Politics

China Blasts Trump’s Tariffs As “Extreme Blackmail”

The Associated Press reports: China’s government has denounced President Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods as blackmail and warned it would respond with “strong countermeasures.” The Commerce Ministry on Tuesday gave no details but said Beijing is ready to “defend the interests of the Chinese people and enterprises.” Trump ordered the U.S. Trade Representative to …

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NASA Recognizes LGBT Pride Month

This is certainly unexpected: Dear NASA Workforce, NASA has a unique ability to recruit and retain the finest workforce in the country. If we are to accomplish the awesome and sometimes daunting tasks ahead of us, we must maintain this unique ability. In June, we recognize that part of this amazing workforce includes members of the LGBT community. You have …

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KANSAS: Court Strikes Down Proof Of Citizenship Requirement For Voter Registration, Sanctions Kobach

Talking Points Memo reports: A federal judge on Monday ruled that Kansas’ proof of citizenship voter registration requirement was a violation of the Constitution as well as the National Voter Registration Act. U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson had in previous orders temporarily blocked the requirement, which was championed by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Robinson on Monday handed down …

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Sobbing Children Mocked By Border Patrol Agent As They Cry For Their Parents At Texas Detention Facility

The New York Times reports: “Mami!” the children’s voices cry out, between sobs. “Papá!” A recording of immigrant children calling out desperately for their parents after being separated from them by United States immigration authorities was released on Monday by the investigative news site ProPublica. The recording, nearly eight minutes in length, added disturbing and intimate notes to the debate …

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CANADA: House Of Commons Votes 205-62 To Legalize Recreational Pot, Bill Now Goes To Senate [VIDEO]

CBC News reports: The Liberal government’s bill to legalize recreational marijuana has cleared another vote in the House of Commons — but it still has to get a final stamp of approval from an unpredictable Senate before it can become law. The Senate had proposed 46 amendments to The Cannabis Act but the Liberal government rejected several major ones last …

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Sen. Tim Kaine: This Is The “Real Trump Hotel”

Glorious Leader will be ever so pissed: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) on Monday shared photos of a child detention facility in Texas that he called “the real Trump Hotel.” The photos shared by the former Democratic vice-presidential nominee show young undocumented immigrants in cages on Sunday at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility in McAllen, Texas. Kaine’s tweet came …

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Kamala Harris Demands Resignation Of DHS Secretary

Via press release from Sen. Kamala Harris: “The government should be in the business of keeping families together, not tearing them apart. And the government should have a commitment to transparency and accountability. Under Secretary Nielsen’s tenure, the Department of Homeland Security has a track record of neither. As a result, she must resign. “During her time as the manager …

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MINNESOTA: Dem Senate Candidate Richard Painter Puts Out DC’s Dumpster Fire In Campaign Ad [VIDEO]

The Hill reports: Minnesota Senate candidate Richard Painter (D) released his first campaign ad this week, likening Washington to a “dumpster fire.” Painter, who previously served as White House ethics lawyer under former President George W. Bush and switched political parties for the Senate bid, is first shown in the ad standing in front of a dumpster fire. “Some people …

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LIVE VIDEO: Trump Speaks On Mitigating Space Trash

Politico reports: President Donald Trump is set to sign a space policy directive Monday to make it easier for commercial companies to operate in space and mitigate the creation of more trash in orbit. Space Policy Directive-3 “seeks to address the challenges of a congested space environment,” said Scott Pace, executive secretary of the National Space Council. The document directs …

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Supreme Court Punts On Partisan Gerrymandering

The Washington Examiner reports: The U.S. Supreme Court sent back a partisan gerrymandering case from Wisconsin that challenged the legislative map drawn by Wisconsin Republicans to the lower court. With its ruling, the high court tossed out a ruling from a district court and sent the case back. It ruled against Wisconsin Democrats who argued state Republican lawmakers engaged in …

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Trump Lies About German Crime Rate In Slam At Merkel

The Independent reports: The US president claimed refugees and migrants has “strongly and violently” changed European culture and said the continent had made a “big mistake” in giving sanctuary to those fleeing conflicts in the Middle East and Africa. Without specifically naming the Germany chancellor but instead pointing the blame at Germany’s “leadership” he said: “The people of Germany are …

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FBI’s Peter Strzok Agrees To Testify Before Congress

Politico reports: Embattled FBI agent Peter Strzok has agreed to voluntarily testify before Congress, his attorney has told lawmakers, potentially fending off a subpoena for him to appear. Strzok’s role in FBI investigations into both Hillary Clinton and President Donald Trump drew the attention of Republicans in Congress after the publication of text messages he had exchanged with an FBI …

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Laura Bush Blasts Trump’s “Immoral” Migrant Policy

From Laura Bush’s op-ed from the Washington Post: I live in a border state. I appreciate the need to enforce and protect our international boundaries, but this zero-tolerance policy is cruel. It is immoral. And it breaks my heart. Our government should not be in the business of warehousing children in converted box stores or making plans to place them …

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Trump Supporter Disrupts De Niro-Directed Musical

The New York Post reports: A Trump supporter tried disrupting a performance of the Robert De Niro directed musical “A Bronx Tale” on Saturday — standing up during the curtain call and displaying a “Keep America Great!” flag towards the audience. Photos posted on Twitter showed the Trump supporter standing up in the front row with the “Keep America Great” …

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ICE Tells Bus Riders They Must Be US Citizens To Board

Raw Story reports: A bus driver for Concord Coach Lines was filmed falsely telling passengers lined up to board that they must be U.S. citizens to ride the bus. The ACLU of New Hampshire posted this video to Facebook of the driver in Concord, Maine, along with federal ICE agents intimidating passengers. In the video, passengers wisely refuse to answer …

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KENTUCKY: Rand Paul Disappointed After Neighbor Sentenced To 30 Days In Prison For Assault [VIDEO]

The Bowling Green Daily News reports: Dr. Rene Boucher will serve 30 days in prison for the assault of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, bringing to an end a case that attracted considerable intrigue for several months. Special Judge Marianne Battani sentenced Boucher, 60, on Friday in U.S. District Court on the charge of assaulting a member of Congress, levying a …

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Kardashian On Running For Office: Never Say Never

USA Today reports: While she’s not signing up for a career in politics just yet, Kim Kardashian West hasn’t ruled out running for public office in the future. In an interview with CNN’s Van Jones, the reality TV star talked about her experience in lobbying for Alice Marie Johnson’s clemency from he life sentence she was serving for a first-time …

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Kickstarter: The Notorious RBG Action Figure [VIDEO]

CNET reports: Not to get judgy about a judge, but these Ruth Bader Ginsburg action figures win on appeal. The Supreme Court associate justice, 85, has been re-created in action-figure form by Seattle sculptor Mike Leavitt for product incubator FCTRY, which has also made figures of Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton and other famous names that certain of your …

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Breitbart’s Traffic Continues Months-Long Plummet

Politico reports: Breitbart’s traffic declined in May for the seventh straight month, according to comScore metrics, bringing the site to its lowest level of readership since January 2015, and half of what it was a year ago. Since the ouster of former executive chairman Steve Bannon in January, the site has been forced to search for a new identity, and, …

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REPORT: US To Pull Out Of UN Human Rights Council

Reuters reports: Talks with the United States over how to reform the main U.N. rights body have failed to meet Washington’s demands, activists and diplomats say, suggesting that the Trump administration will quit the Geneva forum whose session opens on Monday. A U.S. source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the withdrawal appeared to be “imminent” but had no …

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