Scott Pruitt’s Latest EPA Gambit Is As Clever As It Is Evil

Putting this shitbird in charge of the EPA was insane:

https://futurism.com/scott-pruitts-epa-evil-transparency/

Fake News Goes to Court

The alt-reality and fake news sources appear to be getting their comeuppance:

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/03/fox-news-and-alex-jones-could-pay-for-pushing-fake-news-about-real-people.html

KS Republicans shocked when their consultants on education give them same answer as everyone else

The failed Republican experiment that is Kansas is bitten in the ass once again:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/3/16/1749624/-KS-Republicans-shocked-when-their-consultants-on-education-give-them-same-answer-as-everyone-else

Trump would love to fire Mueller. But here’s why he’s been afraid to so far.

A good rundown of the risks Mueller and Trump do and do not face:

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/3/19/17138948/trump-mueller-firing-russia

The article removed from Forbes, “Why White Evangelicalism Is So Cruel”

This explains a lot of why Evangelicals don't actually follow the teachings of Jesus:

https://www.politicalorphans.com/the-article-removed-from-forbes-why-white-evangelicalism-is-so-cruel/

John Oliver publishes book to upset Pence

I watched John Oliver's segment on this. A worthy buy!

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/3/18/1750108/-John-Oliver-publishes-book-to-upset-Pence

Cambridge Analytica Uncovered: Secret filming reveals election tricks

The inside dirt on Cambridge Analytica. There’s nothing like video from the horse’s mouth to provide damning evidence:

https://youtu.be/mpbeOCKZFfQ

What Woke America And Great America Can Learn From Each Other

Interesting way to interpret what your opponents are saying:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/opinion-giridharadas-outrage-america_us_5aaa93b6e4b073bd82929695

Kris Kobach’s Voting Sham Gets Exposed in Court

Is there nothing conservatives do that isn’t evil?

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/17/opinion/sunday/kris-kobachs-voting-sham-gets-exposed-in-court.html

The Cambridge Analytica Files ‘I made Steve Bannon’s psychological warfare tool’: meet the data war whistleblower

In depth article on the man behind using Facebook to elect Trump:

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/17/data-war-whistleblower-christopher-wylie-faceook-nix-bannon-trump?CMP=share_btn_fb

Should I even write this? A reflection on Trump, Trudeau, and trade

Trump goes beyond lying into nonsensical:

https://qz.com/1230343/trumps-comments-on-trade-and-justin-trudeau-are-impossible-to-analyze/

Fox News hosts and their bald faced hypocrisy

There’s nothing like video footage to lay bare hypocrisy:

https://mobile.twitter.com/MyDaughtersArmy/status/974318717738811394/video/1

How to disagree well: 7 of the best and worst ways to argue

Useful suggestions for how to argue most successfully:

http://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/how-to-disagree-well-7-of-the-best-and-worst-ways-to-argue

Shep Smith Has the Hardest Job on Fox News

Sanity vs. Hannity:

http://time.com/longform/shepard-smith-fox-news/

What it means that the Russians-hacking-US-energy-grid story is being leaked in a big way now

An interesting perspective:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/3/15/1749247/-What-it-means-that-the-Russians-hacking-US-energy-grid-story-is-being-leaked-now

Russia Is Now a Rogue State. We Must Treat It Like One

I have to agree:

http://time.com/5201653/russia-rogue-britain-skripal-tom-tugendhat/

How a Wild Theory About Nelson Mandela Proves the Existence of Parallel Universes

Ah-hah! So maybe Trump isn’t a lying P.O.S., he’s just from an alternate universe where all the false claims he makes are true!

http://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/how-the-mandela-effect-phenomenon-explains-the-existence-of-alternate-realities

Teacher, reserve cop accidentally fires gun in Calif. high school, police say

So if the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun, how do you stop a good guy with a gun?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/teacher-reserve-cop-accidentally-fires-gun-in-calif-high-school-police-say/

5 Times Trump's Favorite Economic Advisor Has Been Spectacularly Wrong About the Economy

More of the BEST people:

http://time.com/money/5197470/trump-pick-kudlow-predictions/

USDA withdraws animal welfare rule

Yet another petty, cruel and unnecessary act by the Trump administration:

http://thehill.com/regulation/administration/377947-usda-withdraws-animal-welfare-rule

Evangelicals Rip Up the Bible's Rules to Promote a Porn Star Loving President

In case it's not clear already:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/3/10/1747797/-Evangelicals-Rip-Up-the-Bible-s-Rules-to-Promote-a-Porn-Star-Loving-President

The Last Temptation

"How evangelicals, once culturally confident, became an anxious minority seeking political protection from the least traditionally religious president in living memory":

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/04/the-last-temptation/554066/

Obama's legacy: He sparked hope -- and got blindsided

I wonder what would’ve happened if Obama had been more aggressive.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/09/opinions/obama-historian-legacy-roundup-opinion-zelizer/index.html

President Trump Offered a History Lesson on Tariffs. Here’s What He Left Out

Stupid is as stupid does:

http://time.com/5192161/trump-tariff-history/

Fake news travels six times faster than the truth on Twitter

Depressing:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2163226-fake-news-travels-six-times-faster-than-the-truth-on-twitter/

Stormy Daniels' Lawsuit Against Donald Trump Raises the Question: When Can You Sue the President?

Don't forget the "nobody is above the law" edict:

http://time.com/5189549/stormy-daniels-lawsuit-can-you-sue-president-united-states/

Ailing Mississippi Sen. Cochran To Resign, Setting Up 2018 Special Election

Yet another opportunity for the Democrats to take the Senate:

https://www.npr.org/2018/03/05/590989957/ailing-mississippi-sen-cochran-to-resign-setting-up-2018-special-election

Kellyanne Conway found to have violated Hatch Act

I give three to one odds that in the end nobody in the Trump administration will be found innocent:

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/376945-watchdog-kellyanne-conway-violated-hatch-act-twice-in-tv-appearances

‘The Most Hated Person On Campus’: Why Some College Republicans Are Channeling Donald Trump

It's good to see Trump has poor support among millennials, but there are unfortunately some vocal exceptions:

http://time.com/the-most-hated-person-on-campus-why-some-college-republicans-are-channeling-donald-trump

State Department Has Spent None Of The $120 Million Allocated To Fight Russian Interference

How is this not treason? Do your fucking jobs!

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/state-department-russian-meddling_us_5a9cb149e4b089ec353bc61e

Taxpayers, You’ve Been Scammed

A Paul Krugman opinion:

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/03/01/opinion/taxpayers-scammed-republicans.html

Trump has a 'great meeting' with the NRA and falls back in line with the gun lobby

Was this ever in doubt?

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/3/2/1745971/-Trump-has-a-great-meeting-with-the-NRA-and-falls-back-in-line-with-the-gun-lobby

Three Reasons Scientists Are Freaked out by Crazy-High Arctic Temperatures

If Greenland and Antarctica lose their landlocked ice, sea levels will rise extremely high and drastically change weather patterns:

https://futurism.com/crazy-high-arctic-temperatures/

No, Fascism Can’t Happen Here

At least we have something to ease our concern:

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/03/01/no-fascism-cant-happen-here-217092

Trump’s Chaos Theory for the Oval Office Is Taking Its Toll

Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic:

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/03/01/us/politics/trump-chaos-oval-office.html

How the student activists of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High demonstrate the power of a comprehensive education

So much for "crisis actors":

https://splinternews.com/the-teacher-who-taught-his-students-to-challenge-the-nr-1823355017

and

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/02/the-student-activists-of-marjory-stoneman-douglas-high-demonstrate-the-power-of-a-full-education.html

Senate Intelligence Leaders Say House G.O.P. Leaked a Senator’s Texts

The Republicans continue to act in a deeply underhanded and unprofessional manner:

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/03/01/us/politics/senate-intelligence-nunes-leaks.html?referer=https://t.co/pn9uLfGtZN?amp=1#click=https://t.co/pn9uLfGtZN

Even Oil Companies Are Now Saying Climate Change Will Hurt Their Business

Well it's about time!

http://time.com/5178262/climate-change-oil-companies-future/

NRA's Warnings Have Come True: A President Wants To Unilaterally Disarm Americans

Sorry, but...bwahahahah!

“It’s fairly easy to imagine how the NRA would have reacted had Obama or Clinton made a statement about taking guns away without due process. But the group did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday about what it thinks of Trump’s remarks.”

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-nra-warnings_us_5a9713dde4b07dffeb6f5096

Trump seems to think weapons used in mass shootings are bought on "the black market"

Out of touch much???

https://mobile.twitter.com/atrupar/status/968957403910823936?ref_src=twcamp%5Eshare%7Ctwsrc%5Eios%7Ctwgr%5Eother%7Ctwcon%5E7100%7Ctwterm%5E3

Revenge of the tribes: How the American Empire could fall

What partisan thinking in blogs like this one could lead to:

http://bigthink.com/videos/amy-chua-how-hardened-tribalism-leads-to-civil-wars

But it's the conservatives who are committing most of the attacks on disenfranchised groups, dammit, while progressives are mostly trying to expand equality!

To Create Conflict, Russians Fuel GMO Debate

It seems that Russian interference in public disinformation is not limited to elections:

https://futurism.com/russians-fuel-gmo-debate/

John Dean Predicts If Gates Testimony Shows Manafort Acted W/Trump's Blessings, It's All Over

Will THIS be the path that topples Trumpty Dumpty?

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/2/25/1744741/-John-Dean-Predicts-If-Gates-Testimony-Shows-Manafort-Acted-W-Trump-s-Blessings-It-s-All-Over

After Two Decades of GMOs, Scientists Find They Live up to Their Promise

For those on the left who are anti-GMO:

https://futurism.com/two-decades-scientists-gmos-corn-good-seriously/

'The Most Dangerous Man In The World’: Trump Is Violent, Immature And Insecure, Psych Experts Say

Nicely summarizing what we already know all too well:

http://www.newsweek.com/2017/10/06/trump-most-dangerous-man-world-psychologists-671182.html

Gallup Officially Declares TEXAS Competitive (And Guess Who's Finally Been Showing Up?)

Very encouraging. Taking Texas and Florida would make it very hard for Republicans to win anything:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/2/24/1743606/-Gallup-Officially-Declares-TEXAS-Competitive-And-Guess-Who-s-Finally-Been-Showing-Up

Liberal Brains Are Different from Conservative Brains, but Dialogue Is Still Possible

Interesting psychology of how to approach speaking to a conservative or liberal:

http://bigthink.com/videos/gail-saltz-the-brain-differences-of-liberals-versus-conservatives

(Watch the video.)

Three major car rental companies dump the NRA

Perhaps this is going to be another #MeToo-type thing:

https://thinkprogress.org/alamo-national-enterprise-dump-nra-35d326965744/

Here's what happened earlier:

https://thinkprogress.org/first-national-bank-ends-nra-visa-card-5809195f1672/

Trump keeps tweeting, keeps reminding us how deep Mitch McConnell is in the Russia election hacking

A useful reminder for those who try to deflect Trump's negligence by pointing at Obama:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/2/21/1743391/-Trump-keeps-tweeting-keeps-reminding-us-how-deep-Mitch-McConnell-in-in-the-Russia-election-hacking

Evangelical Pastor: Guns Are Not Christian

Yeah, I never got why so many Christians are pro-gun:

http://time.com/5163376/christians-gun-control/

Every one of Europe’s 571 cities is destined for worse heat waves, droughts, or floods

This SHOULD scare everyone, but science deniers aren't rational:

https://qz.com/1212443/climate-changes-impact-on-europe-all-571-cities-are-destined-for-worse-heat-waves-droughts-or-floods/

Robert Mueller's Indictment Could Be a Win for Russia's Trolls

This new form of information warfare is insidiously effective:

http://time.com/5168104/mueller-indictment-russia-troll-factory-help/

The video is worth watching.

The Congressional Stalemate Over Guns and Immigration Isn't Going Away

https://www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/553499/?__twitter_impression=true

How Does Trump Stack Up Against the Best — and Worst — Presidents?

Very interesting. Even Republican scholars rank Obama highly and Trump near the bottom:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/19/opinion/how-does-trump-stack-up-against-the-best-and-worst-presidents.html?mtrref=undefined&assetType=opinion&mtrref=t.co&assetType=opinion

How the Republicans stole the Second Amendment

I always wondered how they expanded "militia" to cover every individual:

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2018/2/18/1741614/-How-the-Republicans-stole-the-Second-Amendment

Melania Trump’s ‘volunteer’ rankles White House staff with her all-access pass

Yet another Trump administration scandal, this one mostly under the radar...

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/16/melania-trumps-volunteer-rankles-white-house-staff-with-her-all-access-pass-415669

Seth Abramson on when Trump actually started running for president, and what he did after that time

Now Trump is lying about the timeline for his running for the presidency...thus opening himself up to further collusion allegations:

https://mobile.twitter.com/sethabramson/status/964598749225013248?s=12

Trump’s Budget Would End Grant Funding For State Endangered Species Projects

Have I mentioned I hate that shitbird Trump?

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-budget-endangered-species-state-grants_us_5a8584f1e4b0774f31d28e73

All the things Fox News blamed the Parkland shooting on other than the gun

I wish there were an official watchdog group evaluating the verifiable accuracy as well as completeness of coverage of stories from all the major news sources:

https://qz.com/1208530/parkland-florida-shooting-fox-news-blamed-the-school-massacre-on-everything-except-the-ar-15/

Jared Kushner's Finances Are In Shambles And He's A Threat To National Security

I wonder which of the Trump inner circle will go down first:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/2/15/1741765/-Jared-Kushner-s-Finances-Are-In-Shambles-And-He-s-A-Threat-To-National-Security

Knee-Jerk Cynicism Is A Failure Of Critical Reasoning

Another perspective from Steven Pinker on the reasons for more optimistic thinking:

https://quartzy.qz.com/1204932/steven-pinkers-book-enlightenment-now-is-an-argument-against-cynicism/

Here’s What Trump’s New Budget Means for Renewable Energy

I fucking hate Trump, in case it's not already obvious:

https://futurism.com/trumps-budget-renewable-energy/

The Enlightenment Is Working

For those who feel that the world is inexorably getting worse, the statistics say otherwise:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-enlightenment-is-working-1518191343

Trump Meets Every Criteria For An Authoritarian Leader, Harvard Political Scientists Warn

Yup:

http://www.newsweek.com/harvard-political-science-professor-donald-trump-authoritarian-how-democracy-778425

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like the Gilded Age

An interesting comparison between the "Gilded Age" period after the Civil War and today:

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-02-07/it-s-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-the-gilded-age

Fox News cuts away from Trump economic speech to cover historic stock market drop

Watch the stock ticker as Tronald Dump brags about how good he is for the economy:

https://youtu.be/R5EoE30VIP0

And here FoxNews (yeah, THEM!) cuts away from one of his economy rallies to show how the stock market is tanking:

https://youtu.be/9zbdRdF5IL4

Why Are Conservatives More Susceptible to Believing Lies?

A good analysis, starting with this basic point: “The difference between Republicans and Democrats is that Republicans believe people are fundamentally bad, while Democrats see people as fundamentally good.”

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2017/11/why_conservatives_are_more_susceptible_to_believing_in_lies.html

California Takes a Stand Against Trump’s Offshore Oil Plan

Good to see my state fighting back:

https://futurism.com/california-takes-stand-against-trumps-offshore-oil-plan/

Bermuda becomes first jurisdiction in the world to repeal same-sex marriage

Backsliding...but I'll bet it won't last:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/08/bermuda-repeal-same-sex-marriage?mc_cid=d44184db0c&mc_eid=c4215c6c8c

White Women Who Enable Trump Do Not Deserve The Benefit Of Your Doubt

I'll never understand people who already have it tougher would vote against their own self-interest:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/daniels-opinion-white-women-trump_us_5a79f67de4b0d0ef3c09fbf0

Pennsylvania GOP's threat to impeach Supreme Court is real—and it's how they plan to cling to power

The Republicans are ballsy, I'll give them that. Evil, but ballsy:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/2/7/1739285/-Pennsylvania-GOP-s-threat-to-impeach-Supreme-Court-is-real-and-it-s-how-they-plan-to-cling-to-power

The Alternate Realities of Left and Right

How do we fight against this?

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/dispatches/2018/02/04/alternate-realities-left-right/

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

The anti-science party continues to hurt society:

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

Boycott the Republican Party

Republicans encouraging everyone to vote for the...Democrats???

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/03/boycott-the-gop/550907/

I think I just saw a pig fly out of my butt!

Seth Abramson on the Shearer Memo

Verrrrrry interesting perspective:

https://mobile.twitter.com/sethabramson/status/960700267313401868?ref_src=twcamp%5Eshare%7Ctwsrc%5Eios%7Ctwgr%5Ecom.apple.UIKit.activity.Message%7Ctwcon%5E7100%7Ctwterm%5E0

Generation Z More Atheistic Than other Age Groups

A positive poll for atheism, and from the Evangelical Barna Group at that:

http://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/generation-z-more-atheistic-other-age-groups

China Moves To Create The Perfect Totalitarian Dystopia

In case you’re wondering why I am disparaging toward China, this is why:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/2/3/1738528/-China-Moves-To-Create-The-Perfect-Totalitarian-Dystopia?detail=emaildkre

A strong rebuttal to the “Nunes Memo”

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/TODAY/z_Creative/inline-headers/FINAL%20DRAFT%20--%20Dear%20Colleague%20on%20Nunes%20Memo.pdf

The Largest Number Of Scientists In Modern U.S. History Is Running For Office In 2018

This warms my heart!

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/science-candidates_us_5a74fffde4b06ee97af2ae60

How Amazon Will Drastically Change Health Care, According to Futurists

The current healthcare system is being hamstrung by conservatives, but this may change things up a bit:

http://time.com/money/5127497/amazon-healthcare-costs/

Seth Abramson breaks down the Nunes memo

Another great Seth Abramson analysis, this time of the Nunes Memo:

https://mobile.twitter.com/sethabramson/status/959494066840002560?ref_src=twcamp%5Eshare%7Ctwsrc%5Eios%7Ctwgr%5Ecom.apple.UIKit.activity.Message%7Ctwcon%5E7100%7Ctwterm%5E0

The Key Players In Trump’s ‘Deep State’ Conspiracy Theory Are All Republicans

There is some special kind of stupid going on here:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-russia-probe-republicans-deep-state_us_5a737d6ee4b06ee97af0d4dd

Congressman unleashes fiery blast at Trump lapdogs’ defense of a corrupt presidency

Nicely said:

https://www.facebook.com/CREDO/videos/10157122365300968/

Defeat is inevitable. Everybody knows it, even Trump

Drawing the parallels between Nixon and Trump:

https://www.salon.com/2018/01/27/defeat-is-inevitable-everybody-knows-it-even-trump/

Donald Trump Just Asked Congress to End the Rule of Law

Yeah, that line bothered me when I heard it:

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/01/donald-trump-just-asked-congress-to-end-the-rule-of-law.html

Trump Pulls the Plug on Clean Energy with Deep Cuts to Renewable Research

Trump is truly an utterly vile and contemptible asshole:

https://futurism.com/trump-pulls-plug-clean-energy-deep-cuts-renewable-research/

Davis: ‘Deep state’ existed in ’16 – but it elected Trump

This sounds much more in line with known history than the Republicans claim. But will it gain traction?

http://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/371755-davis-deep-state-existed-in-16-but-it-elected-trump

Jeff Bezos, Jamie Dimon, and Warren Buffett unite to disrupt healthcare's profit motive

This is one plausibly good way to deal with the insane costs of healthcare:

http://bigthink.com/news/amazon-berkshire-hathaway-and-jpmorgan-join-forces-to-disrupt-health-care

The ‘Law And Order’ Party Has Unleashed An Extraordinary Attack On Law Enforcement

Did I mention I hate hypocrisy?

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fbi-attack-trump-mueller-republicans_us_5a6b3fe7e4b0ddb658c5c3fd

The oceans have never been hotter than they are now

More evidence of climate change:

https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/wjpm7m/the-oceans-have-never-been-hotter-than-they-are-now

How Republicans Think About Climate Change — in Maps

There’s hope for consensus as long as we talk solutions, not causes. It’s stupid that it’s needed, but...

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/14/climate/republicans-global-warming-maps.html

Trump’s latest interview shows he’s not really the president

No surprises here, but a good analysis nevertheless:

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/1/26/16936802/trump-not-really-president

The World’s Ugliest American

I REALLY share this opinion:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-worlds-ugliest-american_us_5a662792e4b002283005674a

Having lived abroad so much, the "ugly Americans" were the worst...and Trump is the worst of the worst.

The Case For The Democratic ‘Cave’

This does make a lot of sense to me:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/democrat-cave-shutdown-immigration_us_5a665efbe4b002283005c4ca

Solar Industry Braces For Job Losses As Trump Puts Fees On Imported Panels

Yet another reason why I hate Trump from the core of my being:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-solar-tariff_us_5a66328de4b0022830057908

How Much Warmer Was Your City in 2017?

In case you're wondering how climate change is beginning to affect your region:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/21/world/year-in-weather.html

Here’s Why Norway Is Consistently Rated The Best Place In The World To Live

Just a reminder that government CAN actually be helpful:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/norway-best-country-to-live_us_5a6059c7e4b046f0811d0235

Here’s One Excellent Reason To Cut Prison Populations

Interesting...cutting prison populations can cut crime:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/prisons-crime-rate-pew-report_us_5a610bb1e4b0125fd635228e

Pope Accuses Clergy Sex Abuse Victims Of Slander

That's more than a little tone deaf:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pope-accuses-sexvictims-slander_us_5a6183d8e4b0125fd6356578

A Year Ago, They Marched. Now a Record Number of Women Are Running for Office

Good, I prefer female leaders:

http://time.com/5107499/record-number-of-women-are-running-for-office/