Will Mueller Charge Mike Pence or Donald Trump Jr. In Russia Investigation in 2018?

Here's to hoping:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/mueller-charge-mike-pence-donald-114002104.html

The NYT has published a bombshell report on George Papadopoulos—the biggest Trump-Russia news since Flynn's plea. This thread dissects the new revelations—as well as some major implications for the Trump-Russia collusion narrative.

This Seth Abramson tweet storm is a powerful argument for his conclusion:

"My estimation, as a legal expert, is that the chances Mueller refers an impeachable offense to DOJ in mid-2018 or thereafter are 90%+."

Here’s the thread:

https://mobile.twitter.com/sethabramson/status/947255216725987328?ref_src=twcamp%5Eshare%7Ctwsrc%5Eios%7Ctwgr%5Ecom.apple.UIKit.activity.Message

Abramson made 100 tweets in the thread, so be sure to click on the "more replies" option to expand the thread (several times).

Survey Predicts Huge Amount of Non-Religious Americans by 2035

Even the U.S. is trending in the right direction:

http://bigthink.com/stephen-johnson/the-us-is-losing-its-religion-and-faster-than-you-may-think

Incoherent, authoritarian, uninformed: Trump’s New York Times interview is a scary read

Once again, Rump’s own words show how unfit he is to be president...or even exist:

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/12/29/16829806/trump-interview-new-york-times

This Accountant's take: Tax Laws, Social Engineering, & the 3 Events that Destroyed our Economy

The study that shows trickle-down economics doesn't work:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/12/21/1726664/-This-Accountant-s-Perspective-A-Short-History-Lesson-on-Tax-Policy-as-Social-Engineering

A Solution to the Trump-Russia Problem

A simple, elegant solution to the Trump problem that should be no problem for him...if he's telling the truth:

https://mobile.twitter.com/sethabramson/status/944434839444492288?ref_src=twcamp%5Eshare%7Ctwsrc%5Eios%7Ctwgr%5Ecom.apple.UIKit.activity.Message

The GOP Revealed a Bill to Replace Net Neutrality, and It’s Not Good

Even more GOP bullshit:

https://futurism.com/gop-revealed-bill-replace-net-neutrality-not-good/

Tax-Cut Santa Is Coming to Town

If you are rich enough, you can game the new tax plan to save big:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/21/opinion/tax-cut-santa.html

American woman living in Sweden describes the 'socialist nanny-state' and it sounds amazing

Just because this makes a good point:

https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/12/22/1726873/-American-woman-living-in-Sweden-describes-the-socialist-nanny-state-and-it-sounds-amazing

The GOP Knows The End Is Near

I so very much hope this is true:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gop-knows-end-is-near_us_5a3bb7f7e4b06d1621b2394b?share=4dd90170

Jim Clapper Just Nuked the Trump Presidency

Clapper's opinions carry weight, just adding to what is already greatly suspected:

http://observer.com/2017/12/james-clapper-tells-cnn-donald-trump-is-vladimir-putins-kremlin-asset/

If you wondered why Republicans never confronted Trump over his disgraceful behaviour, here's your answer

I really hope this comes back to bite them in the ass so hard they can never sit again. Trickle-down economics needs to die once and for all:

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/trump-tax-cuts-republicans-sexual-assault-claims-ignore-this-is-why-trickle-down-a8119086.html

Poisoning The Well: The View Of Sinclair Broadcast Group From Flint

More danger of the media being taken over by conservative wingnuts:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/flint-michigan-sinclair-broadcast-group_us_5a32ae87e4b0e41f9e042428

Fox News and Donald Trump are in a feedback loop that threatens to blow up the republic

This is essentially my reaction to Fucks News propaganda:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/12/18/1725468/-Fox-News-and-Donald-Trump-are-in-a-feedback-loop-that-threatens-to-blow-up-the-republic

The arrival of Limbaugh, O'Reilly and Fox News are what started this rapid descent into hyperpartisanship.

CDC Director: There Are No Banned Words at the CDC. Period.

Okay, so it's not a ban...but it's still wrong:

https://futurism.com/cdc-director-no-banned-words-cdc/

Ex-CIA director says Fox is 'on notice' for its Mueller hit jobs

I don't know what "on notice" would entail, but I really think Faux News needs to be held accountable for disseminating demonstrably false claims and deliberately sowing societal division:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/12/15/1724933/-Ex-CIA-director-says-Fox-is-on-notice-for-its-Mueller-hit-jobs

Trump invited LaPierre to the White House on the anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre

If there's any question Trump isn't pure evil...

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/12/16/1725134/-Donald-Trump-has-no-decency-That-is-not-a-recrimination-It-s-a-fact

The Trump administration transition emails may have set the Trump administration up for criminal prosecution

It appears that not only does Mueller have the right to the Trump administration transition emails, but he likely used them to catch various Trump administration members in lies:

https://mobile.twitter.com/hoarsewisperer/status/942221228483469312

Somewhere Hillary must be chuckling....

The Trump Organization sees fortunes fall

Now THIS is great to see:

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20171115/REAL_ESTATE/171119940/the-trump-organization-sees-fortunes-fall

A Guide To Why The Trump-Republican Tax Plan Is A Disgrace

Per usual, Robert Reich clearly explains exactly what's wrong:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/a-guide-to-why-the-trump-republican-tax-plan-is-a-disgrace_us_5a359006e4b0ff955ad37951

The Banned CDC List is Religious Right Terrorism

Who would have thought the Trump administration and the religious right would make science a thought crime? Oh, wait...

https://johnpavlovitz.com/2017/12/16/banned-cdc-list-religious-right-terrorism/

The Christian Faith Lost in Alabama’s Election, Says Christianity Today Editor

Cue the wailing and gnashing of teeth!

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2017/december-web-only/roy-moore-doug-jones-alabama-editorial.html

At least some conservative Christians are realizing how much they suck.

Trump’s Lies vs. Obama’s

This is what happened when Trump supporters asked the NYT to compare Trump's lies to Obama's:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/14/opinion/sunday/trump-lies-obama-who-is-worse.html

"We have used the word “lies” again here, as we did in our original piece. If anything, though, the word is unfair to Obama and Bush. When they became aware that they had been saying something untrue, they stopped doing it. Obama didn’t continue to claim that all Americans would be able to keep their existing health insurance under Obamacare, for example, and Bush changed the way he spoke about Iraq’s weapons capability.

Trump is different. When he is caught lying, he will often try to discredit people telling the truth, be they judges, scientists, F.B.I. or C.I.A. officials, journalists or members of Congress. Trump is trying to make truth irrelevant. It is extremely damaging to democracy, and it’s not an accident. It’s core to his political strategy."

"In all, we found 18 different bald untruths from Obama during his presidency. Trump told his 18th separate untruth in his third full week in office, and his list keeps growing."

Republicans Shouldn’t Assume Roy Moore Was An Outlier

It's helpful to see this broken down by statistics:

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/republicans-shouldnt-assume-roy-moore-was-an-outlier/amp/

How Doug Jones Beat Roy Moore and Shocked the World

Here are a couple of very encouraging articles on the results of the Alabama Senate seat vote:

http://time.com/5062625/doug-jones-alabama-senate-results-upset/

and

"8 numbers out of Alabama that should terrify Republicans":

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/13/politics/alabama-exit-poll-analysis/index.html

But one important thing to keep in mind...Roy Moore is an accused child molester. I think that influenced the vote more than anything.

Trump continues to be accused of dementia. Let’s administer the mini-mental state exam.

Listen to interviews of Trump from 20 years ago and you can hear a HUGE degradation in his ability to articulate.


http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2017/12/trump_continues_to_be_accused_of_dementia_let_s_administer_the_mini_mental.html

Here's what really scares Donald Trump

The only problem is that I think it would be as difficult for the media to not cover Trump as it is for him to not be covered by the media:

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/11/politics/donald-trump-tv-analysis/index.html

‘Father Of The Internet’ Skewers FCC: ‘You Don’t Understand How The Internet Works’

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/internet-pioneers-fcc-net-neutrality_us_5a2f48a9e4b046175432ca2c

Study: The Worst-Case Climate Predictions Are the Most Accurate Ones.

Lovely.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/12/12/1723505/-The-Worst-Case-Climate-Predictions-Seem-To-Be-the-Most-Accurate-Ones

The Nazi-Puncher’s Dilemma

I had no idea there was this much to the Antifa movement:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nazi-punch-antifa_us_59e13ae9e4b03a7be580ce6f

This Nobel Laureate Is Worried U.S. Politics Could Endanger Scientific Research

And this is why I make my YouTube videos (https://www.youtube.com/user/Underlings/videos):

http://time.com/5058040/nobel-michael-rosbash-politics-science/

Roy Moore in 2011: Getting rid of amendments after 10th would 'eliminate many problems'

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/10/politics/kfile-roy-moore-aroostook-watchmen/index.html

13th: Abolishes slavery, and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.
15th: Prohibits the denial of the right to vote based on race, color or previous condition of servitude.
19th: Prohibits the denial of the right to vote based on sex.
24th: Prohibits the revocation of voting rights due to the non-payment of a poll tax or any other tax.

Nice guy, that Moore fella....

Media Bias Ratings

This blog definitely has a strongly liberal bent, although I do hunt a lot of different sources for stories and articles. Here are a few interesting links that show the liberal vs. conservative leanings of various news sources and their audiences:

https://www.allsides.com/bias/bias-ratings

http://www.businessinsider.com/what-your-preferred-news-outlet-says-about-your-political-ideology-2014-10

http://www.journalism.org/2014/10/21/political-polarization-media-habits/

Wealth Inequality in America

A reminder of just how HUGE the wealth gap actually is:

https://www.quora.com/U-S-presidential-primary-candidate-Bernie-Sanders-says-It-is-profoundly-wrong-that-the-top-1-own-more-wealth-than-the-bottom-95-Why-is-that-wrong-Is-everyone-entitled-to-the-same-amount-of-wealth/answer/Jonah-Evans?srid=uBhZO

Psychiatrists Sound Alarm: Trump Deteriorating By the Day. We Are All In Danger.

Alarmist, almost certainly...but this is a legitimate fear about Trump:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/12/9/1721989/-Psychiatrists-Sound-Alarm-Trump-Deteriorating-By-the-Day-We-Are-All-In-Danger?

Inside Trump's Hour-by-Hour Battle for Self-Preservation

A wonderfully detailed description of Trump's neediness, incompetence and daily routine:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/09/us/politics/donald-trump-president.html?_r=0

God’s Plan for Mike Pence

This is a good detailing of Mike Pence and his evil ambitions:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/01/gods-plan-for-mike-pence/546569/

Republicans Bet Tax Cuts Would Help Their Political Fortunes. They May Have Misread That

Here's to hoping:

http://time.com/5056851/republicans-tax-cuts-bill-paul-ryan/

Solar and Wind Power Face Serious Threats From the Trump Administration

This is fucking criminal:

http://time.com/5049849/solar-power-wind-power-trump-coal/

Republican House Members Think a $450k Salary is Middle Class

http://www.newsweek.com/tax-cuts-republicans-middle-class-trump-701094

6 Ideas For A Truly Radical Tax System Instead Of Trump's Tax Plan For The Wealthy

Some good ideas here:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/radical-tax-systems_us_5a158ea2e4b025f8e932ceb8

I study liars. I’ve never seen one like President Trump.

To quote Al Franken, "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them":

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/i-study-liars-ive-never-seen-one-like-president-trump/2017/12/07/4e529efe-da3f-11e7-a841-2066faf731ef_story.html

Watch: Roy Moore Claims Teaching Evolution Causes Crime

In case you think Roy Moore is "just" a child molester:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2017/12/watch-roy-moore-claims-teaching-evolution-causes-crime/

Fortunately, his lies are catching up with him:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/12/roy_moore_s_story_is_unraveling.html

GOP Politician Wore Sexist Bible Shirt When Cops Found Him With Underage Boy

Only the GOP can generate this level of scandal:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/12/06/gop-politician-wore-sexist-bible-shirt-when-cops-found-him-with-underage-boy/#7GTAURTpI05MUPec.99

Teacher-turned-congressman hilariously grades Mitch McConnell's tax scam pitch to voters: FAIL

Amusing and depressing at the same time:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/12/7/1722131/-Teacher-turned-Congressman-hilariously-grades-Mitch-McConnell-s-tax-scam-pitch-to-voters-FAIL

Voucher Schools Championed By Betsy DeVos Can Teach Whatever They Want. Turns Out They Teach Lies

I wonder how many thousands of "lost" kids there are because of this:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/school-voucher-evangelical-education-betsy-devos_us_5a021962e4b04e96f0c6093c

The three ultra-rich families battling for control of the Republican party

This is a very interesting breakdown of the three competing empires:

"Each family is closely tied to the Republican leader of one branch of government: Robert, Diana, and Rebekah Mercer helped propel Trump’s bombastic rise to the White House. Industrialist brothers Charles and David Koch funded the Tea Party and its protege, House speaker Paul Ryan. And while casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam Ochsorn are on the party’s more moderate wing, they have long stood behind the calculating, conservative Senate leader, McConnell, who even before the Tea Party’s rise was known as an extreme obstructionist, dedicated to stomping out the bipartisan compromises that historically made the US government work."

https://qz.com/1085077/mercers-vs-kochs-vs-adelsons-the-three-ultra-rich-families-battling-for-control-of-the-republican-party/

Besides money, the one thing they all have in common? What they support is reprehensible.

While Defending Roy Moore, Steve Bannon Slams Mitt Romney For Not Serving In Vietnam

How can he be so stupid as to make this claim without realizing that his ex-boss and favorite prez is guilty of the same claim?

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bannon-moore-roy-moore_us_5a274f98e4b0c2117626acd6

Hypocrisy, thy name is Republican....

“Kick Him Where It Counts”: Conservative Appeals to Violence as a Distraction Technique

More Christian hypocrisy:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lovejoyfeminism/2017/12/kick-him-where-it-counts.html

Trump Will Recognize Jerusalem As Israel's Capital And Announce U.S. Embassy Move

Trump is not just about petty attempts to destroy Obama's legacy, but also about causing chaos and division wherever he can:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-jerusalem-israel-capital_us_5a21450ce4b0a02abe9065ca

RNC Brings Back Support for Roy Moore

Moore GOP party of evil:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gop-brings-back-support-for-roy-moore_us_5a26da57e4b0c8496fdc389b

Top Pennsylvania Republicans Are Fighting Like Hell To Keep Gerrymandering Secret

The GOP has become the party of evil:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pennsylvania-gerrymandering-lawsuits_us_5a26fb91e4b0ee6f9637e7a4

5 Places Where the State Department Is Desperately Needed

Weakening our relationships and influence overseas isn't exactly a smart idea:

http://time.com/5043528/rex-tillerson-secretary-of-state-diplomats-needed/

Polling trends for Trump and Roy Moore are starting to look remarkably similar

For the "Duh" file: Republicans have no shame:

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/12/04/polling-trends-for-trump-and-roy-moore-are-starting-to-look-remarkably-similar/23296778/

How Robert Mueller’s Deal With Michael Flynn Neutralizes Trump’s Pardon Power

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2017/12/robert_mueller_s_deal_with_michael_flynn_neutralizes_trump_s_pardon_power.html

Not only that, but pardoning Flynn now would be like closing the barn doors after the horses are gone...because the FBI wouldn’t have offered Flynn a deal if he hadn’t already given up all he knows.

Michael Flynn’s Guilty Plea: 10 Key Takeaways

Christmas comes early:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/01/opinion/michael-flynn-guilty-plea-takeaways.html

Trump is in trouble. Yeah, baby!

I’m a Depression historian. The GOP tax bill is straight out of 1929.

This is a good explanation of the failures of "trickle down" economics:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/11/30/im-a-depression-historian-the-gop-tax-bill-is-straight-out-of-1929/

Christian Group That Endorses Roy Moore Wants Congress to Eject Sexual Harassers

AGAIN with the fucking hypocrites....

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/11/30/christian-group-that-endorses-roy-moore-wants-congress-to-eject-sexual-harassers/

A woman approached The Post with dramatic — and false — tale about Roy Moore. She appears to be part of undercover sting operation.

As if we need another reason to be disgusted with conservatives:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/a-woman-approached-the-post-with-dramatic--and-false--tale-about-roy-moore-sje-appears-to-be-part-of-undercover-sting-operation/2017/11/27/0c2e335a-cfb6-11e7-9d3a-bcbe2af58c3a_story.html

Top Economists No Longer Buying Republican "Trickle Down" BS

Ammo to use against Republicans:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/11/26/1718682/-Economists-No-Longer-Buying-Republican-Trickle-Down-BS

Atheists and Progressive Christians Must Work Together to Fight Evangelicals

I can get behind this. My problem has only ever really been with the fundies:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/11/26/atheists-and-progressive-christians-must-work-together-to-fight-evangelicals

Trump Is Quietly Making It Even Harder To Report Sexual Harassment And Discrimination

Why do Republicunts vote against their own interests? Women should be tearing into Trump and his administration of incompetence:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-sexual-harassment-discrimination_us_5a15b385e4b03dec8249b7e5

Coal mining fatalities up sharply as Trump cuts safety regulations, cripples MSHA

Gee, nobody could have seen THAT coming....

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/11/24/1717298/-Coal-mining-fatalities-up-sharply-as-Trump-cuts-safety-regulations-cripples-MSHA??detail=emaildkre

Free Science Could Be the Answer to Our “Fake News” Epidemic

I'd love to see this:

https://futurism.com/collection-free-science-fake-news/

Alabama Evangelicals take a stand for child molesters: 'Some 14-year-olds ... could pass for 20'

Moral majority, my ass:

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2017/11/20/1717210/-Alabama-Evangelicals-take-a-stand-for-child-molesters-Some-14-year-olds-could-pass-for-20

and

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/daylightatheism/2017/11/roy-moore-plumbs-depths-evangelical-depravity/

Global Wealth Inequality Is Even Worse Than We Thought (Millennials Are the New Peasants)

http://bigthink.com/robby-berman/global-wealth-inequality-is-even-worse-than-we-thought-millennials-are-the-new-peasants

Franken isn't the target

Another point I heard made about the Al Franken situation is that the woman he wrong has forgiven him. And nobody gets to be more outraged then the victim:

https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/11/18/1716807/-Franken-isn-t-the-target

How Trump walked into Putin’s web

A long but very informative and detailed account of Christopher Steele and his report about Trump's ties to Russia:

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/nov/15/how-trump-walked-into-putins-web-luke

Trump’s Net Worth Is Far Less Than He Claims, Trump Organization Revenue Suggests

Poor, poor Mr. Trump:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-net-worth-far-less-201438452.html

Dems prove not even GOP believe tax cut scam will increase middle-class income at hearing

So much for Republicans being the party of responsibility and accountability:

https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/11/17/1716433/-Dems-prove-not-even-GOP-believe-tax-cut-scam-will-increase-middle-class-income-at-hearing

Nice trolling, BTW.

Sessions Pressed on FBI's Classification of BLM and KKK

Jeff Sessions, your racism is showing, and Ms. Bass is handing you your ass:

https://www.facebook.com/NowThisPolitics/videos/vb.908009612563863/1785270768171072/?type=2&theater

14 reasons why Trump’s tweets on Al Franken cannot be ignored

Sexual assault isn't acceptable among celebrities and politicians anymore, as the recent flood of allegations reveals. Trump should not be exempt, and his supporters are just proving themselves to be hypocrites:

https://thinkprogress.org/14-reasons-why-trumps-tweets-on-al-franken-cannot-be-ignored-275e5aaaba47/

Reckoning Trump's weak distractions because Jared and Hope are talking to Mueller

Lots of evidence that Donald Trump has sexually assaulted women:

https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/11/17/1716259/-Reckoning-Trump-s-weak-distractions-because-Jared-and-Hope-are-talking-to-Mueller

Grassley paves the way for federal judiciary to be taken over by ghost hunters, far-right bloggers

And yet more hypocrisy. The installation of unqualified, unapologetically right wing judges disgusts  me the most:

https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/11/16/1716276/-Grassley-paves-the-way-for-federal-judiciary-to-be-taken-over-by-ghost-hunters-far-right-bloggers

Donald Trump Denounces Al Franken But Remains Silent On Roy Moore

More...fuck*ng...hypocrisy...

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-al-franken-roy-moore_us_5a0dbddae4b0b37054f52401

(I know, I know, I don’t do censorship right...)

GOP Senators Believe Roy Moore’s Accusers But Not Donald Trump’s

And yet AGAIN the GOP shows itself to be full of hypocrites:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/roy-moore-trump-accusers_us_5a0b63d0e4b0bc648a0e8541

37% of Evangelicals Are More Likely to Back Roy Moore After Assault Allegations

This is insane:

From Newsweek: "Nearly 40 percent of Evangelical Christians in Alabama say they’re now more likely to vote for Roy Moore after multiple allegations that he molested children."

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/11/13/37-of-evangelicals-are-more-likely-to-back-roy-moore-after-assault-allegations

So much for Christian morality....

Thank You, Steve Bannon

Good reasons for cautious optimism:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/thank-you-steve-bannon_us_5a0907d8e4b01d21c83f6bda

There may well be more than one "wave" coming

A thoughtful and encouraging view on multiple possible "blue waves":

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2017/11/10/1714494/-There-may-well-be-more-than-one-wave-coming

Johnstown Never Believed Trump Would Help. They Still Love Him Anyway.

This is just SO wrong:

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/11/08/donald-trump-johnstown-pennsylvania-supporters-215800

Trump’s pick for the nation’s top environmental adviser is fucking clueless

I...can’t...even...

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1778169845547831&id=908009612563863

Robert Mueller Is Moving Toward Donald Trump

This is highly encouraging:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/robert-mueller-is-moving-toward-donald-trump_us_5a05bc67e4b0f1dc729a6a45

Millionaire Takes On Fox Host on GOP Tax Scam

I love it when people confront right-wing bullshit with facts:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/11/9/1714217/-Millionaire-Takes-Down-Fox-Host-on-GOP-Tax-Scam

(Watch the video.)

Survey Predicts Huge Amount of Non-Religious Americans by 2035

Religious belief continues its downward trend:

http://bigthink.com/stephen-johnson/the-us-is-losing-its-religion-and-faster-than-you-may-think

Donald Trump's biggest flaw: He's not that bright

This could use a lot more of the available evidence, but it will do:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chapman/ct-perspec-chapman-donald-trump-dumb-20171103-story.html

The Resistance Helped Democrats Win on Tuesday. Now They're Turning to 2018

This is all VERY encouraging:

http://time.com/5017525/the-resistance-helped-democrats-win-on-tuesday-now-theyre-turning-to-2018/

Don't lose momentum!

How states can fix the Electoral College and prevent future Trumps

I've been saying this system should be used for voting for a long time now:

https://amp.usatoday.com/story/839492001/

Syria is signing the Paris climate agreement, leaving the US alone against the rest of the world

And then there was one...

https://qz.com/1122371/cop23-syria-is-signing-the-paris-climate-agreement-leaving-the-us-alone-against-the-rest-of-the-world/

Robert Reich: This Will Be Trump's Most Damning and Damaging Legacy

We're going to have to make laws to ensure no more Trump-like people ever get elected president again:

https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/robert-reich-will-be-trumps-most-damning-and-damaging-legacy

These 5 Facts Explain Why China Is Pulling Ahead of the West

The US is dropping behind an authoritarian regime. I don't like where this is going:

http://time.com/5007097/china-winning-5-facts/

Many Conservative Mass Shooting Excuses Don’t Work When Victims Are Churchgoers

Again with the hypocrisy...

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/11/05/many-conservative-mass-shooting-excuses-dont-work-when-victims-are-churchgoers/

Watergate Prosecutor to Trump: Keep Interfering With Investigation, Mueller Could Obtain Gag Order

I think we would all LOVE to see this happen:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/11/4/1712685/-Watergate-Prosecutor-to-Trump-Keep-Interfering-With-Investigation-Mueller-Could-Obtain-Gag-Order

Russian Lawyer Who Met With Donald Trump Jr. Claims He Offered A Quid Pro Quo

And yet another potential shoe to drop:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-jr-russian-lawyer-meeting_us_5a006330e4b04cdbeb34c397

Mueller Has Enough Evidence to Bring Charges in Flynn Investigation

Another shoe drops:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mueller-has-enough-evidence-bring-charges-flynn-investigation-n817666

America is facing an epistemic crisis

What if Trump is proven to have colluded with Russia and nobody has the guts to do anything about it? This is probably the most depressing and horrifying thing you'll read all year:

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/11/2/16588964/america-epistemic-crisis

Walmart shooter reportedly lived with stack of Bibles, no furniture. Why isn't he a terrorist?

The next time some white Christian conservative tells you Muslims should be kicked out of the country because of radical Islamic terrorism, strongly agree with them, and add that Christians should also be kicked out because of radical Christian terrorism like this:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/11/03/1712436/-Walmart-shooter-reportedly-lived-with-stack-of-Bibles,no-furniture-Why-isnt-he-a-terrorist

There WILL be sputtering and backpedaling!

Leak Reveals Ties Between Trump Administration and Russia

 This is getting worse and worse for the Trump administration. My heart bleeds for them. :-):

https://www.thedailybeast.com/massive-leak-reveals-new-ties-between-trump-administration-and-russia-implicating-commerce-secretary-wilbur-ross-and-jared-kushner

Trump’s Exit From Anti-Corruption Pact Helps Big Oil Hide How Much It Pays In US Taxes

So much for swamp draining:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-anti-corruption-pact_us_59fce9a0e4b0c9652fff6de2

What’s killing America’s new mothers?

This isn't entirely a political issue, but cutting healthcare isn't going to help it:

https://qz.com/1108193/whats-killing-americas-new-mothers/

Humans Are the “Dominant Cause” of Global Warming, According to the Latest U.S. Government Study

In case anyone needs even more convincing...

https://futurism.com/humans-dominant-cause-global-warming-us-government-study/

Amusingly, it’s a firm rebuke of the Trump administration that heads up the government institutions that made the report!

After This Week, Trump Is a Lot Closer to Being Impeached

Let's hope this is the beginning of the end:

http://time.com/5007533/allan-lichtman-impeachment/

Trump's Mueller Problem

Mueller is evidently an investigative Terminator:

http://time.com/5006962/trumps-mueller-problem/

The GOP Tax Plan Tells Us Everything About Who Matters In American Democracy

A good analysis of the Republican tax bill:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gop-tax-plan-who-matters_us_59fc8ed4e4b0b0c7fa39d222

Texas GOP Rep. Lamar Smith Announces Retirement

Nice, finally some good news for science...although it’s sad this is even an issue:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/lamar-smith-gop-house-retirement_us_59fb7275e4b0415a420a8ef2

EPA Replaced Its Top Science Advisers Without Telling Them

This administration is a nightmare for anyone who respects science:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/epa-science-advisers-replaced_us_59fa2b75e4b0b0c7fa37bd17

Cruella DeVos... Not For Long, According To Insiders

We can only hope!

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/11/1/1711789/-Cruella-DeVos-Not-For-Long-According-To-Insiders

Nevada GOP Is Trying To Use Recalls To Overturn Last Year’s Election Results

Do Republicans really have no shame?

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nevada-gop-recall-elections_us_59f8b778e4b046017faf3f25

Fox News employees are dishing to CNN, say they are fed up and embarrassed by biased Trump coverage

For those who might think Fucks News is still "fair and balanced" (or ever was):

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/31/1711397/-Fox-News-employees-are-dishing-to-CNN-say-they-are-fed-up-and-embarrassed-by-biased-Trump-coverage

Why Facts Don't Convince People (and what you can do about it)

This is a good explanation for why people (*cough*...Trump supporters...*cough*) often resist facts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S74C-XF9kYY

The Senate Is About To Confirm A Frenzy Of Conservative Judges

I REALLY hate this:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mitch-mcconnell-judicial-nominations-trump_us_59f7b0c5e4b09b5c25689327

John McCain May Have Saved The Republican Party

Hmm, perhaps it would have been better for McCain to have voted for repeal and replace:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/john-mccain-may-have-saved-the-republican-party_us_597f5471e4b09982b7376663

Trump Drags the Fed Down Into the Political Mud

Trump's game show-like behavior weakens government officials:

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-10-30/trump-drags-the-fed-down-into-the-political-mud

Are you a 'solid liberal,' or something else? This new study helps explain every political type

These are the eight political demographics that pretty much everyone falls into:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/29/1710013/-Are-you-a-solid-liberal-or-something-else-This-new-study-helps-explain-every-political-type

It's useful to help distinguish one type of voter from another.

Seven ways the wealthy raise taxes on the 99 percent after cutting them for themselves

Don't let them tell you the poor don't pay taxes:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/29/1709691/-Seven-ways-the-wealthy-raise-taxes-on-the-99-percent-after-cutting-them-for-themselves

Ex-Trump Adviser George Papadopoulos Pleads Guilty in Mueller’s Russia Probe

Here's someone else who was in deep and has been cooperating with the FBI:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-campaign-adviser-george-papadopoulos-pleads-guilty-lying-n815596

Something that sounds awfully suspicious:

"We need someone to communicate that DT is not doing these trips," the email said, according to the documents. "It should be someone low level in the campaign so as not to send any signal."

It sure looks like there was collusion between the Trump operation and Russia

Arresting Manafort and Gates is an important first step for Mueller's investigation, and it sets the tone for what may come...and it looks awfully suspicious for Trump:

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/30/16571114/trump-russia-mueller-indictments-manafort-gates-papadopolous

GOP Doesn’t Seem To Hate Debt So Much Now That It Wants A Tax Cut

More goddamn hypocrisy!

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gop-obama-debt_us_59f393a8e4b077d8dfc9adff

Donald Trump supporters watching outrageous fake Trump campaign ads is amazing

I believe I posted this last year, but it's worth another look to see the problem with Trump supporters from the perspective of Trump having actually won:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/8/17/1561111/-Donald-Trump-supporters-watching-outrageous-fake-Trump-campaign-ads-is-amazing

Trump Often Says He Has Proof For His Claims. But He Never Comes Through.

The emperor has no clothes:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-proof_us_59f221bce4b03cd20b80424b

Movie Review: The Brainwashing of My Dad

This is what happened to my own dad:

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/26/1710011/-Movie-Review-The-Brainwashing-of-My-Dad

"An expert explains that brainwashing does not have to involve force, that you can sort of slide into it. There are 5 factors that are involved – isolation, control, uncertainty, repetition, strong emotions. Right wing media creates uncertainty, fear and anger. And most people listen to right wing radio when they are alone – in their car, their garage, their house.

The film outlines recognizable tactics: 1 – lie and skew; 2 – create confusion and doubt; 3 – blame and divide; 4 – brand and label; 5 – language and framing; 6 – fear mongering and use of emotion; 7 – bullying and shaming; 8 – in your face! (it’s everywhere); 9 – non-verbal manipulation."

Have We Reached Trump’s Tipping Point?

Here's to hoping:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/have-we-reached-trumps-tipping-point_us_59f33370e4b05f0ade1b567e

Unsealed Documents Show That Kris Kobach Is Dead Set on Suppressing the Right to Vote

There needs to be a Constitutional Amendment requiring all legislation to be evidence-based!

https://www.aclu.org/blog/voting-rights/fighting-voter-suppression/unsealed-documents-show-kris-kobach-dead-set

Republicans Really Don’t Think It’s Their Job To Keep Trump In Check

Seriously? What do you think "balance of powers" means, you shitbirds?

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/senate-republicans-trump_us_59f0e4d7e4b0af27f58930c4

Four Quitters Walk Into a Bar...

Very insightful perspectives from four people who were in the government during the Trumpocalypse:

http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/trump-quitters/

As GOP Senators Bail, Republicans Are Learning What A Trump Party Looks Like

RIP GOP:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/grand-old-trump-party-republicans_us_59efd400e4b04917c59412e4

Senate GOP Gives Huge Gift To Big Banks, Stripping Consumers Of Right To Sue As Group

One fuck you after another from the Trump administration:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/senate-class-action-arbitration-big-banks_us_59f00188e4b0b7e63265c47e

Sen. Flake announces he won't run in 2018

If you haven't listened to the entire speech, you should. It's a powerful condemnation of Trump and the Republicans in Congress:

http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2017/10/24/senator-jeff-flake-full-remarks-no-re-election-2018.cnn

Trump's inaction on climate change carries a big price tag, federal report finds

Maybe the fact that climate change will harm the economy will get the GOP on board? Nah:

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-climate-gao-20171024-story.html

How an Anti-Intellectual Elite Are Turning the World Upside Down

The growing anti-intellectualism in the world (especially here!) is extremely disturbing:

http://bigthink.com/videos/salman-rushdie-how-an-anti-intellectual-elite-are-turning-the-world-upside-down

Trump’s latest big interview is both funny and terrifying

It's insane that someone this stupid could be elected president:

https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/policy-and-politics/2017/10/23/16522456/trump-bartiromo-transcript

EPA Abruptly Blocks 3 Agency Scientists From Giving Talks On Climate Change

More anti-science bullshit!

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/epa-scientists-talks_us_59ed4d37e4b00f08619f953c

Your memories are idealized versions of a past that never existed

This is a large part of why conservatives don't have as strong a grip on reality:

https://qz.com/1108119/why-we-idealize-our-memories-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/?mc_cid=ed539b66d9&mc_eid=c4215c6c8c

The EPA Just Removed Climate Change From Their Climate Change Website

Grrr:

https://futurism.com/the-epa-just-removed-climate-change-from-their-climate-change-website/

Senate Republicans Finally Got Something Done. They Should Thank Steve Bannon

Republicans always rail against deficits...until they get into power, cut taxes, and blow the deficit out of the water:

http://time.com/4991754/senate-budget-steve-bannon/

Scott Pruitt Casts Doubt on EPA Document Showing the Dangers of Climate Change

The insanity of science denial drives me nuts:

http://time.com/4990265/scott-pruitt-clean-power-plan-epa/

Having children is not life-affirming: it’s immoral

This approaches the topic from several interesting perspectives:

https://aeon.co/essays/having-children-is-not-life-affirming-its-immoral?mc_cid=fb94dd2801&mc_eid=c4215c6c8c

For instance:

"Considering matters carefully, it’s obvious that there must be more bad than good. This is because there are empirical asymmetries between the good and bad things. The worst pains, for instance, are worse than the best pleasures are good. If you doubt this, ask yourself – honestly – whether you would accept a minute of the worst tortures in exchange for a minute or two of the greatest delights. And pains tend to last longer than pleasures. Compare the fleeting nature of gustatory and sexual pleasures with the enduring character of much pain. There are chronic pains, of the lower back or joints for example, but there is no such thing as chronic pleasure."

Paul Ryan used a comedy routine to say what he really thinks about Donald Trump

Yet more hypocrisy. Ryan should be condemning Trump directly, rather than hide behind jokes:

https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/policy-and-politics/2017/10/20/16507646/paul-ryan-jokes-trump-al-smith

The Real Reason Taxes Suck (And Why They Don't Have To)

Yeah...why do WE have to write up the bill?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGVK4ibMI-Y&feature=youtu.be

Obama’s name to replace Jefferson Davis on Jackson elementary school

Right wing heads will explode in three...two...one...

https://mississippitoday.org/2017/10/17/obamas-name-replace-jeff-davis-jackson-elementary-school/

How Hillary Clinton Still Can, and Should, Become President After the Trump-Russia Investigation

It's a vanishingly small chance, but...

https://www.yahoo.com/news/hillary-clinton-still-become-president-200005291.html

The Supreme Court Is Allergic To Math

This is disturbing:

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-supreme-court-is-allergic-to-math/?ex_cid=538fb

Trump Claims Congresswoman Lied About His Call To Army Widow

This just shows how incapable Trump is of even SHOWING some humanity:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-congresswoman-call-army-widow_us_59e73b81e4b00905bdadb6dc

Sci-fi writer baffles abortion foes with simple question: Would you save 1,000 embryos or one child in fire?

This is an excellent test to use against pro-lifers:

https://www.rawstory.com/2017/10/sci-fi-writer-baffles-abortion-foes-with-simple-question-would-you-save-1000-embryos-or-one-child-in-fire/

I think one useful option would be to lead with the first part of the "trolley problem" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem) by asking:

"There is a runaway trolley barreling down the railway tracks. Ahead, on the tracks, there are five people tied up and unable to move. The trolley is headed straight for them. You are standing some distance off in the train yard, next to a lever. If you pull this lever, the trolley will switch to a different set of tracks. However, you notice that there is one person on the side track. You have two options: 1) Do nothing, and the trolley kills the five people on the main track. 2) Pull the lever, diverting the trolley onto the side track where it will kill one person. Which is the most ethical choice?"

Assuming they choose option #2, then ask them the 1000 embryos question, only phrase it as replacing the group of five people with the vat of 1000 embryos and replacing the single person with the young child. That should drive the hypocrisy point home.

Trump allies worry that losing the House means impeachment

And here is further encouragement to get people out to vote Democrat during the 2018 elections:

http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/16/politics/democrats-house-midterm-elections/index.html

Here's why Republicans are in deep trouble in 2018

This is looking good! Well, assuming the Democrats don't fuck it up:

http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/17/politics/house-republicans-2018-generic-ballot/index.html

Trump Refuses To Blame Himself For GOP ‘Not Getting The Job Done’

I don't think Hair Furor knows how a president is supposed to help get things done:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-blame-senate-republicans_us_59e4e142e4b0a52aca19b31b

Trump Reportedly Joked That Pence 'Wants To Hang' All Gays

The Groper in Chief's lackey isn't much better:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-gays-pence-wants-apos-142750033.html

Tropical forests caused the biggest atmospheric CO2 increase in 2,000 years

Ugh, so now there's even less time to act:

https://qz.com/1102841/tropical-forests-caused-the-highest-co2-levels-in-2000-years-says-nasas-orbiting-carbon-observatory/

This Publisher Is Offering $10 Million for Information That Could Get President Trump Impeached

Maybe THIS will convince Trump's accountant to spill the beans?

http://fortune.com/2017/10/15/laryr-flynt-washington-post-ad-donald-trump-impeachment/

How Facebook May Have Destroyed Our Democracy—For Good

To those who think Russian fake news had no impact on the election:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/15/1706527/-How-Facebook-May-Have-Destroyed-Our-Democracy-For-Good

Trump, Chieftain of Spite

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/15/opinion/columnists/trump-spite-obama-legacy.html?_r=0

Robert Reich Says Republicans Are Ready To Pull The Plug On Trump

I hope the Republicans get the nerve to pull the plug:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/14/1706945/-Robert-Reich-Says-Republicans-Are-Ready-To-Pull-The-Plug-On-Trump

Why Trump's Threats Against the NFL May Violate the First Amendment

I wonder if this huge pile of Trumpian violations will accrue and reach some legal tipping point, or whether there is no additive effect and instead only his worst violation determines his fate and everything else is ignored?

http://bigthink.com/stephen-johnson/why-trumps-threats-against-the-nfl-may-violate-the-first-amendment

This New Weapon from North Korea Could Kill Up to 90% of Americans

The threat of an EMP from a high-altitude nuclear detonation destroying the US has never gone away, and now it's taken on a new dimension with North Korea obtaining nukes and ICBMs:

http://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/congress-warned-this-new-weapon-from-north-korea-could-kill-up-to-90-percent-of-americans

Heavy research into anti-ICBM technology is probably the best overall deterrent, I would say.

International Monetary Fund Report Shows Why Tax Cuts for the Rich Are a Bad Idea

Tax cuts for the middle class plus raising taxes on the wealthy make for a much healthier economy than Republican policies:

http://bigthink.com/robby-berman/imf-report-shows-why-tax-cuts-for-the-rich-are-a-bad-idea

https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2017/sep/10/tax-cuts-for-the-rich-dont-help-the-rest-dont-take-my-word-for-it-ask-the-imf

The Science Of Fox News: Why Its Viewers Are The Most Misinformed

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2014/10/23/1338538/--The-Science-Of-Fox-News-Why-Its-Viewers-Are-The-Most-Misinformed

Why So Many People Believe Conspiracy Theories

Not exactly a political post, but it does explain why so many conspiracy theories crop up concerning politicians:

http://time.com/4965093/conspiracy-theories-beliefs/

President Trump's Biggest Enemy on Tax Reform: Himself

A nice parade of Trump's self-inflicted failures:

http://time.com/4981926/donald-trump-tax-reform-congress/

No, Birth Control Doesn’t Make You Have Riskier Sex, Researchers Say

Per usual, conservatives have their facts wrong:

http://time.com/4975951/donald-trump-birth-control-mandate-sexual-behavior/

Mike Pence spent a million dollars to watch one minute of a football game—and you paid for it

In case this wasn't already clear for everyone:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/9/1705409/-Mike-Pence-spent-a-million-dollars-to-watch-one-minute-of-a-football-game-and-you-paid-for-it

Why the World Is (Still) Better Than You Think—New Evidence For Abundance

Some positive news for those who think the world is going to hell in a handbasket:

https://singularityhub.com/2017/10/12/why-the-world-is-still-better-than-you-think-new-evidence-for-abundance/

Global Warming Scenarios: When temperatures rise between 1 and 6 degrees

This puts the real danger we're in into perspective:

https://futurism.com/images/global-warming-scenarios/

The scariest part...if we don't keep warming below 2 degrees, the feedback loop will likely destroy almost everything.

Charlottesville Victim Charged For Being Beaten By Six Nazis While Black

Welcome to Trump's America:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/11/1706134/-Charlottesville-Victim-Charged-For-Being-Beaten-By-Six-Nazis-While-Black

Why the "tax cuts for the rich stimulate the economy" conservative mantra is bullshit

Article by Nick Hanauer (founder of Civic Action, zillionaire):


The Republican tax plan is a scam—a massive and destructive financial giveaway masquerading as pro-growth tax reform. Which is why our first response must be to demand not one penny of tax cuts for big corporations and rich guys like me. In fact, if I were Benevolent Dictator, I would substantially raise taxes on myself and my wealthy friends. Why? It is the only way to sustainably grow the economy, boost productivity, increase business opportunities and create more and better jobs.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: That’s crazy talk! For decades, rich guys like me have been selling you tax cuts on the merits of pure economic stimulus. The rich are “job creators,” we’ve told you. The more money and incentives we wealthy few have to invest in creating jobs, the better the economy is for everybody—especially you.

That’s a lie.

There is is simply no empirical evidence nor plausible economic mechanism to support the claim that cutting top tax rates spurs economic growth. When President Bill Clinton hiked taxes, the economy boomed. When President George W. Bush slashed taxes, the economy ultimately collapsed. It wasn’t until after most of the Bush tax cuts expired during the Obama administration that the post-Great Recession recovery started to pick up steam—an ongoing recovery that, as uneven as it has been, has grown into one of the longest economic expansions in U.S. history.

And then, of course, there’s Kansas.

In 2012, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback famously embarked on what he called “a real live experiment,” pitting pure trickle-down theory against economic reality. Unfortunately for Kansans, reality won. Kansas has dramatically underperformed its neighboring states and the nation as a whole both in economic growth and in job creation since slashing taxes on individuals and corporations to as low as zero. Compare that to California, which in 2012 elicited the usual apocalyptic warnings from trickle-downers by daring to raise its top income tax rate to a highest-in-the-nation 13.3 percent. By 2015, California had the fastest-growing economy in the nation. Kansas? Dead last.

And the evidence is more than just anecdotal. Multi-decade statistical reviews by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the non-partisan Congressional Research Service, and the highly-regarded Brookings Institution have all failed to find any negative correlation between top tax rates and growth. And the same holds true of every other economic indicator the trickle-downers like to go on about: tax revenue growth, investment growth, employment growth, productivity growth, real median income growth. If they show any statistically significant correlation between top tax rates and growth, the slope is positive, suggesting that raising taxes on the rich is actually pro-growth. “The argument that income tax cuts raise growth is repeated so often that it is sometimes taken as gospel,” the Brookings authors conclude. “However, theory, evidence, and simulation studies tell a different and more complicated story.”

President Trump boasts that the “biggest winners” from his tax cuts for the rich “will be the everyday American workers as jobs start pouring into our country, as companies start competing for American labor, and as wages start going up at levels that you haven't seen in many years." But the Republicans’ problem is that they have economic cause and effect reversed: Low wages and rising inequality are not symptoms of slow growth, low wages and rising inequality are the disease that causes slow growth—and inequality cannot be cured by creating even more inequality. In reality, our modern technological economy is best understood as an evolutionary feedback loop between innovation and demand. Innovation is the process through which we evolve new solutions to human problems, while consumer demand is the mechanism through which the market selects and propagates successful innovations. And it is economic inclusion—the full participation of as many people as possible in as many ways as possible, as innovators, entrepreneurs, workers and robust consumers—that drives both innovation and demand. The more we invest in the American people—in our wages, our education, our healthcare and our infrastructure—the more dynamic that feedback loop, and thus the faster and more prosperous our economy grows. But the Trump/Ryan tax cuts—which promise to slash rates for the wealthy and the corporations they run—would do nothing to increase innovation or demand.

Today, wealthy corporations and investors already have more money than we know what to do with—literally trillions of dollars of hoarded cash just sitting in U.S. bank accounts doing absolutely nothing—and yes, that includes the several trillion dollars of foreign earnings the Trump administration wants to “repatriate” tax free. The truth is, these “overseas” reserves are largely an accounting trick. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, much of this money is already held in U.S. bank deposits, in U.S. Treasury notes, and in dollar-dominated corporate securities. That’s why the last time Congress enacted a foreign earnings “tax holiday,” far from boosting the economy, the biggest corporate beneficiaries actually cut thousands of domestic jobs, choosing instead to funnel their after-tax windfall into (surprise!) stock buybacks and dividends. Every “$1 increase in repatriations was associated with an increase of almost $1 in payouts to shareholders,” Harvard and MIT researchers concluded. Obviously, a tax holiday can’t possibly deliver an economic boost from bringing home dollars that are already here.

The real problem with our economy is that we are concentrating wealth in the hands of people who aren’t spending or investing it, while starving working and middle-class Americans of the ability to invest in themselves—not to mention sapping the consumer spending power that accounts for 70 percent of GDP. We rich Americans may not all be idle, but these days, much of our money is—and you will not get it flowing back through the economy again by cutting our taxes even further. I already earn about 1,000 times more per hour than the average American, but I couldn’t possibly buy 1,000 times more stuff. I only own so many pairs of pants. My family and I can only eat three meals a day. We enjoy a luxurious lifestyle, but we already own several houses, a private jet, and one too many yachts (turns out, the optimal number is two). Cutting our taxes will make us richer, but it won’t incentivize me or my venture capital partners to spend or invest more than we already do. What’s holding us back isn’t a shortage of cash, but rather a shortage of demand—from you.

That’s why I join the Not One Penny campaign in opposing any effort to cut taxes on wealthy people like me. The American tax code is already rigged in favor of the rich and powerful, and the Trump/Ryan tax plan would only make it worse. If we truly want an economy that works better for all Americans, we need to move in the other direction.

We should create more tax brackets, not fewer, with substantially higher tax rates on our wealthiest households and our largest inherited estates. As for simplifying the tax code, here’s an idea: Let’s treat all income equally. For example, I’d eliminate the cap of $127,000 on payroll taxes, apply it to all income, and then slash the rate, increasing the spending power of most Americans. Rich people like me make most of our money from dividends and capital gains, and it’s just plain crazy that I pay a lower tax rate on investment income than a truck driver or school teacher pays on their hard-earned wages or a small businessperson pays on her hard-won profits. As for the corporate income tax rate, cut it if you want—but only if those cuts are more than offset by eliminating corporate tax loopholes. As a percent of federal tax revenue, corporate income taxes already account for only a third of what they did in the 1950s, despite years of record profits. What corporate America needs and deserves is a fairer, simpler, more predictable tax code, not a cheaper one.

More importantly, what our economy needs now, at this moment in time, is a massive reinvestment in expanding and enriching the working and middle class. Tax the rich to put money back in the hands of the American people, and corporations will expand production and payrolls to meet the resulting spike in consumer demand. Tax the rich to invest in roads, transit, bridges, healthcare, schools and basic research, and America will rebuild the physical and human infrastructure on which innovation and thus our collective prosperity relies. Tax the rich not just because it is fair, but because experience teaches us that in America fairness and growth always go hand in hand.

The trickle-down myth on which the Trump/Ryan tax plan relies represents much more than just a fundamental mischaracterization of how market capitalism works. It is, in fact, a scam and an intimidation tactic. When rich guys like me tell you that if you cut our taxes we’ll invest in creating more and better jobs, that is a scam. When we tell you that if you raise our taxes (or your wages) you might lose your job, that is a threat. Either way, if we can get you to believe that taxing the rich is bad for you, then we will get richer. The beauty of this con job is that it hides our true intent: We’re rich, you’re poor, and we’d like it to stay that way. And like any good con, rather than stealing your money, we just persuade you to hand it over voluntarily.

But we’ve been playing this con so long that we rich folk have started to con ourselves into believing that there is no limit to how much we can enrich ourselves at your expense. This epidemic of greed is crushing new investment opportunities before they can arise. The irony is that it was always you who enriched us, not the other way around. Back when we paid our fair share and invested in growing the middle class, prosperity always trickled up.

So please, don’t just raise taxes on me because it’s good for you. Do it for me and for all my rich friends. Raise our taxes. And watch America grow.

“I Hate Everyone In The White House!”: Trump Seethes As Advisers Fear The President Is “Unraveling”

Is Trump losing it? Is this a good thing or a potential disaster?

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/10/donald-trump-is-unraveling-white-house-advisers

Energy Companies Don't Like the Clean Power Plan — or President Trump's Plan to Kill It

At least industry is pushing back against it, and the EPA has to move against global warming:

http://time.com/4976455/clean-power-plan-repeal-scott-pruitt-trump/

Trump Wanted Tenfold Increase in Nuclear Arsenal, Surprising Military

A toddler playing with a loaded gun:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-wanted-dramatic-increase-nuclear-arsenal-meeting-military-leaders-n809701

Trump's abysmal 16 percent approval among Latinos is sending GOP strategists into a panic

This is nice to see:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/10/1705864/-Trump-s-abysmal-16-percent-approval-among-Latinos-is-sending-GOP-strategists-into-a-panic

The Case for Impeaching Donald Trump Is Real and Serious. Here’s Why.

There are a LOT of reasons:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-case-for-impeaching-donald-trump-is-real-and-serious-heres-why

GOP Chair Lies to CNN Saying 'Women Never Came Forward' to Report Trump's Sexual Abuse

Yet more Republican hypocrisy:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/9/1705617/-GOP-Chair-Lies-to-CNN-Saying-Women-Never-Came-Forward-to-Report-Trump-s-Sexual-Abuse

I have been a gun owner for more than 30 years

How to be both pro-gun and pro-gun control:

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2012/12/15/1170178/-I-have-been-a-gun-owner-for-more-than-30-years

Armed vet proves NRA wrong, explains why he didn't confront Oregon shooter with his 'good guy' gun

Why the claim that it takes a good guy with a gun to take out a bad guy with a gun is wrong:

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2015/10/03/1427420/-Armed-Vet-proves-NRA-wrong-and-explains-why-he-didn-t-confront-Oregon-Killer-with-Good-Guy-Gun

Trump Is Filling Court Seats With Anti-LGBTQ, Anti-Abortion Judges

Next to a potential nuclear war, filling courts with overly conservative judges is the WORST thing about Trump:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-judicial-nominee-abortion-rights_us_59d67a63e4b046f5ad96e117

Charles J. Sykes: Where the Right Went Wrong

http://time.com/4963229/charles-j-sykes-where-the-right-went-wrong/

Senator destroys a Trump EPA nominee unable to acknowledge facts

See the video. This is how climate change deniers should be treated:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/5/1704384/-Senator-destroys-a-Trump-EPA-nominee-unable-to-acknowledge-facts

One Undeniable Factor In Gun Violence: Men

Conservative white guys aren't just the racist and serial killer demographic...they're also the most gun-crazy:

http://time.com/4968842/one-undeniable-factor-in-gun-violence-men/

Interior Whistleblower Quits, Lambastes Ryan Zinke’s ‘Resume Of Failure’

History won't be kind to this dickweed administration:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/joel-clement-resigns-interior-department_us_59d52f63e4b0cde45872936d

Voting Rights Roundup: GOP launches group to raise tens of millions for 2020s redistricting battles

This is one of the biggest political issues of our time:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/9/29/1702759/-Voting-Rights-Roundup-GOP-launches-group-to-raise-tens-of-millions-for-2020s-redistricting-battles

Texas taxes for family planning services were illegally spent by forced-birther group

The end result? "Rates of gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia are on the rise. Texas health officials report alarming “clusters” of HIV transmission popping up in 16 areas of the state.  The rate of second-trimester abortions, which are more painful and expensive, is on the rise as women in the state have more difficulty getting contraception and early-term abortions. Texas now has the worst maternal mortality rate in the developed world and has fallen behind the rest of the country when it comes to the decline in teen births. The state’s Medicaid system is straining as the number of births to low-income women rose, in part because they lack affordable or convenient access to contraception."

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/9/28/1702514/-Complaint-Texas-taxes-okayed-for-family-planning-services-diverted-to-crisis-pregnancy-centers

Media framing of Las Vegas shooter shows the bias in how violence perpetrated by whites is covered

And now it's media hypocrisy. Should white men now apologize for the Las Vegas shooting?

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/3/1703725/-Media-framing-of-Las-Vegas-shooter-shows-the-bias-in-how-violence-perpetrated-by-whites-is-covered

How Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump, Jr., Avoided a Criminal Indictment

I see it runs in the family:

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-ivanka-trump-and-donald-trump-jr-avoided-a-criminal-indictment

Rep. Tim Murphy, popular with pro-life movement, urged abortion in affair, texts suggest

Hypocrisy thy name is Republican:

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-nation/2017/10/03/rep-tim-Murphy-pro-life-sought-abortion-affair-shannon-edwards-susan-mosychuk-pennsylvania-chief-of-staff-congress-emails-texts/stories/201710030018

Earth May Be Close to 'Threshold of Catastrophe'

This is painfully sobering:

https://www.livescience.com/60578-sixth-mass-extinction-may-be-inevitable.html

Why Paying for Nutrition Saves Money on Health Care

Of course Trump is trying to cut this:

http://time.com/4962475/nutrition-snap-health-care

President Trump Compliments Kim Jong Un, Makes Case For North Korean Nukes

Perhaps a plausible solution to the North Korea problem?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/president-trump-compliments-kim-jong-un-makes-case_us_59cfcf9ee4b034ae778d4b01

Why Millennial Women Are Embracing Atheism

I'm digging this trend:

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/why-millennial-women-embracing-atheism-044500527.html

The Day Donald Trump Watched An Octogenarian Bleeding To Death And Did Nothing To Help

What a complete dick....

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2017/9/28/1702578/-The-Day-Donald-Trump-Watched-An-Octagenarian-Bleeding-To-Death-And-Did-Nothing-To-Help

Stephen Chu shares some sobering climate change math

Things could be a lot worse than we think:

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2017/9/26/1701649/-Stephen-Chu-shares-some-sobering-climate-change-math

You're welcome....

Republicans Still Believe The Myth That Tax Cuts Pay For Themselves

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/republicans-tax-cuts-offsets_us_59cd664ce4b05f005d3327d5

The Donald Trump Era Could Send Moderate Republicans Running for the Exits

Here's to hoping:

http://time.com/4959983/donald-trump-republican-party-2018

The DOJ’s new anti-gay legal posture just got shut down in federal court

An interesting detailing of the arguments and decision:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2017/09/the_doj_s_new_anti_gay_legal_posture_just_got_shut_down_in_federal_court.html

Here’s All The Expensive Nonsense Trump’s EPA Chief Is Wasting Your Taxes On

In case you weren't aware:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/scott-pruitt-spending-epa_us_59cc2a95e4b05063fe0ef9b3

Charlie Sykes: Roy Moore Signals the End of the Republican Party

Too true, but not in a good way if Democrats can't capitalize on it:

http://time.com/4961230/charlie-sykes-roy-moore-gop-republicans/

The racial wealth divide is worse than people think—and it’s growing

A major cause of social and political instability:

https://qz.com/1087711/the-racial-wealth-divide-is-worse-than-people-think-and-its-growing/

Report: Jared Kushner used private email for White House business

MORE hypocrisy...

https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/policy-and-politics/2017/9/24/16358388/jared-kushner-private-email-white-house

You Won’t Like Mexico When It’s Angry

Yeah, Trump's attacks on Mexico aren't just pointless...they're dangerous:

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/09/11/donald-trump-us-mexico-relations-215594

A Federal Agency Just Put America's Solar Power Industry in Danger

It's like the Republicans WANT to destroy the planet...

http://time.com/4951790/solar-panel-tariff-energy-trump/

Just When You Thought Graham And Cassidy Couldn’t Get More Cynical

How evil can they get?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/graham-cassidy-bill-medicaid_us_59c51f13e4b06ddf45f76226

MIT Study Predicts Thresholds for a Sixth Mass Extinction

Another reason to get rid of Trump and go all out on alternative energies:

https://scitechdaily.com/mit-study-predicts-thresholds-for-a-sixth-mass-extinction/

Keith Olbermann on the evidence for the imminent demise of Trump

Oh, I HOPE he's right!

https://mobile.twitter.com/KeithOlbermann/status/910263827769503744/video/1

Divided Democratic Party Debates Its Future as 2020 Looms

Get it together, guys...

http://time.com/4951191/divided-democratic-party-debates-its-future/

This report tells us why Trump is so afraid of Robert Mueller’s investigation

The snare tightens:

https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/policy-and-politics/2017/9/20/16340636/trump-mueller-white-house-documents

The Sponsors Of Obamacare Repeal Are Trying To Fool America — And Fellow Republicans

And more hypocrisy. Can you imagine how the Republicans would have howled if the Democrats had tried to sneak the ACA through the Sentate?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/graham-cassidy-obamacare-repeal_us_59c16c28e4b0f22c4a8d3c77

GOP Senator Wants To Block States From Setting Up Single-Payer Systems

More Republican hypocrisy. This is insane:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/john-kennedy-single-payer-states-rights_us_59c15b89e4b0f22c4a8d1ce7

Donald Trump took $107 million promised to charities ... and kept it

The Thief in Chief:

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2017/9/18/1699455/-Donald-Trump-took-107-million-promised-to-charities-and-kept-it

Republicans go to ludicrous lengths to pass a 'healthcare' bill that deliberately harms blue states

The Republicans need to be shitcanned for their truly evil behavior:

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2017/9/18/1699530/-Republicans-go-to-ludicrous-lengths-to-pass-a-healthcare-bill-that-deliberately-harms-blue-states

Is Conservatism a Sign of Imperial Decline?

Sign or cause?

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2017/9/16/1699172/-Is-Conservatism-a-Sign-of-Imperial-Decline

The American left has its own Tea Party, and it’s coming for Donald Trump

Turnabout is fair play:

https://qz.com/1065652/the-american-left-has-its-own-tea-party-and-its-coming-for-donald-trump/

How To Win A Nuclear Standoff

How to gauge the risks:

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-to-win-a-nuclear-standoff/amp/

Study Says Americans Mistrust One Another

No duh, but this puts some numbers on it:

http://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/study-says-americans-mistrust-one-another

Taxpayers billed $1,092 for an official’s two-night stay at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club

Corruption, thy name is Trump:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/taxpayers-billed-1092-for-an-officials-two-night-stay-at-trumps-mar-a-lago-club/2017/09/15/e3e5dfdc-97c6-11e7-82e4-f1076f6d6152_story.html

Experts Say the Use of Private Email by Trump’s Voter Fraud Commission Isn’t Legal

The next scandal of the day:

https://www.propublica.org/article/experts-say-the-use-of-private-email-by-trumps-voter-fraud-commission-isnt-legal

Harvard psychiatrist Lance Dodes: Donald Trump is a “sociopath” and “a very sick individual”

No holds barred:

http://www.salon.com/2017/09/12/harvard-psychiatrist-lance-dodes-donald-trump-is-a-sociopath-and-a-very-sick-individual/

House Republicans desperate for a legislative win to stave off 'mass exodus' in 2018

Schadenfreude!

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2017/9/14/1698578/-House-Republicans-desperate-for-a-legislative-win-to-stave-off-mass-exodus-in-2018

Database: the link between extremism and islamic scripture

A useful collection of data against Islam (long document, slow loading):

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IIheRz1JI6J-D_P4K7scvvWJKBVt8kLeUsCj2PwHV2E/mobilebasic

Islamic Scholar Outlines Islam's Intentions for America

Islam's scripture is more brutal toward non-Muslims than Christianity's is against non-Christians, which makes their fundamentalists even worse:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JJeVLTGYX8&feature=youtu.be

Trump is trolling conservatives. Here are 4 theories why.

Or he's just an idiot. Cozying up to Democrats will piss off his base, and he lost Democrats long ago:

http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/14/politics/trump-pelosi-schumer-deal/index.html

It's finally dawned on Trump how much people 'hate' him — and he's pivoting to a new strategy

Interesting, but I'll believe it when it lasts more than a week. Maybe:

http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-pivots-after-realizing-how-much-people-f-ing-hate-him-2017-9

Watch Trump Fans Get Trolled Into Saying What They Really Think

The stupid...it hurts....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jordan-klepper-trump-rally-opposition_us_59b8b9c6e4b02da0e13d5897

How American Foreign Policy Inspires Resistance, Insurgency, and Terrorism

http://bigthink.com/videos/stephen-walt-how-american-foreign-policy-inspires-resistance-insurgency-and-terrorism

America Is Less White and Christian Than Ever. How Is This Changing Us?

Evangelical Christianity had been rising until relatively recently. Glad to see it shrinking, and I'll take a tiny fraction of the credit for that, thank you!

http://bigthink.com/21st-century-spirituality/america-is-less-white-and-christian-than-ever-how-is-this-changing-us

How Americans Could Have Cheap Health Care Almost Instantly

This is an intriguing alternative to expanding Medicare:

http://time.com/4937691/americans-cheap-healthcare-instantly

Ready Or Not, Here Comes Bernie Sanders And His Single-Payer Plan

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-single-payer_us_59b7faa7e4b031cc65cd0637

And more:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-single-payer-bill-major-support-senate_us_59b87dc1e4b02da0e13d465f

Major news networks are failing to explain that Hurricane Harvey was fueled by climate change

Major news stations not reporting on something because it may be politically charged is a dangerous trend:

https://qz.com/1073580/major-news-networks-are-failing-to-explain-that-hurricane-harvey-was-fueled-by-climate-change/

Why Millenials Are Extremely Liberal

American's youth is "terrifyingly liberal":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjqSeNcQokI&feature=youtu.be

Nice!

What do scared House Republicans know that we don't?

When incumbent Republicans quit, the chances for a Democrat replacement increase:

http://www.eclectablog.com/2017/09/what-do-house-republicans-know-that-we-dont.html

And Trott has already said he won't run again:

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/11/dave-trott-michigan-no-reelection-242556

The First White President: The foundation of Donald Trump’s presidency is the negation of Barack Obama’s legacy.

An interesting and depressing perspective:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/10/the-first-white-president-ta-nehisi-coates/537909/

With some further commentary:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/blogs/plum-line/wp/2017/09/10/whose-white-president/

Could President Trump Pardon Someone in Secret?

This is NOT helping:

http://time.com/4933386/donald-trump-secret-pardon-law/

Hurricane Harvey Is Just The Latest In Facebook’s Fake News Problem

With conservatives so vulnerable to fake news, how does one compete with the truth?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/facebook-hurricane-harvey-fake-news_us_59b17900e4b0354e441021fb

Limbaugh evacuates South Florida after claiming Hurricane Irma was a liberal hoax

The stupid...it hurts...

https://thinkprogress.org/limbaugh-to-evacuate-south-florida-after-claiming-irma-was-a-hoax-cb3fb5fb35b8/

Noam Chomsky's Surprising Take on the Russia Scandal

I think that the Russia investigation could potentially bring down Trump through ancillary discoveries, so I think it's still worth pursuing. But Chomsky does have some good points:

http://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/noam-chomskys-surprising-take-on-the-russia-scandal

How to Deal With a Narcissistic Boss

Remind you of anyone?

https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/job-career/narcissistic-boss-tips

More Evidence Donald Trump ‘Pee Tape’ Exists: Russian Politician Reveals That Russia Has Blackmail Material

I'm not into pee porn, but I'd pay $100 to see Trump watching it happen:

http://www.inquisitr.com/4478189/evidence-donald-trump-pee-tape-real-russian/?utm_content=inf_11_3140_2

Those 3% of scientific papers that deny climate change? A review found them all flawed

So even those climate change deniers who claim those 3% of studies prove them right just had the rug pulled out from under their justification:

https://qz.com/1069298/the-3-of-scientific-papers-that-deny-climate-change-are-all-flawed/

Trump is holding DREAMers hostage for his border wall with Mexico

What a dick:

https://qz.com/1070109/daca-reversal-trump-is-holding-dreamers-hostage-for-his-mexico-border-wall/

Boom—evidence shows Trump added 49 for-profit businesses to his empire since running/taking office

More evidence of corruption:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/9/5/1696137/-New-report-shows-Trump-added-49-businesses-to-his-empire-since-running-winning-taking-office

Trump, GOP demand blue state payback

Liberals subsidize conservatives, yet conservatives want liberals to pay even more:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/9/3/1694868/-Trump-GOP-demand-blue-state-payback

There should be a big "fuck you" in response.

Why Do Most American Conservatives Still Refuse To Believe In Climate Change?

An old article, but important to understanding why otherwise rational people can go off the deep end on certain topics:

http://bigthink.com/neurobonkers/why-do-most-american-conservatives-still-refuse-to-believe-in-climate-change

'My Hands Are Too Big,' Says President With Smaller-Than-Average Hands

Such a small, petty man:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-my-hands-are-too-big-houston-shelter_us_59ab1b81e4b0b5e530ff16b6

From atop his Dumpster fire, raging Trump 'turning on people that are very close to him'

This is just nice to hear:

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2017/9/1/1695298/-From-atop-his-dumpster-fire-raging-Trump-turning-on-people-that-are-very-close-to-him

He can't get much done if he's spending all his time battling himself and his own administration.

Perspective on Trump's $1 million donation to Houston

Just a little meme I whipped up to put things into perspective:

I think my numbers are pretty conservative. I just saw a similar calculation that pegged the equivalence at $5.

Fox News Poll: Americans Think Donald Trump Is An Unstable, Dishonest, Immoral Bully

It's especially nice that this is from Fox News, his sycophants:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-unstable-bully-fox-news-poll_us_59a8d931e4b0dfaafcef376a

Brutal Memes Mock Joel Osteen Over His Hurricane Harvey Response

Hypocrite deserves it:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/joel-osteen-memes-houston_us_59a902f8e4b0354e44093d3b

Hundreds Of Christian Leaders Denounce Anti-LGBTQ ‘Nashville Statement’

Glad to see Christians attacking Christians for being too divisive and conservative:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hundreds-of-christian-leaders-release-lgbtq-affirming-response-to-nashville-statement_us_59a71bcee4b0a8d14572cf35

Mayor Of Hell, Inspired By Trump, Declares Heterosexuality Illegal

More epic-level trolling. I'm so glad our side has all the creative people:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hell-michigan-elijah-daniel-heterosexuality_us_59a735fde4b07e81d354ffa6

Kellyanne Conway was asked to describe Trump's #1 trait and oh Lord, you have to hear her response

Hahahaha! No.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/8/30/1694627/-Watch-Kellyanne-Conway-tell-the-Christian-Broadcasting-Network-that-humility-is-Trump-s-top-trait

Chris Christie: Ted Cruz Is Lying About Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill

It's the hypocrisy that pisses me off the most:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chris-christie-ted-cruz-hurricane-sandy_us_59a667e5e4b084581a1449eb

Fox News Pulled Off The Air In UK Because No One Watches It

Sounds like a great start! But it comes with some bad news too:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fox-news-uk-pulled_us_59a67451e4b063ae34d9ebf3

Houston’s flooding shows what happens when you ignore science and let developers run rampant

This is the result of insufficient regulation:

https://qz.com/1064364/hurricane-harvey-houstons-flooding-made-worse-by-unchecked-urban-development-and-wetland-destruction/

KKK Hoods And Urine-Proof Sheets Seen At Trump Tower Gift Shop

More epic-level trolling!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-tower-gift-shop-kkk-hoods-russian-flags-sheets_us_59a5c159e4b063ae34d978a7

Florida's Textbooks Are a New Battleground in America's Fight Over Facts

Since when should minority dissenting opinions from non-scientists have any say in science topics in schools?

http://time.com/4910125/textbook-law-florida/

You don't teach astrology in astronomy classes, nor alchemy in physics classes, nor phrenology in neuroscience classes, nor magic in physics classes!

Trump Cybersecurity Advisors Resign, Citing His ‘Insufficient Attention’ to Threats

Trump keeps losing valuable advisers due to his egregious behavior:

http://fortune.com/2017/08/26/trump-cybersecurity-advisors-resign/

Trump’s Pardon of Joe Arpaio Is an Impeachable Offense

This is an intriguing claim:

http://amp.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2017/08/trump_s_pardon_of_joe_arpaio_is_an_impeachable_offense.html

Disco isn’t dead: It’s being used as a secret weapon for disarming British neo-Nazis

A great way to troll white supremacists:

https://qz.com/1059410/disco-isnt-dead-its-being-used-as-a-secret-weapon-for-disarming-british-neo-nazis/

But this is the best:

http://www.upworthy.com/a-town-came-up-with-a-brilliant-hilarious-way-to-troll-neo-nazi-marchers-take-note

Democracy in North Carolina Could Disappear. Is Your State Next?

This is also scary:

http://time.com/4891560/north-carolina-elections-supreme-court/

Gerrymandering, voter suppression, sowing distrust in the major media sources, buying up local media to control their message... Getting the Dems into power is the only hope for reversing these trends.

Trump Unfit To Be President? There’s A Fast Way To Get Rid Of Him.

Unfortunately, Pence is in the way:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-remove-pence_us_599465e1e4b009141641dce9

Trump Takes Authoritarian Stance In Portraying Journalists As Anti-American Enemy

This is seriously dangerous. I wonder what the rabid, uneducated Trump supporters will do if and when Trump is kicked out of office? It'll be an utter shock to so many of them who believe the bullshit that he's doing such a great job:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-portrays-journalists-as-anti-american_us_599da653e4b0d8dde99a844c

State Department Science Envoy Quits With Not-So-Secret Message For Trump: ‘IMPEACH’

This is EPIC-level trolling against Trump:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/state-department-science-envoy-sends-not-so-secret-message-to-trump-impeach_us_599d9fcae4b0d97c4000a0d6

FEAR & UNbalanced: Confessions of a 14-Year Fox News Hitman

We always knew Faux News was irrationally biased to the right, but here one of their own insiders shows how it was carefully orchestrated, scripted and presented. It's an amazing read:

https://medium.com/@tobinsmith_95851/how-roger-ailes-fox-news-scammed-americas-la-z-boy-cowboys-for-21-years-1996ee4a6b3e

Keith Olbermann Predicts How It Will All End For Trump

I'm curious how Trump's rabid followers who think the sun shines out of his ass will react if and when he is abruptly forced out:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/keith-olbermann-trump-end-resign_us_599d0b73e4b0a296083ae352