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2020 Election, 2020 Presidential Election, Congress, COVID-19, Trump Administration

Trump's Latest Executive Orders: Head Fakes and Head Games

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August 9, 2020

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The White House isn't interested in addressing the pandemic's economic problems any more than they are interested in addressing the pandemic itself. It's snowing the media with head games and propping up Trump using head fakes while letting the country burn.

Economics, Left Theory

Social Security And Other Entitlements

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August 8, 2020

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Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP are essential sources of funds for huge numbers of us. Republicans use them to scare old people.

2020 Election, 2020 Presidential Election, Congress, COVID-19, Domestic Policy, Economics, Trump Administration

GOP Senate Walked Out of DC for a Reason: Voter Foreclosure, 2020 Edition [UPDATE-1]

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August 7, 2020

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The media needs to stop bothsides journalism and get the GOP on the record: why has the GOP not already funded financial aid and stimulus along with a moratorium extension on evictions? Is the GOP going foreclose on voters to save Trump's ass this November?

Horowitz

2016 Presidential Election, emptywheel, FISA, Mueller Probe

DOJ's Accounting of Its FISA Errors Cannot Be Compared to the Carter Page Report

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August 7, 2020

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Many people are suggesting that the results of DOJ's review of 29 FISA applications in which DOJ IG found a bunch of errors shows that Carter Page's application was exceptionally bad. On the contrary, it only shows that Bill Barr's DOJ applies different rules to measure the Russian investigation than it has other investigations.

COVID-19, Trump Administration

Three Things: Death, Death, and More Death

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August 6, 2020

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During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, every step along the way Trump failed to do what was necessary to save American lives.

2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

In Previously Undisclosed December 2018 Interview, Jared Kushner Got Warned Falsely Claiming to Not Recall Is Still a Lie

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August 5, 2020

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A heavily redacted Jared Kushner interview report makes it clear he attempted to skate using the same strategy his father-in-law used: by not recalling the damning things he had done.

2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

The Maryland US Attorney's Office Included Erik Prince in a FOIA Response on the Stone Sentencing

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August 4, 2020

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Perhaps the most interesting detail in the response from Maryland's US Attorney's office to a Jason Leopold FOIA request on the Roger Stone sentencing is that they included an email on the Erik Prince investigation.

2020 Election, 2020 Presidential Election, Congress, COVID-19, Trump Administration

Killer Clown Attacks American's Freedoms...and Dr. Fauci

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August 2, 2020

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'Gym' Jordan went off as he does regularly, this time on Dr. Fauci in Friday's hearing before the House Select Committee on COVID Oversight. We need a better circus act -- one which doesn't further genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Ben Wittes Gets Stung by the Trump Effect

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July 31, 2020

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Federal intelligence targeting networks -- especially when wielded by those who don't understand the networks they're looking at -- will always impinge on First Amendment activities. It just so happens that now it is impinging on the First Amendment activities of those who used to applaud such approaches.

2020 Election, 2020 Presidential Election, Economics, Trump Administration

Three Things: Look Over There, Not at Trump's Failures [UPDATE-1]

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July 31, 2020

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Trump's Thursday morning tweet stirred up people more than his average tweets do -- which is saying a lot since his average tweets are pretty annoying. From what was he trying to redirect our attention?

2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

Full DC Circuit Shifts Mike Flynn Analysis Back to What It Should Be: Unusual Remedy

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July 30, 2020

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The full DC Circuit is going to re-hear Mike Flynn's petition for a writ of mandamus, this time reviewing what they should have reviewed the first time, whether Flynn has any remedy other than a writ. (He does.)

This is Impossible, Part One: Climbing the Mountain

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July 30, 2020

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There's no second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, and there never really was a first wave. Like generals always fighting the last war, that's a metaphor we lifted from the 1918 Flu Pandemic. Whether it was a good metaphor then or not, it's not…

2016 Presidential Election, Department of Justice, Mueller Probe

Bill Barr Repeatedly Lied, Under Oath, about Judge Amy Berman Jackson

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July 29, 2020

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Bill Barr lied repeatedly yesterday when asked to explain his intervention in Roger Stone's sentence, falsely claiming that Amy Berman Jackson agreed with his analysis finding threats to a judge a "technicality."

2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

Bill Barr Testifies He's Unfamiliar with the Obstruction Portion of the Mueller Report

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July 28, 2020

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Attorney General Bill Barr's sworn testimony as of today is that he's not familiar with the obstruction case against Trump and -- arguably -- never read it, or at least is unfamiliar with the case it lays out about why, if Trump gave Stone clemency, it would be a crime.

2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

Billy Barr Admits, for the Third and Fourth Time, that He Intervenes without Knowing the Facts

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July 28, 2020

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In his opening statement for his House Judiciary Committee testimony today, Billy Barr spends five paragraphs explaining he returned to office to right what he believes was a wrong in the "Russiagate" investigation. That means his entire decision to return to government was based off a mistaken understanding of that investigation.

2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

HJC Should Ask Bill Barr Why It Would Do Irreparable Harm if He Had to Explain His Actions in the Flynn Case

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July 27, 2020

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DOJ has argued that DOJ would face irreparable harm if they had to explain their actions in the Mike Flynn case under oath. Which is reason enough that HJC should focus on that question when Bill Barr comes to testify tomorrow.

2016 Presidential Election, emptywheel, Mueller Probe, WikiLeaks

How Chuck Ross Helped Make Roger Stone a Felon

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July 27, 2020

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Chuck Ross appears to be unaware of the role he played in Roger Stone being convicted -- and he's not afraid to announce that publicly.

2016 Presidential Election, Economics, Left Theory

MMT on International Trade

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July 24, 2020

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International trade can improve all our lives, not just the lives of the rich and powerful.

2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

Joe Pientka Warned Trump to Be Worried about People on His Periphery While Flynn Was Signing a Deal with Turkey

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July 24, 2020

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The FBI warned Trump about Russia and others trying to get close to him by approaching people on his periphery even as one of the attendees worked to finalize a deal that would serve as such an approach.

The Absurdity of the Present: Stealing Vaccine Research

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July 23, 2020

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Last week the breaking news in international political/media drama was the Russians hacking vaccine research in Europe and America, and on Tuesday the DOJ charged two Chinese hackers for hacking what Politico called "hundreds of millions of…