jwisner

Russia-friendly Rep. Rohrabacher doubts hacking indictment, plans to consult outside ‘experts’

On July 3, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) talked with a local news station in his district about a topic on which he has often strayed from the pack: the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee. Rohrabacher, who has urged friendlier relations with Russia, said that there were plenty of …

Senate votes 98-0 to reject Putin proposal to interview Americans

Earlier Thursday, Senate Republicans joined Democrats in passing a symbolic non-binding resolution rebuking President Putin's proposal to interview …

The man Putin wants Trump to hand over

Bill Browder on Vladimir Putin's effort to get to him - and Donald Trump's inexplicable openness to giving Putin what he wants.

Rand Paul Says ‘We all’ Meddle in Elections, Old Time Magazine Cover Makes His Case

Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul contended earlier this week that many nations, including the United States, seek to meddle in other countries' elections, …

The Russians Who Hacked The DNC Have Targeted At Least Three 2018 Campaigns, Microsoft Says

The same Russian intelligence agency charged with hacking Democrats’ emails in 2016 has targeted at least three candidates running for election in …

California sues over Trump halt to truck pollution rule

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California and 14 other states sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Thursday over its decision to suspend an Obama-era rule aimed at limiting pollution from trucks.<p>The July 6 decision by the Trump EPA was illegal and could put thousands of additional highly polluting …

President Trump's Most Recent Thoughts on Climate Change Are Just Bizarre

What even is "nuclear warming"?<p>President Trump's meeting with Putin has taken over the news cycle this week, and when the future of US intelligence …

Jeff Flake Hints at the T-Word

The retiring Arizona senator criticizes President Trump like no other Republican. On Thursday, he accused the commander in chief of “giving aid and comfort to an enemy of democracy.”<p>Eighteen months into Donald Trump’s tumultuous tenure in the White House, and days into a ferocious public backlash …

Intel chief Dan Coats sees ‘risk’ Russia will carry out assassinations in US

Russia may attempt to use chemical weapons to assassinate individuals in the U.S., the top American intelligence official said Thursday.<p>“It's a …

Trump Tries a Familiar Tactic: Providing a New Story Line

WASHINGTON — President Trump spent much of Thursday playing up his economic accomplishments and attacking his regular list of rivals, including Hillary Clinton and the news media, which he again called the enemy of the people.<p>As he tried to leave in his wake Monday’s news conference with President …

Bad Propaganda: Trump Tweets FOX News Clip That Actually Shows He Lied About Russian Election Hacks

In one of the worst weeks for Donald Trump since his election (aren't they all?) Fox News is once again fulfilling their mission to shield him from …

The History Behind the Birthright Citizenship Battle

The 14th Amendment, which declared that African-Americans were citizens, turned 150 earlier this month. But even as it was being commemorated as one of the signal achievements of post-Civil War Reconstruction, its bedrock provisions were colliding with the furious 21st-century debate over …

The 13 scariest reactions to Trump's disastrous Russia summit, ranked

<b>(CNN) —</b> In the 96 hours since President Donald Trump sought to blame both sides for Russia's interference in the 2016 election -- and cast doubt on whether Russia was actually responsible for the meddling at all -- reactions from top congressional leaders and top intelligence officials (former and …

Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly touts praise from President Trump in new campaign ad

WASHINGTON – Sen. Joe Donnelly touts praise from President Donald Trump in a new ad that his campaign says is the first from a Democrat this cycle to showcase approval from the president.<p>“Sen. Donnelly, thank you very much,” Trump says in the ad the Indiana Democrat’s campaign began airing Thursday.<p>…

Rand Paul slams Senate bill as ‘Trump derangement syndrome,’ and blocks it

Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) voted Thursday to block a bill to condemn Russia for their meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, and said that it was motivated by “Trump motivation syndrome.”<p>The bill was sponsored by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who asked for a unanimous consent decree from the Senate, …

Americans can legally download 3-D printed guns starting next month

<b>(CNN) —</b> Gun-rights activists have reached a settlement with the government that will allow them to post 3-D printable gun plans online starting August 1.<p>The settlement ends a multi-year legal battle that started when Cody Wilson, who describes himself as a post-left anarchist, posted plans for a …

Scott Pruitt aides protected him from formaldehyde while suppressing report on its dangers

Staff at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) organized for a new office desk to air out in a remote warehouse for a week so that former agency head Scott Pruitt wouldn’t have to breathe in any traces of the carcinogenic chemical formaldehyde from his furniture, emails obtained by Politico …

The Worst Security Risk in U.S. History

No one knows what President Trump told Vladimir Putin in Helsinki—or why even his own national-security adviser was excluded from the room.<p>As a candidate, Donald Trump promised to run the U.S. government in the same way he ran his businesses. At his Helsinki meeting with Russian president Vladimir …

DHS Secretary Defends Violent White Supremacists in Charlottesville: 'It’s Not That One Side Is Right’

In a stunning interview U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen falsely suggests there are two sides to violent white supremacy, and is …

Adrian Cronauer: veteran whose radio antics inspired Good Morning, Vietnam dies aged 79

Adrian Cronauer, the man whose military radio antics inspired a character played by Robin Williams in the film Good Morning, Vietnam, has died. He was 79.<p>Mary Muse, the wife of his stepson Michael Muse, said Thursday that Cronauer had died Wednesday from an age-related illness. He had lived in …

Russia no longer targeting US elections: Trump

Washington, July 19 (IANS) President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he did not believe that Russia was still targeting US elections, …

'He's an Amateur at This': Ex-CIA Operative Calls Trump 'Illiterate' on Intelligence Issues

President Donald Trump, the person in charge of American national security, has no idea how to read a basic intelligence report, according to former …

Kentucky restores Medicaid to thousands after sudden reversal

Nearly 400,000 Kentuckians had their Medicaid dental and vision benefits restored on Thursday night following their coverage being cut in early July …

Michael Scheuer: In Shocking Blog, Ex-CIA Official Calls For Donald Trump Supporters To Murder Trump’s Critics

Former CIA analyst who headed agency's hunt for Osama bin Laden in late 1990s was reportedly portrayed under fictitious name in TV series 'The …

Report: Russia interfering with US legal system

<b>Washington (CNN) —</b> The Russian government is interfering with the US legal system, according to a report released Thursday by the Atlantic Council, a prominent nonpartisan think tank.<p>According to the report, Russia has manipulated US laws and legal regulations for their own gain and increased their …

Why on earth would Trump invite Putin back for more? Here are some theories

<b>(CNN) —</b> There will be verdicts, votes -- and now Vlad? And it'll all end with a victory parade of sorts. This fall is going to be *lit* in Washington.<p>If you thought that the confluence of the US indicting Russian agents just before Trump's alone time with Russian President Vladimir Putin and …

Trump slams Federal Reserve for rate hikes, breaking with tradition

President Donald Trump attacked the Federal Reserve on Thursday, saying he disagreed with the course taken by the central bank and its chairman, Jerome Powell, whom Trump nominated to the position last year.<p>“I don’t necessarily agree with it,” Trump told CNBC about the Fed’s two rate hikes so far …

Rep. Devin Nunes reportedly used political donations for personal trip

‘Enemy of the People’: Trump Breaks Out This Phrase During Moments of Peak Criticism

Feb. 17, 2017<p><b>After initial reports of contact between campaign aides and Russian intelligence.</b><p>A month after taking office, defending himself from news reports that his aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence during the campaign, President Trump called out the media on Twitter using a …

#FreeMariaButina: Russia’s Foreign Ministry just launched a Twitter campaign for the accused spy

It’s even urging Twitter users to change their profile pictures to a portrait of Butina.<p>The Russian Foreign Ministry just launched a Twitter campaign to free Maria Butina, a woman with ties to the National Rifle Association and prominent Republicans who has been accused of being a Russian …