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Trump pushes back against New York attorney general’s contempt effort

An attorney for Donald Trump hit back Tuesday at an effort by New York Attorney General Letitia James to have the former president held in contempt, claiming he doesn’t have documents demanded by James. James’ office asked a state judge on April 7 to issue an order of contempt against Trump, saying he failed to […]

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene appeals judge’s ruling to allow challenge to re-election bid

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Tuesday appealed a ruling by a federal judge in Georgia who said a lawsuit challenging her qualifications to run for re-election can move forward. U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg denied Greene’s request for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to block the suit Monday. Free Speech for […]

Aiming To Secure A Win In Donbas, Putin Hits Ukrainian Cities, Pours More Troops Into War

Russia hurled its military might against Ukrainian cities and towns and poured more troops into the war, seeking to slice the country in two in a potentially pivotal battle for control of the eastern industrial heartland of coal mines and factories. The fighting unfolded along a boomerang-shaped front hundreds of miles long in what is […]

Justice Dept. to appeal decision lifting mask mandate on planes, trains if CDC deems rule necessary

The Justice Department announced Tuesday that it will appeal the ruling that lifted the federal mask mandate on planes, trains and transit systems, pending a decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that the order is still required for public health. The Justice Department will not, however, ask the court to stay the […]

StephCast T 4-19-22

Russia begins long-awaited offensive in eastern Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” into neighboring Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian forces invading from Belarus, to the north, and Russia, to the east. Ukrainian troops have offered “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials. Russian forces have since retreated from northern Ukraine, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. The […]

Former MSNBC Contributor Malcolm Nance Reveals He Joined Ukraine’s Foreign Legion to Fight Russians: ‘I’m Done Talking’

Former MSNBC contributor Malcolm Nance revealed Monday he is fighting alongside Ukrainian soldiers as part of the country’s foreign legion. The network’s former national security analyst has been absent from MSNBC’s coverage of the war in recent weeks. On Monday’s The ReidOut, he revealed why. Nance, who spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy, told […]

Kimberly Guilfoyle Meets With Jan. 6 Committee

Kimberly Guilfoyle, the fiancée of former President Donald Trump’s eldest son, met with the House committee investigating the U.S. Capitol insurrection Monday — more than a month after she abruptly ended a voluntary interview with lawmakers — according to a person familiar with the matter. Guilfoyle, 53, arrived Monday morning at the federal office building […]

Airlines Begin Dropping Mask Mandates Following Court Ruling

Multiple airlines and other transit providers announced Monday they’ve ended their mask requirements, responding just hours after a federal judge voided a recently extended mandate. Most of the major air carriers in the United States announced that, effective immediately, they will no longer enforce mask-wearing rules, which have been federally enforced on public transportation since […]

Charlie Pierce: No State Official Is Doing More Damage to This Nation Than Greg Abbott

Good ol’ Tate Reeves, governor of Mississippi, is all down for the heritage, y’all. From the AP: The Republican governor signed a proclamation without fanfare Friday. It does not mention slavery — the defense of which was Mississippi’s stated reason for trying to secede from the U.S. In response to a question at a news conference […]

StephCast M 4-18-22

Mar-a-Lago Machine: Trump as a Modern-Day Party Boss

On any given night, Donald J. Trump will stroll onto the patio at Mar-a-Lago and say a few words from a translucent lectern, welcoming whatever favored candidate is paying him for the privilege of fund-raising there. “This is a special place,” Mr. Trump said on one such evening in February at his private club. “I […]

Trump Rages in Easter Message to ‘Radical Left Maniacs’ and ‘Racist’ Attorney General Letitia James

The former president wound up sending another statement out, this one wishing “Happy Easter to all including the Radical Left Maniacs who are doing everything possible to destroy our Country. May they not succeed, but let them, nevertheless, be happy, healthy, wealthy, and well!” Read the rest of the story at Mediaite

Covid infections rise, but hospitalizations remain low

The Covid-19 pandemic, having shaken the world for the past two years, has entered a new phase, one driven by a combination of fear, apathy and uncertainty. In some parts of the country, masks have become rare sights, and the assumption is the pandemic is over. But in other places, masking is back as concerns […]

Blasts rock Lviv in the west as Mariupol fights ‘to the end’

Explosions rocked Lviv early Monday in a rare and deadly attack on the western Ukrainian city — a safe hub for refugees, Western officials and the media — that came as the world braced for a major Russian offensive further east. At least 6 people were killed in the Russian missile strikes, local officials said, […]

The Rude Pundit: Tucker Carlson Has an Orgasm… A Fantasia

Tucker Carlson is checking the strength of his belts. He’s putting them over the reinforced bar in the closet in his office and pulling with both hands, sometimes even seeing if he can lift himself off the ground. He knows from experience that it’s not the belt’s ability to hold his weight briefly but for […]

SM Happy Hour VideoCast 4-15-22 with Richard Cheese & Frank Figliuzzi

StephCast F 4-15-22

Russia Vows To Ramp Up ‘Scale Of Missile Attacks’ On Kyiv

Russia’s Defense Ministry on Friday promised to ramp up “the scale of missile attacks” on Kyiv in response to Ukraine’s “diversions on the Russian territory.” The statement comes a day after Russian authorities accused Ukrainian forces of launching airstrikes on residential buildings in one of the country’s regions on the border with Ukraine, in which […]

As Covid cases rise, here are the latest CDC guidelines for testing and isolation

A wave of cases of the BA.2 omicron subvariant appears to finally be hitting the U.S. Although the country’s Covid hospitalizations are at an all-time low, average daily case numbers have risen by 9 percent in the last two weeks, according to NBC News’ tally. Many experts agree that the true scale of the virus’s […]

Brooklyn subway shooting suspect Frank James had ‘stockpile’ of weapons, prosecutors say

The man accused of opening fire on a rush-hour New York subway car did so with “premeditated” intentions and had access to a “stockpile” of weapons, prosecutors said Thursday. Frank James, 62, made his initial appearance in a federal courtroom accused of committing a terrorist attack on mass transit, a federal charge that could bring […]

GOP Abandons Presidential Debate Commission

The Republican National Committee voted Thursday to pull out of the Commission on Presidential Debates, the group that has organized debates between the leading candidates for president for every presidential election since 1988. “Debates are an important part of the democratic process, and the RNC is committed to free and fair debates,” Chair Ronna McDaniel […]

StephCast Th 4-14-22

Mask mandate on planes, trains extended 15 days, CDC announces

The Biden administration is extending the mask mandate for travelers on airplanes, trains and other transit systems into May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday. The current requirement that all travelers wear face coverings had been set to expire next Monday, but the Transportation Security Administration will now extend the requirement for […]

Russia evacuates flagship after suffering major damage in Black Sea blast

Ukrainian officials said their forces launched a successful missile attack on the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, forcing the crew to evacuate the vessel. The Russian defense ministry said the Moskva warship had been “seriously damaged,” but blamed the incident on a fire. NBC News has been unable to verify what happened on the […]

Mark Meadows removed from voter rolls by North Carolina State Board of Elections

Former President Trump’s White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, has been removed from North Carolina’s voter rolls by the State Board of Elections “after documentation indicated he lived in Virginia” and voted in Virginia last year, WRAL first reported. The Board of Elections notes that if North Carolina residents move to the metro Washington, D.C., […]

Frank James, suspect in Brooklyn subway shooting, arrested in New York

The suspect in Tuesday’s violent rampage in New York City’s subway system was arrested Wednesday, authorities announced. Police had been looking for Frank James, 62, since tying a U-Haul van they say he rented to Tuesday’s subway shooting. Ten people were shot and wounded in the attack, and over a dozen more suffered other injuries. […]

StephCast W 4-13-22

Tens of thousands feared dead in Mariupol as Russia renews assault in eastern Ukraine

Tens of thousands of civilians could be dead in Mariupol, the city’s mayor said, as analysts warn that Russia is regrouping for a renewed assault on eastern Ukraine. The streets in Mariupol are “carpeted” with bodies, Vadym Boychenko, the mayor of Mariupol, said Monday. While there is no confirmed number of casualties, the mayor suggested […]

Trump ‘authorized’ assault on Capitol, Jan. 6 defendant argues at trial

An attorney for a man who took a coat rack and a bottle of liquor during the U.S. Capitol attack argued to a jury Tuesday that former President Donald Trump “authorized” the assault on the building on Jan. 6, 2021, by convincing “vulnerable” people like his client that the election had been stolen. Dustin Thompson, […]

Biden says Russia is committing ‘genocide’ in Ukraine

President Joe Biden on Tuesday said the atrocities committed by Russia in Ukraine amounted to “genocide,” marking the first time he has leveled the accusation against President Vladimir Putin. “More evidence is coming out about literally the horrible things that the Russians have done in Ukraine,” Biden told reporters during a trip to Iowa. “And […]

‘Person of interest’ named in NYC subway shooting that wounded 10, injured 13

New York City police named a “person of interest” in the shooting Tuesday morning aboard a subway train in Brooklyn. Ten people were shot and 13 others were injured after a man wearing a gas mask threw two smoke canisters and then opened fire aboard a subway car on the N train as it approached […]

StephCast T 4-12-22

Fears for Mariupol as fighting set to escalate in the east of Ukraine

With fighting in eastern Ukraine expected to intensify, the fate of Mariupol is once again in the spotlight. Ukrainian forces have held out for weeks in the besieged port city, but fears are growing for the civilians trapped without basic supplies as Russian troops appear poised to mount a major new offensive. The strategic city’s […]

White House says it expects inflation to be ‘extraordinarily elevated’ in new report

The Biden administration is bracing for Tuesday’s key consumer inflation report to show that the prices Americans pay soared in March, as Russia’s assault on Ukraine caused energy prices to jump. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that the Labor Department’s previous report — which showed prices rising at a dramatic ratein February […]

Biden looks to boost ethanol to lower gas prices

The Biden administration said Tuesday it plans to help boost the production and sale of ethanol-blended gasoline to alleviate pain at the pump as inflation skyrockets. President Joe Biden will announce that the Environmental Protection Agency expects to issue an emergency waiver that would suspend a summer ban on the use of a specific blended […]

Philadelphia Restores Indoor Mask Mandate Amid New Wave Of COVID-19 Cases

Philadelphia is restoring its indoor mask mandate as the number of COVID-19 cases rise across the region. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health announced the reinstatement of the mandate on Monday, giving residents and businesses a “one-week educational period” to prepare for the change. COVID-19 rates are rising in Philadelphia, with an average of 142 […]

Charlie Pierce: Don Junior Was Claiming the ‘Moral High Ground’ in His Overturn-the-Election Texts

They were all crooks and they were crooks for the working day. From CNN: In the text, which has not been previously reported, Donald Trump Jr. lays out ideas for keeping his father in power by subverting the Electoral College process, according to the message reviewed by CNN. The text is among records obtained by the […]

StephCast M 4-11-22

Aaron Rupar: RIP Eric Boehlert. His voice will be missed.

I had something else written and ready to go for today’s newsletter, but in a strange twist of fate, it drew significantly from what would turn out to be Eric Boehlert’s last piece. So it feels appropriate to instead write a few words about why I think his voice will be sorely missed, especially at […]

Russia appoints general with cruel history to oversee Ukraine offensive

Russia’s reported appointment of Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, a man with a history of targeting civilians, to take over operations in Ukraine marks what some military analysts see as an indication that Russia intends to terrorize civilians as the war progresses. Dvornikov, who most recently oversaw Russian troops in Syria, was chosen as the new ground […]

72 people at high-profile D.C. dinner test positive for Covid

Seventy-two people have tested positive for Covid-19 after having attended the Gridiron Dinner in Washington last weekend, including members of the Biden administration and reporters. Gridiron Club President Tom DeFrank said Sunday that the group had reported 72 cases out of the hundreds of people who attended. New York Mayor Eric Adams, who was also at […]

Biden scheduled to unveil new steps on gun violence

Amid growing concern about gun violence and untraceable “ghost guns” that can be 3D-printed at home, President Joe Biden was scheduled Monday to introduce new policy measures on firearms. Biden’s announcement will most likely rely on executive orders on gun control, ghost guns and other facets of firearms regulation as part of an approach to […]

Jan. 6 panel has enough evidence to refer Trump for criminal charges, Cheney says

The House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol has enough evidence to refer President Donald Trump for criminal charges, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said Sunday. “It’s absolutely clear that what President Trump was doing — what a number of people around him were doing — that they knew it was […]

The Rude Pundit: Democrats Should Go on the Offensive By Celebrating Accomplishments

A couple of things really stick in my craw from the last couple of years, and those are that we’ve been denied celebrating as a nation some pretty remarkable accomplishments. And while that denial is led by Republicans, quick to stomp any hints of optimism or hope like they’re cockroaches, Democrats should have and still […]

SM Happy Hour VideoCast 4-8-22 Eric Boehlert Tribute & Karl Frisch

StephCast F 4-8-22

Russian forces need ‘at least a week’ before redeploying, UK says

Russian forces in northern Ukraine have now fully withdrawn to neighboring Belarus and Russia, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said Friday in an intelligence update. “At least some of these forces will be transferred to East Ukraine to fight in the Donbas,” the ministry added. “Many of these forces will require significant replenishment before being […]

New wave of Covid cases hits U.S. officials, rattles Washington

A fresh wave of Covid-19 cases swept through the nation’s capital this week, striking officials at the highest levels of government and disrupting business just as President Joe Biden and other political leaders are urging a return to normalcy. “Well, I think the tendency is that Covid-19 is totally behind us, but it isn’t,” said […]

Ketanji Brown Jackson Makes History As First Black Woman On Supreme Court

The Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday, making her the first-ever Black woman and former public defender to serve on the nation’s highest court. Jackson, 51, was confirmed in a 53-47 vote. Every Democrat voted for her, along with three Republicans: Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine) and Mitt […]

Congress Votes Overwhelmingly To Suspend Russia’s Trade Status And Ban Oil

Congress voted overwhelmingly Thursday to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and ban the importation of its oil, ratcheting up the U.S. response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine amid reports of atrocities. House action came after the Senate approved the two bills with 100-0 votes. The measures now go to President Joe Biden to be […]

StephCast Th 4-7-22

Senate poised to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to Supreme Court

The Democratic-controlled Senate is poised to make history on Thursday by confirming Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. She is all but guaranteed to win confirmation, with 53 senators having indicated their support in a procedural vote this week. The total included all 50 Democratic-voting senators, along with Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, […]

U.S. And Allies Ramp Up Sanctions On Russia Over Bucha Atrocities

The Biden administration on Wednesday announced new sanctions on Russia, including on dictator Vladimir Putin’s adult daughters, following new evidence of war crimes by Russian soldiers in Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. “The sickening brutality in Bucha has made tragically clear the despicable nature of the Putin regime,” a senior administration official said Wednesday morning on […]

House Refers 2 More Top Trump Aides For Criminal Contempt Of Congress Charges

Two more top aides to former President Donald Trump could face as much as a year in jail after the House referred them to the Justice Department on Wednesday for refusing to honor subpoenas from the Jan. 6 committee. The chamber voted on a near party-line vote, 220-203, that trade adviser Peter Navarro and social […]

Eric Boehlert Dies: Media Critic For Media Matters & Salon, Founder Of Press Run Newsletter Killed In Bike Accident At 57

Eric Boehlert, a media critic devoted to calling out right-wing misinformation through his writing at Media Matters for America, Salon, Daily Kos and most recently as the founder of the Press Run website, died Monday in a bike accident. He was 57. His death was announced on Twitter today by journalist and friend Soledad O’Brien, […]

StephCast W 4-6-22

Secretary of Defense Throws Down With Matt Gaetz Over ‘Wokeism’ in Military: I’m Sorry ‘You’re Embarrassed By Your Country’

Sparks were flying between Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at Tuesday’s House Armed Services hearing where the Florida Republican accused Austin of overseeing a military force that is being overrun by “wokeism.” Gaetz kicked off his time at the hearing by asking Austin about a speaker invited to the National […]

NATO ministers to meet; U.S. and E.U. to toughen sanctions

NATO foreign ministers will gather in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss support for Ukraine after the discovery of slain civilians in Kyiv’s suburbs spurred Western promises to punish the Kremlin. Ukrainian leaders say the grim killings in Bucha are not the exception. The withdrawal of Russian forces in other parts of the country has revealed […]

Zelenskyy: Russians Committing ‘Most Terrible War Crimes’ In Ukraine Since World War II

Addressing a meeting of the United Nations Security Council remotely on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the alleged atrocities uncovered in recent days as Russian troops moved out of areas in northern Ukraine. “The most terrible war crimes we’ve seen since the end of World War II are being committed,” Zelenskyy told the council […]

Ivanka Trump Testifies Before Jan. 6 House Select Committee

Ivanka Trump, former President Donald Trump’s daughter and one of those closest to him during the insurrection at the Capitol, is testifying before the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, the committee’s chairman, said Tuesday afternoon that she had been answering investigators’ questions on a video teleconference since the […]

StephCast T 4-5-22

StephCast M 4-4-22

The Rude Pundit: The Only Thing Disney Is Grooming Your Kids for Is to Buy More Disney Shit

Of all the weird shit I’ve seen from the nutzoid Christian right (which, to be fair, is really just “the right”), the attacks on the Walt Disney Company over their criticism of Florida’s “Fuck You for Being Gay or Trans” bill and the state’s slimy, squamous governor, Ron DeSantis, as well as its declarations that […]

Gap in Trump call logs on Jan. 6 ‘suspiciously tailored,’ Raskin says

The gap in phone logs in the official White House records on Jan. 6, 2021, is of “intense interest” to the House select committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol, Rep. Jamie B. Raskin said Sunday. In an interview on CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” Raskin (D-Md.) noted that a 7½-hour gap in the […]

Zelenskyy makes appearance from Ukraine at Grammys

During music’s biggest night, John Legend and the Recording Academy took time to honor victims of the current war in Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to crowd in a pre-recorded message from Ukraine, where he told the crowd the importance of music and ongoing support for Ukraine.  “The war doesn’t let us choose who survives […]

California Governor Decries ‘Scourge’ Of Gun Violence After 6 Killed in Sacramento

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) described a deadly mass shooting in Sacramento as a “horrendous act of gun violence” in a statement issued hours after six people were killed and 12 injured in a downtown entertainment district Sunday. The massacre, which took place in the early hours of the morning, occurred in a section of […]

Images of dead civilians in Ukraine shake the world

“This is genocide.” That’s how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the shocking images of at least 20 civilian men’s bodies strewn across the street in Bucha, northwest of the capital of Kyiv, following the withdrawal of Russian forces from the area.   Accounts of alleged Russian atrocities, including the horrific images of dead civilians captured […]

SM Happy Hour VideoCast 4-1-22 DNC Chair Jaime Harrison & Hal Sparks

StephCast F 4-1-22

Biden says Putin appears to be “self-isolated”

President Biden said Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be “self-isolated” and “there appears to be some indication he has fired or put under house arrest some of his advisers” amid the war in Ukraine. But, Mr. Biden added, “I don’t want to put too much stock in that at this time because […]

House Passes Bill to Limit Cost of Insulin to $35 a Month

A bill to limit the cost of insulin to $35 a month for most Americans who depend on it passed the House on Thursday, raising Democrats’ hopes that the party could take at least one step toward fulfilling its promise of lowering drug costs. The bill attracted unanimous support from Democrats who voted, as well […]

Senators close in on $10 billion COVID relief deal

Top Senate negotiators have said they are close to striking a deal to approve $10 billion in additional COVID relief funding with just a handful of days remaining before Congress heads off for a two-week recess. The Senate is expected to consider the legislation as soon as next week. The renewed effort to pass additional […]

Biden to release 1M barrels of oil a day from reserves in ‘wartime bridge’

President Joe Biden said he will release roughly 1 million barrels of oil a day from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for about six months in an effort to drive down record oil prices in what he called a “wartime bridge.” The move could free up as much as 180 million barrels of oil, the largest […]

StephCast Th 3-31-22

StephCast W 3-30-22

New Attacks Hit Northern Ukraine, Where Russia Had Vowed to Ease Its Assault

A day after peace talks yielded hope for an easing of Russia’s assault on Ukraine, local officials reported new attacks on Wednesday on the outskirts of Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv, two areas where Russia had vowed to sharply reduce combat operations. The continuing attacks signaled that Moscow was in no hurry to […]

Biden signs bill named after Emmett Till making lynching a hate crime

President Joe Biden signed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act on Tuesday, making lynching a federal hate crimeafter more than a century of failed efforts in Congress to pass similar legislation. The bill is named after Till, a 14-year-old Black teenager from Chicago who was abducted, tortured and shot in the head in 1955 after a […]

Trump asks Putin to release any info about Hunter Biden

Amid widespread criticism of his praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin, former President Donald Trump publicly called on Putin on Tuesday to release any dirt he might have on Hunter Biden, the president’s son. Trump, in an interview with Just the News, seized on an unsubstantiated claim about Biden’s obtaining a hefty payment from Elena […]

StephCast T 3-29-22

Trump probably broke the law in an effort to obstruct Jan. 6 proceedings, judge says

A federal judge presiding over a civil suit involving the House committee investigating the riot at the U.S. Capitol found Monday that then-President Donald Trump “likely attempted to obstruct the joint session of Congress” on Jan. 6, 2021, which would be a crime. “The illegality of the plan was obvious,” U.S. District Judge David Carter […]

Jan. 6 Committee Refers Criminal Contempt Charges For 2 More Trump Aides To House

The House of Representatives’ Jan. 6 committee on Monday recommended that the chamber refer criminal contempt charges for two more aides to former President Donald Trump to the Department of Justice for prosecution. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, one of two Republicans on the committee, said Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino played key roles in […]

Joe Biden: ‘No Apologies’ For Saying Putin ‘Cannot Remain In Power’

President Joe Biden on Monday stood by his belief that Vladimir Putinshould not be president of Russia, telling reporters that he made “no apologies” for his unscripted remarks. “I’m not walking anything back,” the president said.. “I was expressing moral outrage, and I make no apologies,” he added. Read the rest of the story at […]

Will Smith Apologizes Publicly To Chris Rock For Oscars Slap: ‘I Was Out Of Line’

Actor Will Smith apologized Monday to Chris Rock and everyone who witnessed his assault of the comedian at the Oscars on Sunday night. “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but […]

StephCast M 3-28-22

SM Happy Hour VideoCast 03-25-22 Phillip from Ukraine & AG from Mueller She Wrote

https://www.stephaniemiller.com/hhvideo/SMHH-3-25-2022_RedlenerPhillip_AG-NSFW.mp4.mp4Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

StephCast F 3-25-22

Virginia Thomas urged White House chief to pursue unrelenting efforts to overturn the 2020 election, texts show

Virginia Thomas, a conservative activist married to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, repeatedly pressed White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to pursue unrelenting efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in a series of urgent text exchanges in the critical weeks after the vote, according to copies of the messages obtained by The Washington […]

StephCast Th 3-24-22

Biden Meets With NATO, G7 and E.U. as War Enters Second Month

President Biden arrived at NATO Headquarters on Thursday to begin a day of back-to-back summits in an effort to keep America’s allies united against Russia’s war in Ukraine. The president smiled as he was greeted by Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general of NATO. But he faces steep challenges as the allies seek new measures to […]

Madeleine Albright, First Woman to Serve as Secretary of State, Dies at 84

Madeleine K. Albright, a child of Czech refugees who fled from Nazi invaders and Communist oppressors and then landed in the United States, where she flourished as a diplomat and the first woman to serve as secretary of state, died on Wednesday in Washington. She was 84. The cause was cancer, her daughter Anne said. […]

FSTV Fund Drive Final Week! Invest In trusted media like The Stephanie Miller Show on FreeSpeech TV! Donate Here!

It’s @freespeechtv Pledge Drive time! Invest in trusted, independent media like The Stephanie Miller Show to power our message through the mid-terms, and get great stuff in return! Become a sustaining donor (the best kind!!) at our special link at https://secure.givelively.org/donate/public-communicators-inc/spring-pledge-drive?utm_source=SM

Ketanji Brown Jackson Weathers a Final Bruising Day of Questions

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson emerged on Wednesday from two grueling days of testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee having weathered escalating Republican attacks on her record but leaving Democrats confident that she would become the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. Questioning of President Biden’s nominee by Republicans grew increasingly hostile as they stepped […]

StephCast W 3-23-22

White House press secretary Jen Psaki tests positive for Covid

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said she tested positive for Covid on Tuesday and will not accompany the president on his coming trip to Europe. Psaki disclosed her infection in a series of tweets, saying she had two socially distanced meetings with President Joe Biden and adding that “he is not considered a close […]

Biden Plans Sanctions on Russian Lawmakers as He Heads to Europe

President Biden will announce sanctions this week on hundreds of members of Russia’s lower house of Parliament, according to a White House official familiar with the announcement, as the United States and its allies reach for even stronger measures to punish President Vladimir V. Putin for his monthlong invasion of Ukraine. The announcement is scheduled […]

FSTV Fund Drive Final Week! Invest In trusted media like The Stephanie Miller Show on FreeSpeech TV! Donate Here!

It’s @freespeechtv Pledge Drive time! Invest in trusted, independent media like The Stephanie Miller Show to power our message through the mid-terms, and get great stuff in return! Become a sustaining donor (the best kind!!) at our special link at https://secure.givelively.org/donate/public-communicators-inc/spring-pledge-drive?utm_source=SM

What to Watch For on Day 3 of Jackson’s Confirmation Hearing

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is headed into a final round of questioning in her Supreme Court confirmation hearing on Wednesday after a relatively straightforward two days before the Senate Judiciary Committee that offered few surprises. When the hearing begins at 9 a.m., the last two of the committee’s 22 senators will conduct their initial 30-minute […]

StephCast T 3-22-22

Zelenskyy says trapped Ukrainians will ‘fight till the end,’ Pentagon says Russians have been ‘flummoxed’

Ukraine has rejected an ultimatum to surrender its besieged port city of Mariupol to Russian forces. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Eurovision News that ultimatums won’t work as trapped Ukrainians will “fight till the end.” Meanwhile, the Pentagon said Ukrainian forces — including civilians — have put up a strong resistance against Russian forces, and the […]

Russia may target U.S. businesses with cyberattacks, Biden warns

President Joe Biden urged U.S. businesses Monday to take added precautions amid “evolving” intelligence that Russia could target American companies with cyberattacks. “The magnitude of Russia’s cyber capacity is fairly consequential, and it’s coming. The federal government is doing its part to get ready,” Biden said while speaking to the Business Roundtable CEO quarterly meeting […]

FSTV Fund Drive Final Week! Invest In trusted media like The Stephanie Miller Show on FreeSpeech TV! Donate Here!

It’s @freespeechtv Pledge Drive time! Invest in trusted, independent media like The Stephanie Miller Show to power our message through the mid-terms, and get great stuff in return! Become a sustaining donor (the best kind!!) at our special link at https://secure.givelively.org/donate/public-communicators-inc/spring-pledge-drive?utm_source=SM

Ketanji Brown Jackson faces 4th Senate grilling as Republicans preview attacks

For Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, the easiest part of a Senate confirmation hearing is over. Next come the questions — 19 hours of them over two days. Jackson, 51, was sworn in Monday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivering an opening statement and reintroducing herself to the nation. “I hope that you will […]

Charlie Pierce: The Senatorial Speeches at the Beginning of Supreme Court Nomination Hearings Should Be Sh*tcanned

‘If I were king of the forest, I would pass a rule for the Senate by which every opening statement by any senator in a confirmation hearing would be sent in writing to the committee chairman and entered into the record as written. That way, the first day of the hearings would consist of the […]

StephCast M 3-21-22

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas hospitalized with flu-like symptoms

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been hospitalized with flu-like symptoms, the court said in a statement Sunday. Thomas, 73, was admitted to Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, part of the Johns Hopkins Health System, on Friday night, court officials said. Tests showed he had an infection, and he has been receiving intravenous antibiotics, according […]

Senate to begin historic Supreme Court hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson

Senate hearings are set to take place this week in a historic confirmation battle over the first Black woman ever nominated to serve on the Supreme Court. President Joe Biden’s pick, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, goes before the Democratic-led Judiciary Committee on Monday for a high-stakes showdown to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer and win […]

FSTV Fund Drive Final Week! Invest In trusted media like The Stephanie Miller Show on FreeSpeech TV! Donate Here!

It’s @freespeechtv Pledge Drive time! Invest in trusted, independent media like The Stephanie Miller Show to power our message through the mid-terms, and get great stuff in return! Become a sustaining donor (the best kind!!) at our special link at https://secure.givelively.org/donate/public-communicators-inc/spring-pledge-drive?utm_source=SM

Ukraine rejects Kremlin’s call to surrender Mariupol amid intense street fighting

An increasingly bloody onslaught in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol has descended into street-by-street guerrilla warfare, as Moscow vies to claim its first strategic victory of the war. Amid bombings on civilian buildings and claims of forced deportations, Russian officials on Sunday called for Ukrainian troops to lay down arms and flee the city during […]

Eric Boehlert: The media’s reckless “no-fly zone” coverage

On the eve of Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky’s address to Congress on Wednesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked no fewer than six times at the daily press briefing if the Biden administration would grant Zelensky’s military request of creating a “no-fly zone” over the bombarded country. Ever since Russia invaded, the administration has made […]

The Rude Pundit: Everything Is There for Democrats to Wreck Republicans in the Midterms and Beyond

As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, Rick Scott, GOP Senator from Florida and the last thing you see before you’re dropped into Dip, put out a pamphlet of conservative fantasies that was essentially spanking material for Federalist interns. In it, he proposed that “All federal legislation sunsets in 5 years. If a law is worth keeping, Congress […]

SM Happy Hour Video Podcast with Rep. Jake Auchincloss & Glenn Kirschner

StephCast F 3-18-22

Moderna asks FDA to authorize second booster for adults

Drugmaker Moderna asked the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday to authorize a fourth shot of its Covid-19vaccine as a booster dose for all adults.   The request is broader than rival pharmaceutical company Pfizer’s request earlier this week for the regulator to approve a booster shot for all seniors. Read the rest of the […]

Russian attacks hit near Lviv in western Ukraine

Ukrainian cities remained under siege Friday as Russian attackscontinued for the fourth week, pushing farther west in Ukraine. Local officials said that several missiles destroyed buildings at an aircraft repair facility near the airport in Lviv, which is about around 40 miles from the border with Poland. President Joe Biden is expected to speak with […]

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US sets the stage for contentious Biden call with China’s Xi today

Blunt US rhetoric heading into President Joe Biden’s call with Chinese President Xi Jinping suggests that a meeting of the minds on Russia’s brutality in Ukraine is unlikely, and reflects the current bitter tensions between Washington and Beijing. Biden and Xi are due to speak at 9 a.m. ET Friday, with the US setting the […]

StephCast Th 3-17-22

Irish leader tests positive for COVID during visit to DC

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin learned he had tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday evening while attending an event with U.S. leaders, including President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, according to a senior administration official. Martin — also referred to as Ireland’s taoiseach — was attending the Ireland Funds 30th National Gala at the […]

Russia bombs theater where hundreds sought shelter and ‘children’ was written on grounds

A theater where hundreds of people had taken shelter in Mariupol was bombed on Wednesday, according to local authorities, as hundreds of thousands of people remain trapped in the coastal Ukrainian city that has been encircled for weeks by Russian forces. Mariupol City Council, who shared an image of the destroyed building, said Russian forces […]

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Biden calls Putin a ‘war criminal,’ commits to new military aid to Ukraine

President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced an additional $800 million in military support for Ukraine after its president pleaded with Congress to do more to help it defend itself against the military onslaught from Russia. Speaking at the White House, Biden said the new aid package would drastically increase the amount of military support going […]

StephCast W 3-16-22

Senate votes to make daylight saving time permanent

The Senate approved legislation Tuesday that would make daylight saving time permanent in the U.S. starting next year. The bill, called The Sunshine Protection Act, was passed by unanimous consent, meaning no senators opposed it. If it is enacted, Americans would no longer need to change their clocks twice a year. Read the rest of […]

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff tests positive for Covid

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff tested positive for Covid on Tuesday, prompting Vice President Kamala Harris to skip an evening event “out of an abundance of caution,” her office said. Harris tested negative Tuesday, her office said. “Earlier today, the Second Gentleman tested positive for COVID-19,” Sabrina Singh, Harris’ deputy press secretary, said in a statement. […]

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Ukraine’s Zelenskyy to plead for more US help in virtual address to Congress

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to deliver a historic, virtual address to Congress on Wednesday to plead with the U.S. to do more to help stop Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Although it’s unclear whether Zelenskyy will pressure President Joe Biden by name to have NATO impose a no-fly zone, Biden will be watching Zelenskyy’s […]

StephCast T 3-15-22

Employee bursts onto live Russian state TV to denounce war: ‘They are lying to you here’

A woman burst onto the set of Russian state TV’s flagship evening news program Monday, chanting “stop the war” and denouncing government “propaganda” — a striking moment of public protest as the Kremlin cracks down on any criticism of its invasion in Ukraine. OVD-Info, a human rights group that tracks protest activity and detentions in […]

COVID spike in Europe could signal increase in U.S.

Coronavirus cases are once again surging in several European countries, potentially signaling that the U.S. will soon experience another spike as well. Between the lines: Several factors are likely at play, including relaxed mitigation measures, the spread of the B.A.2 variant and waning vaccine protection, tweeted Scripps Research’s Eric Topol. Read the rest of the […]

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Latest talks went ‘pretty good,’ will continue tomorrow, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy updated the status of negotiations with Russia in his latest address Monday, saying the latest talks went “pretty good” and will continue tomorrow. Zelenskyy also addressed Russian troops, telling them they would be treated “decently” should they surrender. “On behalf of the Ukrainian people, I give you a chance — chance […]

Charlie Pierce: Now Trump Wants to Ruin the Legacy of ‘The Dude’

El Caudillo del Mar-a-Lago, the leader of the Republican Party and its presumptive presidential nominee, held another wankfest over the weekend, this one in South Carolina, the home office of American sedition. It was the usual bag of rhetorical horrors, albeit cut a bit short because the weather was lousy. However, he rang a change that […]

StephCast M 3-14-22

Pentagon’s John Kirby says latest airstrike indicates Russian forces are ‘broadening their target sets’

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Russian forces are “broadening their target sets” after rockets hit a Ukrainian military base near the Polish border overnight. “Look, this is the third now military facility or airfield that the Russians had struck in western Ukraine in just the last couple of days,” Kirby told ABC “This Week” […]

Russia and Ukraine Set to Meet After Brutal Weekend of Fighting

The two sides expressed cautious optimism ahead of talks on Monday. Russia expanded its range of attacks, killing 35 at a base near Poland’s border. Moscow asked China for aid for the war, U.S. officials said. Read the latest updates at The New York Times

Barack Obama says he tested positive for COVID-19

Former President Barack Obama said Sunday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is “feeling fine” other than a scratchy throat.  Both the 60-year-old Obama and his wife Michelle Obama are fully vaccinated and boosted, the former president said. Michelle Obama has tested negative.  Read the rest of the story at CBS News

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MSNBC’s Glenn Kirschner Says on “Stephanie Miller”: ‘We Have Enough Evidence’: Time for DoJ ‘To Step Up’ And Prosecute Trump Criminally

Former federal prosecutor and current MSNBC legal analyst Glenn Kirschner told SiriusXM host Stephanie Miller that the other branches have taken the lead for too long and it’s “time for the Department of Justice to step up” and prosecute former President Donald Trump. On Thursday’s episode of  The Stephanie Miller Show, the popular liberal host connected the […]

Glenn Kirschner: ‘We Have Enough Evidence’: Time for DoJ ‘To Step Up’ And Prosecute Trump Criminally

Former federal prosecutor and current MSNBC legal analyst Glenn Kirschner told SiriusXM host Stephanie Miller that the other branches have taken the lead for too long and it’s “time for the Department of Justice to step up” and prosecute former President Donald Trump. On Thursday’s episode of  The Stephanie Miller Show, the popular liberal host connected the […]

Eric Boehlert: Murdoch hounded by lawsuits that could cost Fox News billions

Rupert Murdoch for years has enjoyed a Trump-like ability to avoid responsibility for the avalanche of lies he promotes. That all may be changing thanks to a pair of billion-dollar defamation lawsuits surrounding Trump’s Big Lie campaign — Murdoch appears powerless to stop the looming legal reckoning. This week, Justice David Cohen of State Supreme […]

The Rude Pundit: Democrats Need to Embrace Abortion Rights Because Republicans Want to Kill Women

If there’s one thing that you can count on, it’s that crazy-ass GOP motherfuckers who are elected to GOP-majority state legislatures will propose crazy-ass motherfucking legislation that sounds like something conjured by a sweaty Heritage Foundation intern who’s trying to impress the boss. You can count on a bunch of people getting upset about the […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 3-11-21 Rep. Ruben Gallego & Jen Kirkman

StephCast 3-11-21

Zelensky Swears Vengeance on Russian TV Propagandists Who Lied About ‘War Crimes’ on Mariupol Hospital

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised justice against the Russian media for lying about the deadly airstrike their military just committed on a maternity and children’s hospital. Zelensky posted a video statement on Telegram, confirming the Mariupol hospital attack wounded 17 people and killed 3, including a young girl. The Ukrainian president spoke of how the […]

Michael Flynn testifies in closed-door meeting with Jan. 6 committee

WASHINGTON — Michael Flynn appeared before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol on Thursday, in response to a subpoena asking him to testify about an Oval Office meeting at which, the panel said, then-President Donald Trump and others discussed seizing voting machines, several people familiar with the matter told NBC […]

As Inflation Soars, So Do Corporate Profits

Consumer prices increased 7.9% in February compared with a year earlier, according to the federal government’s latest estimate, the fastest inflation surge since the early 1980s. But not everybody is feeling the squeeze of higher prices in the same way. While consumer sentiment has cratered, corporate profits have soared as businesses reap the rewards of […]

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StephCast 3-10-21

Trump’s plane forced to make an emergency landing: report

Politico reported Wednesday that former President Donald Trump’s plane was forced to make an emergency landing after leaving a Republican Party donor retreat in New Orleans over the weekend. The Trump plane took off for Mar-a-Lago and was in the air somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes when one of the engines failed. The pilot […]

Jan. 6 committee scores big legal win over John Eastman as judge says he’ll review emails

The House Select Committee investigating the January 6th riots at the United States Capitol scored a big win in its dispute with notorious “coup memo” attorney John Eastman. United States District Judge for the Central District of California David O. Carter on Wednesday said he would review Eastman’s emails to determine the validity of his […]

Zelensky Makes Desperate Plea For International Help After Russia Bombs Children’s Hospital: ‘You Seem To Be Losing Humanity’

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky shared grim footage of what he says is what is left of a children’s hospital in Mariupol after it was hit by a Russian airstrike. Ukraine’s regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Wednesday that the airstrike was during an agreed ceasefire that was meant to allow the evacuation of civilians from […]

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StephCast 3-9-21

Ukraine Refugee Count Reaches A Staggering 2 Million In Escape From Russian Invasion

GENEVA — The number of refugees fleeing Ukraine reached 2 million on Tuesday, according to the United Nations, the fastest exodus Europe has seen since World War II. “Today the outflow of refugees from Ukraine reaches two million people. Two million,” Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, wrote on Twitter. The update came […]

Infamous MAGA rioter found guilty of all charges after his son testified against him at blockbuster trial

‘Traitors get shot’: Capitol rioter accused of threatening kids could become first to stand trial After just a few hours, Texan Guy Reffitt was found guilty on all charges for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. His case was the first among the hundreds to not do a plea deal […]

Longtime Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio charged with conspiracy in Jan. 6 attack on Capitol

Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, a leader of the extremist group the Proud Boys, has been indicted on a conspiracy charge in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. Tarrio, 38, who lives in Miami, joins Oath Keeper founder Stewart Rhodes as the two most […]

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StephCast 3-8-22

Ukraine Accuses Russia Of ‘Medieval Siege’ Tactics

LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia announced yet another limited cease-fire and the establishment of safe corridors to allow civilians to flee some besieged Ukrainian cities Monday. But the evacuation routes led mostly to Russia and its ally Belarus, drawing withering criticism from Ukraine and others. Ukrainian officials accused Moscow of resorting to “medieval siege” tactics […]

Russia Snubs UN Court Hearings In Case Brought By Ukraine

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Russia has snubbed a hearing at the United Nations’ top court into a legal bid by Kyiv to halt Moscow’s devastating invasion of Ukraine. A row of seats reserved for Russian lawyers at the International Court of Justice was empty Monday morning as the hearing opened. The court’s president, American […]

Supreme Court Rejects Legal Theory That Would Eviscerate Voting Rights – For Now

Republicans in North Carolina had asked the court to strike down a map drawn by state courts after finding that the original map passed by the Republican legislature was an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander under the state constitution. In Pennsylvania, Republicans wanted to strike down a state court-drawn map implemented after Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed […]

There Is No Excuse for Failure to Charge Trump for His Role on January 6

The Justice Department cannot be so afraid of losing a case—or of political blowback—it fails to do its duty. Mar 7, 2022 That filing that the lawyers for the congressional committee looking into the events of January 6 dropped in court last week, part of the committee’s continuing effort to get John Eastman to turn […]

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StephCast M 3-7-21

Putin’s U.S. Stooges Must Be Called Out

I gotta admit one thought that passed through my mind after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I wondered what would happen if Putin did succeed in winning quickly, if he came in and Ukraine surrendered and it was over in a day, as he had delusionally hoped, thus affirming the […]

DeSantis bullies teenagers and the press plays dumb

Barrelling into camera view at full speed on Wednesday, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis lit into a group of assembled Tampa area students from Middleton High School who were selected to stand behind him while he announced a $20 million investment in cybersecurity workforce education. With his voice raised and his index finger pointed, he bullied and […]

Trump muses about a really bad — and evidently illegal — idea to bomb Russia using Chinese flags

As Russia was ramping up its invasion of Ukraine, former president Donald Trump chose the moment to hail President Vladimir Putin’s moves as “savvy” and “genius.” Now the military strategist former president has weighed in with his own idea for what the United States could do next. And it’s … something. At a speech in […]

American Express, Netflix, TikTok Join Growing List of Companies Suspending Business Operations in Russia

American Express, Netflix, and TikTok have joined a long and comprehensive list of companies who have suspended their business operations in Russia in response to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy Asked For More Lethal Aid, No-Fly Zone In Call With U.S. Congress

Experts have warned that a no-fly zone would amount to a U.S. declaration of war against nuclear-armed Russia.

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SM Happy Hour Videocast 3-4-22 with Jacki Schechner & Jill Wine-Banks

https://www.stephaniemiller.com/hhvideo/SMHH-3-4-2022_Schechner_WineBanks-NSFW.mp4Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

StephCast F 3-4-22

Justice Department ‘going after Putin’s cronies and Russian oligarchs’

A top Justice Department official has a stern warning for Russian oligarchs who attempt to evade U.S. sanctions: Nobody is out of the DOJ’s reach. “The point of going after Putin’s cronies and Russian oligarchs who seek to violate our laws and shield their assets is to say that nobody is beyond the reach of […]

Jan. 6 Committee Subpoenas Kimberly Guilfoyle, Don Jr.’s Girlfriend

The House Jan. 6 committee on Thursday subpoenaed Kimberly Guilfoyle, the girlfriend of former President Donald Trump’s eldest son who was in the Oval Office at the time Trump held his final conversation with his vice president trying to make Mike Penceoverturn the election for him. Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson said Guilfoyle’s presence in the […]

Russian forces seize key Ukrainian nuclear plant after shelling sparks fire amid southern gains

Russian forces took control of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant Friday after shelling sparked a fire and fears of nuclear meltdown. The blaze at the Zaporizhzhia plant, located in Ukraine’s southeast, was extinguished early Friday but not before it spread fears of catastrophic fallout across the continent. The crisis came as Russian forces made gains […]

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StephCast Th 3-3-22

FL Gov. Ron DeSantis bullied a group of high school students for wearing masks

Ron DeSantis is apparently not above scolding high school students to make his, uh, point about Covid-19. The Florida Republican governor approached a group of students wearing masks who were standing behind a podium at the University of South Florida, where he was scheduled for a news conference Wednesday.   “You do not have to […]

1 million flee Ukraine as Russian assault hits key cities and fuels exodus

One million people have fled Ukraine in a rapid exodus after a week of war, with Russia’s military bombarding key cities across the country in an effort to overcome staunch resistance to their invasion. The conflict has fueled a growing humanitarian crisis in Europe and left those who have remained in Ukraine facing an intensifying […]

Trump Engaged In ‘Criminal Conspiracy’ Says Jan. 6 Committee

The House Committee investigating the U.S. Capitol insurrection said Wednesday night that its evidence shows former President Donald Trump and his associates engaged in a “criminal conspiracy” to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the presidential election, spread false information about it and pressured state officials to overturn the results. The committee made the […]

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StephCast W 3-2-22

Abbott, O’Rourke to face off in Texas governor’s race after yesterday’s primary elections

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will face Democrat Beto O’Rourke this fall in his bid for a third term in November after the two won their respective primaries, NBC News projects. Abbott, a Republican, faced several challengers on his right but was able to easily secure the nomination, thanks in part to the support of former […]

Biden uses State of the Union to push “unity agenda” and says Russia will pay “high price” for Ukraine invasion

In a State of the Union speech that brought both houses of Congress back to the Capitol, President Biden emphasized what unites the country while trying to reassure Americans worried about the Ukraine crisis, inflation and gas prices that “we are going to be OK.”  But it wasn’t all unity and bipartisan support: Mr. Biden […]

Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky vows to hold fast as Russia’s forces advance and Putin’s missiles rain down

Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that almost 6,000 members of Russia’s invading force had been killed as Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked war against Ukraine hit the one-week mark. Zelensky vowed that Russia would not topple his government by pummeling Ukraine’s cities and civilians with missiles, but with pressure from unprecedented international sanctions against Moscow swelling […]

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StephCast 3-1-22

GOP leaders condemn Greene, Gosar for attending white nationalist event

Days after GOP Reps. Paul Gosar and Marjorie Taylor Greene appeared at an event organized by a white nationalist, Republican party leaders are condemning them for attending. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell released a statement Monday criticizing white supremacist hate. “There’s no place in the Republican Party for white supremacists or anti-Semitism,” McConnell said in […]

Ukraine, economy to take center stage in Biden’s State of the Union address tonight

It was one of the most consequential weeks of President Joe Biden’s presidency, and it came right before his first State of the Union address to Congress. Biden’s 9 p.m. ET speech, to be carried live on national television and seen around the world, will be delivered just days after Russia invaded Ukraine – and […]

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Russian convoy closes in on Kyiv as Ukraine cities face intense shelling

A 40-mile long Russian military convoy moved toward Kyiv Tuesday, threatening Ukraine’s capital as increasingly heavy shelling hit major cities across the country. U.S. officials said they feared Russian President Vladimir Putin, frustrated by his military’s struggles in Ukraine, may see an escalation of violence as his only option. Facing fierce resistance on the ground, […]

Charlie Pierce: Millions of Kids Are Back in Poverty Because Joe Manchin Bought the Wingnut Clichés

The pandemic forced upon the savants of the American economy an uncomfortable truth. For all the talk of bootstraps and deficits, hammocks and debt, if you give poor people more money, their lives will generally improve because they will become less poor. This, of course, is a corollary to the shebeen’s First Law of Economics: Fck […]

StephCast M 2-28-22

‘I’ve got morons on my team’: Romney blasts fellow GOP members for attending White nationalist event and supporting Putin

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah on Sunday blasted his fellow GOP members who attended a White nationalist event and those who support Russia President Vladimir Putin as the country invades Ukraine. “Look, there is no place in either political party for this White nationalism or racism. It’s simply wrong … it’s evil as well,” […]

Capitol ditches mask requirement ahead of State of the Union

Face coverings are now optional for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address Tuesday, as Congress is lifting its mask requirement on the House floor after federal regulators eased guidelines last week in a rethinking of the nation’s strategy to adapt to living with a more manageable COVID-19. Congress’ Office of the Attending Physician […]

Ukraine pushes for cease-fire in Russia talks as fighting rages and sanctions hit Putin’s economy

Russian and Ukrainian officials were set to sit down for talks on Monday even as fighting raged around key Ukrainian cities and Russian President Vladimir Putin confronted the fallout from Western sanctions. Ukraine said that it would push for an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops from the country. Its delegation for the […]

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Harry Litman: The consequential — and inconsequential — nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court

Over the course of 29 days since Justice Stephen G. Breyer announced his retirement from the Supreme Court, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson assumed the front-runner’s position to replace him. On Friday morning President Biden named her his nominee, and if confirmed she will become the first Black woman on the court. Jackson, 51, is not […]

Eric Boehlert: Stop whitewashing GOP’s Putin worship

American politicians cheerleading a dictator as he sends tanks into a neighboring country and bombs a sovereign nation ought to be a huge news story. The fact that portions of a major U.S. political party, and its aligned media outlets, sanction Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine represents a stunning turning point for the Republican Party […]

The Rude Pundit: The GOP Put Out “An 11-Point Plan to Save America” and It’s Hysterical Hysteria

Perhaps reacting to the fact that the Republican Party has given up on everything to do with actually governing, choosing, instead, to become a cabal devoted to fake outrage and outdated ideas of morality, Sen. Rick “This Fucking Skull of Doom Will Haunt Your Dreams” Scott has put out a pamphlet titled “An 11-Point Plan to Save […]

Putin orders nuclear deterrent forces on high alert; Ukraine agrees to talks with Russia

President Vladimir Putin on Sunday ordered Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces to be on high alert, ratcheting up tensions to a new high as Ukraine agreed to talks with Russian officials in neighboring Belarus after initially rejecting the idea. In a statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and agreed to meet […]

Biden introduces Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as Supreme Court nominee

President Joe Biden announced Friday that he will nominate Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, to succeed Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court. “For too long our government, our courts, haven’t looked like America,” Biden said in an event at the White House. “I […]

Ukraine’s leader defiant as Kyiv holds firm against Russian attacks

The Ukrainian government was still in control of its capital city Kyiv Saturday after a night of explosions and fighting in the streets and a senior United States defense official said the Russian assaultcontinued to be stymied by stiffer-than-expected resistance. Russian forces are less than 20 miles away from Kyiv but have been unable to […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 02-25-22 Glenn Kirschner & Malcolm Nance

StephCast F 2-25-22

Biden announces new measures in response to Russian invasion of Ukraine

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced what he characterized as harsh new round of sanctions against Russia, just hours after Moscow launched an attack against Ukraine, plunging Europe into one of its gravest security crises since World War II. Speaking from the White House, Biden criticized President Vladimir Putin for his “naked aggression against Ukraine” […]

Explosions rock Ukraine’s capital as Russian forces advance on Kyiv

Ukraine’s capital was rocked by explosions Friday as a Russian advance left its residents and leaders bracing for the city to be overrun. Invading Russian troops bore down on Kyiv despite a desperate day of Ukrainian defense in which hundreds of its troops were killed and injured. Explosions and the wail of air-raid sirens sounded before dawn in the city […]

Republicans At CPAC Would Rather Talk About The Southern Border Than Ukraine

As Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Thursday, Republicans at CPAC, the annual gathering of the nation’s top conservatives, were mostly silent on the rapidly worsening situation in Eastern Europe. Instead, they wanted to talk about the U.S.-Mexico border. “We are in the process of getting money from the legislature so that if Biden is dropping […]

CDC To Significantly Ease Pandemic Mask Guidelines Friday

The Biden administration will significantly loosen federal mask-wearing guidelines to protect against COVID-19 transmission on Friday, according to two people familiar with the matter, meaning most Americans will no longer be advised to wear masks in indoor public settings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday will announce a change to the metrics […]

StephCast Th 2-24-22

National Guard to help DC control traffic for truck convoys

The Pentagon has approved the deployment of 700 unarmed National Guard troops to the nation’s capital as it prepares for trucker convoys that are planning protests against pandemic restrictions beginning next week. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the request Tuesday from the District of Columbia government and the U.S. Capitol Police, the Pentagon said in […]

Two top prosecutors investigating Trump Organization resign

Two top prosecutors involved in a criminal investigation of former President Donald Trump and his company, the Trump Organization, have resigned from the Manhattan district attorney’s office, a spokesperson for the office said Wednesday. Carey Dunne, who championed the legal fight to get the former president’s tax returns and tax related documents all the way […]

Biden condemns Putin for launching ‘premeditated war,’ vows harsher sanctions

President Joe Biden condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine Wednesday and vowed to impose “severe” new sanctions on Moscow in response. Biden said in a statement that Russian President Vladimir Putin had “chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.” He called the military operation, which Putin announced in […]

Explosions, sirens heard in Kyiv as Russia launches attacks on key Ukrainian cities

Russia launched attacks on multiple cities in Ukraine on Wednesday evening, a decisive escalation after months of military buildup that stirred dire warnings from the United States and its allies. The first blasts rang out just minutes after Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a televised speech saying that he was authorizing military action — warning […]

StephCast W 2-23-22

Biden interviews three finalists for Supreme Court as deadline looms

President Joe Biden has interviewed three finalists for the Supreme Court vacancy that will open up when Justice Stephen Breyer retires later this year, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Biden spoke with two federal judges — Ketanji Brown Jackson and J. Michelle Childs — and California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, the […]

3 white men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery found guilty of hate crimes

The three white men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery, a young Black man, were found guilty of hate crimes and other charges by a federal jury in Georgia on Tuesday. After a day of deliberation, U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood said Tuesday morning that the jury — made up of eight white people, […]

Trump praises Putin’s ‘genius’ as GOP fissures grow on Ukraine crisis

As congressional Republican leaders push President Joe Biden to act more forcefully to punish Vladimir Putinfor sending troops into Ukraine, former GOP President Donald Trump and some of his prominent allies have been praising the Russian leader’s style of power. The fissures point to a growing divide in the Republican Party, between traditional foreign policy […]

Biden announces new sanctions against Russia, says Ukraine is seeing ‘beginning of a Russian invasion’

President Joe Biden announced new sanctions against Russia on Tuesday, warning that President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine this week amounted to “the beginning of a Russian invasion.” “We still believe that Russia is poised to go much further and launch a massive military attack against Ukraine,” Biden said in remarks at the White House. […]

StephCast T 2-22-22

Biden interviews with Supreme Court candidates have begun

President Biden has begun interviewing candidates to succeed Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, according to a source familiar with the process. During his presidential campaign, Mr. Biden vowed to select an African American woman to serve on the high court, arguing such a nomination is long overdue. Top names said to be under consideration include Ketanji Brown Jackson, who […]

US daily death average falls below 2,000 for 1st time in month

The daily average of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. fell below 2,000 for the first time in nearly a month over the weekend. In the last week, the average has declined by about 15.3% to approximately 1,920 virus-related deaths every day. Although the average remains high, experts say deaths are a lagging indicator and the […]

Biden responds with limited sanctions after Putin recognizes breakaway Ukraine regions

President Joe Biden on Monday reacted swiftly to Russian President Vladimir Putin declaring he would recognize the independence of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, possibly using the move as a pretext for an invasion the U.S. has warned was likely coming at any hour. The White House said Biden would soon issue an executive […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin Calls For Ukraine To Break Apart, Escalating Crisis

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that separatist militias that control parts of eastern Ukraine should treat those regions as independent countries — saying he wants to redraw borders in Europe in the most significant way in decades and hinting that he would deploy Russian forces to make that happen. Putin announced his position in […]

Charlie Pierce: The Entire Scummy Infrastructure of Trump’s Business Career Is Beginning to Crumble

New York Attorney General Letitia James has most of the former First Family* halfway up the tree and, on Thursday, most of the former First Family* heard the branches creak ever louder. From CNN: New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron issued his ruling the same day that he held a contentious two-hour hearing over the […]

StephCast M 2-21-22

Trump’s new app, “Truth Social,” begins slow rollout

Donald Trump’s new social media app started a gradual rollout late Sunday and should be “fully operational” by late March, potentially raising the former president’s profile more than a year after he was banned by major platforms. “This week, we will begin to roll out to people on the Apple App store,” said Devin Nunes, […]

Judge says Trump could be culpable for January 6 and says lawsuits against the former President can proceed

Civil lawsuits seeking to hold Donald Trump accountable for the January 6, 2021, insurrection can move forward in court, a federal judge said Friday in a ruling outlining how the former President could conceivably be responsible for inciting the attack on the US Capitol. Trump’s statements to his supporters before the riot “is the essence […]

Queen Elizabeth Tests Positive For COVID-19

Queen Elizabeth has tested positive for COVID-19, Buckingham Palace confirmed in a statement. The palace added that she was “experiencing mild cold like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week.” “She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines,” the palace said. Read the […]

Biden Agrees In Principle To Meet With Putin If Russia Doesn’t Invade Ukraine

Russia on Sunday rescinded earlier pledges to pull tens of thousands of its troops back from Ukraine’s northern border, a move that U.S. leaders said put Russia another step closer to what they said was the planned invasion of Ukraine. Residents of Ukraine’s capital filled a gold-domed cathedral to pray for peace. Russia’s action extends […]

Eric Boehlert: The media and Durham’s corrupt “spying” investigation

Fox News has lost its mind. Again. Looking for a partisan outrage to promote as Covid cases plummet and the U.S. economy continues to soar, Fox News, Trump and the ferocious Right Wing Noise Machine have gone all-in claiming Hillary Clinton’s campaign six years ago “spied” on the Republican candidate. The dreamt-up allegation comes courtesy of special counsel […]

The Rude Pundit: Coming Out of the Pandemic, Some of Us Faster Than Others (and That’s Okay)

Lemme admit something here. I haven’t been the most dedicated Covid warrior. I mean, sure, yeah, I got vaccinated and boosted as soon as I could because you’re just a motherfucking delusional piece of shit if you don’t. And, for a good while, I wore masks pretty devotedly, especially once I found one style that […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 2-18-22 – Judy Tenuta & Jaime Harrison

StephCast F 2-18-22

Police arrest two leaders of trucker protest in Canada’s capital

Hundreds of truckers clogging Canada’s capital stood their ground and defiantly blasted their horns Thursday, even as police arrested two protest leaders and threatened to break up the nearly three-week protest against the country’s Covid-19 restrictions. Busloads of police arrived near Ottawa’s Parliament Hill, and workers put up extra fences around government buildings. Police also […]

California unveils plan to treat coronavirus as manageable risk, marking new phase in pandemic response

California’s governor announced on Thursday that the state will treat the coronavirus as a manageable risk, marking a new phase of its pandemic response as officials look to reach a level of normalcy. “What I think would be a big mistake is we are overly prescriptive in our response metrics to a specific variant or […]

In Ukraine’s volatile east, a day of shelling, outages, fear

Shells struck by the hundreds along the tense front lines in eastern Ukraine, drones monitoring a fragile cease-fire lost their way when the GPS signal they rely on was jammed, and then the cellphone network went dark. In a sliver of land where pro-Russian separatists have battled for years against Ukrainian government forces, a group […]

Judge orders Trump, children to answer questions about their business practices under oath

A New York judge ordered former President Donald Trump and two of his children Thursday to answer questions under oath about the Trump Organization’s business practices in the state attorney general’s civil probe of the company. Lawyers for Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump had sought to quash the subpoenas from Attorney General Letitia […]

StephCast Th 2-17-22

Cruz, other GOP senators oppose no-fly list for convicted unruly passengers

A group of Republican senators sent a letter to the Justice Department on Tuesday to express “strong opposition” to creating a federal no-fly list for unruly passengers, claiming “the majority of recent infractions on airplanes has been in relation to the mask mandate.” Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott of Florida […]

Feds say Oath Keepers plot went beyond Jan. 6 attack on Capitol

A federal judge on Wednesday expressed skepticism about releasing the founder of the right-wing Oath Keepers organization ahead of his trial on seditious conspiracy charges in connection with the Jan. 6 riot, as prosecutors revealed new evidence about the plot and how it extended beyond the U.S. Capitol attack. Elmer Stewart Rhodes III was arrested […]

Biden tells National Archives to hand over Trump White House visitor logs to Jan. 6 committee

President Joe Biden has directed the National Archives to send White House visitor logs from the Trump administration to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Former President Donald Trump was trying to block the release of the records, but White House counsel Dana Remus said in a letter to […]

Russia adds 7,000 troops to Ukraine border, despite claims it would withdraw some forces, U.S. says

No Russian troops were withdrawn from the border with Ukraine, a senior Biden administration official told reporters Wednesday night, disputing Moscow’s claim that it was pulling back some forces. “We now know it was false,” the official said, adding that as many as 7,000 troops have joined the 150,000 already near the border in recent […]

StephCast W 2-16-22

Sandy Hook families reach historic $73M settlement with gunmaker Remington

Relatives of nine victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre have reached a $73 million settlement with Remington, concluding a lawsuit that saw a gun manufacturer for the first time face potential liability following a mass shooting in the United States. The landmark victory comes after a protracted legal battle over how Remington marketed […]

Biden says US ready to give ‘diplomacy every chance to succeed’ in defusing Russia-Ukraine crisis

President Joe Biden on Tuesday made an appeal for diplomacy to continue as the world watches to see if Russian President Vladimir Putin orders an invasion of neighboring Ukraine, but also warned that a Russian attack on Ukraine will “be met with overwhelming international condemnation.” In a speech at the White House, Biden said to […]

Jury Rejects Sarah Palin’s Defamation Claim Against The New York Times

A jury decided against former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Tuesday after a two-week civil trial to determine whether a New York Times editorial linking her with a mass shooting was defamatory under the law. “Of course I’m disappointed,” Palin told reporters as she walked to a large SUV parked outside a Manhattan courthouse. She […]

Court Fight Looms As Questions Swirl Over Trump’s Finances

Questions about Donald Trump’s business practices are piling up. Whether the former president is forced to answer any of them under oath could be decided in a matter of days. New York’s attorney general will go to court Thursday seeking to enforce a subpoena for Trump’s testimony in a civil investigation she says uncovered evidence […]

StephCast T 2-15-22

Former RNC Chair Writes Scathing Letter to Ronna McDaniel, Urges her to Withdraw Cheney-Kinzinger Censure

Racicot notes in the letter “that confronting you and the Committee with the thoughts and observations contained herein is not something, for me, easily done.” “I would never have imagined that the day would come when the chair of the Republican National Committee and its members would rebuke and desert two GOP members of the […]

Justin Trudeau invokes emergency powers to quell trucker protests in Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked emergency powers Monday to quell the protests by truck drivers and others who have paralyzed Ottawa and blocked border crossings in anger over the country’s Covid-19 restrictions. In invoking Canada’s Emergencies Act, which gives the federal government broad powers to restore order, Trudeau ruled out using the military. Read […]

Russia says some troops returning to bases from near Ukraine amid invasion fears

Russia said Tuesday that some of its troops gathered near Ukrainewere returning to their bases, although Kyiv said it was too early to tell whether this signaled any de-escalation in a crisis that the West has warned could see Moscow invade its neighbor any day. The Russian defense ministry said some units of its southern […]

Accounting Firm Drops Trump Organization As Client Amid New York AG’s Investigation

Former President Donald Trump’s longtime accounting firm has dropped the family business as its client amid New York prosecutors’ multiple escalating investigations into whether Trump overvalued his assets in financial statements. On Feb. 9, accounting firm Mazars USA’s William Kelly sent a letter to Trump Organization executive vice president and chief legal officer Alan Garten […]

Charlie Pierce: The One Thing That’s Certain Is That the People of Ukraine Want to Govern Themselves

You may have noticed that the shebeen has been quiet on the subject of what’s been happening in what we used to call the “Eastern Bloc.” Frankly, I’m inclined to leave the analysis to people far more qualified than I am to discuss it. Most of what I know about the modern relationship between Ukraine […]

StephCast M 2-14-22

Los Angeles Rams come back to win Super Bowl LVI 23-20 in front of hometown crowd

The Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl LVI 23-20 in front of a home crowd Sunday in a heartbreaker for a Cincinnati Bengals team brimming with young talent. It was the Rams’ first Super Bowl championship as an L.A. team and its second in franchise history. Including the pre-Super Bowl era, the franchise has won […]

Ambassador Bridge reopens between U.S. and Canada

The Ambassador Bridge, a crucial roadway for U.S.-Canadian trade, reopened late Sunday after authorities cleared a weekend blockade mounted by protesters unhappy about vaccine mandates. The Detroit International Bridge Company, the owner and operator of the structure, said in a statement that the bridge was again “allowing the free flow of commerce between the Canada […]

Over 130,000 Russian Troops Now Staged Outside Ukraine, U.S. Estimates

Some airlines canceled flights to the Ukrainian capital and troops there unloaded fresh shipments of weapons from NATO members Sunday, as its president sought to project confidence in the face of U.S. warnings of possible invasion within days by a growing number of Russian forces. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to President Joe Biden for about […]

Rudy Giuliani Reportedly In Talks To Testify Before Jan. 6 Committee

Donald Trump’s longtime friend and former personal attorney Rudy Giuliani is in discussions about testifying before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, The New York Times reported Saturday, citing three unnamed sources. The former New York City mayor was subpoenaed by the committee last month along with three Trump campaign attorneys involved […]

Eric Boehlert: How Trump gets away with shredding everything

We just witnessed another textbook example this week of how Trump gets away with bending rules in his favor, and without having to pay a price from the press or the Beltway establishment. It’s maddening to watch and it highlights just how unprepared D.C. institutions still are in terms of dealing with an unapologetic authoritarian […]

The Rude Pundit: Why Those Saying AG Garland Needs to Act Soon on Trump Aren’t Wrong

The podcast Wild Things: Siegfried & Roy is a genuinely fascinating look into the lives of the illusionists who had a long-running Las Vegas show performing magic with their white tigers. The focus of the podcast is the night in October 2003 when one of the tigers attacked Roy Horn during a performance at the Mirage Hotel, almost […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 2-11-22 – Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) & Elie Mystal

StephCast F 2-11-22

Judge rebukes RNC’s ‘legitimate political discourse’ language at Jan. 6 sentencing

A federal judge on Thursday directly rebuked the Republican National Committee’s resolution that declared the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol “legitimate political discourse” as she sentenced a man convicted of punching two officers during the assault to six months in prison. “It is not ‘legitimate political discourse,’ and it is not justified to […]

Trump denies reports of clogging White House toilets by flushing wads of paper

Former President Trump reportedly clogged White House toilets by flushing wads of paper that could have included potentially damaging government documents, another sign of his lack of respect for preserving records. Quoting unnamed aides, New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman unearthed the detail in her new investigative book, “Confidence Man,” which traces Trump’s history from […]

Biden says he has done ‘deep dive’ on 4 possible Supreme Court candidates

President Joe Biden said Thursday that he’s done a “deep dive” on four potential candidates to succeed Justice Stephen Breyer on the US Supreme Court, but he declined to name any of the prospective nominees. “I’ve taken about four people and done the deep dive on them, meaning thorough background checks, to see if there’s […]

Biden warns Americans in Ukraine to leave, says sending troops to evacuate would be ‘world war’

President Joe Biden issued a warning Thursday to any Americans who remain in Ukraine as Russia continues to threaten an invasion: Leave. “American citizens should leave now,” Biden said in an interview with NBC News anchor Lester Holt. “It’s not like we’re dealing with a terrorist organization. We’re dealing with one of the largest armies […]

StephCast Th 2-10-22

National Archives seeks Justice Department investigation of Trump’s handling of White House documents

The National Archives has asked the Department of Justice to investigate former President Donald Trump‘s handling of White House records, according to a source familiar with the matter. The source said the Archives is seeking a review of whether Trump violated the Presidential Records Act, which requires that all records created by presidents be turned […]

Governors dropping mask mandates preempts White House efforts to ‘move forward’

The White House began assembling a pandemic exit strategy for the nation in recent weeks, pulling together health experts and aides to develop what one top official described as a plan “to keep the country moving forward.” But the top-level push by the Biden administration was preempted by a chorus of Democratic governors this week […]

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene warns of Nancy Pelosi’s ‘gazpacho police’

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who has become known for her love of conspiracy theories and angry outbursts at Democratic leaders, apparently meant to accuse House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Gestapo police tactics in an interview Tuesday. But it didn’t quite come out that way, and the mistake she made immediately set off a chorus […]

Trucker protest could begin on Super Bowl Sunday in Los Angeles, officials warn

Officials are warning that a trucker convoy could disrupt the Super Bowl this weekend near Los Angeles and make its way to Washington, D.C., for the State of the Union, according to a Department of Homeland Security bulletin obtained by NBC News. The bulletin, which described the possible protest as “aspirational,” said the convoy could […]

StephCast W 2-9-22

COVID-19 protests threaten border trade between Canada, US

Canadian lawmakers expressed increasing worry Tuesday about the economic effects of disruptive demonstrations after the busiest border crossing between the U.S. and Canada became partially blocked by truckers protesting vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 restrictions. The blockade at the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, prevented traffic from entering Canada while some U.S.-bound traffic […]

Rep. Joyce Beatty says Rep. Hal Rogers poked her and said ‘kiss my a**’ after she asked him to put on a mask

Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio said Tuesday that Republican Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky poked her in the back and told her “kiss my a**” after she asked him to wear a mask before boarding the US Capitol’s subway system. Beatty, who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, said in a string of tweets, “Today, […]

North Carolina elections board says it has power to disqualify Rep. Cawthorn from running over January 6

The North Carolina State Board of Elections said on Monday that it has the power to block GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn from running for reelection over his role in the January 6 insurrection — an open legal question at the center of liberal-backed efforts to disqualify him from future office. The bipartisan election board made […]

Mitch McConnell Rebukes RNC Over Censures Of Liz Cheney And Adam Kinzinger

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday rebuked the Republican National Committee over its censure of Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) last week. “The issue is whether or not the RNC should be sort of singling out members of our party who may have different views from the majority. That’s not […]

StephCast T 2-8-22

It ‘Would Be Wise’ For Americans To Leave Ukraine, Says Biden

President Joe Biden said Monday “it would be wise” for Americans other than essential diplomats to leave Ukraine amid the Russian military threat. Biden made his comments during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the White House, shortly after the two leaders met for talks about the simmering crisis. The State […]

California to roll back mask mandate after current rules expire next week

California will end its indoor masking requirement for vaccinated people next week but masks still are the rule for schoolchildren, state health officials announced Monday amid rapidly falling coronavirus cases. After February 15, unvaccinated people still will be required to be masked indoors, and everyone — vaccinated or not — will have to wear masks […]

National Archives says Trump took 15 boxes of White House records to Florida

Former President Donald Trump had to return 15 boxes of documents that were improperly taken from the White House, the National Archives said Monday. “In mid-January 2022, NARA (National Archives and Records Administration) arranged for the transport from the Trump Mar-a-Lago property in Florida to the National Archives of 15 boxes that contained Presidential records, […]

Supreme Court allows Alabama voting maps that advocates say disenfranchise Black voters

In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court cleared the way Monday for Alabama to use its new congressional district map even though a lower court said it violated the Voting Rights Act by denying Black voters a new district. The court granted a request from Alabama Republicans to put a hold on the lower court […]

Charlie Pierce: Liz Cheney Is About to Find Out How Little Clout There Is in the Greenrooms of the Republic

I know I should be disgusted, but now, I’m just amused. From the Washington Post: As the party met in Salt Lake City this week, the leaders of the Wyoming GOP privately signed a special letter that would allow the national party to financially support Harriet Hageman, Cheney’s primary challenger. The letter officially recognizes Hageman as […]

StephCast M 2-7-22

Biden takes victory lap with January jobs report

President Joe Biden sounded a triumphant note Friday after the monthly jobs report came in significantly above expectations. “America’s job machine is going stronger than ever,” Biden said at the White House. Employers in the U.S. added roughly 467,000 jobs in January and the numbers for November and December were revised significantly upward — an […]

Kinzinger Rips Rubio for Saying Aim of Jan. 6 Probe to ‘Harass’ Republicans

Representative Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican, knocked Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, after the latter argued that the House select committee investigating the pro-Trump January 6, 2021 attack against the U.S. Capitol aims to “smear” and “harass” Republicans. Kinzinger, a staunch critic of former President Donald Trump, serves as one of two Republicans on […]

Biden to meet with German chancellor, urge united front amid tensions with Russia

President Joe Biden will welcome German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to the White House Monday at a critical time for the leaders as tensions with Russia persist. While the Biden administration has warned for weeks that Russia will face “severe” consequences if it invades Ukraine, Germany has often opted for a softer response, refusing to send […]

Mike Pence’s Ex-Chief Of Staff Says Trump Aides Were Like ‘Snake Oil Salesmen’

Former Vice President Mike Pence’s ex-chief of staff, Marc Short, on Sunday defended him in his escalating spat with Donald Trump over a vice president’s role in certifying an election. “I think, unfortunately, the president had many bad advisors who were basically snake oil salesmen, giving him really random and novel ideas as to what […]

Glenn Kirschner: Will Trump run in 2024? How the DOJ could boost his bid

In the nearly 13 months since the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, hundreds of Americans — the foot soldiers of the insurrection — have been criminally indicted. However, not a single member of the insurrection’s suspected command structure, the planners and plotters, the organizers and funders, the orchestrators and inciters, has been charged. And it’s still unclear whether […]

Eric Boehlert: Zucker’s CNN legacy — selling drama over news

News that Jeff Zucker, CNN’s longtime, larger-than-life chief, has been forced out for failing to disclose a consensual relationship he was having with a colleague, signals the end of an era for the all-news channel. One of the most celebrated TV programmers of his generation — he was “Today’s” executive producer at age 26 — Zucker leaves […]

The Rude Pundit: Jailing Donald Trump Until He Faces Trial Is the Best Thing for the Country (Part 1)

It’s genuinely shocking to realize how much of the American electoral process is less about laws and codified procedures and more about elected officials not being dicks. Think about it: The whole idea of a “peaceful transfer of power” is that the loser isn’t a dick about it. What we’ve learned since the 2020 election […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 2-4-22 / Cliff Schecter & Frank Figliuzzi

StephCast F 2-4-22

Pence aides decline to talk about direct conversations with Trump even as they answer other questions

Top aides to Vice President Mike Pence did not discuss direct conversations with former President Donald Trump over several hours of questioning in recent interviews with the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, three sources familiar with the probe tell CNN. The aides, Marc Short and Greg Jacob, drew that line on what […]

U.S. reveals Russian plot to use fake video as pretense for Ukraine invasion

The U.S. has revealed new intelligence of a Russian plot to use a phony video as a pretext for an invasion of Ukraine. Senior administration officials said Thursday that the U.S. believes Russia has already recruited players to stage a propaganda video depicting “graphic scenes of a staged false explosion with corpses, actors depicting mourners, […]

President Biden, NYC Mayor Eric Adams release plans to curb gun violence

With gun violence on the rise in major cities across the country, including New York City, elected officials are scrambling to come up with solutions. President Joe Biden and New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently released their own proposals to reduce gun violence. On Thursday, the two met with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul […]

Pence To Rebut Trump’s ‘Could Have Overturned The Election’ Lie In Orlando Speech

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday is expected to rebut, again, claims by Donald Trump that Pence “could have overturned the election” to let Trump remain in power despite having lost in 2020 by more than 7 million votes. Pence had already been scheduled to speak at the conservative Federalist Society’s conference in Florida, […]

StephCast Th 2-3-22

US military carries out counterterrorism mission in northwest Syria

The Pentagon has confirmed that U.S. special operations forces carried out a “successful” counterterrorism mission in northwest Syria Wednesday, but provided few other details. “U.S. Special Operations forces under the control of U.S. Central Command conducted a counterterrorism mission this evening in northwest Syria. The mission was successful. There were no U.S. casualties,” said John […]