Thursday, July 4, 2019

“If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin.” ― Samuel Adams


The District of Columbia says it expects the federal government to pay for any damage to roads caused by military tanks and other heavy vehicles brought to the city for President Trump's Fourth of July event


Wow. Just. Wow. This is a transcript from today’s census case hearing. Parties attended by phone it seems


UPDATE: Papadopoulos's motion to travel GRANTED.


There is no legal interpretation of US law which could have given a legitimate green light to the operation conducted by Psy-Group. If Covington ok'd the activity (which Psy-Group is claiming), then Covington gave bad legal advice (or Psy is lying). It's not even a close call.


Meghan McCain is tired of ‘feeling like a caged animal’ — and may leave The View


Trump's Fourth of July idea "has blown through the romance of Bastille Day and past the stodgy opera of the Soviet May Day reviewing stand, and is now squarely in the North Korean 'Because I feel like it' mode."


ICE built "target list" for deportations based on personal information provided by Palantir


Thunderstorm threat looms over Trump's Fourth of July show


Chairman @RepCummings is absolutely right. @SecretaryRoss would be committing perjury by making up a brand new reason to include the citizenship question, because it would make his prior statement under oath to be false


Celebrating July 4th by pissing on the Statue of Liberty.


"Trump and RNC aides are scrambling to ensure turnout at the event and avoid another controversy about crowd size."


As the Trump administration rolls out its latest cruel tactic against immigrants, we are reminded that none of this is happening by accident. This is what they want Donald Trump to run for reelection on.


"It's not simply that Ivanka's seat at the table is unearned but that it displaces the long line of extremely qualified women behind her. Rather than uplifting them, she's negating their experience."


Today DOJ lawyers could not tell the court what the hell was happening on the citizenship question on the Census. Yesterday DOJ said the 2020 questionnaire was being printed without the question. Chaos is not a governing style. Vote in 2020 to end CHAOS


Very important perspective on Trump’s tank display, from a friend of a friend in the military


NOW: 9th Circuit panel rules against Trump on border-wall funding /// "We conclude, first, that defendants are not likely to succeed on the merits of their appeal."


Big Tech companies like Facebook hire armies of lobbyists and lawyers to help shape the rules in their favor and throw around their economic power to snuff out every potential competitor. That’s another reason why we need to #BreakUpBigTech.


BREAKING: Appeals court agrees to unseal records of alleged sex trafficker, two days after Miami Herald urges the records be released


Trump claims the administration is still "moving forward" on citizenship question


National park fees are collected for visitor services, wildlife habitat projects, law enforcement & recreation projects intended to repair parks & enhance visitor experience -- NOT for the President's unnecessary & expensive #July4th event.


AUDIO: Dershowitz's attorney Andrew Celli defends his client's "honor," as judge cheekily asks whether Dersh is part of Cernovich's "slut-shaming cabal." Later, Cassell claims that records will show "Mr. Dershowitz's involvement in the sex trafficking."


Ohio's six-week abortion ban thwarted by federal judge


Chuck Schumer calls for the firing of Border Patrol leadership


"An informal survey of more than a half dozen Trump donors and allies showed that none plan to attend. Several Republicans close to the White House returned POLITICO’s calls from beaches at least one plane ride away from Washington."


Pentagon officials are ‘hiding out’ to avoid criticism for Trump’s military-themed Fourth of July rally: report


Under the shadow of President Lincoln stand memorials to our country's greatest heroes. Now, Trump and his political, ego-driven event is desecrating one of our nation's most sacred lands; using our military to pump up himself. It is a sign of how weak and insecure he is.


Our latest video from the Washington Post Department of Satire


BUSTED: Fox News paid Heather Nauert $167,000 — while she was a Trump administration spokesperson


July 4th fireworks donor lobbied President Trump on tariffs and won a reprieve


Just to remind everybody, they guy who initially suggested to Trump that children should be taken from their parents AS DETERRENCE TO IMMIGRANTS is now on the Board of Directors for the company that runs concentration camps and tortures children


Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie issues new policies allowing religious symbols to be publicly displayed in VA facilities


NEW: New York appeals court orders most of the documents involving accused sex traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell unsealed, dealing a victory for his sex abuse victims. Story developing.


Trump’s celebration of himself is the perfect reminder of why he must leave - The Washington Post. PRETTY MUCH SAYS IT ALL.


CREW says Heather Nauert, a former State Department spokesperson, reported in her termination financial disclosure that she received salary payments from 21st Century Fox while working in government. Nauert worked at Fox News before her time at State.


One of the most disturbing things written by CBP officers in the anti-immigrant online group: members made light of a 16 year old who died in custody, saying ‘Oh well’ and ‘If he dies, he dies.’ I'm demanding DHS OIG conduct a thorough investigation of this disgraceful activity.


Russian officials face accusations of trying to cover up the full details of an accident on board a military submarine that killed 14 sailors


God's trying to tell Mitch McConnell he better stop being an asshole.


“Don Jr. and Jared really dislike each other,” a Republican close to the White House said. According to the source, Don Jr. has told people he suspected Kushner was behind the initial leak of Don Jr.’s infamous Trump Tower meeting


The Post reports the DOJ watchdog will investigate the cancellation of a new FBI headquarters building. The probe could shed light on whether there was any undue influence by Trump, whose nearby hotel could have been threatened by the original FBI plan


Customs and Border Protection officials have been aware for up to three years that a secret Facebook group for current and former Border Patrol agents was posting offensive messages — far longer than previously reported, Politico reports.


Senator Tom Udall on attempts to find out from the White House the cost to taxpayers of Donald Trump's July 4th rally: "We have been absolutely stonewalled."


California has filed a motion, asking a judge to hold a hearing so they can find out if the President & DOJ intend to comply with an order from the Supreme Court. This continues to be surreal


Your periodic reminder that the man who is amassing the armed forces of the United States to celebrate himself was credibly accused of rape a couple weeks ago.


If I was a Republican, I’d love nothing more than to talk about Nike sneakers instead of my party running concentration camps. Just saying.


It was my great privilege to serve 7 years as a general. @realDonaldTrump says generals are thrilled with his appalling plan for Independence Day. More Trump Fiction. Generals speak softly. And carry a big stick. They never ‘thrill’. And should not stand near Trump tomorrow.


Former Ambassador to #Russia calls Trump’s military parade positively ‘Soviet’


NBC, CBS, and ABC announced this afternoon that they intend to opt out of showing @realDonaldTrump’s “Salute to America” celebration.


Anyone want to guess where that 45% level of support for impeaching Trump will be on July 24, one week after Robert Mueller testifies live on national television for 5 hours for the first time? (No, he has never before testified about Trump, though Trump keeps saying he has.)


“Put troops out there so we can thank them — leave tanks for Red Square,” said Gen. Anthony C. Zinni


TRUMP'S 4TH OF JULY NEWS: Word on the street is that the Blue Angels have canceled due to the bad weather. Fireworks may also be canceled tomorrow. If a plague of frogs hits the White House I will probably become religious.


Laurence Tribe tears into the attorney general after a Justice Department reversal on the 2020 census.


I’ve noticed an awful lot of border patrol agents refer to Trump as “commander in chief”. Do these agents think they’re in the military?


$92M for a military parade could provide a studio apartment for a year for almost every one of DC's 6900 homeless individuals. What an utter and immoral waste of tax dollars from hardworking American families.


Democratic leaders are putting immigration front and center


Happening NOW in Washington, DC:@HawknDove_DC 329 Pennsylvania Ave SE Pick up your free USS John S. McCain shirt for the Fourth of July. Spread the word. Hundreds are now available at this location!


Trump Fed nominee Judy Shelton once advocated for ‘open borders’ with Mexico


The emails from Chuck Johnson, a white nationalist, conspiracy theorist, fake news purveyor, and Holocaust denier, went through Sec. Wilbur Ross' official and personal email accounts. I'm following up with Sec. Ross to demand details about the meeting(s) and communications.


GOP is silent as trump Spends millions of our tax dollars to salute himself on July 4th. They are more than complicit. The GOP are co-conspirators.


New filing in California v. Ross et al: Administrative Motion per Civil Local Rule 7-11


Sen. Kamala Harris at a Summer Picnic event in West Des Moines, IA: “I know predators. And we have a predator living in the White House....Donald Trump has a predatory nature, and predatory instincts…. predators are cowards.”


"Please, will you come to my party?" White House staff forced to hand out VIP tickets to Trump's Fourth of July rally to anyone who will take them


I’m old enough to remember when trump canceled a gravesite visit due to rain. I’m not sure the implanted head ferret is waterproof


Ahead of July Fourth festivities, Trump supporters in D.C. cursed out and physically intimidated a homeless man for criticizing the president. I've seen some very rude visitors when I go to D.C.. Leave homeless people alone and mind your own business.


This New Jersey Judge, James Troiano, did absolutely everything wrong: victim-blaming, victim-shaming, "boys will be boys" excuse-making, favoritism based on family status. This is a primer on how courts should *not* handle sexual assault cases.


What cables would they be cutting/tapping in that location? Maybe testing a weapon is more likely


Trump admin rolls out latest cruel tactic against immigrants


Udall vows to get answers on taxpayer cost of Trump July 4 stunt


Trump gets long sought military spectacle by hiding the price tag


Trump puts DOJ in awkward spot with errant census question tweet


Trump hints at defying court, edges toward constitutional crisis