Wednesday Open Thread

Posted on March 7, 2018 by rikyrah

Happy HUMP DAY, Everyone!

ICYMI- AG Holder warns us, “DON’T NORMALIZE Trump.”

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder discusses the independent counsel investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 election, his work at a national redistricting effort, and whether he has his eyes on a White House run in 2020.

Listen here

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66 Responses to Wednesday Open Thread

  1. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    March 7, 2018 at 7:42 pm

    “Lakota Lullaby ” – Native American music

    https://youtu.be/6Pg-11hPWT0&rel=0

    Reply
  2. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 7, 2018 at 6:09 pm

    I told y’all he was a thug….

    Breaking: NYT: Trump ignoring legal advice and talking to Mueller witnesses. #MuellerInvestigation

    Reply
  6. Ametia says:
    March 7, 2018 at 1:48 pm

    https://www.pscp.tv/w/1dRJZeDwRroGB

    Reply
    • SouthernGirl2 says:
      March 7, 2018 at 3:51 pm

      And the world watches in silence. They’re going to keep on until the wrath of God comes down. It is not their land. They are not the chosen people. They were never in bondage. This is the biggest lie ever told as much as Jesus is blond and blue eyed.

      Reply
  11. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 12:54 pm

    Betsy DeVos visits Parkland school, angers shooting survivors
    New York Daily News
    Jessica Schladebeck

    Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made a contentious visit to the site of last month’s Florida school shooting Wednesday, in which she was criticized by survivors and abruptly walked out of her own press conference.

    DeVos spent the morning at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where former student Nikolas Cruz gunned down 17 students and teachers on Valentine’s Day. Her visit immediately sparked criticism and backlash from shooting survivors and advocates on social media.

    “Do something unexpected: answer our questions,” Aly Sheehy tweeted at DeVos. “You came to our school just for publicity and avoided our questions for the 90 minutes you were actually here. How about you do your job?”

    Reply
  12. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    March 7, 2018 at 12:54 pm

    Excerpt from http://www.newsweek.com/ben-carson-housing-department-removes-commitment-discrimination-free-834495

    “Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is reportedly changing his agency’s mission statement, removing anti-discrimination language and promises to Americans of ‘inclusive communities.’ ”

    “According to an internal March 5 memo to staff, Amy Thompson, the department’s assistant secretary for public affairs, said the change was “an effort to align HUD’s mission with the Secretary’s priorities and that of the Administration,” which was first reported by HuffPost.”

    The memo revealed that the new mission would read:

    HUD’s mission is to ensure Americans have access to fair, affordable housing and opportunities to achieve self-sufficiency, thereby strengthening our communities and nation.

    “Previously, the mission statement, which is still displayed on its website, read:”

    HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes; utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination, and transform the way HUD does business.

    Reply
  13. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 12:52 pm

    Could homeless parents have done more for kids?

    Paloma Esquivel

    JOSHUA TREE, Calif. — It started as a child’s fort — some plywood and a tin roof on a five-acre desert plot, put together by a homeless boy whose parents had long planned to build a home on the land.

    There was one room at first, a place where the boy and his younger sister could play store, said their mother, Mona Kirk. Then the boy wanted a room for himself, she said. His older brother wanted one, too.

    Stuffed with mattresses, toys and other furniture, the four-foot-tall fort grew to about 200 square feet. Over time, the family would sleep there occasionally, when they weren’t sleeping outside or in a home in town the father cared for.

    “His father checked it out to make sure it was safe for us to be in there,” Kirk said. “The children were always safe.”

    San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies who came across Kirk, 51, her husband, Daniel Panico, 73, and their three children last week saw it differently. Kirk and Panico were arrested and charged with child abuse; the children, ages 11, 13 and 14, were removed by Children and Family Services.

    On Tuesday, a San Bernardino County Superior Court judge ordered that the parents, who had been held on $300,000 bail, be released on their own recognizance.

    They walked out of the sheriff’s Morongo Basin Station in the late morning and were greeted by dozens of supporters who carried signs saying “Being Homeless is not a Crime.” Kirk and Panico said they were relieved to be free. But they each still face three felony counts of child abuse and their children remain in county custody.

    The case has raised questions about the responsibilities of homeless parents, as well as the duties of law enforcement officials who encounter families in precarious circumstances. It comes at a time when homeless advocates say it is increasingly difficult for struggling families to find homes in this popular tourist destination.

    Peggy Stewart, an adjunct professor of social work at the University of Southern California and an expert in child abuse, said it is important to know whether the parents could have done more to provide for their family.

    “The key is were these kids put at risk unnecessarily?” she said. “Because the living conditions obviously don’t rise to the standards of a quality of life that a child deserves. So what did the parents do to mitigate that situation? Did they seek out help?”

    “If they didn’t avail themselves of the resources out there and they had the capacity to do so, then they were negligent,” she said.

    Reply
  16. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    March 7, 2018 at 12:28 pm

    Excerpt from https://thegrapevine.theroot.com/barbie-debuts-new-shero-dolls-including-one-modeled-af-1823582212?utm_source=theroot_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

    There are some new Barbie dolls out on the block and they include some really special additions to the company’s “Shero” and “Inspiring Women” lines, which are based on inspirational contemporary women and inspirational historical figures, respectively.

    Among the inspirational figures touted in the newest release? Why, it’s NASA’s own Katherine Johnson, a trailblazer who broke down the barriers of race and gender whose story was featured in last year’s hit movie Hidden Figures…

    The Inspiring Women dolls apparently come with educational information about the contributions these powerful, fearless women made to society. Alongside Johnson, there will be a doll fashioned after Amelia Earhart, the first female aviator to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, and Frida Kahlo, the famed Mexican artist and activist.

    The Inspiring Women collection only has those three dolls so far, but Mattel has signaled that the line will continue to grow.

    https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s–MNTVbePt–/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/jcstw8qixqhhqcik4fc7.png

    Reply
  18. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    March 7, 2018 at 12:21 pm

    Good news:
    “After a Promise to Return African Artifacts, France Moves Toward a Plan”
    https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/06/arts/design/france-restitution-african-artifacts.html
    Excerpt:

    President Emmanuel Macron of France announced on Monday his appointment of two experts to make plans for the repatriation of African artifacts held in French museums, following his pledge in November that “African heritage cannot be a prisoner of European museums.”

    The Senegalese writer and economist Felwine Sarr and the French art historian Bénédicte Savoy will consult over the next few months and return their findings by November, Mr. Macron said…

    …Ms. Savoy added that Stéphane Martin, the director of the ethnographic Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac Museum in Paris, which holds some 70,000 artworks from sub-Saharan Africa, was an unexpected voice of support, saying, “nowadays we cannot have an entire continent deprived of its history and artistic genius.”

    Reply
  20. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 10:24 am

    Despite his record, Cruz targets his Dem rival over his nickname
    03/07/18 10:42 AM
    By Steve Benen
    Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) generally isn’t seen as one of the year’s vulnerable incumbents, but now that the general-election season has apparently begun in the Lone Star State – statewide primaries were yesterday – the Republican senator feels the need to go on the offensive against his Democratic rival.

    As CNN noted, however, Cruz has picked a curious point to emphasize in his first attack ad.

    Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s first shot at his expected Democratic challenger, Rep. Beto O’Rourke? Mocking his name.

    As Tuesday’s primaries were closing, Cruz’s campaign released a 60-second radio ad that was a country music jingle prodding O’Rourke for going by “Beto” rather than “Robert.”

    “Liberal Robert wanted to fit in, so he changed his name to Beto and hid it with a grin,” the song says.

    That’s not the funny part. Rather, what makes this interesting – aside from the fact that a Texas Republican feels the need to go on the offensive against a Democrat in the first place – is that Ted Cruz’s given first name isn’t Ted.

    In fact, the Texas senator’s formal name is Rafael Edward Cruz. He prefers to go by Ted, which is obviously his choice.

    Reply
  21. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 9:45 am

    If this article is true, it shows Cohen coordinated with @realDonaldTrump or his campaign. That makes the $130k payment to Stormy Daniels a felony in violation of federal election law.

    Last week @RepKathleenRice & I asked @FBI to investigate this suspicious payment. https://t.co/WbH4013apV

    — Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) March 5, 2018

    Hush agreement & side letter attached to Stormy Daniels’ filing essentially shows coordination between @realDonaldTrump, Cohen & Daniels. That means the $130k payment from Cohen to Daniels to silence her during the campaign violated federal election law. Penalty is 5 year felony. https://t.co/L4DdhNCpv3

    — Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) March 7, 2018

    Remember when Republicans insisted, and it was established in Clinton v. Paula Jones that you CAN sue a sitting president? Well, Stormy Daniels will have her day in court against Donald Trump. Off we go… https://t.co/6PDZaUJNRV

    — Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) March 7, 2018

    Reply
  22. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 9:44 am

    Hanging with the homies. Thanks to @RadhikaJones and @VanityFair for bringing us together on Oscar Night. pic.twitter.com/8kDRMttHyM

    — Ava DuVernay (@ava) March 6, 2018

    She inspires me too. Really does. In ways large and small. #MegMurry https://t.co/JthZ85RCSY

    — Ava DuVernay (@ava) March 7, 2018

    Reply
  23. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 9:41 am

    About Stormy Daniels..

    Can we even imagine what would be happening if this was 44?

    Sure, we can…..
    I spoke with a friend last night, and he brought up Stormy. Then, he went on a tirade of how if this were any other President, this would be the end.
    I told him, the TREASON overshadows everything. What’s a porn star when you have betrayed the country?

    The thing that makes me smile is that it’s the money with Stormy that’s phucking them up and keeping this story alive.
    He has no morals. That he cheated on his wife is no surprise. You can’t get him on morals. Those who voted for him don’t care about morals or character. But, the money…the money tells the story. Just like the money The Enquirer paid tells a story.

    Reply
  25. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 9:27 am

    Untethered Trump fails to process advice on tariff policy

    MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle talks with Rachel Maddow about the dynamics within the White House that led to the departure of Donald Trump’s top economic adviser Gary Cohn.

    Reply
  26. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 9:27 am

    Adviser to UAE cooperating with Robert Mueller investigation: NYT

    Rachel Maddow reports on a series of unusual meetings between the United Arab Emirates and the Trump administration and talks with Adam Goldman, national security reporter for the New York Times about new reporting that UAE adviser George Nader is cooperating with Robert Mueller’s investigation.

    Reply
  27. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 9:26 am

    Trump, apparently winging it on tariffs, loses economic adviser

    Rachel Maddow reports on the resignation of Gary Cohn, Donald Trump’s top economic advisor, as Trump is in the midst of attempting to wing it through the implementation of complicated, consequential tariff policy

    Reply
  28. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 9:21 am

    Oh my God, @soledadobrien just killed a man. pic.twitter.com/YU1BVrCvUA

    — Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) March 7, 2018

    Reply
  29. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 9:21 am

    Recording Black Panther’s Theme at Abbey Road. 6 horns, 3 trumpets, 4 trombones and 1 cimbasso. pic.twitter.com/EQnI8YHqNL

    — Ludwig Goransson (@ludwiggoransson) March 6, 2018

    Reply
  30. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 9:19 am

    uh huh
    uh huh

    Sessions whole reason for being is permission and power to inflict harm on people like this and to break the power of those who would stop him. It’s why he took the job. That he would pursue it with vigor is not a signal to Trump, it’s the policy area they already agree on most.

    — Kelsey D. Atherton (@AthertonKD) March 7, 2018

    Reply
  31. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 9:19 am

    So, for those who say ‘ when will the KKKeebler Elf quit?’

    NEVER!!!

    NEVER!!!!

    He will NEVER leave this opportunity to fulfill out his White Supremacist fantasies.

    You will pry his chance to hurt the non-White out of his cold, dead hands.

    ………………………………………………………………..

    BREAKING: Justice Dept. to sue California over ‘sanctuary’ laws that aid those in U.S. illegally https://t.co/r6I9tVev9J

    — Matt Zapotosky (@mattzap) March 7, 2018

    …………………………

    This lawsuit is the legal equivalent of Jeff SessIons standing outside the White House holding a boom box playing “In Your Eyes” for Donald Trump. https://t.co/bqtKAOJt8c

    — Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) March 7, 2018

    Reply
  32. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 9:15 am

    And to be clear: those who know Cohn say he stayed after Trump cuddled Nazis because of the possibility of getting through a massive tax cut for the super rich and corporations. Such a moral guy.

    — Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) March 6, 2018

    When you’re willing to ally with Nazi-cuddlers to get a tax cut for the super rich, THAT is Trumpism at its absolute, morally corrupting essence.

    — Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) March 6, 2018

    “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36 #GreedOverPeople

    — Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) March 6, 2018

    Everyone who worked for the Trump WH should have that fact as the first line of their obituary, as I’m sure @realDonaldTrump would agree.

    — Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) March 6, 2018

    Reply
  33. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 8:57 am

    The best people, remember?

    Among those being considered for Cohn’s replacement, per people familiar: Andy Puzder, the fast-food executive who withdrew his labor secretary nomination last year after decades-old reports of domestic assault were resurfaced. https://t.co/2pylt8xre8

    — Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) March 7, 2018

    Reply
  34. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 8:56 am

    Trump Plans to Blame Video Games for Gun Violence

    Source: The Daily Beast

    Industry officials feel like they’re being ambushed—set up to take the blame for the latest national tragedy.

    LACHLAN MARKAY
    ASAWIN SUEBSAENG

    03.06.18 9:00 PM ET

    President Donald Trump’s stated response to a mass shooting at a Florida high school last month was initially broad in scope. But in recent days, he and his aides have begun slimming down their ambitions, with a particular focus now on shifting more blame onto video games.

    On Thursday, the White House is planning to meet with envoys of the video game industry to discuss how violent imagery on their platforms may desensitize young people to firearms—and even train them to be more effective killers. Industry sources tell The Daily Beast that they are worried the session will be an ambush—an effort to scapegoat them for shootings in schools.

    The meeting comes after weeks of internal White House wavering on gun-related policy items, with the president endorsing a Democratic gun control wish list on live television, only to have the White House walk it back after Trump’s closed-door meeting with the National Rifle Association shortly thereafter.

    Press secretary Sarah Sanders mentioned offhand at a press briefing last week that the president would be meeting with gaming industry representatives, signaling yet another shift in the internal policy discussion. But even that effort has been marked by disorder and internal confusion.

    Reply
  35. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 8:55 am

    I’m so glad that people are calling him out on this shyt, and not letting folks fluff him up for being so ‘ brave’.
    Phuck.outta.here.

    ………………………………

    Cohn wrote a resignation letter after the president’s Charlottesville comments but decided not to give it to Trump. Over tariffs, he gives the letter.

    — Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) March 6, 2018

    Gave himself a huge tax cut though https://t.co/fuuY9GJBJR

    — Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) March 6, 2018

    Reply
  36. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 8:54 am

    Responding to Trump’s claim that he has no trouble hiring White House staff, @JoshSchwerin is tweeting story after story on WH inability to hire staff for a range of jobs. https://t.co/s9D69s2HyV

    — Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) March 6, 2018

    Reply
  38. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 8:07 am

    How many days did Gary Cohn stay on beyond the one-year minimum tour for his Goldman stock sale to go through tax-free?

    — Felix Salmon (@felixsalmon) March 6, 2018

    Reply
  39. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 8:05 am

    The stock market is poised to open tomorrow morning down 400 points thanks to Gary Cohn running for the hills.

    Wall Street hates Trump’s tariff stupidity. It hates the idea of Trump being unchecked even more.

    Here comes the #TrumpSlump

    — The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) March 7, 2018

    Reply
  40. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    March 7, 2018 at 8:03 am

    Happy Birthday, Lynn Swann 🎈🎂🎈

    From Wikipedia:

    Lynn Curtis Swann (born March 7, 1952) is the athletic director at the University of Southern California and a former American football player, broadcaster, and politician who was the chairman of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition from 2002 to 2005. In 2006, he was the Republican nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania. During his football career, he was a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL).

    Swann played college football at USC, where he was a consensus All-American. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round of the 1974 NFL draft. With the Steelers, Swann won four Super Bowls, was selected to three Pro Bowls, and was named MVP of Super Bowl X. Swann was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

    He also ran for governor of Pennsylvania in 2006.

    Video: “Lynn Swann Super Bowl X”
    https://youtu.be/-4FAJ4Bw9-M&rel=0

    Video: “Lynn Swann History”
    https://youtu.be/o3mTmICz2g4&rel=0

    Reply
  41. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    March 7, 2018 at 7:49 am

    On this day, March 7, in 1965, marchers numbering 600 attempted to march to Montgomery, Alabama for their voting rights by crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. They were beaten viciously and turned back in what became know as “Bloody Sunday.”

    Excerpt from Wikipedia titled “Selma to Montgomery marches” :

    “Bloody Sunday” events
    On March 7, 1965, an estimated 525 to 600 civil rights marchers headed southeast out of Selma on U.S. Highway 80. The march was led by John Lewis of SNCC and the Reverend Hosea Williams of SCLC, followed by Bob Mants of SNCC and Albert Turner of SCLC. The protest went according to plan until the marchers crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where they encountered a wall of state troopers and county posse waiting for them on the other side.

    County Sheriff Jim Clark had issued an order for all white males in Dallas County over the age of twenty-one to report to the courthouse that morning to be deputized. Commanding officer John Cloud told the demonstrators to disband at once and go home. Rev. Hosea Williams tried to speak to the officer, but Cloud curtly informed him there was nothing to discuss. Seconds later, the troopers began shoving the demonstrators, knocking many to the ground and beating them with nightsticks. Another detachment of troopers fired tear gas, and mounted troopers charged the crowd on horseback.

    Televised images of the brutal attack presented Americans and international audiences with horrifying images of marchers left bloodied and severely injured, and roused support for the Selma Voting Rights Campaign. Amelia Boynton, who had helped organize the march as well as marching in it, was beaten unconscious. A photograph of her lying on the road of the Edmund Pettus Bridge appeared on the front page of newspapers and news magazines around the world. In all, 17 marchers were hospitalized and 50 treated for lesser injuries; the day soon became known as “Bloody Sunday” within the black community.

    Response to “Bloody Sunday”
    After the march, President Johnson issued an immediate statement “deploring the brutality with which a number of Negro citizens of Alabama were treated…” He also promised to send a voting rights bill to Congress that week, although it took him until March 15.

    Video: “Bloody Sunday 1965 with John Lewis Interview”
    https://youtu.be/jSVNPHi4MQc&rel=0

    Video: “John Lewis reflects on Selma: ‘I thought I saw death’ ”
    https://youtu.be/F-DrYRXEqZY&rel=0

    Reply
  42. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    March 7, 2018 at 7:35 am

    Opera singer Eugene B. Holmes was born on this day, March 7, in 1932.

    From Wikipedia:

    Eugene B. Holmes (March 7, 1932 – January 19, 2007) was an African American operatic baritone who sang with the New York City Opera, The New Metropolitan Opera and the Düsseldorf Opera.

    Video: “Gwyneth Jones & Eugene Holmes-‘Cielo! mio padre!…’, Aida, 1973”
    https://youtu.be/qG4kT0qkB0g&rel=0

    Video: “Janos B. Nagy & Eugene Holmes – Verdi: La Forza del Destino ‘Invano Alvaro’ ”
    https://youtu.be/pfpnAdiEtlM&rel=0

    Video: “Eugene Holmes, Baritone – Spirituals”
    https://youtu.be/6rulwcegxhU&rel=

    Reply
  43. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    March 7, 2018 at 7:24 am

    Happy Birthday, Ms. Denyce Graves! 🎈🎂🎈(born March 7, 1964)

    Video published on Youtube on October, 24, 2017:
    “A message from Denyce Graves, Honorary Chair of National Opera Week” https://youtu.be/gD0WuKIjNyU&rel=0

    Video: “Denyce Graves Opera Interview”
    https://youtu.be/rkh-6Me1G5Y&rel=0

    Reply
  44. vitaminlover says:
    March 7, 2018 at 6:22 am

    Good morning, rikyrah. What is so strange about chimp is that he knows he is weird and unstable. Man oh man his paint ain’t dry. Most people know crazy when they see it. I see crazy.

    Reply
  45. rikyrah says:
    March 7, 2018 at 6:18 am

    Good Morning Everyone 😄😄😄

    Reply

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