February 27, 2017

Totalitarian Trump White House Removes Democratic Governors From Joint Press Conference

Source: Politicus

Monday morning, Trump put an end to the bipartisan post National Governors Association and President press availability by shuttling the Democratic governors off site.



Read more: http://www.politicususa.com/2017/02/27/totalitarian-trump-white-house-removes-democratic-governors-joint-press-conference.html

February 26, 2017

President Trump approval rating falls to 38 percent: Poll

https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2431

American voters today give President Donald Trump a negative 38 - 55 percent job approval rating, his worst net score since he took office, down from a negative 42 - 51 percent approval rating in a February 7 Quinnipiac University national poll.

President Trump's negative scores are 36 - 59 percent among women and 41 - 50 percent among men, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University Poll finds. Republicans approve 83 - 10 percent, while negative approval ratings are 5 - 91 percent among Democrats and 38 - 55 percent among independent voters.

Trump gets a negative 39 - 55 percent favorability rating, also his worst net score since taking office. Vice President Mike Pence gets a split 41 - 40 percent favorability.


He is pushing record lows and dropping. Apparently even a healthy percentage of his own voters are getting fed up. About a third are just plain stupid and will believe anything he tells them.

February 23, 2017

Transgender teen moves forward with Supreme Court challenge after Trump action

Lawyers for Gavin Grimm, a transgender teen who is barred from using the boys' bathroom at his Virginia high school, told the Supreme Court Thursday that his challenge to the school board policy should go forward, arguing that the restrooms "must be equally available to all boys and all girls, including boys and girls who are transgender."

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/23/politics/transgender-teen-supreme-court/index.html

February 23, 2017

Navigating Trump's America

By Will Drabold at Mic

Welcome to the political newsletter that thinks you should try reading this while listening to the Foo Fighters. Please respond to this email if you have feedback. You can read this in your browser here. And if someone forwarded this to you, do the right thing: Subscribe here.

Want to spread the knowledge with your friends? Share #NTA on Facebook and Twitter.

Highlights:
Today: What the latest deportation news means, along with an imminent new executive order on immigration.
More: Two must-read Mic exclusives.
Even more: Three generals hold America's top three national security positions for the first time.
Yes, more: Republican congressmen and senators have faced heated town halls all week. But are they the same as the Tea Party of 2010?
Another thing: You're spending a lot of money to keep Trump's family safe. And the president rebuked anti-Semitism, though not strongly enough for some.
Trump's agenda today: Holding meetings to discuss the federal budget. Meeting with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Deportation in Trump's America

Here are the takeaways from new deportation rules announced Tuesday by the Department of Homeland Security: Many more immigrants can be deported; they may be taken to detention centers; and Mexico could be the most impacted by a rise in deportations. The policies take a broader view on immigration enforcement and could lead to a sharp uptick in detentions or deportations. While President Donald Trump's latest immigration crackdown says people who entered the U.S. as children will remain protected under the expanded deportation policy, there have already been cases of detention of immigrants whom Trump said would not be targeted.

The two memos at the center of the conversation detail how the DHS will execute the president's executive orders on immigration and border security. One memo signed by Secretary John Kelly says it will prioritize deporting "removable aliens" who may have committed a crime — even if they haven't been convicted. It gives department officials discretion to deport others who have "abused" any public benefit program or whom the officials deem a threat to public safety or national security, generally encouraging removing anyone who is in the United States illegally. The memo also says DHS will hire 10,000 additional immigration officers to assist in deportation efforts.

A second memo encourages more stringent detention of people who have entered, or are trying to enter, the country illegally. Despite a campaign promise from Trump to not use detention centers, DHS plans to do just that — including building more facilities to house people whose immigration status is pending. Those deported from the U.S. after crossing a land border will be returned to "the territory from which they arrived" rather than their nation of origin. In many cases, Mexico will be expected to receive deported immigrants from the U.S. — even if those immigrants are not Mexican citizens.

Meanwhile, a new executive order on immigration is imminent. CNN reported that this time around, the White House counsel had a meaningful role in drafting the language to ensure it complies with federal law. Trump's first immigration order, known as the "Muslim ban" because it targeted people from seven majority-Muslim countries, was struck down by two federal courts; the administration declined to appeal those decisions to the Supreme Court. This new order is expected to maintain a hold on travel and immigration from those seven nations, but it will not target people with existing green cards or visas from those countries.

Mic exclusives

Were you wondering how the video of Milo Yiannopoulos defending pedophilia was leaked? Wonder no more. Mic's Emily Singer connected with the Reagan Battalion, a group of political activists working anonymously to rid the Republican party of views they consider antithetical to conservatism. Despite Milo's assertions, Mic found the battalion has no connection to former independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin or other never-Trump conservatives.

Our full interview with former attorney general Eric Holder is also now live. Mic's Aaron Morrison spoke with Holder about Trump, Russia, race, gerrymandering and more last week in Atlanta. Holder is leading Democratic efforts to fight Trump policies on the state level and to fairly redraw congressional districts when it comes time in 2021.

Generals in command

Trump's White House will be the first to have three senior veterans in the top national security positions. James Mattis, John Kelly and H.R. McMaster all led troops in Iraq. The generals have their differences, but all are recognized for successes on the battlefield. Now, the secretaries of defense and homeland security, along with the national security adviser, must advise a president who has repeatedly disparaged and sparred with the military infrastructure where these generals made their names.

A lifetime of deference to military leadership does not mean these generals will not speak up. Mattis and Kelly both recently attracted headlines for expressing their differences with a stance taken by Trump, and McMaster is recognized for his understanding of how allowing politics to supersede military strategy contributed to failure in Vietnam. The coming weeks will determine whether Trump's comments or the hands of these three former generals are more at play in controlling America's national security apparatus.

The impact of town halls

Republicans may be having deja vu. During the rollout of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, voters swarmed town hall meetings of Democratic congressmen and senators who supported Barack Obama's health care law. That anti-establishment fervor led to the 2010 election resulting in Republicans gaining 63 seats in the House of Representatives and making good on their slogan to "fire Nancy Pelosi."

This time around, it may be Republicans who are in trouble. Town halls across the country have drawn packed crowds to vent frustration about a planned repeal of the Affordable Care Act, alleged but unsubstantiated Trump ties to Russia and more. Some Republican elected officials have avoided these gatherings altogether. Others have embraced them, coming ready to endure marathon sessions of criticism from constituents. Tuesday brought more protests and pointed questions as Republicans spent the week in their districts.

The big question is what the lasting impact of this opposition will be. Across America, Republicans have gerrymandered districts to make their control of the House a near certainty. In midterm elections, Republican voters tend to turn out in higher numbers than Democrats. That vote is 20 months away. Because the Affordable Care Act passed several months before the 2010 midterm elections, the fall vote was a referendum on a health care law many Americans viewed negatively. Now, the country is split on support of the law. And as some Democrats dismissed tea party anger in 2010, Republicans may be remiss to do the same of progressives now. We will continue to ask between now and November 2018: Can Democrats convert midterm populism into votes the way Republicans did?

News and insight you cannot miss:
A federal judge on Tuesday blocked Texas from withholding Medicaid funds from Planned Parenthood clinics. The judge said the state does not have sufficient evidence the health care provider traffics in human body parts. (Mic)
Millennial leaders involved with Black Lives Matter, the Women's March, campaigns for Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton and other progressive groups have backed Keith Ellison's bid to lead the DNC. Aaron Morrison has the story for Mic.
The White House may be about to reverse an Obama rule that said schools must allow transgender students to use bathrooms that match their gender identity. (NBC News)
Ad revenue for cable news is skyrocketing as attention settles on the president's penchant for MSNBC, Fox News and CNN in the a.m. (Mic)
Mistakes made by the Veterans Administration could lead to the trashing of 500,000 applications for health care. (Mic)
The latest from Bernie Sanders: Trump is a "pathological liar." (Mic)
A Maryland appeals court has said the second amendment does not protect a right to own military-style assault firearms. (Slate
Share Navigating Trump's America on Facebook and Twitter.
http://mic.com/trumps-america?bt_ee=fL5baGXb2lvV6d4piJbW9W1E++fJBN6hA7nUypQ2UKNxbmN3rkTlX+u6QfATxP+G&bt_ts=1487780008611

February 22, 2017

They're claiming Democrat aren't Americans

Hey remember Trump's media survey? Too many people (aka American citizens) gave answers he didn't like, so they're scrapping the results and doing a new survey. Take it again here: https://action.donaldjtrump.com/mainstream-media-accountability-survey


https://www.facebook.com/radicalpolitik/photos/a.886803888126882.1073741828.886797854794152/1356494121157854/?type=3&theater

February 22, 2017

President Trumps hiring freeze is forcing two Army bases to suspend their child-care programs

When President Trump ordered a federal hiring freeze shortly after taking office, critics were quick to point out that it could have a serious impact on veterans and service members, who make up 30 percent of the federal workforce. Now another piece of evidence has come out indicating that they were correct.

Officials at Army bases in Fort Knox, Kentucky, and U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden, Germany, have had to indefinitely suspend services that they provided to children who reside at their bases, according to Military.com.

http://www.salon.com/2017/02/22/president-trumps-hiring-freeze-is-forcing-two-army-bases-to-suspend-their-child-care-programs/

February 22, 2017

Donald Trump's supporters think the media is covering up terror attacks in Sweden

Donald Trump’s supporters have said the media is attempting to "cover up" terror attacks in Sweden, after the President faced criticism for appearing to cite a non-existent terror plot in the country.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/donald-trump-sweden-media-cover-up-supporters-believe-terrorism-a7589636.html

What do you cover imaginary attacks with? Imaginary kitty litter?

February 21, 2017

Sale of public lands in Oregon

My niece in Oregon just posted this on her wall

OREGONIANS --
Have you heard the news that the State Land Board voted to sell all 90,000 acres of Oregon's oldest forest to loggers, the Elliott State Forest - public land held in trust that includes critical old growth habitat - to a logging company. This wasn't supposed to happen. There are two Democrats and one Republican on the Board. Governor Kate Brown fought the sale vehemently. Our new State Treasurer, Democrat Tobias Read, violated his campaign promises and voted to sell the ancient forest. What's more, the bid is nearly $140 million less than what the lands appraised value - if you can even place a dollar number on Oregon's most significant carbon sink.
BUT - there's a glimmer of hope. Governor Brown secured one final vote that is scheduled for April. If you care about our green Oregon, and leaving a healthy state for our children,
CALL Treasurer Read and DEMAND that he switch his vote:
503-378-4329.
Don't let him get away with this.
Copy and share - spread the word!
Make your voice heard and let's save The Elliott!
LikeShow More ReactionsCommentShare

February 20, 2017

How Trump IS Making America Great Again

Our failing POTUS is making change.....
I can't believe I'm saying this, but it looks like Trump is actually making America great again. Just look at the progress made since the election:
1. Unprecedented levels of ongoing civic engagement.
2. Millions of Americans now know who their state and federal representatives are without having to google.
3. Millions of Americans are exercising more. They're holding signs and marching every week.
4. Alec Baldwin is great again. Everyone's forgotten he's kind of a jerk.
5. The Postal Service is enjoying the influx cash due to stamps purchased by millions of people for letter and postcard campaigns.
6. Likewise, the pharmaceutical industry is enjoying record growth in sales of anti-depressants.
7. Millions of Americans now know how to call their elected officials and know exactly what to say to be effective.
8. Footage of town hall meetings is now entertaining.
9. Tens of millions of people are now correctly spelling words like emoluments, narcissist, fascist, misogynist, holocaust and cognitive dissonance.
10. Everyone knows more about the rise of Hitler than they did last year.
11. Everyone knows more about legislation, branches of power and how checks and balances work.
12. Marginalized groups are experiencing a surge in white allies.
13. White people in record numbers have just learned that racism is not dead. (See #6)
14. White people in record numbers also finally understand that Obamacare IS the Affordable Care Act.
15. Stephen Colbert's "Late Night" finally gained the elusive #1 spot in late night talk shows, and Seth Meyers is finding his footing as today's Jon Stewart.
16. "Mike Pence" has donated millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood since Nov. 9th.
17. Melissa FREAKING McCarthy.
18. Travel ban protesters put $24 million into ACLU coffers in just 48 hours, enabling them to hire 200 more attorneys. Lawyers are now heroes.
19. As people seek veracity in their news sources, respected news outlets are happily reporting a substantial increase in subscriptions, a boon to a struggling industry vital to our democracy.
20. Live streaming court cases and congressional sessions are now as popular as the Kardashians.
21. Massive cleanup of facebook friend lists.
22. People are reading classic literature again. Sales of George Orwell's "1984" increased by 10,000% after the inauguration. (Yes, that is true. 10,000%. 9th grade Lit teachers all over the country are now rock stars.)
23. More than ever before, Americans are aware that education is important. Like, super important.
24. Now, more than anytime in history, everyone believes that anyone can be President. Seriously, anyone.
- Susan Keller

February 13, 2017

Thank you for the hearts to whoever sent them.