Can you hear it? The world's smallest, racist violin?
BY PRIYANKA ARIBINDI, BRIAN BEUTLER
& CROOKED MEDIA
Friday, April 13, 2018 | BREAKING: U.S. STRIKES SYRIA | President Trump has ordered the U.S. military to conduct airstrikes against Syria in response to a chemical weapons attack Syrian President Bashar al-Assad launched against his own people. In a statement from the White House Friday night, Trump announced the U.S. strikes are part of a coordinated operation that includes France and the United Kingdom. "We are prepared to sustain this response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents," Trump said. As Trump’s announcement came to a close, blasts were reported throughout Syria’s capital. | Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein (rhymes with wine, Favreau) is telling people he’s prepared for Donald Trump to fire him. According to sources, he’s been operating under the advice of an ethics adviser throughout Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. Others say he seems “less anxious” these days and has been quoting MLK (which is a bit much, let’s be honest). But what else can you do when you’re what stands between the country and a constitutional crisis? Should he get the axe, the next in line to oversee the Mueller investigation is Solicitor General Noel Francisco. Democrats are reportedly also bracing for Rosenstein's firing—a bit too well, perhaps. According to National Journal, Top Senate Intelligence Committee Democrat Sen. Mark Warner told Democratic colleagues that “they should adhere to a one- or two-day cooling off period if Trump fires Rosenstein." Because the way to confront a President hell-bent on obstructing justice is to just, like, chill man. Activists are rightly planning mass protests should Trump do what should be considered the unthinkable. Anyway, there will be plenty of time to cool off when we’re dead. From Brian Beutler: The purpose of firing Rosenstein is to eventually replace him with a Trump lackey who will end or sabotage Mueller’s investigation. It's an act of obstruction of justice and a huge deal. It would come as Trump has reportedly backed out of an interview with Mueller, and pardoned former Dick Cheney aide Scooter Libby, who was convicted last decade of obstruction of justice after refusing to be a cooperating witness for the government. Trump’s signaling that he’ll absolve loyalists who have also obstructed justice or lied to the FBI on his behalf. We are in it now.
Don't take one or two days off. Feel free to absolutely lose your shit, right away, constructively →
| The Michael Cohen saga escalated quickly! • Sources tell McClatchy that Mueller has evidence Cohen was in Prague during the 2016 campaign, confirming a portion of the Steele dossier that Mr. “I’ve-Never-Been-To-Prague-In-My-Life” has vehemently denied since the dossier came to light. (His wife’s fridge magnet says differently, however.) • We learned that the FBI agents who raided Cohen’s home and office earlier this week seized recordings he had made. Cohen, who’s being investigated for “criminal conduct that largely centers on his personal business dealings,” is said to have kept tapes of conversations he had with reporters, business associates, Trump advisors, and possibly even Trump himself. • According to the New York Times, Trump called Cohen today to “check in,” as both of their lawyers appeared in court seeking to block the federal government from reviewing any documents the FBI seized earlier this week pertaining to Trump. Analysis: Things seem to be going very well for them. • We also learned that Cohen negotiated a deal to pay a former Playboy model, who allegedly was impregnated by former RNC deputy finance chair Elliott Broidy, $1.6 million. According to The Wall Street Journal, "The Broidy agreement uses the same pseudonyms for Mr. Broidy and the woman with whom he was allegedly involved—David Dennison and Peggy Peterson—as the earlier agreement [Cohen] used for Mr. Trump and Ms. Clifford…” Subtle. Broidy resigned from the RNC finance team this afternoon.
Trump’s advisers are now saying that the Cohen corruption investigation has become more of a threat to Trump than the Mueller investigation.
| Days before James Comey’s new book, A Higher Loyalty, officially hits the shelves, it has already accomplished its seemingly central purpose of making Trump ripshit angry. The book doesn't break much new ground—it further describes events that Comey already relayed in testimony, and other details that have leaked to the press over the course of the last year.
In the book, Comey admits he was convinced Hillary Clinton would win the election, and that his certainty likely shaped his decision to speak publicly about the then-ongoing Clinton email investigation. Former DOJ officials say Comey failed to follow Justice Department guidelines about not commenting on investigations in the 60 days before an election.
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Russia is accusing Britain of staging the chemical attack in Syria that left up to 75 dead, claiming they have “irrefutable information.” Britain, understandably, has called the accusation “ludicrous,” saying “this simply shows their desperation to pin the blame on anyone but their client: the Assad regime.” The DOJ inspector general delivered a report to Congress accusing former FBI Deputy director Andrew McCabe of intentionally misleading investigators. The report, which Attorney General Jeff Sessions cited upon McCabe’s dismissal last month, says McCabe falsely told investigators he did not authorize an aide to provide information to a Wall Street Journal reporter for an article that was damaging to Hillary Clinton in 2016. House Speaker Paul Ryan endorsed House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to be his successor, ending uncertainty over who will assume Ryan’s position atop GOP leadership after he retires in January. Hate to break it to you Paul, but voters may decide to go in a different direction. Trump promised Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) that he will support allowing states to determine how to regulate marijuana. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Sessions. Trump has ordered an audit of the U.S. Postal service, the latest abuse of power in his corrupt, ongoing, political revenge campaign against Amazon.
A boxer who wore “America First” trunks featuring a brick wall design got his ass handed to him by his Mexican opponent last night. Si se puede.
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On With Friends Like These: Ana talks with writer, journalist, and disability rights activist Keah Brown for a difficult conversation about the erasure of disability, ableism, and much more. Listen → | | |
The Oklahoma teacher walkout ended yesterday, after nine days of strikes, when the state’s largest teachers union concluded Republican lawmakers “[wouldn’t] budge an inch on any more revenue for public education.” Though this isn’t particularly hopeful news, the continued fight for more education funding and teacher pay in conservative states including Kentucky, Arizona, West Virginia, and Oklahoma has threatened Republicans’ hold on these states, and may turn education into a wedge issue in several upcoming elections. | According to the New York Times, America’s black mothers and babies are facing a life and death crisis. “Black infants in America are now more than twice as likely to die as white infants—a racial disparity that is actually wider than in 1850, 15 years before the end of slavery.” Read → | No one wants to hire former Trump aides, according to interviews with 10 current and former administration officials, top recruiters, and lobbyists. Can you hear it? The world’s smallest, racist violin? The fact that there's going to be real professional accountability for some of these cretins is pretty surprising and wonderful. | | |
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