President Oprah? David Knight deconstructs the lies & fraud of Golden Globalists & the recycling of identity politics. Then, Sessions ignores the law & the Constitution in both the War on Drugs & Mueller’s “Special Prosecution”. And, Jerome Corsi explains the STORM isn’t coming, we’re already in it.
[from Alex Jones and his merry band of batshit bullshitters]
I've seen a couple examples recently of atheist activists who think they're fighting the good fight and defending church/state separation, but they're really getting it completely wrong.
The first one took place in Oregon over the holidays. In the city of Eugene, an atheist noticed a banner hanging over a street that said in large print "Christmas" and "Jesus," and underneath those words, it said, “Attend a Church of Your Choice” and “Celebrate His Birth.” The atheist told a reporter that he felt like he was "being assaulted" by the banner.
He assumed this was government promotion of religion and threatened to file a lawsuit over it. But here's why he's wrong.
The city allows people to put up those street signs as long as they follow some basic guidelines and pay for the permit. There are three places, in fact, where they can have a sign. Some Christian put up this banner with a religious message, and that's fine, as long an atheist or Muslim or Satanist has the same opportunity. And guess what? They do.
The city doesn't even seem to care what anyone's banner says. One city councilor even said they would permit banners from the KKK, which seems like a horrible idea, but the point is this is an open forum.
If the atheist really wanted to complain about discrimination by the government, what he should've done was try buying his own banner with a pro-atheism message. If it got rejected, then he'd have a case. He didn't do that, and that's why he just came across as a whiner.
The other instance of atheists getting activism wrong took place in Kenya. If you're in high school, there are standardized exams you can take in a variety of classes. If you do well, it'll help you get into a good college. Well, some of those exams in Kenya are optional and they test you on your understanding of Christianity, Islam, or Hinduism. Do you really know what those religions teach?
A group called Atheists in Kenya recently offered a reward for students who performed poorly on those tests. Essentially, if you could show proof that you flunked your religious education exams, they were going to reward a couple of those students with a cash prize worth approximately $100 U.S. dollars.
Here's why that's misguided.
If I were religious, my beliefs would not be threatened by the atheist who fails an exam asking questions about my faith. I would be far more afraid of an atheist who gets a high score on that exam and still proudly proclaims that she believes none of it.
Atheists in Kenya shouldn’t reward the kids who did poorly on those tests. They should reward the kids who scored the highest and who are also willing to publicly proclaim that the entire subject matter is absurd.
We’re atheists not because we’re ignorant about religious beliefs but because we’ve examined them closely.
I don't enjoy picking on atheists who I typically agree with, but in these cases, these people are just handing an easy talking point to religious people who think they're being persecuted.
Monday, Jan. 8th 2018: President Oprah?? - Denizens of Hollywood couldn't contain their excitement at the prospect of an Oprah 2020 candidacy during the Golden Globes. Moreover, we get to the bottom of Wikileaks promoting and deleting a pirated copy of Wolff's hatchet piece! Author Michael Malice joins with his insight on the geopolitical happenings of North Korea. Jack Posobiec hosts the final hour.
Melber: Let’s hold Facebook’s 2018 resolution to the "Zuckerberg Standard"
The Beat With Ari Melber 1/8/18
After downplaying fake news, Mark Zuckerberg’s New Year’s resolution is to protect Facebook from fraud, abuse and election interference: Ari Melber reports on why that’s a good start, but just like everything else in Silicon Valley, the proof is in the metrics. Duration: 7:16
Twenty minutes off the Puget Sound coast is an island that was the home to a state penitentiary until it closed in 2011. Now, it is used as a facility for the civil commitment of the state’s most violent sex offenders.
Residents wind up on McNeil when their prison terms have ended but a judge deems them still too dangerous for society. They’re placed indefinitely in what’s known as civil commitment — where in theory they’ll be treated until they no longer pose a threat. This could be a month or it could be forever.
It’s not an island paradise but it’s not a prison. VICE New Tonight sees what life is like for the residents.
From The Pole To The Bar: Why Strippers Are Becoming Bartenders (HBO)
Published on Jan 8, 2018 by VICE News
Strip clubs may be a place to party for some, but for female entertainers, they are an office space. And over the past few years that workplace has changed dramatically thanks to an entirely new job position moving in: bartenders.
Even though bartenders don’t get up on stage, the strip club bartenders dress similarly to the dancers and shake it behind the bar. Because customers tend to throw money into the air as they would to a dancer, rather than handing them the money directly, bartenders have found themselves fighting with surrounding employees, including dancers, to acquire their tips.
Some strippers have started to organize a city wide strike to address the competition between the women, along with other issues that affect the industry.
“I’ve had resentment as a dancer, I remember resenting bartenders,” Chela, who recently transitioned from dancing to bartending, tells VICE News. “It becomes very aggressive. People forget who they are when they start to see money.”
No One Is Sure Which Country Is Helping North Korea Make Its Missiles (HBO)
Published on Jan 8, 2018 by VICE News
Last year, Michael Elleman, a weapons expert at the International Institute of Strategic Studies, published an alarming claim about North Korea's recent missile gains: they may have been getting technology from a one-time Soviet factory.
Elleman rooted his analysis in a close examination of the rockets used on North Korea's latest tests — which looked a lot like ones that were once made in the Yuzhmash factory, in the eastern Ukrainian town of Dnipro.
But at the factory itself — which since the fall of the Soviet Union has been rebranded as a space-exploration agency — officials were in a panic. They adamantly denied having anything to do with North Korea. And they let VICE News visit, the first time American cameras were allowed inside, in an attempt to prove they had nothing to hide.
Blumenthal: Trump has 'no choice' but to talk to Mueller
All In with Chris Hayes 1/8/18
Senator Richard Blumenthal, a former federal prosecutor, says President Trump can't refuse to answer Special Counsel Mueller's questions. Duration: 5:21
President Trump is demanding billions of dollars for his border wall - or else he won't renew DACA for its nearly 800,000 recipients brought to the United States as children. Duration: 1:05
Tom Steyer, Democratic donor and the man behind the "Need to Impeach" campaign, is now making a big push to get Democratic control of Congress in 2018. Duration: 6:14
Trump renominates McFarland despite role in Flynn Russia scandal
The Rachel Maddow Show 1/8/18
Rachel Maddow reports on K.T. McFarland's nomination to be ambassador to Singapore stalling in 2017 because of her role at the center of the Trump administration's exposed lie on the Flynn scandal. Not that it stopped them from renominating her. Duration: 5:27
House GOP chair retirements at eight with strange Royce story
The Rachel Maddow Show 1/8/18
Rachel Maddow reports on the announcement of the resignation of Ed Royce, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee just as Donald Trump appointed his wife to a high level job with the State Department. Duration: 2:23
Odd move could make Fusion GPS transcript public over GOP wishes
The Rachel Maddow Show 1/8/18
Rachel Maddow looks back at the unusual Congressional trick used by then-Senator Mike Gravel to get the Pentagon Papers into the public record, and notes that Democrats may need to be even craftier to get on Republican resistance to publishing the transcript of Fusion GPS testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Duration: 15:10
GOP effort to hide Fusion GPS transcript strains historic models
The Rachel Maddow Show 1/8/18
Michael Beschloss, NBC News presidential historian, talks with Rachel Maddow about why past examples of courageous efforts to get government documents into public light don't account for modern Republican desire to derail the Trump Russia investigation. Duration: 5:53
Possibility of Robert Mueller interview of Trump takes shape
The Rachel Maddow Show 1/8/18
Carol Lee, national political reporter for NBC News, talks with Rachel Maddow about the possibility of Donald Trump facing questions in person from Robert Mueller and what that means for the progress of the Trump Russia investigation. Duration: 7:40
Republican gifts to big oil reject past oil disaster lessons
The Rachel Maddow Show 1/8/18
Rachel Maddow looks at how Republicans have cut a tax on big oil that accumulates money for oil spill clean-ups, and rolled back safety rules put in place after the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon spill. Duration: 4:10
Why is Mike Pence losing so many of his senior staffers?
The Rachel Maddow Show 1/8/18
Rachel Maddow reports on the departure of Karen Pence's chief-of-staff from the Vice President's office, the fifth high-level departure from an office that doesn't have a very large staff to begin with. Why? Duration: 1:13
Wolff: Trump has probably spent his whole day watching me on TV
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 1/8/18
'Fire and Fury' author Michael Wolff describes to Lawrence O'Donnell the Trump machine attacks, his long history with Trump, what he thinks was Bannon's motive to talk, and what Bannon could have possibly meant when he said "the daughter will take down the father." Duration: 18:52
Michael Wolff on Ivanka Trump: "Does she know who her father is?"
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 1/8/18
After Ivanka Trump's tweet in support of the Times Up movement, the 'Fire and Fury' author says she's in denial and wonders "What does she think this White House is about?" Wolff tells Lawrence O'Donnell that it speaks to a widespread syndrome of White House staff. Duration: 1:28
Michael Wolff: Trump 'wholly lacking' in 'executive function'
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 1/8/18
'Fire and Fury' author Michael Wolff discusses with Lawrence O'Donnell the president's lacking "executive function" and how concerned he is about the possibility of Donald Trump starting a nuclear war. Duration: 4:41
Potential Trump interview with Robert Mueller spurs initial talks
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 1/9/18
The possibility of an interview of President Trump by the Special Counsel has drastically sped up the timeline of the Russia investigation. Julia Ainsley, member of the NBC News team that broke the story, joins Brian along with Philip Rucker and attorney Nick Akerman to discuss this development, which may lead to Trump answering questions on the fly, under oath. Duration: 14:11
In the wake of the bestselling book Fire and Fury and President Trump’s response with a series of tweets asserting his “genius,” our panel previews Trump’s first presidential physical, which notably won’t include a psychiatric evaluation. Duration: 12:31
President Trump has said he has “the best words,” but some seem to bring him more joy than others. Brian discovers a couple that tend to find their way into his speeches time and time again. Duration: 2:04
After the book "Fire and Fury" calls his cognitive abilities into question, President Trump launches into a Twitter tirade to insist that he's a "stable genius."
Busy "Day 354" Trump Tower on Fire, Ivanka Praises Oprah to be Next President, Elon Musk Lost the Multi-Billion Dollar Zuma Payload and QAnon and "B" are Backtracking. Nice Job Donald, Great Team of Morons you got there ! You might want to think about hiring some GENTILES.., LMFAO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Russian lawyer at notorious Trump Tower meeting with Don Jr. now says she is sure she met IVANKA too Natalia Veselnitskaya attended a June 2016 meeting with Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner at Trump Tower Steve Bannon says he is 100 per cent sure the Russians would have been brought up to meet Donald Trump The White House says that didn't happen Veselnitskaya says she chatted with a blonde woman by the elevator afterward She says she believes this person was Ivanka Trump Another source familiar with the meeting says it was indeed Ivanka Steve Bannon called the meeting 'treasonous' and but later explained he was just referring to Manafort http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5247101/Russian-lawyer-Trump-Tower-meeting-says-met-Ivanka.html
Exclusive: ‘New threads’ likely to extend investigations into Russian meddling WASHINGTON — A staggering account of daily life in the Donald Trump White House — and the campaign that led him there — has unearthed alleged chicanery that could well prolong multiple probes into the president and his inner circle’s alleged relations with Russian operatives linked to the Kremlin. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., told WTOP in an exclusive interview, “Nine months after we had our last conversation, we’ve made a huge amount of progress. I would like to have arrived at full conclusions, but the unfortunate thing is new threads continue to pop up.” [...] https://wtop.com/j-j-green-national/2018/01/exclusive-new-threads-likely-extend-investigations-russian-meddling/
Stephen Miller had to be escorted off CNN's set after his interview with Jake Tapper went off the rails ( https://youtu.be/vU7v5A5P8BM ) Stephen Miller needed to be escorted off a CNN set on Sunday. His appearance on "State of the Union" ended abruptly after host Jake Tapper pressed him on damaging claims about President Donald Trump. Tapper said Miller was speaking "to an audience of one." http://www.businessinsider.com/stephen-miller-escorted-off-cnn-2018-1
Supreme Court allows Mississippi anti-LGBT law to stand WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to take up a legal battle over a Mississippi law that allows state employees and private businesses to deny services to LGBT people based on religious objections. Signed into law in 2016 in response to the Supreme Court's gay marriage ruling, it allows county clerks to avoid issuing marriage licenses to gay couples and protects businesses from lawsuits if they refuse to serve LGBT customers. The law was immediately challenged. But lower courts, without ruling on the merits of the law, said those suing could not show that they would be harmed by it. A new round of challenges is expected from residents who have been denied service, and the issue could come back to the Supreme Court's doorstep. [...] https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/supreme-court-allows-mississippi-anti-lgbt-law-stand-n835721
The effort to block the FCC's repeal of net neutrality just hit an important milestone A 30th senator — Missouri's Claire McCaskill — signed on to sponsor a resolution that would nullify the Federal Communications Commission's vote to repeal its net neutrality rules. That number is important, because 30 senators are needed to force a floor vote on the resolution. The resolution doesn't have any Republican sponsors, making passage doubtful, but a floor vote could force Republican senators to publicly support the FCC's exceedingly unpopular move. http://www.businessinsider.com/senators-support-cra-to-overturn-fcc-net-neutrality-rules-2018-1
'I don't think he fully appreciates the legal jeopardy he faces': Mueller's team is gearing up to interview Trump Special counsel Robert Mueller's team has reportedly broached the subject of interviewing President Donald Trump with his lawyers. Trump's defense team is looking into side-stepping a face-to-face sit-down between Trump and Mueller's team by either having Trump submit written responses to questions or avoiding an interview altogether. Legal experts say the news indicates that the obstruction-of-justice thread of the Russia investigation is likely nearing its end, and that the consequences could be "tragic" for Trump if he strays off script. http://www.businessinsider.com/robert-muellers-team-is-gearing-up-to-interview-trump-2018-1
How does Trump's schedule compare with other presidents? US President Donald Trump is under fire for the length of his daily schedule, but he would not be the first commander-in-chief to forgo a nine-to-five routine. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42610275
Google Memo Author James Damore Sues Company For Discrimination Against White Males "Damore, Gudeman, and other class members were ostracized, belittled, and punished for their heterodox political views, and for the added sin of their birth circumstances of being Caucasians and/or males." https://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanmac/google-memo-author-james-damore-sues-company-for
Trump-appointed regulators reject plan to rescue coal and nuclear plants The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday unanimously rejected a proposal by Energy Secretary Rick Perry that would have propped up nuclear and coal power plants struggling in competitive electricity markets. The independent five-member commission includes four people appointed by President Trump, three of them Republicans. Its decision is binding. At the same time, the commission said that it shared Perry’s stated goal of strengthening the “resilience” of the electricity grid and directed regional transmission operators to provide information to help the commission examine the matter “holistically.” The operators have 60 days to submit materials. At that time, the agency can issue another order. [...] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/01/08/trump-appointed-regulators-reject-plan-to-rescue-coal-and-nuclear-plants/
Order terminating rulemaking proceeding, initiating new proceedings, & establishing additional procedures re Grid Reliability & Resilience Pricing under RM18-1 et al. Commissioners LaFleur, Chatterjee, & Glick concurring statements attached. https://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/file_list.asp?document_id=14633130
Senate unlikely to advance McFarland nomination amid questions about Flynn contacts with Russia KT McFarland previously served as Michael Flynn's deputy Flynn's plea agreement appeared to contradict testimony McFarland gave Congress December 20, 2017 http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/20/politics/kt-mcfarland-nomination-derailed/index.html
Top Trump transition official in private email: Russia 'has just thrown' the election to Trump KT McFarland, a top official on President Donald Trump's transition team, said in an email last December that they should reassure Russia, which she said had just "thrown the U.S.A. election" to Trump. The email, obtained by The New York Times, sheds new light on McFarland's role in coordinating the transition team's attempts to convince Russia not to retaliate against the US after President Barack Obama announced new sanctions and the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats last year. http://www.businessinsider.com/emails-kt-mcfarland-russia-thrown-election-to-trump-flynn-2017-12
Fusion GPS: Trump-appointed judge has conflicts, should recuse The private investigation firm behind the so-called Trump dossier — Fusion GPS — is arguing that a Trump-appointed federal judge has so many conflicts of interest that he should recuse himself from a legal case stemming from BuzzFeed's publication of the dossier earlier this year. [...] https://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2018/01/08/fusion-gps-judge-trevor-mcfadden-impartial-328032
The White House doesn't 'think there's any way back' for Steve Bannon after the Michael Wolff book President Donald Trump's deputy press secretary called former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon "grotesque" and said there was no way for him to come back into the president's fold after his comments were featured in Michael Wolff's new book. The move was seen as a rebuke of an apology Bannon issued late last week. Trump has defended himself against attacks from sources in Wolff's book, writing on Twitter that he is a "very stable genius." http://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-rejects-steve-bannon-after-fire-and-fury-2018-1
JUNOCAM Welcome to the JunoCam community where you can actively participate in the mission! Upload your images of Jupiter and help us decide what points of interest JunoCam will photograph. https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/junocam