Friday, November 9, 2018

Acting Attorney General Sat on Board of Company Accused of Bilking Customers

WASHINGTON — Matthew G. Whitaker, the acting attorney general, served on the advisory board of a Florida company that a federal judge shut down last year and fined nearly $26 million after the government accused it of scamming customers.

The company, World Patent Marketing, "bilked thousands of consumers out of millions of dollars" by promising inventors lucrative patent agreements, according to a complaint filed in Florida by the Federal Trade Commission.

Court documents show that when frustrated consumers tried to get their money back, Scott J. Cooper, the company's president and founder, used Mr. Whitaker to threaten them as a former federal prosecutor. Mr. Cooper's company paid Mr. Whitaker nearly $10,000 before it closed.

Mr. Whitaker's role in the company would complicate his confirmation prospects should President Trump nominate him as attorney general.

It is not clear if Mr. Trump was aware of Mr. Whitaker's involvement with the patent marketing company before naming him as a replacement for Jeff Sessions, who was ousted by Mr. Trump on Wednesday.

A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment on Mr. Whitaker's ties to the patent company, which were first reported by The Miami New Times.

Before his ascension to the office of the nation's top law enforcement official, Mr. Whitaker, 49, was Mr. Sessions's chief of staff. A conservative Republican from Iowa, he was seen within the Justice Department as a White House loyalist who publicly expressed doubts about the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether Mr. Trump or any of his associates conspired in the effort.

Mr. Whitaker's appointment has prompted concerns that he might shut down or stymie the special counsel's investigation.



Trump Administration Sides With Sudan Against USS Cole Survivors In Lawsuit

Eighteen years ago, Lorrie Triplett's husband, Ensign Andrew Triplett, rode off on his bike to board the destroyer USS Cole, heading for the Persian Gulf. It was the last time she would see him. On Wednesday, she sat in the U.S. Supreme Court and "really wanted to scream."

Her husband was among 17 killed in 2000 when al-Qaida suicide bombers in a small boat attacked the Cole while it was refueling in a harbor in Yemen. Dozens more men and women were injured. They and the families of the dead sued the government of Sudan for allegedly providing material support for the attack.

Their path for this and similar suits has been long and difficult, and now, to the consternation of the victims and veterans groups, the Trump administration is siding with Sudan, long designated a state sponsor of terrorism.

Remembering The USS Cole, A Decade After The Naval Destroyer Was Attacked

Sorry, wrong address

The administration argues that the $315 million in damages awarded to the victims in the case cannot stand. The legal question is one that only a lawyer could love, but not the people whose lives have been affected. The question is whether the notification of the lawsuit was sent to the wrong address.

The notice was sent by registered mail to the Embassy of Sudan in Washington, D.C., addressed to the nation's foreign minister and signed for by someone at the embassy.

Sudan contends that under U.S. law and international treaty, the notice should have been sent to the Foreign Ministry in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum. That position is supported not just by the Trump administration but also by Saudi Arabia, which faces similar lawsuits over the Sept. 11 attacks.

The argument is that to allow such notifications to be made at an embassy would breach the "inviolability" of embassies and consulates that is guaranteed under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The Trump administration argues as well that if Sudan and other countries can be served notice of lawsuits at embassies, the U.S. could suffer a similar fate at its embassies.

But lawyers for the Cole victims counter that the U.S. has a firm policy of never accepting such legal service at its embassies and that the U.S. has not had any difficulty enforcing that policy over a period of more than four decades.

On Wednesday, when the case was argued, a grim group of Cole survivors and relatives of the dead sat in the chamber.

Tears and anger

Lorrie Triplett, the widow of Ensign Triplett, was shaking when she emerged. Tears poured down her face as she talked about her loss and that of her daughters. Even today, she said, she cannot believe "how drastic" the effect has been on her life. "Never got his body back," she said softly. "Never. Never seen him ever again."

The men who stood next to Triplett were angry. "Our own country, siding with the country that harbors terrorists," said David Matthew Morales, who was injured on the Cole. "It was very hurtful," he added, pulling a small piece of metal out of his pocket. It was from the hull of the Cole, and he carries it with him everywhere.

"We came here for accountability, and we wouldn't expect our government to oppose its citizens receiving justice and holding those accountable for a terrorist attack," said Jamal Gunn, whose brother was killed on the Cole.

"Our country should stand behind their soldiers and sailors that's out there every day putting their life on the line for the country," said Rick Harrison, a firefighter and machinist injured on the Cole.

"You can look at 9/11. They got justice. ... So why can't the USS Cole get justice?" asked David Francis, whose sister was killed on the Cole.

The justices pile on

Inside the court chamber, the justices appeared at first dismissive of Sudan's argument.

"If I wanted to mail something" to the head of a department in a foreign country, said Chief Justice John Roberts, "my first thought" would be to deliver it to the embassy.

Justice Samuel Alito opined that when he was on the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, and his office was in Newark, N.J., mail meant for him was often sent to the court headquarters in Philadelphia, and then forwarded to him.

"Everybody understands," said Justice Elena Kagan, that embassies are "the point of contact if you want to do anything with respect to a foreign government."



Thousands of racing greyhounds in Florida will need new homes by end of 2020

With a majority of the nation's dog tracks slated to close by the end of 2020, young greyhounds that never make it to the track will need homes too.

"This will be a burden. We're mobilizing now," said Stumpf, whose group arranges 50 to 100 greyhound adoptions a year — but will now aim for an annual goal of 200. "We'll do the best we can. Some of these dogs might end up at shelters and they're not all no-kill. That's the scary part."

All of these Florida active-racing greyhounds won't be cut loose immediately, as dog racing won't be illegal in the Sunshine State for another 25 ½ months. Both sides expect a gradual shutdown of these tracks in the next two years.

The state is home to 11 of America's 17 dog tracks, with greyhounds also running in West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Texas and Iowa.

Even before Tuesday's vote, dog racing in Florida has been losing business for years. Back in 1992, there were $1.5 billion in dog-racing bets, adjusted for inflation, compared to just $200 million in 2017, according to state records.

"This is a crushing blow to this industry," MacFall said. "This (vote) shows people care about dogs and people know this (dog racing) is cruel and inhumane."

MacFall admitted she and other supporters were surprised by the final margin of victory.

"We thought it'd be close, we didn't think it'd be that high. It turned out to be a landslide," MacFall said. "I mean we can't agree on anything here in Florida. But on this, we had bipartisan support."

Gartland also said Tuesday's final tally floored him.


Rick Scott Accuses Democrats of Trying to Thwart G.O.P.’s Successful Voter Suppression

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA (The Borowitz Report)—In a hastily called press conference on Thursday evening, Florida Governor Rick Scott accused Democrats of nefariously plotting to undo the Republican Party's highly successful voter-suppression effort.

"As Republicans, we have worked tirelessly to intimidate, discourage, and otherwise disenfranchise millions of Florida voters," a visibly enraged Scott said. "We are not about to let Democrats swoop in at the last minute and ruin all of that fine work."

Scott angrily singled out the Broward County and Palm Beach County supervisors for their "rampant enforcement of the right to vote."

"They are literally finding votes by people we are a hundred per cent sure we had scared away from the voting booths," he said. "This will not stand."

The Florida governor said that if Democrats think that they can undermine the Republicans' arduous and painstaking efforts to suppress votes in Florida, "they better think again."

"I will not sit idly by while every vote is counted," Scott said. "This is Florida, goddammit."


Scorecard: Trump Declares 'Great Victory,' But 34 Of His Candidates Lost

President Trump often employs the power of positive thinking when it comes to his own shortcomings, choosing to promote the wins rather than wallow or search for lessons in the losses. And so it was with his claim of a "very close to complete victory" in Tuesday's election, even though Democrats took control of the House.

Touting his blitz of rallies, especially in the two months before the election, Trump said his vigorous campaigning "stopped the blue wave that they talked about," resulting in a "great victory."

In Georgia, Kemp Claims Victory, But Won't Oversee Potential Recount

"And the history really will see what a good job we did in the final couple of weeks," he said, "in terms of getting some tremendous people over the finish line."

In 2018, he held 44 "Make America Great Again" rallies and tweeted endorsements of 83 candidates. In all, 91 Republican candidates got some kind of nod from Trump.

But Trump's actual success record fell well short of a "complete victory." Overall, approximately 55 percent of the candidates he endorsed have won so far in Tuesday's voting.

Using tweets as a stand-in for endorsements, in primaries, Trump's chosen candidates fared remarkably well, with a record of 27-1. But in the general election, where Republican base voters weren't the only ones deciding the outcome, Trump's scorecard is mixed, with 50 wins, 34 losses and seven races not yet decided (as of this writing). That's counting candidates he tweeted endorsements for or who spoke onstage at MAGA rallies with him. There were also two special House elections in 2018, which one of his candidates won and one lost.

In the closing week of campaigning, Trump turned away from the House, where many of the most competitive races ran through suburbs, focusing his attention on Senate and gubernatorial races in states where he is relatively popular.

On election night, White House political director Bill Stepien explained, "these are Trump states and his record of achievements going back to his historic 2016 victory put these races in play."

A Boatload Of Ballots: Midterm Voter Turnout Hit 50-Year High



With Final 'Evil' Act, Jeff Sessions 'Reminds Everyone Yet Again Why He's Been Worst Attorney General in Modern History'

In his last "evil" act as head of the Justice Department under President Donald Trump, Jeff Sessions reminded "everyone yet again why he's been the worst attorney general in modern history" and drastically limited the ability of federal officials to use court-enforced deals to require reforms at police departments that are found systematically violating people's civil rights.

Shortly before Trump forced Sessions to resign on Wednesday—and appointed a temporary replacement who is hostile toward Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation—Sessions signed a memorandum (pdf), as the New York Times reports, "sharply curtailing the use of so-called consent decrees, court-approved deals between the Justice Department and local governments that create a road map of changes for law enforcement and other institutions," by imposing "three stringent requirements for the agreements."

The decrees were, as the Times noted, "used aggressively by Obama-era Justice Department officials to fight police abuses," but soon after Sessions took office, he had signaled he would scale back their use and "ordered a review of the existing agreements, including with police departments in Baltimore, Chicago, and Ferguson, Mo., enacted amid a national outcry over the deaths of black men at the hands of officers."



NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch: The Thousand Oaks mass shooting was “horrific,” but “so are CA gun laws”

Several hours after a mass shooting at a bar in California, National Rifle Association spokesperson Dana Loesch compared the "evil" incident to the state's gun laws.

On November 7, at least 12 people were killed when a gunman with a .45-caliber handgun opened fire at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, CA, during a "country-music night" for college students. Just hours after the shooting, Loesch tweeted out a list of California gun safety measures, saying the latest shooting was "horrific" and "evil," but that "so are CA gun laws":

What happened was horrific. Evil is real. So are CA gun laws:
- Universal BG checks
- May issue
- 10 round mag limit
- Purchase limitations
- 10 day waiting period
- No reciprocity with other states
- "Assault weapons" ban & registration
- Ammo thru FFL
- Registration if moved https://t.co/lGG6HxxUrc

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) November 8, 2018

It's true that California does have some of the strongest gun safety laws in the country, including universal background checks, a ban on most assault weapons, regulations on gun show purchases, and 10-day waiting periods. The state also has one of the lowest gun death rates in the country; it dropped by 56.6 percent between 1993 and 2013, which was "29.9 percentage points more than the decline in the rest of the nation."

Stronger gun safety laws have had positive impacts elsewhere too: Daniel Webster, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, pointed out that permit-to-purchase gun safety laws in Connecticut caused a 40 percent decrease in firearm homicides and a 15 percent decrease in firearm suicides. Harvard University's Injury Control Research Center also found that in study after study, "where there are more guns there is more homicide."     

But in the wake of another horrific mass shooting, the NRA's spokesperson once again shifted the blame to fearmonger about "evil" gun safety laws. 


Another vetting failure—White House officials caught off-guard by Acting AG's disqualifying history

It appears once again Donald Trump has not hired "the best people" as he repeatedly promised he would do if he took office. Trump administration hires have included serial domestic abusers, avowed racists, and now, Matthew Whitacker, a former hot tub salesman who Donald Trump inexplicably tapped to be the acting attorney general. 

There are mounting legal questions about whether this is even a legitimate appointment. Legal experts contend Whitaker's appointment is both unconstitutional and in violation of the Vacancies Reform Act.

Those arguments aside, almost immediately after the Sessions resignation (at the request of Donald Trump) and the Whitaker announcement, commentary, Whitaker's troubling history, including many biased, false public statements regarding the Mueller investigation began to surface and CNN reports that White House staffers were surprised Whitaker had been so vocal about the Mueller investigation and that his statements appeared to completely disqualify him from taking over the role. Again, it appears nobody at the White House did even the most basic Google search about the man they tapped to lead the Department of Justice.

It was not widely known among White House staff that he'd commented repeatedly on the special counsel's investigation in interviews and on television -- which is ironic given that this is what drew President Donald Trump to him and raises continued questions over the depth of the administration's vetting process.

Sam Clovis, a 2016 Trump campaign national chairman who has close ties to Whitaker, encouraged him to get a regular commentary gig on cable television to get Trump's attention, according to friends Whitaker told at the time. Whitaker was hired as a CNN legal commentator last year for several months before leaving the role in September 2017 to head to the Justice Department.

Again, all they had to do was Google this man and his previous commentary would have been right there at their fingertips. The man was on CNN making false statements and leaping to conclusions about the Mueller investigation a year ago, long before the facts of the case (which still have not been released) were known. It's bonkers this man would oversee the investigation now in the fair and impartial manner demanded by our Constitution. It is yet another example of the total incompetence of this administration. 


Georgia Officials Kept Hundreds of Voting Machines Locked in Warehouses on Election Day

Hundreds of functional voting machines sat unused, locked away in warehouses, across metropolitan Atlanta as thousands of black voters weathered hours-long lines at the polls on Election Day.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, local officials in Cobb, DeKalb, and Fulton counties sequestered the machines due to "an ongoing federal lawsuit that argues Georgia's electronic voting machines could be hacked or tampered with."

But there's at least one major problem with this excuse: the ongoing litigation doesn't demand anything of the sort. Bruce Brown, an attorney for some of the plaintiffs in the case of Curling v. Kemp, noted this interesting turn of events in comments to the outlet:

No judge anywhere, at any time, has ever ordered Fulton County or any other county to set aside more machines than they said they could spare. No request was ever made by anyone to plaintiffs or the court suggesting that Fulton or anyone else needed more machines for this or any other election.

A Law&Crime analysis of the relevant court filings, motions, and orders in the case supports Brown's estimation of the problem here.

U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg has never issued any such decision. Nor have the plaintiffs or the defendants ever suggested such a scenario–functional machines kept under lock-and-key while polling sites struggle to accommodate voters–in any of their proposals to the court.

Brown's criticism of the decision didn't stop there. In an interview with Law&Crime, he elaborated on the failure of the counties affected by the lawsuit to properly prepare for Tuesday's high turnout election.

"Why didn't you ask for more?" he pondered out loud. "Why didn't you ask the Secretary of State? Why didn't you ask other counties? Why didn't you come back and ask the court? If you know you were going to be short, why did you just sit there knowing there was an election coming with huge turnout and not plan ahead?"

Brown also explained the genesis of the ongoing lawsuit excuse.

Earlier this year, the plaintiffs and the four state defendants–Cobb, Fulton, and DeKalb counties plus the Georgia Secretary of State–came to an agreement about which and how many machines wouldn't be used during the May primary election. There was no real disagreement there, Brown said.

When it came time for the same decision to be made about November's midterm election, however, the counties and Brian Kemp's office were completely silent about any potential problems.

"We said fine, and the notion was that the counties would be setting aside a certain number of machines," Brown explained, "but if they needed more they would come back and ask the parties for more information."

That never happened. And eventually the three counties in question–under the direction of Kemp's office–were overwhelmed by voters who stood in line for hours all across Atlanta and the surrounding suburbs.



Professional editors show precisely how the video released by the White House was doctored

Yesterday the social media and news worlds were afire when Donald Trump gave a rare solo press conference, something every president before him did on a regular basis. Trump entered the room looking and sounding tired. The bags under his eyes were heavier than the ones I toted on the plane home yesterday. Nevertheless, when it came time to actually take questions from reporters, he immediately took a combative stance.

As CNN's Jim Acosta tried to get in a couple of questions, Trump became increasingly angry at having to answer to the public, eventually exclaiming "That's enough!" An intern from the White House press operation sprang into action to take  the microphone away from Acosta. She repeatedly tried to take it from him, but Acosta held firm to the mic and said, "Excuse me, ma'am," as she repeatedly put her arm across his body to grab the microphone. You can see the original footage below, but this morning Sarah Sanders sent out a doctored version of the video, telling the public that they were suspending Acosta's White House pass because, they claim, he had essentially assaulted the young woman. 

Follow these short video clips to get the whole story. Here is the original video:


Opinion | Acosta should sue the president, and Americans should shun Sanders

The White House revoked the press pass of and defamed CNN's Jim Acosta, falsely accusing him of  putting his hands on an intern. Press secretary Sarah Sanders accused Acosta of "placing his hands" on the intern. In fact, video shows conclusively that the woman tried to grab the microphone from his hands, and he held onto it:

President Trump's conduct (Sanders surely didn't do this on her own) violates every democratic norm one can think of — and what's more, is illegal.

The First Amendment protects the press's right to report the news and the public's right to receive that news. The government cannot punish or threaten the press or individuals based on the content of what is reported. In fact, in a public forum, which Twitter was deemed to be, a federal court already ordered Trump to unblock Twitter users who were critical of him.

There is actually a lawsuit pending alleging that Trump is violating the First Amendment of members of the press by using the powers of his office to curtail criticism. As I reported last month, "PEN's lawsuit is not brought on behalf of those whom Trump threatened (e.g., The Post, Time Warner). Instead, it alleges: 'Defendant's use of the power and machinery of government to punish his media critics creates an atmosphere in which journalists must work under the threat of government retaliation. This environment, underscored by Defendant Trump's campaign of intimidation against critical reporting, casts a chill on speech that — even if braved and overcome by diligent and courageous reporters — constitutes an ongoing First Amendment violation.'"

[Molly Roberts: Sarah Sanders's diabolically clever attack on Jim Acosta]

Acosta has an even more obvious case because he is the one whose rights have been directly violated. (The current lawsuit could also be amended specifically to reference the Acosta incident as precisely the sort of action that would chill the First Amendment rights of  others.) The utility of filing a lawsuit (other than in annoying and embarrassing Trump and Sanders) would be a declaratory judgment ordering the White House to return Acosta's credentials and barring the White House from taking such action in the future.

This is a far better option than writing pointed statements as both CNN and the White House Correspondents' Association did on Wednesday. The statements, without further action, make the press appear feckless. They simply underscore the president's dominance over the media.

While I believe the press must continue to cover and attend news conferences when Trump is present, there is absolutely no reason to attend Sanders's briefings, which do not impart information but instead use the press as a forum to abuse and threaten reporters and spread misinformation. Sanders is not the news; the White House is the news. Reporters can cover their beats and obtain comment as necessary from Sanders without attending, let alone covering live, her (albeit rare) news briefings.

Sanders whines that the press is too critical or too mean or something. She can think whatever she pleases, but she is an employee of the American people and has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution like every other White House employee. She has no right to use her office to lie to the American people, let alone to violate the First Amendment. She has disgraced herself and should be denied the normal presumption of good faith accorded to past White House press secretaries. I condemn harassment and threatening conduct of any sort (shame on the protesters who showed up at Tucker Carlson's home and made threats); however, after leaving office, she deserves none of the niceties normally accorded to others in her position. (In the past, we would have said that she has not earned the right to be included in polite society.) No responsible news outlet should hire her; employers making hiring decisions have every reason to shun her.



Trump Says More Reporters May Lose White House Credentials

President Donald Trump said he might not return CNN reporter Jim Acosta's pass to get into the White House and that other journalists may lose their credentials as well, after he argued with Acosta at a post-election news conference on Wednesday.

"I haven't made that decision, but it could be others also," Trump said as he departed the White House on Friday for a commemoration of the end of World War I in France. He insulted Acosta, saying "I don't think he's a smart person but he's got a loud voice."

Unprompted, he brought up April Ryan, Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks, who often asks argumentative questions of Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Trump.

"The same thing with April Ryan," Trump said. "I mean, you talk about somebody who's a loser. She doesn't know what the hell she's doing. She gets publicity and then she gets a pay raise."

Ryan said in a tweet that she has "the most respect for the Office of the President."

I love this country and have the most respect for the Office of the President. I will continue to ask the questions that affect America, all of America.

— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) November 9, 2018

Trump's relationship with the journalists who cover the White House fell to a new low on Wednesday after the confrontation with Acosta, who provoked the president by asking him whether he had "demonized" immigrants in the run-up to Tuesday's midterm election. After increasingly heated back-and-forth between the men, Trump told Acosta "you should let me run the country, you run CNN," and cut off his questions.

When a White House intern tried to take a microphone from Acosta, he blocked her with his arm. Sanders later accused Acosta of "placing his hands" on the intern and said his White House credential had been suspended "until further notice."

Acosta responded by calling Sanders a liar. She subsequently tweeted a manipulated video clip that showed Acosta's arm touching the intern's arm as she tried to take the microphone. The video does not show Acosta putting his hands on the woman.

CNN has defended Acosta and assailed the White House for taking his credential. The White House Correspondents' Association said in a statement that "revoking access to the White House complex is a reaction out of line to the purported offense and is unacceptable."



How an InfoWars Video Became a White House Tweet

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders shared a video Wednesday evening of CNN reporter Jim Acosta's interaction with President Trump and a White House intern to defend the White House's decision to revoke Acosta's press pass. A WIRED review of Sanders' video reveals that it originated with conservative media sites and was presented in a way that makes the incident seem more dramatic than it was. Images from the video may not have been altered, but the effect is potentially misleading to viewers.

In releasing the video, Sanders said it offered proof of Acosta's "inappropriate behavior" with the intern. But differences between Sanders' video and an unedited version of the incident led to charges Wednesday that the White House had altered the video for political purposes.

What Actually Happened?

While Acosta was questioning President Trump at a press briefing, a White House intern attempted to grab his microphone. Acosta didn't let go of the mic, and attempted to avoid her grasp. During the three-second scuffle, his wrist and lower arm appears to touch her arm. The White House calls this behavior "inappropriate" and has revoked Acosta's press pass. Sanders posted an edited video of the event as proof.

Who Made the Video?

The video posted by Sanders appears identical to a video shared two hours earlier by Paul Joseph Watson, an editor-at-large at the right-wing media site InfoWars. Both videos were edited in the same way and had no sound. While the White House hasn't responded to inquiries about the source of the video posted by Sanders, it seems reasonable to say that the chance the two videos were created independently is extraordinarily low.

While the first four seconds of Watson's video appear to be from a C-Span feed, the true origins of the clip are a bit more complicated. It's notable that neither Watson's nor Sanders' video has sound, as the source video for both appears to be a three-second GIF circulated in conservative circles moments after the actual event took place.



Snoop Dogg Smokes Weed in Front of the White House, Says 'F*ck the President'

Snoop Dogg hasn't kept quiet about his opinion of President Donald Trump. In March 2017, the rapper released the video for his song "Lavender," in which he fired a phony gun at a Trump lookalike in clown makeup. (The president tweeted his response, naturally, suggesting there would be an outcry on the left if the video had depicted President Obama instead.) And just a few months ago, Snoop Dogg issued a fiery fuck-you to Trump supporters (including Kanye West) in an interview with Sirius XM's DJ Suss One.

On Wednesday, Snoop Dogg stopped by the White House with a joint in hand. Camping out in Lafayette Park, Snoop Dogg proceeded to get stoned, chat with fans, and declare, "Fuck the president."

Watch the series of videos the rapper posted to Instagram (via The Hill), which serves as both a political protest and, I suppose, just a regular day for Snoop Dogg.


The White House is sharing a fake video in a shameless attempt to discredit this CNN reporter.

On Wednesday, the White House shockingly pulled the credentials of reporter Jim Acosta, after the CNN reporter got into a heated exchange with President Trump during a televised press conference.

Acosta and Trump have sparred numerous times, with neither man hiding their contempt for each other. But pulling the credentials of a White House reporter over nothing more than a personal grievance from the president is entirely unprecedented, even in Donald Trump's administration.

So, it was understandable when the media and people around the world demanded an explanation for why Acosta was being barred from the White House and the obvious repercussions it could have for freedom of the press, government transparency and our democracy itself.

In response, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders distributed a video which she claims shows Acosta pushing a female White House intern as she attempts to take the microphone from Acosta.

However, people on social media quickly pointed out that the video is clearly doctored, speed up and edited to falsely make it appear like Acosta placed his hands on the intern in what Sanders called "inappropriate behavior."

Almost immediately, there has been a major backlash for Sanders to resign in the wake of sharing the video, which was created by the widely discredited alt-right site InfoWars. Even CNN got involved, sharing the actual, undoctored video of the interaction on their Twitter account:

As of now, Sanders still hasn't removed the video of addressed the accusations that it is doctored.


Right-wing media claim Democrats are trying to “steal” Florida elections by insisting all votes be counted

Marco Rubio falsely claims "democrat lawyers" are trying to steal Florida elections

On November 8, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) claimed that "democrat lawyers" are trying "to change the results of [the] election" this week in Florida, a conspiracy theory that numerous conservative media figures are also running with. Rubio's tweets argued that votes still being tallied, which are bringing a number of races within the margin to trigger an automatic recount, shouldn't be counted, in part because the "law requires counties report early voting & vote-by-mail within 30 minutes after polls close." In reality, Rubio botched his description of Florida law, and the officials in charge of counting the votes are Republican appointees.

Local reporters immediately debunk Rubio-inspired conspiracy theory

Miami New Times: Republican appointees are in charge of recount. Shortly after Rubio tweeted his baseless charge of Democrats trying to steal the election alongside an erroneous interpretation of Florida election law, the Miami New Times debunked his allegations of illegal partisanship on the part of election officials. From the Miami New Times:

Though Rubio is correct that the Broward elections department absolutely sucks, the office has never been accused (credibly, at least) of tampering with election results or illegally tipping the scales toward one candidate. There's also zero evidence that the Democratic "lawyers" Rubio references are up to anything more nefarious than normal.

Rubio is also leaving out some really important details. For one, [Supervisor of Elections Brenda] Snipes was a [former Republican Gov.] Jeb Bush appointee, so she's not exactly an obvious partisan. Two: The person in charge of election recounts at the state level is Secretary of State Ken Detzner, whom [Gov. Rick] Scott appointed to the job. Detzner and Scott were repeatedly accused of working together to hatch schemes designed to suppress Democratic votes over the past eight years. It is, frankly, a blatant conflict of interest for Detzner to oversee Scott's recount, but Rubio isn't complaining about that here. [Miami New Times, 11/8/17]


Kavanaugh Accuser Christine Blasey Ford Continues Receiving Threats, Lawyers Say

Christine Blasey Ford (center), flanked by attorneys Debra Katz and Michael Bromwich. The attorneys say that although Ford has tried to return to her life, she endures harassment. Tom Williams/Pool/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Tom Williams/Pool/Getty Images

Christine Blasey Ford (center), flanked by attorneys Debra Katz and Michael Bromwich. The attorneys say that although Ford has tried to return to her life, she endures harassment.

Tom Williams/Pool/Getty Images

Christine Blasey Ford is still being harassed after leveling sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, her lawyers say.

"Justice Kavanaugh ascended to the Supreme Court, but the threats to Dr. Ford continue," said Ford's lawyers, Debra Katz, Lisa Banks and Michael Bromwich, in a statement to NPR.


Ocasio-Cortez needs to wait for lawmaker salary to kick in to afford DC apartment

Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told The New York Times in an interview Thursday that she will need to wait for her congressional salary to kick in before she can rent an apartment in D.C.

She explained that the transition period will be "very unusual, because I can't really take a salary. I have three months without a salary before I'm a member of Congress. So, how do I get an apartment? Those little things are very real."

Ocasio-Cortez also told the Times that she had saved money before leaving her job at a restaurant and had planned accordingly with her partner.

"We're kind of just dealing with the logistics of it day by day, but I've really been just kind of squirreling away and then hoping that gets me to January," she said.

Ocasio-Cortez explained on Twitter after the interview's release that while everything with her housing is being figured out, her struggle with housing costs is one of "many little ways in which our electoral system isn't even designed (nor prepared) for working-class people to lead." 

There are many little ways in which our electoral system isn't even designed (nor prepared) for working-class people to lead.

This is one of them (don't worry btw - we're working it out!)
⬇️ https://t.co/PEQ5ccSDSO

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) November 8, 2018

Ocasio-Cortez, who on Tuesday became the youngest women in history elected to Congress, worked as a bartender before toppling veteran lawmaker Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.) in the Democratic primary election in June.


Reporters accuse Sanders of sharing edited video of Acosta-aide exchange

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is facing accusations that she shared an edited video of the exchange between CNN correspondent Jim Acosta and an administration aide at President TrumpDonald John TrumpMichelle Obama: 'I'd never forgive' Trump for 'birther' conspiracy Judge blocks Keystone XL pipeline Pelosi: Acting attorney general 'should not be there' MORE's post-midterm news conference on Wednesday.

Sanders shared the video on her official Twitter account to justify the White House's decision to revoke Acosta's press credentials after his tense exchange with Trump.

We stand by our decision to revoke this individual's hard pass. We will not tolerate the inappropriate behavior clearly documented in this video. pic.twitter.com/T8X1Ng912y

— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) November 8, 2018

Sanders cited Acosta's interaction with the press aide as reason for suspending his "hard pass."

During the press conference, the aide attempted to take a microphone away from Acosta as he questioned Trump, but he refused to let go. Video shows his arm brushing hers in the process.


Hospital worker fired after wearing Confederate shirt with noose to polls

A hospital worker from Mississippi went viral this week — and is now jobless — thanks to his outfit choice on Election Day.

Clayton Hickey, of Olive Branch, thought it would be a good idea to wear a Confederate flag T-shirt with a noose and the words "Mississippi Justice" emblazoned on the front.

His picture was taken at the polls on Tuesday and posted online for all to see. Social media users called Hickey out for the move, with many blasting him as racist.

The former cop had been wrongly identified as an election worker at first before local media outlets revealed his actual occupation.

"Clayton Hickey needs to be fired immediately," wrote one Twitter user in response. "He cannot be trusted to provide care to ALL patients of @RegOneHealthFDN, nor should he be able to be hired by anyone else in a role that is responsible for the well-being of others."

Hickey's employer, Regional One Health in Memphis, received countless messages on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday — calling for his termination — before officials finally decided to give the EMT the boot.

"Regional One Health is committed to a safe, secure, and comfortable work environment for our patients, guests, employees, and medical staff," the hospital said in a statement, noting how "all allegations of inappropriate behavior and violations of trust involving employees are reviewed and investigated."

"We understand and appreciate the intense feelings related to this situation, but it is our duty to perform a thorough due diligence to verify the truth," the statement said.


'Coward' Lindsey Graham Called Out For Empty Vow To Unleash 'Holy Hell' On Trump

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) once vowed that there would be "holy hell to pay" if President Donald Trump ever fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions

Yet when Sessions got the boot on Wednesday ― his letter said he resigned at the president's request ― Graham offered a different message. 

"I look forward to working with President Trump to find a confirmable, worthy successor so that we can start a new chapter at the Department of Justice and deal with both the opportunities and challenges our nation faces," he said in a statement online.  

Graham also praised Sessions, saying he had "served our nation well and honorably" and "dedicated his whole life to conservatism and upholding the Rule of Law." 

That's a far cry from Graham's vow to defend his former Senate colleague from Trump:

Lindsay Graham: "Any effort to go after Mueller could be the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency." pic.twitter.com/CZGyL8i3D5

— Axios (@axios) July 27, 2017

There are 'Nazis' in Congress, says former Republican leader John Boehner

Former Republican Leader of the House John Boehner has claimed there are "Nazis" serving in Congress

"We've got some of the smartest people in America who serve in the Congress, and we've got some of the dumbest", Mr Boehner said. "We have some of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet, and some that are Nazis".

The Ohio Republican and former Speaker of the House talked candidly about his former congressional colleagues in a lengthy article.

After presiding over a caucus fractured by the rise of the Tea Party, which propelled multiple challenges to his leadership, Mr Boehner ultimately stepped down. He has since become a critic of Donald Trump, whom he described as a "populist" without "an ideological bone in his body", but he said Mr Trump is not prejudiced.  

"I do not believe that he is a racist. I do not believe that he is a white supremacist," Mr Boehner told POLITICO Magazine. "He has clearly done some things to lead people who never liked him to say those things about him." 

But by labelling unnamed members of Congress "Nazis", Mr Boehner invoked a spectre that has been haunting American politics this year.



There have been 307 mass shootings in the US so far in 2018 — here's the full list

  • The number of mass shootings in the US this year has already reached 307.
  • At least 13 people, including the gunman, are dead after a shooting on Wednesday night at a bar in the Los Angeles suburb of Thousand Oaks.
  • There have been nearly as many US mass shootings as days in 2018.

At least 13 people, including the gunman, are dead after a shooting at a bar in Thousand Oaks, California, a Los Angeles suburb.

The bar, about 45 miles northwest of Los Angeles, was hosting a college night, attracting a young crowd.

It is the 307th mass shooting in 2018, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit that tracks shootings in the US.

To put this into perspective, we are 312 days into the year, meaning the US has had nearly as many mass shootings as days in 2018.

Americans are more likely to die from gun violence than many leading causes of death combined, with some 11,000 people in the US killed in firearm assaults each year.

There is no broadly accepted definition of a mass shooting. The Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as a single incident in which four or more people, not including the shooter, are "shot and/or killed" at "the same general time and location."

The government also doesn't have an official definition. In 2013, a report from the Congressional Research Service, known as Congress' think tank, described mass shootings as those in which shooters "select victims somewhat indiscriminately" and involve four or more deaths — a higher bar than the Gun Violence Archive's, as it doesn't take injuries into account.

Earlier in 2013, a federal mandate identified the threshold as three or more deaths.

According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, more than 12,000 people have died from gun-related violence in the US so far this year, and more than 24,000 others have been injured.

Here's a complete list of the mass shootings, as defined by the Gun Violence Archive, that have occurred in the US so far in 2018 (you can scroll down the list):

You can view a report of any incident by visiting the list on the Gun Violence Archive's website.


People On Twitter Call For Sarah Huckabee Sanders To Resign For Jim Acosta Video

Some Twitter users are calling for the resignation of White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders after she shared a video on her feed that appears to be doctored.

The video features CNN reporter Jim Acosta holding firm to a microphone while a White House intern attempts to take it from him. Sanders said in her tweets that Acosta "placed his hands" on the intern and that his behavior was inappropriate.

On Wednesday night, Sanders announced on Twitter that the administration would revoke Acosta's press credentials after a contentious interaction with President Donald Trump at a press conference earlier in the day. 

Trump called Acosta a "rude, terrible person" during the press conference and tried to cut off his questioning, all while a White House intern attempted to take the microphone from Acosta's hands. Sanders' video of the interaction looks to be sped up so that Acosta looks like he's moving more aggressively than he actually was.

Here's the video Sanders shared, followed by the video of the event as it was recorded: 


Zinke prepares to leave Trump’s Cabinet over impending investigations into his ethics

The news comes just a day after Trump told reporters that word on Zinke's fate may come 'in about a week.'

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has been exploring potential roles with Fox News, the energy industry or other businesses amid growing signs that he will leave President Donald Trump's Cabinet as he faces investigations into his ethics, according to people knowledgeable about the discussions.

The news comes just a day after Trump told reporters that word on Zinke's fate may come "in about a week" — and as the president is in the early stages of what could be a dramatic post-election house-cleaning of Cabinet officials and top aides, starting with Wednesday's ouster of Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Story Continued Below

Two of those people said Zinke has reached out to Fox to inquire about working at the conservative news channel as a contributor.

Zinke's outreach was a further sign that the former Navy SEAL and Montana congressman is seeking new employment opportunities. Zinke is also looking for positions on energy company boards of directors or private equity firms, sources have said — posts that one watchdog group said could pose conflict-of-interest problems for his current job running Interior.



NRA Tweets Warning To Anti-Gun Doctors: 'Stay In Your Lane'

Physicians who treat bullet wounds and deal with gun-related deaths were stunned when the National Rifle Association directed "self-important anti-gun" doctors to "stay in your lane."

The Twitter attack just hours before 12 people were killed in a California bar late Wednesday (the second mass shooting in the nation in less than two weeks) triggered an avalanche of angry responses from physicians, other health care workers and their supporters.

The NRA also grumbled in its tweet that doctors were consulting only medical research and other members of the health community to reach the conclusion that guns are an increasingly serious public health issue.

"Half of the articles in the Annals of Medicine are pushing for gun control," the NRA complained. 


Trump Installs a Critic of the Mueller Investigation to Oversee It


WASHINGTON — Matthew G. Whitaker, the attorney general's chief of staff, jockeyed over the last two months to replace his boss by forging a close relationship with the White House, where he was seen as a reliable political ally. On Wednesday, President Trump fired Jeff Sessions and named Mr. Whitaker acting attorney general, rewarding his loyalty.

Inside the Justice Department, senior officials, including Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, have viewed Mr. Whitaker with intense suspicion. Before his current job at the Justice Department, Mr. Whitaker, a former college football tight end, was openly hostile on television and social media toward the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, and was seen by department officials as a partisan and a White House spy.

The special counsel is leading the investigation into whether any of Mr. Trump's associates conspired with Russia during 2016 election and whether the president tried to obstruct the inquiry. Now Mr. Whitaker will oversee Mr. Mueller's investigation, prompting concerns that he could move swiftly to shut it down or hobble it, despite serious questions about his own potential conflicts in supervising it.


rest https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/07/us/politics/whitaker-mueller-trump.html

Kellyanne Conway's husband argues Trump's acting attorney general appointment is 'unconstitutional'

George Conway, the husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, co-wrote an op-ed in the New York Times published Thursday arguing that President Donald Trump's appointment of Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general is unconstitutional because he wasn't confirmed by the Senate.

"It's illegal. And it means that anything Mr. Whitaker does, or tries to do, in that position is invalid," Conway, a lawyer, and Neal Katyal, also a Washington lawyer and former acting solicitor general under President Barack Obama, wrote in the New York Times.

"Because Mr. Whitaker has not undergone the process of Senate confirmation, there has been no mechanism for scrutinizing whether he has the character and ability to evenhandedly enforce the law in a position of such grave responsibility. The public is entitled to that assurance, especially since Mr. Whitaker's only supervisor is Mr. Trump himself, and the president is hopelessly compromised by the Mueller investigation," Conway and Katyal wrote.

It's not the first time Conway has publicly shared views opposing those of his wife's boss. Conway and Katyal recently wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post arguing that Trump's proposal to end birthright citizenship is unconstitutional.



White House Spreads Doctored Video to Justify Temper Tantrum Against CNN Reporter

The White House doesn't want us to believe what we're seeing, so they're showing us things that are unbelievable.

On Wednesday, President Trump was in a foul mood and decided to hold an impromptu news conference that lasted nearly 90 minutes. A lot of weird things happened, and Trump was clearly feeling defensive about losing the House to Democrats on election day.

Around 35-minutes into the meltdown, Trump got into a heated exchange with CNN's Jim Acosta. A White House intern tried to step in and take the mic from Acosta, but when he held onto it, she backed away. Trump shouted him down. The whole thing seemed to be over until later that afternoon when White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that Acosta's press credentials had been revoked because he placed "his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job." After taking criticism for the gross mischaracterization of events, Sanders proceeded to tweet a video of the event as evidence of Acosta's "inappropriate behavior." The video, however, was manipulated.

'I Eat Once A Day': The Untold Stories Of The Housing Crisis

Many respondents said they couldn't afford a home in the neighborhood where they grew up. "We can only have one child because we cannot afford a three-bedroom home in our city," wrote one person in Denver. "If we wanted to have two children we would need to move 80 miles from our work." Another New Jersey resident said that he and his family have "no affordable options" to remain in their current city — the only place he's ever lived — and that "the demands from my wife that we move away to an area more affordable [have] caused some very tense moments in our marriage."

But the most heartbreaking was the reader who said she has been homeless since January. "My children live full time with their dad who is financially stable with an income of well over $100,000 a year," she wrote. "They unfortunately are not allowed to see me because I don't have a place to bring them to." Though she works in Bloomington, Minnesota, she drives 20 minutes away to sleep in her car every night, because the police will arrest her if she stays within city limits.


Thursday, November 8, 2018

Sarah Sanders Releases Doctored Video to Falsely Accuse CNN Reporter Trump Banned of ‘Inappropriate Behavior’

Revoking the 'Hard Pass' of a Reporter Critical of the Administration Is a Dream Come True for Trump

Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a clearly-doctored video to falsely accuse CNN reporter Jim Acosta of "inappropriate behavior" and "placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern."

The White House Press Office, reportedly under the direction of President Trump, revoked the press pass of CNN's Chief White House Correspondent Wednesday, after he pressed the president for answers during a rare yet off-the-rails press conference.

As many, including those who work in video editing noted, the clip is doctored and appears to be the one released by an editor who works for Alex Jones'  fake news and conspiracy theories website InfoWars. CNN's Brian Stelter asked Huckabee Sanders on Twitter directly:

This creative director explains how the video was altered:


Mueller's new boss: New Acting AG Defended Man’s Right to Call LGBTQ People the ‘Gaystapo’ and ‘The Enemy’ as ‘Religious Beliefs’

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker just three years ago defended a newspaper editor who had publicly labeled LGBTQ people "the gaystapo" and "the enemy." Whitaker claimed his client's "sincerely-held religious beliefs" gave him a right to denigrate LGBTQ people – while keeping his job.

In 2014 Bob Eschliman, the editor of a small Iowa newspaper, wrote in his personal blog post an angry rant attacking gay people and the LGBT community as "the enemy," "the deceivers," the "Gaystapo," and "the LGBTQXYZ crowd," as NCRM reported.

His employer, the third third-oldest family-owned newspaper in the country, took a principled stand and fired him – not for his religious beliefs, but for a very ugly attack on LGBTQ people. In an editorial after terminating him the newspaper noted that it had "lost some of that public trust that is so vital to our existence" as a newspaper, as a result of Eschliman's actions, and were working to get it back.

Eschliman filed a federal complaint against his former bosses with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), claiming he was fired for his religious beliefs.

His attorney, Matthew Whitaker, penned a letter in 2015 to his former employer, claiming Eschliman "holds religious beliefs similar to millions of Americans." He also claimed that they "intentionally discriminated" against him for his religious beliefs.

At the time, Whitaker was  a volunteer attorney for the anti-gay Christian right organization Liberty Institute.

President Donald Trump just hours ago named Whitaker as the Acting Attorney General, after firing Jeff Sessions.


Mueller's boss wrote: "Note to Trump's lawyer: Do not cooperate with Mueller lynch mob"

The Wall Street Journal reports that special counsel Robert Mueller has convened a grand jury to investigate purported collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians to affect the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

For its part, the Trump people have hired a phalanx of high-priced lawyers. One of them, special counsel to the president Ty Cobb, has announced that "The White House is committed to fully cooperating with Mr. Mueller."

I sure hope Ty was kidding. Cooperation with Mueller's lynch mob is the last thing Trump or any of his people should do. But, just in case Cobb meant what he said, let me offer him some free advice.

Ty, you don't know me. No reason you should. I'm not a high-powered New York or Washington lawyer. A classy guy like you would sneer at my low hourly rate and my cheap, ill-fitting wardrobe. If I ever showed up at your private club, you would undoubtedly rub your cigar out on my forehead and have me escorted off the premises for vagrancy.

But, please, listen up. I'm speaking to you as one who spent more than 20 years as a prosecutor conducting federal and state grand jury investigations and another 20 years as a defense lawyer representing targets of grand juries. As a prosecutor, I interrogated hundreds of witnesses under oath for thousands of hours and presided over the return of grand jury indictments and presentments resulting in thousands of felony charges. So listen carefully.

The absolute last thing someone in your client's position should do is cooperate with Mueller. For the target of a grand jury investigation, cooperation is a sucker play guaranteed to result in disaster. If your client is a so-called person of interest or potential target, never, ever allow him to testify before the grand jury. Same thing for giving a statement to an investigator. It's a trap, plain and simple.

Even if the prosecutor can't prove that your client committed the crime supposedly being investigated, he will be charged with obstruction of justice or some similar offense for providing false information to agents or false swearing. This will happen as surely as night follows day.

And I don't care if your client is Mother Teresa telling the absolute truth. All a highly motivated prosecutor has to do is have some lying sleazebag contradict her testimony, and Teresa will leave the courthouse in handcuffs.



All the times Robert Mueller’s new boss railed against the Russia probe

Donald Trump wasted no time ousting attorney general Jeff Sessions, a longtime thorn in his side, after the midterm elections. His replacement, Matthew Whitaker has said he has "a lot of respect" for special counsel Robert Mueller, but he also has a long history of criticizing Mueller's investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia.

Here is a collection of Whitaker's long list of writings, tweets, and statements criticizing the probe.

Opposing Mueller before he was appointed

After Trump fired FBI director James Comey, Whitaker wrote an May 2017 op-ed in the Hill calling the move "the right decision." He took a firm stance against appointing a special counsel to investigate Trump's campaign ties to Russia, writing, "Hollow calls for independent prosecutors are just craven attempts to score cheap political points and serve the public in no measurable way."

No obstruction of justice case

In a June 2017 radio interview discussing former FBI director James Comey's Congressional testimony on his firing by Trump, Whitaker said "there is no criminal obstruction of justice charge to be had here [against Trump]." Obstruction of justice is one of the charges Mueller is believed to be pursuing.