PBC News & Comment: First, They Came For Alex Jones

Twitter bans Alex Jones and Infowars, but not the best known peddler of lies, hate and division, @realDonaldJTrump….--German pastor Martin Niemoller is credited with this from the 1950’s:
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
     Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
     Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
     Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
--Barack Obama breaks his silence in Illinois speech, slams Trump for “politics of fear and resentment”
--Trump wants Justice Dept to track down “anonymous” op-ed writer, and threatens NY Times for publishing the commentary
--Trump and Giuliani use public comments to negotiate with Mueller over his questions
--in between Trumpmob rallies in Montana and North Dakota, 45 threatens China with more tariffs
--Supreme Court Confirmation Theater winds down, as Dems damage but don’t kill Kavanaugh nomination knowing that some of their own will vote for him
--secret negotiations between D’s and R’s break down, ending effort for “no hacking” truce
--allies of Ted Cruz use dirty tricks on challenger Beto O’Rourke in Texas
--at ConsortiumNews, Gareth Porter reveals how the establishments of both parties are trying to triangulate populism
--Turkey, Russia and Iran huddle in Tehran to talk about the war in Syria
--Trump plans to chair UN Security Council session during annual meeting
--US Customs launches new facial recognition system at Dulles, for now, Americans can opt out
--latest coverage of the Skripal case indicates that the former double agent wasn’t actually retired
--British detectives now think that Russian exile Nikolai Glushkov was poisoned prior to his murder last March
--France accuses Russia of satellite on satellite surveillance up there in space
--in Brazil, right winger who leads in presidential race is stabbed in public