I want to start off by thanking all of the GNR community for the tremendous support I received after the death of my sister. I cannot believe the bonds one can make through an on line community. Alas, I should have known it would be so as I have seen the mutual support offered to others in this community time and time again. Just know I am ok. The shock was the worst. I have to say now that I am the only sister left it has brought my other sister and myself closer. Good things can come from the bad.
That “something” she has given me is hope, determination, motivation and friendship. As have all of you.
Oh boy, it is going to be quite the news cycle this week. Roger Stone just plead the Fifth, Yahoo news states Mueller is wrapping it up with memos coming in on Micheal Flynn, Paul Manafort and Micheal Cohen, geesh kind of puts the name Micheal to shame sorry all you good Micheals’ of the world! Ready yourselves for one heck of a roller coaster ride.
Mark Sumner has a great diary following somewhat in the footsteps of yesterdays GNR by Nifty.
I might have missed if some of this was discussed in the comments but here is what I found “interesting”:
2) Aaron Nevins
The Florida Republican consultant rarely makes the headlines, and has slipped through much of the last year without notice, but he’s one of the slam-dunked-est figures of the whole election. Even though he suspected all along he was working with Russian operatives, Nevins helped the Russians sort through stolen documents from the DNC, pick out the most valuable material, and explain to them how to use it. He then went on to share the information with Republican candidates—and to brag that he didn’t care if it was the Russians, because he would do anything to hurt Hillary Clinton.
3) Alexander Nix
Add to Nix’s name “everyone who was anyone at Cambridge Analytica.” Nix didn’t just help turn stolen info into actionable data for the campaign, he actively sought cooperation with Russia in spreading propaganda. He made the weaponization of social media his business model.
“We just put information into the bloodstream to the internet and then watch it grow, give it a little push every now and again over time to watch it take shape. And so this stuff infiltrates the online community and expands but with no branding – so it’s unattributable, untrackable.
4) Mark Zuckerberg
Possibly not Zuckerberg directly, and certainly not alone, but both Facebook and Twitter—at a minimum—were engaged in not just turning a blind eye to the Russian military in an extensive effort to conduct electronic warfare against the United States, they bent over backward to help. Both companies were remarkably slow about weeding out the propaganda teams whose money they were pocketing, and remarkably awful in the way they promoted pop-up false news sites and messages produced by troll farms. As Steve Bannon has made clear, Cambridge Analytica was created for the express purpose of destroying American democracy. For Zuckerberg and company, crushing freedom was just another day at the money mine.
7) And the rest
Not the Professor and Mary Ann, but pretty much everyone else. Cambridge Analytica proud pappa and neo-fascist Steve Bannon. Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III with his hour-plus private meeting with the Russian ambassador in his Senate office. Jared Kushner with his constant hunt for some foreign government to bail him out of his bad business decisions. And, of course, all the little Trumps who were up to their necks in both Trump Tower Moscow and Trump’s money laundering. Donald Jr. and Ivanka both seem poised at the brink of the pit—though Mueller is likely aware that issuing an indictment to either would result in Trump laying the final brick in a wall between the White House and anything that resembled justice. After all, Trump has already tweeted an image that showed Robert Mueller in jail.
And that’s not even including the mystery witness. Next week Mueller will go to court for a fifth time in an effort to compel the testimony of an undisclosed witness before the grand jury.
Verwy Vewry intersting….
Humor break….Tariff Man, falling on knees, cannot breath, laughing, can’t, can’t laugh anymore, stop:
Trump called himself “Tariff Man.” The internet did the rest.
America, meet your newest superhero: He likes protectionist trade policies! Even though it’s not clear if he understands how they work.
It’s Tariff Man!
Okay, it’s not a real superhero. But it is Trump’s latest nickname — for himself.
“....I am a Tariff Man,” Trump wrote. “When people or countries come in to raid the great wealth of our Nation, I want them to pay for doing so.” He added that it would “always be the best way to max out our economic power” and that the US is “now taking in $billions in Tariffs
Bahahaha! There are so many more. What a freakin moron the raging maniac with the orange skin is, geesh.
I have always had a deep respect for journalism. I know it is difficult in these times of infotainment and what seems at many times to be the complicity of the media in the outcome of what has occurred in our country, yet….
US senators say Saudi crown prince is “complicit” in Khashoggi murder
I want to just say DUH! and leave it there but come on how obvious was this that the hearing is what made the turning point.
If Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were in front of a jury, “he’d be convicted [for murder] in 30 minutes.”
That’s what Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), the outgoing chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters after attending a one-hour meeting with CIA Director Gina Haspel on Tuesday, where she briefed a handful of senators on intelligence relating to the murder of Saudi journalist and US resident Jamal Khashoggi on October 2.
It’s a powerful statement and the latest confirmation that the US has strong evidence linking the crown prince, more commonly known as MBS, to Khashoggi’s death.
Corker wasn’t alone. Minutes earlier, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), an ally of President Donald Trump and formerly a key proponent of the Washington-Riyadh relationship, told reporters that the crown prince is “complicit” in the journalist’s killing.
Yup, Corker and Graham, I know spare me the speculation of their actions...they are a**hole 1 and 2 ( not you guys, you get my point I hope). BUT at least there is now a record and the sad rethugs can pound their chests now in false bravado but they won’t be able to hide from the truth much longer. I hope at the very least we will put forth the importance of journalism and journalists and that death is NOT THE RIGHT OUTCOME. Geesh.
hE is an idiot no matter where he goes or what hE tries to negotiate:
China, Russia, and North Korea are smacking down President Trump’s tough talk
The past four days has seen three foreign policy promises made by President Donald Trump deflate like a dropped soufflé, and in pretty public fashion, no less.
Russia
This is the most complicated of the three cases, largely owing to the extent to which President Trump seems thirsty for acceptance from Russian elite, certainly including President Vladimir Putin.
This capitulation peaked during the July summit in Helsinki, which ended with Trump giving a joint press conference with Putin. Before international media, he let Putin walk all over him…
The “extraordinary relationship” President Trump predicted has, thus far, not materialized with Putin, with Russia on Monday canceling Putin’s visit to Washington.
Putin’s spokesperson told Russian media that the two leaders are currently in an “untenable pause” after President Trump canceled a planned bilateral meeting with Putin at the G20 Summit in Argentina over the weekend.
China
While the premise of President Trump’s trade war with China are sound (China has engaged in intellectual property theft and other practices that give it a huge advantage over the U.S. in trade), his methods have been largely criticized and have thus far hurt U.S. businesses.
After months of making American farmers and manufacturers deal with the consequences of Chinese tariffs, slapped on U.S. goods in direct response to tariffs imposed on Chinese imports, President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a highly anticipated meeting at the G20 summit — which resulted in a big, fat nothingburger.
North Korea
Who can even remember the last time the President said anything definitive about his administration’s attempts to negotiate denuclearizing North Korea?
He’s made some claims about talking about North Korea with China and criticized a New York Times piece on undeclared missile bases, but has not appeared to make any progress on the effort.
On his way back from the G20 Summit over the weekend, Trump told reporters that he and Kim are “getting along very well,” and that they have “a good relationship,” which is a bit of a mystery, given that Pyongyang has been openly furious about the U.S.’s negotiating tactics, which included cancelling a meeting at the last minute in August.
Well, well, well (anyone watch Kenda on IDDiscovery? No, No? Ok, joke lost):
2 attorneys general to subpoena Trump Organization, Treasury
The attorneys general of the District of Columbia and Maryland plan to file subpoenas Tuesday seeking records from the Trump Organization, the Treasury Department and dozens of other entities as part of a lawsuit accusing Donald Trump of profiting off the presidency.
The subpoenas target 37 entities, including 13 Trump-linked entities and the federal agency that oversees the lease for Trump’s Washington hotel. Subpoenas were also being sent to the Department of Defense, General Services Administration, Department of Commerce, Department of Agriculture and the Treasury Department, which have spent taxpayer dollars at the hotel or have information on Trump’s finances relevant to the case.
“We are confident that at the end of discovery we will be able to prove our case — that President Trump is violating the Constitution’s emoluments clauses, America’s first anti-corruption laws,” Frosh said in a statement.
Down, go down you creep hole pretending to be pResident.
Well, well, well, let’s go! If you don’t pay your taxes, they will find you. No? Still don’t watch Kenda…..my, my,my.
Well all, I am still a bit spent, here is a really cute story to take you out:
Boy gets Colorado town to overturn snowball fight ban
A nine-year-old boy from the town of Severance in Colorado has successfully campaigned for the repeal of an archaic ban on snowball fights.
The rule was part of an old ordinance outlawing the throwing of missiles, such as stones, at property or people within the town.
Dane Best says he took up the cause on behalf of his friends and classmates.
Come on, I know who I want to plummet with snowballs…...tee hee.
This, because someone talked about it at Nifty’s post (boy I hope that is correct I am still a bit out of it):
Share your good news in the comments. I look forward to reading them all.
Ooops had to add one more, a shout out to freewayblogger because I think he may like this. Not sure he reads the GNR but thought this would be appreciated him and by all:
Guerilla street artist makes her emotionally-expressive warning signs available
‘nough said