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Joe Biden Makes Key Concession On Corporate Taxes In Attempt To Woo Republicans On Infrastructure

President Joe Biden made a key concession on corporate taxes during a meeting this week with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), the top Republican negotiator on a legislative package aimed at overhauling national infrastructure. Instead of raising the corporate tax to 28%, from its current 21%, to pay for new infrastructure projects, Biden proposed doing […]

Conservative Publication “National Review” Confirms ‘Startling’ Report On Trump’s Current Grasp Of Reality

A conservative writer has confirmed a report that former President Donald Trump is telling associates that he expects to be reinstalled as president this summer.  “The scale of Trump’s delusion is quite startling,” National Review senior writer Charles C.W. Cooke wrote on the magazine’s website. Cooke said “an array of different sources” confirmed a report […]

DOJ investigating Postmaster General DeJoy over ex-employees’ political donations

The Department of Justice is investigating Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in connection with campaign contributions of former employees who worked for him when he was in the private sector, NBC News confirmed Thursday. DeJoy’s spokesman, Mark Corallo, said in a statement to NBC that DeJoy, who has been a major Republican fundraiser and donor, has […]

Pence calls Jan. 6 a ‘dark day,’ says he may never see ‘eye to eye’ with Trump over it

Former Vice President Mike Pence delivered his strongest comments yet about the Jan. 6 pro-Trump riot attack on the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, saying he and former President Donald Trump may never see “eye to eye” on the event. “January 6 was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol,” Pence said […]

Stephcast 6/3/21

White House prepared to announce next steps in global vaccination effort after months of debate

President Joe Biden has finalized his plan to distribute millions of coronavirus vaccinesworldwide after months of deliberation, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted earlier that an announcement was imminent, and the sources familiar with the plans said that officials could reveal it as soon as Thursday or […]

President Biden, Sen. Capito to continue bipartisan infrastructure talks Friday

President Joe Biden will reconnect with Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito on Friday to further discuss a possible bipartisan compromise on an infrastructure bill. The two met in the Oval Office for just over an hour Wednesday afternoon to talk about the $928 billion GOP infrastructure proposal unveiled last week, but announced no major breakthroughs […]

Ominous Sign For Rep. Matt Gaetz As Investigation Reportedly Takes New Turn

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is reportedly being investigated to see if he engaged in obstruction of justice during a phone call with a witness in an ongoing probe, Politico reported late Wednesday.   Citing two sources, Politico said Gaetz took part in a call with an ex-girlfriend and the witness. That witness later spoke with prosecutors, who […]

Trump’s Justice Department Secretly Seized Phone Records Of NYT Reporters

The Trump administration secretly obtained the phone records of four New York Times reporters shortly after Donald Trump assumed office in 2017, the Justice Department, now under President Joe Biden, told the newspaper Wednesday. Justice Department officials said the agency had seized phone records for Matt Apuzzo, Adam Goldman, Eric Lichtblau and Michael Schmidt for […]

Stephcast 6/2/21

Meat Producer JBS Says Most Plants Will Be Working Wednesday After Ransomware Attack

The world’s largest meat processing company is getting back online after production around the world was disrupted by a cyberattack just weeks after a similar incident shut down a U.S. oil pipeline. Brazil’s JBS SA said late Tuesday that it had made “significant progress” in dealing with the cyberattack and expected the “vast majority” of […]

Democrats Prepare To Investigate Capitol Riot After GOP Blocked Bipartisan Commission

Democrats are planning to press forward ― potentially on their own ― to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol after Senate Republicans voted Friday to block a bipartisan independent commission. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) held a call Tuesday with her fellow House Democrats in their first meeting since the Senate vote. […]

Joe Biden Becomes First U.S. President To Commemorate Tulsa Race Massacre

President Joe Biden delivered remarks from Tulsa, Oklahoma, on the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa race massacre on Tuesday, making him the first U.S. president to participate in the remembrance of one of the darkest days in America’s racist history. “For much too long, the history of what took place here was told in silence, […]

Democrat Melanie Stansbury wins N.M. special election, holding narrow U.S. House majority

Democratic state Rep. Melanie Stansbury won the New Mexico special congressional election Tuesday, beating back Republican challenger Mark Moores to fill the seat of Deb Haaland, President Joe Biden’s interior secretary. The race to represent New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Albuquerque, was called by The Associated Press after polls closed at 9 p.m. […]

Stephcast 6/1/21

GOP embrace of $1 trillion infrastructure package could help make a deal: Buttigieg

Senate Republicans’ potential embrace of a $1 trillion infrastructure package is an encouraging sign a bipartisan deal could be reached, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” “They seem to be embracing the idea that about a trillion is appropriate. So there’s movement in the right direction,” he told “This Week” co-anchor […]

Biden Proclaims Day Of Remembrance For Tulsa Race Massacre

President Joe Biden issued a proclamation on Monday marking 100 years since a “violent white supremacist mob” descended on the thriving Black neighborhood of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 31, 1921, wrecking businesses, destroying homes and killing hundreds of Black people. In the proclamation, Biden pointed to the racist mob that “raided, firebombed and […]

Americans begin transition into post-pandemic life as more are vaccinated

With more than 40% of the country fully vaccinated, and the seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases falling to about 12,000 per day — numbers not seen since March 2020 — Americans are revving up for post-pandemic life. The Indianapolis 500 became the largest sporting event since the pandemic began, with 135,000 fans in the stands […]

Texas Gov. Abbott says he’ll target legislator pay after Democrats block strict voting bill

Democrats vowed to continue to fight a Texas bill that would add restrictions on voting as Republican Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to cut off funding for the Legislature if they do so. “I will veto Article 10 of the budget passed by the legislature. Article 10 funds the legislative branch,” Abbott tweeted Monday. “No pay […]

Charlie Pierce: Republicans Create the Doubts, Then They ‘Investigate’ Them

Being our semi-regular weekly survey of what’s goin’ down in the several states where, as we know, the real work of governmentin’ gets done, and where they sing “Amazing Grace” all the way to the Swiss banks. Audit Fever Sweeps Nation! From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: [State Assembly Speaker Robin] Vos in a Wednesday interview said he […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 5/28/21 Glenn Kirschner & Rep. Ted Lieu

Stephcast 5/28/21

Disgraced Rep. Matt Gaetz eyes presidential run in 2024 to deflect from troubles

Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican who is currently the subject of a Justice Department investigation into whether he had sex with a 17-year-old girl and transported her across state lines in violation of sex trafficking laws, is considering a run for president in 2024.  Gaetz made that disclosure Wednesday in a text message to […]

New York Times: Intelligence officials said to have untapped evidence on Covid-19 origins

President Joe Biden’s instructions to the US intelligence community to redouble its efforts in investigating the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic came on the heels of intelligence officials informing the White House that they possessed unreviewed evidence necessitating greater computer analysis that could potentially provide answers, The New York Times reportedThursday. The paper cited senior […]

Senate GOP moderates fume as McConnell prepares to block Jan. 6 commission

During Thursday’s Senate Republican lunch, Sen. Susan Collins made one last plea to her colleagues to advance a proposed independent commission to probe the Capitol riot, with changes she fought for. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke right after her. And the GOP leader is set to win the day, much to the consternation of […]

Joe Biden Calls Out Republicans Who Voted Against Stimulus But Tout Its Benefits

President Joe Biden isn’t giving a pass to Republicans in Congress who voted against his pandemic relief package but are now touting its benefits to their constituents. During remarks at a community college in Cleveland on Thursday, Biden held up a list of those lawmakers, calling them out for their hypocrisy around the American Rescue Plan.  […]

Stephcast 5/27/21

Republicans poised to quash creation of Jan. 6 commission

Senate Republicans are poised to quash an effort Thursday to establish a bipartisan, independent commission to study the Jan. 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol that that left five people dead. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced his opposition last week — along with his House GOP counterpart, Kevin McCarthy — ahead of the House […]

Prosecutors investigating Trump tell witness to prepare for grand jury testimony

Manhattan prosecutors pursuing a criminal case against former President Donald Trump, his company and its executives have told at least one witness to prepare for grand jury testimony, according to a person familiar with the matter — a signal that the lengthy investigation is moving into an advanced stage. The development suggests that the Manhattan […]

Death toll rises in San Jose rail yard shooting

The death toll rose late Wednesday night from the morning shooting at a San Jose, California light rail yard.   Authorities initially said an employee killed eight co-workers and wounded several others when he opened fire, but later said a ninth victim had succumbed to his wounds after being hospitalized in critical condition. Officials said […]

Biden says he’s asked intelligence community to “redouble” efforts in examining origins of COVID-19

President Biden said Wednesday he has ordered the U.S. intelligence community to “redouble” its efforts to investigate the origins of COVID-19 after a new report fueled questions about whether the virus originated in a lab in Wuhan, China.   Mr. Biden said in a statement he is giving the intelligence community 90 days to “collect […]

Dr. Irwin Redlener: Here’s How to Clear Up the CDC’s Communications Confusion

Last week’s guidance from the CDC that face masks and social distancing are no longer required for fully vaccinated people in most indoor and outdoor settings is based on multiple studies that confirm what we have long hoped for: the new vaccines offer robust protection against COVID-19. That is precisely the kind of science that Biden’s team rightly […]

Stephcast 5/26/21

Senate Set To Vote This Week On Jan. 6 Commission

The Senate will vote Thursday on legislation creating a special commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Donald Trump supporters.  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday moved to open debate on the bill despite uncertainty over the outcome, with only a few Republicans signaling their support. “We all […]

Half Of U.S. Adults Now Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19

Half of U.S. adults are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday. The country crosses this milestone just five months after it first began distributing doses. Some 61% of American adults have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, putting the U.S. on track to meet […]

McCarthy condemns Marjorie Taylor Greene’s comparison of Covid rules to Holocaust

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy joined a quick chorus of outrage at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Tuesday after she double-down on her comparison of Covid-19-related rules to the Holocaust. “Marjorie is wrong, and her intentional decision to compare the horrors of the Holocaust with wearing masks is appalling,” McCarthy said in a statement, […]

Prosecutors Convene Grand Jury That Could Weigh Potential Trump Charges: Reports

Prosecutors in New York have convened a special grand jury that may hear evidence against former President Donald Trump and potentially decide whether he will face charges, The Washington Post first reported Tuesday. Trump and his businesses have been under investigation in the state for more than two years by the Manhattan district attorney’s office.  Jurors […]

Stephcast 5/25/21

Blinken visits Middle East in bid to solidify fragile Israel-Gaza truce

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel on Tuesday, beginning a tour of the Middle East aimed at solidifying the fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. At least 253 Palestinians, including 70 children, and 14 people in Israel were killed during the 11-day conflict that was halted early on Friday by a tenuous […]

On Anniversary Of George Floyd’s Killing, Demonstrators Call For More Police Reform

It’s been one year since George Floyd was killed at the hands of police in Minneapolis, sparking a wave of protests around the world and a reckoning over systemic racism and law enforcement’s mistreatment of Black people in America. Floyd’s family attended one of many remembrances on Sunday, gathering with activists, citizens and others who […]

Fauci Addresses Reports Of Ill Wuhan Researchers, COVID Lab Theory

Dr. Anthony Fauci is skeptical of the theory that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, escaped from China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology. Nevertheless, Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, told CBS’ Weijia Jiang that he would support a more thorough investigation into the origins of the virus, just as he always has. “Dr. Fauci tells […]

DOJ partially discloses memo on why Trump wasn’t charged with obstruction

The Justice Department intends to appeal an order requiring the government to disclose a memo that was cited as a reason not to pursue obstruction of justice charges against former President Donald Trump, it said Monday. William Barr, then the attorney general, cited the memo, written by the department’s Office of Legal Counsel, as one […]

Barbara McQuade: Two new reasons Trump should worry about the New York legal investigations. A lot.

The legal stakes have just skyrocketed for former President Donald Trump and his business. New York Attorney General Letitia James’s investigation into the Trump Organization has suddenly evolved in two important ways: It is no longer “purely civil” but is also being conducted in “a criminal capacity,” and she is now working along with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr.  […]

Charlie Pierce: You Mean Liz Cheney Is Still…a Republican?

Wait a minute. What’s that I see? Is it the Liz Cheney bandwagon going over the cliff? Jonathan Swan of Axios was there at the brink to wave as the bandwagon plunged toward the rocks below. “I think you have to look at the specifics of each one of those efforts. If you look at […]

Stephcast 5/24/21

In the U.S., new COVID cases and deaths drop to the lowest levels in nearly a year.

For the first time since June of last year, there are fewer than 30,000 new daily coronavirus cases in the United States, and deaths are as low as they’ve been since last summer. In much of the country, the virus outlook is improving. Nearly 50 percent of Americans have received at least one vaccine shot, […]

Infrastructure negotiations snagged again as Republicans reject Biden’s counterproposal

Bipartisan negotiations on infrastructure hit a new snag Friday after Republicans flatly rejected a counterproposal on the multi-trillion dollar bill advanced by the White House. The White House’s $1.7 trillion dollar offer on Friday was a pared down version of President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan, initially valued at $2.2 trillion. Within moments of receiving […]

Biden to meet with George Floyd’s family 1 year after his death as policing bill stalls

President Joe Biden will mark the first anniversary of George Floyd’s death on Tuesday by meeting with members of the Floyd family at the White House as Congress is poised to miss the president’s deadline for passing police reform legislation named in Floyd’s memory. Floyd died a year ago Tuesday after former Minneapolis police officer […]

Rudy Giuliani Reportedly Called Arizona Official About Getting Election Challenge ‘Fixed Up’

Rudy Giuliani called an Arizona county official after the presidential election last year to discuss getting challenges to Joe Biden’s win “fixed up,” the Arizona Republic revealed on Sunday. Giuliani introduced himself in the Christmas Eve call to Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates as then-President Donald Trump’s attorney. “Bill, it’s Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s lawyer,” Giuliani said […]

Eric Boehlert: Now Politico’s just making stuff up

President Joe Biden is getting trashed by Democrats over the Middle East!  Vice President Kamala Harris isn’t acknowledging her Asian heritage!  Those were two breathless dispatches Politico posted this week, as the Beltway insider outlet did its best to gin up drama surrounding the Democratic administration. Apparently still longing from the non-stop news cycle of the Trump era and the […]

The Rude Pundit: I’m Losing My Capacity for Empathy Thanks to People Who Refuse to Get Vaccinated

I want to see things through other people’s eyes. I really do. I want to understand why they believe the fucked-up things they do. Those of us who truly understand the MAGA crowd, who have attempted to put their barbarism and belligerence in some kind of context that makes sense, who have considered their “economic […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 5/21/21 Dean Obeidallah & Olivia Troye

Stephcast 5/21/21

Arizona Official Says Voting Machines Are Now Unusable Because Of Recount Firm’s Control

Arizona’s secretary of state informed Maricopa County officials Thursday that hundreds of the state’s vote-tabulating machines should no longer be used because of their handling by the inept, partisan company hired by Senate Republicans to recount ballots cast in November’s presidential election. The machines should not be used again because there is no way of […]

Trump’s Justice Department Secretly Got CNN Reporter’s Phone, Email Records, Network Says

The Trump administration secretly obtained the phone and email records of CNN’s Pentagon correspondent, the news network reported Thursday, the latest evidence of the former president’s efforts to target journalists who reported government leaks during his tenure. CNN said Thursday that the Justice Department sought and obtained the records of Barbara Starr for a two-month period […]

Senate could vote next week on Jan. 6 commission as GOP filibuster looms

The Senate could vote as early as next week on House-passed legislation to create an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. But it’s unclear whether at least 10 Republican senators will support the bill, the threshold needed to move it forward. It could be the first bill this year […]

Gaza truce takes hold after Israel, Hamas reach cease-fire to halt conflict

A bilateral cease-fire took hold on Friday as Israel and Hamas agreed to halt nearly two weeks of fighting that has left hundreds dead and parts of the impoverished Gaza Strip reduced to rubble. In the countdown to the 2 a.m. (7 p.m. ET Thursday) truce, rocket attacks from the Palestinian militant group continued and […]

Stephcast 5/20/21

Anonymous statement on Capitol Police letterhead roils Jan. 6 riot commission debate

A statement released Wednesday on Capitol Police letterhead, said to be authored by multiple officers on the force, delivered a rare public rebuke of top Republicans for opposing a proposed bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot that injured scores on their force. The unsigned missive was sent to the offices of every […]

Rep. Tim Ryan Unleashes Fury On GOP Lawmakers Opposed To Jan. 6 Commission

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) has had it with the Republican members of the House who attacked a proposed bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol that was carried out by pro-Trump insurrectionists.  After thanking those in the GOP who supported the measure ― 35 Republicans ultimately broke ranks and voted […]

‘Not a positive development’: What the new criminal probe could mean for the Trump Organization

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ decision to join forces with the Manhattan district attorney to investigate the Trump Organization “in a criminal capacity” doesn’t mean her office has found a smoking gun, legal experts said Wednesday. But it doesn’t bode well for former President Donald Trump’s company, either. “This is not a positive development […]

House Backs Jan. 6 Commission, but Path In The Senate Dims

A sharply divided House voted on Wednesday to create an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol assault, overcoming opposition from Republicans determined to stop a high-profile accounting of the deadly pro-Trump riot. But even as the legislation passed the House, top Republicans locked arms in an effort to doom it in the Senate […]

Stephcast 5/19/21

Chuck Schumer Dares GOP To Oppose Bill Forming January 6th Capitol Riot Commission

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) vowed Tuesday to hold a vote on legislation forming a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, daring Republicans to oppose an effort that has bipartisan support in both houses of Congress. “Republicans can let their constituents know, are they on the side of truth […]

House approves bill to address anti-Asian hate crimes

The House approved a bill Tuesday to address the rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans during the coronavirus pandemic.   The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act passed by a vote of 364 to 62, with all 62 “no” votes coming from Republicans. It was overwhelmingly approved last month by the Senate by a vote of […]

No charges for deputies in Andrew Brown Jr. shooting, district attorney says

No charges will be filed against North Carolina sheriff’s deputies who shot and killed Andrew Brown Jr., a 42-year-old Black man whose family claims he was “executed” as he sat in his car. Elizabeth City, North Carolina, District Attorney Andrew Womble said at a news conference Tuesday morning that the three deputies who opened fire […]

New York AG’s office opens criminal probe into Trump Organization

The New York attorney general’s office said Tuesday that it is pursuing a criminal investigation into the Trump Organization, in addition to the ongoing civil probe. “We have informed the Trump Organization that our investigation into the organization is no longer purely civil in nature. We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a […]

Elie Mystal: The Supreme Court May Have Just Signed Roe v. Wade’s Death Warrant

The current constitutional rule regarding abortion holds that women have the right to choose whether to continue with their pregnancy before a fetus becomes viable. Fetal viability is the point after which a fetus is thought to have a chance of surviving outside a woman’s body, thus giving the government a legitimate state interest in […]

Stephcast 5/18/21

GOP-dominated Arizona board of supervisors call for end to election audit

The Republican-dominated Maricopa County Board of Supervisors on Monday called for an end to the audit of the election results. The Republican-led Arizona state Senate has ordered a full hand recount and audit of the ballots and voting machines in Maricopa County, the state’s most populous county, despite that it will not change the outcome […]

Gaetz associate pleads guilty to sex trafficking charges

A Florida politician who emerged as a central figure in the Justice Department’s sex trafficking investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetzpleaded guilty Monday to six federal charges and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors as part of a plea deal. Joel Greenberg, a longtime associate of Gaetz’s, appeared in federal court in Orlando. He pleaded guilty to […]

Supreme Court takes up major abortion case next term that could limit Roe v. Wade

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to take up a key abortion case next termconcerning a controversial Mississippi law that banned most abortions after 15 weeks, rekindling a potentially major challenge to Roe v. Wade at the majority conservative court. Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban, which then-Gov. Phil Bryant, a Republican, signed into law in 2018, […]

Biden expresses ‘support for a cease-fire’ to Netanyahu as Israel-Hamas conflict worsens

President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday afternoon, but made no direct call for an immediate end to violence as the deadly conflictbetween Israel and Hamas entered a second week with no signs of a nearing resolution. The White House said that Biden “expressed his support for a cease-fire and discussed […]

Charlie Pierce: The Supreme Court Doesn’t Need to Overrule Roe v. Wade Entirely to Damage Abortion Rights

It was a very big day at the United States Supreme Court on Monday. The justices decided to turn the months before the 2022 midterm elections into the world’s largest minefield. And, in their decisions, they decided that you can indeed strain the quality of mercy. The last bit first. Read the rest of Charlie […]

Stephcast 5/17/21

CBS News Poll: 80% of Republicans agree with Liz Cheney’s removal

When House Republicans ousted Congresswoman Liz Cheney from her leadership post, it spoke to the direction of the Republican Party in at least one specific way: what should happen to those who publicly break with former President Donald Trump? So, we surveyed the nation’s self-identified Republicans to learn what they thought of the week’s events. […]

GOP Arizona Election Official Blasts “Unhinged” Trump: “Insane Lies”

The Republican official who heads up the Arizona county elections department that is subject to an ongoing audit of the results from the 2020 presidential election has publicly lashed out against former President Donald Trump for spreading lies. Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer didn’t just criticize Trump, he also pointed the finger at other fellow […]

Eric Boehlert: The media have no idea how to cover increasingly deranged GOP

Hours after Republican House members forced Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) to surrender her leadership role for the sin of denouncing Trump lies about his election loss, Republicans at a House Oversight Committee hearing addressing the Capitol Hill insurrection spent the same day spreading misinformation about Trump’s attempted coup.    Claiming that what transpired that day […]

The Rude Pundit: How Public Schools Failed Black and White Students in the South By Hiding the Truth

Ever since I heard about the Opelousas massacre of 1868, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. Also called the St. Landry or St. Landry Parish massacre, I asked friends of mine who, like me, grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana and were educated by public schools there. None of them had heard of it, including […]

CDC’s mask guidance spurs confusion and criticism, as well as celebration

Federal health officials’ decision Thursday to rescind almost all masking and distancing recommendations for fully vaccinated Americans created as much confusion as it did celebration, sending states, businesses and individuals scrambling to figure out what rules, if any, are still appropriate and when. Many, including President Biden, hailed the relaxation of restrictions by the Centers […]

House members announce bipartisan deal for Jan. 6 commission

A group of House Democrats and Republicans announced Friday that they had struck a deal to establish an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, a significant breakthrough after months of partisan standoff over the mandate for such a panel — and whether it should exist at all. The proposed […]

Gaetz associate admits to sex trafficking of a minor, agrees in writing to cooperate fully with prosecutors

A Florida politician considered key to the investigation of Rep. Matt Gaetz agreed to cooperate fully with federal prosecutors and, if needed, to testify in court, as he admitted in a lengthy written plea agreement that he paid a minor to engage in sex acts with him and others, according to a copy of the […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 5-14-21 Steve Marmel & Dr. Redlener

Stephcast 5/14/21

Stefanik poised to be voted into House GOP leadership, replacing Cheney

House Republicans are expected to choose Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) on Friday to fill the leadership post recently occupied by Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), replacing a harsh critic of former president Donald Trump with a lawmaker who has become one of his staunchest defenders. The Friday morning vote will cap a tumultuous week for the […]

Pelosi suggests ethics committee should investigate Marjorie Taylor Greene for “verbal assault” of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested Thursday the House Ethics Committee should look into Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for her alleged “verbal assault” of Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.    The Washington Post first reported the conservative lawmaker from Georgia confronted Ocasio-Cortez and falsely accused her of supporting “terrorists” as the New York congresswoman was exiting the House […]

CDC says people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can shed masks in most indoor settings

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can forgo their masks and social distancing in many indoor situations.    “Today, CDC is updating our guidance for fully vaccinated people,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Thursday at a White House COVID-19 briefing. “Anyone who is fully vaccinated, […]

Colonial Pipeline Reportedly Paid $5 Million Ransom After Hack

The owner of the Colonial Pipeline paid hackers about $5 million in bitcoin to regain access to its data and end a standoff that forced one of the country’s largest energy pipelines offline, multiple media outlets reported Thursday. Details of the payments were first reported by Bloomberg News and The New York Times, and cited […]

Stephcast 5/13/21

Rep. Marjorie Greene aggressively confronts Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, causing New York congresswoman to raise security concerns

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene aggressively confronted Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday and falsely accused her of supporting “terrorists,” leading the New York congresswoman’s office to call on leadership to ensure that Congress remains “a safe, civil place for all Members and staff.”   Two Washington Post reporters witnessed Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) exit the House chamber […]

Liz Cheney vows to fight on, but her ouster signals Trump’s hold on the party

In the end, the vote to remove Representative Liz Cheney from her leadership position Wednesday morning was swift and relatively unceremonious, taking about as long as it would to order a morning cup of coffee, around 15 minutes. But it’s far from certain that Republicans will be able to dispense with Cheney entirely as they […]

Republican loyal to Trump claims Capitol riot looked more like ‘normal tourist visit’

Multiple Republican members of Congress on Wednesday offered a false retelling of the devastating events that occurred during the Capitol riot, with one calling the entire event a “bold faced lie” that more closely resembled a “normal tourist visit” than a deadly attack. During a House Oversight Committee hearing on the Jan. 6 riot, Rep. […]

Colonial announces pipeline restart, says normal service will take ‘several days’

Colonial Pipeline, operator of the largest U.S. fuel pipeline, said Wednesday it is restarting operations after being shut down for five days due to a cyberattack. The company shut down its entire operation Friday after its financial computer networks were infected by a Russia-tied hacker gang known as DarkSide, fearing that the hackers could spread […]

Stephcast 5/12/21

CDC director grilled over mask guidance in heated Capitol Hill hearing

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky was forced to defend her agency’s guidance and even its integrity on Tuesday as Senate Republicans grilled her over CDC messaging on masks and other restrictions, arguing it’s frustrating and unreasonable as more Americans get vaccinated. The Senate Health Committee hearing came hours after the […]

Death toll grows to at least 40 as violence escalates between Israel, Hamas

More rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel on Wednesday, and Israel’s military said it was striking more targets as the violence that has so far killed at least 40 people continued, officials said. Gaza’s health ministry said Wednesday that 35 people had been killed. An Israeli police spokesman said Wednesday that two people died […]

Gas Stations Report Shortages As Pipeline Shutdown Drags On

More than 1,000 gas stations in the Southeast reported running out of fuel, primarily because of what analysts say is unwarranted panic-buying among drivers, as the shutdown of a major pipeline by a gang of hackers entered its fifth day Tuesday. Government officials acted swiftly to waive safety and environmental rules to speed the delivery […]

Liz Cheney defiant as House Republicans to vote on her future in leadership for rebuking Trump

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., remained defiant Tuesday just hours before Republicans are expected to remove her from House GOP leadership, warning that former President Donald Trump‘s continued attacks against the 2020 election threaten American democracy and risk inciting more violence. Taking to the House floor in a near-empty chamber after several conservative colleagues railed against […]

Stephcast 5/11/21

McCarthy sets vote for tomorrow to remove Cheney from House Republican leadership

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told House Republicans on Monday that there would be a vote to recall Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney as chairwoman of the GOP conference on Wednesday, saying it’s “clear” there needs to be a change in the ranks of House Republican leadership.   “If we are to succeed in stopping the […]

AP-NORC poll: Biden approval buoyed by his pandemic response

President Joe Biden is plunging into the next phase of his administration with the steady approval of a majority of Americans, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The survey shows Biden is buoyed in particular by the public’s broad backing for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. […]

Pipeline shutdown could lead to price spikes, shortages — and problems for East Coast airports

While there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel for the stricken Colonial Pipeline, as the company said Monday that it expects the outage to be resolved by the end of the week, oil analysts say drivers in the Southeast, from roughly Alabama to potentially as far north as the nation’s […]

FDA authorizes Pfizer vaccine for children 12 to 15

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday lowered the age that people can receive Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine in the United States to 12 — a move that is expected to make millions of more shots available. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized for use in people ages 16 and up in December. The FDA has now […]

Charlie Pierce: This Weekend’s Shootings Were All Different, But Also They Were All the Same

Six people dead in Colorado Springs. At a birthday party. On Mother’s Day. One dead and seven wounded in Phoenix. At a young people’s party. On Mother’s Day. Three dead in a neighborhood in Baltimore. Three different incidents in California. Four people wounded in Newark, four more wounded in Milwaukee, two dead and three wounded […]

Stephcast 5/10/21

Fauci: ‘There’s No Doubt’ COVID-19 Deaths Have Been Undercounted In U.S.

Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday said he has “no doubt” that the number of Americans killed by COVID-19 is much higher than what has been officially reported, after a recent study counted nearly double the amount recorded by federal health officials. “We’ve been saying — and the CDC has been saying all along — that […]

House Minority Leader McCarthy Officially Backs Stefanik to Replace Liz Cheney in House Leadership

Representative Kevin McCarthy, the minority leader, on Sunday officially endorsed Representative Elise Stefanik in her bid to oust the No. 3 House Republican, Representative Liz Cheney, who has hemorrhaged support over her repudiation of former President Donald J. Trump’s lies about election fraud. “Yes, I do,” Mr. McCarthy told the Fox News host Maria Bartiromo […]

Hacked Pipeline May Stay Shut for Days, Raising Concerns About Fuel Supply

The operator of the largest petroleum pipeline between Texas and New York, which was shut down after a ransomware attack, declined on Sunday to say when it would reopen, raising concerns about a critical piece of infrastructure that carries nearly half of the East Coast’s fuel supplies. While the shutdown has so far had little […]

It may be time to relax indoor face mask mandates, Fauci says

Dr. Anthony Fauci says federal guidance on wearing face coverings indoors may change soon. Sunday on ABC News, Fauci was asked whether it’s time to start relaxing indoor masks requirements. Fauci replied, “I think so, and I think you’re going to probably be seeing that as we go along, and as more people get vaccinated.” […]

Eric Boehlert: Judge confirms Barr lied about Mueller report — will New York Times apologize for spreading that lie?

That’s how the New York Times in March 2019 famously described Attorney General William Barr’s supposed exoneration of Trump following Barr’s reading of Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Refusing to release the sprawling report, Barr instead put out a thin, four-page press release where he brazenly lied about Mueller’s contents, and claimed Trump was in the […]

The Rude Pundit: Liz Cheney Demonstrates the Least You Can Do to Preserve Democracy

Among the lies that Republicans tell themselves to justify their continued deranged, perhaps even traitorous behavior in refusing to back down from the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump, one of the most persistent is that Democrats were always trying to “overturn” the 2016 election. You remember that one, right? […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 5/7/21 Rep. Maxine Waters & Malcolm Nance

Stephcast 5/7/21

California ‘weeks away’ from reaching herd immunity, UCSF doctors say

California could reach herd immunity by June 15, according to projections by doctors at UCSF. “I am predicting that Gov. Newsom was actually right,” said Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease physician with UCSF. “June 15th is when we’re going to be done…get to herd immunity.” June 15 is about six weeks away. Gov. Gavin […]

Moderna and Pfizer vaccines showing promising results against COVID variants

Moderna says early trial results show increased immunity against COVID-19 variants first found in Brazil and South Africa among people who took a booster shot or an experimental new vaccine. And a new study shows Pfizer’s original vaccine has proven highly effective against the variant first spotted in the United Kingdom.   Meanwhile Moderna said […]

Biden still ‘ready to compromise’ with GOP on infrastructure despite McConnell comments

Standing before an aging bridge in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Thursday afternoon, President Joe Biden once again said he’s ready to work across the aisle with Republicans to pass his $2.3 trillion infrastructure-focused American Jobs Plan. “I’m willing to hear ideas from both sides,” Biden said. “I’m ready to compromise. What I’m not ready to do, […]

Jen Psaki Says She Will Likely Serve Just 1 Year As Press Secretary

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in an interview she plans to serve in her administration role for about a year before moving on to spend more time with her family. Psaki made the comments during an hourlong interview with David Axelrod, her former colleague when they served under President Barack Obama, saying after […]

Stephcast 5-6-21

Liz Cheney Says ‘History Is Watching’ As GOP Leaders Try To Punish Her For Telling Truth

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) wrote Wednesday that she believed the Republican Party was at “a turning point” amid a growing call from her colleagues that she be removed from her leadership post for rejecting former President Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 presidential election. In an opinion piece in The Washington Post, Cheney, the third-highest-ranking […]

Biden To Support Waiving Patents For COVID-19 Vaccines

The Biden administration plans to support a temporary waiver on patents and other intellectual property rules preventing developing countries from mass-producing generic COVID-19 vaccines, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced on Wednesday. A group of developing countries led by India and South Africa was pushing for the move, which comes as a relief for […]

Mitch McConnell Says He’s ‘100%’ Focused On Stopping Biden’s Administration

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday that his biggest priority is stopping President Joe Biden’s proposed legislative agenda in Congress.  McConnell made the comment while side-stepping a question about GOP infighting over Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and her imperiled future as the leader of the House Republican Conference. “One hundred percent of my […]

‘A total disgrace’: Trump lashes out at big tech companies after Facebook ban is upheld

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at three of the biggest tech giants after Facebook’s quasi-independent Oversight Board upheld the social media platform’s ban on him. “What Facebook, Twitter, and Google have done is a total disgrace and an embarrassment to our Country,” Trump said in a statement. “Free Speech has been taken […]

Stephcast 5/5/21

Facebook Oversight Board to decide today if Trump can return to the platform

The Facebook Oversight Board will announce its decision Wednesday morning whether to allow former President Donald Trump back on the platform, nearly five months after he was suspended following the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.    If the board decides to let him on the platform, Facebook has seven days to unlock Mr. […]

GOP leader questions whether Cheney can do job after she blasts Trump’s ‘BIG LIE’ comment

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Tuesday a growing number of Republicans in the conference are taking issue with Rep. Liz Cheney and he signaled that her days as GOP Conference chair — the third-ranking Republican in the House — could be numbered. “I have heard from members concerned about her ability to carry […]

Derek Chauvin’s legal team requests new trial, alleging jury misconduct

The legal team for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murdering George Floyd last month, has filed a motion in a Minneapolis court requesting a new trial on multiple grounds, including jury misconduct. In the filing, Chauvin’s attorney says the former officer should have a new trial in the “interests of […]

Biden lays out plan for shots in arms of 70% of Americans by July 4

President Joe Biden set a new goal for vaccinations in America, calling for 70% of the U.S. adult population to have at least one shot and 160 million Americans to be fully vaccinated by July 4 in remarks on Tuesday afternoon. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that, as of Tuesday, 105 million […]

Stephcast 5/4/21

Liz Cheney stokes GOP rift with ‘big lie’ rebuke of Trump

Rep. Liz Cheney on Monday escalated her feud with former President Donald Trump and his supporters in Congress, issuing a less-than-subtle swipe at the former president’s latest attempt to claim the 2020 election was stolen from him. On Monday morning, Trump issued a statement from his Save America PAC proclaiming that the presidential election “will […]

Pfizer COVID vaccine could be authorized for adolescents by early next week

The Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for administration to adolescents by early next week, according to a federal health official with knowledge of the agency’s plans.   The move would allow many American middle- and high-school students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 well before the start of the next […]

After blowback, Biden again sets refugee cap at 62.5K this fiscal year

President Joe Biden has signed a memo to raise the maximum number of refugees allowed into the United States this fiscal year to 62,500. His administration had first said in February it wanted the cap at that number, but in mid April, Biden backtracked and decided to leave a Trump-era cap of 15,000 in place. […]

Bill And Melinda Gates Announce Separation

Bill and Melinda Gates, the chairs and founders of their eponymous research foundation, announced Monday they are ending their marriage. The Microsoft co-founder and his wife, the company’s former general manager, have been married for 27 years. “Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all […]

Charlie Pierce: The Republican Party Has Developed New Rites of Initiation… You Must Push the Big Lie

It appears that the cult driving modern conservatism—and the Republican Party, which is its outward manifestation—has finally developed its infallible litmus test for its initiates. The cult is still based on monomaniacal loyalty to a vulgar talking yam, but now it has an article of faith through which that loyalty can be demonstrated. The Washington […]

Stephcast 5/3/21

Cindy McCain Blasts ‘Ludicrous’ 2020 Audit From Arizona GOP: ‘The Election is Over, Biden Won’

Cindy McCain, widow of the late Senator John McCain, bashed Arizona Republicans for their ongoing attempts to legally dispute the state’s 2020 election results. The Arizona state Senate recently hired a Florida-based cybersecurity company, Cyber Ninjas, to conduct an audit of votes in Maricopa County. The county is the largest in the state, and President […]

Romney booed at Utah GOP convention before failed vote to censure him

Utah Republicans loudly booed Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) at a state party convention Saturday, shortly before a failed effort to censure him for his votes to convict former president Donald Trump. A clip from the event in West Valley City, Utah, shows Romney walking up to a lectern to a raucous mix of cheers and […]

Country optimistic after Biden’s 1st 100 days: POLL

President Joe Biden completes his first hundred days in office with a country that is more optimistic about the coming year, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll. Nearly two-thirds of Americans (64%) are optimistic about the direction of the country in the poll, which was conducted by Ipsos in partnership with ABC News using […]

Biden administration to return billions in border wall funding Trump diverted from Pentagon

The Biden administration is returning to the Pentagon billions in funds diverted by President Donald Trump to build the wall at the southwestern border, and plans to cancel all related construction contracts, an administration official told ABC News on Friday. “Border wall construction under the previous administration tied up more than $14 billion in taxpayer […]

Eric Boehlert: If Biden were a Republican, press would tout him as the new Reagan

Viewing the world through the prism of the GOP, Politico announced President Joe Biden’s speech to Congress Wednesday night, where he presented a sweeping, optimistic view for America’s rebound from Covid-19, was a big win…for Republicans. Pushing the absurd storyline that Biden’s speech hurt him because it highlighted his agenda (he’s been trying to keep it hidden?), Politico declared […]

The Rude Pundit: An Open Letter to Tucker Carlson Regarding His Opinions on Masks

Dear Tucker, Can I call you “Tucker”? I don’t really care because I’m sure as hell not calling you “Mr. Carlson,” like you’re the dad of someone I’m fucking back when I was in high school. Anyways, I don’t watch your goddamn show because you’re an obnoxious, privileged, powdered pair of ass cheeks whose face […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 4/30/21 Frank Figliuzzi & Glenn Kirschner

Stephcast 4/30/21

‘It’s, like, so unfair’: Trump defends Giuliani after FBI raid

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday denounced the raids by federal investigators on the Manhattan home and office of his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, defending the former New York mayor as the victim of a politically biased Justice Department. “Rudy Giuliani is a great patriot. He does these things — he just loves this country, […]

Rudy Giuliani’s Son Tries To Out-Rudy Him In Wild CNN Appearance

Andrew Giuliani, son of Rudy Giuliani, tried to take a page out of his father’s book during a CNN interview on Thursday night. When asked by Erin Burnett about the FBI raid on his father’s apartment this week, Giuliani fired back with deflections and conspiracy theories ― including an accusation against the judge who signed […]

Bombshell Letter: Matt Gaetz Paid for Sex With Minor, Wingman Says

A confession letter written by Joel Greenberg in the final months of the Trump presidency claims that he and close associate Rep. Matt Gaetz paid for sex with multiple women—as well as a girl who was 17 at the time. “On more than one occasion, this individual was involved in sexual activities with several of the […]

Stephcast 4/29/21

India tops 200,000 dead as virus surge breaks health system

India crossed a grim milestone Wednesday of 200,000 people lost to the coronavirus as a devastating surge of new infections tears through dense cities and rural areas alike and overwhelms health care systems on the brink of collapse. The health ministry reported a single-day record 3,293 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing India’s […]

Federal investigators search Rudy Giuliani’s apartment and office

FBI agents executed search warrants at Rudy Giuliani‘s Manhattan apartment and his office to seize electronic devices Wednesday, multiple sources familiar with the matter said. The searches are a sign that prosecutors are ramping up their investigation into Giuliani, former President Donald Trump’s attorney. Federal prosecutors had what they needed to seek a search warrant […]

GOP Sen. Tim Scott says Dems ‘are pulling us further apart’ in response to Biden’s address

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) painted President Joe Biden as having broken his promises to seek to unify the country and slammed Democratic policymaking in his response to Biden’s first address to Congress. “Our president seems like a good man. His speech was full of good words,” Scott said. “But President Biden promised you a specific […]

The Five biggest takeaways from Biden’s first big speech to Congress last night

In his first big speech to Congress on Wednesday, President Joe Biden repeatedly spoke off the cuff and made a populist pitch to “forgotten” voters, urging lawmakers to pass his multitrillion-dollar economic agenda. Biden sought to strike a balance between optimism and pragmatism, celebrating the progress in the battle against Covid-19, attributed to the widespread […]

Stephcast 4/28/21

U.S. pharmacies are told to offer second vaccine doses to people who got first shots elsewhere.

Federal health officials said on Tuesday that they were directing nearly all drugstores and grocery-store pharmacies to offer second doses of Covid-19 vaccines to people who received their first shot from a different provider. Growing numbers of Americans who received a first shot of the two-dose Pfizer-BioNtech or Moderna vaccine are not getting their second […]

CDC says vaccinated people can ditch the mask outdoors in many cases

You can ditch the mask walking your dog or dining outside with friends if you are fully vaccinated from COVID-19. But keep it on for any outdoor crowded events like concerts, parades and sporting events. Wearing a mask in public spaces indoors also remains a must.   That’s according to new guidance released Tuesday by […]

NY Post Reporter Resigns, Says She Was ‘Ordered’ To Write False Kamala Harris Story

A New York Post reporter said Tuesday she had resigned after being ordered to write a false story that claimed migrant children were being given copies of a book authored by Vice President Kamala Harris in “welcome kits.” The story, published last Friday, set off a days-long misinformation cycle among Republican leaders and on conservative […]

Biden to propose free preschool, community college in address to Congress tonight

President Joe Biden will announce a roughly $1.8 trillion plan to invest in universal preschool and free community college in his joint address to Congress on Wednesday night, as well as expanded access to child care, a senior administration official said. The proposal, which the White House calls the American Families Plan, would also increase […]

Stephcast 4/27/21

Andrew Brown Jr. was shot in the back of the head by North Carolina police, family attorney says

Attorneys representing the family of Andrew Brown Jr. said Monday that North Carolina sheriff’s deputies shot the 42-year-old Black man in the back of the head as they were serving a warrant last week. Brown’s son, who was allowed to view what the family’s attorneys said was 20 seconds of police body camera video, called […]

CDC to update outdoor mask guidelines for vaccinated Americans

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to announce updated guidelines for fully vaccinated Americans as early as Tuesday, according to several administration officials. A federal official tells CBS News that the Biden administration will release new “interim public health recommendations” that will provide guidelines for activities that vaccinated people may resume, including […]

U.S. aims to share up to 60 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses with other countries after FDA review

The Biden administration is planning to share up to 60 million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine with other countries, officials confirmed Monday. The decision comes after the White House has faced growing calls to share shots that are likely to otherwise go unused in the United States.     Some 10 million doses manufactured in […]

Justice Department launches investigation into Louisville police department

The Justice Department is opening a pattern and practice investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Monday. This is the second such investigation into policing practices unveiled by the department in less than a week.  Last week, Garland announced a review of the Minneapolis Police Department the day after a jury […]

Charlie Pierce: You’d Have to Be a Supreme Court Justice to Think Americans Need to Be More Heavily Armed

The Supreme Court of the United States has watched the news, and judged the national mood, and read the national room, and decided this would be the perfect moment in history to render a decision that could result in a more heavily armed populace. So, next fall, the new conservative majority is primed to take […]

Stephcast 4/26/21

Eric Boehlert: The week Fox News craved street violence in Minneapolis

An overwhelmingly majority of Americans support the guilty verdict that was reached in the Minneapolis trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, who killed George Floyd one year ago, by kneeling on his neck for nine minutes while the Black man begged for his life. At Fox News though, the trial outcome was met with hysterical condemnations […]

‘Spineless Coward’: Kevin McCarthy Ripped For Defending Trump’s Riot Response

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was called out on social media for defending former President Donald Trump’s failure to rein in his supporters as they attacked the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection. McCarthy initially said Trump “bears responsibility” for the riot and admitted the then-president was too slow to respond.  “He should have […]

Oscars 2021: Chloé Zhao, ‘Nomadland’ make history at wobbly Academy Awards

The producers of the 93rd Academy Awards were handed an unenviable assignment. They were tasked with putting on a lively show that resurrected both the rarefied glamor of vintage Hollywood and the comforting normalcy of life before the pandemic — all while abiding by a laundry list of Covid-19 safety protocols. If they succeeded, the […]

Biden receives positive marks at 100 days – CBS News poll

Approaching one hundred days in the presidency, President Biden maintains fairly strong approval ratings for what look like fairly straightforward reasons: most Americans like the way he’s handling the country’s top priorities, with especially strong marks on the pandemic and vaccine rollout; his major legislative pieces are popular so far. And then, more stylistically perhaps, […]

Millions Are Skipping Their Second Doses of Covid Vaccines

Millions of Americans are not getting the second doses of their Covid-19 vaccines, and their ranks are growing. More than five million people, or nearly 8 percent of those who got a first shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, have missed their second doses, according to the most recent data from the Centers for […]

Frank Figliuzzi: Why Trump loyalists should fear the first Capitol riot confession

On Friday, we learned of the first publicly entered guilty plea from among the over 400 people charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. A guilty plea in such a sweeping and high-profile investigation is significant on its own. But when sealed documents in the case accidentally became visible in the federal court’s automated records […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 4/23/21 Elie Mystal & Rep. Mondaire Jones

Stephcast 4/23/21

D.C. statehood approved by House as Senate fight looms

A decades-long movement to reshape the American political map took a further step Thursday as the House of Representatives approved a bill to make the nation’s capital the 51st state. Voting along party lines with minority Republicans in opposition, the House approved the bill 216-208. That’s likely the easy part, though. The proposal faces a […]

Senate passes hate crimes bill to address rise in attacks against Asians

The Senate voted 94-1 Thursday to approve anti-Asian hate crimes legislation aimed at expanding the federal government’s efforts to address the recent rise in these crimes. The bill would identify a point person at the Justice Department who would quickly review hate crime incidents and provide more guidance to state and local entities to make […]

Lawmakers hold “good discussions” on police reform in wake of Chauvin verdict

In a rare example of bipartisan momentum, members of Congress are moving forward with discussions over police reform legislation after negotiations stalled last summer. Spurred by the guilty verdicts this week against Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on George Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers […]

The CDC and FDA are leaning toward resuming use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, should announce today

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration are leaning toward resuming use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine with a warning about blood clots, sources told CBS News. A decision is expected Friday, more than a week after the vaccine’s distribution was paused following reports of rare but dangerous blood clots […]

Stephcast 4/22/21

Police reform legislation has “more momentum” post Chauvin verdict

Lawmakers are looking to push forward with police reform after Derek Chauvin was convicted Tuesday of murdering George Floyd, with representatives and senators holding bipartisan discussions about next steps. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that the guilty verdict in the Chauvin trial does not mean that the problem of police misconduct and brutality has been […]

Biden Hopes Tax Credit Will Encourage Vaccine-Hesitant Americans To Get One Anyway

President Joe Biden on Wednesday encouraged Americans who do not want a COVID-19 vaccine to get one anyway by reminding them that small businesses can take a full tax credit against paid time off they provide for the vaccination and, if need be, recovery afterward. “I’m calling on every employer, large and small, in every […]

Columbus police release more video, details in shooting death of 16-year-old girl

Police in Columbus, Ohio, released more body-camera video Wednesday showing an officer’s point of view as he pulled his weapon, opened fire and killed a 16-year-old girl while responding to a 911 call. The body-worn camera of police Officer Nick Reardon recorded how he arrived at a reported disturbance late Tuesday afternoon. Reardon drew his […]

Earth Day: Biden will commit to halving U.S. emissions by 2030 as part of Paris climate pact

The U.S. will aim to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as part of its new commitment to the Paris climate agreement, President Joe Biden will announce Thursday. Biden will make the pledge, called the Nationally Determined Contribution, when he speaks at a two-day virtual climate summit attended by dozens of world leaders Thursday morning, […]

Dr. Irwin Redlener: Despite July 4 timeline, the US is a long way from herd immunity

As the rate of vaccinations continues at a record pace, Americans are increasingly emerging from their long and dark winter hibernation with a sense of cautious optimism and hope for a more ‘normal’ summer.  There are in fact signs of hope. More than one-third of U.S adults have now received at least one dose of the vaccine, marking a […]

stephcast 4/21/21

Tucker Carlson Goes Into ‘Meltdown’ Mode While Covering Derek Chauvin Conviction

Fox News host Tucker Carlson behaved strangely on the air Tuesday night. Near the end of his show about the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, Carlson laughed maniacally, then abruptly ended an interview with a guest who dared to criticize police use of excessive force. Carlson, who spent months spreading […]

Rep. Val Demings Goes Off On Jim Jordan In Fiery Shouting Match About Policing

Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) blew up at Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) during a House Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday when her colleague interrupted her as she was discussing law enforcement. The committee was discussing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, legislation that seeks to address the surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans. Demings was criticizing an amendment […]

Biden calls guilty verdict in Derek Chauvin trial ‘a step forward’

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the guilty verdicts in the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin were “a step forward,” but he also said the nation still has to reckon with systemic racism in all walks of life, including policing. Biden said the guilty verdicts are “much too rare” and “not enough.” […]

Derek Chauvin Trial: Chauvin Found Guilty of Murdering George Floyd

Derek Chauvin was found guilty of two counts of murder on Tuesday in the death of George Floyd, whose final breaths last May under the knee of Mr. Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, were captured on video, setting off months of protests against the police abuse of Black people. After deliberating for about 10 […]

Stephcast 4/20/21

Elie Mystal: How the Supreme Court Gave Cops a License to Kill

There is nothing unique or interesting about the defense strategy employed by the lawyers for Derek Chauvin. The trial has produced no made-for-television stunts or rhetorical flourishes. There’s no bloody glove, no rhyming couplets. Chauvin’s defense is so basic that an attorney straight out of law school could pull it off. His lawyers are simply […]

Former Vice President Walter Mondale Passes Away at 93

Former Vice President Walter Mondale, who served under President Jimmy Carter, has died at 93 years old, Axios reports. He led an accomplished life in politics serving as Minnesota attorney general, a Minnesota senator, Clinton’s ambassador to Japan, and Jimmy Carter’s vice president. Mondale also ran for president in 1984 and became the Democratic nominee. He made history […]

Alleged gunman in FedEx shooting browsed white supremacist websites, police say

The alleged gunman who killed eight people at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis last week apparently browsed white supremacist websites a little over a year before the deadly shooting, police said. On March 3, 2020, Brandon Hole’s mother went to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department seeking help after her son had purchased a shotgun with no bullets, according […]

CDC examining ‘handful’ of additional severe cases possibly linked to J&J vaccine

The U.S. is looking into additional cases of severe side effects possibly linked to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. “These have been a handful of cases, not an overwhelming number of cases,” Walensky said at a White House briefing on Monday. “We are working through […]

Derek Chauvin trial: Minneapolis and a nation anxiously await verdict

Thousands of National Guard members and hundreds of police officers stood watch over the Twin Cities with jury deliberations underway in the trial of the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in George Floyd’s death. A heavy and armed military presence could be seen Monday across Minneapolis in anticipation of unrest, especially near downtown government buildings. There […]

Charlie Pierce: We Can’t Be Held Hostage to a Political Party That Has Lost Its Mind

Back in February, when the idea of a bipartisan commission to study the events of January 6 first arose, it was the opinion around this shebeen that the whole idea was as doomed as Caesar in the Senate, because the Republicans’ complicity in those events would make the “bipartisan” element of any proposed bipartisan commission […]

Stephcast 4/19/21

Matt Gaetz’s father accused of calling in favors to keep Florida lawmakers silent about his son’s scandals: report

In a deep dive into the influence the father of Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., has had on his son’s political rise, a Florida political operative claimed that “Papa Gaetz” was using his considerable political influence to tamp down criticism of his embattled son. According to Politico’s Gary Fineout, it is no secret in Florida political circles that […]

Fauci says he doesn’t believe health officials will ‘just cancel’ Johnson & Johnson vaccine

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday that he’s hopeful public health experts will provide a roadmap for the troubled Johnson & Johnson vaccine by the end of this week, saying he believes it will not be taken out of circulation altogether, although there may be new warnings attached. Last week, officials recommended a temporary pause in […]

Closing arguments set to begin in Derek Chauvin murder trial for death of George Floyd

The prosecution and defense in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd are set to take their final cracks on Monday at swaying jurors after calling more than 40 witnesses and presenting numerous videos of the 46-year-old Black man’s fatal 2020 arrest. The attorneys will begin presenting their […]

Half of Americans over 18 have received at least 1 vaccine shot: CDC

Half of Americans over 18 have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination shot, according to data released Sunday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were close to 130 million adults in the country who received one shot, roughly 50.4% of the over-18 population, the agency reported. At least 83.9 million adults, roughly 32.5% of […]

Eric Boehlert: How the media botched the J&J vaccine “pause” story

Concerned about six rare and severe blood clot reactions out of nearly seven million Americans who have received the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, the CDC and the FDA on Tuesday announced a sweeping pause of the immunization in order to investigate the handful of cases.  The J&J vaccine, with its single-dose regimen, currently represents […]

The Rude Pundit: Shut the F*** Up and Get Your F***ing Vaccine

A bunch of fanatics are fucking up the vaccination program for everyone. Polls are showing that a significant percentage of people won’t get the vaccine. In places where people don’t get vaccinated, cases have been on the rise. There are YouTube videos, filled with conspiracy theories, exhorting people to avoid the vaccine. People spread the […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 4/16/21 Katie Hill & Rosie O’Donnell

Stepcast 4/16/21

Fauci clashes with a combative Jim Jordan over when COVID restrictions should be eased

Dr. Anthony Fauci, pressed by a Republican lawmaker Thursday over when Americans will “get their liberties back,” gave his clearest explanation yet as to when COVID-19 restrictions could be safely lifted, saying the U.S. must get its infection rate under 10,000 new cases a day. When asked by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, at a congressional hearing to […]

Vaccinated Will ‘Likely’ Need Third Pfizer Jab Within 12 Months, Then Annual Shots

The CEO of Pfizer said it’s “likely” those vaccinated with the company’s COVID-19 inoculation will need a third shot sometime within 12 months after getting the initial two doses and will potentially need a new shot every year thereafter. Albert Bourla, the head of the pharmaceutical giant, made the comments earlier this month in an […]

Chicago Releases Video Of Police Fatally Shooting 13-Year-Old Adam Toledo

Chicago’s police oversight group released footage Thursday of an officer fatally shooting a 13-year-old boy more than two weeks ago. Police pursued, shot and killed Adam Toledo early March 29 in the primarily Latinx neighborhood of Little Village on the southwest side of the city. Police said the shooting followed an “armed confrontation” and that […]

At least 8 people killed in shooting at Indianapolis FedEx facility; suspect also dead

At least eight people were killed after a gunman opened fire at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis late Thursday before also killing himself, police said. Multiple other people were transported to hospital with injuries, police said. The shooting was reported at the FedEx facility shortly after 11 p.m. and officers arrived to an active shooter […]

Stephcast 4/15/21

Rep. Matt Gaetz’s Woes Deepen As New Report Details Associate’s Shady Venmo Payments

As details suggesting Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-Fla.) involvement in an alleged sex scandal continue to escalate, new reporting from The Daily Beast on Wednesday suggested his associate Joel Greenberg made scores of suspicious Venmo payments to dozens of young women, including a minor. Greenberg, a former Seminole County tax collector in Florida and the suspected leader […]

Democrats to introduce bill to expand Supreme Court from 9 to 13 justices

Congressional Democrats will introduce legislation Thursday to expand the Supreme Court from nine to 13 justices, joining progressive activists pushing to transform the court. The move intensifies a high-stakes ideological fight over the future of the court after President Donald Trump and Republicans appointed three conservative justices in four years, including one who was confirmed […]

Johnson & Johnson vaccine remains on pause as CDC panel requests more information

An advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declined to make any new recommendations on the use of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, which will remain paused as the investigation into rare reports of severe blood clots continues. Many of the experts on the committee said they did not have enough […]

‘It is time to end America’s longest war’: Biden announces full withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan

President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he plans to fully withdraw troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, ending 20 years of United States military involvement in the country. Speaking from the Treaty Room in the White House, Biden said that the U.S. “cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan hoping to create the […]

Stephcast 4/14/21

Matt Gaetz’s iPhone Is Seized; Associate Talks In Sex Trafficking Probe: Reports

New reports on the federal sex trafficking investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) have revealed more details about the extent of the probe, including the seizure of his iPhone by federal agents over the winter and an associate’s cooperation against him since last year. Gaetz’s cellphone was seized when federal agents executed a search warrant, […]

Former officer testifies Derek Chauvin was ‘justified’ in pinning down George Floyd

A use-of-force expert testified Tuesday that former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was justified when he knelt on George Floyd’s neck as he tried to arrest him in May, contradicting testimony from other use-of-force experts and the police chief. The defense witness, Barry Brodd, a former Santa Rosa, California, police officer, also said that he did not […]

Daunte Wright’s family, attorneys reject police explanation of fatal Taser ‘mistake’: ‘Don’t tell us it’s an accident’

Daunte Wright’s family on Tuesday rejected the police explanation that his killing during a traffic stop could be blamed on an officer’s accidental use of deadly force. Wright, 20, was killed by a single bullet fired Sunday afternoon by Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, police Officer Kim Potter. Police Chief Tim Gannon, who resigned Tuesday along with Potter, said Potter, […]

White House, Fauci defend health agencies’ call to pause Johnson & Johnson vaccine

White House Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients and Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday defended the decision by the FDA and the CDC to pause administering the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, saying the federal agencies are following the science. “We want the agencies to lead with science,” Zients told reporters in the White House briefing room of […]

Stephcast 4/13/21

Katie Hill: Matt Gaetz Defended Me When My Nudes Were Shared Without My Consent. Now He’s Accused of Doing Just That

Matt and I forged an unlikely friendship in Congress, and he was one of the few colleagues who spoke out after a malicious nude-photo leak upended my life. But if recent reports are true, he engaged in the very practice he defended me from—and should resign immediately. Since I resigned from Congress, I’ve gotten used […]

CDC director says Michigan can’t vaccinate its way out of COVID-19 surge, says state must “close things down”

The answer to Michigan’s COVID-19 surge is “to close things down,” according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, not an increase in vaccine supply that the state’s governor and other public health experts have called for. “The answer is not necessarily to give vaccine because we know the vaccine will have a […]

Politico: Indicted Matt Gaetz Pal Paid Former Teen’s Legal Fees While Under Investigation

The indicted ex-tax collector friend of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) paid for a lawyer for the underage teenager at the heart of sex trafficking charges against him, according to a bombshell WhatsApp chat obtained by Politico. Politico reported that Joel Greenberg was in a “panic” just days before the federal indictment on 33 different charges including identity theft, […]

George Floyd’s brother Philonise testifies in Derek Chauvin’s trial

George Floyd’s younger brother cried on the witness stand Monday as he remembered his brother as a sports-loving “mama’s boy” who always wanted to be the best during the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing Floyd in May. Floyd’s brother Philonise Floyd was among three witnesses to take the stand Monday, […]

In Minnesota, a grieving community desperate for change after officer killed Daunte Wright

America’s most recent high-profile killing of a Black man at the hands of police happened in the backyard of the one that set off protests across the country and globe nearly a year ago. Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, a small city in Hennepin County where 20-year-old Daunte Wright was killed Sunday during a traffic stop, is about 10 […]

Charlie Pierce: Ordinary Citizens Living Ordinary Lives Should Not Be Afraid of Police

The deep and profound problems with American policing got quite a workout over the weekend. As the trial of former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd took a break until Monday, police in the adjoining suburb of Brooklyn Center pulled over a car driven by a 20-year-old Black man named Daunte […]

Stephcast 4/12/21

Gov. Whitmer pushes feds for more vaccine doses as COVID cases surge in Michigan

As Michigan grapples with a spike in coronavirus cases, Governor Gretchen Whitmer continued to push the Biden administration to send more vaccine doses to the state to combat its ongoing crisis. “We are seeing a surge in Michigan despite the fact that we have some of the strongest policies in place, mask mandates, capacity limits, […]

Republicans not pleased with Trump’s fiery Mar-a-Lago speech

Several Republican leaders on Sunday expressed concern at incendiary comments made by former President Donald Trump during a speech Saturday night at a Republican National Committee donor retreat. “Anything that’s divisive is a concern and is not helpful for us fighting the battles in Washington and at the state level,” Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said […]

Matt Gaetz Now Complains He’s A Victim Of The Deep State; Twitter Critics Can’t Even

Beleagured Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who is desperately casting about for explanations and excuses for why he might be the target of a federal sex trafficking investigation, came up with a new one Saturday. He now claims to be a victim of the imaginary “Deep State.” “I may be a canceled man in some corners,” […]

Crowd protests overnight after officer near Minneapolis shoots motorist

Protests erupted against police when an officer fatally shot a young Black man after stopping his vehicle for a traffic violation on Sunday about 10 miles from where George Floyd was killed during an arrest in Minneapolis last May. As angry crowds swelled into the hundreds outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department building on Sunday night, officers […]

Eric Boehlert: Maggie Haberman, and when Trump access no longer matters

Nobody in journalism rode the Trump wave quite like New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman, who was toasted by the media for her dogged sleuthing.  “She’s the queen of political journalism,” Vanity Fair proclaimed. She “may be the greatest political reporter working today,” Elle announced in a 5,000-word profile. And the Times itself worked hard branding Haberman, hyping her Trump coverage as “one of the most […]

The Rude Pundit: Conservatives Finally Just Say, “F*** Your Right to Vote”

As a slew of new voter laws slime their way through the legislatures of mostly Republican states where Democrats have a chance of winning, almost all based on the lie that there was mass election fraud in 2020, conservative commentators have decided that it’s not enough to come up with bullshit new procedures that inhibit voting. Apparently, […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 4/9/21 Sexy Liberals Hal, John, & Frangel

Stephcast 4/9/21

Biden announces executive actions to curb gun violence “epidemic”

President Biden unveiled his first attempts to curb gun violence on Thursday, announcing a set of modest moves designed to begin revamping federal gun policy by tweaking the government’s definition of a firearm and more aggressively responding to urban gun violence.  “Gun violence in this country is an epidemic, and it’s an international embarrassment,” Mr. […]

Floyd died of lack of oxygen, caught in “vise” between officers and street, expert says

George Floyd died from a low level of oxygen that damaged his brain and caused his heart to stop, a medical expert testified Thursday in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the fired Minneapolis officer charged in Floyd’s death. Dr. Martin Tobin, an expert who specializes in pulmonology and critical care, was the first witness called […]

Anthony Fauci Sounds The Alarm Over ‘Disturbingly High’ Level Of New COVID-19 Cases

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, warned once again on Thursday about complacency in the battle against COVID-19 as he expressed concern over the “disturbingly high” level of daily new infections in the United States. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and top medical adviser of President […]

Indicted Matt Gaetz Associate Likely Cooperating In Federal Investigation

The indicted friend of Rep. Matt Gaetz who is at the center of a federal investigation involving the congressman is in talks to potentially strike a plea deal, putting increased pressure on the Florida Republican accused of having sex with an underage girl and paying for her to travel with him across state lines. At […]

Stephcast 4/8/21

Biden says he welcomes debate on infrastructure: ‘Changes are certain’

Facing criticism from Republicans over his “American Jobs Plan,” President Joe Biden on Wednesday publicly challenged them to come to the table and hammer out a deal on infrastructure if they oppose what he’s laid out. “We’ll be open to good ideas and good-faith negotiations,” Biden said in remarks following up on the rollout of his plan […]

Expert: Derek Chauvin never took knee off George Floyd’s neck

Officer Derek Chauvin had his knee on George Floyd’s neck — and was bearing down with most of his weight — the entire 9 1/2 minutes the Black man lay facedown with his hands cuffed behind his back, a use-of-force expert testified Wednesday at Chauvin’s murder trial. Jody Stiger, a Los Angeles Police Department sergeant serving as […]

Investigators in Matt Gaetz inquiry looking into Bahamas travel, sources say

Federal investigators are looking into Rep. Matt Gaetz’s travel to the Bahamas with women and specifically whether those women were paid to travel for sex, which could violate federal law, a law enforcement official and another person familiar with the matter said. Investigators are also looking into whether Gaetz, R-Fla., and one of his associates […]

Biden to announce executive actions on gun control, name ATF nominee

President Joe Biden is expected to announce a series of executive actions Thursday on gun control and to nominate a prominent gun control advocate to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, White House officials said. Biden has faced pressure from Democrats and gun control activists to take immediate action to address gun […]

Stephcast 4/7/21

Biden moves up deadline for COVID vaccine eligibility to April 19

President Biden announced Tuesday that the deadline for adult eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines nationwide is being moved up to April 19. Mr. Biden had previously called for states and territories to make all adults eligible for shots by May 1.  As of Tuesday, 36 states have opened eligibility for vaccinations to people ages 16 and older, while 12 more and […]

Officers used excessive force against Floyd, training expert says

An expert witness testified in the trial of Derek Chauvin on Tuesday that officers used excessive force against George Floyd during his fatal May 2020 arrest. LAPD Sergeant Jody Stiger, an expert in tactics and de-escalation training, reviewed the case and testified for the prosecution. “My opinion was the force was excessive,” Stiger said. Stiger […]

Atlanta Mayor Signs Order Meant To Fight Georgia’s Voting Restrictions

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms signed an executive order Tuesday meant to expand voting access in response to Georgia’s racist new vote restrictions. The mayor’s order directs Atlanta’s chief equity officer to develop and implement a plan within the city’s authority to mitigate the effect of the state law, known as SB 202, that’s brought nationwide […]

Matt Gaetz sought preemptive pardon in final weeks of Trump’s presidency

Rep. Matt Gaetz privately sought blanket preemptive pardons for himself and his congressional allies during the final weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency, two people familiar with the discussions told The New York Times. The Florida Republican’s request was viewed by White House officials as a nonstarter, the people told the Times, and was ultimately never granted.   […]

Stephcast 4-6-21

Senate Democrats Gain Filibuster Workaround After Parliamentarian Ruling

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s attempt to give Democrats more opportunities to pass legislation with a simple majority of votes has been granted by the Senate parliamentarian, according to his office. The favorable ruling by Elizabeth MacDonough, who oversees Senate procedure, means the New York Democrat will have an extra chance to pass a bill […]

Arkansas governor vetoes ban on gender-affirming care for trans minors

Gov. Asa Hutchinson vetoed a bill Monday that would have made Arkansas the first state to restrict gender-affirming medical care, such as puberty blockers, for transgender minors. Calling the bill “a vast government overreach,” Hutchinson, a Republican, said at a news conference that the law would create “new standards of legislative interference with physicians and parents as […]

‘Absolutely not resigning’: Gaetz blasts Justice Dept. probe — and critics – in unhinged rant

A defiant U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz said in an op-ed article published Monday that he’s “not a criminal” and is “absolutely not resigning” despite an investigation into sex trafficking allegations against him. “Since I’m taking my turn under the gun, let me address the allegations against me directly. First, I have never, ever paid for […]

Derek Chauvin ‘absolutely’ violated policy, Minneapolis police chief testifies

Last June, nearly a month after the death of George Floyd, the chief of the Minneapolis Police Department issued a blistering statement about the officers involved in Floyd’s arrest. Chief Medaria Arradondo, the first Black person to hold the position, described Floyd’s death as “tragic” and said it “was not due to a lack of […]

Charlie Pierce: Our Capacity for Shock Is Finally Coming Back to Us

So there was another crazy event at the Capitol on Friday and two people died. Earlier in the week, we had our third mass shooting in two weeks, this one in Los Angeles, in which four people died including a nine-year-old boy. We don’t yet know if the driver who smashed into a barricade at the Capitol […]

Stephcast 4-5-21

Trial in Floyd’s death expected to turn to ex-cop Chauvin’s training

The trial of a former Minneapolis police officer in George Floyd’s death is expected to turn toward the officer’s training on Monday after a first week that was dominated by emotional testimony from eyewitnesses and devastating video of Floyd’s arrest. Derek Chauvin, 45, is charged with murder and manslaughter in the May 25 death of […]

Buttigieg: ‘Now’s our chance’ for infrastructure plan

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday that President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan would pay for itself while upgrading infrastructure from decades past. “Right now, we’re still coasting off of infrastructure choices that were made in the 1950s,” Buttigieg said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Now’s our chance to make infrastructure choices for the future […]

Florida Declares State Of Emergency Amid Risk Of Wastewater Reservoir Collapse

Florida’s governor has declared a state of emergency over concerns that a reservoir containing 400 million gallons of wastewater from a former phosphate mine may collapse and engulf the surrounding Tampa Bay area, prompting efforts to drain its contents into local waterways. “We’re down to about 340 million gallons that could breach in totality in […]

U.S. must confront Covid spike, noted epidemiologist warns

A leading epidemiologist said Sunday the nation has to accept that a new wave of Covid cases has hit the United States. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, echoed the warnings of CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, who said last week: “I’m going to reflect […]

Eric Boehlert: Fox News just went 30 hours without mentioning the Matt Gaetz scandal

In an extraordinary attempt at GOP damage control, Fox News failed to make any mention, for more than an entire day, of the exploding sex trafficking scandal that’s engulfing Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL), a close ally of the network. Opting instead for a total blackout, Fox News tried and failed to quell the raging […]

The Rude Pundit: Would a Good Guy with a Gun Have Been Justified in Saving George Floyd?

The testimony coming out of the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd has been beyond heartbreaking and beyond enraging. Today, for instance, Floyd’s girlfriend revealed on the stand that his pet name for her was “Mama,” which is what he called out over and over as he died. It’s been this […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 4/2/21 Dr. Redlener & Barbara McQuade

Stephcast 4-2-21

Gaetz showed nude photos of women he said he’d slept with to lawmakers, sources tell CNN

Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican being investigated by the Justice Department over sex trafficking allegations, made a name for himself when he arrived on Capitol Hill as a conservative firebrand on TV and staunch defender of then-President Donald Trump. Behind the scenes, Gaetz gained a reputation in Congress over his relationships with women and […]

Derek Chauvin’s former supervisor testifies his restraint of George Floyd violated use-of-force policies

A former supervisor of the fired Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death testified Thursday that the officer violated police use-of-force policies in his restraint of Floyd last May. The sergeant, David Pleoger, who recently retired from the Minneapolis Police Department after a 27-year career in law enforcement, was called to the witness stand […]

Justice Dept. Inquiry Into Matt Gaetz Said to Be Focused on Cash Paid to Women

A Justice Department investigation into Representative Matt Gaetz and an indicted Florida politician is focusing on their involvement with multiple women who were recruited online for sex and received cash payments, according to people close to the investigation and text messages and payment receipts reviewed by The New York Times. Investigators believe Joel Greenberg, the […]

Stephcast 4-1-21 (REAL!)

Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is delayed by a U.S. factory mixup

Workers at a plant in Baltimore manufacturing two coronavirus vaccines accidentally conflated the ingredients several weeks ago, contaminating up to 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine and forcing regulators to delay authorization of the plant’s production lines. The plant is run by Emergent BioSolutions, a manufacturing partner to both Johnson & Johnson and […]

Gaetz investigation complicated by overture to his father about ex-FBI agent who went missing

Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican known for his fierce allegiance to former president Donald Trump, had been under Justice Department investigation for months for a possible sex crime when two men approached his father with a proposal, people familiar with the matter said. The men had learned of the investigation, they wrote to Don […]

Witness breaks down while watching body camera footage of George Floyd’s arrest: ‘I feel helpless’

A man who witnessed George Floyd’s arrest broke down on the stand as he watched composite footage from the encounter. Charles McMillian, who lives near the Cup Foods, was driving by when he saw Floyd’s encounter with police, he said. McMillian can be heard talking to Floyd in the viral video taken by a bystander, […]

Biden unveils sweeping $2 trillion infrastructure plan

President Joe Biden announced his $2 trillion infrastructure plan Wednesday, a sweeping proposal that would rebuild 20,000 miles of roads, expand access to clean water and broadband and invest in care for the elderly. Speaking at a carpenters training facility in Pittsburgh, Biden urged Congress to act on his proposal, called the American Jobs Plan, […]

Stephcast 3-31-21

With older Americans largely vaccinated, more new COVID-19 cases among younger adults

As more older Americans get vaccinated an increasing number of new COVID-19 cases are impacting younger adults, prompting warnings that Americans remain vigilant in an effort to prevent more people from becoming sick. The number of new COVID-19 cases increased more than 10% in 26 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico since last week, a […]

‘The wish list’: Biden to launch effort to enact far-reaching infrastructure package

Nearly two years after Joe Biden began his presidential campaign at a union hall in Pittsburgh with the promise to “rebuild the backbone of the country,” the president will return to the Steel City to launch an effort to make good on that pledge. In a speech Wednesday, Biden will to lay out the first […]

Chauvin’s defense attempted to portray bystanders as angry mob that diverted officers’ attention

During his opening statement Monday, the attorney for the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in George Floyd’s death claimed that the crowd of onlookers who witnessed Floyd’s death last May had made the responding officers worry for their safety and diverted their attention from him. On Tuesday, the defense attorney, Eric Nelson, doubled […]

Matt Gaetz Under Investigation For Possible Sexual Relations With Teenager: Report

The Justice Department is investigating Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for possible sexual relations with a 17-year-old girl, three people briefed on the matter told The New York Times on Tuesday. The staunch conservative and Donald Trump ally is also under investigation for possibly paying for her to travel with him across state lines, which would […]

Stephcast 3-30-21

Stephcast 3-29-21

‘An inflection point’: Congress prepares for battle over massive voting rights bill

Congress is preparing for a heated battle over the way Americans vote, with the two parties set to clash over proposed federal election standards and Republican-led state restrictions. At issue is the fate of the House-passed For the People Act that would remake American elections from start to finish. It would force states to offer […]

Suez Canal reopened after Ever Given ship successfully refloated

The giant container ship that blocked traffic in the Suez Canal for the last week resumed its journey on Monday after being successfully refloated. “The efforts to float the delinquent Panamanian container ship Ever Given are successful,” Lt. Gen. Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, said in a statement. The crucial waterway will […]

George Floyd family members, leaders hold prayer service on eve of trial

National civil rights leaders appeared alongside several family members of George Floyd at a prayer service Sunday night, hours before opening statements were set to begin in the murder trial of the former Minneapolis police officer charged in his death. Several dozen attendees congregated in the benches at Greater Friendship Missionary Church, where preachers led worship and […]

Dr. Deborah Birx: U.S. Death Toll Could Have Been Much Lower If Trump Administration Had Acted Faster

Dr. Deborah Birx, who served as former President Donald Trump’s coronavirus response coordinator, said the White House could have saved hundreds of thousands of lives if it had coordinated better during the onset of the pandemic.  Birx was one of the nation’s top doctors featured in a CNN documentary that broadcast Sunday night about the country’s […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 3-26-21 (Vintage) Aisha Tyler

StephCast – F 3-26-21

‘The art of the possible’: Biden lays out pragmatic vision for his presidency

President Biden, answering the 29th question in his first presidential news conference on the 65th day in office, offered one of the clearest distillations of his theory of his presidency and how its success will be measured. “It’s a matter of timing,” he said, in an answer in which he was referring to gun control […]

Schumer tees up Senate votes on hate crimes, gun control, voting rights

The Senate will take up legislation as soon as next month on hate crimes against Asian Americans, as well as background checks for gun buyers and a massive voting rights package, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday. The New York Democrat used a letter to colleagues and a floor speech to outline three broad areas […]

Georgia Republicans speed sweeping elections bill restricting voting access into law

Republicans in Georgia sped a sweeping elections bill into law Thursday, making it the first presidential battleground to impose new voting restrictions following President Joe Biden’s victory in the state. The bill passed both chambers of the legislature in the span of a few hours before Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed it Thursday evening.   […]

Border challenge takes center stage at Biden’s first White House news conference

The mounting challenges at the border crashed President Joe Biden’s first formal news conference Thursday afternoon, derailing White House hopes of keeping the event focused on the administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. The White House had made an advance effort to spotlight Biden’s efforts to address the pandemic, with a string of vaccination logistical […]

StephCast – Th 3-25-21

Biden to highlight gains and face tough scrutiny in first formal news conference

President Joe Biden’s first two months in power went remarkably smoothly considering he took office amid a once-in-a-century pandemic, a consequent economic crisis and his predecessor’s refusal to recognize his victory. But in his first formal news conference Thursday, he’ll face scrutiny on gun control and immigration, two sudden tests of leadership for which his […]

After a rebuke, AstraZeneca releases new data that shows its vaccine is still highly effective

AstraZeneca reiterated on Wednesday that its Covid-19 vaccine was very effective at preventing the disease, based on more recent data than was included when the company announced the interim results of its U.S. clinical trial on Monday. The company said in a news release that its vaccine was 76 percent effective at preventing Covid-19. That […]

President Biden taps Vice President Harris to stem migration flow from Central America

President Joe Biden said Wednesday he was tapping Vice President Kamala Harris to lead his administration’s effort to stem migration from Central America, as the United States deals with a surge of unaccompanied minors crossing its southern border. The role will represent the first significant item in the vice president’s portfolio, and her involvement has […]

Dr. Rachel Levine becomes first openly transgender person confirmed by Senate to federal post

Dr. Rachel Levine’s confirmation to the Department of Health and Human Services by the Senate on Wednesday made her the first openly transgender federal official in the nation’s history. Levine, who previously served as Pennsylvania’s secretary of health, was confirmed in a 52-48 vote as the assistant secretary to the federal agency. She will serve […]

Dr. Irwin Redlener: Four Things Biden Can Do Right Now to Protect Children at the Border

The Biden administration is reluctant to refer to the situation on the southwestern border as a “crisis,” preferring to call it a “challenge.” But with nearly 100,000 apprehensions at the border last month alone, that may be a distinction without much difference. Whatever it’s called, this influx of asylum seekers—including a rapidly growing number of unaccompanied, unauthorized minors […]

StephCast W 3-24-21

USPS: 10-year plan includes longer delivery times, fewer post offices

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Tuesday unveiled a proposal to overhaul the U.S. Postal Service, describing his 10-year plan as necessary to stanch billions of dollars in losses and put the agency on the path to profitability. But critics are voicing concerns about key elements of the plan, including slower delivery standards and planned closures […]

Biden extending Obamacare’s pandemic enrollment season

The Biden administration is extending a special Obamacare enrollment season it opened for the pandemic, giving Americans three more months to shop for health coverage after Congress recently boosted insurance subsidies in the Covid stimulus package. President Joe Biden during his first weeks in office opened a new special enrollment period, citing increased need for […]

Democrats End Threat To Block Biden Nominees; White House To Name Asian American and Pacific Islanders Liaison

Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) backed down from their threats to oppose any “non-diversity” nominees put forward by President Joe Biden, saying late Tuesday that the White House had committed to elevate Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for high-level positions in his administration. “Senator Duckworth appreciates the Biden Administration’s assurances that it will do much […]

President Biden Calls To Ban Assault Weapons After Boulder Grocery Shooting

President Joe Biden on Tuesday called for a nationwide ban on assault weapons, background check reforms and broad changes to magazine capacity restrictions in his first remarks since a gunman opened fire at a Boulder, Colorado, supermarket on Monday, killing 10 people.  “While we’re still waiting on more information regarding the shooter, his motive, the weapons […]

StephCast – T 3-23-21

Trump Lawyer Sidney Powell Says ‘No Reasonable Person’ Would Believe Her Election Fraud Lies

Former President Donald Trump’s former campaign lawyer Sidney Powell is apparently backtracking on her claims that voting machines were rigged in favor of now-President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. After Trump’s loss, Powell repeatedly argued that Dominion Voting Systems machines were manipulated to weigh votes for Biden more heavily than those for Trump, but she never provided […]

Biden dispatches top officials to Mexico, Central America as border crisis grows

President Joe Biden is dispatching top officials to Mexico and Central America as the crisis on the southern U.S. border persists with a surge of asylum-seeking migrants who are fleeing their countries. The crisis at the border has created a difficult situation for Biden, who is caught between his promises to progressives to establish a […]

AstraZeneca Covid vaccine trial data prompts ‘concern,’ federal agency says

Results from AstraZeneca’s recent Covid-19 vaccine trial “may have included outdated information” that “provided an incomplete view of the efficacy data,” a federal health institute said early Tuesday. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases issued the unusual statement after AstraZeneca announced Monday that the trial showed no serious side-effects, and that its vaccine […]