The New York Times reports that the Pentagon is proposing widening the permissible use of nuclear weapons to include responding to cyberattacks and other non-nuclear attacks to U.S. infrastructure. The Pentagon has already outlined this expanded nuclear strategy in a draft document sent to President Trump for approval. It comes amid a series of moves by the Pentagon and President Trump that have escalated the threat of nuclear war. The Wall Street Journal reports the Pentagon is planning to develop two new sea-based nuclear weapons. The New York Times also reports the Pentagon is conducting a series of war games to prepare for a potential war with North Korea. We speak to Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter David Cay Johnston [ https://www.dcreport.org/ ], who has been covering Donald Trump for nearly 30 years. His latest book is just out, titled “It’s Even Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration Is Doing to America [ https://www.amazon.com/Even-Worse-Than-Think-Administration/dp/1501174169 ].” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/1/18/david_cay_johnston_trump_is_determined[with embedded video, and transcript]
“It’s Even Worse Than You Think”: David Cay Johnston on Trump’s First Year in Office
Published on Jan 18, 2018 by Democracy Now!
Uninformed. That was the word White House Chief of Staff John Kelly used to describe his boss, President Trump, on Thursday. According to The Washington Post, Kelly told members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that some of Trump’s hardline immigration policies—including his call to build a wall along the entire southern border— were “uninformed.” Kelly said, “Certain things are said during the campaign that are uninformed.” Well, today we spend the hour looking at Trump’s first year in office with David Cay Johnston, a journalist who has been covering Donald Trump since 1988. He is out this week with a new book titled “It’s Even Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration Is Doing to America.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/1/18/its_even_worse_than_you_think[with embedded video, and transcript]
Trump Biographer: Trump is the “Most Racist” President in at Least 100 Years
Published on Jan 18, 2018 by Democracy Now!
On Capitol Hill, Democrats are preparing a bill that would formally censure Donald Trump over racist comments in which the president reportedly called African nations, El Salvador and Haiti “shithole countries.” The effort is being led by New York Congressmember Jerrold Nadler and Representative Cedric Richmond, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. It comes as several Democratic lawmakers have announced they will skip the State of the Union address on January 30 over Trump’s racist remarks. Among them are Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Frederica Wilson of Florida, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Maxine Waters of California and John Lewis of Georgia. We speak to David Cay Johnston, author of “It’s Even Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration Is Doing to America.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/1/18/trump_biographer_trump_is_the_most[with embedded video, and transcript]
How Trump’s Deregulatory Push Is Harming Workers, Muzzling EPA Scientists and Unleashing Pollution
Published on Jan 18, 2018 by Democracy Now!
As President Trump’s own chief of staff, John Kelly, calls his boss “uninformed,” we will look at how Trump is transforming the nation by slashing taxes on the rich, gutting the nation’s regulatory system and muzzling climate scientists. We speak to David Cay Johnston, author of “It’s Even Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration Is Doing to America.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/1/18/how_trumps_deregulatory_push_is_harming[with embedded video, and transcript]
Trump Biographer on the President’s Cognitive Decline & Whether He Will Be Impeached
Published on Jan 18, 2018 by Democracy Now!
White House doctor Ronny Jackson said Tuesday President Trump is in good health and displayed a normal score on a cognitive exam, amid mounting questions about President Trump’s mental health. But on Wednesday, medical experts said that the results from Trump’s recent physical exam show the president has high levels of cholesterol and is at serious risk of a heart attack. We speak to journalist David Cay Johnston about the possibility of impeachment or the invocation of the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. https://www.democracynow.org/2018/1/18/trump_biographer_on_the_presidents_cognitive[with embedded video, and transcript]
Full Broadcast 18Jan18 Real News with David Knight
With a crime rate twice that of Americans & legal immigrants and an incarceration rate 4X’s that of the rest of Arizona, Democrat politicians will shut down govt to make them citizens. Stacy Washington & Michael Snyder joins David to talk DACA & Michael Snyder is running to be the Congressman to end the fed and abolish the IRS. And, what happens when the IoT doesn’t just spy on us but becomes weapons of terror in the hands of hackers?
[from Alex Jones and his merry band of batshit bullshitters]
WATCH: Reps. Richmond and Nadler to introduce censure resolution against President Trump
Streamed live on Jan 18, 2018 by PBS NewsHour
Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Rep. Cedric Richmond and Rep. Jerome Nadler, ranking member of House Judiciary Committee, introduce censure resolution following President Trump's vulgar comments on immigration reform.
Thursday, Jan. 18th 2018[, with an appearance by Mike Adams]: Trump Eclipses Obama - Jobless claims are at their lowest since 1973 as Trump removes the shackles former President Obama placed on the economy. Alex Jones breaks down the three new investigations opened by the FBI looking into the crimes surrounding Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation. Michael Snyder joins us in studio to talk about his Congressional run and his years of experience in the infowar. Also, Dr. Edward Group reveals the latest in health discoveries that'll help you and your family, especially during the cold season. Anthony Cumia hosts the fourth and final hour.
These industry-breaking computer security exploits affect nearly every computer ever built.
In the pursuit of faster computers, Intel and other computer processor manufacturers started implementing a design feature known as “speculative execution.” That enables a computer to make necessary calculations before the user needs them. The problem? That feature now has the potential to be exploited to reveal sensitive data. And to make matters worse, these flawed computer chips have been around since 1995…
The deep state is in panic as investigators are set to release key information on the investigation into Hillary Clinton and other investigations into Fusion GPS and the Obama Department of Justice. We break down how we go to this point, as well as what to expect in the future. We also cover the importance of the 2018 midterm elections and your personal health.
[from Alex Jones and his merry band of batshit bullshitters]
Trump told Bannon not to talk in Russia probe, new report
The Beat with Ari Melber 1/18/18
Trump’s lawyer says he is “very eager” to talk to Mueller as a new report by Foreign Policy says Trump directly ordered Steve Bannon to limit his testimony in the Russia investigation.
Russians may have used the NRA to funnel money to Trump
The Beat with Ari Melber 1/18/18
The FBI is investigating whether Russian money went to the NRA to help Trump, according to McClatchy. The reporter who broke the story joins Ari Melber.
Watch former Paul Manafort employee explain the reason he could go to jail
The Beat with Ari Melber 1/18/18
Paul Manafort’s former employee, Riva Levinson, tells Ari Melber Manafort “always lacked a moral compass” and left her “traumatized, depressed, almost in mourning.”
Did Russia funnel money through NRA to help elect Trump?
All In with Chris Hayes 1/18/18
It sounds like something out of a liberal conspiracy theory: Vladimir Putin takes advantage of dark money loopholes under the infamous Citizens United ruling to move huge amounts of money through the National Rifle Association...which uses that money to help elect Donald Trump President of the United States.
Rachel Maddow reads some of the highlights of the newly released transcript of the House Intelligence Committee testimony of Glenn Simpson of Fusion GPS.
Greg Gordon, investigative reporter for McClatchy DC, talks with Rachel Maddow about news that the FBI is looking into whether Russian money was funneled to the Trump campaign through the NRA.
Rachel Maddow reports on the struggle Senate Republicans are having avoiding a government shutdown and the historic nature of such a shutdown when Republicans control both cambers of Congress and the White House.
Michael Rothfeld, reporter for The Wall Street Journal, talks with Rachel Maddow about new reporting that Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen used a private company to pay $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Rachel Maddow notes that while Senate Republicans struggle to avoid a government shutdown without guidance from the White House, Donald Trump plans to leave Friday afternoon for his Florida resort.
Lawrence: Shutdown looms because Trump failed on wall
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 1/18/18
Lawrence O'Donnell explains: Donald Trump is going to shut down the American government because the Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto shut him down and refused to pay for the wall with Mexico.
Adam Jentleson, former aide to Sen. Harry Reid, explains why Republicans and Mitch McConnell have "manufactured" the threat of a shutdown in the hopes of political gain. Sam Stein and Daniel Dale also join Lawrence O'Donnell.
John Kelly's hard lesson on Trump's belief on evolution
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 1/18/18
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly says the president's view on a border wall has evolved. But according to reports, Trump was livid by the description. Is Kelly's future in the admin. in danger? Adam Jentleson & Francesca Chambers join Lawrence O’Donnell.
Russia dossier testimony details possible money laundering
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 1/19/18
In testimony just released by the House Intelligence Committee, Glenn Simpson, co-founder of the research firm behind the Trump-Russia dossier, details possible money laundering & collusion between Russia & Trump world. Our panel discusses.
Russia testimony: It appears Russia infiltrated the NRA
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 1/19/18
Glenn Simpson, the co-founder of the research firm behind the Trump-Russia dossier, said in testimony just released by the House Intelligence Committee it seems the NRA was infiltrated by Moscow.
House Intelligence Cmte. delays Hope Hicks testimony
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 1/19/18
The House panel has delayed its testimony with longtime Trump aide Hope Hicks, reportedly to try to resolve issues involving executive privilege & testimony. Our panel reacts.
Senate must now act to avoid a government shutdown
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 1/19/18
The House passed a bill to fund the government for several weeks, but it's unclear if the Senate will following their lead before a deadline at midnight Friday night. Our panel reacts.
WSJ: Trump lawyer used fake company to pay off porn star
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 1/19/18
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that, before the 2016 campaign, Trump attorney Michael Cohen set up a private company to pay $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels not to discuss an alleged affair with Trump.
House unveils bill overhauling sexual harassment policy
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 1/19/18
Rep. Jackie Speier, who's pushed for reforms to how Congress deals with allegations of sexual harassment, joins to discuss a new bill aimed at changing policy for lawmakers.
As Congress works to pass immigration reform, the Trump administration tries to curb legal pathways to citizenship like the visa lottery and chain migration.
Citizen Journalists Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson take their red carpet inside The Washington Post to interview some of the reporters who are up for Trump's Fake News Awards.
Critiquing the Artwork of Guantanamo Prisoners - The Opposition w/ Jordan Klepper
Published on Jan 18, 2018 by Comedy Central
Citizen Journalist Niccole Thurman enlists the help of famed art critic Jerry Saltz to get to the bottom of an exhibit showcasing the works of Guantanamo Bay detainees.
General Kelly: Trump's Wall Promises Were 'Not Fully Informed'
Published on Jan 19, 2018 by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
White House Chief of Staff General John Kelly fired up his president with comments about the impossibility of following through on Trump's campaign promises.
Seth takes a closer look at how Republicans still face the looming possibility of a government shutdown because President Trump rejected a bipartisan deal to solve an immigration impasse he created.
Thursday Jan 18, 2018 News Section for Caravan to Midnight full long-form interview Episode 868 - Mike Kerr & Francis Richard Connelly In this edition, Mike Kerr of Hear The Watchmen comes aboard to talk about the upcoming March conference, and the special deals for Caravaners who wish to attend. Then, Francis Richard Connelly joins John B. to talk about his suppressed film, censorship and the state of the world as seen through the lens of a screenplay writing, Squash playing, documentary-producing Briton. Full interview - https://www.caravantomidnight.com/Episode/EpisodesDetails?Id=20865
Former Host of Coast To Coast AM John B Wells is now in control on Caravan To Midnight & Ark Midnight.
Trump Backs Health-Care Workers Who Object to Providing Abortions The Department of Health and Human Services announced a new office devoted to conscience objections and religious freedom on Thursday—an answer to long-standing objections from the right. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/01/conscience-objections/550775/
Trump's consumer protection bureau has an odd budget request: Zero The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's acting director, Mick Mulvaney, told Fed officials that the bureau needs no additional funds to operate for the coming quarter. The CFPB began fiscal 2018 with a balance of $177.1 million but only requires $145 million to operate each quarter, he said in a letter to Fed officials. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/18/trumps-consumer-protection-bureau-has-an-odd-budget-request-zero.html
Apple and Google Are Rerouting Their Employee Buses as Attacks Resume Around four years ago, people started attacking the shuttle buses that took Google employees to and from work, as a way of protesting the tech-company-driven gentrification taking place around San Francisco. Well, it seems to be happening again. This time it’s not just Google (googl, -0.64%)—it’s Apple’s charter buses too. At least five of the iPhone-maker’s shuttles have recently had their windows smashed while in transit. According to an email sent to Apple staff, the first attack took place last Friday, followed by four more on Tuesday. It’s suspected that someone is shooting out the windows using pellet guns, or perhaps throwing rocks. ... [...] http://fortune.com/2018/01/18/apple-google-bus-attacks/
FBI investigating whether Russian money went to NRA to help Trump WASHINGTON - The FBI is investigating whether a top Russian banker with ties to the Kremlin illegally funneled money to the National Rifle Association to help Donald Trump win the presidency, two sources familiar with the matter have told McClatchy. FBI counterintelligence investigators have focused on the activities of Alexander Torshin, the deputy governor of Russia’s central bank who is known for his close relationships with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and the NRA, the sources said. It is illegal to use foreign money to influence federal elections. It’s unclear how long the Torshin inquiry has been ongoing, but the news comes as Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s sweeping investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, including whether the Kremlin colluded with Trump’s campaign, has been heating up. All of the sources spoke on condition of anonymity because Mueller’s investigation is confidential and mostly involves classified information. A spokesman for Mueller’s office declined comment. Disclosure of the Torshin investigation signals a new dimension in the 18-month-old FBI probe of Russia’s interference. McClatchy reported a year ago that a multi-agency U.S. law enforcement and counterintelligence investigation into Russia’s intervention, begun even before the start of the 2016 general election campaign, initially included a focus on whether the Kremlin secretly helped fund efforts to boost Trump, but little has been said about that possibility in recent months. The extent to which the FBI has evidence of money flowing from Torshin to the NRA, or of the NRA’s participation in the transfer of funds, could not be learned. However, the NRA reported spending a record $55 million on the 2016 elections, including $30 million to support Trump – triple what the group devoted to backing Republican Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential race. Most of that was money was spent by an arm of the NRA that is not required to disclose its donors. Two people with close connections to the powerful gun lobby said its total election spending actually approached or exceeded $70 million. The reporting gap could be explained by the fact that independent groups are not required to reveal how much they spend on Internet ads or field operations, including get-out-the-vote efforts. During the campaign, Trump was an outspoken advocate of the Second Amendment right to bear arms, at one point drawing a hail of criticism by suggesting that, if Clinton were elected, gun rights advocates could stop her from winning confirmation of liberal Supreme Court justices who support gun control laws. “If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks,” Trump said at a rally in August 2016. “Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know.” Spanish authorities tag Torshin for money laundering Torshin, a leading figure in Putin’s party, has been implicated in money laundering by judicial authorities in Spain, as Bloomberg News first revealed in 2016. Spanish investigators alleged in an almost 500-page internal report that Torshin, who was then a senator, capitalized on his government role to assist mobsters laundering funds through Spanish properties and banks, Bloomberg reported A summary obtained by McClatchy of the still-secret report links Torshin to Russian money laundering and describes him as a godfather in a major Russian criminal organization called Taganskaya. Investigators for three congressional committees probing Russia’s 2016 operations also have shown interest in Torshin, a lifetime NRA member who has attended several of its annual conventions. At the group’s meeting in Kentucky in May 2016, Torshin spoke to Donald Trump Jr. during a gala event at the group’s national gathering in Kentucky in May 2016, when his father won an earlier-than-usual NRA presidential endorsement. An FBI spokesman declined to comment on the investigation. The NRA did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Torshin could not be reached for comment, and emails to the Russian central bank seeking comment from Torshin and the bank elicited no response. Mueller’s investigation has been edging closer to Trump’s inner circle. This week, The New York Times reported that Mueller had negotiated an agreement under which Steve Bannon, who was recently ousted from his post as a senior White House adviser, would fully respond to questions about the Trump campaign. Bannon headed the campaign over its final weeks. Since taking over the investigation last May, Mueller has secured guilty pleas from two former Trump aides, former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and former campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, both of whom agreed to cooperate with prosecutors; and criminal charges against two other top campaign figures, former campaign Chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates. Paul Manafort joined the Trump campaign in March 2016. By October 2017, he had been indicted on 12 counts including conspiracy against the U.S. by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Here's what happened in between. $30 million The amount of money the National Rifle Association spent backing Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign – triple what the group spent on Republican Mitt Romney four years earlier. A year ago, three U.S. intelligence agencies signed off on a joint assessment that was the basis for the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats and other sanctions against the Kremlin. The intelligence agencies concluded that what began as a sophisticated Russian operation to undermine Americans’ faith in democracy morphed into a drive to help Trump win. Torshin is among a phalanx of Putin proxies to draw the close attention of U.S. investigators, who also have tracked the activities of several Russian billionaires and pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarchs that have come in contact with Trump or his surrogates. Torshin was a senior member of the Russian Senate and in recent years helped set up a Moscow gun rights group called Right to Bear Arms. He not only spoke with Trump Jr. at the NRA convention, but he also tried unsuccessfully to broker a meeting between Putin and the presidential candidate in 2016, according to the Times. He further sought to meet privately with the candidate himself near the 2016 NRA convention. Torshin’s ties with the NRA have flourished in recent years. In late 2015, he hosted two dinners for a high-level NRA delegation during its week-long visit to Moscow that included meetings with influential Russian government and business figures. In their internal report, Spanish prosecutors revealed a web of covert financial and money-laundering dealings between Torshin and Alexander Romanov, a Russian who pleaded guilty to money-laundering charges in 2016 and was sentenced to nearly four years in prison. The prosecutors’ evidence included 33 audio recordings of phone conversations from mid-2012 to mid-2013 between Torshin and Romanov, who allegedly laundered funds to buy a hotel on the ritzy island of Mallorca. Torshin had an 80 percent stake in the venture, the Spanish report said. In the phone conversations, Romanov referred to Torshin as the “godfather” or “boss.” Torshin has denied any links to organized crime and said his dealings with Romanov were purely “social.” The Madrid-based newspaper El Pais last year reported that Spanish police were on the verge of arresting Torshin in the summer of 2013, when he had planned to attend a birthday party for Romanov, but a Russian prosecutor tipped the banker to plans to nab him if he set foot in Spain, and Torshin canceled his trip. Congress looking at Torshin, too The House and Senate Intelligence Committees and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee also have taken an interest in Torshin as part of their parallel inquiries into Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections. In questioning Donald Trump Jr. at a closed-door hearing in mid-December, investigators for the Senate Intelligence Committee asked about his encounter with Torshin at the NRA convention, according to a source familiar with the hearing. Alan Futerfas, a lawyer for Trump Jr., said his client and Torshin talked only briefly when they were introduced during a meal. “It was all gun-related small talk,” Futerfas told McClatchy. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent letters in November to two senior Trump foreign policy aides, J.D. Gordon and Sam Clovis, seeking copies of any communications they had with or related to Torshin; the NRA; veteran conservative operative Paul Erickson; Maria Butina, a Torshin protege who ran the Russian pro-gun group he helped launch, and others linked to Torshin. Erickson has raised funds for the NRA and is a friend of Butina’s. Shortly before the NRA’s May 2016 convention, he emailed Trump campaign aide Rick Dearborn about the possibility of setting up a meeting between Putin and Trump during the campaign, according to the Times. Erickson’s email to Dearborn bore the subject line “Kremlin Connection.” In it, Erickson solicited advice from Dearborn and his boss, Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, a top foreign policy adviser to Trump’s campaign, about the best way to connect Putin and Trump. Both Dearborn and Butina, who has been enrolled as a graduate student at American University since mid 2016, have been asked to appear before the Judiciary Committee, but so far Erickson has not, sources familiar with the matter said. Bridges LLC, a company that Erickson and Butina established in February 2016 in Erickson’s home state of South Dakota, also is expected to draw scrutiny. Public records don’t reveal any financial transactions involving Bridges. In a phone interview last year, Erickson said the firm was established in case Butina needed any monetary assistance for her graduate studies — an unusual way to use an LLC. Erickson said he met Butina and Torshin when he and David Keene, a former NRA president, attended a meeting of Right to Bear Arms a few years ago in Moscow. Erickson described the links between Right to Bear Arms and the NRA as a “moral support operation both ways.” Torshin’s contacts with the NRA and the Trump campaign last year also came to the attention of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and key adviser. When Torshin tried to arrange a personal meeting with Trump near the NRA convention site last May, Kushner scotched the idea, according to emails forwarded to Kushner. On top of Torshin’s efforts to cozy up to the Trump campaign, the Moscow banker has forged ties with powerful conservatives, including Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, the Californian whom some have deemed Putin’s best friend in Washington. In a phone interview in 2016, Rohrabacher recalled meeting Torshin in Moscow a few years earlier and described him as “a mover and shaker.” Last February when Torshin visited Washington, Rockefeller heir and conservative patron George O’Neill Jr. hosted a fancy four-hour dinner for the banker on Capitol Hill, an event that drew Rohrabacher, Erickson and other big names on the right. Rohrabacher has labeled Torshin as “conservatives’ favorite Russian,” Torshin was in Washington at the time to lead his country’s delegation to the National Prayer Breakfast, where Trump spoke. The banker also was slated to see the presidentat a meet-and-greet event prior to a White House breakfast, but Torshin’s invitation was canceled after the White House learned of his alleged mob connections, Yahoo News reported. Torshin’s involvement with the NRA may have begun in 2013 when he attended the group’s convention in Houston. Keene, the ex-NRA leader and an avid hunter, was instrumental in building a relationship with the Russian, according to multiple conservative sources. Keene also helped lead a high-level NRA delegation to Moscow in December 2015 for a week of lavish meals and meetings with Russian business and political leaders. The week’s festivities included a visit to a Russian gun company and a meeting with a senior Kremlin official and wealthy Russians, according to a member of the delegation, Arnold Goldschlager, a California doctor who has been active in NRA programs to raise large donations. Others on the trip included Joe Gregory, who runs the NRA’s Ring of Freedom program for elite donors who chip in checks of $1 million and upwards, Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke and Pete Brownell, a chief executive of a gun company and longtime NRA board member. In a phone interview, Goldschlager described the trip as a “people-to-people mission,” and said he was impressed with Torshin — who, he noted, hosted both a “welcoming” dinner for the NRA contingent and another one. “They were killing us with vodka and the best Russian food,” Goldschlager said. “The trip exceeded my expectations by logarithmic levels.” http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article195231139.html
‘I just don’t like Muslim people’: Trump appointee resigns after racist, sexist and anti-gay remarks An appointee of President Trump has resigned from the federal agency that runs AmeriCorps and other service programs after remarks he made disparaging blacks, Muslims, gays, women, veterans with PTSD and undocumented immigrants surfaced in the news media. Carl Higbie lasted less than six months as the chief of external affairs in the Corporation for National and Community Service. [...] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2018/01/18/i-just-dont-like-muslim-people-trump-appointee-resigns-after-racist-sexist-and-anti-gay-remarks/
Trump appointee Carl Higbie resigns as public face of agency that runs AmeriCorps after KFile review of racist, sexist, anti-Muslim and anti-LGBT comments on the radio Trump administration appointee Carl Higbie resigned Thursday as chief of external affairs for the federal government's volunteer service organization Higbie made shocking comments about black Americans, Muslims, women, LGBT people, veterans suffering from PTSD and immigrants http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/18/politics/kfile-carl-higbie-on-the-radio/index.html
Pope Francis Has Defended a Chilean Bishop Accused of Covering Up Sex Crimes (SANTIAGO, Chile) — Pope Francis accused victims of Chile’s most notorious pedophile of slander Thursday, an astonishing end to a visit meant to help heal the wounds of a sex abuse scandal that has cost the Catholic Church its credibility in the country. Francis said that until he sees proof that Bishop Juan Barros was complicit in covering up the sex crimes of the Rev. Fernando Karadima, such accusations against Barros are “all calumny.” The pope’s remarks drew shock from Chileans and immediate rebuke from victims and their advocates. They noted the accusers were deemed credible enough by the Vatican that it sentenced Karadima to a lifetime of “penance and prayer” for his crimes in 2011. A Chilean judge also found the victims to be credible, saying that while she had to drop criminal charges against Karadima because too much time had passed, proof of his crimes wasn’t lacking. [...] http://time.com/5109212/pope-francis-sexual-abuse-chile-barros-karadima/
Car hits pedestrians near Rio's Copacabana beach A car has ploughed into crowds on a promenade near Rio de Janeiro's famous Copacabana beach in Brazil, killing a baby and injuring at least 15 people. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-42742877
Trump personally ordered restrictions on Bannon's testimony, report says President Donald Trump personally ordered Steve Bannon not to answer certain questions during his testimony to the House Intelligence Committee this week, Foreign Policy reported. The article said a deputy White House counsel presented legal rationale that the Trump administration might be able to limit the testimony of Bannon and others under executive privilege claims. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/18/trump-ordered-restrictions-for-bannons-testimony-report.html
Fusion GPS: Kremlin ‘Purged’ Suspected Spies After Trump Dossier Release In an interview with House intel committee, Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson claimed the Kremlin tried to eliminate U.S. intel sources after the Trump dossier went public. https://www.thedailybeast.com/fusion-gps-kremlin-purge-followed-dossier-release
GOP Lawmaker Falsely Claims ISIS Behind Las Vegas Shooting
( https://youtu.be/DCYH7eTO0G8 ) A Republican lawmaker on Thursday night claimed the so-called Islamic State was behind the Las Vegas massacre of 58 people in October. “I smell a rat like a lot of Americans. Nothing’s adding up,” Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) told Fox News’ Tucker Carlson. Claiming to have what he “believes” is “credible evidence,” Perry cast doubt on investigators’ assertions that Stephen Paddock was the lone gunman in the attack and suggested a “terrorist nexus” was involved. He claimed to personally have information about “terrorist infiltration through the southern border.” “Let’s face it, ISIS, twice before the attack, warned the U.S. they would attack Las Vegas… and then after the attack claimed responsibility four times. Meanwhile, the local law enforcement investigative services are telling us there is no terrorist connection.” When pressed to provide more details on what “evidence” he has to support this theory, Perry said he was “not able” to reveal anything. https://www.thedailybeast.com/gop-lawmaker-falsely-claims-isis-behind-las-vegas-shooting
Trump's Economic Scorecard: One Year Since Inauguration The Trump stock market rally remains strong - but S&P up less in 2017 than in 2009 GDP growth helped by higher inventories and trade Unemployment rate continued its downward trend 2017 job gains were less than any of Obama’s last six years Hourly wages - up less in 2017 than in 2016, same as in 2015 Manufacturing jobs Coal jobs - up 800 in 2017 Federal deficit - largest since 2013 Trade deficit - highest since 2008 https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2018/01/18/trumps-economic-scorecard-one-year-post-inauguration/
DON’S SPANK SESSION Donald Trump made porn star Stormy Daniels spank him with a copy of Forbes magazine featuring his own face on the cover, reports claim The adult star also claimed he chased her in a hotel room in just his underpants and compared her to his daughter Ivanka DONALD Trump allegedly made porn star Stormy Daniels spank him with a copy of Forbes that featured his own face on the cover, according to bewildering reports. The new allegations come just days after it was reported that Trump had chased the adult actress around a hotel room wearing nothing but his ‘tightie whities’. He also allegedly made Daniels – real name Stephanie Clifford – sit with him for hours watching ‘Shark Week’. [...] https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5378565/donald-trump-porn-star-stormy-daniels-spank-forbes-magazine-his-face-cover/
Saturn's moon Titan is 'eerily similar' to our own world: Nasa's Cassini probe finds Earth-like sea-levels on the icy satellite, despite it being nearly a billion miles away Titan is the only other world we know of in our solar system with stable liquid On Titan the seas are filled with hydrocarbons rather than liquid water Smaller lakes appear at elevations several hundred feet higher than sea level http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5283553/Saturns-moon-Titan-eerily-similar-seas-Earth.html
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