Idiocracy

ABC News reports: President Trump said in a Tuesday tweet that he’s directed White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders “not to bother” with press briefings because “certain members of the press” cover her “rudely” and “inaccurately.” The current 35-day streak without a press briefing from the White House podium is the longest on record since the tradition started during President …

The Washington Post reports: After a weekend marked by bitter recriminations over race and political bias, with the nation transfixed by viral videos depicting a confrontation between a crowd of Catholic schoolboys and a Native American elder, calls went out Monday — the federal holiday celebrating the life of Martin Luther King Jr. — for restraint. But for President Trump, …

The Washington Post reports: President Trump watched on television, increasingly angry, as House Speaker Paul D. Ryan criticized his handling of the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville. He held the remote control “like a pistol” and yelled for an assistant to get the Republican leader on the phone. “Paul, do you know why Democrats have been kicking your a– …

Gizmodo reports: President Donald Trump’s social media accounts are filled with vile racism, idiotic xenophobia, and inaccurate statistics. And now we can add another category to the list: fake photos. In recent months, Trump’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts have published photos of the president that have been manipulated to make him look thinner. If it only happened once you …

Newsweek reports: President Donald Trump has lauded the federal employees furloughed or working without pay due to the partial government shutdown, describing those not getting paid as “great patriots.” Though the president has tried to shift the blame for the shutdown onto the opposition, polls have shown that most Americans blame Trump and the Republicans for the ongoing crisis—caused by …

CBS News reports: Vice President Mike Pence was harshly criticized on Sunday for quoting the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in his most famous speech in defending President Donald Trump’s efforts to persuade Congress to fund construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Appearing on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday — a day before the federal holiday honoring …

Another excerpt from the coming Team Of Vipers tell-all: “People watch TV on mute,” the President told me, “so it’s those words, those sometimes beautiful, sometimes nasty little words that matter.” When the President would deliver a speech somewhere outside of D.C., the research team would take screenshots of all the chyrons that aired while he was speaking. Then, adding …

Politico reports: President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Guiliani on Sunday said it’s “possible” that president spoke to his former attorney Michael Cohen ahead of his congressional testimony. “Which would be perfectly normal,” Guiliani told CNN’s “State of the Union.” “So what?” “As far as I know, President Trump did not have discussions with him,” he added. “Certainly no discussions with …

The New York Times reports: The federal courts are running out of money as the partial government shutdown continues with no end in sight, raising concerns that the legal system will be significantly hobbled if the standoff is not resolved soon. Judges and court officials around the country are bracing for the likelihood that the federal judiciary will be unable …

The New York Post reports: Hours after President Trump grounded House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s planned trip to visit the troops in Afghanistan, first lady Melania Trump was winging her way to Mar-a-Lago — on a government jet. Politico writer Jake Sherman made the discovery while listening to air traffic control and noted that EXEC1F was headed to Palm Beach airport. …

The Associated Press reports: The number of furloughed federal employees seeking unemployment benefits jumped in the first two weeks of the shutdown, topping 10,000 during the week of Jan. 5. The Labor Department said Thursday that is double the number of federal workers who sought aid in the previous week. Typically fewer than a thousand former federal employees apply for …

ABC News reports: The broader impact of the shutdown on the U.S. economy may be double what was expected, White House economists confirmed on Wednesday, Day 26 of the political standoff. Meanwhile, thousands of employees have been called back to work without pay because of the risks posed for their agencies if, for example, airports continue to run with fewer …

The Associated Press reports: A top member of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said Wednesday that flying is “less safe today than it was a month ago” due to the partial government shutdown. “I would say [flying] is less safe today than it was a month ago, absolutely,” Trish Gilbert, the executive vice president of the labor union, said …

The Independent reports: First they burned their Nike trainers. Now conservatives are taking their rage out on razors. Gillette has been bombarded with footage of angry men throwing away their shavers in response to an advert warning about toxic masculinity. The campaign, which references the #MeToo movement, workplace sexism and male violence, has been praised by many for its message. …

Raw Story reports: President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued an incoherent early-morning tweet in which he badly bungled the spelling of the word “hamburgers.” Trump on Tuesday morning boasted of having the champion college football team from Clemson over to the White House on Monday, where he served them piles of fast food that he had ordered. Burger King, whose …

The Rising reports: A National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) official warned Tuesday that if the partial government shutdown continues for another few months, there won’t be any workers left, citing many cannot sustain working without due pay. “If this thing were to drag on for two months, three months, maybe even six; what would the effects be for the …

Reuters reports: President Trump on Tuesday questioned why Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) continues to receive a salary during a prolonged partial government shutdown, which has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay. Pelosi’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but her spokesman, Drew Hammill, tweeted in response to Trump that the House has “repeatedly …

Glorious Leader is even lying about how many hamberders: The grand total? According to our count, Trump spent about $2,911.44 on feeding the team. A sixth of that is the fries alone, though, so take with a grain of salt. (The fries; also the estimate.) Half of the cost was incurred at McDonald’s alone. This total includes 319 sandwiches, 177 …

The Hill reports: President Trump on Monday credited his administration’s policies for the price of gas, and swiped at Hillary Clinton over the suggestion that she would not stop to admire low gas prices. “I’m riding in this incredible car, and I’m driving and I’m looking at gas stations to see how much is the gas,” Trump said. “You think …

LOL Rasmussen: The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows that 43% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Fifty-five percent (55%) disapprove. The latest figures include 32% who Strongly Approve of the job Trump is doing and 46% who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of -14. The president’s overall …