Tornado Alley (PROG)

[fuagf]

Part 151, some of Russian meddling, and related, material from F6 big ones. These
from Thursday, 02/22/18, headed, The Obamas attend unveiling of their portraits
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=138738844

About a quarter in, this pair

Fmr. White House lawyer: I’d take “any job at Walmart” rather than work for Trump
The Beat with Ari Melber
2/12/18
An NBC News exclusive report reveals that fear of potentially overseeing the Russia probe was a factor in Rachel Brand’s
departure from the Department of Justice. Richard Painter, Katty Kay and John Harwood join Ari Melber to discuss.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber/watch/fmr-white-house-lawyer-i-d-take-any-job-at-walmart-rather-than-work-for-trump-1160011843724

*

Mueller Eyes Facebook in Russia Probe

The Beat with Ari Melber
2/12/18
A new Wired magazine cover story reveals why Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg could hold the keys to a crucial part of Bob Mueller's investigation. The journalist who went inside Facebook reveals a portrait of political turmoil inside a company that wanted to be above politics and what employees called “incredibly damaging…”
Inside the Two Years That Shook Facebook—and the World
How a confused, defensive social media giant steered itself into a disaster, and how Mark Zuckerberg is trying to fix it all.
02.12.18
https://www.wired.com/story/inside-facebook-mark-zuckerberg-2-years-of-hell/ [with embedded video, and comments]
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber/watch/mueller-eyes-facebook-in-russia-probe-1160014915992 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5RH2VKUtJk [with comments]

Later first half

NYT: Is Devin Nunes obstructing justice?
All In with Chris Hayes
2/12/18
The author of a New York Times op-ed suggesting it's entirely possible that Devin Nunes has opened
himself and his staff up to possible charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice joins Chris Hayes.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/nyt-is-devin-nunes-obstructing-justice-1160115779556

Down a few more, these first half four

Trump camp ties to Russia a transition quandary for Obama team

The Rachel Maddow Show
2/12/18
Rachel Maddow shows how a newly released e-mail from Susan Rice illuminates the challenge for Obama
officials trying to decide how to communicate with Trump officials they knew were under investigation.
Susan Rice e-mail to herself about Trump transition
http://www.msnbc.com/sites/msnbc/files/rice_email_180212.pdf
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-white-house-failing-to-secure-proper-security-clearances-1160196163743 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk5uiUOIp9M [with comments]

*

Trump White House failing to secure proper security clearances
The Rachel Maddow Show
2/12/18
Chris Lu, who ran the 2008 Obama presidential transition, talks with Rachel Maddow about how
a normal presidential transition handles necessary security clearances ahead of taking office.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-white-house-failing-to-secure-proper-security-clearances-1160196163743

*

Americans again made to learn from Russia about Trump Putin call
The Rachel Maddow Show
2/12/18
Rachel Maddow reviews what now makes at least eight times that Americans have learned about
Donald Trump interacting with Russian officials from Russian media instead of the White House.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/americans-again-made-to-learn-from-russia-about-trump-putin-call-1160201283584

*

Americans kept in dark about Russian intel chiefs' visit to US
The Rachel Maddow Show
2/12/18
Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, talks with Rachel Maddow about the unusual visit of all three Russian
intelligence chiefs to the United States and the fact that U.S. officials have said less about the visit than Russians.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/americans-kept-in-dark-about-russian-intel-chiefs-visit-to-us-1160208451724

This pair look to get us to halfway

Rep. Quigley: Nunes acting like an agent of the White House

The 11th Hour with Brian Williams
2/13/18
Discussing whether House Intel Democrats will be able to release their rebuttal to the Nunes memo blocked by the Trump
White House over security concerns, Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) addresses the disarray on the House Intel Committee.
©2018 NBCNews.com
[originally aired February 12, 2018]
http://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/rep-quigley-nunes-acting-like-an-agent-of-the-white-house-1160259139736 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-m88W38Tclw [with comments]

*

Trump White House facing security clearance questions

The 11th Hour with Brian Williams
2/13/18
Do all Trump White House staffers who routinely see top secret intelligence have the proper security clearance? New questions
are being raised amid the fallout around how the Trump White House handled abuse allegations against fmr. aide Rob Porter.
©2018 NBCNews.com
[originally aired February 12, 2018]
http://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/trump-white-house-facing-security-clearance-questions-1160265283620 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JJ0uQnhjRI [with comments]

From "stashed February 12, 2018:"

Lawmakers in dark about 'phase two' of Nunes investigation
http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/373215-lawmakers-in-dark-about-phase-two-of-nunes-investigation

Devin Nunes creates his own alternative news site
Embattled California congressman finds a way to bypass the mainstream media.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/11/devin-nunes-alternative-news-site-402097

Devin Nunes' campaign has a 'news' site
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/11/politics/devin-nunes-website/index.html

GOP Lawmaker Devin Nunes Reportedly Made His Own Fake News Website
“News, sports and analysis” website is paid for by the Nunes campaign.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/devin-nunes-news-website-california-republican_us_5a810a33e4b0c6726e14bcda

[Add: Obstruction of Justice? Gotta be walking the wire.]

The California Republican
https://www.facebook.com/carepublicancom/
Due to heavy traffic and an attack on our servers, you may encounter an error message when attempting to reach The Republican.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
https://www.facebook.com/carepublicancom/posts/397695493987014

‘News’ Site Run By Nunes Campaign Goes Offline After Report Exposes It
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/nunes-campaign-own-news-website

Devin Nunes Funneled Campaign Funds Into Alternative Media Outlet
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) operated a partisan media outlet to skirt negative coverage of his congressional tenure.
“The California Republican” is marketed as a local, conservative news site. It describes itself on Facebook as “the best of US, California, and Central Valley news, sports, and analysis.”
But the outlet was paid for by Nunes’ campaign committee, according to small print at the bottom of its website first noted by POLITICO. And $7,773 was reportedly paid to a communications company since July for “advertising; digital adverting management.”
Though the website is no longer operational, its Facebook feed includes many pro-Trump stories and local pieces relevant to Nunes’ constituents.
The most recent post—published late January—is favorable coverage of the congressman titled “Understanding the process behind #ReleaseTheMemo.” Another article from December chronicles Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s “missteps” in dealing with the investigation into collusion between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia, citing a National Review story without including an author byline.
After leading a campaign to release a memo alleging that the FBI unlawfully spied on former Trump advisor Carter Page, Nunes cast himself as a victim of media smears.
“Almost every story is fake news,” Nunes told conservative radio show host Rush Limbaugh last week. “Almost every story that runs about me is fake. I mean, it’s unbelievable the stuff that is out there.”
“Until POLITICO retracts its multitude of fake stories on Congressman Nunes, we will not go on the record,” Nunes’ office emailed POLITICO when asked about the outlet.
The California Republican’s website mysteriously vanished over the weekend. A note on Facebook explained its absence due to “heavy traffic and an attack on our servers.”
“We apologize for the inconvenience.”
http://observer.com/2018/02/devin-nunes-funneled-campaign-funds-alternative-media-outlet/

more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dNpXMR2ob61R7nMfdSdMDNWaGO70M?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en

Top Justice Department official Brand quit partly over fear she might be asked to oversee Russia probe
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/justice-department-official-brand-leaves-partly-over-fear-she-might-n847156

Report: DOJ Official Left Out Of Concern She’d Have To Oversee Russia Probe
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/rachel-brand-worried-oversee-russia-probe

[ Ok, figured that was a distinct possibility back when.

Not re Russian investigation, but all about Trump lies. The next two are relevant from that perspective. ]

Trump won’t even try to balance the budget anymore — thereby breaking oodles of campaign promises
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/02/12/trump-wont-even-try-to-balance-the-budget-anymore-thereby-breaking-oodles-of-campaign-promises/

Trump’s $4.4 trillion budget moves deficit sharply higher
https://www.apnews.com/e50aec4820da4e30aed4bea9ff440e86/Trump's-$4.4-trillion-budget-moves-deficit-sharply-higher
--
Here’s what Year Two of Trump’s scam will look like
THE MORNING PLUM:
President Trump’s first year in office confirmed what many of us long suspected: his “populist economic nationalism” was largely a scam. Trump mostly abandoned the “economic” side of Trumpism, hewing to plutocratic and regressive GOP orthodoxy on taxes and the safety net, while translating xenophobic ethno-nationalist appeals into policy and ramping up white-identity politics wherever humanly (or perhaps subhumanly?) possible.
Starting this week — with the introduction of a new infrastructure plan and the kickoff of the Senate debate on immigration — we will begin to see what Year Two of this sort of politics will look like. Here are the big developments:
[...]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2018/02/12/heres-what-year-two-of-trumps-scam-will-look-like/

Did Hillary Clinton collude with the Russians to get ‘dirt’ on Trump to feed it to the FBI?
“The truth is that they [Democrats] are covering up that Hillary Clinton colluded with the Russians to get dirt on Trump to feed it to the FBI to open up an investigation into the other campaign.”
- Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, in an interview on the Hugh Hewitt Show, Feb. 7, 2018
Four Pinocchios
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2018/02/09/did-hillary-clinton-collude-with-the-russians-to-get-dirt-on-trump-to-feed-it-to-the-fbi/

Kushner company moves lawsuit venue to keep partners secret - AP
NEW YORK - The family real estate company once run by presidential adviser Jared Kushner is shifting a federal court case to a new venue so it won’t have to reveal the identities of foreign partners behind some of its real estate projects.
With a deadline approaching within hours, the Kushner Cos. filed papers in federal court Friday to move the case involving Maryland apartment complexes it owns with foreign investors back to state court. A federal district court judge ruled last month that the Kushners had to identify its partners by Friday, rejecting arguments from the family company that such disclosures would violate privacy rights.
The Kushner Cos. had also argued that media coverage of the case was “politically motivated” and marked by “unfair sensationalism” given that the company was once run by Jared Kushner, now a senior adviser to his father-in-law, President Donald Trump.
But the judge sided with a motion from The Associated Press and other media organizations that argued the public right to know held sway.
The case has attracted media attention because it promised a rare glimpse into how New York-based Kushner Cos. raises money for its real estate projects, revealing ties to lenders and investors who could possibly raise conflict-of-interest issues.
The fight over disclosure in federal court stems from a lawsuit that started out in Maryland state court last year on an entirely different matter. That lawsuit was brought by tenants alleging a Kushner Cos. affiliate called Westminster Management charges excessive and illegal rent for apartments. It sought class-action status for tenants in 17 apartment complexes. Westminster has said it has broken no laws and denies the charges.
Court papers did not specifically give a reason for the decision by Kushner Cos. to move the case to a state court. Kushner Cos. spokeswoman Christine Taylor said only that “our counsel on this matter has determined that the case should be remanded to state court.”
The Kushner Cos. is privately held and so little is known about the identity of partners investing alongside it, and thus if they have any regulatory or other matters before the federal government. That the partners backing the Maryland apartments are from overseas raises questions about conflicts in foreign-policies issues, too.
Kushner has been given a big role shaping U.S. policy with China and in the Mideast, where he is trying to forge a peace deal between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
Personal financial disclosure forms filed with the federal government show that Kushner Cos. and Kushner personally have borrowed from Deutsche Bank and Israel Discount Bank. Many other ties are hidden behind the names of limited liability companies.
The issue of who exactly are the partners of Kushner Cos. in Maryland came up because the federal court needed to establish that it had jurisdiction and that some of defendants came from outside the state. With the case going back to state court, that disclosure is no longer required.
Nathan Siegel, a lawyer with Davis Wright Tremaine who represented the media in the motion, said fighting for disclosure was important despite that the issue is now moot.
“I’m still pleased that the court recognized the principle that judicial proceedings are supposed to be open,” he said.
In Kushner’s federal disclosure report, Kushner showed he still owned a stake in Westminster Management, the subsidiary in the Maryland case. The report showed he received $1.6 million in income from it.
The AP joined ProPublica, The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun and Baltimore TV station WMAR-TV in filing its motion arguing for disclosure.
Kushner stepped down as Kushner Cos. CEO last year when he joined the Oval Office. He sold stakes in properties to comply with federal conflicts of interest rules, but held onto many of other assets.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/kushner-firm-seeks-court-change-to-keep-partners-secret/2018/02/09/a82c56dc-0de2-11e8-998c-96deb18cca19_story.html
original https://www.apnews.com/752bbc86139a45b4813087e3110857fb/Kushner-company-moves-lawsuit-venue-to-keep-partners-secret

Dozens at White House lack permanent security clearances
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/dozens-at-white-house-lack-permanent-security-clearances/2018/02/08/50e3cfd6-0d15-11e8-8890-372e2047c935_story.html

Jared Kushner among dozens of Trump officials lacking permanent security clearances: Reports
‘It is not uncommon for this process to take this long’ says personal attorney for Trump son-in-law - Abbe Lowell, lying through his teeth - ridiculously false
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/feb/10/jared-kushner-among-dozens-trump-officials-lacking/

As Jared Kushner’s security clearance is delayed, White House hesitates to act on others with possible problems
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/as-jared-kushners-security-clearance-is-delayed-white-house-hesitates-to-act-on-others-with-possible-problems/2018/02/09/256fa1e6-0dbe-11e8-8b0d-891602206fb7_story.html

Which is scarier — that Trump doesn’t read his daily intel briefing, or that Jared Kushner does?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/which-is-scarier--that-trump-doesnt-read-his-daily-intel-briefing-or-that-jared-kushner-does/2018/02/11/faad67e4-0f30-11e8-9065-e55346f6de81_story.html

Interim security clearances are routine, but are they risky? - AP - yes, of course - in particular as being outrageously abused by Trump/Trump White House
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal_government/interim-security-clearances-are-routine-but-are-they-risky/2018/02/08/d8aa4832-0d29-11e8-998c-96deb18cca19_story.html
original https://www.apnews.com/fee0aecff2434db7a1b4ea9fa33909e1/Interim-security-clearances-are-routine,-but-are-they-risky?

Gadzooks. There is so much wide-ranging subject matter interesting stuff in these those mammoths. It
can be a time standing still exercise. Lol, that's if we are able to grab some of that time passing by.

Why Time Sometimes Seems To Stand Still, And Why It's So Good For Us
http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/why-time-stands-still_n_6598776

Searched the title. Still got the gap.