Thanks to a commenter on this blog, I was reminded of a segment from MSNBC’s Hardball that featured Barney Frank—last summer—who made many of the points about the Sanders-Clinton race that I have been trying to make lately. I would ask—no beg—all sincere progressives who don’t like Hillary Clinton and are enamored of Bernie Sanders to watch the six-minute segment below and read Frank’s essay (“Why Progressives Shouldn’t Support Bernie“) and then think about what is at risk if Republicans win this fall:
No, He’s Not Hitler—Yet. Trumpism is not Fascism—Yet. And while 63 MILLION AMERICANS voted for this guy, that is only 27 Percent of the voting-eligible population. There is plenty of resistance out there to make sure he doesn’t become Hitler and we don’t succumb to neo-fascism. Let’s get to work.
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- North Korea says it has suspended nuclear, missile tests April 21, 2018North Korea has "reached the target stage, where the nation and people's safety is reliably secured," said the country's leader, Kim Jong Un.
- Democrats sue Trump, Russia, WikiLeaks over 2016 email hack April 20, 2018The new civil suit, which is unrelated to Robert Mueller's probe, takes a page from the DNC's response to the Watergate break-in.
- Even before wedding, Meghan Markle injects new life into ancient institution April 21, 2018"In many ways, the royal family is now reflecting the reality of families in modern Britain."
- Southwest emergency: Did FAA wait too long on inspections? April 20, 2018The FAA had been considering for months whether to order inspections of a jet engine — the same kind that crippled a Southwest Airlines plane this week.
- The Week in Pictures: Baby in the Senate, Cuba passes torch April 20, 2018Migrants move through Mexico, Castro reign closes in Cuba, a gorilla celebrates a milestone, and more.
- N. Korea nuke test halt could be ruse, but a sign Pyongyang serious about talks April 21, 2018U.S. negotiators from the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations have been fooled before by North Korean promises before.
- Justice Department watchdog looking into Comey memos April 21, 2018Unclassified material in one memo became "confidential" after Comey was fired from the FBI.
- Vice Media hit with lawsuit after employee is assaulted, terminated April 21, 2018After being sexually assaulted in the field, the employee was shunned from her workplace, the complaint alleges.
- Did Trump stay overnight in Russia in 2013? Evidence points to yes April 20, 2018Contemporaneous reports cast doubt on claims recounted in James Comey's memos.
- 4 Palestinians, including 15-year-old boy, killed in latest Gaza protest April 21, 2018The deaths bring to 32 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli troops in protests since late March.
- North Korea says it has suspended nuclear, missile tests April 21, 2018
Science News
- In 200 Years Cows May Be the Biggest Land Mammals on the Planet April 20, 2018Humans may be driving large mammals to extinction -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.comJason G. Goldman
- It's Full of Stars: New 3-D Milky Way Map Could Settle Debate over Who Discovered the First Exoplanet April 20, 2018Better data from the Gaia spacecraft also promises to shed light on mysterious brown dwarfs -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.comNola Taylor Redd
- "Sea Nomads" May Have Evolved to Be the World's Elite Divers April 19, 2018New genetic evidence suggests these indigenous Southeast Asians are singularly suited for underwater hunting -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.comAngus Chen
- IKEA-Building Robot Conquers Touchy-Feely Challenge April 18, 2018The Swedish furniture has become something of a benchmark for robotics engineers -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.comLarry Greenemeier
- Otter Poop Helps Scientists Track Pollution at a Superfund Site April 18, 2018In a contaminated Seattle river, what the mammals leave behind may be a good gauge of cleanup efforts -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.comDeirdre Lockwood
- The Spice of Death: The Science behind Tainted "Synthetic Marijuana" April 17, 2018Experts describe how rat poison linked to a recent bleeding outbreak does its damage -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.comDevin Powell
- India Joins the Worldwide March for Science April 16, 2018Scientists across 50 cities took to the streets against funding cuts and government leaders’ anti-science rhetoric -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.comShekhar Chandra
- Q&A: 3-D Printing Rockets with Relativity Space CEO Tim Ellis April 16, 2018After years of stealthy activity, the start-up is making big moves and revealing its plans to overturn more than a half century of tradition in aerospace manufacturing -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.comLee Billings
- Can AI Really Solve Facebook's Problems? April 13, 2018Despite CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s efforts to reassure Congress that artificial intelligence can help find fake news and protect privacy, lawmakers worry the tech may be “biased” -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.comLarry Greenemeier
- Slow-Motion Ocean: Atlantic's Circulation Is Weakest in 1,600 Years April 11, 2018If hemisphere-spanning currents are slowing, greater flooding and extreme weather could be at hand -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.comAndrea Thompson
- In 200 Years Cows May Be the Biggest Land Mammals on the Planet April 20, 2018
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Dow Jones Industrial Average
- Stocks Post Worst Week in Two Years: DealBook Briefing
- What Wall Street’s Ups and Downs Look Like
- DealBook Briefing: Tronc Nears Deal to Sell Los Angeles Times
- How Deep Is the Hole the Stock Market Just Stepped In?
- Live by the Dow, Die by the Dow? Trump Is Quiet on Market
- How Does Monday’s Stock Plunge Stack Up?
- Dow Closes Above 25,000 as 2-Year Rally Rolls On
- Markets Pass Another Milestone, as Investors Remain Fearless
- The Dow Jones Without G.E.? It’s Possible
- Why the Dow Isn’t Really the Stock Market
Business : NPR
- Wells Fargo Fined $1 Billion Over Mortgage And Auto LoansWells Fargo will pay a $1 billion fine to settle claims that it had taken advantage of mortgage and auto loan customers. Federal regulators also said the bank did not have adequate compliance or risk management programs.
- The New Bond VillainConcerns about the yield on the 10-year Treasury note going above three percent are overblown.
- Wells Fargo Hit With $1 Billion In Fines Over Home And Auto Loan AbusesSome consumers were charged too much to extend the lock on their mortgage interest rates, and the bank's mandatory insurance program added unneeded costs and fees to borrowers' auto loans.
- For One Fine-Dining Chef, Cutting Food Waste Saves The Planet And The Bottom LineAfter nearly going bankrupt, chef Tim Ma cut costs by cooking creatively with every last bit of ingredients. Some dishes born of frugality have become favorites at his acclaimed D.C. restaurant.
- National Teachers Union Cuts Ties With Wells Fargo Over Bank's Ties To NRA, GunsThe American Federation of Teachers, the largest teachers union in the country, says it's ending its relationship with Wells Fargo because the bank does business with the gun industry and the NRA.
- Reports: Well Fargo To Be Fined $1 BillionFederal regulators will reportedly fine Wells Fargo $1 billion for forcing consumers to buy insurance policies they didn't need and other offenses.
- 8 Years After Deepwater Horizon Explosion, Is Another Disaster Waiting To Happen?Eight years after the deadly Deepwater Horizon explosion, a safety watchdog aims to prevent another disaster. But it faces multiple challenges, and a shift in focus under the Trump administration.
- Tariffs On Canadian Newsprint Choke Already Troubled American Papers"It's like little by little, more and more, the life of the newspaper is leaving," laments Avis Little Eagle, who publishes a paper on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.
- Men Arrested At Philadelphia Starbucks Speak Out; Police Commissioner ApologizesCommissioner Richard Ross said he was taking responsibility for making the incident "worse," after initially saying officers did nothing wrong.
- For One California Company, Trump's Tariffs Have Unintended ConsequencesThe administration says the steel and aluminum tariffs will raise costs just slightly. But in a low-margin business like canned goods, a little extra cost can take a deep bite out of profits.
- AT&T CEO Says Proposed Merger With Time Warner Would Benefit EveryoneThe U.S. Justice Department is opposing the proposed merger of AT&T and Time Warner arguing it will weaken competition and harm consumers. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson took the stand Tuesday to argue that the merger will benefit both the companies and the public.
- Amazon vs Trump Goes PostalPresident Trump's objection to Amazon's deal with the Postal Service is based on dodgy data.
- Veterans-Turned-Brewers Help Others Who Served Develop New SkillsVermont veterans cook up a brewery and a bourbon distillery that not only lifts spirits, but gives back to the community and creates a model that may encourage other vets to try entrepreneurship.
- Sanctions Targeting North Korea Ripple Into RussiaSanctions require Russia to expel about 30,000 North Korean migrant workers. In this city in Russia's Far East, some business owners say they will be sorely missed.
- After Alert On Russian Hacks, Bigger Push To Protect Power GridHomeland Security and the FBI have blamed Russia for a series of cyberattacks on U.S. power plants. The industry is stepping up efforts to protect the electric grid.
- Wells Fargo Fined $1 Billion Over Mortgage And Auto Loans
World : NPR
- As Saudi Arabia's Cinema Ban Ends, Filmmakers Eye New OpportunitiesAllowing cinemas is part of a modernization drive by the Saudi government, which hopes to create more business opportunities and become a regional film hub. But it's a tough place to be a filmmaker.
- Trump: North Korea's Suspension Of Nuclear Tests Shows 'Progress'North Korea announced that it will stop nuclear and missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site. President Trump tweeted that it was a sign "Progress being made for all!"
- South African Government Ramping Up Efforts To Get More Land Into Black OwnershipNearly a quarter century after the end of apartheid, whites still own most of the land in the country, and a new political party thinks it should be appropriated without compensation.
- A Debt Crisis Seems To Have Come Out Of NowhereTwo dozen countries are at risk. What's behind this looming disaster? And can it be fixed?
- Each Day That Passes, Pressure Grows For Chemical Inspectors Waiting In SyriaAn international inspection team has been waiting for nearly a week to investigate an alleged strike in Syria. Former inspectors say the delay will complicate their efforts.
- Swaziland Gets A Name Change: Call It eSwatini NowKing Mswati III said the name change is intended to shed vestiges of the country's colonial past. In the Swazi language, eSwatini means "place of the Swazi."
- News Brief: Justice Department Developments, National School Walkout, South KoreaSome of James Comey's memos detailing his meetings with President Trump have been released. Also, students are expected to walk out of classes to protest gun violence on Friday.
- Koreans Announce A North-South HotlineNorth and South Korea have successfully tested a hotline, which will allow the leaders of the two countries to speak directly.
- An Anti-Immigration Speech Divided Britain 50 Years Ago. It Still Echoes TodayHalf a century after Enoch Powell delivered the most incendiary political speech in Britain's recent history, his dire vision of race war hasn't come true. But it resonates in British politics today.
- Missing Nazi Submarine Found Near Denmark; Spoiler: Hitler Is Probably Not OnboardResearchers said they located a German U-boat that went "on the run" from British forces as the war ended. The discovery ends speculation that Adolf Hitler used it to escape to South America.
- Save The Children International Chair Resigns, Saying 'Challenges' Call For ChangeSir Alan Parker's resignation comes after Save the Children abuse claims against former leadership and as reports of misconduct roil the wider aid sector.
- 'It's A Very Different World Now,' Says Outgoing Human Rights CommissionerNils Muiznieks has worked with the Council of Europe for the last six years. He shares his thoughts on the state of human rights, cultural racism, and the threat of war, genocide, and dictatorship.
- Cuban-Americans Discuss Their Hopes And Expectations For Cuba's New PresidentAs Cuba transitions to a new president, hundreds of thousands of Cuban-Americans look on from afar. NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Cuban-American filmmaker LeAnne Russell about how the younger generation sees the island's succession of power.
- What Cuba's New President Hopes To AccomplishCuba's new president, Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez took office Thursday promising to defend the Castro legacy, but he also pledged reforms aimed at modernizing the island nation's economy.
- Saudi Arabia Is Lifting Its Longtime Ban On Movie TheatersSaudi Arabia is ending a three-decade ban on cinema. Black Panther screened for an invitation-only crowd last night. A look at Saudi showbiz finds filmakers eager to light up the big screen.
- As Saudi Arabia's Cinema Ban Ends, Filmmakers Eye New Opportunities
Philosophy Bites
- Larry Temkin on Obligations to the Needy April 2, 2018How can we best help other people? Peter Singer has argued that we should give aid. Despite a lifetime spent believing this, Larry Temkin has started to question whether the effects of aid are beneficial. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast he discusses some qualms about Peter Singer's arguments.
- Sarah Fine on the Right to Exclude February 14, 2018Do states have a moral right to exclude people from their territory? It might seem obvious that states do have such a right, but Sarah Fine questions this in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. This episode of Philosophy Bites was sponsored by the Examining Ethics podcast from the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University. You can su […]
- Eric Schwitzgebel on Scepticism January 11, 2018How do I know I'm not dreaming? This sort of question has puzzled philosophers for thousands of years. Eric Schwitzgebel discusses scepticism and its history with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. This episode of Philosophy Bites was sponsored by the Examining Ethics podcast from the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics at D […]
- Philip Pettit on Robustly Demanding Goods December 10, 2017What is a robustly demanding good, and what has that got to do with friendship and love? Find out in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast in which Nigel Warburton interviews Princeton Professor Philip Pettit about this topic.
- Katalin Farkas on Knowing a Person November 6, 2017Philosophers talk about 'knowing how' and 'knowing what'. But what is involved in knowing a person? Katalin Farkas discusses this question with David Edmonds in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. This episode was sponsored by the Examining Ethics podcast from the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University.
- Roger Scruton on Human Nature August 29, 2017Are human beings fundamentally different from the rest of the animal world? Can what we essentially are be captured in a biological or evolutionary description? Roger Scruton discusses the nature of human nature with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.
- Anil Seth on the Real Problem of Consciousness July 19, 2017The Hard Problem of consciousness is the difficulty of reconciling experience with materialism. In this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast, in conversation with Nigel Warburton, Anil Seth, a neuroscientist, explains his alternative approach to consciousness,which he labels the 'Real Problem. Anil is a Wellcome Trust Engagement Fellow.
- Michael Puett on Ritual in Chinese Philosophy June 26, 2017Why does apparently trivial ritual play such an important part in some ancient Chinese philosophy? Michael Puett, co-author of The Path, explains in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast. This episode of Philosophy Bites was sponsored by the Examining Ethics podcast from the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University. You can subscribe to […]
- Aaron Meskin on the Definition of Art May 30, 2017What is Art? That's not an easy question to answer. Some philosophers even think it can't be answered. Aaron Meskin discusses this question on this episode of Aesthetics Bites. Aesthetics Bites is a podcast series of interviews with top thinkers in the philosophy of art. It is a collaboration between the London Aesthetics Forum and Philosophy Bites […]
- Shelly Kagan on Death and Deprivation April 18, 2017The process of dying can be horrible for many, but is there anything bad about death itself? The obvious answer is that deprives us of something that we might otherwise have experienced. But that leads to further philosophical issues...Shelly Kagan discusses some of these with Nigel Warburton in this episode of the Philosophy Bites podcast.
- Larry Temkin on Obligations to the Needy April 2, 2018
Arts & Life : NPR
- As Saudi Arabia's Cinema Ban Ends, Filmmakers Eye New OpportunitiesAllowing cinemas is part of a modernization drive by the Saudi government, which hopes to create more business opportunities and become a regional film hub. But it's a tough place to be a filmmaker.
- 'How To Suppress Women's Writing:' 3 Decades Old And Still Sadly Relevant This collection of essays by novelist and scholar Joanna Russ was first published in 1983 — but it reads as if it might've come out last week. "Get angry; then get a reading list," says our critic.
- How To Watch 'Westworld' Even If You've Never Seen An EpisodeIt's impossible to watch all the good TV out there. But that's no reason to shy away from the conversation around the buzziest small-screen delights. David Chen and Joanna Robinson host the podcast Decoding Westworld, and join NPR's Ailsa Chang to talk about HBO's Westworld.
- Before He Became The 'Night Court' Judge, Harry Anderson Was A Con-Man MagicianAnderson, who died April 16, began his career as a street performer specializing in elaborate pranks. He spoke to Fresh Air in 1989 about an illusion in which he pretended to chop off his own hand.
- Remembering Milos Forman, Director Of 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' The Academy Award-winning filmmaker, who died on April 13, spoke to Fresh Air in 1994 about growing up in the former Czechoslovakia, first under the Gestapo, then under communist rule.
- Pop Culture Happy Hour: Our Summer Movie PreviewEvery year at this time, we make wild predictions about what will make money and what will not. But more importantly, we share the films we're looking forward to the most — big and small.
- The 'Scandal' Finale: Last Shocks, Loose Ends And Lots Of LustAfter seven seasons, Shonda Rhimes' roller-coaster of a drama screeches to a final halt as Olivia and the team try to get out of one last scrape and Olivia tries to make it to Vermont.
- William Friedkin Meets 'The Devil And Father Amorth'The director of The Exorcist compiles footage of an exorcism he filmed for a magazine article. The bizarre result "seems to have been made by someone who's never seen a movie before."
- 'Godard Mon Amour': A Stylish Homage To The French New Wave Treads WaterMichel Hazanavicius' film about the romance (and breakup) of director Jean-Luc Godard and actress Anne Wiazemsky adopts many of that director's signature flourishes, to lesser effect.
- Novelist Richard Powers Finds New Stories Deep In Old Growth ForestsIn The Overstory, Powers explores how humans can revere ancient trees with "the same kind of sanctity that we reserve exclusively for ourselves."
- 'Westworld' And 'The Handmaid's Tale' Make Impressive Season 2 ReturnsBoth shows are set in a dystopian near-future where things have gone terribly wrong — and both expand their established environments considerably in their sophomore seasons.
- No Criminal Charges To Be Brought In Prince's DeathPrince likely was unaware that the pills he was taking to combat chronic pain were laced with a powerful opioid, according to an attorney for Minnesota's Carver County who made the announcement.
- Wyatt Cenac Wants To Talk About PolicingCenac's new HBO show, Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas, is a 10-part comedy-documentary focused on American policing and its considerable challenges.
- 'God Save Texas' Is Essential Reading For Everyone — Even Non-TexansLawrence Wright is at his best in this new examination of his home state — a thoughtful, beautifully written book about a place that can be hard for outsiders to understand.
- Rwandan Reconciliation Through Radio Soap OperaIn the ruins of the recently-ended Rwandan civil war, a team of radio performers attempted to unite Hutus and Tutsis through a soap opera.
- As Saudi Arabia's Cinema Ban Ends, Filmmakers Eye New Opportunities
Opinion : NPR
- The Week In News, In VerseIt's been a whirlwind week in Washington, D.C., with news about Syria, the Russia investigation and Scott Pruitt's spending at the EPA. NPR's Scott Simon sums it all up, with a poem.
- The Startling Statistics About People's Holocaust KnowledgeNPR's Scott Simon reflects on a new study which shows that many millennials don't know about the Auschwitz death camp and the true number of Jews murdered in the Holocaust.
- Live Interviews Spark Listener FeedbackNPR interviews are more live-ly, but at what cost?
- The True, The Real And The Beautiful: 7 Years Of 'Cosmos And Culture'Through science commentary, we created a place for exploration of deep, complex issues. There's a hunger in all of us for more than just facts — we hunger for meaning, says astrophysicist Adam Frank.
- NPR Issues Rare RetractionReporting mistakes "substantially undercut the story."
- Should California Winemakers Be Worried About China's Tariffs?California produces about 85 percent of American wine, which is worth about $1.5 billion in exports. As of now, China imports little U.S. wine, but it's one of the world's fastest-growing markets.
- A Thank You To NPR's Science Commentary ReadersFor 6 1/2 years, Barbara J. King has written commentaries for NPR on everything from animals and anthropology to gender and higher education. Here, she offers up some of her favorite pieces.
- From The Big Bang To This CommentaryIn 13.7, we aimed to present the passion, the drama, the social and intellectual relevance of science as one of the deepest expressions of engagement with the unknown, says physicist Marcelo Gleiser.
- Giving Notice: Reflections On Capturing The LightFor years, 13.7 has brought opinions on science and culture to NPR's online readers. Commentator Tania Lombrozo reflects on her time writing for the blog, and on the science and culture of writing.
- What Did The South Do To 'Arroz Con Pollo'? It's A Cheese-Covered MysteryArroz con pollo, or rice with chicken, is a dish beloved in much of Latin America. But in the South, it's morphed into ACP, a cheese-smothered phenomenon that built Mexican-restaurant empires.
- 'You Couldn't Get Elected Dogcatcher!' No, Seriously We have an update on dogcatcher Zeb Towne of Duxbury, Vt. He was America's only elected dogcatcher. That changed after our story aired.
- What Do Hamburgers Have To Do With Gender?Meat and veggie burgers evolved together in the 20th century, but when it comes to associations with gender, their histories diverge. Anthropologist Barbara J. King explores a new book on the topic.
- The 'Off-Field Issues' Of Josh RosenSports commentator Mike Pesca opines on millennials and personality conflicts in the NFL.
- Time Travel With Your Fridge?If the history of thermodynamics can teach us anything, it is that modest entropy reversals have not taken us back in time at all. But it is more fun to think otherwise, says guest Jimena Canales.
- NPR Catches Hell Over Easter MistakeThe NPR newsroom should be forgiven for this biblical blunder.
- The Week In News, In Verse
Economy : NPR
- Friday News Roundup - DomesticIt's our second roundup this week.
- Wells Fargo Hit With $1 Billion In Fines Over Home And Auto Loan AbusesSome consumers were charged too much to extend the lock on their mortgage interest rates, and the bank's mandatory insurance program added unneeded costs and fees to borrowers' auto loans.
- For One California Company, Trump's Tariffs Have Unintended ConsequencesThe administration says the steel and aluminum tariffs will raise costs just slightly. But in a low-margin business like canned goods, a little extra cost can take a deep bite out of profits.
- IRS Computer System Crashes A Year After An Official Warning Was IssuedRight as people were filing their taxes, the IRS suffered a technical malfunction that did not allow online filing, but what happened? A look inside the crash — and how the agency has been hobbled and put at risk for this very thing.
- Women Find New Ways To Raise Venture CapitalJust 2 percent of all venture capital dollars go to women. Now women are finding a different way to fund their businesses.
- The Wednesday News RoundupYou read that right.
- A Decade After The Bubble Burst, House Flipping Is On The Rise House flipping is at an 11-year high in the U.S. New research shows borrowers with good credit like flippers, and not subprime borrowers, were mainly responsible for the crash. Is another bust coming?
- Trade And Nukes On The Agenda As Trump Meets Japan's Prime MinisterPresident Trump begins two days of meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday. North Korea's nuclear threat and trade are expected to dominate the discussions.
- In Latest Trade Salvo, China Imposes 179 Percent Tariff On U.S. SorghumChina's Commerce Ministry says the preliminary finding of a two-month anti-dumping investigation found that imports of the U.S. cereal grain have been unfairly subsidized.
- China's Quarterly Growth Comes In (Again) At 6.8 PercentChina is hoping for a balance between its desire for an economy based more on consumption while at the same time trying to rein in rapidly increasing household debt.
- How Phoenix's Real Estate Market Is Faring 10 Years After Housing CrisisPhoenix was among the cities hit hardest by the mortgage and foreclosure crisis. Ten years later, the city and its real estate market have rebounded, but no one has forgotten.
- The 'New Power' Generation: A Manifesto For A More Humane WorldJeremy Heimans and Henry Timms have written a guide for spreading ideas, building movements and staying ahead.
- The Renewable Energy Movement Ramps Up In Red StatesWhere might you find a city that uses only renewable energy? Try Texas.
- California Experiences An Alarming Spike In HomelessnessOne factor is the growing number of working people living on the margins — one crisis away from homelessness due to soaring rents and housing prices.
- Tax Day 2018: Impacts Of Trump Tax PlanWith taxes due this week, NPR's Michel Martin talks with the Brookings Institution's David Wessel about the effect so far of the new tax law, and issues the law will raise in the future.
- Friday News Roundup - Domestic
Law : NPR
- The Russia Investigations: Comey At Imbroglio's Center But Does He Bring Clarity?James Comey's memos are released — in redacted, unclassified form — at the end of a week of Comey mania. And Michael Cohen drops a civil suit about the Trump-Russia dossier.
- Lois Riess, 'Fugitive Grandmother' Wanted In 2 Killings, Is Arrested In Texas"We look at her appearance. She looks like anybody's mother or grandmother," said Undersheriff Carmine Marceno of Lee County, Fla.
- Democrats Sue Russia, WikiLeaks And Trump Campaign Over Election 'Conspiracy'The Democratic National Committee laid out a legal theory about a conspiracy against the 2016 presidential election, but the case is unlikely to go anywhere.
- Former FBI Director Andrew McCabe's Camp Fires Back This week brought news that Andrew McCabe could face criminal charges for alleged misstatements. But now, McCabe is creating a legal defense fund to help pay for his attorney fees.
- Former Deputy FBI Director McCabe Launches Legal Defense FundAndrew McCabe's attorney says he needs help paying for the costs associated with potentially defending himself in court — and possibly suing Donald Trump.
- Friday News Roundup - DomesticIt's our second roundup this week.
- 2 Sheriff's Deputies Are Killed While Eating In A Florida RestaurantSgt. Noel Ramirez, 30, and Deputy Sheriff Taylor Lindsey, 25, were shot through a window. The suspected gunman was later found dead nearby.
- What We Learn From Comey's MemosA series of memos written by former FBI Director James Comey that detail his meetings with President Donald Trump have been published.
- GOP Group Urges Support For Mueller InvestigationNPR's David Greene talks with Sarah Longwell of the group Republicans for the Rule of Law, which is airing ads in support of the Mueller investigation.
- Federal Judge Blocks U.S. From Transferring Citizen Held In Iraq To Another CountryU.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan issued the preliminary injunction Thursday evening, minutes before an 8 p.m. deadline to stop the transfer of the man.
- Lance Armstrong To Pay U.S. Government $5 Million To Settle Fraud ClaimsAuthorities said the disgraced cyclist had defrauded his sponsor, the U.S. Postal Service, out of millions. He faced $100 million in possible penalties — but this settlement averts his looming trial.
- Rudy Giuliani Among 3 New Lawyers Joining Trump's Legal TeamThe former New York City mayor will help deal with legal issues related to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.
- Justice Department Refers McCabe To Prosecutors, But Unclear If They'll Charge HimThe DOJ's Inspector General's Office has sent the case of former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe to the Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney's Office, but it isn't clear what comes next.
- Former 911 Operator Who Cut Short Thousands Of Calls Is Sentenced To 10 Days"Ain't nobody got time for this. For real," Williams reportedly was recorded saying after ending a call in which a security guard tried to report cars racing on a Houston-area interstate.
- Most Still Favor Stricter Gun Laws, But It's Fading As A 2018 Voting IssueThe number of voters in an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll who say a candidate's position on gun policy will be a major factor in deciding whom to vote for has dropped 13 points since February.
- The Russia Investigations: Comey At Imbroglio's Center But Does He Bring Clarity?
Religion : NPR
- Muslims In America: Telling Your Own StoriesWe asked American Muslims to tell us how they are crafting their own stories — through art, music, activism or just their daily lives — and whether anything has changed in this political climate.
- 1A Movie Club Sees "Come Sunday"The film is based on a This American Life story about a pastor who rethinks he idea of hell.
- Where To Start With End-Of-Life DecisionsWe should all be prepared. Now.
- Bullied For Its Faith, Muslim Family Fights Back Through EducationWhen Noshaba Afzal's daughter was bullied, she decided she had a choice. Accept it or say: "No, this is not the America we want it to be."
- U.S. Pastor Goes On Trial In Turkey, Further Straining RelationsAndrew Brunson faces up to 35 years in prison on charges of aiding groups that Turkey blames for a failed coup in 2016. He is among thousands accused of having links to cleric Fethullah Gulen.
- Turning Rampant Anti-Muslim Bullying Into Teachable MomentsA Muslim family in California pushes back against bullying and intimidation, at school and the local political arena.
- The Evangelical Bishop Who Stopped Believing In Hell, Now On NetflixThe new feature film Come Sunday, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, dramatizes the real-life crisis of faith of Carlton Pearson, who once presided over a major Pentecostal congregation.
- A Mosque For LGBTQ MuslimsFounded by three LGBTQ Muslims, Chicago's Masjid al-Rabia is one of very few spaces in America welcoming Muslims who feel marginalized by the larger Muslim community.
- For Yazidis In U.S., New Year Holiday Brings Taste Of Lamb And The Home They FledLike other spring holidays, Sere Sal is about fertility and new life. For Yazidi refugees who fled genocide at the hands of ISIS in Iraq, cooking the foods of the holiday is a way to re-create home.
- Auschwitz Remembrance Is Tinged With Tension Over Poland's Holocaust Speech LawSurvivors and victims' descendants traveled from around the world to the Nazi death camp, at a time when Polish politicians are pushing controversial Holocaust legislation.
- Muslims In America: Telling Your Own Stories
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All posts tagged Barney Frank
If You Bernie-ites Don’t Believe Me, Try Barney Frank
Posted by R. Duane Graham on February 17, 2016
https://duanegraham.wordpress.com/2016/02/17/if-you-bernie-ites-dont-believe-me-try-barney-frank/
Allen West And Mittens: “Dissociated From Reality”
Leave it to Barney Frank to perfectly characterize the recent McCarthyesque remarks of Allen West, Republican congressman from Florida. West had this exchange at a town hall event:
Questioner: What percentage of the American legislature do you think are card-carrying Marxists or International Socialists?
Allen West: It’s a good question. I believe there’s about 78 to 81 members of the Democrat Party who are members of the Communist Party…It’s called the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Barney Frank told The Huffington Post:
Not even Joe McCarthy would have said anything so stupid and dissociated from reality. It’s an indication of the significant deterioration of the Republican Party as a responsible entity that an ignorant, mean guy like Allen West is considered one of their stars.
“Stupid” and “dissociated from reality” is just about right. And Frank is certainly right that today’s GOP is not your father’s GOP.
Or, for that matter, Mitt Romney’s father’s GOP. Despite his reputation for gaffe-making, does anyone believe that George Romney would have said this:
There’s been some talk about a war on women. The real war on women has been waged by the Obama administration’s failure on the economy. Do you know what percentage of job losses during the Obama years of have been casualties of women losing jobs as opposed to men? Do you know how many women, what percent of the job losses were women? 92.3 percent of the job losses during the Obama years have been women who’ve lost those jobs.
That was not a Romney family gaffe. It was pure deception. Mittens made that statement on Wednesday as a way of improving his miserable standing among women voters. And in a way, it is sort of sad that a man who will be the Republican candidate for president has to resort to such dishonest tactics. Doing so is, well, if not technically “stupid,” at least “dissociated from reality.”
The reality can be found here and here and here. But Jordan Weissmann of The Atlantic summed it up nicely:
The Romney campaign is counting job losses that occurred literally the day Obama took office, which is a bit like blaming the fire fighter for not traveling back in time to stop the fire. It also ignores the fact that, before women started losing work en masse, millions of men had already been handed pink slips. Between December 2007 and January 2009, about 3.3 million men lost their jobs, versus 1.2 million women. Was President Bush waging a war on Y chromosomes? Hardly. That’s just the natural pattern of a recession. Male dominated fields like construction and manufacturing are more sensitive to the ups and downs of the economy, so when times get tough, their jobs tend to disappear faster, and in larger numbers. Women, who are concentrated in fields like healthcare, government, and education, tend to feel the pain less severely.
Weissmann makes an additional point, a point that Democrats should make to women at every campaign stop:
Romney should be careful with his talking point. All those women who lost work? About two-thirds of them were laid off from government jobs. And a lot of them lived in states governed by Republicans.
It is no secret that state and local government employment has been shrinking. And it is no secret that women make up a disproportionate part of that work force. Weissmann offered this graph:
The Taxed-Enough-Already Republican Party has argued for smaller government, and smaller government means fewer government employees, and fewer government employees means greater job losses among women.
From January 2009 to March of 2012, there was a net job loss of 740,000, most of which (683,000) were jobs held by women (this is the basis for the Romney near-lie). But of those 683,000 lost jobs, most of them were lost in the public sector.
Here’s Weissmann’s pie chart:
Now, given that Romney is convincingly running as a small-government teapartier, he should applaud these job losses, at least 64% of them. But as Weissmann points out, there is more to it. Here is another pie chart:
You can see that most of the job losses—at least 72%—occurred in states that have been under Tea Party control since 2010. And yet Mittens incredibly blames Obama for it! And one must keep in mind that these job losses at the state and local level happened despite the fact that Obama’s stimulus plan kept some states from laying off even more workers.
So, Romney’s deceitful play for a bigger chunk of the female vote will, if Democrats can make the case effectively, backfire on him. Just like Allen West’s attempt to become a hero of McCarthyite Republicans has made a fool out of him.
Posted by R. Duane Graham on April 12, 2012
https://duanegraham.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/allen-west-and-mittens-dissociated-from-reality/
Newton’s Fourth Law
“The veracity of a statement remains obscure unless the statement is fact-checked by a journalist.”
—Found in the apocryphal works of Newton Leroy Gingrich
Barney Frank said today that Mitt Romney is a “very, very lucky man” because he will essentially become the Republican nominee by default. Yep, that’s what I’ve been saying, too.
Frank, you may remember, was essentially sentenced to the hoosegow via Newtonian logic in the October GOP debate in New Hampshire. Speaking of the Occupy Wall Street movement, Newton Gingrich said:
If they want to really change things, the first person to fire is Bernanke, who is a disastrous chairman of the Federal Reserve. The second person to fire is Geithner. The fact is, in both the Bush and the Obama administrations, the fix has been in, and I think it’s perfectly reasonable for people to be angry. But let’s be clear who put the fix in. The fix was put in by the federal government. And if you want to put people in jail, I want to second what Michele said: You ought to start with Barney Frank and Chris Dodd. And let’s look at the politicians who created the environment, the politicians who profited from the environment, and the politicians who put this country in trouble.
CHARLIE ROSE: Clearly, you’re not saying they should go to jail.
GINGRICH: Well, in Chris Dodd’s case, go back and look at the Countryside deals. In Barney Frank’s case, go back and look at the lobbyists he was close to at — at the — at Freddie Mac. All I’m saying is, everybody…in the media who wants to go after the business community ought to start by going after the politicians who have been at the heart of the sickness which is weakening this country…
Unfortunately for Newt, he has been revealed as one of those politicians who has been “at the heart of the sickness.” In fact, you might say he profited handsomely from the disease. From Bloomberg:
Newt Gingrich made between $1.6 million and $1.8 million in consulting fees from two contracts with mortgage company Freddie Mac, according to two people familiar with the arrangement.
Uh-oh. I wonder if Newt will place himself under citizens arrest and send himself to jail with Barney Frank?
It turns out that Newt explained his relationship with Freddie Mac as recently as last week, during the CNBC Republican debate:
HARWOOD: …Speaker Gingrich…your firm was paid $300,000 by Freddie Mac in 2006. What did you do for that money?
GINGRICH: Were you asking me?
HARWOOD: Yes.
GINGRICH: I offer them advice on precisely what they didn’t do. (LAUGHTER) Look — look, this is not — this is not…
HARWOOD: Were you not trying to help Freddie Mac fend off the effort by the Bush administration…
GINGRICH: No. No, I do — I have never…
HARWOOD: … and the — to curb Freddie Mac.
GINGRICH: I have — I assume I get a second question. I have never done any lobbying. Every contract was written during the period when I was out of the office, specifically said I would do no lobbying, and I offered advice.
And my advice as a historian, when they walked in and said to me, “We are now making loans to people who have no credit history and have no record of paying back anything, but that’s what the government wants us to do,” as I said to them at the time, this is a bubble. This is insane. This is impossible. It turned out, unfortunately, I was right and the people who were doing exactly what Congresswoman Bachmann talked about were wrong…
Jennifer Rubin, a conservative “Opinion Blogger” for The Washington Post, wrote today:
Newt Gingrich’s relationship with Freddie Mac is becoming a problem, or more specifically, his failure to level with voters about what he did for the lender, is becoming a problem. He claims he got $300,000 to be an “historian.” Freddie Mac says something different…
What Freddie Mac says, according to Bloomberg, is that,
the former House speaker was asked to build bridges to Capitol Hill Republicans and develop an argument on behalf of the company’s public-private structure that would resonate with conservatives seeking to dismantle it.
If that ain’t lobbying then there ain’t no such a thing as lobbying.
Back to the conservative Ms. Rubin:
…Gingrich denies he was a “lobbyist.” But that’s a red herring. What Gingrich has been is a high-flying Washington influence peddler who took big money to hawk for interests that surely didn’t have a free-market bent.
If he’s not serious about running for president he can stonewall all he likes. But if he wants to do more than raise his speaking fees and book sales he needs to come clean and reveal all his “consulting” arrangements. His refusal to do so only underscores the problems with his candidacy and the inherent contradiction at the heart of his message: The man who personifies Washington influence buying is selling himself as the cure to Washington corruption and self-dealing.
Man, that Mitt Romney sure is a lucky guy.
Posted by R. Duane Graham on November 16, 2011
https://duanegraham.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/newtons-fourth-law/
How Barney Frank Can Become President
If I needed another reason to avoid Texas, I found one today.
The governor of that state, former Texas A&M cheerleader Rick Perry, endorsed the views of Glenn Beck and made him an “honorary Texan,” which come to think of it, fits very well.
But Pom-pon Perry did us a favor by correctly pointing out Beck’s proper place on the star-studded right-wing, including the Tea Party movement.
At a “Taking Back America” event in Tyler, Texas, according to the Tyler Morning Telegraph, Perry said:
The governor described Beck as a national leader of a powerful group sending a message to the current administration and congress about Washington, D.C., how to control spending and Americans taking their country back.
A national leader. That’s Glenn Beck.
He speaks for the pale-faced patriots in the tea parties.
He speaks for the God-fearing folks in the country who just want “their” country back.
He speaks for those who believe Barack Obama’s presidency is a curse from God, sort of God’s way of saying, “I want a tax cut,” or something like that.
One person who didn’t need Glenn to speak for him at the event last Saturday was Texas state representative Leo Berman, who said:
I believe that Barack Obama is God’s punishment on us today, but in 2012, we are going to make Obama a one-term president.
Now, I know a little about divine retribution, having read about it in the Old Testament, and if Mr. Berman thinks the country can escape so easily from an Angry God, he’d better think again.
Making Glenn Beck an honorary Texan and calling President Obama a socialist and parading patriotically around Tea Party rallies in powdered wigs will not appease the Almighty’s sense of justice.
We need to do more than that or else.
If anyone thinks Obama is a curse from God, how about President Barney Frank? How would that bit of godly chastisement tickle the toes of teapartiers in Tyler?
Better get on your knees boys and girls or we could soon have a sodomite in the White House!
“Vengeance is mine,” saith the Lord.
Posted by R. Duane Graham on April 27, 2010
https://duanegraham.wordpress.com/2010/04/27/how-barney-frank-can-become-president/
Ready For Your Breakfast, Goldman Sachs?
Admittedly, some of the stuff surrounding the near-collapse of the financial industry and the current reform efforts to prevent another disaster are a little hard to understand sometimes, but Wednesday Barney Frank offered some clarity.
He said that the Republican’s opposition to the Democratic financial reform bill in the Senate was based either on ignorance or dishonesty. It’s not that Republicans are in bed with Wall Street bankers, he said, it’s that Wall Street bankers are in bed and Republicans are serving them breakfast in bed.
Now, that I can understand.
All day Wednesday I listened to the on-the-half-hour news updates on right-wing radio, I listened to NPR, and I watched the network news Wednesday evening, and I heard pretty much the same thing: Republicans oppose the financial reform bill proposed by the Democrats because, in the words of Mitch McConnell, the chief of Republican obstructionists in the U.S. Senate, it “guarantees future bailouts of Wall Street banks” and “endless taxpayer bailouts of Wall Street banks.“
The only problem with what McConnell said is that it happens to be a lie, and it is a lie that all national reporters know is a lie, but for some reason neglected to point out.
In fact, it is a lie constructed by the Republican propagandist and lie-maker, Dr. Frank Luntz, as Sam Stein pointed out a few months ago:
…Republican message guru Frank Luntz has put together a playbook to help derail financial regulatory reform… Luntz urged opponents of reform to frame the final product as filled with bank bailouts, lobbyist loopholes, and additional layers of complicated government bureaucracy.
Stein obtained a 17-page memo titled, “The Language of Financial Reform,” and you have to hand it to the Republicans: they know how to stick to a game plan.
Unfortunately for the American people, that game plan is designed to offer lies to voters in order to exploit their dislike of Wall Street, all the while Republicans are whispering to the nervous bankers/gamblers that they will do everything they can to protect their racket, particularly their gambling in the mystical world of derivatives.
Most galling of all, though, is Luntz’s view on the Consumer Financial Protection Agency, which as proposed would put the interests of consumers ahead of the often predatory lenders who caused so much damage to the economy. Luntz wrote:
Ordinarily, calling for a new government program “to protect consumers” would be extraordinary popular. But these are not ordinary times. The American people are not just saying “no.” They are saying “hell no” to more government agencies, more bureaucrats, and more legislation crafted by special interests.
Why would the American people reject an agency designed to protect their interests? Because the Republicans were so bad at regulating the financial industry (deliberately or not), the public does not trust the government to do so in the future. In other words, because of either Republican malfeasance—failure to adequate do the job of ensuring that things were not spinning out of control—or because of an ideological willingness to let bankers have their way—all government efforts are tainted.
Here are a couple of graphs Luntz uses to show the lack of confidence among the public:
I can’t think of anything more cynical than to use your own failures as a way to both screw the public and get yourself elected, but then we are talking about the Republican Party.
Are you ready for your breakfast, Goldman Sachs? Need your pillow fluffed up? How about a….
That’ll have to wait until Republicans are in power again.
Posted by R. Duane Graham on April 14, 2010
https://duanegraham.wordpress.com/2010/04/14/ready-for-your-breakfast-goldman-sachs/
Can There Be 41 Jim Bunnings?
As Ryan Grim of HuffPo reports, the Democrats in the Senate are about to make a serious mistake over the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency, which was originally designed to have independent authority to regulate the financial industry and keep it from continuing to rip off American consumers.
Let’s hope Barney Frank can stop them.
Chris Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, in yet another attempt to compromise with Republicans, has come up with an idea to place the proposed new agency under the umbrella of the Federal Reserve, where it will, no doubt, go to die a slow death.
“I thought that was a joke,” [Frank] said. “Even by Senate standards, that’s mind-boggling.”
In fact, as Frank points out, the Federal Reserve already has the power to protect consumers from unfair banking practices:
The Fed has had authority over consumer financial protection for years but consciously decided not to use it, despite a congressional mandate to do so. In 1994, Congress instructed the Fed to protect consumers from subprime loans, but when Republicans took over in 1995, then-Chairman Alan Greenspan decided he could ignore the directive. The rules weren’t put in place until Democrats retook control of Congress and the crisis was well underway.
Mockingly, Frank continued:
The Federal Reserve is undemocratic, it’s non-transparent, it’s elitist, it’s arrogant: Let’s give them consumer protection.
Grim reported the reason that the Senators are leery of allowing the proposed agency to have independence:
The banks and Dodd’s chief negotiating partners, Sens. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) argue that banking regulators must have veto power over consumer protections, because restricting some bank activities could harm the institutions and put at risk their “safety and soundness.”
But Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.) wondered aloud how banks could argue that preventing them from ripping off consumers puts them in jeopardy.
“It would be one thing if they were saying, ‘They’re making us do things that will cause us to lose money.’ But they’re saying, ‘If you don’t let us do these things because they’re abusive to consumers, we won’t make enough money to survive,'” Miller said.
“The legislation doesn’t require the banks to offer anything. It would prohibit certain practices. So their argument is, they have to be able to cheat consumers to stay solvent. I’m not sure I’m persuaded by that argument, or that a bank that has to cheat consumers to stay solvent is one we should keep afloat.”
If Democrats in the Senate persist in bedding down with Republicans and giving up on real legislation that would actually curtail some of the practices that led to our near economic meltdown, and if people like Frank can’t stop them, then enthusiasm to keep such Democrats in office will evaporate completely.
We’re getting closer and closer to that as it is, and Democrats have to show, even if they go it alone, that they are on the side of the consumer, and against the big banks, when it comes to practices that clearly are wrong, even if profitable.
Speaking of the Senate, Frank says,
They better vote on this. If they want to kill consumer protection, let there be 41 Jim Bunnings over there.
Posted by R. Duane Graham on March 3, 2010
https://duanegraham.wordpress.com/2010/03/03/can-there-be-41-jim-bunnings/
12 Minutes On Republican Obstructionism
If you have about 12 minutes, you won’t waste it by watching the following clip from Monday’s Rachel Maddow Show. It featured a brief survey of ongoing Republican obstructionism in Congress and an interview of Barney Frank, who outlined a very different version of recent political history from what you get from right-wingers on television, radio, and the op-ed section of the Joplin Globe.
As usual, Saint Rachel, a liberal, does a great job of presenting a cogent analysis of what is going on. And, of course, conservatives will dispute her analysis and challenge Frank’s version of history. I only ask that people listen to both sides of the debate and decide for themselves.
It’s not that hard to figure out who’s telling the truth and who has something to hide.
Posted by R. Duane Graham on February 3, 2010
https://duanegraham.wordpress.com/2010/02/03/12-minutes-on-republican-obstructionism/