Archives

New Grand Jury Seated As Trump Criminal Probe Continues

New York prosecutors investigating former President Donald Trump’s business dealings have convened a new grand jury to hear evidence in the probe as the previous panel’s term was set to run out, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press Thursday. The development comes as the Manhattan district attorney’s office is weighing whether […]

House plans Friday votes on Biden’s safety net and infrastructure bills

President Joe Biden called numerous House lawmakers on Thursday to help rally support for his legislative agenda, four sources familiar with the matter told NBC News, as Democratic leaders laid the groundwork for Friday votes on both a social safety net bill and an infrastructure package that would cap months of internal party negotiations. A […]

Stephcast 11-04-21

House Democrats Add Paid Leave To Build Back Better Act, Move Toward Vote

WASHINGTON ― House Democrats are including four weeks of paid family and medical leave in their version of the Build Back Better Act, as leaders negotiate their way to a vote on the spending and tax bill as well as a bipartisan infrastructure bill. The House Rules Committee would start the process Wednesday for an […]

Senate Republicans block John Lewis voting rights bill in key vote

(CNN) — Senate Republicans blocked the John Lewis Voting Rights Act from advancing on Wednesday when the Senate took a procedural vote on whether to open debate on the legislation. The final tally was 50 to 49 with GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voting with Democrats in favor. The John Lewis voting bill that […]

At Least 8 Republicans Who Were At The Jan. 6 Rally Just Got Elected To Office

At least eight Republicans who attended the Jan. 6 rally in Washington, D.C., that turned into a deadly insurrection were elected to office Tuesday. Three were elected to state legislatures, and five won positions at the local level. Although most have claimed they didn’t breach the U.S. Capitol on that day, all were participants in […]

Biden urges swift action as Democrats scramble to deflect voter anger

President Biden urged Democrats on Wednesday to swiftly pass his domestic agenda after an off-year electoral wipeout highlighted the fragile state of the party’s electoral majorities in the House and Senate. But a new round of bitter recriminations threatened to dash Democratic hopes of quickly moving past the stinging defeats. Scrambling to make sense of […]

Stephcast 11-03-21

Republican Glenn Youngkin wins Virginia governor’s race

RICHMOND — Virginia voters chose Republican Glenn Youngkin as their next governor, dramatic reversal for a state that had appeared solidly Democratic in recent years and a significant loss for President Biden and the party’s establishment. Former Democratic governor Terry McAuliffe came up short in his bid to become only the second Virginia governor since […]

A C.D.C. panel recommends Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine for children ages 5 to 11.

Scientific advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday unanimously endorsed the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for use in children aged 5 through 11 in the United States, a move that will buttress defenses against a possible surge as winter arrives and ease the worries of tens of millions of pandemic-weary parents. If […]

Revised voting rights bill named for John Lewis wins over one GOP senator

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Tuesday she would join Senate Democrats in backing a compromise voting rights bill, marking the first time this year a Republican has signed on to a measure that likely still lacks enough GOP support to become law.Murkowski, of Alaska, joined Democrats Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Richard J. Durbin of Illinois […]

Trump urges judge to slow down Jan. 6 investigators’ access to records

“This Court should refuse to allow Defendants’ naked political ploy and preserve the institution of the presidency,” Trump’s attorney said. Chutkan has called a hearing in the matter on Thursday. The National Archives has filed its own brief, authored by Justice Department attorneys, detailing the documents that Trump wants to withhold from investigators. They include […]

Stephcast 11-02-21

House Progressives Reverse Course, Say They’ll Vote For Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill After Manchin’s Press Conference

Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) said on Monday that members will vote for a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill despite no assurance from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) that he will vote for a separate $1.75 trillion reconciliation bill. “The president says he can get 51 votes for the bill,” Jayapal told Andrea Mitchell […]

NYPD Union claimed NYC vaccine mandate would force ‘10,000’ officers off the streets — in reality it’s just 34

On Thursday the union representing 50,000 current and former New York City Police Dept. officers claimed Mayor de Blasio’s vaccine mandate would force “10,000” officers off the streets. According to the NYPD Police Commissioner, that number is actually just 34. “NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea noted that only 34 police officers have been placed on unpaid […]

Supreme Court Justices Appear Open To Allowing Challenges To Texas Abortion Law

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Monday over Texas’ hotly debated abortion ban, and although it could be days or weeks before the court issues a ruling, justices who will cast key votes on the issue signaled apprehension over the law’s wider implications. Conservative justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, who both tend to […]

Jan. 6 insurrection: The Washington Post’s investigation of the causes, cost and aftermath

Law enforcement officials did not respond with urgency to a cascade of warnings about violence on Jan. 6 Alerts were raised by local officials, FBI informants, social media companies, former national security officials, researchers, lawmakers and tipsters. The FBI received numerous warnings about Jan. 6 but felt many of the threatening statements were “aspirational” and […]

There’s One Thing Missing from the Washington Post’s Massive January 6 Report

Tous les ‘Toobz were abuzz this weekend over the massive Washington Post investigation into the January 6 insurrection. It is indeed a vast and impressive performance by the newspaper. It pretty much closes down dozens of alibis and soft explanations. No, this wasn’t a spontaneous event. Yes, it was carefully orchestrated by people close to the former president*. […]

Stephcast 11-01-21

During Jan. 6 riot, Trump attorney told Pence team the vice president’s inaction caused attack on Capitol

As Vice President Mike Pence hid from a marauding mob during the Jan. 6 invasion of the Capitol, an attorney for President Donald Trump emailed a top Pence aide to say that Pence had caused the violence by refusing to block certification of Trump’s election loss. The attorney, John C. Eastman, also continued to press […]

Call logs, speech drafts among records Trump is trying to block from Jan. 6 investigators

The former president’s effort to suppress more than 750 pages of records is far broader than previously known, a new court filing reveals. Chutkan is slated to hold a hearing on Trump’s bid to block access to his records on Thursday. She’s been among the most outspoken judges on the federal bench in Washington, D.C., […]

FDA Approves Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine For Children Ages 5 To 11

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 shot for children ages 5 to 11, paving the way for 28 million children to get vaccinated in the U.S. The federal agency announced its approval on an emergency use basis on Friday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee will next meet […]

Critical race theory fight exposes massive journalism failure

Trying to pull off an upset in the Virginia governor’s race next week, Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin continues his push with an unlikely pledge at the center of his campaign: If elected he would immediately ban the teaching of critical race theory in Commonwealth classrooms. His promise to voters has produced nonstop media coverage, as the […]

The GOP Supports Death Threats Against Officials They Disagree With

At yesterday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with Attorney General Merrick Garland, it became clear that for the Republican Party, threats of death and violence against elected officials at every level of government are not only acceptable, but that to speak out in even the mildest way deserves hysterical over-reaction calculated to cause officials to receive even more […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 10-29-21 with Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Eric Swalwell

StephCast Fri 10-29-21

Here’s What’s In And Out Of Biden’s Build Back Better Compromise Deal

President Joe Biden says he has struck a deal with the most conservative members of the Senate to move forward with a $1.75 trillion spending and tax bill — a legislative package meant to reflect the biggest pillars of his agenda. When Biden says he wants to Build Back Better, this is the bill he’s […]

Chief federal judge in D.C. assails ‘almost schizophrenic’ Jan. 6 prosecutions: ‘The rioters were not mere protesters’

The chief judge presiding over the federal court in Washington on Thursday unleashed a blistering critique of the Justice Department’s prosecution of Capitol rioters, saying fiery rhetoric about the event’s horror did not match plea offers to minor charges. “No wonder parts of the public in the U.S. are confused about whether what happened on […]

Facebook Officially Changes Company Name to… Meta

“The company name is Meta.” “In what way?” “No, that’s the name!” “What is?” “Meta.” “How?” “Listen, the name is Meta.” “You still haven’t told me what’s Meta about it!!!” (Apologies to Abbott and Costello.) Facebook is under a whirlwind of controversy, so they are going with a company-wide rebrand. And the new name they […]

Wall Street Journal Under Fire For Publishing Lie-Filled Letter From Trump

The Wall Street Journal faced backlash Wednesday for publishing a letter to the editor from former President Donald Trump filled with demonstrably false claims about the 2020 election. Responding to a Sunday Wall Street Journal editorial titled “The Election for Pennsylvania’s High Court,” the former president wrote, “Well actually, the election was rigged, which you, […]

StephCast Th 10-28-21

StephCast W 10-27-21

StephCast T 10-26-21

Charlie Pierce: All the Chickens, Kiev and Otherwise, Are Coming Home to Roost

Oh, all the chickens, Kiev and otherwise, are coming home to roost, it seems. First, the FBI raids the home of Oleg Deripaska, Paul Manafort’s old 2016 running buddy. Then, on Friday, Rudy Giuliani’s good tovarich, Lev Parnas, gets convicted in federal court of violating a whole truckload of campaign finance laws on behalf of…well, you know. […]

Mark Zuckerberg Let False Anti-Abortion Video Back On Facebook To Mollify GOP: Report

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg intervened to reinstate a false anti-abortion video to assuage conservative Republican politicians, according to internal company documents Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen provided to Congress that The Financial Times examined. The incident was reportedly one of several instances of Facebook senior executives countermanding company policy to allow American politicians and celebrities to […]

Dr. Anthony Fauci Says 5- To 11-Year-Olds Could Get Pfizer COVID-19 Shot By Early November

COVID-19 vaccines for kids aged 5 to 11 could be available by early next month amid promising study data released by Pfizer and BioNTech, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, made the comments in an interview with ABC’s This Week, shortly after regulators at the Food and Drug Administration […]

White House rejects latest Trump claim of executive privilege

The White House is rejecting more claims of executive privilege from former President Trump over documents requested by the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, directing the National Archives to turn over the Trump-era documents to the committee. In a new letter obtained by The Hill, White House counsel Dana Remuswrote […]

Manchin puts paid family leave, Medicare vouchers on spending bill chopping block

Paid family leave, one of the hallmarks of President Joe Biden’s social safety net agenda, is in jeopardy of being pared once again or even cut from a major spending bill over a lack of support from Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. Manchin, one of two Senate Democrats who have chipped away at Biden’s “Build Back […]

StephCast M 10-25-21

Eric Boehlert: Why the media — and Republicans — owe U.S. workers an apology

When Republicans launched a frontal assault on American workers earlier this year, the press was right there to help them echo their bogus claims. Both should now apologize for smearing the U.S. workforce. Belittling would-be employees for being “lazy” and living off the government dole as generous unemployment payments swelled during the pandemic, conservatives invented […]

Pelosi says Democrats plan to have ‘agreement’ on spending bill and vote on bipartisan infrastructure bill in the next week

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday Democrats are planning to have an “agreement” on a framework for President Joe Biden’s sweeping social safety net plan and a vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill in the next week. “That’s the plan,” she told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.” The goal among Democratic leaders […]

‘Rust’ director told authorities Alec Baldwin was practicing drawing his gun when weapon discharged

The shot that killed a cinematographer on a New Mexico film set last week was fired as actor Alec Baldwin was practicing drawing his gun, according to the director who was injured in the shooting, an affidavit for a search warrant shows. Joel Souza, director of the film “Rust,” was shot in the shoulder and […]

Biden hosts Manchin in Delaware to discuss finalizing spending bill

President Joe Biden hosted critical moderate Sen. Joe Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer at his home in Delaware on Sunday in a push to finalize an agreement on a sweeping economic and climate package, a White House official told CNN. As a critical week for Biden’s agenda begins, the House is looking at […]

Facebook whistleblower documents offer new revelations about Jan. 6 response

The day of the Jan. 6 insurrection, Facebook noticed a rise in social media posts calling for violence and incitement around the certification of the U.S. presidential election result and the storming of the Capitol. How the social media giant prepared for that day, and how it responded to the sudden onslaught of misleading information […]

Happy Hour VideoCast – Hal Sparks and Jill Wine-Banks

StephCast F 10-22-21

Alec Baldwin fired prop gun that killed cinematographer and injured director on “Rust” movie set

One person was killed and another was wounded after Alec Baldwin’s prop firearm discharged on the set of the movie “Rust” on Thursday, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office. Baldwin is starring in and co-producing the Western film.   “The sheriff’s office confirms that two individuals were shot on the set of Rust,” […]

Joe Biden Says Kyrsten Sinema Doesn’t Back Raising ‘A Single Penny’ In Taxes On Wealthy

President Joe Biden on Thursday confirmed that Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) stood in the way of raising taxes on corporations and wealthy Americans as a way to pay for his programs to expand the social safety net and fight climate change. “She’s smart as the devil,” Biden said at a CNN town hall in Maryland. […]

Biden predicts victory in battle over spending megabill as Senate moves toward finish line

President Joe Biden spoke confidently Thursday night about reaching a deal soon with lawmakers to enact his massive social safety net agenda. “I do think I’ll get a deal,” Biden told CNN’s Anderson Cooper during a town hall in Baltimore. Democrats hope to reach an agreement by the end of the week — though lawmakers […]

StephCast Th 10-21-21

Jim Jordan Struggles To Answer House Panel’s Questions About Jan. 6 Trump Calls

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) confirmed on Wednesday to a House panel that he had spoken with then-President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol but contradicted a previous answer about the timeline of calls that day. The House Rules Committee grilled Jordan, a potential witness in the House investigation of the attack, […]

Republicans set to overwhelmingly oppose Bannon criminal contempt referral

The vast majority of House Republicans are expected to oppose an effort to hold Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena, brushing aside concerns about weakening the institution’s future oversight authority and rejecting accusations that they’re trying to block Democrats from getting to the bottom of the January 6 […]

FDA Approves Mixing COVID Vaccines; Backs Moderna, J&J Boosters

U.S. regulators on Wednesday signed off on extending COVID-19 boosters to Americans who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine and said anyone eligible for an extra dose can get a brand different from the one they received initially. The Food and Drug Administration’s decisions mark a big step toward expanding the U.S. booster […]

StephCast W 10-20-21

Booster shots could soon be recommended for people as young as 40, source says

Booster protection in the US could soon expand to a much broader population, as a source says the US government likely will soon recommend them to people as young as 40 who received either Moderna or Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine. “I believe it will happen,” the source familiar with the plan said, adding that there is […]

Democrats abandon free community college as White House warns social safety net bill will shrink below $2T

President Joe Biden told progressive lawmakers Tuesday that the final social spending bill is expected to drop tuition-free community college and curtail the child tax credit program, two sources familiar with the meeting said. The sources said the popular child tax credit is likely to be extended for an additional year. Many Democrats had pushed […]

Jan. 6 Committee Votes To Hold Steve Bannon In Contempt Of Congress

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol voted Tuesday evening to hold Steve Bannon, a former aide to President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress ― a move that could lead to federal criminal charges. The vote was unanimous among the committee’s nine members. “When you think about what we’re […]

StephCast T 10-19-21

Colin Powell, former secretary of state, dies of multiple myeloma coupled with COVID-19 complications

Former secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colin Powell, died Monday morning due to complications from multiple myeloma, Parkinson’s disease, and COVID-19, his family said in a statement. “He was fully vaccinated. We want to thank the medical staff at Walter Reed National Medical Center for their caring treatment,” the […]

House Democrats Consider Killing The Debt Limit

Democrats in the House of Representatives will consider getting rid of the arbitrary limit on how much money the U.S. government can borrow to fund operations. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said in a letter to fellow lawmakers over the weekend that “the House will explore options to remove the threat that the debt […]

Trump Sues Jan. 6 Committee To Block Archived Presidential Documents

Former President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, an attempt to block lawmakers from accessing archived presidential documents. In the Monday complaint that also addressed the National Archives, the former president called the committee’s probe into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol an “illegal […]

“Stephanie Miller’s Sexy Liberal Survivors’ Tour” TOMORROW NIGHT in Madison and on Pay-Per-View!!

Hey all you Sexy Liberals!  This year’s ONLY Sexy Liberal Show is THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Stephanie Miller’s Sexy Liberal Survivors’ Tour is BACK for ONE SHOW ONLY for 2021 in MADISON WISCONSIN at the historic Barrymore Theater – and if you can’t make it to Madison, you can join Sexy Liberals from around the world via a LIVE via PAY-PER-VIEW from our friends at […]

Charlie Pierce: The New York Times Shows How to Hold Joe Manchin Accountable for His Obstructionism

There are actual journalistic solutions to the crises of Both Siderism and Horserace coverage, both of which have completely screwed up the story of how the president is trying to shove an overwhelmingly popular economic agenda through the rathole that is the United States Congress. One of the more conspicuous clogs in the process is, […]

StephCast M 10-18-21

Confronting his critics, Christopher Steele defends controversial dossier in first major interview

Former British spy Christopher Steele is stepping out of the shadows to “set the record straight” about his bombshell dossier for the first time since his name splashed across headlines in early 2017, defending his work, his name, and the decision to include some of its most controversial elements. “I stand by the work we […]

Clean energy program likely to be dropped because of Manchin’s objections

The Clean Energy Performance Program, the linchpin of President Biden’s proposed climate change legislation, is likely to be dropped from the Democrats’ spending bill because of opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., multiple sources have told NBC News. The sources say that the program will most likely be removed from the massive spending package known […]

Senate to vote Wednesday on sweeping voting rights bill Republicans promise to filibuster

This week could be the last dance for federal voting rights legislation. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is moving Monday to set up a vote on the Freedom to Vote Act, which is likely to take placeWednesday. Schumer, D-N.Y., who said it has the support of all 50 Democratic-voting senators, said the bill is necessary […]

Trump to be deposed Monday in protesters’ lawsuit claiming assault by his security guards

Former President Donald Trump has been ordered to give testimony under oath Monday in a lawsuit brought by a group of demonstrators who say his security guards roughed them up outside Trump Tower in New York. The suit is one of at least 10 civil cases pending against Trump. The videotaped deposition — which will […]

Eric Boehlert: Media fail… Americans have no idea what’s in Biden’s Build Back Better bill

Leaning into the doomsday narrative that President Joe Biden’s agenda and presidency is slipping away as Democrats work to pass both a huge infrastructure bill and even bigger social spending bill, dubbed Build Back Better, the Beltway press continues to do a great job ignoring the contents of the historic effort. Focusing instead on its […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 10-15-21 Laurie Garrett & Aaron Rupar

StephCast F 10-15-21

Elie Mystal: Democrats Are Ready to Abandon Black Voters, Again

We have come to a familiar crossroads of American politics. Democrats, who cannot win national office without the overwhelming support of Black people, are facing rejection from perpetually aggrieved, poorly educated whites. These whites are poised to vote to defeat Democrats in upcoming elections. In response, a chorus of powerful Democrats has risen up inside […]

Ex-FBI leader Andrew McCabe wins back pension in Justice Dept. settlement after he was fired under Trump

Former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe won back his pension Thursday after the Justice Department settled rather than face a federal lawsuit asserting he was illegally fired for political reasons in March 2018 for overseeing the FBI’s Russia investigation after becoming the target of a leak investigation himself. The longtime FBI official approved the decision […]

Texas abortion ban upheld by federal appeals court overnight

The most restrictive abortion law in the country will remain in effect, after a federal appeals court sided with Texas on Thursday in an ongoing legal battle with the Department of Justice. The law, known as SB8, bans physicians from providing abortions once they detect a so-called fetal heartbeat — which can be seen on […]

FDA Panel Endorses Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots For Seniors, High-Risk Groups

U.S. health advisers said Thursday that some Americans who received Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine should get a half-dose booster to bolster protection against the virus. The panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously to recommend a booster shot for seniors, adults with other health problems, jobs or living situations that put them […]

Bill Clinton Hospitalized In California, Is ‘On The Mend’

Former President Bill Clinton has been hospitalized in California for several days with a non-COVID-related infection, his spokesperson said Thursday night. Clinton is being treated at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. “He is on the mend, in good spirits, and is incredibly thankful to the doctors, nurses and staff providing him with excellent […]

StephCast Th 10-14-21

Biden Announces Measures at Major Ports to Battle Supply Chain Woes

President Biden announced Wednesday that the Port of Los Angeles will operate around the clock and major companies including Walmart, UPS and FedEx would expand their working hours as his administration struggles to relieve growing backlogs in the global supply chains that deliver critical goods to the United States. Product shortages have frustrated American consumers […]

Vaccination could have prevented 90,000 deaths over four months, study says

Approximately 90,000 covid-19 deaths could have been avoided over four months of this year if more U.S. adults had chosen to be vaccinated, a new study finds, as the disease caused by the coronavirus became the second-leading cause of death in the United States. The estimate from the Peterson Center on Healthcare and the Kaiser […]

White House formally rejects Trump’s request to protect specific documents from being given to January 6 investigators

The White House formally rejected the request by former President Donald Trump to assert executive privilege to shield from lawmakers a subset of documents that has been requested by the House committee investigating January 6, and set an aggressive timeline for their release. The latest letter came after the Biden administration informed the National Archives […]

House Committee Subpoenas Trump Justice Department Ally Jeffrey Clark

The House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack has slapped another ally of former President Donald Trump with a subpoena ― and this time, it’s Jeffrey Clark, the former Justice Department official who helped push Trump’s election fraud lies. Clark’s name came up repeatedly in the Senate Judiciary Committee’s 400-page report on Trump’s […]

StephCast W 10-13-21

Democratic Rep. John Yarmuth announced on Tuesday that he will not be seeking reelection after serving thirteen years in Congress and becoming one of the most powerful liberals in Washington DC. Yarmuth’s announcement is a blow for Democrats who hold a slim majority in the chamber and must now field a new candidate for his […]

White House to announce Walmart, FedEx, UPS will increase services to help supply chain

The White House is set to announce Wednesday that three of the largest U.S. goods carriers, Walmart, FedEx and UPS, will be upping their efforts to address supply chain shortagesresulting from the coronavirus pandemic. The carriers “will make commitments towards moving to 24/7 working during off-peak hours,” senior administration officials said on a call Tuesday […]

Southwest, American Airlines Rebuff Texas Gov, Will Comply With Biden Vaccine Mandates

Texas-based Southwest and American Airlines both said Tuesday they would move forward with mandates that employees get vaccinated against COVID-19, despite the state’s governor attempting to ban such requirements across Texas this week. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed an executive order on Monday barring vaccine mandates for any business, government office or other entity […]

U.S. To Reopen Canada, Mexico Borders To Fully Vaccinated Travelers

The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that the U.S. will lift restrictions at the country’s land borders with Canada and Mexico next month, allowing fully-vaccinated foreign nationals to enter the country at the crossings for the first time in 19 months. The Department of Homeland Security said it will reopen travel across the ports of […]

StephCast T 10-12-21

Biden calls for businesses to instate vaccine mandates ahead of federal requirement

President Joe Biden made the case for Covid vaccination mandates and urged more companies to require their employees to get vaccinated as the White House tries to get back on the offense over Biden’s handling of the pandemic. “I’m calling more employers to act,” Biden said. “My message is require your employees to get vaccinated. […]

Capitol Police whistleblower blasts two senior leaders for ‘failures’ on Jan. 6

A U.S. Capitol Police whistleblower sent a letter to congressional leaders late last month accusing the agency’s two senior leaders of mishandling intelligence surrounding the Jan. 6 riotat the Capitol. In the letter, obtained by NBC News, the whistleblower accused Sean Gallagher, the acting chief of uniformed operations, and Yogananda Pittman, the assistant chief for […]

Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden resigns over racist, homophobic, misogynistic emails

Jon Gruden has resigned as coach of the Las Vegas Raiders after emails he sent before being hired in 2018 contained racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments. Gruden released a statement Monday night, saying: “I have resigned as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I love the Raiders and do not want to be a […]

Texas Governor Greg Abbott bans vaccine mandates by “any entity” in the state

Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order on Monday banning “any entity” in the state from enforcing a vaccine mandate. Abbott had previously issued orders banning government officials and entities from instating mask mandates.    “No entity in Texas can compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine by any individual, including an employee or a consumer, who […]

Aaron Rupar: Thoughts on Trump’s rally in Des Moines and the value of Trump coverage more broadly

One of the most vexing questions in political journalism right now is how to cover former President Donald Trump as he holds rallies for a 2024 presidential campaign that is all but official. My unvarnished and unequivocal coverage of Trump — perhaps especially his rallies — is one of the reasons I have the audience that I do and am in position […]

Charlie Pierce: This Is Called ‘Contempt of Congress’

What say we begin the weekend by looking straight on at a straight-up crime? It’s a very clarifying thing. From Politico: The committee has subpoenaed documents and testimony from four Trump administration alumni: former social media czar Dan Scavino, former Defense Department official Kash Patel, former chief of staff Mark Meadows, and former White House adviser […]

StephCast M 10-11-21

Fiona Hill says January 6 was a “dress rehearsal” for future political violence

Foreign affairs and national security expert Fiona Hill warned that the U.S. is in a “dangerous moment” and has already reached a constitutional crisis as political actors try to undermine elections and call for violence.    “I think the moment is incredibly dangerous. I mean we are in a dangerous moment,” Hill said on “Face […]

Biden refuses to assert privilege over Trump documents sought by January 6 committee

The White House has informed the National Archives that it is not asserting executive privilege on an initial batch of documents related to the January 6 violence at the US Capitol, paving the way for the Archives to share documents with the House committee investigating the attempted insurrection. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told […]

Southwest Airlines Cancels More Than 1,000 Flights Over Weekend

Southwest Airlines canceled hundreds of flights over the weekend, blaming the woes on air traffic control issues and weather. The airline canceled more than 1,000 flights in total, or 29% of its schedule, as of 7 p.m. ET Sunday, according to flight tracker FlightAware. That was the highest rate by far of the major U.S. […]

GOP Rep. Steve Scalise Still Refuses To Acknowledge 2020 Election Was Legitimate

Rep. Steve Scalise, the House’s second-ranking Republican, still refuses to acknowledge the 2020 presidential election’s legitimacy, nearly a year after the majority of states and Congress elected President Joe Biden. The Louisiana congressman spoke on Sunday with Fox News’ Chris Wallace, repeating a false claim widely spread by GOP members that some states ― especially […]

Eric Boehlert: America isn’t guaranteed a happy ending

The clarion calls of democratic doom are out there, but are newsrooms listening? Trump Republicans are methodically and unapologetically out to derail American democracy, yet there remains a working media assumption that it can’t happen here. “I’m astonished that more people don’t see, or can’t face, America’s existential crisis,” Hillary Clinton warned this week. She fears “our […]

The Rude Pundit: The US Is Ass-Backwards When It Comes to Covid and Freedom

It was as simple as it was obvious. I’m over here in the UK. In Manchester right now, to be precise, and, sure, I’m having a bit of a rough time with the Mancunian accent. When I was buying a concert t-shirt last night, the guy selling it asked if I wanted it “with tits […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 10-08-21 Hal Sparks & Glenn Kirschner

StephCast F 10-8-21

Pfizer seeks FDA authorization of Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11

Pfizer and BioNTech said Thursday they are seeking US Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization from for their Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. If authorized, this would be the first Covid-19 vaccine for younger children. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is approved for people age 16 and older and has an EUA for […]

January 6 committee issues new subpoenas for 2 leaders of ‘Stop the Steal’ group

The House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol issued a new round of subpoenas on Thursday, targeting two leaders of the “Stop the Steal” group, Ali Alexander and Nathan Martin, who are also affiliated with the planning of the Washington, DC, rally that was a precursor to the attack. In addition […]

Senate votes to raise debt limit after 11 Republicans join Democrats to break filibuster

After weeks of brinkmanship, the Senate voted Thursday night to temporarily raise the debt limit by $480 billion until Dec. 3. The procedural move to break the GOP filibuster, which required 60 votes, was the first hurdle cleared, with a final count of 61-38. At least 10 Republicans needed to side with all Democrats to […]

Senate report describes Trump, allies’ efforts to use DOJ to subvert 2020 election

A Senate committee report released Thursday detailed new instances where former President Donald Trump and his allies sought to use the Justice Department to over turn the 2020 election. With new testimony from officials who served in the highest echelons of DOJ at the time, the report by Senate Judiciary Democrats offers the most comprehensive […]

StephCast Th 10-7-21

Biden administration to boost at-home rapid testing with $1 billion investment

It’s about to get faster, easier and cheaper to get an at-home Covid-19 test, the Biden administration says. The administration is set to boost Covid-19 testing in the US by announcing an additional investment in at-home rapid tests. White House Covid-19 coordinator Jeff Zients announced on Wednesday a $1 billion investment, which will go toward […]

Los Angeles passes one of the strictest COVID-19 vaccine mandates in US

Los Angeles will soon require that people show proof of full vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test to enter many indoor establishments. It will be one of the strictest vaccine rules in the country when it goes into effect next month. The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved the ordinance, which will apply […]

Senate Republicans Offer Short-Term Deal To Avoid Debt Default

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that Republicans are willing to agree to raise the federal government’s borrowing limit high enough to avert a debt default crisis for two months, a short-term extension Democrats appeared ready to accept on Wednesday. The offer represented the first flinch in a game of chicken that threatened to […]

Federal Judge Orders Texas To Suspend Restrictive Abortion Law

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered Texas to suspend the most restrictive abortion law in the U.S., which since September has banned most abortions in the nation’s second-most populous state. The order by U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman is the first legal blow to the Texas law known as Senate Bill 8, which until now […]

StephCast W 10-6-21

Johnson & Johnson asks FDA to approve COVID-19 vaccine booster doses

Johnson & Johnson asked the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday to allow extra shots of its COVID-19 vaccine as the U.S. government moves toward expanding its booster campaign to millions more vaccinated Americans.   J&J said it filed a request with the FDA to authorize boosters for people who previously received the company’s one-shot […]

Biden looks to move past Capitol Hill drama as he takes infrastructure pitch back on the road

President Joe Biden traveled to mid-Michigan on Tuesday as he looks to regain momentum on his twin economic packages, which remain stalled on Capitol Hill because of sharp divisions within his own party about the size and scope of the plans. During a speech on the trip, Biden argued that both components of his Build […]

Facebook Whistleblower Testifies About Company’s Harms Amid Leak Fallout

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen testified before Congress on Tuesday, telling a Senate subcommittee that the social media giant is putting “profits before people.” Haugen’s claims are supported by tens of thousands of pages of internal Facebook research, which she previously provided to The Wall Street Journal. The paper used the documents to publish a series […]

Biden Says ‘Real Possibility’ Senate Democrats Change Filibuster Rules To Raise Debt Ceiling

President Joe Biden said Tuesday there was a “real possibility” that Senate Democrats would move to change the body’s filibuster rules in order to overcome Republicans’ refusal to raise the debt ceiling and stave off a potential economic collapse if the federal government doesn’t pay its bills. When asked at the White House if the […]

StephCast T 10-5-21

House January 6 select committee hears testimony behind closed doors

The House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has begun hearing from witnesses and expects to continue doing so in the days ahead, a committee aide confirmed to CBS News. The aide would not disclose the identities of those who are being questioned by the committee.  The committee said on […]

Biden administration rolls back Trump-era rule restricting federal funds to clinics over abortion services

The Biden administration on Monday formally reversed a Trump-era rule that barred reproductive health care clinics that provide abortion referrals and services from receiving federal funds. The new rule, which will go into effect Nov. 8, paves the way for major providers like Planned Parenthood to rejoin Title X, the federal family planning program created […]

Facebook blames ‘faulty configuration change’ for major outages

Facebook said it, Instagram and WhatsApp were “coming back online” after a massive outage Monday knocked out service to the social media giants for users around the world for more than six hours. All three platforms, owned and operated by Facebook Inc., based in Menlo Park, California, went out of service at 11:39 a.m. ET. […]

Biden tells GOP to ‘get out of the way’ on debt limit

President Joe Biden urged Republican senators to “get out of the way” and let Democrats suspend the nation’s debt limit, hoping to keep the U.S. government from bumping dangerously close to a credit default as Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell refuses to lend his party’s help. Biden’s criticism on Monday came with Congress facing an […]

Charlie Pierce: The Pandora Papers Are a Rare Moment Where the Money Power Is Visible

The money power is rarely visible. At its strongest, it operates unseen and largely unheard. Often, we see only what it produces: an unqualified dumbass gets elected to Congress, a national economy “mysteriously” collapses, a village is destroyed by a chemical spill or a town finds out that its drinking water is a chemistry set. […]

StephCast M 10-4-21

Facebook whistleblower reveals identity, accuses the platform of a ‘betrayal of democracy’

A Facebook whistleblower who brought internal documents detailing the company’s research to The Wall Street Journal and the U.S. Congress unmasked herself ahead of an interview she gave to “60 Minutes,” which aired Sunday night. Frances Haugen, a former product manager on Facebook’s civic misinformation team, according to her website, revealed herself as the source […]

No time frame for votes on Biden’s agenda, senior adviser says

White House senior adviser Cedric Richmond said Sunday that White House officials do not have a set timeline for passage of President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda after a House vote on a bipartisan infrastructure bill was delayed last week. “We don’t have a time frame on it. This is just about delivering and making sure […]

Supreme Court’s new term today pivots to abortion, guns, and death penalty as public approval slides

Facing an onslaught of political pressure tactics and plunging public approval, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday sails into a new term set to decide some of the most divisive cases in decades on abortion, gun rights, the death penalty and religious freedom. By the end of June 2022, the court’s conservative majority has the […]

Major oil spill closes California’s Huntington Beach

A major oil spill off the coast of Southern California has forced Huntington Beach and activities scheduled to take place in the region to shut down. A leak from an offshore oil production facility leaked 3,000 barrels of oil, which is about 126,000 gallons, on Saturday, Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr said. The leak is […]

Eric Boehlert: Trump gets a pass for historic murder surge in 2020

The United States during Trump’s final year in office posted the largest year-to-date increase in murders since the FBI first began tabulating the statistics more than six decade ago. The nation suffered a stunning 30% jump last year, the Bureau recently confirmed. There were an additional 4,901 homicides in 2020 compared with the year before. […]

The Rude Pundit: Kyrsten Sinema Is Getting Off on This

One of the most fulfilling aspects of self-pleasure done right is how deeply individual, totally personal it is. Your masturbatory preferences are completely yours, and you don’t have to tell anyone whatever you need to get off on your own. No one needs to know that what really gets your rocks rolling is, say, a […]

StephCast F 10-1-21

Manchin says $1.5 trillion is his limit on Biden economic agenda amid battle with progressives

Moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia made clear Thursday that $1.5 trillion was the price tag he was willing to settle on for his party’s plan to expand the social safety net, putting him $2 trillion away from the lowest number progressive Democrats have said they would accept. Manchin said he informed President […]

Justice Sonia Sotomayor: ‘There is going to be a lot of disappointment in the law, a huge amount’

Days before the start of a tumultuous term, and after the Supreme Court justices divided bitterly over a Texas law that bars most abortions after six weeks, Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned an audience of law students about the frustration of having to write dissents. “There is going to be a lot of disappointment in the […]

Biden signs last-minute deal to avert government shutdown

President Joe Biden on Thursday evening signed a deal the House and Senate passed earlier in the day to avert a government shutdown that would have affected hundreds of thousands of federal workers and slammed an economy still struggling to recover from the pandemic, all with just hours left to stave off a crisis. “It […]

House Democrats delay vote on infrastructure bill after late-night negotiations

House Democrats delayed a planned vote Thursday on a major infrastructure package, heading home for the night after intraparty fighting hamstrung their ability to pass the legislation. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., announced after a series of late-night negotiations that the vote had been postponed indefinitely as Democrats battle over the way forward on […]

StephCast Th 9-30-21

Jan. 6 committee subpoenas rally organizers, Trump allies

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol issued another batch of subpoenas to Trump allies and several organizers of the rally that preceded the assault. Women for America First, a conservative group, helped organize the Jan. 6 rally, as well as rallies on Nov. 14 and Dec. 12, the panel […]

Britney Spears’ father suspended as her conservator, judge rules

A judge in Los Angeles ruled Wednesday that Britney Spears’ father should be suspended as her conservator, a change that the singer requested and that her attorney hopes will set her on the path to freedom for the first time since 2008. Spears’ father, James “Jamie” Spears, filed the petition to dissolve the conservatorship last […]

House braces for infrastructure vote that progressive Democrats vow to block

The House is bracing for a much-anticipated vote on a major infrastructure bill that doesn’t appear to have the support it needs to pass. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters Wednesday that she wants it to pass Thursday, but she left wiggle room to delay the vote. The legislation, which passed the Senate last month, […]

Senate reaches deal to avoid government shutdown, Schumer announces

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that senators have reached a deal on a stopgap government funding measure to prevent a shutdown. “We are ready to move forward,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor. “We have an agreement on … the continuing resolution to prevent a government shutdown, and we should be voting […]

StephCast W 9-29-21

Pfizer vaccine for kids may not be available until November

Pfizer has submitted research to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine in children but the shots may not be available until November. The company said Tuesday it provided health regulators with data from a recent study of its vaccine in children 5 to 11 years old. Officials had […]

Manchin and Sinema meet with Biden over reconciliation bill concerns

Moderate Democrats Senator Joe Manchin and Senator Kyrsten Sinema held separate meetings with President Biden at the White House Tuesday, as the White House and most Democrats push an up-to $3.5 trillion bill to expand the social safety net.    Mr. Biden’s first-term domestic agenda is packed into the massive bill, which has no Republican […]

Key takeaways from US military leaders’ testimony on Afghanistan withdrawal

In their first appearance before Congress since the withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Afghanistan, the nation’s top military leaders candidly admitted to lawmakers that they had recommended to President Joe Bidenthat the U.S. should keep a troop presence there, appearing to contradict his assertions. The testimony by Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the […]

Treasury secretary warns of ‘calamity’ if Congress doesn’t raise debt limit

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Tuesday that if Congress doesn’t raise the debt ceiling by the deadline it would be a “calamity.” Testifying before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs alongside Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, Yellen said the U.S. could hit its debt limit in less than three weeks, as early […]

StephCast T 9-28-21

Biden gets COVID-19 booster shot on camera

President Biden received his COVID-19 vaccine booster shot on Monday, after public health officials recommended boosters for many Americans, including those 65 and older. Mr. Biden, 78, got his third shot on camera, and delivered brief remarks before his jab.  The Food and Drug Administration granted an emergency use authorization last week for booster doses […]

R. Kelly found guilty on all counts in sex trafficking trial

R. Kelly, the R&B superstar who has long been trailed by accusations of sexual misconduct and abuse, was found guilty in New York on Monday on all counts in a high profile sex-trafficking case, capping a trial that featured hours of graphic testimony from his accusers. Kelly, who has been in custody for much of […]

Pelosi says Biden’s infrastructure bill can’t wait for social safety net bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democrats on Monday that passage of the $550 billion infrastructure bill must not wait for President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar safety net bill, saying the larger package is not yet ready for a vote. In a private caucus meeting, Pelosi, D-Calif., said the party must “make difficult choices,” because the dynamics […]

Senate Republicans block bill to avert government shutdown and to extend debt limit

The Senate failed on Monday to pass a key procedural vote to advance the House-passed short-term government funding bill as the deadline to avert a shutdown looms at the end of the week. The Senate voted 48 to 50 on the procedural motion, with Republicans opposing the stopgap measure because it included an extension of […]

Charlie Pierce: While Everyone’s Babbling About Economics This Week, the Entire Future of Self-Government Is at Stake

Everybody is suited up down in Washington, D.C. for The Most Important Week in Joe Biden’s Life or at Least His Presidency or Maybe Just His Next 10 Days. The drumbeat from the elite political press that the events this week are primarily a matter of Democratic Party infighting is, as you might expect, more than a […]

StephCast M 9-27-21

Biden Tells Reporters He’ll Get Covid Booster Shot ‘In Public’ Soon

President Joe Biden talked with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House Sunday after traveling on Marine One back from a weekend trip to Camp David, sharing his plans to get a Covid-19 vaccine booster shot and his thoughts on the ongoing negotiations for the infrastructure bill. CNN Newsroom anchor Jim Acosta introduced the […]

Biden decides it would be inappropriate to assert executive privilege in January 6 investigation

President Joe Biden generally does not expect to assert executive privilege to shield Trump-era records from being seen by a congressional committee investigating the January 6 insurrection attempt, the White House said on Friday. “We take this matter incredibly seriously,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a Friday press briefing. “The President has […]

Liz Cheney: ‘I Was Wrong’ In Opposing Gay Marriage In Past

Rep. Liz Cheney says she was wrong to oppose gay marriage in the past, a stand that once split her family. Cheney, R-Wyo., a fierce critic of fellow Republican Donald Trump, also tells CBS News’ “60 Minutes” that she views her reelection campaign as the most important House race in the nation as forces aligned […]

Nancy Pelosi Says Vote May Be Delayed On $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Sunday said she may not bring the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill to the House floor on Monday as previously planned, saying she’d rather wait to ensure it has all of the votes needed after fellow Democrats continued to tie demands to its passage. “I’ll never bring a bill to […]

Eric Boehlert: Media ignore a monster story — the brainwashing of Covid zombies

National Public Radio relayed more shocking Covid news on Monday: “In 2020, for the first time in recorded history, more people died in Alabama than were born in the state.” The pandemic has shrunk the red state. Yet local Republican leaders still oppose mask and vaccine mandates, leaving the Trump outpost exposed to more fatalities. But like […]

The Rude Pundit: Democrats Should Be Having a Five-Alarm Freak Out Over Voting Rights

Yeah, there’s a whole lot of shit that needs to get done, but right now Democrats should be freaking the fuck out over voting rights. They should be losing their fucking minds and screaming nonstop on every outlet they can find. Get your gravest, most serious senators, like Leahy or Bennett or Shaheen, and have […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast CLASSIC from 3-15-19 Jon Cryer

StephCast F 9-24-21

Schumer, Pelosi announce ‘framework’ to pay for $3.5T infrastructure bill

Democratic House and Senate leaders on Thursday announced they and the White House have reached agreement on a “framework” that will pay for most, if not all, of the massive $3.5 trillion human infrastructure bill — a move meant to mitigate concerns from moderate and centrist Democrats opposed to the hefty price tag. But the […]

Jan. 6 select committee sends first subpoenas to former Trump aides, advisers

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot issued its first subpoenas Thursday to four former senior Trump administration officials, including former President Donald Trump‘s longest-serving aide and last chief of staff. The committee is seeking documents and depositions from Dan Scavino — Trump’s caddy-turned-social media guru and senior White House aide — former […]

Arizona Recount: Draft of Cyber Ninjas election review says Biden won

Maricopa County, Arizona, said Thursday that a draft report from a company in a contentious, partisan review of November’s election has confirmed the winners. The “draft report from Cyber Ninjas confirms the county’s canvass of the 2020 General Election was accurate and the candidates certified as the winners did, in fact, win,” Maricopa County tweeted […]

CDC director endorses Pfizer Covid vaccine booster shots

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director early Friday endorsed recommendations for a third dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for certain at-risk groups, clearing the way for millions of Americans to get a booster. Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky signed off on the recommendations for a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine after advisers […]

StephCast Th 2-23-21

Democrats introduce post-Trump ethics bill to enforce subpoenas, limit conflicts

House Democrats on Tuesday released a new package of measures to limit presidential power, a rebuke of former President Donald Trump and designed with the Biden White House to prevent future presidents from breaking traditional ethics and governing norms. “Donald Trump made this legislation a necessity, but this is bigger than any one president,” Rep. […]

House committee probing Jan. 6 attack could subpoena Trump aides: Sources

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol could issue its first subpoenas in the coming days, possibly targeting several former high-level aides to President Donald Trump for records and information, sources tell ABC News. Former GOP congressman and Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and White House aides Dan Scavino […]

Joe Biden Seeks To Unite Democrats In Do-Or-Die Moment For His Agenda

President Joe Biden successfully brought his party together to unilaterally pass the American Rescue Plan, their $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill, earlier this year. Now, he must reconcile their differences on an even more ambitious and controversial domestic spending measure, the Build Back Better Act, which seeks to address health care, child care, the changing […]

FDA authorizes booster dose of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for people 65 and older

The US Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it would grant emergency use authorization for a booster dose of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine in people 65 and older, people at high risk of severe disease and people whose jobs put them at risk of infection. “After considering the totality of the available scientific evidence and the […]

StephCast W 9-22-21

Trump campaign was aware attorneys’ voting conspiracy theories were baseless, court documents show

Officials working for then-President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign were aware that the voting machine claims being pushed by pro-Trump attorneys were baseless, court documents obtained by The New York Times show. The documents — which were filed last week as part of a defamation lawsuit from a former employee of Dominion Voting Systems — reveal […]

Biden pledges new era of “relentless diplomacy” in first United Nations address

President Biden called on world leaders to work together on a range of global issues during his debut address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. Mr. Biden said the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan marked the end of “a period of relentless war” and started “a new era of relentless diplomacy.” See the video […]

New bombshells show Trump’s coup threat was real and hasn’t passed

A rush of new and shocking behind-the-scenes disclosures about how then-President Donald Trump sought to thwart the Constitution and the will of voters makes a clear case that America came closer to a coup earlier this year than previously known. The fresh evidence also shows what many people in Trump’s inner circle knew in January: […]

House votes to approve bill to avert government shutdown

The House voted along party lines to pass a short-term funding bill to avert a government shutdown next week. The final vote was 220-211. The bill would fund the government through Dec. 3 and it also includes billions in emergency disaster relief and aid for Afghan evacuees. It also suspends the debt limit through December […]

StephCast T 9-21-21

Pfizer says its Covid vaccine is safe and effective for children ages 5 to 11

Pfizer and BioNTech said Monday that the companies’ two-dose Covid-19 vaccine was safe and showed a “robust” antibody response in children ages 5 to 11. Based on data collected in a trial that included more than 2,000 children, Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech, said in a press release that the vaccine was “safe, well […]

Texas doctor who defied state’s new abortion ban is sued

A San Antonio doctor who said he performed an abortion in defiance of a new Texas law all but dared supporters of the state’s near-total ban on the procedure to try making an early example of him by filing a lawsuit — and by Monday, two people obliged. Former attorneys in Arkansas and Illinois filed […]

Two Longtime GOP Operatives Charged With Illegally Contributing to Trump Campaign By Funneling Cash From a Russian National

Two longtime Republican operatives have been charged with illegally contributing to former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign by funneling cash from a Russian national. According to a press release put out by the DOJ Monday, the operatives — Jesse Benton and Doug Wead — have been indicted on conspiracy to solicit and cause an illegal […]

COVID-19 Has Killed About As Many Americans As The 1918-19 Spanish Flu Pandemic

COVID-19 has now killed about as many Americans as the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic did — approximately 675,000. The U.S. population a century ago was just one-third of what it is today, meaning the flu cut a much bigger, more lethal swath through the country. But the COVID-19 crisis is by any measure a colossal […]

Charlie Pierce: This Supreme Court Brief Gives Away the Whole Conservative Game on Abortion

The stakes on what the new conservative majority might do to existing law and precedent got immeasurably higher over the weekend. In the middle of the very strange We Are Not Hacks Over America Tour that has featured both Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Justice Clarence Thomas protesting far too much about what a clear and objective […]

StephCast M 9-20-21

‘Justice for J6’ rally starts and ends with small crowds and tight security

The most anticipated visit by right-wing activists to the nation’s capital since a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 ended with a whimper Saturday, as demonstrators supporting the rioters found themselves far outnumbered by police, journalists and counterprotesters. Although the protesters returned to the scene of a historically grievous attack on American democracy, […]

Clyburn says there is a ‘possibility’ infrastructure vote could be delayed

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said Sunday that there is a “possibility” the vote on a bipartisan infrastructure package will be delayed, despite Democratic House leaders promising moderate members a vote by September 27. “There’s always a possibility that the vote would get delayed, but the question is, ‘Are we going to work to get […]

Texas doctor says he violated the state’s strict new abortion law in order to test it legally

A Texas doctor is publicly revealing that he violated a state law that bans abortions after six weeks and says he is inviting legal challenges under the controversial law, which has so far withstood efforts by pro-abortion rights supporters to block it. “On the morning of Sept. 6, I provided an abortion to a woman […]

Senate Parliamentarian Rules Against Path To Citizenship In Democrats’ Spending Bill

Democrats’ push to give young undocumented Dreamers a path to citizenship violates Senate rules, according to the Senate’s parliamentarian, who dealt yet another blow on Sunday to long-stalled immigration reform efforts in Congress. “Changing the law to clear the way to [legal permanent resident] status is tremendous and enduring policy change that dwarfs its budgetary […]

Eric Boehlert: Has Biden’s approval rating “plummeted”? Nope

Amid breathless reports of a political “free fall” and reeling from the White House’s “summer from hell,” the Beltway press has leaned into the idea that Joe Biden’s presidency is unraveling — that his approval rating is in a state of collapse. Except it’s not true. Instead, it’s the media falling in love with their […]

The Rude Pundit: Missing the Real Story… Like Many Others, Milley Said Trump Is Nuts

I get the uproar over Bob Woodward’s latest luridly compelling book on the administration of Donald Trump. Woodward is like a filthy tabloid version of Robert Caro, and he always squeezes every anecdote for maximum salaciousness. So in his telling, Gen. Mike Milley, Trump’s (and now Biden’s) Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, was so alarmed at […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 9-18-21 Rob Reiner, Judy Gold, and Frank Figliuzzi

StephCast F 9-17-21

ustice Clarence Thomas says judges are ‘asking for trouble’ when they wade into politics

On the verge of a new term in which the Supreme Court will wade back into the culture wars, Justice Clarence Thomas reflected Thursday on the role of the judiciary and warned against judges weighing in on controversial issues that he said are better left to other areas of government. “When we begin to venture […]

Fence goes up around US Capitol, as law enforcement braces for this weekend’s Far Right protests

Fencing outside the U.S. Capitol was reinstalled late Wednesday ahead of the “Justice for J6” rally this weekend. “Justice for J6” is being billed by organizers as a protest for defendants who are being detained by the government in connection to the January insurrection at the Capitol. The fencing is just the latest security measure […]

What to expect as FDA advisory panel debates Pfizer COVID booster shots

The Food and Drug Administration’s independent advisory committee will convene in open session Friday to review the latest data submitted by Pfizer and discuss whether a booster dose is safe enough for widespread use and whether it’s necessary and effective at improving protection levels against COVID-19. Their vote will be non-binding — the FDA is […]

Ohio Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, a Republican who voted to impeach Trump, won’t seek re-election

Rep. Anthony Gonzalez — one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 riot on the Capitol — will not seek re-election to his northern Ohio seat in 2022. “Since entering politics, I have always said that I will do this job for as long as the […]

StephCast Th 9-16-21

StephCast W 9-15-21

Milley acted to prevent Trump from misusing nuclear weapons, war with China, book says

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley took steps to prevent then-President Donald Trump from misusing the country’s nuclear arsenal during the last month of his presidency, according to a new book by The Washington Post’s Bob Woodward and Robert Costa obtained by NBC News. Their book, “Peril,” said that in the days […]

COVID-19 cases climbing, wiping out months of progress

COVID-19 deaths and cases in the U.S. have climbed back to levels not seen since last winter, erasing months of progress and potentially bolstering President Joe Biden’s argument for his sweeping new vaccination requirements. The cases — driven by the delta variant combined with resistance among some Americans to getting the vaccine — are concentrated […]

Justice Department Asks U.S. Judge To Block Enforcement Of Restrictive Texas Abortion Law

The Department of Justice asked a federal judge on Tuesday to immediately block Texas’ restrictive ban on abortions past six weeks of pregnancy while the case makes its way through the court system. The Justice Department asked the judge to issue a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction, both of which would put the law […]

Gov. Gavin Newsom Prevails In California Recall Election

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has prevailed in the state’s recall election, projections show, securing a victory in the biggest fight of his political career thus far and protecting the Democratic Party from a perilous ripple effect.  In a speech to supporters Tuesday night, Newsom thanked Californians for rejecting the recall attempt. “I want to focus on […]

StephCast T 9-14-21

Key takeaways from Blinken’s Capitol Hill testimony on Afghanistan withdrawal

In his first appearance on Capitol Hill since the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken faced more than five hours of questions from members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. He faces more questions from the members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Here are […]

Child Covid-19 cases increased nearly 240% since July, pediatricians’ group says

Covid-19 infections have risen “exponentially” among children in the US since July, according to data published Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The group reported 243,373 new cases among kids over the past week. While this is a decline from last week, when 251,781 cases were reported, it’s about a 240% increase since […]

Democrats cut deal with Manchin to get party behind long-shot voting overhaul bill

Senate Democrats are proposing new legislation to overhaul voting laws after months of discussions to get all 50 of their members behind a single bill, allowing their caucus to speak with one voice on the issue even though it stands virtually no chance of becoming law. The proposal — announced in a statement by a […]

With Newsom poised to win California recall, another indication COVID politics may be starting to favor Democrats over Republicans

With polls now showing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom ahead by double-digit margins on the eve of California’s much-hyped recall election, voters here seem ready to reject the laissez-faire COVID-19 policies that have failed to contain huge summer surges in Republican-led states such as Florida — and vindicate the Golden State’s more careful approach to the […]

Charlie Pierce: Amy Coney Barrett Is the Product of a Corrupt and Politicized Supreme Court Nomination Process

onsidering that she owes her present (lifetime) position to a process that McConnell personally corrupted, that she is the product of an utterly politicized vetting process, and that she was appointed by the most singularly corrupt president in the history of the republic, I’d say that Barrett is a little bit tardy in her obviously […]

StephCast M 9-13-21

G.O.P. Seethes at Biden Mandate, Even in States Requiring Other Vaccines

Like other Republican governors around the country, Tate Reeves of Mississippi reacted angrily to the coronavirus vaccine mandates President Biden imposed on private businesses. Declaring the move “terrifying,” he wrote on Twitter: “This is still America, and we still believe in freedom from tyrants.” There is a deep inconsistency in that argument. Mississippi has some […]

Larry Elder, Gavin Newsom gear up for California recall battle

There are still two days to go before California’s gubernatorial recall election, but the current governor’s team and his leading opponent, Larry Elder, have each already indicated they’re ready for legal challenges. In a sit-down interview with ABC News’ Zohreen Shah on Saturday, Elder was asked repeatedly if he would accept the results of Tuesday’s […]

Manchin, Sanders at odds over $3.5 trillion budget resolution

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., reiterated his call on Sunday for a strategic pause on the $3.5 trillion budget resolution, while Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., doubled down on the need to pass both the bipartisan infrastructure and budget reconciliation bills. “The urgency — I can’t understand why we can’t take time to deliberate on this and […]

6 Capitol Police Officers Face Disciplinary Action From Jan. 6 Attack

Disciplinary action has been recommended for six U.S. Capitol Police officers following an internal investigation into the deadly Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol, the U.S. Capitol Police said. An investigation by the department’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) found three cases of unbecoming conduct, one case of failure to comply with directives, one case […]

Eric Boehlert: Sorry Chuck Todd, America is not hopelessly “divided” over Covid

Delivering this Sunday’s morning update like a disappointed dad, Meet the Press’ Chuck Todd conveyed distressing news about how America is split down the middle over Covid, causing cultural and political fissures.   “The U.S. enters this Labor Day weekend suffering from two viruses: Covid and polarization,” the host lamented. “Covid has become an MRI of America’s soul. Who […]

The Rude Pundit: 9/11 Knows America Lies to Itself

9/11 hates these years the most. Every half-decade, the annual commemoration is amped up, as if some magic exists in numbers that end in 5 or 0. Every time, the same speeches, the same images, the same patriotic fervor in some places, the same performative sense of loss in others, the same, the same. The […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 9-10-21 Jen Kirkman & Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY)

StephCast F 9-10-21

Flight lands in Qatar after Taliban cleared Americans and others to leave Afghanistan

The first international passenger flight to take off from Afghanistan since the chaotic US military airlift last month landed in Qatar on Thursday, carrying more than 100 foreign nationals, including Americans, according to a source with knowledge of the matter. Passengers on board the chartered Qatar Airways flight that departed from Kabul airport — including […]

Air travelers refusing to wear masks could face up to $3,000 fines

Air travelers who refuse to wear masks could be fined up to $3,000, starting Friday.    The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced Thursday it will double fines for those who flout federal mask mandates for air travel. First-time offenders will be fined $500-$1,000, while repeat offenders will be forced to shell out $1,000-$3,000.  Read the […]

Justice Department sues Texas over restrictive abortion law

The Biden administration is filing a lawsuit against Texas challenging its near-total ban on abortions, which the Supreme Court declined to block last week. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday that the Justice Department filed the suit against Texas over its law, which he called “clearly unconstitutional under longstanding Supreme Court precedent.” “The United States […]

Biden Expands Vaccine Push With Mandates For Private Sector

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced sweeping vaccination and testing requirements for federal government workers, contractors and even private sector employees, as his administration works to fight the spreading coronavirus.  All federal workers and contractors will need to get fully vaccinated in the coming weeks, as will health care workers at providers that receive federal […]

StephCast Th 9-9-21

Florida judge orders immediate lifting of DeSantis ban on school mask mandates

A judge on Wednesday ruled that Florida must immediately stop enforcing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on mask mandates in schools, refusing to issue a stay as the state appeals his decision. Leon County Circuit Judge John C. Cooper argued that the state had failed to prove that an appeal would be successful and that delaying […]

Pelosi to hold security briefing ahead of Sept. 18 rally planned by Trump supporters

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has invited her fellow congressional leaders from the House and the Senate to a security briefing about a rally planned at the Capitol in support of people who were arrested during the Jan. 6 riot. Pelosi, D-Calif., invited Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and […]

Biden Ousts 18 Trump Military Academy Board Appointees

The Biden administration on Wednesday removed 18 appointees named to U.S. military academy boards by Donald Trump in the final months of the Republican president’s term in office, according to the White House. Cathy Russell, director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, sent letters to 18 people named to the boards of visitors for […]

Los Angeles Set To Mandate COVID-19 Vaccines For Students 12 And Older

The Los Angeles Unified School District is expected to become the first major district in the country to mandate COVID-19 vaccination for students 12 and older, a significant step to protect young people amid the spread of the delta variant of the coronavirus. The district’s Board of Education has scheduled a meeting for Thursday to […]

StephCast W 9-8-21

White House taps populist message as Biden pushes $3.5T plan

The White House is preparing an urgent and populist message for selling President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion “build back better” agenda, even as House committee leaders begin churning out pieces of the forthcoming measure. In a memo being sent Tuesday to Capitol Hill and obtained by The Associated Press, the administration warns there is no […]

There were nearly 300% more new COVID cases on average this Labor Day than last year

The average weekly number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. was nearly 300% higher this Labor Day weekend compared to the same time last year, data from Johns Hopkins University shows. The average number of deaths was more than 86% higher compared to the same period in 2020.    There were 1.146 million weekly cases […]

Texas Gov. Abbott defends new abortion law, vows to ‘eliminate all rapists’

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott defended the state’s restrictive new abortion law Tuesday, saying it doesn’t force victims of rape to give birth and vowing to “eliminate all rapists.” Abbott, a Republican, took questions from reporters Tuesday morning after an event at which he signed a sweeping election billinto law. Asked whether the abortion law would […]

Biden calls for action on climate change while in New York, New Jersey touring damage from Ida

President Joe Biden on Tuesday continued his tour of damage caused by Hurricane Ida, traveling to New York and New Jersey to see first-hand the devastation the massive storm inflicted on the Northeast. The president was reprising his role as consoler in chief, meeting with local leaders to get briefed on damage to the area […]

StephCast 9-7-21

Ex-FBI official says law enforcement needs to take upcoming right-wing rally in DC ‘very seriously’

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe said Monday evening that law enforcement needs to take the upcoming right-wing rally in support of jailed January 6 rioters“very seriously” as concerns mount about more potential violence on Capitol Hill. “I think they should take it very seriously. In fact, they should take it more seriously than they […]

Jobless Americans left scrambling after pandemic unemployment benefits end

Nearly 18 months after Congress came to the rescue of jobless Americans, its historic expansion of the nation’s unemployment benefits system expired nationwide this weekend. Lawmakers, who extended the three pandemic programs in December and March, are not expected to renew them again.   A key component of the relief effort was a federal weekly […]

Justice Department Says It Will Protect Abortion Seekers In Texas

Attorney General Merrick Garland said Monday that the Justice Department will work to protect the safety of people seeking abortions in Texas as the agency continues to explore how it can challenge the state’s new anti-abortion law. Garland said in a statement that while the Justice Department urgently explores “all options” to challenge the Texas law, […]

Charlie Pierce: The Phantom Revolution

I have lived through more than a few revolutions. Sometime around half past Woodstock in the 1960s, revolution became a very effective marketing tool, and suddenly we were up to our Bakunins in revolutions meant to sell us things. In no particular order, I have lived through the Civil Rights Revolution, the Sexual Revolution, the Youth […]

Pfizer Booster Likely Ready To Roll Out Beginning Week Of Sept. 20, Dr. Fauci Predicts

The U.S. could be prepared to start rolling out distribution of a Pfizer booster shot for COVID-19 beginning the week of Sept. 20 — but Moderna may take bit longer, Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday. “Looks like Pfizer has their data in, likely would meet the deadline,” the director of the National Institute […]

Wendy Molyneux: “OH MY FU**ING GOD, GET THE FU**ING VACCINE ALREADY, YOU FU**ING FU**S”

Hi, if you are reading this essay then congratulations, you are still alive. And if you are alive, then you have either gotten the COVID-19 vaccine, or you still have the opportunity to get the vaccine against COVID-19. And holy fuck, if you aren’t fucking vaccinated against COVID-19, then you need to get fucking vaccinated […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 09-03-2021 Ben Gleib & Glenn Kirschner

Stephcast 9/3/21

Florida governor appeals ruling on masks in schools

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has appealed a judge’s ruling that the governor exceeded his authority by ordering school boards not to impose strict mask requirements on students to combat the spread of the coronavirus. The governor’s lawyers took their case Thursday to the 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee. DeSantis wants the appeals court […]

Biden blasts Supreme Court’s “unprecedented assault” on abortion rights in Texas

President Biden condemned the Supreme Court’s decision to allow Texas’ ban on most abortions to remain in place as “an unprecedented assault on a woman’s constitutional rights,” pledging to launch a “whole-of-government” effort to protect access to safe and legal abortion in the state. Why it matters: The ban, which took effect Wednesday, is the […]

Stephcast 9/2/21

GOP Congressman to ask leader to boot Cheney and Kinzinger from conference

Congressman Andy Biggs of Arizona plans to send a letter to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Thursday asking him to remove Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger from the GOP Conference because they accepted Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s appointments to the January 6 select committee.    Removal from the conference requires a two thirds vote […]

Officers and paramedics charged in death of Elijah McClain

A grand jury has returned a 32-count indictment against officers and paramedics involved in the death of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man who was put in a chokehold by Aurora police and injected with a sedative during an August 2019 arrest, Colorado’s attorney general announced Wednesday. The charges include manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. […]

At least 8 killed as Ida batters New York, New Jersey with floods and emergencies

At least eight people were killed as the remnants of Hurricane Idabattered New York and New Jersey with tornadoes, record rain and flooding that left both areas deluged and under states of emergency on Thursday. Videos on social media showed cars submerged on highways and water pouring into subway stations and homes after a wind-driven […]

Supreme Court Declines To Block Extreme Texas Abortion Law In 5-4 Ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court said Wednesday night it would not block Texas’ extreme new law that criminalizes abortion after six weeks, a striking defeat for abortion rights advocates who say the ban is a direct assault on Roe v. Wade. The ruling was 5-4, with Chief Justice John Roberts siding with the court’s three liberal […]

Stephcast 9/1/21

Texas Republicans’ restrictive election bill gets final green light

Texas lawmakers passed a restrictive elections bill out of the state legislature on Tuesday, after a monthslong battle with Democrats who fled the legislature repeatedly to try and block the bill. The bill passed the Texas House and Senate on Tuesday afternoon in a pair of votes with on; it now heads to the desk […]

Hurricane Ida Leaves Louisiana Without Power, Water, Gasoline

Hundreds of thousands of Louisianans sweltered in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida on Tuesday with no electricity, no tap water, precious little gasoline and no clear idea of when things might improve. Long lines that wrapped around the block formed at the few gas stations that had fuel and generator power to pump it. People […]

Biden Defends Afghanistan Withdrawal: ‘I Was Not Going To Extend This Forever War’

President Joe Biden stood by his decision to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by Aug. 31, saying his decision to do so saved lives and ended America’s longest war, which had cost thousands of lives and trillions of dollars. “I was not going to extend this forever war, and I was not extending a […]

Supreme Court Allows Extreme Texas Abortion Ban To Go Into Effect

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed a restrictive Texas law to go into effect that criminalizes abortion at six weeks and deputizes citizens to enforce the ban. S.B. 8 effectively bans abortion at six weeks, a time at which many people don’t yet realize they’re pregnant. The bill is more extreme than other laws in […]

Stephcast 8/31/21

Charlie Pierce: Who Votes for People Who Do This Much Damage?

In the sad recent history of Wisconsin politics, Waukesha County is the heart of it. The state had a proud history of Progressive politics—hell, most of it was invented there—and Waukesha County was the nest of murder hornets that helped bring down upon the state Senator Ron Johnson, Governor Scott Walker, and a state legislative […]

Stephcast 8/30/21

Biden honors troops killed in Afghanistan as remains arrive in U.S.

President Biden met in solemn privacy Sunday with the families of the 13 U.S. troops killed in the suicide attack near the Kabul airport and became the fourth commander in chief to bear witness as the remains of the fallen returned to U.S. soil from Afghanistan.   First lady Jill Biden joined the president at Dover […]

Rep. Jim Jordan Suddenly Remembers At Least One Other Call With Trump On Jan. 6: Report

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has suddenly remembered another phone call — or more — that he had with then-President Donald Trump while insurrectionists rampaged through the Capitol on January 6, Politico reported Sunday. Some observers speculated that the Ohio congressman may be trying to get his story straight if he’s called to testify before the House Select Committee investigating […]

U.S. forces strike ISIS-K target that posed ‘imminent threat’ to Kabul’s airport

U.S. forces conducted a drone strike against an ISIS-K target in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday, U.S. Central Command said, less than a day after President Joe Biden promised more retaliatory strikes against the affiliate of the Islamic State terrorist group. A CENTCOM spokesperson, Navy Capt. Bill Urban, said in a statement that the strike targeted […]

Ida weakens to tropical storm after knocking out power to New Orleans

Hurricane Ida weakened to a tropical storm Monday after crashing into Louisiana and knocking out power to more than 1 million homes and businesses including the city of New Orleans. Officials earlier warned of “life-threatening” floods. At least one person, a 60-year-old man, died in Ascension Parish after a tree fell on his home. Electric […]

Eric Boehlert: Committed to doomsday narrative, media downplay evacuation triumph

Six days ago, as she prepared her airlifted exit from Kabul, CNN reporter Clarissa Ward declared that the United States’ effort to evacuate thousands of Afghans was doomed to failure. “I’m sitting here for 12 hours in the airport, 8 hours on the airfield and I haven’t seen a single US plane take off,” she […]

The Rude Pundit: A Country on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Part 1: Mask Madness)

The first time I saw the irrationality of large groups of adults happened when I was an adolescent in Lafayette, Louisiana. My mom took me to a parish council meeting (in case you don’t know, parishes are counties but they’re called “parishes” in Louisiana because Catholicism) for a debate over allowing fluoridation of the water […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 8/27/21

Stephcast 8/27/21

Biden vows revenge for Kabul attack that killed 13 U.S. service members

Thirteen U.S. service members were killed and more than a dozen others injured in an attack outside the airport in the capital of Afghanistan on Thursday, opening a deadly new chapter in the massive U.S. effort to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies ahead of President Biden’s August 31 deadline to withdraw. The Pentagon said a […]

Supreme Court blocks Biden administration’s eviction moratorium

The Supreme Court late Thursday blocked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from enforcing the federal moratorium on evicting renters during the coronavirus pandemic, a defeat for the Biden administration’s effort to continue the moratorium even though the court had signaled that the action lacked the proper legal basis. The current moratorium, which was […]

Officer who shot Ashli Babbitt during Capitol riot breaks silence: ‘I saved countless lives’

In the chaotic minutes before he shot and killed Ashli Babbitt during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, Lt. Michael Byrd focused his attention on the glass doors leading into the lobby of the House of Representatives chamber. About 60 to 80 House members and staffers were holed up inside, and it was Byrd’s job […]

Kabul Airport Attack Kills 60 Afghans, 13 US Troops

Two suicide bombers and gunmen attacked crowds of Afghans flocking to Kabul’s airport Thursday, transforming a scene of desperation into one of horror in the waning days of an airlift for those fleeing the Taliban takeover. The attacks killed at least 60 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops, Afghan and U.S. officials said. The U.S. general […]

Dr. Irwin Redlener: FDA approval of a Covid vaccine could mean a rapid jump in shots in arms

As of last week, in spite of an extremely high level of confidence among policy officials and public health experts that any of the three Covid-19 vaccines with emergency use authorization are safe and effective, about 70 million adults in the U.S. remained unvaccinated, as well as nearly 50 million children under age 12 who […]

Stephcast 8/26/21

Jan 6. House Select Committee releases sweeping records request, including call logs of Trump

The Jan. 6 House Select Committee has issued a wide-ranging records request to the National Archives and Records Administration and several other agencies, including phone records from members of congress, as a part of their investigation into the Capitol Riot.  The nine-member panel, which held its first hearing around the Jan. 6 Capitol riot last […]

Blinken says up to 1,500 Americans may still need evacuation from Afghanistan

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday the U.S. has airlifted 4,500 U.S. citizens and their families out of Afghanistan in the last 10 days, and there may be up to 1,500 Americans who still want to leave the country as part of the massive evacuation effort by the Biden administration in the wake of […]

U.S. Embassy warns Americans to avoid Kabul airport over “security threats”

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul sent out an alert on Wednesday evening advising U.S. citizens in Afghanistan to avoid traveling to the capital city’s airport, citing an unspecified security threat amid frantic efforts to evacuate people following the Taliban’s takeover of the country.    “Because of security threats outside the gates of Kabul airport, we […]

Judge sanctions Sidney Powell and other attorneys who filed lawsuit challenging 2020 election

A federal judge in Michigan has ordered sanctions against former Trump attorney Sidney Powell, attorney Lin Wood, and several other lawyers who brought a legal challenge seeking to overturn President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory in the state. In her ruling Wednesday, Judge Linda Parker described the suit as an “historic and profound abuse of […]

Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA): Biden made the hard choice in Afghanistan, and the right one

Before serving in Congress, I was an infantry platoon commander in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province. In the summer of 2012, we patrolled three Taliban-contested villages on the Helmand River. On each patrol I would visit a tribal elder. They would serve me hot, sweet goat-milk tea. I would sip it in the 100-degree heat and smile […]

Stephcast 8/25/21

House votes to advance Biden’s jobs and infrastructure plans, breaking logjam

House Democrats voted Tuesday to move forward with President Joe Biden’s top legislative priorities after resolving a standoff between their leaders and centrist rebels, who threatened to block the multitrillion-dollar safety net expansion. The House voted 220 to 212 on a key procedural motion to instruct committees to write the $3.5 trillion bill, which can […]

2 Congress Members Fly To Kabul Amid Chaotic Evacuation

Two members of Congress flew unannounced into Kabul airport in the middle of the ongoing chaotic evacuation Tuesday, stunning State Department and U.S. military personnel who had to divert resources to provide security and information to the lawmakers, U.S. officials said. Officials said Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich., flew in on […]

Joe Biden Says U.S. On Track To Complete Afghanistan Evacuations By Aug. 31

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that U.S. and its allies are on track to complete evacuations from Afghanistan by his Aug. 31 deadline, with thousands of U.S. citizens, Afghans and others being flown out of the country each day.  “I’m determined to ensure that we complete our mission, this mission,” Biden said in public remarks […]

Supreme Court denies Biden administration efforts to end ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy

The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied the Biden administration’s request to pause the implementation of a Trump-era immigration policy. The Justice Department asked the court late last week to delay reinstatement of the policy, known as “Remain in Mexico,” arguing in its brief that the policy had been dormant for more than a year and […]

Stephcast 8/24/21

House committee plans to seek phone records in probe of January 6, including from members of Congress

The House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot is poised to send notices to various telecommunications companies requesting that they preserve the phone records of several people, including members of Congress, multiple sources tell CNN. Preserving communications records is the first step in an investigatory process that could eventually lead to witness testimony. […]

House delays vote to advance Biden’s economic agenda as centrist Democrats derail Pelosi’s plans

The House scrapped a planned Monday vote to advance two key economic proposals as centrist Democrats and party leaders failed to break a stalemate over how to proceed with President Joe Biden’s sprawling economic agenda. The chamber will reconvene at noon ET on Tuesday as Democrats try to strike a deal to move forward with […]

G-7 allies in Europe likely to push Biden to extend Afghanistan evacuations timeline

Two months ago, the leaders of the world’s seven major industrialized democracies met in summer sunshine on England’s southwest coast. It was a happy occasion: the first in-person summit of the Group of Seven nations in two years due to the coronavirus pandemic and the welcomed appearance of President Joe Biden and his “America is […]

Vaccine Mandates Start Rolling Out After FDA Gives Pfizer Shot Full Approval

Various institutions began rolling out COVID-19 vaccine mandates on Monday after the Food and Drug Administration gave its first full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech shots, and more are likely to follow suit in the coming days. While many governments, schools and businesses have put vaccine requirement into place in recent weeks, others said they would […]

Charlie Pierce: Any Report on Afghanistan That Doesn’t Include These Facts Is Not Worth Your Time

Now that 30,000 people—and counting—have been evacuated from Afghanistan, I would like the elite political media, especially its cable TV news divisions, to tell me what the magic number is that will change the prevailing narrative. 40,000? 100,000? Everybody in that country except the leaders of the Taliban? All of southwest Asia? Let me know […]

Stephcast 8/23/21

The F.D.A. grants full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine for people 16 and up, making it the first to move beyond emergency use status in the United States. The decision will set off a cascade of vaccine requirements by hospitals, colleges, corporations and other organizations. United Airlines recently announced that […]

Trump booed at Alabama rally after telling supporters to get vaccinated

Former President Donald Trump was booed at a rally Saturday in Alabama after he told supporters they should get vaccinated. “And you know what? I believe totally in your freedoms. I do. You’ve got to do what you have to do,” Trump said. “But I recommend take the vaccines. I did it. It’s good. Take […]

Jesse Jackson and wife, Jacqueline, ‘responding positively’ to Covid-19 treatment

The Rev. Jesse Jackson and his wife, Jacqueline, are “responding positively” to medical treatment after having been hospitalized with Covid-19, their family said Sunday. Doctors at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago were “carefully monitoring” their conditions because of their ages, said their son Jonathan Jackson. Jesse Jackson is 79, and Jacqueline Jackson is 77. “Both […]

The F.D.A. is aiming to give full approval to Pfizer’s Covid vaccine today

The Food and Drug Administration is pushing to approve Pfizer-BioNTech’s two-dose Covid-19 vaccine on Monday, further expediting an earlier timeline for licensing the shot, according to people familiar with the agency’s planning. Regulators were working to finish the process by Friday but were still working through a substantial amount of paperwork and negotiation with the […]

Biden Touts Evacuations From Afghanistan But Warns ‘A Lot Could Still Go Wrong’

President Joe Biden touted on Sunday the surging number of Afghanistan evacuations carried out so far by the United States, but acknowledged that such a massive operation does not come “without pain and loss.” The White House said that the U.S has evacuated 30,300 people out of Afghanistan since Aug. 14, including more than 13,000 […]

Eric Boehlert: The media’s summer of discontent — waging war on Biden

Feigning shock that the final chapter to a 20-year lost war in Afghanistan did not go as planned for the U.S. military, the media remain in overdrive, breathlessly presenting the U.S. troop withdrawal as a presidency-defining failure for Joe Biden.  Thankfully, the dire picture that the press painted over the weekend of the widespread death and […]

The Rude Pundit: Note to Anti-Maskers… You’re Not Revolutionaries. You’re Just A**holes.

At one point in the chaotic Louisiana Board of Secondary and Elementary Education meeting in Baton Rouge on Wednesday, a local Christian extremist pastor, Tony Spell, announced as the elected officials tried to start things, “Let’s welcome the board to our meeting today.” He was standing on a chair, surrounded by a couple of hundred people there […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 8/20/21 Paula Poundstone & Kimberley Johnson

Stephcast 8/20/21

Man claiming to have bomb near U.S. Capitol is in custody after standoff, police say

For the third time in eight months, Washington was brought to a standstill Thursday as the seat of the U.S. government came under the threat of violence, this time from a man who parked a truck near the Capitol, demanded to speak with President Biden about a range of grievances and threatened to destroy two […]

Biden believes U.S. can evacuate all Americans by end of August, national security adviser says

President Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said the president believes U.S. forces will be able to get all Americans who want to leave Afghanistan out of the country by Mr. Biden’s self-imposed deadline of August 31. However, Sullivan said the U.S. does not know exactly how many Americans are in the country.    “The […]

3 Senators Test Positive For COVID-19 On Same Day

Three U.S. senators announced Thursday that they tested positive for COVID-19.  Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Angus King (I-Maine) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) released statements about their diagnoses within hours of each other, all saying they had mild symptoms.  All are fully vaccinated. Their positive tests highlight the vaccinations’ purpose, to prevent serious illness and death. Although the […]

Fox News Employees Ordered To Disclose Vaccine Status Amid COVID Concerns

All Fox News employees were instructed this week to disclose their COVID-19 vaccination status to the company, a requirement that flies in the face of public remarks previously made by the network’s conservative hosts ― including Tucker Carlson, who has argued that asking about someone’s vaccination status is as invasive as asking about their favorite […]

Stephcast 8/19/21

Biden says his administration will take on GOP governors blocking masks in schools

President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he was directing the Education Department to use its legal authority against Republican governors who are trying to block local school officials from requiring students to wear masks to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Speaking at the White House, Biden said some politicians are trying to turn public safety […]

U.S. working with Taliban to evacuate Americans and allies out of Afghanistan, Pentagon says

Top Pentagon officials said Wednesday that the U.S. military does not “have the capability” to retrieve all Americans who have been unable to reach the U.S.-secured airfield in Kabul as the State Department continues to negotiate safe passage with the Taliban. The White House said that on Wednesday the military evacuated approximately 1,800 people, bringing […]

Biden to tie vaccines for nursing home staff to Medicare and Medicaid funding

President Biden announced Wednesday he is ordering the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to require nursing homes to have vaccinated staff for them to be able to participate in Medicare and Medicaid and receive funding from the federal programs.   The vaccination requirement will be the first time the federal government has implemented […]

Biden Says There Was No Way To Leave Afghanistan ‘Without Chaos Ensuing’

In his first sit-down interview since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he doesn’t believe there was any way to pull U.S. troops out of the country “without chaos ensuing.” Biden defended the way the U.S. exited Afghanistan as he sat down for an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, […]