Petrus

Retired Senior Federal Law Enforcement and Intelligence Official. Three decades with the US Departments of Justice and Homeland Security.

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trump news update
The bizarre-even-by-Trump-standards last 72 hours, explained
Vox - Aaron Rupar
President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened to release ISIS fighters in Europe as a form of punishment for countries like Germany and France; said he’s strongly considering trying to change the Constitution
Liberal View
GOP facing nightmare scenario as rural America gets hit with a depopulation crisis
rawstory.com - Travis Gettys
The Republican Party is entrenched in rural America with the overwhelming majority of small towns being represented by the GOP. But the population in …
Rhetoric
National Association of Hispanic Journalists Cuts Ties With Fox News Over Immigrant ‘Invasion’ Rhetoric
The Daily Beast - Maxwell Tani
A major organization for Hispanic journalists on Thursday gave Fox News the boot from its upcoming conference in response to the network’s use …
Senate Judiciary Committee
Mitch McConnell is calling on Democrats to keep the filibuster. He ignores just how much he’s done to blow up Senate rules.
Vox - Li Zhou
Mitch McConnell had a warning for Democrats in a New York Times op-ed on Thursday: Eliminate the filibuster at your peril. “Yes, the Senate’s design makes it difficult for one party to enact sweeping on
Tom Cotton
After running as deficit hawk, Tom Cotton admits he was behind the push to buy Greenland
ThinkProgress - Josh Israel
Once upon a time, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) talked a lot about balancing the budget, reducing the national debt, and eliminating wasteful spending. Now, …
Montana Politics
Why Steve Bullock is refusing to help Democrats win a Senate majority
Vox - Ella Nilsen
Democrats in Washington, DC, and Montana think the state’s popular governor, Steve Bullock, is their best chance to expand their Senate map in a big way, putting another seat in a reliably red state in
Maine Senate
These Are the 2020 Senate Elections to Watch
Fortune - Natasha Bach
The race for the White House isn't the only one to watch in 2020. While attention has largely been focused on the nearly two dozen Democratic …
Mitch McConnell
McConnell: Strong legislative filibuster is needed to block 'whims of those on the far left'
CNN - By Ted Barrett, CNN
(CNN) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell bluntly warned Democrats on Thursday against weakening the legislative filibuster, an idea that has gained momentum with some presidential candidates and
Caged raccoons drooled in 100-degree heat. But federal enforcement has faded.
The Washington Post - Karin Brulliard and William Wan
For two days running in the summer of 2017, the temperature inside a metal barn in Iowa hovered above 96 degrees. Nearly 300 raccoons, bred and sold as pets and for research, simmered in stacked cages.
North Dakota
On the front lines: Trade war sinks North Dakota soybean farmers
Reuters - Karl Plume
COLFAX, North Dakota (Reuters) - North Dakota bet bigger on Chinese soybean demand than any other U.S. state. Grain storage bins in the foreground are surrounded by corn fields on Paul and Vanessa's farm
Abortion
A new poll shows what really interests 'pro-lifers': controlling women
The Guardian - Jill Filipovic
According to their own survey responses, anti-abortion voters are hostile to gender equality in practically every aspect According to self-identified “pro-life” advocates, the fundamental divide between
Retail
Overstock CEO Resigns After ‘Deep State’ Comments
Fortune - Chris Morris
Patrick Byrne, CEO of Overstock, has resigned from the company following his controversial comments on the “deep state” that caused the stock to …
Sarah Sanders
Sarah Sanders becomes the latest ex-Trump official to join Fox News
CNN - By Oliver Darcy, CNN Business
New York (CNN Business) — Former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders has joined Fox News as a contributor, the network announced on Thursday. It is the latest sign of the revolving door relationship
Loans
The inverted yield curve is doing something weird to mortgage rates
CNBC - Diana Olick
The inverted yield curve isn't just spooking people over a possible recession – it's doing weird things to mortgage rates, too. Traditionally, …
Liberal View
Tea Party ex-lawmaker admits he was wrong about Obama — calls him a much better president than Trump
rawstory.com - Matthew Chapman
Sidestepping questions over whether he will primary Donald Trump, former Tea Party Republican lawmaker Joe Walsh launched a brutal attack on the …
Steve King
Steve King: Confederate Soldiers Died ‘Putting an End to’ Slavery
progressive.org - Jud Lounsbury
The scene at Steve King’s town hall today in Grundy Center, Iowa. Photo by Brenna Norman pic.twitter.com/PEtHkmmaFN Lone attendee, Jessica Birch (r), …
Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood sees swift fallout from quitting government program
pbs.org - Lindsay Whitehurst, Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Planned Parenthood clinics in several states are charging new fees, tapping into financial reserves, intensifying fundraising …
U.S. Politics
Investigation Reveals Roof Sex, Desk Drinking, At Trump's GSA
crooksandliars.com - Frances Langum
Shouldn't a family blog like Crooks and Liars be above covering salacious stories of Trump appointees drinking desk vodka and then heading up to the …
Milton Friedman
Milton Friedman Was Wrong
The Atlantic - Eric Posner
The famed economist’s “shareholder theory” provides corporations with too much room to violate consumers’ rights and trust. On Monday, the Business Roundtable, a group that represents CEOs of big corporations,
Stephen King
Stephen King has a very bleak prediction for how Trump's presidency will affect the U.S.
Mashable - Sam Haysom
It's been another odd couple of days for Donald Trump. There's been that strange situation with him wanting to buy Greenland; whispers of a possible recession that have led to more angry tweets about media;
U.S. Politics
AP-NORC poll: 62% disapprove of how Trump's handling his job
Associated Press - By STEVE PEOPLES and HANNAH FINGERHUT, Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — About 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump's overall job performance, according to a new poll released Thursday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs
Colorado Senate
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper launches campaign for Senate
CNN - By Jeff Zeleny, Dan Merica, Veronica Stracqualursi
Washington (CNN) — Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper announced his Senate candidacy on Thursday, giving Democrats a widely known contender to take on a vulnerable GOP incumbent a week after Hickenlooper
"America needs the Senate to be the Senate": Mitch McConnell defends the filibuster
Axios - Marisa Fernandez
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urged Democrats to stop considering abolishing the filibuster Thursday, arguing "America needs the Senate to …
Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders unleashes $16 trillion climate plan that builds on Green New Deal
USA TODAY - Juana Summers
WASHINGTON – Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has released a $16.3 trillion climate plan that builds on the Green New Deal and calls for the United States to move to renewable energy across
Business
Trump attacks Ford for not supporting his rollback of Obama-era climate change protections
NBC News - Paul A. Eisenstein
Ford defended its decision to join the California deal, saying, “This agreement with California provides regulatory stability" while reducing carbon dioxide emissions. President Donald Trump lambasted
Polling
JUST IN: New AP Poll Shows Trump Approval Rating Down to 36%
mediaite.com - colby-hall
According to newly released poll results by the Associated Press, nearly two out of three Americans surveyed do not approve of the job that President …
Greenland
Trump joked that US should trade Puerto Rico for Greenland: NYT
Business Insider - Grace Panetta
As part of his interest in purchasing the island of Greenland from Denmark, President Donald Trump once joked that the US could trade Puerto Rico for Greenland, a former official told The New York Times.
Joe Walsh
Joe Walsh to mount primary bid against 'absolutely unfit' Trump
POLITICO - By NATASHA KORECKI
CHICAGO — Joe Walsh, the flame-throwing conservative radio show host and former Illinois congressman, is moving toward challenging President Donald Trump in a Republican primary, calling the president
Democratic Party
Trump and his Minnesota mini-me set out to flip the state red
POLITICO - By ALEX ISENSTADT
The president homes in on a 2016 near-miss. But Republicans haven't won a statewide race there since 2006. For President Donald Trump, Minnesota is the one that got away in 2016. Now he’s fixated on flipping
Mitch McConnell
McConnell Recruiting Democrats to Destroy Next Presidency
New York Magazine - Jonathan Chait
The possibility that Democrats might win the presidency and the Senate in the next election, and then actually pass some laws, is concerning enough …