Politics

CANADA: Parliament Unanimously Condemns Attacks On Justin Trudeau By Trump And White House Officials

Reuters reports: Canada’s House of Commons on Monday unanimously condemned the personal attacks on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by U.S. President Donald Trump and his surrogates as the famously polite nation simmered over the weekend broadsides by its U.S. ally. Lawmakers gave unanimous consent for a motion backing Canadian steel and aluminum, hit by U.S. tariffs, as well as the …

Read More »

Lindsey Graham: I “Violently Disagree” With Trump’s Pledge To Withdraw US Forces From South Korea

“I don’t think cancelling a war game is going to matter over the arc of time. One thing I would violently disagree with is removing our troops. I can’t imagine I would vote for any agreement that requires us to withdraw our forces. That would destabilize Asia. That is what China wants. That doesn’t make the world more peaceful, it …

Read More »

Trump To Sean Hannity: I Felt Foolish Calling Kim “Little Rocket Man” But I Had To Go Out Aggressive [VIDEO]

Mediaite reports: Hannity asked the president how Trump went from calling Kim “little rocket man” just months ago to the pair sitting down for a summit. “Well, I think without the rhetoric we wouldn’t have been here,” Trump said. “I really believe that.” “We did sanctions and all of the things that you would do. I think without the rhetoric, …

Read More »

Trump On Lack Of Any Notes From Singapore Summit: I Have One Of The Great Memories Of All Time [VIDEO]

The Hill reports: President Trump said Tuesday that he doesn’t need any transcript or notes from his summit meeting with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un because he has “one of the great memories of all times.” When asked by a reporter if he had notes to verify details after the meeting in Singapore, Trump said he didn’t need to. …

Read More »

Trump Departs Singapore Early After Signing Vague Deal With Kim: “Nothing More We Could Have Done”

CNBC reports: The much anticipated agreement that was signed between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Tuesday has drawn much hard-hitting criticism for not being sufficiently specific, especially on what denuclearization really means. A photo of the document, which Trump deemed “very comprehensive,” revealed that North Korea will work toward “complete denuclearization,” among other points that …

Read More »

Sen. Richard Blumenthal Blasts Sessions For Ending Asylum: The Blood Of Refugees Is On Your Hands

“Once again, an administration that claims to be tough on crime is actually just tough on crime victims. Today’s shameful decision by the Attorney General slams the door in the face of women fleeing brutal violence, LGBT refugees fleeing persecution, and thousands of others seeking safety in the United States. America is better than this, but apparently Attorney General Jeff …

Read More »

FCC’s Repeal Of Net Neutrality Starts Today

The New York Times reports: It’s official. The Federal Communications Commission’s repeal of net neutrality rules, which had required internet service providers to offer equal access to all web content, took effect on Monday. Under those regulations, broadband service was considered a utility under Title II of the Communications Act, giving the F.C.C. broad power over internet providers. The rules …

Read More »

DOJ Ends Asylum For Victims Of Domestic Violence

Axios reports: Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Monday afternoon that domestic violence and gang violence will no longer serve as sufficient reasons to automatically grant an immigrant asylum. Why it matters: The decision comes as the U.S. faces a significant uptick in asylum claims, and the Trump administration continues to do all it can to cut back on border crossings …

Read More »

De Niro Apologizes To Canada For “Idiotic” Trump

Canada’s CBC reports: Robert De Niro, fresh off the Tony Awards stage where he verbally attacked the U.S. president, is now apologizing for Donald Trump’s behaviour following the G7 summit. De Niro, speaking Monday in downtown Toronto where he’s launching a major development alongside celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa, called Trump’s behaviour “a disgrace.” “I just want to make a note …

Read More »

WH Official On Trump Doctrine: “We’re America, Bitch”

Jeffrey Goldberg writes for The Atlantic: The best distillation of the Trump Doctrine I heard, though, came from a senior White House official with direct access to the president and his thinking. I was talking to this person several weeks ago, and I said, by way of introduction, that I thought it might perhaps be too early to discern a …

Read More »

SCOTUS Narrowly Upholds Ohio’s Purge Of Voter Rolls

NBC News reports: In a 5-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court gave Ohio a victory Monday in a fight over the state’s method for removing people from the voter rolls, a practice that civil rights groups said discourages minority turnout. At least a dozen other politically conservative states said they would adopt a similar practice if Ohio prevailed, as a …

Read More »

Treasury Department Hits Five Russian Companies With Sanctions For Cyberattacks And “Malicious Activities”

ABC News reports: The Trump administration on Monday slapped sanctions on several Russian companies and businessmen for engaging in cyberattacks and assisting Russia’s military and intelligence services with other malicious activities. The Treasury Department said it was imposing sanctions on five Russian firms and three of their executives under legislation passed last year and an executive order aimed at punishing …

Read More »

GOP Senator: Trump’s Attacks On Allies Are Like Fights With A Spouse, You Say Things You Wish You Hadn’t

“Have you ever had a fight with your spouse? And in that fight, you just make the decision, OK things were said that we wish were not but there’s an underlying issue that has to be addressed. Now you put this aside and hope it never happens again but you begin to address the issue. I think we as a …

Read More »

GOP Senator Defends Canada After Trump’s Attacks

The Hill reports: Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) came to the defense of Canada following attacks on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by President Trump and some of his top advisers. Trump and some of his top economic aides targeted Trudeau over the weekend after the Canadian leader criticized steep tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Canadian steel and aluminum imports. …

Read More »

Kim Jong-Un Brings Own Toilet To Singapore Summit

South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo reports: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s flight to Singapore was a tightly planned maneuver using a decoy to throw attackers off the scent. Three planes took off in North Korea at about an hour’s interval on Sunday — an IL-76, an Air China Boeing 747 and an ancient Ilyushin IL62 – leaving watchers in the dark …

Read More »

Obama Meets With Prospective 2020 Dem Presidential Candidates: Biden, Sanders, Warren, Patrick, Others

Well, this is fascinating: Barack Obama has in recent months met with at least nine prospective 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden and Deval Patrick, pulling them in for one-on-one sessions at his Washington office. All the meetings were arranged quietly, without even some close advisers to the people involved being told of the conversations, …

Read More »

Angela Merkel: Trump’s Behavior Is Depressing [VIDEO]

Politico reports: At the end of a long weekend of rhetorical salvos over the G7 summit’s chaotic ending, German Chancellor Angela Merkel added her voice to the chorus, saying she found Donald Trump’s actions “sobering and a bit depressing,” while calling for more civility in international exchanges. “The situation isn’t very nice,” Merkel told German public television in a lengthy …

Read More »

Robert De Niro At Tony Awards: “Fuck Trump” [VIDEO]

Variety reports: Robert De Niro had a few choice words for President Donald Trump while the legendary actor was on stage at Sunday’s Tony Awards to introduce Bruce Springsteen’s musical performance. “I’m going to say one thing, Fuck Trump,” De Niro said while pumping his fists in the air. “It’s no longer down with Trump. It’s fuck Trump.” The political …

Read More »

Trump Rips Up Official Papers Into “Tiny Pieces” But WH Staffers Tape Them Back Together As Law Requires

Politico reports: Under the Presidential Records Act, the White House must preserve all memos, letters, emails and papers that the president touches, sending them to the National Archives for safekeeping as historical records. But White House aides realized early on that they were unable to stop Trump from ripping up paper after he was done with it and throwing it …

Read More »

G7 Nations Blast Trump’s “Ad Hominem” Attacks

Talking Points Memo reports: Fellow G7 members responded harshly to President Donald Trump’s refusal to sign a previously agreed-upon joint statement authored by all seven nations at a summit this weekend, with Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland on Sunday pointedly condemning Trump and his advisers’ “ad hominem attacks.” “We spent two days to obtain a text and commitments. We will …

Read More »