Monthly Archives: May 2018

CHATTER AWAY: Overnight Open Thread

Via Huffington Post: Musical theater fans can expect “an unparalleled evening of seductive striptease” later this spring with the return of a wildly popular Broadway-meets-burlesque spectacular. On June 17, more than 150 of New York’s most well-toned dancers will take to the stage of the Hammerstein Ballroom for “Broadway Bares: Game Night.” The 28th installment of the annual fundraiser promises …

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Paul Ryan: I “Disagree” With Trump’s Tariffs On Allies

Not that he’ll do anything about it: House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on Thursday condemned President Trump’s decision to impose a new set of steel and aluminum tariffs against close trading allies.  “I disagree with this decision,” Ryan said in a statement after Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced the new duties Thursday morning. “Instead of addressing the real problems in …

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First Year Cost Of Robert Mueller’s Probe: $8 Million

The New York Daily News reports: Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling has cost just under $8 million since the former FBI director was appointed last May, according to a new spending report released Thursday. The bill is a far cry from the $20 million President Trump claims that probe has cost and is only slightly higher than …

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White House Once Touted Praise From FBI Informant In Press Release On Trump’s Criticism Of Chinese Trade

Politico reports: Before President Donald Trump tagged him a “spy” who had “infiltrated” his campaign, Stefan Halper had a different relationship with the White House: helping advance Trump’s trade agenda with China. In recent weeks, Halper has found himself at the center of the media cycle after reports that the FBI used him as an informant to contact several members …

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AUDIO: Michael Cohen Threatens Daily Beast Reporter

Tim Mak reports at NPR: Donald Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen is facing legal peril, including an FBI raid of his home and office — and involvement in a civil lawsuit with porn star Stormy Daniels. But in the past, it was Cohen who has sought to put legal pressure on others to solve problems for his boss. For the first …

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MINNESOTA: “Bankrupt” Catholic Archdiocese Agrees To $210 Million Settlement With 450 Sexual Abuse Victims

The Associated Press reports: The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has agreed to a $210 million settlement with 450 victims of clergy sexual abuse as part of its plan for bankruptcy reorganization, an attorney said Thursday, making it the second-largest U.S. payout in the priest abuse scandal. Victims’ attorney Jeff Anderson said the settlement was reached with the survivors …

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Japanese PM: We Cannot Accept Trump’s Auto Tariffs

NPR reports: Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says his government “cannot accept” new U.S. tariffs on imported automobiles, as is reportedly being considered as a possible next move by the White House. President Trump last week launched an investigation into whether auto imports posed a national security risk to the U.S., a justification that might be used to raise the …

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Samantha Bee Apologizes For Calling Ivanka A “Feckless Cunt” In Story About Missing Migrant Children [VIDEO]

Buzzfeed News reports: After Samantha Bee was criticized for calling presidential adviser and first daughter Ivanka Trump as a “feckless cunt” who needs to convince her father to change his immigration policies, the host issued an apology on Thursday. “I would like to sincerely apologize to Ivanka Trump and to my viewers for using an expletive on my show to …

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Spanish PM To Be Ousted In “No Confidence” Vote

Politico reports: Mariano Rajoy’s time as Spain’s prime minister appears to be over after the opposition Socialists secured parliamentary backing for ousting the conservative leader. Lawmakers from the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) announced Thursday that they would back Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez’s motion of no confidence in Rajoy in a vote to be held Friday. With the PNV’s support, and …

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D’Souza Mocks Bharara: You Got Fired, I Got Pardoned

Axios reports: In a Thursday afternoon tweet, conservative filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza mocked former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, whose office prosecuted D’Souza’s case and was fired by President Trump last year. D’Souza was pardoned by President Trump earlier this morning. What Preet said: Reacting earlier this morning, he tweeted, “The President has the right to pardon but the facts are these: …

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Popular YouTube Artist Pogo Reveals That He Finds Gays “Disgusting” And Celebrated Pulse Massacre [VIDEO]

As longtime readers know, over the last decade I’ve posted many of Australian musician Nick Bertke’s truly amazing videos and even blogged about his ten-year banning from the US in 2011 for not having a valid work permit. Berkte’s clips typically get many millions of views. Bertke originally posted his innovative compositions on a YouTube channel titled “Fagottron” – leading …

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Mexico Hits Back At Trump With Tariffs On US Goods

The Associated Press reports: The Trump administration announced Thursday it will impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Europe, Mexico and Canada after failing to win concessions from the American allies. Europe and Mexico pledged to retaliate quickly, exacerbating trans-Atlantic and North American trade tensions. The European Commission’s president, Jean-Claude Juncker, said Trump’s decision amounted to trade protectionism and …

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Hatch: Trump’s Tariffs Are A “Tax Hike On Americans”

The Hill reports: GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch (Utah), the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, on Thursday, blasted the Trump administration’s decision to slap steel and aluminum tariffs on the European Union, Canada and Mexico saying the financial penalties are a “tax hike on Americans.” “My position remains unchanged: Tariffs on steel and aluminum imports are a tax hike on …

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Trump To Hit Mexico, Canada, And EU With Steel And Aluminum Tariffs, Retaliation Expected To Be Swift

CNBC reports: The United States is likely to impose steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada, Mexico and the EU Thursday, according to a source familiar with the decision. The source, who preferred to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the situation, said the tariff decision is coming this morning and is “99.9” percent done. The U.S. expects the EU …

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Trump To Grant “Full Pardon” To Felon Dinesh D’Souza

Minutes ago Glorious Leader declared that he will grant a “full pardon” to right wing crackpot Dinesh D’Souza, who in 2014 pleaded guilty to a felony after using a straw donor to make a illegal donation to the campaign of Wendy Long, a New York Republican who lost her challenge to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. D’Souza was sentenced to eight months …

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Dr. Stabby’s New Deputy Chief Of Staff Is Son Of His “Closest Friend” Once Convicted Of Health Care Fraud

CNN reports: Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson will name the son of his close friend and business associate as deputy chief of staff, the department confirmed Wednesday. Alfonso Costa Jr., 29, is expected to join the department in the coming weeks, a source familiar with the decision told CNN. Costa’s father is a dentist-turned-real-estate-investor who Carson has described …

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Trump Claims He Didn’t Fire Comey Because Of Russia After Telling NBC That He Fired Comey Over Russia

Mediaite reports: President Donald Trump, amidst a frenzied spurt of tweets Thursday morning, issued one in which he rejected allegations he fired former FBI director James Comey because of the Russia investigation, which remains a core pillar of the argument he obstructed justice. Trump told NBC’s Lester Holt in May 2017: “And in fact when I decided to just do …

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Roseanne Barr Hints She May Fight Cancellation

CBS News reports: The day after ABC pulled the plug on her No. 1 show over a racist tweet, Roseanne Barr returned to Twitter with a vengeance. The embattled comic hinted she may challenge the cancellation, tweeting to her fans Wednesday, “you guys make me feel like fighting back. I will examine all of my options carefully and get back …

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Trump Again Demands Apology From Disney CEO

The Associated Press reports: U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested an executive behind ABC’s cancellation of sitcom “Roseanne” was biased while the White House said it did not defend comedian Roseanne Barr’s racist tweet that sparked the decision. Trump doubled down on that accusation again Thursday morning tweeting, “Iger, where is my call of apology? You and ABC have …

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REPORT: Trump Set To Ban German Auto Imports

CNBC reports: President Donald Trump is preparing to impose a total ban on German luxury carmakers from the U.S. market, according to an exclusive report by German magazine WirtschaftsWoche. Citing several unnamed U.S. and European diplomats, the weekly business magazine reported that Trump told French President Emmanuel Macron last month he would maintain his trade policy with the aim of …

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