Idiocracy

Mediaite reports: Political observers are not impressed that Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson needed a tutorial on Tuesday to learn the difference between an Oreo and REO. Appearing before Congress for an oversight hearing, Congresswoman Katie Porter (D-IA) asked Carson about disparities in REOs — a term which stands for Real-Estate Owned. As Porter explained, REO refers to …

Mediaite reports: President Donald Trump took to Twitter to issue a threat against Iran amidst escalating tensions between the United States and the Middle Eastern country. The threat comes just days after the New York Times reported that Trump was seeking to tamp down escalated tensions between his administration and Tehran, telling acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan he doesn’t want …

USA Today reports: President Donald Trump called himself “strongly Pro-Life” in a several tweets late Saturday night while at the same time appearing to challenge key provisions of strict abortion laws recently passed in Republican controlled states. Trump’s comments come within days of Alabama passing a near-total abortion ban, putting in place the nation’s most restrictive law on the procedure. …

The Independent reports: President Trump on Friday asserted that his 2016 campaign had been “conclusively spied on” by the Obama administration while calling the charge akin to “treason” and demanding jail time for those behind it. The president’s tweet comes days after Attorney General William Barr announced the appointment of a U.S. attorney to review the decisions that led to …

The Hill reports: A biographer of President Trump’s said said Wednesday night that Trump doesn’t hold the separation of powers in high regard because he believes in “genetic superiority.” “The president’s father would repeat to him when he was growing up, ‘you’re a killer, you’re a king.’ So this idea of some people being elevated, some people being above all …

Politico reports: Never one to miss a chance to insult is political rivals, President Donald Trump piled on, mocking de Blasio by saying “Dems are getting another beauty” and saying “NYC HATES HIM!” in the Commander in Chief’s now signature ALL CAPS Twitter style when he REALLY wants to make a point. In de Blasio’s announcement video, the NYC Mayor …

Mediaite reports: Ted Cruz has a Twitter problem. According to the Texas senator, his Twitter moments are filled with leftists making fun of him. As proof of his claim, Cruz included the Twitter moment centered around his comments during a Congressional hearing this week. During that hearing, Cruz suggested a space force is needed to defend the country against “pirates.” …

Politico reports: The Trump administration is asking social media users to report directly to the White House if they believe companies like Facebook and Twitter have punished them for their political views. In an online form shared with the White House’s 18.5 million Twitter followers, the administration asks people to “share your story” of political bias directly with the president. …

Raw Story reports: One farmer in Ohio who voted for President Donald Trump in 2016 told CNN’s Kate Bolduan on Wednesday that he is now officially off the bandwagon. During an interview about the continuing trade wars with China, farmer Christopher Gibbs said that the president’s insistence that farmers would profit spectacularly from his tariffs wasn’t reflecting the reality on …

The Washington Post reports: At Doral, which Trump has listed in federal disclosures as his biggest moneymaker hotel, room rates, banquets, golf and overall revenue were all down since 2015. In two years, the resort’s net operating income — a key figure, representing the amount left over after expenses are paid — had fallen by 69 percent. “They are severely …

Raw Story reports: President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed that he had seen dead bald eagles “all over the place” because of energy-producing windmills. Trump noted that progressive politicians “sort of like wind even though it kills all the birds.” “You want to see a bird cemetery? Go under a windmill sometime,” the president ranted. “You will see the saddest, …

Time Magazine reports: U.S. officials are targeting a $300 billion list of additional Chinese imports including laptop computers for tariff hikes, ratcheting up a trade fight that is shaking financial markets and fueling fears about global economic growth. The release followed Beijing’s announcement Monday of tariffs of up to 25% on $60 billion of American imports in their spiraling dispute …

The Hill reports: President Trump wrote Tuesday that America’s “Patriot Farmers” would be among the biggest beneficiaries of tariffs his administration has levied against China, promising that the Trump administration would be “making up the difference” to U.S. farmers as tariffs have caused exports on many crops to fall. Stocks plunged on Monday amid the news of stalled negotiations with …

CBS News reports: As the U.S. and China inch closer to an all-out trade war, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton says that the sacrifice Americans will pay for President Trump’s tariffs are “minimal” compared to those serving overseas. President Trump has maintained that Americans would not be fronting the brunt of the cost for tariffs, but many, including the president’s own …

The Huffington Post reports: President Donald Trump is seeking an additional $15 billion in U.S. subsidies in an effort to protect farmers from the devastating impact of his trade war with China. That’s on top of $12 billion already earmarked for the farmers to help them weather the fallout. That would be an additional bill for U.S. taxpayers already shouldering …

Boston’s CBS News affiliate reports: The Boston Red Sox are on a five-game winning streak and it seems President Donald Trump wants some of the credit. The Sox had won two in a row before visiting the White House last Thursday to celebrate their 2018 World Series Championship. They returned home to Fenway Park Friday and swept the Seattle Mariners …

Fortune reports: On Friday morning, Trump implemented $34 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods ranging from auto parts to medical devices. Clothing and shoes, like those imported by Ivanka Trump’s company, were spared. The Office of the United States Trade Representative explained that the goods to be levied with tariffs were chosen based on what would disrupt the U.S. economy …

Reuters reports: President Donald Trump on Monday warned China not to retaliate against a hike in tariffs he imposed last week and said U.S. consumers would not pay for any increase in duties. There “is no reason for the U.S. Consumer to pay the Tariffs, which take effect on China today … China should not retaliate-will only get worse!” Trump …

Politico reports: President Donald Trump lashed out at Don McGahn late on Saturday, tweeting that he was “Never a big fan” of the former White House counsel amid an ongoing battle between House Democrats and the administration over documents and testimony related to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. “I was NOT going to fire Bob Mueller, and did not fire …

The Associated Press reports: Almost every country in the world has agreed on a legally binding framework for reducing polluting plastic waste, with the United States a notable exception, United Nations environmental officials said Friday. An agreement on tracking thousands of types of plastic waste emerged at the end of a two-week meeting of U.N.-backed conventions on plastic waste and …