JULY 3 AND 4, 2018


NEWS AND VIEWS


HERE WE HAVE ANOTHER FRIGHTENING PIECE OF NEWS. I HOPE THIS TURNS OUT TO HAVE A STRAIGHTFORWARD CAUSE, SUCH AS A BUILDUP OF GAS IN THE HOME.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/salisbury-major-incident-counter-terror-police-amesbury-england-city-skripal-poisoning-amesbury-wiltshire-today-2018-07-04/
CBS NEWS July 4, 2018, 12:55 PM

VIDEO -- Counter terror police join probe into Amesbury, England, couple's mystery illness ; Two collapse near Russian spy poisoning site

British police have declared a "major incident" after two people were left unconscious by an unknown substance near the English city of Salisbury, where a former British spy and his daughter were poisoned by a suspected nerve agent in March. The proximity to the previous incident, if nothing else, has raised sufficient alarm to draw in counter terrorism officers from Britain's biggest police force.

Police said Tuesday that they initially believed the couple's collapse was drug-related, but later declared the investigation "open-minded" regarding the cause of their ailment.

The couple, both in their 40s, were found unconscious in Amesbury, Wiltshire, on Saturday. Police in Wiltshire said it was unclear if a crime had been committed. Several sites in Amesbury and Salisbury known to have been frequented by the couple were cordoned off on Tuesday, but by Wednesday the cordons had been removed, including the one around the home where they were found.

Chemical weapons watchdog confirms Skripals poisoned by nerve agent

Both victims were still in critical condition on Wednesday morning. Police were conducting tests to try and identify the substance, and according to BBC News, samples were sent to the British government's primary biological and chemical weapons facility, Porton Down, for testing. The BBC's sources said sending samples of an unknown toxin to the facility was standard in such cases.

Wiltshire police warned that residents of Amesbury and Salisbury, which are eight miles apart, could expect an increased police presence, and on Wednesday London's Metropolitan Police said that, "given the recent events in Salisbury, officers from the counter terrorism network are working jointly with colleagues from Wiltshire Police regarding the incident."

A Public Health England (PHE) spokesman said Tuesday that, "based upon the number of casualties affected, is that it is not believed that there is a significant health risk to the wider public. This will be continually assessed as further information becomes known."

Both patients were being treated at Salisbury District Hospital, which remained "open as usual," police said.

CBS News partner network BBC News cited the regional fire and rescue authority as saying a total of seven vehicles arrived at the home, an apartment in Amesbury, where the couple were found, including two specialist vehicles from the neighboring county of Hampshire.

They were called to the house at about 7 p.m. on Saturday, and some of the team members entered the home wearing hazmat suits, but the officials stressed that such a response was standard procedure when dealing with a possible unknown toxin.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



NEW REPUBLICAN MANDATED WORK REQUIREMENTS FOR LOW INCOME KENTUCKIANS’ HEALTHCARE – JUDGE SAYS NO, SO THE GOVERNOR DELETES THE BENEFITS ENTIRELY WITH NO DISCUSSION OR WARNING. SURELY NOT A CHILDISH TEMPER TANTRUM? IN ADDITION TO THAT, HE ANNOUNCED HIS MOVE OVER THE WEEKEND SO THAT WITH NO WARNING, PATIENTS SUDDENLY FOUND THAT THEIR INSURANCE WASN’T PAYING. THAT MEANS THAT 460,000 POOR PEOPLE WERE AFFECTED, AND DIDN’T GET THEIR MEDS AND SERVICES. CAN’T SOMEBODY BE SUED OVER THAT? I HOPE THE ANSWER ISN’T SOMETHING LIKE, “NO, BECAUSE IT’S KENTUCKY.”

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/benefit-cuts-announced-medicaid-ruling-56313914
Kentucky cuts vision, dental care for up to 460,000 people
By BRUCE SCHREINER, ASSOCIATED PRESS LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jul 2, 2018, 4:58 PM ET

PHOTOGRAPH -- FILE - In this Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018 file photo, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin speaks to a joint session of the General Assembly at the Capitol in Frankfort, Ky. A federal judge says Kentucky can't require poor people to get a job to keep their Medicaid benefits, chastising President Donald Trump's administration for rubber-stamping the new rules without considering how many people would lose their health coverage. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)

Gov. Matt Bevin's administration cut dental and vision coverage for as many as 460,000 Kentuckians after his Medicaid overhaul plan was rejected in court.

The state Cabinet for Health and Family Services called the cuts an "unfortunate consequence" of Friday's ruling by a federal judge. Democrats and advocates for the poor condemned the Republican governor's move as rash and possibly illegal. The cuts were announced during the weekend.

U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg's rejection of Bevin's plan to overhaul the state's Medicaid program was also a setback for President Donald Trump's administration, which has been encouraging states to impose work requirements and other changes on the joint state and federal health insurance program for poor and disabled people. Boasberg's ruling blocks those requirements for now in Kentucky.

Bevin's administration squarely blamed the judge for the cuts, saying his ruling removed a "legal mechanism" to pay for dental and vision coverage for about 460,000 Medicaid beneficiaries and left officials with less than two days to undo a year and a half of planning.

"As such, they no longer have access to dental and vision coverage as a result of the court's ruling," the cabinet said.

Bevin spokeswoman Elizabeth Kuhn said the Medicaid changes had offered "a sustainable path" to provide the dental and vision benefits, but said the judge's ruling means there's "no longer a viable method" to provide the services.

The state's health and family services cabinet on Monday said Bevin's administration is "working through the impacts."

"We hope that we can work together to quickly resolve the fallout from the court ruling" so the benefits program can be reinstated, it said.

Democratic state Rep. Joni Jenkins said she's concerned about "rash decisions" in response to the ruling.

"We call for thoughtful discussions involving the administration and the many statewide stakeholders in the path forward in assuring Kentucky's working families have health care," Jenkins said.

Jenkins said the Bevin administration's "short-sighted" actions are already causing confusion and hardships.

"We have folks that are showing up for dental appointments that they made months ago and neither they nor the providers are really certain what the rules are," she said. "And that's just unacceptable for government to be operating this way."

Sheila Schuster, a longtime Kentucky advocate for the disabled and people without health coverage, said the cuts were "totally uncalled for," and could spark another legal fight.

"The real question is: Are they within their legal authority to suspend benefits that are part of this program and are part of the essential health benefits without any due notice and without any hearings?" she said. "I think that's a question to be resolved in the courts."

Bevin's action could also worsen the state's drug addiction problems, administration critics said.

"We know that untreated dental pain is a huge gateway to addiction to painkillers," Jenkins said.

The federal health care law championed by former President Barack Obama gave states the option of expanding Medicaid coverage to able-bodied adults. Kentucky, under former Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, was one of 32 states that did so, and nearly 500,000 Kentuckians got Medicaid coverage as a result.

But Bevin, elected in 2015, said the program was too expensive to continue. He sought permission to impose new rules, including charging monthly premiums and requiring at least 80 hours of "community engagement" per month, which could include working, volunteering or going to school.

Adam Meier, Bevin's secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, has said if the ruling stands, the state would have "no choice but to make significant benefit reductions." He said Kentucky faces a $300 million shortfall in Medicaid over the next two years, and the new rules would have helped the state save money.

Kentucky was the first state to get permission to impose new rules, which were scheduled to take effect Sunday in a northern Kentucky suburb of Cincinnati.

In his ruling, the judge chastised Trump's administration for rubber-stamping the new rules without considering how many people would lose their health coverage.

The cabinet said the state "made it clear" that dental and vision benefits for the approximately 460,000 beneficiaries were dependent on the new Medicaid changes. It also said only small percentages of Medicaid recipients have taken advantage of routine vision and dental coverage in the past.



FIRER BECOMES FIREE – TCH, TCH, TCH, YOU’RE A WITCH -- AND NOT NEARLY AS IMPORTANT AS YOU THINK YOU ARE.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mom-with-son-on-life-support-shares-viral-post-of-boss-firing-her-via-text/
By CAITLIN O'KANE CBS NEWS July 3, 2018, 2:31 PM
Mom with son on life support shares viral post of boss firing her over text

PHOTOGRAPH -- When a Michigan mom told her boss that her son was on life support and she couldn't come to work, she was fired via text P.S. FOOD MART ALBION/CRYSTAL REYNOLDS FISHER

A Michigan mom shared a conversation she had with her boss over text message, and the exchange has gone viral -- with serious repercussions.

Crystal Reynolds Fisher took screenshots of her text message conversation with her boss, identified only as Dawn. Fisher tells Dawn that she cannot come to work because her son is on life support. It is unclear why Fisher's son is in the hospital or how long he will be in intensive care. She said she was notifying her manager 48 hours in advance that that she couldn't come to work because her son was in the ICU.

"I'm just letting [you] know my son is still on life support so until he is out of the bad I will not be able to make it to work," Fisher writes in the initial text to Dawn. "I can let [you] know as he starts to get better so that way I can return to work with no problems." Dawn's response shocked Fisher, as well as the nearly 80,000 people who shared her Facebook of the texts.

"That isn't how we do things, so I'll accept you're quitting," Dawn wrote back.

"Ok how do we do things when my child is on life support?" Fisher wrote. "I never said I was quitting so I take it that [you're] firing me?" Dawn told Fisher that if she can't come to work, "that's quitting." The two sent several messages back and forth after that, with Dawn adamant that she will not "tolerate drama," and that if Fisher did not show up for her shift, she would take it as her quitting.

The two work at PS Food Mart in Albion, Michigan, which is owned by Folk Oil Company. Fisher told her boss that she was going to contact corporate at Folk Oil about how she was being treated, and Dawn invited her to do so. Dawn sent Fisher a corporate number to call.

At the end of the exchange posted on Facebook, Fisher poses a question to Dawn. "Would [you] be able to go to work and function if [your] child was on life support?" she asked her boss. "Yes I would, I still have bills to pay and something to keep me busy and occupied," Dawn responded. "We don't just get to come and go as we please at Folk Oil."

After the texts went viral, Folk Oil released a statement about the conversation between Fisher and Dawn. "We investigated and have found that the situation was handled improperly and without the compassion that we value as a company. For that, we are very sorry," Folk Oil said in a statement posted on PS Food Mart's Facebook page. "As a result of this finding, we took quick action and that manager is no longer employed by PS Food Mart."

Dawn tried to fire the mother for needing time off with her ailing son, but in the end, it was Dawn who was let go. "We have also reaffirmed to our employee that she will be able to take all the time off that she needs during this difficult period," the company's statement said.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



WE HARES NEED TO SLOW DOWN A BIT. THE TORTOISE NEEDS TO GET TO GET TO THE FINISH LINE, TOO. HAVING SAID THAT, THOUGH, TEAM TRUMP IS TRYING TO SPOOK US OR WORSE, OUTFLANK US BY WEIGHING IN AGAINST ROSENSTEIN. SEE THE THREE NEWS AND VIDEO ITEMS BELOW.

https://www.politico.com/news/trump-russia-scandal
Judge sets hearing in Flynn case
The hearing would be the former Trump national security adviser's first court appearance since pleading guilty more than seven months ago.
By JOSH GERSTEIN 07/02/2018 04:56 PM EDT

PHOTOGRAPH -- Former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty last December to one felony count of making false statements to the FBI. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

A pair of legal filings suggesting that special counsel Robert Mueller's office is almost-but-not-quite ready to set a sentencing date for former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn have prompted a federal judge to order Flynn and lawyers for both sides to make an unexpected trip to court next week.

The hearing set for next Tuesday would be the first court appearance for Flynn since last December, when the former Defense Intelligence Agency chief appeared in a packed courtroom to plead guilty to one felony count of making false statements to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador to the U.S., about his lobbying during the presidential transition on a United Nations resolution critical of Israel, and about his lobbying work favorable to the Turkish government.

It would also be the first hearing before the judge currently assigned to Flynn's case, U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan. A few days after Flynn's high-profile plea last year, the judge who accepted it — Rudolph Contreras — recused himself.

No official reason has ever been given by the court, but Contreras reportedly approved a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court warrant related to the Trump-Russia investigation. In addition, text messages exchanged between a top FBI agent later removed from that investigation, Peter Strzok, indicate that he was friendly with Contreras.

Sullivan's order Monday setting the hearing followed a back and forth between lawyers in the case and the judge over scheduling the next steps for Flynn.

In a required, written status report last Friday, both sides in the case said: "Due to the status of the special counsel’s investigation, the parties do not believe that this matter is ready to be scheduled for a sentencing hearing at this time."

However, the prosecution and the defense said they wanted the court to begin preparation of a pre-sentencing report that a probation officer readies before any sentencing hearing.

That request led Sullivan to ask both sides to file a new statement about why the report should be ordered up without the usual procedure of setting a sentencing hearing at the same time.

The repeated delays in Flynn's sentencing have led to speculation that prosecutors believe his testimony could be useful at some future trial, or that the sentencing process might disclose some aspect of the investigation that Mueller still wishes to keep secret. Some Flynn allies have even suggested he might seek to withdraw his plea, although his lawyers have given no indication of that.

The new submission Monday morning didn't shed much light on Flynn's role in Mueller's investigation or why sentencing the retired Army general now would be problematic.

"Although this matter is not ready for sentencing, the parties intend to request that a sentencing hearing be scheduled promptly once the matter becomes ready for sentencing," prosecutors and defense attorneys wrote in their joint filing. "The parties believed this approach would put the Court in a position to schedule a sentencing hearing, if the Court were to so choose, on a more expedited schedule at such time as the matter becomes ready for sentencing."

Something about that language seems to have irked Sullivan, prompting him to call in lawyers for both sides, plus the defendant. "Mr. Flynn is directed to attend," the judge's brief order said.

Both sides filed similar reports in late January and early May, providing few details and asking to hold off further proceedings. Sullivan issued routine orders accepting those two requests.

Flynn's lead attorney Robert Kelner did not respond to a request for comment on the developments. A spokesman for Mueller's office declined comment.

While the charge that Flynn admitted to carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, defendants usually get far less than the maximum, particularly when they cooperate with prosecutors. The plea agreement contemplates a sentence of zero to six months in custody for Flynn, although Sullivan is not bound by the two sides’ agreement that a sentence in that range would be “reasonable.”


THERE IS NO FEAR OF TRUMP HERE. LISTEN AND TAKE COURAGE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DlwOAzdOaU&feature=share
President Barack Obama And Jon Stewart; Different Method, Same Message | The Last Word | MSNBC
200,647 views

MSNBC
Published on Jun 29, 2018

Republicans have worked overtime to normalize Donald Trump's countless breaks in presidential tradition and his divisive rhetoric but Pres. Obama and Jon Stewart separately and in their own ways remind Americans not to normalize this behavior and to vote. Republican Strategist Evan Siegfried, Zerlina Maxwell and Maria Teresa Kumar join the conversation.

» Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc

About: MSNBC is the premier destination for in-depth analysis of daily headlines, insightful political commentary and informed perspectives. Reaching more than 95 million households worldwide, MSNBC offers a full schedule of live news coverage, political opinions and award-winning documentary programming -- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.



I’VE LISTENED TO HIM SPEAK AND DO TWO INTERVIEWS. JEFF FLAKE IS A STAND-UP GUY, NO MATTER WHAT HIS PARTY. THE REASON I DEPEND ON INDIVIDUALITY SO MUCH IS BECAUSE THE WISDOM IS SO CLEARLY IN THE INDIVIDUAL RATHER THAN THE CROWD. THE WISDOM OF A CROWD OF IDIOTS IS GOING TO BE, WELL, DISAPPOINTING. BY THE WAY, UNLESS YOU RE A CONSERVATIVE, YOU MAY REALLY LIKE THE MSNBC NEWS SHOWS ON THE NET. I’M A BIG FAN OF THEIRS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ogZx_hjNSY
Lawrence: One Senator Could Block Donald Trump's Supreme Court Pick | The Last Word | MSNBC
MSNBC
Published on Jun 27, 2018

24 hours before Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement from the Supreme Court, Sen. Jeff Flake said that he would block Trump judicial nominations over tariffs. Lawrence says that if Flake holds strong, he could take down a radical Trump nominee to the Court. Ron Klain, Neera Tanden, and Jill Wine-Banks join.
» Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc



http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/american-mainstream-rejects-trumps-condemnation-mueller-probe
American mainstream rejects Trump’s condemnation of Mueller probe
04/13/18 10:40 AM
By Steve Benen

PHOTOGRAPH -- Then FBI Director Robert Mueller arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., May 16, 2012, to testify during a hearing. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

At a certain level, public-opinion polls on federal criminal investigations seem unimportant. After all, law-enforcement officials are not politicians, and while they serve the public’s interests, they also have a job to do that has little to do with popular will.

That said, I tend to keep an eye on polling related to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe, not because public attitudes should shape the direction of the investigation, but because I’m interested in whether the Republican campaign to undermine public confidence in the probe is working.

Donald Trump, for example, has characterized the investigation itself as “illegal” and “corrupt.” His allies in Congress and conservative media have mounted a spirited campaign against Mueller, the FBI, and the Justice Department, which collectively have become a bete noire for the right.

The American mainstream isn’t buying it.

A clear majority of Americans support special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and alleged collusion with President Trump’s campaign, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds.

The results show backing for inquiries into Trump’s orbit on several fronts.

Nearly 7 in 10 adults say they support Mueller’s focus on possible collusion with Russia. Sixty-four percent say they want the special counsel investigating Trump’s business activities. And a 58 percent majority supports investigating alleged payments by Trump associates to silence women who say they had affairs with him.

Just to clarify, whether Mueller and his investigators have any interest in Trump World’s hush-money scandals is unclear, but the point is there’s a fair mount of public support for examining this and related Trump controversies.

This comes on the heels of a March poll from Pew Research Center showing broad public confidence in Mueller’s efforts.

To be sure, a closer look at the details of the data suggests self-identified Republican voters have largely embraced their party’s message. In the Washington Post/ABC News poll, for example, a majority of GOP voters said they didn’t want Trump investigated for any of the aforementioned reasons.

And for the White House, maybe that’s enough. Perhaps persuading like-minded partisans to buy into the president’s pushback is enough.

But if Trump intended to persuade the American mainstream, it doesn’t appear to have worked.


MORE CREEPY INFORMATION ABOUT THE CREEPIEST KILLER I'VE SEEN IN THE NEWS IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. IT'S WHEN THEY EXPLAIN THEIR ACTIONS THAT IT IS HARDEST TO TAKE. THAT'S HOW YOU KNOW WHAT INSANITY MEANS.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/07/02/police-annapolis-suspected-killer-sent-threatening-letters-day-shooting/753509002/?csp=chromepush
Police: Annapolis suspected killer sent threatening letters on day of shooting
Mike James, USA TODAY Published 9:08 p.m. ET July 2, 2018 | Updated 10:42 p.m. ET July 2, 2018

Amateur video footage obtained by The Associated Press shows the moment that police apprehended the suspect in the shooting that left five people dead at a Maryland newspaper on Thursday. (June 29) AP

The man charged with killing five people at an Annapolis newspaper sent three letters announcing his murderous intentions to kill "every person present," police confirmed Monday.

Anne Arundel County police said the letters were sent Thursday — the day of the shootings — and signed by Jarrod W. Ramos, the shotgun-toting suspect alleged to have fired the fatal shots in a spite-inspired rage over the newspaper's prior coverage of his harassment case against a woman.

The Baltimore Sun, owned by the same company as the Capital, reported that one of the letters was sent to the newspaper's former attorney. Thomas Marquardt, the Capital’s former publisher, said the attorney turned the letter over to police, the Sun reported.

Sgt. Jacklyn Davis, a spokeswoman for Anne Arundel County police, confirmed that police have the letters in evidence. She says one was sent to the courthouse in Baltimore and a second was sent to the Maryland Court of Special Appeals. She says a third was sent to a law office.

Tom Marquardt, the onetime publisher of the Capital Gazette, told the Associated Press at slain journalist Rob Hiaasen’s memorial Monday that Ramos, 38, sent one letter to a company lawyer on the day of the attack saying he was on his way to the newspaper “to kill as many people” as he could.

The document received by The Capital’s former attorney was written to look like a court filing, but it was not clear Monday whether it was actually filed, the Sun reported. It purported to be a “Motion for Reconsideration” by Maryland’s top court, which in 2016 refused to hear a defamation case Ramos had filed against the Capital.

“You were too cowardly to confront those lies, and this is your receipt,” the document says, according to the Sun. “I told you so.”

“I further certify I then did proceed to the office of respondent Capital-Gazette Communications … with the objective of killing every person present,” the document says, which was provided to the Sun by Marquardt.

More: Capital Gazette reveals how shooting unfolded as memorial services begin in Annapolis

Related: 'Capital Gazette' victims were beloved parents, friends

A letter attached to the filing is addressed to retired Judge Charles Moylan Jr. Moylan, who previously wrote a scathing opinion against Ramos as part of the defamation case.

“Welcome, Mr. Moylan, to your unexpected legacy: YOU should have died,” the letter says, according to the Sun. “Friends forever, Jarrod W. Ramos.”

Court papers show that Ramos had filed a defamation suit against the newspaper in 2012. But a judge threw out the lawsuit and said Ramos "fails to come close to alleging a case of defamation." A Maryland appeals court further concluded that everything printed in the July 31, 2011 newspaper story about Ramos appeared to be true.

According to the court case, Ramos had pleaded guilty on July 26, 2011 in Anne Arundel County on a charge of criminal harassment and got a 90-day suspended jail sentence. Five days later, the Capital ran a story by staff writer Eric Thomas Hartley under the headline "Jarrod wants to be your friend."

The story described a harrowing situation of a woman who was continually harassed by Ramos after he contacted her on Facebook.

"If you're on Facebook, you've probably gotten a friend request or message from an old high school classmate you didn't quite remember," Hartley wrote in the story. "For one woman, that experience turned into a yearlong nightmare."

Shooting at Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis

Mourners gather during a memorial service for Rob Hiaasen, one of the journalists killed in the shooting at The Capital Gazette newspaper offices on July 2, 2018, in Owings Mills, Md. Patrick Semansky, AP
Contributing: Associated Press



PEKING MAN JULY 4, 2018

https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/peking_man.htm
Peking Man
Peking Man (sometimes now called Beijing Man), also called Sinanthropus pekinensis (currently Homo erectus pekinensis), is an example of Homo erectus.

The remains were first discovered in 1923-27 during excavations at Zhoukoudian (Choukoutien) near Beijing (Peking), China.

The finds have been dated from roughly 250,000-400,000 years ago in the Pleistocene.

Note: The above text is excerpted from the Wikipedia article "Peking Man", which has been released under the GNU Free Documentation License.

Peking Man
Peking Man (sometimes now called Beijing Man), also called Sinanthropus pekinensis (currently Homo erectus pekinensis), is an example of Homo erectus.

The remains were first discovered in 1923-27 during excavations at Zhoukoudian (Choukoutien) near Beijing (Peking), China.

The finds have been dated from roughly 250,000-400,000 years ago in the Pleistocene.

Note: The above text is excerpted from the Wikipedia article "Peking Man", which has been released under the GNU Free Documentation License.



SEE THE ROLL CALL AND WASHINGTON PRESS ARTICLES BELOW. REPUBLICANS TOO MEEK AND MILD? REMEMBER HOW VOCAL HOUSE REPUBLICANS WERE AGAINST THE TRUMP/RUSSIA SCANDAL? THEN WITHIN A MONTH OR SO ALL OF THAT NEGATIVE COMMENT FROM THEIR SIDE STOPPED, AND JEFF SESSIONS RECUSED HIMSELF FROM LEADING THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION BECAUSE HE HIMSELF WAS KNOWN TO HAVE MET WITH RUSSIANS. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE WHOLE PARTY ARE FULLY CORRUPTED?

RUSSIAN DELEGATION – WATCH THESE TWO VIDEOS.

THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 7/3/18
Republicans on board with Trump in odd deference to Russian goals
Rachel Maddow reports on a Republican congressional delegation to Moscow behaving awkwardly deferential in a way that dovetails with Donald Trump acceding to Russia's wish list despite the conclusions of American intelligence that Russia is actively attacking the foundation of the US system of government. Duration: 12:28


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 7/3/18
Unusual Republican delegation trip to Moscow marked by meekness
Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, talks with Rachel Maddow about the unusual nature of the Republican congressional visit to Moscow. Duration: 7:18


https://washingtonpress.com/2018/07/04/top-republicans-just-celebrated-the-fourth-of-july-with-a-visit-to-russia/
Top Republicans just celebrated the Fourth of July with a visit to Russia
BY VINNIE LONGOBARDO
PUBLISHED ON JULY 4, 2018

Republicans in Congress are making the most of their taxpayer-funded expense accounts, with an all-GOP delegation spending their Independence Day holiday in Moscow meeting with the people who helped win the White House for their party.

Senators Richard Shelby (R-AL), John Kennedy (R-LA), John Hoeven (R-ND), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Steve Daines (R-MT), John Thune (R-SD), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-TX) joined John Huntsman, the U.S. Ambassador to Russia, to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other top Kremlin leaders to “personally assess the threats Russia poses, and what actions are necessary to keep our nation secure,” as Senator Daines described their mission to CNBC.

Yes, these Republican leaders actually expect us to believe that the Russian politicians they speak with will surely explain the threats they pose in great detail and give us advice on how to fight them. That must be why they excluded any Democrats from accompanying them on their boondoggle in advance of the president’s upcoming private conclave with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/senate-republicans-meet-lavrov-moscow-ahead-trump-putin-summit
Senate Republicans Meet Lavrov in Moscow Ahead of Trump-Putin Summit
Delegation led by Appropriations chairman Shelby
Niels Lesniewski
@nielslesniewski
Posted Jul 3, 2018 9:49 AM

Alabama GOP Sen. Richard Shelby told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, shown here at a news conference at the United Nations in January, that the U.S. and Russia might be competitors, “but we don’t necessarily have to be adversaries.” (Drew Angerer/Getty Images file photo)

Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard C. Shelby told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Tuesday that he hoped for an improvement in relations between the United States and the Russian Federation.

“We have a strained relationship, but we could have a better relationship between he U.S. and Russia, because there’s some common interests around the world that we hopefully can work together on,” Shelby said, according to video from the meeting in Moscow. “We can be competitors. We are competitors, but we don’t necessarily need to be adversaries.”

“So, we’re hoping that coming out of the Putin-Trump meeting in Helsinki we will see the beginning, maybe of a new day,” the Alabama Republican said. “The world’s better off, I believe, if Russia and the U.S. have fewer tensions.”

Shelby has been leading an all-Republican congressional delegation to Russia, of Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard C. Shelby told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Tuesday that he hoped for an improvement in relations between the United States and the Russian Federation.

“We have a strained relationship, but we could have a better relationship between he U.S. and Russia, because there’s some common interests around the world that we hopefully can work together on,” Shelby said, according to video from the meeting in Moscow. “We can be competitors. We are competitors, but we don’t necessarily need to be adversaries.”

“So, we’re hoping that coming out of the Putin-Trump meeting in Helsinki we will see the beginning, maybe of a new day,” the Alabama Republican said. “The world’s better off, I believe, if Russia and the U.S. have fewer tensions.”


Shelby has been leading an all-Republican congressional delegation to Russia, of mainly appropriators. The lawmakers were joined for the meeting with Lavrov by U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman.

President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet formally with Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 16, in Helsinki. Foreign policy observers are concerned about the approach Trump will take with Russia at that meeting.

GOP lawmakers on the trip with Shelby include Sens. Steve Daines of Montana, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Jerry Moran of Kansas and John Thune of South Dakota.

Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, also joined the trip.

Get breaking news alerts and more from Roll Call on your iPhone or your Android.

mainly appropriators. The lawmakers were joined for the meeting with Lavrov by U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman.

President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet formally with Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 16, in Helsinki. Foreign policy observers are concerned about the approach Trump will take with Russia at that meeting.

GOP lawmakers on the trip with Shelby include Sens. Steve Daines of Montana, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Jerry Moran of Kansas and John Thune of South Dakota.

Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, also joined the trip.

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NEW ATTACKS ON IMMIGRANTS’ HUMAN RIGHTS? WAS THIS DONE SPECIFICALLY IN REVENGE? DO TRUMP’S WING FEATHERS NEED TO BE CLIPPED AGAIN? MAYBE TRUMP HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS, AND ISN’T BEING MALICIOUS OR WORSE, SO I’LL SAY NO MORE AT THIS TIME. SPEND A SECOND TO LOOK AT THE SITUATION FROM A NEW ANGLE, THOUGH.

WHATEVER HIS ORIGINAL INTENTION, HE IS NOW USING THOSE CHILDREN LIKE HOSTAGES, IT APPEARS TO ME. HE HAS BEEN CONSTRAINED BY THE COURT FROM SEPARATING ANY MORE FAMILIES, SO IS HE NOW HAVING ICE DENY BOND TO SOME OF THE ADULTS? TO KEEP THEM ALL IN THE COUNTRY? I WONDER WHAT HIS GROUNDS FOR THE SECRECY, AND OTHER MYSTIFYING DETAILS OF THE CASE ARE? RACHEL MADDOW SAID SOME MONTHS AGO ABOUT TRUMP -- DON’T PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT HE SAYS; WATCH WHAT HE DOES.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show
THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 7/2/18

Immigration lawyer: ICE not offering bond to some separated...
Rachel Maddow is joined by immigration lawyer Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch who says ICE has stopped allowing some of her clients to pay a bond so they can reunite with their children. Duration: 5:50

SEE THE TED HESS ARTICLE FOR SOME INFORMATION ON THESE “ICE HOLDS” AND “BONDS.” -- https://www.tedhess.com/Immigration/FAQ-Ice-Holds-and-Immigration-Bonds.shtml


VIDEOS ONLY

THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 7/2/18
Cohen runs out of options
Rachel Maddow speaks with Vanity Fair’s Emily Jane Fox about Michael Cohen’s strategy to change his legal team and participate in media interviews. Duration: 8:04


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 7/3/18
Trump's 'favorite prime minister' arrested over theft of billions
Rachel Maddow reports on the arrest of Najib Razak, former prime minister of Malaysia, who is accused of siphoning billions of dollars from the country and millions in lavish spending of ill-gotten gains. Razak is also close with Donald Trump and reportedly sought the assistance of Republican fundraiser and Michael Cohen client Elliott Broidy to make the DoJ part of the investigation go away. Duration: 4:59


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 7/3/18
DoJ loses senior leader who handled 'all the hottest potatoes'
Leon Neyfakh, reporter for Slate.com, talks with Rachel Maddow about the surprise resignation of Scott Schools, an associate deputy attorney general and the senior career official at the Department of Justice. Duration: 7:10


HELP THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 7/3/18
Senate Intel report confirms Russian intrusion in 2016 election
Rachel Maddow reports on a bipartisan assessment from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that confirms the U.S. intelligence community's findings about Russian intrusion in the 2016 election. Duration: 4:07


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 7/3/18
SDNY corruption prosecutor supervising Michael Cohen case resigns
Rachel Maddow reports that the head of the public corruption unit in the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York, the lead public corruption prosecutor who oversaw the Michael Cohen case, is resigning. Duration: 2:03


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 7/3/18
GOP Rep. Jim Jordan accused of ignoring sexual abuse of wrestlers
Rachel Maddow shares NBC News reporting that conservative congressman Jim Jordan is accused of knowing about sexual abuse of wrestlers at Ohio State when he was a coach and doing nothing about it, a charge he denies as the number of accusers increases. Duration: 4:25


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 7/2/18
Michael Cohen’s new legal strategy
Rachel Maddow explains Michael Cohen’s recent shift in legal strategy as he drops his joint defense agreement with President Trump. Duration: 21:29


THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 6/29/18
How the FBI got tipped off to Manafort’s evidence
Rachel Maddow digs into transcripts of Friday’s court hearing to find out who the FBI says tipped it off to Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort's storage locker, which was raided for evidence last year. Duration: 25:27


FADING OUT HERE, AS THE FIREWORKS CONTINUE TO GO OFF OUTSIDE MY WINDOW. THAT’S HOW I KNOW FOR SURE I’M IN THE USA.