Wednesday, June 24, 2020

The European Union's move to bar American travelers will likely come as a disappointment to quarantine-weary globetrotters looking to get back out into the world


I've been to hundreds of congressional hearings over the years, and have *never* seen something this when a witness ran long - let alone to a witness who was a former Deputy Attorney General of the U.S. This is madness.


You like @GenMhayden unplugged? Tune in to @CNNTonight when he and fmr DNI James Clapper join @donlemon for a chat. @CNN


I can't wait to read Mary Trump's book detailed book about #FredsFailure. Anyone who gets $400 million dollars from their parent and still has to declare bankruptcy all the time is a TOTAL FAILURE.


This is all around bad. Just dad and I am worried how this can be turned around, how the DoJ can be the administer of Justice.


Texas’ coronavirus positivity rate exceeds 'warning flag' level that Gov. Greg Abbott created


Such a confusing paradox that an administration so obsessed with keeping the stock market going up can’t seem to understand that economy won’t bounce back (no matter how much $ is printed) until the pandemic is dealt with.


“In Germany’s case, the greatest preoccupation among the United States, its Allies and Germans themselves was that the country’s police force never again be militarized, politicized and used as a cudgel by an authoritarian state.”


JUST IN: SULLIVAN delays all proceedings in the Flynn case. Could be awaiting appeal or a move to hear decision en banc.


“The FBI is opening a new counterintelligence investigation that ties back to China every 10 hours,” says Wray


The White House did not provide an on-the-record comment. But an Interior Department spokesperson tells me: “The Secretary has made his position quite clear when it comes to lawlessness, violence against police, and destruction of public property.”


NEW: Dozens of Secret Service officers and agents told to self-quarantine after Trump’s Tulsa rally


Arrest this.


Don Ayer is a highly distinguished and cautious lawyer. He’s also quite conservative. For him to say this about Barr is quite something. — Laurence Tribe


Malta's former deputy PM has been kicked out of the Labour Party, after refusing to resign, because of his #PanamaPapers connections.


This ride is making me nauseous. Why have donald & all his enablers (foreign and domestic) spent so much time, energy, money, propaganda, PR focus, slogan generation, & social media manipulation on this two-bit, broke-down loon? Why? Wtf does he know?


“The Justice Department last year charged him with conspiring with former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in one of the largest compromises of classified information in U.S. history.”


Trump’s slump has GOP watching with alarm Thune: “The President (needs) to strike a more empathetic tone." Graham: “It’s been a couple bad weeks.. we got to up our game." “Words matter,” Murkowski said Braun: “It looks like something needs to be adjusted."


Delta says 10 employees dead from coronavirus, 500 infected


Facial-Recognition Tools Banned for Boston Police


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, June 24, 2020 WikiLeaks Founder Charged in Superseding Indictment New Allegations Assert Assange Conspired With “Anonymous” Affiliated Hackers, Among Others


New York, New Jersey and Connecticut will require a 14-day quarantine for anyone traveling from states with high rates of coronavirus. What you need to know if you're planning a trip


This is UNREAL — the level of ignorance of the #MAGA crowd astounds. If they were only taking on risk for themselves, that’d be one thing, but they endanger us all w their STUPIDITY.


Donald Ayer: "What's happening now is much worse than what happened in Watergate —much worse. It's across-the-board. It's a systematic effort to undo the checks that were put in place in Watergate and others that existed in the Constitution. And we need to do something about it."


Army activates 400 Guard troops to protect monuments in Washington, D.C.


"Part of our colleagues said that the whole hearing is here so we can embarrass the president. Let's just be clear. If we wanted to embarrass POTUS, we would sit back and do nothing and just let him continue to embarrass himself and say that you should drink bleach"-


Richmond: "Roger Stone got special treatment b/c he was covering up POTUS's misconduct, & the AG made it possible. The double standard here is absolutely cynical. If you're POTUS's longtime pal, you get special favors. But if you're peacefully protesting, you get tear-gassed"


Pandemics, explained for @RepMikeJohnson


Ayer says Barr is "essentially using the DOJ to support the president's campaign." "The most serious problem I'm concerned about is his accelerating recitation of this narrative about Obamagate, or deep state conspiracy ... that's a totally improper misuse of the DOJ."


"There's no rules about when you can make noise" -- Louie Gohmert tried to cut off Ayer's opening statement, but Ayer was undeterred.


Donald Ayer: "I was privileged to serve in the DOJ under 2 Republican and 1 Democratic president, and I am here because I believe that William Barr poses the greatest threat in my lifetime to our rule of law and to public trust in it."


Democrats ask for the Sergeant at Arms to remove Gohmert from the hearing room because he refuses to stop banging on a table


BREAKING: Devin Nunes can’t sue Twitter over statements by fake cow, judge rules


Meanwhile, in Florida..

#GOP makes it legit

New Zealand recorded its largest restraint of funds after police froze US$91M belonging to a company owned by Alexander Vinnik, a Russian wanted by the US for laundering billions through a cryptocurrency scheme


Former Deputy Attorney General Donald Ayer: "William Barr poses the greatest threat in my lifetime to our rule of law and to public trust in it. That is because he does not believe in its core principle — that no person is above the law."


"They'll be paying for the sending of additional troops" -- Trump announces that Poland has bought US troops that have been stationed in Germany


Nobody. Owes. NATO. Money.


Trump begins his news conference with Polish President Duda by taking shots at unnamed NATO members that he falsely characterizes as "delinquent on what they're supposed to be paying"


Arkansas governor again states that meatpacking plants should stay open. Tyson is headquartered in the state, and there are hundreds of infections related to its plants


Most Arizona TV news reports on the lead-up to Trump's visit failed to mention the state's recent spike in coronavirus cases


We will not fall into a political trap and take crumbs on the table when Americans are demanding real policing reform. This is a movement, and we will not be deterred.


“Yes, we are at capacity at Homestead Hospital today."


BREAKING: North Carolina Governor announces mandatory mask policy in public places, indoors or outdoors


JUST IN: Judge Jackson issues an order in Roger Stone case instructing DOJ to explain by tomorrow its policy for how it has handed COVID-19 concerns for anyone set to start a prison sentence, as well as motions like the one Stone made yesterday seeking a delay b/c of the virus.


Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's campaign is calling on Facebook and Twitter to remove false posts sent this week by President Trump about foreign-backed voter fraud and stoking fears of a "rigged election"


“This is plainly not the rare case where further judicial inquiry is warranted,” Trump-appointed U.S. Circuit Judge Neomi Rao wrote for the majority in the 2-1 ruling.


Doug Collins actually just said in a house judiciary hearing “this isn’t about the truth, this is about parliamentary procedure”


Donald Ayer: "I was privileged to serve in the DOJ under 2 Republican and 1 Democratic president, and I am here because I believe that William Barr poses the greatest threat in my lifetime to our rule of law and to public trust in it."


Louie Gohmert uses his questioning time to thank his wife for not leaving him


We are headed for a catastrophe of monumental proportions in regard to the lives lost, dreams dashed & societal impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The malfeasance & narcissism of @realDonaldTrump & his MAGA following governors in FL, TX, MS, etc is increasing deaths tremendously.


JUST IN: Democrats blocked the Senate from proceeding to a Republican policing overhaul bill Wednesday, arguing the measure was so inadequate that no amount of floor debate or amendments could repair its shortcomings.


Gov. Cuomo on NBC: "I don't think the president gets involved in firing a particular U.S. Attorney unless the issue is of particular import to the president. This is a prosecutor'/ office that was investigating the president personally and people around the president personally."


.@chriscuomo: "We have to be on the same page about reality." "The pandemic will be with us for a while. Period. Every place that ignores that reality and the recommended masks and measures will suffer."


Jim Jordan Says Bill Barr Isn’t Doing Trump’s Bidding, He’s ‘Doing the Lord’s Work’


The Republicans on House Judiciary Committee have reached a new level of chaos interrupting today. They are parliamentary vandals.


Read Zelinsky's full written statement:


"We were told that we could be fired," Zelinsky said.


More details: Federal government will end funding for 13 community-based Covid-19 test sites, most in Texas


The Trump admin. plans to end federal funding and support for coronavirus testing sites at the end of this month, @NBCNews has learned


WATCH: Federal prosecutors to testify on political influence in Barr's Justice Department


Led by the D.C. Circuit Court's Federalist Society Clarence Thomas-clerk Scalia-fan Judge Rao, they've granted a Writ of Anyone In Trouble With Trump Can Go Now, Especially Mike Flynn. Is that so?


This event simply has me so hopeful and optimistic about America and our future. The dark times of this Presidency will be behind us soon. We're better than this. That's why we need you as president @JoeBiden! Let's get to work


1. Michael Flynn opted to lie to the FBI. 2. Michael Flynn went to court. 3. Michael Flynn pleaded guilty. 4. Michael Flynn was placed under oath. 5. Michael Flynn told the judge he knowingly lied to the FBI.#Flynn is exonerated, my ass. Michael Flynn is a traitor to America.


"[S]o long as the defendant consents to the dismissal, 'leave of court' is a dead letter," the dissent states, warning the decision turns trial judges into a "rubber stamp."


Astonishing barely begins to describe this travesty. En banc review seems mandatory.


A three-judge panel on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals approved Flynn's petition after a district court judge had tapped an outside counsel to argue against the DOJ's move. The panel ruled 2-1, with two Republican-appointed judges carrying the majority


Patriots, the ruling on Flynn was as unexpected as it was immoral. But it should tell us that we have to defeat @realDonaldTrump, replace Bill Barr and prosecute them both. Should @GenFlynn survive this there is plenty more on which he can be prosecuted.


IMO - en banc should occur because the 3-Judge panel just set a horrid precedence and ultimately lowered the bar for mandamus and that’s just freaking insane. Have the full bench rule on the merits (I haven’t read the opinion) Again that’s my opinion and it’s fine to disagree


BREAKING / NBC News: The Court of Appeals has ordered the judge overseeing the case against Ret. Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn to dismiss the case.


BREAKING: D.C. Circuit rules the district court must accept DOJ's motion to drop the case against Michael Flynn.


UNF poll: 58% of Jacksonville voters surveyed oppose the RNC convention coming to town, 71% said they were concerned the coronavirus would spread due to the convention, 65% said they worried about “social unrest” & Biden leads Trump by 7 points there


BREAKING: emergency lawsuit fighting new Voice of America head Michael Pack’s efforts to turn VOA into a Trump propaganda mill. Important defense of our democracy! Thx @KarenKornbluh Ryan Crocker & other bipartisan plaintiffs & counsel


Unsurprised - though buoyed - to see Trump's poll numbers drifting into landslide territory. His voter suppression & race polarisation instincts will get increasingly dangerous in the coming months.


Putin capitalizes on Trump's increasing isolation of the U.S.


So, the rallies... Lots of campaign staffers and Secret Service with Covid. AZ big hot spot for Covid. Maskless students yelling, inside, pushing all that Covid towards the stage - air circulating with Covid for hours... Why isn’t donald concerned in the least with getting sick?


Study: Many of Nation’s Problems Could Be Solved by Having a President | The New Yorker


If you are serious about change, you have to open your wallet and donate to the strong candidates that are running against official POS like Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Susan Collins and the others. If you're serious, DONATE. Many Democrats are being outspent 10-1


Stephen Colbert laughs in John Bolton's face: How could you be so "naive" about Trump?!


We all know whose Tweets are helping Vladimir Putin and it's not Brennan


Asian Americans now make up 11% of the electorate in NV, 5.5% in TX and 4.7% in GA. So go ahead @realDonaldTrump and keep saying racist stuff like Kung Flu. Also, you are making fun of a pandemic that’s killed over 120,000 Americans in four months. See you in November.


NEW: Alan Dershowitz's attorney confirms that his client has access to Virginia Giuffre's sealed depositions. Those depositions reveal that she was directed by Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with former Israeli PM Ehud Barak & Victoria's Secret's Les Wexner.


New Biden slogan for 2020: "Make America Part of the First World Again"


this one is going to ⁦@DanCrenshawTX⁩ because his fundraising letter came with a stamped return envelope


In a letter to the school board, this cross country runner wrote that she would no longer wear the school's jersey, which displays the last name of Robert E. Lee, a Confederate general who owned slaves. "He continues to bring our city down," she wrote.


Investors are now more worried about the U.S. presidential election than the global pandemic, a new survey finds


Trump sued for threat to pull Covid-19 funding over Indian blockade


Former chief speechwriter for James Mattis confirms Trump talked about jailing American journalists—and wanting to see them executed


BREAKING: The newest polling this morning shows @JoeBiden has a 14 point lead. Ignore it, though! It does not account for the Electoral College, gerrymandering, voter suppression, foreign meddling, and outright cheating. The republic is at stake.


“We aint chokers neither”


The Supreme Court will release new decisions Thursday at 10:00 AM. It likely is too early, but it would be a damn good day to shock the world and permit the release of Donald Trump’s financial records.


My latest for your reading pleasure: Trump’s Happy Place Is Grunting and Fantasizing About Real Men


How many Scaramuccis did Kayleigh McEnany last as press secretary? It seems like just last week that she started.


Trump was born in New York, not New Orleans. That he’s adopted the history of the Confederacy as his own makes obvious his real agenda. This isn’t about “preserving” history. This is about preserving white supremacy.


The unraveling of the rule of law under Trump is picking up speed, @MaxBoot writes


Trump family seeks to block book by president’s niece that calls him "World’s Most Dangerous Man"


Results aren’t final yet, but Engel in trouble in New York, Maloney clinging to a tiny lead and McGrath up in Kentucky but mail-in ballots yet to be counted


Health officials are expanding a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora infections "potentially linked" to certain store brands of garden salad mixes


At the President’s second superspreader event this week, he continued ranting to an audience, mostly maskless, and close together. They were chanting. A superspreader-This is lunacy. And he does not care if the virus runs rampant over his crowd


In April, @GovAbbott issued an executive order explicitly prohibiting city & county officials from requiring residents to wear masks & enforcing their restrictions. Like trump, he directly halted his constituent’s ability to flatten the curve. #AbbottResign


Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump 50% to 36% in a New York Times/Siena College poll


He defeated Lynda Bennett, who had backing from Trump and Mark Meadows.


Wisconsin state senator attacked by protesters as demonstrations in Madison turn violent


People need to stop referring to Russia’s ongoing hybrid warfare against the U.S. as “election meddling.” Putin isn’t a “Karen” sticking his nose in America’s democratic process. He’s a mob boss who runs a nuclear-armed mafia state and his goal is to destroy the United States.


It’d be a damn shame if the TikTok army realized the fact that clicking Trump campaign ads on Google costs them several dollars each time… (I don’t condone this)


Former chief speechwriter for James Mattis confirms Trump talked about jailing American journalists—and wanting to see them executed


Mark Cuban: “Donald Trump doesn’t want to run a country, he wants to run a campaign. Joe Biden actually wants to run a country.”


Less than 5% of the world's population. More than 25% of the world's deaths. The President knew what to do, and his failure has pushed America to the brink. It's time to


MSNBC: @Lawrence on President Trump: “He did a profoundly cruel and inhumane thing by encouraging those kids to gather shoulder to shoulder ... because he is America’s Dracula, who takes his sustenance from other people.”


When the US orchestrated the demolition of the Sadaam Hussein statue in Iraq, I heard nothing from conservatives about the need to “preserve history”.


The New York Times/Siena College's first national survey of the year finds Joe Biden leading Donald Trump by 14 points.


Scarce Medical Oxygen Worldwide Leaves Many Gasping for Life


McConnell wouldn’t respond when I asked if he was comfortable with Trump’s use of the word “Kung Flu” but said of Chao - who was born in Taiwan and is a naturalized US citizen: “Maybe you ought to address that question to her.”


Meanwhile, in Louisville


DOJ statement on line prosecutor’s statement to the House Judiciary Committee. [Roger Stone sentencing]


In Louisville, Kentucky, some voters were stuck waiting to park their cars outside the Kentucky Exposition Center, causing them to miss the deadline to get in line when polls closed.


The Boy Who Cried Fake News


We all know whose Tweets are helping Vladimir Putin and it's not Brennan


The world leader contingent for Moscow’s Victory Day shrunk a bit more this morning, when two members of the Kyrgyz delegation


We are so disastrously, poorly run right now as a country that we are an international catastrophe that the rest of the world has to protect itself from. We, now, are an infectious vector risk to the rest of the world.


"It's hard for Americans to imagine that a president who lost a bid for re-election would refuse to leave office. But in recent weeks some analysts have ... begun to explore what can be done if Donald Trump does just that."


Dr. Ashish Jha: ‘Substantial undercount’ in COVID-19 death totals


Rep. Sherrill: Politicization of DOJ ‘should concern every American’


Fmr. President Obama: "What we have seen over the last couple of years is a White House enabled by Republicans in Congress, and a media structure that supports them, that ... has gone at the very foundations of who we are and who we should be."


Two law professors who believe that there are enough facts to warrant an imvestigation into obstruction of justice by Barr


Ben & Jerry's has joined The North Face and Patagonia in pulling ads off Facebook over its policies on addressing hate on the platform


Sen. Booker on GOP police reform bill: ‘There’s no desire to get something substantive done’


During the biggest health crisis of this generation, @realDonaldTrump asked his officials to slow down the one thing that could keep us safe: testing. How many families suffered and lives were lost because of his gross criminality?


"I was explicitly told that the motivation for changing the sentencing memo was political, and because the U.S. Attorney was “afraid of the President.”


"It's hard for Americans to imagine that a president who lost a bid for re-election would refuse to leave office. But in recent weeks some analysts have ... begun to explore what can be done if Donald Trump does just that."


President Trump's younger brother has filed a temporary restraining order in an attempt to block the publication of an unflattering tell-all book by the President's niece, Mary L. Trump


24-year-old newbie defeats Trump’s pick in North Carolina GOP primary


Bubba Wallace “pissed” at accusations he faked hate crime


He has been POTUS for 3 years and still has no idea how tariffs work. Fed study: “Trump tariffs backfired, caused job losses and higher prices!” Duh!


What We're Watching During Coronavirus


Don’t go to Sea Food Kitchen In atlantic beach in jax florida


AG Barr needs to testify before the House Judiciary Committee tomorrow! Please see my op-Ed


Trump makes himself lone exception with COVID-19 risking crowds


Trump coronavirus failure makes Americans international pariahs


Rising hospitalizations expose fallacy of testing-driven surge in COVID-19