restart a processing unit at its refinery on the banks of the Mississippi River east of New Orleans. The unit at the Chalmette Refinery had been shuttered since 2010. In the years since, however, the U.S. energy landscape has changed dramatically, and the upgraded unit is returning to service to supply cleaner fuels for powering tankers, freighters, cruise ships and other commercial vessels plying the world’s oceans.” http://ow.ly/JgQe30pMPOA To Article

‘SNL’: Alec Baldwin’s Trump skit jabs zealous rallygoers – with a cameo by an ISIS escapee http://ow.ly/E0tz30pMPLH To Article

“The president’s lawyer is under investigation, his days of moonlighting as a freelance diplomat now over. The donor who gave $1 million for his inauguration, then helped run a backdoor channel from Ukraine to the Oval Office, has seen his credibility damaged. His special envoy to Kyiv has resigned, as has the energy secretary who played a key role in the alleged military aid-for-dirt scheme. Former and current officials are providing lurid testimony on Capitol Hill in defiance of White House orders.” http://ow.ly/Lkdl30pMPM3 To Article

“”A financial system that requires over $100B of liquidity injections every day, temporary, permanent or otherwise, has major issues.”” http://ow.ly/VOCJ30pMPK5 To Article

The reality show summary...” Trump Turns Baghdadi’s Killing Into a Reality Show The president knows great television when he sees it, and he was enthusiastic about the images he was watching from the White House situation room Saturday night.” http://ow.ly/HELs30pMPJG To Article

“This morning, Vice President Mike Pence refused to answer whether he knew about President Donald Trump’s efforts to withhold military aid to Ukraine unless President Volodymyr Zelensky authorized an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, a quid pro quo that has been corroborated by several top diplomats in their testimonies in the House impeachment inquiry.” http://ow.ly/Vvhr30pMPJc To Article

2 People Killed, At Least 14 Injured In Shooting At Off-Campus Texas A&M-Commerce Party http://ow.ly/Kidy30pMPIA To Article

“Buried in the flurry of headline-grabbing statements last week by acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney about Ukraine, presidential quid pro quo, and a plan to host the next G7 summit at the president’s own golf resort was another announcement that attracted less notice. Climate change, Mulvaney said, won’t be included in the G7 summit’s formalized agenda when the leaders of the world’s major economic powers meet in June.” http://ow.ly/yZM930pMFyo To Article

Chicago Reaches Tentative Deal With School Support Staff, But Not With Teachers Union http://ow.ly/XPCV30pN8oG To Article

What’s your deal? Democratic Sen. Chris Coons Disagrees With ‘Lock Him Up’ Chant Directed At Trump http://ow.ly/pmVS30pN8m3 To Article

Giuliani Gets Torched Over Butt-Dials To Reporter http://ow.ly/rMfW30pMFIO To Article

“ Somebody is thinking about impeachment this morning. President Donald Trump’s latest weekend tweetstorm took aim at Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), two of the top Democrats leading the chamber’s investigation into whether Trump’s request for Ukraine to investigate a political rival merits his removal from office.” http://ow.ly/Jsgs30pMFxA To Article

“House impeachment investigators issued a subpoena to President Donald Trump’s acting budget director Russ Vought, part of a round of subpoenas sent by the House Intelligence Committee. Also subpoenaed were Michael Duffey, a senior official in the Office of Management and Budget, and T. Ulrich Brechbuhl, counsel at the State Department.” http://ow.ly/e5q930pMFwl To Article

We assume everyone’s seen this Obama Remembers ‘Very Honorable’ Elijah Cummings http://ow.ly/d90y30pMFJW To Article

Ex-Ethics Chief Issues Ominous Warning About ‘Anti-Patriots’ Backing Trump http://ow.ly/yd5W30pMFIE To Article

“The new designation under Section 311, the adminstration was warned, would mean foreign banks no longer processing humanitarian-related transactions.” http://ow.ly/gLf430pMFvS To Article

Opinion “The greatest trick the Trumpists ever pulled was to equate the innuendo of crime with actual crime. It started when Donald Trump was able to falsely equate Hillary’s emails with Trump’s Access Hollywood tape. One hour after the tape dropped, around 5 p.m. that Oct. 7, Julian Assange started dumping emails that Russian intelligence services had hacked from Clinton’s campaign onto WikiLeaks for the world to see. The idea was simple: distract, obfuscate, and confuse.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-greatest-trick-the-trumpists-ever-pulled?ref=home To Article

“A court case between the city of Baltimore and a group of energy companies will be permitted to continue after the Supreme Court earlier this week rejected the latter’s attempt to freeze the case. The litigation, which the city initiated in 2018, alleges that the energy companies are liable “for their direct emissions of greenhouse gases” and the damages they’ve caused the city and its residents.” http://ow.ly/2lst30pMFHA To Article

Breaking from employees at Facebook #NYT “SAN FRANCISCO — The letter was aimed at Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, and his top lieutenants. It decried the social network’s recent decision to let politicians post any claims they wanted — even false ones — in ads on the site. It asked Facebook’s leaders to rethink the stance.” The message was written by Facebook’s own employees. Facebook’s position on political advertising is “a threat to what FB stands for,” the employees wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The New York Times. “We strongly object to this policy as it stands.” For the past two weeks, the text of the letter has been publicly visible on Facebook Workplace, a software program that the Silicon Valley company uses to communicate internally. More than 250 employees have signed the message, according to three people who have seen it and who declined to be identified for fear of retaliation. To Article

#ProgressivePower #ProtectThePlanet #ProgressiveBlue 15 of the world’s best nature photographs http://ow.ly/3OmW30pMFH5 To Article

“Scientists have pinpointed a fertile river valley in northern Botswana as the ancestral home of all human beings.” http://ow.ly/VC3t30pNgJB To Article

“On Friday night, advocacy group Tax March projected “For Sale” onto the façade of President Donald Trump’s emoluments-violating Washington, D.C. hotel to highlight the way the business is emblematic of corruption in the White House. The sale reportedly comes partly in response to sustained criticism over the way the business makes money from foreign and domestic clients with interests in the White House. “ http://ow.ly/ohZS30pMFsL To Article

“Donald Trump’s impeachment blockade has collapsed. The president’s former top Russia adviser, Fiona Hill — the first White House official to cooperate in Democrats’ investigation of the Ukraine scandal — has detailed for lawmakers a trail of alleged corruption that extends from Kyiv to the West Wing. In dramatic testimony on Monday, she roped in some of Trump’s top advisers as witnesses to the unfolding controversy.” http://ow.ly/SgpO30pMFrK To Article

http://ow.ly/7GL230pMFq6 To Article

Nooooooo! “Freshman Rep. Katie Hill is resigning amid an ethics investigation over an allegedly inappropriate relationship with a staffer. In a letter posted on Twitter, the Southern California Democrat attributed the resignation to an “abusive” estranged husband and “hateful political operatives” who she said were “driving a smear campaign built around cyber exploitation.” Her resignation was first reported by Politico. The House Ethics Committee investigation of Hill came amid unconfirmed allegations about her personal life reported by conservative site Red State, which along with the Daily Mail published nude photos of the congresswoman without her consent.” http://ow.ly/fwZZ30pN8i7 To Article

State Department official subpoenaed to testify in Trump impeachment inquiry: The latest http://ow.ly/1Vzz30pMFnQ To Article

Is THIS what Trump supporters/voters signed up for?! HOW do you defend this?! #Syria http://ow.ly/wvNf50wUyjh To Article

Privacy concerns are valid, but shouldn't we also consider all those untested rape kits and murder victims The danger of violent criminals re offending and creating more victims over decades, not to mention wrongfully convicted individuals spending life in prison? Perhaps maybe there is a way to do this the right way? "As law enforcement searches of his site surged, Rogers imposed a few restrictions. He allowed investigators to pursue leads on homicides and rapes, but not less serious crimes like assaults. Then, late last year, police in Utah asked Rogers to use the site to investigate an attack on an elderly church organist, who was seriously hurt but survived. Rogers agreed, and police used GEDmatch to identify a 17-year-old suspect, who was arrested in April. But that bending of Rogers' own rules on how police could use GEDmatch triggered a backlash that led him to change the site's terms of service. On May 18, all GEDmatch members were removed from law enforcement

“Lawmakers in South Carolina amended their extreme anti-abortion legislation this week—to make it even more extreme by removing exemptions for victims of rape and incest. The so-called fetal heartbeat bill would ban abortion when a heartbeat can be detected, which is around six weeks, before many women know they’re pregnant. It would also impose potential criminal penalties for doctors who perform abortions after that point.” http://ow.ly/k8o230pMFFC To Article

Trump Still Hasn’t Addressed Pittsburgh Shooting Suspect’s Anti-Refugee Views http://ow.ly/1cfB30pMG56 To Article

Trump speaks at HBCU Benedict College as students are asked to stay in dorms http://ow.ly/Olpv30pMFn3 To Article

Recap What A Year This Week Has Been. Here’s What You Missed In The Impeachment Inquiry. http://ow.ly/qsks30pMFja To Article

Time for some lifestyle changes! "Prolonged exposure to blue light, such as that which emanates from your phone, computer and household fixtures, could be affecting your longevity, even if it's not shining in your eyes. New research suggests that the blue wavelengths produced by light-emitting diodes damage cells in the brain as well as retinas, according to a new study in a model organism. New research at Oregon State University suggests that the blue wavelengths produced by light-emitting diodes damage cells in the brain as well as retinas. The study, published today in Aging and Mechanisms of Disease, involved a widely used organism, Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly, an important model organism because of the cellular and developmental mechanisms it shares with other animals and humans. Jaga Giebultowicz, a researcher in the OSU College of Science who studies biological clocks, led a research collaboration that examined how flies responded to daily 12-hour expo

Don't you think it's time we #EndOligarchy and put people over profits? "As the wildfire torched Sonoma, and others spread in San Bernardino, Los Angeles County and elsewhere, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) railed against all three of the state’s investor-owned power companies, including PG&E, which has already been forced into bankruptcy in the face of billions of dollars in liability claims stemming from previous fires. “I must confess, it is infuriating beyond words,” Newsom said, accusing the utilities of neglecting their infrastructure and leaving the state vulnerable to fires sparked by outmoded power lines. His statements echoed those he made two weeks earlier, when PG&E shut off power to nearly a million customers. “It’s more than just climate change, and it is climate change, but it’s more than that,” Newsom said. “As it relates to PG&E, it’s about dog-eat-dog capitalism meeting climate change, it’s about corporate greed meeting climate change, it’s about decad

This is what dictators do. “The fear has long been that if the politicization of the Justice Department reached genuinely scary levels, we might see Team Trump’s “investigate the investigators” gambit incorporate some kind of criminal probe. That, evidently, is where we now find ourselves. A probe by Attorney General William Barr into the origins of the Russia investigation has changed from an administrative review into a criminal investigation, a person familiar with the review confirmed to NBC News. The review is being conducted by Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham. The New York Times first reported Thursday that the administrative review has turned into a criminal investigation…. The Times reported that the change in status gives Durham the power to subpoena witness testimony and documents, to impanel a grand jury and to file criminal charges. Late last night, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.

To Article

It's not yet clear where this is headed, but we urge everyone to #UniteBlue behind the 2020 Democratic nominee. "Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who has remained in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination even as her bid has failed to gain much traction in polls, announced Friday that she would not seek a fifth term in Congress. The announcement was likely to fuel speculation that Ms. Gabbard may be preparing for a third-party race for the White House, a prospect that has unnerved Democrats. Last Friday, Hillary Clinton suggested that Republicans were “grooming” her for such a bid, though Ms. Gabbard has denied any such plans. In a statement, Ms. Gabbard cited her desire to become president as the reason for not seeking re-election to her current office, telling her constituents that she would “humbly ask you for your support for my candidacy for president of the United States.”" "Ms. Gabbard was facing a challenger for her seat in Congress: State

"The inspector general audit said that under O’Rourke and Nicholas, the whistleblower’s office ended investigations into allies of senior officials, failed to consistently report to Congress and refused to honor whistleblowers’ demands for anonymity. The office used unfair and shoddy investigative procedures, and in some cases didn’t interview the subjects of some complaints, the report said." "GOP officials described O'Rourke as Trump’s “hand picked” appointment to the senior staff position in the Florida Republican Party. He enjoyed the backing of Ike Perlmutter, the Marvel Entertainment chairman who along with two other Mar-a-Lago members has exercised tremendous influence at Trump’s VA. The inspector general report said that O’Rourke had directly retaliated against at least two whistleblowers by downgrading their jobs. It said he had intervened in the investigation of a political ally, producing a favorable outcome for that person." (ab) http://ow.ly/a2e850w

Is this who we are? Do better America. "Abukaram told the Toledo TV station that wearing her Nike sport hijab had not been a problem the past three years, but during a uniform check beforehand, she saw officials having a discussion, which she assumed was about the garment. "And in the back of my mind, I was like 'Are they going to say something about my hijab? Or about my uniform because it is different?'" Noor said. Instead, her teammate was told that she had to change her shorts. Noor said officials did not say anything about the hijab, but she noticed that her name was not on the board after the race. "And they were like, 'You got disqualified,' and I was like, 'For what?' and they were like, 'For wearing your hijab,'" she said. "And, like, my heart dropped. I felt like something horrible happened to me, something that I always thought could happen, but never has happened," she continued. "I think I was mostly e

THIS is democracy? Hello, FBI? "Christian church leader Rick Wiles threatened that "There's gonna be violence in America" if President Donald Trump is removed from office. Wiles, the senior pastor at Flowing Streams Church in Florida, made the remarks on his right-wing TruNews program Tuesday evening. He claimed that cowboys, mountain men and "guys that know how to do violence" would start attacking and "hunting down" Democrats. "If they take him [Trump] out, there's gonna be violence in America," the religious leader said. "That's all there is to it," he asserted. "However he leaves, there's gonna be violence in America," Wiles went on. "I believe there are people in this country, veterans, there are cowboys, mountain men, I mean guys that know how to fight," he said, "and they're going to make a decision that people who did this to Donald Trump are not gonna get away with it." &qu

Nancy Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, and Robin Morgan doing their part to #TearDownThePatriarchy "Feminist icons Gloria Steinem and Robin Morgan talk to Chris Hayes about how the most powerful woman in America, Nancy Pelosi, is standing up to the President." (ab) http://ow.ly/qTh950wUnE6 To Article

From the Editors at Progressive Power. This is the compound of the now deposed Russia friendly oligarchical President of Ukraine, Victor Yanukovych.  He built this even as his people were living in Soviet style poverty. The people, tired of poverty and corruption revolted. He fled to Russia ending the revolution in February of 2014. One of his top officials was Mykola Zlochevsky, founder of Burisma, the energy company in the news lately.  and the focus of multiple corruption investigations. Before Hunter  Biden  joined  Burisma , U.K. authorities opened a money-laundering investigation and froze $23 million in company funds until the investigation in Burisma was complete.  They could not get any of the information they needed from the company and had to release the funds for lack of evidence. This is the corruption that Shokin, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine was NOT investigating.  It was that lack of investigation  that had the US, the EU, and the IMF  calling for Shokin to b

Let the people vote. #NoBrexit "Remaining in the European Union could give the U.K. economy an 85 billion-pound ($106 billion) boost compared with a no-deal Brexit, according to Bloomberg Economics. The calculations, based on Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party offering a second referendum that leads to the nation staying in the bloc, demonstrate how the Brexit process has turned the usual norms in the U.K. on their head. Economists and investors are warming to the prospect of a left-wing lawmaker who favors nationalization of some industries and stronger worker protections." (ab) http://ow.ly/AhpS50wUnIu To Article

"During a House Financial Services Committee hearing, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was questioned by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the platform’s recent decision to allow politicians to run ads that contain false or misleading information." (ab) http://ow.ly/1jcB50wUnD7 To Article

From the editors at Progressive Power - OPINION #Opinion "Donald Trump is used to having his people going around the world influencing and cutting deals with foreign governments. This is the way he has operated for a long time. It appears he has never had any legal lines he would not cross. The problem is, he has apparently felt no obligation to curb these activities as president, instead opting to use these tactics for political gain in addition to his insatiable quest for monetary gain. He has had his people in contact with foreign governments before the 2016 election and has continued ever since. Most recently, on Sunday, October 6th, Trump received a phone call from President Erdogan, and immediately agreed to pull U.S. forces out of Syria, allowing Turkish forces to go in and attempt to wipe out our Kurdish allies who have been helping us in keeping ISIS at bay. He tried this previously, but was stopped that time by congress and the people around him. This time he appears to

Is this a President or a schoolyard bully? "The official transcript of President Trump’s speech on Wednesday in Pittsburgh delineates his response to a group of protesters dryly. “Yeah, don’t hurt him. Don’t hurt him, please,” Trump told the audience at the event. “They don’t know they’re dealing with very tough people in this room.” The audience laughed and applauded, according to the transcript. “Oh, they don’t know who they’re dealing with,” he continued. “They don’t know who they’re dealing with. They just don’t understand. All right. Go home to mom." More laughter. “Explain to mom that you tried to take on very powerful people, and many of them physically as well as mentally,” Trump said. “That’s not a good thing to do — not in this room. Be careful. Make sure you don’t hurt them, please. Thank you.”" (ab) http://ow.ly/1urL50wUpg6 To Article

It's long past time abusers get the punishment sufficient for the acts they commit. Too many choose to hurt animals because they can't report them and the penalties have been so negligible. "The House unanimously passed the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act on Tuesday afternoon, which criminalizes certain acts of animal cruelty. The bi-partisan bill was introduced by Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., and Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate. "This bill sends a clear message that our society does not accept cruelty against animals. We’ve received support from so many Americans from across the country and across the political spectrum," Deutch said in a statement. "I’m deeply thankful for all of the advocates who helped us pass this bill, and I look forward to the Senate’s swift passage and the President’s signature.”" "The president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, Sara Amundson, applauded the passing

Sure hope the FBI is watching this guy........ "Veteran MLB umpire Rob Drake threatened on Twitter on Tuesday to buy an AR-15 for war over the impeachment hearings facing President Donald Trump, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. The tweet was deleted shortly after it was posted, according to the report, and read “I will be buying an AR-15 tomorrow, because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL WAR!!! MAGA2020"" (ab) http://ow.ly/gF1K50wUnv9 To Article

We don’t know who the nominee will be, but it’s imperative that we all #UniteBlue once they are chosen. Stand together to save democracy. OPINION - “Russia’s success in attacking our democracy is not tied to their ability to recruit Gabbard (or anyone else) to parrot Russian talking points. Rather, their success comes with their ability to influence and manipulate, through amplification, certain messages and candidates that create division. As we saw in 2016, Russia was able to aid Donald Trump by using tailored and manipulated social media campaigns, without even the knowledge or direction of the Trump campaign itself. After all, Russia’s goal in 2016 was the delegitimization of our elections; they did not need to coordinate with Trump to make that happen. That’s the disturbing parallel with Gabbard: Russia can seek to support her, without her knowledge.” (ab) http://ow.ly/Rvbe50wTL8c To Article

Unabated climate change and regulatory rollbacks have a cost, and we are only just BEGINNING to pay it. #GreenNewDeal "In 2018 alone, eroding air quality was linked to nearly 10,000 additional deaths in the U.S. relative to the 2016 benchmark, the year in which small-particle pollution reached a two-decade low, according to researchers at Carnegie Mellon University. The study focuses on fine-particle air pollution, known as PM2.5, which is of particular concern to regulators and public health experts because its microscopic size means it can be inhaled and absorbed into the bloodstream. Its ill effects are only now starting to be fully understood — the Environmental Protection Agency didn’t even have a regulatory standard for it until 1997. Fine particles can damage a person’s respiratory system, accumulate in the brain and send people to the emergency room. The elderly appear to be especially susceptible to PM2.5, which has been linked to dementia and cognitive decline. And the d

When does this stop? It's time to #ProtectAndServe. "Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams has fired the officer involved in a viral cellphone video depicting him threatening to shoot at a family. The video, recorded by a bystander on May 27, shows Phoenix Officer Christopher Meyer pointing a gun at a car occupied by Dravon Ames, his pregnant fiancee, Iesha Harper, and their children. In the video, Meyer can be heard yelling, "You're going to get f--king shot," when Ames didn't immediately open his vehicle's door. The officer also told Ames, "I'm going to put a cap in your ass." A second officer, who police did not identify, received a written reprimand. Williams described the officer's actions as trying to de-escalate the situation. The announcement of Meyer's firing during a Tuesday news conference came at the same time Phoenix police announced the firing of Clinton David Swick after an unrelated investigation into his Facebook posts.

Yes, it's STILL happening. And it's long past tIme we #TearDownThePatriarchy. "Jane said that at the PPP training she attended last year, Clark coached the group in how to interact with men in the workplace ― advice that Jane wrote down in her notes and shared with HuffPost: Don’t directly confront men in meetings, because men perceive this as threatening. (Women do not.) Meet before (or after) the meeting instead. If you’re having a conversation with a man, cross your legs and sit at an angle to him. Don’t talk to a man face-to-face. Men see that as threatening. Don’t be too aggressive or outspoken." "Attendees were even told that women’s brains are 6% to 11% smaller than men’s, Jane said. She wasn’t sure why they were told this, nor is it clear from the presentation. Women’s brains absorb information like pancakes soak up syrup so it’s hard for them to focus, the attendees were told. Men’s brains are more like waffles. They’re better able to focus because the i

We are out of time. We must #ProtectThePlanet from unrestrained capitalism NOW. “He is the second Romanian forest ranger killed in just over a month, and the two deaths have heightened fears for the safety of those whose job it is to protect the forests of this eastern EU country. Romania is home to more than half of Europe’s last remaining old-growth and primeval forests — valuable ecosystems home to bears, wolves, lynx, and wildcat. There is considerable alarm at the levels of violence illegal loggers are willing to use in order to steal wood. That wood can end up anywhere across Europe, from furniture to paper or building materials. Liviu Pop had gone out to investigate a possible case of illegal logging in a mountainous region of Maramures in north Romania when his colleagues became concerned.” “Romania’s forests are being chopped down at an alarming rate and the murder of forestry workers trying to protect the wilderness may do little to slow it down. Research by Greenpeace Romani

U.S. history is replete with such things, and the effectsof it are still with us. We must understand how we got here to change it. "The Princeton Theological Seminary announced the initiative after an audit revealed that the founding members of the faculty used slave labor at some point in their lives and the seminary "benefited from the slave economy, both through investments in Southern banks in the mid-19th century and from donors who profited from slavery," according to a detailed outline of the plan released on Friday. John White, dean of students and vice president of student relations, called the audit "an act of confession."" (ab) http://ow.ly/PYHt50wTLHG To Article

“”There is no Republican Party. There’s a Trump party. The Republican Party is kind of taking a nap somewhere,” Boehner, a Republican himself, said at the Mackinac Policy Conference in Michigan.” http://ow.ly/tLf530pMHfg To Article

it's time to #EndOligarchy and #TaxTheRich. NO more excuses. "ProPublica reported the disproportionate audit focus on lower-income families in April. Lawmakers confronted IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig about the emphasis, citing our stories, and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked Rettig for a plan to fix the imbalance. Rettig readily agreed. Last month, Rettig replied with a report, but it said the IRS has no plan and won’t have one until Congress agrees to restore the funding it slashed from the agency over the past nine years — something lawmakers have shown little inclination to do. On the one hand, the IRS said, auditing poor taxpayers is a lot easier: The agency uses relatively low-level employees to audit returns for low-income taxpayers who claim the earned income tax credit. The audits — of which there were about 380,000 last year, accounting for 39% of the total the IRS conducted—are done by mail and don’t take too much staff time, either. They are “the most efficient use

"The security review was requested by U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat and chairman of the natural resources committee. It covered four agencies: the Forest Service, BLM, Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service. Grijalva said the attacks documented underscore growing concerns over the safety of government workers on public land. The lawmaker also criticized the Trump administration's appointment of Bureau of Land Management Acting Director William "Perry" Pendley, who has expressed support for Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy. Bundy's family played central roles in a 2014 standoff over grazing fees in Nevada and the 2016 occupation of Oregon's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. "Making a folk hero out of Bundy, that sets a dangerous precedent," Grijalva said. "At the top of the agency, they reinforce and embolden some of these actions by doing nothing and previously being in support of them." Pendley, a former property ri

OPINION - "However Donald Trump leaves the White House, whether through impeachment, defeat at the polls or (God forbid) after a second term, there will be a reckoning in U.S. politics. For nearly three years now, a corrupt, authoritarian presidency has hacked away at democratic institutions and safeguards. Trump has surrounded himself with self-enriching cronies, conspiracy-minded propagandists and, yes, even criminals." "Pressuring Ukrainian President Voldoymyr Zelenskyy to investigate a political rival is just a high note in this opera of malfeasance. Now, he is refusing congressional subpoenas, trying to cover up his impeachable actions and taking a hatchet to the rule of law in the process. Trump is committing these impeachable offences and possible crimes all why tearing up U.S. foreign policy. He has abandoned the Kurds to almost certain genocide in Syria; he is fulfilling Russian President Vladimir Putin’s policy goals in Ukraine and the Middle East and he contin

#Syria #Betrayal Seeking a president with empathy, good judgement, and a spine in 2020. "The US provided Turkey with intelligence, including surveillance video and information from reconnaissance aircraft, that may have aided in its assault on the US-allied Kurdish forces in Syria, The New York Times reported. The intelligence sharing continued as late as Monday — two days before Turkey invaded Syria to go after the Kurds — according to the report. Past reports suggest the US in 2017 began sharing more intelligence on the Kurds with Turkey to quell the Turkish government's anger over Trump arming Kurdish forces in Syria. " (ab) http://ow.ly/Mter50wTzds To Article

Is THIS what Trump supporters/voters signed up for?!    HOW do you defend this?! Syrian women flee Turkish forces after Trump orders U.S forces to withdraw.

Don’t worry. He’ll fall in line again.......... “Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) probably assumed that if he showed sycophantic loyalty toward Donald Trump, he’d be rewarded for his servility. The South Carolina Republican almost certainly knew that his toadying posture would make him the target of ridicule, especially given the severity of his pre-election condemnations of Trump, but Graham was willing to pay the price because he expected to have the kind of access and influence others lacked. For his trouble, the GOP senator has very little to show for his efforts. When Trump settled on a disastrous new policy in northern Syria, not only was Graham’s advice ignored, but the White House didn’t even bother to give him a heads-up on the president’s decision. Graham, not surprisingly, is furious. Trump, as the Associated Press reported, is indifferent to the South Carolinian’s dissatisfaction. The golf-and-politics alliance between President Donald Trump and Sen. Lindsey Graham frayed Wedne

From the editors at Progressive Power #Opinion Donald Trump is used to having his people going around the world influencing and cutting deals with foreign governments. This is the way he has operated for a long time. It appears he has never had any legal lines he would not cross. The problem is, he has apparently felt no obligation to curb these activities as president, instead opting to use these tactics for political gain in addition to his insatiable quest for monetary gain. He has had his people in contact with foreign governments before the 2016 election and has continued ever since. Most recently, on Sunday, October 6th, Trump received a phone call from President Erdogan, and immediately agreed to pull U.S. forces out of Syria, allowing Turkish forces to go in and attempt to wipe out our Kurdish allies who have been helping us in keeping ISIS at bay. He tried this previously, but was stopped that time by congress and the people around him. This time he appears to have ci

#WilliamMcRaven True leaders know that they have a duty beyond holding a powerful position. “The retired US Navy Adm. William McRaven, a Navy SEAL who oversaw the raid that took out al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in 2011, gave a bleak assessment of President Donald Trump and alleged the commander in chief was gutting the country of the “nation’s principles.” In his fiercest condemnation against the president yet, McRaven recounted in a New York Times opinion column a military ceremony he recently attended at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he reflected upon the thousands of US service members who marched on the parade field before him. McRaven pointed out what he said were examples of the US neglecting its duty to be the “the protectors of the less fortunate” — including Trump’s recent decision to withdraw troops from Syria as Turkish-backed militants wage war against the once US-backed Kurdish militia. McRaven added that Trump “is wrong” to think empathy is “unimportant” or shows “

#CraigUnger on #Hardball with #ChrisMatthews details 30 years of Russian ties. "In his latest book "House of Trump, House of Putin: The Untold Story of Donald Trump and the Russian Mafia" Craig Unger breaks down the history of the Trump-Russia connection." (ab) http://ow.ly/wNVE50wTyY4 To Article

Time to make it right with a #PeoplesVote and no lies. "Britain has turned against Brexit, according to the biggest ever poll of polls. YouGov analysis for the Evening Standard shows that 204 out of 226 polls since July 2017 have shown Remain ahead, with just seven for Leave, and 15 ties. So far this year, just one poll has put Leave ahead, compared to 74 for staying in the EU. Parliament v the People The results appear to undermine the idea, being fuelled by No 10 chief adviser Dominic Cummings, that Brexit is turning into a “Parliament v the People” clash. Anthony Wells, director of political research at YouGov, said: “The polling evidence is concrete. The overwhelming majority of questions asking people if Brexit is right or wrong, or if they would now vote Remain or Leave, show a lead for Remain, and have done for over two years. “The characterisation of the situation as People vs Parliament doesn’t really stand up when the public are split over Brexit. “It is more a case of h

#MIttRomney Is he right, or is there more to it? "But here is a U.S. senator — and a Republican one — suggesting not just that Trump got out-negotiated, but that he basically got told what was going to happen and ran away. Romney is entertaining the idea that a relatively small country forced the hand of the United States and also dictated to the supposed Dealmaker-in-Chief. It’s important to emphasize that this is speculation. But it’s also not that far-fetched." (ab) http://ow.ly/s9jw50wTyAg To Article

Are we surprised? "But in what may be a first in presidential foreign relations, the Scottish government is claiming that Trump’s family business is refusing to pay tens of thousands of pounds in legal fees accumulated after the president lost a protracted legal battle against an experimental eleven-turbine wind farm built adjacent to his Aberdeenshire golf resort, The Guardian reported Tuesday. Trump initially filed a lawsuit to prevent the wind farm from being built in 2012, claiming telling the Scottish Parliament that the turbines would wreck the view from his resort and discourage patronage at the course. According to earlier reports, Trump famously insisted to Members of Scottish Parliament (MSP) that they did not need to call any expert witnesses to verify his claims. “I am the evidence,” Trump explained. “I am considered a world-class expert in tourism. When you say, ‘Where is the expert and where is the evidence?’ I say: I am the evidence,” Trump reportedly said. “I have

#ElijahCummings #JoyReid Elijah, you will be missed. Rest in power. "The late Rep. Elijah Cummings will always be remembered for his leadership in Congress as a champion of the weak. Joy Reid remembers the outstanding contributions of a legendary statesman." (ab) http://ow.ly/Ta1b50wTyn7 To Article

"The Education Department provided $10.7 million in federal loans and grants to students at for-profit unaccredited colleges, according to documents released Tuesday by the House Education and Labor Committee. The funds were provided to the Illinois Institute of Art and the Art Institute of Colorado even though officials were aware they were ineligible to receive the aid. The latest documents expand on prior reports that detailed efforts by Education Department officials to protect Dream Center Education Holdings, the owner of the Art Institutes and Argosy University, from punishment for lying to students about the accreditation of its now-closed schools. " (jn) http://ow.ly/Ja5S50wTwTY To Article

“Attorney General Bill Barr has long been focused on the origins of the Russia scandal, to the point that there is reportedly a criminal investigation underway that could target American law enforcement and intelligence officials who examined Russia’s 2016 attack. That probe was technically assigned to U.S. Attorney John Durham. But that’s not to say Barr is somehow taking a hands-off role in the process. As Rachel noted near the top of last night’s show, the sitting U.S. attorney general, an unabashed Donald Trump loyalist, has apparently been personally involved in traveling the world, meeting with foreign officials, hoping to find evidence to support a conspiracy theory that would disprove the facts surrounding his boss’ Russia scandal.” http://ow.ly/C8jd30pMrJC To Article

"According to data from the Office of Personnel Management, 85 percent of federal employees are already located outside the D.C. metro area. The release calls Hawley “an outspoken supporter” of the USDA decision to move two of its research agencies to Kansas City, Mo. But that move has proved difficult for the two agencies, with the Economic Research Service forced to delay or quash research after losing nearly 80 percent of its staff as employees fled rather than relocate. Under the bill, 10 agencies would be required to move 90 percent of their staff to economically depressed areas in states already set out by the bill. USDA would finish its move to Missouri, while the Department of Education would move to Blackburn’s Tennessee." (jn) http://ow.ly/42dn50wTwSO To Article

"Air pollution worsened in the United States in 2017 and 2018, new data shows, a reversal after years of sustained improvement with significant implications for public health. In 2018 alone, eroding air quality was linked to nearly 10,000 additional deaths in the U.S. relative to the 2016 benchmark, the year in which small-particle pollution reached a two-decade low, according to researchers at Carnegie Mellon University." (jn) http://ow.ly/lFDV50wTwQG To Article

"A federal judge Wednesday gave the State Department 30 days to release Ukraine-related records, including communications between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. In response to an emergency motion from the watchdog group American Oversight, Judge Christopher Cooper ordered lawyers for the group and the State Department to come together to narrow the scope of the documents in the request -- eliminating those that would likely be exempt from release -- and produce documents in the next 30 days. Cooper said that he could not think of a third party exemption that would prevent the release of correspondence between Giuliani and top State Department officials regarding Ukraine." (jn) http://ow.ly/ydA350wTwLA To Article

"The White House released a statement Wednesday suggesting it would veto the SHIELD Act (Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy) passed by the House, which would require federal campaigns to report foreign election influence." "Special counsel Robert Mueller testified in July that many countries are working to replicate Russia's interference in the 2016 elections and that "they expect to do it during the next campaign." The bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee provided further evidence this month that the Kremlin sought to tilt the 2016 presidential election in President Trump's favor."" (jn) http://ow.ly/fOfR50wTwAJ To Article

"There are a variety of ways in which this complaint is obviously disingenuous, including that the impeachment process will offer an opportunity for Trump to defend himself as it moves forward, including a possible trial in the Senate. But perhaps the most disingenuous aspect of the complaint is that Republicans are actively participating in the ongoing hearings." (jn) http://ow.ly/NNj350wTww1 To Article

"A federal judge on Friday ruled that the Justice Department must turn over former special counsel Robert Mueller's grand jury evidence to the House Judiciary Committee, a groundbreaking victory for Democrats in their effort to investigate whether President Donald Trump should be impeached for obstructing the long-running Russia probe. In a double victory for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Judge Beryl Howell — the chief federal judge in Washington — ruled that the impeachment inquiry Democrats have launched is valid even though the House hasn't taken a formal vote on it. The decision rejects arguments by DOJ and congressional Republicans that a formal vote is necessary to launch impeachment proceedings." http://ow.ly/jnGw50wUf88 To Article

#LawIsComing To Article

"There are a variety of ways in which this complaint is obviously disingenuous, including that the impeachment process will offer an opportunity for Trump to defend himself as it moves forward, including a possible trial in the Senate. But perhaps the most disingenuous aspect of the complaint is that Republicans are actively participating in the ongoing hearings." (jn) http://ow.ly/Av0g50wTwtc To Article

"...Trump announced Wednesday he was lifting all sanctions on Turkey after it agreed to halt its attack on America's former Kurdish allies in northeastern Syria, shortly after his special envoy to Syria told Congress Turkey's incursion was a "tragedy" and that Ankara-backed forces are likely behind several war crimes. Speaking in the White House Diplomatic Reception Room, the President claimed that "people are saying, wow, what a great outcome ... we've done a good job, we've saved a lot of lives." He praised President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, hinted that the Turkish leader would soon visit Washington and appeared to wash his hands of further US involvement in Syria. "Let someone else fight over this long-bloodstained sand," Trump said, but added that some US troops would remain to protect oil in Syria, "and we'll be deciding what to do with it in the future."" (jn) http://ow.ly/dM5450wTwrD To Article