What goes through my my mind when I read the news with my morning coffee. …Or for the Simon's Rockers in the group, this is my response journal.
Changes for “association health plans” may accomplish long-held GOP goals in the wake of failed repeal efforts.
Trump signs order to eliminate ACA insurance rules, undermine marketplaces – The Washington Post
sigh…
OH, and if BHO had done it right there wouldn’t be all the ways to destroy it. So there’s that, too.
The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voiced “profound regret” on Thursday over the United States’ decision to withdraw from the agency.
The Cheeto is absolutely incapable of getting a single thing right.
President Donald Trump suggested Thursday that Puerto Rico is going to have to shoulder more responsibility for recovery efforts from Hurricane Maria, saying the federal government’s emergency responders can’t stay there “forever.”
Donald Trump: We cannot aid Puerto Rico ‘forever’ – CNNPolitics
What the fuck is this idiot’s problem? Does he not realize that Puerto Ricans ARE fucking Americans. They are part of this “we” you talk about you fucking bent-ass dildo!
Morale aboard a US warship operating in the Pacific reached such a low ebb that one sailor described serving aboard the ship as being akin to being on “a floating prison,” according to surveys obtained via the Freedom of Information Act.
: Report: Massive morale problems aboard US Navy ship – CNNPolitics
hmmmm
The court’s ruling says the government has no right to “rummage through the information” on DreamHost’s website to identify “innocent persons” engaged in First Amendment activities.
Judge Limits DOJ’s Warrant For Records From Anti-Trump Site : The Two-Way : NPR
hmmmm
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is ready to go to war for President Donald Trump, starting with a Republican Senate primaries in 2018.
Steve Bannon’s target list – CNNPolitics
Hmmm
But just saying NASA is going to do something isn’t enough for the space agency to actually accomplish a task. Ambitious programs require extra money and sustained commitment from Congress in order to become a reality.
…Either Congress can raise NASA’s budget by billions of dollars each year, or the space agency can rework its existing programs to free up funds for technology development. But such changes aren’t easy to implement, and it’s unclear which route the new administration will take in order to follow through on Pence’s bold proclamation.
If Mike Pence wants to send NASA back to the Moon, he has to find funds – The Verge
hmmm
The four articles of impeachment unveiled by Green say Trump has “has undermined the integrity of his office with impunity” and “brought disrepute on the presidency,” but do not argue that the president has committed a crime.
Instead, the articles state that Trump is “fueling an alt-right hate machine” that is “causing immediate injury to American society;” brought “shame and dishonor to the office of the presidency by associating the majesty and dignity of the presidency with causes rooted in white supremacy;” engaged in deceit by making the false claim that three to five million people voted illegally in the 2016 presidential election; and encouraged police brutality during a July speech to law enforcement.
Democratic leadership was not informed in advance that Green was going to unveil the articles of impeachment on Wednesday, an aide said.
House Dem pulls back from forcing impeachment vote | TheHill
hmmmm
This is the first time scientists have observed a hole of this magnitude since the 1970s.
Hole the Size of Maine Opens in Antarctica Ice
whoa!
Haumea was [recognized] by the International Astronomical Union in 2008 and is one of five dwarf planets, alongside Pluto, Ceres, Eris and Makemake. They are located beyond Neptune – 50 times farther away from the sun than Earth.
Haumea, named after the Hawaiian goddess of childbirth, is unusual because of its elongated shape, comparable to a rugby ball, and its rapid rotation, spinning around once every 3.9 hours. Its diameter is approximately a third of the size of Earth’s moon.
“Dwarf planets are unique by themselves but Haumea is even more special among them,” said Ortiz “It also has two moons, a large and a small one, and the larger one turns out to be in the same plane as the ring we found.”
Scientists discover ring around dwarf planet Haumea beyond Neptune | Science | The Guardian
hmmmm
The scouting board of directors voted unanimously to make the historic change in an organization that has been primarily for boys since its founding.
Boy Scouts Will Admit Girls, Allow Them to Earn Eagle Scout Rank – NBC News
I’m not convinced that my generation has made much progress in what we tongue-in-cheekily categorize as, “Chick Stuff,” around here. Which is a shame.
In the larger sense, society can only benefit from fully allowing and encouraging participation from more than just a segment of its population.
In the more personal sense, I know some brilliant women whose personality and achievements are more fully appreciated when taken as a totality, as opposed to viewed from the limited frame of what women are and how they are “supposed” to be.
This was a nice headline to see though. It’s very heartening to think of all of the young people who will benefit from being judged on what they do, as opposed to what girls have traditionally done.
Former Trump foreign policy adviser Carter Page told CNN Monday he is going to plead the Fifth Amendment to keep from turning over a “vast array” of documents the Senate Intelligence committee requested, which he said is “beyond the charter” of the inquiry.
Carter Page: I’ll plead Fifth to Senate Russia probe – CNNPolitics
hmmm
It was a case of spies watching spies watching spies: Israeli intelligence officers looked on in real time as Russian government hackers searched computers around the world for the code names of American intelligence program.
———————–
hmmmmm
Trump has raised the prospect of challenging media licences for NBC News and other news networks after [unfavorable] reports.
…Last week, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders assured reporters that Donald Trump was an “incredible advocate” of constitutional free-press protections. This week, the president is contemplating – just wondering! – whether a broadcaster could be forced off the airwaves because he doesn’t approve of its news coverage.
…Taking pot-shots at journalists is one thing, of course. Contemplating the use of government coercion to stifle a broadcaster because of its news content is another.
Trump threatens broadcaster NBC after nuclear report – BBC News
Unamerican asswipe.
Experts predict that it will take months to repair the electrical grid enough that most residents of the island have power. For months, then, the numbers above will be below 100 percent, a constant reminder of how much work the administration still has to do before Puerto Rican society has been restored to where it was before Hurricane Maria hit.
FEMA would rather not broadcast that slow progress. So we will.
FEMA buried updates on Puerto Rico. Here they are. – The Washington Post
sigh….
For at least two decades, pharmaceutical drugs have been taken by carload to the Capitol — an arrangement so under the radar that few are aware of it.
Pharmacy hand-delivers drugs to Congress, a perk for the powerful
hmmmm
Are you a man confused on how to treat the women you work with? Do you feel like if you can’t say or do *anything* you don’t know what to say or do at all? Well stress no more! This life hack will have you treating women like people in no time.
The Rock Test: A Hack for Men Who Don’t Want To Be Accused of Sexual Harassment
this. Is. Awesome.
There’s far more murkiness than clarity after Catalonia’s leader said it would delay announcing its independence to have more talks with Spain.
Spain asks Catalonia: Did you declare independence or not? – The Washington Post
hmmm
A Salt Lake City police detective was fired and his supervisor demoted Tuesday for their roles in the arrest of a nurse who was manhandled and shoved screaming into a squad car as she tried to protect the legal rights of an unconscious patient.
Detective Jeff Payne was fired and James Tracy, his watch commander, was demoted two ranks from lieutenant to officer after an internal review by the Salt Lake City Police Department found their actions toward the nurse violated department policy and undermined public trust.
…Wubbels and her attorney Karra Porter say they went public with the footage of the arrest because they believed police were not taking the matter seriously enough. Porter told the Tribune on Tuesday that she was pleased that Payne had been fired, and said she had not formed an opinion about Tracy’s discipline.
“Chief Brown took significant steps, and seems to understand the importance of regaining public trust,” Porter wrote in a tweet. “But further discussions are needed.”
…Wubbels told reporters she was grateful her arrest was recorded.
“I think I owe it to the body camera footage,” she said. “Without that, my story never would have had the impact it has had.”
Although it seems obvious that the police Chief responded to the bad PR, rather than the bad behavior of his subordinates, any time a police officer faces negative consequences for abusing the public trust and the power of his or her badge it is a small step forward.
Get ready to cringe.
President Trump Makes Fun Of Puerto Rican Accents To Honor Hispanic Heritage Month
what a nogoodnik, this one….
The White House has let a 10-day shipping waiver expire for Puerto Rico, meaning foreign ships can no longer bring aid to the hurricane-ravaged island from U.S. ports.
White House lets Jones Act waiver expire for Puerto Rico | TheHill
Fucking monsters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
Is Kaspersky working for Russia? Maybe. Is the NSA bad at basic security? Definitely
Forget Kaspersky Labs, it’s the NSA that sucks at security | WIRED UK
hmmmm
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