“LEFT JAB AND RIGHT JAB”

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“LEFT JAB AND RIGHT JAB”

“Right Jab And Left Jab” was created because we have two commenters that post on a daily basis either in our “IS IT TRUE” or “Readers Forum” columns concerning National or International issues.
Joe Biden and Ronald Reagan’s comments are mostly about issues of national interest.  The majority of our “IS IT TRUE” columns are about local or state issues, so we have decided to give Mr. Biden and Mr. Reagan exclusive access to our newly created “LEFT JAB and RIGHT JAB”  column. They now have this post to exclusively discuss national or world issues that they feel passionate about.
We shall be posting the “LEFT JAB” AND “RIGHT JAB” several times a week.  Oh, “Left Jab” is a liberal view and the “Right Jab is representative of the more conservative views. Also, any reader who would like to react to the written comments of the two gentlemen is free to do so.

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18 COMMENTS

  1. Mayor Pete veering to the far left by channeling his inner Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren:
    ……………………………………………………………………………………
    Buttigieg backs far-left idea of erasing Thomas Jefferson’s name: ‘It’s the right thing to do’

    “The real reason I think there is a lot of pressure on this is the relationship between the past and present that we’re finding in a million different ways that racism isn’t some curiosity out of the past that we’re embarrassed about but moved on from,” he said.

    • Imaging how much protesting she will be doing when Trump is re-elected.

  7. Day 840: No choice.

    1/ Mick Mulvaney criticized Republicans for not informing him that Trump Jr. would be subpoenaed by the Senate Intelligence Committee as part of its ongoing probe into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign. The acting White House chief of staff called it “bad form” to “not at least get a heads-up” from the Republican-led committee. Senator Richard Blumenthal said that “If [Trump Jr.] fails to comply with a lawful subpoena, he has no privilege, prison is the only answer.” Trump Jr. is expected to assert his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination in order to resist testifying about his contacts with Russia. (Washington Post / Politico / CNN / The Hill / Reuters)

    📌 Day 839: The Senate Intelligence Committee subpoenaed Trump Jr. to answer questions about his previous testimony related to the Russia investigation. Trump Jr. testified before the committee in September 2017 that he was only “peripherally aware” of the proposed plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Michael Cohen, however, told a House committee earlier this year that he had met with both Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump “approximately 10” times to brief them about the Trump Tower plan. The Republican-led committee wants Trump Jr. to answer questions about his claim to have limited knowledge of the plan. (Axios / CNBC / New York Times)
    2/ House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for “counterintelligence and foreign intelligence” from Robert Mueller’s investigation. Schiff said his committee had “no choice” but to serve the subpoena after the Justice Department “repeatedly failed to respond, refused to schedule any testimony, and provided no documents responsive to our legitimate and duly authorized oversight activities.” Schiff gave Attorney General William Barr a deadline of May 15 to hand over the evidence. (Politico / CNN)

    3/ House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agreed with Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler that the U.S. is in a “constitutional crisis” over the Trump administration’s refusal to comply with congressional oversight, telling reporters: “The administration has decided they are not going to honor their oath of office.” The House Judiciary Committee voted yesterday to recommend the House hold Barr in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over an unredacted version of Mueller’s report. Pelosi said she would bring the contempt citation to the floor for a vote of the full House “when we are ready.” (New York Times / Axios)

    Former national security adviser H.R. McMaster accused his former White House colleagues of being “a danger to the Constitution” because they’re either trying to push their own agenda or see themselves as rescuing the country from Trump. (Politico)
    poll/ 45% of Americans support impeaching Trump – up 5 percentage points since mid-April. 42% said Trump should not be impeached and the rest said they had no opinion. (Reuters)

    Notables.
    The White House implemented new rules that could reduce the number of journalists that hold “hard” passes, which allow them to enter the White House grounds without seeking daily permission. Journalists will be required to enter the White House grounds at least 50% of the time in the 180 days before renewal. If they fall short of this, they must apply each time they want access. (Washington Post)

    North Korea fired two short-range missiles – the second weapons launch in five days. They flew 43 to 125 miles before landing in the sea. (Associated Press / New York Times)

    The U.S. seized a North Korean ship used to sell coal in violation of American law and international sanctions hours after North Korea launched a pair of short-range missiles. (New York Times / Washington Post)

    Trump picked acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan to take over as secretary of defense following the resignation of Jim Mattis. The nomination of the former longtime executive at Boeing had been held up by an inspector general’s probe into whether he acted improperly in favor of Boeing, a major Pentagon contractor. He was recently cleared of wrongdoing, but still needs Senate confirmation. (CNBC / Politico / Bloomberg / NBC News / Washington Post)

    Trump joked about shooting migrants at the border during a rally in Florida. Trump was complaining that “border security people” are prohibited from shooting migrants approaching the border when he asked, “How do you stop these people?” One of his supporters shouted: “Shoot them!” Trump paused, laughed, and responded that “Only in the Panhandle you can get away with that statement. Only in the panhandle.” (USA Today / Washington Post / CNN)

    https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2019/05/09/day-840/

  8. Day 841: No Rush.

    1/ The House Ways and Mean Committee subpoenaed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin over Trump’s tax returns. IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig was also subpoenaed. Chairman Richard Neal gave Mnuchin and Rettig until until May 17 to turn over six years of Trump’s returns, and is expected to go to court to enforce his request if the Trump administration continues to argue that the committee does not have a legitimate legislative purpose that warrants compliance. Earlier this week, Mnuchin rejected Neal’s request for the returns. Trump previously vowed to fight all subpoenas from House Democrats. Subpoenas are now pending from the Ways and Means, Judiciary, Oversight and Reform, Financial Services, and the Intelligence Committees. (CNBC / New York Times / Politico / Washington Post) / Wall Street Journal)

    2/ The House Judiciary Committee introduced the “No President Is Above the Law Act” that would “pause the statute of limitations for any federal offense committed by a sitting president.” The move is an attempt to get around a Justice Department ruling that a sitting president cannot be indicted or criminally prosecuted. Robert Mueller laid out extensive evidence of possible obstruction by Trump, but declined to exonerate Trump in his report, citing a Justice Department legal opinion that a sitting president cannot be indicted. (Axios)

    3/ Robert Mueller won’t testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee next week, but “he will come at some point,” committee chairman Jerrold Nadler told reporters. The committee is still negotiating with the Justice Department for Mueller’s appearance. “If it’s necessary,” Nadler said, “we will subpoena him and he will come.” Mueller was tentatively scheduled to appear May 15th. (The Hill / Reuters)

    4/ Trump escalated his trade war with China, raising tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods and moving ahead to tax nearly all of China’s imports. Trump said the move is meant to punish China for attempting to “renegotiate” a trade deal between the two countries. At one point, Trump mentioned that he received a “beautiful letter” from Chinese President Xi Jinping, who wanted to speak with him on the phone, but later said he would be more than happy to keep hitting China with tariffs. “I have no idea what’s going to happen,” Trump said, tweeting later that there is “no need to rush” on to securing a trade deal with China. (New York Times / NPR / Washington Post / Bloomberg)

    Notables.
    Maria Butina denied that she tried to infiltrate U.S. conservative groups in order to promote Russian interests. She claimed she was “building peace.” Butina pleaded guilty to conspiring to serve as a foreign agent inside the United States. (NPR)

    The House passed a $19.1 billion disaster relief package for farmers and communities hit by hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other natural disasters, including Puerto Rico. Trump urged House Republicans late Thursday night to vote down the bill. Instead, 30 Republicans voted in support of the bill, and the measure passed 257-150. (New York Times / Washington Post)

    North Korea’s three new missiles have “Russian technology fingerprints all over” them, military experts said. The missiles reportedly bear a resemblance to the Russian-designed Iskander – a short-range, nuclear-capable ballistic missile that has been in the Russian arsenal for more than a decade. (Associated Press)

    A commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard rejected Trump’s invitation to sit down for talks with the U.S. Trump said he would not rule out military action against Iran, but “would like to see them call me” first. Gen. Yadollah Javani responded that “there will be no negotiations with America,” claiming that the U.S. wouldn’t dare take military action against Iran. (Associated Press / Reuters)

    The Pentagon will shift $1.5 billion in funds to help pay for construction of 80 miles of wall at the U.S.-Mexican border. The funds were originally targeted for support of the Afghan security forces and other projects, and follows the Pentagon’s decision in March to transfer $1 billion from Army personnel budget accounts to support wall construction. (Associated Press)

    The Department of Housing and Urban Development confirmed the Trump administration’s plan to evict undocumented immigrants from public housing could displace more than 55,000 children. The proposed rule would make it harder for undocumented immigrants to access public housing, in order to “make certain our scarce public resources help those who are legally entitled to it,” according to HUD Secretary Ben Carson. The agency’s own analysis found that half of the people currently living in households facing eviction and homelessness under the new rule are children who are legally qualified for aid. (Washington Post)

    Rudy Giuliani is encouraging Ukraine to pursue an investigation into Joe Biden’s son and his involvement in a gas company owned by a Ukrainian oligarch. Trump’s personal lawyer is meeting with the incoming government in Kiev to press them to try to discredit Mueller’s investigation and undermine the case against Paul Manafort. “We’re not meddling in an election,” Giuliani said. “We’re meddling in an investigation, which we have a right to do.” (New York Times / NBC News)

    https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2019/05/10/day-841/

  9. Day 844: Rules and norms.

    1/ The White House asked Don McGahn to declare that Trump never obstructed justice. Two requests by presidential advisers show how far the White House has gone to try to push back on accusations that the president obstructed justice. McGahn initially entertained the request. “We did not perceive it as any kind of threat or something sinister,” McGahn’s attorney said in a statement. “It was a request, professionally and cordially made.” (New York Times)

    2/ Leaked letters reveal the details of NRA Chief Wayne LaPierre’s alleged spending. National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre billed the group’s ad agency $39,000 for one day of shopping at a Beverly Hills clothing boutique, $18,300 for a car and driver in Europe, and had the agency cover $13,800 in rent for a summer intern, according to newly revealed NRA internal documents. (Wall Street Journal)

    3/ The White House decried the investigations by House Democrats and complained that they are not following “rules and norms.” The White House on Sunday decried Democratic-led congressional investigations, saying Democrats are refusing to abide by “rules and norms” that govern oversight authority as they issue subpoenas for documents the Trump administration refuses to hand over. (CNN)

    Suddenly, conservative lawyers are condemning Trump for abuses of power. Prominent Republican lawyers are pushing back against Trump’s defiance of subpoenas and expansive claims of executive privilege and immunity from prosecution. (Los Angeles Times)
    4/ China is raising tariffs on $60 billion of U.S. goods starting on June 1. The move to impose steeper tariffs on U.S. goods comes in response to Trump’s decision to hike tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods. Trump’s trade approach is also under attack back in the U.S. as China readies retaliation and the markets prepare for a big sell-off. (CNBC / Washington Post)

    Trump disputes impact of tariffs on American consumers, but warns China not to retaliate. The president accused Beijing of backing out of a “great deal” last week. (Politico)
    5/ Trump aide Larry Kudlow acknowledged that U.S. consumers will be the ones who pay for Trump’s tariffs, not China. “Both sides will suffer on this,” Kudlow said. Trump’s decision to renew his trade war with China could inflict lasting damage on the American economy, but the ultimate impact depends on how far the president takes the fight. (NBC News / New York Times)

    6/ Nadler is under pressure from calls for “inherent contempt.” The House Judiciary Committee chairman faces pressure to get tougher with the Trump administration and start threatening fines or jail time as punishment for noncompliance. (Politico)

    Schiff: Campaigns shouldn’t be allowed to get foreign help. The California Democrat responds to Rudy Giuliani’s proposed (and then scrapped) Ukraine trip. (Politico)

    Schiff: Trump’s additional obstruction of Congress “does add weight to impeachment”. “He certainly seems to be trying, and maybe this is his perverse way of dividing us more.” (Axios)

    Schiff: Robert Mueller “is going to testify.” On “This Week,” Rep. Adam Schiff and Sen. Rand Paul weighed in on the Democratic-led congressional investigations into the president. (ABC News)

    7/ The Pentagon will pull money from its ballistic missile and surveillance plane programs in order to fund Trump’s border wall. The Defense Department, under Trump, intends to reprogram $2.5 billion that was originally designated by Congress for other projects. (Washington Post)

    Is there a connection between undocumented immigrants and crime?. It’s a widely held perception, but a new analysis finds no evidence to support it. (New York Times)

    8/ Omarosa wants to join a lawsuit alleging that women were underpaid by the Trump campaign. A former campaign staffer who accused Trump of sexual misconduct and pay discrimination filed a motion Monday asking for a judge to allow others, including Omarosa, to join her initial lawsuit filed in February. (Washington Post)

    https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2019/05/13/day-844/

  10. Day 845: Echoes.

    1/ The White House reviewed military plans to attack Iran, in echoes of the Iraq War. The plans call for up to 120,000 American troops but not a land invasion of Iran. They were updated at the request of John Bolton, Trump’s national security adviser, who has been calling for the U.S. to go to war with Iran for nearly two decades. (New York Times)

    2/ Attorney General William Barr instructed the U.S. Attorney in Connecticut to review the origins of the Russia investigation. The prosecutor has conducted other sensitive investigations into conduct by national security officials, including the C.I.A.’s torture of detainees. (New York Times)

    3/ Global stocks fell in response to China’s retaliation against U.S. tariffs, stoking economic anxiety. Stocks around the world fell sharply on Monday as the trade war between the world’s two biggest economies showed little sign of ending soon. Signs of economic anxiety also appeared in other financial markets. (New York Times)

    4/ The U.S. is preparing to slap tariffs on all remaining Chinese imports, which could add levies on roughly $300 billion in additional goods. Days after both countries raised hopes of a deal, Trump and Xi instead escalated their tariff war. (Washington Post)

    GOP’s farm belt Senators back Trump as China takes aim at U.S. agriculture. Republican lawmakers in the farm belt are standing with President Donald Trump in the wake of an escalating trade war with China, which retaliated on Monday with more tariffs on agricultural goods. (CNBC)
    5/ The House Intelligence Committee is investigating claims of obstruction of justice against Trump’s lawyers. The Committee has opened an inquiry into Michael Cohen’s claims that lawyers for Trump and his family helped shape false testimony. (New York Times)

    6/ Trump Jr. struck a deal with the Senate Intelligence Committee to come to Capitol Hill in mid-June to answer the committee’s questions for 2–4 hours. The agreed-upon topics for questioning include the Trump Tower Moscow development, but no other details about the compromise are currently available. (Axios)

    Trump Jr.’s no-shows led to him being subpoenaed by the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the Committee’s Republican chairman Senator Richard Burr. Allies of Mr. Trump have mounted a campaign to quash the subpoena from the Committee, putting intense pressure on Burr. (New York Times)
    7/ Trump said he would agree not to use stolen material as part of his 2020 presidential campaign. Trump said he would stay away from information stolen by foreign adversaries in his re-election bid, his first public commitment to doing so. (NBC News)

    8/ Trump praised Hungary’s authoritarian prime minister Victor Orbán and called him “highly respected.” “Probably like me a little bit controversial, but that’s okay,” Trump said, because “you’ve done a good job and you’ve kept your country safe.” (Axios)

    9/ Before Trump’s purge at the Department of Homeland Security, some top DHS officials challenged his plan to carry out mass family arrests. Kirstjen Nielsen and Ronald Vitiello were ousted after halting an operation that would have targeted thousands of parents and children in 10 cities for arrest and deportation. (Washington Post)

    10/ Exclusive photos reveal children sleeping on the ground at a Border Patrol station in Texas. Photos obtained by CNN show migrants at the Border Patrol station in McAllen, Texas over the weekend, many of whom are children, sleeping on the ground on rocks and covered by Mylar blankets. A baby bottle filled with milk can be seen in one photo next to a child sleeping outside on dirt, and in another, a woman is seen sitting on rocks leaning against a wall clutching a child. (CNN)

    https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2019/05/14/day-845/

  11. Day 846: Escalating tensions.

    1/ The White House rejected Congress’ demands for records and staff testimony, saying the investigations amount to an “unauthorized do-over” of the Mueller investigation. The letter also rejected the committee’s standing to investigate Trump for possible obstruction of justice. “Unfortunately, it appears that you have already decided to press ahead with a duplicative investigation,” White House counsel Pat Cipollone wrote. (NBC News / Washington Post)

    House Democrats are planning a marathon public reading of the Mueller report. The reading of all 448 pages of the redacted report, starting at noon Thursday, will take an estimated 12 to 14 hours. (Washington Post)
    2/ A federal judge grilled Trump’s legal team as Democrats fight for access to Trump’s financial records. Amit Mehta, a U.S. District Court judge in Washington, raised pointed doubts Tuesday about arguments by Trump’s legal team that a Democratic effort to subpoena Trump’s financial records was an invalid exercise of congressional power. An early court test for Trump’s vow to stonewall all subpoenas could be the start of a long fight over congressional oversight. (Politico / New York Times)

    3/ All non-essential staff are being evacuated from the U.S. Embassy in Iraq as the U.S. continues to threaten Iran. The embassy says the State Department has ordered all non-essential, non-emergency government staff to leave the country right away amid escalating tensions with Tehran. (Associated Press)

    Skeptical U.S. allies are resisting Trump’s new claims of threats from Iran. The Trump administration is laying the groundwork for major military action against Iran, but it may have a hard time rallying domestic and international support. (New York Times)

    The German government has expressed concern about the tensions in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran, warning of a military escalation and saying it supports all measures for a peaceful solution. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said on Wednesday that, “obviously, we are watching the increasing tensions in the region with big concern and welcome any measure that is aimed at a peaceful solution.” (Associated Press)

    4/ Jared Kushner struggled to answer GOP senators’ questions on his immigration plan. In a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser tried to pitch his plan to overhaul legal immigration but failed to win over Republicans, according to GOP officials. (Washington Post)

    5/ Gov. Ron DeSantis: Russians hacked voting databases in two Florida counties. The GOP governor said the incidents took place in 2016 and no election results were compromised. (NBC News / Associated Press)

    6/ The White House will not sign on to an international agreement to combat online extremism. The agreement was brokered between French and New Zealand officials and top social media companies. The U.S. did not agree to sign the agreement due to concerns that the pact clashes with constitutional protections for free speech. (Washington Post)

    7/ Trump’s tariffs, once seen as leverage, may be here to stay. Trump’s latest trade measures have left the United States with the highest tariff rate among the most developed countries, outranking Canada, Germany, Russia and even China. (New York Times)

    GOP senators raise alarms, criticize Trump as U.S.-China trade war heats up. They say tariffs are hurting their rural constituents, and they’re considering options to aid farmers. (Washington Post)
    8/ Alabama passed a near-total abortion ban with no exceptions for cases that involve rape or incest. The legislation is the most restrictive anti-abortion measure passed since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973. (CBS News)

    9/ Trump Tower is now one of the least-desirable luxury buildings in New York City. Most condo owners who sold the property since 2016 have recorded a loss. “No one wants in that building,” said one former owner. (Bloomberg)

    https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2019/05/15/day-846/

  12. Day 847: On fire.

    1/ The U.S. military will build six tent cities near border for migrants. The tents will likely not be on military bases, and ICE — not the military — will be responsible for migrant detention and custodial support. (NBC News)

    2/ Trump’s immigration plan will emphasizes immigrants’ skills over their family ties. The plan will significantly scale back family-based immigration and increase the educational and skills requirements to move to the United States. (New York Times / NPR)

    3/ Trump, frustrated by advisers, is not convinced the time is right to attack Iran. “They are getting way out ahead of themselves, and Trump is annoyed,” one official said of aides pushing for aggressive action. (Washington Post)

    Trump told his Pentagon chief he does not want a war with Iran. Trump’s statement came during a briefing on the rising tensions with Tehran, and officials said he was firm in saying he did not want a military clash. (New York Times)
    4/ The Missouri Senate passed a bill to ban abortions at 8 weeks. Senators approved the legislation 24-10 and now needs at least one more vote of approval in the GOP-led House before it can go to Republican Gov. Mike Parson, who voiced support for the bill. (Associated Press)

    Alabama governor signs near-total abortion ban aimed squarely at Roe v. Wade, but the Supreme Court may prefer to chip away at abortion rights rather than overrule Roe outright. The new law is the most restrictive anti-abortion measure passed in the U.S. since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973. The controversial abortion bill could punish doctors who perform abortions with life in prison. (New York Times / CBS News) / CNN)
    5/ Trump moved to ban foreign telecom gear as part of an ongoing battle with China. American officials have long warned that they would stop sharing intelligence if allies installed Chinese technology on their 5G networks. (New York Times)

    6/ Farmer who voted for Trump says he’ll “never vote for him again” as family is set to lose $150,000 in China trade war. “This is survival at this point. I mean, for a lot of operations it is a survival thing,” Iowa farmer Robert Ewoldt said. (Newsweek)

    7/ Company owned by Brazilian crooks received $62 million in Trump bailout cash meant for struggling U.S. farmers. The Trump administration has forked over more than $62 million — taxpayer cash that was supposed to be earmarked for struggling American farmers — to a massive meatpacking company owned by a couple of… (New York Daily News)

    8/ Trump pardoned his billionaire friend Conrad Black, who wrote a book about him. Black was convicted in 2007 on fraud charges, including alleged embezzlement, and obstruction of justice. (Washington Post / Reuters)

    9/ Attorney General William Barr denied he is blocking Robert Mueller’s testimony before Congress. “It’s Bob’s call whether he wants to testify,” Barr said. (Wall Street Journal)

    10/ Ted Cruz warned that Trump’s “Space Force” is needed to prevent space pirates. “Pirates threaten the open seas, and the same is possible in space,” Cruz said. (The Hill)

    11/ Scott Pruitt spent nearly $124,000 on “excessive airfare” and the EPA watchdog suggests agency recover the $124,000 in travel expenses. A new Office of Inspector General report suggests there was not “sufficient justification to support security concerns requiring the use of first- and business-class travel.” (Washington Post / NBC News / CNN)

    12/ Trump’s prized Doral resort is in steep decline, according to company documents, showing his business problems are mounting. Eric Trump said the resort was “on fire,” but the company later said profitability was down 69%. (Washington Post)

    Trump’s Mar-a-Lago took a financial hit last year. “The Art of the Deal” continues to make money, but Trump’s dozen-plus other books brought in next to nothing — $201 or less. (Politico)

    Trump’s wealth in the spotlight with new disclosure forms. America is about to get a tantalizing look into the hidden fortune on which Donald Trump made his name but is at the root of some of the most mysterious unresolved questions about his presidency. (CNN)

    Televangelist Jim Bakker Show Peddles $45 Coin to Pray for President Donald Trump in SpectacularGrift. For just $45, you can pray for the president with this coin that’s sold by a guy who says God told him you need the coin. (esquire.com)

    poll/ Voters still see Trump as a successful businessman. The president maintains a positive image despite recent negative reports about his tax filings. (Politico)

    poll/ 77% of Americans don’t think Trump’s term should be extended two years. 7% of respondents said that if Trump loses the 2020 election, he should ignore the results and stay in office. (University of Virginia Center for Politics)

    https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2019/05/16/day-847/

  13. Day 848: Willingness to cooperate

    Improve this article Revision history 2 Contributors
    1/ Michael Flynn told Robert Mueller that people tied to Trump and a person “connected to” Congress tried to obstruct the Russia investigation. Flynn said he received communications from Trump associates that could have affected the ex-national security adviser’s “willingness to cooperate.” Flynn not only told investigators about these communications, but provided Mueller’s office with a voicemail of one instance. Flynn pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI in December 2017. (NBC News / CNN / CNBC / Axios) / Politico)

    2/ A judge ordered public release of what Flynn said in call to the Russian ambassador. The order calls for a public transcript of the call by the former national security adviser that was a critical avenue in the Mueller probe. (Washington Post)

    Democrats want a review of Russian investments in Kentucky. A Russian aluminum company recently came out from under United States sanctions. Now it’s planning to invest $200 million in Kentucky, and maybe more in other states. (New York Times)

    Panhandle county that backed Trump among Russian hacking victims. Washington County was one two counties successfully hacked by Russians seeking voter information files. (Politico)

    Judge confirms Trump associate gave feds Osama bin Laden’s number. Felix Sater, who became an FBI informant after pleading guilty in a 1998 fraud scheme, later helped drive talks for a potential Trump Tower Moscow. (Politico)

    3/ Trump wants his border barrier to be painted black with spikes. He has other ideas, too. Pointed tops. Fewer gates. Resistance to climbing. Trump’s frequently changing design requests have frustrated Homeland Security officials and military engineers. (Washington Post)

    4/ Trump’s pick for ICE director: I can tell which migrant children will become gang members by looking into their eyes. “I’ve looked at them and I’ve looked at their eyes, Tucker — and I’ve said that is a soon-to-be MS-13 gang member. It’s unequivocal.” (Politico)

    5/ Trump delayed auto tariffs while pressing for a deal with Japan and Europe. Trump stepped back from opening another front in a global trade war by delaying tariffs on automobiles until later this year. (New York Times)

    6/ Trump’s tariffs are equivalent to one of the largest tax increases in decades. An analysis of data from the Treasury Department ranks the combined $72 billion in revenue from all the president’s tariffs as one of the biggest tax increases since 1993. (CNBC)

    7/ Trump reports making at least $434 million in 2018, according to his annual financial disclosure released by the White House. (CNN)

    https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2019/05/17/day-848/

  14. There are at least 29 investigations into Trump and his closest allies—that we know of

    There are currently at least 10 federal criminal investigations underway that touch upon the dealings of Donald J. Trump and his top allies. Ten! And that’s just the ones we know of!

    The New York Times put together a comprehensive list of federal, state, and congressional investigations linked to Donald Trump and it is certainly … illuminating … to see it all in one place. By the Times’ reckoning, there are 29 such investigations underway at present. Of those, 10 are for possible federal crimes, eight others are state or local (most in Trump’s home state of New York), and 11 are congressional works in progress.

    Nearly all fall into three distinct groups. There are multiple investigations into the grift machine surrounding Trump, centered mostly around Trump’s inaugural committee and the gobs of still-unaccounted for money that sloshed through it, but also on potential improprieties in who has been granted security clearances and on the administration’s very curious attempts to boost Saudi Arabian efforts to acquire nuclear technology.

    There are numerous investigations as to whether the current president has been a lifelong tax dodge, bank and insurance fraudster, money launderer, and committed other financial crimes. Numerous. Trump’s status as a still-unindicted Individual 1 in a hush money scheme during his own presidential campaign may not be the capper of that lot, but is the most developed; Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and his prosecutors now appear to agree that Trump himself ordered that a criminal action take place.

    And then, of course, there’s Russia, its actions to boost Trump in his presidential election, and Trump’s robust and ongoing efforts to keep federal investigators from delving too deeply into his campaign and administration’s own solicitations and responses.

    Now that Robert Mueller has submitted his final report, each of the cases taken up by the special counsel’s office has been parceled out to other offices; this appears to include still-secret investigations we don’t yet know about. The majority of the work involving Trump himself, however, has now landed at Congress’ feet. Mueller was explicit in his determination that he lacked the authority to bring indictments against a sitting president, regardless of evidence.

    But he laid out considerable evidence that suggested Trump’s actions would be considered criminal if he was not subject to such a policy, along with repeated invocations of impeachment as the only remaining remedy.

    As Congress takes up each of the issues that Mueller could not, it may come to that. Trump, his newly installed attorney general, and the rest of his team are now blocking all substantive attempts by Congress to gain access to even the full contents of Mueller’s report, much less testimony and material evidence from the key players.

    Lest we begin to normalize this, too, it should be again noted that 10 federal criminal investigations of a sitting president is a lot, and the sheer volume of scandals surrounding not just Trump, but past and current administration members from Ryan Zinke to Betsy DeVos to Steve Mnuchin to take-your-pick is unprecedented, in modern times. Few of the resulting probes will be going away when Trump leaves office, meaning we’ll be dealing with the aftermath of Team Trump’s grifting, incompetence, and corruption for years

    http://bit.ly/2JtMmoe

  15. Comrade Reagan suffers from “Collusion Delusion Syndrome”. Some think it may be treatable and there are rare cases of complete recovery.
    ……………………………………….

    It’s Collusion Delusion Syndrome (CDS), the newest liberal mental disorder which afflicts tens of millions of Trump-haters, a predictable and natural progression of the devastating Trump Delusion Syndrome (TDS), first diagnosed in 2016….

    CDS is real and it is tragic. Do your part. Hug a liberal today.

  16. Comrade Reagan suffers from “Collusion Delusion Syndrome”. Some think it may be treatable and there are rare cases of complete recovery.
    ……………………………………….

    It’s Collusion Delusion Syndrome (CDS), the newest liberal mental disorder which afflicts tens of millions of Trump-haters, a predictable and natural progression of the devastating Trump Delusion Syndrome (TDS), first diagnosed in 2016….

    CDS is real and it is tragic. Do your part. Hug a liberal today.

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