News & Comment

As benefits expire, Congress is gridlocked and TrumpCo fights with GOP Senate over bailouts and unemployed Americans grow increasingly desperate…--GOP leaders are oblivious to the suffering, and haggle over unemployment funding as hunger and homelessness loom
--Trump undercuts GOP by dropping McConnell’s immunity clause
--Trump’s gambit to distract with “rigged election” claims is roundly rejected as polls show erosion of support
--White House denounces Hong Kong’s plan to delay elections
--Washington State AG has contingency plan if Trump tries delay

Attempting to distract from worst GDP and jobless reports, Trump says election should be delayed over mail-in ballots; Quittin’ Time?....--Trump’s distraction tweet produces bipartisan chorus, “No Way!”
--Politico co-founder John Harris wants Trump to pull an LBJ, and pull out of re-election campaign
--Trump lurches from dire warnings of urban unrest to dire warnings of suburban destruction

Governor Brown will replace federal stormtroopers with state troopers, but Trump and DHS boss add conditions, send agents to other cities…--last night in Portland, protesters were less provocative, federal forces scaled back response
--ACLU sues over police livestreaming protests and using video surveillance, and over violations of ban on hassling journalists
--the Wall of Moms movement is expanding to other cities

Trump’s personal lawyer who also plays Attorney General, Bill Barr, handles barrage of questions with deflection, dissembling, occasionally disarming responses…--Judiciary chair Jerry Nadler tries to use shame on Barr, with little effect
--ugly details of GOP bailout bill anger Dems, especially restoring money that Trump stole for The Wall, and new FBI building
--GOP also offers bupkis for cost of mail-in elections
--Greg Palast warns of the prospect of millions of rejected mail-in ballots as we discuss his new book, How Trump Stole 2020

Photojournalist Payton Bruni brings us eyewitness account of weekend clashes in Portland, where federal agents have increased size, intensity of protests…--you can view Bruni’s most recent photos here
--in odd ruling, federal judge rules that Oregon’s attorney general “lacks standing” to seek injunction on secretive behavior of federal agents

Facing more protests, Seattle police chief warns cops can’t deal with new restrictions, as Trump Troops descend, judge violates media rights…--Seattle Times reports arrival of federal agents

Nine articles were drafted before Ukraine scandal emerged, and Democratic leaders bet the ranch on Trump’s “perfect” Zelenskey phone call…--Michael Cohen, who was convicted to following Trump’s orders, is snet home from prison, again
--Bush “surged” in Iraq, Obama “surged” in Afghanistan….both failures; Trump is “surging” in American cities: Chicago, Albuquerque, Kansas City
--Portland’s mayor, Ted Wheeler, was tear gassed by Trump’s storm troopers last night, alongside protesters he says “Hate my guts”

Trump asked his ambassador to Britain to lobby for British Open at his Scottish golf resort, major donor implicated in Kentucky pension scam…--NY Times breaks story of sordid influence peddling aimed at bringing tournament to unprofitable Trump property

After test-driving dictator tactics in Seattle and Portland, Trump is reportedly dispatching his unmarked storm troopers to Chicago….--his comments expose the naked political partisanship behind this federal power grab
--Trump’s extreme depictions of violence and anarchy are unhinged, but appeal to those suburban voters he’s trying to connect with
--NY Times columnist Jamelle Bouie offers cogent comments and call to action

Confronted by a Wall of Moms and a naked woman, federal storm troopers defy local, state officials in Portland protest suppression…--at MintPress, Alan Mcleod surveys the scene
--Esquire’s Charles P. Pierce has some choice words on the situation