This was today.
Tonight, we mourned.
Tomorrow, we march.
Friday, January 20, 2017
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Janury 19, 2017
Trump Stuff
• The Trump team is preparing "dramatic cuts" to the national budget, which will supposedly add up to $10.5 trillion over 10 years. It would be impossible to list everything they want to cut or reduce, but here are some.
• Treasury Secretary nominee Steve Mnuchin also had his hearing today. It was decidedly less funny, and it turns out that Mnuchin "forgot" to declare about $100 million in assets on his ethics form. Oops! He also made a boatload of money off foreclosing on people's homes after the housing bubble burst, and Senate Dems weren't about to let him forget it. Yahoo
• The pre-inauguration stuff has started. Tonight was the concert in front of the Lincoln Memorial, featuring Three Doors Down, some Mormon guys and their piano gimmick, and a few other musicians who haven't been relevant in 20+ years. Trump made a speech. I didn't watch any of it, and I hope none of you did, either.
• According to unconfirmed reports, Trump has given up his smartphone. Since having one would be a breach of national security basically every second of every day, I hope that's true. Here's a pretty good rundown of why he shouldn't have a smartphone, and what steps he'll hopefully take to make sure his communications are secure. (Recode)
Obama Administration
On his last full day in office, President Obama issued 330 more commutations for (mostly) non-violent drug offenders. Leonard Peltier was not among them, nor was Bowe Bergdahl. (NBC)
Light Side
OK, so it isn't exactly "light" like auctioning off wax Presidents, but tonight and tomorrow are pretty somber. In commemoration of tomorrow's events, the good people at Popdose have curated a list of what they believe to be the 100 Greatest Protest Songs. As with every finite list, there are some legitimate criticisms (and a few glaring omissions - "If I Had a Hammer" anyone?), but it's still a damn good list. I must admit to being biased - one of my very favorite pop culture writers (and all-around good human, from all I've seen) Jack Feerick had a hand in this. Give him a Twitter follow if you're so inclined (@ jackfeerick). And tomorrow at noon, maybe turn off your TV and give some of these songs a listen. I'll be singing along.
Tomorrow is the day. Take care of yourselves.
• The Trump team is preparing "dramatic cuts" to the national budget, which will supposedly add up to $10.5 trillion over 10 years. It would be impossible to list everything they want to cut or reduce, but here are some.
- Privatizing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and completely eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities
- Eliminating the Violence Against Women grants
- Getting rid of a bunch of offices in the Department of Energy
- I'm getting ill just listing these, so just read the piece from The Hill
• Treasury Secretary nominee Steve Mnuchin also had his hearing today. It was decidedly less funny, and it turns out that Mnuchin "forgot" to declare about $100 million in assets on his ethics form. Oops! He also made a boatload of money off foreclosing on people's homes after the housing bubble burst, and Senate Dems weren't about to let him forget it. Yahoo
• The pre-inauguration stuff has started. Tonight was the concert in front of the Lincoln Memorial, featuring Three Doors Down, some Mormon guys and their piano gimmick, and a few other musicians who haven't been relevant in 20+ years. Trump made a speech. I didn't watch any of it, and I hope none of you did, either.
• According to unconfirmed reports, Trump has given up his smartphone. Since having one would be a breach of national security basically every second of every day, I hope that's true. Here's a pretty good rundown of why he shouldn't have a smartphone, and what steps he'll hopefully take to make sure his communications are secure. (Recode)
Obama Administration
On his last full day in office, President Obama issued 330 more commutations for (mostly) non-violent drug offenders. Leonard Peltier was not among them, nor was Bowe Bergdahl. (NBC)
Light Side
OK, so it isn't exactly "light" like auctioning off wax Presidents, but tonight and tomorrow are pretty somber. In commemoration of tomorrow's events, the good people at Popdose have curated a list of what they believe to be the 100 Greatest Protest Songs. As with every finite list, there are some legitimate criticisms (and a few glaring omissions - "If I Had a Hammer" anyone?), but it's still a damn good list. I must admit to being biased - one of my very favorite pop culture writers (and all-around good human, from all I've seen) Jack Feerick had a hand in this. Give him a Twitter follow if you're so inclined (@ jackfeerick). And tomorrow at noon, maybe turn off your TV and give some of these songs a listen. I'll be singing along.
Tomorrow is the day. Take care of yourselves.
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
January 18, 2017
Trump Stuff
• Approval ratings comparing Trump with recent incoming presidents have been released. They, uh...are not good. (Politico)
(These were actually released 1-2 days ago, but made news because the PEOTUS tweeted about how they were "rigged". I'm not linking to his Twitter, for my own sanity and yours.)
• Chinese President Xi Jinping had some things to say about protectionism and trade wars at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland (a.k.a. the world's biggest rich people party). “Pursuing protectionism is just like locking one’s self in a dark room. Wind and rain may be kept outside, but so are light and air,” he said during his address. “No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war.” (Vox)
• Trump's supposed ACA replacement plan gets weirder by the day. At the beginning of the week, he was talking up his plan to "insure everybody" (still no specifics, obv.). Congressional Republicans walked that back pretty hard today, because of course universal coverage isn't part of their replacement plan. Which they don't have yet. Trump also said repeal and replace would happen simultaneously. Also not part of the GOP's plan. Then today, he was talking about Medicaid block grants, which would effectively lead to the exact opposite of universal coverage. Basically, nobody is on the same page here, but it's pretty fun to watch Ryan, et al. try to publicly make sense of whatever crazy shit he comes up with. (The Hill)
• Sen. Tom Price (HHS nominee) had his Senate hearing today. It went approximately how you'd expect, especially the Bernie Sanders part. The Office of Governmental Ethics did masterfully subtweet him in the middle of the questioning about his potentially shady stock transactions, though.
• Scott Pruitt's EPA hearings. Whoo, boy. There was a lot to unpack here.
Obama Administration
The final press conference of the Obama Administration was today. You can watch it here. (NPR)
Light Side
I need some balance in my life, so I've decided to include something more light-hearted every day. Today's item comes from Gettysburg, PA, where the Hall of Presidents wax museum closed in November after nearly 60 years. Yesterday, all the wax figures of former Presidents and First Ladies were auctioned off, so if you were looking for a life-sized William Henry Harrison, or a three-quarter sized Mamie Eisenhower for your foyer, I'm afraid you're out of luck. Please enjoy these creepy af photos from Lancaster Online.
(Apparently this was featured on the Rachel Maddow Show last night, and she, for some reason, purchased Dwight D. Eisenhower. h/t to her show for solving the mystery of why I came across a photo of decapitated Truman around midday yesterday.)
• Approval ratings comparing Trump with recent incoming presidents have been released. They, uh...are not good. (Politico)
(These were actually released 1-2 days ago, but made news because the PEOTUS tweeted about how they were "rigged". I'm not linking to his Twitter, for my own sanity and yours.)
• Chinese President Xi Jinping had some things to say about protectionism and trade wars at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland (a.k.a. the world's biggest rich people party). “Pursuing protectionism is just like locking one’s self in a dark room. Wind and rain may be kept outside, but so are light and air,” he said during his address. “No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war.” (Vox)
• Trump's supposed ACA replacement plan gets weirder by the day. At the beginning of the week, he was talking up his plan to "insure everybody" (still no specifics, obv.). Congressional Republicans walked that back pretty hard today, because of course universal coverage isn't part of their replacement plan. Which they don't have yet. Trump also said repeal and replace would happen simultaneously. Also not part of the GOP's plan. Then today, he was talking about Medicaid block grants, which would effectively lead to the exact opposite of universal coverage. Basically, nobody is on the same page here, but it's pretty fun to watch Ryan, et al. try to publicly make sense of whatever crazy shit he comes up with. (The Hill)
• Sen. Tom Price (HHS nominee) had his Senate hearing today. It went approximately how you'd expect, especially the Bernie Sanders part. The Office of Governmental Ethics did masterfully subtweet him in the middle of the questioning about his potentially shady stock transactions, though.
• Scott Pruitt's EPA hearings. Whoo, boy. There was a lot to unpack here.
- First and foremost, he did NOT deny the effects of human activity on climate change. But he did take issue with the idea that warming is happening at a catastrophic pace, and needs to be addressed immediately. I guess he missed the memo that 2016 was the hottest year on record (followed by 2015, then 2014).
- Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) asked Pruitt if there was any level of lead that would be considered safe in drinking water. Pruitt said he "hadn't reviewed the scientific research on that." (CSPAN)
- He did at least admit that he would be "very concerned" about any level of lead in water, and criticized the EPA for not reacting to the Flint crisis more quickly. He made no mention of the criminal conduct by city and state officials that led to the crisis in the first place.
Obama Administration
The final press conference of the Obama Administration was today. You can watch it here. (NPR)
Light Side
I need some balance in my life, so I've decided to include something more light-hearted every day. Today's item comes from Gettysburg, PA, where the Hall of Presidents wax museum closed in November after nearly 60 years. Yesterday, all the wax figures of former Presidents and First Ladies were auctioned off, so if you were looking for a life-sized William Henry Harrison, or a three-quarter sized Mamie Eisenhower for your foyer, I'm afraid you're out of luck. Please enjoy these creepy af photos from Lancaster Online.
(Apparently this was featured on the Rachel Maddow Show last night, and she, for some reason, purchased Dwight D. Eisenhower. h/t to her show for solving the mystery of why I came across a photo of decapitated Truman around midday yesterday.)
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
January 17, 2017
Trump Transition
• Confirmation hearing for Trump Secretary of Education appointee Betsy DeVos began this afternoon. DeVos testified and answered questions for approximately 3-1/2 hours. You can watch the full video here (CSPAN). Some key moments:
• More than 50 Congressional Democrats have announced plans to skip the Trump inauguration on Friday. Story and full list of names (ABC News)
• The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its findings regarding the appeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including an estimate that 18 million people would lose health coverage within the first year of a repeal. Congressional Republicans criticized the numbers, as they do not account for the effects of an as-yet unreleased ACA replacement plan. Vox
• Chairman of the Office of Governmental Ethics, Walter Shaub, has requested a public meeting with House Oversight Committee Chair, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), to discuss President-elect Trump's business conflicts of interest, as well as those of his appointees. Rep. Chaffetz originally requested a private interview to discuss these matters.
• Former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos, who previously accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in 2007, has filed a defamation lawsuit against the President-elect. She is represented by Gloria Allred. BBC
Obama Administration
President Obama issued 209 commutations and 64 pardons today, the majority for cases involving non-violent drug offenses. Also included in this batch of pardons and commutations were:
Upcoming
• Confirmation hearing for Trump Secretary of Education appointee Betsy DeVos began this afternoon. DeVos testified and answered questions for approximately 3-1/2 hours. You can watch the full video here (CSPAN). Some key moments:
- Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) questioned Ms. DeVos about whether educational standards should measure proficiency or growth. She seemed to not understand this basic educational policy question.
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) inquired as to Ms. DeVos's qualifications relating to higher education and the problem of student loan debt.
- Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) peppered Ms. DeVos with questions regarding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as well as accountability standards for charter and private schools that receive federal dollars. She refused to say whether she would enforce IDEA (said it would be best left to the states, although it is federal law), and also refused to say that she would hold charter and private schools that receive federal money to the same accountability standards as public schools.
- When asked whether she would support the President-elect's proposed ban on gun-free school zones, Ms. DeVos replied that the decision on whether or not to allow weapons in schools would be better left to states and localities, citing the issue of grizzly bears in Wyoming (not kidding).
- When questioned on her qualifications, Ms. DeVos admitted that she had never attended a K-12 public school, had never sent any of her children to a K-12 public school, had never taught in a K-12 public school, and had no personal experience with federal student loans.
- When asked whether she would continue to enforce current law regarding campus sexual assault, DeVos declined to commit to doing so.
• More than 50 Congressional Democrats have announced plans to skip the Trump inauguration on Friday. Story and full list of names (ABC News)
• The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its findings regarding the appeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including an estimate that 18 million people would lose health coverage within the first year of a repeal. Congressional Republicans criticized the numbers, as they do not account for the effects of an as-yet unreleased ACA replacement plan. Vox
• Chairman of the Office of Governmental Ethics, Walter Shaub, has requested a public meeting with House Oversight Committee Chair, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), to discuss President-elect Trump's business conflicts of interest, as well as those of his appointees. Rep. Chaffetz originally requested a private interview to discuss these matters.
• Former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos, who previously accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in 2007, has filed a defamation lawsuit against the President-elect. She is represented by Gloria Allred. BBC
Obama Administration
President Obama issued 209 commutations and 64 pardons today, the majority for cases involving non-violent drug offenses. Also included in this batch of pardons and commutations were:
Upcoming
- Rep. Tom Price (HHS Secretary appointee) will testify Wednesday before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Unless the recent ethical concerns regarding his investment in a medical device company delays his hearing. Politico
- Scott Pruitt (EPA appointee) will also testify tomorrow. His environmental record as Oklahoma Attorney General will likely be scrutinized, particularly the uptick in seismic activity, which is attributed in part to fracking. CNN
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