Reporters and editors at The Wall Street Journal have signed a letter expressing concern about the roles of women and people of color in the newsroom.
Wall Street Journal diversity letter from newsroom – Business Insider
Category: Money, Class, and Poverty,
Kushner meeting with CEO of Russia-owned bank yields differing accounts
“As part of the preparation of the new strategy, executives of Vnesheconombank met with representatives of leading financial institutes in Europe, Asia, and America multiple times during 2016,” the bank told Reuters on Monday night.
“During the talks, the existing practices of foreign development banks and promising trends were discussed,” it added. It also said the meetings took place “with a number of representatives of the largest banks and business establishments of the United States, including Jared Kushner, the head of Kushner Companies.”
That appears to conflict with the White House’s version of events, which is that Kushner met with Gorkov as a representative of Trump’s transition team.
Kushner meeting with CEO of Russia-owned bank yields differing accounts – Business Insider
From the waist down, the White House is on fire.
Ivanka illegally shipping her wares through Iran
via: https://twitter.com/SheWhoVotes
Hmmm. Ivanka did choose to take a position in her father’s administration. ….And did it in such a sleazy way that she is able to 100% avoid being held to the same legal and protocol standards as any other employee. Plus, she’s an adult and responsible for her own actions and those done in her name….
…After some consideration, I say let the witch-hunt begin. String her up by the somewhat tacky floral lapels!
Secret Service asked for $60 million extra for Trump-era travel and protection, documents show
The funding request, which was rejected, offers the most detailed estimate yet of rising costs related to the first family’s elaborate lifestyle.
Sigh…
Russian Trust-Fund Baby Boasts Of Ongoing Access To Trump Family
“I have nothing to do with Russia,” Donald Trump bellowed to thousands of frenzied supporters at a Tampa, Florida rally last October. The truth, it seems, is a bit more complicated.
In an exclusive interview with FORBES, Emin Agalarov—a Russian pop singer, real estate mogul and son of one of the country’s richest people—described an ongoing relationship with the Trump family, including post-election contact with the president himself.
Among Agalarov’s most striking claims: that he and his billionaire developer father, Aras, had plans to build a Trump Tower in Russia that would now likely be under construction had Trump not run for office; that he has maintained contact with the Trump family since the election, and has exchanged messages with Donald Trump Jr. as recently as January; and that President Trump himself sent a handwritten note to the Agalarovs in November after they congratulated him on his victory.
Exclusive: Powerful Russian Partner Boasts Of Ongoing Access To Trump Family
hmmm
Ivanka Trump Sued for Alleged ‘Unfair Competition’ by Clothing Rival | NBC Bay Area
Ivanka Trump’s clothing company has been hit with a class action lawsuit by a San Francisco rag trade rival that claims she is cashing in on her father being President of the United States, NBC News reported.
Modern Appealing Clothing (MAC) says the first daughter’s firm has also gained an “unfair advantage” from her husband Jared Kushner “working for the President of the United States” and claimed that President Trump, his trusted adviser Kellyanne Conway, and White House spokesman Sean Spicer have all helped boost sales of Ivanka Trump Marks LLC products.
Ivanka Trump Sued for Alleged ‘Unfair Competition’ by Clothing Rival | NBC Bay Area
hmmm
Trump administration rolls back protections for people in default on student loans
Trump administration rolls back protections for people in default on student loans
Ack!!!!!!!!!1
6 Things Paul Ryan Doesn’t Understand About Poverty (But I Didn’t, Either)
Editor’s Note: This article was published on March 10, 2014, but it remains timely.
6 Things Paul Ryan Doesn’t Understand About Poverty (But I Didn’t, Either) | Alternet
hmmm
Ivanka Trump moves into West Wing office, acknowledges ‘no modern precedent’ for her role
Though Ivanka Trump lacks a formal White House job, the president’s older daughter is moving into her own West Wing office,
…Ivanka Trump will not be on the government payroll or officially bound by its ethics rules.
…The law blocks the president from filling executive roles with relatives. President Trump has already tested this rule by hiring his son-in-law Kushner as a senior adviser.
Ivanka still owns her companies, …she has stepped down from her leadership positions and from her former executive role at the Trump Organization, her father’s company.
…ethics experts have raised concerns over an array of conflicts of interest between the Trumps and their sprawling businesses
hmmm
Trump family’s elaborate lifestyle is a “logistical nightmare” — at taxpayer expense
Got curious and dipped into “old news.”
Adding to the costs and complications is Trump’s inclination to conduct official business surrounded by crowds of people, such as his decision last weekend to host Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for a working dinner while Mar-a-Lago members dined nearby.
…three Mar-a-Lago trips …likely cost the federal treasury roughly $10 million, based on figures used in an October government report analyzing White House travel, including money for Coast Guard units to patrol the exposed shoreline and other military, security and staffing expenses associated with moving the apparatus of the presidency.
…In New York, the city is paying $500,000 a day to guard Trump Tower, according to police officials’ estimates, an amount that could reach $183 million a year.
Earlier this month, The Post reported that Secret Service and U.S. embassy staff paid nearly $100,000 in hotel-room bills to support Eric Trump’s trip to promote a Trump-brand condo tower in Uruguay.
“This is an expensive way to conduct business, and the president should recognize that,” said Tom Fitton, president of the conservative group Judicial Watch, which closely tracked President Barack Obama’s family vacation costs and said it intends to continue the effort for the Trump administration.
“The unique thing about President Trump is that he knows what it costs to run a plane.”
…Judicial Watch estimated Obama-related travel expenses totaled nearly $97 million over eight years.
But based on the first four weeks, Trump’s presidency appears on track to cost hundreds of millions of dollars more.
hmmm
With frequent trips to Mar-a-Lago and the First Lady living in New York, the price of protecting the
I would rarely leave the WH, my ass.
Fact Check: Budget Director’s Claims That Programs that Feed the Hungry Don’t Work
Mulvaney suggested that Meals on Wheels is ineffective.
“We can’t spend money on programs just because they sound good. And great, Meals on Wheels sounds great. Again, that’s a state decision to fund that particular portion, to take the federal money and give it to the states, and say look, we want to give you money for programs that don’t work. I can’t defend that anymore. We cannot defend that anymore.”
False. Meals on Wheels helps 2.4 million people each year, including 500,000 veterans and 226,000 older citizens in the three states Mr. Mulvaney specified.
….“If you can provide these lower-cost programs and keep seniors out of nursing homes, that in essence will save money,” said Kali S. Thomas, a professor of health services at Brown University.
…Medicaid spending could be reduced by $109 million if all states were to increase the population of people who received home-delivered meals by 1 percent.
…He asserted that after-school programs have no effect on performance.
“So, let’s talk about after-school programs generally. They’re supposed to be educational programs, right? And that’s what they’re supposed to do, they’re supposed to help kids who can’t — who don’t get fed at home, get fed so that they do better at school. Guess what? There’s no demonstrable evidence they’re actually doing that. There’s no demonstrable evidence they’re actually helping results, helping kids do better at school.”
This is misleading. While Mr. Mulvaney specified after-school meal programs, it’s unclear what he is referring to because the government program that does fund after-school nutrition is not specifically at risk (nor does it purport to “help kids do better at school”).
The budget does propose to cut 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which fund after-school programs for about 1.6 million children in high-poverty areas. While the vast majority provide snacks and meals, feeding children is not their core mission.
“It’s something they do, but let’s not miss their primary purpose,” said Heather Weiss of the Global Family Research Program, who has evaluated after-social programs for decades. “They were set up to provide safe environments for kids with learning opportunities of all sorts.”
GRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
NIH, DOE Office of Science face deep cuts in Trump’s first budget
Other research agencies also hit hard
NIH, DOE Office of Science face deep cuts in Trump’s first budget | Science | AAAS
Sigh….
Chief Environmental Justice Official at EPA Resigns, With Plea to Pruitt to Protect Vulnerable Communities
Mustafa Ali quits after 24 years, as new administrator prepares deep cuts in programs affecting the poor and minorities.
sigh….
Trump doesn’t understand how NATO works, former ambassador says
Some foreign policy experts took issue with Trump’s assertions about contributions to NATO. Ivo Daalder, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, took to Twitter to argue that Trump didn’t seem to understand how the alliance works.
“US does provide large military commitment to NATO. But this is not a favor to Europe. It is vital for our own security,” Daalder tweeted. “All NATO countries, including Germany, have committed to spend 2% of GDP on defense by 2024.”
Daalder said America’s contribution to NATO is not to help pay for Germany’s defense or that of other European allies. “It is part of our treaty commitment,” he noted.
Trump doesn’t understand how NATO works, former ambassador says
Yup.
Trump Voter Shocked To Find That Her Meals On Wheels Could Be Cut
Linda Preast has used a wheelchair since she had a stroke two years ago and now relies on Meals on Wheels, a service that provides food to millions of people with disabilities and the elderly. The 56-year-old Georgia resident never envisioned when she voted for President Donald Trump that he’d propose slashing funding for the programs.
Trump Voter Shocked To Find That Her Meals On Wheels Could Be Cut | The Huffington Post
Stupid is, as stupid does. In what delusional universe does an idiot have to live in to believe someone like Donald Trump gives a shit about anyone getting their Meals on Wheels? Buy the snake oil and and you’ll choke on it, ignorant sheeple.
America’s Oldest Mall Is Turned Into Gorgeous Tiny Homes
The Providence Arcade is the oldest shopping mall in America, but now has a whole new purpose.
America’s Oldest Mall Is Turned Into Gorgeous Tiny Homes
Love this. There needs to be more small affordable housing in cities. Everywhere actually. More money to spend on services and shopping. Less need for services. Everyone benefits when the cost of living is down!
Meals on Wheels sees donations, volunteer sign-ups pour in
Meals on Wheels received 50 times the typical amount of daily donations on Thursday after the White House proposed cuts to some of the program’s sources of funding, a spokesperson for the group said.
Meals on Wheels sees donations, volunteer sign-ups pour in – CNN.com
So keeping low-income seniors from starving to death isn’t “results” in this White House’s opinion. They are either woefully ignorant or completely evil. By the looks of it, probably both. In any case, that’s more Trump supporters who are getting f*cked up the ass with a running chainsaw. Doh! Guess you shouldn’t have bought all that snake oil folks!
Donald Trump Concedes Health Care Bill Could Hurt Many Of His Supporters
President Donald Trump says he’s aware the current version of the GOP’s health care bill could hurt the very people who helped put him in the White House.
The president acknowledged the findings of a recent Bloomberg report, which said working- and middle-class counties that voted for him in November would fare far worse under the new bill than affluent counties that supported Hillary Clinton.
“Yeah,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson that aired Wednesday. “Oh, I know that.”
Donald Trump Concedes Health Care Bill Could Hurt Many Of His Supporters | The Huffington Post
You buy snake oil, you get taken.
The 62 agencies and programs Trump wants to eliminate
President Trump’s proposed budget takes a cleaver to domestic programs, with many agencies taking percentage spending cuts in the double digits.
The 62 agencies and programs Trump wants to eliminate
hmmm
Trump budget cuts immigration aid and local police are stunned
The budget would cut a program that reimburses jails for holding undocumented immigrants.
Trump budget cuts immigration aid and local police are stunned
Pssst…. When you buy snake oil, you get taken.
Rex Tillerson email alias Wayne Tracker Exxon climate change risks
Tillerson reportedly used an email with a pseudonym to talk about climate change risks and other important issues.
The discussions over Exxon Mobil’s climate-change risk-management is the focus of New York’s inquiry into the oil company. Schneiderman’s office uncovered the information as part of its investigation, which found Tillerson allegedly used the email pseudonym “Wayne Tracker” – Wayne is Tillerson’s middle name – for at least 7 years, from 2008 to 2015.
Rex Tillerson email alias Wayne Tracker Exxon climate change risks – Business Insider
hmmmm
Disgraced Trump adviser Mike Flynn admits he worked as a “foreign agent” for the Turkish government
…the retired Army general had done lobbying work between August and November 2016 that “could be construed to have principally benefited the Republic of Turkey.” According to the filing, Flynn’s company, Flynn Intel Group Inc., was paid at least $530,000 for the work.
Flynn’s contract ended on November 15, just three days before Trump appointed him national security adviser.
…receiving money to lobby on behalf of a foreign power all the way through Election Day is another black eye for Flynn, who has the rare distinction of having been fired by two US presidents (Barack Obama ousted him because of his mismanagement of the Defense Intelligence Agency).
hmmmm
To fund border wall, Trump administration weighs cuts to homeland security
The Trump administration, searching for money to build the president’s planned multibillion-dollar border wall and crack down on illegal immigration, is weighing significant cuts to the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration and other agencies focused on national security threats…
…The proposal …would slash the budget of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which provides disaster relief after hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural disasters. The Coast Guard’s $9.1 billion budget in 2017 would be cut 14 percent to about $7.8 billion, while the TSA and FEMA budgets would be reduced about 11 percent each to $4.5 billion and $3.6 billion, respectively.
The cuts are proposed even as the planned budget for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees all of them, grows 6.4 percent to $43.8 billion, according to the plan, which was obtained by The Washington Post. Some $2.9 billion of that would go to building the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, with $1.9 billion funding “immigration detention beds” and other Immigration and Customs Enforcement expenses and $285 million set aside to hire 500 more Border Patrol agents and 1,000 more ICE agents and support staffers.
hmmm
Fair-housing advocates call potential HUD cuts ‘devastating’
Fair-housing advocates call potential HUD cuts ‘devastating’
Fair-housing advocates call potential HUD cuts ‘devastating’ – The Washington Post
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
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