All entries by this author

Trump described reporters as “scum”

Sep 26th, 2019 11:27 am | By

Somebody at that event this morning recorded Trump’s ravings and gave the recording to the LA Times.

Speaking at a private event in New York, Trump described reporters as “scum” and raged at the Democrats’ new impeachment proceedings, which were spurred by the whistleblower’s complaint alleging that Trump tried to strong-arm Ukraine’s leader to interfere in the 2020 election.

The still-unidentified whistleblower acknowledged that he did not listen to Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, but cited information from more than half a dozen U.S. officials over the past four months as part of “official interagency business.”

“Basically, that person never saw the report, never saw the call, he never saw the call — heard

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He’s taking it well

Sep 26th, 2019 10:46 am | By

He’s losing it.

He’s all but screaming as he announces that Bidens father and son walked away with “millions of dollars from Ukraine, and then millions of dollars from [pause] CHYNAH.” Which is just made up out of his own rotting head.

Somebody needs to do something to make very sure he can’t take revenge on all of us.

Updating to add: CNN put up an instant fact check as Trump screamed lies about people into the cameras.

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In the old days when we were smart with spies and treason

Sep 26th, 2019 10:29 am | By

Trump this morning (after the complaint was released):

Trump told a group of staffers from the US Mission to the United Nations this morning that he wanted to know who provided information to the whistleblower and alluded to possible retaliation, according to the New York Times.

The Times reports:

The remark stunned people in the audience, according to a person briefed on what took place, who had notes of what the president said. Mr. Trump made the statement about several minutes into his remarks before the group of about 50 people at the event intended to honor the United States Mission. At the outset, he condemned the former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s role in Ukraine at a

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It’s public

Sep 26th, 2019 6:29 am | By

The House Intelligence Committee has released the whistleblower complaint.

Today, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released the declassified whistleblower complaint. The complaint can be viewed here, and the Intelligence Community Inspector General letter regarding the complaint can be viewed here.

Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) made the following statement:

“The Committee this morning will be releasing the declassified whistleblower complaint that it received late last night from the ODNI. It is a travesty that it was held up this long.

“This complaint should never have been withheld from Congress. It exposed serious wrongdoing, and was found both urgent and credible by the Inspector General.

“This complaint is a roadmap for our investigation, and provides significant information

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Participation ≠ competition

Sep 25th, 2019 4:39 pm | By

Uh oh, McKinnon is cheating again.

IOC Charter, 4th Fundamental Principle of Olympian: “Participation in sport is a human right.”

You’re wrong. #sorrynotsorry

#factsdontcareaboutyourfeelings

He said it in reply to a tweet that said “I don’t think competing in sport is a human right. Sorry.”

Claim: “I don’t think competing in sport is a human right.”

Counter-claim: “The IOC Charter says ‘Participation in sport is a human right.'”

Where’s the cheating? In the fact that participation is not the same as competing.

That’s especially true of sports/activities like cycling that can be enjoyed perfectly well without other people. Team sports are little fun by oneself; sports like running, cycling, archery, swimming can be plenty of fun by oneself.… Read the rest



Perfect

Sep 25th, 2019 3:57 pm | By

Further illustration (not that any is needed) of how completely he doesn’t get it. He’s all at sea. He has no idea what he’s supposed to be doing or how he’s supposed to be behaving. He might as well have been kidnapped and taken to Mongolia.

Perfect, perfect, perfect.

It’s not a high school test. It’s not a bathing suit competition, it’s not a piano recital, it’s not gymnastics. It’s not about how “nice” he was or whether he stumbled over his words or not. None of what he says is relevant, it’s just wild off-topic babbling.

(Note, also, how artlessly he confides that Lindsey Graham was surprised he was “nice” on the call. Graham knows he’s not “nice” … Read the rest



Trump appeared baffled

Sep 25th, 2019 3:02 pm | By

Trump gave a deranged press conference just now.

Trump is recounting the meetings he has had this week as part of his UN visit and touting his administration’s foreign-policy achievements.

According to a PBS NewsHour reporter, the press conference could go on for a while.

Trump is reiterating his claim that he did not pressure the Ukrainian president to investigate Joe Biden“No push, no pressure, no nothing,” Trump said.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy made the same claim earlier today during his meeting with Trump in New York.

But the White House memo on Trump’s call with Zelenskiy showed that the president asked for “a favor” from Ukraine after the country’s leader mentioned military aid. Trump went on to suggest that 

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Water is the lifeblood of the planet

Sep 25th, 2019 12:15 pm | By

Also: the oceans:

As the world’s climate changes, ocean warming is accelerating and sea levels are rising more quickly, warns a new report by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The report is a synthesis of the most up-to-date climate science on oceans and ice, and it lays out a stark reality: Ocean surface temperatures have been warming steadily since 1970, and for the past 25 years or so, they’ve been warming twice as fast.

Sea levels are also rising increasingly quickly “due to increasing rates of ice loss from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets,” the report states.

“For me, it’s the complete picture that’s kind of surprising and, frankly, concerning,” says Ko Barrett, vice-chair of

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Recall message RECALL MESSAGE

Sep 25th, 2019 11:02 am | By

Hilariously, the White House sent talking points about the memorandum to Congress, but they sent it to Democrats by mistake. Ooops!

The White House appeared to accidentally send its talking points on the Ukraine call to House Democrats. The talking points encouraged the president’s allies to argue that there was no direct quid pro quo conveyed in the memo and that the whistleblower complaint was handled “by the book.”

After realizing the error, the White House tried to recall the email to House Democrats. At the risk of stating the obvious: it seems a bit late for that.

Yeah there’s no such thing as “recalling” email, White House. That’s not how any of this works.

Sure Tori!

makes busy Read the rest



Hey, it’s indirect, ok?

Sep 25th, 2019 10:16 am | By

Oof this is one of those days when you don’t dare close all the news sources and walk away because sheeeee-it.

For instance, the fact that Barr was involved means he had a giant conflict of interest when he ruled on the whistleblower report.

Sean Patrick Maloney: We didn’t know before today that Attorney General Bill Barr was involved in pressuring Ukraine to investigate Biden. He’s the same AG who told Trump not to hand over the whistleblower complaint to Congress. “That’s a conflict. That’s a screaming red light.”

The whistleblower complaint must include Barr, so…yeah.

The Guardian half an hour ago (such old news now) said one of the main stories is the astonishment that the White House thought … Read the rest



We want a favor

Sep 25th, 2019 9:08 am | By

The memorandum of Trump’s gangster conversation with Zelensky is as squalid as everyone expected, and more so.

Like, the opening move to soften him up with “we do a lot for you” – coupled with “that Merkel, she does NOTHING for you, we’re the ones, she’s not, we are.” And then the immediate pivot to “we want a favor.” That part includes the damning “I would like to have the Attorney General call you.” Barr is in it; Barr is even dirtier than we thought. “Whatever you can do, it’s very important that you do it”…if you get my drift.

Also, chillingly, his tweets today indicate that he thinks the redacted memorandum is exculpatory. He thinks we’re going to … Read the rest



Guest post: Insane, cult-like, and authoritarian

Sep 25th, 2019 7:37 am | By

Derrick Jensen posted this on Facebook and told us to share widely. I’m making it a guest post for ease of reading.

i just got deplatformed here in Crescent City. the left is insane, cult-like, and authoritarian.

i was asked to do a talk as part of the climate strike. i said yes.

i was volunteering my time.

today i got a note from the “Del Norte Climate Justice Alliance” disinviting me.

here is their note.

Dear Derrick and Heather,

We are cancelling your talk this week for the Week For Future Generations. We would like to be transparent about the reason, the room that you would be using is a room used by students of color, trans, and queer … Read the rest



Denying him competition

Sep 24th, 2019 3:51 pm | By

McKinnon again, shouting about his human right to compete against women.

Dysphoria Joe introduces him:

“Rachel” McKinnon says he has “human right” to race women because, well, he can’t win against men:

He’s quoting himself, probably because no one else would say something so stupid.

“Who the fuck am I going to race? There’s no other trans woman on my level. By creating a trans only category you’re denying me competition. If sport is a human right then you’re actively excluding me from that right.”

I don’t know why he keeps recycling that claim when it’s so OBVIOUSLY shifty. A right to sport is not a right to formal competition with prizes. The whole point of competitions is that … Read the rest



He has never recognised the imperative of truth

Sep 24th, 2019 3:30 pm | By

On this same day (stretching over many time zones) Boris Johnson also had his arse handed to him.

 

If Boris Johnson does nothing more, his name in history is already inscribed as the man who lied so hard he nearly broke the constitution. He certainly broke the law, as definitively interpreted by the supreme court today. Any leader with respect for the responsibilities that come with high office, and capable of shame, would immediately resign. Nothing in Johnson’s record suggests he is such a person. He clambered to Downing Street over the wreckage of his own former beliefs, ruined friendships and betrayed relationships. He has never recognised the imperative of truth, so takes no instruction from it

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The hand descends on the shoulder at last

Sep 24th, 2019 3:16 pm | By

Welp, it’s on.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Tuesday evening that the US House of Representatives will launch impeachment proceedings into Donald Trump, setting up an extraordinary constitutional clash over allegations he sought the help of a foreign country to harm a political rival.

“The president must be held accountable. No one is above the law,” Pelosi said on Capitol Hill moments after 5pm on Tuesday.

After months of resistance amid calls from many fellow Democrats in Washington, Pelosi determined that Trump’s alleged conduct and his administration’s refusal to comply with congressional requests for information and testimony has forced the House’s hand, leaving them no choice but to move forward with a formal impeachment inquiry.

The sharp change

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The future belongs to fire flood and famine

Sep 24th, 2019 11:27 am | By

Also disgusting:

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Nice to see

Sep 24th, 2019 11:09 am | By

Trump of course also found it necessary to jeer at Greta Thunberg. He retweeted WIRED:

”People are suffering, people are dying, entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairytales of eternal economic growth.” Watch Greta Thunberg speak at the UN Monday morning.

And commented:

She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!

Yes it’s all so hilarious. He’s doing what he can – which is quite a lot – to make the futures of everyone her age bleak and horrible.… Read the rest



Misery at the UN

Sep 24th, 2019 10:39 am | By

Trump just gave the world nausea by addressing the UN General Assembly.

“Wise leaders,” he says, idiotically, “always put the good of their own country, and their own people, first.”

No they don’t. Wise leaders want to avoid wars, and Trump’s formula is a formula for war.

Wise leaders also want to avoid looking like an absolute dick in public, so that lets Trump out. Standing up at the UN General Assembly and saying “Us first us first us first!!!” makes a leader look like an absolute dick, and Trump a thousand times more so. It’s all too obvious that what he’s really saying is “Me first me first me first” – that he wants and demands all the money, … Read the rest



Women need not apply

Sep 24th, 2019 9:57 am | By

Another comment on the Get the L Out post:

This is a wider issue with our police and criminal justice system. This is the Advice & Information page of the Sussex Police website. You will notice that the term sex is almost eradicated and replaced by gender. Even for crimes that largely affect women and girls (Domestic Abuse and Rape), there is not one reference to that fact. See the Hate Crime section and note that, despite sex being one of 9 protected characteristics, the abuse of a person based on their sex is not considered a criminal act. And there you have the core of the issue here….men banging on windows and obstructing women is not a criminal

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If this is the reason women were not protected

Sep 24th, 2019 9:44 am | By

Get the L Out UK:

TRA’s best friends in Brighton = MRA police! #WPUKLab19

A comment:

Never ever seen one police station flying the women’s liberation flag on IWD … yet they fly this baby pink/blue nonsense without reference to the fact it’s making political statement, which is not the police role. It discriminates against all other members of the public. Because they only fly selected flags.

Well we don’t want them flying white supremacy flags or UKIP flags, but still, yes – the zeal for “Trans Pride” from institutions that have never shown much enthusiasm for Black Pride or Female Pride is puzzling and, at this point, alarming.

Another:

This is very serious. If this is the

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