Lol if evangelicals can believe in holy ghosts they can believe Trumps claims of Fake News, family values and the evils of heathen outlanders. Not saying they are unholy its just the lack of facts is not an issue with them and the simplicity of the herd a comfort.
In Afghanistan, Islamic State militants have carried out an early-morning attack on a military academy in the western outskirts of the capital of Kabul, killing at least 11 troops and wounding 16. This marks the latest in a wave of deadly attacks this month. Monday was already declared a national day of mourning in Afghanistan, after a Taliban attacker drove an ambulance filled with explosives into the heart of the city on Saturday, killing at least 103 people and wounding as many as 235. One week earlier, Taliban militants killed 22 people at Kabul’s Intercontinental Hotel. Last week, another six people were killed in an assault claimed by the Islamic State on the office of aid group Save the Children in the eastern city of Jalalabad. This comes as the United States has stepped up its assistance to Afghan security forces and its airstrikes against the Taliban and other militant groups. We get an update from Lotfullah Najafizada, news director of TOLOnews, a 24-hour news channel based in Kabul, Afghanistan. https://www.democracynow.org/2018/1/29/unprecedented_level_of_violence_in_heart[with embedded video, and transcript]
“Are You a U.S. Citizen?”: Trump Could Sabotage the 2020 Census by Adding Controversial Question
Published on Jan 29, 2018 by Democracy Now!
The Trump administration says its request to add a question on citizenship status to the 2020 census is under legal review. Data from the once-a-decade census has major implications for shaping the political landscape. The population count is used to determine how congressional seats are distributed across the country and where hundreds of billions of federal dollars are spent. Critics say that including a citizenship question on the census will deter undocumented residents from participating in the questionnaire out of fear that the government could use the information against them. Trump’s request to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census would “sabotage the entire census,” says Ari Berman, senior writer at Mother Jones, and “massively depress responses among immigrant groups.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/1/29/are_you_a_us_citizen_trump[with embedded video, and transcript]
“We’re Living in a Rigged System”: Ari Berman Says GOP Uses Gerrymandering to Stay in Power
Published on Jan 29, 2018 by Democracy Now!
We speak with Ari Berman, senior writer at Mother Jones and a reporting fellow at The Nation Institute, about his new for piece for Rolling Stone titled “How the GOP Rigs Elections.” “We like to think in this country, if you get the most votes, you’re the winner. But that’s not how it works, because of gerrymandering right now,” Berman notes. https://www.democracynow.org/2018/1/29/were_living_in_a_rigged_system[with embedded video, and transcript]
Full Broadcast 29Jan18 Real News with David Knight
Depopulation & concentrating the remaining population in “smart cities” for control has long been the end game for globalist planners to be ushered in between 2020 & 2030. The foundational technology for both smart cities and autonomous vehicles is 5G and Trump’s advisors are pushing to have the federal government build and control it for national security. It’s the urban side of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and lawyer Todd MacFarlane joins David Knight to talk about the rural side and what happened with the Hammonds & Bundys.
[from Alex Jones and his merry band of batshit bullshitters]
SPLC President Richard Cohen and former US Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama Joyce Vance discuss President Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and civil rights under the Trump administration.
Monday, Jan. 29th 2018[, with an appearance by Jack Cashill]: Grammys Attack Trump - and Fail - Andrew McCabe has stepped down from his position as Director of the FBI as Congress votes on whether or not to release the secret FISA memo. Congressman Matt Gaetz joins Alex Jones during today's live broadcast to break down McCabe's resignation and the possibility of releasing the FISA memo. The Grammys hit an all-time ratings low after musicians turned the awards show into an outright attack on President Trump. Once again, the establishment cannot seem to understand that the people don't appreciate the constant anti-Trump propaganda blasted through every medium of culture. Hilariously, Hillary Clinton's cameo may have poisoned the show! Furthermore, we look into the president's upcoming State of the Union address. Joel Gilbert joins to host the final hour.
World renowned sculptor Zenos Frudakis, a member of FFRF [Freedom From Religion Foundation], is the guest on this week’s new TV program, “Freethought Matters.” Zenos is interviewed by FFRF Director of Communications Amit Pal about why he worked with FFRF to create the new bronze sculpture of Clarence Darrow dedicated last July on the lawn of the Rhea County Courthouse, home of the Scopes (“Monkey”) Trial.
He also talks about other artwork depicting his humanistic and philosophical views. The interview is lavishly illustrated with examples of Zenos’ artwork as well as photography and video showing the “evolution” of the Darrow monument.
States are taking a multi-million dollar gamble on a technology that doesn’t seem to work.
In 32 states plus DC, students of all ages can bypass brick-and-mortar schools for online charters. Most of these schools are run by publicly-traded companies, which means the profits they earn after running schools with taxpayer funds go toward paying their shareholders. These schools enroll less than 1% of American public school students right now, but the share is growing. In their ads, these schools promise autonomy and flexibility. They appeal to students eager to escape bullies or classrooms where they feel unsuccessful. But the data show that attending these schools sets kids back academically— by a lot. And despite their poor performance, states have been slow to close these schools down.
This 2015 study from the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University is the most comprehensive nationwide look at online charters to date. Researchers there found that attending an online charter school for a year is equivalent to missing 180 days of instruction in math, and 72 days of instruction in reading: https://credo.stanford.edu/pdfs/OnlineCharterStudyFinal2015.pdf
June Ahn (NYU) and Andrew McEachin (RAND) did a similar study of Ohio’s online charter schools and got similar results. They found that even high-achieving students who attending online charters in that state ended the year significantly behind their peers in brick-and-mortar schools: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/0013189X17692999
Thanks to folks at the National Education Policy Center for sharing their data on online charter enrollment from 2011 through 2016. Check out their 2017 report on the state of virtual schools to learn more: http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/virtual-schools-annual-2017
The colleges where the American dream is still alive
Published on Sep 7, 2017 by Vox These schools are much better than Harvard, Yale, or Princeton at making poor kids rich. Wealthy, prestigious universities such as Harvard Yale, Stanford and Columbia garner billions in donations with the message of financial aid. They show off case after case of talented students from humble backgrounds reaching the top 1% after attending elite schools. The story goes that these universities aren’t just world leaders in cutting-edge research, they’re engines of upward social mobility. But the latest research by the Equality of Opportunity project suggests this is a myth. A study 10.8 million people on the effect colleges have at moving kids born into the bottom 20 percent of the income distribution up to the top 20 percent showed that though elite universities are very good at moving students up the income ladder, they let in very few low-income students. The problem isn’t one of financial aid, but outreach; thousands of high-achieving poor kids just aren’t applying to elite schools. The true heroes are less selective schools that let in a large number of students from the bottom 20%. They include Cal State Los Angeles and PACE University. These schools take in the most low-income students who move to the top fifth of income in the US after graduation. Read more about colleges offering the most social upward mobility: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/2/28/14359140/chetty-friedman-college-mobility https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhN4wBfQ9yI [with comments]
Quite a start to this historic week in American politics. In the morning, we learned that Andrew McCabe has stepped down from his role at the FBI, a day after his boss read the Nunes memo. Then, in the evening, The House Intelligence Committee voted to release the Nunes memo, giving President Trump 5 days to approve or disapprove it's public release and sending the Democrats into panic mode.
[from Alex Jones and his merry band of batshit bullshitters]
Statement by President Donald J. Trump on the Senate’s Failure to Advance the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act
Issued on: January 29, 2018
Recently, when I addressed the 45th annual March for Life, I called on the Senate to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, important legislation that would protect our most vulnerable. It is disappointing that despite support from a bipartisan majority of U.S. Senators, this bill was blocked from further consideration. Scientific studies have demonstrated that babies in the womb feel pain at twenty weeks. The vote by the Senate rejects scientific fact and puts the United States out of the mainstream in the family of nations, in which only 7 out of 198 nations, including China and North Korea, allow elective abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. We must defend those who cannot defend themselves. I urge the Senate to reconsider its decision and pass legislation that will celebrate, cherish, and protect life.
GOP prosecutor: Pushback on Trump firing Mueller shows system “working”
The Beat with Ari Melber 1/29/18
In a clash of Russia events, the top FBI official Andrew McCabe steps down as news breaks that Republicans are voting to release a memo to discredit the Mueller probe. Ari Melber interviews Fmr. Whitewater prosecutor Robert Ray, who argues the pushback on Trump from within his own White House shows the system is working.
Rep. Schiff on Russia memo release: ‘It’s a sad day in the history of the committee’
The Beat with Ari Melber 1/29/18
Moments after the House Intelligence Committee voted to release a classified memo on the Russia investigation involving the FBI, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., expressed his discontentment with the decision, calling it “a sad day in the history of the committee.”
Dem Congresswoman Says Fox News Got it Right on Secret Memo
The Beat with Ari Melber 1/29/18
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson makes news in her interview with MSNBC’s Ari Melber on the night Republicans made a controversial push to release a reportedly classified memo to impugn the Russia investigation.
After calling to “Release the Memo,” House GOP blocking a memo
The Beat with Ari Melber 1/29/18
The GOP majority in the House intelligence Committee votes to release a controversial Russia memo, while blocking Democrats from releasing a response memo.
Czech President Miloš Zeman was elected for a second term Saturday, fending off centrist and pro-EU academic Jiri Drahos in a presidential race that fast became a referendum on Czech identity.
The nationalistic, pro-Trump and anti-EU Zeman is notorious for his brash style of politics, anti-migration rhetoric and as the defender of the country he now calls "Czechia."
In 2017, the EU survived challenges from right-wing parties in the West of Europe, but in 2018 its authority is under threat from populism in the East.
Zeman has been vocal in his demands for a referendum on EU membership, which is creating another headache for Brussels.
It feels like 'the most dangerous time' for the Mueller investigation of Russian election interference and the Trump campaign, says former DOJ spokesperson Matt Miller.
Another top Republican lawmaker throws in the towel
All In with Chris Hayes 1/29/18
Democrats have reason to be especially excited about New Jersey Rep. Frelinghuysen's district...a seat that was once considered so safe that Michael Moore ran a ficus tree against him to spotlight the lack of competition.
Rachel Maddow points out that despite the legitimacy of the FBI scrutinizing Carter Page as a foreign agent, Republicans are following Devin Nunes to try to accuse Rod Rosenstein of wrongdoing to give Donald Trump a reason to replace him.
Rep. Adam Schiff talks with Rachel Maddow about the unprecedented lengths to which House Intelligence Committee Republicans are going to undermine Robert Mueller's investigation of Donald Trump.
Franklin Foer, national correspondent for The Atlantic, talks with Rachel Maddow about Paul Manafort's dark past and what he hoped to get from being Donald Trump's campaign manager for free.
New Jersey protesters see victory in Frelinghuysen retirement
The Rachel Maddow Show 1/29/18
Rachel Maddow shows how Indivisible protesters have been consistently targeting New Jersey Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, who today announced he would not run for reelection.
Lawrence: Trump does what Nixon wouldn’t dare with FBI
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 1/29/18
FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe has stepped down following prolonged attacks from Donald Trump. Lawrence says that, of the 13 presidents who dealt with the FBI before Trump, none would be so brazen -- not even Nixon -- to launch such an attack on the agency.
Ex-DOJ official: McCabe resignation "dark day" in Trump presidency
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell 1/29/18
Former Deputy Assistant A.G. Harry Litman argues that institutions like the FBI are supposed to act as a check on the president. But with the resignation of Andrew McCabe, the FBI is now either "cowed or complicit" with the administration. David Frum and Julia Ainsley also discuss.
New York Times opinion writer David Leonhardt lays out the case for impeaching Pres. Trump, modeled after the actual article used against Richard Nixon for obstruction of justice.
Trump promised Carrier workers that he would stop their manufacturing jobs from being sent to Mexico. Renee Elliott tells Lawrence O’Donnell she believed him at the time, but since she was laid off this month, says she regrets voting for Trump.
House GOP votes to declassify memo critical of the FBI
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 1/30/18
In a controversial move blasted by Democrats, Republicans on the House Intelligence Cmte. have moved to release a classified GOP memo said to discredit FBI & DOJ conduct around the Russia investigation. Our panel reacts.
FBI Dep. Director McCabe steps down after attacks by Trump
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 1/30/18
Facing repeated attacks from Pres. Trump, members of the GOP, and Trump allies, embattled FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe has stepped down. We get reaction from a man who served with McCabe at the FBI, Frank Montoya, Jr.
Report: Trump is furious over DOJ's role in Russia probe
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 1/30/18
A new report states that Pres. Trump has been furious over the Dept. of Justice's role in the Russia investigation and blew up about it on Air Force One during his Davos trip. Jennifer Jacobs who broke the story joins.
Rep. Swalwell: GOP trying to poison opinion on Russia probe
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 1/30/18
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) of the House Intelligence Committee joins to discuss the decision by Republicans on the committee to declassify a controversial GOP memo critical of actions by the FBI & DOJ concerning the Russia investigation.
Russia probe hangs over Trump's first State of the Union
The 11th Hour with Brian Williams 1/30/18
On the eve of Trump's first-ever State of the Union, new headlines break on the story his White House cannot seem to shake: the Russia investigation. Our panel reacts.
The U.S. House Intelligence Committee voted along party lines on Monday to release a classified memo that Republicans say shows anti-Trump bias by the FBI and the Justice Department in seeking a warrant to conduct an intelligence eavesdropping operation.
In approving the release under a rule never before invoked, the Republican majority ignored a warning from Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd that making the document public would be "extraordinarily reckless" without submitting it to a security review.
The move added new fuel to bitter partisan wrangling over investigations by congressional committees and Special Counsel Robert Mueller into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Calling it a "sad day" for the intelligence committee, top Democratic Representative Adam Schiff said the panel also voted against releasing a Democratic memo that countered the Republican report and rejected his call for a briefing by Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray.
Citizen Journalists Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson divulge the real reason behind the results of a GLAAD poll that suggests a decline of LGBT acceptance in America.
Americans Are Rising to This Historic Moment - famous last words - not yet we aren't The commitment of ordinary citizens to democratic ideals is being tested each day—and its enduring strength is containing the damage of Trump’s presidency. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/01/trump-clarifying/550562/
Trump’s gripes against McCabe included wife’s politics, Comey’s ride home WASHINGTON — The day after President Donald Trump fired James Comey as director of the FBI, he became so furious watching television footage of Comey boarding a government-funded plane from Los Angeles back to Washington that he called the bureau’s acting director, Andrew McCabe, to vent, according to multiple people familiar with the phone call. Trump demanded to know why Comey was allowed to fly on an FBI plane after he had been fired, these people said. McCabe told the president he hadn’t been asked to authorize Comey’s flight, but if anyone had asked, he would have approved it, three people familiar with the call recounted to NBC News. The president was silent for a moment and then turned on McCabe, suggesting he ask his wife how it feels to be a loser — an apparent reference to a failed campaign for state office in Virginia that McCabe’s wife made in 2015. McCabe replied, “OK, sir.” Trump then hung up the phone. [...] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-s-gripes-against-mccabe-included-wife-s-politics-comey-n842161
A Russian military jet flew within 5 feet of a US Navy plane A Russian fighter jet intercepted a US Navy maritime surveillance aircraft over the Black Sea, coming as close as five feet to the US plane. This is just the latest in a number of aggressive air intercepts between the US and Russia. The last aerial intercept involved US and Russian jets over Syria last December. http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-military-jet-us-navy-black-sea-2018-1
Kim Jong Nam reportedly met with a US agent in Malaysia and it could be part of a plot to overthrow Kim Jong Un Kim Jong Nam, the murdered half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, reportedly met with a US intelligence agent in Malaysia days before his death. China reportedly had seriously considered a plot to replace Kim Jong Un with his half brother, something which would serve both the US and China's strategic interests. Kim Jong Nam's son has reportedly been the subject of North Korean assassination attempts too, lending weight to the theory that other members of the Kim family could be used to overthrow Kim Jong Un in a coup. http://www.businessinsider.com/kim-jong-nam-us-intelligence-agent-malaysia-chinese-coup-overthrow-kim-jong-un-2018-1
I have always loved the Grammys but to have artists read the Fire and Fury book killed it. Don’t ruin great music with trash. Some of us love music without the politics thrown in it. https://twitter.com/nikkihaley/status/957813664207245313
Illinois Ordered A Doctor To Tell Women Where To Get Abortions. Now He Wants The Whole State To Suffer ... and the right-wing bureaucrats Trump installed in D.C. might agree with him. James Gallant, a retired emergency physician who serves pro bono as the medical director of the Hope Life Center in Sterling, Illinois, a crisis pregnancy center, doesn’t offer abortions, and doesn’t want to tell women who visit his facility that they can get them elsewhere. Doing so — which is required under a 2016 state law — would violate Gallant’s religious freedom, he says. Earlier this month the Thomas More Society, a pro-life nonprofit law firm, filed a federal complaint on his behalf with President Donald Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services. In the complaint, the firm claims this requirement flies in the face of federal laws that exempt health care providers from participating in abortions if they claim a religious objection. But far more than Gallant’s conscience could be at stake. He maintains that federal funding for health and safety net programs for Illinois residents is contingent on the protection of his wall-to-wall conscience rights. Although they have never been applied so broadly, federal conscience protection laws may allow for this radical application, according to legal experts — and it’s up to a bevy of sympathetic bureaucrats Trump has installed at HHS to decide. If Gallant prevails, Illinois could lose federal funding for a whole range of social welfare services, from Medicare and Medicaid to food stamps, welfare, and Head Start — all because one man didn’t want to tell women where they can obtain abortions. Gallant’s argument is novel. A state’s federal funding for essential health care programs has never been withheld under these laws. Past complaints have simply resulted in narrow settlements exempting the complainants from having to provide whatever services they object to. But Gallant’s complaint asserts that he “cannot, in conscience,” even refer women to providers of abortion procedures. (A spokesman for the Thomas More Society did not respond to interview requests.) Gallant’s is just one of a rush of similar complaints HHS has received since Trump’s election. Under President Obama, the department received only a handful of complaints citing federal conscience protection laws. These laws include the 1973 Church Amendment, which requires federally funded health care facilities to allow providers to opt out of participating in abortion, sterilization or other procedures to which they have religious or moral objections; the 1996 Coats-Snow Amendment, which extends those protections to medical students and residents; and the 2004 Weldon Amendment, which extends these conscience exemptions related to abortion to a broader range of “health care entities.” Obama’s HHS infuriated conservative lawmakers and activists because — they maintained — it was slow to act on those complaints, or closed investigations without finding violations. But the complaint procedure, managed by HHS’ Office for Civil Rights, is now controlled by Trump political appointees who want to more vigorously enforce conscience protection laws, and who are actively seeking more complaints. A year ago, Gallant’s complaint would have been a non-starter; now it will receive a sympathetic, if not enthusiastic, hearing. [...] https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gallant-trump-conscience-protections-trump_us_5a66635fe4b0e5630072babd
Over 80 Tourists Detained In Cambodia For Dancing 'Pornographically' A group of tourists in Cambodia were arrested Thursday and charged with taking "pornographic" images near a sacred temple. Cambodian authorities arrested 10 foreigners at a party in Siem Reap, near the country’s famous Angkor Wat temple. The 10 charged Sunday included five people from the United Kingdom, one from Norway, New Zealand, the Netherlands and two Canadians, CBC News reported. Police reportedly detained 90 people and all but 10 were released. The photos in question showed partygoers engaged in lewd acts. Members of the group posted images of the party on Facebook, the prosecutor said. "This villa, where events called Pub Crawl or Let’s Get Wet took place, was rented by foreign tourists who went there to drink and take part in sexy porn dances," according to a police report. The Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Department raided a villa where the tourists had been taking part in a pub crawl event and found people "dancing pornographically." Police seized used condoms during the raid, the Khmer Times reported. Photos released by authorities showed adults tossing around together on the dance floor. Samrith Sokhon, a local prosecutor from the Siem Reap court, said that those charged face up to a year in prison if convicted, the Associated Press reported. The raid was part of the country's efforts to crack down on tourists engaging in inappropriate behavior near sacred temples. [...] http://www.ibtimes.com/over-80-tourists-detained-cambodia-dancing-pornographically-2646816
Adam Schiff 1-29-18 "FBI and DOJ are Under Investigation - Memo Release - Distraction from Russia Probe - get good copy - PBS NewsHour [ https://www.youtube.com/user/PBSNewsHour/videos ] should have - nope
The Trump admin has notified Congress that last year’s bipartisan Russia sanctions bill is serving as a “deterrent” and as such, specific sanctions aren’t needed at this time. From a State Dept spox: [image of State Dept. statement] https://twitter.com/eschor/status/958110759489294336
Russia's elite are scrambling to be omitted from a US Treasury report, which could blow the lid off their assets abroad The US government is set to publish a report detailing the finances of the very wealthy Russians all over the world. Senior politicians, businessmen and oligarchs are scrambling to have their names omitted from the document. If undisclosed assets are to be revealed by the Kremlin Report, there could be more than a few blushes among Russia's elite. Putin has previously called for assets to be repatriated if they violate Russian offshorising legislation. http://www.businessinsider.com/russias-elite-is-scrambling-to-be-omitted-from-a-us-treasury-report-2018-1