AI
Monday, April 16, 2018 8:33:40 AM
Masha Gessen on the Role of Anti-Putin Candidates in the Russian Election & Calls for Voter Boycott
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by Democracy Now! [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzuqE7-t13O4NIDYJfakrhw / https://www.youtube.com/user/democracynow , https://www.youtube.com/user/democracynow/videos ]
Watch an exclusive excerpt from our February interview with Masha Gessen, the award-winning Russian-American journalist and staff writer at The New Yorker, in which she discusses the pending Russian presidential election. Her recent book, “The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia [ https://www.amazon.com/Future-History-Totalitarianism-Reclaimed-Russia/dp/159463453X ],” won the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 2017 [ http://www.nationalbook.org/nba2017.html ]. Her new book, “Never Remember: Searching for Stalin’s Gulags in Putin’s Russia [ https://www.amazon.com/Never-Remember-Searching-Stalins-Gulags/dp/0997722967 ],” comes out on March 20.
https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/19/masha_gessen_on_the_role_of [with embedded video, and transcript]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcGcIL28bJw [with comments]
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A More Prosperous Future
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by The White House [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYxRlFDqcWM4y7FfpiAN3KQ / https://www.youtube.com/user/whitehouse , https://www.youtube.com/user/whitehouse/videos ]
"While Nancy Pelosi calls this ‘crumbs,’ Lauren sees it as grocery shopping all year long. It’s a lot of money for Lauren and a lot of money for her family. It’s called living better.”
Share your story: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
[no official transcript (yet) at https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/ ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2-XR6igyhE [with comments]
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Full Show - McCabe: Corruption, Entitlement, Patronage, Perjury - 03/19/2018
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by Real News with David Knight [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC1L9FOMSaPgMyoLSnps47g , https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC1L9FOMSaPgMyoLSnps47g/videos ]
19Mar18 Broadcast
McCabe’s internal corruption of favoritism and patronage is exposed in an EEO lawsuit. But the outrage in Washington, DC speaks of the sense of entitlement and lifelong employment that runs throughout the bureaucracies from top to bottom. McCabe’s attempt to defend himself adds another charge of perjury to Comey. Then, President Trump ramps up the insane War on Drugs that has failed for half a century, there’s more to Facebook & Cambridge Analytica than the surface story, and William F Jasper joins to talk about China’s dictatorship, protected by globalists since Nixon.
[from Alex Jones and his merry band of batshit bullshitters]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrtfULJso1I [with comments] [also at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3dS_B7vY7g (with comments)]
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Presidential Message to the Congress of the United States
Issued on: March 19, 2018
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), I hereby report that I have signed an Executive Order with respect to Venezuela that takes additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13692 of March 8, 2015, and relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13808 of August 24, 2017. The Executive Order prohibits, as of its effective date, all transactions related to, provision of financing for, and other dealings in, by a United States person or within the United States, any digital currency, digital coin, or digital token, that was issued by, for, or on behalf of the Government of Venezuela on or after January 9, 2018.
I have authorized the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to take such actions, including promulgating rules and regulations and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the Executive Order.
I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 19, 2018.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/presidential-message-congress-united-states-2/
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Executive Order on Taking Additional Steps to Address the Situation in Venezuela
Issued on: March 19, 2018
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,
I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, in order to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13692 of March 8, 2015, and relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13808 of August 24, 2017, and in light of recent actions taken by the Maduro regime to attempt to circumvent U.S. sanctions by issuing a digital currency in a process that Venezuela’s democratically elected National Assembly has denounced as unlawful, hereby order as follows:
Section 1. (a) All transactions related to, provision of financing for, and other dealings in, by a United States person or within the United States, any digital currency, digital coin, or digital token, that was issued by, for, or on behalf of the Government of Venezuela on or after January 9, 2018, are prohibited as of the effective date of this order.
(b) The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted before the effective date of this order.
Sec. 2. (a) Any transaction that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
(b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
Sec. 3. For the purposes of this order:
(a) the term “person” means an individual or entity;
(b) the term “entity” means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization;
(c) the term “United States person” means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches of such entities), or any person within the United States; and
(d) the term “Government of Venezuela” means the Government of Venezuela, any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including the Central Bank of Venezuela and Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), and any person owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, the Government of Venezuela.
Sec. 4. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including promulgating rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to implement this order. The Secretary of the Treasury may, consistent with applicable law, redelegate any of these functions to other officers and executive departments and agencies of the United States Government. All agencies of the United States Government shall take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order.
Sec. 5. For those persons whose property and interests in property are affected by this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures taken pursuant to this order would render those measures ineffectual. I therefore determine that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13692, there need be no prior notice given for implementation of this order.
Sec. 6. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
Sec. 7. This order is effective at 12:15 p.m. eastern daylight time on March 19, 2018.
DONALD J. TRUMP
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-taking-additional-steps-address-situation-venezuela/
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President Donald J. Trump Proclaims March 20, 2018, as National Agriculture Day
Issued on: March 19, 2018
On National Agriculture Day, we acknowledge the tremendous work ethic, ingenuity, determination, and perseverance that define generations of American farmers. Because of their efforts, the United States produces an abundant supply of food, feed, and fuel for a growing global population. Our rich and abundant soil provides for more than just sustenance — it provides a beautiful and bountiful way of life for millions of Americans.
America’s strong agricultural sector is a key component of our Nation’s robust economy and trade. Every $1 of United States agricultural and food exports creates another $1.27 in business activity. Our country’s agriculture exports are valued at more than $100 billion, and every $1 billion in exports supports approximately 8,000 American jobs. Moreover, agriculture contributes to at least 8.6 percent of our gross domestic product. The economic boost from our agriculture reaches beyond the fields our farmers tend, with unrivaled skill and diligence, to communities all across America.
America’s farmers, growers, ranchers, foresters, and agricultural scientists and engineers are world-leading innovators, exploring new research and technologies like advancements in biotechnology and the use of automated vehicles that enable precision agriculture to maximize yields and minimize environmental impacts. My Administration proudly supports them in their pioneering endeavors. In this new era of American agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing in rural broadband access, roads, and bridges, and is supplying affordable, reliable power to those living on the outskirts of larger cities and towns. These investments in American infrastructure will improve the quality of life in rural America for years to come.
To help the American agricultural economy succeed in an increasingly competitive global market, I signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the largest tax cut and reform legislation in American history. This legislation is providing much needed relief to America’s farmers, who can now expense 100 percent of their capital investments, including expenditures for farm equipment, over the next 4 years. Additionally, under this new legislation, the vast majority of family farms will now be exempt from the death tax.
American agriculture is an integral part of our success as a Nation, uniquely tied to both our country’s culture and economy. Today, and every day, we cherish our Nation’s rich agricultural history and celebrate the greatness of the American farmer.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 20, 2018, as National Agriculture Day. I encourage all Americans to observe this day by recognizing the preeminent role that agriculture plays in our daily lives, acknowledging agriculture’s continuing importance to rural America and our country’s economy, and expressing our deep appreciation of farmers, growers, ranchers, producers, national forest system stewards, private agricultural stewards, and those who work in the agriculture sector across the Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand eighteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-second.
DONALD J. TRUMP
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/president-donald-j-trump-proclaims-march-20-2018-national-agriculture-day/
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Readout of National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster’s Meeting with National Security Office Director Chung Eui-yong of the Republic of Korea and Secretary General of the National Security Secretariat Shotaro Yachi of Japan
Issued on: March 19, 2018
National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster of the United States, National Security Office Director Chung Eui-yong of the Republic of Korea, and Secretary General of the National Security Secretariat Shotaro Yachi of Japan held a trilateral meeting on March 17 and 18 in San Francisco to discuss the permanent denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the planned inter-Korean summit and United States-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea summit. The three national security advisors committed to avoiding mistakes of the past and to continue coordinating closely in the weeks ahead.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/readout-national-security-advisor-h-r-mcmasters-meeting-national-security-office-director-chung-eui-yong-republic-korea-secretary-general-national-security-secre/
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March 19: Team Trump fired Andrew McCabe. What does this mean for Russian probe?
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by ThinkProgress [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYdasX3ym3E5r1iozVllmzA , https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYdasX3ym3E5r1iozVllmzA/videos ]
Editor-in-chief Judd Legum sits down with ThinkProgress reporter Aaron Rupar to discuss the fallout over former CIA deputy director Andrew McCabe’s firing and how top republicans are coming forward to support Mueller's investigation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qpvoMHsxDs [no comments yet]
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Statement by President Donald J. Trump on Nowruz
Issued on: March 19, 2018
I wish a beautiful and blessed Nowruz to the millions of people around the world who are celebrating the arrival of spring.
The history of Nowruz is rooted in Iran, where for millennia a proud nation has overcome great challenges by the strength of its culture and the resilience of its people. Today, the Iranian people face another challenge: rulers who serve themselves instead of serving the people.
Twenty-five centuries ago, Darius the Great asked God to protect Iran from three dangers: hostile armies, drought, and falsehood. Today, the Iranian regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) represents all three.
First, the IRGC is not Iranian in name or deed. It is a hostile army that brutalizes and steals from the Iranian people to fund terrorism abroad. Since 2012, the IRGC has spent more than $16 billion of Iran’s wealth to prop up the Assad regime and support militants and terrorists in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Meanwhile, the average Iranian family is 15 percent poorer today than it was 10 years ago, and nearly 30 percent of Iran’s youth are unemployed. Ordinary Iranians struggle economically and find it difficult to celebrate holidays like Nowruz.
Second, the IRGC’s corruption and mismanagement have exacerbated the effects of an on-going drought and created an ecological crisis. Unregulated dam construction by its companies like Khatam al-Anbia has dried rivers and lakes and helped create unprecedented dust storms that threaten Iranians’ jobs and lives.
Third, deceit has become official state policy. The IRGC employs propaganda and censorship to hide the fact that the Iranian regime plunders Iran’s wealth and abuses its people. To hide the truth, Iran’s rulers suppress their own citizens’ rights to free assembly, access to information, and equal opportunity.
Despite the oppression they face, Iranians are fighting to reclaim their rights. They long for a springtime of hope, and the United States stands with the Iranian people in their aspirations to connect to the wider world and have a responsible and accountable government that truly serves their nation’s interests.
For this reason, the Department of Treasury today is issuing guidance reaffirming America’s support for the free flow of information to the citizens of Iran. We also pledge to continue holding the IRGC and the Iranian regime accountable for conducting cyber-attacks abroad and for suppressing Iranian citizens who are protesting the oppression of their government at home.
On behalf of the American people, may light prevail over darkness in this New Year, and may the Iranian people soon enjoy a new day of peace, prosperity, and joy.
Nowruz Pirouz (Happy Nowruz).
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-president-donald-j-trump-nowruz/
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Freethought Matters: Maryam Namazie, Secularist And Human Rights Activist
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by FFRF [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC28jWiP7HV6mBBW3C8AXuEg / https://www.youtube.com/user/FFRForg , https://www.youtube.com/user/FFRForg/videos ]
Maryam Namazie is an Iranian-born secularist and human rights activist, commentator and broadcaster. She is spokesperson for One Law for All, the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and Fitnah. She hosts a weekly television program called "Bread and Roses."
She is on the International Advisory Board of the Raif Badawi Foundation for Freedom and Euromind; Humanist Laureate at the International Academy of Humanism; National Secular Society Honorary Associate; a member of the International Advisory Board of Feminist Dissent and a columnist for the Freethinker. Maryam and the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain were featured in a 2016 film called "Islam's Non-Believers"; she was also a character in DV8 Physical Theatre's "Can We Talk About This?" which deals with freedom of speech, censorship and Islam.
The Islamic regime of Iran's media outlets have called Namazie "immoral and corrupt" and did an "exposé" on her entitled "Meet this anti-religion woman." In the past few years, she has been involved in nude protest in defense of women's rights in the Middle East and North Africa, initiated a Day to Stand with Bangladesh's Bloggers and Activists; an International Day to Defend Amina and the Nude Photo Revolutionary Calendar 2012-2013, founded Iran Solidarity, and helped launch the Manifesto for a Free and Secular Middle East and North Africa. She has spoken and written numerous articles on women's rights issues, free expression, Islamism, and secularism.
Previously, Namazie was the elected executive director of the International Federation of Iranian Refugees, a refugee-run organization with 60 branches in 15 countries worldwide for eight years; founded the Committee for Humanitarian Assistance to Iranian Refugees; and co-founded Human Rights Without Frontiers based in the Sudan, amongst others.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGh7JiHvDO4 [with comments] [and see also in particular (linked in) https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=139883403 and preceding (and any future following)]
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Full Show - Austin Zodiac Bomber On The Loose & Congressman Calls For Insurrection To Stop Trump - 03/19/2018
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by The Alex Jones Channel [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvsye7V9psc-APX6wV1twLg / https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel , https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel/videos ]
Monday, Mar. 19th 2018[, with Gerald Celente hosting the fourth hour]: Trump’s Twitter Diplomacy - In a series of tweets, President Trump reinforces there was no collusion between Russia and his campaign, but there was lying and corruption in the FBI, DOJ, and State Department. Also, Austin, Texas, is on edge after another bombing injured two people. This most recent device used a tripwire, making it more sophisticated than the previous incidents. Additionally, today’s special guests include geopolitical expert Michael Malice sharing his insight on the North Korean saga and other international happenings. Furthermore, Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne discusses the deep state initiative to "take out" Trump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYnDsGhjEgk [with comments] [also at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mdILzftEnI (with comments)] [a must-watch]
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RWW News: Mark Taylor: Those Who ‘Are Not On Board With God’s Vision’ Are Being Removed From The Trump Administration
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by RWW Blog [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMXqRHe8n1TX5iDvkLS62rw / https://www.youtube.com/user/RWWBlog , https://www.youtube.com/user/RWWBlog/videos ]
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/mark-taylor-those-who-are-not-on-board-with-gods-vision-are-being-removed-from-the-trump-administration/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMpPHTqI8q8 [with comments]
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Dinosaur Death: Water or Fire? (feat. Jon Perry of Stated Clearly) - (Ken) Ham & AiG News
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by Paulogia [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIS4cWaXgWpznjwovFYQBJQ , https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIS4cWaXgWpznjwovFYQBJQ/videos ]
Ken Ham and his team have a bi-weekly "news" show, reacting to the news stories of the day from a Christian young-earth creation perspective from the Answers in Genesis staff at his Creation Museum.
Jon Perry and I join Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge as they discuss dinosaurs “too successful for their own good,” and more in this episode of Answers News hosted in front of a live audience at the Creation Museum.
Answers News – February 19, 2018
Answers News – February 19, 2018
Join Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge as they discuss dinosaurs “too successful for their own good,” discovery of Neanderthal tools reveals some surprises, beetle has hugely disgusting survival mechanism, and more in this episode of Answers News hosted in front of a live audience at the Creation Museum. For more information on these topics, please visit https://answersingenesis.org/ .
Here are links to the articles discussed in Answers News (due to time restraints, all topics may not be covered in this episode):
• Debate heats up over whether 130,000-year-old bones were broken by humans: https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/02/debate-heats-up-over-whether-130000-year-old-bones-were-broken-by-humans/
• Discovery of Neanderthal tools reveals some surprises: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2018/02/08/discovery-neanderthal-tools-reveals-some-surprises.html
• Dinosaur party or evidence of the flood?: http://www.bpnews.net/50342/dinosaur-party-or-evidence-of-the-flood
• Dinosaurs ‘ too successful for their own good’: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-42945820
• Study finds beetle has hugely disgusting survival mechanism: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2018/02/08/study-finds-beetle-has-hugely-disgusting-survival-mechanism.html
• A controversial book: The Church needs to be talking about Genesis: https://www.christianpost.com/voice/a-controversial-book-the-church-needs-to-be-talking-about-genesis.html
• Better knowledge of evolution leads to greater acceptance of the concept: https://phys.org/news/2018-02-knowledge-evolution-greater-concept.html
• ‘I’m polyamorous, why should I limit my love?’: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-42872061
• Oldest dog burial suggests prehistoric humans loved dogs as pets: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2160695-oldest-dog-burial-suggests-prehistoric-humans-loved-dogs-as-pets/
• The Day the Earth Stood Still: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-day-the-earth-stood-still/
• Suns and daughters: The family tree that may unite all the stars: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23731640-700-suns-and-daughters-the-family-tree-that-may-unite-all-the-stars/
• That dinosaur-killing asteroid also triggered massive magma releases beneath the ocean, study finds: http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-magma-dinosaur-extinction-20180207-story.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUGUTkOkAuM [comments disabled]
Jon Perry
Stated Clearly - https://www.youtube.com/user/sciencestatedclearly
Stated Casually - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIQ8Zpb_NYmKcRLkRI3wb7w
Jon Sources
- A Geological Time Scale 2004: http://www.cambridge.org/ca/academic/subjects/earth-and-environmental-science/sedimentology-and-stratigraphy/geologic-time-scale-2004
- Gorgonopsid fossil photo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inostrancevia
- Dinosaurs how they lived and evolved: https://www.amazon.ca/Dinosaurs-How-They-Lived-Evolved/dp/1588345823
- Beaver sized Cretaceous mammal: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/af11/a356560daa0d1a036e5729df436bb459b9e4.pdf
- No lagomorphs or rodents found before the Dino extinction: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15718468
- First proto-placental: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature10291
- Earliest ape fossil: https://www.livescience.com/32029-oldest-monkey-fossil-found.html
- Rodents and Lagomorphs evolved after the extinction: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15718468
- Rodent-looking creatures lived alongside the dinosaurs but are now what gave rise to rodents: Mammals from the age of the dinosaurs: https://books.google.ca/books?id=qJGcX3X0EaMC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA299&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
- Possible human fossils go back 350,000 years: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ancient-fossils-from-morocco-mess-up-modern-human-origins/
- Alligators use bizarre – and creepy – ancient ritual to survive NC’s arctic blast: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article193602684.html
Thanks, to Shannon Q
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0qhPJh8DeoR-3JhMrIvw0g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5LJhAfMyBY [with comments]
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The calls from propagandists to remove Mueller
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by mediamatters4america [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_70iWZ6ym2cglS_kv5YfmA / https://www.youtube.com/user/mediamatters4america , https://www.youtube.com/user/mediamatters4america/videos ]
On air, these propagandists play to Trump’s worst impulses, urging him to behave like an authoritarian by prosecuting his political foes and describing the Mueller probe as a “coup.” The ad hoc outside advisers from the president’s television screen include Hannity and Jeanine Pirro, who have led the pro-Trump media’s frequent calls for ending the Mueller investigation and “cleansing” the ranks of the Justice Department and FBI.
Here are some of the calls for the termination of the special counsel probe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTSsFvm9XQg [with comments]
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President Trump Speaks at a SAFE Station
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by The White House
Manchester, NH
[no official transcript (yet) at https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/ ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=817jrZ9pE_0 [with comments]
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President Trump Delivers Remarks on Combating the Opioid Crisis
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by The White House
Manchester, NH
Remarks by the First Lady at an Event on Combatting the Opioid Crisis
Manchester Community College
Manchester, New Hampshire
March 19, 2018
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-first-lady-event-combatting-opioid-crisis/ [official transcript]
Remarks by President Trump on Combatting the Opioid Crisis
Manchester Community College
Manchester, New Hampshire
March 19, 2018
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-combatting-opioid-crisis/ [official transcript]
President Donald J. Trump’s Initiative to Stop Opioid Abuse and Reduce Drug Supply and Demand
“We will work to strengthen vulnerable families and communities, and we will help to build and grow a stronger, healthier, and drug-free society.”
- President Donald J. Trump
March 19, 2018
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trumps-initiative-stop-opioid-abuse-reduce-drug-supply-demand/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxD0s5EkYas [with comments] [also, our Preznit's performance only, slightly clipped at the beginning, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hrx7HX1CrLw (comments disabled)]
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Full Show - Fourth Explosion In A Month Rocks Austin - 03/19/2018
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by War Room [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClsn7QZVdszxLlUs-GOG0Sg , https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClsn7QZVdszxLlUs-GOG0Sg/videos ]
As we get more details on the fourth explosion in Austin, Texas, we are left with more questions than answers, as new details emerge on a possible trip wire being used, and the reward for information on the serial bomber has been increased to $115,000. Meanwhile, Trump is fighting back against the witch hunt against him that is the Mueller probe, and a group of liberals get a taste of reality on how gun control is a failed notion.
[from Alex Jones and his merry band of batshit bullshitters]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLCm3OeThgI [with comments] [also at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q9cRg59ahY (with comments)]
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Thoughts & Prayers vs Pissing In The Wind
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by C0ct0pusPrime [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu5FNKd06zxitYJe_6RfdwA / https://www.youtube.com/user/C0ct0pusPrime , https://www.youtube.com/user/C0ct0pusPrime/videos ]
Your thoughts & prayers are USELESS. & I'm not for banning guns, I am pro responsible gun ownership, which includes having higher standards than any random (or "evil") dipshit.
If you've missed me, I've been busy on The Goddamn Podcast with Drew and Darkmatter2525...check us out here: https://www.youtube.com/goddamnpodcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WURF_KyinaQ [with comments]
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Exposed: Trump digital firm caught on tape touting dirty tricks
The Beat with Ari Melber
3/19/18
Undercover camera catches an executive at the Trump digital firm, Cambridge Analytica, bragging about entrapping political rivals and using misinformation to win campaigns. Congressman Mike Quigley. a member of the House Intelligence Committee calls on Facebook to testify saying, “we need to ask Facebook…how did this happen?”
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber/watch/exposed-trump-digital-firm-caught-on-tape-touting-dirty-tricks-1189910595725 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEbc-GAGscs [with comments]
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Tribe: Trump 'orchestrating a massive cover-up' worse than Nixon
The Beat with Ari Melber
3/19/18
Harvard impeachment expert Laurence Tribe says we are seeing a “slow-motion constitutional crisis” and calls the White House “cover-up more serious than that of Richard Nixon.” Tribe also explains why firing FBI official Andrew McCabe builds a “strong case for obstruction of justice.”
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber/watch/tribe-trump-orchestrating-a-massive-cover-up-worse-than-nixon-1189909059831 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKGUPrcEGoA [with comments]
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Stormy Daniels' Lawyer: Fox News won't book me
The Beat with Ari Melber
3/19/18
Stormy Daniels’ Lawyer Michael Avenatti joins Ari Melber revealing he hasn’t “received a single request” to appear on Fox News even after Trump revealed he is “David Dennison.” Avenatti also claims he has evidence to prove Trump knew about threats made against Stormy Daniels.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber/watch/stormy-daniels-lawyer-fox-news-won-t-book-me-1189921347713 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv3rIvPEPVI [with comments]
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Putin is Handpicking The Future Leaders of Russia (HBO)
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by VICE News [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZaT_X_mc0BI-djXOlfhqWQ / https://www.youtube.com/user/vicenews , https://www.youtube.com/user/vicenews/videos ]
Russian President Vladmir Putin has been busy tightening his already strong grip on the country, which heads to the polls to vote for its next president on Sunday.
While the outcome of the election isn't really in doubt, Putin is ensuring that his influence extends well beyond the new six-year term he'll inevitably win. He's fired a record number of elected regional governors and replaced them with younger supporters that could stay in office even after he leaves.
Putin replaced a staggering 35 percent of the country's governors between 2016 and 2017. That's a big deal for modern Russia, which is a federation of 85 states, each with its own laws and customs, overseen by the regional governor. They appoint officials, control budgets, and even have the power to pardon criminals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmhDk0dGtJ8 [with comments]
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Are Police Courtesy Cards Really A Free Pass For Bad Behavior? (HBO)
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by VICE News
Last month, New York’s Police Officers union reportedly slashed the number of courtesy cards cops get. These so called “get out of jail free” cards sound like an urban myth, but they’re real, basically a fringe benefit for cops. But are they really a free pass for bad behavior?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMmrGGLIgRQ [with comments]
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Christopher Wylie: The Whistleblower Who Exposed Cambridge Analytica's Facebook Scam (HBO)
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by VICE News
LONDON — Christopher Wylie played a big role in building one of the most effective political weapons of the digital age. Now he’s trying to make amends.
The 28-year-old London-based Canadian is defying a non-disclosure agreement to blow the whistle on his former employer Cambridge Analytica, the controversial political analytics firm known for its work on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in the U.S. and Uhuru Kenyatta’s in Kenya. He says the U.K.-based company, which he helped found in 2013, has built a powerful software program to predict and influence the choices of voters by using data harvested from 50 million leaked Facebook profiles.
The data was collected by an app called thisisyourdigitallife, owned by the Cambridge-based academic Aleksandr Kogan, which was downloaded by about 270,000 people. Users were paid to take a personality test, which they were told would be used for academic research. They might not have known that it also harvested information on their Facebook friends, creating a vast data set that was ultimately sold by Kogan to Cambridge Analytica.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yPvRaKQikE [with comments]
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The president abandons restraint regarding the special counsel - and there is expected to be much more to come.
All In with Chris Hayes
3/19/18
The president abandons restraint regarding the special counsel - and there is expected to be much more to come.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/the-president-abandons-restraint-regarding-the-special-counsel-and-there-is-expected-to-be-much-more-to-come-1189943363842 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfKkJhwj1yc [with comments]
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Trump campaign's data firm accused of gross wrongdoing
All In with Chris Hayes
3/19/18
Cambridge Analytica, the Trump campaign's big data company, now stands accused of wrongdoing - including possible criminal acts - on two continents.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/trump-campaign-s-data-firm-accused-of-gross-wrongdoing-1189946947560
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Facebook critics calling for regulation as stock falls
All In with Chris Hayes
3/19/18
Facebook stock plummeted on the news that the Trump campaign's big data company, Cambridge Analytica, allegedly harvested private information from more than 50 million Facebook users.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/facebook-critics-calling-for-regulation-as-stock-falls-1189951555680
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Students protest gun violence with school walkout
All In with Chris Hayes
3/19/18
More than 3,100 school walkouts to protest gun violence were scheduled across the country, including elementary school students who had a press packet ready for reporters when they arrived.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/students-protest-gun-violence-with-school-walkout-1189918787505
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Republicans reeling after Pennsylvania election stunner
All In with Chris Hayes
3/19/18
Democrat Conor Lamb flipped a deep red district to blue in the Pennsylvania special election. Jason Kander and Cornell Belcher share their reactions.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/republicans-reeling-after-pennsylvania-election-stunner-1189891651925
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Cynthia Nixon is the latest celebrity-turned-politico
All In with Chris Hayes
3/19/18
The Trump era has opened the floodgates for all sorts of personalities to run for office - and actress Cynthia Nixon is the latest to step into the fray with a run for governor of New York.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/cynthia-nixon-is-the-latest-celebrity-turned-politico-1189946947740 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nxFvFlWKQw [with comments]
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Digesting Felix Sater's conversation with Chris Hayes
All In with Chris Hayes
3/19/18
Jackie Speier, Natasha Bertrand, and James Henry join Chris Hayes to digest his conversation with one of the most fascinating figures in the Trump-Russia story, Felix Sater.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/digesting-felix-sater-s-conversation-with-chris-hayes-1189952067945
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Cambridge Analytica scandal rocks already rattled Trump world
The Rachel Maddow Show
3/19/18
As Donald Trump's lawyers are desperately trying to protect him from a Robert Mueller interview and the top level firings keep piling up, Rachel Maddow looks at a whole new arena of scandal for the Trump team.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/cambridge-analytica-scandal-rocks-already-rattled-trump-world-1190020675802 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbLyTqPweQg [with comments]
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Democrats seek tech company probe as part of election protection
The Rachel Maddow Show
3/19/18
Senator Amy Klobuchar talks with Rachel Maddow about the need for tesimony and investigations into the abuse of American voters' personal information on social media sites vulnerable to unscrupulous bad actors.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/democrats-seek-tech-company-probe-as-part-of-election-protection-1190024771564
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Trump stirs obstruction case with attacks on Comey witnesses
The Rachel Maddow Show
3/19/18
Rachel Maddow reviews how Donald Trump has publicly targeted members of James Comey's inner circle who are likely corroborating witnesses to testimony Comey has given to Robert Mueller's investigation.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-stirs-obstruction-case-with-attacks-on-comey-witnesses-1190050883700
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Trump corrupting Mueller probe by attacking witnesses, officials
The Rachel Maddow Show
3/19/18
Neal Katyal, former U.S. acting solicitor general, talks with Rachel Maddow about how out of line Donald Trump is with his attacks on law enforcement officials and witnesses in Robert Mueller's Trump Russia investigation.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-corrupting-mueller-probe-by-attacking-witnesses-officials-1190032451798
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Trump gets new lawyer as Mueller witness ugly past comes to light
The Rachel Maddow Show
3/19/18
Rachel Maddow shows where Donald Trump's new lawyer, Joe diGenova, intersects with the child porn problems of George Nader, a lobbyist who is reportedly cooperating with Robert Mueller's investigation, and wonders if the connection is why so much of Nader's past is becoming public now.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-gets-new-lawyer-as-mueller-witness-ugly-past-comes-to-light-1190059075603
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DC's Cherry Blossom Festival delayed for anti gun violence March
The Rachel Maddow Show
3/19/18
Rachel Maddow reports that the opening of Washington, D.C.'s famous Cheery Blossom Festival is being delayed a day to accommodate the expected crowds participating in the March For Our Lives protest for new laws to prevent gun violence.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/dc-s-cherry-blossom-festival-delayed-for-anti-gun-violence-march-1190052419852
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Lawrence: Trump's staff is keeping tabs on their convos with him
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
3/19/18
Trump doesn't realize it, but his staff is memorializing every conversation they have with him in the Oval Office, Lawrence O'Donnell says. It's the same step Andrew McCabe and James Comey took and will act as evidence of his efforts to possibly obstruct justice.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/lawrence-trump-s-staff-is-keeping-tabs-on-their-convos-with-him-1190012995932 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhKXriWKVOg [with comments]
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New reports: Mueller and Trump teams finally meet
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
3/19/18
As the probe intensifies, Trump adds a new lawyer to his Russia team, Joe diGenova, who has a history of pushing conspiracies about the probe on right-wing media outlets. Lawrence O'Donnell discusses with Barbara McQuade, David Cay Johnston, and Michael Isikoff.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/new-reports-mueller-and-trump-teams-finally-meet-1190022211646 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W49kwUeUchk [with comments]
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Trump lawyer's new interview about alleged Stormy Daniels threats
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
3/19/18
In a new interview, Trump's attorney Michael Cohen responds to the alleged physical threats against Stormy Daniels. Lawrence O'Donnell reminds us of Cohen's long history of threatening people on behalf of Trump. David Cay Johnston and Kurt Andersen join.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/trump-lawyer-s-new-interview-about-alleged-stormy-daniels-threats-1190024771513
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Trump's legal team shake up and what it means for Mueller probe defense
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams
3/20/18
Late breaking reporting from the Washington Post and the New York Times on Donald Trump’s legal team moves, and what they might signal for the president’s legal strategy with special counsel Robert Mueller.
©2018 NBCNews.com
[originally aired March 19, 2018]
http://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/trump-s-legal-team-shake-up-and-what-it-means-for-mueller-probe-defense-1190064195588 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcI3CCDD6L0 [with comments]
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Despite West Wing chaos, Trump reportedly more comfortable in job
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams
3/20/18
President Trump is speaking out more and going with his gut on policy. Supporters say they’re finally getting the president they voted for, but what challenges do other Republicans face by association?
©2018 NBCNews.com
[originally aired March 19, 2018]
http://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/despite-west-wing-chaos-trump-reportedly-more-comfortable-in-job-1190064195883
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Former Andrew McCabe colleague criticizes Trump's attacks
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams
3/20/18
Former FBI Executive Assistant Director Robert Anderson, who’s known Andrew McCabe for two decades, weighs in on the president’s weekend Twitter tirade, and the damage to the bureau from Trump’s attacks on the FBI.
©2018 NBCNews.com
[originally aired March 19, 2018]
http://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/former-andrew-mccabe-colleague-criticizes-trump-s-attacks-1190066243920 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27mm_3ga3To [with comments]
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Trump Sacks Andrew McCabe, Takes Aim at Robert Mueller | The Daily Show
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by The Daily Show with Trevor Noah [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwWhs_6x42TyRM4Wstoq8HA , https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwWhs_6x42TyRM4Wstoq8HA/videos ]
President Trump fires former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe days before his retirement in an alleged attempt to discredit the Mueller investigation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDFq6rVmkao [with comments]
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Christiane Amanpour - An In-Depth Look at Passion and Intimacy on "Sex & Love Around the World"
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Christiane Amanpour chats about her CNN series "Sex & Love Around the World," which sheds light on how women across the globe are exploring and embracing their sexuality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NknJursyfOg [with comments]
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Tucker Carlson's Bad Take on Teen Activists & Trump's White House Purge | The Daily Show
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Fox News's Tucker Carlson lashes out at the students who participated in a walkout to protest gun violence, and President Trump goes on a wild and unpredictable firing spree.
[originally aired March 15, 2018; uploaded late/out of sequence]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quas9q0sK5Q [with comments]
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Adult-Splaining Grammar to Teen Activist David Hogg - The Opposition w/ Jordan Klepper
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by Comedy Central [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUsN5ZwHx2kILm84-jPDeXw / https://www.youtube.com/user/comedycentral , https://www.youtube.com/user/comedycentral/videos , https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD7nPL1U-R5r5XD8saDuOBVj1z69Y_4iK ]
Fox News pundit Laura Ingraham's concern for the offensive grammatical errors in activist David Hogg's anti-gun video prompts Jordan to give teens a grammar lesson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc8sd0uI3Aw [with comments]
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Rex Tillerson Gets Fired On The Toilet
Published on Mar 20, 2018 by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMtFAi84ehTSYSE9XoHefig , https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMtFAi84ehTSYSE9XoHefig/videos ]
Trump's former Secretary of State supposedly learned he was fired by John Kelly while on the John.
[originally aired March 19, 2018]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsGBtBFxYu0 [with comments]
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Let The Robert Mueller Tweets Begin!
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
There's no one Trump won't attempt to disparage on Twitter: Robert Mueller... Andrew McCabe... Cher...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynNKe3wPqVE [with (nearly 5,000) comments]
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Stephen Analyticizes Cambridge Analytica
Published on Mar 20, 2018 by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Data firm Cambridge Analytica exploited Facebook to gather information of millions of potential voters. Oh, and prostitutes!
[originally aired March 19, 2018]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MeQz8OWXQ0 [with comments]
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Guess Who Won Russia's Presidential Election
Published on Mar 20, 2018 by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Want to know who won this weekend's presidential election in Russia? Click to find out! (This is a cliffhanger for the one internet user who doesn't understand Russia's politics.)
[originally aired March 19, 2018]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNqN0yvkq-M [with comments]
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Trump Attacks Mueller and McCabe; Facebook Suspends Cambridge Analytica: A Closer Look
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by Late Night with Seth Meyers [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVTyTA7-g9nopHeHbeuvpRA / https://www.youtube.com/user/LateNightSeth , https://www.youtube.com/user/LateNightSeth/videos ]
Seth takes a closer look at Trump directly attacking the special counsel in the Russia investigation and Facebook's massive data breach.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_vTyApRF-w [with comments]
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stashed March 19, 2018:
Everything you need to know about the Cambridge Analytica-Facebook debacle
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/03/19/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-cambridge-analytica-facebook-debacle/
Everything You Need to Know About Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and the Trump Campaign
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/facebook-cambridge-data-trump,news-26800.html
The EU Has Set Its Sights On A Data Protection Investigation Into Cambridge Analytica And Facebook
An official investigation into the two companies could result in heavy fines.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/markdistefano/the-eu-has-set-its-sights-on-a-data-protection
No 10 'very concerned' over Facebook data breach by Cambridge Analytica
Downing Street backs information commissioner inquiry into data-mining affecting millions of people
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/19/no-10-very-concerned-over-facebook-data-breach-by-cambridge-analytica
Facebook data - as scandalous as MPs’ expenses?
The gathering storm over how millions of Facebook profiles were apparently exploited for political purposes raises all sorts of questions about how our data is used.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-43458110
Facebook's value drops 7% or $37bn after data revelations; bid battle for GKN continues - live
https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2018/mar/19/melrose-pension-boost-gkn-pension-takeover-business-live
For Facebook, political pressure mounts on Mark Zuckerberg
The controversy over the Cambridge Analytica scandal and data stolen from 50 million people has all eyes on Facebook’s founder.
https://www.cnet.com/news/for-facebook-political-pressure-mounts-on-mark-zuckerberg/
Whistleblower claims Trump aides met with Cambridge Analytica prior to campaign
Christopher Wylie says both Steve Bannon and Corey Lewandowski were working with the firm long before Trump launched his bid.
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-aides-cambridge-analytica-872e244f5c83/
Facebook data whistleblower: 'fake news to the next level'
https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/cambridge-analytica-fake-news-level-53849985
Facebook botches response to a scandal, again
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/facebook-botches-response-scandal-160551434.html
Roger McNamee: Users are recognizing Facebook is 'not the fun and games, innocent place they thought it was'
The social media giant is coming off a rough weekend, after reports late Friday of a massive mishandling of data by conservative research firm Cambridge Analytica. The stock shed nearly 7 percent Monday.
But the greater loss may be the trust of Facebook users, tech investor Roger McNamee told CNBC's "Squawk Alley."
"There's been an increasing understanding that when you're using Facebook, a lot of bad things are going to happen to you, as a user," McNamee said.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/19/roger-mcnamee-facebook-is-losing-consumer-trust.html
Cambridge Analytica Leak Triggers Demand for Tougher U.K. Data Watchdog
Possible [bullshit - fully verified] data breach being probed by U.K. privacy watchdog
Demand follows report that Cambridge Analytica violated rules
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-19/trump-data-firm-leak-spurs-demand-for-tougher-u-k-data-watchdog
Republican senator joins call for Facebook CEO to testify about data use - John Kennedy (La.)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Senator John Kennedy has joined his Democratic colleague Amy Klobuchar in calling on Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg to testify before Congress following reports that a political consultancy gained inappropriate access to data on millions of Facebook users.
In a joint letter, Kennedy and Klobuchar asked Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley to hold a hearing with Zuckerberg and the chief executives of Alphabet Inc’s Google and Twitter Inc, reflecting mounting bipartisan concern in Washington about how the companies share personal user data.
“Facebook, Google, and Twitter have amassed unprecedented amounts of personal data and use this data when selling advertising, including political advertisements,” the senators wrote. “The lack of oversight on how data is stored and how political advertisements are sold raises concerns about the integrity of American elections as well as privacy rights.”
The letter came after reports this weekend that Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy that worked on President Donald Trump’s campaign, gained inappropriate access to data on 50 million Facebook use.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-cambridge-analytica-congress/republican-senator-joins-call-for-facebook-ceo-to-testify-about-data-use-idUSKBN1GV1WR
Data leak 'another indication of systemic problems at Facebook' so sell the stock, analyst says
Pivotal Research reaffirms its sell rating on Facebook shares, predicting more restrictions on consumer personal data use for advertising purposes.
"Because regulators will apply more scrutiny on the use of data for targeting, it seems to us that there will be more scrutiny on Facebook products," analyst Brian Wieser writes.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/19/pivotal-research-data-leak-another-indication-of-systemic-problems-at-facebook.html
Facebook backlash: Failure to disclose political firm's profile access draws scrutiny
The episode marks another blow to Facebook's reputation during a period of growing scrutiny over Russian use of the platform to interfere in American politics.
http://www.wfaa.com/article/news/nation-world/facebook-backlash-failure-to-disclose-political-firms-profile-access-draws-scrutiny/507-529781649
Markey Wants Investigation Into Facebook/Cambridge 'Bombshell'
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/markey-wants-investigation-facebookcambridge-bombshell/172434
Don’t think for one second that Facebook is a victim in this whole Cambridge Analytica mess
http://www.infosurhoy.com/cocoon/saii/xhtml/en_GB/technology/dont-think-for-one-second-that-facebook-is-a-victim-in-this-whole-cambridge-analytica-mess/
Facebook, Other Tech Giants Scrutinized by Congress Over User Data
Lawmakers call for hearings and possible digital-ad regulation
https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-other-tech-giants-scrutinized-by-congress-over-user-data-1521479672
What You Need to Understand About Facebook and Cambridge Analytica
http://nymag.com/selectall/2018/03/what-is-cambridge-analytica-and-who-is-christopher-wylie.html
Exclusive: Scientist at center of Facebook-Cambridge Analytica controversy speaks
The data scientist who gathered information on millions of Americans for Cambridge Analytica, the controversial data firm that worked for Donald Trump's presidential campaign, says he would be happy to testify before Congress and speak to the FBI about the work he did for the company. Aleksandr Kogan made the remarks in an email he sent to colleagues at Cambridge University this weekend that was obtained by CNN.
http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/19/technology/cambridge-analytica-scientist-aleksandr-kogan/index.html
Facebook’s Woes Weigh Down Tech Stocks: DealBook Briefing
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/business/dealbook/facebook-cambridge-analytica.html
Cambridge Analytica Expert Suspended By Facebook After Disclosing Data Misuse - Canadian data analytics expert Christopher Wylie, who worked for Cambridge Analytica and was the key source for the Times and Observer investigations
“For blowing the whistle. On something they have known privately for 2 years.”
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cambridge-analytica-expert-suspended-by-facebook-after-disclosing-data-misuse_us_5aaf0c2fe4b05b22180013d4
Republican Lawmakers Concerned By Facebook Data Leak - Reuters
Cambridge Analytica has denied violating Facebook’s terms.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/republican-lawmakers-concerned-by-facebook-data-leak_us_5aaf37aae4b05b221800250f
original https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-facebook/republican-lawmakers-concerned-by-facebook-data-leak-idUSKBN1GU0XF
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dRYJ1fvKHV8eVvMnYpOZ0a_bEL5EM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Kushner, Manafort were primary players in hiring Cambridge Analytica for Trump campaign
Andrea Mitchell Reports
Mar.19.2018
http://www.msnbc.com/andrea-mitchell-reports/watch/kushner-manafort-were-primary-players-in-hiring-cambridge-analytica-for-trump-campaign-1189530691843
Cambridge Analytica whistleblower says company worked with Corey Lewandowski, Steve Bannon
In a live interview with TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie, Christopher Wylie, a former employee of British company Cambridge Analytica, says the company misused personal Facebook data of some 50 million people to help influence the 2016 presidential election. Wylie says the company met with former Trump campaign manager (and current outside adviser) Corey Lewandowski, former chief strategist Steve Bannon as well as Russian oil companies.
https://www.today.com/video/cambridge-analytica-whistleblower-says-the-company-worked-with-trump-campaign-strategist-and-steve-bannon-1189326915651
Cambridge Analytica, the shady data firm that might be a key Trump-Russia link, explained
Why House investigators think this company might have gamed Facebook and helped Russia spread fake news.
Mar 17, 2018
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/16/15657512/cambridge-analytica-christopher-wylie-facebook-trump-russia
Did Jared Kushner’s Data Operation Help Select Facebook Targets for the Russians?
The Russians used social media to rile the electorate. Investigators wonder if they had inside help.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/09/jared-kushner-data-operation-russia-facebook
Did Russians Target Democratic Voters, With Kushner’s Help?
5/23/17
http://www.newsweek.com/did-russians-target-dem-voters-kushners-help-613612
more: https://www.google.com/search?q=kushner+manafort+cambridge+analytica
Andrew McCabe’s Firing: Here’s What You Need to Know
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/us/politics/andrew-mccabe-fbi-firing-explained.html
The Fake News is beside themselves that McCabe was caught, called out and fired. How many hundreds of thousands of dollars was given to wife’s campaign by Crooked H friend, Terry M, who was also under investigation? How many lies? How many leaks? Comey knew it all, and much more!
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/975062797162811394
The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT!
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/975163071361683456
Five reasons why a single Trump tweet on Mueller stretched the truth
First Read is your briefing from Meet the Press and the NBC Political Unit on the day's most important political stories and why they matter
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/five-reasons-why-single-trump-tweet-mueller-stretched-truth-n857831
Some in GOP alarmed as Trump tweets against Robert Mueller
https://www.apnews.com/04edb1a7205e4e09a316d8ae7d73b05e
Donald Trump may not be able to fire Robert Mueller. So he's doing the next best thing.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/19/politics/trump-witch-hunt-analysis/index.html
Newly Emboldened, Trump Says What He Really Feels
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/18/us/politics/trump-tweets-mueller.html
This new report on Trump’s state of mind [item just above] should alarm you
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2018/03/19/this-new-report-on-trumps-state-of-mind-should-alarm-you/
Trump to Hire Lawyer Who Has Pushed Theory That Justice Dept. Framed the President
MANCHESTER, N.H. — President Trump has decided to hire the longtime Washington lawyer Joseph E. diGenova, who has pushed the theory on television that Mr. Trump was framed by F.B.I. and Justice Department officials, to bolster his legal team, according to three people told of the decision.
Mr. diGenova is not expected to take a lead role but will instead serve as a more aggressive player on the president’s legal team. Mr. Trump broke over the weekend from the longstanding advice of some of his lawyers that he refrain from directly attacking the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, a sign of his growing unease with the investigation.
The hire has not been announced, and Mr. Trump frequently changes his mind and sometimes adjusts his plans based on media coverage. It was not clear whether Mr. Trump planned to hire other lawyers.
Mr. diGenova has endorsed the notion that a secretive group of F.B.I. agents concocted the Russia investigation as a way to keep Mr. Trump from becoming president. “There was a brazen plot to illegally exonerate Hillary Clinton and, if she didn’t win the election, to then frame Donald Trump with a falsely created crime,” he said on Fox News in January. He added, “Make no mistake about it: A group of F.B.I. and D.O.J. people were trying to frame Donald Trump of a falsely created crime.”
Little evidence has emerged to support that theory.
Mr. Trump’s legal team has been in tumult in recent weeks. On Saturday, Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer, John Dowd, called on the Justice Department to end the special counsel investigation. Mr. Dowd said at the time that he was speaking for the president but later backtracked. According to two people briefed on the matter, he was in fact acting at the president’s urging to call for an end to the inquiry.
Earlier this month, Mr. Trump did not tell his lawyers that he was in discussions with another Washington lawyer, Emmet T. Flood, about representing him. Mr. Flood represented former President Bill Clinton during his impeachment proceedings.
Mr. diGenova did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Mr. diGenova is law partners with his wife, Victoria Toensing. Ms. Toensing has also represented Sam Clovis, the former Trump campaign co-chairman, and Erik Prince, the founder of the security contractor Blackwater and an informal adviser to Mr. Trump. Mr. Prince attended a meeting in January 2017 with a Russian investor in the Seychelles that the special counsel is investigating.
Mr. diGenova has worked in Washington legal circles for decades. He is a former Republican-appointed United States attorney for the District of Columbia. And he has served as an independent counsel in government waste, fraud and abuse investigations, notably a three-year criminal inquiry into whether officials in the George H.W. Bush administration broke any laws in their search for damaging information about then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton.
In 1995, Mr. diGenova declared the investigation he led was “unnecessary.” And, he said, “a Kafkaesque journey for a group of innocent Americans comes to an end.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/us/politics/joseph-digenova-trump-lawyer.html
Trump-Sessions Relationship at Crossroads After President’s Attack on Mueller
President called out Mueller by name in weekend tweet attacks
Sessions recusal from Russia probe has been target for Trump
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-19/trump-sessions-relations-at-crossroads-after-attack-on-mueller
The problem with hindsight
Over the weekend,President Donald Trump’s long-simmering feud with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election caught fire and this destructive blaze appears far from contained.
Whether these flames die out or continue to consume Washington remains uncertain. And while much will depend on Mueller's progress and Trump's tolerance, for the foreseeable future, our politics will involve a fight over perception and plausible arguments.
Both skeptics and believers will assert their theories about Trump's relationship with Russia, hoping they can persuade public opinion in advance of the 2018 midterm elections. For partisans, majority control of the Congress and future governing authority are what's at stake in this battle for perception. And since the majority of the public believes Mueller will conduct a fair investigation (61 percent), Republicans will wage this fight going uphill.
In addition to the partisan broadsides, another debate has ensued among journalists, scholars and lawyers about whether or not Trump and his campaign engaged in a conspiracy, or actively colluded with Russian operatives before or after the presidential election. The stakes here are more about "getting it right, first," so as to burnish one's reputation as a political analyst or insightful observer.
But there's a glaring problem with most of what has been written and said, whether by partisans or pundits, and it is this: Trump wasn't supposed to win the presidency. In other words, nearly all of the analyses that have been articulated have been bedeviled by the assumption that Trump and his team believed that Trump would become the president.
We know this is not true. No one thought Trump would win — not even Trump.
According to the book written by Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie, on election night, Trump said: "Dave, can you believe this? We just started this to have some fun."
Let me repeat, Trump said: "to have some fun." He did not say: "to win."
Trump likely also thought that running for president would be "fun" because a presidential campaign would provide him with the biggest platform he could imagine to enhance his celebrity and increase the value of his personal brand. And with these greatly improved assets, he would be able to make more money — after he lost. In essence, for Trump to maximize his future development opportunities and revive his business (and perhaps, even solve son-in-law Jared Kushner's serious debt problem on 666 Park Ave.), he needed to win the Republican nomination and lose the general election. Then, he'd own 2017.
The glitch in this plan was that Trump won.
That inconvenient and unintended outcome of his campaign appears to have transformed Trump's business development strategy (i.e., make foreign friends, build a hotel in Moscow, and cultivate investor relationships to repay debt in New York) into a possible illegal conspiracy with an unfriendly foreign power.
Considering this from another angle, had Trump lost the presidency, does one believe that either he or his campaign would be receiving such scrutiny? No.
But the answer is "no" not because partisans want to delegitimize his win (as he seems to believe) or because the "deep state" and "the elites" are repulsed by all he stands for (even if they are). The answer is "no" because if he had lost, he wouldn't have the enormous power of the presidency at his disposal. If he had lost, he would not be in a position to compromise the country's interests to a hostile foreign power.
If he had lost, he would have been merely a famous loser. In our upside down world, where social media friends and name identification are valued as real assets and connote one's net worth, famous losers can make far more money than discreet winners.
And while Trump’s team (namely, Paul Manafort and Rick Gates) may have found themselves in some legal trouble for campaign finance violations for receiving foreign donations, it is much more likely that had Trump lost, there would be a Justice Department investigation of President Hillary Clinton's role with the Clinton Foundation rather than one of Trump.
This doesn't have to do with which politician did the worse thing, it has to do with who now has the power to do harm to the United States of America. At the moment, that individual is Trump, and not Clinton. Had Trump lost, it would be different.
The other problem is that cover-ups to put past behavior into a less embarrassing light tend to look like conspiracies in hindsight. More often than not, the truth is simpler: people make bad decisions, and when they realize their bad decision will become public, they try to cover it up with new actions that will alter people’s perceptions. Typically, these cover-ups make things worse, not better, and people get caught — not necessarily for the bad decision or mistake they made, but for not admitting their error or wrongdoing, and trying to cover it up.
Viewed through this lens, when Trump’s activities and decisions during the campaign — from not investing any real money in his campaign infrastructure to hiring Manafort in March 2016 when it looked like he might lose the nomination to Sen. Ted Cruz, to the several meetings his campaign advisors had with influential Russians — it seems clear that Trump was attempting to execute an ill-considered business development strategy, not trying to win the presidency. In short, he failed by winning.
Now, just because Trump likely was coordinating with Russia for business and not politics, doesn't mean that he should get away with unscrupulous behavior. At this point, Mueller seems highly likely to catch him and his staff for having engaged in a cover-up (e.g., obstruction of justice, perjury, destruction of evidence, etc.).
Still with respect to engaging in a treasonous conspiracy with Russia to subvert American democracy, it's probably best to remember what Eric Trump said about his father's nature: "My father sees only one color — green."
Lara M. Brown is director of the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University. Follow her on Twitter @LaraMBrownPhD.
http://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/379084-the-problem-with-hindsight
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/d8tqkWLr8SCSkWM4yXDKkHMLztO-M?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
After fourth Austin explosion, police warn of sophisticated ‘serial bomber’
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/03/18/two-injured-in-explosion-in-austin-police-say/
Now with tripwire bomb, APD says they're working with a serial bomber
http://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/two-men-injured-in-explosion-in-southwest-austin/1056692545
Austin police warn of 'serial bomber' after fourth explosion shows 'higher level of sophistication'
http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-austin-explosion-20180318-story.html
The Latest: PGA Tour says safety paramount at Austin event
https://apnews.com/d7c526d753e04df39a233e2759411bbf
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/d287RBNbXb0ezWM1oAw23L2BEaQ6M?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Trump to Visit New Hampshire to Present Opioid Plan
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/us/politics/trump-new-hampshire-opioid-plan.html
Trump's opioid plan to take three-pronged approach, including death penalty for high-volume traffickers
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/18/politics/trump-opioid-plan/index.html
The Health 202: Trump will propose executing drug dealers. But only in some already legal cases.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-health-202/2018/03/19/the-health-202-trump-will-propose-executing-drug-dealers-but-only-in-some-already-legal-cases/5aa935f730fb047655a06c60/
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dckArjHKbQvpprMhW4JFFV82ssDzM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Self-Driving Uber Car Kills Arizona Pedestrian
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/technology/uber-driverless-fatality.html
An Autonomous Uber Vehicle Struck And Killed A Woman In Arizona
Police in Tempe, Arizona, are investigating a fatal crash in which an autonomous Uber vehicle struck a woman, who later died.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/carolineodonovan/uber-autonomous-vehicle-killed-pedestrian
Tempe police investigating self-driving Uber car involved in deadly crash overnight
https://www.abc15.com/news/region-southeast-valley/tempe/tempe-police-investigating-self-driving-uber-car-involved-in-crash-overnight
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dDym-50uNTL-2_MPP2DDRV3YVHL1M?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Should Pro-Life Clinics Have to Post Information About Abortion?
The Supreme Court will consider the rights of crisis pregnancy centers, which help women “imagine what the choice of life would be like.”
Abortion is back in the Supreme Court this week. On Tuesday, the justices will hear a case on crisis pregnancy centers, the facilities established by pro-life organizations around the country to counsel women against abortion. In 2015, California passed the Reproductive FACT Act, requiring licensed clinics that provide certain services—including ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, and advice on birth control—to post information about affordable abortion and contraception services offered by the state. Unlicensed facilities that provide these services have to disclose their lack of medical certification. A network of crisis pregnancy centers, including the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA), sued in response, arguing that the government is violating their right to free speech by forcing them to promote abortion.
On a technical level, NIFLA v. Becerra is about the kind of speech the government is allowed to regulate. States can’t force citizens into making statements in support of a specific political position or candidate; compelling speech in that manner would violate the First Amendment. But states can regulate other kinds of speech, such as making sure doctors disclose important information before operating on a patient. Crisis pregnancy centers, known as CPCs, fall somewhere in the murky middle of the two categories. The justices must decide where, exactly, CPCs fit.
[...]
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/03/nifla-becerra-crisis-pregnancy-centers-supreme-court/555887/
‘I’ve Personally Sacrificed My Entire Career for This’
The debate around sexual-harassment legislation is playing out in the Maryland General Assembly, where reform advocates say leadership is loath to embrace changes.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/03/metoo-maryland/555788/
School Choice May Be Accelerating Gentrification
The ability to opt out of a neighborhood school increases the likelihood that a black or Hispanic neighborhood will see an influx of wealthier residents.
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/03/is-school-choice-contributing-to-gentrification/555845/
An Inside Look at Juvenile Detention ( https://youtu.be/-aq4sNlFdwk [since gone dark])
As recently as 2005, the state of Virginia had eight centers like Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Facility, housing more than 1,300 delinquent youth. But by 2017, after a series of reforms, that number had shrunk to one.
“It's not that you can't do good work here,” said Andy Block, who, since 2014, has served as the juvenile-justice department’s director. “But the place itself and the design and the size and the location are barriers to doing good work.” Block and others are working to close Bon Air and replace it with something that reflects the juvenile justice reforms that have taken hold in Virginia and across the country—a system that once focused on confinement is now dedicated to rehabilitation. In recent years, more than 70 percent of Virginia's juvenile inmates were rearrested within three years of their release.*
This documentary explores life inside Bon Air and the challenges facing reform efforts in Virginia. It is part of a larger reporting project on juvenile justice reform. Read more here [ https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/juvenile-justice/ ] and watch the VR series: Life Inside Maximum-Security Juvenile Detention
https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/555659/inside-juvenile-detention/
EU Agrees on Brexit Transition Terms but Ireland Issue Remains
Under the terms agreed, the U.K. would continue implementing all EU rules until the end of 2020, while having no say in future decisions
https://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-agrees-on-brexit-transition-terms-but-ireland-issue-remains-1521455671
Brexit talks: UK-EU agree on transition but obstacles remain
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43463196
The five costs of UK's pyrrhic Brexit victory
A series of once unimaginable concessions are now baked into the withdrawal agreement, with more likely to come
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/mar/19/the-five-costs-of-uks-pyrrhic-brexit-victory
Transition deal alone won't let banks stall Brexit moves - industry officials
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-city/transition-deal-alone-wont-let-banks-stall-brexit-moves-industry-officials-idUSKBN1GV1O8
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/desVc-BMPBDwxDMgB3tn626CqbKnM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Putin’s reelection takes him one step closer to becoming Russian leader for life
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/putins-reelection-takes-him-one-step-closer-to-becoming-russian-leader-for-life/2018/03/19/880cd0a2-2af7-11e8-8dc9-3b51e028b845_story.html
Putin Claims Mandate in Record Win Amid Conflict With West
Putin gets 77% in presidential election with high turnout
Tensions with West spurred Russians to vote, poll chief says
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-18/putin-sweeps-to-new-term-in-russia-as-tensions-spiral-with-west
Opinion: Putin is leading an increasingly poor, destabilized Russia
A generational change is gripping the country, and this new generation is looking for its own voice in the system
By Stratfor analysts
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/putin-is-leading-an-increasingly-poor-destabilized-russia-2018-03-19
Sobchak-Navalny Row Deepens Following Russia’s Presidential Elections
https://themoscowtimes.com/news/sobchak-navalny-row-deepens-following-russias-presidential-elections-60865
Russia election: Putin ready for 'constructive' dialogue
Vladimir Putin has said he is open to "constructive" dialogue with other states after being re-elected president of Russia with an increased majority.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43461719
Putin’s Election Victory Magnifies Deep Divide in Russia’s Political Landscape
Result shows difficulty the opposition has in turning protests into a viable opposition against Mr. Putin
https://www.wsj.com/articles/putins-election-victory-magnifies-deep-divide-in-russias-political-landscape-1521463334
Putin Wins Russia Election, and Broad Mandate for 4th Term
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/18/world/europe/election-russia-putin-president.html
Putin’s landslide victory met with muted reaction from the West
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/putin-s-landslide-victory-met-muted-reaction-west-n857811
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/diSSFlGK3k779uMhRppxKVK7mSn8M?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Pro-Bernie Sanders group cancels Hillary Clinton protest
WASHINGTON - A pro-Bernie Sanders group has canceled an anti-Hillary Clinton protest, its organizer told NBC News on Monday.
The event, created by the leader of a local chapter of Our Revolution, prompted backlash from Clinton allies, leading Sanders' top adviser to condemn it and disassociate his boss from the group, which grew out of Sanders presidential campaign.
The episode shows that, two years later, Democrats still can’t quite shake the ghost of 2016 and the hard-fought presidential primary between Clinton and Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont. And it's another demonstration of the challenges Sanders faces in leading a movement that acts in his name but is often beyond his control — even as he reportedly prepares for a second presidential bid in 2020.
Ellen Faden said she had no idea her protest would cause such an uproar.
The founder of the Hazlet, New Jersey, chapter of Our Revolution objected to the fact that Rutgers University is paying Clinton $25,000 for an upcoming speech, so she thought she'd use the event to make a point about money in politics.
Faden had organized a similar demonstration outside a Bill Clinton event in California, where she used to live, that drew little attention and attracted only about a dozen participants. So she expected similarly low turnout when she posted an event listing on Our Revolution's website inviting people to protest Clinton's Rutgers speech on March 29.
“When I put it up, nothing happened for about a week or more. And then all of a sudden, I got one comment, and then it was like hundreds of comments," Faden said. “It did absolutely touch a sore spot with us, with Democrats, because I do consider myself a Democrat."
Over the weekend, the event caught fire on Twitter among Clinton and Sanders supporters, who still regularly duke it out on social media.
To Clinton allies, like her former spokesperson, Philippe Reines, who played Donald Trump in her debate prep sessions, it was evidence that Sanders and his supporters are obsessed with tearing Clinton down and dividing the party, even when it seems to play right into Trump's hands.
"Bernie & donald sitting in a tree, o b s e s s i n g.
Both pro-Russia.
Both pro-guns.
Both pro-faking party affiliation.
Both pro-whining “Rigged!”
Both pro-forgetting they lost by 6,576,985 votes.
Both anti-HRC.
Both on a 3rd party ticket: Trump-Sanders 2016 & 2020 https://twitter.com/hoarsewisperer/status/975518815114219520 "
[ https://twitter.com/PhilippeReines/status/975558013288374272 ]
"Our Revolution: Democrats need to stop being divisive!
Also Our Revolution: Join us as we disrupt Hillary’s campus speech!
These people are toxic AF."
[ https://twitter.com/hoarsewisperer/status/975518815114219520 ]
Democrats of all stripes called on Our Revolution to remove the event from the group's national website, saying progressives should be focused on fighting Republicans, not each other.
The event listing remained online, but a disclaimer was appended reading: “Events are created by local grass-roots organizers and are not necessarily endorsed by Our Revolution National."
In the past, Clinton has donated honorariums from public universities to charity, including the Clinton Foundation. A spokesperson for Clinton confirmed Monday that she will donate the honorarium for the Rutgers speech, as well.
Late Sunday night, Sanders’ former campaign manager and current senior adviser, Jeff Weaver, entered the fray to make it clear that Sanders himself did not condone the event.
“Our Revolution and Senator Sanders operate independently. Our Revolution has autonomous chapters all across the country," Weaver said in a statement. "That being said, this is no time to be protesting Hillary Clinton or any Democrat."
On Monday morning, Our Revolution’s high command called Faden, who then told NBC News she would cancel the event and was working to remove it from the website and Facebook.
"I’m still going to go myself, just as a private citizen, but with nothing whatsoever to do with Our Revolution," she said. "I don’t want to jeopardize anything with Our Revolution. I really didn’t expect this to happen."
In a statement, Our Revolution President Nina Turner said the organization did not endorse the event, but that the decision to cancel it did not come from on high.
"The Rutgers protest of Secretary Clinton was created by one local group, not an event endorsed by the national organization or myself," Turner said. "With almost 600 local groups, Our Revolution encourages a wide range of opinions and respects everyone's right to peaceful protest. This group has decided, on their own, to cancel this event. We are open to working with individuals and groups who believe in the founding principals of our Revolution."
It’s not the first time Sanders has had to publicly distance himself from his own group.
Our Revolution, which shares its name with Sanders’ book, spun directly out of his presidential campaign. Weaver initially helmed the organization before turning it over to Turner, a former Ohio state senator, and other Sanders surrogates.
But campaign finance rules prohibit Sanders from exerting much influence over the group, which prides itself on bottom-up decision-making driven by grass-roots activists, who often chafe at pressure from above.
Both Sanders and Our Revolution benefit from their perceived association, so neither is exactly keen to advertise their independence. But the status has created awkward situations where Sanders and Our Revolution have diverged.
For instance, last month, Sanders was compelled to put out a statement breaking from Our Revolution after they endorsed former congressman Dennis Kucinich in the Ohio governor's race.
"Our Revolution is doing a great job, but I am not involved with it, and it would be illegal for me to be involved. Let me be very clear: Bernie Sanders will make endorsements, and Our Revolution will make endorsements," Sanders said. "I’ve known Dennis Kucinich forever. I consider him a friend. But I am not making an endorsement there."
It’s a similar situation to the one his fellow Vermonter, Howard Dean, found himself him in when the group that grew out of his 2004 presidential campaign, Democracy for America, endorsed Sanders while Dean himself backed Clinton.
But as the 2018 midterms heat up, tensions may only become more apparent as Our Revolution and Sanders make more endorsements in competitive Democratic primaries across the country.
https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/democrats-vs-trump/pro-bernie-sanders-group-cancels-anti-hillary-clinton-protest-n857926
Democrats' 2018 midterm hopes strengthened by decline of liberal 'purity tests'
Why liberals' newfound love of pragmatism over purity is bad news for Trump and the GOP.
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/democrats-2018-midterm-hopes-strengthened-decline-liberal-purity-tests-ncna857431
More Young Christians Heed Call to Become Priests And Nuns | NBC Left Field
NBC Left Field
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADWhY1iAfeM
Saudi crown prince: If Iran makes a nuclear bomb, so will we
Mohammed bin Salman returns to Washington this week to kick off his U.S. tour with a series of White House meetings — and a blunt message about his strategy toward his nation's regional rival.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/saudi-crown-prince-if-iran-makes-nuclear-bomb-so-will-n857921
Why does Saudi Arabia want to spend billions to enrich its own uranium?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/why-does-saudi-arabia-want-to-spend-billions-to-enrich-its-own-uranium/2018/03/19/1ce87608-2225-11e8-badd-7c9f29a55815_story.html
Saudi Arabia's heir to the throne talks to 60 Minutes
In his first interview with an American television network, Mohammed bin Salman shared his thoughts on Iran, the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, his country’s troubled past and its hopeful future
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/saudi-crown-prince-talks-to-60-minutes/
Saudi Crown Prince Will Seek to Solidify Anti-Iran Stance With Trump White House
Prince Mohammed is likely to emphasize his effort to modernize the ultraconservative petrostate
https://www.wsj.com/articles/saudi-crown-prince-will-seek-to-solidify-anti-iran-stance-with-trump-white-house-1521457201
Will Trump once again fall for a Saudi charm offensive? Let's hope not.
We need to resist the spell of the Saudi royals. The U.S.-Saudi relationship is increasingly conflicted, and mutual expectations are unlikely to be met.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/03/18/trump-shouldnt-fall-another-saudi-arabia-charm-offensive-aaron-miller-richard-sokolsky-column/429721002/
Crown Prince’s White House visit a major concern for Iran
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1269386
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman says women are 'absolutely' equal to men, continues modernization push
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/03/19/saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-says-women-are-absolutely-equal-to-men-continues-modernization-push.html
Kushner and MBS: A tale of two princes
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/19/opinions/trump-kushner-mbs-meeting-opinion-bergen/index.html
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dc0PccmwwtJ53nMf84ZkzD9UWMHwM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Turkish-backed forces loot Syrian town of Afrin
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/19/middleeast/afrin-looting-intl/index.html
Erdogan Vows to Extend Offensive to East Syria, North Iraq
President says may target Kurdish militants in Syria, Iraq
Erdogan says Manbij, Kobani, Tal Abyad, Sinjar among targets
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-19/erdogan-vows-to-extend-offensive-to-east-syria-northern-iraq
Turkey vows to widen offensive to eastern Syria, Iraq - AP
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/syria-monitors-turkish-allied-militiamen-looting-afrin-53844854
original https://www.apnews.com/79270da278ae4b02bacbce6e27fca040/Turkey-vows-to-widen-offensive-to-eastern-Syria,-Iraq
Turkey’s adventurism in Syria has gone too far
Whatever the perceived threat Ankara sees in the YPG, it is no excuse to invade Syrian territory and militarily occupy Syrian land.
http://gulfnews.com/opinion/editorials/turkey-s-adventurism-in-syria-has-gone-too-far-1.2191066
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dFjhJ06X6LDLWIMDgXN9F9b6xl3sM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
John Kelly promotes Kushner ally for key deputy role
https://www.axios.com/john-kelly-taps-kushner-ally-chris-liddell-deputy-role-bcbe3e60-ad45-4cdd-977a-034b32c2be98.html
Christopher Liddell named White House deputy chief of staff for policy coordination
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2018/03/19/christopher-liddell-named-white-house-deputy-chief-of-staff-for-policy-coordination/
White House Names Christopher Liddell as a Deputy Chief of Staff
Former Microsoft, GM executive had been a candidate for Trump’s top economic adviser
https://www.wsj.com/articles/white-house-names-christopher-liddell-as-a-deputy-chief-of-staff-1521474501
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dJF-Nh7UF3EHAnMHw8j_Vk9j-XqKM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Jim Carrey painted a picture of Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Her father doesn’t like it.
Comedians often land in hot water because of their jokes, but for Jim Carrey, it’s his hobby that has earned him criticism. Over the weekend, the “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” actor tweeted [ https://twitter.com/JimCarrey/status/975123558803259392 ] an image of one of his paintings — this one an unflattering close-up portrait of a scowling woman who is believed to be White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders — and captioned it thusly: “This is the portrait of a so-called Christian whose only purpose in life is to lie for the wicked. Monstrous!”
Reaction was swift — and harsh.
Among those who slammed the painting was former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, Sanders’s father. On Monday morning, he tweeted a link to a “Fox and Friends” story about the painting and added his own commentary. “Pathetic BULLY, sexist, hater, bigot & ‘Christaphobe’ @jimcarrey attacks @PressSec for her faith; what would be hypocritical Hollywood reaction if he called someone a ‘so-called Muslim’ or ‘so-called Jew?’ #classlessCarrey,” Huckabee wrote [ https://twitter.com/GovMikeHuckabee/status/975705224479461376 ].
[...]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2018/03/19/jim-carrey-painted-a-picture-of-sarah-huckabee-sanders-her-father-doesnt-like-it/
Jim Carrey slammed for 'disgraceful,' garish portrait of Sarah Sanders
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/03/18/jim-carrey-unveils-garish-portrait-sarah-sanders.html
Jim Carrey criticized for portrait believed to be White House press secretary
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Culture/jim-carrey-slammed-online-alleged-sarah-sanders-caricature/story?id=53849567
Did Jim Carrey Skewer Donald Trump, Sarah Huckabee Sanders? Actor's Artwork Sparks Controversy
http://people.com/movies/jim-carrey-portrait-sarah-huckabee-sanders/
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/duRDTj7Uaunpl_MwAiyVt5bD4mjjM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Lawmaker sorry for spreading anti-Semitic weather conspiracy - D.C. Councilman Trayon White Sr - black Democrat
A local lawmaker in Washington, DC, has apologised for sharing a video based on a conspiracy theory that Jewish financiers control the weather.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43460263
DC council member apologizes for anti-Semitic comment
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/19/politics/dc-council-member-apology-anti-semitic-comment/index.html
DC lawmaker blames Jews for bad weather
https://nypost.com/2018/03/19/dc-lawmaker-blames-jews-for-bad-weather/
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dD4V1fC4kgy_X8M3dJukO2ye-8lHM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
He was ‘finally’ attempting his ambitious new Cirque du Soleil act. A horrific fall killed him.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/03/18/a-longtime-cirque-du-soleil-performer-fell-to-his-death-as-a-crowd-watched/
Cirque du Soleil performer dies after fall during Tampa performance
http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/accidents/Cirque-du-Soleil-performer-dies-after-fall-during-Tampa-performance_166494776
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dp1elWggAl0udRMB_3j_TGDLmP74M?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Federal Judges Won’t Block Fix To Pennsylvania’s Gerrymandered Congressional Map
The decision leaves in place a congressional map issued by the state Supreme Court in February intended to remedy gerrymandering in the commonwealth.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pennsylvania-gerrymandering_us_5aaff054e4b0e862383a2edf
Kris Kobach Really, Really Did Not Want You To See This Deposition. Read It Here.
The document provides details of a meeting between Kobach and Trump in 2016.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kris-kobach-deposition_us_5aafcc88e4b0697dfe18c630
Pentagon To Senate: We Can’t Know If U.S. Fuel Helps Saudi Arabia Kill Civilians In Yemen
A private Defense Department document shared with HuffPost absolves the U.S. of responsibility for airstrikes the U.N. says have killed thousands.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pentagon-to-senate-we-cant-know-if-us-fuel-is-helping-saudi-arabia-kill-civilians-in-yemen_us_5aafb207e4b05b221800ab53
Trump Loved Hacks. But Now They’re Hitting His People — And Anyone Could Be Next.
The hackers are improving their strategies for stealing private emails to sway public actions.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-hacks-elliott-broidy-clinton-otaiba_us_5aac131fe4b0337adf83a4aa
Report: Trump Demanded Nondisclosure Pacts So Staffers Can Never Spill
The agreements forbid senior White House staff members from talking, even after Trump’s presidency ends.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-demanded-nondisclosure-pacts-so-staffers-can-never-spill_us_5aaf54d1e4b05b2218003805
referencing:
Trump had senior staff sign nondisclosure agreements. They’re supposed to last beyond his presidency.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trumps-nondisclosure-agreements-came-with-him-to-the-white-house/2018/03/18/226f4522-29ee-11e8-b79d-f3d931db7f68_story.html
Tribes Come Together For Fight To Bring Back Protections For Bears Ears National Monument
“Losing Bears Ears to a cloud of industrial smoke from extraction and mining does not keep that preservation of life for us,” said one Navajo woman.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bears-ears-tribes-monument_us_5aaf32b9e4b0337adf851f76
Cynthia Nixon Announces Run For New York Governor
Nixon will be running against incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the state primary.
Tony-award winning actress Cynthia Nixon announced on Monday through an ad on her Twitter account that she is running for New York state governor.
Nixon, known for her role on HBO’s “Sex and the City,” will be running as a Democrat against incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in the state’s primary election, set for September. The actress is a newcomer to campaigning, but has been involved in politics, especially education policy, for years.
“We want our government to work again, on healthcare, ending mass incarceration, fixing our broken subway. We are sick of politicians who care more about headlines and power than they do about us,” Nixon said in her announcement.
[...]
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cynthia-nixon-runs-new-york-governor_us_5a9ef285e4b0d4f5b66b1987
Hannibal Buress’ Mic Cut After Joking About Catholic Sex Abuse
Jesuit-run Loyola University Chicago had warned the comedian he couldn’t make jokes “regarding rape, sexual assault, race and sexual orientation.”
Comedian Hannibal Buress’ microphone reportedly was cut off during a weekend stand-up routine at Loyola University Chicago as he joked about the Catholic church’s history of child molestation and sex abuse.
Buress opened his set at the Jesuit-run school’s Colossus event on Saturday by showing images of an email from the university detailing performance restrictions, according to the Loyola Phoenix, the school newspaper. The edict included a ban “on any content regarding rape, sexual assault, race and sexual orientation.”
[...]
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hannibal-buress-mic-cut-after-joking-about-catholic-sex-abuse_us_5aafcc45e4b00549ac7d8185
GOP Congressman Once Said LGBTQ People Would Wed ‘Everyone In California With AIDS’
Rep. Steve Pearce had a theory about marriage equality leading to health care, which he implied was bad.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/steve-pearce-same-sex-marriage-aids_us_5aafd39de4b0e8623839d1a4
LGBTQ Activists Had A St. Patrick’s Day Message For Mike Pence
Rainbow flags greeted the vice president at a parade in Georgia.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mike-pence-savannah-st-patricks-day-parade_us_5aafe2a7e4b0697dfe191de2
Larry Nassar’s Longtime Boss Reportedly Said In 2016 That He Thought Victims Were Lying
“Patients lie to get doctors in trouble,” the former dean of MSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine allegedly said.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/larry-nassar-longtime-boss-william-strampel-victims-were-lying_us_5aafcd4ae4b00549ac7d8876
Sex Trafficking Bills Backed By Dem Presidential Contenders Could Cause More Harm Than Good
Pressure on websites to screen out ads could expose sex workers to more risks.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sex-trafficking-sex-worker-reaction-sesta_us_5aa84219e4b0f7a689cd3150
Alabama Lawmaker Opposes Arming Teachers Because ‘Lady Teachers’ Are ‘Scared Of Guns’
“We don’t need to have a lady teacher in a school that’s got a firearm,” state Rep. Harry Shiver (R) said.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/arming-teachers-alabama-bill_us_5aafb816e4b05b221800b502
Parkland Students: ‘We’re The Mass Shooting Generation’
Five survivors of the Florida school massacre trace the month that put them at the forefront of a movement.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/parkland-students-were-the-mass-shooting-generation_us_5aafb06be4b0337adf85a6a4
No One Knows How Many Frozen Embryos Are Lost Or Destroyed Each Year
Two fertility clinics accidentally destroyed thousands of embryos, revealing a lack of regulation and accountability in the industry.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-destruction-of-thousands-of-embryos-reveals-just-how-under-regulated-fertility-clinics-are_us_5aab04bfe4b0c33361af1b45
Exclusive: Wife Of Top Trump Aide Dan Scavino Files For Divorce
Dan Scavino, 42, has a long history with the Trump family.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-aide-dan-scavino-divorce_us_5aaef507e4b0c33361b1bdcb
Cambridge Analytica Uncovered: Secret filming reveals election tricks - linked at https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=139403119
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpbeOCKZFfQ
Revealed: Trump’s election consultants filmed saying they use bribes and sex workers to entrap politicians
An undercover investigation by Channel 4 News reveals how Cambridge Analytica secretly campaigns in elections across the world. Bosses were filmed talking about using bribes, ex-spies, fake IDs and sex workers.
https://www.channel4.com/news/cambridge-analytica-revealed-trumps-election-consultants-filmed-saying-they-use-bribes-and-sex-workers-to-entrap-politicians-investigation
Cambridge Analytica CEO filmed talking about using bribes, sex workers in political work ( https://youtu.be/mpbeOCKZFfQ )
http://thehill.com/policy/technology/379152-trumps-campaign-data-firm-filmed-saying-they-use-bribes-and-sex-workers-to
The CEO of Cambridge Analytica was secretly filmed offering to entrap politicians with bribes and sex workers
Channel 4 News secretly filmed Cambridge Analytica (CA) CEO Alexander Nix offering to entrap politicians with bribes and sex workers.
The bombshell investigation also shows CA admitting to discreetly seeding compromising videos of politicians on the internet and helping them go viral.
CA entirely refutes any allegation that it uses entrapment tactics.
It comes just days after the company was suspended by Facebook over a huge data scandal.
http://www.businessinsider.com/cambridge-analytica-secretly-filmed-by-channel-4-saying-it-can-entrap-politicians-2018-3
A huge clue about Mueller's endgame
https://www.axios.com/robert-mueller-investigation-obstruction-justice-collusion-2128e27f-bbb6-4b82-9e28-c6f1244fb9e3.html
A 'huge clue' may reveal that Mueller's endgame is to nail Trump for obstruction
The special counsel Robert Mueller is reportedly more interested in the activities of Donald Trump during his time as president than during his campaign activities.
It suggests he's building a case that Trump obstructed justice by firing FBI Director James Comey.
Trump went on a Twitter tirade against the FBI over the weekend after reports that Mueller had subpoenaed the Trump Organization for documents related to its efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.
Comey and Andrew McCabe, another recently fired top FBI official, kept detailed memos about their conversations with Trump and will most likely be critical witnesses in the obstruction investigation.
http://www.businessinsider.com/huge-clue-may-reveal-muellers-endgameto-nail-trump-for-obsturction-fbi-2018-3
more: https://www.google.com/search?q=a+huge+clue+about+muellers+endgame
Supreme Court Rejects GOP Bid to Block New Congressional Map for Pennsylvania
Redrawn districts are to go into effect right away, for use in the May primary
https://www.wsj.com/articles/supreme-court-rejects-gop-bid-to-block-new-congressional-map-for-pennsylvania-1521492278
ORDER IN PENDING CASE
17A909
TURZAI, MICHAEL C., ET AL. V. LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, ET AL.
https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/031918zr_p8k0.pdf
Supreme Court Delivers Blow To Republicans, Declines To Take Up Pa. Redistricting
https://www.npr.org/2018/03/19/594993409/supreme-court-delivers-blow-to-republicans-declines-to-take-up-pa-redistricting
Supreme Court refuses to stop new congressional maps in Pennsylvania
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-refuses-to-stop-new-congressional-maps-in-pennsylvania/2018/03/19/128d9656-215e-11e8-badd-7c9f29a55815_story.html
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/d3AfK5KXvOTqKNMZRjjRDG48dJGNM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Trump is reportedly [since confirmed] hiring a conspiracy theorist for his legal team. Here’s what Joe diGenova has said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/03/19/trump-is-reportedly-hiring-a-conspiracy-theorist-for-his-legal-team-heres-what-joe-digenova-has-said/
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dGmI5TSws5hPpEMUnbnWqhe3ebAlM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Trump’s lawyers have turned over documents to Mueller with hopes of limiting interview scope
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-lawyers-have-turned-over-documents-to-mueller-with-hopes-of-limiting-interview-scope/2018/03/19/9174cd54-2b9f-11e8-b0b0-f706877db618_story.html
Fox News’s Sean Hannity is suddenly an expert on Trump and Mueller
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2018/03/19/fox-newss-sean-hannity-is-suddenly-an-expert-on-trump-and-mueller/
Cambridge Analytica CEO appears to talk about using bribes and sex workers to sway elections on secretly recorded news video
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/03/19/cambridge-analytica-ceo-appears-to-talk-about-using-bribes-and-sex-workers-to-sway-elections-on-secretly-recorded-news-video/
Are There Risks From Secondhand Marijuana Smoke? Early Science Says Yes
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/03/19/592873218/are-there-risks-from-secondhand-marijuana-smoke-early-science-says-yes
Early Research Suggests Secondhand Marijuana Smoke Can Be Harmful
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/223264/20180319/early-research-suggests-secondhand-marijuana-smoke-harmful.htm
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dusuK1Mtvgsp5uMF3IQ-N7Qi2lSMM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Stem cell transplant 'game changer' for MS patients
Doctors say a stem cell transplant could be a "game changer" for many patients with multiple sclerosis.
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-43435868
Stem cell treatment offers new hope for multiple sclerosis patients
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/03/19/stem-cell-treatment-offers-new-hope-multiple-sclerosis-patients/
Stem Cell transplant treatment could reduce people’s disability
https://weekfacts.com/2018/03/stem-cell-transplant-treatment-could-reduce-people-disability/
MS sufferers line up to plead for money to get treatment overseas
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/teach-me/102259650/ms-sufferers-line-up-to-plead-for-money-to-get-treatment-overseas
St. Luke's Medical Center pioneers mismatch stem cell treatment [using stem cells from relatives rather than from patient]
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/289403/st-lukes-medical-center-pioneers-mismatch-stem-cell-transplant/
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dFv0t_-AO1aEOrMNiJrbtRWWIzRlM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
NASA plans giant spacecraft to defend Earth by nuking deadly asteroids
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists are part of a national planetary defense team that designed a conceptual spacecraft to deflect Earth-bound asteroids and evaluated whether it would be able to nudge a massive asteroid - which has a remote chance to hitting Earth in 2135 - off course. The design and case study are outlined in a paper published recently in Acta Astronautica (link is external).
The 9-meter-tall, 8.8-ton spacecraft - dubbed HAMMER (Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response vehicle) - features a modular design that would enable it to serve as either a kinetic impactor, essentially a battering ram, or as a transport vehicle for a nuclear device. Its possible mission: deflect 101955 Bennu, a massive asteroid around 500 meters (more than five football fields) in diameter, weighing around 79 billion kilograms (1,664 times as heavy as the Titanic), circling the sun at around 63,000 miles per hour. Based on observation data available, Bennu has a 1 in 2,700-chance of striking Earth on Sept. 25, 2135, and it is estimated that the kinetic energy of this impact would be equivalent to 1,200 megatons (80,000 times the energy of the Hiroshima bomb).
"The chance of an impact appears slim now, but the consequences would be dire," said Kirsten Howley, LLNL physicist and coauthor on the paper. "This study aims to help us shorten the response timeline when we do see a clear and present danger so we can have more options to deflect it. The ultimate goal is to be ready to protect life on Earth."
The effort is part of a national planetary defense collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (link is external)(NASA) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (link is external) (NNSA), which includes LLNL and Los Alamos National Laboratory. (link is external)(LANL). Of the three prongs of planetary defense, NASA is responsible for the first, detecting asteroids with enough time to mitigate the risk. The LLNL planetary defense team is the technical lead on the second prong, mitigation of the threat. The LLNL team also supports the third prong, emergency response should mitigation fail.
The preferred approach to mitigating an asteroid threat would be to deflect it by ramming a kinetic impactor into it, delivering a gentle nudge large enough and soon enough to slow it down and change its collision course with Earth, but not so large that the object breaks apart. This study helped quantify the threshold where a kinetic impactor would no longer be an effective deflection option. To evaluate this threshold, researchers focused on determining how many HAMMER impactors it would take to deflect Bennu.
"The push you need to give it is very small if you deflect the asteroid 50 years out," Howley said. "But that far out, you're likely to think the percentage of being hit would be 1 percent. The probability of a Bennu impact may be 1 in 2,700 today, but that will almost certainly change - for better or worse - as we gather more data about its orbit. Delay is the greatest enemy of any asteroid deflection mission. That's why there's urgency in getting viable deflection platforms on the shelf today."
If the decision was made to embark on a mission to deflect Bennu, researchers estimate that it would take a minimum of 7.4 years before an impulse could be delivered to the Earth-bound object. This includes the time it would take to build the spacecraft, plan the mission and travel to the object. Assuming the impactor successfully hits the asteroid, slowing it down slightly, it would take many years for the small change in speed to accumulate into a sufficient change in trajectory.
The researchers evaluated a number of deflection scenarios in this study, ranging from launching 10 years before impact to 25 years before. In the 10-year scenarios, it was determined that it could take between 34 and 53 launches of the Delta IV Heavy rocket, each carrying a single HAMMER impactor, to make a Bennu-class asteroid miss the Earth. If there were a 25-year lead time, that number could be reduced to seven to 11 launches. The exact number would depend on the desired Earth-miss-distance and the impact conditions at the asteroid.
"When many launches are required for a successful deflection, the mission success becomes more difficult, due to the failure rate associated with each individual launch," said Megan Bruck Syal, LLNL physicist and coauthor on the paper. "If we only had 10 years from launch, we would need to hit Bennu with hundreds of tons of HAMMER mass just to barely deflect it off of an Earth-impacting path, requiring dozens of successful launches and impact at the asteroid."
Just how large an asteroid could a single impactor deflect? Researchers determined that a single HAMMER impactor could deflect an object 90 meters in diameter by around 1.4 Earth radii with 10 years of lead time - from the time of launch to anticipated Earth impact. If they needed less of a deflection, around a quarter of an Earth radii, a single impactor could be effective on an object as large as 152 meters in diameter in this same scenario.
The paper concluded that using a single HAMMER spacecraft as a battering ram would prove inadequate for deflecting an object like Bennu. While recent simulations of nuclear deflection scenarios are not included in this paper - they will be included in a companion paper to be submitted for publication in the near future - the findings suggest that the nuclear option may be required with larger objects like Bennu. The nuclear approach carries the potential to deposit much more energy into an object like Bennu, causing a greater change in speed and trajectory.
Unlike popular portrayals of a nuclear deflection mission - like the movie "Armageddon" - the nuclear deflection approach would consist of detonating a nuclear explosive some distance from the asteroid. This would flood one side of the asteroid with X-rays, vaporizing a layer of the surface, which would create rocket-like propulsion as vaporized material is ejected from the object. Unlike a kinetic impactor, the amount of energy deposited into an asteroid with a nuclear device could be tuned by adjusting how far it is from the asteroid when detonated.
Because Bennu regularly passes close enough to Earth for radar observations, researchers are able to estimate its orbit with enough accuracy to give a few decades warning, if it's bound to impact the Earth. This near-Earth Bennu fly-by happens every six years. But for other objects that do not regularly pass close enough to Earth for radar observations, much more uncertainty exists.
If limited to telescopic observations, it's possible that researchers may not be 100 percent certain of an impact until less than a year before collision. In a scenario where there is too little time to mount an effective deflection mission, the last option may be robust disruption via nuclear explosive, though the window of opportunity would be very tight. A robust disruption scenario would envision breaking the asteroid into a number of smaller pieces.
"Successful disruption requires ensuring that the asteroid pieces are sufficiently small and well-dispersed, so that they pose a much-reduced threat to the Earth," Syal said. "Disruption carried out as late as tens of days before impact can still be very effective in reducing the total damage felt by Earth. Previous work by our research group has shown that the impacting debris is reduced to less than 1 percent of its initial mass by disrupting the asteroid, even at these late times."
Bennu is one of more than 10,000 near-Earth objects found by NASA so far, and scientists estimate that this is just a fraction of the objects that come with about 28 million miles of Earth, close enough to where impact with Earth can't be precluded due to the uncertainty in the object's path The good news is that most of these objects are much smaller than Bennu. NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies lists just more than 2,500 near Earth objects discovered that are potentially as large as Bennu.
This research is the first of three case studies to be published, each examining different mitigation scenarios. The following case studies examine deflection of Didymos B, the target of NASA's DART mission, and a scaled-down Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which was visited by the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission in 2014 to 2016.
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASA_plans_giant_spacecraft_to_defend_Earth_by_nuking_deadly_asteroids_999.html
NASA considers building nuclear spacecraft to blow up asteroid
The Hammer mission would take more than seven years to reach a devastating asteroid.
https://www.techsourceint.com/news/nasa-considers-building-nuclear-spacecraft-to-blow-up-asteroid
Is apocalypse inevitable? NASA's nuke plan not fit to stop asteroid Bennu, says study
http://www.ibtimes.sg/apocalypse-inevitable-nasas-nuke-plan-not-fit-stop-asteroid-bennu-says-study-25299
NASA's 'Hammer' Will Be No Match for Asteroid Bennu in Unlikely 2135 Collision, Study Says
https://weather.com/science/space/news/2018-03-16-nasa-asteroid-bennu-collision
study https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094576517307919
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/ddXLKBQkGhW8zHM6PbhonzHp3fS5M?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Ancient Oceans on Mars May Have Been Older and Shallower Than Thought
https://www.space.com/40019-ancient-mars-oceans-older-and-shallower.html
Mars' oceans formed early, possibly aided by massive volcanic eruptions
https://phys.org/news/2018-03-mars-oceans-early-possibly-aided.html
study http://www.nature.com/articles/nature26144
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dZem10sNPjQCedMcwNNXfh3cuq0wM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
‘Oumuamua Interstellar Object: Scientists Shed New Light on Origins of Cigar-shaped Space Rock
http://www.newsweek.com/oumuamua-interstellar-object-scientists-shed-new-light-cigar-shaped-space-851451
study https://academic.oup.com/mnrasl/advance-article/doi/10.1093/mnrasl/sly033/4925005
'Oumuamua likely came from a binary star system
http://spaceref.com/asteroids/oumuamua-likely-came-from-a-binary-star-system.html
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dnrn3agqPhHbnKMuciUnjhGYKx1vM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Stephen Hawking’s parting shot is multi-cosmic
A final theory submitted by the renowned physicist just days before his death last week shows how we might find other universes
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/stephen-hawkings-parting-shot-is-multi-cosmic-nbg0t6t9j
Hawking’s final paper points way to new worlds
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hawkings-final-paper-points-way-to-new-worlds-9bs2m6p3z
Stephen Hawking's 'breathtaking' final multiverse theory completed two weeks before he died
A final theory explaining how mankind might detect parallel universes was completed by Stephen Hawking shortly before he died, it has emerged.
Colleagues have revealed the renowned theoretical physicist’s final academic work was to set out the groundbreaking mathematics needed for a spacecraft to find traces of multiple big bangs.
Currently being reviewed by a leading scientific journal, the paper, named A Smooth Exit from Eternal Inflation, may turn out to be Hawking’s most important scientific legacy.
Fellow researchers have said that if the evidence which the new theory promises had been discovered before Hawking died last week, it may have secured the Nobel Prize which had eluded him for so long.
The new paper seeks to resolve an issue thrown up by Hawking’s 1983 “no-boundary” theory which described how the universe burst into existence with the big bang.
According to that account, the universe instantaneously expanded from a tiny point into a prototype of what we live in today, a process known as inflation.
But the theory also predicted an infinite number of big bangs, each creating their own universe, a “multiverse”, which presented a mathematical paradox because it is seemingly impossible to measure.
Carlos Frenk, professor of cosmology at Durham University, told The Sunday Times: The intriguing idea in Hawking’s paper is that [the multiverse] left its imprint on the background radiation permeating our universe and we could measure it with a detector on a spaceship.
“These ideas offer the breathtaking prospect of finding evidence for the existence of other universe.”
Professor Thomas Hertog, from KU Leuven University in Belgium, worked with Hawking on the new theory and said he met the Cambridge scientist two weeks ago to discuss its final approval.
“This was Stephen: to boldly go where Star Trek fears to tread,” he said.
“He has often been nominated for the Nobel and should have won it. Now he never can.”
Despite the hopeful promise of Hawking’s final work, it also comes with the depressing prediction that, ultimately, the universe will fade into blackness as stars simply run out of energy.
[...]
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/03/18/stephen-hawking-leaves-behind-breathtaking-final-multiverse/
Stephen Hawking’s Exciting New Paper Shows How We Can Test For The Existence Of Parallel Universes
The final revisions to the paper were approved just two weeks before Hawking's death.
https://www.inquisitr.com/4831910/stephen-hawkings-exciting-new-paper-shows-how-we-can-test-for-the-existence-of-parallel-universes/
study "A Smooth Exit from Eternal Inflation" https://arxiv.org/abs/1707.07702v2
Stephen Hawking submitted a final scientific paper 2 weeks before he died — and it could lead to the discovery of a parallel universe
Hawking is named as co-author on a paper submitted on March 4 — ten days before he died.
It sets out a way of testing whether other universes are real.
Its mathematical theories could be tested with a deep-space probe.
http://www.thisisinsider.com/stephen-hawking-paper-from-just-before-he-died-could-find-new-universe-2018-3
Stephen Hawking’s final paper predicted the end of the world and revealed a parallel universe
STEPHEN Hawking submitted a research paper just weeks before he died hinting how scientists could find another universe.
http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/space/stephen-hawkings-final-paper-predicted-the-end-of-the-world-and-revealed-a-parallel-universe/news-story/103bec7c12047b07e926c7df3473ed63
Do Parallel Universes Exist? Stephen Hawking's Last Paper May Help Prove Multiverse Theory
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/223203/20180319/do-parallel-universes-exist-stephen-hawkings-last-paper-may-help-prove-multiverse-theory.htm
Two weeks before his death, Stephen Hawking predicted 'the end of the universe'
The world-famous physicist, who died last Wednesday aged 76, was a co-author to a mathematical paper in which he sought to prove the so-called "multiverse" theory, according to a report by U.K. newspaper The Sunday Times.
Hawking's final work — titled "A Smooth Exit From Eternal Inflation" — is being reviewed by a leading scientific journal.
In it, he predicted how our universe would eventually fade to darkness as the stars run out of energy.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/19/stephen-hawking-physicist-predicted-end-of-the-universe-two-weeks-before-his-death.html
Stephen Hawking’s last paper may lead to proof of a multiverse
https://www.digitaltrends.com/news/stephen-hawking-multiverse/
How Stephen Hawking's Black Hole Discoveries Rewrote Physics of Space-Time
http://www.newsweek.com/stephen-hawkings-black-hole-discoveries-rewrote-physics-space-time-851345
That one time Stephen Hawking went for a carriage ride in Texas
Hawking spent a lot of his limited time trying to engage the public.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/03/stephen-hawking-taught-us-that-science-communication-really-matters/
How 'The Simpsons' Paid Tribute to Stephen Hawking [ https://twitter.com/mattselman/status/975529975028768768 ]
http://www.newsweek.com/how-simpsons-paid-tribute-stephen-hawking-850689
Simpsons cartoon tribute to Prof Stephen Hawking
The creators of US cartoon series The Simpsons have paid tribute to Professor Stephen Hawking, who appeared several times in the show.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-43456626
more:
https://news.google.com/news/story/djf4uGgddG12_5Mh2yV-ANMGQUI3M?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
https://news.google.com/news/story/dzpyT2wxxed0o6Mqu12TKOZZmQZXM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
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Published on Mar 19, 2018 by Democracy Now! [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzuqE7-t13O4NIDYJfakrhw / https://www.youtube.com/user/democracynow , https://www.youtube.com/user/democracynow/videos ]
Watch an exclusive excerpt from our February interview with Masha Gessen, the award-winning Russian-American journalist and staff writer at The New Yorker, in which she discusses the pending Russian presidential election. Her recent book, “The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia [ https://www.amazon.com/Future-History-Totalitarianism-Reclaimed-Russia/dp/159463453X ],” won the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 2017 [ http://www.nationalbook.org/nba2017.html ]. Her new book, “Never Remember: Searching for Stalin’s Gulags in Putin’s Russia [ https://www.amazon.com/Never-Remember-Searching-Stalins-Gulags/dp/0997722967 ],” comes out on March 20.
https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/19/masha_gessen_on_the_role_of [with embedded video, and transcript]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcGcIL28bJw [with comments]
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A More Prosperous Future
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by The White House [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYxRlFDqcWM4y7FfpiAN3KQ / https://www.youtube.com/user/whitehouse , https://www.youtube.com/user/whitehouse/videos ]
"While Nancy Pelosi calls this ‘crumbs,’ Lauren sees it as grocery shopping all year long. It’s a lot of money for Lauren and a lot of money for her family. It’s called living better.”
Share your story: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
[no official transcript (yet) at https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/ ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2-XR6igyhE [with comments]
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Full Show - McCabe: Corruption, Entitlement, Patronage, Perjury - 03/19/2018
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by Real News with David Knight [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC1L9FOMSaPgMyoLSnps47g , https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC1L9FOMSaPgMyoLSnps47g/videos ]
19Mar18 Broadcast
McCabe’s internal corruption of favoritism and patronage is exposed in an EEO lawsuit. But the outrage in Washington, DC speaks of the sense of entitlement and lifelong employment that runs throughout the bureaucracies from top to bottom. McCabe’s attempt to defend himself adds another charge of perjury to Comey. Then, President Trump ramps up the insane War on Drugs that has failed for half a century, there’s more to Facebook & Cambridge Analytica than the surface story, and William F Jasper joins to talk about China’s dictatorship, protected by globalists since Nixon.
[from Alex Jones and his merry band of batshit bullshitters]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrtfULJso1I [with comments] [also at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3dS_B7vY7g (with comments)]
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Presidential Message to the Congress of the United States
Issued on: March 19, 2018
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), I hereby report that I have signed an Executive Order with respect to Venezuela that takes additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13692 of March 8, 2015, and relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13808 of August 24, 2017. The Executive Order prohibits, as of its effective date, all transactions related to, provision of financing for, and other dealings in, by a United States person or within the United States, any digital currency, digital coin, or digital token, that was issued by, for, or on behalf of the Government of Venezuela on or after January 9, 2018.
I have authorized the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to take such actions, including promulgating rules and regulations and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the Executive Order.
I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 19, 2018.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/presidential-message-congress-united-states-2/
*
Executive Order on Taking Additional Steps to Address the Situation in Venezuela
Issued on: March 19, 2018
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,
I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, in order to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13692 of March 8, 2015, and relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13808 of August 24, 2017, and in light of recent actions taken by the Maduro regime to attempt to circumvent U.S. sanctions by issuing a digital currency in a process that Venezuela’s democratically elected National Assembly has denounced as unlawful, hereby order as follows:
Section 1. (a) All transactions related to, provision of financing for, and other dealings in, by a United States person or within the United States, any digital currency, digital coin, or digital token, that was issued by, for, or on behalf of the Government of Venezuela on or after January 9, 2018, are prohibited as of the effective date of this order.
(b) The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted before the effective date of this order.
Sec. 2. (a) Any transaction that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
(b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
Sec. 3. For the purposes of this order:
(a) the term “person” means an individual or entity;
(b) the term “entity” means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization;
(c) the term “United States person” means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches of such entities), or any person within the United States; and
(d) the term “Government of Venezuela” means the Government of Venezuela, any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including the Central Bank of Venezuela and Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), and any person owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, the Government of Venezuela.
Sec. 4. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including promulgating rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to implement this order. The Secretary of the Treasury may, consistent with applicable law, redelegate any of these functions to other officers and executive departments and agencies of the United States Government. All agencies of the United States Government shall take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order.
Sec. 5. For those persons whose property and interests in property are affected by this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures taken pursuant to this order would render those measures ineffectual. I therefore determine that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13692, there need be no prior notice given for implementation of this order.
Sec. 6. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
Sec. 7. This order is effective at 12:15 p.m. eastern daylight time on March 19, 2018.
DONALD J. TRUMP
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-taking-additional-steps-address-situation-venezuela/
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President Donald J. Trump Proclaims March 20, 2018, as National Agriculture Day
Issued on: March 19, 2018
On National Agriculture Day, we acknowledge the tremendous work ethic, ingenuity, determination, and perseverance that define generations of American farmers. Because of their efforts, the United States produces an abundant supply of food, feed, and fuel for a growing global population. Our rich and abundant soil provides for more than just sustenance — it provides a beautiful and bountiful way of life for millions of Americans.
America’s strong agricultural sector is a key component of our Nation’s robust economy and trade. Every $1 of United States agricultural and food exports creates another $1.27 in business activity. Our country’s agriculture exports are valued at more than $100 billion, and every $1 billion in exports supports approximately 8,000 American jobs. Moreover, agriculture contributes to at least 8.6 percent of our gross domestic product. The economic boost from our agriculture reaches beyond the fields our farmers tend, with unrivaled skill and diligence, to communities all across America.
America’s farmers, growers, ranchers, foresters, and agricultural scientists and engineers are world-leading innovators, exploring new research and technologies like advancements in biotechnology and the use of automated vehicles that enable precision agriculture to maximize yields and minimize environmental impacts. My Administration proudly supports them in their pioneering endeavors. In this new era of American agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing in rural broadband access, roads, and bridges, and is supplying affordable, reliable power to those living on the outskirts of larger cities and towns. These investments in American infrastructure will improve the quality of life in rural America for years to come.
To help the American agricultural economy succeed in an increasingly competitive global market, I signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the largest tax cut and reform legislation in American history. This legislation is providing much needed relief to America’s farmers, who can now expense 100 percent of their capital investments, including expenditures for farm equipment, over the next 4 years. Additionally, under this new legislation, the vast majority of family farms will now be exempt from the death tax.
American agriculture is an integral part of our success as a Nation, uniquely tied to both our country’s culture and economy. Today, and every day, we cherish our Nation’s rich agricultural history and celebrate the greatness of the American farmer.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 20, 2018, as National Agriculture Day. I encourage all Americans to observe this day by recognizing the preeminent role that agriculture plays in our daily lives, acknowledging agriculture’s continuing importance to rural America and our country’s economy, and expressing our deep appreciation of farmers, growers, ranchers, producers, national forest system stewards, private agricultural stewards, and those who work in the agriculture sector across the Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand eighteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-second.
DONALD J. TRUMP
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/president-donald-j-trump-proclaims-march-20-2018-national-agriculture-day/
--
Readout of National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster’s Meeting with National Security Office Director Chung Eui-yong of the Republic of Korea and Secretary General of the National Security Secretariat Shotaro Yachi of Japan
Issued on: March 19, 2018
National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster of the United States, National Security Office Director Chung Eui-yong of the Republic of Korea, and Secretary General of the National Security Secretariat Shotaro Yachi of Japan held a trilateral meeting on March 17 and 18 in San Francisco to discuss the permanent denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the planned inter-Korean summit and United States-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea summit. The three national security advisors committed to avoiding mistakes of the past and to continue coordinating closely in the weeks ahead.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/readout-national-security-advisor-h-r-mcmasters-meeting-national-security-office-director-chung-eui-yong-republic-korea-secretary-general-national-security-secre/
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March 19: Team Trump fired Andrew McCabe. What does this mean for Russian probe?
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by ThinkProgress [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYdasX3ym3E5r1iozVllmzA , https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYdasX3ym3E5r1iozVllmzA/videos ]
Editor-in-chief Judd Legum sits down with ThinkProgress reporter Aaron Rupar to discuss the fallout over former CIA deputy director Andrew McCabe’s firing and how top republicans are coming forward to support Mueller's investigation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qpvoMHsxDs [no comments yet]
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Statement by President Donald J. Trump on Nowruz
Issued on: March 19, 2018
I wish a beautiful and blessed Nowruz to the millions of people around the world who are celebrating the arrival of spring.
The history of Nowruz is rooted in Iran, where for millennia a proud nation has overcome great challenges by the strength of its culture and the resilience of its people. Today, the Iranian people face another challenge: rulers who serve themselves instead of serving the people.
Twenty-five centuries ago, Darius the Great asked God to protect Iran from three dangers: hostile armies, drought, and falsehood. Today, the Iranian regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) represents all three.
First, the IRGC is not Iranian in name or deed. It is a hostile army that brutalizes and steals from the Iranian people to fund terrorism abroad. Since 2012, the IRGC has spent more than $16 billion of Iran’s wealth to prop up the Assad regime and support militants and terrorists in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Meanwhile, the average Iranian family is 15 percent poorer today than it was 10 years ago, and nearly 30 percent of Iran’s youth are unemployed. Ordinary Iranians struggle economically and find it difficult to celebrate holidays like Nowruz.
Second, the IRGC’s corruption and mismanagement have exacerbated the effects of an on-going drought and created an ecological crisis. Unregulated dam construction by its companies like Khatam al-Anbia has dried rivers and lakes and helped create unprecedented dust storms that threaten Iranians’ jobs and lives.
Third, deceit has become official state policy. The IRGC employs propaganda and censorship to hide the fact that the Iranian regime plunders Iran’s wealth and abuses its people. To hide the truth, Iran’s rulers suppress their own citizens’ rights to free assembly, access to information, and equal opportunity.
Despite the oppression they face, Iranians are fighting to reclaim their rights. They long for a springtime of hope, and the United States stands with the Iranian people in their aspirations to connect to the wider world and have a responsible and accountable government that truly serves their nation’s interests.
For this reason, the Department of Treasury today is issuing guidance reaffirming America’s support for the free flow of information to the citizens of Iran. We also pledge to continue holding the IRGC and the Iranian regime accountable for conducting cyber-attacks abroad and for suppressing Iranian citizens who are protesting the oppression of their government at home.
On behalf of the American people, may light prevail over darkness in this New Year, and may the Iranian people soon enjoy a new day of peace, prosperity, and joy.
Nowruz Pirouz (Happy Nowruz).
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-president-donald-j-trump-nowruz/
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Freethought Matters: Maryam Namazie, Secularist And Human Rights Activist
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by FFRF [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC28jWiP7HV6mBBW3C8AXuEg / https://www.youtube.com/user/FFRForg , https://www.youtube.com/user/FFRForg/videos ]
Maryam Namazie is an Iranian-born secularist and human rights activist, commentator and broadcaster. She is spokesperson for One Law for All, the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain and Fitnah. She hosts a weekly television program called "Bread and Roses."
She is on the International Advisory Board of the Raif Badawi Foundation for Freedom and Euromind; Humanist Laureate at the International Academy of Humanism; National Secular Society Honorary Associate; a member of the International Advisory Board of Feminist Dissent and a columnist for the Freethinker. Maryam and the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain were featured in a 2016 film called "Islam's Non-Believers"; she was also a character in DV8 Physical Theatre's "Can We Talk About This?" which deals with freedom of speech, censorship and Islam.
The Islamic regime of Iran's media outlets have called Namazie "immoral and corrupt" and did an "exposé" on her entitled "Meet this anti-religion woman." In the past few years, she has been involved in nude protest in defense of women's rights in the Middle East and North Africa, initiated a Day to Stand with Bangladesh's Bloggers and Activists; an International Day to Defend Amina and the Nude Photo Revolutionary Calendar 2012-2013, founded Iran Solidarity, and helped launch the Manifesto for a Free and Secular Middle East and North Africa. She has spoken and written numerous articles on women's rights issues, free expression, Islamism, and secularism.
Previously, Namazie was the elected executive director of the International Federation of Iranian Refugees, a refugee-run organization with 60 branches in 15 countries worldwide for eight years; founded the Committee for Humanitarian Assistance to Iranian Refugees; and co-founded Human Rights Without Frontiers based in the Sudan, amongst others.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGh7JiHvDO4 [with comments] [and see also in particular (linked in) https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=139883403 and preceding (and any future following)]
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Full Show - Austin Zodiac Bomber On The Loose & Congressman Calls For Insurrection To Stop Trump - 03/19/2018
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by The Alex Jones Channel [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvsye7V9psc-APX6wV1twLg / https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel , https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel/videos ]
Monday, Mar. 19th 2018[, with Gerald Celente hosting the fourth hour]: Trump’s Twitter Diplomacy - In a series of tweets, President Trump reinforces there was no collusion between Russia and his campaign, but there was lying and corruption in the FBI, DOJ, and State Department. Also, Austin, Texas, is on edge after another bombing injured two people. This most recent device used a tripwire, making it more sophisticated than the previous incidents. Additionally, today’s special guests include geopolitical expert Michael Malice sharing his insight on the North Korean saga and other international happenings. Furthermore, Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne discusses the deep state initiative to "take out" Trump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYnDsGhjEgk [with comments] [also at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mdILzftEnI (with comments)] [a must-watch]
*
RWW News: Mark Taylor: Those Who ‘Are Not On Board With God’s Vision’ Are Being Removed From The Trump Administration
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by RWW Blog [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMXqRHe8n1TX5iDvkLS62rw / https://www.youtube.com/user/RWWBlog , https://www.youtube.com/user/RWWBlog/videos ]
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/mark-taylor-those-who-are-not-on-board-with-gods-vision-are-being-removed-from-the-trump-administration/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMpPHTqI8q8 [with comments]
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Dinosaur Death: Water or Fire? (feat. Jon Perry of Stated Clearly) - (Ken) Ham & AiG News
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by Paulogia [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIS4cWaXgWpznjwovFYQBJQ , https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIS4cWaXgWpznjwovFYQBJQ/videos ]
Ken Ham and his team have a bi-weekly "news" show, reacting to the news stories of the day from a Christian young-earth creation perspective from the Answers in Genesis staff at his Creation Museum.
Jon Perry and I join Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge as they discuss dinosaurs “too successful for their own good,” and more in this episode of Answers News hosted in front of a live audience at the Creation Museum.
Answers News – February 19, 2018
Answers News – February 19, 2018
Published on Feb 20, 2018 by Answers in Genesis [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCicvc24eAbFp-thRrBnSP2A / https://www.youtube.com/user/answersvideos , https://www.youtube.com/user/answersvideos/videos ]
Join Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge as they discuss dinosaurs “too successful for their own good,” discovery of Neanderthal tools reveals some surprises, beetle has hugely disgusting survival mechanism, and more in this episode of Answers News hosted in front of a live audience at the Creation Museum. For more information on these topics, please visit https://answersingenesis.org/ .
Here are links to the articles discussed in Answers News (due to time restraints, all topics may not be covered in this episode):
• Debate heats up over whether 130,000-year-old bones were broken by humans: https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/02/debate-heats-up-over-whether-130000-year-old-bones-were-broken-by-humans/
• Discovery of Neanderthal tools reveals some surprises: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2018/02/08/discovery-neanderthal-tools-reveals-some-surprises.html
• Dinosaur party or evidence of the flood?: http://www.bpnews.net/50342/dinosaur-party-or-evidence-of-the-flood
• Dinosaurs ‘ too successful for their own good’: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-42945820
• Study finds beetle has hugely disgusting survival mechanism: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2018/02/08/study-finds-beetle-has-hugely-disgusting-survival-mechanism.html
• A controversial book: The Church needs to be talking about Genesis: https://www.christianpost.com/voice/a-controversial-book-the-church-needs-to-be-talking-about-genesis.html
• Better knowledge of evolution leads to greater acceptance of the concept: https://phys.org/news/2018-02-knowledge-evolution-greater-concept.html
• ‘I’m polyamorous, why should I limit my love?’: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-42872061
• Oldest dog burial suggests prehistoric humans loved dogs as pets: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2160695-oldest-dog-burial-suggests-prehistoric-humans-loved-dogs-as-pets/
• The Day the Earth Stood Still: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-day-the-earth-stood-still/
• Suns and daughters: The family tree that may unite all the stars: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23731640-700-suns-and-daughters-the-family-tree-that-may-unite-all-the-stars/
• That dinosaur-killing asteroid also triggered massive magma releases beneath the ocean, study finds: http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-magma-dinosaur-extinction-20180207-story.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUGUTkOkAuM [comments disabled]
Jon Perry
Stated Clearly - https://www.youtube.com/user/sciencestatedclearly
Stated Casually - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIQ8Zpb_NYmKcRLkRI3wb7w
Jon Sources
- A Geological Time Scale 2004: http://www.cambridge.org/ca/academic/subjects/earth-and-environmental-science/sedimentology-and-stratigraphy/geologic-time-scale-2004
- Gorgonopsid fossil photo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inostrancevia
- Dinosaurs how they lived and evolved: https://www.amazon.ca/Dinosaurs-How-They-Lived-Evolved/dp/1588345823
- Beaver sized Cretaceous mammal: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/af11/a356560daa0d1a036e5729df436bb459b9e4.pdf
- No lagomorphs or rodents found before the Dino extinction: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15718468
- First proto-placental: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature10291
- Earliest ape fossil: https://www.livescience.com/32029-oldest-monkey-fossil-found.html
- Rodents and Lagomorphs evolved after the extinction: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15718468
- Rodent-looking creatures lived alongside the dinosaurs but are now what gave rise to rodents: Mammals from the age of the dinosaurs: https://books.google.ca/books?id=qJGcX3X0EaMC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA299&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
- Possible human fossils go back 350,000 years: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ancient-fossils-from-morocco-mess-up-modern-human-origins/
- Alligators use bizarre – and creepy – ancient ritual to survive NC’s arctic blast: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article193602684.html
Thanks, to Shannon Q
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0qhPJh8DeoR-3JhMrIvw0g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5LJhAfMyBY [with comments]
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The calls from propagandists to remove Mueller
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by mediamatters4america [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_70iWZ6ym2cglS_kv5YfmA / https://www.youtube.com/user/mediamatters4america , https://www.youtube.com/user/mediamatters4america/videos ]
On air, these propagandists play to Trump’s worst impulses, urging him to behave like an authoritarian by prosecuting his political foes and describing the Mueller probe as a “coup.” The ad hoc outside advisers from the president’s television screen include Hannity and Jeanine Pirro, who have led the pro-Trump media’s frequent calls for ending the Mueller investigation and “cleansing” the ranks of the Justice Department and FBI.
Here are some of the calls for the termination of the special counsel probe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTSsFvm9XQg [with comments]
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President Trump Speaks at a SAFE Station
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by The White House
Manchester, NH
[no official transcript (yet) at https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/ ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=817jrZ9pE_0 [with comments]
*
President Trump Delivers Remarks on Combating the Opioid Crisis
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by The White House
Manchester, NH
Remarks by the First Lady at an Event on Combatting the Opioid Crisis
Manchester Community College
Manchester, New Hampshire
March 19, 2018
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-first-lady-event-combatting-opioid-crisis/ [official transcript]
Remarks by President Trump on Combatting the Opioid Crisis
Manchester Community College
Manchester, New Hampshire
March 19, 2018
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-combatting-opioid-crisis/ [official transcript]
President Donald J. Trump’s Initiative to Stop Opioid Abuse and Reduce Drug Supply and Demand
“We will work to strengthen vulnerable families and communities, and we will help to build and grow a stronger, healthier, and drug-free society.”
- President Donald J. Trump
March 19, 2018
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trumps-initiative-stop-opioid-abuse-reduce-drug-supply-demand/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxD0s5EkYas [with comments] [also, our Preznit's performance only, slightly clipped at the beginning, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hrx7HX1CrLw (comments disabled)]
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Full Show - Fourth Explosion In A Month Rocks Austin - 03/19/2018
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by War Room [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClsn7QZVdszxLlUs-GOG0Sg , https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClsn7QZVdszxLlUs-GOG0Sg/videos ]
As we get more details on the fourth explosion in Austin, Texas, we are left with more questions than answers, as new details emerge on a possible trip wire being used, and the reward for information on the serial bomber has been increased to $115,000. Meanwhile, Trump is fighting back against the witch hunt against him that is the Mueller probe, and a group of liberals get a taste of reality on how gun control is a failed notion.
[from Alex Jones and his merry band of batshit bullshitters]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLCm3OeThgI [with comments] [also at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q9cRg59ahY (with comments)]
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Thoughts & Prayers vs Pissing In The Wind
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by C0ct0pusPrime [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu5FNKd06zxitYJe_6RfdwA / https://www.youtube.com/user/C0ct0pusPrime , https://www.youtube.com/user/C0ct0pusPrime/videos ]
Your thoughts & prayers are USELESS. & I'm not for banning guns, I am pro responsible gun ownership, which includes having higher standards than any random (or "evil") dipshit.
If you've missed me, I've been busy on The Goddamn Podcast with Drew and Darkmatter2525...check us out here: https://www.youtube.com/goddamnpodcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WURF_KyinaQ [with comments]
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Exposed: Trump digital firm caught on tape touting dirty tricks
The Beat with Ari Melber
3/19/18
Undercover camera catches an executive at the Trump digital firm, Cambridge Analytica, bragging about entrapping political rivals and using misinformation to win campaigns. Congressman Mike Quigley. a member of the House Intelligence Committee calls on Facebook to testify saying, “we need to ask Facebook…how did this happen?”
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber/watch/exposed-trump-digital-firm-caught-on-tape-touting-dirty-tricks-1189910595725 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEbc-GAGscs [with comments]
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Tribe: Trump 'orchestrating a massive cover-up' worse than Nixon
The Beat with Ari Melber
3/19/18
Harvard impeachment expert Laurence Tribe says we are seeing a “slow-motion constitutional crisis” and calls the White House “cover-up more serious than that of Richard Nixon.” Tribe also explains why firing FBI official Andrew McCabe builds a “strong case for obstruction of justice.”
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber/watch/tribe-trump-orchestrating-a-massive-cover-up-worse-than-nixon-1189909059831 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKGUPrcEGoA [with comments]
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Stormy Daniels' Lawyer: Fox News won't book me
The Beat with Ari Melber
3/19/18
Stormy Daniels’ Lawyer Michael Avenatti joins Ari Melber revealing he hasn’t “received a single request” to appear on Fox News even after Trump revealed he is “David Dennison.” Avenatti also claims he has evidence to prove Trump knew about threats made against Stormy Daniels.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber/watch/stormy-daniels-lawyer-fox-news-won-t-book-me-1189921347713 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv3rIvPEPVI [with comments]
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Putin is Handpicking The Future Leaders of Russia (HBO)
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by VICE News [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZaT_X_mc0BI-djXOlfhqWQ / https://www.youtube.com/user/vicenews , https://www.youtube.com/user/vicenews/videos ]
Russian President Vladmir Putin has been busy tightening his already strong grip on the country, which heads to the polls to vote for its next president on Sunday.
While the outcome of the election isn't really in doubt, Putin is ensuring that his influence extends well beyond the new six-year term he'll inevitably win. He's fired a record number of elected regional governors and replaced them with younger supporters that could stay in office even after he leaves.
Putin replaced a staggering 35 percent of the country's governors between 2016 and 2017. That's a big deal for modern Russia, which is a federation of 85 states, each with its own laws and customs, overseen by the regional governor. They appoint officials, control budgets, and even have the power to pardon criminals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmhDk0dGtJ8 [with comments]
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Are Police Courtesy Cards Really A Free Pass For Bad Behavior? (HBO)
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by VICE News
Last month, New York’s Police Officers union reportedly slashed the number of courtesy cards cops get. These so called “get out of jail free” cards sound like an urban myth, but they’re real, basically a fringe benefit for cops. But are they really a free pass for bad behavior?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMmrGGLIgRQ [with comments]
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Christopher Wylie: The Whistleblower Who Exposed Cambridge Analytica's Facebook Scam (HBO)
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by VICE News
LONDON — Christopher Wylie played a big role in building one of the most effective political weapons of the digital age. Now he’s trying to make amends.
The 28-year-old London-based Canadian is defying a non-disclosure agreement to blow the whistle on his former employer Cambridge Analytica, the controversial political analytics firm known for its work on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in the U.S. and Uhuru Kenyatta’s in Kenya. He says the U.K.-based company, which he helped found in 2013, has built a powerful software program to predict and influence the choices of voters by using data harvested from 50 million leaked Facebook profiles.
The data was collected by an app called thisisyourdigitallife, owned by the Cambridge-based academic Aleksandr Kogan, which was downloaded by about 270,000 people. Users were paid to take a personality test, which they were told would be used for academic research. They might not have known that it also harvested information on their Facebook friends, creating a vast data set that was ultimately sold by Kogan to Cambridge Analytica.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yPvRaKQikE [with comments]
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The president abandons restraint regarding the special counsel - and there is expected to be much more to come.
All In with Chris Hayes
3/19/18
The president abandons restraint regarding the special counsel - and there is expected to be much more to come.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/the-president-abandons-restraint-regarding-the-special-counsel-and-there-is-expected-to-be-much-more-to-come-1189943363842 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfKkJhwj1yc [with comments]
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Trump campaign's data firm accused of gross wrongdoing
All In with Chris Hayes
3/19/18
Cambridge Analytica, the Trump campaign's big data company, now stands accused of wrongdoing - including possible criminal acts - on two continents.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/trump-campaign-s-data-firm-accused-of-gross-wrongdoing-1189946947560
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Facebook critics calling for regulation as stock falls
All In with Chris Hayes
3/19/18
Facebook stock plummeted on the news that the Trump campaign's big data company, Cambridge Analytica, allegedly harvested private information from more than 50 million Facebook users.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/facebook-critics-calling-for-regulation-as-stock-falls-1189951555680
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Students protest gun violence with school walkout
All In with Chris Hayes
3/19/18
More than 3,100 school walkouts to protest gun violence were scheduled across the country, including elementary school students who had a press packet ready for reporters when they arrived.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/students-protest-gun-violence-with-school-walkout-1189918787505
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Republicans reeling after Pennsylvania election stunner
All In with Chris Hayes
3/19/18
Democrat Conor Lamb flipped a deep red district to blue in the Pennsylvania special election. Jason Kander and Cornell Belcher share their reactions.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/republicans-reeling-after-pennsylvania-election-stunner-1189891651925
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Cynthia Nixon is the latest celebrity-turned-politico
All In with Chris Hayes
3/19/18
The Trump era has opened the floodgates for all sorts of personalities to run for office - and actress Cynthia Nixon is the latest to step into the fray with a run for governor of New York.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/cynthia-nixon-is-the-latest-celebrity-turned-politico-1189946947740 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nxFvFlWKQw [with comments]
*
Digesting Felix Sater's conversation with Chris Hayes
All In with Chris Hayes
3/19/18
Jackie Speier, Natasha Bertrand, and James Henry join Chris Hayes to digest his conversation with one of the most fascinating figures in the Trump-Russia story, Felix Sater.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/digesting-felix-sater-s-conversation-with-chris-hayes-1189952067945
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Cambridge Analytica scandal rocks already rattled Trump world
The Rachel Maddow Show
3/19/18
As Donald Trump's lawyers are desperately trying to protect him from a Robert Mueller interview and the top level firings keep piling up, Rachel Maddow looks at a whole new arena of scandal for the Trump team.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/cambridge-analytica-scandal-rocks-already-rattled-trump-world-1190020675802 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbLyTqPweQg [with comments]
*
Democrats seek tech company probe as part of election protection
The Rachel Maddow Show
3/19/18
Senator Amy Klobuchar talks with Rachel Maddow about the need for tesimony and investigations into the abuse of American voters' personal information on social media sites vulnerable to unscrupulous bad actors.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/democrats-seek-tech-company-probe-as-part-of-election-protection-1190024771564
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Trump stirs obstruction case with attacks on Comey witnesses
The Rachel Maddow Show
3/19/18
Rachel Maddow reviews how Donald Trump has publicly targeted members of James Comey's inner circle who are likely corroborating witnesses to testimony Comey has given to Robert Mueller's investigation.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-stirs-obstruction-case-with-attacks-on-comey-witnesses-1190050883700
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Trump corrupting Mueller probe by attacking witnesses, officials
The Rachel Maddow Show
3/19/18
Neal Katyal, former U.S. acting solicitor general, talks with Rachel Maddow about how out of line Donald Trump is with his attacks on law enforcement officials and witnesses in Robert Mueller's Trump Russia investigation.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-corrupting-mueller-probe-by-attacking-witnesses-officials-1190032451798
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Trump gets new lawyer as Mueller witness ugly past comes to light
The Rachel Maddow Show
3/19/18
Rachel Maddow shows where Donald Trump's new lawyer, Joe diGenova, intersects with the child porn problems of George Nader, a lobbyist who is reportedly cooperating with Robert Mueller's investigation, and wonders if the connection is why so much of Nader's past is becoming public now.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-gets-new-lawyer-as-mueller-witness-ugly-past-comes-to-light-1190059075603
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DC's Cherry Blossom Festival delayed for anti gun violence March
The Rachel Maddow Show
3/19/18
Rachel Maddow reports that the opening of Washington, D.C.'s famous Cheery Blossom Festival is being delayed a day to accommodate the expected crowds participating in the March For Our Lives protest for new laws to prevent gun violence.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/dc-s-cherry-blossom-festival-delayed-for-anti-gun-violence-march-1190052419852
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Lawrence: Trump's staff is keeping tabs on their convos with him
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
3/19/18
Trump doesn't realize it, but his staff is memorializing every conversation they have with him in the Oval Office, Lawrence O'Donnell says. It's the same step Andrew McCabe and James Comey took and will act as evidence of his efforts to possibly obstruct justice.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/lawrence-trump-s-staff-is-keeping-tabs-on-their-convos-with-him-1190012995932 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhKXriWKVOg [with comments]
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New reports: Mueller and Trump teams finally meet
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
3/19/18
As the probe intensifies, Trump adds a new lawyer to his Russia team, Joe diGenova, who has a history of pushing conspiracies about the probe on right-wing media outlets. Lawrence O'Donnell discusses with Barbara McQuade, David Cay Johnston, and Michael Isikoff.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/new-reports-mueller-and-trump-teams-finally-meet-1190022211646 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W49kwUeUchk [with comments]
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Trump lawyer's new interview about alleged Stormy Daniels threats
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
3/19/18
In a new interview, Trump's attorney Michael Cohen responds to the alleged physical threats against Stormy Daniels. Lawrence O'Donnell reminds us of Cohen's long history of threatening people on behalf of Trump. David Cay Johnston and Kurt Andersen join.
©2018 NBCNews.com
http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/trump-lawyer-s-new-interview-about-alleged-stormy-daniels-threats-1190024771513
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Trump's legal team shake up and what it means for Mueller probe defense
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams
3/20/18
Late breaking reporting from the Washington Post and the New York Times on Donald Trump’s legal team moves, and what they might signal for the president’s legal strategy with special counsel Robert Mueller.
©2018 NBCNews.com
[originally aired March 19, 2018]
http://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/trump-s-legal-team-shake-up-and-what-it-means-for-mueller-probe-defense-1190064195588 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcI3CCDD6L0 [with comments]
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Despite West Wing chaos, Trump reportedly more comfortable in job
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams
3/20/18
President Trump is speaking out more and going with his gut on policy. Supporters say they’re finally getting the president they voted for, but what challenges do other Republicans face by association?
©2018 NBCNews.com
[originally aired March 19, 2018]
http://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/despite-west-wing-chaos-trump-reportedly-more-comfortable-in-job-1190064195883
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Former Andrew McCabe colleague criticizes Trump's attacks
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams
3/20/18
Former FBI Executive Assistant Director Robert Anderson, who’s known Andrew McCabe for two decades, weighs in on the president’s weekend Twitter tirade, and the damage to the bureau from Trump’s attacks on the FBI.
©2018 NBCNews.com
[originally aired March 19, 2018]
http://www.msnbc.com/brian-williams/watch/former-andrew-mccabe-colleague-criticizes-trump-s-attacks-1190066243920 , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27mm_3ga3To [with comments]
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Trump Sacks Andrew McCabe, Takes Aim at Robert Mueller | The Daily Show
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by The Daily Show with Trevor Noah [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwWhs_6x42TyRM4Wstoq8HA , https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwWhs_6x42TyRM4Wstoq8HA/videos ]
President Trump fires former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe days before his retirement in an alleged attempt to discredit the Mueller investigation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDFq6rVmkao [with comments]
*
Christiane Amanpour - An In-Depth Look at Passion and Intimacy on "Sex & Love Around the World"
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Christiane Amanpour chats about her CNN series "Sex & Love Around the World," which sheds light on how women across the globe are exploring and embracing their sexuality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NknJursyfOg [with comments]
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Tucker Carlson's Bad Take on Teen Activists & Trump's White House Purge | The Daily Show
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Fox News's Tucker Carlson lashes out at the students who participated in a walkout to protest gun violence, and President Trump goes on a wild and unpredictable firing spree.
[originally aired March 15, 2018; uploaded late/out of sequence]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quas9q0sK5Q [with comments]
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Adult-Splaining Grammar to Teen Activist David Hogg - The Opposition w/ Jordan Klepper
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by Comedy Central [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUsN5ZwHx2kILm84-jPDeXw / https://www.youtube.com/user/comedycentral , https://www.youtube.com/user/comedycentral/videos , https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD7nPL1U-R5r5XD8saDuOBVj1z69Y_4iK ]
Fox News pundit Laura Ingraham's concern for the offensive grammatical errors in activist David Hogg's anti-gun video prompts Jordan to give teens a grammar lesson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc8sd0uI3Aw [with comments]
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Rex Tillerson Gets Fired On The Toilet
Published on Mar 20, 2018 by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMtFAi84ehTSYSE9XoHefig , https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMtFAi84ehTSYSE9XoHefig/videos ]
Trump's former Secretary of State supposedly learned he was fired by John Kelly while on the John.
[originally aired March 19, 2018]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsGBtBFxYu0 [with comments]
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Let The Robert Mueller Tweets Begin!
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
There's no one Trump won't attempt to disparage on Twitter: Robert Mueller... Andrew McCabe... Cher...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynNKe3wPqVE [with (nearly 5,000) comments]
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Stephen Analyticizes Cambridge Analytica
Published on Mar 20, 2018 by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Data firm Cambridge Analytica exploited Facebook to gather information of millions of potential voters. Oh, and prostitutes!
[originally aired March 19, 2018]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MeQz8OWXQ0 [with comments]
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Guess Who Won Russia's Presidential Election
Published on Mar 20, 2018 by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Want to know who won this weekend's presidential election in Russia? Click to find out! (This is a cliffhanger for the one internet user who doesn't understand Russia's politics.)
[originally aired March 19, 2018]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNqN0yvkq-M [with comments]
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Trump Attacks Mueller and McCabe; Facebook Suspends Cambridge Analytica: A Closer Look
Published on Mar 19, 2018 by Late Night with Seth Meyers [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVTyTA7-g9nopHeHbeuvpRA / https://www.youtube.com/user/LateNightSeth , https://www.youtube.com/user/LateNightSeth/videos ]
Seth takes a closer look at Trump directly attacking the special counsel in the Russia investigation and Facebook's massive data breach.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_vTyApRF-w [with comments]
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stashed March 19, 2018:
Everything you need to know about the Cambridge Analytica-Facebook debacle
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/03/19/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-cambridge-analytica-facebook-debacle/
Everything You Need to Know About Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and the Trump Campaign
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/facebook-cambridge-data-trump,news-26800.html
The EU Has Set Its Sights On A Data Protection Investigation Into Cambridge Analytica And Facebook
An official investigation into the two companies could result in heavy fines.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/markdistefano/the-eu-has-set-its-sights-on-a-data-protection
No 10 'very concerned' over Facebook data breach by Cambridge Analytica
Downing Street backs information commissioner inquiry into data-mining affecting millions of people
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/19/no-10-very-concerned-over-facebook-data-breach-by-cambridge-analytica
Facebook data - as scandalous as MPs’ expenses?
The gathering storm over how millions of Facebook profiles were apparently exploited for political purposes raises all sorts of questions about how our data is used.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-43458110
Facebook's value drops 7% or $37bn after data revelations; bid battle for GKN continues - live
https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2018/mar/19/melrose-pension-boost-gkn-pension-takeover-business-live
For Facebook, political pressure mounts on Mark Zuckerberg
The controversy over the Cambridge Analytica scandal and data stolen from 50 million people has all eyes on Facebook’s founder.
https://www.cnet.com/news/for-facebook-political-pressure-mounts-on-mark-zuckerberg/
Whistleblower claims Trump aides met with Cambridge Analytica prior to campaign
Christopher Wylie says both Steve Bannon and Corey Lewandowski were working with the firm long before Trump launched his bid.
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-aides-cambridge-analytica-872e244f5c83/
Facebook data whistleblower: 'fake news to the next level'
https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/cambridge-analytica-fake-news-level-53849985
Facebook botches response to a scandal, again
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/facebook-botches-response-scandal-160551434.html
Roger McNamee: Users are recognizing Facebook is 'not the fun and games, innocent place they thought it was'
The social media giant is coming off a rough weekend, after reports late Friday of a massive mishandling of data by conservative research firm Cambridge Analytica. The stock shed nearly 7 percent Monday.
But the greater loss may be the trust of Facebook users, tech investor Roger McNamee told CNBC's "Squawk Alley."
"There's been an increasing understanding that when you're using Facebook, a lot of bad things are going to happen to you, as a user," McNamee said.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/19/roger-mcnamee-facebook-is-losing-consumer-trust.html
Cambridge Analytica Leak Triggers Demand for Tougher U.K. Data Watchdog
Possible [bullshit - fully verified] data breach being probed by U.K. privacy watchdog
Demand follows report that Cambridge Analytica violated rules
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-19/trump-data-firm-leak-spurs-demand-for-tougher-u-k-data-watchdog
Republican senator joins call for Facebook CEO to testify about data use - John Kennedy (La.)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Senator John Kennedy has joined his Democratic colleague Amy Klobuchar in calling on Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg to testify before Congress following reports that a political consultancy gained inappropriate access to data on millions of Facebook users.
In a joint letter, Kennedy and Klobuchar asked Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley to hold a hearing with Zuckerberg and the chief executives of Alphabet Inc’s Google and Twitter Inc, reflecting mounting bipartisan concern in Washington about how the companies share personal user data.
“Facebook, Google, and Twitter have amassed unprecedented amounts of personal data and use this data when selling advertising, including political advertisements,” the senators wrote. “The lack of oversight on how data is stored and how political advertisements are sold raises concerns about the integrity of American elections as well as privacy rights.”
The letter came after reports this weekend that Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy that worked on President Donald Trump’s campaign, gained inappropriate access to data on 50 million Facebook use.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-cambridge-analytica-congress/republican-senator-joins-call-for-facebook-ceo-to-testify-about-data-use-idUSKBN1GV1WR
Data leak 'another indication of systemic problems at Facebook' so sell the stock, analyst says
Pivotal Research reaffirms its sell rating on Facebook shares, predicting more restrictions on consumer personal data use for advertising purposes.
"Because regulators will apply more scrutiny on the use of data for targeting, it seems to us that there will be more scrutiny on Facebook products," analyst Brian Wieser writes.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/19/pivotal-research-data-leak-another-indication-of-systemic-problems-at-facebook.html
Facebook backlash: Failure to disclose political firm's profile access draws scrutiny
The episode marks another blow to Facebook's reputation during a period of growing scrutiny over Russian use of the platform to interfere in American politics.
http://www.wfaa.com/article/news/nation-world/facebook-backlash-failure-to-disclose-political-firms-profile-access-draws-scrutiny/507-529781649
Markey Wants Investigation Into Facebook/Cambridge 'Bombshell'
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/markey-wants-investigation-facebookcambridge-bombshell/172434
Don’t think for one second that Facebook is a victim in this whole Cambridge Analytica mess
http://www.infosurhoy.com/cocoon/saii/xhtml/en_GB/technology/dont-think-for-one-second-that-facebook-is-a-victim-in-this-whole-cambridge-analytica-mess/
Facebook, Other Tech Giants Scrutinized by Congress Over User Data
Lawmakers call for hearings and possible digital-ad regulation
https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-other-tech-giants-scrutinized-by-congress-over-user-data-1521479672
What You Need to Understand About Facebook and Cambridge Analytica
http://nymag.com/selectall/2018/03/what-is-cambridge-analytica-and-who-is-christopher-wylie.html
Exclusive: Scientist at center of Facebook-Cambridge Analytica controversy speaks
The data scientist who gathered information on millions of Americans for Cambridge Analytica, the controversial data firm that worked for Donald Trump's presidential campaign, says he would be happy to testify before Congress and speak to the FBI about the work he did for the company. Aleksandr Kogan made the remarks in an email he sent to colleagues at Cambridge University this weekend that was obtained by CNN.
http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/19/technology/cambridge-analytica-scientist-aleksandr-kogan/index.html
Facebook’s Woes Weigh Down Tech Stocks: DealBook Briefing
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/business/dealbook/facebook-cambridge-analytica.html
Cambridge Analytica Expert Suspended By Facebook After Disclosing Data Misuse - Canadian data analytics expert Christopher Wylie, who worked for Cambridge Analytica and was the key source for the Times and Observer investigations
“For blowing the whistle. On something they have known privately for 2 years.”
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cambridge-analytica-expert-suspended-by-facebook-after-disclosing-data-misuse_us_5aaf0c2fe4b05b22180013d4
Republican Lawmakers Concerned By Facebook Data Leak - Reuters
Cambridge Analytica has denied violating Facebook’s terms.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/republican-lawmakers-concerned-by-facebook-data-leak_us_5aaf37aae4b05b221800250f
original https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-facebook/republican-lawmakers-concerned-by-facebook-data-leak-idUSKBN1GU0XF
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dRYJ1fvKHV8eVvMnYpOZ0a_bEL5EM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Kushner, Manafort were primary players in hiring Cambridge Analytica for Trump campaign
Andrea Mitchell Reports
Mar.19.2018
http://www.msnbc.com/andrea-mitchell-reports/watch/kushner-manafort-were-primary-players-in-hiring-cambridge-analytica-for-trump-campaign-1189530691843
Cambridge Analytica whistleblower says company worked with Corey Lewandowski, Steve Bannon
In a live interview with TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie, Christopher Wylie, a former employee of British company Cambridge Analytica, says the company misused personal Facebook data of some 50 million people to help influence the 2016 presidential election. Wylie says the company met with former Trump campaign manager (and current outside adviser) Corey Lewandowski, former chief strategist Steve Bannon as well as Russian oil companies.
https://www.today.com/video/cambridge-analytica-whistleblower-says-the-company-worked-with-trump-campaign-strategist-and-steve-bannon-1189326915651
Cambridge Analytica, the shady data firm that might be a key Trump-Russia link, explained
Why House investigators think this company might have gamed Facebook and helped Russia spread fake news.
Mar 17, 2018
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/16/15657512/cambridge-analytica-christopher-wylie-facebook-trump-russia
Did Jared Kushner’s Data Operation Help Select Facebook Targets for the Russians?
The Russians used social media to rile the electorate. Investigators wonder if they had inside help.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/09/jared-kushner-data-operation-russia-facebook
Did Russians Target Democratic Voters, With Kushner’s Help?
5/23/17
http://www.newsweek.com/did-russians-target-dem-voters-kushners-help-613612
more: https://www.google.com/search?q=kushner+manafort+cambridge+analytica
Andrew McCabe’s Firing: Here’s What You Need to Know
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/us/politics/andrew-mccabe-fbi-firing-explained.html
The Fake News is beside themselves that McCabe was caught, called out and fired. How many hundreds of thousands of dollars was given to wife’s campaign by Crooked H friend, Terry M, who was also under investigation? How many lies? How many leaks? Comey knew it all, and much more!
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/975062797162811394
The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT!
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/975163071361683456
Five reasons why a single Trump tweet on Mueller stretched the truth
First Read is your briefing from Meet the Press and the NBC Political Unit on the day's most important political stories and why they matter
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/five-reasons-why-single-trump-tweet-mueller-stretched-truth-n857831
Some in GOP alarmed as Trump tweets against Robert Mueller
https://www.apnews.com/04edb1a7205e4e09a316d8ae7d73b05e
Donald Trump may not be able to fire Robert Mueller. So he's doing the next best thing.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/19/politics/trump-witch-hunt-analysis/index.html
Newly Emboldened, Trump Says What He Really Feels
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/18/us/politics/trump-tweets-mueller.html
This new report on Trump’s state of mind [item just above] should alarm you
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2018/03/19/this-new-report-on-trumps-state-of-mind-should-alarm-you/
Trump to Hire Lawyer Who Has Pushed Theory That Justice Dept. Framed the President
MANCHESTER, N.H. — President Trump has decided to hire the longtime Washington lawyer Joseph E. diGenova, who has pushed the theory on television that Mr. Trump was framed by F.B.I. and Justice Department officials, to bolster his legal team, according to three people told of the decision.
Mr. diGenova is not expected to take a lead role but will instead serve as a more aggressive player on the president’s legal team. Mr. Trump broke over the weekend from the longstanding advice of some of his lawyers that he refrain from directly attacking the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, a sign of his growing unease with the investigation.
The hire has not been announced, and Mr. Trump frequently changes his mind and sometimes adjusts his plans based on media coverage. It was not clear whether Mr. Trump planned to hire other lawyers.
Mr. diGenova has endorsed the notion that a secretive group of F.B.I. agents concocted the Russia investigation as a way to keep Mr. Trump from becoming president. “There was a brazen plot to illegally exonerate Hillary Clinton and, if she didn’t win the election, to then frame Donald Trump with a falsely created crime,” he said on Fox News in January. He added, “Make no mistake about it: A group of F.B.I. and D.O.J. people were trying to frame Donald Trump of a falsely created crime.”
Little evidence has emerged to support that theory.
Mr. Trump’s legal team has been in tumult in recent weeks. On Saturday, Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer, John Dowd, called on the Justice Department to end the special counsel investigation. Mr. Dowd said at the time that he was speaking for the president but later backtracked. According to two people briefed on the matter, he was in fact acting at the president’s urging to call for an end to the inquiry.
Earlier this month, Mr. Trump did not tell his lawyers that he was in discussions with another Washington lawyer, Emmet T. Flood, about representing him. Mr. Flood represented former President Bill Clinton during his impeachment proceedings.
Mr. diGenova did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Mr. diGenova is law partners with his wife, Victoria Toensing. Ms. Toensing has also represented Sam Clovis, the former Trump campaign co-chairman, and Erik Prince, the founder of the security contractor Blackwater and an informal adviser to Mr. Trump. Mr. Prince attended a meeting in January 2017 with a Russian investor in the Seychelles that the special counsel is investigating.
Mr. diGenova has worked in Washington legal circles for decades. He is a former Republican-appointed United States attorney for the District of Columbia. And he has served as an independent counsel in government waste, fraud and abuse investigations, notably a three-year criminal inquiry into whether officials in the George H.W. Bush administration broke any laws in their search for damaging information about then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton.
In 1995, Mr. diGenova declared the investigation he led was “unnecessary.” And, he said, “a Kafkaesque journey for a group of innocent Americans comes to an end.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/us/politics/joseph-digenova-trump-lawyer.html
Trump-Sessions Relationship at Crossroads After President’s Attack on Mueller
President called out Mueller by name in weekend tweet attacks
Sessions recusal from Russia probe has been target for Trump
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-19/trump-sessions-relations-at-crossroads-after-attack-on-mueller
The problem with hindsight
Over the weekend,President Donald Trump’s long-simmering feud with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election caught fire and this destructive blaze appears far from contained.
Whether these flames die out or continue to consume Washington remains uncertain. And while much will depend on Mueller's progress and Trump's tolerance, for the foreseeable future, our politics will involve a fight over perception and plausible arguments.
Both skeptics and believers will assert their theories about Trump's relationship with Russia, hoping they can persuade public opinion in advance of the 2018 midterm elections. For partisans, majority control of the Congress and future governing authority are what's at stake in this battle for perception. And since the majority of the public believes Mueller will conduct a fair investigation (61 percent), Republicans will wage this fight going uphill.
In addition to the partisan broadsides, another debate has ensued among journalists, scholars and lawyers about whether or not Trump and his campaign engaged in a conspiracy, or actively colluded with Russian operatives before or after the presidential election. The stakes here are more about "getting it right, first," so as to burnish one's reputation as a political analyst or insightful observer.
But there's a glaring problem with most of what has been written and said, whether by partisans or pundits, and it is this: Trump wasn't supposed to win the presidency. In other words, nearly all of the analyses that have been articulated have been bedeviled by the assumption that Trump and his team believed that Trump would become the president.
We know this is not true. No one thought Trump would win — not even Trump.
According to the book written by Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie, on election night, Trump said: "Dave, can you believe this? We just started this to have some fun."
Let me repeat, Trump said: "to have some fun." He did not say: "to win."
Trump likely also thought that running for president would be "fun" because a presidential campaign would provide him with the biggest platform he could imagine to enhance his celebrity and increase the value of his personal brand. And with these greatly improved assets, he would be able to make more money — after he lost. In essence, for Trump to maximize his future development opportunities and revive his business (and perhaps, even solve son-in-law Jared Kushner's serious debt problem on 666 Park Ave.), he needed to win the Republican nomination and lose the general election. Then, he'd own 2017.
The glitch in this plan was that Trump won.
That inconvenient and unintended outcome of his campaign appears to have transformed Trump's business development strategy (i.e., make foreign friends, build a hotel in Moscow, and cultivate investor relationships to repay debt in New York) into a possible illegal conspiracy with an unfriendly foreign power.
Considering this from another angle, had Trump lost the presidency, does one believe that either he or his campaign would be receiving such scrutiny? No.
But the answer is "no" not because partisans want to delegitimize his win (as he seems to believe) or because the "deep state" and "the elites" are repulsed by all he stands for (even if they are). The answer is "no" because if he had lost, he wouldn't have the enormous power of the presidency at his disposal. If he had lost, he would not be in a position to compromise the country's interests to a hostile foreign power.
If he had lost, he would have been merely a famous loser. In our upside down world, where social media friends and name identification are valued as real assets and connote one's net worth, famous losers can make far more money than discreet winners.
And while Trump’s team (namely, Paul Manafort and Rick Gates) may have found themselves in some legal trouble for campaign finance violations for receiving foreign donations, it is much more likely that had Trump lost, there would be a Justice Department investigation of President Hillary Clinton's role with the Clinton Foundation rather than one of Trump.
This doesn't have to do with which politician did the worse thing, it has to do with who now has the power to do harm to the United States of America. At the moment, that individual is Trump, and not Clinton. Had Trump lost, it would be different.
The other problem is that cover-ups to put past behavior into a less embarrassing light tend to look like conspiracies in hindsight. More often than not, the truth is simpler: people make bad decisions, and when they realize their bad decision will become public, they try to cover it up with new actions that will alter people’s perceptions. Typically, these cover-ups make things worse, not better, and people get caught — not necessarily for the bad decision or mistake they made, but for not admitting their error or wrongdoing, and trying to cover it up.
Viewed through this lens, when Trump’s activities and decisions during the campaign — from not investing any real money in his campaign infrastructure to hiring Manafort in March 2016 when it looked like he might lose the nomination to Sen. Ted Cruz, to the several meetings his campaign advisors had with influential Russians — it seems clear that Trump was attempting to execute an ill-considered business development strategy, not trying to win the presidency. In short, he failed by winning.
Now, just because Trump likely was coordinating with Russia for business and not politics, doesn't mean that he should get away with unscrupulous behavior. At this point, Mueller seems highly likely to catch him and his staff for having engaged in a cover-up (e.g., obstruction of justice, perjury, destruction of evidence, etc.).
Still with respect to engaging in a treasonous conspiracy with Russia to subvert American democracy, it's probably best to remember what Eric Trump said about his father's nature: "My father sees only one color — green."
Lara M. Brown is director of the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University. Follow her on Twitter @LaraMBrownPhD.
http://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/379084-the-problem-with-hindsight
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/d8tqkWLr8SCSkWM4yXDKkHMLztO-M?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
After fourth Austin explosion, police warn of sophisticated ‘serial bomber’
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/03/18/two-injured-in-explosion-in-austin-police-say/
Now with tripwire bomb, APD says they're working with a serial bomber
http://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/two-men-injured-in-explosion-in-southwest-austin/1056692545
Austin police warn of 'serial bomber' after fourth explosion shows 'higher level of sophistication'
http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-austin-explosion-20180318-story.html
The Latest: PGA Tour says safety paramount at Austin event
https://apnews.com/d7c526d753e04df39a233e2759411bbf
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/d287RBNbXb0ezWM1oAw23L2BEaQ6M?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Trump to Visit New Hampshire to Present Opioid Plan
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/us/politics/trump-new-hampshire-opioid-plan.html
Trump's opioid plan to take three-pronged approach, including death penalty for high-volume traffickers
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/18/politics/trump-opioid-plan/index.html
The Health 202: Trump will propose executing drug dealers. But only in some already legal cases.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-health-202/2018/03/19/the-health-202-trump-will-propose-executing-drug-dealers-but-only-in-some-already-legal-cases/5aa935f730fb047655a06c60/
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dckArjHKbQvpprMhW4JFFV82ssDzM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Self-Driving Uber Car Kills Arizona Pedestrian
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/technology/uber-driverless-fatality.html
An Autonomous Uber Vehicle Struck And Killed A Woman In Arizona
Police in Tempe, Arizona, are investigating a fatal crash in which an autonomous Uber vehicle struck a woman, who later died.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/carolineodonovan/uber-autonomous-vehicle-killed-pedestrian
Tempe police investigating self-driving Uber car involved in deadly crash overnight
https://www.abc15.com/news/region-southeast-valley/tempe/tempe-police-investigating-self-driving-uber-car-involved-in-crash-overnight
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dDym-50uNTL-2_MPP2DDRV3YVHL1M?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Should Pro-Life Clinics Have to Post Information About Abortion?
The Supreme Court will consider the rights of crisis pregnancy centers, which help women “imagine what the choice of life would be like.”
Abortion is back in the Supreme Court this week. On Tuesday, the justices will hear a case on crisis pregnancy centers, the facilities established by pro-life organizations around the country to counsel women against abortion. In 2015, California passed the Reproductive FACT Act, requiring licensed clinics that provide certain services—including ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, and advice on birth control—to post information about affordable abortion and contraception services offered by the state. Unlicensed facilities that provide these services have to disclose their lack of medical certification. A network of crisis pregnancy centers, including the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA), sued in response, arguing that the government is violating their right to free speech by forcing them to promote abortion.
On a technical level, NIFLA v. Becerra is about the kind of speech the government is allowed to regulate. States can’t force citizens into making statements in support of a specific political position or candidate; compelling speech in that manner would violate the First Amendment. But states can regulate other kinds of speech, such as making sure doctors disclose important information before operating on a patient. Crisis pregnancy centers, known as CPCs, fall somewhere in the murky middle of the two categories. The justices must decide where, exactly, CPCs fit.
[...]
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/03/nifla-becerra-crisis-pregnancy-centers-supreme-court/555887/
‘I’ve Personally Sacrificed My Entire Career for This’
The debate around sexual-harassment legislation is playing out in the Maryland General Assembly, where reform advocates say leadership is loath to embrace changes.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/03/metoo-maryland/555788/
School Choice May Be Accelerating Gentrification
The ability to opt out of a neighborhood school increases the likelihood that a black or Hispanic neighborhood will see an influx of wealthier residents.
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/03/is-school-choice-contributing-to-gentrification/555845/
An Inside Look at Juvenile Detention ( https://youtu.be/-aq4sNlFdwk [since gone dark])
As recently as 2005, the state of Virginia had eight centers like Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Facility, housing more than 1,300 delinquent youth. But by 2017, after a series of reforms, that number had shrunk to one.
“It's not that you can't do good work here,” said Andy Block, who, since 2014, has served as the juvenile-justice department’s director. “But the place itself and the design and the size and the location are barriers to doing good work.” Block and others are working to close Bon Air and replace it with something that reflects the juvenile justice reforms that have taken hold in Virginia and across the country—a system that once focused on confinement is now dedicated to rehabilitation. In recent years, more than 70 percent of Virginia's juvenile inmates were rearrested within three years of their release.*
This documentary explores life inside Bon Air and the challenges facing reform efforts in Virginia. It is part of a larger reporting project on juvenile justice reform. Read more here [ https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/juvenile-justice/ ] and watch the VR series: Life Inside Maximum-Security Juvenile Detention
[ https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/554468/marquez-jackson/ , https://youtu.be/nvUuC7GgqeY ], Life After Juvenile Detention
[ https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/554462/bon-air-detention/ , https://youtu.be/yO9bMkCFI9s ], and Life in an Alternative to Juvenile Detention
[ https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/554471/apartment-living-program/ , https://youtu.be/OuRFBknyih8 ].
https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/555659/inside-juvenile-detention/
EU Agrees on Brexit Transition Terms but Ireland Issue Remains
Under the terms agreed, the U.K. would continue implementing all EU rules until the end of 2020, while having no say in future decisions
https://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-agrees-on-brexit-transition-terms-but-ireland-issue-remains-1521455671
Brexit talks: UK-EU agree on transition but obstacles remain
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43463196
The five costs of UK's pyrrhic Brexit victory
A series of once unimaginable concessions are now baked into the withdrawal agreement, with more likely to come
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/mar/19/the-five-costs-of-uks-pyrrhic-brexit-victory
Transition deal alone won't let banks stall Brexit moves - industry officials
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-city/transition-deal-alone-wont-let-banks-stall-brexit-moves-industry-officials-idUSKBN1GV1O8
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/desVc-BMPBDwxDMgB3tn626CqbKnM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Putin’s reelection takes him one step closer to becoming Russian leader for life
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/putins-reelection-takes-him-one-step-closer-to-becoming-russian-leader-for-life/2018/03/19/880cd0a2-2af7-11e8-8dc9-3b51e028b845_story.html
Putin Claims Mandate in Record Win Amid Conflict With West
Putin gets 77% in presidential election with high turnout
Tensions with West spurred Russians to vote, poll chief says
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-18/putin-sweeps-to-new-term-in-russia-as-tensions-spiral-with-west
Opinion: Putin is leading an increasingly poor, destabilized Russia
A generational change is gripping the country, and this new generation is looking for its own voice in the system
By Stratfor analysts
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/putin-is-leading-an-increasingly-poor-destabilized-russia-2018-03-19
Sobchak-Navalny Row Deepens Following Russia’s Presidential Elections
https://themoscowtimes.com/news/sobchak-navalny-row-deepens-following-russias-presidential-elections-60865
Russia election: Putin ready for 'constructive' dialogue
Vladimir Putin has said he is open to "constructive" dialogue with other states after being re-elected president of Russia with an increased majority.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43461719
Putin’s Election Victory Magnifies Deep Divide in Russia’s Political Landscape
Result shows difficulty the opposition has in turning protests into a viable opposition against Mr. Putin
https://www.wsj.com/articles/putins-election-victory-magnifies-deep-divide-in-russias-political-landscape-1521463334
Putin Wins Russia Election, and Broad Mandate for 4th Term
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/18/world/europe/election-russia-putin-president.html
Putin’s landslide victory met with muted reaction from the West
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/putin-s-landslide-victory-met-muted-reaction-west-n857811
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/diSSFlGK3k779uMhRppxKVK7mSn8M?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Pro-Bernie Sanders group cancels Hillary Clinton protest
WASHINGTON - A pro-Bernie Sanders group has canceled an anti-Hillary Clinton protest, its organizer told NBC News on Monday.
The event, created by the leader of a local chapter of Our Revolution, prompted backlash from Clinton allies, leading Sanders' top adviser to condemn it and disassociate his boss from the group, which grew out of Sanders presidential campaign.
The episode shows that, two years later, Democrats still can’t quite shake the ghost of 2016 and the hard-fought presidential primary between Clinton and Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont. And it's another demonstration of the challenges Sanders faces in leading a movement that acts in his name but is often beyond his control — even as he reportedly prepares for a second presidential bid in 2020.
Ellen Faden said she had no idea her protest would cause such an uproar.
The founder of the Hazlet, New Jersey, chapter of Our Revolution objected to the fact that Rutgers University is paying Clinton $25,000 for an upcoming speech, so she thought she'd use the event to make a point about money in politics.
Faden had organized a similar demonstration outside a Bill Clinton event in California, where she used to live, that drew little attention and attracted only about a dozen participants. So she expected similarly low turnout when she posted an event listing on Our Revolution's website inviting people to protest Clinton's Rutgers speech on March 29.
“When I put it up, nothing happened for about a week or more. And then all of a sudden, I got one comment, and then it was like hundreds of comments," Faden said. “It did absolutely touch a sore spot with us, with Democrats, because I do consider myself a Democrat."
Over the weekend, the event caught fire on Twitter among Clinton and Sanders supporters, who still regularly duke it out on social media.
To Clinton allies, like her former spokesperson, Philippe Reines, who played Donald Trump in her debate prep sessions, it was evidence that Sanders and his supporters are obsessed with tearing Clinton down and dividing the party, even when it seems to play right into Trump's hands.
"Bernie & donald sitting in a tree, o b s e s s i n g.
Both pro-Russia.
Both pro-guns.
Both pro-faking party affiliation.
Both pro-whining “Rigged!”
Both pro-forgetting they lost by 6,576,985 votes.
Both anti-HRC.
Both on a 3rd party ticket: Trump-Sanders 2016 & 2020 https://twitter.com/hoarsewisperer/status/975518815114219520 "
[ https://twitter.com/PhilippeReines/status/975558013288374272 ]
"Our Revolution: Democrats need to stop being divisive!
Also Our Revolution: Join us as we disrupt Hillary’s campus speech!
These people are toxic AF."
[ https://twitter.com/hoarsewisperer/status/975518815114219520 ]
Democrats of all stripes called on Our Revolution to remove the event from the group's national website, saying progressives should be focused on fighting Republicans, not each other.
The event listing remained online, but a disclaimer was appended reading: “Events are created by local grass-roots organizers and are not necessarily endorsed by Our Revolution National."
In the past, Clinton has donated honorariums from public universities to charity, including the Clinton Foundation. A spokesperson for Clinton confirmed Monday that she will donate the honorarium for the Rutgers speech, as well.
Late Sunday night, Sanders’ former campaign manager and current senior adviser, Jeff Weaver, entered the fray to make it clear that Sanders himself did not condone the event.
“Our Revolution and Senator Sanders operate independently. Our Revolution has autonomous chapters all across the country," Weaver said in a statement. "That being said, this is no time to be protesting Hillary Clinton or any Democrat."
On Monday morning, Our Revolution’s high command called Faden, who then told NBC News she would cancel the event and was working to remove it from the website and Facebook.
"I’m still going to go myself, just as a private citizen, but with nothing whatsoever to do with Our Revolution," she said. "I don’t want to jeopardize anything with Our Revolution. I really didn’t expect this to happen."
In a statement, Our Revolution President Nina Turner said the organization did not endorse the event, but that the decision to cancel it did not come from on high.
"The Rutgers protest of Secretary Clinton was created by one local group, not an event endorsed by the national organization or myself," Turner said. "With almost 600 local groups, Our Revolution encourages a wide range of opinions and respects everyone's right to peaceful protest. This group has decided, on their own, to cancel this event. We are open to working with individuals and groups who believe in the founding principals of our Revolution."
It’s not the first time Sanders has had to publicly distance himself from his own group.
Our Revolution, which shares its name with Sanders’ book, spun directly out of his presidential campaign. Weaver initially helmed the organization before turning it over to Turner, a former Ohio state senator, and other Sanders surrogates.
But campaign finance rules prohibit Sanders from exerting much influence over the group, which prides itself on bottom-up decision-making driven by grass-roots activists, who often chafe at pressure from above.
Both Sanders and Our Revolution benefit from their perceived association, so neither is exactly keen to advertise their independence. But the status has created awkward situations where Sanders and Our Revolution have diverged.
For instance, last month, Sanders was compelled to put out a statement breaking from Our Revolution after they endorsed former congressman Dennis Kucinich in the Ohio governor's race.
"Our Revolution is doing a great job, but I am not involved with it, and it would be illegal for me to be involved. Let me be very clear: Bernie Sanders will make endorsements, and Our Revolution will make endorsements," Sanders said. "I’ve known Dennis Kucinich forever. I consider him a friend. But I am not making an endorsement there."
It’s a similar situation to the one his fellow Vermonter, Howard Dean, found himself him in when the group that grew out of his 2004 presidential campaign, Democracy for America, endorsed Sanders while Dean himself backed Clinton.
But as the 2018 midterms heat up, tensions may only become more apparent as Our Revolution and Sanders make more endorsements in competitive Democratic primaries across the country.
https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/democrats-vs-trump/pro-bernie-sanders-group-cancels-anti-hillary-clinton-protest-n857926
Democrats' 2018 midterm hopes strengthened by decline of liberal 'purity tests'
Why liberals' newfound love of pragmatism over purity is bad news for Trump and the GOP.
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/democrats-2018-midterm-hopes-strengthened-decline-liberal-purity-tests-ncna857431
More Young Christians Heed Call to Become Priests And Nuns | NBC Left Field
NBC Left Field
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADWhY1iAfeM
Saudi crown prince: If Iran makes a nuclear bomb, so will we
Mohammed bin Salman returns to Washington this week to kick off his U.S. tour with a series of White House meetings — and a blunt message about his strategy toward his nation's regional rival.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/saudi-crown-prince-if-iran-makes-nuclear-bomb-so-will-n857921
Why does Saudi Arabia want to spend billions to enrich its own uranium?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/why-does-saudi-arabia-want-to-spend-billions-to-enrich-its-own-uranium/2018/03/19/1ce87608-2225-11e8-badd-7c9f29a55815_story.html
Saudi Arabia's heir to the throne talks to 60 Minutes
In his first interview with an American television network, Mohammed bin Salman shared his thoughts on Iran, the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, his country’s troubled past and its hopeful future
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/saudi-crown-prince-talks-to-60-minutes/
Saudi Crown Prince Will Seek to Solidify Anti-Iran Stance With Trump White House
Prince Mohammed is likely to emphasize his effort to modernize the ultraconservative petrostate
https://www.wsj.com/articles/saudi-crown-prince-will-seek-to-solidify-anti-iran-stance-with-trump-white-house-1521457201
Will Trump once again fall for a Saudi charm offensive? Let's hope not.
We need to resist the spell of the Saudi royals. The U.S.-Saudi relationship is increasingly conflicted, and mutual expectations are unlikely to be met.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/03/18/trump-shouldnt-fall-another-saudi-arabia-charm-offensive-aaron-miller-richard-sokolsky-column/429721002/
Crown Prince’s White House visit a major concern for Iran
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1269386
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman says women are 'absolutely' equal to men, continues modernization push
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/03/19/saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-says-women-are-absolutely-equal-to-men-continues-modernization-push.html
Kushner and MBS: A tale of two princes
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/19/opinions/trump-kushner-mbs-meeting-opinion-bergen/index.html
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dc0PccmwwtJ53nMf84ZkzD9UWMHwM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Turkish-backed forces loot Syrian town of Afrin
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/19/middleeast/afrin-looting-intl/index.html
Erdogan Vows to Extend Offensive to East Syria, North Iraq
President says may target Kurdish militants in Syria, Iraq
Erdogan says Manbij, Kobani, Tal Abyad, Sinjar among targets
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-19/erdogan-vows-to-extend-offensive-to-east-syria-northern-iraq
Turkey vows to widen offensive to eastern Syria, Iraq - AP
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/syria-monitors-turkish-allied-militiamen-looting-afrin-53844854
original https://www.apnews.com/79270da278ae4b02bacbce6e27fca040/Turkey-vows-to-widen-offensive-to-eastern-Syria,-Iraq
Turkey’s adventurism in Syria has gone too far
Whatever the perceived threat Ankara sees in the YPG, it is no excuse to invade Syrian territory and militarily occupy Syrian land.
http://gulfnews.com/opinion/editorials/turkey-s-adventurism-in-syria-has-gone-too-far-1.2191066
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dFjhJ06X6LDLWIMDgXN9F9b6xl3sM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
John Kelly promotes Kushner ally for key deputy role
https://www.axios.com/john-kelly-taps-kushner-ally-chris-liddell-deputy-role-bcbe3e60-ad45-4cdd-977a-034b32c2be98.html
Christopher Liddell named White House deputy chief of staff for policy coordination
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2018/03/19/christopher-liddell-named-white-house-deputy-chief-of-staff-for-policy-coordination/
White House Names Christopher Liddell as a Deputy Chief of Staff
Former Microsoft, GM executive had been a candidate for Trump’s top economic adviser
https://www.wsj.com/articles/white-house-names-christopher-liddell-as-a-deputy-chief-of-staff-1521474501
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dJF-Nh7UF3EHAnMHw8j_Vk9j-XqKM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Jim Carrey painted a picture of Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Her father doesn’t like it.
Comedians often land in hot water because of their jokes, but for Jim Carrey, it’s his hobby that has earned him criticism. Over the weekend, the “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” actor tweeted [ https://twitter.com/JimCarrey/status/975123558803259392 ] an image of one of his paintings — this one an unflattering close-up portrait of a scowling woman who is believed to be White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders — and captioned it thusly: “This is the portrait of a so-called Christian whose only purpose in life is to lie for the wicked. Monstrous!”
Reaction was swift — and harsh.
Among those who slammed the painting was former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, Sanders’s father. On Monday morning, he tweeted a link to a “Fox and Friends” story about the painting and added his own commentary. “Pathetic BULLY, sexist, hater, bigot & ‘Christaphobe’ @jimcarrey attacks @PressSec for her faith; what would be hypocritical Hollywood reaction if he called someone a ‘so-called Muslim’ or ‘so-called Jew?’ #classlessCarrey,” Huckabee wrote [ https://twitter.com/GovMikeHuckabee/status/975705224479461376 ].
[...]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2018/03/19/jim-carrey-painted-a-picture-of-sarah-huckabee-sanders-her-father-doesnt-like-it/
Jim Carrey slammed for 'disgraceful,' garish portrait of Sarah Sanders
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/03/18/jim-carrey-unveils-garish-portrait-sarah-sanders.html
Jim Carrey criticized for portrait believed to be White House press secretary
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Culture/jim-carrey-slammed-online-alleged-sarah-sanders-caricature/story?id=53849567
Did Jim Carrey Skewer Donald Trump, Sarah Huckabee Sanders? Actor's Artwork Sparks Controversy
http://people.com/movies/jim-carrey-portrait-sarah-huckabee-sanders/
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/duRDTj7Uaunpl_MwAiyVt5bD4mjjM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Lawmaker sorry for spreading anti-Semitic weather conspiracy - D.C. Councilman Trayon White Sr - black Democrat
A local lawmaker in Washington, DC, has apologised for sharing a video based on a conspiracy theory that Jewish financiers control the weather.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43460263
DC council member apologizes for anti-Semitic comment
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/19/politics/dc-council-member-apology-anti-semitic-comment/index.html
DC lawmaker blames Jews for bad weather
https://nypost.com/2018/03/19/dc-lawmaker-blames-jews-for-bad-weather/
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dD4V1fC4kgy_X8M3dJukO2ye-8lHM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
He was ‘finally’ attempting his ambitious new Cirque du Soleil act. A horrific fall killed him.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/03/18/a-longtime-cirque-du-soleil-performer-fell-to-his-death-as-a-crowd-watched/
Cirque du Soleil performer dies after fall during Tampa performance
http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/accidents/Cirque-du-Soleil-performer-dies-after-fall-during-Tampa-performance_166494776
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dp1elWggAl0udRMB_3j_TGDLmP74M?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Federal Judges Won’t Block Fix To Pennsylvania’s Gerrymandered Congressional Map
The decision leaves in place a congressional map issued by the state Supreme Court in February intended to remedy gerrymandering in the commonwealth.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pennsylvania-gerrymandering_us_5aaff054e4b0e862383a2edf
Kris Kobach Really, Really Did Not Want You To See This Deposition. Read It Here.
The document provides details of a meeting between Kobach and Trump in 2016.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kris-kobach-deposition_us_5aafcc88e4b0697dfe18c630
Pentagon To Senate: We Can’t Know If U.S. Fuel Helps Saudi Arabia Kill Civilians In Yemen
A private Defense Department document shared with HuffPost absolves the U.S. of responsibility for airstrikes the U.N. says have killed thousands.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pentagon-to-senate-we-cant-know-if-us-fuel-is-helping-saudi-arabia-kill-civilians-in-yemen_us_5aafb207e4b05b221800ab53
Trump Loved Hacks. But Now They’re Hitting His People — And Anyone Could Be Next.
The hackers are improving their strategies for stealing private emails to sway public actions.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-hacks-elliott-broidy-clinton-otaiba_us_5aac131fe4b0337adf83a4aa
Report: Trump Demanded Nondisclosure Pacts So Staffers Can Never Spill
The agreements forbid senior White House staff members from talking, even after Trump’s presidency ends.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-demanded-nondisclosure-pacts-so-staffers-can-never-spill_us_5aaf54d1e4b05b2218003805
referencing:
Trump had senior staff sign nondisclosure agreements. They’re supposed to last beyond his presidency.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trumps-nondisclosure-agreements-came-with-him-to-the-white-house/2018/03/18/226f4522-29ee-11e8-b79d-f3d931db7f68_story.html
Tribes Come Together For Fight To Bring Back Protections For Bears Ears National Monument
“Losing Bears Ears to a cloud of industrial smoke from extraction and mining does not keep that preservation of life for us,” said one Navajo woman.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bears-ears-tribes-monument_us_5aaf32b9e4b0337adf851f76
Cynthia Nixon Announces Run For New York Governor
Nixon will be running against incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the state primary.
Tony-award winning actress Cynthia Nixon announced on Monday through an ad on her Twitter account that she is running for New York state governor.
Nixon, known for her role on HBO’s “Sex and the City,” will be running as a Democrat against incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in the state’s primary election, set for September. The actress is a newcomer to campaigning, but has been involved in politics, especially education policy, for years.
“We want our government to work again, on healthcare, ending mass incarceration, fixing our broken subway. We are sick of politicians who care more about headlines and power than they do about us,” Nixon said in her announcement.
[...]
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cynthia-nixon-runs-new-york-governor_us_5a9ef285e4b0d4f5b66b1987
Hannibal Buress’ Mic Cut After Joking About Catholic Sex Abuse
Jesuit-run Loyola University Chicago had warned the comedian he couldn’t make jokes “regarding rape, sexual assault, race and sexual orientation.”
Comedian Hannibal Buress’ microphone reportedly was cut off during a weekend stand-up routine at Loyola University Chicago as he joked about the Catholic church’s history of child molestation and sex abuse.
Buress opened his set at the Jesuit-run school’s Colossus event on Saturday by showing images of an email from the university detailing performance restrictions, according to the Loyola Phoenix, the school newspaper. The edict included a ban “on any content regarding rape, sexual assault, race and sexual orientation.”
[...]
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hannibal-buress-mic-cut-after-joking-about-catholic-sex-abuse_us_5aafcc45e4b00549ac7d8185
GOP Congressman Once Said LGBTQ People Would Wed ‘Everyone In California With AIDS’
Rep. Steve Pearce had a theory about marriage equality leading to health care, which he implied was bad.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/steve-pearce-same-sex-marriage-aids_us_5aafd39de4b0e8623839d1a4
LGBTQ Activists Had A St. Patrick’s Day Message For Mike Pence
Rainbow flags greeted the vice president at a parade in Georgia.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mike-pence-savannah-st-patricks-day-parade_us_5aafe2a7e4b0697dfe191de2
Larry Nassar’s Longtime Boss Reportedly Said In 2016 That He Thought Victims Were Lying
“Patients lie to get doctors in trouble,” the former dean of MSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine allegedly said.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/larry-nassar-longtime-boss-william-strampel-victims-were-lying_us_5aafcd4ae4b00549ac7d8876
Sex Trafficking Bills Backed By Dem Presidential Contenders Could Cause More Harm Than Good
Pressure on websites to screen out ads could expose sex workers to more risks.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sex-trafficking-sex-worker-reaction-sesta_us_5aa84219e4b0f7a689cd3150
Alabama Lawmaker Opposes Arming Teachers Because ‘Lady Teachers’ Are ‘Scared Of Guns’
“We don’t need to have a lady teacher in a school that’s got a firearm,” state Rep. Harry Shiver (R) said.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/arming-teachers-alabama-bill_us_5aafb816e4b05b221800b502
Parkland Students: ‘We’re The Mass Shooting Generation’
Five survivors of the Florida school massacre trace the month that put them at the forefront of a movement.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/parkland-students-were-the-mass-shooting-generation_us_5aafb06be4b0337adf85a6a4
No One Knows How Many Frozen Embryos Are Lost Or Destroyed Each Year
Two fertility clinics accidentally destroyed thousands of embryos, revealing a lack of regulation and accountability in the industry.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-destruction-of-thousands-of-embryos-reveals-just-how-under-regulated-fertility-clinics-are_us_5aab04bfe4b0c33361af1b45
Exclusive: Wife Of Top Trump Aide Dan Scavino Files For Divorce
Dan Scavino, 42, has a long history with the Trump family.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-aide-dan-scavino-divorce_us_5aaef507e4b0c33361b1bdcb
Cambridge Analytica Uncovered: Secret filming reveals election tricks - linked at https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=139403119
Channel 4 News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpbeOCKZFfQ
Revealed: Trump’s election consultants filmed saying they use bribes and sex workers to entrap politicians
An undercover investigation by Channel 4 News reveals how Cambridge Analytica secretly campaigns in elections across the world. Bosses were filmed talking about using bribes, ex-spies, fake IDs and sex workers.
https://www.channel4.com/news/cambridge-analytica-revealed-trumps-election-consultants-filmed-saying-they-use-bribes-and-sex-workers-to-entrap-politicians-investigation
Cambridge Analytica CEO filmed talking about using bribes, sex workers in political work ( https://youtu.be/mpbeOCKZFfQ )
http://thehill.com/policy/technology/379152-trumps-campaign-data-firm-filmed-saying-they-use-bribes-and-sex-workers-to
The CEO of Cambridge Analytica was secretly filmed offering to entrap politicians with bribes and sex workers
Channel 4 News secretly filmed Cambridge Analytica (CA) CEO Alexander Nix offering to entrap politicians with bribes and sex workers.
The bombshell investigation also shows CA admitting to discreetly seeding compromising videos of politicians on the internet and helping them go viral.
CA entirely refutes any allegation that it uses entrapment tactics.
It comes just days after the company was suspended by Facebook over a huge data scandal.
http://www.businessinsider.com/cambridge-analytica-secretly-filmed-by-channel-4-saying-it-can-entrap-politicians-2018-3
A huge clue about Mueller's endgame
https://www.axios.com/robert-mueller-investigation-obstruction-justice-collusion-2128e27f-bbb6-4b82-9e28-c6f1244fb9e3.html
A 'huge clue' may reveal that Mueller's endgame is to nail Trump for obstruction
The special counsel Robert Mueller is reportedly more interested in the activities of Donald Trump during his time as president than during his campaign activities.
It suggests he's building a case that Trump obstructed justice by firing FBI Director James Comey.
Trump went on a Twitter tirade against the FBI over the weekend after reports that Mueller had subpoenaed the Trump Organization for documents related to its efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.
Comey and Andrew McCabe, another recently fired top FBI official, kept detailed memos about their conversations with Trump and will most likely be critical witnesses in the obstruction investigation.
http://www.businessinsider.com/huge-clue-may-reveal-muellers-endgameto-nail-trump-for-obsturction-fbi-2018-3
more: https://www.google.com/search?q=a+huge+clue+about+muellers+endgame
Supreme Court Rejects GOP Bid to Block New Congressional Map for Pennsylvania
Redrawn districts are to go into effect right away, for use in the May primary
https://www.wsj.com/articles/supreme-court-rejects-gop-bid-to-block-new-congressional-map-for-pennsylvania-1521492278
ORDER IN PENDING CASE
17A909
TURZAI, MICHAEL C., ET AL. V. LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, ET AL.
https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/031918zr_p8k0.pdf
Supreme Court Delivers Blow To Republicans, Declines To Take Up Pa. Redistricting
https://www.npr.org/2018/03/19/594993409/supreme-court-delivers-blow-to-republicans-declines-to-take-up-pa-redistricting
Supreme Court refuses to stop new congressional maps in Pennsylvania
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-refuses-to-stop-new-congressional-maps-in-pennsylvania/2018/03/19/128d9656-215e-11e8-badd-7c9f29a55815_story.html
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/d3AfK5KXvOTqKNMZRjjRDG48dJGNM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Trump is reportedly [since confirmed] hiring a conspiracy theorist for his legal team. Here’s what Joe diGenova has said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/03/19/trump-is-reportedly-hiring-a-conspiracy-theorist-for-his-legal-team-heres-what-joe-digenova-has-said/
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dGmI5TSws5hPpEMUnbnWqhe3ebAlM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Trump’s lawyers have turned over documents to Mueller with hopes of limiting interview scope
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-lawyers-have-turned-over-documents-to-mueller-with-hopes-of-limiting-interview-scope/2018/03/19/9174cd54-2b9f-11e8-b0b0-f706877db618_story.html
Fox News’s Sean Hannity is suddenly an expert on Trump and Mueller
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2018/03/19/fox-newss-sean-hannity-is-suddenly-an-expert-on-trump-and-mueller/
Cambridge Analytica CEO appears to talk about using bribes and sex workers to sway elections on secretly recorded news video
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/03/19/cambridge-analytica-ceo-appears-to-talk-about-using-bribes-and-sex-workers-to-sway-elections-on-secretly-recorded-news-video/
Are There Risks From Secondhand Marijuana Smoke? Early Science Says Yes
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/03/19/592873218/are-there-risks-from-secondhand-marijuana-smoke-early-science-says-yes
Early Research Suggests Secondhand Marijuana Smoke Can Be Harmful
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/223264/20180319/early-research-suggests-secondhand-marijuana-smoke-harmful.htm
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dusuK1Mtvgsp5uMF3IQ-N7Qi2lSMM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Stem cell transplant 'game changer' for MS patients
Doctors say a stem cell transplant could be a "game changer" for many patients with multiple sclerosis.
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-43435868
Stem cell treatment offers new hope for multiple sclerosis patients
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/03/19/stem-cell-treatment-offers-new-hope-multiple-sclerosis-patients/
Stem Cell transplant treatment could reduce people’s disability
https://weekfacts.com/2018/03/stem-cell-transplant-treatment-could-reduce-people-disability/
MS sufferers line up to plead for money to get treatment overseas
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/teach-me/102259650/ms-sufferers-line-up-to-plead-for-money-to-get-treatment-overseas
St. Luke's Medical Center pioneers mismatch stem cell treatment [using stem cells from relatives rather than from patient]
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/289403/st-lukes-medical-center-pioneers-mismatch-stem-cell-transplant/
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dFv0t_-AO1aEOrMNiJrbtRWWIzRlM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
NASA plans giant spacecraft to defend Earth by nuking deadly asteroids
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists are part of a national planetary defense team that designed a conceptual spacecraft to deflect Earth-bound asteroids and evaluated whether it would be able to nudge a massive asteroid - which has a remote chance to hitting Earth in 2135 - off course. The design and case study are outlined in a paper published recently in Acta Astronautica (link is external).
The 9-meter-tall, 8.8-ton spacecraft - dubbed HAMMER (Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response vehicle) - features a modular design that would enable it to serve as either a kinetic impactor, essentially a battering ram, or as a transport vehicle for a nuclear device. Its possible mission: deflect 101955 Bennu, a massive asteroid around 500 meters (more than five football fields) in diameter, weighing around 79 billion kilograms (1,664 times as heavy as the Titanic), circling the sun at around 63,000 miles per hour. Based on observation data available, Bennu has a 1 in 2,700-chance of striking Earth on Sept. 25, 2135, and it is estimated that the kinetic energy of this impact would be equivalent to 1,200 megatons (80,000 times the energy of the Hiroshima bomb).
"The chance of an impact appears slim now, but the consequences would be dire," said Kirsten Howley, LLNL physicist and coauthor on the paper. "This study aims to help us shorten the response timeline when we do see a clear and present danger so we can have more options to deflect it. The ultimate goal is to be ready to protect life on Earth."
The effort is part of a national planetary defense collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (link is external)(NASA) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (link is external) (NNSA), which includes LLNL and Los Alamos National Laboratory. (link is external)(LANL). Of the three prongs of planetary defense, NASA is responsible for the first, detecting asteroids with enough time to mitigate the risk. The LLNL planetary defense team is the technical lead on the second prong, mitigation of the threat. The LLNL team also supports the third prong, emergency response should mitigation fail.
The preferred approach to mitigating an asteroid threat would be to deflect it by ramming a kinetic impactor into it, delivering a gentle nudge large enough and soon enough to slow it down and change its collision course with Earth, but not so large that the object breaks apart. This study helped quantify the threshold where a kinetic impactor would no longer be an effective deflection option. To evaluate this threshold, researchers focused on determining how many HAMMER impactors it would take to deflect Bennu.
"The push you need to give it is very small if you deflect the asteroid 50 years out," Howley said. "But that far out, you're likely to think the percentage of being hit would be 1 percent. The probability of a Bennu impact may be 1 in 2,700 today, but that will almost certainly change - for better or worse - as we gather more data about its orbit. Delay is the greatest enemy of any asteroid deflection mission. That's why there's urgency in getting viable deflection platforms on the shelf today."
If the decision was made to embark on a mission to deflect Bennu, researchers estimate that it would take a minimum of 7.4 years before an impulse could be delivered to the Earth-bound object. This includes the time it would take to build the spacecraft, plan the mission and travel to the object. Assuming the impactor successfully hits the asteroid, slowing it down slightly, it would take many years for the small change in speed to accumulate into a sufficient change in trajectory.
The researchers evaluated a number of deflection scenarios in this study, ranging from launching 10 years before impact to 25 years before. In the 10-year scenarios, it was determined that it could take between 34 and 53 launches of the Delta IV Heavy rocket, each carrying a single HAMMER impactor, to make a Bennu-class asteroid miss the Earth. If there were a 25-year lead time, that number could be reduced to seven to 11 launches. The exact number would depend on the desired Earth-miss-distance and the impact conditions at the asteroid.
"When many launches are required for a successful deflection, the mission success becomes more difficult, due to the failure rate associated with each individual launch," said Megan Bruck Syal, LLNL physicist and coauthor on the paper. "If we only had 10 years from launch, we would need to hit Bennu with hundreds of tons of HAMMER mass just to barely deflect it off of an Earth-impacting path, requiring dozens of successful launches and impact at the asteroid."
Just how large an asteroid could a single impactor deflect? Researchers determined that a single HAMMER impactor could deflect an object 90 meters in diameter by around 1.4 Earth radii with 10 years of lead time - from the time of launch to anticipated Earth impact. If they needed less of a deflection, around a quarter of an Earth radii, a single impactor could be effective on an object as large as 152 meters in diameter in this same scenario.
The paper concluded that using a single HAMMER spacecraft as a battering ram would prove inadequate for deflecting an object like Bennu. While recent simulations of nuclear deflection scenarios are not included in this paper - they will be included in a companion paper to be submitted for publication in the near future - the findings suggest that the nuclear option may be required with larger objects like Bennu. The nuclear approach carries the potential to deposit much more energy into an object like Bennu, causing a greater change in speed and trajectory.
Unlike popular portrayals of a nuclear deflection mission - like the movie "Armageddon" - the nuclear deflection approach would consist of detonating a nuclear explosive some distance from the asteroid. This would flood one side of the asteroid with X-rays, vaporizing a layer of the surface, which would create rocket-like propulsion as vaporized material is ejected from the object. Unlike a kinetic impactor, the amount of energy deposited into an asteroid with a nuclear device could be tuned by adjusting how far it is from the asteroid when detonated.
Because Bennu regularly passes close enough to Earth for radar observations, researchers are able to estimate its orbit with enough accuracy to give a few decades warning, if it's bound to impact the Earth. This near-Earth Bennu fly-by happens every six years. But for other objects that do not regularly pass close enough to Earth for radar observations, much more uncertainty exists.
If limited to telescopic observations, it's possible that researchers may not be 100 percent certain of an impact until less than a year before collision. In a scenario where there is too little time to mount an effective deflection mission, the last option may be robust disruption via nuclear explosive, though the window of opportunity would be very tight. A robust disruption scenario would envision breaking the asteroid into a number of smaller pieces.
"Successful disruption requires ensuring that the asteroid pieces are sufficiently small and well-dispersed, so that they pose a much-reduced threat to the Earth," Syal said. "Disruption carried out as late as tens of days before impact can still be very effective in reducing the total damage felt by Earth. Previous work by our research group has shown that the impacting debris is reduced to less than 1 percent of its initial mass by disrupting the asteroid, even at these late times."
Bennu is one of more than 10,000 near-Earth objects found by NASA so far, and scientists estimate that this is just a fraction of the objects that come with about 28 million miles of Earth, close enough to where impact with Earth can't be precluded due to the uncertainty in the object's path The good news is that most of these objects are much smaller than Bennu. NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies lists just more than 2,500 near Earth objects discovered that are potentially as large as Bennu.
This research is the first of three case studies to be published, each examining different mitigation scenarios. The following case studies examine deflection of Didymos B, the target of NASA's DART mission, and a scaled-down Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which was visited by the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission in 2014 to 2016.
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASA_plans_giant_spacecraft_to_defend_Earth_by_nuking_deadly_asteroids_999.html
NASA considers building nuclear spacecraft to blow up asteroid
The Hammer mission would take more than seven years to reach a devastating asteroid.
https://www.techsourceint.com/news/nasa-considers-building-nuclear-spacecraft-to-blow-up-asteroid
Is apocalypse inevitable? NASA's nuke plan not fit to stop asteroid Bennu, says study
http://www.ibtimes.sg/apocalypse-inevitable-nasas-nuke-plan-not-fit-stop-asteroid-bennu-says-study-25299
NASA's 'Hammer' Will Be No Match for Asteroid Bennu in Unlikely 2135 Collision, Study Says
https://weather.com/science/space/news/2018-03-16-nasa-asteroid-bennu-collision
study https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094576517307919
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/ddXLKBQkGhW8zHM6PbhonzHp3fS5M?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Ancient Oceans on Mars May Have Been Older and Shallower Than Thought
https://www.space.com/40019-ancient-mars-oceans-older-and-shallower.html
Mars' oceans formed early, possibly aided by massive volcanic eruptions
https://phys.org/news/2018-03-mars-oceans-early-possibly-aided.html
study http://www.nature.com/articles/nature26144
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dZem10sNPjQCedMcwNNXfh3cuq0wM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
‘Oumuamua Interstellar Object: Scientists Shed New Light on Origins of Cigar-shaped Space Rock
http://www.newsweek.com/oumuamua-interstellar-object-scientists-shed-new-light-cigar-shaped-space-851451
study https://academic.oup.com/mnrasl/advance-article/doi/10.1093/mnrasl/sly033/4925005
'Oumuamua likely came from a binary star system
http://spaceref.com/asteroids/oumuamua-likely-came-from-a-binary-star-system.html
more: https://news.google.com/news/story/dnrn3agqPhHbnKMuciUnjhGYKx1vM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
Stephen Hawking’s parting shot is multi-cosmic
A final theory submitted by the renowned physicist just days before his death last week shows how we might find other universes
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/stephen-hawkings-parting-shot-is-multi-cosmic-nbg0t6t9j
Hawking’s final paper points way to new worlds
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hawkings-final-paper-points-way-to-new-worlds-9bs2m6p3z
Stephen Hawking's 'breathtaking' final multiverse theory completed two weeks before he died
A final theory explaining how mankind might detect parallel universes was completed by Stephen Hawking shortly before he died, it has emerged.
Colleagues have revealed the renowned theoretical physicist’s final academic work was to set out the groundbreaking mathematics needed for a spacecraft to find traces of multiple big bangs.
Currently being reviewed by a leading scientific journal, the paper, named A Smooth Exit from Eternal Inflation, may turn out to be Hawking’s most important scientific legacy.
Fellow researchers have said that if the evidence which the new theory promises had been discovered before Hawking died last week, it may have secured the Nobel Prize which had eluded him for so long.
The new paper seeks to resolve an issue thrown up by Hawking’s 1983 “no-boundary” theory which described how the universe burst into existence with the big bang.
According to that account, the universe instantaneously expanded from a tiny point into a prototype of what we live in today, a process known as inflation.
But the theory also predicted an infinite number of big bangs, each creating their own universe, a “multiverse”, which presented a mathematical paradox because it is seemingly impossible to measure.
Carlos Frenk, professor of cosmology at Durham University, told The Sunday Times: The intriguing idea in Hawking’s paper is that [the multiverse] left its imprint on the background radiation permeating our universe and we could measure it with a detector on a spaceship.
“These ideas offer the breathtaking prospect of finding evidence for the existence of other universe.”
Professor Thomas Hertog, from KU Leuven University in Belgium, worked with Hawking on the new theory and said he met the Cambridge scientist two weeks ago to discuss its final approval.
“This was Stephen: to boldly go where Star Trek fears to tread,” he said.
“He has often been nominated for the Nobel and should have won it. Now he never can.”
Despite the hopeful promise of Hawking’s final work, it also comes with the depressing prediction that, ultimately, the universe will fade into blackness as stars simply run out of energy.
[...]
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/03/18/stephen-hawking-leaves-behind-breathtaking-final-multiverse/
Stephen Hawking’s Exciting New Paper Shows How We Can Test For The Existence Of Parallel Universes
The final revisions to the paper were approved just two weeks before Hawking's death.
https://www.inquisitr.com/4831910/stephen-hawkings-exciting-new-paper-shows-how-we-can-test-for-the-existence-of-parallel-universes/
study "A Smooth Exit from Eternal Inflation" https://arxiv.org/abs/1707.07702v2
Stephen Hawking submitted a final scientific paper 2 weeks before he died — and it could lead to the discovery of a parallel universe
Hawking is named as co-author on a paper submitted on March 4 — ten days before he died.
It sets out a way of testing whether other universes are real.
Its mathematical theories could be tested with a deep-space probe.
http://www.thisisinsider.com/stephen-hawking-paper-from-just-before-he-died-could-find-new-universe-2018-3
Stephen Hawking’s final paper predicted the end of the world and revealed a parallel universe
STEPHEN Hawking submitted a research paper just weeks before he died hinting how scientists could find another universe.
http://www.news.com.au/technology/science/space/stephen-hawkings-final-paper-predicted-the-end-of-the-world-and-revealed-a-parallel-universe/news-story/103bec7c12047b07e926c7df3473ed63
Do Parallel Universes Exist? Stephen Hawking's Last Paper May Help Prove Multiverse Theory
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/223203/20180319/do-parallel-universes-exist-stephen-hawkings-last-paper-may-help-prove-multiverse-theory.htm
Two weeks before his death, Stephen Hawking predicted 'the end of the universe'
The world-famous physicist, who died last Wednesday aged 76, was a co-author to a mathematical paper in which he sought to prove the so-called "multiverse" theory, according to a report by U.K. newspaper The Sunday Times.
Hawking's final work — titled "A Smooth Exit From Eternal Inflation" — is being reviewed by a leading scientific journal.
In it, he predicted how our universe would eventually fade to darkness as the stars run out of energy.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/19/stephen-hawking-physicist-predicted-end-of-the-universe-two-weeks-before-his-death.html
Stephen Hawking’s last paper may lead to proof of a multiverse
https://www.digitaltrends.com/news/stephen-hawking-multiverse/
How Stephen Hawking's Black Hole Discoveries Rewrote Physics of Space-Time
http://www.newsweek.com/stephen-hawkings-black-hole-discoveries-rewrote-physics-space-time-851345
That one time Stephen Hawking went for a carriage ride in Texas
Hawking spent a lot of his limited time trying to engage the public.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/03/stephen-hawking-taught-us-that-science-communication-really-matters/
How 'The Simpsons' Paid Tribute to Stephen Hawking [ https://twitter.com/mattselman/status/975529975028768768 ]
http://www.newsweek.com/how-simpsons-paid-tribute-stephen-hawking-850689
Simpsons cartoon tribute to Prof Stephen Hawking
The creators of US cartoon series The Simpsons have paid tribute to Professor Stephen Hawking, who appeared several times in the show.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-43456626
more:
https://news.google.com/news/story/djf4uGgddG12_5Mh2yV-ANMGQUI3M?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
https://news.google.com/news/story/dzpyT2wxxed0o6Mqu12TKOZZmQZXM?ned=us&gl=US&hl=en
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upon the Right of Election, 1790
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