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riversedge's JournalJustice Department shields Trumps anti-trust nominees emails from scrutiny
Source: raw story
05 Apr 2017 at 00:08 ET
Jeff Sessions speaks to CNN (screen grab)
DOJ Shields Trump’s Antitrust Nominee From Scrutiny
April 5, 2017
How the Trump administration will enforce antitrust law remains an open question, but don’t expect the Department of Justice to willingly provide many clues. Last week, the department said that it will not release any emails it may have from Makan Delrahim, the former corporate lobbyist Trump nominated in March to be the government’s top antitrust regulator.
The Justice Department’s declaration came in response to an open records request from International Business Times. That request asked for any email correspondence between the Justice Department’s antitrust division and Delrahim.
Delrahim, who served as deputy attorney general in the antitrust division under President George W. Bush, is currently deputy White House counsel and had been a registered lobbyist for clients with business before the antitrust division. One of his clients was health insurance giant Anthem, which is currently asking the antitrust division to settle a lawsuit blocking its $54 billion proposed merger with Cigna.
IBT’s request specifically asked the government to release any email correspondence between antitrust regulators and Delrahim’s lobbying firm email address. In response, the department said “we can neither confirm nor deny the existence” of such email correspondence. However, the Justice Department also asserted that if such emails did exist, they are exempt from open records laws...............................
Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/2017/04/justice-department-shields-trumps-anti-trust-nominees-emails-from-scrutiny/
As Maddow and her panel pointed out tonight--so much is going on behind the scenes at the WH that affect us all!1
Flynns lawyer predicted that Trump would make novel and unusual use of presidential pardons
Michael Flynn’s lawyer predicted in 2016 that Trump would ‘make novel and unusual use’ of presidential pardons
http://www.rawstory.com/2017/03/mike-flynns-lawyer-predicted-in-2016-trump-would-make-novel-and-unusual-use-of-presidential-pardons/
31 Mar 2017 at 09:47 ET
Lieutenant General Michael Flynn (ret.), National Security Advisor Designate speaks during a conference on the transition of the US Presidency from Barack Obama to Donald Trump at the US Institute Of Peace in Washington DC, January 10, 2017 (AFP Photo/CHRIS KLEPONIS)
If former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn isn’t granted immunity in exchange for testifying before the Senate Intelligence Community, could he simply obstruct justice and then hope for a presidential pardon from President Donald Trump?
Robert Kelner, an attorney at Covington & Burling LLP who is serving as Flynn’s counsel, predicted in 2016 that Trump as president would expand the use of presidential pardons in ways that the country had never seen before.
“A prediction: Donald Trump will make novel and unusual use of the President’s pardon power,” he wrote last November, in a tweet cited by Bruce Bartlett on Friday morning.
Kelner also went on to describe presidential pardons as “an under-utilized tool of political power.”..............................
Let me guess, it's Obama's faultright?
McSpocky™ 👽🖖? @mcspocky 43m43 minutes ago
Let me guess, it's Obama's fault…right?
#Resist #Resistance #Indivisible
#SCROTUS #PEEOTUS
#MAGA (by Jailing Trump)
https://twitter.com/mcspocky/status/849509801684078592
Syria Just Gassed Its Own People, Killing Dozens. Secretary Tillerson, Asked to Comment, Said Noth
Source: newcivilrights
April 04, 2017 2:12 PM
No Comment, No Condemnation
Overnight the Syrian government dropped chemical weapons on its own people, killing dozens, including at least ten children, according to the latest updates. As many as 100 might be dead. The New York Times calls it the "deadliest chemical weapons attack in years in Syria."
...............................
At a photo-op with Jordan's King Abdullah Tuesday afternoon, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was asked by multiple reporters to comment of the attack by the Syrian government on its own people. He looked in the cameras, shook hands with Abdullah, smiled briefly, then walked away.
No comment, no condemnation.
The attack has been called a war crime.
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Read more: http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/davidbadash/syria_just_gassed_its_own_people_killing_dozens_secretary_of_state_tillerson_asked_to_comment_said_nothing?utm_content=buffer62d49&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
TWEET
https://twitter.com/newcivilrights/status/849473426620379137
https://twitter.com/jbillinson/status/849237201007333377
NYT Editor Trump has made it transparently clear that human rights & democracy are not big concerns
NYT Opinion? Verified account @nytopinion
Trump has made it transparently clear that human rights and democracy are not big concerns http://nyti.ms/2owkiG2
The Opinion Pages | Editorial
Enabling Egypt’s President Sisi, an Enemy of Human Rights
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
APRIL 4, 2017
American presidents must sometimes deal with unsavory foreign leaders in pursuit of America’s national interest. But that doesn’t require inviting them to the White House and lavishing them with praise and promises of unconditional support.
Yet that’s what President Trump did on Monday in not just welcoming but celebrating one of the most authoritarian leaders in the Middle East, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, a man responsible for killing hundreds of Egyptians, jailing thousands of others and, in the process, running his country and its reputation into the ground.
The expressions of mutual admiration that permeated the Oval Office were borderline unctuous. Mr. Trump praised Mr. Sisi for doing a “fantastic job” and assured him he has a “great friend and ally in the United States and in me.” In return, Mr. Sisi, who had been barred from the White House during the Obama administration, and who craved the respect such a visit would afford, expressed his “deep appreciation and admiration” for Mr. Trump’s “unique personality.”........................
Eric Trump Declares Nepotism a Factor of Life For him, anyway.
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/04/eric-trump-nepotism-factor-of-life
Eric Trump Declares Nepotism a “Factor of Life”
For him, anyway.
by
Emily Jane Fox
April 4, 2017 3:41 pm
http://media.vanityfair.com/photos/58e3f5eacea42964d83a3460/master/w_790,c_limit/eric-trump-on-nepotism.jpg
Eric and Donald Trump campaigning in Ashburn, Virginia, August 2, 2016.
By Evan Vucci/A.P./Rex/Shutterstock.
Not every 36-year-old real-estate heir without government experience gets to fly to Iraq with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or take responsibility for bringing peace to the Middle East. Not every 35-year-old can hold a West Wing office, a security clearance, and assets in an eponymous fashion brand she started in her mid-20s (while also eschewing a government salary—something a $740 million net worth makes possible). Nor can any pair of 39- and 33-year-old brothers receive the keys to a business that will be boosted by its affiliation with a sitting president. But Jared Kushner, Ivanka, Don. Jr., and Eric Trump are not the usual set of thirtysomethings. And the youngest of the bunch is the first to admit that.
“Nepotism is kind of a factor of life,” Eric acknowledged in a new interview with Forbes, published Tuesday. While a “factor of life” is not technically a phrase—a “fact of life” may be what he was searching for—nepotism has, indeed, worked in his siblings’ favor. As mentioned above, Kushner, his brother-in-law, is a senior adviser in the White House tasked with liaising with foreign officials and a whole slate of domestic issues. His sister and Kushner’s wife, Ivanka, is an assistant to the president and is working closely with her husband on business initiatives and advising her father on women’s issues, among other undefined areas. Eric and his brother Don took over the Trump Organization’s vast real estate and branding holdings while their dad, Donald Trump, leads the White House.
Still, Eric is confident that while he and his siblings got to where they are because of their last name, they still earned their place. “We might be here because of nepotism, but we’re not still here because of nepotism. You know, if we didn’t do a good job, if we weren’t competent, believe me, we wouldn’t be in this spot.”...........................
16 companies have now pulled their advertizing from O'Lielly......List here...
A Once Great Nation? @USARedOrchestra 10m10 minutes ago
The list of companies pulling their ads from the O'Reilly Factor has now become too long for a tweet, and now requires a graphic.
https://twitter.com/USARedOrchestra/status/849395891471618054
Trump is blaming Obama for not going into Syria, but earlier demanded Obama to stay OUT of Syria..
I do not know about a 1000X, but I did see an earlier tweet with an attachment that had several tweets from Don demanding Pres. Obama not go into Syria.
Also, there are several Don tweets dissing Obama on Syria at the link.
Tweet:
Ben Dreyfuss?Verified account @bendreyfuss 2h2 hours ago
Trump is blaming Obama for not going into Syria—but he sent roughly 1000 tweets urging Obama not to go into Syria http://bit.ly/2o6JbqR
https://twitter.com/bendreyfuss/status/849358525973360641
Trump Hypocrisy: Blaming Syrian Chemical Attack on Obama
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/04/trump-syria-obama-tweets-hypocrisy-chemical-attack#testa
In 2013, Trump tweeted—repeatedly—that Obama should do nothing in Syria.
David Corn and AJ VicensApr. 4, 2017 4:28 PM
Ken Cedeno/Zuma
After a grisly chemical attack left dozens of people dead in Syria on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was quick to blame—of course—former President Barack Obama.
"Today's chemical attack in Syria against innocent people including women and children is reprehensible and cannot be ignored by the civilized world," Spicer told reporters. "These heinous actions by the Bashar al-Assad regime are a consequence of the past administration's weakness and irresolution." Spicer also said: "President Obama said in 2012 he would establish a red line against the use of chemical weapons and then did nothing. The United States stands with our allies across the globe to condemn this intolerable act." (Later in the day, the White House issued a statement echoing Spicer's remarks.)
It will come as no surprise at this point that the Trump White House's position was hypocritical. First, Obama's red line at the time was a threat of US military action against Syria should it continue to use chemical weapons. When Obama asked the GOP-led Congress to authorize the potential use of force against Syria, the Republicans, not wanting to take a firm stance, declined to hold a vote. Still, Obama's move prompted Assad to agree to a Russian-brokered deal to give up his chemical weapons. To a degree, Obama's threat worked.
Whether or not Obama's policy in 2013 was successful, this much is clear: at that point, Trump had an unambiguous position regarding Syria— do nothing......................
Here is a sample of Trump's tweets on the subject:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/373557904861069312
MORE>>>>>
Why Greta Van Susteren Cant Be Taken Seriously About Foxs Sexual Harassment Scandals Anymore
Greta really has no clue. Shame on her.
Why Greta Van Susteren Can’t Be Taken Seriously About Fox’s Sexual Harassment Scandals Anymore
http://lawnewz.com/high-profile/why-greta-van-susteren-cant-be-taken-seriously-about-foxs-sexual-harassment-scandals-anymore/
by Elura Nanos | 9:27 am, April 2nd, 2017
I think it’s safe to say that Greta Van Susteren should just not say anything about sexual harassment. The former Foxer changed her tune on Gretchen Carlson v. Roger Ailes a little too much to be seriously credible, and now she’s tweeting things that show her utter lack of a clue about sexual harassment as even a general topic. She’s getting called out on Twitter, and her learning curve seems to be at a flatline.
Let’s recap. When news broke about Carlson’s claims against Ailes, Greta was there to defend her then-boss.
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But then, she started criticizing the very idea of sexual harassment training:
https://twitter.com/greta/status/848172202352627712
Followed by this gem…
https://twitter.com/greta/status/848175699781455873
… which sounds a lot like this woman has never been in the same room with an actual sexual predator. While there certainly are some who openly harass in vulgar and crude ways, there are obviously many, many cases in which harassment is more subtle (although hardly less abusive), and conducted within the confines of what might be considered “good manners.” Sexual harassers of every variety are experts at finding imperceptible ways to exploit their victims. There is simply no excuse for Greta Van Susteren not to know this.
Twitter erupted with some education for Greta, reminding her that there are people in workplaces who actually do need to learn something about sexual harassment.
But she did not take the hint. She kept up the rant about the incredible burden of undergoing workplace training:
**********Several tweets included!!**********
“Ugh,” indeed, Greta. To make matters worse (and I’m sure it was no coincidence), Van Susteren’s tweets hit the web yesterday right around the same time a New York Times story broke about $13 million in payouts made by Fox and Bill O’Reilly to protect O’Reilly from sexual harassment complaints from five women. According to the Times, the settlements (two which had been previously known, and three that were just uncovered) occurred shortly after Roger Ailes was dismissed from Fox last summer in the wake of scandal, as Fox insisted that it did not tolerate behavior that “disrespects women or contributes to an uncomfortable work environment.” O’Reilly, ever the charmer, denies the merit of any such claims.
Until she gets a clue, Greta Van Susteren should really just not talk about sexual harassment. I get it. She wasn’t victimized. Good for her. Glad to hear it. But someone who worked in an alleged harassment factory for years without even noticing it probably isn’t the best authority on whether harassment training works. When it comes to sexual violence of any severity, there are two choices: one can be part of the solution or be part of the problem. Maybe Greta just needs a little more time away from the Fox studios to figure out which side she’d like to take.
Donald Trump Jr. Wants to Give a Top PizzaGate Conspiracy Theorist a Pulitzer
Source: MotherJones
Donald Trump Jr. Wants to Give a Top PizzaGate Conspiracy Theorist a Pulitzer
High praise for Mike Cernovich's Medium post.
Inae Oh Apr. 4, 2017 11:47 AM
Amid multiple investigations examining Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible communications between Russian officials and Trump associates, President Donald Trump continues to focus on a bizarre conspiracy theory alleging the Obama administration ordered inappropriate surveillance on him and his campaign officials. These escalating accusations, which began with the false claim Barack Obama "wiretapped" Trump Towers last month, have been seen as the administration's attempt to divert attention from the ongoing probes.
The most recent allegation appeared on Monday, when conservative writer and avid conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich published a Medium post alleging former National Security Adviser Susan Rice authorized the "unmasking" of Trump officials' identities—meaning she may have improperly allowed the names of US citizens to be revealed in intelligence reports. That story was further amplified by a Bloomberg View report with the same charges. The story has since been roundly described as a thin, nothing-burger—a misleading distraction at best.
That didn't stop Donald Trump Jr. on Tuesday, from taking to Twitter to praise Cernovich. He even claimed the story would have garnered him a Pulitzer, had it been published in a bygone era of journalism........................
Read more: http://www.motherjones.com/media/2017/04/donald-trump-jr-mike-cernovich
What an stupid tweet by jr!
Jr's Tweet:
https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/849240401974308864
Reuters/ZUMA
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