October 9, 2017

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Confederacy (HBO)

Confederate symbols are still celebrated despite the ugly history they symbolize. John Oliver suggests some representations of southern pride that involve less racism and more Stephen Colbert.

October 8, 2017

Other View: Jimmy Carter: What I've learned from North Korea's leaders

Jimmy Carter Special To The Washington Post

As the world knows, we face the strong possibility of another Korean war, with potentially devastating consequences to the Korean Peninsula, Japan, our outlying territories in the Pacific and perhaps the mainland of the United States. This is the most serious existing threat to world peace, and it is imperative that Pyongyang and Washington find some way to ease the escalating tension and reach a lasting, peaceful agreement.

Over more than 20 years, I have spent many hours in discussions with top North Korean officials and private citizens during visits to Pyongyang and to the countryside. I found Kim Il Sung (their “Great Leader”), Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, and other leaders to be both completely rational and dedicated to the preservation of their regime.

What the officials have always demanded is direct talks with the United States, leading to a permanent peace treaty to replace the still-prevailing 1953 cease-fire that has failed to end the Korean conflict. They want an end to sanctions, a guarantee that there will be no military attack on a peaceful North Korea, and eventual normal relations between their country and the international community.

I have visited with people who were starving. Still today, millions suffer from famine and food insecurity and seem to be completely loyal to their top leader. They are probably the most isolated people on Earth and almost unanimously believe that their greatest threat is from a preemptory military attack by the United States.

More: http://magicvalley.com/opinion/columnists/other-view-jimmy-carter-what-i-ve-learned-from-north/article_90cec8c6-32c8-585f-a57d-9918cbd0aa04.html

October 7, 2017

Stephen Colbert - Monologue and Opening - 10/6/17

Robert Mueller Wants The Pee-Pee Tape



Special counsel Robert Mueller met with the author of the infamous Russia dossier that mentions the most highly anticipated film of the year: the pee-pee tape.



FDA: You Can't List 'Love' Isn't An Ingredient



Stephen rounds out the week with some monologue-ery about an odd FDA ruling and some explicit architecture at the Louvre.



Donald Trump's 1999 Pick-Up Lines, Revealed!



Brooke Shields revealed the details of her conversation with Donald Trump which he asked her out immediately after his 1999 divorce. Stephen reveals the pick-up lines he used on the other '90s female celebrities.



White Supremacists, You Won't Like Your DNA Results



Stephen digs into the modern-day genetic testing because curiosity is in his genes.



One Week Older, The Late Show Hits #PuberMe



To raise money for hurricane relief, Stephen and Nick Kroll asked celebrities to tweet images of themselves from their puberty. Here's the best of the worst!



Star Trek's New Klingons Are Very Presidential



The producers of 'Star Trek: Discovery' consciously applied MAGA characteristics to the antagonist Klingons. But that's not all...

October 7, 2017

Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) - 10/6/17

Monologue: The Worst Responder



Bill sees a pattern emerging after President Trump's visits to Puerto Rico and Las Vegas in his Real Time monologue.



Billy Crystal



Comedy legend Billy Crystal joins Bill Maher to give his take on American culture in the Trump era.



Russell Brand: Recovery



Actor, comedian, and "Recovery" author Russell Brand joins Bill to discuss addiction, politics, and, of course, bees.



New Rule: The Party of Poopers



Bill Maher tells Democrats to stop attempting to childproof the world with regulations, and instead to save their battles for important issues like gun control, bank oversight and climate change.



Overtime: Trump Feuds, Leftist Dems, Sleaze



Bill and his guests – Russell Brand, Olivia Nuzzi, Steve Schmidt, and former Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. – answer viewer questions after the show.

October 7, 2017

Seth Meyers: Netflix Is Raising Its Prices, Pence Heads to Puerto Rico-Monologue, Jokes of the Week

Seth’s Favorite Jokes of the Week: Netflix Price Hike, Jared and Ivanka’s Private Domain

October 6, 2017

48 Environmental Rules on the Way Out Under Trump

Since taking office in January, President Trump has made eliminating federal regulations a priority. His administration — with help from Republicans in Congress — has often targeted environmental rules it sees as overly burdensome to the fossil fuel industry, including major Obama-era policies aimed at fighting climate change.

To date, the the Trump administration has sought to reverse nearly 50 environmental rules, according to an analysis by The New York Times.

24 rules have been overturned

Flood building standards
Proposed ban on a potentially harmful pesticide
Freeze on new coal leases on public lands
Methane reporting requirement
Anti-dumping rule for coal companies
Decision on Keystone XL pipeline
Decision on Dakota Access pipeline
Third-party settlement funds
Offshore drilling ban in the Atlantic and Arctic
Ban on seismic air gun testing in the Atlantic
Northern Bering Sea climate resilience plan
Royalty regulations for oil, gas and coal
Inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions in environmental reviews
Permit-issuing process for new infrastructure projects
Green Climate Fund contributions
Mining restrictions in Bristol Bay, Alaska
Grizzly bear listing as endangered species
Hunting ban on wolves and grizzly bears in Alaska
Protection of whales and sea turtles
Reusable water bottles rule for national parks
National parks climate order
Calculation for “social cost” of carbon
Planning rule for public lands
Copper filter cake listing as hazardous waste

17 rollbacks are in progress

Clean Power Plan
Paris climate agreement
Wetland and tributary protections
Car and truck fuel-efficiency standards
Status of 10 national monuments
Status of 12 marine areas
Limits on toxic discharge from power plants
Coal ash discharge regulations
Emissions standards for new, modified and reconstructed power plants
Emissions rules for power plant start-up and shutdown
Sage grouse habitat protections
Fracking regulations on public lands
Oil rig safety regulations
Regulations for offshore oil and gas exploration by floating vessels
Exploratory drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge
Hunting method regulations in Alaska
Emissions standards for trailers and glider kits

7 rollbacks are in limbo

Methane emission limits at new oil and gas wells
Limits on landfill emissions
Mercury emission limits for power plants
Hazardous chemical facility regulations
Groundwater protections for uranium mines
Efficiency standards for federal buildings
Rule helping consumers buy fuel-efficient tires


More: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/05/climate/trump-environment-rules-reversed.html?_r=0

October 6, 2017

Help wanted: Staff shortages under Trump slow policy changes

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hundreds of government employees file in and out of the U.S. agency for auto safety in Washington every working day, investigating potentially dangerous vehicles and managing a $900 million annual budget.

But an administrator is not among them - nobody has been nominated to the top job since President Donald Trump took office.

Also missing from the roughly 550 people on the payroll of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, are a permanent chief counsel, director for government affairs, chief financial officer and enforcement chief.

While a deputy administrator was appointed last week, slow progress in bringing in senior politically appointed officials has nearly frozen key decision-making at the agency, according to five former NHTSA officials, consumer groups, lawmakers and some business leaders.

<snip>

Eight months into Trump’s presidency, senior positions in many government agencies across Washington remain vacant, including roles at the State Department, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and throughout the Transportation Department that oversees NHTSA.


Much more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-trump-effect-staff/help-wanted-staff-shortages-under-trump-slow-policy-changes-idUSKBN1CB1AL?il=0

October 6, 2017

Stephen Colbert - Monologue and Opening - 10/5/17

The Triumvirate Of Stupidity: Tillerson, Mattis And Mnuchin



In what's likely to be the least stimulating threesome of all time, it appears that Rex Tillerson, James Mattis and Steve Mnuchin have formed a triumvirate of stupidity to combat Trump.



A Gun Regulation Analogy For All You Stoners



Hey, if only part of a gun is incriminating, then Stephen's empty teenage bong is completely innocent and he promises to never refill it again.



The #PuberMe Grand Finale With Lin-Manuel Miranda



Stephen Colbert, Nick Kroll, and special guest Lin-Manuel Miranda announce that the #PuberMe celebrity photos challenge raised $1,000,000 for hurricane relief in Puerto Rico.



Every Celebrity #PuberMe Photo For Puerto Rico Relief



Stephen Colbert and Nick Kroll urged celebrities to tweet their awkward puberty photos for a good cause, and boy did they show up!



A Suicide Pact Within The Trump Administration



While the Trump administration hasn't been making a lot of international allies, three high-ranking members have reported pledged their allegiances to each other.

October 6, 2017

The Daily Show: Between the Scenes - The All-American Gun Debate

Trevor reacts to a Fox News pundit who lashed out at him for getting involved in America's gun control debate.

October 6, 2017

The Daily Show: "Pro-Life" Congressman Tim Murphy Aborts His Career

Pennsylvania Representative Tim Murphy, who voted on a bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks, resigns when it's revealed he pressured his mistress to terminate her pregnancy.