Monday, June 10, 2019

The US has officially submitted its extradition package to the UK for Assange. No additional charges on top of the 18-count superseding indictment, as I reported last week:


NEW: Oversight Chair @RepCummings Schedules Vote to Hold Barr and Ross In Contempt for Blocking Census Investigation for Wednesday


NEW: Kim Jong Nam, the slain half-brother of North Korea’s leader, was an informant for the CIA who met on several occasions with agency operatives



My colleague @tedlieu just directed our attention to this section of Volume 2 on page 78.


Hearing erupts in laughter at Jim Jordan after John Dean humiliates him with lesson on parliamentary rules


“I would be willing to personally indict the case, and to try the case. I would have confidence that the evidence would be sufficient to obtain a guilty verdict, and to win on appeal.”


From the Muller Report. "I'm Fucked"

Pass it on

BREAKING Homeland Security watchdog retires after @washingtonpost revealed he had to retract ‘feel-good’ audits that covered up FEMA's poor handling of disasters


John Dean: "I think this committee does have a role and it is adding something that the special counsel could not, and that's public education. This report has not been widely read ... but I think it's a very important function ... by bringing these matters to public attention."


Government watchdogs should keep a close eye on @USPBGC. Mitch McConnell's unqualified brother-in-law was just confirmed to lead it & it had to be for a reason.


.@JoyceWhiteVance complete opening statement: "If anyone other than a president of the United States committed this conduct he would be under incitement today for multiple acts of Obstruction of Justice."


Barbara McQuade: "By seeking to curtail the [Russia] investigation, President Trump committed an act that threatened the national security of this country."


John Dean opening statement: "The last time I appeared before your committee was July 11, 1974 during the impeachment inquiry of Richard Nixon. Clearly, I am not here today as a fact witness." Watch LIVE on C-SPAN3


66 bills in 21 states and the U.S. House of Representatives contain copycat language allowing child placement agencies to turn away anyone who doesn’t match their religious beliefs or moral convictions


Trump’s evening wear was even worse than we thought—and the White House tailor wants us to know he had nothing to do with it


Erik Prince is up to something fishy in Mozambique, where govt may be delaying start-up of Tunamar fishing biz owned 51% by EMATUM & 49% by Prince's Frontier Services Group Prince setup the JV in 2017 in a country riddled by debt, corruption & insurgency


Mexico’s foreign minister said Monday that no secret immigration deal existed between his country and the U.S., directly contradicting President Trump’s claim that a “fully signed and documented” agreement would be revealed soon.


Are you not ashamed to have such ignorant thugs on your so-called police force, people who delight in showing their contempt for the rule of law, and show the world the depravity of the city you call 'Columbus'?


Ken Cuccinelli, new acting director of the Department of Homeland Security, has a long track record of aggressive anti-immigrant policies. Surprise, surprise.


NEWS: 2 hours before first hearing into obstruction of justice, Nadler reaches an agreement with DOJ for redacted portions of Mueller report dealing w/obstruction. Criminal contempt vote temporarily suspended.


“We have agreed to allow the Department time to demonstrate compliance with this agreement. If the Department proceeds in good faith and we are able to obtain everything that we need, then there will be no need to take further steps,” Nadler said


Rep Nadler: DOJ to begin sharing Mueller documents with House Judiciary Cmte as early as today


Six years ago, David Ortiz's spirit and resolve helped us all begin to heal from the Boston Marathon bombing. Today, I want to join many others in wishing him a speedy recovery of his own. Get well soon, Papi.


Worth remembering that Barr auditioned for his job with an unsolicited memo critiquing the Mueller probe. Doesn’t seem like the behavior of a real straight shooter, but maybe that’s just me


Swiftboating of Biden is under way.


Graham epitomizes what is wrong with politics... #SendLindseyHome #JoinJaime “Not long before Attorney General William P. Barr released the special counsel’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, he strategized with Senator Lindsey Graham”


My former colleague, @RepRobWoodall: "I'm damn proud to be ignorant."


Oh look, @realDonaldTrump is scared you will watch the @HouseJudiciary Committee hearing with John Dean and former federal prosecutors. Why? Because they are going to explain how Trump obstructed justice on many occasions. Tune in this Monday at 11 am PT / 2 pm ET.


NYT responded to him yesterday: "We are confident in our reporting, and as with so many other occasions, our stories stand up over time and the president's denials of them do not."


We have serious concerns that White House advisors, including Flynn & Kushner, are rushing to transfer highly sensitive nuclear tech to Saudi Arabia. This can't be undone. As vice chair of @OversightDems, I can promise we will investigate this report.

ICYMI

Very basic question: the Mueller Report establishes that Trump committed multiple crimes in violation of the United States Code (Obstructing Justice). Barr then lied about it by mischaracterizing the report/evidence. How is this not the crime of “Accessory After the Fact”?


Former WH chief of Staff Reince Priebus will be sworn in today by VP Pence as an Ensign in the US Naval Reserve. At 47, Priebus needed special permission to join. after being approved for "direct commission" by a Navy review board. per the @washingtonpost. But no press coverage.


Asked if he thinks tech companies like Google should be broken up, Trump says, "well I can tell you they discriminate against me. People talk about collusion -- the real collusion is between the Democrats & these companies, because they were so against me during my election run."


Trump arrived at Trump National Golf Club in VA for his 190th game and 260th day at a Trump property out of 870 days as so-called president. That’s 30% of his fake presidency and over $100M in real taxpayer dollars. Remember when he said he “wouldn’t have time for golf?” I do!


No wonder there is so much #darkmoney spent to control Court majority.


The next major election in the U.S. is just over a year from now and Congress still hasn't passed comprehensive legislation to protect our elections. The time to prepare ourselves is now. We have bills to protect our elections sitting in the Senate—we must pass them right away.


Kushner owns a stake in Cadre valued at up to $50 million per his latest financial disclosure form. He had failed to list Cadre on his first ethics disclosure, later adding the company and saying the omission was inadvertent.


ICE has deported veterans while "unaware" it was required to carefully screen them, a new report says. Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano: "This level of carelessness and disregard for official procedures is negligent and unacceptable."


Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao requested to hold “alarmingly inappropriate” meetings with members of her family—which runs an American shipping company—and Chinese government officials, an investigation by The New York Times shows


Her Evangelical Megachurch Was Her World. Then Her Daughter Said She Was Molested by a Minister.


Oops: Elaine Chao (Mitch McConnell’s Wife) Was Caught Pimping Her Family Business with China


New: Company part-owned by Jared Kushner has received $90m from unknown foreign investors via an offshore vehicle since Kushner entered the White House


Trump’s bromance with Netanyahu is about to heat up for Israel’s do-over election


Can newspapers be saved from Big Tech? This proposal aims to try


Oregon bill would allow victims of racially motivated 911 calls to sue the caller


Tree symbolizing Trump-Macron friendship has died


In Alabama — where lawmakers banned abortion for rape victims — rapists’ parental rights are protected


BREAKING: The @NRA directed money to members of its board, the same people tasked with overseeing the organization’s finances; 18 members of the NRA’s board, who are not paid, collected money from them over the past three years.


Everybody congratulate Gov. Greg Abott for signing the First Amendment into law. Even more impressive than the time Al Gore invented the internet.


In 1969 I was eating dinner in a bomb crater in Vietnam while trump was pretending he had bone spurs and discriminating against POC as a slumlord.


Mitch McConnell’s buddies showered with grant money and special treatment — thanks to wife Elaine Chao


On @FoxNewsSunday this morning, Rep. Cicilline detailed exactly what Mueller found during his investigation: "These are specific things the President did... These are criminal acts, obstruction of justice. Clearly impeachable offenses."


Great scoop by @jonswaine: company part-owned by Jared Kushner gets $90m from unknown Cayman island investors


This would not be the first time Deutsche Bank has run afoul of anti-money laundering laws. The Federal Reserve must open an investigation into reports that Deutsche Bank executives buried eividence of suspicious activities by Trump controlled entities.


The Mexico deal is just the latest example of Trump’s pattern of making big demands and threats abroad...and then walking away with nothing. My new column:


Todd Inman’s not only a “longtime ally” of Mitch McConnell’s, he also made contributions to McConnell campaign committees. By appointing Inman to his $160,000+/year position, Elaine Chao appears to have violated 18 USC 600.


Elaine Chao created a special path for husband Mitch McConnell’s favored projects


Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin regrets endorsing Hillary and is open to backing Trump in 2020


Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin regrets endorsing Hillary and is open to backing Trump in 2020


Even the behind-the-scenes parts of the health care industry are dominated by a small handful of companies — and critics say that drives up prices for everyone.


Fox's 55th interview with President Trump was different than all the others -- because a World War II cemetery was the backdrop. What was he thinking? What were the Fox producers thinking?


19 minutes in Trump's brain


Mexico Agreed to Take Border Actions Months Before Trump Announced Tariff Deal


When, exactly, do abortion opponents think life begins?


BREAKING: Amid Washington-Tehran tensions, Iran's foreign minister warns against war with his country.


Putin wouldn’t be nearly as effective in his nasty work without Western enablers. Check out this remarkable story about one of them, an American banker who is up to his neck in it.


Mexico never agreed to farm deal with U.S., contradicting Trump's tweets


In Russian Cities, Mock Gravestones Are Sounding Putin's Death Knell


Oh look, @realDonaldTrump is scared you will watch the @HouseJudiciary Committee hearing with John Dean and former federal prosecutors. Why? Because they are going to explain how Trump obstructed justice on many occasions. Tune in this Monday at 11 am PT / 2 pm ET.


Equal Rights Amendment: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver


John Oliver: “Even Churchill kind of looked like an asshole when wearing a Churchill hat. The difference with Trump is: he still looks like an asshole without the hat.”


Dear @realDonaldTrump: Under our great Constitution, government (that means you) cannot force companies like @Twitter, @nytimes, @BreitbartNews, @CARandDRIVER or @ChickfilA to carry political speech that they don't want. It's called Freedom of Speech.


Denying climate change won’t make it go away. The job of the intelligence agencies is to tell policymakers the truth, not what they want to hear. And that’s what they did, despite White House efforts to muzzle them. We will get to the bottom of this.


Honored for the opportunity to help members of Congress and the public better understand obstruction of justice crimes


It's the three year anniversary of the Trump Tower meeting between Junior/Kushner/Manafort and the Russians. Happy Treason Day, America!


Totally bogus. All this Koch crap begins and ends with climate denial, to protect their license to pollute for free and have us pick up the tab. The rest is all window dressing for suckers.


More sexual abuse cases by leaders from Southern Baptist churches uncovered


Credit for this to @Billbrowder. Putin knows he cannot afford another Magnitsky Act. And if Russia beats a journalist to death they will get one


He always hated women. Then he decided to kill them.


China just blocked The Washington Post and The Guardian from the country's internet


Cops with guns drawn surrounded an unarmed Black man, William, who was kneeling on the ground with his hands in the air, in California this AM. It’s filmed by a young woman, Skye, who I think literally saves his life. Listening to her is gut-wrenching


‘Reckless’ Boris Johnson leaves Europe unimpressed


Trump suggests the US should form a state-run, global news network


Perspective: The fast-food industry’s dismal labor practices are just the tip of the iceberg


"Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston insisted "the media is not the enemy" during his vehement, political acceptance speech at Sunday's Tony Awards.


Bryan Cranston dedicated his #TonyAwards win to journalists around the world: "The media isn't the enemy of the people. Demagoguery is the enemy of the people."


7 steps of Trumpism


Bill Barr claims to be a principled defender of the presidency. But when Bill Clinton was under attack by Ken Starr, Barr sided with Starr. He only defends Republican presidents.


Oh look, @realDonaldTrump is scared you will watch the @HouseJudiciary Committee hearing with John Dean and former federal prosecutors. Why? Because they are going to explain how Trump obstructed justice on many occasions.


Two of the witnesses at Monday's House Judiciary Committee hearing on obstruction (besides former White House counsel John Dean): Former federal prosecutors Barbara McQuade and Joyce Vance.


Chicken farmers who considered themselves staunch Trump supporters say their worsening circumstances since he took office are making them reconsider their votes.


NEW: Facebook has removed the page for Natural News, a far-right conspiracy outlet that had nearly 3 million followers and a history of pushing hoaxes and calling for mass arrests against the left


EXCLUSIVE: Emails reveal how a senior UBS exec named in the Mueller report once lent his help to a close friend of Putin, guiding him around U.S. foreign policy circles and awarding him a stake in a powerful Moscow bank without any money changing hands


NEW: The architect of Georgia’s abortion ban is now officially running for Congress in #GA07. Join our team to ensure that she doesn’t go to Washington


"Donald Trump specifically asked about me because I remind him of his daughter, and she said, 'Well, she's 13 as well.'" I *know* we avoid seriously discussing this because it is disturbing beyond comprehension. But we all know what Trump has said about Ivanka.


FACTBOX: How a series of approaches to the Trump campaign led UBS Vice Chairman Robert Foresman to be named in the Mueller report https://t.co/COURhQGwcz @Reuters details how the American banker used his ties to one of Putin’s friends to secure deals


The crusading bloggers exposing abuse in Protestant churches


Forged in pain, new Mass General gun violence center aims at prevention